Another with a zig-zag cut from right shoulder to lower left ribcage. The artillery cape joined Sarah in grabbing someone. As a group, they flew away, low to the ground again, weaving around pipes as thralls with tinker guns fired at them. Forcefields were erected behind, alternated with artillery shots that imploded, pulling projectiles off course.

Fume Hood produced more gas pellets. They did a U-turn in the air to travel the path necessary to bombard the thralls.

One shot, I saw, had been intercepted by a laser, because the halo angel had drifted close enough to the thralls to give them some cover from fire. The gas cloud hung high in the air, distorting with the effect of the tinker flight so near by. Like drops of ink in boiling water, instead of still or running water.

What to do? Couldn’t get close. I could maybe take one beam long enough to close the distance and deliver one hit. Maybe. Then what?

I hadn’t let the Wretch drop since it came back online. It was clawing at the pipe, unable to get quite enough traction to destroy the massive pipe I was hunkered down beside. With the moisture in the air and the hints of steam from below, the Wretch was plainly visible.

I reached out for the crook, the handhold, and I moved the Wretch, respective to myself. It put a face closer to my face, and put most of the arms out of reach of the pipe.

Rain, Grapnel, Sveta, and the Heartbroken had been climbing up, with Fume Hood alternating between climbing and hurling more spheres. I saw her look at me, and I looked away. Elsewhere, Capricorn was building up cover and creating a means of climbing the tank. He looked too, staring up at me. Ashley was more focused on the fight, staring around the corner at the distant angel mechs.

Not so distant. They were drifting slowly our way. The sword fired its beam at the third group.

Shitty thing was, I didn’t have many options. I could stick near one of the filtration systems and use it as cover, but then any attacks on the group using the other filtration system closest to the door were beyond my capacity to help. If I was between them to better my chance at responding, then the thralls with tinker weapons would gun me down. If I charged in, the halo would shoot me.

Tinker guns fired like assault rifles, each shot producing electrical crackles, blasts of ice, and acid spatters. One shot hit the pipe I was using for cover, and it shattered the metal. Water came out the hole in a vicious high-pressure spray.