NOVEL FROG Chapter 109: The Resilience
Piece by piece, rocks continued falling, exposing some of the rebars that held the Rysemery gate together as it crumbled in front of the float. The omens had broken most of the foundation around the bottom, creating a gap big enough for them to crawl inside the city. Indie kept them at bay while the rest continued pushing the float, but she couldn’t hold out for longer as she saw the whole enemy army waiting outside. The long bridge was completely covered in omens, all armed and pointing their rifles directly at them, preparing to charge as soon as the entire gate collapsed. Seeing that they couldn’t defend themselves or the gate for much longer, Frost and the guards blocked the gate with the float, buying themselves some time, though they still didn’t have a clear idea of how they could put it to use according to Nitro’s plan.
–Alright, how do we blow this thing up?– Frost asked urgently as Nitro took cover to peek out the gate. Even Frost was showing concern about the large number of enemies starting to slip inside, as despite the float covering the entire width of the gate, the omens only made their opening larger. Some of them started crawling under the float, trying to hit the guards, which pressured Nitro to make his instructions clear as soon as possible.
–Uhh, so we have to push this to the bridge while I’m inside… Once we reach the middle, I just have to pull a trigger and run as fast as possible out of there. So, I need you all to cover me and clear some space for me to escape…– Nitro replied nervously, taking brief pauses to second-guess himself. But as his explanation was convincing enough, Frost believed him and followed his indications. Candy, Tricky, and Kiwy didn’t show much faith in the plan, especially after hearing the specifics, but they tried to help as well by listening closely to Frost, who only took a moment to think of how to execute the plan.
Indie was too busy shooting the omens who were trying to squeeze between the gate and the float, and in the process, the gate took more damage, now cracking around the sides, which led to more rocks falling on top of the float. A temporary wall of rubble formed around the float, and while it blocked the enemy’s advance, this small barrier didn’t last long. Frost realized they would have to turn the float to its side in order to push it effectively along the bridge, so the old wheels would have to face the front. And when he came to this thought, he became doubtful, looking back at his teammates with an uneasy look that sparked suspicion and worry.
–We have to act fast, so here’s what you are all going to do…– Frost announced steadfastly, speaking concisely and hastily due to the guards retreating to stand cowardly at the left side of the gate. Crisis paid close attention but stayed back, all while Frost remained right behind the float, ignoring the omens that managed to get on top of the float to fully focus on giving his orders.
–Nitro, get in that float right now. We can’t risk them seeing you. We are going to turn this float around and begin pushing right away. Candy, Tricky, I need you two pushing as well. Kiwy, you and I will clear the sides of the bridge, that’s where they will try to flank, so we have to catch them off guard. The rest of you, stay behind the float and help push as much as possible…– Frost ordered, turning to each member of his team to give them a role that they assumed without question, though the same couldn’t be said about the guards. They were scared to hear that they would have to face the enemy directly and push the float as well, but before they could get a chance to object, Frost turned to Indie, who was still drawn to the enemy but kept listening and waiting for his instruction.
–Keep the omens off the float. Don’t cover me, just make sure they don’t get past it. Shoot every single one you see…– Frost told Indie, who nodded affirmatively despite showing some defiance after checking her rifle.
–I’m running low on ammo, just saying…– Indie replied discreetly, speaking quietly to only address Frost, but despite her warning, Frost didn’t think much of it and even became nonchalant toward the inconvenience. Her response only confirmed the fact that everyone understood their roles, so they shared an approving but prudent stare.
–Fine, shoot the ones trying to climb. We can’t let them push back, or we’ll get overwhelmed. Let’s get this done as quickly as possible, alright?– Frost reaffirmed prudently, giving a glance to everyone around to assess their reactions. Even though they all looked slightly anxious to go out and expose themselves to a whole army with the little manpower they possessed, not a single one of them gave in to their doubt and remained high-spirited after receiving his orders.
