All she could do was stare as blasts of energy erupted in the skies above. Tessa could barely tell who was firing off what from down here. Both the Entity and the alien man were tiny dots up there. 

She could tell it was the alien man who kept slamming them back into the ground, however. She’d get glimpses where they were just large enough to be seen before there was an explosion of dust and debris wherever they impacted.

Before the red glowing form of the Entity burst away, back into the heavens.

It was… it was trying to minimize collateral damage, wasn’t it?

“Ms. Atwell?” a voice called out, shaking her from her state.

She turned, spotting one of those CSIS agents. “Y-yes?”

“I’ve been asked to take you to safety. Or… as safe as our observation point is,” the agent said.

Tessa nodded slowly, realising there was a car not far behind the man. Another agent was waiting there. Another generic looking man in a suit wearing sunglasses.

She had to wonder where they got all of them from. 

Still, she had nothing else to do. Besides staring in a trance at the sky. So she got in, riding in the back seat. She couldn’t see the fighting very well as they drove north. It was still daylight, so the beams fired off above didn’t change the lighting much. She could, however, hear the occasional crashes. Sometimes she swore she could feel the impacts of the fighters slamming into the ground. 

It didn’t take the car long to cross the peninsula and take the Mckay Bridge over the Dartmouth. They passed a few cars, but it seemed Tessa had been watching the fight for longer than she realised, as the city was all but deserted. Just a small number of stragglers who’d been slow to get out.

The agents drove them through the tollgates, which were abandoned, and headed to a small park near the base of the bridge. They were on a hill, with a good view of downtown Halifax across the Narrows. Well, the North End was closer to them, but they could still see downtown’s skyline fairly well.

The flashes of mysterious energy arcing through the air took Tessa’s attention at first, before she realised there was a small bunker sticking out of the park. The dirt on it left Tessa wondering if it had been buried, and then freshly raised from the earth. Why anyone would have gone through the expenses of building a self raising bunker here she couldn’t guess.

“Are you happy, then, Doctor?” a familiar voice said.

Turning, she saw Agent Lee, along with at least a dozen CSIS agents… as well as that American scientist woman and a similar number of US naval personnel. The fact that they were armed was (just barely) enough to keep Tessa from trying to strangle the woman for what she’d done to Garcelle. How she’d been happy to toss human lives away.

“There’s no keeping a lid on this anymore,” Agent Lee was saying. “The Entity’s first incursion had been at night. Witnesses were confused and shocked enough to be dismissed. But this… this is a giant man in armour flying around in broad daylight.”

“Even so, the cover story was full of holes. Besides, the Asset was going to turn violent sooner or later,” Dr. Montgomery replied.

“No it wasn’t!” Tessa shouted, storming over.

“Why is she here?” the American woman asked.

“She is an important person, with the most behavioural knowledge of the Entity of anyone here,” Lee replied.

“Who is that who’s fighting her, anyhow?” Tessa asked.

“Unfortunately, that is classified,” Lee replied.

Tessa was about to try to argue that when a terrifying crack filled the air. Her eyes followed the sound to discover that the Entity had just been blasted through the Macdonald Bridge. The one closer to downtown. The deck had shattered on the impact, the rest of the massive suspension bridge wobbling unsettlingly.

Meanwhile the Entity had slammed into the water in an explosion of water. Tessa’s heart fell for the few moments it took the Entity to rise back into the air. She couldn’t understand how it was surviving all this, and so her gut remained uncertain the Entity could survive.

“WHY ARE YOU HOLDING BACK!?” the alien man’s voice boomed across the abandoned city.

“What is your benefactor friend doing?” Lee asked softly.

“I think it should be clear by now that I don’t control the Benefactor’s actions,” Montgomery replied.

Tessa stared at them both, wondering about that appellation. What had the Americans been up to?

“THERE’S NO FUN IN THIS!” the alien’s voice boomed again.

---

Agent Sam tried not to jump at the amplified shout of the alien man flying over the city. He’d dealt with aliens before. And loud noises. But… there was a presence to this alien that shot fear down his spine. It was more like his rare encounters with vampires or other supernatural beings.

Was that what this ‘Benefactor’ was? An alien supernatural?

If they existed on Earth they probably existed elsewhere, so he supposed it made enough sense. Only… it was a terrifying concept he really didn’t want to think about. 

Another loud noise made him wince, though he felt less bad about this time. Since it had been caused by the Entity slamming into the ground less than half a kilometre from where they were. 

The Benefactor followed it, floating menacingly and impossibly in the air overhead. 

“What will it take to make you fight!?”

The Entity pulled itself out of the asphalt of the parking lot it had smashed into, seeming to glare up at it. Though it was hard to tell from this distance.

The Benefactor, however, noticed there was still an audience here. And, specifically, seemed to notice Ms. Hartwell.

“You,” he said, disgust in his voice. “The one who tamed my weapon.”

“Get in the bunker right now,” Agent Sam said, turning to her.

Not that he was certain a couple feet of concrete would do much in a direct hit by the Benefactor. 

There wasn’t really time, however. The Benefactor had launched himself towards them at exceptional speed. Before he reached them, however, an explosive roar filled the air, the Entity rocketing ahead and slamming into the alien man.

It was only as both tumbled through the clouds at terrifying speeds seconds later that Agent Sam realised the roar had been a sonic boom. A new speed record for the Entity. 

Before anyone could mark down just how fast it had been going, though, the skies were illuminated with a purple glow. There had been a burst of energy up there strong enough to blast a hole in the clouds at least as large as the Halifax Peninsula was. 

Both beings slammed into the ground moments later, destroying the nearest support tower of the McKay bridge. As the massive structure collapsed the Benefactor was the first to emerge, shooting across the space between them in moments to grab Tessa by the face. Her head looked tiny in his giant hand.

“You’ve insulted my people, you know that? Taming that which broke us!”

---

Tessa quivered, terrified at the pressure on her skull, and the knowledge of the power the alien holding her possessed.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” she heard the Entity scream from somewhere.

“Don’t I dare what?” the ‘Benefactor’ asked. “This?”

Tessa felt her face go cold, and then—

---

There was another burst of purple energy. Agent Sam’s heart fell into his gut as Tessa Atwell simply… ceased. 

It was so thorough and instant that he had no idea how to process it. He’d seen alien weapons before, but nothing like that.

However, some element of his survival instinct told him to turn. He felt a sudden flare of danger that overwhelmed anything coming from the Benefactor. Turning towards the source of threat he felt, he saw the Entity. It was… looking their way, yes. But, unlike past encounters with the Entity, Agent Sam didn’t feel like he was dealing with a person.

No. This felt more like he was staring at an approaching tsunami. A hurricane on the horizon… that somehow had a drive to kill.

The red energy that generally glowed around the Entity was like a raging fire now, while it felt as if gravity was losing its hold on everything in the area.

“Ah. There we go,” the Benefactor said, sounding rather pleased with himself.

---

Memorization completed.

The Target was straight ahead. Forward.

Slammed into the target. Smashed through concrete structure. Released time lock energy.

“You’ll find that won’t work on me!”

Ignored the target's words. Irrelevant. Continued to push the target and battle away. 

Collide with hills across the Narrows. Drove the target deeper. Pushed into bedrock. Energy attacks had been insufficient, brute force was needed.

The target responded with an energy assault. Was launched into the air. 

City was empty. But… it had not mattered then. Vengeance was needed.

Full force energy blast was attempted. The target’s reflectivity diffused the blast. The target was then in a crater 947m in diametre. The target was responding with a burst of energy of its own. The energy was accepted as a test.

Pain.

Pain was unusual, but not unheard of. 

The target launched small metallic objects. They attached to limbs, before they increased their gravitational interaction. Was pulled towards the ground by substantial weight. 

“Come on, now. You’re still making this too easy.”

The target was annoying. Compensated for the added weight and launched forward. Punched the target with increased inertia from gravitational field manipulation. 

Target collided with a large building. Followed target and punched again. And again. And again. More buildings were destroyed, but the target was not.

“Fine, you can—“

Another punch. Target was slammed into an intersection.

Target pulled himself out of the ground. Target raised an arm.

Gravitational force on limbs increased by one magnitude. Fell to the ground again by the shift.

Returning to standing was a struggle, but doable. Weights were risking a gravitational collapse. Local gravitational field was not yet disabled. Inertia would also be a hindrance even without planetary gravity.

Target unleashed a new blast of energy. Greater power this time. 

Pain was only slightly increased, however. Field matching was improving. 38% match.

Pushed forward, fighting against weights. Surface beneath feet lacked sufficient strength to support current weight. Hovering abilities prevented sinking, however.

“Can’t fly then?”

Target was attempting to communicate once more. It did not matter.

Raised arms to respond with a beam attack. Again, the attack was deflected. The target had substantial field matching defenses.

Target returned fire. Own field matching decreased damage levels by 50%. Enough to keep standing with blast. Marched forward again. 

Target seemed nervous. Opened fire again. Used greater energy once more. Field matching absorption dropped impact damage by 60%. Enough to have been knocked back if not for inertial effects of weights.

