With a low, guttural chuckle, Emmett draws his sword and rushes ahead. His heavy footsteps send the shin-high water flying in all directions. As he moves further in to the abandoned reactor, the choir-like refrain of the yunwi's all-encompassing chirps fades to nothing. The blade glistens as Emmett pulls it back and flashes brilliantly as it's swung forward with inhuman speed. The futile clink of its edge striking the utlunta's stony skin dies weakly on Edward's ears.
The utlunta delivers a mocking screech as it pushes Emmett aside. Its wiry fingers stretch across his chest, and it's only when he wraps his forearm around its wrist that it exerts any effort. With a desperate fury, he slams the blade in various places along the creature's arm repeated.
Grunting in protest, it throws Emmett against the nearby wall. The sound of his flat back slamming against the foot-thick metal fills the space like a gong before being replaced with the splash of his landing.
"Emmett," Edward screams, fighting the urge to charge the utlunta in defense of his soldier.
"Sir?" Jacob asks. His voice heavy with anxiousness above his nerves.
The utlunta focuses on Emmett as he presses himself out of the water. The rank liquid drenches the fabric of his uniform and pours in through the shredded gaps warm and slimy against his skin. The sensation sends a scowl across his face as he grasp through the murky water until his hand grasp his sword's hilt. He senses the monster watching him, preparing.
"Fuck it." Edward spouts the words quickly, under his breath, as he brings up his rifle. Rhythmically squeezing and releasing his finger, he unleashes a barrage of gunfire into the creature's impenetrable hide. Jacob follows suit, his machine gun an unending roll of explosions that reverberates around them. The sporadic, measured blast of Bella's weapon above them rises above the deafening whir of blasts and bullets.
Shifting its weight uncomfortably from the ceaseless gunfire, the utlunta grimaces and its beady eyes dart to the side as Emmett stands. The strands of water falling from his body seem still in the strobe of gunfire. Every muscle throughout his body tightens and burns as he screams above the cacophony. "Come on, bitch!"
The threat attracts the creature's attention and its mouth black reappears in its stony face as it roars in response. It quickly turns both its hands up and flexes them, the fingers straightening with the motion. Both index fingers extend rapidly. The knuckles lock together. The tips become sharp and pointed. Throwing both arms out to its side, it's as if the utlunta now wields two five-foot sabers in both hands.
The sight causes Edward to pause mid-reload. He watches as the creature lumbers to charging Emmett. In a flurry of movement, the soldier deftly parries against its lethal swipes. Its heavy footfalls make the submerged concrete vibrate as the two of them strafe and move against each other, all under a hail of gunfire.
"Jacob," Edward shouts, "Can you turn?"
"I don't have any pills?" Jacob's eyes never leave from his sights as he continues to fire.
"Can you turn?"
With a grimace, Jacob lets off the trigger and tosses the heavy weapon to his team leader. Under the thick sweat, the look of dutiful sadness in the young soldier's face makes Edward feel guilty. He swallows the emotion away as he resumes shooting the utlunta, his own rifle banging awkwardly against his leg as it dangles from his shoulder.
"Jacob!" Alice's voice comes piercing across the radio as the agony-filled wail emanates from deep in him.
The burn of hair growing ripples through his skin. The rip of muscles fills his limbs. The crack of bones echoes across his torso. He collapses into the water, the tears in his eyes mixing with the blackness. The stale water gurgles against his scream.
"Edward," Alice shouts in to radio, shaky and hallow with fear, "Jacob can't hold form without the painkillers!"
Continuing the volley of bullets from the machine gun, Edward glances beside him. A rush of self-loathing terror grips his lungs, tearing away his breath.
In the churning water, Jacob trembles and seizes. Patches of thick, black hair grow and shrink from his skin. One hand is the massive clawed paw of a bear. The other arm pulses grotesquely with the his continued attempts to transform. Through a wrenched look of torment, thick fangs make his gums bleed as his nose extends and flattens from human to snout.
Dropping the machine gun, Edward falls to his knees and pulls Jacob to him as the soldier convulses. "Jacob, stop," he orders as his heart slams against his sternum.
The sudden ceasefire draws the utlunta's concentration away from its continued battle with Emmett. Seeing Edward distracted with Jacob, it takes a step towards them before Emmett swings around and strikes it hard across the nose with the edge of his sword. The impact sends it recoiling with a surprised snarl as the stone charm bounces against its chest.
"Digetsinatlai." It says the word like an incantation. Immediately, an anada appears at its side. The watery creature's ghostly face turns furious before disappearing in a shower of droplets with Bella's gunfire.
"Impressive," Emmett says under his breath. A flash of realization crosses his face and he turns his head slightly over his shoulder. "Get out of the water!" he shouts.
Edward hears Emmett's voice just an anada's head rises from the water on the other side of the shaking Jacob.
"Bella!" he screams, pulling Jacob with him as he falls backward away from the monster. A moment later, the head splashes into nothing as the gunshot rings down the reactor walls. Gasping, Edward reaches for his taser as he drags Jacob by the collar to the ladder embedded into the wall. The ARMS whines loudly in his ears he moves, the taser outstretched to fend off the anadas as they appear around them.
