YTSK II: Chapter XX
In Universe Date: 21 April 2021
The car carrying Tenax, Zed, DRM, and DH hurls through the air, propelled by the force of the rocket that had hit it, before crashing down into a desolate area of a camp. The glass shatters. Despite common sense dictating that this fall should've killed them, our protagonists have survived the fall... somehow.
"Thank god we put our seatbelts on", Zed says.
Tenax groans as he regains consciousness. He has a throbbing headache and can barely see through the smoke and debris. He looks around and sees the familiar faces of Zed, DRM, and DH. Tenax looks out the shattered window and sees armed guards approaching.
The squad emerges from the wreckage, dazed and confused. They are surrounded by security guards who had been stationed at the camp.
"Ah, look! New prisoners.", one of the security guards says.
"Where are we?", Tenax says.
"Mapschwitz concentration camp, inside of Videomapistani-occupied northern Mapperdonia".
"A-a concentration camp?", Tenax asks.
"Oh please, it isn't as bad as it sounds", the security guard says, before giving a tour of the camp.
"Here at Mapschwitz concentration camp, we do our best to provide our inmates with a good time. We provide:
A pool
Free haircuts
Free showers
At Mapschwitz, sustainability is also one of our most important goals. We make sure to recycle our waste, allowing us to make gorgeous lampshades made from human skin, and serve human flesh for dinner." "Why does your waste include human skin and-" "We also provide our inmates with several activities, such as helping us make weapons."
"In showers, it's become a game for our inmates to scream as hard they possibly can, while scratching on the wall. How many scratch marks can you leave before passing out?"
"Hey sir, I just found something weird. Is this a pile of corpses?"
"Corpses? Oh, no, those aren't *corpses*, those are just inmates who have collapsed from the sheer amount of happiness that comes with being here."
"...We're gonna die, aren't we?"
Security guard: "Yup"
Tenax: "Why"
SC: "For the lulz"
DRM: "Killing people isn't funny."
SC: "Then why does it make me laugh?"
Zed: "...because you're insane?"
SC: "Ha! Sanity is for the weak."
The security guard proceeds to escort the squad to their cell.
In the cell, Tenax looks around nervously. "We have to get out of here. They're going to kill us."
Zed nodded. "I reckon you're right. But how do we do it? We're outnumbered and outgunned."
DRM speaks up. "I have a plan. Did you notice how the security guards didn't inspect our car while dragging us to our cell?"
Zed nods again. "Yes. What about it?"
DRM points through the window of their cell. "I propose that we launch an assault on the gate. We'll fight the guards using the weapons we'll haul from our car. DH's Kamehameha will destroy the gate and bring us to freedom. This does admittedly hinge on the weapons still being in our car."
In the following morning, the squad launches its plan. DH uses a kaio-ken x4 to summon the strength needed to punch a hole in the prison wall. The squad then moves quickly, hauling weapons from their car and then taking the guards near the gate. They shoot their weapons with precision, taking out several guards before they could even raise their weapons. DH prepares to shoot the finishing attack to blow the gate open. But when DH tries to unleash his Kamehameha wave, he finds that he can not do it, since he had lost his left arm in the attack on the parliament, and his energy levels are too low to summon the necessary power with only one hand.
Reinforcements arrive to protect the gate. The squad falls back. DH creates a force field to protect the squad against returning fire. The squad tries to shoot the guards from within the forcefield, but as time continues, their ammo starts to run out. The guards continue to attack the forcefield, draining DH's power. It seems that the squad is on the verge of destruction. DH uses a kaio-ken x5 to try and break the gate open, but this is not enough. A kaio-ken x20 might do the job, but that would drain all his power, and then the guards could shoot freely at the squad, since DH would no longer be able to raise a force field. That would simply be annihilation by another means.
Outnumbered, outgunned and outmatched by the Videomapistani security forces, the odds are stacked against the squad, who are now carrying out their last stand.
DH: "We're trapped! We're going to die here, fuck!"
Tenax: "Don't you give up now, DH! We can't let them win."
Suddenly, an explosion can be heard from outside the battlefield. A security guard shouts: "What was that?!"
Tenax: "That could be our chance. Let's go!"
The Squad charges out of the battlefield, following the sound of the explosion. They find themselves facing a group of Mapperdonian rebels armed with weapons from Tenax's car.
Zed thinks to himself: "Wait, I recognize this guy."
Violet, the rebel leader, speaks up: "We heard the gunshots and came to help. Let's show these Videomapistani scum what we're made of!"
Together, The Squad and the rebels fight off the Videomapistani forces controlling the camp. The squad finds itself in the thick of the fighting, their weapons firing non-stop. Finally, the last of the Videomapistani forces fall, and the rebels cheer in victory.
As the smoke clears and the sounds of the gunfire die down, The squad emerges from the camp, weapons in hand, only to be met by a group of Mapperdonians rebels.
Tenax: "We owe you our lives. Thank you."
One of the rebels, Bace Bulgarian Mapper, becomes angry upon recognizing Tenax.
"Spare me your thanks! You're the one who invaded our country!", he yells. "You killed our people! And now you're here in our camp? You deserve to rot here for the rest of your life!"
The rebels almost assault Tenax, but Zed deters them by pointing his gun at them.
"Stay back, or I'll shoot!", Zed says.
But the group of prisoners continue to berate Tenax, shouting insults and curses at him.
Tenax: "I had to invade Mapperdonia. Your country created Yan to murder our innocent civilians. We had to retaliate."
Bace: "That's not true! We never hired anyone to do such a thing."
Tenax: "That's what my advisors told me."
Bace: "Maybe, if you had allowed the Videomapistan National News Service to run negative stories on you, you would've learned about the recent leaked documents that show that the fossil fuel industry has lobbied your advisors to pursue war against Mapperdonia so as to topple its socialist regime, allowing its oil resources to be privatized and exploited!"
Tenax: "NO! That's not true! My advisors, they would... never... lie..."
Bace screams: "THINK, TENAX, THINK! HOW COULD A NATION AS BACKWARDS AS MAPPERDONIA CREATE A WEAPON AS SOPHISTICATED AS YAN?"
Tenax is silent. Bace continues: "YOU'VE BEEN A PAWN, TENAX! A PAWN IN THE GAME OF BIG OIL! SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED, BECAUSE YOU PUT BLIND TRUST INTO YOUR ADVISORS!"
Tenax starts crying. "I did... I did the right thing... I... am not... evil..."
Bace: "YOU'VE TAKEN AWAY MY DAUGHTER, TENAX! SO MANY HOMES, SO MANY FAMILIES, SO MANY LIVES RUINED, BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Tenax apologizes. "I... I am sorry. I don't know what else to say."
Bace: "Sorry isn't enough. You destroyed our homes, killed our people, and now you're asking for forgiveness? It's too late for that."
Violet, who had been watching the conversation, intervenes. "You know Tenax, there's one way you can help redeem yourself. How about you help us topple Yan and end this war?"
"Aye, I could do that", Tenax says.
DH smirks. "Maybe the real Mapperdonian weapon was the friends we made along the way."
*To be continued...*