As morning came, the Marines were the first to rise from their sleep in an orderly manner at nearly the same time as per their training. While Michalis brushed his teeth using the tap from the bathtub, Christos washed his face in the sink. To not waste time waiting, Nilsson went to the kitchen instead to wash his face. Yet, as Nilsson arrived in the kitchen, he was instead greeted by the sweet smell of pastry.
[Nilsson] - "I recognize the smell. Yâ are doing the macrons again, Voss? "
Said Nilsson as his massive armoured body squeezed around the central island.
Voss nodded as he carefully observed the time ticking on the clock. The making of macrons is a delicate affair, and the timing must be precise to the second. Yet, as Nilsson began to shave, Voss began to be visibly annoyed by the hum of the fusion reactor on the back of Nilsson's suit.
[Voss] - "Could you shut the damn reactor down for a second. I'm easily distracted when I'm trying to focus. "
Said Voss in a frustrated voice.
[Nilsson] - "Yâ are not wearing your armour. Yâ do realize it's standard for a Marine to wear his armour until the end of the mission, yâh? As an elite Captain, yâ should know that better than any of us. "
Said Nilsson as he took a quick glance at Voss.
[Voss] - "It's not like we're still serving for now. Besides, baking with that armour is nearly impossible. "
[Nilsson] - "Unlike us, yâ have a commander to please. Yâ wouldn't wânt to look bad before the Ârch-mother, wouldn't yâ? "
Said Nilsson in his usual thick Swedish-English accent.
[Voss] - "The Arch-mother is not impressed in the same way as the Grand Knight. She might carry his legacy, but she is still a different person. "
Said Voss as he put on his gloves.
[Nilsson] - "Suit yâself. Speaking of which, there she is. "
Said Nilsson as he pointed at the figure emerging from the bedroom.
Slowly, Kadyn inched out of her room, still half-asleep. With a yawn, she raised her palm to salute the two Marines before squeezing herself between them to grab some coffee.
[Voss] - "Greeting, Arch-mother. I was simply making some macrons. "
Said Voss as he saluted Kadyn.
[Kadyn] - "Ugh! How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Kadyn'! "
Muttered Kadyn in frustration.
Mike leaned against the counter and smirked at the situation.
[Mike] - "Just let him call you whatever they nicknamed you. I find it quite endearing that they would call you 'Arch-mother', haha, considering the fact that you aren't even one. "
Kadyn turned to Mike with knives in her eyes upon hearing his comment.
[Kadyn] - "Yeah, thanks to my limp-dick husband, who's too pussy to have a kid. "
Whispered Kadyn with contempt in her voice.
As Voss finished the last touches of his batch of macrons, he delicately presented the tray to Kadyn while bowing toward her.
[Voss] - "Arch-mother, here's the fruit of my labour. I wish for you to taste it. "
Kadyn stared in surprise at the colourful display before her eyes. Since they were fresh out of the oven, gentle lines of steam still emanated from their perfectly round shells. There were so many colours to choose from, and Kadyn wanted to simply gobble all of them. However, out of formality, she knew she could only take one from the stash. Hovering her hand above the plate, Kadyn slowly contemplated her choice before settling on a blue one.
[Nilsson] - "Say, could yâ save one blue for me? "
Said Nilsson before turning around to continue shaving.
[Kadyn] - "Sure! I'll just go with a different one then. "
Said Kadyn with a smile as he picked up a yellow one right beside the blue.
While Voss watched with anticipation, Kadyn gently took a bite out of the pastry. As the crunchy and soft sensation of the crust melted inside Kadyn's mouth, a delighted expression appeared on her face. The lemon was acidic, but in a savoury way, while the sugary feel of the lime cream reminded Kadyn of her first kiss with Mike, a feeling that stimulated her taste buds in all the right ways.
[Kadyn] - "I must say, Voss, your macrons sure are better than mine. "
Said Kadyn before hungrily taking another bite.
[Voss] - "I'm honoured that you'd feel that way, Arch-mother. I had perfected the recipe for years, ever since you offered me my first taste in the field that day. "
Said Voss, grateful for the praise.
[Kadyn] - "I still remember you asking for the recipe right in my face, hehe. I don't regret giving it to you at all. "
Said Kadyn before finishing the last bite of her macron.
Voss smiled, the noise of Nilsson's reactor no longer a thought in his mind. He felt peaceful as he put down the tray and stared at his carbine on the couch.
