Ch.18: Sparta topples the UN

A.N.:

Okay, so I had a different idea before this but I hated it too much to use it and went with this instead.

I hope any Resident Evil fans catch the reference to a Delta team called Wolf Pack haha.

I felt that the story was getting too fluffy so I did a dark chapter.

Again, I think I got most of the rough draft mistakes corrected and I will update new versions of this as I catch other mistakes. I hope you enjoy reading this and that it was worth the wait.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story.

Review if you want.

With Alma walking by my side, I led the Replicas of Dark Signal, now a member short, and the original F.E.A.R. team, minus Jin, into the large meeting room of the United Nations. The room was filled with representatives from every country. We had purposely remained in our torn, dirtied combat gear for intimidation value but also because we actually did not have a change of clothes.

As we entered the room, all eyes looked in our direction. Silently, we marched in formation to the center of the room. When we reached the center, I continued up to the podium while the rest of my group peeled off and stood in front of the podium at attention in formation. I spoke into the microphone, "Gentlemen, I think you all know why we are here. So…let's not waste anymore of each other's time."

There was some concerned murmuring from the officials for a moment before I continued, "Armacham, the common enemy of the world, must be destroyed. Surely you can understand that and understand why I am here."

The representative for Britain interrupted me with a heavy British accent, "It is not that we are not willing to work with you. It is that this is a corporation made up of combatants and noncombatants. We do not want to solve one evil with another by blindly targeting anyone associated with ATC. We must consider the common good, young man."

I hid my rising anger as I replied, "Anyone redeemable jumped ship or was silenced when the shit storm started. The ones that remain…they all deserve to die and trust me gentlemen, they will all die."

There was an awkward silence and I noticed that several of them were nervously glancing towards the nearest exit. I mentally smirked as I knew that it was too late. The trap was in place. Out of all the doors, eight Replica Elite Commandos individually stormed into the room simultaneously with their assault rifles raised.

The officials tried to flee like rats from a sinking ship but the armored soldiers quickly cut them down with pinpoint accuracy and near perfect coordination. When the firing ceased, the entire representative body of the United Nations was dead. I spoke into the microphone, "Like I said gentlemen, they all deserve to die. Especially the corrupt, fat, old fucks that would burn the world for ATC instead of showing some backbone."

Flashback: two days prior

"Well now that their communication network is offline, our work should be easier." Keira commented while we looked over the holographic view of the worldwide conflict. I nodded in agreement as I surveyed the war. Even isolated, the strongholds of ATC were proving to be difficult for the host countries to destroy.

Since the United Nations had refused to allow a Declaration of War on ATC, the conflict was still considered to be against domestic terrorism. Making matters worse, because the company was a major defense contractor, the militaries of the world were handicapped because of the hardware that they had purchased from them.

In effect, even the military juggernauts of the United States, Britain, Russia, and China were forced to fight at half strength. As far as I could tell, my army of Replicas was the only full strength fighting force in the world.

Alma whispered in my mind, "Our army Michael."

I looked down at where she was playing with her rather creepy looking doll. I shrugged slightly before I replied through our bond, "You know what I meant. Must you listen to all my thoughts?" She lifted her head up and smirked at me for a moment before returning to her doll. I looked away when Jin called out, "Becket, the U.N. has contacted us. Something about a hostage situation."

I nodded and said, "Patch me in."

She nodded and my HUD displayed the seal of the U.N. as I heard an older man say, "Sergeant Becket, we need your assistance to resolve a crisis."

I said, "Go on."

He continued, "ATC forces have taken control of the Somalian capital and have taken several ambassadors hostage."

I interrupted him by asking, "And you called us to help you why exactly? You people should have gotten the hint to leave Somalia alone after that cluster fuck you called Operation Restore Hope. The local government forces in Mogadishu can take care of themselves. Let them fix their own problems."

He replied, "Because intelligence reports indicate that a member of the Armacham Board of Directors is on site, and it is our understanding that you are interested in them. As a gesture of good will, we have decided to let you handle the situation however you deem fit. All we ask is the safe return of the ambassadors."

I thought for a moment before I looked at Alma. She said aloud, "I have no problem with it. It is up to you." If I entered Mogadishu, I would be fighting two enemies at once: the ATC security forces and the local government forces. The fact that our forces would be perceived as being Americans would certainly not help either. Still, the presence of a board member would certainly be worth the risk.

Against my better judgment, I said into my com link, "We will take care of it. Where is the board member?"

The man informed me, "In a government building located at the center of the city. That is also where you will find the ambassadors."

I replied, "Copy that. We will take care of it."

He said, "Excellent. God speed Sergeant."

The icon left my HUD and I looked at Alpha 1. Attacking with a large force would not be the best approach for a snatch and run operation. Luckily, there was a Replica team that I knew would be perfect for this situation.

