Jason gripped onto Audrey's arm as they flew over the streets of Quincy, Laureen tucked in the beetle girl's other arm to his right. Hiroshi flew alongside them, arms pointed out like he was pointing at something, his scarf flapping wildly in the wind. Below, more of the chaos unfolded as they zoomed by.
Citizens were fleeing through the streets, pushing and trampling each other to escape to who knows where. Emergency services were attempting to guide them but with so many people, there was only so much they could do. Jason witnessed one cop at a makeshift barricade yelling an onrushing crowd of people to stop. But citizens began to pour over the barricade, practically throwing themselves over it, a sea of bodies. Multiple men and women slammed down on the cop and he was dragged down into the stampede of people. Another cop several feet ahead fired his gun warningly into the air, the tide of people screeching to a halt. Officers began to yell at the crowd, brandishing their machine guns to make their point. They appeared to get the crowd under control...for the moment. But that was only one block. How could they possibly get the entire city under control?
Jason didn't know. But he tried, tried, to focus his mind. He had to put some faith in the cops, emergency services, and whoever else was trying to protect this city while it was under siege. And to think...he used to hate cops. Funny how the last few months had focused his mind on bigger matters than the petty ideas he used to think his life revolved around.
They soared onward, clearing more buildings, witnessing jam-packed freeways, convoys of ambulances, and burning buildings decorated the practically hellish city of Quincy. Finally, Laureen pointed ahead and yelled over the winds, "I think I see the fucking thing!"
Jason looked ahead, raising one arm over his mask to focus his view. The arm twitched slightly in a spasm of pain but Jason ignored it. Focusing ahead, he tried to tune out the sirens and screams from below, and followed Laureen's finger.
There, in the distance, was a small bridge over a slow-moving river. One side of it was jam packed with vehicles, all squashed together in a desperate, yet ultimately futile attempt, to evacuate over the thing. Several of the car's alarms were going off, their lights flashing all together, blinking on and off like a bunch of fireworks exploding. In the center of the bridge the vehicles had come to a stop. Two SWAT vans flanked the procession of evacuee. What looked like a horde of people was hunkered down amidst the mess of traffic, lying flat on the ground or even underneath their own cars. In front of them were multiple SWAT officers, who were taking cover around the traffic and behind their armored vans. They were firing ahead across the bridge and Jason's gaze shifted to see what they were shooting at.
Several dozen mercenaries were at the edge of the bridge, blocking the evacuees escape route. They too were taking cover behind abandoned vehicles, popping out to open fire on the SWAT group they were currently engaged in a firefight with. But despite their caution, Jason could see they were easily gaining group. Dead bodies, civilian and cop alike, lay around them. There were a lot of them and only a few cops standing between them and a hapless group of civilians.
"Fucking hell..." Laureen said, as Audrey flew to a halt next to the bridge and hovered in midair. "Okay, get us down there! Hiroshi, open with a salvo of energy blasts! Go, fucking go!"
Audrey dived and Jason gripped her arm for dear life, as she plunged down toward the edge of the bridge. Winds swept him, making him lips flap as they tore at his exposed skin. Hiroshi dived next to them, his hands glowing with shimmering light. He then opened fire, twin energy blasts slamming down in front of the bridge in the gap between the mercenaries and the SWAT team.
The firefight stopped, cops and mercenaries looking skyward. To their credit, the Skeleton Crew mercs were quick to react. One rose from behind a bullet-ridden truck, hefting a rocket launcher. He fired at Audrey.
"Shit, swerve!" Laureen howled, raising her arms instinctively in front of her face. Jason gripped tighter as Audrey flew to the right, twisting her enormous bulk in midair. The world spun sideways and Jason caught a brief glimpse of the rocket roar past them, before there was a loud boom from somewhere in midair.
A shockwave of forced slammed into Audrey. Her arm gripped Jason was flung outward and Jason was yanked forward along with it. His sticky palms ripped free of her exoskeleton and he gave a loud shriek before he was ripped free. The world became a blur around him, as Jason began to fall toward the ground.
