Unmei Force Shattered Heroes: Dark Day Tactics
Chapter 4: The Battle for the Shelter
Brenner, Lin and Reisen were already preparing for the push through the Seratta Range, as the plans were about to be drafted, before the mayor burst into the room, looking fairly outraged.
"Brenner! I need to talk to you!" The mayor demanded, as Lin and Reisen turned to him with glares. "Is it true that the girl traveling with you is sick?"
"Who told you that Isabella was the one who got infected?" Reisen questioned, although the mayor refused to answer. "I see… so that's how you want to play it."
"Yes, it's true. It's nothing you need to worry about, though. The virus only affects people under a certain age. No one in your group is in danger." Brenner explained with a nod, keeping calm.
"That's not the point! Sickness and disease make people nervous, and nervous people panic!" The mayor argued back. "We can't have that! You've got to get rid of her. We can't afford the risk."
"Denied." Reisen spat back. "Ignoring your excuse to cut down the number of people, and abandon a young child with nowhere to go, she is quarantined safely without any risk of contamination to other people. The people may know about the Creeper, but your blathering is an action of self-fulfillment on your excuse. If you want to avoid panic and disorder, I suggest you keep that knowledge to yourself."
"Major Inaba is right. . We're in this together. All of us. Is that clear?" Brenner responded back.
"No, it's not! Would you put us all in danger to protect one girl? We don't know who she is or where she came from! She has to go, Brenner!" The mayor continued to shout, before pointing a finger at Reisen. "Are you really going to let some foreign mayor decide our very fates?"
"You really can't hold back your disrespect, can you, mayor?" Reisen growled, crossing her arms. "Fine then, here's a better justification that you will take, unless you want more trouble on your head. Isabella is a war asset. Despite her unknown origins and identity, the knowledge she holds has bore fruit several times over. She has handed over knowledge of this very shelter to us, and she also has managed to save us by giving us intel on an enemy super-weapon, and the countermeasure to destroy it. She has more value than any soldier in this army just by being knowledgeable, and most lives are indebted to her knowledge, yours included. So tell me, mayor, compared to that, what do you provide to us? Condescending words? Discord? My, we should all be grateful for your 'gifts' to our establishment."
"You… You…!" The mayor sputtered, as his face turned red with anger.
"Major, that's too far." Brenner told Reisen with a firm tone, before turning to the mayor. "Listen carefully, because I'm going to say this once. No one gets left behind. Not you, or your people, not Will and not Isabella. If you have a problem with that, you're free to leave whenever you want."
"You...you fool! You're too soft, Brenner! If this goes wrong, it's on your head! I'll hold you personally responsible!" The mayor cursed.
Reisen then rushed over, before seizing the mayor by the lapels of his shirt, slamming the mayor against the wall, as the mayor was staring right into Reisen's eyes, which were glowering with anger.
"Listen carefully, you poor excuse of a mayor." Reisen spoke with a very cold tone. "Unless you want another physical reminder of why you should learn some respect, you should curb that insolent tongue of yours right now. Being too soft doesn't mean letting a sickly Isabella stay here. It's the fact that we're letting treacherous snakes like you into our ranks. I will make this clear myself: If you attempt to break quarantine, or do anything that would jeopardize the safety of the people here, it will be me who will hold you responsible. And unlike your empty threats, I do not have any qualms of simply exiling you from this community, and letting a more reasonable man take the place as your substitute. So if you want to stay in a position of authority where you have some sway, I suggest you drop this issue right here and then. Am I clear, or do you want to pretend that you don't understand the words I say?"
The mayor could only nod fearfully, before Reisen let him go, and turned her back from him, as the mayor stumbled out of the room.
"...Captain Brenner. My patience runs thin with this mayor." Reisen told Brenner. "I do not fault you for your benevolence, but there are limits to how much I'm willing to allow among our army. The more discord that this man creates among the civilian community, the more trouble we will be set for in the future. He must be leashed, lest the worst comes. I will be taking my leave now… I believe my presence here is unneeded."
Reisen then left, as Brenner and Lin were left alone in the room.
"Captain, the Major has a strong point for her argument. We need to find a way to undermine the mayor's hold over the civilians." Lin told Brenner. "I'm not asking we increase our authority over them, giving that man an excuse to oppress us, but we cannot simply stand by and let him taint the people's opinion of us."
"...No, we cannot simply do that." Brenner answered back. "I'm sure that the people will understand what we are doing. I have already made a promise to Will to do the best I can. And I can't simply turn from it, no matter how harsh the path is for us."
Meanwhile, at the same time, Weiss and Will met with Dr Morris, who was standing by the medical lab where Isabella was quarantined.
"How's Isabella doing, Dr Morris?' Will asked.
"You're going to worry no matter what I tell you, so here's the truth. It's not good, Will. She needs medicine, and she needs it now." Morris answered back without any jolliness in his voice.
"Can I see her?" Will asked.
"Absolutely not! We've had this conversation before. This virus is most dangerous to people of your age. I won't allow you to see her." Dr Morris exclaimed.
"Then is it possible, if I can relay Will's worries to her myself?" Weiss answered back.
"It would be risky. You might accidentally carry the Creeper and end up passing it to Will." Morris responded back. "If we have some proper hazard gear, it would be possible, but for now. Until we reach the shelter, no-one is allowed to see her, save for your friend Reisen, and other medical personnel who can properly care for her."
"I don't care! What would it matter anyway? If I don't see her now, I may never get the chance to apologize. So please…" Will begged.
"Your apology can wait, boy. I'm more concerned with her well- being, and you should be too." Morris answered back with a shake of his head.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Will asked back.
"I don't wish to betray doctor-patient confidentiality, but I have spoken to her. What's troubling her most is the fear that she's become a burden to us. She thinks it would be better if she'd died before you found her." Morris stated.
"That's… That's not true! Despite everything, Reisen is doing her best to find a way to cure her, and so are all of you!" Weiss answered back.
"It may be so. However, she hasn't given up hope. She never even complains about the pain. The other Creeper patients I've treated have all begged me to...end their suffering. But Isabella has chosen to live. And do you know why? It's because she owes that life to you." Morris said, turning to Will. "She begs Reisen to tell you that she is still holding on, and that she wants to go back to how it was before."
Will was silent, as Weiss was fairly relieved to hear that Isabella was fighting for her life, despite the terrible situation.
"She believes that if she refuses to give up, we'll find a way to cure her. Her first memory is of you telling her she was going to be alright." Morris stated. "She believes everything you told her about having hope. I suggest you believe it too."
