Mancer, Mancer~

Allie is going to kill me.

These thoughts hammered into Enne’s head as she and Silesta pushed through the tight corridors. During what occurred, she awoke to find the floor they were on completely vacated. More of Crescendo’s men emerged under flickering lights, armed in riot gear for a fruitless battle. Although they couldn’t harm the half-elf, they could hurt the escapee. They stopped, lining up next to the other before shooting at them.

Enne ripped the nearby door from its hinges and used it to shield it from their stream of gunfire. The weight barely slowed her as she pushed forward. She’d glimpse Silesta often, who had yet to awake from whatever occurred earlier. Her jaw gaped slightly when she looked through the door’s small window. A bandit aimed a rocket launcher at them.

What the fuck?

“Hey, what the fuck?” Crescendo yelled after turning the corner.

Enne shoved Silesta against the aperture, quickly placing the door against her. She created a protective shield over the lodged door when the rocket spiraled in her direction. She caught it before it slammed into the wall by her. Its momentum razed the ground beneath her feet. The bandits began firing at her while she tried to redirect it. A stray bullet nicked the object, exploding everything between them. The explosion rocked the hallway, collapsing the ceiling and surrounding walls. Crescendo hid around the corner, though his subordinates were killed; Few were maimed.

The ringing only masked their agony in his ears. Crescendo saw blood pooling against his boots. Enne had protected the crevice with mana absorbing the damage. Her dress was shredded, but her body sustained the attack.

“Hey, Silesta,” Enne said through the small window. “You okay?”

Silesta nodded meekly, watching Enne glare down the hall. Pressing away from the door, she walked down the hall. The explosion caused a small fire, also rupturing the rooms nearby. She glimpsed prisoners cowering in the corner, but her focus was on the illuminated barrel around the corner. Her footsteps gently splashed on the blood. Crescendo swung around with his gun pointed at her.

“Fucking bit—” he yelled. Enne bent the barrel with minimal force. He gawked in horror before looking into her eyes. “S—shit…”

Enne ripped his collar when she pinned him against the wall.

“You must really have a death wish,” she said coldly. He smirked, just as reluctant.

“Maybe… You do,” he replied. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Instead of a snarky reply, Enne threw him onto the floor. His hands felt the slippery floor. He glimpses his hands after feeling a lukewarm object beneath him. Blood and chunks of flesh covered the floor. Her eyes remained upon him. The lilac tinge pulsated.

“You would’ve been wise to let us leave.”

“The world ain’t yours to dictate, sweetheart.”

Enne knew he wouldn’t fight back, ignoring his cackling. Crescendo lit his cigarette, watching Enne dislodge Silesta’s protection. The young woman stayed by her side, away from the bandit leader. He returned a menacing glee. He tapped against his head, delivering a wink.

“There was plenty interested in her,” he said. “But my boys aren’t through with you yet.”

Enne continued through the hall, ignoring the blaring sirens. Something was amiss as she reached the end of the dark corridor. Perhaps it was the impression Crescendo left that unsettled her. She gestured for Silesta to stay behind her before poking her head out.

I can’t use mana to fight my way through, not yet, Enne remembered.

A flurry of red light dotted her body. Enne withdrew when they opened fire. Their precision shredded the corner. She saw the giant hole that pierced the wall across them. A strange bluish hue glowed faintly in the darkness. The gunfire elapsed. The bandits had reloaded while Enne approached the wall. Her fingertips were burned from the source. Her assertions were correct.

“Draco-glass,” she muttered.

“Draco-glass?” Silesta repeated. Enne slowly nodded.

“Its… special properties like a poison. Shit…”

“But you aren’t like them.”

Enne glanced at the shredded wall. Though the bandits had the advantage, they were too afraid to press on. She took it as an opportunity to counter as she broke another door from its hinges and ripped the door in half. She flung herself into the hall, twisting her body around as she threw the first half. The bandits hesitated before being lopped with the first half. The impact shredded through those within its range. The next half followed, cutting off the legs of those who tried to escape. Enne quickly covered the ground when the rest withdrew. Some dared to keep firing at her. Enne grabbed the first barrel, twisting it before slamming the gun against the bandit’s face.

A shot to the arm slowed her down. Enne grit her teeth, glaring at the one who shot her and elbowed him in his jaw. Gurgling blood quickly followed the dull crunch as her shooter slumped against the wall. Her fingers dug into her throbbing wound to pull out the bullet. When another bandit aimed at her, she threw it at him, striking him in the side of his head. His body twisted from the bone-crunching counter. Her anger rose with each step. Their agony slowly subsided as the sirens blared beyond the walls.

