【Casa Grande Museum, Sete Cidades】
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Leaves rustled as Rätsel turtles pierced throughout the woods. They could hear the sound of toppling trees as Rätsel turtles crammed their bulky frame through the densest part of the thicket. Their presence swelled as a Ship-sized Rätsel employed a grand command of Turtles into the opposition bank of the lake. Rätsel ground forces rushed down from the peak, letting out a mighty shriek among the divisions that reverberated through the Sete Cidades. Vlora and William stood beside the burning museum in astonishment as they waited in dread for their adversary to come.
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"Blow it." William muttered.
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"What?"
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"I said blow it! We can't let them outrun our position!" William called out.
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"At what, Cap'n!? I don't even know what you're talking about-…"
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"THE BRIDGE, VLORA! THE BRIDGE! We can prolong their advance once we have crushed the entire bridge itself!"
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"Alright, calm the f*ck down Cap'n… We don't have any enough explosive charges brought with us, let alone set up those explosives in a tight situation." Vlora explained.
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"We still have a Medium Range SAM vehicle in our reserve. Right..?"
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"You mean the Type 03 Chū-SAM? Yeah, we still have it along with two remaining Avengers platforms." Vlora clarifies.
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"What's the warhead type for the Type 03 against enemy aircraft?"
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"Uhm… It bears a High-Explosive Warhead, weighing around 73 kilograms."
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"Okay… Let's use those missiles to destroy the bridge-."
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"Excuse me, Cap'n? This is not how the weapon system performs that way." Vlora injects.
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"Vlora… Just do it for Christ's sake." Williams insisted.
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"Arrgh… Damnit, just… Give me the laser designator and some 5 minutes, Cap'n…"
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Vlora rushed towards the T-conjunctions, to where she based the Type 03 Chū-SAM. William saw as she clambered over the middle of the vehicle before unloading several plastic caches from the utility truck. He jerked open the latches and gradually raised the top, rotating from two rear edges of the cache. It occupies two FGM-148 Javelin's launch tube, which he lifted and bore towards the Avenger Vehicle, reloading its spent cartridge. He cautiously pried one of the four cylinders away from the launchers and filled in a loaded tube into the launchers. In a negligible amount of time, it fully armed one of the Avenger vehicles with four Javelin missiles until an unusual Rätsel screech interrupted his works.
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*SCREECH*
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'Any minute, now… Vlora.' William thought as he heard the weird screech on the opposite bank of the lagoon.
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He peaked through his binoculars and spotted several fast-moving objects coming from his right side and into his left side. A trio of Rätsel flights, comprising about 12 fighters or a wing, soared above the advancing Rätsel ground forces. William watched in consternation as he caught a flight of Rätsel fighters who had disengaged from the wing, heading towards their position.
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'Sh*t they're heading over here…' William thought as he plunged for cover.
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Rätsel fighters descended around one thousand feet towards the blackened fields saturated with the remains of their fallen unit and blast pits. As they closed in along their formation, William caught their glowing signatures, indicating the build-up of heat and temperature around their hull. Not long after, a smear of shining line entered his field of view, followed by a peculiar sound.
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*PEW*
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'OH F*CK! INCOMING..!'
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William laid flat on the lush ground as a multitude of heat beams coming from the skies grazed the charred fields and roadway, accompanied by a sudden explosion of its impact. He embraced his head with both of his palms as chunks of concrete and piles of earth took off around the vicinity as their strike intensified.
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'ARRRRGGGGHHHH!' William screamed in silence as destruction arose around his position.
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The sound of destruction damaged both of his eardrums as Rätsel fighters strafed on the ground. They glided past from William's position and into the town of Sete Cidades, where they inflicted destruction upon houses and private property with their high-intense heat ray. William rose from his cover and observed in dread as they whirled around like a vulture burning the entire town into ashes.
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'Oh sh*t! This is not good! They passed through us.' William realized.
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Fearing that William may have lost their second and third rendezvous sites for their defensive positions, he hurried towards the rear end of the Avengers vehicle and mounted on top of the firing cabin. There, he carelessly yanked free the windshield, making entry into the operator's seat.
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'C'mon. C'mon.' William felt as he slipped inside the firing cabin.
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He panicky flipped all the switches from his right, rousing all radar and targeting instruments. Unbeknownst to him, the Rätsel fighters damaged the power distribution station during their attack. Without a steady yield of electricity to the Radar Array, its broadcasting of high-frequency signals dwindled as it derived whatever amount of current flowed down the electrical line. Soon, Rätsel fighters circled back as they spotted a hint of radar and infrared signatures emitting from his vehicle, while William scoured the skies for a locking tone.
