Child of Death --- Arcane

17. The Visible Consequences of Our Innumerable Sins

Vi ducked under a high sweep from the blade, hammering a jab into its side. A backhanded swing caused her to put up her gloves to block, as another strike bounced off the knuckles. She danced backwards until there was an opening, which only came when she slammed her gauntlet into its ribs, knocking it off balance. Pressing the advantage, she grabbed the glass in her glove's oversized grip, slamming the Chemguard to the ground and shattering the skull beneath.

Bringing the butt of his hammer up, he diverted a strike. Matching the swiftness of the suit, he swung his hammer in a wide grip, meeting the blade that tried to pierce his heart. As he hefted the hammer again, he pulled his head back. The blade aimed at his skull narrowly missed, nicking his cheek. Jayce slammed the head of the hammer into the suit's knee, the force and energy behind it shattering the bone beneath into hundreds of irreparable pieces. Using the momentum, he shoved the suit off the walkway.

The next charged, but he was ready. Moving aside as the blade overextended, he brought the hammer down onto the top of the Chemguard's suit. Blinded, it swung wildly, never finding its mark. Jayce hit it in the side, frenzying the already enraged addict more. It pushed itself more than it could afford, the sloppy strikes and oversteps culminating in him locking the arm with the staff of his hammer, using the butt of it to splinter the glass and knocking it off the side with the head.

The councilor ducked under the next chagring suit, running several steps to meet the successive Chemguard. As the two security suits sandwiched him, he rammed the handles on his staff together, slamming his hammer against the ground. A bubble of yellow energy surrounded him, knocking the guards off the walkway.

Rolling out of the way of a blade, Vi slammed her gauntlet into the ground, using the mining feature to launch her into the air. She spun, landing on her feet facing the suit as it rushed her. It swung three times, each one colliding with the exterior of her gauntlets. The fourth swing was different, as it hit nothing. Vi ducked, driving her fist into the gut once and landing an uppercut almost immediately after.

As the defeated Chemguard launched into the air, another charged. She turned to face it, catching both blades in her gloves. She looked into the feral eyes of the suit as a pang of familiarity struck her. The dead lifeless eyes stuck in a permanent state of rage reminded her of that night.

She shouted, tired of seeing him in everything that she hated. As she clenched her fists, the blades shattered, leaving the Chemguard nothing more than a frenzied beast without its claws. But a beast declawed is a beast nonetheless, and beasts need to be put down.

She struck the suit more times than she counted, hitting it until something broke--she didn't care if it was her gauntlet or its suit. Eventually, when her gauntlet slammed into its ribs, she activated the same mining feature as before, sending the suit flying into a pile of barrels. Like a street game, they clattered to the floor, and the Chemguard didn't get up again.

Pulling the handle out, Jayce cocked it back. The head of the hammer split open, revealing several barrels dancing with glowing blue electricity. He twisted the second handle, priming the weapon. An orb of pure energy rested at the head of the weapon. Pointing it at the first sprinting suit, he fired. The impact sent the Chemguard into the wall, bouncing to the ground lifelessly.

He turned, yelling as he let several more shots fly, each taking out one of their opponents. There was one, however, that kept dodging his shots. It sprinted away from him as fast as it could, turning to run the length of the circular level as pure energy lit up everywhere around it. Finally, one shot hit.

But it didn't hit it.

The red-haired child stood, his expression blank aside from a faint trace of surprise. Jayce, his breathing heavy from the adrenaline rushing through his veins, raised his hammer and stared in horror at what he had done. The boy coughed, seemingly unaffected by the arcs of electricity that still rippled over his body.