Chapter 12 : Shoot!

They stood across from each other. Every minute movement, and twitch their body's made was noted by the other. It knelt like an Olympic sprinter and held that position, as if waiting for a signal. Mwene held out his arms and assumed his boxer stance, his eyes peering over fists. The world around them stood still for them, until it didn't. A mechanical whir distracted behind Mwene distracted him and brought him out of his zen-like trance. He looked back to notice the cannons, on the top and bottom of the shuttle, scraping against the floor and ceiling, trying to aim at him.

The sound of rocks falling from below quickly shifted Mwene's attention back to it. He glanced down to where he last saw it and saw nothing but dust. His eyes darted across the scene before he spotted it. It was running up the building wall like a rapid animal. Mwene blindly threw a punch, but it easily dodged it and speared him through the floor ceiling and onto the ceiling of the above floor. Mwene fell only to be struck by its knee right on his chin. This sent Mwene crashing through two floors before momentarily sticking to the ceiling. Just as gravity let him fall, he was struck by it's white energy beam which sent him through three floors before he bounced around the forth floor and slid onto the floor. Half of his body hung out of the window, he was out of breath and his head felt like it had been shredded.

Mwene opened his eyes and saw it, standing over him, with a slab of concrete ready to pummel him with it. Just as he brought the slab down, Mwene punched it and its momentum shifted back at it and struck it right on his face, breaking into a thousand pieces. It staggered backwards, wiping the dust from its eyes only to be greeted by a one two combo from Mwene. It took a flurry of hard punches to the face and staggered back to the other side of the window. Just as Mwene prepared to throw a haymaker he slipped and fell forward. He crashed through the glass, half of his body hanging out of it. Mwene quickly turned onto his back and was greeted by it stretching out his arms, palms out, glowing ready to fire. Mwene picked some fine glass shards beside him and threw them into its eyes. It fired off to the left cutting through the floor as it took a step back in discomfort.

The floor beneath them crumbled and it wildly shot haphazardly whilst trying to wipe its eyes with the back of its hands. Mwene fell and grabbed onto the ledge that was below him. As he pulled himself up, an energy blast narrowly missed his head. He almost lost his grip as he dodged it and found himself hanging by one hand. He got his other hand gripping the ledge again and pulled himself. He saw it leap into the air, its arms raised, ready to smash him and the ledge. Mwene, swung his body back then forwards, gaining momentum and let his knees hit the underside of the ledge just as it landed, destroying it. They both fell onto the floor below.

Mwene quickly recovered and wildly punted it's head. It fell over and got on top of it and just pummelled it's head repeatedly. It's flames began to subside as Mwene's only grew more. His punches grew even more stronger when he thought of Termi having her hopes dashed before she knew. He thought of Chase and what he did to his cousin. He thought of Anan and how she fought till the bitter end. Finally, images of his father raced through his mind. How his dreams of him and reality didn't line up. How he may not be the man he thought he was. How he may have to pay for whatever sins he has committed.

Lost in his thoughts Mwene failed to notice it's flames began to recharge. Mwene threw a punch and it moved it's head to dodge it. It grabbed Mwene's arm and yanked it forward and headbutted him. It did this three times leaving Mwene dazed. It aimed it's other arm at the ceiling and shot an energy beam across the ceiling causing it to collapse. A large portion of it fell directly onto them and the floor underneath them gave way.

Dust from the rubble temporarily blinded Mwene as he tried to get his bearings. The whole world was an opaque white, but he could hear shouting. He stood up despite the growing weight above him. Rubble just fell off his shoulders. He looked around the room and he couldn't see it. He felt a sharp pain in his knee and found an ugly steel rod had impaled itself through his knee cap. He ripped it and ignored the shearing hotness in his knee. He heard heavy breathing behind him and gripped the rob tightly. He paused for a moment listening to it, trying to pinpoint it's exact location. When he was sure he threw the rod at it. Simultaneously it had latched onto the corner of the ceiling and the wall behind Mwene like a spider. Its arms were raised, palms out ready to fire at him.

When Mwene threw the rod, it fired another energy beam at him. The beam sent Mwene through the floor and the rod impaled itself through its throat. Ayla screamed as Mwene crashed onto the floor where their fight started. The impact of his crash sent cracks all over the floor. The building began to dangerously lean to the left. The shuttle slid a bit, managing to free the top cannon a bit. Inyanga desperately tried to ignite the engines but to avail. It jumped down onto their floor, the rod still in its throat. It had it's attention focused on the shuttle. It walked menacingly towards them. Inyanga aimed the cannon and fired. It leaned back to dodge it. He fired again and it leaned to the side. Inyanga tried to fire again but the on-board computer blocked the action. The message on the screen read

"Too close to fire. Action blocked".

Inyanga desperately tried to override the safety measure. Nike moved forward with the same shard of metal that had lodged itself into his shoulder whilst Ayla hid behind him. It paused and raised its arms to strike down on Nike. Just as it brought it's arms down Mwene grabbed them from behind and began to pull him back one step at a time.

"Shoot!" Mwene commanded Inyanga.

Mwene took a couple of steps back as it wrestled. It's arms began to glow white.

"Do it!" The on-board computer still refused to shoot. The arms were fully white now. Mwene took it two steps back.

"Now!"

"You may now fire," Patience stoically told Inyanga.

Inyanga pressed the trigger and the cannon boomed.