Chapter 114: Chapter 114: The First Wave
The slums buzzed with tension. The atmosphere was electric, as if the entire neighborhood was holding its breath, waiting for the storm to hit. Cole and his crew were ready, but no one knew exactly how the city would strike. Rumors spread through the streets—whispers of heavily armed police, riot squads, even military units. No one could be sure, but the message was clear: the slums were about to become a war zone.
Cole stood in the heart of the slums, his long coat swaying in the early morning wind. He looked around at the faces gathered around him, men and women from the neighborhood, fighters who had been hardened by years of survival. But there were others too—people who weren't fighters, people who were tired of being ignored and oppressed. They stood with him now, ready to defend their homes.
Ty approached from the side, his face grim but calm. "They'll be here soon. We've set up barricades at every entry point to the slums. We can slow them down, but we won't be able to stop them all."
Zack cracked his knuckles, leaning against a wall with that familiar grin that never quite left his face. "Let them come. We've got enough people and firepower to make them regret stepping foot in our streets."
Lina stood next to Cole, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon. She was silent, but her presence was steady, a reminder that they weren't alone in this. The bond they'd formed over the past few years had only grown stronger, and now, more than ever, they stood united.
"They're not coming to negotiate," Cole said, his voice low but clear. "They're coming to take back control, to show us that we can't run our own lives. We're not just fighting for ourselves anymore—we're fighting for everyone here, for the future of this place."
There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd, a sense of solidarity that hung in the air.
"They'll underestimate us," Cole continued, "because they always have. They think we're just a bunch of street rats, people they can push around. But today, we show them they're wrong."
Ty nodded, stepping forward. "The barricades are strong, but we can't hold them forever. When they break through, we hit them from the rooftops, the alleys, everywhere. Make them fight for every inch."
Cole's gaze swept over the crowd, his jaw set. "We've been living in the shadows long enough. Today, we step into the light."
---
The first signs of the task force came at dawn. The rumble of heavy vehicles echoed in the distance, and soon, the streets were filled with the sound of engines and boots hitting the ground. Cole stood on a rooftop, watching as armored trucks and riot police moved into position at the edge of the slums.
Ty was by his side, binoculars in hand. "Here they come."
The sight was intimidating—rows of heavily armed officers in full riot gear, their shields and batons ready, their faces hidden behind helmets. Behind them were the trucks, loaded with more soldiers and equipment. It was clear they weren't taking any chances. They had come prepared for a fight.
"They're not holding back," Lina said, her voice tight with focus.
Cole nodded. "Neither are we."
He raised his hand, signaling the fighters below. They had prepared for this moment, setting up barricades at every entrance to the slums. Old cars, dumpsters, crates—anything they could find had been used to create makeshift barriers, designed to slow the task force down and force them into smaller skirmishes.
As the task force approached the first barricade, Cole's heart pounded in his chest. This was it. The first clash between the slums and the city.
The riot police advanced, their shields raised, batons at the ready. The tension was palpable as they reached the barricade. For a moment, it seemed like time had stopped, as if the entire city was holding its breath.
Then, with a sharp crack, the first shot rang out.
---
Chaos erupted.
The barricade became a warzone as the riot police clashed with the slum fighters. Smoke filled the air as tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd, but the people of the slums were prepared. They had wet rags, makeshift gas masks, anything to protect themselves from the gas. And they fought back with everything they had—bricks, bottles, homemade explosives.
From his position on the rooftop, Cole watched as the battle unfolded below. Ty and Zack were already in the thick of it, moving through the smoke like ghosts, taking out riot police with precision and speed. Lina was on another rooftop, providing cover with a small group of sharpshooters.
Cole raised his hand again, signaling the next phase of the plan. Fighters emerged from the alleyways and side streets, ambushing the task force from all angles. It was chaos, but it was controlled chaos—exactly what they had planned for. The goal wasn't to win in a straight fight. It was to drag the city forces into a long, drawn-out battle that would wear them down and force them to retreat.
But the task force was relentless. For every group of police that fell, more poured in from the trucks. It was clear that they weren't going to stop until they had pushed through to the heart of the slums.
"We need to slow them down more," Cole muttered, scanning the battlefield.
"They're pushing harder than we expected," Ty said, wiping sweat from his brow as he appeared beside Cole. "They're not breaking like we thought they would."
Cole gritted his teeth. This wasn't going to be easy. He had known that going in, but seeing the sheer force of the city's response was staggering. They had sent everything they had.
"We keep hitting them from the sides," Cole said. "Force them into the narrow streets. If they can't use their numbers against us, we stand a chance."
Ty nodded and disappeared back into the fray.
---
The battle raged for hours. The streets were filled with smoke, the sounds of gunfire and shouting echoing through the narrow alleys. But despite the overwhelming force of the task force, the people of the slums held their ground.
Cole moved from one barricade to the next, directing fighters, offering support, and keeping morale up. The people looked to him now—not just as a fighter, but as a leader. It was a role he had never asked for, but one he had grown into. And as the hours passed, it became clear that the slums weren't going to give up without a fight.
But the cost was high.
By midday, the task force had broken through several of the outer barricades, and the fighting had moved deeper into the heart of the slums. The people were tired, battered, and running low on supplies. But they kept fighting.
Cole found himself on the front lines, standing side by side with the people he had fought to protect. He had always known this day would come—the day when they would have to defend everything they had built.
Lina appeared beside him, her face streaked with sweat and dirt. "We're holding them back, but I don't know how much longer we can keep this up."
Cole nodded, his gaze hard. "We can't let them take this place."
"We won't," she said firmly.
A sharp whistle cut through the air, and Zack came running up, his face flushed with excitement. "We've got reinforcements coming in! People from the other side of the slums are joining the fight. We're not done yet!"
Cole felt a surge of hope at Zack's words. The people were rising up, coming together to defend their homes. This wasn't just a fight for survival anymore—it was a fight for their future.
"Good," Cole said, his voice steady. "Let's show them what we're made of."
---
As the afternoon wore on, the tide of the battle began to shift. The task force, once confident and overwhelming, was starting to falter. They had underestimated the resolve of the slums, the strength of the people who lived there. And now, they were paying the price.
Cole and his crew fought with everything they had, their bodies pushed to the limit, but they weren't alone. The streets were filled with people—men, women, and even teenagers—fighting for their homes, their families, their lives.
The city had come to crush them, but instead, they had found something they hadn't expected: a community united by a common cause.
As the sun began to set, the fighting finally started to die down. The task force, battered and exhausted, began to retreat. They had pushed hard, but they hadn't broken the slums. Not today.
Cole stood in the middle of the street, watching as the last of the armored trucks pulled away. His body ached, and his clothes were stained with blood and sweat, but he didn't care. They had won. At least for now.
Lina appeared beside him, her face lit by the fading sunlight. "We did it."
Cole nodded, but he didn't smile. He knew this wasn't the end. The city would come back, stronger, more determined than ever. But today, they had shown the world that the slums weren't just a place to be forgotten. They were a place worth fighting for.
"We did," he said quietly. "But it's not over yet."
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