Flesh vs Steel (Started)

Koron

Koron signalled with his hands 3...2...1 and shouted, "JUMP!"

Koron and Micah jumped onto the digger. They both hanged on for dear life while also trying to remove the central power units armour. "Come on, come on," Koron strained. Through the strength of them both they ripped off the armour. Inside was its power unit. "Gun... now!" Micah shouted.

"Here you go," Mercury replied and threw it. Koron went to catch it and did, however his other hand slipped and Koron, gun in hand, fell off. He hit the ground on his feet and with a sickening crack he fell down. "Oh, fuck my leg." Koron cursed as he crawled away. The digger rapidly closed in. "Micah... remove the power unit," Koron shouted.

"The what," Micah replied.

"The...the big round thing,."

Micah removed it. He then jumped off when it collapsed.

BEEP...BEEP...BEEP. "Anyone else hear that?" Mercury asked.

"Oh, hell, RUN!" Koron replied.

The three ran for cover just as the digger went up in flames and sealed the tunnel.

"Failsafe mechanism," Koron explained.

"At least it closed up the tunnel," Micah went on.

"Okay lets regroup with the rest of us," Mercury ordered.

"Wait a minute, where's Leah?" Koron asked.

They heard something else. The pitter patter of tiny footsteps. Leah came out in open sight. She ran outside of the tunnel when everyone was occupied.

"Okay kid, lets get you back to your daddy." Koron said happily.

Cancer

Cancer was just starting to black out when an explosion shook the tunnel. Eyes suddenly wide, he looked about himself. Bits of rubble began to drop from the ceiling. Leah was shrieking. Everybody was shouting. Zephyr was standing over him, saying something.
But he couldn't hear a word.
Cancer stared up at her. Slowly, realisation began to creep into her eyes. She ran off after Micah.
Cancer rose slowly. It was probably just the explosion. His hearing would come back soon.
He stood and took a few steps. Something wasn't right.
Nausea hit him harder than the train. Before he even realised what was happening, Cancer was already spitting bile down the front of his bodysuit. The tunnel walls seemed to be rippling and warping, closing in tight one second and bowing outwards the next. Cancer vomited again. The lights began to whir about him. He tried to staggar towards the end of the tunnel, but it was moving so much he couldn't manage. He felt himself crash into the wall and rebound away.
All of a sudden, the ground rushed up into his face.

Logan

Logan's knees hit the tunnel floor before Cancer's face, and he managed to get an arm around the man and right him before he fell completely. He grunted, trying to lift the man's dead wright and keep an eye behind him at the same time. "We're not losing you so fast, buddy." His voice came out as a mutter, and at the moment it didn't matter if Cancer has heard it or not. The vomit on his hands was hardly registered- he had dealt with a sick Leah enough times by now.

Leah shrieked again, somewhere behind them, and Logan had to force himself not make a sharp turn. Koron and the others came up, Leah with her hands over her ears, face buried in Koron's neck. Logan let put a slow breath. Everyone was here. It was about time, too.

He knelt, setting Cancer down as gently as he could, and wiped his hand on his pants before standing up again and holdin out his arms for Leah. "Oh thank God," he whispered, kissing his daughter's temple. There were already tears aticking to his neck, and it took every ounce of self control Logan had not to start crying, too. He forced a smile instead, and then nodded behind himself to Cancer.

"I have no idea how to deal with that. He saved Leah the first time around, and quite frankly, I owe him my life for that." He wouldn't say Leah- Leah didn't owe her life to anyone.

He stepped aside, casting nervous glances up and down the dimly lot tunnel. And to think that he had almost forgotten his clausterphobia. It was setting in again, even as Logan tried to ward it off.

Koron

Seeing Leah and Logan reunited made Koron remember back to the time when he had a family. He remembered his wife's smell, his child's laugh. But he was remembering less and less. What he didn't tell anyyone, not even his family was that he had dementia. When the accident happened, he suffered damage to his cognitive functions, in other words his senses and memory. When he was treated the medical team also used cyberntic implants in his brain that would stop the brain degradation.

He had a plan to deal with the machines. Once they got to the central command center, he would find the command console and activate the failsafe in case the machines did take over. He planned to detonate an EMP. He could protect Cancer, that much he knew, but not himself. The implants would overload and kill him, but at least it would be quick and painless. It was a sacrifice he was willing to give.

"Koron, come look at this!" Mercury shouted. Koron ran up to him and came out of the cave. Out in front of them was the command center.

