Enhancement

- - 23 - -

I groan loudly, my organs rattling due to the impact of my back thudding on concrete roofing. Writhing in pain, I flatten my palms against the ground and crawl back to my feet.

I stumble back to my gun, but it's too late. Battered vehicles rush to reclaim the city as bigger ones speed in from the distance. My eyes widen as the large vehicles corral fleeing citizens towards the middle of the city. Some drop their guns and surrender while others run maniacally with the tires on their heels.

"The bombs!" Delphin yells into my ear. A second swarm of tires begins to form a tight ring around the city, releasing three Screeners per vehicle to run in on foot.

"Throw the bombs in five..."

I pull back part of my coat and rip one from a strap just like Tanner instructed. I turn the baseball-like bomb in my hands to find the crank.

"...Two, one, now!"

I turn the crank and toss the mini bomb into the air. Ten other spheres are launched as well, descending slowly through the sky.

Then 50 guns fire at once.

As soon as the Screeners' bullets hit the bombs, flames and smoke explode into toxic clouds, sending shrapnel in every direction. I scream and throw myself on the ground as pieces of flaming metal zoom inches over my head.

I jam my ear piece back into my ear as Delphin shouts for us to release all of our bombs. At the sound of her order, my temples decide to ignite again, this time bringing blurry tears to my eyes

I freeze flat against the ground as bombs continue to shoot shrapnel over my head. The Enhancement lightning pounds at my skull, causing me to press my forehead closer and closer to the concrete. My face contorts in agony as I scream. As much as I expected throbbing, I didn't think I'd be in the worst amount of pain in my life.

"Make it stop, make it stop," I find myself mouthing silently against the concrete roof. The burning is excruciating, unbearable. I can't think as my eyes water and steam.

Deep, bomb-like booms switch to sharper pangs of guns around me. I feel every hopeless bullet shudder through every nerve in my body. They beat into my heart like it's their only target.

"Make it stop, make it stop." My wet tears fully coat both of my cheeks.

"Make it stop, make it stop." My nose sharply congests so that I can't breathe.

"Make it stop, make it stop." A scream escapes my throat, scratchy and rasped.

"Make it stop, make it stop." More electric punishes me.

"Why won't you stop?" I whisper inaudibly. I can't think, I can't see, I can't breathe evenly. Every thought in my mind is zapped away, forgotten, discarded because they don't matter. Pain presses in on me from every side, collapsing my lungs and stealing my thoughts. I can't think, I can't see, I can't breathe.

The lightning suddenly halts, and my crying slowly subsides, but my mumbling doesn't. I remain hunched over, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the next bolt of electric. I thought the Project technology was broken, not more powerful than it ever was before.

Gunfire clogs my ears, drowning my thoughts. I crawl back to the ledge, shakily pulling another bomb from my jacket. I turn the crank slowly, wiping my wet cheeks with the back of my hand. I train my eyes on a target and toss the bomb as hard as I can, quickly ducking out of sight. It's shot down immediately, more shrapnel and bullets flying everywhere.

I slowly peek back over the ledge, pushing my hair out of my eyes. For a moment I swear I feel something move behind me. I don't even register the feeling.