Now, Threnosh World
“They are pulling the walls apart. How is that possible? I was unaware that was possible.” Blueballs’ voice was noticeably higher than usual.
The Threnosh shot sticky blue balls at each opening the cragants assailing the structure managed to tear apart. It slowed the giant humanoids, but didn’t stop them. It was only a matter of time before they opened up the three level structure like a can.
“Focus on sealing the gaps,” Dralig said. They were out of ideas. Several squads of mixed standard and heavy infantry soldiers had joined them in what was supposed to be a defensive fortification.
The cragants had other ideas. They battered the thin, but strong metallic walls with heavy weapons and immense strength. They pried apart the small gaps that appeared.
The close quarters made it difficult for the Threnosh to focus their projectile fire on the cragants’ vulnerable points. Their thick armor, clothing and skin proved nearly impenetrable at that range.
A large eye appeared at the window next to Dralig. They thrust their blade out, but the cragant moved quickly enough that Dralig only scored a thin line into its thick, steel helmet.
A loud metallic clang filled the confines of the structure.
“What was that?” Dralig said into the comms.
“I struck a cragant attempting to gain entrance,” Malendrax replied. “Request Blueballs’ presence to seal up the hole.”
Malendrax was on the lowest level. Dralig made a quick calculation. “Blueballs. Proceed to Malendrax’s aid.”
“But I have not finished here.”
“It will have to hold for now. Seal the first level hole and return here immediately.”
“I am running low. Currently drawing on emergency reserves,” Blueballs warned.
“Understood.”
Dralig processed their options. They lacked explosives. The soldiers’ standard projectile weapons were minimally effective in the current situation.
Adjudicator had been waylaid by a small group of cragants that had bypassed the makeshift fortification. They yet fought, but while they did that they were unable to provide reinforcement.
Dralig came to an undesired conclusion. They switched to a direct channel to Caretaker. “We cannot hold this position.”
“I have sent reinforcements.” Caretaker’s voice was strained.
Dralig frowned. That wasn’t a good sign. They had never known Caretaker to be anything other than calm and controlled.
“Adjudicator has been delayed,” Dralig said.
“I was not referring to them,” Caretaker said. “Cease communications until further notice.”
That was… unexpected and unwelcome. The other team was having difficulties of their own.
“Reinforcements? There is no one left,” Dralig said.
Dralig heard soft soles coming up the steps. They looked to the door and waited for it to slide open. It didn’t. An ethereal-like form passed through the wall. Momentarily translucent, it solidified.
“Actryarius. You are the reinforcement Caretaker spoke of?” Dralig didn’t conceal his displeasure. Actryarius was an effective scout and they had some utility in specific battle situations. This wasn’t one of them.
Actryarius dropped a medium-sized container at Dralig’s feet.
“Explosive devices.” Dralig didn’t need to inspect the contents. Somehow, Caretaker had arranged for exactly the things and personnel that gave them a chance of fulfilling their Task. “Did you receive the Task to defend this position?”
“Yes. As soon as I received Caretaker’s command.” Actryarius hesitated. “I am ready to comply with your commands.”
Dralig allowed themselves a slight smile.
The battle had turned. They had the advantage now.
----------------------------------------
Caretaker aimed where their predictive algorithm indicated. Recoilless rifle projectiles zipped into cragant joints, eyes and mouths. Targeting the giant humanoid’s most vulnerable parts mostly slowed and only occasionally killed.
Caretaker hit roughly fifty percent on target. They weren’t accustomed to such a low accuracy rate. Resplendent Zabriium’s back wasn’t a stable platform.
Tynk clung behind Caretaker. They made themselves as small as possible without risking falling off.
Caretaker viewed the overhead tactical map as they entered an area without any hostiles.
Whoosh had already hit the front of the 3rd Legion’s forward base and was now moving north. They were going just fast enough to draw a contingent of cragants away.
The correct move would’ve been to ignore Whoosh and remain on guard. Caretaker’s assessment had proved correct. The cragants, as a whole, valued the act of combat highly. The ones guarding the base were likely envious of their fellows currently fighting the Threnosh soldiers several kilometers away. They were unable to resist attempting to engage Whoosh.
Silver Wolf was in position. They had taken a direct route and hid within a building just across from the makeshift front barricade at the enemy base’s entrance.
