Chapter 14:
To Fight Another Day
Camp Tolkien, 2247 hours, October 3rd 2022.
Saviorhackmon quietly entered the headquarters tent, set up by Royal Knight Order soldiers soon after their arrival. The rest of the Royal Knights were present, along with colonel Dorbickmon, Lieutenant Gaioumon and other high-ranking officers of the IDDF. Duftmon was giving his fellow knights a debrief of their current situation as well as of the other units that were scattered across the warzone.
"Alphamon and Examon have successfully punched through the enemy line, managing to link up with the American and Japanese forces at Autumn's bridge," Duftmon explained as a matter-of-fact, "Unfortunately, I have lost contact with Rhodoknightmon and his forces. Their last known location was at Spring River, four clicks North-East of the town of Harudorf." He pointed at the map on the table. "As we speak, Alphamon's and Examon's task forces are clearing a path between us and Autumn's bridge."
"And what about Dukemon?" Magnamon asked concernly.
"He and Brigadier-General Slayerdramon have been captured by the enemy. The fate of their soldiers and the human detachment remains unknown." Duftmon stated coldly.
Omegamon nodded pensively, studying the map while taking into consideration their current status. His forces have arrived a day too late due to logistical problems and the constant harrassment of D-Brigade air raids. The Sword Zone's government is non-existant, its military on the brink of total annihilation, barely holding thanks to Colonel Dorbickmon's leadership.
Eventhough they've survived and the reinforcements have arrived, it wasn't enough to turn the tide. Sword Zone was lost and Omegamon must sadly accept that fact. The Royal Knights must regroup and stall the invaders long enough for the civilians to evacuate to nearby allied states. The Metal Empire can have the land but not its people.
With a solemn sigh, he shifted his gaze to Dorbickmon. The battle-hardened red dragon was covered in bandages and bruises, visibly exhausted yet still managed to stand among his peers with dignity and authority. He may be beaten but he would not go down without a fight.
"Colonel Dorbickmon," He called him, grabbing the senior officer's attention, "What is the current strenght of your forces?" He asked inquisitively.
Dorbickmon crossed his arms over his chest, huffing tiredly, "With High Command now out of the picture, most of the defense force is either dead or MIA. We're all that's left of the military... so I would say about five hundred to six hundred soldiers."
Saviorhackmon grimaced behind his helmet. The fighting has been tougher than expected. The D-Brigade was extremely aggressive and ruthless but very calculated. Fracture has been preparing months ahead for this very conflict, it just needed an excuse to start one. And they've got one thanks to the built-up tension caused by the numerous terrorist attacks.
"I suggest that we dig in and fortify our positions," Omegamon stated confidently, "We should buy Ambassador Angewomon more time for her to evacuate the general population. We should regroup and regather our strenghts and reorganize our forces. The CNS and IDDF are sending more troops and material as we speak but we must hold our ground until then."
The other officers expressed their agreement. Duftmon leaned over the map and pointed at Autumn's Bridge, "Our number one priority is to link up with the Americans and Japanese over there. That bridge is vital at keeping the D-Brigade from having a major supply highway. We keep it and they will have no choice but to spread out their supply routes, becoming easy pickings for our air forces."
Colonel Naoki Kamo hummed with approuval, "And once we control the air, we can mount up multiple ground offensives to rescue the POWs." He added thoughtfully.
"Indeed. The D-Brigade may have won this round, but we have slowed down their entire invasion force to a grinding halt. We can turn this into our favour."
Suddenly, their meeting was interrupted by frantic running and the tent's flaps brushed apart. An Ex-Veemon rushed into the tent and respectfully bowed his head to Omegamon, panting heavily while doing so.
"At ease, trooper," Captain Ouryuumon instructed flatly, "What is the meaning of this sudden interruption?"
"The D-Brigade has sent a messenger, sir. He is requesting to speak with the Royal Knights and Colonel Dorbickmon." The soldier explained hurriedly.
"To speak with us?" Dorbickmon raised an eyebrow, "For what?"
"Storm Commander Raijinmon wants to negociate for a cease fire."
Everyone in the tent glanced at each other with surprise and confusion written on their faces.
The D-Brigade wants to negociate for peace?
Amber Forest, 0245 hours, October 4th 2022.
"Nightwatcher, this is Spartan 6." McKinley announced through his headset while moving through the woods, "Be advised: HVT has been executed. We have two POWs and three wounded. Requesting MEDEVAC at LZ Heineken. Over."
"Spartan 6, Nightwatcher. Copy that. The extraction team inbound to LZ Heineken. ETA: twelve mikes. Over."
"Roger that, Nightwatcher. Spartan 6, out."
The CIA operatives traversed the woodland at a rapid pace, dragging with them two bound digimon and helping out the wounded: one was being carried while the two others were limping, trying to catch up. A fire-team lagged behind the main unit, covering their retreat.
The raid went as smooth as it should be, with little resistance. The terrorists were caught off guard and were quickly dispatched. The High-Value Target, Nohemon, was among the few to fight back, resulting with their execution during the crossfire. Although Overlord preferred the Nohemon to be brought alive, two prisonners were enough to compensate such loss in intel.
The platoon managed to reach their designated landing zone, located right at the edge of Amber Forest. Although all of the threats at the lumber camp were eliminated, the operatives may run the risk of encountering hostile units in the AO. They forcefully shoved their prisonners, a Bearmon and a Flawizarmon, on the ground while setting up a defensive firing line. Two SAD operators kept a constant eye on the two terrorists, ready to execute them on the spot if the situation requires it.
McKinley flipped up his NODs and perked up at the starry night sky. He could faintly hear the sound of rotorblades whisking through the air. The extraction team was nearing their LZ. It was made up of two British Apache AH1 and a Chinook HC3, courtersy of Task Force "Vulture".
"Mark the LZ!" He ordered his men. "Hammerhead 2, this is Spartan 6. Be advised: LZ Heineken has been marked. How copy? Over."
"Spartan 6, Hammerhead 2. Solid copy. We see the LZ. ETA: one mike. Over." The pilot of the Chinook replied calmly.
"Spartan 6, out."
The attack helicopters spread out and circled around the landing zone as the Chinook landed and began the extraction. The Apaches made sure no hostiles would dare to open fire at their guys on the ground. Like a pair of hungry sharks, they kept circling around, searching for their preys and ready to blast them with 30mm rounds, Hellfire missiles and CRV7 rockets.
Once all CIA operatives were on-board the Chinook, "Warden" McKinley gave the greenlight to the extraction team. As swiftly as they appeared, the helicopters were gone in the dead of the night.
In the transport helicopter, a small team of British Army medics tended to the wounded while the terrorists have been blindfolded and bound to their seats. McKinley was approached by his second-in-command, Agent "Maverick" Morris, sporting a constant grumpy look. The older CIA agent sat next to him and took off his helmet, rearranging his greying brown hair.
"It's unfortunate that puppet has to die!" He stated loudly over the whirlwind of the Chinook's tandem rotors. "Anyways, what's next, boss?"
"We head back to HQ, drop off our prisonners and proceed with interrogating them." McKinley replied.
"What about the dude we left at Juniper Pine?" He responded with a shrug, not giving a care about the scout they left bound in his home, "And his brother?" Morris added curiously.
"Dead," He answered neutrally, "He'll be executed in two days. There's no point in wasting a JDAM for an already dead digimon." He further explained with disturbing calmness.
"Good to know."
