Okay. Hopefully this will be the last of the changes I make to the rewrite of Gate Chronicles, now dubbed as Generation Gate. Pretty much I took some inspiration of Generation Kill, combined it with the settings of After The Flash Deep Six and hope that it might be better than the first two POS stories I wrote. I also did a ton of research involving military terms, unit sizes and tactics, but I will end up getting something wrong so please leave a comment or send me a PM so I can correct it. I will try and make a sidestory to go along with it written in the words of Alton Shulmer, paomayo's OC which I had changed a bit to fit the story. The sidestory will be written in the style of the book Generation Kill with stories and events taken from the main story. Anyway here is a guide for you.
Regular Text: English
Italic: Side Notes, singing by anyone as well as different languages
Bold: Radio and settings
It had barely been a year since the Second American Civil War ended when a new one arrived in the fully reunited United States of America once more. However instead of our enemies from South America, it was something that came out of a fantasy book along with science fiction. This 'force' attacked the major city of Atlanta by marching through a gateway that appeared in the middle of the city. However instead of getting new lands to conquer, they were greeted by US soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division which had its headquarters set up in the city. Within an hour, many of these Roman soldiers and other creatures laid dead in the streets but at the cost of at least 259 civilians dead, 132 US soldiers killed or wounded and about 58 people were missing or unaccounted for.
In less than three months after the unexpected attack, the 29th along with several units of the 2nd Marines mobilized and marched through this 'Gate' as they call it. After they got to the other side, they encountered an enemy army followed by several more armies a few days later. No deaths reported on the US side this time but wounds were sustained by several members of the 29th ID and 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines.
Then two days after the final attack on the US FOB in the uncharted region, I finally get sent in to be attached to a unit to make a story on. I was expecting to be stuck with the Army or even one of the rear echelon units at FOB Gateway. To my surprise though, I was assigned with the group of the most diverse and rambunctious group of Marines I have ever encountered or worked with before. They were men (and some women) born around the time of the Atlanta Crisis. Most raised with families up north, a few stuck in GCSA-built childcare centers, and one being adopted into the middle class. They were all had exposure to the US education system, the revival of classic rock and metal, and each of which has a story to tell involving the 2nd Civil War. They currently serve as the spearhead of the US Military inside the uncharted region and consider themselves elite warriors of the this new generation.
This is the account of the Marines of the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion inside the uncharted region. This is the story of Generation GATE.
-Excerpt from "Generation GATE" by Alton Shulmer
The grasslands were silent as a gentle breeze rolled across it. The skies were bright blue and open, revealing mountains and forests off in the far distance. The air was pure to the point that you could taste it. It seemed something out of a fairy tale to anyone who truly had no idea what was going on in this world. In the distance, clouds of dust began to appear on the horizon as the sound of engines could be heard. Also for a strange reason, if one could listen carefully past the engines, they would hear the sound of bad singing.
"I'm going up the country, baby, don't you wanna go? I'm going up the country, baby, don't you wanna go? I'm going to some place where I've never been before." The voices sang from the lead vehicle of a convoy of M81 painted Humvees traveling down the road. Inside the Humvees and on the various turrets were men and at least a few women equipped in Woodland MARPAT MCCUUs, Lightweight Helmets (LWH), olive drab Modular Tactical Vests, and combat boots. Everyone except for one were members of the Marines. They all had a red shield patch with a yellow/golden Globe, Eagle and Anchor in the center on their left upper sleeve near the shoulders.
"I'm goin' I'm goin' where the water tastes like wine. I'm goin' where the water tastes like wine. We can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time" The main culprit behind the terrible singing was the driver of the lead Humvee. The young man was a nineteen or twenty-year old bronze-skinned Hispanic with brown eyes and a military styled haircut under his helmet. He had combat goggles on his helmet covered with an OD green cover and combat gloves on his hands as he gripped the steering wheel. His singing voice, however, was an affront to any real singers in the area. However, no one in the Humvee was a real singer. Only Marines and one reporter.
