Chapter 32: Chapter 32: [ANGEL] Arrives at Outpost Gamma

 

Chapter 32: [ANGEL] Arrives at Outpost Gamma

 

After what felt like an eternity of fleeing from their pursuers, Jack and the hulking mech could finally make out what appeared to be a blocky facility in the distance. Getting closer, Jack spotted a large antenna protruding above the tree line that reaffirmed his suspicion that they had found what they were looking for. However, instead of being relieved, Jack was worried.

The large black and red metal beam was snapped in half, with a significant portion of the communication tower buried into the roof of the facility. What made matters worse was that the outpost itself seemed to have been ransacked and devoid of life with hundreds of dead demonspawn scattered all about. Jack didn't like the prospects of what he'd find.

“Recruit Knight, please seek cover,” Lovelace warned as they neared the shredded remains of the fence surrounding the decrepit base. Suddenly multiple shiny cylinder tubes sprung up from the ground, shifting to reveal barrels that began spinning in their direction. A loud whirring sound played out before an explosion of noise broke out all around Jack as he hunkered down behind the Mechframe.

“WELL I GUESS SOMEONE IS HOME!” Jack screamed as he hugged Lovelace close and watched as the Rex hounds and Oversized bone bats behind him were turned into large chunks of bloodied meat. Lovelace remained unaffected however, its metal carapace proving too much for the thousands of bullets to penetrate as loud chinks and sparks flowed off its chassis.

Jack winced whenever bullets ricocheted close, but he gritted his teeth and steeled his nerves as the Mechframe calmly strolled through the barrage of gunfire and into the base that read OUTPOST GAMMA on it's drab grey metal walls. After reaching a certain point the turrets stopped shooting at them as they got too close, allowing the duo to enter the courtyard uncontested.

“Recruit Knight, we have reached our destination. Shifting to Guard Mode.”

With shaking hands, Jack unhooked and carefully made his way off of the Mech. The station seemed to have been overrun, with busted metal doors, trampled fences, and burned-out gear and boxes mixed with dozens of Demonspawn corpses.

Maybe everyone fled but left the turrets on. Jack pondered to himself as he took in the deserted base.

“Hello?! Anyone alive?!” Jack called out, wistfully hoping for a response. When no one replied he groaned and hung his head low. C’mon seriously! You’re bad luck Sahaqiel!

“Me?! Why are you blaming me for this?!” The Angel appeared, looking offended.

“Why?!"

“Yes why.”

“Well, let's see! ever since meeting you I’ve been choked, set on fire, impaled, stranded in the woods, turned inside out, and the shorts I’m wearing smell of piss and crap!” Jack complained out loud, completely taken over by his frustration as he counted the series of unfortunate events with his fingers before pointing at Lieutenant Eleanor’s stained shorts he was wearing. “Plus! I’m cold, don’t have a shirt, covered in dirt, and I’ve thrown up at least four times today!”

“Well that just sounds like a skill issue.” Sahaqiel replied, booping Jack on the nose before casually floating away. Jack grabbed his face and sighed in exasperation, wondering what his sister was doing right about now and if she was ok.

“Halt! No sudden movements! Identify yourself or you will be fired upon!” A shrill voice demanded from within the busted-down facility.

“Oh! There's People.” Sahaqiel said floating next to Jack

“Uh, Recruit Jack Knight with-”

“Holy crap! That’s a Mechframe! Reinforcements have arrived, we’re saved!” A different voice yelled, interrupting Jack before other voices began overlapping one another, unaware that Jack could hear them with his heightened senses.

 

“Only one Mechframe?”

“Is that a GEN-Four?”

“Whose the naked weirdo?”

“Sssssh he’s white-haired, could be royalty! Keep your mouth shut!”

“Hey, he’s kinda handsome.”

"Didn't he say he was a recruit?"

“Everyone chill out! I’ll go check it out.”

 

A female soldier in red armor soon emerged from within the station, approaching Jack cautiously with her weapon drawn. “Uh, who are you? You said you were a recruit? Where’s the rest of the cavalry?”

“Uhhh, well, don’t I have some bad news for you,” Jack half-smiled as the woman approached him.

What remained of the interior of the facility was dank and cramped. With busted lights, torn paneling, and reddish brown stains that Jack could only assume was blood coating the walls. After bringing the unconscious Eleanor into the cramped facility and laying her down in a cot, Jack explained their current predicament to the group of five survivors. Unfortunately, his news was not well received with tensions rising as the soldiers inside the station began arguing with one another.

“This can’t be happening! I told you we shouldn’t have blown the antenna tower! We should have tried to fix it!” A brunet woman screamed at another who was missing an arm up to her elbow.

“And I told you we couldn’t bypass whoever hacked our system! Blowing the antenna was the only way to disable the all-clear signal to let Command know something was wrong!.”

“Yea and how exactly is that working out for us Jessica?!”

