1.19 Ascendance Part 3

Trapped with just her and Leo with a whole bunch of dangerous parahumans out to get them, Joan is internally freaking out. Not externally as she doesn’t want to distract Leo and she is retaining that much control.

He knows what he is doing. I mean, he is Gears and a total badass. Just look at how he killed those two guys.

Actually, I don’t know whether to be relieved or terrified by that actually. Maybe both?

Plus he just pulled out a pair of handguns from under my bed! What on Earth were those doing there anyway? When we get out of this, Leo and I are going to talk.

At least Ceta is helping out, using the nanobots. Leo might know what he is doing, but I certainly don’t.

Joan glances out of her bedroom and into the corridor just in time to see a woman zoom through the floor and straight into Leo.

Joan panics as her boyfriend stumbles and falls over backwards.

“Leo!” shrieks Joan, only to hear a posh female voice laughing behind her.

“Hello there little birdy,” says the woman as Joan turns around to see the woman that gave Abby the nanobots that healed her.

Joan attempts to raise her pistol, but the woman just casually knocks the gun out of Joan’s hands.

“I can’t let you do that little birdy,” says the woman in a sickeningly sweet voice, “I know that they also say to never look a gift horse in the mouth, but really little birdy, you should be careful about what you stick inside your body. EO458.”

The woman looks so arrogantly smug to the point that Joan can’t resist the urge to slug her in the face.

While the woman might have superpowers of her own, Joan is still an A Class Bellator with excellent combat skills and as of such, the woman goes flying backwards from the completed unexpected strike.

As the woman recovers, Joan snatches her handgun back up and aims it at the woman as she gets to her feet.

“The £$%*?” splutters the woman as she gapes at Joan, “The nanobots were supposed to take control of your body!”

“Guardian is my best friend,” replies Joan as she pulls the trigger, adding an extra word as an afterthought, “Bitch.”

With inhumanly reflexes, the woman rolls out of the way, the bullet flying through the space her chest used to be and tearing into the wall.

Joan, might I suggest that you allow me to take control of your body?

Uh, sure thing Ceta. You’re better suited for this anyway.

Indeed.

As the woman charges at her, Joan feels herself losing control of her body as Ceta takes charge of it and pulls a dagger out of the utility belt that Joan put on.

Never have I’ve been so glad to have someone else take charge of my body.

Thank you for your trust Joan.

“Spirit Mistress! Mechanised!” shouts the woman as she and Ceta engage each other in hand-to-hand combat.

***

His head still ringing, Leo forces himself to get back up. He has taken worse injuries and kept on fighting. Not to mention that Joan’s life is at stake here.

He clutches his head as he gets his bearings.

Guys?

Silence.

Guys?

More silence.

Guys!

Leo snaps back to reality as he hears a Hunter round explode and Jane Smith shout out for people.

Joan!

Looking down the corridor, Leo spots Jane Smith and Joan fighting while the Tinker/Gadgeteer charges at them. Without hesitation, Leo runs forward and intercepts the Tinker/Gadgeteer before he can assist Jane Smith, tackling him.

They both slam into the wall and Leo smashes his left fist into his opponent’s head. He feels the helmet give in under his fist, leaving a decent dent behind.

So his power armour isn’t as tough as mine is. That is good to know.

Leo steps back to give himself some space to manoeuvre and ducks as the Tinker/Gadgeteer swings at him. The blow goes wide over Leo’s head and he retaliates with another punch to his opponent’s face, making sure to use his robotic right hand again.

A couple of thin red laser beams fly out of the invader’s power armour, hitting Leo before he has a chance to dodge. He grunts in pain as one gets glancing hit on his right shoulder while the other leaves a searing tear through the flesh of his left side.

Before Leo can recover, the Tinker/Gadgeteer slams a fist into his chest, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying into Joan’s bedroom and crashing into a wall.

He slumps as he falls to the ground. Knowing he doesn’t have time to wait despite the immense pain he is, Leo attempts to get to his feet, only to see his handgun lying nearby within his reach.

He looks up to see Tinker/Gadgeteer swing a power fist at him. Without time to decide on his next move, Leo acts on his instinct, summoning Reinkal to his left hand as he grabs his handgun with right hand and aims it at the Tinker/Gadgeteer.

Leo uses Reinkal to physically block his opponent’s attack even as he pulls the trigger on his gun.

The Hunter rounds tear the weaker armour plating of the Tinker/Gadgeteer’s power armour, ripping into the man’s chest. Leo slashes at him with Reinkal even as the Hunter rounds blow his foe’s chest up from within, mangling the power armour as it contains the explosion.

As he is splattered with blood, gore and scrap from the close range explosion, Leo ignores his pain in his shoulder, head, chest and side as he looks over to wear Joan is battling Jane Smith.