***
Adar and Nusaybah were still processing their newfound freedom. This gift was hard to appreciate with the incessant pounding of metal.
“I have them,” Will reported, “you guys all right?”
Jacob hugged the cyborg, the first time he’d ever done so.
“We’ll manage. What about you?”
Will did his best to hide any grief in his face.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied.
Will handed the pulse rifle to Nusaybah as Jacob and Adar picked up rifles off the floor. Will also distributed earpieces for them next. During it all, Adar kept staring at the Chancellor.
“I didn’t think Declan would mount a rescue,” Nusaybah said.
“He didn’t,” Will clarified. “Only help we’ve got is Gabby, Alex, and Bri.”
Now Adar looked at the others.
“How do we get out, then?!” he said.
“Only one way,” Will replied flatly.
“Straight through,” Jacob remarked. Nusaybah accepted this without complaint, but Adar pointed his gun at the crowd.
“Then we need leverage,” he insisted. Will stood in the way of his weapon.
“What reality are you living in?!” Adar yelled.
“Adar, stand down now!” Nusaybah ordered. The man lowered his gun. As the sound of metal groaning grew louder, the more the people trapped inside moved away from the doors. Death was clawing its way closer every second.
Will looked upon the many faces of the terrified people. The banging continued. He didn’t humor any foolish predictions about what would come. The second Kane and his forces got inside they would unload on the man responsible for taking away their Chancellor. With hundreds of innocents in the way, it would be impossible to avoid putting people in the crossfire.
“We wish none of you any harm!” Will yelled as loud as he could. “As such you are free to go! We will not resort to hostages!”
***
So what now, Will? Brielle didn’t have to wait long.
“Bri, open the doors to the Assembly Hall. Let these people go,” he told her.
The Tremblay sister hesitated, but Will did not make the demand a second time. Brielle looked at the translators lined up against the wall in the room she herself was in. They weren’t restrained in any way. The only thing keeping them in line were the corpses of the UNR guards on the carpet. Bri conceded and typed in the command.
“You guys get out of here,” she said to the captives.
At first, they didn’t believe her but once one of them was brave enough to leave, the rest followed. Below was no different.
***
Just as Kane was about to swing again, the beaten door began to move upward. The fleeing civvies were greeted by raised guns. Some froze right there while others kept running. Either way, the UNR soldiers ignored them and entered the hall. Being the tallest there, Kane was in the perfect position to see the four scumbags situated at the mainstage. There at their feet was Chancellor Carl Venloran. Some of the UNR soldiers shed tears. Most of them looked all the more enraged
Every last soul began to leave the majestic room. Cameron tried to stay, but Oswald dragged her off with him. No other reporter was brave enough to be in the midst of a warzone.
On one side was Will, Jacob, Nusaybah, and Adar. On the other was General Kane, Aliss, Sgt. Flemming and the thirty men and women under their command. Bri assumed the battalion was a mix of human and cyborg soldiers, but she took aim with her pulse rifle.
“For what you’ve done here, I sentence you all to death! I’m going to enjoy splitting your bones into pieces!” Kane announced to them all.
“Do your worst,” Will replied.
While still staring at his enemies across the room, Will spoke just to Jacob. This was almost a whisper.
“First chance you get, Jacob, you get out of here. Do not wait for me.”
“Fuck that,” Neeson said back.
“Your sister is waiting to see you again. So is Halsey. Let’s not disappoint them.”
Jacob never took his eye off the frontline.
“Damn you, Will,” he said bitterly.
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Aliss feigned focusing on the targets in front of him, but he was occupied elsewhere. In the blink of an eye, he aimed his machine gun up at the interpreter room and fired away. Bri was fast enough to duck for cover as bullets shattered the windows and punched holes in the wall. The firefight had begun.
All four of the dissidents took cover behind the green marble desk as bullets showered it. Under such firepower none could possibly counter, and the desk itself was falling to pieces with every shot.
“This is off to a fantastic start!” yelled Jacob. There was so much gunfire, his friends could barely hear him over it.
