NOVEL FROG Chapter 135: Honor & Spite
–GET AWAY FROM HIM!– Freak shouted as she used all her strength to push the rack toward Frost and Reaper. It tumbled with ease as it had been cleared, and with the help of gravity, it crushed Frost. Reaper saw it coming and squeezed into a small gap between shelves, standing up intact with Freak’s help.
Frost was caught by surprise and was pinned down by the weight of the rack. Unable to turn his head, he still recognized Freak as the one behind him from her voice, but he couldn’t believe she had managed to stay hidden in the dark until now. She came in at the perfect moment to rescue Reaper from his precarious situation, and as they began laughing at Frost, he could only play defeated. He couldn’t move or even wield his blades defensively, but he noticed Reaper’s scythe jutting out of the rack beside him.
–How does the floor taste, sucker? I’ll give it to you, it was a fun match, but it was starting to become annoying…– Freak quipped with a witty but slightly exasperated tone. She showed some concern after witnessing Reaper struggle against Frost, but now that their opponent was trapped, she brushed the dirt off Reaper’s shoulders before leaning on him and continuing to laugh. Despite his injuries, Reaper was back to his cocky self after catching his breath. He seemingly forgot about the cut on his abdomen, and with Freak caressing his arms as they stood together, Frost tried to contain his anger and not worsen his predicament.
–Yea, well. He had some tricks up his sleeve. Quite impressive, really. I didn’t expect him to last that long without that gadget. I might need to steal it for myself…– Reaper replied nonchalantly, getting another good chuckle out of Frost’s misfortune. Hearing all the mockery and seeing Freak and Reaper staring down with pity from the corner of his eye didn’t sit well. And as much as he tried to contain it, Frost was boiling over and grunting repeatedly while trying to set himself free.
–What happened to just you and me? Where is your honor?... I guess it is to be expected for a worthless scumbag like you!– Frost yelled, enraged, turning red and panting. However, Freak and Reaper were undeterred by his barking, and since they had nothing better to do, they kept toying with him, making sure he couldn’t get up by stepping on the rack and inflicting more pain.
–Yea, yea, you know how it works. We all knew it was going to end like this either way. Who cares about the details? Too bad no one else will see me rip you apart limb by limb. But at least we’ll get to enjoy it as much as we want, right?– Reaper replied sarcastically, taunting Frost with an arrogant smile and dripping with malice as he formed ideas with Freak, who was just as petty. Frost tried to stay calm and kept an eye on the two as they thought of ways to torture him. While Freak searched for a good spot to stab him, Frost controlled his breath and suppressed his fiery emotions, which were building up violently within him. It culminated in a thunderous growl that diverted his enemies’ attention right as his rescuer rapidly approached the scene.
–That ain't happening!– Panda shouted, rushing from the shadows to intercept his chief’s murder. He ran straight at Reaper and Freak with only his shield in hand, leaping over the rack between them to shove both into another frame. Reaper attempted to attack, but he couldn’t retrieve his weapon in time and was sent crashing into the metal beams, hitting the back of his head. But instead of striking while they were down, Panda quickly dropped his shield and hurried up to lift the rack off Frost.
–Come on, I got you!– Panda urged, straining under the weight as he put his back into lifting. Frost was stunned and couldn’t move instantly, making Panda hold the position for a bit longer. He was capable of enduring, but Freak and Reaper had recovered and approached from behind, seething from the surprise attack. Seeing his teammate incapable of defending himself or seeing the enemy, Panda held on until Frost regained his senses and rolled to the side.
–Behind!– Frost warned Panda, who immediately dropped the rack and elbowed Reaper in the face, displacing his skull mask and momentarily blinding him. Frost had his blades ready, but Freak was startled and pulled Reaper away to retreat, but not without grabbing his scythe first. They were heading towards the light, but not in a hurry since they were all trapped inside the hangar, allowing Panda and First to check on each other.
–Nice work getting the jump on them…– Frost thanked Panda with genuine appreciation. He shook Panda’s hand firmly and gave him a brief hug. In response, Panda was modest and didn’t take any credit, as he worried about his condition since he was bruised from the fall.
–I should have joined in way sooner. You could have died, man…– Panda argued with slight disapproval, but Frost brushed it off with a chuckle while he sharpened his blades.
–Well, we all tease death at least once in our lives… I just find her irresistible and keep doing it over and over again, that's all– Frost replied with a lighthearted smirk, patting Panda on the back before stepping away from the rack. The latter cracked up, and despite Frost’s visible injuries, his worries vanished upon seeing him acting nonchalantly.
Frost cracked his back and prepared to walk, feeling more confident with Panda by his side and their opponents cowardly hiding. However, before they could chase Freak and Reaper, the light in the center of the hangar went out, and it didn’t just turn off. The entire middle section of the ceiling suddenly collapsed from an explosion, sending people falling, including one massive threat to Frost and Panda.
After the hangar gates closed, Crisis couldn’t rely on Frost or Panda. With little time to make a choice, they followed Saint, who was already heading upstairs with the Cloudstars, unaware of the situation behind them. He put Dominion away to avoid accidentally hurting anyone in the dark, and as he followed the last Cloudstars running to the second floor, he turned back to see the rest of the squad lagging behind. The ravagers were almost at the end of the hallway, and despite seeing as little as the rest, they heard the Cloudstars running up the stairs and pursuing them.
Some ravagers headed to the nearby rooms and the closed gate to the hangar, while Nitro, Kiwy, and Candy were still waiting to see Panda and Frost come back. But as they had no other choice, they joined the Cloudstars upstairs, who were way ahead at the staircase inside one of the towers, where they found a small group of omens who had infiltrated another section of the headquarters. The Cloudstars took them down swiftly, but they had only dealt with a tiny fraction of the omens who were already inside and heading to the second floor. But since they couldn’t find the rest of the threats, they began scattering to clear the way for Crisis to get to the staircase instead of checking the other corridors connected to the tower.
Once Saint, Nitro, Kiwy, and Candy made it to the second floor, the Cloudstars tried to block the stairs from the first floor to prevent the ravagers from following. They kicked them away and tried to build barriers, although the ravagers could easily overpower them if they all pushed at once. However, the enemy was still inspecting the area and didn’t all rush upstairs, giving Crisis time to collect their thoughts and rethink. They couldn’t focus while surrounded by distraught allies, but at least they didn’t lose their cool and assessed their surroundings accordingly.
The second floor was more illuminated, consisting of four corridors circling a tall tower in the middle with a spiraling staircase. This tower was one of the main ones on all corners of the base, though not the tallest. The highest point was found in the center, right above the central hall, which was impossible to access without the corridors as it was several meters away. The current tower was spacious enough for all the Cloudstars, who filled each corridor to defend their position since there were other stairs from the first floor. Luckily, the northern left staircase, the one they had just used, was the only one crawling with enemies for now, but Crisis had to strategize quickly if they wanted to avoid being trapped.
As Crisis monitored the stairwell to see if the ravagers were advancing, Saint went ahead, finding a large door that led to the hangar's roof. It was a vast, slippery platform due to the accumulated rain, and as the door was centered, Saint had to leave cover to approach the edge and look down. As soon as he stepped out, he was astounded by the storm surrounding the building, with the fog growing so close and dense that it was slowly consuming the tip of the tallest tower. The air was so thick he couldn’t see past the broken walls, so Saint leaned on a short half wall at the edge to peek down.
Saint fought the strong wind to remain on his feet while trying to assess the current situation below. He confirmed they were completely surrounded by omens and ravagers, who continued battling despite the awful weather. It looked like there were still more troops coming from each side to keep the flame going. The rest of Crisis joined Saint on the roof, allowing more water to flow inside the tower, but they were too stunned by the sight to care. The Cloudstars seemed to control the situation back inside, but Crisis realized the roof wasn’t safe for long, especially if the conditions kept worsening.
–Woah… I can’t even see the sky!– Nitro exclaimed, admiring the heavy clouds' ominous presence, and marveled at the lightning charging as light rays flashed every second. He wasn’t too startled, but the ominous atmosphere, combined with the thunder and potential risk of being struck by lightning, created a haunting scene that unsettled Kiwy and Candy for the most part, with Saint not even paying attention. The persistent presence of both armies only amplified their unease, yet the squad’s main concern still seemed to be their lost teammates.
Crisis tried to observe the commotion below alongside Saint, but they struggled to see much. As they were distracted, they were startled by purple particles forming on the opposite side of the roof, at the end facing north. They turned around in confusion just in time to catch Spook remerge Freak and Reaper weren’t with them, but the rest of the squad were all there and eager for a fight. Despite this, they weren’t prepared to see Saint immediately charge at them before they could get used to their surroundings.
Nitro, Kiwy, and Candy hesitated to engage as they first waited to see what Spook was plotting, but they were forced to act when Saint impulsively rushed at Voodoo and Daishi. The squads were separated by a few air vents in the middle, and apart from the rain, they had a large, clear ring to battle it out. Saint looked the most tired, and at the same time, he was the most violent, so much so that he was blinded by it. He was leaving his teammates behind in an attempt to catch Spook by surprise. As he leaped at Voodoo first, swinging Dominion midair, his teammates panicked since they predicted her choice to vanish and teleport a few feet to Saint’s right.
–No! Come back!– Candy warned Saint, prompting Nitro and Kiwy to intervene without putting him at risk. He was all alone, surrounded by the enemy, and had to rely on his reflexes as he was disoriented by Voodoo’s move. He instantly turned to Daishi, who blocked his sword with her kunai, but not without some knockback. Since she was still standing in his way, Saint focused on her and tried swinging faster than she could move, failing to realize Onyx and Scarecrow were closing in.
Kiwy was already running in to help, but Saint first had to duck alongside Daishi as Scarecrow lunged at him with his sickles. Narrowly dodging him, Saint started to realize he had trapped himself between Scarecrow and Daishi and couldn’t defend himself for long. He kept weaving as Daishi tried poking him with her kunai and distracted him from Scarecrow, who attempted to grab him. Saint wiggled away but couldn’t fight on both fronts until Kiwy dashed from behind Scarecrow and pounced on his back, bringing him down to the wet floor. She proceeded to tear apart his large coat while Saint dodged Daishi’s attack and pushed her away. He noticed Onyx and Voodoo were closing in, but even with three enemies approaching from different directions, he remained calm as Nitro and Candy were coming to help.
–Step back, get away from them!– Nitro shouted in a mix of fury and anxiety. Saint ignored him since he was occupied with Daishi’s relentless attacks and keeping up with her agility. Nitro kept trying to find an angle to shoot a grenade without harming his teammates, but he only grew frustrated as he couldn’t get a clear shot. This prompted Candy to pull out her guns and fire at Voodoo, who seemingly phased through the bullets from the way she weaved effortlessly. She still managed to distract her, leaving Daishi and Onyx for Saint to handle, who listened to Nitro to some extent but couldn’t find a way to fall back.
After kicking Daishi back to catch his breath, he gripped his sword firmly to face Onyx. The enormous omen came charging at full speed despite his heavy stone armor. His thumping footsteps were enough to make Saint change his mind immediately. As the enemy approached, he glanced back at his teammates, who were all busy, except Nitro. The latter already had Onyx in his sights, and like he warned Saint, he needed everyone to step back. Saint realized too late, and when he tried to retreat, he slipped on the wet floor, only distancing himself a couple feet from Onyx by the time Nitro fired. The grenade flew above his teammates, slightly arching to hit Onyx in the torso, but he saw it coming and dodged the projectile by ducking.
Saint squealed briefly as he saw the grenade miss Onyx and fly above them, landing behind his enemy and exploding in the middle of the roof. The explosion was caught between the vents in the center, which partially shielded Saint. The blast created a small hole, but it quickly grew, cracking the entire ground. The explosion knocked both Saint and Onyx back towards Kiwy, but the ground below Onyx began collapsing, sending both him and Saint through the hole before they could react. Onyx dropped right into the hangar below, while Saint barely held onto the ledge, catching his sword with one hand as it slipped down.
Luckily, Candy and Kiwy managed to rush to his aid and pull him up just in time, but everyone else stood around in shock. Voodoo, Scarecrow, and Daishi paused to watch Onyx fall to the hangar. At the same time, Reaper and Freak were fleeing from Panda and Frost, the two halting to see Onyx nearly crush his teammates. Debris rained down on the hangar, and the faint light from the storm allowed Frost and Panda to spot their squad and Spook above. They caught a glimpse of Saint’s feet dangling before being pulled up, and as baffled as they were, they couldn’t waste time and escaped the hangar as soon as possible.
–Damn! What th-... We gotta go!– Panda exclaimed at the sight of Onyx breaking through the hangar ceiling. He was cut off by the sounds of the hangar gates bursting open as ravagers rushed in from the south and omens gathered at the north wing. They were trapped, with the only way out being up.
Panda rushed back to get his machine gun, handing his shield to Frost, who kept the omens at bay by standing close to Freak and Reaper. Despite conflicting thoughts about attacking them, the overwhelming presence of the ravagers made his opponents retreat, and he took this as a sigh to dip out as well. Voodoo teleported below to rescue all three of her teammates, leaving Frost and Panda surrounded by two unstoppable forces. Panda grabbed his weapon just in time to open fire and fend off the ravagers. He ran back to Frost, who grew impatient as he stared up at the hole in the ceiling. Panda was fast, but once he returned to Frost, he was dumbfounded when he handed him his blades.
–Take this and grapple up– Frost ordered without hesitation. Panda didn’t know how to use his blades aside from holding them, but he ignored his confusion and complied with a reluctant nod. After strapping his machine gun to his back and checking on Frost for confirmation, Panda aimed the blades at the ceilings and intuitively pulled the triggers on both handles. He hooked the edge of the hole in the roof, now seeing his teammates as they were engaged with Spook.
