Chapter 4

January 1st, 2043Manhattan, Times Square

"General sir! All vehicles have checked in and all personnel are onboard. NYMGC has given us the green light to proceed with Operation Olympus."

Leading the task force of the Army and Marine Corps was Army Lieutenant General Robert Shepherd along with Marine Corps Major General James Hudson.

"Very good Colonel. Is Hudson as his units ready to depart with ours?" The General asked the Army Colonel for the status update on the Marine Corps in this operation.

"Latest update from General Hudson sir, all vehicles are ready for departure."

"Very good. Radio to NYMCG to open the bunker doors. Then radio the lead tanks, they may advance once the doors are cleared. All other vehicles follow after. We are go for Operation Olympus."

While Manhattan had been reopened to the public, Times Square area was now closed off for the long run as facilities and streets had been taken up by military equipment. The streets leading into Times Square had been fenced off with checkpoints and guard posts as soldiers stationed there denied any public access to the area.

The damage inflicted from the attack was still present with signs of vandalism on public stores and desecration of the Father Duffey statue memorial. Another item to fuel the fires of war as these showed no care for American history and would rather desecrate it.

The first line of tanks consisting of the M5A2 Schwarzkopf fired up their gas turbine engines as they let off a low whine that began to raise in volume before becoming a roar.

The M5 Schwarzkopf was the official replacement for the M1 Abrams, named after General Norman Schwarzkopf of the United States Army who lead the Allies coalition against pro Axis Iraq during the Gulf War. The new tank was armed with a new M289 120mm smoothbore gun capable of firing the M830A5 MPAT, M829A6 APFSDS, and M680A2 HESH rounds which all used ETC propellants, a 20mm chain gun on a remote rotating mount, an M360 coaxial machine gun, and an M2HB with an Mk 47 Striker on a CROWS platform. The Schwarzkopf had a much more accurate fire control system than the Abrams and a new Advanced Active Protection System designed to protect it from HEAT munitions using a small high powered laser. Powered by the Honeywell AGT1700 gas turbine engine with 1750hp, the tank was capable of accelerating up to fifty one miles per hour. Crew count consisted of four being the driver, gunner, loader, and commander.

"Push up driver, take us in slow at twenty five. The other tanks will follow."

The right side lead vehicle lurched forward as it's left side compatriot did the same. Both vehicles approached the gate with both bunker doors cleared and pulled aside, giving them clear access to the empty void inside. The other eighteen Schwarzkopf tanks behind them powered on their engines and followed behind, causing the entire street to vibrate from the movement of heavy metal vehicles.

Behind them were twenty M1A5 Abrams currently in service as the Marine Corps' main battle tank. Fifth main variant off the original, the tank still used the M256A2 120mm smoothbore gun. The gun was a reverse engineered model based on the German Rheinmetall Rh-120. It was originally planned to fit a licensed version of the British L30A1 120mm rifled gun, however a defecting German engineer provided US arms industries the blueprints for the Rh-120 and so the US started making the smoothbore instead which proved it's effectiveness in the Gulf War. The tank was capable of using the M830A5 MPAT, M829A6 APFSDS, and M680A2 HESH rounds using ETC propellant. It was armed with a CROWS mounted M2HB, and two M360 machine guns for the coaxial mount and manned station for the loader to operate.

Behind them were the M4A3 Bliss. An infantry fighting vehicle named after Army General Stephen M. Bliss. In replacement of the M2/3 Bradley infantry/calvary fight vehicles, the Bliss was designed to perform the same roles. It was capable of carrying eight infantrymen while being operated by a driver, gunner, and commander. The vehicle was armed with the M913 50mm chain gun and M360 coaxial with a foldable side turret launcher for two BGM-93 TOW missiles. Powered by a Cummins VTA-1000T diesel-electric hybrid engine with 780hp, the vehicle was capable of accelerating up to fifty six miles per hour.

The LAV-35 was the Marine Corps' replacement for the LAV-25. As an amphibious vehicle, the LAV was capable of moving on both land and water while ferrying eight marines inside. It's crew consisted of a driver, gunner, and commander. The armaments consisted of the same M913 50mm chain gun and a roof mounted launcher for two BMG-93 TOW missiles. Powered by the Detroit Diesel 8V60T diesel-electric hybrid engine with 600hp, the vehicle was capable of accelerating up to sixty miles per hour on land and nine knots in water.

Following behind the lines of armored vehicles were lines of Oshkosh L-ATVs, MRAPs, M1299 SPHs, and several mobile rocket artillery vehicles.

Upon entering the gate, the environment turned all pitch black with light being absorbed and warped like a black hole. The vehicles all switched their headlights on as they advanced forward, but it did little to light the way as the light was absorbed into the environment from the void that surrounded them.

Inside the vehicles, marines and soldiers were waiting with patience and anticipation as they heard the rumbling of vehicles moving outside. The news of the events that occurred twenty five days ago still fresh on their minds. The only thing they could think about right now were the atrocities committed by their enemy against the pedestrians of Manhattan, pouring gasoline into an already raging fire filling with fury and hatred. The will to kill was higher than it ever was right now.

The driver of the lead Schwarzkopf tank alerted to his commander as the pathway ahead began to light up.

"Keep driving driver. This may be our exit point. Finally we'll see where these bastards ran off to after pissing us off."

The light ahead continued to grow in intensity before it became blinding for anyone looking. However it soon settled as the first two tanks emerged on the other side. Surrounding them were lush green fields with multiple uneven hills covering the landscape with a few trees planted about. The morning sun was just rising over a far mountain range from the east behind the gate structure as it's light began to fill the land.

Waiting for the Americans was the Saderan Army as a total of two hundred thousand infantry, sixty ogres, twenty trebuchets, and twenty wyverns were set up dead ahead from the gate.

"Hostile contacts sir! Direct front of our vehicle!" The gunner called out as he spotted the enemy army through his sights.

"I see them. General, this is Anvil One Actual reporting enemy contacts direct front, about eight hundred yards from our position. Counting thousands of infantry units, multiple super heavy infantry units, artillery, and dragons, over."

The tanks all drove ahead of the rest of the vehicles massing out of the gate as marines and soldiers began disembarking from their transports.

"This is it boys! You all best be ready to kill cause death is coming today!"

"Come on, move like you got a purpose! Take those positions!"

"Someone get the fuckin' Stingers! Hostiles got air cover!"