Dreaming Storms

Chapter 2 Parker's Heritage Collection, Oh My

"I didn't think I would ever see your beautiful ebony face again Cole," Quinn said as she began to walk backwards with Delta squad following her. Quinn told them that she had a computer room that helped track the movements of the Locust. One she was proud to say that she made all on her own. She was beginning to sound like a child showing her parents the noodle drawing she did for them.

Her slightly wavy dark chocolate long hair waved side to side behind in a loose ponytail she barely had time to put up before the mini invasion they somehow slipped by with minor injuries. Her bright unusually green eyes shined up at Cole as she spoke.

"So, how do you two know each other anyways?" Dom asked, curious in their friendship they are exhibiting.

"We were both at the same camp when I first joined the army after the Fortification Act," Cole said, a little remorse was heard in his voice.

Quinn turned back around away from them and placed both hands behind her head as she walked. "Of course, I was only there to train the new recruits." Then she suddenly began to laugh. "I joined the army on E-Day. I was only fifteen that day. But that was before the COG's were created."

"Wait," Baird said butting in. "Then that only makes you like – what, 29 right?"

"Yepperz!" Quinn said with a bounce in her step. "I was one of the youngest to join that day, and I was a girl! Kicked some ass that day too, at first, they didn't want me to join because of my age and, well, I was a tiny girl back then. But, I was the first ever to ride a Brumak, hijacked it when the grunt riding it wasn't paying attention to whatever was under it."

"No kidding," Dom said with praise. "I bet your commanding officer had a field day with that."

"Yeah, I began to walk back to our base with it. They freaked out soooo much," Quinn began to laugh again. "Took me about a half an hour to make them realize that it was me, which was also the first time I was shot."

Baird began to grumble something under his breath and Quinn turned sharply on her heel. "What did you say?" She glared at him.

"I didn't say anything!"

"Do you want a bruised eye with that bruised chin of yours? It will make a perfect matching pair." She taunted.

Cole laughed and patted her back, "I'm glad you haven't changed in the least bit."

"Same to you, but you do look like an old man now. Just to let you know." They both began to laugh as they started to walk back down the hallway with Cole's arm slung over her shoulder. Quinn was a very short woman, maybe about 5'3". So Cole's arm was huge against her shortness and small frame.

As they walk past different rooms, Quinn began to explain their little outpost they had, "This is the washroom. There's a stream not too far from here where we bring in freshwater. And this," she said pointing to the other side, "Leads to our rooms. We have two extra spare rooms with nothing in them, if you want to stay here for the day and recollect yourselves."

"It is growing dark out," Dom said as he thought how nice it would be to sleep inside. "Tomorrow we can head out and track down the Locust." There was a hint of hope in his voice as he spoke. When Marcus looked over at him he could almost see his eyes sparkle as he thought about a comfortable bed he wanted to sleep in so badly tonight.

"Maybe," Marcus said as he thought about their situation. "Let's first see where the Locusts are headed before we make any sleepover plans."

Quinn nodded and walked further down the hallway. At the end was the computer/navigation room.

When they first walked in Baird's eyes grew wide, "Holy shit, you built all of this from scratch?"

Quinn turned towards him and began to grin a wicked grin, "Don't have an orgasm over it. But yeah, I built all of this from scratch."

Baird grumbled some more but didn't respond back. That punch did still hurt from the last time.

The room was descent size crowded with computer monitors, some had cases, others are scatted about the room glowing as they worked their technological magic. There are also screens scattered all over the walls with different camera views of the forest, and some only showed graphs on them with bars that would occasionally jump up from zero to fifteen and then gradually would go back down to zero. Marcus walked up to one of the graphs. "What is this?"

"Oh," Quinn walked up next to him. "These graphs show the vibrations in the ground. I placed about fourteen different sensors in the ground, one mile apart from each other and they give me feedback if there's any sort of motion in the ground. It's a good way to know if the Locust are going to attack or where they are retreating too."

