Chapter 17: Decent Into Madness
"What's going on?" Daze asked as he rushed from the stairs.
"Nothing yet," Susan was pressed up against the wall with a hammerburst, watching the doorway for movement, "But you might want to go check with Clara."
"Sounds good." Daze kept low to the ground as he ran up the stairs.
"Do you see anything?" Daze asked Clara who was scanning the area around the orphanage.
"I saw a few locust, but they disappeared into some buildings," Clara brought up her rifle and looked through the scope, "Check that, here they are again."
"What are they doing?" Daze asked as he looked out over the side.
"It looks like they're setting up to watch or give covering fire," Clara rested the longshot on the railing then calmed her breathing. She took two deep breaths, then another and held it after letting it out a little. Her finger slowly constricted on the trigger then there was a sudden bang and she let out a sigh.
"Get him?" Daze asked quietly.
"Oh yeah," Clara gave him a smile, "I'm sure he's lost his mind."
"That's a horrible pun." Daze laughed a little bit, "Hey, you see Holly and the twins?"
"No. Aren't they in yet?" Clara looked worried as she scoped in on the room where they had split up.
"No, and nobody has seen them either." Daze also looked worried.
Bang.
Daze turned and looked at Clara who grinned at him again.
"You just keep on taking them out," Daze said as he stepped to the door that led downstairs, "Be careful though."
"I'll be good!" Clara said as she reloaded.
"Yeah, okay." Daze ran down the steps to find Justin.
"Yo Daze?" Justin asked as he waited with Susan in the back hallway, "Is Clara all right?"
"Yeah, now where are Holly and the twins?" A hint of panic edged his voice as he ran to the door and looked out.
A burst of bullets shattered the doorframe and sent Daze jumping back.
"We got locust!" Daze shouted as he retreated to the stairway and readied his lancer, "Justin! Head down stairs and make sure no locust make it up that emergence hole!"
Daze looked over at Susan who held a hammerburst calmly and easily in her hands. She was leaning back against the wall of a perpendicular hallway. Next to her were three more hammerburst's leaning against the wall, ready for action. There was also a pile of spare magazines sitting at her feat.
"You got extra's honey?" Jordan asked from the doorway behind Daze's.
Daze turned around and nodded to Jordan who had just come up behind them. Jordan was holding a hammerburst also and aiming it down the hallway.
"I got everything you need baby." Susan smiled back at him then was all business as she waited for the locust to attack.
Daze waited. Seconds felt like minutes, those same minutes felt like hours and in that time it felt as though days could have passed. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Daze as he waited with baited breath.
This was it. This was where his leadership was tested. This was where his friends would die.
"Not if I can help it," Daze muttered as he squeezed the trigger.
Flames erupted from the barrel as a locust filled his sights. The bullets entered the front of it's armor and tore into it's chest. The drone crumpled and fell dead to the floor.
Gunfire crashed from all sides as the locust began their attack. Another grub leapt into the doorway and was gunned down like the first.
Daze ducked out of the hallway as a grenadier leapt into the doorway and fired it's shotgun. He felt the pieces of wood bounce off his face then heard a hammerburst. He looked out and saw the locust's mangled body fall to the floor.
Two more locust jumped into the hallway and ran towards them.
Daze fired at the first one and managed to bring it to its knees. The locust behind it tripped and fell headlong down the hall. Daze put a burst into the downed locust then felt blood splatter against his face as Susan sprayed the fallen one with her hammerburst. Daze grabbed the body and shoved it down the stairs then wiped his face clean.
"Anything down there yet?" Daze shouted to Justin as the locust regrouped.
"Nothing!" Justin shouted back, "But I think they're getting ready!"
"You give me a shout if you need any help."
"Will do."
Daze heard a dull thudding sound as something skidded across the floor.
"Grenade!" Susan shouted as she picked it up and threw it back towards the door.
There was a beeping sound and then an explosion shattered the doorway and sent pieces of locust flying.
"Thanks Susan," Daze exclaimed breathlessly, "You all right?"
"I'm fine." Susan yanked the clip out of her hammerburst and slammed a fresh one home.
Daze ducked out of the way again as shots raced down the hallway. He blind fired his lancer, hoping to make whatever was firing take cover.
"It's a pistol Daze!" Susan's voice sounded surprised, "It's just like a hammerburst!"
Daze looked and saw the pistol retreat from around the corner, then a large round plate of metal came into view. It was semicircular with little spikes coming out of it. Behind it was a locust.
Daze watched as the large Grenadier advanced forward, shield in one hand and pistol in the other. Daze saw the head peek out over the top of the shield for a split second and knew which one it was.
It was the locust with the scar who had been in the scouting party that attacked the orphanage the first time. It was the same locust that had attacked yesterday and it was the very same locust that had thrown Mercy to the wretches instead of putting her out of her misery.
