Characters/Ship: Aespa Karina/Winter Tags: cyberpunk?, future alternate universe, action, karina's ability is inspired from aespa lore Permission to Remix: Yes -
Think about it, Karina. The same people that promise you freedom are the very ones imprisoning you.
Karina scoffs, remembering what she had been told by her current assignment during their first confrontation. She rubs at the now-healed incision behind her ear; a simple, yet cruel reminder of what awaits her if she fails a second time.
She isn’t chasing a cyberkinetic for the greater good. She doesn’t care for whatever this Winter has done to terrorize the cybernet. Her hands are tied and if capturing the target means she can prolong her own life for just a little longer, then so be it.
Her augmented hand beeps. 19:29.
The dark looming clouds overhead shimmer a cascade of colors as the artificial lights of the city beam and saturate the cool night air. Being this high up gives her a taste of the Earth’s natural wind currents, as opposed to the stagnant air in the slums and bustling streets. The noise pollution is nearly nonexistent, almost serene.
She observes and zooms past the buildings, hunting for suspicious heat signatures with the modified lenses she’d received for the assignment.
The feds had told her to standby at the tallest scraper as intel informed them of Winter possibly attacking the city’s main telecommunication towers tonight.
Though Karina thinks otherwise. If the information has leaked this far for them to set up, she doubts someone that can easily manipulate their tech would get caught in the process.
The air quickly changes to static, her augmented hand ticking and jittering uncomfortably, as if it has a mind of its own and can sense the change.
She hears it before she feels it: A large rumble from the telecom towers erupting as one begins to tilt, crashing right into the next one. City lights flicker and buzz along with the damage done to the towers, followed by a large explosion that finally kills a large portion of the digital screens showcasing ads and direct news feeds.
Smoke billows and begins to darken the radius of the towers. Orders are barked into her earpiece to engage the target, and to keep her alive. Karina gauges the distance between the falling tower and the rooftop she’s on and she pivots, extending her right hand in a downward angle to launch herself with the force of her augmentation until she reaches the right trajectory to land safely atop one of the telecom towers. As she nears the tower, she once again extends her right hand to grip onto the nearest piece to latch onto. The screeching sound of metal grates at her ears as she uses the large framework to slow her descent.
The location of the hacker continues to pierce her eardrum as they pressure her to immediately get into the thick of the girl’s capture. It’s much too easy for Karina to adhere to the directions, to keep up with the action.
Across the next tower from her she sees the multiple heat signatures of patrol drones. They’re keeping a figure within their headlights, not allowing an escape from their line of sight. It’s Winter.
Karina jumps between the steel apparatus to close in on her target. As she nears she begins to charge her right hand, and unbeknownst to her, the augment surcharges.
One by one the drones following Winter malfunction and drop. Karina moves past them to get on a lower level of the girl, aiming to slow her down long enough for more drones to come in and distract her.
Unfortunately, when she swings her fist to send a shockwave, it instead explodes, projectiling her target into the nearest building. The blast sends Karina’s own body down a story, harshly landing on top of a flat beam.
Through the ringing in her ears, she’s still able to hear the commander shout, “Karina! Stay on her fucking tail! She’s draining the drones.”
Grunting, she picks herself up and speeds forward, sending another shockwave to break through the building. The glass panels shatter and wind thrashes into the floor, scattering office material and glass around the area.
She gets a layout of the building sent through her lens and quickly scans, only to realize that the top floors don't have any occupants, making it that much easier to locate her target.
Karina notices her in one of the elevators flying down past the floors. Winter is headed to the basement garage.
She sighs.
Time to free-fall again.
As Karina heads to the large opening she’s created with another shockwave, the elevator doors ping open.
Knowing Winter’s abilities, it can’t be a coincidence. She reaches out for her earpiece and notices the silence from the other end. Contact is severed. Almost like Winter planned for this to happen…
She’s waiting for Karina.
Not having a choice in the matter, Karina enters the elevator.
As she stands there waiting, she contemplates on what she should do. She looks down at her hand, closing it into a fist. The cyberkinetic would easily take control of her hand, so now her weapon is also her weakness.
The elevator’s doors open, arriving at the lowest level. There in the middle of the garage parking lot stands Winter. Karina cautiously steps out.
“You know what I can do, so listen to me for just a minute as I don’t have much time before they arrive.”
Karina holds a snarky response and waits for her to continue.
“I’ve already destroyed the implant behind your ear. You’re free, so long as you decide to leave with me. I’m not holding you hostage—we both know once they find out it's no longer working, they’ll see you as a threat and get rid of you.”
