Chapter 54: Fuck you, Jobu

Chapter 54: Fuck you, Jobu

They settled in.

Ebon Hydra joined them and would man the guns facing down East 33rd. Their leader was a stocky butch woman with a crew cut and a perennial cigarette in her mouth called Lou. James liked her plenty; she was course, direct, and had a laugh like a siren.

It felt strange to move to the fore and take point with so many capable men and women watching from behind. An Abrams tank was in place, its presence hugely reassuring and projecting a sense of immovable strength, but the mix of Ranger and special forces made him feel like an imposter; theyd trained for years for this exact moment only to step aside and allow civilians to take the trigger.

Had to be galling.

Still. James gazed up at the slender corridor of sky that ran down 5th Ave. What were you gonna do? Nobody said the demon apocalypse was going to be fair.

Kelly, this is Star Boy. All good with you?

Star Boy - Richard - alls fine here. Any word of the Fourth Wave?

Nothing yet, but were due like a ten-month pregnant woman, if you know what I mean. Keep it frisky, out.

That guy needs to lay off the Redbull, said Jason. Its not healthy to completely replace your blood with caffeine.

James snorted and examined the setup again. It looked solid. Becca and Serenity were at the two flanking Ma Deuces, noise-cancelling headphones around their necks, chatting with their reloaders. There was a massive pile of ammo cans beside each gun, easily ten thousand rounds each. Add in his own pile of ammo beside the third gun waiting for him, and they had enough 50 Cals to drop an army.

Which was the entire plan.

Concertina wire was strewn back and forth across 5th Ave going two whole blocks down, and remotely detonated mines had been placed at the intersection of 32nd and 5th. Sandbags around their location made him feel ever so slightly safer, but even the armored plates that protected their flanks were mostly just for show; the Nem2s could leap them with ease.

Looking off to the side, he saw where Ivory Hydra and Crimson Griffin was setup what looked a mile away west on 33rd and Broadway, the far other corner of their monster block. 34th and 5th was just a stones throw north, but the outpost on Broadway was frighteningly far.

Bjrn caught Jamess expression. What are the odds the Nems will just pour out of the windows along 33rd?

I dunno, said James. But if we shoot a 50 Cal down that way well tear up our people.

Hell, said Jason. Even an M4 has an effective range of 550 yards. That outpost cant be more than three hundred yards out.

So, just supposing, said Bjrn. What do we do if Nem2s start dropping from those windows and crossing?

Let them go, said James softly. Were not here to kill every single one, just the majority. Most will be coming from farther down city. Theyll take to the streets for ease of movement. Doesnt make any sense for them to enter random buildings to exit through windows. Not till the holdup on 5th drives those in the back to look for alternate routes.

Lets hope youre right, said Bjrn.

All units, this is Star Boy, crackled everyones radio. Fourth Wave has begun. Confirmed sighting in Staten. Get ready, and may the Force be with you. Out.

James wiped his palms on the seat of his pants and hustled over to the Ma Deuce. Sat, slid his legs under the gun, and then smiled tightly to Private First Class Morris. We locked and loaded?

You know it, sir. Morris was pale but focused and looked so painfully young that James had trouble believing he was a Ranger. And another ten thousand rounds to go when you burn through those.

Good to hear. James inhaled deeply and took hold of the twin vertical handles. The butterfly trigger was in the center, and there was no safety.

God damn, it was a big gun. The barrel was as long as he was tall, and the thing had heft. It was balanced perfectly on its tripod, but someone had said it weighed 128 lbs. with the tripod included, and James believed it.

Best put your headphones on, sir, said Morris, raising his own.

Shit, yeah. James pulled his up, and the whole world went snug and quiet. Voices faded to the faintest of murmurs, and he heard his own pulse, a solid pounding in his ears.

5th Ave was silent. The sun was overhead but hidden behind dirty clouds; everything was flat and desaturated. The asphalt was rough under his ass, his boots wedged against the tripod legs. The grips were stout and solid, and he itched to press the trigger, to just feel what this gun could do.

Serenitys Ma Deuce coughed before James even saw the first Nem2. It was three blocks down, having just come out of a side street.

It collapsed as if clotheslined by a supreme wrestler.

James licked his lips then forced himself to relax. With no training, he was the backup, meant to help alleviate the press if things got too intense and the ladies needed time to reload.

Nothing for him to do right now but watch.

Then the show began.

The Nem2s began to appear. Just like in Brooklyn, they came in singles and triples for a minute, and then a crowd just swarmed out into the avenue.Ñøv€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

Gunfire was dull and percussive from the other stations, and even with the headphones on each shot was loud once Serenity and Becca opened fire.

James felt the very ground shiver. Morris looked back, his eyes widened, and then he grabbed the guns handles and hauled it aside.

James scrambled to his feet, relief flooding him as the huge tank rolled down the center of their line, guns firing, tank barrel lining up and then with a great thudding thok it fired a shell right down the center of the avenue.

The blast cratered two lanes, the shell aimed at the street a block down.

Fuck yeah! shouted Morris.

James hauled the ammo cans aside, Morris rushing back to help.

The Nem2s fell back, the tanks armament blazing away, shells flying forth every fifteen seconds to blow huge chunks out of the enemy.

Set up here, shouted James, bringing the Ma Deuce back and around. Lets go!

Morris grabbed his belt of ammo, started feeding it in.

The Nem2s started landing on the Abrams, their bladed forearms slashing at the armor. Which mostly deflected the cuts, but somehow each left an inch-deep groove where they cut, and they were concentrating on the tank barrel.

Rangers concentrated their fire on the Nem2s swarming the tank, the Smite-enhanced bullets doing the most damage.

Star Boy was saying something over the radio but James couldnt make it out.

He racked the Ma Deuce thrice and got to work.

Nem2s were getting by alongside the building walls, a rippling black carpet that leaped at the last to fall upon their position. Shields did their best, but they could only block three at a time.

Serenity leaped to her feet, grabbed her Ma Deuce by triangular handle that rose from the front of the breech, and started hip-firing it into the air, her Bless-enhanced strength and agility allowing her to wield it like Rambo.

A Killer Egg swooped down, descending as if from heaven itself and opened fire with its miniguns once more.

But it was like shooting at a tsunami.

Morris leaped back.

James called Smite, opened fire.

At what point did he order them to fall back? Fall back to where? Theyd discussed evacuation plans on choppers, but any chopper that dropped low enough now would be swarmed if the Ma Deuces fell silent.

The Abrams had come to a stop, its treads fucked by the demons, and with an echoing clunk the barrel was finally severed, the arm-blades carving through the steel.

Serenitys gun ran dry.

Beccas gun ran dry at the same time, the merc screaming with frustration.

James had been firing full auto, the belt disappearing into the breech, and his gun fell silent at the same time.

The wave of Nem2s crested, broke, and scores of leaping demons fell upon their position.

Serenity tossed the Ma Deuce aside, drew one of her Sig Sauers and unloaded into the horde.

The gesture was noble, mad, beautiful.

The Smite-enhanced bullets took a demon square in the mask. Its head shattered, its body went limp, it died.

It was enough.

Your rank is now Novitiate 1

As the global first to reach this rank,

your new Benediction will be empowered with Gloria:

Heavens Assault | Empowering Light | Fortuna Aeviternum

The choice of your third Benediction

will determine your class.

You have 5 unspent points.