Angel of War

Chapter 5: Trial and Error

She followed him to the massive double doors and when they rumbled open, a breeze hit her skin. It was bright. And cold. She squinted through her fingers at their surroundings. It was larger than the factory was. A wide expanse of mountains and clouds rolled out in front of them, and beneath them there was grass. The grass ended at a fence with spiraled wire atop it, what seemed to be the end of the land before the mountains. They walked further into the grass and passed mounds of rusted vehicles and scrap metal. He finally stopped and turned to her. She tried not to trip over her stopped foot. He gestured back at the factory and she followed it, glad to not be facing the sun anymore. It was massive. Towering turret spires and pylons, cables and chutes. She couldn't believe there was even more mountain behind it.

"There it is. Fabrik Heisenberg. Home sweet home… My factory..." He watched her reaction carefully. She was mystified. Finally she looked back to him and he was painfully aware he had nothing to do with his hands. 

"Alright then…" She watched eagerly. "Time to figure out what your gift is…" He walks a bit away and gestures at a pile of scrap. A tire (still with the hubcap) pulls out of the mess and floats to the grass in front of her with a flick of his hand. "Try and lift it. Should be nothing for you." She stared at it. A tire? Memories of lifting ones like it told her it wasn't an easy feat. She flexed her arms, feeling pulls of screws in skin and muscle she wasn't familiar with. She squatted slightly to strengthen herself, but when she held the tire, it lifted in her hands as easily as picking up paper. She straightened her legs in disbelief and tested it with one hand, still easy, then looked to him for direction. He was smirking.

"Alright now throw it!" He gestured with a sideways nod of his head. She gaped.

"Throw it…? Where?" She looked at the tire in concern.

"Aaaa," He gestured towards the fence. "As far as you can. Don't even think about it, just go."

She crinkled her nose in judgement, considered the tire's weight and squinted at the fence. She threw it like it was nothing and she watched it surprise as it arced into the air, over the grass, even over the fence… until its existence was just the sound of dirt and rocks being thrown out of place by the impact. He hollered.

"WOO, now that's throwing!" He was clearly more prepared for greatness than she was. Before she could question it, he was beaming, raising his arm and what looked like a crunched up vehicle came across the grass to them, floating but dragging slightly at times.

"Make sure your feet are spread evenly." She quickly did so. "Now squat like you did with that tire." He waited for her to steady herself and only spoke when she eyed the scrapped car that he had ready. "Alright now catch!"

Her eyes grew as big as saucers as he gestured his wrist and the crumpled mess was tossed into the air towards her. "Keep your fingers spaced out!" She moved her foot back and, eyes never leaving the projectile, she braced herself, not entirely sure she would survive. She closed her eyes as it made contact and despite it reaching her hands, it didn't come crashing down onto the rest of her. She opened her eyes, looked at it above her, and wobbled backwards only to catch herself.

"It's easier to balance things when you keep your eyes open and on them…" He chuckled.
She blinked determinedly and glared back at him. She had a mind to throw it right back at him. So she did. 

"Oh?!" He grinned malevolently, caught off guard by her action, but up for the challenge. He stopped it in the air about a foot away from him then tossed it over his shoulder naturally as he walked towards her. Her eyes flashed with panic. A sheet of metal cut through the air next to her, the sound whistling only as it came from behind her. More pieces were obstructing the air between them and when she took a step back she realized she'd stepped on another in the grass. He laughed and she felt the centrifugal force pushing her down into it hard. He was lifting her into the air, that fucker. She squealed at the heart-wrenching second her body wasn't touching the metal, and just as quickly he caught her with it. He was still laughing.