Uncle Duke chuckled as he finished filling up the truck he'd used to fill up on his ill gotten grains.

Now granted he didn't enjoy getting thrown into this war zone but he had to admit looting was fun especially when there's nobody to threaten you for doing it.

Just as he was about to leave when he heard a scraping sound and a man yelling "I found her that way."
Duke turned and saw (from several feet away) a deformed man in 50s clothes with several bandages wrapped around his head, he was holding a wrench and dragging it on the ground as he charged towards Duke.

The con man quickly pulled out his submachine gun and blew the maniac down…then felt a bullet go through his arm.

"I'm your better" another voice said this one belonging to a similarly deformed woman who was holding a pistol.

Duke didn't spare her and blew a bullet through her head.

Unfortunately he fighting caused a crowd of these beings to form, some held guns and some held clubs but Duke didn't want any to hit him.

"Vulgar little tramp."

"I'm King, I'm gonna stay king."
"I'm the star, not you."

"You're crawling with disease."

"You're with Atlas, I know it."

"You want some a this?"
"It's my life! Mine!"

"Traitor! Traitor!"

"I'll send you flies."

"What did you tell Ms. Klein!"
"Worthless data."
These and more were the calls Duke heard from the crowd of maniacs, ignoring them Duke used his submachine gun to swiftly kill the lot…only for an even nastier surprise to turn up right behind them.

It was large, that's for sure and it wore a tight fitting shirt that looked like it's buttons were about to pop off (the vest he wore meeting that fate) and on the exposed flesh Duke could see the man was covered in deformities similar to that of the previous humans (or could he call them that?)

It let out a haunting laugh and said "you foolish little prick, you think you can beat me? Those splicers were puny runts, mere weaklings while I" proceeding to flex his muscles before continuing "am strong as an ox so you'd better have yer will written out" the brute said before charging at Duke.

Duke pulled the trigger of his submachine gun only to find a disturbing fact…he was out of ammo.

Cursing he grabbed the nearest weapon he could find (a machete) and prepared to fight the brute.

The massive man was still charging at Duke who managed to duck under him and slash him in the back. This drew a roar of anger from it and the brute who reached out his hands and grabbed Duke then bringing him into a bone crushing bear hug.

Thinking fast Duke used his legs to kick the brute in the groin.

The brute yet out a yell that'd curl your hair and dropped Duke, clutching his balls in pain and giving Duke enough time to grab the machete and cut off the brute's head.

Gasping for breath Duke turned around and saw another much larger crowd of splicers behind him, however Duke had enough fighting for today and decided to haul ass back to a safe zone before he ended up dead.

Popeye walked through the streets of Muncie noting the extremely high amounts of destruction, currently he was intending to find a way out of this city as the battle looked like it was taking a turn for the worse.

As he turned a corner he saw Wimpy, he was panting heavily and running from a large building upon seeing his friend he yelled out "POPEYE RUN!"

Wimpy collapsed from exhaustion…and right behind him landed the weirdest thing Popeye had ever seen.

It was a massive mechanical man, it was built like a gorilla and happened to be a steampunk machine…until on further notice Popeye saw that in it's chest was a beating human heart.

It raised it's head up and roared, then proceeding to charge the shocked sailor. Popeye got out of his shock in time to block the metal man's charge and throw him into a wall.

The man just got back up and noticed a nearby car, roaring difiently the man threw it at Popeye and hurled it at the sailor. The impact was enough to hurl Popeye through a nearby wall, now most people would try to think up a plan of action but Popeye (who'd face threats like this before) had a better idea.

Reaching into his pocket the sailor pulled the absolute least thing someone would pull if someone was trying to kill them… a can of spinach.

Now before anyone wonders WTF (and if that's the case than they probably never heard of Popeye) so if that's the case than yer about to learn something…read on.

Popeye hurriedly swallowed down the spinach and within seconds his muscles expanded dramatically...and the cyborg was completely screwed.

