Komms 33 – 65

February 19th 2262 Jacinto Community High School

Stepping through the door to the classroom he looked over to the table he'd sat at the day before, his eyes moving over towards Yuri's table which sat empty, her chair pushed all the way in under it. He frowned a little seeing she wasn't there but looking around at the rest of the class he noticed some of them whispering between each other, glancing and trying to give sly points at him. He shrugged it off and walking along the front row of desks he took the turn at the end, taking a stroll down to the table he was at the day before.

He took his seat, placing his bag under the table and placed a palm to his chin, pushing against the strength of his neck, letting the subsequent crack echo out. He slouched back in his chair, leaning his head back as Miss Forlorn came through the door, taking a seat at her table and pulling out her folders for the day. Looking round at the class and seeing who was present, a worried look over coming her eye as she seen Komms sat there, worrying there might be a repeat of the day before.

His eyes slowly closed, feeling the weight of a bad nights sleep over coming them, just about letting out a snore as Miss Forlorn tapped on her desk, taking the attention of the class to her. She said her hello's to the class then started taking the register, looking even more worried when Yuri didn't call present as her name was called. Calling present as she called his name, pulling a couple jotters from his bag, dumping them on his desk as the teacher told them about their lesson.

Starting up the lesson he sat back up in his seat, "This morning as I said before, we're going to be talking about languages and cultures. So to start, does anyone here speak any languages other than English?" she asked, two other students raising their hands as did he. When she asked the other two students what languages and how much they spoke, they both answered that they spoke Chinese, only one of them fluently.

Turning to Komms, she asked, "And what other language can you speak, Komms?" but as he opened his mouth to speak the door opened again, this time Yuri hesitantly stepping into the room. Miss Forlorn gave her a warm smile as she stepped forward towards her, clutching her bag to her chest as she fumbled with the zip. Her hand shook from the bag, nearly dropping a piece of [a[er that she handed over to the teacher. Miss Forlorn took a second to read over it, then looked back up at Yuri, giving her a nod.

She zipped her bag back up as she went to walk along the front line of desks, stumbling over her laces and nearly falling face first on the floor, to which a flurry of sniggers came form around the class, quickly stopping when Forlorn glared over them.

Yuri picked up her pace, marching along the desks and down towards her table, quickly glancing at Komms as he gave her a smile before she sat down. She slipped her bag down between her legs under the table, looking forward towards the teacher through her fringe. Forlorn gave a quick recap for Yuri on what the lesson was, then asking again who knew how to speak another language, this time Yuri slowly raising a hand along with Komms and the other two.

Miss Forlorn's eyes light up seeing her participate, being taken back a bit at the same time, "And what language can you speak, Yuri?" she asked, some of the eyes of the class then turning to look at Yuri, making her even more anxious. "F...F...French, M... Miss..." Yuri stuttered.

"Very nice choice, Yuri, such a romantic language! Are you fluent?" Forlorn chirped, taking note as Yuri dropped her head to look at the desk, hoping not to be asked to demonstrate. "K...Kinda..." She replied.

Quickly trying to take the attention of her, Forlorn then turned to Komms, "And you said you could speak another language, Komms?". He looked back round from Yuri as everyone ells looked round at him. "Aye, Miss, I Russian and Scots–Gaelic, Miss." He replied.

"Two languages!? Now that's a real talent, I take it you learned it from your parents?" She chirped, her eyes lighting up again. "Aye, My father still speaks Russian quite a lot, my mother not so much with Gaelic but since she didn't ken if anyone outside the family still spoke it she wanted ees tae learn it tae help keep it alive." He explained. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak Gaelic, could you give us an example? Something like..." She asked, rubbing her chin between her fingers as she tried to think of something for him to say.

"The snow fell on the bench that the couple sat on, warmed in each others embrace." She said, finally coming up with it after a few seconds. He looked to the side for a moment, feeling Yuri's eyes pear round at him from under her hair, "Thuit an sneachd air a 'bheing a shuidh an dithis, a' cur blàths air a chèile." He replied, after taking a moment to think of a couple of the words.

"Yet another romantic language, such beauty held can be held in words." She sighed before continuing with the lesson.

The bell soon rang for break, closing his book he looked up as Miss Forlorn stepped towards the door and speaking out to the class. "Okay, I'll see you all back here in a half hour, have a good break everyone." She chirped before she dissipated through the door, the other students following after her out the door, soon only leaving him and Yuri sat at the back of the classroom.

He reached down to his bag, pulling out a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap her felt Yuri's eyes jump between him and the wall ahead of them as he drank, finishing with a refreshed sigh. He popped his head round to look at Yuri, her eyes bolting back forward as she realised he'd noticed her looking. He held the bottle out between them, Yuri slowly reaching her hand out and taking it, juggling the water from side to side inside the bottle as her hand shook all the way to her lips, taking the smallest sip that she could.

"Yer alright, lass, ye can take a bigger drink if ye want, like." He said as she held the bottle back out to him. Again the bottle shook to her mouth as she took a couple mouthfulls this time. He took the bottle back and capped it again, sliding it back down into his bag as the air fell silent between the two fo them.

He turned his head towards her slightly as he opened his mouth to say something, "Je...Je vous remercie..." She quietly said before he could get anything out. "Hmmm?" He hummed in his reply, her voice being a bit too quiet for him to hear properly. "Th...Thank you, K...K...Komms..." She replied, raising ehr voice slightly to be heard better.

"Th...thank you for yesterday... N...No one's ever really st...ood up for me l...like that before... Or at least n...not in a while..." She stuttered as she brought her eyes back up to him again, still covering them with her fringe.

"I...it was nothing really... I just hate seeing that happen to folk." He said as he scratched the back of his neck. "I...It wasn't n...nothing, Komms, Genuinely, thank you so much!" She managed as she brushed the hair from her face, showing her eyes all red and puffy. "Th...That was the nicest thing... To happen to me in a l...long time..." She said as she started to choke a bit.

"How longs this been goin on fur, lass?" He asked as he leaned in towards her slightly. Pausing fro a moment, trying to think back to when it started, "A...As long as I...I can remember..." she finally mumbled, a tear rolling from the corner of her eye and down her cheek to her chin.

Feeling his heart sink for her, he leaned even closer to her, placing his hand atop hers as it sat on her table. She jumped slightly as she looked at her desk, jolting her vision back to him again, his eyes in a piercing gaze staring through hers. "If in the time I'm still here, Darlin, if anyone and I mean anyone geez ye any jip, you tell me." He said, his stare almost turning to a glare as he thought about the boy from the day before.

"Th...Th...Th...Th...", she tried to get her words out to thank him, but with how anxious and overwhelmed she was, only a few whimpers came out. He eyes darted to the clock for a moment, seeing they still had twenty minutes left an idea came to his head. "You eaten the day?" He asked, hearing her stomach squeal for a moment before she gave a little shake of her head, dropping another tear from her chin.

"C'mon then, lass, lets go have a wee scran, then we can make oor way back here, ye'll feel a lot better fur it." He said with a smile as he pushed himself up from his desk, taking his hand from hers as he grabbed his bag. Smiling down at her he watched as she cradled her hand in front of her chest, looking light no one had ever touched her like that before.

She reached down and grabbed her bag from between her legs, pulling herself up to her feet and cracking a very slight but sad smile as she looked at him, her hair falling back over her face again.

Reaching the canteen her smile vanished, looking round at the crowd around her, slowly following after Komms as he made his way to the line on the other side of the hall. He curled a smile to himself, noticing a group of people sat around a table glaring at him and Yuri, one of them being the boy from the day before. He grabbed himself a tray and taking a second, putting it in front of Yuri as she hesitated to pull one up for herself.

"I...I don't want to put you out of pocket..." she said, looking up from her tray. "Nonsense, lass! I've got plenty enough fur the twea en us." He piped grabbing a sandwich and a bottle eh Nuka Cola as he did so. "Tell ye wit, wit's yer favourite Cola?" He asked as he leaned in towards her, lowering his voice slightly.

"N..Nuka Che-" she started to say, clamping a hand over her mouth to stop him from spending to much on her. Her efforts were in vain though, as he reached out and grabbed a Nuka Cola Cherry and placed it on her tray along with the other food she'd picked out. She cocked her head up to look at him, her eyes widened as a look of worry came over her face again, "B...but that's like twice the price!" She blurted, to which he simply smiled and gave her a wink.

They pulled up to the register as they done the day before, handing over the money for their food and drinks and taking his change back. They walked over and sat at the same table they had done before, counting out the change he'd been given, placing it on Yuri's tray to which she looked at him again. "Take it, lass, get yerseln something fur lunch or if ye'v got something for that already get yourself somethin tae eat later or tomorrow morning... Please?" He asked, dipping his head a bit and looking back at her look of worry with another look of worry.

She glanced down at the few dollars that sat on her tray, then taking it and slipping it in her pocket. "I'm no deain it as an insult, lass, I'm just wantin tae look oot fur ye, is all." He said as she lowered her head to look at her food. She lifted her head back up to look at him again as he finished, lifting her head up further as he felt someone walk up behind him.

He turned round to look at the person behind him, anticipating a punch to his the side of his face as the person tapped his shoulder. He loosened his expression as he seen James stood behind him, a look of concern crossing his face. "Komms, wasn't it? Could I speak with you for a minute?" He asked. Komms turned and gave Yuri a smile combo'd with a wink as he stood up, following the boy over to the corner of the room several paces away.

"Okay, Komms, here's the deal...Yuri... Well she's done nothing to deserve what she goes through and thank you for what you done for her yesterday... But you need to know this." James said in a hushed voice as he turned back round to look at him. Komms stepped past him, making him turn further round to look at him, making James give him a confused look, then realising Komms' glances over at Yuri and the table with the boy sitting at it. He gave James a nod and signalled for him to continue as he continued to glance over between the two tables.

"Yuri is... Yuri's a sweetheart really, Komms, I'm not going to lie about that and try to make her out to be someone she's not... But she's... She has a disorder almost... I guess..." He said, making Komms raise a brow before he continued speaking. " She gets overly attached very quickly, I can see it in her right now, she'd doing her best to hold back so she doesn't make you run away. Just please, don't hold it against her if she starts getting a weird, Komms, but don't be surprised if she gets really clingy, or making certain remarks without meaning to speak or if she does and then runs away and hides when she realises she'd done so. I just thought you should know, man, if you're going to try to be friends I wouldn't want you getting shocked when it happens." James explained, then patting him on the shoulder and walking back off to what he was doing before he'd came over.

He glanced back over at Yuri, watching her reach out for her bottle of juice, hesitating to take it and pulling her hand back and hiding it under the table and moving back to her food. He debated for a moment about what he should do, scratching at his chin as he crossed his arms, trying not to make it obvious he was looking at her.

If he cut it off there and then or maybe a little later she would go back to how she was yesterday morning and everything he said would be pulled from his throat as he'd be going against it, leaving her be for the bullies to move back into their territory after a slight disruption. He shook his head as he placed his face in his palm, mentally kicking himself for even thinking of the idea, cause if he just stayed with it, giving her a friend she could rely on to make things easier, then even if he had to move away again, it wouldn't be by choice, she wouldn't feel so abandoned and betrayed knowing he didn't just walk away.

He peered through his fingers, seeing her give him a look of worry as she noticed him standing there rubbing his forehead. He ran his hand down to his chin giving her a smile to try and ease her mind as he noticed her hand shaking. He started walking back over, stretching as he walked, loosening his arms and shoulders before he sat back down across from her.

"Listen, Yuri..." He sighed, but before he continued she raised her hand, expecting what was to come. "You're uncomfortable being around me, aren't you?...You want to move seats away and talk with the more normal kids, don't you? I... I get it... This was just a goodbye gift wasn't it? I... It's not the first time it's happened. I... I... I'll j... just leave you to it, Komms... I... I don't blame you..." She said, her voice almost completely calm apart from a couple stutters, almost as if it was a pre-made message she'd made up.

She placed her hand on the table as she looked down at the tray, the money she'd put in her pocket set out in a tower. She leaned down and grabbed her bag before she pushed herself up from the table. He snatched at her hand on the table, gripping it tightly, "Yuri... Please, don't go!?" he yelped.

A look of surprised joined her worried and dejected expression, freezing mid stance before slowly sitting back down again as she lowered her bag to the floor. He loosened his grip on her hand, but still keeping his on top of hers.

"I... I need to tell you... Y...You know there's still a chance that I might be moving away at any point that everything fucks up with my dad again, I want you... I need you to know that if that does happen and I move away, I won't be walking away from you by choice!" He declared, his eyes wide as he stared through her fringe at the small specks he could see of her eyes, his expression changing to that of anguish.

He realised how cold her hand was as he stared at her, her eyes shaking as they stared back through her hair, seeing her lip starting to tremble. He slowly pulled back from her, sitting back in his chair, "I.. I just thought you should know..." he mumbled.

Komms 34 – 66

May 5th 2266 Camp Gamma Garrison Point

He stared down at her sleeping face as she lay cocooned in the blanket next to him, just her head sticking out from under the covers as she curled up. He'd been thinking of when he'd first met her and the day after and what'd happened between them. He thought again of how after they finished with their breakfast she'd shoved her bottle of cola in her bag and dipped into the toilet as they went back to class, coming in late again and handing another note to Miss Forlorn and leaving, stopping short when she left and giving him a little wave as she looked back at him.

He'd asked her the next day why she'd left but she refused to answer, just saying she didn't want to talk about it, after finding out about her little habit he had a clue at what she'd done in there but at the same time he could see through her hair and how puffed up her eyes were afterwards.

He slid his hands from under the duvet, brushing the hair from her face and back over her ear, admiring her beauty as he laid his head back into the pillow again. He felt like waking her and just asking her what happened that day that made her leave like she'd done, but that would just be selfish. He slowly shuffled closer to her, resting his head close to hers as he pulled his hand back under the cover, searching around for hers and taking it in his palm when he found it.

Her eyes angled slightly in her sleep as she shuffled in turn, her body not expecting to be graciously disturbed in that manner. "Shhh, it's just me, Bun, it's okay..." He hushed into her ear, her unsure shuffles soon coming to a halt as he spoke. He slowly lifted his head, looking over her at the clock on the table behind her, 02:41. They were still on R&R, getting back to some training and a possible deployment the next again week, to be posted at the border in a rotation. They still weren't sure whether it would be them or not, since the unit designated to go next had taken heavy casualties in fighting between the Canadians and Locust.

He squeezed her hand a little, feeling how warm her hand was compared to back on the second day of school, her hand was almost freezing that day, half as if she'd been stood in the blaring winds for an hour or as if she'd lost that much blood that she couldn't warm herself. In thinking that, that could have been the case.

He rested himself into the pillow again, closing his eyes to try and sleep again. He gritted his teeth as he leaned up again, the clock now saying 03:17. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't sleep, it wasn't even the images of Jane or the thoughts of her brother and father, he wasn't over it but he'd managed to make them subside.

