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“This way!” Fiammetta led the way, staff raised as, for once, Lappland was quiet in the back, eyes trained behind them. Liskarm held Franka up on one arm, blood still dripping down her arm as she tried to keep hold of her pistol in the other. Patia was supposed to update them every five minutes - it had been nine since they last heard the radio buzz.
“She’s losing too much blood, we have to stop-”
“Do you want her filled with more bullet holes, you imbecile?”
“Shut up, you-”
“Quiet, both of you!” Fiammetta snapped at Liskarm and Lappland, the sound of Franka groaning in pain diverting Liskarms attention. The Liberi glanced at the group’s charge - Amiya, the young Cautus. She’d hoped to get the chance to ask Kal’tsit some questions - just who the hell was this kid, what were they doing dragging her into a warzone, what were those rings on her hands? According to the Cautus, however, she was an amnesiac, and that just opened even more cans of very confusing worms.
And at this point, Fia had a feeling she wouldn’t get the chance to ask the director.
As they approached the alley's end, Fia signalled them to stop. Peering around the corner, she could clearly see it in the distance - an Ursine checkpoint. Tanks and all. And the sound of a VTOL somewhere in the distance.
“Merda.”
“That means ‘shit’!”
“Would you shut up?” Fia turned back to the rest of them and sighed. “Up ahead is no dice. There’s an Ursine patrol up the other end of the road, and they’ll fill us with too many holes to patch up if we-”
“Fia!”
The group turned back down the way they came as they watched Patia limp down, clutching a bleeding wound on her arm.
“Patia! What-”
“Ursine soldiers,” Patia almost collapsed before them, panting desperately for air. “I-I tried to distract them all I could, but they wouldn't bite until I got too close and-”
“Patia. Are they coming this way?”
…
“...yeah.”
…
“MENTULA!”
“That means-”
“THEY DON’T NEED A TRANSLATION,” Fia inhaled, trying to calm her nerves. “Okay, I- I can try to cause a diversion. If we get across as quickly as possible, we might be able to move from there. Liskarm, take your shield. Patia will carry Franka.”
“What-”
“Patia. Will carry. Franka.”
Liskarm took her shield. The group readied themselves, Liskarm steadying herself as she cast her repulsive arts around the group, the originium in her arm shivering at the strain. Carefully, Fia aimed around the corner, looking for any loose rubble. There, just above the 4th story.
Aim. And…
PHWOOM
The face of the building erupted, dust and rubble crumbling to the road below as Ursine yells could be heard in the distance. Rushing forward, bullets immediately flew past the group, inaccurate thanks to the dust.
30 metres.
Amiya stumbled but kept her footing, arms instinctively moving to balance herself. The kid had good reflexes.
20 metres.
Patia held Franka up, keeping pace despite the Vulpo’s weight. She was groaning in pain still, so that was good - she was still alive.
10-
“Fuck!”
Liskarm stumbled and fell, desperately holding her shield up to stop more bullets from hitting her. Her ankle was shot clean through. Lappland scooped an arm under her shoulder, helping her forward, but it was too late. The dust was clearing already, and the shots were more accurate.
“Sh- Over here!” Fiammetta hunkered down behind some rubble, the others following. They were undercover, but only until the ursine troops reached them. Patia attempted a couple of shots back, but the tank’s machine gun quickly silenced her.
“What do we do!”
“Give me a minute!” Fia couldn’t think. The gunshots were too loud. They were getting closer. All it would take was a couple of well-placed shells to blow their cover. The second group of troops would flank them through the alley. That damn VTOL was still buzzing above-
“ Sshhrrcckk King Squad? ”
“The radio!”
Fia tore the radio from Liskarm. “Hello? Over.”
“ Sshhrrcckk King Squad! Is that you pinned down down there, over? ”
“I- yes! We’re pinned down by an Ursine patrol, where are-”
“Roger! Reinforcements are on their way! 2000 metres out, over!”
“Wh- WHAT FUCKING USE IS-”
“ 1800 metres, over! ”
“Wh-what? Excuse-”
“ 1500 metres, over! ”
How the hell were they-
The VTOL.
Oh my god, they were going to paint the pavement.
“ 1000 metres! ”
“Are you insane! You’re going to paint the road, what are you doing!”
