Chereads / Hierarchy: The Soldier's Regression / Chapter 2 - Ch. 2: Survive

Chapter 2 - Ch. 2: Survive

Hah hah hah

The sounds of my own panting is all I can hear as I run away from the battlefield. After the juggernaut destroyed the wall, every experienced soldier started to flee in various direction with other soldiers. Those who stayed were either newbies or people who lost their mind out of fear.

As I ran and ran, a sudden hand emerged from a turn in the corridor caught my left arm and pulled me away.

I pull the knife sheathed in my chest with my right hand and proceeded with a stab to the head before I was stopped with a familiar voice.

"I - its me, captain. It's Alexis." Alexis said with urgency, but only with enough volume so that I can hear it. Looking around, I see other members of my squad at the ready, lined up in the corridor, alert and looking around.

"Hooh, alright. Assess me on the situation." I said as I put my knife back and put a hand on Henry's shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze. We gathered around in a circle with two men assigned as lookout.

"Yes captain, our squad had been seperated fron the main unit due to the juggernaut's appearance. Although, good news is, all 12 of us are here." Alexis reported briefly.

"I saw the other squads spread out as well, so we're not the only one away from the unit. Anyways, our priority is to escape. Let's hijack an armored car and get out of here." I say to my squad, escaping is our priority and survival is a must.

"Yes captain." Alexis and the others said in unison as we planned our escape route.

...

"Alright, it's been decided. We continue along this corridor and escape through a window. It's directly connected to a parking area but its location is obscure, let's just hope the monsters haven't reached that point yet. We move out in 5 minutes." I order to my squad as they respond in unison.

"Yes, captain!" They said with voices loud enough to let me hear.

"Rest for now, I'll be on the lookout." I said to the two on the lookout.

"Hahh, finally. We can breathe a little." A soldier said. "It feels like whenever captain is here, we'll survive." He continued.

"Hey, don't let your guard down." Alexis said to the soldier.

"But isn't the captain incredible? He's only, like what? 25 years old and he's a captain of a squad?" Another soldier said.

"Didn't you get debriefed? In here, military achievements don't decide your rank. It's how long you've been here. As long as you outlive the one higher to you, you'll be promoted." Another soldier said, "Oh yeh, then how long had captain been here?" The soldier said in reply and all the others looked at Alexis, as if pleading for information.

"Hahh, fine. I heard he's been here for 5 years." Alexis gave in and gave out information.

"So that means, he's been deployed when he was 20? That's insane." A soldier said and the others started to gossip.

"Yeh, he's been dispatched as soon as he reached adulthood. I heard he got into an altercation with a conglomerate family and that's why he was sent here to die." Alexis said to them, whispering.

"Those damn demons, but how did the captain survive... especially this long?" A soldier said, curious.

"Because he's God's gifted." Alexis said, so quietly only he could hear it.

...

"Alright, time to move!!" I said to the squad members as they stood up with their guns on their hands. I tighten a silencer at the muzzle of my gun, just in case we get into an altercation with a small group. We don't want another group hearing the gunshots afterall. I already warned the gunners to hold out on firing unless absolutely neccessary and to let those with silencers on to deal with the small groups.

We moved out, I was at the front line while Alexis was at the middle as he was a marksman. One gunner on the back and the front while the others who wielded assault rifles were divided equally at the front and back line. We progressed smoothly, and as we opened the window, our exit point. We saw the two vehicles we were going to use to get out of this place and a squad of goblins. I signal to the squad that there were enemies and for those with silencers on to get out first and get ready to fire at will.

Psshu

When two of our members got out, silenced gunshots echoed and bullets passed through the skull of the four goblins and the rest of the team moved out. We surrounded the cars as I ordered a squad member with experience in carjacking to hotwire the vehicle.

After a few minutes of intense waiting, hearing the commotion happening far away from us, the member finally spoke up news.

"Alright, I'm done with this one." He said as the car's engine started. I give him a squeeze on the shoulder as he continued with the next one.

After a few moments, the other car's engine started as well and we moved out to escape and get as far away from here as possible.

Alexis was riding with me on the car in the rear with a gunner up top. We exited the camp safely and were headed towards another camp that were close to us.

"Finally, we can breathe a little." Alexis said, inhaling deeply.

"Hey, I'll get some shut-eye. Manage the others well." I said to him.

"Yes captain. Get some rest, I'll wake you up when something comes up."

"No, don't. I want to sleep." I said to him seriously and he chuckled.

"Alright, get some rest now." I hear him say as my eyes got heavier and I fell asleep.

...

"Hey, wake up." I hear a familiar voice call out to me and gently shake me awake, feeling the rocking motion of the vehicle and the hum of the engine. "We're near captain. I also notified the camp about our situation and how our camp was destroyed." Alexis said as I see the camp appearing on the horizons.

"Hnng, good job. Hahh, that was one long night." I said as I groaned.

"Yeh, it sure wa -" Alexis said in reply but got interrupted when the car went into a sudden halt. An abandoned car came crushing down right in front of us.

Looking at the rearview mirror, I see cyclopses standing in a line and thousands of humanoid monsters lined up. I quickly order the driver to move and the gunner to shoot out a flare and to start shooting.

Pshuuu

A red flare was shot into the sky.

Moving around the wreckage, it seemed that the car in front of us was fine. The other car seemed to notice the commotion and started accelerating. But soon, a huge shadow came crashing down on our car. Thick arms flared out like a shield and stone-like skin, the juggernaut.

Bam

I felt the car suddenly going up and coming back down.

The juggernaut came crashing down at our vehicle, the crash killing the gunner in the mounted machine gun and compromising both the driver and the vehicle. Shit, I didn't get informed that fucker could fly. I thought as I quickly assesed the situation with my ears ringing, a small smile creeping on my face. Henry was still alive and so are other 3 members of my squad that were in the car. The camp is in running distance and while we can't outrun the juggernaut, its worth the try.

With the gunner uptop dead and the driver compromised, I signaled the other alive squad members to move out the trunk. As the trunk open, the juggernaut continued smashing the front of the car, bending it more and more. And when all of us alive moved out of the vehicle did the monster finally noticed us. The beast roared and started thumping its chest.

"Shit, this oversized gorilla." I said as I fired at its head, hoping to get its eyes. "Everyone, move out and run towards the camp!!" I shouted at them as they started to run, while the beast brought its huge arms to its face to block the bullets.

Roar

The beast roared, flaring its arms wide open as it roared loudly. As the monster did this display, I threw a flashbang at its eyes as I looked away.

Bang

A blinding flash erupted, blinding the beast, making it flail wildly. When it did this, I too started to run but was soon stopped when I saw a shadow crashing down again. The ground shook and as I barely regained my footings, a cloud of dust erupted in front of my eyes with the same beast I just blinded in it. Looking back quickly, the other juggernaut was still flailing around.

There's two of them??? I thought as I notice my squad members fleeing from the scene. Those fuckers, I taught them too well. Hehe. I smirked at the thought as I fire again at the beast's eyes, temporarily staggering it, clip after clip.

I unloaded everything I could to the beast in front of me but soon...

Bang

The beast behind me regained its composure and swept me with its arm, bouncing me a few times and finally ending up crashing in an abandoned car.

"Hnng." I groaned, my spine and right arm broken. Several bruises and dozens of grazes, along with a few broken ribs. I surmised based on the pain I was feeling and how I was paralyzed. My eyes getting heavier and heavier, I took a last glance at my fleeing squad members nearing the camp as I chuckled. "That's right, survive, survive no matter what."

...