Racing Dawn

The deafening roar of rotor blades moving at almost supersonic speeds overhead stole away the sound of thousands of rain drops falling heavily onto cement. A man dressed in full matte black military armour stood tall before them, looking little more than a shadow. Not even an insignia was visible to the naked eye, instead one was overlaid via the heads up display in every soldier’s visor.

Such a thing wasn’t necessary, everything about the man was in a completely different league to the soldiers standing around him. All were trained in the same stance but where, to them, it was beaten in through months of hard training, to this man standing before them, it was the most natural stance in the world. They were mere pups before a wolf, even if their coats were the same colour.

Alongside all of the other soldiers Matheson moved forwards, another cog in a well-oiled machine. His head low but unflinching to the air beating down on them with immense power, he felt his hands grip tighter to his rifle, trying to stifle the doubts in his heart and the rising anxiety gripping onto his stomach.

Small droplets of rain ran down the outside of his mask flowing in small rivulets like the flowing tears of a dying child. For each drop of rain striking his armour he felt another blow to his heavy heart, but the peaceful darkness looming ahead offered him some brief reprieve.

His feet towing the line forwards towards the gapping void that was the helicopter loading bay. The rain stopped falling upon him and the darkness became clear as his visor automatically adjusted to the dim interior. Inside he stood shoulder to shoulder with the 20 other soldiers present for this mission, their deep black armour difficult to see clearly even with his visors assistance.

Their officer followed them in from the rear, his gear shimmering with moisture looking no different than any other soldier. Yet he was easy to pick out of the group, his confident stride and the powerful, predatorial gaze, apparent even through his visor. His long stride through the ranks of soldiers somehow manageable only for him in the shoulder to shoulder environment.

1st Lieutenant Johnson, he’d been with them since training and was the perfect leader. Following the rules and mission objectives without room for personal bias. He wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to leave behind a man for the sake of the mission, nor should he.

The Lieutenant stood at the forward section of the cabin astride the light assault vehicle that had been requisitioned for this mission. Intercom gave a slight buzz before his voice roared through, grinding away the anxiety in Matheson’s heart. There was a visible ease in the formation as the soldiers found themselves regaining their confidence; in themselves and in their training.

“Today’s task is a simple escort mission.” His words belying the countless complexities surrounding the conditions of their mission. Every soldier here already knew that they were treading into alien territory, a world where they didn’t belong.

A slight jolt assaulted them as the helicopter lifted off ground, causing one of the soldiers in the front to lose his footing stumbling slightly but regaining his posture with such agility that Matheson questioned if he’d even seen it in the first place. An error unfamiliar to soldiers like them almost like a computer summing one plus one to equal three.

The lieutenant coughed gently, it hadn’t make it past his sharp eyes; nothing ever did. That incompetent man would be getting chewed out for the next week for that mistake, maybe even going back into training with the raw recruits. If it was determined that he was still capable of serving that was. Failing that he may even be discharged into another sector. Although it wasn’t meant to be a punishment, with the pride every soldier had it would sting.

Though as the Sergeant always put it, lose your footing here and it hurts your pride, lose your footing on the battlefield and it hurts the mission.

Training was hell but the battle field is worse, you’ll never hear a veteran soldier complaining about training being hard. Not after that same intense training saved their lives, team and objective more than once. At least that was what they’d been told so many times.

In fact most soldiers here have lost a brother by a small mistake like that in training alone, even at their ripe young age.

“Remember we want to avoid open hostilities as much as possible, the natives may be violent but they are smart enough to keep their weapons sheathed for the most part. Do not aggravate them. If any one of you upset the peace talks without justification you will be charged with treason.

“Expect some violent rioters in the street, you have full authority to use whatever force necessary at your discretion. If forced the protection of our people are more important than peace with these people and so long as you don’t go killing the soldiers their leaders won’t care. Though they may only be armed with the equivalent of sticks and stones the men you’ll be escorting will only be lightly armoured.”

The cabin buffeted slightly before letting loose a short burst of canon fire, most of which was dampened by the hull and his sound filtered helmet. Sweat started to film his hands as his heart pumped harder, it took most of his strength to just maintain his breathing at a steady rate.

