>> Murder O'clock

The whole street rolls with the brutal, sparking, retort of an overcharged railgun. Kami's avatar framed, in stark radiance, on my vScreen. Blooms of fire and hate blazing from the sides of her massive anti-materials rifle. Erupting from the muzzle, in a star of death.

The shot is instant. Electrical boosters accelerating the round beyond anything my gun can do. Once second, nothing. The next - a corkscrew trail of smoke, sparks, and violence as she rams a 88 calibre rocket down the entire length of the street. Trailing a helix of smoke and flame, all the way to the enemy’s real line.

Instantly, Zip’s cameras jump. Focusing in on their forces. A line of crude tank-drones, backed by three slickly armoured drone motherships designed to look like package-drone carriers. Clever camouflage. Except for the fist-thick hole punched right into the leaders nose.

Pouring smoke and-

The drone carrier unravels in a colossal explosion of raw - white - plasma tinged purple, and blue. Piled tables shuddering loose in my café as the shockwave cracks against the walls of the buildings. Hammering my ears with a thunder that rivals the gun itself.

In half an instant, the slick carrier is a burning shell of dripping plastic. Crashing out of the air with a thunderous SMACK of metal on brick. And then, the fuel cells go nova. One by one. A series of bangs and roars that turn black walls blue with light. Shrapnel biting massive chunks from the carriers that flank it.

Silence.

Sudden silence.

Every drone just stopped in the air. As if nobody can believe it. Can deal with it. Every enemy, and friendly, and idiot onlooker briefly united as one.

Rethinking the lines of the battle.

And then their entire freakin’ force locks onto the smoke-trail. Spinning to hit Kami’s window, en mass. She panic-rolls back into the building as brickwork is chewed to shreds by the roar of hundreds of gyrojet bullets. So many the gel-tips hit like a storm of sledgehammers. Bouncing off crumbling mortar to flow in every direction.

And then it stops, just as quick.

“TRAITORS! BETRAYERS! RENEGADE TRAINEES!” A loudspeaker screams - flattening my poor ears even harder. “WE ARE THE THIRD WAYMAN COMPANY!! ACTING ON BEHALF OF YOUR TRUE OWNERS!!! THE NEO-SOVIET EMPIRE!!”

“Shit! Pirate mercs!” I growl in near relief.

At least it ain’t The LMG. Or The NKVD.

We’d be absolutely hosed.

“BE WARNED! WE DO NOT NEED TO TAKE YOU ALIVE! HOWEVER - IF YOU SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY, NO HARM WILL COME TO YOU! SO DROP YOUR WEAPONS, AND LIE FLAT ON YOUR FACES! HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEADS! FAILURE TO DO SO WILL-”

The voice ends in a scream as Kami fires again. No railgun boom this time - it hasn’t recharged. Just a fwoosh of the rocket, and a massive bloom of magnesium fire as the shot bursts against the surface of another mothership. Filling the darkened road with light. Nowhere near the punch to penetrate - but by the screams, she crisped their bloody britches.

And that’s when the real fight begins.

Swarms of drones scream past at full-attack speed - bombarding her new window, my shop, and the street with pale gas and tiny missiles. Blasting holes in our cover. I swear like shit, and slap my breather on. I gotta get Badger outta here now. That could be teargas, or it could be Hexo - a popular-as-crap Pirate knockout gas.

Either way, our shelter won’t last - not with tiny, vicious, missiles pumping in every direction. One hits my barricades, and blows em apart. Ripping the table a new one, and starting the collapse. I hurl Badger away as golf-ball orbs smash through the gap.

Pulsing a flashbang roar of white light, and deafening noise - over and over. Forcing us to shut off normal vision and hearing - flipping to heat sensors. The world turns to flame and ice and silence as I pull him over the mass of furniture, toward the back. Those nasty little orbs rendered down to hot little dots that I kick away.

"Thank bloody God it weren’t frags…."

“Spook! Mate! You gotta get outta there!” Zip screams over comms - the only thing I can hear. But where? All I got is a busted little hallway, a collapsed stairwell, going up, and a ruined prep-room. The ruined plastic shell of a worker-bot hanging, quietly, from a rail above it. Bleeding wires, like guts and blood.

I duck it, dragging Badger to a door buried behind crumbling crates and metal tables. The little guy hopping and waggling his arms at me. Little more than a heat-smear of colour, miming a huge - undoubtedly awesome - explosion.

“We ain’t blowing the door off.” I growl, planting a foot on the wall to shift the cool blue table. Walls shaking as I toss crumbling boxes behind me. The back door jerks as I slam my shoulder into it. Wrenching it. Hammering it open, bit by bit, then turning to jam it shut. Resetting my vision and ears as I cut off the light-show.

