Speed And Agility (3)
Phesx Caolia heard rockets exploding everywhere. He held his head with his forehead harshly pressed onto the ground. His eyes shut tight, and his heart beat to immense degrees he never thought possible. Phesx even wondered if it was normal, for it was too fast! He dared not move, dared not do a single thing even as the bridge trembled, threatening to collapse.
Up above, in the helicopter drawing near, after bombarding several places, mostly targeting the worked defenses the platoon half-installed. A man in the pilot seats shook the pilot’s shoulder, “Don’t hit the bridge! Are you deaf? Keep it steady.”
The pilot said nothing and just flew the large helicopter above the bridge, searching the few figures they saw atop before the bombardment. There were 4, 2 belonged to Phesx Caolia and Paul, while the other 2 were the ‘lookouts’ behind the machine guns.
The latter had no defenses and were there just in case. Now, as the enemy, whoever it was, suddenly attacked, they were hidden by the smoke from the explosions below.
Phesx opened his eyes, maddened. He held his nape as he laid his belly on the ground. He wouldn’t move, not matter what, he wouldn’t move; he wouldn’t move.
“Agk!” Paul voiced before Phesx Caolia, whose eyes momentarily darted towards him, felt this body pulled forwards. Then, he felt his back covered as the thin, sharp, whispering sound like a sci-fi weapon heating up tingled into his ears like drills through mud.
Trr- krrrrrrrrrrr…
Phesx Caolia and Paul were the only ones seen through the smoke as the helicopter hovered above them. A small barrel moved about before aiming directly downwards. It fired away what could be considered a small spray, but enough to annihilate any platoon holed up behind a wall or under some trenches.
The sound nearly deafened Phesx Caolia, whose hearing became so sensitive he could feel the faraway wind affected by the helicopter. However, something else also entered his ears, shocking his trembling eyes as the heartbeats of someone on top of him became disordered.
Phesx Caolia might have completely forgotten the audacity one must have to ‘cover’ themselves from aerial units atop a large bridge, but Paul didn’t. After the spraying bullets receded, with the helicopter moving backwards, trying to make some distances to push the smoke away and see, Paul groaned and moved a little to let Phesx Caolia also move.
“Paul…!” Phesx Caolia’s eyesight cleared as he looked ahead. All he saw were small holes, seemingly from gunshots, penetrating deep into the ground. They were everywhere, more abundant than a heavy rain on dry land, and much more unstoppable.
Realizing something, he moved a little to let Paul down. Sure enough, he had 7 gunshots all on his back. His thin armor did nothing to stop them. Blood was coming out of all of them, obscuring his military jacket.
“Quiet… it down,” Paul complained, reminding Phesx Caolia of all the things he should and shouldn’t do. He nodded and brought Paul to the border, where a few concrete walls were more than enough to hide them. He left Paul with his back against it, sitting down, before going to the wall next to it, on the right, and put his helmet on.
“Huff, huff…” Phesx Caolia and Paul breathed hard, Paul because of his pierced lungs, and Phesx because he was scared the hell out of his mind.
Chuff, chuff, chuff, chuf chuf chuf… The helicopter rapidly cleared the smoke, making short work of it a few seconds after Phesx Caolia hid Paul and himself. He muttered under his breath to his helmet while Paul did the same, but he couldn’t keep the helmet on for long.
Phesx Caolia exchanged glances with Paul, before both looked down at a few dozens of soldiers moving towards the ramp while the helicopter dropped them from the air. A few nods later, Phesx Caolia and Paul prepared their rifle and submachine gun.
“…contact!” Suddenly, an enemy shouted. A second later, gunshots were exchanged, with the helicopter moving to the southern end of the bridge, on the opposite side. Phesx Caolia’s eyes hardened, and his breath began evening out. “Quork, hide! Wait until I tell you to.”
