Chapter Five: Streetside Shootout
SEE A/N BOTTOM OF PAGE
"Reporting in. Are we on clear comms?"
"Why of course, I've made all the proper preparations to ensure our secrecy."
"With that said, your clearance authorizations have made our arrangements successful - The Fox is following for now. But Isn't it counterintuitive to let her go considering the trouble you ran to get her?"
"She'll be but a minor inconvenience with the right words used on my part - So don't worry about her. And the data I gave you, has it proven useful?"
"Yes, stationed in each locale you've provided are signal operators. With the allotted coverage we have, thanks to you, it's safe to say the area will be on lockdown until further notice."
"Are the signal frequencies correct?"
"Certain for now, Keep us posted if they attempt to break through."
"Then, does this illude to our continued partnership?"
"That's for our president to decide. But, given how much you've provided, my boss will pass a good word."
"Perfect~ One can say we've both been blessed by the right people, don'tcha think?"
"Hmph, so as long as our goals still align - Pleasure doing business."
/DOWNTOWN/DU OUTSKIRTS/
/12:42 PM/KIVOTOS/
/NEAR SCHALE BUILDING/
Hearing the choppers rumble fading away in the distance, Palus turned to his squad - head counting as he glanced at each member; everyone was here and, to Palus's surprise, showing a knowledgeable amount of tactical awareness - posting themselves against a wall or behind cover as they quickly deployed from the drop, some even moving in a trained and coordinated manner.
"Masks up, boys." Palus ordered, reaching for a black fabric in his vest and wrapping a rudimentary bandana, concealing most of his face. The others were quick to follow, doing the same as well.
"Lets keep our identities discrete for now. Better to be safe for now as we test the waters here."
Mentally confirming to himself, Palus scanned the area, eyes darting from one corner to another, quickly situating himself with their surroundings. Fortunate for them, the layers of buildings made for adequate obscurity - masking their approximate drop site.
Giving his earpiece several taps, the cobalt map from earlier began materializing itself - a similar map from before but this time marking their location with the local area. Despite the differences he's seen in Kivotos, from what Palus could note, it was almost no different from any other city layout. Rows and columns of long roads with the occasional intersection or turn to branch off.
In the thick of this utopian-like metropolis was his squad, not far from their target, nestled away in a secluded lot - walled by several buildings and alleyways adjacent to a main road.
So far, no difficulties.
That was until Palus attempted to make contact with the Student Council - Trying to make a call but failing, he brushed it off as coincidence. It was only until several more failed attempts were made, alongside the squads meandering looks, did Palus realize something wasn't working as intended. Blood broiling inside as he hastened his movements in a slight panic, hands frantically reaching for his earpiece repeatedly.
"C'mon- this thing!" Palus groaned, working the device to the best of his knowledge as he fumbled with the buttons. There was a stream of consistent static, low but not ear-grating, cutting any connections he was trying to make through comms.
"You good, boss?" Feng called over, flinging his voice across but nulling it not to shout.
"I can't get our comms through. We're completely dead in the water." Palus relayed back, popping the device off and cluelessly jostling the mechanisms out of desperation.
Diego muttered under his breath, eyes luring their way over to Yuuka; the Millennium student whipped her gaze away, back turned, avoiding eye contact as she dipped her mouth into a peeved frown.
"Yo, nerdy girl, I think your device is out of reception." Diego snarked, invoking a sudden twitch from the student as she let out a tight sigh - eyes squinting out of absurdity as she cocked a brow, pivoting herself around.
"Ughh- It is not out of reception; with boosted signals and optimized parts for reduced path loss, it is more than just a regular cellphone, you know-" Yuuka fired back, crossing her arms in a huff. "And id rather you NOT call me nerdy girl."
With knitted brows, Palus's gaze fell to the floor, with a weight in his stomach to match as he revised his thought process.
Hovering over the girl's comment, although boastful, the student's confidence in her words leaned closer to genuine than exaggerated gloats - Not to mention the girl's affiliation with the supposed famed science school, Millennium. A thought that only troubled the squad leader.
"So what's the word-? Are we waiting out here for a signal, or is there some kinda Kivotos thing we ain't aware about?" Feng half facetiously asked, stifling a laugh down to a flat expression.
"It'd be best if we didn't linger for too long, would it not?" Chinatsu's brows flattened, contemplating as she readjusted the bag slung to her shoulder. "Let's also not forget that Valkyrie is still buying us time."
"I'm all for hurrying our asses to the end of this mission." Diego casually said, waving a hand as he leaned against a wall and laid his weapon on the ground.
"Would it kill you to show some seriousness for this?" Yuuka jabbed, gaining no more than an inattentive shrug from the boy.
"Somethings not right here…" Palus mulled. "Our signals are being jammed. But how?"
Banishing the thought, Palus shook his head, skimming past the map again as he analyzed their surrounding area before promptly moving it to the side.
They were close.
With the diversion working as well, distant clashes of mixed gunfire and the occasional explosion rampaging from the far off, it wouldn't make sense to stop now. Safe to assume the law enforcement team was raising hell on their defensive line.
"We move. Let's not keep those student council forces holding out for too long."Palus ordered, earning a few nods from his group. "The sooner we get what we're after, the better."
"Do you know the way?" Chinatsu asked, a question that had Palus quickly sifting through his map.
Re-aligning himself with their objectives, Palus checked their potential routes - mostly narrow passageways that lead to a main road or a vacant lot. Limiting exposure while moving through urban environments always proved challenging, even more so considering their group size.
"We're only a few blocks away from the Schale building."
Turning to the sudden intrusion, it was Hasumi and Suzumi behind, her gaze towards a far-off tower. This one, in particular, was enormous in height, with a monumental beacon of solid white ascending to the sky. From what Palus has seen, it wasn't a far-off assumption to staple this as Kivotos's centerpiece.
"THAT big ass one over there-?!" Palus doubted, a stupefied jaw drop stealing his firm expression as he did a double take on their map.
"Thankfully for you, no. That would be Sanctum Tower." Hasumi smiled, giggling lightly."Apologies, I always can't help but lay eyes on it."
"Little is known amongst the schools, but many speculate it's the general student council's way of governing over Kivotos."
"The heart of Kivotos, if you will." The woman enlightened, taking a moment to captivate the sight.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Palus recomposed himself as he glanced between the two - stowing away any questions he might've drafted in favor of their mission as he paid the spectacle a last glance.
"You two know this area?" Palus brought up, prodding for information from the more knowledgeable ones regarding the area.
"My activities don't usually lead me to the DU often." Suzumi shook her head. "Our school group is only responsible for patrolling our schools' local area."
Speckles of pink dotted the student's cheeks as she awkwardly shifted her head to the side - hiding the puckered frown. "Uh- Truth be told, our group isn't even an official club in Trinity."
Instead, Hasumi stood forward, nodding as she gestured towards a passageway. "I've done a few authorized raids here on fleeing crime syndicates. From what I remember, the Schale building is just a few blocks down."
She frowned, forehead scrunching tight as she tapped her chin. "The only problem is there isn't a discrete way of going about it."
"You're right. It's all open streets from here on out." Palus verified, sharply jetting out air as he honed in with a tense glare - eyes darting around the map. "The most we can get would be any neighboring buildings off to the side and maybe a few cars for cover."
"Even if we were to use the alleyways, funneling everyone through a choke point like that is dangerous."
Scrutinizing their operation once more, Palus realized that this was turning into a head-on engagement; Biting his tongue, he swallowed hard, accepting the reality.
Eavesdropping on their conversation, Feng called out - finger pointed to a fire escape from the ground to the roof of a nearby building. "You want me above, boss?"
"You two will be needing this then." Shiloh interjected, tossing Feng and Palus each a radio from his pouches.
