Beneath the Skin

-----V-----

Franek groaned as something from his body deflected the high powered artifact sniper, he coughed up blood and chuckled.

„Huh, it was a good idea to bring this along," he managed to say and took out a device that crackled and broke apart when he took it out of his coat. „A single-use artifact, and it was put in good use."

Amara glared at the crumbled device that protected Franek from her blow. Her artifact was on cooldown, its vents blowing out steam and started cooling its self down. She brought out her hilt, and the blade emerged with glowing crimson.

„As you might have known, Ivona told me quite about you two, Vincent, Amara. I know it were you two who assassinated my sister, and that is something I can't look over."

„Yeah, it is quite obvious, isn't it?" I said wryly. „I mean, Amara has a weapon that shoots from afar, it was quite a big giveaway, and also that barely any artifact hunters have this type."

The people around stood with weapons in arms, no one knew who was going to make the first move, their sweat was visible around their foreheads.

„So? Vincent," he spat out my name. „What is Wilmer's reward? Money? Fame? Or maybe even a way off-world?"

I glared towards Ivona, whom's arrow was pointed at my head.

„So what? I am only doing this so I could go back from where I came from!"

„And where is that exactly?"

Back in my time. Back to the correct timeline. I don't belong in the past, I shouldn't be here, but the damn ancient alien race brought me here.

„To space, not some house in the fields or city, a spaceship that travels across the stars, that is where I come from. Going to Tessera was a mistake, this star system should only have been a rumor, nothing more than that."

„I don't really understand what you are saying, but I know that you are on your way to hell for what you did!" Franeks' sword glowed, a program was active.

„Amara!" I yelled.

Her artifact was done cooling when we were talking, and it was aiming right at Franek. Smoke erupted with a ray of light, and Franek split the zettra energy that was launched from the sniper.

My eyes widened and noticed that his sword shrunk. Now it was much more maneuverable. I fired a few shots myself, but he deflected them all with his artifact graciously.

„Shit," I muttered.

„Men! Take them down! Try to take them captive if possible!" Franek shouted, and his followers answered.

Braxton and Ivy launched their attacks at Franek along with me, but his speed was out of this world, it just didn't make sense, it must have been the Nanos' doing. So instead, they attacked the others.

Chase and his last artifact hunter fought against four men, and they were standing their ground. While the rest of us were dealing with the others. I still didn't like the odds. I should have tried to talk my way out, which seemed unlikely to work.

Amara charged forth towards Franek with her sword, while I supported her from the rear stopping others from interfering with their dual.

Their weapons clashed, and they roared with fury as they sent all their power at each other. A man wanting revenge for his late sister. A woman who does this for a living and all the while smiling and grinning. The artifact armor Amara wore gave her the speed to match with Franeks' artifact. I could barely even see what was happening. I could see, though, Amara dodging the blade by a sliver of hair and she bent her back low, and then spun and gave Franek a kick in the shin.

All the while that was occurring, Ivona and Ivy were firing non-lethal arrows at each other, I think I am going to ignore their sister rivalry or whatever is happening with them. But I did notice a man going for Ivy, who Ivona quickly stopped and told him to leave them. Then the man turned towards me with his Longsword in hands.

„I think this is the moment I take this out," I said and unstrapped the shield and brought it to my left arm.

I should thank Ethan later for lending this to me. If I ever find his grave.

The shield didn't allow me to use the programs, but it was still a shield nonetheless.

The artifact hunter charged forth, his artifact armor dented as I fired my blaster at him. His carelessness brought him to the ground as I unleashed my armor-piercing program. He twitched and writhed, and I looked him in the eyes as I fired my blaster. Just another day at the job of artifact hunting.

„Franek! Let's stop the fighting. We can talk this out, can't we?" I shouted, but he couldn't hear as he was clashing at Amara.

I turned towards the next target, and when I was about to pull the trigger, the ground rumbled. The ground shook and vibrated, everyone stopped as they felt for it as well.

Was it an earthquake? It could be, but I was seriously wrong. From afar we saw them, from the direction of the third hive, kypseli. I glanced up to see the small kypseli birds, they knew it was the best time to strike.

Not only were they just merely the normal kypseli with their tentacles, but they also had an artifact-kypseli. It was the same size as the last artifact-kypseli we fought but looked completely different from the rest I have seen. It's triangular body held six legs, filled with strong carapaces. Its face was not to be seen, but antae were around its body, moving accordingly with the ground to sense where it was going. A giant zettra crystal was embedded on the top of its body as its core, and its hard carapace was all around itself, showing no weak spots. And as it walked with its six legs, the ground moved as if the world shivered by its heavy body. In short, it was basically an organic tank with no tracks, and the zettra core was most likely its cannon.

No one was fighting each other, they only stared into doom that awaited them. Even Franek and Amara stopped their fighting when they saw the swarm heading their way.

