Chapter 2
Calm skies.
Thriving atmosphere.
The streets were teeming with people…and then it wasn’t.
The quiet atmosphere of the city of San Francisco echoed a disturbing city-wide alarm. Clutter of footsteps slowly faded as people vacated the streets to seek for bomb shelters. Life dissipated as the Colossus’ shadow covered the entire city. A cloud of darkness that engulfed the space into its domain made its way to the Yerba Buena Allegiance post.
“Sir, we’re gonna need the goddamn calvary for reinforcements.” A commander, draped in brigadier armour with binoculars pointed right at the ship from the post sounded off.
“Already on its way, mate. For now, you’ll have to settle with me.” Kal took steps forward, admiring the ship that towered over the city.
~
Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.
Two capital battleships, New Allegiance Ship Supernova and Tempest, hovered across the sea for a heading to San Francisco. As countless fighter jets emerged from their hangars, deployed to seize the invasion, 7 prominent figures emerged from one of the hangars.
“Head Operator Ryan Lou reporting in. All ghosts, sound off!” The Spectral soared through the sky in his suit.
“Commander Valeria Chan, on your wing.” A woman, bearing a remarkably similar suit to Ryan, flew right to her side. Her armour was purple in colour, differentiating herself from her leader.
“Gauss, reporting in.” A male specialist replied. Like Valeria, he too bore a similar suit. With white markings across and a much broader build for the armour , he joined the flock.
“Sergeant Duan, on your wing Sir.” A near identical armour, marked in gold platings, flew to Ryan’s side.
“Ember, coming in hot.” A suit in bright armour platings danced across the skies as the woman specialist steadily joined the rest.
“Kevin and Ancile, from the top.” Two blue tinted visors, armours of which were similar to each other, hovered in from the top. Twin fighters. Brothers in arms. They joined the flock.
Ryan came prepared. He knew that the Dominion would be a challenge. He found it an excellent opportunity to greet the regents with the Allegiance’s new special forces unit based on his armour. An honour to his father. A fighting force for good.
“Aiden, you ready?”
A shadow slowly covered Kevin and Ancile. Steadily so, Aiden joined the flock. In an upgraded version of his Ravage mauler, he was the last official member of the unit.
“Hell yeah.” He replied.
8 flying suits, accompanied by squadrons of fighters, closed in on San Francisco.
“As briefed, Duan and the twins will assist the squadrons in sweeping the Colossal’s surface cannon.”
“What about me? You told me jack shit.” Ravage asked, in his own terms, respectfully.
“On the ground with Valeria. You’ll command Kal’s ground forces in ensuring none of the Dominion foot soldiers leave the city.”
The fleet slowly neared the sights of the Colossal.
“Me, Ember and Gauss will hold the line at the port. If you need help, sound off. Keep the channel open. Ghosts break off!”
In synchronisation, the ghosts parted to their respective tasks.
Ember and Gauss followed Ryan down to the port, where Kal was in a massive firefight with Dominion troopers.
“Driveby attack 3224, go!”
As commanded, Ember and Gauss both flew to enemy stands, carpet bombing trooper lines to prevent an advance.
Ryan sweeped in, clearing remaining troopers seeking to advance further. To his amazement, Kal was beside him.
“Fucking early, aren’t you?” Kal stood behind a flipped truck with soldiers on his side.
“I had to come from the east. What’s the news?” Ryan asked, simultaneously firing from his gauntlets to enemy lines.
Blaster fire filled the air, forcing Kal to shout his answers.
“Recalled Ajay from Silawan, no response! Comms ain’t jammed, somethings fucking about over there!”
Gauss flew over to Ryan, covered in ashes and riddled in marks of bolts.
“Cleared a battalion but tanks are coming our way. What’s the play, Sir?”
Ryan quickly panned his view over to Gauss.
“Push the infantry for an advance. Use whatever you have to make sure the tanks don’t cross the lines. Get Covert Ops to flank!”
“Aye, sir.” Gauss quickly flew away.
The situation grew more chaotic by the second.
“Ava was returning with whom I can only assume Athena before they got shot down. Destoria’s already en route to the crash site!”
“Whatever she says, update me! I’m going forward!” Ryan replied as his face shield activated.
As Ryan peaked over the truck, he saw figures emerge out of the battling smoke.
Four bearers of darkness. Four gladiators. Four Regents.
“Duan, get you and the twins here now.” Ryan ordered so.
The regents marched their way forward, leading the troopers through the destruction of their powers.
Red beams of pure energy tore up the Allegiance’s stand of defence.
Ryan flew forward, diving right in the middle of the four. Trying his best, he’d evade the swings of their blades and landed shots of plasma in return. Even so, it became futile. His evasion grew slower and the regents landed multiple blows down on him.
He went to his knees.
Then on his back.
Eventually, he cowered for protection.
Blades charged with cosmic energy slammed down onto him. The best he could do was protect himself from a lethal blow. His eyes glanced through their feet, seeing the boots of the Dominion troopers closing in on the port.
“This is the man that captured you, Deceiver?” A heel sank on Ryan’s throat, though soft enough to not pierce but pin him down.
“He had help.” Syron spoke, looking down on Ryan.
The woman with her heel on him looked over to Ryan.
“Such a shame, he would have been a formidable warrior.” Azalea spoke, sinking her heel deeper.
Never before had Ryan tried his hardest to breathe. Clinging on to life, the scales of death slowly tipped to favour. His eyes flickered in and out of consciousness. His grip loosened and tightened. He was struggling under piercing tension. That is, until an arrow howled across the sky.
Whoosh.
Azalea’s heel pulled back. Ryan looked up, still trying to grip himself. He’d see an arrow pierce Azalea’s leg.
Looking back, he’d see the calvary come in.
Ava, from afar, pulled back another arrow as she fired. As the arrow flew across the sky, it broke apart into several arrows that dispersed across trooper lines. Alongside the Archer, the Guardian and the Battlemaster made their entry.
Sending streaks of cosmic energy, emitted from their blades that grew larger the further it went, the two began clearing enemy lines and the tanks that caved in.
By their side, Destoria swooped in to clear the advancing forces with her kunai dart ropes.
“We have to retreat, m’lady.” Koto suggested as Arasmus defended the other regents. Slowly, the Dominion forces depleted. Azalea noticed so. Their forces slowly grew weaker. Perhaps this is evidence just how formidable the protectors of peace were. This was not meant to be a victory. They have a mission. She does.
“Pull back, he’ll cover our retreat.” She swiftly ordered.
Smoke covered the Dominion attack line. The regents faded into the smoke as the battlegrounds remained quiet.
“I will ensure the regents do not linger in the city.” Neka emitted a blast below his boot. Its golden hue launched the Battlemaster to the skies, giving him space to glide to the direction of chaos in the city.
Ryan slowly limped over to Athena’s direction.
“Nice suit.” She commented.
“You have a bird friend.” He replied, struggling from his injuries.
The two could not spend a second together before a yell echoed across the battlefield.
“Enemy ahead!” Gauss called out, peeking over from a pillar.
A singular figure walked forward, embedded in darkness from the smoke. It had bolder armour, glistening from sunlight. Its waistcoat flapping away in the gusty wind, breaking silence.
It slowly walked forward as he noticed the entire confrontation of Allegiance forces before him.
As he stepped over the smoke clouds, his purple visor glowed…
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