The Watcher: Adaptability Of A Bounty Hunter

Chapter 7) Playtime

The U.I within the helmet was incredibly complex. Neatly tucked away in the bottom right corner was the motion tracker, which presented three green dots around Roman. A string of numbers and letters was slung across the very top of his vision. This provided him with pin point accurate readouts of whatever direction he was looking in. And that was just what displays naturally, according to the description Agma presented there were still extra features that only revealed themselves during specific situations or whenever the host deemed them necessary. It doesn’t sound like much on paper, but Roman had slaved away at his computer for weeks on end to cobble together the cluttered interface of his first helmet.

The rest of the armor wasn’t any lesser either. Aside from the helmet, the rest of the set couldn’t be equipped separately. Instead the user needed to voice authenticate, Somehow the armor was already registered to Roman’s voice. He didn’t question it, although he suspected more of the Dulvian Devil’s tricks at play. From there the suit would unlatch, and like a suitcase the cover swung around and dangled from the right side, which was still affixed to the apparatus. When he stepped inside, the mechanisms reactivated pulling the removed segment back into place.

The sound of steam escaping filled Roman’s ears as the mechanical armor reattached, trapping him within the metal cocoon. Once settled, the man flexed his muscles, no strain, nothing. There was only the smallest bit of resistance from the steel frame which reminded him that he was still inside the suit. Roman almost felt naked, he’d never experienced this level of maneuverability before. He brought his hands up, slowly curling and uncurling his fingers, shocked by the fluidity of his movements.

“Push your arm out,” Agma chimed in from the right, “I wish to see if the weaponry is functioning as intended.”

Roman nodded, dropping his left arm down to his side. He turned to his right arm which still hung in the air, the blackened gauntlet that bulged at the forearms took on a fresh shine. A twinge of unease zapped his system, accompanied by a healthy dose of enthusiasm. These conflicting emotions stirred up inside of Roman, and no matter which feeling overpowered the other, he would still need to test the weaponry. He swallowed up his anxieties, and pushed his right arm forward with the force comparable to a quick jab.

Without delay, the spring loaded mechanism deployed, launching a sixteen inch blade from a slot just above the knuckles. Roman staggered a small bit, not expecting the sword to be this long, and not nearly this heavy. On closer inspection, the bulk of the weapon wasn’t any typical metal. From base, to tip the blade took on a horrible blueish gleam. As if the surrounding metal was used to restrict and confine an unseen energy.

“Hmm,” Agma placed his fingertip against the dull side of the blade, and swiped his finger down it’s length, “It worked, although I’d be lying if I said it appeared completely stable.”

“Why is it glowing blue?”

“Eradium isn’t usually used in the creation of swords. Even then, the few swords that contain the precious element, dilute the solution with other metals like iron and steel. But this right here, one hundred percent pure Eradium. This is a monumental feat, and you’ll be the brave pioneer who unveiled it’s true  capabilities.” 

Roman tore his attention away from the sword and focused it back on Agma, “Wait, you’ve never even tested this?”

“Only a few rudimentary aspects, for example you can adjust the length of the blade with the control panel on the side of the right gauntlet.” 

Roman checked and sure enough, there was a miniature dial sticking out from under the right arm’s wrist. He pinched the device between his fingers and rolled it to the right, no response, Roman assumed that meant the right side correlated to the increase of height. He tried again, this time twisting the dial to the left, retracting roughly five inches of the meaty Eradium. Much of the weight on his arms disappeared, freeing up the strength he used to keep the sword suspended in the air. 

“Anything else,” Roman questioned.

“Oh of course,” Agma replied, before starting to move backwards towards the entrance of the room, “But you didn’t want me to explain them to you earlier, something about ‘being able to read’ if I recall. So I see no reason why you’d need, nor wish for me to divulge said information.” 

Agma continued backwards until his back pressed up against the white tiled wall, “Alright, begin the test.” 

