Sigma/Star: Aftermath

Chapter 145: Siege of the Rockley Mansion Part 2

A supersonic burst of speed rippled through the foyer of the Rockley mansion. Any remaining windows and glass in the space shattered under the pressure. Sigma appeared in front of one of the Gremlins, driving his elbow down into its arm, smashing the component parts in half. He kicked off the machine's chassis, flying across the room to another of the Gremlins, punching straight through its head. The Gremlin's arms flailed wildly as it toppled backwards and collapsed.

Sigma dropped down to the ground, softly. Another Gremlin crashed into the roof above, sending debris tumbling to the floor. The machine peered through a hole as Sigma stared back up.

Porter watched it all as he sprinted across the foyer. As fast as he could go, he was nothing compared to Sigma. The android had already obliterated one of the machines and half disabled another before Porter could even get moving.

There was no time to stop and think though. A barrage of bullets whipped past Porter's back. The minigun Gremlin was still completely functional, wildly firing into the space as it tried to keep up with Sigma's constant movements. Soldiers were still pouring in from all sides, all in the same uniforms. They dropped through the windows and ran through the hole in the front, weapons up.

Porter ducked and dodged his way through to the opposite side of the entryway. He nearly tripped as he made it into one of the many hallways, catching himself and readjusting. An explosion ripped through the space behind him, a shockwave of sound blasting through Porter's ears. The world around him blurred at the edges, his ears ringing. The sounds of conflict behind him drifted away, faint echoes he could barely grasp.

The mansion was devolving into a maze. Head pounding, Porter's sense of direction was spinning out of control. Where each turn would lead, what doors he had passed, everything was a mess. And he was quickly forgetting where he had to go in order to find Ardwen.

A soldier whipped out from a room, spinning to face Porter. The youth grabbed the nozzle of his gun as it came about, pushing it aside before driving the bottom of his palm into the soldier's chin. He followed with a punch into the man's stomach, feeling a surge of electricity ripple through his arm. Even in his disorientation, it seemed his body was still ready to go. Sigma's training over all this time was paying off as well, as Porter felt himself react instinctively to the soldier's retaliation.

Porter threw out a final knee into his opponent's stomach before kicking the soldier aside. Killing wasn't really necessary so long as he could make his way through this labyrinth. Sigma would probably pick up the pieces. It was just about moving forward.

It was just becoming increasingly difficult to figure out where forward was. Porter ducked into a room, poking his head around as he sought out Ardwen. It was entirely possible, likely really, that Ardwen had been taken into some underground bunker or safe house that the Rockleys possessed, connected to this mansion. This could be a hopeless chase, an infinite run until a soldier finally surprised Porter.

Another room. Nobody. Noises from the foyer were becoming quieter the further Porter went, so he at least knew he was going in the right direction. He wasn't heading back to the main warzone. But that didn't make him safe.

One of the soldiers popped out behind Porter, yelling something. He was probably alerting everyone else to where Porter was. It was a stupid move. If he had just shot, Porter would've been killed. Then again, it was kind of dumb on Porter's part if he was getting caught by surprise so easily.

The youth rolled into a room as shots rang out, narrowly missing him. There were only seconds before the soldier would follow Porter. This room wasn't safe; it was a dead end. A bed in the middle, a dresser on the side, a couple of mirrors at either side. There was a bathroom attached, its doorway opening as Porter approached, but that lead nowhere. Locking himself in it would just create a shooting gallery.