Operation: Whiskey [Fourteen FTW!]

[Levyathyn]

Here's quick links to the chappies:

Chapter 1: Landfall
Chapter 2: Assault
Chapter 3: Battery
Chapter 4: Riot
Chapter 5: MIA
Chapter 6: Reflection
Chapter 7: Unity
Chapter 8: First Strike
Chapter 9: Emergence
Chapter 10: The Breaking Wheel
Chapter 11: Departure
Chapter 12: Darkest Hour
Chapter 13: Revenant NEW!
Chapter 14: Hard Landing NEW!

----------
Operation: Whiskey
Chapter One: Landfall

Heavy, booted feet trampled the ground as the Locust drones surged through
the crash site. A dozen of the ugly, reptilian beasts scoured the twin Ravens
for any sign of life. The smoking wreckage of the large helicopters was spread
over the entire street. One of the craft was split entirely open; it's crew of
three, dead. The second Raven lay against a tall building, mostly intact.

Debris from the crashes was scattered for almost a block. Large, smoking sheets
of metal rested in the middle of the barren concrete, pinging as they cooled. On
both vehicles nemacyst ink still bubbled. As three of the drones approached
the second downed helicopter, a low, mechanical whirring stopped them in
their tracks. A minigun, one of two mounted on the sides of each Raven,
began to spin up. A pair of hands, rough and a little bloodied, gripped the
handles. As the drones lifted their rifles, a barrage of concentrated fire tore
them limb from limb.

A sniper rifle shot exploded the head of a fourth drone as gunfire opened
on the Locusts. After a few seconds, the firing stopped, and Locust
blood poured over the ground. Six Coalition soldiers gathered around
the wreckage as a seventh climbed out from behind the minigun. Together,
the men wore the standard armor of the Coalition COGs; The heavy armor
identified with the tough soldiers who wore it. The armour hadn't been in use
long enough to lose it's blue sheen. Most bore the Lancer, the Coalition's
workhorse; An assault rifle accurate up to medium range, built with an under-
barrel chainsaw that gives the Gears an edge in close combat.

A grizzled man, scarred from a life of combat, lifts a pair of COG tags from
one of the fallen soldiers. His head was bald, and a scar ran from under
his lips to cross his right eye. His face was lined with experience, and from the
look in his eyes, it had been a bad experience. His name was Paul Gerhart, though
many called him Cap. In the Pendulum Wars, Paul had lost his brother and his wife.
His daughter, Teresa, kept him going for the time that followed. A pacifist at
heart, Paul was haunted by his time spent killing. On emergence day, his
daughter was slain by the Locust, since when Paul lost all of his reluctance to
fight.

Nearby, Eric Valance kneeled, scanning the road with his sniper rifle.
Lowering the weapon, he pumped the bolt to slide a round into the chamber.
His dark hair was just a little too long. His dark eyes betrayed his history as a
combatant. Jace Torren leapt out of the grounded King Raven and grabbed
the shotgun off of his back. The Gnasher was a powerful weapon, pumped by
a lever-action handle. Jace, a master with the weapon, had short brown hair,
with a beard to match. Eric slung his rifle on his back and nodded to Paul.

"Well, Cap. What do we do?" He said.

"Eric, please, don't call me that. I'm not a Captain anymore." Paul said, though
without feeling. Even though he was only a sergeant in the Coalition, both
Jace and Eric had stuck with him since the old days. His reluctance to lead his
men to their deaths, coupled with his tactical intelligence, had led the
surviving members of his command to respect him as a leader. He tapped his
earpiece, but only static flowed out.

"Command? Command, do you read?" Shaking his head, Paul slung his own Lancer
onto his back. "Seeders." He told the squad. "They're our top priority. If they
don't know we're down here, they can't come and get us. Before we do anything
else," he said, raising the tags in his hand, "grab these. I won't give those Locust
bastards the satisfaction." Nodding, the remaining men, all privates, dug through
the carnage to find them.

"M...Maybe we should look for a Hammer of Dawn, off the Raven." Uh, sir.
Said one soldier, once the men had finished. Slowly, a smile grew on Paul's
face, like a sunrise after a long, bleak night.

"What's your name, private?" He asked.

"Uh, Davis, sir. Alex Davis. My friends just call me Davis. Sir." The young
man said, saluting smartly. His helmet, as new as his armour, hid his
face and muffled his voice. He was as green a soldier as Paul had ever seen. His
Lancer, gleaming in the morning sun, showed no sign of use. Paul pointed at
two of the soldiers he didn't know; One of them was a huge man, taller than Paul.
The other one wore a scarf around his neck, and he was deeply tanned.

"You two. Names." Said Paul. The big man grunted.

"They call me Bear. This is Manny." He indicated the second man,
obviously a friend.

"Alright Bear, Manny, see if you can find a Hammer." He said.
With a nod, Bear turned to the complete wreckage and started towards it.
A man named Ryan was sitting on a piece of chopper, a lieutenant Paul
knew from their days together in the trenches. Paul waved him over, and
nodded towards Eric and Jace.

"Ryan, I want you to head a squad. You take Bear, Manny, and Davis,
the new guy. Jace and Eric will stick with me." Ryan, nodding, rubbed his chin.
His scruffy blonde hair looked unkempt, and his stubble was in need of a shave.

"Will do, Cap. What's the plan?" Said Ryan. Paul, sighing, shook his
head and looked at the sky. Clusters of nemacyst lay spread out over the sky
like spilled ink, on a canvas.

"Alright, I'll take Alpha squad through the old hotel." He said, indicating
the downed Raven. The crash had torn a large hole through the wall. "You take
Bravo and head north, up the road. I want a radio check every fifteen; We
don't know how many seeders there are or where, and I don't want to lose
anyone out here. If you find anything, signal. Keep your eyes peeled."

With a salute, Ryan pulled out his Lancer and whistled. He gathered the rest of
the men with a hand signal, and started telling them the plan. With a single nod
to his men, Paul climbed over the wreckage of the chopper and into the old
hotel. The deserted lobby was once a plush paradise; Hard times had
destroyed the hewn stone staircases and littered the marble floor with rubble.
A fallen chandelier lay crumpled in the center of the scarred floor. Old bullet
holes specked the walls, and a large hole in the ceiling revealed the wooden
framework of the old building.

A large hole was smashed in the wall opposite the three men. Paul, taking cover
behind a wrecked counter, made his way to the opening. Paul reached the hole
and aimed his Lancer around the corner as Eric quickly rushed to the other side.
Aiming his rifle, Eric covered Jace as he sped out of the hotel. Paul and Eric then
followed behind him, staying low.

The courtyard was empty of trees, and no grass grew on the barren soil. The
hotel's rear wing blocked passage to the left, and a pair of double doors stood,
boarded up, opposite the men. A fountain decorated the center of the plaza, and
to the right, the yard opened to an old road. A sudden low rumbling caused the men
to break for cover. Paul and Jace ducked behind the old fountain as Eric rolled into
cover behind a low wall. They all recognized the siren song of a Locust hole, and
they searched the ground nearby as it grew louder.

"Behind us! In the hotel!" Paul yelled as he leapt over the lip of the
fountain to take cover inside it. Jace stood and raced back towards the torn
open wall. Eric, leveling his Longshot rifle, popped off a round at the first drone to
emerge, popping his head like a balloon.

Jace hit the wall hard and lobbed a grenade around the corner. Two more
drones climbed out of the hole and were cut into pieces by the explosion.
Loose rocks tumbled down the hole as two more drones clambered out.
One took cover behind the wreckage of the chandelier as the other rushed
forward. Jace leaned around the corner and fired his shotgun, tearing off
the drone's leg, as Paul pinned the other one down with Lancer fire. Three
drones climbed out of the hole, but another sniper shot sent one tumbling,
dead, back down the tunnel.

Jace crouched and shot another Locust's leg out from under it, then pumped
his shotgun and finished it off with a headshot. Paul covered Jace as he
retreated from the building, his Lancer tearing the arm off of one of the drones.
Three drones rushed out of the building and took cover behind a set of low concrete
blocks.Their Hammerburst rifles tore chunks into the concrete of the old fountain,
barely missing Jace as he rolled over the edge and into cover.

Eric sighted his rifle into the cold eyes of one drone, but missed as the creature
ducked back down. As they reloaded, Paul threw the squad's last grenade behind
them, causing the drones to scatter. One rushed up to the fountain and was torn
into greasy chunks of meat by Jace's Gnasher. As he levered another shot into
place, a second drone butted him in the face with it's Hammerburst. The
creature raised the rifle over his head, a sinister smile showing it's teeth.

A sudden screaming of a Lancer, and the creature began to jerk wildly as the
chainsaw tore through armor, skin, and bone, severing vital organs. The third
Locust ran back to the hotel, but a shot from Eric tore into it's back leg. It
stumbled and rolled, bloody, into the dust, dropping it's rifle.

Rubbing his face, Jace sauntered over to the frantic beast. It's mad
clawing at the dirt was bringing it no closer to the emergence hole. Even as
it slowly pulled itself on the ground, the remaining Locust in the hole undercut
the tunnel, causing it to crumble into itself and seal. Lifting his heavy boot,
Jace stomped the back of it's head, splattering gore across the dry earth. The
three men stood up and reloaded their weapons, and set off without a word.

Hope you enjoyed, more to come. =)

[SKORGE]

Please continue, it's amazing!!! Continue to write long, I like long reads LOL!

[Drossfire]

this is awesome man!! you need to write a full book :]

[Levyathyn]

Thanks guys, Chapter two is on the way. =)

[Drossfire]

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

[SKORGE]

Still waiting!!!!


(0)(0)
__^__
|||||| Keeping my eyes on you!

[Levyathyn]

Chapter 2. A little shorter, but I think it's good. Expect more dialogue in Chapter 3, when it comes.

----------
Operation: Whiskey
Chapter Two: Assault

The road laid open before them, stretched, so it seemed, all the way
to hell. The pitted, cracked pavement was worn and faded; No sign of paint
showed on it's wrecked surface. On either side, the lane was sealed in by a
beautiful concrete rail, or at least, a concrete rail that had once been
beautiful. The road turned into a bridge, then the bridge turned into a
crossroad.

The burnt out shells of cars stood watch along the structure, and a few low
walls had been built, most likely by the large Locust force that held the city in
it's vicelike grip. Behind them, the U-shape of the hotel obscured the crash site
from view. The sun patiently waited, high overhead, biding it's time. On the other
side of the bridge sat a squat, gray building lined with balconies. As Eric examined
the area through he scope, he picked up four Locust and a mounted Troika. The
three drones were led by a single grenadier, and no emergence holes were visible.

Leading the men forward, slowly, Paul readied the squads last grenade. Eric
took aim at the Troika as Jace charged towards the Locust. The grenade
looped over Jace's head as Paul tossed it then followed behind, firing his
Lancer. Bullets tore through the jaw of one of the drones. A second drone
mounted the Troika and aimed at Jace. Sliding into behind sandbags, Jace
leveled the weapon over cover and fired blindly, goring a bloody hole into the
chest of the third drone. The Troika began to fire, flooding the air with heavy
shells, and then was silenced, as Eric's shot blew through the gunner's head,
slicing it in two. The grenadier charged Jace's cover and leapt over, rolling and
coming up to bear his shotgun.

With a grunt, Jace quickly butted the weapon's barrel with his own, sending
the Locust's shot wide, then jammed the front of his weapon into his opponent's
face. Jace fired and the grenadier's skull exploded out backwards, coating the
side of the bridge. Paul rushed in to examine the building. Eric, staying where
he was, watched for signs of further combat. Jace, smirking, walked to the
building's door, slowly. Eric, zooming in on the second story, noticed movement.

"Guys," He said over the squad's radio. "I've got movement. It looks like a
sniper, maybe two, on the second floor. I don't think they see me." Nodding,
Paul showed Jace the ok.

"Fire when ready, Eric." As he talked, Paul moved to cover the left side of the
door, while Jace covered the right. Eric's shot rang out, signaling the attack.
Jace raised one booted foot and kicked the door to hell, then rolled inside and
came up blasting. A drone, surprised, fumbled his Hammerburst as Jace's first
shot cleaved it in half. Another pair rushed in, guns at the ready, as Paul
stepped in behind Jace. Another sniper shot screamed out, and a heavy body
fell from the balcony, cracking open on the concrete below.

Paul brought down one drone with his Lancer's fire, then grabbed the second as
three more opened fire from a nearby room. Shots pinged off of Jace's armor as he
took cover behind a crumbling stone pillar. Screaming in rage, Paul fired until his clip
was empty. Two drones who had the misfortune of being in the doorway at the time
were cut into bloody, meaty chunks.

The unfortunate Locust Paul had chosen for cover was similarly shredded by
Hammerburst fire before Paul turned his rifle's chainsaw on the creature. Jace
charged through the door, surprising the third drone, who was reloading. Swinging
his Gnasher to crack the Locust on the head, Jace fired a round into it's chest, hurling
it into the wall behind it, where it fell in four pieces. Eric rushed into the room, pistol at
the ready, only to find a scene of carnage left for him. Holstering his pistol, he flashed
Jace a grin.

"You could have left me some action, guys." He said. Jace, collecting a few
shotgun rounds, only smiled.

"Quiet for a minute." Said Paul. "Bravo? Do you read me?" He said, talking into
his headset. The voice that came was recognizable, but muffled by static.

"Barely, Alpha, but we read you. Have you found anything?" Said Ryan.

"Negative, Bravo. Just some Locust scum. You?" Replied Paul.

"Negative. Possible seeder, will get back to you, over." Said Ryan.

"Roger. Keep us updated, Bravo. Alpha, out." Said Paul. "You heard him, boys.
Let's find us a Hammer." Paul dropped the empty Lancer and knelt by one of
the drone's Hammerbursts. The rifles were accurate, and what they lacked in
chainsaws, they made up for in firepower. He hefted one and slammed a clip
into it, testing the weight.

Deciding that, as far as their weapons went, the Locust weren't so bad, he
scoured the ground and found what he was looking for. Two of the dead Locust
had carried grenades, which he lifted from them. He decided that they wouldn't
be needing them. Looking around, he noticed both of his squadmates were missing.
He tapped his earpiece.

"Guys, where are you?" He said.

"I'm upstairs, getting some ammo. It's all clear." Came Eric's calm voice.

"Jace?" Asked Paul, after a moment.

"Sarge, I think you'd better come here." Came Jace, sounding worried. "I'm out
back." Paul frowned, worried himself. When Jace wasn't joking around, things
were serious. He stepped through the open doorway of the building, marvelling
at the decoration around him. The walls were tiled red and white where they
weren't torn by bullet holes. A few tables remained, here and there, cracked
and shattered. A bar stood at the back of the place, near the stairs.

The area gave Paul the impression that this had once been a restaurant. The
back door had been twisted in and kicked open, and Paul stepped through it.
The rear of the building opened onto the city. Tall spires stood, broken and torn,
in the distance. An open street lay east to west , with a single road continuing
north, following the path of the bridge. Where the three roads merged, a
large hole had been dug.

Huge gouges in the surface of the street marked the passing of a titan, and the
wreckage of a King Raven lay on the opposite side of the hole. The wreckage had
been crushed into two pieces, by whatever had come out of the Hollow beneath.
Eric walked up behind them, taking in the scene himself. He let out a low whistle.

"Sh*t." He said. "Sucks to be us." Paul nodded.

"A Corpser. Great." Paul let out a sigh. "Bravo, come in. Do you copy?" He said.

"Roger." Came the reply. The static on the line was even heavier.

"We found a Corpser tunnel." Paul said. There was a pause on the other end.

"Sh*t." Ryan said.

"That's what we said." Paul said. He thought for a moment. "Well...I guess we
could...no."

"Come again, Alpha?" Came the reply.

"Nothing, Ryan, nothing. Just thinking out loud. We could-" Paul started. He
stopped because Eric raised his hands in front of him. In Eric's hands was a
Hammer of Dawn. The sleek device had a short barrel, and was only slightly
bigger than a pistol, but it's size belied it's power. The weapon sent targeting
data to orbiting weapon satellites, with great effect.

"Well, I guess we could hit it with the Hammer of Dawn. Alpha out." Paul took
the weapon in his hands, holding it reverentially. A green light on the rear of it
was on, indicating the presence of an overhead satellite. His face showed a
rare smile, and he slid the weapon onto the magnetic weapon holder on his
back.

"Well, boys. I guess we might stand a chance now." He said. "Let's take the
straight road, head north and meet up with Bravo team." He said, pointing up
the road. The Corpser, a massive beast whose many legs were sharp enough
to cut through solid rock, had left scars in the concrete as it walked. The
marks, each one three feet long, spread over the entire road, and more than a
few marred the ground nearby. The beast had headed north. With a sigh, Eric
unslung his rifle.

"Hopefully, just Bravo team." He said with a smirk. Jace cocked his shotgun.

Feedback, as always, welcome.

EDIT: Fixed spacing. Sorry, folks.

[Drossfire]

I wanna kick the hell out of a door!!!!
great job and i expect to see more!!
=]

[SKORGE]

I wanna kick the hell out of a door!!!!
great job and i expect to see more!!
=]

Um woah there tiger......I say go HEAD FIRST!

Also great chapter Lev....hope to see more!

[Levyathyn]

Alright, here goes.

----------
Operation: Whiskey
Chapter Three: Battery

The sun blazed overhead, a constant reminder of the passage of time.
The three men, tense, alert, and ready for a fight, marched up the road. Jace,
carefree, smiled as he thought back to better days. His casual gait belied his
combat experience. In front strode Paul. His scarred face and gruff demeanor
hid a kind-hearted soul, though you wouldn't have known it from the way he
ran his squad. Walking in the back was Eric, holding his rifle.

"Hey, Sarge." Said Jace. "You uhh...you lose anyone? On E-Day?" He asked.
Paul seemed to contemplate this. The three men had been comrades since the
days of the Pendulum Wars, yet the question had never before been brought
up between them. The boys had been there when enemy soldiers took the life
of Paul's wife and brother. After that, the war had kept them apart for years.
After E-Day, when the Coalition was formed, the men had become Gears, and
had eventually reunited.

"Yeah. I lost...I lost Teresa. On E-Day. Those goddamned grubs came up out
of their holes and they killed my daughter." He said, calmly. For once, even
Jace's good humor was mollified.

"Jeez, man. Sorry. I had no idea." Jace said, shaking his head.

"I lost my wife on E-Day." Said Eric, suddenly speaking. "We had met just four
months before. She was a doctor, working out of Jacinto. She was out of
town for a few days, helping some survivors, when the Locust came." The
three men took a few minutes of quiet, to clear the horrors from their heads.
Ahead of them, about half a mile off, the road opened into a large plaza. The
area was dominated by the presence of a large, flat complex.

"Bravo, come in." Said Paul. "Bravo, come in. State your location. Do you read
me?" But no reply came for quite a while. When it did, Ryan's voice came in
through a screen of static.

"Copy that, Alpha." Brief bursts of gunfire could be heard through the radio.
"We're pinned down in front of the old Magnus Theater! Can you assist, Alpha?"

"Copy, Bravo." Said Paul. "We are in sight of the building now. Have you verified
a seeder?" There was another, shorter pause.

"Roger that, Alpha." Came Ryan's reply. "Seeder is in the Theater. We--Sh*t!"
There was a loud shot and an explosion. "We're getting spammed by these
nemacyst!" Paul raised a hand and motioned forward, and Alpha squad began
to pick up the speed.

"We are on the way, Bravo. Hang tight, over." Paul said. When he had
finished, he pulled out his Lancer and began to run. A distant column of smoke
to the left of the large theater marked Bravo's location. The men, led by Paul,
charged through the street. On either side of them, abandoned storefronts
and collapses offices gave way to piles of rubble and gouges in the cityscape.
As they ran on, a low rumbling caused them to falter. Eric stumbled and rolled,
coming up with his rifle ready. Behind them, a pair of emergence holes opened,
and drones began to swarm out.

"Grubs!" Yelled Paul, firing his Lancer as he ran on. Hammerburst fire began to
tear past Alpha squad as they retreated. Jace dove behind the wreckage of a
car as shots pinged off of it's rusted frame. Eric took a hit in the shoulder and
dropped his rifle as he tumbled into a small pit in the road. Paul, ducking into a
storefront, brought the Hammer of Dawn to bear.

"Eric!" Yelled Jace. He fired his shotgun as he ran to the hole where Eric had
fallen. Jace jumped down into the three foot deep pit beside him.

"I'm good, man. Just a flesh wound." Shaking it off, Eric lifted his rifle. Jace
looked over the edge of the pit as three small beams converged on a grenadier.
Suddenly, a brilliant, golden beam lit up the sky. The earth shook and the
ground was burned as the satellite streamed energy onto the grenadier. As the
beam materialized, the Locust was disintegrated; Small pieces of it were sent
flying in all directions. The shockwave sent the remaining Locust tumbling. The
few left standing ran for cover as Paul sighted in the Hammer, moving the
beam across their ranks. The attack stopped as quickly as it had happened, and
Alpha squad took the moment to regroup. They quickly took up the pace again,
heading towards Bravo. Shots could still be heard in the distance. Behind them,
Locust rifles began firing again once the drones had recovered from their initial
shock. Ducking low, Alpha squad took to the left side of the road.

As they neared the smoking ruin, Locust could be seen running from cover to
cover, keeping suppressive fire on a small building where Bravo squad was holed
up. Every now and then a burst of Troika fire would hammer into the concrete
wall surrounding the place. The doors were sandbagged, turning the building
into a bunker.

"Ryan, we're near your location." Paul said. "What's your situation?"

"Copy, Alpha. Paul, it is good to hear your voice." Said Ryan, clearly. The static
on the line had dropped greatly.

"We'll flank left, you keep them occupied. Is anyone hurt?" Paul responded.

"Negative. The rook had a nasty hit on the leg, but he's fine. Manny! On the left!"

