Something shadowy leaps out of the churning bodies, snapping at her with fearsome fangs that skitter off her carbon armour. She snorts, almost amused that the creature thinks it could harm her with such pitiful weapons. But the thought is stopped in its tracks when the wolf shifts and becomes, of all things, a perfect mirror copy of her own self.
“What the fuck?!” Larken (her heart clenches) would be amused at the expletive, but there’s no time to dwell on that. The Lexa-copy circles her then lashes out, catching her on the shoulder with its hooves. Lexa steps back, pushed back by the force and grimaces slightly at the slight sting. Her carbon armour is perfect for keeping out penetrating weapons, but as of yet not as perfect for impact weapons. She’ll likely bruise, though it won’t be much.
She’s suddenly joined by a familiar starry shape, and Lexa nods grimly at her friend before turning her attentions back to the copy of herself. At any other time she would stop to marvel over this creature’s ability, at how perfectly it appears to have copied both herself and her armour. But they are at war, and there’s no time to stop and wonder, even at the fantastical.
Draconis rears and hammers at the strange beast, and while Lexa is impressed with her friend’s efforts she doubts it will have too much effect. If this copy cat has truly replicated Lexa’s ability, it will end up with little more than a bruise. Time to try and get clever. If she can even think of anything. How exactly
would she defeat herself?
There’s no time to stand and think, so she moves into action, going with the first idea that pops into her head. She breaks into a run, charging at beast’s side that hasn’t already been claimed by Draconis. But it’s a distraction tactic - at the very last moment she veers away, and throws carbon spikes at odd angles up from the ground. The spikes are aimed at the replicator’s feet, and if her aim is true she’ll trip up the creature. It may not be the most spectacular of attacks, but it will at least give them time to think.
Once she’s past the replicator she wheels around to face the creature. She’s about to make another pass at the thing, when her mother’s familiar shape soars over her head, zooming off in the direction of Prague. As she watches, the wolf, still attached to Lyris’ shoulder suddenly catches fire … and her mother’s body incinerates in a massive blue comet.
“NOOOOOOOOOO!” Lexa’s scream carries above the battlefield. First her sister, now her mother.
Suddenly, everything is red.
lexa
