The Legacy Of 2144: The Beginning (Part 2)

Chapter 5: Strategies Of War

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I woke with a jolt, my head pounding. The steady hum of engines vibrated through the floor beneath me. My eyes fluttered open, struggling to adjust to the dim lighting. Cold metal walls surrounded me, and the faint scent of oil and gunpowder filled the air. The unmistakable sound of the Atlas Gunship's propellers reminded me where I was. For a moment, everything was a blur. Fragments of the earlier battle played in my mind, and the image of that ominous green skull loomed large. What the hell was that thing? Was it connected to Deathwhisperer? It had to be! The menacing, hissing voice was a dead giveaway—one that felt like a haunting memory, a nightmare that had pursued me ever since the day my parents were murdered. Suddenly, a voice broke through my thoughts. "Jack, you're awake." It was Sergeant Lance Yoshida. "Sergeant...?" I replied, raising an eyebrow. I was surprised to see him, though my voice dripped with exhaustion, much to my annoyance. "It's been a while, kiddo. How ya feelin'?" "Like I could use a nap," I groaned, holding my head as fatigue washed over me. He chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I could use one too, but..." He sighed. "...You know how the situation is." "Uhhh... not exactly? Commander Mark mentioned something about signals indicating Deathwhisperer is coming. What's going on?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh, about that. Shit's bad right now. First off, Commander Mark received a message from Deathwhisperer on his holographic screen. He's planning to launch his attack anytime soon. We barely have any time to prepare. Panic's spreading across our realm, kid. Neon City? That place is a warzone right now. Heroes and civilians are doing their best to fend off the supernaturals..." I gulped as the Atlas Gunship soared over Neon City. Bright flames danced across the skyline, devouring buildings in their path. Horror gripped me as battle cries, screams, and roars echoed through the city, muffled by the relentless sounds of gunfire, explosions, and the clashing of swords. Dragons soared through the night sky, fighting valiantly alongside the heroes as our last line of defence. Out of nowhere, a winged creature screeched as it flew toward our gunship. My heart raced, but relief washed over me as the pilot activated the gunship's Gatling system, mowing down the winged terror with brutal efficiency. "Yeah, I see what you meant by 'warzone' now, Sergeant," I muttered, narrowing my eyes at the chaos below. Instead of the chuckle I expected, Sergeant Lance Yoshida gave me a grim nod. The weight of our mission hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of what lay ahead. I could almost see the boy I once was reflected in his eyes—the boy he had rescued and brought to Atlas all those years ago. We had faced our demons together, and now it seemed like the world was threatening to unleash even more.

"Just like old times, huh?" I added, trying to lighten the mood. Lance's expression didn't change, but I caught the flicker of memories behind his stoic facade. "We'll make it through this, Jack. We always do." His words felt heavy on my shoulders. Sure, Atlas had won many wars against the supernaturals, but did we have what it takes to stand against Deathwhisperer? "So, about that message Deathwhisperer sent. What did it say?" I asked, trying to mask my unease. Sergeant Lance paused, his face turning slightly pale. "Right, the message. Here's a video I caught at that moment. It's probably one of the creepiest, most supernatural shit I've witnessed in my years at Atlas." As Sergeant Lance played the video, a chill crept down my spine. My eyes widened as large, crimson-red words appeared on Commander Mark's screen as if written in blood, each word appearing on the screen for a second:

FOOLISH
MORTALS.
SOON
YOU
WILL
ALL
FACE
MY
WRATH.
MY
ARMY
ARE
RESTLESS
AND
YEARNING
FOR
WAR.
YOU
ONLY
HAVE
FIVE
DAYS
TO
PREPARE
FOR
IMPENDING
DOOM.
HAVE
FUN,
MORTALS.