Fire here.
No, I'm not dead. I had to restart several times because I had major writers block *Flips table." Hopefully, this chapter hasn't turned out too horrible. I did my best. Really, this chapter is more about Maria than Jennifer, Marcus and the rest of Delta. Look out for a few surprises.
While you're here, I suggest you check out these other GoW fanfictions. They are all awesome in their own right: "Edge of Defense"by Auron-Kae, "Gears of War: Consequences" by The WolvGambit, "Drive my Heart" by DamonxBairdx, "Phalanx" by necaberint and "A Grievous Redemption" by the lovely Jord!
Big thank you to Judge Magister Fermus for listening to me talk about this fic and let me touch ideas off him. Without him, it would never exist. Cheers bro!
Gears of War 2: Crimson Cross
Chapter Four: The Shape of Things to Come
"Hope and pray, that you never need me
But rest assured I will not let you down
I walk beside you, but you may not see me
The strongest among you may not wear a crown"
- Three Doors Down, "Citizen Soldier"
COG Serial Number: SG-M.F.101-010-174-656
Current Time: 13:20
Current Location: Landown
"Take cover!"
Marcus and the Carmine dropped to the floor inside the rooftop building just in time. Rockets from the Brumak exploded against the already fragile scaffolding. Dust and bits of plaster fell down from the roof. Glass shattered in all over the crouching gears, covering them with a mess of crystal rain. Marcus snarled like a big angry dog and shook his shoulders; glass pouring off to the ground. Carmine reached up a hand and brushed his neck free from chips of glass.
A Brumak was a bitch no matter what mood one was in but they were nearly impossible when one's squad was exhausted. Marcus Fenix slid a clip of Lancer ammo into his trusted friend with a growl that was audible even over the howling roar of the Brumak that was stomping out of the tunnel ahead. The rookie Gear crouched in cover, his shoulders trembling with fear and exertion beneath his armour. Dom was the rooftop opposite; gloved hands wrapped around a lever of a Mortar Launcher with Tai covering his exposed back.
Over the buzzing and hectic Tac/Com, Dizzy radioed in to the fatigued Gears. "Oh hell, he gonna try and molest my Betty." The assault Derrick stated.
"Should I fire Marcus?" Dom shouted over
"Wait until he comes out of the tunnel then nail the bastard."
As so they waited until the Brumak had stomped out of the tunnel. Every second seemed as if it were an age to Marcus Fenix. His pulse was nothing but a deafening roar in his eardrums as his heart hammered away as if it thought its beats were numbered.
It was always the stench of the Brumak that got to Marcus that most. Like rotting flesh soaked in stagnant bog water and no matter what he did afterwards, he could never get the putrid smell out of his nostrils. It was truly horrifying but no less than seeing the creature in glorious 3D. A screaming roar indicated that the Brumak had finally emerged from mountain tunnel. Marcus looked up from behind his cover. Despite having been a soldier for nearly twenty years, the sight of a Brumak could still freeze the blood inside his veins.
"Now Marcus?" Dom asked through the Tac/Com, his tone becoming increasingly strained. Marcus could hardly blame him. The Latino man was only a few metres away from a Brumak. Had the situation been reversed, Marcus was sure he would have felt the same way.
"Now Dom!"
Dom did not need telling twice. On the opposite side of the residential blocks, he leaned back and released an Imulsion infused rocket. Even a good three hundred yards away, Marcus clearly heard the scream of the rocket being freed from its metal prison. It reared up into the sky like an unruly horse then after a hundred and sixty metres, the rocket split into several explosive bomblets and rained down onto the Brumak below. Many tiny little detonations of fire explode on the Brumak's yellowed hide like an outbreak of pimples. Another monstrous howl escaped the beast, this one a cry of pain. The Brumak raised its head in the direction of Dom, huge jaws slavering and looking as if it would like nothing more than to swallow Dom whole. The beast shifted to the right, bearing down on Dom. The Latino man stepped back as best as the mortar launcher would allow; removing the latch and shoving in another rocket into the Launch tubes. "Uh, Marcus. Need a hand here."
"You heard him Carmine. Distract that Brumak!"
Carmine shoved his Lancer through the broken window and opened fire. His Lancer barked and growled as it released heavy streams of steel into the air. Marcus followed the suit, concentrating his fire in short and controlled bursts unlike his rookie soldier. He did not want to waste too much ammo. Their attempt at distraction seemed to work for the Brumak lumbered around once it realised it was being hit from behind. "Fire again Dom!" Marcus yelled over the static of the Tac/Com.
Another rocket reared into the sky, split then streaked down onto the Brumak. Blood exploded outwards, peppering the tough skin of the Brumak with wounds the size of boulders. The monster roared and screamed in protest, stamping its huge feet as if it were throwing a temper tantrum. The armoured head of the Brumak seemed to swivel back and forth between Marcus and Dom, unsure who to attack first. Logic would have suggested that Dom was the more likely target of the two but Brumaks were not known for their intelligence. "Once more with feeling Dom!" the squad leader shouted back over to his companion.
The final and last rocket exploded from the metal shaft of the launcher with a piercing crack and a gasp of smoke. The Latino man then threw the launcher to the ground and retreated back from the edge of the rooftop as more fire rain poured down from the skies above. A hail of explosive bombs rained down on the skull of the Brumak. Marcus heard the shatter of a skull exploding but felt it through his spine instead. There was just no way he could have possibly ignored it. The crack seemed to echo right across Landown. The Brumak stumbled and swayed before it collapsed to the ground as if it were a puppet and Dom had just cut the strings.
