Standing on top of an armored van, Gray was restless with his arm crossed, tapping his foot, keeping his eyes open observing his surroundings. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The traffic was light, and the two cars escorting the van stayed on route.
"Why am I guarding this disgusting thing?" he said, looking down at the van.
It emitted a red flame, the feeling standing near it, let alone looking at it, Gray found it deeply odious, and it felt egregious. Whatever artifacts were in there, for Gray it was nothing shorter than heinous.
"Is that the target, Deariest Valkyrie?" a distorted voice said looking through a scope with its sight on the armor van.
"Yes," Valkyrie answered with her voice also distorted. "Remember the target is the artifacts, All you have to do is take out the driver."
"What about the kid?"
"Just ignore him, he's just there to look out."
"Oh mi, Valkyrie this isn't like you, I get it if you are attracted to him, and I don't blame you."
"That's enough, take out the driver, so I can get the artifact."
Zooming in and taking aim towards the driver's head, the sniper finger on the trigger ready to fire. The moment the van stopped, he held his breath, his aim steady and the bullet was fired. The air cracked as the sound of the bullets reverberated throughout the city as it drew near.
The unaware driver simply turned his head looking out the window, but all of a sudden Gray was holding onto the roof blocking his view.
Before the driver had a chance to say anything, Gray quickly lifted his other arm up, and it was violently blown back, smashing the glass and nearly toppling the van. Gray's arm was inches away from the driver.
Watching Gray slowly pull his arm out, only covered with minor cuts, he stepped onto the street. He lifted his right arm, clinching something.
Opening his hand, dropping the nearly flated, and looking in the sniper's direction. Gray's gaze didn't waver or wander, it was set on him almost like something was guiding him. Startled by this, he loaded a second bullet, but before the sniper had a chance to aim the scope was smashed, and his mask was cracked.
The sniper quickly stood up, "Valkyrie, change to plan B." he said try not to sound shaken.
"Why, what happened?"
"The brat broke my scope."
"How is that possible?" Valkyrie said absolutely baffled at that statement. A sniper requires elevation and precision. A slight movement can throw off aim, especially the increased distance that makes it harder to pinpoint the sniper.
Gray not only managed to find him but struck back as well, "Be careful this kid is quite prospective, that is probably why he was on the roof, to guard at a moment's notice." he said touching the cracks on his mask
"Got it."
One of the cars that was escorting the van, opened its door and stepped out, Page."What the hell happened?" she said, observing the dent.
"Snipers, eight hundred seventy meters east, used a high-caliber round. Don't worry I've taken out the scope." Gray said casually like it was normal for him.
"Eight hundred meters!? How are you able to see from that distance?"
"It's simple, the intent to kill is quite easy to trace," Gray said as he jumped back on top of the van.
Accepting his answer, Page walked up to the broken window of the van, speaking with the driver who seemed to be shaken.
Continuing the drive, Gray slowly opened his right eye, which is no longer strained. Thinking to himself "Finally the grace period is over. That would have been bad if it were my left eye instead." Tap his forehead thinking about yesterday's events, "So five is the limit then, and after processing cause an hour drawback."
With his eye restored, Gray checked underneath his glove, but he was disappointed. The dead vein hasn't subsided, "At most no caliber, if I want to get rid of this." It wasn't detrimental, just not ideal. The artifacts were a high-value target and the potential contract, who can say how many assailants might come after them?
The sniper from that range would have someone close by if the plan were successful. Gray had to be alert for a second one that might be lurking around waiting for another chance to strike.
Gray scans around as they pass by protegeans and at most they are keeping to themselves, only giving a sudden glance, but not anything malicious, only curious.
Before making a turn, Gray noticed something in the distance far enough that he couldn't fully describe it. He was fixed to it, keeping his eyes on it even as they turned.
The flames it was given were strong, or in other words a strong will. This wasn't new, but it was odd, it was bright and also felt comforting, instead of malicious. It completely overshadowed the intensity of the aura.
Something like that should have been noticeable yesterday, whoever that was, they must be someone who was like himself, hiding but revealing themselves to search for something or someone distinct.
Hearing an engine roar, Gray snapped back moments before a car crashed into the van knocking it over. Falling down on the roof of the car, he was shocked that there was no intent. Standing up and getting out of the car, Gray looked into the car, there was no one inside. The only thing he saw was multiple metallic centipedes that were squirming around.
Gray recognized them as DCM9 (Dispatchable, Centipede, Model 9) which are made of metal as strong as tungsten and light as magnesium. The body segment is deceiving, the inner is protected by rubber substances to absorb impact, preventing damage to the circuits and allowing free movement. But the things that made it dangerous aren't the razor-sharp legs and pincers, it's their speed.
Quickly jumping to the side, as the swarm of DCM9 tore through the car door like it was made out of paper. Drawing his sword, taking a firm stance with both his arms on the handle.
Gray was attentively watching DCM9 as they thrashed around, separating and contracting slamming into any surface, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
The other escort car stopped and a group stepped in trying to subdue the situation, but they were quickly swatted away.
The moment they contact, they immediately try to drill into the van's undercarriage. Gray quickly thrust his sword into the swarm, stopping them in their track.
Valkyrie watched him, amazed. Gray managed to stop the swarm from piercing the van, but kept them in place with a 'third-rate weapon.' It was simply preposterous. But strangely Gray began to push his blade further in.