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'Where are you at, bastards?' William thought as he spun the turret along his field of view.
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He suddenly noticed Rätsel fighters approaching his position and sighted his views towards a targeting console in front of his windshield. He swiveled the turret towards the approaching Rätsel fighters as he received light and precise tones in series.
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*DUT* *DUT* *DUT*
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'Come on..! Come on!'
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He remained vigilant for a solid tone while his heart fluttered rapidly as Rätsel fighters close-in into his position. Sweat dripped from his forehand and slid below his chins as he anxiously awaited for his targeting mechanism to pick up the infrared signatures among the Rätsel fighters. Rätsel fighters soon returned fire to William's position, causing his vehicle to sway back and forth.
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'Oh f*ck...! OH F*CK!'
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He contended to comprehend and control over his joysticks as the tone transcended into a sharp and rapid pulse while under fire. As Rätsel fighters saturated the area with their heat beam, William stabilized over the controls and clamped himself amid the attack.
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*BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
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*CLICK*
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He pressed the trigger as quickly as his instruments produced a strong tone over the targets. In a glance, he jolted back from his seat as four Javelin missiles hurled in a rapid cycle, leaving behind a trail of exhaust that obscure his vision over the aircraft.
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*Shhhhhhhh*
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All four missiles soared through the skies at breakneck pace and observed along the presumed trajectory of their targets. Emitting such radar frequency to provide tracking over their targets, it was threatened by the Rätsel fighters as they immediately ceased their assault. They again splitted their formation in two pairs and exercised evasive maneuvers as the missile continued its pursuit of their determined targets.
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*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
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A loud screech roared through the dark skies as their heat ray illuminated it, striking upon the seeking missiles. Unwavered under a rain of red lasers, the Javelin missiles banked towards the expected direction of Rätsel fighters, with no change in their course. As the projectiles flew closer and closer, they came highly vulnerable to Rätsel's fire as they continued to barrage with red beams upon their path. They intercepted two rockets in flight, but the surviving two arrived a little too late for them.
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*BLAM (2x)*
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Both of them slammed directly through the lower section of the hull, producing a powerful thud and later a flare after its penetration. A sudden explosion followed as the rocket then burst its payload, tearing a substantial amount of armor from its lower hull.
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'Holy sh*t! This thing kept on flying after that damage!' William exclaimed as he trailed the formation flying away from his position.
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Two damaged Rätsel fighters strayed aside from their formation while attempting to keep formation as they veered away from the town. But not for long, as both of them descended at a rapid pace before plunging into the cold freshwater of Lagoa Verde.
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'Two down…' William gasped for air after his intense struggle during his battle.
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He clambered out of the cabin and then disembarked his vehicle to glance over at the sinking fighter with his night-vision binoculars.
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'Will you look at that… That's one tough son of a b*tch… It ate two of our missiles.'
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As he examined the fallen fighters, he suddenly heard footsteps behind and then accompanied by a female voice.
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"F*cking A, Cap'n..! F*cking A." Vlora cheered.
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"What the hell are you cheering for, Vlora!? You were supposed to launch those rockets."
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"Well, there's a tiny problem with that, Cap'n..."
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"Wait, what are you even-."
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With no warning, four streaks of orange-yellowish light brightened the ground in series as it ascended through the skies. Exhaust fumes swept towards William and Vlora as four streaks of light flew from behind.
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"Cough (3x) Oh… F*ck. You need to go to the bridge, pronto!" Vlora shouted.
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She suddenly grabbed William away from the vehicle and drew him towards her motorcycle.
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"Use my bike, Cap'n."
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"Wait, what's even going on here-."
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"No time to explain, Cap'n… The missiles are en route and we have about 10 seconds to lock-on the bridge before it's too late…" Vlora replied.
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William embarked on Vlora's motorcycle, confused over what Vlora just said. He hastily strapped the helmet into his head, whilst Vlora gave him the modified laser designator which William was quick to catch-on.
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*Vroom Vroom*
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"USE THE LASER DESIGNATOR TO MARK-"
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He strode into the foot gear shift and throttled the motorcycle forward, away from Vlora, before she could even complete her words.
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"-…The bridge… Goddamnit, Cap'n." Vlora cursed as exhaust fumes from the motorcycle covered her.
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William stared back as he watched four streaks of light soaring at increasing altitude as he darted through the rugged lane, clustered with fallen Rätsel Turtles and craters. The closer he was to the bridge, the sharper his view would be, seeing several purple outlines navigating through the dense forest.
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'This is goddamn crazy, Vlora!.' William understood.
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He soon arrived at the bank of the lagoon and halted his motorcycle into a halt. As Rätsel turtles entered the bridge, he whipped out his laser designator from his knapsack and then laced the bridge with a series of invisible coded pulse coming from the designator.
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*SCREEECH*
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'They don't really want to give up… Do they?' William thought as he caught a wing of Rätsel fighters approaching his position.
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A sudden pulse of beam illuminated the skies as it proceeded down towards William's position. Soon, Rätsel fighters strafed William's surroundings as it sped past from their targets, leaving behind a blackened field and charred pavement after their attack run. William glanced back as Rätsel circled back for another run, but shortly was under assault from four streaks of light coming from behind the burning museum.
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*SCREEECH*
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Rätsel fighters exercised extreme evasive action as four Javelin missiles tore right in the center of their formation. Eventually, two Rätsel fighters crashed into the ravaged town as one fighter disappeared into a puff of light, as it previously noticed from a few of their engagements. They quickly veered away from the vicinity, suffering about 1/3 of their fighters from ground attack. William gave a gasp of relief as Rätsel fighters left the battlefield without allowing another strafing attack.
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*SHHHHHHHHH*
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'Here they come-.'
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Four High Explosive Warheads zipped down below and smashed straight into the center of the bridge in sequence, covering the bridge with a yellowish-red mist of glowing smoke. William felt minor tremors coming from the bridge, as chunks of concrete debris and pieces of Rätsel turtles flew in omni direction within the blast.
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Soon, the pressure from the explosion comprised the bridge's masonry integrity as it cracked the steel and concrete reinforcement. Because of this debacle, it collapsed down and sank some of the leading Rätsel turtles into their watery demise and effectively cutting their access to the town proper itself.
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*SCREEECH*
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'Haaa… I'cant believe it...' William oversaw the destruction of the Sete Cidades' bridge, routing the advancing Rätsel turtles into the Town.
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Billowing smoke high above the burning bridge as its flame combusted with whatever material it could engulf. Bubbles appeared in the group as more and more objects sank at the bottom of the lake.
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'This bought us some time, at least.'
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William casually pulled out his night vision binoculars, watching the escalation on the opposite side of the lake.
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'They are dividing their forces… Seeking around the lake… We may have halted the enemy advance, but the battle still continues…' William noted as he swiftly stepped briskly on the starter pedal, revving up the engines once again.
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Soon, the Kawasaki M1030 came into life as William manually reversed his motorcycle towards the smoking museum. He throttled forward, leaving behind the burning bridge off of his view.
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'It's been an hour… So far, they haven't destroyed the storm…' William glanced over his synchronized watch.
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After cruising through the shattered column of Rätsel turtle, he arrived at the ruined museum and saw Vlora packing the rest of the weapons system and its armament at the rear of their utility truck.
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"You're back, Cap'n… That's a splendid job you did there." Vlora remarked.
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"Splendid my ass… I almost died from that, you know." William refutes.
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"Haha… At least I covered your ass again… As a return of a favor from, you know." Vlora chuckles.
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"Just… remind me not to pull the sh*t again, Vlora" William sighs.
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William yanked out the stand and stood the motorcycle on the flat ground, dismounting as the motor was still running. Vlora loaded the last cache into the back of the truck and then locked the latches, securing the truck's goods.
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"What now, Cap'n..?" Vlora asked
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"Well, they're pulling back from the looks of it. But I bet they're still advancing into the town… No matter what the cost." William said as he looked over the destroyed bridge.
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"Yeah… They just literally brought a bigger reinforcement for this occasion… Just for the two of us…"
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'I still wonder… whether they emerged from our experiments or certainly appeared from nowhere on this island.' Vlora thought as she peered over the large Rätsel behemoth towering over the peak of the crater.
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"Orders, Cap'n..?" Vlora asked.
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"We'll fall back on our second defensive position and set up the remaining weapon systems from there…" William replied.
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"Okay… But we have to abandon the rest of the vehicles behind. We already squandered most of our Javelin Missiles from our previous ambush… They're worthless without it, specifically our Javelin launchers."