But this wasn't something the cyborg picked up, in fact if anything this only encouraged it.

What an idiot.

As if to prove the above statement the cyborg attempted to punch Popeye's head off…only to get it's fist smashed beyond recognition.

It stared it it's smashed a hand a few seconds as if in shock that this happened, but it wasn't even part of Popeye's temporary strength boost. As if to prove this the one-eyed sailor grabbed the man-bot and proceeded to tear him completely in two, and if that wasn't enough he hurled the two halves off into the distance.

Popeye dusted himself off and walked back to Wimpy, before he could see if he was alright he heard a rumbling behind him and after looking over his shoulder noticed about 50 tanks behind him. Now normally he wouldn't be worried but even with his spinach he couldn't take out all those tanks, so instead he just picked up Wimpy and hightailed it out of there.

Little did he know this war had just taken a turn for the worse…

It was coming apart. The Vipers on their HISS tanks were constantly bashing at the lines with the Grays and the National Guard that artillery was being called down on top of their positions. It was an ant swarm; hundreds kept materializing on the horizon and coming down on the ever thinning line of defenders. Taking a position on a high hill a mile or so back from the line stood the masked Destro in awe at the bravery being exerted by these citizen soldiers.
"Such bravery and cunning" smiling as he watched two Grays run out on their own and climb into the hatches of a knocked out HISS and turn its guns on the former owners. These men were all volunteers but on this battlefield they were on home soil, it was a personal fight and they were not going to give up easily whereas his Vipers kept going with a gun pointed at their backs. Destro finished as the captured HISS tank was destroyed in a brilliant splash of flame, "A fool's bravery."
Supply trucks ran the gauntlet and kicked out ammunition before running back to fetch more but when that supply ran out the Grays began collecting enemy weaponry and using them until that ran out then picked up clubs and when that broke they used knifes and their bare hands. One squad of Lieutenant Holiman's squad waited until three HISS tanks, loaded for bear with Vipers, were passing by heading into town then they unleashed a salvo of AT-4 rockets that knocked out the front and rear HISS and then they opened up with automatic fire that cut down the men onboard then one Gray climbed onboard a HISS that had its cockpit shield blasted away and threw in a smoke and thermite grenade bundle that gutted the interior.
Duke and the Joes were fighting alongside the Grays, setting aside their first mission to investigate and analyze the technology and capabilities of their new enemy, with Cobra clearly in the picture they also found Garfield's technology to be far beyond that what MARS to be capable of though now they picked up their rifles. Scarlett slid into a dugout with one Gray that was lobbing grenades at a depression where several Vipers and now Garfield's Cats had sought refuge. "Give me one of those" Scarlett asked thrusting out a hand. The Gray handed one fragmentation grenade over then pulled the pin on a second. Instead of joining him to heaving the bombs she next said, "Give me some cover fire and let me work on them." The Gray was perplexed but obeyed after heaving his bomb and picking up his rifle and firing off one shot every second that kept the heads of the enemy down in that depression. Crawling out of the dugout and advancing out into the open field Scarlett heard the zip of rounds crisscrossing over her head, one smacked close to her hand and rain bits of dirt onto her uniform but still she went on. Guiding to the left she reached ten feet of the dugout and could hear the voices the Vipers were quarreling with the Cats. Pulling the pin and releasing the spool Scarlett counted quickly to three and hurled the steel bomb over hand and sank her face into the soft soil.

WHOMP.