"We're being jammed, Shiloh-"
"Just try it." Shiloh shot back, raising a hand to his chin. "I want to test something."
Tuning themselves in, with a minor struggle to dial in its settings, the two managed to gain connection, albeit with subtle feedback - a shocking revelation considering the communications jamming.
"I refuse to believe those old things managed to connect." Yuuka denied, cocking her head to the side.
"I don't think it's your tech at fault." Shiloh reassured, gazing over towards Palus, his earpiece to be exact. "Whoever's jamming us, they're only targeting a specific frequency."
"Explains why our stuff works." Feng commented, receiving a wave of confusion and wavering looks from both parties. "We're not from here, so our radios are on different settings."
Chinatsu dropped her eyes to the floor, face wincing as she rubbed the strap on her bag. "That'd mean they're only focused on the Student Councils frequency then.."
"If that were the case, they would still need a way of obtaining it. Not to mention that's classified information." Yuuka added, hands on her hips. "I thought these were just regular thugs-?!"
"Tch- clearly not." Diego jeered.
"No point in trying to figure it out now." Suzumi piped up, focusing the group's attention on her and Hasumi. "We should just proceed with the mission."
"Agreed. We know we're dealing with something or someone else entirely, so we should remain vigilant." Hasumi advised, earning agreeing nods from the others.
Palus couldn't help but speculate. A mission with an initial threat of supposed thugs and criminals, escalating to coordinated signal interference from a third party with access to discrete information from the Student Council. "Rin wouldn't be that careless; I barely know her though the attitude and loyalty to her role logically wouldn't allow for something like this."
"It's just question after question."
"You're right- No use worrying about something we won't get answers to…Tch- probably what the people jamming us want anyway" Deep in thought, Palus scoffed, tossing his worry begrudgingly as he turned his focus over to Feng and the others. "We stick with the plan."
"Got it. I'll give you all overwatch support from above." Feng notified, gesturing a thumbs up with a goofy grin as he made his way over toward the previously mentioned ladder.
Nodding back to the sniper, Palus drew attention to the rest as Feng began making his way vertically. A few loose mental shakes a quick check on his rifle, and the Sniper advanced forward, easing back into the all too familiar motions in near seconds.
"Feng, was it?" Suzumi prompted, glancing off as if trying to recollect her words. "Be careful up there."
The marksman looked over his shoulder, flashing a thumbs up and a bright grin, then taking his leave. "No worries, this stuff is just part of the job, and yeah, you got it right."
"The rest of you are with me." Palus issued, moving his gaze over to Diego."You and I are taking point."
The heavyset waved him off, racking his shotgun with aggression."Already ahead of you, vato."
With an inner turmoil of his own to settle, ferocity choked the air as he gripped tight around his shotgun. "I won't let there be a repeat of last time."
Paying Diego a raised brow, Palus rolled his eyes, leaving the boy be.
Instead, Turning to Shiloh, the glasses-wearing boy nodded, having already assumed his position."I'll take the middle as usual."
Having situated half of his members, the Kivotos students were the only ones left, different from his usual group. A literal apparency based on Palus's shift in demeanor - replacing his stone cold gaze was the now instinctive hollowed eyes and crinkled look of pain as he furrowed his brows. The vacant stare, treading past the girls, towards almost an entirely different headspace.
Forcing his gaze away, Palus spared them any more looks as he turned towards their destination."Rest of you girls stay close and in the back."
"I don't want a stray round to end it here." Palus muttered, barely audible.
"Wait, hold it-! So do you just expect us to do nothing?!" Yuuka blared, a rapid spike in volume that made the rest flinch - doing little to restrain the girl as she swept forward, blocking the squad leader.
"Not what I'm implying." Palus retorted, brushing past the girl. "Provide us with cover fire. Make sure we don't get shot on our blindsides."
"A-Are you serious right now?" Yuuka uttered, mouth gaping wide as she stood stunned - blinking twice in confirmation, severely questioning the orders from the person she was supposed to follow.
"How the heck was HE the one chosen to run Schale." Yuuka questioned to herself, eyes squinting hard at the back of the boy's head.
She let out a sigh, muttering under her breath."I just don't get it-"
"Perhaps it's best if we follow for now." Nearly jumping in surprise, Yuuka lept from her train of thought, drawing her attention to the winged student to her left.
Hasumi gave her a gentle smile before meandering her gaze to Palus."There isn't much we can say to make a difference right now. Protesting further will only complicate things."
Migrating over, Suzumi joined the two of them, her blank expression laced with a genuine understanding for the science student. "I also disagree with it, but ill trust them for now. Besides, I'm sure they know what they're doing."
Yuuka flashed the girl a doubtful look. "Eh-? What gives you that impression?"
Hasumi hummed, her eyes hazy and focused as she analyzed the boy. "Mm- The way they carry themselves. I can't quite explain it, but It's... different from anything I've seen in Kivotos."
"Hate to agree with you." Chinatsu forwarded, walking past the group as she began following. "The Student President made her decision for a reason. And with that, ill show my support until her judgment has been proven wrong."
"I can second that.." Hasumi spared her a glance, little concern from the Gehenna student as Chinatsu ignored her.
Not demonstrating the same ire that hasumi exhibits, Suzumi simply nodded - a hint of resolve breaking past her cold demeanor as she hoisted her weapon.
Having nothing further to say or protest, the others shrugged, filing in with the rest of the group. Yuuka was the last to follow, heaving another sigh as she dragged herself forward - eyes of concern focused on the back of Palus's head.
"What did I get thrown into this time?" Yuuka grumbled, coaxing another soft laugh from Hasumi.
"Why not trust our instincts instead of the numbers we see on your calculator, Ms. Yuuka." Hasumi humored.
The Milinuem student sighed. "Both are calculating a huge margin for error."
XXXXXX
"Roads clear."
Surveying from above, scoped in on his rifle, Feng gave his team the all-clear. A signal the girls and Palus's squad advanced on as they moved through the empty streets with their loose formation. Palus, Deigo, and Shilloh spearheaded the front while the Kivotos girls fanned themselves behind, weaving through the roads using any form of cover; cars, toppled debris, vending machines, and corners of the neighboring buildings, whatever could potentially block or redirect bullets.
"You've reached the halfway mark. After this turn, we got two more to go." Feng notified, disengaging from his scope as he eyed the adjacent rooftop. "Hold, I'm repositioning."
"Copy." Palus confirmed, eyeing the sniper above as he made his way over to the next building - deftly leaping onto a catwalk and hoisting himself up.
"I'm impressed- He's quite agile." Hasumi complimented, her wide-eyed surprise souring to a frown as she eyed herself from the torso down."I don't see myself ever managing something like that considering my wei- A-ah actually, never mind.."
Suzumi sheepishly followed his movements."He's panting for air-"
"His stamina's still ass, though." Palus addressed, brandishing a sly smile.
"I heard that." Feng chastised, peaking over the roofing with a heated look before digging himself back into position.
Pivoting his gaze, Palus kept an eye on the street, a luring set of eyes monitoring any possible hostile hideaways. Despite the distant skirmishes, their area was eerily quiet; Not a single person in sight nor any traces of one. All that was left were remnants of people that were once here; abandoned cars, fortifications, buildings, and trashed obstructions littering the street.
"Onto something, Sensei?" Hasumi questioned, catching the boy's widening look.
The boy flashed her a peeved look, breaking out of his contemplation. "I would prefer you not be calling me that... I'm no teacher."
Hasumi stifled a small laugh, coaxing a slight curve to the corner of the boy's lips.
