Lasrever

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

_@Sickle-cell

Looking slightly bemused, Automaton settled for a slow nod - it felt like the safest as Planck walked away. Weird kid. But then, the message was clear. Wonderland would accept her. She wasn't really sure if that idea was exciting or utterly terrifying, but it was definitely one of the two. Maybe best not to think about too hard.

As for Askaryan, she turned back to him with a short chuckle. "What can I say? I've had enough 'charm' busted out on me for one day. As for pulling you out... seemed like a good idea at the time."

Robin paused. Well, no. From a survival perspective, the decision was an unnecessary risk. It had been mostly been on a whim, and there was no denying it was impulsive, but there was at least some reason behind it. "I guess I'd rather not leave anyone to the dogs if I can help it, y'know? It's not like I've got any reason to care about that fight. With the Protectorate and all the murderous vigilante types around... Sure, we were on opposite sides, but that doesn't mean I'm interested in watching you go down permanently. Like I said, I'm a sweetheart deep down."

She really wasn't sure how much truth that statement held, but it'd do for now. "Besides, anyone that's willing to have some wordplay mid-fight is cool with me. So you're welcome."

Still, looked like clearing out wasn't an option if she wanted a quick heal. That being said, she'd have to slice it all open again if she didn't fix it here, so she glanced uncomfortably at Askaryan before deciding he'd probably seen worse. If nothing else, Robin had enough sense to make her parts easily repairable, so it'd be a quick surgery - and she was more than capable of being precise with her blades.

"Try not to startle me while I'm dong this, would you?"

Not to say that it didn't hurt as she gritted her teeth, cut her way in, and began tinkering with the machinery. It took a minute or two to do, her breaths shuddering unevenly, and by the time she stopped her arm was way bloodier than it had been. The concrete shard that had been lodged inside was yanked out and lay on the ground - a few lumps of ragged flesh hanging from it. But the circuitry seemed to have been mostly repaired... somehow. That kind of rapid repair was something she'd only try with a healing effect active.

The worst part was making the movements slow. It wasn't like a band-aid that you could just tear off all at once - a slow, constantly changing pain, though this one had been a relatively simple procedure. Installing what little hardware she had right now had eclipsed it in terms of pain and physical difficulty, not to mention the hours of recovery time required.

Which didn't change the fact that it still hurt like a bitch.

Slowly regaining control of her breath, her voice was slightly shaky as she spoke to Askaryan again. "That never gets more fun." Forcing a chuckle, she looked at her handiwork. It'd take a few minutes for the wounds to completely regenerate, the blade withdrawing as she was satisfied. "You know, some Tinkers get to make lasers instead." Talk about drawing the short straw, huh?

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

...I'm going to be honest, Wonderland was originally by far the faction I thought it least likely for Robin to have anything to do with, but as it turns out, she's also really easily manipulated. Can't wait for this to go horribly, horribly wrong.

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

_@Sickle-cell

"They looked pretty intact from what I saw. Didn't look too up for a conversation, though," Robin laughed, "so you might have to look elsewhere. Protectorate types tend to be kinda uptight about the whole 'law-breaking' thing."

But despite her easy demeanour, Automaton suddenly seemed lost in thought. Freedom. She'd dismissed Wonderland as a bunch of crazies, and... oh who was she kidding, that had been completely right. But there was something awfully tempting about that idea, as tempting as it was terrifying. Self-determination, and unabashed selfishness with it.

Robin knew she wasn't her own person at heart, really. Always the follower, flying under the radar, doing what she was told. A part in the machine - a description that was a little on the nose, but it felt true enough. A piece in the games played the likes of Whetstone and Gladius - a pawn to play a part of their choosing. To be discarded in place of the important ones.

Manipulated by people who spoke about honour while using the desperate as meat shields. As scapegoats.

That being said, these people were as violent as they came. It just happened that Planck's words had struck on something Robin knew she was missing. Whether the girl knew what she was doing or not, that was the easiest way to have Automaton dance along to your tune. Because despite her resolution to be somebody, she knew she'd been failing. The kind of liberation described... It had her hook, line, and sinker.

This kid, so much younger than her, was more her own person than Robin had ever been.

But Automaton wasn't a murderer, right? She'd been trying to do good. Or less bad than some, even if it didn't always work out - oh, who was she kidding, her only motivation was gathering parts. Collecting shiny metal like some kind of stab-happy magpie. She had little room to be self-righteous, just because her selfishness was a little less ruthless.

