Gears of War:Factions at War

TM/Copyright: Characters, weapons, vehicles, ideas, and storyline are my property and should not be copied or stolen. I don't own the Gears of War franchise. All Gears of War information belongs to Epic Games and Microsoft Games do. All canon information coming from Gears of War and Gear of War 2 in this article is also property of Epic Games and Microsoft Games. All rights reserved ©.
Be advised that this article's information is not real. This has nothing to do with the facts of Gears of War. Do not take this seriously for it is made up.Thank you and enjoy!
Hey Gears of War fans, here is now the newly constructed format of Gears of War: Factions at War! Yes, it has been a LONG while, school has been catching up, getting ready for college and all, etc. So, Act One-Launch is finally complete and the rest are under construction. Hope you fans enjoy this new fanfiction and I salute you all!
==Gears of War : Factions at War== 
Created and developed by: AceYimroids00
Thanks to all of the readers and writers on the Gears of War Fanon Wiki sitePlease visit New Generation if you haven't read it yet for this story will make much more sense afterwards. It'll let you catch up on the story. Thank you!
Hi, and welcome to Gears of War: Factions at War, exclusive for Xbox 360. Welcome to the second game of the new Gears of War trilogy. I like to thank all of you who like my article on this wiki and I thank this site as well for allowing me to post my new article.
Gears of War:Factions at War takes place approximately a year after the events of Gears of War:New Generation. Due to the fact that the plans of the Locust Queen has been foiled, a new threat has appeared. If you've seen the last ending of New Generation and played it on One Chance, you'll notice that the static picture of the person is Niles Samson, a scientist or perhaps an A.I., that Marcus and Dom discovered during the events of Gears of War 2. Not much is revealed about Niles, other than the fact that he was the one who helped transport the children to Mt. Kadar to test experiments on them. Plus, you all learned that he was involved in the project of creating the Sires, a race similar to the Locust, but a little more crazed like a Berserker. Some people might have already thought about how the Locust were created. At first, the first game didn't reveal much. Mostly everyone thought they were from outer space. Supporting this fact, in Gears of War 2, Benjamin Carmine mentions that one guy from Basic said/theorized that the Locust came from Risea or one of the moons and they feed off Imulsion." Haha, well, we don't know that for sure. Some people might think that the genetic experiments from the New Hope Facility is the most reasonable reason on how the Locust were born. But now, a new enemy appears in the war, the Lambent. The Lambent are Locust exposed to Imulsion, but we'll talk more about that later when this article is complete. Hope you enjoy this brand new game and we thank you for joining the fight against the Locust. 
==Main Menu== 
This will tell you all you need to know about Gears of War:Factions at War Main Menu 
Press Start-Takes you to the next menu 
Campaign-Takes you to the main game 
Versus-Takes you to the versus menu '''
Achievements-Takes you to the Xbox Achievements menu 
Options-Takes you to the options menu 
==Campaign Menu== 
Single Player-Takes you to the mode menu when playing single player 
Split-Screen-Takes you to the player menu when playing split-screen 
Host Co-op-Takes you to the player menu when hosting a co-op game 
Join Co-op-Takes you to the player menu when joining a hosted co-op game 
==Versus Menu== 
Two-Player-Takes you to the player menu when playing two-player 
Group Game-Takes you to the player menu when playing a group game 
Team Play-Takes you to the player and team menu when playing a team game 
Horde-Takes you to the player and team menu when playing Horde 
One-Man Army-Takes you to the player menu when playing 
==Options== 
Sound-Takes you to the sound system so you can adjust the volume, bass, and everything else 
Music-Listen to the soundtracks and sound effects of the game 
Controls-Change the controls of the game controller 
Record Board-View the standings of Gears of War players on Xbox Live 
==Menu Explanations== 
Single Player-Do a single player campaign against the Locust 
Split Screen-Have a two-player campaign against the Locust on a split screen 
Host Co-op-Host a co-op game on your regards and have a person on Xbox Live join you in campaign 
Join Co-op-Join a co-op game on another person's regards by using Xbox Live 
Two-Player-Fight one on one with another person by using split screen or separate screen 
Group Game-Play up to four players in versus mode and have an all out battle by using Xbox Live 
Team Play-Play up to as many people on each of the two teams and fight each other by using Xbox Live 
Horde-Play up to 10 people this time for the map is larger and there are stronger Locust out there (can only be accessed by using Xbox Live 
One-Man Army-This is a new mode.You can play up to 8 players.1 in the prime target while the other 7 try to take him down.The prime player has higher health than the other players and gets to start with the weapons unlocked in Campaign mode while the other 7 start with other weapons. C.O.G. soldiers start with the Lancer Assault Rifle, a Snub Pistol, a Gnasher Shotgun, and two Bolo Grenades. Locust soldiers start the Hammerburst, a Boltok Pistol, a Hammerburst II, and two Bolo Grenades.They can pick up weapons along the way if needed. Whoever has the highest ranking in the record board on Xbox Live can be the prime player. After the match, you can choose whoever you want to be the prime target next. 
