Author's Note - Apologies on delay in releasing this chapter, have been a little preoccupied writing a small short based off Gears 4, watch this space as soon as I'm ready to release it here you'll know about it.

Anyway, back to torturing Wilks...

Thanks to everyone who has read, followed and reviewed over the past month. I know you're out there and it's greatly appreciated that you're staying around to keep reading. Here's to the next chapter.

Chapter Sixteen - To the Brink

Miles caught up with Cam as the squad cautiously edged their way through the jungle of Lambent Stalks. He made sure that the others were out of earshot before he spoke.

"So tell me," he grunted, "do you make a habit out of lying to people?"

Cam remained silent for a moment longer than Miles was comfortable with, "the kid heard the important facts."

"Aside the truth he needed to know,"

"Yer seriously think that telling the boy his pa actually put the gun to his son's head instead of his own would make his condition any better? There are some things that are better left untold."

"He deserves to know what kind of man his father was,"

"He already knows, Miles, telling him that his pa pulled the trigger on him is only going to make matters worse,"

They drew to a halt as Cam pulled out a pair of binoculars from his pouch to scout the area. He ushered Miles backwards so they were hidden behind the hulking mass of a stalk. He scrutinised the view carefully, passing the binoculars to Miles to share his discovery.

"Locust, well I'll be, I certainly didn't expect to see them this far away from home,"

"They have as much a home as we do these days,"

"I must admit I've missed killing these bastards," Miles glanced down at his broken arm, "shame I have to sit this one out."

Cam snorted, "as if. Yer've never sat out any opportunity to blast them to bits, why change it now?"

Miles wiggled his arm to indicate the obvious, flinching as he did.

"Never stopped yer before," Cam lightly nudged Miles' shoulder, "And there's me thinking Tate was the only hypochondriac amongst us."

Miles sent Cam a hurt look, "too soon, Cam."

"What's too soon?" Wilks' voice interrupted the pair, drawing behind a Stalk to join them.

"Miles thinks he can sit this one out," Cam offered the binoculars to his Sergeant to explain his reasoning.

"Ahh Locust, is it wrong to say I've missed them?" Wilks took a breath as he observed the terrain around them, "nah Miles. Just because you've always hated the Snub. Point and fire man. Only takes one hand. Plus if I have to fight through it, so do you."

"Boyscout,"

Wilks sent him a wink as he returned the binoculars back to Cam.

"Okay tactics, let's face it we can't just go running in guns blazing,"

"Because that didn't stop you back at that hell hole," Archer commented sharply as he and a chained Lem finally drew up to them.

"Yeah but Locust are a speciality of mine, I know how the bastards think. The Lambent, I don't have a bloody clue." he winced slightly as a jolt of pain surged through his temples. Not wanting to incite any further sympathy from his squad he clenched his teeth and continued on, "Right I suggest we split up, Cam and Archer, myself and Miles. Use the Stalks as cover and flank the Grubs, take 'em either side."

"And me?" Lem questioned.

Everyone except Wilks gave him a disapproving look.

"You're coming with me,"

"He is?" Miles frowned, "the kid hasn't even got a weapon."

Wilks drew his Gorgon from its holster, flicked it around a finger and offered it to him grip first. Lem stared incredulously at it before fixing Wilks with a questioning look.

"Why?"

Wilks clenched his teeth as he swallowed back a lump in his throat, "It was Aidie's, she would have wanted it to come to good use."

Lem's mouth remained agape as his chained hands jointly reached out for the gun, gingerly taking it between his clammy fingers to examine it.

"I remember seeing her handling this years ago, never even thought to ask about it,"

"She preferred it to the Snub,"

"She wasn't the only one," Miles added sharply, waving his own weapon around.

Wilks sent Miles a sly look, "you complain but I know you excel with the obscure. I've seen you headshot with that beast."

"When I had two capable hands!"

"Since when have you been one to turn down a challenge?"

Miles grumbled to himself as he leaned the Snub against his useless arm to check the magazine, "let's get this over with."

"Okay gents," Wilks positioned himself behind the Stalk, hand held up to silence his squad, "at my signal. Cam you know the score."

