Snippet #2492888

The innocent civilians scrambled in every possible direction to avoid the volley of bullets and energy blasts. 3(b) sucked his teeth in minor annoyance when his shots missed their target. He assumed a low-crouch position as he hurried over to the nearest fountain, just barely missing the beams of electricity that jolted from the soldiers' rifles. He used the brief window he'd been given to reload his revolver before peaking from behind his cover-point to fire a few shots at Shadow-Sabre and Verhasst, returning to cover immediately afterward. Damn those suits of theirs! Why didn't they get suits? Things we be a lot easier if they did.

Seeing that they were quickly being surrounded, the other clones moved to take cover behind anything they could find. They grabbed a hold of any pedestrian they could reach, some snagged two, others only one. Though it could be seen as an attempt to initiate a hostage situation, these offenders had another idea in mind. The Asterians that fell into the gunmans' grasps were violently and rapidly transformed into a carbon copy of the man who had attempted to assassinate Gabriel Ereb moments earlier. In addition to the change in appearance, the new Chain clones each sported a unique weapon that somehow appeared out of thin air; this included a high powered plasma rifle, a futuristic rocket launcher, and a couple other weapons that would level the playing field.
The clone--5(c)--mounted the rocket launcher on his shoulder and fixed the head of the grenade on a path leading straight to Shadow-Sabre and Verhasst. The targeting display of the weapon's optic sight highlighted a rectangular boxes around the armored guards, giving him the okay to squeeze the trigger. The grenade burst from the barrel with a deafening boom and flew toward the two super soldiers at frightening speeds. Even if it missed its mark the grenade would still detonate, engulfing everything in proximity in a pernicious haze of super-heated plasma.

As the firefight in the city square raged on, 1(a) sat in the comfort of his apartment with his eyes fixed on his TV. By now the reporters and camera crew of the local news station had gathered on the scene, providing live footage for everyone in the city to see. It didn't seem like the wisest decision to him, but at least they were dedicated to their craft. He kicked back in his recliner and folded his arms behind his head so he could watch the scene unfold.