Somehow I feel this chapter is a little jumbled but I needed to release it to show my other chapters which i wrote before this one chp 10-13. I'll come back and fix this one again. I hope that it is intelligible enough to understand.
"That can't be!..." Alicia couldn't believe the words coming from Central's mouth.
"Are you defying his orders?" He asks.
"No. I would never-."
"Then good, because you'll need all the help you can get. Those forests are unknown ground, there could be anything in there, ever native creatures or hostile tribes that won't understand reason. While it is only a reconnaissance mission I want you to access the flight worthiness of Big Sky's bird hopefully we can bring it to working order once the power crane on the AVENGER is built, but most importantly, determine Big Sky's condition."
"…Yes, Sir." Alicia walked out of the Central's office defeated.
"Well! I look forward to working with you together on the field, Alicia." William was waiting outside for her to get the message.
"I'm heading off to prepare my Fire Team, be ready by the hangar at 10 or I'm going without you." Alicia walked off quickly to get away from him.
That same morning Menace 1-5 and Menace 1-3 were assembled in the hangar. The drone hovered about curiously scanning and observing the new surroundings like ROV-R, he could have sworn it was not like this the other day. Lily must have slipped something inside his drone while he wasn't looking.
The E.X.O-Suit wasn't ready yet so he left it in the workshop under Lily's care. Like the previous time, Lily had handed him newer items to bring to the field. This time it considered of a plated vest that could now withstand a point blank mag slug, they had perfected the composition of the material repurposed from the ADVENT soldiers armour alloy. There was also a new blend of medical salve in the biofoam projector that was more efficient than before, and had some combat drugs in the brew to keep the soldier who received it a temporary boost of energy.
The absence of Rocket's witty remarks and bright chipper actions were dearly missed by Menace 1-5, but was substituted by the incessant jabber of Lucius. Not having the same effect in cheering up the foul mood unfortunately.
Kara who happened to be in Menace 1-3 joined the group to be with Lucius. As it seemed, thanks to Horus's consulting she had managed to form a good talking relationship with Lucius. Lucius wasn't hard to understand, due to his single-minded behavior. All-in-all Kara could still communicate with their team.
"Hey. Look at those clowns…Hehe!" Whispered Menace 1-3.
The same could not be said for the rest of Menace 1-3. Horus recognized most of them as the fangirls of William, turns out they were in the same Fire Team as him. Kara told him that they were on talking terms but they mostly ignored her, better than being bullied he would say.
The women were mostly badmouthing Menace 1-5 who were just five metres away from them and Alicia for apparently winning the affection of William, mostly out of jealousy. Lucius couldn't stand having his Fire Team laughed at in front of him and was about to confront them before Horus yanked his collar, to stop him from humiliating himself. "Be tactful about how you move, always." He told his junior.
The women in Menace 1-3 looked at Horus all at the same time after discussing something together and smirked. Horus returned the greeting with his malicious grin which caused some of them to veer back afraid or shocked.
"Good morning everyone, let's board the Skyranger first then we'll commence our briefing on flight!" William arrived in full gear and informed them.
Everyone from Menace 1-3 boarded the Skyranger while all of Menace 1-5 were still standing in a row.
William turned around. "I just said to board the Skyranger, didn't you hear my Command?"
"Um! Sir-." Heather tried to speak but Horus spoke for her.
"We heard you loud and clear, sir! Unfortunately, you do not have the authority to order Menace 1-5 without Lieutenant Hunor's permission."
William's face twitched so fast that no one saw his annoyance, the friendly face was still intact.
"I've received word from Central to board with Menace 1-5. So I think we should all board without wasting time."
"I think so too, but I have not been given the order to remove myself from the premise by my immediate commanding officer, if you wish to help me out then please contact Lt. Hunor first then she'll send the order by text." He took his defiance without directly opposing William's authority as an officer, which annoyed the latter even more than declining him.
"Oi! And officer is asking you to board the Skyranger! Stop being an ass and get in!" One of William's woman shouted.
"Jeez, you don't have to be so upset about the contact I have with your boyfriend!" Horus laughed at the woman.
"You-.!" The guy ran out of the Skyranger and was one mind to give Horus a thrashing, although Horus smiled because this was the excuse he'd been looking for to put down the woman and the built up tension William had him go through.
