Chapitre 134: Chapter 133: Flames of Rebellion
The slums burned like a living thing, the fires consuming the crumbling structures and casting an ominous glow over the streets. Cole stood at the broken window of the command center, looking out at the chaos below. The crackling flames mirrored the fire inside him, but the weight of what they had just done lingered.
Behind him, Lina was catching her breath, wiping the blood from her knife. She hadn't said a word since they had cleared the command center, but the tension in the room was palpable. They had taken a major step in the fight against the city, but they both knew this victory came at a cost.
"We need to get back to the others," Lina said quietly, breaking the silence.
Cole nodded, turning away from the destruction outside. "Yeah. But we need to make sure this place is useless to them first."
Lina understood immediately. They couldn't leave the command center intact, not with the resources it held. Even if they had cut off communications, the city's forces would eventually regroup, and this place would become a strategic asset once again.
"We'll rig it," Cole said, his voice cold and decisive. "Ty's got explosives. We'll blow this place to hell."
Lina nodded, already moving toward the door. "I'll contact Ty. You get the others ready."
As she disappeared down the hallway, Cole took one last look around the control room. It was a mess now—shattered screens, overturned desks, and the bodies of the soldiers they had taken down. The room had been the heart of the city's operations, but now it was just another casualty of the war raging through the streets.
Cole's jaw tightened. This was what it took to survive. What it took to win.
---
By the time Cole and Lina made it back to the safe house, the streets were filled with smoke and the distant sounds of gunfire. The city was pushing back harder than ever, their forces relentless in their efforts to retake control of the slums.
Inside the safe house, Ty, Zack, and Maria were gathered around the table, going over the latest reports from their scouts. Ty looked up as Cole entered, his face tense but focused.
"Good timing," Ty said, his voice tight. "We've got movement. The city's forces are regrouping to the south. Looks like they're going to hit us from multiple sides."
Cole cursed under his breath. They had expected retaliation, but the speed and intensity of the city's response was faster than anticipated.
"We took the command center," Cole said, his voice low but firm. "Their communications are down, and we've disabled their command structure. But they're not stopping."
Zack ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. "They're not going to stop, man. They'll throw everything they've got at us. We can't keep fighting them like this."
Maria, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up. "We need to make a stand. If we keep retreating, they'll eventually box us in."
Cole nodded, his mind racing. The slums were their territory, their home, but the city's forces had the advantage in firepower and numbers. They couldn't afford to fight a drawn-out battle.
"We need to buy ourselves time," Cole said, his voice calm but intense. "We've rigged the command center to blow, but that won't stop them completely. We need to hit them hard enough to make them think twice about pushing forward."
Ty's eyes flickered with understanding. "You want to go on the offensive?"
"We have to," Cole replied. "If we can push them back just long enough, we can regroup, get the non-combatants to safety, and reinforce our defenses."
Zack crossed his arms, frowning. "And what happens after that? We're still outgunned."
"We don't need to beat them outright," Cole said, his gaze hard. "We need to make it so costly that they have no choice but to pull back."
Maria nodded, her expression serious. "We hit them where it hurts. Force them to reconsider."
Ty leaned back in his chair, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Sounds like a plan. Let's make 'em bleed."
---
The crew moved quickly, preparing for the next phase of the battle. Ty gathered the explosives and rigged them to the key locations around the slums, creating traps that would slow the city's forces and force them into tight, defensible positions. Zack and Maria organized the fighters, making sure they were armed and ready for the assault.
Meanwhile, Cole and Lina headed back to the command center, where Ty had already set the explosives. The building was silent now, its power cut and its corridors abandoned. The bodies of the soldiers they had taken down were still scattered across the floor, a grim reminder of the cost of the fight.
"Everything's set," Ty said as he finished rigging the last explosive. "When this goes off, it's going to take half the building with it."
Cole nodded. "Good. We need to time it right. Once they're close enough, we blow it and take out as many of their forces as we can."
Lina glanced at Cole, her expression unreadable. "And if it's not enough?"
Cole didn't answer right away. He knew the risks. They were pushing their luck with this plan, but there wasn't much choice left. They either fought with everything they had or they died.
"If it's not enough," Cole said quietly, "we'll figure it out."
---
The next few hours were a blur of preparation. The crew moved like a well-oiled machine, each one knowing their role in the coming fight. Cole watched as the people of the slums prepared themselves for what was to come. Families huddled together in the tunnels, their faces etched with fear and uncertainty, while the fighters above steeled themselves for battle.
It wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about proving that they wouldn't be broken.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the slums, Cole and his crew took their positions. The tension in the air was thick, the calm before the storm. The military was moving in from the south, their armored vehicles rolling through the streets like an unstoppable force.
Cole crouched behind a pile of debris, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The sound of engines and marching feet filled the air, growing louder with each passing moment. He could see the glint of metal in the distance, the unmistakable silhouette of a tank leading the charge.
"They're here," Zack muttered, his voice tense.
Cole glanced at Ty, who was positioned a few feet away. "Wait for my signal."
Ty nodded, his hand resting on the detonator. The explosives were set, the traps laid. All they had to do now was wait for the right moment.
The seconds ticked by like hours, the tension building with every breath. The first wave of soldiers reached the barricades, their weapons raised as they prepared to push forward.
"Now!" Cole shouted.
The explosion ripped through the air, a deafening roar that shook the ground beneath them. The command center erupted in flames, the shockwave sending debris flying in all directions. The soldiers at the front were thrown to the ground, their ranks shattered by the blast.
"Go, go, go!" Cole barked, leading the charge.
The fighters surged forward, taking advantage of the chaos to strike at the disoriented soldiers. Gunfire erupted from all sides as the slums became a battlefield, the streets filled with the sounds of combat.
Cole moved like a force of nature, his rifle spitting fire as he took down soldier after soldier. Lina was right beside him, her knife flashing as she moved through the chaos with deadly precision.
The military was caught off guard by the ferocity of the attack. They had expected resistance, but not like this. The traps and explosives had thrown them into disarray, and the narrow streets of the slums made it difficult for their vehicles to maneuver.
But despite the success of the initial strike, the military's numbers were overwhelming. For every soldier they took down, more arrived, their advance slow but relentless.
"We need to fall back!" Ty shouted over the roar of gunfire, his face streaked with sweat and dirt. "We're not going to hold them!"
Cole gritted his teeth, his mind racing. They had inflicted heavy losses, but it wasn't enough. The military was still coming, and they wouldn't stop until the slums were reduced to rubble.
"Fall back to the next barricade!" Cole shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We hold them there!"
The fighters began to retreat, moving through the narrow alleyways as the military pushed forward. Cole's heart pounded in his chest as he led the way, his mind racing with a hundred different thoughts.
This was it. The final push. They had hit the city's forces hard, but the battle was far from over.
As the fighters regrouped at the next barricade, Cole could feel the weight of the fight pressing down on him. The slums were burning, the people were exhausted, and the military was still coming.
But they weren't finished yet.
Cole looked at his crew, the people who had fought beside him for so long, and he knew one thing for sure:
They would keep fighting.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone