“Remember people, we cannot lose Pomgrave Power Plant. We’ve confirmed unknown hostile forces have overtaken the facility and are aiming to destroy the magical seal around the reactor. It’s mission priority to secure the area and bring in an engineer team before over a quarter of the country is left in this winter weather. Be advised, an unknown package was spotted moving to the interior of the command building. Army Chemical specialists are standing by to investigate the package, but it is believed to be a chemical weapon.”
“Blue One in position. We’re ready to switch this on.”
“Go for switch!”
Letting out a quiet sigh, Ryan Phillips doused the cigarette in his right hand. He was deployed alongside his fellow Blackbird operators to supplement Blue Team’s response to a localized terrorist attack at a power plant found deep within Federation territory. They were to roll hard on the command center and secure the area for the army engineer team while Blue Team moved to secure the reactor which was on the verge of being exposed to a possible magical induced lockdown.
Grasping the door handle of the vehicle he sat in, Ryan stepped out into the freezing cold wind. The darkened sky was still painted over the distant horizon, yet within a few hours the sun would rise once more. His unit needed to complete their mission well before they were compromised by natural light.
The men around him circle around his vehicle. They all wore similar gear, civilian clothes, blacked out jackets, and facemasks to conceal their identities. Pig was back in action alongside Sergeant Campbell and his crew. They were here to assist Pig’s mission and to guarantee isolation of the site from hostile communications and reinforcements.
“Back to basics, Pig 1.” Noble said as he racked a bullet into his wooden long-rifle.
“You all have your objectives. Watch out for mages as you proceed.” Pig 1 barked.
“Yup.”
“Rog.”
“Sir.”
The squadron leader nodded.
“Move it out.”
Splitting of from each other into different directions, Ryan was the only one to go it alone on his specific path. He was to provide a diversion, though he wouldn’t be without support. Sergeant Campbell and several of his men were moving to their staging area to eliminate any hostiles that would eventually try to eliminate the operative.
Ryan gripped his machine pistol tightly as he walked down a small set of stairs towards a main courtyard just in front to the command building. Not far away, the damage done to the nearby area was evident from the bright fires and the blast shadows coating the grounds.
“Saw that your foreign agents are getting a lot of action near the Frontier. How does that make you feel, Phillips?” Noble asked over the radio.
“They’re out of my hands now. I know they’re capable.” Ryan coolly responded checking his corners as he moved through the first section of the courtyard.
“Well sure, that’s of course they make it through the next conflict with Yondel.” Wolf said next.
The sounds of chatter on the radio were suddenly silence as soon as Ryan heard the voices bursting from courtyard. The men standing within the greenery were wearing similar uniforms that much reminded him of the Army’s former Honor Guard division; red, blue, and grey tunics were worn, yet they all held modern weaponry including the more sophisticated semi-auto rifles that had been released to the civilian market. Under the cool breeze, the operator could even spot the more magic heavy users. It provided an overbearing sensation as he himself prepared to cast several spells.
Resting his machine pistol on a nearby wall, he used it as support as he waited for the others to get into position. His eyes gently shifted to a large wall overlooking the courtyard, and Ryan spotted the riflemen standing ready to open fire on the group below.
“Ryan, we’re ready to kick things off. Use your spell.” A feminine voice called out to him over the radio.
Letting out a light grumble, Ryan clenched and opened his fist as a small light in the shape of an arrow formed. Aligning it on the largest group of targets, he released the bolt letting it zoom directly into the center of the group and causing a bright explosion that blinded and disoriented everyone within the blast radius.
Within seconds, gunfire erupted from the wall. All the bullets fired cut down the large group leaving nothing but bodies and blood on the ground.
Instantly an alarm squealed over the entire complex momentarily startling Ryan as he stood from his place and moved to gain entry to the sub-entrance of the command building.
“We no longer have the element of surprise, gentlemen. Keep it tight down there, you’re walking into the unknown.” Hog One warned as Sergeant Campbell and his men began to repel down the side of the wall to join Ryan.