"What's happening here!" Alicia called out to announce her arrival.
"Nothing, Alicia just friendly conversations that's all." William laughed off.
"If things are in order then let's board." Alicia waved it off like nothing happened.
"""Yes, ma'am!"""
Menace 1-5 boarded the Skyranger at her orders.
"Hope to get to know the rest of you in due time." He told the women of Menace 1-3 as he grinned threateningly.
On the Skyranger the women of William's group no longer glared at their people nor made any unsavory remarks in their presence with Horus facing them in the cabin space.
He turned to Lucius at sitting next to him. "What did I tell you, tactful about your moves." Lucius looked at him with a new found respect.
"I hope you haven't done something so audacious." Alicia walked over to sit next to him.
"I was just letting the hungry wolves know which hand not to bite." He informed her.
"Still I've heard they said some disgusting things towards our group so your actions have helped us balance out the irregularities of them doing any misacting." Alicia thanked him for looking after her team.
Heather had been silent the entire trip the rest could see she was upset about being unable to stand up for the rest of the team as she also felt disgusted by their looks. Alicia tapped her head lightly as she passed her to tell her it was alright. How was XCOM allowing these folks into their ranks, there wasn't a shortage in manpower even if the selection pool was every small.
The Skyranger had reached its destination, a hidden Haven in the Argentine Jungles. There a guide would take them to the distress beacon. The ropes fell and Menace 1-3 and 1-5 alighted the hovering Skyranger onto the Haven's dirt roads. Most of the inhabitants came out to see what was all the bustle about.
"Heather, check equipment and personnel."
"Yes!" Heather broke out of her earlier stupor and began doing an equipment check with all the members.
"Quite the charming little hamlet!" One of William's woman mentioned.
"It's been undisturbed for a while now." William told him.
"Where's the contact?"
Heads poked out of their house windows to see the newcomers of the community.
The combatants stuck out like a sore thumb along the road to the town center, where they would meet with the communities' director and chief of security.
The sound of weapons being cocked riddled the surroundings. "¡Detener! Tiren sus armas!" Because they had been surrounded by guns pointing at them from hidden places.
"W-William?" The combatants of XCOM were on their guard when the local fighters surprised them.
"Um?...Does anyone speak english?" William asked.
Alicia face palmed. That was why they requested a guide and he wasn't here, this could lead to a shootout especially with William's girls' twitching trigger fingers.
"That's the universal sign for drop your fucking weapons, sir." Horus told him as he taped his should and walked in front of them.
"Alto el fuego. Somos amigos de XCOM!" He spoke back to the fighters in Spanish.
"XCOM?" The speaking representative lowered his weapon and walked up to Horus. He had an unintelligible conversation with him as the combatants of both sides watched their interaction.
"What other surprises does Horus have for us!" Heather asked her superior.
Both sides were tense while their speakers were talking.
"How long it this gonna take?"
"Shut up!" William silenced one of his anxious men as the conversation was taking longer than expected.
"Bajar sus armas!" The speaker told his men and they obediently lowered their guns, the combatants did the same.
Horus walked back to the group.
"Well?" William asked.
"Our contact has been dead for two days now. He got killed by an ADVENT patrol that wasn't supposed to be here."
"Jesus! We were depending on him to lead us through the jungle to the site!"
"So what now?" Alicia asked.
"We'll go to the director's house to discuss further. For now, the deal with the contact does not concern them, so we will need to make a deal with them to guide us there."
"Alicia?" William asked his colleague.
"We don't have a choice, we're already here so we might as well see what they have to offer."
"The fellow told me he would only let five people into the director's house unarmed. That would include me and two of you and your sergeants."
"Alicia? This seems entirely unsafe."
"We'll go." Alicia told Horus with determination.
"Alright." Horus walked to join the speaker and had a small chat with him which led to some laughs and a friendly atmosphere. William and his aide Friday with Alicia and Heather in tow to them. The rest were settled into an empty house to wait.
Horus slowed down to join the group of four as the speaker led them back to the Director's home.
Heather asked him. "Where did you learn to speak Spanish?"
