Astraea felt light headed. She let her pose relax as the two spoke back and forth about the topic, her mind grabbed onto the hopeful ones and the fact that they were willing to take on the task of assisting Metangler in- something? Adjusting maybe?
She was happy for him. Clearly by their demands they cared for him, wanted to protect him. He was wanted here and she felt a spreading pool of relief course through her. She had wanted to help him yes, but she hadn't been sure of her ability to assist him in finding a goal outside of his old directives. She wasn't programmed for social work.
"Of course." She said in response to the demand to bring him here. The noise washed over her but it was comforting rather than frightening. She began preparing to call the travel-sized Metangler to her side as the echoes of the noise reached them. She shut her eyes against the rushing wind and called, an appropriatly sized target appearing on the ground in front of it. It was identical to the ones she used for summoning her machines to the field and this was no different: a flash of light from the ceiling and then Metangler would be there.
But something else was arriving as well.
Astraea finally registered that the noise in her ears wasn't the reverberations from the massive machines and turned her whole body to look, her hand dropping to the haft of her wrench as the gate guards stated their intent to defend. Her eyes hardened and she shifted to look at Metangler. "Get inside, with your brethern."
"What? I mean he's small but he put up a pretty good fight before and you didn't even get a chance to see what he could do." Astraea nodded once to acknowledge Alex's words before she answered.
"Our mission was to find and deliver Metangler to somewhere safe." She stiffly stated. Would he accept her reasoning? "If, as a result of conflict Metangler is hurt or deleted then our mission is a failure. I can be recalled to the PET, they cannot."
"Hey, you don't have to convince me to fight! That's sound reasoning though, let's get ready to rumble!" Astraea nodded and adjusted her position to put her firmly between the gates and the edge of darkness where the sound of wind was coming from. It was louder now and she could almost make out a voice.
The heat came, with it the shadows and then finally their source. Astraea wanted to try to talk it out but she remembered the previous fight with the viruses, the ones that hadn't been keen on diplomacy. Her eyes narrowed and she moved into a fighting stance.
"Well she looks crazier then a bag of cats fished out of a river.Doesn't she realize she brought the desert with her?" Alex remarked as the sand devil appeared on the scene. "Whatever, she wants a fight she's got one! Battle routine set!"
Despite the encouragement she wasn't inclined to rush in to a brawl with the unknown foe. She still remembered the vampire, the desperate fight in the dark. She hardered her resolve and shook her wrist, her shield snapping out in front of her. "Ready to recieve chips."
"As much as I want to rush in, let's start it off from a distance! Here's this, you already have a shield, that's not really helpful here, what if she dodges that? Huh. Let's call your Turret too." Alex finished pondering and sent the chips.
The running narration was a bit unnerving but it was also a little nice to hear him planning things ahead. The first chip data settled in her systems and she scurried across the still normal floor out of direct line with the gate guarnds and Metangler. Once she was a suitable distance away she pulled her raygun, the usual white overwritten with the familiar green coloration of the chip she was channeling through it. She lifted her gun then fired at the opponent, vaguely hoping to knock her right off the edge of the platform.
Chip spent she reholstered her buster and hurridly shifted a little from where she had just been standing in case of retaliation. Her other hand dropped to her belt and soon the targetting display appeared on the ground in front of her again.
Once more Cinder Turret Alpha took the field in defense of its' maker. It felt the firm tap of her wrench on its' shell, felt its' armor thicken and its' screws tighten. It knew what it had been called for.
Beep beep!
A pair of buring shells were spat toward the shady character.
The alien mechanic changed her positioning again, shifting around the turret's frame to give it a clear shot.
Combat Log
Astraea.CMD
HP: 120
Fire/Summon
Passive: Self-Destruct
Free Action: MasterWork
-- Actions --
1) Shield NCP +1 hit shield
2) Movement -> UP in battlefield
3) CannonDamage: 60 + Knockback
Accuracy: A
Description: A decent sized cannon with a single shot.
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: E @ SiroccoShade.rcvr
4) Dodge
5) Cinder Turret? Summons 30hp object that does 5x2 Fire Shot (passive), Acc A , 2TCD
Astraea*: Masterwork Cinder Turret 30HP + 26 --> 56 HP
CTA*: 5x2 Fire Shot Acc A @ SiroccoShade.rcvr
6) Dodge
Objects
CTA 56 HP
Passive used