Prologue II : Peonies that never bloomed

𝖘𝖊𝖙𝖚𝖕

—𝕷𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝕮𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉—

𝕻𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊 𝐈𝐈: 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖕𝖊𝖔𝖓𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖓𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖉

To the one that seemest once, perpetual wink; to the one that seemest twice, life—Type XXIa

Send thy fallen to me so that I might send 'em back to whence they stir forth—Type XXIb

| Delta-squad Captain |

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, NEWBIE!?"

The captain was almost hysterical.

The whole squad was on edge, but their newest scout treated this mission like a game.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"Sir? It's only a lone android, and perhaps it's neutral or even friendly."

The scout lowered his weapon after spotting the popular household cleaning android in the distance.

He was scouting ahead on his own and headed toward it once he saw it.

The silent android let out a curious whistle.

ᚠᚱᛁᛖᚾᛞ ᛟᚱ ᚠᛟᛖ?

| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |

"Sir, it's sending us a signal."

The other scout in the distance also e picked up on its signal and saw the runes on his screen.

| Delta-squad Rear Guard | D-009 |

"S-signals? Sir, is it communicating with us?"

The rear guard was spooked on hearing it.

What was a lone sentient android doing in a place like this?

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Ignore it. It's just a new program from Psycorp that interprets its electronic sounds as visual runes, and there's no use for it yet. Now can someone tell that idiot to stop messing with it? We have a mission to finish here."

The captain, who was more accustomed to seeing military androids used in the field, was more dismissive.

There were many of them broken down and abandoned in the wastelands of the abandoned section of the city.

| Delta-squad Rear Guard | D-009 |

"B-but captain, what if that thing is trying to warn us?"

However, his unit was relatively new, and they were still spooked upon seeing a lone android.

| Delta-squad Vice |

"Those things aren't sentient if that's what you rookies are thinking. Their only purpose is to clean and follow orders."

| Delta-squad Special Mobile Unit | D-004 |

"Is there a chance that could be our missing prototype captain?"

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Newbie! Send the details from your scanner."

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"Captain, it's harmless and a model RX-07 household cleaning model. But, the poor guy is broken."

The newbie was shamelessly patting it.

The android didn't seem to mind. It allowed the scout to pat it while it scanned his suit, trying to decipher the insignia on his uniform.

It was struggling since its sensor was broken.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"That said, is this the newest model? I've only seen it on videos."

The newbie was further examining it.

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Newbie, stop playing around. We got work to do. Just leave it alone."

The captain was quite annoyed and just wanted the day to end.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"Alright, alright."

The newbie sighed, letting go of his curiosity while walking back toward the rest of the squad.

| Delta-squad Vice |

"I still don't understand why you keep him around, captain."

The vice was asking the captain under his breath so as not to allow the others to overhear their conversation.

| Delta-squad Captain |

"I'm regretting that decision now. But, he comes in quite highly recommended by my friend from Beta squad."

| Delta-squad Vice |

"Him? I don't see it. Kid's either got nerves of steel or is just an outright fool."

The vice commented while staring at the carefree newbie who looked out of place compared to the rest of the squad.

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Though for an investigative mission like this, that curiosity of his is perfect for it."

| Delta-squad Vice |

"It's going to get him killed, is what it is! Speaking of our mission, do we have a more accurate location for that distress signal? Has HQ given any new leads?"

| Delta-squad Captain |

"We don't—"

The captain was cut short as the comms flared to life.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Delta squad, come in. Confirm your sector at once!"

The voice on the other end thundered across the comms. It was from Greywolf, the man in charge of the Delta squad.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |

"Captain, I see something ahead."

The other scout, further up ahead, interrupted the captain over the comms on finding something from his viewpoint.

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Sector 8. We're outside on the main road. No signs of Anti-psycho terrorists."

The captain reported to the commander before turning his attention to his scout.

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Acknowledged scout. Report what you see."

| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |

"I see several infra-red in my vision, captain. This is the general area from where the distress signal originated."

The scout then made a sign to indicate a complete halt. On seeing the signal, the whole squad stopped their advance.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Sector 8!? Wasn't your squad assigned to sector 9?"

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Sir? We got an urgent request to support the Epsilon squad from HQ, and the distress signal originated from somewhere within this sector."

| Delta-squad Scout | D-007 |

"Oh my god! We've found them, captain. It's the missing Epsilon squad."

The scout now confirmed his finding, broadcasting his sight and the findings to the visors of his entire team.

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Good job, rookie!"

The captain praised the scout.

The captain then signaled to his team to keep an eye on their surroundings while he reported back to the commander.

| Delta-squad Captain |

"Commander, we've found them! Epsilon squad has been detected.