“ 600, closing in! ”
Before Fiammetta could reply, a series of booms echoed across the city, shaking the ground. Closer and closer, rattling the glass as the group and soldiers alike looked up, watching circles of air reverberate from a dot, closing in RAPIDLY.
500-
40-
3-
2-
100-
The dot slammed into the road, kicking up dust and debris. Fia coughed and spluttered, squinting under her arm as the haze of dust obscured her vision.
There, in the middle of the road, stood a blonde lupo. As the dust slowly cleared, Fia could make out intricate braces wrapping around her legs, and a hulking cannon and shield on either arm, strange wires, tubes and what looked almost like a battery hanging off her back. Carefully, she popped off part of the mechanical system on her back, letting it fall to the ground as her leg braces detached. Stepping over the discarded machinery, she turned to them, lifting a pair of fuzzy pilot goggles as she grinned at them from under her beret.
“Apologies for the noise!” Her voice was posh, and she held herself like the private school kids Fia had known in Laterano when she was young. “The rapid entry devices are still somewhat of a work in progress, so we haven’t worked out some of the-”
“Look out!” Patia spotted the flash of the cannon first. The Lupo swung round, slamming her shield into the ground as the shell collided, barely moving her as shrapnel sprayed the asphalt.
“As I was saying. I-”
“Another!”
Two more shells slammed into the shield.
“Gods, I AM TRYING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION!” Her growling was met by a fourth tank shot, this one sending her sliding a couple feet.
“Right,” she turned back to the group, her blue eyes falling on Amiya. “You must be the Cautus dame Kalt’tsit spoke about. Amiya, correct?”
“U-um, yes.!”
“Well then,” the Lupo grinned. “We will have to save introductions for now, little prince. However, consider this a demonstration of why you should continue to trust in the Tempest Defense Service’s capabilities.”
And with that, she walked forward.
Walked.
“By the law, is she suicidal?”
The Lupo seemed not to care, striding confidently down the road. With nothing else for it, the Ursine tanks fired another explosive round. She held her shield up - and swung.
The shell slammed into the wall next to her, imploding. Parried.
“IS THAT ALL ‘URSUS’ FINEST’ HAVE!? ARE YOU REALLY DESCENDED FROM THE MEN WHO CHALLENGED GAUL!?”
Two more shells. Deflected, blocked. With every shot, her shadow seemed to grow larger. Her frame stronger, her hair brighter. And the machine on her back seemed to slowly tick up, humming. After three more shells, it was deafening.
“Is that all you can-” A shell she failed to notice slammed into her shoulder, imploding as it kicked up dust.
“NO!”
But, as the dust cleared, the Lupo still stood, hexagons of purple light hovering around her. She blew loose hair from her face, readjusting her beret.
“You people,” she took a step back, swinging her shield to the side.
“Need to learn,” she swung her cannon forward as the group watched the machine on her back tick down as the cannon almost heated up.
“NOT TO INTERRUPT OTHERS!”
The entire road shook as she fired, backblast cracking the road as the shell flew straight through a tank, the metal buckling as it's inside ruptured, imploding like fireworks as the turret came tumbling back to earth, crumpling the tank next to it. The Lupo clenched her fist, the empty casing tumbling to the floor as she brought her shield back around, keeping her cannon trained forward as another round entered the camber with a deafening click.
…
Slowly, the tanks rumbled back, the infantry following.
Once the coast was clear, the Lupo exhaled, dropping her arms as she turned back to the group with a grin. “Well? Was my performance satisfactory, little prince?”
“That was amazing!” Amiya rushed forward, the others running after her as she skidded to a stop in front of the woman, face beaming. “How did you do that?”
“Why thank you!” she chuckled bashfully, scratching her head. “Although I am afraid explanations will have to wait. We have more Ursine forces approaching, and I can only accomplish that so many times,” she sighed, glancing at Lappland still holding Franka up. “And I fear your friend only has so long left.”
The Lupo strode past the group, cannon slowly whirring down. “The VTOL should be landing about a kilometre west. If we move through the alleyways quickly enough, we should be able to outpace the troops and evacuate!” Then, she paused for a moment. “Oh, right, of course!”
She turned, bowing to Amiya.
“Rita Skamandros, Codename Horn, at your service!”