"Can you tell me in which direction they retreated?"

"Sure," she sat down in a seat in the corner and began to type on a computer. On the screen numbers began to pop up and Baird couldn't help himself but walk over and see how she was doing things.

"Why do you have these sensors only one mile apart? You could cover more ground if you have them about five miles apart?" Baird was trying to outsmart Quinn but she just smiled and shook her head.

"Yeah, I could do that if I didn't want accurate readings. I would get a reading in one direction of Locust movement and wouldn't know another four miles in which direction they will be taking. If they were moving towards us, I would have an easier time knowing how long it would take them and to prepare us for the invasion." She looked up at Baird, "Only a moron would make a mistake like that. And by the looks of you, you would be that moron."

"Okay lady, you are really starting to get on my nerves, you know that?" Baird shook his head and walked away from her.

Quinn smiled, "Yes, I know. Don't piss yourself over it, and from the smell that's radiating off of you, it looks like you already did."

Dom tried his best not to laugh but he ended up snorting as he tried to hold in his laugh. Quinn looked over at him with a smile. At least someone had a sense of humor.

"Okay, that's it!" Baird began to stomp over towards Quinn but Marcus stopped him.

"This isn't the time to fight, and Quinn, stop trying to pick a fight with Baird we are all on the same team, remember?"

Quinn shrugged her shoulders but didn't say anything.

"In which direction was the Locust heading towards," Marcus asked, still a little aggravated.

Quinn began to type more on her computer bring up files of past readings. "Looks like they are heading north, there's nothing out there except trees so it looks like they are not heading to another place to raid."

Dom began to speak this time, "Why do you guys do out here anyways?"

Quinn stood up from her seat and turned towards him crossing her arms, "We're one of the main trading routes, we're here to protect the cargo that comes through as well the people, sometimes we even help deliver the cargo to different outposts."

Dom turned towards Marcus with hope, "So, does that mean we can stay here for the night?"

Marcus sighed and gave into Dom's sparkling hopeful eyes, "Yeah, why not, just don't let me regret it later on." Even Marcus wanted a night where he doesn't have to worry about being attacked by the Locusts.

"Oh, come on, do we have too?" Baird said sounding like a whining child.

"Hey!" Quinn suddenly yelled startling everyone around her. "We also have whiskey!" She said as she began to skip out the door. "Tonight we are going to party!" She turned around before she left the room and looked at Baird. "And no Baird, I will not have drunk sex with you." She grinned.

"What! I would never ask you even if it meant to save the human race!" He yelled then turned toward his squad mates. "See, this is why I rather tinker with machines than woman."

"So, what you are saying is that you like to have sexual encounters with your machines?" Quinn laughed, "Man, that's rough man. I feel for you. Your penis must be covered in callus." Then she bounded out the door down the hallway and into a random door.

"That's it," Baird decided. "She dies in her sleep tonight."

"Enough Baird, Cole tell her to stop bothering Baird. We need to disgust our next step tonight anyways. Maybe she could help us along for the ride." Even though Marcus knew she was immature, he could also see great potential in the girl. After all, she can track the Locusts movement, something that COG's been trying to do for years and she's done it with scrap metal.

"No, no, no, no, no, she's not coming along with us," Baird tried to protest but Marcus turned to glare at him.

"If she's willing too, I will take all the help we can get." He said through gritted teeth. He was beginning to get very annoyed with Baird's childish whine.

"Whatever." Baird turned around and walked away from them. He had enough of this place. He needed some fresh air.

"He'll get over it," Cole said and walked off too. He was going to find Quinn and help her find the whiskey.

Dom turned towards Marcus, "Do you think she could be useful?"

"Yeah, look at what she built." He turned around and looked at her machines to examine them further. "Just imagine if we had this everywhere. This war would be a lot easier to fight if we knew where they are going to pop up next."

