An orbital drop is probably one of the worst ways of invading a planet. It exposes the troops directly to anti-aircraft and spacecraft fire, while scattering them across a large hostile landing zone. But for the Iron Wolves, disorder is their natural state.
"Listen up, soldiers!" Iago's commanding voice rings out. "Spread out and search every inch of this place for those damn cards! And keep your eyes peeled for any hostiles."
Ray quickly scans the area, hoping to spot any valuable E-ranked cards.
Iago marks a waypoint on his map and barks, "Regroup at the waypoint I just set, two hundred meters north! And Greenie, don't you dare stand still! Keep moving!"
Ray quickly scans the area, his heart pounding with adrenaline. He takes a deep breath and begins moving cautiously, rifle raised and ready for any sign of danger. Suddenly, a shot rings out and Ray dives behind cover, his mind racing as he assesses the situation.
His Halo instincts took over. Just like lining up a sniper shot on Blood Gulch, Ray immediately spotted the enemy's position. His HUD marked it without a second thought. "Suppressive fire!" he barked, the same way he'd call out during a match, pulling his squad’s attention to the target.
Laser rifle fire hammered the alien's cover, blasting debris into the air and forcing them to duck. Seizing the moment, Ray sprinted around the side, spotting a blind spot in their defenses. With quick reflexes, he flanked them and fired, his shots tearing into the alien’s exposed back.
Ray took a deep breath, adrenaline still pumping through his veins. He quickly searched the alien's body for any cards but came up empty. As he stood, he realized he was alone—the squad must have moved on while he was looting. A glance at his map showed the waypoint Iago had set earlier.
He broke into a run, dodging debris and ducking behind cover as needed. When he finally reached the waypoint, the squad was already regrouped, waiting for him.
Iago gave him a nod. "Good job, Greenie. Looks like you can hold your own."
Ray nodded back. "Thanks. Guess I proved my parents wrong about all that time playing Halo."
Iago raised an eyebrow. "What the hell’s Halo?"
"Just an old game," Ray said with a shrug
The squad moved forward, eyes sharp for any sign of hostiles. As they neared a massive crater, the ground was littered with rubble and debris, scattered like scars from an old, brutal fight. Just as they slowed to assess the area, a deafening roar erupted from the crater's edge.
A hulking alien, nearly eight feet tall with twisted, armor-plated limbs and glowing red eyes, burst from the shadows. Its skin, a mottled mix of dark scales and metallic patches, shimmered under the harsh light. Razor-sharp mandibles clicked menacingly as it charged, its massive frame thundering toward them with terrifying speed.
Without hesitation, they unleashed a storm of plasma fire at the approaching enemy, but the alien's energy shield flared with blinding light, deflecting every shot effortlessly. An electrical storm erupted from the shield, making things worse.
The alien charged, its hulking frame barreling toward them. One squad member strayed too close, and before he could react, a surge of electricity erupted from the creature’s shield, locking his muscles in place. Stunned, he stood frozen as the alien smashed into him, killing him instantly. Iago shouted, "Fall back! Spread out!"
“We need to trap it in that apartment! Bring the whole thing down on top of it!” Ray shouted, marking the crumbling structure on his HUD.
Iago didn’t hesitate. He barked orders, and the squad moved fast, falling back in tight formation, luring the raging alien toward the building. As soon as they were in position, Iago gave the signal. Plasma bolts lit up the sky, tearing into the walls and sending chunks of concrete flying. Dust and debris filled the air, but a well-aimed rocket slammed into a support beam, and with a deep groan, the building began to collapse.
The alien roared in fury as the structure caved in, and the squad shifted their fire. Plasma rounds that had torn through walls now focused on the trapped alien, hammering its shield relentlessly. The creature struggled beneath the rubble, its energy shield flickering under the onslaught.
“Now! Hit it with everything!” Iago yelled.
The squad unleashed a final barrage of shots. The shield sputtered, then vanished. The alien let out one last enraged howl before the debris crushed it, the weight of the building finally silencing the creature.
Iago turned to Ray, a grin cutting across his face. “Not bad, Greenie. Not bad at all. Go grab the card—it’s yours.”
---
The Iron Wolves spent over two hours scouring the district, hunting for enemies and E-ranked cards, but only two more were found. With their numbers now down to 70, Lt. Stark swiftly organized an elite assault squadron under his command. Their mission: take down the heavily fortified orbital defense guns perched atop an apartment building that were wreaking havoc on their allied ships. Stark laid out the plan with sharp precision, using a 3D projection to map their approach and highlight key targets.
