After the third deafening sonic boom rang out, the lone Armatus, accompanied by two P.N.I. bots perched on its shoulders, slamd into the ground with a thunderous impact. The landing tore through the road, creating a crater as winds blasted upwards, sending dirt and smoke billowing over ten tres high.
Montarily stunned by the nacing machine's dramatic arrival, Lupus quickly composed herself. Seizing the mont, she dashed forward without hesitation, her armour boots illuminating with blue sigils of arcane power, determined to gain the upper hand before the smoke cleared and the visibility returned.
"Stop right there!" Jack called out, his voice raw and panicked as he noticed an enemy marker on his HUD closing in fast. He fumbled with the controls, milking the last drop of energy from the arcanite engine to move the Armatus's failing arms. All the while, his vision blurred as blood pounded in his temples, exhaustion weighing heavily on him.
Jack's voice, deep, coarse, and laced with an oddly mysterious undertone, startled Lupus. "Wha~why is his voice so sexy?!" She found herself thinking, the stray thought montarily distracting her. She shook her head furiously, banishing the notion, and surged forward again with lightning speed.
The gap between them shrank rapidly — less than fifty tres now.
"Stop! Stop! I'm Arcanii too!" Jack's voice cracked with desperation over the speakers. As the words registered, the Armatus's torso hatch hissed open, revealing a man in an orange jumpsuit stumbling out awkwardly, stepping on the lower hatch door.
Lupus halted, her golden eyes narrowing as the man climbed out. "Huh? Why is he so old?" she scoffed inwardly, taking in his weathered face and malnourished fra. Her frown deepened as she thought, "What a waste of such a deep, mythic voice!"
"Say, Uncle! Then why are you in an enemy mobile suit?" She demanded sternly, taking a cautious step closer.
"Good question... uh, my na is Jack... Jack Squire," He replied, nonchalant in his tone, raising his hands in a gesture of peace.
"Ugh... Wait a second," He groaned, grimacing as he straightened up. His back protested against the chaos of the crash landing and the relentless pull of gravity on his aging fra.
Examining him with a pity gaze, "Okay, Unc, how about you get on with your answer?" She pressed, sniffing the air suspiciously. "Or are you trying to pull a trick on ?" She repeated, sceptical at his approach.
Jack's thoughts briefly wandered. "Why is she still calling 'Unc' even after I told her my na? Am I really that old? Kids these days... no respect for their seniors," He mused with lancholy.
eting her captivating golden gaze intently, he spoke with sincerity. "I'm here to find my family," He explained. Seizing on an idea, he pointed to one of the P.N.I. bots. "See that? I'm a debris collector in the low orbital ring..."
Lupus tilted her head, puzzlent and unconvinced distrust so palpable it seed to hang in the air. Jack hurriedly added, "Look, here's the logo — DebrisX. It's a private company. See? It's on my jumpsuit too!" He gestured nonchalantly to the patch emblazoned on his chest.
Her long rabbit ears twitched, irritation flickering in her eyes. "Why is this old fart explaining things to like I'm a dumb animal?" She muttered under her breath. Her stance tightened, her suspicion unwavering.
"Answer this! Who is your family?" She yelled, stepping closer.
"Of course... um..." Jack hesitated, a cold dread settling over him. He realised with growing horror that he couldn't recall their nas — couldn't even picture their faces. Panic surged through him as his thoughts scrambled. "Do I... do I have amnesia? I can't rember anything before arriving at the space station... before the Luna base. My life on Earth... it's all gone."
While Jack's mind reeled in shock, Lupus's frown deepened. She sensed sothing amiss in his deanour.
Resolute in his decision to tell the truth, Jack stamred nervously, "Oh, oh... I have amnesia~!" Before he could utter another word, Lupus faded into a blur of motion. In one heartbeat, she was tres away; in the next, she was right beside him. Her leg coiled around his neck like scissors, locking him in a crushing hold before she hurled him to the ground. His body slamd into the tal hatch door with a deafening clang.
Jack's body twisted in agony, his breath ragged as her thighs constricted around his throat, cutting off his air supply. "No!... Please..." he gasped, his voice faltering as his vision began to fade. His eyes rolled back, and his consciousness slipped away, engulfed by darkness.
"You lying uncle! I know you're trying to trick !" Lupus sneered, flexing her legs tighter. Jack didn't resist; he lay limp, accepting his fate. A fleeting thought passed through his mind, "If this is how I go, it's not a bad way to die..."
Despite standing at death's door, Jack refused to touch the mage's voluptuous thighs to pry his throat free, a final act of decency from a dead man.
Then, sothing caught Lupus's sharp eyes — a locket peeking out from under his collar. She loosened her grip slightly, allowing it to fall into view. Inside was a picture of a child.
For a brief mont, she wanted to believe the man as her thoughts solidified.
Jack wasn't wearing any Armatus knight personal armour, but an orange jumpsuit with a peculiar design.
His claim of working with a private company 'DebrisX' seed convincing with his natag and company logo, the sa logo etched to the side exterior of strange cylindrical drones.
His motive didn't show any sign of hostility toward her as he voluntarily opened the hatch exposing himself to her offensive attack.
Releasing her hold, Lupus slowly unclenched her thighs, watching as his unconscious body lay motionless on the cold, tal floor of the hatch. Despite everything, his face appeared strangely serene in the sunlight.
"Mister Jack?" She nudged his shoulder, and there was no response. Her face whitened like a sheet as though blood draining out of her, "Oh, no... I think I've killed him!" She gasped, regret hung heavy in her heart, her golden eyes lingered at the serene complexion of Jack Squire.
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