28th June 2027

"Good news, boys!" said Elias the next day. "The US army has donated ten troops to our cause."

"That's great!" said David, standing up from the couch.

They arrived in their civvies later that day, just as the sun began to set. Captain Hedin lead them, with Lieutenant Corby as his deputy. Corporals Jast, Volker, Dickinson, Perceval and Underton backed up Sergeant Kevers, and Privates Stuart and Parsons completed the number.

"You've done good work here, Ghost," said Hedin, a dark-skinned giant of a man. He extended a hand for him to shake. "I look forward to working with you."

29th June 2027

Elias gathered the remaining Ghosts and the soldiers in the basement.

"Boys. Men. We have been betrayed.

"President Dickens has recently said he will not be firing ODIN without provocation. He will use it as a bargaining chip. He's giving in to these sickening savages.

"However, hope is at hand. I have the launch codes, thanks to Dickins' trust in me, and we can finally use this opportunity to put this right. Launch ODIN, and wipe the bastards out. We will have to kill the US troops surrounding the facility, yes, but those ten or so deaths will be worth it if we can secure this victory."

"What?" said Corby. "I'm not fighting my own country!"

"Corby, this is our final fight. We can end the war here and now- if you obey."

Corby stood up, and said, "No."

"These bastards have been fighting us for years; they'll never stop until every last man, woman and child is ash. Even before that, they were a social parasite on our society, dragging us down and making us the minorities in our own nation! Never again!"

Corby did not falter. "What? Nobody else has a problem with this bullshit? He's a racist piece of shit!"

Logan's head span with quivering panic. His dad would be disappointed in him... but what he was saying, he couldn't go along with that.

But they are parasites, aren't they? Taking their jobs, making sure Logan didn't get a job until he was 22...

Logan knew what he had to do.

"I do!" he screamed, and stepped forward.

Elias looked at his son with equal amounts disappointment and surprise.

"Jast, Perceval, please apprehend Shadow," he said calmly.

"No fucking way, man," said Jast. Perceval nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, fuck you, Elias," said Hedin. "This is some fucked up shit you're doing."

"I see. Dash, Spirit, lock 'em up."

Dash began to move, if reluctantly, but it was Spirit who made the move.

"No. No, I'm not. You racist prick."

Dash stopped after he said it, and walked back.

"Keegan, Merrick, if you would."

As both men carried assault rifles, it was impossible for the six of them to do anything. Hedin made a run for it; he got a rifle butt to the face for his troubles. He joined Jast, Perceval, Corby, Dash, Logan and Spirit on the floor.

"Kevers, Dickinson, stay here and put a bullet in them if they try to move. Actually, kill Hedin anyway."

"Kevers. Kevers, don't-"

Hedin never finished. His brain was splattered all over the couch, courtesy of Dickinson's pistol.

"Oh shit. Oh fucking shit!" screamed Jast.

Merrick, Wraith, Elias, Parsons, Kevers, Volker, Stuart, and Underton headed for the door. David glanced at his brother one final time, mouthed, "I'm sorry," and followed in his father's footsteps,

"Good news, you goons!" said Rorke, poking his head into the barracks.

"What?" asked Mendoza, as she pushed herself up.

"Turns out the US are building this orbital fucking missile weapon, and they're gonna bomb us into oblivion."

"Being carpet bombed to ash doesn't exactly sound like good news to me," said Vargas.

"Nah, but we know where its launch centre is. And we're gonna take it."

Elias had been gone for ten minutes. The bursts of gunfire had told them that the nearby guard outpost had been massacred. Abruptly, Kevers knelt down and began untying Corby's restraints.

"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Dickinson.

"What does it look like?" he said, as Corby was finally freed. "That guy was fucking mental."

Dickinson aimed his weapons. "You better back the fuck away, Kevers. I'm not disobeying-"

Kevers was quick. He drew his sidearm and put two bullets straight into Dickinson's head. It jerked backwards and his feet fell out from under him.

"Jesus Christ, man," muttered Dash.

As Corby and Kevers began untying the survivors, they began to discuss tactics.

"Okay, Elias is taking the helicopter we left about a mile away. He doesn't know we left two. Other's hidden, we can take that. Damn convenient, and I thought Hedin was being paranoid-" Corby stopped when he saw Kevers' eyes rest on Hedin's body.

"So we gonna put a bullet in this bastard's head or what?" asked Jast, and Logan shuddered.

Perceval pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and looked Logan in the eye. "We'll take him alive, if we can. You're doing the right thing. We're not murderers, Logan."

"Are we fucking going, or what?" asked Jast.