Chapter 29 Operation Blackout Part 2: 32 and True Form
EMP Factory - Western Gate - Mid-Day
Winston watched as the factory came crumbling down after what could only be described as the biggest EMP in history to go off. No electrical appliance within 60 kilometers worked for anyone, making this battlefield go from distant firing to morbidly silent. Thankfully Wing team was high enough to not be affected by the EMP, making them have to do an emergency landing just to receive an update on the current situation, Pharah landing first, then Hana and lastly Lena.
Pharah hurried to Winston and asked in a demanding tome "What the hell happened down here? One moment there is a factory, next there is rubble." Winston replied flatly with "Take a guess." Hana came running to him and demanded "Was he still in there?! Mecha didn't show any signs of him leaving the compound." Winston gave her a sad look, making her run to the rubble and try to fig them out. But when she got to the top she was greeted by the sight of Talon and German reinforcements arriving from the east, with gunships, heavy troops and infantry charging ahead.
Hana quickly ran back to Winston as they all watched the enemy overwhelm them with nothing but sheer numbers. Winston looked at Mcree, Tachanka, Jäger and everyone with a non electrical gun begin to set up a line of fire on the onslaught of troops, Tachanka mowing down any heavy armor that would dare come within 150 meters of their position. However Winston noticed some of the troops on the far back getting shot down, he looked north and saw his snipers still in position, and helping them from afar, but they were still outnumbered 200 to 1.
Winston picked up a steel pole with concrete and looked up at Reinhardt, then spoke up to everyone "Alright... Grab a weapon.. We need to hold until we get reinforcements... Lena, Pharah, both of you are on running duty... Attack quick and precisely. Hana, you are our only armored vehicle, so Torbjörn will keep you going. " The four members nodded as everyone with no functional weapon picked up improvised weapons, ranging from sharpened metal poles to shanks and clubs wrapped in barbed wire. Winston was ready along side Reinhardt and both charged forward, with Reinhardt using a reinforced steel door as a shield.
Winston climbed some support beams and walls that still stood after the explosion and used them to jump onto the enemy troops and began swinging his improvised club. Reinhardt swung his hammer at the shields the heavy talon troops used and actually managed to push them back with nothing but brute force. Lena and Pharah fired at them with all they had, Pharah using the skies and Lena zipping all over the place. Hana and Torbjörn were both vetting into Mecha while Mcree walked up to a squad of troops charging at them, he simply stood there and said his infamous words "It's high noon.."
Winston and all the troops were in an all out brawl with the enemy, close combat raging harder as the body count increased for both sides. Eventually the rubble and ruins of the factory were the main battlefield of the day, blood and dirt covering both allies and and enemy, their modern combat reduced to a bloody fist fight. Hana and Torbjörn were clearing any enemy from any cover they had or any troop that tried to attack them. However it didn't take long for the heavy troops to focus on them.
Eventually mecha guns and armor clashed with german shields and rockets, energy and explosives have never been so intimately in combat, and now explosives were proving why they had been used for so long. Mecha could take some hits directly, but when it took 4 at the same time it was disabled from moving and laid on the rubble, slowly shutting down. Hana hit the eject switch and the thrusters made the mech fly forward and take four heavy troops with it. Hana and Torbjörn both held their guns as they looked around, dead bodies littered the battleground.
And to make matters worse, more talon troops surrounded them, Torbjörn firing molten rivets and Hana small energy blasts from her light gun. Sadly their ammo didn't last long, as they didn't have any supporters to give them some and now resorted to using their own hands. This idea was killed when they saw dozens of heavy troops coming to aid their troops, Hana simply fell to h knees and panted, she was exhausted, and with no actual way of fighting back, she was thinking of any way of beating them. Torbjörn held his hammer tightly, ready to die honorably.