"Alright! Brumak burgers on me everyone!"
Marcus looked out from the roof shack hesitantly and saw nothing but the charred and bloody remains of the offending Brumak. He gave his Tac/Com a quick jab. "Nice work Dom, let's get back to the rig." He flicked onto Dizzy's frequency. "Right Dizzy, area is clear. Bring the Rig on through, I think we'll ride the rest of the way."
A rumbling a few moments indicated that the Rig had rolled up through the gap between the residential blocks. The ex-stranded picked up Marcus and a trembling Carmine first then rolled on forward to allowed Dom and Tai to jump onto the metal decking of the Rig. "Welcome back boys and good job. Mmmmh, smell that Brumak Barbecue," the older man stated as they continued deeper into the ruins of Landown.
"You alright in there Dizzy?"
"Yup, me 'nd the little lady be okay."
The little medic joined the radio conversation, adding her two cents worth. "That was really scary."
The squad leader gave a small snort. "Stick around Anderson, that ain't the worst of it."
Marcus flicked off his Tac/Com and turned back to his tired and fatigued squad. Dom seemed to be okay considering that he was almost turned to Brumak chowder. Carmine, however, was a different story. He collapsed onto the steel deck of the Assault rigs, quivering and trembling like a plate of brown and teal jelly. The squad leader's face softened ever so slightly and he crouched down to Carmine's level. "You okay kid?" the squad leader asked, still sounding gruff despite his best efforts. His tone did not match his face.
The rookie soldier tried to struggle up but his legs collapsed beneath him. He tried again, only for his form to crumple once more. The sight of the ever persistent little gear trying to scrabble onto his feet coaxed a small smile onto Marcus's face. "I think so Sarge but my legs just won't work."
"Just keep taking in deep breathes and you'll be fine Rook." The squad leader turned away from his younger soldier and cast his blue eyed gaze across the graveyard that was Landown. The Rig rolled in deeper through the wreckage, right into a graveyard that had once been one of the most sacred places in the city. Landown Cemeteries had once been very beautiful, some many years ago. The grass had always been neat and trimmed, no matter the season. In the summer, Honeysuckles and jasmine had been the only invaders and once left the air smelling pleasantly fresh. It had never seemed like a graveyard to Marcus, rather a splendid garden of marble statues and sweet smelling flowers.
Now, there was nothing remotely beautiful about the graveyard. The Morning mist had refused to shift, giving the graveyard a rather ghostly look that Marcus did not appreciate in the slightest. Once polished and pristine marble had been either smashed to pieces or covered in all manner of organic waste. Marcus's blood pressure flared and he gripped his Lancer tightly.
Beside Marcus, Dom's hands were clenched so tightly that the squad leader was sure he was drawing blood even through his gloves. "This puts the 'grave' in Graveyard."
"Dirty Grub shit all over the place. They got no respect for the dead," Dizzy added in from the cockpit with a bite in his tone.
Marcus nodded. "A lot of good soldiers from the Pendulum wars were buried here."
"Like Carlos."
The squad leader's skin tensed beneath his thermal layering. Even after nearly fifteen years, Carlos's death still clung to him – clung to them both. "Yeah, like Carlos. Sure could use him now," he mumbled to himself, looking out onto the ruins that had once been Landown and giving his Tac/Com a quick tap. "Control this is Delta, we've reached the drill zone."
Anya buzzed in from the other end, her firm and level voice a welcoming sound in his eardrums. "Rodger that Delta. What's your launch status?"
Dizzy joined in the conversation as well, his frequency more choppy than Anya's. "We're getting the lifts in position now as long as Delta keeps my ass covered."
"Rodger that, Control out." With that, the blonde woman disappeared from the other end of the line, leaving Marcus and Dizzy alone on the radio wave. He flicked his Tac/Com back to the public channel, unable to shake the sense of foreboding that crept up his spine. Usually, that indicated that an ambush was about to take place.
Marcus's sturdy backbone was right on the money.
Before Delta could blink, the earth grumbled and a huge gaping hole – almost like a wound - opened up on the ground below a good ten metres or so away from Rig. It was an Emergence Hole. A rather large one in fact. The soil just seemed to melt away as easily as ice and the pong of Imulsion hit Marcus like a slap in the face. Fifteen years ago and that would have made him gag. Now, Marcus Fenix's stomach was as steely as his will. "We've got a grub hole!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth did several holes E-holes split open near the Assault Derrick. Grey white soldiers just seemed to flood right out – twenty or thirty to a single COG soldier present at Landown.
It was going to be a long battle indeed.
"I'll get the turret!" Dom shouted across to the squad leader. Marcus rolled back across the deck and kicked open the largest supply compartment with one of his booted feet. Tucked away inside the padded box was another Mortar launcher, complete with several rounds of exploding rockets. The dark haired soldier smirked, mentally chalking up the Locust kills he could make as he holstered the great weapon up onto his hip. There was only one problem with the Mortar Launcher. It was terribly heavy and difficult to manoeuvre with. It would have split a lesser man in half but not Marcus Fenix. Delta's leader had to crouch low to the ground and slowly creep along the deck of the Rig while the rest of his squad covered him.
