Breakthrough

Breakthrough is the ninth chapter (in this case, Episode) of Deathmatch. It is preceded by Hunter, and succeeded by Champion.

Synopsis
The Participant kicks open a door to a room with four of Grendan's henchmen relaxing inside, killing then all in a bloody hail of bullets. The last dying alien reveals which direction The Participant could find Mylan in, in exchange for The Participant to mercifully kill him with his axe. The Participant ambushes another alien, wrestling him against a wall and breaking his neck. The Participant finds Mylan tied down to a bedframe like he was, and starts untying her wrists. He is suddenly attacked from behind by another alien, and is thrown to the ground, struggling to stop the alien from stabbing him in the chest. Mylan rescues him just in time by slitting the alien's throat. With the rest of Grendan's force on the way, the two break a window with the bedframe and jump outside to safety as Grendan and his militia burst into the room. Grendan orders his last five surviving allies to chase after them, but they refuse, instead turning their weapons on Grendan. Dismayed, Grendan readily accepts their challenge, and charges at them with his chainsaw.

Mylan leads The Participant to an underground bunker she discovered while still in the hideout, and the two decide to crash there for the night. The Participant, wanting to distract himself from the pain he was feeling, tries to get Mylan to talk about herself again, with limited success, with Mylan only revealing the name of her home planet, Makria. The Participant then tells a story of a failed relationship with a woman on Earth. When he asks Mylan about her mercenary past, however, she only tells him to get some rest, leaving The Participant to scold himself over his blunder.

Behind the Scenes
This was Asylum's favorite chapter to write.

The story of The Participant's failed relationship is a reference to another story Asylum has yet to write.