Prologue: Rise of the Terror Guard

Chapter 4: Operation Restoration

This chapter simply contains strong themes, whilst not in too much detail, it can still be recognized as dark. If you have a problem with such things. Other than that, have fun reading the new installment. :)


1300 hours, One Day after Griffon put on the MK V. Armor

The Point Man stood there with his hands behind his back, staring down at the table where a map of the city had been laid out for all to see. Betters was calling the shots on all of the operations taking place within Fairport. Right now he was setting up the briefing, and everyone that could be considered special forces was standing at the table. They were going to be given a mission of high importance, one that had no room for error. Soon Betters himself entered the room and made his way around the room passing folders to everyone. The Point Man immediately went and opened his, seeing the contents of the briefing laid out in front of his very eyes.

"Now, I know it's been a busy week for all of us. It's a little bit ridiculous to say that we need a break, as we could use a vacation from this. But we need to keep active, and move as if this was a warzone. Well, it is a warzone if you can't tell. The entire city is wrecked, and soon it'll be interstate. Not too long after that it will be international. We cannot allow that to happen. The backlash for the United States allowing such a thing to happen would be tremendous, and we would be looking at a lot of political warfare if not open warfare itself." Betters started with a soft sigh at the end, "We've intel that an SFOD-D squad code named Dark Signal has recently been diverted to Valkyrie Tower. After the explosion of the Origin facility they have been relocated to Auburn Memorial. You can all see where this is going."

"We're huntin' down Delta now, are we? You'd think we'd have better things to do, y'know, like our damned jobs. Alma Wade is out there running rampant throughout the city with little to no one to stop her." Griffon replied with a huff.

Betters continued, "And that is why, Griffon, we're deploying straight to Auburn Memorial as soon as possible. Armacham is doing something there with our Delta friends. Now, I can't say what is going on, but Armacham has been directly linked to Origin. We need to extract those boys before Armacham makes life a helluva lot more difficult for us. After we get them out of there, we'll be able to set our sights on something else. Something a bit more worthy of our time. Like containing Alma Wade."

Jin let out a rather demoralized laugh, "You don't contain Alma, sir. It just isn't something we can do. Anyone can do. There's little we can do about her, other than make sure she gets her revenge."

"Aye, it isn't like we can burn her corpse and hope that way of getting rid of spirits works. Chick's dead, and her body is vaporized already by that explosion. Only thing we can do is hope that her getting revenge puts her to rest. Otherwise? Otherwise we're fucked an' the world isn't too far behind." Griffon added on to Jin's concerns before shrugging, "Regardless, continue on with the plan. We need to get shit on the road before something else happens that isn't supposed to. Like maybe this little bunker of ours blows up."

Betters nodded, "The current plan I've come up with is simple. We split into two groups, S.E.A.R. will operate on the outside of the hospital whilst group F.E.A.R. pushes inside and searches for Dark Signal. The reason we're splitting into outside and inside groups is that there is a chance they'll be split up in there... A few could already be outside of the place for all we know. The inside group will hit likely areas where a squad member may be, and if they aren't there you will branch out and search the entire place. The outside group will do the same, though will be on constant patrol around a perimeter.

"Replica Forces are strong in the area, and word is ATC forces have begun to swarm the hospital. Let's not talk about Valkyrie Tower. ATC has that place locked down tighter than the German's had Auschwitz back in the big WW-2. No one is allowed to leave that place once they go there. They get reinforcements whenever they need them, and are resupplied on a bi-weekly basis. Given some time we will set our sights there, but for now we're going to have to worry about the hospital.

"Auburn Memorial is a rather easy job for us. The Replicas are the major threat on the outside, and on the inside the only real threat is ATC. They're easily disposed of, though, as our intel suggests that they have nothing major in terms of armament in there. Maybe a few squads of Black Ops are in there, including their pyros to more or less prevent any information leaks."

Griffon chuckled, " 'Easy' and 'Black Ops' don't mix well together, sir. If we're going to be hitting the hospital we better expect the worst. If Armacham is there, so are the Replicas and that demon." He stated as he glanced over at the corner where he had saw the figure of a young girl watching them.

She seemed rather amused by his statement. His accusation of her being a demon. In reality she could be seen as something much, much worse than that. A demon had a leash; something holding it back from wreaking havoc on a global scale. That girl, on the other hand? She had nothing holding her back any longer. She could do as she pleased... especially with the army of clones in her grasp. Armacham had done something extremely foolish, whether it be intentional, or otherwise. The little psychic commander business wasn't exactly the brightest idea when considering they had a very powerful entity who had the same abilities as their commanders, only much stronger, who just so happened to hate them and everything they stood for.

"Good point." Rodney said with a shrug, "Alright. So prepare for a lot of fighting. It may get hairy down there, but I know all of you are competent enough to make it work. I don't want anyone lost on this mission. We're not getting any help from the Government. At least, not for awhile. They've set up a quarantine zone, making sure this incident doesn't break out and go national, let alone international."

"They won't contain us for long..." Griffon heard Alma whisper softly, and upon glancing over to her previous location he noted her absence. "Find him... Becket... And prepare..."

The man looked around to see if anyone else was hearing that, but the only one who seemed to be keyed in on the situation was Point Man. He was glaring over at Griffon, and the Scot swallowed harshly before looking over at Rodney to listen to the briefing wrap-up. It wasn't much, just Rodney running through the exact mission objectives, as well as the layout one more time. Griffon and his group were to be on the outside providing a perimeter, whilst F.E.A.R. operatives and a few potential recruits for F.E.A.R. would be inside. It almost made Griffon chuckle, thinking about how F.E.A.R. would be doing something they usually did. Gather information and clean out the place. Alas, the man kept it composure and simply walked away once dismissed.

