BlitzGewehr

The engineer stared at the weapon, anxious. The war was coming to and end and his country was in need of a miracle. But that's exactly what his work was. This could be the machine that puts him ahead of the competition, but a power like this doesn't come easily. He had been working for almost a decade, in a workshop hidden in the countryside, and was running out of time.

First, the sound of the dogs growling. Then silence. By the time the man heard footsteps, he knew he had less than a minute before they figured how to break into the workshop. But a minute was more than enough. As he finished fine-tuning the dials and placing the weapon on its vise, he could hear the soldiers bashing at the door. Aiming the gun at the entrance, he pulled the trigger and took a few steps back, as the weapon began to charge up.

Five seconds and the rays would start to appear. Otherwise, he would be dead. Four, three... He wasn't even thinking, just staring at the barrel... Two, one... A sudden smack and the door tumbles to the floor, split in half...

The pale violet glow emitted by the rays washes over his face as he exhales, triumphant.

"Blitzgewehr" He thinks, as the world around him seems to fade...