Brothers in Arms

Eclipse: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire

"There Shadow goes," Rouge says fondly, commenting on the sonic boom everyone has to brace for. I glance at her, but she doesn't seem to be talking to me, likely unaware that I can hear her over the rushing wind. She perches on the back of the transport, while I crouch, digging my nails into it. I've never ridden such an unwieldy vehicle before, and I don't want to fall off of it and make a fool of myself on such an important mission.

I squint ahead at the building, watching a section of the wall implode on one side, undoubtedly due to Shadow's attack. He's doing an admirable job of causing a ruckus, I'll give him that. We're only a kilometer away and closing fast, and there aren't any signs of our approach being noticed.

I steady my breathing, rolling my shoulders as we fly across the landscape. Only seconds away now.

The driver skids to a halt against the side of the building, and I immediately scan for threats. Shadow didn't see any outside turrets, but I'm not about to take the chance. But, my caution isn't tested, with the last of Spider Troupe exiting the vehicles without a problem.

"Go, go!" Andrews orders, waving them on and pulling his weapon. I leap to the front of the line, taking my position, and we make for a closed steel door in the worse for wear wall. I make sure I have a good grip on the ground, then slam my joined palms into it with a powerful thrust forward. The metal screeches, making me wince involuntarily, and it warps around my hands. I worry for a split second that I'll just make a hole, but the door holds together and rips off its hinges.

I duck down, in case of gunfire, but my senses determine there's no one in the immediate vicinity. I dash into the empty hallway, ears alert for sounds of conflict.

"Shadow's moving upwards," I report, knowing that's an important detail for Andrews to hear.

"Where are the most people?" He questions, which is not an easy thing to answer with the cacophony of sensory information assaulting me, but I take my best guess.

"I would surmise there," I reply, pointing left and down several levels, deciding the people I can hear sound more scared than anything, like they're not fighting. If anything marks a typical human, it's fear of anything dangerous--and non-soldiers are what we came for.

"Where's the nearest stairwell?" He asks, and I give him a frustrated look.

"I don't know. I'm a Chaos Creature, not a god," I say, annoyed at the question.

"There's one here!" Rouge calls from the left, having moved to investigate. "I hear people, though."

"Ambush," I guess, picking up on the same signals as I come closer. "They would be moving if it wasn't."

"Should we challenge that?" Lodge, one of Spider Troupe, asks her captain. He frowns, and Rouge pipes up.

"Echolocation is telling me their weapons are pretty nasty. I think it's a bad idea to rush in."

"We don't have time to waste not getting downstairs," Andrews says, frustrated. "Omega could simply make us a path. Why did ground support get him?"

"You need a path?" I query, and his eyes switch to me sharply. "Where?"

"Down," he replies, and I grin.

"Got it." I briefly weigh my options to create such a thing, eventually deciding it'll be easier--and safer--to use my monster form, in case there are soldiers below us, too. I've only started training with it again recently in preparation for the mission, but it should be enough. I gesture everyone to move back, not wanting to hurt my teammates accidentally. Then, taking a deep breath, reminding myself to not keep it any longer than I have to, I trigger it, feeling my body's healing factor work overtime to create the exoskeleton.