Disclaimer: I don't own any of the GoW characters, EPIC does

Lieutenant Mendoza is my character, though.

Eventually the coughing subsided, the screaming stopped and the burning dulled, she sat upright, vision clearer as her eyes focused on the door.

What did that Drone do to me?

What the fuck is that civvie doing down here?

And what is Marcus Fenix doing coming up withremedies for these monsters?

"...it couldn't be Adam Fenix, I pulled Santiago and Marcus out of there on a Raven the day Adam died... the ground collapsing beneath his feet, I heard the screams myself..." she mumbled thinking aloud. In the cell next to her she could hear groaning, Tai wouldn't make it much longer if he stayed here. Before the drones had drug him back to her cell, before they shoved that needle in her stomach, they had him for possibly hours. She could still hear the echo of that whip against her own skin and shuddered.

"Tai... you're going to make it out of here. You survive everything, remember? You can'tdie..." she bowed her head at the following silence, she could briefly hear the intake of his breath.

He was still alive and hanging on by a thread by the sounds of it but he could be bleeding to death for all she knew. Shes experienced having her own wounds burned closed before by the Drones, because that's how they wanted it, how they wanted their prisoners, weak but alive. When the locust started taking prisoners-she didn't know, most of the people she had seen in passing down here were mostly Stranded. Some looked like they've been trapped down in the Hollow for years with their decaying faces, all traces of hope lost from their eyes, all traces of everything lost from their eyes. It was encounters like that, in which the Lieutenant couldn't handle.

When her squad first arrived, they had fought back. They were new prisoners, and sent out to-from what she could gather from the Drones broken English-the Nexus entrance to dig in the yards. The Stranded that had just been captured as well would look to her and the men in her Squad as if surprised. "Great, even the friggin' COG is gettin' dragged down here, if you bastards ain't gonna stop this, who is?" One of the Stranded men had yelled her way before getting knocked down by a guard for stepping out of line. She locked eyes with the random stranded man as a Drone handed her a shovel and pushed her forward into the dirt area. She glanced back her whole Squad wasn't with her, but her cousin, Salvador was still there, fire burning in his eyes, she nodded slightly, he returned the gesture. Once he had a shovel in his hands as well is when they'd strike…

Being down in the Hollow meant nothing but lost time. Her squad was sent out a few days after the Evacuation of North Gate, there was seismic activity, but everyone had believed the war was over once again, it was one of the last times she saw Tai, before now, that is.

"Now, we need to do it now!"

That piercingly calm voice echoed around the barge as Mendoza jumped being pulled from her thoughts, that female civvie was back. The Lieutenant slowly stood and braced herself against the cell wall, they were coming to her cell, she knew it. Surprisingly enough a light flickered on in her cell, she squinted her eyes-having been in the dark for so long-and ran a hand through her long black hair. It was something that stood out differently among the other female gears, she refused to cut it. She winced slightly her fingers grazing an area of dried blood on her skull.

When I pulled away...

That familiar screeching was herd as the handle was pulled to open the doors to the Barge, as the Lieutenants door swung open she braced herself. As expected a Drone was standing in the doorway waiting for her.

"Evenin'," she nodded and using what strength was left in her, she pushed herself off against the cells wall and slammed into the drone, sending them both falling to the ground gracelessly. She pushed herself up and straddling the drone wrapped her dried and cracked hands around its skull and twisted.

The small crack that echoed into the silence was oh-so satisfying.

It was worth getting kicked in the chest back into her cell. She spit in the direction of the drone coming into her cell, it growled and slammed her back against the wall, and a loud "oof" escaped her lips but nothing more as she was raised off of the ground by her kneck. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins again. She clenched her teeth and brought her right hand around the drones neck and squeezed just as well, her vision started to get blurry from her oxygen getting cut off. The drone grabbed onto the hand around his kneck and sent a knee into her stomach, she lost her wind and fell to the ground hard when the drone released her.

"You'd bastards better pray that I don't get my hands on any actual weapons..." she chuckled threateningly, "…because when I do..." the drone slammed a fist into her face causing her to grunt and a trickle of blood to start leaking from her nose. "Fuck you," was all she could muster as she slumped to the right, the pain ringing through her limbs overtaking the adrenaline. She was tired, for what seemed like the hundredth time, she wondered if this was it, was she going to die here, suddenly a light laughter rang through her ears.