Shira had been in position since the previous night. Caretaker pinged them and received an immediate reply.
“Approaching final stretch to enemy base. Do I proceed?” Resplendent Zabriium said.
“The final phase of the operation is a go. Wait for my commands,” Caretaker said into the team channel.
Resplendent Zabriium turned onto the long, straight street leading directly to 3rd Legion base. Their composite hooves thundered across the metallic surface.
There were only a handful of cragants at the barricade. They raised bows and loosed arrows.
Caretaker tracked them in an instant. Only one was on target. They knocked it off course with a burst of projectile fire. The rest overshot the Threnosh.
Resplendent Zabriium galloped too fast for them to target.
“Silver Wolf you are clear to engage,” Caretaker said as they covered half the distance to the base.
The Threnosh’s power armor was in its four-legged canine form. They emerged out of their hiding place and sprinted across the street. They were low to the ground and the cragants didn’t spot them until it was too late.
Silver leaped across the last ten meters to the barricade and transformed into their bipedal form. They sliced through the cragants like a blade through flesh. Claws sharper than any steel blade cut through vulnerable areas on the giant humanoids’ bodies. Silver Wolf sliced hamstrings and throats.
The cragants were taken by complete surprise.
“Your way is clear,” Silver Wolf growled.
There was no more shield wall to impede Resplendent Zabriium’s charge. The only thing left to bar their way was a makeshift barricade of wood and metal wire.
Resplendent Zabriium burst right through it in a shower of splinters.
Caretaker scanned the overhead tactical map. In a second they had determined the number of cragants within and where their presence was densest. They sent those locations to Tynk. “Cover these locations with your dust. Then retreat to point one-five to provide covering fire.”
Tynk’s gossamer wings unfurled and buzzed as their anti-gravity generators hummed to life. They released their tight grip on Resplendent Zabriium’s back and shot up and away.
“Zabri,” Caretaker stowed their recoilless rifle and drew their viral pistol, “stay along the outer edge. Do not cease movement.” They tossed a grenade as they passed a small group of cragants. “We need to kill enough of the enemy forces to draw their commander out.” They left the explosion behind.
“There appears to be a large amount of them,” Resplendent Zabriium said.
“One hundred fifteen,” Caretaker said. “We do not need to kill all, just enough. The commander will be unable to resist the challenge we present.”
“Caretaker,” Whoosh’s voice piped into the comms. “The squad pursuing me has given up and is returning to base.”
There were only ten cragants. A minor concern at this stage.
“You are clear to engage them,” Caretaker said.
“Acknowledged,” Whoosh said.
Caretaker had one eye on the tactical overhead view. “Silver Wolf restrain yourself. Wait for Tynk to complete their task.”
Silver Wolf grunted by way of a reply.
Tynk fluttered above everyone. The dark night concealed their presence from unaided sight. The darted to the first location that Caretaker had indicated. Sure enough a large group of cragants were in the process of assembling.
Tynk released the microscopic dust-like particles over the giant humanoids from multiple compartments scattered on their power armor.
The particles created a soporific effect in biological organisms that inhaled or absorbed them through their skin. Testing on Threnosh had rendered them unconscious, in a deep state of sleep instantaneously from even the smallest exposure. Stronger monsters proved tougher and required more of the particles or were only made drowsy. The cragants great size and strength suggested that the effect on them would be more the latter than the former.
The cragants sneezed and rubbed their eyes. They shook their heads. Their words were confused.
Tynk didn’t wait to see the full effects. They fluttered over to the next target zone. Their internal supply of the particles was limited. They needed to carefully control the dispersal to comply with Caretaker’s command.
A lone cragant thrust a spear at Caretaker.
Resplendent Zabriium struck it aside with their poleaxe then slashed across the back of the cragant’s legs as they galloped past.
“Smoothly done,” Caretaker said as they shot another cragant through the slits of its helmet.
The cragant screamed and clawed at its face as the viral load ate away with frightening speed.
“That is a sickening weapon,” Resplendent Zabriium.
Caretaker didn’t disagree. However, the viral pistol was necessary to achieve their aims. Defeat meant death. Victory was their continued existence.
They kept an eye on Tynk. “Zabri, head here,” Caretaker sent the coordinates to the first group of cragants Tynk had dusted. The giant humanoids had enough time for the soporific effect to begin.
