Disclaimer: I do not own GATE: Jieitai Kanochinite, Kaku Tatakaeri and Call of Duty Series, in this case the Modern Warfare Series.
AN: All right, I have to admit it. I screwed this story up. Looking at my other stories like my High School DxD and comparing it here, I can't help but cringe…hard. I went for theatricality instead of doing what needs to be done. Well, not anymore.
I'm no longer continuing the first story. I'm killing it right now.
Special thanks to Just a Crazy-Man and Cloud Link Zero for being my beta for the reboot.
This is GATE: Worlds At War V2. Hope this is better.
Updated: 28/07/2017
All right, I've read enough criticism and you convinced me that I went overboard with the tech so those new hardware and programs are moved to the early stages of development and are still subject to changes. Hope you guys are a little happier now.
Chapter I – Shattered Peace
"You know the real meaning of peace only if you have been through war." - Kosovar
New York City is one of the largest cities in the United States of America. Before, it was but a small settlement of colonist from Europe. Now, it was literally a floating city - a modern day Atlantis if you were to compare.
This city was one of the major economic hubs of the United States. This was the place where people do business, to make money or just visit the famous sights of the city. There was the Empire State Building, along with taking a stroll around Central Park, or taking pictures down in Time Square at night and watch the lights come alive.
All around, people were going about their own business - going to their jobs, or just plain exploring. It was hard to imagine that not so long ago, the landscape had not been anything like the peaceful cityscape it was now.
It had all changed with the American-Russian War. This war marked the first time an invading army set foot on the American homeland and not only pushed them back, but nearly succeeded in overtaking the capital of the nation, Washington D.C.
It all started on the early days of the Second Russian Civil War and the Middle Eastern Conflict of the early 2010's. Russian Ultranationalists were fighting against the Government Loyalist for control of Russia and an Arab dictator by the name of Khaled Al-Asad overthrew and executed President Yasir Al-Fulani of Saudi Arabia.
Naturally, the United States and United Kingdom could not stand by and watch as the possibility of them turning Russia's entire nuclear arsenal against the world as leverage.
Feeling that action must be taken, the US sends a large task force of several divisions of the US Marine Corps to the Saudi Arabian Peninsula to remove Al-Asad from power. Across the ocean, the United Kingdom's elite 22 SAS Regiment would covertly gather intelligence deep within the war-torn Russia.
Though the US forces proved much more than a match for Al-Asad's armed forces; tragedy had struck when a nuclear weapon was detonated in the heart of the city. Over thirty thousand US personnel were killed in action with the heinous act either from the explosion itself, or the intense irradiation that came soon after.
Fearing another incident like this would occur, the US and UK decided that a joint effort between their remaining forces would be the smartest thing to do. The first priority was to neutralize the nuke launch sites as the Ultranationalists had taken control of it while the secondary objective was to find anything to help them discredit the Ultranationalists so they would not gain any more power.
Leading this operation was Capt. John Price, a hardened SAS operative who had a long and personal history with the people behind these attacks. Coordinating with the American Army Rangers and other Special Operation units, the task force designated as Task Force141 were successful in halting the launch of any more nukes and detonated the ones that had been launched and killed the man behind the assassination of the Saudi Arabian President though not without great sacrifice as all but Price and his second in command survived the last encounter.
Even with the success of the main objective, however, the Ultranationalists ultimately won the civil war and left the US weakened both politically and economically. Yet the Americans maintained their presence in the Middle East to quell further unrest that had been building up.
Years passed and relations between Russia and the Western Powers deteriorated even further because of the actions of one Vladimir Makarov, a known terrorist and Ultranationalist Leader.
Makarov led an attack on Zakhaev International Airport, killing hundreds of innocent civilians and reactionary police officers in the process. Yet it wasn't even close to being part of his true plan. Instead, the killing blow was dealt when he killed a member of his team that was secretly an American CIA agent whose role was uncovered well before the operation was even planned out.
When the Russians had figured it out due to some 'timely information leaks' the Russian head of state, President Boris Vorshevsky was under immense pressure from the people to retaliate. Even though he preferred a more diplomatic solution the pressure of his enraged country was too much for him to hold back the war hawks on the council from declaring war.
Thus, the Russian-American War began in earnest, finally ending the cold war that had been in place since the early 1950's between the two Super Nations.
As all of this was going on, unknown to both the Americans and President Vorshevsky, an ACS module of a downed US defense grid satellite was copied when Makarov took control of it. The Russians were then able to give the illusion that a massive attack was happening in the West Coast, while in actuality the attack would happen in the East.
Essentially, the US early warning system was compromised without the Americans even noticing it and it left the US wide open for attack. All because of a traitor within their own midst.
One of their finest commanders, Lieutenant General Shepherd, had betrayed them utterly and soundly. General Shepherd had served as the Supreme Commander of all US Military forces during the course of the Second Russian Civil War. Losing over thirty thousand men by nuclear fire weighed heavily on the General's mind. Those were brave men and women he had lost, many brave warriors that would have been alive today had he been less interested in results and more into intelligence results that had admittedly dropped the ball badly during that incident.
This caused General Shepherd to develop a very negative view in the world and international politics. Feeling that his country was getting too weak militarily, he secretly devised new ways to bring the United States to her former glory while also repairing his own damaged reputation.
He found it with Vladimir Makarov. Shepherd had absolutely no love for the Russian terrorist for he had been the one who ordered the detonation of the nuke that killed his men but he realized that Makarov could be just the thing he needed. The United States needed someone or something to hate; Vladimir Makarov fit the bill.
As a way to get revenge and get what he wanted, General Shepherd began manipulating things behind the scenes for years.
Wanting to see a wartime economy and combined with delusions of grandeur, he sabotaged both sides by giving Makarov everything he had used against the Americans. The codes, the identity of the mole, even going so far as to kill his own men who had found evidence of his treachery. Then he had gone on to capture and destroy all of Makarov's camps and supply lines that were given to him in 'surprise raids'. Thus giving him the popularity he had sought.
He was only stopped by two men; Capt. 'Soap' MacTavish and Capt. John Price, who had been held prisoner by Makarov's forces. Together, they killed Shepherd in a brutal and violent confrontation in the Middle East's hottest war zones not too long after he killed the last of MacTavish's group, Roach and Ghost. The great 'General' became nothing more than another name to the list of casualties when a knife was lodged into his brain.
Back over half the world away, the initial attacks on American soil were devastating. With the Russians having the immediate advantage and the US Military having been weakened over the years by Shepard's actions backfiring many important strategic battle sites and cities fell to the Russians.
It was the Battle of Washington D.C. that finally turned the tide to the defenders favor. US forces have suffered massive casualties at this point in the war. Outgunned and outnumbered, US forces in D.C. held the Russians off valiantly but it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed and destroyed as reinforcements were still too far away to help them.
When it looked like D.C. would fall to the Russians, a nuclear weapon that Task Force 141 had liberated with the help of Captain Price detonated in the atmosphere overhead, the EMP shorting put all electronics and plunging the entire East Coast in darkness.
In an attempt to stop the Russians when things were finally evened up between the two forces, top brass saw no other choice but to authorize Hammer Down - a complete bombardment of the US Capital. With Central Command knowing that there were still some surviving friendly forces in the city, all the bombers were ordered to broadcast a counter sign that would be the signal to abort the bombing run.
If there were still friendlies operating in the area, they would have to deploy green flares on the roof of a high value structure. Accomplish this and the bombing run would be aborted safely. Failure was the destruction of Washington D.C. and all of America's important structures of high value intelligence and symbolism.
Fortunately Hammer Down did not come to pass as the remaining US forces were able to fight through heavy Russian resistance. With the EMP scrambling both enemies' devices and under heavy rain and darkness, the defenders who knew the land better than anybody else managed to use guerrilla warfare tactics to overthrow the oppressors and successfully lit the green flares off of the White House roof along with every other Military Facility in the area.
