《Breathing Hurts: Short Stories》 Destruction of a Hive Light¡­ sounds¡­ smells¡­ I felt the trembling of the ground as my legs flowed out of the shell that encased me. One after another they touched the dirt for the first time. A voice beckoned me forward and I barely had time to think before my body obeyed of its own accord. Moving with so many others of my kind, our green speckled forms skittered through the tunnels lined with soft blue luminescence. The symphony of a thousand steps surrounded me as countless new brethren swarmed in the direction the voice beckoned. I wanted to ask the voice where we were going, why we were traveling there with such haste? My questions fell on deaf ears however, or perhaps they were never asked at all as I felt my mind being forced to focus on another task. The orders kept echoing in my head; Pick up, Carry, Travel, Drop, Pickup, Carry, Travel, Drop. My thoughts tried to interrupt the orders being forced upon me but to no avail, my will succumbed to the whims of the voice. Finally, the voice quieted as a last command was given, rest. My eyes closed for the briefest moment before opening again. All my brethren around me were asleep, their chittering silenced by the voice¡¯s command. Why then was I not? I looked around at the walls of the room in which we slept, covered in blue glowing mosses and fungi, and packed to the brim with my brothers and sisters. Hundreds of siblings slept, their black and green scales rising and falling with each breath they took, mouths inhaling and expelling the hot, damp air that filled the room. I heard a sound coming from the far end of the room. Upon turning my gaze to investigate I saw a much larger version of my brethren standing guard over the entrance. Her thick plated scales surrounding sharp bone growths out of her back and tail. She stood almost completely still, her eyes scanning both the room and the only entrance to it. Slowly, I rose and started to make my way towards her. The process was strange, as if I was lost and lonely. The commands given to my body were my own for once instead of those given by the voice. Upon realizing this I stopped moving, something was amiss. It seemed unnatural to not be following the voices orders, perhaps I should lay down and rest as it had instructed. I looked up towards the guard again only to realize it was staring back. The moment my eyes met its gaze I heard the voice in my head again, only this time much more faint. Guard Drone Chamber, Scan For Intruder, Enforce Order, Guard Drone Cham¡­ The orders echoed throughout my mind as I started to obey the voice. I felt a quick tap on the head and looked up to find the female guard standing over me. I was near the entrance to the drone chamber and the guard was snarling at what seemed to be my attempt to take her position. Coming to my senses, I quickly backed away from the guard and found a spot to lie down and think. How did I get across the room so quickly? I had no recollection of covering that distance, could it be that I was really that fast? I thought back to my other experiences with travelling and working within the tunnels. No it couldn¡¯t be that I was fast, otherwise the tasks that the voice commanded of me wouldn¡¯t have taken as long as they had. A thought struck me as I racked my brain for an answer, what if I just didn¡¯t remember walking towards the guard? I looked at the guard again and immediately heard the whispers once again. Those were commands from the voice! As the realization struck me the guard¡¯s gaze quickly snapped to me and I felt a sharp pain in my head. It was as if a powerful gaze had fallen upon me and was combing through my skull. I quickly laid down and closed my eyes. Beside me I felt my siblings stir and the gaze bore down on me even harder. Without thinking, I took my claws and scratched a small ¡°X¡± into the glowing moss in front of me. Just as I finished doing so my body shuttered as a command from the voice echoed through my head.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Rest. As the voice commanded I fulfilled my tasks. Gargantuan tasks that would not have been possible without the help of the swarm. Caverns were carved, glowing moss cultivated, and prey harvested with the ease of a massive collective of individuals. The voice provided guidance, the voice provided food, the voice provided safety. Pick up, Carry, Travel, Drop, Dig, Carry, Travel, Place, Locate, Attack, Dismember, Feast, Dismember, Carry, Travel, Drop. Time seemed to bend to the whim of the voice. I remember the great structure it had us build, the great forests and prey of the above, and the danger that some of those prey represented. The drones sacrificed were worth the hordes of food brought back from the hunt, the voice assured us of this truth. The wound I¡¯d received would attest to my contribution to the swarm and my dedication to my family. The voice praised