The concussion rippled through her body, the bomb exploded just over their heads and rained lethal shards into the party followed with silence. Hurriedly crawling forward Scarlett found the entire party dead and she immediately began to pick through their equipment. Duke was with Captain Miller when the fiery redhead came galloping back with a bag full of gear that she had pulled from the Cats. "This here is the batteries for one of their weapons." In her hand was a large, black, cylinder that size of a soda can but heavy in upwards of a pound. There was a not a band or writing anywhere on it but in her other hand was a weapon that was similar in appearance to an AA-12 automatic shotgun but instead of taking magazines it accepted the batteries and attached to its left side was a small screen, "This baby is one of their new weapons, but it won't work," her voice dipped into frustration and showed the damaged screen where a large fragment from her grenade shattered it and the blood spatter from its former owner.
Still a good catch Duke told her to get on the horn with General Hawk and get it on the next bird out of here. "We're withdrawing," said Duke, "They're overlapping the flanks and right now Captain Miller is pulling his men to the other side of town."
Nodding slightly Scarlett looked at the two men then hustled off towards the landing zone as more helicopters came and went with their missions. She was angry that they were withdrawing and that she damaged her own catch however when she came upon the wounded she showed no emotion and gave the weapon to Dial Tone. The wounded were being taken to a clearing in a field with Medevac's flying in and out constantly and they were also taking small arms fire as the Vipers began to infiltrate the perimeter. Despite this they took the wounded away as the order was given to fall back. Engineers began to blow up any bridges to impede the progress of the enemy but many homes and civilian buildings were left intact. At the same time air support arrived to help to stem, it would not change the battle's outcome. Finding the wounded Dial Tone on a stretcher wrapped in bandages at first Scarlett was taken aback seeing her friend this way. "How are you feeling?" Scarlett asked kneeling beside her.
Awake but numb Dial Tone smiled, "I'm okay." A bullet cracked above their head and everyone turned to where it came from. A pair o Vipers were just fifty yards away firing at them, a medic ran forward with a pistol and began shooting at them. Geneva Conventions allows the arming of medical personal for the purpose of protecting themselves and their patients but one pistol was not enough, two Grays came out and flanked the Vipers and gunned them down.
"Here, this is a PDA" Dial Tone said handing over a chip she had been saving, "It's the data we gathered listening to their traffic. "I wish it was more." A twing of pain in her legs made her body cringe.
"You did just fine," Scarlett assured her, "We'll be waiting for you when you get back."
Two medics came by saying that she was on the next bird. Giving a thumbs-up Dial Tone was placed onboard with several wounded Grays and the Blackhawk climbed into the blue sky. Watching them go Scarlett went next to find Captain Miller. Overhead the jets were Winchester and returning to base already, a few were leaving black trails after being hit by triple A fire, but she did not count them. Shells were still screaing in, grew use to it as the dull thumps of detonation made the ground shake under her feet. The order already given to pull back they were coming out in squads, very orderly with their routes predetermined, no rush, along the way she asked one Gray for a drink from his canteen. This one was full and when she drank it there was Gatorade in it which surprised her. "Thanks" she smiled to the Gray, "I needed that." Finding the captain at a small house near the center of town conferring with Lieutenant Holiman Scarlett was amazed at how this captain was still so calm about the situation and the discipline of his "volunteers." They all knew that staying here would be hopeless and with the cover of the artillery and air assets the progress of retreating through the town, but what Holiman was worried about was infiltration of the Vipers into the line already and Scarlett pointed out that two had already been killed at the aid station. If they had made it that far in, then they could be anywhere.
Miller asked her, "Can your team help out at finding these infiltrators."
Nodding, "I got one guy that can help."
"One guy?" Miller raised an eyebrow, "We're going to need more than just one guy."
"Trust me, captain, he's more than enough," flashing a smile.
Scarlett got on the horn wih her team as Miller's radioman came down stairs after observing from a open window, his feet pounded down the simple wood staircase, and pointed eagerly at the front door facing the street, "Sir! Sir!"

WHAM!

