Gibsonâs nostrils flared as he whipped about and snarled at her. Several things were bothering him about the situation and pouring gasoline onto the fire of his rage. First, she had seen him when he was hunting someone else. Second, she actually CALLED TO HIM. It was like she had a death wish or something. He figured that he could help her out with that.
"YouâLl d0. WhIcH ONe arE yOu w4ntiNg, Inf3ct1on, oR d3aTh? GeTTinG inF3Ct3d isNât GoIng tO g3t yOu iNtO mY bEd. YoUâd haV3 tO iMpr3Ss mE fIrsT, aNd gIviNg 4wAy yOuR taCtiCal aDvanTaGe isNât hElpInG wiTh tHAt."
He was infected, he wasnât stupid. There was a reason he was King. Still, he had to admit, her courage was slightly impressive. He made a rather imposing figure, with his hood darkening his face so only his yellow-green eyes shone out, and the terrifying color spiderwebbing through the rest of his circuitry.
"Iâm interested in whichever you think will work," Vira replied evenly, a smile on her lips, and then she laughed. "Into bed? Darling, unless youâre hiding a beautiful female render, I am not interested in anything beneath your suit.â
Despite her words, her eyes trailed over him, lingering on the circuitry that traced his suit. The yellow was comforting and upsetting all in one, the urge to befriend and murder the other virus warring within her. She hadnât dropped her cloak yet, waiting for him to jump her, but if he didnât make a move soon, she was going to.
"Đ©Ńll ŃĐœaŃâ$ a fŃÒ$Ń. Đ ŃâŽŃd ŃĐŸ ĐœavŃ ŃĐœŃ ladŃŃ⎠faŃĐžŃĐžg all ĐŸvŃÒ ĐŒŃ, ĐżĐŸ ĐŒaŃŃŃÒ ŃĐœŃcĐœ ŃaŃ ŃĐœŃŃ âŽŃŃĐžg."
He paced, looking over her, and their surroundings, determining the best course of action. He was also trying to decide if he wanted to infect her or kill her. Which was he hungry for? Another soldier, or to feed? Which did he want most?
There was a tension to this confrontation, as if they were both sizing each other up, or at least, thatâs how it felt to the new Abraxas. Eat or infect? Infect or eat?
He finally decided. Heâd infect her, then eat her if he wanted to later.
â$ŃŃŃĐžg a$ ŃĐŸŃ ĐœavŃ $ĐŸĐŒŃ ĐșŃĐżd ĐŸf dŃaŃĐœ ŃŃ$Đœ, ĐâĐŒ gĐŸŃĐżg ŃĐŸ ĐœavŃ ŃĐŸ apĐŸlĐŸgŃzŃ. ĐŃâ$ gĐŸŃĐżg ŃĐŸ ĐŹŃ a lŃvŃĐžg dŃaŃĐœ ŃĐŸdaŃ.â
Before he even finished speaking, he ran forward, then suddenly changed course at the last moment to used a nearby crumbling wall to launch himself at her flank.
"Well, Iâve always been special,"Â Vira said demurely, feeling his gaze almost physically. From the little he could see, she was just an average female render - pretty, maybe, but not a guard, not strong. She was created to be the perfect hunter, after all; the appearance was just another way of luring in prey.
Living death - so he meant to infect her? She would have laughed at the idea, except that the virus had used the wall - fuck - to throw himself behind her guard, his fingers latching into her cloak.grabbing her hip before she could get back. So thatâs how the game was going to be played.
Vira ripped the clasp of her cloak free, not trying to keep it intact - there were plenty of cloaks, but she only had one life - and let it fall, freeing her to grab his wrist. She used his momentum to help her swing around, a high kick aimed for his chest, hoping to wrench his arm loose - or off, if she was lucky.
The kick not only freed his grip, but launched him into a wall, fracturing the already fragmented code even more, and embedding him into it.
"ĐŁĐŸŃ lŃŃŃlŃ glŃŃcĐœ."
He could see what she was now. His first instinct would have been to order her back to the den if he hadnât gotten a whiff of her and parsed that she wasnât his code. She wasnât the pure Abraxas stock.
"ĐŁĐŸŃâŃŃ Ba$Ńc ĐČa$Ń, aŃŃĐżâŃ ŃĐŸŃ? ĐĐŸÒĐŒallŃ Đ ŃĐŸŃldĐżâŃ ŃvŃĐż ĐŹĐŸŃĐœŃŃ, ĐČŃŃ ŃĐŸŃ cĐŸ$Ń ĐŒŃ $ĐŸĐŒŃ pŃÒfŃcŃlŃ gĐŸĐŸd pŃŃŃ. ĐâĐŒ gĐŸĐžĐża ŃaĐșŃ ŃĐŸŃ ŃĐżâŽŃŃad!"
He ran forward and slashed out with his claws, looking to open her render and knock her back at the same time, maybe even take a few voxels with it.
Vira raised her hands (claws, now) and brushed her hair back from her face, taking a deep, calming breath. Heâd scratched her, but that was no worry, she was fine - but the comment.
"Basic base?" Her voice hissed out of her throat. "Iâve been Queen since Abraxas was my competition. Youâre nothing but a child dressed up, playing the part of an adult!â She sidestepped him, leaving him with only a slight slice of fabric, her anger making her quick but too rough to strike; she took a breath and tried to focus. "You fucker, I came here to face real competition!â She stalked towards him, her guard still up, ready to block any movements he made. She thought absently of her viruses, wondering if it was worth summoning them, but no, she could end him alone.
"How fucking dare you, you beta-class infected!â She darted forward suddenly, her claws reaching for his wrist. If she could break it, he would die, simple as that, because sheâd have the advantage.
"BĐTA CLĐâŽâŽ ĐĐFĐCTĐD?"
He spun, grabbed her off hand, and slammed her head into the ground with his free hand.
"Đ Ńa⎠ŃĐœŃ AĐŹŃaжa$ JalŃĐžâ$ fŃÒ$Ń aĐżd ĐŸĐżlŃ lŃŃŃŃŃĐżaĐżŃ. Đ Ńas ŃĐœŃ ĐŸĐžlŃ ĐâŽĐ ĐœŃ ĐșŃpŃ alŃvŃ. ĐŁĐŸŃ ĐŒaŃ ĐŹŃ a qŃŃŃĐž, ĐČŃŃ ĐâĐŒ ŃĐœŃ ĐŃĐżg. Đ ĐM AĐŹŃaжa$, ŃĐŸŃ fÒaggŃĐžâ ĐaâŽŃc! ĐŁĐŸŃ $ĐœĐŸŃld fŃŃl ĐœĐŸĐžĐŸÒŃd. ĐĐŸŃ ŃvŃÒŃ pŃĐŸgŃaĐŒ caĐž âŽaŃ ŃĐœŃŃ gĐŸŃ ŃaŃŃĐż ĐŹŃ AĐŹŃaжa$."
Vira was yanked from her feet, slamming back onto the pavement with a sickening crunch. The breath was gone from her lungs and her head felt weak, but she had no time to dwell on it.
She gathered her legs under his chest, curling subtly, and was reminded of another fight, long ago, with the real Abraxas. She missed the other virus in a strange way, like how one misses a toothache.
"I am the virus's first - only child - the only true virus on this - this whole fragging grid. The rest?" She kicked against him, hard, throwing him back and scrambling the other way. "Infected, all of you! Basic - infected." She pushed herself to her feet. "I am a virus and you are nothing. Abraxas was twice the virus you'll ever be!" She was panting, sucking air back into starved lungs. "And if I matched him, what do you think I can do to you?"
