The realization dawned at the same time the door crashed inward in an explosion of billowing smoke. Shrouded figures entered, fanning rifles with targeting lasers cutting through the haze. Unfurling his cape, Vigil rolled to a corner and crouched as they swept past his concealed form. Dropping the cloak, he rose and fired a repulsor blast at one of the soldiers. As their comrade hit the wall with bone-crunching force, the other three separated and spread out, moving with fluid grace. The dog-faced assailants silently moved to flank him, firing tightly-aimed bursts from their guns, the sounds dampened by suppressors.
Threat detectors automatically activated Vigil's omni-shields, allowing him to deflect the shots. Pivoting, he kicked a rifle from the nearest Hellhound's hands and followed with a punishing blow to the chest that delivered an electric burst that arced over the man's torso. Vigil stumbled when shot in the back, but the armor held up. He rolled to the side, using the first soldier's body for cover as it fell. Another repulsor blast took out the shooter. Without slowing, he rose and caught the last soldier's arm as he lowered his rifle. Wrenching up and twisting, he broke the man's arm with a sharp snap. Vigil grabbed the rife as it fell, hefted it, and slammed the butt into the soldier's helmet, shattering the canine mask. The Hellhound dropped without a sound.
Vigil tapped his com. "You said I had five minutes."
"The math isn't perfect, Vigil. There's activity all over the building. I spot two squads coming up the stairs. The only good news is that Heretic has his hands full as well. Looks like Janus wasn't taking any chances."
"I have to get to him before he bails."
"Don't see how. You're going to have to fight every step of the way."
"Not if I get creative."
Vigil hit the hallway at a full sprint, heading for the elevator. Popping a long blade from his gauntlet, he used it to pry the doors open before leaping down the elevator shaft. His visor cast the walls in red light as he plummeted down. At the last second, his boot thrusters fired, slowing his fall just enough to smash through the top of the elevator and land inside.
He opened the doors to a scene of pure chaos.
Thick smoke smothered the hallway, shrouding the figures that ran by, shouting. He saw the RCE emblem on a pair that passed him without even noticing. Light flashed in the haze — muzzle flashes from gunfire exchanged between the police and squads of Hellhounds. Most erupted from a banquet hall across the way. Vigil headed toward it, visor compensating by switching to thermal imaging.
An explosion rocked the hallway, nearly knocking him off his feet. He stumbled, pushing against the wall for support. A Hellhound ran past, coat burning, arms flailing, screaming as he rounded the corner.
Vigil kicked the banquet hall doors open. Bodies swarmed the vicinity — running, shouting, shooting, fighting. The RCE officers were badly outnumbered, many already dead on the floor. The sheer number of GRP soldiers nearly had the last unit of officers overwhelmed, but they had to split their attention on Heretic, who flowed in their midst like an angel of Death. The scarlet-armored priest cut through them with twin swords that blazed like sunlight, slicing through armor and flesh with lethal ease.
Vigil plunged into the battle, firing repulsor blasts at the GRP soldiers in his vicinity. As the bodies flew backward, he pressed his attack, trying to get to the RCE unit who formed a circle in the center of the room. One of them was oversized, metallic skin glinting in the dim light. Had to be Isaac — which meant Ronnie was nearby. She had to be.
An ion grenade detonated, fanning crackling static across the room. Vigil's visor winked out, plunging him in darkness for a few frantic seconds. He was seized by multiple arms, shot at close range, punched and kicked. Something sharp jabbed above his elbow at the joint of his armor. With his auto-cooling system deactivated, his armor swamped him with heat, breaking his pores out with sweat. His breathing was harsh in his ears, his vision limited by the manual view from his visor. Shuffling bodies blocked his view, more Hellhounds leaping to aid their comrades. Grunts and curses rang out around him as his assailants tried to bring him down.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Expanded his senses like Marcus taught him so long ago.
His arm shot out, striking an attacker in the throat. Planting his feet, he twisted, flung another over his shoulder, and stomped on his ribcage. Something crunched. An elbow to the temple knocked the third assailant back a few steps. Vigil followed by seizing the man's hand, breaking the wrist with a sharp twist, then two hard blows the solar plexus before a vicious kick to the side of the knee, buckling it. Whirling back to the first soldier, he slammed a knee into the man's groin and finished him with an elbow to the jaw, shattering the bone.