=Gamma Squad= 
Gamma Squad was created by Andrew Yim and was formed 18 years after E-Day. After Echo Squad left and never returned for a while, Gamma Squad was formed and was assigned to keep the tasks Echo Squad was supposed to do.It consists of four members, Sergeant Andrew, Private Amanda, Private Alex, and Private-In-Training Michael.Although this group contains younger individuals, every one of them contains a piece of strength that makes up the Gamma Squad. 
After the events of Gears of War:New Generation, Andrew has been coming up with a plan to rid the Locust from Sera. Amanda and Alex have both been on a missionary mission to seek out the remains of the Ostri Republic, where the Hammer of Dawn was first created. Since the Lightmass Core didn't completely annihilate the Locust, the C.O.G. needs a new super weapon. Michael has been rounding up the new soldiers coming in from the C.O.G. and Matthew has been helping Andrew create a war plan. With new soldiers and a new super weapon at stake, Gamma Squad can't afford to make any mistakes...
=Members = 
There were a total of 8 members of Gamma Squad. However, 4 lived while 4 were K.I.A. Here are those who are alive. 
==Active Members== 
Sergeant Andrew "Ace" Yim (35)
Andrew is the founder and the leader of Gamma Squad. He leads his teammates into battle without hesitating and always pulled through the toughest enemies. 
Corporal Amanda "Hawk" Cha (38)
Amanda is the cousin of Andrew Yim and the sister of Alex Cha. She's the only active female member in the team. 
Corporal Alex "Firearm" Cha (37)
Alex is the cousin of Andrew Yim and the brother of Amanda Cha. He's the second-highest ranking soldier in the squad. 
Corporal Michael "Boom" Ahn (35)
Michael is the best friend of Andrew Yim. He is the youngest soldier ever to join the C.O.G. Army and is now a Corporal. 
===Other Characters===
Sergeant Thomas "E" Lee (39) [Echo Squad]
A survivor of Echo Squad. After his squad was on a mission to deliver the coordiants of a Locust stronghold, they were ambushed and only Thomas was left alive.
Lieutenant Matthew Yim (39) [Echo Squad]
A former survivor of Delta Squad 17 years after E-Day. He has joined Echo Squad and was appointed Lieutenant. With a new squad of soldiers to lead, he won't let the C.O.G. down.
Corporal Allison Bod (40) [Echo Squad]
A female soldier whose potential is yet to be revealed. A powerful soldier specializing in tactics, she can guide her troops from Echo Squad to the right spot to strike the heart of the enemy.
Corporal Bryant & Justin Ahn (40 & 39) [Echo Squad]
Two brothers who fight side-by-side each other. Bryant is the brain while Justin in the muscle. Specializing in heavy-duty weapons, they have a duty, a duty to completely annihilate the enemy of the C.O.G. on the side of Echo Squad.
Corporal Aaron Slone (35) [Gamma Squad]
A powerful soldier whose power is unmeasured. His skills with the weapon proves his to be fatal to the enemy. On the side of Gamma Squad, he will be the frontal assault.
Informer Danielle (Dani) Dangremond (35) [Gamma Squad]
An informer whose intel can provide even the children of war to victory. Leading Gamma Squad, her ambitions is to destroy the enemy and bring peace to her, and a special someone.
Sergeant Daniel Hunziker (41) [Omega Squad]
A friend of Matthew Yim and also a powerful soldier. Specializing in melee attacks, he can beatdown even a Boomer or two. He's the sergeant of Omega Squad along with his other teammates. 
Private Kevin Jang (35) [Omega Squad]
A soldier who knows no bounds. His ability with a grenade makes him formidable to the enemy. His history shows that on his first day on the job, he tossed a grenade into a roaring Brumak's mouth in a desperate attempt to save his squad...he was successful.