A few seconds later, feeling extremely pressured, Phesx Caolia calmed a little down as he kept hearing gunshots but heard no barrel heating up or firing. He relaxed a little as the gunshots became a little less intense below. They were just about 24 soldiers, while the enemy were who knew how many dozens.
The part that became less intense came from his comrades. The enemy kept firing as intensely as before, and uniformly.
Phesx Caolia looked at Paul, who stared ahead with his back against the wall and his open mouth. Paul looked at him, giving him a few glances, while a frown never disappeared from his expression. Paul moved his legs, bending them a little, perhaps the only limbs of his body he wasn’t feeling direct pain from. They were both waiting until they had to act, restraining the impulsiveness surging inside their hearts out of fear of dying.
“!” Phesx Caolia’s eyes widened to their fullest as he suddenly began leaning on his right butt cheek. He heard, from a small clique of the enemies, who were going up the ramp, someone whisper while the majority remained below to take down his comrades.
“Hey, is that one of them?”
Bang, bang bang bang- tr- rrrrrrrrr… Just as the soldier made the others’ heads turn, Phesx Caolia hung himself from the upper corner of the wall. With a resistant strap holding him around the corner, his head showed up laterally before he fired, immediately injuring one of them in the abdomen.
Immediately after, Paul peeked out while still sitting, painfully stretching his body, before firing away. The enemy spread out before lying prone, but they knew that wasn’t enough. They slowly moved upwards, trying to at least find a common ground in between.
Phesx Caolia saw their mouths move through his shaken light black eyes. He fired a few more times, immobilizing another enemy by shooting their right leg off, before feeling invisible needles prickle everywhere around his body.
He no longer peeked out. Phesx kicked the wall and took the strap back before landing on the ground with a roll. Phesx lowered his body until only his shoulders were up against the wall before a hurl of bullets went his way, including those from the large helicopter.
“Aaggkk!” Phesx Caolia covered his head and nape with his hands and wrists. Dust went off everywhere, and his butt felt the vibration from such. When he felt a familiar sensation on his lower back, dangerously near his spine, he groaned and shrilled. Paul looked at this in distress before firing at the enemy, bravely stepping forwards.
Phesx Caolia groaned and shut his eyes before forcing himself to sober up. Although he frowned hard, he picked his rifle from the ground and loosened his small pistol’s holster. Preparing to welcome the incoming enemy, his chest rapidly moved up and down, semi-hyperventilating.
He didn’t see that Paul got another 2 shots on his chest as he downed a few more enemies, decreasing the firepower his wall received. Focused on the moment, Phesx Caolia spoke into his helmet just a few seconds before the enemy stood on the same level as them.
“Quork, use that thing!” Phesx Caolia hoped deep in the bottom of his heart that his soldiers would listen to him. Quork out of a wall, hiding from the helicopter, to the machine gun, while someone from below, who was under heavy fire by the still dozens of enemies below, threw a flash grenade to Quork’s back.
Prrtrtrrrrrtrtrtrrrrrtrtrr…
“Get cover!” - “Shit!” - “Aaaaah! Out of the way!” - “Kill them off first! Kill them off!” The enemy reacted to the machine gun sound. To the despair of the last few soldiers below the bridge, whoever they were, the enemy suddenly rushed into their holed up refuge.
‘Paul?… Paul…’ Phesx Caolia looked back to see if the signal was given, only to see what his ears heard a few seconds ago, but he ignored. Paul’s chest bled near his shoulders, leaving him very pale but still holding his submachine. Furthermore, noticing Phesx Caolia’s eyes, he nodded. And as if to corroborate, a soldier shouted from below.
“For Prequa!” The soldier’s shout startled the others, who had rushed into the refuge. Not only did a few of them rapidly died because of that, they were suddenly surrounded, with soldiers hidden below a wide car suddenly coming out. However, they weren’t surrounded, and it was only one soldier. Yet, instead of feeling relieved, the enemy anxiously hurried to shot him down, as he held a rocket launcher aiming upwards!
