āFor a very long time, the doll was lonely, because nobody cared for her.ā
The thing known as Magna Carta was initialized, and Stellaās projectiles disintegrated. Clearly, Prometheus had not been speaking falsely when he said this was not what they were used to dealing with. Shortly after, Uno went flying into Cass, who broke their mutual fall swiftly, though not swiftly enough to be of any aid in what happened next.
Stella felt the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed up against the back of her neck. She knew how to deal with a situation like this, butā¦ if this cyborg could really cancel her powers this way, thenā¦ Darciaās interference interrupted the train of thought, and she caught the exchange between the cyborg and his mistress. Deletion? So this woman wanted to destroy Darcia? But why? She was an android; could she not simply be reprogrammed and used in much the same way as the cyborg was being used? Did he even have free will anymore?
She didnāt recognize the name Solla called him by, but a flash of something on Darciaās face indicated that she certainly did. There was little time to wonder what that might be, however, because the gun was still pointed at her, though sheād used the time he spent trying to fend off Darcia to put a little space between them. The range was still point-blank. Even someone with her reflexes would not be able to dodge. Stella squeezed her eyes shut, throwing up a barrier just in case, whenā
Faster than the human eye could ever hope to track, Darcia moved, dodging the bullet aimed for her entirely and extending a hand in front of the one aimed for Stella. Such were her reflexes and strength that she caught it outright, her fingers closing over it and the metal denting and molding beneath her grip. When she opened her hand again, it was far too mangled to be of any use to anyone, and fell to the ground with a solid clink in the silence.
It may well have been the case that the Magna Carta was an excellent tool against the Flowers and Seeds, that it could cancel their abilities mere fractions of a second before they would damage himā¦ but Darcia was no Seed or Flower. It mattered little to her.
The same could not be said, however, of the person who had fired the bullets.
Darciaās face was exceedingly calm, but this was a poor metric for what she was feeling. That nameā¦ that name had only ever belonged to one person, and if she needed any more confirmation then the way he moved was enough. Faster, perhaps, and stronger than he had been before, butā¦ there was no mistaking that at its core, it was the same way heād had about him. Slowly, she raised her head to look up at the visor. She knew the color of the eyes it hid. She knew what the voice sounded like without the interference from the helmet.
But she did not know who he was anymore.
āWhen the time comes,ā she said softly, her tone modulated by an emotion her face was not expressing, āthen this one would be happy to be destroyed by you, if that is what you wish.ā Slowly, she shook her head, extending her left-hand blade out into the space between them. Rather then use it, however, she allowed it to dissolve, and the same with the other in her right.
āBut not this you. This one will only be destroyed if that is its partnerās wish. Youā¦ you do not even know this oneās name, do you?ā It felt like that something in her chest, the one that ached when she fled from the Governmentās control, was being torn asunder all over again. Because if he had still known her, if he was still as she had known him, then he would not have attacked without acknowledging that first. She knew this, but she had to hear it from him all the same.
āImpressive, isnāt she?ā This time, Prometheusās voice issued from all around them, the familiar symbol that stood in for his face projecting into a space without any screens at all. He was using a combined set of signals from various devices in the area, scrambled so as to be removed from the Network entirely. His tone was almost flippant, though the man behind the screen could not feel any less so. He seemed to be addressing himself to Solla.
āI hate to break it to you, butā¦ whatās yours is mine, and whatās mineā¦ is definitely not for your taking.ā There was a slight pause. āIād ask if you wouldnāt mind me hacking your new toy, but thatās your trick, isnāt it? Iād hate to be redundant.ā The man behind the persona cringed a little at his own wording, but everything he said and did had a purpose, and sometimes, that meant he had to say and do things he was uncomfortable with, morally speaking. āYouāre losing your grip, Solla, and someday, itās all going to slip away from you. Even if I have to pry it from your fingers myself.ā
The projection vanished, and Prometheus went dark, leaving nothing behind to trace him with. But his purpose was done, and Cass and Stella and Uno had all had time to get back on their feet. Stella made to go for the cyborg again, but Darcia held a hand straight out, her expression still placid, though there was a storm in her eyes, and though the Rose did not know what it meant, Cassius did. āDo not attack him. This one will deal with him.ā She would not allow anyone to harm him, nor would she ever do so again, butā¦ she also recognized that this was it. This was the point at which they had to stand on opposite sides from one another. So be it.
