Location: A Monarch Helicopter
The inside of the monarch's fuselage was as quiet as it could be with the two roaring engines going at full speed on either side of it. The twenty two passengers were newly awoken, they had to get up, snarf down whatever meal was provided to them, head to the armory, get dressed, check their weapons, and then board the monarch in the span of less than half an hour. The debriefing of what they had to do was done on the ride there, with half of them thinking that it was just some elaborate prank. However the pilot had voiced over the intercoms that it in fact, was not a prank, and sentient bugs were in fact attacking an expedition to some research facility in the Appalachian mountains. The pilot was one of those first to wake, all the pilots were. It was deemed a bad idea in an emergency, to use a pilot that just got up from stasis to pilot an expensive piece of equipment that usually carried multiple people with it.
Currently one of the regulars was looking out one of the fuselage doors, watching as the landscape zip past right before her eyes. Beyond just sightseeing, she was also seeing if she could spot any of those bug kingdoms on the way there. Just looking to see if there were any structures she could spot that didn't look pre war. The camera at the top of her helmet was zoomed as far as it could, and footage showed up on a heads up display in a corner of her visor. So far there was nothing she could see, only open land and a few clusters of decrepit pre war buildings here and there. Either bug kingdoms were very few and far between, or they built most of their civilization underground. Which, based on reports she read after getting on the monarch, seemed like a likely explanation.
Lara wondered if there were any bugs observing them right now in fact. They were low to the ground enough for one of them to see it probably. Or if not, to hear the roaring engines as the monarch flew by.
Lara didn't worry however, if a bug did see the monarch, sure they would maybe be mesmerized, or fearful of it, but, what else? Who would they tell? Who would believe them? How would they even use the information? They wouldn't know what a monarch helicopter was, and they were already over a hundred miles away from the bunker by now. Them being seen wasn't compromising anything.
The others were in their seats, leaning back or checking their guns. They were all divided into one of five fire teams, minus the medic and the sniper. The fire teams were the standard one rifleman, one grenadier, one automatic rifleman, and one fireteam leader. The current plan was to rendezvous with the other monarch, take off with it, and attempt to make contact with the rest of the expeditionary force. The sniper would try and gain a vantage point and provide overwatch and forward observation.
Lara continued watching the landscape zip past her eyes, orders and scenarios running through her head. Lara herself was a fireteam leader, as a corporal in the US army… or what was left of it, combat and leading a fireteam really wasn't new to her. Fighting against sentient bugs on the other hand was a new and unpredictable variable. To say she was afraid or anxious would be incorrect, she doubted the bugs could throw anything at her that wouldn't pale in comparison to what she fought against in China. No, what she felt was a grim curiosity. Lara wondered what it would be like to kill them. Thoughts on that would range from if it would be like taking the life of a person, or would it just be like squashing a bug? to what would their insides look like?
Her attention would shift between her thoughts and looking out for any structures that the bugs may have made. Like how it was since the trip started, there was nothing. So her attention would be more focused on that of her thoughts. That was until she heard a tune coming from the fuselage.
She snapped her head towards where the sound was coming from within the monarch. She had almost processed what the song was before the lyrics came in, and gave all the confirmation she needed.
"Some folks are born, made to wave the flag!"
A giggle rang out through the fuselage at the sound of what was practically THE helicopter song. Lara herself didn't stop herself from letting loose a giggle or two.
The music was coming from one of the regulars' who apparently brought a small radio with their music playlist loaded up on it. The LMG at the regular's side gave him away as an automatic rifleman. Not of her squad though, her automatic rifleman was a few seats away from where this regular sat.
"Man that fucking song is ancient" One of the regulars, a rifleman said. "Had to be well over a hundred before the bombs dropped".
"Yea, but this old legend never dies" The automatic rifleman said in a laid back voice.
There was a murmur of agreement that was drowned out by the sound of the radio with a man shouting about how he wasn't the son of a senator. It went on to lament about not being a fortunate son.
"Yo, when the fuck was this made again?" one of the regulars asked.
"Uhh…. I think all the way back to the Vietnam War" Lara said.
"There is no way that it was made during Crimson Dynamo-" one of the regulars started, this one being a grenadier, also not of Lara's squad.
"The Vietnam War that started during the nineteen sixties, not Operation Crimson Dynamo, ya nunce" Said jokingly by a regular, whom Lara guessed was the sniper judging by the M81 Rail Sniper Rifle at his side.
The grenadier tilted her head towards the sniper, with her helmet hiding whatever facial expression she may have been giving him.
"Pfft, know it all" The grenadier jabbed.
The sniper chuckled at that "Tell ya what, after this you and I get a drink, one know it all to a nunce"
It was the grenadiers' turn to chuckle now, "Heh, well aren't you a charmer"
"Ah nah, my balls are too inert to be horny, just a friendly drink, you and I" The sniper said.
The grenadier laughed out loud, "Welp, can't say no to that now can I?"