Brushing it off, Palus merely shrugged, now out of the alleyway, sniffing the air around him as he took in his surroundings, more notably Kivoto's overall environment - a daunting sensation given the drastic change in scenery for the boys. Gone was the foulness of months' worth of dirt, grime, dried blood, and decomposing matter. In its place was a fresh, almost deceptively exhilarating new scent of clean air - fragrant fauna decorating the streets and an overwhelming smell of refurbished furniture, flower-scented sprays, and faint touches of earth and gravel. A sensation only a pure-looking city like Kivotos could exhibit.
A familiar odor trickled his nose, however. Face wincing tight as he processed the stray scent more suitable for a polluted urban setting or, in their case, a barren battlefield.
"I smell exhaust fumes.." Palus noted, turning his attention back to his team.
"So, what of it-?" Yuuka cocked a brow, an irritable twitch to her slight frown. "This road is meant for cars."
Palus shook his head, eyeing the street ahead; Being from a larger city himself, this was more than just your average air pollution.
"No, too strong- It's from a larger, heavier vehicle.."
"Weapons hot y'all. I got contact." Feng notified, dropping to his stomach as he began monitoring their movement. "They're just at the end of the turn, making their way over.
Palus's tone shifted, grizzled face scrunching down with knitted brows. "Safeties off-"
Springing to alertness, Palus glanced back, waving everyone to position as they all began hunkering down behind cover, Palus's group taking the street to the left and the girls on the opposite side - heightening their focus as they all switched their guns off safety.
"What's the body count?" Palus radioed back, peeking past a car's side window; his vision focused down range at the incoming mass of people.
"I'm counting twenty soon-to-be corpses."
"Armaments?"
"I got eyes on one LMG, and the rest are smaller caliber submachine guns."Feng relayed back.
The sniper let out a pensive hum. "Damn, the halo thing really is something almost everyone here has."
A palpable assumption, just like the girls in Palus's squad, all the thugs bore halos of their own; safe to assume most people did here in Kivotos.
Much to his displeasure, they were all younger looking; Minus the jagged look Palus's group had, they appeared to be close to the same age range as them. Students of the sorts donning halos just like the girls but wearing a more drab color scheme of rougher clothing; crop tops, grey trench coats, and knuckled fingerless gloves. Lacking any tactical equipment, they looked to be run-of-the-mill school delinquents and thugs with the added firepower of a few small arms; the way they moved also notioned to a loosely organized group of goons, aimlessly patrolling.
"Tch- great..Just great." Palus mulled, shying away from the thought of potentially needing to kill a group of students.
"What's the move, boss?" Tucking himself away from the edge, Feng awaited further instructions.
Formulating said plan Palus slipped back behind cover, passing his eyes to the girls who were loosely spread out on the opposite side - hugging close around the pillars of a nearby building and any rudimentary shelter they could find.
Hasumi, Suzumi, and Chinatsu gave him firm nods - ready to act on his order.
Analyzing the terrain, it wasn't to their advantage; An almost barren road, aside from a few parked cars and debris, trailing to the end of the street. Blocking their route forward, a sizeable force of armed thugs began trudging closer. A skittish uneasiness in their eyes as they darted from building to building, fingers gripped close on their weapon's triggers, ready to act on even the slightest disturbance; the inevitableness of a head-on engagement inching closer.
Weighing the odds, their lack of resources, unfavorable terrain, and numbers disadvantage all pitched a hard, close to near impossible fight to win, let alone avoid. Regardless of their approach, it all routed to barrages of gunfire being peppered down range, with their team on the receiving end.
Shifting focus, Palus cobbled together a course of action. With little time and fewer options available, the squad leader raised a fist in the air, signaling the girls and his boys to attention as they readied their weapons - Shiloh and Diego were quick to catch on. The students, however, needed a moment to process the gesture before catching on to its meaning; Hasumi, the slightly more acquainted student regarding combat tactics, brought her peers to speed.
"On your cue, Feng." Palus radioed back, steeling his gaze forward; It's them or us.
"Roger." Feng confirmed, shouldering his rifle as he began lining up his shot. "I'll smoke the one with the LMG first."
It was almost spiritual from the number of times the marksman would relish the moment. From the calming breeze before the maelstrom of lead as he honed in on his target through his scope - To the changing pace of his breath halting into a robotic-like stillness as he focused his crosshair. All of it was an all too familiar sensation that voided the sniper from conflicting thoughts - A now instinctive response developed over time to relinquish the guilt that came with each trigger pull.
Deflating his thoughts inside, Feng slowly exhaled, blowing out a small controlled stream of air and draining the color from his usually expressive eyes as his crosshair stabilized and his finger eased onto the trigger.
BANG!
Like a snap of thunder, his bullet raged through the air. A formerly inactive rock, now ripping its way towards Fengs' target and right into their upper left torso, dead on their heart. Springing forth, Deigo and Yuuka were the first to rush forward - hoping to utilize the ambush to gain ground and better cover.
"Target down, repositio-" Feng paused, Face turning pale as his eyes fluttered in shock. Too stunned to immediately signal out to his peers.
A sight next to impossible and near logic-defying came into the snipers' peripherals. What he would've expected to be another dead corpse to add to his kill count was instead a student on her knees gripping tight on the bullet's contact, with a feverish look glancing around as their halo flickered in response.
"What the actual fuck-" The marksman cursed, blinking fast to realign his sense of reality."They're not even wearing body armor-!"
Shrugging the hit off with a groan, the thug whipped their head around as they hoisted their lmg to position. "I'm hit-! Someone's here- light this road up!"
Fengs' stomach sank, terror grasping his body whole as he broke into a desperate panic - ditching his weapon to the side with a frantic hand moving for his radio. "Everyone wait-!"
Hearing the piercing wail, Palus skidded to a halt, quickly ducking down again behind cover as the girls followed suit, reevaluating the sudden change in course; Waves of confusion branded the group's faces. Palus was the first to catch on, seeing the drove of thugs scrambling to position as Diego and Yuuka rushed forward uninformed the Kivotos girls subsequently came to realization as well.
Swiftly bursting out of his initial shock and confusion, Palus reacted; The sight of several barrels pointed towards them was all he needed. With little time to act, visceral fear forced his voice out in dismay as glimpses of a familiar bloodied past and vividly accurate grey future came flooding to mind.
"DEIGO, YUUKA-!"
Tightening their faces, Diego and Yuuka glanced back, demeanors warping into a fast-acting solicitude as they realized how misplaced they were from the rest of the group. Seeing their group lagging behind, they darted their eyes forward, their Annoyance and confusion soon breaking into a terror-driven halt upon seeing the rows of guns barreling in their direction. Little to no time to act as milliseconds of life-threatening silence threaded the air around them.
"Shit-!"
"H-HUH-!?
Brat-tat-tat-tat-!
Like a flash of lightning, muzzles ignited with sparks as a thundering wave of gunfire splattered the street with rounds, pinning Palus's squad down and completely crippling any advances they were making. Volley after volley of scorching hot lead further decimated the streets, blanketing its buildings with varying levels of destruction; cars, walls, trees, and windows, all of it wasnt safe from being peppered with bullet holes and dismantling.
Yuuka was slightly slow to act but fortunate enough to fling herself behind an abandoned car in the middle of the road, narrowly evading a brutal execution as pangs of metal striking metal vibrated the hull, coaxing it with entry holes. The most she lost was a few years of life and portions of fabric to her clothes.
Feeling the warmth of fluid drizzling down his shoulder, Diego realized he wasn't so lucky; There was a sizeable entry and exit wound on his upper shoulder, staining his black jacket with a deep maroon. Not having as keen reaction time as Yuuka, in addition to being bulkier in size, the Heavyset barely managed to lug his mass towards a shallow divot next to a building. Even then, he still needed to crawl the remaining distance - scarcely hunkering himself behind cover as best his size could allow him.
"Hng- Fuck, that hurts-!" Diego howled, Seething burns of pain coaxing his shoulder as he raised a hand towards the wound, gripping tight around the steady stream of blood.
