Hey.
Another chapter is overdue; I'm just going to remind anyone curious that it's not because of a lack of interest in the story.
I will not drop this story, but I might go up to chapter 100 and then call this book one.
So when I create the second book, I can come back fresh with new ideas, reevaluate all that's happened and tie up loose ends instead of constantly looking back.
I need time to sit down and summarise all that's happened, and a second book will give me that opportunity.
Thoughts?
Let's get back to it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And yet another Siracusan city has fallen to the force we've been informed are known as the 'Death Korps.' All efforts are being made to repel these invaders and restore some sense of normality," A random female Durin reporter says, overlooking the ancient Siracusian city of Vite.
A city currently in flames.
The screams of panic, fear and anguish. The constant blast of artillery discharging drowned out the collapsing buildings and the intense struggle between the two factions. So much so the Durin reporter was almost in the camera's face and eating her microphone so people could hear her over the explosions not so far away.
Across Terra, news about the ongoing conflict between the desperate Siracusa forces and their attackers spreads far and wide. The world knows of this war, and Siracusa uses every opportunity to show everyone how much they need help.
Unfortunately for the defenders of Siracusa, the forces of every nation have made no effort to speak out against the attackers. Their armies have not moved an inch and have only begun preparing their own nation's defences.
Cities, towns, villages and vineyards across Siracusa are witnessing firsthand the scale of the suffering the unwanted guests are thrusting upon them. Even with a call to arms, the population are not trained soldiers, and most have no desire to cower in ruins while their attackers rains explosives down on their heads.
The ruling Mafia families unknowingly signed their death warrant when they put a bounty on the life of the one known as Texas. Even more foolish was trusting the white wolf, also known as Lappland, to go in and kill her.
All those who wish to fight are abandoning the cities and making for the rocky mountains their homeland is surrounded by. It's evident after the destruction of Palermo that fighting inside cities or any form of civilisation was doomed to fail.
So the Siracusian generals made the right call when they ordered any able-bodied men and women with combat/Arts experience or not to retreat to the mountains. They will play the long game. The Death Korps can bombard the mountains as much as they want, but the defenders will not be pulverised to oblivion inside the old and new tunnel networks.
If the Death Korps want to wipe them out, they must come to them and fight them for every inch, uphill and inside dark passageways. The invaders will have to pay heavily for each step they take.
"Large columns of civilians have been sighted leaving highly populated areas around Siracusa and making their way to the borders. The Kingdom of Leithanien welcomes refugees, but pressure on their border has tripled military response. It is unknown how long Leithanien plans on welcoming the victims of Siracusa."
In the background of the news reporter, the burning city of Vite, thousands of people could be seen fleeing in all directions in panic, most trying to escape down the crowded highway leading towards Laterano.
"But what you can see behind me, thousands upon thousands of civilians are fleeing by what many consider to be a lost cause. Most of these civilians are headed towards Laterano, hoping for protection and shelter. However, the Laterano government has already made a statement regarding this and stated as clearly as possible that they are not welcoming anyone into their city, refugees or others."
In the skies, around the mass exodus of refugees, a Laterano helicopter is flying back and forth, and its loudspeakers are announcing to everyone in the surrounding area nobody can go to Laterano. The borders are closed and will be turned away, but the announcements are ignored as thousands stumble hopelessly towards the city of the Sankta.
Even though most people know the trouble in Laterano, most don't know how bad it's gotten; these civilians are only trading one warzone for another, and Laterano is about to get much worse because of a particular daughter of Farsight and a beautiful Sankta women with a strange glowing green staff.
A whole lot worse...
- - - - - - - - - -
Kal'tsit looked down at the unconscious form of W, frowning heavily. Strapped to the medical bed for everyone's safety in case W woke up and tried to get violent. Even with her extensive damage, Kal'tsit wouldn't be surprised if W has a surprise attack up her sleeve.
Looking over the notes in her hand at the damage W had taken, Kal'tsit wasn't unaware of how badly she beat the Sarkaz girl. Kal'tsit wouldn't freely admit she wasn't all there when she was giving W a beat down.
It felt good at the time, after all, and Mon3tr was giving her a proverbial thumbs up.
"Dr Kal'tsit? Operating theatre three is ready for us to begin."
Kal'tsit looked at the medical intern and nodded heavily, having to swallow her pride and perform a complete reconstruction that she had caused. She should've just gone back to Rhodes Island when she had the chance. Kal'tsit regretted as she followed the intern and fulfilled her punishment.
- - - - - - - - - -
"Get back, I say!" A Laterano Sankta in uniform orders loudly at the border between Siracusa and Laterano.
The border security forces quickly being overwhelmed by the scared people of Siracusa trying to enter and get away from the Death Korps. Not everyone was lucky enough to have Penance around to seduce Farsight for them, even unknowingly and save them.
The situation has deteriorated so much they have had no choice but to redeploy many of the Pontifica Cohors Lateran to keep the peace. Still, even with the heavier support, the number of refugees increases every hour.
Across the length of the accessible border between the two countries, the refugees have had no choice but to create small communities of tents and shanty towns due to having nowhere else to go.
The border officers have been increasingly desperate, the number of displaced people is becoming overwhelming and with everything that's already happening in Laterano, the redeployment puts the city in overwhelming danger.
The Sankta commander watches with growing alarm as the scared refugee's numbers increase constantly.
"Let us through!"
"Come on, I thought you were the good guys?!"
"We're starving!"
"Snobs, the lot of them, only interested in their comforts!"
The Sankta commander listens to the sea of shouts of pleading, threats and demands quietly while his hand is glued to the grip of his sidearm, waiting to be drawn at a moment's notice.
"Commander? If this continues, we will not be able to hold them back without the use of heavy weapons."
"That will cause a diplomatic incident."
"What's the alternative? Let them through? Use up what little supplies Laterano has left and overwhelm both the rebels and our forces?"
"..." The commander doesn't respond, eyes still glued to the sea of hopeless and angry civilians. Out of the thousands of people he stares at from a makeshift watchtower, a single figure in the crowd catches his eye.
A lithe Sankta woman with ashen facial features and glowing green eyes? Her skin was grey but bordering silver. A small-looking metallic insect with a single green eye on her armoured shoulder also stared back at him.. tilting its little head...
The commander squinted at the figure to get a better look. The feminine figure carried a large glowing staff with a large blade attached and black armour with glowing green trim. She had a long green cape flowing behind her.
(Upgraded Mal - Like this!)
Some form of Android?
She stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the haggard crowd. How had nobody in the crowd noticed her presence?
His eyes widened as the metallic-looking figure smirked up at him. He had an awful feeling, "Soldier... bring up the heavy weapons, now!"
The order had barely left the man's lips before the horde of scared refugees froze momentarily, and a deathly silence reigned over the area; all of the refugees slowly turned, stood, and emerged to stare quietly at the commander like a hive mind.
The commander stood frozen in fear as thousands of eyes stared at him quietly. All anger, fear, resentment and desperation vanished from their empty eyes and expressions. The commander gulped loudly as sweat dripped down his forehead, and he, along with all of his border security and the Pontifica reinforcements, backed up instinctively.
"What the hell?!" One of the officers mumbled in fear.
"Where are those heavy weapons?!"
The commander looked away from the sea of motionless zombie-like people and looked toward the soldier he commanded to get the big guns, only to see the same soldier standing there frozen.
Staring at him with no emotion...
Being so close to the motionless man, the commander noticed two distinct things.
One: A faint green glow could be seen deep in the soldier's cold, empty eyes.
Two: The tips of six long metal legs could be seen clinging to the soldier's neck, like an insect was clinging to the back of his neck, holding on tight.
Shivering in fear, the commander backed away, looking back at the first figure he noticed in the crowd, only for him to come face to face with a pretty Sankta woman; if the situation was any different, he would have commented her skin-tight suit which showed off her wide hips was highly erotic.
How she appeared right next to him will forever be a mystery to him.
"Hello, commander! I'm Mallory or Mal-Mal"
"..."
"Just call me Mal... Anyway, I apologise for this, but I really am on a time crunch, no hard feelings!"
"Wha-"
The commander didn't see it coming and was soon on his back staring dizzily up at Mal as she raised her staff, looking down at him with pity before she brought it down on the commander's chest.
His last moments of consciousness were the sounds of panic as what little forces the border had left ran for their lives as thousands of people smashed against the barbed fences, sending them tumbling down and trampled. What little makeshift barriers and checkpoints they had were soon overwhelmed, and those still in control of their actions fought desperately or ran back to the city.
The Pope, his soldiers, the government and the Gun-Knights had no clue what was coming.
Not from Kalina, Patriot and the Battle-sisters.
Not from Mal and her army of mind-controlled refugees
Mal stared at the tide of people rushing past her and over the border towards Laterano in the far distance; she hated controlling people like this. It left a bad taste in her mouth, but they would be free once she got what she wanted.
Mal tried not to think of how many would be gunned down for this when they reached the city, but Siracusa made its choice, and Farsight said they would pay the ultimate price. If Farsight could use civilians for his ends, why couldn't she?
After all, Mal really wanted her Titans to be a reality!
She was not going to wait around any longer.
She would have her Titans sooner rather than later.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Done!
It's a late chapter, but such is life, I'm afraid.
Mal is getting stuck in, and next, we will see more from Agenta, Frostnova and Theresa.
I just wanted a section to show what's going on around Siracusa; time hasn't stopped since the Enclave forces helped Penance and her group evacuate.
The Death Korps are doing their own thing, bringing down city after city.
Now, the Siracusians are running for the hills, but gorilla warfare is a long, drawn-out type of war.
I was going to do a chapter on W's surgery, but I thought that would be tedious, boring, and unnecessary.
Refugees are a big problem for border forces, but what's a bigger problem? Mind-controlled refugees to an impatient Mal.
Mal wants her Titans damn it!
Why doesn't Mal recreate the Titan blueprints if she made them in the first place? I am not sure, but I can't remember most of the projects I created in the past, so I think it's from the author's(My) viewpoint.
I own no Art or Gif's
Thanks for the support and votes!
Zero-