Bleached Nightmare Ch. 3

Chapter 3

"It is a far, far better thing I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known."

Marilin felt nothing. Her mouth moved on its own, reciting a line that she had seen so many times when she was young, the cold mist of her breath forming a cloud of pale white that snared the air around her. Last breath, she thought.

The Spirit Strider cocked its head strangely, much like a bird that has only just realised it is being watched. It's fingers tensed, flexing on the handle of its giant sword- something that Marilin looked at intently, thinking it as perhaps, something that could save her. Something inside her told her that the Spirit Strider had noticed, even though it had not moved a millimetre.

The racket on the outside of the street had not stopped- still the air was filled with screams and shouts, each little voice wanting their say in something that they seemed to have no part in. Marilin imagined it as a festival, except one that was permeated by hatred and disgust instead of happiness. It had been a long time since she had been to a happy festival, anyhow. Now it was sunset- still. She has felt that she had been here for the last century, caught in a mental bind, when the events endangering her life had only uncovered in the last few minutes.

A low hiss whipped into Marilin's ear, almost inaudible to any other person except one acquainted with Spirit Striders, who would recognize it in a heartbeat. She put one foot forward as she faced the giant with determination she which she didn't know stemmed from stupidity, or…stupidity.

"Never leave base without the battery for your point defence system fully charged. A single shell from an old-world tank could cripple you in a matter of seconds." She faced her 'adversary' with a brave face, waves of regret forming inside of her. "Disabling it, if this was a combat situation, would be the same as jettisoning your craft."

Relief rushed through her as her ploy proved successful, producing a laugh over a speaker that was very much human. Although only two Spirit Strider units patrolled the entire city, her instructor had informed her that most of the time they were run in autopilot, leading to swift and brutal punishment for the slightest infraction. Human commanders, whilst not angels, were far, far more compassionate.

"Indeed, you are right." said a voice, tone surprisingly jubilant and cordial. "With ears and a mind like that, you will make the cut to become a pilot one day- no doubt."

A loud creak resounded through the air as the cockpit hatch slid back, revealing a male police pilot, brown hair falling in spikes down onto a face that you could easily imagine if someone asked you to think about what an optimistic person looked like. One thing was for certain- even five meters up, with the hands still on the controls that could very well end her life, the blue eyes that looked at her made her feel at rest, strangling any trace of fear that had been gripping her before.

"About before…don't worry about it. I'm not even on duty- this Strider just needs to be driven to the warehouse for the night, that's all." He flashed a grin at Marilin, still cheerful to the point of being uncanny. "Sorry if I scared you. I don't realise how dull I sound when I talk to the intercom, and some people take it the wrong way."

"Oh…oh…it's alright. I'm fine." beamed Marilin, relief flooding over her like rain during a typhoon. "It's quite alright, and…thank you." She patted down her clothes, flushed and in a hurry, thinking about how much of an idiot she looked like.

"Thank you for what? Oh, whatever." the pilot laughed uneasily, suddenly understanding just how far his little muse went for the person standing in front of him. "Bonjour, privyet, hello- I'm Alec. Sorry for springing on you like that, if I knew it would've shook you up that much I wouldn't of." He leaned on the control panel as he gazed down, smiling so much in spite of the commotion in the background. "Here, let's shake hands. Put stuff behind us, whatever is trendy right now."

"People have been shaking hands for centuries now."

"Oh really? Ha…alright. Sorry, I've never been out of Shinevaar, not once in my twenty five years. Let's just make up, shall we?" With a deft movement, causing the Spirit Strider to sheath it's sword and lean downward, it's hand positioned next to the cockpit. Alec popped out with a single thrust, showing Marilin a young man of slight build, uniform pressed neatly and badged adorned with a face full of pride. The most salient part of the figure, however, was the persistent smile that looked so permanent that Marilin thought Alec's face looked like a fashion prop. Police pilot? Rookie.

Alec extended a gloved hand, which like the rest of his garb, was immaculate. White, smooth and without a single crease, Marilin began to have speculations on how a pilot's clothing could stay so perfect after a few minutes, no less a full police shift that probably consisted of a few hours.

"Student, huh? You look young. How many years in? I don't even think I learnt to remember the sound of a deactivating point defence system until right after I left the Academy…so you would be in your last year, correct?" said Alec, forcing a laugh after the long lack of response told him that he was monologuing.

"No…no…I'm in my third year, actually."

Alec's inevitable cheery response was cut in his throat.

A ripple of heavy arms gunfire slashed through the cacophony of the protest. Alec and Marilin, both trained to be soldiers, reacted almost instantly, facing the source, Marilin pacing backwards and Alec re-entering the cockpit in a single fluid motion. The crackle of bullets died almost instantly- the barrage had lasted no more than two seconds.

"Stay behind me." warned Alec, voice cut with a sharp tone that seemed very, very out of character.

Marilin obliged, and the both of them slowly crept towards the entrance of the alleyway, soft shoes splashing on puddles of dirty water and a pair of mechanical legs hissing as it groaned at the ground beneath it. Both tread in synchrony in the dark, confined space, never stopping as their curiosity tackled their fear. Now there was no uproar, no screams, or shouts- now there was silence, emphasized solely by its previous absence.

What they saw may have only lasted a few seconds, but both Alec and Marilin knew that it would last and never fade off the screens of history books.