[4-14] The Town

[Albert Wesker]

As Abner rolled across the ground, cursing the whole way, Colonel was advancing on the undead monstrosity. The normally stoic, immutable expression on his face had cracked, replaced by a grim, twisted scowl, and there was an almost human fire burning in his eyes. It was clear, even at just a glance: the war machine was angry. After all the horrors of the impossibly long, dangerous night on this hellish island, and all that Trent had managed to — by some miracle or other — survive...to see him get quite literally ripped apart, without even being able to reach him in time to try and prevent it? And after he had sworn, silently, that he would sooner lay down his supposedly immortal life before he let the young secondary die, on top of that? It had awoken something long forgotten in the cybernetic heart of the Colonel.

An entirely different heat burned in his heart, far-removed from the devastating overheating the virus had forced upon him, and it radiated off of him, flaring up visibly into a broad, swirling purple aura. Briefly, it seemed to rear up into the form of a great wolf, or lion, huge, empty eyes leering at the green-clad monstrosity, before it faded back to shapeless violet flame, flickering wildly, dangerously, about the steel soldier as he rushed into the fray, bypassing Abner and hefting his saber.

A wordless shout, of unfettered rage, sprang from his mouth, and in his mind it was echoed by the earth-shaking scream of Gregar. For once, the beast's awe-inspiring rage was useful for something, as it gave his battered body surprising strength, pulling out the last dregs and vestiges of power he had left. His blade crackled audibly with power, carving a bright swathe of spring, tearing apart the dull gray and dust of the city as a crash of thunder, splintering and tearing apart the ground, rocked the immediate area, a blindingly-bright Z of emerald plasma crashing against the superhuman monster, eliciting a wordless, inhumanly deep and mangled howl from it. Smoke rose from the battered creature, a clear scorch pattern burned permanently into its damnedly durable trenchcoat. It stood there, teetering drunkenly for a moment, looking ready to fall...

Then it threw back its head, and it let out another distorted, garbled cry.

Frustration, indignation, confusion, and pain all strove for the forefront of the thing's expressed intent as it took a lumbering step forward, lurching into a short dash to meet the enraged war machine. A massive hamfist came down, striking the spiked edge of the Colonel's sword like a hammer blow. The both of them rebounded from the collision, Colonel staggering back a full three paces, the tyrant in viridian only finding itself knocked off balance, its baleful gaze slowly swiveling back around to lock on the antagonistic android barring it from moving on to easier prey. The blank, milky eyes of the abomination narrowed, lips peeling back in a teeth-baring snarl as it struck out with a backhand, lunging forward in a burst of movement far too quick for a creature of its size.

Blade met bare hand again, and Colonel was thrown bodily through the air, sailing nearly a dozen feet before his boots touched down again, skidding over the uneven pavement as he fought to keep upright. Scarcely had he recovered his bearings with a tendril entered his field of vision, lashing about his left arm. He steeled himself, pulling against the impending grapple, but the tyrant was every bit as strong as it was inhumanly durable, and slowly but surely the soldier navi was hauled across the devastated street, right into the waiting grasp of the monstrosity.

Arms the size of telephone poles closed about him, pulling him into a greatly unwanted and unappreciated bearhug, and immediately there was a groaning of protesting metal, his armored body cracking and warping under the pressure of the deadly embrace. Colonel's teeth were bared in a wordless grimace, sparks flickering from every jagged tear, rend and wound in his exterior plating, bits of the precious liquid data 'blood' within spurting out of the damaged bits. Gregar let out another bestial scream within his mind, giving rise to a single thought: "NOT LIKE THIS!"

Colonel didn't even realize he had shouted the words aloud, and put forth every last ounce of strength he had, managing to force the deathgrip to ease, and cease crushing him. It wasn't until a bolt of energy from Abner's rifle struck the undead abomination in the back, distracting it, that he was able to break the grip, dropping heavily to the ground as the tyrant turned round, pinning its immutably baleful expression on the former stormtrooper, taking a step toward him, arms lifting to ready a smashing blow to reduce him to paste.

But it never got more than one step, as Colonel lurched into action, his mangled left arm closing around the thing's waist, as his branding iron of a sword struck around the other side, burying itself in the durable coat, and deep into leathery flesh, raising a hiss as the superheated weapon bit into the monster. Anchoring himself firmly, Colonel hauled back against the brute, pushing up against the ground, removing any leverage it had to keep moving.

"Hit this damn thing...with everything you've got!" he shouted, over the din of its struggles.

912 words, according to wordcounter.

Colonel used T1 Power Up: Colonel β and T1 Super Attack: Neo Screen Divide. 0/4 SP remaining