[A/N: Alright, so this one is not really...as happy as the last one. Of course, not every mission the Delta Squad has is going to succeed. Anyways, it was either this or a super depressing story that I'm thinking about doing (just as a sort of project, don't worry), and I chose to do this. Really sorry about missing out on typing a chapter a day like I wanted to yesterday, but I was really busy and I hope y'all don't mind. I did, I'll admit I'm a bit of a workaholic, and I don't have as much time to do this or YouTube videos as I would like, not to mention I'm working on finishing up the manuscript for one of the two books I'm planning on publishing by the end of this school year (by "finishing up" I mean typing, btw), so I'm pretty busy most of the time. Anyways, not what you all were here for, so I'm just going to go ahead and jump into the story. Just a warning, this is going to be a pretty intense chapter, so warnings for blood and gore, as well as just the Fernals in general. Love you all, and I'll see you at the end of this chapter (maybe).]
"Maybe we shouldn't be doing this. I mean, this isn't like the compounds. This is a military base, Del." Marc comments over the comlink. I shrug off the ominous feeling I've been having ever since we began this mission and throw on a fake front.
"It's going to be fine, Marc. Don't stress about it, alright?" I reply.
"I'm scared too." One of the younger teens, an eighth grader named Felix Dir, announces from behind me. I flick the comlinks off and smile back at him.
"Everything's going to be okay, alright? It's just a simple mission. Get in, wreck as much as we can, get out, and blow it to hell." I shrug like it's no big deal. It isn't a big deal, though.
It's a huge deal.
Originally, I didn't want any of the cadets(anyone new to training, but normally they're the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth graders) to come on the mission unless they were above eighteen, just because of how dangerous the Fernals are and how ruthless. I crouch down and study the walls of the Fernal base for any more guards we didn't manage to see the first time. None seem to have come on, and the guards' routine seems to be the same, which is good. Amber and Timothy are leading a second group against one of the other Fernal bases on the south side of the Los Angeles area. Timothy convinced me to have the cadets split between the groups.
One of the other cadets besides Felix, Oliver Winter, grins and cocks his rifle over one shoulder. A stupid idea, really, but not exactly unexpected from a freshman male. "C'mon, man. We'll be fine! It's just a little mission, that's all! Like Delta said, we get in, we wreck it all, get out, and blow the bastards to hell." He replies, winking at Felix jokingly. Felix still doesn't look convinced that this will be easy.
"Alright, everyone. Let's get moving." I announce, standing up and hooking the binoculars onto my belt. "We have a lot of work to do."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We slip in low, our group of fifteen dwarfed by the size of the Fernals. Some of them are enormous--they make elephants seem like midgets--and thankfully Oliver and his buddies keep their mouths shut. I fire my grappling hook up into one of the towers (we managed to hack their video systems beforehand--they won't notice us for a few minutes, and by then we should be out of there), and pull myself up the side. The others follow me obediently, and the usual weight of leadership seems heavier than before. Not just because this is an extremely important mission--we can't afford to fail in even one area of this mission or else we could lose this entire war. But because they're all so young--the only person other than me who isn't fourteen or younger is Marc, who's taking up the rear.
We slip into the ventilation system, which thankfully are made for Fernal lungs and not humans', because they need a lot more air to go down into the subterranean areas of their bases. It's sort of strange, really, how different humans and Fernals are, but at the same time how similar. Hey! Not the time for this, you moron. Think about species differences later; you have a world to save! I shout at myself mentally as we slip through the vents. Something else hits me--a sense of incoming danger, I'm not sure what--and I know the second the sound hits my ears that it's too late.
YOU ARE READING
Phenomenon
ActionSometimes all you can do is sit and watch. Watch as everyone is taken from you. But sometimes, you have to fight. So that's what I'm going to be doing. And you better not get in my way.
