Chapter 4

Tony

“No matter what kind of combat skill we taught you, there’s nothing more important than saving your own skin. You’re running into a war where everything puts you at risk of dying, that’s why we have tested the brand new scaled, sixth generation Rhino armor,” Ryan said.

That was the first time I was being introduced to my own armor. I was only seventeen when I saw my suit form out of metals I didn’t recognize.

“We are recording a sixth generation Rhino armor test,” Ryan pulled up a note pad. “Tony’s scaled armor comes with a black primary color and a red secondary color. According to my previous colleagues, the suit should handle up to thirty bullets before breaking apart.

“The armor should also handle any drastic temperatures. Anything below zero is ineffective to the armor. Anything over a hundred is not quite an issue either,” Ryan said and showed a pen that looked like a pocket knife.

“Penton, fire five bullets into the chest plate.”

The Cobra sent five bullets that only bounced off the armor. So far, no scratches.

“Okay, now five bullets into each knee.”

The next bullets that landed, began leaving dents on the armor. As far as I know, there’s no reason anybody would survive that many shots without the armor.

“Great!” Ryan scribbled notes. He wrote on his sheet, armor has been damaged. “Now, final test. Load in a fifteen round mag of the Raider Rifle with the most destructive bullets. Start off with five bullets to the right arm, two for the left foot, three for the waist, nine for the stomach and then the last bullet on the helmet. If the armor, is at its best, it won’t break until the last bullet.”

The Cobra gone relentless with each bullet. Even though they weren’t hitting me, I felt each bullet poke down the part of the armor he shot. Until that last bullet, the helmet knocked out of the mannequin's head with a hole that penetrated front and back. That would have been me.

“Now, Tony. Your armor’s fine,” Ryan pressed his hand on my chest. “But just because it’s perfect, doesn’t mean you should let yourself get shot. It's still going to hurt regardless. When your new armor arrives, we’ll show you exactly what it feels like to get hit by one bullet alone.”

“Just to clarify for you,” Ryan said. “Falling asleep in that armor will be nuts. I don’t recommend it.”

Then I remembered why he told me that. “The Rhino serum. Is that going to help keep me awake?”

“Yeah, and make you less hungry. For an estimate of two months.”

I didn’t know what he meant by nuts, but I’d probably figure that out soon.

And then the clock began ticking for the world where I became a target for killers.

***

“We have landed on Orson,” Ryan spoke over the ship’s communications. “The temperature is currently below zero. Nobody but the Rhinos should step in at the moment. Everybody else, prepare the vehicles and the ship’s docks to drop off our weapons into the environment.”

“Tony,” Patrick tapped my shoulder. “We have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Well, Maurice hasn’t really thought it through. Can you give him some encouragement?”

“Of course, I have to do it,” I sighed. “Where is he?”

“Right this way, buddy.”

Patrick guided me towards the sleeping quarters as Jacob attempted to get Maurice out of the room.

“What’s the problem, Maurice? Can’t figure out how to put the cigar in your helmet?” I joked with him.

“I knew you’d say that,” Maurice turned his attention towards me while lighting another cigar. “Get out of here.”

“Come on, man. Put them down. We need to step out,” Jacob said.

“I can’t.” Maurice pulled a chair. “I don’t want to go without my cigars. It’s the only way to relieve my stress.”

“Maurice,” I approached him and gave him a cold stare. “I doubt the Lox are going to let you light up a cigar in the middle of battle, let alone that helmet. You’re going to freeze your head off if you try to smoke out there.”

Maurice blew his smoke into my face. I held my breath and my sanity to avoid lashing out. After a second, Nancy stepped in the room.

“What’s going on?” Nancy asked. “We have to go.”

“Maurice needs a little encouragement to put his smoking habit away,” Jacob said.

“Aw,” Nancy crossed her arms and mocked him. “Poor little hard head can’t figure out to quit his addiction even were about to join a war.”

“Aw,” Maurice attacked back. “Poor little scarred woman who got their shit kicked on the first day is trying to be a tough girl.”

“I’d like to see where this would go,” Jacob interrupted and kicked the cigar away from Maurice mouth. “But right now, we’re on the clock. That means for all of you and me. I don’t think fighting before we meet our enemy is a good way to start.”

