Anon: Now here's the next chapter :D
Elsword: *Reads through the whole chapter* We're still not in it! *Pulls out a Muffin Blaster*
Raven: Now there Elsword, why don't you put that away and- *Gets blasted*
Elsword: I DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU! *Straps two bandoliers of Muffin Grenades and duel wields Muffin Blasters*
Anon: You do know that the Muffin Overlord won't like you touching her Muffin Weapons...
Elsword: *Pulls out duel Muffin Knives* So what? What is she going to do?
Anon: Aren't those...
Elsword: Her experimental Muffin Knives? Yes, yes they are.
Gophers: *Runs at Elsword raging*
Elsword: Ahhh, nope. *Blasts and stabs them all*
Anon: And she won't like you killing her gophers either...
Elsword: Now let's go on a hunt for Chi *Demonic aura and storms out of the room*
Aisha: 10 bucks that he'll get his ass kicked by Chi!
Chung: 20 on some decapitation!
Rena: *Mourning over Raven's death*
I'm also changing up Ember's appearance from the Mobile Artillery to the Aegis Guardian haircut.
Field Operation
Blaze's POV:
Moving to Fort Kopervich, we entered into the Marine Scout Sniper training program. The beginning of it wasn't that different from the training that we've done at Fort Cerulean, with a tough physical exam but the differences stop there. Since we were proficient with the M4 and M14EBR assault rifle, we all focused more on the sniper rifle in the multiple variants coming from the M40A4 bolt-action rifle, to the M107 semiautomatic anti-vehicle rifle, to this new semiautomatic M110 sniper rifle. With firing those weapons, I find that I prefer the M40 over the M110 over my own preferences with my sister the opposite of me, but there was one rifle that I found a really good liking too. Just before the war sprung up, the Marines received a new sniper rifle, in a .338 Lapua, called the M-RAD. (Sorry for those who I'm boring to death with gun facts...This just really brings the gun nerd in me out XD so sorry for those and be warned that he will make more appearances as we go on.) Some might think that the M-RAD is a big weapon to carry around, but the weight is manageable along with it's length with the stock folded over and the knock down power and the range that it has makes up for it's size. Also being able to break it down in the field if needed or to change out the parts for a smaller caliber rifle only adds to the fun with it.
In the three months that we've spent at Fort Kopervich, we were taught in ways in spotting targets, camouflage, radio communication, which my sister specialized in. We were taught are other tactics to keep from being detected along with working with other sniper units and my own spotter, who happened to be my sister as well. Both of us, and the other trainees we joined when we came to Kopervich, have just completed the training course and we now wait for our deployment orders. I was in the armory, along with multiple other soldiers checking their weapons, and I had my assigned M-RAD broken down and inspecting the internal parts when my sister came in.
"Just got a message telling us to get to the briefing room in five." I nodded and reassembled the rifle, placing it back in its rifle rack, and we walked over to the briefing room. Most of the seats were all ready taken and we took up two free seats near the back of the room and I had pen and paper to take notes on. Once a few more soldiers arrived, the briefing began.
"Todays mission is for a small ground force to infiltrate and destroy an enemy outpost just outside one of many occupied towns, freeing them and push back the enemies line. Bravo Alpha-0 will be the infiltration squad to take over the outpost with sniper cover from Theta-38 and 07 code named Snake Pit." Some of them turned towards the two of us and I paid no attention to them as the briefing continued. "Leading Bravo Alpha-0 will be Sergeant Major Lowe. Snake Pit will be infiltrating the camps perimeter a few days in advance and set up a snipers hide to start relaying information to Charlie Omega on the camps strength and what type of resistance would be held. The AO is a green vegetated area so bring your guilly suits. Snake Pit will be inserted via helicopter, two days before Bravo Alpha-0's team is dropped in to secure the area. Once it's secured, Snake Pit will meet up with Bravo Alpha-0 and hold the area until our forces can arrive to take over the outpost. Pack up and study up Snake Pit because you're being inserted tomorrow. Dismissed." Everyone started to get up and I scribbled one last thing down on my sheet of paper before standing up and headed out with my sister.
