Chapter 11:

Judas-12

Bastion


"ANTI, close in on the Bastion Unit." Liam-31 commanded, as his visor zoomed towards the person on the building, who looked directly at Liam-31.

As the person placed their sniper rifle on their back, they leaped from the building, falling to the floor with a loud thud, as they began to walk towards Liam-31 without a word.

Their armor was similar to Liam-31's, but instead of being painted grey, it was a dark camouflage green, and they had less visible plating on their armor.

"What's your name and what squad are you from, Bastion?" Liam-31 requested of the person.

"Judas-12. I was part of Paladin-Squad, but unfortunately when we set out towards our mission... I was the only one that made it out alive."

"What was your mission?" Liam-31 asked, keeping his hands on his waist in case the man was hostile.

"Destroy the origin of the creatures in Japan. We got close to finding the source, but we were ambushed by goddamn mimics. I fled from the area, watching my squad members get maimed by those vicious demons." Judas-12 said with guilt in his throat.

"...I'm sorry." Liam-31 said, releasing his hands from his waist, letting them relax.

"It's fine. Since then, I've just been roaming the area looking for any other survivors who landed; the only one I've seen is you. What's your name?"

"Liam-31, part of Delta Squad."

"I'm guessing they didn't make it out with you as well...?" Judas-12 questioned him.

"No. We ended up crash landing near the city ruins, I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up I learned I was the only one who survived the crash."

Judas-12 didn't have any words to say. Gripping his hands into a ball, through his visor one could notice his deep frustration. He knew that they were the only Bastions in the area, and the loss of their brothers and sisters was a pain not even a monster could inflict on them.

"...What do we now?" Judas-12 finally asked, as Liam-31 pointed to the location he had been walking towards.

"I came in contact with a nearby camp through a communication device. If we can get to the camp, those survivors will probably have enough ammunition and resources for us to continue your mission."

"Did your squad not come to Japan with a mission?" Judas-12 asked.

"We did, but it would be impossible without other Bastions on our side. It'd be suicide." Liam-31 said, as they began to walk through the dead carcasses of the raptors.

"It's been hell ever since I first landed here." Judas-12 broke the silence, after walking for 15 minutes. "These creatures are a lot smarter than what was known of them. They learn to adapt, they evolve."

"It isn't even safe to move during the day anymore, the creatures have become even more active ever since we tried to find their location." Judas-12 kept speaking. "They've been destroying various camps in the area. There used to be a large camp near the city, but ever since a massive raid by the creatures ravaged the area, they ended up splitting into smaller camps."

"I came in contact with one of those camps earlier before I met you." Liam-31 said. "When I found them, they were ambushed by a mimic pretending to be one of the survivors. Nobody survived the damn attack because I was too late to get there..."

"The mimics... they're smarter than the rest of the creatures, they learn to use their ability to their fullest potential. You can't even tell a human from a mimic anymore." Judas-12 spoke. "There's only one way to tell the difference between a human and a mimic."

"How do you tell the difference?" Liam-31 asked.

"Their eyes. A mimic pretending to be a human doesn't have the same shine in their eyes like an actual human. It's the only way to know the difference." Judas-12 said, poking at his visor.

"It's a goddamn nightmare. Only something born from hell should even have the ability to do that." Judas-12 began to rant, both continuing to walk at a rapid pace. "Whatever birthed these demons, I sure as hell want to destroy it." He said, his voice shaking with anger. Liam-31 was able to tell that he had experienced suffering ever since he had landed in Japan.

"Once we get in contact with more Bastion Units, we'll be able to stop them." 

"...I hope so." Judas-12 said, as silence grew between them as they made great progress towards the location of the camp.

**

"Let's stop here for now." Judas-12 said. They've been walking for almost an hour, reaching another ruined city.

"Why? We'll only be slowing our progress down, and it'll get dark soon." Liam-31 asked.

"Unfortunately for you, a sniper like me doesn't usually walk around for this long. I'm usually stuck in one spot providing fire support for my squad members." Judas-12 said.

"Alright, but we can't stay here for long, another city like this is crawling with creatures." Liam-31 said, as they walked towards one of the buildings in the area.

Entering the dark building, they decided to reach the highest point to gain an overview of the area they were walking in, and perhaps find smoke from the camp.

Walking up the stairs, they had reached the final few levels of the building before the sound of stepping halted them in their tracks.

"What was that?" Judas-12 whispered to Liam-31.

"Don't know, it might be an arachnae. Keep your finger on the trigger." Liam-31 said, as they began to slowly step up the stairs, before stopping themselves in front of the door that prevented them from reaching the next set of stairs.

"I'll go in first." Judas-12 said to Liam-31. "My footsteps are silent thanks to my armor, so I'll be able to surprise whatever's in there.

"...Alright. I'll make sure to watch behind us." Liam-31 said.

Quietly opening the door to the other room Judas-12 left Liam-31 in the dark, waiting for him to eliminate whatever creature had made the building its home.