Keep Moving Forward

"Stay low and avoid the main road. Don't expose yourself if you don't need to." Hugo ordered.

"We should split up and try to cover as much ground as possible." Johann suggested.

"Sure, you take the right and we'll go down main street." Hugo replied before running towards the wall.

Johann and Teresa peeled off the main group and headed further right. Hugo and Hilbert lead the group down the main street and carefully made their way down to a burning truck by the side of the road. They were on the foot of a rise on the road and they couldn't see beyond the slop of the road. One of the soldiers crawled up and took a peek of the road ahead. Just less than a hundred meter away was a junction and it was heavily fortified with sandbags and pillboxes.

"Sir, they've barricaded the junction. Several pillboxes and they occupied the buildings on the other side of the street." The soldier informed them.

"We're at a disadvantage to make an attack. I'm assuming they have anti-tank weapons so I'm not calling the others to move up." Hugo stated.

"I have an idea. How many grenades do we have?" Hilbert asked.

Roger looked down his binoculars and draws a sigh. He knew that they had to keep their momentum rolling but it would be careless to dive he'd first into trap. Being careful burns more time but it gives them a guaranteed outcome. He looked over to the men behind him and noticed Jeremy. He didn't stand out from everyone else but he certainly gave off a certain aura that overpowered everyone else's.

"We walk among gods. I wonder if there's a price to pay for all of this." Roger mumbled to himself.

"I spot something!" Timothy exclaimed.

"What is it?" Roger asked.

"Hugo and his team seems to have engaged an enemy position." Timothy replied.

Hilbert threw a grenade towards the junction while the others provided covering fire. They all shouted and moved positions to try and give the enemies the idea that there are more of them. It seemed to work and the enemies began panicking and throwing everything they had back at Hugo's group. Meanwhile, Johann and Teresa flanked the enemy from the right. Teresa had a clear view of the enemies inside the barricade, she took her time shooting each one as Johann flanked further to the enemy's rear. Hugo and Hilbert charged the enemy position while the others stayed behind to cover their attack. The enemies soon realized that they trapped themselves inside and only death awaited beyond the sandbags. One of the soldiers signalled the others in the second story building to retreat, they'll buy them some time, or they thought they could. Hugo jumped over the sandbags and began shooting the enemy soldiers while Hilbert tossed grenades inside the pillboxes. One of the enemy soldiers looked back only to see Johann killing the retreating squad. He turned to face Hugo, grabbed his rifle and aimed dead center. Before he could pull the trigger, a bullet hits his rifle's receiver. Teresa was watching over from the distance, she wouldn't let Hugo and the others down. Hugo approached the enemy soldier who raised his hands in hopes that they'll spare him. He begged but it was futile, Hugo riddled him with the remaining bullets in his gun's magazine.

"That was easier than I thought." Hugo chuckled before reloading his gun.

"It seems like they weren't expecting us at all." Hilbert stated.

"Sir, should I contact the Major?" A soldier asked.

"Go ahead. Tell them to hurry." Hugo ordered.

"We have to keep our momentum up so let's move ahead of the others." Johann suggested as he walked up to Hugo.

"We'll clear a path for them. Let's go." Hilbert ordered.

They regrouped and moved ahead of Roger's joint unit. They reached the city's outskirts and everything seemed to be going according to plan. Except something was off. It was quiet, awfully quiet.

"Oi. This feels wrong, you guys." Teresa stated.

"There's definitely an ominous feeling at the back of my head." Hugo mumbled as he stared out into the distance.

"I'll tell the Major to halt their advance." The soldier with the radio stated.

"We have three choices right now. We ask for a mortar strike, we send two guys out to scout or we ignore it. We'll lose the element of surprise no matter which approach we take." Hugo added.

"If we're gonna announce our arrival, we should go out with a bang." Johann suggested before smirking.

"I'm with Johann on this one. It's your call, Hugo." Hilbert stated before fitting a bayonet on his rifle.

Hugo gave a soft chuckle before nodding and standing up. He called over the radio man and asked for a mortar strike from Edward's platoon. Edward agreed and they began sending volleys upon volleys of mortar rounds to the field outside the city. The joint Forces began moving up to the city's edge and they prepared to cross out into the open. The mortar strike kept falling over the field, inching closer to the treeline. It was still quiet with only the explosions being heard but as the mortar shells drew into the treeline, they heard screaming and inaudible voices. It was now apparent that the enemy were trying to set up an ambush and lure them out. Hugo let out a deep sigh and smiled, his judgement didn't let him down. With the mortar strike complete, they began charging out into the open with guns blazing. The enemy were quick to regroup but Roger's platoon made sure to keep their heads down with the terrifying roar of their tanks' guns.

"Form up on me!" Jeremy yelled as he lead his squad to flank to the left.

"Give 'em hell!" Richard shouted as he ran as fast as he could.

The enemy ignored the tanks and exposed themselves to shoot the incoming infantry. They shot and killed a handful of soldiers but their line began to falter as Jeremy's squad wiped out their flank. They decided that if they were going to die, they won't let their deaths be in vain. They mounted a charge and fought fist to fist with the Lanstonian infantry. They knew that the tanks can't shoot if they have friendlies mixed in with enemy's and they used it to their advantage. They were fierce and overpowered the Lanstonian infantry when it came to hand to hand combat but they were pushed back when Johann moved up to the front. With his speed and agility, he quickly withered down the number of enemies. Hugo came in next and displayed his dexterity, switching back and forth from his gun and his fists. With the enemy numbers dwindling to nothing, they decided to retreat only to be caught off guard by Jeremy. They shot him several times but Jeremy didn't flinch. He swung his gun towards them and let hell loose. The experimental suit he's wearing stopped and deflected the bullets, this allowed him to focus more into shooting.

"Oi. Do I look cool yet?" Jeremy asked before looking back.

"You're scaring me." Phillip replied before giving Jeremy a worried look.

"Hehehe. I'm genuinely asking though." Jeremy added.

"No." Phillip replied.

"I'll take that as a yes then." Jeremy stated before resting his gun on his shoulder.

"Hugo! That was good judgement on your side." Richard commented.

"No need to praise me, Captain. I only did what I thought was best." Hugo replied before smiling.