Isaac peered into the cache of arms presented to him under the harsh red light, eyes gazing at the bountiful pile that can equip a small army like a kid at a toy store.
"Gotta dress in our Sunday best, gentlemen." Torres whistled as he wormed past him, grabbing the smoke grenades. " I prefer to make an explosive entrance, if you will."
Tores then checked his chest rig, then eying both Isaac and Itami, with his eyes burning through Itami.
He eyed Itami beside him, as he quietly assessed the cache for a scant few moments, before trading his AMR for a M-66 rifle, motioning to his second in command to grab the MARS launcher. Isaac shifted his eyes a bit on the rifle, fragments of thoughts suddenly prematuring as he returned to his mission.
He caught Carlos grabbing the polyplast canister filled with Flechettes, before turning to his superior.
"Extra ammo."
"Thanks." Isaac restocked his empty M-66 mags for fresh ones, before handing them to his other squadmates as he turned to his Sergeant.
"What else?" Carlos asked,
He then eyed the MARS launcher tubes, before shaking his head. Too much firepower. He then switched to the crate of grenades, seeing the smaller warheads sufficient for the task.
"Restocking of grenades would do. HE, AP."
Carlos glanced at Isaac, before grabbing the canister.
He then finally sighed as he saw the yellow and black canister.
"And, the Thermobarics. Just bring a couple. Itami will lug most of them."
Isaac eyed the small thing, destroying the line between right and wrong in a horrifying blast.
And, in this large city, the line between them is blurred. He could still remember screams, the fiery inferno of Olympus City as it consumed it.
"It's part of the job description, Lt." Carlos pointed out, bringing him out of his depths as he caught him in a staring contest with it.
He turned to Itami, who silently grabbed the grenades. Isaac left the huddled group, trudging down the metallic bottom with a heavier step, as he felt the guilt washing over him
As he slowly descended out of the cavern of the dropship, he looked over to the Loadmaster, who nodded at him.
"Give them hell, Lt."
He nodded at the Sargeant, before looking around, waiting for the mission to begin, and seeing the flurry of red hair coming straight towards him.
"Lieutenant Fields!"
Isaac then snapped back to reality, as the Princess looked at him with a furious intent that threatened to engulf him with flames.
He took a deep breath, before nodding respectfully at her.
"Yes, your Highness?"
She closed her eyes, and calmed down. The princess still worn the armor she rode before, except this time it's bright ornate designs compared to the grey combat armor all around her looking out of place.
But as soon as Isaac reached her face, he could see the exhaustion written on her face, yet it was like it was written with a pen instead of a pencil, it was slightly different.
It was boredom.
"I demand to be accompanied."
A million thoughts rushed into Isaac's mind, swimming around him, all screaming no. Isaac's eyes pierced straight through his armor, trying to give her the point.
"Your Highness. Our missions are merely piecemeal. There's no need for you to accompany us."
Pina shook her head profusely, not budging.
"But it's a priority for me. Italica is the soul of the Empire! I am not sitting here while the symbol of our species' sanctuary is burning."
Isaac nodded, happy that she couldn't see his cringing face behind his visor.
It was then a private comns from Jasper.
"Do it. Orders from Polaris Actual himself."
Isaac looked at Pina's entourage, and noticed most of them looked at with wanderlust in their eyes, their glazed curiosity penetrating through his visor. He cringed as he felt it.
Isaac's mind halted against a brick wall that stood the insurmountable fact. These were interlopers of the worst kind. And inexperienced to boot.
Isaac cursed those people up above for giving him such a harsh task. And for a brief moment, Isaac could hear cackling.
Isaac sighed.
"Fine. We'll be taking you along. But don't you dare stray away. This is a search and rescue mission."
Finally, Isaac could see the burning flame behind Pina's eyes began to die off as she momentarily closed her eyes, before returning to a sweet, warm flame that was enhanced by that fuzzy smile.
"Thank you." She replied, sweetly.
Isaac blushed, mind shot to hell, unable to retain his grip on their attention as they hurriedly grabbed their gear.
