Avariel came in low charging for the clockwork minotaurs left knee. She saw the exposed joints were vulnerable from the lack of synthetic skin, but her opponent knew of the threat. He kicked at her with a massive foot, but she jumped in retreat as he passed. While he was off balance she touched his heel with her charged horn.
Static discharged from the Falconite throwing Mephistophicles onto his back. The ground shook and electrical devices oscillated plunging the arena into brief moments of darkness. The aetheric dampeners sparked above, remaining active.
Doctor Falcon examined her handiwork disappointed that it hadn’t overloaded her opponent’s leg. She needed to attack a weaker point or attempt a different strategy. Mephistophicles regained his footing and snorted at her angrily. His synthetic eye was brown, but the exposed eye glowed a fierce red. “You did not bow either.”
“I suppose it’s too late to try that now?” She asked with forced sweetness. It would give her more time to prepare her next attack. Regrettably the mechanical monster attacked her, swinging his fists. Avariel felt a strong wind whiff past her as she barely dodged his onslaught repeatedly. She was running out of ground to lose.
“Ignore the horse!” Doctor Benton Hartschlägel called out loudly, his voice clear through the others cheers. “Her friend is behind you! Crush his skull with your foot and she shall come to you!”
Mephistophicles paused his assault as he considered Wright. The wolf was struggling to stand with his wounded ribs. The injured canine only had his pants left after his transformation. His holsters and duster had been torn to shreds. He had no way to defend himself from the massive clockwork, which even the mechanical beast did not find appealing. It would end the chase though.
Avariel grit her teeth and stared at the doctors and minotaur experiencing something that might be hatred, “Don’t you dare hurt Wulfy!! I’m right here!”
“Hold, Mephistophicles.” Doctor Dupyre called out to the surprise of the audience and the combatants. “I want you to prove yourself against Dr. Falcon. You can hardly display your superiority by resorting to common and tasteless tactics.”
“But the mongrel will interfere with their battle!” Hartschlägel warned quietly. He looked down at the wolf coldly. “That undisciplined mutt is obviously trying to calculate a way to trip up your creation.”
“Then you subdue him. That is your job.” Dupyre whispered waving his hand unconcerned. The unpleasant Doctor Benton grinned as he slowly removed himself. Dupyre returned to his latest creations pen-ultimate test. “Mephistophicles, defeat Dr. Falcon!”
The momentary lapse in the battle was over and the clockwork turned and punched the ground where Avariel had been standing. She had been prepared as she jumped to the right and then leapt forward impaling his hand with her horn. The Professor had already arranged an attack that would render her opponent harmless if it worked.
She started to alter his aetheric makeup, but needed more time than the giant clockwork would give her. Mephistophicles threw her off of him sending her to the floor almost tripping on her own four legs.
Wright saw an opportunity present itself as he jumped onto the clockworks back leg. His ribs bore nasty bruises, but had set properly before he had lost control. Knowing how soon they might be rebroken he reached for the exposed joint in the Minotaurs knee.
Mephistophicles grabbed the saboteur before he could achieve victory and threw him aside callously, but it was enough distraction for Avariel to get back on her feet. She charged forward and leapt at her enemy.
The Minotaur bent down to meet her, their horns pointed at each other as her lunge moved ever closer to impaling his clockwork brain. While she sailed through the air he twisted his head and his bull horns knocked Avariel aside sending her crashing to the floor. The blow itself she could have ignored, it was the aetheric charge that sparked through her form she needed to neutralize as her mechanical knees wobbled.
She required more time to study her opponent and his capabilities, and that cursed aetheric dampener kept her from ending the fight quickly. She could have destroyed or humiliated Mephistophicles hundreds of ways without its interference. Switching targets, Dr. Falcon focused on how to remove the real obstacle in her path.
***********
Wright stood up sluggishly having been thrown against a wall and falling several feet to the floor. The werewolf felt no succor offered by his curse that should have been repairing his wounds and gifted him with the strength to fight on. He had never heard of aetheric dampeners or reality enforcers, but they were moving up his list of things to break on sight.