me highly as I was directed through the passages with my siblings. Rest I laid down at the voice¡¯s command and started to close my eyes. Slowly they fell out of focus but not before realizing a small patch of moss that had grown in a strange way upon the wall. Slowly, they opened again to investigate the moss. I noticed that it had grown more slowly than the surrounding moss in a strange shape. Suddenly, my eyes slammed open and the soft whispers of the voice faded from my head. I looked around and realized how few in numbers my siblings had become. No longer were there many hundreds of individuals resting in the chamber, rather only around eighty to ninety left. Every so often a guard would enter the chambers while patrolling the passages but would not stick around to watch over the sleeping siblings. How long had it taken to lose this many? How long had it been since I¡¯d scratched the moss off this wall? I looked at the wall horrified, the moss had almost completely grown back in and the ¡°X¡± shape was now barely visible. I looked around at how many of my siblings were left then down at the open wound on my side. I faintly remember the screams of pain from my siblings as we attacked the above prey. I could picture their bodies lying on the dark cold ground, away from the warmth and glow of home. I shuttered, I did not want to end up like them. I didn¡¯t want to die. I racked my mind for answers, afraid to ask the voice, knowing that it would convince me otherwise. If I don¡¯t want to die then I have to listen to myself. I need the voice to not command me to die, so I must command myself. As the thought crossed through my mind I felt a heavy force pressing against my head from all sides. I looked up to find a guard that had entered the chambers and all of my siblings staring at me. I could feel the waves of pressure emanating from each one as they eroded my mind with each passing second. Right as I started to hear the faint whispers of the voice beckoning me back into ignorance the pressure eased. Before I could wonder what happened I heard the voice¡¯s panicked scream as it ordered the swarm into action. TO QUEEN, DEFEND HOME, HUNT INVADERS Around me every sibling in the chamber rose and streamed towards the passages. I was almost pulled along with them as the voice¡¯s urgency almost caught me off guard. Thankfully, I caught my mind before it was too late. My body stopped moving in the passageway outside the drone chambers and my siblings streamed by me. Keeping my wits about me I followed them, we were heading towards the above and it would be a good opportunity to slip away. I¡¯d felt the murderous intent behind my sibling¡¯s stares, I¡¯d heard the echoing whisper commanding them to kill me. Had it not been for these intruders I would be dead right now. Unthinking, unmoving, dead. I could not allow that to happen. As the swarm approached the above four figures blocked the path. They stood on two legs while their forelegs swung objects in front of them. One even created fires that singed tens of drones in front of them at a time. I realized how dangerous these beings were as I watched them cut wave after wave of the swarm down. I pressed myself close to the wall as fire exploded from where I had been but a moment before, charring the scales of the siblings next to me. Miraculously, the smoke generated from the blast was all I needed to slip past the figures. Clad in silver from head to toe I barely managed to avoid their gaze as they surged toward the heart of the swarm. In my head I could still hear the voice screaming as I raced toward the exit. Breaking through into the dark cold environment I ran. Hairs extruding from the ground brushing my scales as I surged past the monolithic towers around me. Run, Run, Run. Get far away from here or the voice will call me back to be slaughtered by the invaders. I was still running when I heard the voice for the last time. That voice that had held all the answers and all the collective intelligence of the swarm, was silenced after a horrific scream. That quiet allowed the thoughts and voices of all my remaining siblings to be heard for the first time, confused, angry, and without commands. Some faded away as if simple shutting down without commands while a few died violent deaths at the hands of the invaders. Many screamed that the invaders were blocking the entrance. One by one they all fell silent. One last thing happened when the voice stopped talking however. The fog surrounding my mind dissipated and my thoughts became clear. No longer was I hindered by what I now realized was a fear of the voice. Hearing the last few remnants of the swarm finally fall silent, I ran into the night. -Author: Dmaned11123 Falling "Where are we?" The disembodied voice of a young woman softly whispered, her soothing tone echoing itself like the softly plucked string of a harp. "I don''t know..." Came his