One week later
The wind howled through the pine trees as Nomad adjusted his rifle strap, feeling the familiar weight of it settle across his shoulders. It was a cold, biting wind, but the real chill came from the silence—the kind of silence that weighed heavily on a team still coming to terms with the holes left by their dead.
His comm unit crackled to life, pulling him from his thoughts. The voice of GRRA Mission Control came through, the static clearing just enough to hear the familiar tone of the briefing officer.
"MTF 1, this is GRRA Command with an updated brief. We’ve detected psi radiation signatures in the wreckage through our new satellite surveillance system," the officer said. "The transport was unauthorized, and whoever was moving that cargo didn’t want it tracked. We need you to investigate the crash site, recover the black box, and secure the area."
Nomad glanced around at his team, catching Aegis’s eyes for a brief moment before returning his attention to the voice on the comms.
"There’s more," the officer continued, his tone sharpening. "A salvage team is en route, but they won’t arrive until later. Your orders are to secure the crash site and hold position until they arrive. You may encounter hostiles—be prepared to protect the salvage operation at all costs."
Nomad’s grip tightened on his rifle. Psi radiation? That wasn’t something they came across every day. The fact that GRRA was sending a dedicated salvage team for recovery only heightened the importance of their mission.
"Understood," Nomad replied, glancing at Eagle Eye and Aegis, their faces unreadable but alert. "We’ll secure the site and hold until the salvage team gets here."
“Good luck, MTF 1. Stay sharp. Command out.”
As the comms went silent, Nomad lowered his rifle and scanned the surrounding forest. The wind continued to howl through the trees, and in the distance, the faint glow of the crash site loomed, the twisted remains of the transport barely visible through the shadows.
Nomad took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. The psi radiation signature, the mysterious transport, and the looming threat of potential enemies made this mission anything but routine.
The new team stood scattered near the truck, some crouched, others fidgeting, each soldier checking and re-checking their gear with nervous energy. Nomad’s eyes flicked from one to the other, silently assessing. Rook, a young man fresh out of training, kept glancing around, his hands shaking just enough to notice. His eyes darted anxiously between the other soldiers, as if waiting for them to notice his inexperience. First real mission, Nomad thought, the kid’s nerves palpable.
Nomad glanced at Eagle Eye, who sat a little farther off, deliberately distanced from the group. Her sniper rifle rested on her lap, her gloved hands moving in a mechanical rhythm as she checked it over. Her expression hadn’t changed in weeks—cold, unreadable, like ice. The others had learned not to push her, but the recruits still hadn’t. Some of them glanced her way, maybe hoping for guidance, but quickly turned away when they met her chilling gaze.
Aegis stood near Nomad, shifting his weight, glancing between the recruits and the veterans. He’d been trying to break the ice since they left base, offering small jokes, light comments. But the new soldiers responded with thin, uneasy smiles—everyone knew what had happened to the last team. No one wanted to acknowledge it.
Nomad crouched and spread the map on the ground, using his rifle to pin down one corner. The mission seemed straightforward on paper—secure the crash site, recover the black box, and protect the area until the salvage team arrived. But after everything they’d seen, Nomad had learned that missions that looked simple on paper often ended up being anything but.
The C-130 Hercules transport had gone down deep in the forest, and though GRRA flagged the cargo as highly valuable, the unexplained psi radiation readings made everyone uneasy. Psi signatures weren’t something they were used to dealing with—definitely not something Nomad liked flying blind into. But orders were orders.
A heavy silence stretched between the team, thick and oppressive. The recruits fidgeted nervously under the weight of the veterans’ stares. Nomad could feel the tension like a fog settling over them, every breath sharp in the cold night air.
Aegis broke the silence, his voice low but clear. “These new guys, you think they’ll hold up?” He tried to keep his tone light, but Nomad caught the doubt beneath his words.
Nomad didn’t look up, his eyes still scanning the coordinates. “They’ll do what they need to,” he replied. His words sounded more like an order than reassurance—recruits came with uncertainties, and out here, uncertainty could get you killed.
Aegis nodded slowly, but there was no confidence in the gesture. "Yeah… sure."
One of the recruits, Rook, approached, trying to steady his breathing. He was lanky, his helmet sitting a little too big on his head, and Nomad could see the sweat on his brow despite the cold air. “Sir, you think this is a routine cleanup?” he asked, his voice tight with fear.
