Bullets peppered the wall inches from where Ceralin’s head rested. She did not flinch, but instead used the blade of her sword to block the ricocheting fragments. Staci shook her head as she watched from her defensive position.
“So,” Ceralin said. “I was thinking about getting a bike.” She pulled a small knife from her thigh pouches. She surveyed the knife’s reflection for a bit, then launched it towards the oncoming attacks of bullets. There was cry followed by a thud, that signified that she had hit her target. “What is that? 39?”
“I hate having to count by eye.” Staci said as she refitted her handgun with a new magazine.
“Yea this hallway set up doesn’t help either.” Ceralin said. “You know you could mow them down 10. Then we can count it out from there.”
“Yea so you can rush em while I'm reloading.” Staci said. “You can earn yours just like me.” She peered down the hallway and sent shots of her own down. Multiple thuds followed. Enemy fire had paused long enough for Ceralin to take off down the hallway in a zigzag motion. She jumped from floor to wall and wall to wall, launching more knives that zoomed like magnets to her targets.
“Yo!” Staci started after Ceralin with guns in hand. “You missed one.” She let a bullet off, and the man struggling to sit up collapsed.
“You can have that.” Ceralin said pulling out her sword from her back as she charged the gunmen that chose to retreat. “I have a bunch over he-” Her sentence was cut short by a bullet that whizzed by her ear, and hit the head of gunman she was bringing her sword down onto.
“Thanks.” Staci said.
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Ceralin redirected her sword at another target, but that was also gunned down by Staci. “Ok, now you’re getting annoying.
“What? I thought you asked me to cut them down to 10.” Staci smirked at Ceralin as they came shoulder to shoulder. They watched as the remaining gunmen ran to the right of the end of a T hallway.
“What I thought you asked me to cut them down to 10.” Ceralin repeated. “Wait for me, I have to go get my pocket pokers.”
“Haha.” Staci said. “Better hurry up. My trigger finger’s feeling itchy.”
“Bith.” Ceralin said yanking her hand back after reaching for a blade that was stuck in a nearby fallen gunman, as a bullet struck the ground next to her.
“My bad.” Staci sniggered. “I did say I had an itch. How about you go collect your sticks. I’ll go on ahead and steady my hand. See ya.” Staci took off down the hall. Without a look back towards her remaining blades, Ceralin chased after Staci down the hall.
The two crossed the threshold of a door that separated them from their prey to a burst of blinding light. When their eyes had finally adjusted to the room, they saw a sea of eyes that were staring at them, aghast. Screens behind some of those eyes showed medics pressing their fingers to necks, and holding up an X with their arms.
“What?” Ceralin said sheathing her sword again.
“Got to train like you play.” Staci said.
“It was a damn simulation.” The operator of the main screen said cutting off all the monitors.