His eyes ached so badly, yer no matter how hard he tried or how little he tried he just couldn't sleep. He decided to say fuck it, slowly pushing himself up the bed so he sat against the wall, doing his best not to wake Yuri. He reached over her, pulling over his ashtray and lighter, opening his pack of cigarettes and pulling one of the last three that sat inside.

He flicked the flame to life, holding it to the end of his cig and letting it burn for a moment as he drew the heat into it. He silently closed the lid of his lighter after blowing it out. He heard a shuffle on the other side of the room, soon seeing a flash as Vlad struck a match and light his own smoke, the end of his being one of the only dim lights he could see in the room, the small glowing dot that grew brighter every now and then as he heard him take a draw.

He pulled a mouthful of smoke into his lungs as well, breathing it out into the darkness ahead of him, deciding to wake his fag at Vlad, after a second when the glow grew bright again he seen the dot wave side to side back at him. He nosed a laugh at the notion, thinking that for soldiers, it seemed like a rather childish thing to to as they began drawing shapes in the darkness with their sticks of doom.

Vlad started spelling out words in the darkness, D...R...I...N...K...? he made out, he replied by spelling AYE with his cig and hearing shuffles come from his direction he grabbed his ashtray and tried slowly pulling himself from Yuri and the duvet, managing to only just do so as he felt her shuffle uneasily about. He heard a little clank of glass come from Vlad as he made his way to the door, opening it and letting some of the light come in from the hall, lighting up Vlads figure as he walked over from his bunk.

They stepped out into the hall, seeing Erin and Horvat sat at a table playing cards. They both turned their heads and smiled as they seen them come out their barrack, Vlad raising the bottle of vodka in his hand to ask if they wanted to join them. They girls looked at each other, both giving a shrug before turning back and giving a nod. He looked back at Vlad again, a grin crossing his face as he turned back into the room and creped back over to his bunk and grabbing another couple glasses from him locker before returning.

"Wit you's daein up this late then?" He asked the girls as they pulled up a couple seats to the table, sitting next Erin as Vlad sat next to Horvat, pouring out a drink into each of the glasses. "Couldn't sleep..." Replied Erin's tired voice as she looked back over from her cards, noticing the darkened bags under her eyes. "You?" She asked, "Same, like." He replied, his voice sounding just as tired as hers.

Vlad pushed a glass to each of them as he raised his in front of him. They each took their glasses and done the same before they clanked them together between them and took a drink. Horvat let out a little wheeze after taking a drink, thumping her glass a little as she placed it back down. "Damn... I forgot... you brewed some... strong stuff, Vlad" She coughed.

He joined Vlad in taking another drink from their glasses as they both chuckled. "You aren't off loosing you're touch now, Sergeant, are we?" He chuckled. She nudged him in the side with her elbow as she looked back at her cards, laughing herself, "Come now Vlad, you don't take me for a lightweight now, do you?". "No, Sergeant, just of beings a little concerned of your well being is all." He said, looking round at her cards, then looking over at Erin with a suspicious squint. "My bets on the Sergeant.".

Komms decided to look over at Erin's cards as she pulled a grin, seeing she had a straight flush of an ace through ten. "I'm stickin wi the Private." He replied, pulling his wallet out and placing a twenty on the table. Vlad pulled a twenty from his pocket and raised him and extra tenner, to which Komms obliged.

"Come now, boys, you don't have to go fighting over little old us now." Horvat chuckled as she looked at her cards again, then back up into Erin's eyes. "Well I'm sorry, Sugar, but I think your friend just lost thirty bucks!" she laughed as she laid out cards, showing a straight of a jack through seven.

Vlad started chuckling before he downed the rest of his drink, reaching over for Komms' money. "Not so fast there Rusky!" Erin piped, pulling an even wider grin as she looked back at Horvat, laying out her cards, "Read'em and weep, Sergeant." She said, raising her fist between her and Komms to which her thumped his fist into hers and pulled the money over to himself. Vlad's face dropped as he looked at the cards, then over to Komms' hand as it pulled the money over to his side, handing the tenner over to Erin, who slid it into her breast pocket, smirking over at the two of them.

"Don't gamble if ye can't handle to the results, Vlady boy!" she laughed, taking another drink from her glass and placing it down next to her cards.

"Communism!" Vlad blurted, looking back over at Komms with his hand outstretched. "Communism with capitalist tendencies!" He called back, slipping the other fifty bucks into his wallet. "Cyka, should not have taken bet..." Vlad murmured while he poured another drink, leaning his head against his fist on the table.

The two girls giggled between each other as Komms slid his wallet back into his pocket, pulling out his cigarette packet again and pulling one of the two from it. He popped it between his lips, then slid the ashtray between them, holding the open packet over to him. "Communism!" He blurted at Vlad, imitating his previous quote.

Vlad looked up from his drink and gingerly took the cigarette, afterwards Komms pulled his lighter and sparked it to life again, holding it out and lighting Vlads cig then his own. He looked down at the table as he closed his lighter, seeing the cards Horvat had dealt him. He shuffled his chair along from Erin as did Vlad to Horvat, each of them slanting their chairs to face the centre of the table.

After a dozen or so hands and a bottle and a half of Vlads special brew between them they all sat rolling their heads, exhausted and drunk Erin was the first to fall prey to slumber, slowly lowering herself onto the table and resting her head into her crossed arms. Vlad then fell, literally face first on the floor from his chair, his snores quickly following. He glared down Horvat in a Mexican stand off, seeing which one would last the longest.

They both shook their heads occasionally, trying to keep their eyes open. Horvat's head slowly dropped as he thought he'd won, slowly closing his eyes himself before she lurched her head up and giving a stretch. He tore his eyes back open, giving a pinch to the back of his leg, pulling a little grin as he leaned forward, finishing off the sip that was left at the bottom of his glass and sitting back in his chair.

He woke choking on his snore, coughing a little as he brought his head back up straight, seeing Vlad still planted firmly on the floor snoring away. Erin and Horvat were gone, guessing that Horvat had won the battle and stumbled off with Erin to bed in a sign of victory. It was only then he noticed the arms around his neck, drunkenly turning his head to the side as he felt a hot breath blow down his neck. He received a kiss to his lips as he found Yuri leaning on his shoulders.

"I see you had a fun night." She whispered, her eyes smiling round at him. "Well... I hink I lost, Darlin..." He slurred, receiving a giggle from Yuri as she realised he was still drunk. "I think we need to get you to bed, my love." She giggled, before delivering another kiss to his cheek."I... I hink ye might... might have the right idea there... Gorgeous.." He hiccuped, feeling one of her arms slid back from his neck and helping him to his feet.

He looked down at Vlad on the ground, reaching down and grabbing him by the shoulder, but in his state he only managed to nearly pull himself to the ground as he tried to lift him. Yuri laughed again, sliding her hand around his other arm, both of them together lifting his face off the ground and dragging him back to the barrack. They got him through the door, waking Murphy up as they dropped him at the side of his bed, both of them together taking his arms and legs, lifting him onto the bed.

"And what the fuck is going on now?" Murphy yawned, pushing himself up on his elbows. Komms threw his arms around Yuri's shoulders, aiding him in his stumble to his bunk. "That drunk... drunk bastard... L...Lost!" He declared before collapsing on the bed, instantly starting to snore as his face impacted the mattress.

Murphy just laughed as he seen him pass out again, while Yuri pulled him up the bed, positioning him right, before pulling the covers over him and sliding back into bed again herself.

He woke again, Yuri's hot breath brushing down his face and neck as he found the side of his face pillowed into her chest as she sat up the bed playing with his hair. Still feeling slightly drunk he looked over at the clock next to the bed as he opened his eyes, seeing he'd been asleep for quite a while. "13:26?... Fuck me that were a long doze..." He murmured as he lifted his head.

Yuri let out a giggle as she continued twirling his hair around her fingers, "I thought you seemed rather comfy, my Dear?" She said as she smiled down at him. He looked down at her chest then up again at her face and grinning as he lay his head back down between them. "You're like memory foam, Doll, I just... I just sink right in..." He sighed, feeling her breast envelope either side of his head through her vest, hearing her let out another giggle, her breasts massaging up the front and back of his head as she jolted from her laugh.

He slid his arms around her waist as he felt her hand settle on his back, the other massaging round the back of his neck. "Y...Yuri, is anyone ells here?" He whispered. "No, my Darling, what did you have in mind?" She asked as she pulled a naughty smirk. "I... Well... I wanted to ask you something..." he mumbled, feeling her heart rate slow back down again as her face turned to that of worry. "W... What's wrong, my Love?... I... I haven't done anything wrong have I?..." she asked, her voice growing ever more anxious.

"Well... It's not a problem if you don't want to say, lass... I just got to thinking last night, about when we first met at school." He replied, "On that second day, when you showed up late for class... I... I wanted to know what took you? Cause you looked like you'd been crying and then when you left school that day after break, I wanted to know what was wrong?" He asked, feeling her chest drop as she let out a sigh.

She brought her arms up, cradling his head further between her pillows. "I guess I never told you... did I?... Wh... When I came in that morning, I'd taken my brother to school and when I stepped through the doors the thought of what happened the day before flooded my head, how kind you'd been and what you done to Garcia... I had to take some time just to get over that someone would do that for me, my Love, that was the first time in a long time that anyone had the gumption to stand up for me, especially just going past saying "go away" and actually doing something about it. The... the tears I'd let out that morning, were because I couldn't believe someone would waste their time on someone as incompetent, useless and pathetic as me... the other half of the tears were shed from joy, knowing someone had been that... That kind to stop it for a time..." she explained, feeling a tear drop from her chin to her chest and down into his hair.

"A...As for leaving after break... I...I just couldn't take how kind you'd been... T...Trying not to g..get too attached... with what you'd said in the morning, Komms, and then... Then when we got to the canteen and to try and cheer me up you got me that bottle of Nuka Cherry... I... I couldn't bring myself to drink it... I... It just meant so much to me... I... I still haven't drank it Komms... it... it's in my bag in the closet in your room... It's just meant to much to me, b...but when I left the class, I'd had to take more time to understand what just happened... I couldn't take it, it was too much for me in the course of two days... and... and I love you so much for it, Komms... Those were two of my happiest days I'd had in years, all because you'd been kind...". Her voice choked and broke as she explained it to him, sounding as if she was still finding it hard to come to terms with it.

Komms 34 – 67

February 20th 2262 Jacinto Community High School

He sat waiting at his desk, his leg bouncing up and down, shaking while he waited for Yuri to show up. His head raced with the hopes that she was alright, feeling disheartened and anxious that he'd done something wrong the day before. He'd showed up early that day, hoping she'd have came earlier like he'd been told she normally done, getting there before everyone ells so she could have some time to read and not have to deal with walking in in front of everyone.

Miss Forlorn eventually arrived to the class, the clock finally striking eight o'clock as she started the day, calling out the register, another look of worry filling her eye as Yuri didn't answer for the second day in a row. They pulled out their textbooks for another maths lesson, his paper being almost blank before the lesson stopped for break. He looked up from Yuri's desk as the door opened as Yuri finally made her appearance to class, her hair dripping wet, the same for the top of her jumper.

She walked forward towards miss Forlorn as everyone in the class stared at her, unlike yesterday there weren't any sniggers of giggles coming from the class as they seen her, some of them looking away back down at their jotters thinking of what might have happened to her this time. Her head hung shaking as she stared at the floor at Forlorn's feet, raising her wobbling hand in front of her and handing her a torn piece of paper.

Miss Forlorn read over the note carefully as her expression lay in shock, raising her head up with a look of sympathy and almost regret as she gave her another nod like the day before. Yuri slowly walked round the tables, not even glancing at Komms as she walked past, sitting down at her table next to him as she stared at it. Most everyone ells had went back to their books, trying not to look over at her as they worked.

Komms couldn't take his eyes off her, her hair dripping all over her desk as a smell of urine and a hint of bleach emanated from her. "Yuri?..." He whispered as he leaned in over towards her. She shakily raised her hand to stop him from speaking, her eyes still glued to her table. He sat back in his chair still looking at her as she sat shivering and shaking.

The class soon finished for break, everyone ells in the class quickly leaving the room, quicker than either the two days before. He pulled everything from the pockets of his jumper, pulling it off over his head, finally making Yuri turn her head from her desk as she wondered what he was doing. She looked up at him as he held the jumper out between them, "Dry yerseln off, lass, ye much be fuckin freezin." He said as he dipped his head to to up at her face that was still angled to the floor.

"B...but... I...I...I..It's water from... from the toilet mains..." She stuttered, looking down between the jumper and him. "That deh matter, lass, dry yerself off, I've still got my jacket." He said, more and more concern filling his voice and eyes as he looked at her.

She finally relented, taking his jumper and and using it to dry her hair, using the last dry parts to try and dry the water from her jumper."What happened, lass?" He asked, his voice now starting to fill with anger, debating who he was going to be having a word with this time. "I.. I went... to the toiler before class... a... and the mains in the room... broke... or something... when I...I flushed the water shot back out at me..." She explained, the tone of her voice sounding as if she was telling the truth but still as if she was trying to hide something.

He leaned over again, placing his hand on her sogging wet shoulder as she looked back round at him. "Tell ees the turth, lass... if someone's done somethin to ye, I want tae ken, I canny help make anything better if ye deh tell ees..." He said, looking through her hair that had started to curl slightly as it dried. "I...It is the truth, Komms... I...it's not as big a deal as you think..." She hesitated to say.

He pulled his hand from her shoulder, sitting back in his chair before he opened his jotter back up, tearing a page out and writing something down. "Wh... What're you writing?..." She mumbled, looking curiously down at the paper. "A note for Forlorn." He said as he continued writing.

"F...For Forlorn?..." She asked, her head jumping up to look at him as he finished writing. "Aye, lass, I'm no havin ye sit here in that state, I'll chum ye up the road so ye can get yerseln a shower and a change eh clothes, no one deserves tae have tae sit through a day without a wash after that." He said, putting his jotter back in his bag and pulling on his jacket.

"N...n...n..no! I...I..I-" she stuttered, before Komms spoke back up, "You're no sittin here like that, Yuri, I'm no lettin any eh the little dignity ye hink ye have left leave ye cause eh this. Now c'mon, I'll chum ye up." He said, pulling a smile as he got to his feet, throwing his bag over his back and holding a hand down to her to help her to her feet.

She stared hesitantly at his hand before she took it, not wanting to get in trouble for just leaving part way through the day without permission. He got her to her feet and gave her another smile as he peered down under her fringe, and nodded his head backwards for Her to follow.

They stepped up past the teachers desk, dropping the note in her table as they walked towards the door, making their way to the entrance of the school. "It's you're lead noo, lass." He chirped with a smile. She nervously pointed down the road in front of the school and started walking in the direction of her home, passing several small housing blocks and shops on their way there.

He glanced back over at her as they walked, noticing her shivering like mad as she dawdled through the cold air, her still damp hair and jumper frozen to the touch. He looked down at his jacket, thinking it would better suit her at the minute. Pulling his bag off and unzipping his jacket. She gave him a confused look, then jolted her head back forward as he looked back round at her.

