“Do you understand what you need to do?” Desmond asked one of his fellow ALC members that evening before the day he is to be married to Lissa.

“I know,” Theresa Fairbrass said in a solemn tone, she and Desmond were part of the Higher ranks of the Axis Liberation Coalition. But unlike their more extremist leaders, she and Desmond knew that the path they were heading was that of blood and both of them feared that Desmond’s plan won’t succeed with the sudden infiltration of the Ahrys’ estate a while back causing both of them to suspect that their fellow ALC members have no faith on their plan and aim to take them out.

This was due to the fact both of them are openly against the next operation the Coalition which was labelled Operation ‘Helping Hands’ which was proposed by the Son of Former Niltria Industries Scientist Zekiel Erbus, which was to bomb all Major cities with Nerve Gas that him and his former NI Scientists, dubbed Erbus Foundation, developed during his delve into the old Niltria Industries Lab located in the Culthos Mountains (incidentally the same day where he encountered the Princes looking for a way to save Test Subject’s 46 and 63). And through the use of delivery trucks that work under a fake charity group named ‘Helping Hands,’ they will deliver it from their safehouses located at the cities of Zirkov and Aile and head towards various major cities of their choice.

“Whatever happens, thank you for everything,” Theresa said with a sad smile as Desmond accompanied her to the Car. It was possible that it may have been the last night the two might see each other which saddened both of them given how long their friendship had gone through as a result their only regret is that they never attempted to further their relationship out of fear of ruining it.

“Thank you for putting up with someone like me,” Desmond said with a somber smile as well as Theresa left.

In the Military Police Headquarters, Sun Zhan the Military Police Commander and Father of Jun Zhan looked at the information he had received from an informant that is in critical condition after meeting up with a handful of High Ranking Military Police Officers that got caught in the crossfires from a Squad of Coalition members leaving the Coalition Troops dead while the Military Police Officers and the informant in Critical Condition.

“What should we do sir?” Vice-Captain Riley Straus asked him with a worried look as he finished reading the files that were meant to be given to them.

“Wake up the Academy and notify Justice and Freedom Squads and I’ll have them briefed about it,” Sun answered with a grim look on his face, it was common for the Academy and the Military Police to have joint operations. And incidentally both said Squads despite being Third Years, have been on the Operation since the Sharan massacre.

Not long after that Hathaway Mills, the Representative in most Academy-Military Police Joint Operations, while both Justice and Freedom Squads have been deployed to head to investigate the Cities of Zirkov and Aile. With Princess Charl Jorouse Noctria as the Squad Leader of Justice while Prince Arthur Exavis Luxir is the leader of Freedom. Both teams have been named and reformed after losing most of the members after the Sharan Massacre, as a result, Sun suspected that they chose to follow on that case to bring justice (no pun intended) to their fallen teammates.

Due to the short time frame, they were simply briefed as they all boarded their SUVs as they left the Academy all equipped with new weapons and armour that is specifically designed for Biological Warfare that should they be exposed from the Nerve Gas they’ll be protected, something that common years before the Axis Conflict. Before leaving both Leaders and Deputies have opened up Communications on Hathaway taking up callsign Talon as the main Commander for all the known Academy Operations.

“Talon this is Freedom-1 we’re online,” Arthur said.

“Talon this is Justice-1 we’re online as well,” Charl responded at the same time as Arthur did.

“We’ve received word that the Coalition has begun to load up Nerve Gas Bombs in trucks marked under the Charity Group known as Helping Hands and is speculated to be located around the Cities of Zirkov and Aile,” Hathaway explained to them as he read through the notes alongside Sun and sent to their tablets en route.

“That’s a morbid way of doing Charity Work.” Squad Deputy Natsuki Harumura, also known as Freedom-4 commented as they looked through the files and discovered the Nerve Gas contents.

“Can’t we just call in some VTOL Jets down there and have the inhabitants down there gunned down?” Squad Deputy Haruka Fuyumori, otherwise known as Justice-4 suggested. Likely suspecting that the Bombs containers should be able to resist explosions should something like this happens.

