Mutters, stutters, cries and weeps were all Eliza could hear. Nihara and Václavos stood beside her. The two had their suits on, with Eliza barely seeing the hidden holsters beneath them. Their heads were on a swivel, and Eliza couldn't think straight... What just happened?!

'Elizabeth… I just woke up,' Synthia meekly remarked. 'What might be happening? I do hope this is important… I had a few million or so processes left to do!'

"Drone attack…" Eliza muttered. "You can do something about that, right!?"

'Sadly… Hacking is out of my area of expertise, and my programming does not allow me to do such activities,' Synthia digressed. 'Sorry…'

Eliza's eyes shifted around the metro car, seeing the abyss of space beside them on one side, whilst the bright white hull of the station was on the other.

"Well, is there anything you can do?" asked Eliza.

Synthia shook her head. 'Sadly not, I'm a tutor first and foremost, not a combat AI… I can control exospines if that can help?'

Not exactly the best thing right now, Eliza thought. "Sadly, no… Wait! Nihara, Václavos, you guys have exospines on, right?"

Nihara shook her head. "Our standard issue Clandestine exoskeletons were not brought over."

Václavos continued, "Yeah, don't worry, we're hardy and tough even without them! Exoskeletons only give us that oomph we need for the harder ops, but a hundred plus one is always larger than ten plus one if you get me."

"Ugh…" Eliza murmured under her breath. 'Alright, just stick close in your projection, alright?'

'Stick close? Of course, I will!' Synthia stated, before disappearing again into the uplink gem on Eliza's earring.

"Where the hell's Yuki?" Václavos muttered to himself, glancing around the metro car.

Two figures emerged from the sea of bodies. Nathan, carrying Yuki like a cat. "Uh... uh..." he stuttered, hands shaking. "Here?"

Václavos stepped forward, taking hold of Yuki. "Thanks, lad, I'll have her now." He held her like a cat as well, something that Yuki didn't seem all that fond of, based on how pissed she looked.

Nathan nodded. Eliza felt a tap on her shoulder. She twisted around, just when Nihara raised her pistol at the person. It was Chloé! She wore a white and gold dress, though the hem was tied up so she could run.

"WOAH?!" Chloé raised her hands up at the muzzle. Nihara maintained a neutral, pale face. "Hey... uh... Eliza?"

"Sorry…" Eliza pushed Nihara's muzzle down to the floor. More cries could be heard across the metro car. Some people were bleeding, being tended to by the Imperial Knights and Squires on board... Others had blood on them, their heads in their laps and hands - sobbing uncontrollably.

"Chloé... Where's Noah?!" Eliza asked.

Chloé shrugged, her green eyes shaking from anxiety. The mere sight of it gave Eliza a share of her anxiety, increasing tenfold with each passing second. "I don't know, I... I lost sight of Noah, but he should be alright."

Eliza nodded. Two people emerged from the crowd, the Marquis and Irya. Irya's eyes were watery, him coughing and wheezing for air.

"Fer-Charelota!" Eliza raised her voice in relief.

"Eliza... Good..." Fer-Charelota trailed off. A splat of blood covered the upper torso. Eliza pointed to it. "No... I'm fine. My brother survived a virus bomb to the face! I'm just as hardy as he is."

At the mention of brothers, Eliza was reminded of Kantos "Wait, where's Kantos?!" Eliza raised her voice, her head twisting around the metro car, across the dozens of Knights and chattering goers before landing on Irya.

Irya kept breathing heavily, shaking his head. "He... pushed me out of the way." His brooch was glowing weirdly...

"Oh… Fuck…" Eliza gripped her own hands, stopping them from shaking. She knew what Irya meant. They all did, and Eliza merely sighed… The metro car slowed to a halt at a station. The doors slammed open, with Imperial Knights outside - waiting for them.

"GET OUT! THERE'S BEEN A DISRUPTION ON THE METRO LINE!" One of the Knights shouted at them. Commotion immediately started amongst the passengers, as they slowly trickled out. "WE'LL WALK TO THE EVACUATION POINT ON FOOT."

What disruption!? Was there more trouble ahead? Nihara dragged Eliza out of the metro car, as the Marquis helped Irya forward. "Best to leave them to their duties," the Marquis said.

Václavos followed on, holding onto Yuki, before placing her down on the floor. "FINALLY!" she shouted, angrily grumbling. "Where's... Kazuki?!"

"I... don't know," answered Václavos. "Probably behind."

Yuki looked towards Eliza. She could only provide her with a shrug with an anxious look. Kazuki was safe, right? Did he hold them off? Did he escape?

What happened back there!? Did the drones overpower them? Were they chasing after them right now?! Eliza allowed herself to be consumed by fear and delusion.