The Battle of D.C. was won, but it was not the end of the war. All it did was finally given the United States a much needed momentum change.
To the North, the Battle of New York City was raging. After the decisive victory at Washington D.C., American forces began gaining momentum and began to push back and reclaim much of the Eastern Seaboard. It helped that the civilians that had stayed behind helped the soldiers with the little things, such as directions, giving provisions and holding their own even in the face of being gunned down in the name of defending their homes, for liberty and freedom.
The Russians were not done yet though. They had another backup plan that was just as devastating as the EMP; an electronic jammer. US communications and guidance systems were essentially rendered useless. Without these systems, US aircrafts were flying blind and were extremely vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and with enough time, a Russian counterattack would be more than likely.
In an attempt to neutralize the threat, US Command tasked an elite team of Delta Operators whose call sign would be 'Metal' to go in and destroy the jammer on top of the Stock Exchange Building in Wall Street.
The four-man team fought their way through the war torn streets, destroyed buildings and occupied alleyways before they were successful in destroying the jammer.
With the jammer no longer wreaking havoc on their systems, US command quickly organized a series of coordinated air strikes on key Russians sites and before long, American forces was able to push the front lines all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
This in and of itself proved to be an inconvenience of a different kind, as the Russians could still launch a counter offensive with their navy. Having most of their fleet in the New York harbor either destroyed or damaged, the Americans could not attack them head on.
Alternatively, Task Force Metal would link up with a SEAL Team to board and commandeer a Russian Oscar-II submarine, they would force the sub to surface with mines that would destroy its main engine and cause hull breaches, and use its own weapons to destroy the Russian invasion fleet.
It was a bold and ambitious gamble but it worked. This was enough to drive the battered and defeated Russians out of American territory. A victory, yes, but a costly one.
The Americans had also lost much, thousands of their warriors and citizens lay dead at their soil and much of the East Coast was in ruins.
The Russian-American War ended on August 18, 2016. But this would not be the end as a much larger conflict was brewing.
After the Russian military invasion attempt of the United States fails, Makarov plans a massive terrorist/military blitzkrieg attack on the cities and capitals of Europe with the ultimate goal of Russia being the supreme ruler of the continent.
To achieve this goal, Makarov secretly produced large arsenals of deadly chemical weapons, aided by African Militia in Somalia and Sierra Leone, to be used as a first strike weapon on many key military and government installations throughout all of Europe.
Makarov also persuaded large numbers of top Russian Generals and politicians to take part in his massive military offensive and a coup d'état to overthrow the Russian President.
Using the Russian peoples' belief that war against the US is still justified and viewing Vorshevsky's peace agreement as an act against the Russian people, a large majority of the Russian military side with Makarov.
Growing weary of the continued conflict, President Vorshevsky called for a cease fire and had invited the United States to discuss peace.
While en route to Hamburg, the plane carrying the Russian President and his daughter were hijacked by men under orders from Makarov. Though able to evade capture for a time, President Vorshevsky was eventually captured by Makarov himself.
With the coup d'état successful, Russian Commanders build up a large invasion force to take Europe.
On October 6, 2016, a phone conversation intercepted by French Intelligence is reported to MI6 regarding a shipment of mysterious cargo entering London.
They immediately alerted their interior security force MI5 to investigate. The head of MI5 tasks SAS to find out what the then unknown hostiles are up to.
SAS soldiers pursued the fleeing Ultranationalist terrorists through the London Underground, emerging outside Parliament and stopping one suspected truck. The other remaining trucks, however, exploded when their driver's suicide drove themselves into various structures and set off the timers inside of their cargo, blanketing the city with a deadly chemical agent.
London was sadly not the only capital to be attacked. All over Europe, every capital of every nation was attacked with the chemical weapon, simultaneously attacking many military bases and intelligence headquarters such as GIGN Headquarters in France, Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany and every military headquarters for each of the nation's forces; causing catastrophic loss of human life.
With the European Nations in chaos and utterly defenseless, the entire Russian military swiftly begins to invade Europe, taking almost two thirds of the European continent in a show of force that had not been seen since the Nazi's of World War II and attacking the isolated and crippled European military forces.
Realizing that the attacks were deliberate to clear the way for the Russian Blitzkrieg, the United States quickly began to mobilize every combat able asset they had to once again fight on the European continent.
Once again, for the third time in human history, war had engulfed the world.
On October 14, 2016, much of Europe had been liberated from the Russians, but a new problem came when Team Metal failed to rescue Alena Vorshevsky, the daughter of President Vorshevsky as Makarov once again remained a step ahead of them and managed to steal the VIP back.
Knowing that threatening the girl would lead the Russian to give up the nuclear launch codes, US forces linked up with the re-commissioned Task Force 141, who had been on the run since their at that time 'unjust' killing of Lt. General Shepherd whose betrayal had not yet been known. This joint operation was led by both Capt. John Price and Team Metal advisor Sandman to save the Russian President and his daughter for the peace talks to commence.
Though they were successful, almost all members of Team Metal and Task Force 141 perished.
Upon the return of President Vorshevsky to Moscow, he quickly announced a ceasefire and invited NATO delegates to peace talks.
On January 21, 2017, Vladimir Makarov was killed by a vengeful Capt. Price and symbolically ending the Third World War.
Almost seventeen years had passed since the end of World War 3 and the world was not the same as it once was. While it was true that there was peace the tension was still evident.
Though President Vorshevsky had purged the Ultranationalist extremist in his government; that did not excuse what his country did to all of Europe. Contaminating the continent with deadly chemicals, millions dead and the destruction of countless historic and very important landmarks to name just a few of the horrendous and irrevocable crimes that had millions crying out for justice.
It wasn't just the humans that suffered, but the environment as well. Most of Europe and its cities were turned into contaminated wastelands that would take years to clean up. That was also excluding all of the destroyed buildings.
This was, by far, the most destructive war ever fought. Suffice to say, Russia had paid dearly just as their German counterparts had almost a century earlier.
Even though President Vorshevsky had not ordered the Russian Military to attack, this does not excuse the actions of Russia. Due to this, the United Nations ordered Russia to pay restitutions and lessen its armed forces.
Those responsible be brought up and face criminal charges in The Hague.
All in all, Russia had lost much of its power not dissimilar to the way Germany had in the last two World Wars.
On the other hand though, those seventeen years for the United States had managed to pull through. It was a victory for them, yes, but it left the Americans facing a haunting truth.
Too long they had thought themselves invincible. That no one could stand in their way. It was an arrogant way of thinking and that arrogance cost them greatly. If the September 11 attacks were a pin prick to the heart, this was a shotgun blast through the heart.
The war had been a sobering and haunting reality, a foreign army managed to penetrate their defenses and inflict devastating damage. Thousands of civilians and military personnel alike lay in cemeteries. Families mourning for their loved ones, a wife crying for her dead husband, a child left orphaned, homes destroyed.
It was a great loss…but they would recover. America always did.
After the war, the US began to rebuild itself anew. No longer would they make the same mistakes again. In time, they began to reclaim their title as a superpower. This led to new discoveries in medicine, weaponry, transportation, and many other fields of science.
The US Armed Forces grew from just over one and a half million to well over two million and were upgraded with the latest hardware straight out of DARPA. In a sad, twisted way, LTG Shepard's dream had partially come true.
This also led to the creation of a naval task group whose sole purpose was to guard the American Homeland. The task group was hastily assembled and comprised of what ships of the US Atlantic Fleet had left. Before, it had only five destroyers, two cruisers, and one super carrier.