"You...you're right. I'm sorry, Dr. Morris. Thank you." Will thanked Morris.
"No need to apologize. I can't allow you to see her, but... Oh ho! Yes, you could try speaking to her through the door." Morris suggested.
"Really? That would be OK?" Will exclaimed.
"Certainly. Just for a little while, though." Morris agreed.
"I suppose that I shouldn't intrude on the conversation between you two then. Make sure that Isabella knows that everyone is counting on her survival, because she is a fairly rare person to get to know." Weiss told Will.
"I will." Will answered back, as Weiss left the group, heading towards the building, as she bumped into an irate Reisen.
"...Weiss." Reisen simply stated, which spoke volumes about her current mood to Weiss.
"...Is it that mayor again?" Weiss asked simply, to which Reisen silently nodded. "...That wretch drives people mad. Who knows what he will try next. The fact that he's trying to get Isabella thrown out. She'll perish without any hope given by Will or the others. Even the people of New Wolfington object to this horrific notion."
"Then I am glad that not all of the civilian population are biased against us." Reisen answered back with a lighter tone. "But that still doesn't make me feel much better though. I feel that we might have more danger ahead of us."
The two of them then headed back to the briefing room, as they plotted for their path forward.
"This route leads directly to the foothills of the Seratta mountain range." Lin stated. "However, recon reports those raiders are back and blocking the way."
"...Set up an ambush, have they? Seems they really are hell-bent on revenge. We're going to have to finish this once and for all." Brenner remarked. "All units, advance!"
The forces of Brenner's Wolves began to move towards the battlefield, as Reisen and Weiss began to assess the situation.
"...Funny, they recuperated quite quickly." Weiss remarked, examining the enemy composition that was scouted out by the allied scouts, drawing the attention of all in the room. "They seem to have no difference in terms of firepower compared to the last engagement that occurred only several days ago…"
"Are you implying something, Lieutenant Colonel?" Brenner asked back.
"We are." Reisen nodded in agreement. "It's practically impossible for them to bounce back so quickly from such a crushing defeat. Not only that, but they managed to procure a war-tank for their own use, something that only Isabella knows, and one other force uses. Can you see where this line of logic runs, Lieutenant Lin?"
"...I see, that clarified a major aspect. So the raiders didn't recover on their own… the force that was responsible for the destruction of the automated crop factory… are also supplying the raiders. That's twice they've hindered us… It's as if they know what we intend to do…" Lin remarked.
"...This news is fairly grim to hear. But we cannot afford to lose hope now." Brenner responded back. "...We have bombers, and that should be able to counter the war-tank. All we need to do is to knock out the enemy's anti-air capability."
"Of course, I've noted the enemy missiles and anti-airs here and there." Weiss responded back, gesturing at certain parts of the war map. "We'll make use of the airport that we have wrested inside the region, in order to create some copters that can handle the enemy forces. Not to mention that the pilots we rescued earlier are willing to assist in air-to-air combat."
"That is a good point." Lin nodded. "Let us carry this plan forward then."
The copters for Weiss's forces were created, as they immediately moved towards the enemy formation, as they noticed that the raiders were looking up towards them.
"This is Blackwing 3 to Blackwing Leader, we found the enemy missiles and anti-air." One of the copter pilots told the squad leader. "Permission to blow the enemy targets?"
"Permission granted, initiate evasive maneuvers, the enemy aren't going to sit there and take it." The squad leader remarked, as the copters moved in.
As they moved forward, they fired their vulcans on the ground, strafing the enemy units, as it managed to take out a good part of their infantry units, before they moved into range of the enemy anti-airs and missiles.
"Good lock. Firing away!" A copter pilot stated, as he fired the unguided rockets into the enemy units, while during a quick U-turn to get out of the enemy firing range, as the rockets landed right into several vehicles, blowing them up.
The rest of the copters followed suit, as they began to head towards one of the allied rigs, which seemed to be a large transport vehicle, that was loaded with supplies that could create a temporary supplying point for the aerial vehicles.
"Much thanks, we're going to take another run to get rid of the enemy armor." The squad leader greeted the rig operator.
"No worries. We got your backs covered, the men are ready to resupply you and your squad." The operator answered back. "For now, let the other boys handle the fight."
The allied fighters then zoomed into the fray, as they deftly evaded the enemy gun-fire, as they mercilessly tore the enemy battle-copters apart.
"Woo, now that's a real score on my board!" One of the fighter pilots remarked. "See that, Waylon, that's how proper leadership works! We're going to be war heroes when we come back from this!"
The aerial units remained on standby away from the enemy forces, constantly firing at the enemy forces to keep them busy, while the officers were deliberating.
"For a leader who kept the raiders up for so long, the Beast is a fool, if he thinks that he can fight us off like this. He doesn't have any capable anti-air units, because we destroyed them." Weiss scoffed at the situation. "This fight is as good as won, the only matter is how long it takes, and how many casualties we will have to take to deal with this farce."
"Still, that worries me… Who knows what he might pull while we're getting the civilians to the shelter." Brenner remarked.
"Sir, there's an unknown signal hailing us!" One of the comms officers informed the officers.
"...Put it through." Lin remarked, as the comms officer complied, just as Will entered the room.
"Will? What are you doing here?" Reisen asked Will.
"I want to know how far we are with this… Isabella is getting seriously sick right now-" Will said, before they were interrupted by the Beast's voice.
"'Bout time you showed your ugly mugs!" The Beast mocked the officers.
"...Of course." Reisen remarked dryly. "The king of the flies greets us himself."
"Why are you doing this? Get out of our way! We have to save Isabella!" Will shouted through the comms.
"Isa-whatta? You think I care what you're doing? I want BLOOD!" The Beast growled back.
"You may have tanks and guns and men at your command, but... You're not a soldier! You're nothing but a murderer!" Will condemned the Beast with a expression of anger.
"Gwar har har har! Murderer? ME? And you're a snot-nosed punk!" The Beast howled with cruel laughter. "War IS murder! You hear me?! Soldiers are trained to KILL! That's battlefield learnin', punk! Your textbooks teach you that? HUH?! You wanna learn 'bout war? Fine by me! The Beast'll teach you good!"
Will was left silent, before Weiss eased him away, as Reisen took the comms.
"No you won't, because you aren't fit to teach the boy about war." Reisen coldly declared. "If this is what you're capable of, then your knowledge of war is pathetic like your entire existence."
