Disclaimer: I do not own the Gears of War series. All recognizable characters are the property of Epic Games. All unrecognizable characters are the intellectual property of yours truly; their theft will not be tolerated.

Because, we all know, stealing is wrong. Very wrong.

Title: Hope Runs Deep

Summary: GoW2 AU. Their lives were saved by the single bullet of a sniper... and they don't even know who it is. A series of unrelated events brings Delta Squad and their sniper-savior together in the final conflicts against the Locust Horde that will ultimately decided the outcome of the war.

Rating: T-M (ratings will vary on a chapter-to-chapter basis, but I will be sure to post them)

Warnings: Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language, references to alcohol and gambling, adult humor, and some adult situations. Further warnings will be posted on a chapter-to-chapter basis just like the rating as mentioned above.

Author Notes: I don't know how many stories are out there about Delta Squad gaining a "new member" to the squad and whatnot, but I don't care! I plan on standing above other stories with something completely different and new... hopefully. I'm a big fan of the whole Gears of War series and have played both games numerous times, so hopefully I won't disappoint with the storyline and action. If I do... well it's a good thing I don't get paid to do this then, lol! And yes, the title of the story is based off the tag-line used for the game.

Gears of War: Hope Runs Deep

Prologue


Courage is a kind of salvation. - Plato


It doesn't take much more than that first bullet to whiz by before I react. We all react – all fifteen of us. Theres no think. Our bodies have been here a thousand times before and they move on their own without the wait for our brains to have a say in returning fire. Armored bodies slam up against what cover can be found before the angry hum of Lancers returning fire fills the air. As the squad takes cover, I disappear in search of higher ground, this is my job, I vanish and only my work is seen after that. It doesn't take long to find the perfect advantage point, it's instinct for me to find the right elevation and concealment immediately. There's a dilapidated parking garage to our left and that's where I pick my way through up to the only remaining high floor. The remaining bits of the ceiling are still crumbling, the small pieces click and ping off my helmet as I scurry towards the edge and press myself against the chunk of concrete that had been a barricade.

It takes two seconds for the reticle of my scope to line up the first Drone for a head-shot, it's utter instinct that the shot is adjusted for wind and curve before the trigger is pulled. The bullet is on target... it's always on target... it has to be on target... every time. The lives of fifteen men depend on each shot being on target, there's absolutely no room for error in situations like these. There's a brief shower of blood, skull, and brain matter and before the Drone hits the ground, the reticle is lining up another target. It's creepy in a way, watching the Locust Drones use similar battle strategy as ourselves, taking cover and timing their counter-fire like we do in a morbid sort of mockery. The next shot is lined up, but its halted as the squad leader shouts across the comlines that connect us together.

"THROWING FRAG!"

The explosion that follows chokes the air with all sorts of debris and dirt, vision is poor and I'm forced to wait. I can still hear gun fire, from which side though it's hard to tell at this point, it could be either or and even both at this point. Visibility is getting better but I can't wait any longer and the lenses within the eyes of my helmet flicker through several filters, finding the right one that allows me to peer better through the grim that smothers the air. I see two Drones holding behind what's left of the twisted remains that one can only guess was at one point a vehicle of some kind. The shot is lined up, the trigger is pulled and before the remaining Drone can fully react to the bath of gore its comrade has given it, it's down on the ground twitching a few seconds before going still. There's a pause in the gunfire and the air grows still to the point of annoyance.

"Hawx, you see anything from your point?" The gargled static distorts the sergeants voice as he calls for an update.

"Negative sir. Saw two Drones and put 'em down already. Air is still to thick to get an accurate assessment of the enemy numbers." The kickback from the frag grenade is starting to die down a bit the incoming exhale of stale wind. "Hold up, wind is coming in from the northeast." I wait patiently, eyes zoning in through the scope of my rifle. "We're all clear sir! Emergence hole has caved; enemies KIA."

"Copy that, Hawx. Regroup below."

The humans of Sera built a glorious civilization... but humans were not destined to create... they inevitably did what they do best: destroy.

The high-pitched squeal of the flash grenade rang horribly through their hearing, eyes squinting against the intense flash of light that had come right before the ringing. At least it had done its job and stunned the enemies, only problem was that the throw had been blind and not entirely accurate. The flash grenade had managed to at least make it to the foot of the concrete block that several Drones had slammed themselves against in cover, but the moment the grenade hit the block it rolled backwards and stopped only when it was right in the middle of the ground separating Humans from Locust. At least one Gear had seen it and shouted the warning seconds before the grenade went off, not entirely enough time to get everyone under cover, but it was at least a decent heads-up that got most behind whatever was at hand.

