I love seeing reviews! Shake my hand...I appreciate that! Also, 10 chapters away from 200! That's bonkers.
Gnats light up the sky like a million fireflies, turning into nanobombs bursting overhead clouding the heavens with smoke. Missiles are soaring through the air like fire arrows locked on a massive target, which in this case were the gigantic weapons the octarians brought to the surface. Some were the width of a few buildings and others were sturdier too. As they invade the city limits and make their way further inland for the capital, bodies meant to defend the front are tossed aside to the left and right as decorations, clustering the streets like they spat out by a tornado. The capital city of Inkopolis is in shambles. With a rumble and a tumble of the octarian march, the preparations of Inkopolis were proving to be futile in the early stage of this battle. Voices are crying out in terror on the defensive side, many of these people being just people who had families they wanted to return home to, but before the soldiers of Octaria they were nothing more than animals for slaughter. Their wails silenced to the tune of steel piercing their flesh and blood splattering, this sight quickly became common. As the invading force continue their march, the strategy of Lime and the rest of Team Inkopolis altered greatly in the time since their arrival. Before the attack, they placed several fronts blockading the area where Octaria was supposed to in preparation for their attack. To start with, they gathered more hands at each front the deeper it went and armed them with all the necessary power. From the yakuza to the soldiers under the guidance of the Royale siblings, each front had everything imaginable for a defensive fight from cannons, shields, missiles and much more with each front led by capable members within the ranks. Unfortunately, the attack by Octaria proved to pack more punch than they anticipated and at the moment their defensive battle became a damage control situation as the buildings mean to serve as coverage and leverage worked against them. They had no answer for the powerful machines that appeared in the march. Even though the blueprints they obtained from Cap'n Cuttlefish of what some of the old weaponry they used ages ago, everything looked so different; as expected of a high tech society.
In response to this surprising power up of the menacing octarians, Lime decided to devise new plan that might require major shifts in their formation on the inner map. While the outer squads works to stall them, the inner squads need the crunch time to rearrange their formation in preparation of her orders. Cars and trucks were placed in rows to replace the troopers on the front lines, and those that were there took to higher ground on the rooftops and rigged the ground with mines. On the rooftops, rocket launchers and other forms of artillery with enough punch are rounded while all the heavy hitting artillery stayed down below some great distance from the blockades. There are 6 total blockades set up that the octarians would have to plow through before reaching the one guarded by Verde Royale and his squad, who stood as the first obstacle on their way to a siege. With him just before the heart, Lime stood as the last line of defense with her squad set up in the capital in front of the parliament building that served as the symbol of their power. If they destroyed or occupied the building, it was a message to the world that even the strongest nation on the continent could be vulnerable.
"Based on the previous information given, it looks like our expectations of a concentrated singular attack is likely. The enemy is marching in a linear formation with the intentions of acting like a spearhead and penetrating their defensive fronts rather than dispersing and risk losing soldiers." A flawed attack that left their flanks exposed, Lime calculated that the reason they took such a bold strategy had to be because they placed a great emphasis on the machinery they had armed that protected the inside of the formation that acted as both a sword and shield in deflecting and absorbing attacks while also dishing out devastating power.
"Do you suggest an adjustment?" Verde asked on the communicator, the indistinct chatter in the background growing louder-the panic from uncertainty riling up the younger soldiers who were still frightened of what would come.
"It's in your hands, Head General. We'll follow your commands no matter what!" Akane adds with a beat of enthusiasm in her tone, doing her best to maintain her image.
Lime breathes in and exhales nasally closing her eyes, "We'll do a pincer attack. Firstly, we can't allow them to reach beyond the sixth front. If they do, we risk being pinned and the last thing needed is getting trapped by the enemy with no offensive power."
"Ah, we get the jump on them. The best defense is offense." Joseph comments with an approving nod on his end, the support of the other Galloway members and squadron apparent from their overwhelming agreement in the background.
"How will we carry out this pincer attack?" Verde asked, his tone emotionless but his intentions clear that he wanted to be on the same page with his sister, as they were a team after all; she's silent for a moment, her distant gaze telling from the perspective of her subordinates that she was under a ton of stress-even her usual warm, maternal smile nowhere to be seen.