And it was the truth. General Yamamoto had no plans to launch a search-and-rescue operation for any outsider of the IDDF. He had given the CIA a blank cheque to track down the terrorists and capture or kill their leader, Weregarurumon X, by any means necessary. That much range of freedom allowed the CIA to request more resources and assets for their future operations. Of course, Yamamoto has the final say and not the US government.
So far, the Japanese general has been in favour of their methods. McKinley plans to keep it that way. Maybe after the terrorist leader was eliminated, the US will get more control over the Gate. That was his mission: to gain more power for Washington.
Ginza District, Japan, 07:20 AM, October 5th 2022.
Private First Class Totoya "Taka" Tatsuda was manning the district's Western checkpoint. His squad leader, Sergeant Mura stood next to him, hands on his service hip holster. Both military policemen wore the iconic white Type 66 helmet and white safety cross belts over their lightweight level IIIA ballistic vest.
"You're good to go, sir." Sergeant Mura said after verifying an ID card from another JSDF personnel. He turned to Tatsuda and nodded.
The soldier walked over to the checkpoint's automatic sliding gate... and manually pushed it open. Once the last car went through the checkpoint, Taka, with much effort, manually pulled the gate shut. He walked back to his squad leader, slightly panting.
"Man... why does it have to break down today?" He complained with irritation.
"Don't worry, kiddo, the repair crew should fix it by noon." Mura said with a mocking grin.
"Awww man!" Taka groaned, exasperated.
Mura chuckled and gave the young trooper a friendly pat on the back of his head, "Welcome to the suck." He humourously told him.
While Mura returned to his post, Tatsuda decided to look out at the street outside of the security perimeter. The fortified district saw an increase in defensive structures. Now a wall made of steel, concrete and barbed wire surrounded Ginza and its various checkpoints, to deter raids and attacks from pro-peace protesters.
The irony wasn't lost to the men and women whom were tasked with guarding the militarized district.
Off in the distance, he spotted a small convoy of three black vans. Suspicious to him, he kept his eyes trained on the vehicles as they approached the wall's automatic barrier gate. The barrier opened, the vans carefully and slowly drove through the Jersey barrier obstacles set up by the JSDF. These barriers were set up in a way to force the drivers to move slowly and in a zig-zag pattern. Should a suicide vehicle try to force its way through, the driver would have a bad and hard time to accomplish that.
Gradually, the black vans made it through the barriers and drove toward him and the electrical gate. Sergeant Mura walked out of his post and motionned Tatsuda to man the gate.
Tatsuda jogged toward the gate while the sergeant checked the drivers' and passengers' ID cards. Once at the gate, he glanced at his squad leader for permission to open the gate. He allowed with a simple wave of his hand. As he begins to push the gate open, the first van slowly drove up to him, patiently waiting for the gate to open fully.
The van passed through without much trouble. Just as he was about to pull it, he heard shouting followed by the angry roar and screeches of the second van's engines and wheels, respectively.
The vehicle sped through the checkpoint, almost crushing Tatsuda. It smashed through the unclosed gate, a good chunk of it ripped apart. Tatsuda immediately responded with accurate semi-automatic fire from his Type-89 assault rifle, aiming for the vehicle's wheels and driver seat.
All of the sudden, he felt a wave of extreme heat wash over him, followed by a strong concussion that violently threw him off the ground. He hit the asphalt to the ear-shattering sound of an explosion.
The explosion got the attention of every military personnel residing in Ginza, including the reinforcements requested by Yamamoto. There a moment of silence in the chaotic mess. The air froze for but a second. Then all hell let loose. Armed assailants jumped out of the vans and opened fire at the confused soldiers around them. A bloody battle occurred in Ginza.
Soldiers of the IDDF were engaged with fanatics of the Aleph doomsday cult, evident by the red Aum Shinrikyo symbol drawn on their ominous white face masks.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku, fifteen minutes ago.
Maki Himekawa made her way toward Yamaki's office. In her right hand, she held the folder with her report during her deployment in the Digital World. However, she also held an employee's recruitment document... well a former employee of Hypnos, someone whom held a very important position in the agency.
Their investigation started by looking into the motive of the culprit. "Why?" and more importantly: "how?". This has led her to believe that the culprit must have extensive knowledge of the system and of the Network to be able to communicate with digimon from Japan.
This would also explain why the "Juggernaut" would pick up faint disturbances in its firewall without being too noticeable. Maki had to thank Tally to provide her with that crucial information. How that actually correlated, she didn't really know... she just hoped to get more info from Yamaki.
Which leads to now.
She slowed down her pace upon reaching the office door and firmly knocked on it. She waited until she heard a muffled "come in". She opened the door and quietly closed it behind her as she noticed that her boss was still on the phone. Yamaki gave her a nod of acknowledgement and gestured her to his desk. She complied and waited patiently in front of his desk. She mentally noted that he looked frustrated and stressed out yet kept a calm and firm voice during his call.
"Yes, sir. I understand, sir." He nodded each reply, "Very well, I'll get it done by tomorrow, sir. Good day to you as well, sir." He released a heavy sigh, his hands on his hips, before looking back at Maki. "How can I help you, Himekawa-san?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you could give me access to the list of former employees that worked with Project Juggernaut?" She asked cautiously, awaiting for a harsh and cold response.
"Uuh, sure. Just ask Sada-san from HR. She'll probably get you that list." Yamaki replied nonchalantly.
Maki looked her boss curiously. "Aren't you keeping track of the members of Juggernaut?"
"Why should I be?" He asked confusedly.
"I mean, Juggernaut is to be a secret project. Former members whom worked on it, shouldn't we keep a close eye on them?" She responded incredulously, completely dumbfounded by Hypnos' lack of accountability and ability to maintain secrecy of its works.
"That is not our responsibility. That belongs to the government."
"That wasn't the response I got from the Ministry of Defense..."
"Well that's because it is managed by the Public Security Intelligence Agency." He said as a matter-of-fact.
"What does the kōanchōsa-chō has anything to do with us or our work? Aren't we suppose to be part of the Ministry of Finance from the start?" She pressed on, further confused with the information she was getting.
Just as he was about to respond, the landline phone of his desk rung loudly, catching both of their attentions. "Hold on a minute..." He told her before he picked it up to answer.
The windows shattered violently, the entire building trembled as they lost their footing and fell, forcefully shoved by a powerful blast. An earthshaking explosion ruptured through the entire block. The deafening detonation detroyed every window frames of the Metropolitan Government Building. The emergency fire bells blared loudly in the halls and corridors. Panicked screaming and shuffling of running feet could be heard just outside of the office.
Maki groggily got back up, intense bells ringing inside her ears. Past the shattered window frames, she spotted a thick plume of black smoke rising from one of the Metropolitan Assembly Building. She staggered forward, getting a clearer and wider view of the devastation left by the sudden explosion.
A wild inferno was spreading across the two front eight-story buildings, chewing through concrete, glass and steel. She could see people engulfed in flames jumping out of the windows and falling to their demise. Numerous corpses laid spread out across the courtyard while hundreds of employees and tourists rush out in a panic.
She snapped back to reality and turned around to find Yamaki heaving and holding onto his desk.
"Are you alright, sir?" She asked worringly.
"Yeah..." He grunted, "Just some minor cuts..." Half of his white shirt was stained by dark red patches of blood, leaking out of tears and holes made by the blast of glass he took earlier. "What about you?"
She ran a finger under nose then a hand on her forehead. She winced and looked the hand. It was covered in her blood, which confirmed the warm liquid flowing out of her nose and the metallic back taste in her mouth. She spat out to get rid of the rancid taste before she checked herself for any more injuries.
"Just some cuts and a minor concussion, sir." She finally replied.
