Selfless Service

After another half an hour on the road, they finally caught sight of their objective. They stopped, and the lieutenant observed through his binoculars and contemplated.

"Your orders, sir?" the lieutenant's NCO counterpart asked.

"The enemy is dug in well, and there doesn't seem to be any good flanking routes."

"Then our only option is a frontal assault."

"We can't do that, out of the question."

"Sir, if I may." SFC Harrison took the binoculars from the lieutenant and looked for himself. "The enemy is dug in, but they don't seem to have much in way of support. One of their tanks is destroyed on the bridge, and they don't seem to have any others. A well-coordinated frontal assault will surprise them, and we might be able to establish a foothold at the bridgehead if we move fast enough."

"I will lose my platoon like that."

"Not if it is executed properly. You said it yourself, this isn't Afghanistan. The longer we wait, the longer the enemy has to prepare and reinforce. Now is our chance."

"I don't know if we can pull it off."

"Sir, with all due respect, you can't hesitate like this. The men need a strong leader, a confident leader. They can't see you falter. Not now, not with the reputation you have been building. I've been in a few frontal assaults on an entrenched enemy, and only with high tempo and high morale were we able to succeed."

"I-"

"Be the leader that the Army trained you to be. This is where you earn your pay." The lieutenant looked down, then back to his men. They were laying prone along the drainage ditch, many looking at the lieutenant, waiting for his orders. He understood he was the one who had to make the tough decisions, he had to act.

"Fuck it, send it." The PSG nodded and followed the PL as he made his rounds.

"First Squad, Second Squad! Prepare to assault. Fourth Squad! Set up your guns here and prepare to suppress the enemies on the bridge. Let's move!" 4th Squad began to set up their M240's while 1st and 2nd prepared for the attack.

"Where do you want me, sir?" SFC Harrison asked.

"Go with 2nd Squad, I will be with 1st." 2LT Joseph raised his voice. "I will be with First Squad! Sergeant Harrison will be with 2nd Squad! Drop your rucks here, Fourth Squad will take care of them!" He looked to his WSL. "You got that, Sergeant?"

"Yes, sir!"


"Damnit." The lieutenant, lying in the prone, fired a couple rounds off. A few bullets whizzed by in reply. Minutes ago, an enemy truck happened to be moving towards them, so the lieutenant had made the decision to engage. The group had to bug out of the vehicle not too far from the enemy outpost, as enemy solders started to hop out their truck. They had moved to their preplanned positions.

"What are we going to do, Michael?" Renamon asked, lying next to him.

"I'm not sure, let me think." CPL Ku and Veemon were to the right of them about 100 yards away. "We need to get close enough to the corporal to communicate. I don't know if we can get there in time."

"I will get you there, tamer." Renamon said dutifully. The lieutenant looked at her curiously and was surprised when she picked him up quickly and leapt off towards the corporal's position.

"Renamon, what are you doing?!"

"Getting you there in time." The enemy was shooting at them, but they were moving extremely fast. In only a few moments, they reached the corporal and Renamon set the lieutenant down. They both hit the dirt as soon as possible.

"Lieutenant!" CPL Ku was surprised at the quick appearance of 2LT Joseph and his partner. "What's the plan, sir?"

"We only seemed to have come up on a squad sized element. We need to destroy them now, secure our packs, and move off. Renamon!"

"Yes, Michael?"

"I need you to take Veemon and attack that squad. The corporal and I will remain here and give you support fire. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes."

"It will be dangerous. Be careful when you are out there; I don't want you to get hurt. Come back to me, okay."

"Always."

"Alright, then go!" The lieutenant and corporal started firing rapidly at the enemy forces. Renamon picked Veemon up and leapt off towards the enemy. Dropping Veemon off near the truck, Renamon leapt into the air once more.

"Diamond Storm!" A volley of crystals materialized and launched towards the enemy. Many were hit, some wounded, some killed.

"Now!" One of the unharmed enemies yelled. The enemy truck's canvas bed cover fell off and a large net shot out of a launcher, ensnaring Renamon as she was making her descent. She cried out in pain, the net shocked her, evidently electrified.

"RENAMON!" The lieutenant yelled out and attempted to get up. He was greeted by a few rounds, causing him to hit the dirt. Another net launched and ensnared Veemon; he cried out in a similar way to Renamon.

"VEEMON! We're gonna get you guys out of there!" The corporal yelled out.

The digimon, weakened to the point of incapacitation, were then dragged into the bed of the truck by a couple on enemy soldiers. These soldiers looked different, wearing MOPP equivalent protective gear. The lieutenant tried to shoot them but couldn't get a good line of sight without risking the enemy ventilating his brain cavity. The special soldiers got onto the truck and drove away.

"Michael! Help us!" Renamon cried out weakly.

"Damnit! We have to go after them!" The corporal stood up and began to run, but he caught a round to the chest, knocking him onto his back.

"Fuck!" The lieutenant fired a grenade from his launcher at the remaining enemies, blowing a few up. He got up and ran to the corporal. A lone enemy fired at him. He hit the dirt, rolled, and fired a couple rounds at the enemy. One struck home, silencing the enemy permanently. The lieutenant got up and rushed to the corporal.

"Ku! Are you okay?"

"That round hit me pretty hard. Hit my plate, knocked the wind out of me." The lieutenant sighed, finding a small amount of relief in the shitstorm that had befallen him.

"Well then get up. We have to find a way to get our partners back." He turned towards the road. "I can't lose her." The lieutenant said quietly to himself.