Reignite: Down Fall.

It was well into the early morning hours; Luna stirred from her restless sleep, woken up by the sounds of cursing, various clicks and banging coming from the floor below. She made her way out of the abandoned room towards the source of the noise. The hallways were empty and silent except from the constant noise echoing around the ruined building.

Luna was thankful for her night vision, as the dim light of the building would make it very hard to see for anyone else. The various clicks and banging got louder as she got closer to the source. As she entered the garage her eyes befell on the corpse of a hulking creature with a spear like object embedded into its spine.

“What in the name of my sister is that monstrosity?!” She wondered aloud in shock, and disgust.

“Sadly…that would be my old man.” Cillen stated as he emerged from underneath the machine he was repairing. “It’s a shame you couldn’t meet under better circumstances.”

“H-How did he end up like this?” Luna asked, but was hesitant to hear the answer.

“I killed him earlier, didn’t have much choice…” He said regretfully, “He was stubborn to a fault, but a good man none the less.” Cillen resumed repairing the HARDFRAME, paying Luna very little mind.

“Don’t you regret doing this?” Luna pleaded, worried about Cillen’s lack of concern. Cillen stopped what he was doing.

“Luna…everyone I know is dead, turned into one of those creatures.” He said without a trace of emotion, but the way he composed himself told Luna otherwise, “That is something I have to come to terms with, in the months that have past, I don’t want to kill but I have no option to do so.”

“Cillen…” Luna spoke but was interrupted by Cillen.

“Luna, please don’t pity me…” He pleaded; there was uncomfortable silence between two as Cillen once again returned to his repairs. Luna couldn’t help but feel sorry for him; she wondered what her sister would do in a situation like this.

“I-I…” Luna hesitated, but words seemed to fail her. “I know how it feels to be all alone…”

“Bad memories…?” Cillen inquired,

“Yes…” Luna admitted, “I still have nightmares about it…” She had lost count of how many times she had woken up in a cold sweat because of them.

“I know the feeling, I’m lucky If I catch two or three hours of sleep a day because of what happened. I miss the days when I could curl up with my girlfriend and relax for a while.” Cillen confessed, “You never really realise how much you miss the little everyday things in life until you lose them…”

“What was she like?” Luna asked.

“Serena? Well she was a doctor in the 3rd medical division, “She was…certainly a handful that’s for sure. “ He chuckled, “Serena had a spark in her eyes, she was kind and caring but she had one hell of a temper.” Cillen sighed, “Being with her was one the happiest times of my life.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Luna replied.

“Don’t you worry yourself about it.” He told Luna, “What’s gone is gone and dwelling on the past will get you nowhere.” The silence returned, along with a feeling of unease.

“What is it that you’re doing anyway?” Luna inquired, looking up at the HARDFRAME. It was easily 5 metres in height, painted in various shades of greys and dark blues. From what she could make of the machine it seemed to be humanoid in shape, and missing one of its arms. “What manner of construction is this?”

“This was the HARDFRAME I was telling you about.” Cillen explained, “Even though it’s missing an arm and a bit of roughed up, most of the necessary equipment works and I’m doing what I can to repair the rest.”

“So you know how to ride this thing?” Luna asked,

“Technically speaking.” He replied, “This is a military model, but the interface is basically the same. The pilot slot allows the HARDFRAME to mimic how your body moves. The HARDFRAME was originally designed to allow humans like myself to survive in hazardous environments, such as where we are headed or in the vacuum of space.”

“How long will it last?”

“As it is now?” He asked, “We would have ranged weapons and the Over-boost for at least two days, before we would have to continue in the HARDFRAME using only the Auxiliary and Quick boosters.”

“Won’t we be unarmed?” Luna asked, but Cillen just chuckled.

“Watch this.” He told her, “Betrayal, Lancer mode!” The black spiral spear did as it was ordered as it extended into long double bladed spear easily big enough for the HARDFRAME to carry and use as a weapon.

“What manner of sorcery is this?!” Luna exclaimed.

“This a weapon passed down in my family, it’s said to be a cursed blade that has killed everyone who has ever wielded it, but has the ability to change into any melee weapon that user has knowledge of.” He explained, “Normally the HARDFRAME would have a weapon of its own for close combat, but as you can see it’s missing the arm it would be on.”

