Assassination

She thinks about the madness: how could someone support such a creature, their killer? Is this some sort of sick game or some twisted joke made by Pandorium? This was a first in this rewind since they usually avoided the tracks and the settlements nearby to not waste time.

'These humans have gone mad; that explains the weird flag colour choice. The red and yellow match that of her hair and eyes.' She points out the connection; her gaze shifts back to Hino, who is looking at her.

"What are you doing?" He rushes over to her side, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the safety of the alleyways, trying to find the control panel for the train tracks.

her lens disorientated, trying to focus back on what is ahead of them: "Hino, this is a cult for pandemonium, far worse."

"What do you mean? No one would worship that sick demon," he dismissively suggests her growing insanity.

K4 repeats the words, making sure he knows "they worship that demon indeed; we must abandon the train and leave this place." Her fear grew wider within the confines of the alleyway.

"Have you gone insane too? The train isn't optional; let's go find the controls already." He rushes past various grey buildings; the designs were definitely unique in a brutalist manner; they stretched and twisted in many places and were used for the living conditions of the cult.

Their journey takes them to the end of the other alleyways; they peek out and see a building resembling the station. It was pretty close to the train tracks, but it had multiple people around it. They scan the area, seeing a weak spot through the back window at the side of the station; it had the same layout as the noble express.

Both of them run in the shade of the slowly setting sun to the various apartments next to the station; they take cover in the alleyways once more, now closer to their target.

'This will be rough; I should go first before he gets caught. I can just evaporate them either way.' Her gestures start to tell Hino to halt himself; at that moment, K4 starts running to the back of the station.

Her rapid movements made her unnoticed in her sprint underneath the window of the station; she looks up at the goal, noticing it might be a close fit.

'This isn't the best day, is it now?' Her exhaustion was visible, but she knew she had a duty to fulfil.

She takes a leap upwards into the window, landing inside narrowly. The place was dark, but the familiar white paint and concrete flooring gave her a sense of nostalgia. She quietly walks herself to the back door on the left of the window. Using her hand, she starts to unlock the simple door for Hino.

Hino, looking out for K4, sees that the door was unlocked. At this moment, he also rushes over in the shade towards the door, getting unnoticed by any of the cult members. He enters, getting a rush of darkness, the stale air serving as evidence of how much this room hasn't been used.

They both sneak around the empty, hoping not to make noise, with the control panel in sight. K4 starts to rush over; it was working and intact. She starts pressing buttons to bring back the tracks to their side.

With a minute of clicking around, she got the panel to work; the tracks started to rotate back into place, and they both exchanged a glance of happiness between themselves. On the way out through the backdoor, K4 gets a signal reading.

The leader of the cult was now aware of their presence; there were no other robots in sight or around this area after all.

"Hino, we have to dispose of the leader; he knows about us now." Her tone suggested the seriousness of the situation.

Hino, turning towards her, questions it: "Can't we just avoid it?" This was, of course, logical.

"no"

They both stop talking, and silence fills the room.

"What do you mean, no?" Hino questions "Why wouldn't we?"

K4 gives a grin. "It's not the leader; it's pandemonium itself."

"It's taken control of the robot?" His deductions were right.

K4 starts to walk out the back door. "Yes, you're right; it's taken hold of the robot and now will definitely play a fun game of cat and mouse."

Both of them walk out of the room with no hurry anymore, knowing it makes no difference. K4 points at the apartment near them, which could be used as a good vantage point.

"Let's go up there and try to assassinate it." Her body moves a bit forward before being stopped by Hino.

His voice was hurried. "Let's take a hold of the station instead since we're here." It was a smart choice and definitely more efficient.

"The railgun won't work well here." Her true intentions were revealed.

Hino suggests alternatives. "We don't need a railgun for that robot." His voice worried about the destruction of the tracks.

"It's for the crowd; you can hit the robot."

Hino's eyes widen at this claim. Was she planning a mass murder or something?

"We don't need to kill everyone here, just that creature," his voice being quickened.

K4 grins wider. "We can't have people chasing us and planning to kill us now, can we?" She takes on a darker approach, the only issue being that she was correct.

Hino doesn't object further; those lunatics were obviously ready to kill them all for their little leader. This was just a mere step in a way for them to save the world as well; sacrifices for the greater good are the way he justified it.

"Now let's go up to the apartment."

They rushed over to the apartment building; its grey disaster of work was stretching into the sky. They did two corner turns to the front of the building, and slowly opening the door, they spotted that there was nothing in sight other than two homes, a level, and a destroyed railing that filled the concrete flooring of the apartment.

They start walking up the apartment; the evening staircase stretches to about ten floors. They start to run up the concrete stairs, knowing there isn't time to waste; the echoes caused by the tapping of the concrete shiver the building to its core, their steps being perfectly aligned not to cause any trip-ups.

They check every room for a good vantage point, knowing that the robot has scanned them. It will want them dead, especially after the discovery of not one but two non-believers; the moment to strike would be the best currently.

"Could you hit his head anyway? This is quite the big shot you will have to make." K4's teasing doesn't slide by as Hino takes out his bow.

His tone shifts to a more serious one: "This shot is nothing more than a joke; just make sure to evaporate as much of the crowd as possible."

"Will do!" Her excitement echoed just like their steps; she was finally interested in the mass potential of her railgun in a massive crowd. In the previous rewinds, this had never occurred due to their avoidance of killing humans and focusing on huge mechanical beasts.

They reach the top floor and burst through the rotted wooden door into a room. They are greeted by the open sky, which has darkened due to their big search.

"Hino, prepare yourself." K4 lies down on the edge of the rooftop; she starts to get her railgun into position, making sure not to make herself visible or to turn it on and make any noise in case there are people underneath.

Hino also sits down, waiting for a moment to stand and strike the head of the leader. They have to wait for the cult's meeting once more without being caught; there were various sounds of their members wandering around doing their normal activities, their presence never having been leaked.

The crowd below starts to get bigger and bigger; their status will finally be leaked, their plan set in motion. The robot leader now stands in front of the crowd; the group of followers expands more and more; they now take over the entire centre of the urban city.

After moments, they fully gathered up in the centre and were united strongly. Hino winds up his bow, prepared to strike at K4's order.

K4 railgun starts to turn itself on, the white feeble glow starting to emit itself like the signal of a robot. They both wait in anticipation; the hand starts to unform itself, and she supports the railgun with her left hand. It was steady and firm with its heat giving out, affecting Hino slightly.

K4 turns to Hino once more before giving him the final order, "Now!" Her voice rang in the air.

They both turn on their weapons, firing at the same time; the dusk becomes something more than just a gathering now.