Royce’s breathing was ragged. His orders were clear and he didn't want to perform them because, well, he knew he was a coward. He took this job because there was absolutely no way anybody could breach these security protocols and stroll around the large round structures and why would they, he thought. There was nothing here. He was not guarding gold or diamonds but these stupid Bastions.

Royce had been instructed from day one to capture or even kill any invaders. The ratchet thunder sounds of gunfire was heard from his hiding place inside the men's restroom. Royce’s M16 gun was still in his hand. The safety was on. More screaming voices were clearly audible. He wiped his brow with his free hand. It was surprising how much he was sweating.

Then a thought bloomed in his mind and he wondered what his dad, the famous Colonel John Daggers, would do in this situation. And Royce decided that he had to do something. He had been a coward since he was a little boy and only stood up to his dad once, when Colonel Daggers decided to hit his mom because she didn't want to clean up his plate. The little Royce stood between the Colonel and his mother and he said, "No, dad. You are a bully!"

The Colonel’s eyes were livid but he smiled a toothy grin. "Ah, I admire your courage. So, you will take your mom's punishment."

His dad beat him until he passed out. Royce felt exalted and joyful when he stood up to his dad, even though he ended up in the hospital with several broken ribs and a fractured skull. His parents lied, saying he fell down the stairs.

Royce opened the stall he was in and clicked off the safety on his gun. He pointed it forward and crouched as he was trained, but the barrel of the M16 trembled.

He positioned himself at the front door and took a deep breath before exiting in a rush, looking at both sides of the corridor. He moved fast along the hallway and passed the now empty guard station. The door to the Bastions stood open and he apprehensively strode into the apex of the opening. More sounds of gun battle were heard coming from the inner sanctum and he saw the first large, round structure. It sat like all the Bastions, dead and silent. Without thinking, he rushed out into the large room which went for miles underground. The intruders were in his quadrant, moving steadily toward the largest of the Bastions. His other comrades jokingly called this Bastion, Big Ben or Gigantaur because this Bastion was twice the size of the others.

He moved deeper into the chamber, looking against the wall as the alarm shrilled. He wondered how these interlopers passed the guards on the surface. He guessed it was some spy shit. Before him in a heap on the floor were several dead soldiers shredded by gun shots. Royce braced himself and almost had a bout of nausea but he controlled his stomach and nerves. The first series of Bastions were humming and glowing an amber color.

Royce was so surprised at the sudden glowing structure that he touched it with his outstretched hand. He was vulnerable here. Anybody, especially the invaders, could see him standing looking stupid and touching the Bastion. When his fingers touched the rough surface he felt a feeling of rightness, of things being correct. He almost wept until he heard something behind him. It was a group of four people, but they were not normal people. They moved like liquid, staying close to the ground.

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Royce pointed his gun and shot a spray of bullets at the intruders. The people scattered and disappeared into the dark. Royce crept forward, pointing his gun back and forth. He saw something moving in the far corner of his sight. He shot at the thing. Suddenly, he was pushed to the ground. His gun was still in his hands and he sprayed upwards and then to the side but missed. Then Royce saw something standing in front of him.

It was two tall creatures. They looked like giant insects. He heard their voices in his head, saying, "You cannot defeat those people until you have power, real power."

"What did you say?"

His fingers tingled and then his torso vibrated. Royce was rooted to the spot and could not move. Pain exploded through his mind and his body. His body twisted downward and his hands started to change. Long claws grew from his fingers. He squirmed and writhed on the ground. A screamed erupted from his mouth. His voice sounded odd. Fur sprouted from his skin and his clothes burst from him. He looked at the creatures for some explanation, but they were gone.

The torture ceased.

His M16 gun was on the ground next to his clothes. He tried to speak but all he said was, "Grog, grog!" Royce felt powerful and strong. He bounded toward the four enemies running around the area. He knew by instinct. These four interlopers were opening the pathway. He needed to stop them and with his new powers he could defeat these enemies. He jumped between the Bastions, seeing the four people moving fast. Royce roared and attacked the first person.

One of the four interlopers turned and faced him. It was a man. Yet, this person was more. The man shot at him, kicking at his face. Royce swiped at him with his claws. He missed him by inches. He snarled and attacked the man. Catching him by his paws, he cut into him, but the man disappeared.

Royce scanned around and was giving a glancing blow to his ribs. He kicked out and hit the man's shoulder. Royce howled. He could defeat this man who tried to shoot him with a rifle. Bullets erupted toward him and Royce jumped out of the way. He saw with his animalistic eyesight. The man came running at him and bullets rained forth, but Royce understood what his new feral body could do. Royce attacked, pushing his claws at the man, cutting into his torso, shredding bones, gut and tissue. The man screamed.

Royce was elated. He killed one and could kill the others, but then he saw and knew he was too late. All the Bastions lit up in brilliant white-blue light. Royce was blinded for a second. The rumbling of the ground told him he needed to leave now.

Royce scrambled out of the large chamber and leaped up and out toward the hall leading out. Dark fissures grew on the ground, stretching in all directions. Royce jumped and made it to the hallway. Debris started to rain down on him. Royce’s mind was confused. He was heading toward the staircase, but his body was too big to squeeze through the doorway. He smashed his way through it and ran up the many stairs ahead. Another set of tremors shook the structure.

He smashed his way to the exit and leaped out onto the sandy surface of the outside. The heat of the sun burnt him, but he kept on running. The ground shook and started to implode into the Bastion's chambers below. Royce ran, it seemed, for miles. The ground stopped shaking and he ceased his maddened escape. He turned and saw a large hole where the military structure once stood.

Royce howled into the sky. He would find the other interlopers and kill them.