Pilot (4)

Lando carefully landed their Nephalem onto the unstable, ruined skyscraper. Hana nervously watched him, hoping that the structure wouldn't collapse beneath them. "Careful there, I prefer not to have a skyscraper collapse under us," she stated, her eyes darting around the area. Lando glanced back at her, his expression serious. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. I just want to scope out the place," he replied, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.

As they stepped out of the Nephalem, Lando's eyes were drawn to the bodies scattered around them. Vultures were picking up the bodies of their fallen comrades, their mournful cries echoing through the desolate landscape. Lando felt a twinge of sympathy for them, despite the fact that they were enemies. He knew all too well the pain of losing someone in battle.

Mara had warned them that The Vultures wouldn't simply allow them to walk in and investigate. As Lando surveyed the scene, he realised she was right. The Vultures were swarming around their dead, fiercely guarding them from outsiders. Lando knew that they would have to find a way to get past the guards if they wanted to learn more about the enemy's tactics.

Despite his respect for The Vultures' reverence for their dead, Lando knew that he and Hana had a mission to complete. They needed to gather intelligence and find a way to stop the enemy's relentless attacks. He took a deep breath and turned to Hana, his eyes focused.

Lando and Hana quickly made their way into their Nephalem, their hearts racing with adrenaline. As they strapped themselves in, Hana's hands were shaking slightly. She took a deep breath to steady herself, her eyes fixed on the display screen in front of her.

As soon as they were settled, Lando activated the communication system and pressed the brown button to contact Zander and Bale. "There's around 20 Vultures surrounding their dead, we need to loot those bodies for intel," he said urgently.

Bale's voice crackled through the speakers a few seconds later. "Okay. Gotcha. Zynkara and Mara should be there any second now." His voice was calm and steady, but Hana could hear the tension underlying his words.

Hana knew that looting the bodies of fallen Vultures was a risky move. The Vultures were notorious for their ruthlessness and would not hesitate to retaliate against anyone who dared to interfere with their operations. But they had no choice. They needed to gather as much information as they could about Renan Cosmos and The Vultures if they were going to have any chance of taking them down.

Lando's eyes darted back and forth as he surveyed the scene below through the Nephalem's monitors. The Vultures were swarming around their dead comrades like vultures themselves, their expressions grim and determined. Lando felt a grudging respect for them, even as he prepared to take them down.

The tension in the air was palpable as they waited for Zynkara and Mara to arrive. Hana's heart was pounding in her chest as she watched the Vultures below, her mind racing with different scenarios and contingencies. She knew that they were in a dangerous situation, but she trusted in her team and their abilities.

Finally, she saw movement on the other side of the building. Zynkara and Mara had arrived. The four of them exchanged a quick nod of acknowledgement, and then they sprang into action. They knew that they had to move quickly and efficiently if they were going to get in and out without being killed.

Zynkara and Mara's Nephalem soared into the air, its black horns and yellow and black stripes reminiscent of the extinct bumblebee. Lando had read about such creatures in books, along with other extinct animals like dogs, cats, and horses. But now, they were extinct, wiped out by some unknown force.

Zynkara deftly controlled the movements of the Nephalem, while Mara controlled its attacks. Her usually quiet demeanour was replaced by an intense excitement, her eyes glowing with a dark energy that seemed to emanate from her very soul.

As the Nephalem landed among the Vultures, its massive size crushing some of the bodies beneath it, blood spattered onto the sandy ground. The Vultures stared in shock as they raised their rifles and began firing. Some of them jumped into trucks and readied their rockets, determined to take down the intruders.

Mara's grin widened, her black-flamed eyes taking in the chaos around her. She pressed a button, and two deadly wolverine-like claws shot out from both of her arms. A Vulture charged at her Nephalem, but was met with the deadly claws that pierced his chest. Blood gushed out as the Vulture coughed up even more, then Mara swung her claws upwards, slicing the Vulture in two pieces, blood and intestines spilling out onto the sand.

Meanwhile, the Vultures in the trucks loaded their rockets and aimed them at the Nephalem. Lando and Hana quickly launched their Nephalem, and Hana activated the blaster, unleashing a barrage of shots at the trucks. One of them immediately exploded, the people inside screaming in terror as the flames consumed them.

Mara continued her assault, slicing through two more Vultures with ease, their bodies falling apart with a sickening squelch. One of them was still alive, writhing in agony on the ground. Bale and Zander's Nephalem launched over, its unique snake-skin color and bumpy surface catching the eye. Bale grinned wickedly, activating a purple blaster that popped up in the shape of a guitar. "Boom!" he snickered, unleashing a powerful beam that tore through five Vultures, their blood splattering across the sand.

Lando's blade shot out with a satisfying hum as he pressed the button, sinking it deep into a Vulture's chest. Blood dribbled down the blade rapidly as the Vulture's eyes widened in terror. He was still alive when a purple beam shot out, entering through the back of his head and blowing it up into small pieces.

As the battle raged on, the Vultures fought back fiercely, determined to protect their fallen comrades. But the intruders were just as determined, their own losses fueling their fury. The sound of screams, gunfire, and explosions echoed across the desolate landscape as the two sides clashed. In the end, only a handful of Vultures remained standing, their eyes filled with fear and desperation as they fled the scene.