Well folks, Sorry if Chapter 1 didn't introduce your favorite characters, I wanted to create a little backstory to set the stage up! But don't worry, this chapter will head into familar territory. I noticed some HOTD fanfics try to recreate the story from different starting points that are all too familiar. While I will use characters and locations already introduced, I intend to make this story original from beginning, middle, and end.

Anyways, let's get Chapter 2 started!

8:45AM...

Tokonosu City, Japan...

"Today feels so good." Takashi said to himself quietly. Today was the start of a holiday, no school for a week. He was laying down underneath a tree that gave him shade. He was relieved to be wearing a yellow T-Shirt that said 'Ducati' on the front and some faded ripped jeans, instead of his highschool uniform.

Takashi decided to spend this sunny day at the city park, not wanting to waste it at home playing video games, watching TV, or sleeping.

He looked around at the various activities going on. At a distance he could see small children enjoying the playground, Takashi couldn't help but chuckle. A little bit away and to his right were slightly older children enjoying a game of soccor out on the field.

Nothing much was going on...Until he saw a young couple walk by. They appeared to be of high school age, they didn't look familar so Takashi guessed they were from a different school across town.

The couple just looked so happy together as they walked by. It made him feel a slight emotional pain inside, but he couldn't look away from them. Their laughter, their smile, how close they were together as they held hands. All it did was remind Takashi of her.

Rei Miyamoto.

Takashi closed his eyes, he had to think of something else. Shit, not this feeling again. C'mon you! Think of something else. Like what to do for the holiday. I wonder what Rei is doing? NO! Uhhh, who can I hang out with? I'd ask Rei if we could do something, but most likely she would bring Hisashi. Dammit! Not again! Ok ummm...

"God you look like such a loser when you're by yourself." Said a familiar voice.

Takashi snapped out of his deep thought and looked at the where the voice came from. It came from his friend, Saya Takagi. She stood in front of Takashi with a hand on her hip. She wore dark blue jeans and her t-shirt had the same color pink as her hair. She didn't have on her glasses, so she must have been wearing her contacts. Though Takashi didn't really care.

Takashi smiled. "Well if I'm a loser, then you're a loser too for wanting to hang out with one."

Saya stuck her tongue out. "Whatever." She teased.

She kneeled down next to him underneath the tree. "What's up?" She asked.

Takashi shrugged, he called Saya before he left for the park because he didn't want to spend today alone, even if it meant doing nothing but sit under the tree.

"I dunno." He answered. "I was hoping you would have any ideas." Takashi looked at Saya, waiting for a response. Even if it would be a rude one.

Saya rolled her eyes. "Well, get up. I'd rather go out for a walk instead of staying underneath this tree doing nothing but sit next to you all day." She said as she pulled Takashi up.

There was silence between the two as they left the park, it wasn't really awkward for them as Saya knew Takashi was the laidback type that mostly listened, but Takashi decided to ask Saya a question.

"So what's your plans for the holiday?" He asked.

Saya looked down on the sidewalk as she walked alongside Takashi.

"Whatever it is, I'm spending it alone. My parents flew to Tokyo for a meeting." She replied. Takashi noticed her tone had some disappointment in it.

The two walked over a bridge that would take them into town. A car would occasionally drive past them, kicking up a slight gust of wind blowing back their hair. Takashi would re-adjust his hair so it would avoid his eyes and see better. Saya's two pony tails would flow gently for a while before they sank down on both sides of her head.

"What's the meeting about?" Takashi asked.

Saya didn't really want to talk about it, but at the same time she felt like venting.

"Did you hear about the company merge?" She asked.

Takashi shook his head.

Saya wasn't surprised. "I figured." She asked. Whether or not Takashi wanted to hear about the merge, she decided to explain it to him.

"Last night, Weyland Industries announced that they would be joining forces with Yutani Corporation with plans to shape the future." She explained.

Takashi tilted his head. "Ok? And what does that have to do with your parents?"

"My dad is against the idea of an American company setting up base here. He's meeting with other councilmen throughout the prefecture to prevent them from building. And my mom is just keeping him company." She answered.

Saya didn't really care about about the merge, it just bothered her that she would be left alone for a week. At least she had Takashi to spend some time with, even if it meant doing nothing but walk around.

Takashi looked ahead at the end of the street. A Sevenson mini-mart was just ahead of them. "You thirsty?" He asked.

Saya did feel like her throat was drying up, prior to her leaving home she had an argument with her mother. "A little, why?" She asked.

Takashi pointed ahead to the store.

"You're paying." Saya winked.

11:30AM...

"Alright guys, let's go!"

BANG! BANG!

BOOM!

RATATATATATA!

"Damn, this is intense!"

Kohta Hirano was looking around at his surroundings. Explosions, bullets flying everywhere, his comrades dying!

"Ok, who's still alive!" He shouted over the gunfire.

"I am!" Nigel, his teammate from the UK yelled.

"I'm still here, a little fucked up though!" Kyle, a friend from the southern U.S. replied.

"Locked and loaded!" Miguel, a comrade living in Brazil said. He gave Kohta and his teammates a thumbs up, signaling he was still in the fight.

There were four of them remaining. After ten minutes of a bloody conflict, they finally left the docks and were just outside a warehouse. If they had to go inside the warehouse to disable the last M-COM station, this would mean fighting in closequarters. Dammit, he wasn't going to lose!

"Ok guys, listen up! We're going up close and personal with the enemy, they're not holding back. But we came this far." Kohta said. He and Nigel were on one side of the entrance, Miguel and Kyle on the other.

Nigel inserted a new clip in his USAS-12 Shotgun. Instead of usual shells, they were frag shells. "Hey, I'll take them out, you guys get behind me." He told Kohta.