“And that’s Jacob for putting logic into it,” Maurice said and pulled out another cigar. “But don’t you think you’re in a rush right now? We don’t know what’s going to happen. If anything, we could die the moment we step out into the snow.”

“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen,” I said. “Just get your weapons and armor prepped. Nancy and I will watch the outside. We’ll wait you the rest of you out there.”

“Man,” Maurice muttered. “You have to make me look like the asshole.”

Maurice jumped out of his chair and nudged my shoulder. “I’m getting my armor. Are you?”

From the single question, I smirked and pressed his back, pushing him out the room.

“We’re waiting for you asshole,” I said “We all got our armor on.”

On the way to his armory, I caught him grabbing another box of cigars and snuck them into his pocket. I don’t know how he thinks he’s going to light them up there but he better find a good time to use them away from battle.

“Jacob. You make sure he gets armored up. Nancy, Patrick and I will start stepping out.”

“Got it,” Jacob said. “I’ll give you a heads up.”

“Release the docks!” Patrick yelled out to the operators. “Who’s driving the truck?”

“I’ll drive,” I stepped towards the front door. “You man the gun and Nancy takes the front seat.”

The liberator armored truck. Third most durable ground vehicle for combat. It’s armed with a mounted machine gun on the top that shoots at 720 rounds per minute and starts firing faster the longer the gunner shoots with FMJ bullets. Our newest model came in with rounds strong enough to cut through stone.

I saw Nancy was using her well trusted rifle, the M40 Garand. The latest version of M1 Garand made long ago since WW2, packed with twenty-four rounds that pack a punch. The bullets she carried are strong enough to pierce armor but not our armor.

“You have the gun loaded, Patrick?” Nancy asked.

“I need one more box of a thousand rounds. Can’t be too sure around here.”

“How many do you have?” I asked.

“I got two so far.”

“Patrick!” Nancy slapped the front seat back. “That’s enough, don’t you think?”

“Well sorry, for trying to be sure we don’t die out there because we ran out of ammunition.”

“Two boxes is enough, Patrick,” I said. “Just make sure it doesn’t jam, that’s all you need to worry about.”

“We won’t worry about that,” he said whacked the barrel on and loaded the gun with a belt of ammunition connected to the boxes.

After a long minute, Jacob and Maurice finally appeared and stepped right in without hesitation. I heard them load their snipers as we drove off the ship.

We met up at headquarters to investigate our first issue on the line. Three Cobras stepped out with blood on their legs and an old man appearing to be shaken.

“What happened out there?” I asked.

“This old guy was caught in an explosion out in a camp by the mining facility. We had a group of Cobras investigate further but they never came back,” one of the Cobras said.

I started taking notes on a pad and asked the next question, “How many were there?”

The old man stepped up and said, “There were five and they were incredibly tall. About seven feet tall and they were all naked too with giant guns in their arms bigger than my legs.”

The old man then stopped to catch his breath.

“Are you okay?” Nancy asked.

“No,” he gasped and coughed out blood. “I had some coworkers there. You need to tell me you can bring them back.”

“That’s enough, man, you’re sick,” the cobra said. Get back in the building.”

The other two stood back and asked, “You want us to go with you?”

“No, we’ll handle it,” I said. “Just keep the base secure. We don’t want the Lox to attack anywhere else.”

I armed my assault rifle and put a shotgun on my back then stepped back in the truck. I drove off as soon as everybody got back in. We didn’t have time to waste.

After thirty minutes of driving through clumpy snow, we found the possible crater of where it happened by a group of pine trees cuddled together.

I saw clear fresh blood scattered along the snow and a few torn apart bodies along with what looked like boxes of explosives.

From a keen eye sight, I caught a tannish leg peeking around a tree.

“Hey, Patrick. You see that leg?”

“Yeah,” Patrick said and loaded the machine gun. “Doesn’t look human.”

“Shoot it.”

Patrick lit up the tree and dropped the corpse of our first Lok along with a rocket launcher.

“Oh shit,” Nancy said then armed her rifle to the side and got ready to open the door.

“Patrick,” I said and placed my left hand on the door handle. I stared back and I was given surprised looks left and right. “You know what to do. Maurice, get the wheel as soon as I step out.”

I peeked through the door and gunfire wrecked from several directions. Patrick rained bullets through the trees in a line, knocking down multiple bodies of Lox.