When he looked up, Heretic was locked in combat with Shinigami, who wielded a laser-edged katana with skill that at least matched her enemy. Her cyber-blade met his blades of flame with blinding flashes, the opposing energy sizzling with every clash. Just beyond them, Vigil caught a glimmer of gold — Janus surrounded by a squad of white-armored bodyguards that moved with the mechanical fluidity of synthetics. Faces covered by featureless masks, they fought their way to the exit doors.
Vigil unslung the Charon rifle from his back and opened fire, weaving back and forth between bodies as he shot. A few of his rounds found their mark, the railgun rounds punching through two of Janus' guards. Leaping over a fallen officer, Vigil aimed again.
The rifle was ripped from his hands with irresistible force. Something seized him by the harness straps and slammed him into the wall so hard the sheetrock crumpled, showering chalky dust on his head and shoulders. He looked up into the alloyed features of Isaac, who glowered with electronic eyes.
"You."
Vigil struggled against the formidable grip that held him. "What are you doing? We're on the same side."
"No, we're not. We never were."
A forestalling hand dropped on Isaac's arm. "We don't have time for this, Isaac. Janus is getting away."
Ronnie's voice was muffled by the riot gear helmet that hid her features. Isaac gave Vigil a final stare before lowering him and following his partner. Vigil watched them go, breathing heavily. His visor flickered as the digital system flickered back online, rebooting his g-spans and armor enhancements. Shinigami fell to the ground a few yards away, holding the bloodied stump of an arm that Heretic just severed. Turning away, he cut his way through a line of Hellhounds before nearly catching up to Janus and his bodyguards. Ronnie and her surviving squad of officers converged at the same time, shouting and aiming their weapons. Heretic glanced at them, then at the fleeing Janus.
His sword flashed. A trooper toppled, nearly cut in two. Ronnie shouted something, but her voice was drowned out. Isaac swung at Heretic, who leaped backward. His fiery blades flashed again, striking Isaac's arm in a shower of sparks. Ronnie led her officers past, heading after Janus. Heretic's head swiveled, tracking her movements. His other arm raised a second blade.
Vigil fired repulsor blasts, striking Heretic directly in the chest. The swords winked out of existence when Heretic soared backward, slamming into the opposite wall.
Janus had nearly made it to the exit when the Stingray dropped into window view outside, searchlight beam illuminating the room. A gatling on its chassis fired ion rounds, scoring precise hits on the synthetic bodyguards. They scattered to regroup or fell where they stood. Janus dropped low, scrambling on all fours to avoid the barrage. When he looked up, Ronnie and Isaac stared down at him, weapons pointed. Isaac hauled him up, and they retreated, regrouping with the remaining troopers, who formed a protective circle as they left the hall.
The last of the GRP soldiers and Hellhounds moved warily around Vigil, who circled with charged fists clenched, visor pulsing scarlet light. "You ready to finish this? Come on!"
They charged, yelling when they closed in. Vigil assumed close-quarters combat tactics — quick repulsor blasts followed by combinations of swift and brutal strikes to vulnerable points. It wasn't fast enough. His attackers seemed spurred by desperation and fury, fighting back just as viciously. He felt several injuries threaten to push the battle in their favor — stab wounds that made it past his armor, contusions from being shot, shrapnel from the explosion. The Stingray still hovered outside, but he knew Spitfire wouldn't fire out of fear of hitting him. It was only a matter of time before the sheer numbers won out…
A flash of light. The crackle of heated blades. Vigil fought with renewed strength, knowing the tide had turned. Heretic joined the fray, fighting back-to-back with Vigil as if they'd done so many times before. It was a deadly tango of violence that brought the fight to a swift end as their combatants lost their appetite for battle. They quickly fell back, covering their retreat with sporadic bursts of poorly-aimed gunfire as Spitfire picked off stragglers with pinpoint aim from the Stingray. Vigil ignored the chaos, turning to Heretic with a charged fist at the ready.
"Killing cops? What the hell were you thinking?"
Heretic's voice rumbled from his helmet like angry thunder. "I should have struck you down along with the rest of these criminals. The trooper I cut down wasn't even human."
"What the hell are you saying?"
Heretic angrily gestured to the body, where the charred innards revealed scorched cables and wires. "Shock trooper — merely an automaton. I would have only wounded the human officers, but your interference will cost them their lives."
Vigil found his rifle and slung it over his shoulder. "What are you talking about? Janus is the key, and he's in their custody. If anything, that's a win."
Heretic shook his head. "You have no idea what devils you fight against. Janus' cultists are at the cusp of their attempt at godhood, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. I hope you aren't close to any of the officers that just left. Because of your actions, they were dead the moment you allowed them to walk out of here with Janus still breathing."