Shrapnel
As Hitomi approached the scene at a brisk walk, she shouted orders to the clean up team, making sure that anyone hurt got medical attention. She surveyed the area, “We are so going to catch hell from the cops on this. When they get here, anyway.”
She shook that off and walked up to CJ and Mitchell, who were looking flushed. CJ had an uncharacteristic look of… fear? What the hell is going on. Was she crying? CJ’s eyes did look a little red.
“Hey, everything alright?” She looked at each in turn.
“I’m fine. Just something in my eyes.” She groused and turned away to stomp up the the remains of the robot.
Hitomi had to blink. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say her friend was embarrassed. CJ was never embarrassed. She fixed her glare on Mitchell, who flushed almost to purple, and was about to say something when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder.
“Let’s go see the robot, Hitomi.” Alana gestured with a tilt of her head, and Hitomi glared again at Mitchell, but followed. “I think it’s alright.” She lowered her voice and glanced behind them. “Leave it be, Hitomi. I suspect they had a,” she paused, blushed, “moment.”
Hitomi looked at her, a bit confused then it hit her. “Oh.” She grimaced.
“Yes. I’ve been wondering when it would happen.”
“You were? It’s only been a few months. Geeze, he works fast.” She grumbled. There was a sad thread of jealousy there.
“Hitomi.” Alana said sharply, but an understanding smile softened the word. “You had to know this would happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She was silent for a moment, then said in a small voice, “Can we talk later?”
Alana reached out and gave her hand a light squeeze, “Of course. Anytime, you know that.”
“Thank you.” Then she set her expression as they got the wreckage. “Geeze, Siege. What did you do?”
“Threw a table at it.”
“Of course you did.” She bent down and grabbed a stick to poke at the still smoldering wreck. “Self destruct?”
CJ nodded and knelt down next to her friend. “Started smoking after it went down. I think there was a proximity sensor in the arms. Stand too close even if it’s down and it triggers the guns.” She pointed at the trenches left by the guns.
Hitomi grimaced and then whistled as she looked at them. “Death trap. Nice. Any idea what it was after.”
CJ was silent for a moment. “I think it was after me. There was a sensor pod on top, it came right after me when it caught sight of me.”
Clicking her tongue, Hitomi turned over some of the charred metal. “Now who did we piss off this time, I wonder?”
“I think I might have an idea, ladies.”
Alana walked over and handed CJ a partially obscured plaque. “Hmm. Must have come off the ‘bot.” She turned it over and froze. “Well. Isn’t that interesting?”
Hitomi looked at the etched symbol and swore quietly. “I think we need to do some planning, partner.”
Mitchell, who had walked over, couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer. “What’s that?”
“That? That is the seal of the Eternal Fourth Reich.”
CJ nodded and cast a glance over the damage to the area. “And it looks like they finally declared war on us.”
She shook that off and walked up to CJ and Mitchell, who were looking flushed. CJ had an uncharacteristic look of… fear? What the hell is going on. Was she crying? CJ’s eyes did look a little red.
“Hey, everything alright?” She looked at each in turn.
“I’m fine. Just something in my eyes.” She groused and turned away to stomp up the the remains of the robot.
Hitomi had to blink. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say her friend was embarrassed. CJ was never embarrassed. She fixed her glare on Mitchell, who flushed almost to purple, and was about to say something when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder.
“Let’s go see the robot, Hitomi.” Alana gestured with a tilt of her head, and Hitomi glared again at Mitchell, but followed. “I think it’s alright.” She lowered her voice and glanced behind them. “Leave it be, Hitomi. I suspect they had a,” she paused, blushed, “moment.”
Hitomi looked at her, a bit confused then it hit her. “Oh.” She grimaced.
“Yes. I’ve been wondering when it would happen.”
“You were? It’s only been a few months. Geeze, he works fast.” She grumbled. There was a sad thread of jealousy there.
“Hitomi.” Alana said sharply, but an understanding smile softened the word. “You had to know this would happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She was silent for a moment, then said in a small voice, “Can we talk later?”
Alana reached out and gave her hand a light squeeze, “Of course. Anytime, you know that.”
“Thank you.” Then she set her expression as they got the wreckage. “Geeze, Siege. What did you do?”
“Threw a table at it.”
“Of course you did.” She bent down and grabbed a stick to poke at the still smoldering wreck. “Self destruct?”
CJ nodded and knelt down next to her friend. “Started smoking after it went down. I think there was a proximity sensor in the arms. Stand too close even if it’s down and it triggers the guns.” She pointed at the trenches left by the guns.
Hitomi grimaced and then whistled as she looked at them. “Death trap. Nice. Any idea what it was after.”
CJ was silent for a moment. “I think it was after me. There was a sensor pod on top, it came right after me when it caught sight of me.”
Clicking her tongue, Hitomi turned over some of the charred metal. “Now who did we piss off this time, I wonder?”
“I think I might have an idea, ladies.”
Alana walked over and handed CJ a partially obscured plaque. “Hmm. Must have come off the ‘bot.” She turned it over and froze. “Well. Isn’t that interesting?”
Hitomi looked at the etched symbol and swore quietly. “I think we need to do some planning, partner.”
Mitchell, who had walked over, couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer. “What’s that?”
“That? That is the seal of the Eternal Fourth Reich.”
CJ nodded and cast a glance over the damage to the area. “And it looks like they finally declared war on us.”
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