1 The First Invasion

"Hey, where the Hell is your head at, noobie?" a man around 28 said, wearing a black shirt, midnight camo pants, and black combat boots yelled.

"Will you lay off Rook; your voice is annoying," a charming brown-haired girl in the same clothing responded instead.

"Shut it! No one was talking to you, Kana, you nosey bit…" Rook barked back. Before he could finish his sentence, the tent door opened, revealing a man and a woman in complete military combat uniform.

The man simply stared at Rook, shutting him up like a rat trap.

"Captain!" Both Kana and Rook saluted, and with them, the rest of us inside the tent stood up and saluted.

"How many times have I told you to stop that I'm still not used to that," Cpt. Jacobson said shyly, smiling.

"Hahaha! Come on Captain, you finally got promoted so enjoy the privileges that come with the title," a new gruff voice added with a childish grin filling his face.

"Specialist Cash, is that any way to speak to your commanding officer," the woman next to Cpt. Jacobson snapped at the black soldier, burning holes into his skull with her stare.

"Come on Sarge, live a little, hahaha," Cash laughed it off and went back to laying in his cot.

"It's okay, Hannah, they have been with me for years, no need to worry about tradition," Cpt. Jacobson reassured First Sergeant Hannah, who only stared at Cash in return. "That being said you must be the new transfer. Specialist Martinez, right?"

"Yes sir!" I saluted in response.

"I've read your file, you did good work at Hell's Gate, so allow me to be the first to welcome you to Hell's Mouth," the Captain said as he clapped his hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you, sir, it's an honor to have been chosen for the Ghost Riders Battalion. I'll be under your command from now on," I said, still holding my arm in a salute.

"At ease, I look forward to your performance," The Captain added.

Then immediately walked over to an empty cot and put down his pack and weapons. Closely behind him, the Sargeant did the same at the cot next to Kana.

I could only look around as I sat back down on my bed to the other soldiers in the tent. There were only 7 of us inside this massive tent and another 8 currently empty cots. I was trying to the best of my ability to stay composed, but there's no way I could be. Just three days ago, I was fighting for my life down on the Floridian border, affectionately called Hell's gate. Suddenly, I was tossed to Nevada just outside the abandoned city of Las Vegas, right at the edge of Hell's Mouth.

I had applied as a crest soldier a few months back, but I had heard nothing since then, so I simply assumed that I was rejected. I got here just this morning, then got told to stay at my tent until further notice. No other explanation, it's not even noon yet, I'm still wearing my old standard khaki uniform, and Rook has been burning a flame under my ass from the moment that I entered the tent. Aside from the Captain and the Sergeant, everyone else in the tent so far is of the same rank, but specialist Rook won't let go of the fact that I'm fresh meat.

Just as quickly as the peace the Captain brought it disappeared, as Rook took to once again barking orders at me. While it seemed the others were just as annoyed at Rook's voice, no one did anything to stop it. Unfortunately, it seemed I had to follow his direction as the rest of my "comrades" stood by and watched.

Just as I was debating whether to follow Rook's orders or not, I was saved when three soldiers in full black combat uniform walked into the tent. The blonde leading the trio locked eyes with Rook and caused the noisy golden retriever to turn into a pink beagle at the drop of a dime. She marched straight towards Rook, who visibly shrunk a few inches.

"Well if it isn't Rook, I swear this morning I told you to move all the Ghost Riders supplies to the K5 tent, yet when I went to check 5 minutes ago, it was empty. Now I know for a fact I didn't mumble or stutter, and I'm sure I didn't just imagine it; if I did, that means I might be going crazy. Am I going crazy, Rook?" the blonde soldier shouted at Rook's face.

"N-n-n-n-no Ma'am," Rook stuttered, with his back as straight as an ironing board.

I couldn't help but almost chuckle, but I'm thankfully not that much of an idiot and held back. Nonetheless, it was odd to see the 6 foot 3 muscular Rook shaking in his boots at the 5 foot 2 blonde in front of him. Yet I could understand Rook's terror as the mana radiating from her was enough to make the Elephant's foot look like a banana to a Geiger counter.

"NO! MA'AM, what!?" The blonde spat back.

"NO, Ma'am. You are not crazy Ma'am!" Rook responded.

"Then does that mean you purposefully ignore my orders? Huh, Soldier?" the blonde soldier asked in a suspiciously calm tone.

"No, Staff Sergeant Ma'am," Rook answered as his voice trembled.

"Then what the Hell are you standing here for? Go and move the damn equipment and supplies, then move them back to the supply tent, then back again to the K5 tent, do you hear me? And I want it done 10 minutes ago," the Staff Sergeant commanded.

Rook responded with a salute and ran out of the tent. The Staff Sergeant then located the Captain and the First Sergeant and walked their way. In the meantime, the other two uniforms that came in with the Sergeant made their way to empty cots and made themselves at home.

Almost immediately, the brunette of what looked like Hispanic descent took off her jacket and t-shirt, leaving herself in a gray sports bra. On her left side near her obliques was a bandage held by what appeared to be duct tape, which she removed as she sat down. Without hesitation, Angie, one of the soldiers in the tent, knelt next to her and began tending the wound.

'I know those wounds,' I thought to myself. Cremian sandworms it has to be; those jagged circular wounds are hard to confuse. I had heard that 13 years ago, The Hell Mouth opened, and those worms were one of the many things that spilled out of it. It's hard to believe that those pesky things managed to survive all these years. 'I really need that new uniform; if I get attack by one of those worms in my current one, it'll tear right through me like if I was made of wet toilet paper.