Aliss kept his eyes trained on the position above, well aware he hadn’t killed his target. Goddammit. Out of the window, the target had resorted to chucking several grenades. They were random, of course, but with the high ground they were likely to land anywhere.
“Get back!” Aliss warned. It didn’t help much. Several of the grenades landed next to UNR troops or simply rolled up to the desks they stood next to. Aliss counted six, and they went off in succession of one another.
Two were standard explosives, blowing away a few soldiers and showering others with splintered wood. The remaining four were incendiary grenades that exploded into bursts of napalm. The swirling flames spread over desks and soldiers. At this point the UNR had no choice but to pull back from their position.
Bri seized the moment and let loose with a pulse rifle shot. She went big and aimed at a group of four running between a row of chairs. Unfortunately, only one UNR soldier went down.
Damn! Anger transformed into dread as Kane aimed his artillery cannon up at her. He fired a single shell, and all Bri could do was take cover under two dead bodies. Even so, the explosion blew away the computer she’d been using and a good portion of the wall. Everything in the room was hurled backward.
Kane turned his weapon back to their original target. The shell hit the marble desk and blew it away entirely. Luckily, the quartet had taken positions away from the mainstage, thanks to Bri’s intervention. All the same, chunks of hot marble rained down on them. One piece was big enough to outright crush a chair.
The smoke reached the ceiling and set off the sprinklers. The water did little against the monstrous flames.
Will and the others brought hell on their opponents, striking a few, but it didn’t take long for the UNR to gain composure again. Once again, the troops who needed dug-in positions found them as Kane and Aliss delivered the pain.
Aliss kept the pressure, but he read their adversaries’ tactics all too easily. In such dire conditions, the best they could hope for was to flank the UNR battalion. Only one such troop among the four could hope to do that.
Will sprang from his hiding spot behind a desk, ready to fire on a group of UNR soldiers at the back of the formation. He had moved from the kill zone to the red-white mural on the left of the Assembly Hall. Just as he pulled his trigger, Aliss’ sword came down on his gun. Will was lucky to pull his fingers away before he lost them too.
Will drew his blade and did so just in time to defend himself from being stabbed in the neck. Will’s concentration wavered, looking at the three others. They were putting up a fight, but Kane and his men were tightening the hold. Soon they would be encircled.
Aliss kneed Will in the gut before head-butting him. Will almost fell to the carpeted floor from the blows.
“Wandering eyes in a battle get you killed, 21,” Aliss taunted. Will had no choice but to go all-in.
Adar was flat on his stomach and took aim. With the press of a trigger, he blew a man’s foot off. The poor soul was dragged off, screaming in agony. It wasn’t a kill, but it was the only shot he could get. He crawled away as fast as he could and just in time. One of Kane’s shells tore the desk to smithereens.
Nusay
bah had the one weapon that could kill Kane, but even trying to aim it his way would end in a futile death. Jacob, meanwhile, fired on troops attempting to sneak in on the right.
“Can anybody read me?!” said a voice on the intercom in his ear. He knew that voice and cherished it now more than ever.
“Yeah, Gabby, what’s up?!”
“Jacob, I’m doing the best I can up here, but one Bison got through! I’m sorry!”
“Fuck!” Jacob thought of the sight even more UNR soldiers joining in the fight. We’re doomed.
Lt. Neeson took cover and reloaded. Nusaybah looked at him. The two were several feet away from each other, and the expression on her face told him enough. She’d heard what Gabby had said. In all of a few minutes UNR reinforcements would be on them and then they would be finished.
Under that sprinkler shower, which was already dying down, Nusaybah’s dark hair clung to her neck and shoulders. If only he was close enough he’d just go ahead and kiss her. He saw now he would never get the chance.
As Kane stepped closer, a rocket from behind directly hit a UNR soldier next to him. The 66-mm HEAT warhead exploded, and Kane put up his arms to defend. Those around him did not remain on their feet.
