The crying tissues. THE CRYING TISSUES! I am so so so stoked that you guys made it this far. Won't put out spoilers. This is the largest chapter I have ever come to thusfar, and most importantly the most critical. This ending went out with a bang. It may seem like I half-assed it here and there, but I didn't. It's just that I looked back on it and kinda felt... A little less self confident in myself... Anyway! I hope you enjoy this little... Er, big chapter. Here. You. Go. Enjoy
...
As Kohta helps Alice and Zeke up through the hole in the floor from above their original room, Takashi kicks out the door and searched the hallway. It was clear.
"Which way do we go", Rei asks Takashi. "We don't know if the staircase is crowded with more of 'them', so I think we should consider more about our escape."
"And what about the military", Kiriko asks, holding up her spear as she stayed behind Takashi. "Do you think we should search for help from the experts?"
Saya had thought about the possibilities then answered the questions for Takashi. "We have no choice but to take the staircase. But if things go from bad to worse, we'll have to use the elevator shaft to climb up. I'd doubt we run into the military if we're going up, unless these guys are all wusses or either serious pros. And I doubt these guys can take out so many in so little time. Right now, we are officially on our own."
Saeko tightened her grip around the handle of her sheathed katana but then thought it over. This was no time to mope. Now is the time to fight and assure her group's safety.
"She's right", Takashi says, looking to everyone as the hallway was declared clear of any of 'them'. "We have to watch out for each other from this point forward. We can't afford to think about saving anyone else. Remember, it is either the military or us. And I think that we've been through enough of hell to say the military."
"That's our leader", Kohta blurts sheepishly, then went out the room with everyone else.
As the group heads down the halls to the staircase, they can clearly hear the gunfire that went on throughout the hotel and outside. Though, the order was to not think about them. Now is the time to focus on their very own survival. And that burned into everyone's minds as they slowly, and cautiously climbed up the messy, trashed staircase.
"Hey, what do we tell the guys in the helicopter", Tadashi asks. "Won't they think something fishy went on if only we showed up?"
Takashi, nor anybody else, had even thought about it. So, as they stopped, they thought. Without military personnel, would their pickup be much more difficult to achieve?
"When the time comes, we'll get through it", Shizuka answers aloud. "Right now, we should really get going. I can hear the gunshots getting closer..." She had a look of fear in her eyes as she looked up at Takashi.
With a sigh, Takashi nodded in agreement then led his group forward. It wasn't even soon after that they found themselves blocked by a crashed news helicopter in the staircase, preventing them from going any further. "Looks like the elevator shaft is the only thing we got now...", Takashi announces with a curse.
...
"Team 1 is out", a team leader of DEVGRU announces to his three comrades. "It's just us."
"What's it looking like, big man", another DEVGRU operative asks.
The DEVGRU team were hiding out in a supply closet, the terror hiding on the other side of the door.
"We have to head up top. Evac is ETA 10 mikes."
"Copy that."
The team leader went to the door, slowly creaking it open before peeking in the hall. It was a bloody mess with corpses and weapons and equipment scattered all around.
"Take it slow and quiet." As all four crept out the closet and into the hall, they kept a tight formation with their weapons drawn ahead and one man keeping an eye at their rear. As they pass each open door, a man would make a quick peek inside before moving forward.
Outside, Pact bashes the slide of his empty sidearm into the softened skull of one of 'them' as they slowly made their way past the horde and towards the hotel.
"Freelance 0-4 up ahead", Reaper shouts as he opened unsuppressed fire at their rear.
Snegurochka kicked a zombie down to the concrete floor before stomping her heavy boot down on it's face. Geist dug his KA-BAR knife into the eye socket of another behind her as he tackled it to the ground, and Tesla and Bravo going back to back with their AK-47s popping off round after round into the others that surrounded them.
Kolveshka was using her Khukri machete to cut down any of 'them' that had gotten danger close to their formation, which they held in front of an MRAP.
"Snegurochka, cover the rear", Kolveshka screamed in Russian as she held back three of 'them' with her blade as 'they' try to push her back against the hood of the MRAP.
Snegurochka dropped her Makarov pistol and picked up the PKP LMG she dropped earlier, turning around to their blind spot and mows down the incoming crowd.
