NOVEL FROG Chapter 118: Opposing Forces
After sitting around, waiting for the enemies to end their battle without any signs of either side winning, Panda decided to make his move. He opened the crate he was using for cover, and after looking around inside for a while, he pulled out two ammo belts to replace the ones he had used. Cookie helped him set up the machine gun on top of the crate while Panda reloaded it, and once they were set, he began shooting blindly on both sides of the battleground, though focusing mainly on the antipunks on the right since there were more of them.
As soon as he opened fire, the antipunks were forced to retreat, with some already running at the mere sound of Paxinterra revving up. But while most of them fled back through where they came from, some took their opportunity to run for the opening in front, only to be blocked by the other enemy, who didn’t seem to fear Panda’s gun and made a run for it. Their courage didn’t stop most from perishing as soon as they left cover, but they still managed to spread out and cover more ground to prevent the antipunks from advancing.
Cookie laughed to himself while enjoying the sounds of Panda’s bullets striking both enemies. They were truly indistinguishable from one another, the heavy lead didn’t discriminate when it came to perforating flesh. But as effective as Panda’s surprise attack was, in reality, he only managed to scare off a few enemies, while the others still pushed through his bullets and ran for the passage. The antipunks returned fire to hold their ground, but that’s when they directed some fire at Panda, who wasn’t fazed and kept shooting from the safety of his cover, though he could tell he had drawn attention to his spot.
–They are gonna come here, get ready…– Panda ordered as he kept pulling the trigger of his gun firmly, only stopping once he was low on ammo, allowing him to pay attention to the footsteps of the antipunks trying to flank them. Cookie and Saint followed his order and stuck to both sides of the crate next to Panda, while the rookies and Heartaches stayed back and watched anxiously as they were about to be cornered again.
The antipunks began pushing to the middle of the zone, circling the pit of fire to attack their enemies head-on, with only a few diverting and trying to reach Panda. He continued firing the last rounds with a decreased rate of fire, only shooting a few bursts to scare them off. But as the scare factor of his machine gun had worn off, the antipunks began charging with all they had, covering the entire left side and surrounding the team. The antipunks tried to sneak closer to the crate, but Ace quickly noticed and warned the squad with an alarming gasp, followed by an ear-piercing screech from Chappy when he saw the other enemies coming from the right.
Despite both forces committing to killing each other first, Panda’s attack only served as a distraction for both teams to run for the opening, trying to make their way into a bigger battle. With the local conflict disrupted, the few that stayed behind insisted on getting rid of Panda first, almost ignoring each other to kill their common enemy as their previous fight was now taking place further ahead. Even though Panda seemed to count on this, he couldn’t see the number of enemies coming for him, and he expected the arrival of another party even less as he was startled by the omens joining the fight.
Waiting for the beast-like enemies on the right to make their move and clear a bit of the area, what was left of an omen troop sneaked behind them and waited until they were near the fire pit in the middle to attack. The antipunks stepped back momentarily to step away from the incoming fire, letting their enemy panic in an attempt to defend their backs. But while the omens and antipunks cornered the other faction, Frost peeked out from the same place the omens came from to see that not only they were working together, but that the antipunks were still cornering someone at the back of the battleground. And after a bit of assessment, he casually turned to Nitro and stared eagerly at his loaded grenade launcher in hand.
–Yea, now it’s time. Do your thing…– Frost ordered in a rather unenthusiastic tone, but it still managed to excite Nitro greatly as it was exactly what he wanted to hear. He crawled into battle without an ounce of doubt, not even taking time to calculate the angle of his shot. He aimed slightly above the flames of the pit, and with a simple pull of the trigger, a grenade flew at high speed, colliding right in the middle of the pile of corpses. The omens were struggling to take out all the other enemies as they began fleeing, so they charged right as Nitro took his shot, running straight into the blast zone, where they were all turned into pieces.
–What was that??– Zoey asked in shock and terror after the explosion rocked the ground near EchoForce. The rookies freaked out and tried to go back through the hole where they came from, except the Heartaches were already there, blocking the way. But before she could get an answer, Zoey and the other rookies were caught off guard by antipunks jumping at them from the left side, where Cookie quickly blocked their swords and retaliated alongside Saint, jumping in to get the kill on three of their attackers.