–Yes, chief!– they all replied in unison, except the guards, who were left a little confused but joined the group to fulfill their roles. With that positive response, Frost had all the certainty he needed to begin their risky plan. Nitro was already sneaking underneath the float to get inside it as the omens were focused on clearing the debris on their way. Tricky and Candy stayed behind the float while the guards took both sides to start turning it around. But before they were given the signal, Frost looked back at Indie for one last time, only to receive a firm nod that gave him the permission and courage to make his call.
–GO! Cover them!– Frost shouted as the guards began turning the float around while Indie provided cover fire for them. There was now the extra weight of the rocks above the float that the squad had to push, as well as some of the omen soldiers who had already been killed by Indie. However, the guards only struggled when turning the float around, which proved to be risky and slow, but they were fast enough to get it in the right position before they were too exposed.
The lower half of the gate was gone as the float held most of the weight, and now that it began moving, the omens were able to push through without much difficulty. Indie managed to hold off the few enemies trying to sneak through the sides, protecting some of the guards that took too long to take cover, but now that the float was in position, she restrained from shooting as the rest of the army avoided showing their faces at the sides of the bridge.
–NOW, PUSH!– Frost ordered while getting in position, letting Candy, Tricky, and the guards push the float forward and out to the bridge. He and Kiwy stayed at the sides like they were supposed to, but they didn’t have anyone to kill at first, as Indie had scared them off for now. The two stayed alert for any enemy that crossed the flanks, but they soon turned their attention to the ones that began climbing the float and trying to get inside.
Now that they were past the gate, they could only push through while peeking out as little as possible. It was clear they were overpowered by the omen forces at the bridge since they began pushing back, making it impossible for the guards to push in the opposite direction. But since most of the enemies were trying to get around the float in some way instead of solely focusing on stopping them, the team only had to draw the omens close enough to let Indie take them out. At first, they advanced a few feet without problem, but it was when a large group of omens decided to climb the float all at once to shoot back that some issues showed up.
With the omens taking the higher ground on the reinforced float, they gave the guards more weight to push. Even their presence made the guards cower as they were right on top, but luckily, they were focused on shooting at Indie. They were too many to take down, and Tricky noticed this right away, so she stopped Candy and the guards from making any sudden moves to attract the enemy’s attention. Instead, she warned Kiwy and Frost, who noticed the threat but were busier targeting the omens coming from the sides as the army pushed forward.
Indie was getting overwhelmed since it was her rifle against seemingly dozens. She had good cover and knew when to pop out to shoot, always taking only a few shots to not stay in line of sight for too long. It was effective but too slow, and as the enemy kept getting closer, she had to take cover for longer. But if that wasn’t enough, the rest of the gate suddenly collapsed right above her, forcing her to retreat to not get crushed and leaving her teammates without any support.
They all looked back when they heard the remainder of the gate collapse and turn into a large pile of rocks at the entrance, which blocked the sight of their only support teammate. They no longer had cover fire, so the guards found themselves as the sole targets of the omens above, who started shooting down, forcing them to take cover right underneath the float, hiding inside the metal skirt with Candy and Tricky. They were trapped there, and while they tried to get Frost and Kiwy to hide as well, they stayed at the sides of the bridge since they could now attack the enemies flanking them.
They slashed through anyone that stepped into their reach, clearing out the sides without much effort, at least until the omens above the float had free range to shoot at them. They quickly slid under the float, where they managed to keep killing some omens by slicing their ankles and feet as they passed by, but they could hear that a lot of them had slipped past them and were making their way to the entrance, where they tried to climb up the collapsed gate to break into the city.
–What do we do??– one of the guards asked in a panic, making the others lose their composure. But before they could draw the omens’ attention, Frost shut them up instantly with an aggressive shush and took a peek behind to see what the situation with Indie was.