“Get out of the way! Mooove!!” The large helicopter’s pilot heard from a radio just as he fired their machine gun at Quork, whose back became gory and his body stuck against the weapon.
Pfwssssssshhh… The rocket flew up, breaking the soldier’s hands on its recoil. But that wouldn’t matter, as his head and back were riddled with bullets half a second later. The rocket went up, faster than any enemy below could raise their weapons. As for those coming up the ramp, they were hurrying to finish Phesx Caolia and Paul before helping their comrades below, unaware of the rocket launcher.
The rocket flew high up, somewhat slow in Phesx Caolia’s eyes. It looked stable, but it started shaking. Then, it arched backwards, looking like it would miss the tail by several meters. Phesx Caolia felt dispirited, as did Paul and the other soldier at the machine gun on the north side of the bridge, the only ones remaining. But then, the rocket shook again, inclining head-up into the helicopter from its lower rear.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“Huh?” - “What the-” The pilot cabin reacted with heads turning backwards in less than half a second, only to see a fury of fire and debris already condensed into action. BOOOOOOMMMMMM!…
“Fuuuuuck!” A shout sounded from below. Although they just finished the last Prequa soldiers on the ground, their helicopter was blasted into fire, forcing them to get into cover again as the rotor and its tail arched downwards. They fell towards below the bridge, endangering them.
Bang- bang! Meanwhile, atop the bridge, with the enemies soon to be ahead, and knowing Paul was still there for him, Phesx Caolia crouched and rushed to his right, aiming at the incoming enemies. He surprised them before they could step onto the same height, finishing two of them as their necks were shot and more than halved. Leaving only holes and small chunks behind.
T- rrrrrrrrr, rrrrrrr- bang, bang, bang! Bang!!
Phesx Caolia felt at ease upon hearing Paul’s submachine gun and watching 2 of the remaining enemies coming up tumble backwards. They didn’t immediately die, wearing thick armor on their torsos, but they were injured. Phesx Caolia fired his rifle a few times, dodged, before lashing his pistol out of his holster and aiming it at 2 enemies who rushed at him, intending to bash him down with their rifles.
Their shoulders and necks suffered the heavy, close-up firepower from the small pistol, stopping one like a shotgun shot him square on the face, while making the other trip face down. Phesx Caolia held his rifle high again and fired away at the remaining 2 ahead, who were already firing at him.
Pftie, pt! Bang, bang, bang, bang…
“Mffk…” Phesx Caolia groaned, feeling his abdomen shot after he crouched and fired his rifle again. His helmet emitted little sounds, saving him from sure death, as he shot the enemies’ knees before cracking their necks and collarbones open with massive firepower. They lasted a few seconds but could only reach Phesx Caolia on the abdomen with a rifle like his, and not a shitty one.
Phesx Caolia walked forward after dealing with them, keeping his rifle hanging from his left shoulder, and took his small pistol out again. He passed by the enemy who tripped, tightly holding her neck and bleeding, before shooting her in the back of the head, letting her hair become bloody and stiffen with a ‘bang!’.
Then, he walked to the other two who were also dying, although with more time than that female enemy. He aimed at their napes from below before also crushing their brains. Below the bridge, the enemy heard the gunshots, especially after they finished sooner than expected. They started coming out of their hiding spots one after another as the gunshots continued.
Bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang. Step, step!
Phesx Caolia aimed his rifle again, this time at the 2 who were tumbled backwards at the beginning, and destroyed their faces from up-close. He did the same to their stomachs before turning to look at Paul. Phesx hung his rifle over his right shoulder before rushing to him.
“Hey, hey, hey…” Phesx Caolia knelt before Paul without his helmet, whose eyes seemed cloudy. Paul grinned, knowing what Phesx’s just done, with blood clogging some of his chuckles. For now, Paul didn’t care, he was just… it was enough to see the boy alive still, albeit wounded already.
