For a moment, the rookies and Heartaches felt utterly defeated, some even preparing to surrender as they faced almost a hundred rifles pointing at them. Yet, as some steeled themselves for death, others noticed that the approaching army was not aiming at them but at the antipunks behind them. The New Saviors unleashed their high-caliber weapons, cutting through the antipunks, who stood no chance against their superior firepower and skill.
As the enemy fell back, the New Saviors pursued, determined to eliminate them before they could regroup on the battlefield. With hundreds of New Saviors rushing past, EchoForce and the Heartaches began to rest, the weight of their imminent doom lifting. Those who had braced for death opened their eyes, relief washing over them as they saw allies instead of foes. Leading the charge was Indie, armed with her rifle and heavy combat gear, embodying strength and resolve inspired in all the soldiers.
Despite their exhaustion as they seemed to be running nonstop, the New Saviors pressed on with relentless energy and determination, cutting down enemies left and right as they advanced through the pass. Indie, however, took a moment to check on both squads, ensuring no one was in critical condition. The sight of Indie left many in disbelief, but Agnus and Cookie managed to stay composed despite being the most injured, trying to convey that they had the situation under control. Nonetheless, Indie could see the fear and desperation still gripping them from moments earlier.
–We’re saved! They answered our prayers!– Ace exclaimed, dropping to his knees in relief while joyously shouting at the sky. His outburst, though slightly awkward, mirrored the sentiments of the other rookies and Heartaches. Some also praised the celestial beings watching over them, while others were still in disbelief after such a close call with death. They all expressed their gratitude in their own ways, but Chappy tried to hug Indie and was rejected, so the others avoided her and used the opportunity to catch a breath.
–Took you long enough…– Cookie said to Indie with a weary smile, attempting to lighten the mood. But the sense of relief was short-lived as Indie grew concerned about her squad and pressed for information, wasting no time and assertively silencing the group.
–Where’s the rest?– Indie asked urgently, growing skeptical as Cookie was caught off guard and struggled to respond. The rookies were too scared to speak up, but seeing his hesitation, they cleared the way for Tricky to step in despite still running short of breath.
–They’re probably still in the Cloudstar base… We destroyed the omen facility, but they must have surrounded them up there…– Tricky replied, trying to stay levelheaded despite the tension. Indie’s normally stoic expression faltered, showing a flicker of fear. The group was worried to see her affliction but couldn’t do anything to help her. But after realizing the gravity of the situation, she shook off the doubt and focused on formulating a plan quickly.
–No time to waste, then. We must stop this war right now before it escalates out of our hands… Can you all still fight?– Indie asked with courage, looking primarily at the rookies. Tricky seemed uncertain, and Cookie winced as his leg wound throbbed. Indie just noticed the severity of their wounds and took it as a response, but after seeing the determination in the rookies’ eyes, Cookie felt compelled to respond.
–I mean, we’ll try…– Cookie assured reluctantly. Indie, recognizing his hesitation, gave an encouraging nod to each rookie before leading the way up the pass. EchoForce followed immediately, Shade being the first in line as he seemed enamored by her resolve and willpower. The Heartaches, though initially hesitant, ultimately decided to join in, led by Tricky’s change of heart and commitment to ensure her team’s safety despite her fatigue and lack of weaponry.
Meanwhile, unaware of their impending rescue, Crisis continued their struggle to escape. Having reached the base of the towers, they took position in a circular gallery above the central hall, higher than the roof. The gallery offered a strategic view of the west and east sides of the field but left them oblivious to the approaching backup from the south and omen reinforcements from the north. They cleared the way down to the second floor without much inconvenience, as all the ravagers had fled to fight off the omens trying to rush in.
Realizing the enemies were waiting below, the Cloudstars hesitated to make a move until Crisis was ready. They were not going to fight until Frost and Kiwy showed up, as they had taken another route in the south tower. Luckily, they managed to leave through a window just as they were about to encounter the ravagers filling up the stairs to the first floor. Making their way to the middle tower to reunite with the team, they climbed up to the roof, focused on reaching the center, unaware of the chaos their allies were causing at the front of the base.
–Did they make it downstairs? Maybe they are waiting for us…– Saint asked worriedly, growing impatient with no sign of Frost or Kiwy. The rest of Crisis and the Cloudstars looked around from the gallery above the hall, but all they saw was a sea of enemies.
–No… They won’t fight by themselves, they should be co-...– Panda argued, though everyone else was pressuring him to make a move. He adamantly refused to continue, but just as the Cloudstars were about to give up waiting, Frost and Kiwy climbed up to the balcony from the roof, covered in blood after rampaging through a tower filled with ravagers.
–All hell broke loose down there… They have every staircase blocked, and there’s no space to breathe. We’ll have to stick close together and just run through them unless we want to be suffocated, okay?– Frost announced. Apart from some panting, he looked determined and full of energy to keep fighting, inspiring the Cloudstars to gather courage for the final push to freedom, despite concerns about their chances.
–Where do we go? The north wing is full of omens. I think it’s better to hold this position and wait it out…– Nitro desperately suggested, growing more hopeless after glimpsing the number of omens gathering at the west and north sides of the base. To ease their worries, Frost remained composed and looked over the gallery before walking over to the only staircase leading to the first floor, standing next to Panda at the front line.
–No, they are about to take the roof and eventually will make their way up here. We can’t let them pin us down again, the only way is to get out of here. And as to where? We’ll see… Our best shot is to escape wherever the ravagers are coming from…– Frost replied confidently. While his answer didn’t quell all doubts, seeing him wipe the blood off his blades and crack his neck mentally prepared everyone to toughen up and grab any weapon lying around.
–On me… Line up and don’t lose focus, just keep your eyes on me and push forward…– Panda ordered assertively, getting in position with his team right behind him as he was about to charge downstairs. The Cloudstars followed suit. Taking a deep breath, the confidence Panda was showing momentarily wavered under the pressure of leading everyone to safety.
–Just push forward…– Panda muttered to himself, boosting his confidence and courage. Though Crisis noticed his hesitation, their worries were mitigated when Frost placed one hand on his back, prompting Panda to hold his head and shield up. With a fierce expression, he began walking forward, heading downstairs, where a hall full of enemies awaited.
The team descended the spiraling staircase, turning a few corners before encountering the enemy. The ravagers, also trying to move downstairs, were caught off guard as Panda shoved the last one, causing a chain reaction that sent multiple tumbling. Frost and Kiwy jumped in, using the cramped space to their advantage, and slashing through heads. Crisis stayed close, ready to assist if needed, but Frost and Kiwy’s relentless assault cleared the staircase in no time.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
However, upon reaching the first floor, they stepped into a crowded, chaotic hall. Turning so many corners left them without a sense of direction, and they couldn’t recognize the west hallway despite the lights returning. Every inch was covered with the bodies of fallen soldiers, with ravagers and omens clashing fiercely on top. The north wing had fallen to the omens, while the south belonged to the ravagers. To escape, Crisis and the Cloudstars had to cut through the center, but they faced more resistance than anticipated as both armies formed a different storm of smaller scale but far deadlier.
–They are coming from all directions!!– Candy exclaimed, overwhelmed by the enemy numbers. The Cloudstars behind her began to panic as they entered the first floor and were swept by the swirling wave of conflict. Half of them hesitated at the staircase, but with Panda, Frost, and Kiwy advancing into the eye of the storm, they were forced into the fray.
–It’s alright. You know what to do. This is free-for-all. Stay low and sneak past them if you want to make it out alive…– Frost reassured, maneuvering comfortably between the warring enemies and applying the same strategy used to get inside the base.
As they pushed through, trying to avoid engagement, both omens and ravagers began to notice their presence, attacking them amidst the chaos. Panda kept moving forward with his shield, striving to protect his squad, but the Cloudstars weren’t as fortunate. They had to break formation to avoid staggering as enemies got in the way with each step, drawing more attention to themselves in the process. With a hall full of enemies spread out and attacking indiscriminately, the Cloudstars became desperate to stay alive and were forced to fight back. This caused Crisis to halt and step back to protect them, but the endless waves of enemies from all directions left them trapped just past the west hallway.
They couldn’t even see an exit, as the north and south hallways were completely blocked. Without a clear path to escape, the team ran out of options. They desperately fought for their lives, but each enemy they managed to kill was immediately replaced by another, while ten more surrounded and charged at them. Crisis could handle the enemies alone, but protecting the Cloudstars spread them thin, breaking their formation and scattering. With countless enemies between them and the cacophony of shouts and cries from all sides, they were beyond disoriented, doing the exact opposite of what Frost had advised.
At this point, it didn’t matter what they did; they were fighting for a lost cause. They had to hold out as long as possible, clinging to the faint hope that their enemies would eventually slow down and give them a chance to escape. Despite the hopeless situation, they only needed to survive a little longer, as their allies were nearing the base. The muffled sounds of marching could be heard amidst the chaos, signaling the New Saviors' arrival, but they still had to fight their way to reach Crisis.
As backup topped the pass, the New Saviors split up to surround the antipunks who were attempting to flee, only to encounter a massive horde of ravagers and omens brawling inside the storm. The heavy fog didn’t seem to hinder the ravagers, and after realizing the omens couldn’t retreat, they sent all their troops to surround the entire base, circling to attack from the west and north. They allowed the omens to push forward to base but planned to trap them once fully surrounded.