Just as they stopped hitting the truck, I jumped out and loaded the mag into my AR and fired at the first Lox I saw. A second after, we heard screaming and growling from a horde of Lox popping out of the trees with swords and knives out.

Maurice pushed the truck in as Patrick gunned down most of them while Nancy and I used the back as cover.

“It’s a lot more than five!” I yelled over our gunfire.

“Yeah! You think?!” Nancy said and took cover next to me, loading in her next mag.

“What’s it look like Maurice?!”

“There’s still ten more!” Maurice responded over comms. “I’m going to push in! Get ready!”

“Nancy! You ready?” I asked her.

She clicked in the next mag and punched it in. “Do it!”

Maurice pressed the gas and trampled down several Lox as we gunned them from under. The woods looked clear for the most part but it all turned into a bloodbath in an instant.

“Hey!” Nancy yelled as she directs her rifle to my legs. I turned around to catch a Lok attempting to lunge his knife into my foot. She nailed it in the head and punched my shoulder.

“Don’t get caught off-guard idiot!”

“Thanks.” I kicked the corpse away. “Appreciate it.”

“Appreciate me by paying attention!” she yelled. “You should know better.”

Nancy then walked over the dead Lox.

I watched my steps and took a clear look at the Lox. Most of them were wearing red masks and the bigger ones were wearing black masks. When I uncovered their mouths, they had shark like teeth. They’re wearing nothing but straps of ammunition and knives. The cold most likely didn’t affect them.

“Tony!” Jacob shouted and pointed towards the boxes of explosives we saw earlier. “Take a look over here. These bastards were preparing mortars.”

I rubbed the canisters and oil oozed out of my fingers. It was fresh, if we shot anywhere near them, we would have exploded with the forest.

“Hm,” Maurice took off his helmet to light his cigars.

“Like I said, you’re going to freeze your head off,” I said.

With the breeze he couldn’t attempt to light them up. After realizing Maurice stepped out, he just left the truck wide open. What if?

“Raid them!” Over the distance, we heard loud screaming as a pack of Lox with dual swords ran like maniacs with their tongues out.

Next thing I knew, one of them was next to me with their sword swinging after my neck. I gripped the blade with my bare hands then Nancy capped the Lox’ face in front of me. That was the second time she saved me.

I pulled my shotgun off my back then heard snow being stepped on. I turned towards the direction and slaughtered another Lox’ chest off as Nancy fired one bullet after another at the rest of them.

Suddenly the truck’s engine blast and it drove straight towards us. I rolled over the trunk as a Lok manned the machine gun, spreading bullets along the others.

I gripped the hood then pulled out my handgun to fire off bullets at the gunner. I shot him once in the shoulder and missed the rest of the bullets because of the truck’s movements.

I was waiting for my death to appear but the Lok was too focused on everybody else. I stared at the driver, loaded in another mag into the pistol and left cracks on the glass.

Then my feet landed on the wheel and slipped off. I was motion sick just from the reckless driving. It was a mission to reach for my assault rifle and select the firing mode.

Just as the truck neared closer to me, I fired automatically and all the gunner could do was sleep well rested. The driver then turned recklessly to collide with a tree and cracked his skull open on the glass.

Patrick picked me up and said, “You good? You were struggling to hang onto that truck.”

I slapped the snow off my armor and said, “What do you think? I almost fucking died.”

“Hey!” Nancy shouted. “Hard head, watch the truck next time!”

I realized she was yelling at Maurice.

“It’s unnecessary to yell at me,” he said.

“I’m sorry.” Nancy then stepped on Maurice foot. “Did you forget were in a conflict with a different species?!”

“She’s right, Maurice,” Jacob said. “We already failed our first mission. Nobody here survived.”

I looked back at the torn apart bodies to see how deep the teeth marks were by digging my fingers in the flesh. Not a pleasant feeling to be sinking my fingers in blood. All I got out of it was wet human remains oozing out of my gloves.

If the Lox wanted to, they could eat an entire tree. Now I had blood and oil on my fingers.

“We need to get out of here,” Maurice urged us. “I don’t want to be here and neither of you do either.”

I proceeded to contact Ryan over comms, “Hey, this is Tony. We just finished off our first mission. It didn’t go well.”

“Did one of you die?” Ryan asked.

“No, as far as I’m concerned,” I said.