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"Right… What about your tanks..? We could certainly use their firepower for this perfect occasion, you know?" William inquired.
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"Well, we've lost a Warrior IFV along the way. They came upon a Rätsel patrol along the rim of the crater, although they thwarted them without being pursued." Vlora explained.
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"So what vehicle do we have at the moment..?" William asked.
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"We have a M1A1D Abrams and a Challenger 2 tank at our disposal. They're adequate, at least, to hold the approaching Rätsel turtles as long as we've hunkered down to a suitable position, overlooking the likely avenue of approach." Vlora clarified.
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"Alright, we have to proceed as soon as possible and then immediately fortify that position... Rätsel forces will arrive here sooner than we can expect." William spoke.
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"What about Eckhart, Cap'n..? Surely, we expect him to arrive here, right?" Vlora asked.
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"Eckhart… Sh*t…"
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"Maybe we should fall back to the facility and search for him."
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"We'll stick to the plan, Vlora..!"
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"But, Cap'n!"
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"I said we'll stick to the plan, Lieutenant! No matter what happens…" William roared.
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"Yes, Cap'n…" Vlora monotony replied.
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"Hah… He did his best. The least we can do for him is to keep pushing forward."
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"…"
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"Listen to me… As we speak right now, Rätsel forces are maneuvering around the lake. We'll be flanked from both sides of the town as soon as they enter…As such, we need to reinforce that position and hold it down until a missile is fired from the ship.."
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"..."
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"We'll find him later, but not this time. We still have a battle to continue, Vlora…" William reassures.
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"Alright, alright, Cap'n… I hear you. I hear you…" Vlora replied.
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"Good… Let's move out."
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"Yes, Cap'n."
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"Let's hope that we make it before the Rätsel forces enter the town." William remarked.
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William entered the driver's seat while Vlora mounted onto her motorcycle. She gave a gesture before fleeing ahead of William and into the town. William then inserted the keys into the primer and curled around, spurring up the engine in sequence before discharging a loud thud from its exhaust pipe.
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*Vroom Vroom*
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*Thud*
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'This is going to get worse than we ever faced before. Let's hope the others have finished what they have started.' Willaim thought as he shifted the gears and drove away from the battlefield, leaving behind a ruined museum that soon collapsed to the ground.
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【Garoupa Canoe Tours, 2nd Defensive Site】
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*SCREEECH*
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Large mechanical legs pounded the concrete highway, leaving behind several small cracks along their course. Rätsel turtles clogged the cramped lane, leading to the abandoned Sete Cidades, as more and more of their forces merged with the column.
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Few of the Rear Rätsel turtles caught up with the leading turtles as they moved through the verdant field, throwing a pile of dirt behind their trail. They advanced ahead of the column through the field as a bright white light burst in one of the Rätsel's front hulls with a few sparks flying around.
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*BLAM*
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A puff of dust temporarily obscured the front hull of the damaged Rätsel turtle as it dropped onto the ground, whilst other Rätsel turtles within scrambled into every direction.
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*SCREEECH*
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*Boom*
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One of the leading Rätsel turtles roared, warning its companion to be alert of their surroundings. Soon after its terrifying shriek, it sustained a high velocity projectile out of nowhere that dislodged into its inner hull. It wobbled as it intake such strength from the projectile whilst other Rätsel turtles rushed towards a warehouse where the blows were coming from.
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*Boom*
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*BLAM*
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Flashes of yellow-orange light appeared in front of the buildings and was followed by a mild blast whilst the surviving Rätsel turtles advanced with alacrity. One by one, their momentum halted as each projectile smashed into their hull, knocking them back with such tremendous force. In just a few minutes, the projectile quenched their Rätsel turtle's charge into scraps.
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*SCREEECH*
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Another cry came from the highway as the leading Rätsel turtle halted its advance as the rest followed. Reaching the intersection, it again veered its mechanical legs, facing the left path, but it was cut short by the same attack as it was before. With its carcass now blocking the primary route, the rest of the Rätsel turtles turned around and fleed in the opposite direction.
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*SCREEECH*
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'They're turning back… Jesus Christ, that charge scared the sh*t out of me.' William thought.
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Cowering behind the stone wall, he watches over the field to evaluate their ambush.
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'Same as usual… We can't destroy them but we can wound them… I wonder if those turtles were the ones we damaged before…'
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*Vroooom*
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*CLANG*
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Whilst still he was speculating about their last ambush, the noise of shell cartridges resounded his ears as they banged on top of each other, forming a small pile.