However all the fighting stopped when a large and loud boom echoed from under the rubble, and the sound of a roar. The rubble under their feet sprung to life as it started collapsing and was pushed. A heavy trooper watched as the rubble moved towards him, it looked like a large pile of concrete and metal and saw a canon aimed at him, along with the sound of an engine roaring he could only yell one thing "Panzer!" Directly after that the heavy trooper received a 88mm tank shell to the chest, ripping him apart and then detonating against the rubble.
-Insert Song: Ghost Division by Sabaton-
The Talon troops watched as this ancient war machine rose like a blasphemous creature ignoring death, it's cannon turned and aimed at the heavy troops charging at Hana and Torbjörn and fired another explosive shell, sending bodies and even more rubble flying. Hana and Torbjörn simply stood there, awe struck and slack-jawed at the sight of a machine as ancient and powerful as a Panzer. The top hatch opened to reveal Abel, his face was dirty and had a thick streak of blood running down his chin, neck and chest, making Hana gasp at the sight.
Abel looked at them and asked between coughs "You guys need a lift?" Hana gave a worried smile and nodded, with Torbjörn responding with "Of course lad.. But... Why a panzer?.." Abel gave a weak smile and answered with "For irony." After that he jumped back in and let the two new passengers take a seat inside the small space. Hana saw Roadhog being attended by Brigitte and Lucio, but they all looked horrible, dirty faces and cuts peppered their skin in certain places. Abel whistled at Thermite, who was seated in the drivers seat.
Abel spotted some troops coming over the rubble hill and gave the order "60° right and full speed" Thermite nodded and Abel stuck his head out the hatch and watched as they all stopped at the sight of this machine. Abel smirked as they turned and started running like hell, the tank climbing the rubble and crushing it under it's weight. As it made it's way to the top a rocket hit the right flank, making Abel scream "Turn the cannon 80° right!" Lucio and Roadhog hurried to turn the gun as Abel watched the shot lime up and yelled "FIRE!" Jamison pulled the trigger and shot at the heavy troop.
Winston and the others heard this and turned to see the german war machine mowing down it's own people, with Winston chuckling and saying "Take it away Lena!" The British pilot zipped up to the british troops and yelled "The Cavalry is here!" They cheered as the tank pushed back the Talon and German troops back east, with only afew rockets hitting it. Winston watched as Abel peeked and ordered the tank to stop, Lena zipped onto it and helped Abel out, but noticed the amount of blood covering his chest and mouth.
Abel gave a weak smile, his eyes looked sore and he looked like any hit could knock him down. Winston came up to them and asked "Why a Panze-" Abel cut in flatly "The irony." Lena rolled her eyes and Abel asked "Can i send two of my team mates away? Roadhog and Lucio are injured." Abel made the tank dissapear and revealed a beat up team. Winston nodded and pulled his badge out, thankfully it still worked, and contacted Angela "Mercy, we got two injured badly, sending them to you. Please send Moira to help us over here." Mercy simply nodded as the call was cut, however Winston did notice Abel getting slightly more unstable. His palms leaked more Substance and his skin was peeling off.
-End Song-
EMP Factory - Office Building - 1 PM
Genji and his team were running out the western entrance/exit as the Talon infantry chased and fired at them. After the EMP factory was demolished and set off all the EMP's present, Genji was forced to pull out with all they had managed to take. The hard part of this was making it back to the safe perimeter in one piece, Abel has really screwed them over with blowing up the factory, most if not all their equipment was worthless now.
However they noticed the enemy troops running away in fear, yelling "Panzer! Panzer! Panzer!" Genji sighed as they reached the ruins, making Ela ask "Tank?... We have a fucking tank?" Genji responded in an annoyed tone "No, but Abel made one..." Mei stayed silent at the thought of Abel making something so complex. However they stopped when a small talon ship flew over the battlefield and dropped a capsule of some sort. Genji quickly ordered everyone to take cover and hid behind a massive piece of rubble. The capsule struck the center of the complex and opened to reveal an Albino kid.
