《Generation: Alpha》Chapter 9
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Char leaned himself against the crumbling wall behind him. They had searched the city over a day now, yet had been unable to turn up anything. Was it an anomaly? No, they had to be here. There was no way they could pull off that frequency of attacks and be far away. They had to be somewhere in the city.
"Looking a little frustrated are we Director?" Faust still had the same grin on his face that he adorned when they had first sat down. Char had no idea how his could bide his patience in such an environment. Directing troops, trying to breathe through the dust, it was all beginning to wear on him.
"I was sure we would have been able to locate them faster than this. They could be slipping away as we speak." The thought had went through Char's mind that they had been spotted when landing, but even so, the city was surrounded. The scouts would've had them locked down if they had made an attempt.
As he was recalculating his search strategy, one of the masked soldiers made their way to him. After coming within hearing range, the soldier stopped, through a salute per the norm, and informed Char of what he had been told.
"Sir, it seems like one of the units found something. A building had been breached recently. The door had been torn off and cast aside."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean? With what this city has seen, it could've happened forever ago." Char was obviously annoyed by such a trifle report. They needed something bigger.
"Well sir, it seemed unusual to them. It looked like the door had been punched clean through. They also noticed footprints inside, going into the building sir. It appears someone had entered it recently."
Char thought about the soldier's statement. Sure, footprints wouldn't be uncommon in a dusty city like this, but for one that was supposed to be deserted and as windy as it was, they should've been long gone. Perhaps they had stumbled onto something they needed.
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"Oho, sounds like our rats traveled a little too far from the nest eh?" Faust's sense of cynicism could be overbearing at times. Nonetheless, he seemed eager to investigate the detail.
"Soldier, where was this building located?" Char had now become intrigued to the idea. He didn't think that they would be that careless considering how elusive they had been, but people make mistakes at some point.
"Just north of our position sir. Its located near the center of the city, what would've been a densely populated urban center. Reports show that a subway station is also nearby." The soldier remained still, waiting for Char to respond.
It suddenly hit Char like a pallet of bricks being dropped from stories above. Had they not been in the city the whole time but under it? It would make perfect sense. It's easiest to hide when there are no open range views, and being underground would also keep them out of the weather conditions of Marlow city.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Director?" Faust had a glow in his eye, one filled with the intent to pounce. He almost looked like a serial killer, about to ambush his next unknowing victim.
"They have to be there, there's nowhere else they could be hiding. If we get there and they're not there, then they were never here in the first place."
"I suspect you are right. Why don't we gather up our troops and go find out?"
Char looked back to the soldier, who was still awaiting orders. The lack of autonomy was almost eerie at times, but they made perfect enforcers for Helix. A marvel of their technology.
"Soldier, keep the units posted that are close to the subway station. Have the others squadrons gather back here. We're going to make a full trek to the the underground of this city. Make sure everyone is properly armed."
The soldier briefly nodded his head, and spun around, heading off in the direction of one of the tents.
"Faust, make sure you've got some protection. We don't need you biting a bullet in the middle of this. Also, pack a gun. Unlike me, I know you don't have a means to defend yourself."
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"Yes sir Director. Just do be careful. You know what they say about arrogance."
Akatsuya peered out from the loft in the skyscraper he was in. Soldiers were moving through the streets in their direction. There were too many to count individually, but he could see the Wolf mechs traveling in tandem. They were coming for a fight.
He eased back from the ledge he was positioned over and made his way towards the backside of the tower. Marcus needed to know what was happening. Lyria had left some time ago and they were awaiting her return with her transport. It wasn't clear who was going to arrive first. Helix, or Lyria. He didn't like leaving his fate hinged on the circumstance of timing.
He eased himself out the window, a short blade in his hand. He pierced the side of the tower, and began sliding downwards, breaking his speed when necessary. Even if he slipped it wouldn't kill him, but he knew he needed to be in perfect shape in case Helix arrived first. He wasn't keen on making a stand against that large of an enemy, but if it was required, he would have no choice.
He came to a halt as he neared the ground, withdrawing his blade as he pushed himself off. With one final turn, he glanced back at the direction the soldier's were coming. The sun was at their back, so he would have to move carefully as he traveled back to the Underground.
Marcus listened to Akatsuya's words. It seemed that despite his best hopes, a fight was very likely to occur. It was discouraging news. In a matter of 24 hours they had went from being prepared to lay down their lives, to being filled with hope and were now forced to face a grim prospect once again. Regardless, they still had hope.
Marcus gave Akatsuya a nod, and with that, his comrade left the room. There wasn't much left to do other than check that all their weapons were in working condition and keep a lookout for Lyria's arrival. She didn't tell them where she was going, only that she had to make a call and that she would be back once she got confirmation that their ride would be coming.
The thought made Marcus nervous. Even during his war days, his team had never depended on outside help. It wasn't an idea he had ever favored, as it often placed not just himself but his comrade's lives in the hands of others.
He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the dark, oak fashioned table that decorated the conference room. The door suddenly creaked open, Amanda silking through the entryway.
