The fight with a side of escape.

I become a spectator from that moment onwards. It was clear that I wasn't involved in this fight and never was. My only place is laying down in a corner and nursing my wounds. So I do just that. I can't do anything about this as much as that pains me.

The fight starts as suddenly as the viper appeared. She steps forward and her steps are efficient, measured even. Marianne meanwhile is a rabid beast released from it's chains. The moment the viper steps forwards Marianne mimics the action but in a far less controlled manner. Her smile is ferocious, her fangs and claws bared ready for a fight.

First to strike is Marianne. A punch to the face. Powerful if simple. A rush of air is the only thing I hear of it. Next thing I know Marianne's fist is next to the viper's face. She's also bringing up a forked hand towards Marianne's neck.

Marianne however simply jumps sending her leg towards the viper's face. This means her forked hand only hits Marianne's chest and bounces off harmlessly. Marianne's kick on the other hand forces the viper to take a small step backward.

Marianne's foot flies past the viper's face and she lands on the ground without any interference before another staring contest starts again. I wonder why she didn't take advantage of Marianne losing her footing but don't have time to find an answer as they start the second round.

It almost appears as though Marianne says 'after you' with her movements as her first is a step backwards. Taking the invitation, the viper steps immediately into Marianne's range. Her name fits her perfectly in this scenario. She slides into Marianne's guard as though it's child's play.

Then things ramp up. A knee to the torso. Blocked by a hand. An index strike to the temple. Deflected with ease. Kick to the leg. Shrugged off. The moment the kick lands the roles reverse. Marianne strikes towards her torso with a jab. The viper tries to take it but…

She coughs, the air leaving her lungs, as she attempts to regain the footing she lost as she stumbled backwards from the power of Marianne's jab. Her chest heaves, one hand twitches towards her stomach but she stops herself. Her stare intensifies and becomes even colder.

Marianne meanwhile is standing tall like a mountain. She hasn't attempted to move forward. She's simply standing there and waiting for the viper to recover. To my eyes it's pretty clear who has the advantage. Yet Marianne's eyes are just as intense if not more so than the vipers. She's not staring at prey but a worthy opponent.

This time there's no staring contest. A simple sound of footfalls is enough to be the starting signal. This time I can't even keep up. Strike to the temple. Strike to the torso. Kick to the midsection. The whole exchange unfolds in front of me but I only understand pieces of it.

I can see all of it but I can't comprehend it all. They're having so many different exchanges I honestly can't tell the difference between half of them. This time it appeared the viper came out on top as out of the fight emerges Marianne rolling in a controlled manner and immediately standing up.

I look over at the viper and I'm less sure of who won that exchange. She's staggering and holding her side. The expression on her face is grave and not one of victory. Marianne is still smiling and she's not tired. That said she's still focussed on the fight. Her eyes are ready for anything.

Then the mechanical voice rings out in our earpiece again. "1 minute ready yourselves for extraction." The news gives me some relief. Marianne doesn't need to win even though she probably could. All we have to do is get out of here.

When I look at Marianne however her eyes are still those of a warrior and she's completely ignoring the instruction to ready for extraction. I suppose we don't need to move just yet and she has to hold back the viper anyway so it's fine. My knee-jerk reaction is positive but for some reason I can't shake a bad feeling about this.

"Why is he working for you?" Asked Marianne suddenly pointing at Jamie. That's a question I've wanted to ask but I completely forgot about it. I doubted I'd get an answer but Marianne is as straightforward as ever I suppose.

"He knows who holds his leash. Unlike some people." Says the viper staring at me when she finishes her sentence. There isn't any malice in her tone or at least no more than there was before yet for some reason I can instinctively tell that she's not happy with that fact.

"I don't have a choice. Flux owns the orphanage. I am part of that orphanage. Therefore Flux owns me too." Says Jamie having taken up a spectator's position similar to my own given his injuries.

"Why?" Asks Marianne sounding genuinely confused. Apparently she and the viper aren't going to resume their fight immediately perhaps so the viper can recover once more.

