The Gates Fall

Alan runs forward and digs into his front pocket, extricating a silver cylinder. He pushes a button at one end and tosses it over the gate. It bounces off of the head of one of the abominations, it takes no notice of it or Allan, it only has eyes for Solace. A few seconds pass with no change, then the wind picks up unnaturally, from the midsts of the abominations a dark cloud rises and spreads over them. The cloud clicks and buzzes as it surrounds the heads of every monster, slowly they take notice. Hissing and swatting at the cloud with deformed hands they seem to lose sight of Solace.

“Nanites,” Alan says making his way back to Solace. “Those things seem to be able to pinpoint your sent, as long as that cloud surrounds them, they will not be able to find you.

Solace pats his friend on the back, but even as he does this the abominations change their tactics. As one, they all lift their left hands up to the tops of their heads and grab at the loose skin. Slowly they readjust their mailable faces, pulling far enough to align their eyelids with astounding orbs of purple where eyes should be. A horrible smile creeps onto every malformed and ill fitting face, all of which now try to locate solace again. With their free hands, the abomination close enough to the gate grab it and force it away from the fence.

Tony Jones, with the battle cry of giants, runs at the first of many abominations and bashes its chest with his forehead. The effect is minuscule, it may have only agitated them more and put a crick in Jones’ neck. The one he hit, and the one behind it both reach down and take hold of him. Their grip is monstrous. Jones throws his head back and howls in agony as his left forearm snaps. Without having another choice he shoots both in the head and before either one hits the ground, he is already running for cover.

Alan taps the frames of his spectacles and begins to push and move holographic images that only he can see. Another silver cylinder, now held sideways in his mouth, glows different colors on either end. He mumbles inaudibly to himself while Edgar walks in front of him to stand guard.

No more than six abominations cross into Kal before half of its army turns tail and runs. A few bang on the door and windows of the nearest house with no luck, its occupants to scared to help. But every one of the destroyers stand his or her ground. Kicking and beating any abomination that comes to close. To Solace’s immense joy, he sees that the guards on watch the night Teller died are among the few Kal citizens still fighting the abominations. David, the guard who let solace and Nancy into Kal, fights strongly alongside Andy.

“Solace move!” Jacob yanks him away just in time for the bullet to whiz with in an inch of his face.

Casanova pulls back the bolt as he follows Solace and Jacob through the scope. He fires again but the bullet penetrates an unlucky guard running to help a group of destroyers. Gloria whacks him on the shoulder in frustration making him miss again, this time taking out an abomination.

“Crétin, look before you shoot.” She screeches at him. “You have killed one of my dogs!”

“They grow back, and lay a hand on me again…”

“Is there a problem boy?” Endre puts a heavy hand on Casanova’s shoulder.

“Hands off gimp.” Cas says looking for solace.

The abominations are in a frenzy, biting and scratching at anything that comes with in their one handed grasp. This distraction allows Solace and Jacob to sneak up to the roof of one home. Jones, now unable to hold a gun steady from the pain, throws a rifle up to Jacob before falling to the ground and cradling his broken limb.

“I’ll get him.” He says in a rough voice and takes aim. “Why do these lenses have fucking caps on them.”

“No don’t!” Solace yells as Jacob removes the glare filter from the scope.

Casanova shoots. Jacob groans, drops the rifle and rolls off of the roof. Solace scrambles to the edge to find his friend sprawled face down on top of Jones. Neither is moving, Solace can hear labored breathing but doesn’t know from which.

“You son of a bitch!” Solace screams. He stands fully, picking up the rifle as he does, and blindly fires round after round in the direction of the traitor. All the while Casanova’s bullets whiz by him.

One bullet grazes Solace’s still injured knee, but he doesn’t relent. When he runs out of bullets, he throws the rifle towards Casanova, it barely makes it to the fence twenty feet away. Now unarmed Solace runs towards the edge of he roof and jumps across the gap to the next home.

Down below, Andy is dragged to the floor by an abomination. It slops slobber onto his face as it tries to bite into his with yellow teeth. Its mesmerizing purple orbs locked in a psychotic gaze with Andy’s terrified bloodshot eyes. With in them he can see teller waving, smiling down at him. Her shadow falls over him. He looks up and away from the abomination to find Teller actually looking down at him. “What?”

“Focus,” She says and adds matter-of-factly. “Lock your legs around it, throw your arm out to the side and snap its neck.”

He follows her direction, stands and looks over to her. But before he can get a word in, she spins him around and directs him towards a Destroyer in the same situation. Andy runs flat out and kicks the abomination squarely on the top of the head, forcing its spine into its brain. Teller calls to him a few yards away, she is standing next to Vera who is back to back with another Destroyer woman, both fighting off two abominations each. Using this new information, Andy jumps on the nearest car, runs across the top and launches himself into an amazing aerial maneuver. As he flips over the two attacking Vera he wraps an arm around each ones neck, drags them into his fall, and lands in a sitting position. This torques the neck of the abominations far enough back to sever the skulls from the spine.

Elated Andy looks around for Teller, but she is nowhere to be seen. “Where did she go?” he asks Vera after she and the Destroyer snap the necks of the remaining abominations.

“Where did who go?” Vera looks around him and without answering attacks another abomination.

“Teller! Teller, where are you?” Andy calls out madly, pushing any and everyone out of his way.

A long way across the battlefield Andy sees a woman waving her hands, a smile breaks across his face as he runs towards Teller. Only the closer he gets the clearer it becomes that this isn’t her. Its a Destroyer flagging down Doc Fin. A young boy, no more than thirteen lies on the floor, blood gushing out of his neck. Andy stops and stares, grief filling his chest. The tears don’t have a chance to fall before many deformed bodies crash into him. He, again dragged to the ground, no longer fights back.