Snowblind [FF]...Complete

[nemheal]

@Therealbigboss dnt get me wrong i saw spelling mistakes but nothing that id consider a big deal you know,its just out of all the comments certain comments i saw came across slightly petty in my opinion.I know not everyone that corrects the fan fics grammer errors are extra or jealous,its just certain comments is all,so plz dnt b offended.I meant no disrespect 2 u or anyone else.By the way im really enjoying your fox tales,i love the unique characters & deep thrilling storylineAlso @ jonesy sorry 4 callin u bro i realize nw that ur are a she and not a he lol(:

[Jonesybites]

^No big deal...it's not something I advertise on my signature...

But concerning reading these fanfics in general (no relation to what you mentioned earlier, nemheal) I know that the elements of this story is not everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine. My only complaint was (and sometimes still is, though I don't lose any sleep so much about it anymore) is the lack of feedback. I have the hits but little feedback to see if people are responding to it at all.

Now I'm not implying that I am the only writer who has had to deal with this, it's just something that I soon discovered that some writers in these forums are subjected to a "filtering" process before people decide to spend their time reading their stuff...and its not just this forum, it's true in almost all of them.

With this fanfic being very long, potentially this is something people are probably going to invest in reading last...and often, depending how good the other fanfics are, will sometimes predetermine if reader is going to spend the time venturing in this ocean...but this is just speculation based conversations I've had with other readers.

The only thing that keeps me going is to remind myself why I write in the first place, and as Freudian as this may seem, most of it is because there are elements in my own psyche that I often discover when I explore it through the characters or the circumstances they interact with.

^Yea, ok, like somebody is going to read this now, lol.

[TheRealBigBoss]

@Therealbigboss dnt get me wrong i saw spelling mistakes but nothing that id consider a big deal you know,its just out of all the comments certain comments i saw came across slightly petty in my opinion.I know not everyone that corrects the fan fics grammer errors are extra or jealous,its just certain comments is all,so plz dnt b offended.I meant no disrespect 2 u or anyone else.By the way im really enjoying your fox tales,i love the unique characters & deep thrilling storylineAlso @ jonesy sorry 4 callin u bro i realize nw that ur are a she and not a he lol(:

Nah, no problem, it's all good.

To be honest, I find it difficult to give criticism at all. It's all too easy to come across as a pompous ass even when you're trying to be helpful. But at least when people are reading your stuff and leaving feedback it's gotta be better than no replies at all.

Anyways, if anyone ever does feel I'm being unfair, please let me know. Otherwise I'll never know and just continue on doing what I'm doing. I'm completely open to suggestions about leaving feedback, I mean, it's not as if I'm a professional editor or anything, I'm just doing what feels right.

And Jonesy, interesting, filtering process? Can you elaborate? Lol.

Fact is, I try to read as many fan fics as I can, whether they be senior members or noobs. But time isn't on my side in that regard, and it's simply impossible for me to read everything. And it would be unfair to expect me to be able to do so.

BTW, up to chapter 32 now.

Lots of thoughts, which I'll share later, currently occupied playing Heavy Rain.

[SKORGE]

^Boss, man you need to criticize more! You defiantly helped me wake up more then a simple 'work on this' comment. And I thank you for taking the time to write all that out, man, once again thanks Boss-Lady.

[TheRealBigBoss]

^ Maybe, but fact is, you could have easily taken it the wrong way. Which might have been a little... shall we say... awkward?

What I posted was pretty much how I thought it might be improved. Other people will have different ideas. But like I said, if you found something useful in it, something that feels right to you, then that's great. It means I wasn't just talking outta my ass... which makes a nice change.

[SKORGE]

True, but I knew your intentions. And besides, if I want to improve, I need to learn to take it. We all need to learn to take it. But if you had said something like 'Stranded are sexy', I would have had to calm you down. Crazy girl.

And I also want to add that you need to hurry up and post something, before Jonesy finishes, other wise I'll have little to read. (Yes, I'm all out of reading material)

[TheRealBigBoss]

Lol, my chapters tend to be short... but sweet!

Speaking of which, something tells me you'll enjoy chapter three...

And yeah, sorry Jonesy for going off topic in your thread...

[SKORGE]

Stranded killings!? Oh my god, finally someone listens! Where is Jonesy anyway?

[Jonesybites]

^Lol..Stranded are sexy ...yea, I can see the Calender Edition for that...along with the Gear edition (which my spouse actually illustrated for my amusement, shudder)

...and "filtering," as in, going through the process of being recognized by the community, getting to know you, your style, and interacting with other writers...people usually prefer some sort of commitment into the community before taking an interest in your work. In almost every forum I've been to, it would take awhile to get any feedback until I spend some time interacting with the members, which can take awhile, or at least for me.

...but I enjoy reading other work, and I try to provide constructive feedback to hopefully improve people's story telling...I can only hope that others will do the same, but I understand that it's not necessarily a guarantee. Dunno, it could be just me, lol.

[Razor605]

You have a sick mind Jonesy Eww Stranded they're even worse than Locusts, at least they have established themselves as an enemy, they don't just lute broken COG vehicles....stranded sicken me!

Stranded are teh suck!

But I really love the story, humbly waiting for more. I don't even DARE to critic, I just make it clear that I'm paying attention.

[SKORGE]

^Sometimes, a critic is what is needed, so you shouldn't hold back Razor.

Jonesy, you already told us of the Gear edition, but now, now your actually putting ideas in your husbands head about..... I don't even want to know. Grime, sweat, and ..... rats..... Dammit, now you got me thinking! :S

[TheRealBigBoss]

Wonder if we'll ever see this famous calender? Although, I'm not sure how interested I am in seeing Marcus's junk exposed...

I might never be able to play Gears in the same way again!

Anyways, generally I try to welcome new writers as much as possible while at the same time feeling like I owe people who've helped me out, people like SKORGE, Thumbs, Jay, S1LeNt, Smurf, Edward and all the rest. So it's kind of a balancing act, admittedly one which I don't always get right, but hey, I am only human.

Like Jonesy, pretty sure I was the first to welcome you to the board. I know it's just a little thing, but when I first signed up little things like that meant a lot since I found it kinda intimidating, well, lol, at first anyways.

Anyways, everyone was really cool at the time, so it wasn't long before I felt comfortable enough to share my first fan fic. Lol, which got locked by the way, cause that's just how crazy things were back then.

[SKORGE]

Hahaha nice Boss, what a way to start. Too bad I only lurked back then. And yeah, this place was somewhat intimidating, everyone was so hostile. Kind of like a youtube way, yet you know, not thirteen year olds being idiots.

From the outside, this place is dark, seriously, with so much anger directed towards newcomers, especially in the Gears two section. But yeah, once you actually get to move about, it's not so bad, and you find out, all the hostile users are in fact, completely bored schmucks. (<---- New vocab used!)

[Jonesybites]

^Your first fic is locked? ...and I will never see this gem...

Lol...you talk about harsh, my spouse and I used to quarrel all the time during on-line horde,

"Where the (expletive) are you?"

"You make a better door than you do a window..."

"Hey, hey, quit hoggin all the kills...that was mine, damnit!"

...and the other folks online would laugh continuously...

Anyhoot, I had started writing this fic back in June, but I wasn't aware of the forums at the time, nor was I aware of any other fanfic posting sites..I always got the gist on forums that Fanfics where frowned upon so I didn't want to originally come across as imposing, but I did some research before posting and found that I really didn't have anything to lose and that my original assumptions where incorrect...lol, six months later...

[TheRealBigBoss]

^Your first fic is locked? ...and I will never see this gem...

Lol, I re-posted it! Yes, I am that much of an attention seeker!

(not really though, it was "The Survivor" the link is still in my sig... )

Lol, me and a friend finished Gears 2 on insane online, you should have heard the arguments...

Strangely, we also found time to do dumb stuff, like when Tai died, I tried to get everyone to give him a six gun salute, I was like, "Guys... guys? For the fallen?..." But I was ignored, lol, we also tried sticking nades to rock worms and then chainsawing them! Yeah, it was weird shouty, screamy, laughy fun.

[SKORGE]

All thanks to Black and his creative essence which lead to the original 12.

[TheRealBigBoss]

^ That kinda worried me at the start, the whole twelve thingy, I was like, "Ohh noes! A forum cliq!", but then I saw the everyone was cool so it was alright.

[SKORGE]

^ That kinda worried me at the start, the whole twelve thingy, I was like, "Ohh noes! A forum cliq!", but then I saw the everyone was cool so it was alright.

For cliq' hehehe. The way of the SKORGE is the fruity tooty, no? Too bad all the 12 were (Well most of them) 'killded'.

[Jonesybites]

Lol, I re-posted it! Yes, I am that much of an attention seeker!

I don't see your sig, so could you please repost it...or give me a link, either way.

Hehee...p*ss off the rockworms why don't y'all...I haven't played that part of the campaign in four months...ever since we got Left 4 Dead 2, the boys are obsessed with shooting zombies now.

[SKORGE]

boys are obsessed with shooting zombies now

You never know when it'll strike and then, then you'll be grateful. Just be glad their not stranded..... god, that would be awful. Like a nightmare......

[Jonesybites]

Ok, this may be a little rough since it took awhile to compose, although I checked the spelling and grammar several times...it's a little long so I will be posting this in sections, one after another, groan.

Chapter 39: If These Trees Could Talk

The snow continued to fall heavily as the snipers peered out into field, watching Hoffman's infantry move forward towards the enemy. Sergeant Mataki looked out into her scope as she watched the Gears move through the field, following the signal that was given to the Feral militia, the one thing Hoffman knew that Morose would not expect, and for the most part, it worked.

Lowering her sniper rifle, she looked at the others, Private Dunrich, Private Welche, and Corporal Langston.

"Looks like they got it wrapped up, Sarge," said Langston.

"We'll stay at our post until the Colonel says otherwise," Bernie reminded them as they responded in one after the other,

"Ma'am," said Sven.

"Understood ma'am," Welche responded.

"Yes ma'am," Langston followed.

They listened attentively to the radio as the squad leaders were continuing to communicate with each other, during engagement. They gathered from the conversation that the Gears and Feral demolished what was left of the Stranded militia that was gathering on the other field behind the dense forest.

Bernie kept her ears perked to her com, hoping to hear something from Colonel Hoffman, but he was silent for awhile now. As she continued to wait patiently, something else came over the radio,

"Sergeant Mataki, you there, please respond..." a faint, but familiar voice came over her com. Sven looked up to her as if he knew whom it was that was calling her.

"Wait here, guys while I answer this," said Bernie as she got up from the boulder ledge that she was sitting on and started to walk down an incline to get a better signal.

"This is Sergeant Mataki speaking, your signal is weak, please respond…"

Bernie stood next to a tree just on the edge of a forest as she peered through the snow, keeping guard while trying to listen through the static,

"Working on it…s***…can you hear me now, over?"

"It's better than it was earlier, Blondie…"

"About f***ing time…look I can't make contact with Colonel Hoffman or any of the squad leaders, but I need you to listen to me…"

"I'm listening Baird, what do you need from me?"

"You need to relocate, I repeat…move your team and get out of there…"

"I was instructed by the Colonel to stay here…"

"…Morose is still alive Granny, he's somewhere out there and I can't inform anyone about it so I need you to contact the Colonel for me, and tell him,"

"…ok Blondie...I'll contact him first, and then we'll relocate…"

"No Sergeant, you need to move now…I can't explain any further but you need to relocate now!"

"Mataki out."

"No, wait…"

Bernie turned the switch, cutting Baird off as she tweaked the frequency to contact Hoffman.

"Colonel Hoffman, do you read, please respond," Bernie attempted to contact Hoffman as the snow continued to fall, blurring everything around her.

"This is Hoffman speaking…is that you, Mataki?"

"Affirmative…I just got in touch with Corporal Baird and he requested to relay a message to you, Colonel," she said while looking out towards the white and black void inside the forest.

"Proceed Sergeant…"

Just as Colonel Hoffman finished his transmission, something moved among the snow covered trees as Bernie's eyes widened to something advancing swiftly. Bernie reacted quickly as she dropped her com and grabbed her Snub pistol from her holster, but the dark figure moved faster as she felt something slap her across the face, knocking her sideways and losing her grip on the pistol. Between the sudden strike and the bitter cold nipping at her exposed flesh, the sting was almost unbearable as she frantically yelped out,

"S***…CONTACT…" she blurted out as she tried to get up and call out to the others, "…I'm under attack!"

Her words, however was quickly choked by the cold air, as she tried to fight against whatever it was that was attacking her. Suddenly as she grabbed a hold of something, she could finally see them, the eyes of her enemy, staring down at her as a voice muttered from the darkness,

"I've had just about enough of you."

Without hesitation, whatever it was that had her, grabbed her by her dread-locked hair and slammed her against a nearby tree. Everything went black for Bernie as the impact left her incapacitated, slumping to the ground.

"Hey Sergeant, what's the word," Langston blurted out as he was walking over from the ledge, not noticing anything that had transpired as he continued to converse,

"...ya know Sarge," he continued as he moved in but then noticed that the Sergeant was slumped against the tree. His eyes widened as he looked up and saw a pistol aimed directly at him through the falling snow, but before he could react, the pistol fired, hitting him in the head. His body jerked from the impact and stumbled backwards, crashing lifeless to the ground as he bled profusely.

"Aw, s***," Welche blurted out. The noise startled Sven and Welche as the two quickly got up and armed their rifles, moving over to where Bernie was trying to make contact.

Sven was the first to make the scene as he noticed through the thick snow a figure standing on the edge of the forest. Quickly, he instinctively raised his rifle and shot at the figure. Without hesitation, the figure shrieked as it toppled over to the ground while Sven started to reload another round in the chamber, but another shot rang out into the woods as Sven could feel something impale his chest, shoving him backwards as he fell on his back. Welche moved up into his place, yelling out at whatever it was that was attacking them,

"You want some of this, b****?"

But before Welche could even raise his rifle, something grabbed him by the collar of his armor and impaled him in the throat with a knife. Sven looked up in a daze as he could hear Welche gagging on whatever had a hold of him. Sven tried to move but a numbing pain shot through his body, crippling any attempt to get up. He managed to look down and noticed the blood seeping from the right side of his torso, ****, I've been shot.

He tried to reach around for his Gnasher shotgun, but the wound that impaled him kept him locked down. The sounds of wailing could be still heard from someone he apparently managed to hit, as the noise soon turned into vulgarity,

"F***ing…Gear pig, shot me…"

Sven's heart raced as he looked up, peering through the falling snow, noticing another dark figure moving towards him. The wailing continued while the dark figure stopped in its tracks, turning over it's shoulder and barks,

"Shut the f*** up, Trey…"

The figure then turns his gaze back to Sven as it came closer and then knelt down to his position, reaching over and grabbing Sven by the collar of his armor and pulls him up to face him. Sven cringed from the man pulling up as the sudden movement aggravated the wound in his chest. Sven whimpered slightly as he grabbed the man's arm, trying to hold himself up to release the pressure from his chest.

Suddenly, the figure growled softly as he took in a deep breath, inhaling Sven's scent, and then exhaled slowly, reading the odor.

"No…I figured it wasn't you," Morose sneered as Sven began to tremble under his grip, "…but it was you that took out several of my finest men…Vinny."

Sven suddenly recognized the man as the palpitations in his heart raced, knowing full well that Morose was more than just a little pissed at him for taking out his men at the Plantire facility, but from the gist that he got from Morose' demeanor, he had a much more spiteful wrath with the others for taking his prisoner away from him.

"…I must admit, I didn't expect to find you here amongst this COG whore, Mataki," Morose scoffed as he peered over his shoulder, glancing at the fallen Sergeant whom was still comatose from when Morose slammed her head against the tree.

"…which must mean…Cole and Baird is somewhere amongst you…" Morose continued, "…and that little Blackbird must be back at the Block."

"Go…f*** yourself," Sven managed to spit out, "…and…leave Feral alone."

With that said, Morose' facial expression turned sour as he threw Sven back down to the snow, covered ground, causing a massive thrust of pain pulsing from his chest to his back. Sven yelped, leaning his head back while trying to calm the throbbing pain shooting across his torso. Morose slowly got up while brushing the snow off of his knees.

Suddenly, Bernie's com began to sound off as Morose whipped around to the sound of the noise. Peering through the snow, Morose walked over while he is joined with Embry. Trey was still wailing and fidgeting on the ground, agitating Morose even more as he barked at Embly,

"Just shoot him, please…" Morose said coldly as Embry pulled out his Snub, aimed for Trey's head and pulled the trigger, silencing the blood curdling wails.

The two men look over Bernie as Morose kneels down and reaches for her com, fastening it off of her collar and pulling it to his ear.

"Sergeant…s***…Granny, are you there? Answer me damnit! You think you can just turn this off and ignore me, well you got another thing coming, Granny..."

Morose' expression beamed as the sound of a familiar voice could be heard over the com, how amusing. Morose starts to chuckle,

"Well well…if it isn't the little Feral's savior," Morose sneered, making sure that Baird could hear him, loud and clear, "…I hope she made it alive…it's a shame really, such a ornery ***** with a pretty face, in case you hadn't noticed."

Silence followed while Embry stood back from Morose, listening inventively for a response while Morose teased Baird even more, "...although I can't say the same for that old hag, Sergeant…she's just about had it...but your little Feral…I'll admit, you've got good taste Corporal. She was just as sweet as she was enjoyable…"

"You listen to me, you mental reject, sack of s***…"

Baird's remark managed to spark something deep in Morose as fury started to surface from his core,

"No, you listen to me, Corporal…right now, I have your snot-nose rookie, Vinny here, alive, bleeding from the chest…not to mention your Sergeant Mataki, so if you want to ever see these two comrades in arms, in one piece again, then I suggest you listen carefully to what I'm about to say…"

"Like hell I do! I don't have to sit here and listen to your sad little story about your premature ejaculation you had while being fondled by your cellmate back at the Jacinto Penitentiary…"

Morose let out a chuckle as he snickered into the com,

"…and I'm willing to guess that you have yet to figure out if your little Feral friend's hymen is intact," Morose stirred the grass to startle the snake, "…did they tell you yet, Corporal…did she ever tell you?"

"Don't even try to drag me into your sick little game…I know all about your ****ing, medical history and incarceration…"

"You don't even know a fraction of what I have discovered in the past ten years, Corporal," Morose sneered, "…and far as my medical record is concerned, look at it again…"

"The f*** are you talking about?"

"Do you really think that after the fall of Aspho Point, they would keep any records of what they did…do you really think that the COG would have ever take a chance for any information to be leaked out, even after the UIR's defeat?"

Silence followed as Morose' words have been known to cut like a knife, releasing the bowels of reality that he felt were too important to repress.

"You are literally insane, you know that…a f***ing lunatic…"

"Perhaps…but did it ever occur to you that this is what they want you to believe, so that anything that I say will be easily discredited…just how smart are you, Corporal?"

"You don't make any sense…"

"Of course I don't…but don't take their word for it either, Gear…puppet of the COG," Morose said calmly as he began to mumble, "…I used to believe what you believe now…what Sergeant Fenix believed…I often wonder, does he really believe in them now? Four years in that penitentiary hellhole…only for fate to salvage him from a measly existence…and to then be thrown in this one."

"He was incarcerated for abandoning his post,"

"No, Corporal…he was incarcerated because he was the next of kin of a brilliant scientist, who knew too much…" Morose growled as he hesitated for a moment before calming his demeanor again,

"Follow the shareholders that stood to lose the most out of all of this, Corporal, because when it all comes right down to it…it's all about the assets…and whoever controls them, holds the power to everything that we know to be true."

"The only thing I'm going to follow is your rotting corpse being dragged all over Farrall, when we're done with you…"

"Then what are you waiting for…Baird?"

Part 2 continued on the next post...

[SKORGE]

Holy sh*t Jonesy, you have this whole thing buzzing around! Conspiracies, conspiracies, and not only that, but I found some truth to what that asshole Morose is saying, about Marcus and assets. Goddamm..... Nice work, looking forward to more!

Oh yeah, nothing much I noticed needed attention, but you did post this small mistake.

even after the UIL’s defeat?”

[Jonesybites]

Part 2 of Chapter 39

In the near distance, Euthle continued to occasionally look over his shoulder as the other six riders were still on their horses, waiting for Morose and Embry. The snow fell heavily as the flakes started to collect on their armor while some of the horses would shake their heads to keep the snow out of their ears.

The cold air hung around them as the beasts would occasionally lift their feathered hooves to keep them from getting frostbit. Although these horses where bred to handle the harsh, freezing conditions, they still had their limits, and this Frost has been amongst the worst in Tyran history. While the other soldiers were brushing the snow off of their weapons and armor, Gil on the other hand was rubbing his arms against his thick coat. The steam coming from his breath as he huffed, grew heavy as he tried to stay warm, but he was starting to feel the numbing sensation spreading from his fingers to his hands, that's not good.

Just as Gil moved Morose' horse to a more secluded place to avoid the bitter, light breeze, a sudden zip stirred the air around them as one of the soldiers still on his horse, jerked back and went limp as a red mist hovered behind him.

"SNIPER," another yelled out as another shot rings out, impaling a horse. The animal stirred in agony as it thrashed and shrieked, frightening the other horses around it.

The ruckus could be heard from the top of the slope as Morose whipped his head around while the com was still in his hand. Embry quickly loaded up his rifle as Morose pulled out his pistol.

“What the f*** was that?” Embry blurted out.

********

Back down at the bottom of the slope, Gil tried to keep Morose' horse under control, but the beast was vastly stronger than Gil could ever hope to handle as the horse yanked the rope from Gil's grip and started to take off, out of the wooded area. One soldier was thrown off while another jumped off, readying his Lancer.

