Sera moved between the newcomers like they were nothing more than ants under her feet.
She did not waste a step. Hands, teeth, elbows. She took the rifle from one and used the stock to crush a skull. She grabbed the throat of another and squeezed until bone creaked.
She moved with a rhythm that was clean and efficient. Men died in silence after meeting her.
Alexei was a line. Frost flowed from him in arcs. Still less than human, he breathed on whole squads and watched them freeze mid-stride. Frost curved up and wrapped a mounted machine gun, locking its traverse.
Men tried to pull it free and failed.
Psycho fed on the noise. This is good, it said. This is the sound of order falling apart.
Alexei did not let it distract him. He kept scanning the scene in front of him.
The command vehicle was the next thing to demand his attention…the platform with the loudspeaker.
The man on it wasn't guessing at orders. It was clear that he was the one giving them.