"Calm yourself girl, I did not give you all of that... that... What exactly did you call it again Adam?" that terrifyingly ethereal voice said over the growling of the Drone. It immediately backed out of the cell as she strained to sit up to get a look at the civvie, baffled at how the Drones acted when the other civvie was in the area.

"I don't exactly have a name for it Myrrah..."

That voice, it couldn't be.

"Step aside, I told you to not harm the female human any further!" the Drone instantly flinched away, the as the lights in her cell flickered and the civvie came into view once again. She wasn't in her altered COG armor this time, but a dress, a long white, moving dress.

What the shit?

Standing beside her was a man whos mouth was slightly ajar, his blinking was excessive as he stared at the Lieutenant before he slowly shook his head as if he couldn't believe his eyes. As if to finish the thought he removed the glasses resting on his face and rubbed his pupils. Once they rested on his face again Mendoza could see him visibly gulp.

How is he alive?

"Emma, Lieutenant Emma Mendoza?" his voice was a little over a whisper as he spoke but the Barge was silent as he did. The woman named Myrrah turned to face him, a small flash of concern showing on her face.

"You know this one? How fortunate..." Adam turned to glance at Myrrah a brief flash of horror flashing over his features.

"No, not this one, we can choose another, there should be plenty of the serum left."

"No," the civvie called Myrrah waved her hand dismissively. "I used the whole thing on this one..." Myrrah gestured to one of the Drones standing behind her who then moved forward. "Get dressed Lieutenant, it is time." Fenix stood there once again, looking at Myrrah a bit stricken as if just slapped. Mendoza could've swore she her him mumble; "The whole thing?" as he quickly glanced back in her direction.

There was one word that was universal in the whole Coalition, used by the veterans and younger troops of all ages and it had the depths of meaning that no other word could quite conquer.

"Shit," was all she could muster as the drone tossed a bag into her cell that contained her Armor, it then quickly backed away from the Lieutenants cell entrance. Mendoza smirked slightly at this. "Scared of a weaponless female human I see..." she mumbled but shakily stood to her feet and grabbed the bag as she wiped the blood still flowing from her nose.

Her eyes had finally adjusted to the light in her cell as she opened the bag and ignored the fact that it was a bag made of skin, wither humans or drone, she wasn't entirely sure, but this wasn't any ordinary duffle bag. The metal plates were in good shape, it was almost as if the drones were keeping it safe for themselves. Her armor was made of smaller plates than the typical male Gears equipment. It was just as tough but fitted differently and just as heavy, she slouched under the weight of her chest Seals as they strapped together. Once she finished strapping on her leg plates she couldn't help herself as she fell to her knees and landed with a loud clunk, that was when two drones came into the tiny cell, grabbed onto her arms and dragged her out. She didn't care, nothing mattered, she's die with her armor on willingly and take as many Grubs out with her as possible.

"…no! Wait, stop! Let me!" a voice called out, Mendoza was dropped, she landed with a loud clunk as the drones let her fall to the ground, their crackling laughter rang through her ears as they continued to walk ahead and catch up to the female civvie. "Emma…" Adam Fenixs' voice was soft as he placed his hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it off and started to push herself up, she had been pulled on for a while before Fenix told them to stop.

"I've got it Professor Fenix…" she mumbled as she shakily rose from the ground, she took a few steps before she faltered and Adam caught her arm to keep her from falling. She mumbled a quite Thank You and held onto the man for support.

He's alive… Marcus, does Marcus know?

Her mind was racing, but one of the first things to come to mind was Marcus, did he know that his father was still alive? She felt Adam slip his arm around her waist and pull her along, his face had a deep scowl on it, similar to how Marcus looked a majority of the time… "Professor Fenix, where are you taking me?" she dared to ask and internally cursed at herself for automatically calling him Professor, and the crack in her voice that threatened at what was to come.