“Wait,” Roman called out, “How do you expect me to fight with a suit I know practically nothing about!?”

“Well…”

Mari and Cliff casually traveled towards Roman. Their eyes still set aflame with that undying passion for revenge. The purple radiance of Mari’s mana blade stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the holographic chamber’s white innards. Despite lacking in any sort of flashy weapons, Cliff had his own means of intimidation, a simple c***k of the knuckles. Both entrenched with a seemingly deep seeded hatred for Roman.

Agma carried on, “You’ll need to adapt.”

Mari leapt into battle, sword held high, until it came crashing down at Roman’s chest. The glowing blade made contact, but the armor proved victorious, Her sword bounced off his chest, leaving no visible markings or proof she had even grazed him. But she surely did, Roman felt a small burning sensation at the precise area she struck. But it stung a hell of a lot less than the singe of his flesh against the heated weapon. Mari quickly rebounded and spun around, this time swinging her sword upward from below. Roman was slow to react, sluggish in his new skin. In a desperate act, he threw his arm out and by some miracle the middle of his mounted blade managed to flick away Mari’s sword.

Roman pumped his left arm, throwing out the full, unaltered length of the Eradium weapon. He acted swiftly, swinging the sword at the smaller woman before she could rebound. Mari dodged the strike, jumping back a few feet only for Cliff to take her place. Though he had the delicacy of a cannon, his glowing fists packed the punch of a bullet train. Roman could still feel his armor crunching underneath the impact of a single strike. But not this time, things were different, this new suit wouldn’t crumble. 

A fist came from the right, then the left, ending the sequence with a vicious uppercut. Roman narrowly avoided the first two punches, but the third and final attack forced him to jump backwards in order to avoid it. The second his heels touched the ground, Mari was back on him. A flurry of color filled his vision, an unavoidable chain of small cuts and slices painted his body. Roman winced, the incisions stung like hell, the situation was quickly piling up on top of the seasoned bounty hunter. Dealing with this two the night before was difficult enough without the discomfort of stepping into new equipment. 

What he needed was a moment to think, a second to assess enemies, most of all, Roman needed a minute to capture his breath. He stabbed forward, sluggish and predictable, it wasn’t hard for Mari to avoid with a quick sidestep. Her face twisted into a wide toothed grin. A smile that was blown away in the next breath.

Click.

The Eradium sword poking out of the man’s right gauntlet detached. The sixteen inches of volatile metal dropped to the floor. 

“s**t!” Mari gasped when she realized what had just happened. Before the neon glowing sword hit the floor, Mari enhanced her jump and bounced at least ten feet back, “What the hell are you cr… azy?”

The luminous blade laid dormant on a single tile. Mari’s face was some unholy hybrid of disgust and absolute bewilderment. And that was only accentuated when the sword reeled back, neatly sliding back into position within the armor. Almost as if the blade was tugged by an unseen thread. 

“Interesting, you know I’m surprised you fell for such an obvious feint Mari,” Agma said, from the safety a few feet back.

“Grr… oh don’t worry, I won’t fall for that cheap trick again!”

“Your right, because you’ve lost,” Agma moved next to Mari, resting one of his hands upon her shoulder, “Let’s hope Cliff proves more successful”

“Waaa! What do you mean I’m done!? I’ve got a lot more to show this guy!” 

“Well you’ll need to present them to him at a later date. I’m looking forward to seeing how this test ends.”

Mari whined, “Why do I need to wait! Wouldn’t it be a better test if he fights us both? You know, that way I’ll prove to you that Cliff and I are better fighters!”

“You misunderstand Mari,” Agma turned his attention towards Roman and Cliff, who circled each other like wolves, “I’m not looking for a fighter. I need a problem solver for this mission.” 

Mari frowned and looked down at her feet. A burning red heat started to build up in her puffed cheeks. She took in a breath, and shouted out, “Kick his ass Cliff!”