They moved slower and with noticeably less coordination. Their eyelids were heavy and many yawned visibly as their subleaders struggled to get them into their standard shield line formation. Their spear points drooped, while shields rested on the ground as if their weight was too much to bear for tired arms.
“Run parallel to their line from right to left. Then swing around and run along the rear of their formation.”
“Acknowledged,” Resplendent Zabriium said.
The sluggish cragants were slow to react.
Resplendent Zabriium’s four-legged power armor was strong, robust and fast. They plowed right through the spears. Wooden shafts snapped or were torn out of the cragants’ hands. The Threnosh dragged their nearly indestructible pole axe across line to force the giant humanoids’ heads down.
Caretaker tossed grenades into the center of the square formation as they rode past. Explosions tore the formation apart and injured dozens of cragants. It was unfortunate that they were so strongly built that none died.
The rear of the formation reacted slowly thanks to Tynk’s soporific particles. Only a few had turned around in time to get their shields ready. These saved themselves from injury. As for the rest. Resplendent Zabriium sliced them with their pole axe as Caretaker tossed more grenades.
“Move to the next zone.” Caretaker watched the command tent from the overhead view. Cragants had gathered around the tent to form a protective perimeter. Tynk had yet to make their way over the tent. There was no sign of the commander. “Silver Wolf you are clear to begin attacking the cragants. Only target individuals and small groups, unless they are under the effects of Tynk’s particles. Strike fast and don’t linger. The kill is not the priority. Injury and chaos is what I want.”
“Acknowledged.”
Caretaker heard the eagerness in Silver Wolf’s reply. Too much like Shira. They checked Shira’s position on the tactical map. Still exactly where they were supposed to be.
There were fewer cragants in the next target zone, which likely accounted for the greater effects of Tynk’s particles on display.
The giant humanoid’s shield line was not a line at all. More like a loose circle. They tried to form up as soon as they noticed Resplendent Zabriium’s approach. They were woefully too slow.
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Caretaker holstered their viral pistol and drew their spire-made sword.
The Threnosh thundered right into the middle.
Resplendent Zabriium’s speed combined with their physical attributes won out over the cragants’. The unstoppable force trampled right over the nearly immovable objects.
Resplendent Zabriium stomped and kicked amidst the cragants while they spun their pole axe over their head.
Caretaker slashed and stabbed. The unknown material of their blade went right through the cragants’ steel like cloth.
“Next zone.”
When the pair thundered off half the cragants were maimed and combat ineffective. The other half stared up at the dark sky with unblinking eyes.
----------------------------------------
Kynnro had hit all of their target zones. Six times in total. Cragants burned in their explosive, fiery cloud.
It wasn’t enough.
The number of enemy they consumed in their flames was a fraction of the force the 2nd Legion had sent to assault the fabrication facility.
The forward outpost of Kynnro’s ice cream soldiers was already under attack by a portion of the advancing cragant lines while the rest continued forward to attack other outposts.
“Do they intend to clear all of the soldiers before moving on to the facility?” Kynnro had a small hope that the small outpost wasn’t going to be worth the effort to the cragants. “Why? Projectile fire from a squad has proved insignificant to large groups of cragants.”
The small aerial transport hovered in place high over the city, the battlefield.
The Threnosh soldiers fired at the cragants as the giant humanoids advanced at a steady pace behind their enormous shields. They didn’t bother returning fire with their bows. As soon as they got within close combat the Threnosh soldiers were dead.
Kynnro was clear. Their orders had instructed them to return to the fabrication facility and aid the defense there.
“Pilot, fly down to within thirty meters to the rear of the enemy formation, here,” Kynnro transmitted where they wanted the pilot to take their craft.
“Acknowledged.”
The transport banked and descended at a speed that sent the wind whipping through the open doors. The darkness and the general chaos of a battlefield masked their approach. The cragants had no idea they were hovering a short distance above and behind.
Kynnro shot a canister from their gauntlet. It exploded in the middle of the cragant line. Small, reflective particles spread across the area. The red laser lanced out from the emitter on their forehead.
The laser bounced back and forth the reflective particles creating a web of light that burned everything it touched.