A deep sigh given, she lowers her hand and takes a long look at the building: this is the place she and many others are risking their lives to protect. A look ahead to the chaos that lies ahead, she can only hope that best outcome arrives at that there can be no more bloodshed than there already is. "If we distract them, they'll spread themselves thin. Someone has to be in control of this attack, and so far they haven't showed themselves as of yet. Chances are they'll do so now that they're making headway. Verde, Akane, Joseph...we'll turn our defense into offense and bring the fight to them." she declared with conviction, ordering Akane and Joseph to take a considerable amount with their squads and lead with attacks on the flank from the east and west. Not only did they have plenty of ammo and men at their disposal, but they could concentrate their efforts at creating a dent in the impenetrable armor of the octarians. Verde was to remain in his position in the meanwhile and await the signal from the others for success, as he would be pivotal in smacking the octarians in the face if all worked in their favor. She believed that with their efforts, they could at least disrupt the chemistry of the enemy if they concentrated on a specific area rather than attempt to cover a wide range-she also found it unnecessary to make a meaningful attack on them from the front unless they could weaken them enough-that sector was too powerful for them to combat with their inferior numbers. After seeing what they were capable of, she knew that Octaria indeed have the overwhelming advantage of the troops and tech on their side, while she had the advantage of the landscape on her side. In the best way imaginable, she'll show them why she's the Head General of the strongest army in the world. The pair of captains work expeditiously to follow her commands and mobilize their troops, spreading wide to the east and west and drive some meaningful hits to the flank.
Around that time, the leaders of the first wave finally arrive on the surface. A surreal moment for the trio, they're exposed to the beauty of Inkopolis albeit at a terrible time. Even through the poisoning smell of ash and rot, the air was clean and refreshing to take in with the warmth of the natural light from the sun. Cast above the flames of the nearby buildings, the natural breeze attempts to carry the flames away but only flows through their fingertips as they hold their hands out, enjoying the pleasure they'd been missing all this time. This could get addicting, they thought in unison basking in the glory that awaits them. To think that for countless years this was the luxury the inklings enjoyed while their people suffered, an array of emotions rushed at once, the only thing that they all shared in agreement was that it was time to take what belonged to the inklings, specifically, Inkopolis. Placed at different locations within the march, three powerful members of Queen Octavio's Royal Guardsmen grace the surface in their debut: Wild Cards "Blanco" Le Blanc, "Root" Reuter, and Indy, all led by the Elite Guard Leone. The attempts to slow down the march of the octarians prove futile as they break through each blockade with exceeding pace like a battering ram. The efforts of the defensive units firing from above and below with their weapons prove futile as the octarians not only tanked the damage, but mowed them down; the hundred of rocket launchers and other heavy duty damage dealers prove to be useless against the octo steel. As the march continues, the scouting gnats return with plenty of information for their leaders, who each cover a region of the march with Leone in the center of this first wave of many. As she reviews the aerial data, she gives a devilish smirk at the developments unfolding...
"Abandonment of their defensive fronts? How cowardly..." Blanco scoffs on his communicator with Leone, also online with the rest of the leaders.
"Think they giving up?" Indy asks.
Leone shakes her head with a grateful smirk, "Far from it. More than likely their commander had a change in plans and decided to execute it immediately-though it's pretty sloppy to do so at the last second. From what I gathered, they wanted to set up as many layered defensive fronts as possible to slow us down, but after seeing our might. They had to regroup with their crucial pieces. I wondered what kind of person would be leading the mighty Inkopolis, but whoever they are, they're worth their salt to adapt so swiftly."
"In other words, they aren't done." Root groaned, annoyed that even after bulldozing through the first couple of fronts they hadn't given up.
She snaps her fingers, "Bingo."
"Then what? Continue what we're doing?"
"For now. Monitor the situation and act accordingly..."
Though she found it strange that Lime reacted so cautiously, she found it entertaining that there were some bright minds on the surface worth meeting. Crossing her arms waiting patiently for her encounter with the Head General of Inkopolis, grins from ear to ear at the surprise in store.
"A flank on both sides intending to wear us down from the sides. They must plan to have us put our guards up after getting exposed on the flank and weaken our attack at the front. If they dull our spearhead, that'll be enough. Is that what you think?" she chuckles.
