Interloper-360°: Expanded Version

Trophy Mercs 9: The Dog Bites Back

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Five ships spread out and hang around the Motley like hungry hyenas waiting for the lion to leave some scraps. Their ships look fierce and fast, and the paint job is impressive. No slacking in this fight, I don't want to take the chance that they might be good at combat too.

As for our side? One. Two. Three. Four. And now, five. We line up the same way they are, and for now, we just stare at each other waiting for the first sight of a photon blast. I still don't trust Bouncer one bit to actually stay and fight, but with my team having my back, I don't think we'll even need him.

Mason Grey (Public): "C'mon, Nev, let's just hold our fire for a moment. I see Bouncer right there, I know that paint job. Just have him fly over, and we'll be off and out of your hair in a flash."

Nev (Public): "I don't enjoy repeating myself. Bouncer isn't going anywhere. You should leave while you still have all your teammates."

Mason Grey (Public): "That line is actually kinda scary coming from you. But I can't leave without Bouncer. He's a contract. You understand, right? Mercs do contracts too, yeah? You gotta see them through until the end."

Bouncer (Public): "Goddamn bastards, all of you!"

Knight (Public): "Your kind has taken enough of us. You're not getting a single one ever again."

Mason Grey (Public): "Okay, okay. You're fired up, I can tell. Let's talk about the price, and how we can split it with you."

Cheq (Public): "Split the price? Hmm..."

Malware (Public): "Cheq, no."

Cheq (Public): "What, it's not me that wants to keep the fat bastard around."

Coming from the ship to the left of Mason's, a green tractor beam fires at Bouncer's jet. It encircles him and powers down his thrusters, then slowly drags him closer to the Hunters.

Nev (Public): "Hey!"

I aim my nose and fire an EMP at the ship, shutting it off and freeing Bouncer from the pull. All ships scatter, including Bouncer's after he reinitiates his engines.

Bouncer (Public): "I'll kill you!"

During my sporadic flight pattern, I manage to see Bouncer charge up a heavy shot at the ship I immobilized. Without its exterior shields to absorb the blast, the hull takes the full front of its power. The ship erupts in a bright flame but dies out in the vacuum of space immediately. It happens so fast, and Bouncer speeds away and locks onto another target.

Mason Grey (Public): "You did it? You really killed him!"

Bouncer (Public): "Should've left it alone, you miserable welp."

The ships are too scattered, I can't form a plan in the midst of this chaos. My shields keep lighting up as they deflect small photon blasts, and none of my absent-minded defensive maneuvers are doing anything to get me out of the way.

My finger hovers over the button for another live broadcast, but I can't think of anything to say. What's wrong with me? Is it because half of me wants to just quit and hand over Bouncer? I never wanted to keep him safe, but I couldn't turn away a fellow merc during a genocide.

My camera feed picks up a tight chaser flying right behind me charging up a big blast to eliminate my shields. Malware's ship zooms behind it, shooting a volley and forcing it to shake off my trail.

Malware (Group): "Snap out of it, Nev! You're going to get yourself killed if you keep flying like a tike on training wheels."

This isn't worth it, is it? I let instinct take over and train on the closet jet in my range. I don't know if it's Mason's or not, but after Bouncer killed one already, I think the only way out is to wipe them one by one.