–Just wait, we’ll get out of here in a second…– Frost replied quietly, remaining resolved, unlike pretty much everyone else, as they couldn’t understand his certainty in a precarious moment like this. But with them choosing to believe him and staying quiet, they waited for Indie to come out again, which took a while to do, letting the enemy reach the very top of the pile of rocks before making her move.
But the one who wasn’t informed about anything that was going on was Nitro. He was squeezed between explosives inside the small compartment underneath the platform of the float, only a couple of feet above the rest of the team. It was already a cramped space, but with all his explosives surrounding him, he could barely wiggle around, so he didn’t dare to move a muscle, not even turn to his teammates to eavesdrop. He remained still, holding a string that connected to a trigger that would set off the explosion, and while there was a small trap door right below him for him to escape, he focused on the one above him as he heard an excessive amount of omens standing right on top.
Curiosity got the better of him when he reached for the door, only to see the feet of many armed omens shooting at the city entrance. He looked up and realized they were distracted, and since he could hear some struggle from the enemy below, he decided to fight back as well by grabbing some of them and proceeding to push them off the float. However, he only managed to piss them off, not even making them lose their balance. He failed at pushing two omens, and as soon as they turned around, they found him hiding below the trap door.
Before one omen could stomp his hand, Nitro tried to close the trap door, but the enemy immediately called his position out to the rest of them, who were now all pointing down to kill him. The omens began shooting, and while the metal plating reinforcement stopped most of the bullets, some still made their way past Nitro and nearly hit the rest of the team. They grew concerned when they heard gunfire headed directly towards them, but when a bullet flew by, they immediately realized Nitro had given his position away.
–Oh, what did he do??– Candy asked in distress, but she was ignored as everyone else panicked and tried to leave, with Frost growing frustrated after hearing the gunshots and trying to hold their position until it was safe to come out. It appeared that they didn’t have any other choice, but he remained calm to not alert the omens that were now marching to the gate.
Nitro quickly hid back in the float, but he was getting shot at, so he curled up into a ball as more bullets penetrated the steel sheets of the platform. He miraculously avoided getting shot, but the bullets were grazing his explosives, so he continued panicking, even screaming now that he had no other choice but to call for help. His teammates got an idea of the situation he was in, but they could do very little to help him except open the trap door below him to get him out of there. But as there was no room below the platform, they struggled to pull him out, and after Frost became impatient, he gave up and just waited for Indie to come back.
The omens at the entrance were taken out in the blink of an eye as Indie pushed back with all she had. She stopped reserving her ammo to kill everyone climbing the destroyed gate with burst fire, but it looked like she wasn’t alone as the omens dropped at a rapid pace. Groovy and Bones had made their way down to the gate after clearing out the castle, and after stealing some of the omens’ rifles and ammo, they joined Indie in her task of providing cover fire.
They began pushing until they were at the top of the pile of rocks, but instead of advancing, they stayed back to hold their ground, catching the omens trying to get into the city off guard as there was now three times the gunfire coming their way. The omens retreated, returning to the float, where Frost and Kiwy continued to clear the sides while Indie, Groovy, and Bones focused on the ones on top of the float, killing most of them to prevent them from shooting down at Nitro and the explosives, except one that was lucky enough to get in.
Saint, Ace, and Chappy were making their way downstairs again when they noticed that the left hallway was mostly empty. They looked both ways before checking the diner, but before they got to escape, they heard Cookie groan at the stairs of the corridor before dropping the flamethrower. He had run out of fuel and was now falling back to reach Panda, who had stepped back onto the other side to block the entrance to the furnace room. Saint noticed and tried running to help, but despite Cookie and Panda being nearby, Ace and Chappy were already heading to the diner to leave them.
–Where are you going??– Saint asked in a mix of confusion and indignation at seeing his friends give up on Cookie and Panda to save themselves while the exit was still clear.