"Huh? Who's this upstart skank?" The Beast remarked.
"The hunter who has come to put the beast down." Reisen responded back. "Your days are numbered, Beast. I suggest you enjoy your rampancy for as long as you can, because there is no escaping me when I'm hunting you down."
"Gwar har har har! Do you hear that, boys? This whore thinks that she can kill us." The Beast guffawed. "Tell you what, how about you come to me. I promise that I'll give you what you really need in your puny life, a real man to ravage you!"
"...It seems that you are as crass as your name suggests." Reisen interrupted, her temper growing even stronger, and her tone becoming more frigid. "However, you seem to be mistaken. Look at your ambush, and tell me how you think you're faring against me."
There was silence, as Reisen interpreted it as the Beast looking at the situation before him, with the sound of distant explosions being a tell-tale sign that the Beast was personally leading the forces himself.
"At this time, I imagine that the battle-copters, bombers and dusters are making such short work of your rabble." Reisen stated, as a hint of sadistic malice slipped through her voice. "You're a sad pathetic creature. I've heard your story from a fellow comrade of yours. Once a sergeant with a penchant to commit war crimes, turned into nothing but a stray who only knows how to kill and pillage. You think that you will reign long, because you think you have what it takes to kill and pillage. However, you are the most pathetic leader I have seen. The only reason you earned your victories is because you assault the harmless. You're not the king of the jungle, not even a savage beast worth fearing. You're just a hyena who tries to raid and pillage the homes of the strong and weak alike. You bite at every hand that feeds you, and tear chunks with your fangs. When this ends, your name will be nothing but dust. There will be no legacy for you, only a faint mention that your terror only lasted so long, before it was snuffed out. You're not the Beast here, Sergeant… I am, and I will make sure you'll learn that in your dying moments."
"GYYYAAAR! You mouthy slut! You're dead! ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD!" The Beast screamed, losing it. "The Beast will destroy… Destroy… I'm...coming for...you... NO! My head...urgh…"
"...It seems that your delusions are finally cracking around you." Reisen let out a faint smirk of malice. "Sleep with an eye open, Beast… your bullet will come for you when you least expect it."
Reisen then closed the connection, before opening one to the allied forces. "Report to me: What is the current status of the battle." She ordered, her stoic tone returning.
"We're already done. The majority of them are wiped out, and we're free to spend the time to get our forces through." One of the squad leaders remarked. "It was a near-flawless battle, only some of us got critically wounded from the battle… this is far better than the previous battles for sure."
"We're going to head to the shelter." Brenner remarked. "Get the escort units ready."
The officers then departed from the base camp, with Will and Dr Morris, as they went through the mountain range, not encountering any raider forces, due to their annihilation earlier, as the group came up before a large elevator door, which had a verification device on one of the walls.
"This is it, these are the coordinates Isabella gave us." Lin stated.
"Oh ho! There really is a shelter here! What did I tell you, folks? That girl hasn't got a lying bone in her body. Knew it right from the start!" Dr Morris stated.
"All we need now is a way to open the security doors. Ideas, anyone?" Lin turned to the group, as Weiss walked up to the device, pressing on it.
"Welcome to Fortress. Enter Access Code." A mechanical female voice was heard.
"The access code is of standard military issue, but I don't have the proper security clearance. Captain, do you think your clearance is high enough?" Lin remarked, hearing the voice.
"I doubt it, but we've got to try. I'm only a captain, but here goes…" Brenner answered back, before clearing his voice and facing the device. "Code number 0848124390."
"Identification error. Access denied. You have one chance remaining to enter a valid code." The system responded back.
"Damn... Guess the politicos never planned on letting grunts into their private club." Brenner growled. "Looks like I should have taken those promotions when I had the chance."
"More importantly, Captain, we only have one chance remaining. I think we're done." Lin answered back.
"No! Don't say that! We've come so far... There must be something we can do." Will shouted with desperation. "We have to get inside. We have to! Otherwise, Isabella will...she'll…"
"It's not just Isabella." Reisen answered back. "We need that shelter, or else we won't be able to find a haven where the survivors can be in peace. I doubt that they will survive long out there. We cannot protect every single one of them, no matter what method we try, without this shelter."
"We need someone with the right clearance, but…" Morris remarked, before turning to Weiss. "Ah, perhaps you two could-"
"Out of the question. Remember, Doctor, this is based on Rubinelle access." Weiss answered back. "I doubt that any code we have could deal with that. And before you ask, I have a feeling that trying to hack this terminal will likely back-fire on us, very badly even."
"I don't see any generals or high-ranking government officials in the area, Doctor." Lin remarked. "Did you happen to see the president's corpse on the way here? Perhaps he's carrying the code."
"That's morbid, Lieutenant. And decidedly unhelpful. Truth be told, we don't have time to go looking for the code. It's not sophisticated, but how about starting at 0000000000 and working our way up?" Morris stated.
"Not a choice. We cannot… Wait, did you say that the codes use ten digits?" Reisen remarked, before realizing something.
"What is it, Major?" Brenner asked back.
"I do believe that there was a code I managed to find that fits the ten-digit requirement. It might not be exactly what is needed… But I have a feeling that it could work." Reisen answered back.
"Well...what have we got to lose? Go ahead." Brenner encouraged Reisen.
"Very well." Reisen answered back, before facing the terminal. "Access Code: 9693872914."
"Identification accepted. Security locks disengaging." The system responded back, as the large door began to shudder open, revealing the shelter inside.
"What in the world…!?" Dr Morris exclaimed.
"...It worked… It really worked!" Will remarked with relief and glee.
"...I don't know what to say." Lin stated. "Did you manage to find a code from an official with a high enough rank to do that?"
"That's not it." Reisen shook her head. "Will and I both heard those numbers, when she was first struck by the Creeper virus. I had a feeling that these numbers had some importance, so I memorized them. It seems that her knowledge once again gave us hope. She has given us the location of the shelter, and she has given us the key to it."
"So once again, it's Isabella to the rescue. I feel like we've got our own guardian angel. Do you think she really is the daughter of some high-ranking official?" Brenner remarked.
"That's the one explanation I would be comfortable with." Lin nodded, before turning to Reisen. "But… you don't see it that way."
"I'm starting to see a connection between Isabella and some things that she has been talking about lately. IDS, war tanks, shelters… Something tells me that she is supposed to be someone important for something, but her memories, not her knowledge, got wiped clean." Reisen stated her opinion. "I will have to closely examine her, and try to get some information out of her. I won't be forceful, but perhaps triggering her with some words and situations could help clear the situation a bit more."
