A year later.
Dense white fog dispersed with Noose sprinting through, an altered Ripper slithered behind.
“Funnel it into the next street,” Fey instructed via comms, her gaze fixed through her sniper scope.
“Copy,” Noose replied.
“Is he in position?” Pike asked, leaning against a pillar at street level.
“Affirmative,” Noose confirmed.
Her boot thrusters launched her onto a street as the Ripper collided into buildings.
Karauro stood there while she ran past him.
“Devour...grow, better,” The voice hissed in his head.
The Ripper unleashed a deafening roar, once it came to complete stop.
"Fey, can you hit it with a charge round?" he asked over comms.
"Sure, I’ll fire in any direction," she hissed.
"Your sarcasm needs work," Karauro retorted, annoyed.
The Ripper coiled around him.
Karauro sighed and let the flare flicker.
A charge round shot into its maw, beeping rapidly, then detonated.
Its jaw hung by strings of muscle.
It lunged at him; he evaded by rolling to the side.
"There, satisfied?" Fey snapped into her comms.
"Absolutely," Karauro chuckled.
He aimed the wire-snare at its throat, letting the pull bring him closer.
Its claws swung down, nearly scraping his armor. His eyes lit up, crimson tendrils erupting from custom pits in his Nexon-suit.
Karauro spun, hardened the tendrils, severed the Ripper’s hand, and used his other two to latch onto its mouth cavity, propelling himself inside.
Noose sighed, glancing at her bracelet. A red spike flashed on it.
"Hey mutt, leave at least one of its cores, okay?" Noose remarked, leaning against a building wall.
The Ripper thrashed as an orange glow pulsed within its dark flesh.
Two claws slashed open a section. The fumed beast growled and began transforming back into a human.
The Ripper slumped, lifeless.
Karauro emerged from its belly.
His eyes glowed orange even in the haze.
He wiped his mouth and secured the helmet.
"Left one intact," He finally said over comms.
“Understood. Crowe, Pike, take the core. We’ll rendezvous with other units and Spine,” Noose said calmly, pressing her hands on Karauro’s chest to stop him.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“You good?” she asked.
“Peachy,” Karauro replied.
---
Nera exited the hauler and approached Unit 7 along with Onyx soldiers.
Liam stood with unit 8, smoking his cigarette.
"I prefer this kind of meeting over politics," he told Nera.
"Agreed," she replied.
Noose approached with her team behind her.
"Ruined Jackals? I thought Onyx relied on numbers," Nera smirked.
"Names are for those who deserve them," Noose replied, grinning softly.
"Let's just get started," Liam urged.
"You're right. Ciro, clear a path; we'll move forward," Noose said as she walked towards a soldier covered in ichor.
Nera's eyes widened briefly as she watched him move alongside Noose. Their gazes locked, orange halo eyes glowing fiercely.
"Not even a greeting?" Aaron murmured as he strolled with Roy.
“Save it, we’ll have time later. Liam’s right; let’s move,” Nera replied, glancing away from Karauro.
---
Nera and the Spine units followed Noose and Onyx soldiers, seeking cover behind damaged vehicles with rifles aimed at the Hive structure.
Spine matched their positions.
“He's inside clearing a path. We wait for his signal.” Noose cast a frosty glance at Nera.
Nera's expression hardened.
“Wait, is he—” She was cut off by Noose.
Yes, he’s in his beast state; he’ll manage," Noose stated without hesitation.
A loud roar echoed from within the Hive.
Then, comms crackled with Karauro’s voice over the public channel.
“Cleared. Just watch for stragglers as you enter.” Karauro rasped.
Both units surged into the hive, helmet flashlights sweeping all around.
Wet ichor stained the flesh floors, with skeletal remains jutting from the flesh walls.
Torn Grievers lay scattered across the sticky floor, steaming.
"We cover each other, not ego's" Nera said looking to Noose.
They both nodded at each other.
Nera noticed an opening above as crows swooped down, their beaks snapping like pincers.
Stingers burst from their bodies, accompanied by their screeching cries.
"We have maw-crows, don't let them overwhelm us." She shouted
Spine mercs shot wire snares into the creatures, pinning them to the ground.
Onyx soldiers finished off the infected birds by unloading bullets into them.
Aaron lunged with his arms whirring, he timed his EDP impact onto a flesh pillar nearby. It connected.
The smell of burnt animal flesh hung in the air.
Nera activated a wire snare from her gauntlet, allowing it to whip her around in a spin before using her arm blade to sever the birds' stingers.
Noose dashed forward, sliding beneath their bellies and unleashing a barrage of bullets into their vulnerable flesh.
---
Nera touched down and slid, her back thudding against someone whose footsteps squelched just behind her.
"Lost your edge, Viper?" Karauro taunted.
"It's just slightly slick here, but fortunate for me, you're solid enough to stop me from falling." She said while moving away from him.
He shrugged and used a wire to pull himself over to Noose.
"Took you long enough," she remarked, leaning her back against his.
"Had to handle two Swarmers, and the Hive core has muted the voice for the time being," Karauro replied, tapping his helmet.
Nera spotted a flock of Maw-crows zeroing in on Roy and Aaron.
Her gaze followed something darting by her.
It was Karauro who speared into a horde of birds, His tendrils glowed crimson while he spun in midair, tearing them into clumps of decayed flesh.
Aaron stood there covered in bird guts, along with Roy.
"I notice you've become more elaborate in your decoration of the Grievers in their own territory," Roy remarked, shaking off the Ichor and flesh that clung to his shoulder pad.
Karauro lingered for a moment, distracted by something other than Roy's complaint.
Aaron felt uneasy when Karauro shifted his halo eyes onto them.
"Relax Aaron, your not on the menu." Karauro said with a rasp in his voice.
Aaron didn't laugh; he recalled Karauros's first flare.
This is worse now, he thought.
"Step aside, you two," Karauro said assertively.
Halo eyes pulsed.
Aaron silently nudged Roy aside.
"Mutt? What’s happening?" Noose called from behind.
"I sensed something briefly, but it’s gone now," Karauro answered as he moved past them.
Nera noticed his gaze flicking away from Aaron.
"Sorry," Karauro murmured.
Nera let out an exhale, she looked towards all Onyx and Spine members, then caught Karauro walk past her.
She wanted to speak, not to comfort, just to draw his gaze from its blankness.
But she didn't.
"Don't worry about it, Viper," he said coolly, moving toward Noose, who stood nearby.
---
Everyone exited the Hive-Cluster and stood far away as the breach charges detonated.
Ruined Jackal members huddled together. Noose approached as Karauro leaned against a pillar.
"You managed it," Noose said side-eyeing him.
"Yeah," he replied flatly.
She stepped in front of him, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Hey, most of them survived because you jumped in. I'd say that's an improvement."
She playfully bumped her fist against his armored chest.
"Is this your way of making me feel better?" Karauro beamed with a smile.
"More about lifting spirits," she answered quietly, looking up at the descending aircraft.
"You've shown effectiveness so far; keep it up, and Onyx may begin to see you in a different light, just like I do." Her lips curled into a grin.
Nera observed from afar, noticing Noose's peculiar behavior.
A slight smile played at the corners of her lips.
Roy wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"They grow up quickly. You've been staring at our stray longer than usual," he teased.
Nera's smile diminished.
"Doesn't seem seventeen anymore, except for his eerie gaze," Roy said casually.
"Eighteen" she corrected, twisting his wrist.
"Ow, ow, wait, you know his day?" He grimaced.
"I know all of yours." She grinned, releasing her grip.
Image of Noose outlined on XPEN- 22 INCH tablet down below.