As Pact and his squad dealt with their problems, they manage to push towards Kolveshka's squad, aiding her as they tossed grenades into the middle of the horde and pulled the three of zombies that nearly pinned Kolveshka down.
"We have to push inside and head up top", Pact says calmly to Kolveshka. "And I'm making it your job to find Tucker in that building."
"Copy that, Pact", Kolveshka replied, nearly out of breath. "0-4, fall back into the hotel!"
Kolveshka's squad hurried into the building behind Pact's squad. Pact stayed behind for a little longer, peering over the crowd of 'them' before walking backwards and dropped two explosive chips at the entrance before he went inside.
"So that's it, huh", Pact muttered to himself as the two large explosions sounded off, shattering the glass and supporting pillars around the entrance doors, the walls collapsing and blocking off the main entrance.
"Oh, sir", Fox called out, tossing a 12 inch sawback bowie knife to Pact. "You almost left this behind."
Pact caught the unsheathed blade by the handle in a reverse hold, nodding to Fox in thanks. "Everyone we push-"
He stopped himself as he looked over the gruesome scene in the main lobby. There was blood splattered about, bullet casings scattered all over the floor, corpses lying here and there, and... Everything was just a mess. Though, the main thing that caught his eye was the corpses of his precious mercenaries. Some were torn apart and some were riddled with bullet holes with bite marks here and there.
"Sir", Archer says to Pact, "we need to keep going before we get caught up again."
Pact sighed to himself in response to Archer. "We push the fuck forward and murder each and every of these undead fucks, do you hear me?" He faced his squad and Kolveshka's squad. "Every undead we see, we light them up and save whatever survivors we can, Ooyah?"
"Ooyah", they all say in response, unsure of their commander's mentality. Though, they obey as they press on towards the main stairs.
...
Tucker slammed his elbow into the face of a zombie behind him as he drops an empty clip of an M1911 he picked up, then quickly reloads in and pulls back the slide then fired a shot into the face of another in front of him. He twirls the pistol around his finger with the trigger guard until the barrel of the pistol faced the undead corpse he elbowed, firing two shots into it's face.
"Shit, where the fuck are they", Tucker mutters the question to himself as he walked forward. As he passed a elevator door, he stopped himself as he heard the cables snap, followed by a feminine shriek. "What the hell?" He looked up and down the hall he was in to make sure of 'them' weren't around. Seeing it was clear, he pried open the door with his own hands.
Once the doors swung open, he peers up, seeing a pink-haired high schooler danging from the broken elevator cable. His eyes were fixed beneath her skirt, causing him to chuckle to himself. "What a view!"
The teenagers looked down below, seeing the masked mercenary looking up at them a few floors down.
"Tucker" Shizuka shouts down, which made everyone tell her to shush.
Tucker chuckles softly to himself then looked around the shaft. "Can you get Saya?"
"We can't reach her", Takashi replied. "We tried to climb to the roof using the elevator shaft because the emergency staircase was blocked off."
Tucker sighed, then aimed his arm with the TWC-14 aimed up at a small ladder beside Saya, which shot out a cable from the wrist computer and grappled onto the ladder, which reeled him upwards to it. After dropping his pistol, he grabbed onto the ladder then grabbed Saya by her waist, pulling her to him and onto the ladder.
"H-Hey, watch it you idiot", Saya blurted at Tucker above her. "I could've fucking died!"
"Oh shut up, you", Tucker replied as he rolled his eyes under his mask. "The rest of you, I can't throw the girl over to you. It's too big of a risk that she'll fall. I want the rest of you to meet us..." He looked up, seeing the rest of the cables in good condition at floor 14. "Meet us at floor 14."
"Got it", Takashi answers back. "Don't you two die!"
For a brief glimpse, Tucker could see the relieved look on Saeko's face, which made him smile to himself a bit. "Roger that, leader."
As Takashi and his group left, Tucker looked down at Saya. "Ready to move?"
"Yeah, just move your ass so we can get going already, dumbass", Saya replied with a cheeky attitude.
...
Pact stopped everyone with his fist held up, signalling everyone to stop. The reason why is because he heard a loud shattering noise, from the elevator shaft. Pact motioned his hand forward twice again, bringing the two squads to walk ahead. Then, they heard a shout up ahead in a room, followed by a gunshot.
Pact and his squad went up ahead as Kolveshka's squad followed behind, taking their place beside the doors for safeguard.
As Pact raised his second pistol up at the DEVGRU operative holding his M4A1 at a fellow undead comrade, he trembled as he couldn't fire. Until Tank lit up the undead DEVGRU operative as Jade went to the sole survivor of the DEVGRU squad, grabbed him by his shoulder and gave his a hard slap across his face.
"Listen up, soldier", the female mercenary says to the DEVGRU operative. "They are fucking dead. Accept reality and move on. We're hurt too, but we have to keep pushing until the end. Once we get to the end, we can grieve for our brothers and sisters then. Right now, pull yourself together and follow us."
"Contact!"
Pact looked over his shoulder after seeing the motivating scene, then stepped out the room and saw at least a dozen of 'them' coming towards them as a response to the gunshots. "Mow 'em down!"
As Kolveshka's squad opened fire upon the small horde, Pact went to the DEVGRU operative and picked him up as he wiped away his tears. "You're clean? Good, now let's get moving."
...
Rika kicked back a zombie and shot it point blank in the face before looking back to her SAT team. Some were bit, and some were contemplating whether or not they should put the bitten out of their misery.
"Listen up guys", Rika starts, sighing as she scratched her head with a troubled look on her face. "We can't let these guys suffer and turn into those things. We have to put them out of it before they have to see themselves turn into... Whatever the hell those things are. I don't like it either, but it's for the best."
The ones that weren't bitten all looked at the friends with a look of sadness.
"She's right", one man says with a tone of sorrow. "We have to do it..."
One by one, each man points a pistol at their turning friend's head, looking away as they cringed and cried before firing a shot into their skulls.
The scene was horrifying. Rika couldn't look any longer, so she turned away and looks down the empty, bloody hall. Out of 20 floors, they were only on floor 13. Just 7 more and they were home free. Then, the thought of Tucker came across her mind... It was soon interrupted as she seen a group of teenagers with their parents rushing into view in the hall. "Hey, kids!"
The teenagers and their parents stopped, almost all of them armed.
"Where's Tucker", Rika asked. Then she remembered something else. "And are you missing one more?"
Takashi quickly caught his breath from the hurrying to the next floor as he nodded. "Yeah, they're both in the elevator shaft heading to the 14th floor. We're going there to help them out."
"How the hell..." Rika didn't bother to ask. Instead, she looked at her hurt comrades then announced, "Everyone, we're going up top. Our ride out will arrive any minute. The rest of you look after each other's backs while I help the kids out. Move!"
As the SAT wipes their faces and slowly recollect themselves, Rika followed the teenagers as they went off to the next set of main stairs. "How did they get in the elevator shaft?"
Rei shook her head, not wanting to really explain it.
"Long story", Kiriko answers bluntly and broadly.
As they reached the floor, they stood frozen as they had witnessed two squads of six black-combat dressed mercenaries going hand to hand with a small group of 'them'. A pair of mercenaries both tackled an undead through a door into a room, sounds of flesh and bones being crushed afterwards from the inside. Another kicked an undead into the open elevator doors, making it plummet below to its death. As the others had finished them off with pure teamwork in the large corridor, Tucker had just thrown Saya up and into the hall with the mercenaries, who all pointed their sidearms at her immediately, though relaxed once they realized she was human.
"Touch me like that again, I'm kicking your ass down", Saya shouted back as she got up, looking around. At first, she was nervous being around a dozen of masked mercenaries, but then relaxed as she went to Takashi's group at the end of the hall. "Looks like all of you are in one piece."
"Yeah, same to you", Takashi replied with a chuckle, though was more worried about Tucker. "Is he coming-..."
Tucker, being the opposite side of the elevator doors on the ladder, embraced himself as he jumped through the doors without a problem, giving a firm handshake to the two male mercenaries that had helped him. "Thanks, brother", he replied to each of them."
"... up?" Takashi had just finished off his question with a shake of his head, finding himself a bit funny for being even a little worried for the guy. "Okay, we have to get going, we can't stick with these guys any longer", he said amongst the group, who all replied with a hesitant nod.
In fact, they all weren't too sure. After seeing such a skill of hand-to-hand, they had just realized how good these masked, mysterious mercenaries were.
"Hey, Tucker", a mercenary called out from a room, "we hauled your gear up here." She tossed a duffel bag over to Tucker, who caught it with both hands and looked inside, seeing his previous squad member's masks and dog tags inside, along with their weapons and gear.
