The Ark

Let The Battles Begin

Operation Frostworth debriefing

The objective of this operation is the quick and safe rescue of over a dozen hostages of all ages. The Culprit is of unknown origin and strength, they are located within the Axel Palerouche territory within the mountainous woods. The culprit will be returned alive if possible but the permission to kill is also granted.

The warm light of the early sun at its orange hue brightens the land, adding in the small patches of flowers outside of various shops and parks Foundland feels like something out of a fantasy.

However the same couldn't be said for Axel, for his room felt heavy to everyone inside. Him and Alice could do nothing but look at the only returning operative from the rescue mission, battered and bruised. Dried blood stained his body, especially his head, making it look like it rained blood on him. His eyes looked far and distant even though he was a mere few feet away from Axel.

"Explain what happened. Why do you look so defeated?" Axel asked, his voice softer than many people would think possible for him.

The operative nicknamed Tank was sitting on the couch. He looked like a wreck, besides the blood his hands were shaking uncontrollably. His breath was ragged, like someone was gripping his lung like a vice. He looks at Axel.

"It was so fast sir, before I knew it the others were knocked out like they were dolls, like paperweights my Lord." Tank put his hand out to catch his head. "Within minutes squad 1 and 2 were taken down without a sound."

Axel and Alice could see Tank pale as he recounted more of what happened. Tank mind started to replay the encounter as if he was still there.

"When my squad made it to the hut, we saw the enemy. He simply stood there behind them where all the others were tied up in the snow. They looked alive as there was no blood around them. He looked directly at us, even with the tinted goggles, it felt like his eyes pierced mine and the other's souls."

Alice stepped up and stopped in front of Tank. He could look into Alice's eyes and see a cluster of emotions, her eyes narrowed with her lips thinned.

"Tank, what did he do? What was the combat against him? Tell me."

Alice's voice for the first time in a long time was harder, full of authority. To Tank it felt as if he wasn't talking to Alice at all, rather it felt as if he was being looked down on by Axel.

"Two others and I moved in to attack while the snipers in the back provided us with covering fire. Yet he did something I didn't expect."

"Which was?" Alice asked.

"He did nothing, he let the two arrows fired hit him in the shoulders. I could see the blood drip into the snow, he did the same thing with our attacks. He allowed each of us to get an attack in, all of us felt the tearing of flesh yet...yet he stood there unphased."

Tank could only breathe in. "I couldn't do anything before he knocked me out. One punch was all it took for me to be put down. He knocked me out like I was nothing."

Blood drained from Alice and Axel's faces from that information. Everyone has their special qualities whether that is physical or not, Tank earned his nickname through training. To deal with pain many members of Axel's forces were beaten to increase their pain tolerance and Tank lasted the longest by a long shot, only bested by Alice herself. So for someone to knock him out in a single hit was surprising to say the least.

"What happened when you woke up?" Alice asked as she smoothed her voice.

"When I woke up I saw that everyone was knocked out, I am quite sure none of them were dead at the time since there was a severe lack of blood."