I ordered him, "Contact Wolf Pack. We are going after the director and ambassadors. After that, we will pull out and let the locals handle the rest of the ATC forces." He nodded and started to contact the commander of the Delta Team of 1st Battalion, which was comprised of eight Elite Commandos that had been nicknamed Wolf Pack because of their reputation for near perfect coordination during operations.

I turned and looked at Jin as I ordered her, "Miss Kwon, get me all the information that you can on that building."

She replied, "Roger that."

Alpha 1 informed me, "Sir, Wolf Pack reports that they are combat ready."

Shocked, I asked, "Already?"

He shrugged before he said, "Its Wolf Pack sir. They are always combat ready."

I laughed briefly before I said sarcastically, "Right…" I changed back to my flat tone when I said, "Let's get this over with." I started walking out of the command center to round up the rest of Dark Signal.

Alpha 1 followed close behind as he remarked, "Yes, sir."

Hours later, I mindless studied the crowded streets of the capital of Somalia as we approached the reported government building in the heavily armored and upgraded MH-53J Pave Low III with two similar helicopters in formation on either side of us. The local government's forces were clashing with the better-equipped and better-trained ATC mercenaries with admirable passion.

As far as I could tell however, the mercenaries were cutting down their enemies with little difficulty. The mission plan was to attack the building from the top and bottom simultaneously while also securing the surrounding grounds of the gated complex. The building itself was three stories and was of a more modern construction. A well-maintained lawn that amounted to be about the size of a football field surrounded the building.

A tall, gated iron fence surrounded the entire complex in a square. Factoring in possible complications, the entire operation was anticipated to take no longer than an hour from the first pair of boots leaving one of the helicopters to the last pair of boots boarding one of the helicopters. We would get in, kill the board member, grab the ambassadors, and get out before government forces or ATC reinforcements showed up.

As we flew towards the target, I noticed the surprising change to the city's appearance. Overall, the entire city was almost unrecognizable from the Mogadishu of 1993. At least, it was different from the Mogadishu that an old grey haired Delta Force operative that had been there during Operation Gothic Serpent, the incident itself being remembered by most people as The First Battle of Mogadishu or Black Hawk Down, had described to me. Construction projects had transformed the city to the point that is looked like any other modern city. I briefly wondered if it was because that the recovering population wanted nothing more than to erase reminders of that horrible civil war that the city had transformed in such a short amount of time.

Thanks to the advanced terrain following radar of our Pave Lows, we were literally skimming the tops of buildings as we thundered towards the target. Next to me, Alpha 1 asked, "What if they have anti air sir?"

I laughed and assured him as I motioned towards the sky, "If they do, they will never get the chance to use it. Ghost Rider, do you copy?"

The AC-130U Replica pilot replied, "Ghost Rider at your service sir."

I smirked before I ordered, "Make it rain."

I swore I heard the pilot laugh, but it might have just been interference, before he replied, "Roger that sir. Commencing close air support." The complex was just coming into view when the first M102 howitzer shot rained down from the Replica gunship and slammed into the ATC positions located on the complex's lawn. A massive cloud of dust indicated the general vicinity of the intended target. While the crew was reloading the howitzer, the gunship sent a volley of L/60 Bofors cannon fire and followed up with a volley of Gatling cannon fire.

The gunship repeated the cycle three times before reporting, "Sir, all targets have been eliminated."

I replied, "Excellent work. Remain on station and provide support for Team 3's defense of the complex."

The pilot said, "Roger that sir."

We arrived at the complex and the other two Pave Low helicopters broke off to drop off their strike teams at the other landing zones. Team 2 would clear the building from the ground floor while Team 3 would set up and maintain a perimeter around the complex long enough for the ambassadors to be evacuated and the member of the Board of Directors to be eliminated. Meanwhile, Dark Signal and F.E.A.R. would clear the building from the top floor. As our Pave Low maneuvered into position above the surface of the roof, we readied our equipment. When the helicopter began hovering, I exited the cargo bay with my assault rifle raised.

The down draft of the chopper kicked up a cloud of dust, but I was still able to make out the service access door at the far right corner of the roof. When I reached it, I looked back to see that Foxtrot 813, Alpha 1, Gamma 3, Bravo 2, Juggernaut, Point Man, and Holiday were right behind me. I motioned for Holiday to take care of the locked door as I spoke into my com link, "Wolf Pack, what is your status?"

Delta 1, the leader of Team 1, reported, "Team 1 is clearing the bottom floor now sir. Initial resistance within expectations."

Delta 5, the leader of Team 3, reported, "Team 3 has set up a perimeter sir. Enemy counter-assault encountered and being suppressed."

I replied, "Copy that. Carry on."

