Fall, Rise, Repeat

by Matthew Schneider

  “Xavier. We have two minutes before a hundred Russians are at our doorstep. We have no more than seventy-five people armed with weapons of all sorts and minimal training. Do you realize that we may not recover?”

  Zav took a deep breath in and stepped close to Jimenez. His nose was millimeters away from Jimenez’s and felt the warmth of his breath on his lips. “Together, brother. I have already broken down. Now, we shall, with myself leading, gather our courage and rewrite history.”

  Xavier turned to the crowd and lifted his rifle in the air. “THE RUSSIANS ARE BUT DUST AT OUR FEET. SOME OF YOU MAY BE SCARED. OTHERS, UNSURE. BUT FEAR NOT! WE ARE AN ARMY OF GLADIATORS – THE LAST HOPE FOR THE UNITED STATES. WE, THE CONTINENTAL ARMY OF NEW AMERICA, MUST STAND AND FIGHT TOGETHER! OORAH! OORAH!” screamed Xavier. He shook with excitement as his rifle bounced in his hands, his body trembling at the force that he propelled into the crowd.

  The Continental Army cried out in fearsome anger, waving guns in the air like mad apes. Jimenez cocked his pistol and wrapped an arm around Xavier’s shoulders. “It has been an honor working with you, kid.”

  Jimenez sprinted through the doors, followed by Zav, and then roughly seventy-three mighty warriors. Jaiyana ran at the front of the group, wielding her rifle like it was all that mattered.

  Zav pushed his safety off and continued to sprint. He took note of the locations of the Russian vehicles and soldiers. Their numbers were immense and a flood of fear broke through Zav’s body.

  His heart began to race as he sprinted and dove behind a wooden crate. He pressed his back against the wood as his army filled the road and spread out. There was no immediate fire yet, as everyone was taking positions, not even a warning shot from the enemies.

  A rumble came from the sky and Zav looked up. An American helicopter flew next to the hotel, speeding over the road and heading directly towards the Russians. Both doors on the sides of the helicopter were open, and four American soldiers leaned out, armed with heavy weapons.

  The soldier on the passenger side pumped the gun in his hand and shot out a grenade, which bounced down the street and exploded near the Russians. From the sky rained a dozen grenades, exploding up and down the street just passed the Continental Army, and shaking the Earth like a powerful stampede.

  Zav gripped the side of the crate and stood up, watching the scene of destruction fill the road. Zav noticed more Russians were still coming. The explosions may have startled them, but the Russian army had just tripled in size. More marched around the corner, focused on fighting the battle that would determine the future of the States. But this sore sight was crushed by the rejuvenation that the American military had boots on the ground that were ready to fight.

  Zav screamed at the top of his lungs and stood up, sliding over the crate and sprinting at full speed towards the Russians. He raised his rifle over his head and aimed it roughly at the Russians, yanking back on the trigger and releasing a fury of bullets. As dust began to settle, the Russians saw a scene fit for the history books.

  Through the clouds, the Continental Army rushed forward, backed by soldiers from the American military. The Russians were not intimidated, however, and lurched forward with their men, vehicles, and aircraft.

  Zav dolphin-dived to the closest crater he could find and laid down. He used the iron sights and aimed at the first soldier he saw, firing immediately.

  The Continental Army roared with battle cries and fired back, the first dozen in the front row falling to the ground in a mess of rubble and blood. Jaiyana had rolled out of direct fire and was laying behind a wide tree on the south side of the road.

  The front line of the Russian army fell to their knees and began returning fire. Without much cover, both sides were carrying heavy casualties. The American helicopter turned around to make another run.

  Zav replaced his magazine and then continued picking off soldiers who were completely oblivious to his location. When possible, he attempted to shoot soldiers in the head, ensuring it was a kill and promising they would die quickly. This was a war that would leave many dead, but it did not mean that many had to suffer.