"Well, putting that dreary statement aside…" Dr Morris stated. "In any case, we're in! And that's something to celebrate, my friends! Oh ho ho ho!"
The group entered the shelter, as they began to look around the entire room for a moment, seeing that it was empty, although it could soon be filled with the various vehicles and supplies of the army and the survivors.
"Now that we're in, we should be able to find the machinery and medicine we need." Dr Morris stated.
"I'll go back down and get Isabella." Will stated, before he was stopped by Dr Morris.
"No, you won't. You're not allowed to have any contact with the patient, remember? I'll take care of Isabella. It'll give me the chance to tell the mayor that we're inside." Dr Morris stated.
"Take some of the men with you. There's no sign of hostiles, but we can't let our guard down." Brenner stated.
"I agree. Sergeant Major Ydine, Sergeant Major Shimada." Weiss told both of the co-officers. "Take some of the infantry and recon, and ensure that the rear-guard containing the non-combat personnel is taken care of."
"Understood." Keiji nodded back, as they left with Dr Morris.
"That leaves us in charge of reconnoitering the shelter. Will, you're with me." Lin stated.
"Weiss and I will scout the other wing with Brenner." Reisen stated in response. "Take care of yourself, Will, don't let that beast's words get to you. He doesn't matter in the end."
"Yes, madam!" Will shouted back.
It took some time for the group to scout out the shelter, taking a large amount of hours to even check every single room and facility present with the shelter, before they regrouped back near the entrance.
"There are ten levels to the shelter. They're all clear." Lin stated.
"How about the medical facilities?" Brenner asked back.
"The medical bay's in D Block, Sector 1, sir!" Will reported back.
"It's filled with antiviral medicines and the latest medical equipment. The government spared no expense in its preparations to safeguard the political elite." Lin answered back.
"That's good. With this, not only can we cure Isabella, but we can also properly safeguard against any new Creeper cases. Despite the interruptions… we are able to find a reliable place that can help ensure our survival." Reisen responded back.
"On the same note, we managed to find some blueprints down there. With this, we'll be able to make our own war-tanks to fight the battles for us." Weiss added. "In fact, we'll start construction of one of them, next time we sortie from this shelter."
"Now let's get Isabella and the rest of the civilians in here. On the double!" Brenner stated.
"Right away, sir!" Will exclaimed.
"Captain! The rear guard is under attack! Looks like those raiders are back again!" A soldier from Brenner's Wolves reported, rushing before the officers.
"What? Someone want to explain how they snuck up on us?" Brenner exclaimed with horror.
"I… I don't know, sir… They didn't appear on radar…" Lin stated.
"Wait, the Sergeant Majors are guarding the rear… what happened to them…!?" Weiss remarked with worry.
"Sergeant Major Shimada, report in, now!" Reisen shouted through the comms.
"It's not good at all, Major!" Keiji shouted back, as there was the sound of frantic gun-fire through the comms. "We got an entire battalion down here, intent on wiping the civilians here out! They even have a war-tank at the ready, and it's in range of us!"
"It's the raiders! We're done for! They'll kill us all!" One of the survivors shouted with despair.
"Calm down! Just follow the evacuation procedures we practiced. Do as you were told, and you'll get out of this just fine." One of Weiss's squad leaders assured the survivor.
"Sergeant Major Ydine, respond." Reisen told Ydine.
"I'm guarding near the jeep holding Dr Morris and Isabella. She's holding fine, Dr Morris is ensuring that she is well cared for. I can even patch it in for you." Ydine responded back.
"Unnnhhh…" Isabella groaned.
"It's all right, Isabella. Try thinking of something pleasant. That should help." Dr Morris assured Isabella. "When I'm stressed, I think of my lab. And perhaps some nice rats or robots."
"I-I'm OK... If we never give up…" Isabella responded back.
"Yes, of course. We must never give up. That's the key. Of course, some reinforcements would help raise my spirits, but…" Dr Morris stated.
"Just keep moving, Isabella's a priority due to her condition!" Ydine shouted to Dr Morris. "We can hold the line off for you!"
"Oh crap, here they come!" Keiji exclaimed, as the enemy forces were moving in. "Don't give an inch, we can't let them get to the civilians!"
"They're going to attack! Everyone, please get to safety." Will exclaimed.
"GYAAARRR! Civilians? You're worried about them? Gwar har har! That settles it! KILL 'EM ALL!" The Beast roared through the comms, as it surprised the officers. "War lesson number one, punk! NEVER CARE! GYAAARRR!"
"How did he even manage to-" Weiss remarked.
"Leave them alone! They're not soldiers! THEY'RE CIVILIANS!" Will defiantly shouted back.
"It doesn't matter! They're weak! They're defenseless!" The Beast continued. "They're the perfect prey, and that's why they're going to bleed!"
"But why? Why would you... I'm not letting you touch them! We're going to stop you!" Will exclaimed.
"Gwar har har! I'd like to see you try! Do your worst! GYAAARRR!" The Beast mocked.
Will then ran into a sprint out of the shelter, as Reisen and Weiss followed after him.
"Wait, Will!" Weiss exclaimed. "You can't just rush into the field of battle alone!"
"I have to get to Isabella and save her at least!" Will shouted back. "Please, she can't be killed as a result for all of this!"
"I know, we'll get to her. Just take our jeep, we'll rendezvous with the survivors as quickly as we can." Reisen remarked.
"You'll… do that?" Will asked back with surprise.
"We're no strangers to the front-lines. We can handle our own. Just hold out on hope for Isabella. Neither Ydine or Keiji will be easily pushed down." Weiss assured Will.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Keiji was using his light tank squad to try and push the raiders back, although all he could was temporarily stem the flow of the raiders rushing in, as the enemy artillery and the cannon-shots from the war-tank was creating massive amounts of casualties with each passing moment.
"Damnit, we can't take more of this…!" Keiji exclaimed, as several shots landed on his tank, shaking it and the crew inside strongly. "We can't hold a defense line long enough for enough survivors to make it out!"
"Ain't nothing we can do about it!" One of the pilots exclaimed. "We're trying to make it across, but the enemy air-force is moving in our way! You're going to have to fight this battle on your own for now!"
"This can't be it…!" Keiji remarked.
"Sir, enemy forces south of us!" One of the tank squad members responded back.
Keiji turned around, as he could see that the enemy recon and tanks were rushing towards the fleeing survivors.
