Are you hungry ?
What greeted the two was a lone scraper that looked a little bit bigger than your usual model. Its lights were blinking in red, the body was very damaged but all the broken or missing pieces were covered with strange black and red cables connecting to a bulge on its neck.
It was a tersmith like the ones they fought except this one was a little bigger and slimmer with a thick exoskeleton and sickle like front arms that were plunged deep inside the scrappers head.
[Tersmith king : Does not possess any terraforming capabilities like his peers but can create informatic bugs in weak programs to corrupt or control them. Its dorsal exoskeleton is very resistant to piercing and slashing attacks. Has an independent system from the tersmith hive. ]
It looked at the dead queen that was laying on the floor, before running towards Astrid and leaping at her.
She took her hatchets and blocked the strike before kicking it and launching the machine away.
Matt came from the side and pierced the blaze container on the scrapers back. This would have normally severely damaged it and drained the machine's power supply, making it slower but this time it only made the already wild attacks even faster.
Evading an incoming retaliation and throwing a knife into one of the cables, Matt was astonished to see the black cable grow back and spread smaller cables around it.
"We have to destroy the thing latching onto the scrapper, that's the machine controlling it !", Matt said, "Destroy the legs first but don't damage the black wires or else it will repair itself ! We can t-"
He wasn't able to finish his sentence as a surprisingly fast attack, unlike the previous ones that he kept on evading, took him off guard and managed to slash his right arm.
"ɎØɄ ฿₳₴₮₳ⱤĐ ⱧɄⱤ₮ ₥Ɏ ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ!" Astrid that had been listening to him while breaking some parts that just grew back released a terrifying aura. Her silver hair turned even whiter while her canines grew a little longer behind her scowl.
She repeatedly swung her hatchets at a speed that made them look like a blur and shattered the scrappers legs to pieces which made it helplessly fall to the ground.
Her hatchets were also damaged now but she didn't care, she just kept on hitting the machine faster than it could cover itself with wires until only a heap of scrap metal and a small black shell were left.
She took the latter in her right hand and smashed it into the concrete ground repeatedly until it stopped twitching.
Her outburst stopped along with her subtle transformation and she rushed towards Matt to see if the wound wasn't too severe.
He was completely fine, he had used one of the recovery potions he had made to reduce blood loss and seal the wound. Unlike his normal regeneration, potions made in the village would help in your recovery or reduce the damage, not outright heal you. They were still lifesavers to use in dangerous situations.
And while there were other types that could boost your concentration or temporarily increase your strength, only adults were allowed to use them because of the 'herbs' used to make them.
"Are you okay? Do you need me to do something? Are you poisoned? Does it hurt? C-" Astrid anxiously tried to help Matt even though his wound wasn't very deep as he had managed to evade before his arm was severed and treated his wound already.
"I'm fine. Why is it that you are always so beautiful no matter your actions?" Matt smiled sweetly which made Astrid blush and back off restlessly. Matt catched her hand and pulled her into his embrace. "For all the times you have been with me, supporting me, fighting for me, killing for me… I think that you deserve a reward for all these times. I will do any one thing you want me to."
Astrid was almost melting in his arms, smiling and giggling like a little girl. This adorable girl that had mercilessly beaten a robot moments before was having thoughts that were not so adorable.
' ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ ⱧɄ฿฿Ɏ… I want us to be together forever. Hihi'
[1 CΛП GЯΛПƬ Y0Ц ƬΉΛƬ Щ1ƧΉ.]
(I can grant you that wish)
'Who are you? What do you mean ?'
[1 ΛM ƬΉΣ Ή0ЯƧΣMΛП 0F FΛM1ПΣ ΛПD Щ1ПƬΣЯ. Y0U CΛП CΛLL MΣ ЩΣПD1G0.]
(I am the horseman of famine and winter. You can call me Wendigo.)
'And why are you in my head ?'