"Are these the ten shitloads you were talking about Sarge?" the rookie gear called out as he poked his head up to take a shot at an approaching Locust. Marcus growled and mounted his Launcher against the railing of the Rig. "What do you think? Hit 'em hard Delta!" the Sergeant shouted over the thunder of gunfire, furious that the rookie had picked such an inopportune time to ask a question with such an obvious answer.
As time rushed on, the chaos became unimaginable. Marcus's Tac/Com buzzed and vibrated against his eardrum like an angry bee, the public line swimming with activity. Raven pilots shouted over to one another through the static, able to identify one another even through the intense buzzing and fuzzy static. Shots cracked through the air like a thousand whips. The howls of the already wounded and dying penetrated his ear drums, burning into his memory for all eternity.
The situation was messy, brutal and loud.
It was the personification of War.
"Make sure they don't hit Betty 'nd the girls. Otherwise, this mission is over," Dizzy shouted was such intensity that the squad leader would have ripped his Tac/Com right out of his ear had his hands not been otherwise engaged. As if his ears weren't ringing enough without having to listen to the Ex-Stranded state the painfully obvious.
Without any further delays or distractions, Marcus leaned back; bracing his heavily booted foot on the railing then pushed the discharge lever forward. He felt the Mortar launcher shudder against him, still for a moment then the rocket exploded upwards with a gasp of thick smoke. Marcus turned his head and clenched his eyes shut while the smog from the gun cleared. The stuff always seemed to dry up his throat and sting his eyes. It made him wish he had invested in a pair of goggles like Baird.
Just as Marcus started to load in the second Mortar round, he heard a yelp of pain then a heavy thump against the decking alerted Marcus to the painful fact that one of his soldiers was down.
Carmine was on the metal decking, one gloved hand clutching his shoulder while the other still grasped his Lancer. Marcus could clearly make out the slick shine of blood on his hand. The squad leader reacted just as expected of him and moved to protect his downed soldier. "Oh shit Sarge, I'm hit!" Carmine spluttered out, in case the sergeant had not noticed. The colour drained from the raven haired soldier's face and at that moment, Marcus felt a sort of strange attachment to the younger gear. An obligation even. Anthony Carmine had died because Delta had not been careful enough, picked off by a single bullet from a Sniper who had been having a good day. Losing another companion was like another failure, another blow to the COG. Marcus was not willing to let it happen again. The Hollow would freeze over before Marcus would let a Locust Sniper take yet another Carmine. He knew he would never be able to face Mrs Carmine if he did.
The squad leader moved Carmine's bloodied hand away and applied his own pressure. After all, Marcus had had much more experience with gun wounds than the rookie soldier. The younger gear coughed beneath his helmet, his breathing harboured and fast. His fists clenched and unclenched but he did not make a sound. No doubt putting on a brave front for Marcus's benefit. "Hold on Rook, I'm getting help." He looked up to his pseudo brother on the turret. "Dom! Keep us covered while I get Anderson out here!"
The gear did not bother looking in Marcus's direction and simply raised a thumb before he carried on shooting. Marcus wondered why he even bothered asking. Of course Dom would keep them covered. It was foolish to of him to assume that his Latino friend would do anything less. Marcus gave the silver button mounted inside his ear a jab. "Anderson, we need you put here now!" Marcus hollered into his Tac/Com.
No response, only a very frightened squeak and some incoherent mumbling. Marcus could see the image in his mind – Anderson curled up inside the Rig cockpit with her hands clamped over her ears, trying to drown it all out. After all, she had done that once or twice before – freezing under the pressure of responsibility in the battlefield.
The squad looked down at the rookie Gear then tried again. "Anderson, if you don't get up here now, Carmine is gonna bleed out on us," Marcus stated into the Tac/Com, the urgency in his gravelly voice evident.
He heard a tiny little gasp on the other end.
Then, after Marcus had begun to write the medic off as a lost cause, he heard the trembling voice of the woman through his Tac/Com. "I'll be right there Sergeant," Anderson punctured through the static before she flicked off the line. Satisfied, Marcus flicked onto the public radio wave. "To any available units, this is Delta. We're a man down and we need a Mortar run on the west side."
"Delta, this is Sigma squad. We're on it Sergeant," came the calm voice of Private Theirin over the hissing and cracking line. Marcus looked out to the left and saw that five other Assault Derricks had arrived at the scene, one of them manned by Baird's squadron. A second later and a hail of exploding rounds exploded down on the furthest side of the battlefield, maiming many Locust and closing up a few deep Emergence holes.
Concentrating fully on protecting the downed soldier, Marcus armed himself with a Boltok pistol while he kept pressure on Carmine's wound. Evidently, he had not been doing a very good job. Blood seemed to pool out onto the deck like a crimson blanket. Marcus could not help marvel. How exactly could so much blood come from such a small wound? The sergeant guessed that the Sniper must have hit an artery but he was no doctor and could not be entirely sure.
"Marcus, we've got Grapplers!" Dom yelled from the turret, swivelling to plant a hail of bullets into a careless Locust below.
Mad-dog eyes looked up and narrowed as he noticed that another grappling hook had planted itself on the side of the Assault Derrick. Marcus flicked the safety off his weapon and waited like a tiger in the bushes. Without fail, a Locust Grappler vaulted onto the deck like he owned the place. He looked around, spotted Marcus and raised his Hammerburst.
Marcus was one – or rather two – steps ahead of the Locust warrior.