"No!" Keiji exclaimed, as he immediately throttled his tank back, as the rest of his squad followed. "Pull back! We have to stop them from creating more casualties!"
Keiji's squad managed to come towards the enemy units, as they engaged them aggressively, taking some of them out, although more of Keiji's squad were being blasted to scrap, until there was only his own tank and one other.
"Sergeant, we need to retreat… We can't handle this with our numbers!" The remaining squad member responded back.
"...No, we're the only things stopping those raiders. Isabella's jeep needs time to escape." Keiji stated. "...There's only one way we can even blunt them… Comrade, do you think that you're willing to travel to hell with me?"
"Sir…" The soldier answered back. "...I understand. If that is our final order, then we will carry it out."
"...Thank you." Keiji remarked. "...We throttle through the enemy ranks! Fire every single shell and bullet in our tank! No retreat, no mercy!"
"Keiji, no!" Ydine exclaimed, realizing what was happening.
"Sorry, but this is the only way." Keiji answered back with regret in his voice, as the two tanks rushed deep into the enemy formation. "As for all of you bastards, I'm taking you with me!"
Keiji then roared, as the tank went into overdrive, as it fired barrage after barrage, as it rained hell and destruction of the enemy forces ahead. However, his defiant stand only lasted so long, before Keiji's tank was taken out by the war-tank itself, turning it into a burning wreck.
"Keiji… Why…?" Ydine remarked, before she was ambushed by enemy recons, causing her and her soldiers to retaliate back. "...No, he has to be alive, I can't lose my life… he won't forgive me for it, if I let him sacrifice himself in vain…!"
Ydine then pulled back, as she used the nearby bikes from the fallen troops to escape the area, meeting up with Reisen and Weiss, at the center of the mountain range.
"Ydine… you made it… Where's Keiji…?" Weiss asked Ydine, who teared up, making the white-haired leader realise what happened. "No…"
"It can't be… Sergeant Major Shimada… he really can't be-" Will remarked, before they were interrupted by the sounds of rapid gun-fire and the screams of the survivors. "...They're still pushing through!?"
"GYARRR! YES! YES! YES! First blood to the Beast!" The Beast screamed with maniacal glee. "Take them all! Don't let them die easily!"
"NOOOO! Get out of there! Do you read?! You have to evacuate now!" Will cried through the jeep comms, with desperation. "Dr. Morris? Isabella? Please, someone answer me! You've got to get out of there! Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Gwar har har! They're all dead, punk! Your pretty little girlfriend too! You couldn't save 'em. How's it taste? Burns, doesn't it?" The Beast responded back.
"WHY? Why did you do that? There was no reason…" Will remarked, as Ydine collapsed on the ground out of horror, as Reisen caught her, resting her against the back of a rock.
"Reasons? I don't need reasons! I kill because I can! nd now I'm gonna kill the rest so I can hear you cry some more. How's that sound?" The Beast cruelly mocked.
Will turned silent, as the communicator in his hand shuddered slightly, with a frozen expression on his face.
"Ydine… Ydine! Please, respond! Are you alright?" Weiss exclaimed. "You need to get yourself together! We have to-"
"I can't HEEEEAAARRR you! C'mon, punk! Don't you have anything to say? I wanna hear you beg!" The Beast continued to mock, as Ydine perked slightly, as her hands clenched into fists.
As for Will, his expression darkened, as his eyes reflected burning hatred.
"I… I want to kill you." He stated in a low tone.
"You threatening me, boy?" The Beast growled back.
": You were right. I had no idea what war was really about. But I get it now. It's about anger and fear. It's about hate! My friends weren't looking to fight. They were innocent… and they're DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!" Will exclaimed, his voice raising to the point that it was cracking with animosity. "You want to live like a beast? Fine! You can die like one too! It won't be Major Inaba who will put you down, I'm going to take a gun and end you myself!"
"Gwar har har! Now you're talkin', punk! Now you're worth killing! GYAAARRR!" The Beast remarked.
Ydine then slowly rose up, a dark look in her eyes.
"...Where's the main force?" Ydine asked.
"Rapidly approaching, despite the complications on the ground, the allied air force managed to destroy the enemy air capability." Weiss stated. "The Beast might have taken out a few isolated survivors… but we have effectively won the fight when the battle-copters arrive to deal with the enemy armor-"
"No, that mutt dies by my hand." Ydine remarked. "I want to personally give that wretch a slow painful death, just like he intended with the survivors. He will pay dearly for what he has done to Keiji… I won't allow anyone else to take that rightful wish from me."
"...In that case, take these." Reisen remarked, as she opened a compartment within the jeep, revealing high-tech rocket launchers. "...I doubt that the war-tank would be able to survive several hits from this, let alone any enemy forces. I know that this matters to you, Sergeant Major… So make the most of your anger, and make the enemy pay dearly."
"...Thank you, I'm glad that you're willing to understand." Ydine stated back. "...I promise that I won't disappoint. Ladies, we're going to pay these bastards back ten-fold for the men and women we lost defending the rear!"
The squad cheered in agreement, as they began to scale the mountains, immediately getting to a point where they were overlooking the area, as they saw that the vanguard of the force were already engaging the raiders, as they were doing considerable damage.
"...Say goodbye to your toys, you deluded bastard." Ydine remarked, before she then locked on the enemy artillery and tanks, as her squad fired, causing the rockets to hone in on them, as the majority of the enemy armor was wiped from the large explosions that the rockets caused.
"Whoa, what the hell was that!?" One of the Rubinelle tank squad leaders remarked. "Did one of our men pull some sort of super-weapon out?"
"Look, over there! It seems that one of the mechanized infantry units decided to pull out major fire-power! Looks like the raiders are going to regret this one!" Another Rubinelle squad leader remarked.
The squad then fired on the war-tank within range, as it dealt severe damage to it, allowing the incoming battle-copters to finish it off with a series of explosions.
"All enemy forces accounted for and dealt with. This time, the raiders are definitely not coming back from this." Weiss remarked, receiving reports on the situation.
"It's time we retrieve the survivors. Keep an escort force together with us. Who knows if the Beast is desperate enough to try one last futile effort to kill us." Reisen stated.
Reisen, Weiss and Ydine moved into the area, with Will, as they began to scour the area for a while, passing through the dead corpses of the fallen soldiers, as well as the wrecks of vehicles, both allied and enemy. Eventually,they stopped near the destroyed war tank, as they seemed to notice that there was movement from it.
