I took cover behind the platform corner where we constructed the Morse code transmitter. Kyle was also there besides me, holding her handgun as well as a bow and several arrows right on her other side. It appeared that the other group managed to get their hands on the things that they were after. I decided to take a quick glance on all of them, before focusing completely on the things that were going to storm the station.
Across the other side of the platform where we constructed the Morse code receiver, was only Jonathan alone who was equipped with his big rifle and was covering behind the platform concrete railing. He also had his backpack right beside him, most likely containing the .30-06 rounds for his rifle.
To the other corner from Jonathan's side, were Ryan and Virgil. Both of them appeared to be equipped with their handguns as well as a backpack right between them, most likely containing the 9mm rounds for their handguns.
And lastly, to the other corner from my side, were no other than Captain Quentin who had his semi-automatic shotgun on his hands, and Della who had already readied herself with her handgun. It did not seem that he had some sort of bag near him, but when I remembered again, Della already had 25 shells of 12 gauge rounds in her bag, so I no longer concerned about them anymore.
Just when I finished looking at Captain Quentin and Della, faint jet-like sounds were starting to get heard, and were getting clearer very quick. In almost an instant, a silhouette of the aircraft was sighted right in front of my eyes.
"One on my twelve o'clock!" I shouted, informing the others.
"Another in front of us!" Virgil also shouted, informing the rest of us.
As the aircraft in front of me eventually fully emerged from the dense fog, I took aim with my submachine gun to its direction. In a brief, I was not really sure whether to aim at its cockpit-like part or its turbine-like components below its wings. However, as my mind reminded me that the large purple beam was coming from its turbine-like components, I instantly aimed to the components instead.
At first, I thought that the aircraft would shoot its purple beam either from below its wings, or one of its legs like before. Instead, it turned to the other way in a swift pace and opened its rear hatch, before revealing the aliens inside it already aiming at us with their rifles. And just like that, almost immediately they opened fire towards us.
"Wha-?! Cover!!" I shouted.
Several of the purple beams hit the platform walls directly. But as strange as it was, it did not make a hole through them, although it did make a serious crack on the walls and would eventually break should they fired a few beams more. And then, the purple beams also started to hit the platform roof, forcing it to start falling several bricks down towards us. It made gave both me and Kyle a seriously hard time as we also had to avoid the falling bricks from above us.
Perhaps Jonathan realized that they were targeting both Kyle and I first, he then made his first move by shooting three rounds towards the aliens. Right after he fired his rifle, a faint explosion was heard from the direction of the other side of the railing where we were hiding. When I peeked at the same direction, I saw that some parts of the aircraft rear hatch was caught on fire, forcing three aliens to jump down to the railroad while the other two fell down hard to the street below.
Jonathan kept on firing a few more rounds towards the aircraft, which was starting to fly away. Unfortunately for it, three of its components blew up, most likely caused by Jonathan's shots, and resulting in it crashing towards the building right in front of it instead. Jonathan then delivered one final shot towards its tail, before blowing up and totally engulfed in a fiery flame.
However, in almost an instant, Jonathan took cover again behind the concrete railing just before a purple beam was about to hit him. Fortunately for him, the purple beam only grazed the tip of the railing. As he was hiding, he swiftly opened his bag and grabbed several rounds, indicating that he would most likely attempting to reload.
Seeing Jonathan's action, it made me realized that I was to provide cover for him. I stood up from my cover, aimed to the one of the aliens on the railroad that were rushing to our side, and fired multiple rounds to two of them that were closer to the platform. Some of my fired rounds might miss, but obviously more rounds hit them right at their beam rifle, as two out of the three aliens had their rifle blew up, spraying fiery flames around them and engulfing them in fire in the process.
