16th of May 1990, 14:00, Soviet expedition.
Romanov's battalion.
"Yeah, that's right! Keep it straight!" a Soviet engineer called out, motioning to the support truck with his signal flags as it drove on the pontoon bridge.
He was just one of a team of engineers trying to direct vehicles that were trying to pass over the deployed pontoon bridge to the Northern side of the small river. The river itself being a rarity in this world apparently, it being the first they came across since they entered.
The truck, after careful instructions, rolled off the last interlocked pontoon bridge and drove off towards its company's rally point. But as it drove off, another one took its place with many more to come in a long columns of assorted Soviet Army vehicles waiting.
"And here I thought we'd take a break waiting for the bridge," Romanov griped as he leaned on his UAZ's hood on the Southern side of the river, some distance to the side. Observing his battalions crossing in all its glory.
His battalion Sergeant major, who was leaning out of the driver's side door, took a puff out of his cigar as he observed a report he held in his hands, "Comrade major, did you really expect a full day?" he said offhandedly.
"... Yes."
The NCO huffed in amusement, whether it was at Romanov's misplaced foresight or his ability to understand the chain of command. Romanov wasn't quite sure.
Romanov swayed his head towards his NCO, "Okay Yurinov, did you think they'd drive through 80 kilometers of unpopulated forest in the snow. In possibly still hostile territory? In a night?" he asked.
Yurinov flipped past a read page of the report and read the next, all while taking another puff of his cigar, "I don't know what to say, comrade major. You asked for a bridge at 22:00 and you got it at 12:00 the next day." he gave Romanov a glance, "Seems perfectly reasonable to think they'll get here in 14 Hours."
"In the dark. In hosti-"
"If you or I wouldn't've have done it, doesn't mean others wouldn't try it either."
Romanov rolled his eyes and resumed his oversight of the bridge crossing. While Yurinov chuckled and went back to his report, cigar hanging from his mouth as he pinched his mustache as he did so, which was definitely slightly oversized in the military regulations.
Just then the distant sounds of pops and cracks of gun fire from the North side of the river was heard for a few moments, making Romanov tense up with the other soldiers of battalion. Sentries along the river held their rifles up high and at the ready while the turrets of the BTR's swiveled and rotated towards the sound's rough origin. But the battalion remained in position waiting to cross.
Probably from the recon company he sent ahead, Romanov reasoned.
"Yurinov, what's the chatter on the radio?" Romanov said while observing the North with binoculars that he left on the hood.
Yurinov slowly lifted his head up from the report, "...Uhm," he twisted his body so he could reach over into the back seat where the radio was and started trying to turn the volume up.
Romanov lowered the binoculars and simply stared at Yurinov as he attempted to work on the radio, Romanov could hear muffled cursing from inside the vehicle as he tried to reach into the back seat.
Romanov was afforded the rare circumstance of picking a available NCO to assist him in commanding the battalion before they crossed into this world. Out of the dozen or so possible choices, Yurinov seemed like the best candidate.
Boris Yurinov, recently tasked for rear duties in central Russia after a substantial amount of combat in Iran. Age 44, with a long service record of Army service to go along with it, with experience in the field of Artillery, Infantry, Armor, even airborne and naval. Actual combat experience in Angola, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Soviet Army experience in Afghanistan. All under his belt even before the World war started, and that what was allowed in his files. In all honesty he half expected him to be KGB after reading it. Like, how does one go into so many sub-branches in the military in the first place?
With all this in mind, Romanov figured he would find a harden old veteran that followed everything to the T. Uniform tailored to the best of his ability with his shoes shined and shirt sowed and buttoned. Perfectly groomed and shaved, possibly built to be a tank, and a ideal communist that was possibly a little crazy. Romanov found the committed communist part not ideal, but at least he would be under his command.
What he encountered at the staging area at the archway was not what he exactly envisioned.
He more looked more like if Romanov had a military uncle. He was an average combat build, evidence of front-line service. Uniform just barely adequate, his military top was open and loose and gave Romanov a full view of his military undershirt, shoes not shined. Hair too long for the army, and in the beginning stages of graying. He probably managed to get away with it for he combed it so far back that it gave the appearance of being short enough. And a grey beard and mustache, definitely out of regs. And a certain attitude to go along with it.
He remembered when he asked about what exactly happened to his last commander on the first day they meant, apparently, in the report it stated he was killed in a friendly fire incident.
In response to Romanov's question was a frown, "He was an asshole, serves him right," was his immediate response. He did not elaborate any further.
And for the possibility of being a party hardliner was dashed after he was interrogated by the battalion's political officer.
After which, he proceeded to rage into the battalion's command tent fuming, "Fucking political bastards! No wonder we didn't kill Tito, we were to damn busy finding out if our grandparents were anti-communist. Bloody cock- "
Romanov, who was seated and having a meal, was at a lost on what was happening. Him having knowledge of the interrogation, just asked the first thing that came to mind, "They weren't though, right?" he asked, interrupting him.
"Fuck no. They hated the party after sending them to Uzbekistan."
To say the least, Romanov thought he acted more like a Cossack. He at least looked like one.
But, back to the present, Yurinov was reliable and seemed competent. And for that reason, he didn't bother forcing regs on him. Romanov always thought good performance resulted in special privileges.
"Comrade Major!" a soldier voiced off behind him, breaking Romanov from his thoughts.
He straightened himself and turned to address him. He found one of his men at attention, rifle slung over his shoulders, saluting him. Which he grimaced at seeing how they were technically on the field, therefore not requiring the usual regs.
But seeing how he looked like a fresh face he decided to humor the lad and replied with his own salute, "Yes?" he asked after they both dropped the salute.
"I like to report the first Rifle-company has completely crossed, sir."
Romanov took a glimpse at the bridge and noted that a new batch of APCs were now making their way to the Northern side of the river, implicating that the second company in line was starting to cross
He gave the soldier his attention, "Thank you, inform me when the tank company starts to cross."
"Yes sir!" the soldier called out, then made the motion of beginning another salute.
To which he immediately stopped him, "Soldier, no need for the salute. We're in the field."
The soldier arm was halfway up to a salute but shot back down at the comment, "uh- Sorry, sir. Won't happen again." he gulped after apologizing.
"Good. Now you may go."
At his permission the soldier secured his rifle sling higher on his shoulders and sped off towards where the bulk of the battalion was waiting to cross.
Romanov found the encounter amusing.
"How fresh do you do you think he is?" Yurinov voiced, "I bet he not even past his first-year of being drafted."
"Oh definitely." Romanov agreed and started walking towards the passenger's seat door of the UAZ.
"Which reminds me comrade major," Yurniov turned his attention from the report to Romanov, "why you wear the helmet? You look like a fresh officer with it on." he said, motioning to his own head with his free hand to bring attention that he himself wore nothing to protect his own head. Not even a field cap.
"What?" Romanov turned towards the UAZ side mirror to look at himself to see if there was some merit with the comment.
Yurniov began to contemplate Romanov's appearance from the driver's seat through the passenger's door of the rolled down window, "Yes, you look like this is your first time on the field with it on."
Romanov abandoned the mirror and leaned against the opened passenger door window, "I have always worn a helmet on the field, it's a habit."
"Get rid of the habit, Comrade major. You look less like a cunt with it off. Believe me."
"I prefer my brain not to turn to soup."
Yurniov tilted his head down and gave Romanov a blank stare like he heard the stupidest statement he ever heard, "Sir, animal don't have guns."
Romanov raised his own helmet up on his head after it slid down that it started to affect his peripheral vision, "You know, helmets are rated against blunt force trauma."
Yurniov flung his report on the dashboard and left the radio alone so he could rotate his body to completely face Romanov, "Do you believe that helmet is going to prevent your head from being smashed like a apple would when getting stepped on by one of those things?"
Romanov knew at that moment where this was going to go and decided to tactfully change the subject, "Enough of that, what of the recon company?"
Yurniov inquisitive face turned that of one remembering something miniscule, like remember they forgot their pen at their desk.
"Oh, right." Yurniov said in the most nonchalant way possible considering how a entire company worth of a little under a hundred man was engaged in combat. And they still haven't resumed radio contact with them. Romanov could still hear the gun fire in the distance, slightly more intense in nature then before.
As Romanov gave his Sergeant Major a blank stare it, it occurred to him, that's probably why he was sent that runner a few moments ago instead of them just them getting a radio message. The damn things volume was turned off.
What was probably worse was that his other subordinates didn't even bother to tell him they tried contacting him. They just sent a runner and that was it.
Romanov pinched his nose, "For fuck's sake." He swore to no specific thing in particular.
Yurniov simply grabbed the radio from the back seat and placed it on his lap, "Don't get so tensed up comrade Major." He said, thinking the Majors statement was made purely at him.
Romanov dropped his hand and placed both of them on his hip to see what he had to say before he questioned his other subordinates with the rest of the battalion. He was sure the real reason was they were probably a little cautious asking their superior a question like "We tried radioing you but you didn't answer. Is your volume turned up?"