“No, you hey… Hey, take care of that- of those wounds,” Paul feebly said, sounding so weak. Phesx Caolia took his right hand with both his palms, bending over as he felt him going away. Paul smiled charmingly one more time before saying, “But more important… hey, take care of my sister, are you listening?”
“…You’re not making me marry her, are you?” Phesx Caolia responded with a frown after a second, sounding so soft. Paul frowned, putting on a stern face. “What the hells are in your head?”
“No- nn- not the moment!” Paul struggled to say, barely able to breathe. Phesx Caolia closed in, folding his left arm as he grabbed Paul’s hand tightly. With his other hand, he helped Paul do the same with his right arm, saluting each other as the life went out from those obscure, striking black eyes.
“…” Phesx Caolia heard no sound coming from Paul’s mouth again before his hand lost strength. It fell with a ‘plop’ on his bloodied military jacket, and a relaxed, unnatural bent head and neck on the wall. Putting his helmet on, he somberly notified the other soldier alive. “Shell is down.”
No one responded, but no one should. Phesx Caolia looked at the remaining soldier under his command, and who responded to his call with just beeping sounds, in case they had to keep silent. After the sudden bombardment and massacre, only they remained.
Phesx Caolia grabbed Paul’s submachine gun’s strap before putting it around his left shoulder. His head was a little lowered as he walked. It was night.
Even then, with the flash grenade from before, and the striking, breathtaking sight of a large helicopter becoming pure fire of destruction, his vision and senses were fine. More than fine; perfect.
It also meant he could still see them at the sides, behind, close to the touch; in the dark.
Phesx Caolia gritted his teeth. He grabbed his rifle with his right arm, slowly holding it with one arm alone, making a forceful stance to do so, and grabbed his small pistol with his left hand. Then, he walked to the other end of the bridge before sliding down the rope.
‘So what if they’re watching?! Might as well walk around them… with them… I must not be seen. I must not be seen. I must not be seen.’ Phesx Caolia went down the rope very slowly. Meanwhile, the other soldier maintained his position at his machine gun, while the enemies formed squads and advanced up the platform.
The stage changed, advanced, and morphed.
“Move closer together, y’all know.” - “Okay, I see no one. Wait! What’s that?” - “Oh, is the dead one reported before.” - “Mn, there should be anoth-” The enemy talked between each other as they came up the ramp and noticed Paul’s corpse.
Bang, bang, bang, bang- trrrrrr! Phesx Caolia fired at them from below, making holes in the back of an enemy’s thighs and upper back, before barraging with bullets at everyone with the submachine gun with both hands. Then, he threw a flash grenade at them before the enemy could respond. He was just behind them! Below the ramp!
“Aah, fuck! Get him!” - “Go, go, go!” - “Help Oscar, treat him!” - “Let’s go!” - “After that hijo de puta!”
Phesx Caolia hid within the night as he heard each of their footsteps. His eyes a little narrowed and indifferent as he put a mod on his submachine gun before lying down on his stomach.
The enemy rushed down the ramp, separating into 4 squads, 2 to the left and 2 to the right, all with their flashlights on. They yelled and fired a few times into the air, wanting to scare him. “Come out~! We can let you live, you know?” - “Surrender and you’ll be interrogated!” - “Come out, perra! Come suck my balls, pinche rata!”
Phesx Caolia kept his eyes closed and his calm. He sent his thoughts into memories as a squad neared his position underneath a van. After they passed him, cursing as they went, Phesx Caolia opened his eyes and tickled the ground with sharp clicking noises coming from his fingertips.
A minute later, an enemy walked nearby. That was all he needed.
Fwuomp- rustle- thud- pfshk- pfshk, pfshk, pfshk, pfshk… Phesx Caolia rolled out of the van, bumping into the enemy’s right foot. He looked down, but before he could voice anything, Phesx Caolia’s left hand hit the back of his knee with his knuckles. Overpowering the enemy, Phesx Caolia kicked the solar plexus with his right boot before the enemy fell on the ground.
