Welcome to the next chapter of The Neverending War
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"They have broken another wall; we are pulling out of the room." Alec curses as he fires into the face plate of a Beowolf. Four other breakthroughs around the outpost have pushed the young adults back. No one has died yet, but auras are almost all in the red and it was only a matter of time before bodies started piling up.
"Last shot for the old eighty-eight has been used," Tina says over the radio, "Took down a big one with it." Her machine gun opens up on the dark horde.
Mimi slashes at one of the Grimm that are clawing their way into the door. "Alec, we need that evac."
"I know Mimi." Alec draws his pistols and shoots one of the Grimm.
Outside the Grimm continue to push against the now beaten defenses of the first year Huntsmen. Their cannon now silent the Grimm are emboldened yet again to push against the outpost. Bursts of fire continue to target the surrounding creatures. The decomposing bodies stack up faster than they can dissipate.
"Look I know we all said that we would hold here but this position is untenable, we need to pull back to the second level." A voice crackles over the radio.
Alec looks out the hole in the wall near him the Grimm still massing in numbers that no one of them had need before. "Yeah, you are right, pull back to level two grab everything you can, set explosives and prepare to move back." He fires on the closest Grimm putting it down. "Raven set explosives, Beethoven grab any snipers we have and have them provide heavy cover. Mimi get all able bodies close combat huntsmen and have them prepare to cover our retreat to the stairs."
The three splits away from their leader. Alec fires again at this point not even aiming, the goal is no longer to kill the beasts but to keep them back as the others prepare to follow the new plan. The fire from the first-floor cuts back as most of the young huntsmen move everything, they can up to the second floor. Within fifteen minutes the snipers take their positions and begin to thin out the over-whelming force.
"Charges have been set," Raven says as she appears beside Alec.
On his other side Mimi slides in, "I gathered a dozen capable fighters, they have move than forty percent Aura."
"That gives us fifteen with me and Raven." Alec sighs, "Alright everyone here is the plan there will be an organized retreat to the second floor we are going to cover them. Any of you drop below twenty percent you pull back." He switches his weapons to their kukri mode and throws the rifle he has onto his back. With a gulp he looks to the fourteen young adults around him, "Are you ready?" They nod grim looks stretching their faces. "Alright, rainbows and unicorns." He taps his headset, "Alright everyone I want a calm and orderly retreat we will cover you."
The fifteen dash through the outpost Alec joined by Mimi and Raven. The twin blades of the leader dig deep into Grimm while, an orange and black blur tears through a hallway, lightning tears into another Grimm while Raven's whip slashes and cuts. No matter how well the young Huntsmen fight though they are pushed back.
"We have almost been pushed back to the ladder. The fucking Grimm are just pushing."
"We need to pull out, My Aura is broken."
"Everyone is up the ladder," Another voice calls out.
"Move we will hold the ladder room, until everyone is up."
Alec takes a hit clawing into his skin as he leans in front of Mimi to protect her from the swipe. His eyes become Crosshairs as he points his weapons now in their pistol form and pull the trigger the Grimm are torn down for a second as each takes a pair of bullets to their weak points. Mimi pulls her weapons trigger leaving another two monsters evaporating. And a fire blast from Raven lights up the hall.
Mimi grabs Alec pulling him towards the ladder, "I coulda taken that hit my aura is stronger than yours."
Raven looks back, "Get him up I am right behind you."
Without question Mimi grabs Alec tossing him over her shoulder, "You better be, I am not letting you die either."
With a quick movement Raven's whip slashes at the oncoming Grimm elements of nature and man putting an edge to the tip, fire, wind, and electricity. As her teammates made it through the trapdoor, she jumps activating the Gravity Dust in her heels. Mimi swipes her hand forming one of her tiger eye glyphs in the lower room. Then she watches through it as the Grimm clamber into the room. She sneers waiting with her hand on the detonator. The blood of her friend still on her shoulder. Alec is being taken care of by Paul. The Grimm swipe at her Glyph finally causing it to shatter, Mimi pushes the button on the detonator and winces as the explosives cause a sound wave that deafens everyone. The Outpost is clear for a moment as the Grimm begin to swarm again.
"Well Fuck," A voice yells as weapons fire clears the second of silence.
"Alec, we have contact!" Alec takes the scroll turned microphone and speaker wired into the antennae.
A voice crackles through the static, "Ground command are you still there?"
"Yes, we are still holding."
"Good, this is Sirus in command of the first-year mechanized unit we are going to be at your position in thirty seconds. We will be making a pass to thin out the Grimm and then will land reinforcement on the roof."