Jason yelped cried out, the wind screaming past his ears as he fell. His arms flailed around, twisting and writhing as he desperately tried to grab onto something. But there was nothing around and his arms just groped madly, futilely, at nothing. The ground below sailed up to meet him and Jason screamed, raising his arms, trying to go limp.
Then a yellow blur flew underneath him. Jason caught a split second glimpse of Hiroshi underneath him before he slammed down on the kid. The smaller boy fell from the sky like a stone, Jason on top of him. They crashed, Hiroshi first, on the side of a car and rolled to the ground.
Jason lay there for a moment, coughing, the world around him slowly stopping to spin. Then he heard a pained moan from underneath him. He managed to rise, his arms trembling slightly, and saw Hiroshi lying underneath him, sprawled out like a ragdoll. Jason's eyes widened, realizing the teenager had just tried to catch him. He quickly rolled off Hiroshi before grabbing him and pushing him into a sitting position against the side of a van. Hiroshi yelped again in pain as he was pushed up, one of his hands reaching to his side.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" Jason yelled at Hiroshi, looking left and right. He didn't spot any merc creeps yet but it was only a matter of time before they swarmed on their position like roaches. "You could've been killed! Last I checked, you don't have fucking super strength!"
Hiroshi coughed, muffled beneath his helmet. "...You were falling..." He rasped, his voice pained. "In manga...television...video games...I see that all the time. Somebody falling...somebody else catches them...I guess they're a lot lighter than you." He winced again as his hand touched his side.
"Where does it hurt?" Jason said, leaning down. He saw Hiroshi's hand was gripping at his ribcage. Shit. He probably broke a rib either catching me or in the subsequent fall.
Hiroshi winced again, letting out another ragged breath. "R-r-right t-there," He moaned, his hand trembling as he touched his side. "It...it's starting to hurt to breathe too... "
Jason cursed. Then gunfire roared again, close around him. Bullets glanced off the hood of the vehicle Hiroshi was slumped against. The teenager started slightly, helmeted face looking around.
"They're coming..." He rasped, body shaking, either from shock or fear. Maybe both. "I...I have...have to get up...!"
Jason gently but firmly put a hand on Hiroshi's chest. "Stay down," He growled. He looked at Hiroshi firmly. "I mean it. We'll handle these assholes. Just stay down and take-"
"Behind you!" Hiroshi suddenly yelled. Jason whirled around and caught a glimpse of two mercs moving around the opposite car. He threw himself forward, hearing two simultaneous shots. Bullets criss crossed past him, narrowly missing him as he landed in front of the first mercenary.
Jason kicked the merc in the chest, sending him flying and smashing against a vehicle. He then somersaulted upward, vaulting over the second guy, another spray of gunfire go underneath him. Jason landed in a crouch on the car behind the guy. He grabbed the man from behind and slammed his skull against the vehicle. The mercenary dropped like a ton of bricks, the resounding crack his head made against the metal echoing across the road.
Jason whirled around, panting. He immediately froze. Several feet away from the car were no less than five mercenaries. Their guns raised, aimed at him.
He flipped backward, just in time. The roar of gunfire boomed forth and dozens of bullet slammed against the car. Bullets pinged off the metal and chunks of the windows exploded into shards of glass. Jason hit the road behind the car, the loud noises pounding at his ears. He knelt down, grabbing Hiroshi around the waist. The boy yelped in pain, struggling a bit as Jason pulled him up.
"Try and relax!" Jason cried, as more gunfire whizzed over his head. There was a loud hiss as one of the wheels of the car was hit and it deflated, the car sinking slightly. Hiroshi just screamed louder. Jason took a long breath and ran forward, trying to keep low, hugging the kid against himself. Charging forward, he ran around another car in his path, running forward. He had to get Hiroshi out of here. Where the fuck were Audrey and Laureen?! He needed them...they needed them!
Darting around a car lying on its side, he spotted a van next to the side of the road, inches from the incline that fell down into the river. Some poor guy was lying crushed under its front wheels, his head resembling a smashed watermelon. Jason looked away, hoping Hiroshi didn't see that either, and ran to the back of the van. The doors were open and the back compartment was empty.
Stepping inside, Jason put Hiroshi at the back of the van compartment as gently as he could. Nonetheless, the kid still cried out as he was put down on the floor and his hand almost clawed at his side.
"Oh god..." He moaned, head flopping against the wall. "Oh Christ, that hurts..."
"Stay..." Jason said, rising, raising his hands, and panting. "Just stay here, okay?"
Hiroshi laughed, which quickly degenerated into an agonized groan. "I'm...I'm not going anywhere..." He said in between frenzied breaths.
Jason nodded. He took one last look at the kid, biting his upper lip. He hoped...really hope...the poor guy would be alright. Hiroshi seemed so much more vulnearable than the rest of them. Until now, he'd managed to avoid being seriously hurt. But now he was and with that, he was also grounded, removing his power of flight that kept him out of danger. Jason swore he'd make sure his younger friend got out of this okay. That would all be okay.
They had to be.
With a nod, he pulled himself away and scuttled to back of the van. He poked his head around the door, peering at the car laden road outside, looking for threats.
They were found quite easily. Five mercenaries were creeping toward the van, assault rifles raised. At their back was the merc with the rocket launcher. Behind them, flashes of gunfire streaked from the vehicles as the rest of the soldiers continued to exchange gunfire with the SWAT team. The bullets roared through the night air, punctuated by the wail of sirens and the scream of the civilians sandwiched on the bridge.
One of the mercenaries spotted Jason and pointed at the van. "Fire!" He bellowed. Jason expected the customary assault of bullets to follow. But the mercs didn't open fire. Instead, they parted, guns still trained on Jason's position, making way for the merc with the rocket launcher. Jason's eyes widened as the guy took a knee, raising the enormous weapon and taking aim at the van.
Oh fuck-! Jason thought. He turned, about to run as fast as he could, to dart forward, grab Hiroshi and spring to safety. But as he turned, he already knew it would be too late. There was no time. There was no TIME!
But then a voice screamed from overhead. "Hey! Get away from them!" Jason turned back and saw Audrey diving from the sky, Laureen dangling from her massive hands. Laureen's mouth was squeezed shut, her lips puckered.
The mercenaries looked up, distracted. The leader barked: "Open fire! Kill them!" The mercs did so, gunfire criss crossing the sky around Audrey. The man with the rocket launcher switched his aim, leveling up his rocket as she downward at the group.
Then Laureen opened her mouth and unleashed hell.
A torrent of flames spewed from her lips, engulfing the mercenaries as Audrey swooped over them. The men began to scream as they were set a blaze, the fire beginning to melt through their black uniforms. The rocket launcher merc dropped his weapon and several of them hit the deck, rolling desperately to put out the flames.
But their efforts were futile. The flames clung to them like wet sponges, melting through their uniforms. The men's screams grew louder and more frenzied, as they flopped, writhed, and twisted, desperately trying to put out the fires consuming them. Jason grimaced slightly but didn't look away. He watched as the men flung off scraps of their burning clothes, slapping at themselves as the flames touched flesh. The smell of burning skin filled the air. Jason's stomach flipped flopped as the disgusting smell engulfed the air. The men continued to scream but some of them had managed to tear away the scraps of burned uniform and were trying to rise while the others continued to flop about, burning alive.
Jason seized the moment. He charged out of the van and was upon the troops. One man who had ripped off his uniform's vest turned to Jason, drawing his pistol, his chest and right arm covered in second agree burns. Jason, however, was upon the guy before he could shoot. He seized the man by the collar and threw him to the pavement. At the same time, his other arm lashed out and snatched the man's pistol. The merc hit the pavement head first, smashing hard against it.
Jason chucked the gun at another rising merc, beaning him in the head. He leaped over a mercenary rolling on the ground, most of his body engulfed in crackling flames. Two more mercenaries, coughing amidst the smoke, drew their sidearms.
They fired at Jason but all the smoke and smell of burned flesh seemed to upset their aim, as their duel shots missed by a mile each. Jason nonetheless leaped forward, rolling behind a car. Another series of shots clanged off the side of the vehicle. Jason peeked out and spied one of the mercs priming a grenade, while his buddy continued to pepper the car with gunfire.
But Audrey circled back around and Laureen unleashed a cloud of noxious smoke on the two mercs. They were both engulfed by the blast and Jason temporarily lost sight of them in the smoke. A second later, they stumbled out, coughing. The first merc waved at the air, wiping his hand across his streaming eyes.
The hand was still clutching the grenade.
The grenade promptly exploded. The merc's arm was torn apart in a spray of blood, the point blank blast ripping through his face and sending him flying backwards. Shrapnel from the explosion then tore through his buddy. The second merc went down too, clawing at his now shredded face, screaming like a banshee.
Jason coldly rose. Stepping through the burning mercs, he kicked the screaming guy in the head, knocking him out. The other man wasn't moving. Probably dead.
That's how it feels, you fuckers, Jason thought with a grim sense of satisfaction. You come at us, kill our friends, and expect to just easily take care of us? You expect us to just roll over and show you our bellies? Fuck you.
Audrey circled above, flying toward the rest of the mercenaries on the other side of the road, who were continuing to exchange in the firefight with the SWAT group. Jason noticed one of the SWAT officers was lying on the ground, twitching.
Audrey flew over them and Laureen unleashed another blast of fire upon the mercenaries. Flames drenched over them and the mercs screamed as they were set ablaze, some falling over as they clawed as their now burning faces. Several of them fled back through the rows of cars, firing wildly at their aerial opponents.
Audrey twisted through the air, bullets streaking around her, some chunks of gunfire bouncing off her exoskeleton. Laureen closed her mouth, sucking in another gulp of air, cheeks inflating. One mercenary pointed at her, crying out, and yelled: "The second girl! Take her out! Take her-"
He didn't finish that thought. Audrey dived and Laureen spewed more fire. Torrents of her flaming breath spewed over the mercenaries and they shrieked, what words they had lost as the blaze took them. One of them stumbled to the side, twisting and writhing before tripping over the edge of the bridge. His burning body fell out of sight into the river below.
The rest of the men crumpled to the ground, slowly twitching as the flames consumed them, flesh peeling off in flakes as they died. Smoke filled the air and Jason felt slightly nauseous. But again, he forced himself not to look away.
Audrey landed next to him, panting hard. She released from Laureen from her grasp and she stumbled next to Jason, rubbing absently at her injured leg. She looked at the burning men, their screams and twitches growing weaker and weaker as the flames only grew higher. Finally, they stopped moving.
Laureen grimaced slightly. "...They smell really bad. They don't show this shit in video games. When I blasted some assholes with a flamethrower in Dead Space, they fucking didn't look like this."
"Yeah," Jason said, watching the flames crackle over the unmoving bodies. He felt he should feel something more but all he felt was that same sense of satisfaction. It wasn't happiness, not exactly, but it was still a weirdly pleasant feeling. "They deserved it though."
Laureen nodded. "Yeah," She said, her voice tight. "Sure as shit you're right. They fucking deserved to burn for what they did." She absently wiped a lock of hair out of her eyes as she spoke, her face reddened and sweating from her close proximity to her own flames.
Jason watched the flames for a few more moments before he felt something touch his hand. He looked to his side and saw Audrey, towering over him, prodding his hand with her finger. She was watching the flames with a dead eyed expression, save for her lips, which were trembling violently. Jason swallowed before grasping her giant finger with his whole hand and squeezed tightly.
After a moment, Laureen turned away from the flames and wiped a gloved hand across her sweaty face. "Okay. So, I saw you land on Hiroshi on the way down. Sorry we didn't get to saving you or helping you fucking sooner but a close range explosion like that stunned us both briefly. Right, Audrey?"
Audrey just nodded quietly, the shadows of the flames dancing around her stoic face.
"Its alright," Jason said with a sigh, continuing to hold Audrey's finger tight. He then pointed to the van across the bridge. "Hiroshi broke a rib catching me though. We should go get him then tend to the survivors up ahead."
"Sounds like a fucking rad plan," Laureen grunted. She waved at the van. "Mind getting him?"
"Sure." Jason smiled weakly at Audrey before releasing her finger. She stared back, eyes wide, but didn't smile, didn't even try to force one. He then turned to head back to the van and retrieve Hiroshi, his nose wrinkling as the scent of burning flesh continued to clog the air.
But before he could take another step, there was a low hum in the sky. Jason, Audrey, and Laureen all looked up. Eerie blue light erupted seemingly out of thin air over the bridge, bathing the whole place in its glowing hue. The light twisted and formed into what resembled...a portal, swirling against the black sky. Jason's eyes widened. It was the same portal he'd seen twice before, once on the television and once in the skies above the Agency.
"Oh crap...!" He cried, taking a few steps back. Laureen glared at the portal before pointing behind them.
"Okay, take cover! Whatever fucking thing is coming out of that shithole, it ain't gonna be good!"
But before they could take action, a shape appeared from the portal. The sound of a chopper's engine filled the air, before a helicopter flew out of the open portal, circling over the bridge like a metallic bird of prey. The portal closed behind it, as the helicopter twisted itself in their direction, angling downward. A underslung chaingun and two mounted missile aimed at the group.
"Move!" Laureen screamed. Audrey leaped forward, grabbing them both and swinging around, yanking Jason and Laureen against her chest. Jason's face smashed against one of her open wounds, sticky blood slathering on his cheek. Then there was a loud roar as the helicopter opened fire.
Audrey's frame shook as what sounded like the chaingun's barrage of gunfire slammed against her shell. Jason's head rattled on her chest, unable to see what was going on, just hearing the scream of bullets. Then he heard a buzzing noise and his feet left the ground. He squirmed in Audrey's grasp and managed to angle his head to the side. He saw she was flying off the ground, while Laureen was pressed against the other side of her chest. The noise of the chopper continued to roar across the sky, unseen from Jason's sight. He gripped Audrey's arm tighter, as she suddenly dived to the side, wind rushing past him as she zoomed through the air.
Jason looks up, the world spinning around him. Audrey was speeding right at the helicopter, as it continued to spray gunfire at her. The aircraft dived forward, screaming them, winds tearing at them as it went by. Jason followed as it zoomed past and saw it was heading for the center of the bridge.
Civilians began to scatter, some running for the other side, elbowing and trampling each other. Others leaped off the sides, falling toward the waters below. Laureen yelled over the screaming and the helicopter's engine: "He's target the civilians! Audrey, get us close! We gotta take his ass down!"
Audrey swerved, shooting forward like a rocket. Jason was thankful he was wearing his mask, otherwise he was sure his eyes would have been torn apart by the sheer force of the wind. They shot toward the helicopter, just as its chaingun opened fire again.
The gunfire tore through one of the SWAT vans, shredding it in half. One officer disappeared in a hail of gunfire, while the others dove for cover. The barrage of bullets ripped through vehicles, as multiple civilians continued to flee for their lives.
Audrey flew behind the helicopter and with a buzz of her wings, zoomed over it. The helicopter's rotary blades spun beneath them and Jason gripped tight, imaging himself falling and getting chopped to ribbons by those things. Audrey zoomed in front of the chopper's cockpit, the gunfire spraying beneath them. Laureen sucked in a quick breath and held it.
