Austronesia Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Mindanao, Davao City, Civilian bunker
2000, 3, 1st Week, January
In the shattered remains of a city, a massive bunker hidden beneath the rubble offered a fragile sanctuary to 150 civilians, where there was only fear and desperate voices inside.
"Daddy, when will it be safe to go outside again?" the little girl named Serena from chapter 5 asked, clutching her father's hand tightly.
"Shh, sweetheart," her father, Antonio, whispered soothingly, "We'll be safe soon. Just stay close to me."
Around them, people huddled in small groups, whispering anxiously as the sound of a distant explosion sent terror through the crowd.
"We can't stay here forever," an elderly woman muttered to no one in particular. "They'll find us eventually."
"Quiet, all of you!" snapped a man near the door, "Panicking won't help anyone."
Suddenly, the heavy steel door of the bunker shuddered violently.
The civilians gasped, recoiling in horror as the door buckled and then exploded inward.
Then, two demonic monstrous creatures lunged through the opening.
"ROOOAAARRR!!!"
"Ahhhh!"
"Move it, quick!"
"Don't push me...!"
"R-Run!"
Many screamed as the creatures tore into the nearest civilians, crushing, and devouring anyone in their path. Antonio pulled his daughter behind him, shielding her with his body.
"Stay behind me, Serena! Don't look!" he shouted with fear across his face, but he refused to stop protecting his daughter.
'Damn it! There is too many people, and we are surrounded! We are going to die here!'
"They are inside!"
"Let me go!"
"AHHHHHH!!!"
More screams are heard and Antonio couldn't help but look at his daughter who is holding his legs in fear.
'Damn it! It doesn't matter if I were to die, at least allow this child to survive!'
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
But just as the demons advanced, a deafening barrage of gunfire echoed through the bunker as ten military soldiers stormed in with their rifles blazing.
The monsters screeched and thrashed under the rain of bullets but were quickly gunned down.
"Keep firing!" barked the lead soldier. "Don't let them through!"
Another soldier, his face smeared with dirt and sweat, gestured urgently to the civilians. "Everyone, move! We're getting you out of here!"
Antonio scooped his daughter into his arms and immediately joined the panicked crowd toward the exit, while the soldiers continued firing the two demons to suppress them and covering the civilians' retreat.
As they stepped onto the war-torn surface, the lead soldier unhooked his belt loaded with grenades and turned back to the bunker entrance.
"Get them out of here!" he shouted to his comrades. Then, with a determined look at the civilians he was sworn to protect, he tossed the belt into the gaping maw of the bunker.
"Eat this!"
BOOOM!
The explosion was deafening, sending a shockwave that knocked everyone to the ground. When the dust settled, the entrance to the bunker was buried under a twisted heap of rubble, sealing off the horrors within.
"Daddy, are we safe now?" Antonio's daughter said in a trembling tone as she clung to her father.
Antonio hugged her tightly with tears of relief streaming down his face. "Yes, sweetheart. We're safe now."
The soldiers regrouped, scanning the horizon for any further threats. The sergeant, now missing his belt, stared at the crowd.
"Let's move," he said firmly. "We need to get you all to a safer location."
As the group moved away from the destroyed bunker, the civilians whispered prayers of gratitude.
Minutes later, the civilians along with a group of soldiers that escorted them were moving through a desolate open field as their breaths ragged with exhaustion and fear.
Suddenly, the thunderous noise of rotors can be heard, and a large helicopter known as the TA-7 Shade descended in front of them with its doors open wide in a hopeful invitation.
"Finally, we don't have to die here!" exclaimed one of the civilians with tears in his eyes.
"Everyone, quickly!" a soldier shouted, waving them forward. "Get on board the helicopter!"
People began to rush toward the helicopter, pushing and shoving in their desperation. Antonio held his daughter close to make sure that she made it onto the chopper safely.
As the last of the one hundred civilians were crammed inside, the soldier at the door turned to the remaining crowd.
"The helicopter has reached its limit! We can't take anymore people!" he said anxiously as he blocked the desperate civilians, "Or else there will be a risk of the helicopter crashing."
"Then when will the next helicopter come??" one of the civilians asked in desperation.
"I-I am sorry to say this, but... this is the last helicopter we have available!" the soldier said with a mix of regret and despair in his eyes and tone. "Once the helicopter takes off... we will bomb the city entirely. Anyone who is unable to board the helicopter is going to inevitably die here..."
Upon hearing this, cries of despair erupted from the crowd.
"We only just managed to have some hope, but... What are these children going to do?" a mother asked as she held her infant child with tears streaming down her face.
