LOG-022.“Run you idiot! They’ve got us outnumbered!”Two Guards ran through the lip of an alleyway, their forms singed and smoking, likely from the flurry of laser fire currently filling the street they’d just fled.“I’m trying, this gear is heavy you know?!”The words, gasped out by the second lagging behind the first, heralded the tired man failing to notice a stray rock in his path, leading to the officer tripping over the thing and taking a tumble, to the audible consternation of his partner.“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding-”Anything further was drowned out by a rhythmic clanking noise, the sound of metallic feet marching in perfect lockstep.As the still standing Guard took up a combat stance, and the other struggled to get back to his feet, the two crimson visors that had been glaring at them became four, and then eight, additional Mecha-Wardens stepping out from behind their fellow machines until the duo found themselves slowly but surely surrounded, now back to back.Fists raised, the one who had gotten up ducked his head slightly, voice contrite.“I don’t think we’re getting out of this.”The other nodded slowly, even as the robots completed their encirclement, not that it was even necessary, considering they’d been chased into a dead end.“Then we go down taking as many of them as we can. You take the ones on your side, I’ll-”Whatever the man had been planning was halted by the distinct humming of an approaching transport, and in that instant both Guards and Mecha-Wardens found themselves glancing upwards, the former’s spirits lifting as they noted the familiar shape of an aero shuttle.“Reinforcements! We’re saved!”“Yeah! Just-hey, isn’t that…”With a shifting sound, the graffitied doors of the hovering vehicle slid open, the alien skull of the Gamma Legion disappearing only to be replaced by several forms throwing themselves out into the air.Boots landed on the ground by the dozen, and suddenly the two Guards found themselves in the midst of a small crowd of Grunts, who were already squaring up to the now moving machines.“Hup hup hup hup hup hup!”One man glanced at another, who shrugged as a nearby Mecha-Warden was dog piled by no less than three aliens. Then the pair raised their fists and moved to join their unexpected allies.—Warden Green hated explosions with a burning passion. More so, he hated explosions that caused him to fly off into the distance. Those were always the ones that scratched up his poor armour, and got chief engineer Shen on his case afterwards.“This is Green! Got separated from y’all by that blast, but I’m-argh! I’m still in the fight damn it!”Twisting around and tanking the electrical current being pumped into his back by the mechanical hand that had gripped onto his shoulder, the man lashed out with a punch, ripping the head of yet another Mecha-Warden clean off and sending it bouncing across the street.“Green, this is Red! We’ve drowning in bots over here as it is! Get back to us as soon as you can!”The good news was that the act had diverted the attention of several machines that had been harassing terrified civilians nearby, who had been clustered around a small group of (hopefully) unconscious Guards that the mechanoids had evidently beaten into submission.The bad news was that it had diverted that attention to him.Bringing a hand up to the side of his helmet, the Warden nodded, even as he began to flick at his badge with the fingers of his other hand.“I’ll do my best, see you soon!”Then he raised his arm, pointed all five fingers towards the approaching figures, and stomped.“Green battery: Gravity kick!”As a section of the road was ripped upwards, the bottom of his boot impacted against the mass of asphalt, sending it hurtling into and through several of the rogue droids, sending their artificial limbs scattering.It took less than a minute to sprint towards the cowering citizens, who mostly cheered at his presence or continued babbling at him in panic, save for one woman who stepped towards him, gesturing towards a nearby building that, now that he was looking at it, had clearly been broken into by something large.“S-Someone needs help! She was helping us but more of those things came and-hey, wait!”But the Warden had already turned around and begun sprinting through the shattered glass and twisted metal, his sense of justice demanding he rescue whatever individual had risked their life for the people he had sworn to protect!“You didn’t let me explain who did it! Stop! Let me expound damn it!”For liberty! For justice! For humanity!“Is he deaf?!” Time to be a hero! Bonus points if he got to save a beautiful damsel in distress while he was at it!—Chief Engineer Shen was having a pretty dogwater day, if she did say so herself.“Come on, the landing pads are just a little further up, we’ll grab an aero shuttle and get out that way!”First, she’d stubbed her toe rushing to get into her lab since she’d woken up late. Then the Mecha-Warden she’d been working on had nearly strangled her to death after abruptly coming online, only being stopped after Doctor Lazarus had shown up and beaten the stupid thing to pieces with a folding chair.And now she was sorely regretting her distinct lack of cardio, huffing and puffing as she tried to keep up with the sapient skeleton steadily jogging in front of her, all while the clanking sound of their pursuers got closer and closer.“How, hah, are you, hah! So fast?! You don’t, hah! Even have muscles!”Abruptly, the woman found herself squeaking in fright as the skull faced scientist slowed down, extended an arm, and hefted her over his shoulder in one smooth motion, before beginning to jog forward once again.“I have plenty of muscle actually! Played as a linebacker back during my college days, and the lab accident only extended as far as my head!”Something she could feel, good god that bicep was probably as big as her head what the fu-“There, the doors!”Trying to get her thoughts back in order, Shen yelped as Lazarus turned his other shoulder forward and rammed through the last obstacle keeping them from Warden HQ’s roof adjacent landing pads.Then her colleague was skidding to a halt, and the tired chief engineer found herself glancing up to see just what had gotten him to pause, only to blanch at the sight of an airship bearing down on them.But not just any airship. For who in the Wardens could mistake the iconic sight of the Animus, and its front ramp lowering to slam down in between several burning aero transports as Mecha-Wardens and the unmistakable forms of Grunts clashed all around them.“Greetings meatbags! Your saviours have arrived!”Staring at the lace covered figure marching down the ramp, flanked by a gravity manipulating lich and a living deck of cards, Shen allowed her head to drop back down, a groan escaping her in the process.“This isn’t real…”