"I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away. I'm gonna leave this city, got to get away. All this fussin' and fightin' man, you know I sure can't stay." The Marine in the passenger sang along, occasionally glancing out the window to his right. This Marine usually had a stern-looking face for a Caucasian man which would make anyone who didn't know him nervous under his gaze. However he had a slight smirk on his face as he sang with his unit inside the Humvee. He currently had a headset under his helmet along with combat gloves on and his goggles up on his helmet with the cover gone.
"Hitman 1-1 Actual. This is Hitman Actual. Apparently the Gunny Sergeant doesn't like Lance Corporal Pineda's singing. She has told me to request that you tell him, and I quote, 'to shut the fucking hell up'. Did you get that over?" A male voice on the radio buzzed in, causing the entire group in the lead Humvee to stop singing. The Marine in the shotgun seat picked up the radio and spoke back.
"Hitman Actual. This is Hitman 1-1 Actual. Be advised that Pineda will stop singing so crappy for you but he will still continuing singing songs with RCT One." Staff Sergeant Cody "Codex" Davis would respond into the radio telephone, earning a grin from his driver. The Hispanic man shook his head before speaking to one of the occupants in the back.
"Man. I swear the Gunnery Sergeant has no sense of humor. Then again, she doesn't like it when I never shut up." The Lance Corporal began, his voice hinting a bit of excitement within himself. "Man. It's been way too long since we got to do some actual reconnaissance. I mean the fucking retards in the higher chain of command somehow get it into their heads that they just send in the special operations guys before the main force and yet leave us perfectly awesome Recon Marines back with the others in that massive traffic jam. I mean shit. Who is the genius behind that crap anyway?"
One of the men in the back was some thin haired, white man in his mid-thirties wearing civilian clothing, a kevlar vest and a helmet on his head. He was making notes of it as he listened to the young Marine rant on about it. This man was Alton Shulmer, a reporter for the New American Life Magazine. He had been attached to the United States Marine Corps (United States Civilization Preservation Force Marine Division or USCPFMD as it formerly was called before the war ended) 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, particularly Recon Team (RCT) One of 1st Platoon of Bravo Company. These Marines had been mostly together since the summer of 2115 of last year when the Second American Civil War re-amped up near the Halfmoon River Creek in Georgia. Thus, most of the Recon Marines were combat veterans against People's Republic of Tidewater soldiers and Brazilian troops.
The Marine next to the reporter simply rolled his eyes at the rant Lance Corporal Juan 'Rico' Pineda went on before turning back to look out the left side window with his Tactical Service Rifle 31 aimed out the window. This Marine was Hitman 1-1's Radio Operator Private First Class Rick 'Tech' Grimes. Rick was a Korean American who had been a recent addition to Hitman 1-1 along with two other Marines. He was geared in the basic Marine equipment and uniform except he had on black Oakley combat sunglasses on and had a radio pack near his feet. He was in a basic Marine unit before being selected and passed the Basic Reconnaissance Course. So he wasn't a green Marine in general, just green in Force Recon.
Somehow during his rant, Juan shifted from talking about the retardation among the higher ranks to the reasons why they were in this new front anyway. "This tour of duty sucks so far. The enemies barely put up any decent fight without getting slaughtered by all of us and I'm questioning why these guys even bothered to invade us of all people to begin with. I mean are they trying to prove something here or is it because the United States, as a whole, has the best pussy out of everyone both at home and in this region?"
"Wait. Hang on a second. Are you saying that the reason you believe that these 'Romans' invaded the United States through the gate is because of...pussy?" Shulmer questioned this, raising an eyebrow at this statement. Up above in the turret, the linebacker-like Marine behind the M2 Browning simply grinned while shaking his head. This Marine was Private Keith 'Gunner' Michaels, RCT 1's Support Gunner. He was a twenty-year-old African-American from the city of New Detroit who had served with RCT One since 2115 like Juan and Cody. He currently had his goggles down over his eyes and a face wrap around his neck and mouth to keep crap from flying into his mouth. He was keeping an eye out over the plains while still listening to Rico's rant. Rico gave a large grin and decided to continue running his mouth.