Damage was sufficient to require energy for repairs. Had been fighting too long without recharging.

Ground was filled with electric wiring. Ceased hovering to fall into the dirt below. Wire contact made. Electric energy accessed. 

Wiring melted from current before full restoration of energy. It was time to pull on greater energy reserves. Magnetosphere control was at 87%. Sufficient for needs.

Strained against weight to lift into air. The target was at hand. Seemed confused. 

Confusion led to lapse in defenses. Tackled target during opening. Grabbed midsection. Pulled backwards, falling onto back. Target’s head was slammed into the ground. 

Damage from supplex was minimal. Irrelevant to goals, however. Ceased fighting pull of gravity on arms.

“GyaaAARGH!!”

Target expressed discomfort from pressure of weights on back. Pressure seemed too great for the target's armour.

Gravitational amplification on weights vanished. Target then released an omnidirectional energy burst.

Hold was broken. Field matching reduced damage from blast by 70%. 

Rushed forward. Grabbed target again. Dragged along ground for further abrasive damage. Let go when reached industrial dock.

High current electric power lines reached. Further energy absorbed. Enough to withstand—another energy blast from target.

Same level of output as previous strike. Likely maximum output. Field matching reduced damage by 65%. Efficiency reduced by lack of energy. 

Human electricity was insufficient. 

Target launched self in a charge. Collided. Was slammed into the ground by target.

Target unleashed rapid hand strikes. Repeated punches and jabs.  

“You know, this is more satisfying!”

Target’s voice showed signs of stress. Vitals were unreadable, but behaviour seemed to indicate tiredness as well. 

Current position was not sustainable. Physical blows did less damage than energy assaults, but were suboptimal.

Atmospheric electromagnetic disturbance was now prepared. Energy released to modify ground charge.

“Almost broken are we, then? That barely tickled.”

Target seemed smug. Foolish.

“Cela n’était pas l’attaque.”

Response was unplanned. Felt fitting, however… odd.

“Pardon?”

Electric difference between ground and sky reached. Target was blocking flow, but was not calibrated for this. Damage to the target was likely.

Energy build up in the sky released. 17 lightning bolts. Less than hoped, but acceptable on short notice. 15 hit target. Two avoided target and were directly received. Bolts which passed through the target provided 72% of expected energy.

“Gyaargh!”

Targets power suit appeared temporarily overwhelmed. Energy blast at full strength launched target into air.

Got to feet. Target was getting up as well. Launched towards target. Pulled up into air at maximum speed. Friction heating was noticeable. Electromagnetic instability in the atmosphere was greater than on ground. Received several additional lighting strikes.

Target hissed an insult.

Target released an energy blast. Previous estimate of maximum output had been incorrect. This blast was several times greater. Possibly dangerous for the target to produce.

Full field match achieved after the first 0.13 milliseconds of blast due to replenished energy levels. Blasts energy absorbed.

“What.”

Target was surprised.

“I learn.”

Finger strike to target’s helmet. Helmet broken. Target’s nose was likely also broken.

“Now, I also remember your kind needs air.”

Launched upwards before the target could reply, pulling the target along. Von Kármán line reached. Lift continued. Target resisted. Resistance grew weaker with time.

That was good. The target contained useful material.

---

She was going to be sick. 

That was the first thing to fill Tessa’s mind as she fell forward onto the ground. 

The next thought to hit her was that she’d been being held by that ‘benefactor’ alien a moment ago… hadn’t she?

“She was… she was vapourized. I saw,” someone said.

Blinking and looking around, Tessa saw the Entity crouching beside her, wearing a soft smile.

“W—what just happened?” she asked. “Who was vapourized?”

The Entity’s expression turned slightly sheepish. “You, chérie…”

“Uh… I feel pretty good for having been vapourized?” Tessa said, feeling deeply confused. “Not that I feel good, but… better than I thought someone would feel after being vapourized.”

“A human nervous system is only a few kilograms… I had yours memorized already as well, chérie,” the Entity said.

Tessa slowly nodded. That… she remembered the Entity saying it could do that. But…

“There’s a lot more to a person than a nervous system… and I seem to have all that.”

“I… may have had to improvise slightly there,” the Entity replied. “How do you feel?”

“Uh… weird? But… um… how should I feel?” she asked, before something else struck her. “What’s that smell?”

Turning, she was pretty sure she had her answer. The shimmering metallic armour of the Benefactor lay ripped open not far from her, but… it seemed empty. Well, empty but for some goo.

“It seemed fair.”

“What seeme—” Tessa froze as a thought hit her. A thought she did not want confirmed.