Encounters

The square was quiet. The berserker Had settled, or perhaps it had wondered away. It was deserted to the untrained eye. But it wasnt. Will poked his eye over the window.

"Clear square" he said.

The four other gears suddenly emerged from their hiding spots, and walked into the square. they circled around each other, scanning ever single window.

"Dont bother looking. They've allready come and gone."Marcus called out.

Marcus stood over a pile of rubble. The rest of the squad gathered with him.

"and they brought their pet with too." he added.

Marcus reached down and picked up a crushed lancer. He inspected it, slid out the clip, and placed it on his own ammo belt.

Will sighed.

"Poor guy. What a way to go."

"Yeah...Hmm. Thats strange. His COGs are still here." Marcus said.

Everyone remeained still...Almost as if they felt guilty taking them from their fallen comrade. Takeing the COGs off a dead soldier was said to be the final step to a soldiers death.

"I'll do it." Will said. He reached down and plucked them off, taking note of the crushed tourqe bow under him.

Will looked away from The corpse, and too the COGs. He lifted them up to the sunlight. All the COGs Will traveled with gathered around him. Marcus looked away first. Dom inspected his weapon. Will took in a breath of air, and his eyes lit up.

Winters, Jason

Blood type: A+

COG infantry

"No. It cant be" Wills voice cracked as he said it.

"I'm sorry Will." Marcus said. He gave him a slight pat on the back.

Will shook his head.

"No. It cant be. Jason...Winters doesnt..."

"Doesn't what Will? Doesn't die?" Marcus asked.

Will's hands shook. Blood was on the COGs. He wondered if it was Jasons. No. It was dried...To dried.


Ashley rubbed the sweat off her eyes. She had no idea where she was. Everything looked the same. She gripped her snub pistolhis snub pistol.

Ashley grunted as a thought she had been dreading ever since she had left the COG.

"No! He survived. He survived." Ashley said aloud.

Ashley came to a corner of a building. She instinctivly slid into the shadows and listened. She heard something. Suddenly, another thought came to her. her eyes raised to the horison, empty.

"We'll shake that out of you." She said, once again aloud.

She now realized how the civilian had been shaken out of her. She wasn't sure how. the instinct of survival had kicked in.

Ashley now slowly poked her head around the corner. She saw four objects. Ashley couldnt tell if it was human or locust. She decideed to get a closer look so she slid out from her hiding spot and quickly moved from shadow to shadow to a closer building corner. She now once again poked her head around the corner, then pulled it back in. She slid the clip out of her snub and checked it.

"two bullets" She said.

Ashley still couldnt tell if the 4 objects were locust or human. She took a deep breath and redied to move again.


"Wait. If this is the Lt. Wheres the girl he was escorting?" Dom asked.

Wills heart dropped.

"Probably dea-No!" Will cut in. He refused to have his squad leader cut down.

"She is NOT dead." Will added.

"Will. Lets be reasonable. I mean, a civilian? Even if she survived the combat while Jason was alive, theres no way she'd survive once she was alone, and defenceless." Marcus said.

"...No...Not defenceless. Look. His snub is gone. See? She was smart enough to take a weapon." Will pointed out.

"No. thats imposible. Jason was killed by a berserker. Theres no way she came back for a weapon. I mean, look! Nothing survived this. Not even his lancer. No, I'd say he gave it to her before his death." Marcus said back.

Will felt a lump grow in his throat. He refused to believe that Jason had left the girl with absolutely nothing but a snub.

"Look. i knew Jason. he wouldn't just leave the girl hanging. Jason knew how to adapt, how to survive. I know that he passed this on to the package." Will said.

"Will, come on. The odds are in favor of her being dead. If shes KIA, we call in the chopper, and go home." Dom said.

Will didnt answer. He felt tears welling up inside him. he showed the cold face, and forced them back down. He senced every ones eyes shift to Marcus. Will also rose his eyes to the squad leader. Marcus cleared his throat. He clicked on his radio.

"Command, This is delta squad. the package is KIA." Marcus said.

Will turned around, and slammed his fists into the nearest wall.


Ashleys heart leapt. One of the COGs was obiusly not happy. He just turned around and punched a wall, allowing ashley to see his face.

"COG..." She breathed.


"What is the squads status?" Command asked.

Marcus sighed. he raised his finger as he counted off the deaths.

"Three KIA. All gamma squad."

"Which one remains?"

"Sargant Will Malarky"

Suddenly, a male voice cut into the radio.

"Lt. Jason Winters! Where is he!? Whats his status!?"

"...He's dead sir. Please identifiy your self."

"...I'm his CO...He had vaulenteered for this mission...I told him...I told him this was just too dangurous for him..."

"Sir, I'm sorry but we need a chopper ASAP."

"...Yes. Dispatching now. ETA four minutes."

"No...way..." Will said, as he looked out at the road.

"What. What is it?" Marcus asked...then his eyes fell apon the figure that had suddenly materealized from the shaddows.