The First: EVO Uprising (59 page)

The monster, still gripping his sword, crashed landed yards from where the village ended and the beach began.

Jiang Shi coming her senses after the Regulators’ startling entrance shot up into the air via a column of flames in an attempt to turn them and the village to ash.

“
You shall all…” she began her catchphrase while channeling flames through her hands.

“
Jiang Shi!” screamed Merge getting her attention.

Standing in the open top hatch of the Warthog, she injected herself with a syringe filled with Oliver’s blood. In an instant her skin color changed to match Oliver’s, while her hair turned into a frizzy afro. Her eyes blazed white as she focused channeling an electrical charge propelling herself from the top of the vehicle toward the fire witch.  

Jiang Shi shaken rocketed higher into the sky to get some distance between her and an enraged Rosann now locked on her with a bloodhound mentality.

The skies became blazed with fire and lightning over the island as a vengeance seeking Merge picked up where Blitz left off.

“
All right girls,” ordered Erica, “time to get to work.”

Additional parts of the Warthog opened jettisoning the android sisters. Angie and Jennifer landed on the Warthog, while Maxine brandishing two automatic plasma rifles touched down before the frightened villagers.

“
Ladies and Gentlemen, if you will please follow me,” she instructed, “we are going to the far side of the island until the fighting is done.”

Everyone was still too frightened to make a move until Kimberly found courage to step up and speak.

“
Come on people!” she yelled, “we have to follow the lady robot!”

“
The correct term is android,” Maxine corrected, “but, yes, please follow me.”

“
What is everyone waiting for?” Earl howled also helping to lead. “Let’s move people! Move it! Grab smaller children and help the older people! Let’s go!”

Merge strafed across the skies evading Jiang Shi’s flame attacks. The flame witch became erratic unleashing volleys and streams of intense plasma heat trying to turn her to cinder. Even with half of Blitz’s power levels, her speed outmatched the fire witch’s accuracy. Rosann was purposely frustrating her, patiently waiting for her to make a mistake.  

Spotting an opening,  she darted by striking her across the face spinning her around in midair. It was like pulling a pin out of a grenade as she screamed in rage turning the sky red as she created a fire storm. All of the villagers running to safety with Maxine leading them, looked up into the sky in fear of hell blazing above them.

“
Think we should give Merge some help?” Lady Tech asked as she drove the Warthog.

“
My sister’s got this,” Heavy Element answered. “Let’s just worry about mowing down that big ugly son of a bitch.”

Jiang Shi halted her flaming rampage to see if Rosann’s chard body had fallen from the sky. What she received instead was a roaring Merge bursting through her flames slamming right into her. The strike was so fast and hard, it sent them flying half a mile off from the island. The fire witch unable to recover from the blow, plummeted into the Pacific Ocean back first. Rosann released Oliver’s power while straightening her body into a diving position. Before she hit the water, she rubbed two of her fingers across the bottom bone slab on her wrist band.

A gagging Jiang Shi swam back to the top and frantically looked around. She was in an element that rendered her abilities useless. She prepared to swim back, when Rosann rising from the water pounced on her.

Jiang Shi screeched as Merge taking the form of a human hybrid sea otter sank her razor sharp claws into her arms forcing her back first into the deep dark depths of the ocean. The fire witch struggled to break free, but Merge’s sea otter DNA granted her superhuman strength and greater lung capacity. She watched the life fade out of her as her lungs filled up with water. Her vengeance almost fulfilled, Oliver’s words from when they spoke in the hallway echoed in her mind.

Rosann reluctantly shot back up to the top with her breaking through the ocean surface where the early morning sun beamed down on them. Jiang Shi weakly hacked up the water she took in and groaned as Merge locked her in a one arm under chin headlock. She used her powerful legs to swim back to shore with her.

Back at the island, her teammates continued their full on assault of the Draugr.

“
Full throttle,” ordered Rogers. “We have to keep that bastard on the beach.”

“
Yes, sir,” Lady Tech acknowledged.

She gunned the high tech assault tank tearing through the village while tracking the Draugr’s trajectory trail to pinpoint where he landed. It was not too hard to find him, the man beast charged straight at them with thoughts of slaughter in his eyes.

“
Dennison’s gonna kill me for tearing up her island.” Erica gritted her teeth. “Time to let it fly, Angie!”

“
Yes, ma’am!” the bubbly android acknowledged.

She locked her tripod feet into sections of the tank to stabilizer herself as a compartment in the Warthog opened in front of her pushing up two gargantuan rifles that were half the size of her body. Her sister armed up as well as her back opened up once against allowing her to connect and pull out her swords.

Angie grinned, raising one of her hand cannons as her targeting system locked onto the Draugr. She pulled the trigger causing the gun to make a humming sound before discharging an energy projectile round striking him on the right side of his helmet.

The heat and impact forced his head to turn and buckle while causing superficial damage to his helmet. It did not stop him from charging; it instead motivated him to increase his speed.

Angie adjusted her stance, raising both her guns opening fire unleashing one round after another from both barrels. Majority of them found their mark knocking the big man around, but it did not stop him from coming.

Lady Tech answered his challenge pushing the accelerator; gunning the Warthog straight for him.

“
What the hell are you doing?” yelled Abe.

“
Este hijo de puta quiere jugar pollo conmigo?” she snarled. “Then let’s go.”

Rogers and Adrian glanced at each other. Heavy Element transformed to metal form while Abe braced himself.

“
Get ready girls!” Erica screamed.

Jennifer and Angie simultaneously coiled their legs waiting for the point of impact. The Draugr launched his massive half-ton frame into the air. His intention was clearly to cut the Warthog wide open.