"Because we own the orphanage. What do you think happens to the people there when he refuses to do what we say? Or when your little friend bites the hand that feeds?" Explains the viper sounding incredibly matter of fact. I consider speaking up or trying to deny her words but now that she knows it's me no matter how much I beg or what I do they'd still punish the orphans.

"Oh. Mainframe was right. You are evil huh?" Replies Marianne the passion in her eyes burning brighter as she says it. I'm glad she's gained some more motivation but why?

"Mainframe? You did not do so on the girl's orders then? Fascinating. I will have to find out more about this Mainframe character." Says the viper sounding unconcerned with the issue. Actually she's more interested than unconcerned. She seems genuinely curious.

Marianne only laughs at her before saying. "I'd love to find out more too. They seem interesting." Then the battle starts anew just as Mainframe speaks up.

"30 seconds. Please do not reveal my name so carelessly." Her warning is robotic and cold so I don't get the same sense of reprimand from it that I would with a normal person. Still there is a sense of reprimand behind it and that's more emotion than we've seen from her so far.

Marianne however was not listening and didn't even try to attack the viper. She headed straight for Jamie who was sitting on the other side of the room from me. The viper also seems confused by this move but she appears to have a realisation as she quickly blocks Marianne's way and attempts to stop her. She's having none of it however as she simply charges straight through her.

Marianne runs straight into the viper and bulldozes through her knocking her aside like a rag-doll. The viper might match her in technique or even surpass her but Marianne's brute strength has always been on top. Jamie seeing the bear charging straight towards him does the sane thing and runs in the opposite direction.

It didn't help much if at all. He obviously didn't get very far and Marianne grabbed him by the collar before dragging him towards me. "15 seconds." Comes Mainframe's warning through the comms as I find Marianne right in front of me.

She picks me up in an only slightly more gentle manner than Jamie and drags us both towards the door we were protecting. The viper having been blown off to the side watches us enter the door through half lidded eyes and apparently doesn't want to chase us for some reason.

Marianne then opens the door and drags me and her extra baggage through it. We find ourselves in the server room once more and Marianne takes us towards the tower with the USB in it. The moment we reach it Mainframe's voice rings out for the final time. "Complete. Please grab the package and leave."

The moment he hears this Tommy grabs the USB. Marianne meanwhil walks up to one of the walls. I don't have to wonder what she's going to do for long as she simply puts on her combat suit and blasts the wall to smithereens.

On the ground outside the compound is a large ship one I recognize. It's the space train we came here in. The door on the furthest left of the ship opens and a ramp extends outwards as if beckoning us. "Mission complete." Says Marianne in a voice that's baritone but somehow cheery.

We or rather Marianne runs through the courtyard and completely ignores the panicking guards as she reaches the door on the ship. Then she walks in dragging me and Jamie in with her. Tommy follows behind us having jumped out of the hole in the wall on his own apparently.

I let out a sigh of relief realising that our part of the mission really is complete. I look around at the metal interior and don't find anyone else. I remember something and think I should ask on the comms. "Are DeDe on the ship or are we going to have to collect them?" I ask to no one in particular.

"We could do with collecting but we're not that far from you." Replies Dalia in my ear. Apparently the earpieces really do work when we're outside of the facility's comms block.

"Doesn't mean you can dawdle though. We still need to get out of here and fast. We can only hide from guards for so long you know?" Chimes Delilah sounding not exactly pleased with the current arrangement and slightly anxious.

"Worried we'll leave you behind." says Tommy in a teasing tone from behind us. I think that's a fairly low blow honestly and I stare at him disapprovingly. Delilah seems get more hostile hearing that.

"Wouldn't you be? It's pretty easy to blackmail a couple of criminals into doing something then off them on the way back. Especially when you promise rewards." Says Delilah indignantly. I don't think we ever asked about those rewards did we? I know everyone got one but I don't actually know what everyone's getting from this.

Myself, Marianne and Tommy all enter the cockpit door on our left as we release the tension holding us together during the mission. Things could've gone a lot worse on our end. I don't want to relax too much because I know that while this is Lumi's job we might still be called upon in some small way. But I'd like to indulge myself in the idea that my part of the mission's over for a while.

The metal door opens with the releasing of air. I didn't realise it was a pressurized room but it makes sense. If the cockpit gets destroyed they wouldn't want everything else damaged as well I imagine.

