"Origin of the Queen" (Grey19's fanfiction) Final Chapter is OUT! Read it!

[Grey19]

Well, I've decided to take a shot at writing a piece of fanfiction. Enjoy...

Table of contents

Chapter I, "Origins."

Chapter II, "Secondary Solution."

Chapter III, "Grinding Gears."

Chapter IV, "The Song of the Mournful,"

Chapter V, "The Face of Conflict."

Chapter VI, "From the Depths, to the Light."

Chapter VI (cont.)

Chapter VII, "The Last Shell."

"The Last Shell (cont.)

The Origins



The soldier swung his flashlight impatiently.

For months, Private First Class Francis Quentin had been assigned to this post, guarding the entrance of the research facility. In all truth, he was bitter. No info on why he was there, or what he was guarding, no regard from the higher chain of command, nothing. Ok, he may not have been the guy that everyone talks to, but just sitting here asking drivers for security passes got boring quickly.

He Heard a cruch of gravel through the rain. Peering into the darkness, he noticed a car pull up. The driver leaned out the window to hand Quentin the orange and green security pass.
"Hey, I saw something strange back there. By the fence. Looked like some kind of sinkhole. Um, maybe you could check it out."
Quentin grunted in reply. Every time these guys thought they saw somthing, they sent him on a wild goose chase. They were sure nervous about something, though. Even a loose candy bar wrapper flying around in the dark sent them running for the shelter of his guard shack, on the times they were caught outside.

"Yeah, I'll see." He handed the pass back deftly, hit the gate button, and waved the driver through. "Have a nice night."

He sighed, picked up the flashlight, and walked out into the rain. Crap, he thought, I should've taken that job at the factory.

Halfway across the shadowed, wooded compound, he saw it. What looked like a huge ground-hog tunnel. Walking up to the lip of the hole, he shone his flashlight down into it, but he could see nothing. Odd. Aren't holes supposed to have a bottom, he wondered?

Suddenly, he was aware of somthing behind him. He tried to turn around quickly, but a sharp object caught him halfway through the manuever. He was briefly aware of a huge man standing over him. Gasping, he opened his mouth to scream for help.

And then he saw the face.

And then PFC Francis Quentin became a statistic.

___________


"The time is almost ripe, My Queen."

"Good. Are the sections in place?"

"They are."

"Good." The human, shrouded in a cloak-like garment, rarely spoke what was not necessary. Gu'ar'm knew that. Strolling down the hall, the two speakers stepped to a balcony and stared over the edge at the huge city, teeming with hundreds of these creatures. She would be glad when it was all over.

She smiled and reached up, brushing the face of the other, then spoke quietly. "You have made many sacrifices, Gu'ar'm. I hope you have no regrets. At the end of all this, there will be no coming back for you."

"If what you have said is true, then there will be no coming back for any of us."

She turned away and nodded. "I did not want it to be this way. I thought that our, their, existance could remain a secret."

"The human have run their race. It is time to turn and fight them, now."

She nodded again.

Eight decades prior, the humans had discovered Imulsion.

And like over anything else, they had fought over it.

They had killed and maimed for eighty years, under the guise of technological progress.

So much killing.

She had already been in the tunnels and the holes under the planet's crust, at the time. She had discovered Imulsion.

And then she had discovered the Locust.

The Locust were a horrid race. They, and their underworldy brethren, had existed only to kill. When she was captured by them, she had thought it was over.

Then, she had fought back. She had killed Locust with her technology. The Locust had turned to treating her as a god. She was not the only god to the Locust - Imulsion was their other god - but she gave them technology. Especially bright Locust were trained by her. She gave them speech, guns, genetic engineering, the whole nine yards.

But they were still a horrific species. She had likened them to a nest of wasps - give them all the technology, but it will never change their nature. She didn't like to even go near them.

But she had a mission. She had always hated the way humans squabbled. She had realized, that like the Locust, humans had a killing nature. But the Locust were simpler, more primitive. They could be controlled.

So she had recruited the finest brains in anti-war beliefs. She had produced "No blood for Imulsion" drives. Still, it had not worked. She realized that killing humanity was the only way to save Sera.

But she didn't realize that she had become a Locust.


"If all goes well, we'll have captured all of Sera within several years, correct?"

The other nodded.

"Your cover has been achieved. You must help them for a while. Then, you will help us, according to plan. Are you comfortable with this?"

"Yes." Said Gu'ar'm.

She knew what she had done to the Locust. She knew that in giving them technology, they would slowly self-destruct too. But maybe. Maybe she could do something.

She knew that Gu'ar'm was a descendant of humans who had joined her when she went down into Sera. She knew that he was fiercly anti-human, which would make his job of passing as a human army general even more difficult.

She knew that Humanity would be, once and for all, curbed. Stopped. No longer would they use Imulsion, kill one another, or threaten the existence of her adopted species.

What she didn't know was that all would not go according to plan.

[the hunter]

Well, I've decided to take a shot at writing a piece of fanfiction. Enjoy...


The Origins



The soldier swung his flashlight impatiently.

For months, Private First Class Francis Quentin had been assigned to this post, guarding the entrance of the research facility. In all truth, he was bitter. No info on why he was there, or what he was guarding, no regard from the higher chain of command, nothing. Ok, he may not have been the guy that everyone talks to, but just sitting here asking drivers for security passes got boring quickly.

He Heard a cruch of gravel through the rain. Peering into the darkness, he noticed a car pull up. The driver leaned out the window to hand Quentin the orange and green security pass.
"Hey, I saw something strange back there. By the fence. Looked like some kind of sinkhole. Um, maybe you could check it out."
Quentin grunted in reply. Every time these guys thought they saw somthing, they sent him on a wild goose chase. They were sure nervous about something, though. Even a loose candy bar wrapper flying around in the dark sent them running for the shelter of his guard shack, on the times they were caught outside.

"Yeah, I'll see." He handed the pass back deftly, hit the gate button, and waved the driver through. "Have a nice night."

He sighed, picked up the flashlight, and walked out into the rain. Crap, he thought, I should've taken that job at the factory.

Halfway across the shadowed, wooded compound, he saw it. What looked like a huge ground-hog tunnel. Walking up to the lip of the hole, he shone his flashlight down into it, but he could see nothing. Odd. Aren't holes supposed to have a bottom, he wondered?