Currently though, with the economy booming again and Congress passing a bill that increased the defense budget from six hundred and forty billion to a whopping nine hundred and sixty billion dollars, the task group, now classified as a task force, had grown in numbers and strength.
It was now dubbed as Task Force Guardian.
The increase of the defense budget meant that the military could now afford the requisition of new and more advanced equipment right out of development. It was like Christmas for the military but for over ten years, they had been using the increased budget to replenish their strength.
At the conclusion of two consecutive and bloody wars, the US Military had lost over thirty seven percent of all assets and needed to be replaced but on the bright side, the Military could replace those loses with the next generations of those models such as the AH-64E Apache, the M1A2 SEPv3 and the new M1A3, the F-35 variants, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the UH-60 Black Hawk to name just a few. It would take several more years to replace those significant loses but would get there.
As for the future of the Armed Forces, various new programs and proposals for new equipment were being drawn up and researched to further improve the military. The brains of the R&D department and corporations were proposing new and more powerful hardware and software. Thanks to the discoveries and advancements achieved in the fields of science and engineering, many projects from before that were particularly difficult were finally yielding results.
As for the various military branches themselves, they had quite a few things on their wish lists. We will get to that in a moment.
The navy had suffered significant loses and was in need of new ships.
One of the proposed ships was the Guardian-Class assault ship, named after the task force she was going to serve on. The Guardian-Class assault ship's overall design was based off of the discontinued America-Class ships but it was forty five percent larger so it could accommodate a small section of jet fighters as well as more troops, supplies and equipment for quick deployment, and it was powered by the newly developed nuclear fusion reactors.
Nuclear fusion reactors utilize nuclear fusion instead of fission. It was a lot like how the sun works; instead of splitting atoms apart, it fuses them. It was a revolutionary achievement as there were fewer waste products and produce energy several times that of a fission reactor.
It was not easy though but thanks to some bright young minds, they were able to pull it off.
The proposed ship is to be fitted with the latest technology available. Currently, the first ship was still in construction and eleven were planned for construction. The vessel's name was the USS Guardian and she was to be the command ship of her task force with over thirty other warships in the unit. For now, the Task Force's command vessel would be the USS America that was upgraded.
For the Army, they had begun the research of a new line of helicopters and armored vehicles that would hopefully replace their current inventory in the foreseeable future. The first type was actually in development for quite some time now under the Future Vertical Lift Program. A program issued by the Department of Defense to replace the aging rotorcraft of the military.
The first under this program is the Bell V-280 Valor. Its design is similar to the V-22 Osprey though it was sleeker in was to replace the UH-60 Black Hawks and other utility choppers and has the capability of carrying twenty five to thirty personnel. A prototype had already been developed by Bell Helicopters and Lockheed Martin in early 2013 and initial tests proved promising but there was always room for improvement so development continues.
The second type is a new revolutionary type of rotorcraft. It was a dual coaxial main rotors and a variable-pitch pusher propeller. A prototype, the S-97 Raider as a contender for the Army's Armed Aerial Scout program before it was shut down in 2013. Though this gave them an idea for the next generation of fast and maneuverable light attack helicopters.
And so, the concept for the AHX-74 Navajo was conceived.
Its design is similar to the S-97 Raider, sleek and streamlined so it could maneuver around incoming fire, but obviously larger and armored so it can store all of that ordnance and protect it against numerous direct hits.
The AHX-74 Navajos proved to be extremely agile and fast the first time it took flight. Its lightweight composite armor can withstand tremendous amounts of punishment before breaking and strategically placed along vital areas. Alongside the latest in targeting and optics systems, it has an effective kill range of thirteen to seventeen kilometers if armed with long range missiles.
Development of the AHX-74 Navajo and the Bell V-280 Valor still continues but it would not go into production for another forty or so years and the two were still subject to changes.
As for the armored forces, or in this case, the main battle tanks, the successor to the M1A2 Abrams was undergoing further research and development.
The M2S1 Schwarzkopf, named after the late General Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., the commander of the UN Coalition forces in Operation Desert Storm and is intended to be a modular tank.
Development of the M2S1 Schwarzkopf first started six years after the conclusion of World War 3. The M1A3 Abrams was in its final developmental stage and would start production in a few years and succeed the M1A2 series but commanders felt that they needed a new design once the Abrams were retired in the next six to seven decades or so.
While the Abrams was considered by most as one of the most powerful and fearsome tanks in the world and it still is, there was only so much you could do to upgrade it until there was nothing left.
And so, taking inspiration and adopting new concepts from the British Challenger 2, the German Leopard 2A7, the Israeli Merkava 4 and the Russian T-14 Armata, the M2S1 Schwarzkopf was conceived.
While a prototype has yet to be developed, computer simulations of the new tank design have yielded promising results.
It is armed with the newly designed M256A2 L/55 120 mm smoothbore cannon that has an effective kill range of nearly 1.8 times that of the Abrams' effective kill range, two 7.62 mm machine guns, a coaxial gun, and the ever classic Ma Deuce. It could even be outfitted with an M134 minigun or the more powerful GAU-19/A.
It is armored by the next generation of composite armor that is both lightweight and approximately forty five percent stronger than those currently in service. A slab of this new armor was crafted and when tested, the new armor could survive two direct hits from an Abrams tank before finally being destroyed. It might not be much but an Abram's M256A1 120 mm smoothbore cannon can launch a projectile that can easily slice through over a foot of pure steel.
It is also protected by an anti-rocket system called the Trophy System that has been modified by the US. Initially employed under the Israeli Defense Force to protect their Main Battle Tanks and other armored vehicles, the United States as well as other countries have since employed it into their own forces.
An added bonus was it lightened the tank considerably. The Abrams tank weighed close to eighty tons fully loaded and was difficult move and transport due to its sheer weight - often caving in loose ground and weak structures under its treads. Now, thanks to the stronger and lighter armor system, the M2S1 Schwarzkopf weighed in at fifty seven to sixty five tons when fully loaded. It was still heavy but the difference in tonnage was not to be dismissed so easily.
Currently, the M2S1 Schwarzkopf was still in its infancy in development and a prototype of the next gen tank would not be built in the foreseeable future; not while the Abrams was still going strong. In the meantime, the scientists and researchers would have plenty of time to further improve on the design.
For the Air Force, they felt that they needed to make plans to replace some of their more ageing aircrafts with new blood. In addition to the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning, the F/A-13 Scorpion represents the next generation of jet fighter craft of the US Air Force.
The F/A-13 Scorpion is a twin engine, all-weather stealth multirole fighter with heavy emphasis on air superiority and it is also capable of ground attacks. Basically, the F-22 and F-35 combined.
Development of the F/A-13 Scorpion had only started fifteen years after the war so it still had several years before a prototype can be introduced.
While these are only a few of the newer equipment that the US Military plans to put into service, all of them were still in the very early stages of development. In general, it would take another forty years or more before they could even be be considered for production and service and another twenty years to have a sizable amount of them in the inventory, and sixty years was a long time – plenty of room for improvement.
With a booming economy and a better equipped military, the United States has further solidified itself as the world's superpower.
Still, the damage done to the US homeland has yet to be resolved. Much of the cities in the East Coasts were in ruins after the Russians had withdrawn and there was still much rebuilding to do.
It would take another several years to fix everything, even with the new advancements of technology.
LOCATION: MANHATTAN
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 10:24:12
In a subway train heading towards the famous Time Square, was 1st Lieutenant Derek Westbrook, U.S. Army Special Forces, renowned Delta Force operator, and former member of Team Metal.
Derek sat in the carriage with a neutral expression on his aged face. He was now in his mid-forties and with the years serving in the military, he looked older than he already is.
He was a veteran of many operations in his career as a soldier, and had fought in God knows how many wars. Because of this, he had become quite the legend in the U.S. Special Operations Forces.
It still amazed him that he had lived after all of that.
