Alpha Strike: [An Interstellar Weapons Platform’s Guide to Organized Crime] (Book 3 title)

Maggy's breath hitched as the cold edge of the blade bit gently into her skin. Her eyes flicked to Bert — still bleeding out despite Dr. Maria's frantic work — then to the monstrous grin stretched across Tuguslar's face.

"I — I don't have it," she stammered, voice shaking.

Tuguslar's grin never faltered. "Oh, come now, Miss Greenwood. We've only just met. Let's not start with lies." He chuckled, low and amused. "My employer has been waiting quite some time for that artifact to leave your teacher's hands."

"I'm not lying!" she cried, her voice cracking as panic seeped in. Sweat trickled down her temple. "I dropped it during the fight with the Kigendoro, I swear!"

A slight twitch passed through Tuguslar's eye — just a flicker — but the smile stayed.

"Lost it?" He tsked. "That is… unfortunate. Then I'm afraid you're no longer of use to me."

His gaze slid slowly across the group.

"Unless, of course, someone else happened to pick it up?"

He tapped the flat of his blade lightly against her throat. "Take your time. I can be patient. Just don't make me wait too long."

Boarslayer growled and took a step forward.

"Ah, that's close enough." The blade pressed harder against Maggy's skin. "The only reason Bert still lives despite the [Radiant Whisper] poison on this blade is your good doctor's skill and his own monstrous constitution. Miss Greenwood here, though…"

He smirked, sharp teeth glinting.

"One nick, and she'll be dead before she hits the ground."

Boarslayer froze, her fists clenched so tight they trembled. "Let her go," she growled. "You want the artifact? Fine. But take your damn hands off her first."

Tuguslar tilted his head. "You must be Boarslayer, yes? Bert spoke quite highly of you. Thought you had potential."

His voice dropped, colder now. "But I think you're forgetting who holds the power at the moment."

They locked eyes — two predators poised on a razor's edge — until another voice cut cleanly through the tension.

"I think that's enough games, don't you, Tuguslar?" Alpha's voice rang out as a single ant emerged from the swarm and stepped forward.

Tuguslar's eyes widened, but the expression was quickly buried beneath another grin. "Well, now. You must be the infamous Dungeon Core I've been hearing about." He chuckled. "I must say, well done pulling one over Magnus like that."

Then his grin sharpened into something more dangerous. "Though I must ask — when exactly did I give you my name?"

The ant's head tilted. Its mandibles clicked in a way that, somehow, conveyed a grin of its own. "You'd be surprised what I can learn. Or how far news from the Radiant Sea has traveled."

Alpha had been surprised himself, learning from Bert that some version of those distant events had already begun circulating. Given this world's apparent tech level, he'd expected it would be months before such news found its way here.

Then again, considering Bert's ability to contact his people in Halirosa… maybe he shouldn't have been surprised at all.

For the first time, Tuguslar's grin slipped. His eyes drifted off into the distance, brow furrowed.

"I see…" he muttered. "Things are progressing faster than the Mistress anticipated."

His gaze snapped back to Alpha, and the grin returned like a blade being drawn.

"No matter. If you're revealing yourself like this, I'll assume you have what I asked for, Mr. Dungeon Core?" Tuguslar said.

Alpha turned to Dr. Maria and gave a subtle nod.

Dr. Maria met his gaze, frowning. Then, with a flick of her wrist, a disk formed from half a dozen black MUD tokens appeared. She activated them, and they melted, flowing of their own accord around Bert's neck. The wound sealed beneath a hardening cast of dark material.

Without a word, she stood and stepped forward.

As she neared Tuguslar, her hand moved again, this time producing a grapefruit-sized silver orb, its surface etched with intricate glowing arrays.

Tuguslar's eyes lit up, and his smile stretched unnaturally wide. "Perfect. Toss it here, and the girl goes free."

"Dr. Maria! Don't!" Maggy cried, panic in her voice. "You don't understand what that artifact can do! If he gets his hands on it—"

"Quiet, girl," Dr. Maria snapped, her voice flat. "I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

"But—!"

"The good doctor asked for your silence, young lady," Tuguslar interjected, far too cheerfully. His thumb jabbed into Maggy's neck.

