Chapter Text
Book of Shonssx 3:18
“Hatchling child, do not merely proclaim your love for another. A devoted woman shall be known by her works, for it is within her actions that reveal true love within her heart.”
Glass flew around Arikah as she crashed through the window. Her body was hurled across a maze of cubicles, splintering cheap divider walls apart with her bulk. Dust-covered computers and monitors exploded while papers flew in the air like startled birds.
Pain lanced up her arm. It was agonizing, a freezing fire that flooded her nerves. But she did not dare let go of Owen. She curled tighter around him, shielding his head against her chest, and twisted herself to take the full brunt of the punishment.
Arikah’s body kept rolling. She crashed through one workstation after another until her momentum was finally slowed and she was left lying on her back. Her lungs seized when another pulse of torment shot through her like electricity.
“Owen?” she hissed.
She uncurled and looked down to find Owen sprawled over her stomach and breastplate. A thin cut trailed down his cheek where a shard of glass had clipped him. Blood gathered there in a bright red line.
He groaned, planting both hands over her breastplate to try to push himself upright. His legs slid over her hips and straddled her waist without realizing it.
A sudden warmth, entirely unrelated to the pain, rushed through Arikah. Owen hovered over her, breath quick and shallow, his face only inches from her lips. His hands lingered on the curves of her chest, his weight pressing into her stomach. Every nervous quiver could be felt through her armor.
Owen’s eyes blinked open slowly, dropping to his hands. “Arikah?” When he realized where they were, his face turned scarlet. He jerked backwards so quickly he nearly fell to the floor. “A-Arikah! Are you okay?” He scrambled off of her, easing his hand behind her back to help her sit up.
“I’ll be okay,” Arikah muttered, though it was a lie. The slightest movements came with unrelenting pain in her nerves that stretched taut inside the socket. She could feel the weight of her own arm tugging against the muscles.
Owen didn’t need to know how bad it was. That would only continue to make him panic. But she needed to know if he was okay. She cupped his jaw, turning his face to the light spilling through the broken window. “You’re bleeding!”
“It’s just a cut–”
Arikah ignored him and brushed her thumb across his cheek to inspect the wound. Blood smeared over the fabric of her gauntleted fingers. It only seemed to be a surface-level cut. Thank you, Goddess… Her eyes lowered, noticing a faint red coloration soaking through the sleeve of his suit jacket. “Shit… your staples! Owen, hold still!”
“I’m fine!” he protested, trying to shove her hand away. “Arikah, your arm’s still hangin’ outta’v’its socket!”
“I said hold still!” she snapped, her voice betraying the fear she was trying to hide. The suit jacket slipped off, and she began fumbling with the buttons on his undershirt.
The landing must’ve torn the wound open. “Owen, look at me,” she demanded, still working at the buttons. “Are you dizzy? Did you hit your head? Tell me if you’re hurt anywhere else–”
“ARIKAH! BEHIND YOU!”
His shout snapped her attention across the alley to see the room they had just escaped from now filled with soldiers, aiming plasma rifles directly at her. Arikah surged to her feet, snatching Owen up and sprinting deeper into the building as a few bolts scorched the cubicles and floor.
Think… She slammed through the door and stumbled into the stairwell. Owen clung to her neck while she barreled down the steps, searching for some kind of plan. Think!
Every option she considered came with a list of problems that would ultimately lead to their capture. She couldn’t fight with one arm hanging uselessly at her side. Outrunning a squad or a shuttle in Warden armor while carrying Owen would be impossible. And the most glaring problem: by the time they reached the street level, the exits would be sealed and crawling with soldiers.
Arikah burst through the landing door on the third floor. She vaulted over an overturned copier and scanned the chaotic room. Can I hide Owen somewhere in here? Maybe buy him enough time to slip away while I draw their attention? But where would he run? The questions continued to spin in her mind, each one making her chest tighter. Axillis, what do I do?
“Arikah! Put me down!”
Owen’s voice cut off her panicked thoughts. She hadn’t even realized that he'd been trying to get her attention. She skidded to a stop near the windows overlooking the alley and lowered him onto his feet.
“You can’t keep carryin’ me while your arm’s like that!” Owen snapped in frustration.
Arikah rushed to the nearest window and pressed herself against the glass. “My injury can wait! Right now, I need to get you somewhere safe before it’s too late!”