Informer Tiffanie Choi (35) [Omega Squad]
The future wife of Kevin Jang. She's an informer for Omega Squad and can give the most complex plan, in the most simple intel. Her plan is to destroy the enemy, and then hold a wedding after the war is over.
Informer Kelsy Tidwell (31) [Echo Squad]
To avenge her older brother Steven, she decided to become an informer and help Echo Squad through the toughest of situations. Her plans of attack are forceful and can hit the weakest spot in an army.
Corporal Tyler Colwell (39) [Omega Squad]
A friend of Matthew and Andrew Yim, his ability with a pistol proves him to be the best gunner in the whole army. During his times in the squad, he shot down a max of 78 Locust drones with one shot in the head. He even took out a Corpser one time by shooting through the small glowing eye hole in the mask on the head.
Private Gabby Vazanna (38) [Omega Squad]
A soldier who can get pretty aggressive. When shot anywhere on the body, she gets fired up and goes on a rampage of slaughter on the battlefield. The Locust try to avoid shooting her, but when they "accidentally" do, they head the other way.
Air Force Commander Mike Devine (41) [Omega Squad]
A pilot from birth, he has proven himself worthy of flying a King/Queen Raven through a firefight without being shot down. He's the air force commander of the C.O.G. and if air support is needed, he's the one to do it.
Private Alvin Wong (33) [Gamma Squad]
A friend of Andrew Yim who is a Private-in-Training. Under the trainings of Andrew, he will be able to turn into a powerful soldier.
Colonel Kyle Hoffman (69)
Returning for more firefights, this old whippersnapper knows how to shoot...and yell.
Niles Samson(???)
Yes, this crazy son of a bitch is back. But for what purpose? And why? No one knows, so you'll just have to wait until the later chapters...
Sentinel (???)
This mysterious mechanical being first appears in Chapter 1: Act 6 after the battle with the Scaleworm. It holds Jack N' Jill SMGs and its acrobatic abilities are extreme. Its origins are a mystery on who created it, and its faction is unknown, but its connection with Andrew and Matthew is somewhat strong...
=Prime Squad= 
Prime Squad was created after the detonation of the Lightmass Core. It consists of the previous members from Gears of War:New Generation who are the most elite soldiers in the C.O.G. The squad is currently not in session.
=Gamma Squad=
Gamma Squad was created during the beginning of Gears of War:New Generation. It consists of the younger members.
-Sergeant Andrew Yim
-Corporal Amanda Cha
-Corporal Alex Cha
-Corporal Michael Ahn
-Corporal Aaron Slone
-Private Alvin Wong
-Informer Danielle Dangremond
=Echo Squad=
Echo Sqaud was a former squad brought back from the original Gears of War series. It consists of the veteran members.
-Lieutenant Matthew Yim
-Sergeant Thomas Lee
-Corporal Allison Bod
-Corporal Bryant & Corporal Justin Ahn
-Corporal Jaron Arrington
-Informer Kelsy Tidwell
=Omega Squad=
Omega Squad was created in the beginning of Gears of War:Factions at War. It consists of older members.
-Sergeant Daniel Hunziker
-Private Kevin Jang
-Corporal Tyler Colwell
-Private Gabby Vazanna
-Air Support Commander Mike Devine
-Informer Tiffanie Choi
=Controls= 
A-Roll---Take cover behind an object---Roll out of cover 
B-Chainsaw Duel (press rapidly)---Melee attack---Rev Chainsaw Bayonet 
X-Pick up an object or ammo---Any action required 
Y-Point of Interest 
R-Trigger-Fire weapon---Activate chainsaw while holding B 
R-Bumper-Reload weapon/Active reload 
L-Trigger-Aim weapon 
L-Bumper-Check TAC/COM 
D-Pad-Change weapons 
Control Stick (Left)-Move 
Control Stick (Bottom Right)-Turn 
Start-Pause 
Select-Record 
=New Modes= 
There will be 5 modes in this game.Each with its own difficulty. 
