Wretch vs. Mech

Cradle's mech crashed through a building, maze and all. Cradle wasn't on it. It reached forward, and the distortion made the arm and fingers bend at right angles. They dug into grass and dirt, forcing Sveta to scramble out of the way.


*****


The mech came bounding down from a high place, whips slicing down. Cradle moved to be atop it as it came down, then moved to higher ground.


I flew to Rain, skimming past a line that appeared in my way. I caught his hand, pulled rather than lift or push. The hand-mech was two fists and two more hands as back legs, the fists coming down where Rain had been.


That wasn't where it stopped. It had no reason to pause or hesitate, and it acted on its own, a hand lunging toward my mom. My mom who had no Capricorn, and who was too busy with the soldiers in the alley between two buildings to even turn around or go ball-form.


I let Rain fall, and I put myself in the hand's way, Wretch active, pushing back as it pushed.


A mess of limbs against a mess of limbs.


My mom started forward, to assist, or to cut at joints.


"No!" I ordered. "Get-"


I felt the sick impact, and I couldn't even stop to react to it, because there wasn't a moment to spare, nor an inch of ground to be given.

- Heavens 12.8