Shifter nudges my mind. As I’m about to take off the pack, a scent catches in my nostrils, paired with claws scraping rock. “Packs!”
We rush ahead with the other Titans and human guards, forming a barrier against the back end of our camp. Tumble and ZipZap encourage the females faster after our leaders, while Bomber hangs back with us. Poppy comes closer, her rifle in her radiant hands.
Shifter, Sefina, Poppy, Bomber, and I form a wall behind the group, firing at every welvir that appears on our scanners. It’s a shit plan, but it’s all we’ve got.
When we run out of ammo, we’ll be down to the few of us with the balls to confront them head-on. But I can’t take on three packs at once, throwing blades. There have to be a hundred mutants raking their way over each other to get to us.
The Welvirs pour over each other until we are firing with no break, and the tunnel is as bright as day.
Poppy>>Local: Where are they all coming from? There are too many!”
“I don’t know but I’m almost out!” Shifter sounds frantic.
“Same!” Bomber’s already piecing together another explosive to close the tunnel.
And then, out of nowhere, Sefina stops. She lowers her rifle, slumps, and clutches her head.
“Fin, we have to go!” Bomber stops what he’s doing and reaches for her.
Sefina shies away from him and cries out, her eyes wrenched shut.
Poppy runs to me. “She needs her migraine medicine!”
“Migraine medicine?” I take down three more mutants with flaming blue bullets.
“I do not have a ship to manage. I know every female’s injuries, medicines, jobs, and traumas.” Poppy frantically digs through the bag and frees a pouch with some soft twigs inside. She drags Sefina after the survivors by a shoulder strap of her armored vest as we retreat, Bomber, Shifter, and I picking of the welvirs that advance fastest.
Sefina curls up in a ball and screams the most horrendous sound of pain I’ve ever heard. It even makes me grimace as the shrill racket pulses through my thoughts, stalling lines of code. A blue wave rips out from her forehead. I see it in my scanners the same way I see the wolves, the humans, and my Brothers.
The welvirs scramble back, whimper, and scatter into the tunnels.
Sefina’s hyperventilating. Tears streak her face. She stares blankly up at Poppy from where she lies on the ground. Poppy breaks off a piece of whatever is in the bag and tucks it under her tongue, which takes some effort. Sefina cries out again and clutches her head.
Other females stop and look back.
Sefina gags and blacks out.
Poppy sighs and hangs her head. “Menace!”
My ultromotor skips a cycle. I’m in deep shit.
