The Knights of Grimm - Act 3 - Shattered Memory

Chapter 21 - Desert Clash

Ruby

Ruby gasps, and she sprints away as fast as she can across the sandy environment as Neo's Gunship roars towards her, firing all cylinders at her. Hundreds of bullets land in the sand, throwing grains into the air, gunfire echoes for miles as she attacks, gritted teeth as she attacks. Ruby runs and runs, the gunship getting closer. Ruby jumps and slides down the dune, just in time as the Gunship roars overhead, blowing sand off the ride. Ruby grunts as she tumbles down the sloped dune, sand stuck in her long hair and she looks up, staying prone to the ground as she watches the Gunship flying off, the afterburners glowing bright gold. She can hear the screech of the aircraft as it flies, the flaps shifting places as it flies ahead, and Ruby grits her teeth. She saw the pilot; she saw her pink and brown eyes. "Psychopath." She names with venom in her voice. But then, the Gunship banks around, with a hauntingly loud metallic screech as it turns back for a second attack. Ruby realises, and she gets back up, running as the Gunship heads back for her. The afterburners and the engine inside of this Atlesian Prototype Fighter Ship roars deeply, growling like some huge Creature of Grimm. The wings have the weaponry built underneath their wingspan, two Vulcan Dust Charged Miniguns and a pair of missile launchers, ready to fire at whatever stands in its way.

The Gunship, named a Vulture, guns towards her, the Vulcan Miniguns begin to spin round and dust charges into the barrels. The cannons fire, blasting hundreds of dust charged bullets towards her as she runs; Neo is pulling her further and further away from the city, almost luring her somewhere. So then her friends cannot save her in time from her vengeance. The barrels heat up, turning from steel grey to molten red in seconds, due to how many bullets are being launched from it as it chases after the red hooded girl. The flaps on the wings and the many thrusters allow this thing to be extremely manoeuvrable, even entering into Vertical Take Off and Landing, hovering as it follows her. The bullets are only just missing Ruby, and she draws Crescent Rose, only activating it in its collapsed Rifle Form, the scope folds out for her to aim through. She reaches to her belt around her body and she pulls out a magazine that is loaded with Fire Dust, charging them up to do some damage. She cocks the rifle as she runs, firing it directly at the Vulture piloted by Neopolitan, and the bullets burst into little explosions of fire. The flames pulsate across the plates, but it does not have any effect on its armour plating.

It must have a weakness...a chink in the armour.

It'd be too heavy otherwise, wouldn't be able to fly.

Ruby calculates all of the possible weaknesses in her head as the thing continues to pursue her. She slides down one of the dunes, and the Vulture hovers past it, blasting sand around as it flies with her, firing countless bullets at the young woman. The afterburners blast so hot that Ruby can feel the heat from where she runs, trying to identify a weakness in the body of the machine. The plating is highly flexible, like that of a reptile, almost like snake or even a lizard from how well they can overlap and shift for the movement of the vehicle. The rising sun creates a reddish hue across the beautiful sky as Ruby keeps moving from the monster that pursues her.

The Vulture finally stops firing, and the afterburners roar unbelievably loud, propelling the vessel forward suddenly. It shoots off overhead, sand blowing off around the area as it flies into the sky, banking round the dunes as it goes for a second attack. Ruby slows down for second, dropping down and leaning against the sand dune, avoiding sight of the Vulture as it flies around, searching for where she went. The Vulture decelerates as it searches for her, and Ruby's eyes widen, realising her hooded cape is giving her away too much. She takes the cape off and she partially buries it into the sand, leaving the red hood visible so then she could find it again. Her outfit now is less red and blacker, and since it is not like her old one with the skirt, she can hide more easily. She digs herself into the sand, blending into the rocks, and she keeps her head down, feeling the Vulture approaching where she hides.