Fire at Will [Mech Sci-Fi Military]

PLUCK THE FEATHERS

Will landed with a thud within the compound. Servos whined in protest at the sudden jolt, but he managed to get to his feet and rushed forward.

The buildings ahead lay in ruin. The breaker team had targeted the watchtower, bringing it down in a controlled demolition. Its collapse had brought down the neighboring building as well, and debris from both structures sealed off most of the rear and the south wall. Only a narrow pathway hugging the side of the building remained traversable without the risk of the watchtower wreckage collapsing.

Will focused and rushed toward the pathway. His mission was clear: he had to block that section and capture all stragglers.

Scanning his periphery, he made his approach, rubble and bits of concrete crunching underfoot. Small fires flickered among the rubble, and Will wove through the debris-laden path, looking for a place to set up an ambush.

A crash came from ahead, accompanied by harsh curses in Maltanese. Will froze, listening closely, and heard murmurs and hurried shuffling. There were people nearby. Making his way around a half-demolished building, he saw them: two Condors, still in their uniforms with wings emblazoned over a starburst. Behind them, three civilians emerged from a half-collapsed structure, shaken and sporting only minor injuries.

Will scanned the surroundings and found broken pieces of antenna scattered about. The building probably had been a communications hub with a hidden underground shelter. The breaker team must have missed it in their rush.

More harsh whispers were exchanged between the Condors and the three civvies. Together, they dragged out a metal box from under a pile of rubble. Will watched as they cracked open the container. It was filled with ammo, and the trio began arming themselves.

"Crap!" Will cursed under his breath.

One of the Condors turned toward him, and Will hid behind the ruins, his heart beating fast. Expecting a quick reprisal, he held his breath, but none came. The harsh whispers around the corner continued, and the Condors didn't stop adjusting their gear.

Will bit his lip. There were too many of them. Any moment they would be fully armed and on the move, hunting for targets, and he had to act before they got underway. There was little chance of apprehending them without casualties. He would have to kill again.

A cold wave washed over him, his breath catching in his chest. Will steeled himself. Faint shadows flickered behind his eyelids, threatening to spill over, and he had to grab hold of his field to suppress them.

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The shadows surged like a tide, and Will cycled his energy faster, furiously clashing against the wave. A pair of orange eyes flashed for an instant before disappearing, and the shadows retreated back into the depths.

Letting out a breath, Will fixed his gaze, determined. Unclipping a smoke grenade from his side, he glanced around the corner once again, sketching everyone's positions in his mind.

Sensing his gaze, the two uniformed Condors snapped to attention—but it was too late.

Smoke engulfed them, and Will sprang forward, firing before they could even react.

Chaos ensued.

Bullets erupted through the white haze, and Will made a beeline toward the enemy. The sound of his rounds pinging off a psionic field led him straight to the Condor. Gritting his teeth, Will rammed into the enemy, sending an elbow crashing into their face. A loud crunch followed, and the Condor slumped to the floor.

Panicked screams rang in his ears, and Will spotted another shadow within the smoke. The shadowy figure swung their rifle forward, and Will ducked low, dodging a barrage of bullets. He moved so fast it must have looked like he had disappeared. The Condor gasped, swinging his rifle back and forth, trying to find him.

Like a ghost, Will snaked past the enemy's guard and made a grab for the rifle. Panicked, the Condor began firing wildly on full auto.

Will clamped down on the Condor's arm, breaking it, but it didn't stop the firing; his finger was stuck on the trigger, and the Condor flailed, sending the gun in a wide arc. Gritting his teeth, Will broke the other arm and slammed him to the ground.

The rifle went clattering, and an eerie silence fell. The quiet was broken only by a painful gasp from the Condor as he came to.

The smoke cleared, and Will beheld the devastation their quick battle had wrought. Spent casings littered the ground around him, and lying on the floor in front of him were the three civvies, covered in blood. The bullets had torn through them like paper, and their vacant eyes stared at him accusingly.

Will breathed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. There was a ringing in his ears, and the only thing he could hear was the blood thudding in his head. The Condor under him bucked, trying to get free. Spittle flew from his mouth, his face contorted in rage.

For a second, Will went still, staring as the man mutely cursed him. A shadow fell over the Condor as he saw what loomed above him, and his cursing turned to pleading. It didn't matter. Metal hands found his throat, and Will twisted. The last guard slumped to the floor, dead.

Will unsteadily got to his feet. Not looking at the bodies around him, he staggered up the side path. He still had a job to do.

Prying open his kit, he brought out his tools and got to work. When he drew out the blocks of C4, he noticed a bullet hole in the wrap and grimaced. Luckily, the explosive was stable enough for rough handling.

Just as he grabbed the tripwire and the detonator, a ping came through the comms. His HUD populated with alerts as the call came in from command.

"Striker Lead, be advised—enemy element has slipped the net." Damian's clipped voice came through the speakers.

Will cursed under his breath as he armed the device. Hopefully, they weren't headed his way.

"Target spotted. Bogeys heading to the south rear compound wall. Repeat—south rear. ETA two mikes. They're coming in hot."

"Son of a—" Will cursed. They were headed his way.

Grabbing the tripwire, he rushed to finish the booby trap. Fight's on.