by Erik Weir
Victor returned Wynn’s hard gaze before cracking a smirk. “We go home together or none of us do.”
The fox woman blinked before she shook her head, “You would have made a fine soldier if I had my claws in you early. Follow my commands. End of discussion.”
A swirl of uneasiness touched Victor’s stomach. He didn’t like where this was going. Wynn once again led them on a mission without giving all the details. It gnawed at his need to protect and only cemented the fact that he would do anything he could to make sure they all made it out alive.
“We are approaching the blackout location,” May said over her shoulder.
“Strap in and get ready to deploy on my command,” Wynn said as she tapped at her screens.
Victor, Lily, and Dawn moved to the back of the APC and sat down in empty seats next to Helen and Leah. The cat women gave the trio a nod and a smile as the APC bounced over some rubble.
Don’t do it.
“We’re on an express elevator to Hell. Going down,” Victor smiled.
The women to each side looked at the Blade before giving polite smiles.
I give up.
Victor chuckled to himself as he strapped himself in. The APC continued to transverse the tunnel. The tunnel’s edges expanded outward and not long after, the two APC’s slowed as they entered a large chamber. Wynn eyed her control screens, locking on a single thick door to the left. Tapping commands, the two APC’s drove in, turned around and slowed to a stop, the front of the vehicles pointed to the tunnel they just emerged from.
Side doors slid open and bodies emerged. The panthers Nyku and Haaki were first, rifles in hand and surveying the area. Diz and Buk were next, armored backpacks on and pistols in hand. Sakura jumped out and when her taloned feet touched the ground, she moved behind Buk and Diz. Miku and Kimi emerged, armored suits on and plasma rifles in hand.
May, Ema, Helen, and Leah pulled their rifles from their thigh holsters. Pointed ears alert, they deployed from the APC. Wynn stood up from her control chair, pulled her rifle and looked to Victor, Dawn, and Lily.
“You two stay here. I have my nano-shell connected to the APC so you can monitor events as they happen. I will call you in if things get hairy,” The fox woman informed the elf and succubus.
Wynn turned her attention to Victor, “You ready, stud?”
“Lead the way,” Victor smirked.
Lily stepped closer to Victor, her crimson eyes drinking in his handsome features, “The moment a shot is fired, we are coming after you.”
“Come for me baby,” Victor smirked.
Dawn watched silently, oval eyes on the Blade as he turned from Lily and gave the elf a wink. Victor turned to Wynn and the pair moved to the opening of the APC and stepped out. The women gathered wore body suits with armored patches. Victor couldn’t help, but notice the suits adhered to their bodies perfectly. Eyes drinking them in, he noticed the semi-bulky backpacks the rams were carrying with only pistols in their hands. He was about the ask something when Wynn charged ahead to the door.
The rest of the squad moved with military precision, rifles and pistols up in every direction. A small space was made and Victor made a beeline through it. Wynn reached the door and eyed the access panel. Victor was to her side.
“Work your magic,” Victor heard in his head. The voice was from Wynn, but she seemed to be wirelessly jacked into him. The others remained silent, but in the corner of his vision, he could see their profile pics and 100% under each picture.
Victor eyed the panel, not sure how he was going to do this. Calling up his Nano-Sphere abilities, he spent a point of Constitution on the Interface Upgrade. A tingling sensation flowed along his finger until a small cable emerged from the fingertip. There was no pain and curious shock filled the Blade’s eyes as he watched the thin cable flex. Moving his hand closer to the access panel, the cable shot forward and slipped into an input slot. Numbers ran along Victor’s vision as he could feel the tool working to break the encryption.
“Robocop has nothing on me,” Victor whispered as the numbers began to dwindle.
The small light on the panel shifted from red to green and the thick door slid open. The cable snaked back into Victor’s finger as Wynn, Miku, and Kimi charged ahead, rifles ready. Victor found himself moving with the rest of the group as they poured into a short corridor. Buk gave his ass a squeeze before moving ahead of him.
