Chapter 420: Shattered Hope
A huge wasp, about the size of a horse, hung in the are about the two as Ashley June tried her best to stop her voice from screaming. Miguel even clamped a hand over his mouth as he backed away, trying to open the door to the armored vehicle and get back in.
"Miss June. MISS JUNE!" The captain came running over and opened fire on the giant wasp who was buzzing while hovering above the ground just a few feet in front of the vehicle. After emptying a full clip into it, it finally fell out of the sky, one of it’s wings severed from it’s body.
The captain quickly came over to the frightened woman and put a hand over her mouth while putting a finger up to his.
"Quietly get back in and lock the doors. We are surrounded but these bugs are no problem for us. We just need some time to exterminate them, ok? I don’t know how they got here, but it looks like we stumbled into some sort of demon beast nest filled with these things. All I can say is that I’m sure our target is having just as hard a time as we are. As soon as we clear a path, we will charge out of here and blanket burn the entire area. So until then, stay inside and stay quiet. I’ve ordered the driver to stay in there with you for your protection and I’ll join you as soon as we are ready to go. You, Miguel right? make sure she stays in the vehicle no matter what. Got that? Thank you."
Just as quickly as he arrived, the captain took off towards a group where the gun shots didn’t stop. Ashley and Miguel quickly climbed back into the vehicle while a private made his way to the driver seat. Although they locked the doors, that didn’t make any of them feel safe.
"What’s happening?" Ashley quickly asked the private who had been ordered to stay inside with their guests.
"I don’t know mam. As far as I can tell, the leadership is saying that the suspect, in an attempt to escape, drew us into a nest."
"I know that private. The captain just told me as much. I want to know if there is anything else you know," Ashley said while trying to get her voice under control. She knew the private was only doing what he was ordered to do and at his rank, he would be the last to know anything.
"I do know that the chosen had taken a minute to regroup before following behind us. So they should get here soon. And once they do, these bugs are toast," the private responded, a almost fanatical look in his eye. Ashley June turned her head before rolling her eyes. She had seen that look before with these newer recruits. They had been feed the info about the ’chosen’ for years now and since they themselves didn’t become one, than being able to work with them close up was a dream for many of the young men and women entering the armed forces.
"Nothing like a little propaganda to sell an idea, huh?" Ashley June said to herself.
"What was that Miss June?" The private asked, having his attention turned out the window while listening for updates.
"Nothing... What’s that?" Ashley June asked, pointing to the SUV’s pulling up. She looked back even farther and noticed that there were now tons of bug corpses lining the road, obviously having been taken out by the new arrivals.
"It’s the chosen. They’re here!" Said the private, excited. They had parked a ways away from the line surrounding the church and that just happened to be where the SUV’s came in from.
"I thought there wasn’t a way out and that we were surrounded?" Ashley June asked the private who looked like he was about to piss himself.
"Well, getting through a mess of demon beasts isn’t a problem for the chosen now is it?" The private informed her back.
"Then why didn’t they keep the line open and allow us to retreat?" The reported asked back, noticing the bodies behind them being dragged off by other bugs and that there were even more back there now.
"It’s not going to matter. Once they enter the field, none of these beasts will survive."
"Yeah. I wonder how long that will... what?" Ashley June was surprised but as soon as the chosen had gotten off the SUV’s, they charged into battle, striking down bug after bug using their abilities. Bolts of lightning hit the ones in the air and sent them crashing to the ground. Waves of fire spread out toasting the giant mantises. Shards of ice, jets of water, rock bombs... all different kinds of attacks blasted apart the bugs as the chosen lay waste to the infestation.
"Impressive. Are you getting this?" Ashley June said to Miguel who was filming through the windows.
"Not very well mam. The short ceiling and thickness of the windows makes the shots come off all blurred," Miguel responded.
"Well let’s get out and get this," Ashley said before being cut off by the private.
"Mam. I was ordered to keep the two of you in the vehicle until I got the all clear from the captain," the private said, stopping their idea.
