Smoke blended with the clouds in the sky, obscuring the battlefield below in a dreadful darkness even in the light of day. The battle of Ireland has been in progress for a whole day by this point. Yet, to the troops on the ground, it felt like weeks. The fresh boots recently arrived on the battlefield from the Americas were already stained by blood and gunpowder.
In the waters of the Atlantic, US Marines in power armour had just barely emerged from the ocean and touched the sand of the Irish beaches. However, there was no gunfire or enemy soldiers, just a plain beach with not even a single row of defensive trenches. The Marines shuddered – they felt that this absence of activity signified something far more eerie than if they were fired upon right away. And unfortunately, they would be proven right.
As a whole company of American Marines in power armour emerged onto the shores, a single bolt of plasma suddenly streaked through the three lines into the face of the commanding captain. In truth, the enemy was already waiting. By now, they had already taken out the company's leadership. Panic quickly spread as the American Marines rushed to get cover while squads of them moved to scout the enemy from the flanks.
As the Leaf Marine raised his heavy carbine to fire once again, his spotter lowered his arm and signalled for him to stand down.
[Marine spotter] - "Leave it! We accomplish what we came here for. "
Whispered the Marine to his comrade.
[Marine sniper] - "What? You afraid of these idiots in their cheap power armour? I bet the two of us can dispatch the rest of them without issue. "
Muttered the soldier in an arrogant voice.
[Marine spotter] - "Our captain made a deal with Titan Knight, Sir Baconsfield. Let that proud son of a bitch take care of them. If you want in, I'm out. I had my share of action in the Chinese theatre during the crusade– had to get a prosthetic heart because of it. "
Said the man as he began to crawl toward a higher spot on the tree.
[Marine sniper] - "Shit, man! You're no fun. Probably lost ya heart alongside your passion for the game. "
Said the soldier as he put away his weapon.
[Marine spotter] - "If you want to take your chance near a Xenomorph-Hunter titan, be my guest! "
Said the Marine before he flew away using his jetpack.
Looking back at the panicked enemies on the beach, the Marine sniper felt the urge to stay a little longer to practice his aim. However, when the distinct earthquake caused by a titan reached his position, even the Marine sniper felt compelled to leave. There were just things that were not worth risking when it came to being near a titan of any size. As the Leaf Marine flew away using his jetpack, he nearly collided mid-air with the leaping titan.
As the Marine sniper watched the titan land in the distance, he was glad he had made the decision to leave. There was just something terrifying and unnatural about a 25-meter-tall machine of death being able to leap a dozen meters into the air while running as fast as a racecar. Even though he knew he shouldn't feel sorry for his enemies, he nonetheless felt pity for the fate that awaited them.
Meanwhile, near the surface of the water, a wing-shaped transport gunship cloaked in an invisibility layer flew with McCree's crew on board. With a massive central screen, McCree displayed the layout of the warzone, as well as the position of the carrier they were going to infiltrate. Though the task ahead seemed daunting, the squad remained confident as this wasn't their job of this kind.
[McCree] - "The Allied Forces were pushed back on multiple fronts, due to heavy casualties. For this reason, we have to make our mission quick. In-and-out, not more than an hour. "
Said McCree as he pointed at the frontline on the digital map.
The Allied Forces initially arrived with two carrier task forces, yet the Empire only needed a single fleet to give them the worst spanking they've known in their history. In three days alone, the Allied Forces had 250,000 men killed, 410,000 men injured, and over a hundred ships lost. Even their supposed super Marines, all equipped with power armour and 20mm high-calibre guns, felt like monkeys with sticks before the Imperial Marines.
[pilot] - "Holy shit! What the hell is that? "
Exclaimed the woman as she squinted her eyes.
The rest of the crew, including Kadyn, quickly moved to the cockpit, where they were with the distant sight of a massive black-armoured titan, resembling a xenomorph from the Alien franchise, rampaging through the beaches. As the titan opened its mouth, it exposed a massive 125mm calibre rotary cannon, which unleashed hell upon the helpless American Marines below. At this calibre, even tanks would crumble with a single shot, not to mention having it fire repetitively at you with impunity.
On the ship, the entire crew were dazed by the sight of such an unbelievable machine, to the point where the pilot herself was lost in the spectacle.
[Kadyn] - "Pull up! You're going to crash it! "
Yelled Kadyn as she suddenly yanked on the controls.
The pilot and crew were pulled out of their trance as the ship veered up and narrowly avoided smashing into the beaches. As the ship stabilized its trajectory, Kadyn angrily slammed her fist against the pilot's chair.
