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[⚠️: Graphic content]
It was the early morning of November 9, 1941. One week after Commander Choi initiated a plan for a sneak attack against Nordame and Betherel. There were more than 900 men on their side, grouped into nine units to scatter all around the enemies' base.
Thanks to Montverde's alliance with Laim and Galyette, Commander Choi's battalion was well-equipped and prepared. Tanks and artilleries lined up in the street. Soldiers were provided with firearms and sufficient ammos. New grenade belts and tear gases hung around their torsos. Mortars and rocket boosters itched to fire away.
"Today's the day, boys." Commander Choi announced to his snacking huddle. "Come what may, we'll get through this. I entrust our motherland's liberty into your hands. Do not fail me."
"Sir!" They all saluted.
"To all unit leaders, I best hope for you to accomplish your duties with bravery and faithfulness."
Sergeant Kang, Corporal Pierre, Corporal Sy, and five more officials firmly nodded and tipped their hats in response. Even though the sun hasn't fully risen yet, Commander Choi put on his dark sunglasses. He turned to the vehicles and clapped twice.
"Everyone get in." He ordered. "Make it quick and leave no item behind."
They all complied. Wounded soldiers were now in good conditions, insistent to combat even for the minimum actions. Y/N rushed out of the building with Maria tying the knot of her freshly changed bandage. Her shoulder was feeling a lot more better that she can even move it gently in circles.
"Take care of your injury, okay?" Maria reminded. "I won't be there to aid you so you must do it yourself."
"No worries," Y/N smiled. "I can."
"Nurse Y/N." Commander Choi called.
Maria immediately excused herself and rushed to Sergeant Kang's unit. Y/N gripped on the strap of her kit tightly. The grinning commander marched towards her, hands on his hips. Y/N tightly beamed at him.
"Good morning to you."
"Good morning, commander." She raised a brow. "Nervous?"
"I'd rather say I'm thrilled but there's a little pint of anxiety deep within."
"Hmm. That's understandable."
"Have you eaten your porridge yet?"
"Yes." She nodded. "What about you?"
"A piece of loaf was enough. How's your shoulder? Does it still bother you?"
"Not quite. I feel alright now."
Commander Choi exhaled in relief, tucking some lose hair behind her right ear. Y/N's face heated, causing her to purse her lips to stop an arching smile. He inched forward and planted a soft kiss upon her forehead.
"You belong to my team, Nurse Y/N."
She lightly scoffed. "I know."
"Come. Hurry."
Commander Choi assisted her up to the back of an open truck. He situated himself beside the nurse afterwards.
What was happening between them?
Clearly, a relationship had sprung. Since the first kiss, all troops and staffs observed the change in their strict boss' attitude. Commander Choi went from a fierce, unforgiving leader to a considerate, encouraging man. They knew it was due to Y/N's influence. He had been a tad bit affectionate to her; doing the simple romantic things such as staying close, asking about her day, consulting her situation, and bringing her meals.
Y/N appreciated those, and the more he showed his vulnerable side, the more she grew fond of him.
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Commander Choi was right. Nordame had set their base in the middle of a vast rice field, three miles away from where they came from. A huge barn was built out of scraps behind the temporary tents and barracks. Commander Choi supposed that it was the so-called concentrated area Corporal Sy had once reported to him.
It was believed that some of the Montverde nationals were shoved inside. Considering the fact that Montverde was a small country, about a size of a regular island, a third of the population could possibly be squeezed in.
There were no windows nor signs of ventilation in the barn. Barbed fences surrounded the site, making sure that the captives never escape. Four Nordame soldiers rounded to guard every corner. All prisoners were dressed in grey shirts and pajamas, barefoot, dirty, and scarred. They were all a mix of genders and ages- the younges was what seemed to be a 6-year old girl forced to rake dead leaves.
"Commander," Sergeant Kang's voice rang out the radio. "Our unit is ready to open fire. Waiting for signal."
"Good." Commander Choi murmured. "Stay low. Spread the word."
Sergeant Kang abruptly complied. Y/N ducked beside Commander Choi. Her eyes were scanning the swarm of prisoners bathing underneath the toasting 10 AM sun. She was trying to find her family.
"Nurse Y/N," Commander Choi muttered. "Keep behind."
"No," she shook her head. "I need to see my parents."
"They're going to be alright, trust me."
"I must see them, commander."
"HOI! ABUERZA!" (MOVE FORWARD!)
The two snapped back front. A Nordame soldier was busy yelling and prodding his shotgun behind a skinny, old man. Y/N's father. He tripped over a rock, fell down, and spilled the firewood he was supposed to deliver to a shed.
Y/N brought a hand over her mouth. "Papa."
"MOVE, I SAID! IMPUR TIEGO!" (STUPID GUY!)
"I'm.. I'm sorry.." Her father trembled.
He hoisted himself up, knees shaking and frail. He frantically picked up the wood piece by piece, still frightened for his life as he remained at gunpoint.
"MAKE IT FAST!"
"Y..Yes.."
"Nurse Y/N." Commander Choi stopped her when she got up. "What are you doing?!"
"I can't stand it..!" She sobbed. "Commander, do something..! Save him..!"
"We need to wait. We can't just charge when the enemies are alert."
"But my father..!"
"I know," he gritted. "But let's not be reckless. This is our last chance, Nurse Y/N."