Nomad glanced up at him. The kid was young, probably trying to live up to someone’s expectations. He sighed. “No mission’s routine,” he said, keeping his voice gruff. “Stay sharp and keep your eyes open. You’ll be fine.” His words felt hollow—more of a command than comfort.
Rook swallowed hard and nodded, but the answer hadn’t settled his nerves. He clutched his rifle tightly, as though afraid it might slip from his grasp.
From the side, Eagle Eye’s voice cut through the air like a shard of ice. “Routine?” she scoffed, just loud enough for everyone to hear. She stood, adjusting her scope, her eyes hard and cold. “There’s no such thing out here anymore.”
Rook flinched at her words, his face paling. He glanced at the others, but no one spoke. Eagle Eye rarely chimed in, and when she did, it wasn’t to offer comfort. Her words lingered, spreading unease through the group.
The recruits, Rook included, shifted awkwardly. They’d been briefed about the losses—everyone knew the squad they were stepping into had scars. But hearing it out loud, from one of the veterans, made it real. And you couldn’t prepare for that.
Nomad shot a glance at Eagle Eye, his eyes narrowing. He knew where she was coming from, but the recruits didn’t need her cold truth right now. “Keep it professional,” he muttered to her under his breath as he adjusted his rifle and stood.
She didn’t respond, simply slinging her rifle over her shoulder and moving to the side, her face a mask of indifference.
Sensing the tension growing, Aegis tried again. “Alright, let’s not scare the new kids off before we even get started,” he joked, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. The replacements laughed awkwardly, but the mood remained strained.
Nomad stepped forward, gathering the team’s attention. “Listen up,” he said, his tone firm, commanding every soldier’s attention. “I know some of you are new, and I know some of you are still feeling the weight of the last mission.” He glanced at Aegis, then at Eagle Eye. “But this isn’t about the past. Our mission is clear. Secure the crash site, recover any intel, and hold until the salvage team arrives.”
His words hung in the cold air, solidifying the moment. There was no room for doubt now. This was their mission, and they had to be ready. The replacements, despite their nerves, stood a little straighter, the weight of the briefing settling over them.
Nomad looked at the faces before him—veterans and rookies alike. The stakes were higher than ever, and with each mission, the unknown loomed larger. But there was no turning back now.
“Let’s move out,” he commanded, gesturing toward the dark edge of the forest.
They moved through the dense forest in near silence, the crunch of boots on frosted undergrowth the only sound besides the soft whisper of the wind. The cold was biting now, harsher than before, as they neared the crash site. It mixed with the lingering smog of burning fuel and charred wood, a sharp contrast that stung the nose and throat. The smell was unmistakable—metal, smoke, and something more acrid, like chemicals that didn’t belong.
Nomad tightened his grip on his rifle as the wreckage came into view.
The C-130 lay in ruins, its hulking frame scattered across the clearing like broken bones. One wing jutted out at an unnatural angle, still smoldering, while the tail had crumpled into a nearby tree. Metal debris was strewn across the forest floor, some of it still glowing faintly from the heat of the crash. The plane had gone down hard—violently—but something didn’t sit right.
There were footprints in the dirt, tracks leading from the wreckage into the treeline, and the ground was disturbed, like crates had been dragged or moved away from the crash site. Nomad’s eyes narrowed. Whoever had been here had worked fast and left little behind. It was too clean. No bodies. No remnants of the crew or any real signs of a firefight. Just mangled metal, scorched earth, and the traces of someone else’s presence.
Nomad scanned the area with quiet suspicion, every sense on edge. There was no way a crash like this would leave no trace of the crew or cargo, and the disturbed earth confirmed what his instincts had been screaming—someone had already been here, maybe even possibly cleared the site of anything valuable.
“Spread out,” Nomad ordered, his voice low but commanding. “Stay sharp, eyes on everything.”
The squad obeyed, fanning out carefully through the wreckage, weapons at the ready. Eagle Eye took up position near the treeline, her sniper rifle steady as her eyes scanned the perimeter. She hadn’t said much, but Nomad could feel her razor-sharp focus from where he stood.
