I'm not sure why I didn't explain this sooner: So Link and the group are in their mid-20's. Link was around 10 when E-day commenced, and was 14 when he joined the COG. Between then and now he spent 6 years on the field, and 4 years in prison. So he and most of his friends will be around the same age. Excluding Daruk and a few others we haven't met yet. Wanted to make sure this as close we can to the original Gears time scale.

(Hyrule City)

Delta Squad trekked through the old ruins quietly, lancer's on the swivel. Link held strong with his group and Devin on point.

"Plan? A plan my ass! You don't have a plan! You're talking shit." Revali complained while hiking through the desolated streets.

"Don't get your feathers ruffled up, dickwad. I have a friend out here. He has a piece of crap junker, but it runs." Devin responded.

"You're friends with one of these Stranded?"

"He's probably the only Stranded that still has respect for the COG."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, if he didn't have this medical condition in his spine he would've enlisted long ago."

Cutting their way further down the alley, they heard rustling in the dumpster. The sound made the Gears aim their lancer's at the source, but were held back by the sudden discovery of a stray dog. Quick as a flash the dog fled in the opposite direction of the Gears.

"C'mon the camp is this way." Devin resumed their journey.

"So how do you know this guy?" Daruk asked.

"When we were here before Link was arrested. He wanted to keep ears in this city so I… I gave him access to an old comm radio."

"So how much further Dev?" Daruk asked.

"Just across the bridge around the corner. We can cut through this building to save some time."

"Control, this is Delta, we have a lead on getting transport, what's the location of the imulsion mine?" Link explained.

"The Imulsion mine is about 46 klicks ahead of you. Be advised you have enemy patrols moving to your location. They're definitely on to you, Delta." Zelda explained to Link over comms.

"Copy that." Link looked over the split roadway. On leading down and the other across the street.

"Great!" Revali groaned from behind.

"Revali you and I will go left, the rest of you go right."

"Got it." Brandon responded while making his way down the ramp with the rest.

Revali held ready for anything behind Link as he led the two of them into a ruined auto shop. The stairway stood firm as they ascended to the next floor.

"Delta one, this garage is locked from the other side. See if you can open it on your end." Devin spoke on comms.

Before either Link or Revali could respond, a pair of tall boomers marched below them. Approaching the same garage door. A little rat scurried on the floors for any speck of food. Instead it met the bottom of a Boomers foot. Leaving nothing but a red splatter on the ground.

"Delta two, get away from the garage, Boomers dead ahead." Revali whispered intensely over comms.

"Boom!" One of the tall Grubs groaned with both of them firing their weapons.

The garage flew off its hinges in shrapnel and gunpowder. A trail of smoke resonated from impact with the three Gears firing their lancers at the doorway.

Link and Revali aided their comrades from their position and the Boomers fell with bullets lodged in their guts.

"Shit… I'm just realizing these Boomers are about as big as you, Daruk." Revali noticed after the firefight ceased.

"Yeah almost."

"We'll link up on the other side, c'mon." Link advanced.

In the back rooms of the shop the two Gears caught a glimpse of a corpser tunneling underground.

"It's pulling back." Link spoke, minding his distance.

"Yeah it's gonna wait and save us for later, like a snack. How absurd." Revali insulted.

"Bullshit." Link responded.

"You think I'm joking?"

"I think you're too high on your own bat-shit ego, that's what I think."

"Aww isn't that just adorable." Daruk cooed in a sarcastic tone.

"Like two assholes on their first date." Brandon commented with a snicker under his breath.

"I ship'em so hard!" Devin finalized the moment.

Meeting back together on the other side of the building with the bridge in sight, Devin resumed on point. The trek was uneventful for the short time to cross the river. Reaching the next block on the other hand was not so much.

Rubble and concrete shook the ground all around the streets. The block quickly sunk down in pieces with a whole barrage of grubs, boomers and a corpser.

"For Raam!" One of the Grubs shouted.

"Shoot down those fuckers!" Link shouted with his lancer at the ready.

"I swear that corpser's toying with us!" Revali shouted.

"Oh you know you're enjoying it, Ravioli!" Daruk shouted with glee.

"No I'm not!"

Brandon and Devin snuck to the left side establishing a flanking position. Link followed suit to the right side.

"Surrounded!" A lone grub shouted before getting shot down in the knee cap.

When the Locust numbers dwindled the corpser fell back hopefully for the last time. All that was left was the limping drone.

"Oh don't start what you can't finish sucka!" Yelled Daruk as tackled the grub. Bloody punch after bloody punch pummeled the grub from Daruk's hard fists.

"Yeah that's for team humanity, BITCH!" Daruk gloated standing from the dead grub.

Brandon walked over to the big Gear and pulled out his snub pistol to put a round in the drones head.

"Just in case." Brandon said calmly.

"Right… At least someone's enjoying this."

"That makes two of you, Ravioli. He's just the only one who's actually showing it." Devin sneered.

"You lot are insufferable."

"Oh suck it up, diva. Let's get going, Delta." Link pushed his squad forward.

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"Navi, you here?" Link asked through the halls.

The little floating drone that helped him spring his escape quickly decloaked around the Squad. She's a rare model line the COG likes to keep close and on high value given there's been no operable factories since the hammer strikes all those years ago.

"Be a doll and rip this door." Link told Navi. She responded in beeps and boops in a lightened tone. Her cutting torch sprung from her claws and seared the lock open.

"Good work, Navi." Devin commented and directed to Delta,

"Alight guys keep your safety's off and let me do the talking. This guy may tolerate the COG but I can't say for the rest of his group."

"You heard'em Delta, play it cool." Link ordered.

"In other words. Best behavior Revali." Daruk snickered.

"Hmph, fuck you." Revali sneered his gaze away from the group.

Delta marched outside to find a makeshift fenced community with a sign "New Hyrule" written above the gate.

"Hey man." Devin greeted the front guard.

"Hey Devin, how're you holding up?"

"I'm still alive… T.K. here?"

"Yeah, same place as usual."

"Thanks man."

"Yeah yeah."

The group of Gears were met with silence from the locals. The livestock of chickens and pigs were all the noise heard.

"You're COG bullshit won't save you here." One of the Stranded said before closing his window. The blinds wrote "Fuck the COG!". Link just rolled his eyes and followed Devin.

"Hey COG want some of this stew, it tastes like shit. Just like you!"

"Blow me!" Revali didn't take long to insult back to the Stranded.

"Muzzle it, Ravioli." Brandon said.

"What're you my mom?"

Walking under the roadway a man slumped on a nearby couch with a cane by his side. Two men armed with a gnasher shotgun and a hammerburst stood beside him.

"He-hey! My favorite Gear, always a pleasure." T.K. hoisted himself from the couch with his cane.

This man looked about the same age as the rest of the Gears. Maybe a little older, but he shouldn't be walking like this.

"Devin! Good to see you again, little brother." T.K. hugged the gear.

"Little brother?" Daruk said in a hint of shock.

"This is my older brother." Devin acknowledged with a smiling wink.

"Alright let's put this aside. What do you need?" T.K. realigned the subject of their visit.

"We need that Junker of yours."

"I'm sorry what?"

"We have a mission that'll kick the locust hard in the nuts, but we need wheels to get there."

T.K.'s sudden friendly demeanor flipped to a concerned local among Gears.

"Alright… Alright. I owe you for the comms so we'll cash it here. I just have one condition though. You'll have better odds if you go with a small group. Those three Gears can stay here for collateral. While you get that Junker they can add extra hands when the Grubs come back." T.K.'s condition was a tall one, but well worth the trade. Even though the three Gears he was referring to was, Revali, Daruk… and Link himself.

"Alright deal." Devin gleefully answered. Daruk and Revali groaned in shock. The fact that Devin sold them off like cattle. Link on the other hand was silent. Being a mute for most of his time in school had its advantages.

T.K. handed over his Junker's keys to Devin while explaining the location of their new ride.

"It's at Chap's gas station. You'll wanna hit our check points for ammo on your way there."

"Thanks bro. C'mon Brandon, let's go get that Junker."

"Right behind you." Brandon said.

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The dark backroads under the bridge ensnared a menacing aura of silence. Wretches could pounce any moment or the sharp fanged Kryll could have an early snack in the shadows.

Brandon and Devin walked over to the river side to get a look at the limit of natural light before night falls under Hyrule.

"Hey lil'bro, we have a makeshift trolley to help you cross the river. And keep an eye on the skies. Once night hits, the Kryll come out to eat." T.K. spoke over comms.

"Thanks T.K. we'll keep you updated as we go."

"Good. You may be a Gear, but you're still my lil'bro. Don't make me drag your ass in pieces. "

"You got it T.K.."

The waters below were murky and yet it felt normal and refreshing to realize that idea. Brandon held up his comms to Control as the two went down the stairs to the trolley.

"Control, this is Delta-2. We're getting transport secured. Can you find Chaps gas station where you're at?"

"The station is on the other side of the river about three blocks down from the first checkpoint." Zelda spoke on the other side.