"You heard me, Alpha." Said Paul, turning to Eric and Jace. "Let's do this."
With a nod, the three Gears tracked right, going around the back of a small
building. Turning the corner, Paul aimed his Hammer at the Troika, high on the
roof of the theater. As the beam materialized once again, Eric fired his rifle
into a small crowd of Locust in front of it. Jace fired his shotgun around the
corner, taking a grub by surprise. It writhed on the ground, clutching at it's
missing arm, before he slammed the gun down onto it's face. As the Troika
melted under direct fire from the Hammer, fire began to rain down on Alpha.
Lancer fire from Bravo cut through the Locust, keeping their forces spread thin.
Jace and Paul rushed forward, taking cover behind an old van. Shells from both
above and below hammered into it, sinking into the machine's long-broken
exterior. Three grubs rushed forward and came around the vehicle, trying to
surprise the two seasoned fighters.

Meanwhile, Bravo managed to force their way out of the small building. Ryan
took the lead, spraying Lancer fire at the Locust on the ground. Manny whirled
a grenade around and hurled it into the Locust frontlines as Bear covered him
with a recovered Gnasher. Finally, limping along, came Davis. The front of the
theater had been neatly sliced off, exposing much of the first two floors to
the outside. Fortifications had been set up by the Locust, turning the place
into a heavily defended outpost. Numerous stairs, spreading from the east end
of the building to the west, led up to the high foundation on which the theater
had been built. Taking a defensive position at the bottom of these stairs, Bravo
began to fire suppression.

"Fear me!" Yelled Paul as the butt of his Lancer hammered between the drone's
eyes. The skull split, covering Paul's face with a light red mist of Locust blood.
Revving his chainsaw, he cut straight down the chest of the second grub. Jace
dropped his empty shotgun and hit the Locust in front of him with a heavy left
cross, sending it reeling. He grabbed the creature by the armour and heaved it
into the van head-first. Holding it steady, he pounded it's face with two more
rights before letting it drop. He picked up his shotgun and reloaded it, slowly,
as the dazed creature watched him. He pumped the lever and aimed the barrel
at the grub's face, putting a foot on it's shoulder to keep it steady.

"Have a nice day." He said, sincerely, before firing. As more shots hit the van,
Eric rolled into cover beside them.

"Bravo's over there." He said, pointing to the four COG's. "What do we do,
Paul?" He asked. With a sigh, Paul reloaded his Lancer.

"We give 'em hell." He said, cocking the gun. "Same as always."

Tell me what you think, folks. Good or bad, it's nice to be read. =)
Expect more.

[locust are real]

GREAT story man, hurry up and write some more

[Levyathyn]

Thanks, lar (mind me calling you lar?). I appreciate it.

I'll comment on the Savior as soon as I finish; I'm reading Chapter 6 now. =)

[locust are real]

hah yea i dont mind.

bout ur PM just incase you dont get it or something, i dont mind if you use him in your stroy. i would be honoured..

And hurry up and write the next chapter :P

[Levyathyn]

hah yea i dont mind.

bout ur PM just incase you dont get it or something, i dont mind if you use him in your stroy. i would be honoured..

And hurry up and write the next chapter :P

Will do. =) I'll start tonight, and thanks again. I hope at lest a few people are plesantly surprised.

[Levyathyn]

Here's looking at you.

----------
Operation: Whiskey
Chapter Four: Riot

Paul broke from cover, firing his Lancer and screaming. Jace followed, covering
him with Hammerburst fire as he walked. Bravo squad, entrenched in a small
bunker at the bottom of the stairs, laid down enough cover fire to suppress a
Brumak. Paul rolled in behind the sandbags as Jace and Eric ran up behind him.
Paul, out of breath from the charge, nodded his thanks to Ryan as countless
rounds slammed into the cover. Reunited once again, the two squads victory
was short-lived, as dozens of Locust began pouring down the stairs from the
theater. Each one held a Hammerburst, Gnasher, or, in a few cases, a Lancer.

"SH*T!" Yelled Paul. "COVER FIRE!" He closed his eyes tight, lowered his head,
and emptied his Lancer's clip over the entrenchment and into the front line of
the horde. Bravo, empowered by his rally cry, did the same. Eric hurled a
smoke grenade into the drones and then took one out with his rifle. Instead of
reloading, he switched to a Boltok pistol, a heavy revolver. The Boltok, though
not as powerful as the Longshot, blew large, messy holes into many grubs.

Asthe smoke billowed out, many of the Locust fired blindly, often shooting
other Locust. Taking advantage of the temporary inefficiency, Bravo fired
quick bursts into the thick cloud. As the smoke dispersed, only seven surviving
Locust could be seen. Weapons in hand, they rushed the bunker. Three jumped
over the sandbags, and all three were immediately chainsawed. Jace jumped up
and shot his Gnasher, splitting one drone's chest in half. Cocking his gun, he
fired a second time, blowing off a second Locust's leg. A muscular grenadier,
wearing no armor and wielding a shotgun, fired and hit Jace in the chest.

"Jace!" Yelled Eric, as the force of the shot took Jace to the ground. Eric
raised his rifle and swung, smashing the weapon into the grenadier's face. The
Locust, stunned, looked up in time to see the Longshot pointed right at him.
The shot hit the creature square in the face and carried it's head more than
twenty feet back. The body of the thing, still holding the shotgun, stood there,
twitching, for a few seconds, then fell over.

"Give him some room." Came Paul's calm, gruff voice. "I think we have a-" He
said as a sniper rifle round just missed his head. "-sniper up there, Eric." With a
nod, Eric aimed and fired, shooting through the Locust sniper's scope. Jace,
with a sigh, stood up. He was shaky and weak, but he could walk. The shotgun
had scuffed his armour and gouged two holes in his chest. Blood had stained
his armour and the ground beneath him. He raised his left hand and held it to
the wound, applying pressure to staunch the bleeding. With a wince, he put his
hand to the hole.

"I'm alright, guys, no big." His face was pale and drawn, but he hefted his
shotgun easily in his right hand, and worked the lever. "I've been hit worse."
Nodding, Paul knew this to be true. He thought back to the time when he had
first met the kid, back in the Pendulum Wars. Jace had just been an ammo boy,
tossing the men a magazine or a few shells when they needed it. His older
brother, Garret, had been a fine soldier. Paul was a young, fresh-faced captain
in those days, looking to keep his men alive.

-----
"Hey Cap, why aren't we going in there?" Asked Garret, curiously. The youth
was handsome and confident, a mere 18. His Lancer, shiny and new, was held
over one shoulder, the matching helmet under the other.

"We're not going in there because it's an ambush." Said Paul. "Look, you see
that wounded man?" He pointed. The four men were hidden from sight behind
a large fuel tank. Overhead, the evening sky was a brilliant canvas of reds,
purples, and golds. Thirty feet away lay a groaning man, clutching his shoulder
where, presumably, his arm had been shot off. "He's faking." Paul finished.

"What?" Said Garret. "No way. How can you tell?" The kid was green, but not
that green. His Lancer was already aimed, his finger just off the trigger.

"His hand. Every once in a while, he pokes it out from under the bottom of his
jacket." As he watched, the man did it again.

"Son of a b*tch." A young boy, no older than 15 himself, peered over Garret's
shoulder, watching intently. A sudden sound drew the squad's attention behind
them, where six soldiers had crept up, guns raised.