Angie and Jennifer leaped the same time he went airborne, but in opposite directions, away from him and the vehicle.

“
Time to get FUBARed,” Lady Tech sneered.

Upon her command, various compartments of the Warthog opened up revealing various anti-air missiles. She unleashed them all at the Draugr who had no time to cover up. The series of explosions consumed him, the vehicle, and anything within range of the blast. A roaring Draugr still with a grip on his sword was once again hurled like a meteorite back onto the beach. The Warthog battered and smoking with cosmetic damage survived the explosion.

“
You guys alright?” exhaled Erica.

“
Oh, yeah,” nodded Adrian. “I feel like I just came out of a Michael Bay movie, but I’m good.”

“
Go get him girls,” Lady Tech commanded.

Angie and Jennifer bolted going into full combat mode hunting the Draugr. The near unstoppable goliath rose to his feet again wafting with smoke. His wounds also superficial, healed instantaneously as his armor told the tale of the hell he endured. White smoke blew from the vents in his helmet as he turned to begin mortal combat anew. He would not have to wait for it as Angie tearing down the beach kicking up sand fired salvos of plasma rounds hitting vital parts of his body that should have proven fatal. He weathered the storm of barrages and broke into a run for another game of chicken between himself and the cannon toting android.

During his berserker charge, he could not see Jennifer hidden as she ran behind her sister. With their battle plan synced, Angie hit the brakes sliding across the sand while firing two rounds kneecapping the behemoth in his left leg. As he crashed and burned face first into the sand, Jennifer using her sister’s back as a springboard propelled herself into the air, and came down sinking both her dark metal forged swords into his back. He roared furiously fighting to stand on his good knee while his bad one healed. Jennifer still on his back, set up to attempt a decapitation, but the big man tumble rolled forward forcing her to leap off his back so she would not be crushed.

The rear hatch to the Warthog opened up allowing Heavy Element and a rifle toting Rogers to exit the vehicle.

“
I’ll be with you guys in a minute once I suit up,” radioed Erica.

“
Roger that,” answered Abe before turning to Adrian. “Let’s go have some fun.”

The two broke into a sprint heading toward the Draugr and battle.

“
Sir,” asked Heavy Element running side by side with him, “ever play ball in school?”

“
Call me Sarge,” returned Abe. “Center field in high school and QB in college and Marine Corps. I assume this has to do with a plan.”

“
Yeah,” he nodded, “it’s called a fastball special.”

“
Never heard of it.” Rogers shook his head.

“
Stop, and I’ll show you.” Adrian halted several yards from the battle.

The Sarge stopped as well wondering what his metal teammate was up to.

“
Hold your hand out palm up,” Heavy Element instructed. “Bring your arm down lower.”

Adrian holding onto the Rogers’ shoulder hopped with both feet into the palm of his hand.

“
I take it that I just aim and throw,” confirmed Rogers.

“
That’s the plan.” Adrian stooped down readying himself.

“
You sure about this?” asked Abe.

“
No,” Heavy Element shook his head, “but let’s do this anyway.”

The Sarge took a Colin Kaepernick stance, and hurled him with the force of a patriot missile at the Draugr. The mad Viking finally got the upper hand on the android sisters destroying one of Angie’s guns with a slice of his sword. The internal power source detonated in her hand badly damaging it while knocking her to the sand. The Draugr pounced on her before she could recover driving a boot into her chest. The softness of the sand and her extra dense form was the only thing that kept him from breaking her like an egg.

He raised his sword to drive it through her skull just as Jennifer rushed to attempt to save her sister.

Adrian got there first with a roaring thunderous right caving in the side of his helmet. It also turned slightly inhibiting his vision. He landed tumbling rolling on the sand.

Jennifer dashed behind him letting both her swords fly as she sliced the back of his left leg and calf open. He roared again in pain and frustration as he stumbled forward giving Angie the opening to roll out of the way.

 
Everyone scattered from the vicinity of the Draugr as a now-airborne Lady Tech in the S.A.M  armor powered up and fired an ion blast from her main chest cannon. It torn through the air hitting him dead center in the face and upper chest; the Draugr fell backwards sending sand spraying everywhere. Adrian on his feet waved away the stench of burning flesh emitting from him.

“
Well that was easy!” he yelled to his teammates.

Lady Tech touched down next to Rogers getting into a combat stance.

“
It’s not over,” she reported.

Insane cackling confirmed what her readings revealed. The Draugr sat up and rose to his feet as if the team did not lay a scratch on him. He grabbed his sword and ripped off his helmet tossing it away revealing the inhuman demonic insanity in his eyes.

Heavy Element rolled his eyes in disgust.

“
I am the Draugr, you cunts!” he howled raising his sword. “Satan’s champion and eternal enemy of God! You can not kill me!”

His sinister rant was answered with an high-powered plasma round to the face sending him reeling and roaring with pain. His mouth frothed over with saliva as his hand hovered over the now tender side of his face that was blistered from the scorching heat.

“
Give us a minute!” yelled back the Sarge brandishing the smoking  rifle. “We’ll think of something!”

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Back in Washington, Sophia’s initial plan of attack was not fairing too well. A recovered Peace had found her rhythm fighting back just as viciously as she was. She began to realize that this battle would not be as easy as their first one seven years ago.

Back then, Sophia overwhelmed her with sheer brute strength and speed. The skill she also displayed was just the icing on the cake.

Though she was fighting on par with her, Peace’s strength and speed were slightly higher than hers were, and she was a trained combatant forged from the pits of the D.E.A.D. project.