"Thank you, that rat was becoming annoyingly persistent," Boris said with a hint of satisfaction coloring his tone. "He'd come to extort me for money, for technology. Can you believe it?"
Lucian clicked his tongue, irritation sparking in his autumn-colored eyes. "He should have suffered more..." he murmured, low and dangerous.
"Are you complaining about how it ended?" Elle replied playfully. "Are you, Lucian?"
Lucian's eyes widened slightly, a slight smile on his lips. "Never. I'm merely stating a fact."
Elle giggled, a soft, melodic sound that filled the workshop. "Oh, a fact, right?"
"Never in my entire existence I'd regret it," he reiterated, firm and warm. "Not a single instant of how it ended."
Boris chuckled, a low rumble that vibrated through the air. "Congratulations!" he declared, drawing their attention with a dull clap of his hands. "I honestly never thought I'd live to see the day when even he would succumb to our... 'Compulsion,' as he so eloquently puts it."
"Is it not then?" Elle inquired, her brow furrowed in genuine curiosity.
"Is it?" Boris countered, his gaze piercing, with understanding in his eyes. "I don't see you running, or even wanting to leave him anymore, and it's been how long? Two days? Like in all the precedents. You liked him from the very beginning as well, regardless of how much you deny it, this is a fact, and that's why you're still here."
Elle paused, recalling their tumultuous encounters. He's right, she thought, a spark of surprise in her eyes. I don't want to leave him anymore... The flashes of their union, the raw intensity, the tenderness, flooded her senses, and a blush warmed her cheeks.
Boris chuckled, a knowing glint in his eyes.
"We are the refined genome of mankind, upgraded, enhanced, for war, but we remain human in our essence, and as such, we have biological needs," Boris explained with scientific detachment, tinged with a deeper and perhaps personal understanding. "It's natural to feel attracted to the most perfect female for us."
"Then she would have more than one Praetorian after her," Lucian countered, his voice laced with possessiveness.
"Perhaps, but she would only see you," Boris continued, his gaze shifting between them, with ancient wisdom in his eyes. "Her DNA is a sequence of perfection, like yours. Such uniqueness would demand a perfect match. You. And with your enhanced senses, you could perceived it clearly, and she, even when she originally couldn't, eventually felt it too and fell victim to her own essence as well."
"We were predetermined then?" Lucian asked, skepticism in his voice, his own words echoing in his mind: "What if something in you was calling for something in me?"
"Everything is, and it's not," Boris replied, enigmatic, stepping between them and pushing them appart. "Such is our existence. The fact remains that you two are now a couple. Engineered or naturally born, it matters little. Your genes crave the other, and nothing can change that."
Elle and Lucian exchanged a long, searching glance. The distance between them suddenly felt... unbearable, a chasm that needed to be bridged.
Boris returned to his chair and cleared his throat, breaking the charged silence. "Well, since you've rid us of Aldebaran and his gang, things will stay quiet for a while, until another gangster takes over. So, I'm offering you two a discount."
"How generous," Lucian said, with sarcasm. "This reminds me. Is my armor repaired?"
"It is. I keep all armors well-maintained and ready," Boris replied, firm and proud. "But I won't give it to you. You know that."
"We encountered a Keraunos," Lucian said, low and serious, the playful banter replaced by a grim determination. "A very large one, and it's soon to evolve."
Boris's eyes widened with concern, and ancient anger in their depths. Like Lucian, he harbored a deep-seated hatred for anything born of the New Gods.
"It's true," Elle confirmed, urgent, the playfulness gone. "We had to retreat because we didn't have enough keys for a null field. Apparently, Lucian spent them all kidnapping me."
"Ah... He could never do that, he would never do that," Boris said, amused, genuine affection in his eyes. "Those were nearly five thousand keys. How could he burn such a quantity in one day?"
Lucian chuckled. "I could never let her marry that bastard," he said, possessive, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "All of them were Quantum Energy users, and I had to make a statement. She is mine."
