Otto's Pov

After making contact with the locals in a place called "Coda Village" we got directions to a forest settlement in Koan Forest as it's a few klicks out from Coda Village. I'm in the lead vehicle which is the one of the M-ATVs. Itami, Cooper and Kurata are talking anime up front and I'm in the back with Cpl. Volkov as she navigates and I'm just looking out the window.

Volkov: By the way, what are we doing with gear that's now overpowered in a way. I mean, sure we can take out our enemies fast and easy.

Itami: It's probably just a cost management thing.

Me: Itami is right. They figured worst case we'd have to fallback and regroup with whomever. But we have five IFVs and two tanks.

Cooper: So yeah, we have enough fire power to take on a small town

Volkov: I see then.

Devin:*on the radio in the BTR* At least we don't have to worry about IEDs.

Cho:*on the radio* Glad I wasn't deployed to the Middle East, then.

Bula:*on the radio* Besides all that. The new stuff has all that gadgetry that needs GPS. Luckily  they launched satellites out here a month ago?

Blacker:*on the radio in the Tigr-M* Yeah. It's also another reason we got Javelins.

W. Cole:*on the Cougar HE 6x6* That's right.

Itami: We're just bringing along what we need. Kurata there ought to be at a small river coming up on a little bit, alright. Follow along the banks for a while and we should be getting a pretty good look at that forest they were telling us about.

Kurata: Roger that.

I noticed Volkov was giving me a curious look.

Me: If you got something on your mind Soldier, just ask.

Volkov: Well sir, I know you've been with us since today, but I really don't know that much about you.

Me: Just know that'll have your back and you'll have mine.

Volkov: Хорошо. (Ok.)*turns away*

Timeskip

We were back on our way to the Koan Forrest Settlement. Then I look ahead to see smoke on the horizon. Lots of smoke. That can never be good.

I see that Itami also took notice of this and gave me a look. I nodded at him as he grabbed his radio.

Itami: All victors, we got smoke in our twelve. Be prepared for anything.

Everyone:*on the radio and in the vehicle* Yes, sir!

Timeskip to Night time outside the Koan Forest

We're all overlooking the forest as it's currently ablaze both the Maj. and the Capt. are looking through their binos to see if they can spot anything of significance.

Zero: Good God, it's on fire.

John: No shit. Did you think it's a massive bonfire?

Zero regrets what he said as I see Shino and Cooper chuckle a bit. But when they both catch the Major giving them a look, they lock it up.

Shino & Cooper: We apologize, sir.

K. Cole: Still, I haven't seen a fire like this since the El Dorado Fire on September 5, 2020.

Ito: Don't remind me. My family lost a vacation home in that horrid year.

Kurokawa: But what could have caused such a blaze?

W. Cole:*shocked* Holy shit....

Me, Sato, Hak, Tomita, Alex & MJ: What?

Dustin: You gotta see this one for yourselves.

Most of us look through our binos and spot a large flying fucking red dragon continuing to breath fire down below as it veers back and forth across the forest.

Milly:*shocked* Holy motherfucker....

I had to do a double take because what in the name of Skyrim am I seeing?!

Itami: Holy mother of crap?!

Me: Fuck me.....

MJ:*to Sasagawa* Sasagawa, you getting this?

Sasagawa:*taking photos* Yeah, every sec of it.

Sato: Send some to me. And send the most to either the Generals or other Commanding Officers.

W. Cole: That's right. As that dragon we'll now call "Lucas" is a major threat.

Even the wyverns prove a challenge for our 20mm. What can something of that size tank?

Shino: Major, Lieutenant, Captain, would you like us to do sirs?

Itami:*serious tone* Sgt. Kuribayashi do you think you can hold my hand for me.*scared tone* Your Lieutenant is getting kinda scared over here.

Walker: Do you wanna do USMC PT in a EOD suit, Lt. Itami?

Itami:*scared tone* No sir.

Shino: Bite me.

Lucas roars catching our attention. Katsumoto aims the .50 cal at it, Wilson and Devin in the LAV-25 and BTR points the autocannons at it and Ryan points his M60E4 at it.

W. Cole: Hold your fire! Don't piss that thing off unless you want to serve it soldiers with a side of marines bbq! And I ain't planning on being part of that menu!