As Isaac's mind was able to pass through the blockage, he caught the Ire of Torres beside him, his smug smile seeping out of his hardshell.
"A princess, and a Japanese Loose cannon. What an interesting shitshow."
Isaac groaned out his exhaustion, looking downwards.
"Don't gloat Torres. You get to save the girl and the tier one prima donnas."
The drone rushed forward, it's rotor engines cruising down the street.
"Sweep's done. Streets are clear. Let's go."
"Alright, advance."
Carlos gestured to the four knights accompanying them, causing them to stagger against the smooth stream of SpecOps as they crept beneath the wrath of a burning night. They quietly advanced through the old streets of stone through twists and turns, a contrast through the open grid layers of the Captial. But the STT weren't taking any chances, as each member aimed their rifle at any crevice they had, much to the chagrin of the knights.
Isaac scraped for any hint of attack as he swung his rifle at every corner illuminated by his IR. Every step was short and quick as his heartbeat as he advanced through every inch, not fuly trusted with old data, his microphone sensors grasping for every nugget that his rifle can reach. But those eyes also examined on the true life of this city, causing a lingering feeling Isaac couldn't understand, as the buildings on each side didn't give him silence in their faceless prefab concrete walls, but flowing with artistic care and attention as their weathered facade told him centuries of stories, as they blended into one another, all withstanding the test of time.
This wasn't Kansas, anymore.
"Valkyrie 2-4, this is Raider Lead. SITREP?" Isaac asked over comms.
A slurry of words came out from the radio silence, as a feminine voice replied.
"Raider Lead, doing swell of all things. But we have a crowd looking at us. My Crew chief tried to scare them off with the PA system, but that only brought more of them." The pilot reported, her voice swirling in a sea of narcotics. "ETA on your arrival?"
Isaac looked at the Drone's mapping. The route planned and laid out seemed light, in comparison to the grids where the poor live.
"10 minutes. Sit tight."
A bitter chuckle on the end.
"Worst Saturday Night ever."
"Tell me about it."
He then cut the feed, meeting the eyes of a lifesized elf carving staring at him with glassy eyes, his chiseled, weathered face asking him of his purpose. Isaac offered none.
He watched this happened again and again, along twist curves and somewhat narrow streets that pressured them from both sides to the open. He wondered if the elves who lived back then knew how to navigate these roads, which they streamed out onto a wide old, road, cobblestone, similar to a 4 lane avenue in the 21st century.
He turned to the Princess, who looked at them with a merely amused state.
"Sorry if this is too slow for you."
Pina shook her head, feigning a nervous smile.
"It's quite interesting how you deal with cities. We are truly different."
Isaac nodded, as the realization of the tech disparity was immense. Walls simply didn't offer any protection to any city anymore, and urban combat was expected, rather than avoided.
"Halt." Carlos motioned, making the entire column halt, much to the knights confusion.
Except, this one was full of trash that littered the streets, as the buildings beside them were defiled beyond belief as their colorful windows and broken doors smashed and broken, bodies and debris all over the streets. It appeared to be a once vibrant district similar to the museum cities of Europe, yet now was a ghost town, that stank of death.
Isaac noted the scarce human presence 30 meters away, lit up by the Datalink from Carlos' suit. 3 individuals huddled over a fire, wielding items dipped in crimson, as they stood near a bunch of bodies, mutilated beyond belief. Isaac noted that some of them had their clothing torn.
The older knight crept up the column to Carlos, who whispered in frustration.
"Curses."
He then turned to Carlos.
"One of them is a volderadeen. Wolf."
Wolves were extinct on Earth in their habitat, but Isaac saw them in Network shows back on Mars. And yet the haunting glowing eyes of a long dead beast on an alien planet still chilled him to his bones.
Except this time it was real, as the creature's eyes still glowed against his night vision.
Itami then turned to the team frequency, voice tensed.
"Full EMCON. No one even fidgets without authorization unless we're in the clear, got it?"
Isaac then chipped in, looking straight at Itami.
"Hold your fire. We can't be seen. Otherwise the entire town will be on us."
He then turned to Iris, who had her rifle enthusiastically raised.