He nodded and reached out for a drawer under his desk. He pulled out a Glock 17 and two magazines. "Get to the computer room and evacuate all personnel. Tell Riley to begin data transfer of all of our assets and to shut down Juggernaut if the need arises." He instructed coldly, "And I also want all trained personnel to protect the computer room. Get yourself a weapon as well... we may have company."
Being in a firefight, though trained for it, wasn't what he imagined when he signed up to work with Hypnos. But here he was, with five others, in an office building and fighting off heavily armed and well trained terrorists.
"This is really not my fucking day!" Daigo swore as bullets hissed over him.
Crouched down behind a desk cubicle, he leaned to his right and of cover to riposte. He immediately suppressed by a burst from a kalashnikov. His teammates, two security agents and three Hypnos employees, were scattered across the office area, each behind their own cubicles and trying to fire back.
The assailants had the fire and number superiority, outgunning and outpacing the small security force that Hypnos employed. The gunmen mercilessly executed every employee they see, armed or not. Rivers of blood and bodies could be found in every corner of the area. Bullet holes and splatters of blood decorated the walls and ceilings in a macabre reminder of the current massacre going on.
A surprised scream followed by a heavy thud caught his attention. Further down the office hall, Daigo noticed a security officer crawling away from harm's way, leaving a thick trail of blood and cursing loudly.
"Sonavabitch!"
"You alright, Ozawa?!" His colleague shouted hurriedly.
"I'm hit pretty bad!" The wounded agent replied dryly.
"Ishida!" Daigo called out, "You get him out of here, we'll cover you. Got it?"
"HAI!"
"Cover fire!"
The others returned fire, firing in rapid successions their pistols. The second security officer, Ishida, rushed of his cover and toward the wounded Ozawa. Daigo fired three rounds down the hall, hitting a gunman in his shoulder. The terrorists quickly responded with a volley of automatic fire. The hard hitting bullets chipped through their thin cover.
Another agent fell dead on the ground, his entire torso riddled with bloody gunshot wounds. Daigo hid back behind his cover, about to reload only to stop in mid-action, seeing the two officers lying lifelessly on the ground. He swore under his breath and reloaded his handgun. He glanced up and stared at the fire sprinklers. He looked around for the emergency fire alarm and spotted the iconic red button further down the hall, near the bodies of the two officers.
He glanced back at his two remaining colleagues, stalling the attackers but not for long. With a deep sigh, he sprinted out of cover and toward the fire alarm. He cleanly smashed the glass and activated the fire sprinklers, dowsing the entire floor in cold water and ran toward the computer room, leaving them behind.
"Advance!" Nanami shouted angrily, feeling irritated by the fire sprinklers.
Her henchmen complied, opening fire while advancing. The remaining agents were quickly gunned down. They continued down the hall, scanning for more targets at slow and careful pace. Nanami followed just behind them, peeking behind each cubicle she came across. She walked over the bodies of the two security officers and put a bullet in each of their heads with the M1911A1, blasting their skulls to pieces and gore.
"Let's pick up the pace, gents! The cops won't take too long to get here!" She ordered them sternly. "Spread out and remember: I want Yamaki alive!"
Meanwhile in the computer room, Maki was organizing the evacuation while Tally and Riley transfer the servers' data into back-up external hard drives. With them were also several armed security guards and Hypnos agents with weapons training. They quickly barricaded the double doors with every thing they could find.
"All personnel evacuated, Riley-san!" Maki informed her loudly, "We need to get out of here fast!"
"Can't, we still need to deactivate all of our servers and Juggernaut." Riley replied calmly.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Maki exclaimed in bewilderment, "If Juggernaut is off, we'll have a massive breach in the Network."
"Not with the Yuggoth program on," Tally chimed in, "At the very least, we'll have a temporary firewall until all of this is over. By the way, where's Daigo?"
"Don't know. I couldn't reach him." Riley answered. She turned to Yukio, still working on deleting all the data that they've already backed-up. "Yukio, try to get access to our security cams!"
"Eh? How? The monitor room is outside those doors!" Yukio reminded her nervously.
"Here, take my badge." She ordered him with grunt, "You'll get access to its software. The password's my date of birth."
"Got it!" Yukio replied hurriedly after catching her ID badge.
Outside of the room, the firefight seemed to get louder and fiercer as their last line of defense fend off the terrorists. Cries of pain and anger could be heard just beyond their small barricade. The small barks of pistol fire were drowned out by the roars of automatic fire from assault rifles and shotguns.
"Fuck! Right side! Right side!"
"I'm pinned down! Need cover fire!"
"Fall back! Fall b- AAARGH!"
"I'm hit! Someone get hel-"
"No!no!no!no! Wait!"
"P-please... don't kil-"
A loud crack from an assault rifle silenced the last man. The air was tense as the remaining Hypnos agents waited nervously for the terrorists to attack. Everyone in the room froze in place, except for Riley, working as quickly as possible.
"Tally-"
She was immediately interrupted by the sound of a powerful explosion; the shockwave rippling across the room, a sudden wave of heat washed over them, followed by the angry firecrackers of guns opening up. A wall of rounds stormed through the thick cloud of smoke, eating away computers and humans. Many of the dazed and injured agents fell lifelessly in their own pools of blood.
Tally got back up and quickly began to deactivate the servers – She screamed in pain as a round lodged itself into her right shoulder blade. She fell down harshly and crawled her way toward Riley. Her friend quickly grabbed hold of her and embrassed her dearly like a child, staring at the aggressors in defiance.
"Shouldn't have done that, miss." Nanami said in a mocking tone. She then pointed her handgun at Maki and shot her in the stomach.
Maki instantly fell on her back, the round knocking the wind out of her. Thankfully, her lightweight ballistic vest caught the bullet, but she knew that the pain will only increase much later. She remained on the ground, grunting and gasping for much needed air.
More terrorists poured in the room and spread out, circling around the three women and Yukio. Nanami grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. She forcefully yanked him off the ground and violently whipped him on his back with her weapon. The man shouted in agony and groaned heavily, shaking like a leaf. The blonde woman then looked back at Riley.
"I'm gonna ask you a favour. In exchange, I'll leave you and the rest of your friends alive. If not, then I'll execute them one at a time. Got it?" She asked sternly.
Riley glanced at her remaining colleagues. They were either dead, wounded or at the mercy of the gunmen, their weapons drawn on them. There was no way out of here. Either she sacrificed everyone in this room, including herself or she would spare them but let the terrorists have what they wanted.
"What do you want?" Riley inquired with a frown.
"Those hard drives. I want everything you've got in those servers stored in them." Nanami answered firmly.
"That might take some time, maybe an hour." Riley explained diplomatically.
"Then give me the Juggernaut's program." The hostage taker reiterated.
"How the hell do you know of its existence?" Maki asked through pained groans and hisses.
"Well, I do have some... solid intel on Hypnos buuut unfortunately time's money and my client is paying a hefty price for it. Now on with it!" She emphasized by driving her knee into Yukio's guts.
The man doubled over and coughed harshly, spitting out saliva and blood. Riley growled lowly and gently rested Tally against the desk beside her. She stood up and proceeded with transfering the requested data into the HDD she was using previously. In less than a minute, the data was beginning its transfer.
"There, fifteen minutes until its done." Riley said bitterly.
"Thank you..." Nanami smiled wickedly and turned to her men, "Put them out of their miseries." She ordered.
