Cronos: The Orion Project

Chapter 31

"I've got something." Alyssa said. "A convoy moving along the southern highway. The only marking I can see is something resembling an eye."

"That's him all right." Hydros said looking at her screen over her shoulder. "That's his signature, gear up and get ready to move out Zealots."

"Yes sir!"

....

Moments later they were in the air. Devon was dialing in the sight on his rifle while Lucas was checking his axe repeatedly. Alyssa, Rose, and Eune were already on the road in an assault vehicle.

"Ya nervous?" Devon asked.

"Who? Me? Nah, I'm just....making sure my axe is ready." Lucas chuckled nervously.

"Why are you so nervous? We fought a hive of Chimeras and you're nervous over a convoy a quarter of the size?"

"No....no of course not. It's just....this is our first mission against other people right? And in such a populated area....you can see why I am." Lucas sighed.

"Yeah...yeah, I understand what you mean. We mess up in some way....i don't want to think about it." Devon sighed as well.

"Do....do you think the others....?" Lucas started.

"Yeah, I'm sure we all feel the same way about this assignment. But, hey, at least we're taking out a terrorist arms dealer. That has to count for something." Devon said as he cocked her rifle.

"We're right above your position Devon!" Hydros called from the cockpit. "Head on out."

Devon stood as the door to the airship opened. The air rushed into the craft, barely phasing him. He took in the sight of the city from the air for a brief moment, turned to Lucas and gave him a nod and jumped out of the craft onto the rooftop.

He turned and watched as the door closed and the airship raced off. He scouted around the roof, noticing the lack of security or even access to the roof from below. He walked to the edge and peered over it, gulping silently at the long drop in front of him.

"Come now, youngling. Do not tell me you are afraid of heights? Fufu." His bond chuckled in his mind.

"Hey, I wasn't born with wings." He said as he got into a prone position. He flicked the bipod on his rifle out and lined it up with the highway. The road ran past the building he was on and he waited.

"I know, but it gave me a chuckle to feel that twinge of fear in you because of something so....minuscule."

"Yeah yeah." He grumbled as he peered into the sight. "I bet you were as big as this building before we met. But I'm not calling you fat cause of it."

"Tread lightly youngling, I will not tolerate such behavior."

"Ha! I'd never dream of it." Devon peered down his scope and saw the airship above the convoy.

...

Lucas stood on the edge of the ramp on the drop ship as it hovered high in the air. He could see the convoy clearly as it approached his position. Even over the roar of the engines he could hear the crack of Devon's rifle from the skyscraper.

The shot nailed the driver of the lead car and it swerved and crashed into the median and he knew it was time. He leaped out into the air and swung his axe off his back and over his head, bringing it down like a massive hammer.

He could see the convoy start to panic at the sight of their ally's crash but it was too late as Rose, Alyssa, and Eune were bringing up the rear and attacking the tail end of it.

He surged dragon fire into his blade and it screamed as he brought his axe crashing down on to the next lead vehicle. It exploded beneath his blade and erupted into a plume of fire. He slowly pushed himself to his feet and walked out of the blaze unharmed. His armor seemed to hum in glee at his use of magic.

"Well then, let's do this." He muttered as he rushed the next vehicle and its passengers rushed out to meet him with gunfire.

The rounds bounced harmlessly off his armor and he showed no sign of stopping as he swung his axe again, cutting two of his enemies in half and batting another off the side of the highway with the flat side of his blade.

Another man fired a grenade at his back out of a launcher and he was consumed in the blast. When the smoke cleared, Lucas seemed unfazed and turned to the man like a predator cornering its prey.

"You just had to go and do that, eh buddy?" He chuckled. The man dropped his weapon in fear and awe and Lucas quickly cleaved him two straight down the middle.

Lucas slightly heaved at the sight. "Blegh! Didn't think it be so weird!" He shook his head and turned back towards the fight.

Two more shots wizzed past him and struck down another two men who were sneaking up on  Lucas. Lucas gave a slight wave over his shoulder and charged into the convoy.

He jumped onto the hood of a car and smashed his fist through the windshield. He yanked the driver out of his seat and threw him back like a rag doll.

A ball of fire sprung to life in his left hand, around the size of a basketball. He tossed it up into the air and hit it like it was a tennis ball. It squealed through the air as it quickly imploded in the middle of a small group of terrorists. They were sent flying in random directions and two were sent over the side of the bridge.

Lucas walked with the swagger of a champion as he laid his axe against his shoulder, slightly bouncing it to a tune he was humming.

"You treat this like it is a pathetic joke, child." His bond growled in his head.

"Oh relax, I've got everything under control here! Let me have a little fun." Lucas chuckled.

"I refuse to let some clown abuse my power like it is a toy! You will listen to me boy!" He roared.

Lucas could feel his bond's rage flowing through him and he could only chuckle again.

"You getting angry ain't gonna help ya here pal. The more you vent, the more I tap into your fire. And I'm not stopping any time soon."

"INSOLENT LITTLE BRAT!"

"Oohoho! Scathing insult! I'm sooooo hurt! Haha!" Lucas laughed.