This is a chapter is longer than normal, but it's combat heavy. I doing this to sharpen my combat scenes. I would appreciate any feedback you could give me about the way I write combat scenes.
Chapter 3- A war of attrition
When the swarm showed itself, Theal and the other two strangers ran like chumps. Guns barked as they unleashed their payload into the unrelenting hoard, doing little to cause any damage. The three ran across the long bridge to meet the barde end, hoping for a miracle. The remaining road between the three warriors and the bulkhead became shorter and the inevitable conflict. Neither if the Guardians knew if this mass of Hive was survivable and the Tenno had a poor understanding of them. The two guardians were quickly left behind as the Tenno outran them via his acrobatics and endless stamina. He was the first to reach the bulkhead and slammed directly on the wall. It didn't affect the Tenno, he was made for this sort of activity, he sorted through his gear and pulled a mining laser. He didn't know if this would cut through the metal, hell, he knew nothing about this damn world.
Theal got to work and started cutting through the bulkhead with moderate success. It wasn't fast enough for them to escape. He stopped and turned to see the other two men in red and blue to finally catch up. Theal saw both men turn with him, most likely deducing the same outcome. The Tenno readied his Rubico and aimed for the largest beast. The gun was a powerful sniper, with the average colors, the only thing that was unique of it was the words, remember her, in Orokin script. The other two men did the same with their weapon, aiming down the hoard with both Revolver and rifle. The Red one did something else, he summons a white sentinel like a drone from his hand. The small machine spoke and the Tenno's translators were able to decipher it. It came to both relief and surprise that it was a butchered version of English. It was understandable, but it was mixed with multiple different dialects that dates the around the same time as English.
What it said was brief but hopeful. "Just hold them off, I'll get these doors open."
The Tenno now knew that they had a way out and knew every second count. He fired his sniper without hesitation and filled a bug creature with thick looking carapace. The red and blue men followed suit. Their weapon barked and roared with deadly munitions striking down bug man after bug man. The Three aim was pinpoint, with every pull of the trigger spelling death for the enemy in the other end of the barrel. Bodies tumbled to the floor, only to be trampled over by its bloodthirsty kin. They fell as well by both the tenno and the two men. The larger ones with barreled weapons entered into range and started unleashed their own barrage. Both unknown energy and bladed projectiles flew towards the warriors. Theal knew without cover they would be quickly overwhelmed by the larger volume of firepower towards them. In an instant shorter than a blink, Theal was in front of the two men, deflecting any incoming fire. It was straining for him, but he just needed to buy some time.
The Blue and red men had reprioritized their targets and focus fire on an enemy with a gun. This may have relieved Theal of some of the strain but this created a gap for the clawed smaller one to close the distance. Theal readied himself to clash in melee combat and when they were ten meters away, they disintegrated. The two men behind him charged forward, one wielding a hammer made out of the sun and the other throwing lighting. They carved a bloody number on the enemy and halted the advance for a time. Theal took the moment to switch back to his side primary and pick off some of the larger ones. Still, he wondered how much longer until those doors open. He turned to the White Sentinel and asked it with a demanding voice.
"Drone! How much more time until your done!" Theal asked with the thought of the hoard still marching on to dismember him.
The Machine responded in a tone that Theal didn't understand if it was sarcasm or it was genuinely annoyed at this question. "Don't break my concentration, or will all be Hive food."
Hive? At least Theal knew the name of those things. He wondered if these really where bug men. It didn't matter now, time was essence and he didn't need to be questioning what he was killing right now. He turned to see the two men fight with unknown powers and beating away the swarm that he knew little about and a quick question popped into his head. How long can these two keep it up? The answer quickly came as the two of them lost the glow of power that surrounded them. They fell back to their original form and quickly fell back while firing behind them.
The Red one fell further behind to be close enough to shoulder to shoulder with Theal. He spoke to his machine.
"Ghost, please tell me that you're almost done, I don't think we can hold out much longer!" the guardian either pleaded with his Drone sentinel.
"You're friend already asked the same question and the answer is the still the same! Don't Distract me!" his Machine yelled, again Theal didn't know if it was panicking or was just a mean-spirited machine. But again he received more information about the people with him.
The Red one groaned in frustration. "Ah Fine, but if I die because of this I'm hunting Vair as a poltergeist for the rest of her life!" He turned to Theal. "He guy? Your pretty nifty with that polearm of yours, mind showing me what you can do to Thralls." He said pointing towards the feral looking humanoids with eyeless heads.
Theal didn't know what these things could do, but if this man knew this enemy and felt confident in his limited knowledge of his skills. Then he would male a wide swing and strike these pests with the same gusto he would with infested. Theal switched from his rifle to his twin pistol and made a firing marched towards the enemy. The now known guardian kept any range fire off him while he mowed down swarms with his Aksomati. They were momentarily halted in their charge towards them from the mass of firepower, the hive only broke through when Theal needed to reload.
