Chapter 04 Fury Unleashed

Elias’s body was suspended in the air, grotesquely hoisted by an Aegis mutant, its mutated jaw clamped tightly over his head. The creature’s ugly, deformed teeth crunched through the bone. Blood spilled in thick streams from Elias’s shattered skull, pooling beneath him, staining the cracked floor. His body hung limp, twitching.

Aria’s mind went blank. Her mouth opened in shock, but no scream came. Her chest heaved, the air choking in her throat, adrenaline flooding her system in a blinding rush. Her heart pounded so violently it hurt, her vision swimming. Elias... he was gone. 

The mutant. It had sneaked up behind them, blending perfectly with the rain. And now, Elias, her partner - was dead, killed instantly by the monstrous jaws of the Aegis mutant.

“You piece of shit! What the hell do you think you're doing to Elias!” 

Without thinking, she lifted her particle rifle and squeezed the trigger, unleashing a barrage of energy rounds at the mutant. The blasts hissed through the room, lighting up the dim, broken building like flashes of lightning.

But the Aegis, a creature of twisted, unnatural flesh, used its many grotesque arms to shield itself. Aria’s shots ripped through some of the mutant’s elongated limbs, burning through layers of sinew and blackened muscle, but its skin was tough - much tougher than she’d anticipated.

Her hands trembled as she kept firing, pulling the trigger over and over until the rifle's particle battery emitted a faint click, signaling that it was empty. The drained battery clattered to the ground with a hollow clang. The mutant, damaged but far from defeated, had lost a few of its long, grotesque arms, but the rest of its massive frame was unharmed.

And then it moved - fast.

One of its remaining arms shot forward, sweeping across the room with terrifying speed. Aria barely had time to react, her instincts screaming at her to dodge, but her body couldn’t move fast enough. She could only curl up, bracing herself for the impact. The arm slammed into her with bone-crushing force, sending her hurtling through the air.

She crashed through the first wall, then the next, and the next, each impact leaving her dazed and barely clinging to consciousness. The pain was sharp and immediate, but the overwhelming sense of disorientation was worse. Her vision spun as rubble rained down around her.

Her tactical suit, state-of-the-art and built with the latest military advancements, had systems in place for such catastrophic scenarios. As her body hit the ground with a final, brutal thud, its AI core buzzed to life.

“Critical damage detected. Safety protocol engaged. Pilot life signs are critical. Initiating 'Last Resort' mixture injection.”

The voice was cold, digital, and uncaring. Aria barely registered the words, but she felt the suit’s reaction - the sudden tightness as it locked around her, compressing and stabilizing her broken ribs and fractured limbs. There was a sharp hiss, then a burst of heat at the base of her neck.

It wasn’t just a suit; this was cutting-edge technology designed to keep soldiers fighting no matter the cost. The 'Last Resort' mixture - a cocktail of unknown agents - flooded her bloodstream, forcing her body into action.

The drug was intense. Her vision blurred with a red haze, and a deep, primal fury took over, swallowing all reason.

A wild, guttural scream ripped from her throat.

 "Aaaaaaaaaaaa! I’ll rip you apart, you piece of shit!"

The AI voice rang out again.

“Tactical options are limited. Ranged combat is unavailable. Suggest close-quarters engagement or evasion.”

Her voice, hoarse with rage, echoed through the rain-soaked ruins. Adrenaline pumped through her veins at an unbearable rate, her pulse drumming in her ears as her body obeyed the drug’s command. The tactical suit's strength enhancements surged to 100%, amplifying her already-heightened state. Aria didn’t just feel powerful - she felt unstoppable.

Bursting from the rubble, she charged straight at the Aegis mutant, her armored boots pounding against the ground, leaving craters with every step. As she ran, she spotted her discarded particle rifle. Without thinking, she snatched it up by the barrel, gripping it like a bat. The weapon, now empty of ammo, was useless as a gun, but it would make a fine bludgeon.

With a guttural roar, Aria swung the rifle like a club, the sheer force of the impact shattering the side of the Aegis’s leg. The mutant staggered, momentarily buckling as one of its monstrous limbs folded awkwardly beneath it. But the damage was minor; the mutant’s skin was thick, almost armor-like, and her blow had barely slowed it down.

Her rifle, however, had taken its last hit - its once sleek frame crumbled into a pile of broken components.

The Aegis recovered quickly. One of its remaining long arms whipped through the air toward her with terrifying speed. Aria barely had time to react, and when the grotesque limb connected with her torso, the force sent her careening across the room. She slammed into a concrete wall, the impact rattling her bones.

But the rage still burned hot. She bounced back up, a crazed glint in her eyes. The pain was nothing - she felt invincible, untouchable. Her body was fueled by pure fury, each bruise and broken rib ignored as she sought only one thing - destruction. Aria charged forward once again, this time grabbing an old steel pipe lying in the rubble. She hurled it like a javelin at the mutant, her muscles pushing beyond their natural limits.

The makeshift weapon pierced the creature’s elongated neck, a hideous spray of blackened blood erupting from the wound. The Aegis flailed, trying to reach the embedded pipe with its remaining limbs. But before it could react, Aria was upon it again, her 'Depleted Vallen Particle Knife' in hand. She hacked at one of the smaller arms, severing it from the mutant's body in a spray of dark, steaming blood.

But the Aegis wasn’t done.

Another of its long, sinewy arms swung toward her. This time, the hit was devastating. The force of the impact slammed her into the ground, hard enough that the earth seemed to tremble beneath her. Aria tasted blood in her mouth as she struggled to stay conscious. The red haze that had consumed her mind began to fade, replaced by the sensation of weakness. The drugs were wearing off, and the pain was coming back in waves.

But as she staggered to her feet, the world suddenly exploded around her.