Mercury

"Look at this!". They had finally found the security outpost,the first step towards their goal. Mercury looked around to deliver a speech to the group, but then he noticed something was wrong. He should've seen earlier, the lack of clanking from that monstrocity of a metal hound. "Where's Micah?" Mercury asked, rather worried. The group looked at each other, but no one could answer the question.

"Although I hate to say it," Cancer said "I have the feeling he might have been caught in the blast when we dealt with the Digger".

"And even if that didn't kill him, he was probably crushed by the rubble" Koron added. "We can probably presume that he is, unfortunately, dead".

The group looked terrified, particularly Zephyr. Mercury gazed at the ground, deep in thought. Damn! This early and we've already lost one! I guess this isn't going to be as easy as I thought. He walked over to the heavy bunker door and tapped in the security code. The five frames of gold-titanium alloy peeled away to leave a rather roomy, yet computer filled room. Constant sounds of beeps and ticks filled the air. "Koron, shut them up, for the love of God." Mercury signalled for the rest to follow him into the armoury in the next room.

Koron

Koron went over to the control console and began to initiate his plan. Something else came onto the screen. "Um... we got COMPANY!" Koron said into the intercomm.

"GO,GO,GO!" Mercury ordered, picking up an assault rifle. Something caught his eye. They came out the armoury. Zephyr chucked Koron a shotgun. "I'll stay in this room to detonate the EMP," Koron told them, "Just make sure that they don't get in." They went outside and took up positions. The first of the machines emerged from the cave. "Where's Mercury?" Cancer asked. They heard footsteps. Mercury emerged with a Minigun and a very malicous grin on his face.

"COME ON YOU SONS OF A BITCHES," Mercury shouted, "BRING IT ON."

The first machine opened fire...

Cancer

Cancer searched the racks of weapons for something to use. Everything looked so complex, he didn't know if he could manage. At last he picked up a gun- some kind of rifle, though he wasn't sure- and moved towards the exit. Mercury and Koron were crouching behind some upturned ammunition crates, trying to fight back the oncoming hordes of androids. Logan stood in the doorway next to him, taking potshots whenever he could. Zephyr protected Leah inside the armoury.
Something stirred in Cancer's mind. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
Peering around the corner, Cancer raised his rifle and fired at one of the nearest Borgs. Its chest exploded and it collapsed to the floor, causing the next in line to stumble over it. In return, Cancer received a volley of superheated plasma. He ducked into the armoury, narrowly escaping the shots.
Cancer heared a shout, then a roar of pain from outside the room. He looked around the door just in time to see Mercury drop to the ground clutching his shoulder, pain etched onto his face.
"We gotta do something!" Logan shouted to him over the din. Cancer knew that much. The question in his mind was: what?

Mercury

Pain shot through my shoulder, and I hit the floor. The round had gone straight through my shoulder, but I could still feel the heat from my burnt skin and flesh. I was in too much agony to say anything, let alone swear. "Someone!? Koron! Grab a medical kit from the armoury. Now!" Zephyr was taking charge very quickly, I was proud of her being a part of the team, even when I saw myself as the leader. I heard the clank of metal as Koron sprinted away to do as he was instructed. Surprisingly, the first to my side was the beast.

"Mercury! Stay with us!"

I looked at him, and I took a deep breath as the rest of the pain caught up with me. "Fuck" I grunted. Cancer stood up and fired a few more rounds out into the droids that were rapidly approaching.

"Koron! Hurry up!" Zephyr screamed again. "Mercury? Are you okay?"

"Well, apart from the fact that a bullet just passed through my shoulder, I'm good" I muttered sarcastically. Zephyr had a look in her eyes that told me that everything was going to be fine, but I knew it wasn't. Even if I did survive this, (Which I knew I was) I would still be impaired when it came to continuing the journey towards our goal. I gave a quick smirk to Zephyr, before I felt the darkness overwhelm me, and plunge me into an abyss of emptiness.

Koron

"Cancer get Mercury outta here!" Koron shouted above the noise. Cancer nodded and proceeded to get Mercury out of harms ways. "COVERING FIRE!" Koron ordered. Koron and Logan opened fire, not caring where they aimed as long as they hit something. "Get in the building," Koron said once Cancer was inside. Cancer putting down Mercury ran over to a console and closed the 5 inch titanium doors. Koron ran over to the EMP console and typed into it. A faint humming sound could be heard that gradually got louder. " There's a back route out of the command center" Koron told them "I suggest you take it."

"Why us?" Zephyr asked.

