Chapter Seventy-Six - The Big Players

    Chapter Seventy-Six - The Big Players

    Younger Samurai, and by that, we mean those who turned into Samurai recently (it has nothing to do with age!) are generally pretty well protected by the older ones.

    But they cant stop us from shipping them!

    --Deceased anonymous forum user, 2030

    ***

    There were so many flying models out ahead that they were practically a cloud of living flesh, swarming out towards us like grasping vines.

    Damn, I said.

    Im going to need a bigger flamethrower, Gomorrah said.

    I nodded, ready to agree with her, when a large flamethrower appeared right next to Gomorrah at just the right height for her to grab onto its twin handles and angle its nozzle up.

    It was nearly all-black, except for white detailing within and it was festooned in crosses and skulls and small statuettes across its entire surface.

    Did... did you put extra points into making it all... gaudy? I asked.

    Dont you have more important things to focus on? she asked.

    Not right at this very second, no, I said. I gestured to the swarm approaching us. Weve got like a minute before were pecked apart. Im not going to spend it moping.

    Gomorrah sighed. You are so unserious.

    Thats not a word, Im sure, I said.

    You know what I meant, she snapped. And yes. I did spend an extra point to decorate my flamethrower. So what?

    Nothing, nothing. I mean, its not my kind of thing, but it looks really pious or whatever. Im sure Jesus will appreciate you burning things to death more if your flamethrower has the symbol of the thing that killed him on it.

    Shut up, Cat, she said. At least Im not slowly turning into some sort of heathen animal person. Youre one fur coat away from being a god-damned furry, you know that, right?

    I slapped a hand over my chest. That stings, little G.

    I didnt know why I felt so disappointed, or betrayed for that matter.

    Pretty much. Cant let the small fry die because they bit off more than they can chew, she said. Plus youve been out for what, five hours? Six? Go take a break. In a couple of hours itll all be over.

    She glanced past me and to the road we were leaving behind.

    On that note, Im off. Ill give you a call tomorrow. She bunched her legs up under her and jumped into the air with her entire rig pulling her up and away.

    I lowered Whisper by my side and looked over the field of dead Model Ones. A minute ago Id been wondering if I could take them all on, and now they were dead. It felt as if someone had just yanked me around and shown me the chasm between me and the other Samurai out there.

    Damnation, Gomorrah said. I got this thing for nothing. She wiggled her flamethrower about.

    I sighed. You can probably make toast with it or something, I said.

    My guns retracted and I slung Whisper over a shoulder before looking out ahead of us. We were getting closer to the front meter by meter. At that rate, wed be there in a few more minutes.

    You think were done? I asked.

    Gomorrah nodded. For this incursion? Probably. I dont know how much time youve spent with other Samurai, but they tend to treat new ones like, well, they treat us like children. It gets better relatively quickly though. I think its more about how well you can pull your weight.

    Hmm, I said. That made a sort of sense. Wed done a lot today, Gomorrah and I, but I was willing to bet that an older, or rather a more experienced Samurai, could do a lot more a whole lot more efficiently.

    Home, Gomorrah said.

    Home, I replied. Not... I dont think I have a home, exactly.

    You mentioned someone close to you, no? she asked.

    I nodded along. Yeah. I guess wherever she is, thats home. Im pretty sure Myalis can track her down for me.

    That would be as easy as... done.

    My mood lightened a bit at that, so I found a spot to sit on the railings running around the roof and enjoyed the bumpy ride. It had been a hard days work, but one capped by some success. More success than failure. And in the end, Id get to see Lucy and the kittens again.

    That meant all sorts of new problems, but I doubted theyd be as challenging as facing an alien invasion while poorly prepared.

    ***