To close the distance, the New Saviors first had to fight through an outer ring of ravagers. They quickly disposed of the antipunks but faced a large battlefield to cover. Indie and EchoForce charged straight for the south wing with a small team, while the rest spread out to flank both enemies, catching the ravagers and omens off guard with a simultaneous offensive that broke their formation. As the New Saviors advanced, they realized they weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the ravager and omen conflict.
Far in the northern mountains, another large army, twice the size of the New Saviors, approached the battlefield. Their distinct clothing identified them as a new faction, swarming the north to seize the base. Before anyone could react, yet another faction emerged on the easter flank, charging directly at the ravagers from the east with a vast number of horses. The New Saviors, unsure who to confront first, pressed forward, hoping to reach the base before these new threats joined the battle.
Inside the base, the Cloudstars tried to escape on their own, scattering in different directions as sneaking past the group was nearly impossible. Crisis lost sight of both their allies and each other, with Panda and Frost being the only ones staying together amidst the commotion. The screams of their teammates were faint and distant, providing only a vague distraction. They only saw the enemies sweep Kiwy away toward the middle, so they aimed to regroup in the hall's center. But as they left the Cloudstars behind, eventually gathering in the middle, Frost and Panda cleared space to search for their teammates. They only found themselves encircled by enemies, with all directions blocked and a noise so deafening they couldn’t hear themselves.
Outside, the advancing armies relentlessly pushed the omens and ravagers deeper into the storm of chaos. The last remaining omens had no choice but to retreat inside the already congested Cloudstar base. Instead of clearing space, the base became even more cramped. Those in the central hall found themselves suffocated, unable to fight as panic and screams filled the air. Any attempt to leave was thwarted by enemies clogging the exits, creating bottlenecks in every major hallway that prevented the New Saviors from entering.
EchoForce struggled to keep up with Indie and their allies but pushed forward as they neared the broken walls of the base. The rookies, led by Cookie, stepped into the front line, their efforts supported by the New Saviors’ distraction, allowing them to push forward with Indie. They ran through the broken gate, overwhelmed by the ravagers rushing inside, now alerted to the new enemies coming from the north and east.
Inside the courtyard, they quickly realized they couldn’t advance further due to the sheer number of enemies. To enter the base, they would have to fight through a hallway teeming with ravagers. With only a few dozen troops left, Indie decided to halt and consider an alternative. She ordered her soldiers to form a protective circle around her and EchoForce. A soldier handed her a box-shaped device, and Indie led the group towards the only remaining stairs to the last standing section of the wall in the south wing.
EchoForce followed her, reaching the top safely but growing increasingly alarmed as they witnessed the chaotic battle below. It was an all-out war between numerous factions, too many to track. While the rookies tried to comprehend the battle’s scale, Indie and Tricky worked to activate the device. It opened to reveal a long stick with a siren. Indie gestured for everyone to cover their ears as the device charged. After some hesitation, they complied but waited anxiously for something to happen.
Crisis remained stuck in the central hall, helplessly watching the fight unfold around them. Lights flickered, the ceiling began cracking, and yet no one could do anything. Panda, towering over most enemies, tried to spot allies, but any movement was met with immediate resistance. It was safer to stay put and wait for the chaos to end, even if it came crashing down alongside the ceiling. Despite Saint’s desperate attempts to rally his teammates, they were paralyzed by the sheer impossibility of their situation.
As reality sank in, Saint’s motivation drained away. He fell to his knees, trying to block out the incessant noise of defeat that had tormented him for hours. Accepting his fate, he ceased fighting despite being nearly trampled. His teammates, however, were forced to keep their guard up, unable to find the peaceful end they sought. They were attacked from all sides, each hit further weakening them until even Frost could no longer defend himself. Fortunately, they didn’t suffer fatal injuries, but as everyone desperately punched, kicked, and slashed discriminately to get some air, they were subjected to death by a thousand cuts.
Amid his teammates’ panic, Saint watched them lose for the first time. The sight of his protectors failing to protect themselves broke him. He tried to hold back the tears, but he succumbed to crushing despair. Accepting that his life was nearing its end, he looked around at his team. They might not have thought of him, but they were companions he had come to appreciate despite their short time together. Lost in the chaos and unseen, he managed a final, bittersweet smile, embracing their shared fate. Closing his eyes, he waited for a ravager to breach Crisis’ defenses and end his misery, finally freeing him from the burden of survival in this relentless world.
| CLOUDS OF TERROR DESTROY ALL HOPE OF REBIRTH
PREPARE FOR ATTACK, YOUR BODY WILL BURN
ENDLESS WAR, THERE’S NO RETURN |