Chapter 22: Was it worth it?
[Delta Team, Patch]
The first shot rang out soon to be followed by many more. Animalistic screams that seemed more nightmarish then real sounding off everywhere. Flashes of black in the corner of your eye are the only appearance the creatures were willing to make.
Pounding on the roof caught the two Headhunters attention. They had no qualms of joining the others firing. The bullets tore golf ball sized holes in the old wood roof sending dust and debris but not managing to so much as graze the beasts.
Oh what fun it was being in enemy territory…
Feet pounded on the ground as they rushed into the building the members of Delta Team had previously solely occupied. One of them gave orders to the others as they locked down the house. Four could see others doing the same in other buildings out the window.
They positioned themselves by the entrances and vantage points wasting no time in letting their weapons sing. A soldier fired on the door as something repeatedly ran into it. A cry of pain signaled his aim was on the mark.
"What's the situation?" Jacinto's voice was creepily calm.
A short burst rang through the comms before one of the Headhunters answered "Situation not good! We've encountered unknown hostiles!"
Out the window a Headhunter limped speedily to the house before being converged on. They were smaller than a human but incredibly lanky with long arms. They were hairless other than on their limbs and looked similar to a Beowulf. The Headhunter was helpless to stop them as they wrapped their long arms and legs around him, trapping him. They tore large amounts of flesh from his body in a feeding frenzy. The soldier collapsed on his knees not being able to stand the Grimms attacks any more but not before pulling something from his vest.
The Grimm were helpless to stop the fragments as they entered their body and left. The grenade did a good job at killing the Grimm, something the now dead Headhunter could be proud of.
"What do you mean unknown?" Jacinto breathed
"It's Leapers, sir" The Headhunter Lieutenant gazed at his fallen comrade for a moment before turning to Four and Leo "Make sure none of them get in through the back"
They nodded moving towards the area Four had secured when she entered the house. The door was still open as it had been left. Leo poked his head out to spot Leapers massed on top of another building's rooftop. He smirked as he leaned against the wall for support and unloaded on them. Leapers were built for speed not defense; the hailstorm shredded them to pieces.
"Thank you whoever did that" Came Lt's voice in their ears "Fuckers were tearing through that rotted shit like butter" The universe decided this was as good as a warning as a Leaper dropped down on an unexpecting Four. Unexpecting but not un-lethal.
The forced knocked her down with the Leaper on top, her forearm the only thing keeping it from enjoying her face. It snarled in her face sending drool bits flying on her goggles. She used its own pushing momentum to roll it to her side with their positions switching.
It clawed out making shallow cuts on her unarmored areas before its life was abruptly ended by a machete. The blade cut effortlessly through its arm and head in one swing.
Little time was left to celebrate though as another dropped from the hole looking to avenge its pack mate. Leo turned to shoot it but was stopped when he caught sight of others now focusing on his window.
The two killers circled each other in the big room waiting for the others guard to slip. Four smiled under her mask as she flipped the machete in her hand 'You're a thousand years to early' she thought confidently. She ran at the Grimm who seemed to be waiting for her. It lunged forward at the sniper attempting to grab her. Four dropped down when she was only a few feet away and slid past it, cutting its heel. In the same movement she was up and turning to vertically cut the Leapers arm from the elbow.
It tried and failed to stand, something the Headhunter took great pleasure in watching. The people who go through this shit are some sick twisted puppies. The Grimm could only howl in pain as Four reached over its head and jammed her fingers into its eye socket. She didn't stop there; she curled her finger inside its eyes around the top of its skull for a handhold as she severed its head.
The Headhunters were not only holding the overwhelming numbers back they were overpowering them. Evaporating Grimm bodies everywhere with only one causality to the Valeian men.
Leo gut shot another putting it on the ground before killing it with a shot to the head. Any other person would be panicking in this situation, Leo a veteran with the Headhunters for over twenty years saw panic for what it was. Weakness.
"This aint so bad" laughed Biggs "I was expecting something difficult!"
"Less talking more shooting" Ordered Lt
"Don't have to tell me twice!"
[Delta-Four, Patch]
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Shut up Biggs. The Leapers head wasn't even something id show to kids to scare them. If Grimm bodies didn't evaporate this would a horrible trophy. I tossed it.
My weapons stock was sticking out from under a bed where it must have been knocked out of my hands. I picked it up and moved behind Leo to where I could watch the large hole. I was expecting White Fang, not Grimm. Why they were even here was a mystery all its self.
They were weak. Extremely weak. They relied on surprise attacks making them easy pickings in an all-out fight.
I could hear the gunfire beginning to quiet down, running straight at people with guns never was a smart thing to do. Smirking to myself I took off towards a dresser underneath the gap in the ceiling and used it as a stepping stone to jump up and grasp a rafter jutting out. I pulled myself up out of the hole.
The Grimm on the roof seemed quite pleased at this as they dropped whatever they were doing and charged me. I rolled my eyes as I side stepped a leap and rolled off the roof. Out in open and vulnerable made me the perfect prey.
I could hear them hitting the ground around me as I took off around the house to our left gaining their attackers attention. One landed in front of me to stand in my path. He growled his challenge to me.
I didn't even lose any speed as I ran him over.
