Elemental Overdrive

Trio Departed

Elemental Overdrive

Nick's POV

We were walking towards our objective, taking in the scenery. That scenery being the destruction brought upon the city beyond the walls of our safe haven. We had seen this destruction from above when we were discovered and taken to HQ via helicopter, but seeing it up close enamored the three of us. Upon turning a street corner we were met with a large horde of stumbling zombie-like creatures. These withered didn't look too different from normal people, only having slight changes to physicality, but the large crowd made them seem much more dangerous. Lillith had spawned her sniper rifle in her hands, kneeling down to scout ahead to see if there was an opening past the crowd or if we'd end up fighting through it. Cameron pointed out a building with large debris against it, allowing us to climb up to the roof and use it to traverse past the horde towards our destination. He took the lead and maneuvered us onto the debris. Lillith let out a gasp behind me, which prompted Cam and I to turn and look at her. What we were met with was Lillith being pulled away by a series of tentacles, those tentacles leading up to a mutated withered called grapplers standing upon a rooftop above the large horde of grunts.

It seemed like time slowed once Lillith was dragged off the debris we were climbing onto, and I watched her reach out and cry out to us. Before I knew it, I lunged towards her, greatsword in hand, just as the horde was alerted to our presence. I gripped my sword tightly, the chainsaw blade revving up to a full spin as I slashed straight through the tentacles carrying Lillith, standing behind her and getting into a stance while watching the approaching opposition. Cameron had landed next to Lillith and aided her, and I glanced behind me towards them to check on them and our pathing. "That grappler is going to be a problem once we get onto the roof" Cam stated while helping Lillith up. I silently agreed with him and rummaged through my mind for a fast answer to our ever growing problem.

"You two get to the rooftop, I'll be sure to keep these things at bay" I told them. Lilith began to protest before being pulled by Cam, and she hesitantly followed him up the debris.

"We gotta get experience somehow" I said while lifting my sword above my hand, "Ice Quake!" and I slammed my sword into the ground, my energy pulsing through it and creating a small frozen tremor. The resulting tremor created icicles that sprouted from the ground and pierced through any unlucky withered within the striking vicinity.

"This isn't a game Nick, stop talking about XP and get up here so we can leave!" Cam yelled while throwing his sword into a grunt near me while Lillith scouted for the grappler. My sword fizzled away as I turned and used my energy to launch myself onto the roof. Once I joined them we all started running and jumping onto various roofs, all the while trying to avoid the horde just below us.

...

After a while, we decided to rest on a rooftop near our objective after losing the horde, while Lillith continued scouting for the grappler, not having found and taken care of it just yet. I held my chest, taking a deep breath, calming myself down from the rush of adrenaline I experienced just a moment prior.

After Lillith finished scouting, she turned to me and scolded me. "Don't go trying to get yourself killed!" She said, which garnered a shush from Cam, "look I'm sorry but I couldn't think of any other way. Like uh...Oh! The grappler could've been focused on me" I retorted. "As if you were thinking about that in the heat of the moment, Nick" Cam sighed.

Lillith pouted and began her search for the grappler again, "Such a nasty zombie...Disgusting" she mumbled just loud enough for Cam and I to hear. Cam decided to use this time to study up on the grappler, all the while I looked for a clear route towards the outpost. I found a path that looked safe enough, and told them we should hurry over to rest up there. They both nodded and followed me off the rooftop and towards the outpost. Once nearing the location, we were stopped by a loud roar behind us, causing us all to flinch and quickly turn to face what made such a sound. What we were faced with was a tall human-like creature, with arms stretched down to the floor, it's hands huge and wide. It's hands were balled in a fist on the ground, and it was using them as a means to prop itself up. "That's a Knuckledragger" Cameron said as he stepped back, "even if we get inside it'll just invite itself in" I said and readied myself for a fight. The other two slowly steeled themselves for a fight, all of us staring at one of the strongest foes we've met so far.