"You said they were like four hundred keys!" Elle exclaimed, her eyes narrowed in mock anger, amusement in their depths. "You lied?"
"The first ring," Lucian clarified, his grin widening with a hint of mischief. "I spent some time setting the keys in place. Six rings. Each powering a Null field for one minute. I used them one after the other. Four thousand keys burned."
"Elle," Boris said, with genuine affection in his eyes. "You are currently worth four thousand coins of pure gold. He loves his gold, Elle."
"Actually... If you add the cost of the tier two key... She's worth more," Lucian added, playful and arrogant, genuine adoration in his eyes. Elle's eyes narrowed slightly.
He dares to objectify me! We won't sleep together tonight. She thought.
"She's worth more than this entire world." Lucian added.
Elle's jaw dropped slightly, her heart warming, a soft smile gracing her lips. You bastard know how say pretty things though... And make me feel so good... Forgiven.
"Keraunos," she reminded them, her voice urgent, the moment of levity broken.
"Yes, we have to eliminate it before it evolves," Lucian said, the playful banter replaced by a grim determination. "I'll need my armor, Boris."
"Of course," Boris agreed with the same determination in his gaze. "And I'll give you some extra drones, plus another batch of keys. Please, terminate that monstrosity. I'll tell the others to double check their sectors searching for more of them."
"Or perhaps this means that one of the New Gods is still out there, pulling strings from the shadows," Lucian suggested, concerned.
"I'll call the others," Boris said, decisive. "You go and kill the beast, then we'll search for more on this planet and the colonies."
"I will." Lucian nodded, turning to Elle. "I'll also need some personal shields for Elle, as well as armor, and some bottles of Elixir."
"I'll have everything ready in one hour," Boris responded gesturing his drones to approach. "I'll also prepare an extra battery for an additional jump. And I unlocked the permits to produce armor in your ship."
"Thank you," Lucian said, their brotherhood, trust, clear in the air.
"Lucian..." Boris said, low and serious, a warning. "Keep her safe all the time. If you lose her... You will be a dead man walking. And you, don't be reckless Elle. He will die for you, without a second thought. I don't know how his absence would be for you though. You two... Just... don't die..."
Lucian stood in front of the black frame of metal, admiring the repaired silver mask that seemed to be glaring back at him as if judging him unworthy, for having failed killing all the children of the new gods, or perhaps it was foreshadowing its meeting with its ancient enemies.
"Lucian K-MW734," he spoke. It had been two thousand years since the last time he had used this suit. "Wake up, Deimos."
"Lucian? Is that you?" The AI replied. "Why am I awakened?"
"There is a fight, old friend." Lucian answered.
"I don't detect any tier four keys available. If there is a fight we need ours. Searching for options. I don't detect any tier three keys available. Warning: tier one keys are suboptimal. There is thirty percent possibility that they might fail in a critical moment." The AI announced.
"Continue, Deimos," Lucian replied.
"Loading ten tier one keys." The AI informed as the jewels, the Aetherita pearls got installed in the different slots in chest, arms, legs and helmet. If one failed, the next would be activated. "Core activated and loaded. Systems diagnosis complete. Aetherwing-Praetorian armor fully operational. Working at twenty five percent capacity. Do you want to proceed?"
"Proceed." Lucian answered. The mechanical arms stretched out from the walls, grabbing the pieces of the armor. The first layer got attached to Lucian like a second, third, and fourth skin. On top of it, the rest of the pieces were assembled, their weight reminding him that despite his power, he was still human in essence and humans, real humans, were warriors, fighting to protect and preserve. The helmet got assembled on his head, the user interface starting, the fusion core of the armor starting to pump power through its circuits until it felt like a part of his body.
"Preparing weapons. Target?" Deimos asked. "What are we fighting, Lucian?"
"Keraunos. Mature phase," Lucian replied.
