Once I was across the canal I was able to make quick progress towards the Precinct. Part of that was because I was more experienced now, but a much larger part of that because I was traveling with an entire squad of killbots, including one that could detect an ambush long before it happened.

  It also helped that the largest thing I encountered on route was a Model Six. I did see a couple Model Elevens pass overhead, but they ignored me. I actually wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

  In the end it only took me about ten minutes to cross most of district ten, and get a look at the precinct.

  The massive building was built like a fortress. Thick concrete walls, heavy security shutters on all the doors, firing points instead of windows, and heavy automated turrets, although these had already been ripped apart by the time I arrived.

  The most worrying thing is it was quiet. Dead quiet. There were no gunfire, no bodies, no Antithesis, nothing.

  “Nyx can you get the fox to scan the area please, it can’t be this easy,” I asked quietly.

  Got it.

  The little bot scrambled up the nearest set of stairs, trying to get enough height to scan the entire area, before it slowly swept it’s gaze over the entire area.

  It says… inconclusive?

  “What the hell does that mean?” I asked.

  I don’t know, the bot isn’t making any sense. There are no anomalies, but it identified the pile of trash on the left, the garbage can on the steps, and the concrete divider between the two garage doors as suspect.

  “Any ideas?” I asked quietly.

  There are some Antithesis with stealth properties, usually they’re not so passive though.

  “Yeah well, you keep telling me this Incursion is strange…” I said, staring at the suspect objects. I couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but it was better to be safe than sorry. “Spooky, shoot the trash can,” I ordered.

  As soon as the burst rang out the trash can’s silhouette dissolved, transforming into what I could only describe as a blurry, glitchy blob, before collapsing to the ground. The concrete divider and pile of trash blurred, becoming similar creatures before taking off at incredible speed. One disappeared around the corner of the building, while the other dove behind some nearby debris.

  I brought up my weapon, but before I could get a single shot off, they were already gone. “Fuckers are fast,” I growled.

  Extremely, I’m still concerned about their behavior though. Typically model 9s are ambush hunters, emphasis on the hunter part. They’re rarely that passive, unless something else TELLs them to.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Right,” I grumbled. “Why can’t anything be simple”

  Suddenly, the fox’s head snapped towards the top of the precinct, then back down the street behind me, then back at the sides of the precinct.

  “Nyx? What’s going on” I snapped. Whatever was happening was causing the fox to freak out. That was probably a bad sign.

  Heavy footfalls from behind you, faint buzzing from above, and movement from around the sides of the precinct.

  “Fuck,” I swore. I was stuck in the middle of the street, and looking around, the only cover I could see was the doorway of the office behind me. “Spooky, open that door, everyone inside,” I yelled.

  The door splintered under a single kick from the little bear, and my little squad poured into the building. The bots quickly rushed to the windows and took overwatch positions, without my prompting. Although I couldn’t hear anything before, I could now make up a low buzzing, which was quickly getting louder, along with movement around the side of the building.

  The Model Three which rounded the corner of the left side of the precinct drew my attention momentarily, so I nearly missed the two Antithesis coming over the top.

  The flyers were terrifying. At first glance they appeared to be Model Sixes, but as they closed in I could see they were much larger. Their heads were more beak-like, an array of insectoid wings ran down their backs. Their most bizarre feature was what looked like a set of sideways gills on their necks. As soon as the first one hit the ground it reared back, like it was going to spit, instead their organs snapped open and there was a sharp cracking noise.

  I dropped to the ground, unsure why I was taking cover until I saw one of the bots. It was laying on the ground, head broken open, dozens of thin bone needles stuck into its face.

  “Holy shit!”

  Model Sixteens, they’re used to command hunts and oversee assaults. Smart, these two must have organized an ambush in case anyone tried to get in or out. I would recommend staying away from the windows.

  “I got that, thanks,” I snarled “Get the bots to cover, we’ll just have to deal with the Antithesis as they enter rather than on the street.”

  I swung my CAR towards the door, and waited until I saw movement, then opened fire. My first round caught a Model Three just as it was entering, blowing it back into the street.

  “Get the fox to keep track of those sixteens,” I shouted over the gunfire, “I don’t want to give them a chance to put one of those claws in here.”

  The situation quickly dissolved into a mess of rifle fire, explosions, and dying Antithesis. The bears cut down anything trying to crawl in the windows, while the fox constantly shifted around, firing bursts out of random windows to keep the sixteens suppressed while I held the door.

  The fight continued for several long minutes, with no end in sight, when suddenly then the world exploded into heat and light. Well, not really, but several lasers cut through the Antithesis at the door. The smell of cauterized flesh was overwhelming, making me gag, I tried desperately not to throw up.

  There was a muffled thump, followed by a loud whistling noise, then another. Silence descended upon the area.

  A figure stepped up to the door, a massive humanoid suit with a series of mechanical tentacles emerging out the back. The two of us stared at each other for a long moment, me on the floor, the figure standing with one hand on the doorframe.

  “You okay in there kid?” the wearer asked. Their voice was melodic, fairly young, female.

  I wanted to reply, instead I rolled onto my side and vomited violently onto the floor.

  A great first impression.

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