Both commanders said, "Yes sir."

I looked back to find that Holiday had already rigged the breach charge. After we retreated to a safe distance, he detonated the charge. The resulting explosion blew the door off its hinges and I proceeded through the doorway. With my rifle at the ready, I charged down the stairs at a guarded pace. The steps were narrow so we had to proceed in a column, which is any point man's worst nightmare because you cannot retreat and you are the first one that the enemy sees. However, I did not encounter any enemy resistance and reached the bottom of the stairs without any drama.

There was a second door and I heard the unmistakable robotic voice of a Phase Commander on the other side. I leaned against the wall just to the left of the door and Alpha 1 did the same on the right side of the door. He heard the Phase Commander and as he nodded at me, I noticed that his grip on his automatic shotgun tightened. I nodded back before motioning for Juggernaut to take position. Silently, the walking tank took position about a foot from the door. I calmed my nerves and gave him the signal.

Juggernaut charged forward and rammed straight through the door. With my reflexes activated, I charged through the opening. The floor had the basic layout of a typical office building with cubicles and the occasional office space. From where we had entered, the cubicles formed two columns before us. Ten ATC mercenaries were swiveling around to aim in our direction.

Apparently, they were expecting that the Wolf Pack making their way through the bottom floor was the only strike team. The Phase Commander was located in the middle of the mercenaries and had just turned to look in our direction when I fired my first burst into the closest mercenary's head. My rounds hit their mark and the man collapsed to the floor with his sub-machine gun clattering as it hit the ground.

My reflexes deactivated when I noticed Alpha 1 charging towards the men with his shotgun on his back. Stunned, I watched as he closed the distance between him and the men before they could process what was happening. Using the weight of his armor, he bulldozed his way through the lightly armored ATC grunts before tackling the Phase Commander. While the mercenaries were distracted, the rest of Dark Signal and F.E.A.R. cut them down. After dispatching the inferior enemies, we watched the spectacle of Alpha 1 engaging the Phase Commander in hand-to-hand combat.

The cyborg had managed to push the Replica off him and attempted to fire his penetrator. However, as he raised his weapon, Alpha 1 grabbed the end of the barrel with his left hand and bent it upwards almost ninety degrees. As he did, he sent a straight punch into the commander's face with his right fist. The commander gave off an angry robotic growl as he twisted around the Replica to get behind him. Dropping the useless penetrator, the commander grasped Alpha 1's white ceramic mask as he tried to perform a neck breaker.

However, Alpha 1 used his brute strength to jump backwards. The commander let out a grunt as his assailant landed hard on top of him. Escaping the cyborg's grasp, Alpha 1 stood and stomped down on the commander's head with his right boot. The blow cracked the cyborg's helmet but before Alpha 1 could do it again, the commander rolled to the right and scrambled to his feet. Giving off an enraged growl, the commander charged forward and grabbed Alpha 1 around his throat. Alpha 1 used his left hand to push the commander back enough for his right hand to grab The Hammer from its holster.

Since the brute was concentrating on Alpha 1's throat, he failed to notice the revolver being pressed against his left knee before the Replica fired a round into it. The commander howled in pain as he let go of Alpha 1's throat and collapsed onto his hands and knees. Before the cyborg could recover, Alpha 1 grasped both the back of the commander's head and around his chin. Twisting, Alpha 1 performed a neck breaker and dropped the commander face down onto the floor. Standing above his fallen enemy, my friend pressed the barrel of his revolver against the back of the cyborg's head and fired a single round to ensure that he was dead.

As he made his way back to us, I remarked, "I give you a 10 for effort and a 9 for form."

He laughed before he replied, "Thank you sir." Once we had regrouped, we proceeded through the cubicle isles to the end of the room and made our way down the stairs to the second floor. The second floor was identical to the third floor except there was a large office at the far end of the room. The floor was strangely devoid of ATC forces, which bothered me but I pushed my concerns to the back of my mind and focused on getting the board member.

As we cautiously approached the door, my com link activated and Delta 1 reported, "Sir, we found something that you need to see."

Concerned, I asked, "What is it?"

He replied, "It is a prerecorded message that we found. It had your name on it. Sending the file to you now."

My HUD informed me, "90%...95%...100%. Download complete. Accessing file. Please standby." After a moment, I saw the U.N. seal and a man said, "Hello Sergeant. By now, we have to assume that you have secured the building along with Dark Signal and F.E.A.R. Team 1. You will not find any ambassadors or the board member at your location. We apologize for our deception Sergeant Becket, but please understand that this is for the best."

Ghost Rider interrupted by calling me on the emergency channel, "Sir! Unidentified aircraft has entered the airspace. Trajectory indicates that it is headed right for you. Requesting orders sir."

