The pounding on the walls reaches a deafening crescendo, and then, with a final, shattering blow, the metal barriers give way. The door bursts open, and Chayton strides in like a force of nature, his presence sucking the air out of the room. Gunfire erupts instantly - sharp cracks that pierce the chaos.
Hood shouts orders, but it's a blur. All I see is Chayton, and then the world erupts into violence.
Kurt moves faster than I've ever seen him, grabbing me by the arm. "Kat, come on!" he yells, dragging me toward the back of the Cadi. I try to resist, my mind still reeling from the impact of Chayton's entrance, but Kurt's grip is iron, unyielding. He pulls me through the chaos, past the screaming, the gunfire, the blood.
A sudden, searing pain rips through my abdomen as something sharp slams into me. I gasp, but there's no time to react. Kurt is hauling me through the corridors, his focus solely on getting me out of harm's way. He doesn't even notice when my steps falter, when I clutch my side, feeling something warm and wet seep between my fingers.
He shoves me into a small closet, his eyes wild, but there's a strange softness there, too - something I haven't seen in years. "Stay here. Don't move," he orders, his voice rough, desperate. Before I can respond, he's gone, slamming the door shut, leaving me in darkness.
I lean back against the wall, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The pain in my abdomen flares, sharp and deep, and when I look down, I see the splinter of wood jutting out from my side, blood oozing around it.
I try to press my hand against the wound, to stop the bleeding, but my strength is fading fast. The sounds of the battle rage on outside - gunshots, screams, the heavy thud of bodies hitting the floor. I want to help, to do something, but my body won't obey. My vision blurs, the darkness creeping in at the edges.
The last thing I hear is the muffled chaos outside the door, the sound of my own heartbeat slowing, and then everything fades to black.