[ΉΣΉΣ, MY MΛƧƬΣЯ ΉΛƧ ƬΛƧKΣD MΣ ƬӨ DΣƧƬЯӨY ƬΉΣ ΛЯK… ƧӨ ΉΣЯΣ I ΛM. BЦƬ YӨЦ ƧΣΣ… I DIƧᄂIKΣ ΉIƧ ЩΛYƧ, KIᄂᄂIПG Λᄂᄂ ӨF YӨЦ ЩIƬΉ MY ƧӨᄂDIΣЯƧ IƧ MЦᄃΉ MӨЯΣ BӨЯIПG ƬΉΛП ƧΣΣIПG YӨЦ ƧᄂӨЩᄂY ƧƬΛЯVΣ ƬӨ DΣΛƬΉ IПƧIDΣ YӨЦЯ ᄂIƬƬᄂΣ BЦBBᄂΣ. ƧӨ I ƧΣПƬ Λ FΣЩ ӨF MY DЯӨПΣƧ ƬӨ ƬΛMPΣЯ ЩIƬΉ YӨЦЯ ᄂIFΣ ƧЦPPӨЯƬ ƧYƧƬΣM… BЦƬ ƬЩӨ ᄂIƬƬᄂΣ ΉЦMΛПƧ ЯЦIПΣD MY FЦП...]
(Hehe, my master has tasked me to destroy the ark… so here I am. But you see… I dislike his ways, killing all of you with my soldiers is much more boring than seeing you slowly starve to death inside your little bubble. So I sent a few of my drones to tamper with your life support system… but two little humans ruined my fun...)
'You ordered those machines to attack our clan? You tried to hurt my hubby !? You-'
[PᄂΣΛƧΣ ᄃᄂΛM DӨЩП ΛПD ΉΛVΣ ƧӨMΣ PΛƬIΣПᄃΣ, I ΉΛVΣП'Ƭ ΛПƧЩΣЯΣD YӨЦЯ FIЯƧƬ QЦΣƧƬIӨПƧ YΣƬ… ᄂIKΣ I ƧΛID, I ЩΛПƬΣD ƧӨMΣ ᄃΉΛПGΣ FЯӨM MY BӨЯIПG ᄂIFΣ, ƧӨ I ΉΛᄃKΣD IПƬӨ YӨЦЯ ПΛПӨBӨƬƧ BΣFӨЯΣ MY ƧᄃӨЦƬ ᄃӨMPᄂΣƬΣᄂY DIΣD. I ӨЯIGIПΛᄂᄂY ЩΛПƬΣD ƬӨ ΣПƬΣЯ BӨƬΉ ӨF YӨЦЯ ƧYƧƬΣMƧ BЦƬ YӨЦЯ FЯIΣПD'Ƨ ΛᄃᄃΣƧƧ ЩΛƧ ƬӨӨ ЩΣᄂᄂ PЯӨƬΣᄃƬΣD…MY ᄂIƬƬᄂΣ… ƬЯIP IПƧIDΣ YӨЦЯ ΉΣΛD IƧ ӨПᄂY Λ ЩΛY FӨЯ MΣ ƬӨ ЯΣᄂIΣVΣ MY BӨЯΣDӨM.]
(Please calm down and have some patience, I haven't answered your first questions yet… Like I said, I wanted some change from my boring life, so I hacked into your nanobots before my scouts completely died. I originally wanted to enter both of your systems but your friend's access was too well protected…
My little… trip inside your head is only a way for me to relieve my boredom.)
'Your… voice is becoming harder to understand. What did you say ?'
[Ƨ0ЯЯY, 1 JЦƧƬ ПΣΣD Λ ƧΣC0ПD Ƭ0 C0ППΣCƬ… Forget about what I said before. Do you wish to become my slave ? I can make you live together with your friend forever…]
'This is obviously a bad deal. If you want to act like the devil, make the loopholes less obvious at least.'
[Hmm, interesting. What is your proposition then ?]
'I have heard some rumors about machines trapping us inside the holy lands so I suppose you are the one controlling them… What do you think of giving me control over them and I will burn, freeze, starve anyone that threatens my hubby.'
[Hoho, how amusing… I am going to make you an even better offer on top of the one you already made. You can become the administrator of the winter cauldron, but there are a few things you have to do to obtain it. One, you must reach the control panel in the deepest part of the cauldron, two, you must do so alone or maybe along with the one you call hubby, third, even if I don't think you'll be able to reach that far… in case you do gain full authority, don't delete me, I'm very useful and as long as you entertain my old self I might give you a bone. But I will also add a little… incentive for you to not let me wait and keep a subprogram inside of your nanobots to keep watch.]
'I… I accept. Hubby is so smart, so strong, so… I need something other than just my talent in fighting if I want to stay by his side… You better not cheat.'
[Ohoh… I already have.]
