It was all too sudden, even leading some of the Cloudstars to assume the worst, with the entire squad conflicted on what to believe. Candy froze, zoning out as she let go of the cloth she used to patch Nitro’s shoulder. For a brief moment, she appeared to have lost everything, as if her heart sank and all the anxiety building up consumed her as soon as she heard more explosions on the east wing. The worst part was the alarmingly long silence that followed, with the omens in the courtyard hesitating to advance as they first looked for what had happened.
They could all hear the massive destruction in the east courtyard but then listened to the same horns played when the ravager army deployed their forces. The silence was shattered by the collective howls and cries of the ravagers charging into battle once again, but this time, they were closer than ever, alarmingly close. Crisis and the Cloudstars were waiting right at the end of the hallway, able to escape through the two corridors leading inside the main buildings at any time, but they stayed outside to see what was about to happen. Before they could figure out why the ravagers sounded so loud and close, they watched as they swarmed the south wing and clashed with the omens in front of them. However, they weren’t coming from the broken gate, as they were already in and attacking from the east side.
While everyone else fled, the squad couldn’t help but watch the brutal fight taking place ahead. Frost's whereabouts sparked concern and desperation. They waited to see if they had to be concerned about either omens or ravagers since they weren’t being targeted, although there wasn’t much of a choice as they couldn’t go out to fight without being cornered. Their only choice was running with the Cloudstars, but they refused until they saw Frost reappear, and by the looks of it, there was no way for him to get past both armies in the courtyard. And just as they began losing hope, he showed up, slashing his way through the fight, cutting a way straight back to his squad.
After blowing up all the walls on the east wing consecutively, Frost breezed through both parties as they clashed in the middle, with neither of them seeing him, or at least not reacting fast enough to attack. He ran through battle like it was nothing, but he didn’t play it safe, using his grappling hook to sling himself into the long hallway and reunite with his squad, who received him with open arms. Candy tried to hug him, but he just gave her a reassuring tap on the back to return the gesture, only nodding in response to his teammates’ worries. There was no time to waste sharing their relief or asking questions, as he was already guiding everyone to run inside the Cloudstar headquarters and hide from the enemies before they were spotted. And while they had plenty of time to run, it was inevitable that some omens slipped past the brawl and began making their way deeper into the base.
Even though they couldn’t see it, all the walls were destroyed, their barriers were gone, and the Cloudstar base was now up for grabs for whoever could claim it for good. Nothing stopped anyone from taking a shot at infiltrating the headquarters, and with nowhere to go, Crisis and the Cloudstars could only hope to find shelter and hold out before backup arrived. They couldn't even be sure if that was possible at this point, but they had no choice. Despite being under a roof and around allies, the constant thunder and ferocious roars of both armies fighting made it through the sturdy walls and kept reminding them that they were anything but safe inside the base. The real fight was only starting now that the ravagers could freely break into the base, and now the fate of their allies and themselves was out of their hands and up to external forces. It wasn’t just up to Crisis if they managed to survive the night, and there was no knowing how long they would have to hide until they saw the outside again.
In the middle of an arrow shower, EchoForce looked past all the flaming projectiles hailing down at them, as the only thing they could worry about was if Cookie would ever come back. It had been less than a minute since he left, but that was plenty of time for them to turn to anguish and complete desperation. There were other directions to advance, but they refused to leave. Zoey and Shade were too focused on looking back at the trench where Cookie was last seen to show their anxiety, and Ace couldn’t get a hold of himself and began rocking back and forth in a fetal position, right next to Chappy, who was surprisingly calm. He was mainly distracted by Tricky, who was sitting beside him, clenching her backpack tightly. He grew interested in her unsettling blank expression, as it looked like she was just as dejected as the others, but she tried her best to hide. However, that distant stare of hers grabbed his attention, and despite showing no signs of breaking that silence, Chappy couldn’t keep his mouth shut.
–Is everything okay? I mean, as long as you can plant the bomb, we should be fine… Zoey could take charge an-...– Chappy asked Tricky with genuine concern but opted to be positive with a naïve and nervous smile to lift her spirits. Instead, his optimism went ignored by his teammates, and he couldn’t even finish his sentence as Tricky turned to him and made him stutter.