Alec stands up with some effort, "Copy that Mech Leader Where are Able, Bravo and Delta?"
"Squadrons Able, Bravo and Delta as well as the Beacon are on their way but need to deal with a flock of Griffins. Permission to begin assault Ground Command."
"Permission Granted Mech Leader."
Three heavily modified bullheads fly past heavy twenty-millimeter miniguns tear into the horde. A second pass has the twelve exo-suited soldiers land on the roof they spread out pulling out their heavy machines and holding them as rifles taking aim, they fire tearing into the black monsters.
Sirus looks at Alec as he steps onto the roof. With a salute the man in the eight-foot-tall, mechanized suit recognizes the leader of the huntsmen, "Hell of a mess you found yourselves in here."
"It does not seem to be our day. Thank you for the back up."
"Not to worry, this is what we signed up for. The Evacuation units are about fifteen minutes away. And sorry about the delay, Vale was under attack also."
The horde is held at bay with the additional firepower. Morale among the Huntsmen swells knowing help was coming and that they were already reinforced by help with weapons. Then the trees fall, and massive black forms cause all of that to go out what is left of the windows. The Goliaths charge the outpost.
Alec Stares, his face tightening. "DAVID GET YOU CANNON UP HERE!" His voice raising to a scream. David almost flies through the hatch. "Put them down," Alec says with an eerie calm.
"You got it boss," The young man says wiping his sweat drenched hair out of the way. He takes aim and pulls the trigger, shell after shell begins to fly towards the massive beasts. Fiery blasts impact the creatures. As every weapon left turns on them ten Goliaths lead a charge. One falls as David sighs, "Well that is all I had."
(Authors Break: Hey everyone I want you to go and find a song for me for this next part, Winged Hussars by Sabaton. I this was a movie scene this would be the music in the background pretty much. Thanks For reading and We will be back in
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"That is, it?" Alec sighs watching the Grimm grow closer.
"I used most of my ammo before you saved us."
"Keep shooting it with you rifle." The firing slows as everyone realizes they will not make stop them. Alec taps his headset. "We are not going down with a bullet left in our possession people." He opens fire with his weapons, "we will only fall when there is nothing left, FIGHT!"
The plinking of small caliber rounds, and the heavy machineguns of the Mechanized unit leave nothing but scrapes and scratches against the living tanks. The fire should be withering, but other than the few smaller Grimm behind them that are hit by accident. The Goliaths lower their heads in one pass they will break the out post to the ground. No one inside leaves their firing positions hoping against all hope that on luck shot will get through.
Then Heaven rains fire as Bravo Squadron drops fifty tons of bombs from less than a hundred meters while they are moving at maximum speed. The heat scorches the paint on the outpost. As the Grimm keep charging Bravo Squadron joins the three bullheads of the Mechanized unit forming a circular floating ring of weapons against the rest of the horde.
"Ground command this is Delta One we have evacuation bullheads a minute out," The frigate slowly makes its position above the outpost clear and known as it fights off the remnants of a nevermore flock.
"Delta One nice to hear from you." Alec replies shakily. "I see you made some friends."
"This is Maximillian Captain of The Beacon, the leftovers from the Vale attack are heading this way we will have to move quickly before they reach our position. None of you are in shape to hold another horde back. Ground Command I recommend you move."
Alec nods. "Alright we need to get ready to bug out wounded first Medics choose."
"This is Able One I have a squadron of bullheads we will be pulling up one by one to pick you all up."
"Copy that Able One." Alec steps to the side as tired and beaten Huntsmen begin to file up the ladder and load on to the arriving bullheads.
A small group that seemed to be demanding allowance to board first. The woman leading them pushing her way past everyone else. Everyone recognizes them from just a day earlier. "I am leaving this zoo, and you are not going to stop me." The woman leading them tries to shove the wrong person, she finds herself with her hand on a muscular man standing in front of the impromptu medic. "Move."
Weapons point at the two dozen. Alec steps forward, "Wounded first then I will allow you to leave." Alec raises his hand to stop any words, the cuts from the Grimm still there. "This is not a debate, you wait, or I leave you behind to be removed from my problems list by Grimm." Behind him wounded are loaded up and bullheads shoot by. "Don't make me waste a bullet on you." As the last of the wounded are flown away Alec steps aside. The woman spits on the ground as she passes Alec. With the next two Bullheads taken up by them the huntsmen load cases of weapons and ammunition on to the bullheads as well as the old eighty-eight ripped from its mount with the help of another bullhead. Within ten minutes the outpost is clear. As they fly away information a volley from The Beacon destroys the Outpost and all the Grimm infesting it.
"So, uh Alec we might get arrested when we land."