Posted in front of the parliament building stood Lime, half an hour passing since she gave the new orders. At this time she was anxious to know how everyone was doing now that she went and took matters into her hands. "Status update!" she commands, listening closely for an answer from on of her subordinates on the front lines. Based on the data she received from them, Octaria outnumbered them 1000 to 1 and the that number was ever increasing the further they marched from the underground-it felt endless the way they were emerging. Unbelievable! She thought, disturbed at the odds she'll have to face. She trusted Cap'n Cuttlefish and rallied together this many troops, but even this wasn't enough. At a time where the appearance of the Agents would prove helpful with powerful help like her parents or her "aunties" being enough, she cursed herself at the fact that they were either on a different mission elsewhere or compromised with dealing with evacuation. For the first time, she's on her own and left in command unlike the previous times where she had great advisory from the others.
"We've made contact with one of their commanders!" one shouts, before their communication is interrupted by a wailing cry; based on the abrupt sound, Lime guessed the enemy spotted them and were probably advancing, which meant something was up with the attack. She contacts another and then another for continuous updates, eventually learning that although the octarian forces were still densely concentrated in one area like she expected, there was a hitch in her plan. "They know! They know! They're responding to our pincer attack!" the scout screamed in shock, alarming everyone nearby Lime. Lime herself was surprised by the response, but after being fed the information, her face turned pale.
Before they could deal the damage necessary to utilize Verde, the octarians already caught on to their attack and instead of getting pinned and forced to hide behind their armor, they instead pushed out to confront the flankers. Led by their commanders, they took a few machines and some thousand strong soldiers and went hunting. A mixed situation, Lime weighed the options: on one hand, it's helpful that they bit on the bait despite it being in a way she didn't intend but nonetheless they left their interior exposed. But on the other hand, this was terrible. If they caught on to her plan, then the aggressive counterattack they're mounting meant they planned to reverse the situation. Should Octaria overpower them, they'll still retain the spearhead power they have and instead of concentrating in a linear formation, they can capitalize and attack on three ends and pin her for siege. There's nowhere to run for Team Inkopolis and all that could be done now was bring the fight to the counter attackers and power through, for if they failed-Project Rebirth would mean nothing.
"They're approaching and fast! I've got eyes on them." Akane responds catching sight of Indy, turning to her men with a nod; their battle for survival in the west begins. "Fire!" she yells, unsheathing her katana and pointing in the direction of Indy's squad. Takui and Yuuya lead their collective forces to battle, armed with guns, spears, shields, swords and many more.
"Leave it to us. We'll send em running with their tail between their legs for trying to bite at our chops!" Joseph Galloway yelled, rallying his followers to defend the east. Ahead of them with his force approaching is Root and his squad.
Ahead of Lime of a few fronts ahead watching on with a calm but a fiery gaze is Verde, prepared for the mountainous battle awaiting him. He had the majority of their defensive force and stood at the helm of a massive attack waiting to be coordinated behind a wall of vehicles stacking quite high. His shoulders broaden as he takes a deep breath, furrowing his eyebrows exhaling and lowering his chin to show his sharp ember irises. Several fronts were being destroyed at this moment, and it was as though he could hear the enemy knocking on the door ready to bust it down. More than ever did he need nerves of steel, calming himself by remembering why he was fighting. The image of a toddler and baby together just before he last saw them, to finally watching them grow up to be two capable adolescents, Verde felt his chest tighten remembering Sky and Azule, and knowing that they're probably fighting at this moment too. His close subordinates who adored and feared him at the same time were worried that their commander might get a little too serious with the way he positioned himself standing before the very front line of the defense.
"Up ahead!" he calls raising his arm with a closed fist, signaling to them that at the drop of the fist to unleash their attack. In these critical moments, he'll be facing a war he's never experienced. He's the critical front that'll decide the fate of this battle, and against an enumerable force that feels endless, his honorable subordinates will fight by his side in this uphill climb. His nerves ready, he listens to the marching beat approaching with a chant. Someone from up highs identifies someone climbing the wall and alerts Verde, but he allows it, finding it strange that instead of ramming through their front like previously, they were taking this route; perhaps they were careful after taking some losses in the minefields?
