Heart part 1

Chapter 45 - Taste the Wind part 14: Win Condition

Winding an arm back, Esther swung and threw Torque through the air. Catching it at the last moment, Jaqueline stepped forward, pushing Heart behind her. As if he was flying, Dandy came tearing across the floor. One of his arms swung for their heads. As he hit Torque's flat blade sparks shot out. Jaqueline and Heart stumbled back. A dull ring bounced in their ears. From the side, Quiltz drew his bow and fired. One after another, the arrows hit and snapped on impact. Appearing from behind, Sandy jumped and launched. With a roar, she sliced across his chest.

Not even a scratch.

From the back, Esther reached and grabbed Jaqueline's hand. With a kick, the two linked and began to spin. Like a top, they scrapped the ground toward Dandy. Round and round, their Tools carved and diced everything in their path. Countless times did they strike him, but only managed to push him back a step. Reaching out, Dandy caught their Tools with his bare hands, flying them to a halt. The instant he grabbed, shocks hurled out from their hilts and coursed through his veins. The others watched in suspense as his eyes turned whiter than a ghost. From his toothy grin, smoke started puffing out. His shakes moved the floor. For untold minutes, his body was a playground to the electricity. Halfway through, some of them began to think he had been killed, but of course, things are never so easy.

All of a sudden, his jaw cocked open and a manic laugh started blaring out.

" DEFEAT IS NOT ALLOWED!" He boomed through his teeth.

Electricity and light exploded from his body. None of them could look away.

" DEFEAT IS NOT ALLOWED!"

" I WILL NOT BE MOVED!"

With a swing, Flathead hit the floor. Thunder roared out. A barrage of debris fired toward them. " WHEN I KILL YOU ALL, MY FATE WILL BE SEALED! MY HOPES WILL BE KNOWN! OUR PAIN WILL END! I CAN HEAR MY PEOPLE CHEERING OUT! ESCAPE IS NOT ALLOWED!"

Turning white, they all flailed into a sprint.

" SO DIE!" With another boom, Torque hit the floor. Shockwaves launched, ripping the ground apart and sending the wreckage flying.

" DIE!" Another slam rang out.

Quakes brought them to their knees. Debris pelted them down. Seemingly no matter how they dodged, getting hit was inescapable. The floor started to crack and walls began to collapse, like a bad run of pure luck.

" DIE! DIE! DIE!"

" IT'S JUST FIVE LIVES TO TAKE! THEN MY JOURNEY WILL BE OVER! AND MY RECLAIMING CAN BEGIN!" He maddingly screamed, slamming the ground several more.

" DIE!"

Diving behind a fallen piece of wall, Heart took cover. By their side, Esther sat, bruised and bloody. One of her arms was swollen to nearly the size of a baseball. Across from them, they could see the others doing the same.

" What do we do now...?" Esther muttered, holding her arm and face to the ground.

Heart cracked their crying bones and turned their gaze out. " Don't tell me you've already forgotten,"

Esther lifted their head.

"about what's going on outside." They eyed Dandy. " With all the noise he's making, one will definitely come."

They turned back to her. A devilish smile hung from their bloody face. " Guaranteed."

And as if their words were a signal, it began. For a moment, the area quaked. After a second, it quaked again. Several more rapid trembles proceeded before coming to a halt. The building started to crumble and shake, more so than previous. Seeing the sunlight break in, they all glanced high and could see the roof shift. And with a lift, the emotion-vague face of a Construct bore down upon them. Crying out an ear-splitting whir, its countless cables stabbed through the walls and began attacking everyone in sight, plucking them off and into the air. It didn't take long for most of them to find themselves trapped within its binds.