⚠️Authors Note - Mature Content
"This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, nations, corporations and events are products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real events or persons is coincidental."
Tags: Alternate World, Dark, Vigilante, Cyberpunk, MegaCorps, Single-Shot Stories, Short-Stories, Hero, Supervillain, Magic, Fiction, Science Fiction, Superheroes, History, Futuristic,, Noir
"A separate series that explores other aspects of the world of Crown Obsidian from multiple points of views, years and places. Each chapter is its own standalone story."
Terrac. A desert between Iraq and the Arabian Confederacy. A land of minefields, bandits and ruins. A battleground for the surrounding Regional powers.
The night sky of Terrac is usually clear, and sparkling. With no pollution, the galaxy is in full view.
FFFFfffwwwwoooshhhhhhh BANG
However, tonight is much different. For the last twenty four hours the US Air force has been bombarding Terraci militants. Using all ordinance at their disposal.
By day it's their bombers, by night it's their reaper drones. Continuous airstrikes have forced the combatants to be observers, desperately hoping Uncle Sam did not notice their presence.
FWWwoooshhhh
FWWwooooshhhhh
BANG
BANG
Meanwhile
Airbase Norry
On the Arabian-Terraci Border
The Colonel watched from the airbase's control tower, his hands resting behind him. His eyes gleamed with the continuous explosions that illuminated the vast ruined desert. As he gazed at the bombardments from the comfort of his air conditioned elevated tower, drones shot past him behind the tower's bulletproof glass.
As they passed with a roaring shockwave, the Colonel's slight smile grew-
THOMP THOMP THOMP
Sandy coloured Gunships slowly took to the dark sky, their searchlights slowly strobing.
Their mission, hunt and destroy; Ramen Al-Nusera. A Warlord belonging to the Rahut Brigade, a terrorist group who believe Meta-Humans are the biggest threat to humanity.
Known terrorist, internationally wanted, and suspected to have obtained a nuclear weapon.
'Colonel, Sir, We have a positive ID for Ramen Al-Nusera.'
'Good. Give him the good news.'
And with that order. The drones, three of them, took to the sky in a rapid motion, their afterburners gleaming in the distance.
The Colonel, an older gentleman, stood drinking from his "#1 Boss mug" his face scarred from a battle decades ago before he was commissioned.
'I tell you what, we hit this motherf*cker, I owe you all a round-'
WOOOOOOO!
Cheers erupted around the tower's command centre.
The Colonel moved closer to the glass window.
He didn't like war. He felt it was necessary when all other options ran out.
Ramen Al-Nusera was given an option of handing the supposed nuke over. He hasn't.
'It's strongly believed by our intelligence that this human waste wants to use this nuclear device, he apparently holds to bomb an American city, could be one of your homes-
The Colonel paced-
'The Rahut Brigade plague this part of the world ladies and gentlemen. More than you think.'
He continued, lightly placing his mug down on the windowframe.
'Our good friend Ramen is notorious for starting battles in this area. Twenty years ago, he gave me this…' - he pointed to his face.
'So, I'm returning a favor.'
Meanwhile
In the far distance, as the Colonel watched, the gunship circled, and circled. And unleashed its payload-
A rain of hailfire missiles-
A spray of green illuminating minigun fire-
'Sayōnara'
The Colonel smiled. He turned to the crowd of officers who were eager to impress him.
'Good work everyone. In merely a week we wiped out multiple cells of the Rahut Brigade-
We destroyed the last remnants of the Terraci Army-'
'Send our Night Stalker Detachment. Time to secure the target-
He turned back to the window, magnetized to the view of the fiery blaze which darkened the sky orange.
He watched as the gunship returned to the airbase, its silhouette slowly approaching over the hillside.
Later on…
The helicopters, Chinooks, slowly approached. Their front and rear rotorblades whirled furiously as they circled the ruined town of Muraq Bazer. With searchlights scanning the desert, the passengers, soldiers of the Night Stalkers descended from ropes one by one.
Boots hit concrete. Local militia vehicles burnt out in the distance, still billowing smoke from the gunships' onslaught.
THUD THUD
Smoke rolled through the sandstone streets like a fog, the air was thick with metal and gunpowder.
Words followed from the team leader; SPECTER.
'Touchdown. Stack up. Weapons live.'
'Christ…' an operator call-signed Reaper muttered
He stared at a burnt out militia pickup truck. With half of the driver buried in rubble-
And the other bloody ash.
'Eyes forward. Don't stare.'
SPECTOR's voice was stern.
Another, operator landed, his boot submerged in ash-
It was Ghost.
His rifle clicked as he rose it to eye level-
He stared down the scope-
'One… two… four….ten…I count ten sir.'
Reaper said calmly as militants slowly appeared one by one, they wore rags, their appearance hidden behind face coverings and hoods. They littered the rooftops in the guise of simple curious observers.
['STALKER-01, OVERLORD, you know your mission is to capture or destroy Ramen Al-Nusera, over.']