"WAI-"
Riley suddenly felt a powerful force punching her to the ground. She stared at the white ceiling, feeling a hot sensation leaking out of her chest. She ran her fingers across her chest and looked back at them in horror. Her fingers were caked in a deep red colour. Hot searing pain shot through her body as her nerves went haywire. Panic and fear set in her as she desperately gasped for air. She could hear the last cries of her friends and coworkers before being silenced by gunshots.
Nanami released Yukio, "Make sure that the transfer goes smoothly..." She looked around as her men executed the remaining survivors. She then gazed back down at Yukio, still lying on the ground, sobbing quietly. "Hey! Get back to work, you sorry excuse of a man!" She snarled after she violently kicked him in the guts.
Yukio coughed loudly and slowly got to his feet and toward the computer. He walked past the wounded Tally, staring at him with desperation and confusion. "I'm so sorry..." He muttered to her before an insurgent hovered the barrel of his shotgun above her face.
He closed his eyes as he awaited for the inevitable boom of the shotgun, but instead he felt a splash of warm liquid all over his left side. He re-opened his eyes and saw the insurgent laying dead on the ground, the top half of his skull blown up. Tally screamed in shock and disgust, covered in the man's blood.
Immediately after rounds started to fly around him. He instinctively ducked and covered his head with his arms while trying to block his ears from the loud, rapid gunshots.
"Damn it!" Nanami sneered, "Kill them!" She bellowed sternly at her henchmen. "Crap, they got here sooner then expected..." She noted dreadfully.
Heavily armed police officers intervened just in time to stop the ongoing massacre. A wall of ballistic shields and automatic firearms slowly moved toward the computer room, returning fire as they advanced.
The terrorists, outmatched and exposed in the open, were quickly gunned down in the initial barrage of fire. Only a handful were quick enough to take cover and return fire. Nanami swore under her breath and hastilly snatched the hard drive off its port, the transfer wasn't done yet but she hoped that she would still get paid nonetheless. She quickly made a run for the fire exit, leaving her men behind to die.
Though few, the terrorists didn't give up, not without a fight. In response to be outnumbered, they still had one trick up their sleeves: explosives. In a single volley, they threw frag grenades and sticks of dynamite down the corridor. With the police officers so tightly packed together, it's a perfect opportunity to blast them to pieces with a couple of explosives... and it was deadly effective.
The first two grenades blew apart the shield wall, dispersing the officers and wounding a few. The second volley was the killing blow. With their wall down, the grenades landed right in the middle of the cluster. The devastating explosions ripped through their ranks. Blood, flesh and guts washed all over the corridor, men laid dying on the ground with their backs burned or chests eviscerated in their own pool of gore and blood. They were torn to pieces and shredded by the hot metal fragments. The sight was scarring enough that even Yukio couldn't help but stare at it in horror.
The terrorists walked out of cover and marched toward the officers, cocking their weapons to finish them off. But they were neutralized by a blur of white and yellow. Out of nowhere, they were picked off by a mirage. The unknown entity was merciless with them, as if God has sent his own Angel of Death.
With brutal speed and efficiency, the terrorists were taken out of action, lying and moaning in pain. Bones were cracked and muscles pounded to a pulp. They weren't dead, but they were experiencing to most painful moment of their lives.
"Renamon!" Tally cried with relief, hot tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Renamon quickly spun around and sprinted toward Tally and Riley. She knelt down and applied pressure to Riley's gunshot wound.
"Maki, are you still up?" She asked stoically.
"Y-yes, ma'am..." Maki replied as she groggily sat up, her chest still throbbing with pain.
"I'm going to need your shirt to cover Riley's wound." The digimon instructed.
"Got it!" Maki hurriedly replied, taking off her bulletproof vest and her white long sleeved shirt.
"R-rena-mon..." Riley muttered weakly, taking hold of the digimon's right paw shakingly.
"Don't worry, Riley. You're going to be fine, help's on the way." The kitsune reassured her confidently, but deep down, she was extremely worried of her condition. She noted that she has already lost too much blood; a half hour longer and she might be dead due to blood loss.
Maki reached the wounded woman and replaced Renamon, gently applying the shirt over the wound and pressing her hands on it, preventing blood to leak out. Renamon then turned to Yukio, still in a catatonic state.
"Hey! Snap out of it!" She shouted at him, getting his immediate attention, "Help me out over here. Now!" She ordered him sternly. Fear was the only way to get those of the faint of heart to move and be useful. "Just like your friend, I'm going to need your shirt to stop the bleeding. Got it?"
Yukio nodded fearfully.
"Thank the Heavens you're here, Renamon." Tally said with a heavy sigh, "If it weren't for your help, I don't know if-"
"Don't think about it." Renamon cut in swiftly, "You're still alive and that's all to matter. Keep focusing on staying alive, alright?" The young woman nodded meekly, "Help's on the way."
"Gosh, aren't you a sight for sore eyes..." She joked with a sly smile.
"I know, I get that a lot." Renamon replied with her own grin.
She stood back up and examined the carnage around her. It was gruesome and a tragic scene. So many innocents were killed today. She stared at one of the terrorists and only felt a burning fury boiling in her veins. Thoughts of torture came to mind but she banished those desires as quickly as they came.
She was better than them. She has already been through the hellish and chaotic environment of war, as a digimon and as a soldier. She has seen enough death in her lifetime. Now, she is a mother, a family to maintain. She wouldn't forgive herself if she acted like a monster. Her daughter and Guilmon wouldn't approve either.
In the distance, she could hear the shouts of the paramedics and police officers, making their way towards them to assist and evacuate the wounded. She raised her arm up and waved at them, beckoning them to pick up the pace.
This will be a long day...
Ginza District, 08:45 AM.
Medics and soldiers worked tiredlessly and professionally as they sort out the dead and evacuate the wounded. Dozens of ambulances and military vehicles go back and forth between the district and the nearest hospitals.
Right beside the entrance, a squad of MP troopers rounded up the few captured terrorists, each were either wounded or badly beaten up. Police and ambulance sirens blared across the district as more vehicles arrived. About three kilometers away from the base, military and police checkpoints were established on each major street that runs through the militarized zone.
The checkpoints served two purposes: to plug any potential exit for any suspecting terrorists that may still reside in the search area, and to prevent civilians and the media news teams to storm the district.
Major General Kazufumi Ryuzaki observed quietly as he took in the sight of the horrible attack. Next to him stood the highest-ranking medical officer on base, a small notebook in hand. The colonel was covered in ash and dried and fresh blood stains, indicating that he was in the thick of the action.
"For now the casualty is as it follows: 49 killed in total, including 3 foreigners and 12 civilian personnel. A total of 62 wounded, including 7 foreigners and 8 civilian personnel. And there has been report of 17 missing personnel, military and civilian. Most of the casualties were caused by the bomb but the numbers may rise due to the fact that many are in critical conditions." The doctor informed stoically.
"Is that all, colonel?" Ryuzaki asked.
"Yes, sir. That is all for now."
The general nodded, "Return to your duties, doctor. And thank you... for being there for them. You and your team have saved many lives today." He stated with sad smile. "We owe you one."
"You can thank us later, when the dust clears and we'll get the final results ." The doctor replied before returning to his duties.
The general fetched for his service issued phone and contacted the Minister of Defense.
"What's the status, general?" Came Tarō Kanō's expectant response.
"Not good, sir. 49 dead, 62 wounded and 17 missing in action."
He could hear the minister sigh heavily and rub his forehead, "Are your assets still on standby, general?"
"Yes, general." Ryuzaki answered, "Should I take them off the expedition?" He asked knowingly, as if predicting the following course of action.
"There's a high chance that we'll need them here. The Prime Minister has arranged an emergency meeting. He wants to see you by 9:30, don't be late."
