The hivemind is conquering for me?

Climbing two more walls without any hassle, We reached the top of the final one and resting atop the parapet was a beautiful sight.

”Hey, slowpokes. Have you had fun with your sightseeing?”

Smiling at Onyx being cheeky, I didn’t flirt with her, that would be later, and got right into details while helping Tamara up. ”What’s the word, babe?”

Onyx pointed her thumb over her shoulder. ”About twenty Drakoshi lingering about at the entrance of the big weapon. As well as a couple mechanical enemies with at least thirty more inside. I thought I should wait for you before we go in. All unarmoured and a bit bigger than the rest. Most likely these qualify as ’elites’.”

Tamara began to squeeze Zircon tightly. ”So should we go in? All this sneaking around has made me bloodthirsty.” She spoke with almost a growl in the back of her throat, but I shook my head.

”No, our mission’s strategic value is absolute. We need to destroy this. We cannot afford to be bogged down. We wait for our allies to start their battle. Onyx, is this place secure?”

She shrugged her shoulders. ”Not sure, but I have been here for ten minutes without needing to hide myself. I should say so.”

I sighed and shook my head. Onyx had access to her Psionics again now off the College moon and while I didn’t want to know fixed points, stuff like this, vague was... Fine.

I sighed as I clocked onto the fact that Onyx was smirking at me, smugly, clearly reading my train of thoughts. She was messing with me... The little shit.

...

Ten minutes later, as we sat by, keeping a low profile, I suddenly heard crackling. Looking over the wall, I could begin to see muzzle fire and laser fire. The Kill team were engaged. Now was the time for us to move.

”Melee only, we draw as little attention as we can. Willow, can you handle yourself up close?” I asked and got a nod of affirmation as she pulled a hilt of her belt and ignited a green laser falchion, definitely not Spartari approved tech from the look of it...

”I’ve been having to hold back because of my squad, but I will show you what I am capable of now, Apollo. For you.” She said with a glint in her eye.

I nodded at her and turned to Tamara, she was still holding Zircon so she threw my sword back to me. She would be fine. She was quite dangerous with improvised weapons.

”Alright. Onyx, you take one of the mechs, I’ll take the other. You three, thin the herd and get in that building.” We all began to put on our helmets and I then declared when we were all ready.

”We do not fail.”

...

The mechs in question were not as big as the one that nearly crushed me. With them acting more like power armour for the Drakoshi making the 10ft tall Warlads more the size of a Warlord.

Still, we had the jump on them. The sound of gunfire had drawn their attention away to the source and it was only the shout of one Drakoshi that saw us coming that had then turned back to us, just as I began to jump in the air at one.

Landing on the face of the mech, it tried to use its hands to pull me off. I dropped Zircon and allowed her to defend my flank momentarily as I began to punch at the viewport of the helmet with all my strength.

The glass shattered after a few powerful punches. I then let out a stream of volatile Pyrokinesis inside of the mech, directly into the pilots face. I didn’t bother to silence its screams as I dropped down atop an assailant, with extra gravity applied, that had flanked Willow.

With a sickening crunch, the Drakoshi folded in half and I punched out at another, sending it hurdling backwards before Zircon returned to my arm. At this point, a blue beast appeared behind a Drakoshi that had readied a flamethrower and Sapphire proceeded to bite the creature’s neck out before she ran straight into the building.

To act as both a delaying force and a bullet sponge for the Drakoshi inside who had begun to move hearing their allies dying outside.

Parrying a blow meant for Tamara, I reached out with my Gyrokinesis around the Drakoshi’s throat and lifted it up before having to parry another blow from my right. The one held up was then run through the hearts by a metal pole Tamara had found and I dropped the sack of flesh to the ground before continuing my advance on the next Drakoshi.

The ambush had gone well, with Onyx also having taken out her target. Those outside were now dead and we began to push inside.

There were a few floors with Drakoshi shooting down at us and Sapphire was already racking up casualties. I needed to act fast. Though Willow’s mere presence was making them miss more shots then they usually would...

Already breaking the silence rule, as the Drakoshi also did. I aimed up with my Minigun and began firing with Pyrokinetic ammunition. I wasn’t aiming at anyone in particular, but my bullets began to ignite flammables in the area and smoke began to billow through the surroundings.

Perfectly fine for us, as we had donned our helmets, plus Onyx’s lungs are stronger and wouldn’t get damaged and Sithrik was fine with smoke. The Drakoshi, however, their beady little eyes began to water and began to cough up a lung.

The fire would bring attention, but we were able to kill the rest of trivially after that, that I just didn’t care. We ascended to the top of the building to where the gun was. Looking up at the thing, it was enormous. Never mind Thermobaric fire, any type or ordinance fired out of a weapon like this would be deadly to almost everything...

It had to go.

”Fan out! Place your explosives on the supports of the weapons!” I yelled to Willow and Tamara.

”Apollo! More grey ssskins are coming!” Sithrik yelled up to me. ”Onyx, buy us some time! Do not let them in here!”

Onyx dropped from my side two stories and landed directly next to Sapphire. ”Come on roomie, let’s go murder!”

Sapphire proceeded to let out a roar. She was injured from the bullets, but she wouldn’t let herself perish. Switching to her smaller form for greater agility, she followed Onyx out to kill in her master’s name.

..

With the building continuing to burn around us as we placed the explosives, I worried for my allies after finishing planting all of mine and called out. ”Status!”

”Apollo! There aren’t enough bombs for each support!” Tamara yelled out.

’Shit.’ I only had myself to blame. ”Fuck it! We just have to hope it’s enough. Fall back! Regroup with the others!” I ordered.

The duo began moving instantly. From the top floor, directly next to the gun’s cannon, I dropped through the building and landed on the ground floor with a heavy thud. Making my way outside, things were not looking good. Onyx and Sapphire were fighting, but the Drakoshi were more than aware of us now and more troops began to arrive, firing. Using my armour, I tanked some shots in my direction before aiming my arm and provided suppressing fire.

”Tamara! Willow Go, I’ll rear guard!”

I fired again and the two ducked out of the building and ran towards our ingress point. ”Zircon go!” I commanded and my sword flew to Tamara. Willow jumped on Tamara’s back and the two began to slide down the side of the wall at great pace.

Meanwhile I relayed with intent. ”Recall!” Sapphire and Onyx returned to my Mindspace. Onyx was damaged, but not injured yet, but Sapphire had just barely been clinging on at this point.

A rage bubbled inside of me, but I kept myself cool for the time being. Looking up at the building while the Drakoshi continued to shoot at my cover, I smiled.

I reached into one of my bags and pulled out the detonator. ’Fire in the hole.’ I thought and a second later.

*KABOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

The night turned day for a moment as fire swept the surroundings. The explosion was hotter than I expected and I had to put up a Thermokinetic barrier since I was still so close.

When the explosion dissipated, I was covered in ash. I looked up at the weapon, expecting it to topple down any moment.

I waited.

The Drakoshi began to recover and resumed firing, but I looked up and waited.

Nothing.

As the smoke dissipated entirely, my eyes went wide. I shouldn’t have been a fool, those bombs I used at the ammo dumps were wasted.

Before me, the entire building was destroyed. All that remained was red hot metal beams, many warped and broken, but the framework was still there. But that was fine.

What was not fine was the Boomstick... It was still standing at the top. It could still be repaired by the time the Phalanx arrived tomorrow. I felt a deep pit in my stomach.

I had failed...