[Voss] - "It might be the last time in my life that I bake these treats. This home we took over just so happens to have the right ingredients and tools to make some, so I thought... Why not. So I gave it my best. "
Said Voss as he gently took off his apron.
[Kadyn] - "You'll have plenty of opportunity to bake again in the future. I'm sure of it. "
Said Kadyn with a smile that radiated optimism.
Despite Kadyn's infectious smile, Voss remained stoic and professional.
[Voss] - "As World Forger Marine on duty, I must live while expecting my death at any second. In case you forgot, Arch-mother, we are far from being out of the storm yet. I will live as if every day is my last day. "
Said Voss while assuming a straight posture.
Though Kadyn wanted to argue with another speech of optimism, she found herself unable to speak as she met Voss's eyes. There was a defiant stare from his eyes that screamed defiance and determination. Like a brick wall, Voss had set this mentally as his own code, and he would not concede an inch of ground to any other mindset.
At that moment, Kadyn might not understand it, but Mike did. Looking at his loyal soldier, Mike felt a mixture of regret and sorrow at the man's expression. During the Luciferian Sundering, the casualty numbers of the World Forgers were so abhorrent that the Marines, especially the frequently deployed elite units, adopted a mentality of expecting one's own demise. After the Sundering, this coping mechanism became a part of the survivors' mindset. If the situation is dire enough, just like with PTSD, Mike's men will automatically resort to adopting this attitude.
Voss, in this case, was more aware of the situation in Light City than Kadyn is. While she is optimistic and naive about the plan they had formulated, Voss probably knew better than anyone that casualties are expected. And true to his noble character, Voss has chosen, from the moment the plan has been formulated, that he would be the casualty if he could prevent the word from adopting a plural form.
The batch of macrons was his requiem, his final attempt at baking those treats that had taught him patience and compassion. It was his way of thanking Kadyn and demonstrating his growth one last time before it was too late. When Kadyn showed her approval of his confection– his character, Voss finally felt ready to confront the fate that awaited him with determination and peace. He is bred to be a soldier, and this is his life's duty.
[Mike] - "Not everything needs to have a grand speech. Just let him believe what he does. "
Said Mike as he assured Kadyn with a hand on her shoulder.
Kadyn gently nodded at Mike's request, but there was still some hesitation in her heart as she watched Voss move toward his armour.
[Voss] - "Hey, Christos, help me get back into this thing. "
Said Voss as he grabbed his helmet.
Soon, the rest of the squad woke up one after another, and the home was soon filled with people and activities. With a bowl of porridge and a spoon, Kadyn tended to her sister as usual by slowly feeding her through the tube in her mouth. Meanwhile, Dane used his expertise to make some final maintenance work on McCree, Oltevin, and Senju's gears. Meanwhile, Ulric and Ella tried to stay away from the crowd of strangers as much as possible. To them, the arrival of so many new faces, especially the intimidating Marines, felt overwhelming. In the hallway, the twins sat together.
[Ulric] - "Is the cybernetic arm Doctor Dane made for you any good? "
Said Ulric as he cleaned his carbine.
[Ella] - "It's fine... "
Said Ella as she observed the shiny metallic surface of her new fingers.
It wasn't until yesterday that they found out that they were now orphans with Trump City's destruction. Kadyn and Dane were the closest people they have now, yet even these people were strangers to them not so long ago. Now with these new people, even Dane and Kadyn seemed to be too distracted to care about them.
[Ella] - "I miss home... "
Whispered Ella with a blank expression.
Ulric remained silent, but his movement rapidly devolved from slow and delicate to fast and rough as he continued to wipe his gun.
[Ulric] - "I'm going to shoot these sons of bitches... I'm going to make them pay for– for all this– this shit. "
Whispered Ulric, his voice caught between sadness and anger.
[Ella] - "We've got nothing left... So why are you even cleaning that gun? It's not like you have any spare bullets to use. "
[Ulric] - "I'm going to find some bullets, okay? If I can't find any, I'll just bash these fuckers in the head with this thing. "
Said Ulric, his frustration apparent in his voice.
[Ella] - "The fuck are you gonna do? We barely survived a few security grunts, and now we gotta fight Gods and a city of two million. "
Said Ella, her voice filled with a cynical tone of mockery.