–No, we need him to come back… I can’t do it witho-... I just can’t do it…– Tricky responded with a cold stare and trembling voice, sounding devastated and disillusioned. Even when she stared at Chappy, it was as if she looked through him and beyond the trenches, searching for Cookie, only to grow anxious when she couldn’t see him. Chappy was dumbfounded and taken aback by the way she gripped her backpack tight in a fixed position and kept shuddering, but he was more inspired to look on the bright side since there was nothing else to do. But with no one else trying to keep faith, he couldn’t keep the act and began to lean into the surrounding pessimism.
Chappy began to realize the gravity of the situation and felt the distress and hopelessness weighing on his mind. While everyone was wailing and losing their composure, Zoey and Shade kept an eye out and let out a short gasp when they spotted what they had been waiting to see. The arrows stopped raining momentarily, though they could still hear some omens nearby. However, it sounded like other soldiers were approaching, and as the rest of the squad leaned closer to the bunker’s entrance, they peeked out to find an unbelievable sight. At the end of the trench directly in front of them, just turning the corner, Cookie remerged. He was running back to them, but he wasn’t alone.
Barely outrunning them, Cookie was being chased through the trench by a horde of ravagers. Against all odds, he dodged the spears hurled at him, and while he ran frantically and panted heavily, he remained composed or focused enough to remember where to go. EchoForce didn’t know if they had to run or watch, as they were increasingly captivated by his running skills as more ravagers appeared behind them. He seemingly lured every ravager from the other mountain to them, and before the rookies could ask any questions, they noticed Cookie was trying to tell them something as he approached rapidly with the enemies on his tail.
–GO! GET OUT THE WAY!– Cookie yelled while pointing to his left, signaling the squad to leave the bunker and flee through the trench in that direction. His panicked and shrill voice startled them, and they didn’t have to be told twice to leave the bunker in a frenzy and run exactly where he told them to. They stepped back outside right as Cookie reached the bunker, where he ran alongside them to the left trench before the ravagers could catch up to them.
EchoForce kept running left, then turned two corners in hopes of the ravagers losing track of them. But as they exhausted all their energy in a couple of seconds, Cookie suddenly stopped running and looked back to see that the ravagers were nowhere to be seen. They had chased him from the beginning of the trenches, leading them through the path the squad took until they reached the bunker, but when the enemy got there, they went in the opposite direction. The rookies were left clueless about what had happened, but Cookie immediately poked his head out of the trench to scout the surrounding area, and that’s when the rest saw the fruits of his sporadic plan.
Carefully peeking over the trenches, EchoForce realized they had moved forward a few minutes, but they still had the omens right next to them. However, Cookie’s idea somehow succeeded, as they didn’t have to worry about being spotted anymore now that he initiated a chaotic battle when the ravagers suddenly showed up beneath the omens’ feet and began slaughtering them. They couldn’t have made any progress from a distance without Cookie guiding them through the trenches, and with seemingly all their forces making their way to the frontlines, they got the upper hand on the omens.
The omens were already wary but didn’t expect the ravagers to advance a hundred yards through the trenches without getting shot. They were too comfortable shooting them from afar, as not even the arrow rain could reach them. But now that every ravager had come out to take revenge, there wasn’t much to do but run away and try to retreat to another advantageous position. However, the ravagers displayed a cutthroat attitude and tactical advantage at close range that defined their might. Even with a full army of omens behind them still shooting them, nothing was stopping them from charging together, forming a wall of ferocious soldiers that cut their way through their enemy. Wave after wave, more ravagers pushed forward, preventing them from falling back to a safe position and continuing to push the omen lines back to their base, all while the rookies and Tricky watched in disbelief, with Cookie cackling at the result of his risky scheme.
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–I thought I was dead for sure… Phew, good to see they got their priorities set straight…– Cookie sighed with relief while trying to catch his breath after running a marathon to escape the ravagers. The rookies were still confused as to how he was able to lead the ravagers into battle without them killing him the second he stepped into the line of fire. Zoey and Tricky specifically seemed very suspicious, but Shade, Ace, and Chappy were easily distracted by the battle taking place ahead and patted Cookie on the back.
