CHAPTER 46
Lillith had phased herself and Mordecai to the top of a building, on the opposite side of the compound. Lillith was shouldering a corrosive rocket launcher, as Mordecai was picking off targets with his slag rifle. It took the robots only minutes to change their direction, and head towards the pair on the rooftop. Lillith was waiting for Axtons signal, before she let rip with the launcher.
'Ready to rock Lillith!' Came Axtons voice over her echo device. A loud whoosh sounded, as dual projectiles launched into the mass of bots heading in the pairs direction. A cloud of green acid erupted over many of bots, and they melted beneath the lethal goo.
'Nice' Mordecai grinned, as Lillith let another shot into the slow moving mass.
'Yeah, but I dont have enough ammo to take down the whole lot' Lillith admitted 'But it sure will put a dent in them' She let a third shot into the centre of the mob, then lowered the launcher to reload.
'Grenade! Watch out Lil!' Mordecai pushed the siren sideways, and they both fell heavily behind a stack of creates before the grenade exploded in a burst of flames on the other side of their cover.
'That was close... What the?' Lillith and Mordecai stared in dismay, as the large metal doors at the other end of the compound, closed slowly, shutting out their team mates.
'Shit. Thats not good' Mordecai continued firing at the robots, dodging bullets as he did so.
'You reckon?' Lillith spat sarcastically. 'Hold tight, I'm gonna phase blast a few of these bastards into oblivion.' She lowered the launcher to the ground, and moments later, had disappeared in a swirling purple haze. Mordecai cursed as Lillith appeared before a bot he was about to take out with his rifle. Metal and tin flew in all directions as Lilliths phase energy blasted the robots into pieces.
'Lillith, Mordecai. You hearin me?' Axtons voice came over their echos.
'Yeah, man. What the hell happened to you guys?' He yelled into his device, narrowly dodging a projectile.
'Someone overrode Angels hack. She's trying to get us back in, but it aint looking too great at the moment. Maya's trying to phase us, but she can only manage one at a time, and their seems to be some sort of sheild over the place'
'You getting this Lil?' Mordecai asked the other siren if she was hearing Axtons words.
'Yeah...' Lilliths voice was cut off, as the ground beneath her began to tremble. Mordecai watched as the bots began a retreat. 'What the hell?'
'Hang on amigo' Mordecai said to Axton 'We've got a rather interesting development happening. Just get in as fast as you can'
'Something very strange is happening!' Lillith yelled to Mordecai, as she retreated off the platform.
'No shit!' Mordecai called back.
'No, I mean, this whole place. It's like its trying to steal my energy' Lillith explained when she reappeared beside Mordecai on the rooftop. The pair crouched as the building and its foundations continued rumbling.
'HAHAHAHAHAHAHA' an eerie cackling could be heard from beneath the platform, and Mordecai and Lillith glanced at each other. The large rectangle platform before them, began to divide into four smaller rectangles, as it slid away to reveal a large, cavernous underground facility. A tall, well built man rose on an elevator to ground level, the lift sealed off the facility underneath. The man was clad in yellow Hyperion armour. Miniature cannons were mounted on his shoulders, equipped with laser sights and heat seeking technology. He wore a helmet of sorts, that had a narrow slit for vision, and a speaker where his mouth would be. On his left arm, was a wide array of gadgets, buttons and digital displays.
'Duraph' Mordecai guessed correctly.
'You think you're clever, with Jacks daughter helping you!' The mans voice boomed loudly from the speaker in his mask. 'But my team are quicker than you give them credit for! I played you all so easily!' He laughed again, in a similar maniacal tone to his predecessor, Jack. Power had a way of doing things to people. 'Now, I will eliminate you and your posse, and nothing will stop me from taking vengeance!'
'He's mad!' Lillith said quietly to Mordecai, as her brain flicked through a thousand strategies at once.
'Our team have recreated many of the ancient Eridians technologies, and all you sirens being here only enhances that power!' He laughed again, seemingly finding himself quite amusing. 'Fools, all your energy, even at your death, will be stored here, for me to utilise at my own leisure!'
'Definitely mad' Mordecai agreed, but underneath his calm exterior, he worried for Montayva. If they went down without killing Duraph, who knows what he would do to her, or what he would use her for.
'His cannons already have a lock on us.' Lillith surmised 'If I phase to the opposite side, it might fool them, and perhaps give you enough time to get a shot or two in'
'Yeah, sounds like a plan' Mordecai agreed, forcing the worry from his mind, trying to focus on the current situation.
'Hahahahaha, fools. You think I would be so easily defeated?' Duraph had somehow heard Lilliths plan, and a she glanced down to her echo device, she noticed the power button had changed from green to red.
'He's managed to hack the echo system!' Mordecai said first, and Duraph laughed at them again. The tall man pressed a few buttons on the devices on his left arm.
'Who's up for a party?' He laughed again, as two doors on opposite sides of the compound, groaned open slowly. Many men marched through, in double file, each step they took was perfectly in sync. 'Let me introduce you to my army!' As he said this, smoke and steam bellowed around his feet, and he rose into the air.
'Jet packs. Of course!' Lillith said sarcastically. She made a few motions with her hands, which told Mordecai she would take the left side, and he the right. He nodded in agreeance, and drew his revolver.
Lillith disappeared in a purple haze, and Mordecai began shooting at the dozen or so soldiers emerging onto his designated side. He laughed to himself as they fell easily with each shot, they barely even had time to draw their own weapons. Mordecai lept from the building, joining Lillith on the central platform, waiting for Duraphs next move. His only response was his psychotic chuckle.
'What the fuck?' Mordecai watched as the fallen soldiers began to rise slowly, drawing their weapons as they did so.
'Kinda hard to kill a dead army isn't it?' Duraph laughed hysterically as Lillith and Mordecai watched in disbelief as the fallen soldiers rose one by one.
