Warriors Of The New Age... a rewrite.

The Year - 2030
Age - Sixteen

The sun was setting over the horizon and darkness was slowly engulfing everything. In the distance, I could scarcely make out a flock of birds soaring through the air; unrestrained, without a care in the world.

I had to struggle a bit to keep up with the others; my ragged boots kept coming loose. We made our way bit by bit down the street, crouching low behind the rubble that surrounded us. There was an eerie silence in the in the air. I glanced ahead. Red leader had signalled for us to stop. He gestured for me and another to wait as he took some of the others to scout ahead .

The buildings were as they had always been; dark, gloomy and bare. Most of them were in ruins now, thanks to the first series of aerial-bombardment the United States brought on when it declared war back in 2022, almost eight years ago.

“I don’t like this – it’s too damn quiet,” muttered a voice beside me.

I turned just as my bunk-mate, Blaze, stirred behind an up-end ocular-phone booth. I remembered the first day it was introduced to the world – a Japanese technology that enabled individuals to converse face to face without really having to actually do so.

A slight rustle woke me with a start. I clutched my handgun tightly as I peered around for any sign of movement. But in the darkness, there was only so much that I could see.

“Blaze, give me your N-V specs, now,” I whispered urgently, holding out a hand.

“Where’s yours?” he shot back.

“I left it back in the bunk – give it!”

Blaze was hesitant to give it up (I couldn’t blame him, though). The words of the Head Instructor were still ringing inside my head; your gear are you life, gentlemen, so keep them close!

“Blaze, this is no time for arguing-”

Just as these words came spluttering out of my mouth, something metallic clattered loudly on the asphalt. Right then and there, all of my sixteen years of life started flashing before me.

“Grenade!”

Next thing I knew, someone had pulled me to my feet and we were scrambling for cover. There was a deafening explosion just as Blaze and I fell facedown on the ground.
Pushing myself up, I felt around for my firearm. As I did so, I noticed that Blaze was shaking his head hard, trying to get rid of the shock.

“You alright, man?” I muttered, checking my gun for damage.

“Fine,” he grumbled.

Suddenly, another blast erupted, but this time, a stream of plasma bolts followed suit.

“Hit the deck!” Blaze shouted as he ducked low and disappeared in the darkness. I had to roll to avoid the plasma and took cover behind a pile of debris. For a few seconds the firing intensified, then it ceased. Figures came out from the darkness, men wearing full combat-armour. They seemed to be checking the area for any other sign of life as they moved very cautiously.

Moments later, shafts of light emanated from their helmets, illuminating the darkness.

“You there, Blaze?” I whispered in the portable comlink.

There was a moment of static, before the line crackled to life.

“Yeah, I read you. It’s them.”

“Yep, they’ve finally decided to show their faces, the bloody Americans.”

“You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I responded enthusiastically.

“Let’s teach these arrogant capitalists to keep to their own lands and stay off ours!”

“Let’s!”

I took my aim and pressed the trigger. A bolt of plasma went soaring through the air and hit the back of one of the men; Blaze’s hit another right in the head. There was pandemonium for an instant as the men desperately tried to figure out where the firing came from. Blaze and I took the confusion to our advantage as we efficiently gunned the nearest ones down. Finally, one of them (incidentally, he was one of the few who were intelligent enough to take cover) noticed me and signalled to his comrades.

“They’ve spotted me - I’m going for it!”

“I’ll be covering you, so don’t worry.”

“Never do.”

I shot out from behind the rubble and fired at them frantically. A few of them were down before they knew what hit them, but many more were shooting back. Then, out of the blue, someone grabbed at me from the side. He held on for dear life as I tried to shake his fingers free from my firearm.

In the end, he managed to pry it out of my hand and threw it somewhere over his shoulder. Without a scrap of warning, he lunged towards me. I closed my eyes. Reaching out with my mind, I concentrated and held my hand out. The burly man never even came close; for a moment he just stopped, frozen as if he where held up by some invisible force.

Blaze and I weren’t just your ordinary, everyday soldier. Our DNA were specifically modified to the degree that we have, at our disposable, a thing people once thought impossible; the ability to move things using only the power of the mind, i.e. telekinesis.

Opening my eyes, I threw my hands forcefully in front of me in a sweeping wave. The man went flying across the street and crashed into a wall before falling limply to the ground. I turned towards the remaining men. As they drew their guns at me, I made a tugging gesture. All of their weapons flew out of their hands and went skidding across the ground, all except for one.
My own handgun came flying over to me. I grabbed it from the air and took out each and every one of the stunned men.

When the last of them hit the ground, Blaze came out from his hiding position.

“Well, that should teach them not to mess with us.”

“Yeah, that one was for the blood of our innocent women & children,” Blaze muttered as he eyed the nearest one with a look of utter revulsion.

by
WhiteWizard