Cam nodded, Boltok at the ready. He silently indicated to Archer their planned movements and the pair prepared themselves for Wilks' sign as he counted down from three on his fingers.

Go.

The squad split either side of the Locust, carefully picking their way towards their target. Using the Stalks to their advantage they managed to remain unseen until the squad had flanked them. Silently Wilks slid out Aidie's Longshot, clicking in a couple of bullets into the barrel and raised the sights to his eye. From experience he knew her weapon fired slightly to the left so he adjusted his trajectory and followed his target carefully.

Cam and Archer watched as the Kantus scouting from the back of the Horde dropped dead, it's brain splattering outwards from Wilks' precise hit. The Grenadier nearby turned at the sound and let out a howl to alert the group. This gave the squad their signal. Wilks charged forwards, exchanging the Longshot for Lancer, mowing down three Wretches that headed his direction. He dropped behind the safety of a stalk as the Locust turned their attention to him, giving Cam and Archer an opportunity to take them from behind. The Horde started to split apart from their unit, concentrating on the divided attack.

Lem aimed the Gorgon hesitantly as he veered his body awkwardly away from the direction he was firing. The bullets stuttered erratically and hit the stalk Wilks stood behind.

"I know my prognosis is bleak, but I'd appreciate it if you prolonged my life a little longer," Wilks yelled back in response.

"Sorry!"

Miles elbowed himself close to Lem, "kid, the gun won't bite. The closer to you it is, the more control you have."

As if to prove his point he aimed across his body with the Snub, leaning it against his broken arm. Twisting to position himself he pulled the trigger and took the helmet off the Boomer.

"Nearly!" came Wilks' response as he churned a round of bullets into the advancing brute.

"Give me a break Ol, I'm working off one arm," Miles bellowed back.

"And Cam is freakishly short, your point?" Wilks holstered the Lancer and pulled out his Gnasher leaping out to avoid the Boomshot blast as he fired back within closer quarters.

Lem gulped down a nervous breath and steadied himself, despite his time with the Nightmares he had rarely encountered Locust. He still firmly considered them as monsters, forever destined to lurk within his dreams. The Locust murdered his family, it was never going to change, no matter how much he faced them.

Then he watched the squad, still a group of strangers to him, he could see how they protected one another. Wilks, clearly the strongest of the group took the most fire power and attracted most attention. Allowing Cam and Archer with their powerful smaller weapons to pick off the unsuspecting Locust, counting off the head shots as they went. This gave Miles and himself, the injured and weak a chance to regain some control. It gave him the strength he needed to lift his weapon and start firing at the attacking monsters.

Cam slotted another round of bullets into his Sawn-Off cocked the barrel and charged forwards, taking out a Grenadier. A rain of pink mist showered over him as he darted around the remains. Archer called out as he fired across at a Beast Rider and its Steed. The bullet sliced through the Rider's neck, it scrabbled momentarily at the shock, thrown dramatically from its beast as it choked in its own blood. The creature now released from any control made a charge towards its human target. Archer fled backwards, twisting to fire his weapon at the advancing brute. Tugging on the trigger until the hollow sound of an empty magazine clicked back at him and the creature tumbled awkwardly to his feet. It twitched slightly as its nerves jangled a delayed response. Without hesitation Archer stomped heavily upon its skull, crushing the cranium and splattering its brain under his hefty boots.

Wilks revved his chainsaw as he charged at another Drone, it met him face to face with its own Retro Lancer, jamming the blade between the teeth of the saw. They pushed back against one another jostling for control, arms raised as their Lancers kept the pair apart. A sudden surge of pain darted up Wilks' spine to the nerve centre in his head. He let out an involuntary cry, flinching back from the Locust before him and dropping to his knees. The Drone seizing its chance thrust back the bayonet to follow through with its kill shot.

Miles angled his Snub, drawing the weapon closer to him to perfect his shot and pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced the Drone's brain before it knew there was another threat. It stared glassy eyed for a moment at Wilks before collapsing forwards.

"Shit, shit, shit," Wilks swore in panic as he thrust the body from him, staggering unsteadily to his feet.

"You okay Ol?" Miles asked in concern, peering out from cover to check.

Wilks stared down at his hands, unable to lift his Lancer to defend himself further.