"Nobody move!" Called out one of them. "Lay your weapons down and put your
hands behind your heads!" He yelled. Garret, slowly shaking his head, whipped
his Lancer up to fire. All six of the enemies opened fire, tearing the man to
shreds. The young boy, no more than 15, calmly watched. As Paul, Kirk, and
Steven laid their weapons down, he calmly stepped behind the enemy soldiers.
As they confidently slung their rifles across their backs, he calmly blew them
away with a shotgun. After the first shot, Paul and the rest jumped up and
reclaimed their rifles. The slaughter was over quick. The last one to die was
one-arm, who came rushing up at the last second, weaponless. They buried
Garret in a nearby field and continued their mission, and Jace, only 15, joined
their numbers.
-----

"Hang in there, brother." Said Paul. "Hang in there." Jace, nodding, leaned on
Paul's shoulder for support, and the squad began to walk up the stairway to
the theater. Ryan led, slowly waving his Lancer back and forth, watching for
any sign of movement. At the top of the stairs, the squad stopped. Jace, still
in pain, sat against a crumbled wall as Paul examined the building.

The front of the building, once a beautiful work of art, had been sliced off completely
bythe satellite network over Sera. When the Locust Horde first attacked, humanity
rushed to escape, and when they left, they didn't want the Locust moving in.
All that night, the golden beams had swept through the cities, slicing the land
open like a barber with the shakes. Even the city of Phobos, once a fulcrum of
Jacinto's artistic and cultural elite, became a wrecked, smoking ruin. The
Magnus Theater, perhaps Sera's most famous, was a Locust stronghold.

The huge diagonal cut revealed a cross-section of a considerable part of the
building. The front door was now fourty feet wide, and the Gears saw no
trouble in entering. Once inside, Paul noticed the slight tremors of a seeder.
Nemacyst dotted the sky, but they paid the men no heed. The aftermath of
the corpser had further wrecked the ancient building, and the seeder was now
waiting in a huge pit, thirty feet in diameter. The large creature stomped
around, uselessly.

Seeing the pit undefended, Paul unholstered his Hammer and stepped forward,
watching for signs of Locust. Meeting no resistance, he aimed. As the beam
honed in on the large beast, he cracked a smile. Maybe,just maybe, he would
have a good day after all. The creature, screaming at the onslaught of energy,
dug a small hole before collapsing, dead. Paul, his hopes high, tried the radio.

"Command, do you read?" He waited.

"Copy that. This is General West." Came a clear, unknown voice. "Identify
yourself."

"Glad to, command. I am Sergeant Paul Gerhart, of Wing Company. Myself and
six others survived the twin crash of our Ravens. We set out at 0600 hours for
an unknown mission and we were downed by a Locust attack." Paul said, relief
creeping into his voice.

"Copy, zero-six-zero-zero hours, Sergeant? " Came the authoritative voice.

"Copy, command. Since then, we have obtained a Hammer of Dawn and killed
a seeder." Said Paul. The radio was silent for a discouraging amount of time
before the reply came.

"Copy that, Sergeant. What is your position?"

"We are inside the ruins of the Magnus Theater, in Phobos. We have one
injured soldier and...a few tags, sir." Said Paul, his smile evaporating.

"Copy. Hold position, Raven is inbound. This is not evac, repeat, not
evacuation. Medical assistance and backup en route. Hold for debriefing." Said
the man. "Sergeant, you are a lucky man, and you and yours may have won
this day for the Coalition."

"Thank you, sir. I don't know what to say." Said Paul, shocked at this sudden
turn of events.

"Then don't say anything, soldier. Just keep up the good work, and don't die."

"Copy. Sergeant Paul Gerhart, out." He turned to his men. "Well, boys. Looks
we pulled another one out of our ass." This was met with a chorus of cheers.
Jace, wincing, pulled himself to his feet and smiled. "Here, Jace." Said Paul,
coming over to him. "Take these." He extended his hand. Jace saw, hanging
from it, Paul's COG tags.

"Sir?" He asked, mystified.

"Don't get sappy on me, boy." Paul said with a smile. "Just take them. I don't
want any of these guys to have to run down my dead, broken body to get to
them." Nodding, Jace slung them over his neck. The rested, warm, against his
skin; They reminded him of the good times.

Hopefully, as I go forward in the story, I keep the quality as good as when I started, or even more hopefully, better. =)

Read and review, please.

[\ InFaMoUs /]

Good quality story pal. I like you style of writing and the constant fast pace reminds me of Ludlum. Keep up the good work, I'm looking forward to Chapter 5.

[palaceguardrox]

nice i hope to see maor from ya i like the fact how its long unlike mine makes it more of a sit down and take your time read
lol through the scope as in jackson's skill in saving private ryan when that nazi got shot that way

[locust are real]

Hurry it up man lol i cant wait

btw BUMP

[Levyathyn]

Hurry it up man lol i cant wait

Well, in that case. =) Here's 5.

----------
Operation: Whiskey
Chapter Five: Missing in Action

The empty streets of Phobos howled as the wind whipped up and down the
wide thoroughfares and avenues. Dust skirted around corners and under cars.
The wide vista of the ruined city was unmarred by Locust. The Gears had shot
the few remaining nemacyst. The theater was littered with the aftermath of
the battle; Dead grubs were heaped in bloody piles, chunks of moulding and
stone had collapsed to the floor, and bullet holes marked every surface.

The Gears waited, alone, at the top of the stone steps like carved statues,
eachone a grim sentinel. They blood and dirt of war stained their armour, and
they gripped their weapons tight. Though their bodies remained still, their eyes
travelled the battlefield, scouring every surface with the intensity of a fired
shot. Jace rested against a column in the old building's exposed foyer, tired but
alert, his shotgun close at hand.

"Come in, Sergeant. Do you read me?" A voice called through Paul's radio. Her
voice sounded strained and weary.

"Copy, this is Sgt. Gerhart. Situation?" Paul responded.

"This is C-32, we are inbound on your location, over." She said before closing
the channel. Nodding to his men, Paul lifted a grenade from his belt. It was
smooth and cylindrical, indicating a smoke grenade. As The Squad heard the
sounds of an approaching King Raven, he whirled the device like a bolo and
hurled it, where it landed in the middle of an opening outside the theater.

The craft neared, the heavy metal body of the helicopter tough enough to endure
most types of attack. The standard air vehicle of the Coalition, the King Raven
Mk. II was a transport, an assault craft, and air support, all rolled into one. It's
blades whirred in a shimmering circle over it as it flew in. The pilot spotted the
smoke and lighted on the ground. The blades began to slow as people leapt out
of the craft and rushed in to help.

"Dieter!" Yelled one man. He was an older man, scarred with both wounds and
time. He pointed at a younger blond man with striking blue eyes.

"Yes sir?" Dieter answered. On his back were a variety of medical supplies. The
old soldier, who had a few was decorations on his chest armor, indicated Jace.

"Check that man, he's wounded." Dieter immediately ran in to apply aid. The
man's youthful face, already changed by the horrors of war, was, for the time
being, relaxed. It had been awhile since he had dropped into an area without
Locust. The older man identified himself as General West. With a salute, Paul
nodded at him. As they spoke, a squad of helmeted Gears unloaded crates from
the King Raven.

"Young man, you are a credit to this military." It took Paul a moment to realize
that the General was addressing him. It had been a long time since Paul was a
young man. "Walk with me." he said, indicating the vacant ledge overlooking
downtown. The two old soldiers gazed calmly out at the serene afternoon day
for a few minutes. Finally, West broke the silence. "Operation Whiskey was a
failed attempt to locate and infiltrate a dead weapons facility set up in the
days of the Pendulum Wars by the USH." Paul rected to this news with moderate
shock. The idea of a Hinden weapons facility inside Coalition territory would have
been a terrifying one, once upon a time.

