Jass breathing sounded impossibly loud. He wasnt used to this kind of silence. The past few days had been non-stop noise, sirens, shouts, gunshots. A tapestry of continuous panic and the sound of society collapsing.
But it felt as if he was entering a bubble, each footstep crunching, the wind still, all voices absent. The Nesis 2s drifted forward in perfect silence, climbing walls or leaping down to the street with little more than a scratchy whisper.
Serenity was much quieter than he was. He looked back twice to take comfort from her grim expression, both guns raised, her gaze sweeping back and forth.
They made their way down the block, drawing right up to the dead zones periter. Here and there Jas spotted gremlins, but they seed cowed, unwilling to race forward and cause a scene like children cowed into good behavior by the gravity of a funeral.
Good. Who knew what would happen if he and Serenity started being sward.
On they crept, and when they reached the next intersection Jas sank into a crouch, shoulder to the wall.
The demonic symbol slowly rotated five hundred feet above them in the center of the dead zone, wreathed in purple fire and unintelligible to the eye, a burning series of loops and curves in the night sky.
You hear that? whispered Serenity.
Jas didnt, so he listened more closely. There. Yes. A faint and continuous whisper, just barely audible. Like wind pouring through a forest canopy in the distance, or a thousand ants moving over each other in a tight burrow.
Jass skin goose bumped.
Nesis 2 were crossing the street perpendicular to them for blocks in every direction, black gleaming monstrosities with pale faces sliding into the far shadows. Peering further down their own street, Jas focused, tried to make out details.
A block into the zone he could see the darkness swarming. Nesis 2s were moving along the walls slowly, tightly packed together.
You make out what theyre doing? asked Jas.
Hold on, let try sothing. She raised a Sig and aid.
He pushed the gun down. What the fuck are you doing?
Her eye roll would have done a jaded fifteen-year-old proud. Jesus Jas, you really think Im going to stir up that shit?
She raised the gun again, sighted down the barrel. Deadeye sharpens my vision when Im aiming. There. Its like a fucking whats it called, a periscope?
An aiming sight? Jas wasnt sure. A telescopic lens?
Ohtheyre definitely doing sothing. Oh - gross.
What?
Theyre covering the side of the building in sothing. Its like this gleaming, wet pink goo.
Jas made a disgusted face. What, like painting it?
Yeah, kind of. Like out of their asses. I guess how like spiders shit silk? But theyre shitting this pink pasty stuff and just saring it on the walls.
Weird, said Jas. What the fuck is that for?
Maybe theyre nesting? Serenity strafed the street with her gun. Oh, hold up. One of them is - oh fuck.
She lowered the gun, stared, clearly shocked, then raised it again.
Jas was dying. What?!
One of them has pulled a man out of a window. Hes either dead or unconscious.
Jas fought the urge to leap to his feet. A guy? What are they doing with him?
OK, its carrying him over to the others who are laying down Her face crumpled in disgust and she looked away. Oh fuck. Looked back, her face crumpled with disgust. One of thems lifted its mask. Its head is like, a bowl of caviar. Theyre feeding the guy into its head, which is She gagged, looked down, forced herself to look back up. Its head is swelling to the size of the dude. His arms sunk into its head. Shoulder. Oh fuck, his head.
She turned away again.
Jas stared helplessly down into the dark. The guy moving? Serenity, is he moving? He alive?
She pressed the back of her wrist against her mouth, raised her gun, looked again. No. Hes still. Halfway in now. There go his legs. Hes gone. The mask is back down. Hes inside it. Its going back to work with the others.
She froze.
Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit.
Rose to her feet and backed away a few steps. Jas. The pink goo.
Jas felt his gorge rise but stayed still. Let the realization sink ho, then inhaled deeply through his nose. The shock was sudden, the implications horrifying, and he looked around at all the dark and silent buildings before him with new understanding.
Theyre pasting people over the walls, he said slowly, speaking the words so he could try and grapple with the truth.
Im going to be sick. Serenitys sounded like she was about to puke. Oh god.
Jas swallowed deliberately and lowered the fire-axe, so it lay across his knees. Lets back up. We need to tell people.
They retreated slowly, carefully, mindful of the occasional Nesis 2 that appeared, so of them even curving away from them so theyd not co too close. Reached the beginning of the block and started striding briskly away.
Jass thoughts were spinning. How many of the symbols were there in NYC? Was it hundreds? Across all five boroughs? He didnt think hed heard of an accurate count, though the military had to know.
And in each of them, under the eyes of the monitors
Jas took up his radio. Mancini.
Kelly.
The Nesis 2s are covering the buildings with digested people. We could use a ride out of here.
There was a long pause.
Location?
Jas told him the intersection up ahead.
