AN: Sorry for the long absence for all those waiting for the final act to go down. Things have been challenging for the past few months and I have put more energy into my university projects. However, after clearing uni work out of the way and handling some problems, I can continue doing what I like now.
Of course, you might know that I have been reading and checking around a couple of stories on here, but please forgive me if my writing is a bit off. It's been so long.
Anyway, we're now getting ready for the legendary battle and raid of Area 51-oops, wrong reference!
Chapter 34
Barely a moment to breathe and every agent, soldier and squad ambassador was called to meet at the Commander's office. The Lightning Bolt Society was therefore considered a dire threat to all and we had to make a start attacking them at the closest spots we knew.
In any other state, I would be more than willing to contribute to planning our next action.
But in the middle of catching up with hundreds of rushing agents, it more felt like a panic as if escaping from the self-destruction of the headquarters.
Despite knowing that there would be times of rush, it was nearly my first time getting involved with large crowds of agents and soldiers trying to reach the same objective on time. I didn't have the experience before, more used to panic in more open spaces. Here, it felt like there was barely any free space. Everybody just chose to speed ahead without slowing down for others.
I could feel it. The clamoring, the hurried stomps, the blur of dark colors. It was disorder and I was starting to feel dizzy.
The only reason why I didn't fall was the tension keeping me awake. It was uncomfortable, yet my ears remained open. My previous experience of stress and pressured preparation kept me steady. Though, I wondered how I didn't fall apart when preparing for a huge invasion since I didn't have prior experience fighting with a big league.
Approaching the Commander's office, I found the place's appearance quite ironic. The usually neat hallways with soothing blue walls would have a calming effect. Just ask me when I first walked through these halls. But now, the blue felt like it turned grey.
Everyone was fidgety and edgy with the Lightning Bolt Society.
Even more chaotic, the entire room was crowded. Nobody could sit down. The only clearing was around the Commander's desk. The chatter was louder here.
I wasn't sure who to talk to. Once I found myself in a good spot where I could hear, I just looked around aimlessly with a vacant look. It was hard to find any familiar faces, even if I could just chat with anyone.
Only me and my ruby, we decided to try to settle our constant thoughts. They were growing. What the Lightning Bolt Society did. What Zero did to his past acquaintances…they really wanted a bloodbath and it was sickening.
I crossed my arms and my tail wrapped around my legs. It didn't help the awful feeling and all I could concentrate on was dread.
And I couldn't help but feel responsible for all of this.
"You don't think a fight will break out HERE, do you?" asked the ruby randomly.
I frowned. "Please don't say that."
"Sorry. Just curious." The ruby stayed quiet for a while, sinking in the reality. "I'm…also surprised that the Lightning Bolt Club scored big."
"Society," I corrected absentmindedly, staring at the crowd around me. "When I told Towers about Zero, I thought we would be able to reach him soon enough. But, now, it's inevitable."
"What's inevitable?"
"This," I said, signaling the crowd. "I wish I did more. Now, everyone's on their toes."
The ruby hummed sympathetically. Sorrow suddenly swarmed in my chest. Judging by that feeling, the ruby felt terrible, too, for remaining inactive in…our relation with Zero.
"Um…well, at least we're in a good position to, well, stop the bad from blowing up the world, right?" The ruby stuttered, sheepish. It was trying to help. "We all want to stop the bad…"
I could only nod my head. "That's one way to put it…you really take after me, do you? Still, I wonder what ticks them to cause a huge red flag."
The ruby was about to speak until it tickled my right ear to twitch. Its attention was suddenly on two agents talking about another dire situation.
"Got a word back from them?" one agent asked.
"They're still in critical condition, but they'll live," said the other, running a shaky hand through her hair. "I can't believe we lost the people we were supposed to transfer. This is probably what they are doing, ensuring no traitors!"
"It can't be just that. I think they're doing this to get back at them. I mean, the walrus and the weasels were out of commission during their time here and Eggman is not nice in giving people second chances, so…"
As if on cue, Antoine suddenly appeared on my left. "Obsidian! Haven't you heard?"
Flabbergasted, I immediately unfolded my arms. "What? Heard what?"
"It apparently happened minutes before the explosion," said the coyote. "They struck the squad responsible for taking Willy Walrus and the Weasel Bandits to the rehabilitation program."
Everything became cold.
"R-Really?" I sputtered.
Antoine sighed anxiously and scratched his left ear. "They didn't even wait for them to set foot in the city. The survivors even said some of their attackers didn't look like they came from the Lightning Bolt Society."
A lump formed in my throat. Could those attackers come from my birth village?
What kind of message did Zero send to them?
"And what happened to…?" I asked quietly.
"Those four, they were taken," said Antoine. "I doubt they will be hurt, but if anything, it looks like they want them to rejoin."
Not even ten minutes close to the place we thought they would develop from and their buddies decided to 'free' their friends out. At least three out of the four would be happy, hardy ha. Knowing what the Lightning Bolt Society did even before they blew up their latest lair, this wouldn't exactly be called a good friendship.
Then again, Willy didn't leave on good terms. What a trainwreck we enabled.
Exasperated and distressed, I placed my face into one hand, mindful where my claws were touching. Fears of Willy's wellbeing ran through my mind, buzzing me awake. The ruby murmured softly to me. Those sounds of comfort didn't fail though the anxiety remained.
And with Antoine around, I expressed my agitation. "This is…this is not a random attack, is it?" Antoine shook his head. "It's like they planned ahead. I-I don't think the people who permit the rehabilitation program were involved, but…who exactly had insight about this?"
