The air was getting thinner by the second. The sounds of dozens of nightmare creatures can be heard from outside the protective walls of the damaged APC, chipping it apart little by little. Each one of them produced a kind of screech that would rupture the eardrum of a mundane upon hearing it. Besides the damn Nightmare creatures, there was other sounds coming outside as well; sound from humans, sound from comrades and friends alike.
"S- Stay away from me you—"
"Help please! Someone!"
"We're losing more and more ground!"
Those sounds of plea didn't last long. Each one of them being silenced one by one by the dreadful horde of nightmare creatures; No one had listened, and no one is coming.
'Those Crickets!'
It seems like the end was coming soon for him too. Those Crickets had managed to put dents all over the shell of the APC, it is just a matter of time until they burst in and even if they won't get him, the lack of oxygen and carbon dioxide poisoning will.
Grabbing the head rest of the seat next to him to support himself, the Irregular stood up. The APC he's in, is in terrible state, the engine exploded a while back and the air was running thin.
'Seemed like a broken rib.'
The man hunched over as he accessed his injuries that he had received from the crash, due to the Nightmare creature's ambush.
Looking around the APC, he carefully observed his surroundings and situations. Thanks to his dormant ability which allowed him to think at a much faster rate than other awakened, he was able to remain calm and composed even in this situation.
The Irregular then raises his hand up to his face to wipe away the blood that was hindering his vision. Mustering all his remaining strength... He clenched his fist into a ball and banged the walls of the APC.
Pounding the dents on the walls that the Crickets created, repeatedly. Slamming it until his hand was a broken and bloody mess.
*********************************************************************************
"Hey man, you alright there? You have been zoning out for a while now."
June body suddenly flinches as he snapped back into reality. Raising his head he looked up to see the bartender who was staring at him with worry in his eyes.
"I'm fine Cambus, just having some daydreams, that's all."
Cambus sighed and walked over to one of the cabinets, grabbing one of the bottles of liquor, he begins to wipe it with a cloth that he had in his pocket.
Cambus is someone who June is particularly fond of. Like June, Cambus was a former government grunt himself, and a notorious one at that. The two of them had met back in the Eastern Antarctic campaign as part of the First Evacuation army. Cambus might not look like it, but underneath this timid facade he put up as a bartender here at a remote Inn near Bastion, he is a cunning and astute awakened. This when combine with his ginger brown hair, earned him the nickname of 'Cinder Fox'.
Though after the campaign, Cambus retired from any kind of action due to an injury he had received from a Nightmare creatures ambushed 3 years ago in Eastern Antartica. Which is part of the reason why it wasn't that much a surprised for June to see him working as a bartender at some random Inn in the middle of nowhere.
"You sure? This is the first time I've ever seen you zoned out like this. Also, your vodka is getting warm."
Cambus chuckled and then take off his rimless glasses to clean them.
June looked down at his drink that he had ordered not too long ago. In truth, he had been thinking about his time as an irregular in Antarctica lately. All the pain, all the struggles. All of it.
After all, today's the day that his grandfather had died.
'It been 3 years since Antarctica huh?'
June raises his head again and took a sip from his vodka, as he glanced at Cambus, who was cleaning his glasses.
"That's not even a memory, why do you even bother wearing it?"
Cambus laughed at June comment as he put on his glasses again. The ginger haired man then walked over to June with a bottle of whiskey in hand and a glass in the other.
"Well, I guess it is just a habit I developed to help me forget about... Well, the past."
Cambus subsequently, begins to pour himself a drink as he stares up at the ceiling.
June glanced at Cambus, who was in deep thoughts, perhaps contemplating on the past. Eventually, June sighed and spoke out in a nonchalant manner.
"Oh, by the way one of your sleeves is rolled up again."
"Ah! Crap! Thanks for reminding me."
June then gave out a little smirk as he continued to drink his glass of Vodka. He had discovered this Inn a few days ago while looking for a relatively cheap space to stay in or near the great Citadel of Bastion. It was not like he had anything better to do while waiting for more job offers on the Black market, plus being near a citadel gate make it much more convenient to travel into the waking world. It was also nice to see an old comrade again too, though.
Speaking of which, He has a meeting with a few Black-market contractors later today as well.
Finishing up his drink, he glanced back at the fox one last time.
"Well, I got to get going now. Thanks for everything, Cambus."
Cambus huffed and consequently replied in a humorous tone.
"Took you long enough, take care."
"You too."
Afterwards, June exited the Inn that he had been staying in for the last 3 days. He begins to head over to the great citadel which can be seen right over the hills. It was time to enter the waking world yet again.
'I wonder how much this contract is going to pay.'