The chopper suddenly angled itself upward. Without warning, one of its missile pods fired. Audrey instantly banked left, the missile streaking past. It exploded midair some yards behind them, a shockwave of force slamming into Audrey. Audrey shuddered from the impact, her arms loosening. Jason stuck fast against, even as he was jostled a bit. But Laureen's grip slipped. Laureen fell out of Audrey's arms and began to plummet toward the ground.
"Laureen!" Jason cried. Audrey instantly dove, reaching out one hand for her. She managed to grab Laureen's leg, inches before Laureen would have splatted against the ground. Laureen looked up, screaming, a jet of smoke spewing from her mouth.
Jason looked behind them as Audrey dove upward, Laureen dangling from one hand. The helicopter swerved around, spraying more chaingun fire at them. Jason squealed but Audrey's wings buzzed so far they became a blur and she shot forward, the bullets streaking behind them and tearing through the road. She then shot upwards, the helicopter pursuing them.
Jason gripped onto Laureen's shoulder, as he watched the helicopter fly up after them. Laureen continued to dangle upside down from Audrey's hand, as the bridge shrank as they climbed higher into the sky. Laureen looked upward, face pale, and shrieked: "Fuuuuuuuck!"
"Any ideas?!" Jason screamed, as Audrey zoomed left and right, avoiding more bullets as the helicopter continued to fire on them. Laureen was yanked back and forth, swinging like a pendulum. She managed to cry out:
"FUUUUUUUCK I THINK I'M GONNA THROW UP!"
Jason looked down. For all of Audrey's speed, the helicopter was continuing to gain on them, its black metallic form getting larger as it roared across the sky. Below, the city looked like a doll's house, lights dotting across its landscape and contrasted with the out of control fires still raging. The helicopter, as it closed in, suddenly fire not one but two missiles at them.
"Oh shit!" Jason screamed. Audrey took a quick behind her. Laureen screamed. The missiles streaked toward them. Jason closed his eyes, wondering if this was the last thing he'd see before he died.
That fearful sensation was quickly overtaken by one of absolute vertigo, as he suddenly felt the world around him abruptly drop like a stone. Jason opened his eyes and saw they were in fact free falling through the air. He twisted about, the wind whistling in his ears, everything turning into a blur. He caught a glimpse of Audrey's wings and to his shock, they were no longer moving. Laureen was being tossed about, body swinging up and down as they fell, her screams heard even above the whistling of the wind. Somewhere above, there was a loud boom and Jason caught a glimpse of a scarlet explosion across the sky. The missiles, probably having detonated.
"Audrey!" Jason screamed over the wind. Audrey's face was tightened into a grimace, her unprotected eyes closed. "What are you doing?!"
"Trust me!" She cried back, as Laureen continued to flail about like a human piñata. Jason looked down and his stomach did flips flops as he saw the edge of the bridge rushing up to meet them. He clenched his jaw but kept his eyes open, trusting in Audrey.
At the last moment, the beetle girl's wings buzzed back to life and she arched upward, narrowly missing smashing three of them on the pavement. As they zoomed back into the sky, Laureen craned her head downward and vomited. The stuff was yanked off into the wind and Laureen groaned, raising her head.
"Enough with the...evasive maneuvers," She grunted, wiping her vomit-stained lips. "Let's go off this crazy ride and take out that damn chopper already! You hear me?!"
The helicopter roared overhead. Jason looked up and saw the aircraft diving at them, firing its chaingun again. Audrey flew over the edge of the bridge, bullets whizzing over them as she shot downward toward the churning river. Jason caught a glimpse of multiple people swimming or being dragged about in the waters, screaming for help as they fought to get to shore. He wished he could help them...no, they would help them. Just after taking out this asshole manning the helicopter.
Audrey skimmed over the water, her face trembling as the grasping hands of civilians groped at them, desperately trying to pull themselves from the water. Laureen pulled up her head and cried, "Just ignore them for now! We'll get them later!"
The helicopter dived downward, zooming over the river after them. Its chaingun continued to fire, bullets streaking past, a few bouncing off Audrey's shell. She shuddered a bit in midair but held her course. "What's the p-plan?" She cried, her voice shaking a bit.
