SLAM 

I weave to the side as the sentinel’s arm blade lands sorely on the ground, roasting the grass around it while the landing zone melts. I retaliate by firing four fingers’ of string at its chassis while spinning circles around it. From my observations, I was emulating Firewall’s way of fighting as much as I could.   

He’d always be a step ahead, by remaining on the move he’d simultaneously be on the offense and defense; I had to do the same. 

My strings wrap firmly around their neck joint, sapping away at their HP, poising for a wide horizontal sweep, I sensed an opportunity.     

SLASH 

They rend the earth before their feet, but before I got caught, I slid between the sentinel’s legs, pulling its head down— folding them to tumble them off balance. However, as soon as I passed between its feet, my momentum abruptly stopped and reversed completely.  

The sentinel won the tug-of-war and reared its head back, pulling me by my strings, and sending me to meet the heavens. The ever-ambiguous gray clouds, and the unending rain-fall, seemingly paused to a halt.

Just like when we jumped off that skyscraper—

My eyes snapped wide— wait just like that skyscraper? I called too late, as my arms were almost yanked off and my face punched by the sheer air resistance as they tilted forward making me smash back into the grass.  

I form a crater on the way down, etching my face onto it, while my strings retract to me, before tumbling back to have me face the sentinel lying down.   

“AUGH!” I screamed as my back arched in pain and kicked the grass in agony. I— I could hardly think, breathe, or move.

Yet, I couldn’t give up, receiving 12 damage from that slam my HP hovers stable and critical, at 48 HP

As my initial pains subsided I gasped for air, and my watery eyes fluttered as they poised for a downward slash, repeating their first attack which I barely made out through my gathered tears. 

I extend my strings and grasp their elbow, tightening my clasp and motioning it to cut its chassis, and like a ventriloquist the sentinel’s arm follows, but they struggle again, however after pulling me back on my feet. 

I’d let go and have them fight their momentum like clockwork and give them a whirl before crashing onto the grass. 

Managing to narrowly dodge the falling mech myself, I stumble on wobbly knees, eyeing the center of the clearing— an altar— an artificial hill bearing something glowing purple at the top.

The sentinel seemed unable to stand, their weapon causing a weight to unbalance through their body and also having sliced through its lower chassis on its way down, the hyper-heated blade melting the metal to oozing bubbling slag. 

Although finishing it was a choice, I’d rather fix myself first than finish the job.  

After all, who knows what nasty surprise that thing could spring at me once I lower my guard. 

My HUD rings cautiously, pulsing yellow on my peripheries to sign my troublesome condition. I grit my teeth with each strength, my heart pumping to its maximum like it’d pop if anything else exerted on me.   

To my back, the screeching and shifting hydraulics could be heard and the boiling slag gnawing its way through hardened metal chassis while the abrupt evaporation of rain sprinkled into the ooze. 

I used ample time to limp my way to the center, while the mech suffered a horrendous fate from their corrosive puddle. 

Inch by inch, I reached the foot of the rocky hill, falling on my knees as I did. I catch my breath, glimpsing my back and seeing the mech remain firmly on the ground, boiling slowly over the pool of their composition— acid dripping on their bladed arm. 

I sighed in relief, before collapsing my back against the rigid stone surface just to watch the sentinel melt in the process— incinerated— right by the forest as the rain fell ever so lightly. 

The scene was sublime, watching the accursed wreck slowly succumb to it, but also not seem affected whatsoever, I won, It really was that easy. 

I panted while the slight downpour generously coated me in the rain, once more catching my eyes as I glimpsed the skies. This time, having tasted accomplishment, despite my injury, I had become the undeniable victor between us— I’d dance with death and score a hit—  

But, now what? My sense of triumph subsided as quickly as it came, leaving a distasteful taste in my tongue. My euphoria was short-lived, tampered with the ever-concerning situation I was in. 

Low health, surrounded by an arboreal cloak for miles on end, while Firewall seldom knew where I was and left to rot like that sole sentinel parallel to me. 

Yet, against all odds I manage a thin smile— a weak and small one— but a smile regardless. I’m not dead, I’m free— this is what it means to be independent— to be the arbiter of one's fate. 

I recollect my thoughts, wiping the droplets of rain accumulated on my face while reconsidering my next steps. This isn’t the end. I've proven that my escape is possible by my own hands.

I just need something to fix my current state… though I hope this hill could aid me in this plight—

PANG—

The ring of metal falling high from the sky collided against the rocks close by, calling my eyes away from the sentinel and off to its glint close by. 

My eyes narrowed with furrowed brows while I pulled myself using the rocks, clearing the object for my vision. 

Upon closer inspection, the object only added to my confusion— A hard drive?  

Also, it was far too big to be of practical use. It didn't seem like any particular type you'd see in real life. 

The device was almost a walkie-talkie in length and width, lacking the buttons or parts associated with one. The only stuck-out detail is the luminescent green lighting on the side— a healing item, maybe?

“How do I use this?” I mutter while holding the object closely to mark out any particular details, but as I hovered it beside my head, it noised— lightly buzzing while vibrating a fair bit—  

thump

“Gah—” I jumped, as the object sprung to life and attached to my right temple, Initially I coaxed it off, to no avail. “I- I can’t pull it out, is this working?” I mutter while the object feels smaller and smaller to my hand until it completely disappears.  Where did it go?

I lower my hands, eyes fixed onto my HUD, “Huh? It didn't change my HP status whatsoever!” or if anything was changed, 

Feeling deceived, I consider the auth and lift my open palm followed by the humming of the menu. 

But, before I clicked to investigate further, a tight metal clasp would hold my abdomen, with an overcast of dim red light looming over mine, “Ngh—” I struggled to free myself in vain while my foot suspended off the ground. 

It couldn't possibly be— 

“H-how?” I uttered with disbelief washed by the petrifying red glare of the battered sentinel back on their footing, oozing molten slag from within their sliced chassis, constricting me with one sole hand while the other melted approximately at their elbow; the rest of it left to melt at the slag pool. They'd solve their imbalance by removing the one thing that made them immobile: their blade…

“Tch? You’re no person, this is not possible!” I yelled while striking its shaky hand. It shouldn’t be capable of thought, let alone desperation! That’s only for us, for people… right? 

The disfigured sentinel remains idle, “breathing” sporadically, puffing smoke from its last exhaust, sounding like an aged RV headed towards the scrap yard, which pulled me towards its singular red eye, leaving me horrified as my body lost all the fight it had… 

The thing had bloody murder behind its cold ruthless eye— a lifeless sentinel— this damned thing, wasn’t just desperate, it specifically resents me for what I’ve done to it…

It wasn’t acting on its code… worse yet it's fueled by something far more sinister, something too humane…

“GRAAAAAAAAAHHH” With a broken cry the sentinel blurted a roar through its ruptured engine before lifting me over itself on my back. How was I supposed to defeat this, a foe oblivious to pain?

“Gah!” I exhaled as their grip squeezed the remaining air off my system. 

I was done for.

Before I'd exhale, the sentinel motioned down, gripping my abdomen before letting go after hurling me downwards, leaving my sight in a blur.

SLAM

I stammered, coughing an unsurprising crimson in my wake right on the rocks before me. I gasped for air yet nothing came and before my swirled vision cleared a fistful of metal ate my view, being none other than the remainder of their fist dead set on me.

This time holding my head tightly, while the remainder of my body was bashed against the stony foot of the hill… Up, down, up, down, up, down.

I was overloaded, and numbed, and for once I was spared of experiencing my situation, it helped to have a blindfold over my eyes, masking the inevitable. 

But that didn’t matter, my HP degraded instantaneously, and I could only watch… helplessly.

48, 42…

I’m done…

30… 24

I should’ve just accepted it, that, somebody has to get the short end of the stick. 

Fortunately or unfortunately, before my consequence got me, I heard the soft light footsteps of my savior. 

SLASH

Making quick work of the sentinel’s last arm— cleaving it clean— freeing me from their restraint. The sentinel reels back and he’d end it with one slice. 

Firewall… 

He sends the thing down for good, I’m sure of it. My heart raced and I panted for dear life. My entire body lay limp with my back up against the rocks. 

I tried to clutch my chest but found my entire arm unresponsive, my legs were much the same. The broken remains of their onslaught, so much for fighting for myself… 

I’ve been a naive fool, I clearly can’t fight, yet why did I still try? To prove something that I’m not? 