Matheson’s heads up display flicked on at the Lieutenant’s order filling most of his field of view with a bird’s eye view of a semitranslucent city. His panicked mind rushed to focus on it, and the words still flowing from his earpieces.

The fine details of the map were stripped away so as to focus on the forest rather than the trees, but his eyes still searched through those streets for the signs of life. A green light flicked on screen a short distance from the city walls in a section covered in trees marked as difficult terrain.

“This is our drop point, one of the men you’ll be protecting will already be onsite on arrival.” A red light ignited in the centre of the city in a building which had to be a command centre of sorts. “This is our destination, you are to ensure their safety on the way there and also return them safely after they are finished. We may have some greater number of men to protect after transiting the castle.

“Depending on how well this man does his job we may need to perform an extraction so be ready for the enemy to become hostile at any moment during negotiations. Lethal force is authorised at your discretion remember primary objective is to keep these men safe, even if you have to burn down the city to do it.” Yet it was also unpermitted to mess with the peace talks, making this a more complicated mission than they were trained for.

On screen a number of important routes appeared, primary and secondary entrances as well as extraction routes in triplicate with indication of the vehicle doing the pickup. It seems the light assault vehicle the Lieutenant was standing astride of was going to be used for extraction purposes rather than initial transport or fire support.

“At the same time do not endanger their objective of peace unless forced to do so. This being such a delicate mission we have chosen the best of the best, I have faith in you men. Now try to make it home without wrecking the place.”

The best of the best, not one man outside of the Lieutenant himself had seen real combat. For the four years since they left their childhood innocence behind they’d trained for this, day and night, without rest. Even so, in this instance the best of the best was nothing more than highly trained and well equipped virgins of battle.

He felt the forces on his body shift as the helicopter slowed, almost making him stumble in the tight environment. Lieutenant Johnson signalled for them to prep for drop, and following orders all of the men turned, rows on the right turning clockwise, rows on the left turning counter, so that every direction was covered. Not that it mattered here but it was a practice they were trained into.

Standing near to the back he felt a little bile rise in the back of his throat and a few unwelcome thoughts spring to mind. Thoughts about a childhood friend, thoughts about being lost, bloodied and broken, the feeling of water bursting into his lungs. Training soon forced that excitement into retirement and his muscles to form up, even though he didn’t desire it.

Right now, as his training took hold it was as if this body were no longer his own, the rising anxiety now forcing his consciousness into submission. Imprisoned within his own suit of armour he held firm to the line.

This was a mission just like any other, or so they’d been trained but there was always a brief moment before the jump when the training hadn’t yet kicked in fully. A brief moment when he was still himself. As the back of the chopper lowered that moment came to an end, every stray thought dying an early death and his body running on intensive training.

The heavy thumping of air intensified as the ramp opened followed by a rush of purple mist flowing in and quickly overwhelming their numbers. The tendrils wrapping around their limbs and equipment as if it were some living being; which wasn’t entirely out of question. Never did it exert physical power on them and it was only as thick as the average morning back where he grew up, but the alien colour made it feel more hostile, evil even. His grip on the rifle tightened unconsciously, his breathing was forced into a deep rhythm else he’d lose control. Mindlessly he followed along as the others ran head first into the blind depths of the purple oblivion.

Boots thumped on hard steel before they leapt from the rear of the aircraft. Not a moment’s hesitation in any one of them as they fell three metres into knee deep mud surrounded by the calls of alien insects and the squelch of mud clinging to legs. Countless little creatures swarming around their feet clinging to the metal momentarily before moving onwards, for a moment all of these insects and reptiles were lit up by the heads up display before it recognised them as non-combatants.

His body moved on its own struggling against the mud and environment keeping perfect pace with every other soldier around him. Upon landing into the swamp they were already in formation covering each other’s blind spot; one being with one mind.

Ahead of the group the Lieutenant had already rushed forwards and made contact with their person of interest. The man was wearing some flimsy material, only buttoned up to the breast with loose trousers soaking into the muddy earth. He had nothing but a sword for a weapon gently swaying on his hip in pace with his nervous twitching.