"We are constantly vigilant, yet one of those worms managed to get to her right under our noses. Never grow complacent; even if we are at the border, this is still Hell's Mouth," a powerful but soothing voice sounded to my right. This sudden voice caused my neck to snap in its direction; in its place stood the Staff Sergeant that chewed out Rook. I was about to stand to attention, but she shook her head, letting me stay sitting. She sat at the cot next to mine, never taking her eyes from the wounded soldier.

"You're a mark transplant, right? What your current status?" the Sergeant asked.

"6th Class Ice affinity Conjurer. The mark originally belonged to my sister, same status," I answered unhesitantly.

"I read the report of your CO back in the gate; you're pretty gutsy, aren't you? Or are you maybe just an idiot?" the Sergeant asked in an earnest tone.

"I can't be one without the other; it takes a certain level of stupidity to be brave. Some call it optimism, some faith, and others hope. Whatever one calls it, it's believing in something without any evidence to back it. So, if I succeed, I can only thank myself." I answered a little more honestly than I intended.

My answer seemed to take the Sergeant by surprise, as for the first time she stopped looking at her injured companion and stared at me. There was an unreadable expression on her face as if trying to commend my 'courage' or to accept my answer genuinely.

"And what if you fail?" she asked genuinely after a minute of silence.

"Then I have no one to blame but myself, and if it's the end of me, I'll die knowing I did everything I could with few regrets," I responded immediately.

"With few regrets, not none?" she asked.

"I have many regrets already, and I'm sure I'll have many more before I die, but I'll do my best to limit them," I answered, shrugging my shoulders slightly. I have no idea why I'm saying all of this; I've always been careful about telling anyone my thoughts. I always keep everyone at a distance, but here I am, spilling my guts to a total stranger.

She was about to ask another question, but this was when I noticed something odd, a smell I couldn't identify but somehow enticed me in. I don't know why but my instincts told me to fight it. So I did, but the stronger I struggled, the stronger the smell became, and the more resistance I felt. The Staff Sergeant noticed my struggle and stared in disbelief.

"Stop it. You're gonna hurt yourself. I can't have you passing out on your first day," the Sergeant said as the smell slowly subsided. After a few seconds, she stood up and extended her hand, "It seems I forgot to introduce myself; I'm Amanda Fowler. You're one of the few who managed to notice. I have great expectations for you, Martinez. Ah, before I go, don't tell Rook; it's always fun to mess with him." She then simply turned towards the entrance flap and marched out.

'What the hell just happened? Was that magic? I've never heard of a type of magic that can do that. It was like I was being put in a trance.'

Just before I could process anything, the entire camp sprung into action as the sirens bellowed throughout the blazing summer sand. No one waisted a second as they each prepared themselves swiftly and effortlessly, yet there I stood like an idiot in front of my bed.

"Emergency broadcast five new gates have appeared. One 4th Class Gate. Two 3rd Class Gates. And two 2nd Class Gates. I repeat, two 2nd Class gates have appeared. All units move to battle stations, All companies prepare for deployment." A man's voice resounded through the speakers of the camp, demanding every person's attention.

"Seriously, two 2nd class gates. We only have enough men for one 2nd class, but we got five gates?" Cash asked at no one in particular as he readied himself.

"No, we should have just enough. The Red Rockets and the Thunderers are still at the base. Not to mention the other Cardinal camps around the Mouth," First Sergeant Hannah responded, already fully equipped.

"Alright, you all heard the Sergeant Major, move your asses and prepare for battle," The Captain roared. "You picked a Hell of a time to join, kid," he said, looking straight at me. "Somebody get this soldier his damn uniform. I can't have him going naked into battle. You're 20 this year, right?"

"Yes Sir," I responded.

"Good," The Captain nodded. "More likely than not, we won't see combat for a few days until they break, but I still want you to stay at the rear, you hear?"

"But Sir.." I began to respond.

"No, buts, that's an order you hear," the Captain retorted.

"Yes. Sir," I had no choice but to accept.

A few seconds later, someone brought me a full black combat uniform and my new issued equipment, the Spellgun. I hurried into my new uniform and checked my new weapons, trying to familiarize myself with them as quickly as possible. A few minutes later, 150 soldiers all dress in black, and a flaming skull patch on their arm stood side by side, at attention, waiting for the Captain.

"Emergency Broadcast! One of the 2nd Class Gates has transformed into a Red Gate. I repeat, a 2nd Class Red Gate has appeared. All Companies are hereby issued an emergency mobilization order! All Companies are hereby issued an emergency mobilization order!"

"You heard the orders. Move! Move! Move! TONIGHT WE RIDE!" the Captain yelled.

"TO HADES WE RIDE!" all soldiers roared.

"TONIGHT WE RIDE!" the Captain repeated.

"BACK WE BRING THE DEVIL'S HEAD!!!!!" all soldiers echoed.

"Hey, kid! You haven't gotten your patch yet, right?" A sweet voice resonated.

"Ah, Staff Sergeant! No, I just got the uniform a few minutes ago," I answered.

"Here," Sergeant Fowler ripped the patch off her sleeve and handed it to me. "Can't have you, going into your first battle without it; it's bad luck," she said with a blue smile on her lips.

"Huh? But what about you?" I quickly asked as I looked at the palm of my hand in disbelief.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll be asking for it back after this is all over," Sergeant Fowler winked before loading onto the transport vehicle.