Sam stood inside the room the door closed behind and barricaded with a couple of smaller boxes as he made a  few steps back and touched a shelf stocked with several ice covered tools on it. He rummaged in on of his pockets as he noticed that his glowstick began to lose some of its capacity and activated a second.

„Where the hell am I.” Murmured he to himself and swung the stick in his hand while his eyes desperately tried to find an exit.

He was sure that the devas wouldn't need long and then even less time to find him in here as he walked along the shelf and back.

„Boxes… for fucks sake just boxes with whatever!“ Yelled he up in frustration as he couldn’t find anything beside the barricaded door he had just entered through.

„Awesome Sam. You traded one trap for a smaller one you moron.“ He said and grinned as frustration began to spread in his mind while he tried to get a hold on one of the larger crates inside the room.

His hand began to slide down as he turned away and without him noticing at first, began a larger piece of fabric to fall down behind him.

It was slow at first as he looked towards the door until the it speeded up and revealed with a low noise, its hidden secret beneath.

„What the…“ Were Sam’s only words as the greenish light revealed a black and smooth surface for him. The light of his stick didn't gave much as he touched it with his hand and felt the cool surface which to his surprise, had no thin ice layer over it but as soon as he slid over it, seemed to emanate a low humming noise.

Sam was fixed on it until he heard a loud crashing sound coming from the larger hall on the other side of the barricaded door which, he was sure, could only mean that they had finished their work and would soon be here for him.

The little blockade wouldn't stop them raced it through his mind as a silent hissing sound followed by a faint, but slowly brighter light came from behind him on what he turned back to the crate and saw its front opening for him and showing him the first outlines of one of humanity's latest works before its fall.

He couldn’t hide a smirk as his eyes fell on the armor before him.

The black and dark grey armor plates along with the exoskeleton underneath them along with its layers of protective layers, looked used here and there with its scratches and bumps and he wondered who would place such a machine in here when the noises outside got him back to the situation he was in.

The suit seemed ready at last, thats what he hoped for when he thought on the theoretical training he had gotten from Butch when he had been younger.

In theory where those machines relatively easy to use but theory and reality where often a tiny bit different as he felt along the back of the helmet and found a little button and pushed it.

With a hissing sound began the system to awake from its slumber and soon began the front of the armor to spread open for him. The helmet began to slip backwards while the rest opened up like a flower did and showed him its interior while he took out his gun and took off his vest and jacket so he could fit in better.

The devas had made it inside and already began to search through the room for any possible hints of the human as one of them found the footprints which lead towards a door to their right.

The deva, a male version, spread ist information to the other five of the group as several more entered through the slim entrance they had made as they began to engage for the door.

As soon as he was inside felt Sam that it was not fitting fim properly since the chest parts were higher and a bit wider then he was when he heard a voice coming from the helmet.

„Adjusting armor.“

Thats all he heard when the system began to adjust the suit to his form. The sides pressed a bit hard on his ribs as well as the shoulder parts as his arms slid into the arms and his hand inside the gloves.

The helmet was the last part as it slid over his head and sealed off as it made contact with the neck.

The HUD flashed up inside the left visor and immediately changed to a night version mode as several code lines ran over the little screen.

„Armor adjusted. Battery status, eighty five percent. Interface link…“ Sam heard the suits voice saying as something made contact with his upper neck which soon after resulted in a sharp pain. „…Established.“ The sharp pain soon faded as he remembered that a link had been necessary to maintain the status of the pilot as well as to have a better and quicker movement since the nerves would transmit his every move faster to the artificial muscles and the exoskeleton servos.

All in all, would he move so without any lag as Butch has stated it.

His moves, were the suits moves.

„Harcon Mark one, Ready for combat.“

„And not a second too late.“ Added Sam as he heard the faint sound of footsteps at the outside.

„Just move Sam. Nice and slow…get a feeling.“ He grumbled under his beard as he made a first step. The armored boot made a clinging sound as they came into contact with the concrete and ice but that wasn’t important. They knew already that he was here.

„Okay…eh now for some guns.“ He said more to himself and turned his head to grab his pistol as the HUD gave him a list.

„Erebus?“ He asked and looked down at his right thigh and saw a larger pistol holstered to it. The pistol was larger than a normal one with a longer clip for more rounds and as it seemed, stronger ammunition as he noticed the size.

