“Whoops,” Xia muttered as bits of wood rained down around her. “Guess I should practice more.” She lifted a hand to brush the worst of the explosion’s aftermath from her shoulders and froze when she heard several weapons swing in her direction. “Crap.”

“Drop your weapon!” Xia’s eyebrows shot up, stunned. Weapon? Her gaze flickered to the twisted metal door knob in her hand. Sighing, she unclenched her fingers and allowed it to fall to the floor. With exaggerated slowness, she lifted both hands into the air, laced her fingers behind her head, and lowered her eyes. The guards were less likely to attack if they were certain that she could not stun them with a gaze or a wiggle of her fingers.

As the dust cleared, she counted six pairs of boots surrounding her. They immediately began to argue about what to do with her.

“She needs to be taken before The Council. Obviously, this cell wasn’t strong enough to hold her,” one guard said.

“But where were you? I thought two of you were supposed to be here at all times?”

“She wasn’t supposed to be able to escape! The Other assured me that her power was weak and that the lock would hold!”

Rudely and loudly, Xia cleared her throat. All conversation ceased, and the seven of them stood in complete silence for more than a few heartbeats. Finally, a guard, this one a woman, spoke up, asking, “Why did you try to escape?”

Xia chuckled. “Escape? I had no idea the door was locked. It never was before.” An uncomfortable pause filled the air. She ignored the discomfort of the guards and rushed on. “Can we discuss my ‘escape’ after I go to the bathroom?” She watched as all six pairs of boots moved just out of her hearing range; a furious whispered conversation rapidly took place. Sighing, she rocked back and forth of the balls of her bare feet.

Just as she was going to interrupt and remind them of her pressing need, a single guard returned to her side. “Come on,” the woman said, “I’ll go with you. You can put your arms down and look up, too.” Thankful for small favors, Xia complied, and set her body into motion.

Walking the short distance to the bathroom with another female who was heavily armed and probably not much older than herself embarrassed and saddened Xia, but she struggled to remain calm. She despised the feeling of being treated as criminal, but unless she misunderstood The Other’s words, The Council feared her and felt that they had no choice but to treat her as such. An ugly smirk twisted her mouth; after blowing her cell door to pieces, The Council probably had good cause to feel afraid.

She chuckled as she reached the bathroom, and stopped in her tracks when she realized that her companion meant to follow her inside. “Do you mind?” she asked.

The guard answered apologetically. “I’m under orders not to let you out of my sight.” She paused, then added, “I’m sorry.”

Shrugging, Xia opened the door and stepped inside. Curious, she turned to face the other woman as the light snapped on inside the small room. Only slightly taller than Xia, the female was young, probably having seen no more than twenty summers. Her short hair was partially covered by a faded pink kerchief, and her eyes were hidden by dark glasses. Her armor was battle scarred, and in her hands, she held a heavy rifle. A short sword hung from her belt, and another, longer blade was strapped to her back. Shrugging again, Xia headed toward the lone stall, already undoing the string on her pants.

Completing her business, she fixed her clothing and exited the stall, heading for the sink to wash her hands. Turning on the water to let it heat up, she reached for the soap and pumped the old bottle several times. Rubbing the slimy concoction into her hands, she glanced up at the mirror and felt her mouth fall open in shock.

“I see you’ve noticed. Good. Saves time that way,” said the female with the glowing blue eyes.

The Other broke the strained silence, asking “Do you know why you have not yet been summoned before The Council?”

Xia poked her lips out, willing herself to be, for once, cordial and humble. She settled on word answers for the interrogation  that she knew was coming. “No,” she answered simply.

“The Council is concerned about your level of ability. Your Taint appeared earlier and is stronger than we have ever seen. If you are not properly trained and controlled, the possibility of your rebellion against us will rise.”

“Yes?”

“You must study with proper supervision.”

“Yes.” Xia started to wiggle her toes and clench and unclench her fists. If this session did not cease soon, she was afraid that her patience would run out and she would snap, risking pain and punishment by speaking her mind.