She didn't notice him take his jacket off, only that he pulled a few things from his pockets and stuck them in his bag. He slung the bag back over his shoulders as he opened up his jacket in his hands, resting it over Yuri's shoulders and lettering it drown around her.

She stopped in her tracks staring round at him wide eyed as she felt it land on her shoulders. As he stood there in a t-shirt and vest, just smiling at her. "K..Komms!" she yelped, looking down him as he stood there. "Yer still half drenched , lass." He replied, starting to walk again, getting a few paces ahead of her before stopping again and looking back round at her again, giving her a wink and nodding along the road before he carried on. She stood there for a second in shock before she shook herself out of it as she looked up and down his build, then quickly jogging up next to him and returning to her original pace.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to her house, reaching for the door she turned to look at him anxiously, "I...I'm not sure... if it's a good idea for you to... to come in..." she said, looking down at his feet. "It's cool, lass, I get it, want ees just tae wait ootside till yer finished?" He asked, giving her another smile. She looked back up at him again a bit worried, "B..But it's freezing out here... Would... wouldn't you prefer to head back to school?..." she asked. "Och, I deh mind, lass, I'd rather I knew ye were alright getting back there than leavin ye tae treck back up yerseln." he said, to which she pulled his jacket off from over her and held it back out to him.

"I...I'll try and be quick... Th... Th... Then!" she blurted before opening the door, hearing a man's voice speak out from another room inside asking who it was. "I...I... It's me, D..D...D... Dad!" She called back, hearing a few muffled words after as she closed the door behind her.

He took a seat on the door step that stretched out a couple feet on other side of the doorway, resting himself back against the wall as he took in the heat she'd left in his jacket. He sniffed the collar of the jacket as he put it back on, getting that faint whiff of urine and bleach again, as he hoped to smell what perfume she wore or the soap she used. He felt a little disappointed with the smell that was left, but he didn't mind to much, his nose eventually getting used to it after a minute or two.

He eventually heard a shower turn on through a window a window on the upstairs of the house, hearing the sound change as she stepped into the stream of water. He wondered what was happening in class and how Miss Forlorn had acted when she'd read his note, how much trouble they'd be in when they got back. He thought about it for a good ten or fifteen minutes, hearing a whimper come from thought he window to the shower up stairs, glancing up and wondering what was going on, the sound becoming slightly more prominent as the shower stopped, then quickly fading away as the quiet sound of a door closing slapped through the window.

He sat bouncing his leg around as he had earlier, biting his nails waiting for her to come back down and outside, waiting another fifteen-twenty minutes before he heard someone drop a set of boots on the floor inside, then a couple grunts as he heard them tie their laces. He stood back up from the step as he waited for the door to open, starting to feel even more anxious as he thought about her as each minute passed, the door still not opening.

"Th... That's me away, Dad!..." He heard from the other side of the door, no response coming back through from the other room. When she pulled the door open she let out a shocked gasp seeing him stood there, then shakily stepping out in her clean warm clothes, a hat perched upon her head since her hair was still damp. "Y...Y..You're still h...h..here?" she stuttered once she closed the door.

"Well, aye, I said I were gonnea walk ye back up didn't I?" He replied, pulling a little smirk as he done so. "Y...yeah.. you did..." She replied, both of them standing in silence again for a second before they started walking back towards the school.

After a few minutes of walking she finally decided to say something, "I...I'm sorry for making you wait... I... I didn't think y..you'd still be here..." she murmured, looking down at the ground ahead of them. "I'm no gonnea ask why ye thought that, lass, I get why, I'm just glad you've got a change and a shower. Be a lot mare comfy than ye were before hand." He said, pulling another smile at her as she stared at the road ahead.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches, pulling one out and popping it in his mouth, "You smoke?" he asked, looking round as he pulled a match from the box. She looked round at him as he asked, pulling a small metal tin from her pocket and opening it up to see three little hand rolled cigarettes inside. "M..My dad doesn't know... I... I try to do it on the down low..." She said, hesitantly fumbling as she tried to pull one out.

He struck his match and light his own, pulling it form his lips and handing it to her as she struggled to take it from the bottom of the tin with her bitten nails. "Y...you sure?..." She asked, to which he let out a nosed laugh, "Course l'm sure, lass." He said, pulling an extra five from the pack and dropping them in her tin as she placed the light one on her mouth.

He light another one and took a draw as they walked, watching her look down at the cigarettes he put in her tin for a minute or so before she slowly closed it and held it to her chest before placing it in her pocket. "My folks wi probubly slap the shite oot ees if they foond oot, like." He said blowing smoke round to the side away from her. both of them pinged their fag butts into the snow a few minutes later as they finished.

He turned as he heard something driving up behind them, turning and seeing a military truck driving up behind them. They were in between two housing blocks on side of the road, still a good fifteen or twenty minutes walk from the school. He gave a wave to the truck as it got closer, Yuri turning and looking at him as he waved. The truck slowed as it got closer, finally coming to a halt as it reached them. He walked over to the door, looking up at the driver as she opened the window, sitting there in full combat armour.

"Hey, you headed up past the school by any chance?" He asked, as she leaned out the window to look at the two of them. "Yeah I'm going that way, you want a lift?".He smiled and gave a nod, to which she motioned for them to hop in the back. They both walked down the length of the truck and getting round the back a couple soldiers in the back dropped the door, shuffling up a bit and giving them room to get in.

He climbed up the back of the truck inside and held a hand down to Yuri, pulling her up as she struggled to climb up the back. He reached down and grabbed the door, pulling it up shut. A Gear further up nocked on the back of the cab signalling for the driver to carry on.

He made some idle chat with the Gears in the back as Yuri sat quietly the whole way there, glancing over at the soldiers and the weapons they carried. It only took five minutes or so for them to get there, the truck pulling up and stopping at the entrance gate to the school.

He shook hands with the gears he'd spoke with, then jumped out over the hatch, Yuri following him over but awkwardly climbing over it and down instead. They walked up to the drivers door, thanking the driver for pulling over and giving the Gears a wave as they drove off into the cold.

They walked back into the school, following the corridors back up to their class, realising it was almost time for lunch as they stepped through the door. Miss Forlorn looked over as he opened the door, a look of relief overcoming her face as they appeared.

"Yuri, can you take your seat please, I need to have a word with you outside, Komms." She said,- her eyes taking a tone of displeasure as she spoke. He let Yuri pass, who gave him a worried look as she walked towards her desk, the sniggering of the class starting to echo through the room as Forlorn escorted him outside.

She turned to face him as she closed the door behind her, her expression relaxing again as they stepped a few paces further down the hall. "I got your note, Komms, thank you... Thank you for doing this for her, she really needs someone like you to look out for her, I feel like crying sometimes when I see the states she gets in and the isolation she puts herself in. Thank you so much, Komms, you really don't understand the service you're doing right now with this." She explained.

"I understand that you might be moving away again at some point, just please do your best for her while you're still here... she needs it." She smiled as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. He really didn't know what to say, thinking he was just doing things normally or how most people would want to do it.

They both stepped back into the room and she went back to her desk as he walked past the front line again, taking his seat next to Yuri and dropping his bag on the floor and slipping his jacket from his arms, laying it over the back of the chair.

The class ended not ten minutes later, Forlorn giving him and Yuri a big smile as she left, letting the other students leave first this time. He turned to Yuri who had taken her hat off to let her hair dry, deciding now to pull out a hairbrush as everyone had left, straightening out her hair and letting it hang low down her back.

He looked round at her for a moment before he settled back in his chair, "I'm just gonnea have a wee kip, lass, let ees ken if yer needin anyhin, alright?" he yawned as he leaned his head back, putting his jumper on the desk and putting his feet up on it so he didn't dirty up the desk.

"O...okay... Th... Thank you again, Komms... I..It means a lot..." She stuttered as she looked round at him closing his eyes. "Nea a boer, lass, just deain my job." He said, soon hearing her open her bag and the fluttering sound of paper as she opened her book as he drifted off.

Komms 35 – 68

May 5th 2266 Camp Gamma Garrison Point

He looked up at her again as she choked, trying not to burst into tears again. "There is something ells, Yuri..." He said, his eyes seeming more serious this time. "Y.. Yeah?..." She blurted. He took a breath for a second before pulling himself up next to her, ringing his finger on her upper chest as she looked over at him. "On the third day... The toilet didn't brake did it?" he asked as Yuri looked up at the ceiling, sliding down from the wall, biting her lip before she replied, but still only replying with a shake of her head. "What happened?...".

She took a deep breath, stuttering it out as she pressed her hand up on top of his.

"I... I came into school early as I normally done... I sat down and started reading, bagging my book after a while when I needed the toilet... I walked out the door and towards the toilet, feeling a bit weird, as if someone was watching me as I walked. I looked around as I walked, not seeing anyone around until I reached the door to the toilets, looking down the corridor I seen a couple heads pull back behind the wall at the turn at the end...

I sat in a stall, locking it behind me and hanging my bag on the coat h...hook. I heard the door open after a few minutes and someone enter a stall along from me and start doing their business. I... I waited till they finished before I continued, I hate doing it when anyone's around... I heard someone say something to some one ells as they they closed the door, everything going silent so I done my thing... I froze when I finished, the door didn't open but two sets of footsteps came over from the door. Someone knocked on the door a few times then when I didn't answer I heard a laugh before the door got kicked in.

I yanked up my trousers and pants, trying to quickly do my belt up as Garcia and a girl walked towards me, grabbing me by the hair and pulling me onto my knees... I can't remember what he said, but it was something about you... he laughed as he insulted me and you, then he pulled me onto my back and turned me round, forcing me on my hands and knees..."

Komms' eyes turned to a glare as he listened, "He fucking didn't?..." He growled, his eye starting to twitch. "N...No! Oh for the love of god I thought he was for a moment when he... he grabbed my... my ass... I...I think he thought about doing more b..but I guess he just thought twice... b...but I could smell the toilet, I hadn't flushed it yet... and he... he shoved my face down into it, dunking my head under and pulling me back out as I started struggling for breath, flushing the toilet after about the third time he dunked my head under...

When he finished it... he dropped me from the toilet... I was panting, crying... I was fucking begging him to stop... just to leave me alone when he kicked me in the side, doing it a few more times before he slapped me about. He...". Komms hushed her as he hugged onto her, pulling her round to face him as the tears started streaming down the side of her face. "Shhh, you don't have to go on, Yuri... It's okay.." He hushed, but she continued regardless.

"He...He grabbed me by the throat... he pulled me back up onto the toilet and... and got his lady friend to...to hold my head over the bowl... He...He pulled his zip down..." She sobbed. Komms tried to get her to stop and just let it go, but she insisted, telling him she needed to get it off her chest.

"He... He pulled down his zip and pulled it out... leaning over me and almost rubbing it in my face before he just started pissing on me... He fucking... Fucking pissed just... all over my face and hair!..." She screamed at the end, a fit of cries over taking her words as she clasped herself onto him.

The door flew open a moment or two later. Erin, Horvat and Vlad rushed through the door and over to the bed to see what was wrong. Erin held herself over Komms, placing a hand down on Yuri's back as she asked what was wrong. Yuri peered up from Komms to see her face, "Get the fuck away from me! You fucking whore, get your slimy fucking pissy face away from me!" She screamed at her. Erin jumping back in shock as she did so, Horvat pulling Erin close to her in shock.

Komms held her head into his chest as she wailed, looking back over his shoulder as the two of them stood there while Vlad stood at the bottom of the bed. "She's... She's having some... some bad memories..." he said before Yuri burst up from his chest. "The shit you fucking done to me you fucking, Cunt! Just fucking go, you've done nothing but make my life a fucking misery, I tried to live quietly out the lime light and all you fucking done was torture me you fucking blonde punching bag! Get the fuck out of my sight you degenerate glob of abject disappointment and cruelty, The best thing anyone who loves you could ask for for Christmas is a folded fucking flag" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her eyes burning with hate and heartbreak.

Erin's eyes widened as far as they could go as her lips trembled as she stared into Yuri's tear filled eyes. She tore herself from Horvat's grasp and sprinted for the door, grasping her face in her hands as she ran, bounding round the corner as Murphy started to march round, smashing into his chest almost sending the two of them to the floor. She looked up at him for a moment before sprinting back off from him and over to 2-1's barrack.

"That fucking cunt held me down while he fucking did it! Spiting and laughing in my face as he did, tearing at my chest through my fucking clothes with her nails before dropping my on the floor and walking off fucking laughing! I don't even know why I fucking bothered stopping her killing herself the useless fuck! She screamed again collapsing back down on the bed in the fetal and in to Komms' arms again.

Murphy stormed into the room after she had finished, a look of complete confusion across his face, the same as the others. Komms sighed at he held her, looking round at them and motioning for the door as he looked down at the ground.

It took a while fro her to calm down, eventually getting her to the point she was just at sniffles as she tucked her head in her knees, refusing to talk to anyone. He heard the door open again, and turned to see Horvat walk in, looking rather downtrodden herself, pulling up a chair next to his bunk she took a seat. "Is Erin alright?" He asked, looking up to her from Yuri. Horvat shook her head, while she looked down at the floor, "She's been crying since she ran from the room.." She said, dropping her face into her hands.

"What the fuck is going on?..." She asked, her voice muffled through her hands. "Erin... Erin used to bully Yuri in school... Pretty fuckin badly really... I asked her a few things about when I met her in school, about when I first moved there... She'd... She'd done something really bad and it just set her off on one..." He said, looking back down to Yuri as he clapped her head.

"What happened?" she asked, looking up past her fingers at Yuri. "I'm no sure you'd like tae hear.." He replied, biting his lip thinking it could do something between them. "please, Med, I'd prefer to know...".

"Well..." He sighed, taking a deep breath and wondering where to start. "On my third day there, she showed up late to class... her hair dripping wet and smelling off piss and bleach... She and her friend waited till she'd used the toilet, kicked in the door and shoved her head down into the bowl... she hadny even flushed it yet... Then her friend beat and slapped her and Erin held her down on the toilet and fondled her as he pissed on her..." He explained, dropping his head, regretting what he'd said.

"Oh my god..." She murmured through her hands, sliding them back over her face. "I telt ye ye wouldny want tae hear it...". Sitting in silence for a few minutes they listened to Yuri's whimpers from between her legs. "Wh...What the fuck have I done!?..." Yuri blurted down to the mattress.

He pressed his head down next to hers, rubbing them together, "It's no yer fault, lass... Ye had a breakdown and said some shit, it's an easy fix..." He said, before she pulled her head up. He picked her up from the mattress, placing her on his lap, dipping his head down to look up at her face. "Y...you think?..." She asked, contemplating her next actions. "Aye, lass, ye's are so close, there isny a way ye's couldny make up." he replied.

She took a second before tearing herself up from the bed and storming towards the door, Komms and Horvat both jumping to their feet and following after her as she marched along the hall to 2-1. She barged through the door, Komms making it up to her shoulder, seeing Erin flat out on the bed, her face buried in her pillow as Steph sat at her side trying to calm her as she cried.