Whipping his head around for salvation, the wounded man was short of a miracle; their entire squad was pinned. Yuuka and Deigo separated from the group a fair distance away, and even then, Palus, alongside the other Kivotos girls, was suppressed from the raging torrent of bullets.
"Hold 'em back till backup gets here!" One of the shooters declared.
The thugs were well aware of this, loosely staggering their shots to ensure a constant stream of saturation fire was present while others reloaded, giving no room for any strategic push from their opposition.
"Are you two alright-!?" Suzumi hollered, hardly flinging her voice across as she quickly turtled behind a wall as a bullet whipped towards her, chipping away at the concrete.
"Why did it have to be us out of all people?!" Yuuka ranted, tucking her head down with her hands on top.
"I'm hit-!" Diego tepidly called back, unbothered if his voice was heard, fully aware there wasn't much they could do. "Chica, you see me reeling in pain over here. What do you mean, 'Are you alright?!'"
The heavyset grunted in pain, cursing underneath his breath as he aimed his gaze up."And I swear to god Feng, get your hand outa your pants and start fucking shooting straight-! How the hell did you miss that bad!"
"Palus, we need a plan!?" Shiloh urged, locking eyes with the boy with a crinkled look as gunfire reverberated around their cover, in response tightening the grip on his submachine gun. "And we need it fast!"
"I swear I landed that shot-! I even saw them flinch in pain, so why are they even s-!" Feng radioed back, Panic in his voice as he tried testifying the disarray - only to be cut short as Palus shifted focus.
"Forget that for now! We need to turn this around!" Even as he attempted a purposeful rallying call, Palus knew how outnumbered and gunned they were. "Keep you're head down, Feng. They'll tear your head off!"
The initial plan of utilizing a surprise ambush to build up momentum for their push, completely shut down. A sudden and unpredicted factor, much like the jamming, completely turning what otherwise would've been an advantage into a crippling setback. No support, with no way to plea for help, the situation was almost like a succession of a similar fate the boys were long overdue.
"Surely they'll run out of ammo. Wouldn't they?" Suzumi suggested, triggering a vicious shake of the head from Palus.
"Even if they did, there's no telling just how much attention we're drawing onto ourselves by the time that happens!" Palus rebuked, cursing under his breath as he gripped his temples. "Don't forget we're still in a hot spot, and there's most likely strays wandering the AO!"
"Valkyrie also won't be able to buy an infinite amount of time for us." Chinatsu added, drawing out a frustrated grunt from Palus.
"If only we could call up some support!" Palus dedicated, forcing a deep groan from Yuuka as she fumed with frustration while ruffling up his hair.
"WITH WHAT?!" Yuuka wailed, brows narrowed like daggers with a voice as sharp as one. "Why are we just sitting around when we could be firing back!"
"You wanna be littered with holes or what!?" Arguing back, Palus slapped his forehead with his palms, groaning in frustration.
With the raging chaos swarming around him, the squad leader buckled down, eyes shrewd shut and a seething scowl donning his pressured facade.
"This can't be it, can it?" The words floated in Palus head, a rekindled dread surfacing itself from his vaulted thoughts. "Bold of me to envision this as a second chance, even if it were just the slightest of chances."
"Even with it, I still ended up making the same choices… The same twisted and distorted reality."
"Not much changed, huh… all in all, it's the same as last time."
This was different yet all familiar - Their carefully planned out move now a disorderly array of misfortune and unpredictable factors, painting a picturesque scene of failure. But this time, there was no running away.
"Sensei, wake up!"
"Palus Sensei, WAKE UP!"
A sharp voice tore its way to Palus, cutting through the torrent of backward thoughts typically left to linger as it pleases, splintering his consternation into an approachable reality. It was Hasumi, her voice channeling across with an unwavering look of determination to match the edge in her tone.
"You need to take command!" The Trinity student demanded, adamant on her statement, as she reinstated Palus of his role. "Whatever the order is, we can't just sit here!"
Reinforcing the idea, Shiloh locked eyes with the boy. "Palus, you need to make a choice."
Whether out of denial or incomprehension, the boy was stunned, needing a few seconds to level himself as he gripped tight around his resolve and banished any uncertainties; the fight wasn't over yet, not until there was no one else left standing.
"R-Righ-" Palus managed, only to be overshadowed by Yuuka hollering from her spot.
"GAH-! I AM NOT SITTING HERE!" The navy-haired girl was reaching well over her limit, fist clenched tight around her submachine gun as a heightened grimace tempered the girl's face.
Feeling and hearing a slight lull in their firing rate, Yuuka hopped on the opportunity, fed up with the one-sided fight and lack of calculated action - weapon in hand as she readied her legs to spring out from cover.
Palus caught on, eager as he was as well to push forward, they had one injured who should be priority, and she was recklessly lunging forth headfirst without any covering fire. It was pretty much suicide in his eyes, already picturing the gruesome and swift end to the girl's thoughtless approach.
"YUUKA, WAIT-!" The tormented leader cried out, a tightness in his throat weakening it to a croak.
Rising to her feet with reckless abandon, Palus was a second too late as a focused shot pinned the girl squarely on the chest. The crackle of the gunshot, alongside another quick succession of a few more follow-up shots, echoed through Palus' mind, almost taunting him as he watched helplessly, bearing witness to the young student staggering back flat onto the floor. Her carbon-black halo dimmed in color, its blue led fading alongside her body. The others could only watch from afar, faces frozen in terror and disbelief from the heart-wrenching exhibit of Yuukas' unmoving body; Not even a miracle could save her from that onslaught of confirmed hits.
The last of his resolve almost shattered as he slumped back against his cover, eyes slowly drained of energy. Shiloh, Feng, and Deigo remained silent, mouths agape, with a slight tremble forcing out the guilt and grief in their facial expressions.
Hearing an incoherent string of voices, Palus and the others could only drown out the noises as they processed everything that happened, falling into complete silence. It was only until a twitch from the presumed corpse did the boys perk their heads up, eyes blinking in disbelief with a shaky hand giving them a good rub in a feeble attempt to ensure their sanity wasn't casting a cruel illusion. They froze, bodies encased by hysteric mania - an entanglement of emotions, shock, dread and outright denial as they watched the body question their semblance of reality with each flicker of movement.
Denial only further strengthened as the downed girl let out a deep groan, dragging it on into a short, pained squeal while slowly stumbling back to a sitting position.
"O-Oww, that sm-hurts! What the heck?!" She cried, rubbing her stomach as her pained expression soured to an annoyed one. "That hurt a lot more than normal-!"
Still, in utter shock at the spectacle, the boys processed in silence despite the raging gunfire ensuing; it was far more than a miracle, borderline a work of magic to the boys. Aside from minor physical pain and a few stains to her clothing, not a single drop of blood, no wounds, no bullet holes, the girl was almost unscathed despite the fatality those gunshots should've caused.
"Ms. Yuuka, that move was beyond reckless." Hasumi chastised, sharpening an edge to her usually pensive tone. "I advise you to take cover and let sensei here take command."
The navy-haired girl puffed her chest out, raising a tight brow in unison with her frown. "That's what we HAVE been doing!"
"And it's not working! Besides, that hurt like heck!" She added, gazing down at her jacket and patting it down. "It could've left a bruise-! That's gotta be specialized ammo of some kind."
"Jacketed hollow points." Hasumi interjected, her gaze dropping to the floor as her eyes narrowed with concern. "Hardly illegal, but still pricer for a group of hooligans to have, let alone be firing with such carelessness."
Yuuka's frown worsened, an irritable twitch to her brows growing more apparent. "Well, starting next seminar meeting, they are officially banned in Millennium-!"
Roughening his composure, Diego was the first to snap out of the daze."I refuse to believe chica just tanked that shit!"
