I've been getting used to the jerky halt of the tank, but it still never ceased to piss me off when it did. I didn't bang my head, which was an obvious plus, but nonetheless, I was losing a good amount of sleep over it. Today was one such occasion.
"Damnit" I murmured to myself, having woken up again. The overhead hatch was closed, but fresh air was still coming in from the firing slit, allowing for a good dose of fresh air that usually helped me to fall asleep. Today, however, at least at this time, it was doing me no such favors as it was allowing some rather strong sunlight to be making its ways directly into my eyes, more than likely blocking any chances of sleep in the near future.
"You all right, Luke?" Gan called, from the passenger seat this time. Zand had insisted that we start rotating roles in the tanks as there was no imminent threat from enemy forces as far as we could see. It had been a humdrum schedule for the last 2 weeks. The first week, we were all on edge, keeping close eyes on the wall, making sure no earth benders were at the ready to rain down boulders on our heads. This last Sunday, Zand seemed to realize that we weren't being attacked at every corner and ordered us to begin role rotations. Gi Gu had been on gunner duty and had earned some practice with a crossbow while Gan had tried navigating and I made an attempt at driving. I remembered what I had been momentarily taught in Citadel and had no issue reacquainting myself with the war machine. Unit 350 was the beast's name. Wasn't too original, but it served well when the name on the documents matched the name we called it. I had no idea what kind of strings would have to be pulled to earn official recognition for a custom tank name. Probably a good record or competence at the least. Frankly, I had no special affection for the vehicle that Gan had. Maybe that came from driving it, but I didn't know. The only special place this tank had in my heart was that it was a good place to catch some sleep.
"Yeah." I mumbled, waking up from what was probably my fifth nap today. "Just drowsy."
"Yeah, well, you're gunner today so we need you to keep an eye out."
"We're patrolling with the others and I want to think they're not as incompetent as me and at least paying some attention. Besides, what is there to keep an eye out for?"
"Nothing we can see."
"Exactly. Nothing we can see."
"That's not a good thing. You know earth benders and how they are hiding inside a city with walls made of, well, earth."
He had a point.
"You're right. It's just that sleep isn't coming to me as easily as it used to."
"Neither with me. Do you feel it too? The earth moving underneath you?"
"How'd you know?"
"We all feel it. Don't know if it's the worms burrowing, buried alive soldiers from the 106th, or earth benders fucking with our morale."
"Or Earth Benders digging underneath us, ready to fuck us in the ass while we sleep."
"Could be."
"How about you, Gu? You feel mother earth also bitch slapping you in the middle of the night."
There was no reply and I bent down to remember he was driving, eyes fixed on the road as though he were gazing at his first pair of tits. "I asked a question, Gu!" I called again, now just talking to mess with him.
"Meh." Gan interrupted. "Leave him alone. Let him get comfortable knowing how to move this hunk of junk before we start trying to sabotage him."
"Fair enough." I replied, chuckling."
"Woah Woah Woah!" Gan called, placing a hand on Gi Gu's shoulder, motioning for him to slow down. The tank in front of us, unit 349 had just stopped dead in its tracks and we were gaining on them quickly. "Slow down! Slow down! Break!"
I didn't think Gi Gu would find the break, but, somehow, he did, inches away from the nice people in front of us.
The crew of unit 249 didn't have any trouble also recognizing just how close we had been to ramming into them from behind and their gunner poked his head out, not a Citadel kid, but some teenager by the looks of him, flipping us off with malicious intent.
I poked my head out of the now open hatch as well, mouthing the word 'sorry' as I knew he wouldn't be able to hear me over the engines. The gunner shook his head and turned to look at the left treads, looking for whatever the problem was.
We soon enough realized this wasn't going to be a short stop and turned off our tanks. Zaedra opened the hatch to his tank and was able to be heard now that it was dead silent in the middle of now here, once again headed north, with a big ass wall to our left.
"Unit 349! What's the hold up!?"
"Don't know, sir!" the gunner replied. "We just stopped. Something wrong with the treads, I think."
"Well get out and check it out. It's hot as hell out here!"
"Yes, sir!"
The tanks were situated in a V formation. Zaedra and the Iron Gauntlet were at the tip of the V, leading the squad, while we followed, forming the sides of the V. Unit 349 and 350 made up the left side of the formation. He would be on the outer edge of the V without cover.
I was alert now. I looked around as the teen gunner began making his descent from the gunner's seat, moving into open territory. I was expecting Zaedra to order us to reform the V, placing the gunner inside the V as he was heading towards the tank's left treads. No such order came and as little as I knew about military procedure, I knew that under no conditions did you ever give the commanding officer suggestions.
The gunner was moving about the rear of his tank, making his way to the vehicle's port side when I quietly said, "I'll cover you."
"Don't do me any favors, slum trash."
That took me aback, but only momentarily. I was used to it, I guess. Word got around quick. "Asshole." I mumbled to myself.
I was watching the top of the wall now. I only realized now just how close to the wall we were. No more than a quarter of a mile off. An adept bender could easily send a sizable boulder directly on top of us, and as though expecting to hear the whistling of a boulder sailing through the sky towards us, I held my breath, but to no avail. Probably for the best.
"Umm. Sir?" the teenager called.
"What is it, Private?" Zaedra replied.
"It looks like the Earth is covering the treads."
"Be more specific, Private."
"It looks like it's grabbing the treads."
"Say again?"
I wasn't expecting those to be the last words that teenager ever said. I was still looking at the wall when I heard a voice say, "Oh fuck." From within the tank. I looked towards the tank, and a spike of solid rock was pointing out of the ground at an angle going straight into the young soldier's neck, blood spurting out of his mouth as he struggled for air.
There was a silence that followed as nobody else could see what we saw and what we saw we couldn't begin to understand. See. I had never seen an earth bender before. And I knew that neither had any of my crew before. Hearing about something was one thing. Seeing it was another. We all knew it existed but hearing about people building great structures and seeing a needle of solid rock being plunged into a kid's neck was another thing.
Then the earth began to move around us like it had in the middle of our sleep and from beneath us rose soldier after soldier, still concealed from the rest of the formation by the victim's cumbersome tank. We were the only ones that could see it, and we were wasting time.
"We're under attack!" I yelled.
I fired a blast at the oncoming attackers, quickly scattering them, giving myself a second to lower my seat and close my hatch just in time for me to hear the whistling sound of some projectile flying in the airspace of where I had just been, killing my past self whether it having been arrow or boulder.
The sounds of tank engines were now coming to life, but as I tried to rotate my gunner seat to face the attackers however I could, I found it unable to move. We had no power.
Gan realized it too when he saw the petrified Gi Gu sitting at the dashboard.
"Gan!" I yelled. "Tell Gu I need power, now!"
"Gu" Gan yelled. Turn on the engine!"
I heard no engine. I just hear Gi Gu glued to his seat, mumbling "Holy Shit. Holy Shit!"
Gan had no patience for it. He reached over to Gi Gu's side, pulling the ignition cable twice before starting the engine. He could start the engine for the driver, but he couldn't pilot and there was no room or time to switch seats.
The surge of power allowed me to rotate the gunner's seat to face the attackers. None were where they had been, they had made their way throughout our formation, going above or below to infiltrate our meager defenses. The two tanks on the right flank of our formation had broken off as I observed when I rotated my seat to face them, seeing an Earth bender in the process, rising from the ground, sending the earth towards unit 249 in front, covering it in rock, holding it down to the earth.
We have to go. "Gi Gu! Let's go!"
"Holy shit. Holy shit."
Two smaller figures arrived in the scene, perhaps having been in cover or using the passageways created underground by the earth benders, but they scrambled up the tank, throwing two objects in the hatch that had been left open by the now dead gunner.
Gan was the one to yell this time. "Gi Gu. Get us out of here!" I looked at the driver's canopy and saw that Gan had already set the tank to reverse and was just waiting for Gan to accelerate and get us out of the battlefield.
Seconds later, the tank in front of us burst into flame, fire spurting out from the open hatch, soon followed by two soldiers in Fire Nation armor, set ablaze by said fire, collapsing onto the ablaze tank in an effort to escape.
It was enough to scare Gi Gu straight. I felt the tank jerk backwards as we began our retreat, and for once, was completely fine with banging my head on the lowered wall.
The Iron Gauntlet was still in place, but it was surrounded. Their archer, however, was holding off the line. From the tiny slit in the tank, he was loading and firing at a rate unbecoming of a crossbowman, shooting as though it were a simple bow and arrow. He was cutting through his attackers, but not quick enough. The Iron gauntlet would be overwhelmed.
Gan turned around to face me and said "Luke. Lock the hatch. We're getting the hell out of here."
"The Iron Gauntlet's surrounded." I protested, looking up and locking my hatch in the process, scolding myself that I hadn't done so at the beginning of the encounter. "We have to help."
"Look at them", he replied, our tank now stopped as the Earth benders gave up on us and were now focused on the command vehicle. "They're dead, but we're not. We have to go now."
"We can help them. I'm a bender. We can save them. It's our job."
Gan looked out the viewport, looking at the scene ahead of him. There were around 5 earth benders and 7 non-benders with bows, trying to fire in the small openings in the tank to an unknown avail as I couldn't see what was going on inside that tank, but considering they were still fighting back, they weren't out of the game just yet.
"Fuck. Gi Gu. Switch with me." Gan began climbing over Gi Gu who readily moved under Gan to find his place in the passenger seat. Gan was at the controls and had already strapped himself in. I followed suit, strapping myself in likewise for the bumpy ride ahead. "Fuck you, Luke." Gan said. "Let's do this."
The tank sped forward, heading towards the right side of the Iron gauntlet. I turned to my left, seeing the attackers on this side, 2 benders and 3 bowmen shooting at the side of the tank and took my shot. The first blast hit one bowman square in the back, sending him screaming and tumbling on top of another bowman who promptly attempted to free himself from the captivity of his friend, but he was well stuck underneath him. Our tank circled around the immobile iron gauntlet which I could now see was being restrained to the ground akin to the first casualty of the battle.
I didn't have to change the way I was facing. As our tank turned, making a loop around our ally, the enemy remained on our port side, this side not having seen what we just did on the other. I fired another blast, this one catching a bender in the back who recovered more easily, ripping off the cloak that had taken on flame, throwing it to the ground.
The tank was picking up speed, making circle after circle around the enemy, but Gan knew what he was doing. He didn't let himself become predictable. He kept his loops varied in terms of speed and direction. One the second loop, we had finally gained the attention of the attackers. I managed to strike another bowman, sending him to the ground instantly, my gaze lingering on him long enough to watch his struggle with the growing flame. It gave the crew of the iron gauntlet the chance at retaliation they needed. As we made our way around the tank once more, the hatch of the gauntlet opened up, revealing their own crossbowman who shot a perfect bolt directly at the closest earthbender, sending a steel bolt directly through his neck at the same moment my flame struck him, sending him to the ground, already dead.
Finally, retaliation was directed towards us rather than the other tank. I had no idea where the other units: 348 and 346 had gone, but we were here to stay. I felt the tank jolt as a chunk of earth rose from the ground to knock us in the side, but in Gan fashion, he maintained control. He spun the tank around in a dizzying fashion, narrowly avoiding the next boulder headed our way and pushed the pedal to the medal. I felt a jolt underneath our tank and it took me a minute to realize that it was one of the earth benders that we had just run over.
There were only three other earth benders left. We were now rotating around the tank clockwise rather than counter clockwise, currently making our way to the tank's left side.
Those attacking the iron gauntlet's left side failed to note our change in direction and were taken by surprise when we reared the corner, guns blazing. I chose my target carefully, sending a blast at an earth bender who was in the process of raising a sizable portion of the planet earth above his head, ready to crush the adversary once and for all. The blast of fire hit lower than I had hoped for, but did good in hitting his exposed left leg, causing him to stumble. He realized his mistake when it was too late, trying desperately to recover his telekinetic hold on the earth only resulting in failure and his death as his creation came toppling on to him.
