NOVEL WEB An eerie silence hung over the air in the streets of the South Sector. There was a certain feeling – a tension so tight one could reach out and pluck it like a string. Even the kids who used to play among the piles of debris, mimicking fighting with their guns, were nowhere to be seen, hidden away by their parents in bomb shelters dug deep into the ground.
“Shhh, dear. Just let the storm pass.” A mother whispered to her baby, both of them covered in grime and sweat accumulated over the weeks: lack of access to proper utilities and water exacerbated their already worsening situation.
As they hid in the basements under the street, only the tiny pitter-patter of footsteps from afar could be heard through the walls: signs of imminent war. Wherever the soldiers went, the fighting would soon follow.
Daylight soon broke into streams, piercing the murky air rift with soot and dust. The beautiful yet bleak scenery fell onto Alex’s eyes as he slowly moved as quietly as he could on the street, each step measured and silent, the soles crunching against loose rubble and broken toys.
They hugged the walls of the collapsed apartment, keeping a sharp watch on any vantage points looking down on them. Soon, Alex reached one of the rare few standing doors, knocking gently on the door in a pattern.
“It’s Alex. I’m here for your resupply.” Alex whispered urgently through a gap in the door, light from within evident through the splinters.
The door quickly swung open, with Alex motioning his squad to get in as he scanned the area with his rifle, covering their entry before closing the door behind them.
“Took you a while to get to the front.” A young female Seven Snakes fighter remarked as she led Alex and his squad into the main dining room. “Was about to run out of pellets to shoot.”
“It was harder this time. Had a few roaming Cretin squads trying to probe past the frontline.” Alex shrugged while his squad mates dropped off the heavy backpacks they were carrying, filled to the brim with explosives, arctech equipment and ammunition.
“So I’ve heard. They’ve become more daring in the past week.”
Alex merely nodded his head, understanding what she was referring to. The collapse of the tunnel network has emboldened the Ardent Cretins, resulting in far more skirmishes. Even stricter rationing has been applied, causing morale to drop significantly. Both of them knew the end was coming, but had no way of knowing how it would go. All they could do was follow their instructions and hope to Yual that everything works out.
“Well, I’ll call the squads in now one by one. The first one will be here in fifteen minutes, I’ll sign off, and you can go.” She left his squad to their own devices, heading upstairs.
Alex agreed, taking a seat in the dilapidated dining room, a husk of a former loving family. He could see where the bombs and fighting had eroded the paint, shaking off the flimsy wallpaper. Cupboards filled with memories shattered on the floor, a picture of the family stained by water and dirt. He couldn’t recall the last time he saw his house; that district had already lost to the Ardent Cretins.
He glanced at Ollie’s panting face as his squad sat down; the fourteen-year-old kid was clearly exhausted from the long trek from the hypermall to the frontlines. “Hey, get him some water. Just a cup.”
“I’m fine.” Ollie waved his hand as he took a few deep breaths. “Just need a breather.”
Alex sighed, pulling out his own water flask and tossing it to Ollie. “Don’t waste a drop. It’s hard enough getting some around here.”
“Stop acting tough in front of Ellie, bossman, it’s too obvious!” Bola interjected, causing the squad to laugh out loud as embarrassment filled Alex’s face.
“Shut up, idiots,” Alex murmured as he glanced around, seeing if Ellie had returned from upstairs.
A metal-wrenching sound suddenly erupted from the kitchen next to the dining room, almost causing the squad to whip out their weapons. Alex relaxed the moment he saw that it was the hobgoblin who was attempting to work the tap.
“Roca, stop destroying the house!” Ollie groaned, complaining out loud.
“If you want water, there’s a working pipe up here!” Ellie’s voice wafted down from above, with the squad members all turned to immediately look at Alex.
“What’s wrong?” Alex squinted his eyes. Why are they acting so weirdly?
“Idiot, this is your chance! Show off your charm!” Bola nudged Alex with his elbow, his brows raised in an obvious hint.
