Atlas Headquarters New Baghdad
Jonathan Irons P.O.V
"Sir Sentinel forces are leading the charge and broken through our lines" An Officer tells me as I watch the battle unfold from the large monitor on the wall in front of me. "Our Troops cannot hold for much longer"
"Dam it!" I shout slamming my fist down on the table. I never thought the world would unite so quickly against me, the armies of America, Great Britain, Germany, France and Russia bare down on New Baghdad with Sentinel leading the way trying to take me. "Pull all our forces back it to the city and to fortify the city, tell them delay the enemy as long as they can"
"Yes sir" The Officer replies before quickly relaying the order. We just need more time, Project Magic is nearly ready to begin. We just need to hold out long enough for it to succeed, then we can finally turn the tide of this war.
"You're in Command now son" I tell the officer pointing at him as I walk towards the elevator. "If you need me I'll be in R&D but only contact me if its and emergency"
"Yes sir I won't let you down" The Officer responds looking nervous at first but as soon as he looks at the others in the room and I step in the elevator he soon takes command. "All right let's not let Baghdad fall"
I take the Elevator down to the lowest level of the building where the loud explosions of the battle disappear, down here it will be easy to forget that the entire world is gunning for me. I step out of the elevator and onto a balcony overlooking Project Magic Atlas's most secret project. I look over the balcony and down onto a large metal ring with wires coming off it in every direction, four large generators feed the ring with power and a steel walkway leads up to the ring. Waiting on the walkway is four squads of infantry armed to the teeth, two A.S.T's and above their heads a small swarm of drones hover just waiting for the order to go into battle. This is just one of four rings set up to send Atlas personnel through into another world as part of Project Magic. Two of the rings are here in Baghdad and the other two spread out and hidden somewhere in another part of the world, at the top of the Headquarters is a large spire which will project the portal into the air so a pair of Assault Airship, several VOLTs and two fighter squadrons can pass through and support the assault.
Project Magic has to work it has to or all is lost. We don't have much time but thankfully it appears to be an easy win. Recon team that have already passed through the ring report that the enemy we will face has World War Two technology and their army has been weakened and stretched to the limit in a war with an advanced alien race. Everything is in place, the first wave ready to move out and teams already sent through are in place. Now we just need to hold out long enough for my people to complete their mission. Atlas can still be saved and our plan can still work, we can do as long as we hold out.
"Men and Women of Atlas" I say into an intercom microphone letting my voice echo across the city and raging battle. "We have fought for such a long time and sacrificed so much to bring peace to the world" I pause as the ring starts to spin and emit a blue light covering its face. "We will be victorious, we will beat back our enemies and we will win this war. All I ask is that you hold out for that day when we will march through the defeated capitals of the world. A plan is in place and it will end this war once and for all with us being the winners. We just need to hold out until it's complete, the day is coming where this war is over and that day is rapidly approaching, we just need to hold out until it's done"
"That's a nice speech sir" Atlas a voice on the radio quickly replies. I recognize the voice it belongs to Atlas One the leader of the mission. "Requesting permission to begin sir"
"Permission granted" I tell him and he quickly head towards the portal letting the drones and A.S.T's lead the way. "Good luck out there we are all counting on you"
On the road to Rome
Charlotte E. Yeager "Shirley" P.O.V
Driving this truck is so boring! It almost feels like a miracle when the road finally clears and drops down a hill allowing me to confirm that the road is clear. Just looking at the open clear road ahead puts a smile on my face and hearing the engine rev up as I press down on the accelerator is like music to my ears. Now I can have some fun and see what this truck can do. Pressing my foot all the way to the floor brings an instant and hard to miss acceleration that pushes me back into my seat, in the back of the truck I can hear Lucchini laughing her little head off and Yoshika scream hers off. Hopefully Yoshika can get used to me driving and enjoy it as much as Lucchini does. It is a shame that Lynne hates my driving and I know the reason why she decided not to come along is because of my driving, she always found the best tea and cake shops back in Britannia and I was hoping she would be here today to do the same.
