Hey! bestknight32 here! the new arknights chapter looks so cool! the game i mean. but im sure this chapter is cool too! I'd like to thank dahliing for making the base of the story and Tim Baril for making this chapter! Alright thats all until next time! "Of all the next chapters I've read this one was the most…readable."
A second-floor walkway ringed the inside of the warehouse, allowing them to peek out a small window up there.
Emperor, held up by Gummy and Cardigan, had his fins on the ledge and his beak pressed against the glass as he was barely able to see out. But he saw enough. "Aw, fudge pellets. They're already here!"
Dozens of Reunion soldiers were popping up in every direction, joining the gangsters already on site.
Visibly worried, Exusiai breathed, "Look at them all. It's an army!"
Emperor waved Gummy and Cardigan to lower him to the walkway. "Someone's been peaching on us. I'm gonna clip whoever been dropping a dime on us. But later. We gotta blow this joint!"
Doberman, standing next to Hayden, mused, "But how. The only entrance big enough for the truck is currently being surrounded." She eyed the strategist. "Ideas?"
Hayden was thinking fast. What people did he have? What could they do? How to clear a path? Odd movements near a pile of rubble caught his attention.
Seeing the interest, Doberman followed his line of sight. "Ah. Possessed."
"What?"
"Rumour has it Reunion has someone with the power to zombify infected. Turns them into his slaves. They're numb to pain, stronger, and hard to take down." She grimaced. "This could be a real problem. Especially given their numbers. We did not bring enough people for this." Doberman looked down at Penguin. "You might be more trouble than you're worth."
"Hey, now! I…might be responsible for some of those jerks out there with a thirst for vengeance that may or may not be entirely justifiable. But I ain't had nothing to do with Reunion. They're probably here for the stuff you got me picking up here." He paused. "Wait. Possessed? That's Mephisto. And Faust. We're sunk."
"They probably wouldn't know about the shipment if you weren't causing so much trouble and bringing the heat on yourself in the first place."
Emperor ignored that potential truth. Fretting and wringing his flippers together, he looked around. "I need to piddle 'fore I die. Ain't gonna be one of those corpses that evacuates their bowels. If Penguin's gotta die, he' dies with dignity. Or somethin'." He waddled off.
Mephisto appeared on the horizon, a man in black, Faust presumably, next to him carrying a crossbow. The leader eagerly grinned and threw his arm up, then pointed at the warehouse, signalling the attack.
Drones flew into the air. Arts and crossbow bolts pinged around the window, making everyone duck.
Hayden's brain kicked into high gear. From the second-floor walkway, he turned and shouted down into the warehouse. "Gummy and Exusiai on the roof. Cripple the air support. Steward and Cardigan below. Give them reason to be wary, so they don't take us from the side."
"Roger!"
"On it!"
Doberman was already running for the stairs. "Soldiers on me!" At her command, her troops rushed to her side.
Hayden called out, "It's a defensive battle. Draw them toward the main door."
Doberman frowned at that odd command. "The main? How do we get out."
"We'll do it. But I want as many troops in front of the door as possible."
That probably didn't make sense to anyone, but they followed orders. Doberman and her troops took positions behind the large bay door and fired their crossbows through the arrow slits that had been cut into the rolling shutter.
Missiles pinged off the walls and door, creating a cacophony of sound.
The window next to Hayden exploded, covering him in glass. Adrenalin spiking, he dodged to the side, hastily shaking the shards off and ducking away from incoming fire.
Cardigan opened the person-sized door they'd come through earlier and planted herself in the opening, her big shield on the ground in front of her.
Steward carefully positioned himself behind her. His Arts lanced out, and two Reunion soldiers fell in a line.
Rapid gunfire sounded overhead. The angel gloried in the violence. "Yeah! Take that. And that!"
Gummy's anxious voice followed, "Ah! Exusiai! Stop running around, or I can't cover you!"
Small explosions signalled drones being picked off. One spun out of the sky and smacked an unwary gangster in the side of the head. He collapsed, scalp bloody.
A small horde of enemies started building up in front of the warehouse's main door.
