Tivon cried out with triumph. “I knew you were worth every credit, pretty boy.” He slapped Marcellus on the shoulder before leaping into the reactor room, clearing the scaffolding stairs completely to the landing below. “Let’s blow this joint and get the hell out of here!”

Looking below, Marcellus saw the pale white glow of the aether well that facility was drawing its fuel from. This was not the first time he saw such a sight but it never ceased to shake his otherwise stoic demeanor. Such a thing is eerie to behold. Marcellus stood guard as Tivon worked to plant the explosives.

The pulsing of the red lights and the continuously blaring warning sirens was beginning to wear on Marcellus’s nerves.

“Hey you!” called out a guard from the left corridor as bullets began to pepper the walls around him.

“Tivon! We have company!” Marcellus cried out as he ducked behind the door frame leading to the reactor room, sparks singeing his fur.

“Almost done!” Tivon called back.

Marcellus let out an aggravated breath through gritted teeth before his features relaxed. He allowed a calm and coldness to absorb him completely. He voided himself of emotion. There was only now. And now was battle. Gripping his hammer and focusing his will, he caused his muscles to tense as magic reinforced his limbs. Alright, let’s do this, Marcellus thought.

Jumping out from cover he dashed to the wall opposite him, bullets trailing his tail which streamed behind him like a gray banner. Lifting a hand forward and mustering his will he generated a wall of force in front of him just in time as the bullets caught up with him. The rounds intended for his torso were deflected.

“Take him down!” said one of the guards in the back. It was too late.

Marcellus slid to their feet, ending the barrier, and swept three of the guards feet out from under them before smoothly rising, spinning, swinging the maul around in a smooth arc back and around him, and let the hammer slip just enough from his grasp to extend its reach. The momentum from the first strike carried into the second as the head of the great hammer crashed into the second line of soldiers, batting them aside like a giant fly swatter, killing them on impact. He quickly dispatched the first line of soldiers with razor focused bolts of energy from his fingertips.

Turning behind him he saw as soldiers were coming in from the other end. Damn it. “Tivon, watch your six!” He dashed forward to cut the soldiers off before they turned into the room but it was too late.

Gunfire erupted but not from the soldiers. White hot bolt-rounds blasted through the line of soldiers that tried filing into the room and dropped where they stood.

Marcellus ran up to them. Their armor was riddled with glowing-hot holes and cauterized wounds. He turned to see Tivon lift his rifle to fire and lower it just as quickly when seeing it was a friendly.

“A little more warning next time, pretty boy,” Tivon said, tail flicking in aggravation.

“You seem to be handling yourself pretty well,” Marcellus said back.

Tivon let out an annoyed breath. “The bomb’s planted. Drilling through those pipes took slightly longer than expected.”

“How much time we have?” Marcellus asked.

“Seven minutes, I gave us an extra two in case of more company.”

The sound of stomping feet came from the left and the right. “That might not be enough.”

Tivon gulped audibly. “Yea, maybe.” He lifted his rifle to his shoulder in anticipation of the soldiers.

Marcellus brandished his hammer and conjured a shield.

“Ahhh!”

The soldiers who were heading towards Marcellus began to cry out in pain before turning the corner to meet him.

Ava crawled out from the shadows waving them along. “Run!”