Ray glanced up as the sky lit up with a brutal display of war. Massive beams from the orbital guns ripped through the heavens, scorching through the blackness of space. His eyes tracked the glowing trails of burning ships, spiraling helplessly, their hulks crashing into each other as they disintegrated. Allied drop pods rained down from orbit, glowing like falling stars, but many never reached the ground—obliterated mid-descent by the merciless defense guns. The air trembled with distant explosions, the eerie glow of destroyed ships casting flickering shadows across the battlefield. Every blast felt like a punch to the gut as Ray watched entire squadrons vanish in flashes of light, their debris scattering like ash across the skyline.
Stark’s voice cut through the chaos, pulling Ray’s focus back to the mission. Those guns needed to go down, and it was up to them to make it happen. With the squadron geared up and ready, the plan was simple: scale the building, take out the guns, and give their forces in orbit a fighting chance.
Leading the charge was Ray, now dubbed "Lucky Greenie," acting as the squad’s tank. Armed with the impenetrable Stormguard Shield, which turned energy-based attacks into an electrical field, Ray would absorb the brunt of enemy fire. PFC Jones brought the Chrono Accelerator, able to temporarily slow time around him, giving the group a speed boost to climb walls faster. Captain Rodriguez would cover them with Smoke Devil, a card that created a thick cloud around him, boosting his physical strength and providing much-needed concealment. Stark himself carried his personally owned Mendicant Swarm card, which summoned a swarm of tiny robots capable of repairing equipment and healing injuries.
The squad was rounded out by three riflemen and two grenadiers. With the defenders having knocked out all stairways, the team would rely on Gravity Boots—F-ranked cards that let them run straight up the walls, bypassing the enemy's fortifications from below.
Under Lt. Stark’s command, the squad drilled quickly at a remote site, getting used to the combination of Gravity Boots and Smoke Devil. They practiced maintaining distance, with Ray’s Stormguard Shield at the front to prevent friendly fire from the electric field. Smoke Devil and Chrono Accelerator stayed mid-range, while Stark and the others provided cover from the rear.
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Though the plan seemed solid against F-ranked enemies, Stark warned them that the real threat lay in the unknown number of E-ranked cards inside the building. He expected two or three, but if there were more, the order to retreat would be swift.
Now, it was go time.
---
The squad sprinted up the walls of the apartment building, the Gravity Boots propelling them vertically as if they were running on flat ground. They moved with relentless speed, the crumbling facade blurring beneath their feet as they ascended, weapons ready, heading straight for the rooftop and the alien guns above.
Ray’s heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline flooding his veins. Despite the rush, he felt strangely detached, like he was watching himself in some high-stakes video game. Maybe it was the drugs keeping him steady—or maybe the surreal intensity of the moment.
The squad worked like a well-oiled machine, a cloud of thick Smoke Devil trailing in their wake, masking their movements. The aliens scrambled to adjust, repositioning to meet the threat, but by the time they reacted, Ray and his team were already halfway up the wall.
Plasma shots lit up the smoke, but most of them missed or fizzled against Ray’s Stormguard Shield, the energy absorbed as the crackling field grew stronger. Ray's heart raced as he took the hits, feeling the power building with each blast.
With a thunderous roar, the squad crested the edge of the rooftop, slamming over the side like a storm breaking loose. Ray surged ahead, the stored energy from his shield unleashing all at once. The crackling charge exploded outward, ripping through the front ranks of aliens and sending them flying.
Despite the frenzy around them, the squad moved with practiced precision. Captain Rodriguez was focused on laying down and updating waypoints for the enemies. His E-ranked card boosted his physical abilities, but his real strength was turning the smoke cloud into an advantage, guiding their attack with pinpoint accuracy.
The F-rankers covered Rodriguez, unloading plasma and grenades at every waypoint he marked. Meanwhile, Mendicant Swarm and Chrono Accelerator hung back, their abilities quietly shaping the battle from cover.
Ray, always quick on his feet, kept the enemy E-ranks off balance with his rapid movements and well-placed shots. He felt a sense of pride as he watched the enemy falter under his assault, their shields flickering as they struggled to keep up.
Amid the confusion, the squad’s discipline showed. They ducked and weaved through enemy lines, hitting their targets with ruthless precision. Ray’s heart pounded, adrenaline surging as he pushed forward. In that moment, he knew—this was what he was born to do, fighting for his squad and seeing the mission through no matter the cost.
As Ray burst out of the smoke, he suddenly felt a crushing weight pressing down on him, as if he had walked straight into a gravity field. Every step became a battle, his legs heavy and his heart hammering in his chest. Panic spiked when he realized every enemy had locked onto him, a hail of plasma shots lighting up the air.