No… Of course, Kazuki must have survived! He's armed and deadly, with Lady Antiar and Cyrus and the Knights by their side. They must have weathered the storm. Eliza determined herself to believe that because she held it to be true.

The Marquis let go of Irya, as he stood on his own. "I'll need to organise the evacuation further ahead, stay safe, Irya."

Irya slowly nodded, looking to the ground. The Marquis patted him on the shoulder, before rushing off into the crowd. By now, everyone was being escorted out from the metro.

Chatter broke out amongst the guards... No, something was very wrong. 'Synthia… this isn't good, right?' asked Eliza.

Synthia shook her head. 'Not exactly, can't say for certain.'

"Where's... my brother?" Yuki whispered to herself.

Nathan patted her on the back, as they were all escorted up a flight of stairs. "I'm sure he's fine! He's… he looks strong, alright?"

The Imperial Knights sped up the process, trying to shovel as many people up the stairs as shouts started to be thrown all around. Eliza turned back towards the metro car, feeling vibrations through the floor.

Something was coming...

"Václavos... Nihara... I... there's something behind us," she said. They turned around, just in time for the metro car to be punted backwards, thrown back into the tunnel and out of view.

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Her face went even paler.

Everyone turned to look at it, as a metal machine emerged from out of the tunnel. It was a robot... One of those large security Behemoths... People started running, as a stampede started... It charged up its beam and fired directly into the crowd.

Eliza saw the bright flashes of the beam, as a force shoved her out of the way. Everything went into a multitude of shades of black, white and innumerable colours.

She couldn't see... She couldn't see. "Huh?!"

Light… She looked up, as the stairs were covered in blood, boiling blood... Eliza felt like vomiting from the mere sight of it, having to hold her mouth close. The Knights fought back... Nihara had tackled her to the side, with Václavos holding onto both Yuki and Nathan.

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE! LET THE PROFESSIONALS DO THIS!" Václavos shouted at Nathan, causing the burgundy-haired boy to grab hold of Yuki, and run. They ran up through the boiling blood, as Yuki glanced down.

The rearguard of Squires rushed forward, standing no chance against it. They were bodied, bisected... And in person, Eliza saw guts and gore spread out on the floor.

She scrambled up, wanting to get away from it all. Nihara crouched up, firing her pistol as a secondary explosion ruptured across the room.

Another beam crossed the room, slamming into the wall next to Yuki and Nate! Eliza rushed forward, pushing the two out of the debris, but instantly felt dust and stone crush against her.

Ack! Ow…

Eliza felt something collapse onto her, jabbing into her. Rubble! She looked up, feeling the dust enter her lungs. She coughed... She couldn't move. She found herself trapped underneath heaps of slabs and ceiling.

Irrational rationality set in. She was going to die. That was the only conclusion that can be formed from this situation.

"Shit! Eliza?!" Yuki panicked even harder, rushing to her side. "Oh sorry! I should have…"

"Move!" Václavos shouted, waving for the two to flee. Nathan dragged Yuki along with her, even as she fought to stay near Eliza. "We'll handle her, alright!?"

"Don't you dare let her die!" Yuki screeched over, giving Eliza one last glance. Eliza smiled through the pain, easing Yuki's mind as she teared up, rushing away with Nathan.

It was the least Eliza could do for her.

Václavos rushed out onto the station floor, firing precise shots that took out small welding screws along the robot. Irya rushed towards Eliza, trying to pull pieces of debris from out above her. "SHIT!"

"Irya!" Eliza shouted. "Leave! I'll be fine!"

"Not without you!" Irya shouted, eyes filled with tears. "I owe Kazuki this much, I ain't leaving one of us behind!"

Explosions continued to rupture through the metro station, as a stray grenade landed near them. Eliza saw her life flash before her eyes. It went up in a puff of smoke, sending Irya back into the wall.

The thermal shockwave had burnt some of his hand, whilst fragmentation wounds littered his face.

Looking back at the fight, Eliza could see that it wasn't going well. Nihara was brawling up close, using her speed to batter the robot. Václavos, meanwhile, stood still.

He was aiming at the robot with a grenade launcher but kept his hand. Huh?! Why?! "VÁCLAVOS! SHOOT IT!" she shouted at him.

Václavos shook his head, taking cover behind a pillar as a pillbox opened up. "Nihara's too close! Danger fucking close!"

Plasma and bolts spewed out forth, scraping marble and colour off the walls.

He gritted his teeth. Another voice shouted down beside them, "Shoot your fucking shot!" It was Archius! He helped Irya up, injecting him with a healing stim.

Eliza shot a look towards the voice. Archius! He knelt down beside Irya, armed with a Pharm-Assist sending a stim-boost across the station to Václavos.

"Archius!" Eliza called for him.

