Sigma/Star

Chapter 87: Into the Maw

"That's impossible!" Porter screamed into the cockpit, fury suddenly springing up from deep within his body, "my father died-"

"In a what?" Sigmeund interrupted. "In an accident? From a crash? A robbing gone wrong? A disease? Mysterious illness? I know all the excuses Porter, all the reasons. I went door to door to give them. I had to give them to the orphanage when we dropped you off there. I know how the system works and the lies we spun." Sigmeund threw his lance up in front of his body, leaping backwards as he deflected an enraged attack from Porter.

"No you didn't!" Porter gripped his controls tight enough to turn his knuckles white. He felt static electricity coursing through his body, raising his hairs as sparks shot off his skin. His twin blades whirled around in front of his face, trying in vain to pierce through Sigmeund's defense. "No you didn't, no you didn't, no you didn't!"

"Yes I did Porter." Sigmeund continued to taunt the boy as he stayed just outside of his range, flirting with the edges of Porter's attacks. The tip of each sword could only cut through the air as they missed over and over again.

"Porter." Ochenkov spoke with a surprising calmness for the situation, understand that this was only a sparring match that Sigmeund had desired. "Sigmeund not lose twice. Once he fight somebody or watch them once he figure out how to beat them any other time they meet in the future. You not win this fight when attack him so recklessly. Must be creative."

"It's a lie!" Porter shouted, tears filling up his eyes and blurring his vision. "He didn't kill my father." Hot, salty tears started pouring down the boy's face, dropping onto his outfit in large, warm drops.

"Then why do you fight me like this?" Sigmeund smiled inside his battlesuit, predicting each strike with ease. When anyone was emotionally disturbed their attacks slowed down, even if they felt like their rage made them faster. Blows became awkward, clumsy, and dull. They could be gauged and watched with ease and Sigmeund, who had already intensely studied Porter's style, was hardly breaking a sweat dodging out of the way. "A part of you knows this is all truth Porter. A part of you must know. Maybe you remember my face from so many years ago, when I held your hand and gave you over to the orphanage. Maybe meeting your brother helps you to understand. You cannot deny the emotions you are feeling."

"Nobody can insult my father, my family, and make up lies like that. I'll kill you!" Porter disappeared in a flash, the entire White Storm vanishing. This was to be expected by Sigmeund, knowing everything Porter would try and do to win this fight. The Goliath reappeared just in front of Sigmeund, lunging forward with blade extended. The general fended it off with his lance but the weapon passed right through the image, an illusion created from speed.

Porter's sword thrust through the Artisan Goliath's abdomen, piercing straight through to the other side as the true White Storm materialized behind Sigmeund. The youth withdrew his weapon, the blade glistening with oils and hydraulic fluids. "You can't do it can you?" Sigmeund laughed, his words bouncing around Porter's cockpit. "With all your rage and anger you couldn't just kill me. You angled your blade at the last moment to miss the cockpit." The only response was Porter's choked sobs from within his warmachine. "I'm disappointed. Since you didn't kill me yet, we aren't finished, are we?" Sigmeund spun around, the thick shaft of his lance smashing into Porter's chest, sending the boy flying over the edge of the precipice and careening down into the valley below.

Ochenkov sighed at watching this, remembering his reckless self in the past. Sigmeund turned to glance at Ochenkov, making sure the barbarian wasn't making any moves to intervene. He knew the warrior held to honour in these cases and would not stop the match. With that settled, Sigmeund leaped over the edge, chasing down his foe.

Porter felt like he was floating, his tears having stopped as he drifted through the sky. A little part of him knew he was falling, but most of him didn't care regardless. It was just Sigmeund's words going around his head. First his brother, now his father. What if his dad really had been killed and really had tried to renege on the deal for Sigma's body? It made a lot of sense it was just...how could his father have been so stupid? He must've known that it was going to cost him his life to go against the government.