  A rocket soared outward from the Russian lines and struck the back of the helicopter, sending it spiralling into the hotel. A mighty explosion sent waves of heat everywhere, and the deafening sound forced Zav to cover his ears.

  He scrunched his face and shook his head. Just over the bumps in the road he spotted Jaiyana, staring directly at him. There was a moment of agreement, and they stood up simultaneously and lunged towards the Russians, firing their rifles.

  The rest of the American army followed, moving around the rising mound of corpses and pushing past the craters. Men and women with guns maneuvered through the battlefield that used to be a busy street and did their best to stay alive.

  Russian soldiers saw the advancement and began to fall back. A vehicle from the Russian side drove forward and hit a crater, smashing the front bumper and sending the driver flying through the windshield. The truck flipped and flew through the air, lifting for just a second before it pummeled to the ground, flattening at least two American soldiers.

  Some hid behind the upside-down truck, using it as temporary cover to clear out the street of Russians. But there was no shortage of troops from either side of the field – there were still more Russians coming, and several airplanes were in the sky now, meaning only one thing: the Russians had called for backup.

  But even this fearsome fact only brought courage to Zav’s heart, because it meant the city of Chicago was not abandoned – the Russians didn’t expect United States soldiers, and certainly didn’t expect them to deploy so quickly – and he was glad the Continental Army had modified their stolen Russian gear, or they, too, would have been targets.

  Civilians all around the city were being armed and sent out to fight for the future of Chicago.

  Zav felt a bullet skim the side of his shoulder and he jumped into the air, then rolled to the ground and lied on his side, attempting to gain cover from the side of a building just a couple yards away. He pulled back on his trigger but he had exhausted his bullets.

  Zav threw the gun to the ground and bolted to his feet as the two allied armies collectively advanced forward, backing up the Russians.

  There was a large truck in the middle of the road, surrounded by a pile of dead bodies. Zav skidded to a halt at the nearest body and grabbed the gun off of it, sliding the strap over his head and pressing his back against the warm grill of the truck.

  He gazed upon the hundreds of people moving down the street towards him, some falling to the ground, others jumping over obstacles – he could see everyone from highly trained military officers to young civilians who barely knew how to hold a gun, but no matter their rank, they all saw Xavier Starr as a leader.

  Zav lifted his chin and glanced at the soon-to-be rotting corpses of his comrades and knew one thing: We cannot let them die in vain! Zav raised his gun into the air to signal another attack and spun around the front of the truck, aiming his weapon down the street.

  A brown GAZ Tigr sat in the middle of the intersection ahead, mounted with a large machine gun. The Russian soldier on top spotted Zav and immediately began firing. Bullets pierced the side of the truck, popping the tires and penetrating the metal.

  The soldiers in front of him came to a halt just before the gap and surrounded Zav. One in the front shouted out over the loud noises of the war, “WHAT DO YOU SEE?”

  Zav leaned forward and looked over his shoulder. “Military vehicle with mounted machine gun! Very dangerous!” he shouted.

  The American soldier moved to the side as another soldier stepped forward. The man gripped the rocket launcher in his hands and knelt next to the truck, then leaned around the corner and fired. The whistle of the projectile rang in Zav’s ear, and in seconds another ear-splitting explosion rocked the land.

  Zav nodded his head and took a deep breath in. He swung the gun around the corner, dragging the weight of his body with it, and moved alo
ngside the vehicle. He sidestepped toward the building on his right to stay out of the enemy’s line of fire.

  He held up his hand to silence and stop everyone. Fortunately, they were in a perfect blind spot to jump out and execute a surprise attack. However, with the irritating silence from the enemy lines he could only predict they were prepared and ready to fire.

  If the explosion had not knocked them off their feet, a thousand soldiers would be waiting with their guns aimed at the first person to step out from behind the building.

  Zav turned around and grabbed the Continental army man behind him. “Peek out and let me know what you see,” he ordered.

  The man nodded and stepped out from behind the wall.