"Just hold on!" he shouted at her. Irya slowly got back up, his blood clotting at a rapid rate that it seemed as if his wounds were reversing. "Alright... Václavos! Cover us! We'll get Eliza out of her."

"I... I can't!"

Archius scowled, dropping any facades or pretences of friendliness. "The fuck you mean you can't?! Aim and pull the trigger! Remember what you told me! You'll do it!"

"I..." Václavos trailed off. Eliza shook her head at Archius, this was downright tormenting him! Nihara was within the blast radius, Eliza could see, but Eliza felt as if there was a margin of error large enough for her to not get caught in the blast.

"Shoot it..." Archius said in a very threatening tone, husky and lethal.

Irya staggered over to Eliza, slowly prying pieces of debris off her.

"But… Nihara…" Eliza muttered.

Archius' gaze turned to Eliza.

"Eliza... Just shut up! Just take the shot!" he shouted.

Nihara reeled back from an incoming blow. 'Take the shot! Fucking do it!'

"I... won't shoot her," Václavos stated, his face scrunching with anxiety and nerves.

Nihara was fighting the best she could, but without help - she was being worn down by the Behemoth. Then, the Behemoth struck her, sending Nihara flying across the room. She slammed against one of the pillars, knocked out of the fight. The force of the impact had broken the marble… Václavos' eyes were pin-pointed on her.

"Shit..." Eliza trailed off. "What do we do?!"

"Gamble," Archius said. 'KAZUKI!? You already have our co-ords! Where the fuck are you?!'

Shit… They're all going to die! Just because of her! "Just get out of here!"

'Approaching,' replied Kazuki. No words of comfort came through, only a cold reply denoting pure professionalism to Kazuki's trade.

Archius glanced at Eliza. "I told you; we don't abandon our own!" he sneered.

Eliza could feel her arms slowly move, her limbs were being freed from the rubble.

Irya mumbled, "Don't worry... Kazuki will get here."

"Václavos!" Archius snapped at the guard.

"I know! I know!" Václavos shook his head, turning the pillar and firing the grenade launcher. The robot snapped its arm in place, fragments of its arm falling off as it took the brunt of the explosion.

Smoke emerged from the Behemoth, striding through the smog. It wasn't stopping!

It was within striking distance of Václavos! Václavos weaved beneath a swipe, drawing his pistol and taking out most of its sensors before a wide smack sent him flying to the walls.

The behemoth slowed. Its sensors buzzed with sparks. Its head was turned directly to Václavos… It realised that the Václavos and Nihara were the strongest here?! Shit… Eliza heaved through the pain, feeling more and more rubble and stone rush into her cuts and wounds.

Lifting an arm, she hooked her fingers onto a rock - and lobbed it directly at the robot. It bounced off its head… Then, the robot turned to her.

Oh… Fuck… Eliza's eyes grew wider… But at least she's probably bought time for Václavos… She just had to buy time…

Archius pulled out a grenade, rushing behind one of the marbled pillars. An ambush?! Irya was stuck trying to help Eliza, just as the robot turned towards them.

Irya... stood up. Huh? Eliza turned her head, staring at his soot-covered face.

"Shit..." he muttered to himself, drawing his blade. "We need time, right?! Kazu's coming, ain't he?!" His eyes were shivering.

Archius shook his head at him. "Don't try it!" Archius scrambled to take out some gadgets from his pockets.

"I… I just have to buy time…" Irya muttered to himself as if it was a mantra. With that, he rushed forward. He ducked beneath a swing of the robot, only for him to be caught by its second hand.

Archius swung into action, and an electric grenade rippled sparks across its steel hull, slowing it down. He took out a revolver and fired a round at the robot. But it was too late…

Eliza's eyes glistened with red blood. She tried moving, only for more rubble to tumble down on her.

The robot slammed to a halt, just as Irya's body crashed into the walls. Václavos and Nihara were durable… but Irya was not. Blood dripped out from his head and torso, forming a pool where he sat, the force of the swing having killed Irya instantly…

All that was left was a corpse, a carcass of mushed flesh and blood.

Blood was all her eyes saw, her determined red clashed against the sight of fleeting, failing life. One last attempt was made as Eliza flicked her uplink online.

The mechanical exhaustion gnawed at her mind as she glared at the security robot, she gave it a simple order: Shut down! For a moment, she felt like smiling, seeing the robot falter in its movements.

Its light died down, but amidst her relief, she saw the robot spur itself back to life.

Her head forced itself to look at the robot, taking a slowed step forward, cracking the marbled floor beneath it, a force strong enough to force the holoposters along the walls to flicker…

It wasn't enough!

She tried to move but failed once again. Maybe… if she just breaks a bone or two… Eliza shuffled harder, as Archius rushed over to Irya, picking up his blade…

"No!" Eliza shouted, but the chance never came.

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