'Understood OVERLORD, over.'
From the comfort of the Airbases tower the Colonel watched as countless beacons, Rahut Militiamen, converged on the small team. He pressed his earpiece comlink-
'STALKER-01, be advised, STALKER-04 and his team will be arriving to assist in the capture or elimination of Ramen.-
The Colonel observed the horde of militiamen around the landing site-
'A friendly warning STALKER-01.'
More and more flooded to the site-
'The whole damned city is coming your way. Move your ass. In one hour air assets will turn that sh*thole to glass.'
The Stalkers in the city's market slowly pushed further into the sandstone structures, despite superior numbers the militia had not fired a shot. The fire around them continued to rage, civilians weeped, others were stunned.
Enough confusion for the operatives to search and destroy the Rahut Brigade commander.
'Understood, Overlord, what about ground forces?'
['The 5th Special Forces Group will be entering Muraq Bazer to assist your extraction. Out.']
SPECTOR scanned the rooftops, cold fiery eyes stared back at him. But still no weapons.
'They are surrounding us.'
The three soldiers continued onwards, with each boot step, they activated their nightvision, a green beacon flickered, a signal.
A landing site. A construction site.
'STALKER-04's landing zone.' Spector determined-
'We can't defend this space boss.' Reaper deduced after surveying the surroundings-
'Foxholes. Trenches. Pillboxes.'
'It's a f*cking killzone.' Ghost grunted.
Then they heard it…
WOMPWOMPWOMPWOMP
The continuous rotation of the twin rotors of the chinook rocked the market below. It hovered above the landing site, ropes were dropped and immediately four operatives repelled from the aircraft. Green smoke flooded the city's corridors, the many fires around the city were like lanterns.
One by one, all four of them had boots on the ground.
'Boss, we have a secondary target.' The Sergeant nodded.
'Typical we're the last ones to hear of this, Tragaer.'
Traeger was a veteran of many conflicts. His body displayed this, and so did the bags under his green eyes.
Sergeant Tragaer looked back at the three other operators who pulled down their night vision downwards over their covered faces.
'A special operative has been secretly embedded in the local area. They've been observing Rahut Brigade operations.'
In the background the chinook slowly ascended into the night sky, its flickering lights vanishing into the mist.
'I don't know if you're aware Traeger but we have forty minutes to find, capture or destroy Ramen Al-Nusera.'
'I am aware sir. However this secondary target is also of the highest importance. They apparently have the where-abouts of the nuke-'
'Then we find them first. Where are we going?'
'There's an orphanage in the underground market'
The underground market was the seedy underbelly of Muraq Bazer, where arms deals take place and explosive devices are manufactured.
Repear, using his scope, watched as militiamen appeared one by one. They saw every rooftop become watchtowers for snipers and rocket pads. Every alleyway became a trap lined with assault rifles.
'Watch out for mines.'
'Watch out for trip wires…'
'Careful boys. They're watching us.'
Spector calmly warns.
The market was quiet. Too quiet.
Above the blazing fires across the market a drone buzzed along the sky-
Scanning the ruins below.
They found HIM. Ramen Al-Nusera.
['Spector, this is Overlord, Ramen has been sighted moving west towards the Muhabar Tower. Be advised- ... civilians are in the area.']
WHOMPWHOMPWHOMPWHOMPWHOMP
A gunship approached the castle, its auto cannon trained upon the tip. With its hellfire missiles ready.
But then-
['Missile, inbound, 3 o'clock, low!']
It glowed bright and red, like a red illuminating flashbang.
FFFFfffwwwwwwwwoooooshhhhhhhh ZZZzzzssssBBBAANNNNNGGGGG
The helicopter exploded in half. Its tail spinning wildly out of control-
['We're going down!']-
Meanwhile…
KKKKKKkaaabbbbboooOOOOOMMMMMMM
As a rotor spun out of control, the fire engulfed metallic body fell like a falling log.
'What the f*ck?!'
Ghost looked up-
The team stopped in place and split one by one into cover-
Behind a barrell…
Behind a sandstone wall…
Under a makeshift metal roof…
A foxhole…
They faced multiple directions, mounting their firearms with their establishing forward grips.
'Overlord, Our air support is down-
BANG BANG BANG THUD THUD THUD FWOSH FWOSH FWOSH PPssssBOOOMMM
-INCOMING!'
The soldiers found themselves under siege from all sides.
Green and red tracers zipped past the smaller explosions kicked up dirt and debris-
eruptions opened sandstone walls-
Smoke choked the besieged troopers-
Thunderous rounds snapped as they grazed past their ears.
Zip Zip Zip Zip Pop Pop
'Hug the ground, Reaper!'
ZIPPPP CRACK
Ghost and Traeger hugged the sandy ground. Using their elbows. Sliding as they rushed to cover. The rounds peppered furiously along the wall-
'We're in for a long night.' Traeger muttered.
To Be Continued…