After the destruction part of the show, the Red Fairy's voice rang out with gleeful enthusiasm. “And now, since we’re starting month two, it’s time to bring you some friends!” The iconic theme song from ‘Friends‘ began playing in the background, its familiar melody completely out of place in the brutality of the Wasteland, but somehow amused its ridiculousness. Before Atlas could fully process what was happening, portals shimmered open in Fort Bone town, and in every other settlement across the Wasteland.
“So no one told you life was gonna be this way [four claps]
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A
It's like you're always stuck in second gear….”
When the claps in the song were made it seemed to start a signal. People started pouring in from the portal, more than they’d ever handled before. Yellow umbrellas fell from the sky onto their panicked heads.
‘Fort Bone’s ready,‘ Atlas reassured himself, as he watched the ridiculous scene. He snapped into action, his voice booming as he yelled, “Portal Crushers, let’s go!”
John and Amber were already leading the charge, organizing the welcome team—or more accurately, the ‘welcome crossbows‘—as they formed a protective ring around the portal. The air was tense as more people started popping in one after the other. There was no time to be slacking here.
This time, it wasn’t just civilians from hospitals. As Atlas scanned the incoming crowd, he noticed a clear pattern. The groups were clustered by geographical region, and something about this batch immediately stood out. Among the mix were 200 soldiers, all dressed in the familiar uniforms of the United Army of Earth. Fully geared, their weapons slung across their shoulders, they looked prepared for battle—but their eyes betrayed them. They were nervous, confused, and shell-shocked. The bright yellow umbrellas falling from the sky weren’t helping them maintain their mental calmness.
‘It looks like mainly Chinese soldiers this time,‘ Atlas thought, his heart skipping a beat. As the portal continued to spit out more soldiers, he couldn’t help but feel a strange kinship toward them. ‘Half Chinese, is still Chinese‘ he reminded himself, and the connection felt both comforting and heavy. His mind raced, thinking about the universal translators. Without them, it’d be impossible to understand the mini faeries, trolls, or now these new arrivals.
Atlas hoped, as he looked at the soldiers still adjusting to their new reality, that they would be good people. ‘Please, not assholes. We’ve already got enough of those.‘ He gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of leadership press down a little harder. Everything in him wanted these newcomers to be an asset, not another challenge. But in the Wasteland, you never knew what you were going to get.
‘‘‘
The Red Fairy twirled in the air, her dress swirling like flames as she floated toward the newly arrived soldiers, her sugary sweet voice echoing across the settlement. "Well, well, well, look who just arrived!" She clapped her hands together in mock delight. "A whole bunch of fresh faces—and soldiers too! Isn’t this exciting?"
The soldiers, standing in a pool of umbrellas, still disoriented from their sudden arrival, stood at attention, unsure of what to do. They exchanged glances, clearly unsettled by the Red Fairy’s whimsical tone and the bizarre wasteland around them.
With a sly smile, she descended toward them, her glowing form hovering just above the ground. “Welcome, darlings. I’m sure you’re all very confused. Don’t worry, though, I’ll take care of you.” The way she said it made more than a few soldiers grip their weapons tighter, their eyes wide with unease.
She circled around them, inspecting each soldier with exaggerated curiosity. “You look like the strong, silent types. Perhaps you don’t speak fairy? That's adorable.” She giggled, the sound as sweet as sugar but with a bite underneath. “But, see, I have a rule. No one gets a free pass in my Wasteland. So let’s make this fun, shall we?”
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With a flick of her wrist, the Red Fairy summoned her signature red glow, and before the soldiers could react, the light surrounded them, binding them in place. “How about a little game?” she chirped. “You’ll need to earn your spot here. I’ll make it easy on you, though.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Just survive the next... oh, let’s say, two hours. If you can manage that….”
Suddenly, the ground beneath the soldiers trembled. Portals opened and sucked them in. They were shown on the giant projection in the air as they were spit out into the wasteland. Then more portals opened, spewing out grotesque, nightmarish creatures—demon dogs, their eyes glowing with the same crimson light that swirled around the Red Fairy. The soldiers, now fully realizing the gravity of their situation, scrambled into defensive positions.
