For Blood, For Freedom (An Eighthy-Six 86 Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: The Jackals

Unknown

"Fucking run, damn it!" panted a soldier as they unleashed a barrage of gunfire upon the silver-armored monstrosities of the Legion.

"Move your asses, double time!" he yelled, his AK-74 trained on an approaching Ameise. "Die, you pile of scrap!" he cursed, unloading a magazine in full auto mode, landing numerous hits on the staple legion light machine gun-equipped unit.

Ratatatatatata!

The Ameise staggered, its carapace marked with innumerable scratches and some penetrations from the hail of bullets, but it remained operational. It swiftly aimed its own guns, the thundering roar of its fire filling the air.

"Hit the ground!" another soldier shouted, his voice drowned out by the sound of bullets tearing through the air.

Their position was soon perforated with bullet holes as the unrelenting onslaught of lead turned the area into a beehive of destruction.

"Jesus Christ! Great! Grenade!" one of his comrades yelled, struggling for a moment before managing to pull the pin and hurl the explosive towards the Ameise. The grenade detonated beneath it, leaving the machine crippled.

After swiftly dealing with the Ameise, the soldiers turned their attention to the fleeing civilians. The scene resembled a disturbed ant nest, with people scattering in every direction like startled insects. Families clung to each other, desperately dragging their children along in search of safety. The elderly sat hunched, seeming to accept their grim fate, while other childrens on the scene, likely lost their families or perhaps separated from them, cried out in the midst of the chaos.

"What's the plan now?" one of them asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, things spiraled out of control pretty fast, didn't they, Captain?" another chimed in.

"We're not here to be the heroes saving everyone," the captain replied firmly. "But fuck, it's been a while since I've had to run like that." He took a moment to catch his breath.

"And what about Loraine and her family?" someone asked, showing genuine worry.

"Find them, get them out of here. These mechanical bugs are swarming over this area," the captain instructed, glancing at the burning city in the distance. "Damn, they're getting hit with a massive amount of firepower over there. Let's just hope Yashan doesn't turn into a war zone like this." He took a deep breath, finally managing to calm himself down.

At that moment, one of his men approached him, his voice relieved. "Captain, Delta team has confirmed that they've secured Loraine and the others. Everyone is heading to the rendezvous point."

"Nice, we don't need to tediously search for her, let's get out of here," the captain ordered, leading his men as they retreated into the cover of the woods.

He cast one last look over his shoulder at the inferno that the legions were turning the area into. He couldn't help but wonder if there were too many targets for them to bother chasing down fleeing civilians on the outskirts. With that thought, he and his men silently withdrew, determined not to draw any further attention to themselves.
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"What the hell is going on, Daniel!?" The captain's voice echoes with frustration as he reached the rendezvous point. His eyes fell on the soldiers who were now wearing the distinctive patch of the Southeast Asian Theater's 401st 'Garuda' Division — mechanized infantry, it seemed. Their gear was impressive, ranging from man-portable anti-tank weapons to anti-air MANPADs, even anti-drone rifles.

Among them, he spotted Loraine and her family, a crucial objective they were tasked with securing. But the sight before him triggered his anger, and he couldn't hold back. "Do you have any understand what the colonel ordered!" he bellowed at Daniel, who led the Delta team.