Wynn looked down at another access panel and motioned Victor over. The Blade stuck his finger out but nothing happened. Brow wrinkling as this was adding a cost to his influence, he begrudgingly spent another Constitution point. The familiar cable snaked out and connected to the panel. They didn’t know what to expect on the other side and the young man wanted nothing more than to be at full power before walking into what seemed like a trap.
Everything in these realms feel like a trap.
Wynn, Miku, and Kimi surrounded the Blade, rifles pointed at the thick door.
“Remember, scan and disable,” Wynn’s voice echoed through the squad’s heads.
The light on the panel shifted from red to green and the doors slid open. Victor looked up as the cable sunk back into his finger, eyes widening. Brilliant light flooded the small corridor before eyes adjusted to the brightness.
“Shit,” Victor said as his heart skipped a beat.
The vast chamber was metal and lights. Robotic bodies moved in teams as something similar to a large ship filled the immense chamber. Victor’s jaw dropped as he noticed it looked similar to a Star Destroyer but with two-prong points in the front and a bit smaller, but not by much. The ship’s hull was black and silver with many wicked looking spires pointing out from it like a giant, spiky covered turtle shell.
Wynn showed no emotion as she moved forward, rifle aiming at the robotic workers. The rest of the squad moved in as Victor barely took a step forward. Shaking off the moment of disbelief, the Blade moved with the team toward metal crates and a utility vehicle. For a brief instant, the workers carried on adding and welding equipment and shield plates to the hull.
“Buk, Diz, and Sakura, ready to deploy once our initial scans finish,” Wynn directed.
Victor moved behind some crates with Buk and Diz. He could see in his vision that everything he was seeing was being recorded and uploaded in real time. Peeking from behind a crate, he marveled at the size of the ship and for a brief instant wondered if he could pilot it out of there.
A worker turned its smooth head to the end of the hanger and caught sight of a man just hiding behind a crate. Scans shifted and heat signatures appeared for a dozen bodies. Alarms blared to life as lights flashed.
“Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert,” filled the hanger.
“We need six minutes to complete the scans,” Wynn said over comms.
Walls slid open at ground level and sentries stepped out, lifting up rifles. Simple digital faces glowed red as they turned their attention to the end of the hanger and began marching. The ground level of the chamber was flooded with sentries in mere seconds as they met in the middle and began to advance.
Wynn looked over to Victor, “Retreat and we will cover your escape.”
The Blade looked to the fox woman, heat rising up his neck. “Sorry foxy lady but it looks like I’m going to be protecting all of you.”
Victor stood up and stepped into the open while activating his Nano Sphere abilities. Rifle in hand, he spent three points of Constitution on Weapon Upgrade, Power Suit Upgrade and Armor Upgrade. Lifting the rifle up, a cable snaked out of his arm and connected to the weapon, plasma cartridge glowing hotter. Along the pores of Victor’s skin, nano-drones ejected by the trillions, barely past the skin but before his clothing, spreading out and connecting like armor plates. In a span of seconds, metal scales covered the Blade while several cables launched and connected to his armored trench coat. Nano-drones spilled onto the plating, making them thicker and more durable as Victor began walking toward the horde of sentries marching toward him.
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�Stand down Non-Consumer,” a sentry ordered while aiming at Victor’s chest.
Victor stared; his body armored with smooth plates while he lifted his plasma rifle. “Wynn, get what you need and retreat.”
“Subdue the non-consumers,” the sentry ordered as metal fingers pulled on triggers.
“Open fire!” Wynn ordered.
The hanger exploded in weapon fire. Sentries advanced as the front line flashed with light. Victor spent two points of Strength, one to Jump and the other to his increased strength and speed. In the blink of an eye, the Blade launched into the air as blue and green energy bolts shot past, missing his boots by inches. Wynn and the squad opened fire, plasma bolts punching fist-sized holes in the front line. As they fell, more stepped over them while above them, Victor practically floated as he pulled the trigger of his rifle. A stream of hot plasma death rained down, slicing through the ranks, blasting sentries to pieces of junk. While Wynn’s squad kept them at bay, Victor’s weapon upgrade tore them to pieces. The barrel of Victor’s plasma rifle burned with intense light as it cut sentries in half as gravity took hold and he fell down.
