Thomas leaned his head on the explosion that happened. He held a rebel with one arm, and the other was holding on to the deployable shoulder-mounted shield that he had deployed.
“Miss Wendy, are you alright?” Thomas said. He held the rebel right in the torso.
Miss Wendy adjusted herself. She eyed the rebel while covering herself. She held a pocket pistol that she took from her handbag.
“Forgive me, Miss. I didn’t expect that they would have predicted where our room was going to be. Not to mention that they somewhat managed to get an artillery piece installed. It looks like they are using the other building as their fortress. We go out there and we'll face more of them and that isn't counting the people coming towards us.”
“How?”
Wendy Otto asked. Thomas kept the rebel lifted who hammering away on his exoskeleton's plate. It looks like Miss Wendy is used to violence. Nonetheless, my senses are in top shape, good that I had visited Doctor Riley. Still, the Vulcan Unit was able to reduce the impact of the shell. But...
“Do you mind?”
“Not at all.”
Thomas slammed the rebel on the ground. The metal hand definitely broke some of the rebel’s bones. The dust cleared and the howling wind from outside came rushing in. Miss Wendy took cover away from the opening, and stayed under cover. Thomas adjusted his Vulcan’s arm, and inspected the blown apart window.
He had managed to make himself a wall and thankfully the Vulcan Unit he wore managed to protect most of the blast from the impact that came to him. If it was a direct impact, then there would have been no sure way he would have survived the impact of the shell. Not to mention that the bombing was only a distraction to mask the shot of the artillery shell.
That shell should have melted the entire floor. But it seemed like it was an armor piercing shell. Thomas leaned his head on the side, while keeping the log-sized rifle pointed at the now-melted building that was only one hundred meters away from them. If it wasn’t for the sturdiness of the building, then there would have been far more problems.
“Miss Wendy,” Thomas started, “most of the elevators should be fried, the power grid around the city seemed to have been shut down, and the rebels that tried to finish us off, thinking that they got us. Probably didn’t think that there was a Vulcan-equipped unit inside.”
“Lady Bella treats me so well,” Wendy muttered.
Thomas ignored her muttering. He focused on the distance of the shelling, and magnified his vision. He saw no presence of anyone, and from the looks of it. It looked like they were waiting for something.
Waiting isn’t the right word. I managed to neutralize their point-man, so they should be readying another assault, Thomas thought. “Miss Wendy, do you think that the Ladies are safe?”
“Oh, I think they are. They should have gone to the summit, and truthfully,” she was flustered. “They thought that there was something going to happen. I...Lady Bella don’t leave us alone, but this matter concerns the whole city...no, the whole region.”
“Region? Why?”
Miss Wendy didn’t answer back. Thomas stared at her through the Vulcan units display and then turned away. She isn’t going to answer, so I had to assume that this is because of the people who are opposing our tours in the Easternside.
Easternside tours were not kind. Despite the news saying that it was all for the sake of purging the non-human races. Most of them were evacuating Easterners to areas, forcing them out of their homes so that the Miners could begin the extraction of the ores and recover the hydroelectric crystals that have been naturally formed in the land. Although the crystals can be concocted, the purity of the hydroelectric crystals are much purer than the recent batches.
It’s value had even started to become higher than gold. It was a material that most of the Old Empire, and the Holmian States are pouring their money on. They could just say that they are after the resource, but that would be unacceptable to the communities, judges, and law-abiding people of the Holmian State. Not to mention that there were reports of discrimination, force eviction. There are areas where there are still demikin tribes gathering, but most of the time, they are non-existent.
Thomas looked at his metal-clad palm, he balled his fist, and started to breathe in and out. Need to keep on about this, let’s see, what do I know about Miss Wendy Otto here?
She’s the acting President of the Angelus Company, and a recent holder of the Webman Company. Lady Bellatrix De Ziba usually handles most of their inner workings, and Lady Velia and Velna are part of her board. Her position is...astounding.
