died instantly, collapsing in a heap. Kotto and Lune rushed up pushing her aside Into the water, taking that position as they shifted up and forward. Now Donna, Nece and Sam flanking out, Abreon to Wy soaked from the mud and water all around them; “Donna will take you back.”
Wy holding his shoulder, blood seeping through his hand, crying out, “But, it hurts!”
Donna motioning to Abreon, “Go on.” Then, “I'll take him back.”
Abreon nodding struggling in the water to reach yet another house, a laser blast hitting the doorway. Abreon yelled for those to his rear to enter the building. Abreon, Romon, Loos, and Sam entering, Angle and Nece occupying a house tangential from his location, as he faced out to a two story building forward of his position. He fired at a burnt out window, another soldier firing back, then another, then someone from the Srax side firing back and then still third soldier on the first floor firing. He fired at Kotto and Lune, Kotto returning fire. The first soldier returning fire and then Abreon and Sam shooting out at the building. The return fire hit the casing of the door of the home Abreon was in, Abreon returning fire. Then for some reason all was quiet. Abreon waited, ten minutes later he turned to Sam, “Were not getting anywhere.”
As he spoke the firing began again, Sam dodging a blast, “Were running out of ammo.”
Abreon: “How many shots you have left?”
“I only had a few to begin with, now I have three.”
Abreon to Romon, “How many round you have left Romon?”
“I have eight.”
“Loss?’
“I had nine, now I have seven.”
“This isn't good. Were only four buildings out from the warehouse if we stay here will waste all our offensive capabilities. We have to run for it.”
Romon, “I agree.”
Abreon, “I will go; you and Loos will stay and cover me. Sam your with me, if you choose?”
“Okay.”
Abreon listening to the shots of fire and return fire, a Srax was out there, maybe more-peeking out of the doorway to Kotto and Lune. Angie and Nece to the rear. He wanted Nece to stay to the rear, to be safe and live for him another day. He could not help it. It was wrong to give her the advantage for the others deserved it as well, but he did not want to see another woman in his life to die. Abreon signaled and held a finger up and when there was a lull in fire they charged out of the buildings, running, Abreon and Sam, Kotto with Lune, Angle, Nece, Romon and Loss at the rear providing cover.
In an instant the street exploded with fire, fire from the snipers, fire from the Tanar, from the Srax, fire from those left behind from Abreon's unit. A blast hit the wall of a building flanking Abreon. Sam fell on the flooded ground with a slosh, as a blast angled to hit the wall of that building, narrowly missing him, a blast from the Srax shooting Kotto in the chest, killing him. Abreon yelling as he fell. Their own army was killing them! Abreon pulled Sam up from the ground, “Come on!” as they ran, Lune being pinned down by the Srax and the Xeion Dru, Angle and Nece returning fire, but fleeing. Abreon looked back at Lune dying in a hail of laser blast. Sam ran with Abreon to another building, shooting as they went, killing another Xelon Dru and then reaching the home where the person whom he had sold his suit to formerly resided. Abreon and Sam running through the door, tripping falling to their knees panting. Abreon, “There it is, in the comer.”
Sam pointing at it, “This will save us! God I pray so!”
Abreon standing, nodding, wiping mud from his face. A hook held Abreon’s suit from the ceiling, “This is the key.” then sadly looking at him, “You know Lune is dead.”
“I know.”
Abreon began pulling his suit on and snapping pieces together, first the chest plate, then the abdomen plates, then the legs, boots, arms, and gloves. He could hear the sniper fire burning into the door jams of the house, holding the helmet of his body armor, picking at the burnt out holes in the suit, “This is it.”
Sam: “I guess it is.”
Abreon, “How many rounds do you have?”
“Three.”
Abreon, “I have four.” giving the rifle to him, here.”
Sam, “But…”
“I have the suit.”
Sam, “But…”
“Take the rounds out.”
Sam doing so, “How will you fight back?’’
“I’ve always fought back. I will do a straight run to the bridge and over it, about a kilometer from here.”
Sam looking down at the mud, “All that way?”
“Yes.”