Tucker smiled softly with a wave of relief, then slung it onto his back. "Thanks, sis", he said with a brief warmth in his tone. "Okay, now, listen up, Alpha!" Tucker felt in charge. It was sort of new, since all Alpha Providence mercenaries were trained to be professional leaders, but not like this. In this situation. "We head up top and wait for no one. We pick up anybody else on the way, we are not going back. If our ride isn't up top, we hold it off and wait. Ooyah?"
"Ooyah!"
As the mercenaries move out, Tucker stayed behind with Takashi and his group. "Okay guys, let's get moving."
Rika was a bit worried of her team, but agreed overall and followed the group of teens and parents.
...
Pact thrusts his machete into the skull of an undead, then kicks it off of his blade and into the stumbling crowd of 'them' that had caught up. There was so many. As they hurry up the stairs, along with three MSOT members and a team of four DEVGRU SEALs, they would periodically open a barrage of gunfire, though it only drew more and more in to flood the building.
"Fuck, our ride better be there", a MARSOC operative shouted, his face covered in blood along with his uniform.
Archer tossed a grenade below the stairs as they all charge up top. Once the explosive was set of, Geist, Reaper, and Vixen opens fire to keep them back for Bravo, who fell behind the others due to a trip.
"We're almost there, shut it and push", Kolveshka shouted to the Marine Special Op soldier from behind Fox.
Pact cursed under his breath, a bit worried about their ride's time of arrive. And despite his mercenaries wearing masks, he can tell that even Snegurochka was a bit worried. The coldest Russian woman in her squad.
"Help! Help me!"
The cries of a female brought them to a halt as they reached a new floor. It sounded as though it came from the floor below them.
"Please, I'm an SAT operative! I got hit with a ricocheted bullet! Help me, my god, please!"
As the mercenaries and special operations soldiers look up at Pact, their main overall leader, they awaited for a command to save whoever was below.
"We press forward", Pact said simply. "We go down, we risk everyone else's lives."
Everyone felt a sense of coldness radiate from him, a sense of... Negativity.
"Sorry, but you have two choices", Pact shouted below, trying to sum it up before the horde of 'them' caught up again. "Kill yourself and get chewed up alive! It's an honor to have you a part of this operation, an honor to have you under my command!"
And after that, he motioned everyone to move forward. Most were hesitant to press on. Bravo uttered a curse as he shook his head and slapped his mask a couple times to focus.
"No! No, please help me! Don't leave me!"
With a loud curse, even Kolveshka and Reaper cringed at the decision. But, nonetheless, they did as ordered.
After some time, they kick in the door to the roof then poured outside. It was raining. They were greeted with over a dozen and a half mercenaries, SAT operatives, and Marines, excluding Takashi's group that hid behind the soldiers. Yet, there was no ride home. Not yet.
"Weapons down", a mercenary called out.
"No, keep them up", Pact shouted back, he and his group hurrying along the line that face the entrance to the roof.
Everyone looks to each other in confusion, but then focused their weapons back to the opened door once Pact and his squad, with the MSOT Marines and DEVGRU SEALs that crouched in front. They waited and waited.
Finally, a single stumbling living corpse came through the doors, slowly stepping towards the firing line. The rain had picked up, the large pouring rain raining down onto the soldiers and teenagers and their parents, washing away their blood from their masks, faces, clothes, and weapons. Then, Pact sent one shot straight between it's eyes.
Minutes pass, all still holding the firing line.
"Is that it", a Marine called out.
And just as he spoke, 'they' all started pouring out. Everyone's eyes widen at such a number of 'them', some dressed in similar combat attire and some in civilian clothing.
A loud of barrage of gunfire opened up on the large horde of 'them', some of the soldiers and mercenaries cringing as they thought about shooting their friends and siblings.
Tucker kept Takashi back with his group as he looked upon the firing line and their line of fire. He smirked under his mask, then looked at Takashi. "Keep your group here and do not move!" He moved them back more beside a set of roof-mounted generators. "Keep your eyes to the sky and your surroundings; watch for our bird!"
As Tucker left, everyone looked to Kohta as to wonder what the terminology 'bird' meant.
"When he said bird, he meant a helicopter", Kohta answered, keeping his eyes on the firing line. Oh how he wanted to join in...
