Date Acceleration II (Complete)

Chapter 7

The team advanced, a sudden rumbling from above signaled the next wave of danger. Bandersnatch units, reprogrammed and hostile, descended from the ceiling along with debris, aiming to crush the wizards below. The sudden attack caused the floor to shake, and the wizards scattered in an attempt to avoid the falling enemies.

One Bandersnatch unit attempted to land on Accelerator, intending to crush him with its sheer size and weight. However, the moment it made contact with him, it was instantly repelled by his reflection ability. The massive machine was violently flung back, its own force turned against it, resulting in a metallic crunch as it crumpled under the pressure and collapsed into a heap of broken parts.

Milica and the wizards swiftly regrouped after dismantling the Bandersnatch units with their magic-imbued bullets. The hallway now lay strewn with broken mechanical parts, cleared of threats.

They pressed forward, a sliding metal door suddenly snapped open. Instinctively, the team fired, anticipating another attack. But instead of insurgents, they were met by a group of workers, huddled in fear. These workers were pale, gaunt, and visibly overworked—exhaustion and hunger etched into their faces.

Milica lowered her weapon slowly, her expression shifting from battle-readiness to concern. "They must be Bolivian workers from the plant," she remarked, studying their ragged appearance.

She stepped forward, trying to appear non-threatening. "We're here to help," she said, her voice soft and reassuring.

One of the workers glared at them, his sunken eyes filled with fury. He shouted something in Bolivian Spanish

"Western imperialist Gringos!" —his Bolivian words laced with bitterness and anger.

The team looked at each other, puzzled, not understanding what was said.

Before Milica could respond, the worker slammed the sliding door shut, leaving the squad in stunned silence. The tension in the air was palpable as they exchanged uncertain glances, each member grappling with the implications of their encounter.

Shaking off the unease, they moved deeper into the plant, navigating through a maze of corridors until they stumbled upon one of the many storage rooms. What they found inside sent a chill down their spines. The sight of lifeless bodies—both Bolivian and foreign—was overwhelming.

Accelerator's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene. The Bolivian corpses appeared exhausted and malnourished, their emaciated forms a stark testament to their suffering. But what struck him even more was the brutality inflicted on the foreign workers. Their bodies bore signs of severe beating, and Accelerator could sense the raw anger behind the violence. It was as if the attackers had unleashed pent-up rage on those who had come to work in the facility.

A particularly harrowing sight caught his attention: some of the foreign corpses were marked by horrific wounds, their clothing stained with urine and excrement.

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"Señora Mendoza, they've breached our perimeter! They've split their assault!" a rugged insurgent burst into the office, panting and visibly shaken.

Mendoza handed him a bottle of cold water, her expression calm despite the chaos outside. She watched him gulp it down, then turned her gaze to the window, a cold determination settling over her features.

"Send in the special units," she commanded, her voice steady but tinged with an undercurrent of empathy and uncertainty.

"It's useless! We're outmatched! Even if we beat them back, they'll just send more until we're overwhelmed. We should have licked their boots and been grateful!" The insurgent's composure shattered, and he fell to his knees, panic overtaking him.