CHAPTER TWO
STAND TOGETHER GEARS
"Holy shit guys, an Onyx Guard.."whispered one of the Gears. Another dropped his weapon seeing Fade walking towards the Raven. Getting onto the helicopter.
Looking at his squad leader looking down at the data chart. Not liking this mission but it was needed to be tried and complete. Fade took a seat across from him.
"...I appreciate this Fade, even with the conditions that have occurred and continued" said Mitchel. "Likewise sir, I'm hoping to get this done" said Fade.
"I would have imagined all of the Onyx gone now but how is it that you managed to survive" asked Mitchel. Fade stared at him then looked to the side.
"Wouldn't know how to explain it to you, but maybe luck or training prepped me" said Fade. "Either way good to have least someone that we can depend on".
Fade accepted the compliment and noticed the others jumping into the Raven. Pulling upwards into the sky. Rain poured lightly.
As it came and went in shifting constant fluxes of styles. Raven was heading inwards towards the center.
Fade stood holding onto the handle rail. Overlooking at the distant lower streets. Wondering about the situation. Mission statement was clear to him.
"Alright listen up all of you" said Mitchel. A Commanding officer of the squad. Along with 3 other gears that looked like Anthony Carmines. Fade heard his words.
"Were dropping this mess into the heart of the city, under the belief that this could end up saving majority of ourselves".
Fade had mixed feelings about that statement. Looking towards the distance. Gunfire and explosions had continued going on without stopping.
He understood that this was ongoing til one gave out. Raven turned. Heading left then downwards towards the lower floors.
Heading into the location assigned to them. In-between a neighborhood. A ruined and caved in area. Raven lowered the massive Weapon first.
Unlocking its chains and dropping it. Raven landed for a few seconds. Letting the squad drop down into the ground.
Fade aimed towards the distant explosion that went off. Through the scope on his lancer there was nothing. Mitchel looked to the Lightmass bomb.
Gears went scattering themselves to secure the area. Raven went up and left them there. "Clear!" they all yelled back to Mitchel. Fade lowered his lancer.
Turning back slowly walking towards Mitchel. "Alright guys we are moving once this is active, Centaur should be near a few clicks from us" he said.
Mitchel was arming it. Checking its systems for self destruct. With it. The bomb would eradicate majority of the area.
Along with a few Locust tunnels from underground. "Any other chances it might end up as a dud" asked Fade. Mitchel looked down to the ground then to him.
"Command wouldn't send us out here without the negatives" said Mitchel thinking as he was sure as they were. Looking away from him, sounds of grunting.
Fade took cover behind a ruined car and looked over. Taking aim as Mitchel was behind him.
"Mitchel contact sir" said one of the gears
"Keep them off me, give me a few seconds" said Mitchel. Locust could be heard coming from the distance. Little quakes from them were shaking. Fade thought.
"Careful might be Brumak, guys stay on point" said Fade. Locust came out screaming as it fired out a hammerburst. Fade took a few shots to it. A gear on the side.
Fired his sniper long shot into the chest of a whispering Theron. Reloading his weapon, trying his best with quick reloads. Boomer went out shouting. Firing its heavy.
Causing an explosion near Fade as he dodged the explosion. Fade took aim firing. Mitchel completed the connections. Mitchel ran into cover along side another Gear.
"Sir the Centaur is down that way on Broadway and Northway st" said the gear. "Move gears! Come on we are leaving now" said Mitchel. The squad headed out.
Fade followed behind them as they headed together. Building ahead of them began to shake little by little. Heading onwards with full roadie run.
Raven flew past them over head. Shooting the side turret. Firing it directly towards a large enemy between the other side. Fade noticed and stopped.
Seeing the Nemysct heading into the Raven. Corpser legs came through the windows and walls. Shattering and landing into the parked Centaurs.
Mitchel stopped and headed the opposite way. The squad ran heading another way. Fade followed after them then turned. Firing bits of ammo towards the Nemysct.
Squad gave him some covering fire. Radio contact came through the comms. As it did. They could hear. "Locust! Incoming with Corpsers!-" static came through.
Fade rushed through the incoming gunfire. One of the gears tossed a grenade. Heading into the E-hole as Fade jumped forward. Locust Cyclops came crawling out.
E-hole closed as soon as the explosion erupted. Fade rushed to his squad. The team entered the next block noticing fires and ruined buildings.
"Shit! shit!" yelled a gear. "Come on piece of shit" said another. "Guys?! Guys are we going to be able to get the fuck out!?" yelled the third.
Entering a collapsed diner. The squad closed the doors from behind. Locking them in place. Fade reloaded his lancer. Looking to Mitchel.
"We have exactly 12 minutes to leave this area. Otherwise well be toast with it" said Mitchel. "Radios just got fried, looks like we are running out" said Fade.
Mitchel breathed easy and stared at him. Fade walked passed him heading out the other side of the Diner. "Fuck man...Wish I would've brought another pair".
Gear tossed aside his longshot and switched to his Gnasher. Heading out together. Fade took point. Locust hissing into the wind. As they did. Locust at the roof.
Sniped out a Gear behind Mitchel, "SNIPER!" he yelled. Fade rolled into a Gears barricade. Blind firing out towards the Locust.
Another ran past rolling into a fence and taking aim. Firing his hammerburst towards the sniper location. Mitchel tossed a smoke grenade into the open.