On the helicopter, the father looked at the hopeless crowd. He wanted to help them, but...
"It's alright, we are already on the plane," he whispered to his daughter. "Daddy already lost your mommy. I can't lose you too."
As he looked at the crowd outside, especially the mother who had the infant in her arms, he averted his gaze with a hesitant regretful look.
"I won't leave then!"
Just then, an elderly man inside the helicopter stood up.
"Give my spot to this child! I have already lived a long life," he said softly. "He is more qualified than me to board this helicopter."
He exited the helicopter, and his selfless act triggered a wave of similar sacrifices.
"Me... me too."
"I will also give up my spot!"
Two more men stepped out, followed by dozens more.
"Me too..."
"Same for me..."
"But... but you will..." a young boy said hesitantly with tears leaking from his eyes. He is not the only one as other people were saddened by their decision.
"Stop dwindling! Quickly board the helicopter or else I'm going to regret it!" one of the men urged with a serious voice despite the emotional weight of his words.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"The helicopter needs to take off immediately!" a soldier shouted at the crowd as he and the rest of his squad fired their rifles at a horde of demons approaching. "We won't be able to hold them off for long!"
On the helicopter, Antonio, seeing the last child outside and knowing what had to be done, knelt to face his daughter.
"Serena, you must... take care of yourself. I need you to be brave now and grow up well!" he said, his voice breaking. "Daddy will find you later. I promise."
"No, Daddy!" Serena cried, holding onto him. "Don't leave me!"
He kissed her forehead and gently pushed her into the helicopter before looking at the crowd outside, "Over here! There's one more spot!"
A mother with her infant rushed forward with tears streaming down her face as she took the place offered by the man's sacrifice. While the soldiers continued their desperate defense, the helicopter's doors closed and it lifted off.
As the helicopter ascended, Antonio watched it descend into the sky and feel hope for his daughter would survive and find peace.
"W-Why did I give my spot away... I really don't want to die," one of the civilians, who had volunteered to stay behind, dropped to his knees and cried, "Damn it! Damn it! I want to live!"
Watching the man break down in despair, Antonio felt the same way, but at least his daughter would live on.
"Daddy won't be able to go find you. From now on, please protect yourself properly," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion.
As the helicopter flew off, Antonio looked up one last time at his daughter, whose tear-streaked face pressed against the window.
"Goodbye, dadd-"
All of a sudden, multiple tentacles shot out from the ground and struck the helicopter before ripping it apart. The wreckage fell to the earth and exploded in front of the crowd's eyes.
BOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
"The helicopter... exploded!!" shouted a civilian in panic.
"No... way," Antonio mumbled with his eyes widened in horror.
Not before long, a massive beast with four tentacles on its back stood over the field, having already slaughtered half of the defending soldiers.
"R-Run!"
Panic spread like wildfire. Civilians ran and screamed as the remaining soldiers made a desperate stand and fired all their rounds at the approaching demon horde, only to be instantly overwhelmed. The demons cut down one person after another and the people's cries echoed through the field.
Antonio stood frozen, feeling his heart shattered as he realized his daughter was gone. At that moment, he broke his thoughts when he noticed the tentacle demon devouring a helpless civilian.
Feeling enraged and thirst for revenge, he grabbed a metal pipe he found on the ground and charged.
"AHHHHHH!!"
Before the tentacle demon could react, it noticed the man roared and managed to stab the creature in the eye.
"RETURN MY DAUGHTER... TO ME!!"
The demon howled in pain and fury and smacked Antonio away with its colossal paw. He crashed into rubble as his bones broke upon impact.
As the monsters finished off the last of the civilians and soldiers, they turned their attention to Antonio, the sole survivor. Memories of his daughter flooded his mind and rage and sorrow started filling his heart. He glared at the monsters as his vision began to blur.
"It seems like I am really going to die here. I am so unwilling," he whispered with tears mingling with blood on his face. "Is there anyone who can help me take revenge? Just anyone..."
Seconds ticked by, and he closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate. Suddenly, a glimmer in the sky caught his attention. At first, he thought it was a star, but realizing it was covered entirely by clouds, he looked again, and noticed the object was descending rapidly.
"A missile?" he wondered out loud, but then he remembered the soldier's words about bombing the whole city.
Bombing the city with one missile? There is only one kind of weapon capable of doing so.
Nuclear weapons.
Knowing this, Antonio closed his eyes one last time.
"I'll see you soon, Serena," he whispered.
BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
In an instant, the nuclear blast engulfed the city, obliterating everything, including the monsters and the man himself.
The field turned to ash, the city turned into a wasteland, and silence descended where chaos had once ruled moments before.