Her eyes fluttered, then rolled back as she collapsed limp in his grasp.

Still holding the blade to her throat, Tuguslar turned his sharp grin back on Dr. Maria. "Now… where were we?"

Dr. Maria exhaled softly, then tossed the orb into the air.

Tuguslar's eyes locked onto the silver orb as it arced through the air, its surface pulsing with a soft, ethereal glow. His grip on Maggy slackened, and with a casual flick, he flung her limp body aside like unwanted baggage.

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He lunged.

But Dr. Maria was already in motion.

Her boots struck the ground with a sharp crack, and in a blur of light, she streaked forward, catching Maggy an instant before she hit the earth. Pivoting mid-step, she cradled the girl against her chest and launched backward in a blast of dust and light, coming to a stop behind the wall of Boarslayer's armored frame.

"NOW!" Garrelt bellowed.

The air split with a whip-crack as a lightning-forged javelin screamed toward the spot Tuguslar had just vacated.

Boarslayer charged, fists the size of pumpkins wrapped in heavy gauntlets and powered by her armor, swung with the force of a battering ram.

Antchaser's rifle sang a rapid triad of pulses, each bolt humming with focused power as they streaked past Boarslayer's shoulders in synchronized precision.

But Tuguslar moved like liquid shadow..

He ducked and twisted, slipping between attacks with uncanny grace, his limbs bending with inhuman fluidity, twisting in ways that shouldn't have been possible. Garrelt's second javelin grazed his sleeve. Antchaser's volley cracked through empty air. Boarslayer's punch cratered the earth with a thunderous impact. But not one blow from any of them made direct contact.

In a blink, Tuguslar vaulted upward, landed momentarily on Boarslayer's shoulders, then kicked off with a spiraling leap, and snatched the orb from the air mid-flip.

He landed effortlessly, the silver artifact cradled in one hand. "Oh, really now. Whatever happened to the sanctity of a hostage exchange?" he said, grinning like a cracked mask. "Did you truly think you could stop me?"

Alpha gave no answer.

With a sharp chitter, dozens of antborg drones surged forward — some creeping from nearby debris, others tunneling from the broken earth. Their crimson eyes flared to life as they converged, forming a tightening circle around the grinning Akh'lut.

Tuguslar raised a brow as the ring closed in.

"Now that's more like it," he chuckled, then reached into his robes.

"Unfortunately, I don't have time to play games with you, Mr. Dungeon Core. Maybe next time."

He pulled a shimmering piece of parchment from his spatial ring, its surface inked with a shifting golden glyph.

"Stop him!" Garrelt yelled.

Lances of radiant fire blazed from the village wall, but Tuguslar had already torn the parchment in two.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished, leaving only the drifting halves of the scroll, fluttering like dying moths before they were shredded midair by a barrage of pulse-fire.

"BASTARD!" Boarslayer bellowed, slamming her gauntleted fist into the earth with enough force to carve another crater into the shattered ground.

Garrelt exhaled hard and dragged his good hand down his face, fingers trembling slightly. Nearby, Antchaser slumped to the ground, leaning heavily against his rifle, his breathing ragged.

——————————————————

Dr. Maria knelt beside Maggy's unconscious form, placing a softly glowing hand on the girl's brow. After a few seconds, she let out a quiet sigh, then pressed her fingers along three precise points on Maggy's neck and shoulder.

The response was immediate.

Maggy jerked upright with a gasp, eyes wide and wild. "Who? What? Where?!"

"Easy, girl," Dr. Maria murmured, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder and gently easing her back down.

"Doctor?" Maggy blinked rapidly, still dazed. Then her eyes shot open in alarm as memory rushed back.

"The artifact!" she blurted, trying to rise again.

Dr. Maria exhaled and firmly guided her back. "I said easy. Breathe. Everything's under control."

"You don't understand!" Maggy insisted, her voice rising. "That artifact is way more dangerous than you realize! And teacher—!" She dragged her hands down her face in dismay. "Teacher is going to kill me!"

Dr. Maria chuckled softly. "I think your teacher will forgive you." She gave her wrist a flick, and a silvery orb shimmered into view in her palm.