Hayden, taking quick peeks through the broken window, called down to the others, "Get ready to lift the door. Give Texas an opening, then follow up."
Doberman shouted, "Texas, down low. Soldiers, ready." She threw a latch on one side of the door, and a soldier on the opposite side did the same.
Hayden raised an arm. "Now!"
Reunion soldiers and gangsters charged the door.
Doberman hauled on a hanging chain, and the door rolled up.
Texas, lying on her belly, used her Arts.
The charging group stumbled and fell to the ground, stunned.
Doberman cried out, "Counter charge!"
RI soldiers raced under the half-open door and plowed into the stunned enemies, crushing them.
Texas jumped to her feet and took the chain from Doberman.
The field commander followed hard on the heels of her men and women, her long, black whip lashing in all directions. Those coming to help the stunned soldiers were sent back in a flurry of whip strikes.
From behind a ruined car rose a huge figure. He was tall and massively muscled. Vacant yet angry eyes stared. The zombified infected bolted at Cardigan, head and shoulders down, intent on smashing through her to get into the warehouse.
Reunion soldiers behind him eagerly rushed to follow his lead, presuming he'd smash through Cardigan's barricade like an unstoppable train.
Steward fuelled his Arts, held it, and carefully took aim to make it count. He blasted the possessed, but it only slowed him down.
The possessed snarled and drew closer.
Gunfire rained down from above, but it was as if Exusiai's bullets did nothing. She stopped and screamed down at Steward, "He's wearing armour!"
"Come on, you big dope. Fall!" Steward tried again. This time, his Arts penetrated the armour and the body beyond.
The possessed fell.
Those following pulled up, then dove for cover behind cars, rubble, and another building.
Hayden took another look out the window, just in time to watch Adnachiel enter the fray.
The scout crept to the edge of a short apartment building next to the Reunion leader. He took aim. Unfortunately, just before he fired, two drones zeroed in on him and a shot to the arm through his aim off.
Mephisto ducked away from the near miss, swearing.
Faust's crossbow came up, and a wickedly powerful shot sent Adnachiel scrambling back and out of view.
Crazy footsteps on the roof seemed to go in all directions. "Reloading! Reloading!"
Gunfire hammered the top of the building, echoing through the warehouse.
Gummy shouted, "Exusiai! This is why I told you to sit still!"
More gunfire. But this time, the sound of it hitting a shield.
"Thanks, Gumby!"
"It's Gummy!"
Hayden saw the leader's right-hand man, Faust, break from the leader's side and take aim at the small door. He fired his crossbow.
Cardigan cried out in pain.
Soldiers and gangsters rushed her, shouting,
"Take 'em down!"
"Kill the bastards!"
"Murder them all!"
Steward tried to hold them off with his Arts, but there were too many. He was better suited to single targets, not mobs.
Hayden shouted, "Doberman! Break right! Help Cardigan!"
Texas, correctly guessing their people wouldn't be coming back in the main door, let the shutters drop with a harsh clang.
RI soldiers, led by Doberman and her merciless whip, reinforced the smaller door, hauling enemies out of the entrance before they could enter. It turned into a brawl.
Steward broke from the warehouse, running away from it down the street. He targeted Faust as he ran and blasted the man with his Arts.
But Faust nimbly evaded and returned fire. His crossbow bolt narrowly missed Steward and buried itself in a possessed instead.
The two ran and dodged down the street, Steward leading the elite soldier away from the others.
Hayden cursed. While it was good that Steward had taken the initiative and drawn a key player away, it meant that Steward was now vulnerable and alone out there. Anxiously, he tried to figure out how to back the young man up.
The brawl in front of the warehouse continued unabated. For some reason, Reunion soldiers were getting hit and going down but were also quickly getting back up.
Mephisto mockingly grinned as he hobbled closer to the action.
Hayden realized that the Arts user was healing his forces even as they were being beaten down, making them practically immortal. It was a stalemate against RI's superior training, at least for now.
The last of the air support was shot down, and Gummy joined the others on the ground. From above, Exusiai tried to dissuade others from reinforcing the mob by the door.