With the sergeant’s fireteam soon behind him, Ryan stacked up on the entrance and fumbled with a small breaching device on his vest. He retrieved the device and placed it on the doorhandle that was welded shut by the enemy forces. Turning it on, a small flash erupted as the device disintegrated taking a section of the door with it. Noble was the first through as he aligned himself in front of the door and pushed it open taking point with his trusty shotgun.
The large foyer they entered was quite large and they still had to hike up a set of stairs and cut through a cafeteria to reach the command center. Splitting off into two fireteams, Ryan led Sergeant Campbell and his selected riflemen through the main foyer to divert hostile reinforcements from intercepting the other team.
Hostile gunmen, counting at least eleven in total began to fire their weapons. Pieces of led was scattered all over the room as Ryan bolted for cover as Campbell and his fireteam moved to either side creating a wide field of fire. Most of the hostiles were on ground level, while few were scattered on the balcony above. Firing his machine pistol, Ryan cut down two until he ran out of ammunition and was forced back into cover to reload. Campbell made a call for fire and directed Noble to use his magic to displace the hostiles on the balcony above.
Each rifleman expertly placed two bullets directly into the chest of the hostiles above giving enough breathing room for them to proceed towards the stairs while rolling on the remaining gunmen on ground level. Running and gunning was something normally frowned upon in modern combat, yet Ryan quickly followed Campbell and his rifle men as they cut through the remaining enemy forces while sprinting ahead towards the staircase. Each bullet landed on target, and only two shots were missed by the riflemen as they were forced to make a sharp turn upon stepping on the staircase to engage the remaining hostile.
They were expert killers. And their movements were as smooth as a swan swimming across a still lake.
Perfect. Without fail.
Ryan had withheld his fire as he remained at the rear of the group. He wouldn’t get much action during combat due to his role currently being direct support through suppressive measures and more exotic means. Three times now he had casted his blinding spell creating room for Campbells team to cut through the twenty or so fighters in the hall leading to the cafeteria. From a simple observation, the hostile force had great number, and they were using the cafeteria as a staging area for a coordinated defense of the power plant. It just so seemed that they had stumbled across the enemy while they were all receiving their orders, thus the large number was stalling their progress no matter how much they cut through with the bullets they had.
Switching up his tactics and thinking of a spell that he could create on the spot; a brilliant idea came to him: His magic was primarily used for healing and defensive purposes, so he focused all of his magic towards his palms and prepared himself to use this very taxing, mana heavy spell.
“Ryan!” Campbell shouted over the gunfire as he realized that the operator was making himself a target by how bright he was glowing.
Releasing a burst of energy, a small pillar of light emerged from everyone Ryan considered to be friendly and in a single nanosecond, their stamina was restored and any minor injuries they had sustained during the fight was instantly healed while their bodies began to glow a gentle gold as their bodies failed to use the extra healing that was provided.
“Push the advantage, God damnit!” Noble bellowed as he removed himself from cover and came face to face with three hostile gunmen that shot at him relentlessly. Bullets tore through his chest, but the extra mana around him sealed his wounds and prevented any damage from coming into effect. No mark was ever left.
“Noble!” Wolf chastised as he took down the three gunmen as Noble recovered from the pure impact of all the bullets that slammed into his chest. “You’re fucking crazy!”
“What the hell is this!?” A terrorist screamed as he was shot in the neck by Campbell.
“A little surprise to change the tide!” Ryan responded as he pushed forward with the other riflemen ahead of him. “You guys know what to do!” He screamed as he opened fire upon the remaining ten hostiles that barricaded themselves at the back of the cafeteria.
No matter what unit, what they were doing was a pure suicide run. Only by the magic that flowed between them did the bullets just drift into their bodies, only by their fighting spirit that their clothes were only torn and punctured by the now dwindling wave of pure led slamming into their bodies. Every wound sustained, no matter how critical, was healed beyond the blink of an eye.
Ryan, Campbell, the others—they became phantoms, beings that couldn’t be touched as they eliminated their targets with unmatched precision. As the final terrorists laid against the wall gasping for his final breaths, his chest full of blood and holes, the men formed a protective circle around Campbell as he knelt in front of the man. The sergeant took the man’s bloodied hand and looked directly into the man’s tearful eyes.