"There was a minority of migrants from Spain in New Syracuse, the academy took Spanish as a mother tongue and I took it up as an elective subject." Answering her query.
"You were a city dweller?" William's aide, Friday questioned him.
"Yes, and look where I am now!" Horus responded.
"I have one question, you said make another deal but what could we possibly offer them?" William asked.
"Don't worry yourself over such a minute detail, I've figured this out already."
They reached the house and the speaker entered the house leaving them at the living room, where two guards stood watch over them.
The speaker returned in a new set of clothing to which Horus smiled.
"Welcome to this small haven ladies and gentlemen, you may call me Andre for simplicity sake." The speaker said with his hand reaching out. The combatants were a little surprised by the speaker's hidden identity.
"Horus, combatant of XCOM. These are Lieutenant Hunor and Hiram of said XCOM and their respective aides." He shook the director's hand and Andre reached out to do the same to Alicia and William.
"He can speak English! So he was just playing with us from the beginning!" Friday announced rudely.
"Can it, Friday!" Heather hissed.
"Forgive me for the charades back there, it's something I do to all newcomers to determine their intentions! Though I'm surprised that one of your men knew our language well enough to calm both sides. You have my admiration, Senor Horus."
A lady who seemed to be his missus brought some tea and local biscuits for them to eat.
"Now to the business at hand!"
Andre discussed the terms and conditions of the arrangement to take them through the mountains and unsafe terrain to the crash site
"I'm sorry, I'm a little unclear of the situation. If the means are the same as the previous arrangement then why is there a need to discuss again, having another person acting as a guide should be all that's required." He was right although a little self-centered the way he put it.
Andre placed his tea cup on the coffee table. "That is true Teniente, but the original deal was to guide seven people through the jungle not fourteen."
William cringed at his reasoning, his interference with Alicia's mission had set them back.
"Is there anything your community is short of?" Alicia tried to be more diplomatic.
"Food is no concern, we have stockpiled surplus that we ship to other Havens for trading."
"It doesn't look like we have much that can convince you to guide us."
"We in the Haven are actually supporting the local resistance forces in the region, Sicario. So intel, guns or ammunition might be of help to them and us." Andre suggested.
"Out of the question!"
"William!"
"Sharing intel with unknown groups, what if it hits us back at home? The same goes for weapons, we need them more in our global struggles!"
"The choice is up to you, my friends." Andre sipped his tea again.
"You said you were supporting the local resistance force but I don't really see a need for a self-sufficient community to support an armed military force without expecting anything in return, please enlighten." Horus asked.
"You are certainly sharp! (sigh) The Haven faces an imminent crisis. There has been a recent build up in ADVENT activity in the region, not too long ago a neighboring Haven got hit hard by a retaliation and was burnt to the ground. We could be next, who knows. That's why we're are supplying the local resistance for protection. Unfortunately, we're not the only Haven that requested this and they have received more than enough food supplies. We have no other resources to provide them for continued protection." Andre explained their dire strait.
"I see, then as a token to begin good relations with your Haven, I'd like to offer you this!"
Horus handed him a datapad.
"This is-….."
"In the device is a program that allows the user to hack any interface of the ADVENT network at a push of a button. You'll get instant intel out of plugging into a local ADVENT network which the resistance seems to have on high demand. Trading this should give your Haven the continued protection." Horus was giving away a means to collect intel easily without compromising XCOM's intel. Simply put it, they gave them a shovel for them to dig their own gold without giving up any of theirs.
Andre's eyes shone as he gazed upon the datapad like an untold treasure. "This-….This would truly allow the resistance to continue their protection over this Haven! You have truly saved us, senor!" He danced happily.
He turned on the device and looked at the screen and then his face changed. A locked panel was displayed.
"Ummm?..." He looked at Horus confused and for answers.
"Of course, you'll have to keep your end of the deal!" Horus smiled. His intention was to give them the means to grant their continued protection, but still had a precaution in case they decided to change their mind.
Andre laughed at the shrewdness of the young man's game. "Alright, I will take you to the site personally. All thirteen people and in return-."
"I'll hand you the keycode!" Horus finished his sentence.
"Deal?" Horus raised his hand.
"Deal!" And Andre took it gratefully.
They walked back to meet with their combatants.
"Somehow I feel Horus was doing all the negotiating!" Heather said to them.
"Nonsense, I still needed you guys to be there to act as my 'presence' in the negotiation!" Horus affirmed them. He then told Alicia the passcode. Alicia nodded. William was frowning at his close contact with Alicia.
"If you are ready we can leave!" Andre had already prepared his things for the journey.
The group moved in a single file as they trekked through the jungle with Andre, Alicia and William in the lead.
"I still don't see the need why Lt. Hiram's Fire Team needed to go with us, it seemed more like a burden and generally his women are extremely bitchy, they don't look like fighting material!" Heather confided to her team silently.
"You say that only after going to a mission with them once, I'm in the same Fire Team as them for crying out loud." Kara informed her.
"XCOM is looks to the betterment of mankind, no matter what kind of person they are, it's neither malevolent nor benevolent it just ensures humanity stays alive." Horus answered Heathers question easily.
"I can't fault you on that one." Heather replied.
"I'm a bit curious, why do we need a guide if we already know where the old Skyranger is?" Lucius asked.
"We don't." Horus replied.
"Eh?"
"The beacon is merely a blimp in our scopes, the dense jungle is causing it hard to triangulate the position. We can't land just anywhere because of the same problem with the density of the jungle so we need to walk on foot to the location and back to the Haven for exfiltration, that's what makes it so dangerous." Alicia answered that query.
"So that's why cousin requested to accompany you!"
"I think that was one of the reasons. Yes." She said frowning.
Alicia knew Lucius the same way William knew her, though their families. But Lucius was oblivious to the true affairs going on between Alicia and William and so assumed they were still in good relations.
"Hold!" Andre called out from the front as he crouched. Alicia and Horus went to the front where William and he was.
"There! An ADVENT patrol, see the dangers that lurk in this jungle!"
A large contingent of ADVENT troops was seen in the vicinity a hundred metres ahead of them.
"What now?" Horus asked.
"We wait till they pass then cross, we're here for Big Sky not to engage with them." William announced.
"Where are they coming from?" Alicia asked.
"I don't get you, don't they come from those dropships?" Andre asked.
"They still need a base of operations to replenish and to respond rapidly to attacks on their facilities." Horus explained to Andre who nodded in understanding.
"Which way it the crash site?" William asked Andre.
"West along the banks and crossing the cliff. We should be about 15 miles from the site."
"15 miles?" Friday complained in that school girl attitude.
"Doesn't seem bad, we could go there and back before it gets dark." Said Horus.
"Uh-…Oh!" She understood what he meant.
"I do not see why you think this mission will end in half a day." William said to oppose him.
"This is a recce mission, sir. Have a quick look, take some pictures, do some scans, retrieve some artifacts and then we're done. Mission complete! Everyone goes home safe and sound."
"Don't lecture me on recon missions, specialist!" William snapped before moving ahead after the patrol left. Seeming to become more aggressive and hostile that previously.
Horus looked to Friday for answers but she couldn't give any.
Andre led them through a rapid which he had told them was a river bank at first. They had to fond through rapid running water at chest height. They threw a rope across at a tree and crossed the rapids. They needed to be careful because Andre claimed there were sharp rocks under the rapids further up that the eye couldn't make out.
A mixture of them took turns crossing the waters. Accidents happen and one happened when they least expected, Friday was crossing when a log came down the river and swept her.
"Ah!"
"Friday!" William called out to his teammate.
There rest were in a state of stupor, it had happened so fast that none of them had the time to respond. Friday's team through she was a goner as they screamed her name.
(Splash)
Horus had dived into the water after her.
"Follow them!" Alicia ordered. The rest followed after them along the surface.
As he got closer to Friday he noticed she had trouble getting out of the tangle with the vines attached to the log.
"Keep still!" He told her.
He hung on to the log and cut the vine and pulled her away from the log.
He whistled to his drone and the mechanical helper provider a handle for him as the drone competed with the strain of carrying two people against the rapids but managed to bring them to the other side.
"Thank You…" She panted. Horus just got up and walked back up to rejoin them and collect his equipment he discarded to prevent sinking.
As he walked back all soaking Alicia came up to him.
