"Take your brother and hide. Be ready to run," J ordered sharply, her eyes locked on the incoming Runner.
The creature darted toward her with blinding speed, its sinewy frame stretching forward, claws glinting in the dim light.
J shifted her stance, gripping her blade—a weapon honed to a razor edge, crafted specifically for slicing through smaller Reclaimers like this one.
She waited, motionless, like a predator in ambush.
At the last moment, just as the Runner's claws swiped toward her, J stepped aside in one fluid motion. Her blade flashed, severing the creature's hands in a clean arc. The Runner let out an ear-piercing shriek, its momentum throwing it off balance.
"Now!"
Kane shouted as he hurled a short-range 'Echo' Sonic Disruptor. The grenade-like device hit the Runner square in the face, unleashing a deafening pulse of sound.
The creature reeled, staggering as it clawed at the air in confusion.
J didn't waste a second. In one swift motion, she closed the distance and swung her blade, decapitating the Runner.
Its head hit the ground with a sickening thud, black blood spraying in every direction.
Meanwhile, the other three Vanguard members were battling the Brute. The hulking 3-meter monster advanced with slow but relentless steps, its iron-like hide shrugging off standard rifle fire.
One soldier was using a short-range railgun, a handheld version designed for infantry. It fired metal projectiles at supersonic speeds, capable of tearing through even the toughest Reclaimer armor.
But its power source, already drained from earlier skirmishes, flickered weakly.
"We don't have time for this!" J yelled, wiping blood from her face.
"We need to move before they swarm us."
Ash and Lilith emerged from their hiding spot as the Brute closed in.
"How far to the bridge?" Kane barked.
Ash pointed ahead.
"It's right there."
The group turned to see what he was referring to—a massive fallen building spanning the crack, its rotting structure serving as an improvised bridge.
Kane groaned. "What? That's the bridge? This thing's about to crumble into the pit!"
"Run!" J shouted.
To her surprise, Ash and Lilith bolted ahead with remarkable speed, their movements fluid and confident.
They moved like they'd done this a hundred times before. Even J found herself impressed.
"You lazy old fool," J teased Kane as she ran.
"You're about to be outpaced by kids. You'll make a nice appetizer for that Brute."
The group reached the makeshift bridge. Ash and Lilith crossed first, leaping over unstable sections with practiced ease.
J followed closely, her boots kicking loose chunks of concrete that tumbled into the abyss. The bridge groaned under her weight, but she made it across.
The Brute lumbered closer, its massive frame sending tremors through the ground. Four Vanguard members still hadn't crossed. One soldier stayed behind, rifle in hand, firing at the advancing Reclaimer to buy time.
"Go, Kane! I'll cover you!" the rifleman shouted.
Kane cursed under his breath but began crossing, the bridge creaking ominously beneath him. The Brute, undeterred, pressed forward.
Suddenly, a new sound cut through the air—a bone-rattling roar. J's blood ran cold as she turned to see the source.
Emerging from the shadows was a 'Monarch', towering at five meters tall, its grotesque form exuding an aura of dominance.
Monarchs were the apex predators of the Reclaimers, capable of commanding others with a single call.
With another roar, the Monarch summoned reinforcements. Fangs and Runners swarmed in from all directions, their guttural screeches blending into a deafening cacophony.
The rifleman on the far side turned his weapon on the approaching swarm, but it was too late.
A Runner darted forward, slashing him across the chest with its claws. He staggered, blood spraying as he tried to aim, but a Fang pounced next, sinking its jaws into his neck.
His scream was cut short as his body was dragged into the abyss, lifeless.
"Run! Run like your life depends on it!" J shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"Don't stop! Don't look back!"
They ran. The Reclaimers swarmed the other side of the crack, their numbers growing with every passing second.
Fangs, Brutes, Runners, and a single towering Monarch loomed over the horde, roaring commands that echoed through the ruins.
The creatures tried to cross the makeshift bridge, but the structure couldn't hold their weight. It collapsed, plummeting into the dark abyss along with several Reclaimers.