Nomad moved carefully, checking the dirt for more signs. No bodies, no bullet holes, no obvious signs of struggle. Whoever had cleared the area had been thorough. He crouched beside a section of torn fuselage, his gaze tracking the faint marks in the dirt where crates had likely been moved. They hadn’t been gone long.
“Nomad!” Aegis called out, his voice laced with confusion.
Nomad stood and moved over to where Aegis knelt by a remaining half-opened crate. His hand hovered near the edge, his expression unreadable as he stared at the strange symbols glowing faintly on the crate’s side.
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“What is it?” Nomad asked, lowering his rifle slightly.
Aegis pried the crate open further, revealing rows of neatly stacked magazines, each one marked with intricate symbols. They shimmered faintly—fire, lightning, ice, air—etched along the sides, as though charged with some hidden power. The symbols pulsed weakly under the dim light of the forest.
“What the hell…?” Aegis muttered, running his gloved fingers carefully over the symbols. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” He picked up one of the magazines, inspecting it. “These logos... elemental? Tech? I don’t know what to make of it, but it looks like ammunition.”
Nomad crouched beside him, a cold twist of suspicion settling deep in his gut. The sight of the unfamiliar tech and the carefully cleared crash site set his nerves on edge. "Don’t touch anything else," he said, his voice hard. "We don’t know what we’re dealing with here, and we’re not alone."
Aegis nodded, though curiosity flickered in his eyes. "Could be military, but it feels... wrong."
Nomad stood again, scanning the surrounding forest. The crash site was too open, too vulnerable. Whoever had been here had cleared out fast, but the traces they left behind were enough to confirm it—something else was going on here. "Stay focused. We’re not alone out here," he murmured.
From her vantage point, Eagle Eye’s voice cut through the comms, low and tight. “You sure we’re alone out here?”
Nomad didn’t answer. His instincts screamed otherwise. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. No, they weren’t alone. Not by a long shot.
The first shots sizzled through the air, bright trails of light carving through the trees with a high-pitched whine. Nomad ducked behind a chunk of wreckage as the forest around them exploded into chaos, the unmistakable sound of gunfire mingling with something else—something strange. The attackers moved swiftly, their forms concealed by sleek, dark armor. They moved with the precision and efficiency of highly trained soldiers, their tactics and discipline evident in every calculated step. As they closed in, their weapons erupted in bursts of elemental energy that lit up the night.
"Aegis, shield!" Nomad barked, just as a bolt of blue light slammed into the ground near them. The earth hissed and crackled, frost spreading out like jagged fingers as the grass froze instantly beneath their feet. Aegis raised his ballistic shield, but not before another shot hit a nearby tree. The bark exploded into icy shards, coating the wood in a brittle layer of frost that cracked under the weight of the cold.
A scream tore through the air as one of the recruits, Hawk, was hit. Nomad’s heart jumped as he turned just in time to see Hawk collapse, clutching his leg in agony. His skin had blistered and turned ghastly white, frostbite spreading from the point of impact as if the cold were alive, consuming him.
“Medic!” Nomad shouted, his voice harsh over the comms.
Another blast exploded near him, sending a searing wave of heat toward his position. Nomad rolled to the side, the air rippling with fire as a nearby bush caught alight. The flames burned hot, reducing the plant to ash in seconds. Every sense screamed danger, his pulse pounding in his ears. They were under attack from something they hadn’t faced before—something with weapons that defied explanation.
Eagle Eye swore into her comms, shifting her aim as another round sparked off her cover. The metal hissed and warped as if struck by a concentrated bolt of electricity. "They're closing in too fast!" she growled, picking off one of the advancing attackers with a clean shot to the head. The enemy crumpled, but more emerged from the treeline, their sleek armor gleaming faintly through the smoke, moving with disciplined coordination as they closed in.
“Incoming!” Aegis’s voice cut through the chaos, his shield absorbing another blast. Sparks leapt from the edges of the shield, crackling like static as the energy dispersed. The elemental attacks were making the air hum with energy, sending an unsettling vibration through the team as the hair on the back of their necks stood on end.
“Contact left!” Nomad barked, raising his rifle and firing off a few controlled bursts. He ducked behind another chunk of wreckage as a bolt of crackling energy hit the debris near his head, sending sparks flying. “Aegis, cover our six!”