The so-called Thralls spirited the distance between them and the tenno. Their hands Outstretched and claws glowed with energy as they nearly could rip through their prey. Their bloodlust and need to tear apart the living felt so assured when the silver and purple man was within their reach. The thralls never made it. Theal's Tonbo was a whirlwind of slashes and stabs. The Tenno's made combos and power attacks alike, creating a kill zone barrel that no thrall could cross before they were bisected. The Thralls came and came, each wave cut down by the warframes dreaded skill with a blade. None of the minor warriors could past and the tenno didn't tire. Bloodlust filled the warframe and the elements within his weapon were amplified overloaded, making his strikes deadlier. Theal fought until no thrall remained and all was left was the elite of the group. The hive sent the bug men with both sword and shield, they towered over the missing thralls they lead. Their bodies were covered in thick chitten plating and three green eyes glowed. The far more intimidating elite of the hive marched forward, raising their shield to block incoming fire. Soaking up the damage and letting their range kin to unleash hell. Theal knew they needed to stop those elites form entering into melee range before they dealt with their gun-wielding kin. Theal singled that he was going to deal with them. Allowing the guardians to strike down the range units.
Theal saw seven and he counted a ten second estimated window before they encircled him. Which meant he had to kill them unless that time or he would be overwhelmed. He crouched and tensed his body, his legs curled with strength and he launched himself into the air. With a birds-eye view, he teleported behind one and stabbed directly behind the neck, killing it instantly. He fell to the ground and with a wide swipe, aimed behind the legs of two of the elites. Forcing them on their knees and leaving their heads exposed. He decapitated both with one swipe. The remaining four noticed the tenno three second sooner than expected. They quickly turned to swing their massive blade but in a puff of smoke, the tenno was gone. Another one of their numbers fell to an unseen blade and knew they were fighting a clocked foe. They swung in wide fast arcs in hopes to deter the tenno, their lumbering forms tense for any counter attack. It proved ineffective as another of their number fell and another until one was left. The Tenno appear above him with his thick puck green blood covered Tonbo thrusting towards its head.
It fell with a thud and the Tenno saw his mission complete. He fell back to the guardian's position and joined in the shooting. The wave still kept coming, without showing any signs of their number thinning. The guardians would throw unknown energies into the crowds that would disintegrate groups Theal would take care of single targets. The Tenno's was frugal in his use of his powers as his energy drained faster than he could recharge it. He was on his last clip for his Rubico, he curses the fact and switched to his Aksomati. He unloaded into the swarm with a burst to the creatures heads, popping them like cherries. The kills stacked up and his pistols clicked empty, the other two men seem to suffer from the same problem as their weapons also clicked empty. They swiftly switched and fired their secondaries. One a belt fed machine gun, the other was a pump action shotgun.
Theal just switched to his Tonbo and moved to engage in melee with a teleport. He blocked and countered with the enemy, taking a bloody toll on them but slowly being pushed back. The long reach of Theal's weapon out striped the enemies claws and bone swords. To his sides explosions impacted the uncountable hoard, keeping his flanks safe. He fought with his tenno steel and bodies fell with a thud, to be forgotten and trampled for the next wave. They fought for a minute and Theal Koga Ash was pushed back so much that he was also next to the guardians again. Hope seem to be gone until a synthetic voice spoke out.
"The door is something else but I will have it open for a second, be ready to move when I do or you'll be stuck on the other side." The ghost told the group.
This singled Theal it was all or nothing. His body smoked and he started marking his targets. The two guardians seemed to have a similar idea and unleashed their energized forms for another round. They threw everything they got towards the swarm and for that moment, the guardians created a standstill. Then the hive was being pushed back as Ash clones berzerk with stingers burning deep into Hive necks. Hopes were high that everyone was going to survive and the defender's hearts pounded with fury.
Then the stomping started. Within the swarm of Bug men and gunfire, an unseen monster was making its way to the front of the assault.
"Ghost! Hurry up! An Ogre is coming!" The Red one screamed in panic.
"I'm trying but I've been stuck on this last one for the last minute!" The ghost screamed back in a frustrated synthetic voice." Then it took a chance and pulled the only lead that had any possible hope of getting them out. "Tell your friend to get over here! Maybe he can do something."
The tenno shot a glance to the ghost. "Why?"
"It's written in an unknown language that the database calls Orokin script! The only thing that matches it is the scribbles on that sniper of yours!"
Theal ran to the ghost. The stomping sounded a lot louder know and only a few seconds were left before the beast was upon them. A holographic projection pop up from the ghost and showed an Orokin memory cipher, one that was familiar to Theal. He didn't know why and he didn't question it. He got to work on it. The Ogre raging to the front finally burst through the ranks of the hive. The large lumbering form of the monster towered over all of its kin and its eyeless bone face leered at the three. The blue guardian acted on reflex. He moved to protect his friend with a preemptive strike. With his fading flaming hammer, he jumps towards the Ogre and caved in its chest with all his light given powers could grant him. At that moment the doors swung open. It was at this time that it was done or die. Theal was the first through and he drew his Rubico and laid covering fire with his last clip. The blue guardian and his ghost was the next and turned to see his friend running to the bulkheads. He was almost at the doors when a blast of energy struck him on the back. He staggered and the doors started sliding close. The blue guardian. He didn't make it, the doors slammed shut when he was in the middle of it and cut him in half.
Theal was in shock. He couldn't believe it that they were both dead like that. He didn't think about it during the time but these men are far more powerful than any other human he has ever met. It was a pity but he wished he could have learned their names, they deserved to be remembered.
He was going to turn and walk away but the drone appeared. Theal was going to give his condolences but it did something. It's parts separated from the sphere, it glowed and a flash of light blinded Theal for a second, then the blue guardian came back from the dead.