What Remains

Thorn wrenches his spear free from a red Skelloid’s cracked skull and whirls toward Rubble. The core glows in his hands, pulsing like a captured heart. Thorn draws a sharp breath, then bolts through the gate. 
          “Norio, Benji, on me!” he shouts. They don’t hesitate, sprinting after him. 
          On the ice, Halo and Rubble try to push through, slashing and stabbing as Skelloids swarm in endless waves. For every one that drops, another lunges forward, claws scraping, slime splattering across the snow. 
          Inside the gate, Thorn and the others seize the cannon, dragging it with grunts of effort, letting the ice help them slide its massive frame out into the open. Rubble breaks free and dashes to them, slamming the core into place. 
          The machine hums alive, a surge of power crackling through its frame, lights flickering in sequence. Metallic pings echo like a heartbeat restarting. 
          “Fall back!” Thorn bellows to the men in front of him. Guards stumble aside, clearing the field. 
          The cannon groans as Thorn and Norio brace on one side, Rubble and Benji on the other, hauling it up and pivoting it toward the charging horde. The Skelloids screech as they thunder closer. 
          “Now!” Thorn roars. 
          The cannon discharges with a blinding pulse of white light. A Skelloid is cut clean in half, its torso vaporized into drifting ash. Its legs stagger two more steps before crumpling into the snow. 
          “It works!” Benji yells, eyes wide. 
          They swing the cannon toward the next, another blinding strike severing a skull clean from its shoulders. The body collapses with a crunch, limbs twitching before going still. The battlefield glows with afterimages, white light burning against the darkness. 
          Pulses of white light blaze across the battlefield, each blast ripping through Skelloids until none remain standing. Smoke and ash drift on the wind, silence falling heavy after the chaos. 
          Halo yanks her spear free from the last red Skelloid at her side. She exhales, chest heaving, and looks up to see the team lowering the ion pulse cannon. Relief turns into cheers, voices carrying in triumph. Rubble looks over at her, a tired but genuine smile on his face. 
          Halo takes a step toward him, but is pulled backwards, something yanking her hard. She looks down as black claw curls tight around her leg. 
          Her breath catches. The Black Skelloid jerks its ruined head up in a grotesque lurch, its sockets burning faintly as it drags her across the ice toward its jagged mouth. 
          “Halo!” Rubble shouts. 
           He grips the side of the cannon, muscles straining as he tilts it on his own. He fires in a panic. The blast streaks low, striking the ice beneath the monster. White cracks race outward in a web of fractures. With a violent crack, the frozen sheet of ice gives way. 
          The Skelloid plunges into the black water, dragging Halo with it. Her hands grab at the ice, searching for anything to hold on to. But there is nothing. 
          The water engulfs her, the temperature shocks like knives stabbing every nerve. Darkness closes in as the Skelloid hauls her deeper. She thrashes, kicking at the claw, its grip slicing into her leg. Panic surges through her chest, air burning in her lungs. With one final desperate kick, she wrenches free. 
          Rubble and the team run out to the ice. 
          “Do you see her?” Thorn yells. 
          “I can’t see anything!” Benji shouts. 
          Rubble is about to dive in when Moss grabs the back of his coat and pulls him. Rubble looks up at him as Moss lets go and jumps in to the freezing water. 
          Halo swims up at an angle for what feels like an eternity, her lungs burning. She finally reaches the top, but it’s a solid sheet of ice. She pounds on the ice, feeling like her hands will shatter before the ice does. Her lungs can’t take anymore, the instinct to breath in is trying to take control. She feels her body move through the freezing cold water, and up over the surface. She gasps desperately, air rushing into her lungs. Hands reach for her as she focuses on breathing. 
          Halo’s body trembles violently, every breath rattling her chest. Rubble carries her in his arms, boots pounding through the gates of Ossamaris. 
          “Moss, where’s Moss?” she begs, her voice breaking. 
          “It’s okay,” Rubble assures her quickly. “They’re pulling him out of the water right now. He’s safe.” 
          He bursts into the barracks and lowers her carefully to the floor. Her clothes, heavy and soaked, cling to her like a second skin. Water pools beneath her. 
          “We have to get you out of these,” Rubble says, grabbing blankets from the nearest bunks. 
          Halo fumbles with the buttons of her shirt, but her fingers are stiff, locked by the cold. Frustration claws at her throat. “I can’t…” 
         Rubble kneels beside her. Without a word, he gently moves her hands aside. 
          “Let me,” he says quietly, voice low and steady though his eyes are full of worry. 
          Halo tries to smile through her chattering teeth. “Pretty sure you’re supposed to take me out on a nice date first.” 
          A soft laugh escapes him, almost shy. “I’ll do that. But first, I need you to survive.” 
          His fingers work carefully, brushing against her chilled skin with every undone button. Each touch sends another shiver rippling through her. 
          “The cold can’t kill an android, can it?” Halo asks, looking up at him as he pulls her wet shirt from her arms. Her breath catches, not from the chill this time, but from the closeness. 
          Rubble drapes a blanket around her shoulders. “If your core temperature drops too low…” His words trail off, his eyes flicking to hers but never staying long. 
          “Oh, okay, I don’t want to hear the rest,” she cuts him off with a shiver. He eases the rest of her soaked clothes to the floor and lifts her gently into bed, covering her with another blanket. Sitting at her side, he takes a dry cloth and carefully squeezes the icy water from her braids. 
          “This should help,” he murmurs, pulling the covers tighter around her. 
          “Are you warm?” Halo asks. 
          “Am I warm?” Rubble asks, puzzled. 
          “Mm-hmm. I think I should check,” she says, a teasing smile breaking through her shivers. 
          Rubble lets out a soft laugh. “Are you asking me to lie down next to you to warm you up?” 
          “No way. I’d never say that. You’re the one who offered,” she counters, sticking her tongue out at him. 
          “You’re something else.” Shaking his head, Rubble pulls off his jacket. He kneels at the edge of the bed, meeting her gaze. She smiles, and he slips under the covers beside her. 
          Halo nestles under his arm, resting her head against his chest. The sound of his mechanical heartbeat pulses steady beneath her ear. The heat is a sharp contrast to the chill clinging to her bones. A sigh escapes her lips. Warmth seeps into her skin, chasing the ice from her veins. 
          “Are we safe now?” she whispers. 
          Rubble looks down at her, “Yeah, we are. It's finally over.” 
          “What do you want after all this?” Her voice is quiet, almost afraid of the answer. 
         “For the future?” His jaw tightens, then softens. “I want somewhere to belong. And…” He swallows, his voice dropping. “I want you.” 
          Halo grins, burying her face against his shirt to hide it. Rubble brushes her wet hair back, smiling as he catches the flush in her cheeks. 
          “Remember when you were just a head sitting on my pillow?” Halo laughs softly. 
          “Trying to change the subject?” he teases. 
          “No… Maybe I’m saying I want you next to me no matter what form you’re in.” 
          Her eyelids grow heavy. Rubble wraps his arms around her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. 
          “Get some rest,” he whispers. 
          Halo exhales, sinking into the warmth of him as sleep finally takes her.