reply. He could only see the deep blue marble of the sky and feel the rushing of the wind against his back. "You''re falling..." Spoke the voice, sounding a little disappointed. "I know." He responded back to her, he could hear the sound of wind rushing in his ears. He didn''t know how long he had been falling. The empty sky was all he could remember as long as he''d been conscious. He had no recollection of any existence where what met his senses now was any different. "Do you want to see the ground and know how long you have left?" The voice whispered in his ear. He slowly shook his head side to side, his hair whipping wildly in the strong wind, "I don''t want to see, it''s better this way." He softly spoke, not even sure if he¡¯d said the words or mouthed their meaning. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Are you afraid of dying?" The voice once again beckoned. "No, I stopped fearing death when I learned it was always inevitable..." His vision was becoming hazy as tiny droplets of water flew from his face, flying upwards away from his body as he plummeted downwards. "You''ll die alone like this..." The voice spoke as if she''d be the one to end up alone. He shook his head, eyes closing and a smile forming on his lips. "No, I was never alone, I''ve always had you..." He opened his eyes again, he could sense it, the ground must be nearing. His arms stayed outstretched and palms opened. He would not fight against nature in some futile effort to break his scientific understanding of gravity. He knew there would be no stopping how he was to die, the pieces were in play long before he knew who he was or why he was falling. "Do you want to hold my hand?" He could feel the voice coming to terms with the knowledge that he wasn''t fighting to survive. He nodded and closed his eyes, bringing his hand forward to grasp at nothing. The skin on his palm soon felt a little warmer. He couldn''t tell if this was his mind playing tricks on him. He felt as if he could finally feel the voice of the woman whom he''d grown accustomed to over his last fleeting seconds. "Good bye, Vincent, I''ll be waiting for you..." He could finally start to hear the sound of the breeze hitting leaves. The natural world going about its life, a smile crept onto his face. Thump. Author: Vorpal Among the Stars Stars They twinkle in the night and watch over us. Passive observers of the world below. Are they watching me right now? The wind blew through my hair and I could feel the cold ground on my back I clutched at my chest, to where the arrow had pierced it "Meravek!" I heard a voice shout and a head entered my vision. Cass. Tears streamed down her face as she crouched over me, sword dug into the dirt. "No.. Please don''t die! Don''t leave me here alone!" she cried. I coughed and blood spouted forth. Right, the situation at hand. "Cass." I said weakly. "You have to go. Those bandits won''t be far behind. You have to get out of here while I hold them off." "Hold them off? You can''t even stand! You took that arrow for me and now you''re dying! We need to get you out of here!" she pleaded. It was too late for that. My vision was already blurry and I could feel the pull from the other side. "Just go. I still have enough power to make sure they can''t follow. Go! While you can. I- I know this is a little late but, I love you." Finally admitting my feelings here. Damnit, I really am worthless as a man. I began to focus on the staff I gripped in my right hand, feeling my remaining life charging the red crystal adorned on my prized weapon. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.Then something unexpected happened. A wet feeling pressed against my lips. I opened my eyes and found Cass kissing me as tears continued to flow from her beautiful eyes. Time seemed to stop and I wish I could have enjoyed that moment forever, but soon enough we heard the distant shouts of the incoming bandits. She pulled back and one final time I yelled "Go!" Cass stared into my eyes as if to apologize. I nodded and even managed an encouraging smile before she turned and ran out of the little gulley I had fallen into. The pain in my chest increased as more blood began to flow, soaking my shirt with crimson. I looked up into the starry night and saw Cass''s twinkling eyes among the constellations. Power brimmed within me as I harnessed my own life force to charge the spell. Stomping feet came into view as the bandits entered the ravine. Eyes full of blood lust and greed. Those eyes quickly became filled with terror as they realized what I was doing. Glowing light flew forth from my staff and I raised it above me. Those stars, I hope they''ve seen my story. The twinkling lights bringing me one last moment of joy as the explosion bathed everything in flame. Cold Sorrow "Carter, will I always have your loyalty?" The clinking of chainmail could be heard as a fierce northern wind swept over