Calyx and Haze froze for a slight moment. They knew better than to make any sudden movements, so they turned around slowly, their eyes trailing up to gaze at what had spoken those words.
The monstrosity remained suspended in the air, looking down at Haze and Calyx with glowing red orbs of light that greatly resembled dying stars. Its "skin," if it could be called that, consisted of darkened tendrils that seemed made of an indestructible metal, tightly woven around its humanoid form. The distinct tale growing from its back and horns adorning its abominable head and face completed the horrifying sight that Calyx and Haze found themselves unable to look away from.
Grunts from Rogan and the sound of rubble under his feet as he walked were the only things that shifted Calyx and Haze's attention. They watched as Rogan walked out of the building he shot into, stretching out his shoulder.
Calyx and Haze had concluded that no one could survive such an impact, assuming whoever had flown past them was dead. However, here he was, simply walking it off.
"All this big talk, and I'm yet to see you have an advantage in this fight," Rogan put his hand to his ear, touching an earpiece.
"What fight? This is not a fight but punishment to this world for harboring the outcast. Make no mistake, the only reason you have your puny lives is that I still have not obtained the information I need from you," the ethervore replied, his tone lingering with disappointment, unimpressed.
"Anybody, come quickly! There are many civilians here. If the ethervore gets closer to me, there will definitely be another mass infection," Rogan urgently whispered into the radio earpiece, yet his face betrayed no hint of panic to the monster.
"I'm on it," Claire's voice cut through the radio, a determined edge underscoring her words.
"Where are you?" Urgency dripped from Rogan's tone.
"Here." The reply echoed as a silhouette shattered through the glass of a nearby building, Claire's hand adorned with a formation of hardened rock, colliding with the ethervore. The impact sent the creature hurtling, crashing through several skyscrapers in a chaotic dance, furthering the city's destruction.
In the blink of an eye, Claire closed the distance once more, denying it any chance of recovery.
"So that's how the buildings are getting destroyed," Haze blurted out, realization coloring his words as he gazed at the scene.
"What are you guys doing here? You should be at the HQ bunker?" Rogan questioned.
"Yeah, and leave my mother somewhere out in this mess. Where is she anyway?" Haze turned toward the building, about to dash in to find Irene.
"Calm down, she's not there," Rogan informed as he took out a spray from his utility belt, spraying its white content on his injured arm.
"What? Where is she then?" Haze's confusion infused with a bit of panic.
"A couple of blocks away. She was riding back home in her car when this started. She's somewhere safe now. I took out all the infected close to her location and tried to take the fight as far away from her as possible," Rogan said, clenching his arm as the healing took place.
"Weird you'd do that for one person," Calyx raised an eyebrow, his mind a bit more at rest upon hearing how safe Irene was.
"Where exactly is she? We'd go get her," Haze suggested.
"So that you can all die together? Shut up and stay put. The fact that you are still alive is a miracle, so don't push your luck. You are just an average human, but you'll be an infected one if you don't stop trying to do stupid things," Rogan dismissed Haze's suggestion as he called out on the radio again.
"Where the hell is the damn air support? It's been thirty bloody minutes," Rogan exclaimed, frustration evident.
"About twenty seconds out," Haze replied.
"What?" Rogan asked, confused.
"You said air support, right? Well, there's an aircraft approaching at insane speed just a few seconds from us," Haze clarified.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rogan replied, still confused about how Haze could know this and he wouldn't.
"You said Haze was an average human. Well, you were wrong," Calyx said as the sound of the approaching airborne body reached their ears.
"He's a Quasar, with insane sensory abilities," Calyx continued as the aircraft flew above them.
"Hahaha," Rogan laughed hysterically, his face brimming with amusement.
"Squad recon, prepare for retreat. Airborne Nova blast imminent," Rogan announced to the radio.
"Hmph, you guys go meet Irene; she's 10km north, but stay there. We are about to finish that bastard off, and it won't be pretty," Rogan warned before turning to the people who huddled in the building he had been sent flying into.
"Remain here, and you'd be safe. All infected in the area have been taken care of," Rogan announced.
"Scatter," Rogan instructed as he disappeared with a blur of motion.
Haze and Calyx, as fast as they could, went on their way aswell.