"Go Shirley go!" Lucchini cheers as I break slightly and turn round the first bend. I can feel my body being pulled away from the wheel but thankfully from my racing day I'm used to the feeling, Lucchini is too but I'm pretty sure Yoshika isn't, I hope she'll find it fun.
"We're going to die!" I hear Yoshika yell.
"You me fly" Lucchini replies still giggling as I see a tempting jump up ahead and judging from Lucchini's next words she sees the jump too. "Go!"
"Make it stop!" Yoshika begs.
I press the accelerator hard into the floor and straighten up the truck for the jump, no matter what anyone tells me I'm still going to jump this jump. The road twists around a small valley and on the opposite side the road is lower and close, we can make this jump no problem. I push the truck to its limits, I can hear Yoshika scream and Lucchini laugh in the back of the truck but I'm too focused on driving and making this jump that I barely hear them. The truck has reached its limits refusing to go any faster just as the edge of the road disappears from my eye sight dropping below the top of the engine. The first thing that lets me now we've gone over the edge is the front wheel feeling lighter than my stomach flips as I feel the entire truck leave the road and drop below onto the road below.
"Hold on guys" I say as the truck leaves the road.
The truck slams onto the road landing perfectly in the roads centre. I can feel my butt jump off the seat as we land and hear Lucchini and Yoshika land onto the trucks floor with Lucchini still laughing her head off.
"Hooray" Lucchini cheers as I slow down the truck and Rome comes into view in front of me.
"Nailed it" I say to myself as I look out across the horizon at the city of Rome.
"Can you slow down now?" Yoshika begs and I quickly look back to see her face looking a little bit green.
"Ok" I reply pulling the truck over. "Why don't you two come sit up front?"
Rome
Atlas One-Three
Ghost P.O.V
Atlas One-Three is one of the four resonance teams sent through to scout out this world and it's a job we do well. I personal handpicked each and every one of Atlas One-Three Three men under my command after looking deeply into the background and records of each member. "Razor" is a close quarter specialist and too be honest its easier to list the hand to hand techniques he doesn't know then to tell you the ones he does, he severed in the South Korean army since he finished school and joint Atlas after the battle for Seoul after being impressed by the Atlas personal he saw in action that day. "Fish" He's an ex-Navy Seal and explosive expert with a decade of experience in the Seals under his belt. "Giant" Giant is as big as two men combined and has the strength of five easily lifting with on hand what it takes two men to struggle to lift. Giant used to serve in the Spetsnaz for twelve years, then the Loyalist and ended his career after helping Captain Price bring down Makarov.
I personally was a member of the Ghosts for several years which lead to my call sign "Ghost". I fought with those brave heroic men until they all gave their last breaths dying where they fell on the battlefield. The Government did nothing and their bodies rot were they fell, not one of them got the burial they deserved after years of loyal service. I was the only one left alive with my right arm severed at the elbow and right eye destroyed by a bullet which only by an act of god stopped before reaching my brain. When I returned to base I received a dishonourable discharge and received no help in paying my medical bills, my wife against my wishes started to whore herself to pay them which ended… ended in her throat being slit open by her pip when she told him she didn't want to be a prostitute anymore. It was only several years later that I learned the mission was a set up because the government became fearful of us, fearful of the weapon they have created.
I joined Atlas three years later thankful that they gave me back my arm and eye with their state of the art biogenics. My arm is stronger than ever and my eye now can act as binoculars, night vision googles and I can see in thermal imaging. I joined Atlas because being a soldier was all I knew how to be, the only thing I was good at. I quickly worked my way into the organisation doing everything asked of me and I quickly caught the attention of Jonathan Irons the leader of Atlas. He took me into his inner circle and asked me to become his personal assassin, I killed all the people that got in his way doing such a good job that some of my targets are still reported as missing to this day. I didn't know why or asked why the people I killed had to die but soon it became clear when Atlas declared war on the world, the people I killed were scientists, doctors and Special Forces operatives that were a threat to Atlas during the war.
