chapter 10

Allen slapped a new magazine into his rifle. The battle for Klagos had become a stalemate. The city had extensive underground metro networks, which the ROM Army had been using to set up forward outposts and send troops and supplies through. Indigo company was attached to a UEN Army unit sent to assault ROM positions inside the biggest metro station in the entire underground system.

Rounds whizzed past Allen's position of cover behind a pillar. The enemy was fighting tooth and nail to keep this section of the metro, and weren't going to let it go without a fight. He peeked from cover and aimed his rifle at a spot he was taking fire from, waiting for his enemy to pop out. As soon as he did, Allen let a three round burst from his weapon. His aim was true, as all three rounds impacted his target. Two center mass, one in the throat. His enemy dropped dead on the ground. Human, he assumed, as red blood pooled from the corpse. Once more, Allen was secretly glad that power armor conceals all characteristics of the wearer.

He pressed a finger to the left side of his helmet, activating the radio to speak with his sergeant major over the roar of gunfire.

"Sergeant Major Dusty!" he yells. "Hostiles are dug in over here at F-13 station! We're having a hell of a time! Any chance of backup? Over!"

A moment passes. The other end of his radio flares, the sound of gunfire present there as well. "Copy that Lance Corporal! We can spare a few guys but it'll take them a bit to hoof it over to you! Stand by and try not to get shot! Out!"

Allen switches the radio off. It was better than nothing. He fires another burst at an enemy position down the corridor, keeping them in cover. He reaches to a pouch on his waist, pulling a flashbang grenade and pulls the pin. He holds it for several seconds and chucks it over to his enemy's position and quickly ducks back behind his cover. A loud boom and a bright flash fills the corridor for a split second, overloading the visors and audio receptors in the helmets of anyone near the grenade. Allen quickly moves from cover and rushes down the hall, opening fire on the UEN troopers as they struggle to reorient themselves.

Several drop dead from Allen's hail of bullets. One, seemingly not as effected as the rest, rushes at Allen, using the speed granted by his power armor to close the distance before he can adjust his aim. The ROM soldier rams into him, knocking them both down and delivers a strong punch to Allen's helmet. The blow is strong enough to crack his visor, causing a slight distortion in his HUD. He wrestles allen's rifle away from him and tosses it back out of reach, and throws another punch. Allen moves his head to the right, narrowly dodging the blow as his assailants fist slams into the concrete floor, cracking it severely.

He knees his attacker in the stomach, a loud 'clang' reverberating down the corridor from the metal on metal contact. This releases his enemy's grip just enough for him to flip his attacker of him to the side. He quickly pulls a large combat knife from the sheath on his thigh and gets on top of the ROM trooper and brings it down, but the enemy soldier catches his wrist. Allen pushes both his hands on the grip, attempting to force the blade down into the unprotected neck of his rival, who in turn is attempting desperately to hold it back.

Allen uses his position to his advantage. He shifts his weight forward, using both the strength augmented by his armor and its weight to force the knife down. It slides into his enemy's throat. His resistance falters as soon as it enters, allowing Allen to force the entire blade in. He pulls the knife from his enemy, grabs him by the helmet and twists violently. A loud 'crack!' can be heard, and he struggles no more.

Allen slowly gets up, breathing heavily from the ordeal, feeling a bead of sweat go down his forehead as He walks over and picks up his rifle. He reaches up and pulls his helmet off to examine the damage, seeing a large crack on the left side of the visor.

'Damn it! They're gonna dock my pay for that!'

He hears a cacophony of armored boots rushing down the corridor behind him. He quickly does an about-face, prepared to fire, only to see several UEN Army troopers. Reinforcements had finally gotten there.

"Well...you guys took your time."