Once at the construction site, Michael and David crouched down behind a stack of pallets. Their eyes scanned the site for any sign of Gerald or his associates. But all was silent. A few machines and construction vehicles were scattered about.
“It just looks empty,” David whispered.
“Yeah, well, let’s not drop our guard just yet,” Michael said. He lifted his wrist to his mouth. “Hey guys, can you hear me?”
“Heard you,” Zuriya’s voice crackled through at a higher-than-desired level.
“Turn it down,” David whispered.
“I don’t know how,” Michael countered. “Speak quieter, Zuriya. We’re trying to be sneaky.”
“Sorry,” she said. “What do you see?”
“Nothing. Is the dot still indicating it’s here?”
“Yeah. All three dots are basically overlapping one another.”
“Zoom in closer on the map,” Asante’s voice chimed in.
“Umm…it looks like the Dilo frame is…about fifty feet to your right.”
David and Michael followed Zuriya’s instructions, weaving through stacks of wood and piles of metal beams. They ducked behind a tractor and confirmed with Zuriya.
“How about now?” Michael asked.
David tapped his shoulder and pointed to a deep gash through the tractor’s rear tire. Their eyes followed the damage up to see that the side of the tractor had also been slashed. Three long slashes, like claws. Guess they were getting close.
“I told you not to question me!”
Michael and David flattened themselves against the tractor.
“You barely made it out alive, sir, if it weren’t for the frame’s protective shell, you’d have–”
SLAP.
Michael subconsciously reached for his own cheek. David knelt down on the ground and peeked underneath the tractor. Michael followed. On the other side, he saw a guard scrambling to pick up his glasses from the ground. Two other men stood behind him.
Gerald screamed down at the guard, “This suit is the most powerful frame in existence. And it protected me from the explosion…because I am its new user. Who are you to call me weak?”
[W-warn..ning: Resss…onance unstable. Calib-bration incommm…plete.]
The frame’s voice repeated the same warning it had previously. Only now, the voice sounded like it had gone through a furnace. The guards all looked at one another.
“Well, what about the Boss’ case?” another voice asked. “The vials of essence?”
“It’s gone,” Gerald snapped. “But Boss doesn’t need to know that. As far as he’s concerned, only one vial survived.” He pointed to the vial of the blue essence on his back. “Understood?”
But we took the case with all six vials. Is that the Armadillo essence?
Gerald staggered. “A-and…if anyone touches it…I’ll peel their skin off.” He showed off Dilo’s steel claws. The guards all nodded, without further protest. “Good.”
When he turned around, facing the direction of the tractor, Michael got a good look at him. He looked like he’d crawled out of a crematorium. The Dilo frame looked like a half-melted cage. Its plates were partially dissolved, twisted, and blackened by the explosion. Many of them had warped from their original form. The back of the frame had spots where it had sat in acid. Lines of corrosion ran across the armor like veins. What should have been a protective armor now looked more like a crumpled ball of paper.
His helmet was half missing, revealing the horrors of the effects of acid on human skin. He looked half-dead. The exposed side of his face sagged. His flesh was scorched and fused to the metal of the helmet. One eye had been fused shut, and the other was bloodshot.
CLANG.
Metal on metal screeched as the Dilo’s claws exploded through the tractor’s hull. They carved the massive vehicle in half. The boys rolled apart. Michael snapped his head up to see Gerald towering over them.
“You just don’t stop meddling, do you?”
He grabbed one half of the now split tractor with a single claw and hurled it to the side like nothing. The second followed, landing in a pile of dirt near the trio of guards. One tripped over himself, trying to avoid getting crushed.
“Sir, the Boss said not to attract attention–”
“SCREW the boss!” Gerald howled. “They’re going to cost me everything.”
“You,” he growled, glaring down at the two. “You’ve ruined EVERYTHING!”
His voice cracked with fury. With a roar, he swung his claws. The slash missed either boy as they dove off in separate directions. Michael scrambled to his feet. Gerald was right on his trail, claws sweeping through the air at incredible speed. He ducked, hearing a slash wiz over his head, splitting a beam clean in half.
“On your left,” David yelled.
Michael tried to look, but Gerald was already there.
He only saw a blur before sparks exploded as the Dilo’s claws shredded through a block of concrete. He pivoted, trying to backtrack, but Gerald bashed him from the right. The impact sent him hurling into a cement mixer. Still, he stalked towards Michael, his claws twitching.
He’s too fast.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Zuriya’s voice came through.
“Kinda busy at the moment,” Michael said, dodging an oncoming slash. Gerlad’s attack slashed open the cement container, exploding white powder everywhere. “Make it quick.”
“Gerald’s frame–it says it’s become unstable.”
Michael looked back at the Dilo frame. It is a bit slower than it was on the outskirts. But that was still too fast. Gerald’s breathing seemed more labored. Michael actually did have more time to breathe in between attacks.
“Please tell me that means this is the worst he can do.”
“He shouldn’t even be able to do this much. Without calibration, he should’ve burned through the core long ago. He’s just brute-forcing it at this point.”
More black smoke poured out from its crevices. It cast a hazy layer around them. Pretty soon, it would be near-impossible to see Gerald at all.
“Asante says that the suit is overheating. It’s designed to return to its user’s stance. But it’s not calibrated–”
“Meaning?” Michael asked impatiently.
“If he doesn’t stop soon, it’ll completely burn out with him inside.”
The Dilo’s armor began clicking and shifting into a ball.
“Crap,” Michael cursed, “Any idea how to speed up the process?”
The Dilo started spinning violently.
“You’ll need to make him use up the rest of the essence. Or break the vial.”
WHAM.
The ball rammed into the cement truck, knocking it over.
“Great. So you’re telling me to just run?”
“Pretty much.”
[extend the fighting scene?]
[W-warning: Resss…onance unstable..]
The frame ignited. Blue flames erupted from it.
“What is this?” Gerald shrieked.
The Dilo frame collapsed to its knees. Gerald clawed at his chest and arms, trying to stop the blue flames. When that didn’t work, he looked as if he were attempting to rip the armor from his body. But he was fused to it. Tearing it off would likely mean taking the skin as well.
“HURGH!”
The noise didn’t sound human anymore. Gerald emitted even more black smoke. It covered the construction site. Michael couldn’t see the other three guards. He quietly hoped they wouldn’t try to attack again.
Deactivated his frame, Michael stood there watching Gerald futilely try to save himself. David didn’t seem to be able to stomach the sight and turned away.
“Stop! I’m your user! Me!” Gerald shouted. “I’m the most worthy.” Noticing the boys were still alive, he turned towards Michael and David. “Damn you, wretched kids!”
Gerald slammed his claws into the ground, trying to steady himself. In a last desperate attempt, he surged forward–his arms outstretched in a final act of vengeance. Michael met his eyes, refusing to break contact. He would make sure this time.
But Gerald slumped to the ground, finally still. The light in his remaining eye dimmed. The glow is the suit died, audibly powering down.
“Is that it?” David asked. “Is it over?”
Michael hunched over, chest heaving. “Honestly, who knows. Let’s just hope that was the last one.”