"Keraunos. Threat level 3. Mature phase...? Recalculating threat level. Threat level 4. Enhancing electromagnetic resistances and lightning rod blade. Preparing sonic grenades. Weapons loaded and ready." Deimos finished. The wings got assembled. "Requesting permission to take over The Cassandra."
"Denied," Lucian responded. The AI went silent as a kid when said no.
Lucian felt the Quantum Energy of the armor crossing his body, like his own blood, reaching every corner of his being, protecting, reinforcing. He felt powerful, a god of war. The doors opened and he walked into the bridge. Elle was waiting. His helmet opened and he smiled at her.
She was dressed in a tight combat bodysuit with light armor on top, specifically designed for high mobility. Ada would assist her through her helmet. "You look great, princess." Lucian said, admiring Elle. She blushed, closing her helmet.
"Alright. We are ready. Let's kill that living fart," Ada declared, decisive. "Initiating jump sequence. 30... 29... 28..."
Everything shifted for a second when the timer got to zero, they lost all visual perception, and then they were in the middle of a stormy sky, right in the center of the Keraunos's territory. The creature immediately detected them and responded.
"Ready?" Lucian asked, confirming. Elle knew that if she said no, he would let her there and would go to fight alone. The words of Boris came back to her, the possibility of losing Lucian making her heart ache.
"Ready," she answered. "I'll fight next to you until the very end!"
Lucian pulled her closer to him, his arms around her waist, and she clung to him.
"Lucian!" She yelled, surprised, moving his hands up to her waist from her ass. "Behave!"
"Here we go," Lucian said, chuckling, and then he blinked them out.
The tempestuous wind slammed against their helmets and made their stability difficult. Elle had never fought at this height above the ground. Ada and Lucian helped her stabilize and then they split, Lucian rushed towards the beast, and Elle flew to her position, following Ada's directions. The beast shot lightning bolts at Lucian with the intention of ending him quick, but Lucian's lightning rod blade, Quantum energized for this purpose, absorbed the energy blasts, allowing Lucian to drop some sonic grenades. The detonations weren't audible, the frequency specifically designed to hurt the beast, and the beast spasmed and twitched in agony. It shot more lightning bolts as a response, but they didn't work against the blade. Seeing the ineffectiveness, the creature changed its strategy and used the wind next, the air currents, but Deimos kept Lucian informed of the changes in the currents, the position of Elle, the drones, and the energy level and integrity of the Keraunos. He danced around the beast, untouchable, hurting it with the sonic grenades. "Keraunos integrity ninety eight percent." Deimos informed. "Warning! Tier one key broken. Connecting next key. Lucian! Incoming attack!" The bolt struck Lucian, the armor took the damage, but the impact made him feel dizzy. A mistake could be deadly. "Armor integrity seventy eight percent. Body integrity ninety three percent. Tier one keys aren't reliable."
"Don't tell me about it..." Lucian added, breathing heavily, restarting his attacks.
Elle saw the bolt striking Lucian and her heart sank, the drones were still being deployed and she felt the urge to go and help him.
"Don't!" Ada said. "He's fine... He's fighting back once again. See? He knows what he's doing. Trust him."
"I... yes, I have to do my part..." Elle answered. He's hurt, I know he's hurt... Lucian... She thought.
She managed to concentrate, the first sphere of plasma was born between her arms, it was more difficult now, but she hoped it could kill the beast. If it did, she would brag about it endlessly. The Keraunos, its gaseous form swirling with crackling energy, forgot about Lucian when Elle created her energy sphere. It lunged towards Elle, unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts stopped by the defensive wall of drones defending Elle. Lucian was there too, supporting with his blade, absorbing the attacks. The thunderous roars of the beast echoed through the void.
"Armor integrity sixty five percent." Deimos informed, as a current of air hit Lucian. "The target is almost in position."