Karina raises her fists in defense. “If what you say is true, then I can escape well on my own.”
Winter frustratingly shakes her head. “And then what?” she questions. “I’m not your enemy. They promise so much to keep you obedient, but I can help you. We can help each other.”
Karina doesn’t need help.
She’s lost everyone for receiving help; those she cares about dying for the stupidest shit.
“Why me?”
“It has to be you, Karina.”
Their conversation comes to a halt when the garage shutters are rammed into by armored vehicles heading straight for them.
“The elevator!” Winter shouts.
Karina pivots and sends a shockwave for defense as an onslaught of bullets begin to rain down on them. The feds must’ve figured out she’s no longer a dog on a leash.
Winter quickly gets the elevator to seal shut and shoot up the building. Their bated breaths fill in the silence within the elevator.
Karina meets Winter’s gaze. “What now?”
“I was hoping our way out was through the garage, but they reacted quicker than I imagined.”
The doors ping open once again, drone headlights now aiming down on the both of them. They slowly step out.
“I can only keep so many drones off us,” Winter warns as she drops a handful of the crafts from the air.
Karina quickly scans their surroundings. The drones can’t kill them, as they’re most likely being televised (unless Winter is able to prevent that from happening). The ground floor is a no-go.
She guesses this might be their best shot.
“I’m gonna try something and I need your trust. Can you get us to go rogue for a minute?”
Winter responds with a hesitant nod, and Karina goes to adjust her hand augment.
If she can replicate the surcharge, then she can possibly destroy more of the towers and further cause chaos, messing with the city lights just long enough for the two to lose their attention.
Karina can’t help but grin. She turns to Winter and explains her plan.
As all the drones begin to fall, Karina swings her arm towards the telecom towers, the shockwave so large the recoil sends Karina back a few meters.
The tower taking the brunt of the force explodes. The other towers surge in a chain reaction, and once again the lights of the city flicker before turning off.
Karina turns to the saturated part of the city reduced to shadows. She’s certain if she could hear past the ringing in her ears, she’d be able to hear the traffic and pedestrians' shared disgruntlement.
Karina reaches her hand out towards Winter, her augmented one recharging at the moment.
[FILL] Hold On Tight
Tags: cyberpunk?, future alternate universe, action, karina's ability is inspired from aespa lore
Permission to Remix: Yes
-
Think about it, Karina. The same people that promise you freedom are the very ones imprisoning you.
Karina scoffs, remembering what she had been told by her current assignment during their first confrontation. She rubs at the now-healed incision behind her ear; a simple, yet cruel reminder of what awaits her if she fails a second time.
She isn’t chasing a cyberkinetic for the greater good. She doesn’t care for whatever this Winter has done to terrorize the cybernet. Her hands are tied and if capturing the target means she can prolong her own life for just a little longer, then so be it.
Her augmented hand beeps. 19:29.
The dark looming clouds overhead shimmer a cascade of colors as the artificial lights of the city beam and saturate the cool night air. Being this high up gives her a taste of the Earth’s natural wind currents, as opposed to the stagnant air in the slums and bustling streets. The noise pollution is nearly nonexistent, almost serene.
She observes and zooms past the buildings, hunting for suspicious heat signatures with the modified lenses she’d received for the assignment.
The feds had told her to standby at the tallest scraper as intel informed them of Winter possibly attacking the city’s main telecommunication towers tonight.
Though Karina thinks otherwise. If the information has leaked this far for them to set up, she doubts someone that can easily manipulate their tech would get caught in the process.
The air quickly changes to static, her augmented hand ticking and jittering uncomfortably, as if it has a mind of its own and can sense the change.
She hears it before she feels it: A large rumble from the telecom towers erupting as one begins to tilt, crashing right into the next one. City lights flicker and buzz along with the damage done to the towers, followed by a large explosion that finally kills a large portion of the digital screens showcasing ads and direct news feeds.
Smoke billows and begins to darken the radius of the towers. Orders are barked into her earpiece to engage the target, and to keep her alive. Karina gauges the distance between the falling tower and the rooftop she’s on and she pivots, extending her right hand in a downward angle to launch herself with the force of her augmentation until she reaches the right trajectory to land safely atop one of the telecom towers. As she nears the tower, she once again extends her right hand to grip onto the nearest piece to latch onto. The screeching sound of metal grates at her ears as she uses the large framework to slow her descent.
