The flier stopped moving and crunched back onto the floor debris. Athena put another round through the top of the vehicle, but still no one floated out. “Where are they?” She muttered.

“Taking heavy fire!” Knossos reported, crouching behind a street lamp with his shield flaring. Athena could see half a dozen members of the opposite team were staying back and popping up to shoot a few bolts before taking cover. The rest were creeping forward. “Ok, we’re in position! Suppressing fire!” A marine sergeant yelled, peeking out from behind a street food stall counter just as someone peppered him with energy rounds from a gap underneath the downed flier.

[hr]
Carthage moved quickly through the dimly lit corridor, flanked by marines. She kept her shotgun raised and low light vision enabled. Some of the marines who weren’t augmented opted for using torches. The beams fingered shadows gathering all around them and glistened off rivulets of water streaming down the walls. The explosions, energy fire and mag-acceleration from outside sounded muffled and distant. Carthage focused on her slow, even breathing as they advanced.

They emerged from the corridor into a modest reception area. A concierge desk and a pile of military hardware boxes sat opposite a set of heavy double doors. Another fire door presumably led to the other wing of the building. Carthage silently indicated they spread out, as much as they could, and move to that door.

They were halfway across the lobby when she motioned for them to stop again. She felt something. The operator checked her motion sensor; the enemy was through that door, but one object in particular was heading straight for them. Carthage listened hard, peeling back layers of sound until she heard a *crash* and then *thud thud thud thud*. She could recognize those footsteps anywhere. 

“Open fi-” She had time to yell before Kjartan exploded through the wall opposite them in a shower of masonry. “I’LL STRIP YOUR FLESH, WHORE!” He roared, swinging his hammer in a wide arc that covered practically the whole room as energy rounds erupted from every angle.