Tom veered hard to the left, his glowing red body cutting across the night sky fast enough to leave a warped streak of blue light behind him.
Hovering ahead, the capital ship drifted with a grinding metallic groan.
Its gun batteries tracked him instantly.
Then the sky erupted.
Rows of anti-aircraft cannons thundered in sequence, shells screaming after him. Explosions burst across the clouds behind Tom in rapid flashes of orange and white, each blast just a fraction too slow.
Tom bellowed a deep laugh.
"Shit, bastards."
Tom snapped one arm outward.
A glowing arc slashed through the air.
Explosions ripped across the side of the capital ship in a perfect line. One after another after another after another. Armour plates peeled away. Fire burst from within the vessel's hull like pressure escaping a furnace.
The massive carcass began listing sideways.
Tom didn't even stop.
He shot forward again, accelerating so violently that the air behind him collapsed into a shockwave.
Ahead, a destroyer swung broadside toward him. Its cannons opened fire immediately. Heavy shells tore through the sky in blazing streaks.
Tom twisted around the first.
Dropped beneath the second.
Spun sideways around a third so close the heat curled across him—
Then he hit the destroyer head-on.
The impact split the ship clean through the center.
For a single instant, Tom disappeared inside the vessel.
Then he burst out the opposite side, trailing fire and molten metal behind him like a comet.
The destroyer froze.
Its broken halves drifted apart.
And then the entire ship detonated.
The explosion rolled outward in a blooming sphere of fire, scattering burning debris across the battlefield.
Across the skies, George chased the falling chunks of debris.
I caught a spinning chunk of wreckage the size of a truck before it could tumble into the streets below.
The metal screamed against my palms.
I twisted with the momentum and hurled it back upward.
It tore through the air like a meteor and slammed deep into another alien cruiser. The impact punched straight through the hull before detonations started rippling along the ship's surface.
More debris fell around me.
Too much.
A burning section of twisted hull spun downward through the clouds toward the evacuation routes below. I angled downward immediately.
The convoy came into view fast—MEI transports weaving through ruined streets, civilians packed between armoured trucks.
And directly above them—
Shit.
I accelerated.
The debris hit my arms like a collapsing building. Pain shot through my shoulders as momentum dragged me downward another hundred feet before I finally stabilised.
Below me, people screamed.
I lowered the wreckage carefully into an empty intersection, molten metal hissing against the pavement.
MEI agents standing nearby stared at me for half a second before cheers erupted from the convoy.
I barely had time to nod before launching back into the sky, engulfing myself in the battle immediately.
Ships burned everywhere.
Smoke rolled across the clouds in black oceans.
Then I spotted Tom.
He tore through a formation of fighters so quickly the ships exploded a full second after he passed them.
I flew up beside him.
"Be careful," I shouted over the roar of engines and explosions. "There's people below!"
Tom glanced sideways at me while weaving around incoming plasma fire.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "Like… don't blow up the ships? Don't really see the point in that—"
"I mean, be careful when you blow them up!" I snapped. "Watch where the debris falls!"
Tom opened his mouth to answer—
Then suddenly grabbed an alien fighter by the nose as it flew toward him.
With one violent motion, he kicked the spinning ship toward me.
I caught it instinctively.
The engines whined in my grip.
Tom chuckled.
I hurled the fighter upward and fired a blast straight through it.
The ship exploded high above us into dozens of much smaller burning fragments.
Tom pointed at the battlefield around us.
"We need to focus on destroying these things," he said. "That's the only way to save the people below."
Another cruiser exploded in the distance, lighting the underside of the clouds.
"But what's the point," I shot back, "if we're killing people while we do it?"
Tom shook his head.
"Thousands die every day. If we don't stop these lot?" He pointed all around to the numerous ships hanging above the city. "Millions. Maybe the whole planet."
I clenched my jaw.
Around us, fighters screamed through the smoke while anti-air fire stitched glowing lines across the sky.
"All I'm saying," I said, "is watch out for the people below."
Tom drifted backwards through the air, energy crackling around his hands.
Then he gave me a crooked grin.
"Sure thing, dude."
And he vanished.
The shockwave from his acceleration rattled the air around me as he shot east toward another cluster of destroyers.
I stared after him for half a second.
Then I heard the roar of engines behind me: three enemy fighters diving toward the convoy below.
I turned and launched myself downward.
Red and violet streaks tore across the night sky like claw marks.
Himiko sank lower into her seat as the night sky lit up in blazing gold. Beside her, Kaoru leaned close enough that only she could hear him over the engine.
"What did I tell you?" he whispered, nudging her arm gently. "Trust them to get us out of this."