Still struggling to acknowledge what just happened, Palus brought a hand to his head, caressing the raging headache down to better comprehend the situation.
"Not even a scratch.." Palus uttered, mouth agape, completely dumbfounded. "Is this a regular thing..?"
"You're not from Kivotos. Unlike us, you four are at much greater risk of injury." Chinatsu met his gaze, sincerity in her golden eyes as if igniting a flame of hope in their grim circumstance.
"Exactly, so stay put while we take care of this!" Yuuka demanded, a genuine sincerity for their safety webbed underneath her harsh tone. "You can't join us on the battlefield."
The squad leader's head dropped to the floor, a razor-sharp scowl brandishing his mouth to mask the curse he mumbled, sealing his eyes shut as he bawled his fists in a fit of frustration - Not at them but to himself. On paper, obeying said order was a wise choice but a direct contradiction to everything he's sworn to himself from the beginning and further strengthened after being dropped into Kivotos.
He refused to cower here. Even now, anger flared inside him, processing his several moments of relapse before and during the operation. A polarity to his supposed resolve that was driving him forward with some semblance of purpose.
"Boss, if what they said is true, maybe we should j-"
"Whatever the plan is, I won't sit here and turn my back while others are fighting." Palus cut in, silencing Feng as he took a deep breath, caressing the tin canister in his pouch with a down look donning his Visage."Dying now, I could care less. Not again, and never again will I let that happen."
Now wasn't the time to betray his own vows. With a promise made and a goal in mind, now was the time to act and elevate those words to more than just moot claims. Palus wasn't gonna let himself fall victim to the same mistakes of the past, a burning and almost feral grit building inside as he gripped tight on his weapons grip, bearing clenched teeth. Countless times of reciting hollowed-out pledges for change but with no action to stake claim to them; now was the time to fix that.
Snapping his eyes open, Palus hardened his resolve, banishing any and all backward thoughts. In it's place, a narrowed glare of sheer focus and unwavering determination framed the squad leader's face as he hoisted his weapon. A contrasting shift from the prior meek and fearful expression they first exhibited, one that perked the entire group's attention - The Kivotos girls widened their eyes in response.
Shiloh merely smiled lightly, a genuine sentiment coating his deadpan look. "That's it, Palus.."
"Alright, everyone, focus up. let's turn this fight around." Palus adjured, garnering the group's focus as they matched the shift in Palus's tone. "There's a lot I still don't know about Kivotos, and that's my judgment and lack of knowledge to blame. Although part of me is still reluctantly throwing you all towards line of fire, it's clear you're all eager and more suited for this."
"That said, we won't be sitting out of this."
Palus turned his gaze to each of the girls, burying the pained look in his eyes behind the steeled expression; The girls merely nodded, curling their lips into a small smile.
"Let's not forget I'm still dying sitting out here-!" Deigo half-assedly yelled out, raising a weak hand before wincing in pain.
Chinatsu nodded, pushing her glasses up as she shifted her bag around. "I can stabilize his wounds."
Palus raised a brow, less doubtful but more so wanting background.
"Im the head of the medical committee in Gehhnna Academy." Chinatsu clarified, tightening her earnest look with a reassuring conviction for her abilities. "I won't have time for proper treatment, but I can administer a fast-acting syringe."
Humming in approval, Palus gave her a thumbs up as he looked at the others. "We first get Diego back on his feet. I don't know how this team dynamics gonna go about it, so I'm open to suggestions."
"I've analyzed the factors, and my calculations are perfect." Yuuka tipped her chin up, boasting a smug look as she cradled her submachine gun. "Allow me to lead."
Opening his mouth to reply, Palus was cut off as Yuuka raised a finger to her lips, donning a sly smile while drawing a rectangular phone-like device from her pockets. "You can go with confidence...My math is perfect."
Readying his weapon, Palus merely swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched the girl, his shaky gaze showing an ounce of concern. It did little to sway the student as she zoned in on her device, stoic confidence donning her neutral expression as she rapidly typed away on the screen's surface. Closing her eyes momentarily, she smiled smug, suddenly stopping to a halt as she cocked her head up, a deliberate faith in her skills tugging at the corners of the student's mischievous smile. "Enemy distance, estimated. Enemy strength sizeable. Current situation factored…Calculations are perfect, a truth that leads us to victory."
Stowing her device away and aiming down on her weapon, Yuuka maintained her confidence as she climbed to her feet, popping her body out of cover. As if ready to re-witness the earlier horror, Palus held his breath in angst, Placing faith in the mathematical girl's conviction with her numbers, whatever that meant.
An anxiety soon washed away by a surge of translucent color radiating from the girl, splashes of blue igniting around her in an extravagant flourish. A sphere veil of mystifying cobalt enveloped the girl as sheets of pentagons began warping themselves, layering and aligning themselves along the blue bubble to form a reinforced blanket of shields onto its surfaces.
"Our odds just went up. I'm going in-!" Yuuka exclaimed, clambering over the car and into the torrent of gunfire.
A formerly dangerous obstacle turned to a trivial matter, weaving her way through the street and advancing towards the wounded Diego as her shield shrugged off bullets. High-speed metal striking the cobalt surfaces merely vaporized into blue sizzles of smoke as each landed shot created a rippling effect and a subtle vibration to the blue veil. Despite its misty appearance, this shield was a sphere bulwark defense, stopping any gunfire daring to test its toughness.
"SHE JUST WHIPPED OUT A BUBBLE SHIELD-!" Feng gawked as he watched the girl draw fire, darting down the street, absorbing volley after volley. Palus paused momentarily as well, stupefied at the boisterous charge.
A shock short-lived, however, as Palus caught on fast to the newfound opportunity the navy-haired girl provided - flicking a switch inside as he bore a battle-hardened expression, brandishing his weapon and glancing over to the rest of his squad.
Locking eyes with Suzumi, the trinity student was ready to spring forward, weapon at the ready for orders. "Suzumi, you're with me."
"Hasumi, Feng, cover fire from the rear. Drop anyone trying to pick us off." Feng acknowledged through the radio as Hasumi nodded, posting her weapon along her cover, ready to line up her shots.
"Don't turtle up too much unless you want to be pinned down again." Readying himself, Palus glanced back at Chinatsu. "Keep the heat off of Yuuka and especially Chinatsu. Those two will be drawing the most fire."
Palus's eyes sharpened, relishing a quick breath of air as he gripped his weapon tight.
"Everyone move up-! Move cover to cover, don't get caught in the open!"
Capitalizing on their temporary advantage, the team sprung out of cover, rushing forward steadily. With Yuuka upfront taking the brunt of the heat and occasionally returning fire with her own gun, Palus and Suzumi followed, moving cover to cover and posting themselves, taking as many opportunities to let loose a small volley of bullets themselves.
Bang-! Bang-!
The two snipers of the group weren't sitting idle either; a down-range meticulous rhythm of gunfire from Hasumi below and a quick surge of burst fire from Feng above, forcing the thugs back down into cover or sending several to the floor groaning in pain.
From Feng's perspective, however, the few he did manage to empty enough rounds into fell limp on the ground, no blood, no lasting injury, but gone was their halo, flickering out as if it were a dying light bulb. Battle instincts told him to confirm his kills by adding an extra bullet for good measure, but something inside stopped the sniper. Was it guilt? Usually, no, but this time it was different. With all the action going around, Feng couldn't cobble together an appropriate time to notify Palus. Instead the sniper bit his tongue, continuing his firing as he banished a painful memory that was surfacing.
"They're not dead.." Feng thought to himself. Stowing away the thought as he kept on firing."So why am I holding back with the trigger?"