Realizing that I had led my men into a trap, I replied, "Ghost Rider, break off! Get as far away from this location as possible and return once the dust settles. If I am KIA, you are to inform your brethren to follow the orders of Alma Wade and Sergeant Morales."

The pilot argued, "But sir…"

I barked, "This is not a fucking discussion! Do as you are told!"

The pilot replied with noticeable discomfort, "Roger that sir. Breaking off. By my estimates, you have around ten minutes to get away before the aircraft arrives at your location."

I motioned for everyone to follow me as I ran towards the landing zone on the roof. As I ran, I contacted Wolf Pack and the Pave Low pilots, "Attention all units, we have an emergency situation. This is a trap. There is a hostile aircraft headed our way. Wolf Pack: disregard current orders and proceed to Landing Zone Halo for immediate evacuation. Eagle 1 and 2, proceed to Landing Zone Halo. Eagle 1: evacuate Wolf Pack. Eagle 2: provide covering fire for Eagle 1 and Wolf Pack. Eagle 1 and 2: once Wolf Pack has been secured, haul ass out of here and proceed towards rendezvous point Ace of Spades. Eagle 3: proceed to Landing Zone Charlie and evacuate Dark Signal and F.E.A.R."

They all replied, "Roger that sir."

I slowed my pace to ensure that I was not outrunning my fellow operatives. Within a minute, we had reached the third floor. Alma materialized at the breach point at the far end of the floor. As I approached, she asking in a concerned tone, "Michael, what is it? What's going on?"

In a rush, I replied with a hurried tone, "No time to explain in detail. The U.N. is trying to kill us. We have to leave and we have to leave now."

Shocked, she asked, "What?! Why are they trying to kill us?" I reached the breach point and paused to ensure that everyone was accounted for before proceeding up the stairs. Alma materialized at the top of the stairs and asked, "Why are they trying to kill us and with what?"

Breathing heavily, I replied, "I don't know right now, but I intend to be as far away from here as possible when that aircraft attacks with whatever in the Hell it has onboard."

By that time, I had reached the top of the stairs and was met by Eagle 3's downdraft as the Pave Low III hovered above the surface of the roof. I ran towards the open cargo bay and stopped by the right side of the ramp. Turning to look back and crouching down with my rifle held at the ready, I covered the men as they boarded the helicopter.

Alpha 1 did the same on the opposite side of the ramp. As he boarded the Pave Low, Bravo 2, who was the third last to board behind Alpha 1 and myself, tapped Alpha 1 on his left shoulder. Standing but keeping his shotgun aimed back towards the door, Alpha 1 moved over to me and tapped me on my right shoulder before boarding the helicopter. I stood while keeping my rifle aimed at the door and boarded the Pave Low. With everyone onboard, I closed the loading ramp and made my way up to the cockpit.

I yelled so the pilot could hear me, "Everyone is onboard. Form up with Eagle 1 and 2." The pilot nodded and I had to grab the two seats to keep from falling as the helicopter's two turboshaft engines roared to life and the chopper banked to the left to regroup with the other Pave Low helicopters.

Through the windshield, I saw the last member of Wolf Pack boarding Eagle 1 while Eagle 2 hovered nearby with its right gunner firing at approaching ATC forces with the mounted Browning M2 .50-caliber heavy machinegun. After a moment, Eagle 1's cargo ramp closed and the helicopter maneuvered away from the landing zone just as a wave of mercenaries managed to reach the iron fence.

Our Pave Low and Eagle 2 formed up with Eagle 1 and we proceeded towards the rendezvous point several miles out of the city. With our helicopter at the center of the formation and Eagle 1 to our left and Eagle 2 to our right, we roared over the city as fast as the choppers could manage without burning out their engines. If luck was on our side, we would able to escape the city before the U.N. attack started. I remembered that the message was still paused and I continued playing it.

The man in the recording continued, "This is not something we did lightly, but Armacham has agreed to cease hostilities if Dark Signal and F.E.A.R. Team 1 are destroyed. Your death is for the best Becket. When the world knows why we did it, they will understand. Goodbye Sergeant, may death grant you peace."

The recording ended and I scowled as anger filled me. Alma materialized next to me in her child form. She had a similar scowl on her face before she asked, "Why would they sell out to ATC? Armacham is the bad guy; not us."

I replied with a dark voice, "I don't know, but I do know that we will make them pay for this."

She nodded and gave me an ominous smile. I started to smile back but stopped because something about what the U.N. official had said bothered me. What would they have to explain to the rest of the world? Something about this whole situation seemed off but I could not decipher what it was.

However, just as it seemed like we would reach the safe zone in time, as we flew over a pocket of government forces, I saw a missile launch from a SAM. It flew towards us and exploded just behind Eagle 2's stabilizer. The crippled Pave Low began a spiraling descent as flames erupted from its tail section.