Quinn walked into Roy's and Darius's room to see how Roy was doing. He was lying down on his bed with bandages over his head, chest, and his one hurt leg. When he looked up to see who was entering the room, his old Ebony face light up and a cocky smile was present on his face. "Hey hot stuff, what's shaken?"

"Hey," she walked over to him and plopped next to him. "Where's your whiskey?"

"Why?" He sounded accusing.

"Hey," she put on her best pouting face. "We have guests."

He sighed and shook his head. She began to pout more and he finally gave in. "Fine, but you owe me."

"Thank you!" She stood up and walked over to his warn out dresser with a grin on her face.

"Maybe when you're drunk you can give me a visit tonight and your debt will be paid." He winked at her.

She stood back up with the whiskey in hand. "In your dreams," she winked back and walked out.

Quinn told Cole that she was going to be in one of the bare rooms if he and whoever else wanted to join for a couple of drinks for the night.

"Well, it depends, what kind of Whiskey do you have?" Cole asked.

"Parker's Heritage Collection, aged 20 years."

"Wooo, baby, now that's what I'm talking about!"

"I know, right? Hey Dom, are you in?"

Dom was sitting on his own thinking to himself as he rubbed his knife between his index finger and thumb. When he looked up at her he had a distant look in his eyes. "No, I'm fine."

She didn't push him. She knew that look in his eyes. Darius has the same look sometimes.

"Do you think Marcus will be in?"

"He'll have a couple of drinks but he won't get drunk. He gets jumpy at night. Baird will most likely get wasted though, haha." Cole laughed thinking back to an event in his past with Baird. "Oh yeah, before I forget, Marcus wanted me to tell you to lay off Baird, he wants to keep him in a good mood when we go into battle."

Quinn shrugged her shoulders, "Fine with me. If he didn't make a big deal about everything I said then I wouldn't pick on him. He has a very large stick up his ass."

"Yeah, then he takes it out in battle and begins to beat everyone with it." Cole and Quinn laughed and went off to go find wherever Baird ran off too.

Quinn knew she was being cruel to Baird, in more ways than one. With the war going on, this is how… this is how she…

When she stepped foot outside she instantly heard a loud cling of mettle hitting cement and a, "Uh, shit." It was coming from the garage. She casually walked over and peered inside to see Baird looking at her silverback. She saw him crouched over the knee joint that wasn't working right, and the knee cap was laying on the ground in front of him, which was what she suspected the clinging noise came from.

She stood there staring at him with her hands on her hips, a light smile gracing her lips which showed the light scar she had on the left side of her lip. She shook her head and began to quietly walk over to him. When she was close enough she slowly leaned over him and then suddenly, as quick as a cobra, she shot her head in front of his upside down and said, "Boo."

"Holy shiii," he jumped up and turned around quickly towards her.

She had a cocky smile on and her hands behind her head as she began to walk backwards. "Guess what?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have any idea what would have happen if I had a gun on me?" he yelled his hands flying everywhere.

Quinn just laughed, "That would have only made it funner if you did."

"You're crazy, damn stupid…funner isn't a word…stupid…" he began to grumble incoherent words in between words that she could understand. He began to walk past her not wanting to bother with her anymore.

When he almost walked past she sidestepped in front of him before he passed. "You didn't guess my guess what." She fake pouted again.

"Okay what? What could you possibly say to me now? No, wait, let me guess. You want me to go fuck my machines some more, right?" She tried to speak but he began to rant on again as he began to walk back and forth as he bitched. "Oh wait, I got it, you want to gloat about some mechanical wonder you made, right? Well, let me just tell you this. That silverback has a lot of flaws. Like for instance, that fucked up knee joint you have is so rusted, it's a wonder that it even moves?"

She waited patiently for him to stop talking. While he was ranting she crossed her arms and began to tap her foot. When he was done speaking she said, "Done?"

"Maybe," he said copying her posture without realizing it.