We both retrieved out rucksack and started to fill it with our essentials items. A radio, food rations, tow canteens with water on the side pouches and a camel back full of water, a sheet of canvas for an urban hide with some tent polls, a bullet proof vest. Night optics for my sniper rifle, a range finder, binoculars, five mags. for my pistol and 10 mags. for my M-RAD. My sister did the same with hers, except she loaded up with a M110 sniper rifle. Finishing our packing, we hit the hay quickly knowing that we're going to be taking off early in the morning.
The moon was still up in the sky but it was nearing the horizon as both myself and my sister loaded up into the Blackhawk before taking off into the night sky. Twenty minutes passed as we flew through the air and we both loaded our weapons as we neared the insertion point. With the Blackhawk touching down, we disembarked quickly and held a little defensive circle with the heli's gunner gun at the ready as they flew up quickly before disappearing into the night sky. We remained in the same position with our heads on a swivel for a minute before we started our hike over to our observation location. We slowly poked our way through the forest until the enemy outpost was visible in the distance through our night vision goggles. We continued until we reached a great spot fare enough away from the outpost to not be spotted easily yet still have a view on the whole outpost. We made a little ditch and made a little roof out of the fallen trees around us before we set up our two sniper rifles pointed at the outpost with the barrels barley sticking out. The little hide was small enough to sit up and my sister set up the radio as I started to survey the area.
"Snake Pit, Snake Pit, to Charlie Omega, over."
"This is Charlie Omega actual. Go on Snake Pit, over."
"We've set up our hideout over the enemy base, over."
"Roger that Snake Pit. Begin your observation and start relaying details back to us, over."
"Roger that Charlie Omega, Snake Pit, out." She hung up the radio before laying prone next to me to make observations. We took shifts from observing the area to guarding the entrance and when breakfast came around before we radioed back more info we obtained. That cycle went on for another two days when Charlie Omega radioed back.
"Charlie Omega to Snake Pit, do you read? Over." My sister crawled over and picked up the transceiver and called back.
"This is Snake Pit actual, we read you Charlie Omega, over."
"Operation Foot Print is about to commence. Bravo Alpha-0 will be in range for your ear piece radio and you'll be communicating with them through that. Their chopper is only a few klicks out from the camps location and you're both declared hot to engage the enemy when the lead starts flying, over."
"Roger that Charlie Omega. Snake Pit, out." With the end of that, Ember laid prone next to me before flipping off the safety.
"So, Bravo Alpha-0 is coming in?"
"They are and now it's to get ready to provide support." She pulled back the bolt of her rifle and it snapped forward with a click. I flicked off my own safety and pulled the bolt back slightly on my rifle to check if a bullet was loaded before pushing it forward.
"Zero our scopes down in the center of the camp. From there we can make the small mill adjustments if they're farther away and when they're closer." We lay still as we wait for the choppers arrival when a voice came over our headsets.
"Bravo Alpha-0 to Snake Pit, do you copy?"
"This is Snake Pit, we copy you Bravo Alpha-0."
"Right, we're about 1 klick from the target. We want you to take out the guard tower machine gunners in the towers so it will be a bit safer while the chopper touches down. When we're touching down, can you also take out as many targets you can?"
"Roger that Bravo Alpha-0, Snake Pit, out." I shifted my aim up to the gunners position and timed my breathing.
"We'll take both of them out at the at the same time. I got the far one, range 650 yards. You got the other one at about 550 yards."
"I see him."
"All right. Three. Two. One. Send it." We both fired at the same time and I could see through my scope the vapor trail left from the bullet arc through the sky until it impacted the gunners head in a red mist and he crumpled to the ground. I look around at the other ground patrols and they haven't noticed anything yet.
"Tangos down and still undetected." I crank the bolt loading a fresh round in the chamber as I shifted around to mark where all the other targets were located. They all still had no clue to our presence and kept on their own duties when one of them started to panic and pointed up at the sky. I listened closely to hear a soft thump of chopper blades coming up and I placed my hand against the headphone.
"Bravo Alpha-0, Bravo Alpha-0, is that you we're hearing?" Just then three Blackhawk helicopters came into view and the miniguns mounted on their sides started cranking up in a roar firing bullets into the surprised enemy militants. "Err...cancel that last transmission, over."
"Roof, roof!" I turn my attention to the roof as my sister kept on firing at the enemy when I saw one of them with an RPG aimed at the choppers. I fired quickly hitting him in the chest causing him to tense up and aim up as he fired the RPG off and it arced over the helicopter. Racking the bolt, I went after another one who was firing up at the helicopter as the ground team repealed down from their birds.
"Ember, you got the ground targets, I'll get the ones on the roof." I didn't get a verbal response but one with her M110 chatter. I see a door starting to open up and I sent a round through the door to have it slam shut. It tried to open again and I could see a shadowy figure of a head peak up through the stairs. I placed my crosshairs on it and pulled the trigger to see a dark splatter on the wall behind him and have his head snap backwards before disappearing.
"Bravo Alpha-0 deployed, Nomad 24, 06, and 38 pulling out." One of the pilots said over the radio when I spotted another person standing on a roof with another RPG shouldered and aimed at the ascending Blackhawks. I shifted over and fired but too late. As the bullet hit him and tore through his chest, he had already fired off the RPG and the rocket hit the tail of one of the fleeing Blackhawks.
"Shit!"
"Mayday, mayday! This is Nomad-06, we're hit! Tail rotator hit and burning, we're out of control! Mayday, mayday-" The frantic voice of the pilot cut out as the Blackhawk careened into the ground sending up dust.
"This is Bravo Alpha-0 to Charlie Omega, Blackhawk down but still mostly intact."
"This is Charlie Omega, roger that, send in some troops to check for survivors over."
"Bravo Alpha-0, roger that! Remeraz, Joannes, and Lento, go in and check for survivors. Snake Pit, provide sniper support, everyone else, lay down suppressive fire. Nomad squad, stay at a safe distance and be ready for a medevac!" Three people branched off of the main group and headed towards the crashed chopper with the others continuing on with the siege. We both shifted over the the crashed chopper site to see that multiple enemy units all ready moving in on the crash site and we engaged them. Some of them tried to run but were cut down by the three marines that were sent to it. Another one came around the corner and brought his gun up but dropped it as my bullet pierced through his chest.
"This is Lento, both the pilots and gunners are alive but wounded." I swapped out for a fresh mag. before pushing the bolt forward continuing to fire away at them.
"This is Nomad-24, we're inbound for medevac. Clean up the landing area of the hostiles so we can land and get our boys out of there."
"This is Bravo Alpha-2, we're encountering fierce enemy fire from a gunner position! We can't advance any farther and we can't get into a position to silence is!" I shifted from the landing zone sending a round at the gunner turning the upper part of his head into a fine red mist. We both kept the fire coming down on them until we got an all clear from Lowe telling us that no more enemy forces were found. The two pilots and gunners were air lifted out of there and carried back to base. Through the whole fire fight, I went through 30 rounds of ammunition with my sister 40. Spent cartridges littered the hide and we packed up our gear and destroyed the rest of our position before making our way down to the outpost. We were still under the forests cover when we saw the others in the center. My sister and I threw an arm up in greetings as we exited the forests cover and Lowe turned towards us and waved back.
"Nice job you two, your sniper cover and intelligence you gathered has led this raid to victory."
"Thank you sir." We both saluted him and he was about to salute back when blood splattered into my face causing me to stumble backwards. I hit the ground and look up to see Lowe clutching at a hole in his neck trying to stop the crimson flow to no success when another shot went off just over my head.
"Shit, sniper!" My sister dragged me behind one of the buildings and everyone was shooting in all directions as the medic pulled Lowe's body into a buildings garage. The rest pulled back behind the buildings wall and other joined up with the medic and Lowe.
"God damn it, Sergeant Major Lowe is dead!"
"What do we do now!? Lowe is dead and there's a sniper out there!" The radio was abuzz with the frantic chattering now that our leader is gone and I couldn't take it anymore.
"Everyone just shut the fuck up!" The chatter died instantly and I sighed irritably as I thought.
"Listen, panicking won't help us in our current situation so listen up. You on the front corner, what's your name?"
"J-Joannes sir!" I pulled out a small mirror and edged to the corner before placing my hand back on the headset.
"Joannes, I want you to put your helmet on the tip of your rifle and edge it our as if you were going to lean out to take a peak." He nodded and did that while I watched with my mirror around the corner for any signs of the snipers whereabouts. Joannes's helmet got thwacked with a bullet and he pulled it back quickly before placing it back on his head and I could see a slight disturbance in vegetation in a dark area and I replaced the mirror.
"All right, I found his location. He's up on one of the hills in front of us. When I give the word, everyone will unload into that hill giving myself and Ember enough time to get a bullet on target." Two people with 240B's pulled back their charging handle as they braced themselves to lay down suppressing fire with the others checking their weapons.
"All right. Three! Two! One, suppressing!" They all popped out opening fire into the hill and a bullet was received high above us on one of the buildings walls. Ember and I popped out and lines up our sight on the target location. I spotted the sniper and lined up his head inside the crosshairs before pulling the trigger. I could see the target tense up before slumping over and everyone started to cheer as I let out a sigh of relief. I took a quick swig from my water canteen when the radio went up.
"Charlie Omega to Bravo Alpha-0, do you read over?"
"Charlie Omega, this is Snake Pit, Bravo Alpha-0 commanding officer, Sergeant Major Lowe, is dead and I've taken control over Bravo Alpha squad."
"Roger that Snake Pit. Hold the area until friendly reinforcements arrive."
"Roger that. By the way, is it known if there's any enemy reinforcements on their way?"
"Sorry, but no information is available at this time Snake Pit. I suggest that you set be prepared for anything, over."
"Is there any chance we could have a air unit close by for come close air support?"
"There aren't any Apache squadrons available at the time but there's a squadron of A-10's on stand by."
"Good enough, send them over."
"Roger, arrival time for those A-10's approximately 5 minutes."
"Roger that, Snake Pit, out." I hung up and walked over to the rest of the unit to get them organized. "So, how much ammo is left?"
"Only about 500 rounds each for the 240's and some for our M4's."
"Have we checked this bases supply depot?"
"Not yet sir, Maurice, Clarkson! Go check on the enemies supply depot!" Two more soldiers ran off and asked for two others to come with them and I looked around the area.
'Man, my training didn't cover me in leading a platoon.' I thought as I rubbed my hand through my hair.
"I guess that that road is the only place to enter this base from that side?"
"That's right sir." I looked around at the building and found two that looked good enough to form a defense from when Maurice and Clarkson came back.
"Sir, there's plenty of ammo to go around us all." I nodded before pointing to the two buildings I spotted earlier.
"Good, I want machine gun nests set up in those two buildings on the roofs and windows, and an RPG bay in that buildings entrance." They nodded and everyone went to work on getting the base prepared. As they got that ready, I set up a new sniper hide in one of the taller buildings with Ember when one of the soldiers called over the radio to tell me that everything was done and everyone was in position. I was in the sniper hide with my three mags. laid out for quick reloads along with Ember the same and we both re-zeroed and ranged specific objects out when we saw some movement.
"Everybody stay on alert, an enemy jeep has been sighted making their way to this base." I got a roger in response and I leaned my head over to view the sight with my optics when the jeep came into view.
"Synchronize our shots into the driver."
"Got it."
"On my mark. Three. Two, one. Send it." We both shot and the drivers window spidered and coated in a crimson red before swerving into a tree before we finished off the passenger and gunner when Charlie Omega came back online.
"This is Charlie Omega, Snake Pit, you have a large enemy force coming your way."
"This is Snake Pit, roger that. Any idea how much longer till the air support arrives?"
"About two more minutes out."
"Well that's just fucking great." I muttered as I got back into my sights.
At first, nothing had happened but then multiple trucks carrying multiple troops in the back started to roll forward with an APC in the back of them.
"I want you all to hold your fire until I give the command."
"Roger that." I looked through counting at least 10 troops in the back with three in the front with each truck and who knows how many there are in the APC.
"Jinkans, use that RPG to take out that APC when you get a shot. Don't waste it on those trucks."
"Got it."
"Now everyone, open fire!"
Machine gun chatter erupted from both the buildings as both Ember and I took out the driver again in the first truck and blood splattered onto the window as it swerved off the road and the troops dismounted as did the others giving way to the APC. It skidded to a stop unloading its troops quickly before going ahead with it's gun firing. Just as Jinkans was instructed, he fired the RPG at the APC hitting it dead center. It burst into flames as it rolled off to the side harmlessly before blowing up. We were thinning out the enemy troops as they advanced and I was on my second to last clip when a tank raced around the corner. I saw an RPG go off and it hit in front of the tank doing no damage to it as it barreled towards us. It's turret swung to the side and fired off it's main gun where Jinkans was and the buildings shook with a violent tremble.
"Shit, Jinkans, respond!" Silence. "Jinkans! Shit, the fuckers got him!" I looked behind me to see Remeraz coming down with the second gunner that was on top of the building.
"It got to hot up there for us to stay there."
"That's OK but how are we going to deal with that ta-"
"Shit! Everyone get back!" I heard my sister yell as she pushed back from the table we used, to brace our rifle, with her rifle and I turned around to see the tanks barrel aimed at us.
"Shit!" I pull up my rifle up as I got up and turned around to run through the door behind everyone else when the tanks main gun fired. I was sent flying by the explosion and I found myself face down in the floor with small pieces of rubble landing on my and dust surrounding me. My ears were ringing from the explosion and my vision was blurred as I coughed and rolled myself over. I looked down to see my rifle still in my hand miraculously and I looked through the blurriness to see Remeraz Beside me firing away with his 240B and my sister over me as she grabbed the back of my collar and pulled be through the door way with Remeraz following behind. I looked through the door, out of the giant hole, that used to make up the window and most of the wall, to see even more infantry trucks coming up as my vision cleared and the ringing stopped.
"God, these fuckers still keep on coming!"
"Charlie Omega, this is Snake Pit, what's our ETA for our air support!?" My sister yelled into the radio.
"You're air support has arrived." A calm male voice came over the radio. "This is the Stingray squadron, the air support you called for earlier."
"Thank god you're here!" I grabbed onto a door handle to help lift myself up to a standing position. "Stingray, target that tank! Light that mother fucker up!" Though I couldn't see the aircraft through the ceiling, I could defiantly hear it as it fly above us and a distinct noise of a missiles firing was inevitable and was confirmed as the tank was blown to bits by two antitank missiles.
"Fire run complete. Give us the next target."
"Target those infantry and around those vehicle."
"Roger that, turning to engage." The sound of them going over us for an attack run sounded again, this time, instead of a missile being fired, the roar of the A-10's gatling gun sounded and the 30mm bullet impacted the ground shredding the trucks into cheese and obliterating any unlucky enemy to catch one of those bullets.
"Attack run complete. No more enemies spotted. Stingray squadron returning to base."
"Thanks for your support Stingray." I place my hand down from the headphones to hear the cheers of everyone in protecting this base when our own transports arrived and filled through here. We might have defended this new base of operations, we still suffered losses of our own. Two of our soldiers were killed, including the commanding officer, and a few of us were injured from the fight, but it could have gone much worse. I sat on one of the benches watching the bustle of workers moving into the buildings around us and setting things up when my sister patted me on the back.
"Nice job commanding there little brother."
"That might be but I'm not one for leading."
"But, you did get everyone in line and put yourself in the leader position and successfully organized us into a good defense so don't say that you didn't do a good job." She gave me a slight noogy and I gave a slight chuckle when I a helicopter touched down.
"Well, there's our ride. Lets get back home." We waved good bye to the rest of the Bravo Alpha squad before the helicopter took off and started to fly us back to Fort Kopervich. Once we set down and unloaded all of our gear, we were debriefed before we were ordered over to our commander, General Hoffman, room. We entered and saluted him and he saluted back before motioning his hand to the two chairs.
