We stood at the door, the droids pounding against it with relentless force, and I could hear their metallic feet clanging, their weapons charging up for the inevitable slaughter.
"In Death I Live"
I snarled, gripping my rifle's under-barrel launcher while smacking the door's console as I did the doors started opening only for my battlebrothers to repeat our motto.
"In Death I Live..."
Hearing this I grinned like a psychopat as I got more excited by the second.
"Iron Fenrirs"
I bellowed, as I did my battlebrothers howled like bloodthirsty wolwes from hell, the doors slid open, and we unleashed hell.
"Three. Two. One. Fire!"
Grenades and RPG shot out from the under-barrel and missile launchers, flying into the center of the droid swarm.
The explosions rocked the corridor, sending shrapnel and debris flying in all directions.
The droids' metallic bodies shattered and crumpled under the blasts, but more poured in, violet lasers cutting through the smoke and chaos.
"Frags out!"
I barked, pulling the pins out of my bundle of grenades held together by ductape aka the army grunts best friend and hurling it into the mass of droids.
The others followed suit, their grenades sailing through the air, disappearing into the swarm before erupting in concussive blasts.
The carnage was brutal. Droids were torn apart, mechanical limbs flying, sparks and smoke filling the air, but the serum was already working its dark magic.
Despite the injuries, despite the burned blood that began to splatter across our armor from the lasers that found their mark, we kept moving. Kept pushing forward.
"Move! Go!"
I shouted, charging into the smoke with my combat sword raised.
The first droid came into view, and I swung the blade with a ferocity I hadn't known before. The violet edge cleaved through its torso like butter, the heat from the blade sizzling as it sliced clean through its metal body.
Darius was a whirlwind of destruction, he tore through the droids with brute strength, smashing them aside with heavy swings that left nothing but scrap metal in his wake.
Julian moved with surgical precision, his sniper rifle now useless in this melee, he had his sword out, cleaving through the droids.
One after another, they fell before him, their heads rolling on the floor as he moved on to the next target.
Paul and Robert, usually more methodical, were caught in the serum's grip as well. Their movements were savage, almost feral.
They hacked and slashed with reckless abandon, their swords carving a bloody path through the droids that continued to swarm us.
Every injury we sustained, laser burns, and shattered bones was Ignored together with our vital warnings In our HUDs, our minds were laser-focused on one thing and that was killing everything in front of us.
I felt a searing burn on my side but no pain as a laser beam sliced through my rib armor, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.
With a roar, I swung my sword, cutting down another droid that had tried to flank me.
The serum had stripped away everything but the primal urge to fight, to survive. Clarity was slipping away with every second, replaced by a haze of bloodlust and fury.
"Kill them all!"
I growled, my voice raw as we carved through the sea of droids.
The corridor was filled with the sound of metal clashing against metal, of sparks flying and bodies hitting the floor.
More droids poured in from every direction, but we were unstoppable, slicing through their ranks like a pack of rabid wolves tearing into prey.
"Left!"
Darius barely conscious shouted, lunging to block a droid trying to flank us.
"I've got it!"
Julian who was In no better shape yelled, diving forward to decapitate the droid with a clean slice.
We were getting closer to the airlock. I could see it just ahead, a glimmer of hope through the haze of battle.
But the droids weren't slowing down.
"Incoming! If you want to live then run faster you apes!"
I roared, feeling the last remnants of my rational mind holding on as I received another droid's lazer beam straight at my neck and drove my sword through its chest.
"Almost there!"
Paul shouted, his voice strained as blood dripped from a nasty burn on his arm from all the movement.
He kicked a droid back, the strength of the serum pushing his body beyond its limits.
We charged as a unit, leaving a trail of destruction behind us. But with every step, the cost became clearer.
I could feel the weight of my injuries slowing me down, lasers had carved deep burns into my armor, and blood was leaking from a dozen wounds.
But there was no stopping. There couldn't be.
I reached the airlock controls, smashing my fist into the panel. The door hissed open just as the droids began to close in on us once more.
"Inside! Now!"
I roared, covering the rear as my battle brothers sprinted into the airlock. More droids appeared in the corridor, their violet lasers lighting up the room as they fired.
I took a final swing at the nearest droid, my sword slicing through its neck, before diving into the airlock just as the door sealed shut behind me.
The pounding of droid footsteps faded into silence.
It was over.
I slumped against the wall, my body shaking from exhaustion. The adrenaline and serum coursed through me, but my limbs felt like lead.
Blood dripped from my wounds, pooling on the floor beneath me, I looked over at my battle brothers.
Darius collapsed against the wall, his chest heaving, covered in burns and cuts. His sword slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground.
Julian slumped down beside him, barely able to keep his eyes open. Paul and Robert had also slumped against the wall, both of them breathing heavily, blood seeping from numerous wounds.
"We made it…"
I muttered, but my voice barely registered over the sound of our labored breathing.
One by one, my battle brothers lost consciousness, their bodies finally giving in to the exhaustion and blood loss.
Darius was the first to go, his head rolling to the side as he slipped into unconsciousness. Julian followed, his eyes fluttering shut.
Paul and Robert were next, their bodies going limp as they succumbed to the overwhelming fatigue.
As the airlock sealed us inside, I fought to keep my own consciousness. The serum had done its job, amplifying our strength, pushing us beyond our limits, but it was also draining the last reserves of our sanity and energy.
I slumped against the wall of the airlock, my body screaming for rest, my mind a haze of exhaustion and pain.
Blood dripped from countless scorched black and torn open wounds, and my battle brothers were out cold, their bodies limp from the brutal fight we'd just survived.
The droids' relentless assault had pushed us to our limits and we were barely holding on.
"No… no… no…"
The words slipped from my lips in a bestial roar like a mantra, echoing in the small, enclosed space.
I slammed my head against the wall repeatedly, fighting the encroaching darkness, the pull of unconsciousness threatening to drag me under.
This couldn't be the end. Not like this. I refused to die here.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my body to move, my limbs sluggish and uncooperative. My hands shook as I reached for my combat stims, pulling out a syringe.
With a snarl, I jammed it into my neck, injecting the stimulant directly into my bloodstream.
The burn was immediate, a jolt of energy that sent my heart racing and cleared some of the fog in my mind. It wasn't enough, but it would have to do. I had to keep moving.
I slammed the airlock console, and the outer door groaned open, exposing us to the freezing void of space.