Pact reloaded a SCAR-L rifle, cursing aloud as he slammed the butt of his rifle against the face of an undead, crushing in it's rotting skull. As it fell back, he realized the uniform was Alpha Providence, and the mask held in the corpse's hand.
Tucker dug through the duffel bag, finding the M16 with the M203 attachment, this rifle once belonging to his squad member, a friend. Her name was Patterson. As he lit 'them' up with a quick succession of three round burst gunfire, he added in a shot of the grenade launcher, which flew over 'there' heads and into the door, exploding behind the horde of 'them'. Yet, that did not stop 'them'.
With gunfire to his right and his left, Tucker felt a sense of adrenaline rush over him. He loved it. "Sorry, Patterson..." He muttered, looking down at the rifle before reloading it. "... Hope you don't mind me using this."
As the line of fire were lighting up the endless horde of 'them' pouring onto the roof, Alice looked up at the raining sky as Shizuka covered her eyes. Even Saeko and Tadashi noticed it. They saw a pair of lights speeding towards them in a familiar pattern. It was an Osprey helicopter.
"They're here", Tadashi shouted, trying to get the attention of the soldiers over their gunfire.
"Hey, they're here", Rei joined in, trying to get up from her seating position against Takashi. "Can you hear us?!"
A Marine looked over his shoulder as he was reloading, looking to the group of high schoolers and their parents, then to the dark, raining night sky. He saw the lights of the Osprey with a flow of relief. "Everyone, ride is here!"
Pact reloaded his SCAR-L rifle again, then looked over his shoulder briefly. "Bush dog it to the LZ! At the near-edge of the roof!" He tossed the rifle at Tucker, who had just put the empty M16 into the duffel bag. "Take your friend's rifle and use it like he wants you to."
Tucker took it, remembering his best friend, Heckler. This weapon use to be his. Use to be... He felt a wave of sadness and remorse overcome him briefly before he went back to raining down some heavy gunfire.
Slowly, all of the soldiers and mercenaries stepped back carefully as they still opened fire upon the horde of them. The Osprey whirled around with the cargo door opening up to the edge of the roof. A Marine turned around once they reached the near edge, jumping onto the open cargo doors. "Civilians, you're up first! Hurry the fuck up!"
Takashi gripped his M1014, then brought his group to the edge of the tall hotel building. He took Alice and Zeke first, carefully handing them to the Marine. The Marine grabbed Alice, who held Zeke, bringing her on board quickly.
A DEVGRU SEAL was grabbed by his leg by a crawling undead, then bit down on his leg. The SEAL cried out as he shot the biter, cursing over and over as he was so close to getting home. His fellow SEALs noticed this, but kept their lips shut as they kept firing and firing onto the horde of 'them'. The numbers were more overwhelming.
Pact turned around, seeing the process was slow for the civilians to board the Osprey. As the third person of Takashi's group was put on board, he took Kiriko and tossed her on board, followed by Saya then Rei. Takashi, seeing the sense of rush, jumped on board without help, followed by Kohta and Tadashi. Saeko hesitated just as Pact pushed Shizuka on board, looking back at Tucker who was at the front of the firing line, shouldering the SCAR-L as he popped round after round.
"Saeko, let's go", Takashi shouted.
Rika took Saeko's hand, smiling at her with assurance. "Let's go, we can get out of this hell finally."
Saeko blinked, then nodded as she jumped on board with Rika. Finally, Pact, along with Tesla, helped Mrs. Komuro on board, then looked to the firing line.
"Everyone, fall back", Pact shouted at the top of his lungs and over the loud barrage of gunfire. "Cease fire and bug out!"
Everyone quickly turned around, hurrying on board. Marine after Marine, SAT after SAT, Alpha after Alpha... A few kept their train of fire onto the horde to keep them back. Kolveshka had just jumped on board with Pact, looking to the last few.
"We've gotta go", the pilot shouted. "They're getting too close! Is that everyone?!"
"No, there's three more", Pact shouted.
"Tucker, get your ass on board, now", Kolveshka shouted. The shouting of his name brought the attention of Shizuka, Saeko, and Rika.
Tucker cursed, taking the hand of a SEAL and tossed him on board. "Time to get the fuck on!" He shouted. He grabbed the other SEAL by his shoulder, but he wouldn't move. "Come on, brother, we gotta fucking MOVE!"