“Alright, well your day’s not over,” Ryan lowered his tone. “Stay put until reinforcements arrive. We’re going to drop a tank with a few Cobras close to your perimeter. A couple spotters just confirmed an infiltrated zone.”

“Thanks,” I sighed. “More work for us.”

“Don’t complain idiot. That’s why I asked you in the beginning. Don't come back crying to your mother.”

“Yeah, I’ll be crying alright.” I rested my weapons on my back. “I’ll see you soon but I expect a raise after this. I’m already dead inside and so are the rest of us.”

“You’re a Rhino, Tony,” Ryan responded. “You’re already dead.”

Chapter 5

“That’s the facility. Stop!” I ordered the tank to a sudden stop.

Nancy, Patrick and I hopped off the tank. We caught a look at the gate. Seems the Lox fortified before we got there.

Nancy nudged my back then told me, “How are we going through with this?”

“We don’t know what they’re doing in there. It’s best we blow down the gate and expect hostiles to come out,” I said.

“Tear down the gate!” I waved at our tank.

We moved out of its way, letting it fire a canister shell through, and ripped down half the gate in one hit.

Maurice and Jacob were watching in the distance as everything played out. While the rest of us, used the tank as cover before our Lox came out.

“Nothing’s happening. You think they’re really going to come out?” Patrick asked.

“Just give it a minute,”

One of the Cobras, manned the machine gun, awaiting the Lox and suddenly, a loud shot is fired, blowing the Cobra’s head off in front of us. We didn’t see any Lox yet.

“Shred them!” I heard a nasty voice from the facility.

After a minute, two big Lox in armor with machine guns lowered down, and began firing against the tank. From the bullets alone, the tank was being shoved back.

“Fire!” I yelled at the tank.

The driver fired off a shell into the Lox knocking them away then the rest of us approached their bodies. As we ran through, both Lox stood back up without struggle, attempting to pick up their weapons.

Nancy and I fired at them, only leaving dents on their armor but shortly Jacob or Maurice fired off a bullet at one of their heads, killing the heavy Lok on the spot.

“Their weak in the head. Fire at their heads!” I ordered around. Nancy responded firing off several bullets into the other Lok, nailing his head twice and killing him.

“Tony, this is Jacob. Back away. We got more coming from the side!” He told me over comms.

“Back to the tank guys!” I called out.

Just before we reached the tank, a bullet hit my back, making me collapse on the snow. I turned from my back facing the gunfire, and fired off at several Raiders running maniacally with swords out.

Patrick lifted me off the ground then helped me move behind the tank as it blew down a chunk of the Raiders.

“The tank’s not going to be enough. We need to retreat!” Nancy called out.

“Get in the tank, then! I’ll hold them off,” I responded.

I fired off automatically, landing ten different bullets to each Raider before they died. I didn’t have enough time to wait for them. I was going to die.

“Retreat!” Suddenly I hear a Lok’s voice yell out.

As I turned my head towards the voice, I saw a Lok right in my face. He hit me in the head hard enough to knock me against the tank.

He trampled over to me before sniper shots are heard, landing each bullet on the Lok’s chest, knocking him to the floor. Though as I watched, he stood back up like it didn’t harm him and ran towards the direction away from Jacob and Maurice sight.

He got in front of the tank, climbing it until Patrick pops out, and fired a shell into his chest, knocking him off the but jumped back up. Then Nancy hopped off, firing several bullets into him, leaving nothing but cracks on his body.

As he faced us again, he aimed an SMG at Patrick, firing off multiple bullets into his stomach and wounded him in front of us. Both me and Nancy then jumped on top of the Lox, hitting him on the head constantly until his skull cracked.

“Check on Patrick,” I told Nancy.

“What the hell happened?” Jacob asked over comms.

“There was a strong Lok. I don’t think he’s dead yet. We're going to take him for interrogation. We can use him,” I responded.

“Patrick has a lot of wounds Tony,” Nancy said “We need to get him out of here. Let the military take care of the facility for now.”

I hopped back in the tank and banged my head against it twice. When I looked back, Nancy faced me disturbed.

“I don’t want to be here,” I whispered through the thick air.

“Tony,” Nancy said. “Don’t lose your shit just yet.”

I clicked the helmet on harder and slapped the tank, calling to the driver, “Okay. Well, we’re done here. Get us out of here driver.”