…
This exchange took place without Matt ever suspecting anything. Only looking at Astrids smiling face.
He also wanted to stay like this forever but he knew that they had to go back.
"Let's pick up proof of the parasite and get going. We don't have much time left before having to return." Matt said
"Nh… Matt... I have a question."
"Hmm? Sure tell me."
"What do you wish to do in the future ? Like do you want to stay in Valhalla or do you have any plans... beyond ?"
"Uhm, that's a difficult question." Matt thought about it for a while before answering her with conviction. "I think searching for the truth is my life's goal but I don't want to do just that. Living with you, helping, maybe even leading the clan to prosper I really want to see the outside world, grasp it in my hands."
"Control it?"
"I, I wouldn't say control it, I simply want a strong foundation that would let me be free to do what I want and keep the ones I love safe, you."
"Do you need my help?" Astrid blushed at his comment but still pushed on with her question
"Sure, I mean, it's more like a dream rather than something feasible. We don't know much about the outside world anyways… But why are you talking about this now ? Did something happen ?"
"... Some strange god just talked to me… But it's not important, I just wanted to let you know that I will give you the world… and in exchange you just have to be mine." This sweet sounding sentence had a much, much darker meaning and Matt immediately noticed it.
"Astrid. Tell me EVERYTHING. NOW."
And she did, it took Matt a little bit of time to realise what had just transpired. The fact that his girlfriend could keep an innocent facade while talking with some demon program, it made him shudder more than the actual deal.
"Why, why did you take the deal ?" Matt was confused and angry at her, something that he had never felt towards her no matter her actions and Astrid could feel it too.
"I-I just wanted to help you, become the greatest! I want to be with you an-and…It also sounded as if it was losing patience, i-it said it prefered to play with the village… as if it could destroy us at any moment…" Astrid was shaking and tears were gathering in her navy blue eyes.
Matt knew that this was wrong, very wrong. He didn't know if she was telling the truth anymore.
He prefered it when she was crazy possessive with him, at least he knew that this side of her wasn't just a facade like her cold side she has while with members of the clan or her cute side when she is with him. It is kinda hard to know when a sociopath is genuine or not, like right now.
"...I will believe you. Trust you. And rely on you. But never, never do something like this again! That last part of the deal means that he can kill you at any moment! Do you think I want to fucking lose you!? Of course not! So let me get this straight, if you die I die. So don't you dare die!" Matt's emotions were fluctuating rapidly.
"What?" Astrid looked up at Matt, her eyes showed her uncertainty
"You think you are the only one that loves you like crazy !?" Matt then stopped his aggressive speech, " Astrid, I have seen all sides of you so I know, I know I wouldn't be able to live without you."
Both of them looked each other in the eye and went in for the kiss.
They continued passionately making out for a while before Matt broke off.
"We need to go back, we are already late."
They both left the observation deck in a hurry and took another way back to the entrance, collecting various devices, machine parts or objects that seemed valuable or useful as swiftly as possible. When they arrived at the sector's entrance they were met with the others that were already there waiting for them.
"Heya! Have you found the problem ? None of us discovered anything suspicious… Oh there were a lot of those flying lights and weird drawings though." Yeri cheerfully said
"Whoah. How did you collect artefacts of such good quality ? I only found pieces of scrap and a few light thingies in the area I was in…" Bohr said distraught
"I also found flying lights but one of them was enormous! It looked like a mountain and clouds and…" Falco seemed excited to talk about his discoveries
"It was just so creepy, there were dead bodies from the old ones everywhere and did any of you hear those weird sounds in the walls?" Wilfys was still pale from her exploration
"Alright, we just have to wait for Nicolas to come back before heading home. God we're almost late, can't he hurry up!" Rhin said
'Oh shit' Matt had completely forgotten about his friend's death, he didn't know how to announce it to the others but he still came forward.
"Uhm… About Nick… He's… he died." Matt said sadly
…
"This can't be!" "What!?" "Are you sure?" "You're lying!" all of them burst out in different ways
"He's right… We saw his body near the things that caused the problem." Astrid backed Matt up immediately before her friends tried to gut her boyfriend..
Everyone was silent again, they remembered their friend that was still with them just hours ago and now… He was gone, forever.
2263 words
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Yeah... I kinda went nuts on this chapter.
I also want to reassure you that Astrid isn't a pupet that can be controled, she is simply being threatened.
Hope you had a nice read and see you next week!