“How!?”
She glanced over her shoulder. Terror stared back at her from his eyes.
“How are we supposed to get outta here? Oh God! I’m gonna be handed over to Jaxi!”
His panic only mirrored her own thoughts. There was no way out of this for both of them; she would have to hide him–
Movement at the bottom of the alley caught her attention, and her body froze when she saw two soldiers standing near a pair of Mk-VII-E2 bikes. Or more commonly known by her kind as Dusters.
They’d earned the nickname thanks to their twin plasma thrusters that blasted dirt and debris into enormous clouds behind them. Their design traced its roots back to the sand skimmers used on their homeworld. But most importantly, they were fast. Fast enough to put distance between them and the outpost before a proper pursuit could be organized.
A new plan began to take shape.
Stripping off the armor to reset her arm would cost precious time. And leaving the gauntlet off to save some time wasn’t an option either. The embedded slate would be needed to navigate the city and activate the armor’s systems for the last part of her plan.
Arikah would just have to endure the pain until they were on the bike. Owen’s safety was all that mattered now, and the first step was making sure he could fit securely with her.
“Owen, help me remove my breastplate,” she said quickly, dropping to one knee.
“What? Why?”
“Now!”
The urgency in her voice sent him hurrying over. She awkwardly reached for the latches over her shoulder. His hands joined hers, working frantically until the heavy breastplate came free and hit the carpet.
“Owen, do you trust me?” she asked in a hushed voice, rising to her feet.
His brow furrowed in confusion. “What kinda question is that? Of course, I trust you.”
Before he could ask what she meant, Arikah hooked her claws into the back of his collar and pulled him into her. Owen let out a startled yelp when his feet left the floor.
“What are you doin’–?” His voice vanished into the fabric stretched across her chest.
Owen’s legs slid around her hips while her tail made one coiling loop over his back and around her. She placed her good hand over his head, pressing it snugly in between her breasts until his entire face disappeared.
His hot breath washed over her scales in quick, shallow bursts. She could feel his tiny heart racing. He was scared. Truthfully, so was she. But holding him close and feeling his trust in her? That helped calm her nerves. Her frills relaxed as she lowered her snout and pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of his head. “Everything’s going to be alright. I’ve got you.”
Arikah cast one last glance at the soldier who was still chatting, oblivious to everything else. One stood in the middle of the road, deep in casual conversation, while the other lounged against the wall of the opposite building. It was pure luck: with their comms probably switched off, they had no idea what was going on.
She adjusted her grip around Owen and drew a deep breath through her nose, taking a few steps back. “Axillis,” she murmured. “Please watch over Owen. Keep him safe.” Then she broke into a sprint and launched herself through the window.
The cold air rushed past her, gravity yanking them down. Owen cried out and clung to her tighter. Both soldiers looked up to see the armored woman crashing out of the buildings directly above them, but neither was fast enough to react.
Arikah slammed into the one standing in the center of the alley. The collision shot a fresh jolt of excruciating pain through her arm, like hooks had buried deep beneath the scales and were tearing her shoulder apart.
“AAGHHK!” They both screamed.
The other soldier stumbled away from the wall, her eyes fixed on the armored Warden who had appeared mysteriously from the sky.
Arikah tried to stand, but the alley lurched sideways when her legs gave out beneath her, and forced her back down to a knee.
The soldier ripped her pistol free and aimed it at Arikah. But there was a moment of hesitation, eyes widening at the sight of a small male clinging to Arikah’s chest. The weapon lowered. Her gaze bounced between Owen and the towering Warden cradling him.
Arikah seized her opening, surging forward through the pain and driving her gauntlet straight into the woman’s face. Her snout twisted sideways, pistol flying from her grasp and skittering across the road. She hit the brick wall and crumpled into a heap at its base.
Arikah’s chest heaved. Sweat trickled down her neck, soaking into her undersuit. Every pulse of her heart tormented her ruined arm. But for now, the immediate danger had passed.
“Mmphh... Ari...” Owen groaned into her bosom.
Arikah carefully pulled him free from the prison that smothered him. His face emerged flushed and completely dazed, lips parted as he gasped for fresh air. The moment his shoes touched the pavement, his knees threatened to fold beneath him.
“Whoa–” Owen staggered backward several steps, arms pinwheeling before he managed to find his footing. He looked up at the shattered window, then back to her. “Arikah… Please tell me we don’t have any more flyin’ to do today.”