I had to admit however, that I fired my submachine gun at an extremely close call as the alien that was the closest to the platform had already aimed its rifle towards me. If I were to delay firing any millisecond, it might put a hole on my body straight through instead. As the two aliens were gibbering loudly, the remaining one was taking cover at its comrades' burning body. I wanted to take aim at the remaining one���s rifle but it was difficult for me as I believed that .45 ACP rounds would not pierce through their thick and durable skin.
Just then, a couple of arrows flew pass me on my left side, hitting the burning aliens on their head. In reflex, I looked at my back. It turned out that it was none other than Kyle, who had just shot a couple of arrows from her bow on her left hand. I was left completely speechless as I saw her landing a clean shot, realizing that she was indeed a formidable archer.
Nevertheless, my mind and eyes went back to the reality in front of me, as the burning aliens collapsed to the railroad, the remaining one had took aim with its rifle. Within a split second, I spontaneously rolled away from my cover, and down to the railroad at the middle, making the alien's beam shot missed me, if not only by less than half an inch. The beam hit the wall in front of it instead, and creating a large crack on the wall in the process.
The fall from the platform to the railroad was more or less painful for me, however I decided not to break and complain about it. I took aim with my submachine gun as I was still lying on the middle of the railroad, and fired around five or six shots towards its rifle before it had the chance to fire another beam towards me.
Again, fiery flames engulfed its whole body in almost an instant as my fired rounds hit its rifle, making it let out loud gibberish screams. I went up on my feet, and was about to aim my submachine gun again, before Kyle rushed towards the end of the platform and fired three rounds from her handgun which was held on her right hand towards its head.
'BLAM BLAM BLAM'
Shortly after, the burning alien collapsed and fell hard to the ground, creating a thudding sound as a result. I also noticed that Jonathan seemed to have finished reloading his rifle, as he rushed towards the alien's direction.
'BANG BANG'
Suddenly, I remembered that four other people were also fending themselves against another aircraft on the other corner of the platforms. As soon as I turned back, I witnessed that they were still being attacked by the same aircraft. Apparently, Captain Quentin had just fired his last two rounds on his shotgun and that he had to reload immediately behind cover. In an instant I climbed the platform and started to rush towards him.
"Travis, Kyle! Cover them!" Jonathan said, as he also rushed towards Ryan's and Virgil's direction.
As I rushed towards their direction, I came to realized that Captain Quentin and Ryan's side might be underhanded since they only had standard old handguns and a shotgun on their hands. When I arrived, the aliens inside their aircraft rear hatch opened fire towards Captain Quentin, who was fortunately shielded by the concrete railing that he had took cover at.
Immediately, I crouched, took aim with my submachine gun towards the rear hatch before I fired multiple rounds towards them, before finally witnessing that most of the aliens had been completely engulfed on fire. I had wanted to shoot the turbine-like component on the aircraft tail, but unfortunately my submachine gun was already empty.
'click click'
Just then, a loud banging shot was heard from my left side. It was Captain Quentin, who had fired a shot from his shotgun towards its tail instead. In almost an instant, the aircraft seemed like it had completely lose its control as it flew and tilted uncontrollably before crashing into the third floor of the building in front of the station. Jonathan followed by firing four rounds towards the aircraft, resulting in its explosion without any of the aliens managed to get out from the burning aircraft remains.
A brief moment of silence then filled the whole station as we could still hear the burning sounds of the two downed aircrafts. Realizing that it was the perfect time to reload, I rushed for Della's bag, and quickly released my submachine gun magazine as I loaded the .45 ACP rounds one by one inside it.
As I was reloading, everyone seemed to be starting lowering their guards, except for Jonathan and Captain Quentin, who seemed to be heightening their cautions instead. I noticed it by witnessing Jonathan's tighter grip on his rifle, and Captain Quentin reloading a couple more rounds inside his shotgun.
"You hear that?" Captain Quentin asked, but I do not know to whom.
"There is still… at least one more." Jonathan responded, as he took aim with his rifle again towards the railroad ahead of our direction.
