ARC 5 - Earthwatch: Origins

Chapter 9

The jet landed in the middle of the street, which was by now nearly clear of pedestrians.

The three passengers piled out and began preparing weapons. 

"Comms check." War called out as he slipped on his helm. 

"Check." 

"Check." Rose and Wilson both pressed their earpieces. 

"And check." He pressed the side of his helm. 

"Alright, guys. We got a pretty bad situation. Armed forces have arrived, but they are still scarcely able to contain the situation. They have made a tough perimeter around the city should anything try and get beyond it." Jericho told them through the comms as he landed. 

Already one arm of his suit had been damaged and repaired with what appeared to be parts of a large engine. 

"An old muscle car." He said, seeing Adara looking at it.

       "How bad is the portal situation?" Wilson asked, shouldering a large laser cannon. 

"All three orbs have opened portals, and two of them currently have troops pouring through. Kasms trying to take out fliers at the moment, but they just continue to pour through. As far as we can tell, they're just here to cause chaos, no real structure or strategy." 

Several aliens ran up from a building behind them and began to assault the group, barbs crackling and blasters blazing.

       Wilson and Rose ducked behind the jet. 

He powered on a cannon he was carrying, turning to see her notch a red arrow in her bow as War and Jericho ran in and started pounding the nearest aliens. 

They rounded the other side of the jet and Rose released her arrow, connecting with one of the aliens. A small explosion went off from the arrowhead, taking out another half dozen. 

"Watch this." Wilson got down on one knee and carefully aimed the laser cannon at a bulk of them near the back so he wouldn't risk hitting Jericho or War. 

He pulled the trigger and was nearly knocked backwards as a stream of blue, hot energy shot from the cannon. 

When they looked up, they found the aliens he hit mostly vaporized except for a few legs and feet.

"Wow." Adara exchanged an awed look with Wilson.

       Kasm watched as a pack of Gorthog rounded another building, hoping to sneak up on the team. 

He started to fly in and help, when he heard shriek. 

He followed the sound, and found a young girl in an alley between the buildings, on the ground, an alien standing over her. The left side of her face was swollen and red, a thin cut running the length. 

"Bastard!" he jumped from his flight and landed on the alien, knocking to its belly, with him standing on top of it. It growled furiously as it struggled to try and get up, but Kasm kept a foot firmly planted in its back.

       The girl whimpered and Kasm followed her good eye to the alien's arm which was changing into a blaster, pointed right at her. 

Kasm grimaced at what he knew was needed. While he was adept, and nowhere near new to having to take a life, he still regretted it. 

He lifted his foot and quickly stomped, sending his foot through the alien's body. It convulsed and sprayed a black goo on his foot, then laid still, the glow of its blaster arm fading away.