Despite not knowing the Lightning Bolt Society personally, Antoine had a dour expression. His golden eyes were glowing, seething.
"If anything, it's the spy," he hissed quietly. "And it's like they pretended to dwindle around until…" The coyote hesitated as if a new worry was born. "...yeah, it's bad. We did everything we could, from background checks to security checks. The spy is really good at getting away…"
I didn't need to say more. The ruby even hummed in agreement.
Then, it came to me that Antoine was on his own here. Molly was already injured, but…
"Matthew," I said. "Where's he? I saw Molly earlier…"
Antoine gritted his teeth. "He was injured by the explosion. He and Molly are fine, but they cannot help us with whatever our missions will be."
"And you?" I asked, concerned.
The coyote sighed, closing his eyes. "I left the lair earlier since I was discarding a dead body. And I'm assuming that you knew those jackals we found?"
I could only close my eyes and lowered my head solemnly before shaking it. When Antoine saw this, he grunted.
The crowd shifted slightly, stepping back to provide space for those just arriving. Because of this, I could see Antoine's hands more closely and they were already tightening into fists.
His fingers twirled around a little as if carrying his guns.
Antoine looked reluctant, but he was steaming. "If I'm gonna break my oath and honor, it may as well be driving my pistols into the eye sockets of those sick brats."
The memory of him covered in blood was enough to make me tremble.
The temptation to remember his brutal stabbing was too unsettling to reflect on.
"Wait, is that even necessary?" I asked worriedly. "And with that many people, they'll still try to finish the job."
"This is not a simple arrest," summed up Antoine. "Drawing from our previous fields, we both know what they are willing to do. Time cannot wait to stop them. And…" He looked down, ashamed. "I know they are young, but so are some of us. I mean, you chose to improve rather than settle with influences they took."
"Settle down, everyone!" called a familiar voice. "Quiet! This fight won't finish itself."
A hush fell over the crowd and any conversations that were still ongoing grew quiet as Commander Towers made his appearance. Unlike the previous stomping, his footsteps were softer. Despite his eyebrows furrowed, his frown was kept straight with no curves in his lips. He appeared neat and flawless, but his eyes were hardened and resigned to the previous mayhem.
I checked around the room, but no other officials joined him. It was as if the final decision was made. This was confirmed when he got to his desk and raised his voice.
The Commander kept his voice gentle with no trace of emotion, nearly sounding like a drone. "We know that things are spiralling today and it's safe to say that we cannot expect the Lightning Bolt Society's plans." It was a clear statement and the flat tone of his voice told us so much. "However, we looked into what we know, so we're not lost yet."
A person shifted from my right. It was Breezie. As she stepped forward, her watchful eyes were on the Commander. She didn't appear as blase as before. Her eyelids barely drooped and she wasn't smiling.
For all I know, nobody wanted to treat the Lightning Bolt Society as simple criminals anymore.
"From that radio transmission, they're currently residing in Area 99," continued Towers. "As we know, the place carries the most dangerous anomalies and weapons in the US. Given their increase in number and partnership with Eggman, we can expect they will take control of most of the weapons there."
It would have been a worry if not for him casually wiping his shoulder when he said 'most'. Then, he shrugged and cracked a brief, sardonic smirk.
"I said 'most' because we do not know how safe they are to use. We even know that there might be survivors. Our best guess is that they are hiding in any of the control offices, but they are likely to move spots as their attackers explore further."
I wasn't sure about that. We shouldn't be too hopeful that there were any survivors. Remembering what Antoine said earlier, he was probably right. This wasn't a simple arrest to make.
"It all came from the hands of desperate teens, a megalomaniac doctor and some former desert friends," added my ruby. "What are the odds?"
Towers' shoulders drooped, lessening the tension in his body. His eyes showed a slight shine, likely sensing the same thought my ruby made up. "We plan to commit a full-frontal assault. The best fighters will head straight to Area 99 to attack the Lightning Bolt Society from outside. Meanwhile, assigned squads will watch from far away to check on any outside attacks. From there, we can fight back while not engaging closely with any dangerous weapons they got their hands on."
A full-frontal assault? I hummed, rubbing my chin. It worked once for me and the Jackal Squad when we attacked Eggman. However, that was a smaller research lab back then. Then again, I…felt confident about this idea. We have the weapons to throw our foes back, right?
On the other hand, nobody was convinced yet. They started mumbling to themselves while others raised their hands patiently.
From my right, Breezie's eyes sparkled in hope.
From my left, Antoine looked surprised by the plan but hadn't expressed an opinion yet.
"For those concerned, we already scanned the place and the only source of danger is inside that base," reassured the Commander. "There are, unfortunately, no other ways to get in. Anyone who isn't assigned will remain here to investigate Central City. We know that they're still present there."
A few mumbles of agreement and many heads nodded in agreement.
"Remember, this is our best shot of attacking back at the Lightning Bolt Society," he resumed, standing straight and proud. "I've already sent instructions to your squad leader. Any concerns and last-minute requests will have to go to me. But today, we will strike and end their tyranny, once and for all!"
With that small encouragement, it was like a switch flicking on the light. Everybody vocally agreed in harmony and cheer rather than the previous clamoring of worry. After we all saluted, half of the crowd departed. The rest of us remained to talk.
After taking one last look at the calm Commander, I turned to Antoine and Breezie. The latter, in particular, was smiling and beaming.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Well, since we're all going in squads…" she started.
"Too slow, cool breeze," interrupted Antoine. "I already agreed with Topaz to be with her firing squad."
