CHAPTER ONE

RETURN TO THE FIGHT

Raven came crashing down from the sky. The back end of the tail burning so much. Altitude it lost as it took a few seconds. Pilot struggled to keep control.

Crashing down into the streets of the lost city. The city was known as "Hiluak City". On the ground. Various gears were scattered. Some dead from the crash.

Rain came down throughout it all. Gunfire could be heard from afar. On the ground was one of the gears. Lying there face first on the floor. Rain came onto him.

His visor was glowing with blue lights. His suit was partially damaged. His armor style was that of an Onyx Guard. One of the last of his kind. Ahead of him.

Was a white omen colored Lancer. Symbol of the COG. Struggling to stand. Reaching out forward for his lancer. Touching the omen symbol. Stood back up.

On his chest plate. His name tag read out. "Michael Jason Fade". Standing as he was a little dizzy. Looking down to his weapon his visor showed heat from behind.

Fade checked the lancer its clip along with aiming down sights. The safety was taken off. The lights charged and glowed active. Lowering it to his side.

Taking a chance to look back at the crashed Raven. He noticed majority of his squad didn't make it. He sighed. Taking the chance to gather the tags.

Fade headed out after taking one last look at them all. Turning around heading forward. With his mission.

Wretches came rushing out from the remains of broken E-holes. Screaming and rushing him. Fade stared at them heavily knowing that fighting was it.

Firing his lancer head on. Aiming at one then the next. As they charged with full strength. Leaping towards him. Fade rolled out of the way from one. Ran onwards.

Heading around the corner. He tossed a grenade into the air. Landing into an open E-hole from another direction. Fade took point towards a different direction.

Explosions came from far away. As much through the skies every now and then Hammer of Dawns came through the darkened skies. Smashing into the city.

Fade went up the stairs of a broken apartment. Turning around firing his lancer at a bleeding wretch. Its claws out towards him. The flashes went bright.

His ammo went dropping to his feet. Fade cursed it. As it dropped dead. Behind its body screamed a Locust Drone. Tickers made sounds as they exploded outside.

Fade rand and ran. Rushing upstairs heading to the roof of what was left. The half remaining building was shot through and left.

Almost looking like a ruined barricade. Fade locked the doors behind him. Tossing his lancer to the side. Fade grabbed various things from the roof top. Blocking.

Causing a self made barricade of garbage and remains of stuff left behind. Turning away from it. Reaching down to his Lancer. Checking the clip. Noticing.

That it was running low. He sighed. With one hand holding the Lancer. Relaxing a little. He didn't hear them coming anymore. Fade turned around.

So much he could see from where he stood. It was almost as if you could say. What a view. One in a lifetime.

A soldier understood majority of things. But this was something else more than words could describe.

Fade was overlooking the fires of so many. Scattering all across the city of Hiluak.

"WAR IS EVERLASTING" those words came to mind. The horror of this thought.

Image of what he could see. Ravens were so far out from his location.

"Any squads in the area?! Please respond"

A voice coming through the comms. He could hear it clearly. Fade looked to the sides. Seeing a flare shot outwards. Into the sky.

He was close as he felt it. Looking down to the streets below him. Nothing apart from dead bodies, burned cars. Ashes of people before.

"HELP?! SQUAD IS DOWN I NEED HELP!"

Yelled over the comms the voice. Fade hustled a little trying to move onwards with a jog then a quick roadie run. Rolling onto the ground. Then back to his feet.

Fires could be seen bright colors of fighting was over heard. Fade made his way through the barricaded defenses of what was left. Leaping over a few of them.

Rolling onto the ground getting to his feet and aiming forward. Reaching the destination. Another gear was wounded falling past Fade. Shot in the shoulder.

Snipers were taking out gears, wretches came rushing onwards with groups. One Gear she took aim firing her Gnasher shotgun. Taking down 4 of them.

Fade aimed forward past her. Covering her back. Taking his shots precise. Through the scope Fade fired a couple of rounds into the chest of a leaping Wretch.

Another tried making its way to her legs. His aim was quick firing at its legs dropping it into the ground. It screamed and cried. Fade rushed to her.

Caught her reloading her Gnasher. She gasped noticing him. Along side her grabbing her arm both rushed into cover. One sniper was shot down.

The locust body dropped. Fade was on the right hand side. His eyes looking over the cover. While his hands reloaded his weapon. The gear that was saved.

Reloaded her weapon, she took notice of Fade as an Onyx Guard. She was surprised to see him here. "Thanks for that, Name's Cora" she said.

"2 Snipers on the right hand side, one middle and the other right". "I'm Fade" he said looking back to her. Cora sighed and made a small smile.

"Lucky me to being saved by an Onyx Guard huh" said Cora. Fade looked to her then away. "Yeah" he said to her. Both taking aim onwards. Both killing the last 2.

Cora stood up breathing easy now. She walked over to look for ammo. Checking the corpses of other gears for tags. Fade stood placing the lancer onto his back.

