Chapter 21: A Storm is at Hand

This mission has been rough from the get go. As soon as I landed, I was surrounded. After that, a weird but fun fencer spars with me. I had to hold back as I didn't want to kill the fellow– plus something tells me he's with the Storm team. That probability only increases, he can take and dish out quite the punch. Just judging from his body language, he had fun. Surprisingly he can even do what he did even when I'm holding back. But, now this fiasco with the rest of his team. How the hell am I supposed to convey reason with them if they themselves seem more like raging Blood Angels right now. So, this is the consequence of a misunderstanding… quite frightening.

That was only amplified by the damned insects.

I watched as Hana was launched into the sky. I can reach her… but what's stopping them from shooting me again– her companions I mean. If anything, the air-raider, that one ranger, and the wind-diver are the only ones that can scratch my paint and push me back. Nevermind… I have no time to th–

—Wham!

My attention was pulled towards a heavy sound of broken skulls. Only to be reinforced by the sound of flesh being ripped. Scanning the area, the big guy was up. He was ripping and tearing the moment he was awake… what differentiates him from my brothers… Nothing really. If anything it's his suit that's different.

Taking the head off a dead ant, he turns towards Hana and… throws it.

…

Unironically, that just saved her life. Hana was in trajectory to a black ant– and throwing the head changed her trajectory. Sure she's going to feel it, but better than being cut in half. The wing diver took flight. I took this chance to fire upon the masses as I knew the diver was going to make it; and she does as she catches her in a princess carry.

With raised bolter, I delivered a swift end to these worthless beings.

—Bang!

With each strike, I deliver righteous fury.

"FOR THE DRAGON! FOR THE LORD FATHER! DIE SCUM!"

Switching to full auto, I let them have it.

—Brrt!

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Yuki with Hana on hand dropped her off gently on the ground. Hana being a soldier helped with her recovery from panic. Assessing the situation, she saw Aze laying down a huge amount of firepower. To them, he was dumping mag after mag as he shot his bolter in full auto. To him, after every cooldown he was in the zone. Each shot was calculated as all it took was a good well placed shot in the head they pop.

He was busy, distracted– all it took was one call and Takashi will no doubt take it in a heartbeat.

…

But she didn't. She didn't raise her weapon on hand, she didn't order for his elimination or detainment. In all honesty, the puzzles clicked. Right here he could've shot Kaito while Yuki was busy saving her. Could've killed Yuki before she saved her– he could've this and that… Frustrated, she lets out a sigh.

All of his attacks were none lethal

Now is not the time to think about it. A bigger threat is at hand. Hana looked over at Yuki, still pissed, her anger was directed at the ants that ruined her vengeance. Kaito too, Takashi hasn't shot a round yet with the given chance so she's assuming the same thought. But the most important part is saving Steve!

~Crrck!~ "Storm Team, engage! This is a rescue mission. Let's get Steve back!" ~Crrck!~

~Crrck!~ "Roger!" ~Crrck!~ 3x

In the midst of the six legged ground, Steve smiled underneath his helm. 'Steve has such good friends!' he thought happily as he whipped around a broken leg to wack another ant.

Hana was the first to move as she took cover at a half wall. Yuki took to the skies as she posted herself up at a nearby roof. Once over at her ammo and mags, Hana peeked out and let it loose. She directed her fire at the ants closest to Steve; like she's always done. Yuki, trusting her commander, was on crowd control duty. She released her gathered electrical energy from her Idunn, stun locking a huge group until they died. To which she still had enough in the tank to switch to another until they died as well. About three to four groups per mag dump, a scary weapon with just the stun lock alone.

"New targets, three o'clock."

To Hana's surprise, the silver giant spoke to her. Warned of the imminent targets, they were what she presumed from the tone Aze used– bastards. This time, armored douche bags. In her sights, Aze switched targets with the cosmonauts. Not so easy dealing with armored giants though compared to ants.

There were many things she wanted to say: the mechanical and stoic voice, why he was here, his purpose, why he took it easy on them, why was Steve knocked out– but all those can wait.

"Takashi!"

~Crrck!~ "Consider them gone." ~Crrck!~

A steady volley of rounds rang true from the building Takashi embedded himself in. Aze's constant headshots had made them more aware of the danger. Taking the building high enough for cover. But their problem was, that was only enough to prevent Aze from chipping more of their helm armor down any more; that won't be able to prevent the incoming rounds meant to kill larger targets in one shot.

Three shots– three heads; A shower of purple blood as the headless corpses were made limp due to lack of brain function.

Hana looked over at Aze. He stood out in the open, trigger finger given ample use as he switched back to the ants. She reloaded a fresh mag and continued fire support as well– mixing rounds of bolter fire and experimental rounds from her own slade to create a raw dish of insects all you can eat.

Over at Kaito, he took shelter at a nearby wall. It had a window he peeks over at, ironic considering the other half of the wall has completely crumbled. On hand was a throwable of sorts– reminiscence of classic smoke grenades. Pulling the pin, he threw it a couple of feet behind him. Poof– yellow smoke ascended the skies.