The twenty man team was already forming around them rifles levelled, safety off, and each soldier with another watching his or her back. The techs had already launched a half a dozen drones into the air above them supporting the group with their targeting lasers, mosquito missiles equipped with nerve gas warheads, and neurotoxin darts. They were only lightly armoured but with predictive bullet tracking and rocket boosters for rapid manoeuvrability capabilities it would be easier to hit a ghost, which, for that matter would be easier to see.

His heads up display was lit up with a blend of ultra-red, heat vision and other supports forming the most intuitive view of the scenery the on-board system was able to create. Turning up the audio he could make out the overwhelming sounds of nature around them, insects with insanely familiar chirps and clicks mixed together with the foreign sounds of creatures so completely alien that it almost hurt his ears to hear it.

“So then how many of the missing people have been found?” The Lieutenant’s voice filled with a coldness only known to the most incapable of soldiers, growled over the sounds of the environment.

“We-w-well we have g-go-got a couple of them, b-b-but the king i-is demanding a-an audience with y-you-your leader.” Overhead a drone lit up a violent scene of nature. A large eagle seemed to have found its way here likely to its grave, since it was being harassed by a swarm of small flighted lizards. They seemed to have the advantage in the battle sending stray feathers falling from the sky, even as some of the reptiles fell wounded others took their place.

Matheson gave it the order to ignore the fight and keep scanning for hostiles. So long as the reptiles kept away from them then it wouldn’t be an issue, this forest was filled with thousands of possible threats on the other hand.

Responding to signs of close motion of large mammals a drone flew out for a scan of the area, its small shadow quickly getting lost from view in the thickly coloured mist. The gentle flows of mist made even the sophisticated software of his HUD lose track of things inside its depths, perhaps it needed some environmental adjustments.

“Well good thing I came along then.” The Lieutenant grabbed the man by the shoulder and threw him forwards towards city. “Off we go.”

“Y-y-y-yess sir.” Mouth moving at different pace to the sounds, apparently his helmet was filtering and translating automatically. The man moved without much haste at first but a few harsh words and he was moving at a slow jog alongside the rest of the team. Though compared to them he was still slow even with his ragged breathing coming out in bursts like that you’d expect from a man in his late years.

The intercom from Matheson’s helmet burst forth, “The recon drone has reported a large group of individuals likely part of a local raider gang to our rear and keeping track of us. Alpha team move in and scare them off. Try to kill their leader else they may keep following. You have two drones under your command for this.”

Alpha consisted of around 5 of their 20 soldiers leaving them easily capable of defending their man until the city perimeter. As the 5 soldiers quickly ran across the rough terrain, barely even shadows even to his systems, the rest of the team formed a tighter circle moving with increased haste. The sun was likely to rise in the next hour and they didn’t want to be here when it did.

Distant pops of gunfire and screams permeated the humid air but filtered through his helmet. The gunfire was limited to controlled shots in single fire, the men they were facing likely wouldn’t even manage a scratch on their hi-tech armour so automatic gunfire was out of the question.

In no more than 60 seconds their lost members returned filling back into the encirclement. With scouting positions held by the drones flying above able to give them warning of any living being in 2 klicks of their position they were able to form a tight grouping with every soldier able to see every other in this misted marsh.

In around half a klick the trees would give way to an open field which was apparently recovered marshland. A few shots from the other side of the encirclement warned him of possible enemy presence moments before a large creature was lit up in his HUD. Around as tall as a full grown man it clung to the trees with a series of grotesque arms, the creature bared its teeth and hissed. Without any defining feet it seemed as though it wouldn’t be following them out of the cover of the trees.

Unsure about the dangers posed by local wildlife Matheson fired a warning round a half metre from where it hung, the sound and shock of which sending it flying away. Grotesque arms catapulting it dozens of metres from tree to tree like some living projectile.

His conscious mind reeled at the monstrosity but at the moment subconscious training left him unable to even consider it as anything more than a non-hostile. The tree line rushed up to them in a blur, the man they were protecting calling out to them not to shoot in an exhausted voice. Of course that had no bearing on them, he was to be protected but his opinion mattered none.

The mist was left behind with the trees and before them opened up a vast city wall just a few hundred metres forwards. Even from this distance the many scars that marked those walls showed how formidable a fortress it was. Apparently it hadn’t been taken by enemy soldiers since its inception over a millennia ago.

