"Move it jarheads! Got Reds on my tail!" Sergeant Benjamin "Benji" Montgomery shouted. The men of the Blizzard Stalker task force moved from their rest positions and snapped to combat positions. Weapons raised down towards Benji's path. "Where's the Lieutenant?" Corporal Samuel "Dogma" Wallace question his superior.
"Dogma, is that a question you're really asking?" Private Jefferson "Silver" Monroe asked his comrade, hefting his light machine gun a little higher, "He's probably giving those Yellowskinned bastards something to think about," A few moments passed. Nothing happened. "Are you sure they were coming?" Corporeal Lydia "Man-Eater" Harrington asked, not taking her eye away from her sniper scope even for a second.
"I think I'd know if a bunch of communists were shooting at me," Benji shouted. Rounding the bend came a man wearing Winterized American Combat Armor, sprinting at top speed. Behind him came a Chinese Chimera tank, spraying rounds at the running man. "Give the lieutenant some covering fire!" Benji shouted, "Man Eater get that launcher up!" The woman didn't bother affirming, she didn't need to. Jumping down from her elevated position she grabbed the launcher from their cache of weapons and loaded a missile in.
The tanks main gun retargeted and started firing at the marine position, sending snow flying. "Man-Eater!" Silver shouted; his voice more joking than panicking. She stepped into the open and fired the missile at her target. The missile screamed away and slammed into the tank. Its armor crumpled as the projectile pushed deep into the tank's hull. Almost as rapidly it detonated sending metal shrapnel flying.
"When I left, they didn't have tanks Charlie, what the hell happened," Benji said, slapping his friend on the back.
"Seems the Reds didn't take kindly from me killing their boys from that ridge line," he said, "Also sniped some of those Crimson Dragon fucks, they really don't like dying to snipers.
"Alright sir, what are your orders?" Dogma asked. Lieutenant Charles Jameson gave the man a smile, "I was thinking we make some fireworks. Sound good?" Affirmations were given all around. "Alright then, call up Valkyrie and have her bring up the rest of the boys,"
"I count about three infantry platoons and about a dozen Chimeras," Man Eater said, keeping eyes on the base.
"Make that four platoons and twice that in tanks," Benji added, putting the binoculars done, "Look West," The woman obliged and shifted her weapon to where Benji called out the enemy reinforcements. "Well, that's just peachy,"
"It's just more dead reds," Silver said, lighting a cigarette.
"Are you sure that those don't have any cannabis, seeing as it's fucking with your head?" Sergeant Melinda "Valkyrie" Ross asked Silver, her winterized t-51 power armor clanking as she marched up to the lookout nest.
"As sure as I am that you're a full metal bitch," he joked, putting the cigarette into his mouth. She lightly hit his shoulder in response. Well as light as one could in power armor. "So, lieutenant, what's the plan?" Charles put his own binoculars down. "Myself, Man Eater, Benji, and anyone with some competency around sniper rifles will fire down on the bastards from this ridge. Meanwhile, the rest of you will be about here," he said, pointing on a map, "When the shooting starts, they will get those tanks moving to engage us. When that happens Silver and Valkyrie will lead a team to engage those tanks. Missiles, grenades, bullets, lasers, rock, whatever. Draw their fire, and stay alive. Most likely they will move most infantry inside, away from our line of fire. That will give Dogma and whoever's left a chance for the base,"
"Then we set the charges at the fuel canisters and AA guns," Dogma said, "Just like basic training,"
"Exactly," Charles answered, "With any luck, we cripple the reds push on this front and go home. First-round will be on me boys and girls. Now, let's kill ourselves some reds," The gathered soldiers saluted and moved off to make their preparations or to brief the rest of the men. All excluding Benji. "Why do you keep me from the fun jobs?" he asked. Charles smirked, "A near-suicide mission being fun, only roof jumping Benji would find that fun,"
"If I remember correctly you were right there with me," Benji retorted.
"I was there so you wouldn't embarrass yourself in front of Sarah," he told him. A silence fell between them.
"So that's the reason…" Benji said, "You aren't letting me go balls deep for her?"
"She's already lost her brothers to this war, losing you would be too much," Charles told him.
"She'd still have you," Benji told him, "If any of us are getting out of this it's you," Charles stayed quiet. "She picked you and I'll respect that. That ship sailed for me," His best friend smirked, "Alright, fair enough. Guess I'm a sniper now,"
"Seeing as you can't hit a barn wall inside the damn thing, you're more of an ammo attendant," Charles told him, getting an enraged reaction.
"If you remember right there was a hole there and you startled me," Benji answered. Charles just started laughing. "It's not that funny," he said, "And please, don't tell the others. I'll never live it down." His friend continued laughing. "You know what, I don't have to take this," Benji said, walking off. His friend's laughter continued until he was out of earshot. Then it stopped. "Why couldn't he remember that hole?" he thought.
The world began to spiral between dark and light. Color seemed to lose its meaning. He felt himself spin and stop. Spin and stop. He felt himself wretch with nothing leaving his throat. He snapped up and found himself in a place he did not recognize. He began to think and realized he remembered things that he shouldn't be able to. Names, places, organizations. Things that felt familiar but at the same time he had never known them.
"Ridger, you're awake," a man he remembered to be named Elliot said. He wore winterized combat armor and had various emblems identifying as a member of the U.S. military. Yet used the name Ridger. "Soldier, report. What happened to my unit?" Charles asked. The man looked confused. "Unit?" he said, shocked, "Ridger, you've been unconscious for weeks. You passed out during a meeting…don't you remember?"
That name again, Ridger. And meeting? Did he mean the mission briefing? Whatever he needed to go There was a war to win. He pulled himself out of the bed, nearly stumbling and walked off. "Sir, you need to rest," the man told him. Charles shoved him aside. Elliot was thrown against the wall harder than Charles thought was possible. The sound of a bone-breaking and the man screaming shocked him. He looked at his hand. "What the…. how…. what?" he said panicking.
Two more men entered the room, weapons readied. One-armed and dressed like a sci-fi Spartan. The other looked like a Samurai. "What's going on?" the Samurai asked, noticing Elliot on the ground. "I don't know…" Charles said, still panicking. The men approached him. "Stay away!" he shouted, "Where am I? Where are men?"
"You are aboard Olympus," the Samurai told him, "Your ship," The name, Olympus. A space ship. He had been abducted, took the ship as his own. No, that can't be right. He had worn power armor. He had been abducted in D.C. but he had been nowhere near D.C. He had been at Anchorage, he had been fighting the Reds trying to secure….to secure…..he couldn't remember. He couldn't remember the town's name. It was a coastal town….or was it inland?
He began to panic more. "What did you do to me?!" he shouted. More people arrived, all but one armed. The unarmed woman stepped forward, past the soldiers. "Ridger, you have just recovered from brain surgery. It is natural that you are confused. Sit down and…"
"I AM NOT RIDGER!" Charles shouted, "I am Lieutenant Charles Jameson of the U.S. Marine corp….." He couldn't remember his company. His regiment. Not even where he was stationed before Operation Blizzard Haunting. Brain surgery, she mentioned brain surgery. "What did you do to my head? ANSWER ME!"
Authors Note
I'm posting this earlier than normal for a few reasons. The biggest being I burned myself out of this fic, not quitting this fic just taking a break. I want to step away and come back with a fresher perspective on the story I want to tell. Also the one-off I released Friday the 27th has got me thinking and as much as I hate myself for it I'm going to make it a full on story. Anyway, hope everyone is doing well in these trying times.
