Aj pulled security as Decree got dressed. Once done, they sprinted through the penthouse, and Aj slammed his shoulder into a closed door, ripping it open. Decree ran past him, and they arrived unto a new garden with a flat pad for hover craft to land. Rustling inside the penthouse caught Aj’s attention as he whirled around, rifled aimed into the bleak darkness as Decree pulled a bundle of rope out. She sprinted to the edge of the landing pad and anchored an end of the rope to a metal light beacon.
As she worked, Aj got behind cover, the fifty call by his knee as he aimed down the sights of his short barrel rifle. A fumbling pus ridden blank eyed Sylos corps husk ran out of the building, and Aj blew their head off. As the headless corpse fell, a dozen more came racing out of the door. Aj switched to full auto and emptied the magazine into the charging bundle of walking corpses. As gun fire rung out, bullets cracked over head as Dark Axium shooters on other buildings sighted in on them.
“Set!” Decree roared back to him.
Aj nodded and jumped up, racing across the landing pad as bullets chewed into the ground by his feet, fifty cal in hand. As he ran, Decree’s energy was ignited, her eyes glowing red as yellow fire danced around her. She hurled small balls of fire into the assaulting Sylos, setting the building on fire as Aj clipped in.
He held the rope in his hands, as he pushed himself off the ledge. The cold air smacked his skin as he descended downwards, the roof a shorter building rushing to greet him. Aj’s gear laden down body smashed into the grovel as he groaned. He unclipped, and aimed upward, sending fire upwards as Decree took her turn and descended.
Bloodied Sylos corpses fell of the landing pad, smashing unto the roof around them with bone cracking booms as Decree landed. She yanked the rope down, and hurriedly wrapping it around her elbow and palm as they raced across the roof top. Aj kicked the door in, and they ran down the stairs of the apartment as Sylos husks rained down unto the roof.
Inside the abandoned apartment, Aj led the way with his flashlight, as Decree extinguished her energy. They ran from corridor to corridor, until they reached the far side fire escape. A street lay between them and the next building, as Aj scanned up and down.
“Gotta hit the ground,” Aj spat.
“Too risky! They’re everywhere,” Decree huffed.
“Got any better ideas?!” Aj seethed.
Decree’s eyes lit up as she stared to the right, Aj followed her gaze and his stomach dropped. A long metal ledge ran the lip of the building, with a parking garage full of hover craft below the building. Silently, Decree swung her legs over the metal railing, and began shimmying along the narrow building ledge, hugging the wall as the hundred or so foot drop before her made Aj’s stomach churn. He grabbed the cold metal railing with sweaty hands, as he stared at the ground.
“Don’t be such a bitch! C’mon!” Decree spat.
“Fuck off!” Aj said angrily.
Aj huffed deeply, then swung his legs over, carefully putting his shaking booted foot on the ledge. Sweat poured down his face as he pressed his body against the building wall, pressing foot to foot as he slowly moved sideways to the right.
“Cmon!” Decree called.
“We shoulda gone to the streets,” Aj moaned.
His boot hit a meal pipe with a clang, startling him. Aj gritted his teeth, and pressed his leg around the pipe, trying to get around it. Decree rolled her glowing yellow eyes and shimmied back as Aj barely moved.
“I got around that with my pack on. C’mon big guy, you can do this,” Decree nodded, watching him carefully.
Aj bit his lip, grabbing the pipe behind his back with both hands as he leaned forward, his sweat drops falling far down unto the ground far below them. For a gut clenching moment, he felt like he was gonna fall forward, as he got around the pipe.
“Atta boy!” Decree grinned.
BOOM!
The entire level shook, dust falling off the building. Decree yelped, as she lost her footing. She slipped, falling downward. Aj roared, clamping his left hand around the pipe, grabbing her frail body by the neck of her shirt with the other. Her feet kicked as she dangled, her hands furiously swiping at the air trying to grab anything. She choked as she floated in midair, her shirt biting into her neck.
Aj looked up and saw a hole had been punched into the side wall of the station. A dozen shuttles began roaring into the habitat level, as a giant shipping container smashed a new hole in the wall. Aj watched with wide eyes as the box fell apart, a giant fifty-foot-tall orange metal warrior crashing into the ground.