“Seriously? We’re at war now?”
“And we will be for the next few fucking months at this rate – it’s now or never!” Ollie followed up, nodding his head vigorously.
“Weren’t you dehydrated just now?”
“Watching my boss squirm is a far better form of hydration. Now go up before she starts to wonder!”
Alex groaned as he got up from his seat, irritated by the obvious shit-eating grins of his squad. Even the hobgoblin had the widest smile on his face, one Alex had not seen before. “Fine, fine.”
“While you’re at it, flex your muscles!” Ollie joked even more.
Alex carefully stepped up the stairs, avoiding the broken wooden panels before reaching the next floor where Ellie was in a room, handling the radio communications. Consistent audible chatter could be heard across the various channels while Ellie took note of every single one, even those overlapping as she jotted down quick notes in short form.
[District 27 small skirmish. Requesting backup.]
[Frontline Section E low on ammo. Requesting resupply.]
[Spotted a warmachine in use by the Cretins – moving down Monto Road.]
“Not looking too good for us,” Alex remarked as he looked at a map hung up on the wall, marked by Ellie, who was listening to the consistent reports. She served as a frontline radio coordinator for the various squads now at the frontline, fighting tooth and nail on a daily basis against the Cretins while shoring up defences, entrenching themselves.
“Yea, it isn’t. At the rate we’re going, we’re going to lose everything we’ve gained in the last month. The lack of supplies certainly doesn’t help. However, I heard rumours that we secured more supplies from Kregol, and they will be arriving soon if we can hold out long enough.” Ellie turned, her short blonde hair trailing in the air as she turned to face Alex.
Despite the grime and soot on her face, Alex was still enamoured by her beauty, evident even through the unflattering uniform. Her visage and smile reminded Alex of a time long past when he still had a happy life with his wife.
“Alex? What’s wrong?”
“… uhm, sorry, I was thinking about the blockade just out of Raktor. The Culdao Peaks is completely cut off.”
“I’m sure the boss will find a way to route the goods in. We’re a gang, remember?” Ellie chuckled slightly, with Alex instinctively smiling in response.
“Yea… yea. You’re really good at this.” Alex murmured embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his head.
“I spent a lot of time listening to customer complaints back then. Finally, could put it to use now, I guess.” Ellie smiled, almost instantly brightening up Alex’s world.
“Oh, right. The water! Come, let me show you.” Ellie got up and grabbed Alex’s hand, leading him into the toilet. “Behold, one of the real tourist attractions of the South Sector – a working shower!”
The sight of a working tap out this far from the mall nearly made Alex forget Ellie was still holding his hand. “By Yual, how the hell did you get it to work? I thought the entire water distribution system was down?”
“Well, I guess we got lucky to find a house that was still working!” Ellie presented the shower again with a flourish, in a ‘ta-da’ sort of movement.
“Wow…” Alex murmured to himself, before he finally realised that Ellie was still holding his hand tightly, not letting go. As he gripped back firmly, a soothing, calming feeling fell over him, one he had not felt in the last two months of war. If he had the power to, he would stop time right here and now, savouring the moment. I must be out of my mind, falling in love at the front lines.
An awkward silence fell between the two of them, Alex unsure of what to say. He wasn’t a novice in relationships, but right now, he felt like he was ten years younger, back to his teenage years.
“So… is this the part where you show me your muscles?” Ellie teased.
“Fuck, you heard that?” Alex couldn’t stop grinning as the two of them got closer to each other, more than just their hands touching each other. Before Alex could take his chance and lean in for a daring kiss, seven sharp bursts of statics erupted from the radio room loud and clear, startling the both of them out of their trance.
“Shit, I need to get that.” Ellie wore a sad smile on her face as she left Alex alone in the toilet, rushing over to the radio room with haste. Alex didn’t begrudge her for that – seven bursts was the indication of an emergency order from command. He followed her over, wanting to see what had cockblocked him, but the sight of Ellie’s crestfallen expression as she held the receiver to her ear quickly wiped away that thought.
