Chapter 21:
4:25 pm.
"How many?!" IF asks as she loads a magazine on the M16.
"I see 1… no 2 of them on the roof!" the driver answered as he switches to the clutch, shifts to high gear, and switches back to gas.
"Commander, we'll be out of the village in 5 minutes!" the Operator sitting on the passenger seat said.
"Can't you make this run any faster!?" the other combatant said as he loads in an M433 grenade onto his attached M203 launcher.
"Want me to tip over?!" the driver retorted.
*BINNNGGGG!* *BINNNGGGG!* *BINNNGGGG!* *BINNNGGGG!*
The armored truck rocks left and right. Its weight is being shifted from above. 4 objects slam themselves on the armored roof, creating a grinding sound that hurts their ears. The roof bends inward. With each slam they can hear the laughter from outside, the giggling that taunts, the snicker that haunts. IF immediately pulls a box full of grenades to her, fully intending on using them all.
"Compa, get to the front of the truck now!"
"Mhm!" Compa obliged.
"Pick him up we're going to use him!" at her command: her Combatant picks up their dead comrade.
*BINGGGGGGG!* *BINGGGGGGG!* *BINGGGGGGG!* *BINGGGGGGG!*
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
The scratching and banging noises are getting worse and worse. It's like a violinist was intentionally messing up their play in the orchestra. The truck rocks once more, the driver immediately reacts, turning towards where it was leaning to keep it upright. Compa settles herself under the gunner's platform, watching IF putting up her dead comrade before her.
*BAM!* *BAM!*
The armored roof bends further in. Like a tumor rapidly growing. IF puts up her body shield and her weapon. Her combatant has his back pressed against the furthest right wall, right behind the passenger seat. His finger read on the grenade launchers trigger.
*BAM!* *BAM!*
"Compa, turn away and cover your ears!" IF shouted, noticing her friend still watching at her.
"Mhm" she immediately turns away.
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
Steel does not break easily. It breaks once the valence electrons are unable to attract positive ions. And as steel gets stretched and stretched, the metallic bonds slowly break. They know this, so they beat and scratch the roof with all their might. The pressure builds as IF breaks a cold sweat.
"Tch!" IF clicks her tongue, trying to push away the thoughts creeping into her head.
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
*BAM!*
*BA—*
"—?"
And then it suddenly stops. For a moment, just a moment, you can clearly hear the engine of the MRAP roaring as it drives. The vibrations of the truck as it runs through. The sounds of gunfire from outside. Even your own breathing. A momentary peace.
But that moment did not last.
*BAM!*
*BMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMG!*
"SHIT!"
"What the—? Driver what's happening?" the Combatant asks.
"HOLD ON!"
*BAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!*
"—! Kh!"
"Kyaa!"
"THE FUCK–!?"
It's like a boulder just fell from the sky. For a moment they can feel the truck's front wheels lift off the ground. They went weightless, causing IF and her Combatant to lose their balance and braced themselves for impact. IF kneeled on one knee, consequently, letting go of her meat shield. Her combatant fell to the aisle in the middle, putting himself behind his commander, blocking a clear shot.
*BAM!*
"Da—!"
*GUHIIIII!*
"Kh—Iffy!"
"—!"
IF moves her eyes on cue from her friend. There it is. Right in front of her, basking in the sunlight from the hole it just made. It licks the air as if tasting the very smell of dinner. Skin that shifts in red and black, as if a child drew their very skin.
IF mo—!
*BINGGG!* *BINGGG!*
The truck suddenly rocks side-to-side, tilting left and then right, forcing IF to focus on balancing herself instead.
On cue, as if they had planned this, it jumps towards IF, opening its mouth wide open. IF tries to put power in her legs, however the truck keeps on rocking. It opens its mouth wider, wide enough that you can see its esophagus.
Not trying to get herself eaten, she raises her M16 just as it was about to snap its jaw together.
*CLANG!*
"GH…!"