“Who—what are—”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“That’s not important.” Campbell said as the gentle gold glow faded from his and his team’s body. “What’s your target, and why?”
The man shifted his head, shaking it to keep himself alive. “You insolent dogs. Hundreds of men spread in between the Federation and Yondel are awaiting the moment to strike.”
“What is this? Is starting another war between our nations your goal?” Campbell pressed as he squeezed the man’s hand making him flinch in pain.
Snorting as he brought himself close to the sergeant, the man barked at all the riflemen standing around him. “You animals set the Frontier on fire! Killed hundreds!”
Ryan chuckled to himself, “Revenge? Revenge for what?”
“He’s not going to talk anymore.” Noble said doing a once over of the dying man, “He’s a grunt. He doesn’t know anything except for spouting his ideology.”
“Fuck you all.”
Releasing the man and standing up, Campbell withdrew his sidearm and placed its barrel against the man’s forehead. With a swift pull of the trigger, the man’s body slumped on the ground, blood pooled from his head onto the tile floor.
“Follow up people!” Campbell ordered as he holstered his pistol and moved to the front of the fireteam, “Burning moonlight here!”
Ryan ignored what just happened as he followed up behind Noble and Wolf. He tapped the bolt of his machine pistol twice and made sure he was ready for another firefight. He had fired two total magazines, and he only had three left. Ninety bullets total, and he had to make it count.
Approaching the main double-doorway to the command room, the rifleman split onto either side and readied themselves to breach the room. As they prepared to breach the room with Noble removing a small explosive charge off his back, the radio buzzed in Ryan’s ear. “Team two in position. Ready to shoot on the west side, Sergeant.”
“Remember you ROE and secure the area. Watch where the targets are, and don’t throw any shots. We’re not here to plunge a quarter of the country into darkness.” Campbell whispered over the radio. The sergeant waited covering Noble as he placed the charge and backed away from the doorway.
“Ready to kick this off.”
Noble spoke softly as heed the detonation chord in his hand, “Flicker in three, two, one…”
Two simultaneous explosions on either entryway to the command room shook the building and threw up a light cloud of dust. The doors were thrown inwards, completely ripped from their hinges, and the terrorists inside had no time to react as Ryan and Wolf stepped into the first. Gunfire echoed within the medium sized room and Ryan’s ears, even with protection, began to ring uncontrollably as he moved to the left side of the room.
“Contact, right!” Noble shouted as he moved adjacent to team two and fired a slug directly into the man’s chest.
“On pillar!” Wolf called out firing at two pillars where three terrorists had token cover.
“Right side clear! Collapse on me!” Campbell ordered team two as he moved on the remaining two gunmen hiding in the center-left corner of the room behind a set of terminals.
“Watch shots!” Ryan warned as the group pressed the two.
Each rifleman was poised for the kill, but they relented as Campbell, Noble, and two men from team two turned the corner firing a total of fifteen bullets into the targets making them fall to the ground and painting the metal surface of the terminal in a deep-red color.
“Clear?”
“Clear!”
“Room clear! Moving to security!”
Team two quickly dispersed and took positions along the entrance of the command room. Noble, Wolf, and the quiet rifleman White moved with them further reinforcing the steady defense.
“Alright, I need you over here, Ryan!” Campbell shouted as he moved to the central terminal at the center of the room. “Give me a hand!” Placing down his machine pistol on a nearby desk, Ryan helped the sergeant move a dead body of the console. Within seconds the man booted up the computer and waited as Ryan checked over the connection points.
“We good on the connection?” Ryan asked as he spotted nothing wrong with any of the wires.
“Aye! Should done in a jiffy.” Campbell said as he reached for his radio, “Pig One, Campbell. We’ve secured the command center and are awaiting further instructions! This thing is hot, over!” He shouted staring at the temperature readings presented to him on the screen.
“Pig One in position. Standby.” The deep voice shook Ryan as he stood up from the ground and stared at the half-destroyed cooling tower in the distance. He idly waited alongside Campbell, but his attention was soon drawn to both White and a rifleman of team two who were moving to inspect a suspicious box at the far side of the room.