Camp Tolkien, Sword Zone, 0620 hours, October 4th 2022.
Peace reigned over the battlefield, but the air was thick with tension, almost electrifying and ready to blow up at the slighest touch. Since yesterday night, a ceasefire was established by both belligerents. Alphamon and his task force managed to reach the destroyed camp in the early hours of the morning and got a briefing and status report from Omegamon and Dorbickmon.
Much to their surprise, Raijinmon has agreed to meet them for talks inside the base, as long as he was allowed to be escorted by a small party of his own soldiers. They, in turn, agreed to his terms and the meeting was set at 0630 hours.
A clear blue sky and a bright sun greeted the exhausted soldiers on the field that day. It was a welcoming sight and a change from the bitter winds and cold rain. Despite the favorable weather, the soldiers in camp Tolkien were on edge and uneasy. And Alphamon didn't fault them. He too was sceptical about this and was concerned if all of this wasn't a ploy to attack them by surprise or to mask any enemy troop movement.
"Movement! Five hundred meters, across no man's land!" A human soldier shouted, his right eye behind his rifle's optical sight. "Five pax, they're moving with a white flag up."
Alphamon and some of his Royal Knights walked up to the improvised barricade wall and observed the barren battlefield. Indeed, they spotted Raijinmon followed by two Knightmon, a Darkdramon and an Imperialdramon Fighter mode. Soon, the humans started to take positions along the wall, weapons drawn up and ready to open fire at a moment's notice.
"Captain, tell your men to stand down." Dorbickmon's gravely voice instructed calmly.
"Stand down! Stand down!"
Relunctantly, the soldiers withdrew their weapons, though they remained on their guard. The Japanese and American troopers manning the heavy machine guns and grenade machine guns on some of the few watchtowers and rooftops kept a close eye on the Storm Commander and his bodyguards.
Dorbickmon and Alphamon decided to greet their new visitors at the entrance of the camp.
"Sire Alphamon, Colonel Dorbickmon," Raijinmon began politely, "A great pleasure to finally meet you." He bowed respectfully.
"Commander." Dorbickmon mimicked the gesture.
"Storm Commander." Alphamon acknowledged with a nod. He presented his right hand, which Raijinmon gladly took it in a firm handshake. He then peeked a glance at the four other digimon. He noted that they were all officers except for Darkdramon, whom was a Colour Sergeant. "Are they-"
"Yes, they are my bodyguards. They will also accompany me in the negociation meeting. Is that alright with you, Colonel?" Raijinmon gazed curiously at the lesser ranked officer.
Dorbickmon simply nodded, but the Royal Knight could tell that he wasn't too happy about it, nor was he too keen on negociating either. It took a lot of convincing from him, Omegamon and Duftmon to get to this point. However, the red dragon digimon was a former grunt, a simple rank-and-file soldier, before he crawled through the ranks... and the many battles that came with his line of work. His scars are the living proof of his combat experiences.
"Then shall we begin, gentlemen?" Raijinmon asked.
The pair led them to the – still standing – base headquarters. In the meeting room, Alphamon and Omegamon partake in the negociations on the behalf of the CNS. Colonel Kamo, being the highest-ranking officer present, participated in the talkings, representing the IDDF and the UN. Finally, Dorbickmon represented his nation and he will have the last word to the fate of his fellow soldiers, citizens and homeland.
"Would you like to begin, Storm Commander?" Omegamon asked courtly after they were served a water bottle.
"Certaintly..." Raijinmin cleared his throat and leveled his gaze with Dorbickmon. "Emperor Chaosdramon wants to end this war, in exchange with your surrender-"
"So what? He expects me to just keel over and let Sword Zone be ruled by the Metal Empire?" The colonel asked sarcastically.
"Actually, he actually wants to integrate Sword Zone into the empire as an allied state. He is even willing to appoint you as "state senator"." Raijinmon clarified diplomatically.
"So what do we get in exchange?"
"By pledging your allegiance, you will receive financial and military aid as well as infrastructure repairs and access to our natural resources." He answered as a matter-of-fact, "Of course, in exchange, there will be taxes to pay – not too ludicrous by the way- and we also demand access to your resources and establish trading partnership; among other things."
"I think emperor Chaosdramon has forgotten that the CNS do provide the necessary aid and services to every state members, the Metal Empire included." Omegamon asserted, trying to dissuade Dorbickmon from Raijinmon's terms.
"That may be true for us last week, but as you know, we left and so does seven other state members have left the organization. And it will only keep up with the direction it is currently going."
"The CNS is still improving and updating to the situation of the Digiworld. You cannot expect it to be perfect when we're barely pass two years after its creation." Alphamon argued justly.
"True, but even your Order sees its errors," Raijinmon countered, his defiant gaze matching with Alphamon's, "It should also be noted that the organization was created by the humans to mirror their equivalent in our world. Which is improbable to succeed since our worlds are too different to begin with. Such mindset is bound for failure." He then turned to Colonel Kamo, eyes narrowed to a scowl, "Humans do not know this world or our kind. They should've left after the war."
"What are you implying there, commander?" Kamo asked promptly, arms crossed over his chest.
"I'm implying that your kind shouldn't be the one to dictate how things work in the Digiworld. If we should have our equivalent to the United Nations, then it should be created by Digimon, for Digimon and the Network. Your kind doesn't understand this world."
"Humanity created you and the Digital World." Kamo responded.
"Created, but not lived. Mankind didn't even knew this world existed until the Tokyo invasion." The Storm Commander retaliated.
Kamo remained silent. Omegamon stared at him, waiting for a reply but even he knew that he couldn't counter that statement. It was true after all. The CNS was created – in part – by Humans to mirror the UN. And as such, it had unrealistic objectives. That was the reason why the Order broke off from the organization soon after its creation. The humans may be their creators, but they didn't even acknowledged them until recently. And what have they brought? Nothing but more deaths and suffering.
Meanwhile, Dorbickmon was deep in his thoughts. The fate of his homeland rested on his shoulders. But considering the current state of Sword Zone, he wasn't representing much. For all he knew, the citizens of Sword Zone are the soldiers under his command, whom he fought with for the past week. It is clear to him that he wasn't going to win this war, the most that he could do was to stall the enemy while ambassador Angewomon evacuates the civilians away from the frontline... and she did just that. The entire western region is now empty. Its cities and towns are left abandonned or damaged by the war.
Although he wanted Sword Zone to stay in the CNS, he too has lost faith into the organization. The IDDF's Second Expedition was a living example of that: they have failed spectacularly at restoring order in the Nexus continent. The new Democratic Nexus Federation has become a corrupt bureaucratic empire with constant raidings from bandits and certain zones governed by warlords and PMCs. It was only thanks to the Royal Knights that some semblance of order was restored, but it wasn't good enough.
And despite his hatred for Chaosdramon and his aristocratic goons at Fracture, he believed to have made the right choice... well, he chose the lesser of two evils in his eyes. With a heavy and steady breath, he perked up at Raijinmon.
"I will accept surrender," He began slowly, "But under one condition: that the Royal Knights and IDDF troops have safe passage to leave the Zone."
"Naturally." Raijinmon conceded gladly, "And I will release all POWs in 48 hours."
"How does that sound, Sire?" Dorbickmon asked the Aloof Hermit.
Alphamon was doubtful and disappointed but he had no right over Sword Zone. At the end of the day, Dorbickmon had the final word.
"Fair enough, colonel." He replied politely.
"Then we have a deal," Raijinmon rose up from his seat and presented his right hand to Dorbickmon, "Colonel."
"Commander." Dorbickmon took his hand in a solid and firm handshake.