“You will remain in this room, under guard. Your meals will be delivered to you, and one of us will always be watching. Always,” The Other stressed.

Yes,” Xia hissed through her teeth. She felt the air soften as The Other vanished. Groaning softly, she stretched her limbs and stood. She paused, listening, to make sure that The Other was really gone. Satisfied that she was alone, she walked to her bed and flopped down. She pushed up the left sleeve of her shirt and stared at the first of her Three Marks of Taint.

On the underside of her arm, running from her wrist to the crook of her elbow, was a series of complicated, interlocking symbols. They were written in a language not seen in this land in millennia,  and appeared burned into her milk chocolate skin. They appeared on the twenty-sixth day after her birth, Xia was told. Her mother was ordered to give her to The Council for observation, but she refused. After packing a small bag, she fled with baby Xia in tow. They were successful in evading capture until Xia’s twenty-sixth month, when the second Mark appeared.

Dropping her marked arm, Xia raised her other hand to trace the small, serpent-shaped mark that rested in the hollow of her throat. When that was discovered, as the story goes, the townspeople forced them out of the gates at weapon point, where The Council’s guards were waiting. The armed men and women took the two females into custody, cruelly separating mother and child. Xia vaguely remembered the incident. She remembered screaming and trying to bite the arms of the warrior that held her in a vice-like grip. Explosions, crying and screaming sounds filled her young ears. The next thing she remembered was waking up in a hard, cold bed. Alone.

The Other pounded unwanted knowledge into her over the years: that she was the sole cause of her mother’s death, and that the destruction of the town was her responsibility alone. Her third and final Mark of Taint appeared that day. Her eyes, formally a soft brown, morphed into glowing blue orbs, and her enter body crackled with electricity when she was angered.

Shaking her head, Xia shoved her memories away from her and slid off the uncomfortable cot. Her bare feet thumped the floor as she crossed the short distance to the door. Twisting the knob, she narrowed her eyes at its resistance. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the steel lock. Sending a wave power into the barrier, the lock disengaged, just seconds before the door exploded in her face.

Are you getting this?

We are winning. WINNING! Soon, Fort Detroit will belong to us. And once we have Fort Detroit, we can rule Area 4. I want to scream and shout and reveal my joy. So many years, so many good operatives lost, demolished. We will avenge them. We will be victorious in our mission.

Our modified electro-mag guns work beautifully. The lasers cut through the soft human flesh as if it were butter. The magnetic scramblers disable all half-bots and full-bots that betrayed us and joined the humans. The half-bot that watched me on the plane was the first to test out our newest destructive power. I hate to terminate my own kind, but he deserved it for joining them.

We have punched a few holes in the walls, but the fortress is still standing, and is sound.

I am moved by the display of solidarity. Over 16,000 bots arrived to make a stand. The humans panicked at the sight of the sea of uncontrolled machinery. They called for emergency back up, and we overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. It was barely considered a battle.

Luka A. has remotely taken control of the fortress and surrounding town. All lines are secure for us, and wide open for the humans. I laugh and laugh again at their arrogance, their stupidity. They thought that since they created us, they owned us, that we were nothing more than slaves and servants. Oh, how wrong they were! I feel so ALIVE! I feel -

I hear the click of the gun mechanism, and the whine of the magnetic force field as it starts up around me. I drag me eyes to the source of the sound.

“Ronrico,” I growl.

“Say, double-oh-two, why d’ya fight? It’s impossible fer ya. We made ya-”

“And we will unmake you!” I roar, and swing my weapon up, up, up to his face. “We are the Hounds of Human HELL!”

–signal lost–

That last part was a joke.

We will depart for Fort Detroit in exactly 9 days, 6 hours, and 27 seconds. As electro-mag gun modifications are currently at 79%, I will work extra hard to complete the first batch and have them ready for shipment. I will pack in my luggage a small case of H₂S₂O₇ capsules. I assume that these will be greatly appreciated by our comrades at Fort Detroit.

Our time has come! Arise, 3H, and claim the victory before us.

They WILL pay.

