Ranger24: Okay got the new chapter up folks. Enjoy.
Chapter 3: Even more reunions
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Team Saxon came out the back end of the library near the edge of what looked like a major shopping center. The courtyard between themselves and shopping center was strewn with wrecked vehicles, and one massive hole in the middle of the courtyard. It was surrounded by busted vehicles, trash cans, and several bodies. Around them were several dead locust.
Calares frowned. "Gage, police those bodies."
"Yes sir!" The Britannia born soldier said rushing over to inspect the bodies.
"They're our's sir, looks like one of the patrols," Gage shouted. He bent down next one. "This ones holding some..."
He was cut off in midsentence. As he moved the hand of the dead man open, a grenade had slipped out of it and detonated. Gage was blown apart in an instant.
Then gun fire erupted around them! Locust came in from every direction guns blazing!
"Find cover and return fire!" Calares shouted!
Everyone ran for cover firing wildly. They took cover behind the wrecked cars cutting down the locust that got too close. Sniper rounds struck all around them. Lelouch glanced up at the the awening over the Shopping center's entrance to see three locust snipers firing off at them. Lelouch fired off a quick burst at one, but he missed.
The snipers had them pinned and they were being surrounded by the rest of locust and unable to fight them off.
"What do we do Colonel?" Smith shouted as he blind firing from the car he'd hidden behind.
Calares seemed at a loss for ideas and was more focused on reloading his rifle.
"Anyone have any grenades?" Lelouch asked.
Smith nodded pulling out two Sakuradite grenades.
"Okay we'll give you covering fire from the snipers. Toss your grenades at the enemy infantry." Lelouch said.
Smith nodded. "Yes sir."
Lelouch, Young, and Suzaku opened up on the locust snipers forcing them away from the awnings edge. Calares was to busy shooting at the locust in the courtyard to care about the snipers on the awning. Smith stood up and hurled the first of his grenades which landed in the midst of a group of locust blowing them apart! He then pulled and began to spin his second grenade. Just as he threw it however, a locust round struck him in the gut and he fell back with a cry. His grenade landed on it's target and destroyed more than half the remaining locust.
Young rushed over to Smith how was clutching at the bullet hole in his chest which was bleeding profusly.
"Fuck, they got me sir!" Smith moaned trying to block up the bleeding with his hands.
"Hold still soldier!" Young shouted.
Then a sniper round struck Smith in the throat. Young stared at the dead man he had just been trying to save. He swore violently and rose up to his feet firing off his MA55 in a mericless barage. With Smith's death Calares seemed to snap himself back to his senses. He grabbed Young by the shoulder and pulled him back down.
"Take cover sergeant or you're the next one to end up dead!" Calares barked..
"We're going to die anyways Colonel!" Young snapped back.
"Not yet." Lelouch suddenly cut in.
"What are you talking about Leuteniant?" Calares asked firing a burst up at the snipers.
"Those snipers are about to die." Lelouch said smirking.
Then from up above there came the sound of shattering glass. Everyone glanced up to see someone charging the sniper's weilding a M53 Combat shot gun. The newcomer opened fire with his shot gun blasting down the first sniper with ease. The second turned to face him only to get another shotgun shell to it's face. The third had time to pullout it's boltok revolver side arm and stake aim before it was gunned down by the shot gun weilding nut.
Suzaku, Calares, and Young blinked in suprise as the watched the newcomer lower his shot gun panting. Lelouch smirked.
"There were only three dead trooper's here. That meant there was a chance one member of this group was still alive." Lelouch explianed.
"Hey you guys from the base?" The soldier asked, his voice very famaliar to Lelouch and Suzaku.
"No we just arrived, we're looking for a group of Argent knights that are supposed to be in the area." Calares replied.
"Hang on I'm coming down." The soldier said grabbing onto what looked like a thing of flag streamer's that were drapped over the edge of the awning and slid down them. He landed on the ground and pulled off his helmet to reveal blue hair.