The ravagers were significantly faster than the omens and were about to clash in the middle as Frost and Panda prepared to escape. The omens had ranged weapons, so the distance wasn’t much of a hindrance but more of a delay, forcing Frost to use the shield to cover Panda while he tried to figure out how to get up. He struggled to get a comfortable grip, but once he pulled the triggers again, he managed to grapple up with a shriek of terror, though he was slower than Frost due to his size and losing his balance. Frost found himself surrounded by enemies and waited for Panda to reach the roof, turning back after hearing him scream.
As Panda reached the ledge, his teammates were relieved but concerned to see him using Frost’s blades. They didn’t have time to question it as Spook regrouped and pushed forward to attack together. They targeted Panda first since he was right in the middle, standing in the way between them and his squad. But as he immediately tried to help Frost get up once he reached the roof and didn’t acknowledge Spook, his teammates finally had to defend him for once.
–PANDA, WATCH OUT!– Saint shouted, leaping over Panda to prevent Daishi from stabbing him. Other than hearing Saint’s warning, Panda was still oblivious or at least too worried about Frost to look at his surroundings, so he focused solely on handing his blades back to let him grapple to safety. Saint tackled Daishi to the ground while the rest of Crisis clashed with Spook, and Panda stayed still as he saw Frost being swarmed by ravagers.
Despite his circumstances, Frost took advantage of being surrounded, using the circle of ravagers as cover from the omen's gunfire. However, it came at a cost, as he was attacked from all directions. The ravagers’ attacks were predictable but fierce, requiring all his focus to defend himself. He managed to block some strikes and kill a couple of attackers with their own weapons by spinning rapidly, handling two blades at once to cover as much ground. But as more and more ravagers were coming, it was only a matter of time before he had to use Panda’s shield to cover himself in a sea of enemies.
Seeing Frost struggle, Panda realized the only way to get him out of there was to pull him up with his blades. He couldn’t hook Frost’s body or the shield since the only part to hook was the handle, which had Frost’s hand tightly wrapped around it. With no other choice, Panda grappled at one of the dead ravagers behind Frost, hooking his chest and neck right after dropping dead. The ravagers noticed Panda’s attempt to rescue Frost and tried to pull down and unhook the body, but after Frost realized what was happening, he hopped on top and killed anyone who got near him.
After confirming Frost was hanging onto the body, Panda pulled the trigger and began to lift him. It would take some time since he was pulling excessive weight, but despite the ravagers pulling down, they couldn’t match Panda’s strength. Even though they had a more pressing issue as the omens closed in, they were able to stall Panda and keep pushing. The thunder was distracting him, leaving him unaware of the battle around him and unable to hear his teammates’ calls to move. He also didn’t notice Scarecrow and Onyx flanking him to knock him down the hole, and as Nitro couldn’t use his grenade launcher again, he panicked momentarily as he ran over to help.
While his teammates defended him, Panda held onto the blades as if his life depended on them. He did have Frost’s life in his hands, and while he was ascending, more ravagers were pulling him and the body down. Two of them clung to Frost’s legs, prompting him to kick one in the face and try to bash the other with Panda’s shield. Before shaking off the other one, he began getting shot at. The omens didn’t look past the only person rising to the ceiling, and while they didn’t recognize Frost, they fired regardless, forcing him to protect himself with the shield. He was in an awkward position, barely holding onto the body with one hand while covering himself with the other, all while dealing with that one ravager pulling him down.
After two consecutive kicks, the ravager let go of his legs, but he was persistent and tried grabbing his foot. Failing to hang on, the ravager fell further but was able to grab onto the dead body, significantly slowing Panda down. With the Spook members targeting him, Panda didn’t have much time to hold on, and neither did Frost, who kept getting shot at and couldn’t climb the hook’s string with one hand. Onyx rushed at Panda from behind, but Saint was able to intercept and force him to jump out of the way. He almost cut his legs off, but with Scarecrow right next to him, Saint couldn’t approach, opting first to defend himself from Daishi while calling for help. Nitro came running, letting out a feral growl as he tackled Scarecrow to the ground, beating him up until he couldn’t stand up.
Frost was only halfway up and couldn’t kick off the ravager, who was not only holding on but also climbing the dead body. The weight on the blades’ strings seemed too much, but they kept ascending at a consistent pace, at least until a bullet hit the ravager in the head. The shot instantly killed him, and while Frost didn’t realize it since he held the shield close to his body, the ravager was still hanging even after death, dragging the body and Frost down harder.
The death grip on the body added more weight, straining the blades’ hooks. Panda turned red, using all his strength to pull, but it looked futile since the hooks themselves were on the verge of breaking. With the weight of two corpses and Frost, Panda didn’t give up, but it was too much. Frost felt himself fall as the hooks detached and the strings snapped. He looked up, and now in a freefall, all he could do was stare at Panda as they both tried to process the moment in a horrified trance.