Suddenly, he was aware of somthing behind him. He tried to turn around quickly, but a sharp object caught him halfway through the manuever. He was briefly aware of a huge man standing over him. Gasping, he opened his mouth to scream for help.

And then he saw the face.

And then PFC Francis Quentin became a statistic.

___________


"The time is almost ripe, My Queen."

"Good. Are the sections in place?"

"They are."

"Good." The human, shrouded in a cloak-like garment, rarely spoke what was not necessary. Gu'ar'm knew that. Strolling down the hall, the two speakers stepped to a balcony and stared over the edge at the huge city, teeming with hundreds of these creatures. She would be glad when it was all over.

She smiled and reached up, brushing the face of the other, then spoke quietly. "You have made many sacrifices, Gu'ar'm. I hope you have no regrets. At the end of all this, there will be no coming back for you."

"If what you have said is true, then there will be no coming back for any of us."

She turned away and nodded. "I did not want it to be this way. I thought that our, their, existance could remain a secret."

"The human have run their race. It is time to turn and fight them, now."

She nodded again.

Eight decades prior, the humans had discovered Imulsion.

And like over anything else, they had fought over it.

They had killed and maimed for eighty years, under the guise of technological progress.

So much killing.

She had already been in the tunnels and the holes under the planet's crust, at the time. She had discovered Imulsion.

And then she had discovered the Locust.

The Locust were a horrid race. They, and their underworldy brethren, had existed only to kill. When she was captured by them, she had thought it was over.

Then, she had fought back. She had killed Locust with her technology. The Locust had turned to treating her as a god. She was not the only god to the Locust - Imulsion was their other god - but she gave them technology. Especially bright Locust were trained by her. She gave them speech, guns, genetic engineering, the whole nine yards.

But they were still a horrific species. She had likened them to a nest of wasps - give them all the technology, but it will never change their nature. She didn't like to even go near them.

But she had a mission. She had always hated the way humans squabbled. She had realized, that like the Locust, humans had a killing nature. But the Locust were simpler, more primitive. They could be controlled.

So she had recruited the finest brains in anti-war beliefs. She had produced "No blood for Imulsion" drives. Still, it had not worked. She realized that killing humanity was the only way to save Sera.

But she didn't realize that she had become a Locust.


"If all goes well, we'll have captured all of Sera within several years, correct?"

The other nodded.

"Your cover has been achieved. You must help them for a while. Then, you will help us, according to plan. Are you comfortable with this?"

"Yes." Said Gu'ar'm.

She knew what she had done to the Locust. She knew that in giving them technology, they would slowly self-destruct too. But maybe. Maybe she could do something.

She knew that Gu'ar'm was a descendant of humans who had joined her when she went down into Sera. She knew that he was fiercly anti-human, which would make his job of passing as a human army general even more difficult.

She knew that Humanity would be, once and for all, curbed. Stopped. No longer would they use Imulsion, kill one another, or threaten the existence of her adopted species.

What she didn't know was that all would not go according to plan.

Nice story and intersting therey would that Gu'ar'm be pehaps Gen. RAAM.
And i always thoght the locust leader was Carmine.J/k J/k lol lol

[the hunter]

sorry didn't notice the word fan fiction
sorry about the double post

[Dalina]

Humn, interesting view point... its a nice change. If you combine your paragraphs it would flow better.. in my opinion. If you simply combine your paragraphs a bit more, it would do you good.

Other than that it was a good read.

On a side note, hunter, you dont have to quote his whole post, expeshally because you are the only one who responded to it thus far. Just a tip.

[the hunter]

sorry was alittle distracted

[Dalina]

Its okay.

[quik sol]

good read...

[Sweenerdog32]

That was pretty good. I enjoyed it, and that's what really matters.

[Grey19]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I probably shouldn't have had so many paragraphs, but I'll be changing that in the next chapter.

[Souldier]

That's a great start but like many great starts it may be very difficult to finish.

[Grey19]

Secondary Solution


The Humans had fought back.
The Queen had personally ordered the capture of the train carrying the Lightmass Bomb. She had sent her most trusted agent of destruction, a General, with an escort of crack troops. Gu'ar'm, the informer, had alerted her to the existance bomb.
The Humans, she thought, are much like their creations. They built an enormously powerful weapon, which they loaded on a train that would carry it over a destroyed bridge into a chasm.
How very similiar to the course of the Human race, she snorted contemtuously. Which is why she'd joined the Locust.
The Humans that her General had fought in the City had boarded the train. They'd taken it, killed the General, and most devastating of all, detonated the device.
The great civilizations of the Northern Hemisphere had perished.
It was time to finally push out the Humans once and for all, before they did any more damage.

****


3 years later, the Humans had begun to strengthen their own borders. They weren't strong enough yet to push back the Locust, but their thinned ranks had begun to recover. The sick, wounded, and imprisoned, who had fought the Locust prior, now had begun to function as leaders for younger recruits who had grown up. Under martial Directive #451, all Stranded were to be "recovered" and moved to Jacinto.

****

Staff Sergeant "Wes" Johnson hopped out of the APC, and walked through the prostate troops on 12-hour R&R towards the base commander's HQ. The base, was in fact, little more than a house, and watchtower, and tin-roofing walls; a cobbled together affair designed for temporary use while the 307th Combat Reconassiance Unit briefly guarded a small town near the Imulsion fields.
Whoops and freindly ribs were offered from the troops that recognized him.
"Hey Wes. How was the General's conferance? Had a good time on the town?"
"Well, Wes is back. Had a good time in Jacinto while we're over here doing the dirty work?"
He grinned. "Lay off. I didn't have a choice about leaving, you know."
As he walked into the HQ building, he was met by the grim faces of the staff officers.
"Staff Sergeant Timoth-"
"Good to see you're back, Wes," The general broke in. "we need you to take a squad up into into the city."
"Excuse me, sir?"
"The Locust have been spotted moving around around in the city. There may be Stranded in there. We need you to do a little recon up there."
"The city" was in fact, a large metropolitan area about 200 kilometers to the north-west of Jacinto. It had long been assumed that Stranded were in the city, and it dawned on Wes that this was the real reason that the 307th was here at all.
"We want you to do a 2-day recon through the lower sections of the city. If there's any Stranded there, pack them up. We'll pick them up on the KRs and get them out of there. Collect all maps you can, and be ready to move out within the next hour. That's all, Sergeant."


****

The Humans were grouping outside Antium City.
They were going to recover the Stranded that were there.
She had to make sure that didn't happen.
"Bring him in." She commanded.


****

Wes' foot cruched the small gravel under his feet.
He was in a small street. The pavement had long ago been covered with debris. No fires burned; no lights shown. The life had been taken from these ruins years ago.
"Move up." He motioned for his small 5-man detachment to continue down the street.
For almost 8 hours, the squad had been searching. Many mementos had been left by the Locust - dismembered bodies of Stranded had been found occasionally - but fortunately, this was evidence that there were Stranded here. Some. What were left.
What his squad had seen was enough to convince them that leaving was the only sane option, which unfortunately wasn't an option.
One unfortunate Stranded who had been captured by the Locust had had his head shoved through a grate.
Another had been suspended by a large steel bar from the side of a building, like a flag on a flagpole. The steel pole was sticking out of his lower extremeties, his arms and head dangling lifelessly.
"What happened here?" Muttered one of the soldiers.
"Listen, why don't we just stay on the edge of town, and tell the brass that we didn't find any Stranded?" Asked a thoroughly shaken Private Decker.
"If there are any Stranded here, we're getting them out. Move." Commanded Wes, who was just as nervous as any of them.

****

The four men suddenly noticed a large pile of rubble, sticking peculiarly out of a side of a large brick apartment building. Wes squinted at a rust-coclored object on top of it.
"Troika!" He whispered. The team quickly slipped behind smaller piles of rubble, hoping they hadn't been noticed.
Johnson stared at the pile, barely breathing. He knew that the sound of a Troika would alert every Locust in the ruins of downtown Antium to their presence. But there was nothing. They hadn't been spotted.
Wes quickly motioned with his hand to move up, and the team surrepticiously slipped up to the Troika position. It was abandoned.
"Control, this is Charlie squad. We've arrived at a Troika position, but it's abandoned.
"Charlie, I'm picking up faint thermal reading right in front of you, or your level. Suggest you investigate."
"Copy that." He motioned with his hand, and the squad moved off. They quietly slipped through a half-buried doorway, into the apartment building.
Large canisters of ammunition lay strewn around, and the windows of the basement had been covered with large sheets of tin. They burst through a second door at the other side of the room, weapons up and ready.
And then they found it.

It was a stranded camp, built under a bridge ramp. Straddled by boarded-up buildings on each side, the camp consisted of several shacks built from scavenged debris, and stacks of propane canisters. Corporal Decker noticed what appeared to be a slick puddle on the ground, and concluded it to be rain. The fences and lights were scattered randomly, though, and it appeared to have been ransacked.

But it was deserted.
Wes emerged on the abandoned street, covering every nook and cranny with his Lancer. He noticed a large open grill near one of the shacks. Walking over, he inspected the meat that was on the grill still warm. Then his eyes fell on the head laying on the sidewalk, next to several well-worn children's crayons.
In their destitution, the Stranded had turned to eating Locust.
He shook his head then turned to his squad. "Control, we've found the camp it is abandoned, repeat, abandoned."
"Copy that. Ok, move back to the PZ for extraction, Charlie."

Wes moved his hand down from his ear. "Ok, you heard the boss. Move!"
The others grinned. "@#%$ yeah!"
Wes noticed that a sticky substance had dripped on his hand, and he wiped it off in annoyance. Then he looked up to see where it was coming from. And he did.

"Oh my God."

Charlie squad had found the Stranded.

[bigmanbigfeet]

boobs boobs

[ddog117]

good i like it

[McJoe]

Nice. You should write a novel on this.

[The Evil Hat]

good job, i really enjoyed it. whens the next part coming

[Grey19]

Thanks, guys. Next chapter is here. Enjoy!

Grinding Gears

The horror.
"Wes", as he was called, had been tasked 36 hours prior.
To find Stranded.
And bring them back alive.
He had failed.
He stood in the middle of the street, with his squad, looking up. high above them, thirty feet or more, was the highway overpass. Suspended from the overpass, strung up like freshly-caught fish, were bodies. The Stranded. In the dim light of evening, it was difficult to make out more the the faces looking down. Hundreds, it seemed. Hundreds of shocked, white faces staring at nothing from their lifeless eyes.
Several of the men in the squad uttered something under their breath.

"Let's get out of here." Said Sergeant Johson quietly, turning to walk away.

They turned to go, barely able to take their eyes off the horrible sight. Wes, as shaken as he was, struggled to figure out what had happened. Most Stranded camps had scouts and early warning outposts. The first sight of a Locust detachment big enough to do this would have sent them into hiding. The Locust would have found nothing more than an abandoned camp. Yet, the inhabitants here had been suprised, nowhere to run.
Had it been because they had been sent to find the Locust?

Suddenly, Wes became aware of something around them. Someone watching them. He glanced around, expecting to see a Stranded survivor peeking out of hiding. He saw nothing.
His squadmates had become aware of the feeling, and looked around.

Then he knew.
"Run!" He screamed, heading for the nearest cover.

_____

"The humans are regrouping. You must stop them, at any cost. The setbacks of the past must not affect the happenings of the now."
The Locust nodded silently. He had been tasked. Years in coming, but he doubted if he was rusty. He knew his men; he knew the humans.
"The the south of the Human's fortress is a large camp of them. The Stranded, the Humans call them. If allowed to regroup, the humans could use them to hold off our attacks for many months yet. And you know as well as I that that must not happen.
Dhtuec nodded again. He knew that the Holy Time would symbolize a victory over their enemies, their great enemies.
"First, though, you must destroy this Human and his comrades. Marcus Fenix. He must be killed to avenge Tj'uk. He is at a camp in the City to the north of Jacinto."
"I will leave immediately, My Queen."
"Good, then." She said. "Kill them, but bring back the leader."

_____

"Take cover! Keep your head down!" Screamed Johnson. Bullets peppered into the walls, showering him and the squad with small peices of metal and stone. When Wes had run for cover, the Locust had opened fire. Hundreds of them. Smoke had settled over the battle, obscuring the surroundings and hiding the Locust.
A suddenly bullet snapped past Decker's head, catching Wes in the shoulder. A small puff of red erupted from his arm, splattering the soldiers next to him. His scream could be heard even over the gunfire, as he fell backwards onto the pavement.
"Sir! Hold still!" Yelled Thomson, leaping to help him. As he ripped away the other's shoulder armour, yanking a tourniquet out of his field pack and slapped it to Wes' arm.
Thomson leaned to the left, as a string of Hammerburst bullets screamed past only inches from his head and buried themselves in the wall behind him.
"Att-ack!" Yelled one Locust, from the building he had emerged from. Thomson glanced over his arm, checking to see where the Locust had advanced to.
"Sarge! What are your orders?" screamed Decker, above the gunfire. Next to him, Private Underfield propelled himslef above the cover, shooting off a string of bullets.
"We're surrounded! Keep them off of us!" yelled Wes back, squinting as a shower or concret fragments rained down on his face.

Outside of their point of view, the Locust had emerged from the piles of rubble arranged by the late Stranded, and Dhtuec was looking at a rough Human map of the area and waving his hand to signal attack. The humans were inside the camp, in a circle of concrete barriers. The Locust were in the buildings to each side, cutting off any possible escape. They had held off the Locust thus far, he noted, but he was going to lead his troops into the street personally. Grapping a Boltok pistol, he set off towards the concrete barriers.

____

Thomson pulled Wes up and leaned his back against the concrete.
"I'm almost out of ammo!" screamed Decker, his juevenile voice losing it's pitch in terror.
Underfield glanced above the concrete, and noticed that Locust had emerged from cover. Then he saw Dhtuec.
"$%#@!" He screamed. "Sarge, there's a Locust general coming for us!"
Wes was busy spitting out small metal splinters out of his mouth as these words hit him. "What?" He dragged himslef over to Underfield's side of the circle, and pulled himself up. Glancing above the cover, his eyes fell on a huge Locust in dull black armour leading the Locust in his direction. As he stared, A Drone noticed him, and took a shot. Wes barely managed to duck before the huge slug tore a chunk out of the concrete.
Thomson pulled a grenade out of its clip, and pulled the pin. "Try this, Locust!" He threw it.

Across the street, the grenade had fallen next to a Locust. The Locust blindly grabbed the grenade, to throw it back, when it went off. The exposion masked the sound of the Locust being torn away by the fragments as he was propelled back through a tin wall.

"Got him!" exclamed Underfield, who had foolishly chosen to watch what the grenade did. "You got him!

The Locust General raised his arm and pointed out Underfield milliseconds before he retreated to cover. He leaned out of cover again, though, to see what the Locust were doing. This time, the Locust were ready.

"Get back in cover!" yelled Wes, to Underfield. But even as he watched, as though in slow motion, Underfield started to pull his head back. At that moment, a thwack greeted Wes' ears.
The bullet had hit Underfield in the mouth, but the first time Wes noticed it was when it punched a hole through the back of Underfield's head and richoceted off the concrete above Wes' head. It was followed by a spray of blood, and then Underfield slowly toppled over and lay still.
"Get down!" Johnson yelled. But it was too late. Decker had already gotten up, to move to Underfield's aid. He never made it. A Boltok bullet stopped him short. He jerked, and his head was thrown back as the bullet drilled through his chest. He collapsed over the concret barrier, only to be met by another hail of bullets.
Thomson stared in horror, then looked to Wes. Wes struggled to his feet and pulled both Underfield and Decker back into cover, but one look at Undefield's face revealed that he was very dead. Similiarly, Decker had been caught by several clips of Hammerburst slugs and chopped up.
Wes' head was spinning. He looked around, as though in slow motion, hearing nothing. He noticed Underfield struggle with a jammed clip, see a Locust appear over the concrete above him. It was the General.

Thomson stared up at the huge Locust and his troops which had appeared at his side. Then he looked at Wes, his eyes wide. Soundlessly, he opened his mouth. Above him, Johnson saw a flash, and a column of smoke roll away from the General's Boltok.
Thomson jerked, and the blood spatter slowly descend on the ground and on Wes. Colors slowly turned to gray. Time stopped.

Thomson actually stood up, then fell against the concrete barrier. He slowly slipped down the barrier, leaving a bloody streak, and clutching the hole that went completely through him. As he fell to the ground, his eyes met Wes', and stared into him, and a trickle of blood coursed down his chin from his mouth
Then his eyes lost focus, and he was gone.

Wes felt his mouth open in a silent "No!", but it was too late. He felt strong hands grip his uniform's shoulder straps, and he was hoisted out of his position. As he was dragged away, he stared at the lifeless bodies of his friends. His comrades. His brothers.
He had failed them. He had let them down. He felt hot tears sting his face, coursing through the grime on his cheeks. He screamed, but he had no strength.

Then, he was pulled to an Emergence hole, and he was pulled down into it.

[Grey19]

I know that the scope of the latest chapter covers only the one firefight, a departure from the earlier style of my story, but there were some things that I needed to get out in this chapter. The next chapters will see a return to what the original theme.

[the hunter]

that was a good story

[Grey19]

361 views.... 14 replies. Yikes.....

[Black Asgard]

I thought the third chapter was very good, though brief.

And if you think 361 views and only 14 replies is bad, try my own Fan Fic...

4500 plus views, only 256 replies, lol. But thats perfectly all right with me.

[Grey19]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'm going to be working on the fourth chapter, and it should be out either tonight or tomorrow.

[GodzSOULjah]

I liked the entire it's just the way you presented Quentin as not to know what that hole was.There are certain clues in the game that show people knew of locust before E-day(the posters that say "They could be anywhere" with a eyes under a manhole as pic) so in my opinion i just think you should have made Quentin a little less ignorant about grub holes.
EDIT:Also another clue of the people knowing of locust before is when carmine says "i used to have nightmares of these things when i was a kid"

[Boooky Boos]

I enjoyed it..

[Grey19]

Chapter 4 is here. In my opinion, it's the finest chapter yet, although it differs from the prior two in that it builds the story rather than put you in the action.


The song of the mournful

Marcus Fenix stared up at the statue.