Both looked at each other silently before White placed down her rifle and moved to open the box. The hefty latches freed the hatch, and the woman slowly, and gently opened the lid with a stiff body. Upon revealing the contents in the hazy light above, she and the gunman both hastily stepped back as she picked her gun up from the ground.
“Bomb! Bomb!” She shouted making everyone in the room freeze.
“Shit!” Noble cursed as he swiftly looked around him. “Does anyone see a trip wire or detonation cord?”
“Negative!”
“Everyone, gas mask on!” Campbell bellowed taking charge of the on-edge riflemen under his command.
He alongside the others placed their masks over their faces. The long filter made it hard to lift their heads, but it would have to do for the next few hours. Ryan himself casted his protective barrier and prepared himself for the worst.
Grasping the radio on his chest, Campbell stood firmly, “All Pig elements, Campbell, we have a confirmed PID on a bomb within the command center, aiming to disarm, over!”
“Copy, don’t blow yourself up.”
“Ryan, you’re up!”
Stepping forward, slowly, Ryan observed the box with a vigilant eye. He gently grasped the sides of the box and traced his fingers around. His aim was to find a tripwire or cord that would lead to a detonator, but alas, he found nothing as he retracted his hands moving them to the insides of the box.
At the center of the box and upper layer of a soft white substance, a single explosive device was visible. Reaching for the knife on his vest, Ryan used the straight edge to cut away at the quickly identified substance after he had made sure that there were no wires below the immediate surface. Pulling back the white packing material, he threw it on the ground next to him as he received a superior view of the internals of the bomb.
In plain sight, a red mana crystal gently glowed as wire remained wrapped around it. On the right and left side of the box, large tubes of an unknown green chemical were held within totaling eight cylinders. At the bottom was a single stick of TNT that was hooked to the main explosive charge above.
“Fucking hell.” Ryan whispered. “Got a chemical weapon here! Continue with the lockdown prevention!”
“Rog!” Campbell said sharply as he continued typing on his terminal.
Breathing slowly, the operator looked for the wires connecting to the explosives. If he could at least disarm the “bomb” portion, the squadron would at least have an increased chance of survival. The only thing that alarmed him was that he didn’t know if the chemicals held within the vials was potent enough to kill everyone in the room even with their meager personal protection gear.
“Rector secure! We got all sorts of anti-magic devices and explosives set around!” Pig One shouted over the radio as he directed his men to start securing and disarming what munitions they could.
“Trying to stabilize what they fucked up! Work on removing the jammers near the generators!” Campbell directed as he tried to unlock an electrical route that would disperse excess energy from the reactor.
Taking his knife and tracing the wire near the block of TNT, Ryan took a heavy breath before withdrawing the knife and placing it back it in his vest. “Sergeant!”
“What is it?”
“I need Wolf, Noble, and White to move the bomb to the cafeteria!”
“You heard the man, step on it!” Campbell shouted as the designated riflemen jogged over each taking a hand on the cart the bomb was on.
“Is the cart attached to anything?” Noble questioned giving a once over of the cart.
“Negative. We need to get a move on!” White barked as she began to push the cart towards the door leading to the large room nearby.
“Keep it steady!” Ryan ordered as he ran ahead to open the doors to the cafeteria.
The four entered the large room. Mixed in along with the sight of the dead bodies, the smell of iron was heavy as they came to a stop in the back where the food disposal chute was. Based on the architectural plans they had obtained, this large, metallic chute led directly outside to a large trash dump.
Pushing away and shouting at his fellow riflemen to vacate the area, Ryan instantly moved to secure and isolate himself and the explosive. Putting his remaining strength into his hands, the operator slowly formed a small shield around him, cutting himself off from the outside world. The golden hues were the exact same that he used to cast his protective spell, and it would hopefully be enough to prevent any leakage of the toxin in the event of a detonation.
“Ryan!?” Wolf barked as he stepped away from the shield that had been casted.
“Don’t worry about me! Get back to Campbell and finish the mission, I’ll take care of this!”
