Chương 232: Book 4 - Chapter 22 - Trench Warfare

Once the Twenty-Ones were taken care of, the team swiftly moved on to dismantling the hive. Both Helen and Saber had their own tech for destroying Antithesis flesh; one appeared to be chemical, while the other was a desiccant. The combination of the three methods was extremely effective at removing the surrounding vegetation, and within minutes the cavern was absolutely covered in two different colors of goo and dust.

"That went pretty well," Saber declared as we gathered up, preparing to head back to the surface.

"For you, maybe," I wheezed.

"I can still feel my bionics working to repair the damage to my ribs."

"You only have yourself to blame for that," Nora huffed.

"When your fox collapsed, you could have just ordered up another one, but you didn't. Why?"

"Because it wouldn't have helped that much," I grumbled.

"I could pass the sensor data off to my bears, but Bob was the only one that would have been able to do any damage to those stupid shrubs."

"But Bob could have made use of it," Nora pushed.

"Yes, he could have," I admitted sharply.

"But do you have any idea how expensive a single bot is? It didn't pay for itself. In fact, I didn't recoup the cost until we finished fighting the Twenty-Ones. There's a reason why I'm producing them instead of buying." I took a large, slightly uncomfortable breath before continuing.

"Besides, Bandit has closed the perimeter enough to free up about a dozen IFVs from the front lines. Most of them are getting assigned to assist the cleanup effort, but I'm routing a couple to help us out. I regret sending our backup away earlier. I forgot how hard it was to get things done without a fucking army at my back."

"Well, even though the bears are what you're known for, I've been impressed by your skills," Amy chirped.

"I don't think I'd ever be able to take on a Twenty-One solo."

"You'd be surprised what you can accomplish when you're hopped up on adrenaline and fighting for your life," I grumbled. When we finally trudged out of the hole, I didn't waste any time and hopped right on the Kodiak.

"Are we in a rush?" Helen asked.

"You weren't the only one we lost contact with," Nora explained as I busied myself with packing the bears onto the transport.

"Trench Stormer is still missing."

"He is? What happened?"

"We don't know; that's why I'm rushing. The faster we get over there, the better our chances of finding him alive," I said.

"Our backup will meet us at the next hive, so let's get a move on!" As soon as everyone was on board, I signaled Dusty. The bear deftly maneuvered the heavy armored vehicle around, causing only a slight shudder to run through the transport area, before smoothly accelerating towards the next location. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"So what's Trench Stormer's deal?" I inquired.

"I don't think I've ever met him or heard the name before."

"That's not a surprise. You didn't even know Helen's samurai handle, despite the fact that she's one of the most popular samurai in the city," Nora snorted.

"She is?" I asked suspiciously.

"I'm very photogenic," Helen smirked.

"I don't think anyone can fault you for not recognizing Trench Stormer, though," Saber said, interrupting the banter.

"They're a very private person."

"Whenever they stop by the headquarters, they never take off their world war one style gas mask and overcoat," Helen added, "and I think their AI regularly sweeps the information networks to remove most information about them." Amy looked at the pair, surprised.

"Do you at least know what kind of weapons or catalogs they use?"

"According to the Family's network, they specialize in trench warfare, but beyond that, no clue," Helen shrugged.

"What does that even mean? Like, I know what trench warfare is, but how does someone specialize in it without some serious preparation?" Nora mumbled.

"We'll find out soon," I announced.

"We're approaching the hive. Get ready!" There were already three Kodiaks on site by the time we arrived, slowly advancing up the rocky ridge towards the site of the hive. Even though they didn't seem to be having a problem with the various antithesis milling around the entrance, their advance was actually hampered slightly by a series of long, fairly deep trenches dug into the surrounding hillside.

"I guess that explains the name," Amy muttered.

"How did they manage to dig all those out while advancing? And… are those automated turrets along the lip of the front trench?"

"Looks like. They must have a device that either allows them to disintegrate or displace large amounts of soil while on the move, along with a catalog of automated defenses to help hold the position," Nora replied as she examined the feed.

"It actually kind of reminds me of Teddy's fighting style."

"Maybe when I'm on the defensive," I admitted.

"But I like to build up instead of digging down." As we watched, one of my bears slipped on the edge of the trenches, tumbling down into the pit.

"Nyx, please provide some ladders to the bears down there," I sighed.

"This assault is going to take forever if half my forces end up trapped in those trenches."

"I've seen your bears fight for hours straight, standing toe to toe with some of the strongest Antithesis I've ever seen do you honestly think those trenches will stop them?" Nora asked, amused.

"Three feet of heavy metal at the bottom of a slick mud pit designed for someone five to six feet tall? Absolutely. They could dig their way out, but I don't want to wait for that," I grumbled.

"If I'd known a year ago the best way to slow your forces down was to dig a hole, I would have invested in a backhoe," Helen snorted.

"It'll slow them down, but it won't stop them," I reminded her.

"Enough jabbering, the bears have almost finished securing the hillside, and we still have a job to do inside," Saber announced. Since the top of the ridge was mostly clear of Antithesis, Dusty bypassed the trench lines and landed us closer to the hive entrance.

"See, this is what I'm talking about. With this many bears, this should be a cakewalk," I declared as I jumped off the half-lowered ramp.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Saber grumbled.

"The Antithesis seem to have pulled out all the stops today, and I doubt whatever's in that hole is anything but standard."

"I never said I'd be reckless," I reassured him.

"It'll be a cautious advance, but you have to admit having a couple dozen extra guns will make things easier." Saber grunted but didn't reply, instead choosing to wander over towards the hive entrance. The bears had created a loose cordon around the entrance, gunning down the few antithesis that attempted to emerge.

"Seems like the tunnels here are a lot narrower than the last hive. Does that mean this hive hasn't birthed anything too strong? I doubt a Model Twelve would ever fit through here," Amy remarked.

"It's dangerous to make assumptions like that," Nora warned.

"Just because this entrance is narrow doesn't mean there isn't another opening elsewhere or that the Antithesis aren't holding the larger models back for some reason."

"Expect the unexpected," Helen exclaimed as she reloaded a massive magnum pistol.

"That's my motto these days."

"Any sign of Trench in there?" Nora asked once she'd completed her preparations.

"A couple bullet holes in the walls, but not much else," Saber muttered.

"Then we'll have to go deeper to investigate," I declared as the first wave of bears slowly advanced into the burrow.

"Now, let's see what surprises the Antithesis have for us this time."