Y/N painfully watched as the soldier kept forcing the gun to her father's temple, cursing and urging him to take speed. Her father eventually managed to collect everything and hurried back to his duty. She still couldn't find her mother.
"Commander," Corporal Pierre radioed. "West side clear, sir. I repeat, west side clear."
"Copy. Advance your unit, Corporal Pierre."
"Do we initiate fire, sir?"
"Wait for my instruction."
Nordame's troops were supposed to make lunch at the moment. Commander Choi held back, calculating the perfect opportunity to charge. Most of the men waddled inside their tents, chortling and spilling food everywhere as they ate like starving pigs. The coast was almost barren. A little more and chaos will unravel.
Commander Choi gestured for his tanks to slowly move forward. Leaves rustled as the combat vehicles rolled in, covered in green for camouflage- they hid by the woods. He dog-whistled to his team, sending them forward. The Montverde and Laiman soldiers flopped on their backs behind the bushes, guns poking out and ready to fire. Y/N and her fellow medical staffs stood behind, kits open.
Commander Choi gripped on his device.
"OPEN FIRE!"
Everyone acted. Guns and tanks surrounding the camp rambled in fiasco. Nordame was totally shocked, but was also quick to respond. Soon enough, bullets from their side backfired to Commander Choi's people.
Soldier to soldier fell down as their bodies dot with bloody holes. Commander Choi signalled the rocket launchers to boost. Three rockets simultaneously flew, blasting five tents from Nordame. Betherel rolled out their artillery and blasted. A tank had just blasted from Sergeant Kang's unit. Corporal Sy beckoned his boys to advance in the battlefield. Corporal Pierre leaked tear gas among the target's site.
"Sergant Cho, cover Corporal Joon this instant!" Commander Choi dictated to his radio. "Take east and advance!"
"Roger that, commander!"
WHIRR..
BOOM!
Commander Choi dropped to the ground as a rocket exploded behind. Y/N was nowhere to be found. She was probably busy aiding the fallen. Commander Choi mentally cussed and loaded his machine gun. He ran towards the warzone and collapsed on his stomach to fire. Nordame's mortar just blasted a shell, projecting straight to Commander Choi's location.
"MOVE AWAY!" He yelled.
They all crawled aside in haste, dodging the attack. Soil splattered to their faces as well as grasses and pebbles. Commander Choi's eyes began to sting as sand touched his irises.
SPLAT!
"ARGGHH!" Private Con stumbled as bullets hit him.
"Private!" Y/N shouted from a distance, abandoning a dead troop. "Come with me, quick!"
She escorted the man back to their hiding spot to aid. Her injured shoulder gave an immense pang as Private Con's weight shifted to her figure. Y/N winced, yet endured it all. She settled him down by a tree and examined the damage. Two bullets had gone through his left arm, close to the wrist.
"Ah.." He shakily whimpered. "Nurse Y/N.. It hurts.. It hurts so bad.."
"You'll be okay." She calmed him. "Don't move, private."
She carefully pulled out the shells, occasionally soothing him amidst his screams, and cleaned off the swelling area. She wrapped it with sterile linen. Private Con's face was stained with tears. He was grinding his teeth as he constantly begged for the hurt to go away.
"You're not allowed back, private. Rest here with the others. Do you understand?"
"Yes.."
Y/N bitterly smiled. "Things will be alright. Trust me."
Private Con fearfully nodded. Y/N's gaze diverted to his half-used rifle. A risky idea sparked into her mind. Commander Choi and she had made it clear that she wouldn't try and combat again. But goddamn, seeing her father ignited an old bravery swirling from within.
"Private Con, you don't mind if I borrow your gun, do you?"
"No.."
She picked it up. "Thanks."
Y/N ran off to the rampage, avoiding Commander Choi's field of vision. Bullets rained everywhere in which she anxiously dodged. A grenade detonated a few feet away, making her trip.
WHIRR..
BOOM!
Y/N covered her head as a mortar shell propelled above. When she looked back, a soldier's head exploded in bits, sending blood and fine parts of his face flying in every direction.
"Holy sh-"
BOOM!
"GAAH!"
Y/N rolled forward as a grenade detonated. She found herself sprawled in front of the concentration camp. Prisoners have already been ushered and locked inside. Dead people laid around, unattended and left to rot.
"YOU!"
She swiftly turned to face a Nordame national. Instinctively, she fired, killing him in an instant as she shot him in the chest. Y/N sprung up in haste. While most of Nordame was busy with Montverde, she thought she should free her countrymen alone. She raced to the barn. Heavy chains and massive padlocks secured the doors in place.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
"Goddamnit." She breathed, failing to destroy the locks.
BANG!
BANG!
Click!
To her dismay, no more ammo fired. She ran out. She fumbled over her pockets for a reload, only to realize that Private Con had them. She tossed the rifle aside and looked for a substitute. She found a crowbar.
THUD!
One swing chipped off wood. She thought of a new strategy. Why break the tough locks when you can tear down the doors instead?
THUD!
Another swing and a tiny hole was created. Noises such as screams and cries erupted from the other side. Y/N's heart clenched.
THUD!
"Ow.." She huffed as her shoulder ached again.
She raised the crowbar once again. Screw the pain, she thought. Her people needed salvation. If she could give it to them, she will.
WHACK!
Y/N froze. A new sense of discomfort blossomed as she felt her skull go numb. Apparently, a Betherel soldier caught her and decided to hit her head with a plank.
Thus, she fell and passed out.