Laureen craned her neck ahead. Jason cried out the gunfire: "Let's get him over the road! Don't want him to crash into innocents if we drop him near the bridge!"
"As if innocents won't on the fucking shore too!" Laureen cried. She suddenly pointed her to the side. Jason followed it and saw what looked like a shipyard next to the river. "There! Fly there!"
Audrey's wing buzzed even harder if that were possible. She streaked over the water, wind continuing to whistle in Jason's ears and tear at his exposed skin. She then arched upward, the chaingun's fire near through the side of the river canal in front of her, sending debris falling into the waves. She zoomed over the shipyards, containers littering the place, side by side with abandoned construction equipment.
Audrey dived under a low hanging crane and twisted around, hovering in midair. The helicopter flew up on the other side of the shipyard, the wind from its rotors making the crane creak and sway. Jason glared definitely at the thing, legs dangling off of Audrey. Laureen, still upside down, pointed a finger at the hovering vehicle.
"Alright! Fly over that thing! Get me behind it! And you two better pray to that I don't fucking puke!"
With that, she sucked in air and puckered in her cheeks. Audrey zoomed forward, streaking over containers and stacked boxes. The helicopter opened fire as she zoomed toward it. Audrey weaved, dodging a missile as it streaked by her. Jason grimaced as the missile struck a mountain of containers. They exploded with a loud boom, sending chunks of the stuff flying in a cloud of dust and smoke.
Audrey reached the chopper's underside and it banked left, clearly trying to avoid her. But Laureen raised her head. Jason quickly shut his eyes, before there was a rush of extremely intense heat in front him and a flood of blue light danced in the darkness of his shut eyes. The heat passed and Jason opened them, looking up.
Laureen had spewed blue fire, the hottest intensity she could get to (as far as Jason knew), which slammed into the side of the helicopter's rotors. The flames ripped through the metal, melting through multiple propellers. The chopper lost control of itself, starting to spin out of control.
Audrey got clear, zooming back over the river. Jason watched as the helicopter slammed into the side of the crane, which was knocked loose from its foundations. The crane pitched forward, crashing down against a stack of containers, chunks of it splintering apart and crashing down into the shipyard. The blow sent the helicopter toppled on its side, its half-destroyed propellers continued to spin wildly. Its frame crashed into another stack of containers, its cockpit crumpling from the blow. The aircraft fell sideways, one of its missile pods ripping free, before it hit the ground with a thunderous crash. Its propeller stopped spinning, as red lights flashed in its pulverized cockpit. Smoke billowed off as it lay still in the shipyard.
"Fuck yeah!" Laureen yelled, pumping her arms into the air. "Oh shit man, did you see that?! I just took down a helicopter! Holy shit! That's some Call of Duty motherfucking action there!" She raised a double-pair of middle fingers at the downed chopper. "Fuck you!"
Jason breathed out a sigh of relief. "...Yeah that was pretty awesome."
"I know, right?" Laureen grinned up at him, her hair dangling, face covered in sweat. "So cool."
"...We should help the civilians," Audrey muttered, her wide eyes looking at the wrecked aircraft. Jason suddenly became aware of the screams again, from the struggling people in the river and on the bridge. He twisted around, seeing almost tiny forms of people swimming in the churning surf.
"Right," Laureen said, her expression turning serious. "Let's go and help 'em." She grimaced and pointed at herself. "And uh, can you lift me back up? I think I'm gonna get a migraine from the amount of damn blood going to my head."
Audrey nodded and awkwardly pulled Laureen up, Laureen gripping onto the beetle girl's shoulder and hoisting herself back into her former position. She grunted, smoothing out her tangled hair, and pointed onward. Audrey flew off, zooming toward the river and the people who needed their help. Jason took a final look at the smoking chopper and allowed a smile to play across his lips.
He hoped Hiroshi was alright. And all these people. But this? This felt like a real victory.