“I’m sorry? Did you lose an arm trying to set the explosives?!” The woman known as Jessica rebuked, pointing at the argumentative soldier with her bloodied wrapped stump. “I told you be patient! If what the recruit said is true, then the Landship should have made it to Frelia and someone will ask why our station didn’t ring the alarm. Someone. Will. Come.”

“That’s what you’ve been saying for the last five days!”

“Yeah? And someone did, didn’t they?” The soldier known as Jessica replied, pointing toward Jack and Eleanor. “Now we have a Mechframe plus an Awakened! If you have any other ideas I’m all ears Jena.”

The other woman clicked her teeth in response before storming off further into the decrepit building. The amputeed woman shook her head before turning to Jack.

“I apologize for such an unsightly display. Not exactly showcasing the Empire’s finest.” Jessica said to Jack, subconsciously trying to use both hands to rub her hair back but seeming to forget she had only one arm and sighing. “It’s been a very trying week. First the hack, then the demon swarm, coupled with our own defenses trapping us in here, things have been a bit tense.”

“What’s wrong with the defenses? Seemed pretty defensive to me.”

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“Well have you noticed they were shooting at you?”

“Uh yea. Were they not supposed to do that?"

“No. Absolutely not. Whoever hacked our systems also scrambled our defenses. Making them attack basically anything that moves. We'd turn them off but as you've probably noticed there's too many Demonspawn in the area."

The more Jack heard the more he didn't like their prospects. It seemed like someone really wanted him dead and for a moment he wondered if someone had found out about him and Sahaqiel?

He didn't know, but if so then that would mean several innocent people had been caught up in his affairs.

[I doubt this has anything to do with you and more so about the imperial culture. Have you noticed you're the only man here?]

After Sahaqiel pointed it out Jack suddenly felt awkward standing around half naked and covered in muck, but she did have a point. It also made sense after recalling the discussion between Colonel Potter and Captain Skirita discussing the politics of their homeland.

"So what do we do now?" Jack asked the Amputee soldier. She sat down in a nearby cot and sighed in response.

"Make yourself comfortable. There's, not much WE can do. We hunker down until the demon activity quiets down and then we wait till help arrives. We've only gotten a few stragglers here and there after the first assault. Besides our own defenses targeting us, we're pretty safe. Plus we've got enough rations to last well over a month."

Jack narrowed his eyes.

"How safe?"

"What?"

Jack didn't have a good way to say it so he blurted it out.

"There's a demon swarm not that far that's heading this way, they’ve... kinda been chasing us."

At the news the officer immediately turned pale and grasped her face. "We-We've been tracking the horde since they appeared, but last we saw they were far from our position and moving quickly. Are you sure? Are you absolutely positive?"

"I saw them first hand, There's thousands of them."

The blonde woman scoffed and scratched at her bandaged arm, pondering to herself. Suddenly she sprang to her feet, and opened a locker, tossing it’s contents toward Jack who promptly caught it in his arms.

Inspecting it, it was a full imperial uniform, with belt, pouches, and even a holster for a gun.

"I’m going to go wrangle everyone together while you take a shower. I know you're just a recruit, but can I count on you?"

"Yea sure. Whatever ya need."

"Good. What grade Awaken are you?"

"I'm-" before Jack could answer Sahaqiel appeared in his vision and yelled "A potential!"

"A, potential?"

The soldier visibly brightened in response with her eyes widening in shock. "Really?!" Jessica exclaimed. Suddenly the woman quickly approached him and hugged him with tears budding in her eyes and laughing to herself.

“Uh, yea?” Jack replied awkwardly, caught off guard by the woman suddenly accosting him.

"We might not be so screwed after all! Go take a shower and meet me in the foyer, I’ll get everyone together and we’ll plan what to do!” Jessica excitedly exclaimed, before happily taking off out of the bedroom.

“Hey! Wait! Where’s the shower?!” Jack called out, but it was too late, the woman had disappeared. Great.

Sahaqiel why did you want me to lie? Jack asked, turning his attention to the Angel casually floating around.

[That’s what Lieutenant Eleanor told me to tell you to say.]

What? When?

[When you were rabid and passed out. Your abilities and powers are too strong for an E grade. It’s too suspicious. So she said that you had achieved a rank breakthrough and acquired a second awakening. Whatever that means. I think they have a dumb down version of our evolution that fake awaken use.]

Interesting, so we use that as our excuse as to why I’m as strong as I am?

[That was the plan.]

Jack took a look at the sleeping Lieutenant wishing he could thank her. Fortunately her condition wasn’t permanent or too severe. According to one the survivors who was the base Medic, The lieutenant suffered from NERV overload, a condition that was the result of her piloting her Mechframe non-stop.

“She’s like this because of me huh.” Jack murmured to himself.

[Don’t beat yourself up Jackie, I asked and she made a choice. Plus if she hadn’t chosen to carry and subdue you, you’d probably be dead.]

Jack frowned. He understood the Angel's words but it still didn’t make him feel any better.

“Yea. I know Sarah. Let’s go find this shower, I'm tired of smelling like piss.”

A/N 

 

Read ahead on Royal Road! Now up to Season 2!

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