I do not own Gears of War or any of its characters.
Desert
Joseph glared at Baird. "Seriously? A desert?"
"What?" Baird asked. "You said no more cold. Are you cold?"
Joseph rolled his eyes.
"At least your pretty yellow armor matches the environment without spray paint, this time," Lizzie grinned.
"And so does yours," Joseph smiled, glancing at Lizzie's armor.
Except for the helmet, her new Locust Crystal armor matched his perfectly. Her helmet, however, looked almost exactly like her normal one. She'd also gotten a Locust Crystal chainsaw belt. In the several weeks since Reyna had become the Swarm Queen, Fabricator Mags had been spread to every unit of the COG, and New Ephyra's guardians, the same kind of weaponized construction mechs as JD and Kait had used to fight the giant Swarm monster, were armed with giant gatling guns with Fabricator Mags and shoulder-fired rockets, also aided by Fabricators. Aside from that, very little had changed. Baird had wanted to start mass-producing Locust Crystal armor, but it was unsafe to gather Locust Crystals, so the idea had been placed on pause, at best.
"Joseph, Lizzie," Del said, walking over to them. "You gotta see this."
They turned, staring at the weapon in his hands. It was short, about the length of a hammerburst, but looked to have been made mostly of scrap metal. The frame was largely skeletal, and scrap metal had been bolted and welded into a shell along the barrel and just behind the pan magazine, a large, circular container with a bullet belt curled up inside of it. On a curved foregrip under the barrel, however, were about a dozen Locust Crystals.
"Is that what it looks like?" Joseph asked.
"Yes, it is," Del said. "They're making weapons."
"With Locust Crystals," Joseph said, taking the weapon and inspecting it more closely.
The foregrip was metal, but the Locust Crystals were attached to a section of Locust cocoon that was affixed to the handle by scrap metal welded to the handle around the cocoon fragment with holds for the crystals to stick out through it.
"Damn," Joseph said. "Not ripping them off that way."
"Let me see," Baird said, holding out his hand.
Joseph handed the gun to him, and Baird inspected it, then pulled out what looked like a metal pen. Except, as he directed it toward one of the crystals, a red laser extended from the end, Baird moving the beam along the base of the crystal slowly before shutting it off and snapping the nearly-severed, weakened crystal off.
"That's the laser?" Joseph asked.
"It's a compact version," Baird said, quickly removing the last of the crystals, then handing Joseph the laser. "Don't hit your fingers or anything. That'll go right through you."
Joseph nodded, carefully storing the laser. "I'll bring you tons of souvenirs."
"You'd better," Baird growled. "I have a feeling we'll need as many as you can get. I have enough for one, maybe two sets left over from Lizzie's, but we'll need hundreds of sets of armor."
"How many crystals about that size does it take to make a chestplate?" Lizzie asked.
"More than a hundred," Baird answered. Like I said, anything you can get your hands on."
Joseph and Lizzie nodded, and they headed for the long-abandoned runway in front of the ruined building Baird and his UIR contact, Paduk, were using for a base. They were heading for a cosmodrome nearby where there should be rockets loaded with the UIR's version of the Hammer of Dawn. However, as they reached the runway, arriving at the same time as Kait, who Del had explained on the way was testing out a new upgrade for Jack that could temporarily hack a Reject, a Raven began to land ahead of them.
"Baird, are we expecting anyone?" Kait asked over the radio.
"No," Baird answered. "We are not."
"Well, this can't be good," Del sighed as the chopper set down.
"Maybe it's Uncle Clay and Cole," Joseph offered optimistically.
Except, the pair who dropped off of the Raven were not anyone any of them would have guessed. JD and Fahz. Neither of whom they'd seen since Oscar's village.
Kait sighed irritably. "I don't believe this." She stormed forward, the others following. "I hope you're not here to stop us."
"Actually-" JD began.
"Because you can't!" Kait cut him off.
"Kait-"
"Maybe you should try listening for once!" Kait snapped, getting in JD's face.
"Kait," JD said patiently. "I'm listening."
"Yeah, well...don't bother!" Kait snapped, turning and storming away. "I'm done!"
"Okay," JD said. "Because I'm here to help. If you'll have me."
"I'm sorry, what?" Kait asked, turning back toward him and walking back over just as Baird and Paduk joined them.
"Dad told me about Mount Kadar," JD explained. "What you learned. And look, I know you don't trust me. After everything that happened, what I've done...I don't blame you."
"So what does Jinn think about you being here?" Del asked.
"Jinn...doesn't know," JD admitted.
"Really?" Del asked.
"And let me guess," Kait said, glancing at Fahz skeptically for a moment. "He's here to pitch in, too?"
"Yeah," JD nodded. "Turns out Fahz isn't so bad."
"Nah," Fahz spoke up. "I am, actually. You just got used to me."
"A self-aware asshole?" Joseph asked, then sighed, nodding. "PTSD? You lost your leg disobeying an order?"