"Again with that recklessness! Why are you so fond of throwing your life away?! What if you were killed as well!" Alicia was plied away by Heather.
"Alicia, what's done is done! But still, that doesn't forgive what you've done, Horus! It could have been a collaborated instead of a one man show that risked his life. Reflect on that!"
Alicia and Heather scolded him for his recklessness, but were thankful he prevented a death by natural cause. William looked from the sideline unhappy. The team were unable to say anything because they really could do nothing, had he not taken action Friday's life might have been taken by the sharp rocks.
"Girls! Girls! In the end of the day they're both, ok! So how about we just leave this incident behind us." William proposed in his friendly smiling way.
"Fine! Let's move on!" Alicia took the lead.
Horus walked the entire way with a pair of eyes on him.
The Friday girl seemed to be upset with him the entire way, he figured it was because it wasn't William that saved her like a knight in shining armor.
They navigated across the cliffs and down into the valley, then they began to notice tracks of a crash landing from the knockdown trees.
"It must be nearby somewhere. Spread out!" William once again took charge.
They went around searching the jungles for clues or wreckages and this went on for half an hour before Horus who was with Heather spotted something.
"Look!"
"Seems like an aircraft wing, let's go!" Horus followed Heather who was quick on her feet.
True enough there as the Skyranger lying in a crater. Heather sent out a message from the comms to Alicia and William who gathered the rest.
Horus was the first to the scene where he climbed down and faced the rear where the cargo doors.
"Can it be opened?"
Horus felt around for the panel for manual opening of the rear hatch. He found it with no problem at all, although the rear hatch just fell down without any support. Heather who was near the hatch nearly got crushed.
"That was close!"
"Where are the bodies?" The rear hatch was closed after all, right?
"I don't know, it doesn't make any sense. Where are Big Sky and the passengers?" Heather questioned.
Horus noticed somethings lying around near Heather. "Heather, below at your feet."
"Huh?" She turned her flashlight to the ground near her. "What in the world are these?"
She picked up some weird looking harpoon like gun, it was a gun because of the pistol grip present. Right when she found the weird gun there was a flintlock like pistol lying next to it, Horus went to the cockpit to look for bodies but found none. He was about to walk away when he noticed an elongated handle from the cockpits control handles. Only it wasn't from the cockpit, he pulled out the handles and it revealed itself to be a pair of strange axes.
What was with these stranger weapons?
"You think these are something Big Sky tried to deliver to us?"
"But then where is he?"
He threw them into a bag Heather provided and carried them on her behalf because as she would say. "Making a lady carry your things is unbecoming of a man!"
Outside everyone was examining the crafts exterior.
"There's no one inside, not even a skeleton." Heather reported to Alicia.
"We found these weird bunch of items in the cargo hold." Horus lifted the rucksack he was holding.
"Keep it with you, we'll bring it back as samples to the crash for forensics." Alicia told him.
"Aye, Ma'am."
William paced about in impatience.
"What is it, William?" Alicia asked annoyed.
"This can't just be it? Where's the pilot and passengers? We need more intel!"
"We already have what we need."
"We're going to locate ADVENTs forward base." He said unsatisfied with the present results, it was as if he wasn't really needed for the operation at all. He refused to show this side of him to Alicia.
"Sir. We have no intel on the ADVENT in this region, making a move on the enemy without supporting elements is unwise." Horus advised William, but it only sort to cause him to be more agitated.
"Don't lecture me about strategy! I'm an Officer of XCOM, And I'm saying we're looking for the forward base!"
Then act like one, Horus thought.
"I am not going further with this mission! If you want to proceed then go on ahead!" Alicia said her fill and walked to the return route.
"Menace 1-5, we're packing up and leaving." She told her team. They quickly gathered and followed her.
"Alicia! Are you just going to leave the locals to be massacred?!" William said to intentionally garner Andre's attention.
"Teniente! Is this true? You must help us! After all I have helped you in finding this craft!"
"This agreement was to bring us here in exchange for the datapad to get Sicario's protection. When we get back you will have it! Obviously, Lieutenant Hiram's assessment of the enemies' true capabilities is based on bias assumption." Horus said without a shed of decency for William's authority.
William grinded his teeth as Horus had mocked him for the first time openly and worst off was that Alicia did not even stop him from saying that. Where was the childhood friend he knew and loved, was this guy, Horus what's causing the rift between their relationship? Then, he must be gotten rid of. Seeds of treachery spawned in William's heart as he gazed at Horus with inner malice and hatred.
"I'm going further into the jungle using these tracks as a guide to the location of ADVENTs base, be ready to pick up the loot when we get back! Menace 1-3 let's move out!" William separated from them and tagged along with Andre who was convinced by the righteous words of William. Menace 1-3 followed him without questioning him, although they were a bit reluctant to venture further than they needed to but since it was William they would do anything. Kara was part of Menace 1-3 so she could not disobey. Friday looked back at them hesitantly but followed her leader.
"Now what? The guide just went off with Lieutenant Hiram, does that mean we are forced to follow?" Luger asked.
"(sigh), Horus did you breadcrumb the trail we took?" Alicia asked.
"Sure did!" He waved the drone to take the lead in guiding them back.
After a long trek back, Horus went over to Alicia's side next to Heather who started to ask.
"Are we really going to leave them behind?"
"He made his choice so stubbornly so why must we follow him off mission?" Alicia said as she wasn't in a good mood.
"That may be so but Menace 1-3 will be dragged into unnecessary danger, the director of Unity Haven is also with them. If we return without him to the Haven the community will no doubt look at us with suspicion. They might even resort to violence based on their missing leader." Horus gave his rational thoughts.
Alicia didn't want to agree with what he said but he was right, they couldn't leave without them, even if William was being a stubborn dick.
"Urgh! Fine! We'll locate him instead."
Heather nodded pleased that her leader was doing the right thing.
They returned to the crash site and took the trail of footprints that went in the direction William and Menace 1-3 went.
(Boom) The sound of an explosion resounded in the distance.
"What was that?"
"Seems like a firefight a mile away!" Broker used her excellent tracking and hearing to triangular the place.
"Lead us!" Alicia ordered.
They were led down the mountain to the valley when Broker was shot in the shoulder by a mag slug.
"Broker! Ambush!"
A group of ADVENT troops burst from their jungle cover and landed in front of them.
"Fight back!" Alicia gave the command and the team instinctively took action through months of rigorous training. Horus stood back to support the team with medical assistance and combat, the drone marked targets from afar.
"Multiple targets approaching our position. They have backup!" He warned them.
The fighting reached a stalemate as more ADVENT seemed to arrive to replace and strengthen their fallen.
"They just keep coming! At this rate we'll never reach Menace 1-3!" Heather said over gunfire.
Alicia pursed her lips, why did they have to go so far for him?
"Let me go to them." Horus told her.
"What?"
"Let me search for them and bring them here!"
"No! It's too dangerous!"
"Alice… we don't know the outcome of Menace 1-3 they could be dead of all we know and we stood our ground for nothing. Let me search for them and guide them here. I have the drone to watch my back."
Alicia's better instinct was telling her not to let him go.
"Trust me." Horus said to her with his grinning smile.
Alicia calmed down a notch and thought about his suggestion.
"Go! And please be back quickly!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"It's not ma'am, it's Alicia!" She smiled back.
Horus left them after Alicia gave him a thick suppressive fire and disappeared into the jungle around the ADVENT forces to where William's IFF was pinging on his datapad.
"William! We can't keep this up! Jasmine is bleeding out, we need to withdraw!" Friday called out to William.
"Don't tell me what I already know!"
"Why can't we leave? Let's just run for it!" Andre suggested from behind a fallen log he used as cover.
"Your welcome to leave if your confident on running through this fire!" He shouted at the Haven Director annoyed by his constant complaints.
William did not foresee this outcome, he had even boldly declared to all of them he would find the ADVENT base but all he found was an ambush that they were cut off from their escape. One of his men were critically wounded and two could not fight due to the sudden ambush. Only him and three others could fight back.
"Damn it! Why did I even think of going beyond the mission?" He obviously knew, it was to impress Alicia but all he achieved was a tremendous disaster upon his Fire Team. There was just no way Alicia and her team would come all the way-
ADVENT who converged on them were being shredded by overwatch fire from a cliff near them. All the combatants were surprised as to who had come to their rescue, the person they had all constantly whispered horrible things about behind his back.
Horus sent the drone to instantly mark all the ADVENT soldiers in the area to Menace 1-3's HUDs and arm displays. The drone provided him protection from the incoming fire as he moved to link with William and the girls.
"You've really stuck yourself in shit this time, sir!" He replied to William without restraint.
"W-Why are you here?! Where's Alicia and the rest of Menace 1-5?"
"Why, did you expect them to see your sorry ass and take pity on you?" William got them in this mess and it was irritating him so he mocked him to release some tension from rescuing them, he didn't want their gratitude anyway.
William was more than upset by the outcome, having failed but to have Horus, the person he hated the most to laugh at his poor position was intolerable.
"Status, Friday!" Horus turned to his sergeant for the situation instead because he saw he was no longer fit to lead them.
"U-Uh! Three wounded, one with serious wounds! We're low on ammo and there's too much volume of fire to withdraw!" For that moment Friday had forgotten that she outranked Horus as he took charge of the situation.
Horus placed his hand on his chin while formulating a plan, the odds weren't good and the enemy had the high ground. That was when he thought about the strategies employed by Alicia's father.
"Friday, take the rest and carry the wounded with you and follow the drones pre-coordinated route, after I give you the signal you will get out of here ASAP, take Andre with you!"
"What will you do?"
"You Lieutenant and I will slowly retreat in an orderly fashion, but now the priority goes to your wounded! Can you do that?" Somehow she felt that she could trust his judgement.
Friday nodded.
"What will be the signal?"
"The giant explosions in the ADVENT line! William give me suppressive fire!" Horus dashed into the fire, he had gone down to calling William by name now and expected him to stay. William was two minds about letting him tell him what to do or running.
Friday was shocked by his recklessness but since he had a plan to back it up it was not completely reckless but brave. A new found respect for Horus emerged in her thoughts.
"Gwen! Gather the team for a withdraw and provide Cheshire covering fire!" She dispatched her orders to her companions before providing support fire to Horus to take the heat from him.
Horus was in a critical situation, the bulk of ADVENT had turned to fire at him because he was a lone target away from the rest, he had to wait for the intervals of suppression fire to move closer. Friday seemed to be the one taking charge and gathering them for the retreat, William was just sitting about next to the wounded which was annoying but there was nothing that he could do about it.
He crept closer to the ADVENT troops and took out his X4 charges and primed them to a time of five seconds and effectively turning them into high explosive satchel charges to be thrown. He threw them in a spread out pattern to annihilate the line of ADVENT and Alien soldiers. When ADVENT troops noticed the charges being thrown at them they had no time to retrieve them and the line erupted into a mixture of dirty and colored blood mist along with the orange flames of the explosion.
"That's the signal, go!" Friday led them to withdraw leaving her leader behind whom didn't seem capable of making his own decisions whether to stay or fight. Then he followed them.
"Sir! Horus needs you for the escape plan, you have to stay and watch his back!" She told him, William looked at her stunned that his sergeant was telling him to stay in this mess even when the opportunity for all of them to escape had finally arrived and he had to stay and watch over Horus of all people.
"U-Uh!- Yes! How forgetful of me! Quickly go while you have the chance, go!" William smiled assuring that he would stay.
Friday looked at her leader she once adored with a bit of doubt of his abilities, but shook it of because he said he would stay. Menace 1-3 quickly carried their wounded and left with the drone to lead them, the drone hovered around them patiently waiting for them and even supported them when they seemed to stumble.
"You're quite a helpful fella aren't you?" She said to the drone who danced at her praise. She chuckled at the innocence of the drone, it was like a pet.
Back where they were previously stuck, Horus was hosing the ADVENT soldiers advancing on their location he had just taken from them. He planted the explosives beneath him while managing the fire on his own.
When the ADVENT seemed the weakest in their advance he retreated at full speed to William's location where they were originally. Seeing him stand there the entire time without helping him was pissing him off.
"We're leaving!" Horus said to him, he didn't care if he were left behind now. The ADVENT who had retaken the former firing position were decimated by his hidden explosives buying them time to escape.