Today they were going in whether they were wanted or not, nothing here had a chance of standing in their way. They were like a tank rolling through a playground full of bullies, any amount of struggle on their part could only succeed in getting themselves hurt.

Empty camps on the edges of town revealed the remnants of their armies alongside the freshly planted camps of their allies. The simple truth was that those armies couldn’t stand a chance even against their small team. There was never a war, but these people were on the suffering end of a mass slaughter at the hands of the same army Matheson served.

On his sensors there was little to be seen awake and aware other than a few lax guards at the ends of the rows of tents. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice the new arrivals; Matheson didn’t need to be killing rattled soldiers right now.

Of course they weren’t so lucky as to be unseen by every group camped out here. Over a hundred metres away on their left stood a massive tent standing as tall as the city walls, emitting heat signatures far greater than if they had a bonfire in the middle of it. The drones were already focusing on it and highlighting the guards as possible threats.

The closest figure was feminine with sword on hip and long, bladed staff in hand highlighted by threat detection software. She was steady, focused and very possibly dangerous should they get too close. Though as a whole she was considered a minor threat due to lack of any ranged weaponry.

That wasn’t the reason she was being highlighted though, not only was she aware of their presence which shouldn’t be possible from this range and with their advanced camouflage but she was also lit up brightly on the heat sensors. Reading at approximately 45 Celsius on her exposed flesh. Her amour also made to look demonic with horns and inhuman additions that were frequent in medieval times.

She didn’t move from her post but kept close observance of them as they approached the main doors of the compound. Even the guards above didn’t notice them until they were literally banging on the massive wooden doors.

A nervous voice cried out from the centre of their group, “It’s the Kings ambassador let us in. Now!”

“The hell you going on ‘bout?” A guard overhead leant over the edge of the rail with a lit torch, the light only really illuminating a metre of stone before falling far short and blinding the man to everyone down below, “No one comes in till sun up. Kings orders.”

The Lieutenant let out a low growling voice to the man with them, “Get us in, or we’ll make a way in.”

“This is an important envoy, let us in or the King will have your head.” His voice filled with confidence he’d only just discovered.

“Not till morning; now leave the gate or we’ll start shooting.” The torch drew a little back as a crossbow was lifted into place.

“Open the gates, we’re a group of ambassadors from Earth.” The Lieutenant called out loudly, his synthesised voice almost perfectly clear.

“From where? You meaning them armies that killed my brother?” His voice suddenly more serious.

They were ordered to line up on the wall in readiness for a breach as the Lieutenant dealt with the man.

“Probably.” Lieutenant Johnson didn’t deny the fact, they were soldiers after all not liars. The explosives engineer was already preparing explosives for the front door.

“Open the gates.” The call came from above, stunning them all for a moment except for the engineer who rapidly started to disable the explosives with a deftness unfamiliar to that of most men.

“Yes open the gates god damn it, you want to die? You know who is out there?” The man seemed to be having troubles with the others but things were flowing more smoothly than they otherwise would have.

Slowly the gates grinded open, wooden doors followed by metal portcullis, on the other side men stood intimidatingly yet their pulses and skin temperatures alongside many other details were measured by his suits software. The results came up that they were terrified, which can be almost as dangerous as anger.

They were lined up with weapons in hand, “We’ll be watching you through the city.” Apparently their guards were unprepared for their arrival and so the gate guards were prepared to leave their positions, either that or they were extremely undermanned. The envoy rushed ahead to warn the King of their arrival, Lieutenant Johnson made his way to the leader of their guard and ignored the man running for his life.

Perhaps this was an opening for an ambush, the non-combatant leaving the area left a bad taste in Matheson’s mouth. Not like their crossbows could penetrate his armour but the Lieutenant couldn’t allow such a disrespect when coming for a peace treaty. If they didn’t make it clear that they are the stronger party in this arrangement then things would likely end badly for everyone.

After a brief conversation the man led them into town along their prescribed route. The stealthed drones flew about in the city, with all of the alleys there was a slight chance of them being caught off guard by someone. Even with the overhead cover they never let themselves ease up, it’s when you feel most safe that you are most vulnerable he’d learnt for himself.