“YEEEE!!! SPOOK! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!! LOOK!! I GOT ONE!!!” Badger yells, waggling a flasher grenade - which cheerfully strobes me in the face. I yelp, and swat it away. Which just makes things way worse, until I grab it again and chuck it back out - taking a fast look round. Good thing bionic eyes and ears don’t really get blinded….

“Spook!? Spook!? You there!?” Kami calls. “I’m stuck!! Need backup!! Drones bloody everywhere! Where are you?”

My eyes whirr as they adjust to the dim light. Brick and cables flicking into focus. Flicking across raided crates, and gutted delivery systems. A huge pipe dripping rusty water into a massive gaping hole in the floor. A vast, dark pit that-

I snap my eyes away from it, and slam my back into the door. Shuddering deeply. “Out the back! In some drone delivery bay behind the shops!” I yell over the muffled roar of Armageddon. “Ya need savin’?”

“Hell no!” She scorns, but I know it’s a lie. “I need bloody backup.”

“Crap!” I shift against the wall - pressing back from that vast, hollow, mouth. For a single, mad, second I imagine running back out - gunfire be damned. Anything but that pit. But I've got to be firm. For the team. “Zip! You're on damage control! Get em off her somehow! Kami - find their damn commanders! And keep hittin' big-ass targets! Demon! Hide Tufty, n' go distract em! I'm gettin' round their back! Gonna sabotage their shit! I need ya to back me up!"

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“Copy that mate!”

"Right, sure, whatever."

“Zha.” Is all Demon adds says. And I know he will.

“Um...... I dunno if I should..... ” Our cat breaks in, suddenly. Fretfully. Like he's expecting a smack. “There’s… ah.,… um….?”

“Spit it out, Tuft!” I groan.

"Spook don't listen. Its more of his games." Kami snaps.

"Kami. Shut it. Not now."

But she flicks up on my vScreens, rifle held ready. "Spook. Listen. He plays at being all bloody harmless. But it's a game. He's trying to get you killed. He's betrayed us before. He betrayed everyone. You know this. It's a trap."

I freeze, cold emotion carving deep into my belly. "You're wrong. I grew up with him. I-"

"I know what I saw."

"You saw noth-" I choke the words off. "No time. Can't do this now. I'm gonna hear 'im out. And that's final."

"Spook...." She pleads. Pain in her voice. "He'll get you killed. And...."

"Well.... If he does.... we'll all bloody know, won't we?" I snap her feed off. "Tufty. You got your chance. Prove you're on our side."

The kid hesitates. Like he's afraid. Or doing a damn good job pretending. "O-okay...." He whispers. "You s-said to find their, um, their..... um..... you know?"

"Commanders?" I frown, flicking open Demon's armour camera to reveal our nervous green feline. Ears flat. One hand over his fringe as he hunkers, and shivers. Looks like a barricade behind a fallen roof

"Well, there’s sort-of maybe a big truck, right behind their…. um…. The back? ” He pings my map, with a shaky claw, and I zoom in on a spot right behind their lines. Just round the back of the last house.

“There?” I frown, suddenly freezing. Ears perked." You sure it ain't a troop carrier?”

“Ah! No! It’s, um, it’s pretty small?? I um…. It’s got antenna….." He holds out an image, and I grab it through the screen.

“And you think it's their command?” I blink. “Holy shit. If you're right...."

"Spook. Listen. Please. That's way too convenient." Kami snarls. "Why would-"

"Kami. Shut it. I'm gona look into it." I snap. Turning back to Tufty, who looks away. A quick flash of anger twitching his doll-like face. "Anything else?”

“Gosh, um, m-maybe….? Maybe.... But...." He wilts, shakily. Like he's totally spent. "I’m sorry…. I can’t…. I..... ”

“Good enough.” I growl, shaking my head. "Kami. Can ya blast the truck?”

"I'm down to my last guided bullet." She snaps, firing at something with her pistols. "If I aim wide, sure, maybe, I can-" the muzzle flares. "-bend the bullet right round that corner ..... But i need the exact coordinates."

"Tufty? Did ya paint a target on the van? "

"Um..... n-n-no.... I'm sorry.... I can't...." He whispers. "I d-don't have my helmet. Just my map and.... "

"Demon?"

"Kah. No." He says, nuetrally. "Zey saw us. Zait window.... Is gone. Zait house...."

"Shit.... Zip! Can you bomb it? Or get her a target?"

"Mate, like, I dunno if you noticed but... Like I ain't winning out here. I got ten missiles left. But I'm, like, trapped in the middle. If I push-"

"Shit." I whisper. "That's it then. I'll have to sneak past."

"Then no, Spook! I'm not doing it! We get out some other way! Meet up lat-" Kami yelps, firing wildly. “-piss off! Piss off! You little drones! I’m-" She dives back into cover, panting hard. "Spook! Please listen! He's sending you to your death! Can't you see it?? And I can't bloody help! I'm stuck in a bloody hole!” She shoots back." Just.... just-”

I cut her feed. Shaking.

"She means well, mate." Zip starts.