"Before the Locust attack," General West continued, "the Hinden government believed
that this facility, codenamed Point Whiskey, held the key to winning a war against
both Sovnia and the Coalition. A weapon, supposedly, greater than the Hammer of
Dawn, or Agent 63." The casual way in which the General stated this caused a sliver
of fear in Paul. The Hammer of Dawn was single-handedly responsible for most of the
destruction on Sera, and Agent 63 was such a horrifying chemical agent that even in
the Pendulum Wars it had only been used once. But, at the same time, he realized that
it gave him hope.

"Sir, what would you have me do?" Asked Paul. The General gave him a winning
smile and firmly shook his hand.

"I knew you were our man. As of now, you and your man are Echo One and
Two. You will be joining a multi-faceted assault on Locust forces in and around
the perimeter of Point Whiskey." The Gears had finished unloading the crates.
They now opened them to show Paul weapons and ammo, and a few medical
supplies.

Taking Paul over to the Raven, West showed him a map of Phobos. He pointed
to the Magnus. Three miles west a small lake was circled in red and labeled as
Whiskey. Two points to the north of the facility had also been marked. These were
labeled Staging; The one to the north-east was marked asAlpha, the one to the
north-west as Bravo. A thick red line was drawn in the middle, seperating the two
points from the facility.

"As you can see, we expected heavy resistance. Early this morning, three
groups launched and began an assault on Whiskey facility. We quickly lost
contact with them, and we believe they are all being pinned down in this area.
Three squads, including yours, were shot down before they could reach us. We
sent one Raven in to be destroyed before we realized that the Locust had
been moving in seeders. With you on board, we have a chance. You, heading
Echo squad, will lead your team here." West said, pointing to the map. He was
indicating a bridge to the west of their position.

"Once there, you will come in behind the Locust and take them out. The seeders
will be your priority. Once radio contact comes in, and the nemacyst are out of
the sky, we will send in immediate evac. With any luck, we'll also be able to locate
our missing Gears." Paul nodded. He glanced to the west and saw the bridge, gleaming
in the sun.

"Sir, I accept this mission." Paul said. "I'll take two men in Echo One. I've led
them for a long time, and I would like to continue doing so. I'd like it if you
let Ryan head Echo Two. He's got good command experience, and he's been
through a lot today." West thought on it for a moment, then nodded.

"Agreed. However, I can't let you go out there with three men. I hate to break
up your bond, but going out there a man short can get you and your team into
trouble." West said. "Walters!" He called out. A young private, helmet tucked
under his arm, ran over and then saluted. He was young, with short, dark hair.
His serious face gazed sternly at the General, and his salute was by-the-book.

"Sir!" He said.

"Gear up and man up, Private. You're on Echo One as of now. This is Sergeant
Paul Gerhart. You'll be going with him. Good luck, Private. Dismissed." Walters
gave a curt nod and a second salute before crisply turning and heading back
to the equipment crates. "You will be going part of the way with us. We will
drop you off here, on the roof of this building." He said, pointing to a spot on
the map four blocks from the bridge. Any closer and we risk our entire crew."
Paul nodded and saluted West.

"Yes sir." Paul said. As he said that, a beautiful female COG stepped up to them
with her helmet held tightly in one hand.

"General West, we take off in five." She said. "I'm prepping the Raven now."
That said, she slid her helmet on and entered the helicopter. The props began
to turn, slowly at first, as the dirt below was whipped into a frenzy by the
giant blades.

Paul went to his men and was joined by Walters. Dieter, finishing up with the
squad, stood up. He had bandaged Jace up and replenished his blood. Jace
looked his old self again. He thanked Dieter as he buckled his armor back on.
Nodding, Dieter left for the Raven.

"Grab your gear and let's move, boys. I'll brief you on the way. Make sure you
brought your brassiest, fellas. We got some Gears to save."

Thanks to locust are real for letting me use Dieter. =) Awesome.

[locust are real]

Great chapter, you need to write some more soon! like, very soon!

[palaceguardrox]

clap/clap great read

[SKORGE]

GREAT JOB MAN, I need MORE!!!! Also I finally get the meaning of your tittle, and how it was related to the story!

[BlazingPhoenix66]

Great Story! By FAR the best fan fic I have read! Keep up the good work!

[Levyathyn]

Thanks, guys (gal/s?). =) Chapter 6 is on the way.

[locust are real]

Hey, check out the social group thread for an idea for your next story:P

[TORQUE_BOW]

WOW...Just WOW!...This is also the Best Fan Fic Ive Ever Read...

Keep them Coming Man!
lol

[Levyathyn]

Have no fear, brothers; Chapter 6 is being typed as I...type...this. Well, not at the exact same time, because I only have two hands and one keyboard, but you get the idea. =) Expect one, and maybe two chapters today.

Thanks for the niceties...you guys made my week. =)

[M4RCU5]

Click on the link in my Siggy to see mine!!

[TORQUE_BOW]

I Really Like Jace lol
Very Cool Characters.....

[Levyathyn]

After much waiting, I can finally add Chapter 6! Weet!

----------
Operation: Whiskey
Chapter Six: Reflection

Paul let the wind whip over his face as he leaned out the side of the Raven; a
typical Raven was left open on either side for quick pickup and deployment.He
closed his eyes and relaxed, ignoring the whirling blades, the rushing breeze,
and the devastated city below. Eric sat in the back, using his combat knife to
carved eleven more tiny slits in the side of his rifle. He kept track of all of his
kills since E-Day this way. His meticulous work was unnecessary, for he had
switched rifles twice and had long since memorized his number.

Jace sat with Walters, each chatting heatedly about tactics. General West
sat towards the front with his team of uniformed Gears, each quiet and ready.
The new men,including Walters, were marked with a black triad on their chest.
According to Walters, that was the insignia of Edge Company. In the front was
the pilot. Her skill with the craft was impressive, and under her helmet she was
beautiful. It had been a long time since Paul had lost his family, but in all the
years since he had never let them go.

He still held a picture of his wife and kid, and he would go to his grave alone.
He had, however, noticed Jace giving her attention. He wished the kid luck;
Every soldier needed something beautiful in their life. With a resigned sigh,
he reached under his armor and pulled out the picture. It had been taken
over 16 years before, but it was still well cared for. A beautiful girl was playing
with her young daughter in a park, but had taken just a second to flash the
cameraman a carefree grin. It brought a smile to his face and a tear to his eye.

Looking out at the sunlight city, he tucked it back into his armour. Bear and
Manny, two newcomers to Paul's crew were sitting together in the center of
the Raven. Bear was quietly talking to Manny, possibly about the battle plan,
likely about some other topic. Manny, in his typical way, was quiet and reserved.
Paul had yet to see him speak. Davies was sitting next to Paul, and was finally
quiet after asking what seemed like millions of questions about the upcoming
assault. Paul didn't mind, though; A soldier who knew what was going on was
a soldier who could pull through. Many a young man had died in the Wars who
hadn't bothered to ask 'What' and 'Why'.

A sniper shot rang out as soon as Eric had finished. Walters, expressing doubt
as to the possibility of such a shot, leaned out of the northern side of the craft
to watch. He sat back down a second later, quiet, as Eric fired off another one
and hit a running Locust far below.

