a drift toward solid ground. With Sentria clamped onto me, we were like feathers in the wind. We glided down to the island as its surface came into view. Landing, we came upright as our feet skidded across pavement. Sparks were sent flickering from the soles of our boots while my jet pack worked to bring resistance and stop our momentum. Soon, we were on solid ground. Screeching and skidding, everybody else slid down in different positions and locations around the landing zone. Scattered about, we all regrouped to the Commander.
In my arms, Sentria had begun to regain her muscle movement. "I'm ok," she guaranteed as she pushed away from my grasp. "I can walk. You need to get back to your squad and I've got my own to lead."
As we separated back to our respective squads, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at the sight of the less fortunate. All across the landing zone were puddles of smashed Thralls that had not escaped the terrors of the Spider's Shield. They had fallen without hope of survival. I can't begin to imagine what that kind of descent would've been like, not that I'd even want to know. For them, it must've been a slow and tortuous fall to their doom. Up there in the air, they were perfectly alive and aware in their agonizing wait to reach their deaths below.
My pity was cut short when a little outburst caught everyone's attention. Still bitter from the events of the fall, Sentria had marched up to Nix from behind. She threw off her helmet and whacked it hard onto the back of Nix's head. Catching her off guard, it sent the subordinate operative to the ground. Nix quickly sideswiped the Squad Captain in retaliation, legs knocking into legs. Sentria was sent down to the concrete, hard. The two then got up and immediately went for the other's throat. With both hands strung about Nix's neck, Sentria lifted her adversary up and coldly threw her onto the ground. After some coughing and panting, they both went at it again.
Taking notice, the Commander sighed exhaustively and proceeded to stomp over to the fight. As they exchanged tangles and jabs, Zero came up closely to one side and unsheathed a short, yet very wide blade. With his thumb, he flicked a button on the hilt and the blade extended into a full-sized machete. The blade whipped out horizontally into the midst of their scuffle. Nix and Sentria paused and stepped back with the sharp machete glimmering between them.
Zero chewed them both out. "It just so happens that until we find a way to destroy the Spider's Shield, we're all trapped here on this island, together. You're lucky no one is going anywhere, because otherwise, I'd send both of you hoons to the nick!" It never failed that when Zero was mad, his tongue spiraled from speaking English into his Australian strine, a version of English that we rarely understood.
"She tried to get me killed," Sentria pointed to her rival.
"I don't give two knocks who spit the dummy first," barked Zero. "You're a Squad Captain, Sentria. Start acting like it!"
Nix didn't get off easy, either. "And you," Zero crossly addressed the insubordinate. "We're all a team here. You're part of that team so I suggest you lob in. You wouldn't want to be mistaken for the enemy now, would you? Not with me around, you won't."
Things instantly cooled off, if a tad forcefully, but it got the job done. Salutes exchanged and the commotion was over. We all then went back to the matter at hand to try and unlock the secrets of the island around us.
Fever Island was a compound of archaic concrete structures in the midst of an abandoned shantytown. The slum was a jumbled network of barriers, forts, towers, and tunnels. The concrete was wet and moldy. There was an abundance of rust between unkempt patches of moss and ferns.
Wherever the concrete was without foliage, graffiti was found littered all over. Though dark in subject matter, there were large portions of vibrant doodles drawn over every outer wall. The art seemed alive. It was as if the
In my arms, Sentria had begun to regain her muscle movement. "I'm ok," she guaranteed as she pushed away from my grasp. "I can walk. You need to get back to your squad and I've got my own to lead."
As we separated back to our respective squads, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed at the sight of the less fortunate. All across the landing zone were puddles of smashed Thralls that had not escaped the terrors of the Spider's Shield. They had fallen without hope of survival. I can't begin to imagine what that kind of descent would've been like, not that I'd even want to know. For them, it must've been a slow and tortuous fall to their doom. Up there in the air, they were perfectly alive and aware in their agonizing wait to reach their deaths below.
My pity was cut short when a little outburst caught everyone's attention. Still bitter from the events of the fall, Sentria had marched up to Nix from behind. She threw off her helmet and whacked it hard onto the back of Nix's head. Catching her off guard, it sent the subordinate operative to the ground. Nix quickly sideswiped the Squad Captain in retaliation, legs knocking into legs. Sentria was sent down to the concrete, hard. The two then got up and immediately went for the other's throat. With both hands strung about Nix's neck, Sentria lifted her adversary up and coldly threw her onto the ground. After some coughing and panting, they both went at it again.
Taking notice, the Commander sighed exhaustively and proceeded to stomp over to the fight. As they exchanged tangles and jabs, Zero came up closely to one side and unsheathed a short, yet very wide blade. With his thumb, he flicked a button on the hilt and the blade extended into a full-sized machete. The blade whipped out horizontally into the midst of their scuffle. Nix and Sentria paused and stepped back with the sharp machete glimmering between them.
Zero chewed them both out. "It just so happens that until we find a way to destroy the Spider's Shield, we're all trapped here on this island, together. You're lucky no one is going anywhere, because otherwise, I'd send both of you hoons to the nick!" It never failed that when Zero was mad, his tongue spiraled from speaking English into his Australian strine, a version of English that we rarely understood.
"She tried to get me killed," Sentria pointed to her rival.
"I don't give two knocks who spit the dummy first," barked Zero. "You're a Squad Captain, Sentria. Start acting like it!"
Nix didn't get off easy, either. "And you," Zero crossly addressed the insubordinate. "We're all a team here. You're part of that team so I suggest you lob in. You wouldn't want to be mistaken for the enemy now, would you? Not with me around, you won't."
Things instantly cooled off, if a tad forcefully, but it got the job done. Salutes exchanged and the commotion was over. We all then went back to the matter at hand to try and unlock the secrets of the island around us.
Fever Island was a compound of archaic concrete structures in the midst of an abandoned shantytown. The slum was a jumbled network of barriers, forts, towers, and tunnels. The concrete was wet and moldy. There was an abundance of rust between unkempt patches of moss and ferns.
Wherever the concrete was without foliage, graffiti was found littered all over. Though dark in subject matter, there were large portions of vibrant doodles drawn over every outer wall. The art seemed alive. It was as if the
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