My eyes had adjusted to the surrounding darkness somewhat. I was able to see the building we were approaching in clearer detail, it's domed roof lit sharply with a still-working street lamp. Although the darkness still consumed my eyes, something inside the building caught my strained gaze. A light perhaps, or maybe-
Beep! Beep! Beep!
“Shit!” I heard Trish curse loudly over the shrill siren.
Suddenly, an impossibly bright light was flashed in my eyes, bathing the rest of my body in intense whiteness. I looked to the source to see the square metallic shape of a camera pointing directly in our direction. A large mounted light was present upon the end of the shining lens.
“Get down, Antoinette!”
I was just able to duck behind a half-broken crate as the scream of bullets began whizzing past me and penetrating my cover. I gazed across the way to see Trish pulling something from the slung holster upon her back; a kind of brass-clad shotgun. She lifted the weapon over her head and blindly fired over the battered car that served as her shelter. She then cocked the smoking weapon and looked to be quickly.
“Don't just sit there!” she scolded with a raised voice over the chaos of bullets, “Help me!”
I cleared my head of thought and tightly gripped my weapon. When I thought I heard the smooth metal click of weapons reloading, I chanced a glance over the crate, weapon drawn and ready. I could barely make out a few figures in the blackness. I aimed my weapon at one of them and fired with calm precision. I smiled shallowly as my uniquely-crafted bullet hit it's mark with impressive accuracy, the figure falling from sight.
My smile quickly dropped as something else suddenly began taking place. The blasting of weaponry continued, but was now mixed with the clomping of heavy boots upon the broken asphalt.
“They are advancing upon us!” Trish screamed over the quickly growing noises, “We have to move!”
With one, fluid movement I bent my knees and leapt across the way to where Trish was hiding. My back slammed against the chilled metal of the car as I heard something strange emanate from our enemies.
“pro mrechnal sictus srectorus ov krir!”
At least, that's what it sounded akin to. Some strange language, I briefly mused.
“Toni, stay with me!”
I blinked several times and turned to her piercing gaze.
“Move! Now!”
I needed no further convincing for my next action. I gave her one last look before bracing my knees for a sprint.
The world seemed to move in slow motion as I pushed off the car and took a few running steps to my right side. Small chunks of broken concrete and gravel crunched under my boots as I felt the general attention of our enemies draw to me, threatening to throw my balance off. The sharp zoom of bullets began whizzing past me as I dove for the nearest cover I could see. I let out a large breath of air as I gathered myself into a crouch. My back now pressed to a chunk of uprooted asphalt.
“Trish, get over here!” I shouted while peeking out above the cover and firing three warning shots.
Only one seemed to hit it's mark. A smaller figure amongst the dozens fell harshly to the ground. My back fell against the cover once again as I flicked the chamber of my gun open and emptied the smoking cartridges.
Thack!
A pained shout sounded to my left. I turned my gaze to see Trish, her face contorted in extreme pain. She faltered for a moment in mid stride, looking as though she would collapse. The enemies weapons never ceased firing.
“Trish!” I tried calling to shake her from her sudden stupor.
At seeing no movement on her part I dove from hiding and tackled her. We fell to the ground in a tangled heap. As if on cue I felt a wave of bullets scream past us from above. I breathed in a nauseating melange of sulfur, concrete, dust and grime that wafted from the ground my face was pressed to. In that same moment of chaos I gripped at Trish's sides with adrenaline-charged hands and rolled her over me, creating a sort of strange Human wheel. After a few revolutions, we were behind the hunk of debris and out of harm's path.
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