Act Two: Dakar

We've already had to skip the first LZ (landing zone) due to heavy fire from Locust troops. The chopper is now en route to the new LZ. I continue to look down at the destroyed towns. God, this war has torn our planet apart. Sera used to be a welcoming place. The skies were blue and the ground was soft. Now, smog fills the air and as for the ground, the emergence holes have done a pretty nasty job of destroying it.

The second LZ is in plain sight and I don't think there's any Locust down there to ruin the landing. At that moment, a Reaver attacks the King Raven, sending me flying off the edge. Hoffman manages to grab hold of my arm and hoist me back on.

"Thanks, sir." I say. He simply nods. We thunder down towards the LZ. My Lancer Rifle perches on my back and my pistol is in my gun pouch attached to my left leg. With no one to aid me if I got shot, if the worse was to happen, nobody could save me and I was deep into Locust territory.



Surprisingly, I reached the town of Dakar in one piece and the Locust had not attempted to attack me. In fact, there are none around. Something must be up. Slowly pacing through the abandoned streets, I come across a corpse. It seems to be a COG solder. I check his tags, Brian Callas. The name doesn't ring any bells, so I assume he's ever a veteran or a newbie. Even so, it's a sickening sight to gaze down upon a body of a fellow comrade of the Gears.

Strange and heavy breathing sounds are made from a building across from me. I take it my brief moment of piece is over. What happens next is shocking. Not one, but two Berserkers emerge from the house. Hoffman told me about these things. Apparently, they're blind and only attack if they can hear your footsteps. Knowing if I try and panic and run they'll kill me, I decide to take caution with my stepping. If my eyesight was any better, I would've spotted the large stone on the ground in front of me. A crack sound goes off. Both Berserkers turn in my direction and I realise there's no use in staying to fight. One of them charges whilst the other one walks off in another direction. I'm truly buggered 

now. However, unlike most soldiers, I don't panic so easily. I pull out my snub pistol and open fire on the charging beast. She is stunned for a minute by my gun fire which gives me the chance to take refuge in another abandoned house.

I hear her footsteps outside, their thundering. It actually jolts my helmet off but I decide to leave it behind and hike upstairs to verify if there's any ammo left by the Stranded. Windows have been put through and there are cracks running across the rusty floorboards. They don't exactly feel like they're going to support me much longer so I'll have to leave soon.

Many ammo crates lye around but they all seem to be empty. This is quite disappointing since I used up all my pistol ammo to refract that Berserker outside. Swooping in the sky, nemacyst all fly in one direction, towards the centre of town. I wonder what they're up to.

The Berserker has gone up the street and is no longer visible to me, so I head back downstairs and on the street again. Colonel Hoffman had told me that RAAM was spotted in the north to Dakar and 

is planning to unleash his 'Kryll Army' on the sleeping town. That must mean that survivors are close by. Figuring that I'm alone, Hoffman probably doesn't want me meeting up with anybody, so I best stay out of sight. Sneaking isn't really my kind of choice in battle but it'll have to do for now. Maybe Hoffman will contact me, giving the all clear to attack some Locust.

I'm so bored right now, kicking empty cans about on the abandoned roads. There are no people, no cars, and no signs of life. What could've happened to this place?

"Drop your weapon!" a voice shouts. I think there's a group of Stranded behind me.

"It's ok, I'm on your side," I reply.

"I'm serious. Drop it now!"

Not wanting any unnecessary attention, I place my Lancer on the ground and back away from it.

"Good, at least you have a brain."

"Is this gonna be long?"

No response, weird. That's before I could realise he was preparing to swing his shotgun at 

me. The gun bashes across my helmet and I fade out to the floor.

When I awake, I find myself in some boarded up apartment. It seems like a prison cell to me. There's a coded panel to unlock the iron door. I wonder what they plan to do to me.

I've got no time for this now. I need to think of an escape plan soon and get back to my assignment. There's no luck with punching the crap out of it and the Stranded stripped me of all my weapons, including grenades. Maybe if I just wait for them to release me, or at least try to jump the guy with the code when he returns.

Several minutes pass and I think I'm losing it. Nobody has even passed my cell yet. I've had enough of this shit. With all my effort, I manage to damage the door with constant kicking. The guards must have heard because they all immediately rush to my cell. They cut through the door with a laser beam and storm in. I'm casually lying in the bed reading a book on Dakar's beaches.

"Hey you, what was that noise just now?" one of them squeak.



"Don't ask me," I simply reply.

"Must've been faulty wiring then. Everyone move back to your stations, now."

The guy at the back seems to be carrying mu Lancer. I lunge off the bed and elbow him in the back. He falls to the ground with a thump. The others turn and see their friend knocked out on the floor and begin to shoot at me. Luckily, I use the door as a shield an then I kick it back into them. Judging by the loud thud, I assume they're all out cold as well.

After finding my helmet and snub pistol, I find the front entrance and leave, making sure to lock it afterwards so the Stranded can't chase me when they awake. I seem to be on the other side of town. A faint engine sound comes. Looking down the street, I don't spot anything out of the ordinary, so I continue through each path, hoping to see General RAAM lurking about.

My reactions aren't quick enough as a Junker speeds past me and knocks me to the ground. It comes to a sudden halt. Three Gears emerge from the back.



"Yo, I think we might have killed him," says the taller one. My vision is a bit blurred so I'm unable to make out who they are.

"Holy shit! It's Carmine."

"Help me up here, guys," I plea.

"He's still alive."

I start to regain control of my eyes and manage to make out a plump, red face. It's Justin. He hoists me to my feet and carries me back to the Junker.

Inside are lots of guns. Lancers, snubs, boltoks, shotguns, hammerbursts, grenades, smoke grenades, you name it, they've got it.

"We've been stocking up to hunt RAAM down," Justin exclaims.

"That's what I'm here for too."

"That's really strange. Hoffman told us that we're the only ones out here in Dakar."

"We?" I glance around and notice the other two dudes that were with Justin.

"Santiago's the name," the muscular guy says. "Dominic Santiago. My buddies call me Dom."



"Wait a minute. You're one of Marcus Fenix's mats, aren't you?"

"The one and only."

"Listen guys," buys in Justin. "-RAAM is said to be in the southwest. We'll head there first. Dom, Carmine, you two are going in by Junker. Sparky and I will travel there on foot.

"On foot," the other guy moans. I presume he's Sparky.

"Yes, on foot. You need the exercise."

Then, the two of them set out and Dom starts up the engine. I collect all the ammo I need and then grab some grenades. We're going Locust hunting.