That being said, Robin didn't think she was much of a killer. A thief, a fighter, and... yeah, she was certainly capable of doing enough damage to finish someone off, but if it was avoidable, she'd rather not. But if this was all about making their own choices, maybe she wouldn't have to.

It didn't occur to her how naive that idea might be. Or, indeed, that an organisation such as Gladius might not take kindly to a willing defector. Concerns that might have changed her decision if they'd come to her mind, but Robin was always one for living in the moment. Going with the flow. And today, that was taking her in an unexpected direction.

"Don't suppose there's any space on your little freedom train? If I'm that disposable, Gladius can find some other poor sod to take my place. They're a dime a dozen around here." She paused, before smirking. "Who knows? Might even have some time in my schedule for hair, boys, and ponies." It wasn't clear if treating Planck like a kid was a good idea, but Robin defaulted to treat most things as a joke. Even, apparently, mass murderers.

And despite the lightness of her tone, her question was entirely serious.

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

_@Sickle-cell

Well, these guys were definitely a colourful collection. And also, if Robin was putting names to faces correctly, an incredibly dangerous one. What the total kill-count in this room was, she had no idea, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. It was kind of lucky, at least for her, that the Protectorate were all tied up with the brewing gang war - because there was more than one kill order in this room.

Maybe she should have looked more worried as she entered the room having wounded one of their own.

If you'd honestly asked Robin who she was expecting in the safe-house, she'd have said some low-level goons at most. Maybe some relatively tough capes, but certainly not the notorious mass-murderers she was confronted with. Thankfully, Askaryan was willing to do most of the talking, because antagonising them, accidentally or otherwise, didn't seem like the best idea.

Especially since he told them she was with Gladius, her response to the ensuing awkwardness a weak grin and a muttered, "It's more of a temp job." Because really, she had no reason to tell Whetstone, or anyone else, about this place. And she wasn't exactly happy about being dragged into this mess in the first place, so that was bonus points in the 'screw Gladius' category so far.

Thankfully enough, they appeared to decide against re-purposing any of her vital organs. It made sense for them to be pulling out, really, considering what had happened to Pipeline as things started going to hell. As Planck introduced herself, Robin accepted the handshake with a friendly grin. "Automaton. What can I say, I'm the giving type." While the girl was young, and much smaller than her, she was also ordering around a room full of notorious mass murderers. Putting two and two together brought her to the logical conclusion that this wasn't someone to pick a fight with.

"Freakshow?" Ah. The dude with the creatures. She shook her head. "Sorry, but it was tough enough shutting down Askaryan." She lifted her hand; the bloodied circuitry had mostly stopped sparking, but it still made her point. "I might be strong, but I'm not carrying more than one guy with a busted arm. Besides, I was working for Gladius until I figured out the place was a deathtrap." She frowned. "From what I can tell, they just hired a bunch of freelancers to take the fall - if any of their own capes were around, I didn't see 'em."

In retrospect, she should have been more suspicious of such a sudden call-up; a sure fire sign that things weren't going well. Of course, Robin was well aware that Gladius wouldn't appreciate her giving this info away - but what they didn't know couldn't hurt them. And she didn't appreciate being used as fodder, which was what this felt like. After all, a few dead freelancers wouldn't be much skin off of Gladius' back.

Glancing back down at Planck, Automaton waited to see her reaction.

—(••[ 𝕎𝕀𝕊ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕋𝔼ℝ ]••)—

Lost Cause

Zoe | Kusari

---

𝕎𝕖𝕕: 𝕆𝕔𝕥. 𝟟, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝔹𝕒𝕝𝕕 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕 / / 𝕃𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖 / / ~𝟘𝟝𝟚𝟝

---

It hadn't taken long for the battlefield to descend into chaos. The approaching creatures appeared intimidating to say the least, though that seemingly excited her more than causing any worry. For better or worse, a good fight was never something she'd shy away from - though they didn't appear particularly human, which was disappointing. From her position, taking cover within the trees, Zoe was fairly confident she could get a decent attack off if she just--

Her eyes widened as a wave of heat washed over her, fire lighting up the trees. Darting backwards and away from the vegetation, she found herself out in the open once more. Which was a far more vulnerable position, and basically screwed over her chances of killing anyone here without being completely murdered. Despite that, staying hidden in the plant life really wasn't an option anymore - even with the rain cooling things down slightly, she couldn't handle that kind of heat for long. A glance upwards confirmed Chris was responsible, and that it was one of her own teammates was irritating. Not like she could take it out on him even if he wasn't flying. Slightly singed, the expression on her face was anything but happy as she tried to prioritise.