[Kadyn] - "Watch where you're headed! It's just a Xenomorph-Hunter-class titan– what the hell are you people even shocked about? "
Screamed Kadyn with anger in her voice.
[Audrey] - "What do you mean by 'just a titan?' Don't tell me that thing is normal by Imperial standards! "
Said Audrey, a cold shiver running down her spine.
[Kadyn] - "Too bloody normal, even. Each fleet has over a hundred of these small titans. If you move up the ranks, you will see the dozen of Monsoon-class titans, each measuring over a hundred meters high. Then, finally, the two crown jewels, Storm-class titans, each standing at over three hundred meters tall. "
Said Kadyn casually as if this were common knowledge.
The rest of the people surrounding Kadyn were in a state of shock as they noted the casual way she just described machines that were not only heard of in fantasy.
[Kadyn] - "You guys are lucky. The 10th fleet, Rising Leaves, which you guys are fighting, is considered a small fleet among the others. If my husband's fleet, the World Forgers, were against you guys, the battle would've been over by this point. "
Said Kadyn with a hint of pride as she spoke.
The rest of the crew simply stayed silent before Audrey sat down with an utter look of defeat and shock on her face. On the other hand, the pilot looked down at her reflection and wondered why the hell she even agreed to join this war. The supposed weakened enemy, their propaganda system told them about, was in actuality an enemy armed with technology to annihilate even alien civilizations.
[Oltevin] - "By the holy father, I need a drink. "
Said Oltevin with dread in his eyes.
[Senju] - "The bastards in the top lied to us! They were ignorant of the enemy situation and just told us to charge with complete disregard for our lives. "
Yelled Senju angrily as he slammed his arm against the wall.
Sitting back near the central screen, McCree lit up a cigarette and took a deep puff to calm down.
[McCree] - "Ain't it like this since the start? For all the propaganda the Empire spews, the part about the old world and the Allied Forces being corrupt ain't false. Repeated warnings from the Chinese delegation, whom I remind ya, fought the Empire for four damn years, were ignored. Not countin'... "
McCree stopped to take another puff of his cigarette.
[McCree] - "Not countin', when I personally handed them reports as a spy in the Empire, they straight up put my hard work in a drawer and said they'd consider it later. It's all about profit and ego, even as the world burned down. "
Said McCree with an ironic smirk.
Taking a seat in the middle of the group, Kadyn smiled hopefully to lighten up the tension.
[Kadyn] - "Don't be like this! Once my husband is brought back to life, everything is going to be fine. He'll get the world under control in no time. "
Said Kadyn with a naive smile.
[Audrey] - "I like your optimism and loyalty, girl. If I were your partner, I'd die for you as well. "
Said Audrey teasingly.
Kadyn smiled at the compliment before McCree quickly coughed to catch everyone's attention.
[McCree] - "So let me repeat this again! We breach the captured carrier, collect the bare minimum of data, and we leave! Since we're doing this to satisfy those in charge and not for any actual contribution in the war, I see no point in risking our lives more than necessary. "
Said McCree as he threw away his cigarette and stomped on it.
[Kadyn] - "Maybe it's going to be harder than you expect. Look! "
Interjected Kadyn as she pointed at the screen behind McCree.
Turning around, McCree abruptly noticed how the Allied lines were rapidly pulling back due to the arrival of a second massive Imperial force. At the rate at which the retreat was going, McCree and his crew would only have about 10 minutes before the captured carrier would be enveloped completely behind enemy lines. Once that happens, escaping after collecting the required data will be nearly impossible, as flying in the midst of an Imperial armada, even when invisible, will be as hard as flying through a horde of bees without triggering one of their sensors.
As the invisible craft finally arrived above the captured carrier, Kadyn and the rest of the crew dropped onto the hull of the vessel. Their ship will hover at the exact same spot until they come back from their mission. Approaching one of the hatches on the hull, McCree tried to input the right code to grant him access, while the chilling high-altitude wind blew against his face.
[Kadyn] - "Hey, why not use one of these holes instead? "
Yelled Kadyn as she pointed at a hole left by one of the assault pods on the hull.
[McCree] - "Well, I'll be damned! "
Cursed McCree as he now felt like a fool for trying to enter a hatch instead.
One after another, Kadyn and the rest of the squad dropped into the hole and landed gently on the top of an abandoned assault pod. In a balanced motion, Kadyn slid down the smooth surface of the pod and landed gracefully onto the carrier's floor. The others, however, did not possess her level of mastery over her body, as they made a decent bit of noise in their landing.
