The window opened, slowly, as the Construct’s hand pushed outwards. The man’s ears strained until they rang with silence, listening for the slightest traces of movement just outside.

The window creaked; the metal hand froze.

At the same time, the door was blown inward, cut cleanly by the unnaturally sharp claws of steel beasts.

Three of them. Aim for the…

The rifle report echoed throughout the broken landscape as the bullet caught the first in the neckline, the vital link of metal heart and wired brain. Black fluid spewed out as the beast reared back, a hollow roar ripping from its jaws, and crashed down onto the ground, eyes dimming.

“Rod, go!” He quickly flipped the bolt back, subconsciously making a mental note of where the casing landed, and loaded another precious bullet into the chamber.

The Construct bounded out the window onto the mud below, glancing up at the man. He was watching the beasts. Their eyes, lit with an unreal blue, stared him down. Don’t look at their eyes. Don’t look.