Snippet #2694595

Sunbeam gratefully accepted the medical assistance. He had no clue what was in the needle, but if it made his body stop screaming in pain, and kept Python around, he didn't care. Hell, if it worked he'd buy a literal truck load of the shit, and take it back to VL if the road was ever rebuilt. He quickly took his gloves off, and rolled up his sleeve, then did the same for the unconscious Python.

"Hit us, Doc," he chuckled, a surprisingly painful action for him. "Make it quick. Something tells me the fight just ain't over ye-"

"Sunbeam, you copy?", it was Boa, and he sounded pretty damn concerned.

"Yeah?" Sunbeam's creeping feeling about the fight prolonging got a little bit stronger.

"Got a visual, two enemy attack choppers, on your three.", Boa sighed heavily, you could almost hear his head shaking. "Comin' in cold, but it looks like they're packing some heavy fucking artillery."

"So fucking shoot them down, you dumb prick, why you wasting time tell me this shit?"

"That's the thing!", Boa was barking into his comm now, wishing that for once Sunbeam would think ahead. "I'm low on fucking ammo you limp pecker-wood, and I am not sitting in a nearly inert tank to reload. They're also coming in along the bridge. Over the civvies, over the IG detachment, ove-" He paused as as a large heat signature flashed on his HUD, about 1000m away. He couldn't confirm it, but he had a pretty damn good guess as to what it was.

"The blew the next suspension bridge. They've trapped everybody on that side in a kill-box."

"Fucking hell!" Sunbeam swatted the medic away once he got his shot, standing up while his body numbed itself. "How long till our choppers, Boa?"

"No clue, ETA was thirty, so if these things got here first we can't be too far behind."

"How long till another rocket volley?"

"I don't fucking know, what the fuck do you think it is I'm doing with my time?", Boa was just flat out pissed now. "Timing the enemy reload, and positioning? No, I'm shelling."

"The get fucking eyes on them, Boa!", temper had gotten the better of Sunbeam as well. "Figure it the fuck out, and if you have enough time get your sorry ass, and Spitjaw out of the tank. Join me at the IG line. It'll be stupid to sit in that banged up thing, with barely any loaded ammo, if two attack helis hit the scene."

There was a brief radio pause, followed by an annoyed Boa's "Roger.", he really hated it when Sunbeam actually was thinking ahead, because it just made him look stupid.

Sunbeam quickly turned back to the Doc, and now mending Python. The two GW men were still in shit shape, but it was a start. "Alright, you...Imperial..Guard..Thing..Guy." He motioned to the medic, just in case his description left any question on who he meant. "Help me carry my buddy back to your op-base, get me in touch with a commander. Everyone on the other side of the bridge is trapped, and enemy air is coming in. We gotta move, fast."

---

"DUNH DUNH DUNH DUH, DUHN DUHN DUH DA DA DUHN!"

The poorly tuned "humming" of Flight of Valkyries bombarded the Sidewinder Squad's Comm channel. Even over the powerful, chopping blades of the Apache AH-64, it couldn't be blocked out.

The rest of the squad inside the black death machine collectively groaned as it cut through the midday skyline over the flats between VL, and Wing City. They all knew Timber was going to start "singing" that ever so cliched song eventually. They had a betting pool going even, almost all of them had opted for, "On takeoff", though. He bucked the odds, and made it all the way until they were just outside the engagement zone.

"Fucking hell, Timber!" The pilot was the first to round on him for it. "You just cost me two hundred fucking bucks. Why couldn't you have done that shit on take off?"

"Pffff," the reprimanded man was full on laughing at this stage. "Because, Diamondback. You're a goddamn retard. Rock'n'me agreed to split the pool if I rigged it."

His accomplice shot him a glare, hissing malice at him. "The fuck you tell them for, dipshit?"

"So we could beat your fucking ass," the forth man, Blacktail had spoken up.

Diamondback just laughed for a minute, before calling for a cease to the chatter. He had just gotten visual on two other choppers they hadn't been briefed on. He was unsure of what to do, and patched a call into HQ.

"Commander Gorgon? Sitrep, requesting advice. Two Helios heading to engagement zone. Cannot ID. Orders, sir?"

The other end was silent for a moment, before a cold, gruff voice boomed. "Given the situation it's safe to assume enemy craft. Intel doesn't have any civ flights charted for that area today, either. You are free to engage at will." Gorgon did not like this situation, not one bit. He was even more unhappy being stuck at HQ, waiting for a no-doubt pissed off mayor to show up. With the FUBAR this shit was turning into, he couldn't afford to offend the man.

He just really hoped he was making the right call.

"Roger that, Commander." Diamondback sounded thrilled however. He just really wanted to shoot something. It had been a long, boring ride thus far. "Will brief again after engagement. Sidewinder Squad signing off."

With that he pushed the copter forward at full speed, while shouting orders to the squad. "Okay ladies, get ready for a hot entry. New targets, new engagement. I'm taking down those choppers, but Constrictor still needs back up. Parachutes are located on your left." He chuckled for a moment, "And as always please remember to return your seats to the up-right, vertical position you found them in. Thank you for flying Air Hoorah today. There are no refunds."

The Squad rolled their eyes, giving a collective, unenthusiastic "hoorah" before Timber pipped up. "And you guys complained about my singing? Fuck, this guy's 'stand up' is more than enough to route the enemy."

Blacktail shoved a parachute pack into his arms in response, just glaring. "Time to go, you cheating bastard. I half hope your cord is busted."

"You, and me both brother!" Timber threw the thing on in a hustle and jerked the right side door of the chopper open. "Alright, which one of you is fir-"

Rock, who was still angry about being ratted out, straight up pushed him out of the chopper with a smirk. "You."

"If your done, gentlemen." Diamondback was laughing again, but worried about how long they were taking. Rock and Blacktail offered "rogers", and jumped.

Now that they were deployed, and en route, he was free to engage some helis.

The massive machine guns of the Apache AH-64 roared to life, spraying a wall of lead to the closer of the two helicopters. Diamondback could feel his blood rushing as a wave of adrenaline hit. "FUCK YEAH, SON!", he shouted, watching with glee as some of the bullets hit the back rotor. This was going to be too damn easy.

At least that was his impression, right until the lit chopper unloaded a barrage of missiles towards the ground, taking out the bridge. Both helicopters then immediately jerked around to face him. They were both full on attack choppers. Both loaded with serious firepower, and both carrying eight men inside.

"Well. Fuck."