Sam had not much time to marvel at the gun as the first punches coming from outside of the room knocked his senses back into the situation at hand.

Quickly aimed he as the first fist punched through the door and punched one of the boxes he had stabled up against the opposite wall.

The HUD provided him a crosshair with a second one standing for the pistol he used. Sam aimed and waited as the head of the Deva peeked into the room and was then blasted into scrap metal by a short burst of the Erebus.

The sudden action had alerted the remained  machines and without a moment to wait, kicked one them the door in. Sam waited as a slim fog of ice filled the room. The suit began to adjust to the new situation and switched through its different vision modes when the second deva entered the room and went straight for him.

Sam aimed out of instinct and fired destroying the upper torso of the deva as it came for him before several more went through the door as well.

He fired again and again watching the counter for ammunition getting low by the second as he destroyed one deva after another.

It wasn't long after the first wave when he heard a faint clicking noise coming from the pistol when it ran out of bullets. He placed the pistol back as another deva stormed towards him when a small icon in the lower left blinked up and the suits voice was heard.

“Combat blade, ready.”

The deva crashed into him pushing Sam and the suit back into its chamber as it sunk its steeled fingers into the armor plates.

The crunching sound of metal getting crumbled was heard as Sam grabbed behind his back and got the hilt of the blade using the ultra heated blade to cut through the devas armor like a hot knife would do with butter.

Melting metal and carbon rained down onto his chest armor where it quickly cooled down as he moved up and took the rest of the deva in one hand.

He walked towards the entrance of his room only to find an entire group of devas waiting for the human they were ordered to kill.

“Well, time for round two…” He said with a grin as he shoved a fresh clip into the Erebus.

Catherine kneeled in the ring of devas. Her right arm was tied into a makeshift sling as she looked between the legs of the machines and saw Sam in an old power armor at the end of the road.

The armor looked pretty battered from her point and she noticed him holding the ripped off leg of a deva in his hand as he stood there waiting for the urleys move.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here. The shining knight coming to save his beloved princess.” Snickered Ver’et through the deva as she gave her attention to the male.  

“And what a lovely new toy you took with you. I always wanted to see one of these.”

She looked down at the deva standing before Cathy and gave it the command to attack on what it only nodded and began to run towards its brothers.

It jumped easily over the others and increased its speed as it took Sam into its focus. The machines system began to prepare a strategy going within seconds through hundreds of pre-programmed movements as it ran at its maximum speed towards its target.

Sam took the deva in the crosshair of his HUD and aimed his pistol at it but waited a couple of seconds before it was in his optimum range.

He wanted the machine close enough, but not too close.

Gritting his teeth as the deva came closer and closer, fired he a single salvo but the deva countered the attack and jumped up high in the air.

Sam only saw it jump high up and turned his body forward activating the last missile on his back on what the micro rocket left its home and went straight for its target.

Ver’et watched her favorite toy blowing up into hundreds of small pieces while the small human got up and took her into focus again.

He began to walk towards her and stepped uncaringly, into the smoldering remains of the machine.

“Good...I hoped to see some action with this.” She said smirking in her hideout as she gave the rest of her private little deva army the command to attack.

The suit acknowledged the new targets and marked them on his HUD counting about 30 new targets as Sam selected the boosters under his boots and on the backpack. Speed and agility was his best option as he took some deep breaths and prepared himself for the upcoming battle.

_ _ _ _

Vareva held Ale’ir’s limp body in her arms as she sat in the snow with her back leaned against an old office building.

“I wish their would have been another way.” Mumbled the giant warrior silently before she placed the lifeless body into the snow and picked up her holoblade.

There was still one of them left as Vareva took her communicator and tried to contact Catherine.

Once, then twice, but she got no connection as only static blocked the link.

“Damn!” Growled Vareva and looked around for any trace.

The base was large and with its large hangars that could sustain an entire superbomber, wasn’t she able to look over every building.

But searching through the entire base would take too long and who knew what Ver’et was doing to her daughter and Sam at the very moment.

The sheer thought sickened her as old memories of Ver’et and her sick games came up in her.

She had to find them fast.

“The east…”

“What!? Who’s there?”