At first, I did not hear anything at all other than the burning sounds of the aircrafts. However, shortly after I heard a faint jet-like sound that seemed to originate from below the station or above the station. When I thought about it, the remaining aircraft might witnessed how the other earlier two was wiped out, and therefore might had decided to attack us from our backs.
"Is it below us?" I asked, as I was still loading the rounds inside my magazine.
"Or… above us…" Jonathan responded, as he looked up towards the platform roof.
"Stay cover behind the walls." Captain Quentin said, "Do not engage if you are not sure you would be able to hit it."
Luckily, I managed to finish loading my submachine gun magazine with full capacity before anything else followed. I quickly loaded it back to my firearm again, opened up its bolt cover, and cocked the bolt. I continued by walking slowly towards the stairs, when suddenly the sound began to fade out. To the least of my expectation, Jonathan seemed to get upset immediately.
"No, no, no, no, no!!!" he shouted, as he went down to the railroad, before rushing towards my direction and heading down the stairs.
In reflex, I rushed downstairs, following him. Just as we had arrived, we witnessed that the aircraft seemed to be fleeing away from the station by covering right below the elevated railroad. A purple beam shot was fired by the aliens, and fortunately for us, we barely managed to take cover behind the stairs wall.
"Shit! Come on, do not let me down!" Jonathan said as he aimed his rifle towards the aircraft in a hurry.
I could only barely see the aircraft again before the dense fog that surrounded it would engulf it, and Jonathan still had not fired a shot. To be honest, I had my doubts if the aircraft could still be taken down while it could no longer be seen clearly. It was even no longer could be seen as I was thinking like this. But then, he suddenly said something in a very calm, or rather relieved voice just before he fired his shot.
"Heh. Eat this!" Jonathan said, as he smirked and fired a shot from his rifle.
'ZTOOM'
In almost an instant, an explosion sound was heard from the direction of the aircraft. Jonathan than gave out a brief satisfied smirk on his face, before rushing downstairs again. I decided to rush downstairs, and into the street outside again following him who was also rushing right below the elevated railroad.
Then, he suddenly slowed down his pace and aimed his rifle towards the direction ahead of him before he crouched and walked slowly in front. When I caught up, he told me to do the same as the downed aircraft was already nearby. As I was not planning to argue even though I was still quite confused on how he could shoot it down with one shot and what might happen next, I crouched and followed right behind him.
It was less than ten steps before I began to see a faint sight of a downed T-shaped aircraft, illuminated by the raging fire that engulfed its entire body. Jonathan did not seem to be stopping any time soon, so I still followed behind him before he told me to stay and guard its cockpit, just in case the alien pilot wanted to get out from it and therefore I could stop the alien from fleeing.
"I need you to guard its cockpit. Just in case, any of them are trying to flee." he said, before slowly heading towards the rear hatch.
I stopped, and immediately took aim with my submachine gun while looking at Jonathan's direction. Little by little, he eventually reached just several feet away from the rear hatch. However, he did another thing that confused me again as he was starting to prone, and fired a shot towards one of its turbine-like components which was still left intact, raging the fire even more.
All of a sudden, consecutive purple beams were fired right from inside the aircraft towards Jonathan's direction. Fortunately for him, the beams were not even close to grazing him. He then proceeded by firing around four to five rounds towards the rear hatch, finally stopping the beam shots.
"Okay. Travis, we could lower our alerts now." Jonathan said, as he stood up and headed towards me again.
I walked towards him as I also looked at the downed and burning aircraft. Again, I was left speechless by his actions that I did not even know how I should ask him on how he could do all that things. But then, he reassured me that he would explain everything at the station to everyone.
"I understand that you have many questions, Travis. Which is why, I need you to save them until we arrive at the station again, so I will not have to explain it twice." Jonathan said to me.
Of course, I could barely contain my curiosity. Nevertheless, what he said was true indeed, better for all of us if one was only to explain once on what had just happened. Without further waiting, both Jonathan and I headed back to the station again.