[McCree] - "Alright, we're in about the half section of the ship. Me and Senju will explore the front half of the ship, while Audrey, Oltevin and Kadyn, you three, go toward the side with the bridge. Remember, don't overstay your welcome. "
Said McCree as he pulled out his pistol.
[Oltevin] - "Da, comrade! "
Said Oltevin with a salute as the two groups split up in haste.
As Oltevin's group moved, he and Audrey stayed closely behind Kadyn, who walked in front of them without an ounce of worry.
[Oltevin] - "Look at you, comrade, so much courage. I wish I could be as brave as you. "
Said Oltevin as he looked in admiration at Kadyn's carelessness.
[Kadyn] - "I'm a KD-series assassin, have you forgotten? I'm not just your defenceless girl. "
Said Kadyn with a cute smile.
Kadyn's comment quickly reminded Oltevin of her nature, as he had grown so accustomed to seeing her as one of their own. To the eyes, Kadyn is an unassuming girl who seems to be unable to hurt a fly, yet to those who understand the darkness beneath that innocence, acceptance and peace will not come easily. Senju and, even to some extent, Audrey, only ever saw that dark side of Kadyn, while McCree and Oltevin understood her duality a little more.
As Audrey captured the aftermath of the massacre by the Imperial Marines aboard the ship with a camera on her shoulder, the group suddenly heard some noise in the distance. After taking refuge behind a corner, Kadyn peeked on the side to see 1st Marine General Pantheon and his two honour guards walking through the hallway.
[Pantheon] - "Yes, Lord Marshal, we are heading to meet the 10th's commanding officer. "
Said Pantheon into his com as he moved hastily through the hall.
As soon as the three Spartan Marines moved away, Kadyn signalled for her two companions to follow her. As they kept moving deeper into the ship, Audrey became increasingly disturbed by the traces of the violence that had taken place. On some of the walls where the crew didn't have time to clean, the bloodied and rotting remains of the slain crew still lingered. While Kadyn and Oltevin simply acknowledged the smell with a grimace, Audrey nearly puked as she struggled to hold back her gag reflex.
[Audrey] - "You two are unbelievable! How are you even fine with this violation of your nostrils? "
Muttered Audrey while covering her nose with her arm.
[Oltevin] - "Experience, comrade. A lot of experience in the field. "
Said Oltevin proudly.
[Kadyn] - "I'm not used to it, I'm just biologically tuned to not be disturbed by such odours. "
Said Kadyn casually.
Suddenly, Kadyn instinctively activated her Conagher system, which accelerated her perception to the point where Oltevin and Audrey became statues. Turning around, Kadyn faced a Chimera bullet, which had its long plasma streak burning inches away from her forehead. A single millisecond later, and Kadyn would've lost her head. With her accelerated movement, Kadyn moved out of the projectile's way before her temporal perception resumed at normal speed.
Without losing another second, Kadyn pushed Audrey to the left before leaping onto Oltevin to push his massive body toward the right. Another streak of plasma nearly missed her as it burned a few strands of her hair.
[Kadyn] - "Both of you, don't even try to peek your head around the corner! I'm serious! "
Yelled Kadyn as she backed away from the hallway.
On the other side, a single Leaf Marine stood with his gun raised and his red glowing visor focused on the other side of the hall.
[Leaf Marine] - "General alert! Sergeant Mattiew to all men of the 11th company, intruders located on the ship. "
Said the man into his helmet com.
Meanwhile, Audrey breathed heavily while scrambling to pull out her pistol. On the other side of the hall, Oltevin loaded his 12.7mm heavy machine gun and prepared to engage the enemy Marine.
[Kadyn] - "What are you doing? "
[Oltevin] - "I don't mind tanking a few shots, comrade. I have armour under my vest after all. "
Said Oltevin as he prepared to leap out of cover.
Kadyn immediately slammed Oltevin back against the wall with incredible strength.
[Kadyn] - "You know how much armour you need to survive one of his bullets? Do you even have any idea? "
Yelled Kadyn as her grip tightened around Oltevin's chest.
[Oltevin] - "I've survived many bullet wounds in my life, comrade. Not to mention, this is good Kevlar composite. "
Said Oltevin reassuringly as he tried to push Kadyn off.
