“Who will weep for them?”

An icy voice chilled us to the bone as an impact showered us in a haze of dirt. Some of us had fallen over, nothing life-threatening, for now at least. We’d be momentarily safe, can’t exactly say the same for everyone else though.

Another flurry of shots rained down about fifty metres away, atop the rookies using the barrels as cover. A brief pause gave a couple the bright idea to shift their position, the first one losing his head entirely, the second falling in a mess of pieces. Just imagine the size of the rifle they’re using!

“Hana?” I called into my commlink. “Got an eye on their position?”

“Can’t see anything. They’re hidden in deep. You hear that voice though?”

“Yeah, I think everyone did.”

“Who do you think it was? Their commander or something?”

“Beats me! I couldn’t help but shudder when I heard it. If it’s some kind of psychological attack, it might be working.”

If she made a reply, Jill’s gunfire in my ear completely drowned it out.

“Would you cut that shit out!” I demanded. “Quit wasting ammo when you can’t even see them!”

Jill turned and frowned, letting me know that was the last time I told her what to do.

“You think this is any time for you to be talking to your girlfriend?” she cackled through another magazine.

“Shut the hell up! What about you? Where’s your girlfriend? She was supposed to be back here minutes ago!”

“Maggie? What, just because we’ve worked together a couple of times, you think we’re partners?” she snorted with no attempt to hide her laughter. “Keep your fantasies in check ya creep!”

I rolled my eyes and took a peek above the barricade, only to duck back down when a burst of impacts tore clean holes right through it.

“Who will hear their cries for vengeance?” the icy voice shivered through the air. It rang clear, audible over the gunfire and screams, yet it wasn’t yelled. It was spoken calmly, almost sorrowful, but it held enough contempt to fill the hearts of thousands.

My gaze swivelled around, finding several of the others frozen in place. I get it, the group they put together to take this shithole was mostly filled with rookies, but couldn’t they give us some guys with a little more backbone? Seriously, they were all fine with the massacre, but as soon as they come across a real challenge, they all lose their minds!

It makes sense, I guess. Our army is weak at heart, just a bunch of amateurs looking to score some food. I doubt anyone really buys into the propaganda bullshit the higher-ups feed us, except for the overzealous types, the ones looking to further their career I mean. We’ve got a couple here actually. Our illustrious leader likes to ensure we’re ready to give our lives for the ridiculous cause we’re all fighting for. He’s even got his puppets with him, Julie and Luke, though it’s hard to tell if they’re just in it for the promotion.

“I’m back cowards!” Maggie cried as her mech-suit came thundering up behind us. “What do I get if I take care of this for you?”

Jill turned and glared, mirroring my own increasing frustrations.

“Two days of food, if you can stop their attack.” I yelled as the idiot next to me got up and wasted all his ammo.

“Deal!” she smirked. A sinister expression if ever there was one.

She appeared to press a few buttons in her little seat, the shoulder-mounted mortar cannon adjusting its height slightly. Another press of a button and a volley of projectiles arched into the air, raining down on the distant enemies hiding in cover.

Maggie’d been instrumental in taking this village. Jill as well actually. Their combined use of explosives and fire had made sure even the frightened children were forced out into the open. Maggie set the bombardment from afar, and Jill burned the rest. They were efficient, that was certain, and it always made me sigh a little in relief to know we were rostered together.

No shots were exchanged any further after Maggie’s assault. I slowly crept up, peering over my cover to see the horizon covered in rising smoke.

“You owe me.” was all Maggie laughed as she turned and began walking off.

I turned and grinned, just in time to see her large mech-suit jolt and fall forward.

“What the fuck!” she cried in surprise, the sudden impact slamming her into the ground.

I quickly returned my eyes back to where the enemy had engaged us, locating a hazy figure streaming through all the smoke and falling dirt.

“There’s the target!” I cried. “Take it down! Now!”

The rookies surrounding us baulked slightly, but Jill was up and emptying everything she had. Maggie was still attempting to pick herself back up, but the shot had damaged the mechanics of one of her arms.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Hana!” I called into the commlink. “They’re beginning a direct assault. Have some guys get over here and support us!”

It only took her a moment to reply.

“They’re on their way. We’re yet to engage the enemy here. They seem to only be attacking your position, but it seems more than likely to be a trick to lower our defences. Send my guys back once you’ve gained control.”

“You got it.” I muttered, joining the firefight against the hazy figure now sprinting in our direction.

The ground they were covering, I’ve never seen anything like it! It wasn’t anything a normal human was capable of…

“I need some binoculars!” I yelled, firing controlled bursts at our distant enemy rapidly gaining ground.

I turned at the call, catching the binoculars and swiftly bringing them to my eyes, locating the target in seconds, only for my heart to drop.

“Holy shit,” I muttered, fear coursing through my veins. “Cyborg! It’s a fucking cyborg! Bring the anti-vehicle weapons!”

“I got this.” Maggie muttered as she staggered to her feet, turning to face the cyborg with her mortar cannon.

She fired a shot, and a cheer went up as it exploded, but I saw it, I saw the cyborg knock it out of its path with only its hand. Maggie realised it too, having fired several more projectiles, only for the metal creature to sharply divert its path, skirting the village as we chased it with our weapons. The way it was heading though… Oh no!