Through the pilot's com link, I heard Eagle 2's pilot announce, "We're hit. Cannot control her. Going down hard."

As the pilot finished his last sentence, Eagle 2's main rotor struck the side of a multistory building. The chopper crashed onto its right side in the parking lot of the building. Our helicopter and Eagle 1 circled back to check for survivors. Through the smoke, I saw small arms fire coming from the downed helicopter as government forces converged on the scene from all sides.

My com link activated as Delta 1 requested, "Sir, I observe small arms fire coming from Eagle 2. Requesting permission to conduct a search and rescue mission."

I replied, "Permission granted. Let's go get our boys."

I switched channels and addressed all the nearby Replicas, "Wolf Pack: perimeter. Dark Signal and F.E.A.R. will evacuate the survivors from Eagle 2 and move them to Eagle 3. I don't care how long it takes; no one gets left behind. Hang in there Eagle 2, we're coming for you."

The Replicas replied, "Yes, sir!"

Both Pave Lows maneuvered down onto the parking lot. As I opened the loading ramp, I yelled at the men behind me, "We all leave together or we all die together!" An approving yell erupted from them as I stormed out of the helicopter with my rifle raised. There were hundreds of them encircling our position, but I was not going to leave that city without Eagle 2's crew whether they be dead or alive. They may be clones, but they are still my men.

Wolf Pack silently moved as a single unit as they set up at perimeter around the three helicopters and used pinpoint accuracy to keep the government forces at bay. I rushed towards Eagle 2 as stray enemy bullets whizzed past me through the air. When I reached the downed chopper, I noticed that the loading ramp was jammed. The Replicas inside were trapped but at least two of them had broken out the windshield and were firing their assault rifles at the approaching enemy forces.

Placing my rifle on my back, I grasped the back of the ramp through a narrow crack between it and the chopper's frame. Alpha 1, Foxtrot 813, Gamma 3, and Point Man joined me and together, through shear brute force, we managed to open the cargo hatch. Inside the chopper, I saw that the two turret operators had survived and were the ones firing out the open cockpit cavity. The pilot and copilot were either unconscious or dead and the two flight engineers were attending them.

Upon seeing the ramp open, the Replica crew looked at us and cheered quickly.

I made my way to where the engineers were and when I reached them, one of them informed me, "Sir, our pilot is dead, our copilot is unconscious, one of our gunners has a broken leg, and the other has a fractured arm."

I nodded and then I asked, "What about you two? Can you walk?"

They nodded before they replied, "We can manage sir."

I ordered them, "Make your way to Eagle 3. We will take care of the rest of your crew."

They replied, "Roger that sir."

They squeezed past me and made their way to the designated helicopter. I turned and motioned for Foxtrot 813 and Point Man to carry the pilot and copilot to our helicopter. They both silently retrieved the two men and started to carry them to Eagle 3. I moved forward and reached the closest gunner who had apparently run out of ammunition for his assault rifle because he had discarded it and was firing at the government forces with his sidearm. I noticed that his right leg was bent at an unnatural angle and concluded that he was the one with the broken leg.

Upon seeing me, he holstered his sidearm and attempted to stand. However, he collapsed and grunted in pain. He said apologetically, "Damn it, sorry sir. My leg…I can't move."

I assured him, "Don't be sorry. Look, we need to move quickly so Alpha 1 and I are going to carry you with a two handed seat."

The Replica nodded and helped me as I dragged him out of the helicopter. Once we made it outside, I lowered him to the ground briefly and ordered Holiday and Gamma 3, "There is one more. He has a fractured arm. Get him to the chopper." Both men nodded and entered the downed bird to retrieve the last crew member. I looked at Alpha 1 to order him to help me, but, to my surprise, he was already moving into position to assist me.

It was not exactly textbook, but we managed to lift the injured soldier in a two-handed seat carry. Trying to be as gentle as possible, we ran towards the awaiting Pave Low as the occasional bullet whizzed past us. In my peripheral vision, I noticed that Alma was liquefying the government troops as fast as she could but the shear onslaught of their numbers was overwhelming even for her. The sound of snarling could be heard over the deafening firefight all around us. I recognized the noise as being the cries of Alma's feral scavengers as they tore into the shocked government troops.

Within ten seconds, we had reached the chopper and lowered him into one of the seats inside the cargo bay. We then returned to the exterior of the chopper and helped Wolf Pack maintain the perimeter long enough for the last crew member to be transported to Eagle 3. As Holiday and Gamma 3 emerged with the injured Replica and carried him to the chopper in the same manner as Alpha 1 and I had with the other soldier, we closed our ranks behind them.