Suddenly, gunfire blazed into the scene as the soldiers take cover behind the trees, while Gil took the brunt of the bullets streaming through the trees, fatally impaling his chest since he lacked the armor the others had. As Gil toppled to the ground, breathing his last breath, the others continued to stay, occasionally peering out to see who was firing at them.

"Sergeant, we're under attack," Euthle yelled out.

********

Between the sudden noise coming from the startled horses and the sounds of gunfire, Morose began to feel the weight of inevitability.
Morose growled as he grabbed Embry by the collar,

"Go back there and finish this," Morose said, grinding his teeth.

"On…on it," Embry responded nervously before Morose let him go. Embry pulled the chamber back to his rifle as he runs down to join the others. Morose quickly turned around as he glares at Sven, whom was still in awe of the whole situation of Morose' conversation with Baird.

While the commotion was festering the vicinity, Bernie was slowly coming back to consciousness, carefully lifting her heavy head, slowly opening her eyes as she noticed Morose towering over Sven, oh no.

Morose reached down and grabbed the Private by his collar and yanked him on his feet, causing a massive shock of pain, shooting across Sven's chest, down to his right arm. Sven let out a cry as Morose lifted his hand and slapped him across the face,

"Shut up, boy…" Morose sneered as he brings his pistol and shoves the barrel into Sven's face, pushing against his cheek while Sven tries to breathe to calm the sudden burst of pain hitting his chest, "…looks like we're going to speed things up a bit…starting with you, and then that "*****" Mataki…"

Just before Morose could finish his mockery, Bernie looks up with blurry eyes, lifting her pistol from her holster and pulls the trigger. The bullet grazes Morose across the back of his thigh as Morose cringes from the contact, loosening his grip on Sven, subsequently dropping him.

********

Embry manages to join the others as bullets ricochet across the trees, shattering limbs and bark from the trunks. The other soldiers were exchanging fire while Embry tries to zero in with his scope, but it was difficult to see between the falling snow and the trees.

"S***…I can't make anything out with this," Embry griped while Euthle pulled back to reload.

"Well you better find something, cause we're all f***ing, pinned down, here," Euthle barked over the noise. With one horse down and two runaways, what was left of this Stranded militia was futile.

Suddenly, a horn could be heard that echoed across the woods, bellowing in a low tone like a trombone.

"Agh...f***ing Feral…damnit Corporal, we're screwed now," Euthle sneered.

"Get your nades," Embry yelled to Euthle.

The two men pulled out their Bolo grenades as they carefully started to swing them in hand while signaling the other two soldiers to provide suppressing fire.

Loading up their Lancers, the other two start to fire while Embry and Euthle swung their grenades out into the white void in the enemy's general direction as they take cover before the grenades go off. Debris follows after detonation, spraying forest foliage all over the vicinity while the dust and snow hover in the air around the site of impact. The gunfire ceased as silence follows, with only the sound of bark and wood chips falling from the sky, hitting the ground.

Embry and Euthle quickly look up after the dust somewhat settles, peering through the falling snow and hovering dirt cloud. Holding his rifle, Embry kept a sharp eye out, trying to make out any movement, but the falling snow and debris was still making it somewhat difficult to make out anything in the woods.

The other two soldiers get out and start to move slowly while watching Euthle from the near distance, waiting for a signal to proceed out into the open. Euthle continued to move out with Lancer in hand, alternating between points of cover while Embry stayed with his rifle ready, giving Euthle some cover.

The area was still quiet with no sign of movement as Euthle moved slowly through the clouded thicket. Within the antsy air that was still heavy with snow, a faint noise fluttered somewhere behind Euthle as his ears twitched to the sound, followed by a ticking beep that was all too familiar as Euthle instinctively dove forward,

"GRENADE…"

********

"You f***ing c*nt…" Morose sneered, as he turned his deathly gaze over to Bernie, but she pulled the trigger again, hoping to land a more substantial wound this time around, but her blurred vision was still hindering her aim. Morose twitched in his place as the bullet pierces his left shoulder, causing him to drop his pistol out of his hand.

Bernie tries to get up, but the world around her began to spin as Morose gathers himself and kicks the gun out of Bernie's hand. He growls as he grabs his shoulder, attempting to instinctively stop the bleeding, but he was so enraged, he started to lose sight of what he was trying to do in the first place. Morose steps around the Sergeant as he gets ready to curb stomp Bernie, but before he could, Sven grabs his unloaded rifle and swings it into Morose' lower thigh…

"F***…" Morose bellows out, as the pain nearly drops him on all fours, catching himself with one knee as he turns over his good shoulder and twists his body. Turning onto his back, he swings his leg and hits Sven in the chest, knocking him backwards.

Bernie reaches over to grab her pistol as she attempts to fire it again, but the sound of a click causes her to panic,

"S***…not now, damnit" she growled, frantically trying to remedy the jammed shell in the cold chamber, but her sight was still so hazy, she couldn't find the shell trapped in the chamber. She looked up as she saw Morose turning his gaze back to her as she noticed Sven was lying comatose in the snow nearby,

"I'm not done with you, Mataki…" Morose growled, trying to get up on a throbbing leg while still somewhat bleeding from the shoulder.

Suddenly, the sounds of the chainsaw bayonet could be heard from the distance as Morose stopped in his tracks and turns his head to the commotion,

"Oh no, I'm not finished yet…not…yet," he said as he started to wobble past the snipers and into the woods.

********

"Gah, you want some of this, Gear pig?" Euthle yelled out while swinging his Lancer, using the teeth on his chainsaw bayonet to cut into a Gear whom apparently took out Embry with a Bolo grenade, earlier.

Dodging Euthle's Lancer as it scrapes along the tree trunks, hacking off chunks of bark and twigs, Baird ducks his head from the disgruntled Gear, trying to whack his head off.

"Get over here, pretty boy, so I can cut up your p*ssy face," Euthle scoffed while Baird used the trees in between them, using his own Lancer to do the same, thrashing with the sharp teeth at the end of his chainsaw bayonet.

With both terribly low on ammo, they ravage the forest around them while cutting through the thicket as the bayonet s hack off some of the branches like butter. The slender trees made meandering around the woods a little difficult, not to mention the dust cloud still lingering in the air from the grenade.

"Holms…Jeers, where the f*** are you?" Euthle sneered, wondering what happened to the other soldiers that were with them.

"Oh, don't even think about calling for help now, s***bag…" Baird growled, knowing that the Feral took them out quietly before he tossed the Bolo grenade earlier. His remark only pissed Euthle off even more as the sturdy man in partial, Gear armor growled, revving his Lancer, coming towards Baird like a raving mad man.

Baird quickly countered with his own Lancer while Euthle came down on it, trying to push Baird down, but holding his stance in shoulder width, Baird used his foundation to brace the impact Euthle was putting against the clashing duel. As the teeth grind, sparks scatter while the motor on the drums begin to smoke from the overdrive.

"Agh, s***…" Baird griped, knowing that if they didn't dismount soon, the power would overload the throttle to his Lancer, potentially causing permanent damage to the components. Within a split second, Baird twists his hip as he steps to the side with one leg, using his other to push off of Euthle as he dismounts his Lancer from Euthle's. In the process, Euthle loses his footing as he stumbles back, landing against a nearby tree trunk.
A sudden series of shouts could be heard from the distance as Euthle turned towards the direction of the commotion, and let's out a grumble,

"Ahhh, f***…they're coming."

"That's right, asshole," Baird scoffed as he revved his chainsaw bayonet, keeping the rotor from freezing up while moving towards Euthle. Using the tree behind him, Euthle pushes off and leaps towards Baird, coming in with a swing, hoping to impale the Corporal in the torso, but Baird steps to the side as he twists his body, moving his Lancer from below. As the two collide, Euthle was moving just enough for Baird to catch him while coming up, impaling Euthle in the leg as the chainsaw jerks a few times before cutting through the mass and bone, until it sliced through, completely.

Euthle hollered in pain, grunting like a wild beast as he dropped his Lancer to clutch what remained of his leg that was bleeding profusely. Baird turned around, only to see the Feral, along with other Gears entering the arena as they surround the scene, watching Euthle lying in the snow, snarling in spite,

"You f***ing, w*nkers…your nothing but the COG's brainless puppets!" he continued to rant, "…you'll see, when the COG no longer needs you, they'll just f*** you up and lock you away, just like they did to the men of Beta Five!"

Delta and Epsilon walked into the scene, noticing the Stranded soldier cursing while the others just stood and watched him rant and bleed. Marcus moved through the crowd, followed by Bjork and Dom, while Gaiman moved to the side.

Baird knelt over as he grabbed Euthle by his armor, pulling his face to his as Baird sneered,

"Where in the hell is Morose?"

Euthle's lips quivered as he kept quiet for a moment while his expression began to soften, followed with a series of guttural laughter,

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about Mataki…" Euthle chuckled in spite. Baird's expression turned into fury as he looked up and made eye contact with Marcus.

Suddenly, Cole entered the scene, along with Sergeant Jacquin, as the two move quickly up to the sniper squads last known position.

"Hey Vinny…" Cole yelled out, "Boomer Lady, you there?"

Marcus quickly followed Jacquin as they climbed up the slope. Cole was already there, trying to help Sven up, whom was coughing and shivering,

"Aw man…he needs a medic, bad," said Cole, trying not to move Sven too much while Sergeant Jacquin was helping Bernie get back on her feet.

"How are you holding up, Sergeant?" Lucius asked while Bernie was clutching the side of her head,

"Better than we were ten minutes ago…f***," she griped as she wrapped her arm around Lucius' thick neck, while he carefully scoops her legs under his arm and gently picks her up, "…ugh, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Lucius said as he turned to Marcus, "…we got to get these two to the Raven."

"Understood," Marcus said in his usual grinding voice. He turns over to see the bodies of Private Welche and Corporal Langston as he watches Bjork kneeling down next to Welche and carefully moves his hand over Welche's face to gently close his eyelids.

This was something that Marcus was accustomed to seeing, all too often. It was something that almost became the norm, to watch squadmates mourn their brothers in arms, so much that Marcus couldn't help to feel the guilt of being jaded with it all. But as a leader, he didn't have the luxury of mourning, especially in front of other soldiers who looked up to him for guidance.

Bjork searched underneath Welche's chest plate, reached over and yanked his COG tags. He lifted them up for a moment and then proceeded to put them away in his pack as he stood up, turning over to watch Cole carefully pick up Sven.

"Hang on, Cole, I'll help ya," said Bjork.

"Get his good side, I'll hold his bad," said Cole as Bjork quickly joined them, carefully holding Sven on one side while Cole carried the other. Sven was whimpering in pain as the two slowly move him down the slope.

“Hang on kid...I gotcha,” Cole muttered, passing up Marcus along the way.

Marcus watched as the three exited the top of the slope while he turns to his com,

"KR-63, do you read?"

"Roger that, Sergeant Fenix."

"We have two more wounded coming your way…"

"Understood Sergeant…we're standing by."

"Roger that, KR-63...Fenix out."

Marcus turned over and knelt down next to Corporal Langston as he reached over to find and pull off his COG tags. This was the fifteenth set of tags that he collected today, adding to the collection he stored away in his pack as they jingled almost every time he lifted his leg, which was typical in the knee deep snow.