I start looking around but stop bothering immediately. My mind is too tired for this nonsense. The brief glimpse of the cockpit makes me realise that this ship is beyond my abilities to pilot. Perhaps it's designed that way.

In front of me is two chairs. Not particularly special though they do look rather comfortable. The leather is black with accents of grey and the shape reminds me of the gaming chairs that have speakers behind your head that always make me feel like my brain is shaking.

The stitching is practical, the patterns efficient rather than stylish and the leather good quality but not as good as you would expect from a ship like this. The leather seats are held up by several metal rods sticking out from the bottom of the seat that extend down to the floor.

Looking closer I can see the rods bolted to the floor presumably to deal with Ge-force. The bottom of the rods extend out into a metal plate that has a number of screws and even bolts that hold it in place. Not a single one with a spec of rust or dust.

The chairs are a few yards apart from each other and only one of them is occupied. The white hair peeking out from the back of the chair remaining stationary even as we approach. That's the only part of Lumi we see however. The rest of her is so much smaller than the chair that we actually can't see her.

Of course whether I can see Lumi or not I understand this part of the room far better than the rest. A metal desk lays horizontally across from the two chairs with barely enough space for someone's feet between the chairs and the desk.

The desk does not reflect Lumi's face or any other part of the room. Despite being metallic the material appears not to shine. In fact it's an incredibly dull dark grey with nothing adorning it. No dust, no buttons and no joysticks.

I don't wonder how she's going to pilot the craft however because there is one thing in the middle of the desk. A projector. It's so small that my first scan of the desk didn't recognise it but knowing that one had to be there made finding it rather simple.

It isn't currently projecting anything however which is somewhat strange. However I would still think I could pilot this ship if that's all this was. I know how to work with holographic controls as most certified pilots do.

The issue is the ceiling. I count the switches on the ceiling in my mind and lose track before I even get to 20. Hundreds, possibly thousands of little white toggle switches cover the ceiling like glow worms. The luminescence emanating from them being used as part of the way this room is lit.

Whatever era these switches were used in makes me just shudder at the idea of being a pilot. There are no labels, no meaning just a countless number of glowing white switches dotted across the ceiling.

Of course that's only above the pilot's heads. Above our own is a fairly standard affair. Some form of light source behind a glass pane and the rest is metal that contorts into the shape of the ship. The walls are similar, with the only difference being the light source.

The walls are covered in what look like vines. Many different thin lines branching off into different directions cover the walls like the ship's very own nervous system. As though the ship is being pulled together and maintained by a number of strings tied into a knot.

As we step into the room I'm greeted by the sound of clinking as my boots impact the metal beneath me. It's not quite like the ramp that gives way under my weight, nor is it like the hallway which doesn't make any noise because of how solid the metal is. This is similar to the sound of bashing two pieces of metal cutlery together. A thin, almost sonorous reverberation.

While I was admiring the room, Marianne had taken it upon herself to take the unoccupied pilot seat. Sitting down with a soft thwomp and bouncing back up slightly because of the force she lounges casually in the secondary pilot seat like it's her birthright.

I look to my right and find Tommy looking back at me confused. We are unsure of where we're supposed to be but until we're off this planet it would be ideal for us to remain in the cockpit so we stand between Marianne and Lumi's chairs.

I magnetise my boots and Tommy hearing the clang that causes, realises he should do the same. Once we're all set up Lumi apparently takes that as the signal. She flicks one of the switches above her head. How she knows which one I have no idea, but it causes the holographic screen to appear before her.

It has a number of different dials, gauges, control sticks, buttons and some sort of steering wheel icon. Pressing her pale white finger against the button with the universal symbol for power on it, I hear a light high pitched sound like air being expelled in succession before a low hum permeates the craft and it comes to life.

Behind the holographic control screen, we see the Flux branch headquarters and the panic we caused with our escape. Speaking of. I just realised I don't see Jamie around. I look at Marianne confused and she says "Oh right. Your friend is back in the hallway. You may wish to put him in a prison of some sort."