Shadow creature's handled. Or maybe not, but getting in between that fight's participants was just asking to get reduced to a smear on the ground. She didn't even know if she'd be able to do anything about it if she tried. Trees are burning - Chris can probably finish them off.

Which left one more point of interest. The wall.

Or more specifically, the hole that Hazel had left behind. While touching it wouldn't be a good idea, Zoe was fairly confident she could make it through that part unscathed. The problem with that one was they had no idea who, or what, was waiting on the other side. But if they wanted to reach the boat, there wasn't much choice in the matter. Someone would have to go through. She glanced back at the others who'd made their way outside.

Whoever went through first was gonna take a hell of a hit. And if it wasn't her, it could be one of them.

They don't deserve that.

A twisted, self-loathing sort of resolve. She smiled, out of place as it was with her thoughts. Or maybe it was incredibly appropriate - who could say? Clenching then unclenching a fist at her side, she relaxed. This was... fine, right? It just made sense for someone to go, and she kinda deserved what was coming to her.

But it'd mean nothing if they didn't heed whatever warning she could provide. Glancing toward the others, Zoe spoke quickly.

"I'm going through the wall. Have to find out what we're up against so you guys can plan." 'You guys'. Because despite her casual tone, her entirely out-of-place grin, on some level Zoe knew this wasn't likely to end well. "Don't follow me, alright?" As she finished speaking, she turned to look at the wall, confident she could sprint through fast enough to reach the gap without a problem.

Kusari raised an arm to her face as Chris burned the area in front of them. It looked like his form had changed once again, but she didn't linger on the thought. The attack was a bit too danger close, but at least it should be effective against the trees. Her ears perked as she heard Zoe announce her brilliant plan. That was sarcasm of course, her plan was literally suicide. "Like hell you're going over there alone!" Kusari yelled at her like a child running in a grocery store. Hazel had likely given them a way past the wall, but that didn't mean Zoe could just charge in. "We need to take care of that thing first, or we won't have a way out of here." She said, pointing towards the shadowy monster of a man.

"We also need to get to the boat, or we still won't have a way out of here, unless you think the Amigos are here to give us a ride." Zoe didn't take kindly to being yelled at, especially in this kind of situation, and her voice was sharp. "Besides, even if I get it in range, there's every chance I won't be able to affect that thing." She wouldn't if the last shadow creature she'd encountered was anything to go by, anyway.

Whatever the reasoning, debating this felt like a waste of time. Shaking her head, Zoe turned back to watching for a gap in the fighting, pointedly ignoring Kusari.

Kusari grit her teeth and fought off the desire to say something she really meant to Zoe. "What happened to you being the one that's only good at killing things? All of a sudden you're our scout? If anyone should be the first through there it should be me. I can move more quickly than you and I'll be fine if I'm attacked."

"Can't kill 'em from this side of the wall, and you're able to die too." The more logical side of her knew Kusari was right, but that had gone out of the window as soon as they'd started losing people. After spending so long with only trees to hurt... damn it, she wanted this, sick as it was. As she kept speaking, her tone grew harsher; her dangerous expression maybe all-too-familiar to the Arbiter. "Better me than one of you."

Kusari narrowed her eyes at Zoe. She couldn't be this stupid, she had to know what she was doing. "Stop it. You don't get to do that." Kusari nearly growled, trying to contain her temper. "You can't pretend to be a tough bitch then act like a suicidal crybaby. You're going to help us here, and then we are going to that boat. Together. Do you understand me?" Kusari's tone made it clear that she'd stop Zoe if she had to.

Zoe practically spat her next words, anger flaring rather than being calmed. "Fuck you. I don't know what you think you're talking about, but it's bullshit. I'm no crybaby, and I'm not suicidal - what I am is someone who can handle this, same way I've had to handle everything else so far." And yet the words had very clearly struck a nerve somewhere along the line. "So how about I go fight, and you can stay here while you shove your plan up your ass."