Arikah couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh despite everything they had just survived. The sound barely left her throat as a wounded moan came from behind. Her frills lifted in unease, spinning around and dropping beside the soldier she had landed on. Carefully, she slipped an arm under the woman’s shoulder and rolled her onto her back.
The soldier groaned again and placed her hand on her chest, struggling to draw a full breath. Arikah pressed two fingers against the side of her neck and waited.
The woman’s pulse was steady. Breathing was labored, but there was no wheezing, no bubbling, and no sign of a collapsed lung. Most likely, she only sustained bruising and a cracked rib. Arikah sighed in relief, knowing the soldier would be alright.
Even now, with the Empire hunting them, she found herself unable to stop caring. She didn’t want to kill her sisters. Before she met Owen, she would have been standing right beside them, trying to arrest a defector like her.
Pushing the thought aside, she grabbed both plasma pistols. A quick glance at their charge indicators confirmed they were fully loaded. She lowered the power output, maglocking each one to her thighs, and turned her attention to the idling Dusters.
The machine looked less like a motorcycle and more like an armored war beast waiting to be unleashed. Thick plating covered the bulky frame, giving it a broad and intimidating profile. The paired front wheels were covered by a reinforced anti-grav impact guard designed to smash through debris and barricades. Mounted low at the rear were the twin plasma thrusters fed by oversized fuel cells, powerful enough to launch the bike down the road like a screaming eagle.
Every world and environment had inspired a new redesign, but the Mk-VII had become the all-purpose answer to nearly everything. Its adaptive wheels could alter their tread pattern and grip depending on the terrain, allowing it to race across city streets, packed dirt, mud, and even loose sand without losing control.
The body of this one had been customized by whoever normally rode it. Violet colored scales were painted across the front of the chassis with two sharp golden eyes under the headlights. They ran farther down the body before gradually transforming into blazing hotrod flames near the thrusters. Along the side panel, painted in bold Daxian script were the words: Dragon Lady
Arikah couldn’t help but grin. “Oh, you beautiful beast.” She swung herself onto the seat and thumbed the ignition. The engine awakened with a guttural roar that rattled the nearby windows. Smoke blasted from the twin thrusters, then ignited into blue plasma flames. Dust and broken glass were sent scattering down the alley behind them.
She twisted the throttle to awaken the predator. The whole machine snarled, eager to run. Goddess, how I’ve missed this feeling. “Get on!” she shouted, extending her hand out to Owen.
Arikah paused when she saw Owen face. His mouth hung slightly open as his eyes traveled over her astride the bike. The engine purred between her spread thighs. Blue light danced across her white armor, highlighting every curve of her body.
He was gawking, and it made her heart flutter with the same instinct from the closet. She puffed her chest out and lifted her chin high to look larger. Even the pain felt distant with how courageous she now felt.
Oh, Axilllis… That infatuated look in his eyes! Arikah felt powerful, much like some daxy from a homeworld story where the fearless warrior protected their mate. “You can keep staring at me like that later, cutie. Right now, we need to escape,” she crooned, biting her lower lip.
What the hell was that, Arikah!? This isn’t the time to be flirting! Apparently, this newfound confidence was doing more than just making her excited.
Owen's cheeks were still burning. He shook his head to snap himself out of the trance. “C-can you actually drive that thing with one hand?”
“Oh, baby,” Arikah purred with a smirk, revving the engine again. “You’d be amazed at what a woman can do with one hand.”
His face somehow turned even redder. That alone made the dislocated shoulder worth enduring.
Owen hurried over while trying hard not to look flustered. Arikah took his hand and pulled him onto the seat. His body settled between her thighs with his back resting against her stomach. A dangerous sensation heated up between her legs, instinctively causing her tail to twitch and her thighs to squeeze around him. She wiggled slightly in her seat so he would sink a little farther into her embrace.
“Owen,” she accidentally growled, trying to concentrate. “I need you to take my hand and wrap it around yourself.”
He stared at her hanging arm nervously.
“It’s alright. Just move it slowly.”
Owen swallowed and took hold of her limp wrist. The moment her arm shifted, her nerves screamed for him to stop.
“Hhgg–!” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“No– Keep going.”
His movements were even slower as he carefully guided her arm around his waist. Arikah leaned forward and activated the controls on her gauntlet.
Settings – Warden Controls – Armor Lock – Right Arm.
She confirmed the command. A foam-like material flooded the interior of her armor, rapidly hardening around her limb. Small metallic clicks followed as the armor locked each joint into place until the entire arm became a rigid brace securing Owen to her.
With him trapped firmly against her, there was no chance he could fall during the escape. Owen still looked nervous as he gripped her hand; his eyes remained fixed on the alley entrance.
"Hey." Arikah lowered her voice. "Don't worry so much. I used to be a dune skimmer champion back home when I was a little newt. I'll handle the driving." She brought up the city map on her gauntlet. "I need you to be my navigator. Think you can do that for me?"
Owen craned his neck back. "Y-yeah. I think I can." He paused in thought, then his eyes widened in worry when he looked at the map. “Wait. Can’t they track that? The armor, I mean. If it’s like GPS, won’t the Empire know exactly where we are?”
Arikah’s grin turned cocky. “Normally? Yes. It would be a problem if Lucas hadn’t already thought about that.” Her tail wrapped around his waist and gave him a reassuring squeeze. “He had an extra burst encryptor Zion’s been using to fight the Empire and modified it to work with this power armor. As far as the Empire knows, we’re in several different places at once.”
She smiled down at him. “We’re getting out of this, Owen. I promise.”
***
The Duster shot out of the alley and onto the main street. Arikah kicked the rear end sideways in a fishtail slide that carried them across the pavement. Her boot dragged along the asphalt, throwing a trail of sparks behind it as she wrenched the handlebar and slammed the accelerator forward. Scorch marks burned into the road from the erupting blue plasma flames.
The cat might have been out of the bag, but Owen still would have preferred a less spectacular entrance to their escape. Arikah, though, had other ideas. Whatever confidence she’d found seemed determined to announce itself to the entire city.
The bike surged forward with such force that Owen was pressed even tighter against Arikah. Frigid air tore through his hair as buildings streaked past in a blur of flashing lights. It would have been a thrilling experience if not for the fact that he was about to die of fright.
The entire block had been transformed into a military staging ground. Barricades sealed intersections. Soldiers rushed between tents and shuttles. Women shouted at each other while others scrambled to react to the sight of a stolen Duster charging straight through the middle of it.
“OUT OF THE WAY!”
The bike was an enraged beast cut off its leash, and the soldiers ran from it like scattering prey. One of them barely managed to dive out of the way before the reinforced front wheels smashed through a barricade and launched chunks of metal outward.
Owen’s fingers squeezed around Arikah’s armored thigh plating so hard they became numb. He watched as the numbers on the speedometer continued to climb.
Seventy-two… Seventy-nine… Eighty-four…
The rushing winter air stung Owen’s eyes and chapped his lips. Tears streamed down his face as he tried to wipe them. “WHERE ARE WE GOING?” he shouted over the roar of the engine.
“As far away from them as possible!” Arikah jerked the handlebar and threw the bike into another turn. The vehicle leaned hard enough that her knee scraped the road. “Damnit!” she snarled, looking in the mirror. “I wasn’t expecting them to have AL-Class APCs!”
Owen twisted around to look at what she was seeing. Two Dusters were in pursuit. Behind them was an armored APC truck, bulldozing through anything in its path without slowing and tossing cars aside like toys.
“Arikah! They’re getting closer!”
“I’ll lose them! Just hold on!”
Arikah swerved into a narrow alleyway. The Duster barely fit, wedged tight between brick and concrete. Owen hunched his shoulders as the walls pressed in on either side. Sparks spewed from the side mirror that scraped against the rough brick and snapped off.
They burst from the alley, tires screeching as Arikah pitched the bike into a hard turn. The thick wheels clawed at the asphalt, tearing up loose chunks in their wake. She zigzagged through a maze of abandoned cars. But with only one arm, she had to take turns wider. It was slowing them and doing little to put distance between their relentless pursuers.
Owen forced himself to look forward, searching the street ahead. Each intersection flashed past, offering a brief glimpse of the elevated highway several blocks away. The overpass appeared and vanished between buildings as they raced onward.
“The highway! Take the next right and hit the on-ramp!” Owen pointed at it to draw Arikah’s attention. “They keep catchin’ up every time we turn! You’ll have room to outrun them up there!”
Arikah glanced at the overpass, then gave a quick nod. The Duster ripped around the next corner, bucking as she pushed the plasma cores. The blue flames stretched behind them in a thin line, launching down the straightaway like a ballistic missile.
Owen’s body bounced with every jolt of the bike, the acceleration forcing his head back into Arikah’s bust. The familiar cushions over his shoulders kept him nestled securely but also prevented him from turning his head now.
They shot up the ramp as the city unfurled around them. Owen’s eyes widened at the sight of a pileup blocking the overpass. Cars were jammed at odd angles across every lane, some overturned, others crumpled together. There was no way to weave through.
“Brace yourself!” Ariakh yelled, hunching lower over him.
*KRAANG!*
The Duster guard collided with the bumper of the first car, shoving the vehicle aside. Another impact followed in rapid succession. Each one rattled through the frame and jostled Owen forward. His stomach cramped every time his body was thrown into the unyielding armored seatbelt locked around his waist.
Seventy… Sixty-four… Fifty-eight… fifty-two…
The road soon opened up, and Owen released the breath he’d been holding.
The sound of another engine bellowing nearby. One of the pursuing bikes had closed the gap, running side-by-side with them. The armored rider turned her helmet to him. Through the tinted visor, Owen could see the reptilian eyes staring directly at him. She drifted closer and extended an arm to reach out and grab him.
“Oh no, you don't!" Arikah roared, slamming on the brakes. The two bikes narrowly avoided colliding as the pursuing Duster shot ahead of them from the sudden speed change.
The other Duster swept up on their right while the APC thundered its way through the pileup. One car was pinched between the truck and the barrier. Metal folded inward with a grinding crunch before the wreck was spat aside like a crushed tin can.
Arikah punched the accelerator again, trying to force more speed out of the Duster and slip past the rider in front, but the bike refused to give her any more. A warning glyph flashed on the dashboard.
!PLASMA CORES CRITICAL!
The temperature gauge was maxed out.
The lead biker held position several lengths ahead, refusing to give her an opening. The rider on the right continued to drift closer. Arikah attempted to break away, but her movements were matched to cut her off. At the same time, the APC continued closing from the rear and devoured the distance between them.
“Goddess damnit! I can't shoot them and keep control of this bike!”
Owen’s eyes darted from one pursuer to the next. There was no gap between the two bikes, and the APC filled the lane behind them to stop any retreat. The lane was getting smaller as she was pushed closer to the concrete barrier, rushing past them. This was it. The Empire had them boxed in with no hope of escape.
He leaned forward and tilted his chin back to see Arikah. There was a fire in her eyes that reflected the afternoon sunlight. Sweat glistening off pink scales, trailing through her frills and into the wind like glittering stardust. Every bump in the road drew another flicker of pain over her face as she fought to keep the Duster under control. She was exhausted, but she never stopped fighting.
How had fate thrown a woman like Arikah into my life? A woman who cared about him. Who had abandoned the Empire just to protect him. The night before, Owen questioned whether it was the strange haze of her scent that made him want to kiss her. But here, barreling down the highway with the wind in his face, his thoughts were no longer under the spell of her pheromones. There was no more doubt. He was in love with her. And right now, she needed him just as much as he needed her. “Arikah! Let me drive!”
She looked down at him in surprise. “Absolutely not! It’s too dangerous!”
“I can keep us straight so you can shoot!”
“No! If you lose control of it at this speed, we’re dead! I’ll figure something else out!”
The biker on their right continued creeping closer.
“Please, Arikah! I can help!”
Owen watched her composure crack and show the genuine fear she’d been hiding from him the entire time. Only, it wasn’t fear for herself. Arikah always thought of him first. She was terrified for him. “Do you trust me?”
They stared into each other’s eyes. The glow of the evening light illuminated her face, and the panic she had seemed to fade away at his question.
“With my life,” she said, grabbing his hand and placing it onto the handlebars, his other hand finding the opposite. “Grip here and pull back to accelerate. Push forward if you need to slow down. Don’t fight the street or you will lose control.”
She let go, and suddenly, Owen was in full control of the Duster. He couldn’t help but feel terrified as he tried to make the beast obey him. Every vibration coming through the frame traveled into his arms. The machine wanted to wander. The front wheels tugged and shifted closer to the barrier.
