The hangar bay lights flicker, half of them already smashed. The place was pure chaos, agents fighting for their lives, no matter where you looked. The air smells of smoke and blood. The distant sound of metal feet hammering the steel deck became louder with each passing second, announcing that more enemies were incoming. Phoenix’s back pressed against Dune’s for a second, his breath coming fast. It didn’t matter how many cyborgs they put down – they were outnumbered. Dune stood firm, his body glistening with sweat. He created a dense wall of sand to block two of the entries, but the creatures kept pushing forward until the barrier was destroyed.
Moving swiftly between the fallen, Phoenix pulled a small knife from a pocket to cut the palm of his hand. He knelt beside an ally and let his blood spill over their injuries, allowing the red liquid’s healing properties to close wounds and bring them to a semiconscious state. He moved on to another agent and repeated the process, over and over again. The more blood he lost, the weaker he felt, but he couldn’t worry about himself right now. They needed numbers to defeat the cyborgs. Even those who were not yet incapacitated benefited from his powers. It worked as a small booster, ensuring they could withstand another few hours of battle if needed.
When his sand wall collapsed, the hangar was swarmed with cyborgs pouring in through the breach. One charged at Phoenix, who was still focused on healing as many fallen agents as possible. Dune quickly reacted, placing another wall between the attacker and his ally. Then the barrier curved inward, closing around the cyborg's body, crushing him into a pile of twisted limbs.
“There are too many,” He yelled, once again moving closer to Phoenix. “We can't fight them all.”
The healer’s focus shifted to the battle. With a determined look, he picked up a pulse rifle off the floor and fired at the offenders with calm precision. “We got this.” He assured Dune with a playful wink. The confidence made the young agent roll his eyes, but the words were comforting. Dozens of sharp sand spikes floated in the air before being launched at the cyborgs at high velocity, piercing through flesh and circuits. He repeated the attack, this time aiming for the eyes.
Phoenix continued to fire at nearby enemies, hoping for an opportunity to drop the gun and treat more allies. The cyborgs kept advancing, and one managed to get close enough to wrap its metallic hands around Phoenix's neck, making him drop his weapon while he struggled to break free. Dune quickly formed a sand tendril and whipped it around the cyborg's leg. He pulled it hard enough to unbalance the enemy, and the effort was enough to give Phoenix an opening to escape.
Seizing the opportunity, Phoenix circled the cyborg, placed both hands to the side of its head and twisted it. But the cyborg's neck was made of reinforced metal and it didn't budge. Dune increased the pressure on its legs until it ripped the leg off completely. Filled with rage, the cyborg’s strong grip found Phoenix again and threw him to the ground. The healer landed hard with a loud grunt, his body already weakened from the blood lost. He reached for the rifle he dropped, but the cyborg landed a heavy fist on his forearm and stopped him immediately.
Before Dune can make another move to help Phoenix, his attention shifts to two cyborgs who closed around him. One gripped his hair and the other punched his ribs hard enough to disorient him. Before a fatal strike could be made, Dune's whole body turned into sand and reformed behind the enemy. From his palms, more sand was created and closed around the cyborgs’ heads in a perfect sphere. The sand ball was compressed until the attackers' bodies fell onto the ground, their skulls crushed.
Dune turned immediately, his eyes scanning for Phoenix. He saw his body on the floor, too still, and a pool of blood beneath him. He held back the tears. Not enough time for this. The sand struck the cyborg like a tidal wave, pinning its body against the metal wall. A spike of sand pierced through its abdomen, impaling the murderer. More spikes followed until its body was completely disfigured.
For the remainder of the battle, Dune fought like a storm unchained, driven by rage and grief. No matter how many cyborgs came, he would not die tonight.
