Chapter 1
Gigi thought it was just another morning.
“Mnnngh…”
Metal clashing in the room next over? Probably the other members of Justice sparring or something. Not something to wake up over. Besides, she wanted a couple extra minutes of sleep. She had exhausted herself playing video games after all.
“Who’s up this early…”
Her eyes betrayed her desire to remain dormant as they flickered open, ultimately removing her initial drowsiness. The sounds of combat did not help, including large rumbles throughout Justice’s estate, weapons clashing rapidly against one another and mechanics working in mysterious ways, the usual around Justice’s base. She groaned, but decided to not fight her body, looking over to glance at the clock.
2:30
“Ugh… wait.”
No one gets up that early.
She shot up from her bed, the blanket cast aside as she rushed to arm herself with her gauntlets. A chain of thoughts ran their course in the small time she prepared herself.
What if it’s nothing? The alarm didn’t trigger, after all.
What if Justice was sparring with some new type of weaponry? They had been having some struggles with their current ones as of recent.
What if-
“FUCK!”
Her eyes widened as she strapped the gauntlets on. That was Cecilia’s voice. Specifically, Immerred.
She didn’t come out unless-
No more time was contemplated as she navigated through the dark hallways of their base, eventually being greeted by an unlit and trashed living room. The couch was thrown to the wayside, the TV was cracked with a hole in the middle, and rubble filled all the corners. Cecilia was slumped against a wall, a red stroke in her hair and eyes only barely visible.
She was hurt, badly.
“Ceci!”
The girl in question’s current struggle was forgotten for a moment as she turned to Gigi.
“Gigi? Ack, there’s no time to explain! There’s-“
Before the automaton could finish her sentence, she was suddenly lifted and pinned to the wall by a blur of motion, only turning visible once all was still.
A girl.
White hair, a red cap, a black and white dress exposing the shoulders, black boots and gloves. And… robotic joints. Like Cecilia’s.
And a weapon. A long black katana with a red handle. And holding Cecilia by the throat against the wall.
Gigi sprung into action, dashing across the clutter to land an uppercut against the intruder. It caught them off guard, their eyes only catching their new enemy as the weapon collided with their chin, knocking them across the room and into the kitchen counter, rubble enveloping them.
Gigi then turned her attention towards the battered and bruised Cecilia.
“Ceci! Please tell me you’re ok… what the hell happened!?!? What is that thing!?!?-“
Her words were silenced by a hand on her shoulder, her companion using her to lift herself up.
“I’m fine, this thing so rudely attacked Cecilia, and I don’t know.”
Her expression hardened.
“All I know is that it wants us dead.”
Gigi nodded, her own expression readying for battle as she then turned towards the rubble that the intruder had found themselves trapped under. Or, she hoped at least.
A red glowing eye would pierce through the rocks, the destruction being cast aside as the figure rose once again.
It spoke.
“Annihilation mode activated.”
Cecilia and Gigi took a battle stance.
The intruder began walking towards them.
They were limping ever so slightly.
The shadows cast an imposing silhouette over the intruder.
Cecilia and Gigi readied themselves-
“▷Laxi! What are you doing!-◁”
The intruder suddenly stumbled backwards after… they uttered the words, almost like an invisible hand tugged on them.
“Mascula… now is not the time-“
The intruder held their head with their free hand, speaking in two different voices seemingly to themselves. Cecilia and Gigi were very confused.
“▷No! Laxi! What have these people done-◁”
“We don’t know anyone-“
“▷I’m shutting us down!◁”
“Mascula!-“
The intruder screamed out that name before dropping to the floor, lifeless.
Cecilia and Gigi simply stared at the figure now lying on the floor, amidst a ruined living room.
They spoke in unison.
“…what was that?”