Aegis didn’t hesitate, his ballistic shield raised as he barreled toward the center of the firefight. The shield absorbed another shot, the metal reverberating with a shockwave that nearly knocked him off balance. “I’ve got you covered!” Aegis shouted, positioning himself to protect the squad as the enemy pressed their attack.
Nomad’s mind raced as he fired back, the adrenaline surging through him. He tried to assess the situation through the chaos. These weren’t just better-equipped soldiers—they were something else entirely. Their weapons weren’t firing bullets but raw elemental energy, each shot laced with frost, fire, or electricity. The battlefield was being transformed with every blast.
“Hawk’s down!” Aegis called out, moving toward the wounded recruit. His shield was raised as he crouched next to Hawk, pulling him behind cover. The leg was a mess—frostbite creeping up the limb as the skin blackened and peeled away like it had been dipped in liquid nitrogen.
“Hold still!” Aegis barked, his voice tight with urgency.
Eagle Eye’s rifle cracked again from her vantage point, every shot precise and lethal, but even she couldn’t keep up with the speed of the advancing enemies. "There’s too many of them!" she called out over the comms. Her tone was sharp, the usual cold calm giving way to the raw edge of urgency.
Nomad fired a few more rounds, ducking back behind cover as the team fought to hold their ground. "We’re outgunned!" Aegis growled, his shield taking another hit that sent tremors through the ground. “These weapons... I’ve never seen anything like this!”
“We need that black box,” Nomad said, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. His mind was racing—if they didn’t get the black box, the entire mission would be for nothing. He turned toward Eagle Eye. "Cover us!"
Eagle Eye didn’t hesitate. "You’ve got it," she said, her voice cold and focused as she picked off another enemy with deadly precision. "Move!"
Nomad didn’t waste time. He dashed through the wreckage, his breaths coming in sharp bursts as the battle raged around him. Bullets and energy blasts tore through the air, lighting up the smoke-filled sky. His eyes locked on the cockpit where the black box should be. Another explosion rocked the area, sending debris flying as he ducked behind a torn piece of the plane’s hull.
With a final burst of speed, Nomad leaped over a twisted piece of metal and reached the cockpit. The controls were charred and twisted, but the black box was still intact. He pried it free, the heat from the wreckage searing through his gloves. Gunfire and screams echoed in the distance, but he forced himself to focus.
After a few tense moments, the black box came loose, and Nomad shoved it into his pack. "We’ve got it!" he barked into his comms, adrenaline spiking as he pulled back from the wreckage. "Fall back to the extraction point!"
Aegis and Eagle Eye were already in motion, laying down suppressive fire as they fell back, covering the retreat. The enemy was relentless, their sleek forms darting between the trees, weapons firing with an eerie precision. One of them got too close, but before they could fire, a sharp crack rang out—Eagle Eye’s shot dropped them in mid-stride, their body crumpling to the ground.
As they moved, Nomad glanced over at Aegis, who was gripping one of the strange weapons he had grabbed from the wreckage. Aegis gave it a quick look, frowning. "This thing's way too light for its size," he muttered, his tone a mix of suspicion and curiosity. The weapon had a ceramic-white body reinforced by black, sleek components, with smooth surfaces and sharp lines that gave it an advanced, futuristic look. But it was the glowing magazine with elemental symbols that caught Nomad's eye. Aegis had also taken a few different magazines, each marked with a faintly glowing logo, but there was no time to study them. Whatever this weapon was, it wasn’t like anything they had seen before, and it definitely wasn’t military-issue.
“We need to keep moving!” Nomad urged, pushing Aegis forward. "We’ll figure it out later."
As they moved, Nomad's mind briefly flickered to the strange weapon Aegis had picked up. The smooth white surface felt out of place, lighter than any military weapon he’d ever seen, and the glowing magazine with elemental symbols unsettled him. This was beyond GRRA tech, beyond anything they’d ever encountered. And that worried him.
They were closing in on the extraction point when Hawk collapsed. He had been hit earlier by one of the freeze rounds, his leg now a grotesque mess of frostbite and frozen, blistered skin. The new medic, a young woman with a determined expression, knelt beside him as the rest of the team secured the perimeter.
She examined the leg with a grim look on her face. "This is bad. He’s not going to keep the leg," she said, her tone professional but laced with urgency. "But we can’t do this out here. We need to get him back to the base—fast."
