The moments after breaching the control room were a blur of frantic activity. Breaker, with surprising speed for his bulk, was already wedging the mangled plasteel door back into its frame, using a discarded metal strut as a crude but effective barricade. Zip, his Dragonfly Anima making him a near-invisible flicker in the gloom, darted to the room's single grimy window slit, peering out into the chaotic main chamber of Epsilon. Kai stood near the center of the control room, his senses on high alert, the "Minor Clarity Serum" he'd consumed earlier helping him cut through the adrenaline haze. His Anima Core Stability was at 67%, the recent exertion and ongoing stress a steady drain.
"Hostiles incoming!" Zip hissed, his multifaceted eyes wide. "At least ten of them, heading this way! They saw the door go down. They look… angry."
"Roric, Shift, confirm Zip's visual," Kai snapped into his comm, automatically seeking direction from their overwatch.
"Confirmed, Kai," Roric's calm voice replied instantly. "Shift's picking up increased localized movement towards your position. They're reacting to the breach, as anticipated. Standard scatter-and-probe tactic for a disorganized group. Your control room is their most logical command point to try and secure." There was no hint of surprise or alarm in his voice, only cool analysis. "Breaker, that barricade needs to hold. Zip, identify their primary approach vector. Kai, prepare to repel boarders. Your objective is to hold that room until the main lights restore or they break."
It was Roric giving the tactical breakdown, Roric issuing the immediate objectives. Kai was the strong arm, poised to strike based on the architect's design.
"Breaker, how secure is that door?" Kai asked, turning to the massive man. Breaker slammed his shoulder against the makeshift barricade. "It'll slow them. Won't stop a determined push for long." Patches of his Gorgon Anima were active, his forearms and shoulders taking on that dull, stone-like sheen.
The first wave of Rust Phantoms hit the door moments later – a barrage of heavy thuds, angry shouts, and the screech of metal on metal as they tried to pry it open.
"They're trying to force it!" Zip exclaimed from the window slit. "Three of them are using a battering ram – looks like a reinforced pipe!"
"Shift, any chance of restoring partial light to this control room from your end? Or any schematics for internal defenses here?" Kai asked, again directing the query more broadly, knowing Roric would likely field it.
"Negative on remote light activation, Kai," Roric's voice answered. "The EMP was designed for a full system knockdown. Internal defenses for that specific control room are minimal according to the schematics – it was an observation post, not a hardened bunker. Your best defense is to control the chokepoint at the door."
The door groaned ominously under a particularly heavy impact. "It's giving way!" Breaker grunted, bracing himself against it, his D-Grade Gorgon Anima straining. The stone-like patches on his skin seemed to ripple with the effort.
"Zip, can you create a disorienting attack through the window slit if they breach? Something to slow their entry?" Kai asked, his mind racing, trying to anticipate the flow of the fight as Roric would.
"On it, Leader!" Zip replied. He positioned himself, and as a section of the door finally buckled inwards, revealing a sliver of the torch-lit chaos beyond, Zip unleashed a targeted burst of his Dragonfly Anima. It wasn't an attack, but a high-frequency, disorienting visual and auditory pulse – a flash of iridescent light from his eyes and a sharp, wing-like buzzing – aimed directly at the Phantoms trying to push through.
The effect was immediate. The Phantoms at the breach cried out, stumbling back, clutching their eyes and ears. [Zip – Dragonfly Anima: Disorientation Pulse successful. Multiple hostiles temporarily incapacitated (Sensory Overload). Anima Core (Zip): Depleted by 15%.]
"Now, Breaker! Kai!" Roric's voice cut through the comms, sharp and decisive. "They're disoriented. Plug the breach. Neutralize immediate threats."
Kai didn't need to be told twice. As Breaker roared and surged forward to slam his bulk against the weakened door, trying to reseal the gap, Kai moved to the opening. Two Phantoms, recovering faster than the others, were already trying to squeeze through.
Kai met them in the narrow breach. There was no room for finesse. He manifested his Dermal Plating on his forearms, the dark scales shimmering into existence. His first strike, a scaled fist, caught one Phantom square in the chest, sending him flying back into his comrades. The second lunged with a rusty blade. Kai parried with a scaled forearm, sparks flying, then delivered a brutal knee to the man's gut, followed by an elbow to the jaw. The Phantom crumpled. [Hostiles Neutralized: 2. Anima Core Stability (Kai): 62%. Dermal Plating active.]
"Door secured… for now!" Breaker grunted, managing to wedge the strut back in place.
"Status report, all," Roric commanded from overwatch. "Breach temporarily sealed," Kai replied, his breathing heavy. "Two hostiles down. Zip's diversion bought us the opening." "My Anima's running low, Roric… uh, Leader Kai," Zip panted. "Can't do too many more of those pulses." "Understood, Zip. Conserve your energy," Roric instructed. "Shift, any change in their overall disposition?" "They're still chaotic," Shift reported. "But more of them are converging on the control room's corridor. They know you're in there. I'm picking up at least a dozen heat signatures massing."
"They'll try a coordinated rush next," Roric predicted. "Kai, Breaker, prepare for a sustained assault on that door. This is where you hold the line. Your objective is to inflict enough damage to break their morale. Make them realize this prize is too costly."
Kai nodded grimly. He was the fist, and Roric was pointing him where to strike. He glanced at Breaker, who stood like a rock before the barricaded door, ready for the inevitable. The fate of their first operation, the first real test of The Crimson Coil, rested on their ability to hold this small, dark room against the tide.