The SEAL cringed with a twisted look of disgust on his face. He trembled as he quickly pointed the barrel of his rifle beneath his chin. Then, he fired before Tucker could do anything.
Tucker felt a wave of familiarity rush over him. Yes, Brecken did the same thing. In fact, the exact same thing once he found the bite mark on the SEALs leg. His fellow DEVGRU SEALs were screaming as they tried to hop back out and onto the roof, but Tucker ignored it all. He finally caught a grasp of the situation once he heard crying. Alice. She was hiding behind the roof-mounted generator, clutching onto the stuffed donkey given to her by Tucker. It was, in fact, his own he had when he was a kid. Though, he figured he'd give it to her to keep back at the toy store when they left.
"What", Rei shouted, confused.
Shizuko bolted up from her seat, wondering how in the world Alice got out of their view. How she even got off the helicopter. Though, it was concluded Alice had went back for the stuffed donkey. That didn't matter now, they had to get her back.
"Tucker, let her go and-..." Pact shouted at Tucker, but was silenced as Tucker ignored the order and charged for the crying girl. "Tucker!"
Tucker fired his SCAR-L rifle into the crowd, then tossed his final grenade into the overwhelming horde. As it was set off, Tucker picked Alice up. "Hey there, sweetheart, almost left ya behind." He said calmly to her.
Alice was almost in more tears, gripping onto Tucker as she cried. "Gomen!" She cried out, holding the donkey to her chest with one of her arms.
Tucker smiled softly, then focused back at the situation. He cursed once he saw that 'they' were closing it.
"We have to pull off", the pilot shouted.
"Stay the fuck right where you are", Pact shouted over his shoulder.
Kolveshka drew her AN-94, sending out burst gunfire at 'them' to help out with Tucker's escape. Sengurochka gave a hard kick to another undead that tried to climb on board. They were getting close.
Saeko's eyes were watering, clearly differentiating her tears from the rain over her body. Shizuka covered her mouth as she was about to cry, Rei doing the same as the others watched in hope. Even Saya was about to cry from anticipation and worry.
"Tucker", Takashi shouted. "You better make it back here with Alice!"
At such a loud shout, Tucker smirked under his mask, putting the SCAR-L into the duffel bag on his back. With the brief augmentation drugs, this weight was just about nothing to him. He can make it.
As Tucker went full sprint, pushing and shoving his way through the stumbling undead, he tripped. He nearly rolled off the roof until he grabbed onto a set of large console wires and cables. He stood up, though was grabbed by one of 'them'. He was just a step away.
Pact grimaced under his mask, clutching his fists hard as he was in anticipation. Bravo uttered a curse as he tried to peer over Pact and Kolveshka and Snegurochka.
Though, as Tucker yanks himself out of its grasp, he threw Alice into Kolveshka's arms before he was yanked back by three of 'them' by his duffel bag. And he mouthed some words under that mask of his.
Nobody saw his final expression beneath his mask as he disappeared into the horde of 'them'. The Osprey pulls back as the cargo doors slowly closed. Pact, Kolveshka, Snegurochka, all of Alpha Providence, all of Takashi's group... Everyone had witnessed his final act, his final appearance just before he was pulled into the horde on that rooftop. And sadly enough, nobody knew his expression. Nobody heard his final words.
Saeko was on her knees, crying as Shizuka held Alice, both of which sharing each other's grieve. Takashi slammed the side of his fist against his lap hard as Rei clutched onto him, full of tears. Saya hid her face from everyone else, the adults looking down with a show of remorse. Even Rika had no emotional strength to say a word.
As the Osprey's doors came to a close, Pact took a seat by his squad and Kolveshka silently.
"You know, that kid was impressive", Kolveshka said to Pact in a low tone, breaking the silence aside from the crying and muttering of prayers from the religious soldiers. "He usually always puts himself before others. You know when he was first captured on his first week in here?"
"Yeah, what about it", Pact asked. "In the report, he was captured due to equipment malfunction."
Kolveshka shook her head. "He was captured because there was a little girl being pushed around by the primary target. He intervened, even though his squad members, Gabriel and Heckler. Saved the girl, got captured, then Geist went in and got him out."
Pact smirked, looking down as he felt slightly saddened. "Put it in the report next time."
