Nightmare

The recruits scrambled in different directions as they tried to get over to the large canopy tree that had its branches extending in all directions. It was utter chaos.

The buzzing sound became louder and closer forcing Richard to drag his bag as he jumped under one of the tall trees for cover. Bullets rained down in the forest area. The soil was thrown up and splattered as the bullets hit. Rattling sounds could be heard from above. Tree barks shattered and branches fell under the continuous pressure from the bullets.

Blood splattered everywhere in the clearing. Most of the recruits were unlucky and had fallen into the line of fire.

"A fighter jet…" Richard concluded and opened his bag and began to assemble his weapon. He assembled an assault rifle then a grenade launcher.

"Take cover!" Marco's voice sounded and the recruits, who were now trembling in fear, huddled up under the large trees.

Arianna was a tensed and her lips trembled a bit. She bit her lips and thought for a while before turning to Edwin. "Maybe we should help out?"

"We can't even see the enemy!"

Arianna sighed but said, "Keep your gun on standby; we don't know how things will go."

"I'm scared."

"Me too." She didn't know what will happen. Obviously this wasn't part of the field training and they could die out here.

Marco rushed out with his assault rifle aimed at random directions. "We need to shoot down the jets but we don't have anti-air guns!"

"I figured that," Richard assembled the last part of his submachine gun and loaded it up. "Let's draw the fire for a bit. The second wave might be dangerous."

Marco nodded. Two of the instructors that came along were expert snipers and had already taken up position all over the camp to help keep the recruits safe. Marco's eyes darkened as he scanned the numerous bodies that lay tattered.

Richard was about to rush out but stopped and listened. Thumping sounds came from the opposite direction. He listened carefully.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Each thump made the earth to tremble slightly. Richard paused and raised his gun at the direction. The trees cracked as branches broke off. Soon, a shiny metallic figure came into sight.

"That's…"

"An exoskeleton suit." Richard gritted his teeth. His grip tightened and his finger was about to pull the trigger but he froze.

The exoskeleton that now faced them had a large circle imprinted at the chest region and an inverted overturned 'Z' inscribed in it. The Zeros!

Richard was frozen in place as if he had forgotten how to shoot. His body trembled as waves of memory came to him. The torture he had to endure while at their hands. The brutality. The massacre of his team…

Everything came back all at once causing his body to react slowly.

Noticing the stiff reaction from Richard, the exoskeleton raised its metallic arm and aimed it at Richard and fired a barrage of slugs at him. Richard jumped to the floor just in time to escape the range of the slugs.

The exoskeleton raised both arms while taking slow mechanical movements towards them. It left large, deep imprints on the ground. 'So that's where the footprints came from.' Richard realised.

He rolled to the other side and escaped another barrage of bullets that fired endlessly from the exoskeleton. Richard rolled to his knees and aimed at the monstrosity but the moment he was about to shoot, the buzzing sounds came again and with it the rain of bullets.

He crouched under another tree and could only listen to the wails of the students as they were massacred right opposite him. More blood, flesh and bones were splattered across the floor.

"Everyone, defend yourselves!" Richard ordered. He turned around in time to meet the fiery slits that served as the eyes of the exoskeleton. He quickly fired his submachine gun but it only succeeded in putting several dents on the metal amour.

Richard rolled to the side. The exoskeleton—which was driven by a human pilot—was a bit slow but it had good reflexes. The moment Richard jumped to the side; it spun on its heels and aimed at him again.

This time, compartments at his shoulder opened up and he fired small missiles that aimed for him.

….

Marco rushed to the side but the fighter jet was very quick. It came quickly and delivered its shots then went away as quickly as well. He didn't know what to do in the situation. The recruits were dying by the minute.

A large projectile—probably fired by the exoskeleton—flew past him and landed a few yards away bringing about an explosion that swept him off his feet a few metres away.

Marco struggled to a crouching posture but as his eyes cleared he noticed that he was being surrounded by masked men dressed all in black with circles that contained an inverted and overturned 'Z' drawn on their uniform.

They aimed at him and his body stiffened. However, at that moment, one of them fell then followed by another and another. All of them had ghastly bullet wounds. Marco took the moment of confusion to rattle his gun away, bringing down the last three.

He rushed behind a tree, thanking his stars for the snipers that were hidden around the forest. More masked men rushed forward from the thick forest but he had no qualms putting them down.

Marco tried using the walkie-talkie to call for reinforcement but only static sounds came through. "Fuck, they jammed the lines."

He put away the walkie-talkie and rushed out again. The recruits were now fighting back with their guns drawn. The moment he reached his next hiding point, another projectile landed near him and this time he was thrown against a tree.

He coughed dryly but managed to keep his head clear. He gritted his teeth and cocked his gun, waiting for the next wave of attackers to come through. Sharp cries echoed, debris flew everywhere, bodies dropped and blood splattered. It was a nightmare.