As soon as he heard the explosion, Panda let go of his weapon and waited until the enemy was right on top of Saint and Cookie to get the jump on them. Only five appeared, with Cookie killing the first one that jumped at the rookies from the left, making him trip to impale himself with his sword. But with another one appearing and pouncing on Cookie’s back, Panda grabbed him by his fur vest and tackled him to the ground swiftly, where he knocked him out with one jab.
The rookies were left astonished but continued to fear for their lives, so they grabbed their swords and got up as more enemies appeared to be coming. Prepared to defend the squad again, Saint and Cookie remained in their positions to repeat their strategy, waiting for the slightest bit of movement to jump at the enemy from behind and finish them off with Panda before they got a chance to touch the squad. Panda assumed his position as well, trying to reload and shoot at the antipunks nearby. It appeared that the enemy didn’t want a fight and decided to make their way through the passage ahead. But despite corpses littering the area to the point where the pit’s flames only grew larger, it didn’t look like it was clear yet.
Panda and the rookies noticed that most of the feral enemies had disappeared with the blasts; the only signs of them ever being there were their clothes and weapons scattered around the floor. They couldn’t see well on the left side, but they did notice some omens lying dead as well, though they didn’t recognize them, except Panda. The zone was suspiciously quiet now, and with everyone seemingly dead, Panda immediately locked his sights on the few figures standing behind the flames ahead.
After taking the time to aim properly, Panda opened fire. However, he might have taken too long, as the enemy appeared to know exactly how to dodge his attacks this time. The group of figures stepped aside while one of them flew past all of Panda’s bullets, forcing him to follow him through the air as he took a big leap that cleared several meters off the ground. The smoke clouding the area in front partially concealed the man’s appearance, and by the time the team saw him, he had already jumped over the crate they were hiding behind, heading straight for the rookies at incredible speed, as if he were flying.
Ace and Chappy didn’t have a chance to react, but Zoey was already pushing them aside while Shade backed away but couldn’t raise his swords. Their collective gasps caught Saint’s attention, who looked back to see his friends flinching and Zoey cowering as something approached rapidly. He didn’t even see what was coming and instinctively jumped in to protect her, sticking his sword in the air to blindly block whatever attack was being thrown at his girlfriend.
But as quick as Saint was, the attacker was way faster in the air, and he was able to see him swinging Dominion aimlessly at him, managing to not only dodge it but parry it with an effortless swing of his blade. Saint was disarmed without him even noticing, and once he felt his sword leave his hand, he could only try to hug Zoey and close his eyes like the others to not face his demise. But as he refused to look back, he didn’t notice that everyone except the rookies was panicking, and to Saint’s surprise, he heard his friends sigh in relief at the sight of the person who showed up only a second after he failed to block his attack.
–Whoa, there. Good reflexes, but try seeing who you are attacking beforehand…– Frost warned in an aloof manner, almost showing genuine respect for Saint’s attempt to strike him, though he was already checking on the team. Saint was surprised even more as he opened his eyes and saw Frost nonchalantly standing next to his friends and Cookie, with the latter looking at him disapprovingly for a brief second as he held his chest while panting before calming down.
–What took you so long?– Panda asked with a bit of frustration, despite Crisis just having saved them. The rookies were in disbelief and could only watch Frost and Panda talk like they weren’t about to kill each other, but they noticed Saint was more bothered by it than them as he held Zoey nervously before she stepped back to reassure him with a tap on the shoulder and a smile.
–We blew up the city's bridge and had to improvise. I see you managed to keep yourselves alive as well, good…– Frost replied smugly, with a hint of sarcasm, giving a brief but supportive look at each rookie, except Cookie, who still seemed to be trying to regain his composure. But with his arrival, the team looked for Crisis and saw them staying back to check the bodies and secure both flanks, leading Panda to get up and try to walk over to them.
–Yea, but it feels like everyone is out here to get us. You could’ve gotten killed if I was actually aiming…– Panda said playfully, teasing Frost with his weapon, to which he only scoffed at him and returned the gesture with a strong pat on the back that made Panda wince.
–I’m faster than your bullets, Pax. Don’t think you can get me that easily… Besides, you can’t aim for crap…– Frost responded with a taunting grin, getting a short laugh out of Panda before he stepped aside to clear the path for the rest. But they were interrupted by the rookies, who remained as confused as they had been the past few minutes, though some looked more impressed than fearful now that Crisis arrived.
–How did you do that jump??– Ace asked in awe, curious about Frost’s hooks after noticing he grappled with the rock behind him. In response, Frost only showed off his blades for a good second, fascinating the rookies as they got a closer look at his new upgrade. But before he got the chance to explain the mechanism, he and Panda were already with Crisis, who greeted everyone, though they weren’t as excited to see them.
–Is everyone okay? Does anyone need any medical attention?– Candy asked worriedly as he ran to the rookies with her medical kit in hand, setting up next to Cookie and Saint, who smiled pleasantly to see her, especially the latter, despite her only glancing in his direction. She briefly checked everyone’s injuries at a superficial level, and despite everyone looking dirty and exhausted, Candy was relieved to see that no one was severely hurt.
–I’m hurt pretty badly…– Chappy responded with a forcefully shy tone as he raised his hand to get Candy’s attention. She came to him immediately, trying to remove his shirt as he was deliberately covering himself up. But after he failed to hide a giggle, she noticed his intentions and saw that he only suffered a few bruises and cuts on his arms.
–That’s nothing, but here, you can clean yourself up…– Candy dismissed Chappy’s request as she handed him some wipes to clean the antipunk blood on his body. He was greatly disappointed at his request for manual aid being rejected, but Ace and Shade laughed at him mockingly before stealing some wipes for themselves, so they began fighting. Candy deemed all of them to be in great condition compared to the Heartaches, but she then focused on Panda after noticing the bandage covering the bullet wound in his hand.
–Everyone okay in your squad?– Frost asked Agnus as the Heartaches gathered behind EchoForce and wiped the dirt off their clothes. They were unbothered, or at least stopped worrying about their injuries, once they saw the rest of Crisis show up. They stayed back around the pit of fire, with Nitro setting up explosives at each path that connected to the area, Tricky trying to hide from the rain to set up some sensors, and Kiwy cleaning herself up with the water.
–Yes, only a few injured, but we’re still able to fight…– Agnus replied steadfastly, to which Frost nodded but still checked on the Heartaches after holstering his blades. Candy hurried up with her treatment as she had to change Panda’s bandages and treat his and Cookie’s burns while Frost approached the firepit and urged both teams to gather around.
–Good, we could use your help. I’ll be leading the team tonight, but I expect you to take care of your squad, alright?– Frost informed assertively, getting Agnus to cooperate after a bit of consideration and letting him assume command of the mission. The Heartaches kept looking at him with a hint of suspicion, but he stayed quiet and started paying close attention to what he had to say. But before explaining the situation, Frost waited for Kiwy, Nitro, and Tricky to join the circle, then he glanced at Candy and saw that she was still treating Panda’s injuries.
–Pax, you did great, but I’ll take it from here. I expected at least one of these brats to die, but I guess we are all here, so I’ll get right into it…– Frost saluted Panda with another pat on the shoulder as he kneeled to share his praise. In response, Panda chuckled with a smirk and let out a long sigh as he began relaxing with Candy’s gentle brushes. She was focused on aiding her teammate, but she started looking back at Frost without getting too distracted now that everyone was listening to him.
–Here’s the deal, I’mma make it brief. Our good allies, the Cloudstars, are under attack. Both the omens and antipunks have coordinated an attack to take over their base at the top of the gorge. I’ve been informed that they have already reached it and have secured the pass, but the Ravagers have come in and are trying to take it for themselves. Basically, they are stuck, and we need to get them out. This is a key location, and securing it means controlling the main interregional route, so it won't be just a rescue. We must defend the base at all costs, and trust me, they want to win this battle badly, and if they do… Let’s just say our chances of stopping them from taking over the entire region won't be great, so we have a lot of work to do…– Frost explained with firmness and resolve, maintaining a courageous tone but keeping some optimism to not trigger more fear in the young warriors around him.
Despite describing the severity of their situation, leaving them in disbelief, they all confirmed Frost was telling the truth when they heard more gunfire in the distance, quite close this time. It sounded like the bigger battle was right past the passage in front of them, where the antipunks and ravagers continued fighting their way to what looked like the end of the gorge. It appeared to be much larger in scale and dangerous because of the sounds of heavy artillery and explosions, which disoriented the team. But since Frost had made himself pretty clear, the Heartaches and Crisis were getting ready to follow the enemy into battle, though some couldn’t help but grow anxious as more pressure built up around them.