This time, Breezie decided not to beg further. She simply smiled. "Oh. Fair enough, then. After our previous mission, I thought it would be more effective if you did melee work with us again."
"That didn't end well," stated Antoine, closing his eyes. "And I'm…" He hesitated and all the strings of his fur stood up for a couple of seconds. "I'm not good yet to attack with my bare hands. Besides, I'm more of a marksman. Consider this as effective as I don't have to be on the action field too. I trust you."
Breezie nodded. "Alright then, soldier."
Since we didn't have much time, guess that nobody wanted to get into petty arguments or think of this as fun. Honestly, I felt relieved that Antoine wouldn't be doing melee fighting. Noting that he hesitated, he wouldn't need to exert himself to things he wasn't comfortable with.
That said, I was reminded that I wasn't assigned to a squad for today and I was required to come along too…
My eyelids raised upwards, contemplating the idea.
"Well…" I started. "Since I'M a melee fighter…"
That was when Antoine immediately presented his standards. "Wait, Obsidian? You can't be serious!"
"What?" I said, trying to smile. "You know that I'm practically THEIR target now."
"And that's exactly why we need you since my squad is assigned to the runaways," cooed Breezie.
"With all due respect, Obsidian, this is Area 99 we're talking about," deadpanned Antoine. "The second they catch you, you're practically a weapon for them."
"And I would fit their collection," I acknowledged coolly. "Team Blood has at least two robots. They're practically weapons too. Shiny toys they would want to grab first and chuck across the room."
That actually came off as too nonchalant than I thought. And…when did I feel alright with that? That said, I could feel the ruby humming when I said that out loud. I guessed that after being heckled by the Lightning Bolt Society one or two times, we got used to being seen as a potential weapon they could use.
This is how the criminal world works. It was a bit funny, given that it was the ruby they were more concerned about.
Besides, fresh from Kalus's view of Team Blood, I wanted to try again and take his word.
"Are you referring to us or the Lightning Bolt Society?" asked Breezie.
Antoine raised a finger, lowering it as he thought about it. "I suppose you have a good point."
"At the very least, tell me where you'll be during," I offered.
Antoine hummed in deep thought. "Topaz's squad will be driving and then we'll climb up the walls. Security's damaged, but we don't know whether the Lightning Bolt Society can use the outside security to hit back."
"Got it," I said. "I'll be sure to glow for you to see me!"
"I won't have my eyes on you two the entire time." The coyote turned to Breezie, curious. "What about you?"
The teal hedgehog grinned, excited. "Well, since Obsidian just joined, guess where we'll be dropping from! Hint: the sky is the limit."
A few seconds of silence as we absorbed the implications of how Team Blood would enter.
"Skydiving?" Antoine and I asked in unison, one in envy and one in confusion.
Within seconds, I found myself sitting on my tail on top of a hard bench inside a flying Osprey plane.
Wearing a full-body military suit with patches of green matching my headband. Oh, and a backpack, too, on Breezie's behalf. Was it necessary for me to be completely armored? Since my ruby usually acted as my shield, I didn't see the need to cover my entire body with thick material.
I would have gone with the ruby's suggestion just to fly, but I never quite did skydiving before.
Besides, I wanted to see how Team Blood would take on a mission like this. Ice's terrorist attack was a serious mission, too, so there were no expectations of seeing them mucking around. The added jumpy motions of the plane added to the imbalance right in front of me.
And I kind of like it.
Breezie didn't have a parachute backpack. Just a full red, baggy jumpsuit and a red hairband to keep her hair in place. She was currently writing a few things in her journal.
"Antoine DOES like skydiving," she muttered to herself. "That's new…"
The coyote tried not to whine when Breezie explained how the squad would arrive at a certain spot. And at this point, I was starting to wonder if Breezie wanted more from him rather than just joining Team Blood. The teal hedgehog seemed really invested in inviting more to her team.
From my left, Shortfuse, Lyric and Kalus stood out from the rest, thanks to their gigantic bodies. They were forced to stand up because they could not sit comfortably and safely on the bench. Fortunately, the above hangings allowed them to keep their balance while we were in the air.
Lyric was still a prick, cracking the fingers of his robotic fist.
Kalus was idly twisting around his waist, getting used to his new gray bodysuit.
Meanwhile, Shortfuse was, of couse, narrating.
"Here we are!" the Cybernik shouted, his robotic eyes flashing like cameras. "For we and I, Shortfuse the Cybernik, will be raining down on Area 99! Running may be ideal, but coming in hot like cannonballs will hit them before they know it! No one, not even Eggman, knows what comes up must come down! 'It's probably just So-NIC,' they'll say! Too bad that they don't have a proper So-Nar!"
"I'm going to kill him for that awful pun," Lyric told himself.
"You wouldn't," warned Kalus flatly.
"I'll just talk to him," lied Lyric with a smirk.
"Not even that."
"I just want to talk to him."
In comparison, Rosemary and Shard were awfully quiet. That was a bit unusual since they were normally social and chatty. The entire Team Blood was loud and proud. But here, they were just sitting on the same bench, waiting patiently. They weren't even slumping their bodies, keeping their bodies straight up with blank eyes.
Well, sort of. Shard's eyes kept glitching because…
"I…I can't believe G.U.N is taking this REALLY seriously," said Shard.
"Yes, we all know," grunted Rosemary.
"Though the Lightning Bolt Society is mostly made up of teenagers. Should we even think about running in like this?"
"For one, we did try to kidnap a teenager in the past and that was Sonic."
