“AUTOPILOT ENABLED.”
Procerita quickly took off her suit and bent over the table. Max had already understood the message, and had been kicking her from the other side of her sphincter to loosen the area and get his foot through.
Once she felt his foot breach her hole, Procerita grabbed it and yanked him out.
“Executioner!?” Max shouted. Procerita nodded her head. Procerita ran to the replicator.
Conveniently, someone had recently uploaded a Glalan-sized plasma pistol. It was loosely based on an earth revolver. Procerita reached for the “print” button
“WAIT!” Max objected, “this design is terrible! It’ll break your wrist if you shoot it! Let me try.”
Procerita stepped out of the way as Max modified the design. She ran to her room to find a spare shield.
Max’s father was a gunsmith. Max didn’t learn much from him, but he knew the basics.
Max had adjusted the muzzle and ammo type so that it functioned more like a railgun than a regular earth weapon. Without the concern of gunpowder or gunpowder-like alternatives, recoil was immediately reduced. This came with the added bonus of the velocity from the magnetic rails. Finally, he made an integral change that would be especially effective against the Aelmari: absolute zero bullets. Upon impact, they would immediately freeze anything it came into contact with.
Printing it, the design change was immediately apparent. Procerita charged back into the room, now fully armed with two shield projectors. One in use, and one on her belt.
As soon as it was done, Procerita grabbed the gun and loaded it. She had a grenade bandolier, and somehow had the time to put war paint under her eyes. Max couldn’t understand the need to waste precious seconds on aesthetics, but had to admit it looked cool.
“Game plan?” Max asked.
“I need you to go near anywhere she’s going to attack. Aelmari are almost completely incapable of injuring a human, that’s why we haven’t already been reduced to space dust.”
“… almost?”
“Don’t worry about that. Hop on.” Procerita outstretched her hand.
The autopilot interrupted, “LANDING COMPLETE. PLEASE STEP OUTSIDE.”
Stepping down the stairs to the bay, they both looked at each other. Procerita took a deep breath.
A hiss could be heard as the door began to lower. This was it.
The landing area was completely overgrown, the plants in life support likely having escaped. The lights were flickering, but still remained on. Everything that wasn’t a plant was made of colourless metal.
As she stepped out, the executioners ship flew in. It’s design was similar to the one they had seen at the bazaar, only smaller, likely containing less rooms, and a much smaller bay.
The ship gracefully landed, hardly making a sound. The bay door immediately dropped down.
Carnifex the Executioner. She was even more terrifying in person.
She was in a skintight suit similar to Procerita’s, with high heels and visible cleavage. She walked with confidence and a feminine sway to her hips. Her sneering grin that never seemed to leave her face was still as unsettling as ever.
There they both stood. Procerita kept her finger on the trigger, Max now sitting on her shoulder.
They both started circling around, like sharks around their prey. They made direct eye contact.
Max whispered into Procerita’s ear, “if one of your bullets makes contact it will freeze her. You should be able to use any blunt force to remove the limb. She won’t be able to heal it back.”
While Procerita had accidentally broke eye contact, Carnifex quickly seized the opportunity to bring up a ball of white hot plasma, and bring it up to throw.
In the blink of an eye, Procerita raised her gun and shot the plasma out of the air. The ball dissipated immediately.
Carnifex started charging immediately, raising her fist to make a hit. Max jumped to Procerita’s face, causing the executioner’s hand to rapidly change direction and miss Procerita’s face.
While the Executioner was stunned by its own directives, Procerita put the barrel of the gun to the Aelmari’s forearm and pulled the trigger.
Immediately the effect was powerful. Her arm changed to a light shade of blue. Procerita head butted the forearm, and it snapped off with ease.
It hir the floor and shattered.
Carnifex jumped back, and her sneer immediately faded, and was briefly replaced by fear, before turning to rage.
Her skin began to ripple like water. Her arm went from looking like broken glass to a stub. Her eyes twitched and her hand spasmed.
Max had moved to the top of Procerita’s head. Procerita grabbed a few grenades off the bandolier, clenching them and setting off the fuse. They flashed with a bright red light as she tossed them underhand toward the threat.
Carnifex quickly dove out of the way, the explosives detonating moments later. As the Aelmari rolled back into standing position, Procerita drew another grenade. As she began the throwing motion, Carnifex liquified and attempted to solidify behind Procerita.
But Procerita was aware.
Quickly clenching the grenade she reached her arm backwards behind her so that as Carnifex manifested the grenade would be inside her torso.
And it worked. As Procerita withdrew her hand the grenade was left inside the Executioner.
The grenade set off within her gut. It shot blue liquid across the room, staining Procerita’s outfit. There was now a gaping hole in her torso, oozing with blue liquid.
But Carnifex refused to die. She looked up towards Procerita. Her shining green eyes filled with unfaltering hatred. Her body pumping resentment instead of blood.
Quickly, she jumped and tackled Procerita, her gun falling out her hand. Max fell aside. They were rolling around trying to restrain one another.
Max looked to the gun. It was facing towards them.
Max grabbed the trigger, sticking his leg on the ring that surrounded it, and pushed with all his might.
Click.
The bullet shot out, hitting Carnifex in the other arm, up near the shoulder. Procerita immediately took notice, and smashed it with her fist.
Carnifex had no arms and was pinned to the ground. Procerita placed her legs on either side of Carnifex’ body, her legs kicking violently.
Procerita grabbed a grenade off her chest and placed it in her own mouth, holding it between her teeth.
She reached down to the screaming executioner, who was boiling with rage.
Procerita placed both hands in the Aelmari’s mouth. One hand on her jaw, and the other on her head. Procerita let out a cry as she forced her energy into pulling open the Executioner’s mouth.
Her arms shook from the effort, until a crunch was heard. The foe’s jawbone smashed open, growing to an impossible width. A wail of pain escaped from the Aelmari.
Procerita bit the grenade, activating it, and spat it into the executioner’s mouth. From there she reached onto her belt, grabbing the spare shield, and stuck it to the Aelmari’s chest. The shield washed across the blue body, encasing her head.
Boom.
The grenade splattered the Aelmari everywhere, the shield containing the heat of the blast. Blue blood seeped out onto the floor.
It was done.