Theresa
CRASH.
The heavy security doors of the Central Spire's atrium flew inward, torn from their hinges by the combined force of a greatsword and a golden chain.
The rescue team surged into the massive, open space. The atrium was a cathedral of glass and steel, stretching upward into a dizzying vertical shaft that disappeared into the facility's upper levels.
It was crawling with Anti-Entropy defenses.
"Clear the room!" Himeko roared, leaping over a pile of debris.
She swung her blade, the orange edge glowing white-hot as it sliced through the chassis of a Titan mech guarding the entrance.
The machine exploded, its upper half sliding cleanly off its legs.
To her left, Fu Hua moved towards a trio of riot-suppression drones that dive-bombed her, their tasers crackling.
She pivoted on one heel, her palm striking the air. A shockwave of pure kinetic force rippled outward, shattering the drones mid-flight. They rained down as scrap metal.
"Secure the perimeter!" Theresa commanded, recalling the Oath of Judah. The golden cross slammed back onto her back with a heavy THUD.
She pulled out her datapad, her fingers flying across the screen as she synced with the facility's internal network.
"Come on, come on..." she muttered, her eyes scanning the scrolling code. "Where are you hiding him?"
Kiana, Mei, and Wendy formed a defensive ring around her. Kiana's pistols barked, picking off security cameras and automated turrets on the upper balconies.
Mei stood ready, her hand on her katana, while Wendy used small, controlled gusts of wind to deflect any attacks headed their way.
"Got him!" Theresa shouted, her voice cutting through the noise of battle.
She pointed toward the center of the room, where a bank of high-speed elevators waited.
"The signal is coming from the upper labs. Level 42. It's a moving room, so you need to be quick."
"Then let's go!" Kiana yelled, already starting to run toward the elevators. "We can be there in—"
The facility's alarms suddenly shifted pitch. A continuous, deafening wail replaced the rhythmic siren. The lights in the atrium turned from emergency red to a blinding, flashing white.
Theresa's datapad screamed a warning.
"Heads up!" she yelled. "A lot of signatures! They're converging on the atrium!"
The blast doors on the far side of the room began to grind open. Through the gap, they could see rows of red optical sensors lighting up the darkness.
Dozens of Titan mechs, accompanied by swarms of aerial drones, were marching into the room to cut them off.
"That's… more than expected," Himeko growled, stepping up beside Theresa. She hefted her greatsword, her expression grim. "That distraction in the drainage sector didn't buy us as much time as I hoped."
Theresa looked at the encroaching army, then at the elevator shaft. Then at her students.
"All right, everyone, like we planned! You three, get to the elevator!"
Kiana hesitated. "Are you sure?! There's way more mechs than we thought, we could help you all a little!!"
"Stick to the plan!" Himeko snapped, stepping in front of the girls. She turned her back to them, facing the wall of mechs. "If we don't hold them here, they'll swarm us, and Kenji will be moved again. Someone has to hold the line."
"But—"
"Go!" Fu Hua said, her voice leaving no room for argument. She took a stance beside Himeko, her fists raised. "We will buy you time. You save Kenji."
Mei's jaw tightened. She looked at the army of machines marching toward them, then at Theresa's determined face.
She grabbed Kiana's arm. "Kiana, Wendy. Let's go."
"Argh, alright!" Kiana grumbled out as Mei was already pulling her. Wendy hovered a few inches off the ground, looking back at the adults before turning to follow.
"Don't die on us, old lady!" Kiana shouted over her shoulder at Himeko.
Himeko smirked, shifting into a battle stance. "Watch who you're calling old, brat! Now move!"
The three girls turned and sprinted toward the secure corridor that led to the elevators.
Behind them, the blast doors fully opened. The Anti-Entropy army surged forward, a tide of metal and lasers.
Theresa slammed Judah into the ground again. The golden chains erupted, creating a shimmering wall of metal between her students and the enemy.
"Alright," Theresa whispered, her eyes glowing with power. "I needed something to vent my anger on anyway."
She, Himeko, and Fu Hua charged into the horde, their silhouettes disappearing into the chaos of battle as Kiana, Mei, and Wendy vanished into the corridor, running toward the spire.
/ — /
Kiana
Kiana's boots hammered against the floor plates, her breath coming in sharp gasps. Beside her, Mei had her hand resting on the hilt of her katana, while Wendy floated just above the ground, the wind carrying her forward to match their sprint.
Behind them, the sounds of the battle in the atrium were fading—the roar of Himeko's clashes and the thunder of Theresa's Oath of Judah becoming distant, muffled echoes.
