The Worms at the control station backed up and kept their guns aimed at Helmet and Glasses; the rigid backs of their exoskeletons moved close to act as a shield for the panels as the giant spun the arched weapon like a baton.

“Get ready to move!” Helmet shouted just before their opponent leaped across the space and crushed the floor where they once stood. The pointed head snapped to the side and followed Glasses as he sprinted away. Helmet took the chance to put three bullets in the giant’s back; two ricocheted off with a ‘ping,’ but the last shot made the opponent twitch like something had tickled it.

The pointed head turned to Helmet, and the older man shuddered as he imagined what sort of face the metal had been welded onto. The giant arched backward and spun the staffed weapon through the air. Helmet avoided the tip of the arch as the pole slid down the giant’s hand in the swing. The older man fell to a seated position and made an uncomfortable roll to avoid being crushed by the next blow.

Glasses shouted and emptied a magazine into the back of the opponent. His gun clicked several times before he realized he needed to reload. The pointed head turned back to Glasses as the empty mag clunked to the floor, and the young boy shakily tried to push the next one in.

“Hey!” Helmet bellowed loud enough to get their opponent's attention as he stood up. The pointed head turned back to him, and the giant moved its arms to attack. Helmet put a bullet in its chest, where the heart would be located on a person, but wasn’t sure if the creature was too dissimilar or modified past the point of needing a working heart.

He fell low as the long staff swung over his head and smashed into the wall on the side. Before the opponent could retrieve the weapon and strike again, the older man quickly pushed up from the floor and sprinted to Glasses’ side.

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“It seems to lock onto one target at a time; poor thing’s brain was probably fried like an egg when they did that to it.”

“Should we be showing sympathy for it?”

“I don’t know, maybe, but right now, we need to kill it, or it will kill us. With that in mind, I have an idea,” Helmet said as he loaded a fresh magazine into his gun. He quickly relayed his thoughts to the boy and pointed to the Worms, who stood by the panels and the windows like statues. The thin panes made an easy exit for just such an occasion, and Glasses nodded. They split up just as the giant lunged with the arched weapon. Helmet unloaded at the metal head, landing several shots in the same spot.

The giant stumbled back but remained standing. Helmet had counted on as much. Before it recovered, Glasses charged close and shoved the last of their C-4 onto the back, between where the metal gave way to some remaining flesh. He retreated, and both opened fire on the Worms. The invaders, obviously not expecting the humans to suddenly ignore their overwhelming opponent, aimed their guns. They exchanged fire, but Helmet and Glasses had gotten too much upper hand. The Worms were downed quickly, and the duo jumped up on the panels to reach the window.

Helmet shook the frame and shouted,

“Damn thing was sealed shut! Hold on, I’ll break the gla….”

Glasses pointed to the giant, who stared at them. Helmet turned as well. The gunshots had opened a small hole in the pointed head, revealing an eye underneath. The giant exuded nothing but malice, but the sole eye seemed to plead that he kill the wretched creature and put it out of his misery. For the young boy, who had only ever fought faceless monsters, seeing such emotion from an opponent was sure to be too shocking. His hand loosened on the detonator as he stared.

Helmet quickly shoved his elbow through the window and grabbed the detonator. He pulled Glasses between him and the window, and with a last kick to the glass and holding the device out into the room, he pressed the detonator.