Casual-Enemies are weak and aren't that smart. This is a great mode for beginners who are slow at learning. (Easy) 
Normal-Enemies are below average and have a below average mind. If you're done with the training grounds, go for this mode.(Normal) 
Hardcore-Enemies are somewhat moderate and have average minds. This is the mode for those who are average, but not experts.(Hard) 
Insane-Enemies are strong and are quite smart. This is a good mode for those who want challenging battles.(Suicidal) 
Psychotic-This new mode is beyond others.Enemies are really strong and are really smart.They know how to dodge well and know when to shoot. This mode is basically based on real life where you can die easily while the Locust can't.This mode is recommended for those who are up for the battle of their lifetime.(Why God?) 
One Chance-This new mode is the newest of all modes.As the name states, you have one chance to deliver the final blow to the Locust.Think of this as an endurance mode.You are required to complete all of the Acts without dying.This mode is based on Hardcore/Insane mode.Psychotic would be a little too chaotic.If you're on Co-op, your partner can revive you up to 3 times.Your time and how far you get into the game is recorded to your Gamer's Profile and can be submitted to the Xbox Live Record Board.You can get Achievements on how far you get into the game.This mode is recommended for those who mastered the techniques and tactics of Gears of War.(Endurance) 
=New Vehicles=
Chariot
This new vehicle is a large four-wheeled vehicle, basically an upgrade to the Assault Derrick. It resembles a large oval bunker with four Vulcan Chain Guns poking out from the sides. It's height protects the soldiers from ground assault, but when the grappling hooks cling onto the edge, it'll take a while before the enemy approaches the soldiers, but by then, the grappling hooks will be gone. Although a great defense against most attacks, the wheels are the weakest point and if those are taken out, then the vehicle will be going nowhere.
Road Runner
This new vehicle is a bike. Yes, a bike. It's a one-man bike that holds twin front-mounted miniature chain guns at the front of the vehicle. This vehicle is fast and the chain guns has proven to be a lethal vehicle with medium high firepower, but its armor is weak and can explode in just a certain number of bullets, but the speed makes up for it. It's also said that the highest speed can match the speed of a Reaver.
Brumak II
This new vehicle is a robotic version of the gigantic Brumak. It contains mechanical legs and an upperbody, it lacks arms but the Vulcan Chain Guns are located on the sides of the upper body. There's also a small cockpit located on top of the body in which two people can pilot the vehicle. Although a bit smaller in size of the Brumak, the weaponry on this vehicle is more heavy than those on the Brumak. The rockets have more firepower and the chain guns attached to the sides of the body have a higher firing speed. Although this vehicle has higher speed and higher firepower, its lack of armor allows its arch nemesis, the Brumak, to easily trash it.
=New Weapons=
Blowback Pistol
This new pistol is basically an upgrade to the Mac Pistol and replaces it in this new game. Firepower is the dominant trait in this pistol, but because of its low clip and large recoils, this gun isn't fit for those in a situation when they're facing against a whole bunch of enemies. Although, it's guaranteed to perform a one shot kill towards minor enemies.
Magazine size: 2/Maximum clip: 6
Hammerburst III
With the return of the Hammerburst Assault Rifle in New Generation, this new version is coming to this game. The Locust have developed a new weapon and added an upgrade to their standard weapon. The Locust focus their weapons on power bursts, and this weapon is a good weapon of choice for that. Holding triple rotating barrels instead of one like the Hammerburst II, this gun also holds the auto firing mode. However, this gun may shoot out rapid shots one by one, but is slower than the Lancer but packs more firepower. The accuracy will also be a bit off. Although a bit slower than the original Hammerburst and a bit faster than the Hammerburst II, it packs more firepower to knock down an opponent in a shootout.
Magazine size: 33/Maximum clip: 363
Crotack Assault Rifle
The Lambent may have been using Locust when they first originated during the events of Gears of War 2, but the Lambent also have separate minds. They developed weapons based off Imulsion and they pack more firepower than the Locust AND the C.O.G. weaponry. This new assault rifle shoots Imulsion-packed bullets that explode on contact. Same as the Lambent explode when they die, the bullets do the same when they come in contact with the target creating a very minor splash damage to the target as well. A fast firing weapon, however, every weapon has its weaknesses. Because the Crotack Assault Rifle needs Imulsion to keep its ammunition up, the Lambent can't carry Imulsion beside them. So, instead of reloading, it works like the Scorcher Flamethrower, when the weapon overheats, it needs to cool down to fire again.