From the other side of the downtown street turned into a war-torn battlefield, Drones snarled and gurgled their jumbled mess of a language as hands clawed at eyes and ears to be rid of the horrid pain that agitated what seemed like every nerve ending. The light of the sun was disgusting enough as it was, but this, the flash grenades of the Humans that the Locust sought to eradicate was excruciating agony. Shaking their heads from side to side like irritated animals nipped at by pesky flies, the Locust slowly started to recover their sight and hearing, but not quick enough. The head of one exploded like a melon hit with the precise swing of a mallet, blood and brain matter blinding the brother beside it. In the frantic hurry to wipe away the mess and clear it's vision, the Drone fell prey to the lucky bullet of a Gear that was fired blindly from behind a barricade of burned-out cars. Caught in the throat by the bullet of a Lancer, the Drone wheezed with a bloody cough and groaned violently before hitting the ground face first.

Behind the cover of a battered vehicle left to rot from rust and weather, Sgt. Marcus Fenix of Delta Squad let fly a string of surly words as he peeked out from behind his cover. Someone had picked off one of the two Drones closest to his position, and it hadn't been one of his men. The second Drone to go down had been taken out by Lancer fire, blind fire even, but the first one had been a clean head shot. Sniper fire if he wasn't mistaken, but as Marcus knew, there were no other squads in the area and he sure as hell didn't have a sniper on his team. Shaking the stray thoughts that were starting to enter his head, Marcus returned his focus on the battle he was in the middle of. Someone had thrown a frag from his side of the fray, the evidential plume of smoke and debris filling the air behind the enemy-line. And as the air quivered with the resounding explosion he heard the sharp crack of rifle gunfire ring above the dim chattering roar of Lancers.

But this was nothing compared to a new threat... from below... an enemy that will force humanity to take their last inevitable steps...

"Control this Delta, come in." Marcus pressed two fingers against the Tac/Com piece in his ear, waiting for the static buzz of the incoming transmission. The battle was over, the Drones wasted and the Emergence Hole closed with the help of a well aimed frag thrown by Dom.

"Control here Delta, reading you loud and clear." Anya's voice replied through a short spurt of static.

"Locust presence has been cleared out of the area" Marcus returned, eyes squinting up at the brash light that streamed through the decaying buildings that attempted to still block out the sun. He scanned every possible inch of what he could deem as sniper territory, the highest elevation in the area was prime ground. There was absolutely no way to pinpoint a sniper's location, Marcus knew that, but yet he still scanned the surrounding area with narrowed eyes as Anya relayed new orders from Command."Copy that Control, we'll be there." Marcus acknowledged their new orders as he glanced away from the skyline of crippled and toppled buildings. "Anya, are there any other units in the area?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Anya's voice spoke through the small burst of static again. "Looks like Beta Squad is in the area, but they've already moved on west of your position."

"They have a sniper in their numbers?" Marcus questioned again.

Another pause, as Anya went over the roster for who made up Beta Squad. "Negative Delta; Beta does not have any confirmed snipers on the team." She relayed the information back.

Marcus frowned in response and then shook his head. "Thanks Control. Delta out." The link went dead as the connection ended. Hefting his Lancer up into both hands, Marcus gave a final glance about the area before turning to inform the rest of his squad to their next destination.

… toward extinction.

"Holy shit! BRUMAK!"

The earth shuddered and groaned beneath the massive body of the 10,000 (and possibly plus) kilogram wieghing gargantuan monstrosity that lumbered its way up the street with jaws a gap and glistening. Its deafening roar sounded like something akin to two massive pieces of metal scrapping against one another in a low rumble that vibrated through the air. Delta Squad had barely made a decent amount of travel time from the last place they had been pinned down before the Brumak had appeared along with another wave of Locust Drones. As the squad of four men hit cover immediately, Marcus hit his Tac/Com and shouted above the roar of the exchanged fire from either side.

"CONTROL, CONTACT BETA SQUAD! WE'RE PINNED DOWN BY A BRUMAK AND ENFORCEMENT DRONES! WE NE – !"

