Shawn

-"Are you ok?"

I noticed her trembling with fear. Explosions erupting everywhere. Faint gunshots were heard as the battlefield revolved around us.

-"Y-yeah I'm fine."

She said trembling in fear as she began to sweat intensively. This must be hard for her. I always forget these attacks are uncommon.

-"You're bleeding."

Blood seeped down from her arm trough her neck. She just

She began to stand up out of cover, confused. I pulled her down into the small trench with me.

-"It should be over soon, the leader has been... disabled."

She just stared at the ground. It was clear she didn't listen to me. Her breath trembled.

-"Hey you!"

I heard the distorted voice of a T-Soldier. I looked behind me and at the trench I saw a squad of armed soldiers. The first one charged at me with a great sword. It did an overhead swing. I could have easily sidestepped but I had to protect the girl trembling with fear behind me. So I held my Naginata with my left arm and so the staff-like part was against my skin. I blocked the blow with it and used my arm as a cushion. With my right fist I punched him in his ribs. He stumbled behind me as the next one rushed me. This one had a broadsword which he swiped towards my head. I ducked and elbowed the first guy onto the ground. I noticed the second one came in fast so his momentum pushed him to me. I spun around him and slit my Naginata across his chest. Blood burst onto my hands. He was gonna fall on top of Cat but I grabbed the dead soldier's arm and swung the corpse onto the first guy that was trying to standing up.

Two were in front of me one with a long sword and one with dual daggers, scimitar like. <<a scimitar is like a sickle that are used like daggers.>> I tossed my blade into my right hand and dashed forward. The one with the long sword went into a batting position and the other braced for impact. Once I was close enough the guy swung the long sword, I ducked and slid on my knees for a split second. While I slid I held out my weapon scraping his legs.

-"Gah!"

I completely ignored the guy with dual scimitars. I hopped to my feet and stuck my Naginata on the long sword guy's back. From my angle I could see the scimitar guy and the first guy, in the distance. He wasn't paying attention because he struggled to lift himself up. So I threw a kunai at him. His lifeless body rolled onto the floor. The scimitar guy was left.

It was clearly the squad leader. It was clear because of his distinct helmet. While normal soldiers have a single 2 dimensional triangle (that remains 2 dimensional to the person who sees it) this one had a big triangle with 3 smaller ones making the shape more complex. It spun its weapons in an impressive manner. I wasn't gonna let him be the only one showing off. So I spun mine as well. He dashed towards me, jump attacked me. 'Pathetic' I said to myself. I rolled under him while he was in the air and I twisted my torso and swiped to his head. I realized I have not defeated my opponent because it blocked the strike by placing a blade near his neck and holding it steadily. That was very impressive since he wasn't facing me and I swung it with lots of strength. He must be really strong.

'Ok not so pathetic.' It spun around sending a barrage of attacks my way, which were too fast for me to block every single one. So I jumped back and and unsheathed my short sword. My opponent again jumped up in the air. I was too late to evade it, so I clashed his attack with my sword and pushed him above and behind me. Immediately after, I rushed him with an overhead. It used both weapons to parry it, horizontally. I let my weapon bounce back so I could follow up with a diagonal swipe. (The attack went up and to the right). I didn't aim for a kill blow I aimed for his weapons that were still wobbly from my previous attack. I batted one of them away.

Out of rage he rushed me, by attacking my left. I sidestepped to the right. He followed with an overhead. That I easily parried by holding my sword horizontally and above my head. But he remained clashing, trying to push back. But he had only one blade, so it was foolish. I slid my blade to the side making his weapon slide downwards. So I twisted my body to elbow him hard. Then I kicked him on his stomach. The stumbled back. He was already weak. He tried to rush me again but he started with a lunge. I sidestepped, grabbed the blade, and kicked his ankle. His head grounded the floor. Then he popped his helmet off. Which revealed a human face. I could've killed him right then and there but I didn't. He wasn't armed at that point. It may not seem but I have standards. It struggled to stand up and it raised its fists.

-"Okay then."

I said, simply.

I threw the recently won blade in the air. I did a one-two punch on his face. He flailed a weak punch at my head. I ducked and low sweep-ed him. He fell face first but I grabbed his collar. And I caught the airborne scimitar and struck him on the chest. Blood poured on my hand. He exhaled into my shoulder. I then laid the body lightly on the ground. My opponent has been defeated. And a good fight it was. It's been a while since I've been in a good duel.

I snapped out of my flashbacks and ran to Cat. Once there I said:

-"Are you alright?"

-"Get away from me!"

She screamed. Tears swelled up on her eyes. Her breath was not constant. It shriveled. I held her and put my hands on her chest. I felt a really rapid heartbeat yet again it wasn't constant. She was having a panic attack. She pushed me out of embrace.

-"NO! You monster!"

Her words trembled like her breath.

-"The kind soldier told me who he was!"

'Kind soldier'? Oh crap the first one was too close to Cat! He could've said something!

-"He told me things! T-that they a-are people who were hypnotized wi-with this m-machine... thing."

Close enough. She gasped for air.

-"Y-you are killing people!!"

-"Cat, listen to me. They are known to give information to their victims when they are about to die... he was gonna kill you."

I explained.

-"NO! You are killing people...! You said you were a hero! Then save these people! Don't kill them!"

-"The people who are 'hypnotized' are already dead! You can't undo that!"

I noticed I was screaming too. I needed to calm her down, but I needed to calm myself too.

-"Look, if there was a way to save them, I would've. But I've tried many different ways. And you can't."

I felt guilty for not finding a "cure". But I know how I am so I wouldn't worry. Still, it's a burden I carry alone. Yet this girl's sanity depends on it.

-"Then find a way."

She said lightly. But only because she couldn't breathe correctly. She hit my chest with her palm and pushed me away.

-"Look... hey I'm sorry."

I grabbed her shoulder.

-"Don't touch me, you're a monster."

She said lightly as she began to walk away. I let her go. It stung my soul that I left such a bad impression on her.

An alarm blared around us. 'What now?!' I thought. Then I remembered that I killed the commander of this attack. That means that the Pyramid Cruiser, will initiate the self destruct and identify the mission as a failure.

-"It's over."

I said. I know she heard me. And in the distance the Pyramid Cruiser exploded. In a great fire show. But this was no good victory. I was too late. The village was completely destroyed. Buildings leveled. Houses flattened. Townspeople massacred. Yet it was a victory.

The sky then opened up. And about a dozen Cruisers warped. The sky was full of death. Out of reflexes i pulled out my Shifter. The cruisers deployed landers. And charged up their main guns. I dove for Cat. And warped. Just before everything blows up.