RTS System in the Apocalypse-Chapter 59: Progress — Operation: Hive Buster

"Sending first salvo."

The grenade belt moved. Five 40mm high-explosive grenades soared to the air, whistling past the spores.

Then, it hit.

Explosions carved off huge chunks of flesh from the hive’s body. The dust soon cleared.

Jack squinted his eyes. A huge gaping hole tore the target apart. Despite the grievous injuries, the flesh underneath squirmed.

"It’s regenerating!"

Spear One and the other Guardian GIs were alerted.

"Cinder One, can we overpower it?" Spear One’s squad leader asked.

"We can, but our ammo is limited, that thing over there may not," Jack advised. "The Commander should be brought here immediately."

"Okay, I’ll go over! Keep that thing busy!"

The squad leader dashed across the rugged terrain, almost stumbling upon a rock as he reached the Light APC’s frame. He knocked on the door three times

The driver opened, "What is it? Did we fuck up?"

"No, but we would be if the Commander isn’t sent here now!" The squad leader replied. "That thing’s regenerating. Better make it quick!"

"Shit," the driver gently pushed the squad leader away and closed the door. "Gunner, cover our retreat. We have to signal the Commander in advance!"

"Just drive," the Army Soldier shouted. "I’ll fucking cover us!"

The engine roared. The wheels spun. The dirt blew.

With a huge turn, the Light APC battled its way back to the previous block, startling Hans and the other soldiers.

"What’s the situation, Bulldog One?" Hans stared at the battlefield in the distance. "Why have you come back?"

"Commander, the hive’s body is regenerating," Bulldog One replied through the comms. "The Cinder Teams cannot hold it for long. Your presence is required!"

"Regenerating?" Hans gripped the head rests. "Lead us the way, now!"

"Roger that!"

With the Light APC, Hans’s armored SUV encountered no obstacle on the way. The explosions continuously rang, becoming louder as they neared the fish port.

Just as Hans and his protective squad alighted, the earth trembled in great pressure. A shockwave erupted from the hive’s body. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Everything toppled under its great might. The weakened columns collapsed, bringing down the ceiling and floors alongside its destruction.

Hans and the soldiers stumbled backward. Spear One and the Guardian GIs on the front suffered worse.

"Grrr..."

Hans grunted, pushing his body back up. When his vision recovered from blur, he realized that zombies came in on another wave again larger and faster this time.

Machine gun fire suddenly burst. On his left, the Army Soldier gritted his teeth as he tightly held the mounted machine gun and pulled the trigger.

The loud shots awakened the downed soldiers, quickly getting back from their feet and retaliating against the enemy.

The Guardian GI gunners crawled back to their MK19 Grenade Launchers.

Jack spat the dirt from his mouth and took a deep breath. With fury and vengeance, he launched a 5-shot barrage against the hive.

Hearing the squirms gave him joy, almost losing himself in the process.

"Jack, pause for a bit!" His buddy reminded.

Jack’s eyes returned to normal, inhaling the burnt flesh of the hive. Someone suddenly patted his right shoulder.

When he looked over—

"Commander!"

"You’ve done well," Hans smiled. "Give it another go."

"Yes!"

With another barrage, the slowly regenerating body suffered from explosions once again. Through the dust and smoke, Hans observed the partially exposed meteorite shard bulging from the hive’s blown body.

"Got it!" Hans’s eyes glowed. "All Guardian GIs, one last salvo! I’ll retrieve the shard and end this mess over here!"

The hive’s body was left with no chance to breath. When it thought that the explosions had ended, a hand suddenly grabbed the half-exposed meteorite shard fragment it held.

In the blink of an eye, the flesh surrounding latched on empty air.

The psychic aura vanished. Its source of... encouragement gone. It didn’t even know where it went.

The only thing that mattered was that hand that seized its opportunity. The hand that—

The earth cracked once more just as Hans retreated from the target’s body. The surrounding area crumbled as countless tentacle-like flesh ruptured the earth with its relentless fury.

"Commander, over here!"

The armored SUV drifted on the concrete, whipping its tail before stopping. Hans grabbed on the door handle and pulled it open.

He hopped straight into the seat, uncaring of the tentacles that almost reached his feet.

The SUV’s engine redlined on the retreat, exhausting its gas reserves in the quickest of time.

Yet the hive’s body didn’t stop, pummeling its surroundings. To it, that thing has to be caught. That thing has to be killed.

Much to its distraught, the suspect had already flown far away, biting on a cigar and watching it make a fool of itself.

