Superlative

EPISODE SIX

That technique didn't last long, because a soldier got lucky and managed to hit the hoverboard's engine. It didn't splutter or slow down or give any other warning sign; it just stopped and threw her to the ground, her body rolling until it hit the wall with a loud smack. If she wasn't wearing a helmet she would probably have some sort of concussion, but her ears were ringing even as she scrambled to push herself up on her feet. She didn't even get half way up until something hit her shoulder, and a searing pain flared from the hit down to her fingers. A pained growl escaped her lips even as she gave up on trying to stand, moving to roll over instead while reaching for any weapon of defense. Plasma shots followed her as she moved, and she used the roll's momentum to get to a crouched position, uninjured arm aiming a gun at the guards before her.

There were three. She could have sworn there were more, but either these were the only ones who managed to catch up with her, or the others went to Mars and Ace instead. She could handle two, but not three, especially with an injured arm and a possible sprain somewhere on her leg.  This was bad.

Very bad.

"Drop your weapon, Nightshade," one of the guards warned, trailing his own gun at Core. She was edging closer to panic with every staggered breath she took. She can't be caught now, not after everything she'd accomplished. Not when Knox was still with the rebels, and there was something big with the intergalactic exploration, and she'd die for sure — for holding a gun, for shooting a gun, for going against authority, for meddling with the army, for busting out prisoners...

For being a girl.

Something moved from the edge of her vision, and Core had to keep herself from breathing out a sigh of relief. She slowly lowered her gun, inch by agonising inch, until it laid flat on the ground with a resounding click. The guards stepped towards her cautiously, and one of them opened his mouth to say something. A metallic elbow roughly slammed on the side of his face, effectively silencing him and sending him flying against the wall. The other two moved to react, but couldn't get very far as one got a plasma shot to the stomach while the other got a series of punches and kicks that sent him sprawling to the ground.

"Not bad," Core said through gritted teeth as she moved to stand. Her arm was throbbing and her leg was sending spikes of pain up her spine, but she managed to stand and prop herself up on the wall. The effort took the breath out of her, and she could feel the cold sweat gathering on her forehead. "I'd give it a B minus."

"That was an A plus for saving your ass, and you know it," Ace said calmly. He stepped towards the guard on the floor nearest to him, prodding the man with a foot. Satisfied when the guard didn't move, Ace sidestepped over bodies until he got to Core. His eyes swept over her, robotic eye focusing and un-focusing repeatedly. "How injured are you?"

Core tried to move off the wall, but the pain that shot up her leg made her collapse back onto it. Ace reflexively moved to catch her, one hand cradling her head away from the wall while the other snaked around her waist. The touch disconcerted her but she was in too much pain to care. "Injured enough to admit that I need your help."

Ace smiled teasingly at her as he shifted, and that was the only warning she got. In the blink of an eye, she was hoisted up off her feet. The cold metal of Ace's robotic arm was wrapped firmly around her upper back, while the warmth from his other arm secured around her knees seeped through even the flightsuit.

"What the fuck are you doing," Core snapped. She struggled against him even as he started walking briskly, and there was spark of heat that begun to crawl its way to her cheeks. "Put me down," she demanded. She looked up to glare at him, but all she saw was his chiseled jaw and non-plussed look.