Chapter Twelve: Chase

TW:

Spoiler

Suicide Attempt

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Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck.

I slam through the fence of the dealership out onto the street as the Extradimensional flows through the air towards me, swimming weightlessly on invisible tides. The thought of it almost looking like a jellyfish is yanked out of my head and causes it to shift, its tentacles splitting into two as they become thinner. When they brush against the metal cars beneath it, arcs of frigid lightning arc visibly spread across the ground.

This is what makes some Extradimensionals so dangerous: You can’t even think around them without it causing issues. Supposedly, in the past an nearby Extradimensional reminded someone of Godzilla and poof, it became that big. The ability to cause other creatures thoughts to affect reality is fucking terrifying, and uniquely suited to one thing in particular.

Hunting humans.

The Extradimensional wraps two tentacles around the still standing fence in front of it, pulls back, and launches itself like a slingshot at me. Thanks to the SAI giving me a headsup on my HUD I barely have time to dodge as it flies past, the monster flailing out the moment it passes me to try and catch itself nearby. It’s lucky that it fails, the Extradimensional bouncing off a wall and ricocheting off down the street.

Likely out of its range for a moment, I have a teeny bit of time to think. I can’t send off a warning to the train without the monster intercepting it and likely infesting our communications with its warping presence. It’s possible I can kill it before it kills me, but the sheer amount of heat it’s consuming doesn’t bode well for me surviving in close proximity to it for very long at all. There’s a chance I can trick it with a thought into making itself weaker to give myself an opportunity to escape, but it’s rare and not recommended because the monster has to choose to change itself which usually means it gains something else in the long run in exchange for that momentary weakness.

The mounting horror of maybe ending up as an Extradimensionals food source at least – That when the first Extradimensional broke through the dimensional barrier, it immediately altered reality to make Ignition a possibility for everyone. It may have given us the opportunity to fight against them, but it also made us the best possible energy source for them to consume. A double-edged sword for both sides.

One of my most common recurring nightmares began after I first learned about pocket rifts. Essentially tiny separate dimensions with entrances in our plane, they’re most commonly formed due to Extradimensionals needing a place to store their food while they go hunt for more. The image they created in my mind of the fleshy sensory deprivation tanks they keep you in while there… Awful. It really doesn’t help that the few times we have rescued anyone from one, they were too far gone to give us any answers.

You can probably imagine why that traumatized me.

I grimace as I force the Mecha into a sliding drift, allowing me to keep a majority of my speed as I turn a corner. Shit, why am I even thinking about nightmares in this situation? Is that a side effect of whatever they use to partially alter reality? I honestly wouldn’t be surprised at this point.

In a moment of realization, I flick the PEM onto max. I’m honestly unsure if this thing can feel fear, but maybe it’ll fuck off.

{“Incoming from North-West, above.”}

Forcing my Mecha’s claws into the ground in an attempt to break right as the Extradimensional comes flying in, I barely manage to stop as it comes into view. It slams into the ground just in front of me, and I have to force myself to make the Mecha jump back as the overwhelming hunger once again dominates nearly everything. A tentacle manages to brush up against the Mecha as I do, causing the machine to falter in its movement and a chill to pierce through me all the way to my bones.

I am so thankful for the stabilized cockpit capsule as the Doberman goes tumbling, tearing rends into the asphalt with each bounce. When I finish sliding to a stop right before I ram into a house, I quickly do my best to get back up and start running towards the Depot again. Before I know it though, the Extradimensional is back on my heels, its hunger brushing up against my heart and my terror begins to rise.

{“Halfway there, Engine, you’re doing great.”}

I blink in surprise as the Doberman’s SAI says that centers me in reality once again. I raise an eyebrow as I stare at the machine, my focus entirely stolen by the surprisingly warm advice. It’s hard to tell if that was just the programming encouraging me or the SAI itself doing it. To be honest, I’m fine with either.

Turning another corner, I gasp as the Extradimensional suddenly brushes into the side of the Mecha as it swings around the corner, causing the Mecha to stumble and barely stay on its feet.

Fuck fuck fuck that’s coldddddd! MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE!

I desperately make one last attempt to flare my boost and get out of range, despite my lack of energy. It’s not enough. Not even close. Before I can even move, it wraps a tentacle around the Mecha, my consciousness flickering away for a fraction of a second as the damn frigid lightning courses through me.

And at that moment, we were no longer just ourselves.

I/she screams as T̷̘̠̟̋̉h̸͙͒͆e̶̤͂̚ ̷̨̹̪̿͑H̷͓̼̭͒̓̋u̶͍̻͑̒̔n̴̖̗̼͂̉͗g̴̻̪̓̿̓ẹ̶͎̄̓r̵̦̉’s eyes, randomly distributed throughout its amorphous body, show us a thousand different disorienting perspectives in addition to my/her own. Contradictory exhilaration and disgust fill us to our cores at this sensation, the precipice of the hunt now at hand.

In complete spite of the futility that we know it is, I/she slams at the controls. The SAI that once reassured me/her is now completely silent, and a thin layer of frost begins to cover everything I/she can see. My/her muscles begin to stiffen, and I/she soon goes still.

For a moment, we think that I/she gave up.

Then, T̷̘̠̟̋̉h̸͙͒͆e̶̤͂̚ ̷̨̹̪̿͑H̷͓̼̭͒̓̋u̶͍̻͑̒̔n̴̖̗̼͂̉͗g̴̻̪̓̿̓ẹ̶͎̄̓r̵̦̉ is genuinely surprised as, in spite of that thought, I/she manages to bite down hard enough on my/her tongue hard enough that it should have been severed from the base. We know that in most cases, that would probably kill someone. Unfortunately for me/her though, the instant blood begins to exude from the wound it freezes into place, preventing the cut from being completed.