*GUHI!* *GUHI!*
It pushed towards her face with its weight, pushing her down to the floor. It gnawed at the rifle's body, as saliva trickles and drips down.
*SWING!* *SWING!* *SWING!* *SWING!* *SWING!*
*GUHI!* *GUHI!* *GUHI!*
Her comrade pulled out his knife and swings. It dodged by jumping to the wall and then hopping again under the hole it made. Its tongue licks the air as if swallowing the taste of its meal.
The MRAP Caiman is small, with a total length of 7.72 meters, and a total height of 2.47 meters, it's not enough to perform the most dynamic of movements. In fact, you're not even standing up straight. And because of the steel interior of the MRAP, if they miss their shot the bullet will ricochet. And even if they're allowed to shoot, they're too nimble that a bullet fired at point blank is even avoidable.
"Dammit…!" IF whispers as she stands.
She immediately pulls out her knife and throws it. It pulled it head down, mere centimeters off its eye. Using this momentary moment, she immediately picks up her dead comrade, puts it up in front of her and rushes towards it.
*GUHI?!*
Using the body like a riot shield, IF slams the thing to the back of the MRAP. She plants her feet, lowers her stance, and pushes the body in. Digging into its chest.
*GUHII!* *GUHII!* *GUHII!*
Laughing maniacally at the stupid little that presented herself, it raised its long fingers and pointed it directly at its meal.
"Iffy!" her remaining friend shouts.
"Tch!" IF grits her teeth…
*GUHI!*
…As it pushes its long sharp fingers through its prey.
*SHING!*
"—!"
10 things pierce through her. Lodging from one part and exiting from another. IF's heart races, her body rejects the foreign objects. The 10 things have pierced her, peirced parts of her body that shouldn't be disturbed. She can feel the blood rushing up from her esophagus.
She tries to move, but her body is firmly pinned in place, and instead pain surged as replacement. Her brain could not make sense of what was happening. Warning signals coming from all over the place. She can't feel her legs, she feels like she's floating. Her heart that was just hammering in her chest, suddenly slows down. Her eyes are getting sleepy.
"Iffy!" But the cry of her best friend snaps her awake.
Rallying her strength, she looks over her shoulder and shouts at her comrade.
"NOW!"
"—!"
*GUHI?*
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
4:27 pm.
*CLASH!* *CLASH!* *CLASH!* *CLASH!*
"C'mon, Histoire! C'mon! Is that all you've got!"
A car suddenly shoots from nowhere towards the green haired spear woman.
Chika lunges forward, the car missing her by centimeters. In one step, she stands once more in front of her ex-Oracle. With her spear ready, she pushes the blade towards the fairy's neck.
*CLASH!* *CLASH!* *CLASH!* *CLASH!*
Before the spear could even reach her, it was suddenly blocked by something she can't see. The fairy raises her right arm.
"—!"
Chika hops back as a bus suddenly shoots pass where she once stood. The moment she lands she holds the spear from over her and winds up.
The bus passes and she throw the spear in between her eyes; lunging after her weapon.
*CLASH!*
The spear stops, as if blocked by something invisible, some feet before the blonde fairy. Without delaying for a single moment, she palm strikes the butt of her weapon with her mechanical arm.
*CLASH!*
"…!"
Chika feels movement. She grabs her spear, lowers her stance as she steps forward, crossing her back foot. With her back facing her opponent, she winds up another swing at the nuisance with her spear.
"Kah!"
But before the tip could even reach hit her invisible wall, she was suddenly thrown away by something she could not see.
*CLANG!*
"Kh!—!"
She crashes onto an unsuspecting car on the side of the road. It was like electricity coursed through her body on impact, numbing her of everything.
"F-Fuck!"
She tries to breathe but lungs refuse suck in air. It's like something is clogged in her windpipe. No air is going through her.
"—!"
Something eclipses the light above, Chika looks up. And sees 2 tanks falling towards her.
"K—!"
*BAM!* *BAM!*