Still on top of the dead Broodmother, Unity’s cargo door opened, revealing a woman, speared and impaled through her stomach on one of the monster’s spikes. Bulco jumped down to her and gently lifted her up. The gaping hole started bleeding heavily and she screamed once, her breath rapid and shallow.

“Easy,” the large man said to her in a surprisingly gentle tone. “You’re going to make it. Just rest.”

“Help the others,” she croaked between blood-stained lips.

Bulco nodded. He pressed the woman’s tattered coat to the wound, then stood up to see a field full of wounded people. A mutated gopher came flying out of nowhere, aiming at his neck. The Engineer caught it midair and, with a sneer full of contempt, he tore its head off.

The sound of gunfire was slowing down as the cleanup crew had nearly finished their bloody job.

The large man tapped his ear. “Hey, Diamond, you still alive, old man?”

“You better believe it, boy,” the gruff man replied. “I’m coming over your way now.”

“Martin?”

“I’m here,” the Justicar answered weakly. “I took a hit, but I’ll be alright. Goddamn, what a mess.”

Nori stood on top of the Broodmother’s corpse, staring in silence at the scene below her. The death toll was high, higher than anticipated, but they'd won. “We made it,” she whispered.

“Hell, yeah, we made it,” Diamond agreed. “I’d be really pissed off if we went through all that trouble just to end up dead.”

“My guys are reporting that they’ve finished mopping up the last of the Warped.” Martin’s voice already sounded a little stronger.

“Mine, too,” Diamond answered. “Now we need to sort out the wounded and bury the dead.”

“And to loot the bodies,” Martin declared. “I think we’re all due some Tec.”

“Damn straight,” Diamond replied. “Everyone earned their share of the spoils.” He stepped forward from the crowd and looked up at the four companions, still standing on the giant’s corpse. “Where’s my boy, Noah?”

Nori lowered her eyes and the others refuse to meet the shelter leader’s eyes as well.

Diamond stared at them for a long moment, then with a hoarse voice asked: “What happened?”

Nori looked up at him. “When the Broodmother’s tail hit us it overloaded our weapon systems. Noah …” her voice lowered to a whisper. “He didn’t make it.”

Diamond lowered his eyes and shook his head. “Damn it, he was a good kid. I had high hopes for him.”

Martin limped into the open and put bloody hands on the other leader’s shoulder. “We all took a beating. Thanks to heroes like Noah, we’re still standing. He will be remembered.”

Diamond sighed. “I wish I had fewer people to remember. They keep adding up, you know.”