Shard paused for a moment with a look of skepticism. "Yeah, but we're up against CHILD soldiers."
"No one's perfect," said Rosemary apathetically.
"Don't be like that," chided Shard sternly. "In the end, what sort of example will we make from them? They only act childishly. Where will that leave us to be?"
Rosemary raised an eye. "The orderly capitalism?"
Rosemary was quite nonchalant to the whole ordeal. Maybe this came from her experience and the needed coldness as a soldier. That couldn't be applied to the often-jokey Shard, now questioning the unfortunate reapings we might have.
Shard had a point. For a while, the Lightning Bolt Society turned from nuisances to nightmares and we couldn't forget that they were practically children. It was uncanny, but it became clear that they were persistent.
I know that children could be forced to become mercenaries.
It was a whole new level coming from people who used to reside in civilized society.
I frowned sadly. Would it be a good idea to put an end to the Lightning Bolt Society at all costs? No, it wouldn't stop at Willy Walrus. For all I know, we would put too many young people at risk. Even if they simply followed Dave's ideology of life. It just…felt wrong.
The gloomy looks on Rosemary and Shard confirmed this feeling.
"Are you two alright?" I blurted out without thinking.
Shard noticed me and tried to bring a grin to his muzzle. "Well, yeah! All good! Just another day to kick some butt!"
He lacked the usual witty joy and energy in his voice. Instead, it nearly sounded robotic, flat. Harrowing.
Rosemary was at least more honest. She huffed, crossed her arms and looked away from me.
"I told you not to be too attached," she growled. "You won't last long here."
I felt tempted to point out that I might since I was trained for such situations. However, I felt the ruby whispering to me to hold it back. Even without seeing Rosemary's face, her body was tense and nearly curled up. Shard's words probably got to her despite her usually aloof nature.
The ruby muttered something else, but I didn't pay attention to it as I turned to the window behind my head.
Surprisingly, it was sunny out there. The bright blue sky didn't match the dread we had, but it was enough to shed some light on the scenario; we had a few tricks up our sleeves and it would be likely that the Lightning Bolt Society were at a disadvantage of inexperience. And down brown below, the familiar golden and brown horizon of a desert stretched from one end to another. Not a single agent would have forgotten what the outlands were like.
It felt like returning home.
"The good old days, huh?" said the ruby. "You can't get enough of the heat?"
"I literally grew up with this humidity," I muttered. "Except, maybe, a little hotter? It was the only place I knew before Eggman showed up."
We were currently flying over a deep ravine. Apparently, the base of Area 99 was just near that large crack. Though, I wondered how they could have built a secret prison when the underground levels wouldn't have been stable.
The sides of that ravine. They were cracked, jagged, noticeable holes that made the built dirt likely to collapse from holding that much weight…
It wasn't until seeing Area 99 that I understood how it was made and they weren't lying about its high security. From above, most of the area had runaways meant for planes and helicopters to land. There were a couple of small buildings here and there, but first witnesses would think little of this area. The area was also blocked from the outside desert with tall, iron-reinforced walls, complete with balconies for snipers on the lookout.
The place nearly looked neat. Not even a single crack in the cement. They picked the right spot to set up an underground prison and laboratory. Even better, it must have been standing like this for a while.
That couldn't be said for several small buildings arranged in a near circle. In front of those buildings was a vast crater. From above, I couldn't see the damage. I did spot a couple of dark brown and black spots, but that was all I could identify from the view.
I also identified small dots from the outside road and desert slowly approaching Area 99. That must be the other squads.
More dots were coming from a nearby mountain just next to the place. No one was gonna lose their precautions. Though, that mountain was a bit too high if any of them considered shooting from there. I could tell since the plane was close to that mountain.
I wondered if there were other planes in the sky or if they might be just really far away.
I couldn't help smiling. The Lightning Bolt Society could give themselves up if we were lucky enough.
But that said, they successfully invaded the place alongside other trained criminals with the support of Eggman's services…
Before I could dwell further, the plane shook a little. It was only a short jolt, but it brought me to Breezie standing at the back of the plane.
"Alright, everyone!" she called, clapping her hands. "Places! Places! Places! We're about to drop soon!"
Her claps' sharp, crisp sounds were enough to alert all of us. I was more than happy to stand up. Rosemary and Shard already made it to the front with determined looks. Meanwhile, Shortfuse, Lyric and Kalus remained where they were and their full attention was on Breezie.
For Kalus, it was for her lack of a backpack.
"Um, remind me again," he asked. "Why don't you and Shortfuse have parachutes?"
"Because I called for jet boots, remember?" said Breezie, lifting up one foot to reveal a circular, metallic hole in her boot's sole.
"And I don't need a parachute!" boasted Shortfuse, flexing his arms. "Once trapped in a body, now entrapped in a programming of wonders! The mighty Shortfuse will land on his feet!"
Shard managed to smirk a little, chuckling. "Best to use your jetpacks for this, buddy. It's quite windy out there!"
"Jet boots…" I uttered, tilting my head. "Why don't the rest of us have those? That's a bit unfair."
"I could use those sets of robotic boots," said Lyric randomly with the same sentiment.
"Now, you all know our targets! You know the rules! You know the goals!" Breezie took a moment to rub her hands. Whether out of wanting to appear fancy or just shaking off the jittery nerves, I couldn't tell. But she maintained a firm look. "We recognize or have met every hired gun they have down there, so be careful. Well, all of them are dangerous people and/or cannon fodder. The moment we land, approach at 11 o'clock and wait for further instructions. And most importantly, get the hell into that base."
"Good luck, everyone!" shouted Shard. "And may Chaos be with you all!"
Another voice entered. This one came through the earpieces we were equipped with.
"Team Blood, are you in position?" called Ash, his gruff voice only affected by the electronic static of the radio.
"We are ready to drop!" confirmed Breezie.
"Everyone, make your way to that entrance. That's our only clear way through."
"Copy that."
"What are you waiting for, slow coaches?" roared Shortfuse. "Let's show the world!"
We didn't feel the full force of the wind yet and Shortfuse immediately jumped through the opening gap of the doors. As his entire body disappeared from sight, the entire door opened and a big gust of wind blew into our face. It was hot, sharp and dusty.
I immediately grabbed my headband, fearing it might come off.
The humidness and force of the wind, I didn't mind.
Shard, stunned from seeing Shortfuse jumping out without warning, shrugged and ran ahead. "Guess we're doing this the hard way."
With a single click between his feet, he leapt upwards, spun around and placed his hands behind his head. He let his jet feet do the saving for his fall.
Breezie grinned and rushed forward without a word, complete with a somersault.
I decided to go next, running to the open door. Though, I immediately stopped when I got close to the edge.
Was it fear?
Was it excitement?
I could tell that something powerful stopped me from falling into the great beyond below.
Looking down, I could see why.
Exposure to THIS could outdo my previous adventures of reaching high places. I could see the white clouds floating around. I could see the land below that looked so tiny…until I would hit the ground. And I could feel myself exposed to the gigantic openness of this space…where anything could go wrong in mid-air.
On the one hand, my feet were trembling in my boots. On the other hand, the stubborn, wild jackal in me felt willing to jump stupidly.
"Oh jeez," I said in a high pitch. "I didn't expect it to be this high-"
"GET A MOVE ON IT, SCAREDY CAT!" shouted Lyric.
He followed this by whipping his tail at my feet, tripping me out of the place.
My instincts and the ruby's senses SCREAMED in terror and I reached for the parachute string.
As soon as the parachute opened, I felt my entire body shooting upwards and a tight sensation around my chest like I was pulled back by a bear. Unfortunately, it was too quick for me to process the outcome.
A loud ripping behind my ears and gravity pulled me down again.
I was falling for real.
I stared, dismayed at the sight of my parachute or at least what was left. Through the torn holes, I spotted the plane's blades spinning around with little white pieces of my parachute.
Fortunately, the ruby had other ideas.
I felt myself pulled upwards again. This time, it left me hovering up and down for a while.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" I barked, flapping my limbs around.
As the falling became much smoother and slower, I noticed the green aura surrounding my body. The humidity of the desert's wind disappeared. Just the cool, fresh sensation of my ruby's power.
Even better, I didn't feel like I was in danger. I wasn't panicking. It felt…really nice, all while I was still falling.
The passing wind around us was loud. Our bodies rapidly flew through the white clouds, giving us a better view of the ground. There was so much space to fly around in the moment, and I didn't mind any of that.
If I could, I would be dancing around while in mid-air.
I exhaled and burst into a giggle, exhilarated. "That was close!"
The ruby laughed. "I seriously didn't expect the parachute to rip!"
"Well, at least we're still floating."
"How come we got close to the plane?"
And just nearby, Breezie flew close to us.
"That's why I told you not to deploy just yet!" yelled the teal hedgehog over the loud wind. "Just ride now!"
She looked up just in time to see the following Lyric, Rosemary and Kalus.
My ruby snarled in my head that it had a mind to pick with Lyric. I wasn't too mad, however.
Lyric glared at the ground below, ignoring how his long, fat tail wiggled in the air.
Rosemary had her arms partially shielding her eyes, not used to the dust flying everywhere.
Kalus kept his arms and legs straight, trying to keep himself calm.
Meanwhile, Breezie kept her body straight in a more relaxed pose.
Below us, Shard still had his hands behind the back of his head, unfazed by the deep fall. To him, it was another day in the office. Meanwhile, the excitable Shortfuse was spinning around us, laughing away. Likely from the high altitudes.
…just to be safe, I copied Kalus' body pose. Doing it Shortfuse's way would result in being out of control with where one would land.
Case in point, the Cybernik seemed to be hovering a little higher and higher until he was above us. Quite ironic, considering he was heavier than the average person. Meanwhile, the rest of us pointed our heads to a nosedive, significantly falling faster than Shortfuse.
"I don't detect anyone associated with the Lightning Bolt Society down there!" shouted Shard. "Maybe we should land somewhere else?"
"Stick to the course, people!" hissed Lyric. "We're given a clear directive!"
Randomly, I picked on my earpiece, picking up the static from Ash's end. "I'm surprised you didn't come along for this, Ash!"
"Sorry, Obsidian," he said. "Someone needs to stay for mission control. I have a good eye here." As we approached close to the tall mountain next to Area 55, there was an audible gulp from the mongoose. "Gosh, you're all approaching the mountain too far. Make a sharp right and in thirty seconds, deploy your parachutes!"
Sure enough, the mountain was coming close in proximity and eyesight. From previous hikings, it occurred to me that I didn't often observe the tall, brown mountains before. There wasn't much to enjoy in the desert and seeing the same dirt and sand became normal. But coming from above, I was in slight awe of its sharp, gigantic shape.
Slowly twirling to the right, I caught a good look at the top. Just in time to see multiple agents setting up their sniper guns and rocket launchers. They adjusted to the top of the mountain really well.