"I will proceed with my part of the deal. The paperwork should arrive in 72 hours. In the meantime, I will call off my reinforcements and allow your allies to peacefully leave the Zone."
Autumn's Bridge, 1520 hours.
"The last of the wounded have been loaded, Colonel!" Raymond reported to Richards loudly over the whirlwind of dust and dirt of the MV-22B Ospreys.
"Okay! You get your men on those birds, I'll head back with the convoy!" Richards instructed him, "I'll see you at Tolkien!"
"Roger!" Raymond gave a thumbs up before jogging back toward his company.
As more helicopters swooped in to land on the LZ, the Marines of Alpha Company waited anxiously by the bridge. They've gotten the news of a full retreat two hours ago. The reason behind that order has yet to have been revealed but some men were starting to theorise.
Mikey Kudo rested against a boulder, his rucksack propped up between the rock and his back as a cushion. His rifle, completely covered in gunpowder and dust, laid across his laps, his fingers lightly tapping on its dark surface.
"Staff Sergeant," Kyle called out the platoon sergeant, getting Kudo's attention, "Any idea why we're retreating?"
"No idea, Kyle," The veteran Marine answered frankly, "The only thing I've heard is that we're getting out of this place. The war's over for us."
"So... have we lost, sir?" Kudo asked tentatively.
There was a silent pause before he got a vague answer: "We'll know it soon enough, Marine."
"Fucking great..." Another Marine said bitterly, "We did all of this for nothing!"
"No we didn't," Staff Sergeant Beckers replied firmly," We've held off an entire division and kicked their sorry asses out of the country. We've accomplished our mission and we're still alive. That matters in the end."
"First Platoon!" Lieutenant Browning hollered sternly,"Get off your butts and move it! We are leaving!" He ordered, his men promptly got up, relieved and excited to leave the battlefield, "Come on, Kudo! Wake up, dream warrior!"
"You heard the lieutenant! Double time! Move!" Beckers shouted angrily, getting the Marines to pick up their pace.
Raymond watched pensively as his Marines and the Japanese soldiers boarded the hybrid aircrafts. His tired mind was running with multiple emotions. Anger. Disappointment. A distasteful sense of defeat. He didn't take the ceasefire imposed by the Royal Knights very well; nor did his men. Although he didn't know the official reason behind the order, he was damn sure that the war was over for them and the enemy has won. With a heavy sigh, he walked back toward the Osprey waiting for him.
He climbed up the rear loading ramp and sat down on the last available spot, next to Sullivan. The lieutenant was resting his eyes, clutching his rifle like a teddy bear. He nudged him lightly with his elbow, waking up the officer.
The Osprey jerked and trembled as it took off, its twin tiltrotors spun wildy, creating a wall of dirt and dust around the aircraft. Casually sitting on the edge of the ramp was a crew chief, manning the M2 heavy machine gun.
"Just for a heads-up, lieutenant!" Raymond began, "The colonel will want to see you once all of this over. I've been recommending you for a promotion, officially as my second-in-command." He explained with a proud grin, "Congratulations, captain Sullivan."
The officer stared at his CO with wide eyes, not expecting to get a promotion in the middle of a war. But that also means that Raymond will soon leave the Digital Marines or maybe the Corps, he must take the mantle of commanding Alpha Company, so far the most battle hardened company in the regiment.
"Are you getting transferred, sir?" He couldn't help but ask, mentally not prepared to take over Raymond's place.
"I'm reaching fifteen years of service, Sully, I think I've done plenty for the Corps." The captain replied bluntly, "This is my last deployment..." He then gave a pat on his helmet, "Don't worry, you'll do fine. There's a reason why I've chosen you."
"Thank you, sir." Sullivan responded dumbfounded, still in shock of the news.
Raymond nodded quietly and gazed back at the fleeting battlefield, relaxed and enjoying the scenery.
"This is going to be a looong deployment..." He thought solemnly.
La Chaîne de Fer, Jade Kingdom- Metal Empire border, 1636 hours.
"To any stations, this is Bravo 4, requesting CASEVAC, do you copy? Over." Park announced through his headset, "To any stations, this is Bravo 4, requesting CASEVAC, do you copy? Please respond. Over." He repeated, getting more desperate by the minute.
The stranded operators of Data Squad and their prisonner, Lucemon, hid under a natural canopy, dug into the barks of a gigantic tree. The rain had been unrelenting in these parts of the Digital World. The group had been on the run for the pass two days, making slow progress due to constant D-Brigade air and ground patrol teams. Once in the clear, or they've assume so, Park decided to make a call to friendly channels.
Marcus took the guard shift, posted about a dozen meters away from the group, overlooking the only dirt path in the forest. Mizuhara was beside the bound digimon, keeping a close eye on the angel.
"Fuck... still no response!" The combat medic swore angrily. He unclipped his helmet and ran a hand through his greasy dark brown undercut hair. "I'm going to try open channels." He told them with determination.
"Are you sure about that?" The marksman asked, slightly alarmed.
"We don't have any options left and we're running out of time. Sooner or later, they'll get us if we continue on foot, without support." Park explained bluntly.
"Don't have much choice now, do we?" Marcus chimed in, looking up to Park with a confident nod.
"Your call, Doc." Mizuhara conceded.
"Damn it... let's just hope that they can't intercept our comms." Park sighed, "Okay, pass me the transceiver."
Mizuhara unstrapped the portable radio post on his back and passed it to him. Park knelt down and modified the transceiver to open channels. "Any stations, any stations, this is Bravo 4. I'm requesting CASEVAC on my position asap. I repeat: this is Bravo 4. I'm requesting CASEVAC on my position asap. Over."
"This is Captain Hamill," The radio buzzed in response, almost startling Park, "US Air Force, callsign: Eagle Eye. Do you copy? Over."
"Eagle Eye, Bravo 4. We read you 3 out of 5. Over." The medic replied quickly.
"Bravo 4, I demand that you identify yourself, your unit as well as your position. Do you understand? Over." The American officer instructed straightforwardly.
"This is Master Sergeant Park, Japanese SFG. I've got two others and a HVT with me. We're currently at the border between Jade Kingdom and Metal Empire. How copy? Over."
"Solid copy on all, Bravo 4. I'll try to get an eye on your position but we can NOT offer you any support. I've got to contact Overlord and relay your message. Be advised: this may take some time and currently, all combat aircrafts are unavailable. Do you understand?"
"Bravo 4 acknowledges, Eagle Eye." He replied dreadfully, "We will keep egressing toward Jade Kingdom. Be quick, captain, we've got hostiles on our tail and moving fast. Over."
"Copy. Keep progressing and good luck out there, Bravo 4. Eagle Eye, out."
The transmission ended abruptly. Both Mizuhara and Marcus stared expectantly at him, hoping for a favorable response. But they could immediately see in his eyes that it wasn't the case.
"They're not coming for us, huh?" Marcus asked, already knowing the answer.
"Not yet... The only thing they can do now is looking for us and keeping an eye in the sky over our heads. That's it." Park explained with an exasperated breath.
"Better get a move on then," Mizuhara suggested, standing up and picking up the transceiver, "The sun's going down, so we might as well take advantage of that. Get our infrared strobes up and going as we egress through the mountains."
"Good idea," Park agreed with a nod,"Let's get a move on. Hopefully, they'll come and get us soon enough."
"Let's hope so..."
Camp Dawnstar, Southern Region, 1820 hours.
