Half-life: Invasion

Hour 7: Battle of Sigma

There was a combine sniper rifle propped up against the window near a dead sniper. He took it, aiming down the scope. Through the blue scan lines, he saw another Combine sniper. The enemy marksman's laser pointed at Icarus' head. Icarus took the shot, killing it with a blue, spiraling trail.

The recoil surprised him, making him jump.

He slung his assault rifle. Wielding the sniper rifle, he ascended to the fourth floor. A man in a lab coat checked on a scanner. Civilians were also tending to some computers. They jumped when they saw Icarus.

"You're not going to kill us, right?" He asked.

"No sir. Who are you, anyway?" Icarus asked the scientist.

"My name is Isaac Kleiner. I've set up a small refuge here."

Icarus dug in his bag, giving the scientist the head of the creature that he fought in the sewers. He dug further and gave the civilians his army rations.

"O-oh my... I might do some research on this. Thank you for the supplies."

Icarus aimed out the window. He cocked the bolt back and pushed it forward, the empty pulse round ejecting, steaming in the air. There was a stray hunter prowling about. He shot into its eye, teal fluid squirting from the wound. It swerved its head around, howling, looking for its tormentor.

He took another shot, killing it quickly.

He climbed down to the second floor. The dead sniper's earpiece was still sending messages.

"All Units to: Sigma Base, procedure code: Cleave; Invade; Capture."

He needed to let the military know. He took the earpiece with him, keeping it in his pocket. He took the radio from his pack, switching on the mic. The red light slowly flickered to life, showing his microphone was working.

The electronic tone sounded out, indicating it was recording.

"This is India Delta of Alpha Team, I've just got word that they're sending every Super Soldier to Sigma! Be ready for a hell of a fight! I repeat, if you are near Sierra Bravo, be ready!" He called into the microphone.

"Read you clear, Lieutenant." The other end of the radio responded.

"Roger that, I'm heading there. I suggest anybody out there to come give support! This may be our last stand! Even if I'm stepping out of my boundaries as a lieutenant..."

He returned the radio to it's place in his backpack, descending the stairs and leaving the building.

He headed for Sigma base.

He arrived at the base after a long trek, their defenses were strong. Ospreys hovered overhead with machine guns.

There were tanks set up as barriers. Their engines creaked and hummed. Snipers were nested in the buildings. Machine gun nests were set up in small dugouts. Artillery was set up behind cover.

It looked to be the final battle. Whatever was coming, it wasn't going to be an easy fight. Icarus positioned himself in one of the dugouts. There was the conjoined humming of hunter choppers, gunships, and drop ships. The stomping of striders became apparent after a while, a formidable hum of destruction.

Seven dropships landed in front of the base. They dropped carriers full of both Super Soldiers and hunters.

The Striders followed behind. The tanks fired their turrets at the Striders, taking down most. Icarus aimed his sniper rifle at a super soldier, hitting his mark. The soldier fell. The machine gun nests opened fire. Two more Striders moved into sight. They stopped, charging some kind of energy weapon. A giant, dark beam shot out from under it, annihilating the tanks.

The first line of defense was broken. The Striders were taken down with the artillery except for one.

Five gunships flew in, wailing and firing onto the marines below. An artillery shell hit a gunship, sending it crashing into the building where the snipers were nested. They were all crushed.

There was a howling in the air. Suddenly, metal shells wedged themselves into the ground. One stuck itself in Icarus' dugout. Parasites emerged from the tops, latching onto soldier's heads.

A soldier next to Icarus tried prying one off his own head, but failed. His screams turned into wails, into gargling. Icarus killed him out of mercy.

A hunter chopper flew overhead, charging a burst of pulse rounds. The strider charged a laser. Icarus sprinted out of the dugout behind some sandbags as a strider fired the laser into it, the pulse rounds following at his heels and wedging into the bags. Someone fired a rocket at the strider, causing it to topple over.

The gunships shot down the ospreys within that time.

More striders came in.

A Strider charged its energy beam, directly at Icarus. It fired. Icarus felt the beam burn through his flesh for mere instants.