Synesthesia

5💀

Like a swarm of angry hornets, a legion of snarling beasts crawl from a hole at the apex of the geode. Their bodies were as black as obsidian, elongated, and muscular like dragons as they scaled the ceiling like insects. Giant shards of amethyst continue to plummet from above, giving Megan and the captain every reason to seek cover in the nearest tunnel.

Megan is first to duck inside while the captain lingers at the entrance and pulls a silver disc from one of the many deep pockets of his cargo-style pants.

She watched him run his finger over its center before tossing it towards the crater. It coasts through the air like a flying saucer, dodging falling crystals effectively on its way to the middle of the gaping hole. Once there, a series of lasers extended from it, forming a complex grid of red beams that hovered over the purple diamond.

A group of sentinels crawling down the walls stop midway and leap toward the hole, disregarding the device as their only concern was the tantalizing heartbeat of Purpura's core.

However, once their bodies met the barrier formed by the lasers, they screeched as the heat sliced through their tough hide like knives through butter, sending splatters of neon-yellow blood in all directions.

From the tunnel, Megan grimaced at the gore before her eyes cut to the captain. He takes hold of the gun still in his hand, cocking it back once more until the red notches glow brightly to life. He then turns it around and offers it to Megan without hesitation. Her eyes immediately go wide.

"Whatchu want me to do with that??" she exclaims and the captain rolls his eyes impatiently.

"What do you think? I'd give you a sword but I don't think you want them getting that close to you," he responds hurriedly. Megan's eyes go even wider.

"YOU EXPECTING ME TO SHOOT IT OUT WITH THOSE BIG MUFUCKAS?!" she exclaims, a high-pitched squeal ripping through her as a giant shard hitting the ground shakes the tunnel. The captain barely reacts to the tremor, shaking the weapon towards Megan more urgently.

"Please. Stop acting like you've never seen or used a gun. I've been to Luminasia. Just take it."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Megan's expression deadened but the captain wasn't entertaining her any longer than he had to. Forcibly handing her the gun, the captain proceeds to attempt to make contact with anyone on his team via his watch.

"Agent in command to Bangtan, the nest has been breached. I repeat THE NEST HAS BEEN BREACHED."

The harrowing screams of sentinels continue to echo throughout the geode as more and more dislodged shards shatter against the ground.

"The core is secure for now but the disc's field isn't going to hold them off very long.."

The tunnel shakes again, this time from the overflow of sentinels entering the geode. Their cacophony of ravenous snarls and screams is almost deafening now, forcing the captain to yell. Megan could hear them through the walls of the tunnel and her heart rate quickens.

The gun in her hand vibrates as if in reaction to the impending danger, pulling her eyes toward the swirling red matter that glowed in its chamber. While a part of her may have resented the captain's remark about the people of Luminasia and their familiarity with certain weapons, Megan couldn't deny the power she felt holding what she immediately knew to be a plasma blaster, a cutting-edge weapon that harnesses the power of superheated plasma to unleash devastating energy blasts on its targets.