“Help me!” Decree choked breathlessly, her face beat red.
“Sorry!” Aj gasped.
He hoisted Decree up and slammed her against the wall. She massaged the red jugular and nodded appreciatively. They both watched with wonder as the wall of air rushed past them, kicking up debris as the oxygen flooded out of the level.
“Fucking Zion, always kicking in the door, never worrying about anyone on board,” Decree spat.
“How do you know if they’re Zion?” Aj arched an eyebrow.
“How many other human armies are out there with giant mech suites?! You see any Armenium flags on those craft?” Decree snarled.
“What the hell are they doing here?”
“Just be grateful they decided to barge in instead of just blowing this truthforsaken hunk of garbage out of space,” Decree growled.
“Yeah,” Aj nodded slowly.
Were the Vagabonds here? Was Nameless leading the charge? Aj didn’t know what he would do if he saw his friends again. A burning feeling erupted in his chest. Was Lion with them? If he was, Aj would beat him within an inch of his life if he saw that smug face again. A desperate feeling filled Aj, were they trying to hunt Shrike too? What if they got to him before Aj and Decree did? They had no idea what was waiting for them. Knowing Nameless, he’d charge straight for Shrike. What if he got consumed by the Prime?
Aj shook his head; he couldn’t let that happen. Aj had to kill Shrike before he killed anymore of the Vagabonds.
“C’mon,” Decree grumbled.
As they continued onward across the ledge, Aj watched with horror as a horde of silent Sylos husks sprinted towards the breach on the streets. Howls erupted from buildings, sounding like the foul as they caught the movement. Overhead, large formations of red fire comets raced forward, answering the call to battle, oblivious to the sniper team hugging the building ledge beneath them.
They arrived at the far side of the building, as more troops poured into the breach. The echoes of battle filled the dark level as Decree scanned around the corner for another enemy. Satisfied, she peered down at the ten-foot fall, the cement top floor of the parking garage below them. She exhaled deeply, then flung herself from the ledge, across the alley way, and rolled onto the ground.
Cautiously, Aj flung the large rifle, then his backpack across as Decree caught them. He then gritted his teeth and leaped from the ledge. For a stomach dropping moment, he fell through the air. The ground rushed upwards, and he slammed into the ground. Pain racked his body as he rolled, grunting. The air left his lunges as he sprawled out on the cement.
“You okay?” Decree asked with wide eyes.
As she looked down on him, fighters screamed overhead, comets of fire following. Aj painfully nodded and held his hand up. Decree grabbed it, and hoisted him up, grunting. Aj dusted himself off, then scanned around for enemy as Decree jogged away. After several silent minutes of searching, they found a hover craft still largely intact.
Decree climbed into the driver’s seat, and dissolved her fingers, the grey goo seeping into the steering wheel as Aj crammed their gear into the back seats. Aj then sat in the passenger seat as the hover craft sputtered to life. Decree grinned as she cackled, her hands reforming.
“What now?” Aj sighed, looking at her.
“Well, plans gone since their patterns all just went to shit. I guess shadow them, and shoot them in the back as they respond to the assault?” Decree arched an eyebrow.
“Works for me,” Aj shrugged.
“Hold on to your butt then!” Decree grinned.
She slammed the accelerator, and the hover craft soared into the sky. They kept close to the roof tops, as they tried to dodge both sides air power which seemed to have not noticed them. Aj spotted a tall tower near the breach and pointed. Decree nodded, and turned the wheel, the hover car careening towards the tower. As they got closer, Aj scanned with his binoculars. He noticed in the tall glass top of the observation tower, was a group of people in Dark Axium uniforms. Along with another captain shouting orders at holograms.
“Get me as close as you can without getting spotted, I got this,” Aj huffed.
“No prob,” Decree nodded.
As they drew within a mile of the tower, Aj rolled his window down. He then reached behind his seat, and grabbed the fifty cal. Decree stopped the car, hovering a few inches off a rooftop as Aj leveled the gun, aiming for the captain with his scope. He recocked the gun, sending another bullet containing their ashes forward. Aj then relaxed, resting his body into the gun as he aimed. Decree plugged her ears as he switched the safety off.