He couldn't help but wonder what Alma had meant. He was to find one of the Delta Squad members they were already tasked with finding, and prepare. Prepare for what? There already was a nuke released in the city. The entire state of the city had been quickly deteriorating with each passing moment. There was nothing to prepare for! At least, nothing that they hadn't already done. Having found out everything about Alma though, he couldn't help but want to follow her orders. The woman needed revenge. He supported that fact more than anyone else ever would. The only difference is how he'd go about it. Slaughtering everything between her and them was not the way. Hell, she almost killed her own son multiple times. Wasn't that the main reason for all of this bullshit?


2000 Hours, Perspective: S.E.A.R. Team

"Command, this is Hornet, S.E.A.R. is inbound to the drop point," Hornet notified the officers back at base, "Replica forces have begun to amass around the target destination. Dangerous LZ. Over."

"Roger that, Hornet, stay safe out there and RTB for refueling. You'll not be providing air support today. Command out." The operator replied with his thick southern accent.

"Wasp, this is Hornet, what's your status? Over." Griffon heard the Pilot ask as he and his men stood in perfect silence, preparing for the deployment. He had the advantage with the gear he was wearing. They were still wearing their basic equipment. Susceptible to more damage than he was.

The radio kicked on with harsh feedback, the sounds of the miniguns on the helicopter going off as the men of F.E.A.R. disembarked. "Hornet, this is Wasp. We've landed on the hospital's roof to be met with heavy ATC resistance. We're clearing them out, though. We're going to need some repairs after our RTB, though, over."

"Copy that. Drop them and run, they'll handle the rest." Hornet replied, "Meet you back at home, Hornet out. Alright boys, we're dropping Griffon off first to make absolutely sure everything on the ground is calm so we can land. You'll disembark, and then you're going to be alone for awhile. Command doesn't want too much radio chatter in case they get traced. Anything you need, you'll relay unto me. I'll tell them. You know our nest is a ways away from HQ."

"Understood, pilot. Just be on call, we may need a speedy extraction." Griffon replied with a huff.

The Pilot chuckled, "Indeed. You've got a green light, Griffon."

The man didn't say another word, and hopped out of the helicopter. It was a fall that would have killed anyone. At least, anyone not in a heavily powered suit of armor that promoted exceptional resistance to most things, as well as amazing agility. He slammed into the road below, cracking it and even breaking two boot-sized holes in it. He stepped up from his current location and looked around. He switched through his various sights and saw nothing. Well, save for the little girl pointing down the road.

"You must find him..." She whispered.

"This is Griffon, you're clear Hornet. There's nothing down here but debris from the explosion." The man informed his pilot before readying his rifle.

It didn't take too long for the helicopter to drop the rest of S.E.A.R. off and fly away. There wasn't any real resistance in the air right now. Everything was grounded due to the still-falling debris. The fact Hornet and Wasp were able to fly at all was a true wonder, though in reality it was due to their modified blades and engines. They were designed to weather through things most helicopters would choke upon.

"Alright, S.E.A.R. Time to go on patrol." Griffon said as he started walking, "I'll be in front. I want Corporal Megan to be in the middle. The rest of you form a defensive position around her."

"Roger that, sir!" Roddy, Griffon's second in command, stated in acknowledgement as he and the other members of S.E.A.R. fell into place.

"Command, this is S.E.A.R. We've landed, and are starting our patrol now. How copy?" Griffon hailed to Command.

"S.E.A.R., this is Command. We acknowledge that you've landed, and are beginning your patrol. Keep comms from here on out clear unless absolutely. Out." The man replied.

The man chuckled as he looked around the hellish landscape. "Alright lads, let's make this a good run. Nothing too stressful. When we get back I'll buy you all a beer."

"Buy us one? Hell, I doubt Betters will let us get any." Roddy stated with a chuckle.

"Aye. Cut the chatter now." Griffon ordered.


2010 Hours Perspective: F.E.A.R. Team

The Point Man knew exactly what he was doing. The fact that he had an entire team with him was just something that could be pushed aside as precautionary on Betters' part. The only good thing about the team was Jin was officially on it this time. He'd be working along side her, not alone and separated from perhaps the best medic he had ever known. The man was a soldier through and through, that meant he had seen a lot of medics in his time. Usually after long engagements.

However, the firm resistance they had encountered on the rooftop was something that even halted the man's progress. He had cleaved through an entire battalion of Replicas, more or less, and came out with relatively no wounds. That went to show how good ATC's Black Ops units were. Unfortunately, they weren't the best. No, the best would have to be the Point Man and the two Encounter teams. Why? Well...

The Point Man hopped up from cover, his reflexes kicking in as the adrenaline flowed throughout his body. Everything slowed, and the man could easily maneuver around the bullets that were shot at him. To the others, he was moving insanely fast. Fast enough that a normal person would never be able to achieve such a feat. Before the remaining four Black Ops soldiers knew it, they were shot down by the man and the corpse closest to the door got kicked through it. The strength of the kick was enough to break his body as it, along with the reinforced metal door that just got torn from its hinges, fell inside.

He kept his rifle pointed at the doorway, and made a hand signal to tell the rest of his team to move in behind him. He was the Point Man, after all. They made their way down the steps, having a rough idea of where they should begin their search. Dark Signal was reported to be around the main and below-main floors. That narrowed their search down, and Point Man was rather glad as Auburn Memorial was a rather decently sized hospital. It would take them hours to search every nook and cranny there was. But with the levels they needed to search being confirmed by intelligence, this limited their search time down to an hour, maybe three at most.

There wasn't much interference within the stairwell itself, as ATC had better things to be doing within the hospital. There was plenty of projects that needed to be disposed of, especially with Dark Signal being within the hospital. If they discovered half of the things that ATC had been doing, they'd be obligated to take it to their superiors. That was something no one within Armacham wanted, since it would bring the wrath of the world down upon them. Such things weren't good for business, nor its people's survival.