"Come on private. You’re not going to allow us to get in some of the best close range shots of the chosen in action? And you call yourself a fan?" Ashley June shot back, trying to convince him. Due to the nature of the assignment, if she disobeyed orders, her footage would be confiscated and she would be taken off the assignment. Therefore, the only way she could get this story was with the private’s ok.
"I’m sorry miss, I was told you have to remain inside the vehicle until I get the order," the private said back, shaking his head.
"Well... what if we just popped the top hatch and filmed from there? Then we would still be inside the vehicle and neither of us would be violating orders?" Ashley indicated the gunner’s latch above herself. This latch gave a gunner access to the top mounted machine gun but since this was an escort mission, the latch had been kept shut.
"Uh..."
Ashley leaned in close over the front seat giving the private a view of her cleavage that left almost nothing to the imagination. In fact, if the lighting were a little better, the private might have caught a glimpse of some pink cherry in the depths, but even without it, her intention was clear.
"Please solder? I will be really, really grateful for this." While she detested doing such things, it was also a reality that tactics like this worked.
It took only a second for the private’s short circuited brain to rewire itself as he nodded yes. While the private wasn’t some virgin without experience with women, Ashley June’s level of beauty wasn’t something one could normally experience. Add that to the obvious seduction and the private stood no chance. Ashley gave him a quick peck on the cheek before sitting back, popping the hatch and standing up with Miguel right beside her. Even though the space was cramped, Miguel was able to prop himself up on the ledge giving Ashley the room she needed to report.
"This is what it looks like when the chosen go to war. In an amazing turn of events, the chosen have ripped into these giant bugs like the exterminators from hell. All around us, those blue beetle like creatures are being smashed up, the wasps are being zapped out of the sky and those green mantis like creatures are being fried extra crispy. While the troops were able to hold them off, it’s the arrival of just these two dozen chosen that have changed the flow of battle. Oh. Look over there! It appears that a red wasp has immerged from one of the mounds closer to the church. While I’m not sure why the color is different, I can tell you that it will make no difference. As you can see, that young, gallant solder has charged ahead and taken aim at the buzzing menace. While it seems to be moving so quickly that the solders can’t seem to shoot it down, that won’t be a problem for this chosen," Ashley said with a million dollar smile as they turned to watch. Although doing a play by play was enticing, she also knew that while she was the eye candy, her main focus should be to show people just how strong the chosen were.
As the young man with dirty blonde hair lifted his fist, he smiled before a large influx of energy flowed into him, ran to his arm and exited, creating a massive lightning bold as thick as a man. The bolt rammed into the strange red wasp, sending it flying backwards several tens of feet before it stopped, still flying.
Frowning, the dirty blonde hair youth raised his arm again, wanting to hit the red wasp even harder while slightly concerned that such a big shock did very little to it.
He didn’t get the chance.
With a flash of movement, the red wasp was gone from sight. The dirty blonde haired youth took in his surroundings quickly before standing back up straight with no idea where the wasp went. Just as he was about to call it into HQ, a buzzing sound echoed right by his ear, sending chills down the youths back.
Before he could even turn to face the horse sized, red wasp, the youth felt a pain in his chest and looked down. A huge stinger with a barb on the end had penetrated his chest. And he saw it before he could even feel it.
Just as the young chosen was about to call out for help, the red wasp yanked back, bringing the barbed end with him.
The chosen looked down in horror at the watermelon sized hole in his chest before his vision went dark forever.
Ashley and Miguel watched in in shock as Miguel lowered the camera and looked at Ashley.
"It’s fine. We... uh. We just need to edit that part out..." Ashley pointed out. Miguel could only nod, wondering if they should get back inside.
"Miss. Over there.. there are now black ones of those beetle like things and purple colored copies of those green ones with those massive blade hands," Miguel pointed out as Ashley watched on. Just as she was coming up with how to spin this, another chosen had made contact with the violet colored mantis and before he could even get in position, the blades on the strange creature flashed.
They watched in shocked horror as another chosen was decapitated in front of them.
"Time to get back in?: Miguel asked.
"Yea. Let’s."