Derek was the youngest member of Team Metal, only twenty seven years old when the Russian-America War broke out. He had fought in the Middle East, Africa, Washington D.C., New York, Europe, all over the world really. In his long career, he had seen it all and done it all.
Between the wars and the years that followed with him going on mission after mission, the mental and physical strain has not been kind in the slightest.
The memory of his team dying in some Russian mine while he was in a fucking hospital because of some Russian sniper nailing him in the thigh after that chopper carrying Alena Vorshevsky was still fresh in his mind. Couple that with the fiasco where his entire team was killed stopping a terrorist cell in Somalia, he was barely holding it together and that was just the latest of the horrors he had to endure.
Derek closed his eyes; he could still see his team getting shot to pieces one after another until only he was left. Well, let us just say, he would rather die than let those fuckers take him alive. Derek was ready to pull the pin on his last grenade and lunge at the closest bastard he could get; he would take him to hell with him.
He was ready to die at that point. There was no way out, his team was mincemeat and the enemy was only yards away from his position but fate had other plans as air support had finally arrived.
He made sure to give his team the honors they deserved having served with them for years and growing close. Heh, and just as he was about to get over the guilt of losing Team Metal, this shit happens.
Well, there was nothing he could do with that. When you are in the military, you see shit, do shit, and lose some buddies. It was the life of a soldier and the only way Frost could cope with that was going on more missions.
"We are now approaching Times Square – 42 St. We are now approaching Times Square – 42 St."
Derek let out a sigh. This was his stop now. Why was he here in New York? Simple, he was on leave. His commanders felt like he needed some time off and a little R&R. That was the last damn thing he needed. He did not need some rest, he was fit and able for duty…but orders were orders…
Steeping out of the carriage, the Delta Operator walked towards the check-out station and shoved his card into it. The gate opened up and he walked right on towards the exit.
Upon exiting the station, he looked all around him and he could see people wandering the streets, acting like nothing ever happened. Guess that is how the civvies cope after New York City was a smoldering pile of rubble over a decade and a half ago.
The scars of the war remain present to this day…especially on Wall Street. All Frost could see was rubble everywhere, cruise missiles slamming into the buildings, Russians at every corner…these people do not know what kind of hell their soldiers face during and after a war.
Or maybe they do now. After all, rebuilding was still going on and people just don not forget how they were invaded so quickly. Maybe they just chose to ignore it and live on.
Lucky bastards.
They do not know what it feels like to slit a man's throat. They do not know what it feels like to see one of your guys get blown to pieces. They do not know what it feels like to have nightmares every fucking time you go to sleep.
That is why soldiers who saw too much were never really cut out to be civilians anymore. War was far too ingrained in them and they felt like caged animals sometimes.
For someone who has been in the game for as long as he has, it is really all they had left at this point. Of course, he did have a few flings here and there but they were mostly one night stands. The only one he got serious with was with a soldier when he was ordered to train some visiting Canadian JTF2. Her name was Sgt. Sarah Tremblay and she was one woman that Derek actually liked but their relationship was casual at best.
Eventually, they decided to break it off after a year and a half. They still kept in contact as friends but it was minimal due to their line of work with their last talk being about a year ago. A part of him wanted to see her again but the darker side of him wanted to puke at being all lovey dovey.
As for family, his parents were still alive. His old man was military too; he served in the Gulf Wars and in Iraq. His mother was a waitress in a restaurant in his dad's hometown in Littleton, Colorado. He also has a little sister; a single mom after her deadbeat husband cheated and dumped her. She lives just a few houses from their parent's house with her son, Simon.
Derek has not really talked with them for a while because he did not have the time…or he did not want to. They still sent him mail, gifts for birthdays and he did the same, but actual visual contact was not in the foreseeable future.
The Delta Operator grunted before walking around aimlessly. He did not need a fucking leave. He was functioning properly and was ready and able for anything. Orders were orders though and he was ordered to take it easy for the next few weeks.
Easier said than done in his honest opinion yet unknown to him, today was going to change the world forever.
LOCATION: TIMES SQUARE
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 10:26:02
A little girl was walking with her parents and a precious little teddy bear tucked in her arms. Today was going to be them going to get some lunch before watching a movie until something caught her eye. To her left, at the center of Time Square, was something really strange.
She looked dumbfounded until she felt her parents tug on her sleeve to gain her attention. Having lost interest, she went along.
Time Square was at a standstill. People and cars stopped in their tracks because at the center was some sort of building or something that had suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"What the hell?"
"Where did this come from?"
"How the fuck did it get here?"
These were but a few questions asked by the people there. This building looked old and looked like something from ancient Roman times judging from its design. And the middle of it was all black. Like it was hollow, maybe some kind of opening to the inside of it.
Before anyone could ask anymore, something came out of the structure. It was big, red, and scaly and the moment the entirety of its body came out, a large roar was heard coming from its mouth.
Anybody who played video games of any kind knew what kind of creature this was. A dragon…an angry dragon at that.
The people that had stood there and watched were left in a state of shock, unable to believe what just happened. It had such a commanding presence that they did not even notice that other creatures were coming through as well.
As Derek was calmly walking southbound on 7th Avenue, he began to notice that traffic was increasing. Well, it IS New York and there were a lot of construction trucks moving about so he just pegged it as an average day in Manhattan.
Choosing to ignore it, Frost just went on his way. If he was on leave, he might as well enjoy it; the nearest bar was three hundred and twenty meters South West from the 42 St. Station.
He was about halfway from the bar until he heard screaming. When he turned around, he had to jump back and hug a nearby storefront window as he saw people running away from Times Square in a mass panic. "What the fuck?" He muttered in confusion before he saw an explosion a few hundred meters right at Times Square should be.
Derek's eyes widened in surprise. Was this another attack? If so, how the hell were not they detected?! Those were questions were later here, right now, he needed to act.
With no hesitation, he raced right towards Times Square to assess the situation.
The moment Count Colt Formal saw what was on the other side of the Gate, he knew that the Empire had bitten off far more than it could chew.
Just look at this…structures that easily dwarfed anything they had back at the capital and they were a lot of them…as far as the eye could see. Then there were these strange signs with those bright moving pictures…it could only mean that this civilization used magic so much that it was practically ingrained in them.
Count Formal did not want to be here in the first place. He would rather be at home and be with his young daughter and teach her what it means to lead Clan Formal. But he didn't have a choice in the matter.
He could not refuse an order from the emperor himself or it was treason. Treason was a punishment that nobody wanted on their consciousness, as it meant the complete and total destruction of their family lineage, no matter how distant it ran.
So, he only took a small force of two thousand men of the five thousand of his full force. Count Formal was no fool…if he left with all of his forces that would leave his precious Myui defenseless. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her if he came back.
Judging by the situation he was seeing right now…the prospect of getting back looked grim.
Just then, the order to attack was given and the Imperial soldiers began slaughtering their way.
Count Formal frowned as his men joined in it. He gave them strict orders to not prolong the suffering of the people here and anyone caught raping or doing any other heinous acts would face death when they returned home.
He never believed in violence and intimidation as the answer for most problems. He believed diplomacy and alliances, not this.
Seeing the massive pile of bodies beginning to pile up as panic mounted, Count Formal felt disgusted as some soldiers and the commander of this expedition climbed on top of the bodies of men, women and children, and stuck the Imperial Flag on top of them.
"All of you savages listen well! We, the Empire in the name of his Imperial Majesty Molt Sol Augustus, declare the conquest and dominion of all these lands!" After his bold declaration, he ordered his men to move forward to send these savages a message that they were now under the Empire's rule.
He smiled in satisfaction before he noticed that Count Formal was still standing at where he was. "Count Formal, what are you doing? Why are you not participating in subjugating these worthless dogs?"