The cragants halted their advance. The lasers were more a nuisance than a mortal threat. It wasn’t able to penetrate their armor. It barely penetrated their thick clothing. At worst it burned thin lines into their thick skins. They stopped because they had been surprised.
Kynnro switched to the local channel. “Fall back to the fabrication facility. I have slowed the enemy.”
“Negative. Order is to defend this position.”
Kynnro didn’t recognize the soldier’s voice. They all sounded the same. The thought bothered them.
“Those orders serve no purpose. Your weapons will be more effective added to the defense of the fabrication facility.”
“We must comply.”
Kynnro grit their teeth.
Metal tore with a loud screech that drowned out Kynnro’s next words.
Warning lights flashed and a blaring alarm filled the inside of the transport as Kynnro was thrown against their straps as the transport rocketed higher.
“Enemy arrow penetrated anti-gravity generator and damaged engine. More incoming.”
The pilot’s voice was calm, emotionless. It was discordant with what Kynnro felt. It was wrong.
The thin composite metal of the transport wasn’t armored. The arrows pierced through the wings and flaps that controlled its flight. It spun in a circle like a top as the thrusters sputtered and struggled to keep it aloft.
Kynnro’s vision blackened. The forces inflicted on them overpowered the inherent protection their power armor provided to their frail Threnosh body. Their armor lacked the robustness that was found in some of their teammates. Honor had called them a glass cannon because of it. They had struggled to comprehend the term. Glass was a fragile material. Creating a combustion powered weapon out of it was impossible.
Kynnro’s thoughts digressed as they lost their grip on consciousness.
“Descending at unsafe rate. Engaging crash protocols. Prepare for imp—”
A series of explosions shook the entire three level structure.
Dralig had a moment of respite as the cragants fell back.
“I have expended my supply of explosive devices,” Actryarius said through the comms.
“Acknowledged. You may retreat to the fall back zone,” Dralig said. They turned to Blueballs. “Status report?”
“My reserves are depleted. I can no longer create my blue balls.”
“Actryarius, belay that. Return here. You and Blueballs will withdraw together.” Dralig eyes darted to the timer at the bottom of their face-plate. Fifteen minutes to hold the position. “Only halfway to egress.”
“The enemy is falling back.” Malendrax had moved to the roof for a better view of the battlefield. Their small size made them a more difficult target for the cragants’ projectile weapons. Their power armor’s ability to repair and heal from fatal damage eliminated further risk. “They appear, however, to be gathering for another attack.”
As Dralig expected Actryarius’ explosive devices only paused the assault. They scanned the tactical view. Adjudicator was still engaged with the cragants that had bypassed their defensive position.
“Actryarius, Blueballs, take note of the enemy positions on your way back. There will be no reinforcements if you are engaged,” Dralig called out to the two as they exited the structure.
“Acknowledged,” Actryarius said.
Dralig stepped over a fallen Threnosh heavy soldier. They had taken a spear to the chest. The armor had held against penetration, but was inwardly dented. When the soldier had been pinned to the back wall their fate had been sealed. Their body inside the armor had been crushed.
Dralig detached the minigun from the soldier’s shoulder. They had to flip the soldier onto their front to detach the ammunition pack.
“This is to all soldiers inside the structure,” Dralig spoke into the local comms. “We must hold this position for,” they checked the timer, “seven minutes and three seconds.”
Dralig carried the heavy ammunition pack in their lower left hand, while they held the minigun in their lower right hand. Their shield was already in their upper left hand and their sword was in their upper right. They were ready to face the cragants’ renewed assault.
“Enemy incoming,” Malendrax said into the comms.
Dralig stood near the largest hole on the second level. They glanced at the half-filled container of explosives near the back wall. A last resort, perhaps.
Dralig waited until the cragants drew close before they squeezed the minigun’s trigger.
Hundreds of projectiles plinked against the thick cragant shields.
There were more of the giant humanoids. Reinforcements had come.
Dralig emptied the ammunition pack in seconds. The Threnosh soldiers fired with their dwindling ammunition, but it was like spitting into an onrushing tide. The cragants charge was sudden and brutal.
There were many holes in the structure’s wall. Blueballs’ sticky balls had done what they could to plug them and hold the wall together. It wasn’t enough.
The small gaps became gaping tears as the cragants shielded each other while they pulled the wall apart with brute strength.