“...east…”

There was no reply as Vareva looked around but found nobody nearby. Still, the voice hummed in the back of her head and something about it, left her trusting it for some reason.

“East, that's where the hangers for the bombers are.”

Vareva took the gun from Ale’ir and her holoblade before she looked to the eastern section of the base and began to run.

Vareva passed Tashigi’ s dead body but paid it no attention as she already jumped over a smaller building which barely reached her hips.

“What if she got her already? What if...I’m too late?” Shot the troublesome thoughts through her head as the giant warrior flattened a car on her way and sent another one flying into a closer building as she hit with her foot.

“What if she...took her away from me?”

_ _ _ _ _

Sam fired again and again but the flood of devas didn't seemed to end as more and more appeared from the roofs and side streets.

It was a true army as the erebus spit its deadly little friends towards the oncoming machines.

The HUD gave him new targets by the second as his ammunition ran low and the blade began to cool off. It wouldn't be long until he would have to fight them with its bare hands as a number of devas managed to get a good grip onto his backpack and his legs to slow him down.

The boosters were on full thrust as he moved from side to side and swung around to loose some of them in a desperate attempt.

“Fuck! Dammit you stupid trash cans, get lost!!”

“Sam…” Catherine saw him fighting madly against the horde of machines while the big one, still used by Ver’et herself, remained at her position and only watched the spectacle from afar. Maybe, if she could distract her, she thought, would Sam get a chance to gain the upperhand. but how? With her left arm bleeding and inside of that makeshift sling, without any bullets left or explosives, what could she do.

The enegery level of the suit began to get into a dangerous low level as three of the devas combined their attacks and rammed Sam into a wall and through it on what they found themselves inside of an old warehouse.

Crates and containers filled the room partly open and with their contains scattered here and there as they threw the over 600 pound heavy suit, into a closed container.

“That should teach him a lesson.” Smirked Ver’et in her hideout as her mind, took in the six different angles of her devas and the seventh from her favorite toy.

“Too bad that I can’t keep him. But it was fun nonetheless.”

“Time to die little human!” Said Ver’et out loud through one of the devas as she entered the container with it and suddenly saw a metallic hand coming forward and grabbing its entire face.

she saw Sam as he raised her up and held her easily above him before the glimmering blade slashed through the machines lower body and cut it in half.

“Funny…” he began as he lowered the deva and held it at level with his eyes. “...I just wanted to say the same to you....” his words echoed grim in Ver’et’s head as she saw a smile on his face. Had the human gone mad? She had at least twenty more devas and her big toy for him out here and he? His armor was battered all over and a part of the right shoulder armor was already missing which left the exoskeleton with its wires and power-servos exposed as well as the second layer of the armor.

“W-what are you talking about?”

“First, I will take down those toasters here, and then that big ass freak machine.” He said and grinned as he began to increase the pressure on the devas skull.

“And when I’m done with it, will I come for you and tear YOU apart. Limp, for limp!”

“What?!” Ver’et said out loud in her hideout as she lost the connection with the machine before its remains were thrown out of the damaged container and landed with a shattering metallic sound in front of the rest of her troop.

She took a closer look at it and found its entire head being squashed like a grape as she gave out the order to bring the human down.

She switched her mind back to the colossal deva outside and turned its head, in search for the other human she had caught.

Sam felt better then ever as the drugs flowed into his body and numbed the pain. Strength replaced his tired muscles as he stepped towards the hole his crash had made and took the group of devas as targets.

A small countdown in the lower right of the HUD, indicated the time he had until the system would shut off the BOOST mode he had just activated which would then also mean that he would not be able to move until a small recovery phase had been done, but he also would be out of juice since the system had only enough energy to sustain him for the remaining time.

“Five minutes….well then...lets see what this rust bucket can dö...for real.”

Ver’et moved the body of the colossus over to Catharines nearly unconscious body and lifted her up not really caring if she got hurt in the process or not as she held her upside down on her left leg, in front of the plain and expressionless face.

“I have to admit, you worm, that this Sam is quite an entertaining little pet. Too bad that he won't be here for long.”

She waited for a response but got none.

“Well, at least I got you to play with, when Ale’ir is done.”

“Do...do you think that you can break me?” Sputtered Cathy as she turned her head towards the flat face of the deva and grinned.