"I will kill you!" Daze shouted as the locust advanced. Daze fired his lancer into it but the bullets bounced harmlessly off the shield, "I'll make sure I do it myself!"
Susan and Jordan joined him as they tried to drive the locust back with their fire, but to no avail.
"Susan! Do you have any grenades?" Daze looked over at her as he reloaded.
"I'm out!" She said as she raised her gun to fire again, "This isn't working Daze!"
"I know!" Daze saw the locust crowding into the doorway behind the Grenadier. He saw it pass the pistol back, which was replaced immediately by another.
Wood and sheetrock shattered as the heavy pistol ripped into the walls.
Daze ducked back into cover.
"What are we gonna do?" Susan shouted, the panic in her voice unmistakable.
"Shoot at it's legs!" Daze said as he fired at the locust's feet.
The locust suddenly dropped down behind the shield and fired over it at the teens.
Daze scrambled back into cover.
"Frick!" Daze shouted is exasperation, "Why wont the damn thing die!"
Suddenly there was a roar from the other locust to the rear of the grenadier. Daze looked around the corner and watched as the locust started retreating. The Grenadier was issuing orders as the others ran out into the open.
Suddenly Daze heard a whoosh and saw a stream of fire spray across the opening.
The Grenadier pulled the shield up and began retreating while it fired at Daze and the others with its pistol.
Daze could hear the roars from the other locust as well as a chainsaw when suddenly the Grenadier turned and disappeared out the door. Daze saw another stream of fire chase after it and then Holly, Jack and Jet were in the door and running down the hallway towards them.
"Thank goodness!" Susan said as Jack turned down her hall and waited next to her. Holly and Jet both ducked into Daze's doorway and stood below him on the stairs.
"Jet, head down and help Justin out if the locust try anything," Daze breathed a sigh of relief as he made eye contact with Holly, "I'm glad you're okay."
"Thanks." Holly said, "We saw you guys getting rushed and decided to help you out."
"Well it's a good thing," Daze looked back down the hallway for anymore locust, "Did you happen to get that big one?"
"No, he blocked Jet's flamethrower with his shield." Holly spat down the stairs, "Dirty bastard!"
"No doubt," Daze checked the hallway again and then turned to Holly, "Head upstairs and help Clara out, she may need some suppressive fire."
"Alright," Holly hesitated a moment and looked back, then headed up.
"Daze!" Clara's voice came from the stairs, "Check the living room! I think some got past and might be trying the windows."
"Got it!" Daze jumped out of the doorway and ran back down the hall into the living room. Daze stepped into the dusty old room. There was no noise besides the ticking of the grandfather clock and the sounds of gunfire outside the building. It was a pretty big room, open and furnished with couches and chairs. All the windows were boarded up, yet some light still filtered in and sent sunbeams through the stale air. The majority of the windows were very tall and skinny, running from floor to ceiling while others were normal and square.
Daze waited for any sign of movement. He could hear the occasional crack of Clara's longshot and the steady hum of Holly's lancer. He heard hammerburst fire from the buildings around the orphanage, otherwise there was no distinctive sound.
Daze caught his breath as a shadow passed over one of the windows. He quickly moved against the wall and waited.
A hammerburst crashed through one of the windows next to Daze. He watched as it moved from side to side, smashing and leftover glass and removing loose boards of wood. Daze stood with his lancer ready.
A foot stepped through window and then the body of a locust tried to squeeze through. It turned it's body to be able to fit and started to slide through, it's back to Daze.
Daze revved his chainsaw and swung it into the neck of the locust. The head fell to the ground as the locusts body stayed upright, jammed in the window.
Daze ducked as gunfire punctured the walls of the orphanage. He heard the shattering of glass and the rending of wood as the locust tried to force their way in.
Daze unloaded his lancer into one of the windows and saw blood spray onto the tattered white curtains. He turned and fired into another and watched the locust fall into the room, blood pooling beneath it. Daze turned and rushed to where a locust was just breaking through a window and revved his chainsaw. The locust swung its hammerburst at him but Daze knocked it away and sliced through it's arm. The locust howled with rage as it fell into the room. It pushed itself up and ran at Daze as it drew a knife and raised it over it's head. Daze brought his lancer to his hip and fired.
The bullets took the locust in the legs and it fell to the ground as more bullets ripped up its chest and splattered it brains against the wall. The body slid to a stop at Daze's feet.
"Finally." Daze sighed as he stepped over the body.
