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MC sprinted up the stairs into the park. Backup wasn’t far if she needed it, but she wasn’t too concerned. As soon as she stepped onto the grass a high pitched snap ricocheted down her ears canals. She reflexively swiped at her earpiece, but the sound was gone so quickly she brushed it off as a brief malfunction. Must be a reaction to the metaflux. She’d make sure to ask Simone to look at the device when she got back to HQ.
Aside from having to deal with a wanderer, it was a really lovely day outside. A clear sky and gentle breeze, if she wasn’t on the clock, MC would probably have enjoyed taking her lunch break here. Instead she was standing off against a lone Ferrum Obscurum. Thankfully, it was near pick up on a school day, so no one had been at the park when the wanderer appeared, but she ran a lap around it as she summoned her weapon to make sure there were no bystanders to get to safety first.
The Ferrum Obscurum patiently watched her until her circle was complete. This is an odd one. I’ve never seen one separated from others, yet there were no reports of any wanderers, let alone more Ferrum in the area.
MC disengaged the safety on the new rifle she had been tasked to field test. As she brought the butt plate up to her shoulder, she took in a calm breath. A second inhale filled her ears and she dropped her stance for a moment as she whipped around to look for the other person.
No one.
Feeling a small tremor, MC whipped back around and raised the rifle, clutching the pistol grip, aiming at the Ferrum’s raised foot, and shooting. The butt hadn’t been braced properly in her haste. A dull thud punched against her right shoulder as soon as she had pulled the trigger.
”Ooof.”
She heard something again, soft and muffled, but clearly a reaction to her pain. She had a few moments while the wanderer regained its own footing. Normally she wouldn’t hesitate to keep firing, but she had to test all the settings. While she took a knee, she lifted and rolled the upper receiver and gave the barrel a quarter turn. Bumping the receiver back down, she held the butt plate against her shoulder properly then aimed. Taking a deeper deep breath, MC pulled the trigger again. As she did she heard the faintest squeak; reminiscent of a rolling chair. The shot spread out this time, bringing the Ferrum down to its knees. The distance and height difference between them had her looking at its chest as it teetered, struggling to use its ill proportioned arms to lift itself back up.
MC repeated the receiver lift and barrel twist, but when her palm struck the receiver to return it into its place it wouldn’t budge. She glanced up and saw the wanderer had figured out how to use its lengthy scythe-like arms as forelegs. It took a precarious lurch toward her, shortening the space between them by a couple meters.
Forcing herself to remain calm, she balled up her left hand and punched down on the receiver again. Her hand bounced back toward her chest, the force sent a sharp pain through her wrist. As she sucked in a sharp breath and held a yelp in her throat, she heard another voice react as well.
Looking left and right she still found herself the only human in the park. She abandoned the rifle and turned her watch over to check Xavier’s position on their location app. He was in their apartment building, undoubtedly sleeping. After giving the wanderer another glance, she pressed her earpiece while moving around the still teetering creature. “Xavier, did you turn on your comms? Is that you? Are you sleep hunting with me again?” She heard no breath nor voice in response, but that distant creak of a rolling chair replied.
No. It’s not him. MC tapped her earpiece a couple more times while unsheathing her Hunter’s Sword. She had maneuvered around to its back and rushed it, using its bent legs to step up onto its back. She hacked away, the wanderer chipping under her blade. The sharp connection of steel to stone filled the park, but filling her ears was the soft, unmistakable crunch of—
“WHO IS EATING ON MY COMMS LINE?!” As she raised her blade to slide it down into the neck of the wanderer it caught at the zenith of her reach. She looked up and saw the Ferrum’s right arm had hooked under the blade, holding her back from a fatal blow.
MC threw her entire body backwards to roll down the wanderer’s form and onto the upturned turf. She put distance between herself and the wanderer as she surveyed her surroundings again, this time lifting her eyes from the ground to the windows and facades of the surrounding buildings.
There you are. MC saw a trio of security cameras on the outside corner of a shop. “Sylus, has your curiosity been slaked? The rifle is subpar, just like you said.”
Shylush?
That voice was familiar, but being so soft and muffled with a mouth of food all she knew for certain: Not. Sylus.
The wanderer had righted itself as best as it could, constantly swaying as it turned to find MC. She had no more patience and the field test was a failure. She alternated between meeting the Ferrum’s strikes, hacking at its torso, and chipping away at the back of its thighs. It was dizzying work, but it kept the creature off balance. Within a couple minutes it was doing her work for her, harming itself with every turn as it attempted swipes toward MC.
Sensing it would crumble in on itself, MC returned to the rifle and inspected it. Sure enough, as the wanderer took one more lunge toward her, it shattered and dissipated before it could reach her feet. She picked up a chunk of the stone and used it to bash the receiver back down then clicked the safety into place.
MC crossed the park and gave the security cameras a wave and a bow. A soft chuckle and the sound of a candy wrapper being balled up into trash filled her ears before the high pitched sound of static zapped through her ears and her comms line finally fell silent.