Disclaimer: I have never owned freedom fighters.

My Notes: Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be posted. I hope that it is good enough to make up for the late upload. I don't think that I will be posting as often as I used to, so don't expect anything on thursdays anymore... sorry. Oh and before I forget, please R&R.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Abraham Lincoln June 16, 1856

January 16, 2014. 1540 hours Near Resistance HQ Michigan

A white camouflaged character was crouched low in the shadow of a large pine tree, taking cover under its thick foliage. Dispersed around him, twenty battle hardened marines were covering every angle with the muzzle of a weapon.

"This is Omega team leader. All units report in."

"Gold team here, We are a go."

"This is Viper team, are you sure there's an enemy base out here?"

"I'm completely positive. Now we just need to find it and take it our. According to the Major, these people have been very problematic in this area. These are the same people that destroyed outpost A27, so stay alert."

"Roger that we will maintain radio contact with you and Gold team if we see anything."

"Omega! Viper! This is Gold team leader. I think we've found the enemy base. Transmitting coordinates to your PDA's now."

"Holy shit! How did they hide themselves so close to the main road?"

"I don't know. But the sooner we deal with them, the better."

"Gold team, this is Major Cumbsley, hold your position. Viper and Omega teams, orient yourselves to Gold team's position and provide support."

"Yes Major." The comm. snapped off. "All right you heard the man boys. Let's do this!"

January 16, 2014. 1540 hours Resistance HQ Michigan

I walked out of the HQ's main corridor, and entered into a brightly lit chamber that resembled a city park. It must have been one thousand yards end to end, and old run down buildings lined the perimeter. A pot hole filled road also encircled the park and was littered with broken down cars. The park itself was littered with benches, picnic tables, jungle gyms, and a few ponds. And right in the center of the park was a four story concrete building… that was my objective.

My newly acquired M-29 OICW assault weapon felt relatively light in my hands. The ergonomic shape of the rifle made it seem like something that belonged fifteen years in the future. It had a thirty-six round magazine of 5.56mm NATO rounds with a second magazine attached "bull pup" style that carried six 20mm High Explosive Air Burst rounds which could be programmed to detonate at programmed distances set by a pad just above the trigger. The scope was a six times magnification with integrated night and thermal imaging to pick out targets even under heavy cover or the blackness of night. The scope also contained a small, unnoticeable camera that was wirelessly linked to a small screen, positioned over my left eye, attached to a boom on my helmet. This would allow me to use the gun to look and fire around corners or over cover without exposing myself… It was my dream gun.

"Sergeant!" came a voice over the radio in my helmet, "This is Lt. Ash, I'm entering on the other side. Remember we just have to get in and out with the documents."

"I got it" I returned, "I'll see you soon."

Lt. Ash was also assigned an M-29 to replace his M-16. And so we both were being thrown into this "situation" to get used to our new weapons.

Something caught my eye. Thirty yards to my left, by a concrete pillar, something shimmered. A figure suddenly appeared where the shimmer was just a moment before. Two more popped up and over-turned several picnic tables to make a makeshift bunker forty yards into the park. Four more rushed out into a clearing behind and to the left of the "bunker".

"Crap!" I dove behind an old, beat up Volkswagen and brought my new rifle to bear. I hefted the weapon over the hood of the car, "I hope this works." I activated the gun camera and instantly the small screen over my left eye showed a reticule, and the four in the clearing.

"Gotcha." I smiled and squeezed the trigger, letting off four rounds. Two of them were hit and quickly vanished.

Then I realized something, 'Wait, why aren't they firin-' my thought was cut off as the remaining attackers opened fire. Bullets whizzed by and impacted into a building not more than ten feet from where I was taking cover. The dull red bricks were pulverized and chunks of them broke off and cascaded to the ground.

"Hey! You need some help?"

"No. Watch."

I lifted my M-29 again and sighted using the camera. This time I set a distance to the targets in the field. There was a 'thunk' as a HEAB round set sail. Then a massive 'BOOM' as fire and shrapnel engulfed the clearing.

All of a sudden the pillar that the other was hiding behind endured the same fate.

"I thought I told you I didn't need any help!" I shouted.

"Aw, it was getting boring. I needed something to do… like this."

Then the "bunker" also imploded not more than one second later and flaming splinters of wood left smoky contrails in the wake of the explosion.

"Jeez Lt.! You take all the fun out of a fire fight you know."

"Calm down! There will be plenty more where that came from." His voice crackled over the radio, "Now meet me by the bank of the pond at your two o' clock."

"How about I pick off the guards, then pop a few grenades and retrieve the documents."

With that I shut off the radio and sprinted down to an old park bench and crouched down behind it. I leveled the M-29 and peered down its scope. On the roof of the building I saw three snipers, and four were patrolling around it's perimeter in a ten yard radius.

The rifle kicked and three rounds shot downrange. A moment later the three sniper vanished. I then turned my attention to those that remained.

"Wait weren't there four before?"

Just as I finished, another figure vanished.

"Oh no you don't Lt.!"

I jumped up and charged towards the building. I stopped eighty yards from the building, crouched behind a park bench, and fired four HEAB rounds, one onto each floor through several windows. The ground shook as the devices exploded.

"That should take care of them." I spoke to now one in particular.

I jogged the remaining eighty yards and met up with the Lt. by a newly formed "door way" from my grenades.

"You turned off you mike, and disregarded a direct order! If this weren't an exercise then what would have happened if… never mind that now, but I'll let you know that when this is over, you'll be on KP duty for the next month till forever! Do we have an understanding?"

'Great, just great. All I do is blow the shit out of the enemy and now I'm being reprimanded.'

The Lt. darted through the hole, weapon raised. I followed suit. The first floor was trashed. Everything in the room was practically smoldering. The next floor was exactly the same… except there was a shiny steel briefcase on the floor in the middle of the room.

"We have the objective." Lt. Ash spoke into his mike.

"Good. Excellent job you two!" The Colonel's voice echoed throughout the area.

Everything around us wavered and then faded to reveal a massive weathered steel chamber. The Colonel came marching out onto the floor. A slight grin tugging at his cheeks.

"Looks like the holographic trainer works flawlessly even at this age."

The Lt. stepped forward, "Colonel, I would like to comment about our new Sergeant here."

'Oh great. Here it comes.' I thought.

Warning klaxons blared, "Enemy attack! All troops to defense points now."

"It'll have to wait for now Lt.. Now get moving!"

"Yes Sir." He grumbled. His fists were clenched so tight that all the color drained from them.

I turned my radio back on, "Burnham! Where's the platoon?"

The sounds of gunfire nearly drowned out his response, "We are already up top! Damn it, where the hell are you? We could really use your help about now!"

"Got it! I'm on my way! You just hang in there, okay?"

"Okay, but the sooner you get here the better."

I sprinted back through the holo-chamber towards the elevator. Others were now scrambling for weapons and ammo as I entered the armory. I stopped by a crate and pulled out two more magazines. The both chambers shut with satisfying 'clicks' as I reloaded the weapon. Lt Ash had just caught up with me and was also re-arming himself, grabbing a Barrett 9mm and three smoke grenades.

"Here." He tossed me one smoke grenade, "It might be useful later."

"Thanks. I'll see you topside. Good luck."

As he reached the elevator he shouted back, "I'm not through with you yet! Once this is all over!" The closing elevator doors finally shut his voice off.

"Hey Kid! Over Here!" Corporal Farges was hollering over at me. I bounded over to where he was standing and noticed a door labeled 'Emergency Exit'.

"It leads strait to a concealed hatch on the surface. It'll give us a place to sneak up on the enemy."

"All right, but I'm going up first." I said as I began to step past him. But he held out his arm.

"And why is that?" He questioned raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"Cause I have this." I lifted my M-29 to give him a quick glance before looping the rifle's strap over my shoulder.

"Fine, fine. Be the crazy one."

Once he unbolted the one foot thick steel door I began my assent up an insanely high emergency escape tunnel with a steel ladder that was covered with a thin layer of rust. The tunnel itself was dimly lit by lights that were who knows how old.

"Tunnel sure could use some cleaning." I heard Farges say bellow me. His voice echoed inside the tunnel.

Almost two minutes of climbing later, we finally reached the top… well… ran into the steel hatch at the top.

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath. My foot slipped and I nearly lost my grip on the ladder. "Fucking steel plate!"

Farges was snickering down bellow me. After regaining my balance I rubbed my throbbing head with my free hand.

"Hey, I love hanging out in old, rusty escape shafts as much as the next guy. But could you open up the hatch so we can fight these bastards already?"

My hands searched for the switch, and found a small button. There was a dull 'clink' as the latch unlocked and, surprisingly, opened up. The sounds of staccato weapons fire blasted into the shaft. I pulled my rifle off my back and poked it through the opening, keeping my eye on the monitor. No activity. I pulled myself up through and found the hatch was concealed by a thick patch of fir trees that allowed just enough light through their branches to see with.

My gazed drifted upward, "Farges, cover me I have an idea."

"Oh really? And should I even ask what it is?"

"Just cover my ass. All right?"

"Yes sir!" He mocked, crossing his eyes and giving the sorriest excuse for a salute that I had ever seen.

I reached out to the larger fir and grabbed onto some of its stronger branches and pulled myself up. I continued to climb the tree until I was about half way up its length, about thirty feet. The thick foliage would provide concealment from the enemy and I also had a prime view of the HQ, about one hundred yards to the north with the road forty yards to the east, and the forces engaged around it's perimeter. The scene was chaotic. Our machine gunners were unloading every round they had, the constant crack of sniper fire was endless, and grenades were detonating everywhere. The vehicles were useless in this situation since the trees made it impossible to maneuver them to the west side of the complex.

There was a rustling in the tree to the left of mine. I leveled my gun and Farges popped his head out of the tree to see the barrel of my rifle pointed in his face.

"Whoa hold on there! It's me. I thought you could use another sniper but when I come up here you're ready to shoot my face off."

I relaxed a bit a lowered my weapon, "Sorry about that, I just wasn't expecting the tree next to mine to move."

"So how's about we help our pals." He said coolly and shouldered his scoped M-4.

I leveled my own weapon and began scouring the area for targets. Eight Coalition marines were maneuvering to flank a platoon of resistance fighters entrenched in their firing pits… My platoon.

"Burnham, you've got a squad of soldiers maneuvering forty yards north of your position"

"Roger that. Glad you could join us."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world."

With that my sights returned to the enemy squad and found their leader, a Master Sergeant. The weapon kicked and the target collapsed on the spot. The others dashed for cover but were quickly dispatched by the combined fire of 1st platoon, Farges, and I. The sounds of combat began to subside as the tide of battle turned in our favor.

"Would you look at that, they're retreating! We've won!" Farges hooted.

"Wait … listen."

"I don't hear-" Farges began.

"Shh."

There was a low buzzing sound. As it became louder and more apparent, it was no longer buzzing but a thunderous beating that could only be caused by rotors.

"Oh Shit!" We said in perfect unison.

I scanned the sky, then saw them. Four Comanche attack helicopters. One branched off from formation and turned to face the trees we were using as cover. Its weapons bays swung open.

"Move it!" I screamed, "We have to get the hell off these trees!"

I nearly jumped to the ground, and looked up just n time to see the Comanche fire off two rockets.

"Damn it Farges! Hurry up and get down from there!"

The second he hit the ground, we began to run. Three seconds later… the rockets impacted…

It's Me Again: How's that for an ending. Will they survive? Well for those that don't remember, the 'Kid' has to since he is in the prologue, and the prologue is three years in the future. So everyone knows that he survives. But what about Farges? Hmm... what to do.