[b][i]Mission Three - Assault on Jinghong Dam[/i][/b]

[b]Jinghong PoW Camp - 10/25/2022, 23:00 UTC+8[/b]

The original plan had been to hike up a ridge one kilometer away, where ASEAN helicopters were waiting to take them to safety. But the storm had made such a plan impractical at best, and suicidal at worst, given Ai Chen's choice of 'uniform' to allot to her prisoners. Noel fumed at that, knowing full well that barring a miracle, most of the people they rescued would die of [i]actual natural causes[/i] due to the cold and wet conditions.

Myron put a hand on his shoulder, mildly pressing on the damp cloth of his uniform. A sign that he cannot just wallow in indecisive despair when they had all but won, and the ridge where they were to rendezvous with the Laotian and Thai helicopters was still within reach, their pilots choosing to risk everything to save those who were no longer able to save themselves. 

[i]Let's go,[/i] he thought. [i]The final boss is not Huo Ren or Ai Chen or even Pride himself, but the forces of nature itself.[/i]

And as he moved, as he forced himself to put one foot before the other in the squelching mud that stuck to his boots, as he tried to ignore the rain and thunder and the howling air, Noel Alonso knew that they were lucky, lucky to have Qingshe and Ernesto and Nico; Marta and Cristina and Nil. 

The storm was peaking, but the search-and-rescue helicopters were still heading for that ridge as planned; their pilots still followed their orders to pick up the thousands of prisoners that had been in that damned PoW camp. At least that place was no longer operational; at least its inmates were free, even if only to perish in water and mud and cold and wind. 

Headlights shone in front of him as a pickup truck stopped in front of his party. At first, Noel was afraid that it was one last PLA gambit, but the doors opened to show two Filipino men - Former prisoners of the camp judging by the white gym shorts they were wearing - who gestured to Noel, Myron, and Cristina (who was with them) to come inside, along with Nico and the surrendered Chinese Arms Masters (Han and Wei Rui).

When Noel had driven most of the guards insane, the Prisoners did more than just slaughter their guards; they had also stolen and commandeered the large number of trucks that were inside the Jinghong Dam PoW camps. These were sturdy enough to form an ad-hoc convoy to take them to the ridge/rendezvous point where the Thai and Laotian Air Forces were going to take them [i]home[/i].

Marta, Henri, and Ernesto would also be offered a ride on a commandeered Chinese APC - Thankfully not one of those self-animated ones. This vehicle ought to carry the surrendered PLA guards too, if anyone gave any thought to Liu Xie and Sui Mang.

As for Qingshe, she would receive a signal, from the communications console Huo Ren and Cao Bao had left behind, the one given sapience by Shen Tu. The signal would be followed up by a message: [i]Please... Save my Creator. Not now, but one day.[/i]

[b]Unidentified Chinese Military Base - 10/25/2022, 23:00 UTC+8 [/b]

"I don't care about your threats to animate my household possessions and turn them into murder weapons," Huo Ren said before he smacked Shen Tu across the face, hard enough to knock the young man down to the ground. "I did not get Nico Makri. I did not get Noel Alonso. So I need [i]compensation[/i]; a consolation prize if you will..."

Shen Tu spat on his face, then said as he brushed himself off and got up, "I am your aide, not one of your 'toys'. I don't think The Party and the Secretary-General will like it if your 'tendencies' became more public than they already are."

Huo Ren would not be deterred as he stepped towards Shen Tu and said, "And yet, if they become public, [i]you'll[/i] carry the shame; I don't need to prove my strength and manliness. You on the other hand [i]don't have any[/i]. This means I can do to you whatever I want, whenever I want... But right now, I can see you're stressed out, so I will magnanimously postpone your 'private meeting' with me until tomorrow. [i]Be ready[/i]."

Shen Tu whirled away from his would-be tormentor with a "Tch!" as he walked off...

[@Lewascan2][@Gerlando][@Nimbus][@QJT][@Amidatelion][@Digmata][@Chiro][@Deide][@Creative Chaos]