Rifle gripped firmly but without the panic driven white knuckle grip he’d experienced through most of training, still a slight tremble remained in his fingers. Breathing controlled, body working entirely on pre-programmed forms as he checked down each passing alley for hostiles. The rest of the team working alongside him with the HUD guiding his vision and aim so as to give complete coverage.

An ambush warning indicated a number of possible hostiles appearing on screen up ahead. None were directly visible but the HUD combined with the targeting sensors of the UAV’s lit them up brightly. Focusing their rifles on the targets they prepared to fire at the least bit of movement. The drones overhead were already using the tranquilizer darts to take out at least half of the combatants.

The guards leading them forwards quickly grew very nervous as their rifles targeted the invisible ambushers. Apparently they were in on this plot, though there was no need to strike them yet already the men were forced into targeting them alongside other enemies.

“You better make sure they don’t go lifting their heads, else there’s going to be a lot of blood flowing down these streets.” Lieutenant Johnson called out to the man leading them, his voice intentionally loud enough for everyone to hear. “I don’t particularly want to waste the ammunition or time on this.”

The guards quickly lifted their hands off of their weapons and those in cover either cowered down or ran for their lives. This was what it was like to be gods amongst men Matheson thought briefly. The respect shown to them out of fear, loathing and envy, but respect nonetheless.

The drones quickly marked off the remaining combatants as non-hostile and went back to mapping the area. The darkness offered them some relief from the eyes of the few villagers wondering through the town this early on the morning but it wouldn’t last for long. Those gazes were growing as the sun grew closer to the horizon.

A brief flash of warning lit up his HUD as a target from the rear grew closer, rushing up towards them with the speed of the wind yet soundless to his sensors. The heat signature suggested that it was one of the strange warriors from outside of camp, she was in his section of fire and even those to his left and right were diverted to this arising threat.

It was at the location of the ambush where it suddenly came to a halt, looking around at the various members still actively weeping behind cover. It wasn’t long before the figure was beyond range of even the drones flying closely overhead. The heat signature getting lost in the humid morning air of this ancient city.

The call to halt came shortly after losing her, holding pattern Delta outside of the castle walls. Arranged in a triangle pointing away from the wall firing patterns covering every direction, watching all of the various targets highlighted by the overhead drones.

Head of their guard successfully called out to the man operating the doors but it was a few moments before they were willing to open the gates. Apparently they were expecting the ambush to work out better and for it to at least take them longer than this to get here. At least they weren’t stupid enough to attack now.

For now at least fear burned brighter than hatred. The doors creaked loudly and the metal grating lifted up accompanied by the heaving breathe of men, their muscles moving with mechanical precision and strength. Even though they were welcomed inside the Lieutenant kept them on guard. Every muzzle of every rifle trained on a man, fingers only a trigger weight away from ending a life. This situation was weighted as precariously as a boulder teetering at the edge of a cliff, ready to start an avalanche on the town below.

Rough calls and cries surrounded them as they moved on through the group uncaringly, the guards caught up to their momentum rushing with them. The castle stood magnificently with the beauty of millions of drops of human sweat, blood and tears almost oozing from the mortar between the bricks. Within his helmet there were endless fires burning brightly along the many walls and towers yet he knew it would look endlessly more beautiful in the full light of day with eyes unaltered by his visual support systems.

Somewhere up in those thousands of windows someone was looking down on them, probably not seeing the many enemy soldiers filing into their castle. The light movement of curtains and the shimmering of body heat indicating just that.

The king would hopefully be waiting inside and this would be over with shortly.

A grand set of doors stood proudly up ahead likely the magnum opus of the stone masons responsible for their creation. Intricate marble interlaced with silver reflecting the light of the torches beautifully. The men standing guard seemed to be little more than decorations themselves, dressed in fine clothes and highly decorated armour polished to perfection. They snapped to attention as Matheson’s team approached Halberds held across the door with well-practiced precision. Rifles were trained at the men with lethal intent, the head guard approached the two toy soldiers.

“We’re here to send these men on to you.” He turned and left with the rest of his men, choosing to leave behind the threat to their city before they get involved any deeper.

“Approach!” The two pieces of architecture called out loudly enough for all to hear.