"Erin!" Yuri called, causing her to lift her head from the pillow and see the three of them stood in the door way, Steph sat there glaring up at her. "I'm... I'm so sorry, baby!" she blurted as she paced across the room, Erin throwing herself up and latching onto her, joining her hands at Yuri's back as she cradled her.

"I... I'm so sorry, Erin, please for the love of god forgive me!? I... I wasn't in the best place! Please believe me!?" she pleaded as Erin cried into her chest. After a moment that they stood crying together, Erin started to mumble through Yuri's vest, "Yuri... I... it's not your fault... You didn't do anything wrong... I've been waiting for this to happen...". Yuri laid her head atop Erin's as she gripped onto her back and head while she shivered.

"Y... Yuri... You... You're fucking amazing!... You're so kind and welcoming... How I put you through so fucking much I don't think I'll ever know why... P... Please don't cry, just please, don't... You don't deserve any of this, fucking any of it..." she yelped, her voice still being muffled as she held her head tight to Yuri.

Komms 36 – 69

May 13th 2266 Highway to Alaskan Canadian Border

He sat tapping Yuri's foot in the back of the truck, getting her to look up at him from her book as she read, staring at her for a moment before he smiled his eyes at her, feeling her smile under her helmet before looking back down at her book, tapping his foot back after a second of looking down. He looked at Vlad next to him who was sleeping with his head leaned back on the wall of the truck.

He shook his head before looking down at his watch, the time being 09:33, still another three hours to go, after already being in the truck for the past four hours. "Here, Murph? What are we doin again once we get there?" He asked, looking round Steph that sat on his other side, looking down to the door of the truck where Murphy sat looking out the back.

"We're rotating with Charley company to take over on border defence, a lot of sitting around looking out of bunkers and watch towers. Us being Gamma-2 we'll have Gamma-1 on out left flank and Gamma-3 on our right. Shouldn't be much to worry about, borders locked up tighter than Steph when she gets to a club!" He called back. "Hey!" Steph called back, with Stevens next to her chuckling to himself before she slapped him across the helmet. "What were that for? I'm no the one who can't keep track of my purse when I see the poles!" He chuckled back, receiving another slap after saying so.

"Knock it off you two! You might be siblings but that doesn't mean I can't order disciplinary!"Murphy laughed. "tell ye's wit, ye remind ees eh my brothers and sister, never could get along wioot someone punching everyone." Komms chuckled.

Yuri raised her head from her book again hearing him talk about his sibling, "I never did meet your brothers or sister, you never spoke much of them either?" She said, placing the marker in her book and leaning forward a bit.

He scratched his chin a bit, "Yer right, I never really did did I? Och, well, isny much tae say I guess. Four eh us all together, I'm second eldest, My brother Ricky were eldest, He were a Gear already when I moved tae Jacinto and met ye, he were five years aulder and he bit the bullet in... I hink it were in a border fight when the C'nucks last tried pushing an offensive through the line, no long before I met ye really.

My sister Emilia, she's a year younger so she'll be in the academy the now, no seen her since before I moved tae Jacinto and the youngest Ty, well Tyler. He's kinda the squirt eh the family, wee hert eh gold, couldny hurt a fly. He were wi Emi, wi my aunt and uncle off in New Ephira, he's a year younger than Emi and they both refused to move again, my parents didny have a choice though so they ended up stayin wi them." He explained, thinking over how long it's been since he's seen them.

"Still write to them?" Yuri asked, taken back by how she never met them or how neither of them went back and forth to visit. "Aye, we write every now and then, writing got further and further in between letters, in fact, havny got a letter or sent them yin since the start eh trainin actually need tae get them written one up. Cause I mind maw sayin they were comin over when I got back on leave so we could have a wake, well when we get it scheduled around their leave cause they'll both be in it now that I hink aboot it."

Yuri looked at him with he stared up at the ceiling in thought, giving little squints with his eyes every now and then. "What're they like? Emi and Ty?" she asked after tapping him on the leg. "Eh...Well Emi's like me I guess, no as hands on wi practical work but she's head set on military service, No sure if she's went heavy infantry like ees or medium, might be goin demo but I couldny tell ye the now. Ty? He's mare eh the quiet one, always deep in thought about something, he's no so keen on service surprisingly but last I heard he were goin fur it. He's... he's a bit childish at times, but then I guess last time I seen him I were fourteen so he were only like twelve so I couldny really say anyhin really.".

"I'd like to meet them... Hope I get the chance..." She said, looking down at his boots. He patted her on the top of her helmet then gave her shoulder a shake, "You'll get the chance, Darlin, I hink ye'd like both eh them, ye'd get along wi Emi. Ty's got that sweet little kid vibe, so he gets along wi most for the best part eh it."

A few hours later they finally jumped from the back of the truck, looking around at the place they were to call home for the next six to ten weeks. The trucks lined up with mechanics checking round the engines and getting them ready to take the current guard to move out to their Garrison point. He followed Murphy along with the rest of 2-3 and 2-1, passing groups of waiting Gears.

Murphy shook hands with another Lieutenant, "Been too long Xing, been too long." He said, greeting him. "That it has, Murphy, how's it been going on the home front?" The other lieutenant replied. "There's been a breach, the reached Garosk, we drove them out though and with minimal casualties might I add.".

He turned back to the rest of his Squad as the two of them talked, "Either of you's been here before, then?" He asked, looking between Vlad and Horvat. "Da, this is my fourth circuit of the boarder, second time here as well." Vlad replied, with Horvat giving him a nod as well, "Yeah, my second time here and third on the boarder.".

After a bit of talking Murphy came back round to them, pulling them off to their barracks and giving them some time to set up. The barracks this time were set up with two squads per room, stacked on bunk beds. He took the first bed with Vlad, letting Steph and Stevens take the next. They shared with 2-4, Horvat shared the bunk at the end of the room with Murphy, Gaz taking the bunk across from him and Vlad with Miller.

He filled his locker and took a seat, sparking a fag as he took his helmet and mask off, blowing the smoke out in a cloud as Vlad climbed up onto his bunk. "Corporal, they are of havings a gym here, want to go check it out in a bit? Show you how to train like real man!" He laughed.

"Fuck it, might as well, like." He replied as he slid round on the bed, resting his boots up on the bar at the end of it. "Got a spare?" asked Horvat as she walked over and looked down at him on the bed. He pulled out his pack and opened it up, holding it out to her as she took one and sparked her lighter. "Don;t get to comfy now, Tiger, I think we're next on the line." She said, closing one eye so the smoke didn't catch her eye as she gripped the cig between her lips.

He cracked his neck and slid back round on the bed towards her as Murphy turned round to the rest of the room. "Yep, we're next up, so be ready with your kit in-" He said, looking down at his watch, "thirty five, and Med!. He looked round Horvat's waist at him, "Grab that launcher of yours, best to have everything we might need when we're there." Murphy said, turning back to his locked.

He slid round on the bed again, pushing open the door on his locker and pulling out the grenade launcher he'd stored. Horvat walked round the bed to his side as he racked open the pump, checking inside to make sure it was clear. "Bet you'll be happy when you finally get to use that, eh?" She said as she sat down next to him, patting him on the shoulder.

He let out a quick chuckle before grabbing the mag pouch for it from the locker and clipping it to the side. "Gonnea have a lot eh fun if I dea, like" He grinned, dropping a belt of forty millimetre grenades into it and clipping it closed so they wouldn't fall out.

Horvat leaned up close to him as she looked down at it, "You think they're gonna be alright?" She asked, her voice sounding rather concerned still. He pulled down his mask as he scrunched his limps, "I've no seen either eh them look the other in the eye since, but I'm sure they'll get to grips with it soon..." He said, trying not to think too much about it. "I mean they didn't speak or look at each other the whole trip, but some time on the line might change that.".

He dropped the launcher on the bed as he stood up, slinging his rifle and MG over onto his mag-pack and making sure his pouches where filled. "Want tae show ees aboot then? We can run round and grab them twea as well if ye want?" He said as he turned back round to the bunk. She pulled herself up from the bunk, spinning herself round to Vlad and patting him on the leg, "You coming, big man?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm good, Tavarich!" He said, nesting his head back into his pillow. She patted him on the leg again before they headed off, turning to the next again room, turning through to see Erin and Yuri had taken the same bunk but sitting on their beds silently, while Erin looked over her rifle and Yuri read one of her books.

"Who loves yous, sweethearts!?" Horvat piped as they stepped through the door, both of them looking over to them, both wearing the same pleasant smiles. Yuri hopped down from her bunk after she closed her book, smiling at Horvat before stepping up to Komms and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss as he pulled the extinguished cigarette from his mouth.

He gave them a wink when they parted, going back and re lighting his cig before putting it back to his mouth and taking a draw, popping it down into her lips and holding it while she took a long draw, taking it in deep and blowing it out her nose as she opened her eyes back up. He ruffled her hair for a moment, taking time to straighten it back out as her eyes into a sarcastic angry grin.

He looked over her at Erin and Horvat standing at the bed, holding their hands between each other and giggling away, then leaning in and meeting their lips for a moment. Yuri looked back, looking at Erin for what seemed like the first time in a while, a large smile crawling across her face as she admired the two of them. Erin's eyes jumped over to them, quickly looking down to the ground noticing Yuri look. "E...Erin?" She called over, her eyes slowly turning round to look at her. "Yous look so cute together..." She said, looking her in the eyes.

Erin looked back down, letting out a little sigh through her nose. "Yuri..." she said dejectedly, before parting her hands form Horvat's and taking a step towards her, stopping half way."I... I want to say... Just how sorry I am... I so sorry for what I've done to you before, I just took pain as what was the norm I guess and I put it all on you as well as everyone ells around me, the majority of it on you though... I... I know that especially with what you said last week that you haven't forgiven me, I don't think you ever can and I accepted that when you found me... trying to hang myself..." She said, Horvat's eyes jumping wide, almost in horror of what she just said.

"You said so yourself that you don't know if you can forgive me and that we'd turn a new slate and that's happened... I just want to ask that if you fell.. you... you need to say anything ells, please say it... I... I want to hear it... I need to hear it, I haven't been able to get a good nights sleep since, all cause I need to hear what you have to say. I don't care if it's insulting, or berating... Please, just say it..." She said, staring right into Yuri's eyes before looking down at her boots.

"Erin... please... I..I.. I don't know if there's anything ells..." Yuri replied, her voice cracking as she struggled to find the words. "Please, Yuri, I don't care what it is, I need to hear it." Erin said, stepping the rest of the way towards her and looking up.

Yuri froze for a moment before dropping her head, then looking back down at her. "Okay..." She sighed, not wanting to say anything against her, knowing full well what she's like now compared to back them. "You caused me so much pain, Erin... you made me feel things that no person should ever have to feel... You beat me, groped me, made it impossible for me to overcome how I get with people, left me alone without a soul in the world who fucking cared!" She said as she started to raise her voice a bit. "The amount of times you either shoved me head down a fucking toilet, threw me into walls, smacked doors against my head or threw things at me just to make me feel worse than you fucking did!

I mean you held me fucking down while I screamed, spat and laughed in my face as that fucking rat faced cunt pissed all fucking over me! You ruined my fucking life and drove me to the point I was literally going to fucking kill myself! Over and over and over I thought it might get better tomorrow, maybe they'll move on and leave me to my fucking misery but no, you doubled down! And it took for fucking Komms to move there and beat seven shades of shit out of him several fucking times for you to stop!

Even then you still carried on, carried on to the point where he tried to fucking cut me to the bone in training and Komms was about to murder him!".

Everyone ells in the room was staring at her as she ranted, each of them with their jaws dropped either in their helmets or on their laps as Erin's head had dropped, staring down at her boots as she berated her, looking as if she was about to attempt again as she brought back all the memories of what she'd done.

"You done so much to me... Yet I fucking love you, Erin... You're one of the greatest friends I've ever had... And... And I forgive you for everything you ever done to me... Even the most disgusting and degrading things that's ever happened... Cause even through you caused some of the worst things to ever happen to me... You're one of the best things that ever happened to me...".

She raised her head up slightly, staring at the armour across Yuri's belly before tilting her eyes up to see her smiling face, every hint of hate and rage gone from her expression gone, as if it just evaporated. Her hands shook for a second before they raised up out to the sides, waving her hands towards her making Erin just jump on to her. Yuri closed her arms around her, rocking them both side to side as.

He stepped up next to them after a while, patting Yuri on the shoulder and Erin on the head. Erin peered up at him as she turned her heard to the side, ripping her arm from Yuri and slinging it round him as well. He stood there a bit shocked for a moment before he curled an arm around Yuri and held his other hand to the back of Erin's head. "I..If you have anything to say, Komms... I want to hear that as well..." She said, burying her head in between the two of them like a child trying to get support from their parents.

"I deh have anyhing tae add, lass, Everything you done to me was through Yuri... Apart from that one time at the pick up for training, but I'm pretty sure I got you back on that one." He said as he scratched the back of her scalp.

He lifted his arm around Yuri's back and looked at his watch checking how long they had left. They still had twenty minutes so he thought it might be time to act."Tell ye what, lass. Me and horvat were aboot tae go fur a wee tour eh the place, how about you and Yuri join us, get to ken the place?" He asked, trying to lighten the mood.

She nodded her head in between them as she clamped them together, "Can... Can we stay like this for a little longer?... please?" She asked between them. He laughed a little, "That's nea a boer, lass, just let ees ken when yer ready." He replied, putting a little grip with his hand on the back of her neck.

She eventually relinquished them after a couple minutes, her smile bright enough to warm a home as she looked up at them. He gave a nod to Horvat who still looked a bit shocked, but still happy that they had come to a close. Erin and Yuri grabbed their kit, sticking their weapons to their back and following after Horvat and Komms, Yuri stepping up next to him and taking his hand, swinging it between them a little as they walked.

Horvat took them around to the mess, the cleaning and showering area as well as the latrines. She then took them to the smiths, showing them where to take their kit if it gets damaged and then the motor pool. "Alright, if there's going to be an immediate evacuation or a reinforcement move then this is where we come to, we load up and head off and do our thing. I think that's most of the places we'd be going to in our spare time. Oh! I remember Vlad telling you about the gym, Komms? You still wanting to see that?". Komms opened his eyes a bit more and gave an enthusiastic nod, making Horvat laugh.

"Well I could definitely use a spotter for the weights, show you how to build some real muscle!" She joked as she posed her arm and tensed her muscles, giving them a squeeze. He done the same, lifting his arm and walking up next to her to compare the size between them. "Aww, look at you two, comparing dick sizes for bragging rights." Erin chuckled, making Yuri nose a laugh.

Both Komms and Horvat turned their heads to look at the two, Komms raising his hand and pointing at Yuri, "That's it, nea sex fur the next two weeks!" he blurted, to which she looked at with a dejected look. Erin sniggered at her before Horvat spoke, "That goes for you to, little miss sunshine!". Erin jolted her head round, giving her the same look Yuri gave Komms.