By the time Holiday and Gamma 3 had reached the helicopter, we were standing side by side in a semicircle around the two Pave Lows. We were firing our weapons in short bursts because our limited amount of ammunition, since we had anticipated that this operation would take less than an hour, was running low. Holiday called out, "Becket, all of Eagle 2's crew is present and accounted for."

I yelled to everyone, "You heard the man. Let's get the fuck out of here!"

Falling back one at a time, we boarded our helicopters. Delta 1 and I were the last ones to board our respective chopper. As I closed the hatch, enemy small arms fire started to ricochet off our Pave Low's hull. One of the rounds struck the hydraulic pump for the ramp and the ramp was left halfway open. Luckily, before any further drama could unfold, our Pave Low and Eagle 1 were in the air and headed for the safe zone.

We were out of the range of any conventional armament but my instincts told me that the U.N. had planned something unconventional. I looked back at the center of the city through the partially open hatch. I could just make out the large shape of what appeared to be a bomber before a flash briefly blinded me. When my vision returned, my stomach dropped and my pupils dilated as I saw the large mushroom cloud.

For a second, as time stood still, I was in denial and thought that what I was seeing was not real and I had fallen asleep or had been knocked out when I was boarding the chopper. Perhaps I had simply been dreaming the entire mission and I was still safe in my cot in Sparta. I wanted any explanation other than the horrific truth staring me in the face.

Finally, the truth hit me square in the chest like a sledgehammer. It was true. They had actually done it. As time slowly started moving forward at a snail's pace, I yelled into my com link, "Oh my God, we've been nuked! Everyone, hold on!" I had just finished my sentence when the shockwave of superheated air, as it annihilated everything in its path and built up a huge wall of debris as it traveled, overtook us. The Pave Low tumbled through the air as it was powerless to do anything other than travel along with the other debris.

As my mind tried to keep up with what was happening, I saw the gunner from Eagle 2 that Alpha 1 and I had rescued lose his grip and fly towards the open hatch. Because I had to hold on with my left hand to keep from flying out the chopper myself, I could only reach out and grab the injured soldier's outstretched left hand with my right hand. The forces against me were too great and I felt my grip slipping. Just as I lost my grip completely, our eyes met for what seemed like a minute because I had subconsciously activated my reflexes. Then, he flew out of the open hatch and that was the last anyone ever saw of him. Seconds later, our Pave Low slammed into the ground. I do not remember the actual crash.

I gasped as I opened my eyes. I looked around to find that I was lying on my side against the left side of the wrecked, sideways Pave Low. I moaned in agony as I pushed myself to my feet. It was eerily silent all around me. My flashing HUD alerted me, "Sy%t#m #rror. EMP det#cted. Primary sy%t#ms offlin#."

I noticed Alpha 1's form lying prostrate against the side of the helicopter a few inches away from me and made my way over to his side. I bent down and shook him roughly as I ordered him, "Don't you die on me you selfless bastard." I nearly hugged him as he mumbled something that I was unable to make out. He groaned and coughed a little as he pushed himself to his feet.

As I stood, he asked me, "Are you okay, sir?"

I laughed painfully before I replied, "I'm alive." He nodded quickly before he started to look around.

Before I could further assess the situation, Alma materialized before me and lugged into me as she wrapped her child form's arms around my waist. I noticed that she was crying bloody tears as she looked up at me. Despite the absurdity of the phrases given the circumstances, I said, "It's okay. Everything is fine. Calm down."

She shook and sobbed briefly before she remarked, "I thought I had lost all of you."

I smiled bravely before I said, "We're not dead yet."

She composed herself and gave a weak smile. I heard groaning and looked to my left to see Foxtrot 813, Juggernaut, Holiday, and Bravo 2 getting to their feet. I heard movement by the ramp and looked to see Point Man returning with his G2A2 assault rifle in his grasp. He signaled that it was all clear and I could not help but be amazed that not even being caught in a nuclear blast could rattle him. Then again, as I reflected, he had been caught in one before. I nodded at him before turning to Alpha 1 and said, "Alpha 1, sitrep."

He replied with a noticeably saddened tone, "Eagle 3's crew, Eagle 2's pilot and copilot, and Gamma 3 are KIA. Eagle 1 and its crew, Wolf Pack, and one of Eagle 2's gunners are MIA. The surviving Eagle 2 gunner has sustained a broken leg on top of his fractured arm. Eagle 2's engineers have both sustained a broken leg. Eagle 1, 2, and 3 are out of commission. The EMP from the blast disabled our communication gear and all electronic equipment. Extent of the devastation is unknown. Estimated number of casualties is in the thousands. Radiation levels are lethal. Likelihood that the city will recover is less than 5 percent."

I sighed as the weight of what happened hit me. As for us, the crash did not kill us but the radiation probably would soon.

Alma assured me, "Don't worry about the radiation, I have all of you in a bubble so to speak."

