The next building we searched through was directly adjacent to B1. This five tier building was sealed with a metallic door at the first floor level. While the lock was a bit more difficult for Zeta to unlock, having to use a bit of wrench power, we encountered no problems. On the third tier we did have some issues.

After clearing the second floor, we realized that the building had disproportionately more, as well as larger, windows than B1 or the other buildings we had looted. While it made our search easier since we were not reliant on Marvin’s light, a tingling in my spine made me hesitant to proceed.

It turned out I was right to be hesitant.

The moment we all crossed the threshold of the stairs, four dogs and three cat mutants launched themselves at us through the windows. I had not seen any of them on the outside of the building, so they had either followed us or been hiding on the roof. I was not so much concerned by where they had come from, but with dealing with their assault.

Thankfully, due to my paranoia I had kept everyone close as the creatures shattered the outside windows. I quickly commanded Marvin to pin and dry one of the mutant dogs closest to the group. Before I could direct Delta, he was already engaged with two of the speedy cats and Beta with the third.

Epsilon joined Delta in trying to rip the multi-limbed cats from the older man while Zeta and Gamma attacked the other cat. The remaining three dogs tried to join the fray, jumping over Marvin, but I was there to meet them. I twirled my wrench in my right hand, knocking away a pair of clawed limbs, while I grabbed one of them with my left. I felt the muscles in my arm swell as pulled and twisted.

The dog I had grabbed with my left hand crashed into the third who was attempting to get behind me. While it temporarily stunned those two, the one I had been keeping at bay with my wrench seized on my slight distraction. It knocked my wrench down to the ground with a combined hit from its five flailing limbs and latched on with unhinged jaws. I could feel my armor grating, attempting to fight the spectacularly uncanine strength of the bite. A few of the teeth found purchase in the gaps of the forearm armor and burning stings shot through my arm.

I gritted my own teeth, using my free hand to chop at the dog’s nose. The teeth dug deeper into my arm briefly but then let up enough for me to yank my arm away. I kicked up into the dog’s chin, severing the spine with my powerful armored kick. I did not have enough time to celebrate my victory as I heard the other two dogs growling, surely about to pounce.

“Marvin! Jump on those two!” I heard the whirling only for a second as the ATC shot past me. Hoping the mech would be able to handle the pair of mutants, I searched for the Digits.

I could see Beta, Gamma and Zeta had managed to grab their cat’s four clawed limbs as Beta stabbed it with one of the wooden spikes we had made.

Delta and Epsilon were not having as much luck. While the pair had relatively strong bodies, the pair of cats were rushing around them dodging Delta’s wooden club and Epsilon’s spike. I sprinted as fast as I could across the room and managed to catch one of the cats by surprise.

I punted the cat straight into the wall, turning it into a stain and a puddle. Only having to deal with dodging one set of limbs, Delta was able to swat and break two of them while Epsilon pounced on the remaining two. The Digit used its weight to pin the smaller creature to the ground even as it tried to claw his eyes out, leaving a pair of grooves on the left side of his helmet. Once Delta was able to get a swing back on his club, he brought it down on the cat’s head flattening it to the ground.

I panted heavily in my helmet, scanning the tier for any other mutants. The others had managed to kill their cat and had rushed to back up Marvin. They had managed to keep the dog that the ATC was not draining stunned by hitting it with our large repository of rocks. Even as I watched, the ATC pulled its needles from the dog it was draining and pinned the other under its weight.

The still functioning limb of the dog that had been getting stoned tried to toppled the mech, but it grew visibly weaker and limp as it was drained for power.

A few seconds later, silence reigned in the building. I kept glancing from window to window, searching for more ambushing mutants but none came even after several minutes of stillness. The silence was broken when Beta and Delta both plopped to the ground against each other.

“Why is it always me?” The youth shuddered as he appeared to be lost in thought.

“They keep getting the weak link confused! They think its you, when it's really Alpha over there.” Delta could barely contain his laughter as he pointed in my direction.

The man’s dark humor was enough to ease the tension the abush had caused. I also plopped to the ground, retracting my helmet as I let the cool of the city dry the sweat that had accumulated on my face. As my breathing settled down, I noticed Gamma looking at me oddly.

I had not had an opportunity to speak to her about the encounter with Starden, or whatever had happened after. I motioned her closer to where the other men were regaling each other in their recountings of the battle.

“Something on your mind?” I asked once she was closer. We were not on the comm system so I had to raise my voice slightly over the chatter of the others.

“Yeah. I was just… thinking about what you did with the other robot. What you did here too. Is there something you aren’t telling us, Alpha?” she asked.

I was taken aback by the girl’s observance. I had been hoping that my exploits could remain acts of ‘fight or flight’ but with the increased frequency with which they were happening, not to mention the episode I had had at the surface camp, I was not convinced. In the least.

Not knowing how to answer something I didn’t have the answer for, I simply shook my head, “Nothing going on. If there is, you will be the first to know, Ma’am.”

The girl smiled kindly, taking my words to heart. I felt bad for deceiving her as well as the others, but I was not sure what was happening to m body. I was determined to keep pressing forward, at least until I found a way for the others to return to Earth.