Steward raised a hand, twisted out of the way of a bolt, and lanced Faust with his Arts.
Faust went down.
Mephisto's face hardened, and he immediately changed course, going to help his man.
That meant he wasn't healing his soldiers.
Cardigan, wounded in the shoulder, roared and bashed a gangster in the head with her shield, then kicked another. Rhodes Island began suppressing the enemy.
A gang of possessed cornered Steward, pressing back up against the wall of a store. He frantically fought them off.
Mephisto raised a hand to heal Faust.
Texas popped out of the warehouse. She cast her Arts at the Reunion leader.
Mephisto shuffled to a stop, stunned.
Emperor burst out from cover behind Texas. He raised a handgun. "Say hello to my L'il Homie!" He peppered Mephisto with bullets. Unfortunately, the gun was too low calibre to do enough damage against the Reunion leader.
Mephisto, quickly healing from his wounds, tried to cast an attack on Penguin but was befuddled.
Emperor easily danced out of the way. "Hahaha! Can't touch this." He shuffled to the side, and Mephisto's attack missed. Going in circles around the crippled man, the shade-wearing penguin continued to mock and dance. He kicked Mephisto's cane away, causing the man to fall to his knees. Hip thrusts to the dazed man's face added insult to injury.
Mephisto growled, looking very frustrated that he was unable to respond. Then the stun effect wore off. His eyes widened in fury. "I'll gut you like a fish!"
Emperor yelped and ran.
Mephisto was no fool. He ignored the insulting gang leader and healed Faust.
The crossbowman was instantly on his feet. He shot Steward in the leg, dropping him. Quickly reloading, he shot Emperor in the back and then Doberman in the arm.
Mephisto turned his Arts back on his soldiers. They began to heal and rise again, once more putting pressure on the defenders. Worse, more and more soldiers and gangsters were appearing. If they'd been told to take positions elsewhere, they were abandoning them now to pile on the weakening RI soldiers.
Cardigan screamed, "We need to retreat!" She tried to shield others, yanking them back with her injured arm as she protected them from crossbows and guns and all manner of weapons. Her shield took a beating, and so did she. But the RI group started backing toward the door.
Hayden looked around, desperate for more help. He saw the medic. "Ansel! With Gummy. Pull Steward back here!"
The young medic looked nervous but nodded, pale-faced, and ran out the small door. "Gummy!" When the woman glanced back and saw him, he urged her toward Steward, and the two broke off to rescue him.
But Faust was still in the way. He turned his sights on the pair and aimed to take them both out.
Adnachiel, on another roof now, spoiled the killing attempt with a shot to Faust's right calf.
Faust grunted and fell to one knee. He still managed to spin and fire up at Adnachiel. The two traded shots back and forth.
Emperor crawled across the ground, a crossbow bolt in his lower back, looking like he was in extreme pain. He'd lost his sunglasses. But he reached Doberman's side.
She saw him, reached down and grabbed him by the flipper. Ignoring his scream of pain, she hauled him backward toward the small door while her soldiers formed a wall in front of her to protect her.
But the enemy, being healed from behind, surged forward with a united roar.
Hayden shouted, "Pull back!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Mephisto raised his hand and glared at Hayden.
Texas stunned him and his soldiers.
Emperor managed to call out in a pained but mocking tone, "Hahaha! Can't touch this."
Mephisto's face warred between frustration and confusion.
Hayden ran down the stairs, calling out, "Move, move, move!" though they probably couldn't hear him. But he wanted people back inside.
The enemy was massing. As planned. Sensing weakness, they were filling up the street on this side of the warehouse.
Gummy and Ansel, having fought off a few possessed, returned with Steward.
RI held off the assault and pulled back to the door. Cardigan was the last one through, then slammed it right before Mephisto could recover.
They could hear his howl of frustration through the door.
Hayden pointed at the big bay door. "Exusiai, fire through the door and keep their attention. Everyone but Steward into the truck."
Texas ran to the cab of the vehicle. "I'll drive."
Just about everyone was wounded, some severely.
Hayden called out, "Load up!"