"Hey, Briggs and Germaine's got the train's moved out of the way. Granted that there isn't any blockages further down the line, we should have a clear shot out of the city." There was no particular emotion to her words. She had always been a work first, celebrate later due to her experiences. If she was any bit nervous about the situation, she didn't show it.
"That's good to hear. One problem though, I don't think we're gonna have enough time to just ride out on the wings of freedom." Amanda dropped her head, understanding what Marcus meant by those words.
"So, they're going to arrive before we depart huh?" She sounded disappointed. Amanda had never been one to like to solve problems through violence, but she understood it as a neccessary evil. She would've never taken part of the Alpha project if she hadn't. She was more concerned about possible casualties than anything.
"Yep. Looks like we got our hopes up a bit too much. Then again, we're also betting our fate and everyone else's on one person. You can't get much crazier than that." Marcus normally would've laughed in such times of stress, but this was one he wasn't sure that everyone would come out of alright...
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Essence of the Dragon
Saelina has had no say in her life, thus far. She's spent the last decade barely eking out a living, on the outskirts of Mahlein, courtesy of her former fiancée and his father, who've pushed her further and further towards starvation. She has done things most people would find beneath them and still she stands. Things change when she finds a wounded sorceress in the woods and decides to help the woman in the hopes of a hefty reward. Ezeas is a Nyxan scout, sent out to retrieve an important weapon, believed to be in the possession of a crafty sorceress. His country is on the brink of war and needs the help of the dragons, only given to those who posses a bit of the mystical beasts' essence .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "If you did not have to limit yourself to...anything. What would you wish for? What is your truest desire, Saelina?" "Power." The answer came without deliberation or pause. "The power to never starve, to stand on my own, without someone holding me up. To reject whomever I want, whenever I want." Tahlisa's gaze became more intent and she moved close to her rescuer. "Say you had that power, right here, right now. What would you do?" Saelina smiled cruelly. It was a wholly new expression, yet it somehow made her features terrifyingly beautiful, Tahlisa realized. "I'd burn down the Tower and force the Harrows to watch as their home, their legacy turns to ash."
8 142The Forgotten Lands
The lands close to the edge of the world, which is marked by an ever-present fog, are known as the barrens. A blighted land in which crops struggle to grow , with only the very poor and desperate to occupy the scarce villages. Naturally making it a haven for outlaws.It is in one of these barrens that a raider called Raegan was born and raised, feared and respected by the cut-throats he grew up around.The world has been told that magic is responsible for cursed regions known as the Forgotten Lands. For this reason anyone with the gift of magic are labelled abominations, a crime punishable by death and enforced by the Malleus Maleficarum, the worlds leading religion. Raegan is one such abomination, untrained in whatever magic he may have.Even in the lawless barrens those with magic aren't looked upon favourably, and so Raegan has kept his 'gift' hidden from all but his closest friend. But now he wants to leave behind the dangerous wasteland that is his home and everything he has ever known, in the effort to seek new experiences.No matter where this new path will take him, good or bad.
8 86Shatter
Inke is a Shatter: a high-tier adventurer focused on hunting down and destroying rogue dungeon cores. When she's given her oddest assignment yet, to secretly supervise the growth of a unique young dungeon, she doesn't know what to expect. Especially since her task is to prevent people from destroying it. Except that quite literally everything about this dungeon is abnormal, from its monsters to their loot, and Harin, the unusual adventurer in her party. ...Not that she's starting to form a bond with Harin or anything like that. And then Inke runs into the dungeon fairy. A dungeon core novel, but one told from the perspective of a dungeon slayer. Currently participating in NaNoWriMo, so updates are either daily 1.5k chapters or longer 3k/4.5k chapters with gaps in between. Also participating in the Royalroad Writathon.
8 84The worth of his ambitions (ASOIAF)
Roman emperor Lucius Domitius Aurelianus finds himself betrayed and murdered on his way to invade the Persian Empire. But after a series of events that challenge reality as he knows it, he finds himself sitting at the bank of the Blue Fork watching the stars with nothing but a sword to his name. How will the man who earned the monicker "Restorer of the world" fare on this new land?
8 127For February's Rain
Once hailed as a worthy sole successor to the famously righteous Immortal Master Ning Shan, the disgraced Immortal Chen Xi, Wan Yu, finds his end in the hands of justice, after the demonic sect betrayed him and handed him to the disappointed masses. Supreme Leader of the Frozen Dragon Sect Ye Xiyang opened his eyes 17 years in the past and smiled. "Aren't you going to help me?" Wan Yu raised an eyebrow and continued to chop wood. "Aren't you asking for a bit too much? You're a man older and stronger than me, if you really want my help then help me with these logs first." "Ah, but you're the sole disciple of the just Immortal Master, why do you pick and choose who to help?" Clear eyes twinkled with amusement and exasperation. "Because people like you exist, what do you think? So, are you helping or not?" This work contains LGBT characters and gay main leads.
8 313Halloweenish Project Time Lapse
Karatsu left his old school and start his new life at St. Lucario AcademyAs he wants to forget about his past he tries to join the Music Club and to make friends.What will happen to him after joining that Club?
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