Without hesitation, Kadyn slammed her arm against Oltevin once again, pinning him tightly against the wall. Even Oltevin was shocked at Kadyn's strength, as such a jolly, cute girl with no significant muscle could somehow pin him with the force of a heavyweight champion.
[Kadyn] - "At 14.5mm, which is standard issue for the 10th fleet, his bullet can punch through 300mm of pure steel before the explosive inside detonates. You receive a single shot from him, and your entire torso will turn into a liquid meat paste. "
Muttered Kadyn while she stared intensely at Oltevin.
Shocked by what he had heard, Oltevin finally raised his hands and indicated to Kadyn that he would not go tempt fate. Reassured, Kadyn finally let go of Oltevin and backed off. With a glance at Oltevin and Audrey's weapons, Kadyn breathed a sigh of disappointment.
[Kadyn] - "Not to mention, your weapons will tickle the enemy at best, so just let me do the work instead. Stay here and wait until I come back. Is that clear? "
Ordered Kadyn with a firmness in her voice that the two didn't expect.
With her wrist blades extended, Kadyn activated her Conagher system just as more Marines rushed into the hall toward them. Stepping into the hallway, Kadyn gracefully moved between the row of enemies while her blades punched, unhindered, into the enemy's armour. Splashes of red tainted Kadyn's arms and hands as she pushed through the men who she perceived as standing still. Finally, as she reached the sergeant at the end of the hall, she simply stabbed her blade into his face for a swift kill.
As her acceleration ended, the twenty Marines that crowded the hallway immediately dropped dead where they stood. However, to Audrey and Oltevin, it felt as if she had killed all of them in the span of a single second. As Oltevin and Audrey heard Kadyn's call, they stepped out of cover, but with different reactions on their faces.
Like an excited child, Oltevin threw away his heavy machine and looted the Chimera carbine from one of the dead Marines. Without paying much mind to the gore that soon coated his hands, Oltevin filled all of his available pockets with ammo cartridges. As he arrived before Kadyn, she was initially unsure how Oltevin saw her. However, Kadyn was quickly assured of her worry as Oltevin raised his hand for a high five.
[Kadyn] - "Oh! For– For sure! "
Said Kadyn with an awkward smile as she tapped on Oltevin's palm.
[Oltevin] - "Now, comrade, I can finally equip myself with a gun worthy of my size, haha. This is perfect! I knew you were one of us. "
Said Oltevin enthusiastically as he gave Kadyn a bloodied tap on the shoulder.
However, Audrey instead stared at Kadyn with horror and fear in her eyes. Looking down, Audrey was on the edge of screaming as she saw the pile of mutilated bodies on the ground. The number of Imperial Marines slain by Kadyn without so much as breaking a sweat was a testament to her deadliness, but also to her inhuman side. As much as Kadyn tried to wipe away the blood on her hands, Audrey refused to speak to her or even approach her.
As the three moved quickly to avoid encountering more reinforcement, Kadyn felt a growing guilt in her heart each time she saw Audrey trying to keep a distance between them.
[Oltevin] - "Don't mind her, comrade. She'll come to understand you eventually. "
Said Oltevin as he ran beside Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "Maybe she has a point... Maybe I really am a monster. "
Said Kadyn, a sad glint appearing in her eyes.
As they arrived at the hole with the assault pod, Oltevin stood guard while he allowed the girls to climb up first. When Kadyn reached to help Audrey climb up, she recoiled and refused her hand.
[Audrey] - "I'm fine! I don't need your help! "
Upon seeing the situation, Oltevin felt the frustration boil inside his heart. With a tap on the pod with his carbine, Oltevin grabbed Audrey's hand and led it toward Kadyn.
[Oltevin] - "Grab the fucking hand already! "
Yelled Oltevin before Audrey quickly obeyed and was pulled up by Kadyn.
Upon seeing that both girls had made it up, Oltevin quickly followed behind and climbed to the ship's hull surface. After rushing into the waiting gunship, Kadyn sat down while Audrey found herself a seat far away from her. As Kadyn looked in her direction, Audrey quickly avoided her gaze as she turned around in fear.
[Oltevin] - "Comrade, leave her be! "
Said Oltevin as he climbed into the ship.
As Kadyn tried to speak, Oltevin abruptly held up his finger and took a few breaths to recuperate.
[Oltevin] - "I'm not finished... Anyway, what I want to say is that she don't understand you. If not for you, I would've leaped out and been killed earlier. Audrey only saw the side of you that most people refused to associate with. However, I do not see it that way. "
Said Oltevin before wiping the sweat off his forehead.