Fifty feet above him, a gigantic stone statue of an angel reached into the sky, a giant iron gear suspended from its back.
The inclement weather had turned the sky a dull gray, and rain coursed down the robe of the statue. It was outlined in black against the gray sky, the symbol of united militarism.
It was the center of the town square, which was ringed by darkened, burned-out, crumbling stone buildings. A King Raven was hovering on the roof of one of the houses, picking up soldiers, as there was not enough room for it to land in the square.

Marcus heard a flute being played in the background, the low, soft notes sounding strangely harsh against the quiet pattering of the rain.
He wandered through the ruins of the square, picking his way over fallen stones, and walked to a house.
Ouside, sitting on a larger stone block, a lone boy sat playing a flute. His clothes were torn, tattered and filthy, yet he sat in the rain playing. His eyes went up to meet Marcus', but he never missed a note.

Marcus turned and walked away.

***

Three hundred feet below him, a lone human lay strapped to the back of a Corpser, dragging him down through the tunnels into its lair. He had long since given up fighting. Beaten unconscious, bloody, he hung limp between them, his feet leaving two streaks of blood coursing down the side of the Corpser.

***

The humans had suffered a great blow.
A prominent human had been captured.
The Human was being taken to her nest, where he would be given to the Locusts to be executed. The Locusts would be rejuevenated in their zealous beliefs. The death knell would finally sound.

***

The mission to revocer Stranded from the City had been a failure.
The COG army had moved into the city 3 days after sending Segeant Johnson's squad to find Stranded. They had found them - or what was left of them.
And then the Locust had found them.
The soldiers who had moved in found the bodies - some, or most of the Stranded had fallen from the bottom of the overpass that they had been hung from. Their bodies lay scatterd over the pavement. But there was something amiss.

They had only found 3 Gears.

***

Central Gov't Dockyards
Outside Jacinto
1600 hours

The Field Marshall walked impatiently down the waterside stone path, flanked by aides and junior officers. The city was bathed in the warm orange glow of a Seran sunset, and it sparkled over the mirror-smooth water. A gentle breeze rustled the grass at the side of the path.

The Field Marshall hurried to a box-shaped high-speed water taxi, and an aid opened the door. He turned to General Olaf.
"Frank, I'll be back on the 23rd. In the meantime, I'm leaving you to take care of that business in Anteum. Good luck." He stepped into the taxt, the door hissed into place behind him, and the craft sped off across the water.

The Field Marshall had been called to a "Meeting of the Highest Importance" by the two Premiers of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, in the Premier's mountain HQ.

General Gu'ar'm stared after the departing officer in contempt.
He knew that the humans, in their running around aimlessly and ridicilous methods, didn't realize the what was happening. They were so stupid, he thought. But they would be rid of the humans soon enough.


***

The Queen stared at the Locust below, absently.
She knew that it was the right thing to do. She knew that the humans must be stopped.
But she didn't know the Locust.
She had spent the past 80 years of her life here, making her possibly the oldest human on Sera. But here she was, negotiating with these... creatures. Was she their Queen and did she know anything about them at all?
She knew that she had to control them, somehow... Or they would turn and kill her, just like the rest of her kind.
At that moment, she heard a commotion; the human had been brought to the central gathering area. The time had come.

***

Wes stared at the huge gathering, in awe. He was being led through what looked like a town, past hundreds of towering buildings. The entire was enclosed within a huge cave, and the city was surrounded by a lake of Imulsion. He stared up at the massive buildings, as the Corpser he was trapped to was led towards a huge coliseum. Or what looked like it.
The entire city was lighted by what appeared to be glass tubes, filled with glowing Imulsion. And then he was out of the city, and approaching the center of the coliseum.

Hundreds of Locust lined the circle, their garbled, angry roars mounting to a crescendo. Berserkers were chained to the walls, straining against their bonds. Drones screamed with rage, waiting for the Corpser to deposit its load. Wretches were held back on crude leashes, ready to be released.

Sergeant Johnson was, for once in his life, the center of attention.


To be continued......

[Grey19]

Feel free to critique Chapter 4, part 1, while part 2 is being written, of course.

[ra1n8ow]

Wow that was actually nice!Good job.

[Grey19]

Thanks! Hoping to see some more feedback, if not I may let this go. Hopefully Jfab will post all of the larger fanfic projects on his new site.

[n00b e@t3r]

ooh the last part "Wes stared at the huge gathering, in awe. He was being led through what looked like a town, past hundreds of towering buildings. The entire was enclosed within a huge cave, and the city was surrounded by a lake of Imulsion. He stared up at the massive buildings, as the Corpser he was trapped to was led towards a huge coliseum. Or what looked like it.
The entire city was lighted by what appeared to be glass tubes, filled with glowing Imulsion. And then he was out of the city, and approaching the center of the coliseum.

Hundreds of Locust lined the circle, their garbled, angry roars mounting to a crescendo. Berserkers were chained to the walls, straining against their bonds. Drones screamed with rage, waiting for the Corpser to deposit its load. Wretches were held back on crude leashes, ready to be released.

Sergeant Johnson was, for once in his life, the center of attention."

put a really good picture in my head. great job!

[n00b e@t3r]

its kinda weird all the war gamers r sometimes helluh good writers

[mattkiwi]

Wow! lol i'm speechless, I just read this from start to finish and its awesome, one of teh best fanfics ive read.

[Grey19]

Thank you!

its kinda weird all the war gamers r sometimes helluh good writers

Like reading a book or watching a movie, playing a game can inspire a person with ideas for a good storyline. Naturally, a person would have to have some prior skill at writing to put his idea into an eloquent and articulate story, but the inspiration is 90% percent of the writing.

[Capthemfoos]

greaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt story man when ch 5 coming?

[Grey19]

Hopefully either tonight or tommorow, depending on when I've got time.

[Grey19]

Sorry for the long wait, guys. I just got a chance to write tonight. Hopfully Chapter 5 will meet your expectations!

The face of conflict


The Queen sat in the shadows of her chambers, surrounded by the Royal Guards, the Therons, the Berserkers.

Dhtuec walked into the massive pillared room, nodded to a Theron, then lightly ran up the steps. She noticed, from behind her expressionless countenance, Dhtuec's smug air. He could not have done better, and knew it.
"My Queen, the Ceremony."
She nodded abstractly. "Guards, I am rising." Immediately, the detachment of Therons flanked her in a perfect line. She rose, and walked down the steps to the outer court.

***

Wes knew it was over.

He had visited the graves of his family many times, reading the inscriptions on the headstones. He had always wanted to be buried beside his anscestors, underneath the gentle shade of the basswoods. But here he was, strapped to the back of a Corpser, bleeding, broken, surrounded by hundreds of bloodthirsty Locust, hundreds of feet below ground, in a giant Imulsion-surrounded stone cavern.

With incredible difficulty, he turned his head, slipping along the thick skin of the Corpser, and looked to the massive buildings on his left. The Locust outside the ring had stopped their garbled roars, and were all turned and staring expectantly at the central structure of the city.

***

The Queen was ushered up to a large regal window in the Chamber. Leaning through its gaping maw, she beheld the Locust Horde below.
Wes stared up at the sight. A human, or so it looked, although at the far distance it was hard to say, had appeared at a large balcony at the central building. A large Locust had appeared beside her.
She began to utter the strange noises of the Locust dialect, with audible conviction. Her voice boomed out across the cavern, reaching to every corner. Wes knew it was about him, a fact that irritated him.

After a few minutes, the speech ended. The awe-struck Locust turned their attention to him Johnson, and at that moment, he had a revelation.

He knew that if he gave up, it would fill the Locust with desire to kill his fellow humans. He knew that there was no honor, no glory in this. He would die here, forgotten and abandoned.

With all his strength, he wrentched his hand free of the blood-covered bindings. He reached up to the Locust perched above him. The Locust, seated on the rear of the Corpser's helmet, had a grenade in his belt, and Wes thrust his finger through the opening, and pulled the pin.

The Queen, high above, noticed a commotion on the Corpser bearing the human. At first, she thought that it was probably just the Human trying to escape, but this assumption was soon confounded with a large blast from the Corpser.

The Locust Drone opened his mouth to bellow, the realization of what Wes had done sinking in.
At that moment, the grenade went off.
The flash of the blast sent out a shockwave, nearly knocking Wes free. Milliseconds later followed the blood, covering everything in a wet coating.
The shrapnel of the blast sliced through the back of the Corpser's head, startling it and sending it rearing up. Another small, white-hot piece of grenade sliced through Johnson's head, neatly removing his left ear and depositing it next to him.

"What is happening?" screamed the Queen, turning to Dhtuec. He in turn turned to a Theron, who cowered, having no idea what was happening.
She grabbed a pair of binoculars that she had laying nearby, and examined the scene.
My God!" she whispered. She turned to Dhtuec. "That isn't Marcus Fenix!"
The color from his already white face drained, but he said nothing.
"Send them out!" she waved her hand at the mass of Locust assembled.

As the wounded Corpser lumbered it's way over out of the ring, Wes ripped a piece of shrapnel from the hide of the beast and began tearing at the his bindings. Finally, after several minutes of wearing away at it, the bindings snapped, and he triumphantly climbed up the helmet of the gargantuan Locust, screaming at the Locust behind him.
And then the Locust broke ranks and moved toward him.

To Wes, it looked as though the entire cavern floor had taken life and was seeping towards him; hundreds upon hundreds of Locust had taken chase.
He leapt from the back of his ride, to a window in the side of a towering building. after pulling himself in, he reached outisde, and tore a Imulsion-filled lamp from its socket.

He hurled the lamp as hard as his bruised, battered arm could endure, and foolishly, chose to watch where it landed. Slowly, the lamp tumbled downwards toward the onrushing mass.
It struck a Drone full in the face, bursting and burning the Locust's face away instantly. His body stood for a second, then was trampeled as the mass overtook him. Simultaniously, the Locust reached the building, and began streaming in. He turned and limped to what appeared to be a staircase.

After painfully reaching the top of the building, he raced to the edge of the building. The Locust, he noticed, had almost all entered the building.

He raced out through a small passage in the rock behind him, out of the cavern.
Then he heard the distinctive howl of a Berserker.

Turning in horror, he saw what seemed like the entire body of Locust emerge onto the roof behind him.

Then, a crunch.
Another crunch.
The Locust glanced around, obviously wondering where all the ominous noises were originating from.
Suddenly, an ear-splitting crack rent the cavern atmosphere, and Wes stared incredulously as the Locust simply sank out of sight. Running over to the edge of the tunnel, he watched as the huge building collapsed under the weight of the Locust inside it. Slowly, it sank, towards the cave floor, until it dissappeared in a spectacular and a cloud of dust engulfed the sight.

The collapse of the building shook the entire cavern, and a huge chunk of rock fell from the roof and landed in the middle of the city, which seemingly started a chain reaction of falling rocks.

Wes turned and ran down the passage.

[Gear1010]

Really well done. I very much enjoyed that piece of writing.
It was fast, enticing and action-packed.
The best fan-fiction I have ever read.
Please continue writing. I can't wait till chapter 6

[Grey19]

Here's a short character biography, for those who wish to familiarise themselves with the characters:

Senior Sergeant "Wes" Johnson
A soldier who had been filled with the ideology of a soldier's life, Wes' only goal was to work his way up the chain of command in the COG. From a fishing village, he abandoned his established home and father's woodworking shop to find new horizons. Now, after suffering the loss of his entire squad and being captured, he has slowly been coming to the realization of what soldiering really is.

Gu'ar'm
A human by birth, Gu'ar'm has lived in the bowels of Sera his whole life, being filled with the beliefs and convictions of the humans who have turned to the Locust. He was sent by the Queen to infiltrate the upper levels of COG command and tasked with reporting the movements of the more serious threats to the Locust, such as Delta Squad.

Dhteuc
A fiercly dedicated warrior, Dhteuc has led his life in the belief that he will die a glorious warrior's death, after striking down the lesser of his foes. He is a personal advisor to the Queen, although not a commanding General.

Once again, if you've read the story, please leave feedback. If you loved it, say so. If you hated it, well, say so as well.

[Capthemfoos]

haha, I never thought that he would escape! Good story twist.

[Grey19]

Guys, I am sorry that I've been working on Chapter 6 for so long. I haven't had too much time, but I think (or hope) that Chapter VI will more than make up for the long wait. Enjoy.