With the war turning more into a stalemate, some commanders "ungifted" in leadership tended to get a little frustrated. Directing their frustration towards their subordinates in some cases. Which led to a little bit wider of a gab than usual in relations in the Army as a whole.
Romanov would need to get some more trust within his battalion if he wanted this operation to go even go halfway decent. But his attention at the task at hand would need to be addressed first.
Yurniov held onto the volume knob and continued on his previous statement.
"If things were going bad we would've heard a lot more fire coming from the recon-" Yurniov stopped as there was a notable boom that overtook the cracks of gunfire in the distance.
They both looked towards North across the river at forest in which it came from, now that they were more focused on the fight that was happening some distance away, they noticed how more intense the gunfire was. Particularly the continuous sound of distance machine gun fire, the heavy and light machine gun fire at that.
Romanov, judged from the sound, that they were firing continuous, not burst. Which concerned him greatly. He was mid turning his head towards Yurniov before another boom sounded throughout the forest, followed immediately by another, then another. If Romanov wasn't already concern, he definitely was when the distant explosions weren't solely sound of grenades being used, but of cannon fire.
Romanov whipped around to face Yurniov, "Sergeant Major." Romanov said with a stern and indicative tone. "I do believe "things" have gone bad." He said putting high emphasis on "things".
Yurniov wasted no time and turned on the volume to the radio, and switched to the recon company's frequency.
"Come in Sneg-1! I Say again, come in Sneg-1! We are engaged and are in urgent need of reinforcements and fire support! I say again Sneg-1! We are engaged by a vastly numerically superior force and need support over!" the voice blasted from the radio with audible gun fire and shouts in the background.
Romanov threw his arm through the open window of the UAZ and grabbed the radio microphone, "This is Sneg-1. How big of a force and can you disengage Snake-10?"
Not even a second past before the distinguished sound of the radio receiving a transmission sounded from it then replaced by a distant thump of rifle fired grenade launcher. "Sir, they are in their hundreds!" there was a pause then a burst of rifle fire sounded, then stopped. "I think they are trying to surround us too!"
Romanov grew even more worried at the mention of hundreds of these creatures, reports and personal experience only had a dozen or so in small groups attack them. Never more then two dozen at most.
Romanov pressed the transmit button, "Received Snake-10, I want your company to fallback to the river and safety of the battalion. I will direct our Mortars and Artillery support to you for spotting, use a defensive barrage and make haste to us."
Snake-10 waisted no time and the radio received them, not before they heard the boom of a cannon being fired from it, likely a BMP-1. "Copy! You better be ready Sneg-1, my men reported seeing different types of new ones!"
If this situation was already bad enough it certainly was now, Romanov thought.
Romanov gave Yurniov the microphone, "Yurniov, get our artillery in contact with the recon company." He said, then he jogged to the driver side of the UAZ and jumped into the driver seat of the vehicle and started the process of turning on the said vehicle.
"Seems like we are going to have proper fight, comrade Major" Yurniov mused as he went from the recon company frequency to the Artillery frequency.
The UAZ's engine came to life and Romanov slammed the driver side door shut, "Seems so, Sergeant Major."
Nothing like a contested river crossing, he mused to himself as they drove off toward the rest of the battalion to prepare for the upcoming fight.
Romanov's recon company
"Get the fuck inside now!" a Soviet captain screamed over the sounds of cannon and gunfire as he grabbed onto one of his command staff team and dragged him into a BMP-1s crew compartment. Shutting the armored door behind him as he did so.
What was a normal afternoon drive through forest soon turned into a ambush and then a fight for utter survival for not just the captain, but the entire company as a whole.
The captain didn't witness it directly, seeing as he was with the 4th platoon down the column of his company, but apparently the lead BRDM-2 was ambushed by a giant scorpion, looking just like the other beasts of this world.
Which it indeed was, the tank size scorpion was buried underneath the ground lying in wait.
10 Minutes prior
When the lead scout car wander right in front of it, the scorpion sprung from the ground pincers first. Catching the Soviet's completely by surprise.
The scorpion actually under estimated its speed in the attack, instead of latching onto the scout car, it simply rammed into it with its two giant pincers from the ground. Sending it into a backflip, but it didn't underestimate with its tail. With the scout car almost done with its backflip flying towards the ground the scorpions giant tail launched forward, smashing its golden stinger right into the scout's car underside. Forcing the armored vehicle into the thinly snow-covered ground with a splash of white snow, if the initial part of the attack didn't kill the crew, it being smashed into the ground upside down certainly did.
The rest of the forward recon platoon in the column, despite being caught completely by surprise, out of pure instincts responded to the absurd ambush they found themselves in.