There in three.
Serenity had stopped and was leaning against the wall, staring out at nothing. Her gaze was hollowed out, her face pallid.
Hey, said Jas, moving close. You still with ?
Why? She focused on him. Why are they doing that? Just because they run on nightmare fuel?
I dont know. Jas couldnt even begin to co up with an answer. But maybe you were right. Maybe theyre nesting.
In a nest made from people? She laughed, the sound tinged with hysteria. I an, theres better building material out there, Jas. We dont traditionally make houses of people for a god damn reason.
I know. He stepped closer. Lets just get out of here, OK?
Its head. The way it I an, it was like that guy
Shh. Jas pulled her into his arms clumsily, still holding the axe and rebar, holding her tight as he scanned the street and buildings. Enough for now. Lets get the fuck out of here. We can file this report and go get a drink, yeah? What do you say to a whiskey at Hermans?
She pressed her brow to his shoulder and for a few monts just shivered, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, guns sticking out on each side as if she were about to execute a no-look trick shot. Finally she nodded against him and stepped back, her cheeks wet with tears, her stare wide and horrified and shocked. Yeah. Hermans. The sooner the better.
Headlights cut through the gloom and the humr pulled into sight. Jas gave Serenity a nudge and they jogged over and climbed into the back.
Lets get out of here, said Jas.
Serenity focused on putting her guns away, then crossed her arms and leaned against Jas, gaze focused on the street unrolling out the back view over the tail gate.
Jas. Mancini was looking back at him. What you said
Serenity saw it. She got Deadeye, could see them with greater clarity. Theyre one of them brought out a guy. We think he was dead. Fed it to another, which joined its buddies.
Serenity tensed.
Theyre laying down pink goo over the building. Using people as the Jas struggled to find the right word. Even Singh was staring at him in horror through the rear-view mirror, his eyes wide.
What the everlasting fuck, whispered Delvecchio. Sarge, lets go back there and start blasting.
Fuck that, said Huffman. Ti to start calling in artillery.
Mancini was frowning at Jas, less horrified or shocked than the others, but clearly trying to process. We got word while you were on foot. Commands sending in drones to investigate, bunch of -
Watch out -! scread Huffman, flinging out a hand toward the windshield as Singh looked back out, a Nesis 2 appearing in the headlights, a flash of porcelain, inky black carapace, scythe-arms rising to slam down on the hood just before they slamd into it.
Singh yelled and slamd on the gas.
The Nesis 2 pinned to the front, right there and staring at them, it withdrew one bladed arm from the hood and slamd it through the windshield, plunging it through the glass and into Singhs chest, out the back of his seat.
Fuck! shouted Mancini, reaching for the wheel as Singh lost control.
The back of the humr clipped a parked car as it turned. Delvecchio was bringing his SAW up, Serenity drawing her Sig Sauers, but the humr bounced back out of the hit. The humr hit another Nesis 2 while the first disappeared under the front, raking its scythe-arms down the front, carving tal, then the front left corner slamd down, the tire gone, and the humr flipped.
Everything seed to slow.
Serenitys eyes widened and she leaped out the back of the humr as it rose into the air, her grace balletic, clearing the tailgate as her back arched, a Sig in each hand, out into the gyring world. Delvecchio roared as he flew into Jas, his SAW cracking Jas in the face.
They rotated and crashed top down onto the parked line of cars. The canvas roof crumpled imdiately, and Jas was crushed against the parked car beneath them for an agonizing second before the humr seesawed back up, then with a groan of tortured tal slid down sideways onto the street.
Argh, said Singh. White light blazed from his chest, shimred around him, encasing him in platinum fire and then washed away.
Jas shook his head, cleared away the ringing, then followed Huffman out the back.
Serenity was unleashing her Sigs.
Jas stood on shaky legs, oriented himself, grateful for his prodigious strength, wishing he had higher Stamina, then froze.
Theyd bulldozed through a pack of Nesis 2s whod been coming down the center of the street. Three or four of them had been bowled over, so with shattered limbs, but others had drawn back, leaped onto the sides of buildings, were staring at them with those sneering visages.
Serenity had sohow landed on her feet and was rising and turning from her crouch as she fired burning gray rounds into the Nesis 2s around her.
Huffman opened fire, M4 blazing regular green tips at the closest Nesis which reared back and oriented on her.
Jas had enough juice left for one Sacred Strike. He had to make it count. The side of his head was throbbing, sothing was off with his hip, but fuck, no ti for that.
Raising his fire-axe he turned, trying to gauge which was coming first. No rebar. The Nesis 2s on the walls were watching, those whod been hit by the humr were climbing to their feet except for one whod been too fucked up.