He could smell Hartschlägel and his men approach before he saw them. The canine turned to meet the odious man with raised fists. The gruff looking doctor was shorter than Wright, but he was thick and muscular unlike the other scientists. He was bearing his shock mace, though he was aware the effect would be reduced by the dampener. The soldiers were holding dart guns filled with potent sedatives.
“Come, mutt,” Dr. Benton rapped the side of the wall with his weapon and whistled repeatedly. “It’s time for you to learn your place. Heel.”
Wright ignored the speciest taunting from the man. He had a more important matter to settle first, “You claimed the capture of Beryl Strifeclaw.” Doctor Hartschlägel nodded his head looking very pleased with himself. “They were hiding in the Cathedral and there was a cloud of smoke coming from the city. That was your handiwork, vappa?”
“It was indeed,” Hartschlägel said recognizing the latin insult which only made him smile more. “Borrowing words without knowing what they mean is not becoming. They are reserved for your highly educated betters.”
“It doesn’t take much to be better than caenum-.”
“You can parrot insults later, mutt,” Benton replied speaking over Wrights last sentence as he approached with the mace. His men fanned out so they could shoot from any direction without hitting the scientist. “First we have to teach you a lesson. Lesson one. You are not a monster. You are my victim.”
Wright growled as his hair stood on end. Dampener or not, he was a wolf and could tear this man apart with his claws and teeth. He was certain his bite could still pass the curse. “Ascendo tuum! Et te cruciatus agonia mundus! Nati tibi in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem!”
“That is something I would suggest to all new parents. It would separate the wheat from the chaff.” Hartschlägel smiled cockily as he edged closer to the wounded wolf, who had every reason to be at his most dangerous. He raised his voice, “Boys, I think this one needs a bit more fight taken out of him.”
Wright took his chance and pounced towards Dr. Hartschlägel. His men would turn on him if he was infected, but the enraged wolf felt tiny pricks in his side and back deliver muscle relaxant and tranquilizer. Sedatives, the distance between him and his target, and his own injuries prevented Wright from reaching Benton. The scientist struck the canine in the arm with his heavy barbed mace and knocking him into the wall.
The shock was less terrible than it would have been, but it and the tranquilizer darts were overcoming him. Wright’s breathing slowed as Hartschlägel stood over him mockingly. “This may bruise your ego, but we’ve subdued much worse creatures out there than you.”
Snarling weakly, Wright tried to maul Bentons leg, but the scientist had already turned his back on the tranquilized prisoner.
***********
Doctor Falcon had been too distracted to note Wrights capture until it was too late. She had been avoiding the persistent efforts of Mephistophicles. He had grappled her twice more throwing her to the ground, and one time even suplexed the clockwork just for the crowds delight. Though she looked battered the damage to her systems were mostly superficial.
“Come, Doctor Falcon! This might be your last chance to save everyone!” Dupyre shouted as he clenched his fist and spoke almost encouragingly to his opponent. “The Resistance has fallen! Your captain, your friends, the townsfolk! What will you tell them if you do not give it your all?!”
Avariel had a plan, but unfortunately it needed her opponent to turn his back for a moment. That crucial part of her idea left her struggling for an ingenious solution. Thinking of her friends she wondered what a crafty fox like Tepic would do. Now she was thinking like an urchin a simple idea came to her.
She widened her eyes and looked over at the scientists gasping in fake shock, “Oh great Builder, what are they doing over there!?”
Mephistophicles whipped about to see what he was missing. Avariel ran forward and jumped onto the mechanical bull. She ran up his back as he twisted in surprise and she leapt towards the center of the aetheric dampeners.
She had located the core of the dampener but needed to get closer. Doctor Falcon sent a purple bolt of lightning from her horn directly into the machine, overloading the device, and fell to the ground covered in tranquilizer darts. The mounted turrets had not been designed to utilize lethal force, but this meant they were useless against her. Shaking herself off she was satisfied the enforcers hum died.
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