Target in sight, Aj squeezed the trigger. With a thunderous roar, the gun belched a ring of fire. The two watched the bullet soar through the air, smash through the windows, and shred the upper torso of the captain. The man disappeared in a plume of pink mist as he was cut in half, the bullet smashing through his body, and killing another Axium warrior beyond.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Fuck yeah, good shot!” Decree whistled.
“Thanks,” Aj grumbled.
He threw the rifle behind him, and pulled out his short barrel rifle, sticking it out of the window as Decree propelled the craft forward. They raced full speed across the skyline, as gun fire lapped at the craft, bullets pinging off the metal body. The tower came racing towards them, and Decree pulled to the left, circling the tower, coming closer and closer. Once in range, Aj began shooting into the tower windows, killing more and more Axium members with cold expertise.
Soon, there seemed to be none left standing.
“Take us in,” Aj nodded.
Decree pulled the wheel once again and came careening towards the tower. She pulled the side, as Aj opened his door, the fire escape coming within a few feet of the hover car. He jumped out and grabbed the railing. He swung his body over the metal balcony, then kicked the glass door in. Inside the tower observation deck was a swamp of blood and pieces of bodies. Aj kicked chairs aside, clearing the room as he scanned. He cleared nearly everything when he stopped. Labored breathing softly echoed from behind an up turned desk. Aj whipped his rifle around and fired into the wooden desk. There was a thud, presumably a body falling unto its side.
Aj kept his gun up, finger on the trigger as he came around the desk and was met with a grizzly sight. A teenage girl, clutching a un-pulled grenade, lay dead on her side, eyes wide open as blood seeped from her mouth. Aj cursed himself, as he kicked the grenade from her dead hands. He looked up and waved to Decree. She nodded from the driver’s seat, as the hover craft plummeted downward to the landing pad twenty feet below.
Aj wiped the sweat from his forehead as he scanned out the tower. Far below them, the battle raged. It was going decently for Zion, but the teeming masses of the Sylos where slowly moving through the streets to the breach. Footsteps on metal coupled with heavy breathing sounded distantly as Decree began climbing the stairs up the tower. She emerged into eyesight, as Aj walked over, and took his backpack from her.
They spent a few minutes picking up bodies, and throwing them over the railing, then rearranging furniture to provide a stable shooting platform. Aj sat down on a chair, his fifty-cal resting on its tripod on top of a table. Decree sat across from him in her own chair. She pulled out two cans of soup, activated her energy, and began slowly heating up the food away from prying eyes.
Aj sighed, then took a warm can of soup from her once it was done heating. He pulled out his knife, and stabbed the top of the can, forming a hole to drink from. The two silently sat, gazing at the carnage far below, sipping the warm food.
“How long you think before we see somebody important?” Aj asked quietly.
Decree shrugged, with a mouth full of soup.
“Dunno,” she swallowed. “But if they keep this up, the Axium is gonna need to reinforce soon.”
Aj silently nodded, as he peered through the scope. Decree pulled out two canteens, their cups, then some instant coffee. She gently poured water into the cups, then the coffee and mixed it, before boiling it with fire from her palms. The two sat in silence as the smell of coffee drifted through the air. Ahead, the habitat level burned. Buildings crumbled as bombs dropped, the streets a smoke-filled deaths cape as infantry and tanks charged forward, street by street, room by room.
As time dragged on, more breaches in the wall where made, and more military came pouring in. It was like watching a movie, except it was real as both sat in silent awe. Aj cleared his throat, grabbing Decree’s attention.
“I’ve been in two huge battles like this, but I’ve never seen this side of it,” he murmured.
“It’s always surreal watching war from a distance,” Decree sighed.
“How many wars you been in?” Aj asked gently.
“Too many,” Decree huffed.
“You think it’s worth it?”
“I mean, war is the worst fucking thing I’ve ever been a part of. Too often it’s just a bunch of old people sending youngsters to go die for some stupid agenda. But then you come across shit like this, walking corpses, shattered families, assholes like Shrike. Then it’s worth it. Killing should be the last thing a person does, and it must be for a damn good reason,” Decree shrugged.
“Fair enough,” Aj huffed.