"Somebodys gotta keep it safe while it's charging," Koron replied. A loud banging noise rattled through the room. Then again, and again. The doors burst open to reveal a digger accompanied by twenty or so borg. "Change of plans," Koron said weakly.

"RUN," Cancer yelled and picking up Mercury all five of them ran out. He heard it before he felt it. A whining noise that got louder followed by searing white hot pain... the EMP... Koron fell to his knees.

"Koron?" Logan asked. Korons vision slowly went from red to crimson. Darkness swiftly followed and he collapsed down onto the cold stone floor...

Cancer

Cancer felt the EMP surging through him, coarsing through his veins. His head hammered as the pulse flowed throughout his entire body. Sparks of electricity arced from his machine hand, coiling around his fingers like a gauntlet of power.
Behind him, Koron let out a grunt as he collapsed to the floor. Logan stood over him, defiant to the last, but the last was coming quickly. The digger lumbered forwards, flanked by the horde of smaller robots. Logan ran past him with Koron slung across his shoulder, and shouted something. Cancer didn't hear him. He just stood right where he was, entranced, outside of himself, as the huge robot drew ever closer. The feeling of Mercury being lifted off of his shoulders- by whom, Cancer did not know- barely registered. Instead, he was aware only of the building power of the surging EM pulse within his cyborg body, the feeling of distant elation swamping all fear or urge to flee. The sound of Zephyr's desperate shouts fell on deaf ears as Cancer stepped forward, feeling outside of himself, an observer watching events through someone else's eyes.
The digger's massive arm descended towards him, as it reached out to crush him in its vast hand. Cancer held his own hands up and stopped the giant fist with little effort. Lightning crackled around his entire body, a cocoon of raw energy. He had no understanding of what was going on, how he could hold back the immensity of the digger; instead, he simply accepted what was happening, allowing the vast energy within him to take over and guide his movements. The concrete of the floor began to crack and chip under his feet, yet Cancer did not yeild, could not, and the lightning which enshrouded his body surged and crackled, writhing like vipers as it extended outward to engulf not only his body, but the digger, borg and much of the room. The silver carapace of the digger turned to red, then white as the energy heated it, melting the plates of its body together and causing its eyes to flash sporadically. The huge machine gave one, final, valiant push before toppling to the ground.
Cancer stood in the centre of the room as the borg dropped like dead leaves to the floor. He felt a sense of euphoria as the last of the energy coursed through him. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the energy left his body, vanishing until only a crackle of lightning danced upon his fingertips, before it too disappeared.
Euphoria was replaced by despair, was replaced by utter numbness. Cancer's body had been a vessel for something larger, and now that vessel was empty. Exhaustion flooded him as Cancer once again returned to his own body. The room spun. His head throbbed. With a slight sigh, he collapsed to the ground, soft unconsciousness replacing inexorable power.

Mercury

The darkness cascaded, and a flash of blinding light overwhelmed Mercury's eyes. Everything rapidly came back: sight, smell, sound, but most of all, pain. The quick surging hurt hit Mercury's shoulder again, before he felt a sudden drop, redirecting the pain to his ribs. He shook his head, eliminating the nausea of the abrupt revival, and then took a look to his left. Zephyr laid there, exhausted and completely devoid of waking conscience. Beyond her body Logan stood, Koran of his shoulder, gazing unbelievably at the other end of the bunker. "Logan," Mercury grunted "are we dead?"

"No," he said in astonishment "I think we're alive".
Mercury pulled himself to his feet. Then stared in the direction that Logan directed his own gaze. Cancer lay there, nearby a half melted Digger and a fried Borg. "What the hell just happened?" he laughed.

A muffled sound came from the armory, and Logan gently put down Koran and opened the door. Leah leaped into his arms. Mercury sighed in relief. Everyone's ok, thank God.

Mercury helped Logan drag all of the unconscious bodies into the sleeping quarters, and then discussed what happened with Logan, over a cup of coffee. Neither of them could believe what had happened, but Mercury wished he had seen it, so then he might have appreciated Cancer's actions more. "Well," Mercury said "we might as well spend the night here. I'll go activate the security systems. In the morning we can recoup ourselves, as long as we've all regained consciousness".

"No, your injured, I'll go activate them" Logan insisted.

"Fine," Mercury huffed, he didn't like being helpless. "The code is 89483". With that Logan calmly walked from the area. Mercury scaled the bunk above Koran's body and lumped against the uncomfertable matress. It was horrible, but Mercury was so tired, he was already dreaming when he hit the pillow.

Koron

"Move, get those civilians outta here!" Koron shouted.