They had finally reached the main floor, and that was when Point Man stopped the team. Jin knew what he would say, and since she was appointed as the Team Leader, she was the one who issued the orders to the team. It was just better that way, especially since the Point Man didn't like to speak to anyone, let alone an entire squad. The woman lowered her rifle and looked at the members of the team, thinking about how best to go about it. She had a Point Man, along with four other operatives; potential F.E.A.R. recruits.

"Alright, Thomas, Gregory, you're coming with me. Gregory will take point. We're making sure this floor is secure. Michelle, Logan, you're going with the Point Man to make sure the lower level is secure. We'll meet each other on the third floor down. Understood?" Jin ordered the men.

"Yes, ma'am!" Michelle, the team's potential tech expert, stated in acknowledgement.

"We're on you." Thomas, the team's support specialist replied as they all formed up behind their respective leaders.

"It's not exactly a standard F.E.A.R. operation. It's usually better to all be together, but we need to get this hospital secured before they burn the place down. That requires us to split up. Michelle, I want you to maintain constant radio contact with me. If we're to do this effectively we're going to need to know what happens, no matter how minor, each second it happens. The only time radio silence is permitted is when you are engaging an enemy, or if Command decides to contact us." Jin informed the woman with a huff, "Come on. Let's get going boys." She said before opening the door, Thomas taking the lead.

When Michelle and Logan looked at where the Point Man had been, they discovered that he was missing. There was only one place he would have gone, and so they started to descend the stairs as well. They were somewhat worried about the operation. It didn't seem like it would be normal at all, especially since the lobby had several bodies gored and strewn across the floor and walls. This looked liked it would be something out of a nightmare...

When they reached the next level down they saw the Point Man waiting for them. He didn't speak, but as soon as they were there behind him he moved into the hallway. It was dark down here, as there was no light shining in from anywhere outside. They were surrounded by dirt and reinforced cement, if not steel. The only lights that penetrated the hallways were from the broken, shattered, and stained light bulbs. Such poor lighting left many portions of hallway to be darkened, with the only light visible being that of the patch further down the hall. It was something that was repeated a lot during these encounters.

"You know, haven't we tried contacting them through their communications?" Logan asked as he looked around the hallway, the only one maintaining proper protocol being the Point Man.

Michelle shook her head, "From what I understood... we couldn't until we got close enough. And I guess Betters didn't want to bring the equipment to patch into military signals so close to danger."

"But we are the military... That shouldn't be a problem." The twenty-one year old man grumbled.

"Just keep moving... we should be quiet lest we alert people to our presence." Michelle said in a hushed voice as they pressed on through the hallways.

The Point Man easily blocked the two of them out of his head. They weren't saying anything important to the mission, and if he were obligated to speak he would have shut them both up. No, that would have broken protocol. Something he wouldn't do unless the situation absolutely demanded it. Instead, he kept on moving silently, checking any corners he found and making sure he knew the darkness was secure. This floor was much worse than the lobby. The stairwell had been blocked half-assedly, but this? Entire hallways were cut off by either rubble from the building, or rubbish put together by scared staff and perhaps soldiers trying to be smart and funnel people directly to them.

The choking smell of smoke mixed with blood also filled the place. Sure enough, after some time they passed multiple rooms filled with fire. Flames started by the corpses of ATC operatives that littered the area. The two following him flinched in disgust, but the Pint Man kept on pushing on. There was no time for such things. Now it was a matter of following the corpses, of which there was a lot... but a trail could be seen by the perceptive. Or those who killed an entire battalion of Replicas. Give or take.

It wasn't long at all until they reached the morgue. Blood everywhere, the containers that held the bodies wide open... The Point Man didn't see any hostiles and merely looked at an elevator where two sets of footprints led. A man's, particularly a man who wore boots... And a little girl's footprints.

"Hey, guys." They heard Jin hail over their communication devices.

"We read you loud and clear, ma'am. What is it?" Logan asked as he looked around the place, his voice distorted slightly by his disgust.

It was a moment before they heard the woman answer, "We've patched into the security cameras. We caught ATC before they could take them out. We see you right now. I had Thomas rewind the footage by twenty minutes. Our guy went up to the Third Floor."

"The Third Floor? More walking?" The man groaned before keying his headset, "Understood. Orders?"

"You're going to have to get up there, if you want to complete the mission. The feed's been cut up there. All I can see is the entry way to the bathroom, which allowed me to see our guy is active up there. Get moving before it's too late. We've heard from S.E.A.R. They're taking heavy fire from ATC and Replica forces. They've hunkered down in a convenient store a few blocks down from here. And by heavy fire, I mean heavy," The woman replied before sighing, "Get there. We'll be looking for a way out."

"Affirmative. Moving to the Third Floor. Is the elevator intact?" Logan asked as Point Man pressed the button.

"It should be. Just be careful... and stay alert. We'll watch your ascension to make sure you don't get your rope cut off." Jin informed them.

"I don't think that is possible..." Michelle said softly as she shook her head, "It's too thick."

Jin chuckled lightly, "You don't know what we deal with daily, then. Good luck."

Logan looked over at the Point Man and sighed, "Well, she's reassuring..."

Michelle nodded slowly, "When we reach the top floor, we should be prepared for anything that Armacham throws at us. What are the chances the Replicas have breached the facility?" She asked Logan.

The man thought about her question for a moment before shrugging, he hadn't a single clue. He had been deployed against Replicas before, but it wasn't a matter of experience or not. Technically speaking, the Replicas shouldn't even be a concern with Paxton Fettel having been killed. But they were, and it troubled him. That meant there was another Psychic Commander in the playing field.

The elevator came crashing to a stop, causing both Michelle and Logan to fall against the walls of the elevator. Michelle barely kept herself standing, whilst Logan slammed his head against the wall and fell down so he was sitting down with his back pressed against the wall. The man groaned, gently rubbing his head and praying his thanks to God for his helmet. The Point Man remained completely still, and sighed as he realized the elevator door was closed. He looked up at the service hatch and got to work.

This gave the two soldiers time to recover from their rather traumatic experience. When an elevator came to a stop, it came to a stop. The breaks had been engaged too quickly, almost instantly to cause such chaos. Logan slowly managed to stand up, and at that time the Point Man had already opened the elevator hatch. Bodies were falling down the elevator shaft towards them, being dumped from somewhere further up. The Point Man ignored them as he got to work prying the door open. It looked like they were on the Second Floor...

Logan gasped as one of the bodies landed straight in the elevator with them. Michelle had her back towards the middle of the elevator, so all she heard was the sickening clunk and splat that was inevitable of a body landing from a high fall. Logan looked down at himself, now covered in spots of blood everywhere but his legs, which had taken a true splash. The body was that of a young man, no older than the age of thirty. He had been cut in two, with various viscera trailing out of his body. His spine was seen very clearly, and the blood that poured out was insane. Logan had never seen such a thing, and it made him want to be sick. Unfortunately for him, he wanted to be a part of F.E.A.R. more than he wanted to relieve his stomach of its stress. This is why Jin told him not to eat that burger before they were deployed...

"Come on, Michelle. I'll boost you up there, and then you can help me get up. I don't like being trapped in this metal death box." Logan said softly as he used his foot to slide the bloodied corpse away from the middle of the elevator compartment.

The woman nodded and walked over to him as the man readied to boost her up, cupping his right hand with his left to provide better support. He nodded to tell her that he was ready, and she rushed up to him, placing her foot in his hands and with his help she jumped up onto the top of the elevator. She saw the bodies and sighed lightly before turning around and offering the man his hand. He quickly took it, and with the Point Man's help, they pulled the man up and he closed the elevator hatch.

The Point Man had finally pried the elevator shaft door open and hopped up. There was only a small step between the roof of the elevator, and the floor of the second level of the hospital. Soon the three of them were together on solid ground. Michelle sighed as she saw the floor level, and Logan tilted his head. He didn't understand why she was so disgusted of the floor they were on, and even the Point Man had a disgusted looking expression on his face.

"W-What's wrong?" He asked quietly as he looked around.

"Maternity Ward..." Michelle replied softly, "Didn't you read the layout?"

The man slowly shook his head, adopting the expression of his two teammates. "Negative... I was forced to do drills by some higher ups. I didn't have too much time to read every single detail, so I quickly read past everything that didn't seem important."

"Let's get moving. The less amount of time we spend in this place, the better. I don't want to know what we may find in here..." The young woman said softly before the trio set out down the hall, the Point Man taking the lead.

Already the horrors of the ward were evident. The corpses of nurses and doctors alike littered the ground. It was a damned massacre. The worst part of it was imagining what the rest of it looked like. If this is what happened to the caretakers of the facility by Armacham... what did they do to the patients? If not Armacham... what did she do to them? Logan had some very bad feelings about where they were. As did the Point Man. He may have been a super soldier, but he wasn't immune to the traumatic effects that such sights may impose upon normal humans. He wasn't completely heartless like many would think. Harlan and his scientists didn't get that far with him. They only made him have an issue with talking, a complex that made him feel like he would get tortured if he spoke a single word. Having witnessed the man's death back in the facility, however... he felt a breath of relief. Like he was able to talk to whomever, and whatever he wanted. Maybe he could confront Alma the next time they met. He knew there would be a next time. After all, she was his mother. Why would she just let him go so willingly? Especially after everything she put him through.

As they progressed through the hall the lights that were doing a very poor job at this point cut out. They were plunged into darkness, and this set the three on high alert. It could have been an ambush by Armacham, or by the entity stalking these halls looking for one man. They didn't know her intent, but they knew she was here. They had seen the video feeds, they had the intelligence from Armacham. Alma Wade was within the building. There was no doubt about it. Logan moved his assault rifle back and forth, worrying about what may have been stalking the halls in the dark alongside them.

"I know who you are..." They heard a voice say as deafening static filled their ears. "Help me get my revenge... help me find him..."

"Who are you?" Michelle called out, but she didn't receive an answer. All they received was the lights turning back on, and a silhouette of a little girl of ash fell to the ground into a pile.

Where the other two felt weirded out, scared about what they had just encountered, the Point Man didn't mind it too much and pressed on. He wasn't going to halt until they reached Becket. That was their mission. That was what they were going to accomplish. They wouldn't help Alma out in any way by getting Becket for her. That was dangerous, as she obviously wanted the man for some reason, and knowing her it was a very bad reason. Something that would threaten the safety of not only the nation, but likely the world. Though he didn't know that little fact. He didn't know his mother's plans. She could be cooking anything up in that rage-filled mind of hers, that she didn't allow anyone to delve into. Not even Paxton Fettel, whom she had betrayed in the very end. Only using the cannibal as a means to set her free, completely free so that she may reign supreme over the Replicas and the people of Fairport. At least... she hadn't allowed anyone to search within her thoughts and plans up to this point. She still hadn't released any information about her plans... But the time where she became transparent to some was nearing the present. All she had to do was plant the seeds for everyone to fall under her rule. She needed Becket. The man would prove to be a lot more than just a mere pawn like her son, or a warrior like the entirety of S.E.A.R. and F.E.A.R. No... even most of them proved to be more valuable than mere warriors. They would be up there with her and Becket. They would help her and the man lead the armies she planned to forge. United, all of them would achieve righteous justice and vengeance upon the world. Alma was going to make Armacham pay for all those they had wronged, and then... And then the world would suffer for its crimes. But that was a mere fantasy in a deceased psychic's mind.