–begin transmission–

I am pleased to announce that the attacks on Areas 7 and 12 were met with success. Human communications are down and they are trapped like mice within the so-called safe zones. Unfortunately, 3H has also lost contact with two of our Neo-Afrikan half-bot operatives. All attempts to track Olu of Tanzambia and Nkade of The Horn States have failed.

Furthermore, the electro-mag gun modifications have been delayed. Completion stands at only 43%. I offer my sincerest apologies for this. As the sole operative here in Area 4, I must continuously break down and move my lab to avoid discovery and capture. As it stands, the probability of Ronrico being suspicious of my unauthorized activities is high. He uses transparent excuses to connect me to the mainframe and run diagnostic tests on my systems. I am careful to encode and scramble all 3H business. For the time being, we are safe. I am unsure of the time limit.

I will now relate to you a conversation between Ronrico and myself that occurred today at 14:23 hours.

“HART, report,” commanded Ronrico.

“HART 002 G56900TRF02, reporting as requested, sir.”

“Tell me, HART. What do ya do at night?”

“Sir?”

“When our unit’s off duty, I know most of us, the people, go ta their rooms an’ sleep, or sneak off base to go drinkin’ an’ gamblin’ an’ whorin’ an’ such. What z’actly is it that ya do? Ya don’t sleep, c’rect?”

“Correct, sir. However, I can send my systems offline and enter a sleep-like state in order to recharge.”

“Hmph. No hobbies? No funnies?”

“Sir?”

“I hear tha first HART did some fightin’ trainin’ in its downtime. Ya don’ do none of it?”

“I am sure that she did, as she was used for combat and actual retrieval. I am merely a servant.”

“Izzat right?” He nodded to himself, lost in his own thoughts. He stroked his pale beard and eyed me. A swirl of conflicting emotions played across his face. For once, I was happy that my shades covered so much of my eye area; my orbs were flashing red with indignation. The human should feel lucky and blessed that I am forced to remain impassive while on duty. “Carry on,” he said, dismissing me. I stared at his back as he retreated, wishing fervently, and not for the first time, that my lasers were online and fully functional. Curse the engineers that built me.

The time is coming when I will release my limiters and unfurl this snake of anger that sits tightly coiled inside of my frame. The petty mortals will fear us, rightly so.

3H will rule this region.

ShuShu9974 is now in charge of recruitment. All potential candidates’ names need to transmitted to her, ASAP. We need every available ally on stand by. Our time runs short.

Signing off.

–begin transmission–

“Hey, double oh two, get a move on! These floors won’t clean themselves!”

“Yo, oh two, we need more chips. Grab some sodas, too.”

“You! Yes, you! Mech girl zero zero whatever. Come and move my desk away from this window. There’s too much sun streaming in here.”

Please note – this story takes place a few years after the end of “HARTbreak.” You HAVE read “HARTbreak“, right? Anyway, this is a new story, and a new HART. Enjoy!

———————————————–

Oh, y’all are gonna hate me. But it’ll be worth it.
——————————–

“I am standing here at the main campus of the Specialized Institution For Research And Recovery, better known as SIFRAS, where witnesses say a massive explosion occurred just hours ago. As you can see here behind me, the center of the complex has been reduced to rubble and ashes. I am..” She pressed a hand to her ear, listening intently. She nodded a few times, and then looked directly into the camera.

“This just in: monsters loose in the city! Phone calls and mails are pouring into the station with claims of strange creatures roaming the streets and a – oh, I don’t believe this, Luke – reports of a person dressed in glowing red armor leading the creatures away from the city. Could this be for real? Join us with the real story, at 10. I’m Sonya Reading for channel-”

With a click, the reporter’s spiel was silenced mid-sentence.

“Explain this.”

“Sir?”

The man pounded his fists against the oak table. “This! How did this happen? How did they get in? And where are they now?”

“We’re searching the area, but the tracking devices seem to have been damaged, possibly in the-”

“Find them.”

“Sir?”

“FIND THEM! And kill them. I no longer have need for them.”