From the Depths, to the Light

The Queen stood in the light of the window.
He had escaped.
Five hundred thousand Locust had failed to stop him.
Who was he?
She didn't know, nor would she ever find out. The Locust had been sent to find him, to hunt him down. He would not be taken alive this time.

-~~~~-

Wes' feet pounded on the hard, jagged stone floor of the caverns. He had been running for nearly nine hours. Blood seeped from between his armour joints, and the drops of blood were shaken off into the darkness or ran down his legs. The battered, bloody soles of his feet burned from running through a shallow puddle of Imulsion
Still, he would not give up.

-~~~~-

The gentle music settled over the white marble ballroom, as seeming hundreds of nattily-attired gentlemen and women danced over the floor.
A single man stood near the white-clothed table, a glass of punch in his hand. His flawless white-and-black tuxedo looked oddly out of place on him, and his entire air was that of one out of place. He tried to blend into the background, wishing that the whole event was be over with.
A woman stepped up to the table, and selected a glass of punch. She nodded when she noticed Wesley. He returned the gesture, unsure of what to say. He was startled by a sudden voice behind him.
“Wesley!”
He turned to see an old man walk up to him. “Good evening, Mr. Turner.”
“Come to get on the old man’s side, eh? Talk him into that deal?” He chuckled.
Wesley was slightly annoyed by the old man’s tone, but remained polite. “Actually, Mr. Turner, I attended simply to be polite. Mr. Harper invited me, and I felt obligated.”
Turner shook his head. “Don’t get your hopes up. Harper invited you to be a businessman. He couldn’t remember who you are right now if his fortunes depended on it.” he chuckled again.
“Turner, you old devil!” The two turned to see a another similarly-clad man walk up to them
“Bill! Great party, as usual.”
“Glad you enjoyed it. Say, what’s happening with that real estate deal? I told you that was a real goldmine, eh? Didn’t I”
“It’s working out good, Bill. Got any other deals like that?”
“If I do, I’m going to make some money off them myself.” He laughed.
Wesley cleared his throat. “Good evening, Mr. Turner.”
The two turned to the third party. Harper snapped his fingers. “You must be, ah...”
“This here is Wesley Johnson, Bill.”
“Oh yes, the salesman from the woodworkers association. Listen, I’ve considered your deal, and I’m glad to tell you that I think an agreement between our companies would be beneficial to both of our people. Congratulations!”
Wesley smiled through his grimace, never liking the term “Salesman”.
“Thank you, Mr. Harper.”
“Say, what about you? I could give you a position here in the company, put you behind a desk, see if you’re as good a businessman as I think you are.”
“No thank you, Mr. Harper. I’ve just enrolled in the East Barricade Academy.”
“Want to be an officer in the army, eh? Get all the extra pay, the ladies...”
“Actually, Mr. Harper, I’ve always wanted to be a leader. I guess I always wanted the fame and glory of a General or Field Marshall.”
“Sounds good. Well, Gentleman, I’ve got guests to entertain.”
He walked off.

-~~~~-

Sergeant Gil Lehman was the point man in his squad.
The glow from the low Seran sun settled over the ruins of the city, the ruins of which Charlie Squad now picked their way through. Several days before, the bodies of the former Charlie Squad had been found in Anteum City. But only three bodies had been found. As to the fourth member, all that remained was a bloody streak which led to an Emergence Hole.
Sergeant Wes Johnson.
Lehman looked up to the steep roofs of the buildings which flanked the squad. Once reminders of a era which had passed long before, the stone and brick buildings now stood wraithlike, slowly crumbling away.
“How come we always gotta go on these patrols?” Said one of the Gears in annoyance.
“Because you‘re so ugly, the Locust will think you must be one of them and won‘t shoot at us.” replied one of the other soldiers.
“Shut up, you two.” growled Lehman.
A loud, piercing screech suddenly rent the unnerving silence. “Take cover!” yelled Lieutenant Hunter, who had a gnasher in hand. The men leapt behind various rubble, bringing their Lancers up and aiming them at a building from which the noise had emerged.
A single Wretch burst through the doorway, running lopsidedly at the soldiers.
”Fire!” Yelled Hunter.
Three bursts of copper-jacketed Lancer rounds sliced into the Wretch, killing it before it fell. The men climbed from cover, moving to doorways for more protection. Lehman carefully inspected the buildings around, sweat running down his forehead. He didn’t want to get caught in the open when there were snipers around.
When Hunter had decided it was clear, he pressed the sub-dermal transmitter in his ear. “Control, this is Charlie. Where to?”
“You need to move through the buildings on your.... right.”
“Copy that.” He motioned with his hand. “Move out.”
Lehman trotted across the street to the doorway, throwing himself against the wall next to it. He nodded to a Gear. The Gear brought his foot up, slamming it against the doorway and knocking it away. Gil swung into the room, rifle up. “Clear.”
Lehman walked slowly through the rooms of the building, carefully sliding into each quietly. He had almost progressed through the building when a whisper came up to him.
“Freeze.”
He turned to see the Lieutenant and the Gears with their weapons aimed at a strangely-intact wardrobe, which leaned up against the wall. Hunter made several quick signals to the men, who nodded and retreated to various doorways, where they took cover. He reached slowly, so slowly, towards the doorknob of the wardrobe. Closing his hand around it, he gave it a quick yank.
A form tumbled out, but just as quickly recovered and leaped at the Lieutenant, with what looked like a jagged piece of brick in his hand.
The Lieutenant dodged the blow, knocking away the weapon and pushing the man to the ground. The man, about 30, gasped as he landed.
“Stop right now! We’re COG!” Barked Hunter, who pinned the prostrate form to the floor. He released the man, who crawled back towards the furniture from which he had emerged.
“Who are you?” asked Hunter.
“My name is Phil. I got left here when you guys pulled out.” The defiance and anger was exhibited in his manner of speech.
Hunter nodded, and turned. “Control, this is Charlie. We have a Stranded, over.”
“are you going to get me out of here?” the Stranded asked Lehman.
“If we can.”
“Copy that.” Hunter turned to Phil. “Sorry, Phil, we can’t get you.”
The man’s eyes filled with terror. “You’re not just going to leave me here!”
“Sorry, we don’t have a choice.”
“Kill me first! After you leave, the Wretches will come back!”
Hunter sighed, running his hands over his face. Finally, he turned to the man. Pulling out a Boltok from his

[Grey19]

holster, he handed it to Phil.
“This is for you.”
Phil nodded silently.