  There was a spray of blood, scattering of flesh, and the crack of bones as the man was decimated with his second step. Holes riddled his body to the point where they completely detached his limbs from his torso.

  Zav puckered his lips and wiped blood off his eyelids. “Toss me a grenade!” he barked.

  An American soldier inched to the front and handed Zav a hand grenade from his waist. Zav pulled the string and tossed it over his head, into the middle of the road.

  After it exploded, and Zav had a moment to clear his thoughts, he gave another startling scream and ran out, firing his gun in the direction of the Russians. The people behind him collected themselves and followed him, pushing forward while firing into the smoke.

  The Russians returned fire, but the Americans had the advantage, and as the smoke finally began to dissipate, they found they had killed most of the army.

  There was a click from Zav’s rifle and he pulled out the magazine, inspecting it. He dropped the gun and ran behind a soldier fighting in the front, pulling the woman’s knife out of her sheath. She did not notice.

  Zav gripped the knife and drew a cross on his chest. “If I didn’t die before, I surely shall now.” Zav sprinted forward and unleashed the mighty beast within him that fueled his heart with desire to chase down his prey.

  There was a glass door leading to a coffeeshop on a corner, and Zav stabbed the knife through the door and burst in, sliding across the tile and tucking himself behind the counter. There were tire marks on the floor, and the front window was practically nonexistent.

  Zav scooted across the ground and peeked the top of his head over the side of the counter. American and Continental soldiers were stepping forward, firing in front of them, gaining ground very easily. There was a strange buzzing sound in the air, a moment of silence, and then another strange sound that could be described as a shimmer, or a group of bees in perfect harmony.

  Zav could not stand up without being noticed, so he inched accross the ground and watched the soldiers. They had stopped, some covering their eyes with their hands, others just staring at the sky, their mouths gaping.

  Zav pushed himself up and ducked behind a knocked over table, inching as close as he could to his allies. There was a bright light in the sky, very powerful indeed, and Zav squinted.

  It was hard to tell what it was...until the light began to dim and everybody could clearly see the AON tower beginning to fall.

  Zav stood up and walked next to his fellow men and women. They all stared as the tower began to lean, slowly tilting away from them, smoke already rising to the sky.

  “Jesus fucking Christ. This city is going down!” screamed Xavier.

  Time seemed to move at an unsteady pace as the tower fell to the ground, and fire, debris, and smoke filled the area. The army shook as the ground rumbled beneath them.

  Zav turned to the soldiers. “We have suffered a large loss. But remember, we Americans are retaking our city! They may have struck at our hearts, but let our blood keep pumping! Gather yourselves and prepare to fight for your city!” yelled Zav.

  Chapter 15

  “ONWARD!” screamed Zav, and the Americans moved forward again. The Russians must have completely retreated and set up the distraction at the intersection in hopes of slowing down the Americans’ momentum.

  The streets were full of abandoned cars, but some were not exactly abandoned. When the Russians had flooded the area with their troops, the civilians who had not escaped were shot in their vehicles.

  Zav approached a blue car still hovering on the side of the road. It had crashed into a metal mailbox. Zav glided his hand across the back window and pressed his finger against the bullet hole in the glass. He looked inside and his stomach immediately flipped, vomit bubbling in the back of his throat. But at the same time, there was an anger inside him that he had not yet felt.

  And as he looked at this mother cradling her son in her arms, both of them bleeding out of the holes in their foreheads, sorrow and anger began to mix and a wave of emotions attempted to escape him.

  Zav turned away and continued to march forward with his armies. Somebody tugged at his shirt and he looked down at Jaiyana.

  “I’ve been trying to get up here. We will pick up more people as we go along but our numbers are shrinking. We cannot go on forever,” she said, walking beside him.

  “I understand that. But we will march these streets until we know there are no more Russians to threaten us, and it is then that I can feel peace with the situation.”

  “There are none around. And we are heading directly towards the fallen building – they surely won’t be around there. We need to check the surrounding area and improve our numbers elsewhere.”