Count Formal frowned. "Savages? Worthless dogs? My Lord, look around you. These structures easily dwarf anything the capital has. If anyone is capable of these marvels, they are not savages."
The General scoffed. "Bah, these mean nothing to the beauty of the Empire. If anything, they should be grateful that we have come here to rule them."
Letting out a breath, Count Formal looked forward. "You don't quite understand, do you? If these people have the ability to construct these many titanic structures…I shudder to think what their army is like."
"IF they resist us, we will crush them like always. None can stand against the Empire!" The Imperial Legate arrogantly announced to those around him before walking off.
Count Formal shook his head before looking up at the blue sky. "You're wrong. I fear what awaits us next is nothing short of frightening."
Derek came running opposite to the fleeing crowd into Times Square. What the hell was going on here?! He was confused, who the hell were these guys?! How did such an enemy force get into US soil?!
And why the hell did most of them look like something from a goddamn fantasy novel?!
These were questions for later, however. Right now, these fuckers were killing his countrymen. As a soldier of the United States, it was his duty to defend his country to his last breath!
The Delta Operator saw two police officers trying to cover the fleeing civilians and hurried towards them. "Sir, you have to get out of here! These sons of bitches are killing anyone their getting their hands on!" A young officer, clearly panicking, shouted at him.
"Calm down, son! I'm 1LT Derek Westbrook of the US Army! I need you to call for back-up! Everything you got and form a collapsing perimeter and cover the civilians!" Frost gave his orders before one of them got hit with a spear through the chest.
"GARY!" The other officer shouted in a panic.
"HEY!" Derek grabbed him by the shoulder. "We need to go! NOW!" Not waiting for a response, he pushed the kid back and grabbed the pistol from the dead officer's hand, and gave covering fire.
"GO! GO! KEEP MOVING!" He shouted to the civilians as he shot some strange looking pig monsters. He spotted a wall of shields coming towards them and pulled the trigger. Empty.
Cursing under his breath, Derek reached for the two extra magazines on the corpse's belt and the radio before retreating himself. This was not good. The enemy was organized and looked like all they were doing was killing. He needed to call the cavalry right fucking now!
When he was at a safe distance, Derek set himself up against the side of a building and commenced shooting again. In the distance, he could hear the sirens of police cars blaring. Good, but they needed to be informed of what they were getting into.
"All police personnel on this net, this is 1LT Derek Westbrook of the U.S. Army. The enemy is large, organized, and well-armed. My advisement to you is to set up a perimeter on 42nd and 51st Street. How copy, over."
"This is Sergeant Polanski, roger that, sir. Any chance you can get the cavalry here?"
"I'm working on it, Sergeant! Now get you men set up, civilians are getting chopped up here!" He did not wait for a reply before he unloaded on some guys that were getting too close before retreating.
When he was at a safe distance again, Derek took out his phone and dialed the Emergency Military Channel. As it was ringing, he took a few more potshots to give cover.
"This is the emergency military channel, please state your-"
"First Lieutenant Derek Westbrook, United States Army, Delta Force, DOD number: 7796062134! Priority message to Task Force Guardian! Authorization: Uniform Alpha Tango 77581!" He fired another shot to some Roman looking motherfucker right between the eyes and he fell dead on the street.
LOCATION: USS AMERICA - SIX MILES OFF COAST
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 10:31:42
Today was just a routine patrol out of the coast of Manhattan and down in her communications center were men and women doing their jobs efficiently and effectively. Even though the war was over and the world was now at peace, they could not afford to become lax. If there is anything they learned from being invaded, it is being vigilant.
In one of the consoles, an ensign was stretching his shoulders a little bit because sitting in the same chair for hours can do that to a guy.
Ensign Peter O. Duncan has been at this since morning already but he cannot complain. This was easy compared to the other duties on the ship. Besides, all he had to do was answer any calls that came to the ship. There were some calls but those were regular things like status reports and the like. Those he could just transfer to the appropriate people
Then he received another call. "This is the USS America."
"USS America, this is a priority message call from an off-duty Delta Force Operator in New York. Authorization: Uniform Alpha Tango 77581."
The Ensign's eyes widened in surprise. If this is a priority message from a Special Operations soldier in New York, it had to be serious. "Patch him through. Caller, this is the USS America. Identify yourself."
"This is 1st Lieutenant Derek Westbrook! United States Army, Delta Force! DOD number: 7796062134!"
Peter could feel his jaw muscles loosening when he heard who this is. This was Derek Westbrook, one of the most decorated Special Ops soldiers in the service and had a fearsome reputation. This guy was practically a legend. The kind of legend you seriously do not want to fuck with. "First Lieutenant, what is your priority message?"
"A large enemy force has appeared in the middle of Times Square!"
"That's impossible!" With his shout, the entire room looked at him in confusion. "They were no breaches in our defenses, how can an enemy force attack Manhattan?!" What he said made the entire room freeze up in shock.
"Don't believe me then check the fucking news! The NYPD's encircled them but we are heavily outnumbered! We need the Marines now!" They heard gunfire and screaming from his side before being abruptly cut off.
"Jack, turn the TV to the news!" Peter said. Before he can commit to this, he needed to make damn sure. But with the screaming and the gunfire he heard from the other side…he hoped this was just a sick joke.
They turned to the news channel and they waited.
"This Kate Hudson WNBC News reporting live from West 41st Street. Not long ago, a large group of armed men suddenly appeared in the middle of Times Square. We don't exactly know how it happened, but after they appeared they started killing civilians left and right." The reporter said as dozens of civilians ran past her. Behind her were a group of NYPD police and SWAT officers trying to form a defensive line. "The NYPD have encircled and locked down the area, and are trying to establish a defensive line."
"They're coming!" A fleeing civilian said and they all saw a wall of shields and grotesque monsters came marching towards them.
"Oh my God, Harry, get a shot of them!" Kate said as her cameraman moved to catch a glimpse of the attackers.
What the US servicemen saw shocked them. It seemed impossible…but here it was…grotesque looking monsters of all shapes and sizes. Some recognized them as orcs, goblins, and ogres from those fantasy novels and TV shows.
Their shock was quickly replaced with anger when they saw them killing their civilians.
"Open fire!" A police officer ordered and the lot of them let loose a hail of gunfire on the advancing hostile force. The sailors watched in satisfaction as a lot of those fuckers get cut down.
Not long though, one of those monsters heaved a car and threw it straight at their boys. "OH MY GO-"That was all Kate Hudson could get out before her feed was abruptly cut off. It did not take a genius to realize what had happened to them.
There was a tense silence inside the communications deck, the sailors needing a moment to collect themselves from the shock of a lifetime. It did not last long though.
"SOMEONE GET THE CAPTAIN!"
Up on the bridge, Captain James L. Mitchell, an old and grizzled man, was enjoying a good cup of coffee and watching the waves roll by. Make no mistake, he had fought in the bloody war seventeen years ago and he had the scars to prove it. He also lost a lot of good men and buddies…not to mention his son-in-law and left his daughter too soon especially with a kid on the way.
He thought that it might do him some good to catch that salty see air. After all, fresh air helps a lot when one needs to calm his nerves even if said airs smells like salt but that was okay for a sailor like him.
"Sir!" One of his subordinates slammed the door open and the Captain was slightly startled that he almost spilled his coffee.
"Goddammit, boy! You almost made me drop my coffee!" Capt. Mitchell said more than a little annoyed at being disturbed like that.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you have to see this." The sailor said with urgency that made the Captain frown.
"What do you mean sailor?"
"A priority call from the mainland, sir. A Lieutenant Derek Westbrook, US Army Special Forces, has asked for immediate troop deployment within the city. He says it's under attack from a large enemy force!"
Mitchell's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" He turned to the main land and saw that there were dozens of smoke stacks coming from the Big Apple. It made his blood run cold.
