The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell

by Douglas Howell

  While the Marine who the Dragon Clone threw was crawling away, he looked up at him. He then realized that the Dragon Clone is not going to do anything until both he and the other Marine is at safe distance from the entrance to the bridge. The Marine realized that they are not dealing with a monster, but one who is following orders. That the death of Mitchell and her team was not done in cold-blood, but rather he was just following orders.

  “Captain… I am a Dragon Clone and I can smell the inferno of fear within your soul. It’s time for you to scream like a little bitch.” The Dragon Clone said over the helmet-com. He then drop the helmet..

  The Dragon Clone used his grenade launcher to destroy the door to the bridge. He then threw a dead Marine body in the bridge. It landed a few feet behind the Captain’s chair. Everyone started to shoot at the corpse. The Dragon Clone then threw a flash-bang grenade into the bridge.

  The Dragon Clone then jumped at and landed on the Captain’s chair. While he was still in the air he quickly looked both ways to remember where everyone was. The Dragon Clone then jumped to his 10 o’clock position where a Marine was squatted down behind his station. The Dragon Clone then killed him. He then threw a knife to his left side killing a Marine who was standing there. The Dragon Clone then turned to face the Captain’s chair. The Dragon Clone then threw a knife on his right side killing a Marine who was standing behind his station. The Dragon Clone then used his last remaining grenade in his six round grenade launcher. He fired the round to the north-by-southeast part of the bridge. The round landed on the right side of a computer station wounding two Marines standing nearby. After everybody started to come to their senses they noticed where he was standing. They then shot at him but missed him when he jumped behind the Captain’s chair. He then threw a knife to the northeast part of the bridge killing a Marine who was standing behind his station. Everyone then rushed the Dragon Clone’s position.

  Mad Dawg, who was standing to the far left of the Captain’s chair, was first to get near the Dragon Clone. The Dragon Clone spun around and kicked Mad Dawg so hard in the face that it knocked out two of his front teeth. Braddick, who was coming from the far northeast corner of the bridge, jumped at the Dragon Clone on his right side. The Dragon Clone then kicked Braddick in the chest while he was still in the air. A Marine coming up from behind the Dragon Clone’s right side, took the butt of his laser rifle and hit him hard in the forehead. On the Dragon Clone’s forehead is a shield looking bone protrusion. On the top part of this “shield” are two small horns which are pointed vertically over the top of the head. When the Marine hit the Dragon Clone with the butt of his rifle it had no effect on the Dragon Clone. The Dragon Clone then did a flying headbutt and killed that Marine instantly. He then did a back kick on the Marine behind him. The Dragon Clone then spun around and kicked her in the head. At that moment Braddick came near with a knife. The Dragon Clone kicked the knife out of his hand, then kicked him in the head, and then picked him up and threw him at the female Marine. Mad Dawg then gave the Dragon Clone a right, then left punch. When Mad Dawg tried to give him another right punch, the Dragon Clone caught it and using both of his arms, broke Mad Dawg’s right arm. The Dragon Clone then made a move using his right and left hands which caused Mad Dawg to fall head over heels on the Dragon Clone’s left side. The move broke Mad Dawg’s right wrist. He then stomped Mad Dawg hard on his right side breaking two ribs. Both the female Marine and Braddick stood up. The Dragon Clone then jumped behind them, snapped her neck killing her. Braddick then turned to face him. Braddick then tired to punch him, but the Dragon Clone moved out of the way, grabbed his arm and threw Braddick to the ground. He then shot Braddick in the back seriously wounded him. Mad Dawg now realize that he is all alone on the bridge with the Dragon Clone. Braddick and the two other Marines are too wounded to be much help. At that moment, 76 Marines were killed and 13 Marines, including Braddick, was wounded.

  Mad Dawg quickly got up, went to his chair and pushed a button that altered the crew that the bridge needs them. The Dragon Clone reached behind his back, grabbed a small axe, threw it at Mad Dawg cutting off his left hand. The Dragon Clone than went to Mad Dawg, grabbed his throat with his right hand, and picked him up. He then started to strangle Mad Dawg.

  “Remember this moment captain.” The Dragon Clone said. He then threw Mad Dawg back several feet.