Marcus was cut off by the sudden bellow of the Brumak as the massive walking war weapon threw its long muscle and weapon heavy arms up over its head, its thick fingers groping at its helmet covered head. Something was incredibly strange about the whole thing, so much so that Marcus had stopped in the middle of his call for backup via the only other squad in the area. The Sergeant stared at the hollowing Brumak, utter confusion furrowing his brow as he watched the creature start thrashing its head about for all but four seconds before a rather furious explosion blistered from its uncovered muzzle. A spray of blood and matter flew through the air, the Brumak screamed... literally screamed as the front of its face was nearly blown off to the point of even going up beneath the helmet it wore.

"Wow... what the hell just happened to that thing?" Dominic Santiago stared with rather wide eyes and the same look confusion on his face that Marcus bore.

"Who cares!" Damon Baird broke in suddenly while reloading his Lancer with a new clip. "As long as that thing goes down, I don't care!" He shouted above the incoming fire that was still pouring in from the Locust side of the fight.

A loud boisterous laugh lifted up even in the midst of their fight for survival, it rang almost as loud as the Lancer fire. "Whoo! Yeah baby!" Augustus "The Cole Train" Cole whooped as he popped up from behind the cement barricade he had tucked himself behind with the appearance of the Brumak. "Blow that bitch's face off! Haha!" He shouted while opening fire on the enemy Locust that were attempting push in on the squad.

Marcus rolled his eyes before peeking out from behind cover to watch as the Brumak thrashed about, arms flailing in every direction as if trying to clobber the unseen enemy that had struck a rather deadly blow to it. Each erratic swing struck the side of a building on either hand of the street, punching through cement and reinforced steel as if they were cardboard and string. One building buckled as it was popped in an already weakened spot, the once six-story place of business became a pile of misshapen rubble as the Brumak continued its tantrum. The falling debris crushed several Drones, others were struck and knocked off their feet from the tsunami like wave of dust that blew up in a second from the demolition.

"TAKE COVER!" Marcus bellowed as he threw himself down and up against the upturned hunk of street he and Dom had been forced behind at the start of the firefight.

As the dust cloud rolled in towards Delta Squad, the high pitched whistle of something cutting through the air with a great amount of speed forced all four sets of eyes to turn upwards, blinking rapidly against the invading dust and grim that sought to blind their sight in the first place. None of them had seen it, but from the direction of the sound, they were relieved to know that it had passed over them into the direction of the Brumak and Drones. With vision poor, Delta still peeked out from behind cover with squinted eyes directed towards the seething Brumak as it grunted and snarled with its mangled face dripping untold fathoms of blood from the shredded laces of flesh and muscle that dangled from what hadn't been blown off. The behemoth seemed to calm for a moment, breathing heavy ragged breaths as it tried to get a sense of balance again only to have its nerves upended with the tell-tale whining tick of a grenade echoing deafly in its hearing.

With utter terror mixed rage, the Brumak snarled in frustration before whipping about in a circle to locate the device that was seconds from detonation. However, its mission was utter failure as the last second ticked by in that eerie silence proceeding the following blast that thundered loudly through the battle ravaged streets. A long mournful wail lifted from the Brumak as it teetered on its legs from side to side, the eye lights on its helmet darkened as thick black smoke brewed up from beneath the metal in boiling clouds accented by the flowing rivers of crimson that poured down and sloshed across the dust covered pavement in a morbid puddle around its feet. The Drones that were still on their feet had all but ceased firing as they turned to stare wide-eyed and shocked as their main force of power against the humans they sought to slaughter, now gurgled its last breath before falling forward with the pull of gravity and the push of the massive weight that it carried upon its back in weaponry. A few were far to dumbfounded at what they were seeing to register that fact that the hulking mass of firepower and muscle was now coming down upon them until it was too late to scramble away.

There was a dull thud that rocked the ground in the wake of impact, and for a few unearthly quiet seconds, neither side moved to continue its battle for supremacy (and in the case of the Gears, survival). It wasn't until Cole's rumbling voice carried up from building laughter into an all out victory cry that the fighting resumed. With the Brumak dead, the upper hand now rested with the Gears of Delta Squad that let loose a hellstorm of Lancer fire and bolo grenades that wiped out of the remaining Locust rather easily.

Marcus grunted as he pushed himself out from cover and took a step forward as the last Drone hit the street pavement. "The hell Beta ain't got a sniper on their team."