–What do you think we’re doing? We’re leaving while we still can. Now, come on!!– Ace replied without even turning around as he kept running to the destroyed diner with Chappy, who briefly looked back just as Saint began chasing after them, but even his visible remorse wasn’t enough to change his mind.
–No, we have to go back and help t-...– Saint argued, but he was interrupted by Ace right as he tried grabbing his arm to stop him from stepping out the door.
–We can’t keep fighting here, we’ll get trapped again. Let’s just go, I’m sure they can find a way out…– Ace responded with some hostility as he yanked his arm out of Saint’s grip before continuing to run. He dragged Chappy with him, but unlike him, the latter tried to stay, but only to talk to Saint, as it seemed like he had given up on convincing them to stay for a moment until he took a big breath to contain his anger.
–And then what? We’re going to lose our leader… If we don’t die here, they’ll definitely kill us as soon as they are done with them…– Saint affirmed with a certain and slightly threatening tone that caught Ace off guard. He stopped dead in his tracks right before leaving the factory, turning around slowly to see that Chappy willingly stayed by Saint’s side, and they were both giving them a dead stare that unsettled him. Ace took a moment to reconsider his decision, even trying to argue, but his insecurity stopped him from saying anything. In response, Saint just turned and ignored him, leaving Ace to make his own decision.
–Let’s go, dude. We’ll be out here in no time…– Chappy said with a pleading voice as he tried to step in to make Ace come back, even though he showed absolutely no enthusiasm for the idea, but his committed undertone told him they had to do the right thing and help Panda and Cookie. They both appeared hesitant, and while Ace was conflicted and became remorseful, he wasn’t convinced, so while Chappy reluctantly followed Saint, Ace made a run for it.
Saint headed back to the hallway without them, but he then heard the footsteps of Chappy behind him. He caught up to him at the broken shutters, but Saint’s faint, grateful smile vanished quickly when they both noticed Ace had left them behind. But with the support of Chappy and the comfort of knowing Ace made it out, Saint remained optimistic, and his faith was reinforced when he found his sword lying on the conveyor belt in the middle of both hallways. He looked confused at first, but he then saw the dead omen next to him and recognized him instantly, as it was the same one that provided the flamethrower and the one that was now giving his weapon back well past his death.
As they stepped over the conveyor line and into the right hallway, they immediately got a good idea of how helpless Panda was at that moment, as he was single-handedly holding off a line of antipunks trying to push through. Enemies were coming from upstairs, but with the entire wall across the stairs destroyed, any antipunks from outside could just climb in to put more pressure on Panda. He was backed against the corner of the broken shutter to the furnace room, but he continued trying to look over the mass of antipunks filling the hallway to get a view of Cookie.
On the other side, Cookie was falling back through the hallway, trying to keep the antipunks away from the diner, until he noticed some making their way down through the stairs of the roof. He began panicking and tried to make his way over to Panda, but that’s when he noticed Saint and Chappy trying to step in to help. Cookie only watched in disbelief as the antipunks chased them, but while he was speechless, he let out a shriek of desperation that drew Panda’s attention, though he was more concerned when he turned around to see Saint on his left.
–What are you doing here?? GO! Leave before they take the flank!– Panda yelled at the rookies with rage, dropping his relatively composed demeanor and growing exasperated at the sight of the two of them standing next to them without doing anything. It was to the point that his voice began breaking, but as much as he shouted at them, Chappy and Saint were committed to staying and helping them out, at least the latter since Chappy was already regretting staying after looking back and seeing Cookie running towards him.
–We are all leaving together, we can’t leave you behind…– Saint replied stubbornly, which caught Panda by surprise for a second, but he couldn’t be impressed as he saw his resilience as a hindrance and became upset that he dragged Chappy back into this trap. However, he soon changed his mind when the antipunks flooding the hallway pushed him back to the broken shutters, where some of the lingering fire began torching his back and machine gun.