Daze heard a chainsaw behind him and turned to see a locust rushing him with a lancer. Daze revved his own lancer and stepped to meet the locust. Their chainsaws met with a clash as Daze held off the locusts blades. The locust continued to press down harder and harder, immense muscles bulging, till Daze knew he couldn't hold it any longer. Instead of pushing against the locust, he sidestepped and batted the lancer down into the floor where the teeth bit into the wooden planks and held it fast. Daze swung his lancer through the locusts arm and into its stomach as blood went spraying across the floor. He spun around behind it and tore the chainsaw up from the bottom of it's spine to the base of its neck. The locust fell forward, it's back split open.
"Look out!" Holly called suddenly.
Daze dropped to the floor as bullets thudded into the wall just above his head. He heard the rattle of a lancer and watched as a one of the assumed dead locust fell back, hammerburst slipping from it's fingers.
"Thanks!" Daze said breathlessly as Holly stepped into the room.
"No problem!" Holly looked extremely relieved, "I'm just glad I got here in time."
"So am I." Daze fell onto one of the couches as the firing eased from the outside. He kept his lancer pointed towards the windows. "So how does it look from up there?"
"Well the locust finally stopped randomly firing at the house," Holly said with some satisfaction, "but then they started shooting at Clara."
"That's not good."
"No, but now she's moving around the third floor," Holly looked at him with wonder, "She can shoot like nobody I've ever seen!"
"Whenever we practiced with the guns here, which wasn't often, she always was the best shot."
"Really?"
"Well I never did like the thought of using a sniper rifle."
Holly smiled at him, "You don't have to be so humble all the time."
"Oh don't worry! I'm sure this is just a façade," Daze laughed, "You should here me talk about how much the ladies love me!"
"Oh I don't need to take your word for it!" Holly smiled at Daze.
"Boomers!" Clara shouted from the stairs.
Daze jumped up and dove behind the couch with Holly as two explosions rocked the house.
"Jack, Jet! Give us a hand up here!" Daze shouted as he ran to find the breach.
Jet was having a good time watching the emergence hole with Justin. They had just broken through the locust when Daze had sent him down here.
It was a good thing to. Justin was way more funny than anyone else he could've been pared with. He had been telling jokes since Jet had made his way down.
"So why did women wear white on their wedding day?" Justin asked, a twinkle in his eye.
"I don't know, why?"
"To match the kitchen appliances!" Justin burst out laughing as he finished the joke.
Jet laughed hysterically until he finally had to stop and catch his breath, "That isn't as applicable anymore, but it's still funny."
"I know, and the kitchen appliances aren't quite white anymore, same thing with the dresses."
Jet laughed a little more then walked over and looked down the hole. Nothing moved.
"So, you got any action yet?" Jet asked as he checked his flamethrower.
"Well Clara was coming on pretty strong, but Daze…"
"I was talking about down here."
"Oh, well no." Justin ejected a round from his shotgun caught it, and slipped it back in the bottom.
"How long we gonna sit here before something happens?"
The snarling of wretches answered his question.
"Yeah!" Jet hopped up and ran to the hole, "Bring it retards!"
Justin pulled him back from the edge as hammerburst bullets sprayed into the ceiling.
"Oh, thanks." Jet said as he waited for the small locust to finish climbing the hole.
Justin took the head off the first one to pop out of the hole, then two more hopped out and he blasted one to pieces. As the third one rushed him he flipped his gnasher upside down and swung it at the small locust's head. Bone shattered and the animal fell to the ground dead.
Justin reloaded quickly as Jet ran to the hole and sprayed the wretches still in it. They lit on fire and fell screaming and barking all the way to the floor.
The smell of burning flesh permeated the air of the small room. Jet checked the ammo in his flamethrower.
"Hey, I got an idea!" Jet said enthusiastically, "How about we get rid of those pesky locust down there?"
"Okay, but how would we do that?"
Jet grabbed one of the wretches and pushed it to the hole and set it precariously on the edge.
He pulled the ammo container off his flamethrower and put a new one on, then he shot at the wretch, lighting it on fire and sending it falling to the ground. Jet ran to the edge and threw the ammo disc down after it.
"Hey, we got grubs sneaking up?" Justin asked as the burning wretch fell down the hole. Jet pointed the flamethrower down into the hole and pulled the trigger. He saw a drone look up just as he did and watched with glee as it lost its grip and fell while the fire consumed it.
Justin ran to the hole and fired at one of the locust that was crawling up the side. The shotgun blast took it square in the back and it went falling to the ground in multiple pieces.
Jet saw the wretch hit the bottom of the hole and laughed as the ammo container landed on it and exploded in a ball of flame. He could just see the other locust caught by the blast running around trying to put the fire out. Suddenly the burning grub exploded and the hole crumbled and imploded on itself.
"What was that?" Jet asked bewildered.
"I'm guessing that grub's frag went off." Justin said smiling, "That's just great, now we have to sit here bored again!"
Jet smiled and then heard someone shout his name from upstairs.
"Better head up there." Justin said.