Lucas flies away.

JJ: Seems Lucas is bugging out.

Furuta: Anyone know why Lucas was burning the forest?

Mine and probably the others eyes widen at the what the answer to that question.

Nishina: Maybe another dragon?

Dal: Or maybe it's like they said back in Coda Village MSgt., there's a settlement in there.

Everyone now has concern looks on their faces.

Dustin: 1sSgt., we're gonna have to put a wait to set up camp.

Sam: Yes, sir.

Itami: Everyone else, back in our vics! We're oscar mike!

Timeskip

At the now destroyed Koan Forest Settlement

The rain last night put out fire so we moved in to investigate and look for survivors.

Or at the very least someone or something that lived.

Houses have been reduced to their foundations and charred bodies are all over the place as we look through the rubble for any sign of life. Alex, Kurata, Kei, Rowan and myself are patrolling through when Kurata and Rowan sees a charred corpse.

Rowan: Oh....damn....

Kurata: Uh.....guys?

Me: We know. We know. Just......keep searching for anything.

Alex: What's the matter you two, ain't seen a burned dead body before? Even after all the guys we killed so far.

Kei: Lock it up, you four.

Kurata and Rowan quickens their pace.

I see MJ, Blacker, JJ, Tomita and Sato looking through the rubble and I see Tomita kneeling down.

He lifts up a burnt corpse.

And it's a child.

I hear him let out a soft sob.

Everyone is shocked and saddened by the sight of a dead child.

Cooper walks up to Tomita.

I see them talking as Cooper gives him a hug and a pat on the back.

I see Shino and Devin coming out from the rubble and Shino spots me.

She gives me a look of sadness and sorrow.

I nod at her.

Then a sound that sounds like a groan catches my and everyone's attention.

I head over to the sound to see a charred body that is barely alive.

Walker looked at our medics and corpsmen and they shook their heads. Walker nodded and pulled out his M17 pistol as most of us turned away as he ended the man's suffering.

He holstered his M17.

We continue our search for survivors.

Itami and W. Cole found a well and sat on the edge of it. Itami starts drinking from his canteen and I see Maj. Walker drink from his Camelbak. Shino and Cooper reports their findings to them.

Shino: Lieutenant, Captain, Major at first glance here we see about thirty-two foundations throughout the settlement. The majority of which appear to be roughly the size of family dwellings sirs.

Cooper: And we only found twenty seven bodies. The rubble and wreckage could be hiding the rest.

Itami: Assuming that each foundation had a family of three or four inside.

I come up and added the numbers.

Me: Then that adds up to either 96 or 128 with no survivors. Plus we don't know if Lucas had a snack on the villagers while cooking them so there's that.

Shino: This is just horrible.

Walker:*emotionless* I would say top 10. WW2 being above "this".

Mari:*walking up to us* Suppose that Lucas or many like it attacks group of people. Or large groups.

W. Cole: Then like those pictures, we report it to the Generals. Don't want Lucas and it's kind flying towards Alnus Hill or the naval base beach and we're gravely unprepared.

Me: Yes, but I'm not sure the Generals is going to like what else we have to tell them.

Shino: Yeah, from what I heard .50 cals barley put a dent in the wyverns in NY and they weren't breathing fire all over the place.

Itami:*grabs well bucket* A flying tank with a flame thrower is not a good thing. We should see what kind of reconnaissance we can do to learn more about them.*throws bucket into well*

W. Cole: If you get the shits from drinking this well. I'll laugh and call you "Lt. Shitter".

Shino & Cooper: Pffts!

*KLUNK!*

Mari & Shino: Nani?

Me: Maybe the bucket hit something?

Itami, Mari and I take out our Moonbeams and shine it down the well.

Itami: Welp. That's one way to survive a Dragon attack.

W. Cole: No kidding. Hey! We need help!

Walker: Kurokawa, stay here. Kuribayashi, find LCpl. Koval, Cooper, stay here and Abrams get one of the Bushmasters to get her out now.

Mari, Cooper, Shino & I: Yes, sir!