He immediately entered the bridge and saw the monitors and TVs showing footage of butchered bodies, burning buildings, and the NYPD trying to fight back against something.
"Patch me through to him!" He ran to the bridge and opened up a link to the Delta Force Operator. "1LT Westbrook, this is CAPT Mitchell of the USS America. What the hell is going on there?" Everyone on the bridge stopped what they were doing and watched their captain.
"Sir, you need to send in reinforcements now! A large enemy force has appeared out of fucking nowhere in the middle of Times Square! Sending you a feed now!"
The screen faded black before the connection was reestablished showing the head cam. People were running and screaming right past as Derek led a few officers in holding off the enemy.
"Go! Go! Watch the right! The Right!" He roared as he and his rag tag team held off the hostiles but a few civilians did not make it as they were brutally smashed to mush by some ugly giant.
The giant was then killed with extreme prejudice as its eyes were shot through with what appeared to be a high powered velocity rounds from an assault rifle.
"What the fuck was that?!" An officer shouted before they saw a lone figure charging through the street with several of the enemy hostiles charging through close behind. The man stutter-stepped and opened fire as he turned around for one brief moment before running towards the safety of the NYPD and the Delta Force Operative.
"Second Lieutenant Eric Wilson, Green Berets! I have no idea what the fuck is going on, but I just killed a god damn dragon not too far from the corner of 40th Street and 7th Avenue and this fucker just now. Be advised to whoever is in charge, these enemies are low tech, but extremely high in number! We WILL be overrun within the next hour if we do not get reinforcements god damn yesterday! The NYPD set up a perimeter in the building where the New York Comic-Con is behind held but they are running low on men and ammo!" He shouted at Derek before everybody ducked as several arrows of all things whizzed alongside their heads. Then everyone began to open up in retaliatory fire.
Once they crew saw what had killed them, they couldn't help but feel dumbstruck. "What the actual fuck?" One ensign uttered in disbelief; correctly summing up what they were all thinking.
This…how could this be possible? That sort of thing should only be found on a fucking book…or the internet.
"Shit! Left side, look out!" Just like that, the feed was lost and everyone on the bridge stood in shock. Their home was once again being attacked…but by something out of this world.
Gaining his wits about him, CAPT Mitchell started giving orders. "Sound the general alert! I want troops on the ground and birds in the air A-fucking-SAP! You heard the men down there, reinforcements are being sent in yesterday!" Right after his command, an ensign hit the general alert and horns began blaring all over the ship.
"All hands, this is CAPT Mitchell! Red alert, I say again, red alert. This is not a drill! A large enemy force has infiltrated our defenses and is attacking Manhattan! I want all available units in New York now!"
Down below, the marines numbering well over two thousand and the sailors were all gearing up. When the general alert was sounded and that the mainland was once again being attacked, they wasted no time.
Whoever they are, how many they are, they would kick their asses off their home and take the fight to them.
LOCATION: USS AMERICA - SIX MILES OFF COAST
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 10:37:11
The USS America was abuzz with activity. On the flight decks was about six V-22 Ospreys, four UH-60 Black Hawks and four AH-1Z Viper were all spooled up and ready to go.
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" A Marine Captain led about one hundred and fifty men to the transport choppers. They would be deployed as the QRF.
The NYPD were being led by an off duty Delta Force operator and being assisted by an equally off duty Green Beret member but there were simply too many hostiles and they had no choice but to retreat while firing back. They needed reinforcements and they needed it now.
While the QRF deploys by air, the remaining Marines and their armor would deploy by amphibious landing crafts.
Not long after the horn was sounded, the Marines were strapped in and ready to go. "All units, this is Capt. Jorgenson. Status report." The Marine Captain ordered. When all of his men replied in the affirmative, he nodded to himself. "Sir, we're ready to go. Over."
Up at the bridge, Capt. Mitchell oversaw everything and once he was told that everyone was all set, he gave the order. "Launch!"
"You are cleared for take-off. Launch! Launch! Launch!"
A sailor gave the signal for them to launch and the crafts did so. Down below, the huge ramp of the USS America opened up as scores of landing crafts carrying Marines and armor headed full speed towards Manhattan.
LOCATION: WASHINGTON, D.C. - THE WHITE HOUSE
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 10:45:09
The President of the United States was enjoying a nice glass of bourbon in his office. For once he had no overwhelming amounts of paperwork piling up at his desk or some sort of situation hovering over his head so he wanted to soak in the quiet while he could.
He smiled as he watched his wife watching over their kids who were playing with their puppy. It was times like these that he cherished the most, the peace that came after wartime.
Of course, being the most powerful man in the country has its downsides. After the war, there was a lot of cleaning up to do. And seventeen years later, there were still much to do not just here, but all over the world. Each of his predecessors had fought an uphill battle with Congress to get things done, but get done they did.
President Charles D. Jameson felt he did a good job handling things after the rather turbulent string of elections that took place afterwards. Every four years it seemed that one of the major political parties took office when the other slowed. Under him, the country was healing at a fair pace, the economy was growing again and their military was stronger than ever. People were happy and doing their share of the work rather than trying to point the finger at someone.
Charles took another sip of his bourbon with a small humming satisfaction. This day cannot go wrong. Looking back, he would admit he should have known better than to tempt fate like that.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of his office. "Come in." He announced and the one that entered was General Jerald T. Drummond. He had been the replacement of LTG General Shepherd and managed to undo much of the mental conditioning that psychopath put on a chunk of fresh young officers that came straight from boot camp.
"Ah, General. What a surprise to see you here." Charles smiled before pouring another glass. "Take a seat and have a drink."
GEN Drummond shook his head. "Thank you, Mr. President, but what I'm about to tell you is of extreme importance."
The President frowned. "All right…so what is it?"
"Sir, as of 10:26…New York found itself under attack by a large unknown enemy force."
Upon hearing this, Pres. Jameson almost dropped his glass as he eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean New York is under attack?!" He stood up and looked at his General in the eyes.
"It is as I said, sir. An unknown enemy force is attacking Manhattan. How they got through our defenses, I don't know. But we NEED to act now." There was urgency in his didn't show it, but he was angry. Seventeen years of rebuilding…and this happens.
Charles gritted his teeth. Why…why did this have to happen? They already went through two consecutive wars…they just wanted peace now…and someone dares to attack them like this?!
"What is the situation there now?"
"Unclear. We have unconfirmed reports that the enemy is large, but they are armed with only swords and spears. Task Force Guardian is sending her Marines to assist the police who are being led by an off duty Delta Force soldier. They just got an off duty Green Beret assisting them. He mentioned that the police set up a perimeter for fleeing civilians at the building where a convention was being held before the transmission was cut off. We have a copy of the footage but sir…I have to admit this is something you'd have to see to believe."
The President nodded grimly. "General, I don't care how you do it. Just neutralize the threat by any means you see fit. Then find out everything you can about them. Whoever they are, they will pay for this."
With his orders received, GEN Drummond nodded. "Understood, Mr. President. I'll active contingency 'Eagle Eye'." He gave a salute before leaving the office where the President could only sigh as his phone rang. No doubt the media wanting to get an official statement from him. In this case…they would have to wait.
With 'Eagle Eye', the Army, Navy and Air Force would make simultaneous strikes on core enemy choke points via satellite live image feedback. This was the first time it was going to be put in use and he was going to make sure that he would see this through.
LOCATION: MANHATTAN ISLAND - 35TH STREET
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 11:33:16
Things were not looking pretty good for Derek and his rag tag team of police officers and his lone Green Beret companion. True, they managed to slow these fuckers down and saved the lives of many fleeing civilians but they were just too many of them.