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"Another one down…" Vlora yelled as tirelessly lifted the spent munition out of the partially concealed Challenger 2 Tank from the Loader's hatch.
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"How many rounds do we have left?" William inquired.
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"About 7 SABOT rounds left … The HESH rounds and other chemical rounds are powerless against that kind of thickness…"
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"Well… Either way, we must hold them off with whatever we got."
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"Right, right, right." Vlora answered.
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She clambered over the roof of the Challenger 2's turret and glared towards the massive radar array at her right, pondering about Eckhart's whereabouts. She spots a plume of grey smoke appearing from a separate structure within the radar facility.
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"Hey, Cap'n…" Vlora shouts.
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"Huh..?"
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"Here, look over the Radar Array…"
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Vlora pointed her fingers towards the facility while William moved to the rear vehicle to examine the area she was pointing out. He watched as clouds of dusty smoke clouded most of the upper floor and several blast holes punctured within its outer walls.
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"Eckhart… God-" William cursed.
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*PEW*
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*BOOM*
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"CONTACT! RESUME FIRING, VLORA!" William yelled.
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William fled her position as they were greeted by a hail of red rays coming from the junction. A few Rätsel turtles fired behind from the treeline, as Vlora quickly reentered into the turret. She went over the breechloader of the Royal Ordnance L30 and retrieved a single L27A1 APFSDS round from the ammunition storage.
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*Ka-chunk*
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*Ching*
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*Ka-chunk*
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She cleared the breechloader of the rifled barrel and then slapped the SABOT round along the barrel before closing the hatch.
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'C'mon, ya sh*ts…' Vlora chuckles as she sighted through the Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sight II (TOGS II).
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*VROOOOONG*
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The entire Challenger 2's Turret rotated towards the Rätsel turtle, hiding along the treeline. Vlora shifted from visual mode to thermal mode of her sight as the dawn sky still cowered them from detection.
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'Let's give them what they want.' Vlora then grasped the firing handle over the console and firmly pulled the trigger.
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*Thud*
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*POW*
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The tank hull rocked slightly backwards as the barrel recoiled from the propellant. The SABOT round soon exited out of the barrel, producing a muzzle flash and a loud bang as it flew past over the obstacle. Ring-shaped object soon detached from the projectile and spun circularly, providing a flat and stable trajectory path as it hurled towards its target.
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Vlora noticed a momentary flash from its target as soon the SABOT round penetrated its armor, generating a thermal spike within her sight. The target fell to the ground, convulsing its mechanical legs whilst the remaining Rätsel turtles resumed their attack. Vlora pulled aside from the targeting console and refilled her cannon with another SABOT round.
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*Ka-chunk*
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*Faint Whirring*
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*Thud*
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She heard another round shot upon the treeline as she hurriedly entered another round down into the barrel.
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'C'mon, Cap'n… Keep up the pace…' Vlora cheered as she slammed shut the breech close before returning onto the gunner's seat.
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*Thud*
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*POW*
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She fired again and again as her tank sustained an indirect hit from incoming fire from the treeline. Her frontal camouflage netting soon burned as one the laser struck directly below the tank's hull, neutralizing its transmission to its sprocket completely.
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'C'MON! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!' Vlora screamed in her mind.
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*POW*
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*POW*
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*POW*
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Again and again, both tanks unleashed their devastating shot towards the cowering Rätsel turtles behind the treelines. Pound after pound, their barrel recoiled as each SABOT round knocked out most of their targets at ease. Smoke poured out of the barrel, blurring their gunner's sight with its low haze.
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*SCREEECH*
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Rätsel turtles soon withdrew from the treelines and regrouped into the junction. A couple of Rätsel turtles raised both of their mechanical legs high in the air, bewildering William and Vlora from their unusual action.
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*SCREEECH*
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'Oh boy…' Vlora thought.
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Rätsel turtles slammed down their mechanical limbs and charged aimlessly towards Vlora position. Smashing through any obstructions that stood along their way, they drove as if there was no tomorrow. Vlora watches in dread as they direct their heavy cannon forward, facing their foe.
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*PEW (10x)*
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Their attack pierced and scorched everything that came into contact. Be it rock, vegetation, and even metal, won't tolerate that kind of attack. Despite inaccurately hitting their targets while firing on the move, Rätsel turtle pinned the Challenger 2 to counterattack. Vlora felt the earth shaking around her as each of their attacks struck into its hull.