Do we approach? There might still be hostiles waiting to ambush us. What are your orders, sir?"

| Commander Greywolf |

"Negative. Do not approach. That's not the Epsilon squad captain. That squad is currently investigating sector 12."

| Delta-squad Captain |

"What on earth are you talking about, sir? We see them clearly on our infrareds, and those uniforms are from the missing Epsilon squad."

The captain said in utter confusion, looking to his men for confirmation.

They all confirmed that they all saw the same thing.

After all, wasn't Greywolf who had asked them to investigate the missing Epsilon squad just an hour back?

They were only following his orders.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Quick, take off all your scanners. Remove them at once!"

| Delta-squad Captain |

"What are y—"

The captain spoke his last and slumped to the ground, his lifeless body hitting the pavement.

Soon after, his entire team followed one-by-one.

The only sound was the fire of the assault rifle coming from the newbie scout who had returned from his investigation of the android.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"Oh, My God! Oh, My God!"

The newbie cried as he kept firing round after round from his rifle.

He had just seen his entire team ambushed by the terrorists, and they had killed his whole squad in the blink of an eye, and he was now the only remaining member.

And so he opened fire on them, killing them all.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Delta squad! Delta squad! Come in. Take off your sensors at once! Delt—"

The comms still buzzed with Greywolf's voice coming from the comms of the dead Delta squad members.

Once all the terrorists were killed, the newbie quickly returned to his team, picking up the comm equipment and responding.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"P-private H-Higgs here. D-Delta squad has been completely wiped out! I'm the only remaining member."

The feeble soldier responded in a shaky voice while his hands trembled, holding on to the receiver.

It was a nightmare.

He had just joined the unit after his training. Yet on the very first day, he had been unfortunate enough to have his entire team wiped out before his eyes.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"Captain, Vice, everyone is dead!"

The scout started sobbing audibly.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Private! Private!! Get hold of yourself. You're in grave danger. Take off your visor at once!"

The voice on the other end begged the soldier to take off his visor with utmost urgency.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"...what?"

The scout could not understand what was going on.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Infrareds! It's been hijacked. We fear you've just met Type 21A Mind Worm, which means Type 21B Heat Worm is also around that area. They're a unit."

The scout couldn't understand a word.

He just did as was asked of him. They gave him orders, and he followed. Still not understanding what was happening, he took off his helmet.

The infrared signals on his visor came from a shadowy area under a destroyed overpass.

But when he took off his visor, his eyes adjusted to the natural light, and he could see that there were no bodies under the overpass.

And still not wholly believing what he saw, he stumbled toward the area in a daze.

Yet, his own eyes deceived him.

The Epsilon squad was an illusion!? Was there no one there? What's going on??

Once we reached the overpass and saw no bodies, he turned his attention toward his own squad in the distance, and he saw no terrorists among them—only his dead teammates.

Still not believing his own eyes, he frantically looked for the terrorists.

They had to be somewhere, right?

After all, who else had killed my entire team?

| Commander Greywolf |

"Type 21A, Mind Worm. It hijacks the sensors, even the comms—both audio and visuals. Its main role is to confuse. False infrared signals, fake calls for support. It travels underground but is otherwise unarmed."

The scout held his head.

It confuses you?

So, it led his entire team here on a wild goose chase?

He then walked over and, upon reaching the site of the massacre, bent down to inspect their wounds.

They had all been shot from only a single side with an assault rifle.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Private! You are in danger! Get off the road and find cover pronto. Type 21B Heat Worm has to be nearby. It's extremely dangerous. It generates a powerful electromagnetic field, inducing high voltages on anything nearby. Its main role is cremation. It bakes and fries the bodies of the fallen by turning their own suits into an electric furnace."

But the scout ignored him.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"Shit shit shit!!! No! Why can't I find any other bullets other than an Mk-34 Hellblazer!? You're kidding me! Am I the—"

The man was hysterical as he cradled the body of his dead comrade in his arms.

| Commander Greywolf |

"...find high ground to—"

But he couldn't hear a thing.

Why did this happen?

Who did this!?

Who's responsible for this?

His mind had all but shut down.

| Commander Greywolf |

"..road…find—"

The comms chirped something.

Whatever it was, it didn't matter anymore.

Nothing matters anymore!

The scout had just killed all of his friends.

His brother was in that unit.

He was the captain.

The scout cradled his corpse and cried bitterly.

| Delta-squad Scout | D-012 |

"You never accepted me, did you, captain?"

The scout didn't have it in him to do anything else.

He had to stay by the side of his brother, his friends, and his short-lived family.

.

You were annoyed anytime I brought it up.

.

You always treated me as nothing more than a stranger.

.

Now, look at what I've done to you!

.

.

.

What's wrong with me!?

.

Why didn't I check!?!

.

As his world stopped, something happened.

He felt someone grab him from behind.

ᚠᚱᛁᛖᚾᛞ!

Then with supernatural strength, the scout was flung back to the side of the road.

He was flung with such force that he went into a roll from the momentum. The rubble tore at his skin through his clothes, and bruised his body.

His uncontrolled roll eventually stopped as his body hit the wall of a nearby building. It forced all the air out of his lungs as he wheezed due to the air forcing its way out through his vocals.

It felt like a train had just hit him. But the adrenaline from the situation made him keep his eyes open.

He witnessed the beaten-up android fry and spark, along with the bodies at the center of the main road. Then the entire pile of bodies, along with the android, burst into one large bonfire.

Thick black smoke started rising from them.

While they popped apart and sputtered, the scout lost consciousness.

| Commander Greywolf |

"Private! Private! Hold your ground, and find safety. The Epsilon squad is on their way."

***

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Beta squad reporting, sir. Terrorist hideout has been stormed, and all Anti-psycho resistance has been eliminated."

The captain sat on the floor amidst the scattered dead bodies and gave his report while his team guarded him from a distance.

They were in a building with bodies littered all over the place. These were dead resistance members who opposed Psycorps, the organization that had taken control of the city.

| Commander Blackhound |

"And what of their leader?"

All Psycorps units were led by a single high commander, who had to answer directly to the Minister Of Defense, high commander Geist.

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Their leader is dead, and we have his head. What are our orders?"

The captain asked in an annoyed manner.

His three Ops commanders were the ones on the comms, Whitefox, Greywolf, and Blackhound.

| Commander Blackhound |

"Good work, Beta team. What's the loss count on your side?"

The commander ignored the apparent irritation in his captain's voice.

There are six highly specialized squads, and each Ops commander leads two, in addition to a support team.

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Two dead on our end."

The captain closed his eyes, sighing.

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Both rookies."

The main squads were— Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta.

| Commander Blackhound |

"Only two!?"

The voice said in confusion.

The support squads were— Chi, Psy, and Omega.

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Why would you like for there to be more casualties?"

The captain's loud voice echoed throughout the room. His men knew better than to cross him when he was in a bad mood.

| Commander Blackhound |

"N-no! Just surprised. Please give your report, captain."

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Look, I'd like to, but we don't know what's going on either. When we arrived, there weren't many Anti-psycho members left, only a few stranglers."

The captain said, looking towards his men with a tired look.

| Commander Blackhound & Beta-squad Captain |

"..."

Both the captain and the commander on the other end went into an awkward silence.

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Look, if you got a better explanation, I'd love to hear it. Cause you and I both know that these men didn't just kill themselves over some dispute."

The captain and his men had quite a rough day. Despite how things had gone, they still had an arduous search for the hideout.

But shortly after reporting their finding, something strange took place.

| Commander Blackhound |

"...I've just checked with the high commander Geist. Your unit was the first to get there. Before we pick you back, you must give me your full report."

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Oh, come on. You're going to hold us as hostages here?"

The captain had opened his comms to his men. They were all quite frustrated based on what they heard.

| Commander Blackhound |

"I understand your impatience, captain. But we cannot risk losing another team. We've suffered heavy casualties today, the worst since our founding."

The commander had a grim tone.

| Beta-squad Captain |

"What's the count?"

This was new info to the captain. To his knowledge, his team was the only one in danger. He assumed that all the other teams had been unsuccessful in finding the enemy's hideout and had an uneventful but peaceful mission.

| Commander Blackhound |

"Just between us. Alpha team has lost their vice. Delta team only has one survivor. Epsilon team has two members with severe burns. The only team that's been unaffected is Zeta."

| Beta-squad Captain |

"Hold on, what about our sister team—Gamma?"

The way his superior had skipped it could not have been a good sign.

Each team had a unique specialty.

Team Alpha— electronic warfare.

Team Beta— siege warfare.

Team Gamma— bomb diffusion.

Team Delta— Investigation.

Team Epsilon— Heavy Assault Stormtroopers.

Team Zeta— Air Assault.

| Commander Blackhound |

"...they were investigating multiple sectors. We had good intel that the terrorists were planning to set off bombs in those sectors."

| Beta-squad Captain |

"..."

The captain wore a brave face but was torn apart and dying inside.

| Commander Blackhound |

"They all died. My entire Gamma was wiped."

| Beta-squad Captain |

"...at least were they able to stop any of them?"

The captain asked, taking a deep breath while his team drew closer. The vice patted the captain's back.

| Commander Blackhound |

"No, all the bombs went off simultaneously. We couldn't do anything."

| Beta-squad Captain |

"..."

| Commander Blackhound |

"Your son is dead, captain. He died a hero!"

***

𝓟𝓡𝓞𝓛𝓞𝓖𝓤𝓔 𝓣𝓦𝓞

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝

—𝕰𝖓𝖉—

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠~