Four hours pass without any action or interruption with the exception of a family of humans who had managed to escape both the ants and their burning home. They join the civilians and are welcomed and assisted with the food bars and water I had provided.

I learned that this team takes two-hour shifts for folks to stretch, rest, use the facilities – which is a set-aside room brought in as part of the defensive position – and overall just get a break. Sam and I make sure we take ours at the same time, which the Special asshole has no problem with. I’m sure he doesn’t want me infecting his manly defensive team with my womanness.

Sam and I return to relieve an elf whose name is Blyannar and is actually not an asshole. He doesn’t seem to care positively or negatively about me being a woman, which is great with me. In fact, he doesn’t appear very fond of Charlie either, but is required to follow orders and does so. I learn that he and his family desperately need his job at the Hunter’s Guild and cannot afford the risk of getting fined. Sam seems to sympathize with him quite a bit.

As I step up and take my position I hear a familiar voice in my ear. “Hey darlin, you there?”

Smiling widely at the sound of one of my favorite people, I touch my ear. “Here Gunny,” I whisper. “Good to hear from you. Is he safe and undisturbed?”

“Yeah, darlin. Thank you for the orders. We might have scared the city politicians a little and may pay for it later, but for now, he’s safe. But more importantly, how are you?”

“Good,” I tell him. “At defensive position thirty-three and happily bored.”

“That’s great. Glad to hear it. Here too. Don’t die. If you do, give us warning first so we can leave the planet.” I laugh. Both because it’s funny and because it’s true. Vic would react… poorly. “Alright darlin, just wanted to pass the news and check-in. Stay safe out there.”

“You too, Gunny. Thanks.”

That’s a huge relief. I figured since nobody from V.I. got back to me that everything was ok, but it’s still good to hear. I continue my scan and see Charlie’s furious glare and red face. Shit, this guy has a serious problem with me.

The sun is starting to set and the temperature begins to drop. Thankfully it is a warm early summer day and we aren’t out here freezing to death. Unfortunately, as dusk sets in, finding targets will be substantially more difficult. The ants are not reflective and the black fire produces no light.

Another twenty or so minutes later I hear another familiar voice in my ear.

I’m so sorry Aria. I’m back and relieved beyond belief that you are well…

“Hey Jo!” with a big exhale. “Welcome back. How we doing?”

I have good news and bad news. Given your situation and your current commander’s glare, I will not ask you to respond. Before you ask, yes, I have access to local surveillance. Now, as I would with Vic, I will provide the bad news first; I apologize if this would not be your preference. I have accessed recent communication and assignments and am aware of your challenges with the dwarves on team thirteen and the unpleasant Special, Charles Bentley Atkinson. We can discuss the dwarves another time. Given they are deceased, there is no rush. As for Commander Atkinson of defensive position thirty-three, you may be surprised to hear that he has a positive reputation as a mercenary and team leader as long as women are not involved. However, there are numerous complaints against him for his treatment of female mercs and military personnel. Two involve violence, of which only one went to court but was dismissed due to lack of evidence. The female elf in question failed to attend the trial. The only advice I have is to be aware of him and I recommend you avoid being alone together…

Onto the good news: You should have backup in two to four hours if everything goes as it normally would. Of course, with the you-know-what around him, things could be different…

I smile widely at that last part, lean over, and whisper to Sam, “If all goes well, help should be here in under four hours.”

He looks confused but nods anyway.

Indeed. I am also pleased. So you are aware, the beast breakout is under control and appears to be contained in the three primary defensive areas as hoped. Due to the ant weaponry being terminal upon contact, there have been many more deaths than injuries. In point of fact, almost all the non-fatal injuries are from friendly fire or accidents involving colliding flyers, faulty equipment, etcetera. And finally, at present, there are no reports of enemy forces in your area…

I relax a little at that but don’t stop my normal actions. No reports does not mean no enemies, and I certainly do not want to give asshole Charlie an excuse to hate me more, if that’s even possible.

I'm unfortunately proven correct in my caution when I hear the gnome on the opposite end of the crescent call out, “Possible target spotted.”

It is definitely harder to see with the sun mostly set, but I sweep the area as well as I can. Just at the corner of the building on my side of the crescent, I see a brief flicker of movement.

“Movement confirmed,” I call, remembering to use the proper terms. “Cannot confirm target.”

“Shut up and let us do it,” Charlie orders. “Full team report to the line!"

Good to know Charlie’s nasty tone and attitude won’t change even if we are in a potential combat situation. Okay then, I’ll just be quiet and let Sam do the talking. That’s perfectly fine.

I whisper to Sam, “Might want to have the civi’s get down in case there are actually ants and they begin to fire at us. And let them know about the needles in case they don’t already. I don’t think I should talk.”

He rolls his eyes but nods and calls out, “The civilians should pull up the floor and our mana shields should be activated at a higher setting. If these are the flaming ants, they have ranged weapons which are one hundred percent terminal upon contact.”

I hear a number of swears from the team and Charlie calls back to the group of nervous and bustling humanoids. “All non-combatants should get down and stay there until we call that things are clear." Then he turns to the defensive line team and says, “Don’t fire until we confirm enemy combatants. We don’t need any friendly fire."

I swear I can feel his glare on me as he completes that last sentence.

Deciding to ignore him, I focus on the potential enemies ahead of us. It is a bit disturbing that he hasn’t strengthened the mana shields yet, but I suppose he isn’t convinced we are facing enemies yet.

It does not take much longer for the sound of chittering to reach my ears.

Sam must hear it too because he says, “Audio confirmed. Sounds like ants to me."

I grin at him and he gives me a small and brief smile. I’m glad we worked out our issues; he’s not so bad when not angry, hateful, and jealous.

“Can anyone second that finding?” Charlie asks the group.

A few moments of silence later I think I might have to speak up and get yelled at again when one of the elves calls out, “Confirmed. I hear chittering.”

“Increase shield power by twenty-five percent, prepare weapons, spread out, and avoid crossing fire. Stay in your lanes and trust each other. I’ll be in the middle and cleaning up any misses. Don’t fuck it up for everyone else."

Again, that last bit was accompanied by a nasty look aimed at me.

While searching for a target, I reflect on what Feli, my foul-mouthed sexpot of a gnome friend, might call Charlie. Probably something like a ‘giant’s smelly ass-pustule.’ And then she’d shoot him.

My smile at that thought falls when I make out the head of an ant in the darkness.

“Target spotted in my lane” calls out the elf who had heard the chittering.

He lines up his black two-handed mana projector rifle and lets fly two quick light brown flashes followed by a short delay and then a dark brown one. The first makes contact to the right of its right eye, the next hits above the mouth but below the eyes causing the ant’s entire head to slowly turn a brighter shade of brown. The delayed third strike contacts its head in the same spot as the second and cracks through its exoskeleton to make mush out of its brain. The ant staggers, falls, and then flares black and turns to ash just like all the ones before.

“Well shot!” Charlie calls. “Fire at will but stay in your firing lane.”

Gena had taught me all about firing lanes months ago, so I’m comfortable, if slightly nervous, at the situation. I scan straight through my firing lane but keep my body behind the mana shield in case the ants decide to begin firing their needles. And just as I thought that, a flaming projectile slams into the blue glowing shield in front of the elven shooter. He takes cover just in time for a second needle to pass where his head had been a moment before. Then the onslaught of the black flaming missiles begins.