Chapter 02: Destiny Turns

 

  Continuous shots of bullets came straight at Stream, who approached the robot with a grin on her face

 

'Got you...' Stream thought

 

  She flew upwards to dodge, and the robot followed her with its sight.  It didn't notice the incoming waves of flame that were right behind Stream, before she flew up

 

  "What the!?"

 

  It somehow saw the flames, and was able to dodge at the last second

 

  "Ha... That was close, but not close enough... Huh!?"

 

  Something was coming at it from above.  Stream was falling straight at it, her blade ready to strike.  She was using the sunlight so the robot won't be able to see her clearly.

 

  "HAWK HUNTER!!!"

 

  In one swift motion, she slashed the robot across its stomach area, splitting it into two.  When she was far away enough below, she rode on her sword again

 

  "Now, Tina!!!"

  "Roger! FIRE STORM!!!"

 

  More waves of flame ejected from Tina's staff, which were all going for the robot.  It was a direct hit.

 

  "Did that do it?" Tina asked

 

  Stream hovered over the scene from a safe distance.  As the flames started to disappear, Stream saw something amidst it.

 

  "Damn - it's still alive..."

 

  The robot had frozen whatever was left of its upper body to protect itself from the flames.

 

  "Tina, you have to use 'that'!" Stream shouted from far away

  "'That'... you mean... OK!"

  "I'm counting on you."

  "Me too..."

 

  Meanwhile, Axess was climbing up the stairs in the building where Stream flew over.  This time, it was more than his curiosity to know whether they were relatives that drove him to climb.

 

  'Damn it!!! What the heck's going on here?' Axess thought to himself

  "Axess!!!" shouted a panting Manny "I said wait!!!"

 

  They were halfway up when Axess noticed something was falling outside.  He stopped to look at it.

 

  "Finally..." Manny said, catching up to Axess and his breath "Now, listen here..."

  "What do you think that is?" Axess said

  "Eh? Where?"

 

  Manny took a look.  It was something like a lower body, from the hip to the legs.  The rest of the body, however, was missing.

 

  They then saw it: the joints suddenly shattered, and the remaining parts transformed into dragonheads - three of them.  They then flew upward, and fast.  They were spewing some sort of blue gas behind them, on the part where a neck is supposed to be.

 

  "W-what are those???" Manny asked, frightened "Oi, Axess!!!"

 

  Axess resumed climbing the stairs, but this time he was faster than before

 

  "Whatever those are, I have to hurry and tell that girl!"

 

  Tina planted her staff firmly on the ground, letting it go after making sure it was stable.  She then placed her hands in front of the staff's orb, as if trying to focus something on it.  The orb then started glowing - as if it was on fire.

 

  "You're tougher than I thought..." Stream said

  "You're not that bad either..." the robot said, closing its eyes

  "Don't you DARE close your eyes on me!!!" Stream shouted, charging forward at full speed, feeling mocked

 

  The robot opened up his eyes - all of them! He had two in each of his dragonheads.  Stream was taken by surprise, so she flew past it.  Then the robot moved its right arm and fired at Stream - without looking at her

 

  "How the..."

 

  Stream was able to dodge it, but more shots followed.  The robot was still looking at her, but it was able to tell where Stream was going - its arms were following her.  Its main head was fixed, looking somewhere.  Stream just couldn't tell where, because of all the gunfire she's evading.

 

  Axess finally made it to the top.  As he opened the door, he saw the three dragonheads from earlier.  They were getting ready to fire something from their mouths.  Axess saw their target: a girl with short red hair wearing a cloak who was holding her hands in front of a glowing staff.

 

  "It's done!!!" Tina screamed "Kyaaaah!!!"

 

  Tina was pushed over, and just in the nick of time.  Any second sooner and she would be like the ground she was standing on - all frozen.

 

  "What do you think you're doing?" Tina shouted in anger as she tried to get up

  "Saving you from - LOOK OUT!!!"

 

  The dragonheads attacked again, and Axess rolled away with Tina.  He landed on his back, and he saw something happening in the sky.

 

  "Now look at what you've done!  It's going to be released without a target!!!" Tina said as she got up, looking at her staff that was vibrating and toppling.

 

  A huge fireball came out of its orb, heading straight up.  Like Tina said, it had no particular target.  Unfortunately, it was heading straight for Stream.

 

  "Stream, look out!!!"

  "Huh? WOAH!!!"

 

  Stream was able to get away from it, but she drifted right above the building.  Luckily, the fireball was big enough to block all the bullets.

 

  "What do you think you're doing, Tina?"

  "It's not me - this guy pushed me over."

  'That's...' Stream thought

 

  Something then appeared behind Stream.  It came in so fast and it was in perfect position for her not to notice it.  However, someone did

 

  "BEHIND YOU!!!" Axess shouted

 

  A dragonhead shot a missile at Stream.  It was already too late to dodge when she noticed it

 

  "Damn it!!!"

 

  She used her armguard to block it, which she succeeded.  However, the force of the impact was so strong that Stream fell off her sword.

 

  "Stream!!!" Tina screamed "HEY!"