  “Good thinking. I’ll do the talking—”

  “No, please, allow me,” Jaiyana said, walking backwards and stretching her arms out side. “Everybody! Please stop for a moment.”

  The people in the front stopped walking.

  “So we’ve pushed this far. But it is useless to go forward, so we must split now and continue fighting throughout the rest of the city. I want experienced soldiers in the front, leading our people through the city. Be careful. Split east and west, divide accordingly,” she ordered, and soon people began moving around.

  Zav nodded his head and put his hands on his hips, walking to the right side of the intersection. There was still an odd feeling in his stomach, especially with the image of the dead family in the car engraved in his memory.

  He stood in the middle of the intersection as the armies mixed and then split in two directions. Zav’s hand ached as he gripped his knife.

  “Let’s go! We’re going to move down these roads. Keep an eye out for any attackers and stay prepared for an ambush or to ambush at anytime. Let’s go!”

  The hundred or so Americans followed Zav down the street, moving in and out of cars, stepping over civilian bodies and avoiding fires. The others had followed Jaiyana to the left, where they were doing close to the same.

  Jaiyana paced herself, watching the windows, corners, and other hiding spots for possible hostiles. It seemed meaningless, because chances were that if there was going to be another encounter, it would be the entire Russian pack and not a lone wolf.

  Marx pushed his way to the front of the battalion towards Jaiyana. “Da bist du, Hündin,” he spat, panting softly, but straightened up when Jaiyana turned to look at him.

  “I don’t speak that beautiful language of yours,” she responded, and looked ahead.

  “A beautiful language? Then a beautiful woman like you must speak it!” he chuckled, and she held out her hand.

  “Shush,” she said, slowing her pace.

  “Oh, you, I’m just—”

  “Shush!” she repeated, squatting down.

  Marx raised an eyebrow and stood awkwardly next to her, waiting for something to happen.

  Jaiyana’s head twisted to the right and upwards, staring at movement in a window. The window slid open, and she stood still, her hands wrapped around her gun.

  There were some visible shadows, but nothing was clear.

  Marx followed her line of sight and attempted to see what was happening, but could see no better. Then, a small black arrow-shaped object appeared, poking just slightly out of the window, and Jaiyana bega
n slowly raising her gun.

  Marx moved around to the left side of the road to get a better view. He squinted and slowly stepped one foot over the other as he moved in front of the window.

  The black arrow shot out, and Marx jumped back, but the arrow was heading directly towards him. He could not react fast enough – the arrow pierced just above his sternum and lodged itself in the softest part of his neck.

  Jaiyana cried out and began firing at the window as she rushed over to Marx.

  The arrow expanded and four claws extended outward, stabbing through the back of Marx’s neck like a grappling hook, the little carbon fiber daggers digging into his head and back.

  He gasped for air as blood began to seep out of the cuts. Jaiyana fired another shot, frightening the figure in the room, and the grappling hook began retracting as the person inside retreated.

  The sharp hooks buried themselves into Marx’s skull and shoulders, his eyes rolling back from the pain, as he began gargling blood. All of a sudden, the grappling hook line pulled at full speed and Marx’s body was dragged off the ground and flew through the air towards the window.

  But the grappling hooks were not secured and Marx’s body was only pulled for a moment before one hook ripped through his neck, another hook snapped his spine, and his head was ripped from the top of his body and carried to the window while his body free-fell to the ground. His head got stuck on the shattered window and dripped blood onto the sidewalk.

  Jaiyana fell backwards and stared at the sickening sight, the image of his spine ripping out, his body limply falling and caving in on itself on the ground, the blood still pouring from the opened wounds.

  The soldiers bustled around, and began slowly moving forward again, staying far away from the horrifying site of Marx’s mutilated body.

  A female soldier jogged forward and placed her hands around Jaiyana’s shoulders, holding her close and helping her to her feet.