He strolled down the slope to find additional Gears scanning the area while he found Baird still standing in the middle of the vicinity, only a few feet away from where Euthle was lying, watching him bleed to death, slowly.

"Corporal," Marcus calmly called out as Baird slowly turned his gaze from Euthle to Marcus, getting a glimpse of the Sergeant making a gesture for Baird to come over. Baird stood for a moment watching Euthle, and then proceeded to walk over to Marcus, pulling his knees up through the deep snow.

"Tell me you found Morose," Baird growled quietly as his jaw began to tense up. Marcus could already tell that Baird was teetering between rage and rationality.

"He ran off, Baird…" Marcus replied.

"F***," Baird grinded, softly. He looked down to the ground, shaking his head as he looked back up and continued, "…were they ok?"

"They're alive and in one piece…you managed to save two Gears, Damon…I wouldn't beat yourself up over Morose…"

"We have to find him, Marcus…I don't give a s*** if we're out here till dawn…"

"Bernie managed to shoot him, twice…he left a blood trail, so Dom and Gaiman are on it now…"

Baird looked up in a sudden frame of interest as he quickly grabbed Marcus by his arms,

"Where is it?"

"Baird, your not in the condition to going after him…"

"I'll keep that in mind the next time you go out on a limb to look for somebody's missing wife…" Baird scoffed quietly, piercing right into Marcus' conscience. Marcus glared into Baird's ice cold, blue eyes, feeling the hardened gaze coming from them as the words continued to twist at his ethics.

He knew that this was getting personal for Baird, but he knew that going out to search for Dom's missing wife was personal too, not to mention dropping his post to go back to his father's mansion. The only difference was that neither Dom, nor Marcus had anything else to lose, but what does Baird have to lose? He had no family in the Jacinto database that anyone could verify that was still alive, nor any next of kin. Why is he so bent on making sure Morose is hunted down and executed on sight, other than for the obvious reason that he was dangerously insane?

Marcus could only guess that it had something to do with the week he spent out in the wilderness with Cole, Sven, and McNight. He couldn't confirm it for sure, but he had some suspicion that this had to do a lot with Feral, but what, he could only speculate, and that's a hell of a lot of speculation, especially when it concerns Baird. But something compelled Marcus to give in this time,

"Don't do anything stupid, you hear me…" said Marcus, "you can come with me."

"Sigh…fine, but wait a minute…"

"Wait, what?" said Marcus. He watched as Baird put his fingers to his mouth and let out an earsplitting whistle, catching the attention of two Feral nearby. They looked at each other for a minute and then marched their way over to Baird.

"I need help to find…trail," Baird spoke roughly in their language, but they understood enough as they gave him a nod while one spoke in broken Tyran,

"Where…trail?"

Marcus lifted his arm, pointing towards the forest as he proceeded to move in that same direction. The two Feral follow shortly behind while Baird takes the rear.

Part 3 continued on the next post...

[Jonesybites]

Part 3 of Chapter 39

Dom and Gaiman were still moving through the dense woods with two other Gears as Gaiman kept a sharp eye on the path Morose left behind.

"Damn…how in the hell can this guy move this far with a bullet wound in his shoulder, ****…" Dom griped. Giaman kept his focus on the trail, moving a steady pace so that the others could follow him and not get too far behind.

"He has a very persistent spirit," Gaiman answered, while still focusing on the trail.

"Oooo…kaaay," Dom replied, trying not to come across as condescending. He new that Gaiman was a South Islander, and was accustomed to the religious background that all young men of the islands where subjected to, but his skin was rather pale for the ethnicity.

"But he won't get too far…" Gaiman continued.

"…and you know this how?" asked Dom.

"These trees can talk," Gaiman responded patiently.

Sigh, that's it…I'm not going to ask this guy any more questions, Dom said to himself as he continued to follow him, while one Private was in front and the other was behind.

"Hey…are we even close to finding this guy?" the one behind Dom asked. Dom turned over his shoulder to respond,

"Look kid, this guy has been hiding from the COG for over five years at least…chances are, he's not going to be all that easy to find."

Suddenly, Gaiman stopped in his tracks and knelt down behind a fallen log that was partially buried in the snow. The other followed suit as Dom roadie ran right next to Gaiman.

"Ok…so what's up?" Dom asked quietly. Gaiman didn't reply for nearly a minute while looking deeper into the woods as the snow fell all around them. It wasn't quite as heavy as earlier, but it still made depth perception problematic.

"There's something…disquieting…" said Gaiman as he stood perfectly still, peering into the void ahead of them.

Gaiman then suddenly turned his head as his eyes widened, noticing someone coming from behind them. It was then he noticed a Feral moving quietly and gracefully into the open, not making any threatening movements as she held up both of her hands, showing the COG emblem painted on her palms. Dom let out a sigh as he noticed some others following not too far behind, recognizing Marcus in his armor from the distance, as well as Baird's bright blonde, shuffled hair.

The Feral stopped in her place, waiting for the two Gears as Marcus peered at the Gears, bunched up in cover, while giving Gaiman a nod. The two Feral were the first to take cover behind some trees nearby, turning their gaze to Baird, whom gave them each a glance as he moved over towards Dom and Giaman, with Marcus right behind him. The two carefully brush up against the massive, fallen tree while Dom and the other Gear move over to give them some room. As they settle in, Marcus turns over to Gaiman,

"What's the hold-up?"

"We must tread, carefully from this point on, Sergeant," said Gaiman as Marcus turned to Dom, watching him shrug and nod as if he had nothing to add to Gaiman's intel.

Marcus knew Gaiman's tracking skills to be one of the best, and he seldom ever questioned them, but the look in Gaiman's demeanor was unsettling at best. He wasn't quite sure what was making Gaiman nervous, but it wasn't like for any South Islander to fear any man, or a Locust for that matter.

"Alright…" Marcus said calmly, "…you lead the way, Corporal."

"Yes, Sergeant," Gaiman said without hesitation as he got up and started to roadie run at a comfortable pace, not too slow, but not too hastily either. One after another, the Gears followed behind, keeping their Lancers or Snubs in hands, while the two Feral, mirrored each other shortly behind. Gaiman kept his sharp eye on the fresh trail while keeping his peripheral view on full alert at the same time. There was something else that came through here as well.

Gaiman slowed his pace and then slowly came to a halt, peering out for a moment. He soon turned his focus away from the trail, noticing the two Feral keeping their distance while they too appeared nervous. As the others caught up, Baird turned around to the Feral and began to notice the same.

Baird turned over to Marcus, tapping him on the shoulder,

"I got a feeling that Gaiman's instincts is not a sign of paranoia…" said Baird.

"…and what would compel you to come to that conclusion, Baird?" asked Marcus, knowing that Baird was not one to listen to the subliminal senses of anyone with some religious background.

"The Feral scouts are nervous too."

Marcus looked out as the two women peered from a thicket, not too far from their position as their eyes were widened and their shoulders slumped, keeping a lower profile, more so than usual. Marcus turned to Gaiman,

"Somebody else came though here, right?"

Gaiman responded by nodding his head as he turned back into the direction of the trail. Baird pondered for a moment as he suddenly turned to Gaiman,

"Stay here, I'll go in…"

Marcus and Dom looked at each other for a moment before they realized what Baird was going to do,

"Wait…Baird, what the hell, you don't know what's in there, man…" Dom protested.

"Yea…I do, Santiago," Baird snapped back.

"What did I tell you about going out and doing something stupid, Corporal?" Marcus scoffed as Baird quickly weaseled his way through the men,

"Since when did I ever listen to reason, especially yours?" Baird answered back, moving forward as he carefully moved on, keeping his head low.

"Ahhh…s***," Marcus griped as he too got up and started to move while slapping Dom on his shoulder, "…stay here until I call…or scream…which ever comes first."

"Yea…wait, what?" Dom responded blankly as Marcus follows behind Baird, "…wait, Marcus…s***!"

Baird paced his steps carefully, following the faint trail until he started to notice something in the distance, somewhat secluded in the woods nearby, hidden under the shadows of the trees. He looked around the vicinity and then carefully started to step out into the shadows, keeping his focus on a large spot in the white snow while Marcus followed closely behind, watching the sides as Baird continued forward.

As he moved closer, he kneels down to his destination, peering at what appeared to be a large pool of blood, somewhat soaked into the snow. Baird looked up over his shoulder as he turned to Marcus, whom was standing statuesque in the middle of the sparse woods, his hardened blue eyes wide and his expression blank, looking away at something disturbing as Baird could see his breathing getting heavy in the thick, cold air.

Baird carefully turned his body over while following another bloody trail as it lead into the direction of Marcus' heavy glare. Looking up and over through the density of the sparse trees, he noticed a flock of black birds, sitting in the branches, finding refuge in the tree limbs as they occasionally fly from one branch to another, picking at something hanging in the branches above them.

Carefully standing back up, Baird moved over to get a better look, peering through the falling snow, while still following the bloody trail, leading to the object hanging from above as the faint, sunlight, peering through the dense conifer leaves, reveal what once used to be a man, hanging from the branches above with his body gutted, his bowels strewn across the snow covered ground.

Baird never saw Marcus so pale before, not even when they came across Gears that were in worse shape than this, but as Baird continued to move closer to the human hanging in a bloody mess, trying not step on the entrails, he peered even closer.

The man was shirtless while still wearing what looked to be Gear pants and boots, hanging from a rope, upside down, while his long, damp black hair was wrapped roughly around his neck. Baird stepped in even further as he comfortably reached over and turned the body around, to finally see for himself what he had been looking for, at last.

"Son of a b****…" Marcus muttered as he too moved in, trying to hold his stomach down, getting a glimpse into the glassy stare of a mad man,

"…what the hell did this?"

Baird didn't answer immediately as he took out the Feral blade he had in his possession, grabbing Morose' head by his strands of hair and pulling his head in as he started to cut into Morose' neck. Marcus watched Baird hacking into his neck, slowly tearing the tendons and then the cervical vertebrae as he finally severed Morose' head completely off, still holding his head by his hair.

"What the f***, Baird…"

"Just a precaution…to make sure he's dead," Baird said in a monotone as he threw his knife into the ground, holding the head up and drop kicks it across the vicinity.

The others finally slowly come in as they started to ease, once they saw Marcus and Baird, standing near Moroses' corpse, hanging above them. They too were at a loss for words as one by one, they entered into the deathly, quiet forest, feeling it's eyes follow them as they walked in.

Finally finding some closure after a long and exhausting week, Baird turned around to face Marcus,

"We're done here…"

...and then walked away.

Chapter 40: To Chase A Feather In The Wind

[Jonesybites]

even after the UIL’s defeat?”

Lol...UIL...I haven't heard that term since highschool.

Thanks for pointing it out...

[Razor605]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I only found one mistake....I think.

Part 2 of Ch39 near the bottom:

“Aw man…he needs a medic, bad,” said Cole while Jacquin helped Bernie on her feet.

Don't you mean SHE needs a medic?