Fuel size: 250/Maximum fuel tank: 250
Sprayer Shotgun
This new weapon is derived from the Gnasher Shotgun. This type of shotgun is longer, but like the Crotack Assault Rifle, it has a cooling system instead of ammunition. Although, it does pack more firepower. When it's fired, the Imulsion sprays out of the gun and lobs overhead. If it comes in contact with the target, the Imulsion will begin to dissolve and at the same time, burn away the armor making the target more exposed to damage. However, with this weapon being a shotgun, its better to be at a distance than be close. The cause of splash damage caused by the gun can backfire and can damage you at the same time. The shotgun also supports good melee attacks.
Fuel size: 35/Maximum fuel tank: 35
Gauss Rifle
What's a Lambent weaponry without a sniper rifle? The Lambent have taken the weapons from the C.O.G. and the Locust and have converted them into Imulsion-powered weaponry. The Longshot Rifles that were stolen were converted to a new rifle run by Imulsion. It shoots out long thin strands of Imulsion powered laser (similar to the Hammer of Dawn but way way way WAY less destructive) and can pierce through armor easily. Although a powerful weapon, like the Crotack and the Sprayer, the weapon houses a cooling system. However, the cooling system lacks the ability to cool down fast so when overheated (about 2 rapid shots), it can spell out trouble for the wielders.
Fuel size: 15/Maximum fuel tank: 15
Barrel Shot
If you thought the Boomshot Grenade Launcher was a powerful weapon, think again. The new Barrel Shot is a new addition alongside the Boomshot and adds on a little more excitement. Due to Locust technology, they have combined the rotating function of the Torque Bow along with the firepower of the Boomshot together. Basically, it charges like a Torque Bow, but fires like a Boomshot. When the firing trigger is held down, the rotating cylinder begins to rotate. The longer you hold it, the more the distance the rocket will fly. The arch can clear obstacles that are in the way and can act like a portable mortar. But be careful, if you accidentally just press the trigger without holding it, say your prayers and run before the rocket hits the ground.
Magazine size: 1/Maximum clip: 12
Axe of Dusk
This is a brand new weapon. Ever since the creation of the Hammer of Dawn by the Union of Independent Republics, the UIR have also begun to build a new weapon, the Axe of Dusk, to decimate the C.O.G. during the Pendulum Wars. However, after the assault on Aspho Fields and the capture of the Hammer of Dawn, the development ceased and the Hammer of Dawn was taken from the UIR. After the alliance of the C.O.G. after E-Day, the UIR intended to revive the construction of the Axe of Dusk, but were too late and the data in the Ostri Republic was transferred to the city of Pelles right before the detonation of the Hammer of Dawn on the city. The Hammer of Dawns were intended to be prototypes for this new weapon and with the completion of this weapon underhand, it can spell out destruction to wherever the target is located. Developed in the Ostri Republic, Gamma, Echo, and Omega Squad will do all they can in order to retrieve this weapon and rid the Locust and the Lambent from Sera.
Note: The Axe of Dusk is described as the "Superweapon" of Gears of War:Factions at War.
Spear of Noon
After many years of examining the ways of the C.O.G., the Locust have been working on a powerful weapon too. The Spear of Noon is an underground laser cannon that is transportable. Created from the remains of the Grindlifts that fell through the earth during the events of Gears of War 2, the Locust have discovered a way to build this large cannon using the physics of the Grindlifts. The Spear of Noon can transport itself by using a large drill in the front and can dig out tunnels like Corpsers. When beneath a target, the drill then aims upwards and at firing range, a large beam of energy shoots from the cannon within the drill and can pierce the surface. There are currently six Spear of Noons in the underground.
Vulcan Chain Gun
If the Locust have the new Tri-Troika Turret from New Generation, so does the C.O.G. This new turret has more firepower than the original Chain Gun, but fires slower shots. These can be found on posts and most likely on high places to take down those below you. Unlike the original Chain Gun, these can be detached and can be carried around like the Mulcher. If you do detach the Vulcan off of its post, then it will have 250 bullets. It's functions off its post is the same as the controls for the Mulcher Chain Gun.