Silesta gasped. Enne discovered the young woman’s horror when she turned around. The dim light revealed her trembling body as she tried to inch over.

“Silesta,” Enne said. “Come on.”

“I—I can’t,” she replied. “How many more people have to die?”

Enne took no joy in what she had done.

“We don’t have time for the moral weight of things. I’m trying to protect you.”

“By killing? You’re no different from them.”

“Silesta!”

Enne’s aggravated voice silenced the young woman before a weak sigh followed. She guided the way as she glimpsed the spotlights piercing the windows in the following hallway. Silesta tried to process the carnage from the unassuming savior who showed her toward the end. A set of double doors with small windows gave them a glimpse of the forces beyond the door.

“They won’t let us go without a fight,” Enne said. She sought a quiet Silesta, but she didn’t protest.

After Enne looked away, Silesta felt an unusual feeling overwhelm her. Her mind began to descend after absorbing the burning scent of flesh and the haunting visual of mangled bodies. She collapsed against Enne. She shook her a few times but received nothing more than a shallow grunt.

“Hey,” she repeated. “What the hell—”

Enne’s ear stiffened to a horrific sound that bombarded her. Distant screams felt close, but assessing the hallway presented nothing. She didn’t take a moment to think about what was happening as she saddled the young woman on her back. The blood-curdling screams switched between menacing whispers spoken in an incoherent language. The hall darkened while sirens continued blaring. She slammed through the door without a second thought. The bandits opened fire moments after she summoned her mana shield.

Shit! Enne grimaced when she felt the bullets begin to break her shield. They’re all equipped with it?

The rain began to drizzle. Enne wondered how she would manage. Bandits also surrounded her motorcycle. Mech converged on the compound’s perimeter, perching themselves atop the roofing on both sides. Her skin felt every prick as her speed faltered. Her shield was beginning to break under the overwhelming assault from the mechs. She closed her eyes when everything seemed still.

Filled with regret, Enne thought of Alejandro. He imagined him scolding her for her troublesome insistence on playing the hero. Amidst her desperate trek toward her bike, she felt low pressure throughout her body. It wasn’t her shield. Sparks of electricity burst after a certain amount of gunfire. The projectiles struck back at their sources. Cables broke off onto some bandits, electrocuting those who didn’t move in time. Enne didn’t have time to observe what had just transpired.

A metallic screech echoed from the darkened skies.

“What the fuck is that?” someone shouted.

It’s here, but why? Enne winced.

The creature swooped down unflinchingly as the base redirected their gunfire at it. Enne continued her wavering sprint until a mech shot at her. She slid behind cover, barely evading its first concentrated barrage, killing several of their own. The aerial creature continued its assault as it flew high, spiraling gracefully before taking a steep nosedive. It knocked the vehicle ahead of Enne, flipping it over into a few who tried to run away. Others were bone-crushingly pinned against other military vehicles. Enne didn’t have a moment to spare.

Enne glimpsed its graceful movements before it struck into a mech on the roof by her bike. Its beak pierced the cabinet with one seamless stroke. Fleshy appendages sprouted from the sides of its mouth. They wrapped and punctured around the metallic body. Before reaching her bike, she saw it fling the mech into another, watching as it toppled onto the group surrounding her motorbike.

Is it here to help us? She wondered. Little did she realize Silesta slowly awoke with reddened pupils fading out.

Enne carefully hopped on her bike, finding more bandits jumped into their vehicles. Silesta had little energy, barely managing to cling to her waist. The bird circled the compound, awaiting her next move. She revved her engine, burning out her tires before speeding away. Crescendo was aghast after watching everything that happened. He clung against the building’s entrance, finally able to reach out for support. What he had seen was unmistakable; It was a gift for some but a nightmare for those with power. He heard the calamity through the overlapping voices. The entire network was in a panic over the newly-realized threat.

“Shit—” he panted. “That woman is a fucking technomancer!”

* * *

Enne whizzed by the checkpoints, crashing through a flimsy barricade at the end before reaching the open road. Within a short time, she had raised far more questions than the answers she had hoped for. Frederick’s dimly-lit skyline radiated its misleading beauty with its mid-sized buildings touching the dark night. With the stakes heightened, returning to Alejandro was no longer an option. The creature flew overhead, flapping its mighty wings once, before disappearing into the clouds. Enne’s respite had come to an end.

The hover bikes reached her, drawing their automatic turrets from their sides. Enne grimaced before swerving into a trail, dodging the concentrated barrage of bullets as they ripped through the concrete. The path was too narrow for the clunky bikes to pass. She cut through the narrow path, wondering where it would end. It was an old shantytown left over during the Collapse. There weren’t many signs of anyone living here. A weak whirring came from behind. Silesta looked over her shoulder when a spotlight hit them.