Fear, can't be scared now, can't break down and fall apart, the Professor's here, my Squad might make it out…

"I'm afraid I don't actually know where you'll be going Emma, but I know that the people there are dangerous… infected. When you arrive, you must be careful…" he hesitated while they were walking and looked at her, a dejected look on his face. "I'm so sorry Emma, this is all my fault…"

"Professor, no it's not-" she automatically answered but stopped when a huge light overtook the dark caves of the hollow. It was a giant rift in the caverns, the colors were intensified that swirled around in it, Mendoza squinted her eyes at the intimidating door-like opening in front of her and looked at the Professor who had that scowl again. Adam Fenix leaned into her, wrapping the female gear into a hug and whispered into her ear.

"Don't die there, I will get you back, there are two way points, there and back, once they arm you, hit the beam at the top of the rifts threshold …destroy it."

She didn't understand but nodded into the older man's neck, she was pulled away from Fenix by the two Drones from earlier. She yanked her arm away from the grubs and pushed it back.

"I can't walk, you piece of…"

"Now, now, save your energy foolish girl!" Myrrahs voice called out,Mendiza glanced in her direction and noticed in her arms she was holding one of the old standard issued Pendulum Wars Lancers. The civvie held out the gun to the Lieutenant, Mendoza took a hesitant step forward to the civvie, the drones behind her tensed, possibly remembering the warning she spat in their faces earlier.

She continued her strides towards the civvie, the drones moved in synch right behind her, and once she reached Myrrah she paused and looked at the woman in front of her. "Who are you?" her voice came out in a whisper, Myrrah smiled and handed the weapon to the Lieutenant, once she had a firm grasp on it the drones that were following behind her, grabber her hands and snatched the Lancer away, they strapped it to the magnetic plates on her back. "Fuck you!" She shouted at the drones and turned back to Fenix while the drones started to move her towards the rift illuminating with light.

Are they going to throw me in there?

The thought came out in a panic, she reached behind herself and unlatched the bayonet from the Lancer on her back and in a swift movement brought the blade down on one of the drones beside her, slicing deep into its side, the drone cried out and kicked her forward as it fell to the ground on its side, she was closing the gap fast and getting closer to that threatening light.

No.

She turned on her heel and unlatched the Lancer on her back, checking the clip she stood her ground and took aim at the drone behind her. "I told you to watch out when I got my hands on a weapon…" her voice was venom as the drone growled and waited for an opening, Mendoza focused on the drone in front of her and forgot about the one on the floor…

A sudden pain shot through her leg as the drone on the ground cut into her flesh, she cried out and kicked the drone on the ground in the face, she cursed, hearing Fenix in the background shouting something but she couldn't make out what. The drone still standing took this opportunity to grab the bayonet knife from her hands and put her in a headlock, she was forced forward, her own bayonet against the skin on her flesh. She swallowed the light right in front of her now, that's when she herd the sound of more gunfire and a scream from the female civvie.

The drone dropped her in front of the rift and turned to aid its Queen. On the ground again Mendoza turned around to see a capsule shooting through the ground and landing in the area, the cavern around them caving in as it did. The capsule opened and out stepped two gears, one had their helmet on the other practically jumped out of the doors. They both froze seeing the scene in front of them.

Gears… No!

"NO!" Mendoza shouted at the top of her lungs. "GET INTO COVER, NOW!" she roared at the top of her voice, the two Gears instantly reacted, moving behind the capsule in synch just as the two drones opened fire on the men. Mendoza reattached the bayonet to her Lancer…

Those men…

She raised the weapon and aimed for the drones head, hearing the Hollow as it stirred, more grubs were on the way. She let four shots fly, hitting her mark, the drone that she had stabbed, was now lying lifeless on the ground. Off to the side Mendoza saw the Professor and Civvie in cover, the screeching of Reavers could be heard off into the distance… more shots rang out as the two Gears started to return fire on their position, suddenly a bullet hissed past her ear, then another tore through her shoulder. She cried out and then everything went white.

Aren't going to make it out of the Hollow alive…

A/N: If you got a double notification... I hit save twice, my bad, but updates should come sooner. I just got a new laptop!

Finally some zombie smashing will be next.

Awee yeeaaah.