The barrage slammed into him, knocking him back and luckily sending him tumbling into the cover of the smoke. His Stormguard Shield blistered in fury, barely holding up under the relentless onslaught.
Captain Rodriguez’s voice crackled through the comms, snapping Ray out of the daze just in time to see an Elite barreling toward him. Instinct kicked in—Ray rolled to the side, an energy beam searing past him, missing by inches.
But as he did so, his Stormguard Shield overloaded, sending a violent burst of lightning around him. The ambusher was caught in the blast, electrocuted and blown apart, but Ray was left drained and vulnerable.
"I'm overloaded!" he shouted to his squadmates. "I need two minutes to recharge!"
The assault squad was ready for this. Without missing a beat, they sprinted toward the edge of the building, running straight over the side and clinging to the walls for cover. Ray followed suit, throwing himself over the edge to hide himself as his Stormguard Shield struggled to recover.
"Fall back, now!" Lt. Stark’s voice cut through the chaos as the Gravity Field loomed closer. The squad quickly retreated, giving the powerful enemy elite a wide berth.
But the retreat took too long. Another elite cut off their escape and launched a brutal counterattack. This time, instead of energy beams, chunks of bricks and debris flew at them, forcing the squad to scramble.
"Into the building, now!" Lt. Stark barked, and the team crashed through the windows, tumbling into the third floor from the top, gasping for a moment of relief from the relentless assault.
Stark glanced over at Ray. "You alright? Took quite a hit out there."
Ray, catching his breath, shook his head with a sly grin. "Ha! I'm fine...uh, Sir... but I did manage to snag this little gem."
With a quick motion, Ray pulled out a menacing lance—the Plasma Pike, snatched up during the chaos of battle. The E-ranked card pulsed with power, enhancing Ray’s strength and agility. The weapon looked like a sleek spear, but its true power lay in its ability to fire high-energy plasma beams capable of tearing through most types armor and barriers. Its ultimate move? A devastating area-of-effect explosion.
Rodriguez glanced over, smirking. "Lucky you're still a newbie. That immunity from deck building restrictions lets you pull off some seriously broken combos."
Ray raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you mean?" he asked, bringing up his status screen.
Handle: [ER]Wanderer
Titles - None
Traits - War – Rank: Racial, Lvl 0
Status - Ephadrenaline (Temporary), Amphetochol (Temporary), Basic Green Tutorial (Temporary)
Deck -
Federation Standard Combat Battlesuit (Grade F)
Federation A56 Laser Assault Rifle (Grade F)
Federation Gravity Boots (Grade F)
Plasma Pike (Grade E)
Stormguard Shield (Grade E)
Deck Capacity - 305/10
"305 over 10," Ray announced with a glint in his eye, his voice laced with excitement.
Rodgregiuz chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips. "Enjoy it while it lasts, Greenie," he teased.
Stark cut in, his tone sharp and efficient. "Time’s up, Ray. Whenever you’re ready."
Ray's grin widened as he vaulted out the nearest window, eager to put his new weapon to the test. Behind him, the squad cursed, scrambling to follow as their armor clanged against the windowsill.
It didn’t take long for the Gravity Field Elite to catch up and target Ray with the powerful debuff, but this time, Ray was ready. He leveled the Plasma Pike with calm precision, waiting for Rodriguez to mark the elite’s exact location. The moment he had the shot, Ray unleashed the ultimate.
The explosion was spectacular. A deafening blast ripped through the rooftop, leaving a smoking, gaping crater in its wake. The squad watched in awe, their faces lit by the fiery glow as debris scattered into the air.
Still riding the adrenaline rush, Ray charged onto the rooftop, but the aliens were already retreating, rappelling down the side of the building with their advanced tech.
Without hesitation, Ray switched to his plasma rifle, unleashing a barrage of energy blasts at the retreating aliens. The rest of the squad quickly followed suit, tossing grenades and unloading their weapons into the fleeing ranks, forcing the enemy to descend in desperation.
However, the Iron Wolves below had fully encircled the apartment building, creating a deadly crossfire. What greeted the aliens was a curtain of plasma shots and explosions. The aliens who attempted to descend the face were met with brutal precision, torn apart by the withering fire from all sides. There was nowhere left for them to run.
One by one, the aliens plummeted from the walls, their energy shields flickering out under the relentless barrage of plasma blasts.
With the enemy wiped out, one task remained—taking out the orbital defense guns. The massive turrets, built to destroy spacecraft, machines capable of firepower close to a D rank card. Lt. Stark could have chosen to garrison a force to secure them, but instead, he made the call to destroy them outright.
A team of Iron Wolves moved in to haul the heavy guns off the rooftop, while the rest of the squad provided cover. Mission accomplished.