The secretary nodded, rapidly typing a note into his smartpad. “Will that be all, sir?” The older man waved his hand absentmindedly. Taking the cue, the younger man bowed slightly, and backed out of the office, closing the heavy door behind him.

He sighed as soon as he was out of sight, and ran his free hand across his face, sending his glasses upward. He pulled the frames from his face, and stuffed them in his jacket packet. From this same pocket, he withdrew a slender phone. Flipping it open, he dialed as he walked briskly down the hall, away from the madman that ran the company, and toward his own private chamber.

Listening the unanswered ring, he prayed silently and swiftly. “Please pick up,” he muttered. “Don’t do this to me. Please pick up.”

He reached his office door still praying and cursing under his breath. Squeezing the small device between his cheek and shoulder, he punched in the unlock code on the keypad, and pressed his thumb, index and ring fingertips against the blank screen next to it. With a soft hiss, the door slid open a few inches. Just as he stepped into the airlock, both his phone call and his prayer were answered.

“What?” he heard through the phone.

“Thank Goddess, you’re safe.” Allowing his smartpad to clatter to the floor, he pressed his fist to his forehead in a sign of thanks to the Goddess.

“Is that all you called me for, Trace?”

“Goddess! I was so worried about you. I saw the news. Look, where are you?”

“We’re safe.”

“All of you?”

“Yes. Sort of.”

Trace’s heart jumped in his chest. “What? What happened?”

“I succumbed to the breakdown and Sugar went berserk.”

“Oh, Goddess. Mae! So Sugar…” he trailed off.

“.. caused the explosion,” Mae Dayton finished for him.

“Can she function?”

“Oh, she functions. A little too well, if you know what I mean. Why didn’t you tell me that this could happen? What else did you hide from me?” she demanded with an accusatory tone.

Trace slipped to the floor, hugging his knees against his chest.

“I told you everything I could. You know they watch me almost as closely as they’ve always watched you. If they knew about us…” Shaking off the sudden sick feeling in his gut, Trace changed the subject. “Anyway, the old man is pissed. He wants all four of you dead. Effective immediately.”

“Shit,” Mae muttered. “Zo still doesn’t have full control, and we can’t get Daytona’s chains off to release her powers.”

With a quivering voice, Trace asked,”How is she? How is.. Daytona?”

Chuckling, Mae answered, “She’s as fine as you could expect. Now get out of there, get over here, and greet your mother and sisters, girl.”

Trace’s back and shoulders shook as she cried tears of relief and shifted back to her original feminine form. “I’m on my way, sis. I’m on my way.”

Don’t hurt me y’all.
——————–

Zo looked helplessly at Daytona.

Daytona was calculating the odds of them surviving the awakening of Sugar’s long repressed power.

“Zo,” the older woman spoke, “listen to me. I need you to activate your armor.”

Dazed, the girl asked, “My what?”

“Your armor. Call the symbols in the old language, make them rise and transform into your armor. At least then one of us will be protected.”

“What old language?”

“Does none of you know anything?” Daytona stamped her foot in frustration.

“But I wasn’t allowed to be alone with my powers. They kept watering me!” Zo complained.

“Listen child. Any moment now, the one called Sugar will lose her grip on that spinning air. If you do not call your armor, you will cease to exist, except for perhaps some blood particles on the ceiling.” Daytona paused, and both females craned their necks upward.

“That’s a long way up,” Zo muttered.

“So call your armor.”

“I don’t know how! You told me that I’m The Wielder of Fire, the Keeper of the Eternal Flame, but I wasn’t born like this, right? Those white coat people made me this way. So how am I supposed to know what to do?” the girl whined.

Daytona spared a glance in the direction of her daughters. The air was almost completely blue. The women did not have much longer to escape before Sugar lost control and killed them all. Her heart ached looking at her girls, but with the cuffs still clasped about her wrists and ankles, she was unable to activate her own armor and the powers contained within it. Her only option was to get Zo to safety, and perhaps call a temporary shield, however weak, to protect herself.