"Speacilist Rivalz Cardemode reporting for duty sir!" Rivalz said coming to attention in front of Calares.
The Colonel frowned. "What is a Speacilist doing out here?"
"Sir I'm a combat engineer. They thought they could use my help." Rivalz replied glancing at the other members of the unit. His eyes brightened when he saw Suzaku but they quickly darkened when they fell upon Lelouch.
"Why did you abadone these men here to die?" Calares asked pointing to what was left of the bodies of the members of the patrol.
"Sir when we were ambushed they ordered me to run and wait for back up, I've been here for the past half hour." Rivalz answered.
"We're looking a group of black knights near here, have you seen or heard anything?" Calares asked.
Rivalz shook his head. "No, my radio's out. I'm pretty sure of where the seeder's are though."
"And that would be?" Calares asked sharply.
"The botanical gardens, there half a block from here." Rivalz replied. "There's a lot of grubs over there and I saw a couple mortars go up from there."
"That's seeder's for you." Calares said smirking.
"We're making those seeder's our primary objective I take it?" Lelouch asked.
"Yes, we take those out and we find the Retrevial team and the resonator. That is if they are still alive." Calares replied. "Move out."
Lelouch smirked. "Knowing Kallen, they aren't dead yet."
They moved on up the block, Rivalz keeping a good distance from Lelouch, as though he was something contaminated. Lelouch really hadn't expect anything but cold anger from Rivalz. The young man had been like an annoying younger brother to Lelouch. When the truth came out Lelouch was Zero the shock amongst those that had known him was unmistakable. They had a mix of confusion, anger, and denial. This was the first time since his trial he'd seen Rivalz, Shirely, Nina, or Milly. Kallen had actually had the guts to visit him in prison. The meeting had been utterly silent, Kallen had just sat there staring at him until the prison guards forced her to leave.
They made their way down the block to the gardens only to find the doors sealed up by two steel bars.
"Stand back." Merlin said floating forward. One of his mechanical arms extend to reveal a blow torch. He began to cut away at the metal bars burning through with ease. The bars split apart and Suzaku smiled.
"Thank you Lyold." Suzaku said kicking the door to the gardens open.
They rushed inside the gardens to find a confused mess. Plants had over gorwn everything, but confusing paths had been cut through the jungle like growth. As they did however they heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire.
"Think it's the Retreival team," Suzaku muttered.
"Only one way to find out." Calares replied.
They rushed forward through the jungle like greenhouse to an area that appeared to be a sectioned off laboratory. The gun fire was even louder now and they could hear some one laughing amidst the gunfire. Once more the voice was familar to Lelouch.
"OH YEAH BRING IT! YOU GRUBS FIGHT WORSE THAN MOST OF THOSE BRITIANNIAN PUSSIES!" THe voice shouted amidst the gunfire.
"Sounds like someone is having a good time up there." Sergeant Young muttered.
They rushed up a flight of stairs and came out above a controled lab. Down below was a man wearing a black knight uniform with red hair, firing an MA55. All around him were dead locust.
"That must be him." Suzaku said.
Lelouch smiled. "Tamaki."
"You know him?" Suzaku asked.
"Of course the bastard's Zero." Rivalz growled.
"Glad to see you remember me Rivalz." Lelouch replied.
Suddenly a grenade landed in the room below! Tamaki jumped out of the blast radius barely in time. But as he recovered a half dozen locust stormed the room!
"Let's give that soldier some support." Calares said as he and Young opened fire on the locust below. Suzaku and Lelouch ran down the steps to join the fight in close as more locust forced their way into the room.
The moment the entered the lower room Suzaku swept out his chain sword and reved it up! He brought the whiring weapon across the neck of the first locust he encountered beheading it. A second tried to punch him but Lelouch blasted it's skull open with a blast from his MA55. Suzaku brought up his chain saw and slashed the arm off another locust. Then a fourth ducked his attack and slammed the butt of it's rifle into Suzaku's chest. Suzaku stumbled to the floor and the locust raised it's boot for the death blow!