Cliff merely tilted his head in response. With the largest portion of his attention dedicated to tracking Roman’s moves. And Roman could feel that gaze wrapped tightly around his body. This didn’t deter the bounty hunter, who met the leering pair of eyes head on. Roman had already become relatively familiar with the bulky man’s fighting style. Undisciplined and trashy, yet stunningly refined and unbelievably powerful. It wasn’t a shock that Cliff relied heavily on the primary trait of the Brawler class, strength. 

He was definitely a formidable obstacle to overcome. Even so, Roman had an advantage Cliff didn’t. An ace up his sleeve if you will, and that was this suit of armor. Agma told him this suit was top secret, worked on by Dulvian scientists in their spare time. Like a sort of high tech pet project to work on in between official assignments. Assuming this was the case, that would mean Cliff knew nothing of the armor’s true potential, Roman wasn’t positive he knew the complete extent either. But he knew enough to best his opponent.   

“Looking nice and shiny in that new skin, aintcha tin man.” 

“Taunting me isn’t going to help you.” 

“Good, I’m not much of a conversationalist!”

Cliff charged forward, fists once again taking on the signature red glow. A cold chill ran down Roman’s spine, he recognized this as the tell tale sign of the brawler’s magic. Roman flinched, and that was the exact chance Cliff was looking for. The instant he hesitated, Cliff switched gears and swiped his leg underneath roman, bringing him crashing to the ground.

Staggered, Roman’s vision faded in and out of focus as he laid on the ground. Shortly, when the ever expanding blur of his surroundings became clear once more. He was greeted by a glowing fist that came crashing down. Roman threw himself to the right, and Cliff’s hand smashed into the title floor. White chips of plastic laden material rocketed up from the point of impact.

That was close, far too close for comfort. Roman rolled back and hopped to his feet. Cliff let out a sly laugh as he pulled away from the floor. The Dulvian was a tad more talented than Roman had given him credit for. Who was once a deadly one trick pony, now represented a constant threat. There was no choice, his back was pushed up against the wall, it was time to use the ace.

Cliff shook the dust off his right hand, the fingerless glove he wore seemed to have taken the brunt of the failed attack. Now tattered and worn, looking more like scattered threads of fabric, “Damn, aren’t you a slippery bastard.”

Roman remained silent, running over his plan countless times within the labyrinth of his mind. Already he missed the cheap, backwater analytical program that used to project relevant data into his hud. For all the advancements this armor presented him, Roman would still need to tweak it a bit. First things first, Roman needed to lay out the facts.

The Eradium swords could easily be detached from either arm, judging by the elemental weapon’s chaotic appearance. It can reasonably be assumed that, if agitated, it’ll erupt like a bomb. Not just that, but the ends of both swords still remained attached to the mechanism via a thick, rubber plunger. Which in turn connected the unstable material to the suit thanks to an ultra strong steel rope, that spun around a wheel inside of the forearms. 

“Alright,” Roman muttered to himself, “Two explosive rods, reach advantage thanks to the metal string, and an over confident meat head…”

Two aqua glowing blades slide out of their gauntlets, the tips carving up the floor as their wielder idled. Cliff followed Roman’s example and assumed a battle pose. A familiar stance, right leg forward, a crouched position that allocated most of the behemoth’s weight onto his outstretched limb. The very same motion that proceeded a violent pounce the night before. Knowing he’d need to maintain the air of mystique this new combat armor provided him. Roman disconnected his left weapon, which filled the room with a noisy bang.

Cliff raised an eyebrow, possibly warry since this bluff took Mari out of the fight. He shut his eyes for a second, nodded, and then peeled his eyelids back. This move wasn’t enough to wipe that smile off his lips. The built male pulled his leg back, repositioned his arms from his sides, to his torso. Placing them in such a way that, whether Roman decided to make an offensive or defensive play, Cliff’s vitals would still be guarded. And he’d be able to retaliate without much strain if the red shine of his fists was anything to go by. A new fighting position, and a dangerous one at that. 

"Ready when you are, ‘Watcher’.”