As we flew next to the mountain's side, I watched its jagged, orange-brown wall as it passed by. Irregular formations, a couple of cracks, a few trigs. And I was surprised to see how much color this mountain had. Well, it was overall brown, but there were gradients and spots of gold, sand yellow and orange.
"Looks like art to me!" chirped the ruby.
I smiled. "Yeah, you're right."
Taking a quick look below, we were already entering the target area. A couple of ruffles from above and I saw Lyric, Kalus and Rosemary activating their parachutes. Thankfully, they shot upwards and the free space around them allowed the parachutes to uncurl themselves and carry them down gently properly.
Wait, what was I supposed to do?
That was when I spotted Rosemary and Shard spinning their bodies around so that their feet could point at the ground below. Flames shot out from their boots, keeping them still in the air while not plummeting too quickly.
I immediately tried doing the same. It was the ruby who helped me land safely. The green aura around me grew bigger and the strong pull of gravity didn't feel as strong as before. And thanks to my new positioning and arms wide out, my powered hovering pretty much slowed down my fall.
As for Shortfuse, well…
"And they say I can't fly!" he boasted, pointing a finger to the sky like a rockstar. "Suck on that, Egg Sala-!"
The problem was that he was too close to the mountain. His foot collided with one of the rock formations sticking out from the mountain and his body spun. Not in his control, however. The momentum and surprise inhibited any recognition of the other rocky formations he would hit. Eventually, he crashed into the hill-shaped part of the mountain, helplessly rolling downwards.
Judging by the several crunching noises from him, it did NOT sound painless.
I couldn't take my eyes away from him to the point I didn't realize how close the ground was.
By the time I felt my feet safely landing on the runaway, Shortfuse was close to the surface too. Not in the way we hoped since he didn't make it into the target area.
None of us got to see due to the walls protecting the entire Area 99, but we did hear his pained grunts from our earpieces…and the sounds of rock crumbling from outside. They seemed to be coming from Shortfuse's hapless descent into the ravine.
Breezie landed next to me.
I glanced at her, emotionless.
She stared back at me, unamused.
Finally, one last crash and we could hear Shortfuse gasping in relief. He must be at the bottom of the ravine.
"I'm not dead?" he said. "I'm alive! I'm alive! Woo-!"
CRRSSH-SHRRRKKK!
I clenched my teeth as the sound of static harshly spat through my ears. Any signs of hearing Shortfuse again through our comms were hopeless. Apparently, diving really hard into a ravine with metallic armor strong enough to penetrate rocky walls and spikes would be enough to make the dirt around you fall apart.
There were a few clicking sounds from Ash on his end, but after a few seconds, it ended with him groaning in annoyance.
"Shortfuse is dead," he confirmed bluntly. "I repeat, Shortfuse is dead."
My jaw dropped in shock.
Nearby, Rosemary threw her hands in the air, frustrated.
"I figured," said Kalus, rubbing his face.
"I don't even know him," deadpanned Lyric callously.
Remember how it was often Team Blood responsible for killing random people? Well, it seemed like Shortfuse couldn't take the heat anymore.
I didn't know what to say. At the same time, it was…a rather embarrassing way to go.
I trembled and cringed when the ruby shuddered too. What an awful way to die.
"...real talk?" commented Shard, looking both distressed and dumbfounded. "Shortfuse is REALLY reckless. I knew he would end up like this, but…devastating."
"The punk never learns from anything," summed up Lyric. "At least we have proof that he isn't invincible."
"I…I thought he was just being funny," I said. "Shouldn't we be concerned? For all we know, it's probably just the wind."
"We're not here to make friends. We're here to make casualties. Now, let's handle the REAL threat while we still have daylight!"
I couldn't help pouting a little. OK, he had a point. However, I felt sorry for Shortfuse going out like this.
And catching the look on Breezie's face, this wasn't meant to be ignored. She looked nervous. Her eyes widened again in worry. For some reason, I felt like I could see the thought formalizing from her look. That or she was just shaken by the early, undignified death.
Her hairband was also gone, appropriately leaving her hair and spikes frazzled.
"Team Blood," reported another person on mission control. "Squad Eagle, Team Hydrant, approach the entrance carefully."
Breezie immediately recovered and swallowed. She muttered some form of acknowledgement before whispering angrily, "Amateurs."
I didn't know who she was referring to.
Eventually, I shook my head and marched forward. Guess that we would suffer huge losses anyway.
As we walked forward, I slowly pulled out my taser. Randomly, I patted the rest of my belt pouches. I could feel the dagger holster. It would be much easier just to use one weapon, but having more was required.
Besides, it has been a while since I put myself on the battlefield. Previous chases and assassinations would not count. This was a completely separate task. It also felt…intriguing too. Maybe not for any kills, but with the bright sun and blue sky, it looked like it would be a colorful fight. And when it came to fights like that, I had the instincts and muscle memories ready.
If the Lightning Bolt Society was crazy enough to encourage everyone I knew to fight, this might become an event in the history books.
"If it turns into a blown-out nuke," I said to myself. "Then I'm backing out."
"Like a rock concert?" asked the ruby curiously.
"Well, I'm a fighter, not suicidal."
"And what if they have exploded the whole Area 99 and we're left to clean up the mess?"
"...at least the danger is much lower."
The ruby hummed, sounding chipper. "Hmm, yeah! Calm after the storm, indeed!"
"Who are you talking to?" asked Lyric from behind.
"My ruby," I said absentmindedly.
"...you know, your companion seems to be quite reclusive except when around you," commented Lyric, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.