Kusari's crimson eyes glared at Zoe. For a moment she was silent, then she spoke. "You really are a lost cause, aren't you?" She said with nonchalant venom. Her gaze went to the hole in the wall. "If that's the way you'll be, then fine. I'll just take that option away from you. If you try going for that wall, I'll beat you there. I'm not going to let you do it, so get the idea out of your head."

Zoe met Kusari's glare with one of her own. A lost cause, huh? "You don't have to tell me that." It stung slightly but she was glad to see that the other girl had finally caught on. It was... more familiar than having to deal with sympathy, really. Painful truth over comforting fiction. "And we both know what I could do to you if you tried. You really want to take that risk?" To her credit Zoe at least managed to sound determined, but it didn't hide the way her fists clenched anxiously at her side, or how she failed to maintain her stare.

Kusari let out a scoff and spread out her arms. "Do whatever you want Zoe. I'm not repeating myself, I mean what I say, and no amount of bravado is going to change anything."

"Don't taunt me." Zoe practically snarled at Kusari - for a moment, she appeared almost ready to lunge, but a sharp bite to her cheek was enough to keep her focused. Ally. Kusari was an ally. "It's bad enough without being fucking provoked."

"Yeah yeah cry more. This conversation is over." Kusari dismissed Zoe's response and turned her attention to the raging fires in front of them. She wasn't going to sit here and argue until a dammed tree came and attacked her. Speaking of which, it appeared that what trees were destroyed were soon replaced with even more. She didn't think the trees were the actual mage, they had to be summons. Whoever was creating them had to be on the other side, as well as whoever created the wall. Kusari bit her lip in frustration. She didn't know what to do. She could try to beat the Amigos to the ferry, but then Zoe would end up getting herself killed. She hung her head, thinking about what options they had. She blinked as she noticed the wet grass at her feet. She glanced back to Zoe, then to the hoard of trees.

"Hey fire crotch, I've got something you can do besides getting yourself murdered. You can use your ability on those trees, right? What about the grass? Spread it out to all of them, maybe even that demonic looking motherfucker."

"Can you go one argument without bringing my crotch into it? Fine." That Kusari's idea made sense only served to annoy Zoe more. Of course she could use the surface - it was just a matter of trying not to affect her classmates. Forty-five metres. There wasn't the time for precision, so she just reached out as far as she could in every direction, the rot at a near standstill on the grass. Maintaining that effect wasn't too difficult in itself - and she was confident she could keep herself from attacking anyone that wasn't an enemy.

Kusari, however, barefoot as she was, would soon see the suspect black veins spreading across her flesh. A conscious decision. "In case they don't touch the grass, hit them and I'll go from there." Zoe was unapologetic as she turned her attention to the fight, accelerating the rot towards the advancing trees.

Kusari hopped as if she were skipping across a bed of coals as Zoe's toxic magic worked it's way into her feet. She was tempted to complain, but it would be pointless. She just needed to be useful right now. Her allies were struggling with the shadow monster, she could jump in as well, but the trees needed to be dealt with as well lest they have even more to contend with. digging her claws into the ground she sprinted forward, moving much faster than she could on just one superhuman leg. The only problem was her bulky arms. Swinging them like normal didn't feel right. Before the part of her brain that gave a damn how she looked could chime in, Kusari had leaned forward and began using her arms to help her run. A girl in a bloody school uniform with red steel claws running like a beast, just what the hell was her life?

She pounced towards the base of one of the Ent like monsters, slashing at it with her right hand claws. She kept moving as fast as she could, sprinting away and then closing in again for another attack, effectively using hit and run tactics.

As the assault began, Zoe's eyes lit up, anger forgotten. The grass, and Kusari's body for that matter, provided more than enough of a conduit for her to start spreading her deadly virus into the trees. Still, there were only so many things she could do at once, and trying to keep track of the entire battlefield was making it difficult to maintain the different parts of her power. Deciding to leave the shadow-creature to the others, she was able to focus on starting her attack in earnest - the rot on the trees dramatically accelerating as she did. Unless they had some trick up their sleeves, she doubted the trees would reach her in time to do damage.

The way Zoe saw it, it was just a question of how long they'd keep on coming.

Shattered Fates - A Dark Fantasy, Boss Battling Epic

Dwyn

Dwyn barely had time to register what was happening as the room tore itself asunder, metal warping and crashing and tearing. She watched, eyes wide, as her previous saviour toppled helplessly into the depths - what a fine repayment she'd provided for his aid. Tears stung as they formed at the unnecessary carnage, her lungs finally filling with air once more as she got shakily to her feet.