Gil Lehman was tired of war. He had been on the front lines since E-Day plus four years, and he had seen more than his share. He was an old man, by survivor terms. Yet here he was, on patrol in some city, forced to fight a war because there was no alternative. And so many others had died before him. Why had he survived? What could he possibly see that he hadn’t already? He turned back to look at the building.
They had gone almost a block before they heard the Boltok discharge.

-~~~~-

The wind whistled through the fissures of the rock, making Wes think he heard voices.
He had collapsed several times, simply falling to the ground. Each time he had barely caught his breath before he was up. Running. To where, he did not know; he ran blindly.
Rounding a corner on the narrow rock column’s path, he leaped to the ground when his exhausted eyes recognized a Locust squad ahead of him.
Stretching out before him, a plateau of rock yawed away into the mist-covered cave passages. Four Locust Drones wandered near a huge rock, apparently guarding it. He blinked, and took another look.
What he had mistaken for a rock was, in fact, not a rock at all.
On the floor of the huge cave, was a machine. It stood hundreds of feet tall, nearly touching the stone ceiling. Two huge pointed, armored plates were mounted atop gargantuan steel arms, which reached out from under more armor. Hydraulic pistons and lines held up by a steel-clad chassis formed the body of the machine, and what looked like arms supported the idle machine. Roughly in a square shape, brown lights blinked out across the skin of the monstrosity.
One of the digging machines.
He realized that the granite substrata of Jacinto would soon be breached everywhere. Not even the mightiest rock could withstand a machine of that magnitude. Then it occurred to him.
It was his escape.

-~~~~-

Gu’ar’m stared out the window of his office in the cramped COG Western headquarters.
He had been ordered to report to the Queen of the human’s movements. He had succeeded in that venture.
He had found out that the human that had been captured was a sergeant named Wesley Johnson., a decorated hero, a leader. He had enrolled in the East Barricade Academy, but sent to war before receiving his commission.
And he had now damaged the Queen’s city, and placed the Queen’s life in jeopardy. She had not been wounded, but the human’s actions had left their mark upon the Locust.

-~~~~-

Wes leaned out from behind the armored leg of the machine.
The Locust, still patrolling, had not observed him crawling across to the machine.
He crept across from the armor to the rear of one of the machine’s legs, pressing himself up against the cold iron of the leg. It was a massive, tapering steel column; he guessed that his own length stretched out twice would be the same as the diameter of the leg’s spiked foot. He leaned out again, seeing one of the Locust wander away from his post towards Wes’ spot.
“S**t,” he muttered.
The Drone, ambling towards the leg, was armed only with a Boltok pistol. Wes knew that he could take down the Locust with just a pistol. He just had to get it.
Suddenly, Wes noticed a foot emerge next to his position.

Milliseconds before the Drone stepped into his view, Wes swung out and slammed his fist against the Locust’s jaw.
The Locust, completely taken off guard, fell backwards. The revolver, still in its holster, didn’t fall out as Wes had hoped it would. The Locust, still not entirely sure what had happened, propped himself up to stand. Wes ran forward, kicking the Locust in the head as hard as his wounded leg would allow. The Locust flipped backwards, and lay still for a moment. Wes reached to a knife holster on the Locust’s leg, and pulled out the dagger in it, and then he reached under the Locust’s neck, and sliced the knife across the thick hide of the creature. Warm, dark blood spurted out, covering the ground nearby and Wes’ hand. The Locust groaned, and clutched his throat for several minutes, then slowly fell forward and lay still. Wes let out a sigh, falling to his knees in exhaustion. He removed the pistol from the Locust’s holster, and checked to make sure it was ready to fire. Glancing back, he was relieved to observe that an armor plate shielded a view of the fight from the other Locusts.
Then he heard footsteps.
A Locust was about to walk into the area with Wes and the dead Drone.
He leaped back behind the leg, trying to shrink. He heard the Locust steps as he walked into the chamber. Then they stopped.
He had seen his dead comrade.
Wes used the edge of the leg to propel himself out of his cover, and into the line of sight of the Locust.
But it hadn’t seen him.
It was standing there, in the entrance, looking out towards the cave. Wes knew it was now or never.
“Hey, you!”
The Drone turned in surprise, revealing his ugly countenance. Wes had dropped to one knee, to steady his aim.
And then Wes squeezed the trigger.
The pistol bucked against his hand, and a spurt of flame and smoke came out of the muzzle and the cylinder. The slug left the Boltok, and slapped against the Drone’s head.
The Drone’s head disappeared in a puff of blood, and the body of the creature arched backwards violently. It fell to the ground, and the legs gave one final spasm as the pool of blood spread around the Drone. Wes grinned.
He heard the garbled yell of the other Locust who had heard the shot, and came running. One rounded the corner of the steel plate. Wes fired again, twice, and the bullets sliced into the Locust’s body. He stumbled and fell against the armor plate.
His eyes went up to meet the eyes of the Human.
The pure hate that Wes saw in them pierced him to the very soul.
Wes suddenly saw Thomson, sliding down the concrete barrier. He saw Thomson, killed by a Boltok bullet, meet Wes’ stare.
But his look had been of a young man about to die, who felt death over him. It was a question, “why?’
Thomson had always been cocky, he had never felt that he would die. He had always thought that death was something that would never get him. He had thought the would outlive all of the Locust.
But he had been wrong.
The Locust slid down to the ground, and slumped over.
At that moment, the final Locust burst around the corner. He had a Boltok, which he fired at Wes.
Wes felt a hot pain in his abdomen, as the slugs sliced through his flesh. The Locust stood there, staring at Wes, as Wes’s legs suddenly went weak and gave out.
The Drone walked up to Wes, and raised the pistol to Wes head.
But Wes had brought up his own pistol. He pulled the trigger twice, and the Drone threw his arms out in front of his as he was propelled backwards. He fell among his comrades.
Wes slowly crawled to his feet and stumbled over to the Drone. It stared up at him, still alive.
“Goodbye, ************.” He snarled.
He slammed his foot down on the Locust’s head.

I think it's probably the best chapter yet, and it's certainly the longest.

[Jfab]

great job Grey, one of the best fanfic writters out there