Not much to say right now,

Except enjoy the chapter of course ^^

And sadly Lane won't die just yet... you'll have to wait for that a bit. There's still some things that have to happen first.

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A weird laugh escaped my throat as I looked down the skyscraper we stood on top of. Not because of the hight but because of what I could make out in the distance. The building where the meeting had taken place was gone. Instead of the middle sized office complex we expected, what remained was a brutally torn apart ruin. It had been blasted from the inside and caused immense damage on the surrounding properties.

"Let's go, everyone has their orders, take all of them out."

Karen shouted and simply jumped down from the roof. Liam and Rose quickly followed while I saw Songe heading over from the door leading inside. I hesitated for a split second.

Oh screw it.

Then I jumped, all in all I had confidence in my gravitational power and reduced the speed on impact. I still more or less crashed into the ground making rubble fly everywhere. Three similar but deeper dents showed where Karen and the others had landed.

"Group up, Ignar and Chris will give us cover. Weapons free."

"Yes Ma'm."

We answered in union and sprinted towards the destroyed building.

It felt like swimming through humans. The evacuation had started too late and now we had to deal with an immeasurable amount of civilians trying to get out of the city. But helping them was not our objective as ethnically bad it was, we had our orders. After jumping over cars and New Yorkers in panic we finally saw the entire catastrophe that had happened.

It looked more like a warzone than downtown New York. Corpses were lying everywhere, if espers or civilian we did not know. But in the rubble of the building we could make out the survivors duke it out under each other.

, and had simply disappeared, if dead or not we couldn't be sure. One of HALO's masked members lied down dead, crushed by a big piece of rubble, the other two engaging in a fight with from the raiders. Around the female from the fallen space seemed to distort and all solid matter started to either liquefy or turn to dust. The other one started throwing anything he could find at the floating woman.

In the air dozens of explosions cut through the sky. Blue and golden fires erupted everywhere as and Lane fought against each other and the elderly woman.

and stood in front of Arthus while and walked towards them together with other people, probably also part of the Fallen, their eyes tainted by hatred.

Aside from them I saw throwing black spikes towards some espers hiding behind a car. It did not save them, his hair tore through the metal like butter and I could make out a scream. Mixed amongst all of the bigger espers where smaller fights between either unknown espers with each other or with military personnel distinguishable by their combat gear. Any remaining civilians were nowhere to be seen.

"Take them all out, leave no one alive."

It was Karens voice, calm and collected that gave us the order and we instantly followed it. The first one to shoot was undoubtedly Christian. Something flew by in a flash and hit square in the chest tearing a hole the size of a fist inside her stomach. We followed his example and started walking towards the battle shooting at everyone that was non military. Out of the corner of my eye I could make out still standing, seemingly not caring about the wound she had just taken and then... it closed. Without even looking at us I saw that she had completely regenerated in a matter of seconds. Then she tapped on his shoulder and pointed towards the roof. Extending his arms the hooded figure ignored for one second intending to aim something at Ignar and Chris.

I wanted to warn them but before had any chance do react someone appeared in front of him and lodged a metal rod into his head. Surprised I recognized the man. It was Velvet, the teleporter from when I had been part of the Raiders.

I did not hesitate and pulled the trigger of my rifle three times all aimed at his body. As long as he had not noticed me he would be unable to dodge. While the shell of crumbled behind Velvet my bullet bounced off from some kind of invisible force field.

"So you're those specials from the military, I heard from Lane that you're not really nice guys. Everyone ready to kill should be ready to get killed as well."

The voice came from directly behind me and I did not recognize it. Though I instantly jumped to the side and shouted to my comrades through the coms.

"Behind us!"

Karen makes a gesture and Rose goes to my side while the others keep moving forward. The espers had yet to realize who was slowly whittling them down from afar.

Together with Rose I examined our new enemy. He was clothed in the same fashion as with a black coat and a white mask, as such we could deduce that he was the other newest expansion of the Raiders.

"Hello ."

Before he can react Rose throws her rifle away and pulls out her handgun while jumping to the side. I on the other hand pull back shooting at him and exerting gravitational pulls on him at the same time.

