Amidst the ruined skylines of Manhattan, explosions reverberated throughout its desolate landscape. Scorching flames surged as black smoke loomed with dread. Piercing screams echoed across the decrepit streets while gunfire rang with an intense torrent of gunpowder.
It was a massacre.
The disciplined soldiers brandish their rifles, fighting against a monstrosity not even their experience in the New World could explain. It was a gargantuan black hand, an abomination capable of resisting bullets and explosions.
Their armored vehicles stood no chance against the crushing force of its fingers. Each of their comrades was crushed into a puddle of flesh and blood. Their numbers were dwindling, heralding their inevitable fall against the unknown entity.
"Damnit!" In the distance was the command tent of the Blackrock Mercenary Company. Deep inside was the commander of the mercenary group, a middle-aged man with a scar that ran across his face.
He gritted his teeth while his fists were clenched together. Blood trickled from his palm, dipping to the floor like a ticking clock. The preparations and the plan have been compromised. Before they could even capture the Jaeger, a monster appeared out of nowhere.
"Sir, what should we do?!" One of the officers questioned, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. His expression was wrought with anxiousness as his men were being massacred outside. It wasn't simply a matter of sacrifice. They risked extermination.
"Our armored vehicles are ineffective against the skin of the giant black hand. I suspect it to be a newly-emerged Aberrant." Another officer suggested, earning the attention of everyone within the command tent.
"An Aberrant?" The commander furrowed his eyebrows, wondering how much his luck had fallen. How could an Aberrant materialize out of nowhere near their location? Was destiny against them?
"Sir, our casualties will attract the attention of the garrison surrounding the exclusion zone. We must retreat before our route becomes unusable." An officer sternly warned as time was running out for their mercenary group.
Their faction could be decimated without even clashing against other groups within the Blackrock Mercenary Company. They needed to save as much as they could. After all, enemy factions could devour them whole.
Each suggestion and worry of the officers was understandable. The commander agreed with their thoughts and even pondered their retreat. But resources had already been utilized for the commission.
'Wait... The Aberrant should be a newly materialized one. It should be at its weakest, which means that this is also an opportunity.' He wasn't the type to hesitate when utilizing resources that could ensure victory.
It didn't matter if they couldn't capture the Jaeger. At least, they might manage to defeat an Aberrant or perhaps even seize it for themselves.
An idea rooted deep within his mind. A cold glint escaped his eyes as he straightened his back and consolidated command. "Are the aetheric weapons already prepared?" He questioned an officer who was appointed for the preparation.
The officer nodded in agreement and responded. "Preparations complete, Sir! My men are waiting for your orders." His words echoed in the command tent, prompting his comrades to realize what their leader was planning to do.
"Good! We don't have the time or the resources to hesitate. Use those weapons to take down that monster." The commander coolly gestured to the officers before him. Their short meeting ended. It was time to fight.
As the officers left the command tent to prepare for the capture of their intruder, the commander stepped out and observed the devastating scene from afar. A gargantuan black hand.
He had never heard of such an Aberrant. Usually, these monsters would be no less different than an immensely mutated aetheric beast. But the abomination in front of him appeared to differ from normal.
"It doesn't matter... As long as we captured it, our questions will be answered." The cost of the operation was troublesome. But CORE should be interested in an ensnared Aberrant. It may be better than their previous target.
The giant black had continued to wreak havoc within the ranks of the mercenary group. Armored vehicles were pummeled into the ground while rubble descended like meteorites.
It was chaos, but the mercenaries were experienced in fighting in extreme circumstances. It wouldn't be the first time they would experience loss. One could consider it normal within their industry.
As the monstrous abomination approached the commander, he glanced at the trap they had prepared. It was an array encircling the monster consisting of aetheric weapons procured from CORE.
Aetheric weapons were wonders of technology constructed with the concept of aether in mind. Utilizing such an exotic matter required extensive research and financing.
It meant that those capable of manufacturing aetheric weapons could be counted by hand. The primary examples were the Federation of North America and the Collective Order of Remnant Enterprises.
"Charge it and prepare for an attack!" The commander ordered his officers, who relayed it to the soldiers arming the aetheric weapons.
Several simple-looking trailers unveiled themselves, transforming into futuristic cannons capable of disintegrating the strongest of armors. These cannons gleamed with a neon hue, denoting technology far beyond the times.
'No wonder those corpos were confident in handling the Jaeger.' Even with his extensive experience in the New World, the commander had never seen such a magnificent weapon of war. It made him wonder if he could procure one for himself.
Without a doubt, his standing in the mercenary group would rise. No one would dare to stand in his way. The thought alone made him coldly snicker. 'Unfortunately, I cannot steal the borrowed aetheric weapons.'
While the commander considered himself a greedy man, he wasn't foolish. Unlike the FNA, which was bloated and divided, CORE was integrated under one command. The board of directors.
Regardless of his expertise, his death would be assured if the corpos invested resources in his execution. He'd rather avoid such a fate and live for tomorrow.
Issuing a strategic withdrawal, the remaining armored vehicles tactically retreated as the surviving mercenaries entrenched themselves behind cover. However, a peculiar feeling pervaded the commander's mind and heart.
He understood that nothing in this world would be so simple.
Turning his attention upward, he observed the aetheric beast circling them from above. An unusual idea took hold within him. 'Since the emergence of that aetheric beast, things have been leading to a disaster.'
The aetheric weapons soon completed their charge. The mercenaries arming these weapons of destruction awaited the firing order of their commander. With the confirmation from his subordinates, he looked at the abomination in front of him.
In a single moment, the commander's body froze. Chills echoed in his spine while cold sweat trickled from his body. A realization struck him without warning, compelling his heart to pound like rising drums.
The gargantuan black hand before him has halted its movements. It steadily turned its body towards him, surveilling his entirety from the bottom to the top. It wasn't causing destruction for no reason.
It was coercing him, the commander of the mercenary group, to make a move and get exposed. Taking a deep breath, he muttered to himself. "Don't tell me-"
Out of nowhere, a piercing screech resounded from above, and the monstrous abomination in front of him stampeded towards him. Nothing could stop it. Not the broken armored vehicles, not the crimson corpses of his subordinates.
As dread choked him, he roared.
"FIRE!"