"Alright, did y'all get everything I just said?" Amanda asked the squads, Atlas had been keeping his distance the entire ride to Gyrun. The ships were currently 600 meters out from shore and Amanda had explained to everyone about the mission and where people were going.
The plan was to have Atlas and the other Ghost Squad ride in the second front tank with Amanda's group. The other tank crew were going to be driving a single file line following Amanda's second in command.
Some soldiers were to be on foot for a scout team and search for mines up ahead of the convoy so the mission would be in and out, Julie had been working on a new explosive that would explode with fire after ten seconds in a fifteen meter radius as the shrapnel would also be dangerous in the twenty meter range.
It would be a three day drive to get to the enemy outpost where the intel was being held at. Atlas sighed as the speakers announced that they were less than three hundred meters away.
"Alright, everyone gear up and start those monsters!" Amanda's second had said, everyone quickly ran around grabbing rifles and other equipment.
Atlas watched as everyone moved like they were synchronized, gas cans were carried and lifted up to the tankers by some of their scout team.
"Hey Atlas, you're going to need this" Charlie said with a smile to his new friend, Atlas nodded his head and took a bolt action rifle Charlie was holding out.
Atlas counted fifteen shells it could hold before grabbing a handful of bangalores and ammunition, he quickly filled each bangalore with the five shells that it could hold. The ship came to an abrupt stop as the ramp was getting lowered.
"Get your asses in gear people, we are moving out!" Amanda said in a loud authoritative tone, Atlas quickly climbed onto the tank next to Charlie who was counting his medical supplies.
The tanks were all driving in a line down the ramp where Atlas saw the most disturbing sight, bodies were being piled up into a large pyramid and getting burned on the left side of the ramp and on the right were dozens of long rows with injured soldiers getting treated by the medical staff.
The smell of burning flesh ruled the air making Atlas become nauseous, blood soaking the beach as many of the injured men screamed in agony.
As the group drove closer to the injured, Atlas could now see that some people had blown off limbs and bullet wounds in their arms and legs.
"Doctor we need to get more blood over here!" A medic yelled when the convoy stopped and shut their engines off.
"We don't have much left, the supply ships were delayed because of a naval skirmish near the islands!" A woman called back, Atlas tried his best to look for this 'Doctor' but he couldn't seem to pinpoint this person from all of the others.
A man and a woman approached the tank from the otherside catching Atlas off guard, they were wearing a different uniform then the normal Fendel Armed Forces uniform indicating that they were from the island's.
"You must be the convoy we heard about over the radio, I see you will be going deep behind enemy lines" The woman spoke. She was very beautiful and if not for the uniform, Atlas would've suspected her to be a model in the newspaper.
"Sure are, we'll head out when your men are done clearing the enemy out from those bunkers" Amanda replied, Atlas looked at her in confusion.
He never heard about any bunkers. As if reading Atlas' mind, Charlie leaned over and whispered to Atlas about the whole situation.
"We had been fighting the northeastern side of the continent more than the northwestern side, there were many bunkers laid out not too far from here. That's why we see so many injured"
Everything Charlie just said clicked into Atlas' mind, from the wounded to the islanders. People from the islands were on neutral ground with both Fendel and Gyrun, but some civilians would request to be sent as support in for the medics in the FAF and the Gyrun military.
Their jobs were to only shoot enemies that posed a threat to the medical staff and the injured, the islanders would try to avoid any type of conflict since they wouldn't stand a chance if either continent tried to fight them.
"You can leave your tanks here then, we have already set up food stations for you and your men if anyone is hungry" The man wearing the same uniform as the woman said.
Thank God we can eat, I haven't had food in so long" Julie replied with a sigh. Charlie scoffed and hopped off of the tank.
"I'm surprised you're not fat yet with how much you eat back at HQ" Charlie replied, Atlas suppressed a laugh as Julie sent a glare to the medic.
Atlas had hopped off as well and sling his rifles slung over his shoulder before following his squad mates to the tent that had a painting of food on it.
The Armor Squad followed behind to make sure their elite squad had their fill first since they were the deal breaker for their mission.
After eating and a long time of waiting the sun began to set, Atlas was sitting next to a tree with a small notepad and pencil out.
"There you are, I've been looking all over for you" Charlie said as he approached Atlas.
"Sorry I was drawing something for my family, they love to see my art" Atlas replied as he looked back up to the sunset to which he drew along with the tanks that were still lined up.
The ship that dropped them off had left over an hour ago making the sea shine brightly, Charlie took a seat next to Atlas and glanced at the notepad.
"Woah, you drew this!?" Charlie asked amazed from the very detailed drawing, if the drawing had color to it then it would've been an exact replica of the beautiful scene in front of them.
"Yeah, it's a little hobby of mine I picked up from my mother since she always painted whenever she saw something beautiful" Atlas shrugged, Charlie shook his head as he remembered why he came to find his squad member.
"The bunkers are clear now, Amanda has ordered everyone to ready up since we leave after the sun is down" He said and Atlas nodded with a sigh.
Atlas pocketed his notepad and walked down with Charlie to the tanks, he made sure his rifle was loaded and all his bullets were accounted for. Everything was going smoothly for the group and nobody would expect what would happen in the next few days.
***************************************
The night was horrible, Atlas barely managed to catch any sleep on the tank where Julie put a thick blanket for her squad. The engines roared all through the night and it was now early morning with the sun peeking over the trees.
"How much longer until we stop?" Charlie asked Amanda who had her hatch open and sat with her feet dangling into the tank.
"According to the map we will be nearing a small abandoned town that was evacuated when the war started around fifteen minutes" She replied while looking at both her map and pocket watch.
"Hey commander, shouldn't we have gotten a call from the scout team by now?" Someone inside the tank asked, everyone now felt a bit uneasy as Amanda looked a little worried.
"Give them a few-" She started but the sound of a rocket getting fired cut her off, the third tank in the convoy exploded.
Atlas watched in horror as an arm flew in the air with no body attached, the next thing that could be heard was the sound of gunfire going into the direction of the tanks from within the woods.
"At...las...A...tlas...ATLAS!" Charlie yelled and pulled the traumatized boy off of the tank, he was still stuck in shock from the event that just occurred a few seconds ago that his body froze.
"We need to get down!" Julie said while pulling both of the men into the ditch on the opposite side of the road.
Some people from the second scout team that would've switched with the first one hoped into the ditch with the Ghost's.
Amanda's tank crew and the other remaining ones all turned their turrets into the direction of the incoming fire before shooting off their large tank rounds.
Atlas' body was shaking since this was his first time getting into a firefight, he lost his rifle somewhere in the time that they ran off.
"Get some suppression going, have someone try and flank around them!" Charlie ordered the scout team.
Screaming could be heard where soldiers were lying on the ground who were either shot or had shrapnel in them from the explosion.
Guns were getting fired into the trees as Atlas came back to his senses, Julie was shooting into the treeline with her semi-auto rifle as Charlie tried to help those who were wounded that made it into the ditch.
Atlas looked around and found his rifle lying on the ground next to Amanda's tank on the side that faced him, all he needed to do was run there and back.
He stood up and bolted to the tank, dirt flew up around him as he ran to his gun. He slid on the muddy road next to the tank that rang each time a shell was fired.
He quickly grabbed his rifle and just as he started to run another rocket was fired hitting Amanda's tank, the explosion made him fly through the air and almost into the ditch.
He looked behind him and saw the hatch open as flames shot out, an ear piercing scream could be heard from inside and someone fell out of the top hatch of the tank who was engulfed in flames.
Something in Atlas came alive as he stood back up and ran back to the flaming person, he saw a barrel out amed at the person on fire.
He stopped and raised his gun with incredible speed before firing, the sound of metal getting busted indicated that it was a headshot headshot.
Atlas continued on his mission whole ignoring everyone's orders to get back to safety, once he reached the person he tried his best to throw some mud on their vest before dragging them to the safe side of the tank.
He then forced the person to roll around in the mud making the flames get extinguished, he looked at the charred body and almost choked on a breath when he saw it was Amanda.
She was badly burnt as she had no hair and almost all her skin was at least third degree burned, she continued to scream and Atlas apologized before lifting Amanda up by her vest and throwing her over his shoulder.
He quickly ran back to safety with Amanda who passed out from the pain slung over his shoulder, his rifle was in his left hand so he could make sure Amanda didn't fall.
The ground started to make popping sounds around him and dirt flew back up indicating that he was under fire, Julie stood up and fired behind him.
Once he managed to carry the wounded commander back to the ditch he turned back around and started to look for muzzle flashes.
Atlas was very good at hunting in the woods so he was scanning for any movement in the trees along with muzzle flashes. He saw two men running over to the tank in the back with a rocket launcher in hand.
He aimed his rifle and pulled back the bolt before shooting the man with the launcher, the guy dropped and the rocket shot out hitting the tanks track. Atlas loaded the next shot before shooting the other enemy.
After a few minutes of back and forth from the shooting, the enemy were now all killed or had retreated. There were still two tanks left but one of them had a blown off track due to the rocket getting fired.
"Bring the injured to me!" Charlie called out, people hastily ran around carrying the remaining men from the ground into the ditch where Charlie was treating them.
Julie ran over to her burned cousin and broke down into tears, Atlas was shocked to see Julie so vulnerable but what shocked him was what happened next.
"Why didn't you let her die, she would've suffered less if you didn't save her!" She shouted with tears streaming down her face, Amanda was breathing heavily and was shaking.
"I… I just… I wanted to help her" Atlas replied, unable to accept that answer Julie looked away before hovering her hands just above Amanda's cheeks.
Atlas sighed and decided to look at the enemy forces that could still be alive, he walked into the woods where some people were groaning in pain.
He could see bodies everywhere and some people were tossing from side to side in pain as others laid limp, Atlas walked over to a man who was crawling to a tree where a pistol was lying but the man was too slow.
Atlas angrily stepped onto the man's hand making him yelp in pain, his left hand was holding his waist where blood was spilling out.
"Where did you come from, how did you find us, why did you kill our people!?" Atlas shouted, the man looked up and spat at Atlas.
Atlas was enraged, not because of the fact he almost died or from this man's gesture but because of Julie and how she treated his act of heroism.
"traître, vous ressemblez à l'un de nous mais aidez l'ennemi. nous enverrons plus de troupes pour vous tuer!" The man yelled to Atlas, he couldn't understand a single word this man was saying.
Still filled with rage and having no more patience, Atlas picked up the pistol and shot the man in the head until the clip was empty.
He asked everyone that was in there the same question but nobody could speak his language, after his failed attempts to find out what they meant Atlas made sure everyone was killed.
He walked back out of the woods with blood on his pants, boots, vest, and face with one of the enemy's pistols.
Everyone looked at him and he dropped the pistol to the ground, he walked back to Charlie who looked up with a sigh.
"Are they all gone?" He asked Atlas who had tears in his eyes, without saying anything Atlas only nodded.
"You should rest up, we will set up a camp in the woods as a tank radio for reinforcements" Charlie suggested, with those words Atlas shook his head and started to help Charlie patch the injured up and move the dead bodies into rows.