When they approached it, they noticed that the Beast himself was outside the tank, completely bloodied, as one of his eyes was nothing but bloody viscera from a metal shard stuck within it, and his entire body was marred with gashes and wounds.
"Don't bother… he's a dead man either way.." Reisen remarked, signaling for Ydine to stand down, even though the wolf laguz did so with great reluctance and restraint, with bloody murder written in her eyes.
Reisen slowly walked a few steps closer, as the Beast noticed it, limping on one side, and his breathing slurred with the sound of blood swirling in his lungs.
"Gwar har har har…" The Beast remarked. "...Come to kill me yourself, you limp-wristed doll? You can't kill the Beast… the Beast kills you…!"
"You won't be able to do that. Look at yourself." Reisen mocked. "You can barely even stand, let alone try and even attack me. You may as well save us the trouble and just drop dead where you stand. This is where you die, as penance for being a murderous leech across this land."
"I might be dead… BUT I'M GOING TO TEAR YOUR THROAT OPEN FIRST!" The Beast growled, as he went on a feral charge, as if he was ignoring the wounds that he had sustained, pulling out a bowie knife.
Before Ydine could even raise her weapon, or Reisen could draw her side-arm, Will snatched the side-arm from behind Reisen, before then firing several rounds right through the Beast's chest, with an enraged war-cry, sending the rabid raider right onto the ground, as blood pooled underneath him.
"Killed by… a snot-nosed punk…" The Beast gurgled, as blood spurted from his mouth with each syllable. "...What a joke… Gwar… har… har…"
The Beast then slumped down, finally dead, although that did not satisfy Will, as he began to fire round after round into the Beast.
"GIVE THEM BACK! GIVEN THEM BACK, YOU BASTARD!" Will screamed with fury, as Reisen rushed over to snatch the gun from Will's hands.
"That's enough! He's dead. He's not going to get back up with his organs blasted like this." Reisen told Will. "...I know that you're angry right now… but you mustn't let your anger get to you… We can still find the others."
"Okay… okay…" Will remarked, heaving with each breath, trying to calm himself down. "...I killed… I killed someone… but he deserved it… he… he killed all of those people… Sergeant Major Shimada…"
"Wait, Keiji…!" Ydine remarked, as she rushed towards the wreck that was Keiji's tank, as she began to climb atop of it, trying to force the top hatch to open. "Keiji, please tell me that you're in there… Don't you dare die! I'm not ready to accept it, not yet!"
Ydine then managed to get the hatch open, as the smell of blood set off alarms within her head. She began to look inside, as she could see that there were dead tank crew inside, evident from the fact that there were evidently fatal injuries on them.
However, there was one unresponsive crew member other than Keiji, who was sporting several head-wounds, and some on his chest, from the blood pooling on the uniform. As for Keiji, she found that Keiji was knocked against the wall of the text, as sparks rained around him, although they weren't in range of him. Ydine climbed down, as she began to check Keiji's pulse, keeping in tense silence, as she prayed for a strong enough pulse in Keiji.
She then felt Keiji's pulse, which despite his wounds, was still going strong, as Ydine collapsed with relief, as Reisen rushed in, performing first-aid to stabilize the critically-wounded crew member, and Keiji, as the two of them pulled the surviving crew members out of the wrecked tank.
Weiss then managed to find the jeep holding Isabella and Doctor Morris, as a small faction of the civilians hid themselves in the nearby ruins, with some of the escort force still remaining.
"Thank god you made it…" Weiss remarked. "Will was at the point that he was about to lose hope… He even killed the Beast himself with Reisen's fire-arm."
"Woah, that's some temper there." Morris answered back. "I'm glad that your soldiers managed to do their best to safeguard our escape. But there's no time for lollygagging! I've got wounded coming out of my ears! And Isabella is faring poorly!"
"Right, let's get back into the shelter, before another terrible surprise hits us." Weiss nodded, as the remaining civilians were escorted into the shelter.
Weiss and Ydine then met up with Lin and Brenner inside the control center, while Reisen went to help Dr Morris cure Isabella. The officers discussed the current situation, as the mood was fairly grim, due to the casualties they sustained from the enemy surprise attack.
"The wounded are in sick bay, sir. The civilians came through largely unharmed." Lin reported back.
"Where's Will?" Brenner asked Weiss and Ydine.
"With Isabella. He was far more concerned about her, due to the fact that her condition worsened as a result of the attack aggravating the infection." Weiss responded back. "But with Reisen taking care of her, we have a good chance that she'll be cured. Reisen isn't a simple medical doctor after all, she's a genius in her own right, and two minds are better than one with Dr Morris."
"As for your losses… I'm sorry that-" Brenner was about to apologize.
"Don't. We came into this battle knowing what was going to happen. It is regrettable that these casualties could be avoided, but they at least ensured that there were no civilian fatalities… I'm glad their cries were only out of fright, not out of dying fear." Weiss answered back. "The worst hit is Sergeant Major Ydine, she had a connection with Sergeant Major Shimada, who is likely to be hospitalized for several weeks at least due to the severity of his wounds. At least the raiders are no more, and their depraved leader has gone to hell where he belongs."
"Lieutenant Colonel, may I speak with the survivors…?" Ydine asked Weiss.
"...You may. In fact, they'll need someone sympathetic to assure them… and I'm sure that you're the best right now, due to… everything that happened." Weiss accepted.
Ydine saluted back at Weiss, as she made her way to the living quarters, where the survivors were.
Meanwhile with Will, he was left waiting outside, as his anxiety about Isabella's condition ate away at him, as he paced about. Eventually, he heard the door to the medical operating room open, as Reisen and Dr Morris came out.
"Will. You're still here? It's been hours." Dr Morris stated.
"How is she, Doctor? Is Isabella alright?" Will asked back, desperate for an answer.
"...Thanks to the help of the good Doctor and myself, we managed to suppress her symptoms. She has a clean bill of health." Reisen answered back, before Dr Morris could say anything, as she smiled faintly. "No longer will she have to worry about infecting you. She's completely free of the Creeping Derangea virus, and I've acquired a sample from her that will prove essential for creating a vaccine."
"Will!" Isabella cried, as she came out, completely relieved.
"Isabella!" Will shouted, as the two of them embraced tightly, as tears of relief fell from both of their cheeks.
"I'm going to be OK, Will. I owe it all to Dr. Morris's help and to everyone's kindness." Isabella stated. "The Major even said that she might even find some way to inoculate against the Creeper."
