Noose and Karauro observed the upper level for movement from the parking lot below.

  Boots hit flesh and concrete.

  Grievers forced Ryker’s men to open fire—buying Noose and her team an opening.

  Soldiers rifles snapped down.

  Noose grabbed Karauro as he threw tendrils—anchoring and slinging them up.

  “It’s fine guys, you don’t have to wait your turn!” Karauro grinned.

  They landed apart. Noose slipped into a soldier’s space, pressed in, hooked his leg, and dumped him hard—then fired into the seams.

  Karauro lunged behind an anchored tendril and drove his fist in.

  Ichor hissed through their suits, eating them from the inside.

  “Cute improvisation—efficient, messy,” Noose said, shooting until she went dry.

  “Yet, you still depend on me,” he replied, halo-eyes flaring.

  A soldier crouched behind a pillar and threw a grenade.

  “Take out K-19 first; flare is active!”

  “Nope—choose better next time!” Noose kicked it back.

  It detonated.

  “Rude” Karauro muttered.

  “Borrowed your tactic. It works.” Noose moved to her team.

  Karauro stared at the bodies in blood and smoke.

  “Yeah… I would’ve loathed you as my enemy,” he said softly.

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  ---

  “We reached Holvok—evac in thirty. Outside the hive,” Fey said, eyeing Karauro’s mixed armor.

  An explosion shook the parking lot.

  “Go,” Noose ordered.

  “How? Pike’s in no better shape—”

  "They obviously think they can take me out first, I'll distract em." Karauro said.

  Noose's eye's snapped to him.

  "No, they will have you surrounded!" She hissed.

  "Exactly!" he smiled. "Just hand over the Breach charges, I'll figure out the rest."

  Noose pressed her lips together and looked away.

  She nodded to Crowe, who handed the devices to Karauro.

  Fey pushed a rifle against Karauro's chest.

  "Don't let her regret it," she said firmly, her hazel eyes visible through the visor.

  Noose and her team headed to the parking lot exit.

  ---

  Rykers' crew combed through the parking area.

  Karauro watched their flashlights shine on uncorroded spots.

  The breach charge LED flickered.

  "Bomb spotted," one of the soldiers declared.

  "Exactly! That's the whole idea, you rusted tin cans!" Karauro yelled, sending tendrils to latch onto the flesh ceiling.

  He hit the switch. Nothing.

  "Fuck...plan B it is." Karauro murmured.

  He sprang forward, landing right in front of them.

  Karauro headbutted soldier while his tendrils defended against incoming fire from the others.

  He slapped a breach charge onto the soldier's back, retracted his tendril, and kicked him into his fellow soldiers.

  With tendrils anchoring him securely, he flipped the switch.

  "Let's test this!" He smirked.

  An explosion enveloped them in a toxic mix of chemicals and flames.

  Karauro’s tendrils snapped as the shockwave hit, sending him tumbling back.

  "Shit need more cores," he muttered. Tendrils dissolved.

  Some soldiers lay motionless, while others writhed in agony.

  A handful of soldiers snapped back up.

  Suddenly, gunfire erupted from behind them.

  "You're not very good at thinking on your feet, are you?" Noose's voice rang out from near a pillar.

  "You really can’t seem to let go of me," he retorted, moving closer to the front of the car, aiming his rifle at their hips.

  "Seems like you need more angled practice" Noose chimed in over the comms.

  He grunted.

  He slipped into the soldier's pocket, pinneing their own rifle onto their chest, kneed them in the groin, disarming the soldier.

  Aimed and shot into the armor seams.

  The final soldier charged at him, swinging thier rifle butt into Karauro's face.

  He staggered, dropped onto one knee, blood trickled from the gash on his nose.

  Noose had maneuvered behind and kicked their knee, then looped her armored arm around their neck.

  Not to kill, just enough to stop them from moving.

  More boots marched into the parking lot, this time Holvok and his men proceeded to secure the area.

  Holvoks eyes widened.

  He focused on the concrete and biomass floor, where Rykers' platoons lay, some dead, others barely clinging to life.

  He quickly turned his gaze back to Noose and Karauro.

  "Asset...No Karauro, you handled youself well, bought Pike time." Holvok spoke firmly.

  "Those still alive, your leader is caught," he declared, his icy blue eyes surveying the area.

  "Surrender now or be left to decay," he thundered.

  Noose abruptly grabbed Karauros's wrist, dragging him with her.

  Karauro whispered, "What are you up to, Noose?"

  She ignored him and continued on her way.

  Her father looked at her and gave a quick nod.

  Both Noose and Karauro walked towards the parking lot exit.

  Aircraft headlights spilled over them.

  "Fey can you have a medic come to us?" Noose asked.

  "Is the moron still alive?"Fey asked.

  "Yeah, the idiot is still alive. He has a cut on his nose," Noose answered.

  "Copy."

  "Space please" He growled, slipped his wrist free.

  Noose suddenly curled her lips.

  "You won't have space anymore," She moved closer to him.

  "You don't have concept of personal space do you?"He scoffed, while still keeping pressure onto his nose.

  He felt her hand press onto his shoulder pad and heard a click.

  An emblem plate with "Ruined Jackels" etched into it.

  She did nothing, while both Fey and a medical soldier, approached.