Chapter 12: Styx and Stones

Rojas listened to the growing clamor as the locust charged through the halls of the House of Sovereigns. He checked the ammo of his lancer one more time and then made sure that both of the shotguns were in working order.

A burst of bullets ricocheted off the heavy metal door. Rojas moved next to it and waited. There was a slam and then Rojas kicked the door free and unloaded both shotguns into the horde in front of him. He spun the shotguns around in his hands and then fired again into the confused locust. He reloaded again and shot a locust that had regained its senses and was raising its hammerburst to fire. The shot cut the locust in half and Rojas fired at another locust with the other shotgun, then he was shooting and reloading as fast as he could as the locust rushed the doorway.

One locust jumped into the doorway and without thinking, Rojas slammed it in the face with the shotgun. He brought both shotguns from the side and hit the locust as hard as he could. The locust crumpled to the ground as Rojas struck another that was crowding in behind the first one. Rojas knocked the hammerburst out of its hands and put a shot right into its waist. He swung the other shotgun up and emptied the chamber into the face of a grenadier that was pressing through the crowd.

He stepped out of the doorway and reloaded once more just as a burst of gunfire shattered the rock around him.

A drone jumped into the room and Rojas thrust the barrel of a shotgun into its stomach and pulled the trigger.

Click!

Rojas swung the other shotgun around and slammed it into the side of the drones head, shattering its skull and sending its brains splattering onto the wall.

A grenadier leapt in as the body fell to the floor and raised its Gnasher. Rojas hit it to the side with one of his own shotguns as it discharged, then raised his other and shot the Grenadier in the chest, tearing it apart. He spun the gun around in his hand and then pointed it and fired at the nearest locust. The gun boomed and then he threw it into the face of another. He drew the lancer from his back and emptied the clip into the crowding horde of locust.

He heard a roar of anger and saw a huge locust come wading up through the wash of enemies.

"Oh sh…" Rojas grabbed his snub pistol and shot at the locust general.

The locust covered its face with a giant, gauntleted hand as it used the other to knock the drones out of its way.

Rojas stepped back behind the pillar and wait with revving chainsaw.

The scene quieted. Rojas could hear his own heavy breathing, he could hear the gasping and wheezing of a locust he had injured, he could hear the lancer revving.

The he heard a heavy footstep. Then another, and another. The footsteps stopped and then Rojas heard one of the locust, presumably the same one he had injured, get to its feet and walk into the room.

A burst of gunfire splintered the rock and chipped at the pillar he was taking cover behind. Rojas waited, chainsaw still revving. He heard a cautious foot step and then he lept from the his hiding place. He threw his lancer at the locust who tried ducking out of the way. Rojas ran towards him and grabbed the hammerburst from its hands and pointed it at the locusts chest.

"See you in Hell!"

Rojas pulled the trigger and watched as the bullets sprayed out the locusts back along with blood and bits of bone.

Rojas kicked the locust out of the way and ran to his lancer while he covered the doorway with hammerburst fire. He grabbed it and retreated to the pillar again, keeping the locust assault rifle trained on the doorway.

He heard the heavy footstep again and saw black clad figure envelop the doorway. He fired at the locusts midsection but watched in disappointment as the bullets ricocheted off of the heavy armor.

Rojas dropped the hammerburst and stepped out to meet the locust general, chainsaw revving yet again.

He rushed it and swung the lancer at the locusts head. The general blocked it with his gauntlet and then punched Rojas in the face.

Rojas staggered back into the wall. He wiped the blood from his mouth and ran at the general again.

This time the general didn't even flinch as the chainsaw's blades were ground down by the impenetrable armor. Rojas looked up and spit into the locusts face. The general punched Rojas in the stomach and then grabbed him by the neck. It lifted him up and then grabbed his legs and swung him down into the ground.

Rojas saw stars and felt as the blood began to pour from the back of his head. He looked up into the ceiling and thought of his son, his wife, of Veritas and Hastings. He thought about Cather and all the other men who he had seen die. He remembered his family, his old tribe and how he had deserted them when they needed him most.

"Did I do it?" Rojas coughed and choked at the blood that filled his lungs, "Did I reclaim our honor?"

Rojas felt as the locust general rested its foot on the side of his head. The general looked down at his uncovered eye and gloated. Rojas looked past the locust towards the ceiling, but he no longer saw a ceiling.