“Negative that’s too high profile Justice-4,” Hathaway intervened shaking his head. “ You’ll have to go through the Safehouses on foot all the while the rest of the Military Police will form a perimeter around the respective cities under Lockdown preventing anyone from going in and out of the city.”

“Well then let’s just get this done and dusted then,” Arthur said as he put his helmet on. “Justice Squad will take Zirkov while Freedom Squad takes on Aile.”

“Fine by me,” Charl said with a nod. “Good luck down there Freedom-1.”

“Same for you Justice-1.” Arthur simply said.

“Try not to die Justice-4,” Natsuki said with a cocky smile.

“Speak for yourself Freedom-4,” Haruka said with a smirk.

[Axis:Legacy]

Freedom Squad arrived at a Compound near the centre of the City around Three in the Morning, it was a three-story triplex building with a U-Shape allowing vehicles to enter in and out with minimal visibility from the South. Not far from the building as well as the City’s Inter-City Subway System which allows the inhabitants to visit other Cities throughout Axis in less than an hour.

As they approached the compound, Freedom-1 felt his spine chilled realizing that if the Coalition were to decide to detonate their Nerve Gas Bombs they’re more likely to take out the entire city with them in a blaze of glory. And if they were to smuggle these out of the city then they can simply pass this on as Cargo in the ICSS, this meant that they need to capture the bombs then and there unless they want to have a city irradiated with Nerve Gas.

“Freedom-1 this is Talon would you like to initiate Nightfall?” Hathaway offered as Freedom-1 and the rest of his team go through the Fences with Freedom-4 and Freedom-5 stabbing two Coalition Patrols in the Compound. Twilight is an offhand command for them to cut off all power within a City to allow them to breach under the cover of night.

“Negative Talon that would give it away, we’ll just have to go in on our own,” Freedom-1 said as him and Freedom-2 and Freedom-3 stacked upon a set of doors on the Western Side of the building. “ Astray-6 This is Freedom-1 we are in position.”

“Freedom-4 we are also in position,” Freedom-4 said as he and Freedom-5 and Freedom-4 made their way through the Eastern side. “Astray 6-1 we are waiting for your confirmation.”

Astray-6 is a Three Man Sniper Team that was provided by the Military Police to provide overwatch of the Building.

“Spotted four targets in the Northern Side of the Building,” Astray-6-2 said as they positioned on a nearby building watching the entire operation. “Freedom Squad prepare to Breach.”

“Spotted two patrols on the Western Side Ground Floor,” Astray-6-1 said as Freedom-1 nodded to Freedom-2 as he pulled out a pair of Bolt Cutters while Freedom-3 took point with her Suppressed Automatic Shotgun in hand while Freedom-2 Readied his Crossbow upon entering both of them silently made their way into the west side with Freedom-2 and 3 taking down the First Patrol with their weapons while Freedom-1 sprinted and slit the throat of the second two-man patrol with his twin Kukris as both Freedom-2 and 3 caught the bodies preventing them from landing loudly on the ground and placed them in a location where they won’t get caught.

“This is Freedom-4 be advised,” Freedom-4 spoke through the line as they made their way through the hallway away from the line of sight of the Astray Team. “We have spotted Coalition operators loading crates on the Trucks marked ‘Helping Hands’ we need to secure them now.”

Arthur, gritted his teeth as they hurried through a nearby window that allowed them to see the courtyard and true enough they were already loading the crates into the trucks.

There was only one option left.

“All Units this is Freedom-1 stealth is out of the window, Weapons Free!” Freedom-1 said through all the lines between the Freedom Squad and other Astray units present. Freedom-3 grinned as she pulled out a Grenade Launcher-Chainsaw while Freedom-2 broke the window and both of them began to fire on the courtyard taking the Coalition by surprise as Astray-6 began to wipe out the upper floors with sniper fire while Freedom’s 4-6 leapt out from the Eastern side of the Window with Freedom-4 swinging his Sword at high speeds.