Panda couldn’t react in time and dropped his guard to not get burned, allowing some enemies to jump at him. Unable to block their swords, he resorted to yelling at Cookie to do something, but he was just as helpless and powerless since his empty flamethrower couldn’t do much. It was then that Chappy and Saint found some use as they jumped into action to push the antipunks back. Saint retrieved the machine gun to push it aside, placing it on the conveyor belt to clear some space before charging at the antipunks. The enemy didn’t see him until he jumped out of the corner and tackled them, with Chappy doing the same to scare them off momentarily.
They managed to buy enough time for Panda to hold his shield high and defend himself, and with Cookie making it to the back of the hallway, he tossed his flamethrower behind to block the antipunks’ path. However, just as they were reunited and tried to get Panda out of the corner he was trapped in, they found themselves surrounded by the enemy again, and surprisingly, they weren’t the only ones. The antipunks had taken over the diner, and it became clear it was no longer a viable path for them to escape when Ace came back running faster than anyone, displaying his true speed in an attempt to dodge the bullets of the enemy behind.
Ace came running back to the hallway, only to be met with more antipunks coming from the corridor and upstairs, so his only option was to run to Cookie and stay at the shutters as well. Chappy and Saint were too focused on helping Panda, suffering a few cuts in the process, but even when they retreated to the conveyor line, they completely ignored their injuries as they dealt with the mortifying yet awkward moment of Ace coming back with even more antipunks on his tail.
–Oh great, now we are stuck here too…– Chappy said in a witty but scornful manner as he stared at Ace in a mix of disbelief and spite. The latter didn’t know how to react and just tried to catch his breath, while Cookie tried to keep the antipunks away by grabbing Panda’s gun and aiming it at them. The weapon had run out of ammo, but it was enough to scare the enemy for a second, allowing Cookie to squeeze into the narrow space between the hallways where the conveyor line cut across them.
They were pinned down at the broken shutters, and with only the small shaft of the conveyor belt to escape to the furnace room, they squeezed their way out until there was no more space for the enemy to surround them. The antipunks had blocked the diner, and with them coming from both hallways, Panda decided to step back and try to block bullets from two directions. He stayed in front of his squad while trying to glance back, but he only stressed the rookies more as it looked like one bullet could put an end to his life at any second. It didn’t help that the enemy was cornering them against a wall of fire, so as Ace and Chappy began panting for air, they frustrated Cookie the more they lost their minds until he couldn’t focus anymore.
–Shut up, we just have to wait for a bit more… We’ll make it out of here…– Cookie replied aggressively, threatening to hit the rookies with Panda’s gun, which only sparked more fear and anxiety in them. But with all of them grouping up behind Panda’s shield, Saint kept looking back just like Panda, only to then fix his gaze on Cookie as he seemed to be preparing his feet to run. But before he could figure out what the two had in mind, Saint was distracted by his friends’ constant whining and began breaking down as well.
–What are we waiting for? We are going to die here!– Ace exclaimed in anguish, but Panda just ignored him, keeping a close eye on the enemies as they tried to surround them at the entrance of the furnace room, now stopping the gunfire as the squad was getting closer to the fire. They were about the same spot where the first row of furnaces used to be, but the fact that they kept falling back caught Saint’s attention, and that’s when he decided to look back once again. And just as he checked what both Cookie and Panda were looking at, the latter announced what they were waiting for.
–That…– Panda replied with a smug grin as he pointed back at the now clear furnace room, or partially clear, as the sides were still burning hot but a small path for them was formed. It appeared that the furnaces had melted, but the lava only accumulated at the sides, causing the floor to sink and allowing it to spill into the gutters.
They had waited for the fire at the end of the room to clear, but with all the smoke in the way, they waited for the very last moment to actually escape. Just as the antipunks began rushing to push them back into the fire, the thin path in the middle of their fiery surroundings opened, giving them one chance to run for it, and hopefully, they could be faster than the enemy’s bullets.