Hans coldly gazed on its shriveling flesh. Blood endlessly poured out, watering the ground reddish. A ridiculous idea formed on his mind.

Could a plant be infected if it consumes that?

Though it was a little fun experiment, the blood would have long dried before a plant could be grown.

As his focus waned, the soldiers’ chatters reached his ears. Bulldog One shouted the most, as if his lung hadn’t had expended enough.

"Cut the chatter, all of you," Hans interrupted, bringing silence to the channels. "We’ve done half of the work. Time to finish the other."

"Roger that, Commander!"

The sniper teams bolted out of the buildings and rushed back to the Light APC.

At that moment, the spores near the fish processing center exploded, filling the air with a yellowish-orange hue.

A shockwave followed, blasting dust and dirt around.

The soldiers covered their ears as countless zombie howls reverberated across the industrial area. It felt as if it was a manifestation of the second hive’s anger.

"Oh, oh?" Bulldog One chattered. "The partner’s getting lively!"

"All units, hurry to the second hive!" Hans ordered. Are these two interconnected?

A dreading thought ran on his mind. If that was the case, then the second battle might not go as easy as the first.

He looked at his ticking watch.

"Twelve noon in a few minutes. That’s good news if I have one. The spare ammo must be used now."

Bulldog One led the charge ahead. The zombie horde instantly melted under the barrage of the .50 Cal machine gun.

"Yeah, take that suckers!"

On the sides, four Spear squads guarded its flank.

A few surviving zombies crawled on the ground. Barraged by a machine gun fire, it died quickly on the spot.

"Tsk, more of them," the machine gunner clicked his tongue, firing at the incoming wave. "But I’m not so easily done yet!"

5.56mm casings continuously clanked on the cement, vanishing after a moment. As he released the trigger, smoke wafter out from the hot red barrel.

The machine gunner enjoyed the whiff. When he opened back his eyes—

"That should take care of it... eh?"

Deep in the fish processing center area, three bulk-looking zombies stood out from the stampeding crowd. Their large muscles bulged to the extreme, huffing white smoke from their enlarged noses.

"Hey! Three brutes up ahead," the squad leader reminded. "Willing to take them down?"

They were still far from the end of this new block, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

"Ammo’s almost up," the machine gunner shouted, holding fire. "The snipers can spare aplenty, but this here ain’t the good spot. Push a bit more, and—"

A child zombie jumped off the wall and aimed at the Light APC’s machine gunner.

Bang!

A bullet struck its head, deviating its path to the ground instead.

"Army Soldiers, focus on the rooftops!" The squad leader pointed, then slapped on the vehicle’s metallic frame. "Bulldog One, continue ahead. We’ll clear the buildings when we get to position, do you hear me?"

The engine hummed in response, advancing further into the block.

"These things never learn," an army soldier muttered as a lasher popped into smoke. More came on the way, only to splatter down.

"Keep your eyes frosty," the squad leader listened in. "There might be more on the way."

The Army Soldiers tightened their grips and scanned above.

The Conscripts covered the ground, warily pointing their guns on the open windows.

From the corner of a bookstore, a tongue lashed out. A Conscript found themselves entangled with its corrosive tongue, burning his skin from the acid.

Five bullets streaked through the dim room, followed by a cough and a pop.

"Target down," the army soldier quickly untangled the Conscript. "Can you walk, soldier?"

"I should be," the Conscript grunted, taking in all of the pain. "Thanks."

The Army Soldier extended his arms and pulled the Conscript back up.

"These shits have gotten smarter," their squad leader cursed at that army soldier for the bad luck. "From open space to this?"

Amidst his thoughts, the Light APC’s brakes squeezed, releasing fumes around the rear. The hydraulics opened the hatch and out came the sniper teams.

"Okay, this is as far as we can go," the machine gunner shouted. "All’s on you!"

"Roger that," Spear One and Two’s squad leaders called the rest.

"Alright team, Bulldog One cannot proceed. Brutes and other specials block the path ahead. Snipers are our only ticket in. You know the drill!"

"Yes, squad leader!"

"Spear Three and Four, cover Bulldog One," Spear One’s squad leader added. "That mounted MG don’t have much, but the enemies still have more."

Without further explanation, Spear Three and Four formed a vanguard in front of Bulldog One.

Spear One and Two split into eight smaller teams.

Zolyah went past the first building and quickly noticed an anomaly, Isn’t that...?

Her eyes focused on a minute detail at the corner of the wall. From what seemed to be an overgrown vine turned out to be...

"All of you, stop!" She warned. "The buildings are compromised. The hive has already—"