Partners in crime ( 2/2 )

    Frantically beating his wings, Kiseki managed to decelerate and regain his balance, seizing Woodle at the same time. Averting the pole falling on them, the crimson angel stabilised his flight while the wooden structure crushed on the ground and the stands in a resounding roar, in doing so ripping the fabric of the tent with its edge.

    Kiseki then began flying in circles round the android while Woodle dropped round projectiles. At contact with the floor, they exploded unleashing a dense fog lavishly inflating in the air, generating a smokescreen all around. Rushing towards the ground, the inspector released the leader of the Players in the midst of the mist, landing further.

    Taking a glance all around him, the android was on the lookout, ready to fight.

    All at once feathers arose from the smokescreen as a storm rain. From each side, from each corner, they flew all together on Ernst. The latter protected his head with his arms before propelling himself overhead, trying to escape. That was exactly what Kiseki was waiting for, emerging from the fog to grab the android round his waist. Caught up in the movement, the latter was dragged in the direction of the ground at full speed. During his fall, the android managed to grip one of Kiseki’s wings, savagely ripping it, tearing it apart.

    At the collision, disrupted, Kiseki was ejected rolling on a few meters in the dust. The impact was a little smoothed for the android. However while he recovered, standing up, his armour already weakened by the previous assaults showed multiple imperfections. Without losing any more second, his hand barely touched the ground that he pounced on Kiseki. The latter managed meanwhile to kneel, a hand over a wounded arm. At the sight of his enemy hurtling towards him, he widened his eyes, gritting his teeth. With only one remaining wing, he could do nothing but one thing.

    Suddenly extending an arm, his hand outstretched towards the android, he yelled as to give himself enough strength.

“Criiiiimson feather!!!!”

    Feathers hurling in front of him merged into a barrier, thickening and thickening at a hectic pace. Meanwhile, two more layers appeared and his remaining wing vanished.

    A fist interspersed with light sparkles collided brutally with the first feather layer at a deviant speed. At the impact, a large hole shaped as feathers scattered all around. Ernst strengthened his backing on the floor as his fist struck the second layer. The light sparkles intensified until emitting an incandescent beam round the android’s fist, breaking up the feathers into ashes.

    At a corner of his lips, a fleck of blood began running down Kiseki’s face. Getting more grim as it agglutinated down his chin, a drop of blood finally split off from it until squishing on the ground.

“For you Marnie, for your safety and… in memory of Lucy, I won’t abandon… At any cost!!”

    His free hand grasping the edge of the first feather layer, Ernst hit the third layer. At this exact instant, Kiseki clenched his fist. The remaining feathers then immediately gathered in a mound trapping the left arm of the android before smashing against the ground, forcing Ernst to kneel.

“NOW!!”

    At Kiseki’s shout, a silhouette emerged from the fog, dashing until reaching their position. Woodle didn’t waste time, leaning over the android. His eyes fussing wildly in search of an access point to his circuits.

“Tchh… Obviously it couldn’t be that easy to find. Never mind.”

    Taking a knife out of his sling bag, the young fellow leant a hand against the metallic shoulder while he made an incision to the synthetic skin at the back of Ernst’s naked neck.

“I will shape an access point on my own.”

“Don’t you dare to!”

    In a categorical tone, Ernst tried to prevent Woodle touching him. Wiggling his arm in the aim to release himself, he used his spare hand to push the knife back and cover hastily his neck.

“Keep quiet!!”

    Firmly grasping his forearm, Kiseki employed all his strength to force him lowering it. As soon as the inspector somehow managed to do so, Woodle hurried to resume his task.

“Nice teamwork, Idonosoko-kun!”

“Shut up!!”

    In a short time, Woodle removed a rectangular-shaped scrap of skin, revealing the circuits underneath. Storing his knife, he took out a small capsule and brought it to the android’s neck, elevating his hand.

    At the same moment, Ernst got rid of Kiseki in a sharp blow, sending him roll further afield. Placing his hand on the cage of feathers, he unleashed a consequent discharge which unlocked him at last.

    Woodle had scarcely the time to open the capsule above the circuits, letting fall a grey powder among them that Ernst pressed a hand against the floor, turning around while outstretching a leg. It hit the hacker into his stomach and sent him to fly away.

    Managing to land on his feet, Woodle skidded on a dozen of metres, stirring up a wreath of dirt. A hand upon his sore stomach, he coughed blood but raised a self-assured smile on his brother.

    His body aching at any movement, Kiseki discerned the expression of the Players’s leader while standing up. He examined the surrounding area in search of any useful weapon.

    Lifting to his feet, Woodle raised his hand so that he could display the screen of his connected watch right before his eyes, starting to type on the holographic screen in a haste. Instantly, Ernst pounced on him, aiming a fist at his face. However the latter avoided the punch, hopping a step back on his left.

“What did you do to me?”

“Nothing so far. Though thanks to the nano virus I injected you… It’s only a matter of time before you lose your free will.”

    Widening his eyes, the android kept a neutral expression attacking several times in a row. Each time the leader managed to dodge him thanks to his agility, not stopping even for a second typing frantically on his device. But how long would he be able to keep the pace?

    Less than five minutes… This was all he needed. Even a little shorter if fully focusing on his task. This was feasible.

“Ghhh…”

    How unfortunate. He had to stumble in such circumstances. A mere second was sufficient so that an improper step back made him unbalanced. In a moment the fist of the android will knock him down. He could already see Ernst hurling a mighty blow at him…

    Out of a sudden, Kiseki stood between them, warding off the punch with an iron bar between his hands.

“Hurry up, damned hacker!! I won’t be capable of holding him back for long.”

    Taking the opportunity to stand up and move away, Woodle displayed a grin.

“You can count on me to do so.”

    Gritting his teeth, Kiseki did his best to oppose resistance, his feet skidding slightly against the ground. Abruptly, the android loosened his fist so he could grab the iron bar. Strengthening his grip round it, he compressed the iron bar until it broke in two parts. With a dismayed face, Kiseki took a step back, throwing the remnants of his weapon away. Then he repeatedly blocked the attacks of the android with bunches of feathers absorbing the shock.

    Gradually, the smokescreen around them was falling back.

    Soon bored by this vain resistance, the android pounced on him and, getting through the feathers, he crushed Kiseki on the ground with all his weight. Blocking the inspector with his legs, he was about to strike the final blow…