The man was roughly 5'5" and wore a white skin tight jumpsuit, and had a fit build, and to top it all of, he had a 32 on his chest, making the whole team go wide eyed. Genji pulled out his Dragon sword and slowly used the clouds of dirt and dust to his advantage, making his way towards AB-32. Mei on the other hand pulled out her medal and contacted Winston, she knew that fighting an AB alone was suicide, and knew they needed all the fire power they could get, and even then it would still not be enough.
Genji watched 32 take a step out of the capsule and look around, then stop right when he was looking at Genji's direction. The young AB spoke up in a calm and friendly tone "I can see you. Please don't hide, i came for another." Genji gave up on stealth and walked up to 32 and upon closer inspection, noticed he was barely a teen. Genji asked "You do know we are enemies, right?" 32 frowned and responded childishly "We don't have to, let me start. I'm AB-32 but father calls me Dan. See? No longer strangers."
Genji felt uneasy with Dan's way of being, his entire child like demeanor gave him a psychopathic vibe. Genji pointed his sword at him "We are not friends, now leave, or i will end you... Freak..." Dan's smile faded in an instant after Genji said "Freak" and spoke in a hostile tone "Don't call me that." Genji could see Dan turn around and pull out his own sword out of his capsule. It was completely white, designed after a cutlass but had a sphere on the hilt, was slightly curved forward and lined with a row of sharp teeth like protrusions
Genji held his sword tightly and took his stance, with Dan still standing by his capsule. Genji took a single step forward when Dan swung his sword at his direction, making it stretch and the teeth of the blade stick out into spikes now. Genji ducked and back flipped away, and thought "What the hell is that? His sword.." Upon closer inspection Genji noticed something sickening about that sword, it looked like it was... Pulsing. The whole thing looked like it was a living, breathing creature. Then he looked at Dan, he now had a childlike smile.
-Insert Song: Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold-
Dan cocked a brow and spoke "You caught on quick... My other toys never noticed before they broke... Yes.. He's alive... Come on.. He wants to say hello!" Dan swung his sword again, making it stretch all the way towards Genji, and slam him into a wall that was still standing. Genji watched the sword return to Dan and wrap around his Arm, and nuzzle it. Dan chuckled abit and patted the sphere on the hilt, then focused back to Genji. Dan gave a small smile then shook his head at Genji, taunting him with a "tsk tsk"
Genji fell for the bait and swift striked Dan, appearing behind him and leaving gashes all over the boy's body. However Dan giggled and swung around with his sword, making the whole thing stretch and wrap around Genji, with the teeth sinking into his mechanical body. Genji watched as Dan gave him a psychotic smile and spoke anxiously "See? You will break too, but i wanna keep playing, come on ninja man, let's Keep playing!" The blade tightened around Genji, making the teeth sink in deeper and begin yo damage important components, making Genji scream in pain.
-Song Ends-
Dan was giggling while torturing Genji until a rock hit him in the back, he turned to find Mei frowning at him. Mei threw another rock at him and yelled "Leave him alone! He isn't what you want right?!" Dan thought about it, and loosened the grip on Genji then spoke "Bring him please." Mei nodded and said "He is already coming, just please... Let him go.." Dan looked at Mei, he could tell she was nervous. So he let go of Genji and swung his sword at her, making it coil around her, then said "Liar! Mean lady lied!"
Mei struggled as the teeth slowly cut through her snow coat, and poked her soft flesh. Mei started hyperventilating and out of nowhere, froze up, turned into a human ice cube. Dan raised a brow and pulled his sword back, unsure if she was broken or not. Then, he felt it, the presences of another AB here. He turned and saw Abel, but felt an ominous tension rise when Abel showed up. Abel teleported down to Dan and straight up punched him down, making him slam down into the ground. Dan spat out some blood then looked up at his older brother, terrified.
