DIVISION 52 - BOOK I

CHAPTER LX

– S C O R P I O N –

The moment the robotic tone sounded on the rooftop I activated the pulse grenade. I tossed it out and a charge fried half a dozen guard on the rooftop. They collapsed while others shot over their corpses and I bolted from the lift behind a statue of the Emperor himself.

I cast a glance at the long platform and raised launchpad. A lone shuttle that hummed in preparation for launch at any moment. I just needed to get damn close enough–a chunk of stone flew off near my head–and not die.

I finally cast my hand down to the heavily protected titanium dagger sheath on my thigh–one of two blades–coated in vanta glass. One nick was all it would take and he could launch himself off into the abyss for all I cared...

I feigned return fire from the right before rolling to the left and taking out two more guards before I pulled a toasted body from the ground and let it take a few rounds. My arms screamed in protest–one deeply wounded–the other bearing most weight. Then I picked off the final few.

When I heard the launch thrusters hum louder I moved into a sprint for the launch platform. 20 metres. Then 10. Before a shot sang through the air and hit me square in the back. The impact threw me to the ground and the gleaming and lethal blade skidded off the edge of the platform. Whatever damage the Vanguard could take was at an end. I felt the bite, its armour barely keeping the burning round from scorching my skin.

I sucked in a breath and dragged myself onto my side catching the shadow that walked toward me leisurely.

I scrambled for the pistol at my side and he merely stepped down on my hand with an audible crunch. I snapped my teeth down and shouted into them. My eyes burned into a pair of black ones that looked happily down at me.

"How easy you always made it..." He uttered over the raging winds. "You simply lay out whatever bait looks most enticing and like a child... you run to it–regardless of all logic or reason." He said calmly as he kicked the gun off the edge too. He levelled the glowing rifle at my head.

"Whatever speech you're prepared can fly off the edge too." I spat back, laying my head down on the platform, exaggerating my exhaustion. Making my weakness seem overwhelming.

He gave me a cruel smile and pushed his heel into my hand further making me snarl into my teeth. If I kicked his feet out now the chances of that round going through my head were too high. But if he died with me it was all worth it... I had one more dagger. One more shot.

"Removing a criminal ruler and a false heir in one evening... wouldn't that be something." He mused as he clicked the safety off and the fusion gun glowed.

"Stop!" A voice called out.

The Emperor did not take his eyes away from me as his daughter stood meters behind with a gun trained on his head. A daughter that should not be on this rooftop. A daughter that shouldn't be in this building at all–

"You forget yourself, daughter." He growled over the winds behind.

"I know how much you value your life so don't cut it short." She snapped.

He laughed loudly. "Don't act like one of them, you don't even know–"

A shot fired out and he flinched. He took his heel off of my hand but did not lower his weapon. I glared at him, resisting every instinct to run my eyes over every inch of Makayla. 

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be. My troops already have every exit accounted for."

"Then you can join them." Makayla growled as she closed the remaining distance and pressed the barrel against his neck. The anger in his eyes told me enough. He did value his life too much. I slowly got to my feet and flexed my hand. Broken in places.