Victor landed on the floor as a green bolt struck his shoulder. The blast didn’t register as Victor jumped again toward one of the walls. Body turning in mid-flight, he fired into the advancing sentries, slowing them down but not stopping them. Legs connecting with the wall, the Blade pushed off sideways, holding back the trigger as his rifle fired again and again. The smell of burning plasma bloomed as Victor flew across, sentries blasted to pieces.
Wynn fired into the crowd; every shot true as she picked her targets. Miku and Kimi roared as they unleashed plasma death. The cat women shouted in defiance as they returned fire. Buk, Diz, and Sakura stayed low, waiting for their orders amid the chaos. Sentries aimed at the flying Victor before plasma bolts punched through their metal bodies with ease. Metal clanged on the floor as the sound of marching sentries added to the carnage.
Victor hit another wall and bounced off, flipping through the air and landing to the side of the hanger. Rifle up, auto-targeting engaged as he pulled the trigger. Super charged plasma punched through chests and robotic limbs, but the horde of sentries barely slowed. Many of the sentries turned their attention on the resistance fighters and Victor shook his head in disapproval. Rushing in, he cleared a path through the marching army before his rifle clicked empty. Tossing it aside and opening his hand, a bone sword slid into his palm.
“Time to see what you can do,” Victor said before a blue energy bolt struck the side of his head.
Victor spun as armor plating fell away like dying leaves. His exposed eye looked down at the metal plates as they sprinkled to the floor before he regained his balance. Spending a point of Strength, the Bone Sword vibrated to life.
“They are using EMP and Neural Disruptor charges,” Wynn shouted over comms.
Victor’s brow shot up and he pointed his Bone Sword to the advancing sentries. “They are not trying to kill us?”
A sentry aimed and fired. A blue energy bolt struck Victor’s shoulder, armor plating falling away. The Blade stumbled back and then planted his feet as he aimed and roared. The bone sword vibrated before a shockwave blasted outward. The air rippled as it struck the advancing sentries like a storm surge. Sentries were flung like rag dolls by the dozens, crashing into others. Like dominoes, the whole front line crumbled from the blast, scattering weapons and many robotic limbs.
Victor looked down at the bone sword. “Yes,” He shouted as he charged it with another point of Strength.
In the APC, Lily watched the exchange of plasma fire. Hand out, her staff appeared but before she ran out, Dawn was already moving. The succubus charged after her as Dawn darted toward the hanger entrance. Thick metal doors slid out and the elf poured on the speed. Before the doors closed, Dawn launched into the air, slipped sideways through the closing doors and hit the ground into a roll. Lily sped toward the closing door, the last image she saw was Dawn bolting forward before the doors slammed shut before her. The succubus rammed her fist into the door and she shouted for Victor.
Nyku turned her panther-like head to the entrance they came through and watched as the doors were closing. Dawn launched again, slipping through the doors before they closed shut. The elf brought her rifle up and joined in the firefight, her shots clumsy until she saw Victor point his bone sword and unleash a blast of power again.
The sentries attempted to stand when the second blast knocked them down. Victor rushed into the heat of battle, sword swinging and taking off sentry heads with sparks shooting into the air. The Blade was unchained, slicing rifles, arms and heads from bodies. The sword point stabbed into armored chests, the robotic sentries sparking and falling to pieces. Blue energy bolts struck the Blade and he stumbled back, his armor flaking away from each strike.
“Scan complete,” Wynn said over comms, “Buk, Diz, and Sakura, deploy.”
The three women nodded as they activated their packs. Armor slid from the packs, covering and encasing their limbs and torsos. The plating covered their faces into iron masks and even cascaded over their rounded horns. Buk and Diz lowered their bodies as they charged into the crossfire. Sakura’s pack blazed to life as she launched into the air, wings out.
May and Ema fired into the Sentries when a green bolt struck May in the side of her head. Ema reached out to grab her friend as the light went out in her eyes. May slumped to the ground and Ema jumped on her, several green bolts striking her back. Wynn didn’t wince as her command display showed May and Ema were unconscious. The fox woman continued to fire, eyes glimpsing Victor as he cut through the enemy line.
