The wind tugged at their suits while the roof of the building below them creaked and cracked. Metal pieces fell into the abyss, and sparks from torn pipes flew through the air. Kael felt an adrenaline rush when Zara nearly fell into a crevice.
"Hold on!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her to safety.
Zara rolled over and turned to face him, smiling. "I only fell to impress you."
Meanwhile, Rex jumped over the gap in the roof and pulled up Taro, who was barely keeping his balance. "The roof won't hold much longer!"
Lira slid along the edge and pointed toward a distant platform. "Over there, on the right. If we can get there, we have a chance to turn the tables."
"We don't have time to plan." Taro adjusted the cables from the emergency panel. "If we fall now, it's game over. This isn't plan A or B; it's plan Z."
Plasma from Rex's weapon cut through the air as another group of enemies jumped out from behind the cracks in the roof. Kael moved to the side and fired a burst from his pulsar rifle, hitting two opponents climbing on a crate.
Zara jumped from fragment to fragment, pistols in both hands. Every shot hit its mark, her laughter mingling with the roar of explosions. "Who said the roof wasn't suitable for a fight scene?"
Taro pointed to a narrow gap in the ventilation panel. "The passage is small, but I can open it. Quickly."
Kael looked at the group. "Lira, secure the flank. Rex, cover Taro. Zara, you go first."
"Of course." Zara somersaulted through the air and landed on the edge of the opposite platform.
The enormous silhouette that burst through the door in the previous chapter reappeared. Moving unnaturally fast, it loomed large and silent, its red eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun.
"What the hell is that?" Rex asked, aiming his rifle at it. The shots bounced off its metal surface.
"I don't know, but we have to move." Kael hissed, leading the group through the gap. The roof creaked under their feet, and dust swirled in the air.
Taro unplugged the cables and connected the panel to the elevator's emergency system. "This should work, but we have five seconds max."
Five seconds for life or death. Zara fired a burst at the enemies appearing in her path. "I feel like I'm in VR, only without respawning."
Kael grabbed Lina by the arm. "Down and forward! Now!"
The elevator creaked as it activated the emergency system. The chasm below seemed even larger, and the enemy's silhouette moved across the roof as if the metal fragments were air.
"Can someone please tell me that this is normal?" Rex covered the rear of the group.
"No time to talk!" Kael shouted. "We're going down and hoping for the best."
The elevator creaked as it began to descend rapidly into the darkness of the shaft. Kael felt a mixture of adrenaline and fear; every vibration of metal beneath his feet felt like a warning. Hundreds of meters below them was an abyss, and sparks from frayed wires bounced off the walls, creating grotesque red shadows.
"Hold on tight!" Kael shouted, pushing Zara toward the emergency panel.
Zara stumbled onto the elevator's metal step and immediately stood up, firing a burst from her pistols. "There's nothing I can't burn!" The shots hit floating pieces of metal that could have fallen straight on top of them.
Rex moved closer to Taro, shielding the young technician as he fixed the cables. "Hold the line!" Kael jumped up and grabbed the protruding elevator handle to keep from flying sideways.
"Five seconds, and we're screwed if something goes wrong!" Taro shouted as he repaired the damaged control module.
Lira moved along the shaft wall, using hooks for safety. "The roof above us is completely destroyed. If this elevator doesn't make it, we're all going down."
Zara rolled over again, landed on a protruding fragment, and immediately fired at an opponent trying to jump out from behind cover. "Who said life is a simulation?!"
Kael turned and noticed a silhouette above them. It moved extremely quickly, jumping from pipe to pipe and watching them from above. It was huge and unnaturally slender, its eyes glowing red and reflecting the sparks from the floor.
"What the hell is that?" Rex whispered, firing at it. His bullets bounced off its metal armor like stones off a wall.
"There's no time to think!" Kael yanked Lina and jumped over the gap in the elevator floor. "We have to get down!"
The elevator finally reached the mezzanine landing. Taro pulled the emergency lever, opening the doors to the hallway. Wind hit their faces, blowing up dust and metal debris.
Zara rushed into the hallway first and immediately opened fire on the enemies. "No problem if someone's chasing me!"
Rex and Kael covered the rear of the group, and Lira pulled herself up the pipes and disabled several laser traps. "We can't stay in one place," she shouted.
Taro ran to the panel and began manipulating the old power grid to try to cut off the attackers. "Give me a minute, or we'll all end up part of the structure!"
A group of enemies jumped out from around the corner, but Kael was faster. A series of pulsars cut through the air, and three bodies fell onto the metal platform.
Without stopping firing, Zara rolled in the air onto the pipes, landed on the other side, and fired more shots. "Did anyone see me make an impression?"
The figure above them watched their every move, slowly approaching, almost imperceptibly. Its movements were fluid yet unnatural, as if it were made of metal and air.
"Someone tell me this isn't the worst day of my life!" Rex shouted, covering the rear of the group.
"There's no time to rest!" Kael replied, leading the team toward another hole in the roof. "We keep going, or we won't get out of here alive!"
Plasma and sparks bounced off the metal walls as the team jumped over more fragments. The silhouette above them watched their every move, giving them no respite.
Suddenly, the figure above them moved as if the entire space were its own playground. Kael felt a chill when the huge body jumped over the hole in the roof and approached them directly.
"Stay close!" Kael shouted, pushing Zara toward the next piece of metal, still holding their weight.
Zara stumbled, but she immediately got back up and fired a burst at the figure. Her bullets bounced off its metal armor like stones off a wall.
Rex moved forward, covering Taro, who was repairing the damaged emergency elevator panel. "If that bastard catches us, there won't be a piece of metal left!"
Lira climbed up the pipes on the wall, disabling the last laser traps. "We only have one chance. We have to jump to the other platform and find a way down!"
Kael looked down into the darkness of the shaft and felt a knot in his stomach. "We don't have time to hesitate. Zara, you go first."
"Of course." Zara somersaulted through the air, landed on the protruding platform, and immediately fired at the enemies. "I hope no one has weak nerves!"
The figure moved faster than they could have expected. Her movements were so fluid that she seemed to float above the metal fragments. Kael fired a burst from his pulsar rifle, but the bullets bounced off her body.
"We can't stop her!" Rex shouted as another wave of enemies jumped out from behind the cracks.
"We have to run!" Kael yanked Lina and moved along the platform, leading the group toward another section of the roof that hadn't completely collapsed yet.
Zara jumped over the gap, firing into the air, and landed on the edge. "Someone should tell me I'm a genius in chaos!"
Taro leaned back, connecting the cable to the emergency panel. "Give me a second, and I'll open a passage down!"
Lira moved along the pipes, watching the silhouette that was beginning to follow their movements closer and closer. "We don't have a second! We have to act immediately!"
Kael nodded and threw everyone onto the next platform. The elevator, which had previously been their only salvation, was descending lower and lower, and the chasm below them seemed to be deepening.
Zara did a forward roll in the air and landed, shooting at a group of enemies trying to cut her off. "This is fun, not a fight!"
The outline was coming into view, its steps heavy, metallic, and unnatural. Kael felt like every move could be his last.
"Just a few more meters!" Kael shouted, leading the team to the last platform before the roof collapsed completely.
Metal creaked under their feet, sparks flew into the air, and the figure prepared to leap, closing off their escape route.
Zara shot into the air, deflecting the projectiles, and landed on the other side. "Hopefully someone will remember me!"
Rex moved behind her, covering the group, and Kael pushed Taro toward the elevator. "Let's go, there's no other option!"
The outline of the creature was visible above the edge, its eyes red in the bright light. Kael knew one thing: if they didn't make it down and away, there'd be no second chance.