“What’s wrong?”
“We just lost the whole of Section A.”
If Alex had a mouthful of water, he would have spat it out in complete shock. “The whole of Section A?! How the fuck is that possible? We had the most people there! What do you mean lost?”
“No one knows, we’re still trying to confirm what happened. But if Section A is down…”
“Means we’re exposed on our left flank.”
“I don’t have enough men to handle that.”
“I’ll sort it out. Got seven men below ready to go.”
“You’re not equipped for it.”
“I’ll make do.”
Ellie glared at Alex sternly. “If this is some false bravado aimed at impressing me, it’s not working. I much rather you alive than dead.”
“We’ll all be dead if we don’t fight. Don’t worry, I’ll be right back. Tell Slavin I’m coming.”
“You can say hi over the radio yourself.” Ellie tossed an arctech radio to Alex.
Alex returned to his former persona, a grim-faced squad leader as he barreled down the stairs. The shit-eating grins on the squad’s faces were still apparent, but the obviously somber mood of Alex shook them out of their stupor. Ollie was about to crack a joke, but decided against it, reading the atmosphere of the room.
“Get ready, the fight is coming to us. Our left flank has been completely wiped out.” Alex ordered, picking up his gear and weapons before preparing to head out.
“Boss, are you serious? We’re just a runner squad – not a frontline!” Bola complained.
“Idiot, the frontline is coming to us whether we like it or not. And I like to choose my battles. Move, we’ll group up with Slavin!”
Alex got them to take some of the ammunition they brought – grenades, mines and other explosives. The squad moved out of the house, this time picking up the pace while still maintaining their formation, the rearguard hobgoblin watching their backs. Already Alex could see artillery rounds streaking across the sky, green arcia bolts intercepting them and exploding into a shower of fragments.
“Shit, the Cretins are really attacking for real this time!” Ollie gasped in shock as he clutched onto his oversized helmet, unable to avoid his eyes from the dazzling display in the sky. The thunderous booms and roars of explosions from far away dominated the soundscape, like a raging parade all around them.
They crossed broken buildings and derelict streets; corpses left unburied from weeks ago and burning wrecks of stalls damaged from the consistent shelling. Alex soon laid eyes on the building where Slavin was supposed to be entrenched in. The sounds of gunfire and fighting could be heard, getting closer and closer by the minute. “Boss, we’re sitting ducks out here!”
“I know! I’m on it! Slavin, you copy?”
Before any reply could be heard from Slavin, a shell slammed right into the building, taking out nearly a quarter of it in a landslide that kicked up yet another cloud of dust. The resultant shockwave and tremor caused the squad to fall to the ground, scrambling from cover as more shells laid waste to the open street.
“BOLA, GET THAT DEFENSE SYSTEM UP NOW!” Alex roared as he motioned with his hand, prompting his squad to split up along the crevices of the street, covering both sides.
“On it!” Bola crawled rapidly behind a fallen sign, pulling out a deployable device filled with point-defense engravings. With a grunt, he threw it out onto the street with all his might, the device exposed in the middle as it immediately began to shoot at the incoming shells, forcing them to explode in midair, shattering whatever was left of the windows in the nearby shops and apartments.
Alex peeped around the corner, watching as a shock trooper squad of two dozen Cretins began to advance towards them, their black arctech armour was prominent under the clear daylight. Behind them, a warmachine moved with them, instilling Alex’s squad with dread. The top of the warmachine was mounted with an anti-air turret, something that threw Alex off-guard as he had never seen such a contraption before.
“Boss, what now?!” Ollie signalled urgently across the street, panicking from the threatening visage of the four-barrelled turret scanning the sky.
Alex motioned with his hands for them to move into the buildings and ambush the warmachines. The squad kicked into action, skulking through the debris and collapsed buildings to get a good vantage point, each of them splitting up to reduce detection.