He only laughs with a voice distorted by some kind of mechanism. My bullets simply pass through him and he seems unaffected by my power. The moment my bullets showed no signs of working Rose jumped in further kicking her leg at his knee.

She stumbles as she cleanly passes through him. Rolling over catching her momentum she comes back up behind him still aiming her gun at him. Her voice sounds through the com.

"We don't have intel on him, any ideas?"

As a matter of fact I don't. But I don't get to answer her because the air around us starts to distort.

"OUT NOW!"

I shout towards Rose and dive as far away as I can. Rose does the same on the other side. I didn't know what he was doing but I didn't want to be there when he finished doing it.

Crack!

Ey? Looking to the side at one of the other skyscrapers I notice long ripples running through its side. As the air around us starts flickering even more scars torture the building. Then the first wall starts breaking apart. Even over the bursting sound of concrete I can hear a soft chuckle coming from . I look towards him and shout with a voice distorted and boosted by my helmet.

"Aren't you supposed to be the good guys?!"

But before I can get an answer I need to concentrate on not getting crushed. Falling items had always been a problem for me to handle since I wasn't proficient enough to attach black matter to air. So I did something else. I gathered it around the point where was standing. A bitter smile was on my face. Let this be your grave bastard.

The building would come down either way so I did what I could to redirect it towards the one that had caused it. It overshadowed both of us, I felt like I was playing a deadly game of chicken. None of us moved while I finally finished the hotspot I wanted.

I give him the finger and turn around, running out from under the falling building as fast as possible. Behind me I could see cars and rubble making a line for being attracted by the hotspot I had attached. Sprinting at full speed something suddenly shot besides me, It was Rose tackling me from behind sending us both flying from underneath the building barely avoiding getting crushed by multiple tons of concrete and steel.

Clouds of dust and pulverized rubble flew around as we tried to regain our orientation. All life signs of our comrades where still glowing in the normal green. I nod towards Rose with thankfulness. I could have probably survived but it would not have been good for the mission.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Think he's dead?"

Rose simply asks while throwing the extra magazines for her lost rifle on the floor. But I just shake my head.

"I doubt it, he seemed to be able to shift his body avoiding our attacks. Let's just hope it takes him a bit to free himself."

"Agreed."

Next to us multiple people walk out of the dust coughing. A marker in my helmet instantly marks them as hostiles. I hesitate, they didn't seem dangerous.

Before I knew it something hit me frontal on and knocked my rifle away from me. With determination in his face one of the figures holds his hand out towards me.

My face distorts as I remember what Karen had once told me. Don't hesitate.

A whole section of rubble around the figures gets flattened as I extort pressure onto them. The four of them hold out for a split second before their legs break as they could not handle their own weight anymore. One more second and it was over.

Next to me Rose lowered her gun and kicked  my rifle back at me.

"Be more careful, if it had not been this small fry we could've gotten killed."

I nod, wouldn't make that mistake again. Rose took the lead and both of us walk through the dust, trying to meet back up with our Captain.

Walking over the road and broken cars two more figures showed up to our side and both me and Rose instantly aimed at them. Though we quickly relaxed at the sight of their equipment. Wearing the combat armor and ski masks of the military two soldiers emerged from the dust. Rose quickly addressed them. Saluting once.

"Soldiers, what squad do you belong to and what is your mission?"

One of them talks while coughing, his voice sounding eerily familiar.

"Squad seven Ma'm, we got cut off when the building came down."

Lowering her gun Rose faced away from him and kept on walking gesturing them to follow her.

"Stay behind us, we'll try to get you to meet back up with them."

They nod and joined up behind me. While the same soldier answered again.

"We have no idea what's happening, the dust is screwing the entire operation up, I can't even get back to command."

Without thinking too much I answer him.

"Commands-"

Then I stop as I realize from where I had known his voice. Cutting all sound from coming out of my helmet I contact Rose.

"Rose, that's no soldier, he's John, codename from my time with the Raiders, undoubtedly the other one is hiding too, though I'm not sure who exactly he is."