"Iris. Keep a bead on them."
Itami commanded two of his men to do the same, and all three had laser sights trained on the targets' back.
"Fredericks. Get a couple of gnats. Try to scare them off. Carlos, help him out."
"Copy."
With extreme caution slowing the process to a crawl, Fredricks took out two of his personal drones, as he awoken them to do their final mission, blinking with enthusiasm, as their feeble propulsion systems rose up to the skies, buzzing silently.
Before falling to the ground, with the assistance of gravity.
The first one buzzed in the center of the fire, before hitting the building beside them.
The second pierced through the bundle of wood, killing it.
Isaac's heart leaped, causing the rest of the column to grasp for the small window of time that they could afford. He aimed his rifle at the men who were clearly hiding in fear from the potential attack.
Isaac could hear them scurrying to safety, before telling his counterpart to hoof it, as they crossed the open, in silent and swift precision. They dashed through the long road with silent ease, hiding behind the debris.
Isaac watched with bated breath as each second catching up with his heartbeat, as every member of the Japanese squad successfully rushed through, with the Knights next. Grey did successfully crossed, along with Pina,
Until, Norma hit an iron bucket as he rushed. It's clunking caused the Volderadeen to spin around.
Isaac's heart threw out a single curse into the mic.
"Shit."
Almost immediately, most of the men trained their weapons on the beast, as under the illuminated IR, Isaac could feel its glinting fangs and bloodlust eyes piercing through their visors. He watched helplessly as the beast sniffed into the air, savouring the fear that permeated it, causing him to drool in a predatory smile.
Isaac unsaftied his rifle, ready to kill the beast.
Until his eyes registered Itami approached the beast, and closed the jaw as Isaac caught the glint of his blade.
Within a moment, Itami embraced the beast, before somersaulting him to the ground.
Before the wolf could do anything, Itami slit it's throat, hugging it's mouth shut as it whimpered in pain.
At the life died in the Wolf's eyes, Itami stood up, his chest rig covered in blood.
And just like a switch, Itami then rushed to cover, before gesturing to Isaac to move.
Isaac blinked, before moving as well.
As he looked back at the site where the other two men were, Isaac caught the red eyes of a woman above the roof.
Isaac waved, and his bones rattled as she returned the gesture.
The rest of the route was hell, woth them being slow in their approach not helping the matter, as they could see each detail with dead bodies, blood in the streets, and burnt out stores. Dante's inferno in the flesh as the aftermath of the riot burned through the city like burnt firewood.
But the bloodied stains of Itami's chest rig caused him to shudder, remembering the brutality of a kill.
It was then they stopped at a fork in the road, with both roads full of heaps of trash. Grey looked around, his face becoming increasing exasperated as he looked around.
"Looks like they barricaded the place."
"Jesus. The streets here are chaotic." Isaac noted, looking around the curved streets.
Grey merely gave him a shrug.
"It's an old city." he then pointed to a bunch of missing signs on the wall.
"I can't find the street names. Damn elves must've torn it down again."
A pause, before the two senior officers looked at one another. They checked their taclink maps, with one of them receiving additional orders, who wordlessly accepted it with both knowing.
"This is where we split ways." Itami noted.
Isaac nodded.
"Get our pilots back, Itami."
Itami chuckled, before his mouth contorted into a wild grin that seeped through his voice.
"Psh. Anyone with half a brain can do this mission. Fortunately, I have a quarter."
A smash of a bottle shattered the silence, startling the young slave waiting attentively against the wall.
He looked over to the man, whose tired eyes full of dying anger looked at him
"Another bottle."
The waiter shoved out a mutter of words, before leaving.
The man then sighed, looking at the window.
He stared up at the wrathful sky, burning with hate. He couldn't see the stars anymore. He stared beyond, seeing the legions of wilted wheat stalks greeting him with low profit yields.
The Empire will starve, and he'd make sure he'll have some scraps left.
He looked over to the disheveled man sitting across the desk, sweat clinging on to him tightly with the rotting stench of death and blood.
His eyes were equally as tired as his, but he still held with some strength in him.
