NOVEL FROG Chapter 125: Blind Spots
After Crisis slaughtered the omens on the way to the Cloudstar base, they had inadvertently helped out EchoForce by clearing the way for them to get close to the left mountain’s rock wall, where they had an easier way to climb to the top. They checked the rock formation in the middle that was splitting the path in two, but that’s when Tricky and Cookie noticed something that Crisis overlooked. They both stared up while the rookies continued searching for a good grip to start climbing, though their attention shifted back soon after Tricky and Cookie went quiet.
–How are we supposed to-...?– Chappy tried to ask, but he cut himself off just as everyone else turned around and saw what was happening above them. The ravagers from the right mountain were pushing forward with their primitive shields, making their way to the edge and crossing the gap by using wooden planks. They were struggling to set up a bridge to the middle point due to the omens focusing fire on the ones carrying the planks, though they still secured the ground and got across the right pathway. Seeing this, Tricky and Cookie quickly ran over to the left mountain wall and ignored the ravagers, but the rookies couldn’t help but keep staring in confusion.
–We gotta hurry up and get up there before them…– Cookie ordered urgently as he began climbing the mountain with Tricky’s backpack to take some weight off her. The rookies froze for a moment trying to figure out what to do; the exhaustion from the previous hours was starting to set in, and it seemed they were just starting to realize they would have to overcome an even bigger challenge. But with nowhere else to go but up, they began climbing the mountain with their bare hands as well. Ace and Chappy were slow since they were constantly checking their backs to see if the ravagers had spotted them, but Zoey and Shade were able to catch up with Tricky and Cookie, with Zoey being even faster than them.
The section they just climbed was short enough that it was harder to find a good grip than pull themselves up. Zoey, Tricky, and Cookie were already hanging just a couple of inches below the line of fire, waiting for their opportunity to jump up as the gunfire from both sides didn’t cease for a single moment. The omens couldn’t see them, and while the ravagers began noticing their plan, they were far too busy trying to set another bridge to cross the gap, so they didn’t even bother to look at them. However, with enough time for the other rookies to reach the ledge, they first had to think of a way to sneak past the gunfire.
–What now?– Zoey asked worriedly, starting to pant as she couldn’t hold on for much longer, though she wasn’t struggling nearly as hard as Cookie, who was starting to lose his grip from all the weight he was carrying. He didn’t even respond and concentrated on holding his breath and not slipping, as he would fall right on top of Shade, Ace, and Chappy, who were anxiously waiting for an order. Luckily for them, Tricky managed to assess the situation just from the pattern and direction of the gunfire, and she was already putting together a strategy.
–Wait ‘till they stop shooting, okay?– Tricky ordered the rookies as she looked down at them, but they only stared back as if they were lost. They nodded with hesitation and then looked at each other to figure out what the plan was, but they soon saw what Tricky was scheming when she reached for her bag on Cookie’s back.
Unaware of what she was pulling out, Cookie leaned closer and helped her open the bag, where she retrieved what looked like a grenade. The rookies stared in awe as Tricky pulled the pin and swiftly tossed it over the ledge, not too far away as it only rolled a few feet from their position before it blew up. The rookies cowered, trying to cover their heads from the explosion, but instead of a blast like Nitro’s grenades, thick smoke began pouring out of the grenade. A cloud began to form, obscuring the area above EchoForce, and blocking the omens’ line of sight, though they still tried to find another angle to shoot at the ravagers crossing the gap.
The few ravagers at the frontline didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity and cross their improvised wooden bridge, despite it being too flimsy to hold their weight. They had to run across in turns to avoid the wooden planks breaking, but they stayed low once they reached the other side. EchoForce waited for them to make the move first, but as they couldn’t do much more to distract the omens, they were forced to climb up despite the omens still shooting above their heads.
Cookie and Tricky took a brief peek to see where the bullets were coming from. Since the omens were firing at the center of mass, Tricky began crawling her up the ledge to begin inching her way forward while the smoke still concealed her. Cookie followed right after as the ravagers were starting to get close to them, but the rookies hesitated to move up, except Shade, who took an even bigger risk by diving as soon as he got up in order to clear more distance. Zoey played it safe and only crawled to catch up with Shade, leaving only Ace and Chappy behind, who panicked when they noticed the smoke starting to clear.
The gunfire hadn’t stopped, so they questioned what to do, even when it looked like the rest of the group was fine. They kept waiting until they were sure, and their moment came when they noticed Zoey's hands sticking out of the ledge. She tried to reach for them, which is when they accepted her help and made their way up the mountain. Shade didn’t stop and left his pants behind, but with Zoey keeping an eye on him, she was able to guide Ace and Chappy, quickly urging them to stay low by crawling like the rest. Ace and Chappy complied, though they looked distracted by what was going on behind; some of the ravagers were starting to set up a line of shields and establish a formation to keep advancing.
They could hear the enemy close, and while it didn’t seem like they were going to push onward quite yet, once the smoke started clearing around the ledge, Ace and Chappy panicked when they realized the ravagers were right behind. The two rookies picked up the pace and tried to alert the others by pulling their shoes and pointing them back at the ravagers. Shade and Zoey couldn’t see well since they were sticking close to where the smoke was thickest, but they still knew they had to hurry up and get to a safe spot before the rest of the ravagers caught up to them. Zoey followed Tricky and Cookie to see what they were doing, and she was concerned when they didn’t have a clear direction to go.
The smoke cloud was big enough to cover a few feet past the ledge, though they were able to crawl safely below the gunfire. There didn’t seem to be anything for them to take cover in front of for at least another couple of meters, so the squad frantically looked for some protection while the smoke dispersed. Finally, Cookie pointed at a faint figure not too far ahead and shifted a bit to the left while hurrying up the squad as they followed. His aggressively exasperated gestures couldn’t be picked up well by the rookies at the back, and even though they couldn’t make out what was found in his direction, the squad had no choice but to blindly trust Cookie as the smoke was clearing and their position would be compromised.
The rookies hurried up to catch up with Tricky, but they were too far behind and began crouch-walking to be faster, putting themselves at risk as they were even closer to the bullets flying from all directions. Cookie had reached a large rock that he used as cover from the omen gunfire, though it wasn’t big enough to cover the entire squad. Regardless, Tricky followed closely behind and took cover with him while checking back on the rookies to see if they could make it on time. The smoke was now gone, and now fully exposed to the omens, they didn’t even get to see where they were before running the last stretch to reach the rock. The enemy hadn’t seen them, but the rookies still sprinted for their lives, not looking back at the ravager formation that was now attracting all the enemy’s firepower. And even when they reached the rock, they saw nothing but a certain death waiting at every corner.
–We’re dead! What do we do??– Ace exclaimed in distress while staying low right behind Tricky and Cookie, using their bodies as shields alongside the other rookies, except Shade, who managed to stick to the rock with the other two and began peeking out the corner. He only checked briefly what they were going against, and from the look on his face, it didn’t inspire much hope. This only made Ace lose control, needing Zoey to calm him down with the help of Chappy, all while Cookie and Tricky ignored them. The latter chose to look for a way out of their predicament as soon as possible, but after checking their surroundings, it was clear there was nowhere safe to go.
The top of the mountain was just like the terrain in the gorge, except much more deadly due to a wall of omens with rifles in the distance, creating a barrier of bullets preventing anyone from approaching them. They were far enough away to not see the squad, but the distance from the enemy made it impossible for EchoForce to fight their way forward. They were stuck behind the rock, in the middle of the conflict, as bullets flew past both sides now that the ravagers were pushing forward and trying to gain ground. The squad just waited still while both factions clashed and surrounded them. But even when it looked like they were cornered and had no power to clear some way, Cookie kept taking peeks to search the surrounding area.
–There should be some trenches somewhere over here… I can’t see them…– Cookie claimed with increasing nervousness, starting to lose his composure after looking everywhere without finding any way out, which only made the rookies more scared and confused.
–Why would there be trenches here??– Shade asked precariously and with a slightly cynical tone. He was met with shrugs from his teammates, but Tricky and Cookie ignored them and focused on searching for more opportunities to move.
–I don’t know! Who thought fighting on top of a mountain was a good idea??– Chappy replied anxiously but kept quiet, causing Ace to break down in nervous laughter. They were both losing their minds from seeing the ravagers approaching, as they would have their backs against the wall for the second time in a day. But it was Ace who was more proactive and kept peeking out the rock despite bullets grazing it, and even without seeing anything except a few smaller rocks far away near the omen army, he saw no other option than to take his chances.
–Wait!! No!– Zoey yelled at Ace as she was the first to see him get up and run out of cover, heading directly at the nearest rocks several feet away. Chappy and Shade noticed shortly after, alongside Tricky and Cookie, with the latter reaching for Ace’s shirt to stop him but being too slow. In the process, he exposed himself, and without a decisive choice, Cookie was stunned for a second as he watched Ace fully commit to the run and put his speed to the test as he reached the nearest spot to take cover. His legs were fast, though that didn’t matter much when the omens took notice of the single person running at them and didn’t hesitate to draw their guns at him.
With Ace in their sights, the omens began firing, diverting some attention away from the ravagers, and since the rocks he was heading for weren’t even aligned with him, they couldn’t block the incoming gunfire. Only being able to watch him face a certain death, the rookies froze and tried to look away, but Cookie had already stepped into the line of sight and was about to be targeted as well, so he refused to give away the others’ position. He left Tricky’s backpack behind, and with his sword in hand, he ran straight while trying to protect his face and chest as much as he could with his weapons in hopes of blocking any bullets. However, he wasn’t fast enough to catch up to Ace, and as he ran behind him, he began gripping the sword anxiously in anticipation of seeing the rookie get gunned down before his eyes.