"Fuck!" Michelle groaned as she quickly averted her eyes from the right side of the hall, "No!"

The Point Man looked over and growled, cursing in his mind as he saw what had caught the woman off guard. To say it was enough to traumatize even the Point Man himself would be an understatement. Immediately he pushed the other two forward, not wanting them to see it. Michelle had already caught a good glimpse, and Logan did as well in passing. What they all saw sickened them to their very core. It was a hospital. They were in a maternity ward. What kind of monster could do such things to creatures that couldn't speak nor have any form of information contained within their little minds? They were slaughtered, all them in ways that made a bullet look merciful. The Point Man knew it wasn't Alma's work, though the others weren't so sure in their minds. Knife and scorch wounds were covering the bodies of the infants as they lay in their incubators. Blood soaking everything in the room, along with scorch marks on the walls and a still-burning fire in the corner of the room. What no one knew was the true purpose of this hospital. It was a staging ground, a testing ground... those children were far from any normal child they could expect. Regardless of that fact, it didn't sit well with either of the three.

Despite having seen what they did, they continued down the halls which twisted and turned with each new path leading to either form a circle to the way they had come from, or to a new area of the second floor. Regardless, they had awhile to go yet before they were on the third floor, which was where they needed to be. Regardless of what they had seen, they kept pushing on, albeit by the Point Man's own will by pushing them forward, effectively taking up the rear rather than the point. It didn't matter at this point, he needed to keep them moving and the only way that was going to happen was if he kept them moving. He had seen a lot worse things in his time, though such a thing was never easy to see. Especially for someone like him, who could sympathize with the deceased. Armacham was brutal, they were violent and often didn't care about the feelings of anyone. His training regiment was rough, and escalated to the point where it was a fight to the death. He had slaughtered countless men in the pit Harlan had made for him. His brother Fettel... He didn't know what atrocities they put him through. Fettel was always a lot more like their mother rather than the Point Man himself. The Point Man was a warrior, someone that Alma could have chosen to connect to more than usually, but refrained from doing so. Perhaps that was because she didn't want to use the Point Man like she seemed to have used Fettel? She didn't care that the man was dead. Didn't care about the bullet put into his head.

Otherwise, the Point Man more than likely wouldn't be alive right now. Regardless, he could see the emotional impact the sight was taking on the two. It wasn't good to keep it that way without addressing it. Especially since they were deployed and in his care. If he wanted two useful comrades he'd have to do something they'd listen to, and respect. They were only but a few feet away from the entrance to the staircase leading up to the next level when the two quit out on him. They just stopped, dead to the world. The images from what they had seen were burnt into the minds, more than likely permanently. They weren't like the Point Man. They didn't have the ability to push such things aside. They were people trying to make it through a warzone, and he was inclined to help them. If they wanted to see their careers in F.E.A.R. through to the end... they would have to get used to worse images than that being planted in their minds.

"They... T-They..." Michelle gasped before shaking her head, "Who the fuck could do something like this?!"

"Armacham is fucked up... If this is what these people do to the young, what the fuck are they going to do to the rest of the world?!" Logan asked before the Point Man grabbed them both by their shoulders and pushed them over to the wall.

The man looked between the two who were still pale and had expressions of confusion and disgust plastered on their faces. "We need to find Sergeant Becket before Armacham does. We need to secure him. Forget your personal thoughts and feelings, and focus on the mission. If we do not succeed here, Becket will die a painful death, and this will more than likely escalate to eventually having each child in the world end up like this, or worse. They are gone. Focus on making their murderers pay, and keep your mouths shut, and your eyes scanning. The staircase is up ahead. We have almost accomplished the miss-" The Point Man began to say before a loud explosion cut him off, sending him flying back down the hallway a few feet.


Fifteen Minutes Earlier, Perspective: S.E.A.R. Team

"Roddy! Drop your fucking cock and get on the line! I need to fuckin' reload!" Ajax shouted over to the man behind the checkout counter of the gas station they were dug in at as he rushed over to take Roddy's place.

The man had run from his position at the counter and down at one of the craters a grenade left in the flooring, where Griffon and Michelle were at. Luckily the worn down building provided the Replicas and ATC Troops to only attack them from one position, well, at least until they breached the other walls. The gas pumps outside had long since been exploded, leaving fire and craters all over the parking lot, and a fuck-ton of rubble covering the ground. The pillars of smoke that were rising into the air were thick, and one could almost expect such a thing to kill off everyone if the 'nuke' didn't do the trick. That wasn't the case though, and it had no impact on the fight other than creating a tough obstacle for the enemies to get over. The sounds of guns firing filled the air, so much so that one could hardly hear their comrades shouting. Roddy readied himself beside his leader and started firing on targets designated by the man.

They had been at this for about an hour now, and there hadn't been any sign of SFOD-D personnel anywhere near them. Their patrol had ended half-way through, and now it was turning into a survival mission more than anything. The Replicas seemed less interested in them than the ATC grunts, though, which was worth noting as the clones seemed to actually be helping them somewhat. It was odd, but regardless they fired on both sides as they couldn't trust either of them. Corpses lined the streets, and one of their newest recruits had been killed on the way to the gas station. The poor young man couldn't handle being fired upon, apparently, and sacrificed himself for no reason other than to take an easy way out. He took fifteen or so of the fuckers with him, though, as he went out with a bang quite literally...

"Sir! At this rate we're going to run out of ammo!" Roddy shouted as he looked over at Griffon, "What's the plan?!"

"You think I have a plan?! My plan is to make sure all of our asses survive this mess! I already lost one man, I'm not losing any more!" Griffon replied loudly as he aimed dow his sights and took a shot.