They formed a crossfire between elevated buildings, with Bola arming a few grenades to throw down on the street. They waited patiently with bated breath as the shock trooper squad moved forward slowly. Almost in range… almost…
However, the shock trooper squad suddenly stopped, before hurriedly splitting up into the buildings, one of which was exactly where Alex was waiting. Shit!
Before the shock trooper could ascend the staircase towards the upper floors, Alex lobbed a grenade of his own down the stairwell, prompting a scream from the Cretin as the grenade exploded into fragments piercing the black arctech armour, leaving the Cretin maimed and whimpering in the stairwell.
“There’s a Snake here!”
“Get the warmachine aimed at him!”
Alex’s heart plummeted, wondering how he was going to survive. If the warmachine shoots at me… Ellie… He glanced out of the broken windows, but instead of seeing a warmachine aimed right at him as his last scene, the warmachine had begun to reverse instead of advancing, its anti-air turret aimed towards the sky before suddenly firing with a sound Alex could not describe. It was like a never-ending stream of pellets and destruction all combined into one, the glint of the pellets under the daylight streaking upwards to the sky.
A small dot could be seen falling from the clouds, somehow shifting rapidly as it avoided the turret fire. Other anti-air turrets from other buildings in the Cretin-controlled area began to fire at the dot as well, but all of them failed to catch the dot, who was erratically moving through the sky like a fly.
For a moment, Alex thought there was a problem with his eyes, causing him to rub it before he soon realized the falling object was an armoured man, armed with five spears strapped to his back. As the man fell, a single spear was retrieved before being hurled like lightning towards the Cretin-controlled buildings in the distance.
The spear moved through the air faster than the turrets could track, landing right into the buildings with nothing to show for it. Huh? Alex was confused, but soon a slowly increasing rumbling sound emerged, as an entire ten-storey building collapsed on itself in a terrible burst of arcia flames, the blue shining pulses enveloping the surrounding area in a ghastly destructive liquid that consumed everything it touched, searing anyone who was still alive in the impact.
Before Alex could even exclaim out loud at the terrible sight, he noticed that the armoured man was flying right for them. “Take cover! Take cover!” Alex urged his squad over the radio, but it was far too late as the armoured man swooped towards the warmachine in a dive.
For a brief moment, Alex could swear he saw the man stop in mid-air for a moment just before he collided with the warmachine. The man floated around the warmachine in a rapid fashion, stabbing the armour of the warmachine three times before he was suddenly launched backwards, his armoured boots sending sparks flying along the ground upon landing.
Before the warmachine could turn its cannon to blast the man apart, three sudden implosions wreaked havoc within the internal structure, causing large holes to erupt from within, and the metal warped in an outward burst.
“Shit, it’s the Seven Snakes leader! Kill him!” The shock troopers attempted to fire at him, but it was far too late – his exosuit too fast to aim at with just the human eye. His movements were unnatural, impulses firing on all angles and axes to perform defying actions that slaughtered the shock troopers in droves, his spear thrusting wildly in all directions.
The shock troopers’ internal organs were all blasted apart, none of their armour able to block against the implosion effect of the Spear of Defiance. Within a minute, the source of Alex’s squad’s fears was wiped out completely, leaving only the stragglers to deal with.
Alex quickly rushed out to the building where Slavin was supposed to be in, checking for survivors. “Slavin?! Slavin!”
“H…hey… over here…” A weak reply came out from beneath the rubble. Alex quickly rushed over to help, grunting as he lifted the rock, though his muscles could not bear the weight.
“…a..alex? Weren’t you making out with… cough… ellie?” Slavin smiled, his face already half crushed by the debris.
“Stay with me, Slavin. We’re going to make it out.” Alex gritted his teeth, about to pull with all his might, when suddenly the weight was gone from his hands. Instead, the Seven Snakes leader had lifted the rubble with one hand, tossing it apart and crouching next to Slavin. The armoured hand placed on Slavin’s chest began to heal Slavin slowly, his wounds slowly scabbing over.
“You’re not allowed to die, Slavin – we have an enemy to kill.”