I remarked darkly, "That solves one problem." I calmed myself and thought through my options. It was not like we could just walk home. I gave a silent prayer and telepathically tried to communicate with the only nearby friendly means of transportation, "Ghost Rider, do you copy?"

The relief I felt when I heard him respond is beyond description. The pilot replied, "I copy you sir. Ghost Rider on station and at your service."

I said, "Dark Signal, F.E.A.R., and surviving Replica forces need evac. Can you manage it?"

After a moment, the pilot replied, "We sustained some structural damage but we can manage it. There is an acceptable landing area by your location and there is only a 40% percent chance that the ash will clog our engines' intake ports."

I said, "Copy that. Proceed with landing operations. We will round up the survivors."

The pilot replied, "Roger that sir. ETA is five minutes."

I said, "Copy that."

I addressed everyone inside the chopper, "We have our ride. ETA is five minutes. Let's round up all of our men. We're not leaving them here." We all started to gather everything that we deemed to be salvageable and made our way out of the chopper. As I maneuvered my way out of the downed Pave Low with Gamma 3's body across my shoulders in a fireman's carry, the devastation that greeted me was beyond anything I could have anticipated.

I had been told facts, shown images, and had been described the effects of a nuclear attack during my training, but none of that could have prepared me for what I saw. The city was gone. A few reinforced concrete structures still stood here and there, and a few brick and stone walls still stood. Beyond those things, in every sense of the word, the city and its population were gone.

Our survival of the blast was entirely due to Alma. If she had not been looking out for us, our Pave Low, along with us inside of it, would have been vaporized or close enough to allow it to be an accurate description. Even now all these years later, I have still yet to figure out what prompts her to intervene or not. At times, such as when we were caught in the blast of the nuclear attack, she protects us from harm, but in other dangerous situations, she is content with letting us fend for ourselves.

We had crashed into what appeared to be a stadium that had been under construction. The only clues to the identity of the structure that once stood there was an oval concrete foundation and the remains of a large parking lot just beyond the concrete foundation. I lowered Gamma 3's body gently to the ground before I looked around for Eagle 1.

My heart sank as I failed to see a single trace of the missing helicopter. Out of desperation, I telepathically attempted to contact Delta team, "Delta team, sound off." At first, I received no answer and sorrow hit me as I feared the worst.

However, after nearly a minute of requesting a response, I heard a Replica respond, "Delta 1 here sir."

I smiled in relief as I said, "Delta 1, sitrep."

He replied, "Delta team has sustained minor injuries. The EMP disabled our electronic equipment. Eagle 1 is out of commission. Eagle 1's crew is KIA."

I ordered him, "Copy that. Gather whatever gear you can and get your team and Eagle 1's crew to my location. We are being evac'ed in approximately four minutes via Ghost Rider. We will wait for your team but don't go off sightseeing."

The elite commando replied, "Roger that sir. We will be there on time even if I have to carry everyone myself."

I could not help but smile at his 'can do' attitude as I said, "Copy that. Carry on."

He replied, "Yes, sir."

True to his word, Wolf Pack had just arrived at our location with the bodies of Eagle 1's crew and various pieces of equipment when Ghost Rider appeared as it descended through the dust. The AC-130U's landing gear protested the uneven ground but the gunship managed to weather the landing. After the gunship had landed, its crew helped us load the bodies of our fallen brothers onboard. It was uncomfortable, but we managed to find room for everyone and the salvaged equipment.

I twisted my way up to the cockpit and informed the pilot, after I shook his hand and expressed my gratitude, "That's as good as it's going to get. Get us out of here."

He asked, "Destination?"

I questioned, "Got enough fuel to make it to Sparta?"

Before he could reply, Alma appeared and informed us, "You do now."

He looked at his instrument panel and said, "I am reading a full tank sir."

I nodded and said, "Destination is Sparta then."

He replied, "Roger that sir." I quickly found a corner to crawl into before the force of the takeoff could knock me off my feet.

After the gunship had reached its cruising altitude, I made my way back to where we had stashed the bodies of my deceased men. I stared at Gamma 3's lifeless form as I let the consequences of my clouded judgment fill me with self-loathing. Delta 1 interrupted my thoughts as he stood next to me and said, "My condolences sir. I was not close to him, but from the stories I have heard, he was an admirable soldier."

I forced my voice to be flat as I replied, "It's my fault that he is dead."

The elite commando said in a confused tone, "I don't understand."

I explained, "I led all of you into a trap. I let my anger cloud my judgment and nearly got all of us killed. It should have been me that got killed; not him."

Delta 1 was silent for a moment before he asked, "Permission to speak freely sir?"

I answered, "Granted."