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The smell of smoldering metal and ceramics soon creeps within the interior as the tank's hull armor slowly melted from their charge. Rätsel turtle drew closer and closer whilst suppressing Vlora to react, enough for them to reach her position.
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"Ha… Sh*t…" Vlora murmured as blood dripped down to the floor from her lower left abdomen. Molten fragments from her tank armor inflicted deep wounds, causing high blood loss that soaked much lower part of her uniform. Pain slowly creeps through her body as she immediately applies pressure from her right hand.
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'I can't… must keep going…'
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Vlora struggled to sit upright as her lightheadedness and dizziness prevented her focus against her enemy. She fought against her pain and continued the fight.
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'One more… One…'
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She squinted through the gunner's sight and spun its turrets towards the leading Rätsel turtle. But it was momentarily knocked out before she could fire the round.
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*Vroom*
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The M1A1D Abrams advanced to her position whilst firing towards the charging Rätsel turtles. Soon, it sped up and turned its direction away from Vlora.
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'What the… f*ck is… he doing..?' Vlora thought, watching the Abrams tank charging in the same direction as their opponents were heading. It remained for a while until a cupola from the Abrams was flipped open to its side.
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'Cap'n…'
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Vlora watched as William leaped off the speeding up tank and landed roughly somewhere along the field. The tank still rushed at high speed and broke straight into their formation. It collided towards the leading Rätsel turtle and almost flipped off the ground because of its enormous momentum, overcoming gravity. The barrel snapped while the entire front hull crumbled like a piece of paper, wrecking the tank and Rätsel turtle at the same time.
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*SCREEECH*
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A cry wailed from the collided Rätsel turtle as the remaining forces stood in chaos and their charge faltered immediately after its leader had been knocked out. Seeing the commotion from Captain's Charge, she gave all her remaining strength to reload the cannon with another shot.
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'ARGH! F*ck! F*ck' Vlora screamed as the weight of the round put a huge strain on her body, feeling greater discomfort and major pain from her wound.
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*Ka-chunk*
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*Ching*
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*Ka-chunk*
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'Just… one more… one more…'Slapping another round into its chamber, she again squinted towards the gun sight but unable to retaliate once more. Her consciousness slowly fades away as Rätsel turtles push their attack and charge towards Vlora's vehicle.
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'Is… this… the end…'
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Her eyes gradually lose vision from her sight of the enemy. Too much blood has been lost from her body. Vlora accepted her death, feeling cold and bitter from her loss.
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『FIRE!』
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*Pshhhhhhhhh*
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*BOOM*
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*SCREEECH*
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'Haaaa..?'
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'They… are being… attacked..?'
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『They were caught off guard! Concentrate your fire on their weaponry!』
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*Pshhhhhhhhh*
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*BOOM*
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*SCREEECH*
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More and more similar shrieks from the turtles we heard outside of her tank. Vlora quickly gathers what strength she has and again peaks her sights once more. Seeing the destruction done against the charge, They were suddenly began to back away from the entrenched line.
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『Keep firing! They are faltering… Hit them, what we've got left.』
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'Friendlies..? Sh*t… I need… to return… fire' Vlora grasped for the firing trigger before her consciousness faded for one last time.
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'Vigilamus pro te (We stand on guard for thee)'
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*Thud*
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*POW*
ㅤ
Her gun recoiled once again as soon the SABOT round flew out of the barrel, and scored another direct hit towards the enemy, alerting her presence to her unknown saviors.
ㅤ
『We got friendly! We got friendly! Mike and Ren provide covering fire for the bogged tank… Don't stop firing until it's over.』
ㅤ
*SCREEECH*
ㅤ
*SCREEECH*
ㅤ
As the air was filled with deafen screech, the remaining turtles began to flee away from the firefight. They flee in such haste as to avoid being destroyed by the defenders.
ㅤ
'It's over…' Vlora confirms one more time before her consciousness blackens out. Her body lost all of its strength, dangling her arms away from the firing handle and her wounds and sitting in a slouch manner.
ㅤ
'My time is up…'
ㅤ
『...』
ㅤ
'...'
ㅤ
Everything she sees is nothing but black, but muffled sounds were still ringing from her ear. Cracks were formed as some parts of her dark environment and light began to shine all over her.
ㅤ
'...'