As we made our final pass, I saw one last Fire Nation issue steel bolt go through the eye of a bowman in a grotesque display as shards of skull clanged against our tank. The scene was enough to disgust the enemy as well.
The earthbenders were in so much of a retreat they abandoned their nonbender brethren, retreating into the earth and closing the escapes alone, leaving their comrades to us.
Without the muscle, they realized it was hopeless. Of the remaining 3 nonbenders, 2 ran and 1 tried to surrender. It didn't work. The iron gauntlet's gunner put a steel bolt through his head just as he began to raise his arms in surrender. The remaining two nonbenders managed to get away. It was no matter. We had survived. We had won. Somehow.
Then the adrenaline wore off and I saw the cut that had gone through my right sleeve and the arrow on the seat next to me. I had been grazed by an arrow. Some lucky nonbender had been able to get a shot inside the tank. I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Odds were he wasn't so lucky anymore I judged by the bodies littering the ground.
I exhaled, now feeling my hear pounding against my chest. We were alive.
I leaned down into the tank, hoping to see the rest of my crew just as unscathed. And we were. More or less. "You guys okay?" I yelled.
"Gi Gu took an arrow to the shoulder, but he'll be fine. I'm good too. Thanks for asking. You?"
"Got grazed by an arrow, but I'm good."
"They're damn good shots, huh?"
"No shit." I said, chuckling, glad that he had noticed too. "Think it's safe to go out?"
"I'd give it another minute or two."
"You good, Gu?" I called.
Gi Gu didn't answer. He had already taken the arrow out, but he was pale. Wasn't sure if it was from the injury or the shock. I myself was starting to feel the shock come in, as well as the pain from the cut.
The crew of the iron gauntlet wasn't coming out either. Were they alright?
"I'm going to check on them, alright?" I called.
"Be careful. Come back right away if it looks bad."
"Got it."
I tried opening the hatch, only realizing afterwards that I had locked it. I unlocked the hatch, opened it, raising my seat, and crawled out. The air, where it had previously had a smell of freshness and noon relaxation, was now contaminated by the smell of smoke, blood, and death.
I made my way through the field, walking past a dying bowman, trying to put out the remaining flames with the last of his strength to no avail. He died right as I walked past him. Arrows and broken rocks littered the ground as well as the fuselage of the Iron Gauntlet. I made my way up it, brushing off debris and knocked on the hatch, hoping for an answer from them. It took me knocking a second time before the hatch popped open and I saw the horror inside. More of the tank was blood than metal. The gunner was the one who had opened the hatch and he had two broken off arrows inside of him. One in his chest and the other in his side. He beckoned for me to move aside and tried crawling out of the tank. Despite being over twice my age and size, he motioned for me to give him a hand and so I did, helping him make his way out of the hatch. He let go, and slid down the side of the tank, coming to a halt just where the fuselage ended above the tracks and laid his head down.
I looked back down into the tank, wondering if Zaedra was still alive. He was, but I couldn't say the same about his pilot. The man had a chunk of earth lodged into his forehead and an arrow in his heart. Zaedra was holding the man's head on his lap when he looked up at me. There was no usual anger or stubbornness in his eyes. This exact thing had happened to him before and I could see from the look in his eyes that he was tired.
I didn't have time to speak before he asked, "Your crew all right?"
"Yes. Yes sir." I said, stumbling around my words.
"Good. The tank that got hit?"
"All dead, sir. They lit it on fire."
"Bastards." He said, in a voice that held swears of eventual revenge.
"The other two?"
"Ran off, sir."
"Damn them. But you stayed."
"Yes sir."
"Why, kid?"
"It's our job. We don't leave men behind."
He chuckled. With the look he gave me, I felt like he was looking at what he saw to be his younger self. Normally, a look would have made me feel uncomfortable, but today, it made me feel pity. I felt sadness for the soldier who had just lost another of his crew today.
He looked down to his fallen brother in arms, then back up to me and said "You did good, kid. You did good."