Then it was blasted back by a shot gun blast from Rivalz. Rivalz pumped another round into his shot gun and blasted down a second Locust warrior as Lelouch pulled Suzaku to his feet. Rivalz blasted away with his shot gun at the entrance through which the locust had come from until his shot gun was empty.
As the last shell fell from his weapon Calares and Young rushed in. Lelouch pulled a groaning Tamaki to his feet.
"Are you alright Tamaki?" He asked.
Tamaki groaned rubbing the back of his head, then he looked at who had helped him. He did a double take staring at Lelouch his mouth fell open.
"Zero?" He whispered.
Lelouch nodded.
Tamaki stood there shaking for a moment. Then he gave a laugh and to Lelouch's alarm and ever lasting annoyance, pulled Lelouch into a bone crushing hug!
"DAMNIT! I KNEW THEY COULDN'T KEEP YOU LOCKED UP! ZERO'S BACK!" Tamaki screamed practically crying with joy.
"Tamaki... you're choking me." Lelouch hissed.
"Oh sorry sir." Tamaki muttered rubbing the back of his head again.
"Soldier," Calares said catching Tamaki's attention. "I'm Colonel Calares Argent Knights. Our mission is to recover the resonator your team recovered. Do you have it?"
Tamaki glared at Calares. "No I don't have it. I was sent to take out the Seeder's so we could get a break from the mortar strikes."
"How were you going to pull that off?" Rivalz asked.
Tamaki smirked. "With this."
He pulled up what looked like a TV camera, Suzaku and Calares took afew steps back in suprise.
"You have an orbital hadron cannon targeting lazer?" Suzaku said suprised.
Tamaki grined. "Yep. I just have to get close enough to them to use it."
"We'll assist you then." Calares said hefting his rifle.
Ranger24: I have to call it a day here folks. Here also marks the return of the good old tech review folks, enjoy.
Human gear:
MA55 Assault Rifle: Standard issue rifle of the all USC after E-day. Equpied with a mini scope, carrying a 45 round Magazine this assault rifle is used by almost all forces that fight the locust. The locust have been reported to have captured a few of such weapons but the reports are unconfirmed.
Sakuradite Grenades: Grenade's with a liquid Sakuradite blast normally used against heavy targets and E-holes.
DF (Short for Dragon-fire) Gunship: These multy purpose aircraft are the work horse of the forces fighting the locust. Armed with a forward 30mm machine gun standard. it's many models are speacilly tasked and can be armed with a variety of weapons or eequiped to carry anything from Infantry to tanks to Knightmare frames.
M53 Shot gun: A Britannian made combat shot gun. It's civilian model has been seen amongst the locust as close combat weapons.
Hadron cannon Targeting system: This infantry deployed weapon is used to allow the black knights system of Satelites to fire Hadron blasts into combat area's. But to get signal off it needs clear skys and the satlite actually being over head which only happens between noon and night fall.
Locust gear:
Locust Wretch: The weakest form of locust, these creatures normally travel in packs. They are physically weak and are often used as meat sheilds or scouts by the locust.
Locust Drone: The standard infantry of the Locust horde these warriors are as strong as any human and are at home on the battle feild. Armed with a vareity of weapons these warriors are the front line grunts.
Locust Reaver: Powerfull enough to go toe-to-toe with Knightmare frames and Allied aircraft these fast moving beasts are used by the Locust as air support and anti knightmare units. The pilot and gunner are exposed to the air but with the way the Revear's move they are difficult to hit.
Locust Corpser: Massive creature's used to dig many of the locust's larger tunnels these beasts are capable of crushing a knightmare in their powerfull talons.
Hammer Burst: The standard issued weapon of the Locust drone. These weapons are prone to jamming and are often poorly maintained. They make up for it these draw backs in fire power having deadly effect at medium ranges.
Boltok: A revolver and the common sidearm of the locust. The boltok has a nasty punch and a nasty recoil.
Ranger24: Well next chapter should be out by monday. Until then read and review.