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Jeth stood on the top of the boulder to scan the wasteland below. Hot breeze blew across his face and the small team of armored Remnant Soldiers. The condition was worsen further by the heat of the sun that scorched them from the sky. Below, the Protectorate could see half buried cars, stop signs, building and skeletal remains of the previous inhabitants of the city. He remembers the city before the Detonation in year 2080, back when Demons still occupied this place.
“Earl Makalael previously governs this place.” Tribune-Commander Jeth says, half turning to the Remnant Soldiers from the Order of Saint Michael. “I would not speak of the horrors that had transpired here.”
“The Laity suffers heavily in the soil of that city, I know.” Reverend-Commander Andrews replied. “I’ve been there when one of my Deacons were crucified on an inverse cross.”
“Those damned beings…” Another Soldier muttered whose name Jeth constantly forgot.
“New California is just right ahead. Keep your eyes peeled for Mutants and fledgling Demons.” Jeth says, pulling a fist in front of him. His retractable helmet enclosed his entire face. “Visors up.”
The Remnant Soldiers obeyed, locking their helmets on their heads. The neck seals hissed as their armors responded at the introduction of their headgear. One by one they jumped; Jeth landed on the radiated desert with dust rising around him. More dust rose as the five Remnant Soldiers completed their descent.
They entered the city, which was enclosed in a stainless fence link. The arc that leads to the entrance of the city were decorated with skulls and skeletons with a steel plate hanging over their necks. Father Andrews read it.
“No Catholics allowed.”
“Keep moving.” Jeth ordered.
They walked inside the enclave and saw numerous abnormally twisted skeletal figures. Jeth knew they belong from the Demons. The Cultists that have survived the blast have been mutated to become Mutants. Jeth saw numerous buildings still standing, albeit, stripped off their façade and walls. Surviving buildings remained as stacks of floors relying on rebars and concrete. Just like any visitors of such places, Jeth and the Predator Team perceive presences of ghosts or wraiths of the people who have previously inhabited the place, good or bad. Of course, they knew it as simply as product of a paranoia mind.
If those things were real Ghosts or some Mutants lurking in wait, Jeth would have known.
Jeth and the team entered a large domed atrium. A few surviving plants can be seen hanging on the walls, crawling like parasites festering on flesh. He could smell the stench of burnt plant somewhere; an indication of occupancy. Raising his Blast Rifle, he ordered the others to do the same as added precaution to what creature might spring at them.
“Box formation.” Jeth says. To the ear of his listeners, his voice sounded like it was spoken by a giant with a sore throat. “Eliminate any hostiles.”
The Predator Team moved in a rectangular formation with rifles raised. They moved across the atrium; the light of the sun peeked into view as they reached the very center. Upon hearing a movement that does not originates from the team, Jeth held a fist up and everyone froze.
Somewhere in the dark, obscured by the shadows of the structure to their left, red glowing eyes glared at them. Jeth knew they have stepped onto a trap.
He fired; the glowing blue light of his plasma rifle illuminated the dreaded creature momentarily. It reveals a humanoid figure that could be easily described as flesh and botany enmeshed in one body. The Mutant let out a roar, stumbling backwards then launching itself at the group. All rifles spoke as rounds after rounds perforated the thick skin of the Mutant. Green ichor spilled onto the ground as the Mutant attempted to smash a Soldier with its large fists.
It lumped forward, roaring in anger when it was denied of its kill. It fell to the ground in a heap, green blood pouring out of it.
Soon, loud roars emanated around them.
“We’re surrounded!” Reverend-Commander Father Andrews yelled as he fired at the nearest Mutant. Jeth ignored him as he directed his Blast Rifle at the head of a Mutant. Its head burned into ashes as six rounds incinerated its face. He whirled behind and crouched as he fired at the pelvis of another Mutant. Six plasma rounds had separated its lower body from the upper torso.
He rolled to the left as a huge chunk of stone was hurled at his direction. He raised his left hand at the direction of his assailant. The earth beneath the Mutant’s feet rose and encased the body of his enemy. He clenched his fist and the earth that surrounds its body closed below the head, decapitating the Mutant in the process.
“Advance to the exit!” Jeth yelled as he launched a stream of flames with his left hand to a trio of Mutants, burning them effectively while shooting another one to the side with his Blast Rifle.
The Predator Team sprinted across the hall to reach the exit while firing behind. Jeth led the team to take down any Mutants that attempted to obstruct their path. When none dared to, they have managed to leave the atrium but more problems presented themselves when the plant Mutants let out loud roars followed by more inhuman roars.
Far ahead, they saw black Demons with six hands advancing towards them along with Mutants with red skins, armed with sharp daggers. The purple runes on the blades glowed; Jeth sensed the malicious runes.