"That's great news!" Will exclaimed, as Isabella nodded in agreement.
"I hate to spoil this moment, so we will leave you two be. Brenner should hear about the positive development, after the bloody attack." Reisen told Will and Isabella. "You should stay with the survivors of New Wolfington, some good interaction with others could help to cheer you two up."
Dr Morris and Reisen then headed for the control centre, as they met with Weiss, Brenner and Lin, as they explained the situation.
"May I assume Isabella's no longer contagious?" Lin asked Reisen.
"That's correct, we made sure of that." Reisen explained. "To explain what Dr Morris is about to state in more general terms, she possessed antibodies to the virus that we managed to stimulate through proper methods. I've taken a sample of both the virus and the antibody located within Isabella, to make break-through in the development of a cure."
"I see…" Brenner remarked. "Why not just call it a miracle? Sounds to me like Will's prayers were answered."
"Miracles can only last so long… we make our own luck." Reisen answered back. "Besides, with this, we can no longer worry about further infections, so the mayor will have to withdraw his reasoning to evict her."
"Oh right, speaking of the survivors, I've left Ydine to speak with them." Weiss stated.
"Why is that?' Reien asked with a curious tone.
"I have a feeling that the mayor is going to try something to undermine us. So I decided to make the first move by having Ydine persuade the people." Weiss answered back. "As a victimized party of this attack, and a non-offending element, she holds the best chance of convincing the people of our importance."
"That seems like a solid plan… Hopefully it works." Reisen answered back with a firm lip.
Meanwhile, with Ydine, she was standing before a crowd of the survivors, as they all looked upon her.
"...Wait, you're one of the women who saved us back there, weren't you?" One of the female survivors remarked.
"That's right." Ydine nodded back. "I've come here… to make an apology of some sorts for you all."
"Apology? What for?" One of the survivors remarked, confused about the strange attitude.
"...We weren't able to secure your complete safety." Ydine admitted. "I know that many of your people have been left with scars and wounds that will linger on, but I ask that you please understand that we have done all we can to protect you."
"Oh yeah, then why are you-" Another survivor, who seemed to be more mouthy than the other one, before one of the New Wolfington survivors came over and grabbed his shoulder.
"Hey, have some respect for the girl!" The New Wolfington survivor answered back. "She literally put her own life on the line to keep us safe. No-one died, right? It's better than them having failed. I mean, she's genuinely taking responsibility for the problem itself, you think that's worth hurling insults at her, huh!?"
"Settle down, please." Ydine remarked with a calm tone, as the survivors turned their attention back to her. "The raiders managed to find some means to ambush us before our recon units could have detected it. Perhaps they were intent on bleeding all of you to dry, but it is our duty to ensure that didn't happen… and yet some civilian blood was still spilled, even if it's not fatal."
Ydine then sat down on a nearby chair, as she leaned forward slightly.
"...A friend of mine ended up getting thrown into the ICU. He was the leader of the tank unit that literally charged the enemy forces, with only a pair of tanks to command by the time he came to your aid." Ydine explained. "...He refused to back down, because he knew that if he were to retreat, the raiders would have gained ground and started killing civilians. So he made the hard choice and went into the enemy lines, cannons and machine-guns blazing. I was scared that I lost him, when I saw his tank go up after the war-tank blew it up. I was scared when I saw that all but himself and another member of his tank crew were the only survivors of the entire unit. He lost so many comrades that day… and so have we. I do not ask that you needlessly mourn their losses… but I ask that you please respect the fact that we are willing to lie our very lives for you all, and that even if we may be hated or scorned for our power… we will not fail again in our duties to protect the people."
The survivors were left to stew on Ydine's words, as they began to talk amongst themselves, as the laguz's words seemed to sow doubt about the unkindly rumors that the allied army have among them, as there were the sound of affirmation amongst the people, which made Ydine's heart loosen slightly.
However, her mood soured again, when the mayor of Freehaven entered the living quarters, just as Brenner and Lin came in with Reisen and Weiss.
"Where've you been, Brenner? I've been waiting to hear your report for hours!" The mayor demanded.
"Calm down. Everything's fine. The girl made a full recovery." Brenner assured the mayor.
"The girl? Who said anything about her? I want to know about the food! Is the factory in working order? Will we be able to grow crops?" The mayor pressed his questions on Brenner.
"Typical, you complain about Isabella, and you immediately drop the matter with the drop of an hat." Weiss scoffed. "If it makes you understand better, the factories work fine, and so do the other facilities in the shelter. Congratulations, mayor, you and your people have the safe haven you've been wishing for."
"That...that is good news. Now, we've got some additional business to attend to... As the civilian representative, there's something I need to discuss with you." The mayor remarked.
"And that is…?" Reisen asked, raising her eye-brows.
"It's about this shelter. Do you think it can sustain this many people living here?" The mayor answered back, as Reisen's lips turned into a deep frown. "We've assessed the situation and feel we need to cut our population roughly by 80%. There's-"
"If that's what your people are fretting about, then the Opalide and Emerian armies will lie in wait outside the shelter as a mobile defense force. We do not require these shelters to sustain our armies in the short future." Reisen answered back. "However, Brenner's Wolves remain in. They have been on the run, and their resources are at a deficit. They need the facilities to restore their own ability to sustain themselves to normal. And then they too will leave, if you still have not-"
"That's not enough!" The mayor exclaimed back. "Listen here, lady, this is the collective opinion of the entire civilian population, understand? And having soldiers living here is problematic as well. Are we supposed to live in fear of being attacked?"
"You must be joking with me." Weiss growled. "After we literally risked our own men and took losses for you all!?"
"You're soldiers. You have the weapons and training to survive anywhere. But we civilians are powerless. This shelter is our only chance for survival. We believe the solution is clear." The mayor remarked.
"That's not an excuse worthy enough for having my own close friend almost die for you, you upstart-" Ydine roared.
"That's enough!" Weiss shouted down Ydine, who silenced herself. "Fine then, here's a better proposal then. We put this 'suggestion' to a vote then. Our leave is decided already. But if you want to evict Brenner's Wolves, we take this to a vote."
"Fine with me. Let us vote and decide this like civilized men." The mayor remarked, before turning to the survivors. "Am I right, everyone, is this not how it's supposed to be?"
"That's not a reasonable proposition. In terms of numbers, you civilians have an overwhelming majority. Additionally, a large number of our people are incapacitated by their wounds. Would you use that to your advantage? Is that the type of people we're dealing with?" Lin coldly criticized the mayor.