He was in his suit of armor, and had more resistance than most. That did not mean he was invincible. Such a thing meant he was taking cover as much as everyone else, but using the advanced options his suit gave him to their advantage. It had proven itself useful, especially in this firefight where visuals were shit to say the least. It was then he heard a voice which made him look behind himself briefly.

"They know who you are. Quit killing them, and allow them to help you..." He heard the girl say, even though she was nowhere to be found. The man groaned at her cryptic words before turning back and firing at the ATC soldiers specifically, who were stuck in their advance. They weren't soldiers really, but more like mercenaries. Guns for hire. About the only thing ATC could actually throw at the world other than their Black Ops teams.

"Shoot for ATC only! The Replicas aren't our enemies during this fight!" He called out to his team, and they listened, albeit with some hesitation.

None of them liked the idea of fighting alongside the Replicas. They were controlled by some commander they didn't know. Well, they all had their hunches and ideas. Alma Wade was set free from the facility she had been kept in for years. What other person could take control of the armies of Replicas Armacham had been manufacturing like they were nothing. Regardless of their ideas, they didn't dare disobey their Team Leader. They didn't want to piss Griffon off. As soon as their fire on the Replicas had ceased, they noticed that they were changing their targets to the ATC. It seemed that someone was right about one thing, and that was the simple fact that the Replicas had a new master. Such teamwork between S.E.A.R. and the Replicas caused the ATC Mercs to back off, along with any actual personnel accompanying them. They didn't stand a chance between the two.

The gunfire didn't cease, though it grew much more distant than it had been. The war-torn convenient store was being used as a regroup and recovery station for the S.E.A.R. team whilst four Replicas walked over to Griffon, who had been looking around and on guard with Roddy and Michelle. The Replicas were simple Troopers, though they held important information for the Scotsman.

"Sir, we've been ordered to inform you of Sergeant Becket's whereabouts." The Trooper stated, "He's leaving the hospital and is making his way straight down a warzone. Our men there have strict orders to kill any on sight, and they aren't going to get revoked. You will have to take control of the situation, as your team in the building has been fed false information."

"What?" Griffon asked as he looked down at where the Replica's eyes would have been. "Where the hell are they? Why were they fed false information?"

The Replica nodded, "We understand your concern, and inquiry. Your team has been compromised. Armacham Personnel have infiltrated and joined the F.E.A.R. team led by Rodney Betters, at the man's request."

"Bullshit, Betters would never do something that retarded." Roddy grumbled before all of the Replicas and Griffon looked over at him, the latter looking back at the Replicas and speaking. "How do we know what you are saying is true?"

One of the Replicas passed a file over towards the lead in the group, who handed it directly to Griffon. "We've secured these files during our assault on the Valkyrie Tower." The clone explained, "That file contains all you need to know. Genevieve Aristide ordered it to be so. That is all we can do to help you out, anyway. We've secured no further intelligence."

Griffon opened up the file and immediately was surprised by what he saw. If he hadn't had his helmet on they would all have seen his jaw drop. "We need to get to the F.E.A.R. team if this is true. They're in danger."

"We can offer several different means of transportation. We've helicopters in the area that can escort you, power armor units ready to assist, anything you need we've the orders to give." The Replica replied before hearing his radio click on.

"Charlie Six, report in." The voice of Replica Command stated.

"Charlie Six, reporting." The Replica said as he continued to stare at Griffon.

Replica Command once again chimed in with a monotone, "We've detected Armacham reinforcements on their way from facilities outside of the city. Prepare for a fight, and get your men into position."

"Yes sir." The Replica said before motioning for Griffon, "Follow us. We need to get you to that helicopter immediately before reinforcements pour in around the area. They're trying to break our offensive, and burn a path to Still Island."

"Come on S.E.A.R.! We are leaving!" The Scotsman called out before following the Replica, "What do you mean? What's at Still Island?"

The Replica shook his head, "Another ATC Facility within Fairport. As we speak, most of our forces have been deployed there to act as a defensive barrier against Armacham, shooting down anything that is not one of us, or cleared by Command."

Griffon sighed, "You can't give me anymore than tha'?" He asked.

"Negative. It is not our duty to know. Our job is to find, retrieve, and secure Sergeant Michael Becket for immediate transport back to Still Island before Armacham does the same." Six stated with a tone of voice and pace that made him very brief.

"Then why are we supposed to get Becket? It doesn't make a lick of sense, trooper." Griffon groaned as he looked around at the corpses and smoke.

The Replica simply shrugged as they reached a relatively clear patch of the road, "Thinks aren't supposed to make sense in combat. You're just here with a mission, and are expected to get it done. We're here to do the same thing as you, so I would suggest we work together and get moving. The Replicas you meet on your way to find Sergeant Becket will not be friendly, as I've stated before, so you will have to shoot them without hesitation. They only recognize Command, and one other as friendly, though that one other does not know that, and so they're forced to fight back."

"Becket." Griffon replied grimly as they saw the helicopter. "Alright. Well, I wish you guys luck in keeping Armacham back. I'm going to secure Becket and bring him back to our base now."

"Negative, you are to retrieve him and bring him to Still Island." The Replica stated matter-of-factly before looking around, "Farewell, S.E.A.R. Leader Griffon." The clone said before rushing off with his men following as the helicopter came to a landing.

The Scotsman shook his head, "Right..." He muttered rather dismissively before watching the helicopter finally land.

"Sir! Are we really going to trust these guys?! We've been fighting them for quite awhile now! I don't think they can be trusted!" Roddy asked over the loud noise that was the propellers of the helicopter.