He saw a river. And beyond that river was a garden, or at least, it looked like a garden. Down the river bank was a boat, an old ferry with a gnarled old boatman waiting for him. Everything was blurry, as if he couldn't focus. He walked towards the boat and got on. The ferryman pushed off and began crossing the river.

The barking and snarling of wretches brought him back as dull pain racked his side. He looked up at the triumphant locust standing over him, and then closed his eyes. He felt pressure on his head and then a voice rang out in the stillness…

"So?" The voice was strangely familiar, "Are you going to get off yet?"

Rojas looked up into the warm, gentle eyes that greeted him and grabbed a hold of the hand that was offered.

"I guess I will." Rojas smiled at his old friend. "By the way, I met this kid who's a real chip off the old block, fights just like his old man!"

Veritas smiled. "That's my boy."

Daze couldn't hear the firing anymore. He wasn't too surprised since there were multiple stories between him and the place where he had said goodbye to Rojas.

He heard Baird screaming at the radio back where they had split up.

"You heard me! I said FUBAR!" Baird shouted into his mic, "Yeah! That's right, Fcked up beyond all recognition! And another thing, you Sht heads better be sending the mother fcking cavalry down here cause we got locust popping out of our ass's…"

Baird and the tattered remnants of Alpha squad were crouched in a darkened doorway across the street from the Tombs of the Unknown.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, you're breaking up," Baird flicked off his earpiece, "Lets make a run for it boys."

Private Gyules made a break for the tombs and was followed by Baird and Lewis at a dead run.

Daze heard the distinct clatter of Hammerbursts as bullets kicked up dust and bits of concrete around the Cogs. Daze didn't wait to watch the outcome but instead led the others through the open lobby of an old hotel as they made their way towards the fortress.

After they had run for a few minutes, Daze held up his hand and slowed to a jog, and then to a walk. They came to an old broken down door of one of the hotel rooms and stopped to catch their breaths.

Everyone sat in silence as they sucked in huge gulps of air.

"What do you think will happen to them Daze?" Susan asked as she stretched out on her back and tried to calm her breathing.

"I'm not sure, but I'm starting to fear the worst," Daze stared at the ground sorrowfully.

Clara poked her head out around a corner and looked down the hallway.

"See anything?" Jack asked as he fingered the grip of his lancer.

"Nothing." Clara walked back and sat down next to Justin on the edge of an old rotting bed.

Jet leaned his rifle against the wall then pulled a black beanie from his pocket and stretched it down over his eyes, he folded his hands and rested them on his chest.

"We can't stay too long guys," Daze walked back to a window and looked out at the sun, "No more than thirty minutes."

The others settled in and soon were all resting peacefully. Daze walked sleepily over to the door and took a look out. Nothing, just as he expected.

He sat down and laid back against the wall. Daze set his lancer to the side and rested the carbine on his knees. He pulled out his revolver and spun the cylinder, watching the bullets fall out onto his lap. He stood the shells upright on the floor and rested the rifle against the wall as he got up and walked to the faucet that was inside the bathroom across from him.

Daze twirled and spun the revolver around his finger. He turned the handle and waited as the brownish red water sputtered and began to flow down the rusty drain. Daze leaned down when the water had cleared and took a drink. It was warm and it tasted like metal but Daze didn't care, he had been drinking this and worse ever since he had left the fortress.

Daze sat back down and practiced loading and unloading his revolver. He slipped the shells in and out as quickly as he could, spinning the chamber and twirling the pistol in his hand.

"Man, I wish I had my bike out here," Daze thought to himself. He had found an old motorcycle one day while he was out running around the city. He pushed it back to the orphanage and had set to work fixing it up. He was almost done and only needed to install the clutch cable that he had scavenged from an old auto parts store a couple of days ago. He had even filled it up with some immulsion and started it up to make sure it was working.

"Ah well, I'll probably never see it again. Freaking locust probably wrecked it anyways." Daze looked at his friends. Susan had sat down in Jordan's lap and was resting her head against his shoulder. Clara had lain down on the bed with Justin beside her and was sleeping peacefully.

Daze looked at Jack and Jet. They were both sprawled out on the floor, laying on their backs with their guns resting on their chests. Daze looked at Holly who was sleeping on a chair in the corner of the room. Daze examined the patch job he had done on her arm and was pretty satisfied. But something caught his eye as he was looking. He noticed that the skin on her left arm looked extremely dry. He saw it was cracked and pale where the acid had burned her and he also saw that it had burned through the side of her shirt and revealed a part of her breast.