I/She can’t help but whimper pathetically.

Satisfied now with the hunt, The Monster/The hunger moves to rip me/her out of the Mecha. As a tentacle begins to wrap around the cockpit, there’s a faint rumbling, and we wonder what that noise is–

A huge vine breaks though the ground, sending the Extradimensional flying off into the distance. Gasping as I return to being just myself, I look at the anomalous plant in confusion, then sink into my chair in utter relief as a dark green Mecha walks around the corner in the distance.

Safe, and I didn’t even kill myself in the process.

{“Honestly, it’s just typical for the newbie to be unlucky enough to have this happen to them. You okay, Grim?”}

Marcus’ Mecha is interesting but weird to look at even for the very out of it me. It’s what I recognize as a fairly standard GMF 2100 Guardsman, but heavily customized to the point that it’s got to be a different machine at this point. It has all the normal hard angles, thick metal plates, and a fairly simple humanoid design, but with very obviously nonstandard vines visibly intertwined with the Mecha’s mechanical muscles, as well as two giant gas tanks upon its back that I assume are for some weird power thing.

I try to speak, but with my tongue as it is, I can’t. All that comes out is a mess of gibberish when I try, which does make Marcus chuckle. Thankfully, the SAI seems to notice, and a keyboard is created on the screen.

I type out: [“Thought I was dead. Thank you thankyou thankyou]

{“And you’re having so much difficulty speaking because?”}

[“Tried to bite off tongue when it caught me, accidentally froze it in a layer of blood. Big mistake, regret it.”]

Adonis sighs. {“Yeah okay. Brianna’s on her way, we felt your fear burst in the distance and knew something was up, good thinking on that.”}

[“Literally didn’t even think of that as an option, to be honest. I was a bit preoccupied.”]

The mecha steps forward until it’s standing beside me. {“Yeah well, you’re in good hands now. I’m the one we call for dealing with these fuckers for a reason.”}

Before I can get a chance to ask why, I get to see it instead. The Extradimensional comes flying at us again, but two vines burst out of the ground and yank it out of the air a decent distance away from us. It struggles in the restraints as Marcus nears it, a small pipe extending out of his Mecha’s arm as he holds it up. A plume of deep white flame bursts out of the weapon, covering the monster in its entirety as it screams .

I wince as reality fractures around it, and then just like that, it’s gone.

{“It’s annoying how the hungry ones make it so that I can’t fucking give oneliners when I do that.”}

I stare at the man in shock, then begin to laugh. I sink in my seat in relief, and though there’s an urge no tears fall down my face. My lungs eventually empty out, and I find that both my and the Doberman’s muscles refuse to move even as Marcus approaches.

{“Need a lift, Grim?”}

I go to respond, but pause. [“Adonis right? Why did you get that name instead of like, Appleseed or something with that power?”]

He pauses, then snorts as he picks the Doberman up and holds it under a single arm. I gape, then give a weak chuckle. Mecha are strong, but not usually that strong.

[“Nevermind, I get it now. Sorry.”]

{“Don’t worry, I get that question a lot for exactly that reason. To be honest, even though I don’t love it personally, it’s kind of a clever name considering that Adonis was worshipped with plants.”}

Huh. Today I learned, I guess.

A very loud Brianna abruptly manifests in the call. {“GRIIIIM! ARE YOU OKAY!?”}

I wince at the noise. [“Yeah, I’m alive.”]

There’s genuine relief in her voice as she mutters, {“Ah, Marcus got you good, good.”}

A new Mecha, weirdly painted brown of all colors, floats down from above, plasma thrusters flickering off as it lands. It’s obviously Brianna’s machine, but I can’t imagine this was something that the company bought for her. I recognize it as a Lullaby Silver Wing, a rather expensive variation of their standard Elytra model. It has the same lightweight and thin chassis of the stock version, along with the more feminine body shape that Lullaby mechs typically have. However, with higher quality materials and stronger thrusters, the Silver wing specialized more for actual close up combat than the hit and run style others like it might use. The rather intimidating swords strapped to the mech’s waist tell me that I’m probably on the money as well.

[“My tongue hurts though. The ice hasn’t entirely melted yet and it stings.”]

Marcus sighs. {“That’s on you for trying to bite it off. Be glad the tongue heals faster than like, every other body part.”}

Brianna walks up and gently pats the Doberman’s head, which makes me softly giggle. {“It’ll be okay, Grim! I dunno exactly what happened but if your tongue is frozen I’m sure Jun can help you out.”}

I tilt my head as Marcus loudly snickers.

[“What does that mean?”]

Marcus stops laughing for just a second to explain: {“Jun is Cicada in the group chat. She’s trying to set you two up.”}

Flushing, I sputter as I can’t find words. Thankfully Brianna does as she playfully slaps Marcus’ Mecha on the shoulder. {“That ain’t what I meant by that, Grim. Her power is air control in a small radius around her, including the temperature.”}

{“Holmes, you do know that she can feel things her air touches when she uses that power right?”}

Brianna freezes, and I have to hold back a giggle as I watch the Silver Wing’s head slowly turn towards the Guardsman. {“Wait. What?!”}

Marcus sighs. {“How the hell did you get the callsign of Holmes when you’re like this? It’s the reason she’s so into, y’know, the carnal pleasures of the world.”}

After going silent for a moment, Brianna mutters, {“Remind me to punch her in the boob later.”}

{“It’ll be my pleasure.”}

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