Burn it Down: Rescue

“Red!”

Red was once again snapped from her trance by someone calling for her attention. This time it was Ragwort, who had helped Ziigwan successfully pull all the victims from the rubble. Among them were a mother and her toddler, a father, and the family’s microstryx, who seemed to be in critical condition.

Red forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She had to help.

“What can I do?” She said sternly, more to herself than anyone else.

“Go find the hospital, last time I saw it it was still partially intact. There should still be medical supplies inside.” the defense general instructed. Red wasted no time in locating the crumbling hospital, making her way quickly over to it. As she neared, she couldn’t help but flinch at the technological sounds still sounding through the area. Whatever that mechanical stryx was, it wasn’t natural. Even if it once was, it wasn’t anymore.

Red reached the huge hospital doors in no time, leg muscles burning from use without rest. As she gripped the doorhandle and pulled, the door suddenly broke free from its hinges, crushing Red beneath its weight. Panicking, she pushed back desperately in hopes to force it off of her, but to no avail. She was growing tired from the adrenaline rushing through her, and the smoke made her eyes burn. She closed her eyes, tears welling up in the corners. This couldn’t be how she dies. It couldn’t be.

All of a sudden the weight was lifted from her chest, forcing her eyes to snap open.

Looking around, the fires nearby had been reduced to smoldering embers, although the rest of the city still burned with an evil rage. Cool air suddenly hit her, causing her to look up.

Looming over her was the mecha-stryx, releasing coolant into the surrounding area to help extinguish the flames. Red reluctantly leapt to her feet, stumbling back in awe once again.

“W… what are you?” She asked, mostly to herself, but she received an answer.

“Frame ID: K-13124. I was sent to resolve a dangerous conflict in the area, and to assist as needed.” the mecha-stryx replied in a robotic voice.

Red nodded, turning back to the hospital.

“I need help. There’s supposed to be supplies inside this hospital but… I can’t do it alone. I’ll need my group to help me.”

As if they had heard her, Ziigwan and Ragwort landed nearby, still wary of the mechanical beast looming over the area.

“Red! The defense general is taking the survivors we found to the refugee camp nearby, he instructed us to help you find supplies in this hospital.” Ziigwan panted, finding solace in the cool air in the area.

“Let’s go, we need to get in and get what we can. Spooks, you’ll have to hop out of the satchel for a bit.”

Red’s forgotten companion, Spooks, poked his head out of the satchel strapped to her thigh, squealing in protest.

“There’s no time to argue, just do it please!” Red snapped, although with little bite behind her words. Spooks got the message and climbed out of the satchel and onto her back. Ziigwan’s bat partner did the same, situating itself on top of his head.

“Alright, let’s do this.” Red charged forward and into the hospital.

The coolant from k-13124 had billowed into the hospital entrance, having extinguished the fires inside and bringing the air temperature down significantly. Red hurried down the first hallway while Ragwort and Ziigwan went their own separate ways and searched the other hallways.

Red opened the first door, finding a room full of blood samples and some basic, over-the-counter pain meds. She grabbed a few bottles of the pain meds and left the samples, they’d be no use right now.

The next door provided her with some gauze and needles, the third door revealing burn treatment and bandages. Red gathered up all she could, stuffing her first satchel full.

The rest of the rooms in the hallway were full of duplicate items or non-essential things that Red left alone. She only had so much space, so it'd be better to use it wisely.

At the end of the hallway was a staircase. Red climbed up to the second floor, which was mostly operating rooms and other procedure spaces. She made her way up to the third floor, finding patient rooms and a service desk. Behind the service desk was a pile of prescription papers waiting to be filled out, as well as the basic office supplies one would need for a desk job. Red passed on this floor as well.

The fourth floor proved to be useful, however. It was chock full of various higher-grade medical supplies and treatments, most of which would be useful in a situation like this. Red stuffed her second satchel to the brim, deeming her finds useful enough to head back.

As she was making her way out, however, a compromised beam in the ceiling collapsed, blocking Red’s only path back downstairs. She hurried to check the fire exit; the stairs leading outside of the building from the fourth floor had collapsed in the attack. Damn it.

Peering out the window, Red could see Ragwort and Ziigwan already outside, mere specks compered to K-13124 towering over them.

“Hey, guys! I’m stuck, the exit is blocked off!” Red shouted, but she was unable to be heard by them over the sounds of the rapidly collapsing city around them. Damn it!

Suddenly, a buzz of technical sounds filled her ears. Looking back up at K-13124, the mecha-stryx had begun to move once again, extending a wing towards her window. As soon as it reached her, it spoke again.

“Stand back, I’m going to destroy the wall.” Its robotic voice was intimidating, yet somehow comforting knowing it was trying to help her.

Red did as she was told, backing into the corner of the room as k-13124 slashed a hole in the concrete wall as if it were a knife through butter. It then extended its great metal feathers for Red to climb onto.

Red held on for dear life as k-13124 retracted its wing and placed her gently onto solid ground. Red leapt off, running over to reunite with Ragwort and Ziigwan.

“Did you find anything useful?” Red asked them. Spooks had now caught up with her, having clung to the mechanical feather for safety as well. He settled firmly on her back. Red could feel him tremble.

“We found tons of useful supplies, yeah.” Ziigwan opened his satchel to reveal many more medical supplies they’d retrieved, Ragwort doing the same. Red sighed with relief.

“Let’s get these supplies to the refugee camp, quickly. Which way was it?” Red looked around, but to no avail.

“It’s up there on the hill, I can see it from where we stand.” K-13124’s monotone voice filled the air again, raising its wing slightly to point them in the right direction.

Ziigwan and Ragwort lifted off into the air, making their way towards the refugee camp. Red made to follow from the ground, but stopped halfway. She turned back to look at K-13124, who had simply locked its eyes on her.

“Farewell. I must return to base, my job has been fulfilled.” K-13124 spoke again.

Red felt sort of… sad to see it go. After all, it had saved her life twice tonight.

“Goodbye. And thank you!” She shouted, hoping it could hear her. She wasn’t sure what it was, but organic or not, she wished it well.

As soon as Red spoke her goodbye, K-13124 spread its wings with another loud series of heavy clicks, turned around, and took off into the smoke-filled air. Red watched it leave until it was completely obscured from her vision.

Remembering the task at hand, she whipped around and rushed to the refugee camp.

Red

1308 words- 23

Extra Stryx-3

Bat companion included-3

Scavenging-3

Flockmate-3

Personal-3

Total= 38 AP

Ragwort

1308 words- 23

Extra Stryx-3

Nokt Wo'a (in Nocturnal setting)-2

Flockmate-3

Scavenging-3

Total= 34 AP

Ziigwan

1308 words- 23

Extra Stryx-3

Bat companion included-3

Scavenging-3

Total= 32 AP

Frame ID: K-13124

1308 words-23

Extra Stryx-3

Total= 26 AP