The Children

19

Welcome to the Great Dunes of Vacuo, where everything is sweltering and anything that can't move is crushed by the roaming titan known as the Mountain.

Within an abandoned settlement, bodies of both Vacuo soldiers and Children followers dot across the area. A harsh battle rages on in the center by a fountain. From a nearby shop, a follower with a rifle ducks under a window while the sound of gunfire and metal clashing can be heard outside. He peaks his head over to see if he can get a clear shot on the enemy.

*THWACK*

A bolt flies out and penetrates his skull the moment he pops his head over, killing him instantly as he falls to the floor. Back to the fountain, only two members of team NDGO remain to fend off a handful of remaining Children forces.

Nebula Violette, leader of team NDGO, purple hair a mess and clothes tattered from combat, swings her crossbow around and takes aim for another target. She spots a follower on a roof preparing to open fire upon her. Quickly taking aim, she fires another bolt at the gunman. Striking him in the throat, he stumbles about before falling off the roof and to his death.

By her side stands Gwen Darcy, hair untouched and clothes fairly torn, the only thing seeing significant damage is her armored skirt. A few throwing knives dot across her skirt as several of them have previously found their way into her enemies. She grabs another throwing knife, twirls on her heel, and flings the slim piece of metal at a charging foe wielding a hatchet. Starting to run low on those knives now.

The other two members, Dew Gayl and Octavia Ember, are sadly no longer by their teammate's sides to help them. One being caught in an explosion early in the battle, the other gunned down by a sniper. The remaining two fear they won't last long as well.

Gwen holds three throwing knives in one hand, ignited with fire dust, and tosses them at two rushing followers with their guns barely at the ready. Before they could take aim, two of the knives embed themselves into the chest of one and immediately ignites him, causing him to flail around and scream as the flames burn away his flesh. The other, a woman, quickly dodges the third knife and takes aim at Gwen with a rifle.

Before Gwen can react, the follower unleashes a barrage of bullets on her. Her aura absorbed a few shots, but after continuous combat, that was all it could take before shattering. The rest of the shots soon tear through her flesh, ripping inner organs apart in seconds, and causes her to let out a surprised and painful wail before a bullet strikes her in the head. She falls to the ground in silence as her body just bleeds out onto the dirt.

The follower soon swings her rifle to the second target, only to be met with a yellow bolt in the shoulder. She immediately convulses as the lightning dust takes effect and roasts her from the inside out.

Only a handful of followers left, Nebula continues to fight by herself. No teammates, no soldiers, all dead. Reinforcements won't arrive for another two hours. So she fought on like a mad woman. A few shots make their mark, either deflected by her aura or just tore through her skin. Nothing fatal, but painful none the less.

Running low on bolts, Nebula shifts her crossbow into a sword and counters an incoming dagger from a charging follower. Sword skills slightly better since the Vytal Festival, she overpowers her opponent and impales them in the chest. She quickly dodges out of the way of oncoming gunfire as her sword changes back into a crossbow. Less than half a dozen followers left now.

After several long minutes of hell, the last follower falls dead to Nebula's crossbow bolts. Several seconds of silence pass by as she scans her surroundings for any more enemies, on edge the whole time as she's panting while sweating bullets. Finding no enemies, she suddenly sees Gwen dead on the ground. She soon realizes that all her friends are now gone forever...... That's a depressing thought.