Chapter 4: Locked Memories and Forgotten Pain
"I was told once that no matter how good I was or how much training I received that nothing would prepare me for the chaos of battle, the unescapable feeling of doom and confusion and no matter what anybody said no one else did either. And if they say that they do know there either lying for some reason or there so blinded by there own arrogance that aren't worth trusting."
Stopping to take a breath in between the onslaught of the MCOR Alistar looked around at the remnants of the 64 still standing, his gaze falling on the bunkers entrance. Seeing Bear come out limping he disembarked saying "Wait here Storm I'm going to see what happened" Storm said nothing but began to help the rifleman hold of the MCOR. "Did they hit the bunker?" Alistar asked covering his head from some rubble out of habit "Ya they did, they hit about a minuet or two after ACEs surrendered, we held for a bit but they breached the compound before you got back" Bear said moving back into the bunker Alistar following him "What was the point did they grab our intel?" Alistar asked closing a door behind him "No they did a smash and grab to put it bluntly, they grabbed Gates and left" As Bear finneshed Alistar looked at him shocked "They took her just like that? How did they do it?" "Well" Bear started as he opened the door to the command room "They breached the roof and dropped in killing the rifleman in here and grazing me grabbed Gates and left just as fast" As Bear was talking Alistar could see the open ceiling and rubble on the floor bodies in the corners and no Gates "Do you know where they took her?" "Ya the only place they can MCOR command in the town North East of here, but we cant give up the manpower here to take her back we need both our base and commander to win when the timer runs out in forty five minuets and the MCOR knows it. We're wining on points right now but if Gates isn't here in time we will only place second" "I'll go and get her" Bear looked shocked well as shocked as some one in full armor could "Are you serious?" "Yes I am look I can leave my titan here to help hold the base" "You are defiantly crazy, alone into the MCORs base of operations the best defended base in the game right now" "Do you have a better idea?" Bear took a second and said reluctantly "Fine go but no heroics we need you both back to win" "Both?" Alistar looked at him curiously "IF you make it the men are going to want to thank you before the replay not after, now go your running out of time" Alistar left the bunker and quickly found Storm and explained things to him "Be carful, and don't end up like last time" Storm called after him as he ran.
Quietly he moved from building to building looking for a computer to grab some plans of this town so that he could find Gates faster, walking into a building that looked like a library he hit pay dirt. He had found the comm room and it would have everything he needed, stepping over the door frame he could see who was in there better what looked like four rifleman and a man he only knew as Bish. He had been present serval times when he was questioned, he moved further into the room making his way to an unoccupied data terminal. Slowly lifting the keyboard with a little help from his data knife trying not to make any noise, activating the knife and putting it in the port he began searching the files for any info on the brig carful to keep a eye on his cloaking timer as not to get caught, he found what he was looking for the brig was in the middle of town and the system had a map of it to. Pulling his knife out of the computer he began to leave when he had an idea moving quickly he put his plan into action, checking that all was in place he began to move to where Gates was being held. Once inside he decided to deactivate his cloaking to save it for later, he followed the path in his HUD realizing that the hallways spiraled in until it made it to the cells. He didn't like using the halls as there was no way to hide from anybody in here but they were his only choice so he pressed forward, after a few minuets he could hear walking in front of him this was not the time he had only one more corner to go. Suddenly the foot steps stopped and they started again but this time faster they were running at him now he had to think fast, stepping up to the corner and waiting for the first rifleman. The rifleman rounded the corner at a jog stepping out he caught the first rifleman's gun in his left hand punching him with his right killing him instantly the other three rifleman ran past a little unable to control there momentum. Turning Alistar swiped his leg under the nearest one nocking him to the ground and grabbing his gun not wanting to waste his own ammo he took aim and fired once hitting his target, but before he could adjust his aim to the third one the man on the ground kicked him pushing him of balance making him drop the gun. The third man raised his weapon to fire but Alistar aimed a kick his way catching him in the knee forcing him to reach down and catch himself before hitting the floor, standing up at the same time as the second man he stepped back a little the rifleman followed his standing up by throwing a punch at him dodging the punch by side stepping he grabbed the man and jumped forwarded at the same time slamming him through the wall. Landing on the other side Alistar turned pulling his sidearm and taking aim and fired twice dropping the third man, looking down and seeing that the other man had died when he pushed him through the wall. Standing up he looked around to see he was in the cell room and in the cell in the far right corner was Gates "What the hell?" Is what she said after seeing what had just happened "You ready to go?" Alistar asked walking up to the control panel. Gates moved and began to say something but was cutoff "She's not going anywhere" Turning Alistar saw another four rifleman and "Commander Briggs" He said flatly. They stood in the hole he had made when he crashed through the wall "You seam to have caused a lot of trouble today" She said stepping over rubble, Alistar had an idea but the rifleman had to follow her into the room "What no reply?" she said motioning the rifleman to take his weapons, as they moved in he put his plan into action. Taking a step forward and kneeling he bowled a flash bang and a smoke grenade wile phase shifting at the same time, the rifleman fired bullets missing there mark as the flash bang and smoke went off rendering them blinded. Stepping out of the phase he fired four more times and the rifleman hit the floor Commander Briggs regretting not wearing a helmet coughing looking in the direction of the gun fire she ran forward hitting him