"The elevator is just ahead!" Mei called out, checking the holographic display on her wrist.
"Any reason why I can't just fly up there?!" Wendy yelled beside her.
Mei turned her head, "Because the lab is most likely covered in heavy defenses. If you head off on your own, we can't help you. Who knows what weapons they have?"
Wendy cursed under her breath as they continued running.
Kiana looked towards her on display and panicked, "We need to be faster, Kenji's energy is spiking like crazy!"
They rounded the final corner, skidding to a halt as the path forward was abruptly blocked.
Standing in the center of the wide hallway, guarding the heavy blast doors of the elevator shaft, was a small, familiar figure.
"Bronya?" Kiana breathed, her momentum dying instantly.
Bronya Zaychik stood motionless. But she wasn't the girl who played video games on the couch or bickered about logic.
She had a blank look on her face, but it wasn't like her usual impassiveness. This was just empty.
Behind her, Project Bunny 19C hovered menacingly, its massive cannon charged and glowing with a lethal red light.
Bronya's head snapped up. Her eyes were dull, glowing with the same lifeless red as the Titan mechs outside.
"Targets acquired," Bronya said. Her voice was flat, synthesized, stripped of all humanity. "Obstruction detected. Engaging lethal force."
"Bronya, wait!" Kiana shouted, taking a step forward, her hands raised. "It's us! It's Kiana! We're here to help you!"
"Ignore her, Bronya."
The voice didn't come from Bronya. It echoed from the speakers built into Project Bunny's chassis, smooth, amplified, and mocking.
"Cocolia," Mei hissed, her knuckles whitening on her weapon.
"So the runts made it past the atrium," Cocolia's voice purred, dripping with disdain. "And to think that Theresa would bring such heavy backup, she must really want her toys back."
"Let Bronya and Kenji go!" Kiana screamed, pointing a pistol at the Project Bunny but refusing to put her finger on the trigger. "They're not toys!"
"They are exactly what I want them to be," Cocolia countered coldly. "Bronya is a weapon. And unlike that defect floating next to you..."
Project Bunny's sensors locked onto Wendy.
"...Bronya actually follows orders. Kill them."
Project Bunny's cannon locked into place.
"Watch out!" Mei shouted.
BOOM.
A massive energy beam tore down the hallway. Kiana dove left, rolling across the floor plates.
Mei blurred right in a flash of lightning, and Wendy shot upward. The blast scorched the floor where they had been standing a microsecond before, melting the reinforced metal into slag.
"What's the plan?!" Kiana yelled, scrambling to her feet as Project Bunny unleashed a swarm of tracking missiles.
"We have to subdue her!" Mei cried out, deflecting a barrage of missiles with lightning-infused slashes. The explosion knocked her back, singeing her battlesuit. "If we don't, she'll kill us!"
The hallway dissolved into chaos. Bronya moved with terrifying efficiency, Project Bunny acting as both shield and sword.
She fired lasers with pinpoint accuracy, forcing the trio on the defensive. Kiana gritted her teeth, holstering her guns. She really didn't want to shoot her friend being mind-controlled!
She charged in, dodging a sweep of the mech's blade arm, trying to get close enough to grapple, but the machine was too fast, knocking her back with a shield.
Kiana's eyes widened when Bronya herself got up close to her to land a punch to her stomach, sending her flying into the wall.
'Since when did she get so good at close quarters?!' She yelled in her mind, only for the answer to appear in her mind shortly after. 'Of course! All that sparring with Kenji!'
"Bronya, snap out of it!" Kiana shouted, ducking under a punch that cracked the wall behind her.
Bronya didn't respond. She directed Project Bunny's shield to slam into Kiana's chest. Before she could counter, Bronya grabbed her hand and slammed her to the ground once before throwing her aside.
"Inefficient," Bronya droned.
Mei appeared in front of her, ready to knock her out. But Project Bunny quickly appeared in front of Bronya, using an arm to block the hit.
Bronya jumped back, and Project Bunny's back opened and ejected several micro missiles.
Mei's eyes widened as she retreated, dodging and countering most of the missiles. Wendy using her wind to assist Mei at the same time.
But one missile went past their defenses and hit Mie square on the side, the explosion sending her flying back.
Bronya raised the cannon again, aiming directly at the recovering Mei.
"No you don't!" Wendy screamed.
Wendy thrust both hands forward and pushed.
A wall of heavy pressurized air slammed into Bronya and Project Bunny. It pinned the massive mech against the far wall with the force of a hydraulic press.