 

  Out of instinct, Axess got up and tried to catch Stream.  Tina was still on top of him, so he had to push her away.  Thankfully, he managed to catch her.

 

  "Where are you going?" Tina shouted

  "Take care of the rest.  She's obviously hurt!!!" Axess said as he took Stream away

  "Easier said than done..." Tina whispered, as she looked at all the enemies around her.

 

  She was now face to face with the robot and its three dragonheads. 

 

  "You're the only one left..." the robot said

  "Maybe, but I can still take you on."

  "We'll just see about that!  Dragon Bits!!!"

 

  The three dragonheads all attacked at once, shooting bullets at Tina

 

  'So it's gonna be like this, huh?' she thought "FIRE STORM!!!"

 

  She planted her staff on the ground once more.  This time the flames surrounded and protected her from the bullets.

 

  "Not yet!!!"

 

  The flames were then absorbed into the orb as fast as they appeared.

 

  "HIGH ATOMIC FIRE!!!"

 

  Three fireballs then shot out of it.  They looked just like the previous gigantic fireball, only smaller this time.  They made a direct hit with the three dragonheads, taking them out for good.

 

  "Now it's just you and me..." Tina said to the robot

 

  "Finally..." Manny said panting, met with Axess at the stairs "Now... listen... here..."

  "Good, you're here.  She's injured - we have to help her!" Axess said as he ran past him

  "Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh???" Manny replied

 

  Axess went for the nearest room in the floor below, and found a table where a person could be laid down.

 

  "Are you alright?" Axess asked as he laid Stream down

  "My... right arm's... numb..." she replied weakly

 

  Axess removed her armguard, and examined her right arm

 

  "You've broken your elbow!  Hold on..."

 

  Axess reached for his right pocket and pulled out a folded white scarf.  He laid it out, and folded it triangularly

 

  "Don't mind me... Get out of here, now... Ah!"

  "Don't try to move it." Axess replied as he placed the scarf around her arm

  "Hey, is she going to be all right?" Manny asked

  "As long as she doesn't move this arm, yes."

 

  The staircase then started shaking violently.

 

  "What's going on?" Manny asked, frightened

  "It's... me... they're... after..." Stream said, pointing to the window

 

  A dragonhead was right outside, aiming for the three of them.  Stream immediately got up and returned back to the roof.

 

  "Hey, wait!" Axess said

 

  He followed after her, picking up the armguard as well

 

  "Axess!" Manny said, as he too went after Axess.  He got out of the room just before the dragonhead destroyed it from the outside.

 

  "Stream!!! Are you alright?" Tina said, as Stream came back to the roof.  She still desperately fighting against the robot

  "Just broke it." she replied, while searching for something on the ground "Don't worry - I can still fight."

  "Oi, you shouldn't be here!" Axess said as he too came to the roof "You're injured! OI!"

  "I've told you that it's me they're after!!!" Stream said, as she picked up her dagger that she was looking for.  "Keep my armguard for the time being.  I won't be able to use it like this." She said as she noticed that Axess was wearing the armguard on his right hand.

  "Fool!  Your arm might be forever broken if you anything more strenous!  Don't you understand?"

  "Wh-why do you care so much about me?" Stream said, looking Axess straight in the eye

  "Well... uh... that's..."

 

  "DRAGON VULCAN!!!"

 

  The robot launched its attack again, but it wasn't aimed at Tina.  She, on the other hand, got in front of Axess and Stream just in time.

 

  "FIRE STORM!!!", she said, planting her staff on the ground again

 

  Like before, flames encirlced them and protected them from the bullets

 

  "Don't just stand there and do nothing!" she snapped at the two.  "This should do it.  HIGH ATOMIC FIRE!!!"

 

  This time, only one fireball was released from the orb.

 

  "That won't work a second time.  COLD WAR!!!"

  "What the!?"

 

  All of the robot's joints shattered, and it separated into five different dragonheads.  Each was spewing blue gas behind.  They quickly encircled and surrounded the three.

 

  "AXESS, BEHIND YOU!!!"

 

  Manny just came, and he saw that one dragonhead that was getting ready to attack them.

 

  It all happened so fast.  Stream was the one standing at the back, so she was targeted first.  The dragonhead released its bullet attack.  Axess pulled Stream backwards, and raised his right arm.  He hoped that he would be able to deflect it, just like Stream did.  He did manage to block the bullet, but he wasn't able to deflect it.

 

  Right in front of their eyes, they saw Axess quickly being frozen.

 

  "N-no... A-axess..." Manny said, every bone in his body shaking in fear

  "I-is... Is he..." Tina said, stuttering...

  "That's why I told you to get out of here!" Stream shouted at the block of ice in front of her that was once Axess

 

  "Well, that's one nuisance down..." said the robot, whose voice was echoing all around

  "You bastard!!!" Stream said, activating her sword "He was innocent! We're the ones you want, not him!"

  "'Innocent'? That wouldn't happen to him if he was 'innocent' now, would it?"

  "Die!!!" Stream said, charging forward "Ugh" but she was stopped as she took her first step

  "So your elbow is broken... This makes it easy..."