Chapter 74: Consequences Of Moving Stupid
— Beaumont, September 17th, 7am —
I stood at the edge of Beaumont, just steps away from the I-10 bridge over the Sabine River with a team of 250 soldiers, 50 of which were Stage One Ascendants—humans whose stats were around the 7 or 8 point benchmark—all armed. I had Rai’ki hung on my waist, with the ARC-V43 Paladin rifle in hand and the NMX-ZERO Whisper Fang pistol lying quietly in my chest gun holster.
Beside my team was another batch of 250 soldiers, 50 of which were also Stage One Ascendants, led by Lt. Kenza Dorran, a B-rated military-affiliated Limitless with rich experience in battles like this. Unlike my team, which just ignored me, hers interacted with her, sharing information amongst themselves and seeking her thoughts on matters.
It was clear they respected her, probably because this wasn’t her first time on the front lines with them.
She was young, probably in her mid-twenties, with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail. Her gear was a tight fit, revealing all her curves and assets, which even her men couldn’t help but stare at.
Covering the entire bridge was the red barrier, which stretched deeper into Louisiana. As long as it remained here, we had no chance of getting into the state.
Thud!
Approaching footsteps caught my attention, and I turned to see a man with brown hair and a thick mustache dyed red. He had a hulking frame in a 6’3’’ body that would make you think he was on steroids—but after seeing dozens of Ascendants with the same frame, I was used to it.
Pa!