"What the hell do you mean, three hundred a piece!?" Kenjii yelled. The bag of SWORD processors lay on a counter in front of him, their contents showing. "Just yesterday, you said five hundred a piece. Five hundred!"
The old man behind the counter shrugged. "I'm sorry, Kenjii," he said, "But these are from basic SWORDs... and I seem to remember your promising me some Gammas. Not these Delta grunts."
Kenjii growled, "Shit! These work just as well! Look at 'em, they're in perfect condition!" The old man held up the one that Kenjii had pierced with his gythka in battle. "OK, ok, I'll accept three hundred for that one. But the others are fucking non-negotionable!"
The old man turned around and began organzing the shelfs behind him. Several odd mechanic odds and ends. "Don't try and bully me, Kenjii." It sounded rather odd, hearing that from a gray haired, bespecled old man that Kenjii would have absolutely no problem bullying in any other situation that money. "I'll give you nine hundred all together. You're not likely to find a better price, but you can pick up and move your business elsewhere."
"Alright, fine," Kenjii muttered, leaning forward. "Nine hundred bucks. Damnit, I was expecting almost double that!"
The old man shrugged, turning around. "Blame it on Seth. He makes more advanced SWORDs worth more money, that makes the weaker SWORDs in less demand." Nontheless, he took the bag and it's contents, placing several wadded up bills on the countertop. "Here."
Kenjii all but snatched the money. "Yeah, whatever." Goddamnit, was there NOTHING that Seth wasn't responsible for!? Kenjii sighed and began counting the money to make sure it was the right amount. There had to be a better way to make more money.
Kenjii hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud until the old man jerked his head up. Kenjii frowned at him, wondering what he was going to say, but the man kept silent until the only other customer in the store finished browsing the many shelves and finally left the building without buying anything.
"You hate Seth, right?" The old man asked abruptly. Kenjii turned around and fixed the man with a question stare. "Right?"
"Of course I do, you old idiot!" Kenjii snapped. "Why the hell else would I hunt his SWORDs! You will not believe the pain that mother-"
"Right, right," the old man said, silencing Kenjii with a motion of his hand. "Everyone's gotta story. Just follow me."
The man turned around and entered a door behind one of the shelves, not waiting for Kenjii. Kenjii eased his gythka out of his coat, just in case, and slowly followed.
:Wait a minute, Crysta: Krinn said, iguana head glancing to the left and right, tongue darting out of his mouth. Crystal took two more steps before stopping and turning around to face him.
"What's up?" she asked, frowning.
Krinn growled, revealing two rows of dozens of tiny sharp teeth. :SWORDs: he said. :There must be over a dozen of them... fifteen, I think, maybe more. I can't believe I didn't sense them before, they must be new models:
Crystal slowly drew the long knife she kept sheathed at her waist. Though very little of her fighting would be done physically; the magic she's inherited from her parents was her real weapon. But against fifteen SWORDs? And if Krinn was right, these were some of the latest SWORDs. The situation was grim.
:Here they come!:
As if on cue, the SWORDs advanced. This was obviously a planned ambush, they came from all around, forming a perfect circle around the two. Krinn was right, there were exactly fifteen of them. And all fifteen were mounted on two wheels rather than legs, but moved over rocks and bumpy terrain without losing their balance in the slightest. These SWORD were obviousy primarily for battle purposes. Each of their left arms was nothing more than two gatling guns, one over the other. The right arms were long and flexible, and ended with what appeared to be a hand gripping a sword. Only Crystal knew that "hand" would never be able to let go, and instead of a metal blade, the swords were made of some sort of green laser.
Crystal's long knife, almost a short sword, began to glow blue. Her other hand pulsed with bright yellow, almost white magic. As soon as the SWORDs got within range - their circle closing in on them - she loosed a massive yellow lightning bolt at one of them.
Instantly, their formation broke. The SWORD dodged with extreme ease, and all the SWORDs charged, losing their slow pace to a very fast advance. Three more lightning bolts were dodged, the forth struck a SWORD, but only seemed to slow him down for a second. Crystal barely had time to erect a shield over her and Krinn, blocking the massive hail of bullets.
:What do we do!?: Krinn asked, voice fringing on hysterics.
"We fight," Crystal snarled, "and take down as many as possible." Though Crystal wasn't sure she could even take down one of them, these things were dreadfully fast and amazingly strong.
One of the SWORDs got close enough to no longer need to fire, and struck down hard with it's beam sword. It penetrated slowly through Crystal's shield. Crystal began to grow frantic herself. She put all her strength into holding up the shield. While she could no longer go on the offensive, the shield held. For a moment.
Another sword began to attack the shield, then two more added their strength. Slowly but surely they began to tear it down. Just as Crystal was about to lower the shield and take out the four around her with a last, desperate, attack... something... stopped them.
At first, Crystal wasn't sure what it was. A black blur streaked by all of the SWORDs, and each on blew up, mechanics and circuits flying everywhere. Had Crystal not kept her shield up, those pieces doubtless would have battered her and Krinn.
The blur slowed to a stop enough for Crystal to see what it was. Or who. Surprisingly, the shape was a human. Few humans could do that to such an up-to-date SWORD.
The man was very tall, only inches shorter than the SWORDs. He had long red hair, down to his waist that looked like it hadn't been brushed or combed in years. The man was dressed in black rags, but somehow, not a stain was on any of them. One of his eyes was amber in color, the other had a scar over it, and was a blind milky color.
The man was very, very muscular. With those arms and shoulders, Crystal was surprised he could move so fast. And his odd choice of weapon... at first, Crystal had thought that he wore a glove. Only at a closer glance did she discover those two foot long metal claws extending from eahc of his knuckles were actually natural.
That hair, that eye, those claws... Crystal had heard of this man. He was a living legend, called Slayer by everyone who had seen him. His real name was unknown.
Slayer darted forward, once more entering that alarming speed. Somehow, he leaped high into the air, twisting and flipping, and landed behind two more SWORDs, sweeping his claws to either side. Both of them exploded before they could even turn around.
Crystal could do nothing but watch. It never occured to her to even help. The man hardly needed it. All the SWORDs focused their attention on him, attacking him at once. But the man moved like an acrobot, slashing and jumping, never staying still for more than a moment.
Within seconds, all the SWORDs lay on the ground, in pieces. None of them were in less than a half dozen dismembered parts. Crystal lowered her shield and went out to face the man.
"Thank you!" she said. "Slayer, is it?"
Slayer jerked his head up, and locked a hard look on Crystal's face. He stared at her for several seconds, until Crystal frowned and tore her eyes off of him.
:Watch out for him: Krinn warned. :He feels... wrong. I don't know how to explain it. Just... wrong:
Crystal blinked, and replied telepathically. No need in letting the famous Slayer know either of them was suspicious of him. Especially after he just saved her life. :What do you mean? He saved us, Krinn. Weren't you here, as well?:
Krinn didn't answer, but his tail twitched back and forth in an unnerving way. Slayer focused his attention on Krinn, as if he had heard the conversation, then turned around to leave.
"Wait!" Crystal yelled, running after him. She placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Won't you at least tell me-"
Slayer spun around, slashing with his claws. Crystal shrieked and leapt back. Slayer's slash obviously wasn't meant to strike her - otherwise, she'd be dead, judging by how well he fought the SWORDs - but it was an apparent warning not to touch him again.
Raising his clawed hand again in warning, Slayer spun on his heels and walked away. Crystal exchanged looks with Krinn.
:What's with him?: