"About time they got here," Burke muttered to herself as the horde made its final approach to the outer layer of fortifications the colony had erected.
"Everything ready?" Wills asked for the fourth time in the last five minutes.
"Yes, everything is ready. You really should have rested when you were told to."
"Couldn't," Wills flicked her antennae, "the scouts were still out there."
"That doesn't mean that you had to be."
"We disagree on that point."
"I know," Burke lifted an antenna and brought it down with a gentle thwack on her siblings head. "Now that the battle has arrived, you're useless. Go back with the other late returning scouts and get an hour of rest. This isn't going to be over by then."
Stubborn, Wills shook her head.
"I'll be fine for a while yet," she said, "I've got a full load of acid and I'm not sleeping till these invaders have felt every drop of it."
"Fair enough then. Just make sure you don't push too far forward. Stick to the plan. Deliver the product and then get to safety."
The two scouts fell into a companionable silence as the horde made its final approach. One hundred metres. That's all that separated the enemy from the first defensive line. After a week of solid fighting, it was a relief to have it come to this.
"About time then," Burke announced.
"Seems like it," Wills agreed.
open fire," Burke told the general resting
snapped out a quick
course, Elder. Fire
monstrous ants leapt into motion simultaneously. Not far away the human defenders could only marvel and the eerie quiet
ants however, the 'noise'
range will engage in ten seconds! Ten seconds!
come! Are
angles! Don't
real
"Two! One! FIRE!"
Formica Sapiens, their collective business districts already pointed at the foe,
POW!
as the acid cut through the air with incredible power. All together the shrill sound pierced the air but faded quickly as
eating into their bodies and chewing into their flesh. Any monster who fell was set upon by its fellow horde members in an instant, torn apart and consumed in seconds. Hundreds of monsters were felled in this way but
POW! POW! POW!
in sequence as
Burke observed, "what do you
it's close. I haven't been
the order
POW! POW! POW! POW!
of soldier caste on the wall joined in the barrage. So much acid filled the sky it began to fall on the horde like burning rain. The ants were careful to spread their fire as much as possible. It wasn't as if it were possible to miss in this scenario, but
that poured from the sky and the creatures who threw themselves on their wounded brethren, the horde continued to advance, an unstoppable wave of momentum that couldn't be halted. Despite the damage caused by the acid bombardment, the colony may as well
could look out over the wall once
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
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!