“We’ve got another unit moving southeast, at least several dozen Orcs” Clay spoke into his radio. “Copy that” someone answered.

Clay lay atop a tall building, observing the Orc's movements below. They had continued evacuating as long as they could, but as more Orcs entered the city most teams had been pulled back, fighting the orcs in the city to keep the Orcs from flanking the NDSA forces on the front lines.

After evacuations had been called off Clay had been put into a scout role, his ability to move around the city quickly and discretely making him a perfect choice.

Gunfire and explosive spells rained down on the approaching Orcs, as a team of NDSA mages and riflemen ambushed them, quickly overwhelming and killing them. This tactic had been repeated many times across the city, with every attempt by the Orcs to push advance being spotted by Clay, and ambushed by waiting NDSA forces.

The ambush tactics worked well, but Clay knew they were lucky the majority of the Orcs were tied up on the frontlines. Their country was small, with limited military power, the NDSA itself was more a police force rather than a proper military, and it would be weeks before they could expect any kind of serious support from the major powers across the ocean. These ambush tactics would never be enough to stop the full force of the invading Orc army.

“This sector is clear, Agent Clayton, advance to the next scouting position.” Clay pushed himself up, the pain from his earlier burn radiating up his arm. The medic mage had done what he could, repairing the worst of the damage, and had wrapped his arm in gauze. Unfortunately, there had been no time for Clay to stop and get healed by a more advanced mage. “Copy that” Clay responded into his radio.

Clay specter stepped from building to building as he quickly crossed the city. He observed the destruction of the city as he passed by. Many buildings had fires burning uncontrollably. The streets were littered with the debris of battle, destroyed and overturned vehicles, gaping holes in the pavement from explosions, and corpses left where they dropped. Most corpses belonged to the Orcs, but some wore the markings of NDSA agents. Even worse, some were clearly civilians, the people who hadn’t been able to evacuate in time.

Clay stepped onto the roof of a small convenience store, squatting down to get his bearings and make sure he was going in the right direction. He reached into his back pocket to pull out his map when a bright red flash flew toward him from his peripheral. He quickly specter stepped to a nearby building, rolling down onto his stomach in an attempt to not be seen. Across from him, the store he had just been standing on was engulfed in flames.

Scanning around the street, he spotted an Orc mage squatting behind a car. Clay grabbed his sidearm as he contemplated just going in for the kill.

What are you an idiot?

“I haven’t heard much from you in a while, thought you must’ve gotten bored of me” Clay whispered back at Sephtis.

The Orc wound up to shoot another spell at him. “Shit” Clay muttered as he sprang to his feet, specter stepping off the building as the spell careened towards him.

Just haven’t had much to say, but I couldn’t just sit by and watch you die so easily.

Clay slid into a prone position on the next building, but the Orc immediately turned to face him. He was being tracked somehow.

Do you really think there would just be a single Orc out here attacking you? I

n the heat of the moment, Clay hadn’t given it much thought, but Sephtis had a good point. This had to be some sort of trap. Orcs were brutish, but it would be wrong to call them stupid, especially when it came to war. After being ambushed so many times, they had to know their movements were being spied on. Plus the Orcs that escaped his earlier fight likely reported back on his abilities.

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Clay sighed “You’re right.” He didn’t like admitting it, but pulling back was the best option. Clay got to his feet again as the orc launched another spell at him. Most of the nearby buildings were already damaged, and the few remaining ones had been destroyed by the mage's spell. That left only one escape route, an apartment complex diagonal from his position, the roof a good 20 feet taller than the one Clay was currently standing on.

Leaping through the air and across the street, he specter-kicked his way up the side of the building, landing on the roof. Clay had barely touched down when something grabbed him, easily lifting him into the air. Panicking, Clay kicked out at the Orc holding him, connecting with its jaw while also allowing him to specter step out of its grasp. He didn’t have the time to calculate his distance, only traveling a few feet across the roof, but it was enough.

“So you’re the one,” The Orc said, pulling a rifle from his back. As Clay drew his sidearm the Orc opened fire, but Clay immediately specter stepped forward, dodging the bullets and closing the distance. Clay brought his handgun to the Orcs head, pulling the trigger several times before stepping backward. Clay watched the Orc slump down to its knees, the rifle falling off the side of the building. Clay turned to continue his retreat when he saw movement from the Orc, the skin and bone where his bullets had entered the Orcs skull wriggling and squirming, slowly closing the hole he had made in its skull. “What the hell” Clay watched in disgust. Clay inched closer, trying to get a better view, when the Orc lunged towards him, far faster than he had seen any of the Orcs move before.

Clay stumbled back, barely slipping out of the Orc's grasp. Quickly, Clay turned and started specter across the street to the next building. As he was about to land, a powerful force slammed into him from behind. The Orc was on top of him, somehow leaping through the air to chase him. The two slammed down onto the next building, sliding across it and rolling off the edge. The Orc's grip loosened and the two separated briefly as they began to freefall, Clay taking the opportunity to frantically specter kick away and onto another building.

Clay didn’t rest for a second, quickly stepping from building to building, putting distance between him and whatever that was. Finally, after traveling what had to be several miles Clay stopped, panting as he turned back. There wasn’t any sign of the Orc.

What was that?

Clay just sat down, taking a moment to catch his breath. That tackle and impact on the roof had bruised Clay pretty badly, but nothing felt broken. “I have no fuckin idea” he responded to Sephtis.

“Agent Clayton, I have intel to report” Clay spoke into his radio, hoping to get an order to regroup with more agents. He was met with nothing but static as a reply. “Shit” Clay's first impulse was to assume that they had been overrun, but looking into the distance the fighting on the frontlines was as fierce as ever. Were the Orcs jamming him?

Clay didn’t have much time to think when the floor underneath him rumbled, an Orc busting through the floor. The Orc raised its fists high, before slamming them down where Clay had just been standing. “How the hell did you find me.” Clay recalled how the mage before had been able to track him as he moved from building to building, had they used some kind of tracking magic to follow him here?

“Going to run away again?” The Orc asked as it approached. Clay did consider it, but this Orc was a problem, and leading it back to his allies without giving them any time to prepare could be disastrous. Clay decided he would find a way to kill it here and now.

The Orc lunged forwards, swinging at Clay, who easily stepped away from its fist. Clay emptied his pistol into the Orc, targeting its joints in an attempt to disable it. Following this up, Clay stepped onto the back of the Orc, performing a similar maneuver to the troll he faced earlier, grabbing ahold of the Orc's head as he began draining its life force.

As he felt the energy flow into him, Clay was suddenly overwhelmed by the immense power of the Orc, going far beyond what he felt in the troll. It seemed almost limitless, and instead of feeling invigorated by the energy he was receiving, Clay felt like he was suffocating.

“What the hell is this thing” he heard Sephtis say, but it was like a whisper compared to the energy he was drowning in.

It took all of his strength to push himself off the Orc, falling onto his back, Clay couldn’t move. The Orc stood up, looking down at Clay curiously. “I have no idea what you just did, but it seemed to have backfired. After hearing the reports from the other Orcs, I came to challenge this apparent human super soldier, but you were honestly pretty disappointing.” The Orc raised its fists high above his head, Clay trying to push himself up but to no avail. “Die” was all Clay heard as the fists smashed into his skull.