There was a moment of silence as Fortunate Sons ended, and all that was left was the roaring of the engines. It lasted until another conversation decided to pop up.
"So… magic bugs, kind of hard to believe right?" Another regular said, this one being a rifleman that was in fact in Lara's fireteam.
"I won't believe it fully until a few days after I put a few in the ground" A fireteam leader stated. "Until then, I do not think it to be mentally possible for me to fully believe in their existence"
There was a small murmur of agreement from many in the monarch. While they accepted their orders, and trusted the pilot that there wasn't a prank, it was just one of those things where no amount of second hand information could fully convince you. You had to see this shit for yourself before you could even begin to accept the reality of it.
"Well, if any of you get injured to the point I need to patch you up cause you block head couldn't believe what you were seeing" Everyone in the fuselage turned towards the medic who now decided to speak up. "I will personally beat your ass after I'm done stitching it up"
A round of laughing rang throughout the monarch as it flew over what remained of the country they all swore to defend.
Location: Stag Tunnels
"Sonuva" Chris exclaimed as he hit his head yet again on the low ceilings of the stag tunnels. Scout Team Beta had to crouch down in order to fit in the 'stag tunnels' as they called them. Apparently they were the fastest way around Hallownest according to Hegemol. Seer was following close behind the three scouts, her crystals luminosity added to the flashlights the scouts had attached to their suits' chest area.
Hegemol was nice enough to order that the section of the stag station they were currently traversing be cleared until they were out on the other side. The Scout Team and Seer were currently following David, who was provided a map of the tunnels, and whom the Scout Team trusted not to get them lost when the pathway split.
"What do you think your kingdom will plan to do when you return?" Seer asked, breaking the monotonous silence. The Scout Team was silent for a while, for a good long while. Seer was beginning to think they hadn't heard her, so she tried asking again a little louder.
"What do you think-" Seer was cut off by the three scouts.
"We heard you the first time" "heard ya the first time" "I know what you said" Came the three scouts. Then there was silence for a little while longer, until Matthew decided to speak.
"Honestly Seer, I have no idea, nothing like this has ever really… happened before"
"Oh…" Seer said quietly.
David sighed "Look, we know that they are at least going to make diplomatic gestures, for whatever that's worth, and if it makes you feel any better, I don't think Hallownest has anything worth killing for"
"What makes you so sure of that?" Seer asked, not totally convinced. Hallownest was home to many wonders that she was certain other kingdom's would do worse than resort to violence in order to attain them.
"Well, to put it bluntly, technologically at least, Hallownest is beyond backwards compared to us…" David halted for a moment, they had just come upon a place where the tunnel splits into two paths. David looked at the map for verification.
"We take a right here," David said, and the group continued it's march.
"What did you mean by that friend?" Seer asked.
"Right, what I mean is that I do not believe anyone in the bunker is willing to shed blood over what is essentially a piece of land so underdeveloped as Hallownest. Especially when there is a lot of open land in between that we can get our hands on. Hallownest just wouldn't be worth it." David explained.
Seer chuckled, "In all my years friend, I did not expect to meet anyone who would call the self proclaimed Eternal Kingdom of Hallownest underdeveloped, I am sure that many in the tribe would enjoy knowing this."
Chris chuckled, "Is that actually the full name of the country? If so, damn, their hubris, but then… there is whatever that is"
Seer chuckled a bit herself, "No no, not even the Pale King is so openly egotistical, or perhaps the White Lady talked him out of it, she was a counterbalance to much of the King's behaviours. While the Moth tribe has still does not absolve her for her, she at least tried to be more to encourage compassion in ruling"
"May I ask how so?" Matthew asked.
"Ah yes, while she is largely responsible for the Moth Tribe's current position, she at least tried to fit us into Hallownest. She even went as far as trying to protect us when a ravenous infection hit Hallownest, to which many of the inhabitants, even the King himself blamed us for. When she left… well, things got remarkably worse for my tribe… not… not many surviv-'' Seer's breath hitched suddenly, Tears were streaming down her 'cheeks'.
` "Hey, Seer, you can stop now, we get the idea" Chris said, worry in his voice. "I understand if this is too hard for you to talk about, alright"
Seer sniffled a bit "Thank you friend, it's been hard for so long"
"Well, if there is any consolation, I don't think anyone is going to try and attack your tribe anymore, now that we have shown we are partial to it" David offered.
Seer nodded her head quietly at that.
"I mean look at us, we're big! We got these death tubes as you guys apparently call them that not one of you guys know how it works, we look like eldritch abominations that just came out of nowhere"
Seer chuckled "Oh hush friends, you aren't abominations"
"Look at me, i'm a human, I'm gonna eat your soul if you look at the Moth Tribe funny RAWR!"
"Oh stop it" Seer said, laughing slightly, her crystal also appeared to be pulsating a bit.
As the group continued down the tunnels, the Radiance herself appeared to have retained a sense of humor, as she laughed and laughed at Chris's jape. Her sense of humor also apparently has reduced in quality as time has passed.