"Aaaaaarrrrggghhhh!" Otto screamed in agony in the air, the sound high-pitched and sustained. The visible ripple effect emanating from his body intensified, striking the shimmering blue force field that protected the huddled group. The field wiggled and distorted, openings of different sizes momentarily flickering into existence before sealing shut again.
"The shield's weakening!" Aurora shouted, pointing up at Otto. "Whatever's happening to him is affecting the field!"
Martin, his face grim as he watched the chaotic scene, his eyes darted between the screaming Otto and the encroaching horde of undead. His gaze then settled on the three D.E.I.S.T.R. agents – Hajime Tanaka, Maria Millers, and Kira Davies. He pointed at Hajime, who was visibly trembling beside Maria. "You," Martin barked, his voice commanding, "you seem to be the weakest link. Hand over your rifle to Sinclair." He gestured towards Ender.
Kira Davies, her composure returning, stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and Martin until they were face-to-face. "You don't get to order my people around, Shaw," she stated icily, her eyes narrowed.
Martin's gaze hardened. "I am a high-ranking commander in a combat situation. That gives me the right to order any soldier below me, regardless of their affiliation, when we are on the same side fighting a common enemy. Lives are at stake."
From the side, Hajime, his face pale and streaked with tears, shakily extended his rifle towards Ender. "H-here," he stammered, his voice choked with fear. "I… I don't want to die." Kira turned to Hajime, a look of surprise and disapproval on her face.
Jaxan, who had been silently observing the group, saw Hajime's terrified reaction. The image of Idris's fear-stricken face flashed in his mind, followed by the memory of the man who took his life, Gary. His eyes darted around the perimeter, a flicker of realization crossing his features. "Wait…" he muttered, his voice low, "…Gary… Where the hell did Gary go?"
Maya, without looking at him, replied, "He went into the forest when Claire fell." Jasper's fist clenched at his side, his expression grim.
Ender took the offered rifle, his brow furrowed with a mixture of gratitude and concern for Hajime. He quickly inspected the weapon and the magazines. "We're not gonna die here," Ender muttered, more to himself than anyone else, a newfound resolve hardening his gaze.
Martin turned his attention back to the group. "The field won't hold much longer with Otto like this. When it goes down, we need to be ready. Those of you who can fight…" He looked at Jasper. "…you taking point."
Selena, her metallic orb still inert in her hand, spoke up. "We can still help. The five Enforcers who had guns, they fell close by. We can go and fetch them."
Martin shook his head, his expression grim. "There are too many of these things. That's a death sentence without powers."
Rex, his anger still simmering, turned to Kira. "Why haven't you contacted Viktor? He should be getting backup here."
Kira, her gaze fixed on the chaotic scene, replied, "I did. He's aware of the situation. Backup should be arriving."
Outside the shimmering blue force field, Waller fought with a desperate ferocity, the undead horde surrounding her on all sides. Exhaustion etched deep lines on her face, but she pressed on, summoning clone after clone from her weary body, each new iteration throwing itself into the fray to push back the relentless tide. The clones fought valiantly, creating momentary breathing room, but they were quickly overwhelmed and torn apart. Waller Prime screamed, her body trembling with the effort, more clones erupting forth, their silver rifles spitting fire before they too succumbed. Rex watched with a grim, impassive expression as Waller, breathing in ragged gasps, glanced in his direction, blood tears streaking her face, before three fire-wielding prisoners engulfed her in flames, her screams abruptly silenced.
Above them, Otto's agonizing scream abruptly ceased. His body went limp, and he plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. The shimmering blue force field winked out of existence.
"The shield's down!" Martin roared, his rifle raised. He, Maria, Ender, and Jasper surged forward from different points, ready to meet the attack. Maria and Ender gripped their rifles tightly, while Martin and Jasper clenched their fists, their eyes narrowed in anticipation.
From the darkness beyond the vanished shield, Revan's voice echoed, cold and commanding. "Now is your chance my army... take forth! Leave nothing but death."
With a unified roar, the undead horde surged towards the group, a terrifying wave of shambling bodies and snarling faces. Some of the undead prisoners, grotesque wings sprouting from their backs, took flight, swooping down from above. Ender and Maria opened fire, their rifles barking in the night. Ender's shots were precise, each bullet finding its mark with a sickening thud despite the rifle's full-auto capability. Maria's weapon spat a continuous stream of silver rounds, each undead shuddering as it absorbed the impact.
Just as the first of the undead were about to reach Martin and Jasper, a blinding streak of lightning flashed into existence, slamming into the approaching horde with concussive force, knocking them back and creating a momentary clear zone around the group. Confusion rippled through the surviving members. Then, in another blinding flash, every person who was previously unarmed now found a weapon in their hands – even Martin and Jasper stared down at the unexpected firearms clutched in their fists, their expressions a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. In front of them, radiating with electric energy, stood Jack.