“Oh, and one more thing,” the Red Fairy added, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. “No guns allowed. Let’s make this interesting!” With a snap of her fingers, the soldiers’ weapons vanished into thin air.
“Good luck, my darlings! I’ll be watching.” She floated back up into the sky, her laughter echoing through the air as the creatures charged toward the terrified soldiers.
Atlas shook his head, watching from a distance. ‘Typical Red Fairy.‘
‘‘‘
The Chinese soldiers were thrown into chaos, their shouts echoing across the barren wasteland as they realized their weapons had vanished. It all happened so fast—first, they were portaled into what seemed like a medieval wasteland, only to find themselves suddenly surrounded by snarling, twisted beasts. Their pistols, their rifles, even their RPGs were gone. All they had left were their combat knives, body armor, and helmets. ‘This is a nightmare,‘ one of them thought, gripping his blade tighter as the monsters closed in.
A sergeant, blood pumping with adrenaline, barked an order, "我们只能战斗! (We can only fight!)" He waved his knife in the air, rallying the troops. "坚持住! (Hold your ground!)"
‘Looks like their universal translation system hadn’t fully acclimatised yet, I bet the Red Fairy had something to do with that,” thought Atlas as he watched the action ret in the air for clues to where the soldiers had been sent to.
The soldiers bravely wielded their combat knives, and smoke grenades. But he knew it wasn’t enough. The smoke grenades they carried might buy them time, but these weren’t ordinary enemies. The demon dog’s monstrous shapes moved with speed and precision, jaws snapping, claws glinting in the dim light. Like the predators that they were, the demon dogs leaped at their new prey. The soldiers' faces were etched with terror, but there was no time for fear. With a battle cry, they charged, combat knives flashing as they threw themselves at the creatures.
***
POV : FORT BONE
Alexander pointed. "I know where them fellers went. That’s ’bout an hour out from Fort Bone. If we get a move on, we can make it.” As the head of the hunter unit, Alexander had gotten more than familiar with the terrain around Fort Bone.
Atlas, hearing this, was already on the move. His mind raced as he coordinated the rescue effort. “We need to reach them before they’re overrun,” he yelled, urging his men into a sprint. Isabella, swords strapped to her waist, ran beside him, her face stern with determination. Alexander jogged behind, his usual grin replaced with determined focus.
“You know, Mama always said, ‘don’t run headfirst into a fire.’ But I reckon we’re ‘bout to do just that,” Titus said.
Atlas nodded. “Yeah, well, I think we’re the only ones who can put this fire out.” He cast a glance up at the sky, where the Red Fairy hovered, her amusement written all over her face. He silently checked if she would even allow a rescue.
“Well, if you want to go get them, you can. Have fun. I’ll be watching,” she sang, her sugary tone grating against the seriousness of the situation. Her arms folded, she floated lazily, watching the upcoming drama unfold beneath her.
Atlas felt a flash of anger. ‘This is always just a game to her,‘ he thought, teeth grinding as he picked up the pace. Behind him, the army of 200 hastily assembled men from Fort Bone marched, their weapons at the ready. The sound of their boots pounding the ground created a sense of urgency. Every second mattered. If they could rescue the newcomers they’d be saving a lot of lives.
Atlas tightened his grip on his sword hilt. “Then let’s hustle. Move it, men!” he yelled, his voice booming over the wasteland.
***
Amber and John were already dealing with the other refugees. The Earth's Children, already prepared for the influx, had gathered at the entrance, swaying and singing their welcome song, “Welcome to Fort Bone, may your stay be long and your enemies be none!”
But there was no time for pleasantries where Atlas and his team were headed. The soldiers—if they weren’t already overrun—would need backup, fast.
"God, I hope we make it in time," Atlas muttered under his breath, picking up his pace as the monsters’ growls grew louder in the distance.
‘‘‘