Stone Soldiers 4: Shades of War by C. E. Martin Read Free Book Online

plasma pistol had been knocked from his grasp. His chin was now grey, the color of stone, and was shifting back into place.
    The flying man stood by the entrance to the chamber, nursing his mangled fist. He focused energy into it, willing the broken bone and torn flesh to mend.
    "Curious. Striking your head and body actually caused me physical pain."
    The soldier’s chin was turning back to flesh now, fully healed. He stepped toward the flying man.
    Gray eyes under a mop of blond hair squinted and unleashed twin streams of red at the soldier. The superheated air between the flying man and the soldier caught the soldier in the stomach, their intensity so strong they pushed him back as they burned through his shirt and reflected off a mesh undershirt.
    The flying man frowned. "Looks like I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," He too formed his hands into tight fists and stepped forward.
    The soldier stood his ground, his weight centered on his right, leg, his left foot out in front, fists held at the ready.
    "You've ruined everything," the flying man said angrily, striding forward. "I had this all planned out, trained my soldiers and was ready."
    "Ready for what?" the soldier asked, tensing the muscles in his left leg.
    "Ready for the inv-"
    The soldier lashed out with his right foot, shifting his weight to his left and pivoting on the ball of the foot. His mind was clear, focused. He channeled his ki into the kick, slamming his foot directly into the flying man’s solar plexus.
    Faint, almost invisible green light flared at the impact. The terrific force of the kick surprised its recipient, who felt himself flung backwards ten feet as his rib cage was compressed, his bones splintered.
    Landing on his back, the flying man wheezed, unable to fill his lungs with air. He immediately began channeling his energy into his crushed chest.
    But the soldier was pressing his attack.
    He was already at his opponent’s side, dropping to his right knee and slamming his right fist down with all his might. He almost succeeded, but his target was quicker, literally flying out from underneath the punch.
    The soldier’s fist smashed into the hard floor of the chamber, throwing up chips of rock and creating a miniature crater one foot across and six-inches deep.
    The soldier ignored the broken bones in his hand as they began to heal- looking up in time to see his opponent sweep back in from above, kicking with his right foot.
    Toes wrapped in the sock-like body stocking the flying man wore fractured as they smashed into the wide goggles the soldier wore. The goggles exploded in a spray of plastic as the kick continued on, impacting the soldier’s forehead. The blow was so terrific it lifted the soldier off the floor, flipping him backwards again so that he tumbled end over end, several body lengths.
    He landed roughly on his back, his head ringing, his vision blurred.
    "Aargh!" the flying man bellowed, hovering in the air and clenching his broken toes with both hands.
    The soldier snapped his feet up, then out, pulling himself off his back and into a standing position. He grabbed at the link wire running out from under his collar and still connected to a fragment of his goggles. Jerking it free, the soldier tossed the useless shard of plastic aside.
    "When the mothership comes, your head will be mounted on my staff!" the flying man screamed, flying forward again.
    The soldier’s dark green, almost black, eyes narrowed. He immediately noticed his opponent was moving slower now. Barely faster than a human.
    The crazed flying man swung out with his right fist, intending to catch the soldier in a wide hook.
    The soldier ducked under the fist, hands snapping up, his wrists locking onto his attacker’s extended right forearm in an overhead x-block. Twisting, he pulled as hard as he could, right leg snapping up, over his head and smashing into the flying man’s groin.
    The flying man’s disbelief at missing with his punch turned to agony as