Shiden ran into the building holding a first aid kit and clumsily put it in the shopping net. Freaked out she immediately started to check Lena's injuries, prepared to drag the doctor on her back if needed.
"Shit. Fuck. Why do you keep fallin' into danger? Oy, what the fuck were you doing Reaper? I trusted you to take care of her! Fucking shithead." Genuine concern in Cyclops's eyes made Lena smile angelically.
"I'm okay! Unfinished business caught up to me…" Aside from a splitting headache, she felt shockingly fine. The dizziness let go a little, resting on Shin's lap doing wonders for her well-being.
"I should've killed that bastard. Track him down and rip his fucking organs to pieces. Hell, castrate him first for everything he's done and hang his balls on my Juggernaut for the whole Republic to see." Another stream of swear words followed.
"We need to take you to the doctor, now." Shin insisted, worried about unseen damage.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I ruined the only chance for a grill…" Lena's eyes got wet, leaving two people puzzled. This was what she was now concerned about. The thought popped out simultaneously in their heads.
"What a crybaby you are. We have long forgotten about the grill, and the rest of the bunch are probably having fun right now. You are much more important than stupid sausages." The man said, wiping her face with his sleeve.
"This punk is right, screw the party. We're takin' ya to the doc, no booze for ya!" Shiden tried her best to sound cheerful, but the concern never left her eyes.
"T-thank you guys…. You are the best…." The stream turned into a river, with all the pent-up emotions surfacing. She never properly processed everything that had happened to her. Busy with the preparations, Lena forgot her feelings and terrors, burying them deep in her heart. With two people putting her first and supporting her unconditionally, the dam had finally burst. Unluckily for her, those were the least socially talented of the bunch, with neither of them knowing how to comfort a loved one before them. Shin resumed patting her head silently, and Shiden froze in panic about what to do with a crying maiden.
"Feeling better?" The red-eyed boy asked when Lena calmed down a bit. He wanted to take her to the hospital as soon as possible, but her emotional fragility at the moment took priority. Shin had seen the girl being tormented by her feelings, but she had adamantly refused to let it go. Now, when the cork had popped, everything had spilled with the months-long force.
"Yeah. Sorry, you had to see that…" Embarrassed she showed such a weak side of her again, Lena buried her head in her hands.
"I'll take it to my grave, my Queen." Cyclops wasn't planning on telling anyone anyway, but the girl needed verbal reassurance. "Now, the doc is waitin'."
"Give me a second." Lena slowly got up, Shin belaying her the whole time. She wobbly took a few steps towards the body, and crouched to check his pulse. "He's alive. I can't leave him like this."
"You cannot be serious. This prick tries to KILL you, and you fucking want to save him? I'm sorry but quit acting like a fucking saint. He deserves to rot in fucking hell." Shiden felt like she was slapped on the cheek. After giving her the scare of her life, Lena wants to move on like nothing had happened. Save the person who continuously tormented her for his own pleasure? The girl could not grasp what Lena was thinking.
"I agree with Cyclops on this one. No one will take this scum in their Reginleifs, and he won't go on foot in this state. Just leave him, Lena. You don't have to prove anything to anyone." He begged, not wanting to endanger her any further. If the man ever gets up, he won't rest until he fulfills his revenge on her.
"I'm not planning on saving him. He is a wicked man, creating nothing but evil. But if we leave him here, I have no doubt he'd give himself to the Legion just to finish what he started. Despite what he looks like, he has in-depth knowledge of the technicalities of the Republic's military equipment. We would be at a disadvantage if they took him." Lena said calmly, speaking out as a leader. Her thoughts got clearer, and she knew what needed to be done.
"Fuck this crap, I'll just finish him right now!" A girl with one pale eye took out her weapon.
"Cyclops, stop it. It's an order. I started this mess, I ought to finish it. Leave the gun and you both wait in the car." Dried blood added menace to her look, with her tone not leaving room for negotiation.
"Let me do it. You really don't have to prove you're tough, we know it. But taking someone's life directly will haunt you all the time. Believe me, I remember my first time like it was yesterday. You don't have to get used to it, let me handle that for you." He earnestly pleaded, putting his hand on hers. Lena was sensitive, in his eyes such a decision wouldn't let her sleep peacefully.
"Good thing it isn't a first then." She smiled sorrowfully, taking her hand out of his grip. Standing up wasn't easy, as she felt her head exploding, but the resolve residing in her wouldn't let go. Lena took Shiden's gun and stared at them both expectantly. They ultimately relented, hesitatingly walking towards the car.
Nicolas's body was in a deplorable state, with his breathing barely visible with all the swelling. He laid in the fetal position, unresponsive to any stimuli. She had no idea if he could've made it with professional help, but ending his suffering was a sort of mercy. Ribs broken, internal organs damaged and brain severely banged up had to cause tremendous agony. Waking up in that state, waiting for hours or days for death to take you would've been an ideal torture. Lena however wasn't doing it as an act of revenge or forgiveness. Her personal feelings were put aside, with the commander's point of view taking over. This man was a liability. Legion probably held pieces of information from other personnel taken into their ranks, but Nicolas Pivot, contrary to his reputation, knew best what was going on in his factories. Cleverly feigning disinterest he fooled even her, but their enemy couldn't be deceived by such cheap tricks. Lena took a good look at the man's face, once causing her distress like an evil mastermind, now helplessly lying on the floor half-dead.
"Goodbye, Nicolas. It would've been better for both of us if we had never met." Lena whispered, more to herself than him. One last time she gazed upon him, memorizing his final moments. And then they heard a loud bang.
August 26th Republic Year 368 (Stellar Year 2149)
1 day since the start of Legion's Large-Scale Offensive
The attacks were never stopping, with wave after wave, invaders flooding the Republic for hours. They were all worn out from constant fighting, with many Processors and civilians alike meeting their demise on the streets.
"We have thirty minutes before another surge. Use this time to resupply and eat anything." Lena shouted to all the remaining defenders through Para-RAID, knowing the break is a rare luxury. Sun greeted them on the horizon, but no one had slept through this night. Panic took hold of the Republic, with the civilians not knowing what to do. Most of the remaining military personnel had no actual battle experience, rendering them useless in Lena's eyes. She established a temporary headquarters in one of the prepared magazines, ensuring supplies for the people there.
"When this nightmare is gonna end…." Annette had a hard time with the surrounding death and chaos, so her friend imposed a mandatory break. Lena took her Para-RAID, as hearing the misery wasn't helping the girl rest, and put a blanket around her.
"Soon. Please, try to get some sleep. I'll wake you up when needed, but breaking down won't do any good. The assault will end eventually, we just need to hold on for a bit longer." She mustered a smile, knowing this was a lie. There was no guarantee the end would come, it was their wishful thinking. If they had assumed the Legion wouldn't stop until annihilating their country, there would be no will to fight left.
"I'm so scared. We went through this scenario so many times, but shit. It's a unilateral massacre. We stand no chance…" The dark thoughts clouded her mind, with no ray of hope remaining.
"Drink some water, you'll feel better, I promise." Lena handed her a plastic cup, ensuring the girl drank it all. She had slipped a short-acting sleeping pill inside, guaranteeing a quick nap. Later the risk would be too high, but the window of opportunity presented itself.
"Fuck you, Lena…" Annette mumbled, feeling the drug kicking in. She fell asleep in a cot, the only available type of bed here. It wasn't comfortable, but in the current condition, no one would think to complain. Without them organizing it for months, no one would have any bedding.
Lena went back to the control panel, analyzing the situation. Most of the identified units were Grauwolves and Ameise, but a few alarming red dots were pointing to the tougher opponents. In their present state, any Dinosauria was a colossal threat able to break their ranks. The talented Processors were tired, and Lena remembered this type of unit was a challenge even for the Undertaker. The mortars were emptied after bombarding the furthest sectors, smashing the biggest cluster yet. Regrettably, she could only do that trick once, and refilling them now was out of the question. It had weighed heavily on her consciousness, knowing there might have been some people left there. She was aware this was objectively the sole option to survive, but taking her own people's lives wasn't easier. They would probably be consumed by the Legion sooner or later, but she had stripped them of any chance to stay alive. Lena attempted to move past those thoughts, as the next attack was minutes away.
"Most of them come from the east. Strengthen the position, prepare for fire!" Every Para-RAID user heard the vibrant voice. "Dinosauria is located at three o'clock and five-thirty. Cyclops, Whale, use your squadrons to cut them off."
She continued issuing orders, taking the stimulants like candy. Focusing the sleep-deprived brain to analyze the data and process the connection with everyone was no longer feasible by sheer will alone. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and her heart was beating faster than she could count.
"Lena, it's o-over for now, take a break." Charlotte went up to her superior, pointing out that most enemy units were defeated. Only the two Dinosauria kept going forward.
"Shit, your Majesty, this beast is fuckin' crazy. It's going to the center, be careful. We'll try to stop the motherfucker in the Second Sector." Shiden gave the grim report.
"Got it, but I don't have anyone to send as backup. Retreat and regroup if you see it as a futile attempt." She did not want to sacrifice people senselessly, wishing to save as many as possible. Ironically trained human resources were the most lacking, with the Republic killing all the capable pilots for the past ten years.
"Roger that. We'll give it a shot."Lena watched on the map as the menacing red dot slowly pushed forward, without any signs of stopping.
"Cyclops, report." There was no time to spare, Dinosauria unrelentingly getting closer to their hiding spot.
"Two people down, we ain't ready for another strike. We'll form the line near ya." The update was worse than she had hoped for.
"EVERYONE, ATTENTION. Evacuate immediately, Charlotte take them to base seven. I'll close the line. Now GO!" Everyone hurried at those words, rushing towards the exit. Annette was helping the girl organize the crowd, trying not to bring much attention toward them. Lena was the last to leave the building, shouting orders until the last second. When she ran towards the hideout, large Dinosauria cut the way of most of the refugees. The situation was dire, one blast from its cannon could easily wipe them out.
"Fuck, fuck, FUCK. We're comin', take the people OUT OF THE WAY."Cyclops was in a crappy position, where every bullet or explosion would probably hit some of the civilians.
"EVERYBODY RUN! DON'T STOP NO MATTER WHAT!" Lena yelled towards the crowd, inadvertently focusing Dinosauria's attention. "CYCLOPS SHOOT! DON'T MIND THE RISK, JUST SHOOT IT!"
"LENA RUN!" Shiden watched in horror, as the machine's optical sensor undoubtedly focused on Lena. Just as she was taking a desperate attempt at attacking the machine from above, to prevent it from shooting down the Bloody Reina, something unseen before had taken place. Dinosauria had turned around, as if it had never seen the screaming woman, and walked away blasting the dispersed crowd.