(Quintiles 29, 59 / 8:15PM)
(Fred, Gary, and Diego)
(Gary) You sure you know how to drive this thing?
(Diego) I’ve driven helicopters and planes before, I think I could handle it.
(Fred) Like that time that you drove a motorcycle? You couldn’t walk straight for a week. And watch out for glass!
Three young men rode along the glass-covered asphalt with many of the shops and businesses abandoned and looted as they speeded past them. With most of the windows of the shops shattered, as the shards spread along the gray sidewalk, combined with the barely dimmed streetlights, it created a sense of loneliness as the men’s feet shook.
As the sun started to set on the decaying city, the last of the rays hit the buildings in the city center. Noticing the lack of refugees on the streets, the three of them started to gulp as they all looked straight ahead on the street.
Fred, the only one who turned his head to the right, kept looking at the passing asphalt as his breathing quickened.
(Fred’s thoughts) Their army is super small compared to the invasion of Ticia, but they look like they’re using special types of liches to do the job. How did they bring in a small zompire force in the first place?
Fred started to scratch his head, his low-edged fingernails scraping off what little dandrum he had in his silver hair. His eyes started to sting as he continued to watch the rolling asphalt, he looked up to the sky as the air around him started to make him cough, his lungs pinching his chest.
(Fred’s thoughts) coughs … They’re using liches that we knew, using it against us in whatever way they can … coughs coughs.
Gary and Diego turned their heads back at Fred, noticing him closing his eyes shut as he scratched his head repeatedly, his fingernails starting to scratch away bits of his scalp.
(Fred’s thoughts) Almost as if this little invasion is connected to us … but for what—
(Gary) Stop scratching your head too hard! You’re going to create a big bald spot on your head!
Reaching his hand outward, Gary reached towards the end of Fred’s head and smacked it from behind, eliminating the trance stance that Fred was in. Being sucked back to reality again, Fred turned his attention towards Gary, his face crinkling up as his nostrils flared.
Putting both his hands onto Gary’s collar, Fred glared at him with slanted eyes, his breathing turning frantic as his hands started to convulse.
(Fred) Why’d you do that?! Can’t you see that I was thinking hard about something?!
(Gary) Let go of me, you bastard! I just prevented you from getting a bald spot and this is how you repay me?!
(Diego) Can you guys be quiet? I’m trying to navigate where the complex is—
(Fred and Gary) Shut up!
Diego then enclosed his mouth, putting his lips inside his mouth as he started to quiver. As his grip on the motorcycle started to loosen, Diego’s eyes began to water as he started to sniff with mucus escaping from his nose.
Gary and Fred looked towards Diego, the 20-year-old man, slowly breaking down as Gary felt Diego’s back shake from the pressure of the shout. Both of them let out a sigh, Gary sharpened his eyes as he looked at the back of Diego’s head.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
(Gary) Are you crying because we told you to shut up?
(Diego) N-No, it’s just the smoke…
(Gary) You’re lying.
(Diego) I’m not!
(Fred) Look, Diego, sorry for overreacting, but I was trying to think about our situation at hand, and then the next thing came to another and—
A radio frequency was heard in Fred’s pocket, the loud and high-pitched static jabbing their ears.
Fred, who had the radio in his backpack, put it in between his chest and Gary’s large back, going through the amount of objects that he hoarded. Finding the radio, Fred turned the knob to release the static.
(Guy on Radio) Attention men! The Union of Ordered Governments declared the presence of two main zompire groups!
(Gary) So they’re finally acknowledging the presence of those suicide zompires from The Array…
The three young men leaned in closer to the radio set, their ears perking up as the man behind the signal continued to speak. Diego continued to focus driving forward as the sky was beginning to darken.
(Guy on Radio) The main zompires that everyone has dealt with are now called pouncers! If you see one, don’t hesitate to shoot them on sight.
The radio transmission started to emit static again, the pitch squealing louder this time, causing all three of them to clench their eyes from the pain. Pulling the knob again, Fred turned it around in a full circle, the knob on the verge of being pulled out as the metal was old and beaten up. Fortunately for Fred, the static cleared, and the knob barely holding onto the metal box still kept up to frame.
(Guy on Radio) If you see any zompire that emits steam and has no skin on their chest and stomach, then they’re steamers, and they are dealt the same way as pouncers.
(Diego) Uh, guys…
The men looking up as Diego saw many high buildings in the distance. His eyes widened as he saw rising smoke and fires coming from the buildings from afar.
(Guy on Radio) But be careful men … Unlike pouncers, steamers will explode if shot down, and they’re known to be faster than pouncers. If you see one, under any circumstances, no matter how many pouncers there are, steamers are our top priority!
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(Quintiles 29, 59 / 8:30PM)
(Diego) I think that’s the military base!
(Gary) The base is only 1/4th of the complex. If you combine the international museum, and the UOG and Kepputhan government buildings, then that’s the whole complex.
(Fred) So this thing is freaking massive then…
In front of the gate, a large four-lane bridge connected the main city to the complex. With the gates broken down, the three men noticed that the bridge was a mile long, with a small river rolling in between the gap between the city and the entire district.
With the stream gushing around the entire complex that separated it from the rest of Lagefor, Gary looked between Fred and Diego.
(Gary) If I recall, we’re heading into the east gate, where the museum is. On the west side of the complex is the military base, followed by the many military homes. And in the center, is where all the buildings from both the UOG and Kepputhan government.
Driving through the large bridge as the sun was nowhere to be seen, the smokey sky now blending into the night sky, the three young men looked forward to seeing a bit of broken-down military jeeps and trucks scattered along the four-lane bridge. Taking in the old vehicles decaying, the smell of gunpowder and smoke ruminated the air, their ears perked up as gunshots were heard far in the distance.
Squinting their eyes at the front gate into the museum, Fred caught a glimpse of a battle taking place, as many shots were seen through the smoke that clouded the fight.
(Fred) Diego, full speed! They need our help!
Gary put his hand onto Fred’s shoulder, his palm sticky and wet as his hand was wrinkled with the moisture of his sweat. Looking into Fred’s determined eyes, Gary’s face was drenched with his sweat, his breathing irregular.
(Gary) Wait, no! We don’t even have blessings, and we’re probably at least the bare minimum of being a normal soldier!
Fred turned his head towards Gary, his hand forming into a squeezing fist as his eyes sharpened at the chubby man. Putting his right hand onto his collar yet again, Fred raised his voice as a fire in his eyes caused Gary to push back, his body feeling lighter than it should be.
(Fred) We have brains! We may not be strong, but we have brains! Those soldiers need our help, and besides …
With the three of them halfway to the complex, Fred looked towards the front of the other main gate leading towards the main entrance to the museum. The battle now being visible despite being clouded in the mound of smoke, Fred straightened his back as his legs were steady on the car floor.
The smell of smoke clogged their nostrils, and the sounds of death burned their ears as they got closer to the battlefield.
(Fred) The Gemma I knew wouldn’t have liked me to just sit this battle out. She would’ve pulled my ear or something.
Fred looked down at both of his hands as he felt something wet coming from his right eye. Swiping away the teardrop, he shook his head before he turned towards the complex main entrance gate.
(Fred) I don’t care if I die. I don’t care if I get beaten to a pulp. As long as those soldiers and the rest of our friends and comrades are still breathing, then that’s fine by me.
(Diego) Yeah, but don’t die. Believe it or not, your friends care about you too.
(Gary) For a second there, I thought that was cool, but you really are an idiot.
(Fred) You get the point!