forum The Story of a Childhood Soldier and their Redemption (Closed OxO with F.F.)

Started March 15, 2023 by Deleted user

tune

Edit topic

The coldness of it freezes some wires but otherwise doesn't do anything.

Spinning back up to its full height, the AGU launches a punch at the mage's chest, aiming for just below her ribs.

Elizabeth grunts, grabbing its wrist but still feeling the impact, sweeping one of the legs before leveraging its weight against it to force the unit down.

The AGU unit falls then flips as it hits the earth, launching the mage a few feet into the air before axe kicking her back down to the ground as it bounces up.

Elizabeth bites her tongue to keep from moaning in pain and quickly summons an angled pillar of rock to hit the unit and knock it away.

The piller hits, ripping through skin but not even harming the bone or muscle that lay beneath, knocking it back about 4 feet.

The AGU unit looks down at its chest and then at Elizabeth.

"So I guess you know now, huh?" it murmurs. "The full extent of my freakishness."

Elizabeth gets to her feet and raises a brow at the sight of the unit’s injury. “It doesn't surprise me, if that’s what you mean.” she shrugs, hiding a wince at the pain from the axe kick earlier. “I knew you were augmented. The amount doesn't matter to me.”

No blood leaked from the wound. Instead, a dark blue fluid slowly leaks from the AGU unit.

"Really?" it replies, punching Elizabeth in the stomach.

Elizabeth raises a brow at the liquid but wasn't able to dodge the hit. “No.” she groans. “You're still an augmented unit.” she points out, using her magic to summon another pillar right under the unit to send it flying.

The AGU's eyes widen slightly, but there were no other physical reactions. "So that's how it is."

The pillar flings it into the air. The AGU uses the height to its advantage, jumping from the pillar and outstretching a leg to slam into the mage's head.

Elizabeth jumps out of the way and opens the ground where the unit would land. “Don't pretend that I’m anything other than an enemy mage to you.” she points out.

"You're human." the AGU unit replies, falling into the earth a bit before catching the edge of the crack and using one arm to lift itself out.

“My point still stands. I’m just someone for you to cut down.” Elizabeth glares determinedly, as she forces the ground closed around the unit. Though it doesn't crush it.

The AGU unit looks at the mage. "It's what I was made to do. My 'programming.'"

Then it basically does what ammounts up to a one-armed jump and clears the crack.

“I know that!” she exclaims, using a wind blast to clear away the debris from the unit’s escape. “So, why should I view you as any different from all the other AGU’s that we have to fight?”

The AGU looks calmly at Elizabeth.

"I let you go once." it says softly. "Even if I have to kill you now."

Elizabeth sighs, nodding as she calmly met the unit’s gaze. “I didn't forget.” she admits just as softly. “In fact, I’m grateful that you did at the time but… I’m not foolish enough to think that means anything more than a glitch in your system. Am I right?”

The AGU unit sighs softly.

"I don't know." it admits. "I'm starting to think it wasn't. I've always hated not following orders but. . . today. . . and that day a week and a half ago. . . well, I wanted to."

Elizabeth raises a brow, intrigued by the confession. “That would definitely make you different.” she admits thoughtfully. “But why? Why do you not want to follow your orders?”

"I don't know. If I knew I wouldn't be here debating it with the woman who tore my chest open a moment agaon." the AGU says. It had. . . a snarky edge to its voice?

That surprised even the AGU, apparantly, becuase it pauses.

Elizabeth was taken aback by how… human the AGU sounded just now. Did it pick that up from me? she wonders since she knew she could be pretty sarcastic when the mood struck her. But this…
“It was an act of self-defense because of the axe kick you hit me with.” she points out. “Nothing personal.”

"'Nothing personal.' Isn't this whole thing 'personal?' All the killing, maiming, exploding. . . it's all personal." the AGU unit replies.

She shrugs. “It's war. You can have a personal reason for fighting but war itself never really seemed like a personal thing to me.” Elizabeth explains.

The AGU shakes its head. "Then you must be one of the lucky few who hasn't had their family taken by my kind, or the UNI military."

“None of your business.” Elizabeth states plainly. She wasn't dumb enough to talk about her family with an AGU. “Besides, while focusing on that stuff is a good reason to fight, too much of it clouds your judgment in life-and-death fights.”

The AGU sighs.

"Yeah. I know." it says quietly.

It looks at the white box that was its armor. "The last time I let you live was a glitch. . . this time it's a choice. If you can help me break the chains of my nature."