J, Kane, and the remaining two Vanguard soldiers sprinted forward with Ash and Lilith in tow.
The kids' presence slowed them down; without their usual Aegis suits operating at full capacity, the Vanguard couldn't use their enhanced speed or jump across rooftops as they normally would.
They were forced to keep to the ground, running at a human pace to shield the siblings.
Behind them, the Monarch leaped. Its long, grotesque limbs propelled it across the chasm in a single, bone-rattling bound.
While the smaller Reclaimers were trapped on the other side, it didn't matter—the creatures were everywhere, emerging from crumbling buildings, scaling rubble, and cutting off every escape route.
A high-pitched screech pierced the air, sharp enough to make the ground tremble.
"Dammit!" Kane shouted.
"A Screamer!"
The Reclaimer's elongated body shuddered as it let out another ear-splitting cry, its mouth stretching impossibly wide. The sound was unbearable, disorienting anyone within range.
Worse, its scream carried a deadly secondary purpose: it called for reinforcements.
"Put on your helmets! Enable sound blockers!" Kane barked.
The Vanguard quickly obeyed, activating the protective features of their gear. But J froze for a moment, her eyes darting to Ash and Lilith, who had no such protection.
"Shit," she muttered.
"What about the kids?"
Before anyone could answer, Lilith spoke up.
"Keep moving! There's a tunnel nearby—they can't get in there!"
The group exchanged quick glances, startled by her confidence, but they didn't have time to argue.
The screamer let out another horrifying wail.
"SKREEEEEAAAAAAGH!"
The noise rippled through the air like a physical force, making the Vanguard flinch despite their sound-blocking helmets. But to their shock, Ash and Lilith kept running, their hands clamped tightly over their ears.
"They're not affected?" Kane asked, glancing back at the siblings.
"They've been living out here their whole lives," J said, almost in disbelief.
"They've probably built up a tolerance to this hell."
Even so, the strain was evident on Ash and Lilith's faces as they sprinted ahead, leading the group toward the tunnel. The ground shook as the Monarch pursued them, its massive limbs pounding against the earth.
Other Reclaimers closed in from the sides, blocking their path.
"I don't think we're gonna make it!" Kane yelled, glancing over his shoulder at the closing horde.
"There's one way to give you a shot," said the younger of the two remaining Vanguard soldiers, pulling out her blade.
The older soldier beside her stopped as well, gripping his weapon with grim determination. They turned back toward the advancing Reclaimers, their faces calm despite the chaos.
"You two idiots!" J shouted, realizing their intent.
"Don't—"
"Get those kids to the Citadel," the younger soldier interrupted with a smirk.
The two Vanguard warriors didn't wait for J's response. They sprinted toward the Reclaimers, vaulting onto nearby rubble to draw the creatures' attention.
Their weapons glinted in the pale light as they slashed at the first wave of monsters, buying precious seconds for the others to escape.
"Dammit!" J cursed, her voice thick with frustration.
"Let's go!" Kane urged, grabbing her arm.
Reluctantly, J turned and ran, following Ash and Lilith as they disappeared into the ruins ahead. Behind them, the roars of the Reclaimers and the shouts of their comrades faded into the distance.
The tunnel loomed ahead, a jagged opening in the side of a collapsed building. Ash and Lilith dove in first, quickly crawling through the narrow passage. Kane followed, his heavy frame squeezing through with difficulty, while J brought up the rear.
Once inside, they paused to catch their breath, the faint sound of battle echoing behind them.
"Do you think they'll make it?" Lilith asked, her voice trembling.
J didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stared back at the tunnel's entrance, her jaw tight.
"They did what they had to. Now it's on us to make it worth it."
The group sat in silence for a moment before J straightened up.
"Let's keep moving. The Citadel isn't going to wait for us."
Ash glanced back toward the faint sounds of fighting one last time, his fists clenched.
He didn't know their names, but he'd never forget their faces—or their sacrifice.