Realizing Marianne had left him alone on our escape craft I pale and try to run. I did however forget that I magnetised my boots and I end up pulling my feet but getting no response. I almost fall over before I realize my mistake and de-magnetise my boots before heading off to find Jamie… And the brig.

Back in the hallway I spot Jamie still limp on the floor and let out a sigh of relief. At least he hasn't done anything yet. Still I cautiously approach him just in case he's playing dead or has a plan to escape ready.

Luckily I didn't need to be. I manage to make it to him without any mishaps and try to pick him up. Seeing Marianne do it effortlessly made me think he was rather light. I was obviously wrong on that score and I stumbled forward while trying to lift him.

So instead I take him by the arms and let his legs drag along the floor as I walk down the hallway. A hunt for the brig ensues and takes a little longer than I'd be willing to admit to anyone. Finally finding the brig room I look around for the cages.

In front of me is what could only technically be classed as a room. Inside is a cheap pod, a toilet, and a desk. It's blocked off by two white poles with black lines down their opposing sides. They are attached to the wall and in between them is the only entrance to the room. Next to the left pole is a palm panel.

I leave Jamie inside the room and put my hand on that panel causing a wall of some form of see through material to extend from each pole. They meet in the centre and make a clack as Jamie's last route of escape is closed off.

Smiling weakly at my old friend I turn around and return to the cockpit room. The moment I make it back Tommy looks at me for confirmation and I nod before looking outside the window. We have now left the ground and are heading towards an area a little while away from the Flux branch headquarters.

It's not particularly conspicuous. Just some plains with a few bushes in them. The plains are a verdant green and the bushes are no taller than hip height I'd guess, though I can't actually see them all that well from here.

They are covered in all sorts of different berries, nuts and even flowers. They aren't particularly rare however nor are they in an array of vibrant colours. Instead they all appear to mimic the green of the plains they reside in. Some are dull greys or whites but generally the area is filled with green.

The moment we come close enough to get more details I realise that something's off about one area filled with black flowers. Most of the greenery around here has a variety of different types in a single area. Black and grey flowers, nuts in different shades of green, pink gem shaped fruits that become a vibrant red over time. All of them have some sort of variety whether it be from the maturity of the plants or an array of different fruits and such.

This area however is ALL black. A bunch of black roses with distances so close to each other you'd think it was measured with a ruler. Looking closer the insides of the flowers are actually a little blurry to my eyes. At first I thought it was the height. Until the vision disappeared completely revealing Dede in all their glory.

Dahlia was laying down stomach on the ground and had a sniper rifle in her hands. She was looking down the scope and while I couldn't see her expression, I knew that the rest of her body was absolutely still. Even from here I could see that even with our arrival she hadn't moved a muscle.

Delilah on the other hand was much more active. One of her hands was holding on to something at her belt I had to assume was a weapon. The other was holding a little black object I couldn't quite see as she hid it from view.

The moment they spotted us Delilah said something I couldn't hear from inside the ship and Dahlia proceeded to quickly dismantle her sniper rifle and place it on her back. Then she got up and faced our direction.

We landed fairly close to the pair and opened the doors. A few moments later the cockpit got a good bit louder. "Well at least you keep your promises. Guess we're all good then." Says Delilah as soon as she enters the cockpit. She doesn't sound relieved just haughty. Like this was her right which technically it was but the way she says it just…

Dahlia seems to glare at her a little but doesn't say anything. Her glare quickly disappears as though it never happened when Delilah turns around to look at her. She gets a confused look on her face but just shrugs and turns back towards us with a smug grin.

"I wonder if we should've considered leaving her there." Mumbles Tommy so quietly only I heard it. I won't rat him out though. Because I'm not sure I could bring myself to disagree with him.

"So what we up to now?" Asks Delilah sounding genuinely curious. Does this woman not listen to anything? I let out a sigh and consider whether explaining is worth the effort.

"Why don't you just watch and find out." Says Tommy with a knowing smirk. I decide Tommy's got the right idea of it and stay quiet on the matter.

"This is a mission though right? Shouldn't I know what's happening next so I can ya'know prepare some explosives for it or something." Replies Delilah clearly missing the smirk on Tommy's face.