The second BRDM-2 in the column swerved to the scorpions left flank, avoiding the just destroyed lead vehicle and firing a burst of coaxial machine gun firing at the scorpion's general direction. Only scoring a hit or two as the turret couldn't keep up with tracking its target as it flanked the beast.
The third vehicle in the column, a BMP-1 did the exact same but to the monster's right flank. But the first target the scorpion locked onto was that exact same BMP, so it rotated its body slightly and moved to intercept the IFV.
The commander of the BMP, in panic at seeing the giant beast move it way towards them and being its next target, ordered the gunner to fire its 73mm gun.
The gunner, not fully centered on the beast, but also in a panic at the approaching monster, could only fire its own coaxial machine gun. Half of the rounds completely missing the beast as the turret rotated, the other half peppering its right four legs in 7.62 rounds.
The gun didn't even get fully centered before the scorpion's left pincer sprang at its target, latching onto the forward section of the IFV, stopping it dead in its tracks like it hit a solid concrete wall. And its right pincer doing the same to its back section, trapping the vehicle in its grip.
"If you don't fire the gun we are going to die!" the commander panickily yelled, not even fully recovered after his forehead meeting his vision port from his vehicle being abruptly being stopped at going over 25kmh.
The gunner, for his credit after receiving the same treatment like his commander, resumed rotating the turret the last few degrees to have the creatures face right in his sights.
Only for the scorpion's giant golden stinger slamming itself into the 73mm gun, tearing it completely in half. The gun, only in the way of its true target of the hull of the BMP. The stinger piercing the upper left side of the hull and going right into the crew department right behind the commander, narrowly missing the him.
The commander could only look in horror at the giant golden stinger now protruding into his vehicle behind him, "Shoot the bitch! Shoot it damnit!" he voiced in even more panic.
Gunner gulped, "It tore the gun off!"
It indeed was, when the stinger tore the gun in half, the remaining tip was bent downwards. Blocking it from firing straight. If one were to fire, they would destroy what was left of the gun, and probably the turret as a whole.
The commander couldn't believe his luck. But before he could issue another command his vehicle was lifted up into the air a meter or so and slammed back down onto the ground, tossing its crew about in the process.
The scorpion, now getting coated in coaxial machine gun and heavy machine gun fire from behind from the second BRDM that flanked it early, tried unlodging its stinger from the BMP. But to its frustration, it remained firmly wedged inside the vehicles. So, it lifted its prey into the air and slammed it back down to the earth to detach it from itself. It had no results beside from damaging the BMP further. So it tried again.
After being slammed to the ground the second time the BMP commander was just pissed now, "Make the bitch eat the machine gun gunner!" he yelled as grabbed onto his AKS carbine and pulled back its charging handle and inserted a magazine into it.
The gunner waisted no time and unloaded the machinegun into the creatures armored face. The rounds impacting had little effect beside chipping its bone like armor off a chunk at a time, but a few lucky rounds scored a hit into its many eyes.
"Maybe we should've disembarked when we had the chance," the team leader from the recon squad in the troop compartment voiced to himself.
The commander hearing the comment in the middle of being shook back and forth from monsters attempt at tearing the IFV apart, "You fucks in the back! shoot it!" he voiced.
At being given the order, the recon squad was reminded of the firing ports that faced the creatures and pressed their weapons into the firing ports and unleased all they got.
The beast, now getting shot at by five weapons in the face and a mix of light and heavy machinegun fire from behind. Lifted the BMP in the air and with all its strength it could muster and yanked back its tail simultaneously as it forced the vehicle into the ground with its pincers.
It succeeded in dislodging its stinger from the vehicle, and in the process, let go of its prey entirely with its now resumed freedom of movement and backed away from its prey. The BMP itself almost flipping over to its side at the force of hitting the ground. But it remained upright as it landed back on its, now broken, tracks.
The commander, one hand holding onto his carbine and the other on a handle for dear life, thanked the higher powers before issuing his next command. "Driver you better get us moving!" He had a hunch the tracks were not in condition to be used, or more realistically, if he had any tracks at all. But it's not impossible to move with just the road wheels, not as efficient as with the tracks on, but it's a hell of a lot better to move somewhat then not at all.
But despite the command the vehicle remained stationary, "Driver, you hear me!" he ordered again. He could feel and hear the engine was still working, so it that wasn't it.
"Driver I sai-oh for fuck sake!" he found out why the driver wasn't responding when he took a closer look at him. He was hunched over at his station, likely out cold from one of the many impacts the vehicle took.
Which it didn't matter anyway, the BMPs roadwheels were entirely fractured or destroyed.