A tremendous blast knocked everyone off them their feet as the house came down. Timbers, windows, furniture ripped apart and set alight in an instant. Dazed and ears bleeding Scarlett sat up her stomach in pain she looked over at Lieutenant Holiman whom reached up and touched his right eye and screamed in pain. At her feet Captain Miller rolled onto his stomach and stood up and spat out a tooth.
"Everyone okay?" Miller coughed.
"Yeah," Scarlett huffed rising up.
Holiman screamed about his eye and Scarlett kneeled down and wrapped up his eye with a field dressing as the captain looked out, the HISS tanks were just a stone throws away, "Out the back way, quick," he directed. The three of them went out the back and made the dash down an alleyway to elude the enemy. Taking the pain and seeing only out of one eye Holiman could have left on the next Dust Off however the lieutenant elected to stay to ensure that the rest of his command got out.
Fighting now devolved to the streets as Grays and knots of National Guard fell back. Artillery was used forming an iron curtain to shield the withdrawal. Still, despite the casualties Destro continued to order his men forward into the rain.
Just before being blasted, Scarlett got off a brief radio message to Snake Eyes about the infiltrators and asked if he could do anything about it. Stealth, cunning, ruthless, the shadow lurked around the ever changing battlefield looking for his enemy. Here a squad appeared, they had made it through and were waiting along the main highway of the escape route and ready to hit the exposed soldiers. Blade unsheathed, approaching carefully with the tips of his toes touching the surface. They had no heed that he was on to them instead they kept looking away and his blade sliced cleanly through their bodies and out the far end and he disappeared, no one knew he was there until they came upon the scythed bodies. "What could have done such killing?" Gray asked. Snake Eyes was a shadow and disappeared and kept popping up, here one Viper would be slain then a group of Cats. He was everywhere and nowhere he used his blade and his bare hands to slit their throats and break their necks and used the fear that was building up side them to gain the edge to remove the infiltrators and clear the path. One man was more powerful than a whole battery of artillery. Looking down at the column Snake's ear was filled with Scarlett's voice again, "Snake? Snake? I need you to grab some of their toys and bring them back? Can you do that? Of course you can. Just hurry. Miller says they can't hold out much longer." Vipers were coming in a wide double pincer movement to surround the entire city, however the Grays kept using their iron curtain of artillery to keep beating them, keeping the gap open. The artillery pieces were becoming red from usage but still they kept at them dousing the barrels with water as fighter bombers were finally came back to begin dropping their ordinance. In the midst of it all Captain Miller was moving up and down his men with his radio man behind keeping in touch with everyone. "Platoon comannders make sure you have accountability of all of your personnel. I don't want to leave anyone behind regardless if they're dead. I want them to not have a single trophy of this fight except their destroyed tanks." Rather patriotic but Miller was running out of steam. He was tired and his men were demanding so much out of him that he kept pausing to gather his breath and drink from a canteen. He kept trying wih al is ability to keep his command going however, some events were out of his control. There were fewer reports of infiltrators that made him pause, guess the redhead's man did come through after all, but who this man was the captain did not know.
"Danger close" artillery was being called right on top of their heads. Only time that would be used was if they were about to be overrun. 105 and 150mm howitzers screamed in over their heads that tore up their original positions and took apart many civilian structures. Miller and his radioman were going around and making sure there were no stragglers, yet he got lost in the streets and tried to back track his way on foot. "I don't want to be here," thinking to himself, heart racing at the thought that the next corner would be a tank pointing right at him. "This is how you get captured. Doing dumb things."
To the South the saw the tanks, this thy turned and went North and found more, "Shit" Miller said when he looked at the predicament; he was behind enemy lines. Every alleyway had blue clad Vipers rooting through every hiding spot trying t find their enemy. With their line now gone there was nothing to stop Cobra from advancing into the town. The radio man with Miller received a call that the artillery was pulling back to a new position and would be out for an hour and Miller huffed that he wished they had M109 Paladins, the self-propelled artillery. Adrenalin was pumping from battle and throats dry and these two Grays were now tip toing around patrols as they tried to find a way out of town. 81mm mortars were still coming in harassing more than anything and after sinking inside a grove of trees to catch their breath. Miller looked at his companion, just a boy but his face was pattered with blood that he did not know where it did not come from, and when the shock was wearing off their bodies trembled. They had failed to keep Cobra back, they had nothing to show with this. "Did you see what happened to our companions?" Miller whispered.
