Impact
"Fern Mask! Black Watch!"
White shouted, grabbing my attention. Before I could react, something massive hit us, the impact sending me flying.
Buzz.
My vision went hazy, the edges darkening… before everything went black.
Buzz… Buzz…
Buzz.
I felt a soft touch on my shoulder blades, but my eyes stubbornly stayed shut.
"Black Watch," a soft voice called.
I blinked my eyes open. Before me was White Watch—easily the most beautiful sight. Her face was so close.
"Hey, get up."
And then the dream came crashing down when I heard the annoying voice of Fern.
What was he doing in this romantic dream of mine?
I forced myself to sit up straight with the help of White Watch. My head was still spinning. What was that?
I turned my gaze from left to right, analyzing the damage. The walls were half gone. Above us, a few stars glistened in the far distance.
Blue shimmer drifted through the air.
"What happened?"
I asked Fern, looking up at him.
"I don't know. But something massive hit us."
I tilted my head, staring up.
"You think so, Fern?"
I said sarcastically.
I heard White Watch chuckle behind me. The blue shimmer spun around my head.
"Up on your feet," Fern said.
I forced my body up, White Watch helping me.
I followed Fern, stepping out through the broken wall of the city hall, a wide hole created in the surface just outside. We walked carefully, passing by the debris and entering the courtyard area.
My eyes widened.
Before me stood a tall, humanoid creature, dark bluish in color, with massive crystals jutting from its left arm. It didn't move, its head was tucked down as if it were turned off.
I had never seen something like this.
"Fern, what is that?"
"I-I don't know."
My eyes fixated on this unknown creature. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Fern clicking a photo with the arena-issued device.
"Guys… there are more," White Watch said. I turned my head around, scanning the area. There were not one or two of the creatures but 24. They looked the same.
All standing still with their heads tucked down.
Fern snapped photos of them all.
"Send them to Stella," I said, keeping an eye on the creature standing in front of us.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Scrreekk. Scrreekk. Scrreekk.
The creature shifted—slowly, deliberately.
I took a hesitant step back, my gloved hand hovering over my hip, over my concealed weapon.
"Fern…"
I called out, trying to grab his attention. My eyes briefly left the creature and glanced right towards Fern, whose attention I had grabbed.
"What?"
He looked at the creature as it started to move. Slowly.
"What the–"
The creature swung its crystal-covered arm down with a deafening crash.
I jumped back, successfully avoiding the attack. It lunged again, but I teleported to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Shh-ip!
Shh-ip!
"White Watch, keep a distance."
Fern warned, taking out his magnetized Plasma taser and aiming towards the creature.
Pzzzt!
The laser bounced off the crystal, bouncing to the tree nearby and setting it on fire.
I took my weapon from my hip pocket and pressed it open. A white Jian-inspired twin-tip spear was unleashed. I spun the spear between my fingers, waiting for it to turn toward Fern.
White Watch stood at the side, watching. Maybe hesitating—analyzing. Or… ugh.
She wasn't interrupting us. Good.
This was dangerous. She would only harm herself and slow our momentum down by joining in.
I lunged at its back, spear thrusting—but it wouldn't pierce the crystal-hard hide.
It hurled me across the field. The world blurred, and my spear flew from my grip. The soles of my boots molded into grips—attaching to the smooth surface.
"Black, watch out!"
Fern yelled.
Too late. Its long arm shot back, fingers wrapping around my calf, yanking me into the air. The world flipped, spinning my head.
White Watch stood by, clenching her weapon, similar to mine, but not quite the same.
Ready to jump in.
"Don—"
"Black!"
The creature launched me across the field.
The surroundings flew by like a blur.
The spear in my hand left me.
Clash!
Air left my lungs as my back slammed into something hard.
I groaned, my eyes refusing to open.
A painful throb took over my mind, clouding my judgement.
"Black Watch! Black Watch!"
I felt a soft shaking once again. It was enough to coax my eyes open.
White Watch.
I smiled unconsciously behind my mask.
"You okay?"
I nodded stiffly.
I wasn't. But I wasn't going to say that—I didn't want her to think I was weak.
I forced myself to stand up. In the distance, the creature was going after Fern.
Damn it.
"I need your help, White."
Sshh-ip!
Sshh-ip!
Sshh-ip!
I teleported toward Fern. White Watch was not far behind.
On my way towards Fern, I grabbed my weapon lying on the grass. This thing would pay.
Sshh-ip!
"Fern!"
My jaw clenched as I teleported on top of the creature and tried to stab it in its joint. My Jian-inspired twin-tip spear couldn't even scratch it.
Fern shot at the creature again, but it kept bouncing off.
White joined in, trying to attack its leg.
Even with our combined effort, we couldn't take it down.
I looked towards Fern, and he made eye contact.
He took a mini explosive device he had bought with credits from the arena shop and tossed it towards me. I caught it and stuck the mini bomb onto the base of its neck.
I jumped off the creature and teleported away at a distance.
Fern and White also backed away before the bomb exploded.
Dark gray smoke filled the air, blocking my sight.
Did the mini bomb finally take the golem down?
I stared at the smoke. Waiting for good news.
When the smoke cleared, it still stood—unshaken.
My hope shattered.
Sshh-ip!
I teleported towards where Fern and White stood.
"What are we supposed to do?"
I asked.
"I don't know. The laser won't get through it and neither are your weapons."
"Should we ping Hornet?"
"No, no. We are not this incapable. We just have to find a new angle to this thing."
"Guys…" White said.
My head turned toward her. She stood still, pointing towards something. My eyes shifted to the right where she was pointing.
My eyes widened. More of them filled the courtyard, the blue shimmer drifting across my face. Endless blue dots, all moving toward us.
Realization hit me.
We were out-numbered. Three against thousands… if not more.
"Fern," I said. "Send the SOS."
⋆⋆⋆