Owen tightened his grip and forced it back into the center of the lane. Just gotta keep it straight in one lane… one lane… He anxiously giggled. This was a lot scarier than he thought it would be.
“That’s it!” Arikah shouted. “You’ve got this!”
The pursuing rider swept within arm’s reach and tried to grab Owen again.
Arikah drew her plasma pistol and swung it in a wide arc. The butt of the weapon slammed into the woman's helmet with a loud *crack* that sent the soldier reeling. Before she could recover, Arikah was already holding the trigger down, charging a shot. The pistol emitted a rising whine as she leveled it at the Duster's dashboard and fired.
The front chassis erupted into flame. Smoke billowed from the damaged controls. The rider backed off, fighting to keep the machine upright as it rapidly lost speed and disappeared behind the APC.
“HAH!” Arikah barked over the howl of the wind, her frills flaring high with triumph. “Didn't think we could fight back, did ya!” She patted Owen’s shoulder with the pistol before pointing it at the dashboard.
“That’s one down! And the bike cooled off just enough.” Her grin widened. “Punch it, baby! Get me closer to the other one so I can line up a shot!”
Her excitement became infectious, and Owen found himself grinning too. He twisted the accelerator, and the Duster rushed forward once more.
Wind battered Owen from every direction. At this speed, his brain struggled to keep up with just how fast they were really going.
The remaining trooper swerved while Arikah fired several shots in her direction. Blue plasma streaked through the air, forcing the rider to juke and weave erratically to avoid being hit. Owen managed to pull even with her and give Arikah a clear shot. She squeezed the trigger just as the APC lumbered between them. The bolt discharged in a flash that left scorch marks across its armored hull.
“Keep going!” Arikah shouted. “The truck won’t be able to keep up with us if they’re covering their ally!”
Owen leaned forward and did as she said. Advertisement boards became streaks of color along the roadside. Every few seconds, he glanced into the mirrors and watched their pursuers slowly shrink.
Owen felt alive, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he pumped his fist in the air and hollered. We’re gonna make it! We’re actually gonna make it!
The Duster suddenly lurched, and he looked back at the speedometer.
Ninety… Eighty-seven… Eighty-two… Seventy-four…
“What?” Owen cranked the accelerator all the way, but their speed was rapidly falling. “Arikah! What’s happening!?”
Bright warning glyphs flooded the display.
–LOCKDOWN ENGAGED–
–PLEASE RETURN LOST VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST CIVIL OFFICER–
“Khax!” Arikah cursed. “They locked the bike down remotely!”
The Duster shuddered as the power output dropped another level. Owen turned around to look back and immediately wished he hadn’t. “What do we do now!?”
Arikah leaned over him, and her claws flew across the dashboard display. “Let me see if I can override the system before the thrusters die on us!”
Sixty-two… Fifty-nine…
The truck loomed closer with every passing second. Owen scanned their surroundings, desperate for anything that might offer a way out. His mind raced, anxiety threatening to overwhelm him. He glanced at the map on Arikah’s gauntlet to realize they’d never reach the next exit ramp before the bike died.
But there was one other thing he noticed on the screen. A subway station marker under the highway rapidly approached. A revelation hit him. Without the bike, their best hope for escape would be underground on foot. The only problem left was getting down there.
His eyes searched for another solution before seeing the answer ahead. An abandoned tow truck hugged the shoulder of the highway with its ramp lowered.
This is insane! Reckless! There’s no way that can work, but what else is there! “I’ve got an idea!”
“Owen! What are you doing!?” Arikah’s voice rose with alarm in realization, eyes widening when she saw the ramp. “Owen! OWEN!” She grabbed his hand, but it was too late to divert the course. The front tires hit the steel ramp and launched the Duster off the highway and into the air.
Owen’s stomach leapt into his throat as the world fell away. Time slowed for a moment. The city's towers tilted sideways. Everything blurred with motion. Then gravity took hold of the bike, pitching it forward and hurling it towards the street below.
Arikah’s arm cinched around him. She kicked away from the duster right as the bike plunged into the pavement.
*S-s-s-skrrrkkk–S-SKRRRRAAAKK-KRSHHHH–!*
The bike screeched across the asphalt, bouncing through the intersection in a shower of sparks and shrapnel. One of the plasma cells ruptured, engulfing the machine in a blossom of blue fire. It cartwheeled end over end before colliding with a bus.
