Chapter 140: Distracted
Chapter 140: Distracted
Valeria chased the MQ-9 Reaper, her dark energy propelling her faster through the air. At first, the drone was outpacing her with ease. The MQ-9 Reaper was designed for high-altitude surveillance and strike missions, with a cruising speed of around 230 miles per hour, making it difficult for her to keep up.
Valeria gritted her teeth, focusing her power. Little by little, she began to gain speed, closing the gap between her and the drone. The Reaper, realizing it was being pursued, switched to evasive maneuvers. The pilot banked sharply, releasing flares into the sky. Bright flashes filled the air, creating heat signatures designed to throw off missiles. Valeria dodged them easily, her focus locked on the Reaper.
As she sped up, the Reaper deployed chaff-clouds of thin metallic strips that disrupted radar. The chaff spread across the sky, creating confusion, but Valeria wasn't relying on radar. She could see through the interference, her eyes tracking the drone's every move. The drone zigzagged through the sky, trying to create distance, but Valeria was gaining fast.
Realizing it couldn't shake her, the MQ-9 Reaper tried another tactic. The drone fired its remaining Hellfire missiles-not to strike her, but to create a wall of explosions in the air. The missiles detonated in front of her, filling the sky with fire and debris. Valeria blasted through the flames, her dark barrier deflecting the shrapnel as she got closer.
She smirked, finally within striking distance. Valeria raised her hand, preparing to cast a spell and take down the drone.
Suddenly, a high-pitched screech came from the ground below.
The Patriot Missile System had locked onto her. Positioned on the island, this air-defense system was designed to target aircraft, drones, and incoming missiles. Its radar had been tracking Valeria's movements, and now, it was ready to fire.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
In a split second, a surface-to-air missile launched from the Patriot system, speeding toward Valeria. The missile, traveling at nearly Mach 3, tore through the sky, its infrared guidance locked onto her heat signature.
Valeria barely had time to react before the missile was upon her.
The missile struck Valeria's barrier with a violent explosion, the shockwave echoing across the sky. She gritted her teeth as her translucent shield absorbed the impact, sparks flying as the dark energy crackled under the strain. The force of the explosion sent her reeling back slightly, but she maintained her composure, smirking as the remnants of the missile disintegrated against her shield.
"Pathetic," she muttered, brushing off the attack.
However, in her focus on the missile, Valeria had momentarily forgotten about the MQ-9 Reaper she had been chasing. As she steadied herself and glanced toward the drone's last known location, her eyes widened. It was gone.
Panic flickered in her gaze for a brief second as she scanned the sky, trying to locate the Reaper. Then she felt it-an ominous presence behind her. She whirled around, only to be met with the sight of a Hellfire missile already at point-blank range, its fiery exhaust blazing as it hurtled toward her.
Her eyes widened, but there was no time to raise her barrier.
The Hellfire missile struck her square in the face with a deafening explosion, the force sending her spiraling through the air, engulfed in flames. Her dark energy sputtered and flickered as she lost control, her body crashing violently toward the ground below.
"Sir, direct hit!" the pilot reported.
"How did we hit her?" Brandt asked.
"Possibly, she got distracted," General Harper's eyes narrowed as he watched the screen, the smoke clearing from where Valeria had crashed onto the beach. "Good. But we're not done yet," he muttered.
"Mobilize the ground forces immediately! Send in the Abrams and Bradleys. We can't give her a chance to recover. We keep her under constant fire," Harper ordered, his hand clenching into a fist as he watched the tactical screen light up with icons representing the approaching armor units.
The room buzzed with activity as the order was relayed. Outside, the ground shook as two M1A2 Abrams tanks and five M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles roared into action. The heavy Abrams tanks, weighing over 60 tons each, were armed with 120mm smoothbore cannons, their turrets swiveling into position as they approached the shoreline. The Bradleys, lighter but no less dangerous, mounted their 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain guns and TOW anti-tank missile launchers, each vehicle carrying an infantry squad inside.
"Get those tanks up front!" the tank commander barked into his radio, his Abrams leading the charge. "We'll soften her up with the main guns. Bradleys, provide support-keep her pinned down!"
As the vehicles rolled forward, their tracks grinding through the sand, Valeria lay momentarily still, her body smoldering from the Hellfire missile strike. Her regeneration had already started, but the process was slower than usual-her barrier had absorbed much of the blast, but her body was still battered. She could feel her power gradually returning, but the ground forces were approaching fast, and they weren't going to give her time.
The first Abrams tank fired with a thunderous boom, the 120mm round streaking toward Valeria at over 5,000 feet per second. It slammed into the sand just inches from her, the explosion sending dirt and debris flying into the air. The shockwave hit her hard, interrupting her regeneration and forcing her to roll out of the way.
She grimaced, her frustration growing. "These mortals... persistent insects," she growled under her breath.
Before she could regain her footing, the Bradleys opened fire, their M242 Bushmaster cannons unleashing a relentless hail of 25mm rounds. The bullets rained down on her position, tearing through the air with a deafening roar. Valeria raised her hand to summon her barrier, but the Hellfire strike had weakened her defenses. The translucent shield flickered,
struggling to hold against the onslaught.
Each hit delayed her regeneration further, the constant barrage making it impossible for her body to fully heal. She gritted her teeth, her eyes glowing with rage as she deflected what she could, but the pressure was mounting.
"She's not regenerating as fast. Keep the pressure on her!" the tank commander yelled, lining up another shot.
The second Abrams fired, and this time, the round clipped Valeria's shoulder. She snarled in pain, her anger reaching a boiling point. The dark energy around her flickered violently, her control faltering under the continuous bombardment.
"I will not be stopped by mortals!" she screamed, her voice echoing across the battlefield.
With a furious wave of her hand, Valeria slammed her palm into the ground. Dark energy surged from her, spreading out in all directions. The tanks and Bradleys kept firing, but it was too late-she had made her decision.
A massive wall of dark energy erupted from the earth, towering high above the battlefield. The barrier was thicker and denser than anything she had conjured before, its surface swirling with malevolent power. The wall encased her entirely, cutting her off from the incoming fire. The Abrams and Bradleys continued to rain lead and explosives against the wall, but their rounds simply disintegrated upon impact, unable to penetrate the thick barrier. Inside, Valeria smirked darkly. She had bought herself the time she needed.