“Freedom-1 requesting to use flames?” Freedom-4 asked as his sword, which he named Flameclaw II which was a Sword designed convert Mana energy into flames and began to heat up.

“Negative that’s too much of a risk Freedom-4,” Freedom-1 ordered as he drove his kukri on the back of a nearby Coalition Soldier’s Head. Nearby another Military Police Squad on a Van rammed the gate killing two unfortunate Coalition Soldiers while they got out and joined in the firefight.

However, they arrived too late as the Coalition had already loaded the truck and sped off running over another Military Police Soldier and nearly running over Freedom-6.

“They got away!” Freedom-1 shouted as he and the rest of Freedom Squad boarded on a pair of Pickup Trucks chasing after the Truck.

5And the Chase is on as both the Coalition and Freedom Squad tore through the streets of the Aile as they exchanged fire. At first, their truck tried their best to throw them off through well-placed manoeuvres and traps laden out by their fellow Coalition members.

“Where the hell are they even heading?” Freedom-2 shouted as they dodged a rocket fire as his Truck alongside with Freedom-6 and 3 fired on the Truck from the Side. “We have the whole City on lock—“

Boom!

“—down...” Freedom-2 Trailed off as a series of explosives planted along the barricade that separated from the main road leading into the ICSS causing the Truck itself to drop in there with a brief shake.

“You should have kept your mouth shut Freedom-2!” Freedom-4 Shouted as he picked up a spare rifle on the Truck and began to open fire on the Truck, unlike the confined roads of Aile the railways of the ICSS was much more expansive allowing Freedom Squad and the Military Police to close in much easier.

“Talon the Coalition had breached into the ICSS Railway heading approximately South East from Aile, requesting an immediate reinforcement on all ICSS Stations within the vicinity!” Freedom-1 shouted as both Freedom-4 and Freedom-5 proceeded to open fire on the Truck as they all got separated on various tunnels.

“Freedom Squad be advised we had received word that—”

“Talon?” Freedom-1 shouted on the line for a response but the line remained dead as they took a tunnel that is heading for the City of Thermus. “Fuck, we can’t let that truck get out of here do whatever it takes to stop that truck.”

“I’m taking the shot!”

“Man down! Freedom-2 is dead! I repeat Freedom-2 is—”

The line was immediately cut off as Freedom-2 was shot and killed causing their own truck to collide with the Coalition Truck with enough force to knock it off its wheels causing both vehicles to roll off and catch on fire erupting in an explosion that caught Freedom-1’s Truck as well with his last words before blacking out was bracing for impact.

“This is Freedom-4 the contents of the Truck is empty...”

The first thing that Arthur heard was the voice of Freedom-4 talking to Talon as he woke up not long after and saw the tunnel in flames while Freedom-5 helping him up. He looked at the other truck containing Freedom-2, 3 and 6 only for Freedom-5 to shake her head confirming that half their team is dead trying to stop the truck.

“What the hell?” Arthur asked in horror as they made their way to the truck, as it turns out they managed to stop it just less than a mile away from the Thermus Station of ICSS only to find it to be empty. “Then where the hell is—”

The Ground shook twice forcing the remnants of Freedom Squad to move to the surface and was greeted with the horrific sight of the densely populated City of Thermus decimated as many Civilians ran past them coughing as the streets are blanketed with a thick pale green fog which was likely from the Gas Bombs.

“The Trucks were a decoy...” Freedom-4 said as he dropped his sword in the ground while Freedom-5 fell to her knees in terror, Freedom-4 shot a glance at Freedom-1 who stared blankly as he watched many Civilians run away from the Gas as it spread across the City.

“...Talon this is Freedom-4,” Freedom-4 being the least shaken up from the revelations in contrast to 5 who was silently sobbing while 1 was still processing what happened couldn't do anything.

“We have failed, the Bombs went off in Thermus. Requesting a mass evacuation of the City.”