"Nine-Four, Three-Three-One, I require assistance," You stated as you approached the amassed guardians, watching them as they steadily processed the civilians before them, as they attached them to a length of chain via multiple manacles. The two that you had adressed turned towards you, the faint whir of gears coming from beneath their surfaces as they craned their necks, as they focused their attention on you.
You knew that they would be attempting to assess you, to classify your current form, to put a name to this unknown factor so that they could better understand it. Your loss of form was signifigant enough that it would warrant this, it was something that they would no doubt be required to report upon, to convey what they understood it to signify. There was nothing that you yourself could have conveyed in such a situation had you wanted to, as there was nothing that could have explained your loss of form, nothing that could explain why you had ended up like this.
"Awaiting Request, Three-Seventy," the two stated in unison, the glow of those green eyes piercing the darkness as they stood before you. Their forms, along with that green glow was one that was distinctive, one that you knew allowed the citizens to identify you with ease. It was one that allowed them to clearly see those that served the nation were, to see those that would protect them above all else, to see those that they should only fear if they had reason to.
You were a guardian, you were one of the defenders of the city who did a job that no other was able, you were one who's duties were to pursue the unknown, to determine its nature and intent and to neutralise it as required. You were one of the tireless defenders, one of those who's very nature made them suited to this thankless job. You didn't require praise for such a task however, all you required was orders to carry out and repairs as required.
Part of defending the city, was following leads, both reliable and not.
Your current one was a potential one on the creator, that unreliable as it had come to you was, was one that you would follow to its conclusion, then report upon so any relevant information could be filed away. "My form is compromised. I require escorting back to base. I require secure means to relay information pertaining to the events of the night. I require repairs. I require assistance reaching the Technomancer guild house to investigate an anomaly, priority one."
"Understood, Three-Seventy."
You looked up at the two before you, then down at your feet, taking note of how they were still uncovered, how you still had no footwear to protect them from sharp stones and broken glass. "I require carrying, current means of locomotion is inadequate," you added, holding out your arms as Three-Three-One adjusted its stance, holding out one arm for you to grasp as it angled its body so you could easily clamber atop it.
You sat atop the shoulders of the guardian as the three of you made your way through the city, back towards the districts you typically patrolled, the ones that you focused on due to the fact that they held people important to the running of the city. The loss of civilians to the things that went bump in the night was a terrible thing, yet losing those that kept the city running would be worse. Without these people you were aware of how things would go downhill, how the city would be unable to run itself, how things could only degrade.
Removing the head would kill the body.
These people were the head of the city.
As you continued onward through the city you relayed your experiences of that night, passing the blade you had liberated to the two guardians as they examined it in turn, incase it held some form of relevance toward the nature of the individual you had faced. As the blade was passed back you found yourself once more feeling unsettled by this body, by the fact that it had no means other than the use of its hands to carry this weapon.
As you reached the bridge that lead across the river, back towards the guild houses you took note of another guardian coming the other way, one who's armour was visibly different to the ones that accompanied you. Your fingers tapped against the shoulder of the one you sat atop, before you pointed towards the guardian as they passed you by. "Appearance does not conform. Explain."
"Refitted Armour."
This response had you wonder if this meant that they were doing upgrades to all the older models, as you knew by sight, somehow, that the guardian you had passed was One-Four-Four. Nine-Four and One-Four-Eight hadn't sported replacement armour, meaning that this must've been armour that was given to the ones on hand for testing.
As you reached the steps of the Technomancers guild house you dismounted, slipping from atop the guardian that you had used as a means of transport, the heavy clanking of their feet echoing on the steps behind you as the three of you ascended the steps. The first room you saw as you stepped through the doorway that lead into the guild house was a reception room that you were unfamiliar with. You had never been inside this building before, despite knowing that your internal power source and your arms and armour had been constructed here.
You could see scorch marks visible on the walls, banners that had recently been hung over them to hide the years of abuse that these walls had no doubt seen, while a man sat in the middle of the flood with a bucket and cloth. You could see the water in the bucket had turned a muddy shade of red, that the man was doing his best to clear blood from the floor, telling you that the odds that the figure who you took to be your creator being here were higher. It wasn't much of an increase in probability, though it was an increase none the less.
The figure had no doubt heard the approach of the guardians with you, prompting him to turn slightly as he visibly scowled. "I just cleaned that floor, and you malfunctioning mechanisms brought a homeless person in here to foul it up for what reason?" snapped the man, prompting you, along with the other two guardians to look over your shoulders, followed by scanning the room carefully for the individual in question.
"No Civilian Matching That Description Sighted," came the statement from the one guardian, prompting the man to pause, turning towards you fully, his features turning pale as his eyes fixed upon your form, upon the sword you carried and the blood stained dress that adorned you
"Nine-Four, Three-Three-One, Dismissed," you stated as you turned your attention towards the man fully, the two guardians accompanying you turning, marching from the reception room as they left you to carry out your business.
With the other two off to relay the experiences for the night on your behalf, you were free to pursue your current investigation. Did you request the assistance of this individual, simply stride past them and follow the trail of blood, or go about things in a different manner?
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Topic: They told me I could be anything... (Read 78987 times)