Those not hit turned their heads. An attack from the rear was impossible. Who the hell flanked us?! thought Flemming. The sprinklers above them now dwindled to nothing but a few droplets. From the same entrance Kane had come through came the newcomer. Every combatant in the room stopped their fighting to see who it was.
On Will’s body cam, Alex could see the new arrival. His mouth hung open.
“Alex, what’s going on in there?!” Gabby demanded as the Peregrine lurched.
“It’s Mari!!”
Mari tossed aside the one-shot M27 LAW rocket launcher. The UNR soldiers were almost too stunned to react. Before them was a young woman in black jeans and a hoodie with a bandana covering an eye. The sheath that hung at her hip told them enough. She was enjoying their shock until she felt her own spotting Kane.
“You looked taller on TV,” Mari said with a wicked grin. “Then again, so did his holiness Venloran.”
In a flash, she whipped out a SW1911 pistol and blew out the brains of a UNR troop. Speckles of blood hit Kane. The room descended back into chaos.
This time, it was Aliss’ concentration that suffered. He watched as Mari leaped into battle, but he wasn’t blind enough to allow Will a free shot. The two commenced yet again.
Marisol went straight for Kane, clearly unafraid and more than willing to take on the biggest bastard in the room. The UNR troops around him fired on her, only to be fired upon by the three soldiers to their backs. Nusaybah now had a real chance to go crazy with the pulse rifle. The organized formation of the UNR force now became a jumbled mess.
Marisol came at Kane. She wasn’t stupid and went immediately to her sword. As she got in range, she took the time to cut down another soldier. The giant was livid. He knew his artillery cannon wouldn’t be worth much in close quarters and went with a windmill kick.
It came fast, but Mari leaped directly onto the leg itself and from there jumped at Kane. With stunning speed, she kicked the monster in the chest with both feet and astounding force. The general was knocked back.
Marisol landed nimbly and slashed at Kane’s waist, but he blocked the blade with his left arm. Though her sword left a long cut on his forearm, Kane’s neoartium plating served its purpose. To hell with it.
Kane tried to hit Mari with the cannon itself, but she was nimble and dodged. This time she was able to hack into his hide, unleashing sparks. Kane swung, but she rolled beneath him in a blur. Marisol got ready to stab him in the back just as Kane’s elbow connected with her forehead.
That single blow sent her crashing through several desks before she finally managed to stop. Laying in the hunks of wood, Marisol struggled to recover. She’d assumed he would hit hard, but not that hard. She rolled to avoid Kane stomping on her head and got back to her feet.
“First me, now Unit 37. Clearly there’s something spreading,” Will said as he ducked to avoid a swipe.
Aliss was rattled but pressed on. Will was a great swordsman, but he’d never gone up against someone who moved so smoothly. One jab came directly at Will’s face and even with his speed, the blade managed to graze his head and cut his ear. With such a high strike, Will figured now would be a good time to strike low, but Aliss punched him in the nose before allowing it.
“You are a cancer, 21. That is for certain.”
Aliss swung at Will, who blocked. He countered with a precise kick to his foe’s throat, a blow strong enough to knock Aliss backward. Will’s follow-up was to aim for his chest, but his foe used his own foot to relieve Will of his blade. So that’s where Val learned that.
Will lost ground avoiding two swipes from Aliss before rolling to the ground to retrieve two assault rifles. While still on one knee, Will fired one of the guns at Aliss’ eyes. He did as predicted and protected his weak spot with his blade. In that split second, Will used his leg to knock Aliss off his feet.
The first gun went dry and so the other one came into play. Aliss was on his back now and Will once more fired at his face. This time, Aliss covered his eyes with his free arm while swinging with the other. However, Will’s foot came down on the hand yielding the sword.
The second gun went empty, and Will hit Aliss with the butt of it. What he forgot was that he could not defend from Aliss’ legs gripping him from behind to toss him off. I’ve got to learn how to counter that.