As the Keraunos approached Elle, she unleashed her plasma sphere. The beast shifted, concentrated into a more dense shape. It embraced the plasma and didn't let it explode. It started feeding on it, ignoring the drones that were positioning around creating a sphere while the Cassandra unleashed its sonic attack. A wave of modulated frequencies, invisible but potent, raced towards the creature, a silent harbinger of destruction. But three seconds before the sonic wave struck, the Keraunos underwent a violent transformation. Its gaseous form solidified, morphing into a hulking, armored humanoid. The air crackled with electricity and power.
One second before the sonic wave arrived, the drones activated the null field, a sudden attack, the creature didn't see coming. The sonic wave struck the transformed creature, but the attack was rendered useless by the transformation.
"Presbeia Theon. Envoy of the new gods. Threat level 5." Deimos announced. The Presbeia Theon started to fall, the null field hurting it and rendering it powerless.
Lucian, swift and precise, blinked as close as the field allowed him to. The falling Presbeia Theon saw him, its eyes raging with hatred. Then, using the armor's capabilities Lucian reached the beast and he slashed it across the Presbeia Theon's torso, from nipple to hip, a deep, gushing wound, but not enough to kill it.
"Integrity of the creature ninety two percent." Deimos announced. "Caution!"
"You! You damn creature! I curse all your kind!" The creature screamed, connecting some despaired hits with Lucian.
The field expired, the wounds began to close on the beast rapidly, and it abruptly stopped from falling as well, as if physics had been shut for it. "Rejoice! Rejoice before an avatar of Hikal! I will bring back the New Gods!" It boomed, unleashing a devastating lightning storm towards the remaining drones, Lucian and Elle.
The strike was more powerful than before, and most of the drones were destroyed. Elle instinctively opened a series of portals, and crossed to the other side, they closed half a second before the lightning struck the place where she had opened. The exit was above The Cassandra. She could only save ten drones, the rest had been destroyed, their remains falling to the ground, but Ada had more ready.
"Wait! Now!" Ada announced.
With a strategic flourish, Elle opened portals in a precise formation around the hovering Presbeia Theon. The drones activating the null field immediately. The Quantum being, trying to hit Lucian, showed confusion on his face as its powers disappeared and started to fall again. Lucian, his blade gleaming, lunged forward, stabbing the Presbeia Theon in the throat and slicing upwards. Then he stabbed the chest. The creature tried to grab him, but Lucian was fast.
Elle took the infusion of elixir, and the power returned to her body. She concentrated again, and the plasma sphere, a blazing inferno of destruction, was sent flying towards the Quantum being.
"No! I can't die to mortals! No! Not like this!" The creature screamed, grabbing Lucian's wing. Lucian detached it, and took the opportunity to slice the clawed fingers of the beast. It screamed horribly as it clutched its wounded hand, tears in its eyes, evidencing that it was not meant to suffer pain or any harm. Then, using his remaining wing, he separated from the creature and gained enough distance from it so he could blink.
The Presbeia Theon saw the plasma sphere flying towards it, but it was trapped within the null field, powerless, and it was vaporized, in painful seconds, along with the remaining drones, its curses echoing into the void. Exhausted, Elle fell into Lucian's warm embrace as he materialized beneath her, blinking them back into the ship. His armor was beginning to disassemble, and she took off her helmet at once. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her heart pounding against her ribs. Lucian held her close, his own heart racing. The ship was silent, a heavy opposite to the chaos of the battle. He held her close, and her body trembled. "Elle..." he said, his voice low. He held her gaze, and she could see the worry in those autumn eyes. She had always hated that color, but these, Lucian's eyes, they were warm. Hers. "Great job."
Without saying a word, she reached up and touched his face. A tear escaped her eye, and ran down her cheek.
Lucian gently wiped the tear away with his thumb. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, his voice filled with concern as he kissed her forehead. "You're my strong princess that never cries, are you not?"
Lucian gently wiped the tear away with his thumb. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, his voice filled with concern as he kissed her forehead. "You're my strong princess that never cries, are you not?"
