01-17-2017, 01:57 AM
Knox ducked low as a volley of blaster fire pelted their entrenched position. Beside him, Laci and Hunt simultaneously avoided the incoming energy bolts. This focus on the three of them allowed Cade and Grace, on the other side of the archway, to return fire at the swarm of Vorticons. The waves of these creatures were relentless, and had forced all of them to come to terms with any qualms they had about using their issued weapons. It was as Zedd had explained: kill or be killed.
“Where the hell did all of these assholes come from!?” Knox demanded as he popped back up and unleashed a few more shots from his blaster rifle.
“Damn things are all over this tier,” Hunt agreed, taking careful aim and picking off a few that were trying to advance.
“Backup’s not coming!” Cade suddenly reported, tapping the side of his helmet with the built in commlink.
“What!?” Laci screamed in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“They gave up on this tier a long time ago!” Knox shouted over the sounds of battle. “It would be really nice if we…”
He didn’t get to finish that sentence, instead letting out a cry of pain as he was struck in the shoulder by an errant blaster bolt. The smell of seared flesh immediately filled the area as the unlucky Stormtrooper was thrown to his back, clutching his wounded shoulder with his opposite hand. His blaster rifle dropped to the ground beside him, yet went unnoticed in the aftermath.
“Knox!!!” Laci screamed louder than she knew she was capable of as she rushed to his side. Hunt was right beside her, but unfortunately none of this squad had proper first aid training. Or, at least none of them had paid attention during their proper first aid training. Laci found her hands levitating over Knox’s would, unsure of what to do. Did she apply pressure, or leave it as is? She was overwhelmed by concern for the man as well as her uncertainty. “Oh my God! Um... oh my God!?”
“Are you alright!?” Hunt yelled at his friend, not quite knowing what to do, either. “Blink twice if you’re alright!”
“They didn’t shoot my mouth, you fucking idiot!” Knox hollered over the immense pain. Hunt shrugged. Good point.
“Is he okay!?” Grace shouted to them with concern evident in her voice, but she was stuck putting suppressive fire on the Vorticons alongside Cade.
“I, uh…” Laci looked from Grace back down to Knox.
“Look at it and tell me,” Knox ordered through clenched teeth, but secretly he didn’t want to know the answer to that question. He was content to extend his ignorance of his situation as long as he could.
“It’s…” Hunt grimaced as he looked at the scorched wound. “Black. Oh, God, it’s jet black. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be seeing, but I know it’s not this.”
“Call Zedd!” Cade commanded as he fired a few shots. “This is not working! We need a new plan!”
Hunt gave a quick nod to Laci, who instantly tapped the side of her helmet a few times. Her heads-up display listed several instant contacts, and she tapped the appropriate button to attempt a connection with Zedd’s cell phone. It only took a few rings before Zedd’s sharp voice roared through her helmet’s speakers and over the sounds of battle on his end as well as hers’. The echo through her helmet made Zedd sound like his voice was booming from all around her.
“Banana phone!”
Laci jerked her head back in surprise, having completely forgotten about the earlier shenanigans Knox and Hunt gotten into. They clearly saw her shock, even if they couldn’t hear Zedd.
“Did he say it!?” Knox forced a laugh through the agonizing pain.
“You are going to survive this, just so I can kill you,” Laci told Knox as sternly as she could muster.
“What do you need, you worthless maggot!?” Zedd bellowed into Laci’s helmet again, with so much volume it began to echo and disorient her.
“We can’t hold them!” Laci shouted as soon as she was reminded that she was on the line with him. “They’re starting to overwhelm us!”
“Then kill more of them!” Zedd responded, as if it was the most obvious solution in the world. “Do not bother me again! We are nearly done!”
“Zedd!” Laci shouted in a desperate attempt to maintain his attention, but heard the distinctive noise of the line breaking.
“What did he say!?” Grace asked as she continued to pour shots from her blaster.
“Nothing helpful,” Laci admitted in terrified exasperation. What the hell were they supposed to do, now?
“Fuck Zedd, and fuck this!” Cade decided as he placed two shots into the chest of two separate Vorticons, for good measure. “We’re falling back into the building. Drag him back, we’ll cover you!”