"Amazing greeting, really." the octoling spoke with a chuckle reaching the top of the wall, looking down at Verde. "I can feel your intensity from the other side! You must be the Head General, right? My commander is in awe of your efforts. Heh, wait til she gets a glimpse of your face. You are quite the looker!"
"You carry the stench of death." Verde claims, ignoring everything the man said before.
Even though he already felt irritated by the sight of this man and wanted nothing more than to kill him, Verde had to be careful based on how calm the guy was. With his arm raised and fist closed, he ended up giving away the obvious signal to the octoling, who knew right away what he was up to and led on the belief that if Verde got too hasty, his squad would tear down this wall and war would break loose. But for Verde, he wondered if the antics of this man were an attempt to stall to bring the force up. Unfortunately, he couldn't rely on his lookers from above as they were compromised from the way the octoling smirked. He knew what they were planning, and with a sly grin he warned them to not get too hasty. Verde figured as much. He couldn't ask his shooters up above to spot him since that would probably result in their death the moment he saw the gun at the man's hip. He carried the aura of a sharp gunslinger, and with the way he carried himself at the moment, he must've felt he was in complete control.
A pearly white smile shows, "My name is Blanco, one of the Wild Cards."
"Wild...Cards?"
"Part of her majesty's strongest force. We're here to take what rightfully belongs to us."
"You're talking quite a lot for someone in battle. What's the deal?"
"It's not everyday I get to be here or in such a situation. I just want to enjoy, you know?"
Silence simmers between, the heat from the burning tension making it seem hotter than it already was in the broad daylight, it felt like moments before a quick draw at high noon. "So, is it usually like this?"
Verde furrows his brows, "Got jokes when people are dying on both sides?"
"What can I say? I'm a funny guy." he shrugs; "I can see from the expressions of your squad behind you that I must've struck a nerve?"
The questioning faces of the inklings behind Verde grew with concern as they could all tell what was about to happen next. It was one thing to do what Blanco was up to, but to make sport of war was the last thing to ever do in front of Verde. "My childhood was robbed from me by war, my family torn by it. I didn't get to live the same peaceful life as the children I risked my life to 'protect' at all costs. The blood that ran through my veins meant I was nothing more than just a product for war, meant to satisfy the greed of my superiors..." he calmly looks down at the gun at his hip that resembled the legendary hero shot his mother had, "Everyone pinned the legacy of another on me and placed lofty expectations on my sister and I. Torn away from my little siblings, I couldn't be there to protect them when they needed me the most, like a big brother should." his raised fist lowers, the emotionless expression on his face maintained, though there was spite in his tone now, "My parents and my older sister wrestled with that guilt of leaving my baby siblings behind. Every day they wondered what became of them and if they were okay. Their hands were tied, and they could never go back to them without reaping the consequences. When I first saw them again, I wanted to hold them for as long as possible and tell them how much I love them. I can't imagine the anguish they endured, nor do I ever want to think about it."
"What's the point of this? Supposed to be your little moment in the spotlight? You are aware we're in the middle of a battlefield right?"
"You spoke lightly of the situation and make it seem like war is just for fun, that the lives that are affected and lost have no significance. My family wasn't the only one affected. Many of my soldiers behind me have been affected in some way from losing a loved one on the battlefield or for not being there in a time of need for those that they love. That look on your face pisses me off!" he raises his chin with the light returning in his eyes; "I'll protect the place my dear little sister and brother call home. I'll see them again when this is all over, and I'll make sure to be the best damn big brother as possible!"