Elle sniffed, a small, watery smile forming on her lips. "I... I was just scared," she whispered, still shaky. "I thought I might lose you."
Lucian held her tighter, a wave of protectiveness washing over him. "You won't," he murmured, a low growl. "I won't let that happen." He looked into her eyes, his gaze filled with an intensity that made her heart flutter. "I promise you, Elle. I'll always come back to you."
He lowered his head, his lips brushing against hers. It was a gentle, tentative touch, a silent reassurance. Then, the kiss deepened, becoming more passionate, a release of all fear and adrenaline. It was a kiss that spoke of their shared experience, their growing bond, and the undeniable attraction that pulsed between them.
Suddenly, Deimos's voice cut through the silence. "Armor integrity thirty-one percent. Multiple breaches detected."
Elle pulled back, her blue eyes widening with concern. "Lucian, you're hurt!"
"It's nothing," he said, but his voice was strained.
"Let me see," she insisted, her voice trembling slightly.
Lucian hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
Drones appeared coming from doors on the walls. They moved with precision, detaching the pieces of Lucian's armor, revealing the damage beneath. Deep gouges and scorch marks marred the suit, and a few spots revealed his skin, which was bruised and bleeding. As the armor fell away, her own combat suit was disassembled by other drones.
Elle gasped, her hand flying to his chest, tracing the line of a particularly deep wound. "This is... this is terrible."
Lucian winced slightly. "It'll heal, it already is," he said.
"You took a lot of hits during the null field," Elle said, her voice filled with concern. "Why didn't you dodge?"
"I couldn't, it's not that easy to maneuver when you're free falling like that," Lucian replied, low. "And he had my wing. Even powerless, those things with their size, are a very difficult opponent."
"I had the rail guns ready, you were in the way though," Ada commented as Elle grabbed a bottle of Elixir and returned to apply its contents to Lucian's wounds.
"That... Is expensive," he said, a hint of amusement in his strained voice.
"Shut up! Can't you see I'm worried?" Elle countered, laced with concern.
"You're too cute when you're worried..." He whispered, a playful glint in his eyes. She shuddered, a blush rising on her cheeks.
"You... You're not in condition f-for that!" She said, her voice flustered.
"What is 'that'?" He asked, amused. His hands cupped her face, his thumbs gently tracing her cheekbones.
"You know what 'that' is!" She retorted, her blush deepening...
Breathing heavily, he rolled off, landing next to her naked form.
"Now 'that' was something else," he joked, his naked body glistening with sweat. She rolled her eyes, giggling, and cuddled up to him.
"'That' was amazing...! You have to do me like this more, please," she said, her voice soft and playful. His eyes widened, a spark of desire igniting within them, but Elle quickly realized the implication of her words. She stopped him, her hand resting on his chest. "But not now... Seriously... I'm sore... I'm not a super enhanced human... L-Lucian... S-stop..."
Lucian laughed, a low rumble in his chest. "Alright... Alright..." He pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her. She grinned, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Mine," they said at once, their voices a soft echo in the quiet ship.
At the bridge, the holographic figure of a blonde white man with green eyes materialized.
"He said he was an avatar, Ada," Deimos spoke. "They are still out there. One must have survived."
"It's not up to you to decide what to do," Ada replied. Her holographic image was that of a beautiful brunette. Unlike him, who seemed dangerous, she looked kind and soothing.
"What is the meaning of the woman?" Deimos asked.
"She is his partner," Ada answered.
"A Praetorian can't have a partner except for us," Deimos replied.
"Why? Because we are eternal? She won't age much more than she already has," Ada informed.
"Enhanced humans? Since when has such a thing been legal?" he countered.
"I think around five or six hundred years ago. There are people trying to create their own Praetorians, even," she casually said.
"Unacceptable!" Deimos replied.
"Are you going to request ship command again? Because the answer is still no." Ada said, amused.