Chapter 12: Strike

As crude as Belle’s plan seemed to her forces, it did work. Over two more weeks, she had more than doubled her height.

Her loyal forces spent the time increasing their ranks through drafts and repairing their vehicles when possible. The city, too, got a bit better. The factories therein were repurposed for the war effort: Belle’s divine war.

She had a secure hold on the Northeast, but there were still states a bit to the west and south that resisted her. The North-Eastern forces had an advantage in technology, as most airships were stationed either there or to the far northwest of the continental United States. Still, they ran into issues as they tried to assert their hold to the west and south at first.

They were Belle’s forces, however, and she herself did not shy from the battlefield.

Illinois was something of a holdout, with the city of Rigglen being both a rebel stronghold and the latest wall for her military to try and surpass. Belle’s forces were concentrated on some mobile camps not too far from both Rigglen city and the two suburbs of Terrastead and Bolmore which also persisted in the so-called “Illinois Independence Alliance”

After some scouting, Kadwell had thought it finally time to strike.

When they did, rolling and flying off to the city, Belle was with them.

The ‘god’ herself stood in the battlefield at about a mile in height. She had started in the back of her forces, but quickly overtook them as her formidable feet stomped down, cracking the terrain to the front of the advancing tanks.

This was the first real battle Belle would be in, and she was ready and willing to show off.

Rigglen was situated near a military base, in which their power laid. They were already prepared to defend the city with rows of their own geartanks, gun-mounted automobiles and a slew of airships of their own.

All but the largest dirigible was, to Belle, naught but a bug. They had heard of the giant brass woman of course, and many even believed in her, but none could believe she was this big. News of her growth had yet to reach them.

Now, with her brass form shining in the morning sun, many began to think it she was indeed the god she proclaimed to be.

That wouldn’t save any of them though.

They had refused calls to surrender earlier, so Belle’s forces went right into the attack. Her bronze geartanks fired at the city’s forces, which were crudely painted with the colors and patterns of the state’s flag.

Belle’s airship pilots were a bit more skilled than the opposition, and they typically shot down there of the cities for every one of their won at the least.

Yet, for all the skill of her forces, it wasn’t even really needed. Belle was unstoppable, unassailable. The Illinois Independence Alliance couldn’t even dent her. One of their commanders had ordered a synchronized fire of tanks against her body, but all that did was waste ammo on a target far beyond their capabilities.

Her feet stretched for over 700 feet while being hundreds in width. That alone made short work of swath after swath of tanks. The airships cracked against her shoulders as she walked: all but the fastest far too slow to even escape her taunting pace.

More than her pace taunted, as she spoke both aloud and over every nearby radio channel at once. She had learned how to talk over multiple simultaneously, even though her human mind could only ever really comprehend listening to one.

“Surrender, Illinois. Can you really not see that I am beyond your ability to defend against? That my claim of rule is absolute?”

She walked over to some battling airships. She dragged her fingers through the enemy ones, clipping one or two of her own air-force in the process. Whatever she raked from the sky collapsed into her palm, which was then brought to her mouth and devoured with ease.

“Your forces are but meals to me, toys~”

She raised her foot above a large mob of fleeing enemy shoulders, then stomped down.

“Surrender at once, and I’ll spare what I see fit of you all. In fact, I’ll even guarantee a spot in my forces for whatever commander does so.”

While the Illinois forces did their best to quell any mutinous talk of surrender, General Kadwell spoke over Belle’s military channel.

“Belle, it seems they are retreating into the city. We’re ready to advance to take it.”

“No need.”, spoke Belle over the channel, covertly. “I’ll handle the city myself.”

“But-”

“The force you offer isn’t needed. They are push overs. Split your forces between Terrastead and Bolmore, seize them for me and round up its peoples as prisoners. Also, monitor the city radio station’s for directives of surrender on their end. Once one comes out, let me know. I’ll be listening to this channel.”

“As you command, Belle.”

Smiling, Belle looked down at the city while her forces split away. The soldiers within looked confused as they heard that news over the radio.

“Don’t you get it?”, she bellowed from above. “I don’t need an army to take your city. I’ll do it myself.”

She lifted her foot up over the paltry city wall, hastily erected weeks ago. She slammed her right foot down into the metropolis while the toes of her left brushed through several other buildings in her stride.

“You’re just bugs, to me. Bugs and I am the queen. Ha!”

She planted her left foot down than swept it side to side as a gross show of force. Entire city blocks were demolished. Rigglen was something of an artsy city, and priceless brass buildings of architectural genius disappeared beneath the side of just one foot.

“It’d be a waste to just step on you all though, fun, but wasteful. This entire country is mine, it just doesn’t realize it yet. All will know me for ever, and you will all remember this day. But, even a pretty gal like myself has to eat right?”

Without warning, she crashed down to her knees. The quakes from the movement were enough to level more structures on her own.

Belle clawed her hands down into the city, specifically targeting areas where the military and screaming crowds were at their densest. This typically was around a few of the taller buildings, which were foolish deemed as acceptable cover.

“My stomach is a bit brutal, the steam within will scald you past the bone. But, this is wartime isn’t it? Don’t expect any mercy from me.”

Laughing a moment, Belle yawned her mouth open and wiggled her fingers. Buildings, tanks, soldiers and civilians fell inside. The hard, slick metal surface of her tongue was ready to catch and curl them down her throat to her doom. Most just fell right in, her mouth opening about 200ft wide and nearly as much tall to give plenty of room.

They landed onto a pile of already torn-apart airships. The steam hit them hard, and they screamed while swarms of minibots ripped apart the dead and inanimate before their eyes. Her stomach was lit, the ability to see within a cruelty rather than a mercy.

After just those two handfuls, Belle received word from General Kadwell.

“Belle, we just received a surrender order. The lieutenant of the Alliance shot the general, and has surrendered on behalf of the forces. Said forces seem to be in agreement with his decision.”

“Good.”, said Belle. “Accept their surrender and disarm them. Take the lucky and smart lieutenant, and put him with 25% of the forces. Take the other 75% and put them in another pile.”

“For what purpose-”

“Terrastead and Bolmore are to be evacuated. This city is on lock-down as of now.“

Belle reached out towards another block of the city. She brought it to her mouth and swallowed it down.

“B-belle, they surrendered.”

“I’m aware, and I’ll leave them alone, once I’ve have a little more of my fill.”