[dcs_p]Firing into the shuddering armor, whose operating systems were suffering
extreme electrical interference from the damage sustained, Ryan sought to
render it’s chameleon effect nonoperational. It was now relatively destroyed, but
he needed to be able to make out the markings on the suit. Targeting the chest
section, he fired another clip into a concentrated area in several blasts.
The suit soon bore another hole, and this time its cloaking device failed
completely. Ryan could make out the suit design and other damage it had
sustained. It was marked with the Denouncement Sect insignia on its left
shoulder, an unmistakable Comstar sword dripping blood into a pool of water.
Through his seething anger and sudden revelation, Ryan spat onto his dying
enemy.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Before he could continue towards the barracks, automatic gunfire burst out in the
distance. Ryan guessed he was under attack. Spinning onto his left side, he
dropped down to the ground and tried firing towards the sound. He’d forgotten
his fresh clip had already been used up.
He only had one left.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Instead of reloading, he crawled forward to shield himself behind the destroyed
Purifier suit. The flicker of a defective light overhead put a gloomy haze over his
field of vision. It had apparently been damaged in his battle with the Purifier.
Ryan finally put in his last clip as he decided what to do next.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Just as he got himself off the ground and into a crouch, he could see a fellow
command company teammate running from yet another unseen attacker. He
watched in pain as Andrew Allen sprinted alongside one of the other nearby
buildings, all the time firing bullets madly behind him. The young Mechwarrior
seemed to have no idea how to ward off his attackers, and the Blakists must
have decided that playing cat and mouse with him would be fun.
Sons of bitches.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Ryan’s lips curled back as he took aim on the area behind the young man, firing
out several shells in the hope of catching the enemy’s attention. But none of the
shells connected. He had no way to tell exactly where the trooper might be.
Follow on foot. Ryan was reminded of the fourth rule in Mark Pike’s training
seminar on catching a superior infantry foe off-guard. He bound into a run,
feeling his left knee crack inside as he took longer and longer strides towards his
retreating teammate and the invisible assailant. He did not fire. He had no
intention of hitting his friend or wasting any shells at this point.
Faster. Faster, you idiot.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Andrew Allen was running for his life. He couldn’t believe Jim Davis had just been
shot hundreds of times. The command company’s assault lance pilot had been
with Andrew shortly after the two met while exiting their buildings during the
emergency alarm several minutes ago.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The deadly barrage of gunfire had come from somewhere in the darkness. It
was an ambush that had robbed the older man of everything and left Andrew
untouched. Andrew had simply fled the scene, trying to get as far away as
possible. He was still wondering why he was alive, continuing to fire blindly at the
phantom chasing behind him. He could only hear the machine’s feet crunching on
the dry summer soil some distance behind him.[/dcs_p]