"Take out the one with the shield, and fast-! They're trying to move up!" One of the thugs ordered. A futile attempt to maintain their defensive line as the advancing group was approaching the formerly enemy-occupied line of cover. Yuuka was first to station themselves, then Suzumi and Palus. With Yuukas shield charging forth, passively blocking for her team and Palus, Suzumi, Feng and Hasumi sending aggressive target shots, the thugs were overwhelmed despite their numbers, sending them into a scramble as they desperately sought out something to hide behind.
"So far, it's turning out just as I calculated!" Yuuka boasted, as she shoved a fresh magazine into her gun.
Palus ducked down, narrowly avoiding a blast of returning fire as he cursed under his breath. "Don't get conceited-! We only managed to push them back-!"
Mid-reload, Palus's attention wandered to a downed goon, motionless on the ground. No blood, no notable injuries aside from a few bruises - just like Yuuka, except that their halos had disappeared; They weren't dead, but unconscious.
"They really all are that resilient..." He forced his mind to not linger, stowing the information as a mental note for Kivotos as he shifted focus back onto the fighting.
With their newfound foothold, even more thugs began to fall back, completely losing ground as Palus's squad forced the gang of thugs to retreat and regroup behind a new line of cover. Having forwarded their defensive position, Chiantsu has her opportunity to rush towards Diego as her team provided suppressing fire - still choosing to play it safe by weaving cover to cover, avoiding getting hit by a stray round.
Dropping on her knees near a toppled vending machine, Chinatsu caught her breath, peeking over to find Diego slumped against a wall, a short sprint away.
Mustering her legs to a run, she rushed over to the wounded boy, narrowly dodging bullets whizzing by as she skidded to a halt, crouching down to level her eyes with the injured boy.
"Let's take a look at those wounds." Chinatsu declared, reaching out a hand. Diego flinched slightly, dodging the medic's advance with a shifted stance as his face tightened into a wary glare - pain stabbing away at his arm from the sudden movement.
She didn't budge, burrowing her brows and inching herself closer as she placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, forceful in approach but easing down to a gentle caress as her lithe fingers brushed along the open wounds.
"Your wounds don't look too bad." Chinatsu evaluated, shrugging off her brown bag and digging through its contents. "A few bullet wounds, all with exit wounds."
"I can treat it." Whipping out a sizeable needle with green fluid, Diego started to sway around; She wouldn't allow it. With a bold glare to contend, she forced the heavyset still, one hand ready for administering the needle and the other holding down on his shoulder, gently to abstain pain but assertive enough to get her point across.
"Like it or not, you have to trust me here." The medic implored, a purposeful intensity in her golden eyes despite her delicate voice.
Dropping his head, Diego caved in, easing up his body with a long exhale as he tossed his gaze to the side, scowl diminishing into an almost somber-like apology.
"Sorry.."
Chinatsu merely nodded, easing her domineering act into a warmer look - a gentle smile tugging her lips before shifting to a solemn focus as she inserted the needle.
The contents began to shimmer in response, funneling its way further as the syringe slowly depleted all of the watery green substance. Upon entering Diego's bloodstream, his body began to tingle.
Green particles seeped out of his bullet wounds, vanishing into thin air as coats of opaque green enveloped the open wounds, stitching together the torn chunks. Seeing the almost arcane display, Diego began to feel the effects - a surge of energy, a mixture of adrenaline, release of tension as his body lightened in weight and the sluggish sensation taxing him faded. In its place, a brimming pool of vitality invigorated his nerves, a wonder of medical treatment that he almost couldn't believe if not for the stark contrast in how he felt.
Feeling along his body with both hands, Deigo couldn't feel a thing; No pain on top of an overall boost to his health. "How the hell did you-?"
"Best save those questions for later." Chinatsu urged, hunching over once more as she resituated herself with the ongoing battle. "Although your wounds are mended, albeit a little tender, the painkilling effect and vitality booster will ware off."
The boy hoisted himself to his feet, a small smile crept onto his face as he shouldered his shotgun. "Finish the fight before that happens, got it."
Paying the medic a glance, he mumbled under his breath, barely audible through the gunfire. "Thanks, I owe you one.."
Energized and fully reconditioned, Diego broke from his squat, sprinting to the frontline and breaking line of sight with any piece of cover he could makeshift on his way - feral resolve in his eyes with a twitchy trigger finger ready for reprisal.
"We're pushing them back!" Yuuka hollered, scattering the last few thugs out of cover with a wild burst from her submachine gun.
With Deigo now on his feet, and half the enemy in scrambles, loosely staggered around, a prime opportunity to finish this engagement presented itself. Palus was the first to initiate, rushing out of cover and weaving forward when an opening came.
"Everyone forward- Keep up our momentum!" The boy ordered, lunging his body behind a car and narrowly avoiding a burst of gunfire from the aggressor occupying the other side.
Snapping her head up, wide-eyed, glancing around her shield, Yuuka came to realization.
"My shields almost used up!"
Sharing the same panic as the Millinuem student, Palus gritted his teeth. A moment of hesitation instantly capitalized on as the thug leaped onto the car, weapon aimed straight at Palus.
Pap-Pap-Pap-!
Snaps of gunshots rung past as the attacker slumped over and on the ground, reeling the squad leader back into the action as he recovered.
"Stay focused, Sensei-!" Suzumi yelled, advancing forward while maneuvering a fresh mag into her AR. Posted onto the frontlines alongside Palus, Deigo, and Yuuka, the trinity student nodded, ditching her weapon on the ground and reaching into a waist pack she had.
Whipping out a familiar cylindrical device, the student pulled on its pin; Palus and the rest caught on immediately, crouching down, tightening their eyes with hands raised to shield their ears upon seeing the familiar device.
"FLASH GRENADE-!"
Like a catapult, Suzumi lobbed the grenade, whipping it forward in a clean arc as the explosive soared center on a mass of combatants, going off just centimeters from the ground.
BANG-!
A blinding flash bigger than usual alongside a snapping explosion erupted amongst the chaos, halting all gunfire and sending their opponents into lapses of disorientation and confusion as they entered a frenzy. Those unfortunate enough to be less than meters close to the blast were knocked out almost immediately. Some of them dropped their weapons, others shuffling around in a daze or crumpling onto the floor; All of them however, shared the same ear-ripping pressure as their ears rang alongside a vision-impairing blur of white clouded their eyes.
"MY EARS-! I CANT FEEL EM!"
"BLIND-! IM BLIND!
An orchestra of suffering enveloped the enemy side, completely disabling their attacks and placing everyone caught off guard into a debilitated state, a perfect one-sided shift on the battlefield Palus's squad was ready to act on.
"Give 'em hell-! Let's Finish them off!" Palus shouted, vaulting over his cover and leading the charge forward as the others quickly followed; They were halfway down the street. Palus, Diego, and Yuuka spearheaded their attackers in the front while Shiloh, Feng, Chinatsu and Hasumi covered from the rear, ensuring their blindsides were appropriately safeguarded from any daring attackers left unscathed.
Rushing forth, Yuuka was the first to initiate, brazenly pouncing past the enemy formation on their right as her shield faded away, tactfully positioning herself to group up three still weakened thugs on a loose firing line. A loosely stacked triplet of thugs all for the taking as Yuuka smiled smug. Left hand drawing her identical submachine gun from her waist and unleashing a storm of wild, almost uncontrolled duel-wielded gunfire given her petit frame, blanketing the thugs with rounds as they all tumbled limp to the ground upon her guns chattering empty after the last bullet.
Brrrrtttt-!
"If and only if." She taunted, raising her chin in a boisterous display of the mathematician's combat capabilities as she hunkered down, reloading both guns.
"Hmph- Not bad. Chicas got skills, a lil rough around the edges." Diego ditched his thoughts, full steaming ahead with a smirk as he saw a cluster of dazed thugs slowly clambering to their feet, the closest one with their weapons still on the ground. "Heh- like I'm one to talk."