Knife Bayonet
The weapon that was exclusive only during the Pendulum Wars. This new weapon is an alternative weapon you can use if you get the achievement, "Butcher" (Chainsaw over 50 enemies). You can switch the Chainsaw Bayonet with the Knife Bayonet and have a more additional appearance to the Lancer Assault Rifle. With this new attachment, like the Chainsaw Bayonet, you can hold the B button and raise the Knife. Once you get near an enemy, you can press the R Trigger and stab the enemy right in the stomach. If you just stab him, it won't kill him immediately, but it will cause significant damage. While you stab, you hold the Knife in there. You can then press and hold the R Trigger and fire the Lancer Assault Rifle. The bullets will fly through the body and therefore, after a few shots, he'll be dead. Be warned though, you can still be shot while doing this. In campaign, you can switch by going from Chainsaw to Knife in the Options menu. Then, you will have that weapon for the rest of the campaign.
Frag Grenades
The frag grenades will remain the same, but there is one thing you can do with a grenade now that you couldn't in the past Gears of War games. If you don't feel like lobbing a grenade, you can now literally throw it. If you tap up on the D-Pad twice, you can throw a grenade. The line of fire will bit a bit arched since Gears are super strong and whenever you throw a grenade, it will stick onto whatever surface/body it hits first. After that, just watch the fireworks...and perhaps some blood.
Flare Cannon
This weapon will reappear from Gears of War:New Generation. 
=New Enemies=
There will be 13 new enemies in this new game, including the new Lambent species!
Lambent Wretch
Lambent Wretches return from the first Gears of War. These old enemies still have their same abilities. They have more power than regular Wretches and when killed, they will explode after a certain amount of seconds depending on the mode you're playing on. A new way to kill Lambent Wretches/regular Wretches, has been added. When you shoot at a Wretch or a Lambent Wretch on Insane and higher, (in Psychotic mode, Lambent Wretches will immediately self-destruct after they're killed so I advise you not to use this method to kill the Lambent Wretches on Insane and higher) when you fire your weapon and stun the Wretch, you can quickly approach it and press the B button. When you do this, you will pick up the Wretch, take out whatever pistol you have, and you'll smack the hell out of it. Right when you do this, the B Button will appear on the screen and will begin to flash for a few seconds (3 seconds to be exact). During this time, press the B Button extremely fast. Depending on how fast you press the button, the more times you will smack the hell out of the Wretch. If you manage to smack the Wretch over 12 times in 3 grabbings, you'll get an Achievement, "Beat 'Em Hard."
Lambent Drone
A Locust Drone, infected by the touch of Imulsion. Similar to the effects of the Imulsion on Wretches, this new enemy wields the Cortack Assault Rifle, the Sprayer Shotgun, or the Gauss Rifle. There are a few classes of Lambent Drones, a regular Drone, a Grenadier who wields the Sprayer Shotgun and Imulsion Grenades, Sniper who wields the Gauss Rifle, and a Tagger who wields only Imulsion Grenades and will sometimes attempt suicide missions such as running up to you and attempting to tag you with a grenade.
Lambent Boomer
A Locust Boomer, infected by the touch of Imulsion. Instead of wielding powerful Boomshot Grenade Launchers, they wield the powerful Barrel Shot. Although their brains are fried in the process of infection, their brains are still smart enough to bash a person's skull when up close. Their aims with the Barrel Shot aren't as accurate from a far distance due to their eyesight, but when they get a focus on you, they will aim perfectly on your head. So, I advise you keep on moving.
Lambent Guard
A Locust Theron Guard, infected by the touch of Imulsion. This new Lambent species is alike in appearances with the Theron Guard, but its hisses are lower due to the mutation and the infection. Lambent Guards wield Torque Bows just like regular Theron Guards as well. There is an upgraded version of the Lambent Guard known as the Lambent 
Lambent Leader Lork
A Locust General, infected by the touch of Imulsion. Lork is a ruthless gneral, similar to RAAM. Big in size and weaponry, this new badass general can wield two Blowback Pistols at once. Another thing about this general is that a weapon is revealed, but can't be used by any player. This general can control the Spear of Noon. During your final battle, he will use the Spear of Noon in order to destroy you. However, before he says it, he'll say, "Rissse!" However, during the first half of the game, he's a Locust Leader. But after exposure to Imulsion, he transferred to the Lambent.
Lambent Lord Jufier
The Lord of the Lambent is a powerful individual. He has the ability to channel his commands with his mind to other soldiers of the Lambent. He has captured over 1000 Locust and made them Lambent. His attacks on the Locust Palace have been proven to be tactical and 72% of the Locust Palace has been destroyed. Not much of his attacks targeted the surface and only 6% of the attacks damaged cities. Although, we do know that there will be more attacks. Sources indicate that he resides deep underground and in the general area where Imulsion is usually sitting. Not much more is revealed about this new threat. Rumors have it that he has a connection with Myrrah, the Locust Queen...