Causing a blind spot for the sniper. Fade took point running out through the smoke. Lancer went making noise. Cyclops rushed him. Both went into a chainsaw dual.
Fade holding his own. Cyclops screaming as it pushed with full strength. Gear fired his Gnasher into a screaming wretch as some came rushing out from the ruins.
Mitchel kicked a drone into the chest dropping him into the ground. Turning on his lancer. Tearing through its chest. Sniper was taken out by a Gear in cover.
He smiled underneath his helmet. "That's right bitch" said the gear. Fade won the chainsaw duel as he sawed through the Cyclops.
Fade heard a crash afar from them. Radio communications came through again. "Locust Seeder is down!" yelled Cora through the comms. Fade knew that voice.
"Local squads! Evacuate now!".
"Lightmass bomb has been activated! Leave Now!" she continued.
"Understood Gear, any nearby Ravens able to assist evac?" asked Mitchel checking his squad. Fade noticed the other gear taking the tags of the fallen.
Fade turned away. Looking at the far distance a screaming Corpser. Smashing through various structures. "Mitchel all Ravens are occupied heading out on your own".
Said word from Command. Mitchel sighed as another Gear cursed this day. Fade wondered how much more time was left about it.
"You heard Command , lets move out with haste guys" said Mitchel. Fade followed up behind him. The squad heading out farther as much as they could on foot.
Squad arrived at another blocked site of Gears location. Noticing the save zone that was made was ruined. Fade stood overlooking it. Large and ruined.
As if the ground was torn apart from a large beast. Mitchel rushed to the parked vehicle. A Centaur still in working condition. Mitchel hopped in. Checking the status.
"Squad lets move, now guys we have only 2 minutes left to get out of the blast zone radius" said Mitchel. "Heard that sir" said the gears. Jumping inside it.
Fade heard from Mitchel, turning to the Centaur heading to it. Jumping inside. Taking control of the main gun. While Mitchel took driver seat.
Centaur went moving forward. Fade's controls were steady at best. Aiming the main gun forward then to the sides. He gained a good sight of things.
Reaching the distant limit of the blast radius the Centaur stopped. Opening the top hatch. Getting out, Fade stood on top of the Centaur. Overlooking it all.
Corpsers screaming. Brumaks falling into the ground. Chunks of smokes coming out from afar. The entire city was half gone by now. This choice.
His fellow gears went out with him. Mitchel was on the ground floor. Looking at the data pad seeing the colors shifting. Fade could see it clear.
Lightmass bomb went out erupting and causing a powerful shock wave shattering the radius all across the area. Buildings came down. The ground tunnels caving.
This was what meant for a standing chance he thought. Thinking back to what she had told him before. "War is brutal, as much as your enemy, no weakness".
Those words came to him from his mentor "Mother Onyx Creator of the Onyx Guard". Cheering and chanting came from the other Gears with him.
Mitchel wasn't happy about this. Even though the scans showed up as much as it did. Fade looked down to him. Fade turned to the view. His Lancer in one hand.
"What cost..sacrificing the only homes we have had for such a long time" said Mitchel.
A few hours later. The Squad had went out heading back to Command. Squad came out of the battle worn Centaur. Fade jumped down looking at them all.
Gears cheering in happy glory. But he wasn't thinking about it that way. Mitchel and Fade headed with one another. There other 2 gears went to take a moment.
"Mitchel you saw something wrong didn't you" asked Fade. "Data went offline after the Lightmass hit. But there were locations it didn't touch at all" said Mitchel.
Hearing those words. Made him wonder about it. Yet he wouldn't be surprised at all if it didn't work. Both went to the Colonel to see what was the word.
"We got the majority of them, here and here...but there are missing things" said The Colonel
"Squads?" asked Mitchel
Mapping showed the blown areas but the various connections of issues. Seeders and another were the Tunnels heading out farther deeper than we have ever thought.
"We need another but lower and deeper, who knows how much time we have left" said The Colonel. Fade could see it all. But the city was much lost already for it.
Nothing but half of it was left to ashes. The rest was burning away from the explosions and fighting. No safe haven anymore.
"Pack everything were heading out, leaving to another site now guys" said Colonel Hawthrone
Fade looked to Mitchel about this situation.
"Fade Prescott wants to have a word with you in the next room" said Colonel Hawthrone
"Understood sir" said Fade
Fade went on into the next room along side the War room. Private room for High personnel only. He stood walking into it. Seeing the overall office of an official.
At the center was a holopad for virtual information. Along side that was a turned off robot. With various papers and documents saved in Gears Safes.
The room went lighting up as Fade touched the panel. Communications showed the image of various Locust high ranks. Then one in particular, Karn as dead.
Fade heard the voice coming through the comms.
"Fade I'm glad your mission was a success." said Chairman Prescott
Standing there. His lancer in hands. Nodding to the Chairman's voice as he could hear through clearly. the images changed. Prescott wanted to say a few things.
"Fade I honestly need your support and I am grateful. Need you to report back. Raven will be inbound to take you on your next mission. Its vital to this war".
Understanding this mission he was tasked to take the chance with it. Fade was ready. "Yes Sir" said Fade. "Shipping out Soldier I'll debrief you with more".
GEARS OF WAR: LEGACY
ENDLESS CHAIN