Horus ran with William close by. Until they reached the cliff that they needed to cross to get to where the rest of them were. Standing close to the ledge they moved carefully so as not to drop down.
"We're are the rest presently?" William asked him.
"Just beyond this cliff and three hundred metres West should be where they are waiting, we should get back soon!"
"Yes we should." William spoke in a monotone voice. (Bang) A shot echoed through the cliff.
"Argh!" Horus looked down at his abdomen, he had been hit and was bleeding profusely. He turned around to find William had drawn his pistol and shot him, an insane smile was planted on his face.
"You-!" Horus held his wound with both hands.
"AHahaha! I could never hope for a better situation like this to get rid of you now! To be honest I hated you the moment I saw you!" William kicked him to the ground, Horus rolled over to the edge of the cliff.
"Alicia is mine and no one else's! When I return I'll tell them the tragic tale of Horus who saved my life to get me out of here." He chuckled sinisterly.
Horus laughed despite his pain, which ticked William off.
"W-What's so funny? Your about to die, don't you understand the situation and what's with that grin?!"
"You being with Alicia is the funniest combination I've ever heard of. Can I tell you a secret? She finds you disgusting, she always has…..Ahahaha!"
William kicked him again and he rolled off the ledge and held on with one hand.
"An insect like you should just die!" William once again shot him while Horus was hanging from the cliff and he fell down into the thick vegetation below.
William left with a tinge of discomfort, Horus did not beg for his life and smiled at him the entire time to mock him. For a long time, he thought that smile would haunt him in his nights ahead.
Horus had fallen down the cliff and impacted the side of it which knocked him unconscious as he rolled down further and down into a man-made hole. His body inertia stopped when he hit the floor in what would be a place that would change his life forever.
Menace 1-5 had cleared the wave of hostiles that ambushed them with good teamwork and precise shots, although the enemy did not falter they were gone.
"Great work guys!" Alicia commended her team.
"Did you see that? We totally kicked their arses!" Lucius was being loud as always but it was alright this time because they had successfully repelled the ADVENT contingent, now all they had to do was await Menace 1-3 and Horus to return.
And right on time, Menace 1-3 returned with their wounded carried on their backs. The drone circled around them and playfully returned to the group.
"You guys are just on time, wait! Where's Horus and William?" Alicia asked concerned.
"Ma'am, we were ambushed a mile back there. Horus came to bail us out on his own and-."
"That's not what I asked! Where is Horus?!"
"He's-…with William! They were covering our retreat, they should be here shortly!"
Alicia's heart quickened, she had a bad feeling about Horus being alone with William.
"I'm heading up to check!" She said instantly.
"That's not needed!" A voice ahead called out.
Alicia looked up to see only William had returned.
"Where-…..Where's Horus?! Answer me!" She asked frantically.
"Alicia he-….." William looked solemn as he was relaying the news. Alicia's mind was in a scramble.
"No-." Alicia collapsed on her knees, the worst had taken place.
"He died to save me." He said solemnly.
These words were like the final hammer to hit the nail into the coffin for her last shed of hope she had for his return.
Alicia realised at that very moment, the love she had for Horus wasn't sibling love but a love for him as a man. And now it was too late, just as her Nanna had once said.
"No… .No!NO!NOOOO!" Alicia let out a cry.
"Alicia." Heather wrapped her small arms around her as she broke down and cried.
William wanted to approach but Heather glared at him and said.
"Just don't!"
(thump) "Steph? Steph! Hey! What happened? Steph!" Lucius called out to her as she had suddenly fainted on the spot.
Friday observed the anarchy after the news was broken out by her leader and watched as many members of Menace 1-5 including their leader were taking a terrible beating from hearing his death. She would be lying if she too did not feel some sort of regret from his death.
Friday turned to her leader and looked at him intensely, he claimed Horus died to protect him but she recalled him leaving William behind like dead weight during the diversion and her leader wanting to leave immediately as well. She could not shake the feeling that his death was somehow caused not by saving William and certainly not by ADVENT from the way he moved but by the very survivor who claimed otherwise.
If that were so, then she would not want to have anything to do with him in the future.
So sorry you had to read through that. The next few chapters I promise wont disappoint.