A numbing headache had been growing for the past thirty six hours. It had been a hectic few days for General Yamamoto. News of a terrorist attack in Japanese soil, in his homeland, have just reached him along with the news of a negociation and cease fire deal that occurred in camp Tolkien without his say or acknowledgment in the matter. In the aftermath of a bloody terrorist attack, he was gathering the necessary information to write up a report to Tokyo.
He picked up his porcelaine white mug and took a big swig of coffee, probably his hundredth since this morning. He told himself that he would get used to the coarse and bitter taste by the time he ran out of sugar cubes but he grimaced and shortly placed it back on his desk.
"Got to find some good coffee after this shitstorm..." He commented to no one in particular. Several hasty knocks broke his train of thoughts. "Enter!"
A sergeant walked in and sharply saluted the general,"Sir, we've got an incoming call from a US Air Force EC-130H, callsign: Eagle Eye. They've come into contact with the missing operators."
"When?!" He asked with urgency, getting up from his desk
"About an hour ago, g-general." The sergeant replied, slightly nervous.
"What?! You're only telling me this NOW!" Yamamoto exclaimed angrily.
"There has been a lot of traffic since the terrorist attack, sir. Comms are constantly cutting out and we still have problems with our antennae." The communications NCO justified dutifully.
"Damn! Get me in contact with Eagle Eye now!"
"Sir!"
"This was their last known position at 1705 hours, when the transmission ended..." The communications officer reported to Yamamoto, Colonels Legein and West, and Lieutenant Colonel Sturnn after marking Bravo 4's location on a map, "And this..." He took a laptop and placed it on the table. The screen was a live feed from a infrared view of the ground. Three white dots flashed at a constant rythm, "...is Eagle Eye's view, tracking them since 1718 hours."
Yamamoto simply nodded and hummed in approuval, relieved to see the missing operators alive and kicking. He then noticed several clusters of black dots slowly following them, "And these are enemy patrols, correct?"
The captain nodded, "Affirmative, general. Even if we can get an aircraft to get them, they will need to be fast, maximum two minutes if we want to keep the enemy at bay and avoid the continuation of a war." He informed as a matter-of-fact.
"I see... And where are the nearest birds we can get?" Colonel Legein asked curiously.
"Currently... it'll be the MV-22s of the Marines back in Tolkien." The captain answered hesitantly, "They're the fastest birds we've got for an extraction but that does mean that they'll have to cross the entirety of the Metal Empire's southern highlands... without getting caught."
"And how long will that take?" The general inquired.
"About twenty to twenty five minutes, sir."
"What if we took a safer, alternative route?" West proposed.
"That can go up to forty to an hour, sir." The officer answered grimly, "We've got no better options, considering that the Ospreys won't be escorted to maintain a semblance of discretion." He explained frankly.
"But they'll still need support... do we have any SOF units nearby?"
"All units are either on standby here or stationned near the frontline." Sturnn answered, taking a closer look of the map, "We're going to have to use our regulars to form the extraction team. I suggest that we use my paratroopers. They're still combat effective and green on ammo. A platoon will be enough to secure and defend the LZ until the operators get there."
"Sounds like a plan." West conceded, with Legein nodding likewise.
"Alright then. Sturnn, assemble a task force for an extraction mission. You choose whatever unit you want but get them ready in less than thirty minutes."
"Yes sir." The British officer nodded curtly, leaving the command and control room to make a few calls.
"Captain," Yamamoto continued without stopping a beat, "Contact Eagle Eye and relay them about the extraction mission. I want them to have a constant eye on our boys and give them the heads-up when hostiles are near." The general then turned to West, "Find Higgs and see if he can get a Reaper drone up there."
"Consider it done, sir."
La Chaîne de Fer, less than 5 clicks away from Jade Kingdom territory, 1935 hours.
"Bravo 4, Eagle Eye. Be advised: two-zero foot mobiles are egressing to your position to your two o'clock, six hundred meters. Over."
"Copy, Eagle Eye!" Park replied hastilly, "We've been compromised! Interrogative: where the hell's air support? Over!"
"Smoke out!" Mizuhara shouted, throwing a smoke grenade down the slope while Marcus provided cover fire.
Lucemon kept his head down and stayed real close to Park. "Haru! Move up!"
"Roger!" The marksman yelled, turning around and sprinting up the face of the mountain. He jumped over a log and set his DMR up, "Set!"
"Sledge!"
"Moving!" Marcus shouted, spinning around and made a mad dash up the slope.
Enemy rounds and energy projectiles screamed behind him, hitting the ground and trees around him. Thankfully they were far enough to miss every shot, but three men with very limited ammo won't slow them down.
He jumped into a small crater located a couple of meters behind his two brothers-in-ams and took up a firing position. "SET!" He exclaimed, panting heavily and right eye glued behind the EO tech holographic sight.
"Moving! Come on!" Park forcefully grabbed Lucemon by the arm and dragged him further up the mountain.
Mizuhara was deadly efficient with the HK417. Each two-round burst guaranteed a kill. The hostiles were no match for his cold-blood accuracy. Another skull was cracked open. A pink mist of blood and brain matter exploded in the air. Another lifeless body slumped on the ground, rapidly reduced to data particles.
"HARU!" He heard Park's barking.
"Moving!" He fired a couple of pop shots into the darkness and pushed himself off the ground.
Marcus fetched for another frag grenade, pulled the pin and threw it as far down as possible. The hand grenade blasted two hostiles off the ground, dismembering one and lighting a third in flames. He switched back to his primary weapon and laid down cover fire with accurate three-round bursts. Less deadly than the HK417, it was still enough to neutralize a threat. It was one bad guy out of the gunfight.
"Marcus!"
"Moving!"
He jumped to his feet and rushed up. The enemy was getting closer, further suppressing them and reducing their window to maneuver around. Sooner or later, they'll have to make their last stand. He slid behind a tree and resume his role, providing cover fire for Park and the prisonner.
"Set!"
"Right! Moving!"
Obediently, Lucemon followed Park, minding his footing and keeping his head low. Park pushed up the mountain, barking angrily behind him, motivating the digimon through fear and the rush of adrenaline. He swiveled around and fetched for his smoke grenade. Not able to find it, he swore and turned tail and followed Lucemon, sprinting wildly.
"Fuck! Reloading!" Marcus yelled.
"Covering!" Mizuhara shouted in response.
Park found Lucemon hiding behind a large rock barely half a dozen meters away from Marcus's position. "Not there!" He scolded him sternly, "Let's go!" He once again yanked the angel by the arm and dragged him across the forest.
As the operators progressed further through the mountain, more hostile units were closing on them from almost all sides. Soon enough, they were in the cross-fire. All attacks focused down on them, pinning them in a tight spot with very little cover and space to maneuver out.
Park slammed to the ground and crawled his way behind a small boulder. Enemy rounds buzzed just above his head.
"Eagle Eye, this is Bravo 4. Interrogative: where the fuck is air support?!" He screamed into his headset's mic, "Be advised: hostiles are crawling all over us! Less than a hundred meters! Over!"
"Frag out!" Marcus hollered as he lobbed a hand grenade over his head.
"Shit! I'm out!" Mizuhara yelled, switching to the USP Compact Tactical. The handgun pumped out .45 ACP rounds , each shot was strong enough to neutralize a threat and leaving them in pain.
"Marcus fall back on me!" Park ordered loudly.
"Copy!" He fetched his smoke grenade and pulled the pin, "Smoke out!" He hurled the grenade a couple of feet away from him. It bounced off a tree and landed closer to him than he would've appreciated.
"Fuck it! Moving!" He pushed himself off the ground and rushed to Park.
He jumped over the rock and took cover behind it, reloading his last mag into the Honey Badger. "I'm on my last mag!"