"I already fucking wish I was in Germany right now. And fuck Germany." The commander swore as he considered his options. The gunner, prepping his own carbine, and noted how he never heard his commander swear so much in his life.
Meanwhile the scorpion feeling the intense amount of emotions coming from its newly freed prey, signaling its crew was still alive, edged closer to finish it off. Completely ignoring the BRDM that was still firing in controlled burst at it from behind, switching between its coaxal machine gun and its main gun.
But before it could attack it received burst of more machinegun fire to its right side. Past the flipped and knocked out BRDM, the second platoon of the recon company was coming to engage the beast. The culprit of the burst was another BRDM coming to stop a few dozen meters away with more vehicles coming up from its rear.
The scorpion noted the new enemies by glancing at them, seeing another BRDM taking pot shots at it as it came to assist to the first one by rolling to stop to its flank with a BMP-1 coming up to its other flank. It also firing burst of it lights machine gun as it came to form a line with the other scout cars to combine their firepower.
The scorpion deemed its crippled prey defeated and considered the one at its rear not a priority and made the three enemies to its right the biggest threat. The weapons the crippled prey used were weak but in large numbers, and with enough time, could hurt itself. Having damaged its outer armor and destroyed some of its eyes in process, losing a quarter of its own vision. With three fresh enemies together, they would likely wound or even defeat it in short time, so it took a lesson from past experience dealing with more than one enemy using such ranged weapons.
It gaze locked back onto the immobile BMP and grabbed onto with both its pincers and lifted it up in the air. If it understood Russian, it would've heard a muffled scream of "Oh come on!" as it lifted the IFV.
Then it rotated its entire body to face its knew opponent's, just as the new BMP was coming to a stop to the first BRDMs right flank. All three new vehicles ceased firing at the beast as it faced them.
The BMP commander at the BRDMs right flank taking note of the beast he saw through his commander's cupola, "Please tell me someone has a clear shot?" he voiced through the radio.
All he received was negatives.
To the Soviet military crews utter amazement, the beast was now using the helpless BMP as a shield.
The BMP in the scorpions grip completely shielded its main body from the three vehicles line of fire. The only exposed parts of it body was its legs and its tail, all non-reliable targets for simply being to small or narrow to target. They were even nervous to fire at them too, for fear of hitting the BMP. Its armor rated against shrapnel and rifle rounds, but not light or heavy machine gun fire to its side.
Now they were somehow in a standoff, the three vehicles that faced the scorpion didn't dare fire, for fear of friendly fire. The BRDM to the scorpions rear also ceased fire for the moment, due to them reloading. The scorpion itself didn't make a move, for it wanted to see if its strategy was reliable.
"Snake-11, are you alive?" The commander of the BMP is the scorpions grip received over the radio.
The commander, uneasy and confused at the fact that there was no movement or sound outside his vehicle was heard, grabbed onto the radio microphone.
"To the extent of my knowledge, yes! What's going on outside?!" he said, he couldn't see too well from his commander cupola and could only see the face of the beast that he was at the mercy of. All he knew was that its attention wasn't on him anymore.
"You're being used as a shield," was the confusing and straightforward response he got from the radio.
"Wait wh-" the commander couldn't finish the sentence as his vehicle was lurched to its side and slammed into the ground.
The scorpion, deeming its strategy was reliable, sprung into action by moving forward towards the three soviet recon vehicles. It slammed the BMP in its grip to the ground and started dragging it forward with it as it came at its three opponents to its front. The BMP itself getting dug into the thinly snow-covered ground, having its right roadwheels being torn off in the process as it was pushed.
The middle vehicle commander in the BRDM panicked "Back up! Reverse! Reverse!" he voiced to his driver. And the vehicle sprung backwards in reverse, soon the two vehicles to its flanks followed suit.
So, what turned into a standoff, was now a chase. As all three vehicles sped in reverse in a line with the scorpion just barely gaining on them, with the BMP now being dragged into the ground in its grip. All while the BRDM to the scorpion's rear was now chasing the scorpion, now resuming firing burst into the scorpions rear once again. And once again, its was ignoring it.
"Are we even doing anything?!" the driver of the BRDM to the scorpion's rear asked.
"Action is better than inaction," Was the simple response from his commander.
To a outside observer, it would almost be a amusing site to see. Seeing a BRDM chase a giant scorpion that was chasing two BRDMs and a BMP that were driving in reverse, all while the scorpion was using a other BMP as a shield.
Just as the Scorpion passed the knocked out upside down BRDM did the commander in the BMPs grip get an idea.
The Commander, who was formerly thinking about turning out of is vehicle and just shoot the thing with his carbine, remembered something, "Gunner! Is the missile rail damaged." he yelled as he hung on to avoid the same fate as his driver.