“If you think that you can break my mind, then you are wrong. My body, maybe but never my mind.”

“Yeah human...I heard that so often, but in the end, they all broke. Believe me.” Said Ver’et without any care as she held her dangling in front of the machine.

“And I, will be there and watch when it happens. Oh while we are at it, why don't we go and check on your little friend. I’m sure my toys already handled your little hero who came here, to save his princess.

“I...told you already…”

Ver’et moved the devas head to check upon the source of the sound as she noticed it comming over the comlink to one of them who had chased Sam into the building.

“How...thats not possible.” She said in her hideout and turned the entire mech into the direction of the signal.

“I am no hero...and that, should scare you.”

“Sam…” Said Cathy tired but with a smirk as she saw the black battlesuit, appearing again on the street.

The suit was beaten down. The keratan plates were dented everywhere and parts of them on the chest and its legs where missing and showed more of its skeleton and the second layer.

The helmet was missing and left Sam only with its monocle which had already fine fissures in it and gave him only a flickering display to check upon.

Hydraulic fluids were sprayed over it partly and gave the modern knight and even grittier look as he walked slowly but steady towards Ver’ets modified deva model and her little hostage.

“How did you!”

“Let her go!” Replied Sam loudly as he came closer and closer. “Only you and me.” He added and stopped waiting for the urley to make her move.

It didn't took long before Ver’et lowered her hand and without a care, let go of Cathy about ten feet of the ground. She landed heavily in the snow but Sam saw that she was moving.

And then began Ver’et her attack as she stormed forward with the deva.

Its heavy feet sinking deep in the ground as she locked on Sam and prepared herself to stomp him into the ground.

He on the other side began also to run towards her but his system was already too damaged to get a fix on her titanic deva.

“Doesn't matter.” He said as he prepared himself and saw one of its hands rising and then coming down upon him like a jackhammer.

The giant claw hammered down and created a huge cloud of the fresh fallen snow around it as Sam grabbed onto it and lifted him on it. The head was his target and there was not much time anymore as the small counter in his partly broken HUD fell under the three minute mark.

“Just one good hit.” He thought to himself as he planted his foot onto the metallic hand and jumped forward. The head was his target and the last microrocket in his arsenal the key. One direct hit and it would be over.

“Oh no.” Growled Ver’et as she saw the human appearing out of the cloud and coming straight for her.

The other claw came straight for him and made contact with the armor just before he was close enough and with a loud metallic bang, sent him flying right through the wall of another building.

“No…” Cathy held her left shoulder as she had to watch the fight between them. The drop had increased the pain in her shoulder but it also had given her a new burst of energy as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

“Foolish human! Do you really believe that you can beat me?!” Said Ver’et in her hideout  and smiled as she got another kick out of the situation. How long had it been since she had had so much fun. Sure it came with a small price but she could build some new toys in some time so it was all worth it as she concentrated her senses onto this one moment.

Sam heard an alarm going off over the earpiece but the HUD was now completely broken and got no information on what was going on as more painkillers were injected into his body.

The suit did everything to hold its pilot alive as Sam began to get up and out from the rubble that had landed on him after his harsh impact.

“Come on you piece of junk! Move once more.” He said and saw the shadow of Ver’et’s deva appear in front of the hole she had made with him.

Vareva stopped as she reached the larger hangar bays. The area was huge and from her knowledge, were at least a dozen of them big enough to house an Urley.

“Dammit.”

She was about to tear the first one open as she heard a faint noise coming out of a half opened hangar door.

“Laughter!”

It had to be her.

Vareva let no time waste as she ran to the building and looked carefully in it. What she saw left her speechless as she saw Ver’et laying on the ground and barely covered in her clothes.

That sick, twisted woman enjoyed herself while she did god only knew, what.

Vareva pulled the the door open and entered the hangar. She stepped on one of Ver’ets devas and crushed its torso as she grabbed her blade and knelt down.

That siko hadn't even noticed her yet and she was only an arms length away from her while Ver’et moaned and fumbled over her own body.

“Yes my little human come here again. I want to tear you apart piece by piece.” She said as she licked over her lips with anticipation.

“I don’t think so.” Growled Vareva and held the hilt of her blade at Ver’ets head as she grabbed the urley with her other hand by her throat.