"We're pinned down, can't break through," the soldier over the comms replied. "Oh god, help, AAARRRGGHHHH!"

"Lieutenent?" Koron ordered.

"Sir," another soldier said coming into the command tent. "You might want to see this." Koron stepped out of the tent and saw something that would haunt him forever...

"Alice...ALICE!" Koron shouted. He woke up in cold sweat and exhaled sharply as he remembered where he was. Koron sat up and shook his head as if to get rid of the memory.

"Well look who's awake," someone said. Koron turned to see Mercury looking, over the edge of the top bunk, towards him. "About time you were back in the land of the living."

"And just in time too," Koron looked around and saw Zephyr, unconssious, and Cancer, also unconssious.

"Who was that you shouted?" Mercury asked.

"No one," Koron replied.

"Didn't sound like no one," Mercury retorted and resumed falling asleep. Koron wished he could do the same but too many things troubled him...

Cancer

Cancer started, jolting in his bed. A rude awakening. He tried to roll over, but his entire body seemed to scream protest. His limbs ached, his head pounded, and when he opened his eyes, the light seemed too bright. With effort, he sat up.
The bottom of a bunk hovered an inch above his head. Confusion began to set in. Where exactly was he?
Logan's voice called softly from where he sat across the room. After what felt like a monumental struggle, Cancer turned to regard him.
"Are you alright?" Logan's voice seemed strained. Cancer blinked but did not answer.
An awkward moment passed between them; Logan's eyes wandered over Cancer, assessing him, but Cancer had no answer as to why.
"That was quite something," Logan said, pulling Cancer from whatever thoughts he had been having. The veil of confusion set in once again.
"Why, what did I do?" His voice came out a hoarse whisper, dry with disuse. Logan physically recoiled, suprise drawing his eyebrows to high on his head.
"You don't remember, do you?" Surprise raised his voice, and he leaned forward eagerly. A similar reaction must have registered on Cancer's face, for Logan broke out in a smile then, before recounting the events of the last several hours.

Shock burned through Cancer's system after hearing Logan's story. His brain felt overloaded and ready to collapse under its own revelations. Memories of what had happened, of the digger and the EMP, all flooded back, tumultuous, bustling for priority in his despairing mind. Gradually, and with Logan's help, a clear picture of what had happened coalesced, but the facts seemed to make less sense than the confusion that had preceeded them. Cancer settled his throbbing head back down on the pillow, his muscles protesting at the traverse from sitting position. Over time, he digested the information, but every time he succeeded in answering one question, innumerable more arose to fill its place in his mind. After what could have been hours but was more likely minutes, the cacophonous thoughts gave way, and blissful sleep enshrouded his weary body, enveloping his thoughts in its warm haze.

Mercury

Mercury splashed water over his face, trying to camoflague the tears. He hated nightmares. Everyone was awake, which was all good, but this bitter memory hurt him to the point he couldn't plan any further action. "Trent..." Mecury slammed his fist against the sink, making the small crack on the wall grow bigger. The tears hit his bare chest. He hated himself for being so weak, but he couldn't help it.

A knock came from the washroom door. Mercury jolted and quickly threw some more water over his eyes. "Yes?"

The plastic door opened, and Zephyr walked in. "Are you okay Mercury?" she asked.

"I'll live" he replied, fighting back the sorrow in his voice.

"Have you been crying?"

Mercury wiped his eyes, and tried to walk around Zephyr; he didn't feel like talking. zephyr blocked the doorway with her body. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong". Mercury gave her a cold stare and then kissed her. In shock she stepped backwards. The soldier seized the opportunity and slipped past her. Time to get the team ready. We leave in an hour, we need to get out of here.

Koron

I woke up suddenly,again, to find Zephyr,finally awake, to be nudging me.

"Koron, were moving out," Zephyr said kindly. I got out of bed and just realised that I was still in my full gear. I also noticed everyone else were already nearly ready.

"Koron, you okay?" Mercury asked.

"Never better," I replied. That was a lie of course my head was pounding and my feet felt like they were about to break but I was determined not to show it, it would only lower morale. I went to pick up my shotgun and found that it had no shells in or around it.

"Uh...guys?" I asked bewildered. "Where is my ammo?" The rest of the team shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders. "Great," I mumbled. I happened to notice sharp pieces of scrap metal lying tidied up into one corner.

"Okay, lets move out!" Mercury ordered.

"Wait a minute, I've got an idea,"I replied. I went to the stack of scrap metal and went to work on my idea...