head on nocking the pistol out of his hands, grabbing a knife from her vest and taking the proper stance she lunged forward aiming the knife at his ribs. Sidestepping he moved to grab her wrist but his foot got caught on one of the rifleman's body and had to take a stutter step to avoid falling, taking the opportunity as he was slightly bent over she adjusted her grip and brought the knife down in an over head swing. Rolling his weight over he could see her arm coming down and he reached for her wrist again this time he got it rolling her arm to above and behind her trying to force her to drop it or loosen her grip on it, after a moment of neither happening and the continued struggle he moved his free hand and put three fingers in her open mouth and pulled on her cheek forcibly turning her head making her drop the knife as she tried to pull his hand out. Once the knife hit the floor he let go as well but he had been supporting her weight so as he let go she fell to the floor, Briggs moved her head and could see the knife and began to move towards it reaching one arm for it BANG she stopped moving Alistar had grabbed his sidearm again and shot her before she got to the knife. "You ok?" He asked walking up to Gates's cell again "I feel like I should ask you the same thing" She said walking out of the cell once he shut it down "I'm fine we need to get back to base we only have fifteen minuets left" Was his response "Well I hope you have a plan to get out of here fast because we don't have time to do quietly" She said following him out of the room "I do I left a present in the comm room when I was looking for where they were holding you" He replied hefting a detonator in one hand "You'll blow up the comm room and we slip away in the chaos?" "Yes" "Well whenever your ready" She whispered as they took cover in the entry way "Once the blast goes off wait three seconds for them to get over there and then run" He said calmly lifting the detonator "Got it" She replied looking at the building "Three…. Two…. ONE" The explosion rattled the very ground they stood on and a fireball three or four times the size of a titan raced up into the sky "Wait.." Alistar said looking at the rifleman tenseness in both his body and voice "Now" They began to run South West as fast as possible.
Once they had cleared the minimum safe distance they slowed a little "I've been meaning to ask is Bear ok?" She called to him "He's good the entry team just winged him when they got you" He replied through heavy breaths, with that said they continued onwards. "Look sir over there!" The rifleman next to Bear said pointing to his left a little, Bear raised his binoculars to look and it was indeed them "OPEN THE GATE!" He yelled down at some rifleman a second or two later the 'gate' opened it couldn't hold a stiff breeze back but it was a boundary marker. He leaned out from the wall and shouted "RUN!" They tried to speed up but they looked spent "Come on only ninety seconds" He said to himself. Suddenly they stopped he began to wonder what they were doing and then Storm came running over the wall, when he made it to them he reached down and grabbed Gates and held her for a second looking at the camp Bear guessed what was coming and turned and called for medic to be on standby when he looked back he saw that his guess was actuate as Storm took two steps forward and hurled Gates the last two thousand yards or so she landed three seconds before the game ended. "Good timing" Alistar said to Storm as he carried him back "Yes it was, I'm glad this is a sim and not real I wasn't sure that she would live" He replied and continued walking "Are you serious? But we did that all the time" Alistar said in shock "That's true but its been awhile and you should know that I can get out of practice" "Well don't tell Gates that she wouldn't like it all that much" "Especially after that little conversation you two had" "What are you talking about" "That 'trust me' and her 'I do' Ha" "Shut up eh your seeing things that aren't there" They finneshed there argument as they crossed the wall and when they did the whole compound went quiet for a second Then they all began to cheer and celebrate Alistar joined in glad to see them happy at having won. After a few minuets the sim told them to exit before in shutdown, they all stopped and relaxed and one by one disappeared Alistar did the same and soon he was looking at the inside of the sim pod reaching up and pulling the manual release to open the pod. It took a seconded to open and decompress when it did he could see the 64 continuing there celebrations, as he stepped out of the pod a bunch of rifleman walked past him thanking him he shook there hands but he was confused as to why they were thanking him. Walking over to Gates he got more handshakes and thanks as he went before he could ask Gates she turned to him and offered her hand to him he took it still a little confused "You looked confused" She said when he didn't say anything for a second "I am a little" He replied "I don't get it I didn't do-" "You did do something" She said cutting him off "You got us to win we haven't won ever almost three hundred games and you helped us finaly win" She stepped back a little as she finneshed and the whole 64 erupted in cheers "Commander Gates, Cambel came with me" It was Sarah Briggs and Barker was with her a smile on his face. Gates said nothing but went along and so did Alistar. They walked in silence until they reached one of the debriefing rooms "Commander Gates I wou-" Sarah began but was cut of by Gates "With respect Commander Briggs I think that Cambel has earned his place in the Militia twice over, not only today by out thinking all of our top strategists but that day he agreed to come willingly and join. I think that all these questions are to much and he should be offered a position in one of the factions." When she finneshed Alistar was a little shocked at her outburst but he stepped forward "Ma'am I would like to say a few words" Sarah looked at him then said "Go ahead" "Thank you I would like to join and help in any way I can so I am willing to wait for your-" His words come to a sudden stop his body tensed up his eyes looking off to nowhere, after a moment or two his eyes rolled up and dropped to the floor "Alistar!" Gates said kneeling next to him trying to hold him down as his body began twitching violently "SOME BODY CALL A MEDIC!" Barker yelled as he knelt down next to Gates helping her hold him still. 'Alistar you promise me ok you promise that you won't go' images began flashing in his head 'The team has lost to much, promise you won't abandon the team' "Hold on kid" "Come on dam it, you didn't save my sorry arse to give up now hold on"