“What the…” Gasped Veret and grabbed with her hands at Vareva’s arm but the rogue warrior held her in an iron grip and had no intention to let her go.

Catherine noticed the strange behavior of the machine as it grabbed near it throat and tried to pull something away from it.

“Vee?”

Sam saw the struggle of the machine to hold onto something and pulled the rocket out of his backpack. This was the chance he needed to end it.

With one last burst of energy, ran Sam with the suit towards the opening and jumped using the arms of the deva as help as he rammed the tip of the rocket into the faceplate and detonated it.

The explosion destroyed the faceplate and its inner systems but it also used the last bit of armor the suit had as protection.

Catherine saw the explosion and her eyes widened when the machine fell backwards with Sam still on top. The suit fell with a heavy thump on the ground and remained there leaving no trace for her if Sam was okay or not.

“Sam…”

Vareva pushed Ver’et hard on the ground as the urley tried to pull her arms away without any luck. Her fingers dug deep into the deva pilots skin as Vareva held her hilt over Ver’et’s forehead.

She activated it and the holographic blade shot out penetrating flesh, bone, brain mass, and the back of Ver’e’t’s skull as it went out on the other side again.

Her struggles died down in an instant and Vareva felt that it was a way too quick death for that freak  while deactivating the blade again.

“Now were done.” Said Vareva as she got up and closed the door behind her. She tipped her comlink and closed her eyes.

“Please don't let it be too late.” She said silently when she heard the most wonderful voice ever.

“Vee!”

“Cathy…” Vareva could barely hold her tears back when she heard the voice of her little angel on the other end.

“Cathy, how are you?! Are you hurt?”

One moment, filled silence the link and Vareva felt the worst until she heard Cathy’s voice again.

“I have seen better days, mom. But Sam...can you come and get us?”

Catherine broke the contact but left her device active as a beacon. She knelt next to Sam who was still in the suit and took the Monocle with the broken HUD and its attatched com off his head. his nose was bleeding and several scratches in his face left him bleeding here and there.

Carefully, felt she behind his neck and searched for the little button until she finally found it.

A hiss indicated that the locks began to open and indeed began to chest to open and revealed its pilot to the harsh outside world again.

On a first look seemed nothing broken but she couldn't be sure as she crouched closer towards Sam’s face and touched it gently. His eyes were closed and if it hadn#t been for the small cuts, and scratches, had anyone thought that he would just sleep.

“Sam?” Said Cathy silent and whisked a few strands of his dark brown hair out of his face. “Please Sam, if you can hear me, wake up.”

In the distance could she already feel the slight tremors that indicated that Vareva wasn't far away anymore but was it still in time?.

“Please open your eyes Sam.”

Cathy leaned her face close to his as her tears fell on his cheeks and mixed with the dirt and blood on it as s he stroked over his cheek and laid her head gently on his chest.

“Don’t do this to me you idiot. Please don’t…” She said weeping when she heard something faint. A beat?

“Sam…” Catherine focused on the noise and there...she heard it again. “Yes...Yes!”

He was alive. Wounded, beaten and knocked out. But alive.

“Cathy!” Yelled VAreva when she appeared in the street and saw her little girl next to Sam on the ground. The large machine behind them with a slightly smoking head as she came to them and crouched down onto her knees.

“Oh god Cat. I - I can't tell you how happy I am to see you.” She said and resisted the deep urge to scope her little girl up when she saw the makeshift bandage and the blood on her girls shoulder.

“Cathy are you,” But she already shook her head and forced to smile as she tried to get up but landed on the ground due to her shaking knees.

“He’s alive.” She said happily with tired eyes as Vareva picked her up and placed her carefully in the palm of her hand. “He made it back and saved me.” Added Catherine as Vareva picked him up too and placed him carefully in her hand next to her.

“Well, seems that it becomes a habit for me to pick him up when he is barely alive.” Joked Vareva as she left the place and headed back for their home. Both needed medical attention and the injections, even if powerful treatments, needed living tissue to work their magic.

Vareva was halfway back to their home when she took another look down to her little guests and smiled as she saw Cathy having her left hand in a grip with Sam’s. She really liked the guy but what was with him? Had she ever told him about it? Well, she would talk about that later with her when both would be in a better state. First things came first and that meant to get them stable.