āWell, if the knightās busy, I suppose that leaves the princess, doesnāt it?ā Cassās words were grim, and even as he spoke them, the first drops of rain began to fall. Prometheus had bought them time, and he had no doubt that escape vehicles were even now on their way to this location, but it would still be a little longer before they arrived.
Stella felt the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed up against the back of her neck. She knew how to deal with a situation like this, butā¦ if this cyborg could really cancel her powers this way, thenā¦ Darciaās interference interrupted the train of thought, and she caught the exchange between the cyborg and his mistress. Deletion? So this woman wanted to destroy Darcia? But why? She was an android; could she not simply be reprogrammed and used in much the same way as the cyborg was being used? Did he even have free will anymore?
She didnāt recognize the name Solla called him by, but a flash of something on Darciaās face indicated that she certainly did. There was little time to wonder what that might be, however, because the gun was still pointed at her, though sheād used the time he spent trying to fend off Darcia to put a little space between them. The range was still point-blank. Even someone with her reflexes would not be able to dodge. Stella squeezed her eyes shut, throwing up a barrier just in case, whenā
Faster than the human eye could ever hope to track, Darcia moved, dodging the bullet aimed for her entirely and extending a hand in front of the one aimed for Stella. Such were her reflexes and strength that she caught it outright, her fingers closing over it and the metal denting and molding beneath her grip. When she opened her hand again, it was far too mangled to be of any use to anyone, and fell to the ground with a solid clink in the silence.
It may well have been the case that the Magna Carta was an excellent tool against the Flowers and Seeds, that it could cancel their abilities mere fractions of a second before they would damage himā¦ but Darcia was no Seed or Flower. It mattered little to her.
The same could not be said, however, of the person who had fired the bullets.
Darciaās face was exceedingly calm, but this was a poor metric for what she was feeling. That nameā¦ that name had only ever belonged to one person, and if she needed any more confirmation then the way he moved was enough. Faster, perhaps, and stronger than he had been before, butā¦ there was no mistaking that at its core, it was the same way heād had about him. Slowly, she raised her head to look up at the visor. She knew the color of the eyes it hid. She knew what the voice sounded like without the interference from the helmet.
But she did not know who he was anymore.
āWhen the time comes,ā she said softly, her tone modulated by an emotion her face was not expressing, āthen this one would be happy to be destroyed by you, if that is what you wish.ā Slowly, she shook her head, extending her left-hand blade out into the space between them. Rather then use it, however, she allowed it to dissolve, and the same with the other in her right.
āBut not this you. This one will only be destroyed if that is its partnerās wish. Youā¦ you do not even know this oneās name, do you?ā It felt like that something in her chest, the one that ached when she fled from the Governmentās control, was being torn asunder all over again. Because if he had still known her, if he was still as she had known him, then he would not have attacked without acknowledging that first. She knew this, but she had to hear it from him all the same.
āImpressive, isnāt she?ā This time, Prometheusās voice issued from all around them, the familiar symbol that stood in for his face projecting into a space without any screens at all. He was using a combined set of signals from various devices in the area, scrambled so as to be removed from the Network entirely. His tone was almost flippant, though the man behind the screen could not feel any less so. He seemed to be addressing himself to Solla.
āI hate to break it to you, butā¦ whatās yours is mine, and whatās mineā¦ is definitely not for your taking.ā There was a slight pause. āIād ask if you wouldnāt mind me hacking your new toy, but thatās your trick, isnāt it? Iād hate to be redundant.ā The man behind the persona cringed a little at his own wording, but everything he said and did had a purpose, and sometimes, that meant he had to say and do things he was uncomfortable with, morally speaking. āYouāre losing your grip, Solla, and someday, itās all going to slip away from you. Even if I have to pry it from your fingers myself.ā
The projection vanished, and Prometheus went dark, leaving nothing behind to trace him with. But his purpose was done, and Cass and Stella and Uno had all had time to get back on their feet. Stella made to go for the cyborg again, but Darcia held a hand straight out, her expression still placid, though there was a storm in her eyes, and though the Rose did not know what it meant, Cassius did. āDo not attack him. This one will deal with him.ā She would not allow anyone to harm him, nor would she ever do so again, butā¦ she also recognized that this was it. This was the point at which they had to stand on opposite sides from one another. So be it.
āWell, if the knightās busy, I suppose that leaves the princess, doesnāt it?ā Cassās words were grim, and even as he spoke them, the first drops of rain began to fall. Prometheus had bought them time, and he had no doubt that escape vehicles were even now on their way to this location, but it would still be a little longer before they arrived.