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“There are more coming,” Hunter huffed. His knife flashed in the dim light.
“Where?” Omega asked. “I don’t see them!”
“I can hear them.”
Echo swore under his breath. “Tech should have been back by now.”
Wrecker smashed his hammer through several undead Imperial soldiers, laughing madly.
“There he is!” Omega cried, pointing behind them. Tech was running toward them from the other end of the bridge.
“Is that… thing set?” Hunter asked, subduing another soldier.
“Yes,” Tech responded, launching a spell in the direction of several soldiers. “I need cover to set up the final component.”
The others surrounded him, fighting off any that would come near. Tech worked quickly for a few moments, doing his best to ignore the onslaught around him.
“Tech?” Echo called.
“Almost–ah! Damn it !”
Omega heard a zap and the sound of metal breaking. “What happened?”
“The spring mechanism snapped,” Tech explained. “I need to replace it or it will not work at all.”
“How long will that take?” Hunter growled.
Tech breathed heavily, staring down at his failing contraption.
One of the Empire’s creatures hurled Wrecker back and he landed right next to Tech.
“Wrecker, go through my pack,” he instructed frantically. “We need to replace both the spring and the gear attached to it. If I let go of the mechanism, the device will activate and it will bring down this entire bridge with us still on it .”
“ Ahh! ” Omega yelped, falling to the ground.
“Omega!” Hunter called, nearly losing focus on the close combat he was currently engaged in.
“I-I’m okay,” she answered weakly, clutching her side.
Tech watched as his brothers took hit after hit, as his sister lay there, crying in pain.
“I can’t find it, Tech,” Wrecker said.
Hunter took another particularly brutal hit to the gut.
Tech scowled, then looked up at his brother. “There is no time , Wrecker,” he said.
“No,” Wrecker growled as he realized what Tech was planning. “No-no-no, Tech–”
“ Look around , Wrecker,” Tech roared. “You need to get them out of here.”
“What about you?” Omega breathed. Her voice was weak and her color was paling.
Tech’s resolve threatened to break. “Plan 99,” he managed.
Wrecker picked himself up with a groan, making his way over to Omega.
“Wrecker? Wrecker, no,” she protested as he lifted her.
Echo kicked back one of the soldiers, squeezing Tech’s shoulder as he passed.
Hunter gave him one last look, his eyes clearly portraying respect and appreciation. Tech nodded.
With his free hand, he grabbed one of the potion bottles attached to his belt. He threw it at the feet of the aggressors. It shattered and the broken glass collided with the potion inside. The spilled potion bubbled and exploded, tearing through the enemies around him, a spare few shards flying back and ripping through the skin on his side.
The bodies of the undead soldiers kept the others from advancing, but as the potion fizzled out, they began toward him again.
He spared a look behind him. His family was safely off the bridge. He gave them a small nod; as much of a “goodbye” as he could give them.
He breathed in, then out. And he let go.
He could hear the bridge crumbling beneath him. He could feel it shaking violently. And then it finally gave out.