"How long until we can get her back?" The elite asked, sitting on the rich, Helgan fabric chair.
The captain of the guard responded immediately.
"Not long. My men are nearing the building."
Another short flash of lightning.
Myuute couldn't control them with her powers, He thought. It would've been easy otherwise.
A smash of a bottle broke through the walls, shocking them into fear.
The soldier unsheathed his sword.
The door then creaks open, the wood opening causing him to turn around.
And the blood was flushed out of his face as he saw the Imperial seal, emblazoned on the suit of armor the woman wore, as she stared both of them with a fiery gaze, sword bathed in blood.
"Your Highness!" The guard cried out.
But what royal protocol that was ingrained in their heads was no match for Pina, as she stared at them with fury.
"It's over. Your attempt at disrupting the order of this city is done."
"Disrupt? Your Highness, I only did this to restore order." The man replied, forcing an excuse out. But that was merely a cup of water dousing the flame.
Pina dropped several parchments of paper on the floor, and as the man strained his eyes to read them, they grew wide as he saw letters of their conspiracy.
"I already convinced your enemies at the other camp. It's over."
Pina then left without another word, until she stopped at the door, turning to the bewildered men.
"My father will hear of this."
But before she could say anything more, a loud explosion blasted through the building, rattling their bones and tearing their hearing apart.. She could see the wind hurling dirt to the window, causing her to shut her eyes as quickly as possible, to no avail as she could feel bits burning into them.
As Pina's ears began to recover, she saw the burning remains of a manor, flames wildy dancing around it. A few houses of the elite were burning embers.
"That, is payment for failing to upholding Ceasar's Oath."
Pina exited, seeing the bounded waiter staring at her pleadingly next to the shattered wine bottle, as Carlos hauled him off.
He then turned to her, his muffled voice barely making up the helmet covering his face.
"Your Highness. You okay? Those explosions are usually loud."
She nodded, walking down the hallway.
"I'm fine. What was that explosion?"
The Sargeant then pressed his wrist device, activating a elf memory bank, showing the warbird being destroyed.
"We destroyed the bird. They must've saw a whole lot of damage in them."
She caught the small footage of movement inside the manor.
She paused, before looking to the hulking Sargeant with a small smile.
"...I see."
It was then Carlos paused, turning to the side talking to a ghost like so many of them.
He then pressed on the small glass on his wrist.
"Shit. Raider 3. We just woke up the entire city. They're coming straight towards us. Wrap up for Exfil."
He finally stopped talking tp the apparition, turning to her.
"Your Highness, we have to go. There's a mob going to our position right now."
Pina's eyes widened, her thoughts raising in surprise, but then boiled down in conviction, as she stopped in her tracks
As she saw the lumbering soldier walk down the hall, she met Grey and Norma catching up to her.
She walked up to Grey, seeing as he and Norma were communicating with the manservants and slaves.
"Grey. I have to talk to the people."
He stared at her as if she grew another head, before finding his voice.
"Are you insane?"
She shook her head in frustration.
"Look. We already made the treasonous leaders stand down. But the people won't. Not unless I stop it."
"But the Americans-"
"Are the disciples of Mars. The war of God. They as well be as powerful as our Apostles, they're a small force."
"Even if they kill them all, the city might as well be destroyed. We might as well hand it off to them now."
"Italica is ours, Grey. Hopefully the title of Princess of the Royal Family would suffice to calm them down."
The two of them quietly went downstairs the building, catching the rest of the team on the floors below.
Pina's eyes narrowed with the bloated backpacks, before rolling her eyes.
Looters.
She turned to Isaac, who was standing in the middle of the room, silently.
"Lieutenant Fields?" She asked, tapping his shoulder.
The man looked at her with surprise, well enough surprise that seeped out of her armor.
"Yes, Your Highness?" He said, in a neutral tone that had a hint of confusion, that confirmed her suspision.
"I have to talk to my people. I am a Princess of the Empire. It is my duty."
His head bowed and pauses, which Pina stood her ground on.
"Are you crazy? They will tear you apart."
She chuckled.
"I thought you Spaceborne Infantry are built on crazy."
