267 It is A Good Day to Die (1/2)
Aaron pushed himself to a kneeling position before giving a sudden twist to his dislocated left shoulder, snapping it back into place with a cry of pain.
He looked up at the towering spider tank which had stopped about 50 meters away from him. He glanced around seeing all his Orcs were littered around either dead or dying.
He sighed as he picked up his M7A1 and stood up facing the spider tank. ”You know, it's hard to train these guys... Such a waste of my time and energy...”
”Spaceman Senior Aaron Hart! You are charged with desertion during combat and accessory to the murder of two fellow crew members!” A human Marine yelled from the top of the spider tank. ”Under Article 75, you are to stand down! Drop your weapons and do not resist!”
”Damn Marines...” Aaron cursed. ”You assholes think you are all better than us squids? Always strutting around and the damn navy gets all your leftover shit...”
”I WILL NOT REPEAT AGAIN! DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND STAND DOWN NOW!” The Marine yelled again.
Aaron shook his head and gave a grin instead and yelled back, ”Why don't you come down here and make me?”
A crack of a rifle shot echoed out and the dirt before Aaron's feet blew up as the Marine fired a warning shot. ”LAST WARNING! STAND DOWN NOW!!!”
Aaron swept his left hand up and gave the bird to the Marine and he dived to the right as the area around him exploded as the Marine open fired. He rolled swiftly to his feet and fired his pulse rifle just as he finished his roll.
The high powered advanced 6.8 mm rifle rounds penetrated the simple armor of the MAW and blew chunks off its already weakened armor together with parts of its living rock systems. The spider tank wobbled as his rounds punched deep into the innards of the tank, destroying magic circuits and living rock muscles.
He wondered how the hell did they manage to build a mech out here with the limited technology and manufacturing capabilities. It must be powered by magic, thought Aaron as he ran closer to the spider tank while keeping as low as he could.
He emptied the entire magazine at one of the legs joints, and the high powered rounds sawed the leg off, spewing out some kind of silvery liquid and coolant fluid. The spider tank rotated and it seemed that the pilot was trying to stabilize the tank with the loss of a leg, making the gunners unable to properly draw a bead on him.
Even the two Marines on the top hull had to grab on to something as the tank tried to balance itself. Aaron grinned as he quickly took the opportunity to reload his rifle. Just as he was about to fire, the side sponson turret swiveled towards him and fired.
He grunted loudly in surprise as suddenly he felt something punched and jerked him backward violently all of a sudden.
-----
The young Oerkin Chief stood before his kinsman who had formed up in a loose cluster. Each Oerkin carried either a great ax or heavy sword. Some were armed with black powdered hand cannons or carried quivers filled with throwing spears.
He looked to the left and right of his warriors, seeing the rest of Oerkins' clans and tribes forming up together with his warriors. He nodded grimly to himself and turned to look at the billowing black smoke.
The air smell acidic as ashes were carried over by the winds and the whole plains appeared dark and forbidding as the skies were overcast with dark red thunderous clouds while a raging fire burnt underneath the skies.
The scouts had returned and they brought news of the Thing appeared to wounded by the strange flying creatures that came from the skies. The Elders and Chiefs insisted on waiting for the Shamans to return with the army of spirit warriors while the younger Chieftains followed his lead, urging for the attack to start before nightfall.
In the end, more than two third of the Council followed him, and the gathered army now laid before him, all eager to rush into battle.
He pulled his great ax off his back and raised it high in one hand and roared, ”IT IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE! CHAAAARGHHH!”
”WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!”
Over ten thousand of Oerkins' voices roared out as one as they jogged forward towards the Thing that clearly sensed their challenge.
-----
It laid exhausted on its side as it tried to circulate its flow of mana to recover its injuries it had sustained. The grass around it burned but it ignored the fire as it was barely able to scorch its body. Only the detested hellfire still burning away around its den gave it pause.
It suddenly cocked its head as it heard a faint roaring cry coming from beyond the flames and smoke. It tried to sniff the air and see through the smoke only to smell the bitter sour ashes in the air while its eyes were blinded by the heat and smoke.
But its senses were still very much acute and it slithered out of the flames and smoke to see a massive army delivering themselves right to its feet.
Its golden eyes widen in anticipation at the offerings coming to its doorstep and it lurched forward with its jaws wide hungrily, its wounds temporarily forgotten.
-----
Drake braced himself carefully as the MAW finally stabilized and he quickly climbed down the side with Slow. He gave a couple of hand signals to Slow who nodded and they spread off to the sides to surround the human deserter that had half its torso blown away.
Remembering that the deserter had some sort of power like the Hero, Drake moved cautiously forward. His scoped rifle was slung behind his back while he swapped to his service revolver and thrust it out, aiming at the unmoving body on the floor.
He glanced with the corner of his eye and saw Slow hip carrying his machine gun and covering the body from the other side. The MAW had settled down on its haunches while all the guns seemed to be aimed at the unmoving body.
”Zero Two to Overwatch, is he dead?” Drake's earpiece suddenly spoke.
He hit the push to talk button of his comms and replied. ”Unsure, keep your fingers on the trigger!”
”Roger!”
Drake advanced till he less than two meters away from the body and he cursed as he saw the massive gaping hole on the body of Aaron had wisps of smoke that appeared to be knitting its body together.