Ti to get to work.
Jas ran forward to draw the Nesis 2 off Huffman only to jerk aside as another one sprang at him from the side, bladed arms pincering, but it hit a wall of gray fire that appeared from nowhere, knocking it back.
Singh standing atop the humr, gun in one hand, other extended to Jas.
Shield of motherfucking Faith.
Huffman was backing away. She needed one more level. He had to weaken the demon then let her finish it off.
Jas ran in, cursed his low Agility, brought his fire-axe behind his head and then threw it, a double-ard toss. The burning axe rotated through the air and buried itself in the Nesis 2s chest, sinking deep.
It staggered, dropped to one knee.
Huffman! shouted Jas. Finish it!
A blast of M4 fire, Huffman moving forward now, rifle to her shoulder, pinpoint aiming at the demons head, the rounds slamd ho, the head burst apart, and Huffman let out a scream of primal victory.
Jas had no ti to wait. He tore his axe free and then Delvecchio entered the fray, his SAW going all out.
White fire sprayed across the street, 700 rounds per minute, cutting across the Nesis 2s, his shout barely audible over the cacophony, Get so! Get so! Get so!
A grenade detonated on the far wall, blowing a Nesis 2 right off its perch in a billow of fla and smoke. Singh loaded another grenade smoothly, paused only to summon his shield next to Delvecchio to fend off another Nesis 2 attack, blocking the charge completely.
Serenity ejected both mags, patted her chest, drew out a last mag and loaded it.
Two Neses on the walls, three on the street.
Singh fired another grenade.
One Nesis on the wall.
Delvecchio dropped the drum, grabbed a second, knelt to load.
The Neses converged on him.
Jas ran to intercept. Six long steps, out wide, and the angle was just right -
Sacred Strike.
He unleashed a gout of white fla that swept over the first and charred the one just past it. The first wheeled, ca clacking and reaching for him but he swung his axe like a baseball bat, Smite leaving a trail of gray fla in the air behind it, and shattered its mask and the structural integrity of its head.
Mancini and Huffman both concentrated their fire on the third Nesis 2 that was converging on Delvecchio, but now Huffmans fire blazed with Smite and drove the monster back, causing it to rise to its rear two legs as it tried to slash at the rounds before toppling over backwards.
Pain, explosive, lifting Jas right off his feet, tearing him in half. He looked down, saw a scythe blade erging from his chest, its wicked point having burst out his sternum.
The limb folded, brought him around so that he was face to face with that horrific mask, that sneering frown. Hed lost his grip on the axe, flung out his fist to try for a Sacred Strike, but he was all out of juice.
His aura was ashing it, warping its fra, blackening its mask, faster than before, but it hadnt been enough to keep the demon completely off of him.
Damn, thought Jas. Shoulda
Serenity leaped up onto the demons back. Sohow she balanced on its abdon, rode it as it skittered around to dislodge her. She grabbed it by the top of the head, fingers curling down its brow, yanked it back and shot up into its skull, emptying the mag. The front of its face blew out in great oily chunks and all the life went out of it.
They all collapsed to the ground.
Delvecchios SAW roared back to life.
Jas had to get off its limb. He grabbed it with both hands, ignoring how the blade cut into his palms, and levered himself off.
He was dying. Felt the strength flooding out of him, his pulse pumping blood out, but he focused, summoned his sheets, used an Aeviternum point.
White healing light flooded over him, washed away the pain, healed his wounds, left him hale and bursting with vitality, every whisper of pain erased.
His axe was a yard away. Jas scrambled over, snatched it up. A grenade detonated along with the shattering sound of two windows being destroyed.
Gunfire began to ease off.
Jas looked around. Serenity was turning in a slow circle, out of ammo, her face a livid expression of loathing and hate. Huffman was panting, grinning, Delvecchio putting up his SAW. Singh was still atop the overturned humr, Mancini on the road before him.
Around them lay the corpses of seven Nesis 2s, an eighth trapped under the car.
Holy shit, said Delvecchio. Level, baby.
Level, said Singh.
Huffmans shout was rich with savage delight. Level, fucking finally.
Mancini couldnt resist a grin. Sa. Serenity, Jas?
Gonna need to kill a few more, said Serenity. And bigger guns. These Sigs are beautiful, but I need sothing with more punch and ammo.
Jas lowered his axe. The joy from the fire team was infectious, but then his grin died on his face.
Dozens of Nesis 2s were moving past them along the rooftops, turning their faces to watch, but not stopping, not bothering to engage.
He turned and stared up at the burning symbol, studied its hateful purple hue and how it was reflected in the cloud cover.
Good work, everyone. He propped his axe over his shoulder. But now we need to figure out how to take that thing down.
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