“Let’s wait until we blow ourselves up. Promise.”
Alex stood, not wanting to ruin the moment but aware she had no choice. Up above, the meteor was changing. It was becoming something else while still increasing in size, spreading across the entire sky of Middang3ard.
A slit opened in the meteor, showing fold upon fold of what looked like flesh. The flesh quivered and gaped, dripping mucus as something with large, spindly legs forced its way through the fold’s membrane.
Alex re-anchored herself to Chine, and the dragon started moving. “Come on. Looks like we’re going to have to fight our way into the meteor.”
Jim slid his cockpit shut and asked over the comm, “Why would I have assumed we wouldn’t?”
Bats and bees burst from the mucous membrane of the meteor and swarmed around the opening, much like before. The only difference was there were thousands more of them. It reminded Alex of the last mission in Middang3ard VR. “Let’s do this!” Alex shouted before taking off.
Jim was right behind Alex as they flew toward the swarming mass of monsters.
The monsters turned to the riders and attacked. Bats rushed them. Alex took evasive action, still trying to force her way to the meteor. There were too many bats, though. She was going to have to thin the flock.
Alex slammed her fist to her chest, unleashing her dragon anchor’s power. Her body and Chine’s burst into flames as they swerved to the outside of the swarm of creatures hellbent on their destruction. Chine let loose a funnel of ether fire, scorching through a handful of bats.
A bee came in high, swooping down and trying to take off Alex’s head with its stinger. Alex pulled out her scythe and sliced through the bee, splitting its body in two.
Jim was having his own problems. He was unable to move as fast as Alex, but he had a huge amount of firepower. He fired a volley of missiles as he doubled back, getting himself into a better position and locking on to as many targets as he could. Conserving his missiles was a must.
The sky filled with the sound of Jim’s guns as he mowed through as many bees and bats as he could.
Alex swung over to where Jim had made his stand. Chine activated his gravity well, causing the creatures closest to Alex to bunch together as if they were magnetized. Then the dragon kicked the cluster of creatures toward the meteor.
Once Alex was positioned beside Jim, Chine unleashed another torrent of ether fire at the swarm of bees and bats heading for him. The scent of scorched flesh filled the air. “We’re doing it,” Jim shouted. “We’re cutting through them!”
It was too soon for Alex to celebrate. She was busy watching the flesh in the center of the meteor. It was quivering again, which meant something else was coming. She knew that whatever it was, it was going to make the bats and bees look like nothing.
First, two alabaster legs shot out as if something was being birthed. The legs were long and insectoid, and two more quickly followed. Then a head, sharp and elongated, burst through. The thing roared, showing rows of sharp teeth.
The creature’s back was arched as if it had once had wings. Its bones protruded from its back, giving the impression its spine was going to burst free—and then it did. The creature’s back tore open. Two beautiful, angelic, feathered wings sprang from the wound.
The creature flapped its wings as it screamed its bloodlust, then took to the sky. It was followed by another creature, and then another.
Within seconds, the meteor’s fold was ripped open as thousands of the winged angels came pouring out of the rock’s gash.
Jim sighed loudly over the comm. “Guess, I spoke too soon.”
Now wasn’t the time for despair. The moment their hope faltered, this was over. She needed Jim to stay with her. That was the only way they were going to get into the heart of the meteor. “We got this, Jaws,” Alex shouted. “Those things can die just like anything else.”
And Alex proved it. She leaned forward, sending the dragon rocketing toward the angels, spewing fire as she swung her scythe and hacked through anything in her way. The bees and bats fell as she neared the angels.
Most of the angels were still congregated on the meteor. Gravity wasn’t working the usual way on it. The angels clung to the surface, walking upside down, hissing at Alex’s approach.
Alex hit the side of the meteor hard, unleashing a blast of ether fire as her anchor’s power wore off. She leaped off Chine and charged for the closest angel. The creature reared up on its hind legs and slashed at Alex, who dodged out of the way and cut it open.
Behind Alex, the dragon was burning through as many angels as he could while the bees and bats swarmed around them, trying to cut off access to the meteor’s opening. “Come on, Jaws,” Alex shouted. “We’re getting in there!”
Jim hit his thrusters and plowed through the bees and bats in front of him, shooting anything that made the mistake of being in his way. Dozens of bats and bees fell to the ground as Jim forced his way through the wall of bodies.
It only took a few minutes for Jim to land next to Alex. He killed his thrusters and hit his leg stabilization, sinking his mech’s feet into the surface with a heavy whirring of gears. Then he popped out of his cockpit and winked at Alex. “I’m with you, Captain. To the end,” he said.
The angels were still swarming out of the meteor’s opening. There was no sign they would stop anytime soon.
This was where Alex was making her stand. They weren’t far from the opening. All they had to do was keep moving forward. As long as they were moving, they were alive.
Chine was right behind Alex, shooting fireballs as Alex took a step,