When Atlas started to loss the war our scientists and engineers discovered accidently another world and quickly built a portal to it hoping something there would help turn the tide in the war or provide us a place to go if the war is lost. I was the first to volunteer to go through and recon the area, now several month later I'm here in Rome about to strike a major blow to Romagna people. My teams been assigned to kidnap the Duchess and force her to surrender her country. My mission has been made easier by the little brat as I watch her run through the street being chased only by two guards through the back streets of the city where very little people are. We are following the Duchess from the roof tops staying hidden by using cloaking technology keeping her in our sights and waiting for the first portal to open, the first shot to be fired and that's when we will take while the guards are momentarily confused we will strike. This mission will be over in no time at all. An easy mission and an easy day, Atlas will conquer this city before nightfall.
On the Streets of Rome
Yoshika Miyafuji P.O.V
The city of Rome is amazing! Everywhere I look there is beauty and wonder, ruins of an empire, the buildings look amazing and Lucchini is happy to answer any question I ask. She sounds and looks so proud of the city and I have the feeling she was born here. She looks out at the city and I can tell she feels at home here, she smiles at the city looking more happy than normal. The only time I've seen her this happy before is when she's groping someone's breasts. The sight of her this happy is making me just as happy as she is and I can her Shirley quietly humming to herself telling me she's just as happy. Today's going to be a great day. Shopping, seeing everyone's faces when we return with the items they requested and seeing this beautify city is going to make this a day I'll remember for the rest of my life. I only wish Lynne was here, I know that she didn't want to go because of Lynne deciding not to come when she heard that Shirley was driving and I wish I didn't come after experiencing her driving fist hand.
"Here! Stop here!" Lucchini suddenly shouts making me jump, literally jump and nearly hit my head on the ceiling. "Here's the shop!"
"Are you sure?" Shirley asks as she slows and pulls the truck over.
"Yeah, yeah this is the place" Lucchini excitedly answered as she jumps out of the still moving truck.
Shirley and I join her in front of the shop once the truck is parked. The store Lucchini has chosen looks no different from the others we have passed by, it has a glass window and door, the outside of the shop was the same as the buildings around it and if it wasn't for the large doors and the shops name painted above them this place would be hard to spot. Looking at the shop from the outside and I can't tell why Lucchini has picked it but inside the shop its clear why. Looking around the shop I can see everything you can possibly imagine, clothes, antiques, jewellery, food, alcohol and at the back my eyes widen at a line of cooking pots and I instantly start to think about what I could cook using them.
"Hey Yoshika!" Lucchini yells and I feel her hands cup my breasts. "Got that list?"
"Yea… Yes I got it" I reply trying to shake her off me but Lucchini is an expert groper and doesn't let go that easy. Thankfully Shirley pulls Lucchini off me. "Captain Barkhorn is top of the list and she… she want a dress for her sister Chris"
"Barkhorn want's a dress" Shirley blurts out trying to hold back her laughter but in the end she gives up and bends over laughing.
"No it's for her sister Chris" I quickly tell her but I doubt she can hear me over all her laughter.
Leaving Shirley laughing I walk over to the row of dresses at the other end of the shop, they are all so pretty and I bet that there is one here for every one back at the base. I instantly pick up a pink dress that would look good on me but what about Chris, Barkhorn did say I look like I could be Chris's twin only her sister is cuter so I guess this one would be ok. I make up my mind and cross the dress off of the list, I shouldn't worry I'm sure Chris and Barkhorn would love it this dress is so pretty. I turn back to the others and spot Lucchini sat down in a chair yawning and Shirley walking up to me with a radio in her hands.