ㅤ
『Corporal… we found her…』
ㅤ
『Sh*t… she's losing… Call Hotaru, now...』
ㅤ
『Wilco…』
ㅤ
'What's… happening…'
ㅤ
『Over here, sir…』
ㅤ
『Get her… They're still coming…』
ㅤ
'Need… to wake up…'
ㅤ
『Fall back… This line…』
ㅤ
『We can't… Overrun that place…』
ㅤ
『F*ck… Grab everything… Retreat back… Array…』
ㅤ
『Roger that… Sarge.』
ㅤㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
—RFS Severomorsk—
ㅤ【Command Bridge】
ㅤ
*BEEP BEEP BEEP (3x)*
ㅤ
*TI NU NIT (3x)*
ㅤ
*DUN DUN DUN (3x)*
ㅤ
Sound echoed throughout the brighten command bridge as every instrument showed a ringing tone going off all at once. Damage control system issued several flag warnings regarding the flooding issue over the 2nd Deck Floor, but there was no one to address the problem. As the water level continued to rise at a dangerous level, the system increased its frequency of flagging and forwarded its issues throughout every console within the command bridge to no response.
ㅤ
*Creak*
ㅤ
The door's valve suddenly turned clockwise as the console continued to prompt notification, followed by its respective alarm sound. The valves continued to rotate until it released a loud thud noise, followed by a creaking of the door.
ㅤ
*Clanck*
ㅤ
*Thud*
ㅤ
*Creak*
ㅤ
Youta then silently entered the command bridge as each console produced loud noise, prompting him to investigate one by one.
ㅤ
'This does not look good for ourselves…'
ㅤ
Each notification presented the water levels in every compartment on the 2nd Deck Floor as seawater flowed through the blasted hole over the Port Section of its hull. The system already sealed its watertight mechanism from the Aft Section all the way to the Bow Section of the destroyer, but it revealed that its water pumping system failed to operate as intended.
ㅤ
'We don't have much time.'
ㅤ
Realizing that the flooding may shortly capsize the destroyer as it remained to tilt at a critical rate, he has ample time to prepare their strike before the flood might knockout most of the electrical system. He combed the command bridge for the launch controls of the Gauntlet Cell as the mainframe continued to deliver recommendations concerning the flooding of this ship.
ㅤ
*BEEP BEEP BEEP (3x)*
ㅤ
*TI NU NIT (3x)*
ㅤ
*DUN DUN DUN (3x)*
ㅤ
'F*ck… My head's spinning around with all the alarms going off all at once.' Youta felt as he circled within the room, searching for the launch room as his legs ached very frequently because of his injuries. Until he came upon a sealed door.
ㅤ
'This could be it…'
ㅤ
He twisted the valve wheel clockwise, leaking a resounding metallic noise as the latches loosen. He gently freed the door, discovering a control panel with a radar display plastered above the console. Glancing over the VLS Pods on the Bow Section of the destroyer and its interior silo via closed circuit television, he reached the missile control room for the Gauntlet Missile.
ㅤ
'Alright…'
ㅤ
Youta sat on a chair over the console, where he surveyed the circular radar display as the line swept in a revolving pattern. Over his display, the radar reported a cumulus streak of light over the aforementioned spot of the storm as the line rotated at a slower pace. Every passing second, he glimpsed a group of faint dots creeping towards the destroyer while he dialed back and forth for a locking tone over the storm.
ㅤ
Suddenly, the frequency wave over his air search radar pulsated at an abrupt interval as a group of light dots creeped closer and closer to the ship. Unfazed by this anomaly, he continued to dial over the controls as the targeting instrument gave a rapid sharp tone towards the storm until…
ㅤ
*Faint Screech*
ㅤ
'Sh*t… They're already found us!'
ㅤ
He heard a reverberating noise outside of his room as bursts of red lights appeared outside of the command bridge window. Over the camera, a volley of laser pounded onto wooden and steel surfaces alike,tearing several segments of the bow section while being set alight after the attack. He felt the destroyer being swayed from each side for every attack attempted by the Rätsel fighters.
ㅤ
'Oh, you gotta be kidding me…'
ㅤ
Youta assessed every apparatus within his console, simply to discover that Rätsel fighters damaged his air search radar.
ㅤ
'We're blind as f*ck…'
ㅤ
Youta readjusted the dials and switches on each panel within the console to restore controls over the Gauntlet VLS System, except for the radar display. The display stubbornly refused to regain its operation, but it merely displayed a static screen within its interface.
ㅤ
*DUT DUT DUT*
ㅤ
'A Lock-on… It's a gamble.'