Though the picture that awaited her was fairly grim, picking out two of her companions in situations that were less than secure, to say the least. There was that ugly part of her that thought it would be easier to feign helplessness, to lie and avoid any blame for what was to come - she could try, try to save both of them, but there would still be blame resting on her shoulders were she to fail. It would be easier to do nothing at all...

But she stood, trying to keep her balance. If nothing else, her expedition had emphasised how awful it would be to roam these halls alone.

All these halls appeared to provide was a constant barrage of suffering and pain. What little she'd seen was already irrevocably burned into her mind, doubts as to whether it was her sanity or this place being twisted. Perhaps it didn't matter so much. Easier, even, to believe herself deluded than to accept the dismal state of reality.

I won't do this alone.

Moving as quickly as she could across the wobbling surface, Dwyn's eyes darted between the two unfortunates. No-one else was up here, certainly not in a position to help. So, could she save both? Perhaps. It would be worth trying regardless. A sickening snap, unmistakably bone, reminded her that there was no time to wait.

And so she ran.

The first one she reached was the girl, Isabella - a decision made mostly on how easy the rescue appeared to Dwyn's eye. To tell the truth, she had little clue how she alone was supposed to rescue the nameless companion. That, and well... when it came down to it, Dwyn was a practical sort, and were this to become a life-or-death decision, she'd sooner have the one who hadn't drawn the attention of a monstrous horde.

Of course, there were still others here, and she called out to the ones on the ground as she ran. "The anchor's dragging him down-- try and slow it!" Unsure of how much they would be able to see, she hoped they could at least stop the weapon's fall for long enough that she might be able to reach him. How they were supposed to do that, she had no idea, but she could only save one person at a time. A cruel choice for her to make, and his fate would be uncertain, leaving him like that, but what else was new?

As for Isabella's situation, Dwyn's halberd would hopefully provide some leverage to pry open the closing metal - enough, at least, that the woman could pull her ruined leg free. Bracing herself as best she could, Dwyn reached out with her free hand, all-too-aware of maintaining her balance on the shaking, wobbling floor. "Hurry and pull yourself up. There's another needing help." She spoke quickly, a hint of her previous haughtiness creeping in as a sort of defence mechanism.

So much easier to be sure of yourself without any monsters breathing down your neck.

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

_@Sickle-cell

"Way ahead of you." Robin nodded, taking off at a fairly rapid pace.

Raven Street... yeah, she knew where that was - or was pretty sure she did, anyway. He'd probably tell her if she went in the wrong direction anyway, so it wouldn't be a big deal. If it was only a few streets away, the run wouldn't take her more than a few minutes at most, so that'd be fine. There'd be enough of a distraction that few would pay attention to the fleeing Automaton, even if she was carrying one of Wonderland's own across her shoulder. Then again, it didn't seem like he minded.

Of course, the revelation that people might be preparing to head out didn't imply that things were gonna cool down any time soon. Or it meant there'd be a whole load of people that might not be very happy to see her, but that concern didn't really top Robin's list of worries right now. They probably wouldn't kill her outright, which wasn't something she could say about the psychopaths back on that battlefield, so what was the worst that could happen?

As for Askaryan... "And at least try to keep your eyes up 'til we're outta here." She hadn't missed his commentary, though her concerns were more practical. "If I get blindsided because you're too busy staring at my ass to give a warning, then I'm making you hop to the safe-house."

With that, she took off in earnest. If she was right, it wouldn't take her long to reach Raven Street. As for what kind of welcome she could expect, well, she'd just have to find out.

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

_@Sickle-cell

"Winning sounds good to me. Guess that makes it your place." Robin grinned, blades withdrawn. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed... well, revealed that 'getting the hell out' was a strategy best followed sooner rather than later. If she wasn't wrong, and she doubted she was, the newest arrivals were some of those Covenant psychos. Seriously, hanging around here would be the definition of a death-wish.

As things stood, Askaryan's promise of safety seemed like a good offer, and one she was happy to accept; though it might have served her well to be a little more wary of wandering into a Wonderland safe-house. Sadly, the idea that they might not appreciate a cape with her record of scheme-ruining (both accidental and deliberate), not to mention who'd just been fighting on Gladius' side, didn't really occur to her. The past was the past, right?

Hopefully anyone they ran into would share her relaxed attitude.