Dralig stabbed their sword through a gauntleted finger the size of their leg. They were rewarded with a deep bellow of pain as the cragant pulled back.
A large sword blade thrust toward Dralig. They swatted it aside with their shield. Strength for strength, the four-armed Threnosh was stronger than the giant humanoid.
The same couldn’t be said for the rest of the Threnosh soldiers. They fired in vain as the cragants slashed and stabbed their blades into the now exposed building interior. Those that died to sword and spear were lucky. Some were pulled out by hands as big as their torsos and torn or crushed.
Time ran, but not fast enough.
The defenders’ numbers dwindled with every second that ticked down. Only Dralig and Malendrax found success at forcing the cragants back, if only momentarily. For every one they pushed back another appeared.
Dralig rushed back and grabbed an explosive from the container Actryarius had left. They fended off the cragants’ huge weapons while their two free hands set the timer.
They blocked a spear point and parried a blade longer than they were tall. They jumped over a grasping hand and pulled their arm back to throw the explosive.
A hand struck out of nowhere and closed around the explosive and Dralig’s entire lower right arm.
Dralig’s eyes widened.
Their curse was drowned out by the explosion.
The cragant’s fingers were blown apart. Flesh and bone flattened the immediate area.
Dralig was blown back against the wall. Their vision flashed white stars. They felt as if their lower right arm had been seared. The pain was indescribable. They could barely see and everything spun.
Dralig didn’t see the large hands reaching out for them.
The cragant grabbed their damaged arm in one hand and the rest of their body with the other. They pulled with all their might.
Dralig resisted for a moment, but they were still addled by the explosion. Their lower right arm was torn from their body.
Dralig had thought they knew pain. This was exponentially worse than before. They shutdown. They didn’t know it, but their power armor protected them by thrusting them into unconsciousness and locking up tight. The feedback from the damage had threatened to overwhelm their biological system.
Unfortunately their power armor couldn’t do anything to the cragant that was about to tear the rest of their limbs off.
A tendril shot out of the destroyed interior wall and wrapped around the cragant’s wrist.
The cragant tried to pull away, but Adjudicator was braced. Their physical strength proved too much for the cragant. They pulled the cragants arm deeper into the structure, which brought Dralig’s still form away from the other cragants outside.
Adjudicator plunged their other tendril into the cragant’s eye. They triggered their power armor’s ability and drained the very life force out of the giant humanoid. There was a lot of life in the strong being.
Adjudicator’s power armor repaired itself as the cragant withered. Ghastly rents and dents in their armor became as new. They strengthened. They pried the cragant’s fingers from around Dralig.
The cragant gasped and tried to call for help, but it was too late.
Adjudicator released a husk that toppled to the ground like rotted tree.
“Malendrax, I have secured Dralig. They appear injured and are catatonic,” Adjudicator said into the comms. “This position cannot be held.”
“We only have to hold for two more minutes,” Malendrax said.
“Soldiers are down to twelve percent of initial numbers,” Adjudicator said.
“Are there still explosives?”
Adjudicator located the container, which had miraculously remained untouched amidst the ruins of the second level. “Yes.”
“I have an idea. Withdraw with Dralig and the surviving soldiers. I will comply with Caretaker’s command,” Malendrax said.
“Acknowledged.” Adjudicator didn’t hesitate. “All soldiers, withdraw,” they said into the local channel. They wrapped Dralig up with a tendril and charged through the half-ruined walls to jump out of the structure. The metallic street surface dented around their armored boots. They didn’t look back as they ran with plodding steps away from the three level structure.
The explosion that erupted from the structure rattled the very air and turned night into day for a moment.
----------------------------------------
Now, Earth
Remy stared at his sleeping wife and daughter. Megan and Veronica shared a hospital room. The last third of his entire life sat in a chair by the window and glared out into the darkness as if daring it to come in.
Remy itched under the bandages around his arms. He resisted scratching at the itch underneath the bandages over his stomach. For some reason an itchy sensation accompanied his accelerated healing. He’d take the trade. He had a bunch of what turned out to be some kind of fish spines sticking out of him a few hours ago. If his body was still baseline human then he’d either be dead or in a hospital bed, like—
“You shouldn’t brood,” Remy said.