It was like there was an endless wave of these bastards! They kill one and three takes his place. The NYPD has encircled the Time Square area for blocks and locked it down, but they were being pushed back by the sheer number of them. That didn't even cover the three other perimeters that had been set up for civilian evacuation within a ten block radius.
Derek could not help but curse as he kept on the pressure. Most of the civilians were already evacuated but they were being pushed back. He could take comfort that he had saved a lot of lives organizing the defense, but he could not think of that now.
From their initial defensive position on 42nd St., they were pushed all the way back to 35th St. What was even worse…was that they were all running low on ammo.
"There's too many of 'em!" A SWAT officer hollered over as they tried to hold the defensive line. A very hard thing to do when hundreds of enemies were coming towards them
"Just shut the hell up and keep shooting!" Yelled another in response before grabbing a canister of tear gas from his vest. "This should slow these bastards down. Tear gas out!" He tossed the canister at them and it did the trick, they became disorientated with the gas.
This gave them the breather they needed to shoot and fall back because their position was already compromised.
When they reached their new defensive line, they dug in. "Ammo count!" Frost ordered as he too checked his load out. He cursed when he only had a single magazine left for his M4A1 and no more for his sidearm.
"I'm running low here, sir."
"I got two mags left."
"I'm down to my sidearm and three magazines."
"I got seven shells left."
Frost frowned; they were all almost out of ammo. Over the radio, he was hearing chatter about the NYPD holding each perimeter, designated 'safe zones' but they were dangerously outnumbered and were being beaten back inch by inch.
If help did not come soon, they would be overrun and be slaughtered before the sun would set.
"Okay, how many more tear gas or flashbangs you got?" Frost asked.
"Only got three left and four flashbangs left, sir."
The Delta Operator nodded. The officers can hold out just a bit longer with those but it would only buy the brave souls several precious minutes of time that they did not have currently.
Looking at the Green Beret, who had been dressed in a graphic design t-shirt with what looked to be some sort of ninja swordsman on it and jeans, he did not seem to fit the bill of a soldier. Despite not looking the part, his aim, timing and skill were all things to be respected of someone that had joined a prestigious position like that. It reminded Frost in his days when he was a Green Beret before he became Delta
"How about you Wilson?" he asked.
The Beret grunted as he took out a pig looking man with a bullet between the eyes of a handgun that he had borrowed from a fallen police office and shook his head.
"Mag and a half for the Assault Rifle. Set in three burst semi-auto I'd run dry in about two minutes. Pistol has 3 clips but that's all I got." He admitted; himself growing a bit nervous at their situation.
Nodding, Frost returned his attention back to the front where the enemy seemed to have broken through the tears gas. "All right, get ready. Here they come."
'Goddammit, where's the fucking cavalry? We won't last long here.'
Back at Times Square, the Imperial Legate was feeling pretty good about himself. His forces have pushed deep within this large city and had killed a lot of these savages.
True, some had fought but they were quickly cut down. It just goes to show that one needs to send a clear and brutal message that they should not cross the Empire.
What is more, his men had captured a good number of these savages; about fifty at least. They would make good slaves, especially the women. They were of all sizes, shapes and color. Some quite exotic and whom he had planned to 'taste' himself personally before turning them over.
"You see, Count Formal? Your worries were misplaced. These savages are not even worth the time of my army." The Imperial Legate said smugly.
Count Formal frowned but before he could say anything, he heard this weird thumping noise in the distance. "Do you hear that?"
The Imperial Legate nodded. "Yes…it is probably their army. Good, it will be a pleasure to crush them."
The thumping noise became louder and louder that they almost though that it was thunder until right overhead of them, they saw these massive flying creatures…and they were many…about ten of them at least.
"What in the name of Emroy?!" The Imperial Legate uttered, awed at the sight. Were those dragons? If so…why did they look like they were made of metal?!
While the rest were still gaping, only Count Formal's face was grim. He had a feeling that this was only the vanguard…and that the full force would soon follow.
On the lead Osprey, Capt. Jorgenson was getting along with all of his men. The trip to the mainland did not take long, only less than eight minutes. That was very good as their boys needed their help ASAP.
"This is Red Rider 4 Actual of Task Force Guardian to all engaged NYPD personnel in the area. I have a full company of Marines and fours Vipers ready for tasking. Please respond. Over." The Captain said over the radio.
"Red Rider 4 Actual, this is Sgt. Kimberly. You have no idea how glad we are to hear ya'! The NYPD has encircled the Times Square area but we're heavily outnumbered! Any chance you can lend a hand?!"
"Roger that. We are sending Marines and air support your way. Red Rider 5, take half of the flight and two Vipers with you, and head to the Northern defensive line and help however you can. Then make a strafing run on the East and South lines before returning for a refuel or an ammo run."
"Roger that."
Half of the QRF peeled off and headed for the Northern perimeter while the rest moved to the South. "Red Rider 4 Actual to all friendly forces South of Time Square, what is your situation. Over."
They all waited in tense silence before the radio crackled to life. "Red Rider 4 Actual, this is 1LT Westbrook! We need air support now! My guys are almost out of ammo and we cannot hold them off any longer! Marking enemy position with green smoke! I say again, green smoke! Send whatever you got!"
Hearing the urgency of the situation, Capt. Jorgenson knew they needed to act fast. "Roger, Lieutenant. Air support's on the way just hold on. Arclight 1 and 2, get your asses over there and take them out. Our boys can't hold on much longer."
"Roger that." The two Vipers raced towards the South and not long, they saw the green smoke marking the enemy position.
Back on the ground, Derek and his men were in deep trouble as they fell back. The enemy was charging straight at them and they were down to their last rounds.
"Where the hell is the goddamn air support?!" A SWAT officer shouted, expending his last pistol rounds. "Shit! I'm out!"
"Tear gas! Use the tear gas now!" One of them yelled before getting skewered through the chest by a thrown spear.
"Simmons! You sons of bitches!"
Derek fired his last round before switching to his pocket knife. If he was going down today, hewas taking ten of these assholes with him to hell!
"1LT Westbrook, this is Arclight 1 and 2. Advise you to run like hell. We're coming in hot." Finally, air support had arrived and not a minute too soon.
"Everyone, hit the deck! Vipers on the way!" No sooner did they start running like hell, the two Vipers flew in from the South and unleashed their arms on the enemy formation.
Red hot 20 mm shells and rockets rained down upon the enemy, shredding them and blowing them all to pieces. They foolishly tried to rise up those flimsy shields of theirs, but those shells could penetrate steel. They were just useless against these kinds of ordnance.
"Red Rider 4 Actual, Arclight. Area secure. You are cleared to land. Over."
"Roger that, Arclight. /Break/. Arclight, we still have hostile forces putting on the pressure on the NYPD. Are you still up for tasking?" Capt. Jorgenson asked as the three Ospreys and two Black Hawks proceeded to land while the Vipers provide cover.
"Can do, sir."
"Copy. I'm handing you over to Sgt. Kimberly, she'll direct your runs. Over."
"Roger that. Give them hell, boys. Arclight is moving out." The two Vipers pulled away for further tasking as the transports unloaded their Marines before taking off and began circling the skies.
"Secure the perimeter!" Capt. Jorgenson ordered.
"Area clear!"
"Hey! We got some live ones here!" A Marine announced as he spotted four men on the ground. "C'mon, let's get them up."
Three other Marines quickly moved in to assist their downed men. "Easy there. We got you." A Marine said as he helped up a clearly dazed officer. He was banged up but he would live.
"Just take it easy, man. Another Marine said before Capt. Jorgenson came up to them.
"I'm Capt. Jorgenson. Which one of you is 1LT Westbrook?" He asked, wanting to know just what kind of enemy they were facing. Who better to ask than the man who initiated the defense?
Derek coughed up some dust before waving his arm. "I am, Captain. Good to see you boys." He coughed up some more before standing up with some help and giving a salute.