“What’s that?” she asked. Silesta gripped Enne’s waist when she heard it charging up its small cannons.

“You’re awake now?” Enne said.

Y—yes! Where are we going to go?”

Enne didn’t answer as the spotlight tried to keep its sight on her. Her motorbike accelerated when they approached a straight path. Silesta panted shallowly as she felt the brisk wind against her body.

“Hold on!” Enne shouted over the engine. “And close your eyes!”

Flashes of light consumed the desolate neighborhood. Enne shifted her weight and focused her mana, resulting in well-timed maneuvers that sent them sliding through each corner. No matter how quick the drone reached them, she managed to evade its sight in time. Silesta clamped harder, reminding Enne of the girl she was trying to protect. Soon, they appeared on the other end, and the weather worsened. The hover bikes slid from the intersection nearby. One crashed into a guardrail with another, rear-ending it. The ones that managed to evade them sped up on the clear path.

Enne grunted but maintained her smile. Their turrets fired another barrage, hitting the rusted cars Enne zipped through. Her pursuers couldn’t keep up while navigating the tightened spaces from the ancient traffic jam. Air support was still hot on her tail as another flanked the pair. Their spotlights shone against them, casting their vast shadow on the road. A third, larger gunship swung around to face them. Its thrusters maintained their balance from the horrid weather. Its cannons charged energy from its dual cylinders. Silesta gawked in horror when Enne unflinchingly sped ahead.

“Hold tight,” Enne shouted. The girl did so, hearing the gunship unleash its payload.

Energy beams arched slightly before tearing apart the aged concrete. Enne shifted slightly, teetering between surfaces. The tires barely maintained their traction on the rain-slick. The other drones joined, striking from their new position. The gunship elevated ahead to where the road transitioned into a bridge. With a single payload, it blew up the remnants of the bridge ahead of them.

“Ah, you’re kidding me, right?” she growled. “F—”

Glimpsing the clearing, the path winded into a twisted ramp. It was just enough for the bike to clear the jump. There was no turning back at its speed. Thunder rumbled through the air as lightning struck. Everything seemed to come together for her as she took a whiff of the refreshing scent. One minor mishap could send them off the edge.

“Silesta,” Enne shouted. She raised her head when Enne guided her hand to a handle. “Maintain course. No matter what happens, hold it! Understand?”

Silesta shook her head, barely seeing Enne’s smirk under her flowing fringes. Enne let go of one hand, raising it to her side. The air around it compressed, charging a brilliant hue of blue into the palm of her hands. She clenched the object as it took the form of a bow. Its ancient intricacies evoked memories, but it wasn’t the time to reminisce.

Enne grinned, setting her sights on the lingering gunship. She released her hold when they cleared the ramp. Silesta held on as it swirled toward the other side. Silesta screamed at the weightless sensation, but Enne laughed. Her steady finger pulled back on an invisible string, emitting light that took form. The blinding arrow disrupted the enemy’s visual. The bolt struck against its smooth surface, attracting lightning from the storm. Its electrical systems failed as it plummeted into the ravine. A brilliant explosion rocked the vicinity, sending debris at the nearest drone.

Two down, Enne whispered.

Enne held the handle to stabilize their skidded landing while maintaining her bow. Enne’s lilac eye lit up when the bike stopped upward. She rested her hand on the string again. The rainfall intensified, and several drones emerged to assist. They kept their distance, charging their shots into concentrated bursts.

“I’m tired of being the mouse here,” Enne muttered. She hopped off her bike. “This is old tech. Isn’t it like a typical superpower to hand off their old toys? Hmph.”

Silesta watched as Enne disappeared into the oncoming flashing light. She closed her eyes, expecting instant death, but the dreadful cold light waned. Her eyes opened, and Enne pranced gracefully as she swung her body with a brilliant orb at her bow’s center. Enne licked her lips before casually firing it back. All the energy they unloaded became a concentrated arrow. The beam launched into the air, knocking them out with a shock-wave. The wave quickly collapsed upon itself to create a violent vortex that ripped them apart. Enne flipped the bow into the air, watching it disappear into particles. She looked over her shoulder, finding Silesta still gripping the handles.

“I—Couldn’t do that back there,” Enne said. “It woulda… Caused more trouble.”

The exhausted young woman suddenly collapsed, unconvinced by Enne’s words.





Enne's little ability finally comes to light yet she's still unaware of her technomancer abilities. This was a bit of a fun chapter to put together. There was a certain calamity that made the writing process fun. during the writing process. With that said, leave a comment/feedback and leave a like. I'd much appreciate it!~