Maggy's eyes locked onto it. "The artifact!" she cried, snatching it with both hands and cradling it to her chest. Her entire body sagged with relief as she sat up more fully. "Wait, how?" She looked between the orb and the doctor. "Didn't you give it to that smiley creep?"

Dr. Maria's lips curled into a knowing grin. "Oh, I did. But take a closer look."

Maggy frowned and lowered her gaze to the orb in her hands. At first glance, it wasn't clear what the doctor wanted her to see… but the more she stared, the more something gnawed at her.

Then it clicked.

"The arrays are different!" she gasped.

A soft click accompanied the landing of a [Wasp] drone atop the orb.

"Copying the original's arrays wasn't viable," Alpha said, his voice crackling from the drone. "Whoever made it had a vague idea of what a Flux Regulator was meant to do, but their craftsmanship was sloppy. Honestly, I'm shocked you didn't blow yourself up using it like that. This version is significantly improved."

Maggy stared at the drone in disbelief. "You copied the artifact?!" she nearly shrieked.

"No. I improved it," Alpha corrected smugly, not even trying to hide the pride in his voice.

"YOU KNOW HOW IT WORKS?!" Maggy did scream this time, eyes blazing with excitement. "Do you realize how long we've been trying to figure that thing out?! Do you have any idea what this could mean for array theory?! For all of magical science?!"

Her words sped up as she went, climbing in pitch and fervor until—

Thump!

"Ow!" Maggy winced, rubbing the side of her head where Dr. Maria had flicked her.

The doctor fixed her with a stern look. "Composure, child."

"But—! But—!" Maggy sputtered.

Alpha chuckled. "Your teacher is welcome to visit in person. I'd be happy to discuss the details. For now, take this as a replacement for the one that was taken… and as thanks for letting me study it."

Maggy went quiet at that. She tucked her knees in and held the silver orb close, arms wrapped protectively around it.

"… Thank you," she whispered, voice soft and sincere.

Movement to her right drew Maggy's attention. She turned just in time to see Boarslayer gently lifting Bert's unconscious form and laying him across the backs of several waiting antborgs.

"Bert!" she called, voice tight with worry.

Seeing the mountain of a man — one of the strongest people she knew — reduced to such a fragile state hit her like a blow. Her eyes snapped to Dr. Maria. "Is he going to be alright?" she asked, her voice low.

For one of the first times since Maggy had met her, the old doctor didn't have an immediate answer.

Dr. Maria's eyes drifted to Bert, her lips pressed into a thin line. "…It's hard to say," she said at last. "The [Radiant Whisper] poison in that man's blade is a vicious thing, and Bert took a heavy dose."

She turned to meet Maggy's gaze directly, her expression grave. "When Tuguslar said you'd be dead before you hit the ground… he wasn't exaggerating."

Maggy's throat tightened. She reached up with a trembling hand, fingertips brushing the spot where the cold edge of the blade had rested. The skin there suddenly felt clammy and fragile.

"Fortunately for him, Dr. Maria happens to be rather skilled at what she does," Alpha interjected. His voice crackled through the drone's speaker, drawing a reluctant smirk from the doctor despite her frown. "And with my equipment assisting her, I'd say Bert's got a pretty good chance."

Maggy blinked at him. "You're helping him, Mr. Alpha? Isn't that, I dunno… against some kind of dungeon core rule or something?"

Alpha let out a low chuckle. "Says who? Besides, I still owe him. He played a big part in pulling off our little performance here."

Maggy's gaze dropped, shadowed by guilt. "Right… Robert." Her voice faltered. "I still can't believe he was a traitor all this time."

She shook her head and looked back at Alpha. "I'm sorry… I screwed everything up. If that bastard hadn't been after the artifact… if I hadn't gotten myself caught—"

Thump!

"Ow!" Maggy yelped, rubbing the side of her head. "What did I do this time?!"

Dr. Maria crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "Stop blaming yourself, girl. This mess isn't on you. None of us knew what that Tuguslar man was planning — not Bert, not even Alpha. You're not more to blame than the rest of us."

Maggy looked down, her fingers tightening in her lap.

"I agree with the doctor," Alpha said. "This whole encounter was outside everyone's calculations. Now all we can do is gather the pieces and figure out the next move."

Maggy gave a small nod, her arms still wrapped around herself, as the weight of it all began to settle.