Tessa’s brow furrowed further. Her grip tightened around the handle of her kanabo.
“You look like you’re having trouble with a math problem.”
“I hate math.”
“We’re in safe zone. You don’t have to be on guard. You need to rest.”
“I don’t trust the government. They said Old Town was safe,” Tessa bared her teeth. “Look what happened to mom and Vee.”
“They’ll be okay.” Remy had to believe. “Your mom saved herself by continuously casting her healing spell on the organ damage before they got her to the hospital. The doctor said that now it’s just a matter of keeping her on antibiotics to fight the infection.”
“Right, that’s why we can’t use anymore healing spells. It’d mess with the bacteria and actually make it worse. I remember what they said. It’s stupid,” Tessa snapped. “What’s the point of having healing magic if you can’t use it to fix—” She struck the tip of her solid metal club into the tile, cracking it.”
“Please don’t destroy hospital property. They’re being nice enough to help your mother and sister,” Remy sighed.
“So? They owe us. We’re the only reason that those damn fishmen didn’t take all their women and girls, while killing the rest of their useless asses!”
“Tessa,” Remy warned.
“Sorry, dad. It’s just— we did all the work and this is what we got.” Tessa jabbed her hand toward Megan and Veronica in their beds.
“Playing hero is not so fun, huh?”
Tessa frowned. “I guess not.”
“A good lesson to learn. I hope your sister will learn the same.”
Tessa shook her head. “She’s been out this whole time. Didn’t see what happened after… all the dead bodies and the drive to the hospital.” She stared at her hand. It was clean, but she still saw the blood. Her mother’s blood on the desperate ride to the hospital with her hands on her mother’s wounds, desperately trying to keep it closed.
Remy gazed at his youngest daughter’s sleeping form. Like an angel. He created a magnetic field around her head. He detected electromagnetic activity.
“How’s Vee? I felt you checking again,” Tessa said.
“I’m not sure how this works, but I’m pretty sure her brain functions are normal. I got a crash course on how an MRI works and I’m not sure how to translate all of that stuff into how I perceive the fields here,” Remy tapped his temple. “At least she isn’t frying my brain like she did the machine. I hope they don’t want me to pay for that.”
Tessa snorted. “What are they going to do? Bill your insurance? You? Money doesn’t work anymore.”
“Universal Points.”
“Still. They can’t make you pay if you don’t want to. You’re like the Death Star and they’re the Ewoks. Besides we saved like over a hundred people and you personally got like thirty people away from those scaly shits.”
“Language,” Remy said flatly. He was too tired. “Just because I have power doesn’t mean I can do whatever I want. That makes us the bad guys.”
Tessa shrugged. “Why’d you let the mosasaur get away? You should’ve killed it and all of the fishmen.”
“First of all, not sure if it was that. Secondly, I was running on fumes and it was a lucky thing that the fishmen didn’t know that,” Remy said. “The most important thing was to get people back to safety.”
A knock on the door saved Tessa from further lecture.
Remy answered.
It was Nila and an angry looking woman that was vaguely familiar.
“Detective Ordonez, I’ve got some questions for you.”
The woman ignored the daggers in Nila’s glare.
“I finished with her, so it’s your turn. I’ll keep an eye on them,” Nila said.
“Thanks,” Remy said.
He pulled the door shut after Nila went in.
“Remy Cruces,” Detective Ordonez said.
“Yeah.”
“Just a formality. I worked with your brother on the Midtown Mauler case.”
“I remember. How’s the prosthetic?”
“It’s almost like my actual leg, so it’s shit, but that’s on me, not on your people.”
“I had nothing to do with it.”
Detective Ordonez shrugged. “Just so you don’t think I appreciate the gesture.”
“Why you? Why send a detective to get my statement? I was going to write one up tonight and send it to your leadership anyways.”
“I’ll level with you. My bosses were hoping that my previous working relationship with your brother would predispose you to look favorably upon… us.”
“I don’t understand?”
“They’re scared about these fishpeople… bullshit,” Detective Ordonez muttered, “sorry, once I get used to some bullshit another even dumber thing pops up. Bottom line. There’s a lot of concern over the attack and kidnapping of our citizens and you’re our best bet at getting them back.”
“Of course.”
The weight on Remy’s shoulders grew heavier.