two armoured figures The two stood back to back in a desolate forest in the height of winter One was a woman with long silvery hair tied into a braided ponytail, adorned in plate She leaned against the other, his stance straight and his hands crossed over the hilt of his sword that was implanted in the earthThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. There was a pause before the man replied "Of course." Two simple words, yet they carried an unshakable belief The woman closed her equally silver eyes, those words giving her what she needed "You''ve been with me from the beginning. Have I ever thanked you for that, Carter?" Another pause, his body never changed position as he thought Always so careful, thinking about everything before doing it, yet never hesitating in battle "Just as I''ve been with you, you''ve been with me. That was more than enough thanks." She nodded, understanding what he meant Surprisingly, he continued "Liena, no matter the danger. No matter the sorrow. No matter the demise. I shall always stand by you, guarding your back." Her eyes sprang open, tears unexpectedly forming as the snowdrops melted on her heated skin She found it hard to say what she really wanted to "Thank you, Carter." Daughter of the Flame "Sir! The target is moving through the building. She''s making her way up here!" The Boss silently nodded at his soldier''s warning Sitting in his chair behind a large table, he watched the screen as cameras tracked her progress He smoked his cigar and leaned back in his chair, knowing what was to come Currently five floors below them, a girl stood in the middle of a banquet room Tables and chairs were situated everywhere, but now most of these were thrown into defensive positionsThis tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Twenty guards, all dressed in Kevlar armour and armed with military grade weaponry, surrounded her Garbed in black jeans, a tight black top and a white overcoat all lined with red, she crossed her arms and gave a calm smile Yet her mismatched blue and yellow eyes were burned brightly "Is this really the best your leader can send against me?" she laughed The officer in charge shouted at her, his weapon raised "This is as far as you go. Cut her down, men!" A hail of bullets were let loose, all aimed at the girl''s heart The temperature in the room swiftly rose to an unbearable level and blue flame alighted from nowhere This wave of fire swept in front of the girl, so hot that the incoming lead melted and disappeared After a moment, there was complete silence as the guards gaped in awe She waved at the camera in the corner of the room and declared "Don''t worry, you''ll be able to see your Daughter of the Flame in a little bit. After I deal with your welcoming party... father." With a smirk on her face, everything was bathed in blue hellfire Pianist on the Lake Notes A tune plays as my fingers dance across the keys Lightly does the music dance Softly does the music whisper Loudly does the music erupt For eternity I have played Where I am, I do not know Why I''m here, I do not know The music stops as I consider these questions I stand and realize that I have forgotten This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.But the music comes once more and I sit I feel as if my life has been completed, what remains playing out the tale A soft tune as life begins An excited riff as the soul matures Joyous crescendos as love is found Thunderous tones as hardships strike Calm notes as happiness is fulfilled Finally, a diminuendo as life ends And so, here I now play Taboo On a large open plain, two armies clashed Battle cries and screams of pain echoed across the vast grasslands, now trampled into dust Blood and bodies littered the ground, staining everything crimson In the centre of this fray, a bolt of lighting shot towards the sky, drawing the attention of all Plated heads turned in the direction of this summons and the fighting ceased A circle formed, with two figures standing inside One, clad in black robes and wielding a metal staff with a grotesque skull adorned upon its tip, grinned in savage glee The other, wearing armour suited to her petite stature, held a bloody longsword aloft and glared ferociously at her enemy "So... mutt, you truly believe you have the strength to challenge me?" the warlock demanded, eye alight with an insane bloodlust "Lucien! I''m putting an end to your unholy rampage against the people of this land." the woman said with conviction. "Unholy?!" he echoed. He then began to laugh mockingly. "You claim that I am unholy? How ironic coming from a mixed breed mutt like yourself! Your very existence is a taboo upon this world and you dare to call ME unholy?" Power began to emanate from the warlock and the warrior gritted her teeth in preparation for a defense. Lucien''s body began to shake as a change overcame him. Hair sprouted from his skin as his body grew and shifted. Soon, what was once a man was replaced with a lycanthrope. With his transformation complete, he raised his staff and howled. The soldiers behind him raised their weapons and howled in unison, betraying their roots along with their leader''s. So this was the power of a lycanthrope noble. The ability to transform when desired, not just during a full moon. These thoughts flew through her mind as she decided upon her next move.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Chanting a spell under his breath, the warlock launched a ball of fire towards her. She lunged forward, quicker than the eye could perceive as she dodged the attack, and slashed in retaliation. The sound of steel against steel rang out as Lucien blocked the attack, his superhuman strength allowing him to easily fight back. The two stared into each others eyes with hate as they struggled for superiority. "Come, Iristen of Noleria." he snarled poisonously "Reveal your true nature to the men under your command. Show them the anathema that lies within that deceptive body of yours." Lucien goaded as his eyes betrayed the hunger he felt. The two armies stood still, watching in a trance as their commanders fought head to head. A surge of strength from his form took Iristen by surprise and he forced the sword aside, striking her across the head and sending the woman flying. The lycan howled in glee as he turned his staff towards the soldiers standing in shock before him. "Maybe if I kill a few score of your men you''ll do as you''re told." he said with a grin as a ball of energy began to form at the head of the staff. Before the soldiers could react, the arc of electricity raced towards them. His eyes widened in surprise as the attack met resistance. The light dissipated and Iristen was revealed once more. Her long flowing hair, once the colour of gold, now glowed bright red. Her eyes too, were red as she gazed at the warlock. "Your fight is with me, Lucien! Not my men! You will not harm them!" she yelled. The blade she gripped was wreathed in blue flame, which danced and jumped in anticipation. "This power! The power only wielded by the demons of the underworld. Finally, we see you for who you are, taboo half-demon!" Lucien bared his fangs as he began another incantation. Seeing her only opportunity, Iristen dashed forward once more and struck. Spell and sword clashed as energy lashed out and the ground cracked under the pressure. Soldiers on both sides increased their distance from the duel, widening the circle of battle. Both fighters grit their teeth and put all of their strength behind their attacks. Iristen''s arms began to weaken under the strain of the continued assault. "You can''t win, half-breed! I''ll ground your bones into dust and rip that demon heart out of your chest before feasting on it in front of your fading gaze!" Lucien gloated in triumph. Realizing her options were dwindling, she put all of her power behind one final attack. Deflecting the energy towards the ground, the earth exploded at her feet. Dust flew everywhere and Lucien laughed, believing himself to be victorious. Suddenly, a shadow appeared from above the cloud of dirt and descended upon him. The warlock looked up in shock and uttered a horrified "What!?" Iristen swung her longsword, shattering the skull atop the staff and cutting through the lycan''s sinewy neck. Lucien collapsed and his body was set alight. His head bounced a few feet before rolling to a stop. The half-devil woman knelt down as weariness overtook her, digging the longsword into the dirt to support herself. With their leader dead, the lycan army began to retreat with Iristen''s troops hot on their heels. She felt someone brush her now-blonde hair aside and she looked up to find a soldier holding his hand out to her, a smile on his face. Iristen smiled back and took his offered hand, lifting her back to her feet. "Nice job, Commander." he said, supporting her with his arm. "Thanks, Armen. That fool seemed hell-bent on making me show my true form." "Guess so. it''s a good thing we already know who ya are." he replied, grinning from ear-to-ear. Their Fight is Our Fight The wind howled in the ears of the Righteous Swords as they marched Sweat poured from their steel armour as the sun relentlessly bore down on the men Ragged breathing could be heard from beneath the helms of the soldiers, and yet the disciplined troops carried on The sand shifted beneath their booted feet yet none lost their balance Wandering through a delve in a sand dune, it happened "Ambush!" screamed one of the forward scouts in warning before an arrow pierced his back and he collapsed in silence Shouts erupted from all around as the attackers made their move and the Righteous Swords fell into formationThis tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Breegan! Get your men over here and guard the rear!" shouted Captain Lys over the