Metal groaned as the machine was immobilized, its cannon aim forced upward toward the ceiling.
"Why is it so strong?!" Wendy gritted out, sweat beading on her forehead as she maintained the pressure.
Project Bunny struggled, its engines whining, but the wind held firm. Bronya was also unable to do anything as the wind immobilized her.
Wendy floated closer, ignoring the strain on her body. She stopped just a few feet from Bronya.
"Bronya," Wendy said, her voice shaking but clear. "I know you can hear me!"
"Target locked," Bronya glitched, her head twitching. "Eliminate..."
"You tried to kill me in New Zealand," Wendy continued, her eyes soft, ignoring the cannon pointed near her head. "You attacked me. You hurt me."
Bronya's face remained blank, but her finger twitched on the trigger.
"But I know it wasn't you," Wendy whispered. "I forgive you. It wasn't your fault… I-I'm sorry that I was difficult, but things are different now! Please, come back to us, Bronya!"
She saw how Bronya's eyes widened slightly as the red glow stuttered.
"Pathetic," Cocolia's voice sneered over the speaker. "Override her. Full output. Kill them now."
A surge of agony ripped through Bronya's head as she screamed. The bio-chip in her brain flared, forcing her arm to move against her will.
Project Bunny's cannon began to glow, fighting against the wind pressure, aiming down at Wendy's exposed chest.
"Run..." Bronya gasped, her own voice breaking through the synthesis.
"We're not leaving you!" Kiana yelled, grabbing Project Bunny's cannon and pushing it upwards with a roar of effort.
Bronya looked at them. Her friends. The people she was programmed to kill. She looked at Wendy, who was straining to save her, not destroy her.
Bronya closed her eyes.
"The Bronya... will not... hurt her friends."
Kiana's eyes widened when Bronya's body suddenly seized up. "Bronya, what—?!"
A high-pitched electrical whine tore through the room.
"Stop! What are you doing?!" Cocolia's voice lost its composure. "Bronya, cease this immediately! You will destroy yourself as well—!"
"The Bronya… Is Sorry…" Bronya whispered, opening her eyes. They were no longer red, she had a smile on her face as she faced her friends one more time. "Save... Kenji."
ZZZRRRT.
Smoke erupted from the neural connectors on her head as blood dripped from her eyes and nose. Project Bunny de-materialized instantly, vanishing in the air.
Bronya fell.
Mei was there before she hit the ground, catching her small body.
"Bronya!" Mei cried, checking for a pulse.
The corridor fell silent, save for the hissing of the ventilation. Bronya was limp in Mei's arms, a trickle of blood running from her nose and ears. Her breathing was shallow, barely there.
"Is.. Is she ok?" Kiana whispered, staring in horror.
Mei shakily held Bronya's body close, while Wendy stood frozen to the side. "She's breathing, but we can't leave her here. We—"
A loud sigh echoed through the room, making them all tense up again.
"No matter. I never expected her to win in the first place. She was merely a distraction." Cocolia's voice returned, cold and dismissive. "A waste of resources. At least she bought me enough time."
The speakers cut out with a final click.
Kiana clenched her fists, shaking with rage. But Mei was still focused on Bronya.
"She's alive. But we can't bring her with us to save Kenji. Someone needs to bring her back to the Hyperion, or she'll die."
Kiana looked at the elevator. Then at Bronya. Then, at the path behind them.
They were trapped. They couldn't carry her into the fight against Cocolia, but they couldn't leave her here defenseless.
Wendy stepped forward. "Give her to me,"
Kiana looked at her. "Wendy?"
"I'm the fastest," Wendy said, her jaw set. "I can fly her back to the Hyperion. I can get her to the medical bay and be back before you breach the lab."
She looked at the elevator doors.
"You guys go. Save him. I'll take care of her."
Mei hesitated, then nodded. She gently transferred Bronya into Wendy's arms. Wendy summoned a cradle of wind, lifting Bronya's weightless form into the air.
"Be careful," Kiana said, wiping blood from her cheek.
"I will," Wendy promised.
With a sonic boom, Wendy blasted straight up. She didn't use the hallway. She smashed through the skylight above, shattering the glass and rocketing into the sky, carrying their fallen friend to safety.
Kiana watched the trail of green light fade. She turned to the elevator, her expression hardening into something scary.
"Okay," Kiana said, punching the call button. "No more distractions."
The doors slid open. Kiana and Mei stepped inside.
They were coming for Cocolia. And she was going to pay.