"Settlement Two wasn't the first Settlement to go bad, just the only one that was as...extreme," Fahz explained. "Outsiders raided a Settlement while I was there for a routine mission. It started a firefight, but a few of them were new recruits from the Settlement. Their families tried to protect them, and one of them managed to hit my foot."
"Explains your views of Settlement Two, and your dislike of Outsiders," Lizzie admitted. "Still an asshole, though."
"Who the hell are they?" Paduk growled, walking over.
"Friends," Kait said unenthusiastically. "They'll be joining us."
"Yeah?" Paduk asked. "I don't like them."
"Shocker," Del rolled his eyes.
"You want these two along, fine," Paduk agreed, looking to Kait, who had once again been placed in the leadership role for their team. "But I deal with you. Not them."
"You good with that?" Kait asked JD.
"Like I said," JD shrugged, "I'm here to help." He looked past Kait, seeing Baird. "Baird."
Baird turned, walking away without a word.
"Come on, then," Fahz said as JD's face fell in shame. "Let's hop in the Raven and find some satellites."
"No Raven," Paduk shook his head. "The windflares out there'll kill you."
"So, what, we walk then?" Fahz asked.
"Hey, man, if you wanna walk, feel free, but we got other plans," Del smirked, walking away.
Fahz sighed heavily. "It's not that skiff, is it?"
Del smirked and he and Kait headed for their skiff, Joseph and Lizzie's track mule sitting beside it.
"Alright, quick intelligence briefing on the way," Joseph said, handing JD the Swarm gun, what Paduk had called a Claw Light Machine Gun. "The Swarm are getting smarter. They designed that. Not pretty, but it's leaps and bounds beyond relying on stolen or salvaged weapons. They're also starting to wear armor, according to Paduk, the UIR guy you just met. Now, big thing. These guns have Locust Crystals on the foregrip."
Fahz, who JD had passed the rifle to, turned it over.
"Baird needs every crystal we can possibly get," Joseph continued. "He gave me a laser to scavenge them, which means we need to scavenge these. All of them."
"So we have to be scavengers?" Fahz asked.
"Only if you want pretty armor like ours," Lizzie shrugged.
"Honestly, I think I'd rather keep mine," Fahz grumbled as they reached the vehicles. "Dibs on the track mule."
"Alright," Joseph said, his tone dripping with warning. "But whoever I'm riding with is going to have my hand down their pants the whole way."
"Wha-" Fahz yelped, skip-stepping away from him, then growling. "Would you get serious!?"
"What's wrong, Fahz?" Lizzie grinned. "Don't want JD to see you cheating on him?"
"You're cheating on me?" JD chimed in, Kait immediately rolling her eyes. "Fahz, I'm hurt. I thought we had something special."
Fahz growled. "You know what, maybe I'll just go back to New Ephyra."
"Just get on the skiff," Kait growled, taking the handles for the sail as Joseph and Lizzie got on the track mule, Lizzie starting it as Joseph wrapped his arms around her.
"I've got a bone to pick with you," Del spoke up as Kait sped away from the runway. "A big one."
"Pick away," JD invited.
"You lied to me," Del accused. "And then, after you were hurt, you pushed us away. Like...Like we didn't even know you."
"Look, I haven't exactly been myself, Del," JD said. "I know that."
"So who showed up today?" Kait asked.
"Your friend," JD answered.
"For what it's worth, I tried to convince him to embrace Dark JD," Fahz spoke up. "But something about you two brings out the best in him."
"What are we, chopped liver?" Lizzie asked.
"Aren't you two just there because you like getting shot?" Del asked.
"You two are my friends, too," JD said. "But Del and I have been friends forever, and..."
"Yeah, yeah," Joseph said. "I get it. You're jealous of Lizzie for getting to date me."
"What's it like inside your head?" JD asked.
"I'm imagining a bunch of mirrors and a naked Lizzie," Fahz said dryly.
"Hey, you had your chance to ride with me, Fahz," Joseph said casually.
"Not even in your dreams, Carmine," Fahz growled.
Lizzie leaned back against Joseph as they all fell silent, watching the reddish-brown sand and the black, stone cliffs around the desert valley they were in. It was very different from where they'd searched for Mount Kadar. Here, the air, even while moving at high speeds, was swelteringly hot. The dark sand helped it not feel as bright, but it also blue around constantly, and stung when it got blown into his exposed arms, as he'd gone with a sleeveless shirt for the desert, unlike Lizzie who was still in her trademark outfit.
After another minute, Lizzie switched to her and Joseph's private channel. "Well?"
"Well what?" Joseph asked.
"What happened to having your hand down my pants?" Lizzie asked.
Joseph snorted. "Rain check. I'll pay it back once we have some privacy."
"Prude," Lizzie smirked.
After a few minutes of silence, Joseph and Lizzie having switched back to the open channel, JD spoke up. "Alright, I know why we're here, but where are we going?"
"An old rocket hangar," Kait answered. "To the east. And just a heads up, the Nomads could use some help, too."
"Then let's do it!" JD said cheerfully.
"Del scoffed. "Hold up, man. You can't just say, 'Let's do it!' and make the last few months disappear."
"Del, come on," Kait said.