Tagger
A Grenadier throws grenades. This new Locust uses grenades, but for tagging and suicidal missions. A Tagger has additional armor and is harder to take down than most Drones. If a Tagger manages to reach you, he will tag with you a grenade, or he will activate a grenade if far away and roadie run towards you until the grenade detonates.
Screecher
The Locust Kantus was a high priest with a loud mouth that calls forth Locust soldiers into battle. The Locust Screecher is a new addition to the Horde and unlike the Kantus which was SUPPOSED to call Rockworms into battle, this one does. They can control the Rockworms and they CAN and WILL attack other soldiers if approached. These screaming Locusts wield Gorgon Burst Pistols and Imulsion Grenades instead of Ink Grenades.
Mosect
This new Locust creature is the next level of the Rockworm. Evoloving from it's rocky body, this new creature resembles a moth, but much more fearsome and brutal. They can't fly really high and they lack their original rocky protection, but their speed on the battlefield can prove fatal to ground soldiers. They feed on humans, and sometimes feed on their own troops during batle if they get hungry. The Reavers and the Mosects cooperate using telepathic communication and can team up to destroy countless numbers of C.O.G. soldiers. One weakness discovered on the Mosects are their wings. Shoot them, and they will go down. From there, they will walk around like a Rockworm, but a little bit faster and will start chomping whatever is in its way.
Cerberus
Bloodmounts were one thing, one head, one body, one set of arms, and one set of legs, but due to experimentation with Imulsion, the Locusts have created new beast, the Cerberus. This new enemy holds four legs and the same one set of arms, but they have three head. One Locust can ride on the Cerberus and fire their weapon while they're at it, but sometimes, when the Cerberus takes enough damage, it will rear and topple the Locust Rider off its back. Then, it will sometimes turn arouned and devour that Locust down. After that, it'll turn its attention towarsd you. It will run EXTREMELY fast towards you like a Berserker, so you better roll out of the way and fire away.
Launcher
This new variant of a Boomer is the most dangerous out of all the Boomer types. This new Locust holds a missile launcher identical to the one attached on a Brumak. The Launcher launches four missiles from its missile launcher to damage you. The missiles are smaller and have smaller explosions than that on a Brumak, but they still have the same propeller system and will cause you to lose all of your body parts if you don't take cover quickly. Most of the times, the missiles will spiral out of control and explode on your surroundings. They always roar "Launch!" before they fire their weapon.
Locust Leader Lork
This new Locust is a new edition to the Locust ranks. He wields dual Blowback Pistols and is powerful in strength when in hand-to-hand combat. During the time you battle him, it's similar to the time you faced General RAAM, except this time there isn't any Kryll (thank god). Later on after a few chapters, Lork will be mutated and will become a Lambent Leader.
Locust Commander Grudge
This new Locust Commander is not the same as RAAM, Skorge, or Tamburge. This commander packs more power than RAAM, more speed that Skorge, and more weapons than Tamburge. He's as tall as a Boomer, has the same body physics as Skorge, and holds a more powerful weapon than Tamburge. His weapon is a Cross-Torque Bow. It's an arm attachment on his arm and can fire up Torque arrows that explode immediately on contact with an object. Another addition to this new weapon is that it charges up faster than the regular Torque Bow and can fire faster. However, during the charging stage, there is a thin yellow laser sight emitting from the weapon and right before Grudge fires, he roars, "Fire!" This Locust is ruthless and will annihilate anyone who stands before him.
Scaleworm
This is one of the new Locust creatures only exclusive to this game. The Scaleworm is basically a gigantic Locust caterpillar with 9 stages in the metamorphosis process.
First Stage (Egg) - The Scaleworm is currently in a state of birth. In order to crack it open and destroy the larva inside. The tentacles are the main defense for the larva and you have to shoot them in order to destroy the egg. There are a total of 10 tentacles. After the tentacles are destroyed, a crack will appear and you have to shoot there in order to damage it. It's possible to tag the Scaleworm egg with grenades before the fight and during the dialogue. Also, during the fight, while shooting from cover, the tentacles will strike from the egg towards you so when you see a tentacle waving back and forth rapidly, either shoot at it, or duck back into cover. This stage is encountered in Act 1 (end).
