LOG-004.Another day, another dollar. Or well…not really. The Gamma Legion didn't exactly pay its membership with traditional money.
"On him! Don't let him get away-gah!?"
The twist of my torso worked perfectly as I flung myself from one rooftop to another, the roughly apple sized rock I'd scooped up while running bouncing off of the blue helmet I'd chucked it at, even as its owner stumbled at the sudden impact.
"D-Dirty trick! Get back here Knightmare!"
Feet skidding against roof tile, I took in the shining metropolis that was Imaim, the gorgeous sight only slightly marred by the usual presence of my five most persistent headaches.
"Neigh."
Tilting my head to the side, I allowed the bristling heat of Red's laserblast to scorch past me, the Warden letting out an annoyed grunt even as Yellow glanced between him and Blue.
"Did…did he just make a horse pun?"
It was with the embrace of gravity, my greatest friend, that I allowed myself to fall backwards yet again, armoured suit protecting me from the harsh wind as I plummeted off the side of the (relatively) short skyscraper.
"Cavalry stance: Thunderous Steed!"
The brief bit of air time allowed me to scream the vocal command out, resulting in the usual paradoxical flash of darkness before a familiar shape took form beneath me.
It was with wheels rather than feet that I impacted the ground, an explosion erupting from behind me as I took to the streets, weaving in between the traffic and pedestrians that had been utterly unsuspecting of a Gamma General abruptly joining them on the road.
It made for a good distraction, letting me get a small bit of distance from the Wardens, enough to take the time to bring up my communicator.
"Shellshock, are we still on schedule?"
"Yes General! We're breaking into their HQ as we speak! That geriatric old scientist won't know what hit him!"
Raising a brow as the familiar sound of vehicles being summoned roared out from behind me, I leaned in a little closer, keeping the device attached to my wrist just beneath my visor even as the winds whipping past me pressed my shadowy mane flat in one direction.
"Don't be too rough with him now, the man's probably frail."
"R-Right! We won't let anyone touch a hair on his head!"
Good enough, and just in time for the call to end too, as my absolute edgemachine of a bike blared out a warning, namely of an incoming obstacle I couldn't tear my way through.
"Understood, Knightmare out."
Not that I needed to, of course. Distraction was the name of the game in all my operations, something the Wardens hadn't seemed to have caught on to yet, somehow. And so I twisted hard, allowing one foot to scrape against the tarmac, bringing the vehicle to a dramatic, but effective stop even as five colourful motorcycles rolled to a stop ahead of me.
"End of the line Knightmare! It's five against one, so just surrender already!"
My bike let out a low rumble in response to that, the eyes contained within its skull-like front half narrowing into slits at the perceived challenge the Warden's own vehicles presented.
"My mount here seems to disagree, it's five against two, Warden Red-"
"Make that five against three!"
Eyes widening, I had less than a second to react before Warden Green let out a cry of alarm, right as everyone else noticed the stretching length of lace wrapped around his ankle.
"...Can we maybe just taLK ABOUT THIIII-"
I resisted the urge to groan in despair as the hero was flung off of his own vehicle and sent careening through the air to land somewhere behind a pair of squat looking apartments, his fellow law enforcers all reacting appropriately and dodging away as a storm of fabric-based tentacles struck their bikes, sending them flying as well.
Why was she here?! This wasn't part of my plan!
"Fear not my dear Knightmare! For I, Lovelace, have arrived to rescue you from these foul ruffians!"
A red gloved hand poked up from the car it was taking cover behind, pointing at the grinning (at least, as far as her painted on expression displayed) General in protest.
"Don't act like you're the good guys here! You're both wanted criminals!"
A taloned hand came up to grasp at my pink and violet counterpart's chest, even as more tendrils emerged from her back, moving to strike at Yellow and Blue, the two Wardens desperately dodging or deflecting the attacks with sounds of exertion.
"I know! Isn't it wonderful that we have something in common!?"
I clenched my hands around the handles of my bike, preparing to find a different route to escape from (anything but using another portal today, I'd already needed to take one to run an errand and I really didn't need the nausea fest that would surely follow from overuse) only to pause as a pink helmet poked up from behind an almost obnoxiously white picket fence, vaguely heart shaped visor flashing in the sunlight.
"Hey."
Blinking behind my own, distinctly more sinister visor, I hesitated.