"Make it count, brother!"
"Bravo 4, this is Wyvern 1. Reaper drone is locked and loaded and ready for tasking. How copy? Over."
Park let out a breath of relief, "Wyvern 1, Bravo 4. Solid copy. Be advised: we will be marking target areas with red smokes. I've got over one-zero-zero soft targets. Read back for check! Over."
"Copy, Bravo 4. Target areas will be marked by red smokes. Over one-zero-zero soft targets. Over."
"Wyvern 1. Be advised: danger close. Bring down the pain. Over and out!"
Shortly after, the drone has acquired its targets, sending a literal hellfire from the heavens. The earth trembled as a terrifying explosion blasted across the mountain. Being so close to the blast, the shockwave rocked everyone off their feet. A second AGM-114M Hellfire missile struck the ground with a violent force, wiping an entire platoon of hostiles. With each drone strike, it cleared a path for the operators on the ground to move out and proceed toward neutral state border.
Fires began to erupt and surge across the forest, hungrily swallowing up trees, rocks and helpless digimon. The missile strikes were effective against the enemy, sending chaos and throwing their ranks into disarray.
"C'mon! We got to move fast!" Park shouted behind him while Marcus covered their retreat.
Mizuhara was taking the lead, closely followed by Lucemon then Park. Marcus threw his last frag grenade down the slope before catching up with the rest of his group. A Sealsdramon threw itself on the grenade, protecting its comrades from the deadly blast. Its chest cavity blew open, eviscerated by the sharpnels.
The group crossed over the border and began the treacherous descent. Despite Wyvern 1's effort, they were overwhelmed by enemy fire, throwing everything at them.
Marcus leaned out of his cover and shot down two hostiles before they got too close. Another flurry of rounds spewed out of the Honey Badger, taking another digimon's life. It soon clicked empty. He swore in frustration and changed to his sidearm.
"I'm out!" He yelled angrily.
"Push forward!" He could hear a digimon order gruffly.
He peered over the rock only to duck a second later as a shower of bullets whizzed all over him.
"FUCK!" he screamed, "Cavalry! Multiple squads!"
Small fireteams of Assaultmon dispersed along the line and suppressed their targets with devastating volume of fire. While they were pinned down, the light infantry rushed towards their position, inching their way while braving through the hellstorm unleashed by the IDDF drone.
Lucemon huddled close to the ground, cupping his ears and closing his eyes in fear, screaming out in an uncontrollable hysteria. The angel prayed desperately to God for protection. He suddenly felt a strong pair of hands grasp his and pulled him off the dirt.
"HEY!" Park barked at his face," You're a digimon, can you fight?" Lucemon gave him no response, gripped by fear, "Hey! Do you want to live, digimon?" He shook him violently. Lucemon nodded anxiously, "Then fucking FIGHT!" He shouted before shoving him to the side. "You see any bastards crawling over there..." He pointed to their left flank, "You smoke 'em!" He issued the command coldly, "Is that clear?!"
"y-y-yes sir!"
"Good! Look alive, stay alive, Cupid!"
Lucemon panted heavily, his digicore beating insanely fast. His whole body trembled like a leaf going through a terrible storm. He took in deep breaths, he then mustered the strenght to summon a holy spear out of thin air, gripping the weapon crisply. His ears rung painfully in his head, a throbbing headache emerged from the loud noises of gunfire and explosions. He has never been in a battlefield before, let alone being exposed to such ferocious violence.
He spotted several silhouettes dashing across his field of vision. He tensed up and kept his eyes wide open. More shadows glided forward, closing toward him, fast.
The angel lifted his divine lance, his left arm outstretched before him to help his aim. Although a sworn pacifist, self-defense courses were mandatory to all digimon angels of the Heavenly Choir in order to fend off raiders and to survive in this increasingly cruel and harsh world. He was trained in non-lethal hand-to-hand combat and archery. But no amount of training have prepared him for this.
Rushing out of cover, a Commandramon draws out his rifle, taking aim at him. Lucemon, with a held breath, launched the spear with a mighty throw. The lance swooped straight for the commando, the tip pierced his body armour and dug deep into his flesh. The Commandramon cried out in pain as he fell on the ground, the divine spear burning the flesh with holy light.
"Help! They're here!" He shouted to the humans before spawning another spear.
With deadly precision and dexterity, he took out another two soldiers before he dove for the ground as bullets flew by him. Driven by his instincts, he crawled toward a crater, unintentionally approaching the enemy. He rolled into the crater and summoned a holy shortsword, frantically looking out for any threats.
Another Commandramon tackled him to the ground from behind, arms wrapped around his neck and head. The angel helplessly swung his sword around, trying to hack at his aggressor. Slowly, he could feel the air escaping his mouth as the arms around him tightened, suffocating him. Acting quickly, he raised his sword, blade pointed downward, and plunged the sword through Commandramon's thick helmet and skull. Instantly, all pressure around his neck disappeared, allowing him an ample volume of oxygen. Lucemon dropped to his knees, gasping greedily for air.
"Birds incoming!" Park yelled, "Let's move out! Cupid, on me!"
To the relief of everyone, two MV-22 Ospreys arrived from the horizon. The hybrid aircrafts soared over the enemy and descended toward their designated LZ. The first to land dropped its cargo ramp, letting out a platoon of Japanese paratroopers rushing out and setting a defensive firing line. Caught off guard by the presence of IDDF troops on the ground, the enemy halted their pursuit and focused fire on them.
Park pratically grabbed and carried Lucemon in his arms, rapidly sliding down the mountain. As usually, Marcus was the last one to follow, emptying his pistol's magazine into the enemy ranks before hopping over a log and sliding down the slope.
"Cover fire! Get those MGs up to the flanks, now!" The company commander bellowed at his men.
He bent down and take aim, firing in short bursts of 7.62mm rounds. The tracer rounds helped the men to distinguish friend from foe but he realized that they were greatly outnumbered. Once he spotted the group of survivors, he ordered his paratroopers to peel off, riposting as they retreat.
The second Osprey in the air pinned the enemy down with a flurry of rounds from the fearsome GAU-17 minigun. The electrical buzz from the door gunner sweeped through the forest and wiping out soldiers with extreme prejudice. Like a buzzsaw, the minigun cut down through the ranks, leaving behind a bloody line of perforated and torn bodies.
With the hostiles effectively suppressed and pinned down, the group of survivors managed to link up with the JGSDF platoon and get on board the Osprey. The Reaper drone sent another volley of missile strikes, sweeping up the remaining D-Brigade forces as they turned tail and ran away.
The extraction was a success.
Inside the extraction bird, the company commander carefully walked up to the three operators. He eyed them before he asked loudly, "Who's the team leader?"
Park reached his hand out, "Master Sergeant "Doc" Park, Bravo Team, Data Squad." He introduced himself formally.
The officer firmly took his hand,"Major Hikagi, 101st Company, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 1st Airborne. Welcome home, son!"
"Thank you, sir!"
"Don't mention it. You guys go get some rest and shower. I'll handle the debrief and the prisonner." The Major told them before giving them one last grin. "By the way..." He began after he turned around, "The war's over, we're pulling out of Sword Zone."
"Did we win?" Marcus asked.
Hikagi gazed at him neutrally. He shook his head and faked a grin, "We gave them hell, I'll give you that!"
Marcus simply nodded in response. He casually leaned back against the racking seat and released a heavy sigh. They went through hell and lost many friends... and for what? It din't sit well with him, and he could tell that his brothers-in-arms thought the same.
"It doesn't matter anymore..."