30. Tests

Benji's POV

The shaking of the old building made it hard to navigate up the stairs. I knew that I had to get to the top of them as soon as possible, but the only thing really keeping me up was Connor's hand on my back. By the time I was on the first floor, everyone was in their squads, and they were waiting for my instruction. I don't know what I'm going to tell them... I've never tried to make up battle plans on the spot before. I looked out of a bulletproof window to see what the humans were doing, and I was shocked to find them all hidden within metal. This isn't going to be simple.

"They've barricaded!" I shouted, and everyone in the main hall stopped their chattering to listen. We all know that the words I'm about to say are pivotal to our survival. "I need people with non-physical abilities at the front. By that, I mean that you don't have to see the adversary to cause damage. Behind them, I want people with wings that can fly over the barricade to attack from behind. I want you guys to go out of sight behind them and launch a surprise attack at my signal."

There was a lot of movement going on since our main groups weren't orientated for a barricade. However, the room was still as quiet as possible, and all ears were straining for more information. "After them, I need the runners. Run at their metal wall as fast as possible and try to pull it down. I'm sure that they didn't have time to fasten it into the ground. If it doesn't come down simply, come right back and try again once they're distracted with the people behind them. I don't want any of you injured; you're necessary if we get our power knocked out. After the wall is knocked down, those who are reliant on physical contact should come out and finish them off. Don't go overboard, be fair, and if they want to retreat, let them. We don't want to get more hurt than we have to."

There was a chorus of confirmation through everyone, and I pushed open the doors as soon as everyone was in their adjusted position. The first group came to the edge of the front steps, and I joined with them. I'm not going to be the kind of person who puts others at risk without putting myself in too.

We acted as the distraction for the winged supernaturals to get into position, and I was listening for Connor's signal that they were. Sure enough, after a few minutes, there was the flurry of gunfire I knew as the beginning of the runner phase. A few of my people were getting shot down already, and I know that the runners have to take the focus off of us. Not for long, only enough for someone to bring the injured inside so they can be healed. I flashed the brief hand sign, meaning go, and 20 of our fastest sprinters came out. They may have been the slowest of the swift, but that was intentional. We needed our best for emergency messaging if this goes south.

While they were tugging at the metal, doctors came out to collect the injured magic users. The runners were being shot at, and I saw they weren't gaining any leeway on the wall. I barked a harsh word in demonish that translated to back, and they ducked back into the building for the second phase. I need to give Connor his instructions now.

"Uif nfubm jbto'u gbmmfo! Dpnf opx!" Everyone except for the humans understood the message, and I heard the pitter-patter of many footsteps in the distance. Our opponents were unable to detect it over the sound of their firearms, and I got the feeling that this might just work. I might be able to talk a group of people through a battle. I knew that they had reached the humans when a scream came from someone in their group. I told the runners to go again, and this time they were able to pull at the wall without bullets flying at their faces.

Eventually, the wall that the humans had thought would stand strong fell, and every head turned to the crashing of it hitting the ground. All eyes were wide open, and I could almost smell their fear in the air. I figure that the wolves probably actually can. After the initial shock was over, their first thought was to sprint right at our position. The runners had already moved away from the fighting, so I didn't have to worry about keeping them alive. At least that much was common sense for people that didn't have much training in fighting.

While others were focusing on their weaknesses, the runners had been focusing on their strengths. Their only job was to be fast and get information to and from other places. They had a little bit of training in hand to hand combat but weren't equipped with anything else to defend themselves. We didn't have that many weapons to spare.

As soon as we saw the humans coming for us, we came right back. Everyone that was previously pent up in the building poured out. The sounds of pain rang through the clearing, but I knew that it was necessary. We seemed to be winning a lot, but there are always ways that we could never predict. For example, there was no way for anyone to plan for the cannonball that barrelled through the crowd. I know that it hit at least a few people, but there wasn't anything I could do about that. I have to find where the cannon is and direct people to attack it. I ran through the hallways of the building, and I remembered how bad at running I was. The only reason I even made it to the roof was the stakes. I couldn't just leave them out to dry. If I was gone for too long, I would be accused of avoiding the fighting.

I surfaced to the edge of the roof as the sweat poured down my entire face, and I was able to see a lot from up here. No one was looking up, so I wasn't really a target. However, I didn't care if I was. I have to make sure that no one else gets hit by such a large projectile. "To the right!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. There was nothing the humans could do before there was a pile of supernaturals on their cannon. I got a satisfied smile on my face watching the massive weapon get taken down, and the pressure on their human resources never ceased. I was proud that I was able to do something so successful. Still, we aren't out of the woods yet. We may have them outnumbered two to one, but they're advantaged in technology... I just hope we can hold our own.