Running behind my squad I began feeling a bit less scared.
I hadn't noticed it before but while memories of war had been implanted in me…this was still only my second battle.
My mind was filled with too much information and that had made me careless.
I thought I was the person I saw in the future….. but I wasn't…
Nothing had changed!
As we approached the machine guns the enemy mortar fire drastically decreased.
Most likely due to our aerial support.
This wouldn't stay that way for long, after all the enemies also had war planes and would use them in no time.
Or at least that's how I remembered it.
We ran inside a small cement bunker with 2 machine guns and some peepholes.
"BANG"
Just as I entered, someone closed the door behind me which gave me a second to breathe.
Leonas was already preparing the machine guns and the new squadmate was right next to him although much more exhausted than Leonas who had barely shed a drop of sweat.
It didn't take long for us to be done resting, or better said… we didn't have much time to rest.
Brock went next to Leonas and started shooting the stationary machine gun.
Leonas did the same.
And I started looking through one of the peepholes aiming my rifle at the sound of incoming soldiers.
We only had 2 machine guns and so all the others had to shoot their rifles.
Looking outside to take aim I didn't take long until I found a target
Hundreds of targets to be exact.
Tanks in the distance and hundreds of soldiers in front.
'BANG'
I didn't even have to aim.
This might have been good in normal circumstances but now it felt like I was shooting at a wall of flesh.
The machine guns used by Leonas and Brock did quite some damage but it didn't take long for the enemy soldiers to use their tactical shields to build small walls.
'BANG'
One man down.
'BANG'
'BANG'
With every shot the recoil would make it hard for me to instantly shoot again, still I kept shooting.
'BANG'
'BANG'
I shot and shot because I knew my life depended on it.
After my sixth shot I had to reload, an arduous process having to put in every round individually.
Normal soldiers donned the standard P203 rifle.
A mass produced weapon found on almost any planet no matter how civilized.
Due to its extremely cheap production cost and extremely reliable performance it became the perfect weapon to give to disposable meatbags.
And so obviously I had the same standard rifle.
It took me an astonishing 3 seconds to reload the weapon which usually took me at least 10.
Which was still impressive for a newbie, but 10 seconds wasn't 3.
My joy was short lived, too many men died happy with momentary victories,
So I started aiming again.
When…
'BAAAMMMM'
A tank shot our little bunker and chunks of cement fell down from above.
Some of the bigger pieces hit Brock who barely flinched and all the others fell towards Leonas who dodged them but as a consequence had to abandon the machine gun.
Right then it became hectic, now with only one machine gun and a tank shooting at us, enemy soldiers had the chance to move closer.
It didn't matter how many I shot, for every dead soldier 2 more would advance.
'Gulp'
I heard someone swallow their saliva, maybe it was me, maybe someone else, but it didn't really matter.
Because It accurately depicted the squad's state of mind.
Milo ran towards Leonas trying to help him move the pieces of cement out of the way.
"DON'T HELP ME! KEEP SHOOTING!"
Shouted Leonas at the top of his lungs, which was barely hearable due to the next shot of a tank hitting our bunker.
'BOOOOOM'
This last tank shot let some sunlight into the bunker making it obvious that it was just a matter of time until this bunker was fully exposed.
Leonas gave up trying to get to the machine gun and started shooting his rifle.
Different from the P203 he had a rifle usually used for hunting.
The 'Mile Hunter' with an actual scope and way stronger firepower, but also longer reload time.
If you'd watched him carefully you'd notice that he only shot at high ranked soldiers and that with each shot one of them fell.
How he did that with dozens of soldiers blocking his sight was a mystery to me.
Although I felt like I would be able to achieve something comparable with my memories and that weapon of his.
"PREPARE TO DISENGAGE! RON LEAD THE WAY!"
Shouted Leonas taking a quick glance at the new squadmate who's name seemed to be Ron.
'BANG'
A gunshot hit my rifle and ricocheted off to my left cheek.
Just a centimeter to the right and I'd be a dead man.
Touching the wound it wasn't too deep and only grazed my cheek.
'BAAAMMM'
Another tank shot hit our bunker, but this time exposing the front leaving us open to enemy fire.
Brock got catapulted off the machine gun.
Milo and Ron already left the bunker and Leonas kept safeguarding our back.
Despite the danger and my squad already moving to leave, I glanced at the battlefield again.
Grey and green smoke all around the enemy.
An ominous smell.
"ARRGGHH"
Pain that hit my head like a truck.
I knew what that smoke symbolized.
I knew why I had such a bad feeling about this battle.
I remembered what scared me so much.
It wasn't the surprise attack, nor was it how unprepared we were.
"DIO GET MOVING!"
Shouted Leonas.
But my mind didn't even acknowledge his voice.
It was like I froze, my legs shaking and my knees slowly buckling.
I was massively fucked.
Why did it only show me this memory now…. why not a day earlier.
I could've tried escaping this deathtrap, I might've gotten away scot free, but at the very least I wouldn't be so unprepared.
Brock grabbed me and pulled me over his shoulder.
This was the signal to wake up from my stupor.
And while it wasn't the best feeling… I let myself get carried by Brock.
A massive flood of soldiers got into the trenches, Ron and Milo started shooting while Leonas slit the throat of a soldier that got too close.
With me now back with the squad Leonas looked both ways trying to decide which way to go.
While looking from one side to the next supported by Ron and Milo's support fire, I jumped off of Brock back.
Neither side looked promising, soldiers were running into the trenches like a swarm of deadly ants.
And on one side you had soldiers fighting close quarters and on the other side you could hear the tanks approaching.
Leonas chose to try fighting the enemy soldiers head on instead of waiting to be squashed by the tanks and their advancing troops.
This would've been a fine choice by me as I had no idea which way would keep me alive, if not for the fact that our aerial support decided to come back…. in tatters.
Smoke and flames fell from the sky, or that's what I saw, in actuality it was one of our planes crashing to the ground, exactly where our squad was holding position.
And as always Leonas reacted first, jumping out of the way tackling ron with him.
I reacted a split second later and couldn't dodge the same way.
'CRASH'
'SCREECHHH'
The metal hitting the floor and engine exploding droned out any other sound of the battlefield.
My eyes locked on as I barely jumped out of the way into the mud.
Next to me… was no one.
Just the other side Leonas hadn't chosen.
I could see them through the gaps of the flames already running.
And in front of me the long trenches with soldiers trembling at the rumbling of tanks.