Komms and Horvat glanced at each other with the same look of satisfaction, giving a little chuckle. "So how about we visit this gym then?" She asked, getting a look of agreement from Komms and a sigh from the other two. The walked back up to the Barracks again, walking past them and up a couple corridors until they came to a set of clouded glass double doors and opening it was a bunch of training machines. Small line of old treadmills and bikes, with some mats in the centre and a couple weight benches and racks with dumbbells on them.

"She isn't much to look at , but it's enough to get the job done and done well!" She said, curling up her arm again, "This is where I started on this masterpiece!". Komms stepped in and over to the weights, checking out what they had. "A nice wee selection I see, be gid tae get a bit mare under my belt." He replied, looking down at his arms again.

"So what ye say we get back and get the rest eh oor kit on then?" He asked, looking back round at them. Each of them sounding their agreement. They sauntered back off to the barracks down the corridors and strapped the rest of their armour on, bracers and other small sections they'd taken off to relax and settle in.

Murphy soon came back into the barracks from wherever he was off to, rounding everyone in all the barracks up, "Okay, now that we've settled in a bit it's time to discuss rotation of watches. The old guard is stepping down in fifteen minutes, We're swapping over part way through the shift with 3 and 4, so now it's going to be 2-3 and 2-4, so Horvat, your squad is with me while we're on watch. 2-5 and 2-6 will take over after that. We rotate every eight hours, it may get boring and you might start to nod off but as long as we take spells in who does so there won't be any problems. Understood?" he explained, getting a loud confirmation from all six squads. "

Good! Now, 2-3 and 2-4 with me, the rest of you settle in, 2-5, 2-6! I expect to see you down there at six o'clock! Until then do as you please, as long as you don't do anything that gets my balls chewed I'm happy with it! Training would be best, but R&R is approved in spare time, in fact, 2-5, grab your MG and bring it down with us, we can set it up in position and you can show whoever out of us that don't know how to use it how to. Medvedev, Leave your launcher down at the line as well, you can show the others the do's and don'ts. You can keep leave yours down there Vlad, but I'd prefer only personnel trained in using it already use it, don't need us all getting fucked cause someone with half a wit decided it would be fun to play with it!"

Komms 37 – 70

May 13th 2266 Alaskan – Canadian Border

four hours into his watch and he was bored shitless already, sat staring out the window of a bunker next to 2-5's MG, his own rested against the wall next to the launcher as he looked over his rifle, making sure the bolt was clean and the gas system wasn't fouled.

He took a look over at Vlad who was sat with a small stoke boiling some water for coffee and tea, ten cups lined up next to him as he popped everyone's desired mixes in their cups. He looked past him and at Horvat who sat up behind the .50, giving a check over that the ammo was in reach next to her and that there was plenty of it.

He looked back out the window, the bold wind blowing through and steaming his breath, chilling his fingers through the gloves. A couple minutes later Vlad walked over, handing him his mug, thanking him as he felt the heat penetrate his gloves and through to his fingers. He pulled the front of his balaclava down and took a sip, flinching a bit as it burned his tongue, but feeling at ease as the hot gold warmed his throat and stomach.

He took another sip before sitting it down on the ledge ahead of him, a smothering of coffee and tea stains already covering it. He heard the stove turn off as went for the coffee again, a couple of sighs emanate from along the bunker as some of them enjoyed their beverages. He looked at his watch, only a half hour to go before they went for the hand over, thankfully not having to do a full shift first thing, but it was long enough for him, since they started almost first thing that is.

He light another cig, taking a draw and taking another drink, "I take it ye start livin on this stuff when yer oot here?" He asked over to Vlad as he took a drink as well. "Pretty much, Comrade, pretty fucking much." He replied.

He sat staring out the window for the last half hour, exactly as he did for the time that past on his shift before hand, watching between the falling snow and the tree's and open terrane that had been made years ago, eventually 2-5 and 2-6 showing up at the door, pressing the buzzer.

Murphy got up from his seat and walked to the door, pressing the intercom. "That you 2-5?", it took a second before the old system sent the word across, hearing it echo through the other side. "Yep, our turn." 2-5 replied. Murphy turned the latch, pulling the door open towards him and greeting the two squads.

He swapped seat with the gunner of 2-5's machine gun, pulling most of them over and showing them over his launcher, showing them how to work the action and load it. Cycling a couple rounds through it and placing them back in the belt before resting it back against the wall.

He said his farewells the took his exit, 2-5's squad leader closing the door behind him and locking it shut. He followed up the way her came, coming back to the point they'd been dropped off at in the early afternoon and walking back into the bunker where their barracks where.

He stepped into 2-1's barrack, seeing Erin laying on her bunk with a comic book held over her head while Yuri sat on the floor, leaning up against Erin's part of the bunk reading a book. "Hapnin ladies?" he asked, pulling off his helmet. "Not much, big man." Erin replied, looking over from her comic before turning quickly back to it.

Yuri looked up from her book, giving him a smile and patting on the floor next to her. He set the MG on the ground, then pulling his rifle out he laid that next to it, sitting down on the ground and leaning up next to her. She shivered away from him as his cold armour leaned against her arm. He let out a quick chuckle, "I'll be back in yin sec then, Doll." He said, pushing himself back up to his feet and moving off through to his barrack, storing his armour and weapons and taking off his jacket. He decided to take his shirt off as well, placing that in the locker and strapping his belt back on.

He walked back through to see Yuri sat patiently on the floor still, looking up at the ceiling as she waited. He took his seat beside her again, leaning back up against her and not being met with repulse.

They sat and mad their way through the book, making it ten or so pages before she leaned her head on his shoulder then flipping the page. He got to the end of the two pages, waiting for her to flip to the next one, finding it weird since normally she was a much faster reader than him. The book slowly tilted back down onto both their legs and looking down he realised she'd fallen asleep, dozing peacefully way on him.

"Love ye tae, Darlin." He whispered as he kissed the top of her head, leaning his down onto hers as she slept.

He'd drifted off after a while as well, only to be woken an hour or so later by Erin, who shook his shoulder trying not to wake Yuri as well. "Komms?... Komms?!" She whispered as he came to. "Huh?... Wait, what's wrong!?" He replied, seeing a rather concerned look on her face.

"Movement outside, they aren't sure what it is yet, get yourself ready." She said before standing back up and continuing to strap her armour on. He gave Yuri a little shake, waking her up as well, her head slowly raising up and giving him a smile seeing herself next to him again.

"five more minutes?" She asked, her eyes droopy and smiling. "We need to get ready, lass, might be something outside." He replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek before pulling himself, holding his hand down and puling her up when she started to pull a look of concern.

She hurried off to her locker, starting to pull her greaves on, followed by her jacket and chest piece. He stepped off towards the door, taking another look back at her as she checked her rifle and grabbed her helmet. He made it through to his barrack when he an explosion sounded outside and then not a second later the red lights that lined the top of the walls started flashing as an alarm started sounding.

"Grab your shit and get out there Gears!" Yelled Murphy, who grabbed his rifle and started sprinting towards the door. He didn't have time to get ready, only being able to grab his helmet and MG, slapping it on his head and slipping the belt in place, chambering a round. He sprinted after everyone one ells, each of them in a different state of readiness, some of them like him without their armour, just their guns.

He followed them out the barracks and into the cold outside, his body rejecting the feeling of it with the adrenaline flowing through his system. The alarm echoed through the evening, hearing it bounce along the landscape and off into the distance as all along the line Gears rushed from their bunkers and into positions lining above and behind the bunker defences.

He rushed up the concrete stairs and slid himself behind the wall, looking along he seen Vlad mount himself on one of the .50's that sat periodically along the wall. He dropped the bipod and sat it on the wall, looking along the wasteland ahead of him for any movement.

"Anything fucking moves out there, blast the fucker!" Came another gears voice from a different unit.

Everyone sat silent while the alarm blazed, eventually someone firing a quick burst into a group of trees before another explosion sent a small cloud of red, snow and dirt off into the surroundings. The explosion was followed by what looked like a small pack of mutated wolves running off into the open and then out of sight.

"You've got to be having a laugh?" sounded a voice, before Murphy spoke up. "Hush up! Could be bait to get us to lower our guard, just look a fucking round and call anything you see!" He called. He looked along to where Murphy was crouched, looking over the wall with a set of binoculars as the trees where the explosion came from, then off to any other spot someone could be hiding, then just looking around for tracks that someone might have made.

He started to feel the cold penetrate his skin, the adrenaline wearing off and the hairs on the back of his neck and chest curl up as he stared through his visor at the open ground. He jumped a shiver and when he got back on his sights he seen something bobbing through the snow, squinting to see what looked like someone in all white camouflage crawling more or less towards them.

He gave it a second to try and get a proper view on what he was looking at, "Murphy, watch my shots, tell me if that's something!" He called over comms before firing a few bursts at the moving figure. His shots smacked into the snow around the figure, causing it to stop and hide as low in the snow as it could as Murphy turned his eyes to it when he stopped.

"That ain't no animal, Hammer the fucking thing!" He yelled over, to which he pulled a grin under his helmet, pulling the trigger again and blaring off another twenty or so rounds before a puff of red blasted across the snow. He fired again, another and another streak of red formed on the snow when several spots in the snow erupted with muzzle flashes and soon most of the soldiers along the line were firing, tracers landing in the snow all around when someone opened up with an automatic grenade launcher, blasting craters in what was before a smooth covering of snow.

The blades of a helicopter sounded in the distance behind them as they fired and soon a pair of helicopters where circling the air above, firing at what they could see. Then the sound of music pierced the air as the speakers on the choppers sparked to life, the gunfire syncing perfectly with the guitar and drums.

When the flashes in the snow finally stopped the music kept playing. He looked side to side as everyone stopped, he took the opportunity to duck down, pulling another belt from a pouch and opening the cover to reload.

The music finally stopped playing as another voice came over comms. "All units responding, this is UH-5-7, threats eliminated." The voice called, the helicopters doing a final couple of circles before pulling back and flying back the way they came.

"Alright, five minutes and we can call it." called Murphy. He looked back over the top, settling himself back into his MG, the cold really starting to make his shiver as he stared down the sights. The passing five minutes feeling like an hour as he checked his watch.

He looked off down the line on either side of him, seeing a couple other gears without jackets or armour, but most of them with at least their thick shirts on, while he still stood there in a vest. His sights jolted all over the place, his shivering becoming more and more intense as the minutes slowly passed.

The alarm finally subsided, the air returning to it's previous silence. "Watch teams, keep your eyes wide, don't want anyone ells trying to sneak up on us, everyone ells back to your duties!" Came a voice over his headset, most everyone stood back up and walked back down the stairs and into the barracks.

He followed down after a few moments, finding Yuri and Erin first who were decked head to toe in their gear, looking him up and down seeing he only had his helmet and belt on. "A...Are you not freezing?..." Asked Yuri as she finally looked back up at the visor of his helmet that wasn't even strapped on.

Another shiver ran up his spine, giving her an answer. "C...Can we get back inside please?... I...I canny feel m...my nuts..s.s.s..." He shivered. Both of them giggled a little, before Yuri stepped forward, cupping his crotch in her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Does that feel any better?" She giggled, as Erin shook her head and walked past them. "No sex for two weeks remember?" Erin chuckled sarcastically.

"Oh I'm sure this is more of a medical issue than anything ells." Yuri replied, grinning under her helmet. "L..L..Lass, I canny even tell if yer coppin them or n...n...no the noo... Can we for the love of god go inside, please?..." he asked again, only just remembering that it was minus eight.

She yet again let out a giggle before walking off, "Come on then, I guess I've have the treat of a popsticle tonight then." She laughed, dropping her hand from him as she stepped down the stairs. He watched her go, watching the movements of her hips in her armour as she took the first couple steps.

"Are you not coming? Or are you just keeping them cool for me?" She asked, her voice rife with sarcasm. He began walking after her, looking down at his fingers, wondering how they hadn't turned blue yet.

Stepping back inside they were met by Horvat and Vlad as they spoke with Erin. Vlad turned to see them, letting out a hearty laugh as he seen Komms, "Da, Comrade! Cold is best way to feel alive is it not!?". He stared at him for several moments, Vlads grin growing further across his face as he did so. "I...I...I think m..m...my left b...b...b...baw just snapped off..." He replied.

Horvat shook her head and sighed, "I guess she's getting a pass for the no sex thing.". Yuri pulled off her helmet and patted her on the shoulder, "It's okay, Sergeant, it's all in the name of his health." letting off a wide grin as she finished.

She grabbed his hand, pulling him off past the three and back off towards the barracks, taking him back through to his bunk. He clanked his helmet back on the shelf, hanging his belt up on the door of it. Throwing his boots under the bed he slid off his trousers and hopped under the covers, cocooning himself in them.

Yuri giggled at him as she left, returning about five minutes later with her book and a mug of coffee and tea. She handed him the coffee to which he almost gulped it down, not caring that it'd scalded his tongue completely. She shuffled herself under the covers next to him, handing him the book.

He flipped to the marker she'd left, flipping forward a couple extra pages since they'd forgot to change it when they got ready earlier. She leaned up against his shoulder, rubbing her arms up and down his chest and belly, her warm and toasty hands feeling like pure ecstasy after the cold outside. She gave him a little tap with her finger every time she was ready to turn the page, but as usual he had to take an extra minute or two to move on.

Another shiver ran down his spine as he felt her hand slide farther down his belly, running down over his boxers. He glanced down at her, seeing her expression hadn't changed in the least as she kept reading, her eyes quickly moving over every line and word on the pages. "You weren't joking about being cold where you?" She giggled again.

"M...My baws were... kinda sweatin when we were readin before..." He murmured, feeling her unbutton the front of them and slip a couple fingers over him, throwing him side to side between them. He hadn't even been reading when he felt her tap on him, the skin of her fingers starting to become cold as she passed her heat over to him.

He flipped the page as he still looked down at her from the corner of his eye, her eyes still moving with the page. She tapped him again after a few minutes. He didn't even notice, still encapsulated with the look in her eyes and her complete nonchalantness. "A...Are you not going to turn over?". She finally looked back up at him after she moved her hand farther down, massaging them in her palm.

"You're getting bold these days, lass." He whispered, feeling them finally start to warm up. "I hink yer getting a bit tae used to it.". She curled a cheeky grin before kissing his shoulder. "Oh come now, we aren't getting bored of it, are we?". He shook his head a little, pulling his hand back under the covers.

"And what are we-" She stammered, as his fingers clenched around her nipple, giving it a small but swift twist. She slowly gasped, trying not to moan as he went, "R...Remember, Komms... I am sensitive you know!..." She whispered after she looked around, seeing one of the Gears from 2-4 laying in their bed.

She squeezed on his testicles, making him almost gag with the feeling. Letting out a grunted sigh he glared at her through squinted eyes, feeling like a war might be on the horizon. "uhuhu, I see it's not so funny when it happens to you!" She grinned. He dropped the book off the side of the bunk onto the floor, rolling round and hovering over her and grasping her lips with his. She ran her hands round to his back, digging her nails into him as he laid down atop her, sliding an arm around the back of her head and holding it almost painfully tight to his.