"You can cross the radio off the list" Shirley says as she reaches me. "So is that…"
A loud explosion cuts her off and shakes the building so much I lose my balance and end up landing face first in Shirley's massive chest. I could breath, I couldn't until Shirley pull me out. Several more equally loud and powerful explosion quickly follow but this time I'm read and don't fall over again. I look around the room and see that the shop owner is fine and picking himself off the floor. But when I look over to check on Lucchini my body reacts before my mind knows what happening, I run over to Lucchini without even thinking about it. It isn't until I reach her that my mind catches up with my body and realises what my body did ages ago, Lucchini is laying face down on the ground with glass from the window behind her digging into her back. I quickly start to pull the glass pieces out of her back which is quickly becoming covered in her blood, her white jacket is now red and painful whimpers are coming out of her mouth. It hurts my heart whenever I see someone in pain so I move as quickly as I can removing the glass from her back, once it's all out I use my magic on her to finish treating her. During the time I was treating her Shirley has come over to us and is holding Lucchini's hand, gently stroking the side of her face and whispering soothing words into Lucchini's ear which helps to keep her calm and still.
"What was that?" Lucchini asks as I finish off healing her.
"I don't know but we need to get back to the truck, can you walk?" Shirley answers as we all get to our feet and hear the city's anti-aircraft guns open fire. Lucchini nods in reply before we head out of the door.
Outside we see the city on fire and a huge blue light high in the sky, two massive ships emerge from the light and instantly large objects start to fall off of them. Strange aircraft also dive out of the sky firing rockets and bullets into the city, they must be jets as they sound similar to the Jet Striker Barkhorn flew. The anti-aircraft guns try to shoot them down but the jets are just too fast for the guns to hit them. All around me the air is filled with the smell of smoke and death, all around me are dead and dying and their screams are making my heart sting. Tears start to flood out of my eyes and I drop to my knees covering my ears. I can't help these people I can't there's just too many of them, all I want is for their screaming to stop.
"Yoshika are you alright?" Lucchini asks and I can hear the fear and sadness in her voice.
"Yoshika" Shirley gently says as she kneels down beside me. "Come on we're getting out of here"
501st Joint Fight Wing "Strike Witches" Base
Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke P.O.V
Paper work paper work and more paper work, that's all my life seems to be lately as High Command seems to love keeping me behind this desk all day and not on the battlefield. I don't mind doing paper work and Mio… I mean Major Sakamoto is an excellent battle commander so it hardly affects the unit but I can't shake the feeling that I'm only stuck behind this desk is because they don't want me to get one more kill. If I get that one kill then I will receive a medal, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. I'm halfway through today's mounting of paperwork taking a quick break to look out of my window to watch Sakamoto train Lynne and Perrine, its already gone midday and at this rate the paperwork won't be finished before sunset. Looks like I'm in for another busy day.
"Commander" Trude says as she suddenly burst into the room "Rome is under attack"
"What?" I ask jumping up from my seat sending the paperwork piled up on the desk flying. "We never received reports about any Neuroi crossing the border"
"It's not the Neuroi" Trude replies handing me a report she took on the situation. "The attackers are human and they appeared from blue holes all over the city, two giant ships are flying above the city dropping large objects down onto the city below and their technology is years ahead of anything we have"
"How can…" I say reading over the report and confirm everything Trude just told me. "Yoshika, Shirley and Lucchini are in Rome!"
"I tell everyone to get ready" Trude says running out of the Rome, I can see in her eyes that she wants to save Yoshika not the city. A hit the alarm just as the phone rings.
"Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke of the 501st…" I answer the phone but before I could get another word in a frantic voice cuts me off.
"Scrabble immediately and head to Rome!" The voice demands and I can tell the call is coming from Rome itself from the explosions and gun fire in the background. "You will link up with the 504th over the city"
"What's the situation in the city?" I ask trying to get a better picture of the situation.
"The cities overrun all unit's in the area are in route…. The enemy is strong and…" A loud explosion cuts him off and destroys the phone, all I can hear is the dead phone sound.