"Which ones, sir?"
"The redhead, Scarlett."
Shaking his head with wide, worried eyes, "I don't know, sir."
Before they could go on the radio came alive again the artillery had relocated and set up and waiting for their next fire mission. The Grays had pulled out, but seeing the town fully infested with the enemy the captain had to make a tough decision. Placing the receiver to his head, voice fatigued, "Gray Six to Temple four, marking my POS with purple smoke."
"Roger Gray Six, mark your position for fire mission."
One smoke grenade, the enemy was all around them, this whole place was a target, however this was a civilian town that they could not legally destroy, yet the place was abandoned, still, it was not military. Miller pulled the pin, "Hit my smoke!" Miller called out before heaving the cylinder down the road and the two began away with his slower radio man in tow. The two were almost out when they saw a HISS tank that had run on the outskirts of the town and came around in a pincer to trap anyone inside. "This way" Miller said and ran into an alleyway, "Keep up and don't shoot back." The young radio man nodded and kept going as fast as his heels could. At an intersection they paused to gather their bearings. Fifty meters away they saw a group of Vipers investing in the houses on that neighborhood. Even though they wanted to shoot them such a discharge would be folly the Vipers would be upon him in an instant. They carefully slinked away through the alleyways towards the North-West. For another half hour they played hide and seek then came towards a line of shrubbery. Making sure they were alone Miller went first and pierced the green then slammed into a thick, heavy object and recoiled back, "Captain Miller?" it was the redhead Scarlett.
Both sat up at the same instant Miller was dazed but unharmed as the radioman came up aiming his rifle, "Easy" the captain said, "She's with us." It was just the three of them and the radioman was still in touch with the rest of the Grays as they were leaving and then the shells began to crash in the town ripping it apart. It was scorched earth, the town was evacuated there were no civilians, however all the homes, yards, vehicles, the city facilities were being ripped apart however, Miller knew that they could be replaced in time thus he only wished to see the columns of churning earth with the eruptions of flame as the shells screeched in and destroyed what was in their path..
Hiding behind the shrubbery Scarlett said to him, "I'm in touch with Snake Eyes. He says he'll meet us at a barn three clicks North-West of here."
"Who is Snake Eyes?" the radioman asked.
Scarlett smirked at him, so young and naive, "You'll see."
"Let's get going," Miller replied.
At the White House the president was meeting with his advisors going over the situation in Indiana. It was becoming progressively worse as more and more of Garfield's Army was coming through the portal. All available troops including National Guard, the Reserves and even the In-active Reserves were being called in to bolster the line, however, it was becoming evident that the technology being harnessed by the Orange Army dwarfed that of the United States and more aircraft were being lost to anti-aircraft fire. A general asked if it would be wise to use the Minutemen to crush the portal, the main supply line for the enemy.
The Minutemen were thermo-nuclear missiles in underground silos scattered throughout the country. It was part of a triangle of nuclear deterrents the others being delivered by capable submarines and the others by bombers. Each Minuteman had a warhead capable of one hundred fifty megatons just over nine times that was dropped by Little Boy dropped Nagasaki that would turn sand to glass and leave an inhabitable waste land where Muncie was.
"Perhaps," the president said, "That is their goal all this time."
There was not a Minuteman silo in Indiana but with the progress that was being achieved and their direction and the actions of their commandos perhaps their next target was to take the silos, preventing the Americans from using and perhaps turning them on their owners. "The silos can be entered but when it to launch them is next to impossible because of the security protocols enabled." Still, the thought that Garfield could be able to seize such weapons left them chilled.
The president thought deeply with his fingers slapped together, "I cannot launch a missile on our own people," he said, "This is our land and when it goes off it will be inhabitable for decades if not more. I will not allow it. Tell the generals that they must find a conventional way of defeating Garfield. A peace treaty? No. The only treaty I will sign by him is his surrender."