[Jonesybites]

Don't you mean SHE needs a medic?

Yea, I would say that's an EPIC error ...lol. Thanks for pointing it out.

EDIT: No wait, actually Cole was referring to Sven while Sergeant Jacquin was helping her up while Cole was saying it...but I'll see if I can remedy it so it's less confusing.

[Razor605]

You've got to remember though, you must shoot the head, otherwise the body would still be alive! <----Postal 2

Sorry to cause the confusion though....

[SKORGE]

Wait...... who killed Morose!? Was it the predator?! I must read it again!

Baird is a hero! Awesome work Jonesy, well written, and you again, seem to capture the characters so well! Nice work!

Baird is stranded killer and doesn't afraid of anything!

[Jonesybites]

Wait...... who killed Morose!? Was it the predator?! I must read it again!

Baird is a hero! Awesome work Jonesy, well written, and you again, seem to capture the characters so well! Nice work!

Baird is stranded killer and doesn't afraid of anything!

No, it's not the Predator...but that would make an interesting crossover.

Morose' executioner will be elaborated on later, but I thought I left enough subtle hints for additional speculation, (groan). I know I left it kinda out there, but this chapter was so long, I thought it would be best to elaborate the events that happened shortly aftarwards in a remenescent scene in the next chapter, after everything is wrapped up...but if you want additional hints, read Chapter 20, cause as the saying goes, one ill turn deserves another.

I guess we'll see if this works...

[SKORGE]

Interesting..... Now, I can be blind to the answer right before my eyes. This does not fair well for me, so I'll continue to make guesses in my head, and wait for you to enable another chapter.

Must see Morose' Justicutionar! <---- That is now a word!

[Jonesybites]

Even though the Stranded militia is now vanquished, our heroes are left with even more questions without answers, while Raven tries to come to terms with her new circumstances, but still reminiscing on the events of late…

Chapter 40: To Chase A Feather In The Wind


Should I fall out of love, my fire in the light
To chase a feather in the wind
Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight
There moves a thread that has no end.

For many hours and days that pass ever soon
The tides have caused the flame to dim
At last the arm is straight, the hand to the loom
Is this to end or just begin?

All Of My Love

Led Zeppelin



The light drifted from a nearby window in a haze that filtered the room with its afterglow. Specs of dust could be seen lingering in the air in its illumination, floating in space while brushing up against the loose fibers and particles that also clung in the air.

Taking a deep breath and then slowly exhaling, Raven blinked several times to pull herself out of a daze while peering towards the light coming from the window, trying to regain the focus in her vision again. She had only been awake for not even five minutes and already she felt like she was losing her mind.

Where am I…why am I here?

She rummages through memories, trying to make sense of the pieces she was able to salvage since the last time she was somewhat conscience, but all that she could recall was the cold, bitter air, snapping at her cheeks and nose. She remembers the scent of metal mixed with perspiration and aftershave, hearing voices that sounded as if they were muffled. Lurking further into her recorded senses, she recalls breathing, struggling against the air as if it weighed heavily.

And then it hit her,

"Cole," Raven mumbled. Peering through bleary eyes, she hears a mellow, soothing voice.

"Feral?"

"Gus…is that you?"

"No…but he asked me to check up on you."

It took her a moment to realize that it wasn't Cole speaking as Raven blinked several times, trying to peer through the bleariness, but it did nothing to regain her sight. All she could make out was a silhouette of someone sitting next to her.

"Why…can I not see straight?" Raven growled under her breath in frustration.

"You have been sedated for awhile now…your eyesight will return in time,"

"How long have I've been asleep?"

There was a pause as Raven struggled to decipher whom it was that was talking to her. The accent was authoritative, and but yet, serene at the same time,

"Three days."

Three days? Oh no… Raven panicked,

"Are they alright…did they make it to the Block?" Raven became tense, clenching her weakened fists while trying to sit up, but her body wasn't as responsive as she remembered it to be,

"…there's…a militia,"

"Yes, we know…"

"What happened to Cole, Vinny…where's Damon…and Delilah?"

"They're fine…you don't have to worry about them anymore," the voice responded as Raven could feel a gentle caress on her forehead, compelling her to lie back down and relax, finding some sanctuary in the mellow voice soothing her duress. Raven took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, still trying to put all the pieces back together again.

"Who are you?" Raven finally asked, turning her head over to the blurred figure that was gently stroking her forehead,

"A friend…"

"Friend?"

"…you kept Sigma alive in the wilderness…and then brought them safely back home. You brought my Gus home…and you even went as far as bringing back my clever Blondie…

Raven's facial expression turned into canvas of bafflement,

"Blondie?" she muttered.

Bernie chuckled, "Granny's clever boy…but Gus will always be my favorite."

"What…how, did we get back?"

"Epsilon and Delta picked up Sigma's radio frequency. They managed to find all of you before you froze to death…"

"But…what of…Morose, and his militia?"

"…they have been dealt with…and you won't have to worry about him, ever again."

Raven quickly shut her eyes as memories of her captivity suddenly resurfaced. The horrible things that Morose forced into her head plagued her mind, pulling at the fabric that held her together. Tears swelled in her closed eyes as she tried to fight it back, but the trauma from his torment was too fresh and terrifying.

Bernie quickly reached over to cradle Raven's dizzy head, holding her from despair as Raven sobbed profusely,

"Don't fight it anymore, girl…let it out, or it will haunt you forever."

Raven did as Bernie instructed her to do, and she wept, clinging to whatever reason she had left to keep going in a world so dark and callous, the thoughts of the others quickly ran through her head. A slide show of faces, people that she has known throughout her lifetime, appeared in a vast collage, stirring emotions that have been suppressed for too long. Raven couldn't run from it anymore, so she held onto the others more than she would ever have dared, leaving an open wound in her soul that only someone else can fill. The question now that haunted her the most was, did this empty hole just now appear, or has it always been there, she just chose to deny it? Either way, she was exposed now, and she could no longer hide the fact that it was inevitable.

Solitude was not the life for me…was it?

No, it wasn't.

Then why didn't you say something before?

You had to see it for yourself…there was no other way.

The noise coming from Raven's sobs began to soften as a great burden melted away, loosening the bonds of stubbornness, to find a place in this world that she may be able to somewhat fit. Nothing was for certain, but at least there was a chance.

Bernie stroked her hair with her hand, feeling Raven's tension soften as her anguish was finally released, finding some closure, just as Bernie told her it would. The Sergeant knew the young woman's trauma all too well, and she could feel it exiting Raven's body as her head went limp and the crying subsided. She can find peace now…

Suddenly, heavy footsteps could be heard as they moved into the room.

"Feral?"

I know that voice…I know that name.

"Is she alright?"

"She's just catching up, Gus…she's been through a lot."

Cole entered the room as he noticed Raven slumped under the Sergeant's arm while Bernie caressed her head.

"…and what about you…I thought the doctor told you to stay in bed?" Cole asked leaned up against the wall while Bernie scoffed,

"Humph…like you should talk…and do I look like somebody who likes to stay in bed?"

"Alright, alright…but you took your meds, right?"

"Sigh, yes…along with that crap that the staff here calls breakfast…"

Cole chuckled at a drowsy, but stable Mataki. She was somewhat serene, sitting next to Raven's bed in her hospital pajama's while snuggled in a long sleeve sweater and a paper-back book in her lap.

She had a bandage over head, covering her stitches from when Morose slammed her against the tree. Fortunately, the concussion was minor with only a hairline fracture at worst, but it was procedure for patients with any head trauma to stay in the hospital for at least a week, to watch for symptoms of a potential cerebral hematoma.

"Ok, I know your laughing at me, so what's so funny?" Bernie sneered slightly while Cole continued to smirk,

"You do realize you have to go back to the CT room today, right?"

"Ugh, yes…I was already reminded of that twice within the past hour…"

"Gus?" Raven stirred, looking up through the haze over her eyes. Cole walked over to the other side of her bed and pulled up a chair up as he took a seat.

"I'm here, baby…do what Boomer Lady says, just let it out."

Raven just leaned back into her pillow, letting out a sigh as she closed her eyes.

"You looking better than you did two days ago, Feral…"

"Well that's a comfort," Raven acknowledges while her eyes were still closed, "…I can't remember a thing since…s***, since Damon was chewing me out…"

"Hehe, you was out like a light when we took you out of the dill…" Cole reiterated, somewhat glad that she didn't remember being out in the blistering snowstorm that nearly killed them.

He glanced over at the cast on her leg and ankle while the rest of her body was bare, with only the hospital gown covering her nude frame.

Sergeant Mataki had long noticed the bruises on her body, splotched all over her arms, as if someone painted leopard spots with ink and a brush. S***, she must have dealt with a lot of contact, or abuse.

Bernie could recall that last time she came back to check on Raven earlier that morning, while she was still in a comatose state, she noticed Blondie was in her room with the head nurse, scanning her body for other abrasions, shortly after the infirmary released the toxicology results and the rape kit test that was performed that same evening. She had never seen Baird so concerned about anyone, much less an ornery Feral, but he seemed somewhat frantic when he realized that she still unconscious.

Bernie sat in the hallway from the room entrance, and waited until Baird limped out from Raven's room, rubbing his forehead as if he was contemplating something over and over again. She wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to see his pet Birdie, as Bernie officially called her, but it was something that stirred her curiosity, and she intended to eventually find out.

Cole sat and sighed as he looked at a dazed Raven, finding his own serenity in knowing that Raven was, for the moment, safe. The past few days made Cole anxious as he waited to hear from Baird concerning her tests. They weren't sure what Raven was subjected to, but the test confirmed that she wasn't raped, and it was this that Cole could find some comfort in.

"Will you be alright, Gus?" Bernie asked as Cole watched Raven doze back into slumber, watching his face turn sober,

"Yea…it's just…it's been a long week."

"Well, I guess we better let Blondie's little Birdie rest, before Hoffman grills her."

"Colonel Hoffman said he was going to see her?"

"He told me earlier this morning…and then chewed me out for being insistent on going back out on the field…"

Cole laughed, knowing that if it were up to the Colonel, he would have Bernie sitting in a rocking chair, knitting crochet booties for infants.

Bernie slowly began to get up, cringing as she grunted slightly. Cole got up and walked around Raven's bed to help the Sergeant find her balance, holding out his bicep for Bernie to brace herself with while Cole slowly escorts her towards the door and out into the hallway.

"Hehe, I always wanted to lend a hand to an old lady…" Cole mused while Bernie huffed,

"Ha…old woman my bloody ass," she jeered while Cole let out a laugh.

Walking a little ways down, Bernie finds a bench nearby to sit in as Cole helps her down. She looks up at him he takes a seat next to her,

"How is Vinny doing?"

Cole's face brightened as he let out a chuckle,

"Hehe, Vinny…still da same…which is a good thing actually," said Cole, "…but he's going to have to stay for a week too…his sister came to see him, though...that was nice surprise!"

