Tempest

20 - Harmony

Yelling with fury in her voice, Gates rose up from her kneeling position behind the cover of a crate, and let the monstrosities have it with her R-201.

She felt a dark satisfaction at seeing the bodies of the Amalgamates get torn up by her bullets, some of them wearing Militia armor. It relieved both her need for revenge against them killing her buddies, and her protective instinct over her friends. In any case, she knew that she was giving former comrades and allies peace if she killed their new forms.

More and more rapidly, voices filled up the comms.

"More pods are breaking through, our orbital defense keeps losing ships! We must have lost-"

"-nearly forty percent of Chorus is infected, we have to keep these things off the civilians' backs! Place more enforcement at the shelters-"

"-center is under siege! I repeat, city center is- AGGHH-"

Off to the left, Bear stood with his back to a support beam. She had Cooper, Davis, and Droz helping guard the rear entrance and the infirmary. She, Bear, and Blisk, along with an assortment of riflemen and other Pilots were trying to keep the front from being overtaken.

He turned and fired his weapon, only to jerk back in shock when a ricochet bullet from the creature's ranks struck him in the shoulder. He crumpled to the ground, holding it while swearing profusely.

Being the closest one to him, Blisk vaulted over their cover and dragged Bear back into relative safety while Gates gave them both covering fire. Before now, she never would have thought she'd see the mercenary stick his neck out for Militia; but today had been a very unusual day.

Blisk handed him a rag. "Keep pressure on the wound, that should slow the bleeding."

Bear's body tensed up at the pain coming in full force, and he called over to Gates, "How long until Four gets that array up?!"

She took aim as a particularly fast Amalgamate almost crossed the threshold of the building's defense. It was distracted by a Pilot running next to it, and it lashed out to grab its would-be victim. It was surprised to find that the Pilot was actually a hologram, and it had only just realized its folly when Gates rounds began tearing through its body. Quickly, Gates waved some thanks at the female Holo-Pilot who had helped her take it down.

"I don't know," she replied, "but we've got to hold out until he does. One way or another, this'll all be over soon!"

"That's quite the optimism," Blisk said sarcastically. She didn't comment on it, instead thinking to herself internally of just how much was counting on him.

C'mon Tobias. Hurry.

...

He couldn't tell how long he'd been running, only that it was all he knew at the moment.

Every step. Every huff of breath, forcing oxygen into his tired lungs. It gave him a process, a diversion to focus on as he sprinted through the downtown section of Chorus. It kept him from coming to terms with the awful scene that he'd taken part of, and breaking down at the prospect of never seeing one of his oldest friends again.

He almost didn't notice it when he nearly ran headfirst into KT and Skids.

"Tobias!" KT called forcefully. "Stop running!"

Finally registering her voice, he stopped and looked up blankly. She seemed rather concerned. "I've been calling your name since you rounded that bend. Are you alright?"

"Where's Tyra and CH?" questioned Vale, the Ronin moving around to look for them. She glanced about, as though expecting to see them running not too far behind. "I don't see her ..."