Chapter 76 - The Titan

- Oliver -

"Katherine!"

The group heard the shouts of the people walking outside. The three exchanged glances for a moment before deciding to open the door. As soon as the girl poked her head out of the cell, she could see two people.

A tall man with dark hair wearing golden armor and a younger girl with a scar below her eye and a short, modern haircut, dressed in red armor.

As soon as she saw the man, she had no doubts.

"John!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the two Rangers.

John ran to his sister, who placed a hand on his armor just before he entered the cell.

"Would you have something we could cover ourselves with?" she asked; for the first time in months, she was ashamed of how she looked. However, she wanted at least to check if it was possible to get some rags so that the three could cover themselves.

The Golden Ranger hadn't understood until that moment, but upon seeing his sister's embarrassed face, he managed to interpret the rest.

"Um. Maybe. One moment." He stepped away and went to the bodies of the Orks, tearing off their clothes and the rags they wore.

He brought them back to Katherine. "Maybe these will help," he commented, handing over the pieces of cloth.

"One moment," she said to John and the Red Ranger. Quickly, the girl handed the pieces of cloth to Oliver and Isabela, who took the opportunity to cover themselves. Although they were just brownish fabrics used by the Orks, it was better than nothing.

As soon as the three finished dressing, they finally stepped out of the cell. For all of them, it was a pleasant sensation of freedom that would only be surpassed when they finally stepped into the sunlight.

"You three. We are conducting a rescue operation at this moment," John clarified, seeing that the three were relatively well, although extremely thin. You will accompany General Quinn to the surface," he explained, pointing to the Red Ranger beside him.

Quinn wanted to deny his command; this was supposed to be her operation. However, after what she saw him doing in the center of the Fortress, she preferred not to provoke his ire.

Oliver, Katherine, and Isabela were surprised to learn that Quinn was a General. She was the highest rank a Ranger could achieve and was responsible for all the other Red Rangers.

"Quinn, I will continue exploring the ruins. We'll meet at the center of the Fortress at the time of extraction," John explained to the General.

"Right. You, follow me," she called to the group.

Before the group left, John took another look at the three, especially at Oliver.

'This is the talent she found at the Academy. Hmm,' he assessed the boy. 'It's a rough diamond. But maybe...'

After one last glance, John went back to advancing deeper into the fortress.

Oliver wanted to tell him there was nothing more important in the place. They had explored the area during their second escape attempt; however, he didn't know what the Ranger was searching for. Maybe it was something they hadn't noticed.

As soon as they separated, Quinn took the group's lead, guiding them through the corridors of the ancient fortress. The stone walls were, in several places, covered with moss and marked by scars of past battles. However, even so, wherever they went, the signs of recent combats were undeniable—more than undeniable. Mutilated bodies of monsters and Orks lay scattered on the ground, their weapons abandoned beside them, still stained with the blood of their last fights.

The air was heavy with the metallic smell of blood and the acrid odor of death. Drops of green blood dripped from the ceiling, occasionally mixed with pieces of entrails that detached and fell silently, creating macabre patterns on the floor.

Following right behind, Oliver couldn't help but wonder how those creatures had met such a terrible end—or worse, which of the two Rangers had created that scene. The evident brutality suggested they wanted to cause the maximum pain to their enemies before they could finally die.

The boy felt a slight chill at the thought.

A little farther ahead, they found the long staircase that connected this floor to the dungeon gates.

'It was the same one we used in the first escape,' he thought.

"Alright, let's keep going up here. It will lead us to the center of the fortress," Quinn explained.

The group could see the work done by the Rangers on each floor they passed. Some of them were still exploring the corridors when they saw the General returning.

"General." One of the Rangers saluted upon seeing her. "We couldn’t find any documents, information, or useful technology. Seems like more of the same we obtained on GL-581."

"Understood. Inform the others to initiate the retreat. We'll return to the center and establish a secure area to board the extraction ship," Quinn instructed the Ranger.

"Yes, ma'am." Again, the Ranger saluted and quickly returned to gather the rest of the team.