"Wilco, control. Oh and don't worry about us, Devin's brother will guide us to the station. You can take this time to talk to Link. Delta out." Brandon didn't even wait for her to respond. He shut off his comms leaving Zelda completely flustered on the other side.

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Link took a standard patrol routine around the small village of stranded. Revali kept his composure by focusing on cleaning his Markza rifle. Link saw a few kids sneaking behind him to swipe some of his parts.

"Hey kids, who wants to have fun with Daruk Da'Rock!" The hulking big gear saved the kids from "Ravioli's" bickering mouth. The kids raced over to the former celebrity athlete to meet him like little crazed Wretches. The idea of Daruk still having fans out here gives Link a sense of hope. Things are still going to shit but there are rare times they find something good. Link decided to give himself a moment to relax. He rested at the nearest bench and pulled out a smoke he found on their way to town.

"Link?" Zelda called over the comms.

"Zelda? What's the problem?"

"Nothing... Brandon and Devin are getting help from T.K. so I thought… I just wanted to hear from you again. It's been so long."

A long pause of silence befell the two. Link was the first to break the silence unfortunately.

"I missed you… Zelda. I'm sorry I never wrote back. I love you too." Remembering Zelda's last letter before leaving the Slab. Link spoke with a sense of preternatural defeat. Amidst the four years of surviving, Link's emotions flooded like the ocean.

"Link." Zelda caught her breath in a teary stutter. A sense of weight unveiled from her shoulders in Link's words.

"Hey sergeant, they're giving us some dinner. Let's eat!" Daruk shouted.

"I gotta go, Zelda. I'll contact you soon… And I'm doing better now. It's good to be back."

"Roger that, sergeant." Zelda shut off the comms and whispered to herself, "I love you, Link."

"We are gonna get dysentery from this!" Revali cringed.

"Just shut up and eat." Link groaned as he took a seat.

Several stacks of cup noodles and dried meats, along with bottles of water. It's not a feast but there's plenty of it to go around.

"What shit." Revali sneered.

"Well excuse us for not appealing to your high end standards. There's a war going on, y'know." Said one of the Stranded.

"Says the stranded living in this dung heap."

Thankfully Da'Rock was able to reel in the tensions from his counterpart, "Revali, don't be a stick in the mud. Take this, get some protein in ya. You're being h'angry." Shoving the meat in Revali's face.

Link cracked a smile as he pulled a few cups of noodles for himself. Given the situation, it's best to hold back the glutton in him.

Above the city ruins, what little light was gone, darkness of the night was all that lingered. In the wake of darkness, the flock of Kryll enveloped the streets. Eviscerating all flesh, Locust or human outside the light. They were not picky eaters.

"Oh shit. They're already out. Hey one of you Gears check the lights. We gotta hold out tonight. " T.K. yelled over to the group.

"I'll do it." Daruk shouted lancer in arm.

"Hey lil'bro, the Kryll's out, you make it to the checkpoint?" T.K. moved over to his comms to reach Devin.

"Yeah, but their lights went out. I'm sorry." Devin responded.

"Don't worry, do whatever you have to make it to the Junker. There's a ultraviolet light built on it. Burns the Kryll to ash."

"Got it, we're moving out." Devin shut the link.

"Hey you two, head to our towers for overwatch." T.K. ordered the other two Gears.

"What?" Revali scoffed.

"C'mon Revali." Link ordered.

Atop the tower, Link and Revali started checking their ammo for all of their weapons. A few minutes on overwatch, Link took a swig from his canteen while Revali checked the count on his molotovs.

"Sergeant, Delta-2 here, any updates?" Brandon called over comms.

"Things are getting serious over here. T.K.'s gearing up for something big. You getting close to the station?" Link explained.

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The night beneath the ruins of the city raises a faint slithering fear of grim silence. The Kryll could pop out anywhere in the dark. Devin and Brandon arrived at Chaps Gas Station a while ago. The lights were popping as if Hylia had just landed on the surface. The locust rotted the grounds with their drizzling blood. Corpses and gunpowder seeped into the warm night air traveling in the group's nostrils.

"It's Brandon, we just finished up at the station, the Junker is fully fueled. We'll be back before you know it."

"Wilco, and tell Devin his brother would make a great Gear. If things get crazy, they might make an exception."

"I'm sure he'd like to hear that. Delta-2 out."

"What're you Gears waiting for? We gotta go!" The old man who runs the station yelled.