"Affirmative."

Without hesitation both of us turn around and fire our guns. John instantly reacts and disappears with a loud bang while something hard hits me from the side which makes me fly a few meters before regaining my composure.

Rose was already engaged in close combat with the other one and he quickly had to take of his mask to not get hindered by it. Hidden under it had been Mikael, one of the strongest from my old team.

"How'd you know? Was it the squad number? I had been pretty sure that it was the right one come on tell me."

I smile as I lean my rifle against the car besides me and let my distorted voice sound through my helmet. Trying myself at a small mindgame.

"We know who you are John, we also know about the other members of the Raiders. You will not achieve anything here."

The sound came again and I was once again blasted to the side as something had hit me. I catch my balance and muster John who was staring at me from a few feet away.

"I truly doubt that, but I love to talk with ladies and since you can't keep up with my speed anyways I might as well tell you."

He disappeared again and showed up in front of my face, luckily my ears were protected or I would have lost any ability to hear right there.

"I'm and HALO will accomplish more than you know, the council will survive and the Raiders will be eliminated together with a good amount of the military elite and that includes yo-"

"I've had enough."

I interrupted him since he was already this close to me and go into overcharge. My entire armor starts giving off a white light and I throw my right fist at his face. Fire burns through my nerves as I concentrate on John. Time slows down as I clearly see him sending some kind of shockwave out from his hands, propelling him away from me. I do not care, with a smile on my face I crack my knuckles slowly stepping forward removing any gravitational pull on Johns body.

I knew I couldn't kill him with my gravitation alone but what if he had to fight without weighing anything? With a surprised expression John jumps backwards and his face changes even further as he does not come back down onto earth but slowly floats upwards. Seeing my chance I jump forward charging at him while he was still only one meter above the ground.

"You think you can stop me with your tricks?!"

He shouted and used his power to propel himself against the ground crouching down under me. Just where I wanted him. I used my power to raise my own weight by a tenfold and kicked downwards.

Once more his reflexes saved him as he blasted himself away from me. As I get back up and examined him I noticed that his hands were shaking. I smile.

"You're shockwaves aren't very good for your body if you cannot prepare to counter them aren't they?"

I couldn't imagine anything holding on for a long amount of time while being shot around by shockwaves.

Nervously he looked to the side at the fight between Rose and Velvet, though none of them could gain the upper hand at the moment. On the ground I noticed multiple iron bars, though I didn't know what they belonged too. Kicking one up I measured its weight and jump forward without hesitation. With the overcharge I could see him, he was still faster than me but at least my vision could keep up with him. He dodges the stab I had aimed at his stomach and creates more distance between us.

Then he shouted towards Mikael who was still fighting Rose.

"We're pulling out, we need to report this."

Looking behind me I can see Rose not even out of breath in the slightest. But before Mikael could run she grabbed his shoulder.

"Who said you could where allowed to leave? I wonder how long you can avoid getting damaged if I bury you under a few tons of cars?"

Mikael's power was based on his ability to keep concentrated, if he lost it even for one second he would immediately lose. Rose seemed to know this and pulled him with her throwing him into the side of a small shop.

"Who cares about collateral damage anymore."

She shouted and kicked the walls with enough force to pulverize the entire outer layer of concrete. With a deafening sound the shop collapsed into itself.

"Oh for fucks sake."

Without hesitation I turned around and used my own momentum to propel the rod I had in my hands at the figure of John still remaining behind me. This time even my eyes couldn't catch the sight of John disappearing. But a small smile soon covered my face. The rod had vanished too and there was a lot of blood on the ground, I had definitely hit him. I did not try to follow him though, even if I could have. Either way he was heavily injured and would not participate in any further fighting.

"Rose, we should try to get into contact with the others squads in the perimeter. They need to know that there might be enemy espers hiding within their ranks."

"Agreed but we can't reach anyone right now, something is interfering with our equipment. We'll need to meet up manually."

I nod and pick up my rifle again. Rose once more took the front and we headed further into the dust.