-Insert Song: Burry Me Alive by Breaking Benjamin-
Abel had a red glow as he growled at Dan, his hands now claws that twitched. The small amount of clothes he had burned off as his skill started ripping and falling off, and his chest finally losing all its skin this time. Genji watched as Abel apeared behind his younger brother and threw him through the whole remainder of the compound. Abel also seemed to be leaving a trail of Substance and the ground he came into contact was left scratched and cracked, meaning he was moving at high speeds or brutal force.
Dan stopped after roughly 2 minutes of being a human ragdoll and swung his sword around at Abel, wrapping him in it like with Genji. Abel struggled for a moment until he teleported out of the grip and appeared above 32, delivering a drop kick that buried him 2 feet into the ground. Abel growled an let out a roar that echoed throughout the entire place, even Mercy and the support team could hear it loud and clear. Winston heard this and checked Abel's rage meter, he just hit 20% and didn't show signs up stopping.
Ana zoomed in on Abel and went silent when she watched him turn and look at her, he was over 200 meters away, but he could feel the sights aiming at him. Winston arrived to Abel's position and saw him falling apart, skin was hanging off his body as he hit 23% and his eyes had gone completely black. Dan on the other hand swung again at Abel, but this time made the spikes sink into Abel's flesh, not letting him teleport away. Abel tried to teleport but ended up taking Dan with him each time, so he started growling more and trying to remove the sword.
Dan ran around Abel and finally slammed his palm on his forehead, and in the process, sent Abel 3 feet under. Dan panted and released when he saw Abel stop moving, thinking it ended, thinking he had killed his older brother, but that's all it was, thinking. Abel's fingers twitched slightly, his substance lifting him off the ground and helping him get up. Dan could tell what was happening and spoke up "Finally taking your true form brother? Fine, I'll follow along." Dan held his sword close and the small sphere opened up, revealing a bloodshot eye.
Dan's body started getting spikes growing out of it, out of his fore arms, legs, back, chest and forehead. Winston scanned Dan with his medal and listened to Athena's results "AB-32, a formidable opponent with arena control and is capable of seeing the entire battlefield. He is currently going through forced mutation that is growing his calcium reserves in specific point, making spike like protrusions." Winston watched as Abel also changed, his substance wrapping around him in strips that resemble a rib cage. Winston had to stop this before these two monsters caused more damage or worse, killed someone.
Winston roared at Dan and threw a large piece of rubble at him only to have it cut into tiny pieces. Winston walked up calmly to Dan and felt a small cut form on his cheek, Dan simply flicked a finger in the air and cut Winston. Winston looked down at the child and spoke in a serious tone "This isn't a game, please stop, or someone will die." Dan smiled, and responded by sticking his finger through Winston's armor and into the left side of his abdomen, stating "I know... And it's a shame, but i have no choice."
Winston pulled away and held his wound, and heard a gasp, both of them looked. The entire team had arrived and witnessed 32's simple attack, making Hana lose it and charge at the albino freak. Sadly, all it took to stop her was 32 to flick his finger again and cut Hana's ankles. The korean girl stumbled and fell hard, she looked at the cuts and panted, it hurt like hell and she could see 32 getting ready for a final slice. Or was, he stopped and went wide eyed at something behind Hana, same as everyone present.
Hana turned slowly and saw it, a skinless monster that could only exist in nightmares. She could see it's entire muscle structure, but to add to the intimidation, the head had no muscle, it was just a white skull with pitch black eyes leaking a black liquid. Hana knew who it was, even if she wished it wasn't. This monster was her teammate, her friend, be lover. Abel was growling audibly and picked Hana up by the neck if her body suit, then let a howling and deafening screech that sounded like a cry of pain from hell. Along with this, the red glow was now darker.
And Part 2 done, next up the final part of Operation: Blackout. Not many questions this time around, but i would love to hear from the newer readers out there.
And like always, I'm still in the trenches, and hope you enjoyed.