Timeskip

After Cooper bring Itami and the girl up from the bottom the well, which shocked almost everyone of how strong he was. Mari and Isai Koval are tending to the elf girl.

Isai Koval: She's unconscious, but thankly alive. My best guess she probably suffered head trauma from falling the well and getting a wooden bucket landed on her head.

Kane: Though I wonder what her reaction will be when we tell her that both her friends and family are dead.

Meanwhile Kurata is spazzing out over the fact that she's a blonde elf.

Kurata:*happy* AHHH! An elf, and not just any elf she's a blonde elf too! Now that's the kinda thing I was expecting to find out here!*giggles* We hit the jackpot baby!

Itami:*emptying water from his boots* Okay...you're into elves.

Me: Shino, Petrova.

Both Shino and Petrova slaps Kurata upside his head.

Kurata:*in pain* OWWW!!! What was that for?!

Flecker:*sarcastically* Oh I don't know. Maybe outside the fact that all her friends and family are dead. But continue to file her into your spank bank, boy.

Kurata instantly shuts up.

Mari approaches to give us an update on the girl's conditions.

W. Cole: So, what's her conditions?

Mari: Her temp is back to normal and her conditions are no longer critical.

Zero: That's good to here.

Walker: Great work the both of you.

Mari: By the way, due to her clothes being wet we had to used one of the spare uniforms.

Shino: The nameless ones? Which one?

Mari: SSgt. Solovyov's spare Jacket & T-shirt and my spare trousers.

Me: Alright, so how would you like to proceed, sirs?

Itami: Let's see...a dry pair of boots would be pretty kick ass right about now!

Sato: Or a dry pair of socks.

Mari: Eh? What's wrong with your boots, Lieutenant?

Sato: You'd have to be there to understand.

W. Cole: Nevermind her, no way we can leave her here.

Me: She ended up losing her entire village, we'll classify her as a refugee and take her with us.

Walker: We'll keep an eye on her and get some answers once she's fully recovered. Any objections?

No objections. Good.

Mari:*slight smile to me* Now why did I get the feeling you were gonna say something like that.

Me:*blushes a bit* I mean....*looks away* It is the right thing to do for her.

Mari:*smiles* I know, Otto.

I look at my sister Milly and she is giving me a smug grin.

Milly:

Me: What the fuck are you looking so smug about?*smirks* Tigar?

She loses her smug look with a horror look as everyone around us has a confused look.

Then she stomps up to whispers to me angrily.

Milly:*whispering & peeved* Don't ever! Call me by my middle name in public ever again.

Me:*whispering* And don't try anything to get me embarrassed. Remember, I may be the same rank as you, but I'm still your older twin brother. Meaning I can tell the others secrets about you.

Milly:*whispering* Don't make me fight you.

Me:*whispering* You'll lose.

Milly:*whispering & smug grin* Wanna bet, Sherman?*whispering* Besides, the last time we fought was when we were kids and you had me in a armlock and I pulled your hair. Remember that?*whispering* I remember you cried and you mom gave you a icepack for your balls.

Me: Hey! That was one time and I was five! Plus I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm an adult now and a US Marine. Not a scaredy-cat! *whispering* Besides, my hair isn't as long as yours, so you wouldn't pull it. Midget. *whispering* Remember that one time, you got the shit kicked out of you because you were shorter than all the other kids? Huh, huh?! Did ya?

Cooper: Uhhh?

Me & Milly: Huh?

Crap.

Me:*red face in embarrassment* L-Let's get moving on.

Milly:*also red face in embarrassment* Y-Yeah.

Oliver, Cooper, Mari & W. Cole:*whispering & smug grin* Yep. Those to are definitely brother and sister.

Oh man....

We board our vics and depart the settlement.

Kuwabara: That's it, we should head back to Alnus Hill.

Yehor: Best route back is most likely through Coda Village. We should tell them about Lucas the dragon as well.

Kuwabara: Good idea.

Kurata: Ya know? I'm thinking we'll probably run into a dragon again before a cat girl, huh?

Cooper: Don't say that shit, man! You know Murphy's Law?

You have no idea how right you are Ryan. No Idea.

And Murphy's Law will bite us all in the ass. Big Time.

I'll never forget what happened next. Not in a million years.

Not in a billion.