Laci nodded to Hunt, who was already grabbing Knox’s fallen blaster in one hand and his good arm with another. They were both all too happy to change their situation. Yet, there didn’t seem to be an easy exit from this situation. As they pulled their wounded compatriot into the building they could only pray for a quick return of their prime companions. They were certainly going to need them to get out of this alive.
“Where the hell did all of these assholes come from!?” Knox demanded as he popped back up and unleashed a few more shots from his blaster rifle.
“Damn things are all over this tier,” Hunt agreed, taking careful aim and picking off a few that were trying to advance.
“Backup’s not coming!” Cade suddenly reported, tapping the side of his helmet with the built in commlink.
“What!?” Laci screamed in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“They gave up on this tier a long time ago!” Knox shouted over the sounds of battle. “It would be really nice if we…”
He didn’t get to finish that sentence, instead letting out a cry of pain as he was struck in the shoulder by an errant blaster bolt. The smell of seared flesh immediately filled the area as the unlucky Stormtrooper was thrown to his back, clutching his wounded shoulder with his opposite hand. His blaster rifle dropped to the ground beside him, yet went unnoticed in the aftermath.
“Knox!!!” Laci screamed louder than she knew she was capable of as she rushed to his side. Hunt was right beside her, but unfortunately none of this squad had proper first aid training. Or, at least none of them had paid attention during their proper first aid training. Laci found her hands levitating over Knox’s would, unsure of what to do. Did she apply pressure, or leave it as is? She was overwhelmed by concern for the man as well as her uncertainty. “Oh my God! Um... oh my God!?”
“Are you alright!?” Hunt yelled at his friend, not quite knowing what to do, either. “Blink twice if you’re alright!”
“They didn’t shoot my mouth, you fucking idiot!” Knox hollered over the immense pain. Hunt shrugged. Good point.
“Is he okay!?” Grace shouted to them with concern evident in her voice, but she was stuck putting suppressive fire on the Vorticons alongside Cade.
“I, uh…” Laci looked from Grace back down to Knox.
“Look at it and tell me,” Knox ordered through clenched teeth, but secretly he didn’t want to know the answer to that question. He was content to extend his ignorance of his situation as long as he could.
“It’s…” Hunt grimaced as he looked at the scorched wound. “Black. Oh, God, it’s jet black. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be seeing, but I know it’s not this.”
“Call Zedd!” Cade commanded as he fired a few shots. “This is not working! We need a new plan!”
Hunt gave a quick nod to Laci, who instantly tapped the side of her helmet a few times. Her heads-up display listed several instant contacts, and she tapped the appropriate button to attempt a connection with Zedd’s cell phone. It only took a few rings before Zedd’s sharp voice roared through her helmet’s speakers and over the sounds of battle on his end as well as hers’. The echo through her helmet made Zedd sound like his voice was booming from all around her.
“Banana phone!”
Laci jerked her head back in surprise, having completely forgotten about the earlier shenanigans Knox and Hunt gotten into. They clearly saw her shock, even if they couldn’t hear Zedd.
“Did he say it!?” Knox forced a laugh through the agonizing pain.
“You are going to survive this, just so I can kill you,” Laci told Knox as sternly as she could muster.
“What do you need, you worthless maggot!?” Zedd bellowed into Laci’s helmet again, with so much volume it began to echo and disorient her.
“We can’t hold them!” Laci shouted as soon as she was reminded that she was on the line with him. “They’re starting to overwhelm us!”
“Then kill more of them!” Zedd responded, as if it was the most obvious solution in the world. “Do not bother me again! We are nearly done!”
“Zedd!” Laci shouted in a desperate attempt to maintain his attention, but heard the distinctive noise of the line breaking.
“What did he say!?” Grace asked as she continued to pour shots from her blaster.
“Nothing helpful,” Laci admitted in terrified exasperation. What the hell were they supposed to do, now?
“Fuck Zedd, and fuck this!” Cade decided as he placed two shots into the chest of two separate Vorticons, for good measure. “We’re falling back into the building. Drag him back, we’ll cover you!”
Laci nodded to Hunt, who was already grabbing Knox’s fallen blaster in one hand and his good arm with another. They were both all too happy to change their situation. Yet, there didn’t seem to be an easy exit from this situation. As they pulled their wounded compatriot into the building they could only pray for a quick return of their prime companions. They were certainly going to need them to get out of this alive.
![[Image: zedd2018.png]](http://epiqz.com/mysigs/zedd2018.png)