The Other Side

Antiseptic

A/N: Carmen Miranda's Ghost is such a weird album, it is science fiction folk music. Never before did I think I would hear a song about a 1930's singer's ghost on a space station. The 4th song in the album, 04 - Bomber, was what I listen to while writing the first half of this.

Location: Evernight Castle

Salem and her subordinates were all in the room. Salem had just learned of Operation Hand of God, and she was pissed.

Salem: With everything I have provided you couldn't stop a few soldiers without aura? They don't use dust, they don't use magic, but they cleared an entire continent of my creations. 

Her subordinates started making excuses, meanwhile NO forces began the next phase of their operation.

Inside an NO strategic bomber:

A squadron of strategic bombers flew in formation with fighter escort. CAS bombers and planes full of paratroopers following behind. A crewman walked through the plane, bombs on both of his sides.

Crewman: Ordnance is ready!

Navigator: 1 minute!

The bombardier looked at his computer and hit a button. The bomb bay doors opened as they flew towards the target. Below them was the hellscape Salem created, the crewman got to his gunner seat and manned the machine gun. 

Navigator: 20 seconds!

The bombardier held his hand on the trigger, when the castle came into view he pressed down. The bombs dropped and fell towards the ground. The other bombers did the same. It was at this moment the NO Naval Recon fleets fired their nuclear arsenal. The bombers flew away as everything below them detonated, mushroom clouds rising into the sky. Artillery started hammering the area to wipe out the survivors. 

Bombardier: It's a hit sir!

Pilot: Damn fine. Dispatch, we are returning to base.

Radio: Copy, keep an eye out for hostiles.

The crew gave a quick cheer as they watched Salem's castle go up in flames(more of they lost sight of it through the fireballs).

Salem won't die that easily.

The bomber to their right was hit by Grimm, one of it's engines ignited and it leaned a bit. The bomber's wing was heavily damaged and it's second engine on that wink was dumping out smoke. The fighters veered off to combat the nevermores. The bomber crews started firing everything they had to keep their aircraft in the sky. 

As they flew a bomber was torn in half and it fell towards the ground below. More bombers took losses but the Grimm were forced back. Now it was the army's turn.

In her palace Salem assumed it was over, the amount of bombs dropped wiped out most of her Grimm but her castle still stood. With how many bombs impacted her she assumed that New Orderian forces  just wasted all their munitions. This though was booted out of her head when a few jets flew over and part of the castle was ignited by napalm. She looked out the shattered window to see soldiers airdropping in and CAS bombers filling the air. In the distance helicopters flew with even more soldiers.

The paratroopers landed and grabbed their gear. They regrouped and moved towards the castle, killing everything that moved. Nearby a seer watched and broadcasted their advance to Salem. The soldiers were identical, inhuman almost. Their tinted gas masks removed all individuality and their identical uniforms further cemented that. The only things that denoted one from on their rank patches(which were barely noticeable), their choice in weapon(some being an older assault rifle without a portal loader), and the fact there were some medics(who have a red cross on their arm). The soldiers moved forwards slowly as more men dropped in. A cargo jet flew over  and the 87th armor was airdropped into the battlefield.