Himiko looked forward. "You're right," she said softly after a moment. "We've got our own job to do."
Kaoru gave a quiet snort and slumped back into his seat, though the tension never left his shoulders.
The tyres hammered through craters in the road, jolting the entire vehicle. Every impact rattled the doors and sent loose equipment clattering across the floor. Around them, the evacuation convoys pushed forward past them through the ruined streets—military vans roaring past, overloaded trucks packed shoulder-to-shoulder with civilians, headlights slicing wildly through smoke and drifting ash.
Above them, something enormous groaned.
Himiko looked up instinctively.
A destroyer hung in the sky, burning from the inside out.
Then it exploded.
The night erupted in a roaring blaze. Fire rolled across the clouds in waves of orange and white, scattering molten debris in every direction. The shockwave hit half a second later, punching against the car hard enough to shake the windows.
"LOOK OUT!" Aiko screamed, pointing through the windshield.
A massive chunk of flaming wreckage spun downward directly toward the road.
Mrs Isamu yanked the wheel.
The car lurched sideways violently. Himiko slammed against the door as debris crashed into the asphalt beside them with a deafening impact, spraying shattered concrete, twisted metal, and burning fuel across the highway.
"There's another one coming!"
A second shadow dropped from the sky.
Himiko grabbed the frame above the window as Mrs Isamu jerked the vehicle left, narrowly avoiding one flaming section of hull—
then right again—
Another piece screamed past so close that Himiko felt the heat grace her face.
Mrs Isamu slammed her foot down.
The engine howled.
Himiko's head snapped back into the seat as the car surged forward between panicking vehicles.
"There," Himiko said suddenly, pointing ahead.
Through the smoke, the Shilton Hotel rose above the ruined district.
The towering sign still glowed against the darkness.
But beside it, high up along the upper floors, a massive wound had been torn through the building where part of the destroyer had crashed into it. Smoke poured from the opening in thick black columns, illuminated from within by flickering firelight. Broken glass glittered as it rained from the exposed floors.
The hotel stood like a dying lighthouse in the middle of the burning city.
Tyres crunched over broken glass as the car rolled into a silent stop beside an abandoned limousine parked beneath the hotel's entrance canopy, its black paint reflecting the chandelier glow pouring from the lobby windows.
Muffled from the distance was the crackling thunder of explosions.
Aside from the hole up above, the hotel itself seemed untouched by the war, standing aloof behind polished brass doors.
Himiko unfolded from her. The door opened with a mechanical sigh, and she placed one boot on the cold curb. The sharp smell of smoke hit her immediately, but vanished the moment she looked up.
The hotel rose above her in matte chestnut wood and dark glass. Thirteen stories of unrestrained wealth, lit up by golden lights.
Kaoru stepped out of the car behind her, boots clamping against the concrete. He looked up, slowly whispering "wow" to himself.
"This is a bit too much for my blood," Aiko chuckled as she stepped out of the car."
"Enough awing, guys. We've got work to do." Mrs Isamu chuckled as she walked past.
The four walked beneath the canopy towards the entrance, boots cushioned by the red carpet stretching from the revolving doors to the limousine behind them. Heat rolled from the revolving doors each time it turned, carrying traces of sandalwood, polished cedar, and something floral so faint it disappeared before it could be identified.
They entered.
The ceiling stretched upward four stories, crossed by enormous beams of smoked oak. Chandeliers hung low in clusters—not crystal monstrosities, but thousands of tiny suspended lights that resembled floating stars trapped in amber glass. The marble floor beneath their feet was dark green, veined with white, polished so perfectly that the reflections looked deeper than the stone itself. At the far end of the lobby, a black grand piano stood beneath a wall of moving water; however, its pianist had abandoned it long ago. Soft, elegant jazz played in the background, as if the hotel refused to acknowledge what was going on.
They stepped forward.
To their left, the hotel bar glowed in warm amber light. Bottles rose behind the counter like stained glass in a church, untouched and alone, they stood.
The reception desks were carved from single slabs of black marble. Behind them stood hotel staff dressed with almost military precision: dark uniforms, silver pins, white gloves. Not a wrinkle among them.
"You're finally here." Yelled a young female receptionist.
"People are still working here?" Aiko whispered to Himiko.
"We've got a situation," the receptionist continued, "a group of them have locked themselves in one of the rooms—"
"We know all about it," Mrs Isamu cut in, "that's why we're here—"
"They've got hostages."
Himiko's eyes shot wide. "Where are they?"
Mrs Isamu placed a hand gently on her shoulder, the warmth passing through the fabric of her uniform, soothing her like a mother's embrace. "Do you know which room they're in?"