With my vision cleared through my glass lenses, somehow surviving the assault, I witnessed the extent of the damages… 

My eyes widened in disbelief, there was none, neither my leg nor arms were broken, without a bruise nor scratch to show…   

A spotless crime, If not for the fallen wreckage of the sentinel. My pain and numbness were real and yet, I laughed because if I couldn’t I’d weep. 

There was no victory and the only prize I got was a consolation. A second placer, he’d step in as always, proving my doubt true.  

I leer with thoughtless pitted eyes, as my emotions are barely contained, I grit my teeth watching him come into view. 

He shows a mix of equal concern and confusion through his actions.  

“Malware?!” He gripped me by my shoulder, flashing me with his bright helm visor “What happened?” I lower my head, not wanting to look him in the eyes. 

He looms over me, he was the better of us two, and I had to forfeit my beliefs because I was powerless to hold them.     

I knew I shouldn’t entertain these thoughts…yet my head held nothing else as if to taunt me, but I remained tight-lipped, keeping these feelings to myself.  

“Why did you come?” I scowled, my expression soured and fingers curled as he met my eyes, though I hadn’t noticed due to my preoccupation. 

“Huh?” He mutters obliviously while I glance at him, only to have my eyes pause in astonishment.

Then and there, reading his expression through that visor only showed genuine concern for me without a taint of doubt. 

I finally broke, no longer bearing the reason nor fortitude to hold my frustrations with him. 

As these feelings grew rampant, the bottlecap holding myself together finally popped and I subconsciously held his shoulder; since when did I regain control of my hands? 

I pulled him towards me, tears running down my face as my glasses fell.  

He tensed up and froze once I pulled him but accepted my need for comfort by placing a hand on my back, without a word or explanation…

How? I simply couldn’t understand. His willingness to give without asking for return was unnerving.

If he’d been an angel maybe, but a person? Especially from the world I knew, it was laughable…

I’m pathetic, I’m so pathetic. I’m not a kid anymore, yet while I sobbed on his shoulder… I was awash with sonder, since when was the last time I felt this? 

It was an emptying feeling because I’d let go of these senseless feelings aside in a bout of tears.  

“We have a deal, we’re with each other until we find a settlement, and then we’re on our own, remember?” He muttered, barely hearing past the rainfall but I nodded.

After putting my glasses back on, I sighed “I’ll be alright, let’s get going.” while pulling myself up with his help. 

Soon after he’d let go of me, my legs wobbled and almost caused me to tumble back if not for him. 

“Hey hey, take it easy,” he remarked as he caught me by my hand. “I’m fine, it’s just—” I reason before being cut off.
“You’ll be fine soon enough, but you need help.” He remarks while he swings my arm onto his shoulder and we inched back the way we came. 

Although I intend to hold the power to pursue my own beliefs, I’ve realized that today simply isn’t my time yet, besides having someone else hasn’t been as troublesome. It certainly made me feel lighter having someone else handle my weight, not for me per se, but with me, if that made any sense.  

?:?? Dusk, although my condition remained compromised; being unable to walk. Firewall’s generosity has managed to head us back to our initial route.   

The rain rushed and pierced through the canopies and below, flooding the forest floor and turning it into a boggy mix of ground of mud and decayed plant matter, this sunk our feet with each step, though we persevered. 

Especially for Firewall, who not only burdened his weight but mine too. It was embarrassing having to limp right now, I had to help him, but ironically thinking things that way led us to this situation.

But I wasn’t entirely useless, because my laid strings assisted us on our way back, acting as a tether to pull us through the terrain and a trail back, I had to hold the strings here because I was the only one who could.  

After some time, we managed to pass through the thicket despite these difficulties, I guess my exhaustion got the better of me for once because I slumped up against the tree right after, drained completely from our ordeal. 

I’ll live to die another day, but my body didn’t show signs of wear, but that’s probably the adrenaline carrying me until now. 

before we could catch our breath, a pair of lights blinded us both in our place and before I could react, a weapon stock would strike the back of my head, knocking me out cold.         

“She looks hurt, shouldn’t we help them?”

“We’re short on time, forget the interrogations.”