14th May, 2029 - The outskirts of Daria
The Skits were on high alert as it should happen. A diversion team was sent to the other side of the city to make the alien forces focus on the wrong side of the city. Portal and a few non-powered persons were just biding their time, it had to be perfect. Otherwise the Occupation, as the alien's reign is refereed to now, would be too strong. Soon after the Occupation attacked Earth, concentration centers appeared in major cities not destroyed were built to keep humans that surrendered or that were captured. As soon as a prison would be created using an organic metal designated "OM" by scientists in the early days of the war, a huge fighting force would be stationed to keep it under alien control.
It is yet unknown what the Occupation's purpose is on Earth or what exactly do they need to capture humans for, as no one was able to liberate a prison from the aliens.
That is until tonight.
A month ago, a group formed out of the last remaining free humans and super powered persons that was based in Daria, started to harass Occupation forces with the scope of probing their defenses in the hopes of finding a way to liberate the prison that was built on the outskirts of Daria and eventually found a way.
A diversion team with a super powered leader with the ability to make shields out of energy would attack an Occupation patrol and while they would draw the Occupation's attention, another team led by Portal would break out the whole super powered block out of prison. The number of super powered persons was unknown yet so the escape plan was not formed and a little improvisation on Portal's part as she was the leader. If the plan worked, it would increase the chances of a successful rebellion tenfold.
If it worked. The whole plan depended on the diversion team's success and the Occupation's response.
A hand touched Portal's shoulder and she turned around. A soldier, that would look 18 in his best days, looked at her with a face that betrayed his emotions before he spoke.
"
Ma'am...I'm afraid. What if the plan doesn't work ? What if these...these...monsters killed everyone in the prison and we are walking straight into a trap ? I know that we've all volunteered to be on this mission but I don't want to die. " he was almost ready to cry right there and Portal shook her head. She knew the risks of the mission and knew that a year ago, the biggest fear that these kids she leads was finding a date or picking an university to attend at and now, they were about to enter a hornet's nest full of creatures, knowing they might not come back to whatever family they still had.
Portal looked the kid in the eye.
"
Kid, I'm not going to lie to you saying that you'll all be going home tonight the same way you left. Nor will I lie when I say that before I let these uninvited guests to kill any of you, that they will have to pass through me. I've been in this game for some time now and I never lost someone in my protection and I'll be damned if I'll start to do so now. As soon as we reach the prison, remember the plan. You stay back and cover our exit while I go inside and teleport the prisoners outside. Stealth will be primordial to this part of the mission. Don't engage if not engaged and don't lose hope. We need to keep this quite. Got it ? " she said with a tone as strong as steel.
A chorus of whispered " Ma'am, yes Ma'am" was the reply Portal received and they continued walking.
Soon the prison was in sight. A big building made out of OM and surrounded by a wall of at least 6 meters in height. Skits could be seen patrolling on the wall and a Behemoth with another squad of Skits were exiting the prison and that was the moment the team was waiting for. Behemoths didn't work well together and that meant the south gate to the prison will be without its guard dog for a few minutes.
Portal looked at the kids and nodded. It was time for to go. Sniper rifle in hand she moved stealthy towards the gate taking cover between the long abandoned cars that littered the roads as a memento that this was once an urban center and not a battlefield.
The Skits were on alert but most of the fighting force was sent to deal with the diversion team so it was fairly easy for Portal to sneak inside the prison. Cleverly using her power to teleport inside the walls and then inside the building itself.
The walls looked
alien for the lack of a better word. Some things were still unmistakable human as somehow even alien prisons had a layout that could be compared to human prisons and the best thing was that there were not guards inside the prison itself. None that could be seen at least and for that reason only, Portal had to move in silence and without triggering whatever kind of alarms that had to exist.
As she moved through the building something seemed odd, besides the complete silence. The sheer number of empty cells was amazing, too many looked as if someone lived there for some time and then they were dragged away.
A muffled cry was like a drum in that silence and when Portal heard it, she rushed as quietly as she could towards it. A girl that looked in her early twenties was inside a cell, rags was what she were on her and she looked as if she didn't ate in a few days. Portal slowly approached and kept her voice low as she said :
"
Hey ! Hey, you ! "
To say that the girl was startled would've been an understatement but as she saw Portal, her eyes gleamed of hope.
"
Miss ! You're human ! My God ! A HUMAN !"
"
Keep that voice down before you draw the whole alien invasion our heads and tell me, where are the others ? There should be thousands of humans here."
"
They've...they've been taken a few days ago. There aren't many left here. I'm the last one on this wing. Haven't ate in three days. "
"
Taken? Taken where? " she knew it was useless to ask the woman that but she had to try.
"
I don't know. A group of those, spider-like creatures came and shot them with that green thing and they were taken. One by one. One by one. " and then the woman started repeating "One by one" like a mantra again and again and again. Portal shook her head and knew that this woman was beyond saving. A wound can be healed but this woman was broken and nothing could be done with her but at least maybe she knew where the important prisoners were kept.
"
Do you know where they keep the super powered persons? "
The woman simply pointed in a direction and then began to look at the wall and continued to say her mantra.
Portal had to move fast, the diversion team can withstand only so much after all. She followed the woman's direction and soon discovered the important cells. As before, there were only a few cells that had humans inside. Some she recognized while some were a mystery. As soon as she approached a cell, a loud alarm started ringing and the whole building started to vibrate.
"
Fuck. There goes my silent exit. " thought Portal.
She rose her voice as for all to hear her and said :
"
I'm Portal and I'm getting you out. Everyone pass your hands through the bars and I'll teleport each and everyone of you outside of the cell. Move fast, we are about to get hit by a major shitstorm. " as she talked her eyes fell on a human with a collar on his neck. Recognition hit her like a hammer, her boyfriend before the war started. He disappeared after the war started and she thought that he died but he was here with a collar on his neck. She shook her head, it was not the time for questions. She waited for everyone to put their hands through the bars, touched them one by one and teleported them outside the cells.