Decree picked up a cup of coffee and handed it to him. He gently took the warm metal cup, and sloshed the coffee around, before drinking slowly. The tower shook from an explosion, not too far away. Aj peered over and saw the mech suit had stomped through a building, on fire as it held a Gurgen in each hand. The mech suit smashed the two massive ogres together, killing them before it retreated to friendly lines. Aj watched as the mech suit knelt, as crews in orange suites ran towards it, dousing the metal body in water.
Decree picked up the binoculars and peered through them.
“Might as well pick up, and go to the mansion after this,” Aj said.
“Yeah, your little army is doing some pretty good damage, for being humans.”
“Don’t start with that.”
“With what?”
“That stupid Laydren superiority bullshit,” Aj huffed.
“If you’ve seen the things I’ve seen, you’d agree with me,” Decree sighed.
“Maybe.”
Decree snapped her fingers, pointing hurriedly.
“Eleven O’clock!” she whispered.
Aj picked up his binoculars and looked at what she was pointing at. Sure enough, a Dark Axium captain bathed in black fire was leading a column of tanks and infantry down the main highway.
“Jackpot,” Aj grinned.
He picked up the rifle and moved it towards the enemy as Decree got out of the way, setting up her spotting equipment.
“Range, fifteen hundred meters,” Decree called.
Aj adjusted the knobs, as he sighted in, aiming high above the captain standing out of the tank turret.
“I got it, go set up the rope in case we gotta do a hot exfil,” Aj muttered.
“Can do,” Decree nodded.
She got up, and hurried over to the backpacks, pulling out the rope bundle. As she set up the exfil route, Aj exhaled. He pulled the trigger, the dark tower illuminating with the bright flash. The bullet sailed through the air, across buildings and streets. Aj watched with reserved excitement, as the bullet with the ashes of his dead family smashed into the captain, his body turning into a red pulp as it collapsed into the turret.
“Fuck yeah!” Decree grinned.
The two of them got down, hugging the floor as the column faltered. Aj carefully peaked out from behind a metal console and saw several Zion fighters coming in for a bombing run. A moment passed as metal canisters fell from the fighters. Then the column disappeared in large fireballs as the tanks and infantry were consumed with the bombs’ fury.
Aj sat back down, his back pressed against the metal, facing Decree. There were a suspense filled few minutes as they waited for any kind of retaliation. But there was none. Aj carefully crept his hand up, and grabbed the coffee, pulling it to his face. He sipped gently, studying Decree as she cleaned the outside of her rifle with a rag.
“You got a family?” Aj asked finally.
She looked up, her glowing yellow eyes piercing him.
“Yeah, back home,” she sighed, going back to cleaning her rifle.
“They doing good?” Aj asked hesitantly.
She sighed.
“My husband doesn’t let my little girl talk to me. I’m kind of the family embarrassment back home,” she huffed.
“Seems to run in the family,” Aj chortled.
“Yeah, getting banished seems to be a family tradition,” she grumbled.
“What’s your daughter’s name?”
“Ascara. The snobby sperm donor is called Barcelius. Arranged marriage, I only let the fat bastard climb on top of me because our father wanted the line to continue.”
“She’d be proud of ya,” Aj nodded.
“Doubt it. She’s grown up in the court listening to everyone call me every name imaginable,” Decree snarled.
“Sucks.”
“Yeah, it does fucking suck. What about you? What was your kids name?”
Aj grimaced.
“They died before we found out the gender,” Aj sighed.
Decree looked up, a pained look in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said distantly.
“It’s okay, that’s why I’m here.”
“You act like a dad. I’m sure you’d of made a kick ass father,” Decree nodded.
“Guess we’ll never know,” Aj huffed.
“Yeah. Might well get some payback,” she grinned.
Silence overtook them both, as the sounds of war drew closer. Aj got up and peered through the binoculars. He turned and looked at the mansion built into the side of the level wall. Hour’s past, as wave upon wave of Axium where shredded. Whoever led the Zion army was doing it well, as shuttles where streaming constantly in and out of the breaches, carrying away wounded, bringing in more manpower and supplies.
As the city burned, Aj decided this was their best chance.
“Time to move out, we can get inside and wait for the siege to draw to a close before killing that bastard,” Aj snarled.
“Works for me,” Decree shrugged.