Cole was tickled with the fact that he got to see Gwen, and he wasn't the least bit disappointed. She had Sven's hair and eye color while her long curls were pulled back and wrapped under a scarf. Just as Sven predicted, she brought him a few, home made pastries, although there wasn't any honey to make "honey rolls," but there was still some flour and sugar left to make other things. Cole would laugh, watching Sven stuff his face while Gwen would make small talk with Gus, much to his delight.

He had long hoped that Sven would escape the hardships of war, hoping that it wouldn't harden him like it did to the others. Perhaps Gwen may keep him from all of dat…Cole could only hope.

"…and how's Blondie holding up?"

Cole gave a slight smirk, as he snickered under his breath,

"Ah, you know Baird…he's just being…well, Baird..." Cole admitted, but then something softened in his expression, "…but then, other times, he's on edge, ya know? It's like he's looking for something, but…he can't seem to find it."

"I noticed he's been trying to get into contact with Birdie…"

"Well then he's definitely on edge…but, hell, whatta I know…Baird never really ever tells me what he and Feral ever talk about."

"Wait, he actually talks to her?" Bernie asked in amazement, knowing that Baird wasn't one to engage in small talk with anyone, much less a woman.

"Hell, yea…he spent most of the week trying to get her to talk…ya know, getting into her head so he could learn about how the Feral function, especially with breeding."

Cole let out a laugh, recollecting the times they would bug Raven insistently about the topic.

"What in bloody hell does he intend to talk to her about now?"

"I don't know…but Feral knows quite a bit. Damon believes that she used to do a lot of espionage…ya know, hacking into the Jacinto mainframe…"

"Yea, we know that Ms. McNight has been infiltrating our data system for at least within the past five years,"

"S***…and we're just now learning about it?"

"She's covered her tracks pretty well, but Hoffman has enough evidence to charge her for larceny and treason."

"Oh, you gotta be s***tin me…just after what she did to save our asses?"

"I didn't say that Hoffman is going to follow through with the charges…but he may make some plea deal with her, in exchange for some information, and possibly some services…'

"…like what?"

"Well, to help establish better relations with the Feral for one, since she was one of a few that can actually speak their language…apparently, Blondie's managed to figure out some of their language as well. Maybe that's the reason he's been trying to talk to her…"

"Hmph, possibly…me personally, I think he's just lonely…and Feral actually puts up with his crap…and then dishes it right back."

Cole chuckled while Bernie leaned back in amazement,

"Seriously?"

"Are you kiddin? S***, Feral and Baird would argue constantly, over stuff I didn't think anyone could argue about…ask Vinny…damn, speakin of which, that kid owe's me ten bucks!"

"For what?"

"Now that I'll have to explain over a cup of coffee sometime…if you're up to it…"

"After my routine catscan, I'll take up on that offer later today."

"You got a date!" Cole smiled.

Part 2 continued on the next post...

[Jonesybites]

Part 2 of Chapter 40

Later in the day came quickly for Raven as she was sitting up after eating something the nurse called a "pot roast," that, instead, resembled a piece of damp meat that was submerged in water for too long with a shaved, raw carrot for a side.

The small rationing was expected for another week, until stolen supplies could be accounted for. Since the COG unleashed their forces against the Stranded militia, they uncovered crates of food and supplies that were stashed at the Plantire Immulsion compound, they raided, shortly after they extinguished the militia.

With only being awake for almost two, solid hours, word spread quickly of Raven's awakening as the nurse informed her of Hoffman's visit to sort out some details that he felt she could enlighten him with. Joy.

She figured there would be a lot of questions that Hoffman was going to demand answers, after trying to get some information from the staff concerning the events that happened during her coma. The little that she gathered was still vague at best, but one thing was for sure that was foremost on her mind was the fact that the COG dragged Morose' body back to the Block for an autopsy, and no one would explain as to why.

Hoffman entered the room, alone while the nurses stepped out, leaving just Raven still huddled in bed, covered in blanket with a cast on her leg. He carefully pulled up a chair while sitting in it slowly, trying to offset his aching joints, still aggravated from running around the cold the day before.

After he finally sat down comfortably in his seat, he let out a sigh as he removed his hat and held on to it while rubbing the little hair he had left on his head. The cold continued to dry out his skin, irritating it to the point where he couldn't take frequent showers anymore, allowing the natural oils to keep his scalp clear of dander. There wasn't enough conditioner, or lotion, in the fort to keep everyone's skin from scaling.

With her vision back to normal, an awe of shock came over her as she looked at the tired, old man, still pushing against the fence like a defiant stallion. Although it was so long ago, Raven could remember the days when Hoffman had color in his hair, and his face was bright with confidence and zeal. Now it was the face of abrasion and humility, his expression softened by the lines that was once toned and poised. Despite everything that he prepared himself for, she had reason to believe that nothing prepared him for events of late.

Hoffman let out a sigh, gathering his thoughts as he leaned over slightly, reaching into his pack to pull out something. Slowly as he leaned back while holding a tarnished, medal in his bare hand,

"I've…been meaning to give this to Marion," he started as if it may bring some comfort to Raven, but something in the back of his head told him that he was just fooling himself, as Raven coldly corrected him,

"Marion McNight is dead, Colonel."

"Sigh…so with you being the next of kin…"

"I don't want my father's medal…and I'm not his next of kin."

Hoffman finally turned his gaze towards the ebony haired, pale woman with a porcelain façade, sitting adjacent to him, staring at him blankly with her glassy blue eyes. He could remember the day Jonathan and Marion introduced their new bundle of joy with rosy, blushed cheeks and long dark lashes, nestled in a gown with a bow in her soft, ebony hair. He had never seen Marion happier with their new baby, their little Eloise McNight, now sitting cold and weary in a hospital bed, broken, skeptical, and at loss for so many words. He felt as if he failed Jonathan somehow, someway, sacrificing himself for the COG, only to earn the medal in his very hand, after his death, to be given to his what was left of what he would call, a family.

"McNight…your father died protecting a medical frigate that was transporting wounded back to Jacinto…he saved a lot of lives at the cost of his."

"So did a lot of other Gears Colonel…and how did the COG repay them? By sending their daughters away to be raped and exploited in their breeding farms…"

"I'm not going to sit here and try to justify past policies, McNight,"

"Just ask your questions Colonel and I will do what I can to answer them…"

"Sigh, fair enough…" said Hoffman, somewhat relieved that Raven was willing to cut to the chase, "…who are the Harpies?"

"They're a Feral clan…the most militant of the clans. It has long been rumored that they may have been responsible for failed negotiations in the past, resulting in catastrophe on the COG's part…"

"Who is their "Reverend Mother?"

"They do not have a Reverend Mother, they have a Matriarch, and her name is Tamar."

"What do you know about Tamar?"

"She is ruthless, strategic, and as of recent, a traitor…"

Raven's manner concerning the Harpies, or Tamar for that matter, was detached and cold as she answered Hoffman's questions without disdain. She spoke as clearly as the dizziness in her head would allow, objective and to the point, not mentioning anything that Morose told her during her captivity.

"Could the clan have been responsible for some deaths as of recent?"

Raven raised a brow, wondering what Hoffman was talking about.

"…what deaths would you be referring to?"

"Apparently, when Morose and his militia dispatched from Plantire, during their absence, somebody went in and attacked the fortress, eradicating all of the men while the women were abstracted…"

Raven's face perked in interest as she listened attentively to Hoffman,

"They took some weapons and left the vehicles and supplies behind…the men were…dismembered…"

"What of the horses?"

"They were all gone…now, at first someone mentioned that it could have been Locust attack, but whoever raided Plantire left little if any tracks."

"Are you insinuating that the Harpies may have been responsible for sacking the Plantire compound?"

"Based on new information from your Reverend Mother, Paroux, and the intel I was able to elaborate with Corporal Baird…"

"…and you want me to confirm those reports…"

"I was hoping you would cooperate with me concerning some information you apparently wrote in your journal,"

Jeez, you nosy bastards, Raven growled to herself. She didn't like the fact that the COG rummaged through her field notes, but then again, it was something that she had been doing to them for years, how ironic.

Slumping in her bed, something stirred in her stomach, coming to terms now with what Tamar may have had in mind all along, to ally with the Stranded, only to let them do the dirty work while watching from the distance, waiting to strike when they were the most vulnerable. And they did just that, reaping the plunder right out from under them with the COG completely oblivious about the Harpies expanding their forces, one decimated Stranded settlement after another.

"What is your theory, Ellie?" Hoffman asked. It had been so long since anyone had ever called her by that name, so much that she hardly recognized it at first, even though it was the name her foster father always called her.

Memories of home have been long shelved since the Fortification Act came into play, pinning her between the two boulders of ethics and obedience. She didn't come to regret her decision, but she didn't feel it to be the most reliable decision either.

Raven sighed as pulled her black, feathered bangs from her forehead,

"I believe that Tamar, may be amassing her numbers for a greater purpose…I just do not know as of yet, what…all I know is that Sigma squad, and myself, was lucky…I cannot elaborate on why."

For the first time, Raven was able to lie without being conscientious about it, keeping her secrets to herself, until she can authenticate them for sure, if she would ever have the opportunity to do so. But there was some truth to her statement. She really didn't know what Tamar had in store after decimating what was left of the Stranded camp at Plantire. She knows something…

Hoffman peered into her demeanor, nodding his head after she finished, not making any additional comments concerning the matter while he slowly put his cap back on and let out a sigh.

"Alright…and on similar note, we also found Sergeant Morose disemboweled and hung upside down in the woods not far from the battle sight, with his genitalia removed…I don't suppose you could elaborate on who may have, executed him in a brutal manner…because we sure as hell didn't!"

Raven's eyes sunk underneath her brow as she clinched her teeth, feeling the stress once again to the mention of that lunatic, but the Colonel brought up a worthy point of interest,

"I can only speculate that the Harpies may have had him killed…"

"…now, why in the hell would they do that? From what I gathered, it was conceived that the two factions where working together,"

"What else can I say Colonel…other than one ill turn, deserves another..."

Hoffman let out a slight chuckle,

"Yea, I guess that would be feasible…"

Hoffman figured that the alliance between two, ruthless factions was rocky at best, resulting in such a calamity, just when Morose was at his last thread. Violent men die by violent means.

Raven knew for awhile that Tamar would only entertain any alliance with the Stranded as long as it served her purpose. But the one thing Raven never expected to find out of all of this, was the truth concerning her biological parents, if what Hagar said was true. This only complicated things even more for Raven, not sure where she truly belonged while everything she thought she knew became obscure.

Nevertheless, for now, she finds her alliance with the Gears, hoping the Feral will continue with their efforts to assist in rebuilding humanity, just as her Reverend Mother hoped they would by uniting their cause through diplomacy, not that they are left with any other alternative, now.

Ever since their numbers have dwindled from attempted annihilation, the Feral lost a lot of land, and a lot of livestock in the process, consisting mostly of goats, sheep, and horses. Although they managed to save some of their horses, the enormous loss of their sheep and goats was costly, and they few they managed to salvage is struggling to survive the harsh Frost, leaving their alliance with the COG their only means of survival.

Without further questions, Hoffman slowly got up from his chair while placing his hat back on his head.