"Let him." Reisen remarked, as Lin looked at her with an incredulous expression. "If he wants to settle this by democracy, then by democracy and the voice of the people this will be settled."
Reisen then faced the mayor, as she glared at him hard. "But let me make this clear, mayor. If you're so confident that you speak with the voice of the people, then the majority will rise to your aid. One person, one vote." She stated firmly. "If they say otherwise, then you lose the right to complain about the stay of Brenner's Wolves, or any military actions we deem necessary to ensure your safety, despite your ungratefulness."
"Very well, then. We vote, and majority rules. Does that sound fair to everyone? All in favor of having the soldiers leave the shelter, raise their hands." The mayor remarked, turning to the survivors. "...Come on! Lets see hands!"
"Yeah, no. Not happening." One of the male survivors flatly stated.
"Me neither." One of the younger survivors agreed.
""Wh-what are you doing? Get your hands up! I gave you the plan! Now do as I told you!" The mayor demanded.
"Shut up, baldie!" Caron's voice was heard, as the survivors parted to reveal the young boy that Weiss and Reisen met with before. "I know you! You're one of the bad people who is trying to make the good people go far away, so that you can be a meanie to everyone else! I heard your evil plan! You made them believe that Ms Inaba, Ms Schnee, Mr Brenner are bad people, saying that they're the ones hurting the people here! But I know that you're a liar with pants on fire! Nobody wants a bossy-pants like you to lead us!"
"Why you little…" The mayor remarked.
"Well, it seems that someone has the gall to decry you before the people." Reisen remarked, withholding the urge to smirk out of smugness at the mayor's humiliation, as the gathered survivors were left appalled hearing the words from the boy's mouth. "With that, I do believe that there are no objections to Brenner's Wolves remaining here."
"That's right. I saw it with my two eyes… A recon got in front of our jeep and took the cannon shot meant for us." One of the female survivors agreed. "They fought for us, and they risked their lives, even died for us."
"We can't just throw the soldiers who saved us out there, if they need this place as much as we do." One of the younger survivors added. "I mean, it's just about less than 300 people, right? I heard that this place can store even more up to 1000 people. We should thank them by repaying their kindness."
"We want them to stay. Well, if the other army guys want to remain as well." Another survivor suggested.
"Yeah! That's one thing I second without regret!" Another survivor remarked.
The survivors then began to make their cries for the argument of Brenner's Wolves staying, which warmed Ydine's heart, and made Brenner smile.
""You listening, Mayor?" Brenner remarked.
"It would appear we have a clear majority… no, a landslide victory is a more fitting term for this." Lin agreed.
"B-b-but, how can you...? Wh-what are you thinking?! Fine! Do as you please! I don't care!" The mayor stuttered, before he then left the living quarters, fuming.
"Thank you, everyone. You have my gratitude. As you know, my people and I have been on search and rescue 24-7 since the meteors struck. But most of the folks we've "saved" didn't last too long after the fact... To be honest, there've been times when I've questioned the value of what we're doing." Brenner told the survivors. "But knowing that you understand makes it all worthwhile. Thank you, once again."
"Well said, Captain." Lin agreed, clapping in applause and Reisen and Weiss joined in, causing some of the more moved survivors to join in, creating a wave of applause that pleased Brenner.
"I should check on Isabella… Will as well." Reisen told Lin. "Will you come with me?"
Lin nodded, as the two of them headed for the medical wing, as they listened into the conversation between the two young people.
"So we're going to stay here for a while. There's plenty of food, and there's safety in numbers." Will told Isabella.
"We can stay here together? Me too? I...I had nothing. I didn't know where I was or what I should do. I didn't even know my own name. Yet you took me in and cared for me, and now you say I can live here with you. Are you sure? Is it truly all right?" Isabella asked back.
"Of course! And now that you've recovered from the virus, I'm sure you'll get your memory back." Will smiled back.
"Perhaps... But I really don't need my memory back. I'm fine not knowing what happened before." Isabella answered back, shaking her head.
"Really? But…" Will remarked, before Isabella grabbed his hands, with a gentle smile.
"You've given me all the memories I need. I'll never forget the kindness you've shown." Isabella told Will with a grateful tone.
"Isabella, listen. I want to…" Will stated, before Reisen decided to cut the conversation short, revealing herself.
"Hello there, I suppose the two of you are getting along well?" Reisen asked the two of them.
"GYAA! How do you do that? And why are you eavesdropping on our conversations?" Will exclaimed in shock.
"Are you talking about something you don't want me to hear?" Lin asked, coming out herself.
"Well, no, but... That's not the point! It was a private conversation, and-" Will stated.
"Then it's a good thing we interrupted before we heard something you didn't want to hear." Reisen stated. "Still, apologies for that. You should head to the A block, where Brenner's Wolves will remain in for the time being."
"Wait, then what about all of you?" Will asked back.
"By the dawn of tomorrow, we will leave this shelter, and create a frontline base nearby to ensure that the shelter is taken care of." Reisen responded back. "This is two-fold: To ease the strain on the shelter's resources, abundant it may be, and also to perform operations that can find more survivors and refugees to guide to the safety of the nuclear shelter."
"...I guess your mind is set on it, right?" Will remarked. "...Will we ever meet each other again?"
"We will. Occasionally, we will come back to collect a stipend of rations and other supplies to sustain our presence." Reisen stated. "But before we go, we'll cook up a celebratory feast for our success in finding a haven for all of you."
"Fine. We'll be right there. C'mon Isabella. It's time to go!" Will said, dragging Isabella along.
"Yes, sir!" Isabella grinned back, as they rushed down the hall, with Reisen and Lin following.
"...Do you think that the future has hope in store for us?" Lin asked Reisen.
"Nothing is ever without hope. No matter how tough the situation… it is as the captain says… 'Hope never dies'." Reisen stated, smiling again.
"...Heh." Lin snorted out with a smile as well.
The officers then followed the young duo, as they prepared for the feast that would be for all of the residents inside the shelter, both civilian and military.
Term of the Chapter: Mechanised Infantry
Mechanised infantry in both the UGF and the UUF have one thing in common, and that's horrendous firepower. Even without the armored vehicles, the armaments they carry are capable of dealing severe damage. The GENSOU-Corps Shodan series are capable of creating explosive fire rounds that can melt enemy armor easily, while the Long-Pole rocket launchers are created for the purpose of crushing enemy armour with their piercing rockets, no matter how thick the armour is.