The squad leader had already aimed by the time that the drone had landed on the decking. He pulled the trigger of the pistol twice and watched as two armour piercing bullets hit the drone squarely between the eyes. Marcus smirked in satisfaction as the body of the creature dropped to the decking with a loud thud. From the corner of his eye, the sergeant noticed another ashy creature scuttling across the deck like a little white crab. It turned out to be a rather shaky Anderson; her eyes very large and glassy behind her glasses. Amazingly enough, she seemed to be okay – better even. She wore an expression of confidence. It looked out of place on her face, almost as if it did not belong there. Marcus watched with some amazement as the medic kept her head down and moved forward across the deck. She was quite fast, despite the fact that she carried half her body weight in armour. The weapon slots on her back were empty, replaced with another armoured medical case from the glove compartment from the Assault Derrick.
Marcus shuffled along on his heels slightly to let the medic into cover. She barely even acknowledged him and crouched down to Carmine's level. The squad leader removed his hand and grimaced slightly. His glove was positively soaked with the younger soldier's blood. He wiped his hand on his armoured thigh and traded his pistol in for his Lancer. With Dom at the turret serving up some righteous indignation and Tai churning up holy hell with his own Lancer, Marcus felt one hundred percent confident that his squad could handle anything that came their way. Marcus looked back to the young medic crouched beside the bleeding soldier. She was leaning over him, one hand braced over his wound while the other fished about her pockets for her medical foreceps and Bio-Foam.
Without further ado, Marcus turned back to the offending battle. From his perch on top of the Rig, the soldier saw several tantalising targets through the holographic crosshair on his lancer. Two clips of ammo dispersed four while the remaining three scuttled for cover. In fact, the other Locust forces started to retreat back behind the marble statues and stone graves. Marcus looked up from behind his Lancer, a frown on his gnarled features. Where were they going? It was not like the Locust to retreat from a battle.
Just then, two grey giants lumbered into the view of Delta; both sporting a rather impressive Boom Shot each.
"Shit! Boomers! Keep your head down!" called out Marcus.
"I'm on it Marcus!" shouted back the Latino man, feeding another belt of ammunition into the Turret.
"As am I!" added the tattooed Gear. Tai ditched his shotgun and had armed himself Marcus's abandoned Mortar Launcher. The tattooed one took position right underneath the Rig's front railing. Though it gave him a good view of the immediate area, it left him exposed to the Snipers from the sides. But Tai had no fear, no reservations, nothing. He propped the Mortar launcher against the railing and had started to adjust the positioning of the launch tube when suddenly...
An ear-splitting Boom! a second later struck over Marcus's head, narrowly missing the medic and Carmine by mere inches. The circular shaped explosive sailed right overhead and detonated against the opposite side of the Rig. Another Boom shot grenade arched over Delta, this one completely off by miles. Marcus had always found Boomers to be quite bizarre. Sometimes, he often wondered if Boomers were as blind as Berserkers. Boomers seemed to alternative between having Sniper-like accuracy to being as useless as a sack of potatoes. A soldier had to be quick witted and agile to avoid being splattered by one misplaced shot. He rolled out of cover of the railing, hoping to lure the fire of the Boomers while Anderson tended to Carmine.
"Boom!"
Another shot cracked overhead, most certainly aimed for Delta's leader. Marcus kept moving on his booted feet, trying to get the Locust Boomers confused. It was never very hard to begin with. To the front of the Rig, Tai aimed for the Boomers and released another rocket into the sky.
"Control, this is Delta. Where the hell are those Ravens!" he shouted over the gunfire.
"Working on it Marcus. Our birds are all over the place," responded the ever calm, ever firm Anya Stroud. Marcus heard the flicker of desperation in his voice and gave himself a little mental shake. The heat of the battle was getting to him much quicker than he had anticipated. Delta's leader sucked in a breath of cold, winter air; hoping to douse the frantic fire that had ignited within his heart. If he could remain as composed as the blonde operator, Marcus knew he would regain control of the situation.
"Marcus! We got more grubs coming up the side," Dom yelled out, dragging Marcus out of his mental ravine and back to the battlefield. The squad leader pivoted on his booted heel and charged like a provoked bull to the opposite side of the Rig. His Lancer loaded and ready though he was quickly running out of ammo. It always seemed to the sergeant that his Lancer bullets bounced right off the white hides of the Locust.
Four Grappling hooks were attached to the side of the Assault Derrick with a few Locust climbing up the ropes like spiders on a web. Marcus raised a booted foot and gave each one of the grappling hooks a good, solid kick; lodging them free from the steel railing. The claws flew back, coupled with an all too satisfying Locust yelp of surprise. He swivelled, blue eyes scanning the sides of the rigs for any more claws. One of them had appeared near Anderson – who was still digging around inside Carmine's open shoulder and had not noticed.
Before Marcus could make a move towards the pair, the white skinned creature vaulted over the side of the rig; the heavy thump of his boots audible over the gunfire. Worse still, the Drone held a stolen Lancer in his grasp and was eager to use it. Anderson looked up and fear swiftly adorned her features. The injured gear was so doped up on morphine and pain killers that he could not even reach of his pistol. The Locust Warrior bore down on the medic and what could closely be described as a smirk pulled at his reptile-like features.
