The Collapse

Chapter 25: Weapons Ready

The Albatross touched down with a thud between two buildings in the city, its engines still glowing as the cargo door dropped. The green-dressed entirety of Tornado 1-3 poured out, led by Vanessa and Alder. A battle was already in full swing elsewhere, with gunfire echoing through the streets.

Alder held his rifle -- a Mk XX Explosive Cartridge Rifle, the techs had informed him -- at waist level while hugging the left side if the street, his chainblade in his left hand. Vanessa was right behind him, her laser rifle shouldered as she scanned the streets and buildings. Up ahead, a support squad cut loose with their heavy weapon, shouting incoherently. The rest of the unit responded with a fusillade of laser and autogun fire directed towards one decrepit building. A flash of light illuminated a shattered windowsill as a rocket was fired towards Alder and Vanessa.

Faster than any normal human, Alder grabbed the young woman and pushed her down a side alley, following suit quickly after and landing on his stomach. The high-explosive warhead smashed into the building to their right, sending an avalanche of debris to the mouth of the alley and cutting it off from the rest of the street. Voices echoed down the alley, and four red-clad soldiers rounded the corner. Alder pushed himself up and aimed his ECR, letting a burst of bolts fly downrange.

Two shells caught one man fully in the chest, blowing his chest apart and sending everything that was attached to it flying before the poor soul could even scream. Another man fell to the ground and began to shriek after his right shoulder was hit, blowing his arm away. The rest of the bolts went wide, blowing shards of concrete into the air. The other two militants froze in their tracks, giving Alder an opportunity to free a chained-up rage he didn't know he was harboring.

He dropped the rifle and charged, revving the chainblade into a deadly whirl. One of the soldiers began fumbling with his weapon, while the other simply stood there, seized with fear. Closing the distance with three loping strides, Alder swung the blade, catching the fumbler right above the waist. The whirring teeth caught flesh and tore into it, throwing flaps of skin and meat through the air with a high-pitched shriek. The man screamed in agony as Alder helped the sword along, pushing it across his victim's abdomen.

The teeth finally emerged from its host's other side, cutting the now-lifeless body in half. He pushed through the blood and offal towards the last man. A look of panic flashed on his target's face, and he threw his weapon down and his hands up. "I surrender! Please don't kill me!" He begged, dropping to his knees.

Alder ignored the man's pitiful pleas, so caught up he was in bloodlust. He grabbed the militant's head, fully intending to rip it from the neck it sat on. Two hands grabbed his gauntlet, staying Alder's wrath. Vanessa's face, covered in dirt, obscured his vision. He couldn't hear her with the pounding of his blood, but her lips moved, and he knew what she said.

Don't do this. Don't kill him.

The world returned to its previous state, and Alder's hearts resumed their normal beating. His hand released the man's head, and he began to shake. "Go," he said softly.

The soldier pushed himself up, and fled as soon as he was on his feet. Alder walked back to his rifle and picked it up, dusting it off as he returned to Vanessa. "Let's go," he grunted, and set off without looking back at the carnage.