  While Mad Dawg was still in the air, the Dragon Clone grabbed his gun on his left side and shot Mad Dawg in the left knee. Mad Dawg watched as the Dragon Clone reached behind himself, grabbed an explosive, set it and put it on the Captain’s chair. He then turned and quickly ran out.

  While the Dragon Clone was running as fast as he could to a hanger to acquire a Marine drop-ship, he saw a armed Marine coming from around a corner. He then jumped at the Marine with his feet pointed at him. The move broke the Marine’s lower back when he hit him. When the Dragon Clone got to the hanger he saw a Marine and then he shot him dead. He then shot to death another Marine.

  “No, no not me!” A third Marine screamed and ran out of the hanger.

  Although the Dragon Clone could have kill the third Marine he chose not to. Instead he got on board the drop-ship, smell it for explosives (there were none), and piloted it out of Galactic Prime. He then headed toward Starbase VXN-2212/O to dock.

  (2)

  Both Blue and Green Team had just left on foot after they eat breakfast. They wanted to get a head start on what will be a long trip. And they didn’t want to be caught by the enemy at night while on foot. They would rather be at some type of a base camp.

  The monorail ran for twenty-seven miles westward through a valley. It then curved to the south-by-northwest and then ran to the coast. At the coast it cross the waterway and headed north. They could see that it headed westward, but a fog bank blocked the view of where it headed.

  “So what are we going to do now ma’am?” Coté asked.

  “I guess we got to go back and get a boat.” Sanchez responded.

  “You mean we came all this way for nothing?” Kaminski asked.

  “So why weren’t we told that it would lead to a waterway ma’am?” Nakada asked Sanchez.

  “Because Mad Dawg hung up on the captain before she could ask him.”

  “So why don’t we just climb up there and cross on the tracks ma’am? We do have the equipment and besides… it’s faster than going back just to get a boat.” Sanders asked.

  Sanchez thought about that for a moment. She started to tell him that it was a bad decision to cross on the tracks when a monorail might come, but then she realized that one wasn’t going to come.

  “Not a bad idea. Alright get on it.” Sanchez ordered them.

  Both teams got across without incidence. When they got across the waterway they noticed that it was a junction with one line heading north. Sanchez decided to take that route instead of the western route. The track traveled fourteen miles along the coastline before coming to terminal with another track that headed west. What really got their attention was a road that led to a small military outpost.

  “Martinez.” Sanchez called out to him.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Check for any activity at that outpost and the surrounding areas.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  He left the terminal and then slice-the-pie (move in a diagonal direction with his gun pointed at the outpost). He didn’t noticed any activity so he traveled up the road which headed north along the coast. It then headed north-by-northeast after one mile.

  “What the hell is taking him so long?” Sanchez said out loud after forty-five minutes.

  “Ma’am, do you want to send someone up there and look for him?” Nakada asked.

  “Give him fifteen more minutes.”

  “Coast is clear ma’am. Head north along the road.” Martinez said after two minutes over the helmet-com system.

  When they got close enough they noticed a small abandoned military base. While they were searching the base they noticed that t
he Special Forces had already taken care of the base and any EOD forces.

  “What do you want to do now ma’am?” Nakada asked.

  “It’s getting late. So let’s just set up camp here. At the break of dawn I want you and Green Team to explore the surrounding area. If you see the enemy… do not, repeat do not engage them. I only want to know what’s out there in case the Captain wants to move the base camp here. And don’t travel no more than one day’s journey.” Sanchez ordered Nakada.

  “Copy that.”

  “Blue Team… I want you to set up a defensive position here. Green Team needs their beauty sleep.” Sanchez ordered them.

  “Do they need any make-up ma’am?” Kaminski asked her in a joking manner. Sanchez didn’t say anything, she only smiled.

  When Green Team woke up they headed north along the road. They eventually found a road that went to the northeast, then on to the coast. It then headed to a small abandoned town. The town had no more than twenty homes. After they completed searching the town they realized that it was abandon about five years ago due to financial hardships. They decided to stay there for the night.

  During the night they heard a sound that stop their hearts and sent a chill down their spine – a EOD troop deployment helicopter. The helicopter came and landed in the center of town. They saw only one motorcycle leave the helicopter. And the rider was a Dragon Clone. The Dragon Clone immediately left and headed in the direction of Blue Team. The two pilots stayed behind.