Cliff’s use of his bounty hunting persona brought about feelings of rage Roman hadn’t felt in years. This whole god awful position he found himself in. Assaulted under moonlight, imprisoned, and now forced to undertake a suicidal mission that, if not carried out properly could land him in hot water with, not only Shadow’s Requiem, but also the Nishi Syndicate. Cliff and his partner shouldered the blame exclusively, were it not for meeting these two, Roman, the name of his old self. A relic of the past, would have remained buried and the Watcher would still be prowling the streets. 

Roman whipped his arm backward, letting gravity take hold as the cord was yanked back as well. Taking the volatile blade with it, and also finally whipping the smirk from Cliff’s face. Realizing what Roman was up to, Cliff  broke his stance and made for his right, but it was already too late. Roman exclaimed at the same moment he whipped his left arm. The cord mimicked the c***k of an adventurer's whip, as the deep blue metal cut a swath through the air. Careening towards the man’s general vicinity. Cliff swore under his breath and bolted, right then and there, the moment the metal made contact with the floor, Roman popped the plunger off the end of the Eradium.

A violent flash of vibrant light followed, punctuated with the boom of thunder. The detonation was so utterly bright that Roman’s heads up display was overtaken with static for the duration of the explosion. When the dust settled and the radiation boom simmered down, all that remained of that singular tile was a scorched pit. But when Roman turned to his right, there wasn’t a lightly burned man huddled up on the ground, there was nothing. 

“Damn you!” Cliff’s voice came from Roman’s right. 

“s**t!” 

When he came to his senses and twisted to his right. There was only a few meters between him and Cliff’s magically augmented fists. In the brief look Roman was able to have, he noticed that Cliff’s outfit, starting from the back had been completely decimated. Dark soot covered the man’s exposed chest, and face, which was currently scrunched up in anger. And Cliff was quickly gaining ground, there was only one surefire way Roman could steal victory.

Roman curled the fingers on his right hand, forming a fist. And pumped his arm in Cliff’s general direction. The top of his gauntlet puffed out white smoke, which was swiftly sliced apart by the Eradium sword that shot out of his home. Like a bullet from a firearm, or an arrow from a bow, the sword blazed towards Roman’s enemy. Cliff exclaimed, the projectile was too fast to dodge, but was aimed at the man’s head. Cliff let out an exhausted, and desperate battle cry as the sharpened edge grew closer. At the absolute last second he possibly could have countered, Cliff caught the sword, clenching it with both hands. 

He gasped for air, sweat poured down his face, and a different kind of red started to leak from his hands. Blood, and lots of it dribbled from his overly tight hold on the sword that was a hare’s breath away from taking the man out of commission for good. The red liquid dropped onto the floor, sticking out like a sore thumb against the white backdrop. The room was silent, stunned by the absolute absurdity of what had just occurred. That is until Roman, lightly tugged the metal rope, which brought about a stunningly cowardly exclamation from Cliff. 

“If this was a real match, I’d pull the rope and blow you to bits.”

“N...Nnngh,” Cliff strengthened his hold on the blade, out of anger, or maybe embarrassment. Resulting in even more crimson water, spilt, “Go f**k yourself, Tinman….” 

“You b***h!” Mari’s ear splittingly high pitched voice filled the empty room, “I’ll tear you apart!” 

Agma clapped three times, “Now, Now, That’s no way to talk to your teammate.”

“Teammate!?” 

“Oh- how unprofessional of me, I meant to say, team leader.”

Frustrated, Mari stormed out of the holographic chamber, absolutely fuming. Considering the fact Roman somehow managed to take the victory, there wasn’t any need to keep Cliff hostage with an explosive. The sword spun back into it’s holding, and the beaten, burned, all around humiliated man collapsed to the ground, panting for oxygen while also spouting out profanity. 

The Dulvian Devil chuckled softly before facing Roman, “Welcome to Shadow’s Requiem, Watcher.”