The shield suddenly started pulsing unnaturally, and I noticed that part of the organic's tank core also pulsated. I decided to check the map for the gemstone, not caring if others saw me. I couldn't see the location of the gem anymore, but when I zoomed in at my location, I saw that the gem was right in front of me. . . In the direction of the organic tank. . . The gem was inside the zettra core. . .

„Franek, you know what we should do right now, don't you?" I said.

„Yeah, we shou. . . Egh!"

Amara swung her blade, but Franek dodged it with a close call.

Goddammit, Amara!

Franek counterattacked, his blade met hers once again. I guess this will be a three-way fight. That is just great, and we humans have a disadvantage because of some ignorant woman.

Braxton focused his attacks at the organic tank with other artifact hunters, but the soldiers who aimed their flamethrowers at the kypseli, slowly turned towards him. He noticed and started fighting them. Only a few of us were occupied by the kypseli. Chase and his friend stopped fighting and turned their blades at the bugs with the ones they were just fighting a few seconds ago.

I tested the carapace of the tank, and even with my powerful program, it wouldn't even dent or show a sign that I blasted it. I took my attention towards the other kypseli, they were many, but we could still manage to take care of them if we worked together.

„Program! Scatter!" I shouted and by blaster bolts split to hit many at once. Though my shots were small, the kypseli carapace didn't stand a chance at deflecting them.

„Gunslinger! Just help me thin the swarm and. . . Gunslinger? Braxton!" I shouted and stared towards the twin blaster wielder.

He fired rounds at the soldiers, but their flame started to burn him. I turned my weapon towards the soldiers, who one suddenly changed direction to spew the flames at me. I ducked and shielded myself with Ethan's artifact. And the damn thing was heating up as the flames bathed around me. My arm was starting to seethe.

„What the hell?! Kill it! Kill it!" A soldier suddenly shouted.

The flames stopped and spewed back at Braxton, who seemed to be unfazed by it. I saw Braxton's own skin, along with his clothes, starting to burn up. Then I noticed what the soldier was yelling about.

Braxton, who now was running towards the soldiers without his blasters, had what I believed to be metal parts. Most of his skin was burnt and gone, instead of blood pouring with red liquid, silver metal was covering were the bones were supposed to be. The back of his head was gone, and circuits and electronics were there instead. His hands split open, revealing metal blades that extended from his forearm.

„I was right! He's a damn android!" I shouted.

Fire had no effect on Braxton, he charged at the soldiers with metal clanking. His blades tore through them as if they were tall grass being cut short with a scythe. The soldiers yelped and screamed, the Braxton construct finished them off as his mask still hung, no signs of burned marks.

Braxton turned to locate its next target when the organic tank's zettra core glowed and thrummed. It was preparing for its barrage of whatever program it was going to use.

I had no way of knowing what kind of program it is going to be. I might be able to dodge it if I duck, or if I just run in the opposite direction.

The program was activated and a glowing sphere of violet expanded from its core. Everything that surrounded it was engulfed by its effect, and once I was inside it, nothing happened to me. But the kypseli, however, now howled with strength. The lights on their bodies brightened and they seemed to have gotten much stronger. So its artifact likely does not cause injuries against its opponents, but supports its swarm.

The kypseli charged at Chase and the others around him, and they fought with more ferocity than ever before. Chase and the others managed to take down three, but the kypseli took down four. It was a massacre, there is no way in hell we can beat that.

„Amara! Franek! Stop with your dual and help us, you idiots!" I yelled.

They heard me but didn't seem to care. They were only focusing on killing each other.

I turned towards the sisters, who didn't seem to notice the kypseli arrival, they were still fighting each other.

„And you two! Help us take the artifact-kypseli down!"

They turned to look at the tank, and their faces showed that they have just noticed it now. They were rather oblivious.

It looked like the sisters forgot about each other, and started launching arrows at the kypseli with programs that could pierce their carapace. I as well fought with armor-piercing programs to take a few of the kypseli, needing a few times to hide and charge the blaster back up with a zettra stone.

Braxton brought its blade towards the kypseli, its speed and agility of metal and bolts were fast enough to take down bug after bug in a few seconds. Almost all of its clothes and skin were burned off, showing its metal plate as its new skin. Am I starting to think of Braxton as an „it" now? Instead of „him"? Now that I know that he is nothing but a creaky machine, I think it is more like an „it". He doesn't have a male part, I can already see as his crotch area was burned and only showed its steel.

Braxton glared at the tank with eagerness, likely wanted to take it down with its android strength. And that is what Braxton did. It charged at the tank while taking down a few kypseli along the way. Ivy and Ivona noticed Braxton's appearance but didn't think much of it as they supported it on the side with their arrows.

The tank moved its armored legs to block Braxton, then the carapace opened, revealing a new zettra core on both front legs. And they started to thrum.

„It has more!?" I shouted confused.

Braxton didn't stop running, it continued on its straight path towards the main core of the tank. The two front legs made a high pitch noise, and the programs were unleashed.