Carlos laughed.
"She's got you there."
Isaac sighed, and acquiesced. She was still the higher rank after all.
The wonderful stone carvings greeted him as he laid eyes upon it, as it's mouth opened wide to anyone willing to enter it's depths with the warmth of a cave.
It reminded him a bit of the old White House in Washington, with it's age probably a lot older, with it's white washed stone facade showing the memories of ancient races carved into it, some familiar, some alien to him. It was wholely alien to him as it loomed over him like a mountain, asking him why he was here, to which he was embarassed as he had no answer, turning away.
Isaac turned to his left to the road towards the rich districts. watching as Itami and his team silently approached them, alongside with the unmistakable clothing of the three airmen, as all of them lagged a bit behind, of which two only sported M-66s, and one sported a busted wing.
Isaac then gestured them to his position, catching their attention as Isaac was given something to do.
"Let's go." he ushered, before his rifle raised to make sure no one was following them from behind, much to the chagrin of Itami, who merely walked while the rest dashed to close the distance. Isaac merely sighed, uncaring for anything except some downtime.
Isaac then silently activated a private channel between him and Itami, as he sauntered to his position.
Isaac caught his attention om his packs around his chest rig, seeing the numerous pouches filled with the mundane documents to the jews that glittered against his sights, as they glared at his through the spent grenade pouches.
"How much Intel?" he asked, lips thinning.
Itami chuckled in glee, raising his arms to his shoulders as he flaunted his haul, irritating Isaac.
"...Early Christmas gift."
Isaac's head itched, but his armor would let him scratch it, letting him vent out some sparks of irritation from his voice.
"Look, we have to split. You'll take the pilots and head them to the catacombs below. Grey will take you there." He informed his counterpart.
Itami's gloating evaporated, turning into a complex mess of emotions with the changes of the mission as his arms shifted to his weapon.
"Excuse me?"
"Apparently Mamluke Actual approved of the Princess Crazy's plan. She's planning on flaunting her title to calm the people."
Itami sighed.
"Ah, great." he replied, his tone speaking out in an array of emotions, shocking Isaac, as his train of thought was blown up from shock for a few seconds.
Isaac's voice sharpened.
"Look. It's a joint mission."
Itami's voice fell into saddness then was rushed through a bitter chuckle and a hollowless smile.
"At least, this time. I get to sit by the sidelines." he said, mostly to himself.
Itami then grabbed from one of the pouches on his lower torso, producing a grenade. Isaac's heart leaped as he saw the yellow and black color scheme.
"Here. Didn't waste this one."
"...Thanks." Isaac replied, nervously as the ominous glint reflected on his visoon.
He then switched to the aircrew, their less armored flight suits obvious under the dim light of the fires. They were in their own group, the way they clutched their rifles was fluid and not concrete as the more well versed groundpounders.
"You guys alright?" he asked, looking at their few injuries.
The crew chief shook his head, as his voice rattled in disappointment.
"A goddamn waste. Coulda fixed Bess myself. I doubt these cavemen know what half of the stuff in the arms locker is supposed to be."
Isaac chuckled, aware of the importance of a bird to its crew.
"You'll get your Bess again, brand new."
"Raider Lead. Time to expedite."
She watched as the mass swelled in front of her. From her telescope, she could see the gruntled looks of the bandits, eyes bloodshot and full of anger, contranst to the spooked peasants, all equally confused on what's going on.
"This is a crazy idea." Norma summed up behind her, talking to the soldier next to him. Fredricks, his name was called, as he replied.
"Tell me about it, but we have to follow the rules still. You trust the princess?"
Pina stood still, ripping her attention away from the impending battle despite her best wishes. Norma, for all his faults, stood by her even when when the cost was high.
He could even hear him gripping his halberd rightly.
"Despite what my father's wishes, I do."
Pina slackened, a morsel of relief before returning to dread from the horde. But before she did, she caught Private saying something.
"I wish I had your will."
Norma said nothing, as the horde met her.
Pina eyed the numerous dirtied faces meeting her, with apprehension, confusion, and shock. Maybe with Norma and Isaac' subordinate by her side.