A mountain-sized battering ram crashed into the first disorientated thug, shoulder-checking the miniature goon in comparison and flinging them towards a car, a brutal crunch followed by their body recoiling back from impact.
Still not finished, Diego emptied two shells on the downed target till they fell limp, seeing them unconscious but scoffing in exasperation as he turned his attention to more pressing threats; And more there was. Barely managing to climb to their feet, two more thugs slowly recovered from the explosion, visibly still suffering from a slew of after-effects evident by their sluggish response upon seeing the shotgun-wielding mountain. Whether it was the lingering daze from their disorientation or the noise still ringing in their ears, the thugs weren't ready in their weakened state. A weakness Diego instantly jumped on as he lunged forward, slipping his body to the left, narrowly predicting a telegraphed shot from a muzzle pointed at him.
Body still in motion, Diego shifted his stance from his dodge, using the momentum to wind up his shotgun and send a raging strike from the butt of his weapon toward their attacker's head. With a grunt alongside a sharp raw snap, the thug plummeted to the ground, finished off with another two-shot succession from Deigo's gun.
One more left, in the form of another barely standing goon, managing to aim down their weapons muzzle as they took several steps backward in retaliation - a clever move, placing Diego in a dangerous position. Not having enough time to align a shot, this one was too far to quickly close the gap and far enough for the shooter to readily re-align their gun with little movement or margin for error.
BOOM-!
A desperate attempt left in vain, as a saving bullet soared through the battlefield with a crackling snap, dropping the attacker in a heartbeat upon landing square on their head. Whipping his head up to the source, assuming it was Feng, Diego flung his head behind upon seeing the sniper above focused elsewhere - In the distance he could barely make up the blur that was Hasumi as she gestured a hand up with a little wave.
Thankful regardless, Diego mustered up a silent half-baked thanks, nodding his head despite going unnoticed as he fixated himself back to the fighting; Shotgun in hand as he dropped behind a car to reload.
From one body to the next, Palus's team was piling kill counts by the minute, sweeping through with a sloppy but aggressive wave of force, leaving them no opportunity to recover from the disruptive grenade Suzumi threw.
Seeing the familiar raging bull that was Diego plowing through hostiles like bowling pins, and the surprisingly deadly calculated hit-and-runs from Yuuka, Palus stormed forward. Eagerness and haste in his steps, ready to play his hand in the decisive push; a portion of it rubbing off onto Shiloh and Suzumi as they joined along, trailing behind.
On the left side, Diego and Yuuka were thinning their numbers, bodying small groups while Hasumi and Feng picked off any stragglers left behind, leaving Palus and the rest to cover the right side; The thugs' numbers dying fast, but so was the flash bangs effects. Catching up with the two, Palus immediately hunkered down behind cover, hugging close to the buildings on his right, away from the actual road - the casted shadows from overhead acting as a natural concealment as he stalked the area, watching close for any movement.
Shuffling from a few abandoned cars on the right side of the road - Six confused goons struggled to gain their bearings but soon acted at the sight of their comrades getting torn through as they shouldered their weapons.
Occupied on the left, Deigo and Yuuka weren't aware, too engrossed and focused on their own side to cover their right. Acting fast, Palus quickly analyzed the playing field; a workable amount of cover was strewn about, several cars, a parked van, road barriers, and a few piled sandbags from former occupants all acted as favorable terrain if used accordingly.
Seconds later, with a plan in mind, Palus shouldered his rifle, honing in through his scope as he leveled its crosshair on a thug unaware of his presence. Exhaling a stream of air, he stabilized his aim onto the thug's waist area. And with a gentle trigger pull, the gun roared to action, muzzle flashing and rising for a moment as a short burst of rounds pelted the thug on the torso and climbed its way up in unity to the recoil. Now Aware of Kivotos students' unreal durability, Palus re-aligned his crosshair upon seeing the goon drop to their knees; A quick two-tap burst finished the hostile off.
His concealment was compromised, the surroundings thugs immediately snapping to attention and panic as they witnessed their comrade drop. But Palus was quick to move, shifting cover fast as he dove behind an adjacent car, skittering around to the trunk area as he posted his rifle against the car's hull.
Seeing the thugs scrambling to cover, Palus capitalized off their confusion, repeating the same process with his gun as he dropped another attacker.
"Damnit, where the hell are they-!" One of the thugs barked, peppering the general area where the shots came from with blind returning fire.
"Urk-!" Another came crashing to the floor, the snapping and crackle of the gunshots ripping through the air followed by shattering glass; a deadly burst of rounds accurately landed on their head, instantly forcing them unconscious. The remaining three whipped their heads in response and landed their dilated eyes on a van to their left; its door windows cracked with three bullet holes.
"The van-! He's behind the van!" They relayed back, immediately forcing a reaction out of their remaining members as one sprinted to said van. with a thud, posting themselves in a crouch against the passenger seat doors while the other two scattered to cover behind several concrete road barriers.
Hearing the sound of shuffling followed by a sharp snap of a metal mechanism and a slide locking into place, the thug readied their weapon, aiming down their sights as they prepared to spring out.
A second later, leaving them little time to act, a flurry of rapid shots pierced and ricocheted along the hull, metal brutally tearing with a high-pitched crunch from the inside as holes littered the surface with a frightening cacophony of noise.
Vision blurring and with a disorientating ring in their ear, the thug dropped their gaze, only to see with their last amount of consciousness a spray of bullet holes littering the car door as a burning pain seared across their left side; the smell of gunpowder close.
With a grunt and a thud, the other two goons saw yet another member slump to the floor, unmoving. Panic began to overpower their sense of reasoning, tunnel visioning their weapon muzzles toward that direction.
BANG-!
A deadly mistake regarding their spacial awareness as a ripping hot pain coursed through their left leg, instantly numbing unresponsive as they dropped onto their other leg. Whipping their head up only to see a flash of reflection from the rooftop above; only for a second, however, as footsteps came fast approaching, instantly shifting focus as they attempted to aim their gun down while still downed.
Not that it was of any use as a hand came above and around the corner, gripping the top of their gun and shoving it off course, redirecting the gunfire. In a desperate act to recover, the downed thug attempted to crawl back, only to be stopped as a submachine gun peeked over his cover before they could adjust their aim and unleashed a mags worth of bullets; the pain only being brief as they soon lost consciousness.
"Palus, he's down-!" It was Shiloh, shifting to the other side of the barrier to confirm his kill as his now empty magazine clattered against the ground. Drawing a fresh mag from his vest, Shiloh jolted in movement, ducking down behind the barrier as a blur entered his peripherals; His weapon held tight as a torrent of rounds pelted the concrete, digging and chipping away at the surface.
Dug in deep, Shiloh attempted to peek over, only to be shrunken back down again as a too-close-for-comfort blast of gunfire came his way, striking the edge of the concrete and peppering his eyes with debris. Rubbing his eyes, Suzumi came into view, rushing forward on his left while maintaining a steady stream of returning fire to pin their target down and Chinatsu on his right, paying him a short glance as she slammed a new mag into her pistol.
"Providing covering fire!" Suzumi exclaimed, digging her head down to avoid a retaliatory strike before continuing her barrage.
As if speaking telepathically, Chinatsu and Shiloh traded affirming looks, readying their weapons as they glanced over their cover; their target was pinned, halo peeking over the top as more shots from Suzumi tore away at their position with her rifle.
Slipping off her bag in favor of more speed, Chinatsu gave the boy an earnest look."I'm with you."
Shiloh nodded back, both of them waiting for the pause in-between Suzumi's firing. Bursting forth, the two leaped out in unison, bee-lining their way forward as they split ways, joining back behind the enemy in a pincer attack as they aimed their weapons - leaving the thug in terror as they glanced between the two, unsure of who to target. An inescapable outcome soon met as the two emptied their mags in a rattling storm of gunfire, knocking the goon unconscious in mere seconds.
