As the kryssik finished wolfing down the security guard, I turn to the men behind me and call out to them. "Soldiers of the Federation! Our brothers made an honorable sacrifice to delay the enemy so that we might have a chance to defeat it! Let us honor them by finishing what they started!". When I finished speaking there was absolute silence. Not even a whisper could be heard among the men as the sight before them was gruesome enough to shake anyone's resolve. I couldn't blame them, as I had my own doubts about our chances of success, no matter how much I had been thirsting for battle over the years. But finally one man shouted out "For the Federation!" and gradually all of the men join in until my ears are ringing with cheers all around me. Having been satisfied the men were now properly motivate I raise my rifle over my head and join them shouting "For the Federation!" as I begin to run towards the hulking monstrosity with the men in tow.
At first the kryssik seems surprised as I assume most of it's prey tend to avoid it at all costs within the dark caves beyond the walls. Then suddenly it seems to find it's resolve and begin running towards us to meet our charge. The distance closes rapidly with our steps being powered by centuries of human innovation and the kryssik powered by a hunger for out armor until finally both sides meet in the middle. Before I knew what hit me I was knocked into a wall of the cafeteria nearly 30 feet away, sliding down and slamming into the concrete floor. As I scramble to my feet, I look up and take in the battle evolving in the middle of the cafeteria.
Most of the soldiers are firing their weapons, attempting to pierce the thick armor of the kryssik, only for shells to ricochet off and plasma to harmlessly wash over it. The few men unlucky enough to be within range of the kryssik's attacks are desperately trying to hold the monster back, using their armored bodies as human shields to protect their fellow soldiers. The kryssik is unfazed, simply knocked men away like flies and biting huge chunks out of the few that remained. As I finally regain my footing I charge towards the side of the monster looking for any weakness while dodging flailing limbs and flying men. The entire monster is clad in a thick, silver exoskeleton, reinforced with many years of plundered plasteel. But as I look closer I spot a potential weakness: it's eyes. The kryssik has a ring of twelve large, black compound eyes that crown it's head with 15 smaller eyes dotting the front of it's head. As soon as I notice this I shout out "Aim for it's eyes! They have no armor!". I watch as the men start aiming for the top of the kryssik's head, with a couple lucky shots piercing it's eyes and causing it to let out an ear-piercing screech, causing us to double over in pain.
Suddenly the screeching stops and as I look up I'm hit by something heavy and thrown across the room again, hitting another wall and falling to the floor. As I scramble to my feet again, I'm hit again, but this time the kryssik pushes a clawed limb through my left leg, tearing through my armor like butter. I scream out in pain as I begin to feel blood filling the leg of my armor, with the ballistic weave constricting around my thigh to attempt to slow the bleeding. I start to panic, pinned on my stomach with a massive monster above my back, I try to crawl away, but the kryssik's leg holds fast, not letting me escape.
Suddenly the weight disappears, with the claw being ripped out of my leg painfully. I scramble away as fast as I can and turn around once I reach a safe distance and my jaw drops at what I see. The kryssik is spinning and bucking wildly, making a desperate attempt to dislodge a passenger perched apon its metallic back. There, hanging on proudly to the back of the monster, wearing plasteel armor and carrying a fusion sword is Staff Sergeant Mindal, who had made his own trip to the armory and come to join in the fighting.
I could see now why the kryssik had lost interest in me as Mindal was vigorously stabbing his glowing sword into the eyes of the monster, which now had sickly looking yellow blood pouring from the wounds in it's head. As Mindal fought the monster, I could feel my armor cauterizing the gaping hole in my leg which let me know it was time to get back into the fight.
With Mindal distracting the kryssik, I looked around for weapons, having lost my rifle after being thrown for a second time. The floor of the cafeteria was littered with debris, weapons, and bloody armor. Nearby, I spot a fusion sword clenched tightly in an amputated arm and I make my way over to it. I wrench the sword free of the arm and turn back towards the kryssik. Mindal was still holding on, but barely, as the monster had begun to slam it's body into a wall in an attempt to dislodge him. I decided to make a move while it was still distracted and began to limp over to the creature to begin the attack anew.
Right before I reach the monster, it finally succeeds in dislodging its passenger, with Mindal being flung to the ground in front of it. In one quick motion the kryssik lashes out with a clawed limb and separated his legs from his torso. I witness this in silent disbelief as Mindal, who had been my assistant and friend for the last 6 years. Was now in two bloody pieces. Despite his Stelken heritage, we had shared many fond memories together as well as him saving my life just a few minutes ago. And I knew that even if his armor could cauterize his wounds and and stop the bleeding he would never serve in the active military again. Witnessing this sight enraged me. My friend had laid down his life for my own without any incentive other than he wanted me to live. I decided then and there that I would not allow his honorable sacrifice to be in vain.
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My grip tightened around the sword in my grip, causing the metal to groan and protest. With the kryssik having freed itself from Mindal, it turned back towards the last few men still standing. As it began to walk towards them I shouted with venom in my voice "HEY SHITFACE! I'm not done with you yet!". The kryssik whipped around to face me, wobbling its' head back and forth to make an attempt to see me with its' remaining eyes. As soon as it can make out the figure in front of the the monster charges at me, but this time slower, no doubt having its' depth perception severely hampered by Mindal's efforts.