She steadied herself, preparing herself like aiming her bow.
And fired.
"I order you to stand down!" She called out to the crowd, standing on the statue's base, which made all of the eyes look upon her.
"Who has given the order!" one cried out. Pina couldn't see him, but it was echoed by others. She closed her eyes.
"Princess Pina Co Lada of the Imperial Family. I order you to stand down!"
The crowd's mettle vanished from the revalation.
"The Imperial Family? In Italica?"
A lot of the crowd began to break apart, mumbling to themselves, with even the ones brandishing heavy gear lowering them.
Even in the darkest times, the weight of the royal family's prowess still weighed heavy on them, and even with little, Pina intended to flaunt it, to urge these poor souls to disperse and let the order of the Empire return, as she prepared the final blow.
"I have spoken with the supporters of these rioters. It is over. Any who further commits treason will be punished."
The crowd fragmented even more, but this time, the atmosphere wasn't something Pina could pierce through, as frustration and anger still appeared. Pina tried to talk once more but then, they spoke up.
"But what about us? We barely have any food!" one spoke up, a male, dishevelled and eyes sunken in hunger.
"Our Children are starving!" another, a woman.
While the rest fled, and dispersed, like rain, seperate voices of concern grew more and more in number, talking over one another as the cause was still unaddressed.
Pina tried to calm them down, but her voice was drowned out in the confusion, as the storm began to a chant of various things, family, food, and the downing of the monarchy. He grip on the statue grew loose, as her eyes scattered all over the place as she looked at all of them, trying to grasp at any straw for normalcy,
Until she caught a glimpse of a blade, and the frightened, yet angered man wielding it.
And the burst of a whizzing sound like bees stung on the man, causing him to fall back.
She watched as time slammed it's brakes to a slow crawl, as he saw the man eyes were dried out with life, as he hit the ground, blood pouring out into his holes.
Time soon accelerated, as several bursts of those cursed weapons screamed death above her, striking their targets with deadly precision, with many bodies falling to the ground, unmoving.
Chaos soon commenced, as the sea of people now crashed into several streams of fire.
Some of them tried to hold on to Pina, but was swiftly thrown off by Norma's halberd, as he stabbed and swung the thing with half precision, and half insanity, as he protected her from the crowds, crying out to move out of the way. Her senses were barraged in chaos, reverting her to use her instincts, as her mind was still trying to conceptualise the chaos all around her.
Almost causing her to miss the glint in the corner of her vision.
It was then her eyes caught a glimpse of one of them brandishing a crossbow, aiming at straight at her as he avoided the halberd.
Norma got in the attacker's way, but was rewarded with a punch to the gut, as the arrow, an Helgan design, Pina noted, punched through his armor with ease. Her mind rushed to defend her wounded comrade, commanding her body to attack the attacker.
But she was instead deafened as a loud burst of death blared through her ears, as Fredricks' firearm burned holes into the attacker, causing him to cry out in pain.
But the loud noise only drew the crowd to him like moths to a flame, as he was immediately set upon the crowd.
She watched as Fredricks didn't fire his weapon, trying to instead kick and punch the people away from him in a measly attempt to shoo them away.
But they continued on, snatching his rifle away.
Pina swung her sword at them, causing one of them, a woman, to cry out in pain, clenching her teeth.
The rest, realizing Pina was there, backed off and ran.
"You alright?" She asked, voice loud over the chaos.
Fredricks weakly nodded, before getting Norma, whose face became paler. He applied some green on him, before grabbing him.
Then the crowds disappeared in smoke, as she caught canisters thrown at the square, with some landing close to her. It was sporadic, as the numerous sounds clashed with one another with fury.
With Norma bleeding, all of them immediately went into the building.
She could hear the instant report of their flechettes, followed by the sickening sound of flesh being torn like paper.
It all went to hell pretty quickly.
He watched as Carlos fire a tear gas round into the crowd, causing them to scurry away like rats.
