A few of the Red Team soldiers hanging back from the melee unfolding around the Blue Team spawn pivoted to fire on the silhouette of Thebes as he broke through their line. He zig zagged through the urban hellscape, taking a couple of hits but continuing on at top speed.  The Marines were all committed to extracting the enemy flag, but the corporal closest to the rearguard ordered a few soldiers to follow her after the Sacred Band leader.

“Copy.” Athena confirmed, emerging from behind the car she’d been sheltering behind. She shouldered her railgun; it shortened in her hands to increase maneuverability at shorter range. Carthage dropped her shield and broke into a run when she spotted Athena looking at her, but she couldn’t prevent the sniper from putting a round right through her. Athena took multiple hits from Saddam before he hid from Vreta’s DMR. Unfortunately, this was enough to allow the last marine on the ground floor to pop up and finish her shields and kill her off.

Fire from the drop troops taking up positions around the spawn forced them back into cover, but more Blue Team fighters began shooting down from the top accessible floor; they must have concluded their firefight up there.

Carthage’s last grenade went off among a cluster of the troopers, spraying masonry everywhere.

“Red Team flag dropped.” The announcer intoned. The Marine chatter at the other end of the arena reached a crescendo.

“She was mine!” Carthage yelled groggily, as Carthage floated away. He staggered through the field, energy bouncing off his shield. “THEBES!” He bellowed, levelling his hammer at the operator when he spotted Thebes advancing towards them.