"Later. No time for drama. I gotta paint that damn target. " I start to shift along the wall, then jerk. “Wait. Tufty. What’dya mean ‘maybe’?”

“He means totally-definitely!” Badger chimes, making ready to hurl a huge box into that void.

“Badger. Get down.” I turn to Tufty’s screen - tears streaking a wild green eye, framed by fringe. The other side, dry. Cold. Hidden by green. “What d’ya mean? Did ya see somethin' else?”

“Um…..” He looks away. “All the s-soldiers have c-collars. And-”

“Collars!?” I rock back, jamming a hand into the screen to grab the photo he’s holding. It’s a dirty, tattered, man who looks absolutely terrified. Basic basaltic armour. No helmet. Crude, bulky, explosive collar. “Holy shit. That’s a slave.” I realise.

“What!? Say again, mate? I’m-”

“They’re all frickin’ slaves n’ drones!” I yell in sudden relaisation. “New bloody orders! Ignore the troops! Target the command! It’s top heavy! Take out the leader, and the whole show implodes!”

“Got it mate! But, like, it’s crazy over their-”

“Do it! Anything you can!” I yell back. Forcing down my phobia with a snarl of direction. Of purpose. “We can win this! Lets bloody go!” And I start pushing myself along the wall.

“I’m here Spook! I’ll help!” Badger gushes proudly, grabbing my hand and beaming. I jerk mine away so fast I almost claw him. But he doesn’t lose his sparkle. “It’s okay! Just follow meee!!”

“We’re goin’ this way.” I point. “We need to get behind their damn lines.” My lips tighten in something like a grin. “And then. Then we’re gonna make em wish we’re the cute lil kids they think we are….”

Groping fingers and searching soles find me a doorway. Plastic, with a cool metal strip. Another shop. “Z-pook? ZPOOK! Zis is getting-” Demon roars in panic, and I curse myself. Yelling orders. Directions. I’ve gotta act fast, or friends are gonna die….

I get to the last shop, and rip the door open.

“Nice of the Pirate Scum t’steal the locks…..” I grin, whispering in through another wrecked stockroom. Long metal racks, this time, like you’d line up with hangers. Beyond it, another tiny hallway. Then I’m out, into a dank maze graffitied dummies - all with X’d out eyes. Bullet-holes carved in plastic flesh.

My eyes slip round the shop.

Picked clean. Unless you count training dummies….

“Spook! Shit! I’m down half my drones! We’re gonna-” Static. Explosions. “SPOOK!!”

“I got ya!”

“Shit! Check my status!” He yells, trailing off as the battle convulse outside. Flashes of light and streaks of darting colour through the busted windows. Utter mayhem. “Okay, like, I got one big strike left. Then that’s it. Alright? Totally out, til I reload!”

“Shiiit.” I groan. “Can you hit their command? Or somethin’ major up this end? Keep em occupied?”

“I’ll try, like, but they’re all ov-” He curses and the whole megaTower shudders. I freeze, stopped at the cusp of the shop. And then I jump as a small hand grabs my tail.

“Wait here! Stay silent! Okay?” I hiss as Badger opens his big gob. “Noo! Shhhhhh! Stay! And get in the back, where they can’t see ya!”

“But- But I can help!!” He whispers up at me with big watery eyes, fingering some kinda tube with wires and….

“Shit, how did ya get- Is that the pipe-bomb? The one I took of ya??” I groan into a hand. “No! No! Give it here! Just get your ass ta cover, n’ stay there!”

“But-!”

“Now, Badger!!” I insist, snatching it and slipping toward missing front door. Looks like the fight out there has really rearranged the general street-wreckage. ….and now some of it’s on fire. Awesome. I adjust the magnetic breather under my helmet, then stick my gun-cam out the missing door of the shop.

Panning this way and that.

My Dominion 5 armour ain’t exactly stealth-grade, but it’s fuzzy to heat and magnetic sensors. Especially crappy ones. I’m nowhere near invisible, but….

No. Can’t wait.

This is getting worse by the second.

I step out, slipping to the edge of a broken Drone Mothership. Its gleaming surface wracked with holes. Mostly from above. The ground around it littered with jittering drones.

Dead. Disconnected. Dying.

Disconnected…..

The drones are the main force, and we’re outnumbered…. My eyes slip to one of the last remaining Carriers. Its smoothed shape slipping across the rubble, a foot from the surface. Both sides open, as rotor-drones buzz in and out. Settling. Reloading. Repaired by tiny arms. Then sent back into the world to wreck havoc on us….

Damn things. If only it weren’t guarded….

If only I could reach out and…..

My eyes widen. “Shit. We’ve been goin’ about this all wrong. Zipo! Hit the targets I designate! I need a distraction! I’m about to turn this whole bloody fight around!” And, with that, I whisper out into the mayhem. Right as Zipper’s drones re-enact the end of the freakin’ world…..

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