"...What?"
Warden Pink gestured towards the rapidly escalating fight, even as Red joined in Blue and Yellow's duel against a laughing (but also visibly losing) Lovelace.
"Is it official yet? I need to know if I've won the jackpot."
Staring at the woman, I desperately tried to figure out what the heck she could be talking about and…came up empty.
"None distract the Knightmare, Warden. Now begone!"
I punctuated the demand with a sharp swing of my suddenly materialised lance, sending a dark wave of energy that forced the jailer to duck even as I kicked my mount into overdrive, its engine roaring as I took off.
…Only to see the three other Wardens with their wrist badges deployed, the familiar multicolour arcs of interdimensional energy seeping through the cracks of reality, strings that weren't Lovelace's own wrapping around her desperately struggling form as she was drawn back towards the prison she had escaped from.
I could leave her. She was my biggest competitor in the bid to become Lord Armageddon's successor or usurper. All I needed to do was keep driving away from the scene and let the Wardens handle my problem for me.
"Cavalry stance: Equestrian Jailbreaker!"
But no, there were no doubt countless conniving eyes watching from the Animus right now, looking for a moment of weakness. The other Generals would rightfully pin her defeat on me, and then bring that evidence to Lord Armageddon. I'd be accused of failing at being sneaky with my treason and thus be subsequently executed, or worse, demoted!
And so with the sole goal of evading that horrible fate in mind, my lance flashed with a piercing darkness as unstable energies snaked across its surface, before the channeling completed and the weapon fired a steady stream of lightning at the unprepared Wardens, sending the two men and one woman seizing in pain as I roared past them.
"NO LEGIONNAIRE LEFT BEHIND!"
Another slash cut the strings of incarceration, my lance disappearing back into wherever it was stored as I let it go to free up my arm.
"Eep!"
Namely to wrap around the waist of my fellow criminal, drawing her in as close as I could in an effort to avoid scraping her lower half across the ground. Lovelace caught on quick though, and it was with a frankly herculean level of self control that I avoided shuddering violently at the almost spider-like sensation of her laceform tendrils wrapping around me for leverage, allowing the General to swing around and hold on to me for dear life.
"Guys! I'm back! Tell me I didn't miss the-WAIT NO NOT AGAIN ARGH-"
Ignoring the green speedbump I'd just barreled over, I leaned forward and tried to ignore just how vulnerable my back was to any potential stabbing motions right now, focusing on the road as notably talons gripped onto my sides, their connected arms wrapped around me in an almost vice-like grip.
"Hold on!"
Something she evidently had no problem doing as another turn brought us onto a longer stretch of road, one that gave me enough time to steady my mount a little, bringing up my arm to order an extraction into.
"Oh my hero! My dashing, Warden smashing hero! Oh I've dreamed about this moment!"
Ah, so that was the assasination attempt. Lovelace was trying to strangle me before I could call in an aero shuttle to get us out of here. Relatively straightforward and subtle. Clever of her.
"Knightmare to evac team, time's up! Lock onto my position and get us out of here!"
"Us, sir?"
But not clever enough. I'd reinforced my armour after the last time she'd managed to catch me in a hallway in the Animus on my own.
"I've got General Lovelace in tow, we'll talk more during the debrief, Chandelierra!"
She'd nearly crushed me in a killing embrace then, and I'd barely managed to escape thanks to a sudden attack from the Wardens.
"Ah, I'll be sure to prepare an appropriately candlelit dinner for the both of you, my superior! With great, fiery passion!"
"Get me that evac Commander, Knightmare out!"
Ignoring Lovelace's insidious giggles as her grip only tightened, wandering hands presumably searching for the seams of my armour so she could slip her talons beneath them in order to slice me to ribbons, I grunted, voice barely heard over the roaring wind as my mount's eyes flashed, idly blasting a police barricade out of our way with a pair of searing lasers.
"Hang on, we'll be out of here soon."
An opportunity had been lost with my saving of my rival, but an opportunity had also been gained in turn. I'd be sure to receive some major prestige for this, and even more once the second half of my operation panned out. My bid for the throne would grow even greater. Yes…
"So professional! I'd expect nothing less of you!"
And so Lovelace wouldn't get to kill me. Not today.
"Now where's that dang buckle…"
Or my name wasn't Knightmare! Future Lord of the Gamma Legion!