"You got it, NAL (Abbreviation of New American Life). It's the lack of pussy in other places that makes those people want to invade us. The MEB arrived in America on a desperate mission to find excellent pussy. The PRT was then formed in order to be able to secure some of the decent pussy while they tried to figure out how to claim it for themselves. However, we showed up and drove them back all the way to Brazil with a boot to the ass on the way out. Then a few months later after the war ended, these fuckers show up and try to claim the pussy in the name of their gay ass empire. Honestly these countries wouldn't be invading us if they would focus on investing in quality pussy instead of their gay ass armies. Now I will give the Brazilians some credit. Their MEB forces were a decent enemy but they still got their asses kicked by the USCPF-Sorry. I mean the United States military and the Reds who were somehow decent equipped. But hey. They were way better to fight instead of these Roman clowns." Juan stopped for a moment to pick up a water bottle off the dashboard. He unscrewed the cap with his right hand and took a sip of water. He set down the bottle between his legs and placed the cap back on securely one-handed. "So yes. In the opinion of this Marine, pussy is the major factor in all conflicts. Except for the Catholics and their Crusades which was about retaking the 'Holy Land' as well as for Catholic Priests to get a resupply of little boys for their private chambers."
"That is um...a very interesting theory there." The reporter replied, earning laughter from the Marines inside the Humvee. Codex reached for the dashboard and grabbed a pack of energy drinks. He pulled one out of the pack, setting the rest back on the dash. He cracked it open with the opener at the top and took a sip from it. Nearby, the group spotted a large group of robed individuals out in the field. Juan leaned his head out and shouted at them.
"Hey, dudes! It's ten in the morning! Don't you think it's time to get out of your pajamas?" Juan shouted, noting the looks of shock on some of their faces. He simply shook his head before focusing back on the road. "Freaking locals, man. They don't know that change is coming in full force."
"They probably don't know and don't care. This is how they live their life and we probably should respect that. Anyway, the village is about maybe thirty miles or so away from our current position so keep rolling." Codex replied, earning a nod from Rico as he continued down the road.
Thirty minutes later...
Deep within the woods surrounding Coda Village, the Marines had drove their vehicles into the woods to use the foliage for cover before setting up in several locations along the treeline. So far, no one in the village had noticed the Recon Marines in the area, making them practically invisible. Currently Hitman 1-1 and 1-2 were observing the town via binoculars, spotting scopes and sniper rifles while Hitman 1-3 and the Platoon Headquarters section was watching the main road that was towards the direction of some place called Alnus Hill.
"I almost feel sorry for 1-3. They gotta watch a crappy road while we do the actual recon work." Keith commented, looking down the barrel of his Reiner-7 LMG that was set up on a bipod on the log Hitman 1-1 was behind. Next to him on his right, Codex was glancing through his binoculars with a clipboard and pencil near him to make notes of the village activity and its occupants.
Right of Codex was a young Marine staring down the scope of his Chimera Bolt Action Sniper Rifle while chewing a wad of gum in his mouth. He was almost an Aryan with his blond hair and blue eyes that mixed with his light skin color. He currently had his helmet next to him while his hair was held back by an olive drab durag while he had black Oakley combat sunglasses over his eyes to tint out some of the sun glare if needed.
"So, Staff Sergeant. Will we get to move into the town and explore or just going to watch the village people go about their boring lives?" Private Alex "Al" Williams asked, training his aim on a group of villagers in the makeshift town square. Codex continued glancing down his spotter's scope while responding to Al's question.
"Unless the platoon leader says something, I doubt we will be able to interact with the locals here even if we could get more information about the area by asking them." Codex answered, making a note about one strange blue haired girl milling about the village. She was outfitted in some sort of decorated robe and carried a staff with her. "I do have an ID of a possible POI. POI is a young female with blue hair, white skin, and wearing some sort of robe along with a staff. Do you have eyes on her, Al?"
Al shifted his aim, trying to find the POI in question. However he could not get a clear line of sight due to the buildings blocking some of his view of the town square. He shook his head in response before replying. "Negative. Can't get a bead on her."
"Hitman 1-1 Actual, this is Hitman 1-2. I got visual on a blue haired girl from my position. Want me to keep eyes on her?" The voice of Corporal David 'Deuce' Anderson of Hitman 1-2 spoke on the radio, answering the minor issue they had immediately. Codex glanced over to the left at the small hill that was about maybe a football field away from their position. He could make out a small thin grey steel barrel that belonged to an ASR-50 sniper rifle in some bushes on top of the hill. He lifted the radio up to his mouth and pushed down the transmit button.
"This is Hitman 1-1 Actual. Affirmative, 1-2. The bluette is evaluated as a possible Person of Interest. Keep track of her, over." Codex replied, noting the movement of Rico, the last new Marine and the reporter between the hill and their position. He could see Rico crouched down, gripping his TSR-29 by the pistol grip and forward grip. The Tactical Service Rifle 29 was a carbine that was issued to US Armed Forces before, during, and after the Flash since it was first made in 2029. The design was a mix of the M16A4 and M14 EBR but it did it's job with satisfying results. The TSR-29 that Rico carried had a forward grip, a laser flashlight attachment to the left side tactical rail and an ACOG scope on the top rail.
Codex noted that Rico was currently talking to the rookie Marine and the reporter. Judging by the fresh Recon Marine's expression, Rico was probably giving him a hard time about being new and not able to pop their combat cherry yet along with the infamous first combat jack. The new Marine was the older brother of the Al, Private First Class Raymond 'Ray' Williams. He had brown hair and brown eyes unlike his brother but had almost the same facial features and skin color as his younger brother.
"So you hoping that you will kill someone today?" Rico questioned the PFC as he watched the village from his location. The reporter was just jotting down notes while having the unit's extra TSR slung on his back with some ammo on his vest rig. Turned out the reporter had served in the USCPF Army during the battle of Atlanta during the US Offensive of 2098 which made the Marines more comfortable having him around.
Ray looked at the Lance Corporal in disgust before shaking his head. "What? No. I don't want to kill anyone, man. I just joined so I could keep my little brother out of trouble alright?"
"Sure you did..." Rico replied, giving him a look of doubt. "Come on, man. You did realize that you were training for Recon when they gave you the MOS and sent you off to specialized training. Sooner or later, you are gonna end up killing someone while in Recon. Just hope that the first person you kill is scum. Makes it easier to sleep at night."
"Jesus Christ, man. That's messed up." Ray blanched at the thought, making the reporter a bit intrigued by the Hispanic Marine's comment. Alton moved a bit closer to get a view of the village next to Rico and decided to ask him some questions.
"So what do you mean by the first person you kill should be scum anyway?" He inquired, causing the Marine to look at him. Before he could respond, the radio comms between the unit and the Lieutenant turned on.
"Hitman 1-1. This is Hitman Actual. So far the road leading west out of the village is clear. I think it's time to meet the locals. After all, the reports I've been getting from you and Hitman 1-2 pretty much confirms that there are no hostiles in the area. Be advised though, we have had reports of activity down the road about 80 or so miles west of here. So far, special operations has got nothing so we are in the dark here." The Lieutenant informed the entire Hitman 1-1 team, causing the Marines of the said unit to start getting up. Rico grinned at this as he, Ray and Atlon got to their feet and began walking towards the village. Codex, Keith, and Al walked over to the Humvee where Rick was in the back working on the Field Radiotelephone pack.
"Solid copy, Hitman Actual. Hitman 1-1 is moving in. Have Hitman 1-2 stay on overwatch in case the locals start to become hostile." Codex responded with Al climbing into the driver's seat. Keith was already on the M2 as the vehicle started to move carefully towards the dirt road.
The villagers were suddenly alarmed as three figures in strange garb and staffs walked out of the treeline towards the village. Two of the figures were clad in a strange colored clothing, weird vests and stranger helmets that left their faces exposed. The third was a man wearing a black vest and a black helmet on his head while in a white shirt with short sleeves and khaki colored pants. The stranger that had the skin color of a Dark Elf raised his strange gloved hand in a wave and started to speak to them in their language.
"Hello. We mean you no harm. We have come to visit this land and its people." The Dark Elf spoke clearly, causing them to look around. Alton was busy writing down the reactions of the people, noting that most were scared or shocked by their arrival. However when the Humvee slowly rolled into the village square, they slowly backed up in fear and amazement at the iron horseless wagon. Rico turned to the Humvee as the Staff Sergeant climbed out of the passenger seat.
"Hey, Codex. I think you made the entire village shit themselves by bringing in the Humvee. Nice going, man." Rico told him in a joking way, earning a glance from Codex.
"Well maybe if you removed your helmet to show them your ugly mug, they might be less scared of us." Codex retorted, earning an eye rolling from the Hispanic. The Lance Corporal complied anyway, undoing the straps under his chin. He pulled off his Lightweight Helmet, revealing his short black hair and normal ears to the villagers. This made the people a bit more relaxed once they realized he was human.
"Our apologies, sirs. We were a bit worried after hearing the news of the Allied Kingdoms' defeat at Alnus and Dalnus Hills. We feared that the enemy forces there would be extreme hostile and violent from news of survivors of Alnus Hill." One elder villager replied, approaching Rico who slung his carbine onto his back. He raised his eyebrow once he heard the man mention the other hill. The hill that FOB Gateway was established on was named Dalnus Hill by the locals and the Romans. However, they had not heard of another hill named Alnus nor anything involving a third military. Rico decided to question the elder, curious about this force at Alnus Hill.
"You claim there is another army at Alnus Hill. Do you know anything about them or heard anything involving them?" The Marine asked, earning a nod from the village leader.
"Yes, but it's not really much. From what we heard, they have magic staffs that can kill a man in a few seconds at a distant range as well as strange iron chariots, almost like the one you have. They also wear this strange solid green uniform and speak a funny language according to those who escaped." The elder informed the Lance Corporal, causing the Hispanic to get concerned. Codex noticed the grim expression on Rico's face and decided to speak up.
"What did the local say, Rico?" The Staff Sergeant inquired as Rico turned his head towards him.
"He says that there is another force similar to ours at another hill called Alnus. They speak in a different language though and have nearly solid green uniforms by what it sounds like." The Hispanic replied, causing Codex to frown himself. The description reminded the Second Civil War vets of their enemy, the Brazilian MEB who created the PRT and divided the country for over nineteen years. If it was really the MEB that was here, then there would be some serious combat in the near future with them once more. Codex pushed these thoughts aside before speaking again.
"Ask him what their physical appearance was or what banner they have. Maybe it's something else." Codex ordered, earning a nod from the young Marine. The Staff Sergeant turned to the Humvee and walked over towards the back passenger window. "Grimes. Get on the radio and tell the LT that we have a possible modern military force over at a location called Alnus Hill. I want him to at least be able to alert HQ in case these guys arrive and turn out to be hostile or really are the Brazilians."
"Got it, Staff Sergeant." The RTO replied, picking up the radio to put in the call. As Rick got to work with the radio, Rico was back again talking to the village elder about these unknown forces.
While this was going on, Al, Ray and Gunner milled about the place while staying near the village square. Gunner held his Reiner LMG at ease in his hands, the sling around his torso allowing him to hold it near his hip. Currently he had his face wrap down around his neck and his goggles were pushed up around his helmet. He noted that some of the villagers were crowding around him, examining him with curiosity and confusion on their faces. He was probably the largest Marine in Force Recon due to his height and built. New Detroit was known for being a large industrial city for the United States, making it the most hardworking city around. Nearly seventy five percent of the population worked at the steel plants and factories all the time when they were old enough to work legally. This made the population a bit tougher and ready for basic training when they were called to duty. Gunner could hear the villagers repeat a certain word all the time as they watched him. He didn't know what to make of it so he turned to Rico who was talking with the chief.
"Yo, Rico. What are these dudes and ladies saying? They keep repeating the same word a few times with a bunch of other stuff." Gunner asked in his Detroit accent with the Hispanic Marine giving him a thumbs up to acknowledge his question. Rico questioned about this, earning a rather interesting response from the chief.
"We apologize for the rather rude behavior. We thought that you and your big friend over there were Dark Elves because of your skin color. However after you removed your helmet and revealed your ears, I realized my mistake so I apologize once again for that incident." The village elder apologized, making Rico hold his arms up at chest level.
"Wait. Hold up. Are you saying there are elves here? You know. The ones that are slim and have pointed ears." Rico questioned the villager with his eyes a bit wide at the news. After receiving nod of confirmation from the chief, the Hispanic turned around towards Gunner motioning to his ears.
"Gunner. They think that you and I were fucking Dark Elves or some dumb shit. Take your helmet off and show them your ears." Rico told the Support Gunner before he turned back to the chief. Gunner complied and once he removed his helmet, the villagers stopped using the word completely. Getting back to the topic at hand, Rico continued to inquire the village elder about this other force from Alnus.
"Ah yes. Them. According to the survivors, the force at Alnus Hill are almost similar to your force. However their uniform was a solid light green color with a strange light grey vests and leg pads. All of them had pale skin with slanted eyes. Also they flew a white banner with a red circle in the center." The chief described the opposing force to the Marine who looked slightly relieved. Despite the fact that it was some other army, it was definitely not the Brazilians since most of them would have looked similar to Rico and any other Hispanics in the platoon.
"Hey, Codex. If the other force are Asians and not Brazilians, would that still make them commies or something else?" Rico questioned loudly with an eyebrow raised. Codex shook his head as he walked over to the Lance Corporal.
"No idea, Rico. But I guess we should be careful since most of Asia was former ACMF members. What else did the old man tell you?" Codex inquired.
"He said they were in solid green uniforms, grey vests, and flew a flag with a red dot in the center. Who the fuck flies a flag that looks like a used tampon anyway?" Rico loudly shouted, causing Al and Gunner to start laughing. The statement was so random that even Codex gave the Hispanic a small smirk.
"Honestly I have no idea, Rico. Thank the man for the intel and see if he can tell us anything more about the surrounding area." The Staff Sergeant told Rico, earning another nod from the Marine. As Rico chatted away with the elder, Ray pulled out a hacky sack from his vest and started to use his feet to kick it up into the air. He kept it up in the air using his feet despite his gear weighing him down.
"Yo! Don't play by yourself, bro." Al shouted, slinging his rifle onto his back. Ray kicked the hacky sack over towards his brother who easily returned it using the back of his left foot. The two Marines slowly started to attract the attention of some of the younger villagers to the point they allowed them to join in. This action inadvertently showed the villagers that the Marines were a friendly bunch despite the lack of realization of this fact from the two Marines.
As time passed in the village, the Marines of RCT One were able to paint a picture of both life in the village and a map of the area. They determined that the city of Italica was a point of interest since it was a major trading city along several key roads that the hostile empire moved goods along. Taking the city would allow the US to limit the movement of goods and imperial troops in the region, placing pressure on the economy for the Empire. Also there was an elven village down the road ahead that weren't fond of the Empire at all due to past conflicts. Going to this village would allow the Marines to make some potential allies as well as gaining intel on weaknesses that the Empire suffered from. Codex wrote all of this down in his notebook before closing it up.