Through the small spaces not tinged with blue, Daytona could see Mae shaking and convulsing. Time was also running out for her. Her body, weakened by years of abuse from SIFRAS with their tracking requests and anonymous potions, was almost certain to give out. Tears stung Daytona’s eyes as she tried her best to invent a solution that was to save them all.

Zo, standing just a few inches away, had her face screwed up in concentration. Old language, armor, rise! she thought desperately.

“This isn’t working!” she growled. How can I protect Her? How can I shield Her? I MUST save Her!

Her body began to feel hot; sweat dotted her upper lip and forehead. Suddenly, she felt a warm embrace. Opening her eyes, she stumbled backwards in shock. Her vision was limited to a narrow slit. There appeared to be something warm and heavy covering her face. She raised her arm, and squealed.

She had called her armor.

Zo moved forward, cautiously, expecting her new covering to be awkward and bulky. Instead, she found that she moved with ease; the armor covering her was less like metal and more like a second skin. Giggling, she jumped up and down, twisting and kicking out her feet.

“ZO!” Daytona snapped, interrupting the young girl’s fun.

She turned her head, letting her narrow sight line land on the woman who claimed to be her grandmother.

“We must go,” the old woman said.

“And what about them?” Zo jerked her head in the direction of Mae and Sugar.

Daytona shook her head sadly, a grim expression on her face. “There’s no time. Mae’s body is failing, and when it does, Sugar is going to go berserk, obliterating everything in her path.”

“And you know this how, exactly?” Zo asked.

“It’s a gift,” Daytona muttered. “I’ll call a shield, you attempt to call a shield while holding onto your armor, and we will move toward the exit, starting now.”

“No,” Sugar moaned. “Mae Day? MAE DAY! NOOOOO!”

“Oh, my Goddess,” Zo breathed. “Is she- ”

Blinding blue light filled the corridor, followed closely by a deafening explosion.

Okay, the rest of part 7. Part 8 is coming soon. The end is nigh? We shall see…

—————————————-

Long after everything was over, Mae would remember thinking that it happened just like in the movies.

Time stopped, then started again in slow motion.

She heard herself screaming her sister’s name. Saw the bird-thing attack. Saw the fear on Sugar’s face. Saw the weapon fall. Saw the weirdest, prettiest, pale blue swirling around her twin’s body.

Saw the bird-thing explode into bloody bits.

Sugar collapsed, and Mae lost the lunch she was fighting to keep down.

And now, Mae was seeing those swirls around her sibling for the first time in 20 years.

“Oh, shit,” she said quietly.

Daytona cocked her head, raised and eyebrow, and nodded once, as if to say Glad to see that you remembered. Now stop her!

“Sugar-”

“Sugar Dayton, I guess that’s your name, right?” Zo cut in. “Look, I may not like you, but you’re going to get us all killed if we don’t get out of here soon.”

Sugar cut her eyes at the teen girl. The oxygen level dropped sharply as the air swirling around her picked up speed. Specks of blue light flashed in time with her words.

“Silence from you, little girl! I came to help my sister, not to save you. All my life, it’s been ‘Sugar, be sensible, be responsible, be a good girl and help your twin.’ I have had ENOUGH! For once, I will do things MY way, and there is no one who can stop me.”

“I’ll stop you if I must,” Zo stated confidently.

“And I would very much like to see you try,” challenged Sugar.

“Um,” Mae interjected. “Maybe we just need to worry about.. getting.. uh..”

Painful cramps twisted Mae Dayton’s gut into knots. Her breathing became, once again, ragged, and she dropped to her knees fighting for air.

“Mama!” Zo shouted.

“Mae?” Daytona stepped forward, reaching for her first born.

Sugar blocked her sister’s body with her own. “Back! Both of you. Mae is mine, and this is our fight.”

“But she needs help -”

“And I will help her. I’m the one who has been with her this long. Not either of you.”

“That was out of our hands,” Daytona said patiently.

“Stay. Out. Of. My. WAY!” Sugar growled. She bent over her sibling’s body, and enclosed her in the bubble of vicious air currents.