“All I wanted was to see the outside world,” Theo said out loud. He threw his spent clip on the ground, quickly retrieving another from Marci who was reloading everyone’s spent magazines. “Since when did that include fighting murder machines!”

“Shut up and keep shooting!” Lucy shouted back at him.

Meanwhile, Laura had somehow found a better vantage point in the corner of the room, her fangs were barred, and her eyes focused. “Damn Succubus Monstrosity!” She breathed while firing from her, somewhat, concealed position.

Mike and Konrad were both pinned, Cassie was pouting on the floor as she tried to anchor her rifle, Squirms swarming around her. The Squirms made it difficult for her to aim, even during the heat of combat.

It was bad enough the machine came for them again, and in truth Theo found the thrill of combat exhilarating, but what made it worse was how nothing seemed to take it down. It was initially daunting, the chaos sent a shrill down his spine! Adrenaline coursed through his veins when he heard the sound of snapping bullets against the metal walls, ricocheting barely inches away from him. After that initial panic, the rush of combat somehow made him feel alive.

He never got used to that sound of bullets whizzing past his head though, narrowly missing his body as he remained crouched behind a pile of broken concrete. The Squirms didn’t seem to care about the violence, several bursting in a thick mucus splash as bullets hit them.

The machine attacking them seemed taller than last time, bulkier even. Its humanoid shape was dragging wires and tubes behind it. Its two arms were thick, and seemed to be fitted into grotesque weapons; one being turned into some kind of crude heavy machine gun, the other had a pincered claw where a hand should’ve been, and a series of sub machine guns along the forearm.

Something covered its face and head. Theo could just barely make out solid steel cybernetics carrying its bulk, its feet looked like blocks of iron with two digging claws. The limbs moved very robotically, like a broken toy with aching pistons.

One of its legs seemed slightly bent, a spark from exposed circuitry caught Theo’s attention.

The machine barely flinched when they shot it, and every round that impacted its chest simply ricocheted off of it, as if its ribcage were made of solid steel. The occasional spurt of oil could be seen leaking out from its semi-human torso.

The smell emanating off of it was foul, like raw sewage, fresh excrement, and rotting eggs all mixed together. It made him want to puke, it was extremely nauseating just being near the thing.

Inserting the fresh magazine, Theo raised the rifle, aimed down the sights, and pulled the trigger. He wouldn’t let this thing take another step inside the chamber, it was an abomination that needed to be stopped. He aimed for the sparking circuits in its right leg, his heart pounding in his chest when he saw the murder machine jolt from the wound, as if it were actually feeling pain. He wondered if such a biological response was possible, if this machine still retained some of its human senses, or if it were just a machine similar to the Cyber Hounds, albeit with a human frame.

Were these things common during the war? Suddenly his mothers sullen attitude made a little more sense.

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Only the larger caliber rounds from the sniper rifle seemed to do any real damage, or even push it back a little. Theo wasn’t sure it would be enough. This thing clearly wanted to kill them all, although…

Theo did notice that the only one it didn’t seem to target was Lorelei.

Was it because she was a Redever? He wondered.

A sharp burning pain met his shoulder, and Theo panicked as he felt what could only be described as a solid bat slamming into his hand. He sank back further into the pile of rubble, not noticing that several fingers on his left hand were dangling off mere slivers of skin.

“Theo you’re hurt!” Lorelei rushed to his side, sliding across the floor, and scurrying over to his position.

Theo hadn’t even registered his missing fingers, or the ones hanging free, although he was glad the machine seemed to focus away from him, if only for the moment. It seemed more interested in Konrad, who had also noticed the exposed wiring in its leg.

“It’s just a scratch,” Theo wheezed, his vision growing bleary. He wanted to get up, he wanted to keep fighting. His right hand clung to the handle of his rifle, and he tried to peer over the rubble, only to see the murder machine’s shadow growing larger.

As it tried to proceed forward, its gait uneven, Theo finally decided he had had enough. He wanted a clear shot, and right at the loading feed for its big gun.

“Theo no!” Lorelei’s hand grabbed the collar of his suit, and held him down. “You have a death wish? That thing’ll kill you!”

He had to do something, anything. His shoulder felt as if it were on fire, and his hand was pounding with pain.

The machine was now nearly on top of them, its giant rotator barreled gun was now squarely aimed toward the vampire, who was fading into mist before being torn apart.

“Enough of this shit!” Theo jerked up, his gun pointed at the bulky box of ammo feeding the gun, and tried his best to shoot it. His vision was hazy, but he did manage to cause some damage.

The machines gun jammed, and its cowled face moved slowly towards him. A mechanical rasp buzzed in his ears; Theo kept his finger on the trigger, firing at the monstrosity until his magazine ran dry.

Menacingly, the monstrosity raised its pincered claw, and Theo could see sharpened incisors were built into it. They were coated with rust, and while it could’ve simply fired its secondary sub-machine guns at him, it seemed to want to cut him in half instead!

He could visualize what was about to happen, and could feel the air around him starting to sizzle. Lorelei hadn’t been able to use her magic in such a tightly confined space, it would only boil them alive, but evidently she was willing to risk it now.

Just as its claw reached forward, and before Lorelei committed to her action, a shower of sparks were shed from the machines torso! A sharpened rod, turned into a makeshift spear, tore through its chest. The crude weapon jerked forward as it dug into its bulk, and the machine started to swivel in a wide arch to throw its ambusher aside.

Monica held onto the shaft, and reached into the monsters backside, ripping out fleshy mechanical parts, and cursing up a storm as she did so. The woman was entirely naked, her body flushed with outrage, and slathered with sweat. Grease and oil coated her as she continued to rip out the innards of the machine, until it finally stopped, and began to shift forward.

“You mother—!” Monica shouted as she kicked the machines damaged leg, causing it to collide to the floor. Its body jerked as a dark oily substance seeped around from it.

Theo watched in amazement, and then slowly tried to get up.

“Stay down!” Lorelei pulled him back on his knees. She was busy wrapping up his hand, and it was only now that he realized he was missing fingers!

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Don’t look at it,” Lorelei whispered, trying to keep him still.

Monica’s shoulders sagged, as she slowly trudged into the room. She seemed different, and not just because she was naked. Her eyes were deadpanned, and she seemed somehow to walk like a ghost.

The older woman didn’t say anything, as she walked over to Konrad, punched him squarely in the jaw, then collapsed onto the floor. It was then that Theo saw a bright purple series of markings covering her lower back, and some kind of serial code clearly tattooed on her right butt cheek.