ㅤ
With the air search radar disabled, Youta gained a lock-on amid the strafing run by Rätsel fighters. But he couldn't perceive the identity of his gained target as he desperately switched to an alternative tracking instrument.
ㅤ
*SCREEEEEECH*
ㅤ
'Checkmate… Huh, I guess this is it…'
ㅤ
As another screech roared outside of the room, Youta left with no choice but to launch their missiles into the unidentified target. Rätsel fighters would soon gather around the sinking destroyer, and their survival would be at risk if they failed to wipe out the Rätsel core at Santa Barbara. He then nervously flipped the switch guard for the missile control and typed down the command line over the console, arming the missile for launch.
ㅤ
'It's do or die!'
ㅤ
*Click (4x)*
ㅤ
Four silo hatches slowly cleared to the sides and were promptly followed by the noise of the burning propulsion engine rumbling around the destroyer.
ㅤ
*Pshhhhhhhhh*
ㅤ
Two streaks of light rapidly emerged from the silo and ascended through the dawn sky, generating a tremendous amount of exhaust fumes that temporarily concealed the bow section of the destroyer. In a mere seconds, two improvised missiles achieved such velocity around twice the speed of sound and quickly stabilized into a horizontal trajectory.
ㅤ
'YES! IT F*CKING WORKS!' Youta blurted as he rose from his chair and stormed out of the room.
ㅤ
Youta plodded out of the bridge with haste, carrying along high magnification binoculars with him. He scrupulously observed two orbs of lights zipping through the low-lying clouds until it disappeared from his sight. Soon after he lost sight of the two orbs.
ㅤ
*SCREEEEEECH*
ㅤ
'Burn b*tch! Burn b*tch!'
ㅤ
As Youta was about to celebrate, he abruptly fell towards the metal wall. Hearing a loud metallic crackling noise, he struggled himself to get up as more and more of the same noise popped all around him. He then heard snapping several cables coming from above, followed by more splashes of water below him.
ㅤ
'Oh god..! Holy sh*t!'
ㅤ
He stood over the now tilted side of the bridge superstructure whilst the destroyer tilted to its starboard side at an alarming speed. Two AK-100 Naval guns slowly rotated at its starboard side as gravity drew its large caliber barrel towards the water. He then trudged his way over the walls of the superstructure, seeing the chaos and destruction throughout the destroyer.
ㅤ
'Sh*t… I need to find Kate and Sabina.'
ㅤ
Youta then plodded whatever path he could see out of the command bridge. He stopped as the gap between the bridge and one boiler was filled with falling instruments and other metallic parts into the water. Seeing the abyss beneath him, he stepped back and ran towards the end of the ledge.
ㅤ
'AAAAAAAHHHHHHH'
ㅤ
As he leaped over the gap into the boiler, both of his legs slipped at an awkward angle. He began to skid uncontrollably towards the deck floor whilst Youta tried to grasp for any obstacles that could slow his descent. But at the last moment before he fell off the boiler, something pulled him up from his possible death.
ㅤ
'What the-.'
ㅤ
"C'mon, lad. Don't leave me out here by myself." Kate shouted.
ㅤ
"Ka...te!?" Youta muttered with his broken voice as he peered up towards the drenched Kate.
ㅤ
"Don't just hang there and get up." Kate shouted.
ㅤ
She swayed Youta towards the nearest platform in order for Kate to pick him up from the edge.
ㅤ
"Tha… nk...s..." Youta thanked whilst having to use his broken vocal cords.
ㅤ
"No worries, mate… Glad you're still in one piece. C'mon, we need to go… Now."
ㅤ
Kate and Youta crawled on the side of the superstructure towards the nearest doorway.
ㅤ
"Flood control system couldn't keep up with the current water level. We have little time before this ship capsizes..."
ㅤ
「Where's Sabina, Kate?」Youta typed down onto his speech device.
"W-w-wait a minute… I thought she's with you?" Kate asked.
ㅤ
「We're separated… She said she would find her way out of the Gauntlet VLS Cell..!」Youta responded.
ㅤ
"Sh*te... Things were not in our favor this time." Kate muttered.
ㅤ
「Wait.. What are you doing!?」 Youta asked, seeing Kate unzipped her duffle bag and casually pulling out the object
ㅤ
"Is your speech tablet waterproof." Kate asked as she casually pulled out two separate cylindrical gray tanks with one adhered to a rebreather and another with an oxygen flame cutter.
ㅤ
"If so… then we're taking a swim."