Isaac sighted the area around the princess, watching as the three fought their way off, desperately clawing their way out as Isaac tracked their trajectory, breath shortening as his zeroed sights were being filled by a sweaty mass of people with fear etched across their faces, sweat clinging on to his as he stretched his vision thin of trying to find true threats with the success of finding a needle in a haystack.
He lobbed off a rubber round at a woman clutching at Pina's hair, aiming for an indirect hit her chest…
Only for a man to disrupt it's trajectory, lodging straight though his chest, sending him straight to the ground, motionless.
Isaac nearly lowered his rifle, before a large force sent him knocking to the ground. He sat up to a crouch, feeling his chest as he saw the deformed arrow, and the dent in his combat armor.
"Iris. Shooter."
"Got her sir." She calmly reported, before firing off a round.
"Thanks."
She grunted a response.
"Raider Lead. Retro Actual here. Copy?"
"Raider Lead copies." He spat out, standing up with Grey's help.
"Looks like your drones got something. Looks like the leader."
Isaac then noted a spectral green box in his HUD, which boxed in a beast, as she stopd in the middle of the crowd with her birdlike legs, her feathers radiating against his IR illumation, as she stared daggers at him through the window.
Around her, several crossbow men aimed at him, forming a semicircle.
Isaac squeezed off several flechettes at the creature with rapid succession, with all flying straight to her chest.
But all landing flat, stopped midair. Isaac could even see the flechettes deformed from hitting solid air.
"Shield."
Isaac eyed his grenade pouches, felling the polymer fabric empty.
"Carlos. Got any teargas?"
The Staff Sargent kept his sight outside, holding up one finger.
But as soon as the words escaped his lips, a large flurry of white smoke blasted his vision, removing every scrape of the battlefield clean. Where Grey stood was a fit of coughing and smoke, and it immediately hit him.
His comms were dead, and so was the world outside of him.
It was then a immediate comms burst, ones intended for secrecy or just after a nuclear strike, appeared on his HUD.
RAIDER LEAD. COMMS HAVE FAILED. ENEMY HAS REGROUPED.
It was then, Isaac realized, the outside was silent, the chaos that rocked the marketplace was now a small drone. Isaac tried to grasp it, figuring out its meaning, but suddenly, her realized, it was a song.
But amid the chaos, a silent tuned seeped through, low at first, hidden in the chaos, but eventually, Isaac could hear it over the carnage, like a nugget of life in a sea of death.
"Isaac?"
He blinked.
He was in his bedroom, the small, cramped bedroom was filled with toys and books. But in his nightlight, he could make out the person who spoke her once long gone voice, sitting on the side of his bed, her duster dress hidden under the dark Martian night.
"Isaac. Still can't sleep past your bedtime?"
He shook his head, holding back his yawn.
She smiled, her mahogany hair falling down her shoulder, smelling sweet like lavender.
"How about you sleep with me then?" She asked.
"I thought Dad said big boys don't sleep with their parents anymore."
She giggled.
"Even big boys sleep with their mommies, from time to time. Just don't tell Dad. The man's busy with work." She pressed her finger to her lips, standing up.
"Take my hand, Isaac."
He stood up, grabbed his plushy astronaut toy, rubbing his eyes as he walked up to her.
"Isaac." She repeated, just as Isaac was about to take her hand. He watched as her smile fell.
"Mom?"
He blinked.
His mom's face became bloodied, and scared. She was crushed underneath the car, smoke clouding his eyes. He felt tears rushing down, but his mother still carried a dying flame in her eyes, screaming out one more before it blew out.
"RUN ISAAC!"
"ISAAC!"
He blinked, and he returned.
He saw that he was dangerously outside the window frame.
He turned around, to see Itami holding him back. And behind him, the rest of Raider Team was listless, acting more like toy figures than actual soldiers. Some of them even fell to the ground below, squirming.
"SEAL BATTLE ARMOR NOW! TURN OFF COMMS NOW!" Itami yelled.
He switched it off, turning to the section channel, only to find it no less confusing.
"Raider Lead. This is Retro Actual. Your Heart rates are spinking. What the hell going on!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"Dad! Don't leave me!"
"Corazon?"
Isaac was drowning in confusion. He grabbed the only straw he could.
