Binary: Rough Draft Edition (Sword Dancers, Book 1)

Chapter 24: Ashley

Olivia and Haze slashed and stabbed their way through the knight covered hosts. They were coming from everywhere. Ashley couldn't believe how many there were. The invasion wasn't being planned. Megatron wasn't recruiting. They were already invading and we're going to start here.

Olivia's would freeze anyone that her daggers pierce. Sometimes slow and other times fast. Must be because of the weaknesses the species had. The red knights froze faster than the others. She was quick and agile. Performing flips to avoid being attacked. Getting behind her enemies to stab them once sometimes twice. 

"Colin!" Ashley yelled. "They're using the customers here for a host. This is their base!" 

"I know, I see that," he yelled as the three watched Olivia and Haze. 

She was beautiful, Ashley thought. HEr way of fighting was graceful. Like a dancer performing ballet. IT was obvious that the enemy knights host were not willing. Their movements were slow and inaccurate. 

"Guys, a little help here!" Haze cried out.

Ashley felt a rush as Flair put herself on. Tendrils of liquid metal pouring from her skins pores. This felt different from earlier.

<We are in phase three.> Flair told her.

The (appearance)

She pulled her war hammer and slammed it against an incoming knight. Flames burst from the impact. Two more jumped over her and she lifted her hands. Green energy flashed and she grabbed the two attackers from the air, now in their shrunken states. She threw them against the glass window.

The power of Flair was nothing she ever felt before. She felt unstoppable.  Tyree was moving like a blur taking out knights with a single hit. Colin teleported behind his attackers to slashed them with his sword. 

Ashley and Flair charge into the fray, but she heard Razor. " Remember the plan! Don't take them on head first. They are" they didn't finish their message as they were taken heavy fire from rifles. The bullets bounced off and started to destroy the cafe. Bits of napkins fluttered the glass case shattered, various juices exploded from machines. 

They, as Wither, decided to push back against the force. That's when a ring themed knight jumped over. He was different from Megatron's knights. A phase 3. He pulled tow giant rings from his chest plate.

"Don't engage!" 

"Don't worry I got this" Ashley and Flair charged but the ring bearer moved faster than they thought. He parries their hammer strikes. 

"My spark's name is Flint, but together we are Venom. One strike of my ring blades will poison you and I will feed upon you and your Spark."

He spun around and performed a backslash. They barely blacked it with their hammer.  "We are Wither and we are going to win."

They continued to exchange blows. Wither wasn't as graceful as Olivia, but she was in his face until Venom managed to cut their right eye. She feels to the ground and could feel the poison acting quickly. She was choking, no they were choking. She could hear Flair trying to cry.

<Not this way.> she said

"You're not dying today!" Barricade appeared and with one hand healed them from the poison, but then engaged Venom He managed to land a blow, but her healing ability kept her in the fight. 

"You can't hurt us." Barricade said as he used his blades to knock her daggers away. Gloating he put his blades to his sand gave her a free shot. A mistake he would learn as swung both her arms into either side of his neck. A pair of ice daggers forming in both hands right before contact. When he realized his mistake the light of his eyes faded and died. His body falling to the ground. Barricade reeled back 

"I didn't mean too." Olivia and Haze have never killed anyone before. Wither thought together. They picked her up and dragged her to the back of the Cafe. 

"There is too many, you have to do what Colin planned," Olivia said.

'I can't leave you like this or else the plan won't work at all."

Ashley could see that Olivia was infected. As much as she couldn't stand the optimism. even though she was still mad about losing the fight to Olivia, she didn't want her or Haze to die. In fact, she was starting to like her.  She noticed that both of them were decisive with their actions.  Sure, Olivia was more emotional and Ashley thought of her self as more logical of the two. but when they made their decision, they stuck by it. She respected that. 

she didn't have too many friends, especially girls. If she did they were mostly her teammates or co-workers. She considers Olivia and Haze as her friends now. The high of being unstoppable faded as she worked frantically to come up with some kind of device to help stabilize and heal Olivia.

<We already spent a lot of energy for the scanner earlier, another device may kill us> Flair said.

Ashley ignored her and continued to think. Holding Olivia in her arms. "You can't let it kill you, I still owe you one from the cheap shot earlier."

"Too much poison in one stroke, I don't think I can heal it all. Please listen to Colin. It's the only way we're going to win. I still have faith, this must be my part."

"Don't say that, that isn't true, why would God have you die? What purpose does that serve?"

"He works in mysterious ways. Maybe this is the rally you three need to work together. I wouldn't be much help against Megatron anyway. It's better this way."

"No, No. You're not going to die."

Wither stood and watched as Exit and Vector fought the horde of enemies. Vector blasting them with a kinetic blast. Exit using his swords to teleport others somewhere. Then she looked at Olivia and Haze, Barricade. 

"I don't get it, I thought you had a personal force field."

"She did, but it doesn't matter when you are around me." a voice came from outside the cafe. A voice both of them recognize. Ashley from Flair's memories. 

Megatron stood before them clad in armor. "Hello, Flair."