Orion and the Clockwork (The Carmsborough Vigilantes #2)

Chapter 23

The men surrounding them stepped away from the square, taking as many of the civilians with them as they could. Orion could tell the air grew immediately confrontational, and it wasn't going to be an easy battle. At least they had the decency to get all the innocent people out of the way first.

The Clockwork 2.0 stepped forward once, and Orion could instantly tell something was off. Its movement was clunky, unnatural, and... very forced. The Clockwork still geared up for a fight, but Orion wasn't sure if there was any actual fighting going to happen.

"Remember me, kid?" a voice said from inside the Clockwork 2.0.

"General McIntosh?" Orion asked, incredulous. "You were crushed under rubble."

"Yes, I was, but thanks to this machine, I am now superhuman. My wounded body has no limits inside of the Clockwork."

"You're not really expecting me to fight you like this, right?"

"No, because you're going to lose. I have the power of the Syndra Stone inside this suit! Any last words, Orion?"

"You don't have the Syndra Stone."

"What?"

"You don't have the Syndra Stone. I took it and replaced it with a normal stone while I was at the Gearmaster's shop."

"You're lying."

"I'm quite literally not."

"Now, with the power of the Syndra Stone, I will smite you down!"

He raised a metallic arm painfully into the air, and the Clockwork 2.0's eyes lit up. Orion waited, eyes slightly flinched, but as the seconds went by, nothing happened.

"Syndra," the general yelled, "get me out of this suit! Syndra!"

The Clockwork used this awkward and slightly dumb opportunity to charge forward, sending a fist into the chest of the Clockwork 2.0. Its pieces crumbled around the painfully cast general, who writhed in pain on the ground, exposed to the entire square.

"I needed him out of the way," Syndra said, reaching into his pocket and finding a remote. "He was cocky and sloppy. He should have killed you and your boyfriend when he had the chance."

He pressed a button on the remote, and another whistling noise filled the air as something shot out from the capitol building. It landed right in front of the Clockwork and punched hard, sending Orion and the Clockwork tumbling a bit, but never completely losing balance.

The real Clockwork 2.0. Not a man in a machine. Rather than the brassy look of its predecessor, the Clockwork 2.0 seemed to be made of steel or a similar metal. Its eyes still glowed orange, but there seemed to be a hostility behind them.

"Meet your match, you outdated piece of scrap," Syndra said. "The prototype for the Clockwork 2.0, or as I like to call it, Syndromeda. Technically superior in every way possible."

As soon as the Clockwork geared up for an attack, Syndromeda was already on him, and a heavy metal fist was bearing down on the duo. Orion, deciding being sandwiched between the Clockwork and the brick square was a bad idea, jumped off and landed on his elbows and good leg before rolling out of the smash zone. Syndra leveled a pistol at his head, and as he got up, he raised his arms.

"As for you, Orion," the man said, "you've had just about enough fun, I'd say. I'll admit, you're a lot more resilient than I thought you would be. But at the end of the day, you're just a kid in my way."

The bullet rang out as the Clockwork jumped in front of them and took it for Orion. It pinged loudly and vanished, and the Clockwork rushed for Syndra before being pulled back by Syndromeda.