"Itami-"
A slash of blades.
He turned to see the knights thrashing around, swinging blades. But immediately they were hit by a rifle butt to knock them out by the rest of his team.
He caught a glimpse of Pina's eyes locked on him, catching the dread and surprise frozen in them.
"Raider Team. This is Mamluke Actual. Multiple hostiles coming to your location. Get your rifles booming."
Isaac turned to Itami, who stood frozen, eyes fixed below.
He turned, eyes widening.
Below them, a swarm of people was flowing from every crevice. Not only men but women and children as young as five, walking around like puppets, with constricted and inhuman movements. Isaac zoomed with his helmet's optics, confirming what he already dreaded.
They were still conscious. And headed towards them.
"More scuffling of feet from armored boots, followed by grunting and shuffling. They were being overrun now, the terrified screams of men and women drowning out his thoughts.
Isaac fumbled for any idea that could get him out of this situation. There was none, except for a breakout. His breath shortened sweat against his skin, irritating the man further as he couldn't remove his helmet. He looked around outside wildly. The bird creature gave a predatory smile as she continued her song.
He caught Rory's eye from the rooftops, watching him with intent, like a sports fan staring at their favorite player in a game.
Until Isaac remembered the yellow and black painted rifle grenade remaining in his grenade slot.
He remembered how the creature was still stunned by the flashbang.
His mouth spoke first.
"Sargeant Carlos." He marked an apartment adjacent to the marketplace, which was at the side of the orb. "Can you go there through the walls?"
Carlos looked at him, exasperated.
"What? Gringo, have you fucking lost your mind, sir? It's against-"
"Can you or can you not!"
"...Yeah, I could."
Isaac wordlessly handed him the thermobaric, which the Staff Sergeant gingerly accepted.
Carlos immediately went to the other side and charged against the wall, punching it.
The concrete fell into bits against his power-armoured glove, destroying it like the armor's battery life.
"Shi-" Isaac could hear Carlos stifle a curse.
Carlos slowly began inching to the other side, until…
"Iris and Fredricks. Load Flashbangs, and Fire on my command!"
All three of the recon team stuffed the under-barrel grenade launcher with one flashbang explosive without delay.
"Three. Two. One."
He switched to the Section Channel.
"Fire!"
He watched as the volley of flashbangs was in a large arc toward the force field. He watched as the creature sent a gust of wind. The canisters were swept aside.
"Carlos. Fire!"
Isaac watched as the round was fired in the wake of the wind attack. The creature didn't notice, focusing front first.
The orb was torn apart and disintegrated into pieces, as the small droplets of fuel worked as advertised, and a large flash of lighting flared up his sights and the thunderous roar of the fuel-air explosives. A hundred screamed, but the air in their lungs was stolen violently, ripping their internal organs before being mercifully consumed by the flame.
The buildings in the marketplace were swept aside with a single blow, collapsing in on themselves.
The ordeal ended, and Isaac stood up, finger resting on the side of the rifle. He lowered his rifle as he stood over the chaos and destruction he caused.
Beside him, the Princess grasped her ears at the side of her head, screaming out in pain. Isaac couldn't hear her.
He looked over at Rory, who stared at him with an equal mixture of amusement and shock. The apostle used her halberd as a cane, bleeding in her ears.
The civilians, the ones who survived the explosion, groaned and spasmed, their unshackled minds trying to comprehend what had just happened.
The squad quickly got on their feet, fanning out each corner, their rifles pointed at what little cover was leftover from the destruction. He looked at the wrecked street, a once lively part now torn apart, rubble all over from the collapsed buildings spreading all over the street, with only fires eating up the remains.
Yet the once overwhelming enemies were now charred and unmoving. No one could've survived a blast like that.
When the dust settled, Isaac walked towards the blast site, ash clouding his visor.
A single quill of a feather, blacked in soot, remained of the being wielding such magnificent power. Isaac could still see the still image of the woman in her final moments, eyes full of regret and shock, not hollow and one-dimensional. A pity for the life lost.
For the first time in the city, Isaac could hear silence all over.