*Crack*

Luna and Cillen watched in horror as the creature began to make a sickening sound, as its bones began to snap and reshape itself, growing larger by the second. It began emitting a steam like black miasma from tears in its hide and skin.

“Luna get in the HARDFRAME now!!” Cillen shouted, as they both climbed in the pilot slot.

“It’s too tight in here!” Luna cried.

“It’s only meant for one person, I never finished modifying it!” Cillen snapped back, “Damn it all I thought I killed that thing!” Finally in the pilot slot, Cillen started up the HARDFRAME and began to set it to full Auxiliary boost. “Hold on Luna, and try not to wriggle around so much!”

At a blinding speed they sped out of the ruined building as the creature behind them continued to get larger and larger. The building collapsing behind them, the creature rose to its full height and let out primal howl.

“RAINES!!!!!!” The creature roared, its warped speech echoing throughout the ruins.

“Oh fuck me it just got a lot smarter…” Cillen deadpanned, looking back through the HARDFRAMES sensor array. The colossal creature began its pursuit, gaining at an impressive speed.

“Cillen!” Luna shouted snapping out of his stupor.

“Hold on! Just a few more metres!” Cillen reassured her as the HARDFRAME was boosting and jumping from wall to wall in an attempt to pick up speed. Each wall collapsed from the force of each leap as it kicked off each building, the HARDFRAME gaining velocity as it did so. They finally cleared the ruins as the creatures spear like tail came crashing down behind them.

“OVER-BOOST!!!” Cillen roared as the HARDFRAMES boosters went full out as they picked up enough speed to break the sound barrier. To their dismay the creature remained in pursuit of them, the ground beneath it shaking and shattering with each step it ran. “OH COME ON!!!” He swore profusely under his breath.

“RAINES!!!!!” The creature roared.

“We’re boosting at 761.2 MPH and that thing can still catch up! Arm the rear Exceed Orbit!” Cillen ordered, from the back of the HARDFRAME’s core a small floating turret emerged and targeted the pursuing creature. “Load the Anti-NEXT rounds!” Turret opened fire upon the creature as Cillen pulled the trigger.

“NICE TRY RAINES!!!” The creature laughed darkly, the creatures laughter died as soon as it felt the rounds pierce through the back of its skull. As it fell back from the impact from the ground shook from the resounding blow. Cillen broke out of the Over Boost and spun the HARDFRAME around to face the creature and charged full speed at the creature’s chest.

“BETRAYAL! EXECUTIONER MODE!!” He ordered, as spear changed its shape wrapping it’s self around the remaining arm of the HARDFRAME becoming a mounted axe in the HARDFRAME’s hand. Cillen brought the axe upon the creature’s neck and with all the force he could muster tore open the Memoria’s throat. He continued his assault on the monster’s throat until he had severed its head from its body with a sickening snap of the monster’s neck.

Finally calming down from his rage, he tried to steady his breath. The creature’s form began to crack and dissolve from underneath him, they both watched on as the creature melted and evaporated into nothing. To them both it was horrific but they couldn’t look away, what was said next is what horrified Luna.

“What was that?” Cillen asked her, confused to what exactly that monster was.

“That creature used to be your father?” She told him, he just looked at her strangely.

“I’ve never met my father; I don’t even know what he looks like.” He tried to remind her, “I told you that remember?”

“What did you say what that creature was called again?” She asked.

“A Memoria, why?” He reminded her. Luna had a sad look on her face…finally realising the connection of the creature’s species.

“Where I’m from the word ‘Memoria’ would be used in chants and spells, the word means ‘Memory’.” Luna explained, “When you killed that creature, it took away any memory you had of who that creature used to be.” Cillen realised what Luna was telling him.

“…in other words, every one of those things I kill I would lose the memories I have of who they used to be?” Cillen summarized, Luna just nodded slowly in confirmation. “…” Cillen said nothing, but slammed the wall of the pilot slot. “Damn it! How much more do I have to lose?”

“Cillen…I-I’m so sorry…” Luna apologised.

“…”

“…Let’s just get out of here.” Cillen mumbled, as the HARDFRAME sped off into the distance.