Meggie here--
Hey everyone, again! This is a longer fic than my first attempt at the Gears universe, with more awesome Marcus/Anya stuff. :D
This fic may be longer, but I'm doing a heck of a lot more editing on this than the first one, to get the story completely perfect, so bear with me. The chapters are meant to be in little snippets. :3
"Them Locust sons of bitches got what was comin to their ass, yeah!"
Cole was pumped up, as always, leaping down the ladder into the newly constructed COG base of operations. Anya snickered at her comrade after she herself was on level ground.
From the outside, you wouldn't even know this was a base. The huge building was recessed into a cave on the other side of the bay from the now-sunken Jacinto. Baird had been confused as to where they were going until they were actually there. Essentially, the building was one large room with a command center sunk into the middle, and bunking rooms surrounding the perimiter.
"Shut up, Cole." Baird spat, on her other side. The Raven carrying the three of them had landed moments ago. There was one to follow in a few minutes, carrying Dom... and Marcus.
Speak of the devil, there they were. In this hallway there were skylights, and the afternoon sun illuminated the second King Raven rather brilliantly. The three of them heard it coming, and turned to face the ladder that they had just climbed down. A few silent seconds, and they heard the hatch wheel spin and open with a loud clack.
Dom leaped down first, his armor clanking as he hit.
"Hey hey hey!" He said, extending his arms in their general direction, and smiling a shit-eating smile. "Cutest pair of assholes I've ever seen."
"The Cole Train only needs himself baby!" Cole replied, laughing, and smacking Baird in the shoulder.
"Ow. Damn Cole." Baird said, rubbing where the former linebacker had punched. "Speakin of, where's Sgt. Sunshine?"
"Eat a fucking chainsaw, Baird." Marcus slid down the ladder, landing with a thud under all the armor's weight. "Alright Delta," he said, walking up to the group, "we're not done yet. Command Center. Let's move." The Delta Leader pointed his lancer, still held tightly in his hands, towards the opposite end of the hallway.
"You got it, bossman." Baird said, turning around and waving Marcus off. Dom caught up and followed close behind them, holding a friendly conversation.
Marcus followed, wrapping his arm around Anya's shoulders and shaking her slightly.
"How's it goin half-pint?" He said, smiling as he rarely did.
She laughed. "Whatever, Marcus. It's not my fault you're a giant."
He chuckled a little bit and let go as they entered the main room. There were generous amounts of both computer screens and paperwork scattered on various desks about the room. They all circled around a center command post; an enormous, holographic screen in the dead center of the room, which had two or three chart tables laid out around it. Next to one of these stood the Chairman and Colonel Hoffman.
The Colonel turned, seeing who had just entered the room.
"Sergeant Fenix!" Hoffman yelled over the assorted noise that came with occupying a command post.
"Shit."
"Fenix, get yours and the rest of Delta's asses down here. We've got some debriefing to do!"
"Yes sir!" Marcus yelled back, taking point and escorting his squad to meet the two most important men in Sera.