Kohta looked at Nigel, he trusted his friend that he would wipe out the two enemy soldiers inside. Kohta looked back at Kyle and Miguel, they both nodded and agreed Nigel would go in first.

Kohta switched places with Nigel, letting him be just outside the down.

"Ok, you ready Nigel?" Kohta asked.

Nigel looked back and nodded.

"One...Two...THREE!"

Nigel stormed in, just before the enemy soldiers were about to lift their weapons, he pulled the trigger on his USAS-12. The frag shell incinerated them, leaving nothing but their charred bodies.

Kohta followed closely behind, he noticed to the right a solider jumping out of some crates. The soldier shot a round from his AK-47 and it whizzed past Kohta's face.

Kohta took a step back and pivoted his body towards the soldier, he pointed his M82 Sniper Rifle at the soldier and without having look down at the scope, shot at the attacking soldier. It was a clean shot, the head was split in two. The soldier's brains were splattered on the wall behind him, the soldier's left eye spilled onto the ground.

Kohta smiled at his headshot, that would be a kill to talk about with his other friends and teammates.

Kohta and Nigel were leaning up against a large metal container. They took a quick peak out the corner to make sure there were no more enemy soldiers. When the coast was clear, they motioned Kyle and Miguel to come inside and join them.

They nodded in responsed and quietly walked in.

At the other end of the warehouse was the M-COM station. The final objective was to destroy it!

Kohta looked back at his team. "Nigel keep an eye on the high grounds, Kyle and Miguel, you watch my six. Got it?"

"No problem." Kyle answered.

The four slowly inched their way closer to the M-COM. For such a large warehouse, it sure was quiet. Kohta refused to let an inch of his guard down, he was prepared for another shootout.

After what seemed like hours, the four teammates were in front of the M-COM. What was inside was information about bases that the enemy could bomb should they ever launch an airstrike. That was Kohta's mission, to destroy the M-COM and prevent a blow to his friends on the other side of enemy lines.

"Miguel, plant a charge, we'll cover you." Kohta whispered.

Miguel reached inside his bag and pulled out a C4 Explosive charge, it was enough to destroy the M-COM. As he pressed the charge up against the machine, the other three shifted their eyes at the large door up ahead, waiting for a possible ambush.

"Ok, charge is in place. Let's go." Miguel said.

Just as the four teammates were about to leave, an alarm screamed all around the warehouse!

"SHIT! WE GOT CAUGHT!" Kyle yelled.

Kohta looked ahead, on both sides of the main entrance dozens of enemy soldiers entered and scattered about looking for cover. It was an ambush!

"TAKE COVER! WE NEED TO DESTROY THE M-COM!" Kohta ordered.

Bullets zipped by each of the teammates as they found their own sources of cover.

"KYLE! GIVE US SOME SUPPRESSING FIRE!" Kohta yelled at he fired shot after shot, taking down two soldiers in the process

Kyle popped out from a crate, and with controlled bursts, he fired his G36C. Three enemy soldiers took cover behind a container, barely avoiding death.

"MIGUEL! HOW MANY GRENADES YOU GOT?" Kohta looked back, waiting for a reply.

"I GOT FOUR!" Miguel answered back over the gunfire.

Miguel took a few steps forward and threw a cooked grenade, detonating within impact. Three soldiers were caught in the explosion, killing them instantly.

"THIRTY SECONDS!" Miguel reminded the other three.

Just as Miguel was about to re-focus on the iron sight of his FAMAS, he was shot in the heart.

Blood splattered on Nigel's face.

"Shit!' He yelled to himself. As he wiped the blood off his face, he looked at his hand and was stunned.

"KOHTA! MIGUEL IS DE-"

Nigel's sentence was cut shot, as he too was shot. Kohta and Kyle were side by side, giving the enemy everything they got in their arsenal. They were so close to accomplishing their mission!

"Well Kyle, it's just you and me." Kohta said to Nigel as he fired more shots with his M82.

Kyle was shot too, in the stomach. He was coughing up blood and it dripped heavily from his chin down to his chest, sitting up against the wall, there was still some fight in him to fire rounds at the enemy.

"I'm not gonna see this mission through, but dammit I'll fight!" He said to himself.

Kyle's vision was blurry, he saw three of his G36C shaking in a row. He couldn't be able to keep focus so he randomly shot at everyone in front of him. One of the soldiers noticed his dying condition and took this as an opportunity to fire a headshot at Kyle, ending his last stand.

Kohta was alone. Tears were streaming down his face, from sadness and anger. He quickly reloaded his M82 and before he could even pull the trigger, he was shot in the leg.

Kohta squeezed his eyes shut in pain, but opened them to continue the fight. He crawled backwords until he leaned up against the M-COM.

"10"

Kohta focused his sights through the scope.

"9"

He dropped his rifle as he was shot in the arm.

"8"

Reaching for his sidearm with his one good arm.

"7"

He cocked his M9.

"6"

Kohta pointed it at the closest soldier.

"5"

But before he could pull the trigger.

"4"

He was shot in the lung.

"3"

He looked up ahead.

"2"

And saw he was surrounded by the enemy.

"1"

Before they could finish him off.

There was a white light.

And everything went to black.

'YOUR TEAM WINS'

Flashed in front of the screen. Kohta took a huge sigh of relief at the victory he had. God, I love this game! He thought to himself. Battlefield 3 WAS quite addicting.

Kohta adjusted his bluetooth headset to took with his three teammates that he has never even saw or met.

"Ok guys, who's up for another round of Rush?" He asked with great enthusiasm.

To be continued...