Wretches poured out from the cracks of the surrounding ruins. Their shrieking echoed the streets calling in more of their kind. They Kryll shortly followed, gnawing on a few Wretches along their way to the running Junker. Devin slammed down on the gas straight for the main road. Brandon pulled out his lancer aiming at what's left of the big gas tank. The explosion bought them the moment they needed to break for it.

"One of you, keep your eyes on the sky, the engine can only power the Junker or the ultraviolet lights. It'll burn the Kryll when they get too close." Chaps explained.

"Seriously?" Devin shouted behind the wheel.

The junk along the road proved a strenuous difficulty to drive passed. The Kryll were gnawing their fangs at the sign of a fleshy meal. A flock were closing in like a blur of razor blades.

"Brandon, get ready!" Devin shouted.

Switching the engine to the Ultraviolet, Brandon shunned the light to bring the flock a burning demise. The device literally lit the creatures to a crisp of embers, that was something they didn't expect at all.

"That felt nice!" Brandon screamed as he swapped the engine for the Junker to move.

"By the Goddess, I should've stayed with the burning gas station." Chaps complained.

"What a downer." Devin replied.

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Link and Revali kept fire down at the front gates. The turret gunner fell to a shot in the liver, and bled to death. Link had to pick up the turret in his place. On the upside the grubs were falling like fish in a barrel. The only downside is that they just keep coming. Eventually they broke through the gates by erupting an e-hole in the center of the camp. Revali switched to his Markza and turned his attention over to Link's six. Pulling out a molotov, Revali swung a few times to have the cocktail land directly in the hole. A good amount of grubs had already pulled out before he burned it closed. A few minutes later another hole erupted with a pair of Maulers at the front. More drones followed shortly.

Revali and Link saw in full view one of the drones grabbed one of the Stranded but didn't kill him, but threw him down in the hole. The sight was an awful experience to witness. Revali sharpened his wit and shot the one grub in the head. Another explosive kill right in the skull.

Daruk rolled out of the open with one of the Mauler's shield. The crazy bastard always made a show of his kills. Revali cracked a smile at the idea. He was a pain in the ass all this time, but his brawn made up for it.

"WOO! Let's get rolling grubby ass bitches. You can't handle Da'Rock!" Daruk cheered.

Explosive bursts of shrapnel erupted behind Revali with Link on the ground in front of a destroyed turret. Crawling over to the sergeant, Revali hauled him back on his feet.

"Don't make me haul you through this mission anymore than I'm already doing." Revali boasted.

Reaching for his Lancer, Link's gaze is a heavy blur, but the image clears faster than the ringing in his ears. Switching to the inside of the fort, Link jumped from the tower and laid down cover fire for TK and his stranded. The fire fight alerted a lot of Locust to Link's location, and the moment of realization gave Revali the chance to headshot multiple grubs. Charging straight for the two Gears, the Stranded managed to fall back to shelter in time. T.K. was able to haul in every last woman and child till he can rejoin the fight. He may have a bad back, but he can still deliver a hard fist of justice. The drone's were nearing Link, the combined fire support was able to thin out their numbers gradually till only one drone was left. Revving the lever of his Lancer, Link's chainsaw bayonet hummed to life. As they taught him, aim for the points where the shoulder and neck meet, and carve down across the stomach for a swift and bloody cut. The Locust drone charged straight to Link with his lancer at the ready. Hauling his weapon up, Link sliced through his victim with a rugged tug. The Drone's thick skin was harder than an average Hylians so the pull needed force. A fountain of locust blood spewed all over Link's face and armor. He unleashed a guttural scream giving all of his anger and force into the bayonet. The drone's body shook in shock from the force of Link's weapon. The feeling of the grubs' body was lost as he was split in two bloody pieces.

"Let's go who's next on the menu!" Link shouted.

At the corner of his sight, Link noticed a light coming closer to him. It was none other than Brandon and Devin with their wheels. The two assisted with cleaning up the fight. Any stragglers have fallen back to the emergence holes.

The next hour, what's left of the Stranded have already fell back to safety.

"Alright guys, take care of that junker. She may be a piece of shit, but she's my piece of shit."

"Don't worry bro. Lemme know when you relocate." Devin shook hands with his brother.

"You got it."

With all the Stranded safe, it was time for Delta to move out and resume their mission. Devin resumed his position at the wheel, and Brandon set up at the ultraviolet light. Link hauled in the junkers passenger seat, along with Revali, and Daruk sitting in the back.

Following the highway to the Imulsion mines wasn't difficult, it was just avoiding all the debris and dead cars. Devin wallowed inside to the silence and needed a loose up so he flipped on the radio to hear some cool jazz.

"Devin, turn that shit off!" Link ordered.