We were kind of right that there was a calm after the storm. Arriving at the destination, we got a good look at the crater and the mess left behind with other squads arriving. Because of the large chunks of cement and ruined vehicles, we got a lot of cover to hide behind.
As I took cover behind the middle debris, I peeked over to observe the place. Surprisingly, the crater wasn't as deep as one would think. Sure, it was still a huge, wide crater, but it wouldn't be that bad of a drop if trying to get through it. It only created distance between us and the buildings on the other side. There were many other ruined objects in that crater, but it just made the place look more like a kid's obstacle course than the trenches.
Presumably, the buildings were our only way into Area 99. They were empty yet visibly affected. It seemed like they were supposed to be multi-storey, but parts of the buildings were knocked down, reducing them to becoming ground-level buildings.
Inside, there was barely any light. No enemies too. I couldn't see any movement there.
Looking to the left, Breezie and Rosemary hid behind a smaller yet wider wall of debris, leaning against it with their stomachs. The former pulled out a huge gun, cocking it in preparation. The latter, strangely, didn't use any weapons.
There was a strange, glassy glint in Rosemary's eyes. She appeared sullen. She wasn't like this during Shortfuse's death. But now, she appeared pretty…lost.
The ruby stirred, humming deeply. "Something's up with her."
I tried looking to the right to see if that was the case. However, everyone else was acting normally today. Lyric carefully took cover behind an overturned helicopter. Kalus followed behind him. The former then threw a gun for the latter to use, all while turning one of his robotic fists into a thick, black barrel shaped like a bazooka.
Lyric huffed playfully and Kalus nodded with approval.
Finally, Shard arrived and hopped to my side. Though, he didn't bring out any weapons yet. Curious, his eyes observed the ruined scene in front of us.
"Alright," he said. "We're close. Now what?"
"What's the actual plan now?" I asked.
Shard smirked. "Punch?"
"Uh…"
"Kick also?"
"We're supposed to wait. I-I thought this would be serious."
"True, though…let's see."
Rosemary was already crawling over the debris. She turned to me. The glint remained in her eyes. However, her entire face was completely devoid of any emotion. Not even sympathy. A blank page.
And when she looked back at the crater, cheerful delight took over.
She turned back to me and Shard. The delighted smile was gone.
"You lot," she said eerily. "I'm sorry for what's going to happen to you."
I stared at the sight of her equally flat look, dumbfounded.
Rosemary jumped to the other side of the debris.
Her delight returned and she called really loudly. "Hey, guys!"
"Rosemary?" said Breezie, jerking her head upwards.
"It's Rose! We're here now!"
The teal hedgehog scowled. "Rosemary! Get down! Get your ass down! There are enemies everywhere!"
But Rosemary was far out of reach to hear her. She slowly walked across the crater with her hands up, making her dissonantly cheerful voice as loud as possible.
"You can come out now!" she exclaimed. "It's just me!"
"What the hell is she doing?" I asked worriedly.
"I'm the one who contacted you!"
"Wait, is this what's supposed to happen?" questioned Kalus, confused. "What's the plan?!"
"Rosemary!" snarled Breezie. "Get back into position or I'll drag your ass myself!"
The fox remained ignorant to any of our pleas. Not even the protests of other squads could catch her attention. She appeared too calm in her approach towards pending danger. Too confident.
The previous Rosemary had never acted like this before. It seemed like she wanted to rush into…
"I brought all of them here!" she called again, already halfway through the crater. "As I promised! They're right behind me!"
Ash's voice came in. "Uh, guys? We have a problem."
Red lasers flashed from the dark buildings and pointed towards the approaching Rosemary. The fox slowed down, now realizing that she caught herself in the crossfire. The number of red lasers increased, coming from every available building opening.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" yelped Rosemary. "It's OK! It's OK! It's just me! Remember?"
But all hopes for sparking their memory were cut off when a battle helicopter appeared out of nowhere, shining a spotlight on Rosemary. And yet, it was already bright outside. The white spotlight coming from the helicopter was too distinctive from the natural sunlight. Too uncanny.
"Leader of Team Gosling, coming in!" shouted a voice over the radio. "We have a battle helicopter coming our way!"
"This is Black Squad Leader!" shouted a second. "We're cornered by a group of assassins!"
"Stone Squad Leader reporting in!" shouted a third. "We're receiving heavy fire from an unidentified source!"
Breezie's eyes grew in horror. "Oh my goodness, Rose…"
A sick feeling came to my stomach.
I could feel my blood running cold at the sight of the actual spy.
Then, I saw red.
"Rosemary is selling us out…" I uttered, close to growling.
If anything, it didn't look good for Rosemary, too, as none of her allies took her greeting nicely.
The fox faltered but couldn't stop talking. "Uh, I'm the one who called you-!"
Her body suddenly jolted. Seconds before that, a red laser was pointed at a face before disappearing, replaced by a flying bullet. Her back was facing us, so we couldn't see where she was shot. But after stumbling around, her body fell onto the ground face-first…blood splattering around the head upon impact.
There was yelling from the buildings before the unseen fighters took heavy fire. Bullets sprayed all over as they hit our cover.
Gritting my teeth, I let out a deep, bitter growl.
No wonder why Rosemary questioned me about how I felt during that diamond heist!
And any rage of mine increased at the sight of the overwhelming fire from the opposite side. We couldn't do a proper full-frontal attack like this!
"Anyone who has some form of connection to a devious corporation is bound to share evil similarities," I practically spat. "She contacted the entire Lightning Bolt Society!"
"Well, we wouldn't end up in this situation if you all listened to me!" roared Lyric, waving his readied weapon around.