Against all odds, despite bullets flying towards him just like raindrops falling from the sky, Ace managed to run a good stretch of the way to the rock in front of him. He was prepared to dive and take cover, but he was only halfway there before he fell to the ground. But instead of dropping dead, he suddenly disappeared from Cookie and everyone’s sights, as he appeared to drop into some ditch. Even with the rain, bullets, ravager war cries in the back, and the other rookies screaming in horror, Cookie heard the distinctive sound of Ace’s fall. With a loud thud and a groan, Cookie followed Ace’s steps without knowing what he had gotten into. Tricky watched as Cookie deliberately headed to the same fate, but she was greatly relieved when Cookie safely slid into the trench Ace had fallen in.
The two soon found out they were exactly where they wanted to be, as Ace had fallen face-first into a narrow dirt corridor, reinforced with old and cracked wooden planks, barely able to hold the ground on each side from collapsing. Ace buried his face in the mud after a nearly seven-foot-tall fall that left him moaning in pain, and despite the mud muffling his cries, he immediately alerted the omens hiding in the trench. He found himself surrounded by the enemy, who was confused at first upon seeing him slam his face on the ground but quickly identified him as a threat.
Ace didn’t even realize he had stumbled upon a trench, let alone that he wasn’t alone in it, but he soon heard the mumbling of five armed omens aiming their rifles at him. For a moment, he was relieved to have dodged all the bullets and found a safe spot, but he began to pick up on the danger he had gotten himself into once it was too late. He was trapped with the enemy, and while they hesitated to shoot until he got up and revealed his muddy face, once they saw his sword on his back, they cocked their rifles and tried to execute him right there and then. In reaction, Ace simply closed his eyes and accepted that he was dead on the spot, but that’s when Cookie slid down the trench and interrupted the omens.
First dropping on top of two of the omens and knocking them to the ground, Cookie turned to the other three, who were in the middle of pulling the trigger when they were alerted to his presence, and instantly shifted focus to him. Ace felt the burst of bullets miss him by an inch before recognizing Cookie, only to take cover as the latter slashed through the three omens with ease. With a quick cut to their chests, Cookie made the omens drop their rifles and kneel, and he kept the other two on the ground after kicking away their weapons and pushing the other three on top of them. He prioritized Ace’s safety first, as he helped him get up before glancing back at the two omens trying to reach for their guns. But as all five omens were defenseless, Cookie first finished off the three injured omens to let their corpses crush their teammates, leaving them trapped under the dead weight.
–You okay?– Cookie asked with a concerned but lighthearted tone that Ace dismissed as he wiped the mud off his face and clothes. He just nodded in a shocked state and began looking around the trench alongside Cookie, who was wary of more enemies showing up. The trench was clear, though, so he went back to signal for the rest of the team to join them.
Carefully pulling himself up to poke his head out, Cookie tried to keep track of the rest of the squad, only to be caught off guard by Tricky, Shade, and Zoey jumping into the trench. Tricky tripped with Cookie’s hands and lost her balance, falling into the trench with him, though he was able to react quickly and not only land on his feet but catch her in his arms, which brought both to the ground. Chappy was the last to jump in, and unlike Zoey and Shade, his landing was less than grateful, as he fell butt-first onto Ace’s back, bringing him to the mud again next to the two immobile omens.
–Watch out. You’re carrying a highly unstable bomb right there…– Cookie joked with a smirk as he held Tricky in a way that sparked a slight embarrassment. She did seem grateful but only scoffed at his joke before getting on her feet and urging Cookie to do the same. Checking on Zoey and Shade first, Cookie put away his sword to check their surroundings again, but his train of thought was interrupted when he noticed Chappy and Ace were being attacked by the two omens on the ground.
–AHH! HELP!– Chappy yelled in panic as one of the omens grabbed him and tried to strangle him from behind, though he only managed to hold part of his shoulder and one ear. This alone made Chappy shriek, and Ace was in a similar position, but he couldn’t even talk as his face was in the mud from being dragged down by the other omen. Without being able to pull out their swords or use their hands to fight back, they both resisted and tried to shimmy away while repeatedly calling for help. However, it was clear they weren’t in any danger, as the omens couldn’t move more than their arms and were having difficulty breathing in the position they were in.
Since the omens could barely hurt them, Cookie, Tricky, and Zoey stayed back to watch in amusement, but Shade stepped in to help the two, pulling his sword to stab the one attacking Ace, nearly hitting his teammate in the head as well, and then doing the same with the other omen. But as Chappy was screaming more uncontrollably, Shade played with his fear by resting the tip of his sword on the back of his neck well after the omen died. Ace quickly got up, and while he tried thanking Shade, he chose to laugh at Chappy before helping him up as he continued screaming with his eyes shut. He refused to move until Ace began pulling him up, and after feeling the cold blade on the back of his neck, he checked for any wounds, only for Ace to slap him in that spot and make him regain composure.
–Good to see you are all ready for any type of threat…– Cookie mocked sarcastically after sharing a brief laugh with the rest of the squad, though he didn’t joke around for longer as he immediately began walking through the trench to find a way to get closer to the enemy. Despite Zoey, Ace, and Chappy taking the time to confirm the kills and staying at the back, they tried to remain focused and followed Cookie without looking back to keep moving forward.