Immediately after, Phesx Caolia kicked his jaw from below, gracing his neck, before stabbing the enemy with his hands, placing all his fingertips together, at the sides of his neck. Time and again, he stabbed and stabbed, painting the pavement and dirt with obscure blood.
After watching the enemy’s eyes tremble no more, Phesx Caolia rolled off and grabbed a jacket from below the van, placing it on the enemy’s back, hidden underneath his armor. He left after checking a small device control in his jacket’s pockets with his weapons in hand.
Ten seconds later, the enemy’s squad went to his position, somehow tracking a radio or something else with him. They were a little well-organized as they walked to their fallen comrade in formation.
“Go check it.” - “Boss?” - “Go!”
After a command, an enemy walked out of the squad and shook in fear as he neared the fallen comrade. However, after touching the corpse’s chest a few times, nothing happened. He sighed in relief before turning back, “It’s safe, boss!”
“Okay, grab his equipment. Even if it got damaged, it’ll be of use when we-” The leader walked forth with his rifle down. He spoke words that were like bells to his subordinates before an intense red light went off below their fallen comrade’s back.
Kaaa- kkaka kkaka kkaka! Boooom!
A tremendous, reddish shockwave spread around the squad before an explosion took place. Everyone was stunned-shocked before they received the full brunt of an explosion. The flaming red lights spread across below the bridge, startling the other 3 squads.
Phesx Caolia, nearing another squad from their side, watched as they turned to look backwards. He was glad he didn’t follow them, or he would’ve been seen now. The lights were too intense that it revealed everything beneath the vehicles.
Hellcat aimed the submachine gun and fired at their feet, everyone stopped after the commotion. Lying on his side, he did his best to launch the full magazine onto their feet and ankles. The submachine gun fired as it was held strongly between the ground on the side and Hellcat’s chest, reaching the squad he targeted.
“Ah!” - “Aaah!” - “Fuck!” - “Take- cuaagh!”
The enemies fell to the ground after Hellcat impaired them. He crouched up and reloaded, somewhat panicky, before partially showing himself to the squad. The nearest enemy saw him before begging with tears.
“Wait, wait, wait! No, no, no- don’t-” Trrrrrrr…
Bang, bang- trrrrrr, bang, ptf ptf ptf- trr, bang! Trrrrr… Hellcat was seen and shot at by others’ rifles. Phesx Caolia aimed at them and emptied his magazine, killing them along their comrade, who was choking on his blood as his neck became mangled.
Taking cover again, Hellcat went behind some cars as the bullets followed him suit. The enemy was injured, but they could still use their bodies, and their spines were perfectly fine. Some of those bullets grazed his shoulders, back, and thighs, making him stop from the sheer pain before resuming. A few also made it to his forehead or the back of his head, reflected by his helmet, and thanks to this rushing body behind the cars.
After reloading his submachine gun again, Hellcat stopped behind the side of a trailer’s front, and opened fire at the helpless sloths on the ground. Another 3 went down, but this time, Hellcat received a gunshot on his abdomen. The shot impulsed him backwards, trying to hold onto the front’s side. The shot was mostly taken by the thick armor he wore, but it still superficially penetrated his body.
He turned around and fled, throwing a flash grenade backwards, before rushing back into their view. This time, however, he had his submachine gun in his right hand, with multiple straps forcing it solid, coiling around his right arm, and his small pistol in his left hand.
Trrr- bang! Trrrrr- bang! Bang, bang- Trrr… bang bang!
Phesx Caolia jumped over a car after spraying another enemy to death. Then, as the others aimed their guns at him, still affected by the flash grenade, he rushed between them and fired his pistol to instantly kill an enemy in the chest. It wasn’t enough with the small pistol, so he put the submachine gun’s barrel on the aperture the small pistol created, and released half a spray inside before departing from their view with yet another flash grenade.
…