"OK! OK!" groaned Breezie, exasperated. Judging by her clenched teeth, she was also mad for not realizing this. "Sorry about that."
Shard winced. "Yeah, the ink drinker is right."
Lyric's anger immediately disappeared into annoyance. "OK, seriously, when did the ink-drinking rumor exactly start?"
"Doesn't matter now," said Ash, clicking his tongue. "We spotted multiple enemies attacking every squad we have out there. They expected our arrival! There's too many!"
"This is Squad Sapphire!" reported Topaz's voice. "We have to move! They're taking advantage of the high ground! We're coming into the main area now!"
I froze. I tried hearing clearly. However, multiple voices overlapped each other, with not a single sound of bullets or explosions being distinct from each other. It was hard to pick up what was going on and the constant fire on our end was starting to make it hard for us to look around. Dust was forming around us. The idea to even run away would be a death wish.
"Breezie!" called Ash. "You have to retreat!"
Breezie bit her bottom lip. It only took her a couple of seconds to decide. And when she did, she took it in stride, with Rosemary's betrayal barely swaying her tactics.
"Negative, Ash," she said calmly with a look of a true warrior. "If we do, they'll chase us. We're already stuck in this position. This is a tough group. We can make it."
The listening Lyric shrugged and stood up, now looking bloodthirsty. "Okey dokey!"
"Wait, hold on a second!" said Shard, alarmed.
Too late. The giant snake shot a rocket right towards the middle building. Landing right at the front, the fiery explosion quickly displayed three shadowy silhouettes of bodies blown backwards. The red lasers coming from there scattered, thrown off by the explosion.
Soon enough, the other squads took fire, starting with simple bullets. Nobody was sure who the enemies exactly were inside those buildings. However, it inevitably became an all-out war with the knowledge that the expanded Lightning Bolt Society refused to back down.
I was only frozen for a few seconds, understanding my circumstances. Let's see: Rosemary alerted the entire Lightning Bolt Society and any mercenaries and criminals they picked along the way. All of us were cornered with the unstoppable option to fight back. And it wasn't just the overwhelming number of professionals attacking, but also the weapons they stole from Area 99.
But, once again, we got a couple of tricks up our sleeves. And there was no sign of any anomaly they might be using, just the combat vehicles and military weapons.
"Sending backup right now!" informed Ash. "They're on their way."
And what could I say for my squad? I did say that we got at least two robots. An incoming powerhouse.
Despite my previous concerns about battling the young members of the Lightning Bolt Society, there was also the reminder that we oppose them for a reason.
Most of them wouldn't have it another one.
The wild jackal could only ponder the circumstances before letting out an awkward "'Kay."
This should be fun.
"That's all you got to say?" sputtered the ruby, trying to make sense of things.
My response was to pull out one of the four grenades from my belt, toss it over the crater. It successfully landed in one of the buildings and a shockwave of blue electricity sparkled through the dark.
Those grenades were non-lethal, but they could subdue any targets. Think of it like tasers.
Evidently, I could see a couple of people twitching upon meeting the blue electricity hitting them, falling back. I whooped in success at my first attack.
"Sick!" whooped Shard casually. For him, he was firing a small cannon, sending yellow energy blasts forward. And judging from their crackling noises, they were made from the same electrical power that could knock out ten people. "Keep at it with aiming at the buildings! That's our way in!"
Before I could take out another grenade, a loud explosion rocked at our feet. Literally. It blew the debris we were hiding behind, turning it into dust and ash. I stared dumbly at the dusty remains hovering above. What kind of explosives did the Lightning Bolt Society find down there?
It didn't take long for me to realize that me and Shard were left vulnerable in the open.
"Get back!" I shouted, pushing Shard behind me.
Knowing that I was bulletproof, I let the ruby turn my entire body green and the bullets only bounced off. Thanks to the bodysuit, I couldn't even feel the bullets, not a single tickle. And yet, they were all firing at me and it was becoming hard to see where to aim.
Something occurred to me. "Wait, are you bulletproof, Shard?"
"No!" answered Shard, trying to fire from his hiding spot. "They're firing at you!"
"I can see that! I'm the distraction!"
Shard looked concerned. "Yes, but that'll convince them too to charge forwards! We need to move!"
"What? You're sure about this?"
A low rumble from behind and looking back, Shard's feet were glowing, ready to burst. "They will bring a lot worse to us soon. We can only get close enough to send fire onto them."
That, I could understand.
I nodded.
Shard nodded too. "Let's give them hell."
AN: I wish I didn't have to end on a cliffhanger. But the chapter is getting long and so is this author's note. However, I'm excited to show how this will go down!
I'm gonna be honest with all of you. I have been fearing that a lot of the chapter is going to be doom and gloom with some of the gloom brushed aside for sillier moments. Though, despite setting up the Lightning Bolt Society as a bigger threat, the large cast of characters and the bright setting help with crafting a still light mood without taking away the seriousness.
If anyone guessed it before the reveal of the spy, you named it. It's Rosemary all along. The role and the death feel fitting for a character known for being an obnoxious bureaucrat. And may God help us with the consequences that will follow.
You probably saw this coming, starting with Shortfuse's reckless death. It's 'The Suicide Squad - 15 Soldiers on the Shelf' all over again with some inspirations from Deadpool 2! Natch, the cliffhanger ruins the moment of seeing who's gonna die. I'll make it up in the next chapter, just you wait!
Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite to get updates. If there is any feedback or constructive criticism you want to share, I would very much appreciate it.
Until then, keep on rocking!