"Negative! Trust has nothing to do with it, Roddy! But our choices are rather limited at the moment! We've got an army of bad guys, plus some ghost bitch huntin' us down! It's not like we can take them all on, even with this damned armor I'm wearin' at the bloody moment! Now let's get movin', I don' wanna be here by the time those fuckin' reinforcements arrive, an' we've a damned long night ahead of us if we want to get to Becket before those clones do!" Griffon grumbled as he and the rest of S.E.A.R. walked up to the Replica helicopter and boarded it.


3 minutes since the explosion at the Hospital, Perspective: Unknown

An Andra FD-99 Submachine Gun, 50 rounds per mag and a nice choice between burst fire and fully automatic. It suited every possible moment I could see myself getting into. Just in case it didn't fit the bill of every situation, I had my trusty ACM46 pistol to back the both of us up. 18 rounds per mag, semi-auto... and a fuck ton of adrenaline-induced reflexes within myself, and you had a deadly trio of military hardware. I wasn't good by any means, especially when it came to combat, but I knew my shit thanks to those in my past life before all of this bullshit went down. I readied my weapons, making sure they were all easily accessible before continuing on. That damned hospital was getting to me, especially after regrouping with some of my squad-mates to realize they were dead. Fucking slaughtered, and all for what?

The air within the building was choked with death, and smoke. It was burning to the ground, and within days all that would be left is the non-flammable parts of the structure. Everything within it would be seared to char and ash. Not to mention I felt like something was stalking my every move within its walls. Regardless of what I felt, and how sore I was from whatever the fuck it was that Armacham did to me, I knew I had only one choice and so I pushed forward.

Armacham. Fucking assholes. From what I saw, it seemed like they were fighting each other, and that never was a good thing for an organization to do. These soldiers I was fighting, mercenaries, they wanted Aristide, and were performing some form of operation to burn each piece of intel from the place. At the time, I didn't really know too much about why they were doing what they were... but I was making sure to stop that as best as I could. Those datapads... downloaded to my HUD.

My only chance to get out of this place was to move down, or to surrender and leave in a body bag of course. I had been tracked down by a few Replica clones... I think that's what they call them. They were tough to lose, but I managed to escape by pulling off a stunt I didn't think I'd actually land. Jumping out of a window and into another one was something ripped straight out of the movies. They probably wouldn't be fooled for too long, and so I had to move. The only problem with that was the small fact I had no way down. The staircases were covered in rubble, or something cleverly placed there by those trying to keep the mercenaries out. I said clever, not effective. My only way was to get back to the elevators, and that meant risking more confrontations from any forces I didn't burn through on my way to my previous location.

I knew something felt off about this operation. I never had a false feeling within my gut, especially when it had to do with things like this. We were sent in to secure Aristide, and as a result most of my squad is dead save for Stokes, and probably Morales. Thank God he wasn't with us when we stormed the fucking tower. Thank any God that was out there for that... and for Stokes. I was having a hard enough time coping with the loss of everyone else, I didn't want to imagine what I'd do without Keira or Manuel. They were my family, as I had no actual family to call my own. That was probably a blessing, as much as it was a curse.

"Freeze!" I heard someone shout out in a commanding tone, though it didn't really make me worried. "Sergeant Becket, you're coming with us!"

I slowly turned my head to glance back at whomever was commanding me, immediately feeling my heart begin to beat within my chest. I was a weapon. A weapon revamped by whatever the hell those surgeons did to me. And they thought that they could command me? Of all people, they expected me to just give up right then and there to follow their fucking orders? Who the hell did they think I was? Some toy soldier who only knew to take orders from anything and everything that was willing to give them? I saw two men, and a smaller figure. Ah, a woman, that was the voice I had heard then. Too high pitched to be a man, yet low due to the intimidation attempt. I simply smiled as I turned around to face them.

The two looked like all the other Armacham grunts I slaughtered, cocky and willing to die for no reason whatsoever. Who knew, maybe they were getting decent paychecks. I know mine weren't good enough for men with purpose, so maybe they hadn't any purpose. The woman... she held a different posture. She looked like someone might within my squad. All business on the outside, but had a personality that would make anyone befriend them. Hey, she also looked very beautiful despite everything. She reminded me of someone I met over in Korea when I was on leave for sometime. My HUD did something strange, and I saw the faces of the two men in a better light. They were Armacham soldiers. I found it interesting as their files had a lot of blacked out portions. Hell, I only knew their names. Thomas Smith, and Gregory Markov. Upon such realizations I heard doors open and more boots move throughout the halls.

"Lower your weapons, no-" The woman began to command before one of the men clocked her in the back of the head. Well, that was all I needed wasn't it?

Immediately I drew my weapons, time seeming to slow around me as I took aim and fired upon the men. My own actions seemed slow, though from what I gathered I was moving in a matter of seconds. The wonders adrenaline could do... My shots had already been fired before the woman completely hit the ground, and the men didn't have a chance to try their hand at firing on me in return. Regardless, their weapons went off and I ducked down as extra precaution. They had been hit in the head, they were dead, but I spun around to meet their friends with the same manner I had greeted the men upon showing their true colors. More fuckin' mercs looking to bag and tag my ass. It wasn't going to work. I had a mission at that point, and I was going to see it through. Especially since I was fighting for more than just myself. Keira found a safe place to stay at a mile away from the hospital. I didn't really ask how she evaded all of the bullshit, nor did I really care as long as she was safe.

My adrenaline must have worn off at that point, as everything sped up and I dove for cover just as a barrage of bullets slammed towards my previous position. If I had to describe what I felt at that moment... I could only compare it to suffering. Not a single inch of my body felt good, and my heart was pounding like some drummer in the middle of an intense arc of a heavy metal band's song. It was rough, and the air burnt my lungs more than it aided them. Regardless, I pushed forward and shot the mercs as they popped out of cover from the safety of my lovely desk. It was good cover, especially since it was made out of a thicker metal than one would thing. The final of the mercs tried sneaking up on me, but that didn't end well.