Handling of the manufacture of the food, research and development, and naturally the manufacture of the Lazon-made armaments that have been supplying the troops. Their recent stakes in the Webman Company, the rail company that had recently started transferring their departments on developing electronics. Not to mention that they have recently started working on intercontinental ballistic missiles that are transported by the very rail.
Thomas thought about it. During the years 1924 and beyond, there were clear evidence that Lazon was armed, and had a stockpile of nuclear armaments which led to the fight becoming ground, and it was also because of this that the Crown Prince, and the Imperial Family was grounded for execution, giving rise to the House of Anastasia Whitefall.
Which means that she’s not only well-connected in the business circles, most of the people who are trying to protect her are part of the Old Monarchy of the Old Empire.
Thomas shrugged. An Old Empire Dynasty, no, the rebels of an Old Empire. How strange that they are now facing rebels, those who are against their movement in the Easternside of the world.
It was not already clear they wanted her dead, not captured. Or even if they were trying to make a statement. Then the best way was to make sure that continents would know the death of Ms. Wendy Otto, President of Angelus Company, and a shareholder of the Webman Company, who have been instrumental in creating the ballistic trains, and the systems that are transporting the nuclear payload of the fighter planes.
For the life of one single person. It would cause quite the stir. No one would care about the no-name bystander, but in the papers, if ‘Wendy Otto’ dies then it would be made on the continents. Every nation that signed the League would question, and assert why Wendy Otto died in the hands of the ‘magiborne’ that are part of the Holmian Armed Forces.
Even if they were part of rebel or antiwar movements. It wouldn’t make sense to question why they allowed them to die. Not to mention that if Thomas wasn’t around.
Wendy Otto would have been injured or died in the artillery shot or finished off by the point-man.
It wouldn’t end quietly.
There was no way that it would end quietly.
You asked for this, Thomas quietly thought. But a man walking around in this gear, would be a red and sore thumb. They’ll just follow me around, and point weapons at me. Thomas checked his radio. Radio is out, that means they haven’t thought about them blowing up the power grid, and were reckless. Backup generator should be running, but that’s not how it went, so that means there are associates that are able to keep the powers out.
“Miss Wendy, can you shoot?”
“I can!”
“Good,” Thomas opened his powered-exoskeleton, and threw the extra rifle from his side. “That’s my submachine gun, can you handle it?”
“I can! Lady Bellatrix has taught me in Wilde!”
“Good,” Thomas pried the magazines from his webbing and threw four magazines on the floor. “Use them to protect yourself, of course, your priority is to keep yourself covered.”
Wendy Otto cocked her gun. “Grandpa Kohl always taught me to be better, and know how to use it since who knows what rascal might come to me?” She made a fond smile. “Grandpa was a serviceman during the Empire-Tripartite War, you see.”
Thomas nodded. He checked the area once again, and closed the chest chassis of his exoskeleton unit. He looked down on his chest. Doctor Riley told me that my healing factor has been subdued because of my recent injuries.
It’s healing, the healing foam is cooling my limbs. That’s good. But can I make it? Not only did I have to shield her from the artillery shell, my unit might not function well during the course of battle. They’ll probably be chasing at the other Ladies, but they would running into a suicide if they do so.
Thomas was running around the Easternside for most of his life. But it was not like he didn’t hear rumors of the Huntsmen that were doing the work for the Old Empire. He heard rumors that the Original Hounds were protected from culling because of their affiliation with the Old Empire. Some of them, no, there might be more of them that have avoided the culling during the civil war.
If those Hounds were around...then the magiborne would be dead. No, even he wouldn’t dare to stand in front of the Hounds that received infamy during the civil war that led to the Confederate of Athesia.
He hated the idea of it, but he needed to get Miss Wendy out of the hotel.
“Miss, I believe that the time for idleness is...over,” Thomas said, leading her to one of the elevator shafts. Miss Wendy examined the elevator door.
“But aren't the doors unusable?”
