Quenin Tran

Gunfire bursts through both armies and screams pierce the darkening sky. Blood sprays as soldiers on both sides fall. I wield two of my guns, taking down soldier after soldier with deadly accuracy. Around me, the generals and leaders of the city do the same, but we are severely outnumbered. More and more fall before us, but they are replaced almost immediately. One of my guns runs out of ammunition and I throw it away, drawing another. Fires rage, the white-hot flames leaping from fallen vehicles. Bodies already litter the ground, leaking blood all over the already blood-soaked ground.

Five Earth humans surround me, and I attack, leaping from one to another, bursting with adrenaline. A bullet tears through my shoulder, but I barely feel it. Two soldiers fall, and the other three press closer and attack from all sides, but Kaedin is there, cutting them down and helping me up before the two of us charge back into the battle. My shoulder starts to burn, but I ignore it as more die by my hand, swallowed under the endless onslaught of bullets and knives, or whatever still-usable weapons littler the battlefield. Blood from my shoulder wound runs down my back, soaking through my shirt and jacket. The blood of others sprays across my partially gloved hands and coats my various weapons. A few yards away, I see Kaedin fall, a soldier leaping to finish him off. I attack from behind, one of my knives sinking into his back. He goes limp and I take his weapons, stashing them wherever I have room before I shove him away. I pull Kaedin to his feet.

"Thanks," he says.

"We're not done yet," I say, and we charge back into the battle.