Operation Phoenix: Turning Point Battle, Part 7

        by CyberPyro (cybrpyro@iac.net)

        "Let's get this over with," said Most Holy and he walked through the
revolving doors to the 801 Grand.  J-Rock followed quickly after him, 
everyone on his heels.  Most Holy jumped on the first step of the escalator
across from the door and turned around to address his comrades.
        "Well, anyone know where the *gauk*" started Most Holy before a shot
rang out, his left shoulder obscured by a cloud of blood.  CyberPyro moved
towards cover, but fell with a cry, blood spraying from his hip.
        "Shit!  *arrrrrr*" screamed J. FoxGlov as crossfire from another wyrm
minion punctured his abdomen.  He fell to his side, blood squirting out
between  his claws.  A large glass pane shattered, covering the lobby in
glittering fragments, as a bullet passed through the shadowy head of Samhain.
        J-Rock fired his ER PPC gun at the top of the escalator, lighting the
lobby up with burning shards of marble and glass, but missing the sniper.
Owsen shuddered as a bullet smashed into his armor but failed to pierce it.
        Captain Sandis popped out from his hiding place to put a bullet into
one of the wounded Jihaddi's skulls, but yelped in surprised as harsh, cold
claws sunk into his shoulders and spun him sharply around.  His face became a
pasty white as his gaze met the vampiric eyes of Admiral Morgenna.  Her right
claw closed around his throat, sealing his last breath in his lungs.  The
rifle clattered to the ground as its owner's arm snapped like a twig.
        Morgenna's free claw sunk into Sandis' shoulder and hooked into bone.
The Wyrm Minion's life disappeared in a loud, wet ripping noise his spine and
rib cage parting ways.
        Major Heins felt something behind her and turned to look.  She fired
into the shadows but they *laughed* at her.  She shrunk back as every hair
stood up on her body, red eyes glaring at her from the murk.  A shadowy
katana flashed, neatly cut her weapon in half.
        Heins scrambled backwards, horror eclipsing all reason: she couldn't
fight shadow, but it could fight her.  She couldn't hurt it, but its weapon
could slice metal.  Her brain's commands to voice a plea for mercy stopped
halfway down the neck: the spinal cord and everything else had been cut
through by a swipe of the shadow's weapon.
        "Dammit, leave me alone," snarled J. FoxGlov at Owsen who tried to
cast a healing spell on him.  "I'll be fine."
        "Sure, whatever.  Just bleed then," said Owsen.  "See if I care,
Admiral."
        "*sigh*"
        "That's what I thought."  Owsen cast his spell, repairing the damage,
but leaving a pink mark under J's fur where the bullet had pierced.
Cerberus healed CyberPyro and Windigo took care of Most Holy.
        "Well that sucked," complained CyberPyro as he started up the
escalators.  "Let's get to the top already; I'm sick of this."

...

        "Uh-oh," said J. FoxGlov as five of the eight elevators indicated
descending parties.
        "Stairs," said Samhain, motioning for everyone to follow him towards
the stairwell.  CyberPyro fell behind, covering their retreat.
        The elevators door popped open with a cheery chime, disgorging a
squad of Luv Soldiers singing the Dark Hymn.
        "I luv u...*GAK*!" exclaimed CyberPyro, shaking off the effects of
the Purple Cloud; it was stronger then he thought.  With a snarl, he fired a
full clip of plasma bolts at the approaching choraliers.  Twenty corpses hit
the floor with various amounts of 2nd and 3rd degree burns, the War Chant
frozen on their lips.
        The last Jihaddi walked through the door to the stairwell and started
climbing, leaving CyberPyro behind as more spongin emerged from the
elevators.

...

        "...We Luv you! ..." chanted the squads as they emerged from the
elevators in unison to attack those icky Jihaddi.  Their eyes grew wide as
the super-dee-duper unspecial one known as CyberPyro appeared in the corridor
with an XRifle[tm].
        The weapon's grenade launcher clicked and fired four time to rapid
succession as the Marked One dove to his left.

...

        The stairwell shook sharply for a couple of seconds, causing the
Jihaddi to grab the railings for support.  Explosions reverberated off of the
walls as the fire alarms went off, shrieking and flashing in the darkness.
        "Jeezuz!  What the schneck did he do?!?" asked J-Rock as he covered
his ears.  The Jihaddi started up the stairs again, passing 5th floor as
someone pounded up the stairs behind them.
        "Nice to see you again, it is" said Windigo as CP rounded the last
turn onto their landing.
        "Up the stairs.  Fast.  The entire first floor will be burning soon."
        "What did you do?" asked J-Rock.
        "High explosive, incinderary grenades.  Let's go."
        "And how are we s'posed to get down?!?" asked Most Holy.
        "It doesn't matter if we can't get rid of this Purple Cloud.  I
almost spongified back there because of it.  Let's move."
        "He's right, let's go!" said Owsen as he lead the charge up the
stairs.

...

        Owsen's charge up 15 floors came to a sharp halt as entrenched Wyrm
Minions opened fire from the next floor up, pinning the Jihaddi down.  Four
floors below them, a door slammed open as more minions poured out onto the
stairwell.
        "This sucks," said J-Rock as he returned fire towards the top of the
staircase.  Windigo chuckled softly as her spell grew long, sharp spikes from
the landing behind the Jihaddi.
        "You just cut off our escape route," said a disbelieving Morgenna.
CyberPyro smiled in recognition of Windigo's intentions, understanding her.
He muttered his spell, and let it fly forth.
        The entrenched Wyrm Minion above the Jihaddi yelped as the floor of
their fortification turned to mud, dropping them down two stories.  Blood
mixed with mud as the minions impaled themselves on Windigo's spikes, resting
an inch or two above the mud-covered floor.
        Cerberus snapped his fingers and the landing reappeared above them
in a flash of white light.  Owsen stood below, as the other Jihaddi pounded 
up the stairs, grinding sulfur and other components together in one hand.
        When the Luv Soldiers reached the landing below him, he threw the
spell stuff at the ground and sprinted up the stairs.  Seconds later, the
spongies screamed in agony as the incinderary cloud ate away their flesh
before their own eyes.
        "Almost there, we are," said Windigo.  The wall beside her exploded
inwards, covering all with marble dust, as a dark, forbidding form pounced on
Windigo and drug her down the stairs to the landing below.
        Windigo's howls pierced the ears of everyone present.

                                                                        CP

Copyright, Pyrokinetic Productions, Inc. (1996)