Of course, there was the problem of getting the hell out to deal with. Considering that Askaryan was pretty much crippled, it'd be more of an issue than it could have been, but still simple to deal with. Grinning, Robin knelt down, wrapped her working arm around him and slung him over one shoulder in a fireman carry - her busted hand making the task difficult, but not impossible. Slightly rude of her not to ask permission, but if he had a problem he could bring it up when things weren't such a mess.

For now, she started running away from the battlefield. "I'll do the moving, so you just tell me which way to run." There was a pause as Robin thought over their previous exchanges - and the guy's current position - before she spoke again, her voice deadpan. "And try not to get too comfortable up there, would you?"

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

_@Sickle-cell

...Dude, seriously?

Well, at least he had a sense of humour about this whole thing. Robin could appreciate someone willing to trade barbed words in the middle of a fight, although it didn't stop it from getting kind of annoying. "If you put half as much effort into hitting me as you do hitting on me, you might stand a chance." For the former, at least - the chances of success for the latter option were less than zero.

She wasn't floating particularly quickly, to be fair, which made it easy enough to figure out why she was moving. Seeing him prepare to launch another volley, she - with a look in her eyes that said she did not appreciate having to do it - cut away the power-affected fabric and fell to the floor in the nick of time, watching the projectiles fly over her head.

More explosions--

Was that a Protectorate aircraft? No time to analyse, but Pipeline's arrival had been bad enough. If there was a chance of arrest coming into the picture too, well, it was about time to jump ship. Gladius didn't pay her enough to get arrested, exploded, or dissolved in acid. She'd made a little bit of an impact, but this was out of her league; if there was a problem with that, she'd deal with it later.

Besides, loyalty went both ways; and she wasn't feeling much support from her so-called allies right about now. And hey, if they didn't want to support her properly, she was under no obligation to do anything similar for them. This encounter had revealed enough about her weaknesses for her to plan some new developments, and she'd given fixing the situation a try, but... well, no-one had told her to do any more than provide some help. Which she'd done.

New priority, get the hell out. Easier said than done with one functioning hand.

Lunging forward again, she kicked away the makeshift crutch, placing a half-extended blade to Askaryan's throat. "One, you owe me a new outfit. Two, what say you give up the fight so I can tell Gladius I contributed, help me get the hell out before we both get arrested or your boss blows me to bits," she nodded her head towards the chaotic battlefield, "and maybe I'll think about taking a job or two sometime." The way she saw it, it was an offer he couldn't refuse.

Partly because he wouldn't be going anywhere fast without her help, but mostly because she had two very very sharp blades that, while she wasn't willing to murder someone in cold blood, were more than capable of slicing him into ribbons either way. It wasn't a chance many people would want to take.

Worm - The Malfesant Throne

_@Sickle-cell

Well, she didn't take him out of the fight, which wasn't great - although Robin couldn't help feeling pleased that she'd gotten a good hit in. But the best thing was the tough-talking, which managed to coax a lazy smile from the girl. "What can I say? I aim to p--" She cut herself off, reacting just a little too late as he launched his next volley. Maybe she'd gotten a little too caught up in the verbal sparring, as she barely got her vital parts out of the way - and even that only with an unnatural-looking twist around on one leg that made her thankful for the mobility upgrades.

Nonetheless, a hiss of pain escaped her as concrete tore across her left side. It took seconds to assess the damage to the mechanical parts, a task she didn't need to put much effort into doing. Forearm plate cracked open, a couple of fingers broken, a small shard embedded deep in her hand - there went her punching capabilities, and gripping too until she got a chance to pull it out. The damage was obvious at a glance, sparking circuitry intertwined with muscle now visible where the armour had broken.

"Y'know, it's rude to interrupt." Glancing down at the blood seeping across the plating, she didn't seem too bothered by the painful-looking injuries. If anything, she was downright dismissive of it. "And mind the paint-job, buddy, it's worth more than you are."

All the distraction was a nice way of ignoring the fact that it seriously hurt. Refocus. He was a ranged attacker, so she had to close in quickly, make sure he couldn't keep his distance. Sprinting forward, she launched herself at him.

Rather than another slice that'd give him a chance to get away, it seemed she just planned to straight-up tackle the guy and pin him down - and if needed, give out a few more hits to match the one that had bloodied his nose. After all, she was a whole lot stronger than your average human. Figured that all she needed to do was get a proper grip with her good hand.