“They are,” Thomas pried the doors open, “but the stairs are probably swarming with people who are after your life. They think that with the power out, the upper room blasted, you should be heading your way. Emergency staircase is a no go, and if they know and had planned this. Then we obviously can’t take the emergency staircase. I’m afraid that I cannot risk your life by sliding in the wall of a high-rise building, simply, because the impact would not suit you, as you are not equipped for high-risk movements, but I can rappel us down using my exoskeleton as the hook. You can cling on to the back of my suit, please.”
“Got it.”
Thomas allowed Miss Wendy on her back. “We’ll make a quiet descent, and thus we need to make a noise first!”
Thomas pointed his rifle and ten rounds on the window. Then put the rifle aside, and clung to the elevator cable, dragging himself down while carrying Miss Wendy.
“This isn’t safe!”
“I know. But this is better than using the unit to shield you. It would be far easier if I am alone, truthfully, however my mission is to protect you, Miss Wendy. Now, are there any places where you might be safe?”
“We have a private plane, but with the power grid out, I don’t think it would be feasible. I do have a safehouse, but...that’s out of the city. I doubt they would let us out. Can’t we just rendezvous with the Lady?”
“Can we?”
“No…”
She knew that her situation was troublesome. But there was a reason that she was assigned a magiborne armed to the teeth.
This was a gamble in the first place.
She knew it. No matter how crazy one’s suggestion is. Thomas knew that no sane person would allow someone to just agree to a request such as climbing aboard an exoskeleton-wearing magiborne who proposed to use the elevator cable to rappel down and escape the top room.
Usually, someone panics when they are handed over a gun. Even then, she just cocked it, as if she knew and was expecting this.
What are these Ladies? I expect them to be Magi, but they are prepared, and in the first place, I cannot believe, for a single moment, that someone who is part of the Angelus Company, no, part of the Whitefalls’ isn't prepared.
Thomas held that doubt as he landed his metal-clad feet on the bottom of the elevator’s shaft.
He heard the commotion behind and he knew that simply prying this open wouldn't work.
He had to use his exoskeleton's plate as a shield.
Thomas leaned his head on the explosion that happened. He held a rebel with one arm, and the other was holding on to the deployable shoulder-mounted shield that he had deployed.
“Miss Wendy, are you alright?” Thomas said. He held the rebel right in the torso.
Miss Wendy adjusted herself. She eyed the rebel while covering herself. She held a pocket pistol that she took from her handbag.
“Forgive me, Miss. I didn’t expect that they would have predicted where our room was going to be. Not to mention that they somewhat managed to get an artillery piece installed. It looks like they are using the other building as their fortress. We go out there and we'll face more of them and that isn't counting the people coming towards us.”
“How?”
Wendy Otto asked. Thomas kept the rebel lifted who hammering away on his exoskeleton's plate. It looks like Miss Wendy is used to violence. Nonetheless, my senses are in top shape, good that I had visited Doctor Riley. Still, the Vulcan Unit was able to reduce the impact of the shell. But...
“Do you mind?”
“Not at all.”
Thomas slammed the rebel on the ground. The metal hand definitely broke some of the rebel’s bones. The dust cleared and the howling wind from outside came rushing in. Miss Wendy took cover away from the opening, and stayed under cover. Thomas adjusted his Vulcan’s arm, and inspected the blown apart window.
He had managed to make himself a wall and thankfully the Vulcan Unit he wore managed to protect most of the blast from the impact that came to him. If it was a direct impact, then there would have been no sure way he would have survived the impact of the shell. Not to mention that the bombing was only a distraction to mask the shot of the artillery shell.
That shell should have melted the entire floor. But it seemed like it was an armor piercing shell. Thomas leaned his head on the side, while keeping the log-sized rifle pointed at the now-melted building that was only one hundred meters away from them. If it wasn’t for the sturdiness of the building, then there would have been far more problems.
“Miss Wendy,” Thomas started, “most of the elevators should be fried, the power grid around the city seemed to have been shut down, and the rebels that tried to finish us off, thinking that they got us. Probably didn’t think that there was a Vulcan-equipped unit inside.”
“Lady Bella treats me so well,” Wendy muttered.
Thomas ignored her muttering. He focused on the distance of the shelling, and magnified his vision. He saw no presence of anyone, and from the looks of it. It looked like they were waiting for something.
Waiting isn’t the right word. I managed to neutralize their point-man, so they should be readying another assault, Thomas thought. “Miss Wendy, do you think that the Ladies are safe?”
“Oh, I think they are. They should have gone to the summit, and truthfully,” she was flustered. “They thought that there was something going to happen. I...Lady Bella don’t leave us alone, but this matter concerns the whole city...no, the whole region.”
“Region? Why?”
Miss Wendy didn’t answer back. Thomas stared at her through the Vulcan units display and then turned away. She isn’t going to answer, so I had to assume that this is because of the people who are opposing our tours in the Easternside.
Easternside tours were not kind. Despite the news saying that it was all for the sake of purging the non-human races. Most of them were evacuating Easterners to areas, forcing them out of their homes so that the Miners could begin the extraction of the ores and recover the hydroelectric crystals that have been naturally formed in the land. Although the crystals can be concocted, the purity of the hydroelectric crystals are much purer than the recent batches.
It’s value had even started to become higher than gold. It was a material that most of the Old Empire, and the Holmian States are pouring their money on. They could just say that they are after the resource, but that would be unacceptable to the communities, judges, and law-abiding people of the Holmian State. Not to mention that there were reports of discrimination, force eviction. There are areas where there are still demikin tribes gathering, but most of the time, they are non-existent.
Thomas looked at his metal-clad palm, he balled his fist, and started to breathe in and out. Need to keep on about this, let’s see, what do I know about Miss Wendy Otto here?
She’s the acting President of the Angelus Company, and a recent holder of the Webman Company. Lady Bellatrix De Ziba usually handles most of their inner workings, and Lady Velia and Velna are part of her board. Her position is...astounding.
Handling of the manufacture of the food, research and development, and naturally the manufacture of the Lazon-made armaments that have been supplying the troops. Their recent stakes in the Webman Company, the rail company that had recently started transferring their departments on developing electronics. Not to mention that they have recently started working on intercontinental ballistic missiles that are transported by the very rail.
Thomas thought about it. During the years 1924 and beyond, there were clear evidence that Lazon was armed, and had a stockpile of nuclear armaments which led to the fight becoming ground, and it was also because of this that the Crown Prince, and the Imperial Family was grounded for execution, giving rise to the House of Anastasia Whitefall.
Which means that she’s not only well-connected in the business circles, most of the people who are trying to protect her are part of the Old Monarchy of the Old Empire.
Thomas shrugged. An Old Empire Dynasty, no, the rebels of an Old Empire. How strange that they are now facing rebels, those who are against their movement in the Easternside of the world.
It was not already clear they wanted her dead, not captured. Or even if they were trying to make a statement. Then the best way was to make sure that continents would know the death of Ms. Wendy Otto, President of Angelus Company, and a shareholder of the Webman Company, who have been instrumental in creating the ballistic trains, and the systems that are transporting the nuclear payload of the fighter planes.
For the life of one single person. It would cause quite the stir. No one would care about the no-name bystander, but in the papers, if ‘Wendy Otto’ dies then it would be made on the continents. Every nation that signed the League would question, and assert why Wendy Otto died in the hands of the ‘magiborne’ that are part of the Holmian Armed Forces.
Even if they were part of rebel or antiwar movements. It wouldn’t make sense to question why they allowed them to die. Not to mention that if Thomas wasn’t around.
Wendy Otto would have been injured or died in the artillery shot or finished off by the point-man.
It wouldn’t end quietly.
There was no way that it would end quietly.
You asked for this, Thomas quietly thought. But a man walking around in this gear, would be a red and sore thumb. They’ll just follow me around, and point weapons at me. Thomas checked his radio. Radio is out, that means they haven’t thought about them blowing up the power grid, and were reckless. Backup generator should be running, but that’s not how it went, so that means there are associates that are able to keep the powers out.
