Shifting in his chair, Felix’s leg screamed at him.
The pain of the wound and tourniquet itself were kept his thoughts scattered. Bouncing around in his head like a couple of screws in a tin can.
“Save the ammo, let them bleed out,” Adriana said.
“But, we could try and sa—”
“Do you really want to finish that sentence?” Julia said, interrupting her. “Haven’t your goddamn goody-two-shoes wishes given us enough trouble?”
“I didn’t mean for thi—”
“No, you didn’t, and you didn’t think a damn bit of what could happen. You just charged in because you wanted to help. If you didn’t notice, your dad back there is dying because of your need to help,” Julia hissed at her. “Shut your stupid mouth, and let the adults fix your mess.”
“Julia… this isn’t the time or place,” Adriana said. “Stow it.”
Scoffing, Julia gave her head a shake and muttered something under her breath that Felix couldn’t make out.
Eva got quiet after that.
He didn’t doubt for a second she was more than likely boiling with guilt and anxiety about the situation.
But he wasn’t going to correct Julia either.
Unfortunately, even though he cared deeply for Eva, he didn’t feel like Julia was wrong.
Soft headed morality was the shortest and quickest route to getting yourself killed, hurt, or taken advantage of.
You don’t have to step on the heads of others to get ahead, but you’ll never do it by letting others step on your own head. Then again, people in Legion are different. We’re all united in our purpose and cause.
As his thoughts started to slip out of his control, several groups of armed Skipper troops came sprinting around the corner.
They all opened up as they came.
His Legionnaires returned fire and started to drop targets
Rounds shattered into walls, the ceiling, and passed all around in both directions.
Felix threw himself to the ground, trying to limit his profile. He wasn’t good to anyone right now and was a liability.
Adriana spun to one side and went down in a heap.
Several heartbeats later, the bullets stopped flying, though there was a clinking sound he’d never heard before.
Rolling around between himself and his people was a small green sphere.
A grenade? A grenade.
Felix froze, unsure of what to do. He didn’t think he could get away quick enough with his leg in such bad shape.
Julia dove on top of the grenade before Felix could come up with a valid plan.
She covered it up completely with her chest and stomach, lying flat over the top of it.
Her head shot up and she locked eyes with him.
“Bring me back, or I’ll haunt you,” she said, and then exploded.
The blast was particularly large, cutting her in half and emptying out her chest cavity as if the armor she’d been wearing had done nothing at all to protect her.
Her torso flopped to one side, her eyes wide open and alive.
A bullet passed through her temple as she took in a struggling breath and exited the back of her head, her eyes going glassy and flat in a moment.
“She’ll thank me later,” Adriana said, turning back to the ramp after having delivered the mercy shot.
“This is all my fault. All my fault,” Eva said, her voice breaking.
“Keep your head in the game, Eva. I need you right now,” Adriana shouted, her rifle opening up again as more enemy soldiers stormed down the ramp.
This time Adriana returned the favor, tossing a grenade as they turned the corner.
The detonation dropped half of them, and the other half was dazed.
Holding the trigger down, Adriana dropped them all and emptied the clip at the same time.
With a rapid magazine change that’d impress even the hardest of soldiers, Adriana leaned back into the cover.
Waiting.
“Damn. That was close,” Felix muttered.
Levering himself up to a sitting position, Felix swiveled around to face Steve. “How you doing over the—”
Felix stopped when he realized Steve wasn’t breathing. His head was leaned back against the wall he’d been propped up against.
Unmoving.
Dead.
Looking away, Felix wasn’t sure what he could do anymore.
This is why you stay in the rear, with the gear. Remember? Sure, they trained you up just in case, but this isn’t your forte.
The sound of movement came from the tunnel.
Felix briefly wondered how many more waves they could survive.
A large black mech stomped around the corner. It had a large sword in one hand and the other was empty.
Emblazoned on the shoulder was Legion’s brand.
He didn’t recognize it as one of the Warden models he’d seen.
Sliding around behind the Warden, because that was clearly what it was, came Victoria in her personalized suit.
Feeling a hiccupping laugh escape his chest, Felix lifted a hand and waved.
Not trusting himself to talk, that was the extent he could handle right now.
The Warden oriented itself on him and then moved quickly towards him, only stopping when it loomed over him.
“Felix. I’m here,” came Miu’s voice through the speakers.
“I’m glad to see you,” Felix said. “I’m afraid I have another hard one for you. Get me, Eva, and Adriana out of here.”
Victoria was talking to Adriana and Eva, a hushed conversation with violent gestures.
“I understand,” Miu said. “You are wounded.”
“Yeah. It’s… not good. I think it’s worse than Adriana is letting on. Think you can get us out?”
“No.” Turning in place, the front of the Warden faced Adriana.
“If the Beastkin lets me kill her, we can escape quickly. She left a piece of herself at HQ and can be brought back easily,” Miu said. “It would increase our speed.”
Adriana stopped talking to Victoria and stared up at Miu. After three seconds she looked at Felix. “She’s not wrong, darling. I’m healing but not fast, I’d slow you down. I’ll take care of it in a moment. Please remember your promise, won’t you? I’m currently designated as forty-two,” Adriana said.
Not sparing them another word, she returned to her conversation with Victoria.
The Warden rotated around and lined up on Felix again.
“I will take Felix, and go back to HQ,” Miu said. She reached behind her back and the sword clanged into place in its holder.
A pod attached to the left hip of the Warden cracked open. Kneeling down in front of him, Miu indicated the pod. “Medical kit. Use the painkillers,” she said. “You need to stay awake, and I think the pain might become unbearable once we set out.”
Reaching into the pod, Felix pulled it out and cracked it open.
There were several pre-set injectors hooked into the sides. The idea was that anyone could use the kit even without training.
Felix didn’t know what was in them, or how to use it, and didn’t even care.
Instead, he pulled one out, flicked the tip off it, and jammed it into his forearm.
Miu leaned in after that was done and scooped Felix up under his armpits and knees.
She’s not actually going to princess carry me… ah crap she is.
“Throne acquired,” Victoria said to what he assumed was the communication network. “Hook returning, requesting escort along R-2.”
Felix saw Eva clamber onto Victoria’s back at the same time that Adriana put her rifle down between her knees, put the rifle to her brow, and pulled the trigger.
The single boom and the explosion of her skull splattering the ceiling was shocking for some reason.
Crumpling to the ground, Adriana’s corpse went rigid.
Miu didn’t stop, and stepped over the blood-gushing corpse and started towards the ramp.
She turned the shoulder of the mech as she got up to ground level. Felix had a momentary thought that she’d done it to shield Felix in case there were more troops. At the same time, Felix got a view of the back of the camp.