How Hard Is It?

The Phoenix-9 crashed into one of the Kor Ondrone's outstretched wing-like structures. And followed by the plane, was Brother Black. He used the plane's 330 kmph momentum to thrust himself forwards like a human dart.

He folded his limbs downwards (straight) to reduce drag. His cowboy hat was blown away by the wind. He was almost there. Just 50 more metres.

40… 30… 20… 10… SMACK! A semi-auto grapple hook's grasping end took hold of the Kor Ondrone's alien metal body and spread a sticky adhesive to hold it in position. Demonstar gripped the rope tightly as his momentum decreased to such an extent that he was left hanging by the rope. New York glowed below. Above, the Kor Ondrone.

His hand slipped and he was left holding the lowermost tip of the rope. He tried getting back up, but the pressure was too much for the rope to handle. And then pop, the rope broke.

"Aaaaaaaah!" Demonstar plummeted towards Manhattan.

***

"I mean, how hard could it be, man?" Harrison asked Luther as they climbed up the ladder-like rungs and got back to ground-level. Two US Marines saluted them as they passed through a security checkpoint at the entrance of the SQZ they were in.

"Not hard, I mean… have you ever slain a single zombie in your life?"

When they were out in the open, night-time air, they took a path to the left, then to the right, and into an alleyway amidst a huge maze of skyscraping buildings. Then they took out their guns – an AEK-971 assault rifle for Harrison Garison, and a SCAR-H for John Luther.

"Hey Luther, what's so cool about that SCAR of yours?"

"Nothin' – I just like the way it 'pops' when you shoot," he fired a few rounds at a tagged-up wall to prove his statement. "How's that?"

"Good. Nice. Do you know how much damage can an average tagger cause in a year?"

"I don't know," Luther shook his head. "You tell me."

"Well, it's a lot! About $80,000 or more, per tagger, per year. There's probably 2000 taggers in the country. So that makes—"

A Porsche 918 grinded through the bricks and stopped in front of the duo, headlamps flashing brightly. The engine roared and Harrison blinked.

Then the car door opened and a figure stepped out. A female figure, with a slim appearance, curvy hips, wearing a purple top and purple skirt that reached down to her knees. Her silver-blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. She held a MP7 SMG as she catwalked towards the men with the fragrance of an exotic rose species.

"Hi, guys," that familiar voice; Harrison heard it somewhere before. "Need a lift?"

When she got close enough, they recognized their third member.

"Amy Catt! How'd you get here?" Harrison was startled.

"Same way as you did, fellas. Why, do you mind your GF doing things on her own? Hop in. We've got Cooper's brother to save."

"Demonstar? What happened to him?" Luther inquired as they got into the sportscar.

"Oh, he fell into Manhattan," Amy put on her red-rimmed butterfly glasses.

"And how'd you get to know? By the way, since when did you learn to drive?" Harrison didn't like the looks of Amy's intentions.

"Well, a 26-year-old woman has plenty of freedom, you know. And I got to know about Daemon's fall when he called me."

"Wait, what?! What did you just call Demonstar by? Amethyst!"

"Um… heh, heh… err…" she could sense Harrison's inner fury developing. "I think we should move on."

"No! No one's moving in, tonight. But somebody by the name of 'D' will be moving out of this world!" Harry Garison was sitting beside Amy, so he quickly pulled on the handbrake.

The Porsche was drifting before skidding to a stop. When it fully halted, Harrison kicked the door open and spotted a Daytona bike.

"Luther, take care of Amy while I'm gone. There'll be a killing tonight."

"No, no! Harry, please no!" Amy cried out. "Don't hurt Daemon, I beg you!"

"Oh, I won't hurt him. I'll murder him!" he reloaded his AEK-971, shifted it to the back and mounted the speedy bike. "Luther, don't' let her off; even if she entices you!"

"Got it, bro!" he saluted him off.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Amethyst Catt cried out and fell back to her seat, out cold. She whimpered like a sad kitten and curled up in a ball. Tears covered her cheeks.

Harrison started off with the bike.

***

"Ow… ow… simply ow!" Demonstar Black had no idea about the number of fractures in his body! He had been lying on his back, gazing up at the Kor Ondrone for more than half an hour. He just hoped Amy Catt would arrive here anytime now.

He tried sitting up, but it was of no use. It seemed like the lower half of his body was paralyzed.

He hoped his spinal cord hadn't been split apart. No, it couldn't be.

He heard a bike arrive, followed by the screech of a car. He tried to look into the direction of the sound but his head wouldn't budge even a single notch.

Footsteps, he heard, joined in by more footsteps. Then he heard voices.

"Luther, why are you here? Didn't I tell you to hold Amy back?"

"I did, but as I was driving down the Brooklyn Bridge, she slapped me, hard. Then she kicked me and tangled me in her whip. She threw me to the back seat and turned the car around. I struggled a bit, but her aura made me peaceful and sleepy. When I woke up, I was seated at the driver's seat, with no sign of her. I heard a bike and thus followed you here."

"Okay, so stay out of this while I do my deed."

Demonstar caught sight of Harrison and smiled, believing he'd be saved now. But his smile turned into confusion and fear when he saw the gun aimed at him.

"N-no! Are you crazy? What're you doing, bud? Stop! STOP!"

"There'll be no more stopping now, Black! You've gone too far!" He fired a bullet. But out of nowhere, Amy appeared in front of the bullet.

"Nooo! Amethyst!"

It was too late for Harrison Garison.

The delicate body of the silver-haired girl dropped to the ground. Blood welled out from her body, forming a pool around her. The purple velvet was discolored by red.

Harrison dropped the assault rifle and bent down to hold her in his lap. "Amy… w-what have you d-done?"

Harrison's voice trembled. It seemed like he had been stabbed with a knife right into his heart and lungs. The pain within, was terrible. He embraced her soulless body once more and kissed her one last time.

Then he turned his attention to Daemon Black.

"YOU!" he picked his AEK-971 up and shot so many bullets at Cooper Black's brother that he became a sticky mass, covered with blood.

He kept on shooting and shooting, till he had run out of bullets; till Luther had to stop him.

"Amy…" he still couldn't believe he had lost her.

And Demonstar, who had once saved Harrison's life, had been killed just for a silly matter between lovers. But the loss of Amy Catt hurt him more. He shot 3 bullets into the heart of the sky, as a kind of salute for the death of the cute girl.