Marcus acted before his mind caught up with his body. He pulled at the lever on his Lancer and suddenly, the attached chainsaw revved to life with a loud snarl. The Drone looked up and noticed Delta's leader for the first time. "Daemon cum cyanus oculum," The warrior hissed, spitting the unfamiliar words out. Though Marcus could not understand them, he still felt the effect of the words. The Locust's white fingers clutched the lever on his own Lancer and gave it a swift tug, staring at Marcus all the while. The squad leader glared back, challenge and hate written clearly across his gnarled face. "Bring it!" Marcus taunted, his Lancer raised and ready.
The creature charged forward.
Marcus ran to meet him.
The two chainsaws rammed against one another, biting and spitting like two wolves locked in mortal combat. Sparks of yellow and orange flew out to the sides like waterfalls of gold rain. Marcus growled loudly and shoved his Lancer harder against the one opposite. The Locust Drone responded in kind and gave Marcus a hard shove that would have floored any other soldier. Delta's leader held his ground, the muscles beneath his armour straining as tight as a piece of elastic. The white skinned warrior glowered back at him, large black orbs like fire. In those eyes, Marcus saw a rage so pure and unadulterated that it reminded him just why he could not fail – why he could not let the Locust win.
Delta's leader gave the Locust one last, powerful shove and knocked him right back. The warrior snarled at Marcus but the soldier had acted before his enemy could regain his footing. Marcus brought his whirling and spitting chainsaw down onto the white skinned creature. Skin and blood flew up in every direction, splashing Marcus's face with long streaks of dark ruby. A roar of pain and rage escaped the Locust warrior but Marcus. The worn Lancer however was having a banquet, ripping and chewing through the Locust's flesh.
It was not until the Locust's body had split in two at his booted feet did Marcus turn off the chainsaw. The warm innards of the creature washed against his boots in a morbidly pleasing manner. With blood dripping down his face and breathing fast and harboured, the squad leader glared down at the Locust. "Did not know who he was fucking with," Marcus growled to himself from he jumped back into the raging fray as if nothing had happened. He took a protective crouch in front of Anderson and Carmine, raising his Lancer over the edge of the railing every so often to take pot-shots at the advancing Locust
"Ready Carmine?" the medic asked, her hand poised over his shoulder.
"Please...Just get it out already."
"Okay, here we go."
Then, Marcus heard it; the most inhuman and heart-wrenching of all screams. So alien and gruesome that it drowned out everything else. The gunfire, the screech of the Ravens overhead, the Tac/Com. Everything. Marcus knew that if he were to live for an eternity, he would never forget that howl. He was not entirely sure how long the scream lasted, only that it shook him to the bowels and rocked his foundations
After a few wild seconds, Marcus realised that it was Carmine who had been screaming.
The young medic held a bullet above his chest. The Longshot bullet gleamed in the early afternoon sunlight, sickeningly glossy with scarlet fluid. Anderson then threw it aside with such intensity. The medic then wasted no time popping off the top from the canister and shoving it deep into the gash. Mint green foam flooded into Carmine's open wound, filling the space up quick sharp.
The young gear flailed, convulsed and generally forgot all about dignity as the foam expanded and swelled inside his shoulder. The Sergeant felt for him. On more than one occasion was he subject to the painful wrath of Bio-foam. Though the polymer paste filled up his wound and accelerated cell reparations, Marcus distinctly remembered that it felt as if he had had fire ants crawling around underneath his skin. Anderson could do nothing for him except hold him down and try to offer words of encouragement. "Stay with me Carmine! Ben. You're okay. Focus on me," Anderson encouraged, sounding much unlike her usual frightened and scared self. Marcus was somewhat impressed. Perhaps there was a soldier underneath all that yellow jelly after all.
While Marcus was reloading his Lancer, two insect-like creatures dropped down from the sky; their legs flying out behind their bodies like black party streamers. Dom pivoted the turret around onto the Reavers and sent a full hundred or so rounds sailing in their general direction. Unfortunately, the Reavers had been expecting such an onslaught and simply dodged Dom's rounds.
Marcus gave his Tac/Com a jab. "Anya! We have Reavers here! We need a bombing run!"
"Rodger that Delta. Stand by. KR-Seven Five is on route."
As if sent by heaven to answer the prayers of the soldiers below, a Raven sliced down through the clouds. The flaps beneath the flying machine slid open. The bird slowed up as it approached the battlefield then released its load before abruptly jerking upwards into cloud cover again. Marcus watched as four or five large, Imulsion-packed bombs dropped down on top of the Reavers. What the Ravens lacked in manoeuvrability, they made up for in sheer, rare power. The Reavers and their riders just seemed to explode into black ribbons like a couple of Piñatas. Moments later, the bird flew back down and dropped another two or three bombs onto the remaining Locust forces.
"Thanks for the assist Airhead."
"No problem Fenix. Control, this is KR-Seven Five. Reaver threat has been neutralised."
"Rodger that Airhead. Head over to the west side of Landown. Omega need an evacuation of a squad member."
"On it Control. Let's go Sharpie."
King Raven Seven Five reared back up into the sky, disappearing into the thick layer of mist and fog as if returning back to the gods themselves. Marcus was not a religious man – far from it. Plenty of other officers and soldiers, mostly Tyran, had been dedicated to their religion – even to go as far as stamp the symbol on their armour and carry strange silver talismans that would have been more useful as a bullet than a necklace.
But now – as the squad leader looked across the smoking, smouldering battlefield - Marcus could not help but wonder if there was some truth behind it.