"Olly?" Miles hollered, "talk to me."

"Fuck it," the Sergeant muttered as he drew himself back from the midst of the fight, stumbling over his own feet and dropping heavily behind a stalk.

"Cam, we need you!" Miles yelled over the foray loud enough to alert his Medic's attention, "Olly's down!"

Miles and Lem both took on the next approaching Drone, the pair blasted at it until it dropped to the ground in defeat. Behind it Cam, raged at the remaining Locust, Boltok in one hand, slumped Wretch in another. The faded tribal tattoos that decorated his face flashed a glimpse of the native that hid beneath the calm exterior. He thrust the carcass off his shoulder and rolled forward to avoid a blast from another Locust, holstering his pistol and drawing his Sawn-Off out again. He yelled angrily as he charged towards his next target, swerving around the stalks to throw them off his tactics. Eventually he drew up behind it, blasting it apart, the force of his strike threw the beast forwards to its face in a bloodied mess.

Cam's chest heaved as he assessed the scene, taking in each fallen beast quickly as he strode urgently to his squad.

"Where is he?" he boomed.

Miles nodded an indication towards Wilks' direction and Cam headed to him. He cast a cursory glance over him as he sat with his head between his knees, hands linked over the back of his skull.

"Don't even say it," Wilks snapped before Cam had a chance to open his mouth.

"Okay, I won't"

"I'm a fucking liability," he lifted one hand off his head and held it out to show Cam. It shook as if in convulsion until he drew it to his chest in protection.

"It's all in your head, you know you've beaten worse,"

"I put the squad in jeopardy, couldn't keep my fucking head together. My mistake could have cost your lives, fuck, Miles can't even hold a weapon bigger than a pistol and that boy has likely never fired a gun before. I could have got them both killed,"

"Except it wasn't a mistake, you're fighting two battles here kid and the one in yer head is losing,"

"No Cam, I'm not doing this. Not anymore," He struggled to his feet as if he had made his mind up, picking his Lancer and trudged away from them.

"Where's he going?" Archer asked as he drew level with Miles.

"To a dark place,"

"Shouldn't we be following him?"

"This is Cam's domain, he's done this all before,"

Archer let out a tired sigh as he let the small Islander plod slowly after the Sergeant. Opting to dig through the Locust remains for any interesting loot.

Wilks stormed a fair distance away before he set himself upon a stalk, yelling as he punched at it until his knuckles bled. He kept going as he felt tears spill which made him angrier and want to punch it harder. A strong arm stopped him mid throw and wrestled him backwards.

"Just bloody stop fer once," Cam fixed him with his stare, "Once in yer life. Just. Stop."

"What's the fucking point," he all but screamed at him in defiance, but didn't resist Cam's grip, "I try to keep my head in the game and I'm still screwed. Fucking hell what a useless piece of..."

"Ollyvar stop it,"

Wilks gazed at nothing before flicking his dark eyes back at him, looking like the scared child Cam had grown all too familiar with.

"She's dead, Cam," he slumped forwards in defeat, "I lost her."

"C'mon kid,"

"Why?" he asked innocently, "if I survive this it still won't bring her back."

"You don't know that, we never found her remains back in that place, she's a tough kid."

"She's an eighteen year old girl who I promised to protect, I failed her," He winced as the pain seared through his temples again in response, "in so many ways I failed her."

"Don't you dare," Cam gripped his arms and shook him, "don't you dare give in. I will never forgive you if you let this beat you. I watched yer pa self destruct in front of me, I won't let it happen to you."

"It's too late,"

"The problem with you is that you feel like you should be protecting everyone, especially her. She came to us inexperienced, scared and needing protection. Two years you trained her, you pushed her until she could take no more and she pushed you back. She challenged everything you set out for her, because you underestimated her capabilities. You spent so long worrying that she was going to walk away that you didn't stop to realise that she had no intention of doing so. She's a confident strong young woman, a credit to your hard work. And once again yer underestimating her, she's out there, I know it."

Wilks relaxed a little in Cam's hold, listening to the words he wanted to believe were true. He unclenched his fists, allowing the blood to seep along his fingers.