"Jack!" Ender exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise and relief. "You're alive!"
Jack's eyes, now blazing with renewed electric energy, snapped towards the undead that were slowly rising. "It's not over!" he yelled, his voice amplified by the crackling energy surrounding him. "Get into stance!"
Immediately, the group formed a loose circle around Phil and Claire, who remained on the ground. Allison cradled Claire's head in her lap, her face a mask of worry, while Ivy sat huddled beside them, her eyes darting nervously around.
Martin, his newfound rifle gripped tightly, pointed towards the center. "Speedster! Take your friends and get them out of here! Now!"
"What about you?" Jack yelled back, his eyes scanning the growing horde.
Rex, his face grim, walked up beside Jack, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We don't matter, Jack. They do. Get them safe."
"No," Jack stated firmly, shaking his head. But before anyone could argue, he blurred into a streak of lightning, charging straight through a row of the undead. Bursts of blood and matter erupted as he carved a path, creating a temporary opening.
"JACK!" Rex roared, distracted, turning towards the departing speedster.
A guttural snarl sounded beside Rex. A prisoner undead lunged, its decaying face inches from Rex's. Before it could bite, a precise shot rang out, the bullet tearing through the undead's skull. Aurora, her rifle smoking, stood beside Rex, firing rapidly into the downed creature until its head was a pulpy mess.
"Focus, Rex! Now!" Aurora barked, reloading with practiced speed. "We have weapons now. We fight our way out!"
Rex nodded grimly, grabbing his rifle. The group started firing in a circle, creating a defensive perimeter. Claire and Phil remained in the center, Allison desperately trying to aid Claire, and Ivy watching the chaos unfold with wide, frightened eyes.
Meanwhile, Jack moved in streaks of lightning, smashing through the undead as he scanned the surroundings for any sign of Revan.
Meanwhile, Revan stood atop the partially destroyed prison facility, his red eyes the only visible lights in his dark silhouette against the smoke-filled night sky. He observed Jack in silence, his head tilted slightly, before his gaze drifted over to the group below, now armed and fighting back. Finally, Revan looked straight down at Otto, who lay twitching on the ground just beyond the force field's former perimeter, his breathing shallow and erratic.
Revan's head tilted further, his red eyes narrowing in curiosity. "What did you do?" he murmured, his voice barely audible even to himself.
"I was trying to awaken the Boy's power." A voice, smooth and familiar, echoed beside Revan. The Man in Maroon materialized, casually seating himself on the edge of the ruined rooftop next to Revan. He popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth. "Such a shame, really. With his ability to create things from thin air, I had hoped that by pushing him to a higher level, he would have been an ally with control over reality." He sighed dramatically. "But as you can see," he gestured towards Otto's convulsing form, "it didn't happen. The Boy is robotic, 'an inhuman' they called them. Seems by pushing him, I fried his system."
Revan watched the chaos below for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the Man in Maroon, his crimson eyes intense. "Good…" he stated, his voice low and firm. "I... am all we need."
The Man in Maroon chuckled softly, reaching into his seemingly bottomless pocket for more popcorn. "Oh, I know, dear Revan. I know. I just wanted to see how a mortal would wield the powers of a god, even in a rudimentary fashion. Fascinating, wouldn't you agree?"
Revan's attention then snapped back down to the ground, his gaze focusing on the streaking blue lightning that was Jack. "Why is the speedster not affected by the field?" he asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.
The Man in Maroon followed Revan's gaze, then pointed a lazy finger in the direction Jack had run. "Hmm? Oh, him. He must have gotten a little… help..." He smirked. "See?"
Revan closed his eyes, his connection to the undead army providing a multitude of perspectives. Through their decaying eyes, he watched as they were torn apart by bursts of blue energy, unable to fully track Jack's movements. The speedster was a blur, a constant streak of lightning. Finally, through the eyes of one of the undead just before it was obliterated, Revan caught a clear glimpse of Jack as he sped past. His crimson eyes snapped open. "The necklace…" he murmured, a flicker of surprise in his voice.
"Yes... that little trinket has the Eye of Horus. Must be granting him some kind of resistance against your Negation Field."
Revan's head tilted slightly, his gaze intense. "Where could he have gotten such an item?"
The Man in Maroon opened his mouth to reply, "Could have been..." when suddenly, thick, black chains materialized out of thin air, wrapping around his upper body, binding his arms tightly to his abdomen.
"What the hell?" the Man in Maroon exclaimed, his orange eyes widening in surprise as he struggled against the sudden restraints.
Revan turned his head slowly to the side, his crimson eye locking onto a figure now standing in the center of the rooftop behind them. Henry Heimman stood with his hands crossed, a knowing look on his face.
"I knew you'd be the cause of this," Henry stated, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight of authority as he looked directly at the struggling Man in Maroon "Lon Hux..."