Turning his back, placed the handle and pulled over his shoulder, ripping through the majority of the DCM9. Then quickly spun back slamming down on the rest of the DCM9.
As black sludge poured out of the DCM9, Gray Blade was covered in it, but it wasn't entirely. The sludge revealed his jagged edge barrier that was in casing his sword, not only reinforcing it, but also providing the necessary force to rip through them.
"Well, that was a surprise," Valkyrie said, stepping out of the alley the car came from. She is wearing dark attire, a metal helmet with feathers on its side, a long robe with a fur collar, and a pair of chest and shoulder plates. Flapping a coin between her fingers, Gray was watching carefully as his barrier slowly disappeared.
Flicking the coin up in the air, but Gray was keeping his eyes on her. Gray wasn't alarmed, "Have we met before?" he asked.
Before Valkyrie had a chance to grab it, Gray instantly closed the distance grabbing the coin. "This is a nice coin, where did you get it from?" Gray said as he inspected the feather-crested coin, completely ignoring his other arm being grabbed. Gray activated the coin turning it into a krókspjót (wing spear)
Gray yanked his arm pulling her closer and using the spear to strike, but she grabbed the spear stopping it. Valkyrie kicked Gray in the knee, throwing him slightly off balance, letting go of his arm, and holding on to the spear with both her hands. She pulled, taking back her spear then Valkyrie being in close range used it as an advantage.
Using the shaft of the spear, blocking his arm's path preventing Gray from striking back. She quickly shifted, striking the back of Gray's neck and kicking him in his other knee, throwing him even farther off balance, and then tossed him to the side like a ragdoll.
Gray sprang back on his feet, but Valkyrie was not letting up. She unleashed an unrelenting flurry of strikes. Gray was amazed at her speed and precision the only thing he could do was dodge and watch her movement. Gray took his sheath from his side and threw it at her.
She stepped to the side, disrupting her movement. Gray closed the distance, trying to strike her, but she dodged leaving him open. Landing a palm strike, Metallica's tundra crawled out of Valkyrie's sleeve and launched at Gray, carrying him and sending him crashing into the car.
"Sorry kid, it's nothing personal. You know it's all a part of a job, right?" Valkyrie said before her tundra broke into pieces. Surprised by this, she wondered when he had a chance to use his ability. Dismissing this, she took out a talisman and began to summon more DCM9.
Once again the DCM9 contracted and started to spin, drilling the undercarriage of the van. Tearing through the bottom, it revealed scattered cases.
Taking a closer look, she spotted two identical large cases and couldn't tell which one was the target. Deciding to take both of them she got another talisman ready, but Gray's sword was thrown cutting the talisman. Surprised by this she turned to Gray's direction, but the car was flying at her. Reacting, she jumped up in the air to dodge it, but the DCM9 was trampled by it.
By baiting her to go mid-air where her movements are restricted, there was nowhere she could go. Pushing off the ground, Gray is closing in on her. He extended his arm ready to grab. Seeing this, she pulled back her spear ready to strike Gray once he was in striking distance, and sent dodging in mid air was impossible, the strike was granted.
She thrust her spear, but Gray with his extended arm placed down a barrier and used it to vault over the spear. With his hand firmly placed, Gray began to twist his lower part of his body, reeling back his leg. Snapping his body using his shin, using such speed and precision unleashed a devastating kick, sending her crashing to the street below.
Falling back down on the street, Gray picks up his sword and says "Get up, you're not fooling anyone."
Valkyrie slowly stood up as if it were a simple fall rather than an impact. A bolt of plasma sprouted from her back, at first she was going to let him on, but he noticed that the bolt was used to absorb most of the initial impact of his kick.
She pulled back her spear, while she was deep in her thoughts, Gray's physical prowess is something else, able to throw a car and he doesn't seem injured but he looks exhausted as evidence of the sweat on his forehead and panting. It was as if he ran a marathon.
Hearing footsteps to her left, the escort team from earlier fired at her, she quickly jumped back, using her spear to deflect the incoming bullets. Occupied by this, Gray took the initiative heading straight into the line of fire.
The escort team halted as Valkyrie diverted her attention to Gray, blocking his sword strike. She tried to push back but she couldn't budge an inch. This was detrimental, Gray was holding her back while her 'Vængir sólar' was active. A second bolt of plasma sprouted out of her back and started to push him back, but Gray smiled "Times four, right?" Vænihir sólar boosts her overall strength per wing on her back.
Gray's left eye ripple his pupil changed color from silver to crimson. "I have met people far worse with that ability. You are no killer." Gray said as he pushed back with his blade slowly cutting into the shaft of the spear. Valkyrie was overwhelmed with Gray's sudden growth in power; she only felt the presence of death upon her.
"Valkyrie drop." the sniper said
Following his instructions she fell back, but Gray didn't stumble indicating that he was not using his body weight to hold her back. She managed to push off him by kicking him but he didn't budge, it felt like kicking a brick wall.
Sliding back the sniper had a clear shot. BANG! The bullet was fired, Gray tilted back, dodging the shot leaving a crater on the floor. Valkyrie climbing up the building tried to escape, Gray was about to give chase, but a colossal version of the DCM9 emerged from the crater.
It pincers easily out of scales Gray, and every step it takes, its legs pierce the ground. Despite the difference in size, Gray saw the centipede as nothing more than just a toothpick.