"Medusa talk to me"
"Captain, I'm fine." She answered gasping for air.
"Good get to cover no..."
Before I could finish, another alien materialized out of a void shadow. It rushes and whips around the diner, moving frantically trying to flank Medusa.
"Titan!" At the top of my lungs, I screamed. In response, he breaks through a window and, for lack of a better phrase, punches it in the face before going on to set it on fire making multiple holes in it.
"When I said punch it, I didn't mean literally"
Titan spoke the words "Enemy down" with a pleased grin on his face. A sniper blast rang off to the right of the structure as we chuckled and gathered our breath.
"Enemy up, Enemy down. No other tangos in sight. Area Secure"
"Okay superstar, let's rally at the next intersection"
We moved in formation, eyes scanning the chaos for signs of movement. The second sign of alien activity was a harsh, bright light coming from a café at the end of the street. As we approached, we saw them, the civilians, their bodies frozen in an unnatural stillness, their eyes wide with unspoken terror. And there, amongst them, the aliens.
"Move! Get to safety"
"Medusa why aren't they moving?
"I can't tell from this distance"
I said, "Got it, move in carefully," then repeated my demand that they flee to safety as more screams erupted nearby and in the distance.
"Ready up!"
The second enemy battle we had was brief. Alien figures, their bodies radiating that uncanny glow, cut through the smoke like wraiths. Civilians in the area fled in terror from the approaching horrors, their screams echoing off the broken buildings.
"Save as many as you can!" I ordered as my instincts kicked into overdrive. The battlefield was a blur, but every detail was etched into my memory. The echo of Bullseye's rifle breaking the cacophony, a solitary note of defiance. Titan's heavy weapon churning out a hailstorm of bullets, the retaliatory roar an affirmation of our resilience.
Yet amidst the pandemonium, Medusa was a pillar of calm. She navigated through the battleground with an uncanny grace, sending her medical drone ahead to search for injured civilians. Its beam cut through the smoky haze, a lighthouse guiding us through the storm.
"Contact!"
This time medusa took aim laying waste to our foes,
"Bullseye clean up!"
"Already on it!"
I'm once more captivated by what I've come to refer to as the purple thread flowing to the side of a far-off building as we move under proper shelter. Whatever was there was concealed by the building's shadow and smoke and I'm not taking any chances.
"Titan 8 o'clock, let it fly"
He turned without a word unleashing his weapon in the thread like direction only to be met with another destructive blast flying by him taking out the side of a building.
"Everybody down!"
I prime a grenade and throw it with all my might hoping to hit the target area but I ended up just shy.
"Dammit"
"Taking the shot....Target down"
"Atta boy Bullseye. Team, Catch your breath, we still have civs out there"
The rest of the cityscape was a maze of uncertainty. Every corner held potential danger, every shadow could harbor a foe. Each building we cleared, every civilian we led to safety, and each alien we put down was a victory in itself, a step forward in reclaiming the city.
When the last alien body collapsed, its eerie glow dimming into the grimy asphalt, an unnatural calm descended upon us. Exhaustion coursed through our veins, muscles screaming from tension and exertion. But we had made it.
"Strike-1 this is Central. No more hostiles sighted, mission accomplished"
"We can still be of help down here. we should.."
"No can do Strike-1. We need you back at base now, that is an order"
"You got it central."
We won yet the celebration was premature. As we regrouped and head back to the Skyranger, the reality of the situation took hold. Our victory was tainted by the devastation that lay in our wake. The surviving civilians were safe, but their homes were rubble and their lives were forever scarred.
Through the open doors of the Skyranger, I stole one last glance at the city. The licking flames painted the ruins in an ominous dance of light and shadow, a silent testament to the devastation of the abduction. We were leaving the nightmare behind, but the memories of the city, burning and weeping, were seared into my mind. This was the tangible reality of our war. This was the cost we paid.
I experienced a bizarre jumble of feelings, including love, hate, fury, and anguish, as the Skyranger sliced through the thick smoke and rose into the night sky. It must have been clear because Medusa approached me and began performing various field tests on me without saying a word.
"I'm fine Medusa"
"I know Captain, but I know you and I know what your thinking."
"Then you should..
"You are our Captain, you should realize that! As a result, we all willfully obey your commands and place our lives in your hands. I believe I can speak for everyone when I say that you are the reason we are all still alive."
"You were this close to suffering harm because of me, too. I nearly killed you earlier."
"You did not. We're not on a playground; we're on a battlefield, and everyone has an equal risk of dying out there."
"It doesn't always go according to plan, captain" Titan added.
"Titan that scar is because of me, you know that right?"
"This scar is a result of my decision to engage in combat, but I wasn't afraid even when I was hit because I was with the most badass individuals this world has to offer," he said.
You're so right. I pondered as pride gradually grew within me. I had a sneaking suspicion that Medusa's intention had been this all along. I was too caught up in myself.
"Who are you Roger?"
"Thank you, Dr. My name is James Roger, and I'm the Captain of Strike-1, the best response team the world has to offer."
"There's our captain"