  “Caparzo get out your pistol and put a silencer on it. I want you to cover the pilot on the left. Venito, I want you to do the same but cover the pilot on the right. Wait for my signal then drop them.” Nakada said quietly.

  “Copy that.” Both Caparzo and Venito said together.

  Both of them then went outside. They got into position and Nakada made the sound of a bird. Both pilots turned and look in the direction of Nakada with their pistols drawn. Caparzo and Venito then shot both pilots in the head. They then return back.

  “Can any of you pilot that helicopter?” Nakada asked his team.

  Nobody said anything because nobody could. They then quickly headed back to Blue Team. Nakada had them run for three miles, rest and then repeat. Nevertheless, they were quite tired and exhausted when they return.

  It was midnight when the Dragon Clone got to Blue Team’s position. Without them knowing it, he first survey their position. In an effort to get their attention he shot Van Hoven in the left shin. She went down crying out in pain.

  “What happened!?” Sanchez asked.

  “Someone shot me!” Van Hoven cried out.

  “We got hostiles out there!” Sanchez yelled out.

  Everyone then switch to their night vision and waited patiently for the hostile to make the next move. They then heard a motorcycle come at them at very high speeds. The motorcycle passed them traveling at over one hundred miles per hours. But to their dismay the motorcycle was using stealth technology which made it almost invisible to night vision equipment.

  When the Dragon Clone passed them, he shot at Kaminski getting off four shots. One shot hit him in the right arm, but it was nothing more than a flesh wound. The other three missed Kaminski. Everyone who could, shot blindly at the Dragon Clone.

  They then heard the motorcycle come from the south, once again at high speeds. The Dragon Clone went up some steps nearby causing the bike to fly. He then jumped off. The bike came at Nguyen who quickly jumped out of the way. While the Dragon Clone was in the air he shot at Nguyen and hit him four times. Although wounded, Nguyen turned and shot blindly at the Dragon Clone. He stopped when he realized nobody was there.

  “I’m hit!” Nguyen cried out.

  “How badly!?” Sanchez called out.

  “I can make it!”

  “That’s not what I asked!”

  “Nothing too serious!”

  “How about now!” The Dragon Clone said before he shot Nguyen in the left shoulder.

  Everyone started to shoot blindly in the direction they thought that the Dragon Clone was at. But he was long gone.

  “Cease fire!” Sanchez yelled out. “Cease fire damn it!” She yelled out again after a few of them kept on shooting.

  Nobody was dumb enough to go and look for any hostiles in the darkness. They all knew that they were in the best tactical position. What’s more, he didn’t have his bike anymore. But what troubled them the most was the sound of it’s voice. It sounded like it was a cyborg. But the motorcycle could not jump as high as it did if the rider was a cyborg. They had no idea of what they are dealing with.

  “What the hell are we dealing with here?” Coté asked.

  “We’ll know as soon as we kill it.” Martinez responded.

  “Flash-bang!” Van Hoven screamed out fifteen seconds later.

  Both Van Hoven and Hoffneisten was temporary blinded by the flash-bang. Hoffneisten was shooting back and forth into the night. Two shots then came out of the darkness and hit both Van Hoven and Hoffneisten in their helmets. They were fine, but their helmets were now useless. Both of them took off their helmets.

  “That damn mother-fucker is toying with us!” Sanders yelled out.

  “I think he’s trying to get us to waste our ammo! That damn asshole!” Coté yelled out.

  “Nobody shoot until you see him!” Sanchez ordered them.

  Thirty seconds later two more shots came out of the darkness and hit Sanchez and Sanders in their helmets rendering their helmets useless. Neither one of them return fire.

  “Nguyen!” Sanchez cried out.

  ‘Yes ma’am.”

  “I want you to…” Sanchez was saying. Nguyen saw a shot came out from one of the windows and hit Sanchez on the left side of her lower back.

  “Ma’am, are you alright!?” Nguyen asked.

  “Never mind about me. Tell Green Team to get down here NOW.”

  Five seconds after Nguyen complied a shot got him in the helmet rendering it useless.

  “That fucking asshole!” Nguyen yelled before he took off his helmet.