The gunner took a peek through his hatch periscope, "It looks fine sir!"
"We are all fucking retarded," he said to himself in exasperation, "reload and fire it into that things face!"
The Gunner did as told and started the reload process for the missile launcher.
The commander looked over his shoulder to the recon squad in the back who looked just as confused and terrified as he was, "Squad I want you to shoot that thing in the face again! We need to distract it so it doesn't notice we are about to shoot it in the face with the missile." He told them.
The commander wasn't sure the creature would understand the threat the missile posed that was being reloaded in front of it, but it didn't hurt to distract it, just in case.
The squad completely understood and immediately jammed their weapons into the firing ports, and once again, fired into the scorpions face.
They resumed firing and this only infuriated the beast, and contemplated striking it with its stinger again, but disregarded that idea once it remembered last time it had done so. All it needed to do was last long enough for it to reach the three vehicles and then it could discard it and prey on the three.
The same three vehicles in retreat noticed the BMP trapped in its grip fighting back so they decided to finally resume firing, albeit with light machinegun fire aimed at its exposed legs and tail.
The fire from the three vehicles did little, the tail was armored therefore they just bounced off harmlessly if they managed to score a hit. The legs themselves were unarmored but the creature had eight of them, and the front leg on both sides sponged the fire, so the other six remained largely unharmed. It didn't even seem to slow it down, probably just made it angrier.
But this served a better purpose then just slowing it down or making it angrier, it was distracting it from the Malyutka ATGM that was now loaded on top of the BMP in its clutches.
"Missile loaded!" the gunner yelled.
"Aim at it face and kill it already!" the Commander ordered, who just had enough being tossed around like a toy.
The driver rotated the turret a few more degrees to the left and had centered it in between the creatures two rows of eyes.
The creatures itself noticing the movement of the turret but not the new object that sat on top.
The gunner held onto the firing device for the missile, "I do hope there's no arming distance." He preyed as he pressed to fire.
The last thing the scorpion saw and heard was what sounded like a high pitch tare of something and what looked like a rocket blast its way towards its face.
The missile easily penetrated its outer skeleton armor and sent the blast right into its brain, evaporating it entirely.
It's body immediately went limp as it died, its legs gave out and its underside met the ground. It's momentum sending it and the BMP sliding forward. Luckily for the BMP crew, it's pincers released them and they were free. Unluckily, the momentum of being sent forward continued and the destroyed right underside of their hull dragged against the ground, flipping the entire IFV onto its side then its top.
The three vehicles that were being chased, having witnessed the explosion and death of the creature, halted and witnessed the site before them for a moment. And the BRDM at the, now dead, scorpions rear drew to a halt after seeing the creature go limp.
The entire crew of the now upside BMP was now, effectively, disoriented. But was now out of harms way for the moment, which was good enough for them.
Especially so for its commander as he was held upside down by his straps, he went out to grab the microphone for the radio, "Its dead." He voiced into the microphone and then took a pause to look behind him at the troop compartment to see if they were alive. All he saw was a bunch of upside down moaning crybabies, along with his gunner who just looked happy to have killed it. He took a other look at his driver, who just looked just as cold as before, just arms dangling down to earth.
He might be dead, he grimily remarked to himself before he transmitted again, "Can someone come help us?" he continued looking at his driver and heard the moans behind him. "Send a medic too while you're at it." He said to no one on the net particularly and let the microphone dangle by its wire from the radio and just sat there. Perfectly content to wait for help before unstrapping himself.
The three vehicles, upon hearing the request on the radio, drove near the wrecked belly up BMP. The remaining intact BMP present drew to a halt and its recon squad disembarked to help the crew of the knocked-out BMP. While one BRDM remained nearby on guard for anymore foes nearby, the other BRDM and the one to the scorpion's rear drove off towards the other upside down BRDM farther down.
The disembarked recon squad got to the rear of the knocked out BMP and began prying the doors open, recon members inside closer to the door having already unlatched them and patiently waited upside for the doors to open.
One door was opened, "Are you guys alright?" the rifleman who opened the door asked upon seeing the members inside, all upside-down staring at him.
"Fuck this place," was the response from the front of the BMP.
The other door were then pried open by the disembarked squad leader, "Well," he said with a smile, "It certainly fucked you." He said upon taking a glimpse at the crew.
Someone in the troop department snickered at the comment.
"Who ever thought that was funny," there was then a audible thud then a curse that came from the front of the BMP, "I'm going to shoot you." most guessed it was the commander. But most smiled at the threat and began unstrapping themselves.