Tricky and Zoey kept trying to figure out how his plan worked, but as he took the situation lightly, they didn’t question it much and joined the others in watching the battle. The ravagers were pushing forward and forcing the omen army to retreat, but they were faster and lived up to their name as they pounced on everyone in their way, tearing them apart before moving on to their next target. EchoForce took a break to enjoy the show, even silently cheering the ravagers on as they slaughtered more omens in the most extreme ways. But while the rookies loved seeing the omens suffer under the wrath of their shared enemy, they all looked quite nervous about the possibility of being on the receiving end of it. Luckily, they didn’t have to join the fight yet, and with the ravagers doing all the work, the team had a clear way to the large structure in the distance.
–Hey… Isn’t that the…?– Ace asked insecurely, barely making out what he was seeing, as it was so far away that it blended with the fog. The other rookies had to squint really hard to see what he was referring to, even leaning out of the trench and exposing themselves, but as much as they stared, they didn’t seem to understand what he was talking about. It was only until the omens kept retreating and clearing some of the area ahead that they spotted their objective.
–Yea, that’s it… Alright, we gotta get in there and get as close as possible before they bring out the big guns. I don’t think the ravagers can last too long against those monsters…– Cookie ordered keenly but tried to contain his enthusiasm to form a quick plan. And just like his last idea, his plan was so spontaneous that he didn’t even give the rest of the squad time to think or give any suggestions. He simply grabbed his sword and started climbing out of the trench to run into battle.
–But wait… How are we going to-...?– Zoey tried to ask worriedly, but by the time Cookie listened, he was already out in the open, standing above the trench and waiting for the other rookies to join them. They weren’t as impulsive but still joined, as they had regained the energy and courage to fight. Even though Tricky had trouble climbing out of the trench, she was also prepared to join them, leaving Zoey with no choice but to join them, albeit reluctantly.
Leaving the trenches and following the last ravagers leaving as well, Cookie swiftly sneaked into the horde with the rest of the group mimicking his movement and blending in with the enemy, who was so fixated on missing out on the fun of killing the omens ahead that they stared forward and nowhere else. Since they had tunnel vision and didn’t bother checking their surroundings, EchoForce took advantage and rushed ahead to reach the omen base first. They were getting farther than they ever could in those trenches or trying to sneak past, and as the ravagers seemed unstoppable, they just kept pushing forward until they were halfway to their destination.
Cookie could only see the outline of the base before, but now he could see the large wall covering the entrance of the domed-shaped base. It was wider than it was tall; its height was only half of the previous climb, but the way it curved outward made it difficult to climb and also see what was above from directly below. EchoForce was still far away and managed to get a good view of the base before getting close. However, alongside the possible routes, Cookie saw the omens heading to the top of the wall to take the higher ground on their open balcony. The ravagers appeared to be close to the doors in the center, but as they failed to notice the line of defense the enemy was setting up above, they were caught by surprise when bullets began raining harder than ever.
–Get down! Turrets!– Cookie warned the squad, and inadvertently, some of the nearby ravagers, as the omen turrets on the wall began firing indiscriminately in their direction as soon as they were deployed. They weren’t even controlled manually, so there was no way to distract or hide from them without destroying them altogether. However, they did follow a pattern, shooting in a constant burst while swaying side to side, taking around two seconds to cover the area directly in front of the base.
Despite their visible pattern that the ravagers could exploit, the turrets proved incredibly effective rather quickly, as they took out the first lines of ravagers before they could touch the base. Once they began to fall, the ravagers panicked but couldn’t coordinate how to dodge the bullets, so they kept running straight at them. Consequentially, EchoForce had less protection from the turrets as more ravagers dropped dead, and before joining their demise, Cookie chose not to expose the squad and reassess the plan. But with nowhere to think safely, he stopped running and turned to one small trench, which he didn’t hesitate to jump into.