"Well, I'll leave you so you can rest McNight…your going to need it later…"

Raven gave him a puzzled look, "..and why is that, Colonel?"

"You will be transferred with the rest of the hospital patients and personnel to Vectus Island within a week."

Raven sat up in her bed as if she felt a sudden anxiety attack stirring the butterflies in her stomach again,

"Wait…transferred?"

"We're all going to be relocating to Vectus, including the Feral, starting with the wounded and civilians. It's the best place we found to start from ground up…that, and we managed to set up a temporary reservation for the Feral women and children, but we're going to need all the help we can muster to get this thing off the ground. I need your abilities to help establish some foundation to improve long term relations with the Feral, McNight."

Raven let out a sigh as she rubbed the back of her head, not even wanting to grasp the larger picture regarding such a multifaceted task,

"Colonel, I do not believe that I would be a good candidate for orienting the Feral with the COG…"

"Well, neither was Corporal Baird when I had him assigned to Sigma One to watch over your sorry callous, ornery ass, for a mission that was supposed to only take one day, much less a whole, damn week…but for some bizarre, warped reason, it worked!"

Raven began to slump in her bed, feeling for the first time in a long time, she didn't have anything to come back with. Despite how absurd she felt it was, she couldn't argue with the old man's logic.

Hoffman began to walk over to the door before he stopped at the frame and turned over to Raven,

"…but for the sake of filling out my long, overdue report that I am going to have to file before contemplating some promotions, should I even ask as to how many times the Corporal pissed you off?"

Raven raised a brow as she turned her gaze back to the wall of her room, and replied,

"You want the abridged version or should I give you an extensive list?"

Hoffman chuckled while shaking his head as he replied,

"Dually noted, McNight…I'll get back with you later on that one…until then, you better rest up."

The Colonel exited the room, still reveling in amusement, leaving Raven to her thoughts as she continued to stare at the gray, paste wall, while pulling the blanket back over her shoulders as she laid her head back down on the pillow. So much contemplate at once, leaving her both accomplished, yet baffled.

She closes her eyes as she let's out a long sigh, reflecting on the problem at hand, how am I going to get back to sleep now?

Chapter 41: Das Arschloch und der Widerspenstige

Let me know what y'all think...I re-edited it several times, trying to get the dialogue right...

[SKORGE]

Awesome, for a second I thought you had Bernie come in, because she was raped and to somewhat help deal with the fact that Raven was as well. But, yeah, continue!

[SKORGE]

Alright, you ninja'd me. Nice work Jonesy, this was some great stuff. God I hate Harpies..... hate them almost as much as the Stranded. Someone needs to show them a thing or two.

When you think that asshole Morose and his clan of idiots is dead, a whole new group of parasites show up. Scum seem to grow on one another.

God.......

More? Pwees?

[Jonesybites]

^Yea, they went from dealing with UIR, then Locusts, to possibly dealing with Lambent...it doesn't seem to end at all for these people...but I guess that's what makes the irony of GOW.

...but the purpose that I was trying to elaborate on, when everything is said and done, was to show that even the Feral quarrel amongst themselves to where they will betray their own to accomplish their own goals, displaying humanity at it's most fickle of moments. As a result, this kinda forces Raven into an uncomprimising position...again.

[SKORGE]

So will you continue off from this, or is this a whole new fiction in the works? Snowblind sequel?



- Stranded Suck
- Harpies Suck
- Politicians suck
- Asshole's like Morose suck
- That guy with the shotgun in Gears of war one, where you enter the scum outpost, and try to talk with what's his face, Franklin, though he gets all up in your face sucks
- Chap semi sucks
- The two assholes in the Jacinto bar suck
- Stranded kids suck
- Island thugs, suck
- The guy's that raped Bernie suck


That is my suck list........ no sexual themes involved.

[Jonesybites]

There's too much going on in the background to not have a sequal, but I'm kinda in limbo with the timeline, as to where it will go before the next novel comes out...in the meantime, I can write short stories about the other characters (secondary characters that where mentioned in Snowblind) and the situations concerning Feral's new home site, fullfilling breeding obligations through negotiations. There's plenty of potential that hasen't been elaborated on, simply because the story focused exclusively on Sigma squad...

...but we'll see what's store for the main characters in the closing chapters to follow.

[SKORGE]

Curses, I feel a Harpies story coming on. Well, let's see where all this goes, and good luck with anything elaborating on the minor characters.

[Jonesybites]

Ok, this chapter is rather maudlin or sentimental so don't expect any gut wrenching, blue-balled battlefield cliche's...but without further delay...

Chapter 41: Das Arschloch und der Widerspenstige

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?

Hey you, with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call, out
Would you touch me?

Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.

Pink Floyd

"Sir…sir you need to sign in before you can see any patients," a nurse yelled out as a soiled, grumbling Damon Baird marched into the infirmary. He stopped in his tracks, growling as he grudgingly turned around to walk back to the front desk, picking up the pen and sloppily scribbling something on the sign-in sheet. The nurse stood back from him, noticing that he was covered in dust and soot from crawling around in the vents earlier that morning, trying to locate and repair a shortage in the wiring to the main heating unit in the barracks.

"Sir…your going to need wash your hands before you can see any of the patients…" she said, covering her mouth and nose from potentially inhaling the dust particles that clung on his face and hair.

"Yea, yea…where's the nearest bathroom?"

"Down the hallway, on the left…before room 137."

Avoiding anymore, useless small talk, Baird started to make his way down the hall while taking off his jacket and using the arms to tie around his waist.

After everything was said and done, Baird spent majority of his time trying to isolate himself as much as possible by keeping himself busy with the usual issues that plagued Fort Block, concerning the outdated, obsolete equipment that was still in usage there, starting with the central heating and air-conditioning units. At the same time, he was trying to work with a pulled hamstring in the back of his thigh, making his job somewhat miserable, especially when it involved climbing in the freezing weather, which he did practically all morning. Since then, he limped most of the day, taking some medication to help with the swelling, but he wasn't going to go to sleep without visiting Raven first, now that she awake and somewhat coherent…about time she's up!

He turned back around and marched his way down the hall that lead to her room, while trying his best not to look like a gimp, but before he continued on, he stepped into the men's room to at least wash his hands and face, removing some of the soot that was caked on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Turning on the sink, he waited for a moment to give time for the water to heat up before he leaned over and splashed water on his face, feeling the warm sensation against his cold, nipped skin, s***, I'm getting tired of the f***ing cold!

He rinsed his face down one more time before grabbing a paper towel and drying his face and hands, and then glanced at the mirror to make sure he didn't miss anything, not that it really mattered since it was only Raven, s***, she could probably care less if I was in a suit and tie.

In this case, Baird just wore a considerably clean, gray shirt that was snug under his soiled jacket, now tied around his waist, wrapped over his utility belt that held his one-size too large, cargo pants and his original combat boots. His goggles were off of his head for a change, placed in his ammo pack that was located on his left thigh, along with two journals. After shaking his hair a few times, trying to brush the dust out of it, he pulls his COG tags to the front of his chest while keeping Raven's necklace buried under his shirt.

He let out a sigh, taking one more glance in the mirror, noticing that age was catching up to him as he spotted his crowfeet becoming more prominent outside of his pale eyes. Normally, vanity was something of little relevance when it concerned his priorities, especially since he wasn't the only one showing signs of wear, but at this moment, he begins to feel the weight of social acceptance that most men experience when they hit their mid thirties, a condition commonly known as a "midlife crisis." Agh, f***...who in the hell am I trying to impress anyway, he squabbled with himself, while washing his hands, again.

It was then it began occur to him, wondering how Raven felt about her own age, not that her appearance showed any signs of erosion, [I]s***, for twenty eight, she looks pretty damn good,[/I] but to what means would that be of any use to her?

He recalled a time when she mentioned to him concerning the Feral's guidelines for breeding, and one of them was the cut-off age for producing any more offspring, which was at the age of thirty-five. She never really came out and said that she would one day like to have children of her own, but as of recent, she began to feel the stress of her own biological clock just wasting away, feeling somewhat lost without experiencing the right of passage that comes with motherhood.

It would seem her subliminal maternal instincts, not to mention her estrus, was becoming prominent as of late, but he couldn't tell if this was just part of her season, or was her biological clock literally pressuring her to procreate before time runs out. Maybe that's why she's been moody lately…oh what the hell do I know, I've only known this woman for a week, and I 'm acting as if I've known her all her life.

If there was anything that he could relate to concerning Raven's plight, as she mentioned to him once before, was the that she had longed believed that she could prove to be a better asset to society, other than just spreading her legs to put another biscuit in the oven. He knew that she had some basic mechanical skills and above normal programming capacity that had long complimented her hacking abilities, but when it all comes right down to it, she had a perfectly, healthy fertile womb that the COG, or Feral for that matter, was not going to let go to waste, and that's when s*** is really going to hit the fan.

He shook his head one more time in a last ditch effort to remove the dust from his hair and then exited the men's room, limping back out into the hallway to find Raven's room.

Although he's been there before, this would be the first time he would see her awake since they where found out in the blistering snowstorm after their escape from the Plantire compound, realizing that they haven't spoken to each other since…she's probably still pissed at me.

Normally, he seldom cared how people felt about him, much less women, but for whatever reason, he couldn't wipe Raven from his memory anymore than he could stop the sun from setting. Granted, they exchanged some callous words that probably did more harm than good, but the sacrifices she made for Sigma's welfare suggested that other virtues were in place. Trying to decode Raven as a person was not as easy as he once thought, therefore Baird couldn't file her away as any classic stereotype, but one thing was for sure, she was a wealth of information and as long as she could be a somewhat, cooperative resource for intel, Baird was going to continue to pick at her brain.

Carefully peering in through the open door, he noticed Raven still lying in bed with her back facing away from the entrance into the room. He carefully slipped in while closing the door slightly, leaving just a crack as he walks over and pulls out a chair.

"Sigh, is there something I can do for you Corporal?" said Raven, still facing away from the room entrance as if she knew all along that he would come.

All that he could still see was her backside, wearing the tied hospital gown that hung awkward off of her shoulder, exposing her upper back and neck while the gown covered the rest. It was not the most modest thing in the world; he would know.

"Well, now that you mention it…" Baird said while slowly trying to sit down the chair, and propping his gimp leg on the lower rail of the frame on Raven's hospital bed,

"…I would like overtime pay, and occupational hazard severance for my trouble and services that involved getting shot at and nearly freezing my ass off…"

Raven groaned as she turned over in her bed to finally face him,

"As I recall, you asked me earlier to fire you, so I did…and now you have the audacity to come in here and file a claim for an occupational hazard severance?"

"Ah crap, I did, didn't I…"

Damn, she's got a lucid memory.

