Write to Rank 2: Shadow City Under Fire

Round 8: Continuation

While the orc army and hordes of corpses infected by the walking death sacked the city, yet another enemy revealed herself. Throughout the Citadel, the Chromehogs, mechanical protectors of Shadow City, turned against their allies. Most sectors were taken and secured before the defenders even knew they were being betrayed. Cyber.Red's coup wouldn't be a bloody one. Only one woman needed to die.

--

"Red!" Asha shouted, Her pupils dilating, becoming swirling galaxies of purple and black.

BANG!

A shot rang out, echoing off the chamber walls like thunder in a bottle. The mind witch dropped to the floor with a thud. Cyber.Red blew away the smoke rising from the barrel of her pistol before holstering the gun. Mer hadn't even seen her draw the weapon. Red removed her helmet, so much like a visored crown, her electric blue hair falling down around her face. Her shoulder opened to eject a tiny fly-like drone. She smiled at the diminutive robot, cooing at it like one might a baby.

"Find Lars and James, bring my boys to mama."

The drone zipped away to comply.

"Red, what have you done?" Mermia whispered. Her hand slid over to the haft of her staff.

In an instant the pistol was back in Cyber.Red's hand.

"Don't do it, Mer. I don't want to kill you."

"How could you... you're one of the vanguard, Lady Shadow's chosen."

"That's exactly why-"

Red rolled aside, but not before a whip of black psychic lightning entangled her arms. Purple sparks danced where the energy touched cybernetics.

"Traitor!" Asha shrieked before the two vanished in a burst of psychic power.

They reappeared in a dimly lit empty apartment. Cyber.Red lay on the floor, some of her augments offline due to Asha's whip. Asha rested on one knee, sweat dripping down the sides of her face, chest heaving in a struggle to catch her breath.

"You were always too impulsive," Red said as her body made an impossible twist, bringing her to a standing position. The gears and servos which made up most of her spinal cord buzzed and clicked. "Teleportation takes too much out of you. You can't fight in this condition."

"You were always too shortsighted." Asha's hair hung in two sweat-coated red and blue pigtails. Her eyeliner ran in two streaks shaped like teardrops. "I had to get you away from Mer in order to buy her time to save Lady Shadow."

Red frowned.

"I didn't think of that."

Systems at seventy-five percent, Red fired at Asha's chest with superhuman speed. The bullet arrowed towards its mark only to flatten against a barely visible barrier of psychic force. Red smiled and drew out her second pistol.

"You're making this harder than it has to be, Asha-Belle."

"Fuck you." Asha stood and swept her hand in a wide arc. A wisp of lightning extended from her fingertips only to sputter out.

"You're still recovering. Lay down. If you promise to be good, I'll make this quick."

Asha could sense Red's thoughts. Red knew she'd never surrender.

"I'm going to-"

"Die? I know."

Cyber.Red released a torrent of bullets, emptying both clips in seconds. The sound was deafening as the metal rounds collided with the dome of force.