At that moment, Heine aimed his gun underneath the craft and fired three consecutive shots at the same point. The right side of the aircraft suddenly dropped and Xiao realized that Heine had hit the cockpit.
As the craft was dragged lower and lower by damage, they fired off their laser weapons and missiles. Fortunately Mark pushed Xiao aside or he would have been hit.
Heine took this opportunity, in that fraction of a second, to take out their right engine in one shot. Before the aircraft hit the ground the hatch opened and the assassins, dressed in dark grey combat gear, jumped from the cabin.
Xiao Yan exhaled shakily. This is the first time he has faced the Surge organization in person. Before that, he had just seen them on the news that played in the central square of the Shire.
The Surge were a different type of military force altogether. They were savage and destructive. Xiao remembered the news stories he had heard of the organization. It had only taken one of their killers to infiltrate the Shire and assassinate several high level military and political officials.
Before the assassins' boots hit the ground, Liv released several Silver Wings.
They avoided the hit in midair. The ones that couldn't avoid them were not vitally injured.
Heine's team has eight people; the Surge force has over 10 assassins.
They know their biggest threat is Heine, and focus on taking him out. Three of them attack him at once. If Heine cannot get rid of these assassins quickly, there will be others joining them.
"Maya, Mark, Liv get Xiao Yan out of here!"
Maya didn't hesitate to react. He used one hand to throw Xiao Yan over his shoulder and his other hand cut a path through the enemy offense, rushing in the direction of platform 47. Mark and Liv followed.
As they departed from Heine, Xiao Yan saw the edge of his blade pierce the enemy's chest, followed by another attack at the remaining assassins.
"Are we leaving him?" Xiao asked, worriedly.
Maya chuckled. "The one who can kill Heine Burton has not yet been born to this world."
They enter a densely wooded area, Xiao could feel Maya's shoulders tense up.
A flash of cold reflected over their heads, and then four assassins fall from the dense foliage.
Mark turned to block two of them and Liv released Silver Wings, while rapidly attacking and pushing them away from Maya.
Two more Surge assassins appeared. They were preparing to surround Xiao Yan.
The surge killers had long expected that they would rush to platform 47, so they had laid wait here to intercept.
"I'm going to put you down, but you have to promise to keep close to me." Maya's voice was low, no sign of that light lilting tone from earlier in the day.
Xiao swallowed a mouthful of bile and saliva. Everything was moving so fast that he had no time to worry about life or death. He could only face his own exhaustion. Despite that numbness, he couldn't find the bravery to selflessly yell "don't worry about me, save yourself"--- like they do in the movies.
He knows himself well and he is too terrified of a slow and suffering death. He is certain he would die badly.
One of the Surge's combatants pulls out his side arm. When dealing with humans, guns are still the most effective weapon of choice.
He pulled off several shots and Maya's movements were amazingly fluid. He pressed Xiao Yan's head down, as he dodged, holding him by his shoulder to guide him. Just when he thought he was about to fall, Maya picked him up again.
Spotting a sharp gleam of metal, Xiao watched as Maya threw a Silver Wing. He angles the shot perfectly and it cuts through one assailant and slices over the face of the other.
"Ah--" The guy grabbed at his chin but the blood soon stopped as his wound healed.
It is clear that the assassins of the Surge organization also use the x-virus.
"Maya, take Xiao Yan and go on ahead to the platform. We'll hold them off. Everything is fine, as long as we have the aircraft!"
Liv spoke in a strong and confident command. Mark nodded in agreement.
Maya gave a clipped cold laugh and grabbed Xiao Yan, he shot out a rope and they flew out like lightning.
"I wanted to take you across the city buildings like this, but Heine kept interrupting. You'll see, someday I'll take you." Maya smiled, but the grin fell short of his eyes, giving off a chill that tightened Xiao's nerves.
Black weapons that appeared similar to silver wings cut through the air, one hitting Maya in the back.
"Be careful -" Xiao Yan exclaimed.
Maya's wrists rotated on the ropes, and the lines were severed. Maya squatted on the trunk and shot out another rope.
Behind them an assassin is catching up.
Mayas wrists moved along a wire, severing and wrapping intricate connections. Maya steadied himself on the tree trunk as he shot another out. Behind them, the Surge killer is closing in.
"Come on... this way." A deep smile etched and curled Maya's lips as he walked through the forest with Xiao
The assassin was running full speed towards them, suddenly he seemed to be stopped by an invisible force. There was a moment of eerie stillness and then his body fell to pieces, his blood glittered on the glowing filaments as the sun reflected off the wire.
This was Maya's weapon and degree of skill.
"Do you find me handsome at this particular moment?" Maya slowly batted his eyes as Xiao.
