Page 19 of Craze

Time to see if you’re still up to the task.

Targeting systems light up in my eyes among red alerts of impending damage. I charge the rocket, kick up a piece of Skysprinter hull as I run, and brace it in front of me.

Impact ETA: Two, One—

My ultro races. Nanos rush into my arms, feeling like thousands of little hornets.

The blast impacts my shield and throws me back. Air rushes from my lungs. The metal turns red hot, scorching my fingers. I drop it as I slide to a stop and bump into the hoverdrone at my back. But we’re both still intact.

Bullets lance the air. I frantically climb onto the drone and guide it away from the wreckage. I empty the hoverdrone’s guns’ limited ammo on the enemy behind me until it is gone.

Click. Click. Click.

I should’ve saved some ammo!

My hindsight is perfect. It always is.

I just can’t figure out how to think ahead. I’m an opportunist to a fault, but I also don’t think the Creators designed me to be broken. I just haven’t figured myself out yet.

A sputtering engine lies among the fiery trail of debris as I retreat.

If I can cut off the thermal siphon, it should take off. That’s something at least!

As I pass, I bank hard, steady the zembi in my hand, lean over, and slash the unit free from the end. The engine throws sparks, ignites, and launches toward my enemy.

The Solcrue’s ground assaultTacticatblows.

My triumph is momentary as a pair of hoverdrones cuts through the fire, chasing after me.

A bullet I wasn’t ready for sears my shoulder.

I curl forward and glance at the wound. It heals slowly.

Soaking in the pain, lingering in it, and savoring the rush of my spooling ultro now feeding my body, I collect the handgun I’ve salvaged and point it behind me. “Hey, dingle berries! What the fuck did you cut your teeth on? Pansies?”

The Solcrue on the drones glare at me as I fire. I manage to take them out, only to find three more Tacticats racing after us.

Shit.I should’ve stayed and ate with my brothers. But time to salvage was limited. Now the enemy’s hot on my tail.

I skirt the hills, heading away from my brothers. Behind me, hoverdrones stay on an intercept course. It’s what I hoped for. I may be damaged and hungry, but I’m also armed now and angry.

That’s it, you fuckers. Leave my Brothers alone. Just come and try to get me.

There’s a perfect kill box in the approaching rocks, so I aim for it.

I’m not afraid of dying alone. I deserve it for as many Titans as I’ve outlived. But I’m damn sure going to balance the scorecard first.

An image transmission flashes in my eyes—a view of Hyperion’s surface and a hoverdrone fleeing two others.

Cold wind whips around me as I look up at the only possible source of the feed—the research vessel hovering between Hyperion and the portal.

The message flickers to an image of women clustered into a tiny room, just like the one I saw from Pellucid earlier. Then a dark room blinks into the feed with only one window. Static fills the transmission like the signal is weak.

Pellucid>>Local: …He—

Pellucid>>Local: Is…out th—

I fear one of our Brothers is stuck aboard the vessel above with other women, like Amp had mentioned.

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