A green light flashed brightly above the access door, informing them that the ship had successfully docked, and the passage was sealed. Kinson clenched his fist in anticipation, his knuckles growing white from the pressure. He edged closer to Konga and shot a look at the man's hip. His gun was unstrapped, and readily available. It appears the chief of security took his words semi-seriously, at least.
Konga glanced at him and smiled warmly, but Kinson shivered, taking a step back. A powerful, suffocating pressure squeezed at him, forcing him to take deliberate, shallow breaths.
"Sorry," Konga apologized ruefully. The pressure disappeared as he restrained his aura.
Kinson nodded, massaging his throat. Shock filled him, but he did his best to hide it. That aura was nearly as powerful as Griffon's!
The green light above the door flashed once more, and the large bolts, each as thick as his hand, slid off the gate. Kinson held his breath as the door opened. A finely toned, bare-chested man stepped through the door with a wide smirk. Tattoos wrapped around his body in complicated patterns, centered around a skull placed on his chest.
"Greetings, corpses," he said cheerily and raised his hand.
Before anyone registered what was happening, energy quickly gathered on his fingers, pulling the air about in strong currents. Barely a second later, the energy reached a climax and the man pointed his fist forward.
"And goodbye," the tattooed man cackled.
However, before he could release his attack, something blurred past Kinson. The next moment, the bare-chested man was sent flying, the energy on his hand dissipating. He collided with a nearby shelf, his body contorting at an unnatural angle. A shocked silence fell upon the onlookers, and the sickening snap continued to echo throughout the room for a few seconds.
Kinson found himself frozen while staring at Konga, who stood posed with an outstretched fist. He only moved when the man tossed him a pistol, which broke the rest of the crowd from the stupor.
At that moment, the gate was flung open with a crash, and armed men rushed into the room. Some glowed with psionic power, but most just wielded their guns with experienced hands. Kinson managed to snatch the pistol mid-air and dove behind a nearby crate. Gunfire erupted shortly after, followed by gut-wrenching screams. Kinson peaked around the crate, but ducked back, shocked by the sight. Of the dozen or so civilians grouped by the door, half were already on the blood-soaked ground, lying limp amid the commotion. Konga and Rena had found cover behind some nearby crates, but their fellow guard, who would remain forever nameless, lay on the ground with the other dead. Bullets tore the room, some striking the crate Kinson huddled behind. Fortunately, the crates were metal, so nothing aside from harmless showers of sparks landed on him.
He held the gun in his hand and recalled his first battle. He flicked the safety off and peered around the crate once more. More pirates stormed onboard from their cargo ship, joining their fellow corsairs. Kinson pointed his pistol out and squeezed the trigger. For some reason, the gun wouldn't aim straight but shook back and forth with irregularity. His heart pounded violently within his chest, and his breathing wouldn't still. None of his shots landed, and he quickly drew back before he attracted return fire. He stared at his hand, willing it to subside and obey. It wasn't until a few seconds later his adrenaline came under control, and his trembles abated. Good.
By now, the gunfire had faded. All the easy targets were down, making it a game of cat and mouse for the remaining foes. He glanced about, making sure no one moved to flank him. A sudden roar drew his attention back to the open space before the gate. Konga had left his cover and charged toward the enemy line. Bullets and psionic blasts struck him left and right, but a semi-visible veil covered his body, deflecting all projectiles. He sped up shortly before impact and slammed into a shelving unit, ripping it off its bolts and sending it crashing into the pirates hiding behind.
"Face the wrath of the Iron Fists!" he roared, and leaped over the twisted frame, bringing his fist down onto one of the surviving pirates.
The poor man went flying, his mangled figure striking another pirate head-on. Both bodies tumbled several feet backward, before sliding to a stop. Neither moved again. Konga didn't bother watching the results of his attack, sprinting towards another pirate holdout.
A few of the pirates stove out of the way and narrowly escaped the crushing assault. Kinson took aim and fired, managing to clip one of the survivors in the leg. Some nearby pirates spotted his attack and forced him back into hiding amid a shower of sparks.
"Stay back, little man!" Konga shouted as he turned towards his next target. "Join Rena, if you can."
Kinson glanced at the crate Rena sheltered behind. Occasionally, she would peek around and fire a few rounds before ducking back quickly. The pirates launched constant barrages of bullets, only stopping to reload or regroup. Somehow, she timed her attack in such a way as it appeared the pirates stopped to wait for her to shoot for a sec before returning fire. Kinson grit his teeth and waited for the perfect moment. The instant Rena poked around the corner, he took off, sprinting for all he was worth.
Before he went three steps, the pirates noticed his movement and unleashed a furious storm of lead upon him. He led their shots by a few meager inches, his feet releasing bright streams of sparks and fire with every step, almost like a cartoon character. A few heartbeats later, he dove behind the crate, barely avoiding a collision with a crouching Rena.
"Watch it," she cried sharply, glaring at him. "Are you trying to get killed?"
Before he thought to respond, her eyes widened in alarm.
"That's not good," she muttered.
"What?" Kinson asked nervously.
She grimaced. "Their heavy hitters are here. Looks like it's my time to shine. Stay here."
Unsure of what she was talking about, Kinson looked around the corner and saw a scrawny woman enter through the gate. She wore a black hoodie and a red ragged scarf. Her eyes darted about shiftily, finally settling on Konga. She raised her hand and pointed at him. Immediately, a crate threw itself off a shelf, launching towards the chief guard, who still fought against the entrenched pirates.
"Look out!" Rena called, but it was too late.
The crate slammed into Konga, sending him flying back into a shelving unit. The force of the collision bent the three-inch steel beams around his body before eventually throwing the entire shelving unit onto its side. Konga lay on the ground for a second, then staggered to his feet and spat a mouthful of blood.
"Neira, the traitor," he snarled, dragging his sleeve across his lips.
'Pleasure to meet you," the newcomer said with a flourish. "I've heard much about the secret weapon of the Iron Fists. Maybe you'll be worth my time."
"Rena, take care of the rest of these scum. I've finally landed myself a date," Konga smiled savagely. "And I'd hate to disappoint her."
Rena rolled her eyes. "You're with me," she said to Kinson, then stood confidently.
The remaining pirates revealed themselves, unloading their chambers in her direction. She waved her arm and a silver force field appeared. It was a perfect circle, maybe 10 feet wide, and completely shielded them. As bullets collided with the shield, they simply stopped and fell motionless to the ground. As time passed, the shield began to glow brighter and brighter, till it was nearly blinding. Perhaps feeling something was wrong, the pirates paused their assault. Rena smiled and made a pushing motion. The disc flew forward at incredible speeds, arriving before a cluster of pirates almost instantly. When it struck their cover, a blinding flash illuminated the room and a shockwave reverberated around the room, shaking Kinson's bones. Fortunately, Rena warned him when she released her attack, so he covered his eyes.
When the light faded, The crates, not to mention the pirates behind them, had disappeared. Pitch-black scorch marks covered the floor for twenty feet in all directions, tracing around the floor like extensive root systems. Rena smiled grimly and clapped her hands.
"That's how it's done," she bowed.
"Couldn't you have covered me with that when I ran over?" Kinson complained.
"That would ruin the surprise. See how they all grouped up for us?" she countered.
Kinson looked over, then nodded in surprise. For some reason, the pirates had converged together before beginning their last onslaught.
"How'd you know?" he asked curiously.
"Simple. I can read certain intentions from the minds of weak psionics around me. More than that's a secret, though," she smiled playfully.
He blinked in surprise, face tinged with envy. How many overpowered abilities could one person have?