Non's heart leaped into her throat. Iluv froze, looking at Devon in terror. "What...?"
"There's no time!" Devon snapped. "We need to get ready to fight! I don't know who's out there, or what they have, but we need to hold this base at all costs!"
Amaphora ran over to the grinder and hauled Shadow away from the mobs within. "Everyone in here is accounted for, let's go! There's enough armor and weapons for everyone, and maybe some drugs, I'm not sure."
Non's mind raced as Devon dragged the little group down another hallway to the small base armory. Without more information, she had no idea how to fight the attackers who had managed to breach to obsidian walls. Devon barricaded the iron door closed with extra obsidian and started passing out sets of armor and enchanted diamond weapons.
"Can you see anything?" Iluv asked her.
Non peered upwards towards the source of the continued explosions but there was nothing she could see. "No. Not even name tags."
From her fetal position in the corner of the room, Turtle muttered something Non couldn't hear. "What?" Non asked.
"I said..." Turtle raised her head from her knees and locked her tear-stained purple eyes with Non's. "I said... it could be the ducks."
"That's crazy!" Shadow grumbled. "Vin's not dumb enough to try this kind of attack."
"She's not dumb," Iluv murmured. "But she's desperate. She would do this."
Non took the axe Devon offered her and swung it around a few times to get used to the weight of it in her hand. "We've beaten them before. We can do it again."
"Barely, though," said Devon bleakly. "And we had allies then that we don't have anymore."
"We've gotten stronger since we fought her the first time," Shadow pointed out. "Vin's no fighter and we're better prepared."
"Shhh!" Iluv hissed. She pointed at the ceiling in the direction of the explosions. "Do you hear voices?"
Non listened as hard as she could. She could indeed hear at least three voices.
"...CookieCrew. Pffft. Give me a fucking break. I can't be bothered."
"We're getting paid, shut the fuck up and hand me another fucking fuse. God damn."
"I only have twenty more, they don't grow on trees, you retard."
"You go to the fucking dealer every thirty minutes, give me a break, liar."
"Both of you shut up! I can't hear myself fucking think! There's one more layer of obsidian and then we need another few creepers."
Non and Iluv looked at each other. "Rezonl," Iluv whispered. "Leading RezDynasty. I can't tell their voices apart though."
Dread made Non's stomach twist painfully. "Shit," she muttered. "We can't hold them off for long."
"Should we run?" Amaphora asked. "Make the base look empty and get out while we can?"
"No!" Non snapped. "Even if we leave now, they have our base coords! We need to know how they found us, because obviously someone pointed them in our direction!"
"Turtle, are you going to be okay to fight?" Iluv asked her. "You should leave if you don't think you can handle it."
Turtle shook her head defiantly. "I'm not leaving you here."
Amaphora looked at her with concern. "Give her a bow. She'll stay with me instead of attempting a melee attack."
Before any of them could say another word, five more explosions shook the base. This time, they were distinctly inside.
"Shit!" Devon hissed. "Those were creepers. And they're getting closer."
Non gripped the axe until her knuckles turned white. "I can kill those. Devon, Iluv, and Shadow, engage the others. I doubt they'll expect a fight. Amaphora and Turtle, get to a higher area and only shoot if you're certain you can get a hit."
Iluv nodded. She looked pale but determined. "Do we have any drugs?"
"Not really," said Devon. "Ecstasy and painkillers... those should go to fighters. A couple of angel dust... Amaphora and Turtle should take those if it looks like we're getting overrun. A few cocaine, everyone should have at least one... and that's it."
Another creeper exploded. This time, it was just outside the door.
"They're here! We need to rush them so that we can get into the hub and have more room to fight. Ready?"
The obsidian Devon had used to barricade the entrance crumbled. Three figures in full enchanted diamond armor raced in.
Before Non could even raise her axe, a staggering blow struck her chestplate, sending her flying across the room. Iluv, Shadow, and Devon were fighting for their lives. As Non struggled to her feet, a shower of diamond fragments rained down around her as Iluv's armor exploded into shards. Turtle shot an arrow into the space between her attacker's helmet and chestplate, which he tore out with a snarl of rage. Blood ran from the wound, staining his white fur crimson.
"It's Rez!" Turtle screamed. "Someone-"
Her words were cut off by a sickening crunch as a sword hilt collided with her temple and she collapsed.
"Turtle no!" Non cried. She tried to run to Turtle and protect her, but an arrow flew in from the doorway and struck her arm, pinning it to the wall. The sudden pain made her head spin and she fell back with a gasp.
Devon and Shadow were still desperately fighting. Amaphora had been forced into a corner, but as Non watched, she suddenly bit down on a small white pill- the angel dust. With startling speed, she dodged around her assailant and raced out the door towards the hub. The man cursed in a garbled robotic voice and halfheartedly followed her out.
Using Amaphora's convenient diversion, Devon and Shadow fought back with renewed energy. Iluv had been stabbed through a lung and was thrashing and choking for breath on the floor near Non. She knew she needed to help Iluv and tried to pull out the arrow in her wrist, but the head was barbed and she couldn't force herself to do it.
Devon suddenly doubled over, retching. Horror gripped Non as she realized he had tried, and failed, to take the drugs that should have saved him. Instead, he fell to his knees, dropping his sword as he helplessly gasped for air. Shadow desperately tried to keep both attackers' attention on her, but Rez simply wrenched her weapon from her hand and struck her unconscious.
"They told us to leave the leaders," Rez growled. His bloody fur bristled with rage and he shot a look of pure venom at Non. "They didn't say to leave the leader's boyfriend."
Non's heart leaped into her throat. Rage and fear battled so intensely within her, she couldn't force out words.
As Rez raised his axe for the killing blow, Devon looked up and locked eyes with Non. He mouthed two words to her: I'm sorry.
Non felt the axe blade against her own neck as keenly as if it had been her instead of Devon. Pain, grief, loss, and regret made her gut feel as if she had swallowed glass shards. Non could dimly hear herself screaming as his blood splattered her armor and spilled over the cold quartz floor. Devon's severed head rolled away towards where Iluv had exhausted herself with her struggles and now lay still and pale, barely breathing.
"Looks like you lost your last fighter," Rez said, pointing the bloody blade at Non. "Don't worry, I'll heal Iluvmonkeyz enough to keep her alive for a few hours. After Fatal comes back here with your little deserter friend, we can have a talk."