Owen squeezed his eyes shut, and Arikah folded herself around him. Her armored body struck the road and tumbled across the street. Every collision jolted his body into her unwavering hold on him, knocking the air from his lungs.
They continued sliding with her armor grinding into the asphalt until her back hit the curb and stopped them abruptly. Arikah released her grip, and he rolled onto his side, coughing hard from his burning lungs. He pushed himself up only to feel pain in his left arm. The entire sleeve was painted red with his blood.
Smoke drifted through the intersection from the wrecked Duster, crackling with sporadic blue flames that licked over the ruined vehicle.
Arikah wasn’t moving. Some of the scales along her cheek and jaw had been scraped raw during the tumble. Thin streaks of blood ran down her pink scales, her frills limp against the pavement, and each breath came with visible effort.
“Arikah!?” Owen’s voice cracked. Ignoring the pain in his arm, he crawled across the road, leaving a trail of blood-stained handprints. “Arikah! ARIKAH! Wake up! Please!” His trembling palm cupped her cheek.
Arikah grunted, her eyes fluttering open. Her snout leaned into his touch with a tired smile. “I thought…” she murmured between breaths. “I thought you said you didn’t want to fly anymore today?”
A laugh tangled with a sob escaped him before he could stop it. Tears spilled down his face. “I’m sorry, Arikah… That was stupid. I didn’t mean to get you hurt.”
Her nostrils flared in a quiet huff of amusement. The smile never left her face. “As long as you’re safe…” she rasped.
Owen found himself instinctively leaning forward to wrap both arms around her, pressing his face into the side of her neck. He didn’t care if it wasted time or made his wound sting. He only cared about the woman who saved him.
“Arikah... I love you.”
Arikah’s frills lifted and pressed against his arm as her body went stiff. Her good hand lifted and found his back to hold him there.
“Owen… I– I,” she breathed.
Before either of them could speak again, a low mechanical hum began to fill the sky. At first distant, it swelled quickly, growing louder with each passing second. A shuttle swept over the rooftops, its engines scattering dust and loose debris across the street as it circled back toward the smoking remains of the Duster. The roar of its engines sounded like the voice of an evil choir.
Arikah’s eyes snapped open. “We need to move!”
Owen pointed to the stairwell entrance under the highway. “That should be the subway tunnel. We can escape through there.” He slipped under her arm. Arikah winced, sucking in a deep breath as she got to her feet and limped across the street.
The shuttle was landing behind them, kicking up dust right as they entered the stairwell. They had barely reached the bottom landing when the roar outside changed into a high-pitched whine from the engines shutting off.
“Wait!” Ariklah stopped abruptly and shoved the plasma pistol into Owen’s hands. “Take the plasma core out!”
Owen didn’t question her. His fingers clumsily opened the ammo latch to release the capsule. The tiny blue vial vibrated in his hand. Even through the casing, he could feel the powerful energy trapped inside it.
The sound of shouting and boots echoed outside.
“Move!” Arikah snatched the plasma core from his hand and started deeper into the station. Owen hurried after her, stumbling to keep pace. They made it several yards down the platform before she spun around and hurled the cylinder at the entrance. The glass container bounced across the tile floor, glowing brighter with every impact, making it more unstable. In the same motion, Arikah drew her other plasma pistol from its magnetic lock and fired it at the core.
A sphere of blue fire burst through the stairwell, flooding the station with a flash brighter than daylight that forced Owen to shield his eyes.
*BOOOOOM!*
The explosion sent a shockwave through the underground platform. A wall of pressure struck him hard enough to stagger his footing. The entire station shuddered. Tiles burst from the walls while chunks of steel and broken masonry rained down over the staircase in a deafening avalanche.
Owen stood frozen, staring at where the stairwell had been only a moment ago. Through the settling rubble, he could still hear muffled shouting from the soldiers on the street.
Arikah raised the pistol to blow across the glowing vents, a wave of heat shimmering before it faded. Satisfied, but also struggling to stand, she spun the weapon around her claw before it maglocked to her hip.
Owen was swept up into her arm and she planted a wet kiss on his cheek. “I love you too, you clever boy.”
With that, she took off, vanishing into the dark depths of the underground tunnels.
More Kheris Michael bath time art by my friend who has done all the art in this story so far. I'm starting to think people want me to write this scene...