Victor sliced a sentry in half before turning the blade sideways and blocking a blue energy bolt. Body spinning, he moved like a typhoon, smashing and slicing the enemy to pieces. Plasma bolts blasted past him, punching holes in drones. The Blade kept cutting his way through before he glanced back to see Buk and Diz rushing toward him, about fifty feet apart. The Blade looked up and saw he had sliced his way under the ship and judging from Wynn’s commands, she was going to take it out.
Buk and Diz fell to all fours, rushing forward. Sakura landed on the top of the ship. Activating the command, a square metal box launched from her backpack and landed on the ship’s hull. Spikes clamped onto the metal sheet and a red light blinked. Sakura was ready to launch into the air when a gun turret emerged from the ceiling, targeted the harpy and opened fire. Green bolts rained down just as the harpy launched into to the air and striking her back.
A screech filled the area amid plasma fire as Sakura spiraled from the air and hit the ground hard. Dawn and Leah moved forward, firing into the sentries, eyes on the fallen harpy. Haaki moved from her cover to assist when a green bolt struck her leg. The panther woman fell to one knee before several more bolts struck her dead center of her chest. Nyku rushed out, grabbing the fallen Haaki and pulled her back to cover. Dawn fired as she rushed forward when energy bolts shot past a little too close. A sentry aimed at the elf and pulled the trigger. Leah jumped in the way, taking the hit, her body hitting the floor and unmoving.
“Dawn, get back,” Victor shouted as he sliced a sentry in two.
The elf ignored him as she flipped into the air and landed by the fallen Sakura. The harpy moaned as the elf grabbed her leg and began to pull. Victor knew she would be cut down at any moment. Spending another Strength point, he charged the bone sword and unleashed another shockwave. The blast sent sentries hurtling back.
Buk and Diz rushed until they were well enough under the forward section of the black and silver ship. Staying on all fours, commands were spoken. From the middle of their backs, square boxes launched upwards until they touched the hull. Claws clamped onto the metal hull and a red light flashed. Buk and Diz turned and rushed back, rising up on two legs and arms out to help their fallen comrades. Buk grabbed Dawn while Diz grabbed Sakura. Diz hoisted the harpy over her shoulder as they rushed back to the others.
“Pull back now,” Wynn ordered V
ictor over comms.
Victor saw the blinking red lights on the metal boxes and he took steps back while knocking away energy bolts. Backpedaling, Victor remained calm as parts of his armor were blasted off and falling like metal rain. The horde of sentries continued to advance, firing non-stop. Victor blocked a blue bolt when several more hit his stomach. Armor plates fell away as he stumbled back. Head turning and then his body, light flashed, striking his back as he tried to run. Victor fought to keep his balance as energy bolts relentlessly continued to fire.
A side door slid open and Victor turned his gaze to two women struggling against metal clamps on their limbs. Heat touched his eyes as he saw them pleading in a side room, their mouths gagged.
Wynn looked over to the open room, “Victor, don’t!”
The Blade saw them, his heart whispering they belonged to Vala.
Listen to Wynn! It’s a trap!
The Blade spent a point of Strength and activated his Jump ability. Without a second thought, he launched into the air. Sword swinging, he knocked a blue energy bolt away as he came down, hit the floor and slid into the room. The door slid shut behind him as enemy fire filled the hanger.
Wynn cursed under her breath as she readied to activate the explosives. Sentries turned their rifles, firing blue energy bolts at the metal boxes while turret guns fired down on the one Sakura planted. Wynn activated the command and the squad braced for the explosions.
The light on the boxes died before turrets and sentries turned their attention to resistance fighters and resumed fire.
“Victor,” Buk screamed as she charged back into the fight.
The ram rushed toward the door when blue energy bolts struck her. Armor was blasted away as she kept up her pace. When her chest plate was blasted off, green bolts rammed into her body and she slowed.
“I’m coming…for you…Victor…,” the ram woman said as her charge slowed.
Wynn and Dawn watched as Buk fell to her knees before another green bolt hit her between the eyes and she slumped to the ground. The rain of energy bolts stormed on as the remaining squad huddled, all means of escape cut off. Wynn was the only one returning fire, growling with foul contempt.