"Has he always been that good of a shot?" Asked Walters. Paul looked the
young man over, taking care to note the way Walters carried himself and his
equipment. His armour was polished but nicked, showing a soldier who liked to
keep himself maintained but didn't mind getting dirty when it was important.
His Lancer was cleaned and loaded, as was his Snub pistol. Satisfied, Paul
answered the curious gaze of the man by looking out over the city again. His
memories of Eric floated to the surface, and the odd way in which he had met
the boy.

"Yep." He answered. "Ever since he was nine." Walters looked impressed. He
threw another glance at Eric and whistled low into his helmet's radio. Seeing no
more targets on the rooftops below, Eric stowed his rifle and quietly began to
contemplate the past. Paul couldn't talk to him, couldn't even get near him on
the heavily-crowded chopper, but he didn't have to; Paul knew the past that
haunted him.

Among all of his soldiers, Jace and Eric had been the two closest. It was no
wonder both survived, even as young as they were. Paul had long considered
them, both orphans, as his own sons. But he always thought that Eric was the
one who needed him most. When they had met, the first anyone knew of Eric
was the shot he fired. It hit Paul in the chest, and only blind luck had kept him
alive. His squad had become more and more nervous as they saw the dead soldiers
spread out in the area. They thought it was an ambush.

-----
Two men spread left, and Paul took Kirk and Jace to the right. They were
in an abandoned factory, where they had hoped to find a shortcut through the
HAF blockade on the road. They crept through the area, the dark corners of
the building filled with malicious, taunting shadows. The two-story building was
filled with crates, conveyors, equipment, and old cargo moving vehicles. Paul
had suspected to find troops somewhere in the room; Every second that they
didn't made him more suspicious. The presence of both Coalition and Hinden
soldiers among the dead made him curious. He tapped his comm.

"No one fire one anyone until I say so." He said, quietly.

"What?" Asked Steven. His defiant nature caused him to question orders from
time to time; A trait that would later get him killed in combat.

"Don't fire, even if fired on. I think it's a civilian." Paul had just finished when a
second shot flew over Kirk's head. The squad quickly rushed in and surrounded
the shooter, a small, grubby kid. His old Surefire rifle, made in the early days of
the Pendulum Wars, was old, and had jammed twice. Fearless, even then, he
threw it down and drew a small knife.

"Easy, kid." Said Paul, kneeling down and laying his rifle down. "No one's here to
hurt you." The kid shook his head, lowering his face and raising the knife.

"I don't believe you. That's what they said before they killed Daddy. He told me
never to trust them and he was right!" The kid said, angrily. Paul slowly moved
his hands, calling off his squad.

"It's alright. These guys, they weren't us. They were different people. We're
not like that. I promise. Here, have my rifle. It's a lot better than that old one."
He said, handing the kid his newer Longshot. Suspiciously, the young boy took
it from Paul's hands. He couldn't have been more than nine.

"Cap? You sure about that?" Asked Kirk. Nodding, Paul told them his logic.

"This is a good kid, he won't shoot us. And I'd feel better leaving him here if I
knew he could protect himself better." Moving in towards the boy slowly, Paul
moved the action on the rifle. "See? Slide it back after each shot." Standing
up, he handed the boy a small bandolier.

"Let's go, squad." He said, pulling his men through the building. They had gone
fifteen feet before the boy called after him.

"Wait, please." He said. The calm nature of his voice belied the brilliant spark in
the kid's eyes. "Can I go with you? I'm kind of hungry." Smiling, Paul nodded.
As they walked out, he held the boys hand.
-----

"Drop in five, gentlemen." Came the pilot's voice over the radio.

"Thanks, Corporal." Replied the General. "Get your men ready." He called, loud
enough to be heard over the roar of the Raven. Paul nodded and twirled his
index finger in the air.

"Round 'em up, boys." He said. Echo squad readied for departure, each man
with a weapon in hand and steel in his eye. The craft spiraled down towards a
rendezvous with the ground. Then they met, with a sudden impact.

Thanks for the comments, all. TORQUE_BOW, I'll let you in on a secret. Jace is
partly based on a friend of mine. =)

Click here for a link to a crappy image I made of Edge Company's insignia.

[TORQUE_BOW]

love It!!!!

[Levyathyn]

Well, I have to make up for my two day absence somehow. =D
Back to the action at hand, and hopefully, you'll learn a little more about the second group of guys in this one.

----------
Operation: Whiskey
Chapter Seven: Unity

Jace hit the ground running. He slid into cover and readied his rifle. Paul came
up behind him, Lancer at the ready, with Eric. Walters moved last, walking with
his weapon aiming back and forth. By the time Echo Two got into position on
the northern edge of the building, the King Raven was already airborne.

"Good luck, Gears." Said General West. He needed no response; The Gears all
knew the odds. The building had been a store once. Now, the low walls around
the edges of the roof served as protection. No Locust had been seen coming
in, but it only took one to kill you, if you didn't know it was there. Jace had a
retrieved Hammerburst ready. Always ready with his shotgun, Jace had learned
an important lesson on range when he almost died a year ago.

Now, using a gun salvaged from the hands of a dead grub, he was ready for anything.
Below, the ruined street was pocked and pitted with the scars of a hundred battles,
cut with the searing particle beams of the Coalition Hammers, and burnt with the white
hot metal of dozens of cars.

"Hold position, Echo Two, while we scout the area. Maintain radio silence when
possible. Out." Paul saw Ryan acknowledge, and then he hopped over the edge
of the building, landing lightly on the ground. His men followed, and all four of
them quickly stepped into the shop for cover. The empty building was as bad
as the street outside; Blood stained the walls and floors in places, and there
was no furniture in sight. A small circle of ground up concrete and tile indicated
the one time location of an emergence hole. It was sealed up now, though Paul
knew that the reptilian horrors had once crawled through it like the offspring of
the planet itself with some terrible monsters. They crept onward, alert.

On the roof, recently promoted Sergeant Ryan Thomas waited with his squad.
As Ryan calmly looked down, he watched his men. Davis was often a jittery
mess, but in combat, the steel in his spine straightened itself out. If he could
just get some experience, Ryan felt he could make a soldier of the man yet.
He turned to the other two, Manny and Bear. The way they behaved, Ryan
was sure the two used to be Stranded.

He watched them carefully in battle, noted the way they always kept each
other safe. They didn't have the skills or training of a true Gear, but they
stayed alive when others would have died by way of their amazing teamwork.
So far, Manny had hardly said three words to Ryan, though he did use his hands
to sign. He was pondering the history of these two when gunfire erupted from
the far side of the building. Signaling his men, he rushed to the other side of
the building with his Lancer at the ready.

Below them, in the eastern street, dozens of Locust had crawled out of the
woodwork. Echo One was pinned in another small storefront down the street.
As Echo Two watched, another emergence hole opened in the middle of the road
and more Locust poured out of it. When the Raven had brought in gear, Echo Two
had loaded up. Now, they had their chance to surprise the Locust. Nearly all of
the creatures were directly in front of Ryan's crew, and none of them were looking up.
Bear, smiling, pulled out a Mulcher and set the terrible weapon up on the edge of the wall.
Ryan hurled a frag grenade square into the emergence hole. As it exploded, Echo
Two opened fire.

The explosion drew Paul's attention. Looking up the road, he saw Bear open up
an entire clip on the grubs below. His war cry tore through the street as his
bullets churned up the Locust, tearing off limbs and heads, cutting through
armour and flesh alike. Ryan fired his Lancer below, mopping up after the messy
weapon. Manny had drawn a Boltok pistol, and he sweeped the street with it,
picking off drone after drone.