….
The last few crackles and snaps of gunfire slowed down to a stop, several unconscious bodies strewn about as the girls and boys scanned the battlefield. Still keeping their guards up as they did a final confirmation, the boys, especially, remaining a little worried and skeptical at the unmoving bodies, confident they['d spring up and land a lucky killing blow; the lack of actual entry wounds and blood only heightened their carefulness.
"Feng, give me confirmation.." Palus breathed, groaning from strain as the adrenaline rush began to unmask his aching body.
"Roger, boss." Feng replied.
"Haven't been in this much action as of late?"
Peering behind, almost whipping his gun back to action if not for the familiar voice, Hasumi came to view, meandering over with a smile and gesturing a hand up in peace to lower the boy's guard.
"Heh- if only it stayed that way." Palus joked wryly, rubbing the back of his head as he dropped to a squat, propping his body up with his rifle and patting his body down for any injuries.
"Sometimes the path people walk is one made specifically for them." Hasumi notioned, her tone growing gentle as she rubbed the embossings on her weapon. "Me personally, this line of work is a hard one but one I relish."
The boy merely scoffed, stifling a laugh as he shook his head, eyeing the motionless bodies around, stirring and shuffling as if getting out of bed in the morning - a chilling sight he knew he had to adjust to.
"Easy for you to say. I was seeing my life flash, trying to not get myself killed during all that." Palus humored, standing up as he waved the rest of his squad over.
"I understand your resolve, but surely it'd be safer if you merely stuck to a strictly commanding role?" The comment instantly made the boy freeze, coaxing a frown from Hasumi as she processed the rather tactful remark.
"No, that's not what commanding should be." Palus claimed, dropping the humoring grin into a slight scowl as he tightened his grip around his rifle. "As I said before, I'd rather be up here fighting alongside the people putting themselves in harm's way."
Hasumi nodded, a gentle smile creeping onto her face as she stowed away any points she wanted to make, allowing the boy to hold onto his virtues - A slight resemblance to the ones she harbored.
Seeing the rest of the team gathering around, Palus shifted focus."Everyone still standing?"
Suzumi nudged her head up, placing a hand on her chin as an innocent smile donned the girl's features. "The battle was much easier than I expected it to be-"
"Normally, when I deal with ruffians like this, they're merely nuisances. I was expecting this number of them would at least prove challenging." She mused, glancing back to the bodies strewn about as she shurgged. "I suppose they weren't the brightest."
"I know, right? A bunch of oafs with guns if you ask me." Yuuka agreed, scoffing as she dusted her jacket off. "The odds of us winning were guaranteed."
"Yeah, the same goes for the odds of us guys dying from a single shot out there." Diego jeered, rubbing his hair as he crossed his arms
"I think our victory without any casualties was largely in part of senseis commands~" Turning their attention to Palus, Hasumi's eyes fluttered as her expression softened.
The boy waved her off, turning his head away to hide the smirk creeping onto his lips."I barely did anything. Aside from one or two calls and almost losing it in the first half."
"This victory was thanks to you girls." His tone endearing and lightening up as he each gave them a genuine look of gratitude. Like a switch, though, the squad leader immediately swapped faces upon getting his thanks out. "Still, we're not done here- Take a moment to breathe, and we'll finish making our way to the Schale building."
Everyone nodded, re-hashing their equipment and counting up their ammunition as they took a moment to recover from the intense engagement.
"What about the bodies?" Diego walked over, eyeing the motionless but still alive bodies scattered around.
Thoughts began to swarm Palus's mind. With everything they've gone through, battles won, battles lost, and the instincts embedded in them, it was almost common sense to finish them off. Swaying in place, with a narrowed glare eyeing one of the thugs, it wasn't as blatant of an answer as Palus would've assumed; They were girls, similar in age to the ones in his team, presumably students given the nature of Kivotos before they turned to a life of crime. With the lack of knowledge he knew about Kivotos alongside a barbed memory surfacing from his vault of thoughts, Palus shook his head, seething a breath of air as he walked away and banished the bloodied imagery he conjured.
"Leave them." Palus ordered, earning a wrinkled look from Diego as he cocked his head - Palus silencing him before he could argue with a hand raised in the air. "Not our place to make that kind of call. Leave it to the general student council and their police forces."
….
"I admit, you girls fought well." Shiloh complimented, breaking the silence as he gave the girls a thumbs up.
Chinatsu smiled, thin streaks of pink coating her cheeks."The same can be said for your team as well. You all fight so differently yet complement the battle well with how adaptable your combat skills are."
"Gotta do what you gotta do to survive." Diego shrugged, loading new shells in his shotgun as he gave a firm rack.
"Still, I'm surprised.. Ya'll weren't half bad either." His eyes wandered over to Yuuka. The half-baked compliment coaxing a sheepish look from the girl as she tilted her head, blinking fast at the sudden praise.
"Thanks-?" She replied wearily, awkwardly shifting her gaze. Her eyes making their way over to Palus.
"See, what did I tell you?" Hasumi leaned in, nudging away at the girl and forcing an annoyed sigh.
"Okay, so maybe I'm starting to see why the student president chose them." She switched her demeanor with an eye roll, standing up straight as she spared the Trinity student a look."There is still a lot more to question as to why she chose them. If anything, their fighting capabilities I wouldn't even consider to be the main driving point for her decision-"
"That aside, I appreciate the help you all provided." Chinatsu added, earning a sparkling look of gratitude from all the different academy students - even Hasumi's usual sneer of disgust lightened up.
"I didn't expect to be fighting alongside such a broad cast today."
"Heh- neither did us." Diego admitted, passing the glasses-wearing girl a little nod."And uh- thanks again for patching me up."
"Of course, anytim-"
"Sorry to cut the icebreakers, but Palus, I got contact-" Feng interrupted, instantly putting Palus on edge as he reached for his radio.
"What do you have for me." Palus asked, dropping to a crouch and skittering to cover as he gestured the team to do the same - springing to alertness as they all donned their battle-hardened expressions.
"More bullshit you probably won't believe, but I got a masked chick with a rockin' hot bod in traditional Japanese wear walking down the road toward your position." Gasping in shock, Feng flipped his tone like a dime, breathing into the radio in an almost dry pant. "This chick has fox ears~"
As if the temperature suddenly shifted, Palus felt a searing heat ignite in his body, a scorching sensation that fuelled his alarm and forced sweat to bead down from his head despite the cool breeze as he pushed a clog in his throat with a nervous swallow. Connecting two and two with the debrief, he could only assume it was who he thought it was - the person of infamy that even those unfamiliar, like himself, shook with unease upon hearing people's grandiose declarations.
….
"Fufufu~ I can't wait for what's going to come next.."
A/N
Chapter five, and things only spice up from here on out. I've got some good ideas and interactions I want to add in the next couple of chapters involving a few certain general student council members. Really want to create a strong presence for these characters in regards to the actual world and overarching plot, so I'm gonna be digging deep to beef up the little in-betweens when going through the game's main story - hopefully, those readings are catching on to both the big and little add-ons i write in the story and their purposes.
Regardless this chapter was fun to write and a little challenging to play out the action. Here's hoping I didn't make the characters too overpowered, and they show clear weaknesses and vulnerabilities despite the brutal combat experiences they demonstrate.
Apologies for any inconsistencies or conventional writing errors, for I have been extremely busy with work and haven't had much time to write and scrutinize the text hundred times over; still managing to pump out updates though steadily!
Thanks again for reading. As always, I appreciate each and every single reader. Do share your thoughts, opinions and critiques - for I read each one of them regardless of if they're bad or not :) As always stay safe, treat each other with respect and ill catch you later.
-IBENZ_Mp4