"No, it's okay," JD invited. "Let him get it out."
"No, no, no, no!" Del said instantly. "See, that's not fair. You're being all reasonable and I wanna stay mad!"
"Then stay mad," JD offered. "I'm not here to prove anything. Just here to help."
"As am I," Fahz added. "So it appears his decency's rubbing off on me."
"If he's rubbing off on you, that doesn't sound very decent," Lizzie said instantly, everyone shouting in surprise and objection.
"No, Lizzie!" Del said. "Just no!"
"What?" Lizzie asked.
"Different strokes for different folks," Joseph offered, grinning as he realized Lizzie was planning to use their personal brand of humorous commentary to help ease the tension.
"Okay, you two can shut up, now," Kait grumbled.
"Delta," Baird spoke up. "Paduk just let me in on something. It's kinda relevant."
"Let's hear it," Joseph answered.
"When the UIR base commander thought he was gonna lose to the rebels, he infected all military computers with some sort of boot sector virus."
"Meaning most of the tech we'll find out here has been bricked for decades," Del translated.
"Yeah," Baird confirmed. "Jack should be able to power past any remaining malware and reboot the machines. He just needs access."
"Alright Baird," Kait said. "Understood."
Joseph looked around as they passed through a narrow gap in a cliff face, the world opening up before them. There were cliffs here and there, but it didn't really count as a valley anymore. Up ahead on the right was a building, its metal sticking out against the desert, and there was a guardrail wrapping around to their right, marking off an ancient, sand-covered road, along which they were suddenly traveling. It led to the building Joseph had seen, which Del realized was a water tower where the Nomads needed help fending off the Swarm, and they dismounted outside of the entrance, right next to a Pendulum-Wars-era tank, which was in shockingly good condition.
"What did Paduk say they're doing here?" JD asked.
"Trying to get their water supply back online," Del answered.
And then, as they headed up a ramp toward the building, Swarm appeared on a higher level, using a railing for cover as they fired their Claw LMGs at them. Joseph and the others ran for cover, but Joseph noticed something. The Claws fired fast, but their accuracy was shit. With that in mind, he advanced first, bullets hitting all around him, but not him for the first time in a while as he rapidly gunned down the Swarm. They'd made their own versions of COG armor, it looked like, out of scrap metal and salvage, but it was thick, taking numerous shots to get through, though they lacked helmets.
"How is your grouping so good!?" Fahz demanded as he watched Joseph's fourth burst in a row slam into a fourth Drone's face, all of the bursts fatal.
"You lost a leg, I lost an eye," Joseph answered. "Without my left eye, my aim improved drastically. I'm not sure why."
Within minutes, they'd finished off the Drones and headed up the exterior of the facility, Del telling Jack to take all of the Drones' Claws to their vehicles for them. Except, a moment later, a Longshot bullet slammed into Joseph's helmet, sending him crashing to the ground as numerous Drones began to fire down at them with more Claw LMGs.
"Fuck that was loud!" Joseph groaned, fortunately having crashed down in cover.
"You okay?" Lizzie asked.
"No!" Joseph growled, pulling his Longshot off his back. "I think I broke my pride."
Then, once Lizzie had baited the Drone sniper's next shot, Joseph leaned out, killing the sniper, then another beside him as that one rose as well. Then, as the others spread out into cover and began to push, Joseph remained at the back, his body below his chest in cover, and firing repeatedly with his Longshot, quickly and carefully picking off Drones until JD and Kait reached the top together, cleaning up the last of the Drones.
Joseph chambered another round for his Longshot, then swapped it for his lancer again, moving to catch up with the others just as someone inside the Water Tower began calling out to them in Vasgari. Kait headed inside, but then reported that it was empty, only for the woman to suddenly appear in front of Kait, yelling at her, Joseph catching a word that sounded suspiciously like "Fascist" among the other words he didn't understand.
"I'm...not really hearing gratitude here," Fahz mused.
"Alright, Delta," Kait said, turning back toward them. "Grab anything that might be useful. That means all the Swarm guns."
They all nodded and spread out, gathering the guns before meeting back up at the vehicles. For a few minutes, Joseph very carefully used Baird's laser to cut off the crystals, being more careful than he probably needed to in order to keep from touching the laser beam. Finally, he tossed the last of the guns aside, pocketing the crystals.
"How many of those does he need?" Fahz asked.
"How many soldiers does the COG have, not counting DeeBees?" Joseph asked.
"About thirty thousand," Fahz estimated.
"Probably millions," Joseph said realistically. "We won't be able to outfit everyone just by scavenging off of these rifles. We'd need to go into a Hive with Minotaurs. Probably several."
"Great," Fahz growled. "Then why scavenge at all?"
"If we get really lucky, all of us will end up bullet proof, as well as those we care about most," Joseph explained.
"So we're scavenging," Lizzie finished. "Like it or not, that includes you."
"Alright," Fahz accepted, hands raised in surrender. "Alright. I was just curious."
"Time to move!" Kait called over to them.
They all nodded, mounting up, and a few moments later, they were off once more.
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