~Crrck!~ "Request received, Heavy equipment inbound" ~Crrck!~

All he needs to do now is to stall for time. He opted to do it himself as he equips a remote of sorts.

"Hey STEVE! I'm calling air support right on top of you! Do you mind?"

Over in the distance, in the middle of battle, Steve took the time to give Kaito an ok sign right. A bloody ok sign as the very same hand was arms deep into the skull of an ant. That moment of distraction was enough for a black ant, pinching Steve between their mandibles and lifting him up.

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'Steve… No… LIKE… PERV… IN… MY NO-NO SQUARE– RAGH!'

Both hands clasped; he hammers down. Each strike was as devastating as the other. Each strike cracking the exoskeleton the ant has. But, just like him, the ant was resilient within itself. It held on for dear life.

—Plegh!

Just as he was about to give the finishing blow, the head of the ant exploded in misty dark green. Free but in mid air, Steve corrects himself with his propulsion systems. Cracking the ground as he lands, he looks over at his friends. He gazed at one specifically, one with a big gun– smoking muzzle.

'Steve had kill. Buddy kill stealer!' he thought, giving Aze two fingers because of his transgressions.

Aze for a split second gave him attention, only to dismiss him entirely after as he mowed down another wave of ants that came up from the ground.

Steve, annoyed, took to the nearest ant.

A newly risen ant from the ground exposed themselves against the fresh air for the first time since their birth. This was their first time on the surface, the clacking of the mandibles and the twitching of their antenna– a sign of their gleeful acceptance of their current state of life.

—Clasp!

But, unfortunately for it, an angry fencer needed to vent their anger.

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The team's current overwatch, Takashi, was minding his own business and popping heads at a steady pace. His scope glances over at Steve, he instinctively clenches his asshole. It was gruesome and comical at the same time. An ant deprived of legs was on Steve's arm… let me rephrase that. Steve's right arm had an ant…

Steve shoved his arm so far up the ant's ass and is using said ant as a weapon…

Like how Venom morphs his arms into weapons, Steve was flailing the poor ant around like a bat. The screams as if it was man handled like a puppet.

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Steve a great puppet master. Steve should make puppet show. Steve famous for puppet show. Steve show friends… FRIENDS BE PUPPETS!

For some reason, the rest of Storm Team and Aze clenched their asses without knowing the reason why.

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A minute in, an aircraft flies by. Underneath it was a container of sorts like those you find in cargo ships. It was gray and held up by cables. The aircraft had four thrusters and consisted of gray and black colors. Two just beside the wings and two more behind it. He stopped just above the yellow smoke Kaito dropped.

~Crrck!~ "Dropping Nix Assault!" ~Crrck!~

The cables snapped, releasing the container into a free fall. Kaito below watched as it dropped and readied himself to accompany the Nix Assault.

—Boof!

Dust flew as it landed. The land underneath it was imprinted a new one as it made contact with the metal.

"Occupying Nix Assault!" Kaito radioed over coms.

The container blew open, revealing a hunched over Nix. Pale blue with dark gray, it was equipped with two machine guns and an over the shoulder short explosive cannon.

He climbed over into the cockpit and fired up the dashboard and overhead controls. The Nix roared to life as its engines hissed for action. Standing upright, Kaito played with its joysticks as it moved forward.

At the same time, a set of flyers came by. Unlike the aircraft that dropped by, these were smaller and slimmer. They flew close to the ground, heading towards the markers Kaito digitally sent over with his remote he previously sent over.

~Crrck!~ "This is KM6 Squadron four, delivering a strafing run– danger close" ~Crrck!~

They resembled a smaller version of the B-2 stealth bomber– about the size of migs or raptors. Underneath the tip of each aircraft was a weapon close to the GAU-8 Avenger.

—BRRRRRRRRRRRT! 4x

As they flew by, they lit the ground with excessive amounts of rounds. Ants and buildings were met with the same outcome– that being minced meat. As they finished their gun run, they split off towards homebase.

The amount of dead insects set aside a brief respite for the team and Aze. One met with a sigh of relief.

The nix had its machine guns trained and set towards the remaining ants. The sound of a large racking of a round reverberated.

"My turn."

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The outpost, the main reason Storm Team is out in the field, swarmed with insects. The common black ants. The heavily armored red ants– bigger and badder than their black counterparts. Colonists roamed, patrolling alongside their insect pets. Cosmonauts at the heart of the camp, assessing their surroundings like high officers.

The benefit of the outpost, seemingly lost under the weight of such alien masses. The goal though is hidden behind the buildings. Among the tents, command buildings, and barracks, the prize is hidden behind giant metal doors. Heavy metal, buying their time as it waits to wake again.

But such a prize hadn't gone unnoticed yet. A great nest as large as towers. Within, a black and yellow menace awaits for their next prey.