"I think we got the information we need from this area. I'll let the LT know about the next village and see if we can move out soon." He spoke up, earning a nod from Rico who was over by the Humvee drinking a can of energy drink. The Marine had placed his helmet back on a while ago but didn't bother strapping it yet. The Lance Corporal opened the driver's door and climbed into his seat as Al and Ray began to jog to RCT Two's location where the other Humvee was. Gunner climbed into the turret while the reporter got into the back next to Rick. Codex picked up his radio from his vest and spoke into it. "Hitman Actual. This is Hitman 1-1. We got everything we need. However there is another village down the road we should check out. Apparently people who are not fond of our enemies like us. How copy over?"
"Hitman 1-1. This is Hitman Actual. Let's pack up and move out. We will check out this village before returning to Gateway. We move out in five. Actual out." The response was very quick than usual, revealing that Hitman Actual was kind of getting tired of sitting around on an empty road. Codex started to get into the shotgun seat while Rico started to drink a can of one of the energy drinks they had.
"Copy that, Hitman Actual. Be advised. The villagers did inform us of a possible second army similar to ours. According to their intel, they are based somewhere on a hill named Alnus and are mostly Asians by their descriptions. They are in light green uniforms and grey kevlar vests. What's the ROE in case we encounter them?" Codex inquired, accepting a can of energy drink from Juan. He took a sip out of it while listening to the silence on the radio. He assumed that the LT was contacting the higher ups at the FOB to see what they would determine the ROE for that chance encounter.
"Solid copy on your last, 1-1. Command will work on the ROE when we get more information. As of now, the ROE is fire if fired upon. Hitman Actual out." Actual replied with an answer. This satisfied Codex, glad he had an ROE to give out to his team so they didn't make any screw ups that could easily start a two front war in the uncharted region.
"Understood, Hitman Actual. We acknowledge the current ROE as fire if fired upon. Hitman 1-1 out." Codex replied, putting the radio back on his vest. He closed his door shut before giving a nod to Rico. "Alright. Let's move out."
"Alright. Nothing better than a road trip in the lands of fantasy." Rico joked, putting the Humvee into forward before starting back down the road. Some of the villagers waved as the small convoy of vehicles rolled through their village, kicking up dust and dirt from the road. Some of the Marines including Rico returned with waves and smiles. The convoy soon had the village behind them, slowly disappearing out of view the further they drove. Rico simply drove all the while sipping his energy drink and chatting with everyone in the Humvee.
"Hey, Codex. Remember how I said the villagers told us that the next village ahead is full of elves?" He brought up, earning a nod from the Staff Sergeant.
"I believe you had established that to us before hand, Rico." He replied, glancing out into the grasslands that surrounded the road. In the distance, he could see some mountains and forests, all unmarred by human interaction.
"Well I wonder if they meant elves as in the ones in those fantasy novels and Pre-Flash films or the little short guys that work for Santa Claus if he was even real. If it's the second type of elves, I will so laugh my ass off." He would reply, taking another sip of his energy drink. This got a few grins from the Marines and Shulmer who shook his head at such an thought.
"Rico. While I appreciate your sense of humor, I doubt that it would be Santa's little helpers. However what I'm concerned about is whether or not they would be hostile to us or not." Codex responded, earning a raised eyebrow from Rico.
"Why the hell would they be hostile towards us? They have never seen us before and neither have we met them before. So how would they be hostile to us?" Rico retorted as Rick stuck his hand forward towards the pack of energy drinks. Rico grabbed one from the case using his free hand and tossed it to the RTO, listening to Codex's answer.
"I know that neither us or them have met each other before but they have had a lot of contact with the people of this Empire so I'm worried that the Empire did something to them to make them be hostile to all humans." This explanation made Rico let out a 'ah' once he understood what his team leader meant.
"Oh. I get it now. That makes sense though. However I doubt that has happened because if so, the villagers would have warned us if they were hostile. After all, they are somewhat close to the elven village and I didn't see any defensive walls or weapons." Rick spoke up from the back after listening to the Staff Sergeant.
"Eh. Either way, if they do turn out to be hostile, nothing more than some Ma Deuce fire and a couple of Mark 19 rounds will make them stop dead in their tracks." Gunner replied, patting his machine gun like it was a puppy. Rico looked up at the gunner's legs behind him before turning his attention back to the road shaking his head.