Daze blushed and looked away. He closed his eyes and tried to turn his mind from the unwanted thoughts…

Daze awoke to the sound of a helicopter in the distance. He started from his place on the wall and scrambled to grab his weapons. He looked out the door for the helicopter as it passed by through the street. Daze looked at the others. Clara was walking towards him quietly and Holly had risen from her seat and was stretching. The others were all sleeping.

"Should we go see what's up?" Clara whispered to Daze as Holly walked over to them.

"I don't know," Daze looked back at the ones who were still sleeping and saw a shadow pass across the doorway.

Holly drew in her breath sharply and Clara pressed them both into the bathroom as more and more locust passed by the door.

Daze froze as he now heard the sound of running feet that had been obscured by the noise of the helicopter. He drew his knife slowly.

Clara watched as locust after locust sprinted past the door. She slipped her knife from its sheath and handed it to Holly as she held her SMG ready.

The noise was now subsiding but Daze still heard a couple more coming down the hall. He pressed himself up against the wall and stood still. As two locust passed, there was a snort from Justin who was lying on the bed. The second locust turned its head and let out a short growl as it passed by.

The sound of running stopped.

Daze moved up next to the door and waited with Clara and Holly across from him.

He heard a cautious footstep. Then another. He heard it cock its gun and saw the barrel stick around the corner.

Suddenly Holly leapt out and slammed the locust into the back wall, slitting its throat with a fast, deep cut of Clara's knife.

Daze jumped around the corner and saw a locust right in front of him. He put his shoulder into it and knocked it to the ground. As it reached for its pistol he stabbed it in the neck and throat again and again till it stopped struggling. He looked back and saw one more grub slump to the floor, bloody pockmarks riddling the wall behind it. He grabbed his locust and dragged it into the room. Holly followed suit and dragged hers in also.

Clara looked through the holes in the wall at the dead locust and laughed quietly.

"That worked better than I expected." She said as she exchanged her spent clip for a new one.

Daze grabbed her locust and pulled him into the room and laid him by the others. He looked back to where everyone else was sleeping. Daze made a low whistle and Susan opened her eyes. She saw the dead locust and then looked out the window. She jolted upright at how late it was getting and moved quickly to wake the others.

Suddenly there was a jarring explosion from down the road. The ground rumbled as the sounds grew louder. Daze heard the screeching and grinding of metal on concrete and surmised what had happened.

"Damn those seeders!" He growled under his breath.

Jack and Jet were up in a moment and scouting the hall outside the door. Jordan got up and readied his Hammerburst. Justin sat up groggily and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. He grabbed his shotgun and stood up.

"It looks clear!" Jack said from the doorway.

"Then we should get moving," Daze moved to the door and started running. Clara followed and covered the way they had come with her sniper rifle.

Daze ran until he found himself in another large, open lobby. He looked around and saw an old broken escalator.

"Quick, up the stairs." Daze said as he mounted the escalator two steps at a time.

"What's up here?" Jet asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think I saw something." Daze called back over his shoulder.

As they made it to the top Daze saw what he was hoping for. A skyway crossed the street and joined the adjacent building. Daze ran to the barricade of furniture and garbage and hopped over it quickly. He helped Holly over and then the others were climbing up, with Clara bringing up the rear.

"Good, this will keep us out of the street," Susan looked around satisfied, "But do you know where we are Daze?"

"Well kind of," Daze made his way to the end of the skyway and started up the other barrier, "I've seen this from the road though I've never been in it."

Daze jumped down from the barrier and started walking. He stopped when he realized something was wrong. Daze pulled his carbine to his shoulder and moved to the side.

"Wait!" Daze whispered back to the others.

They stopped, all with their weapons held ready. Daze stepped into a doorway next to the skyway entrance and waited, searching for something, straining to understand the thing that was pulling at his mind. He realized that the only light in the building was streaming in all the way from the ceiling forty stories above.

Then he heard it.

A continuous drum of wings, beating back and forth against the still air just outside the light.

"Daze?" Holly's quiet voice was edged with panic. "I think we should go!"

"Wait, just wait a moment." Daze started to move forward but stopped suddenly as the cold barrel of a pistol pressed against his neck.

"Checkmate stupid!"