They started packing, as more aircraft roared by overhead. Once everything was stowed, Aj looked out across the battlefield. Smoke choked the air, as the Zion army plunged deeper into the level. The perfect cover. He put the backpack back on, his body aching as he picked up the rifle. Decree followed as Aj walked out of the room, and down the metal stairs that lead to the landing pad.
They piled their gear into the backseat, then got inside as Decree turned the beaten-up hovercraft on. The engine sputtered and moaned, but eventually turned on. They lifted into the air, carefully flying above the street in between buildings so as to avoid being seen or shot down.
As burning husks of buildings rushed past, Aj started vacantly, exhaustion eating away at his resolve. He had been in this hell scape for a week now, barely slept, constantly on the move. The horrors he had witnessed eating away at him as he started out the bullet hole ridden glass. Decree picked up speed, as a fire raged at an intersection down below.
Aj’s eye lids felt so heavy, as darkness crept up on him. The soft orange glow and silence lulling him to sleep as they cruised onward, passing city block after city block of destruction. Soon, Aj was sound asleep as darkness overtook him.
He was standing in a lush and green forest. Birds chirped and sang from the branches. His body felt like it was encased in linen, all of the wracking pain gone. He slowly walked forward, the dirt and leaves softly crackling under his boots. As he wondered in this plane of bliss, something moved in the distance. He squinted.
“Hello?” Aj called.
A child’s laughter rang out in the distance, as a tiny body ran through the forest, away from him. Something pulled him along as Aj walked forward. He slowly sped up, until he was jogging. As Aj dodged trees and branches, weaving through the forest, he could hear more laughter. He started sprinting, seeing an opening in the tree line.
Aj emerged from the forest and saw a small girl in a dress running towards a cozy farmhouse, tucked beneath the mountains. Her brown curly hair bouncing as she happily raced towards a wooden bench by the lake. As Aj slowly walked forward, he saw a picnic had been set up by the bench. Sitting by the bench on the blanket by a wooden basket of food and drinks, was Sammy in a sun dress reading a book.
“Mommy!” the child happily cried out.
Sammy looked up, smiled, and put down her book as she stood up. She outstretched her arms and embraced the child as she jumped into Sammy’s arms. The two giggled and laughed cheerfully as Aj slowly came to them.
Aj felt as if his heart was going to burst from his chest as he lay eyes on the little girl. Her brown eyes twinkled as she smiled, holding her mother as the two watched Aj approach. He slowly held out his hand, tears running down his face as he came close to them.
He tried speaking, tried to hold them but his feet slowed to a crawl as he tried to come near the picnic.
“Hello Muirnín,” Sammy said softly, holding their daughter.
Aj slowly came forward, and gently wrapped his arms around them, as he sobbed.
“You need to wake up love,” Sammy whispered softly.
Aj violently shook his head as he wept.
“Aj. Aj. AJ! Wake the fuck up!” a woman’s voice screamed.
Aj jolted awake, as the hover craft veered left and right. There was fire in front of them, as Decree tried pulling up.
“What the fuck?!” Aj roared.
He saw in the rearview mirror, two comets chasing them as red lights snapped past the windows.
“Hold on!” Decree screeched.
The hover craft pulled up, narrowly avoiding burning building as they rose above the skyline. Rockets launched from tanks, and one of the comets exploded as the surface to air missiles slammed into it. The second comet broke off from the hover craft, as another missile followed it.
Decree heaved on the controls as the hover craft dove, spiraling in midair. Aj wanted to vomit, as his stomach dropped. They descended behind an apartment complex, and both realized too late an armored convoy of Zion troop carriers where thundering down the road. The trucks’ guns aimed upward, and a wall anti-aircraft fire lit the air ablaze as bullets smashed through the hover craft.
A loud pop burst Aj’s eardrum as he cupped his ears with his hands. He looked over and saw Decree’s face pressed against the steering wheel. A massive hole in her chest from where a bullet had cut through the driver side door.
“Decree!” Aj screamed.
She coughed blood as her mouth moved wordlessly, her wide glowing yellow eyes fading, staring at him.
“Stay with me! Don’t you fucking die, don’t you fucking die on me Decree!” Aj roared, leaning over, and pressing his hands over her wound. Smoke was filling the compartment, and Aj choked and gasped for air as a building rushed to great them. He braced with all his might, as the hover car smashed into the side of a building.