Our Legacy - Episode 27

“Lieutenant, take command!” Marceus ordered. “I’d advise a defensive line.” “Copy! Fifty-fourth Infantry Squad, I want four meter high arched shields in front !” Ulyssa pointed. “Rangers are to rain down hell from behind. Lithosphern!” She looked at a man from Bosnia named Benji who had the powers to control the outer crusts of Earth. “I want large sloping boulders on our side.” “Yes, ma’am!” The ground shook as the earth formed into a defensive structure around them accompanied by its natural fresh scent. Soldiers patted off dust from their shoulders as they awaited for the attack. “Ulyssa...” Marceus whispered. “Can you sense the tank?” She briefly closed her eyes to focus on the metallic vehicle. A smile crept onto her face. She could feel the tracks forcing its way through the park, its heavy host pushing it through and destroying everything beneath it. Marceus smiled himself, as did the others. “See if you can use that tank to our advantage.”

At the other end of the battlefront, the small Human Company made up of French, German and Belgian troops were one point four kilometres away from their target. Leading them was a Captain named Dietmar Geschke, a man of German origin. He had lost many men and his own left arm during the last few weeks and desperately needed a victory. Everyone was low on morale but they were also angry. They had all lost at least someone they loved, cared for or respected.

The Captain was sitting on the side of the tank, a three meter high and eleven meter long metallic monster, before hopping off to walk the rest of the distance. “Scheisse!” he cursed as his back jolted from landing too hard. His men looked worried but he waved his hand in reassurance like he was waving away pesky flies. “Halt!” He looked around the park and could see the outline of the enemy. “They wait for us, see? In the distance, see? The unnatural way the earth has formed? You see it?” He pointed in a circular motion, his hands feeling heavy. He didn’t have much time left and he knew it.

“Dietrich, eine zigarette bitte.” Dietmar spoke in German to a fellow countryman who kept his cigarettes. The man took one out and handed it to the Captain and proceeded to immediately light it for him. “Danke.” “You should quit before it gets you.” Dietrich jested. Everyone laughed while the Captain grinned. “You are a good man.” Dietmar placed the cigarette at the corner of the mouth before patting his comrade on the shoulder. The cigarette lit up as he inhaled a large portion of it before removing it from his lips to exhale thick grey smoke from his lungs. “You are all good men. I hope you all hear me because I do not have the energy to shout. I will use that energy to fight these devils instead.” The Captain took a puff and stared into the eyes of the soldiers. “This will probably be my last fight. Same goes to many of you here. It’s been a crazy war, one that will rewrite the definition of war, surely. It might even rewrite the holy books!” Only a few laughed but the tone was set. Death was imminent for some and the thought was frightening. “There are many ways this goes down. Our victory is a slim chance. We are here to send a message. We are here to tell these... Demigods... that we humans can make them bleed... that we can eventually kill them.” Captain Dietmar Geschke stomped the remainder of his cigarette and patted the tank beside him. “Let us kill some Demigods today! Spread into two groups and flank. We will pummel with the tank through the middle!”

The tank suddenly creaked, screeching loudly as if it were in pain. The turret began to rotate and aimed its main gun towards the infantry. “What’s going on?” someone gulped. There was banging on the armour of the tank coming from the inside. The Captain began to climb the tank. The banging grew louder and more violent. Dietmar tried to open the hatch but it was closed shut. “What the hell is going on in there!?” he yelled. The hatch suddenly shot wide open at an unbelievable speed, knocking back the Captain unconscious off the tank. The screams of the five crew members bellowed as the hatch came off. The machine-gun attached on top of the turret was not autonomous but like the main gun it began to aim at the infantry beside it.

Something began to cackle inside the tank and a blue sparkling light began to emit from it and with it the screaming faded and smoke erupted. No one moved. No one dared. A few seconds went by without a single sound being made. The tension build up was intense and someone lost balance, cracking a twig under their foot. The machine-gun produced a robotic whir as it aimed towards the soldier and took a single shot directed at his head. The bang of the weapon produced an instant panic. Their war machine had unexpectedly turned against them with the crew fried up inside. No one was in command. A single shared thought process to flee the area and inevitable death was what everyone in the vicinity had in common within the next few seconds.

The grey, armour-plated and turbocharged, heavy tank was upgraded to take on Demigods. What it was facing at this very moment was regular infantry. Its main gun could fire shells explosive enough to take down Demigod-casted shields, giants and those among them who could withstand severe physical impacts, although it would still take two to three shots. The gun was aimed at a group fleeing together. The tank fired, the recoil shook the ground and rustled the trees. The machine-gun on top began to fire rapidly, slaying faster than the main gun could keep up with. Inside the tank the shells floated around to reload the devastating weapon, pushing and lifting the corpses of the crew members out of the way.

“What’s going on?” Gallus left the protection of the earth-walls to get a better look of the onslaught ahead. “They’re turning on each other?” “No.” Marceus bluntly answered. “Ulyssa is behind the attack.” “That doesn’t sound like metal.” “Gallus... Gallus... Gallus... You are too simple-minded sometimes and it pains me to call you brother at such times.” Marceus stepped beside and pointed. “That shit right there... is Demigod warfare. Lieutenant! Leave some survivors.” “Yes, sir!” the park was immediately quieter but the echoes of the mechanic beast still shook the air. “Let tales of defeat spread amongst their ranks. Let them know their plans were thwarted before commencing an attack. May frustration and doubt trouble their sleep. It isn’t only by sheer power we win this war. We must attack their will to fight as well!”

The Demigods cheered the words of Marceus Mara and for a brief moment he understood what drove his father to such power in the first place. Long before he had bonded with a God Particle, the oldest son had pondered the reasons on why people would commit to defending their country. He had now fully comprehended what it meant to be a soldier to ones people. His brother and sister glanced at him. I would die for them, he thought and then studied the rest of the ensemble, and they would die for me. “We are Demigods!” he roared, fist in the air.

The earth suddenly shook but it wasn’t the Lieutenant’s doing. A wave of dust struck them and blocked their sight. “Stay close!” Ulyssa ordered. “Man all angles and prepare for a fight!” “Can we get the tank here?” Gallus asked after leaping into the safety of the barriers they conjured. “It’s more than a kilometre away!” she shouted as there were now winds blowing past them at a hundred and fifty kilometres per hour. “This is certainly something!” Marceus yelled. Alexis concentrated on making a new type of barrier that would renew itself every half second. A blue dome of light exited her and pushed the wind and dust beyond their defensive structure. It almost looked like they were in the middle of a tornado. The dome pulsated brightly as it renewed and with each time they could see clearer into the distance. “I think I see someone out there.” said one of the scouts. “Back-up?” said another. “We’re not expecting back-up during this mission!” Ulyssa bellowed. “Since when do black-op missions have back-up!?” “And since when is backup a single figure walking in a creepily confident fashion?” Marceus further inquired.

The figure seemed to be quite far off but was in an instant right outside the defensive dome. A hood masked the identity of the figure but not for long as the wind blew it right off. Alexis’s protectors collectively cursed upon recognising the face. “We’re gonna need that back-up!” Gallus yelled at the top of his voice. “This shield will not keep me from what we are owed!” yelled Cain and stubborn Elder Vampire.