  “Nguyen… tell me you sent the message.” Sanchez asked him.

  “They got it ma’am.”

  “Ma’am, we’ve got to flush that sonofabitch out!” Kaminski yelled.

  “Not with Nguyen wounded!” Sanchez responded.

  “We’re setting ducks ma’am! And that ain’t fair!” Hoffneisten yelled.

  “Ma’am, let me go out there!” Sanders yelled.

  “He’s changing his position constantly! You go out there… and you’re a dead man!” Sanchez yelled.

  “I am a messenger from the Hammer of Doom! Lay down your arms if you want to fight me hand-to-hand! Or you will die… slowly!” The Dragon Clone yelled out to them after two minutes.

  Nobody said anything for several moments. It was the words ‘Hammer of Doom’ that silence them.

  “What shall it be!?” The Dragon Clone yelled out.

  “Alright tough boy! Let’s see what you got!” Sanders yelled out.

  They then saw the Dragon Clone come out from between two buildings. Sanders tired to shoot him, but the Dragon Clone was quicker on the trigger. He shot Sanders in the throat with a handgun. When he did, he immediately jumped through a window while everyone was shooting at him.

  “Sanders is down!” Van Hoven yelled out.

  Everyone except for Nguyen ran to Sanders. They tried their best to save him, but couldn’t. Kaminski stood up, screamed at the Dragon Clone and shot at where he was when they first saw him. Sanchez and Martinez stood up to stop Kaminski from shooting.

  “Save it!” Sanchez yelled at Kaminski.

  “He shouldn’t have pulled a gun on me! No matter! Like I said, we can go at it hand-to-hand, or each one of you can die like your friend!” The Dragon Clone yelled out.

  “Alright you son of a bitch! Bring it on! It’s time to finish this!” Sanchez yelled out.

  Everyone except for Nguyen started to disarm themselves. They took out the magazine clip, threw
it away, and then dropped the laser rifle. They then walked twenty feet from their weapons and waited. The Dragon Clone came out with his laser rifle pointed at Nguyen, who was also pointing his rifle at the Dragon Clone. The Dragon Clone walked up to Nguyen still pointing his rifle at him. He stop when he was standing in front of Nguyen.

  “Take your weapon and lay it at your side and I will stop pointing mine at you.” The Dragon Clone said to Nguyen who complied.

  The Dragon Clone then threw his rifle in the air, took out his handgun pointed at Nguyen, hoister it, and then caught his laser rifle. The Dragon Clone did all of that in as little as two seconds.

  “Get the point. Don’t make me have to tell you twice. Disarm the weapon and throw away the clip and I will do the same.” The Dragon Clone said.

  Both of them disarmed their laser rifle and threw the magazine clip away. The Dragon Clone then, in a split second, pulled out his handgun and pointed it at Nguyen.

  “Now give me your side arm.” The Dragon Clone said.

  Nguyen, without taking his eyes off the Dragon Clone, very carefully took out his handgun and gave it to him. The Dragon Clone then threw both his and Nguyen’s handgun far away.

  “Stay there… or die.” The Dragon Clone said to Nguyen.

  The Dragon Clone then walked over to the other six members of Blue Team. His massive 6’10” frame tower over them.

  “There is only one rule…fight to the death.” The Dragon Clone told them.

  Luckily for each member of Task Force ZH-3C their training in hand-to-hand combat is far superior than the Marines on Galactic Prime. The fight, which lasted for more than an hour, ended when the Dragon Clone was about to use his sonic shockwave and Martinez punched him in the throat.

  When Martinez punch the Dragon Clone in his throat, the Dragon Clone stepped back with both of his hands raised. Blood started to come out of his nose, ears and the corner of his eyes. Both his hands and his head then started to shake violently and then his head exploded.

  All six of them were too tired and exhausted from fighting the Dragon Clone. Towards the end of the fight, they started to feel the effects of the long fight. The Dragon Clone was the only one who wasn’t tired and exhausted. He could keep on going far longer. Both Sanchez and Kaminski collapsed from physical exhaustion when it was all over. All of them then went to Nguyen, set down beside him, and waited patiently for Green Team to return. Both Sanchez and Kaminski fell asleep.