"Please, take a seat." We did before he continued. "As from what I and the other high ranking officers have been discussing as we heard about your feats in combat with not only reorganizing a disorganized unit after the Lowe's death, but you both have also organized them into a success full defensive position. Now through these feats in combat, and many other discussed topics, we've decided to promote you both. Congratulation Sergeant Major Blaze and Sergeant Major Ember."
"Thank you sir!" We saluted him again and he did back to us.
"There's one other thing that I have for the two of you. There's a secret group inside our military that takes elite men and women, like you two, and form them all together to create an elite unit. Few know of their existence and they're used for missions that are too sensitive for the regular marines and army to handle. They accomplish all their missions with the use of their highly advanced technology and training."
"Why are you telling this to us sir?"
"Because you two have been asked to join them. You two are now the Ghosts of the battlefield. You'll be fighting with the best of the best in every branch of our military and you're shipping out today. Dismissed." Saluting once more, we left to pack our things and finished with that, we made our way onto the runway to have an Osprey touch down with a symbol I've never seen before. It was a dark metallic blue skull with some sort of mask on it which must be the Ghost's symbol. The rotors died down and the back of the Osprey opened up to have a tall male, with blue eyes, and blond hair that's parted off to the right and is in a long pony tale in the back. There were also some brown tips at the end of a piece of his hair that made him look like he has some Pikachu ears. His uniform also had the same symbol that was on the side of the aircraft on his on his right shoulder.
"So, are you the two new guys command has told us about?"
"We are."
"Good. The names Chung by the way."
"Ember."
"Blaze."
"All right then Ember, Blaze, why don't you get into the V-TAL to get us back to Fort Sapphire to meet up with the rest of Delta Squad." He went back inside the V-TAL and I looked over at my sister to see that she had her day dreamy face on and I nudged her with my shoulder.
"Does someone have a crush on a certain person?"
"What? I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on Ember, you had that dreamy face on~."
"Sh-shut up." She said flustered as she boarded the V-TAL. I laughed as I followed her in to see Chung talking with I guess was our pilot whose flight suit had the same emblem that Chung has on his. She was a white haired girl with golden eyes and she looked about my age, maybe a bit older, and was shorter than Chung. She looked away from Chung to see as and she went up with a smile to meet us.
"So you're the new recruits for Delta Squad?"
"We are."
"Might I ask your names?" Her voice was soft and sweet but at the same time commanding and have some authority behind it.
"I'm Blaze."
"Ember."
"Nice to meet the two of you. I'm Eve, the pilot and robotics expert in Delta Squad and I'm guessing that you're both the sniper/recon of the team along with the communications expert in the group?"
"I guess you could say that."
"Well, you three strap in for our captain really wants to meet the two of you." I looked at her as she turned around and walked into the pilots seat and my sister punched me in the arm.
"And you're the one that says that I've got a crush on someone here~?" She teased.
"Oh shut up you." I leaned back as the rear hatch closed up and the rotors started to whirl up before we took off and headed for Fort Sapphire.
Anon: And that's the end of the chapter.
Rena: Aw, isn't that so kawaii~! Looks like someone likes each other~!
Blaze and Eve: *Looks at each other and their faces turn red*
Chung and Ember: *They look at each other and look away*
Rena: Aw, come on, you four know you like each other~!
Anon: Hey, were's Elsword?
Blaze: Oh him? He's still on the hunt for Chi.
Outside: ROOOOAAAARRR! *Thud*
Aisha: WTF WAS THAT!?
Anon: Wait... *looks the window* That sone of a b****!
Elsword: *Riding Nuke* I'M COMING FOR YOU CHI!
Anon: YOU ARE NOT USING MY NUKE! *Jumps on to Nuke*
Blaze and Ember: Well this won't end well for Elsword I bet.
Anon: YOU ARE NOT ALOWED TO USE MY PET NUKE YOU SON OF A-
*Connection Lost*