Ragnarok had been right.
Something had changed inside Nexus.
Maria simply been minding her own business – tending to her sore jaw – when several squads of Theron Guards astride Bloodmounts rushed through the encampment. For a frightening second, the dark haired woman thought that they were coming for her. Perhaps Kam'marok had gone to the "Vanir" after all. Maria tried to look as small as possible when they passed by her and thankfully, they did not seemed the least bit interested in her. Maria could hardly blame them. She would not spare herself a second glance either, not in her current condition. Even the most twisted of Locust would have steered clear from the dark haired woman. Maria caught a glance of herself on her shovel as she tossed a spadeful of black Carbon chunks into a Locust version of a wheel barrow. The woman in the shovel frowned back, looking gaunt and malnourished. Dark hair that had once been a long waterfall of black silk hung to her chin, cut unevenly and brutally with frayed ends. Her bones seemed to stick out in every direction and even her eyes appeared dull. Scars criss-crossed against her skin, leaving white edges against her naturally tanned flesh that put Maria in mind of a patchwork quilt.
Maria wondered what on earth Ragnarok saw in her.
With obvious disgust, the young woman dug the shade head into the hardened ground with more force than necessary.
She turned around to reach for her pick-axe, only to find herself staring into the large, yellowed and almost excited eyes of Ragnarok. He had appeared so suddenly and silently that it was almost as if he had just popped right out of the ground. Maria jumped back, her heart nearly exploding inside her chest from fright. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."
He bowed his head, the top of his skull like polished domed marble. He wore an emerald coat that appeared to be of Gorasnaya design; the hems decorated with silver tassel trimmings that looked far too elegant to be Locust. "Munnnaki. I bring news," the drone stated. Though his English was near perfect, his Locust tongue still added an ominous hiss to his words.
Maria had to crane her neck to stare up at him. He was just a giant compared to her. "What is it? Can I go home?"
The skin where his eyebrows should have been jerked slightly. It look a few moments for Maria to realise he was staring at her with some level of amusement. She was quite stunned. Maria had not been entirely sure that the Locust were capable of humour. "No, not yet. I have met with the Kam'marok and the others. I have freed you. You shall come with me."
Green eyes blinked blankly at the white giant. "Right now?"
The Locust nodded, looking distinctly pleased with himself. "Yes. No longer will you stay here and labour. You will come with me and Hel. We shall protect you Munnnaki."
"You have got to be joking," Maria breathed, not daring to get her hopes up. On more than one occasion, they had been dashed – no, smashed, squished then pulverise by the Locust.
Ragnarok tilted his white domed head. "I am not 'funny' as you groundwalkers call it even when I try. Munnnaki, I am serious."
"But how Ragnarok? I don't think that they will just let me walk out of here," Maria stated with a slight bite to her voice that had not been heard in many weeks.
The tattooed warrior held up a hand to silence her and pulled out a scroll that looked far too pinkish to be paper. "This is your freedom," he stated. What strange paper thought Maria as the Locust Drone untied the leather cord from around the scroll. It did not crack nor crumple or scrape as Ragnarok uncoiled it and when he held it up for Maria, the dark haired woman realised that the scroll was indeed made of human skin. There was no mistaking that dull, peachy gleam in the torchlight of the work camp.
Maria was horrified beyond belief.
She stepped back on her booted heel; her mouth opening and closing several times. Ragnarok looked at her questionably then looked at the skin scroll, seemingly trying to understand her shock and disgust. "Something wrong Munnnaki?"
The dark haired woman swallowed and tried twice to speak. And twice, she found that she could not.
Ragnarok looked at the scroll again then, something must have twigged inside his head. "I am sorry. I did not think. I was foolish." Had Maria not been so sickened, she might have marvelled at the fact that a Locust had just apologised to a human. He seemed to notice her hesitation for his shoulders suddenly sagged, his mannerisms human. The disappointment in his eyes was certainly real. "You are not pleased Munnnaki?"
Maria was still. She knew she should have been jumping for joy, soaring sky high. She had pinned so many hopes on the Locust Drone that he was practically a pincushion. Never once did she stop and ask herself why. Why exactly did was he willing to go to the ends of the earth of her? This...murderer. It did not make any remote sense and the more Maria thought about it, the more it confused her. One thousand and one different emotions tugged at Maria's frayed soul, weathering down whatever strength she still possessed.
The dark haired woman shook her head, pushing her queries and fears to the back of her mind. It was just better – and safer – that way for all of them. "Of course I am, I'm just a little taken back. It seems almost too good to be true that's all."
"I would not lie to you Munnnaki." Ragnarok held out a large white hand. Maria stared for a moment, wondering just how much human blood had stained his digits – how many of her own kind had died by his hand.
She also wondered why exactly she reached forward and coiled her hand into his. "But why Ragnarok? Why me?"
The Locust Drone made a hushing motion by pressing one clawed finger to his mouth. "Hush, we must not talk of that here."
Maria suppressed a sigh. She was all too familiar with that rule.
She dropped the pick axe to the ground and dusted off what remained of her skirt with her spare hand – trying to make herself look somewhat presentable. Ragnarok waited patiently for Maria to finish the charade before moving forward. Slowly and carefully, Ragnarok lead her through the work camp. The other human captives stared with a mixture of curiosity, fear and even anger. The crack of a Locust whip forced their eyes to the ground again but she still felt their glares. Maria could hardly blame them for it must have looked rather strange for a human to be walking hand in hand with Locust. She thought to Dom, caring, gentle Dom and never before had she needed him or his strength more.