"You're handsome." Xiao Yan mimicked Liv's expression and rolled his eyes, but his admiration for Maya was rising like an exponential function.
Along the way, Maya met a few zombies. They were just ordinary Level 0. Maya easily solved them, and the forty-seventh platform was in sight.
Maya stopped abruptly and frowned.
At least one-fifth of that platform was blown up and it was apparent that it had not been long since the attack.
"I... I don't think there is an aircraft on this platform... or... at least one that can be used."
"Hah..." Maya closed her eyes, finally revealing a frustrated expression. "But my mission is to enter this platform and find the aircraft."
"...I saw a zombie enter the platform..." Xiao Yan showed a blank expression.
"The terminal may not be completely out yet. We can contact the No. 2 base through the system and have them dispatch an aircraft."
"Okay." Xiao Yan nodded.
"Come on. The Colonel's command is for me to stay with you. Even if you become a dead body, I must take you with me." Maya bowed his head slightly.
Xiao Yan was paralyzed. He suddenly understood the deep dedication in the military.
"Okay, I'll go with you... Despite if I'm to be eaten by a zombie or killed by the Surge."
"I will protect you, Xiao Yan." Maya chuckled and put his arm on Xiao Yan's shoulder and playfully bargained. "If we return to the Shire alive, are you willing to join me in bed?"
"Umm...you don't have to protect me."
"Let's go."
Maya picked up Xiao Yan and rushed to the platform at full speed.
Several zombie jumped up and tried to knock them down. Maya slashed his blade across them, and a few were cut apart. Maya arrived at the front of the platform and put him down.
The entrance to the platform has been locked down so they must enter where the walls have been blown open.
Maya took down more than a dozen zombies. They finally entered the platform.
The communication channel is closed and there is no trace of the aircraft. The troops stationed here must have left and taken the aircraft after the attack.
"We need to get to the control center." Maya's eyes were steady and focused.
Maya gripped onto Xiao Yan's arm, he did not relax his clasp for even a moment.
They made their way along the passage and had just turned the corner, when the scene ahead frightened Xiao Yan so badly he nearly fell.
The passageway is littered with torn body parts, and viscera. 10 meters further down is a Level 1 zombie tearing the organs out of a dead body, and frantically shoving more in its mouth.
Its blood thirsty eyes look up and it excitedly stood and rushed toward Maya and Xiao Yan.
"Stay still!"
Maya moved out from the corner rapidly and his blade cut an arc through the air. In rapid time, the zombie's legs were cut off while Maya moved behind and sunk his blade through its neck.
"Ah!" Xiao Yan exclaimed.
Suddenly a blade flew at Maya's back.
The tip pierced his neck and blood splattered out.
Xiao's breath stilled and Maya hurriedly slipped next to Xiao Yan. His hand gripped his neck, the blood already beginning to slow.
."Good warning. Good warning. A little bit off and that would have been fatal. I can't heal if I don't have a head."
Xiao Yan was a bit reassured hearing Maya speak.
Neither could take a moment to exhale because two Surge assassins had their swords readied and were moving toward them.
Maya took a step back, his hand behind him to still Xiao's movements.
"I'll hold them up here. You get to the control room. Can you use the terminal?"
Xiao is unable to see Maya's expression, but he can hear from his voice that he wasn't certain he could handle these two assassins.
"I learned that in preliminary school...you look that far down on us techs?"
Maya smiled tightly, his face strained. "These two are trouble."
"How much trouble?"
The assassins were still inching toward them, they didn't rush to attack. It was clear from their approach they were equally wary of Maya's abilities.
"These two guys killed my instructor."
"..."
Although Xiao has not seen the skill of Maya's mentor, given Maya was so adept one would assume his instructor was more so....and he died at the hands of these assassins? Ah....
" I am sure that you can get to the control room easily....Hey...You have to promise me two things." Maya guarded Xiao Yan's retreat as the enemy approached.
"What?"
"First, we must communicate our situation to the No. 2 base."
"Understood."
"Second, no matter what happens, lock the door of the control room. Unless rescue arrives, you are not to open the door."
This order gave Xiao Yan a bad feeling, chills rippled down his skin.
"Do you understand or not?" Maya's hand gripped his double-edged weapon, his muscles tightened and readied.
"I Understand!"
"Now!"
As soon as the words fell, Maya released a Silver Wing toward the other side, and the two killers swiftly escaped as if they were phantoms, in the next moment they appeared in front of Maya.
Mayaslammed down his sword, yelling at Xiao. "GO!"
Xiao Yan did not know where the courage came from, he rushed out from under thearm of Maya. He could feel the killer's blade passing over his him. Maya's blade lifted and severed the hair ontop of Xiao's head.