The Captain grinned before returning the gesture. "Hell of a job you did here, Lieutenant. You saved a lot of lives here but I need to know what we're dealing with here."
Derek nodded his head. "The enemy seems to be primarily ground based with little to no air. They use overwhelming numbers to overrun our positions. I think we took out a lot of those fuckers but they just kept coming."
Capt. Jorgenson nodded. "Armaments?"
"Mostly swords, spears, and shields." Derek shook his head. "I don't know, sir, but their gear appears similar to Romans or shit. You'll have to ask 2L. Wilson here, he seems to know more than the rest of us."
Capt. Jorgenson nodded though he really didn't know what the hell was going on here. The enemy was armed with only swords, spears and shields, and looked quite similar to Ancient Romans if what the Lieutenant was saying was true. And judging from these corpses…he was inclined to believe this was some sick joke or a time portal somehow opened up here, he didn't know.
But what the Captain did know was that they needed to stop this now before any more people get hurt.
"Alright Wilson, what do you have to input here?"
The 2LT snapped a quick salute before giving a sit-rep. "Well sir, I was at the Midtown Comic Square when all hell broke loose. A lot of people were running and screaming out in the streets while scrambling to get away from something. There was such a mass panic that I saw some people getting crushed underfoot if they tripped. I had no idea what the hell was going on until I saw this fucking dragon and a Roman looking motherfucker riding it fly over my head and skewer a dude. Glad I had my side arm with me and got him center mass. After that, I heard that the police was setting up a defensive perimeter further up and decided to help."
Taking a breath and wiping some sweat off of his face, he continued.
"A lot of the ones I killed weren't even fucking human sir. They looked like something straight out of a game or fantasy novel. Pig-like men and ones with large teeth and green skin - orcs and the like. Anyways, after fighting my making my way up to the fight, I met up with the Lieutenant here and we've been holding them off ever since. I noticed a lot of the creatures that the Roman like guys brought with them have the same weak points we do. The eyes and the inside of the mouth for starters." Once he finished, Capt. Jorgenson gave a quick nod to show that he understood.
"All right, we need to push them back. The rest of our boys should be landing soon and we have birds for air support. 1LT Westbrook, 2LT Wilson, are you fit for duty?"
Derek nodded, grabbing his weapon from the ground and loaded a fresh magazine in with Wilson doing the same. "Affirmative, Captain."
Wilson gave his nod of consent as well when he was handed some ammo for his rifle.
"All right, let's fucking go!"
LOCATION: MANHATTAN SHORES
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 11:35:29
A few minutes later, most of the Marine force made landfall on the docks. The landing crafts lowered their ramps as APCs, tanks, and Marines began pouring out and racing towards the fronts.
In the air, about two dozen AH-1Z Vipers, UH-60 Black Hawks, and V-22 Ospreys flew past them.
With over two thousand Marines finally making it to the mainland, it was payback time.
It did not take long for the main force to get to the front and reinforced the exhausted NYPD. Now backed up by the full force of Task Force Guardian, they had more than enough muscle to crush the would-be invaders.
LOCATION: TIMES SQUARE - ENEMY COMMAND POST
DATE: MAY 11, 2035
TIME: 12:08:54
Back at Times Square, it was utter chaos for the Imperial troops. The Imperial Legate watched as droves of his men returned with more than half of their numbers gone and those that did come back were shaken up to the point of insanity.
Whatever these savages used on his men, they were capable of using magic that literally shredded his men apart. Their shields and armor were practically useless against this onslaught.
"My Lord, we need to return to the gate! We're being slaughtered here!" An Imperial officer pleaded with him.
The General snarled at the officer and grabbed him by the neck. "We are the Imperial Army. We do not flee from an enemy, we crush them! If you don't want to be executed for treason, you will rally your men and push them back!" He threw officer out of his now-ruined lavish tent and slammed his hands on the table.
This was wrong…these were only savages. They should not even be a challenge but yet they were killing his men and monsters in droves! What's more, the few men that managed to come back had told them that these savages commanded massive metal beasts that were complete invulnerable to their attacks.
The commander in him told him to withdraw and take whatever spoils they had left back to the capital. But the Imperial in him screamed to keep fighting. If he defeated and subjugated such a powerful and formidable foe, his name would be chanted through generations.
Ultimately…the chance of glory was too tempting for him.
"I told you this would happen." He looked up and saw Count Formal standing at the entrance of his tent. "It is not too late to withdraw your army."
"No. As long as a man can hold a spear and shield, we will fight. And we will win." He said adamantly. "We will not surrender to these savages."
"We are not surrendering, we are retreating. Don't you see what's going on out there? These savages as you so call them command beasts that rule the skies and the ground! And their soldiers can use magic that I have never heard before on a scale we have never seen!"
Before the Imperial Legate could offer a retort, holes were torn from the roof's tent and the table exploded into splinters. This forced the Count and General to drop to the ground for cover.
Up in the skies, three Black Hawks were circling Time Square and raining down machine gun fire on the panicking enemies. "Command, this is Serpent 6-6! We have eyes on civilian prisoners! Repeat, they have captured civilians!"
"Serpent, this is Command. We cannot, I say again, CANNOT let them escape with those prisoners! Do what you can to stop them. Ground forces are less than three mikes out. How copy. Over."
"Roger that, Command. They're not going anywhere. I guarantee it." The pilot said as the birds continued to circle around and covering the clearly injured but cheering American civilians.
Less than three minutes later, the Marines had reached Times Square leaving thousands of mangles corpses in their wake and completely surrounded the utterly decimated enemy. American air power circled the skies to provide cover should they need it.
The Imperial Legate had finally come to his senses only to find that his almost his entire force was completely decimated. Only a few were left standing but they were on their knees begging for mercy.
Cowards; no shred of Imperial pride!
Yet…with his army all but destroyed and no way out…his common sense finally won out. Beside him, Count Colt was trying to shake off what had happened earlier and saw that most of their men were either dead or dying, and they were surrounded by men and metal monstrosities.
He couldn't help but be to be awed by the sight.
He stood up proudly as the enemy soldiers approached them. It pained his pride to do this but if he wanted to live, he must. "I am Imperial Legate Tertius Sennius Siricus of the Saderan Army! I demand that you show me to your-" He didn't get far when his face met the buttstock of an M27 rifle.
"On the fucking ground, motherfucker! Don't even think about moving!" A Marine shouted as his brothers-in-arms subdued all the surrendering enemy forces and tended to the wounded civilian prisoners.
Count Formal felt himself being forcefully pushed to the ground and his arm forced painfully to his back. "Don't move or it'll be the last thing you do." He didn't know what this soldier was saying but he didn't resist.
For the first time, the Imperial Army was defeated and was now at the mercy of those that they wronged.
"Command, Red Rider 4 Actual. All enemy personnel neutralized. Area is secure." He looked down at the body of a little girl who had one her legs chopped off…still holding her teddy bear in her arms as her eyes were widened in horror. "Get these people some help…please. Some are already beyond help, but I want to make their passing as painless as possible. They've suffered enough today and for the rest of their lives, short as some might soon be."
"Roger that, Red Rider. Emergency personnel are on their way. Help them however you can. Command, out."
Capt. Jorgenson sighed before kneeling down at the dead child and closed her still open eyes. "I'm sorry, kid."
Derek was there too but he and the other Marines were busy staring at what had been done to them. The bodies of hundreds of civilians were piled up at the center of the Square. Some of them even looked half eaten. That did not even account for the even more unfortunate souls that had quite possibly been captured and sent across the other side of the gate as god knows what.
With what these fuckers did freshly engrave into their minds, the Marines had only one thing in mind.
Revenge.
AN:
Hope this is a better start than the last story.