Lightning Bringer: (Lighting Seeker Book 2)

Double Decker Hover Bus

The air filled with the sound of bullets ripping through the sky and the tear of metal from gears. Deafening and terrifying. It was a chilling sight to see how little the AI's cared about hitting each other with bullets. They didn't care about themselves or each other. Vale felt several bullets try to rip through her metal arm as she transformed it into an ax, swinging it wildly in a large arc, and was surprised by the sight of blood and the pain that ripped through her back as she moved.

Vale remembered the bandages across her back. She had moved too fast, ripping the bandages from her raw skin. Dash is going to kill me.

Her ax met the AI she had hit in the face with her sword as it moved to its feet. The ax tore through its chest and electricity leaped forward, cracking angrily out of its body, a dangerous snarl that could kill her if she had been anyone else. But she had earned her nickname for a reason. She could manipulate lightning, taking it, bending it, and using it like the wild creature that it was.

She shoved the lighting back into the AI's body, using the ax as a conductor, and added an extra jolt. The AI lit so bright that Vale had to close her eyes. She shoved her ax forward and pushed the creature into another AI. They both lit brighter, fell backwards, and over the side of the hoverbike.

Two left. Suddenly Dash dropped onto the platform, moving in a flash to the driver. He whipped out his small scalpel and pierced it into the AI's eye with expert precision. Two cuts later and the AI dropped to the ground like a sack of gears, dead and nothing but scraps.

Vale was suddenly lifted into the air by a large steel hand. It wrapped around her throat, closing her windpipe. She swore silently, cursing herself for being distracted. What's wrong with me?!?

The AI leveled its free hand up at her, bringing its glistening gun up and readied to fire, it was too close to miss this time. Vale wrapped her embarrassment and anger around herself and quickly turned her ax into a spear, piercing the AI in its face before it could shoot her with its free hand. She was out of lightning and the AI refused to let go. Its grip on the gun loosened and Vale used the rest of her strength to swing out and kick the gun out of its hand.

The AI showed its displeasure by squeezing her throat tighter. The world began to blur, as she struggled to breathe but its grip was too tight, causing her aim to be off. She couldn't think well enough to use her metal arm.

The hoverbike suddenly tilted, sending the AI stumbling to the right. It hit the side of the railing, sending Vale's body swinging over the side. Her body hung in the air, hovering over the road below. "Hold on Vale!" Dash shouted over the roar of the engine. Vale could see a blur of Dash, his hands working the hoverbike, attempting to get it to turn. Vale blinked and felt her world grow dark.

She barely registered the feeling of falling until the pressure on her throat was suddenly gone. Her body hit the road shoulder first with a loud clang. It shot a ripple of roaring pain up her shoulder and across her ribs. She rolled eight feet before coming to a stop in the middle of the busy road.

Vale gasped, pulling in air, ignoring the sting that filled her throat, doing her best not to be terrified of the thundering sounds of vehicles around her. She took several deep breaths and forced her eyes open. She needed to move. She couldn't get left behind.

Vale shot to a sitting position and took in her surroundings. The two hoverbikes were still roaring after the hover vehicle where Mortem was most likely still barking orders at Sparrow. Vale's vision was suddenly blinded by two twin lights. She had enough time to drop back down to the pavement before the double-decker hover bus roared overhead, half a foot above her, sending her hair whipping wildly around her face and the road beneath her shaking with its heavy engine.