“Miss Wendy, can you shoot?”
“I can!”
“Good,” Thomas opened his powered-exoskeleton, and threw the extra rifle from his side. “That’s my submachine gun, can you handle it?”
“I can! Lady Bellatrix has taught me in Wilde!”
“Good,” Thomas pried the magazines from his webbing and threw four magazines on the floor. “Use them to protect yourself, of course, your priority is to keep yourself covered.”
Wendy Otto cocked her gun. “Grandpa Kohl always taught me to be better, and know how to use it since who knows what rascal might come to me?” She made a fond smile. “Grandpa was a serviceman during the Empire-Tripartite War, you see.”
Thomas nodded. He checked the area once again, and closed the chest chassis of his exoskeleton unit. He looked down on his chest. Doctor Riley told me that my healing factor has been subdued because of my recent injuries.
It’s healing, the healing foam is cooling my limbs. That’s good. But can I make it? Not only did I have to shield her from the artillery shell, my unit might not function well during the course of battle. They’ll probably be chasing at the other Ladies, but they would running into a suicide if they do so.
Thomas was running around the Easternside for most of his life. But it was not like he didn’t hear rumors of the Huntsmen that were doing the work for the Old Empire. He heard rumors that the Original Hounds were protected from culling because of their affiliation with the Old Empire. Some of them, no, there might be more of them that have avoided the culling during the civil war.
If those Hounds were around...then the magiborne would be dead. No, even he wouldn’t dare to stand in front of the Hounds that received infamy during the civil war that led to the Confederate of Athesia.
He hated the idea of it, but he needed to get Miss Wendy out of the hotel.
“Miss, I believe that the time for idleness is...over,” Thomas said, leading her to one of the elevator shafts. Miss Wendy examined the elevator door.
“But aren't the doors unusable?”
“They are,” Thomas pried the doors open, “but the stairs are probably swarming with people who are after your life. They think that with the power out, the upper room blasted, you should be heading your way. Emergency staircase is a no go, and if they know and had planned this. Then we obviously can’t take the emergency staircase. I’m afraid that I cannot risk your life by sliding in the wall of a high-rise building, simply, because the impact would not suit you, as you are not equipped for high-risk movements, but I can rappel us down using my exoskeleton as the hook. You can cling on to the back of my suit, please.”
“Got it.”
Thomas allowed Miss Wendy on her back. “We’ll make a quiet descent, and thus we need to make a noise first!”
Thomas pointed his rifle and ten rounds on the window. Then put the rifle aside, and clung to the elevator cable, dragging himself down while carrying Miss Wendy.
“This isn’t safe!”
“I know. But this is better than using the unit to shield you. It would be far easier if I am alone, truthfully, however my mission is to protect you, Miss Wendy. Now, are there any places where you might be safe?”
“We have a private plane, but with the power grid out, I don’t think it would be feasible. I do have a safehouse, but...that’s out of the city. I doubt they would let us out. Can’t we just rendezvous with the Lady?”
“Can we?”
“No…”
She knew that her situation was troublesome. But there was a reason that she was assigned a magiborne armed to the teeth.
This was a gamble in the first place.
She knew it. No matter how crazy one’s suggestion is. Thomas knew that no sane person would allow someone to just agree to a request such as climbing aboard an exoskeleton-wearing magiborne who proposed to use the elevator cable to rappel down and escape the top room.
Usually, someone panics when they are handed over a gun. Even then, she just cocked it, as if she knew and was expecting this.
What are these Ladies? I expect them to be Magi, but they are prepared, and in the first place, I cannot believe, for a single moment, that someone who is part of the Angelus Company, no, part of the Whitefalls’ isn't prepared.
Thomas held that doubt as he landed his metal-clad feet on the bottom of the elevator’s shaft.
He heard the commotion behind and he knew that simply prying this open wouldn't work.
He had to use his exoskeleton's plate as a shield.