As Hawk groaned in pain, she reached into her medkit and pulled out a syringe of morphine, quickly administering it to ease his suffering. "This’ll numb the worst of it for now," she said quietly, her hands steady despite the situation. "We’ll amputate when we get him back."
Nomad nodded, his gaze scanning the treeline for any further threats. "Get him ready for transport. We’re almost at the extraction point."
The extraction point wasn’t far—just beyond the treeline, where a truck sat waiting, its engine idling softly. Two GRRA soldiers stood by the vehicle, their rifles slung over their shoulders as they scanned the forest nervously. The tension in the air was palpable, the distant echo of gunfire and the sharp cracks of energy weapons unnerving them. Their eyes darted toward the treeline at each loud noise, hands gripping their rifles tighter.
Suddenly, more gunfire rang out, closer this time, accompanied by the sounds of shouting and footsteps rushing toward them. The soldiers exchanged worried glances, their posture stiffening. "What the hell is going on out there?" one muttered, wiping sweat from his brow despite the chill in the air. The other soldier, eyes wide, glanced toward the forest. "Should we—"
Before they could finish, Nomad burst through the treeline, his voice a sharp command. "Get in the truck and start the engine! Now!"
The soldiers snapped to attention, quickly scrambling into the front of the truck. The driver fumbled with the ignition for a moment before the engine roared to life, the noise cutting through the tense atmosphere. "Let's go, let's go!" Nomad shouted, waving his team forward as they rushed toward the vehicle, their boots pounding the dirt. The two GRRA soldiers could hear the urgency in Nomad’s tone, and they needed no further instructions, already throwing the truck into gear.
The truck rattled as it moved over the uneven forest terrain, the engine's growl barely drowning out the creak of trees bending under the weight of the wind. Nomad sat in the back, gripping his rifle tighter as he glanced through the slats of the transport truck’s side. The forest was a blur, but the eerie silence gnawed at the back of his mind. Every bump in the road, every rustle of leaves outside felt like the prelude to another attack. They were on the move, yes, but how long could they outrun whatever was out there? He stole a glance at the treeline fading in the distance, half expecting to see the shadowy forms of their enemies closing in once again.
As the rest of the squad settled into the truck, Rook’s breathing quickened, his hands trembling uncontrollably. His eyes darted between Hawk and the others, clearly rattled by the chaos they’d barely escaped. "Two soldiers... they’re gone," he muttered under his breath, his voice shaky. "How did it go so wrong? They didn’t even have a chance."
He stared at Hawk, who lay pale and groaning while the medic worked to stabilize his leg. The sight of his comrade’s injury made his stomach churn. "Hawk’s leg… God, he’s going to lose it, isn’t he?"
His voice rose slightly, the panic setting in. "What if the truck gets ambushed next? What if we never make it back? We barely made it out of there alive—what if this is just the beginning?"
Rook wiped a hand across his face, his palm damp with sweat despite the cold. His heart raced as if it might explode. The image of Hawk’s leg wouldn’t leave his mind—the frost, the flesh cracking. He’d never seen anything like it, and part of him wondered if he ever wanted to again. He shook his head, trying to focus, but every sound in the truck made him flinch. The gunfire felt closer, louder in his mind, like the battle was far from over.
Eagle Eye, still keeping a sharp lookout from the back of the truck, shot him a cold glare. "Enough, Rook. We’re out of the hot zone. Panicking now won’t change anything."
Rook blinked, but the dread in his chest wouldn’t ease. "But what if—"
Before he could spiral any further, Eagle Eye leaned forward, her voice low and cutting. "You’re alive, Rook. Act like it. You want to lose yourself now after everything we’ve survived? Get a grip."
The sternness in her voice and the sharpness of her gaze brought him back. Rook swallowed hard, trying to focus on his breathing, his hands still trembling.
Nomad crouched beside him, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. His voice was calm but firm, grounding Rook’s fear. "Look, we made it out, didn’t we? You did your part, and we’re heading back to base. Focus on what’s ahead, not what’s behind. We’ll mourn our losses, but right now, we survive."
Rook nodded, the panic ebbing slightly as he met Nomad’s calm gaze. "I’m... I’m okay," he stammered, though his face was still pale.
"Good enough," Nomad said with a small nod, turning his attention back to the team. "Stay sharp, all of you. We’re not out of the woods yet."