They traveled through the vast darkness of space, a fleeting moment before the Earth came into view, its vibrant blues and greens a breathtaking spectacle beneath the stars. The planet seemed to pulse with life, a glorious invitation that promised both beauty and warmth. Yet, just as they began to appreciate its splendor, their reverie was shattered by the blaring alarm on their system display. The minimap flickered with ominous red dots converging from all directions, a warning that painted the serene scene with strokes of impending danger.

  Amidst the chaos, a clear chime pierced through Axel's thoughts, a summons that signified his role as the designated team leader among his comrades from the system, each of whom had also received their codenames. The weight of responsibility settled heavily on his shoulders as his heart raced, the thrill of the mission mingling with a sense of foreboding. The Earth he had just admired, now loomed like a stage set for a battle, and he was poised to play his role amid the encroaching darkness.

  “Comet 01(Axel)! Comet 01(Axel)! Do you copy? Over.” The voice on the other end was breathless, urgency palpable even through the static.

  “Comet 01(Axel) here. I hear you loud and clear. Over,” he responded, keeping his voice steady despite the chaos surrounding him.

  “This is Trailblazer 001, one of the vanguards of the operation!” The signal crackled with interference, but the message was clear.

  “We hail from the twenty-fifth century, currently maintaining an altitude of approximately four hundred twenty kilometers above Earth’s atmosphere. We’re taking heavy fire but were still going steady! If you can see a donut shaped thing floating around, that is where we are.”

  Static filled the transmission, filled with the tension of the moment.

  “Proceed with your atmospheric entry! Don’t stop for anything! Engage your Bulwarks! Move towards our position! Mission Control will guide you in! Trailblazer 001 out!”

  Axel glanced at the minimap displaying hostile operatives and friendly forces engaging on a battle that rocked his core, it was his first time witnessing such battle, the men equally dazed at the sight in front of them. However, the alarm from the system woke them up as projectiles travelled towards them at high speed.

  “Everyone, let’s form a spherical phalanx!” Axel shouted over the comms. The team rapidly assembled their Bulwark, a shimmer of energy coming to life around them. The Operations Officer then explained how to realign their trajectory, utilizing the propulsive force of the Winston in its overloaded state could generate enough thrust to maneuver them away from the onslaught of hostile forces.

  “Attention, team Comet,” the Operations Officer, which was the figure in black, resonated through the comms, firm and authoritative.

  “Your checkpoint is eighty kilometers ahead, please be advised that enemy hostile will engage you in any moment.”

  The air crackled with tension, and the Bulwark vibrated violently against the onslaught of nearby explosions, amplifying the urgency.

  “Please follow my commands closely, I will guide you to reach your destination. The angles will be crucial in your current state. Stay sharp!”

  “Comet 01(Axel), adjust your angle to zero degrees and fire thirty-one shots at twelve o'clock! Steady, then fire!”

  “Comet 04(Luc), adjust your angle to ninety degrees and fire twenty-two shots at three o'clock! Steady, then fire!”

  “Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!” Explosions erupted all around them, sending fiery debris cascading through the emptiness of space.

  The clash between enemy forces and human soldiers raged on. Multiple dead bodies strewn as man, monster, insect and machine scatter all around.

  “Comet Team stay sharp! Just twenty kilometers ahead.”

  “Comet 02(Edward), adjust your angle to one hundred fifty degrees and fire twenty-eight shots at five o'clock! Steady, then fire!”

  “Comet 07(Wong), adjust your angle to sixty degrees and fire sixteen shots at two o'clock! Steady, then fire!”

  As they approached the team of Trailblazers, a nightmarish sight loomed ahead. A colossal ship-like creature that resembled a nightmarish fusion of a cockroach and a grotesque alien nightmare. Its exoskeleton shimmered with slick, iridescent hues of sickly green and oily black, reflecting the dim light of nearby stars. The body pulsed and writhed, an unsettling mass bristling with pulsating, bulbous growths and trailing sticky, sinewy tentacles that undulated like vipers, each one adorned with clusters of glistening, unblinking eyes and wet with a viscous slime.

  From its gaping underbelly erupted a swarm of smaller, repulsive insects. These small darting, flitting creatures with translucent wings buzzed menacingly. They swarmed in mass, they could almost hear the cacophony of wings and chittering, desperately trying to breach the protective barriers that humanity had set around Earth. Their mandibles clicked together in an eerie symphony of hunger, determined to invade, infect and infest.

  “What on earth is that thing!?” Edward exclaimed as disbelief etched on his face. He had never seen such a colossal creature in his life. To make matters worse, the sheer number of insects trying to invade humanity nearly made him lose his grip on his weapon as hope began to wane in his eyes. Just then, Axel pulled him back to reality.

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  “Get a hold of yourself, Comet 02(Edward)! We won’t give them an inch of ground here!” Axel ensured that his message reached the entire team, determined not to let anyone’s morale slip in the midst of the chaos.

  The grotesque creature, stretching over a kilometer long, slammed against the barrier erected by the Trailblazer team, a formidable centurion of a hundred men, all on high alert. With a bone-rattling impact, it was repelled, tumbling awkwardly through the void of space before regaining its wretched angle. Undeterred, the monstrous entity barreled toward a different entry point to Earth, only to be flung back again, battered by the relentless defensive shields of the Trailblazer team. The sight was almost comical, this nightmarish insect of flesh and carapace seemed unfazed by the relentless bombardment, even as its organs disintegrated at an astonishing speed.

  The tension in the air was palpable, adrenaline coursing through their veins. Each failed strike from the creature served as a grim reminder of the stakes, if it reached Earth, it would devour every living being, transforming the vibrant planet into a desolate wasteland reminiscent of Mars.

  “Trailblazer 001, I have visual on you, do you copy?” Axel asks through the communication lines.

  “This is Trailblazer 001. You are about to enter our terrestrial territory. Please follow protocol to proceed through our decontamination chamber, the donut-shaped space station I told you earlier. I must emphasize, do not run inside. Allow the machine to conduct a thorough scan. There is a significant risk that someone among you may be an imposter or, worse, already infected. Remain vigilant and prepared for any potential threats. Your safety and the safety of mankind depends on your cooperation and alertness. Proceed with caution. Trailblazer 001 out.”

  The seven individuals shared glances of profound horror, each one grappling with the shocking realization that such a scenario was even possible. With a combination of trepidation and determination, they entered the designated area, where a rigorous examination process was initiated. Every conceivable sample was meticulously collected for analysis. Blood was drawn, bone marrow was extracted, and even tears were collected in sterile vials. Additionally, they accounted for the minor physiological reactions that accompanied their fear, documenting any involuntary urination that occurred. The entire procedure, encompassing the collection and initial analysis of these samples, was conducted with precision and urgency, culminating in a mere two minutes.

  While the five of them waited in the lobby, preparing to jump to Earth, the calm was shattered by the sudden blare of alarms. Martinez erupted in a horrifying explosion, a slick mass of writhing, fleshy worm-like tentacles spilling forth, each one dotted with glistening, fly-like eyes that glared with sinister intent. The tentacles slithered like grotesque snakes, lined with barbed edges dripping a viscous, putrid slime, seeking out their prey.

  It stared locked onto Edward, who was still putting on the All Cloak, as if assessing him for a hostage. But before it could strike, the ship's defense mechanisms roared to life, unleashing a hail of bullets and lasers. Axel and his team fired in unison, ensuring that the nightmarish pestilence was vanquished, leaving only the echoes of horror in their minds.

  Edward, already shattered from the horror of the enormous insect he had encountered, felt himself unravel completely as he stood near another one. The crushing pressure of his surroundings overwhelmed him.

  “I… I… I can’t do this anymore,” he stammered, his voice shaky with despair. “I’m sorry, but maybe this is too much for me. I can’t bear the thought of holding you back, of jeopardizing humanity or ruining the mission. It’s better if I just… if I just go.”

  Without hesitation he took out all his equipment from his inventory then he pressed the muzzle of his weapon to his temple and pulled the trigger in that agonizing moment. It wasn't that Edward was a coward as they all knew he had the heart of a soldier. But the unbearable weight of his shattered mental state had eclipsed everything, and in the chaos of the battlefield, sanity was paramount. The five exchanged glances, collected the equipment, then silently offered a prayer for their fallen comrades before turning their attention back to the orbital deployment cannon, which would launch them to their designated location.

  “This is Comet 01(Axel), we have two casualties. Over.” Axel tried to compose himself, but his hoarse voice could not hide the shock of losing two combatants in his team with just fifteen minutes into the mission. The trailblazer team leader who just finished exterminating the huge bug noticed this and approached him, trying to give him some encouragement.

  "Hey there, Comet 01(Axel). You know, the casualties at this checkpoint are rather astonishing. This is my seventy-fourth time repeating this mission, and I've witnessed more than 19 teams get wiped out, but don’t let that get to you. So far, we’ve only encountered those insect-demons and lizard freaks trying to play humans, just like some of those folks we encountered earlier. At least you’re not making things any more difficult for us! Honestly, under the circumstances, I'd say you’ve got lady luck giving you a good smooch right now!"

  Trailblazer 001 then handed them an evolutionary specimen from the gargantuan monstrosity of a bug they had seen earlier. It was still wriggling inside the container as it flew into their hands, and though they were unsure how they managed to kill it, as military personnel, they knew better than to ask too many questions. Axels team let him keep the specimen for now as distribution was easier after the mission was done.

  Axel pondered the man’s words, knowing he meant well for them and was just trying to lighten up the mood, after a while, he planned to reorganize his team by checking the status of their gear and quantity of ammunition. Before he proceeded on the roll call, he thought of the creature they killed earlier then pressed on the sample collector making it collect three Evolutionary specimen on his Inventory, he wanted to get stronger faster because he genuinely wanted to contribute to humanity and his heart told him these were the answers. He looked at it and it was a small worm that had disgusting eyes sizing him up. He asked his four comrades if they wanted some of it but told him he can hold on to it for now as well.

  “This is Comet 01(Axel), report the current status of your gear integrity and ammunition."

  “This is Comet 03(Kokoy), gears and ammunition report as follows, I have my All Cloak at 88% integrity, Bulwark at 76% integrity, Winston ammunition at 430 rounds, and the Pision 7 rounds."

  “This is Comet 04(Luc), gears and ammunition report as follows, I have my All Cloak at 86% integrity, Bulwark at 78% integrity, Winston ammunition at 427 rounds, and the Pision 7 rounds."

  “This is Comet 05(Tamaki), gears and ammunition report as follows, I have my All Cloak at 89% integrity, Bulwark at 78% integrity, Winston ammunition at 438 rounds, and the Pision 7 rounds."

  “This is Comet 07(Wong), gears and ammunition report as follows, I have my All Cloak at 83% integrity, Bulwark at 73% integrity, Winston ammunition at 447 rounds, and the Pision 7 rounds."

  "We're coming in hot! Keep your heads in the game and your eyes sharp," Axel growled, as they stepped onto the launch pad ready to be hurled into the heart of France.