The rest of the ride felt so long and sad. Everyone was overcome with sadness, losing their friends and siblings, their battle buddies and brotherhood. As the Osprey landed on a carrier chip off shore, the mercenaries climbed off first, standing at attention in their squads in front of Pact. The Marines, DEVGRU SEALs, and even SAT, including Rika, all fell into formation. At this point, Pact spoke in English to everyone. And yes, the SAT understood.
"Wanna know what we went in with? We went in with over one hundred and twenty-five of us. And yet, we came back in a hand full." Pact started his speech. His tone was softened. "We lost brothers. Sisters. Friends. Siblings. Even couples in this operation. Fathers and mothers. Their children with be parent-less. The deceased have proven us a valuable, unforgettable sense of valor."
Everyone felt their eyes water and tears streaking down their faces.
"We will not forget this night. We will not forget our loss. Not just of our comrades. But what we lost in here." Pact touched his heart. "This op had taken those that made us hole. We have lost so much tonight."
Takashi gripped his M1014 as he watched Pact, pacing slowly in front of the formation. Kohta looked down at Alice, who was sniffling softly as she gripped the stuffed donkey. Zeke curled up by Saya, who, as well, was crying silently to herself.
"I lost many, many fellow mercenaries. They were my family. I considered them as my children. My brothers and sisters. My everything. One, though. One death that we have all witnessed had touched my heart. Crane Tucker. He died saving another's life."
Saeko, once again, broke down as she fell to her knees and curled forward as tears fell. Shizuka stood beside her, then kneels down and held her to her chest.
"He gave his future for another's future."
On that rooftop of the large hotel were corpses. Corpses over corpses, not a single living thing on that corpse-filled rooftop.
"He thought, no only of us, but of the lives of any other. He lost his squad, his entire squad. And yet, he fought. He brought civilians home to safety with their parents."
Tadashi held his wife, Kiriko, with his good arm as he closed his eyes. Kiriko lets out a sniffle as she buried herself in his chest.
"He fought valiantly for the sake of these civvie's lives. He fought for ours. He fought for yours."
On that rooftop, aside from such a tremendous numbers of corpses filed over others, sat another against a generator. The corpse wore all black with an APCM mercenary mask in his lifeless hand. The corpse was limp. On the generator, behind his head, was a splatter of blood. A green, dirtied duffel bag in its lap with other APCMs and weapons. All were familiar.
"His squad, together, made a motto. In fact, his squad and... A squad of a woman that had fallen for him made this together..."
Their short, black, bloody hair was a sticky mess with blood and sweat, their eyes closed as he faced his lap. A balaclava was on their shoulder. In his other hand, on his side, held a bundle of dog tags. Patterson. Heckler. Brecken. Gabriel. Farley... And Tucker. The corpse had his own dog tag ripped from his neck and held in his gloved hand.
"... Providentiam Divinam in omnium. I asked him what this meant. And these were his exact words..."
Tucker, his lifeless corpse, sat up against the generator in the mess of corpses he had taken with him. In one hand, he held his squad member's dog tags. In the other, he held his mask. In his final moments of his dying memory, he held Takashi and his group. In his final moments of his dying heart, he held his girls he had fallen for.
"... 'You're the commander, you should know latin. But, without the direct translation, I'll give you this: it means protecting everyone and everything that is dear to you, no matter if you have to give whatever it is you have to give. Even if it means your life. And that is what my squad lives by. Ooyah.' Those were his exact, definite words. And his death reminded me of this. We all have that sense of protection in each and every one of us. I'm sorry you couldn't succeed with protecting your comrades... Dismissed." And now, Pact walked off.
At the order of dismissal, everyone in formation collapsed on their knees or on all fours, weeping and crying out. Takashi shuts his eyes as he looked down, holding onto Rei. Tadashi went in with the hug with Kiriko, creating a group hug. Alice, Kohta, and Saya soon joined in with Mrs. Komuro. Finally, Shizuka, Saeko, and Rika came into the large group hug with Zeke crawling in the middle at their feet. It became quite a weeping party.
...
Kolveshka landed atop a corpse with Snegurochka and Geist, Bravo and Tesla staying in the UH-60 Black Hawk.
"Keep your eyes peeled for any movement", Kolveshka warned in Russian. "FLIRs don't work on these fuckers, so be mindful."
