Phineas flinched when Eliza grabbed him, and softened as she kissed his lips. This one took him by surprise; there was no social subterfuge being made, no disguises being perpetuated. She had just kissed him. He was still slightly dumbfounded as she broke away and took off into the foliage, and it was several seconds before he realized she had taken the pistol. 

"Eliza, wait!" he called after, but she was already out of earshot. He rose to his feet quickly and took a step onto the beach, only to be quickly met with a blast of heat, light and noise, sending him staggering back into the reeds. He picked himself up; the explosion had come from the trees near the campsite.

"Eliza!" he yelled, and took off running across the sand. In front of him, the guard near the fire had started toward the explosion. The soldier in the aircraft stepped down the back ramp onto the sand, looking after his companion. Only a few moments later, when Phineas was several strides away, the second soldier looked up and noticed his assailant. He let out a yell and fired a shot with his rifle from the hip, but the bullet screamed over Phineas's shoulder. 

Before the soldier could take another shot, Phineas hit him hard, slamming him into the metal side of the hovercraft. He grabbed the rifle and pressed it against the soldier's throat, who recovered and struggled back desperately. The guard who had left the campsite now wheeled around and saw Phineas, raising his own rifle to his shoulder. Phineas shifted his hand down the rifle barrel to the stock and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the guard in the neck, and he collapsed, choking on his own blood. Phineas then rapidly pulled back from the second soldier, wrenching the rifle from his hands. Before he could react, Phineas brought the butt of the rifle down hard on his temple, and he fell limp to the ground with a crack. Phineas could not determine whether he was dead or unconscious.

Phineas lowered the rifle and looked around. The forest was burning in an oily conflagration, sending black plumes of smoke into the heavens. There was no movement besides the restless flutter of birds fleeing the inferno.

"Eliza?" he called, but he could see nothing. "Eliza!" He stepped over the guard and jogged to the treeline. The two guards who had been resting were now covered in blood, next flaming chunks of an oil canister. Phineas looked around wildly, but couldn't find his partner.