The location of the hacker continues to pierce her eardrum as they pressure her to immediately get into the thick of the girl’s capture. It’s much too easy for Karina to adhere to the directions, to keep up with the action.
Across the next tower from her she sees the multiple heat signatures of patrol drones. They’re keeping a figure within their headlights, not allowing an escape from their line of sight. It’s Winter.
Karina jumps between the steel apparatus to close in on her target. As she nears she begins to charge her right hand, and unbeknownst to her, the augment surcharges.
One by one the drones following Winter malfunction and drop. Karina moves past them to get on a lower level of the girl, aiming to slow her down long enough for more drones to come in and distract her.
Unfortunately, when she swings her fist to send a shockwave, it instead explodes, projectiling her target into the nearest building. The blast sends Karina’s own body down a story, harshly landing on top of a flat beam.
Through the ringing in her ears, she’s still able to hear the commander shout, “Karina! Stay on her fucking tail! She’s draining the drones.”
Grunting, she picks herself up and speeds forward, sending another shockwave to break through the building. The glass panels shatter and wind thrashes into the floor, scattering office material and glass around the area.
She gets a layout of the building sent through her lens and quickly scans, only to realize that the top floors don't have any occupants, making it that much easier to locate her target.
Karina notices her in one of the elevators flying down past the floors. Winter is headed to the basement garage.
She sighs.
Time to free-fall again.
As Karina heads to the large opening she’s created with another shockwave, the elevator doors ping open.
Knowing Winter’s abilities, it can’t be a coincidence. She reaches out for her earpiece and notices the silence from the other end. Contact is severed. Almost like Winter planned for this to happen…
She’s waiting for Karina.
Not having a choice in the matter, Karina enters the elevator.
As she stands there waiting, she contemplates on what she should do. She looks down at her hand, closing it into a fist. The cyberkinetic would easily take control of her hand, so now her weapon is also her weakness.
The elevator’s doors open, arriving at the lowest level. There in the middle of the garage parking lot stands Winter. Karina cautiously steps out.
“You know what I can do, so listen to me for just a minute as I don’t have much time before they arrive.”
Karina holds a snarky response and waits for her to continue.
“I’ve already destroyed the implant behind your ear. You’re free, so long as you decide to leave with me. I’m not holding you hostage—we both know once they find out it's no longer working, they’ll see you as a threat and get rid of you.”
Karina raises her fists in defense. “If what you say is true, then I can escape well on my own.”
Winter frustratingly shakes her head. “And then what?” she questions. “I’m not your enemy. They promise so much to keep you obedient, but I can help you. We can help each other.”
Karina doesn’t need help.
She’s lost everyone for receiving help; those she cares about dying for the stupidest shit.
“Why me?”
“It has to be you, Karina.”
Their conversation comes to a halt when the garage shutters are rammed into by armored vehicles heading straight for them.
“The elevator!” Winter shouts.
Karina pivots and sends a shockwave for defense as an onslaught of bullets begin to rain down on them. The feds must’ve figured out she’s no longer a dog on a leash.
Winter quickly gets the elevator to seal shut and shoot up the building. Their bated breaths fill in the silence within the elevator.
Karina meets Winter’s gaze. “What now?”
“I was hoping our way out was through the garage, but they reacted quicker than I imagined.”
The doors ping open once again, drone headlights now aiming down on the both of them. They slowly step out.
“I can only keep so many drones off us,” Winter warns as she drops a handful of the crafts from the air.
Karina quickly scans their surroundings. The drones can’t kill them, as they’re most likely being televised (unless Winter is able to prevent that from happening). The ground floor is a no-go.
She guesses this might be their best shot.
“I’m gonna try something and I need your trust. Can you get us to go rogue for a minute?”
Winter responds with a hesitant nod, and Karina goes to adjust her hand augment.
If she can replicate the surcharge, then she can possibly destroy more of the towers and further cause chaos, messing with the city lights just long enough for the two to lose their attention.
Karina can’t help but grin. She turns to Winter and explains her plan.
As all the drones begin to fall, Karina swings her arm towards the telecom towers, the shockwave so large the recoil sends Karina back a few meters.
The tower taking the brunt of the force explodes. The other towers surge in a chain reaction, and once again the lights of the city flicker before turning off.
Karina turns to the saturated part of the city reduced to shadows. She’s certain if she could hear past the ringing in her ears, she’d be able to hear the traffic and pedestrians' shared disgruntlement.
Karina reaches her hand out towards Winter, her augmented one recharging at the moment.
“Hold on tight.”