–Wait? Are we the only ones going there? Don’t we have other allies? Where is Indie?– Ace asked in a mix of skepticism and fright, looking at his friends and Crisis in hopes of getting some sort of positive response. However, only Frost continued talking, and after a bit of consideration and a big, impatient breath, he tried to explain further.
–As I said, our allies are under attack, and we are the ones who have to help them. We already called backup, Indie is taking care of the reinforcements and will lead them to us, but it will take a while, I'm not sure how long. But for them to get here, we need to clear the pass first, or at least draw most of the enemies away, to be able to get our troops there. Yes, right now we’re all that we have, unfortunately… But we shouldn’t have too much of an issue getting there as long as we don’t draw their attention and keep the antipunks and omens from helping each other…– Frost responded with less enthusiasm, taking several pauses, and becoming apprehensive about being honest and open with all the details. He anticipated the negative reactions from the rookies, who looked pretty anxious to hear that they were alone on the mission. But with the Heartaches only turning slightly disappointed and Crisis remaining determined and not caving to the burden they had to carry alone, only Saint was left thinking hard for a while as he took in all the information.
–The antipunks and omens are working together??– Saint asked in shock, sharing the confusion and doubt with a few of the rookies. But as he looked around, searching for answers, he was mostly met with estranged looks from the Heartaches and even Cookie standing right next to him. He pretty much answered his own question, yet Frost still answered with a resentful look.
–Always, since the beginning… They serve the same leader after all... Thankfully, they are still separated thanks to you stalling them, but we need to beat them to the top or we’ll have no way to get past them. That means crossing the pass first and keeping them busy or pitting them against the ravagers…– Frost responded bluntly, trying not to be bitter as he continued giving instructions, now turning back to the passage behind him to listen to the nearby conflict. The rest also began paying attention to the nonstop gunfire up north, but they were still left wondering about the three different enemies they would have to face.
–And what about those? Why are they here?– Zoey asked while pointing at the charred corpse of a ravager in the firepit. The body was barely recognizable, but Panda and Cookie gave it a good look to figure out which side he was on. That’s when the ravager began moving slightly, enough to convince Cookie that it was alive as it looked like it was trying to turn around, prompting him to pull his sword and stab the dead ravager in the back just for good measure.
–They come from the east, mainly the jungle and forests. I’m guessing they are also trying to take over the base to expand their territory. They have tried thousands of times before, but they never succeed ‘cause they are not really a threat in long-range combat… So we don’t have to worry about those unless they somehow bring out their pets and those creepy, giant monkeys…– Panda explained calmly, but he only weirded Zoey and the rookies out, especially after they witnessed Cookie stab the ravager in front of them. Panda kept rambling for a while, but they were paying more attention to the corpse, waiting for it to move again, yet it never did. After getting distracted for a while, they noticed that Frost had thought about Panda’s response and gave him an idea to form a plan based on it.
–We can actually use them to our advantage. It will be chaos out there, I mean, they are already fighting by the looks of things. So we have to get in there and rile them up to keep them focused on each other for as long as possible. If we sneak past them without causing conflict, we can blend in and sneak our way to the top… Of course, we’ll have to deal with the omens later, but, we’ll see…– Frost suggested while still thinking his plan through. But as he seemed to find more issues to address the more he talked, he just began walking to the passage and maintained a tenacious demeanor to support himself, growing more confident in his plan by the second, although the rest couldn’t fully agree.
–I’m not sure it’s that easy, but sure…– Tricky muttered to her teammates as they hesitated to follow their chief for a while. They stayed behind with the rookies and Heartaches, trying to think of other alternatives, but Frost noticed once he began walking up the passage and found himself alone.
–What are you waiting for? Move up!– Frost ordered fiercely after briefly checking on both teams and continuing to walk directly into battle. Seeing that he was settled on the plan and was deliberately approaching combat alone, the rookies refused to move and remained seated. But once their chief had spoken, Crisis had no choice but to follow Frost, despite their suspicions.
With Panda being the first one to grab his gear and follow, Nitro, Kiwy, Candy, and Tricky joined them. Saint and Cookie looked at each other and shared a gloomy sigh, although the latter seemed more affected by his hunger as he held his grumbling belly. Shortly after they followed too, the rookies and Heartaches were on board and accompanied Crisis in their quest to sneak through an active warzone that they couldn’t even see yet. But they would soon regret this decision once they actually saw what the ongoing battle was like.