[Ulric] - "Then what the fuck are we supposed to do? Are we gonna just sit around and wait for our death? "
Snapped Ulric as he abruptly stood up.
Ella, on the other hand, remained indifferent to her brother's anger.
[Ulric] - "You said it yourself! We've got nothing left! We weren't even supposed to be alive now, yet we are. Why? Why are we the only ones to survive? "
Yelled Ulric, tears streaming down his face.
At this moment, the muffled yells caught Nilsson's ear as he stood not far away from the entrance to the hallway.
[Ella] - "I don't fucking know... "
Whispered Ella while avoiding Ulric's gaze.
[Ulric] - "You know what I think? I think this is a sign– A sign that... that we have a mission. God doesn't just make stuff happen; it happens because it serves a purpose. "
[Ella] - "I don't believe in that bullshit, Ulric. I don't believe in those Gods, or whatever the fuck people invent to cope with this reality. Go accomplish your stupid mission or whatever the fuck you want. I'm done. I'm done with everything! "
Yelled Ella, before burying her head in her arms.
Without his sister's support, Ulric quickly felt an emptiness creeping into his heart.
[Ulric] - "Fuck! Fuck this shit... "
Screamed Ulric in a burst of anxiety and anger.
As he looked around for something to vent his anger, Ulric's eyes settled on his Marine helmet on the ground. Just when Ulric was about to kick the helmet, he suddenly paused as the ground shook with Nilsson's steps. Before the young man, a towering armoured warrior stood, with the design on his helmet looking quite similar to the one on the ground. With the light behind his back, Ulric was entirely consumed by the shadow of Nilsson's stature.
Without a word, Nilsson picked up the helmet from the ground and analyzed it thoroughly in his hands. Meanwhile, Ulric was frozen in fear as Nilsson's appearance up close more than terrified him. Unlike the more ornate Falling Spartans or World Forgers, the Ice Kraken Marines had their looks designed around eldritch fear. Instead of a mouth grill, Nilsson had a kraken mouth built into his helmet with rows of sharp teeth, while a massive mouth and a multitude of eyes decorated his armour.
[Nilsson] - "Where have yâ found this helmet, boy? "
Said Nilsson as his voice boomed inside Ulric's ears.
[Ulric] - "On... On the– the God machine, sir. "
Said Ulric in a trembling voice.
[Nilsson] - "Skymningkoloss? Was this the machine's name? "
Ulric nodded, fear still flashing in his expression. However, unexpectedly, Nilsson took off his own helmet and handed it to Ulric.
[Nilsson] - "It brings me back to old days. That good old friend... I suppose it got destroyed alongside the city. Let's make a trade, boy. I give yâ my helmet and yâ get mine. "
Said Nilsson, a feeling of nostalgia in his mind.
Ulric remained stunned for a moment upon seeing that there was a human behind that monstrous armour, but quickly came back to his senses. Before him was the prestigious helmet of an Ice Kraken Captain, decorated with antlers instead of a simple pair of horns.
[Ulric] - "No, sir, just keep it. I can't wear it anyway, it's too heavy for me. "
Said Ulric as he extended his hands in refusal while taking a few steps back.
[Nilsson] - "I suppose you're right. A 54-kilogram helmet would easily snap yâr neck with one wrong move. "
Said Nilsson in a joking tone as he realized the absurdity of his proposal.
As Nilsson thought about what he could offer Ulric as a trade for his old helmet back, he suddenly noticed the Chimera carbine in Ulric's hands.
[Nilsson] - "However, considering how good a shot yâ were back in the sewers, I suppose you'll need more of this. "
Said Nilsson as he pulled four magazines of ammunition from his belt.
[Ulric] - "Are you sure? It seems you need this more than I do. "
Said Ulric, his hand hovering above the magazines in hesitation.
[Nilsson] - "Anything for a piece of history. Besides, yâ are the one who needs to keep your distance with a gun. I've got all this armour and these hands in case I run out of ammo. "
Said Nilsson as he gently banged his helmet against his chestplate.
[Ulric] - "Okay, then. Thanks, sir. "
Said Ulric as he gathered the courage to snatch two magazines from Nilsson's hand.
However, Ulric seemed hesitant to reach for the two other clips in Nilsson's grasp. Yet, Nilsson waited patiently, an amicable expression on his face as a contrast to his scary appearance. With a nod, Ulric swallowed his fear and grabbed the last two magazines from Nilsson's palm.
