The first one reaches me before the rest.A blur of rust and flesh screaming through its teeth. I twist catch its arm and use its own momentum to throw it into a burning pile of tires. The fire accepts it with a hiss. The smell turns worse.
"Efficient entry," Cadence says.
"Warming up the crowd."
The next three come as a pack crawling limping dragging weapons made from what used to be car parts. One swings wide. I duck sweep the leg and kick the other into the sand so hard I hear bones and bolts snap.
My HUD flashes warnings across my sight, map pinging with movement.
Threats Too Many.
"Useful in these situations as always," I mutter.
Cadence hums. "I estimate thirty seven within immediate radius."
"Make it 36." As I kick another through the side of a rusted van.
Sparks explode as the van caves inward. The fire spreads fast climbing metal like vines. Shadows dance against the flames twisted silhouettes human but not.
They keep coming. Dozens. Maybe hundreds.
Metal claws scrape over the wrecks. Children with wire fingers hiss between gaps in the cars. Women with rebar spines crawl through the sand like spiders.
"Cadence," I say.
"Yes?"
"Remind me why I'm not running."
"Because you're stubborn and moderately heroic."
"Moderately?"
The next one is bigger missing a jaw chest caved in carrying a signpost sharpened into a blade. He swings it down with enough force to crater the sand. I sidestep grab his arm and drive my new one through his ribs. The upgraded servos whine and the blow throws him backward ten feet.
"Strength 4 performing adequately," Cadence notes.
"Sure its not 5 ?"
"Overconfidence registered."
"Motivation Cadence. It's called motivation."
Another lunges. I backhand it without looking. The head separates. Sparks fly.Someone screams not pain something worse. Hunger. Rage. They're chanting now voices broken by metal in their throats.
"Language analysis," Cadence murmurs.
"Mostly threats and meal planning."
"With me as the main course"
They swarm. I can't count anymore. It's just motion and impact my hands my feet my breath. Sparks. Blood. Metal. Sand.
A scav woman lunges with a sharpened rod. I catch it mid-air. She's small eyes wide too human. I hesitate. She stabs again. I block but don't strike back. She slashes my cheek open.
Cadence snaps, "Your hesitation is inefficient."
"She's only a chil..."
"Enemy." Cadence cuts in.
The woman shrieks and rushes again. I knock her aside not hard enough to kill. She falls breathing ragged. Behind her two more crash into me. I spin block kick elbow one drops. The other grapples. Teeth sink into my shoulder.
I slam him into a wall until the biting stops. The wall collapses with him.
"Battery 81%" Cadence reports.
"Plenty left in the tank."
A heavy shape drops from above a scav swinging from a chain. I twist grab the chain and pull him out of the air. He hits the ground bounces once and doesn't get up.
"Creative use of gravity," Cadence remarks.
"I learned from experience."
Flames lick the horizon now. The scrapyard burns in streaks of orange and blue. The smell of scorched oil and cooked meat rolls through the wind. The firelight makes the scavs shimmer like molten metal.
One of the captives screams inside the truck. I glance back they're still alive.
"Focus forward," Cadence warns. "Incoming."
A wall of bodies slams into me. I'm buried under claws and teeth. I punch push kick the pile moves but not fast enough. Something sharp rips across my ribs. Another catches my leg. I hit the ground hard sparks bursting from my arm as I land.
Cadence's tone tightens. "Minor damage. Recommend retreat."
"Can't turn back."
"Then retreat forward."
I roll kick upward and break free. The upgraded arm smashes through another chest plate like paper. I grab the scav's own blade and hurl it into a second one. The impact pins them both to the sand.
For a moment they hesitate.
A circle forms around me firelight flickering on rusted metal faces. Dozens of them. Breathing snarling trembling like they can't decide whether to eat me or worship me.
Cadence murmurs, "They are recalculating the odds."
"So am I."
"Outcome?"
"Way lower than 50:50 from earlier."
"Remind me how that worked out again..." I call back.
They attack again. I move faster the upgraded servos humming in perfect rhythm. A kick sends one spinning. An elbow crushes another's skull. I grab one by the throat and throw him into the fire. The blaze erupts higher swallowing the screams.
"Battery 70%," Cadence says.
"Plenty of battery for regret later."
Then the women come four of them smaller but faster their bodies more machine than flesh. Their movements are almost synchronized. I dodge the first block the second but the third slashes across my back cutting deep. Sparks spray.
Cadence's voice jumps. "Neural feedback spike. Disconnect risk."
"Noted."
"Meaning?"
"Don't get hit there again."
I drop low sweep a leg and crush the last one's spine with my knee. The noise echoes like snapping cables. For a second everything stills.
The fire crackles. Wind howls through hollow metal.
Then the children move. Small shapes glowing eyes blades where fingers should be. They swarm the wrecks climbing watching. One drops down in front of me no older than ten his face a patchwork of human skin and welded steel. He hisses.
I freeze.
Cadence whispers, "Do it."
"No."
"You can't save them."
"I'm not killing them."
The child leaps. Instinct takes over. I shove him aside just hard enough to knock him out. Another jumps I sidestep. A third crawls at my leg I kick not fatal but enough to send him sprawling.
More come. Too many.
I start backing up. The swarm grows. They're not fighters they're obstacles. A human wall. A living distraction.
"Cadence," I hiss.
"Recommending withdrawal."
"Working on it."
I turn toward the truck. The captives are still inside eyes wide terrified. The crowd closes in between us. I push forward but a dozen hands grab at my clothes my arms my legs.
Sparks burst as they claw at the metal. My systems scream warnings.
"Battery 60%," Cadence says. "Pressure overload."
"Tell them to stop."
"Consensus seems to be no."
I swing throw break but there's too many. For every one that falls two more crawl over the wrecks. I can't even see the fire now just bodies.
Rhea's voice crackles through the comm faint broken by static. "Iris What's happening Talk to me"
"Busy," I grunt.
"I can't get a signal the relay's ..."Her voice cuts out.
"Cadence," I say breathless.
"Yes."
"How many left"
"Numbers exceeded measurable threshold."
"Translation"
"Too darn many."
The mob surges again. I lose my footing. A dozen arms drag me down. The sand swallows me halfway. My HUD floods with red alerts. Strength readings dip.
"Cadence, assistance."
The screen flickers. I feel her voice inside my nerves sharper now. "You cannot keep this pace. Your biological components are tiring. You will give out."
"Not I WONT !" I scream.
A scav bites into my shoulder joint. I grab its head and twist until it stops moving. Blood and oil mix down my arm.
"Battery 58%" Cadence warns.
"Feels generous."
"Lying for morale, in reality its under 50%."
I slam my foot into the ground launch upward and tear free of the pile. The mob recoils under the shockwave. I land hard breathing ragged.
Cadence's tone shifts almost gentle. "You cannot win like this."
"Maybe not," I say wiping blood from my face.
"But I will go down fighting."
I lift my arm. The servos hum. Sparks arc across my fingers.
"Charge attack pattern" she asks.
"Improvise."
"My favourite kind."
The sand glows underfoot. The scavs hesitate again even they can feel it.
Then I hit the ground.
The blast rips through the camp fire sand metal screams everything collapses into light.
When the smoke clears I'm still standing barely. Bodies everywhere. The air is thick with ash. The horizon burns.
Cadence's voice cuts through the static. "Battery 40% ."
"Enough for another round"
"Barely."
I look back, the captives' eyes plead through the window.
"Stay down," I say. My voice doesn't sound like mine anymore.
Cadence murmurs, almost gentle."You won't survive this."
"I know."
"Then let me..."Silence.
"Do it."