Lieutenant Johnson walked forwards under guard by squad Beta including Matheson. The two men didn’t shift in their stances even under threat of death by a thousand bullets. “We demand access to the King, return of our people and the signing of a peace treaty. Any who stand in our way will be taken as hostiles.”

To make his point more clearly they finally stepped into the light from the torches. Perhaps the rifles meant nothing to them but there was still a flash of animalistic caution in those eyes. The look of an animal staring into the eyes of a foreign predator yet unsure of who is the superior.

“There is a personal escort waiting for you within, only five of you may enter.” His voice clear, and refined.

The Lieutenant didn’t bother with talking it out, with five men they could take they castle in less than an hour. Sending back one of their team he strode up to the men not even waiting for them to fully raise their halberds. Matt positioned himself to the lieutenants left, covering his side watching for a motion from the guardsman.

The intermittent lights messed with his sensors, switching favoured vision for some time but no false walls or threats were apparent. In here they didn’t have the luxury of a drone to cover them from above and had to take far more responsibility for themselves.

The hallways were displayed beautifully with metalwork candle frames and mirrors to extend the light. Around them the various servants scattered quickly disappearing down through the back rooms hoping not to be noticed.

It wasn’t long at all before they reached what had to be the throne room, King sitting astride the most golden piece of furniture he’d ever seen. The thing must’ve hurt the eyes to look at with the naked eye. The King himself was covered in the sheen of sweat and a nervous twitch in his hand giving away his lack of confidence. Even the golden crown upon his head did nothing to create a royal appearance to the eye, though that was partly due to being woken up early, leaving him dishevelled and unprepared.

Lieutenant Johnson didn’t care for the propriety nor the reaction from the many beautifully attired guards suddenly standing on edge as he climbed the steps to the king. Rifle resting low to the ground and relying entirely on his team. One of the guards stepped forwards earning him a bullet to his knee.

To the man’s credit he only gave a short pained cry as he fell to the ground.

The king gave out a short cry, “Magic!”

“No, not magic, guns far more dangerous than your magic.” He levelled the gun at the kings head. “Where is my negotiator he was meant to go on ahead of me? I guess it is of no matter since he isn’t one of us. Where are my people?”

The guards were spreading out threateningly but kept some distance from the bottom of the stairs, unwilling to turn this into a bloodbath just yet. Their formation and strength of will in the face of such dangerous enemies revealed their exceptional training. Under ordinary circumstances they might have proven to be powerful enemies.

The sound of gunfire was drawing surprised guards in from all across the castle already the massive thrown room was becoming packed with their numbers.

Their formation was flawless as one of the toy soldiers offered a shoulder to withdraw with the wounded man while others covered with their halberds. Matheson suspected that they might even be able to push him back if he tried charging them, though such a thing was ridiculous for a rifleman to do.

The kings voice boomed throughout the well-constructed hall, “Stand down, we’ll cooperate with you.” The Lieutenant was willing to lower his rifle but didn’t back away. “we have the slav- your people gathering in the courtyard where your soldiers are waiting for you.”

“All of them?”

“Uh well there was a problem with that. Some of them are… gone.”

The Lieutenant levelled the rifle again. “But! But we are willing to pay reparations to you for their deaths. A king’s bounty each!”

“Double it.”

“Uh- excuse.”

The Lieutenant pulled back the slide on his rifle, unnecessary but incredibly intimidating to the King who didn’t know what this strange weapon was.

“Yes, yes of course. It will be down with your men by the time you return.” He waved at some of the guardsmen and quickly rushed out of the room dignity far from intact.

The Lieutenant paused for a moment likely checking up with the drone’s footage and the progress. He gave them the go ahead to retreat through the guards that were already dividing like a sea of human flesh. Even more had arrived while they were talking and now there were at least a hundred standing in formation around them. Eyes full of spite but none moved to stop them without the kings orders.

In formation in formation they hastily moved back down the hallway they’d taken earlier, their pace a fast walk. Even having already checked once Matheson was still keeping his eyes open for a trap, whether it be a false wall or something in the roof but his caution was needless.

Soon they safely arrived back at the courtyard filled with an unpleasant tension. Dozens of men and women were gathered inside the impenetrable ring of black steel and rifles, their faces downcast. They were obviously from Earth but they were wearing nothing but rags and depressingly confused expressions. These were the men and women who were lost when the tear first opened.