Stopping as he headed over for another weapon. Checking out the Locust body next to a Longshot sniper. Grabbing it. Fade checked the clip.

Cora looked to Fade's back seeing the Lancer with the white Omen symbol. She knew that the Onyx Guard held that with such pride and regard for there service.

"I thought you guys were wiped out from that attack a while back from Karn" she said. Fade locked and loaded the sniper. Holding it in his hands.

"I am the last that I know of...Mother Onyx died against it...But as of now I guess" said Fade. Looking straight to her face about it. He didn't know what else to say.

Cora grabbed ammo along with a side arm. She made a gesture about heading out. Fade nodded and followed with her. Heading onwards to the next block.

"What happened to your squad" asked Fade. "Command believed to send us through this part of the city thinking the Locust attacks were less, sadly they weren't".

"And what about yours?" she asked. Fade stared forward noticing a patrol of Locust with a massive Brumak heading down the next block.

"Gone. The Locust Nemesis hit us pretty strong" said fade. Cora looked over the cover of the burned out car. She understood. "Looks like we need a detour".

Fade agreed until message came through the comms. "Any squads in the area? We have a dire emergency! We are taking a Lightmass bomb into the city".

Cora looked shocked as she was listening to the words coming from them. "No fucking way!" she yelled. Fade didn't say a word about it. He stayed silent.

"Locust attacks must be bad then if we need that here, I can't believe this shit" said Cora. Fade walked onwards seeing the Ravens flying high above them.

Noticing by a slight glimpse of a reflecting light. Coming from the weapon itself. "Cora we head that way, they need us" said Fade.

Bumping his elbow she walked ahead of him. "Yeah..they fucking do. Don't you think there would be a better alternative for this kind of thing?" she asked

"Probably but this might help..Chairman Prescott thinks it would then" said Fade.

Cora took point as Fade went second behind her. Moving through the city ground streets. Burning buildings went on with collapsing around them. From time to time.

Locust attacks from small groups would head towards them. Fade caught them with quick scopes as best he could. Both arrived at the Remains of the city hall.

Gear outposts were setting up. Gears on patrol along with Ravens coming down. Landing with reinforcements. Cora took the chance to relax.

Fade noticed the spot lights aiming towards the Raven helicopter. Landing onto the ground. With much of many damages.

"Let's see what command has to say about this huh Fade" said Cora

Fade went on with her heading into the Hall.

Gears ate and slept. Some were very injured. Along with doctors helping others. Some scavengers were among them taking in refuge. But helping with supplies.

Fade was reminded from the days with Mother Onyx. The training into becoming a fully fledged working Warmonger. He understood this was needed. Necessary.

Up the stairs passing the computers and comms stations. Colonel Hawthorne was staring at the digital imprints of various locations. The War room was a mess.

Cables, laptops, weapons on the racks. The lights flickered from time to time. Fade and Cora walked into the room. Colonel Hawthorne stared at them.

"Now Now calm down kids with questions. I'll have answers for you in just a bit" said Colonel. "Fade you made it here, what happened to your squad" he asked.

Cora stood to the side and stared at Fade walk passed her without a word. Placing the tags from his back pocket onto the table. The colonel sighed.

"What happened to your commanding officer Nomad" he asked. Fade looked to him. "Captured sir, he made us retreat and told us to leave him behind" said Fade.

Colonel stared at him then punched the map. "Fucking bastards". Fade had spoken with straight forward words about it. Not lying or sweet sugaring it at all.

Cora was surprised to hear this from him. She didn't know him well enough at all yet but surprised. "Mission sir" asked Fade with a serious tone.

"Right. Here comes the shit as some would say".

Map layout went up. Showing the various in and out locations. Cora came over and took a chance to look at it too. She could see it clear. Half the city was burned out.

While the other was being scavenged and aided to by fellow gears. War was getting worse with less success than great progress. Command came into the idea.

"Were tying to even out the field for us all. Now The chairman believes if we hit the locust command here, they'll loose reinforcements" said the colonel.

Fade didn't like the sound of this since the last time it went like that. Karn attacked the main City Hall Command Center.

"Were sending you with a squad to handle this op we need your help Fade, Prescott mentioned you'd be nearby" said the colonel

Fade took a glance at the center of the mapping. Noticing the changes of war. He understood war. As much as the COG military. Mother Onyx came to mind.

"Your squad is at the heliport 4, good luck to you Fade" said Colonel

Turning away from the Colonel. Walking towards the doorway. Cora breathed easy and stared at him. "Seems like this is it. Good luck Fade" said Cora.

Fade gave her that looking stare. Nodding to her with a certainty. "Same. Hope to see you again Cora." said Fade. Cora smiled at hearing that. Fade walked out.

Cora looked towards Colonel. Turning his back away from her towards the barred windows behind him. Ravens came down landing into the heliports.