Abreon ran in his total protection suit, his boots splashing through the water soaked ground and passed another several buildings. He glanced back then to the left and right, running behind a building and again rushing forward. Abreon reached the road which lead toward the bridge. He took a deep breath and ran, a blast hitting him in the back, Abreon tumbled, fell forward in pain. He stood with all his reserve, the burn intense, continuing, fleeing from the fire, passed all that was left of that town, running, finding soldiers of the Xelon Dru scattered here and there along the way. They saw him and began to fire at their target. Abreon with all his weight and his heavy armor slamming into one of them, knocking him back, removing his laser weapon from him in the process. Abreon turned the rifle around and shot him, running again toward the bridge.
“Get him!” Another Xelon yelled.
A second firing upon Abreon, Abreon turning firing back, turning again running, running off the road to where there was only tall grass, partially submerged in the swampy mire. He ran, lumbering with the weight of his suit through the weeds, firing at soldiers as he went, some running after him, Abreon tiring, reaching the bridge. Abreon took a deep breath, the burn on his back peeling his skin. He flashed back to the mine. He flashed back to the hospital. He shook his head, banged his helmet, passing by still more soldiers who were attempting to rebuilding parts of the bridge they needed intact in order to move multi-ton war machines across. Abreon made contact with another Xelon shooting him in the chest, tossing his spend rifle away, “Oh God!” Abreon yelled to himself, grabbing the dead soldier’s weapon shooting laser left and right at soldiers, the barrage of return fire boring into his suit. Abreon pushing a solder, stepping over him, running down the remains of the bridge, finding a small all-terrain troop carrier shooting the surprised soldiers who turned about in it. Abreon leaping upon the carrier, kicking one solider, then killing him, as he turned to fire against another killing her in the process. Abreon falling as a solider from behind kicked him.
Abreon rolling firing killing him as well. Abreon stood, fell and stood again, grabbing the P6T-200 laser Gatling gun. He removed it stand firing the gun into the mass of soldiers running toward him. He saw fire in his eyes. He remembered the burns, the pain. Abreon could not push it away. He continued to fire, as he leaped off the carrier and continued, the sounds of belching heat from the gun loud, merging with against the roar of the swollen river. He remembered the poison gas, the trenches, the smell of death everywhere. Abreon screaming as he spun about, scattering thick laser into all of them, Abreon running, shooting as he went, flanking himself and spinning again, mowing down soldiers behind him, turning, running again until he reached the end of the bridge. He tossed the Gatling gun, merged into the heavy tall weeds again and snaked his way toward the hills. Abreon found the passages he needed to find up to the plateau where the tank was. He stepped toward the tank, collapsed and then pulled himself back up. He looked out over the war zone. Abreon pulled off his helmet, vomited and snapped it back on. He climbed the tank. Abreon activated the unit and it powered on. He worked the controls and the machine moved with his direction. Abreon turned the unit around twice for a quick diagnostic and pushed it down the plateau. It groaned from its previous use, smoking from worn hydraulics but it would execute its final act of obedience.
The Xelon Dru seeing the tank make its way down the hills began to fire at it. They swarmed the machine as it got within range. Abreon, shooting at them, th
e tanks guns roaring to life as he made his way onto the bridge again. The Xelon Dru soldiers seeing the tanks guns rip through the air with heavy fire backed away.
SYSTEM CONTROLS
Submenu:
INTERNAL SYSTEMS
Submenu:
POWER
One of the tanks guns made a metal on metal grind, a snapping sound and then it seized, “Shit!” He let go of the tanks gun triggers. A few soldiers seeing this from behind the tank took the opportunity and rushed the tank. Abreon kicking a soldier from one of the legs of the tank.
NUCLEAR SYSTEMS
DEACTIVATING SAFTY CONTROLS...
Are you sure: Yes? No?
Abreon rotating the beast, stepping upon one of the soldier, “Yes I am sure!” tapping the heads up display.
DONE
DEACTIVATING COOLANT SYSTEMS... Abreon stepping upon them, the beast taking severe hits upon its shell from some type of rocket.
COOLANT SYSTEMS OFFLINE... THERMONUCLEAR MELTDOWN IN TEN SECONDS...
Abreon struggling...
EIGHT
The machine smoking from the fire, Abreon bleeding from the shoulder, from sustained blasts, the beast stepping and then falling down to its knees.
SIX
Abreon punching one soldier from within the tanks cab, then kicking another with a well timed boot. He yanked the controls again, the tank standing for a moment then lurching forward and falling again. Abreon leaped out of the unit and into the crowd, pushing two of them into a cratered hole within