"Yeah. True that, man. Anyway. We got a little bit more driving to go before we reach there." Rico replied, the Hispanic taking another sip from his energy drink. He set the can down on the dashboard while the reporter was pulling out his notepad and pen. "By the way, NAL. What were you trying to ask me a few hours ago anyway?"
"Oh well." He started, readying to write down the Marine's statement. "Earlier back near the village, you told Ray to hope that his first kill is scum. What did you mean by that anyway?"
"Really it's just a thought in my head but..." Rico paused for a moment to grab his drink again, "...I think if the first person you kill is the most evil, asshole-ish, scumbag in the world, you don't feel as guilty for killing him. After all, prior to the Second Civil War, most of the people we killed were raiders, feral mutants, scumbags, and slavers. People who deserved to die."
"Amen, brother." Codex replied, allowing a moment for Rico to take another sip of his drink.
"Exactly, Staff. Pretty much, the first person you kill in the Marines should be one who deserves it so that you can get it into your mind that the other idiots and hostiles you have to kill are the same as them." Juan tried to explain, not even sure himself if his idea makes sense. However, it seemed Shulmer understood the Lance Corporal's idea somewhat.
"Oh I see. Pretty much you feel satisfied with your first kill that it helps make killing slightly more easier to you guys." He suggested, earning a grin from the driver.
"Exactly! Well, exactly how this Marine feels about it. Hell, my first kill was pretty much a scumbag of a Corsair Pirate down in Whitman Bay near Fort Shad." Rico continued after setting his drink down on the dash again. "I will admit though. I did vomit after I shoot him in the chest a few times and it busted his ribcage open. However, once I heard that the man I killed was a child rapist, I slept like a baby on that night and felt proud of myself for killing him. Somewhat."
"Yep. Little bastard made his first kill within two weeks of being attached to my team." Codex replied, clinking his energy drink together with Rico in a makeshift cheers to the memory. Rico was about to down the rest of his drink when he spotted something up ahead to the left that made his eyes widened in shock. He set the drink down on the dash and lean his arm and head out the window to get a better view.
"Holy crap, Davis! Take a look at this shit ahead!" The Hispanic cried out, pulling himself back into the Humvee. Codex took a glance along with Tech, the Reporter and Gunner on the turret. The entire Recon Platoon was shocked to see the massive body of a red dragon laying dead out in the field. The culprits responsible for such a kill were US soldiers who were busy examining it or working on a few new experimental railgun tanks developed by the US Military during the Pre-Flash era. They wore multicam uniforms and gear while carrying various US made weapons such as the Levi-3 Carbine.
A few of the soldiers looked over and started hollering and jeering at the Recon Marines passing by. This, however, wasn't out of hatred but joyful rivalry between branches of the armed forces.
"Hey, Ricky Recon! Try taking out a dragon this size without this serious firepower!" A soldier shouted, patting the side of the railgun tank. The response from Gunner was a smirk and the bird. Juan stuck his head out the window again and hollered back.
"Doesn't matter since you still have trouble getting laid out here, buddy!" He retorted, earning laughs from both several soldiers and the Marines of RCT One. The soldier in question just grinned and shook his head, watching the convoy of Humvees roll by them. Juan pulled his head back in and turned to Codex. The reporter looked past Rick in surprise at the massive corpse lying in the field.
"Holy crap." He muttered in shock, earning a grin from Rico. The Marine turned his head towards Shulmer while still grinning.
"Well, NAL. We are sure as hell ain't in Georgia no more." Rico replied as he turned his attention back to the road ahead. The convoy continued on past the celebrating soldiers, soon leaving them in the distance behind them.
There we go. Chapter Fucking One of Generation Gate. It took way too long to work on this. So if you guys would leave a review, please do so. I have to start figuring out what to do next involving a certain village of elves and some Force Recon Marines.