20 Aftermath

"Cayce, seriously, you're injured too. You should be getting some rest."

Jason wouldn't stop nagging. He was like an over-protective mother. Cayce only had a few cracked ribs and some burns from pushing the borrowed armor too hard, it wasn't that serious. Besides, he was back in his own armor and it was doing the majority of the heavy lifting anyways.

The few contractors in the city who still had access to their armor were leading a cleanup and rescue effort. Cayce's armor was especially useful for the rescue effort since it had advanced sensors.

"Lives are on the line and the clock is ticking. I wouldn't be able to rest well knowing that."

Jason was concerned. It had been two days since the attack on the city and Cayce had yet to rest. He was constantly searching for survivors and he had already saved more than anyone else, but he wasn't satisfied.

As Cayce was moving debris, his armor suddenly slumped a little. Jason watched quietly from behind as Cayce hesitated, then stepped back from the rubble.

"... You just ran out of mana, didn't you?"

Cayce turned to look at Jason with his armor's now lightless eyes. He was visibly frustrated, but his voice didn't come through since his armor lost power. Jason couldn't help but chuckle. It was refreshing to find someone who would exhaust their entire mana pool for the sake of a stranger.

"Alright, go back to camp and get some sleep. I'll take your place here."

For the time being, the city set up a camp in the central plaza in order to better facilitate the recovery and rescue mission. Tents filled the plaza, each with a purpose of it's own.

When Cayce arrived, he was greeted warmly by several people. This was a bit odd since he normaly blended in with the crowd of contractors. He was still moving sluggishly since his armor had no power. His limbs were heavy, but he eventually made it to a resting tent.

After taking a knee, the armor's back opened and unfolded with a series of clicks. Almost as soon as Cayce stepped out of the armor, he was greeted by an enthusiastic young man.

"Hello, sir! My name's Nathan Cross. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Nathan stood at average height and had an athletic build. He had blue eyes and blond hair which was much brighter than Cayce's. Over all, he seemed like a well-mannered young man, but he lacked the aura of an experienced fighter. He was likely new to the contractor's association.

"Sir, you look very tired right now, but if it isn't a bother, could we talk after you've had some rest?"

Cayce nodded in response, "Sure thing. And it's good to meet you too, Nathan."

The young man smiled happily. The two traded contact information and Cayce headed into the resting tent. He was curious what the young man wanted to talk about, but he was just too tired right now. Using every last bit of mana would lead the user to tremendous exhaustion, so Cayce could hardly even think straight at the moment. Laying down on a random cot, he fell asleep almost instantly.

...

...

...

The dream felt strange... like Cayce was in a trance.

It began with Cayce wandering barefoot through a pine forest. He was focused on walking without stepping on any pinecones, as he knew they were painful to step on. His gaze remained fixed on the ground, watching for pinecones as he walked until he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye.

Looking up, he found his armor, the Fallen King's Gladius. It was standing a few paces ahead, staring silently at Cayce. When their eyes met, the Fallen King's Gladius turned and walked a few paces. Soon, it stopped and looked back at Cayce with a sideways glance, waiting for him to follow.

The trance-like dream continued as Cayce followed his armor up a hill. Up here, they could see over the trees. The sun was just beginning to set and the view was gorgeous. It was very... romantic?

...What on Earth was this dream?

Cayce glanced at the Fallen King's Gladius with a worried expression. The way things were going, he half expected the armor to get down on one knee and whip out an engagement ring.

But when he saw the armor, his outlandish worries were wiped away. The armor wasn't gawking at the sunset like Cayce. It's eyes were fixed to something else entirely. Without looking away, the machine raised one hand and pointed a single finger.

Cayce turned to look.

Far out, on the horizon, there was a shadow...

Cayce couldn't see enough details through the foggy dream to tell what it was, but there was something out there.

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Jason was working to clear more rubble from the hangar building. After all, every armor they uncovered from the hangar's rubble was another set of hands to help in the city's recovery effort, assuming the armor's pilot survived the bombing.

Stepping back from his work for a moment, Jason looked at what was left of the city. It was a complete mess. The once-beautiful buildings and landscaping were replaced with rubble, blood and craters. There were many dead and even more were wounded. Jason's stomach twisted as he was assaulted with emotions. The city was founded around the contractors, but most of the people that lived in this city were just innocent civilians.

The worst part was the sound. Jason just couldn't handle the pained cries of those who lost their loved ones. They would echo hauntingly throughout the city at nearly all times. Far too many innocents had died and they were still finding bodies.

Jason wasn't in combat or anything, but he kept his armor's vents closed. As long as they were closed, he could work in near silence. He knew the haunting cries were still there, but the silence inside the armor helped- even if only by a little.

Inhaling deeply, Jason refocused his thoughts and returned to the work at hand.

"... Something must be done."