[Nilsson] - "If not for yâr age, yâ would have been a perfect candidate to become an Imperial Marine. The 6th fleet could really use brave men like yâ. "
Said Nilsson as he gave a friendly tap on Ulric's shoulder.
Back in the living room, Kadyn gathered everyone around the table for one final briefing on their upcoming operation. This time, even Ulric joined the main group for the briefing, determined to do his part. However, Ella remained absent as she still mourned over the loss of her parents and city.
[Kadyn] - "According to Mike's intelligence gathering last night, we will need to scrap plan A and plan C. "
Said Kadyn as she crossed the green and red arrows on the map with a black marker.
[Michalis] - "Damn, I really thought plan C was the best call. "
Whispered Michalis to Christos while crossing his arms.
[Christos] - "Plan C? That was your choice? Ugh, typical brainless, uncivilized Turkish behaviour. "
Whispered Christos with disgust on his face.
[Michalis] - "Shut up, you stinking, uneducated Bulgarian peasant, your pick was A, and it also got scrapped. "
Screamed Michalis as he tapped aggressively on Christos' chestplate.
Suddenly, a chair flew across the room and crashed against both Michalis and Christos, causing both Marines to stumble backward.
[Voss] - "Either shut the fuck up or I'll send you both to meet your 'Goddess'! "
Said Voss as he stepped before the two Marines with his wrist claws extended.
[Kadyn] - "Ahem! Thank you, Voss. Continuing on, Mike had confirmed that Astroboy needed to be in the Central Tower for the kinetic shield to work. Meaning, when he is out there making his round of killing during the night, the Central Tower is not defended by his ability. This, combined with the fact that both Dan and KD-554 are in there, allows us to surgically remove two of our main enemies while liberating the city. Since we're going with plan B, we shall be divided into three squads. "
Said Kadyn before pulling the cap off a blue marker.
[Kadyn] - "Squad one will consist of Doctor Dane, Sentry Girl, Michalis, and Christos. Your task will be to move into the communication tower South of the Central Tower and destroy the city's internet and media access by any means. Once KD-554 loses her control over the populace, she loses her ability to incite panic and unnecessary violence. "
[Dane] - "Shouldn't be much of a problem. I've equipped Sentry Girl with a hacking port with a virus while switchin' her turret for a chainsaw since we ran out of bullets. "
Responded Dane while the Sentry Girl saluted Kadyn.
[Michalis] - "Can I speak? "
Said Michalis while fearfully glancing at Voss.
As Voss turned to verify with Kadyn, she quickly gave him a nod of approval.
[Michalis] - "Alright. So, why would we need a virus if we can just blow the whole building? "
[Dane] - "That's a whole damn communication tower. We ain't got that type of explosive to get the job done. "
[Christos] - "We, the Falling Spartans, have quite a few tricks up our sleeves. One of them is this thing... "
Said Christos as he pushed forward the crate under his foot.
Michalis quickly opened the cover to reveal a cylindrical device no longer than a leg.
[Michalis] - "A handy relic from the Luciferian Sundering, where my company used this to bring down the traitor Ashen Storm cruiser, The Duke of Wellington. It's basically a small home-made hydrogen bomb using a fuel rod from our fusion reactor as the main show. "
Said Michalis with a prideful smirk on his cheek.
[Christos] - "Our Goddess, Athena, banned the usage of this device after the Sundering because of concerns for civilian casualties, but we believe it could come in handy now. "
A slight look of horror and disgust appeared on Kadyn's face as she stared at the barbaric bomb that had secretly sat under everyone's butt until now.
[Kadyn] - "I thought we agreed on no harming civilians unless absolutely necessary. "
Said Kadyn as she pointed at the bomb with a frown.
[Michalis] - "I had made some calculations. If it were detonated below the tower, all except the few unlucky souls in the building would be safe. "
Assured Michalis with his palms raised.
[Kadyn] - "Absolutely not! I thought the 9th fleet was all about humanitarian methods and morality. Athena would be rolling in her grave knowing what you two are planning here. "
Said Kadyn, feeling more offended than shocked.
[Christos] - "Okay, okay, we'll keep this as a last measure. If things go wrong, we use this. If not, we'll forget about it. "
Kadyn shook her head at the Marines in disbelief before turning back to her map.
