BANG!
Immediately after the first shot was fired, all hell broke loose, as the deafening sounds of bullets blaring and bodies dropping echoed throughout the hall.
Levi instantly pushed Captain Jones under the table for cover, with Zayn following close behind.
"Z, protect the Captain at all cost," Levi barked through the thundering sound of echoing bullets.
Zayn gave a slight nod. Levi dragged a few loose strands of hair behind his ear as he cocked his gun.
"As I walk, you follow."
Zayn gave another slight nod while reluctantly providing cover for the Captain.
Levi jumped out from under the table, his shots precise and on target. With his bionic hearing, every sound—heartbeat and footstep—could be heard.
Clearing a path to the door before—
Above, mechs activated—automated turrets extending from their arms like unfolding tentacles. They locked onto anything moving. Blue, red, white—it didn't matter. The summit was supposed to be neutral ground. Now it was a killbox.
Although most of the Zephyrite soldiers were still shooting, Camille was already long gone.
The mechs' objectives were straightforward: Iron Hallow was neutral ground—therefore, drop everything that fires a gun.
The plasma rounds fired by the mechs were new, and they exploded anything they came in contact with, as their target view finally locked onto Dorian Vale.
BOOM.
Smoke covered the entire hall before slowly settling. Dorian was still standing—his coat blown to pieces—wiping dirt from his glistening bare but heavily scarred chest, a pissed look stamped on his face.
His gaze locked onto the mech, which continued firing at him, each round momentarily slowing him before he lunged for the machine, flattening all soldiers in his path.
He cleared through them like bugs—blue, white, even his own. As long as they were in his way, they were crushed.
Bullets met his skin and flattened. It was clear: whatever he was he was no longer human. When he finally reached the mech, he dragged out its arm turrets like they were paper.
The gunfire stopped for a second as everyone turned to watch the beast-like man on a warpath.
He stretched his arms out to full length before slamming them together in a thunderclap—with the mech's head caught in between.
Heaving heavily in and out, his gaze finally—finally—turned to the Aurelians, who stood near the door, but not near enough.
If anyone could make it, it'd probably just be Zayn, with his bionic speed.
He took a step forward—only to be stopped as Levi grabbed his wrist.
"Z!" Levi's voice crackled. "DO NOT—repeat—DO NOT engage Vale! Extraction's a GO, east corridor!"
"The rest of you… Clear us a path!" It was the Captain barking orders this time, pointing straight at Vale.
The Aurelian soldiers—at least what was left of them—all turned their guns toward Vale and opened fire as the team finally left the hall.
Only Zayn, Levi, Captain Jones, and three soldiers remained as they moved down the pristine hallway—untouched by blood or rubble.
BOOM
The reception hall's door was blown off its hinges as Vale marched toward them, now covered in blood—and yet, not a scratch on him.
He's gaining fast. There's no way we're gonna make it.
Zayn pulled the plasma rifle from Levi's holster, turned around, pointed it at Vale, and started to march toward him.
Levi halted. "Zayn, I said do not engage!" he shouted, turning back just as the Captain dragged him close enough to feel his hot breath almost layer thick on his face.
"He's a soldier. Let's go."
They continued moving toward the extraction point.
PZW! PZW! PZW!
The pressure recoil from the gun was nothing compared to the dread building in Zayn's chest. Still, he remained steady and continued to fire—ineffective shots, but he fired nonetheless.
Ding!
---
[NEW OBJECTIVE]
[SURVIVE]
Objective: Remain alive for the next 180 seconds.
Reward: "Combat Tactician" (Passive) – Improves reaction speed by 10% under attack.
---
Zayn had no time to react to the message as Vale's giant fist came crashing down onto his position.
He dove to the side, lunging wide as the floor beneath him bent inward and crumbled into broken rubble.
Without a second's break—as the debris was still falling—Vale lunged again, swinging a punch at Zayn with such explosive force that it sent him flying across the hall, crashing into the wall.
An unimaginable pain bloomed at his spine attachment. Even though he'd brought his arms together to block the punch, it still felt like his bones had shattered.
Zayn took a shaky step forward. Vale still stood, chest heaving.
"Next time, you pick the right side of the war," Vale hissed.
Vale lunged.
Zayn sidestepped just in time, catching a glimpse of the spiderweb of cracked marble etched into the wall he'd just been leaning against.
"You're strong and fast," Zayn muttered, wiping blood from his lip. "But I've fought smarter bricks than you."
---
Ding!
[MISSION COMPLETE]
SURVIVE]
Objective: Remain alive for the next 180 seconds.
Reward: "Combat Tactician" (Passive) – Improves reaction speed by 10% under attack.
---
The interface in Zayn's retina flashed as he blinked immediately, shaking the notification off, but then—
Ohhh. Haaa.
His breathing steadied as an odd sense of calm washed over him.
He looked at his hands—no longer trembling. His gaze tightened at the beast in front of him.
Finally, the playing field was slightly level.
Vale's face twitched as his irritation for Zayn only grew. It was time to end this.
He lunged again—
Just as he got close to Zayn—
Zayn grabs Vale's leg, twists—
Vale doesn't budge.
Instead, Vale grabs him by the collar and yanks him up—
Zayn headbutts him, hard. Once. Twice. Blood explodes from his own brow, but Vale only staggers.
Zayn lands a clean elbow to the jaw.
Vale snarls. A crooked smile. No pain. No hesitation.
They crash into the wall again. Plaster dust fills the air.
Zayn jabs—quick—ribs, throat, solar plexus—military precision.
Vale grunts but barely flinches. He swings—
Zayn ducks under and shoves Vale into the wall.
Vale rebounds, wraps an arm around Zayn's waist, lifts him—
SLAMS him into the ceiling.
As the fluorescent lights started to flicker uncontrollably.
Zayn crashes to the ground, coughing up blood. His limbs are lead, lungs on fire.
But something glints near his foot.
The gun.
Zayn grabs it—fires point-blank at Vale's chest.
Click.
Empty.
Vale tilts his head. Smirks.
"You would've been great with the Echelon Syndicate... What a shame."
Then kicks the weapon away.
Zayn uses the distraction. Lunges forward, ramming his shoulder into Vale's gut. They tumble back—
Zayn gets on top, punches fast—left, right, left, jaw, throat, eye—
Vale roars, grabs his wrist—
And Zayn SNAPS his head forward again, cracking his skull against Vale's nose.
Blood sprays.
Vale reels.
Zayn rolls off, staggering.
He slams his shoulder into the emergency door at the end of the hallway. Locked.
Vale starts toward him again, slower now. Breathing heavy. Teeth red.
Zayn slaps the panel. Nothing.
He looks down, sees a fire extinguisher. Grabs it.
As Vale charges again—
FOOMPH! Zayn blasts the extinguisher full-force into his face.
A cloud of white powder blinds the beast. Vale roars, swinging wildly, coughing.
Zayn doesn't wait. He barrels into the door again—
BANG. BANG.
It gives.
Just a crack.
One more hit—
CRASH! He tumbles out into the next corridor, slamming the door shut behind him. Locks it.
On the other side, Vale SLAMS into it.
Boom.
Then again. Louder.
Zayn limps back, chest rising and falling like a piston. His knuckles bleeding. Vision doubled.
The pounding stops.
Silence.
With his chest pounding like it was about to explode, Zayn dragged himself back to his feet.
This is fucking nothing like the past.