Holding his breath, Wolf fell silent as he was gently dragged towards the door by Noble and White.
Finally, alone, Ryan returned to what he did best, fixing a problem.
Drawing his knife and placing it under the first set of wires, his hands turned whit as he tugged cutting the wire. His eyes remained wide and attentive, and within three seconds a heavy breath escaped his mouth as he used his free left hand to pull out the explosive. He held the stick of TNT in his hand and returned his sharp gaze to the box. None of the electronics reacted to him removing the explosive, so that put his mind at ease.
Dropping the TNT on a table next to him, Ryan returned to the only other explosive still in the bomb. Some might’ve questioned him why he didn’t drop the ordinance down the chute; his answer was that it would complicate matters for EOD and was only to be used as a last resort in the event that the bomb was to detonate.
Examining the next piece that he was to remove, Ryan began to count his luck as such a disarming would involve a team of highly competent EOD personnel. He was extensively trained in EOD, yet he didn’t have a team to back him up, nor the proper gear.
The final explosive was at the top. The detonator was held by a magnetic clamp, and any removal would lead to an instant detonation. Recalling a lesson, he had taken in Military Officers Development School (MODS), light magic could interact with magnetic polarity, and with the proper frequency, he could reverse the magnetic pole on the explosive and keep the detonator in place long enough to remove it and drop it down the garbage chute.
Taking one last look at the wires connected to the detonator, Ryan firmly grasped the table he was next to. The golden hue he had casted provided a headache and he tried to calm himself as he drew more energy to reverse the polarity of the magnet and detonator.
A small strand of pure magic exited the palm of his hand and wrapped around the detonator and magnet. Moving his right hand and holding the explosive in place, Ryan felt the poles pushing against each other. Until he was sure the detonator wouldn’t trigger, due to a small click, he snapped his arm to the chute and sent the explosive flying down.
Mere seconds later, an echo filled the room and his ear hurt immensely as the charge exploded at the bottom of the building.
“All units report in! Someone just set off an explosive?” Campbell’s voice showed that he was panicking from the sudden detonation.
“Pig Two, Campbell, just saw an explosive detonate at the southwest exterior of the command building, all clear?”
“Copy, all clear here. Possible IED that detonated, Ryan is disarming a bomb.”
“That’s one way to disarm something.” Pig Two said sarcastically.
“Right, Pig One, what your status?” Pig Two asked.
“Enemy contact! Engaging hostiles near the north cooling tower!”
Ryan remained on the ground as he covered his ringing ears. The shockwave from the explosive was focused due to the chute and had hit him square in the chest. He collapsed to the ground as he tried to listen to the radio. It seemed that hostile force was moving to resecure the facility, which made him wonder how much personnel these terrorists had to conduct open warfare against Federation soldiers.
“Got a communication relay linked to something!” Campbell informed the other teams, “Looks like someone is trying to activate a failsafe!”
“Gas! Gas!” Pig Two cried as he began to choke. “Northeast tower is contaminated! We—exposed!”
In two seconds, the shattering of glass alerted Ryan as he tried to scramble onto his legs. A green mist filled the air, the same gas that had been used to attack the convention hall weeks prior.
Slipping and falling onto his back, Ryan began to choke as the gas overwhelmed his protective barrier.
“Control center is contaminated; damned thing is messing with the terminals!” Campbell shouted.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Noble coughed out as his voice slowly died out.
Grasping his radio, Ryan made one last effort to speak to his team before he died alone, “What the hell is happening!?”
“Heavy casualties! We’re pulling out!” Wolf responded.
“Team two has been eliminated!” Campbell added as his panting breath filled the radio line.
Looking at his hand, Ryan began to tear up as his skin began to corrode away and mix in with the blood that poured from his body.
His eyes shut shortly after.
Publicly Available Information: Precinct Siege:
Fifteen armed assailants stormed the Indigo County Police Department and captured civilian staff and the armory lockup. Federal Law Enforcement, and local Sheriffs have responded to the emergency call citing this to be the worst criminal assault on a LEO facility ever in recorded Federation history.