Many ravagers thought the same and took cover with him, and as the squad joined Cookie, they realized they were hiding with the enemy a bit too late. Surprisingly, the ravagers were too concerned about keeping their men alive and focused on their own plan despite being right next to EchoForce. Sharing the same spot with the enemy made the rookies a little uneasy, but after seeing that they shared their intentions of killing omens, they tried to catch their breath, stay quiet, and listen closely to Cookie as he thought of a plan.
–What now? They got those deadly machines up ahead. They’ll shoot us down in an instant!– Ace asked anxiously but kept it low, getting jittery at the sight of the menacing turrets gunning down everyone who stood in front. The machines were programmed for one thing only; they didn’t hesitate like a regular person, and as long as they were loaded, the ravagers would not get anywhere near close to the base entrance, as stepping into the turrets’ range meant dying. They kept pushing forward regardless, prompting the omens to retreat and take cover behind the wall, standing on the sides of the base, and saving their ammo since the turrets did everything for them.
Cookie peeked over the trench to analyze the turrets’ behavior, just like the ravagers hiding with them, although they couldn’t figure out a way to get past them. The few remaining soldiers with shields tried to form a line at the front to block the bullets, only to be shot anyway as their gear wasn’t strong enough to block them. The only idea they came up with was letting one run and take the bullet while the others behind them used their corpses to block the gunfire. It wasn’t the best approach, but at least a few made it to the entrance, only to be surrounded by the omens and promptly finished off.
–Ah, man, what are they doing? We’ll have to run in by ourselves if they don’t take those turrets down… Maybe we should help b-… Ahh, no…– Cookie pondered out loud, growing indecisive as he weighed his options. While he seemed to get an idea of how these threats worked, Cookie’s mind was blocked upon seeing the ravagers repeating the same mistakes and getting themselves killed, and it didn’t help that all the rookies were urging him to think of something quick with their concerned stares. He tried to respond but began stammering and lost his train of thought before looking around to see if there was anything they could use to their advantage. Apart from the increasingly smaller horde of ravagers in front and all the weapons and gear left behind, there didn’t seem to be anything nearby for them to take cover or distract the omens. The trench they were in was a dead end, and ahead there were no more rocks, holes, or ditches to hide in. Nothing, only a plain field for the final stretch to the base.
Cookie was considering running once again, but since the ravagers were completely exposed and were mindlessly charging into the gunfire, he quickly dismissed that possibility, at least partially. While it was certainly possible to get close to the base using the ravagers as shields, the longer he thought of it, the lower their chances of succeeding were, as the ravagers continued dropping like flies at the entrance, forming a pile of bodies that blocked the doors and only made it harder to get in. But with Cookie hesitating for a long while and the rookies growing desperate for an answer, Shade noticed the ravagers hiding next to them were all dead, but what caught his attention were the weapons they left. He was bitter and unsure about leaning into the idea, but as he was running out of patience, he begrudgingly interrupted Cookie.
–We can push through, we just need to hurry up and split to maximize our chances…– Shade commented unenthusiastically, initially being ignored but grabbing everyone’s attention with how uncompromising he looked. He wasn’t looking for an argument, but as everyone turned to him confused and slightly suspicious since his suggestion didn’t sound too optimistic, he waited for them to listen closely, prompting Chappy to doubt.
–Soooo, we just run at them and pray we don’t get shot… We only need Tricky to get there, right?– Chappy responded with a mix of skepticism and sarcasm, being adverse to the idea at first but considering it. However, Tricky, Zoey, and even Ace got mad at him for just mentioning or alluding to Shade being right. Before they could berate him, the latter resumed speaking, now reaching for the weapons from the pile of ravager corpses on his right.
–No, just grab everything you can from them and follow me…– Shade clarified with conviction, though he was still too vague for the others to trust. He casually snatched a heavy axe off a dead ravager’s hand before climbing out of the trench. His teammates didn’t stop him, and though they didn’t want to follow either, his self-assurance left them curious at the very least. They weren’t fully convinced and just watched in disbelief as he headed out by himself. But when the rookies looked at the other weapons lying around and noticed that the ravagers were carrying spears, bows, and other useful gear, they quickly changed their minds.
| WHEN IT’S SAID AND DONE, I’LL HAVE MY FUN
I CAN CHEW ANYTHING I BITE |