Leaning closer toward Kadyn, Oltevin made her look into his eyes by placing his hand on her shoulder.
[Oltevin] - "I killed and worked with killers before. Between us, I am not biased by the dirty side that we both share. Through this, I can see you better than how others perceive you. You are good person! If she won't accept you, I will! However, never let others' negative opinions of you define you! "
Said Oltevin in the voice of a wise Slavic uncle.
[Kadyn] - "Thank you, Oltevin. "
Said Kadyn, touched by his words.
[Pilot] - "How are the two others not back here yet? "
Uttered the pilot as she looked at the three of them in the ship.
With a worried look in her eyes, Kadyn rushed to the ramp where she failed to see even a trace of McCree or Senju.
[Kadyn] - "I will go get them! They probably encountered trouble down there. "
Yelled Kadyn over the blowing wind.
[Oltevin] - "Do you need me to come as well? "
[Kadyn] - "Stay here, I work better alone! "
With a confident nod and a salute, Oltevin returned to the ship while Kadyn returned to the carrier through the hole in the hull. Upon hearing the sounds of gunshots not far away, Kadyn quickly rushed toward the noise.
Meanwhile, McCree and Senju took refuge at an intersection while a pair of Leaf Marines chased after them. As McCree tried to peek over the corner to check on them, he abruptly received a shot that destroyed his right ear.
[McCree] - "Fuck! Fuck, man! My bullets don't do shit against them, while they can shoot me as if they installed Aimbots in their brains. "
Cried McCree as he held his ear in pain.
[Senju] - "Well, it's been an honour knowing you, old friend. My sword's done for, too. "
Said Senju as he raised a pair of broken swords.
As the pair of Leaf Marines approached them, they each holstered their carbines and grabbed their dual tomahawks.
[Leaf Marine] - "Come here, you cowboy and weeb! I'll offer you a nice haircut for the price of one. "
Yelled the man as he revved up his weapons.
As McCree put his hands together in prayer, he suddenly heard a slicing sound before the hallway fell silent. As curiosity got the better of him, he looked around the corner alongside Senju and saw Kadyn charging at the second Leaf Marine before slicing him in half from the torso.
[McCree] - "Oh my sweet Jesus! Thank you, Missy! "
While McCree rushed up and gave Kadyn a hug while in tears, Senju instead inspected the dead bodies before silently moving past her.
[Kadyn] - "Let's move before things get more hectic. "
Said Kadyn as she pushed McCree off her.
As the three moved through the hallways, Senju could only shudder at the bloodbath left by Kadyn as she slaughtered her way to them. All across the hall, as they walked, mutilated bodies of enemy combatants lay dead on the floor. Turning around, Senju shot a scornful glance at Kadyn. Instead of being thankful to her for saving their lives, Senju only saw a dangerous beast sporting the face of an innocent girl. To him, people with masks that hide their true identity are not to be trusted, especially those hiding darkness beneath innocence.
As McCree and Senju began climbing up the assault pod to reach the hull, Pantheon and his guards suddenly arrived face-to-face with Kadyn. At first, Kadyn extended her wrist blades and showed an aggressive look. However, Pantheon immediately recognized Kadyn from his past encounters with the Grand Knight. Not only that, he also knew what she was capable of from all the carnage in the hallways. As his men raised their carbines to fire, Pantheon quickly pushed their weapons down while assuming a defensive stance with his spear.
[Pantheon] - "Leave! I will not hinder you, and you will not harm my men. "
Said Pantheon firmly.
On the other hand, Kadyn also recognized the insignia on these Marines to be that of the 9th fleet, under Athena's command.
[Kadyn] - "Please send my regards to Athena. I might see her very soon. "
Said Kadyn respectfully with a salute.
As Kadyn climbed out of the hole, she came face-to-face with the underside of the Merciful Wrath, carrier of the 9th fleet, above her head. The massive carrier loomed over like a storm cloud that obscured everything below, while its massive engines roared like thunder. With shouts from Oltevin, Kadyn quickly jumped onto the gunship's ramp as it took off. Whether intentionally or not, the Merciful Wrath's presence forced nearby ships to scatter, thus clearing a way for Kadyn's vessel to leave while unobstructed.
On board the gunship, however, Audrey's view of Kadyn gradually changed. While Kadyn did appear like an unhinged monster at first, the fact that she went back and saved McCree and Senju proved where her heart truly lies. Though Audrey needed a bit of time to get used to Kadyn's duality, she nonetheless found immense respect for her.
To be continued...