Raven glared at him with her tired blue eyes, while her face was somewhat transparent, not really leaning to one emotion or another, other than exhaustion. Sitting and looking at her, wrapped up in a blanket while trying to function despite who knows how much morphine they put in her, Baird could recall the contrast when he first saw her, loading up on the chopper, ornery, independent, and self-reliant, before they were deployed out into the frozen hellhole for a week. Raven played her part rather well, keeping Sigma afloat, despite everything else that could have went wrong, and ironically, it did. But now, here she lies at the mercy of the hospital staff and their crappy food, stuck with a cast on her leg, drugged and feeble, waiting for someone to come visit to help pass the time, even if it meant putting up with Baird's venting concerning the shoddy accommodations in the barracks at Fort Block. Until now, he had never seen her this vulnerable before.

Baird leaned forward in his chair, reaching into his back pocket while rummaging into his pack as well, pulling out some items as he placed them in his lap.

"…and before I forget…" he started to say as he placed a shabby, paper-back book on her bed. Raven tilted her had slightly as she reached over and brought the tattered book to her attention,

"Oh gee, how nice…you brought me toilet paper."

Baird snickered as he brought his hand to his mouth, trying not to laugh out loud, knowing that the book that he just gave her was from a well-known author of erotic, romance novels.

With the usual toiletries being low in supply, the Gears have had to use alternative means for taking care of business. Toothbrushes were in high demand, using baking soda and peroxide as a mouthwash while disposable razors where still a dime a dozen, not that the Gears went out of their way to waste them. Nothing went to waste here at Fort Block.

"…and now you can leisurely s***, and read at the same time," Baird conveniently mentioned while Raven chuckled slightly, finding amusement on the cover alone while Baird continued,

"I take it your not a fan of cheesy smut novels…"

"Are you kidding me…half the time I can't even get past the cover, much less the title," she said, glancing at the erotic picture on the cover,

"The Boss' Inexperienced Secretary, oh wow, yea, that's a winner right there," she scoffed while Baird chuckled at Raven's sarcasm, "…I can't wait to burrow into my erotic fantasies, the next time I'm sitting on the can."

Baird chuckles, "Yea, that paints a lovely picture, don't it."

Raven glances at the novel again and then puts it on the nightstand, next to her cup of ice and her father's medal that Hoffman left behind, as she looks at him with a peculiar glare,

"…but you didn't drop whatever it was that you were doing, just to come all the way down here to give me a smut book…"

"Um…look…" he started, somewhat hesitant while trying to find the words to prevent him from appearing sentimental, "…I have your journal if you want it back…along with your pencil. This might help to pass the time…"

As he pulled it out, Raven leaned over to see if he was actually serious,

"Uh…thanks. I'm going to take a guess, and say that you're done rummaging through it…"

Baird let out a slight chuckle, knowing full well that he couldn't hide that fact from her. He did rummage through it, soaking up every important piece of information that he could squeeze from it, and it was quite a bit.

"Yea, I'm done reading it…"

"So I guess your just going to sit here, admiring yourself for finally looking through my personal and confidential research…"

"Damn right I am," he snickered.

Raven just let out a humph as she turned her gaze away from him, staring at the gray wall again while a smile is could be seen from the corner of her mouth,

"So you think you have it all figured out, huh?" said Raven as Baird snorted,

"Please, I know you're not stupid enough to write everything in your little diary where us grunts can sneak a peek…"

"You better believe it,"

"So I guess the question that I'm going to have to ask now…is there anything else, that I should know about?"

"Nice try…but no."

"Oh come on, not even a little hint?"

"About what…" Raven scoffed in amusement.

"Oh I don't know…maybe you could tell me about what you did with some of the lost archives that are still stashed at some computer consol in Hurl Dam…you have a list of numbers in some sequential order, next to several pages that you apparently scribbled some binary arithmetic equations…"

"I was breaking down the security codes, consisting of eight numeral digits…and I had to reprogram some of the older consoles, systematically, using several calculators."

"What could you possibly find in a twenty year old computer consol, that was most likely used just to play solitaire?"

"Like I'm going to give that little secret away…"

"Ok, maybe you can tell me how you managed to figure out the password that accesses COG database,"

"Uh, no…"

"Or…maybe you can finally admit your true feelings for me…"

Raven starts to laugh,

"What, that I think you're an egotistical, insensitive prick? There I said it…a mystery no longer," Raven scoffed as she chuckled slightly while Baird's expression drooped into a blank sarcastic stare,

"Oh hahaha…I guess I should have saw that one coming, especially from a cold hearted, sadistic shrew like you…"

"That's right…and you wouldn't have me any other way, now would you…"

Raven's remark caught him slightly off guard as she folded her arms, impressed with herself while Baird sat in his chair, taking it all in, realizing that she was right, he wouldn't have her any other way.

"Alright…I'll take your little challenge," he sneered.

"What challenge?"

"Gimme time, I'll figure all of this out," said Baird as he pulled out her necklace from around his neck, "…oh, I believe this is yours."

He leaned over and placed it in her hand as she quickly pulled it up to inspect it.

"Wait…where's my USB memory card?"

Instead of answering, Baird just shrugged while folding his arms across his chest, flashing a grin as Raven started to get annoyed,

"You have it, don't you…you nosy bastard…"

"Hey, I did what you asked, and I didn't lose it…you didn't say anything about giving it back…you should know better."

And she should've. She took a risk that he warned her not to take, but she did it anyway, but I had to so I could save them and Delilah from being killed, or worse, tortured, then killed. Feeling control slipping away from her grasp, she felt more restrained than ever.

Baird still had the audacity to continue his questioning,

"Oh, and there's one more thing…"

Raven turned her glance back to him as she gave him a scowl,

"You rummaged through my journal, and you still have my USB memory card, what else could you possibly want from me, Baird?"

Baird let out a slight chuckle, knowing that she was slightly agitated, but as far as he was concerned, it was music to his ears, listening to her voice rise in agitation.

"Hehe…I just wanted to see you get mad " he admitted, still somewhat hesitant to mention anything else, but company with Raven was still a delight in a atypical way, even if it was just for the sake of pissing her off. I guess I better tone it down a bit before she throws the table lamp at me.

"But, just so you know," he continued without sarcasm, "…the doctor says that you will be released from care in another week."

"Yay…" Raven growled, rolling her eyes, not finding the news very comforting, but at least he was nice enough to give me back my journal.

As Damon tried to get comfortable, Raven noticed that he had probably been working, judging by his attire and the stench. She could smell the musty soot as soon as he walked through the door, but since the room was humid and musty to begin with, she didn't really mind it anymore than her own living quarters for the time being. The company was all that she could manage to pass the time.

"Well, since you went out of your way to come here, I don't suppose you know what happened to my belongings, since the COG confiscated everything else, including my armor and tools," she griped, realizing that she didn't have any clothes either, other than her hospital gown.

"Yea, about that…they, uh…kinda tore up your armor," Baird mentioned as he watched Raven roll her eyes while throwing her arms in the air in exasperation,

"Well what the hell am I supposed to wear now?"

"…hey, look…you were in pretty bad shape when you got here, so they had to get you out of your armor pretty quick…besides, give me a few days, I may be able scrounge up some clothes for you…"

"Where are you going to conveniently find women's clothes, Damon? Is there like a shopping outlet somewhere around this Fort that I don't know about?"

"Yea, it's our little secret to keep you ladies from picking it dry…and to answer your question, we have a bunch of clothes stashed at our supply depot that we've collected from dead civilians…"

"Wait…dead civilians?"

"We had a lot of casualties since we moved to Farrall. A lot of Jacinto's remaining civvies had a hard time adjusting to the conditions here, considering we've been short on supplies."

Raven leaned back on her pillow in awe, never guessing how desperate the COG was and still is, we're all hanging by a thin thread. She didn't like the idea of having Baird rummage though dead people's clothes, but she understood the circumstances considering their present lack of resources.

"Speaking of which, I'll need your brassiere size…"

"My what?"

"Bra size Rav."

"I haven't worn a bra in over ten years, Baird."

"Then what the hell are you using to hold up your boulders, I mean, holy s***, your not exactly lacking in the chest Rav, how do you not get black eyes?"

"My CUSTOM made, ceremonial teire', had a built in girdle with a halter top to hold back my bosoms…and let me guess, they probably destroyed that too, didn't they…"

Baird started scratching his head, knowing that if he answered her question she was going to rant and holler some more, but what the hell, she's cute when she's pissed anyway.

"Uh, yea…they did."

"Son of a b****," she growled quietly while clenching her jaw, fuming from the lack of foresight on behalf of the hospital staff. She let out a sigh, cupping her head with her hands while pushing her hair black from her face and then turned over to Baird,

"Well your going to have to measure me because I don't have a clue what my bra size is…"

"Well that shouldn't be hard, just let me a get a feel and I could probably…"

Before Baird could finish, Raven lifted her hand and pointed it towards the door as she barked,

"Go get a tape measure Damon…fondling my jugs isn't going to determine my brassiere size…I'm not that stupid."

"You know I had to try." Baird snickered.

"Whatever…I'm sure one of the nurses can supply a tape measure if you would kindly ask…and not revert to your normal means of requesting for things that's usually followed by something crude or tactless."

"Yea, yea…just…give me a minute," Baird cringed while trying to get up out of the chair. Raven noticed that Baird was somewhat limping as he managed to balance himself by holding onto the railing on her bed.

"For crying out loud, Damon, what did you do to yourself?"

"I pulled a hamstring the other day, ok?" he growled, realizing that he may have exerted himself, trying to find Morose before he escaped. He didn't know when or how he pulled it, other than he woke up the following morning and it was tighter than a drum, and excruciatingly painful when he moved it.

Raven let out a sigh as she reached over to find the com to the front desk,

"Damon, sit back down, I can call a nurse in to bring us one."

"Ah, crap, it took me a f***ing three minutes just to get up…now you want me to spend another agonizing three minutes just to sit down?"

Raven suddenly turned to him, "Just shut up and sit your hairy ass down!"

Baird stood erect as he flashed a glance, raising his hand to a salute, "Yes, ma'am…"

Raven spoke into the com,

"This is room 137, please respond…"

"Go ahead, was there something that you needed?"

"Could a nurse bring me a tape measure, please?"

As Baird started to sit back down, Raven waited to hear from the front desk,

"Of course…she'll be there shortly with a tape measure…is there anything else that we can bring?"

Raven looked up at Baird, watching him trying to get comfortable again while grimacing from the pain in the back of his leg,

"Sigh, yes, could you bring some anti-inflammatory pain killers…and I should be due for my evening meds…"

"Yes, you are…the nurse will bring those to you shortly."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I don't need any meds…" Baird protested as he cringed.

"Damon, you're not going to sleep well if you don't tend to your hamstring…its only going to aggravate you further…"

"I don't need sleep, Rav…"

"You're not a machine, Damon…you can't just keep working non-stop twenty-plus hours without taking some time to eat and sleep…"

"You're not my mother, Rav…it's not your job, or prerogative, to be worrying over me…"

"…then who's job is it, Damon?"

The room soon became quiet as the atmosphere took a turn, with only the noise of murmuring coming from the hallway just outside Raven's room could be heard. Baird sat at a loss for words, not quite sure what Raven was trying to insinuate, but the walls that he had long erected to keep the outside world from entering in was starting to crack from the shifting of the foundations beneath it.

Part 2 continued on the next post...