Suicide Squad

Boom! Boom! Boom!The last remaining Gauss cannons on Hill Z3 all locked onto the towering behemoth. One after another, high-explosive shells exploded against its massive form.

But the monster seemed to possess unimaginable defenses—even under such intense concentrated fire, it showed no signs of serious injury.

Thud… Thud… Thud…With heavy, earth-shaking steps, the beast moved closer and closer. Soon, it was less than two kilometers from Hill Z3.

"Radio operator! Get me air support—now!" Colonel James barked, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Yes, sir!" The comms officer immediately complied.

"This is the 106th Mobile Infantry Division on Hill Z3! We have an enemy too powerful to repel—we need air support immediately!" he shouted into the mic.

"This is D2 Bomber Squadron. We copy. Air support is inbound," came the reassuring reply from the other end.

Moments later, a thunderous roar echoed across the sky. Two carrier-based air squadrons soared in from the distance. One of them—fighter jets—formed a protective formation while the bombers made their approach toward the behemoth.

Thud!Just then, the behemoth suddenly turned its massive body, raised its rear end, and released a thick plume of black mist into the sky.

It was no ordinary smoke. The shockwaves from previous explosions failed to disperse it, and soon the behemoth vanished into the dark fog. Worse still, the mist generated severe electromagnetic interference, preventing the bombers from locking onto any targets.

"This is D2 Bomber Squadron. We've lost visual on the target. Mission aborted."The cold voice over the comms signaled the end. The proud pilots would never risk flying into that dense black mist just to save a few mobile infantry soldiers.

"D*mn it!" James slammed his fist against the wall of the bunker. With air support gone, if that monster reached them, his entire division would be annihilated.

"Colonel! I'll take my men and go mark it!"It was Ralf who spoke—massive, gruff, and fearless.

James turned to him, eyes hard. "Fine. The fate of the entire division rests on 2nd Company now."

Sending anyone out now was a suicide mission. The only reason they were still holding was the protection of the defensive emplacements. But to help the bombers lock onto the target, someone had to step outside, brave the mist, and use a laser designator to mark the behemoth's position.

Ralf had volunteered for what was effectively a death sentence—and James, as commander, couldn't say no. A commander couldn't afford sentiment. A few lives in exchange for an entire division's survival—that was the kind of calculation every frontline officer had to make.

"2nd Company, move out!" Ralf shouted, raising his electromagnetic rifle and charging forward with his men.

"Sh*t!" Ryan cursed under his breath. Though technically a mess sergeant, he was still part of 2nd Company. Orders were orders. He shrugged off his supply pack, grabbed the EM rifle leaning nearby, and ran after the others.

Ratatatatatata!They hadn't gotten far when the swarm descended. Giant armored beetles emerged from the shadows, quickly blocking their path. The 2nd Company's brave charge was pushed back almost immediately.

"We can't get through!" Ralf snarled, slamming his fist into a dirt wall.

If they couldn't get the designator into position, the 106th was as good as dead.

"To hell with it! We push through even if it kills us!" Ralf roared again, rallying the troops for another desperate charge.

Ratatata—Boom!

"Screams… explosions… chaos…"

Every step forward cost blood. In just a hundred meters, four or five soldiers had already fallen. The swarm pressed in from every direction, and even Ralf couldn't tell if they were going to make it.

Still, he didn't stop.

"AAAH! Ralf! Help me!"A mess soldier beside Ryan screamed as a beetle burst from the shadows and dragged him away. Ryan wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do.

Ratatatatata!Ryan's electromagnetic rifle never stopped firing. He didn't know how many bugs he had dropped, only that the squad was getting smaller by the second. And even now, they had only just reached the edge of the black mist.

"Stay sharp—we're entering the fog!" Ralf shouted, switching on his helmet light. But the light barely penetrated the mist—maybe five to ten meters, max.

The limited visibility made everything worse. The soldiers' nerves were taut to the breaking point. Any shadow could hide a beetle ready to pounce.

Itchy…Ryan's shoulder started to itch again. That deep, maddening itch from the socket where his cybernetic arm was mounted. He wanted to rip the d*mn thing off and scratch until it bled.

But he didn't. If he removed his mechanical arm now, there'd be no time to reattach it—and without it, he couldn't even hold his rifle. In this fog, that meant death.

He gritted his teeth and pressed on. The pain only made his senses sharper. In that borderline delirium, even the faintest noise stood out.

Skritch… skritch…A faint, unnatural sound reached his ears—barely audible over the chaos. But Ryan heard it.

"Move!"He lunged forward, tackling Ralf out of the way. In the same instant, the ground beneath where Ralf had stood burst open. A giant beetle erupted from below, its bladed forelimbs slashing through empty air.

Ryan's tackle had saved Ralf's life. But another soldier nearby wasn't so lucky. The beetle, furious at missing its target, swept its front limbs sideways and cleaved the unfortunate trooper clean in half.