She rubbed herself up against him, wrapping her legs around one of his, pulling back against his groin with her thigh. He felt her piercings grind against his chest as they smothered each other, winding their tongues in a battle of attrition. "I see your little punishment is going unchecked..." she sighed in the small gasps of breath she got.

When they finally parted, her held himself over her again, gazing down into her eyes, a look of a complete desire glazed over them. "Yuri... I canny tell ye how fuckin proud eh ye I am...". Her lips parted as she glanced down at his, then back up to his eyes, a slight look of confusion mixed in with her looks. "Ye'v done everyhin in yer will tae keep up... Ye'v managed tae push everyhin aside tae be here wi ees, went against everyhin ye planned on deain... and I canny tell ye how much that makes ees want ye even mare...".

"I... I don't think I could live without you, Komms... and every time we touch... Every time we share a kiss, or share blood... Even just a look... Anything that makes me think I'm wanted. I feel so... Whole with you...".

He slowly lowered himself back down, both of them sliding their eyes closed again as they neared, stopping just short of reaching her, soaking in the feeling of her breath meeting his, the smell of smoke on her breath as it warmed his face.

"I thought she was under a strict judicial punishment?" Came Horvat's voice behind them. He stopped himself again, bathing in her breath as he responded. "For one, Sergeant, it isny sex if we're just keeping each other warm and second, don't you have better things to do than ruin what was a perfect moment?" He asked sarcastically before he finally met her, feeling that the moment was lost, but he didn't care and he got the feeling she didn't either.

The bed jolted as Erin planted herself at their side, slapping Komms across the backside as he kissed her. They parted again, both of them sighing heavily. He rolled back off her and onto his back next to her as she uncrossed her legs. "I ken we're in a fuckin military bunker, but can I no just love my missus wioot bein interrupted?!" he blurted.

Erin smiled heavily at him, "Not really." she replied, tilting her head to the side. He squinted and darted his eyes between the two of them. "I see wit it is noo...". "Oh, and what would that be?" Erin babbled. "Yer just jelly, ain't ye?".

Horvat nosed a laugh, "However do you mean, Tiger?". He stared into her eyes as she stood there smugly chuckling to herself. "Yer just jelly she gets the D, ain't ye?" he grumbled. Erin looked up at Horvat, blushing a bit while Horvat Squinted back at him.

"Well... I don't think you're Wong, my love." Yuri giggled, looking between the rose tint that covered the two women's faces. Komms looked back round at Yuri with a concerned look across his face. "The fuck is Wong? I fuckin knew it! Who is he!? Or she!? Or it!? Or whoever this Wong character is!?" He demanded, a slight chortle being held under his tone.

"You're thinking about this the Wong way, my love..." Yuri stammered back.

"I guess your right, Komms, woe is me who doth not get the dicking one deserves!" Horvat dramatically stated, waving a hand above her head as if she was about to pass out. "If only there was a big strong soldier who couldeth deliver on suck needs'O thine!" Erin joined, jokingly nudging him in the side of the leg through the covers.

"Oh if only one was not as blonde as a banana or as strong as an ox that would leave thine member in terror of dismemberment!?" He humoured them, dropping in a dramatic eye roll. "To bad I already have a crush with melons a plenty and lips a soft, hair a smooth and a heart ah gold.".

He rolled back over Yuri, looking down at her once more. "Roses are red, I'm shite at poems, yer gorgeous, lass... Sausage's." He failed to rhyme, dropping his face on to hers as the other girls laughed. Deciding they'd interrupted enough Erin stood back up and followed Horvat back out the room.

After wrestling their faces for a while they settled back down, leaving the book on the floor and curling up to each other, getting Yuri some rest before her shift started.

Waking to a light slap across the face, her turned to see Erin stood there in her gear, her helmet curled under her arm. "Half hour till our shift, Yuri, might be for the best to get up now.". Yuri stretched her arm under Komms' head, letting the other hang off the bed, "just five more minutes, Mom?" She remarked.

Erin shook her head and walked for the door, "It's your ass if you're late!" She beckoned as she rounded the doorway. "Why do the best things in life always come to an end so quick." Yuri moaned as she stretched again.

It took her another five minutes before she even decided to raise her head, laying there staring at the bottom of the top bunk. "Maybe this'll help motivate ye?", he slid his hand up her side, lightly brushing his finger tips into her arm pit , repeatedly brushing them against her.

She clamped her arm down on his hand as she started giggling, trying to roll away from him only to have him go for the other side of her neck. She giggled and laughed as he kept going, every time she closed of an area he simply went for another, eventually going for her sides, swapping between the two of them, making her lurch and twist to save herself from it.

She eventually ended up rolling herself out the bed, landing in a jittering heap on the floor, snorting and cackling as he leaned off the bed, reaching down and continuing to tickle her. "Stop!... please stop!?... I think I'm going to wet myself!" she blurted between her laughs.

He finally brought the fluttering of his fingers to a close, grinning down at her as she cheerfully glared at him. He slid his finger up her chest to her neck, wrapping his hand around the side and back of her neck, leaning down and pulling her up to his lips as he hung off the bed.

He set her back down and grinned as he got himself up from the bunk, taking her hand and pulling her up to him, holding his hands over her hips as she held hers around his back. "Gonnea get ready now then?". She shook her head at him as she looked down at his chest, "It's always straight to business with you, isn't it?" She giggled.

He crouched down a bit, siding his hands together around her back and lifting her off her feet. She crossed her legs around his waist, her head now above his as she hugged his head into her chest. "I'd say I'm ready now, my love.". She stroked the top of his head as he swung her side to side a bit.

She loosed the grip of her legs, letting them hang down beneath her before he dropped her back into her feet. He rubbed the side of his finger up her chin as she looked up at him, giving it a little flick with his thumb and pecking her on the forehead.

She toddled past him and out of his arm towards the door, looking back and giving him a little wave goodbye before she went around the corner. Horvat and Erin stepped round into the room as he walked around the bunk to go get his trousers. Horvat stopped as he turned back to face them, blushing as she looked him up and down, quickly adverting her eyes away from him.

"Komms, your minion's hanging out." Erin said while he placed a hand on her hip and shook her head. He dipped his head, noticing the buttons on his boxers were still undone, revealing all to the world. He snorted as he pulled his trousers back on, pushing himself back into his underwear and doing them back up before he pulled up his zip and buttoned it. "Oh c'mon, Sergeant, pretty sure ye'v seen it a hunner times!" He joked, "I mean we've showered at the same time how many times?".

She looked back round at him again now that he'd hidden himself, "Yeah, but that's in the shower, it seems more... distracting... When your just going about the place like that.". He pulled his socks back on, yanking on his boots after and lacing them up as he sat down on the bunk again. "I swear, Sergeant, ye need laid.". Erin started blushing at this point, feeling like he'd completely forgotten. "Deh you be lookin at ees like that, pretty sure you need a cock in yer life as well.".

"Well, I can't fault your assumption there." Horvat shrugged, slapping Erin across the backside and giving it a little squeeze. "Hey!" Erin blurted, swivelling her head round to look at her. "Shut up, you, you loved it and you know it!" She laughed. Erin grabbed Horvat's thigh, digging her fingers into the softer flesh in the inside and outside of it. Horvat laughed again and tightening her muscles Erin tried harder to get a reaction.

"God damn it woman!" Erin blurted before stepping forward and taking a seat next to Komms. "See what I have to put up with?!" She asked, placing a hand on his back and pointing at Horvat with an open hand. "Aye, I see yer problem here, lass.", She looked round at Horvat from Komms, to which he grabbed her thigh and gave it a tight squeeze, to which her hands shot down on top of his, trying to pry it from her leg as she squealed.

Letting off her let out another chuckle, reaching over to his locker and pulling an unopened pack of cigarettes from it. He tore open part of the paper covering the top and smacked the bottom of it with his palm, nocking four of them up so they were sticking out the pack. He held the pack out to the others, both the girls taking one. He grabbed two with his lips and threw the pack back into the locker.

"Trying to kill yourself twice as fast there, Big man?" Erin asked, striking up a match and holding it to the end of her fag. He searched for his lighter as Erin light Horvat's, she held the match ahead of him to which he light the two of them hanging from his lips. "Cheers, Doll and give it say... six seconds." He said, counting to six in his head and clicking his fingers.

As if by magic Yuri stepped back into the room, stopping as she seen the other two girls staring at her. "Ha...Have I done something wrong?" She asked, her tone getting noticeably more anxious. He pulled one of the fags from his lips, holding it pointing up, "Sparked ye one already, Bun.". The girls turned back to look at him as Yuri edged towards him, placing the cig between her index and middle finger and stepping back before she placed it to her lips.

"How did you time that so perfectly?" Horvat blurted, to which he sat back a bit on his bunk, taking a long drag and taking it in. Blowing the smoke out his nose, he tapped the side of it, "Wh...What am I missing out on?".

"Oh, just the fact that Komms can tell when you're about to appear out of nowhere." Erin said, her voice muffled by the could of smoke that accompanied it. "Ohhh, Yeah, how do you do that? I can't even seem to give you a fright or anything!".

"Couldny be a magician if I telt ye my tricks noo, could I?" He grinned. He took another draw and looked at his watch. "five minutes then, ladies. You twea ready?", the two of them gave a quick look over their belts and kit, making sure they had everything.

"I can tell ye's both that yer missin a couple hings." He said, looking over to his locker. The two of them looked a bit like dead cats as they watched what he was fumbling around for, soon his hand coming back on and throwing a pack of cigs at both of them. "We were oot there fur like four hours, so I can tell ye that fur the full eight, yer gonnea need the extra pack. Also-" He reached back into the locker, pulling a couple extra tea bags and sachets of coffee. "Ye'll want these.".

The girls gave him a smile as they split the drinks, tucking them into their pockets and saying their farewells as they headed for the door. "Yuri!?" He called over, her head popping back round the doorway, "Catch!". She jumped back through the door as he threw a bottle over to her, looking down at it and beaming up at him before blowing a kiss and scurrying off through the door.

"And that was?" Horvat asked as she nibbed out her fag, stepping on the cherry that fell to the floor. "Och, just a bottle eh Cola, she loves the cherry yin.". He replied with an upwards nod, "You're to good to them sometimes.". She stepped over and took a seat next to him, stretching and cracking her back.

"I just like lookin after them is all.". She landed her arm across his shoulders and patted him on the back. "Well, it's our turn in another eight." She yawned as she rubbed her eyes. "Deh even ken why I got fuckin dressed, like. I ken I slept that past while wi her, but fuck me... Might just go headbutt a wall or somit.".

She chucked and ruffled his hair before standing up, waving goodnight and stripping down as she got to her bunk, getting a surprised look from Murphy for a second as she threw her kit in her locker and bore all to the world as she climbed up to her bed. He nosed a laugh as he seen his face, kicking off his boots he pulled his yolk down and slipped them off again, pulling himself back into bed.

Yuri 24 – 71

June 3rd 2266 Alaskan – Canadian Border

She sat beside Tollen at the .50, her feet up on the ledge of the wall, leaning back in her chair as she stared through the darkness. The lights were out inside, the only illumination was of the IFF's of their armour, their helmets turned off but their chest pieces still turned on. She pulled another couple cigarettes from her pack, taking off her helmet again and popping them between her lips. She struck a match across the pack and light both of them, holding one out to Tollen.

Three weeks they'd done this, sat there from midnight till dawn, staring at the darkness. They'd heard firing a couple times a ways up the border, sometimes everyone was pulled from the barracks to man the line, only to be told to stand down after ten or fifteen minutes.

"Yep, this is what defending your country looks like." Tollen grumbled, deciding to turn the stove on and put some water to the boil. "Most would have considered your first deployment a complete stroke of luck, if it weren't for what happened. But this is it really, two years of training to become some of the best, if not the best soldiers in the world to sit on your ass looking out a window...".

"W...Well... Considering I was wanting something a...away from combat originally that didn't involve having to do much socialising... This... This seems like what I was looking for..." She replied. Tollen looked round at her, "You didn't want to sign?" He asked, sounding slightly surprised.

"I... I was never interested in the idea... I... I only really joined because I wanted to... to be close with him...". Tollen shook his head and reached down to turn the stove off, pouring a couple mugs and handing one to Yuri. "You're full of surprises you lot.".

She stirred her tea bag in the mug, adding some powdered milk and a couple sachets of sugar, taking a sip after covering it to brew for a minute. "Pr... pretty much...". "I...I'm sorry, S... Sergeant... I know you know already, but... I... I'm not good at t...talking with people...".

"Don't sweat it, your brow might fall off if you do. I knew someone like you a while ago, a guy I went to school with, never spoke to anyone, didn't have any friends, just sat at the back of the class keeping out of everyone's hair. He got it pretty bad as well, I don't remember what he went on to, all I know is that the last time I seen him he didn't look the best, nice guy when you actually spoke with him, though.".

She snorted a laugh at his first comment, then sat giving a thought at how many people like her were out there, wondering how many of them had a Komms. She took a sip from her mug, pulling out her box of matches again and striking one and relighting her cig.

She woke up about an hour later, Tollen telling her to take a spell while he watched, was kind of the norm at this point, everyone splitting into two's, one watching while the other caught a bit of sleep. This time though, she woke to the sound of the alarm blaring through the night, making her jump and fall back out her chair onto the ground. She scrambled back up to her feet beside Tollen only peeking her eyes up out the window outside as several spot lights burst to life, sweeping across the terrain ahead.

She felt the vibrations of everyone rushing out the barracks and onto the line above them, flares now being launched and lighting up the whole area. "2-1 here, anyone mind telling us where they're coming from!?" Tollen groaned over the comms.

Only static came back over the comms, the occupational voice trying to break through it but being heavily drowned out. She flinched when she heard gunfire break out further up the line, past Gamma-1's position and further past the unit next to them.

"Armour!" Someone above them screamed, then the sound of a missile being launched above, flying over towards a group of trees as an APC smashed through them. The missile hit it's target, but only managed to give the crew a headache as the gun on top opened up.

The quiet and peaceful night turned into chaos as everyone started firing, the small figures of men and women breaking from mounds of snow and small groups of trees and bushes. She fired rounds at the targets that stopped moving periodically, trying to hit the easier targets as most of them bolted forward past their own machine guns which peppered the line above them with fire.

She helped reload the .50 whenever Tollen ran out, eventually having to run to the back of the bunker and bring up more ammo cans for him. She ducked down beneath the wall as the fire started getting more directed at them, the odd tracer round flying through the window and past the shield mounted on the front of the machine gun.

She popped up, firing at the static muzzle flashes, her rifle lifting and ricochetting a round off the roof and out the window as she fell to the ground, a round hitting her helmet square in the centre of the brow. The impact cracked the eye piece of her helmet on the right side.

She scurried back a bit as Erin bolted over and down by her side, looking her over as she sat up shaking on her elbows. "A...a... I okay!?" she blurted, not being able to tell the expression on her face. Erin repeatedly ran her hand over her helmet checking for a hole, then pulling the helmet off her and looking her over. She let out a sigh of relief and gave her a small hug before sliding the helmet back on her head. "You're okay, just had me worried for a moment there!" She called over the fire.