Suddenly, another explosion rocked the building as two Boomers walked around
the corner up the road from Echo One. One of them called out, and aimed up at
Echo Two. A shot from Eric's rifle drew it's attention down road, but did little to
the thick hide of it's skull. It fired a low, fast shot which smashed into the car
Paul was taking cover behind. The force of it threw him back, dazed, as glass
and metal shards rained down. Bear fired at it, carving deep gouges in it's skin,
but it marched on as it handled another grenade into place. A stray shot from
the Mulcher touched off the explosive, spraying the Boomer's body parts over
the middle of the road. As Jace helped Paul up, the second one fired at him.
He barely rolled out of the way as it sped over him, detonating somewhere behind
them.

Bear grunted as the Mulcher, empty, spun to a stop. He stepped back and began
to reload it as Manny, as quiet as ever, leapt over the edge with a grenade in hand.
He swung it fiercely as he fell, and stuck it on the Boomer's shoulder as he landed in
a crouch. The huge Locust towered over him, and as he rolled away, it yelled "Boom!"
Manny just watched as it's prediction came true, and it exploded all over the bloody
ground.

Echo Two Had dropped into the street, and the two groups met up on Echo
One's position. The wreckage of cars to both sides covered them from the road
completely, and the buildings to the east and west kept them safe. Paul still
had his Hammer of Dawn, and he now checked the satellite coverage. The
green light caused him to grin. These Locust wouldn't know what had hit
them. The guys were celebrating Echo Two's victory over the Locust when
Paul, with a raised hand silenced them.

"Later, guys." He said, as he smiled to show them he meant it. "Right now, we
have a lot of ass to kick, and I don't know how much time we have to do it in."
He pulled out a small map as he talked, a copy of the one West had showed
him earlier. He laid it out on the dirty, rubble-strewn ground as he thought his
plan through. The area covered on this map was smaller, showing detail of the
area by the bridge.

"Sergeant, take your men through here." Paule said, sliding his finger along a route
that seemed plausible. "I'll take Echo One this way." He said, as he showed them
all a second way through. "West said that the Locust here were in strength, so
expect more sh*t. We'll stay within a limited range so we can maintain contact.
You find anything, a seeder, a way through, call us. We'll do the same. Likewise,
if either group gets in over their heads. This isn't a competition, it's an army."
He said, quoting an old training tenet. "Got it?" He asked Ryan.

"Yep." Said Ryan. He tapped the Hammer on his back. "I'll keep you posted, but
we should be able to handle it. No worries, man." He said, giving Paul a smile.
"Echo Two, move out!" He said, taking Paul's offered map as he did so. In the
Raven, Paul had memorized the map for future use. The two teams split up,
Paul taking Echo one down the road south, away from the building they had
started at. Ryan led his men west, past it, and straight towards the bridge.

As Echo Two walked, it's members kept to themselves. The late afternoon sun
burned, turning orange as it neared it's slumber. The battle was fresh in their
minds, and, coupled with the heavily destroyed city around them, heightened
their alertness. Each was tense and tight, like a snake, ready to strike. Ryan,
as his squad's leader, felt it was his job to keep the men light-hearted. He
didn't have the experience of Paul, nor his candor, but he thought it best; A
lighter mood would keep them from shooting each other in a moment of sheer
surprise, and as a bonus, he would get to know his soldiers better.

"Hey, Davis?" He asked, suddenly. "What's your story?" Surprised, Davis just
shrugged under his armor.

"Same old, same old. One day, these things just came out of the ground. My
family just made it to Jacinto. I decided to become a soldier." He said. When he
finished, he thought for a few minutes before continuing. "My dad was in the
Coalition, as a medic, before retiring at the end of the Pendulum Wars. Him and
my mom, they brought me to Jacinto, even though my dad had to get out of
retirement to foster us there." Davis seemed lost in the past himself; It was a
common preoccupation among Gears.

The young man continued, heedless to the world around him. "He taught me
from a young age to do what was right, and, even though it hurt him to say
it, he told me that joining the Gears was the best way to defend humanity.
My mom's sister had died on E-Day, and neither of us wanted her to suffer
another loss, but..." He paused. "It's the most important thing." For awhile,
they let silence bloom. Ryan opened his mouth to speak when a sniper shot
thudded into the wall behind him.

"Get cover!" He yelled. A second shot, fired to quickly to be the same Locust,
hit nearby as Echo Two took cover.

"Echo One, there is a sniper North of your location, please assist, over." Ryan
said into his radio. "Repeat, Echo One there is--"

"We're on it, Echo Two." Came Paul's response. Seconds passed.

"Davis." Said Ryan.

"Yes sir?"

"I just wanted you to know, that I think your parents would be proud." He said.
He didn't know, but he thought that under the mask, Davis was smiling. Paul
had taken the road south of Echo Two, and if Ryan had read the map right,
they should be directly south of his position. As a Troika opened fire one Echo
Two, he hoped he was right. The loud crack of a distant shot could be heard,
just barely, underneath the constant storm of Troika fire. A second shot, and
the Troika was silenced. Then a third; then a fourth. Ryan peeked over cover,
and saw, fifty feet down the road, two dead bodies in the street. A Troika was
mounted on the roof of the south building. No one was on it.

"All clear, as far as I can tell, Sergeant." Came Eric's voice, as calm as ever.
With a deep breath, Ryan motioned for his men to go forwards. As the bridge
neared, Ryan saw that this way would be impassable. The Locust had torn up
the buildings on either side of the road further down, and the rubble of the
buildings now blocked access to the bridge on this path. He reached for his
radio to call Echo One, noticing as he did so the marks on the street. The
same marks were on the remaining shells of the buildings. The only thing that
could have done it was a Corpser.

Let me know if you like Echo Two. They're not going to be a focus of my story, not like Echo One, and Paul, but I think they needed to be fleshed out a little. More coming.

Also, I feel bad about leaving you guys with a long wait and then making two chapters heavy with story. Expect action, and I mean ACTION, with any luck.

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to put " " around the color "red". XD

[TORQUE_BOW]

Echo Two is Pretty Cool....
You Got some Talent man!

[SKORGE]

Nah don't worry man, I like stories that have no action to a lot of action! Set's the story you know?!

Greta job...on both chapters!

[palaceguardrox]

pfft echo 2 it's all bout echo 1 babeh go MANNY yeah echo 2 perty cool too

[Levyathyn]

Thanks guys. =) More coming, probably tomorrow.

Also, check these guys out; They're petitioning for MLG playlisting for GoW2. Not something a lot of people care about, but it remove anything, so I say help 'em out.

[SKORGE]

^Yeah same hear, but I say that ALL of ECHO rock, and great Levy now I have to somehow change my Squad name.... though they are Echo 12....GREAT!......LOL...

[Levyathyn]

^ Awesome. =) Sorry 'bout the squadname stealing, It was an accident. Should still be fine; Echo is one of the better Phonetic Alphabet characters:

Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
X-Ray
Yankee
Zulu

Informative; I only knew half of these. I had to look up the rest. =)

[SKORGE]

^LOL...ha I though you knew them by heart!!! Haha, and no problem, it was only a joke, so what's next?

[Levyathyn]

Chapter 8, in which Bullwinkle finds out that two Russian spies are after him, and him and Rocky save the day. Then a small child time travels with a librarian dog. =)