As the three carefully treaded over the corpses, searching for something, the Black Hawk helicopter circles around with Tesla holding a pair of binoculars to the rooftop and Bravo keeping the scope of his M14 EBR aimed for any long distance support.
Kolveshka turned a corpse over, seeing it to be an Alpha Providence mercenary. With a sigh, she pats their mask and kept searching. Snegurochka groans as he kicks a body to turn over as Geist quietly treaded to a load corpse sitting upright against a generator.
"I think I've found him", Geist whispered into his mic. He then picked up the pace, stepping on the corpses and bullet casings until finally reaching Tucker's corpse. He frowned at the corpse of Tucker, glanced down at the dog tags, then his mask, then his lifeless facial expression. "Confirmation is KIA. No readings on his vital signs."
Kolveshka sighed through her mic then nodded as she went towards Geist. Once she reached him, she knelt down and took his mask gently, seeing that Tucker had sustained too many bites for him to live through. Either that, or the metal that stuck off of the genetrator that piercedthrough his back and out his stomach was too enough for him to live through. Either way, he is confirmed dead.
"You're going to take his mask back", Snegurochka asked from over Kolveshka's shoulder.
Kolveshka thought about it, then nodded. She puts the dog tags and his mask into the duffel bag he had carried to the very end, then slung it over her shoulder as she stood up. "Take his body, too. A Freelancer has to go out the Freelancer way. As for his mask and his secondary tag... I think the girls would like to have it as... A memento. Just take out the battery chip."
"Copy that, kapitan", Snegurochka replied, getting to work.
"And I guess this things is actually working", Kolveshka muttered to herself, peering over the edge at the motionless corpses below. She will also confirm that the antivirus had worked. As for the corpses on the rooftop... It seems as though it was more than the antivirus that killed them. She glanced at Tucker's lifeless corpse. She didn't notice it before, but she had just now caught the small curl of a smile at the very corner of his lips. Perhaps he was please he killed this many for the sake of what he believed in. Maybe.
...
Takashi was in his room of the ship, bunking with Kohta and Tadashi. The females were in the rooms to their right and their left, close by for anything they may need. He was lying in bed, staring at the bottom of the bunk above him. He turns over, now facing the hull (wall) as he thought. Above him, Kohta succumbed to sleep after thinking about his own stuff. Tadashi had also fallen asleep, probably his first slumber since the whole thing started.
Takashi now though again back on everything that happened. Tucker helped out a lot. Without him, they'd probably wouldn't have survived. They probably wouldn't be here by now. They probably wouldn't even have Alice alive, that's for sure. And the saddest part of Tucker's death to him, and possibly the whole group... They haven't thanked him for everything he had done.
Though, he was grateful for one thing. As Takashi laid on his back and faced the bunk above him again, grinning thinly to himself. Everyone is safe. His group survived because of Tucker. He can now live a normal life with everyone. He even decided that, for sure, he'll confess to Rei. Like what Tucker had wanted him to do with so many given signals. And he awarded himself that with a goodnight sleep.
Saeko was topside, watching helicopters come and go. She was wearing a black tanktop and dark jeans with her black boots, her sword at her hip. She stares ahead at the city, smoking with flames as helicopters left and entered past the shore. She felt a tear stroke down her cheek, which she quickly brushed away. She felt somebody watching her from behind, so she turned around, seeing a masked mercenary.
"What do you want", she questioned straightforward.
The mercenary held his hands behind his back. He sighed deeply, then stepped towards her. "I'm a friend of Tucker's, Connor. We met before with my squad." He pulled his hands from behind his back, looking down at Tucker's dark mask that stares back at him. "Um... We figured you should keep this. As, you know... Whatever it is that appeals you."
Saeko's eyes widens as she looked to the mask that was handed to her. She took it as she trembled. "H-How... Oh Tucker...!" She finally snatched it and hugged it to her chest, her knees feeling weak. She was now, once again, crying as she repeated his name.
Connor knelt down in front of her, laying the dog tag atop the mask that was being covered in her tears. "It's your's now, and, um... Shizuka's as well."
Pact was sitting in the bridge of the ship, looking over a hologram of a mapped out area. He crossed his arms as he looked down at a set of papers, then back at the hologram. "Now... We rebuild what this world has lost..."
...
May add some other spin-offs here and there, I dunno. Hope you enjoyed, RIP Tucker...~