Maria had never seen the inside of Nexus nor had she wanted to. She had heard stories about it from the other captives but never had she imagined that she would end up experiencing it in the flesh. Nexus was massive, bigger than she had originally anticipated. Maria stared around in complete astonishment. From what Maria could gather, Locust lived below the main surface of the city; with the Queen of Locusts in the deepest chambers while the lesser Drone's lived closer to the main city's surface in flat-like structures that were connected by tunnels and elevator. The Locust underworld was built of mostly great stone, graphite and Imulsion structures. The city stretched out for miles under Sera's surface with many smaller Locust villages built in other hollows around Nexus. Metals had been forged from the deposits in the ground (Picked out by human slaves of course) A limitless supply of Imulsion powered their homes, siphoned off from the lake of gold from below the city. The hive of Locust worked together as one. Ragnarok had explained that each Locust were assigned a job for life. Some built, some taught but most fought. Various Stalls had been set up in open street squares, the smell of meat sizzling and fresh herbs hung in the air above. Locust chattered amongst themselves. Therons patrolled the streets, keeping a watchful eye on the Locust offspring that were roaming in little gangs.
The sight was nothing short of amazing. What stunned Maria most as she and Ragnarok made their way through the Locust city was the sheer number of humans that lived there as well. There were simply hundreds of them within Nexus. She noticed that nearly three quarters of the human population were children while adults made up a small fraction. The adults were kept under lock-and-key by the Locust, used mostly as slaves. The children however were a completely different story. Maria watched with complete amazement and shock as another Locust Drone walked on by her and Ragnarok with a human child by his side. He hissed a traditional Locust greeting at Ragnarok before continuing to converse with the human child as if it were his own. Maria stopped and stared until her vision had become blurry. How strange were these Locust – that they slaughtered her children but spared this one? Her heart flared and the longing she had always felt increased tenfold. No, they are gone. You know that. It took months in captivity for you to realise that. She reached up and wiped her eyes free. Ragnarok looked to her for a moment then placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her forward through the maze of corridors and tunnels. Ragnarok pointed out notable structures and gave her explanations if necessary.
"Ragnarok, what is that?" Maria pointed to a heavily guarded and very elaborate elevator in the very center of Nexus. Even from a distance, Maria could see the jewels and decorations glimmering under the Imulsion powered lights. The Locust Drone looked in the direction she was gesturing to.
The drone looked to her and a flicker of fear crossed his Locust features. "That is the elevator to the Queens chambers. You must never go there Munnnaki. Promise me on your honour that you will never go there."
Maria nodded, deciding it was in her best interests to heed his warnings.
After nearly thirty minutes and just as many elevators, Ragnarok came to an abrupt halt and Maria stumbled behind. Wordlessly, the Locust Drone raised a hand and placed it on a flat stone panel roughly thirty centimetres in diameter. A door slid open with a rumbling crunch and light suddenly bathed the darkened corridor. Maria blinked and hid behind Ragnarok, her only ally in the strange Locust underworld. The Drone stepped forward and Maria could do nothing else but follow.
The first thing that Maria noticed about his quarters was the fact that it was very dark but blessedly warm and smelled of some kind of unknown herb. Hammerbursts, boots and pistols were piled on a nearby rack nearly the foot of the slab-like door. A few torches were amounted upon the stone walls, catching the grooves and curves of the carved designs along the border. Ragnarok prodded her further into the darkened flat.
In the lobby of the Ragnarok's quarters stood another Locust. This one however was quite different to anything Maria had seen. It was the most striking creature she had ever laid her eyes upon. This new Locust was one of the first females that she seen so far. Maria had first thought Locust were an entirely male species but judging from the stunning creature standing before her, Maria had been dead wrong. The creature was tall – taller than Maria at the very least – but stood an inch shorter than her mate. Unlike Ragnarok's dappled grey skin, the new Locust was a snowy white all over that reminded Maria of the lotus flowers that used to bloom in her garden pond. Her features were of that a Locust Drone, but much softer, refined and less angular. Large eyes blinked back at Maria, rimmed black which made for a startling contrast against her white skin. A tailored and fitting Locust tunic adorned her frame, decorated with silver clan markings that shimmered in the gentle torchlight. Several gold bracelets were attached to both wrists, all of the of human design.
Maria was busy wondering who exactly those bracelets belong to when the Locust female took a step forward.
Instinctively, the human female stepped backwards and bumped into Ragnarok. The male Locust placed a large, white hand on Maria's shoulder. "Hel will not hurt you Munnnaki."
Hel nodded Maria. "I am very pleased to meet you. Ragnarok has told me much of you."
Maria could not manage to muster one sentence in response. She had only known him for a few days. For a frightening second, the dark haired human wished she were back at the work camps. At least she had gotten used to the routine, she had known what as to come. She had felt brave and clever and alert but the new changes had thrown her completely. Perhaps she should not have been so eager to take his hand in the first place. Hel straightened up her stare onto Ragnarok and nodded slightly. The male Drone returned the gesture and much to Maria's complete horror, Ragnarok retreated out of what Maria supposed was the living room. She wanted to run after him. She did not want to be left alone with this Locust stranger.