I turned the corner and slid underneath a fallen tree to get to the other side. I felt so alive in the field. A Leaper missed his target and hit another who was also in mid leap. They were ignoring the gunfire to do as their instincts told them, horde the easy prey.
I passed a fellow Headhunter in a window of the third building, he seemed confused. I was confused. What the hell was I doing? It pays to be a winner, what a great story this will make to tell the girls. I can see them now in their tight slutty outfits with their hair down an-
My rare perverted thoughts weren't happy about being cut off but the Leaper who had landed on me, pushing me into the ground, was a much bigger problem than my dying libido.
I looked up to see I was exactly where I wanted to be. I put my hands over my head as Leo's light machine gun turned my gathered group into a pile of flesh and severed limbs. The leaper fell on top of me with most of its chest missing, a fate many of his friends shared.
They fell around me still trying to get to the lone prey, too stupid to realize what they had just walked right in to. "Just another day in the Army !" I sang underneath my Grimm shield. I was feeling talkative for once with the adrenaline running through my veins.
The last body fell inches away from me. I uncovered my head to see Leo climbing out of the window with his gun smoking. What a great friend he makes sometimes.
He looked around making sure he wasn't going to be attacked before turning on me with a stern look "What the hell was that?"
"Me being amazing?" I smiled broadly "By the way those kills are mine"
"Give me a second to run this through my head" he said while pinching his nose "I tell you that you're going fucking crazy and you deny it but at the same time you pull shit like this?!"
The lecturing did nothing to my smile. I stuck out my fist and tilted my head.
He continued to give me 'the stare' until he got that I wasn't going to let this go. He shook his "If you're going for cute you should probably take off that damn mask and helmet" he sighed before giving me my rightfully earned fist bump "Just tone it down please"
"Yes sir" I mocked a salute. I could see the others coming behind him, I was going to milk this for all it was worth.
A hand stopped me. Leo leaned in while pinching his mike to cut himself off "Hide behind a number as much as you want, you're only human Snow." The use of my last name surprised me, only him and Lt knew it. "Come with me"
"What?"
"Your enlistment ends in a month…." He trailed off "Come live with me and my family"
Come live with him? What was this? "Why are you saying this?"
"You don't wasn't this for another decade trust me. I'm giving you a chance to get out of this life. You would be apart of our family, we could get you into college or even help you apply for huntress classes, you're a little old for the schools but I'm sure we can find trainers if that's something you want to do" he whispered while squeezing my shoulders "The point is come with me"
Thing every orphan dreams of having was being offered to me no strings attached. The thing I had waited and waited for in that damn orphanage. This man was inviting me to his family. "Leo…"
"You can call me daddy if you like" he teased
I had to turn him down. I didn't survive while everyone else died just so I could live out the rest of my life happy. That would be spitting on their graves. I guess that makes me selfish…
"Leo I-"
A gunshot
Blood splattered on my goggles "Leo!"
[Bravo, Fort Amada]
"What the fuck is going on Bravo?" Auburn demanded. I learned their names but they couldn't event call me by my right designation.
"Why the fuck did we lead that thing here?" yelled Thomas. I did do this but why am I immediately being blamed?
"Are you going to answer us?!" added Leon. Have I before?
"You're apart of this team Bravo but so dust help me if I find out that you had any hand on this…." He left the rest to imagination. So sleepy…
From the moment the crafts opened their doors they were on me like white on rice. I didn't mind, with what was about to happen in the eastern part of Vale they will need someone to pin the guilt on and guess who that someone is. And bingo was his namo. The yelling was only getting louder too. Our jobs over why can't you guys just go away? Dust that staircase looks comfortable, perfect place to sleep.
They followed me….
"Where do you think you're going asshole?" To sleep Auburn, to sleep.
I follow my orders, I don't see the problem. "Return to your rooms Alpha" I ordered not leaving no room for arguments. My position has its perk. I cried mentally as I pictured me barking like a dog on Vespin's lap and him slowly stroking my mane. Lap dog, that's what I am.
Alpha was pissed at me. I'm sure I'll miss some sleep on that one. On the point though one thing that has made me lose sleep was when they took MY FUCKING MACHETE! You just don't do that! I was so close to getting Adam's head! The Adam! My baby! My poor adolescent baby!
Dust one of them is still here. Damn you inner monologue making me look like an idiot. Fuck you man we only think what you tell us too! Well you can go tell myself to fuck off! I have issues. Fuck you and your issues! She's still here!
"Staff sergeant?" I asked in a dead tone
She smiled sweetly "Your arm" she pointed "It injured"
Indeed it was. When I saved that Leon asshole from becoming an appetizer I caught it on a pointy thing. Maybe my intentions were pure maybe they weren't. "Don't worry about it"
She linked her arms around me in an awkward tight hug. You will not give in. You will not give in. Sir, the southern tower is requesting permission to erect! Permission denied! "Staff sergeant, join your team" I ordered while taking her arms off me and strutting off like a badass.
Why does my ass feel numb? I felt around and found something metallic where it had NO right being. I pulled it out of my ass cheek and held it up to my face. A syringe? Well that's weird when did I start looking at the ceiling? The girl stepped into my line of vision still smiling sweetly.
Hell hath no fury like a woman.