"Y-yes, room um… eleven fifteen."
Himiko's eyes narrowed. Could it be near the top? Something about that brought back memories from long ago.
"Can we see a map of the layout?"
"Erm… I can l-load one up on my computer."
"That would be great."
The four of them walked towards the desk, but Kaoru and Aiko slowed to a stop as Mrs Isamu raised her hand, signalling them to stay there. Himiko and Mrs Isamu continued to the receptionist's computer.
The monitor glowed a white-blue glow that reflected onto the receptionist's golden, round-framed glasses. Multiple windows were open; the leading one was old-fashioned-looking, reminiscent of Windows XP. Across the top of the bar, the word Opera was printed. It must've been the system they used to operate the hotel. In the centre of the window, there was a white table with the room number, guest name, and number of people in the room. The receptionist clicked buttons, leading her to different pages, until she clicked the 'floor plan' button.
Upon clicking the button, a new page opened up with a 2D diagram of the ground floor's floor plan. To the right, another table displayed each floor. Scrolling down the table, the mouse drifted towards the eleventh floor.
The diagram switched. The corridors stretched from the elevators, forming the shape of a lowercase 'h' mixed with an uppercase 'F', with rooms outlining them.
The lady pointed to the northwest corner of the plan, to a large suite.
"That's eleven fifteen."
"Thank you. Don't worry, we'll take care of it, you just stay safe, ok?"
The lady nods, "Good luck."
Makoto doesn't respond; she just turns and walks towards Kaoru and Aiko. Himiko nods to the receptionist and follows.
"So what's the sitch?" Aiko took a step forward.
"They've locked themselves on the eleventh floor, in a large suite. They have hostages and—"
Himiko quietly chuckles to herself.
Everyone turns to her.
"What's so funny, Himiko?"
Himiko paused, smile still plastered across her face, "Oh… erm." She turned to Aiko and Kaoru, "It's just like the training scenario."
Kaoru froze halfway through unbuttoning his collar. "Now that you mention it… It is." His lips curled into a smile, and light sparkled in his eyes.
"Got a plan?"
"Aiko, climb up a building behind the hotel until you are level with the eleventh floor—grab your rifle."
Aiko's eyes begin to glow, "You got it, boss."
Kaoru, arms crossed, asked, "And we're—"
"Breaching the room, of course."
Cut to them climbing the stairs.
The black, carpeted staircase was crammed into four clean, ice-white walls lit by harsh fluorescent lights. There was a distant mechanical groan of pipes somewhere deep within the building. Himiko slammed her foot down on the landing. In front of her, beside a glass door, was a flat silver sign with the number six written on it.
The four of them panted heavily. Kaoru leans up against the wall.
"Why… couldn't we take… the elevator?"
"It's broken." Himiko panted, hands on her hips.
Mrs Isamu paced up ahead, "Come on, guys. There are people waiting for us." Her voice echoed up and down the empty staircase.
The team moved fast but controlled, boots pounding softly against steel steps. Floor numbers passed one by one beside the landings.
7
8
9
10
The eleventh-floor corridor stretched ahead beneath soft recessed lighting, flickering slightly. The hallway looked absurdly beautiful despite the chaos—cream-colored walls, framed abstract paintings, polished brass sconces glowing softly in the dimness. It was almost inviting. The smell, however, was less inviting—no more perfume and polished wood, instead, the thick scent of smoke filled the air. There was a cold breeze passing through the corridor as well as the muffled sound of explosions up ahead.
Ghost-Line stepped forward slowly, weapons ready.
Halfway down the corridor, a body lay. The man sat slumped against the wall beneath an enormous oil painting, head tilted at an unnatural angle. His navy blazer was soaked black down the front. One hand still rested near an empty holster.
Nobody stopped.
To the right, a door barely hung on its hinges.
Weapon first, Himiko peeked inside.
The floor was littered with ash and rubble. The ship from before sat inside, carving into a bed, sheets burnt black. It was barely hanging on, windows smashed open. A single body sat inside, slumped over the dashboard.
Himiko took one step forward, slow and contemplated—
"LOOK OUT!" Kaoru yelled as he tugged Himiko back.
The floorboards groaned.
Metal screamed.
The ship leaned before tumbling out of the Hotel, down to the concrete below.
A fireball bloomed from the ship's carcass as it slammed against the ground. The heat punched Himiko in the face as she looked down.
The skyline view was breathtaking. Between the silhouettes of buildings reaching into the sky, Ships lined with golden lights erupted into fireworks of flames. Ribbons of red and purple cut through the night sky. The large capital ship drifted in between.
The red entity glided alongside it, slicing lines of flame in the side of its hull.
