The world became dark. Cold. Unforgiving.

At first I didn't quite believe it, that rational part of my mind clinging onto anything that could explain away what I had just witnessed. It was a trick of the light! It looked bad, but in reality she was fine! A human skull is a strong thing, it could stop a round from a good enough distance away! Anything and everything that could make what had just happened be undone.

I couldn't stop staring at her now limp, lifeless hand. I wanted to hold it, to somehow tell her everything was going to be ok. To hold it and close my eyes and just wait for all this to be over. To hold it until time itself came to a standstill.

But in the end, reality always wins. She was dead. Nothing was going to change that now. The electrochemical processes that made up everything she had once been had now come to a stop, and no matter how much I wished it different, that will always be the truth. Eventually I managed to pull my gaze away from her and took hold of my rifle, my training was kicking in and now was not the time to sit a morn, despite that being all I wanted to do. I steadied myself, braced up against my piece of cover and took a few seconds to compose my thoughts to bring myself back into the frame of mind I needed to be in to survive.

The world regained some warmth. Some light. Softened.

A message down the squads radio feed welcomed me back.

"Echo this is Delta! Be advised we are coming up on your position now, watch for friendlily I.Ds from your bearing 055, barrack block, lower windows."

Casting my gaze slightly to my right I could see the building in question. Past the control tower, tucked away between two ammo stores was a stocky barrack block with multiple windows placed periodically along the concrete face. Blue I.D tags began to pop into view behind those windows like lights being turned on.

"Delta this is Echo! Bloody nice to see some blue tags out here! You lot are just in time for the final act!" Colter beamed in response.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world Echo!"

"And neither would we!" Came another Squad wide message.

"Alpha! Late as usual!" Colter replied as yet more blue tags began to appear just of to my left around a nearby defensive barricade.

"Fashionably as always, it looks like you guys are in need of some heavy weapons. Don't worry, we will be happy to help." Alpha lead chuckled as a small, but very powerful rocket fired from Alphas position towards the very top of the control tower leaving a crisp white trail of smoke as it did.

I tucked my head down as bits of glass and other unpleasantries rained down from above like some sort of malicious mechanical snow. If you ignored the nature of the scene it would be considered beautiful in the bright moonlight.

"Alpha have I ever told you that you are my favourite squad on rota?" Colter remarked with a smile to his voice. "Apart from Echo obviously" He added as multiple Echo members began to jokingly voice their disapproval. I didn't say anything, I didn't have the strength.

The Slugs also seemed to be lacking in strength too as the barrage of bullets had stopped. In light of the situation it was understandable why. I counted my self lucky not to be one of them inside the now char-grilled tower. Poking my head over my cover to get a better look I could see that all the windows had blown out and a section of the roof had collapsed in on itself, giving the tower a depressed frown appearance.

"Do we reckon any are still kicking in there?" Delta lead queried, her voice being the only sound present, it echoing around the local space like a bad joke.

"Seems quiet enough, but you know what these Slugs are like, they like to confuse us, toy with our emotions. Make us think one way, then they act another." Alpha lead responded.

"Sounds just like my Ex." Someone from Echo said along with a smattering of chuckles from the rest. I still didn't say anything. I didn't laugh.

"Well I for one don't want to sit here for hours with our thumbs up our arses waiting to find out." Colter said. "We need to take that control room, or at least what's left of it, before we can call it quits. Despite its appearance the monitoring devices and access panels for all the defence systems will still be intact and active. Those things are designed to withstand anything."

"So Echo and Alpha move in, Delta secures the perimeter and clears a landing point for evac once the job is done?" Alpha lead suggested.

"Sounds good." Delta lead confirmed.

"You read my mind Alpha." Colter agreed before addressing Echo directly through the local Squad channel. "Right guys and girls you heard it, lock and load and get ready for some good old CQB. Those of you with Shotgun attachments guess where I want you...that's right at the front. The rest fall in behind, breach and clear drills; keep your arch's covered and keep an eye on your stats. Use implants as needed, this should be the last thing we do today before getting out of here so don't worry about overdosing. Lets finish this Echo."

Once Colter had finished he turned his channel back to include everyone. "All squads, move in."