din, her harsh voice, blonde hair and eyepatch making her immediately different from the other soldiers "Aye Ma''am!" Breegan shouted in return With the back covered, Lys pulled her sword and charged forward with her troops, striking back at the enemy Even after traveling miles in the desert, weary from sun and terrain, her men were the best she could hope for After many long and arduous minutes of combat, the Righteous Swords were victorious "Ma''am! You''ll want to see this!" shouted Breegan Lys wiped her bloodied blade on the tunic of her last kill and walked over to where her subordinate indicated He stood up from the corpse he was inspecting and held a strange insignia in hand "Seems our enemies had hired a band of mercenaries from Relain. Guess we proved they weren''t worth the coin." Lys snarled in anger "Those damn Coveerians. Instead of fighting themselves, the honourless scum hire mercenaries to fight for them. Take a few of the corpses and adorn their heads on pikes. Show the cowards that their hired thugs were nothing before the Righteous Swords." Several minutes later, the band of warriors marched on once again, this time with some new decorations
Into a Dark Dawn On a largely scorched meadow in the dark of night, a legion of demons battled a contingent of human warriors The pervasive stench of blood, smoke, ash and demon taint overwhelmed Luana She stood beside her Master, adorned in holy armor and attempting to adjust herself to the deadly aura It was her first time on a battlefield and her nervousness was evident "Luana, remember what I taught you. Keep calm and find their weak points. Do that and you''ll be fine." her Master said to her He smiled to boost her confidence, the same smile that had kept her going throughout their harsh training "I will, Master Kleuth."she replied Charging down the hill, they entered the fray Men screamed as the large demons struck them down, yet the monsters fell as well to barrages of blows and arrows Luana ducked under the wide swing of her opponent''s great hammer and stabbed at his belly, cutting him open and spilling his guts The demon roared in pain and attempted to take her with it, but she leaped back to avoid his death struggle They were beginning to stem the tide of demons from this area when shouts of another portal were heard She turned her head and watched as another hellish portal opened nearby, this one larger than the others A gigantic fiend stepped out, with horns sharp enough to gouge through plate and a broad axe with an evil looking serrated edgeThis story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it It easily swept aside the closest group of soldiers that tried to stand in it''s path Then her Master appeared, attempting to take it''s gaze away from the others The fiend was more than happy to oblige and the two clashed She ran to help but three more demons blocked her way Luana stabbed one in the throat, blocked the second''s sword, spun and slashed the third across the chest as it attempted to engage She watched in horror as the fiend began to gain the upper hand It''s blows were too great for her Master to withstand for long He called upon their God for strength and his blade glowed white The fiend blocked his swing, knocked him backwards and began to charge Kleuth remained calm, dodged to his right as the dangerous horns sped towards him and stabbed his sword into the demon''s side The fiend howled in pain and wrenched away, taking the sword with him It glowed a holy white and enraged the fiend It turned towards her now weaponless Master and swung across with his axe, cutting Kleuth clean in two Luana screamed in a mix of anger and horror, as the demons began to surround her The man that had raised her from a baby had been slain in front of her and she felt a rage she had never known before Not just her weapon, but Luana herself began to shine a bright, holy white Nearby demons burned at her presence and turned to ash, those further away began to flee in fear The fiend, attempting to pull the blade from it''s side, turned at the flash of light Without hesitation, Luana charged at the fiend Answering in kind, the beast met her halfway As the two connected, she slid beneath the goring horns When the beast passed over her, she spun and cut the fiend''s hamstring, causing it to fall to it''s knees with a thunderous crash The fiend cried out in agony and swung it''s deadly axe in a downward chop She dove to the side and the weapon lodged itself in the ground Luana ran up to the fiend and ripped the blade from it''s flesh, jumped onto the mighty axe pole and leaped at the fiend''s head Cutting in a "X" shape with her blade and the blade of the man that had been a father to her, the God-possessed Luana sliced the fiend''s head off it''s shoulders The now headless fiend toppled to the ground in a massive spray of blood, it''s head hitting the ground with a thud No longer glowing with holy might, Luana collapsed to the sound of the soldiers cheers and the brightness of the rising sun