"How hard are you going to make this?" Emmett asks with a low, measured voice as he reengages the monster. His blade clashes loudly against the utlunta's sword-like fingers as they cross its chest. Inches apart, the creature towers over him. The stench of rotting hides stains its hot breath as it floods Emmett's face.
"I await the Prophet." The words ripple from the utlunta's throat, just reaching Emmett's ears. "I defend the Shield." The utlunta drops its head down with a vicious crack across Emmett's skull. The thunderous vibrations run down his spine, tingling his entire body as thick crimson covers his face. Snarling under the mask of blood, he pulls back his free hand and throws a haymaker against the monster's chin. He feels his knuckles separate as the creature backs away.
"That's great," Emmett chuckles as he wipes the warm blood gathering around his eyes. "But that wasn't my question."
Across the chamber, Edward activates his radio. "Bella! Get Jacob." He stands in the water, pressing his back against the young soldier as Jacob meekly holds on to the ladder. Six anadas snarl in anticipation as the rapid tap of the taser stands between them and the soldiers. His heavy breathing, his rapid pulse, the tingle of fear running just beneath his skin, Edward is aware of all of it as his mind fights to avoid drowning in itself.
I fucked it up. The words scream out from his sub-consciousness and ring through his storm of thoughts. He adjust his footing, pressing Jacob tighter against the ladder. His movement baits a nearby anada in to swiping at him, and he quickly shoves the taser against its forearm. A collective, sub-audial cry rolls from the other anadas as it pops into steam.
A sudden gust from above, followed by the scratch of claws on metal walls announces Bella's arrival. She wraps a hand beneath Jacob's arms and growls as she rapidly beats her wings to pull him onto the grated walkway circling the chamber.
Her appearance make the anadas look up, their faces turning to distracted awe before reverting to their beastial fury. As Edward feels Jacob rise against his back, he lunges forward. He is able to tase three anadas before another appears in the water at his feet. Its claws dig into his thigh, sending warm blood rushing down his leg and diluting against the water. He shoves the taser into the watery hand, releasing himself from its grip before returning to the ladder and quickly following Jacob to the walkway.
The metal is hard against his skin as he rolls up to the safety, his fingers gripping tightly into the gaps. Peering down, the remaining anada's blank, glistening white eyes stare at him. Three more anada rise beside them and his stomach sinks. The remaining sounds, the cracks and clinks and grunts and splashes of Emmett's battle with the utlunta fade in from the fog drawing his attention from the silvery monsters below.
He needs help, Edward thinks. We need help. He rolls onto his back and sits up. Bella kneels over Jacob, her wings partially open in a protective stance like a hideous guardian angel. She rests one hand against his chest, gently caressing him with gnarled fingers as he shudders. Blood still pours from his lips and his engorged shoulder causes his arm to jut forward as if it's protruding from his chest.
She looks to Edward. Her brown eyes filled with lost pity against her abominable face. Weakness chills her limbs. This wasn't what she expected. How could she? But looking at him, her team leader, she sees determination fighting through the chaos she can sense filling him. This is a disaster, but Edward gives her faith.
He opens his mouth slightly, his jaw tight as he tries to force himself to think calmly. How do we stop this thing? How do we stop the anadas? His hands feel like stone. We need help. The idea flashes like lightning across his face and he's suddenly relaxed.
"Go," he says. "Get the wampus."
It's the steadiest she's ever heard him sound, as if it's a secret weapon they've always had. Her face turning with a confident smile, she gives him a small nod before taking flight.
Edward clamors over to Jacob once she's disappeared over the open rim of the reactor. He slides a hand behind the soldier's head, his thick black hair slimy with sweat in Edward's palm.
"I'm sorry," Edward says. "What can I do?"
Jacob's voice is tattered with pain and he shudders as he speaks. "I can't get my shoulder back."
"Why didn't you say, 'no?'" Edward asks as he gingerly places his other hand where the dislocated arm rest against Jacob's ribcage. He clenches his teeth and holds his breath.
"You needed me t-" Jacob's confession becomes a howl as Edward shoves the dislocated arm back across his chest. The rub of bone against bone rumbles through sinews and epidermis and into Edward's hands. The feeling, the sound, the sickening click as it pops back into its socket churns the bile in both of their stomachs.
"Tell me, 'no,' next time," Edward says, swallowing down the sick trying to escape.
Jacob only curses as he repeatedly bounces his head against the grating. The dull sting against his scalp does nothing to dull the flaming surge flooding his body.
"Take as much time as you need," Edward says. He reaches into Jacob's pack and grabs his taser. "I need to help Emmett."
Renewed by his own decisiveness, Edward takes both tasers and moves to the ladder. The anadas have clustered near Emmett and the utlunta now, a shifting wall of watery bodies. Grinning, he clacks both tasers as he jumps down to the flooded floor below.