The other two BRDMs that went to check on the crew of the other knocked out vehicle didn't find a pretty site.
The upside-down scout car lost one of its front tires and one of its back ones, its turret was completely buried into the ground and when they were driving up to it they didn't get a radio response from the vehicle.
The commander of the BRDM that was too the scorpions rear the whole engagement sighed at the sight, "Well, guess I go check on them." He said grabbing his carbine, "Gorbunov, you're with me." He told his radio-operator.
As they were checking the knocked-out scout car the 3rd platoon finally arrived at the knocked-out BMP with the 4th platoon not far behind with the Company commander. And started disembarking their own squad.
The Commander of 3rd platoon who was turned out of his own BMP surveyed the scene, "What the hell happened here?" he asked as he noticed the now half disappeared corps of a giant creature.
"Ambush sir," a soldier said, hazed, as he was helped out of the upside-down BMP that laid in front of the corps.
The same commander simply astounded at the scene and the simple response could only ask where his platoon XO was.
"Uhm," the soldier turned around after being left to stand on his own two feet as the soldier who was helping him left to help another. "He's still inside-oh, no sir. There is he." And he was right, the commander was then seen helping his, now conscious, driver out of the back of the BMP.
They stepped out of the BMP with the drivers arm hung over his commander shoulder, "I'm going to be honest, I thought for sure you were dead." The commander stated simply in a matter-of-fact tone.
The driver, still recovering from being tossed around like a ragdoll, took in the scene around him.
"What…..", he viewed behind him at the now wrecked BMP, "How'd we get flipped?"
The commander stopped and had them both turn around and deadpanned at his, now former, vehicle. "I'm sure the boys will love to tell you all about it," he said as he handed him off to a medic who ran up to them upon noticing the driver current state.
The commander now upright, sore, with a slight headache and quite possible, fed the fuck up with the Army. Just stood at his position and gazed as the remaining squad members from his IFV were pulled from it, all while his hands were placed loosely at his hips.
"You wanna get out of Germany don't you Lieutenant? Well we can put you in the rear in Siberia, they won't see much. Ha! Or any combat for that matter sir. Little boring, but it should suit you nicely." The commander kept going over that conversation over and over. Probably wasn't helping his headache now that he thought about it.
"Lieutenant Vlasov,"
"Lieutenant Vlasov, don't look so down. We are going to a new world! Think about it! We are going to be the pioneers of discovering a new world!"
"Look on the bright side Lieutenant, we are going to be under the command of Major Romanov. The man that served with him in America make it sound like he's God. Ha! Must be some truth to it."
"Lieutenant Vlasov!"
The commander, now named Vlasov, was broken out of his train of thought at the yelling being directed at him.
He turned around towards that voice that called his name and he was directed towards the BMP with the officer turned out from it.
"Yeah! What is it?" he voiced half heartedly as he walked over to the BMP.
The Officer grew concern, "You alright?"
Vlasov stopped just a few meters away, and again put his hands no his hips, "Oh yeah, just great." He eyed the sky, "Just regretting what got me here." He said right as 4th platoon came up to their side, likely with the company commander with them.
The fellow officer simply laughed at his statement, "Yeah, I haven't gotten to that point yet."
"Well just you-" Vlasov was alerted by movement out of his peripheral vision in the distance and jerked his head towards it "Contact!" he screamed out as he went for his carbine that had been hanging by his side by its sling.
Upon the alert the three squads raised their weapons and looked towards their surroundings. Some spotting the movement Vlasov saw, a couple dozen of the wolf creatures were seen in the distance high tailing it right towards them.
The officer on the BMP spotted the group upon the alert, "Gunner, contact at 75 degrees."
Before the gunner could go through with the command a other alert was sounded, "Contact to our West!"
Vlasov looked to the vague direction and spotted a other group of similar size approaching.
"What the," he voiced to himself as he looked back around to the other group. It couldn't be, he reasoned. It's almost like.
"How the fuck did we get got in a pincer attack," the officer of the BMP wondered aloud then turned back into his BMP for combat.
The three, soon to be four squads, began to divide themselves to face the direction of attacks. Most taking the prone and setting up firing lines. While the vehicles began to swivel their turrets to face the threats.
What about the front, Vlasov in a panic remembered what direction they were actually ambushed from.
"Yeah….. their gone." The radio-operator, Gorbunov, reported as he hopped off the underside of the overturned BRDM.
His Sergeant half heard what his radio-operator said as he was too busy trying to figure out what was happening back with the rest of the company.
"What's up with them?" he asked, to no one specifically.
His driver brushed some snow and dirt off his uniform, "What you say?"