At first they were the brave curious few who walked towards the unknown, knowing not fear. It was that foolishness which led them here to a place where they did not belong. To a place where they were subjugated to the worst mankind had to offer to its brothers and sisters. The brave and the foolish were one and the same, standing broken and defeated.

One of the fools, a woman, fell to the ground her legs failing her for long enough that she couldn’t catch herself. She lay on the ground where she fell, mud staining her pale white skin as ink stains onto fresh paper. Training failed him then, watching the pitiful scene play out before him the rifle quickly fled from his hands into its holster on his back. He knelt down before that young woman, uncertain hands reaching out to offer help as he tried to get a look at her face.

“Karen?” The name slipping from his lips before he could even get a good look at the woman. Looking beneath the bruising on her face and the fresh bloody scar, her face was heartbreakingly familiar. A small emerald gem inset into a rusted old hair clip shone brightly even through the dark, reddish mud.

Long eyelashes fluttered briefly as tears dripped down, floating over the mud, unable to clean the stains. Her legs were trembling so much it was a surprise she managed to stand not moments ago, while her arms were clutched up to her face as if to shield her from the world itself.

Matheson opened his mouth but no words could find their way through, millions hovered waiting to be said but none were right. In the end he lifted her in his arms, her frightfully lacking weight no burden on him, especially not with the suit enhancing his strength.

If she opened her eyes all she would see is her own broken reflection in his visor, where his skin touched hers all she would feel is the mechanical precision and cold touch of steel. For all its enhancements one thing his suit could never do is sooth the human heart. He regretted this as she wept alone in his arms.

Lieutenant Johnson didn’t even give him a glance, this was the end of soldiering for Matt. Assisting the people they were escorting wasn’t an issue, in fact it was commendable but putting away a weapon in a volatile situation without any orders from a superior officer; that was a big mistake.

Looking down amongst the many people suffering here, then to the woman in his arms, Matheson couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. After all perhaps his heart was too soft for this. He’d seen it happen to another soldier only once before. There was no yelling or great scene made about the occasion. It was simply recognised that it was a mistake to put the man into the position and amendments were made towards that mistake.

The thought should have made his heart skip, but right now there was nothing that could move it from the darkness surrounding him. Evil lived here and it tainted them, made them suffer far greater than home ever could. Never before had he missed his childhood so badly before, wished for a time of peace and happiness without… this.

They waited for only a short time before the gold arrived but that was far too long for those who’d already spent an eternity here. Others around him joined in on the weeping as his team checked to make sure all of the payments were right. Their searches swift but accurate.

As the last box lid closed they were already marching out of the city along their escape route. If any ambush was attempted it would fail to recognise their change in path, or at least that was the intention. With the light assault vehicle ready to escort them to the pickup location as soon as they left the gates.

Light was already dawning as they left the castle for the tight confines of the town. Life was starting to awaken in full strength but gave pause to their passing. The drones flying overhead finally getting some recognition from the people below.

A warning lit up his display, an attempted ambush lying in wait ahead. The drones were already working on taking out as many of them as possible while the soldiers were readying themselves to fire at the remaining. They were going to move through it rather than go around, as they were running low on time and their weapons and armour made the ambush a failure from the start.

At this moment, with every soldier but him focused on the ambush lying ahead when the survivors started to cough. Not a simple cough someone might have when they drink too quickly but the heavy sound of someone trying to heave up their own insides. His display soon heated up, with the woman in his arms clutching at him desperately as her skin grew hotter by the moment.

The Lieutenant yelled something, but Matheson couldn’t hear it even through his radio. Her pin fell from her hair falling as if in slow motion into a nearby puddle.

Every sense he had was focused on the face of the woman in his arms as she cried, her tears lost amidst the flowing flesh of her face. Everything she touched left behind more of herself as her flesh gently flowed like lava down a mountainside.

Her lips before falling free, mouthing words over and over again. “Save them. Save them. Save them.” He heard her voice within his own mind, soft and gentle even as her body was wracked in unimaginably intense pain.

Her temperature only grew in intensity, blindingly hot until it filled his entire vision with pure white light.