She pulled her up, both of them crouching back behind the wall as Tollen loaded the MG again. "You alright there, Buttercup?!" Tollen called, glancing round to them before going back to firing. "Y..Y..Yeah...".

"This is 2-1! Can anyone read me!?" Erin barked as she activated her comms. More static replied as someone tried to talk back, a faint voice coming into play this time. "Say again, I'm getting static!?". A second or two passed as something exploded above them, shaking some dust down on top of them. "Ca... un...sta... stati..." she made out as the voice tried calling back again.

"Delgraza, Get yourself topside! Get word if it's just us or if anyone ells is getting this!" Tollen ordered as he loaded the gun again. She scrambled back towards the door, feeling a jolt as another round flew in and smacked off the back of her armour. She pressed the controls to release the door, swinging it open and slamming it closed behind her.

She bolted back through the corridors to the barracks, a lot of dropped cups and the odd piece of equipment scattering the ground, left by everyone rushing out topside. She followed the way out running up the steps the the fighting going on above. She slid up next to Komms who was firing he MG out into the field, his visor down and luckily with his jacket and armour this time.

She called out to him, but all the firing drowned out her voice and as she went to grab his arm another explosion went off along from them, blasting against the wall. Komms ducked down to reload, noticing her next to him as he looked down to grab a belt. He screamed at her trying to ask who it was and what she wanted, still not being able to hear a thing.

She pulled a small note pad from her belt, writing down that it was her and asking if his headset was playing up. He hunched over her giving her a small hug after reading the first part, he leaned back up, tapping his finger against his helmet and motioning away from it, motioning it was blow out. She handed him the pad and pen, watching him write for a second before looking at it.

No cunt kens what the fuck is going on! Canny get a radio signal for shit and we can't get word out to anyone!

She wrote under it that it was the same in the bunker and that they were just getting static. He pointed both ways up and down the line and tapping his helmet again before waving a hand across his neck. He poked his head up from a second as he pushed his MG back up on the wall, instantly dropping back as more rounds flew around him.

She jumped over to him to make sure he was alright but he motioned her off, giving her a thumbs up. She sighed in relief and patted him on the back, sprinting back down he stairs and back through the barracks to the bunker. She pulled on the door, realising the lock had re engaged since she'd closed it. She started banging on the door, screaming for the to open it, still not being able to hear much from the other side but gin fire.

She bolted back again, finding her way back up to the line and taking position next to Komms again, popping up and firing at anything that flashed in the light of the remaining spotlights. She jumped as several explosions went off close by in front of her, noticing the figures starting to grow closer. She went to fire at someone who was getting to close for comfort, only for his next step landing him on a mine, sending him back the way he'd came into the snow.

She seen him clutching at his waist, where the mine had taken off everything up to his hips, quickly aiming at him and firing a burst, the rounds landing on him knocking him back into the ground as his movements completely stopped.

She pulled herself back down, shaking herself a little and trying to move onto the next. Popping up again she was met by a missile that flew over their heads, flying off into the sky and out of sight behind them. She sat up against the wall, yelling over the headset again hoping that something would come through clear.

"Gamma-2! Gamma-2! Can anyone hear me!? Anyone have a clue on what we are meant to be fucking doing!?". Her attempts seemed to be in vain yet again. She pushed herself back up again and leaning over the top everything just seemed to explode at once.

Artillery fire rained down across the whole area ahead, clouding everything in dirt and rubble as round after round impacted the ground. She ducked back behind the wall again, looking up and down the line seeing everyone ells do the same as she landed on her ass. She shuffled up next to Komms who was crouched peeking his head over at everything.

She dropped her rifle and grabbed his arm. He looked down at her and spun round so his back was against the wall, sliding up next to her and cuddling her under his arms ass the shells continued to fall. She tucked her head against his chest, holding her arm around him, feeling the safest she could be as the sounds of the explosions continued.

They must have sat there for at least another five minutes holding each other before the rounds stopped, still sitting there for a minute or so after it finished, waiting for the sound of machine gun fire and launchers to start back up again.

Slowly opening her eyes and glancing up at him, she seen another batch of flares launch up over them, illuminating the sounding area again. She loosened her grip to let him push himself up the wall and looking either way down the line she seen a lot of other Gears start to poke their heads over.

She followed him up to the top of the wall, poking her head over and looking at the now scarred terrain. The once smooth surface of the dirt, snow and small groups of trees was now turned to pulp, eight foot deep and fifteen foot wide craters covering the area, turned over armour and vehicles dotted around the place as they burned.

She struggled to see the finer details through the cracks in her eye piece, having to close her eye to get any proper sight of it. She peered back round at Komms and the scuffs of where the bullets had hit his armour, covering his shoulders, helmet and upper torso as well as the several splits that lined his visor.

An hour or so of waiting on the line later they finally went back inside, Komms following her to the bunker to see how the others inside were doing. Walking into the the bunker she finally took notice of his grunts and pained movements after Tollen said he should check in at the infirmary. He finally pulled his helmet off, showing the bruising lining his forehead and cheek. She flinched as she pulled her own helmet off, catching the now swollen welt on her forehead from where the round hit her helmet.

He let out a chuckle as he seen her, only to get a an exaggerated squint back at him before he yelp as she prodded his cheek. Erin tapped the welt on her head, making her squeal in pain as Komms started laughing again. "He's already insecure enough about his looks! Don't you dare tear him!" Erin cackled, now making Komms squint glaringly at Erin.

"You know, Erin's the only one of the three of us not to get hit?" Yuri said, looking back round at Komms, an evil grin crossing her face. They both raised their hands in clutched hands towards Erin, slowly walking menacingly towards her as she backed off towards the wall behind her.

"Come now... No need to escalate things..." she said as she held her hands up in a surrendering fashion. When her back hit the wall, she watched helplessly as the others in the bunker chuckled and sat back, waiting to see what ensued.

She tried jumping to the side as Komms lunged at her, wrapping his arm around her neck and holding her in place as Yuri pulled her helmet off, glaring at her with a grin. She aggressively pinched at her cheeks as Komms pulled off his glove and proceeded to grind his knuckles into the top of her head. She cried out for help as the two had their way, Yuri moving her fingers down and tickling her neck, making her squeal with unwanted laughter.

Tollen strolled over after a few moments, "Break it up you three, we're in the middle of a war here!" He laughed, patting both Yuri and Komms on the shoulder. Komms pulled his fist from her head, straightening the strands of ruffled hair back out before letting her go. Erin swung round behind Tollen, peering round at the two with fear and suspicion as the others giggled and chuckled to themselves.

As Yuri put her helmet back on the radio finally burst to life with a voice calling over it. "Break three, break three! Incoming!" the voice screamed through a still lively layer of static as a tank round landed just short of the bunker, followed by the sound of a helicopter as the machine gun fire started again.

They all smashed up against the wall of the bunker next to the windows, a burst of light illuminated the face of Tollen's helmet. "Fucking fall back!" He screamed as he turned and ran to the bunker door, frantically trying to unlock the door. She swung round the window, pointing her rifle and freezing in terror as she seen napalm exploding towards them. Komms grabbed her shoulder, tearing her back towards the door as he looked round, everyone inside bolting as fast as they could for the door as the flames raced towards them.

Spriggs slammed the door behind him, jumping back away from it as the flames spewed from around the door frame. Tollen pulled him back further as they creped up the walls and up the the ceiling.

"All Gamma units fall back to secondary positions, aerial views show a force in detail massing on your position! Fall back, repeat, fall fucking back!" a voice screamed over her headset. They all started bounding back through the barracks to the bunker, seeing everyone ahead in the barracks who was still there sprinting for the exit, grinding to a halt as they done so and bounding back into the barracks as more flames spewed through the entrance as another napalm bomb went off.

"All units check in! This is 2-1, sound off who we've got left!" Tollen yelled over his mic.

"Tollen this is Murphy! 2-5 got lit the fuck up! Everyone who isn't in the bunker is with 2-3! minimal casualties other than 2-5!".

"Rodger that, we're stuck in the barracks, we've got a wall of fire between us and you!"

"Fuck! Hit the door controls and get the fucking thing closed!"

Tollen then bounded up, stopping as he seen the controls to the door bathed in flames. He then sprinted further up to a small control room at the end of the corridor up from the entrance. Komms and the others followed up on him as he tried getting in, kicking at the door as it wouldn't open.

"Coming through!" Komms bellowed, Tollen just getting out the way as he sprinted full pelt into the door, slamming it off its hinges and smashing it onto the ground under him. Tollen leapt over him and running up to a board of controls for the bunker, cranking a large switch to which the door to the entrance ground closed.

"Murph, that's the doors closed, it's us and elements of 2-2 in here with us!"

"Rodger that, hunker down and barracked the entrance!"

the next five minutes or so where spent turning over tables and beds, slamming them in front of the entrance as cover, mounting it up with anything they could muster for better defence. They went back and raided the ammo cache inside, loading themselves up and taking positions.

"Wait! Where the fuck is Medvedev!?" Murphy called, other members of 2-3 and 2-4 seeming rather confused as well. "Murphy, Medvedev is with us inside!". "Thank fuck, thought we'd lost our base of fire!".

Komms placed his finger to his helmet, "Geez, it's nice tea ken I'm only valued fur my guns..." He joked.

"All Gamma units, this is Base Plate, force in detail have moved to the flames, best guess is five minutes before they move on you, over!" came BP's calm voice.

"Rodger that, Gamma-2 is at under eighty percent combat effectiveness!" 2-1 called back.

"understood, keep us posted on combat effectiveness, we'll update you on enemy movements."

Yuri looked up at Komms as he crouched at him MG. He lifted his visor and pulling down his balaclava before popping a cig between his lips. He checked himself for his lighter, looking to be getting increasingly aggravated when he couldn't find it. She pulled her box of matches from her pocket, striking one and holding it out to him. He looked at the little flame then to her, giving a little smile before leaning into the flame and lighting his cig. He stood back up, taking a long draw before blowing it out. He pulled another cig from his pack and handed it to her as she shook the match, giving him a shake of her head as she looked between the cig and the extinguished match.

She pulled her helmet off and he placed it to her lips, leaning it towards her and kissing her cig with his, both of them drawing at the same time to light it. He slipped his head past hers and wrapped his arm around her, giving her a squeeze as she done the same.

They both went back to their positions, aiming down towards the door as the sound of firing went ramped outside.

"Gamma units, UCR forces are pushing through the burned out flames, they'll be on you at any moment now!" BP called after a few tense minutes of waiting.

She spat the cig from her mouth and pulled her helmet back on, keeping her rifle on the door. They heard the firing get more intense outside, each of them there double checking their weapons.

"Murphy, are they past the barracks?" Tollen asked over comms, receiving nothing but muffled static. "Spriggs, get that fucking door open!" He said, turning to his side to look at him. He gave a nod and bounded down the corridor to the control room and flipping the switch.

The door raised back open, exposing a group of UCR soldiers behind some cover ahead of the door, firing over at the Gears at the second line. "Wait for it!" Tollen ordered, waiting for more troops to join them. When another two squads finally joined up with them, one of them turned round as they reloaded, seeing the open door and the Gears looking at them.

"Hit'em hard boys!" Tollen screamed. She pulled the trigger on her rifle as Komms started blaring his MG, firing a continuous burst instead of the three to five round burst he normally done. The fire of both squads dropped every single soldier they fired at, some of them trying to climb over the cover they were behind, only to be hit by the Gears at the second line.

Troops that noticed the firing coming out of the bunker took positions outside their line of fire, building up forces around the entrance as well, throwing grenades inside but weren't able to get them far enough inside with the fire coming from inside and behind them.

She leaned around again to fire, but pulled back when everything light up again, the sounds of screaming coming from outside the door echoing back through inside. When she peeked back round, she seen that someone had landed a firebomb at the front door, sending the men who were there either to the ground, squirming in pain or running off in an inferno.

They left the soldiers to burn, deciding to close the door again in case another one made it farther in. Tollen sent Spriggs back off to to the control room as more troops gathered around the door while the fire burned itself out. Tollen fell back as a round zinged in and smacked him in the leg, another following it and hitting him in the arm pit.

She jumped over between the cover, grabbing him and dragging him round the corner. She pulled the bandages from her Med-kit, strapping it around his leg and tying it tight before unclipping his chest piece and doing the same under hit arm. She looked up as Spriggs made it back, plunging a needle of Med-x in his other leg while she pulled out a stimpack and jabbed it in as well.

Leaving him with Spriggs she stepped back and looked round the corner at the door, the heavy steel of it blocking out anything that might come through.

Komms 38 – 72

June 3rd 2266 Alaskan – Canadian Border

He leaned his weapon against the cover he was behind, searching his pockets and finally finding his lighter and sparking up his cig again as he walked over next to Yuri as she looked back at Tollen. Spriggs crouched next to him, grasping his hand, trying to assure him it was going to be fine before he'd passed out. Spriggs checked for his pulse and a heartbeat, breathing a sigh of relief when he'd found them.

Spriggs stood back up, clutching his hands to the back of his head as he mumbled to himself as he paced back and forth. Jensen sat against the cover he was behind, rubbing his temple as he looked about in deep thought, the look of panic starting to settle in on his face.

He stared down at Tollen, taking a draw of his fag and pulling it from his lips as he tried to think. He was interrupted as Yuri look his arm, with Erin appearing over her shoulder not a second later. "We're... We're stuck here... Aren't we?..." Yuri asked, a tell tale sound of hopelessness coming from under her helmet. "We do have a way out, right?... Right?..." Erin asked, the sound of panic starting to take her over as well.

He looked over to the two guys from 2-2 who were sat arguing with each other over what was going to happen next, blanking the girls out for a moment as he thought to himself. "Komms!?..." blurted Yuri as she shook his arm, bringing him round from his concentration again. Looking round at her again, he stared through the cracked eye pieces of her helmet, "I... I deh ken..." He mumbled under his breath. "What?" she asked back, pulling her helmet off to hear him better.

"I deh have a fuckin clue, lass... This might just be it...". He stared back over at Tollen again, then up to the control room and the switches, listening to the noise going on outside getting louder and louder. He thought about how loud the door was and how many troops might notice it if they opened it again.

"Fuck it.". Yuri looked up at him from her feet as he spoke again, feeling his arm pull from her grasp as he stepped forward."All point, on yer feet, I've got an idea!" He called, everyone looking round to him as he broke the bickering troops and pulled the other two from their steep of misery.

"Who here's got the most medical training?" He asked, to which Spriggs raised his hand. "Right, you ken the controls well enough fur the door and we need someone to stay here and look after the Sergeant. Everyone ells, on yer feet!" He blurted, before walking back over to his gun and picking it back up.

"What's your plan then, Corporal?" asked Chew, a private from 2-2. "Well, gaugin by the fact that we couldny hear oorselves think wi all the noise earlier and that we deh have a workin radio, I'm hinkin we could open that door again wioot any cunt actually noticin.". They all looked between each other as he checked the belt in his weapon. "If we can open that wioot any eh them noticin, and we can make it up behind them and flick oor lights on at the last second, we can reek as much havoc in the line as we can, giving the others at the second line enough time tae mount an attack or just put enough over whelming fire to push them back.".

