Howl: A World at War Novel by Mitchell T Jacobs

Author:Mitchell T Jacobs [Jacobs, Mitchell T]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-05-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

Melee

One enemy fell before her blade. Then another. Then another. She drew her pistol and fired off a pair of shots at another out of reach.

Five. Six. Seven. Eight.

But then she was thrown down onto the hard deck of the battledome. A message flashed up on her HUD. Objective Failed.

“Maybe you should turn down the difficulty level?” Miko suggested from the sidelines where she was observing.

Selene stood up and shook her head. “I'm going to beat this no matter what,” she said insistently. “Simulation, start.”

Ten enemies armed for combat in close quarters materialized. Selene kept her knife out and charged at them.

Their failure against the Valkyries had rankled. She knew that it wasn't rational. Hydra had built themselves around the firepower they could bring to the battlefield. Whether it was recoilless rifles, armored vehicles or air support, they could lay down a devastating amount of hurt on the enemy. It was natural that they were far less proficient at close combat.

She disabled the first enemy with a slash across the ribs followed by a stab to the neck. One.

It stood to reason that the Valkyries were so proficient at it because of Hydra. They were using close combat as a way to negate their firepower advantage. And while Black Wolf might have been slaughtered in the last battle, that was because they had been caught off guard. If they were faced with a more even fight then they could probably carry the day.

Two more enemies loomed in front. One came in with a downward stab. Selene sidestepped and slashed her enemy across the throat. Two. Without skipping a beat she pushed aside the falling body and made a lunging stab into the next enemy's ribs. Three.

That sentiment didn't sit well with her. Nothing about this game was balanced or fair, which was why it appealed to her. Valor and reliance on one strategy could only carry them so far. In World at War, victory went to the smartest, the most adaptable, the most prepared. They had to be ready to confront any situation that they might be faced with. Hoping to fight in optimal conditions wasn't going to give them victory. They had to evolve or perish.

Selene drew her pistol and shot a pair of enemies that were too far away for her to reach. Five. Six.

Part of this was personal for her. People had seen her achievements and thought she was incredible, but in truth they stemmed from something else. Whether it was academics, sports or anything else, her success came from one source. Deep down, more than anything else, Selene hated losing.

She sensed someone coming from behind. That wasn't going to work this time. Selene stepped to the right, then pivoted and stabbed in one fluid motion. She caught her enemy square in the chest. Seven.

Selene brought up her pistol to fire again. But something hit her in the back and she fell to the floor again. Objective Failed. She slapped the floor in frustration.

Miko walked over to her.

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