Suddenly, the railgun on top glowed to life, roaring in a frequency that rose as it glowed brighter and brighter.
BANG
A beam cut through the sky, chasing the red entity, slicing buildings in half.
Kaoru stepped forward, "Wait… it's coming towards—"
"GET DOWN!" Makoto yelled.
They all threw themselves to the ground.
The beam carved across the hotel wall, fading out as it passed.
Himiko panted.
"They couldn't care less who they harm," Kaoru slowly pulled his hands away from his ears, "as long as they kill them."
"They made the Hive, of course, they don't care," Himiko said as she rose to her knees, then to her feet. "Let's get moving."
Aiko's muffled through the radio in a distressed tone, "You guys ok?!"
"We're all good, Aiko." Himiko replied as she held the radio to her lips, "What's the room looking like?"
"Erm… It's hard to see with the blacked-out windows. I can see movement, but I don't know how many, or who's an alien or not."
"Some Hawkeye—"
"Shut up, Kaoru."
Kaoru crossed his arms, smirking.
"Keep your eyes out, we're on our way now."
With the click of a button, the radio beeped into silence, and the group moved down the corridors. They reached the final door. Room eleven fifteen.
Kaoru pulled out a small metal ladybird. "A little prototype I made," he rotated it in his index finger and thumb, passing a hand through his curly black locks, "a reconnaissance drone, no aethesium needed."
Kaoru let go og the drone. It dropped to the floor silently. He pulled out a small phone and tapped on an app called 'Birdie'. The camera feed expanded on the screen, pointing to the bottom of the door.
"Let's go." Kaoru declared as the drone crawled underneath the door. "I see four of them in the main room. One… two… five hostages."
"Any other rooms?" Himiko asked.
"Hold on… yeah—damn this is fancy—there's a separate room for the bed. But there's no one in there, they're all standing in the main room, waiting."
Crouching down, Kaoru picked up the crawling ladybird and slipped it into his satchel.
Mrs Isamu felt out the handle.
Locked.
"Anyone know how to pick a lock?" Mrs Isamu whispered.
"There is no lock," Kaoru stated, one brow raised.
"Only joking—weapons ready. Himiko, flashbang."
Pressed up against the wall, Himiko pulled a flashbang out of her satchel. Makoto stood on the other side, pistol in hand. She held her hand up with three fingers.
Then two.
Himiko pulled the pin.
Then one.
Then—
BANG.
The door swung open. Himiko rolled the grenade along the floor. Within seconds, the room was engulfed in light.
"CLEAR!"
The three charged in, guns blazing.
Bang.
The first went down.
Bang.
Bang.
The second.
The alien general stood seven feet tall in the centre, hostage, in its grip, her legs dangling above the floor. The pistol poked the side of the woman's face.
"P-please… help me."
The three pointed their weapons at it. The general tightened its grip.
"Put the gun down, and we won't shoot." Makoto pleaded softly, one hand raised.
No response.
The alien stepped back and shot the glass behind. Its coat fluttered as wind passed in through the shattered windows.
"Is it preparing its escape?" Himiko mumbled to herself.
It slowly stepped back towards the window.
Stopped.
The three had a tight, narrow focus on the general. Not one of them blinked or twitched.
Himiko frowned. What could it possibly do from the window? Jump? Then it'd most likely die. Then, suddenly, she heard shuffling behind her, which made her remember.
They never saw the fourth alien.
"HIMIKO, BEHIND YOU!"
Himiko turned around.
There was an alien, baton in hand, mid-swing.
But then.
Its helmet blasted open. Green blood splattered across the wall behind. All moments after a crackle was heard in the distance.
"Aiko," Himiko mumbled with a smile.
The alien general scanned the room. Then—
BANG!
A hole tore through its arm. The gun crashed to the ground.
Himiko swooped in, crashing into the alien. Kaoru followed in behind, helping pin the being to the ground.
It struggled and groaned.
Himiko leaned into the general's helmet. "Shouldn't have shot the window," she chuckled.
The hostage rushed to the corner of the room.
"Hold him still," Makoto ordered as she pulled out large, heavy-duty handcuffs.
She grabbed its hands, forcing the handcuffs onto its wrists.
"Good work, guys." Mrs Isamu pulled out her radio, twisting the dial on the top. "Harden, we need an evac. We've got him."
The alien looked up, its helmet cracked. The look of it made Himiko shiver. The sclera was ocean blue, its iris a fluorescent, moving ocean of red, green and purple. No pupil.
It shifted up to meet Himiko's gaze, then spoke in its signature croaky voice.
"The ve-essels… will ki-ki-kill us… all.