“Hana! A cyborg’s heading your way! Pull back to our position!”

“A cyborg? Wh-”

Her voice cut out, replaced by what I could now assume was the cyborg.

“Who will embody their fury?” the icy voice solemnly muttered, clear as day. “If not the Boogieman?”

An explosion went off at Hana’s location, and her screams returned to the commlink. She’d sent her men towards me, left herself with only a handful of rookies.

“We need to go reinforce her position!” I yelled, moving off towards her.

“It’s too late dumbass.” Maggie muttered. “The whole area’s been destroyed.”

“I can’t just leave her there!”

“Go and die then, it’s not like you’ll be missed.”

I immediately set off, moving through the small streets until I came across the men Hana had sent, the gunshots drawing me in. I saw seven of them, all fleeing in desperation, firing the rifles without any aim behind them. Two of their members fell in a mess of pieces in quick succession, the rest continuing to flee.

The cyborg darted after them, catching them in seconds, a pistol drawn to end another’s life. It moved swiftly, reaching out for another with a swat of their hand, caving in its victim’s head with ease. The others continued to run in panic, but I’d stopped, fear gripping me tight. My hands trembled as I failed to lift my rifle, as I failed to assist those remaining three. I turned and ran back the way I’d come, only able to listen as their screams, loud and long, continued without a merciful end.

“Back already?” Maggie snorted once I’d shamefully returned, setting up her position of defence.

I couldn’t look at her. Couldn’t look at any of them, not after what I’d just seen, what I’d done.

“Here it comes!”

I looked up to see it charging down the open street. Maggie’s mortar fired, but proved equally as useless as before. The cyborg darted this way and that, rolling and smashing through the surrounding buildings, all while gaining more and more ground on us.

The rest of us were firing with abandon, emptying our entire arsenal to bring this inhuman monster down, yet nothing seemed to faze it. It wanted us dead, no matter the cost.

A shot rang out, louder than the others, louder than the explosions, and an impact toppled Maggie once more. She cried out in frustration, attempting to regain her footing, the rest of us doing whatever we could to slow the cyborg down, then it was upon us.

It dove through the air, an automatic rifle in one hand, a pistol in the other, firing at the dozen or so of us left standing. We were forced into cover, to abandon Maggie, right as the cyborg landed on her, planting a foot on her chest to prevent her from moving.

The cyborg turned and swivelled quickly, picking its targets with ease, each shot taking a life. Jill burst from her cover, flamethrower in hand, unleashing a torrent of fire at the target. The cyborg vaulted over her, slamming a foot into the tanks at her back, crushing her against the immobile Maggie. Another shot later and her tanks exploded, erasing her from existence and further damaging Maggie’s suit.

Few of us remained, but the cyborg had finally run out of ammunition, drawing a knife to engage the rest of us. Seeing this, a couple of the survivors began firing once more.

“You...” growled a heavily wounded Maggie as she climbed out of the burning mech-suit. “I’ll rip you apart!”

Covered in blood and burns, Maggie rose up and staggered toward the cyborg, haphazardly firing a pistol in its direction. The others and I continued our assault, but the lithe creature ducked and weaved the stream with ease, each step bringing it closer to another victim.

The closest of us turned and ran just as the cyborg pounced, slamming into their back with the knife stabbing through the back of their neck. Maggie was next, screaming out in agony as the cyborg shoved its knife into her ribs while tearing off the arm holding her gun. She fell and scrambled back, shrieking as the cyborg crushed her knee with a stomp.

I backed away, just like the others, but our fates were already sealed. The fear this creature enforced, there was nothing we could do! Nothing but run! And run is what we did.

We scattered, running for our lives in different directions. Whatever court-martialling awaited us for desertion was insignificant to the threat we now faced. Whatever punishment the higher-ups would command, it was nothing compared to the certain death hunting us swiftly.

I could hear them, the others screaming out in horror and pain as they were left to bleed out wherever they’d fallen. It was only a matter of time now, before I was found and killed.

The fear stopped my feet, dropped me to my knees, weapon clattering to the ground. I brought my shaking hands before my eyes, covering them as if it would help wake me up from this nightmare. I could hear it approaching, slowly, reinforcing the fact that this was nothing but reality.

I turned and looked at it, the cyborg retaining its stride, dusty rags flapping in its wake. I saw the look completely abandoned of remorse, my heart igniting in further panic.

“Please!” I begged desperately. “Please don’t!”

The cyborg didn’t utter a word as it reached out and grabbed me painfully by the throat, squeezing hard enough to prevent any air getting to my lungs. I clawed at its hands, struck them, attempted to strike its face but I couldn’t reach.

Without a word it lifted its knife and slowly pushed it toward my throat, piercing the flesh just above its hand. Through blurry eyes I saw its expression never change, a calm, solemn look. Not for me. Who was it for? Who did this creature hold such pity for? For me, it only saw me with hatred.

The knife cut through to my throat, filling it with blood. The cyborg finally dropped my struggling body, allowing my hands to claw desperately at the wound. It turned and walked off without a second glance, without a word, leaving me to bleed out and drown in my own blood.