"All I came here to do was invite you to a drink that was on me. But, that's only if you want to, Cole's in." She smiled.

He shook his head, "Do you think I really want to get drunk with you after the shit you like to say about me for some reason I really do not know or really give a damn about?"

"Maybe if you weren't a jackass then I wouldn't even bother with you." He just simply shook his head. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry because that was way too funny, but you can at least join me and Cole for a drink." She began to smile her cocky smile, "And I promise not to make fun of you…or do anything that will embarrass you."

He shook his head then thought about it, "Depends on the drink."

"Parker's Heritage Collection, aged 20 years."

His eyes shot open, "Your shitten me?"

"Nope."

Baird arm flew up in the air in exasperation and began to pace again , then finally he said. "Fuck it, I'm in."

"Now that's what I like to hear."

Baird followed behind Quinn as they walked back inside and into the room where the sweet, sweet whiskey was held. Darius, Dale, and Cole are already in there with shot glasses.

"Hell yes," she said as she went and sat over next to her brother. "Let's get this long and most likely regretful night rolling along!" She said and took the first shot for the night.

Countless shots later Quinn's world was swimming.

"W-w-where did yyyou gets thoses scars anyways C-Cole?"

"Oh, this one?" Cole said being the less drunk one out of the five. He pointed to the small scar on his chin and Quinn nodded. "Just a damn wretch got me by surprise. It isn't as bad as it looks just some damn dirt got into it that made it infected."

Quinn laughed, "Yeah, I-I once had to fights fifties," she extended her hands out like you could measure out fifty wretches with your hands, and she was obviously over exaggerating the amount as well. "Offs with no ammo or even a fucking gun."

Dale began to laugh, "Last time it was one hundred, what happen to the other fifty?"

"Um… I don' rememmmber," she slurred. "Anyways, likes I wasss say-saying. I was mauled, look see." She wobbled to get up and took off her loose gear breast off and lifted up her shirt to show light scaring on her stomach and back.

"Yeah baby, that's my girl, haHA." Cole laughed.

"You should also see the scars on my ass then, they really ass rapped me there with their claws." She began to unbuckle her pants but Dale stopped her.

"No, no, no, no stripping tonight." He, too, was drunk, but unlike Quinn, he still knew what was right from wrong. Even though he does wonder if she still knows the difference when she's sober.

"Ah, party poooooooper," she plopped back down and crossed her arms.

"Aw, I like it when she strips, the funniest crap ever," Darius said as he laughed thinking back to the last time.

"Hell no," Baird said. He was lying down with his shot glass on his chest as he watched the ceiling. "I rather not be scarred fer wife."

Quinn laughed at his slurring. She fell over on her side holding her sides as she did so.

Then suddenly an alarm went off.

"Dale and Darius quickly got up and ran out of the room swearing as they did so.

Cole also stood up and looked around him widely. "What the hell is that?"

Quinn tried her best to get up, but when she had one foot flat on the ground she fell forward and onto her face. "Dammit," she said muffled from the ground.

"What the hell is going on?" Baird said as he too, struggled to get off the ground.

"I'll give you one guess," Quinn said as she attempted to get up again.

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm always serious when iits comes toes the Locustssss."

They were under attack, again. In the condition they are in, they won't stand a chance if it's another invasion.

(This was suppose to come out yesterday, but when I was writing this I got an extreme migraine and decided to lay off the writing for the night. You can probably tell where I ended for the night and where I picked up later on today. I dunno why, but I didn't really like how this one turned out. Doesn't seem gears of war like. Next chapter will be though! Obviously.

This chapter was really just a filler chapter to get the story moving along. I didn't want to rush everything like I did in the first chapter. I really, really, really do hope I kept everyone in character. Please tell me if I didn't so I can change it up. Thanks, and don't forget, the more motivation I get the faster and longer the chapters come out. If I make the next chapter it's going to be slightly more serious and get things moving along for Baird and Quinn. Of course, I'm not going to rush it.)