Hel appeared unfazed by Maria's desperate look and took another step forward, closing the distance between them. "Come, you must be hungry."
As if on cue, the Santiago's stomach rumbled loudly. Maria looked down, furious with her gut. Now she could not even pretend that she wasn't and spare herself any unpleasantries. The female Locust gestured Maria to follow and the human had no choice but to obey. She followed Hel down the corridor, eyes and fingers tracing every pattern and design she came across. Who would have thought that the Locust were so very elegant in their dwellings?
She could not wait to tell Dom what she had discovered.
Hel lead the human into what Maria supposed was a kitchen though it was quite unlike the one Maria had back in her own house. There was an open fire, spitting away gently. An elegant, wooden Locust table was situated in the center of the kitchen, taking up most of the room. Bunches of dried herbs of unknown origin hung over the oven. The cooking range – if it could have been called that – was really only a hollowed, super heated boulder with a large cooking pot placed inside. The lid was off and Maria could see a mixture of what she assumed was gravy, meat and a strange red plant that she was fairly sure she had seen before. Maria's stomach rumbled again, louder this time. She had forgotten the last time she had eaten proper food. Hel motioned for her to sit on one of the carved wooden chairs by the table then started to spoon out her stew into a grey marble bowl. Maria sat and trembled in a mad mixture of fear, excitement and dread.
When the Locust female placed a bowl and spoon in front of Maria, the human had to clench her hands together to prevent herself from grabbing the bowl and wolfing it down in one go. "Munnnaki should eat. Regain her strength," the Locust female said and took a seat opposite Maria.
"I'm not hungry thank you."
Another groan from Maria's stomach contradicted her statement.
Hel gave her what Maria supposed was a smile. It looked more like a sneer to the Santiago woman but at least the Locust was trying. "I know that you are hungry Munnnaki. There is no shame nor dishonour in filling your belly." Hel spoke softly, as if she were talking to a child. For a moment, that was exactly how Maria felt and before she could stop herself, her hands had moved of their accord and grasped the bowl. She wolfed down the stew, her stomach making happy little growls every few seconds. After months of eating Locust rations, Maria had never tasted anything so wonderful. When she was finished, Hel filled her another bowl and the eating commenced once again.
Once Maria had taken in her fill, she leaned back in the chair and rested her hands against her full belly. For the first time in months, Maria felt warm, safe and full. The Locust female watched her the entire time with interest, seemingly mentally noting down everything Maria did. "Did you enjoy that?" she asked, her Locust dialect hissing slightly.
Maria nodded.
Hel looked pleased with herself. Well, as pleased as a Locust could look without disembowelling a human. "I am glad Munnnaki. I had collected some information about human cuisine before you came."
The dark haired woman stared at the gentle and almost docile Locust with surprise. "Hel?"
"Yes Munnnaki?"
Maria pulled a face. Despite the array of Locust dialect she possessed, she could not piece together what her Locust name actually meant. "What does 'Munnnaki' mean anyway?"
The Locust female looked away for the first time since Maria had entered her home, seemingly embarrassed. "Munnnaki means...'Foolhardy Female'" Hel replied.
"Oh," was all Maria could manage. The rage and hate boiled up to the surface. Each time the Locust had said her name, it had been meant as a slap to the face. She was silent for a few moment, unsure what to say or what to do next. Really, what could she do? She was alone deep inside Nexus with a Locust family for gods only knew why. She looked up through a messy fringe of dark hair and stared directly at Hel. "Why am I here Hel? Tell me honestly."
The Locust drone released a sigh and laced her large, lily white hands together. Something about her Locust facial features had changed and for a fraction of a second, Hel looked almost human. "I had hoped that Ragnarok...could have been here to explain. It seems that I must bring light to the situation." Hel took her gaze whole. "I will tell you Munnnaki. But you must speak not to no one of this. If the queen were to find out, even the heavens above would tremble in fear of her wrath."
Maria's battered and bruised heart came to a standstill inside her chest. She could not even begin to fathom a sentence in her mind, much less speak it. Hel took her silence in her step and carried on with her explanation. The Locust female looked her straight in the eyes and answered without fear nor hesitation.
"We are what they call Lambent Munnnaki. And we need your help."
EDTIED: Tweaking dialogue and changing plot slightly so it can kinda fit in with Gears of War 3 Well there we go. Another chapter done and dusted. I know that this chapter didn't really focus on Jen really, mostly on Maria. I kinda wanted to get across the fact that while Delta are fighting battles on the surface, Maria is going through her own challenges and such in Nexus. I know the Queen says that Delta were the first humans to "desecrate this place," but you could assume that Delta were the first humans to step foot in the Queens place, not Nexus itself. Forgive my lack of creativity for describing Nexus. I had no idea where how to describe it D: *shot*
Man, the battle on Landown was really hard to do. I rewrote that thing like four times and I'm still not happy with it! I was gonna put more in, have the Grindlifts go down with this chapter but I wanted to focus on Maria more on this one since she won't be in the next chapter.
Sorry Carmine fans, I had to make him get shot since I needed Jen to finally have a reason to fight, give her a reason to be brave.
"Daemon cum cyanus oculum" is Latin and means something like "Demon with blue eyes". I can't be sure though since it is difficult to translate direct sentences since some English words don't exist in Latin. Still, I want to have Marcus viewed as a demon or something to the Locust (just like the Master Chief to the Covenant)