They climbed into the trailer, giving the wounded helping hands. Emperor had to be laid on his stomach. Ansel immediately went to work trying to extract the bolt and heal the wound in his back.
Gummy worked on healing others while tossing food out. "Eat while you can. You, lie down. You, over there."
They squeezed into what little space was left, the trailer crammed full of much needed goods that they just had to get back to the base.
Steward, panting, stood by Hayden. "What do you need me for?"
The truck had been driven into the warehouse, so the back end was near the front door. Hayden pointed in front of the truck — to the back wall. "When we're loaded and good to go, blow a hole in that, will you?"
Steward slowly smiled. "Make our own exit, huh? Got it."
Hayden climbed up into the cab opposite Texas.
She'd already cranked up the engine. "You want me to back up through the door?"
He half-smiled. "Just wait. You'll see."
A banging sounded from within the trailer, one of the trailer doors slammed shut, then Doberman shouted, "Good to go!"
Hayden nodded to Steward.
The young Arts user was already prepared. He loosed, and the blast blew a huge hole in the rear wall of the warehouse.
The alley behind was empty.
Hayden pointed ahead, "Drive!"
Texas didn't hesitate. She threw the truck into gear as they heard the rear door slam shut. It slowly kicked into motion.
Hayden held his door open for Steward and scooted into the middle seat as the young man jumped into the vehicle.
The trailer truck bashed its way through the hole in the wall and hit the alley. A sharp turn collapsed even more of the weakened structure. Then they were free and picking up speed.
The end of the alley came up quickly. Texas pulled hard on the wheel, and they bounced into a proper street, heading away from the warehouse.
Something banged into the top of the trailer.
Steward craned his neck out the window, then pulled back inside. "Adnachiel's with us."
Hayden was just about to celebrate.
Then possessed flooded the street ahead.
"Oh, shi—!" Texas hit the brakes.
They all lurched forward.
Steward screamed, "No! Keep going! Run them down!"
Bullets and crossbow bolts hammered the front of the cab. A crack split in the windshield.
They were doomed.
Texas and Steward looked at him in panic.
But Hayden, pulse racing, wasn't panicking. Yet. He was waiting.
Texas hit the gas again, and the truck picked up speed. Yet the barrage was turning the windshield into a spiderweb.
Two figures appeared on rooftops ahead: 12F and Lava.
The AoE specialists.
They pointed down at the crowded street and let loose. A wave of death descended.
Possessed, and the few remaining intelligent soldiers among them ceased their attack and instinctively ran for cover. They didn't make it far before dying.
Hayden motioned to Texas. "Slow down. Let 12F and Lava get aboard."
She did, and the two joined Adnachiel on the roof of the trailer. Then she sped up and high-tailed it down the street.
Unfortunately, they soon discovered that the street up ahead was blocked with burning cars. This forced them to detour. They made it only two more blocks before a meter sailed from the sky behind them and slammed into a building, sending a torrent of concrete and glass into the street.
Texas detoured again, tires squealing as she turned at high speed, the entire truck yawning to one side.
Frustrated, Steward slammed a fist into the dash. "We just made a U-turn! We're going back the way we came!"
Hayden, too, was frustrated. But there was no way they could have planned for a catastrophe.
They made it a few blocks, tension rising as they expected the enemy to appear at any moment as the warehouse wasn't that far away.
Reunion didn't disappoint. Or maybe they did.
Mephisto appeared on the street ahead, Faust at his side. Two soldiers appeared with rocket launchers.
Texas gasped.
Steward froze.
There was nowhere to turn off the road. They were sitting ducks.
Hayden snapped, Texas!"
Texas shouted, "Grab the wheel!"
When she leaned out of her window, he hastily grabbed the steering wheel and tried not to crash and kill them all.
Texas cast.
The Reunion soldiers collapsed, stunned.
Dizzily reeling as they passed, Mephisto held up a shaky fist and furiously snarled.
They heard Emperor shouting from the trailer, "Hahaha! Can't touch this!"
Then they were passed. Alive. And on the road to freedom.
Thanks for reading!