"Alright, our turn to get out of here," she told the group.

Climbing the stairs was the simplest part; there was no sign of any living opponents inside the fortress.

Oliver's heart beat faster each time they began to approach the dungeon gate.

After six months of continuous suffering in the dark depths of the dungeon, Oliver felt once more the rough texture of the steps that would lead him to freedom.

As he set his first foot outside the prison, the hot desert wind enveloped him like a long-desired embrace.

The arid breeze, laden with sand particles, caressed his face. Despite the harshness, it was as if a soft feather had touched his skin, awakening long-forgotten senses. His eyes, accustomed to darkness, blinked rapidly as they adjusted to the intense brightness of the sun shining high in the sky.

Tears filled his eyes; he would undoubtedly have cried if he were more hydrated. During his captivity, the only indication of passing days were small slits of light that barely illuminated.

Oliver inhaled deeply, letting the warm air fill his lungs. Each breath was a mixture of pain and relief, a reminder that he was still alive.

Around him stood a massive fortress with three enormous towers and a gigantic protective wall. However, the signs of battle were evident. One of the towers was utterly destroyed, and the walls were cracked.

The structures that were still standing were riddled with cracks.

In addition to the hundreds of Ork bodies scattered on the ground.

"Yes. We are at the center of the fortress," Quinn said, one of her hands holding the communicator. "You're being followed by vessels? Alright. No problem."

As soon as she finished communicating with the ship's captain, the General tried to use the gauntlet communication to talk to the Rangers on-site.

"Is anyone listening? Full retreat. There are signs of Ork ships approaching; the extraction ship is on its way. Estimated arrival in ten minutes." The General repeated the message; however, there wasn't any response.

As she finished the message, some Rangers emerged from the dungeons and began to position themselves in formation, protecting the fortress’ center. A few minutes later, all 23 Rangers were already in the fortress's plaza.

Only John remained in the dungeon, still exploring whatever was down there.

Oliver, Katherine, and Isabela sat on the ground in one of the areas that seemed cleaner, with fewer Ork bodies nearby.

"I thought I'd never miss feeling the sun and wind on my face," Isabela commented. "Area 55 is so hot and sunny that I often wished for winter."

Katherine and Oliver smiled upon hearing their friend; they felt the same way.

"We're almost done," Katherine said. "Just get on that ship, and our nightmare ends."

She spoke, trying to calm herself. The girl could feel her heart pounding and had slight difficulty breathing. After spending so much time wishing for this moment, there was nothing she feared more than losing it.

Thump

Thump

Thump

One of the Rangers who was closer to the wall ran toward Quinn.

"Ma'am. Ma'am. We need to expedite the extraction," the Ranger warned. "There are signs of a huge mass of Energy coming in our direction."

As soon as the first finished speaking, another Ranger approached. "Madam Quinn, we just received a notification. There's a Titan on the way to the fortress. It should arrive in the next min—"

Before the Ranger could finish his words, the group was taken aback by the sight.

On the scorching horizon of the desert, a colossal silhouette emerged, distorting the air with its presence. A titanic golem, formed of coagulated blood and putrid entrails, was walking toward the fortress, each step making the ground tremble as if the very earth feared its approach.

"Titan sighted. Titan sighted," Quinn repeated into the communicator with the ship. "I repeat, the Orks have summoned a Titan. We need to evacuate immediately."

Despite its immense stature, the creature moved with unsettling speed. Its long strides covered great distances in mere seconds, reducing dunes to dust in its wake.

The Rangers watched incredulously as the monster advanced, their hearts beating erratically in the face of such an infernal sight. A Titan was one of the ultimate weapons the Orks used in extreme situations.

'There must be something precious here for them to use a Titan,' Quinn thought.

Suddenly, without warning, the massive arms of the living flesh of the golem raised and stretched over the wall with devastating force.

Quickly, the Titan was no longer outside the fortress but inside it.

"Attack! Hold off the Titan until the ship arrives!"