Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 472: An almost impossible shot.

It was all calm one moment, and chaos the next. A hiss erupted in the air and screams came from survivors below. While Linda tried to figure out the source of the problem, Timothy pulled two metal canisters from his belt. With a sharp motion, he hurled them over the wall, into the crowd. Another hiss erupted, followed by choking clouds of tear gas.

More panic rippled through the survivors. Mothers clutched children, people staggered blindly, the drones circled above, relaying footage to every command center.

Linda screamed for calm to be maintained, but her voice was drowned out by the chaos. People banged on the walls and others tried to climb over it. Security protocols were activated; a harmless gas confronted the survivors. The wall loomed indifferent, its shadow swallowing the cries of the survivors, Linda’s commands and orders being barked by a captain.

Timothy Lewis stood tall on the wall, convinced that he had saved the Fortress. He watched the vague scattering figures below with pride. The wall was meant to protect those within, and so were their resources.

Below, the coughing figures thought different. They had been promised aid only to be met with cruelty and betrayal. Their fragile hope melted under fear.

Out of the blue, Timothy clutched his neck. His finger retracted a dart that had threaded through a narrow slit between the neck of his iron shirt and helmet.

All the way from the wall on Westbrook, Major Elio put his gun away and picked up his radio. "Mr. Quinn, the trouble is taken care of. Send in a retrieval team that will deliver the troublemaker to the prison base." He picked up his cup of coffee; a smirk curled on his lips.

In the command center, Hades took a moment to respond. Like others in the room, he was astounded by the shot that everyone had declared impossible. And yet, Major Elio had delivered.

"It’s not possible." Someone whispered.

Another comms officer re-winded the footage and zoomed in on Timothy at the point of impact. The target area was a gap no wider than a thread. The distance was even more absurd!

"No ordinary human can make that shot." Someone said.

Warren snorted. "The man is always hanging out with superhumans and going out with them on missions. How ordinary can he be?"

Hades cleared his throat. "Enough chitchat, get back to work everyone. Send in medics, we need to help the affected. Reach out to the supply department for more water and some milk and snacks for the children.

Send in three squads to clean up the area. That is the venue of our first neutral open market tomorrow."

"Sir, thermal band information of the man that attacked the survivors has been sent. His name is Timothy Lewis; he is 43 years old. Former army vet, retired due to an injury. Ordinary human, currently residing in Westbrook town but he was one of ours previously. He was transferred out of the main base two weeks ago and he was assigned to patrol the Westbrook wall."

Hades looked at his phone. His wife was calling, and it was probably about Timothy’s episode. She had probably received an update from Lisha, or her system had notified her. Perhaps it was Elio or Hunter.....too many avenues of information.

"Hi babe, I have got it handled. " He said, as soon as he answered. "I am Mr. Dependable, or have you forgotten this?"

Warren rolled his eyes.

The comms officers acted deaf.

***

Early the following day, when the sky was still pale and undecided about whether it wanted to remain calm or become hotter, the hopeless people who had camped outside the massive gates of the Westbrook wall were startled by the low mechanical growl of engines.

Heads lifted one by one as armored trucks rolled out of the gates in a slow, deliberate line, dust curled around their tires like disturbed ghosts, and the moment the microphone crackled to life a nervous hush rippled through the crowd before the announcement rang out.

"Attention nonresidents outside the gates. These are relief trucks. Food, water, and medical supplies will be distributed. After you get your supplies, you will be transported to the factory grounds which will be part of Fortress four as of today."

And for half a second there was stunned silence before chaos exploded, a man shouted. "You heard that! Move!" while another yelled, "Don’t let them push you back!"

A woman clutching her child cried, "Please, please, don’t shove my baby_" as bodies surged forward.

The squads raised protection shields and shouted over each other, "Everyone will get something!"

"Form lines!"

"Stop pushing!"

But desperation had teeth and it bit hard, people scrambled as if the supplies would evaporate if they didn’t reach them first, children shoved out of rough lines, the strong muscled their way ahead.

A teenager laughed nervously and said to his sister, "If you fall, that’s on you,"

And somewhere a small boy wailed, "My shoe! Someone took my shoe!"

No matter his screams, no one stopped, and above it all Sunshine leaned against the dashboard of the truck, her expression hard, muttering under her breath, "These people are going to kill themselves."

Major Grayson snapped his fingers and barked, "Enough. Squads, split them now. Women and children first. Elderly to the left. Injured forward. Anyone resists, remove them,"

A soldier beside him asking, "With respect, sir, gently or firmly?" and Grayson replying flatly, "Firmly, but don’t be cruel."

Shields moved like walls, order forced into existence as a soldier lifted a crying child and said softly, "Easy now, little one, I’ve got you." Another shoved a snarling man back and warned, "You push again, you’re out,"

The man spat back, "Out to where?"

And the soldier answering, "Somewhere without food,"

The words earned a few dark chuckles from the crowd, and once the first crate cracked open and the smell of grain hit the air, Sunshine’s voice came over the comms, calm but sharp, "Start with the weak. I want the elderly served first. Anyone who disobeys that order answers to me."

And a squad member whispered to another, "The boss lady is pissed today."

The other nodded, "Yeah, wouldn’t you be in this situation?" he answered as an old woman received a ration pack and clutched it to her chest.

A medic handed insulin vials to a diabetic shaking man who murmured, "I thought you would refuse to help us after everything that happened yesterday."

The medic replied, "Our base president is not stone hearted. Try not to die today and use this insulin in time, alright. If you run out, visit a medic bay."

A child grinned when she was given biscuits, bread, milk and a toy. She asked a soldier, "Is this all mine?"

The soldier answered deadpanned, "Unless you see another cute little angel with brown eyes here."

The words made the child giggle.

However, not everyone behaved, criminals threaded through the crowd with sharp eyes and sharper hands, one yanked a bag of rice from a frail woman who screamed, "Thief!"

Before he could run two soldiers tackled him, pinning him to the dirt as he shouted, "I’m just surviving!"

One soldier snapped back, "So was she," while cuffs clicked shut.

Another criminal sneered, "This place isn’t even letting us in. Why send us to an isolated broken factory. We want inside the wall."

His complaints earned him a slap to the head and the warning, "Tone it down, we will get another chance to get in."

Vicente’s spies watched from the edges, one muttered, "No access into the wall today. Just chaos. Not worth it." before slipping away.