As the kryssik charges I raise my sword and point it at the only unarmored target left, its' mouth. When the kryssik is so close I can smell its iron breath, I brace my armor against the ground and raise my sword up like a massive pike. When the kryssik finally reaches me I feel as though I've been hit by an oncoming bullet train. My feet slide backward, leaving deep grooves in the concrete floor, my armor groans in protest, and my visor is obscured with a fountain of blood signifying my sword found its' mark.
The kryssik lets out the same painful screech as before, but this time I don't even feel the pain with rage fueling my resolve. I push back against the monster, twisting my sword in it's mouth as it thrashes and screams. I continue to jab my sword inside its' mouth, intent on causing it as much pain as it delivered to Mindal. The kryssik started to claw at my armor, ripping through metal and flesh but I didn't care. I had found my resolve in the wake of Mindal's demise, and nothing could shake it.
Our battle devolves into a face off of flesh and blood. The outcome would be decided by which one has the most resolve. I can feel my muscle being flayed from my bones and my armor being peeled away, but I can also feel the kryssik's attacks getting weaker and weaker. The monster makes one last desperate attempt free itself, spearing me through my abdomen. I choke on my own blood but I won't let it escape that easily. With a massive scream in defiance of the monster I release my sword and punch the hilt with all my might, sending the blade rocketing through the innards of the monster.
The monster abruptly stops struggling, slumping to the ground in an enormous heap. I'm left standing victorious over my enemy, a pile of blood and steel. I stand silently for a moment, not hearing or feeling anything but the pain of my armor cauterizing my wounds. I knew the suit was the pinnacle of technology, but nothing could heal the gaping hole in my stomach the monster had left. I slowly turn to observer the carnage left over from the battle. All around the cafeteria lay broken men, torn to pieces and strewn across the floor. What had started as an army of 300 brave soldiers, was now a small group of 30 blood soaked men, with wide eyes filled with fear. I now knew exactly what the old veteran had meant when he had tried to dissuade me from the military. I wish I had listened.
I shift my gaze to where Mindal lay, a sad heap of armor, worn by a valued friend. I look over to the remaining men and gesture towards Mindal. "Help him" I say weakly, with the blood loss beginning to take its' toll. While the remaining soldiers help any survivors I look down at myself taking in the carnage left by the kryssik. Almost all of the armor on my chest was completely gone, having been peeled off by the monster's claws. My abdomen was decorated with a massive gaping hole that leaked blood like a river. My skin was becoming paler by the second, my body having lost most of its blood. I put a hand over my stomach and begin to slowly walk over to Mindal with a soldier meeting me on the way. "Sir we should get you to the infirmary immediately! Your wounds are severe!". I merely smiled to myself and said "I just need to see my friend off before I die". Shocked, the soldier simply stood, staring at my as I walked past him and continued my walk. However, before I could finish making my way over to Mindal, I heard a shout.
As I turn around I see an armored man go flying past me and what I see makes my stomach drop. Standing shakily on its' feet once more is the kryssik, having somehow survived the wound I inflicted. The remaining men begin firing their weapons again, but the monster pays them no mind, with only one focus, me. It charges me once again but I'm too injured to react in any way. With one giant swipe the monster bats me away, flinging me into the wall once again. As I struggle to lift myself up the monster hits me again, this time with a head butt straight to my unarmored chest. I feel my ribs cave in and my spine crack as I struggle to breathe. The kryssik makes another pass at me but this time I barely manage to roll out of the way. Its' head crashes straight into the concrete wall, causing massive cracks to appear. The monster slowly turns to me once again but this time much slower, having re opened its' wounds in the attack. It raises its' legs high above its' head, ready to slam down upon me. I accept my fate, as I no longer have the energy to move out of the way. Just as the kryssik starts to bring its legs down onto me, the monster suddenly explodes, showering the entire cafeteria in chunk of metal and monster guts.
Having been driven through the mouth and into the stomach of the kryssik, my fusion sword had begun to be dissolved by the strong stomach acid of the monster, which had evolved to eat minerals and metals for nutrients. Eventually the sword broke down enough to expose the shielding of its miniature fusion reactor. As soon as the shielding was breached, the tiny sun inside could no longer be contained, so the sun expanded in a millisecond, expending all of its' fuel and exploding outwards in a brilliant display of gore.
I lie on the floor In a pool of blood, I stared up at the bloody ceiling as I no longer had the energy to move my own body. Up until this point my armor had been doing most of the work, but now that it was mostly peeled away, it weighed me down like a shackles. As I lay there on the verge of death, I feel completely at peace. I had avenged Mindal and saved the bunker by destroying the kryssik. I felt amazing, having tasted true combat for the first time. The adrenaline rush was unlike anything I had ever felt before in my entire life. This was the feeling I had been searching for when I had wanted to join the military all those years ago.
As the pool of my own blood widens and my vision darkens I only have one thought. I wish I could have lived to see more combat.