The BRDM commander half turned to his radio-operator but continued to eye the company, using his hand he motioned to hurry, "Lets hurry back to the-" he was interrupted by a alarmingly close howling.
The Sergeant spung around and brought up his weapon towards the noise, he didn't see the source of the short but powerful howl. Be he certainly found its friend.
The Sergeant and his radio-operator were staring at what appeared to be a bear version of the beast of this world standing on top of the knocked-out scout car. It was returning the stare right back.
The driver switched his carbine to full auto as he pointed the weapon as the beast, "Sarge, should we-"
"Not yet," was the low reply of the Sergeant, already knowing what he was going to say.
The bear was easily larger then the one's he ever saw, and he knew damn well a 5,45 rounds wouldn't kill those. So he deemed his next course of action was based on advice he got from his grandpa back in the days.
"Grandson, you know why they say never walk alone in the wilderness? No? Well that's easy, so if anything trying to kill you, you simply run faster then the person next to you."
Of course, he wasn't cold blooded.
"Run!" he yelled as he bolted towards their scout car.
The radio-operator, none the wiser on his superiors reasoning behind the command, followed it and was right behind him.
The bear readied itself to jump of the overturned scout car but was stopped by a stream of 14.5mm machinegun fire to its body. The first few rounds hitting its main body, but the last few making their way towards its head. Exploding it like watermelon. The firing coming from the fully crewed BRDM that was on guarding the other half crewed one.
The Sergeant, already half way up his BRDM peaked behind to find the remains of the beast slipping off the scout car, but with his new found elevation was able to see past it and found a more concerning sight.
"Ah shit, there's more of them!" he screamed out as he made it to the top. With the radio-operator just now grabbing onto the vehicle to climb in.
A few hundred meters past the destroyed BRDM were a mix of wolf and bear type monsters in dozen of small groups running for their position.
The Sergeant sat himself in his commander seat and heard the commotion on the radio, "We got contacts to our left and right flank, anything to our front?" it sounded.
The commander snatched the radio, "We got at least 50 approaching fast to our front!" he yelled into the microphone.
He didn't bother to hear a response, "Gunner face those bastards and prepare to fire."
The gunner acknowledged he heard and started rotating the turret. As that was happening the radio-operator situated himself in the radio-operator seat, "Ready," he voiced.
"Driver full rever- Oh shit!" the commander couldn't finish as a wolf pounced right on top of the scout car and proceeded to jam its snout into the commanders hatch. All the while snarling and snaping at the commander in attempt to catch him.
"Full reverse!" the commander voiced as he slid off his seat, narrowly avoiding losing his shoulder by the monster.
The gunner, unarmed at the moment and having a beast's giant mouth with large while teeth appear right beside him protruding from the commanders hatch in attempt to eat his Sergeant, proceeded to turn the turret.
The wolf, noticing the terrified gunner to its right, attempted to snatch onto him. But it was thwarted as its body was dragged to the side of the vehicle because of the turret forcing its body to rotate with it, having its hind legs hang of the side.
With it now in danger of falling off the vehicle it was now more focused on staying on then actually killing one of its crew.
The Sergeant, took a mental note to thank the gunner later as the beast was slipping higher up out of the vehicle. But he focused on finding where the hell his Carbine went.
"1st Platoon you're backing right into us!" the voice from radio blared.
Fuck! He internally swore to all higher beings, "Driver stop!" he yelled hoping the growling from the beast that had three quarters of its head inside the turret and the engine sound didn't block him out from the driver.
He was rewarded with his body getting slammed into his side against the interior wall as the momentum carried on with him as the scout car did a abrupt stop.
Newtons law proved to be a ally of the Soviet crew and a enemy to the wolf as when the vehicle stopped its body was flung to the side, twisting its body upward towards the sky in the process. Its head remained wedged in the turret, breaking its neck.
The Sergeant, mildly bruised, stared at the now limp wolf head slowly sliding out of the turret then completely vanishing from view as it body fell to the ground.
"Huh," he absently commented.
He was broken from his shocking experience as the radio brought him back to important matters.
"This is Snake-10 to the entire company! Form a perimeter from our Northwest too our Northeast!" the radio burst out.
Now that he was to his sense's, he could hear rifle and machine gun fire from outside, and quite a lot of it at that.
"No time for sitting on my ass," he reasoned as he got back onto his seat.
Authors note:
Bit of a break, huh. That what happens when you join the army I suppose, little time for hobbies, I guess.
Reviews:
Update when? Now.
That's it for now. Remember, something that horrible in grammar or spelling you find, let me know. Gonna have to fix some of the past chapters in those regards and a little more.
Otherwise, thank you and have a fantastic day.