He said, "Get over yourself sir. You are not perfect. There is no such thing as perfect. Yes, you fucked up. The question is not how to punish yourself. The question is how you are going to adapt to your mistake. React, adapt, and overcome, sir."

I smiled before I said, "Thank you Wolf."

He nodded and then started to leave. I thought for a moment before I stopped him by asking, "Delta 1, when I go after the people who did this, does Wolf Pack want payback too?"

He stopped and turned to look back at me as he said with a disturbingly calm voice, "We want their blood to spill sir. We want to kill them. With guns. With knives. With our bare hands."

I nodded and informed him, "I will personally see to it that Wolf Pack gets that chance."

He replied, "Thank you sir." Then, he turned and left to rejoin his men.

I looked back at Gamma 3 and said quietly, "You will be avenged. I will chase those responsible to the ends of the Earth and beyond if I have to. They will all die."

Alma materialized next to me as she remarked, "They all deserve to die. They have sided with Armacham. They have made their decision to die."

I sighed and then absentmindedly asked, "Has the world gone crazy or have I?"

She raised her right eyebrow briefly before she said, "You weren't the one who just attacked a city with a thermonuclear weapon. Michael, they are all dead. That city is gone along with 100% of its population. That was more than a million people. If we don't kill them, someone else will. Kill them, and no one will say a damn thing."

I looked at her for a moment before I decided that she was right. I said, "Taking out the corrupt officials in the U.N. won't destabilize anything. The U.N. is not what it once was. Most of its power was given to other, more efficient and effective, organizations a couple of years ago. We will probably be doing the world a favor. Without the U.N.'s interference, there can be an official Declaration of War on ATC. Besides, I did say that I would burn the world for you if you released me from the amplifier."

I smiled at her before I continued, "Armacham is our enemy. The U.N. sided with them thinking that it would bring peace to the world. The U.N. is now just another ally of our enemy." She nodded as she smiled encouragingly. I finished, "So let's go eliminate that ally."

By the time that we had landed in Sparta and returned to the command post inside the Harbormaster's Tower, the destruction of Mogadishu was plastered all over the news. The U.N.'s defense that it was for the greater good fell on deaf ears as people demanded justice. Jin was beside herself with happiness when she saw that Sgt. Holiday and, especially, Point Man were alive. Keira hugged me and refused to let go until she noticed Alma glaring at her. Manny punched me in the face and told me never to do something so stupid ever again. There was no rest for the weary and I informed them of what I was about to do. Jin tried to argue against it at first but after learning the death toll, she agreed with my plan.

End of flashback

Delta 1 reported, "All targets have been eliminated sir."

I replied, "Excellent work wolf."

He saluted me as he said, "Thank you sir."

I saluted back before I said, "Standby for further orders."

He said, "Roger that sir."

I looked up and saw a camera that was still broadcasting. I smirked at it before I said, "You are watching this aren't you? Let this be a wake-up call for you. You have two options: run and hide or stand and fight. Run and hide: We will find you and kill you. Stand and fight: we will kill you. Not even a fucking nuclear weapon can stop us! Do you hear me ARMACHAM? WE. WILL. FUCKING. KILL. YOU!"

As I finished, Alma teleported in front of the camera in her child form. She giggled and waved at the camera briefly with her sweet façade before she said with an innocent, childish voice, "Hi." Then, her expression instantly changed into one of murderous rage and darkness. She gave off her legendary demonic scream, which destroyed the camera and ceased the transmission of the broadcast.

About an hour later, we all observed the building from the cargo bay of an Osprey as it flew to reach a safe distance away from the area. This time, I had thrown covert out the window and the air around us was filled with the roar of whirling props as dozens of other Ospreys surrounded ours. When I had arrived a little more than an hour prior with six battalions of Replicas, dozens of Ospreys, several flights of F-22 Raptors, three AC-130Us, and enough ammunition to kill a small country, no one tried to stop me as I entered the building. We evacuated the building and surrounding area before departing so I could complete my warning to any other would-be Armacham allies.

When we reached a safe enough distance, I said into my com link, "Ghost Rider, redecorate the landscape."

The gunship's pilot replied, "Roger that sir."

Ghost Rider and his brothers Charon (mythological Greek being that transported souls from the world of the living to the world of the dead), and Ares (Greek god of war) began circling the building with their signature pylon turn in a triangle. With a constant barrage of alternating 105 mm, 40 mm, and 25 mm fire, the trio blasted the United Nations building until it was nothing more than a pile of rubble.

When the dust settled, I was satisfied with their handiwork and addressed all the Replicas, "Excellent work, all of you. Now, let's get the Hell out of here. First round is on me tonight."

The Replicas cheered before they replied, "Roger that sir." Leaving the symbol of corruption and warning for anyone thinking about assisting Armacham behind, we made our way back to Sparta.