At the time it was a vicious fight for life and death, one that could easily turn for the worst in my case. Luckily that wasn't how fate had decided to unravel itself, and I managed to remove the mask and helmet from the man before bashing his pretty face in. He looked liek he hadn't been a part of any military organization for too long. Perhaps a new recruit for the battalion attacking this place. Regardless of what he was, Armacham lost a good soldier that day to a fucking doorknob. I almost felt bad for the door... I never saw a doorknob get taken off by the upper mouth of a person so quickly before. To make sure the man who was bleeding out was spared of something he probably deserved, I pointed my submachine gun at him and fired a three found burst into his face. Dangerous, useless, but I felt like the second coming for my good deed. It was then I looked over at the woman who had been busted over the head and sighed.

The fight had to have lasted at least thirty minutes, and she had been knocked out for just a tad bit longer. I slowly walked over to her and crouched down, placing my fingers to her neck to search for a pulse. I was rather pleased to find one still strong, only slightly less active as if she were sleeping. Which, she kind of was... Though in previous experiences I never had dreams when I got knocked out. I only saw darkness one moment, and the next I was waking up with a skull-splitting headache. I didn't care who she was at that point, but I was going to take her with me so she could answer a few questions. If she didn't prove useful, I'd leave her behind, and if she pursued me, I would kill her. So I picked her up, and carried her on my shoulder as I walked down the call. The entirety of the floor probably emptied of everything but fire and corpses. A job well done for me, if I do say so myself. There wasn't anything quite like waking up in a warzone where you discover you are the HVT everyone is after to either exterminate, experiment, or do something else to you.

My favorite part of that portion of my hospital adventure was probably the elevator. When I arrived, I saw a single merc trying to work the courage to do what I was about to do. He hadn't heard my approach, and I decided to be Jesus once more by coming in and helping my poor child. He found a boot to his ass, and all I heard was screaming before a body slammed against unforgiving and unrelenting metal. At the time I made myself think I enjoyed it, but in reality I hated everything that was going on around me. To this day I still do. All the killing, suffering, torturing, battles... It all just sucked. It made one put a mask on lest they get torn apart by such negativity, only to turn into a monster. Like that bitch who kept on making all of this happen.

I didn't hesitate to jump into the shaft with my newly found friend, holding onto her tightly with one hand as I regulated our fall with my hand. The cord was metal, it was a fucking elevator after all, but my gloves would prevent injury. The hand that didn't feel the metal, the one supporting the sleeping beauty on my shoulder was having the time of its life. I wasn't entirely sure, but I was pretty damned certain I was holding onto the unconscious woman's well-shaped ass as we made our descent together. My boots hit the top of the elevator with a decent thud, and I quickly crawled up onto the second floor and began walking through the Maternity Ward of the hospital. I didn't get but twenty five feet in before I felt a large explosion knock myself on my ass, dropping the woman on the ground unintentionally.

The explosion or the fall must have woken her up, as I heard her groan and quickly force herself to stand. I wasn't far behind, as we didn't get the worst of the explosion. She really didn't let up, as she tried to attack me before I had to grab her by the wrists and slam her against the wall. Even then I hadn't taken into account the woman's craftiness. That was when I felt a knee impact my gut, forcing me to back off and support the impact site with my one arm.

"Get down on the ground now! What did you do with my squad?!" The Asian woman asked, and I only chuckled.

"They're dead... and unless you support ATC I would suggest you shut your mouth about them being 'your squad.'" I replied rather defiantly, "Who are you?"

"F.E.A.R. Operative Jin Sun-Kwon. I'm here to retrieve you, Sergeant Becket, to pull you out of this mess." She informed me with some form of excitement in her voice, "And what do you mean? They were with us, not ATC!"

I shook my head with a smirk, "No. They definitely are ATC personnel. I can show you prove later, but for right now we need to get out of here. Wherever that explosion happened is our best bet unless you want to fight our way out."

"Explosion?" The woman asked before we saw three figures staggering down the hall, the one in the lead immediately drawing on us, me in particular. He was at a disadvantage due to the fact he was carrying a woman in his arms.

I hadn't seen anyone move as fast as she did to stop the man, "Hey! No, he's with us! It's the Sergeant! W-What happened to you?" She asked the man who merely grunted as he lowered the female down to the ground.

"You guys were hit with the explosion?" Jin asked, and the one wearing some strange heavy armory nodded.

"Aye," He confirmed, "We took a helicopter to this place, it got shot down by Armacham reinforcements heading to reinforce the hole we made in their troops. I need to head back to the wreck for Roddy, Jimmy, and Megan.

Logan groaned as he lowered the man he was carrying to the ground beside Michelle, "Fuck that guy weighs a ton." He muttered through heavy breaths.

"If you saw what he eats," Griffon said with a laugh, "You'd know why Ajax weighs as much as an elephant." With that brief joke, the man turned and started to walk away with the two others following closely behind.

I watched as Jin moved to aid those who were knocked out, finding any wounds on their bodies to patch them up. She seemed like a good woman. No, she definitely was a good woman. Sweet and innocent at the time, despite all the shit she had seen. I didn't know anything about what they faced, but as time would go on I would respect the men and women of F.E.A.R. and S.E.A.R.

I didn't know these people that were around me now, but they seemed like good allies to have. Little did I know what the hell being their friend would mean... Little did I know why I could see red eyes staring at me from the corners of my bloodshot, observing my movements when they thought I didn't spot them placed upon me. That little girl scared the shit out of me... And I had yet to find out how obsessed with me she truly was.

AN: Well guys, I hope you enjoyed it. It took me awhile to work on, but it finally got done. I hope the change of perspectives and new ideas are to be well received, and I apologize for any mistakes made on the grammar side of things. :) See you next time.