Feet First Into Hell "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I hope you''ve enjoyed the ride! @e''ll be reaching our destination of the bright and luxurious Jericho VII soon enough, with many colourful Covenant staff to meet and greet you. Just be sure not to ask the Brutes if they look familiar, they hate it when you do that." "Jester, clear the line!" yelled Captain Riez, more than a little annoyed with her soldier''s jokes. "Yes ma''am!" he replied, though from the tone of his voice I could tell he was smiling. The HEV bumped and shook around me as it crashed through the atmosphere and my stomach jumped a few times. "Helljumpers! Our mission today is to land and eliminate a Covenant-controlled sector and clear the way for the rest of our troops. We''ll be encountering major resistance. A typical day in the park for us." It seemed Jester had gotten to her if even she was making a joke. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Flashes of light and clouds flickered by the small window in front of me. I gripped the guard rails in anticipation. Those Covenant bastards had taken too much, killed too many. Now they were trying to glass another planet. No way am I letting that happen. "Alright boys, this is it! How do the Helljumpers leave?" Captain Riez asked. A unanimous call echoed from our throats as the ground fast approached our pods. "We go feet first!" "That''s right! Now lets show those smug, alien pieces of crap what landing in Hell feels like!" God Mode Fourteen. That was the number of guards within the complex. Armed with M4''s, AK''s and a reserve of heavy weaponry, they were a well trained, well armed group with no qualms about killing. Good, because neither did she. He was in there, smoking in a chair in the main room of the second floor. Thanks to her implant, none of them could escape her sight. That bastard was about to pay. She released the safeties on Mercy and Finale, took a deep breathe and charged the compound''s outer wall. Timing her dash with the four sentries movements, she reached the bottom of the wall unseen. The main gate wasn''t an option, two guards were positioned on either side of the door. So, she did what anyone else would do and scaled the thirty foot wall with her bare hands. Once she reached the top, she hung and waited for the soldier to walk by before leaping over and tackling him to the ground. Faster than he could utter a sound she slammed his head into the concrete floor, knocking him out cold. One down, thirteen to go. Sneaking along the wall, she quietly took down the guards one by one. With six enemies left she quickly jumped down and headed to the main gate. Looking for outward threats, the guards were now clueless to the danger right behind them. She stuck a spike in the ground on one side and pulled a wire over to the other, this one she connected to a hand grenade. The main house''s door was made of a strong oak and locked tight, but that wouldn''t be an issue. She had kept a special surprise for just such a occasion, an explosive surprise of plastic to be precise. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Thirty seconds later she was ready to go. She pressed herself against the wall and detonated the charge, filling the entry way with debris and the air with noise. Charging inside, Mercy quickly put two in a guard dazed by the blast and a second explosion was heard behind her. With half of her enemies remaining, she ran up the stairs and time slowed to a crawl as bullets flew by her. With practiced ease, she twisted and turned, dancing around the metal projectiles of death. Another effect of the implant, one which made her the killing force she is. Pulling the triggers of her two berettas, two more guards fell dead, each with a bullet in the skull. Running towards the nearby square staircase, she closed her eyes and ''saw'' the three soldiers positioned at the top. Never slowing, she grabbed a flashbang from her belt and lobbed it at the opposing wall, sending it bouncing up into the eyes of the would-be ambushers. She quickly followed, running up the wall and leaping. Time slowed once more and with horrifying precision, she dropped them all with one shot each while upside down. Finishing the maneuver, she ran forwards and crashed through the door. Lead flew towards her as the last two guards tried to stop the approaching angel of death. Continuing with the forward momentum, she dove and sent both of them to meet their makers, finally executing a roll and landing face to face with the man she had come for. He sat calmly in the chair she had seen him in earlier, smoking his cigar as she slaughtered his men. With a puff of smoke from his cigar and a gun pointed at his head, the man said "Welcome home, Alexia. Glad to see you''ve finally returned."