"I do not require your assistance. This is what I'm here for and I will earn my pay. Please be seated or find another comfortable position to remain in for the rest of the ride. You may find the journey unduly difficult should you not strap or magnetise yourself to anything sturdy." Explains Lumi coldly not even looking back at Delilah.

Then she starts tinkering with the holographic screen again. This time I know what this is and I brace myself. Delilah however… "What are you talking about it's just some turbulance it's not like it's gonna take me off my-" Before she can finish a large amount of g-force slams directly into her and she stumbles backwards before falling over and only managing to steady herself by bracing against the floor with her hands.

Myself and Tommy stifle our giggles before they can come out. Marianne just shakes her head and looks at the screen in front of her and Dahlia looks away but the corner of her lips are slightly raised. Delilah looks around and I try to make my face look as impassive as possible as I look away from her direction.

Instead of the embarrassed reaction we were expecting however she just stands up and puts her feet down hard. Immediately the sound of metal magnetising rings out and I look at her shoes only to find them firmly attached to the floor.

Dahlia had done the same the moment she stepped in hence she was unaffected but to see Delilah do that with no shame I have to wonder if she's just really bad at reading people's expressions or if she just has no shame at all.

Regardless of the reason Delilah managed to recover and we were off towards the planet's orbit. The scenery on the window in front of us going past at a dizzying speed as I watched. The aerial zones passed us by in the blink of an eye.

"This seems a little easier than expected." I mumble confused as I look around for any sign of someone trying to stop us. I would at least expect them to follow us not just let us leave the planet unharmed.

I was expecting at least a token resistance from the security force if only to save face yet we just glided through the aerial zones without trouble. At the pace we're at we'll be leaving the planet's orbit soon enough and then we're pretty much home free.

"I was thinking the same." Replies Tommy next to me also staring pointedly at the window in front of us showing only the clear skies. We don't have to stare for long as we realise we'll soon be exiting the orbit of the planet.

A small shake rocks the ship and I stumble backwards almost falling over. I keep my hands outwards to steady myself and put one of them up to stop Tommy from trying to support me showing that I'm fine.

I forgot that I hadn't re-stabilised myself so I quickly magnetise my boots as we exit orbit. The moment the skies pass us by the window is covered in a bright orange. It quickly becomes transparent so we can see the sky once more but that means that the ship is on fire from leaving the atmosphere.

What we see once we exit orbit however answers my earlier question. "Ah…" I blurt out shocked as I look at the sheer variety of ships arrayed out in front of us. Tommy has a similar reaction as he stares looking worried but not scared out the window.

The ships are of all different makes, designs they even have different insignias. Wait different insignias? Is this an alliance army of some sort. A window pops up on Lumi's holographic screen and shows an incoming communication which she plays for the rest of us.

"I knew you guys were bad news. Surrender now or the combined might of every military currently on the planet will obliterate you." Says a man's voice that sounds somehow familiar. Thinking back I get an image of a thin, glassy eyed man for some reason.

"Well is this a problem pilot?" Asks Marianne calmly turning towards Lumi. Apparently Marianne thinks that being attacked by every military on the planet isn't such a big deal. I mean I doubt there are many militaries that are actually stationed here and this is probably just the Machina force plus a few others who were bored.

Regardless this is still a ridiculous amount of ships to take on by ourselves. "I am incapable of destroying all the enemy ships. Escape can be achieved as can the strategic objective given that we have already completed our mission. As such I will focus my efforts on escaping." Replies Lumi smoothly in her usual overcomplicated method of speech.

The moment she finishes I feel a large pull on my body. My feet manage to stay in place thanks to my boots and thus I focus my body on staying upright but it's quite a struggle as I feel the g-force attempt to pull me out the door and into the hallway.

I do succeed however and I watch on the window as a multitude of ships open fire on us. The lasers whiz past the sides of my view in countless numbers and I feel the pull of g-force once more as we go upside down to avoid a ship that tried to crash into us.

Leaving that ship darting off into the distance I watch as Lumi drives straight into their formation. She readies herself before pressing a number of switches above her head. The change is immediate. A number of laser lights speed out from our own ship's direction and pierce the hulls of those in front of us at light speed.