"There's something else," Cam admitted quietly, wondering whether he should be revealing the following information for the sake of his Sergeant's sanity, "she came to me the other week for her regular check up. There was something amiss with her blood work so I investigated it further, as best as I could in this wasteland. She's carrying your child Ollyvar, very early days but there was no denying it."

Wilks' desperate dark eyes fixed upon him as he gave him a look that shocked him.

"You knew?"

"The two years I've slept beside her, you see things, learn to pick up on details she may not have wanted me to see. The events at the church furthered my assumptions. And now, you've just confirmed my fears,"

"Why didn't yer say anything?"

"Because she was so adamant about not being that person," regret lacing his voice, "they gave her a boy's name to hide her, for Pete's sake. And I, the asshole that I am, promised to protect her from that bloody existence. Then I end up being the one who knocks her up regardless, what a fucking joke. I fucked up so many lives the day that happened. I deserve what's happening to me right now, all this pain is payback for my stupidity."

"She never discussed anything further with you? Because she most certainly did with me,"

"She knew my feelings on the matter," he sighed, "there were times I'd catch her playing with the boys, rocking Tate's babies to sleep when she thought no one was looking. But the moment she knew people were looking the shield would be right back up. She would have made a wonderful mother."

"Have you ever considered what you'd say to her if she's alive out there?"

"If she's alive…" He thoughtfully stared at his hands, "I guess she'd have the freedom to do what she wanted. I promised never to hold her back, regardless of what it meant to me."

Miles waited for Cam as he tiredly returned to them.

"Well," he asked, searching around for any sign of Wilks behind the Islander, "what lies have you told him now?"

"We should have known it would always come down to Aidie. No story about the dead mother he never knew was ever going to bring him back from the edge. Aidan has become the only one capable of keeping him rooted."

"What the hell have you told him?"

"I'm done losing Wilks family members on my watch, Miles. His mother, his father and now him. I've had enough," he gave Miles a distressed look.

"Oh Cam you didn't," Miles read his buddy quicker than he realised, "that wasn't yours to tell."

"He was self destructing in front of me Miles," Cam snapped back, "one moment later and he would have pulled the Gnasher on himself."

"You give him very little credit here, you think he would ever put us through what his father did to him?"

"I wasn't willing to risk it," Cam dropped his gaze to the floor.

"So instead of slapping him round the face and telling him to pull himself together, you tell him something you really had no right to share. What if she's dead Cam, what the hell is that going to do to him?"

"I just need him to fight this until we get the cure, we'll deal with the fallout later,"

Miles shook his head pitifully and made to walk away from him, "if this is as far as you'll stoop, I don't know you anymore."

Cam grabbed his arm to pull him closer, Miles flinched at the touch against his broken arm.

"He's my boy Miles, I was the first one to look into those dark scared eyes as his father blasted his mother's brains out. There is nothing I wouldn't do to keep him safe. It's always been me, his father was always out for his own agenda full of deceit and selfishness. I was always there for that kid. I stopped that bastard from planting a bullet in him. He may not be my son, but he's mine. I loved him when his father didn't. And I'll sure as hell push him to keep fighting until he can do it without me."

Miles stared back at him silently for a moment, blinking in thought before responding, "you're bloody lucky you have him then."

On further inspection it transpired that they weren't the only ones tracking the Nightmares, the Locust had also been on the hunt. Archer tracked back the movements to a campsite not overly far from their intercept. He assessed the footsteps and the disturbance in the dirt and concluded that their situation was far worse than he imagined.

He returned to the others as they prepared themselves for their next step.

"Do you want the good news or the bad?" he said.

"Why do I get the feeling that the good news is just going to be trumped by the bad," Miles responded.

"I've found a campsite, judging from all of our tracking it has to be theirs and they only seem to be a few hours in front of us. The bad news, I think the mercenaries joined forces with those creatures. I found human footprints, a significant amount of them gathered together barefoot. They were all heading in one direction."

"Dare I even ask?"

"The village, we need to get back,"

"Couldn't agree more," Wilks interrupted from behind them, as he pealed his fingerless gloves back over his newly bandaged fists. Flexing his hands to fight back the tremor that threatened to return if he allowed it. His squad knew not to question his lapse of control. He was back, that was all that mattered.