Yuri ripped her head round to Erin, even the thought of doing it making her feel like she was about to have a panic attack."So what? We just butt rush them and hope for the best?" Chew responded doubtfully. "Partly, we arse rush them, then we split, half goes left and half right. From what it looked like before they're mainly in a straight line, so ye could in theory hit the centre turn and fire. But pushing out would make them scatter a bit more. Then when the folks at second line notice what's goin on, hopefully they'll get the hint and possibly mount a charge tae the front eh the line as they're distracted.".

They all looked around for a moment, taking time to think about it before dedicating themselves to the idea. "K...Komms?..." Yuri mumbled, taking his arm again. "I... I don't think... I don't think I can do it..." she said, as he looked round to her. "Anyone ells no hink they can dea it?" he asked, placing his hand tae the side of her face as he smiled.

Everyone remained silent for a moment, everyone ells but Spriggs just giving a nod to the idea. "Right, Erin, You're wi me and you two, yous'll be the other wing. Me and Tsosie'll break right and you two'll break left. Jensen, when we break right up the middle, I want you tae try and signal tae the other line that we're friendlies, we'll have the IFF's on so they'll hopefully be able tae tell and once ye dea that, pull back here and link wi Yuri. We'll push the cover up tae the door so ye's can get clear shots all the way across tae help cover us. Hopefully if it works their scatter and pull back over the top and across the border as the second line moves up, if not, then we'll have a bit eh a nasty fight on oor hands.".

Without there seeming to be any other options, they begrudgingly agreed and starting by pushing the cover they'd made most of the way up to the door, leaving a few feet between it so it was easier to get out before the doors had fully opened. They pulled up more cover, placing a second line of it behind them, just in case they had to pull back for any reason.

He stood at the door with the other, getting himself ready to give the call to open it. He felt a tap on his shoulder, turning round to see Yuri stood there with her helmet sat on the cover in front of her. He wrapped his arm around her head, leaning in and placing his lips to hers, feeling her force her tongue between his lips and almost refuse to let go. After a moment they finally parted, a line of saliva dangling between their lips before snapping. "Please come back to me..." She whispered as she pulled his head beside hers. "Only if you stay safe in here." he replied, pulling back and giving her another little kiss before pulling his balaclava up.

"Spriggs! Flip it, lad!" He yelled out down the hall, then giving Yuri a grin with his eyes before turning back to the door. The five of the crouched down along the length of the door as it slowly started grinding open. He clipped his bayonet on, soon hearing the clicks and clacks of the others following his lead as they waited.

When the door opened up to his waist, they ducked their heads down, glaring out to see the large line of troops taking cover and firing over at the second line, not much other activity along anywhere ells. He turned and nodded to the others, quickly flicking his IFF's on and crouch running straight for them, building up a cry as he got half way there, soon all five of them screaming at the top of their lungs as the sound died down a tad, just enough fro them to hear each other.

The man he was aimed at dropped down to reload, looking up as he went for his mag to see the lights sprinting at him, grabbing his buddy by the arm and trying to tear him round before his blade entered his throat. He dismissed the man he'd ran through, quickly turning to smash the stock of his weapon into the next man's head, pulling the blade from the first and firing several round into the second before he carried on.

Erin was busy dispatching the next again man, a woman next to her lunging up for her as he turned, crashing Erin to the ground, but only for the soldier to receive the flat of Komms' boot to the top of her head, the feeling of a crack ripping through his foot and the woman jumped limp down her as her neck broke. He grabbed Erin by the armour and pulled her back up to her feet, lifting his boot after and bringing it down on top of the woman's head for good measures.

He raised his MG and started blaring it down the line at the troops further along, knocking them to the ground one by one as Erin joined in. He felt his blood rising, a sense of lust building in his body as put down troop after troop, his breath soon turning to a laboured pant as he marched on. When his belt ran out he pulled a grenade from his belt, yanking out the pin and lobbing it across into a crater that a couple of them were hiding in.

He looked over the line at the mass of lights that was charging him, grinning under his helmet as they approached, soon volleying over the cover and helping deal with the rest. Most of them turned and scattered, sprinting back for the line as Gaz let out behind them with the flame thrower, catching a couple of them who dropped their weapons but continued on running in a ball of flames.

He looked over the Yuri and Jensen at the bunker, seeing them no longer at the entrance and several figures bolting through the entrance. He ripped the bayonet of his gun from another soldier and started sprinting for the door, running through to see a soldier on top of Yuri and another two wailing on Jensen and Spriggs duking it out with another.

He fired his weapon at the two men on Jensen, sitting one in the neck before his mg jammed. He panicked for a moment as he looked down at his weapon before dropping it and sprinting forward, seeing the soldier on top of Yuri deliver several punches down on her. He seen her first fly up and smack him across the jaw, but her went back at it, landing several more punches on her before he got there.

He crouched down and smashed the man off of her and into the wall, hearing a slight crunch of bones before he ripped the man up to his feet and kneed him in the gut several times before grabbing his collar and landing a haymaker to his cheek followed by another and another. The man somehow kept his grasp, smashing his head into Komms', feeling the soft cartilage of his nose just shatter as he flew to the floor.

The man stood there glaring at him as he pulled a pistol from his leg, pointing it down at Yuri as he started to grin. Komms' eyes ripped open seeing the gun as Yuri coward on the floor, waiting for the round to hit her, but hearing only a click as his pistol jammed. Komms pushed himself up to his feet, feeling himself start to shake as his vision went red. He stood there for a second before taking a step forward, before the soldier threw another punch, landing it on his helmet, breaking his fingers.

He bashed the man back up against the wall, ripping his knife from the back of his belt and stabbing it through his jacket into his stomach, feeling the knife cleave and jolt through his flesh and organs , his thick jacket giving as much resistance as it could against the razor sharp blade before stopping at his sternum. He pushed the knife up again and flipped the grip in his hand to an ice pick hold and pushed up with all his strength, roaring as he done so and feeling the quake run through his arm as the bone splinted and fragmented through the air as the knife lurched out of his chest.

He slipped the knife round into a hammer grip, swooping the blade back down then jamming it back up under the chin of the soldier, feeling it stick into the bone of the roof of his mouth. Grabbing the man by the face he then managed to jolt the knife back out, snapping out a portion of the bone in his mouth and lurching it down into his mouth, audibly cracking against his teeth. He curled his body round, doing his best to get as many fibres of his muscles to work in unison as he came back round, smashing the fist, knife still in his grasp against his jaw and temple, the bone crumbling and caving in as his wrist jolted to the side.

He grabbed his wrist, bellowing in pain as he felt the joints in his wrist part, he hand falling limp out of its socket as he dropped the knife. He turned on the spot, looking round at the others in pain as he seen Spriggs and Jensen team up against the last soldier, Spriggs managing to pull out his side arm and deliver a round through the soldier's eye socket, snapping his head back against the ground.

He looked down at Yuri, who was sat on the ground still, looking up at him in terror, seeing the rage that still filled his eyes as the blood from his nose congealed on his mask. Jensen jogged over to get a stat on how he was, seeing him clutching his dislocated wrist. He tore his arm away from him as he looked down at Yuri, crouching down to her and cupping the side of her face, frantically looking over her, trying to see how much damage the soldier had done to her.

His eye started twitching again, seeing the bruising and burst skin from where he'd hit her, her skin starting to darken around her neck, seeing marks from where the man had tried to choke her. His hand shook with rage as his grip stayed loos and gentle to her face as he heard a bloodied gurgle come from the dying soldier behind him.

Thrusting himself back up he calmly stepped over to the husk, glaring down into his eye, the other pointing to the side from his shattered eye socket, coughs and splutters of bodily fluids jolting from his mouth. He kicked him onto his back and bringing his boot up, crashed it down on his face. The bone structure shattering and splitting sideways across the ground as he exploded with silent rage.

Blood and brain matter spattered over his greaves and trousers as his foot slowly ground against the matter that remained under it. He stepped back as he glared at the body, starting to feel slightly faint before falling back on his ass as he felt his blood pressure start to return to normal, the almost red tint that covered his vision fade.

Looking up as a hand landed on his shoulder, he seen Jensen crouched next to him, zoning out as he tried saying something to him. His vision then turned to Yuri who was piercing him with a petrified stare as her mouth sat ajar.

He lurched as he felt Jensen thrust his wrist back into place, feeling almost as if he was about to vomit. His head bobbed around for a moment before looking back to Yuri, his vision blacking out as his eyes slowly closed before he fell back on the floor.

Komms 39 – 73

June 3rd 2266 Alaskan – Canadian Border

He felt the strain on his arms as his boots dragged along the ground behind him, his head slowly rocking from side to side as he opened his eyes. The world passing by him in a blur as he heard voices calling to him, a figure following up behind him as he struggled to make out what was happening.

He felt everything ache, his head pounding, his wrist in agony, the same for his face, feeling his mask stick to his face as the blood dried further in the cold as the voices kept calling out in his ear, the sharp static of his headset kicking in every now and then. He looked up again at the figure following him, a second one now joining it, the bright blue lights of a helmet flashing into view before the lights vanished and a blurred out face replaced it.

His head continued to roll and spin before everything blacked out again, waking again, this time to people yelling as his eye was forced open by something, a white helmet then taking up his vision before a bright light took place of everything, the yellowish-white light blinding him before it went black again, feeling the same force open his other eye and light streak through it.

He shook his head off to the side and away from the light, a couple moments later, a pain surging through his wrist again as someone pulled off his bracer and a needle stuck through the skin as his the sleeve of his jacket got rolled up.

His head jolted around as the strap from his helmet came undone and got pulled from his head. His mask then get peeled off, making him shudder as they tore it off his nose, feeling a fresh stream of blood pour from it, something quickly being forced up into his nostrils to stop it.

He felt something rub against his face, the familiar smell of alcohol pierce through whatever was plugging his nose as it did so. His vision came more into focus the next time he came around, this time only a semi blurred helmet sitting ahead of him as he felt the needle press through his forehead and the string follow through after it.

Opening his eyes again, his vision came through clear, his headache feeling suppressed but not completely gone, the same for his wrist and nose. He made out the finer details of his boots and trousers, his armour no longer confining him, but with a slow turn of the head seeing it piled next to him against the wall, just beyond it another Gear sat passed out against the wall.

Lifting his head he seen Medics and doctors rushing about the place, soldiers on stretchers and wheeled beds being moved about the place as other Gears wandered round looking for people, some of them huddled over beds, talking with the occupants, gripping their hands and trying to keep them focused on something. He shakily pushed himself up the wall, using it to hold himself steady as he looked around, trying to find someone familiar.

He felt himself trembling as his eyes hung heavy, trying not to let them close less he pass out again, every blink feeling like agony on his eyelids. He seen a Gear look round to him and pat a medic on the shoulder before marching over to him.

"Corporal?" Asked the Gear, a familiar voice coming from him as he placed a hand on his shoulder and another to his side. "Med, You okay?". He rocked his head around, giving it a little shake as he tried to remember how to talk. "It's Murphy, it's me, Murphy. Can you tell me your name, son? What's you name?" He asked, slowly moving him back to the wall.

"M...Med... Medvedev... Corporal [Redacted] Medvedev..." He mumbled, trying to keep his head up. "That's right, son. Come on have a seat. You need to have a rest, son, you've seen the wars today." Murphy said, struggling to get him to sit back down.

After a couple minutes of talking, he finally got it through to him, helping him slid back down the wall and onto the floor. "Corporal, you done a damn fine job. You don't know how many lives you might have saved doing what you did." Came Murphy's voice again, zoning in and out as his eyes drooped again.

His head dropped back to his chest as the painkillers took their affect, Murphy's voice still plaguing his ears as they rang, soon another voice joining it, followed by another and another. A hand grabbed his shoulder, shaking his eyes back awake, looking round at the cacophony of boots that stood before him.

"Corporal! Wake up, you glorious son of a bitch!". His eyes jumped back open, then trying to shut again, only managing to stay half way open. He made out a dark mowhawk and a set of glistening brown eyes inches ahead of him, the taste of smoke coating his mouth as he felt a dry cloud take over his face.

"S...Sergeant?..." He asked, seeing a small glowing orange spot brighten before him. "Your damn right, Corporal!" She said, before plucking the cigarette from her mouth and placing it to his lips. He sealed it in his mouth and took a draw, letting off a bit to get some air to take it down with, feeling the burn of the loose smoke following with it.

Raising a trembling hand and slowly handing it back as he blew the smoke back out. "If... If I might interrupt." came a voice from the side. He turned to see Yuri stood over Horvat's shoulder a relieved smile pointed down at him. Horvat pulled herself back up to her feet, taking a step to the side to let her in to which she took Horvat's spot. He raised his hand again, placing it to her swollen cheek and finally cracking a smile, "I... I'm sorry, lass... I... I just... I just lost it when I... When I seen..."

"Don't apologize, my love...". He felt the warmth of her lips press against his, the pressure build between them as she curled her arms around him while he pressed his hand up against the armour on her chest.

His head landed back against the wall as she let go, a weary smile crossing his face as he sat back. She rubbed the side of his cheek with her gloved thumb, the look of terror from earlier still present in her eye as she looked into his, painted over with relief and a smile.

They managed him to his feet a little later, giving the stims time take effect, still having to aid him as he walked out the infirmary, the drugs and painkillers still making him faint and disorientated. Walking across towards the bunker again, he looked over the bodies of the UCR soldiers who failed to make it back over the defences, strewn across the ground and covered in blood. Stepping back through the entrance of the bunker, the make shift barricades they'd made now gone and the body if the soldier from earlier still laying there, a bloody rag covering it's head.

Wobbling on through to the barracks, he found some of them had put the bunks and lockers they'd pull up back, some of them now peppered with holes. Yuri and Erin dropped his kit next to his bunk, then pulled up a table and some chairs for them all, giving Vlad and Horvat ample room to sit him down.

"Yuri... About... That guy..." He mumbled as he seen Yuri take a seat next to him. She raised an open hand between them as she looked off to the side, trying to push the image of it from her head. "I... I don't know if I can look at you the same way, Komms... But... But thank you so much for what done.".

She looked back round to him with a smile, her eyes disturbed by the scene playing over in her head but still filled with glee none the less. "You never actually said what of happened?" Vlad said, pulling out his canteen and taking a drink. "I'll... I'll gee ye the story in a bit, mate... I'd rather no hink eh that right now...".

He and Yuri sat in silence for a time as the others spoke, staring down at the table and taking occasional glances at her, noticing her do the same. He leaned forward on the table and placed his hand on her thigh, giving it a little squeeze as he looked round to her, getting a sad smile back as he shook her leg a little before letting go.

He squeezed his eyes before letting out a yawn, leaning down on his elbows. Feeling himself sink farther and farther down towards the able before his eyes shut, resting the sdie of his head down on his hands.