“Direct your target at the Mutants!” Jeth ordered.
“Long live the Midnight Blood Legion!” A Demon yelled.
Jeth raised his aim and fired at the nearest Demon. Four blasts melted its face. Another round punched through its chest, causing it to fall backwards. He aimed at the next target, a Mutant. This one would be easier to kill since they were former Humans. Three shots decapitated the target. He moved to the next target, another Demon and fired relentlessly.
“Advance, brothers!” Jeth says, after realizing that he was fighting with the Remnants, not with the Protectorate Legion. Sadness washed over him briefly as they ran.
The Predator Team and Jeth fired at the monstrosities advancing at them. Demons and Mutants fell; dark crimson blood spilling at the dusty ground, mixing with radiated sand. The combination was a smelly mud that reeks of sulfur. Jeth took cover as a Demon launched a black sphere at him. He fired back and managed to put a fist sized hole in its chest. He moved forward, moved to another cover: a flipped truck and fired at a group of Mutant. Father Andrews continually put rounds at them when they start advancing at Jeth. When the opposition was taken down, they continued, pouring fire upon their pursuers.
Until they managed to escape the fenced city.
“That was close!” Someone said.
“Private Simmons, the map.” Father Andrew says as he addressed the speaker.
Jeth continued their trek in a slower pace. The others towed behind him as they consult the map that Private Simmons held. Jeth left them to their business because he has his own map to consult. Besides, they were relying to him anyway.
Dry wind blew across the desert. Jeth remembers when the Sands hasn’t existed yet. The Divided States of America was now lying in ruins, buried in radiated desert as punishment for all of her crimes. Jeth felt sorry for the children of this generation but every sins she commits always has a price.
“It would be bloody if Hell attempts to invade Earth again.” Jeth muttered. “The Heavenly Hosts were still fighting for Saturn after all these decades.”
“You’ve mentioned that already.” Father Andrews replied. “The conflict is still happening even before your conscription to the Legion back in 1950’s.”
“Yes,” Jeth replied. “It never ends.”
“What’s it like before?” Father Andrew asked.
“50’s? Just the same, except the wars were fought in the shadows and less violent too.”
“I heard it was a great time to live, before the 50’s.”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve heard about the Second World War. It’s the main reason why the veil was struck and these things got through.”
“Tell me more about it.” Andrews said.
At this point, they have reached an oasis in the middle of nowhere. A palm tree was covering a pool of green sparkling water. The Predator Team rushed towards it while removing their headgears. The water from these oases was radiated but safe enough to be drank by Humans. Due to the chemicals, it was carbonated and sweetened to the point of people calling it a soda.
“The Second World War happens sometime in the 40’s. Earth was covered by a barrier that prevents the spirits of Hell from the cosmos and the spiritual world from entering the world to wreck havoc. The First World War damaged the barrier due to the amount of dead people, sufferings and atrocities committed. The Second World War made it worse. At the advent of year 1950’s, the Heavenly Hosts were pulled from Earth to fight a battle over Saturn when Archonites and Hell’s Forces attempted to invade it. More demonic forces got through the veil and entered Earth. That was the time when The 1000 was conscripted into the Protectorate Legion.”
“You’re among them?” Andrews asked as he filled his canteen with water from the oasis.
“Yes, I was 13 or 12 at that time. I believe it was 1953. It was a very long time ago. We were trained for ten years and modified beyond recognition. Our bodies are not human anymore, but something angelic. It was a perfect killing machine made to fit inside this case.” He gestured at the Praetorian Class Battle Gear he wore. “We are the first batch, the infamous Mark I Protectorates.
“We were mobilized ten years after, 1963. We fell like great stars falling from Heavens. The demonic activities lessened greatly and their monster servants along with the Pagan Gods were massacred in the hands of us. Human Insurgency arises along with the division of the states, the rest are history.” Jeth concluded as they began to leave the oasis.
The travel was silent. Night fell when the sun sets after a few hours. The twinkling stars lit up the dark night, accompanied by numerous meteor falls. The Angels, Jeth thought. The night was lovely and beautiful to look at, just like the girl he knew before her death and his conscription.
“They say the night sky was also radiated.” Andrews says when he kept pace with Jeth.
“Oh yeah?”
“Look, it was light blue, and it’s already past 8.”
“That might be the case.” Jeth says as he pulled a fist in front of him, enclosing his face with a helmet. The heads up display link of his visor lit up and magnified at a tower visible from the horizon. The helmet scanned for the second time and the tower, that was previously plain, suddenly lit up in beautiful lights when ultraviolet filters activated in his visor.
“Heads up,” Jeth says. “We’re here.”
“We’re home.”