Stunned to silence, everyone had to process that statement in awe. Verde's people never saw him show such emotion, and to Blanco that tone he carried had a vicious grip to it. One that told that not only was he ready to fight a brutal battle, but he had no intentions of dying. An opportune moment, Verde swiftly draws his gun. A shot fires like a strike of lighting-bright and without warning-and punctures the wall, in turn tumbling the vehicles on the impending army that arrived and we prepared to attack. A move that unfortunately only grazed Blanco, Verde declared the start of war by drawing the first fire and providing an opportunity for everyone to take advantage and pile on the massive forces currently stalled by the rubble. The smoking barrel of Verde's gun catches Blanco's attention as he closes his mouth after being in disbelief of the power it carried. As the pair stare down one another, someone is staring down at their glass of alcohol on the rocks wearing a pained look with the TV on in the background. Alone in his private quarters far from the dangers of the capital city, he sat with guilt hearing the explosions that although indistinct at this range, could still be heard. After watching the Ravia conference, he didn't feel so good. His knees wobbled, sweating profusely falling like a waterfall, his face purple and blue since he knew that what followed after panic and confusion was anger, rage that would be directed at him as one of the culprits responsible for some of the issues that were addressed today, especially when the headers wrote down the highlights of the conference. On every news network, all that was shown was the overhead and ground view of the burning buildings, destroyed properties, cars flipped over, and unfortunately, bodies scattered on the streets. National networks provided coverage of the invasion occurring in Inkopolis as well, though they kept a distance for their own safety. The trails of smoke along with captured shots of explosions and the rumblings that scare even the reporter drive home the reality that the entire world witnessed: the mighty Inkopolis were under attack. He felt constrained watching this unfold, upset at how foolish he was to allow something of this magnitude to occur when he was snooping in the underworld. He knew he'd become an enemy to the general public, but before he's to be taken down, there must be at least one last deed he can do to save his country, to protect just as much as the mystery heroes who are there right now fighting the octarians.
Back in the capital, the war rages on in several key areas. To the west, Akane and her squad engage in battle with Indy. Indy's mechs are doing the greatest in protection and damage by absorbing fire and returning fire of their own to the gangsters who are dropping like flies with each attack, but in between in thunderous shot, Akane and her crew along with many others are doing well in taking down a hefty amount of octolings. To the east, explosions rain like fireworks on the battlegrounds. Thanks to the ammo supplied by the Galloway family, every member followed in Joseph Galloway's lead to prove their worth by standing their ground. The fight against Root's squad had only begun, but already there are casualties on both ends. As the rest of Team Inkopolis undergo Rapture, Lime awaits news on all fronts and at the moment, only able to record all events and process several routes to take depending on what could happen. Drawing out tactics to take in every scenario hastily while her subordinates feed her anything else she might've missed out on, she's interrupted by a vibration at her hip. Frustrated that now of all times she had to receive an incoming call, she learns the voice on the other line belonged to her one of her "Aunties" who was supposed to be helping the evacuees.
"How are things holding?" Marie asked plainly.
"We're engaged in several battles with the enemy. To the west is Akane and her squad fighting a counterattack, to the east is the Galloways, and Verde's fighting someone ahead of me. The leader of this attack is further behind with the main force, and I have to hold this defense down however long it takes. Unfortunately if we fail our attack here we'll be pinned." Lime answered swiftly, hoping to run her off the line.
"Looks like you're in trouble." Callie chimed in.
Lime grew irritable, 'Now isn't the time for this! Do you have a reason for buzzing in at such an inopportune time?"
"Hold the fort for a little while longer, we've got backup coming!" Pearl shouts, followed by Marina echoing with cheer.
"Reinforcements? How many?"
"Just an air team. We're gonna end it in one strike, but we'll need time to prepare." Marie answered.
"No one can resist the anthem that is the Calamari Inkantation!"
"Calamari Inkantation…? Are you kidding me? We're fighting a war! A WAR!"
Marina takes over, "If it changed me and Agent 8, then it'll do the same for Octaria. More than likely, the units you see fighting right now aside from their strongest soldiers are all probably being brainwashed by the queen. Besides, Pearlie and I have something up our sleeves too!."
"Leave it to us. Just hold on for a while longer until we can set up the killer wail." Pearl adds.
"But we're running out of time, and I don't think this attack will work if those Royal Guards are there. They likely have iron grip rule on the soldiers." Lime shouts, unsure if to follow such a plan.
Callie hisses, "Then come up with something to weaken them. By the time we're ready, we need them taken down or else we can't launch the attack."
Lime groans, "Is this what my mom had to deal with when she was younger? That's cutting it way too close!"
Marie sighs with an exasperated tone, "Your mother's cut from a different cloth. Be thankful you aren't her." Cutting off their connection abruptly, the senior agents' request from her was a reassurance to her that regardless of the circumstances she must endure, the expectations placed on her weren't without reason. Lime closes her eyes and lifts her head to face the sky, taking a deep breath to keep her composure.