Aliss was on his feet at last, and he was pissed. He came at Will sword first, but Will sidestepped him and elbowed him in the shoulder blade. The blow hurt, but Aliss fought it off and swung at Will as he was still behind him. There! Will kicked Aliss’ elbow hard. Of course, nothing broke but the sword finally left his hands.
Aliss was never out of the game for long and delivered a low kick to Will’s ankle. The Wolf lost his balance and Aliss gave a trio of powerful jabs to Will’s face. Dazed but determined to fight back, Will swung at Aliss, who blocked and grabbed hold of that arm. With his immense strength, he hurled Will at the upper balcony. The impact knocked several seats loose.
The high perch did give him a view, though: his own sword under a burning desk.
Aliss must not have seen it from his angle and approached leisurely, having reclaimed his sword. Will leaped straight down as Aliss now rushed him.
Will stuck his right hand into the flames and grabbed the hilt of his saber. The pain was indescribable, and Will screamed as his skin and flesh burned. All the same, when Aliss brought his sword down on him, he was able to block.
Sgt. Flemming and the last vestige of UNR troops fired at the trio hiding. This was the same trio that he himself had captured and brought to the Chancellor. He supposed that victory was meaningless now, especially with…he pushed it out of his head. Then, something came to him: the same flames that had crippled their force could be used against their enemies. The most precious target would be Nusaybah and that weapon of hers that kept them from getting close.
“Fan out!!” he commanded. His boys obeyed, and the remaining four of them went from either side. He assumed Adar and Jacob were protecting their spearhead. He was right in thinking so. The pair were positioned at the ends of a row ten down from them. The two were quick to lay down a suppressing fire.
In those fleeting seconds, Flemming saw Nusaybah rise from the center. She’d been hidden behind a large chunk of marble close to the mainstage.
Jacob pulled a grenade off a dead UNR soldier and rolled it at the two trying to flank him. Even as WP-III cyborgs, pain was pain. They pulled back to avoid the explosion.
Try to run from this. Flemming pulled the pin and raised his arm to toss the grenade.
Several feet away, out of the corner of his eye, Jacob saw Flemming cock his arm back. Reacting like lightning, he took the shot.
He hit his mark, and the result was horrifying. Flemming was completely doused
in fire, but he did not die. No, he stumbled around screaming, spreading the flames to the ones closest to Jacob. Neeson himself backed away as several rows of desks became food for the fire. The two who had been on him were forced to leave the refuge of their cover, and as soon as did they exposed themselves. An EMP blast took them both.
Those chilling screams drew the attention of the last pair, one human and one a cyborg. Both received bullets to the face, courtesy of Jacob and Adar.
“Come on!” Jacob called out.
Before they could leave, Nusaybah waited out the few seconds and then pointed her pulse rifle at Flemming. The man was writhing on the floor now. As much as she had thought she wanted to watch, seeing it repulsed her. Malik would understand. Her mercy was a godsend and after, she joined the others in running for the exit.
Kane saw them go. With he and Mari fighting on one side of the room, and Will and Aliss on the other, there had been pretty much a clear path for them. The giant had had enough. He ran at Mari, who was surprised. Up until now, she’d been coming to him as he defended. She could’ve sworn with each footstep the floor itself was shaking.
As he closed the distance between them, he reattached the cannon to his back. He was coming in with only his fists. The Commander launched a fist at Mari’s face, and she ducked the battering ram of an arm. She attempted to hack off his hand at the wrist, but the armor didn’t allow much damage.
Kane’s knee hit her in the ribs, sending her to the floor. This time, rolling out of the way meant tossing herself into a wall of flames. The Commander grabbed her by her ankle and tossed her across the room. The mighty Mari had been reduced to a projectile.
Right in the midst of his fight, Will was struck by Mari. The collision sent them both careening into the wall. Aliss looked at his general in stupor. Kane glared at him and that was all it took.
By the time Will and Mari recovered, Kane was on them. Both jumped out of the way as his fist connected with the wall, gouging an enormous hole in it. Will lashed at the general with his sword, but he blocked each strike. Mari came from behind and cut into the beast’s left lower leg, right at the joint.
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