[Kadyn] - "Anyways! Squad two will be composed of McCree and Senju. I trust you two in your abilities, as I believe you are seasoned enough in your powers to take Dan out. Without Astroboy's ability, there are a total of two ways to enter the Central Tower without being detected. Squad two will use the sewer route and head for floor 87, where Mike confirmed Dan to be present. "
Said Kadyn as she pointed her marker at McCree and Senju.
[McCree] - "Ya can count on us. I just hope Senju has not been rusting away in his dojo for a year, while I recently disposed of a cyberknight myself. "
Said McCree in a taunting voice.
[Senju] - "Psh! Don't be cocky, you dumb farmboy. The sword is mightier than the gun. "
Said Senju, unimpressed with McCree's taunt.
[McCree] - "Ain't the case if I'm the one shooting. "
Said McCree with a confident smile.
[Kadyn] - "Finally, Squad three will consist of myself, Voss, Nilsson, and Oltevin. We will head directly for KD-554 once we slip through the ventilation openings on the East side of the Central Tower. Oltevin will use his ability to keep KD-554 from escaping while I and the two Captains gang up on KD-554. "
Dane quickly raised his hand in protest as the idea of putting two Marines, who are inferior to even Kadyn in the food chain, against KD-554 sounded purely insane. However, Kadyn raised her finger and signalled for Dane to wait for her to finish.
[Kadyn] - "She might be tenacious with her body made of polymorphic M-TPA, but the tradeoff is that now her blades won't be able to produce the same high frequency needed for them to be considered anti-material like mine. Which means that her blade will be ineffective against Voss and Nilsson's armour, while their weapons can damage her in return. With the right moves, we stand a decent chance of defeating her. "
As Kadyn looked back at Dane's direction, she noticed his hand slowly being lowered back down.
[Voss] - "The plan sounds plausible enough to work. Does anyone else have some questions? "
Said Voss as he looked at the room's silent crowd.
[Ulric] - "What about me? I want to contribute as well. "
Said Ulric abruptly.
As all eyes were drawn toward him, Ulric quickly forced his body to lift up his carbine. However, it was clear from the hissing in his mouth that his broken ribs still caused him debilitating pain.
[Christos] - "Don't push yourself, young man. I did apply glue to your ribs, but they need time to heal. Running and bracing for your gun's recoil will easily shatter your ribs again. "
Said Christos, while the cervo arms on his back moved as if they were judging Ulric.
[Ulric] - "Well, I want to do something! I've got nothing left! You people are all I've got now, and I wish to be a part of whatever you are doing. "
Screamed Ulric, his voice loud enough to catch his sister's attention.
Ulric turned toward Kadyn and tried to appeal to her with a hopeful gaze.
[Ulric] - "Come on, Dark Angel, you said everyone has their moment. This is my moment! I survived while all the people I love died for a reason. "
Said Ulric, his defiance resonating through his voice.
Kadyn looked at Ulric, her mind unsure about sending a wounded young man to such a dangerous mission. However, Kadyn soon realized that there was indeed something for Ulric to do.
[Kadyn] - "You're right. I actually do have a mission for you and your sister. This one is very personal to me, so I entrust you two with this task. "
Bracing through the pain, Ulric lifted his arm and saluted Kadyn with gritted teeth.
[Ulric] - "I'm ready, let me hear it. "
[Kadyn] - "You two will remain at this hideout and watch over my sister. Guard this place so we can have a place to return in case we need to retreat. However, your most important task is to bring my sister to safety if we can't return here for whatever reason. Can you promise me that, Ulric? "
Said Kadyn as she placed her hand on Ulric's shoulder.
Though Ulric was not a fan of staying behind, the fact that he was given at least an important duty personal to the Dark Angel herself quenched his eagerness for action.
[Ulric] - "I promise, Dark Angel. I promise that your sister will be brought to safety in case anything happens. "
Said Ulric, his chin raised in confidence.
Kadyn smiled with the same proud radiance a mother would show to her child.
[Kadyn] - "I will go easy knowing it's you two who'll be protecting my sister. "
Said Kadyn as she closed the cap on her marker.
With the final briefing done, all that was left for Kadyn and her comrades was to wait for the evening, when they would begin to make their move. By the arrival of night, each group will be expected to reach their destination before waiting for Astroboy to leave the Central Tower for his slaughter around the city. Once the signal is given, they will each move in to accomplish their part of the operation, with an allocated time of approximately four hours until Astroboy reaches his goal.
To be continued...