Second Stage (Larva) - The Scaleworm is currently in its larva state. After the egg is damaged enough, the crack will grow and the egg will shatter apart revealing the Scaleworm larva. Similar to a Rockworm, this creature's body is also impenetrable. It also has spikes emerging from its body so it isn't a good idea to take cover behind it. Only its head and tail are exposed, but the only way to damage it is to shoot its underbelly which won't be easy to do. First, you have to keep a safe distance away from the creature. Second, you have to shoot its head or tail to aggravate it and run towards you. When at this part, it will run at you at Rockworm's speed and you have to act fast. You can either dodge if it's too close to you while running, or (this is the proper way to do it) you can toss a grenade from the hip to the ground and if the Scaleworm runs over it and the grenade explodes, then it will tip over and its underbelly will be exposed. The underbelly contains three blood sacks. You have to shoot each one and destroy it. After a few seconds, the Scaleworm will flip over and will start walking again so you may have to repeat the grenade step a couple times. On insane, there are four blood sacks. After the blood sacks are destroyed, the Scaleworm will roar, go turbo and crash through the tunnel wall and escape. This stage is encountered in Act 1 right after you destroy the egg.
Third Stage (Adult Larva) - The Scaleworm is currently in its adult larva stage. Rapid growth has been detected in this creature. It has reached maturity in its larval stage in record time. It has grown larger, the spikes and feet on its body has grown, the body has thickened and the underbelly has grown additional protection against grenades and gunfire. Its tail and head are still exposed though. The only way to damage it is from the inside. No, not by going in the mouth and killing it from in there. You have to shoot the head a few times before it rears and lifts its body up and roars in pain. Then, you HAVE to aim and toss a grenade into its maw. If you just toss it from the hip, then it would be a lot harder to accurately make the grenade land inside the maw. During the time of battle, the Scaleworm will run towards you and will try to devour you. Unlike Rockworms, this creature is a carnivore. It will begin to run around and you have to dodge every few seconds. If you do fire at it, but not enough to make it rear, then it will change direction and charge towards the source of fire. After throwing three grenades into its mouth, four on insane, then like last time it will run through a wall and the cavern will begin to collapse. This stage is encountered in Act 2 (end).
Fourth Stage (Cocoon) - The Scaleworm has now encased itself in a cocoon. The defense around the cocoon is impenetrable to gunfire and explosives. During the battle, it will release poisonous spores (appearance is similar to the razor hail from Gears of War 2. If it rains on you, then it will cause immense damage (on insane, it will kill you instantly). You have to take cover from the cocoon because underneath it, there are large fumes of poisonous gas released from the hanging cocoon. From cover, you have to shoot the thick threads of decomposed materials hanging from the ceiling which are also connecting to the cocoon. There are a total of six threads you have to destroy (eight on insane). If you're good with a grenade, you can toss it up there and destroy one or more threads easily. It's even better if you have a Boomshot or Barrel Shot. Also, you have to move from cover to cover because the cocoon will release poisonous spores above you. When the threads are destroyed, the cocoon will fall and the poisonous fumes will fade away and disappear. Then, after the cocoon falls, the outer shell will crack and it will shatter apart. This stage is encountered in Act 3 (middle).
Fifth Stage (Young Adult) - The Scaleworm has reached the early stage of maturity and has grown larger spikes and a tougher hide. The short claws have retracted back into the body and has grown four long legs that resemble spikes, four spikes grow from the back of the body, two curved tusks grow from the sides of the maw along with a curved tusk pointing down then bending upwards from the chin. The body resembles a beetle and the back which bends downwards has double stingers at the end. Although this creature strongly resembles a large Reaver, it surpasses the ability of a Reaver. Its ability to jump makes it hard to hit. It also spews out poisonous globs of toxins that has a splash damage and will cause anyone to touch it to lose health little by little. It will also attempt to crush you by plunging one of its spikes to the ground and by jumping and landing on you. The only way to damage it is to damage the Scaleworm's stinger to stun it and make it fall to the ground. But during that time, the only way to reach the stinger is by shooting it while the Scaleworm is about to spit the toxins. After you damage the stinger, you have to run to one of its legs and tag a grenade to it. After you take cover, the grenade will explode and damage the leg. After you repeat this procedure on each leg, it will fall and start to roar. Then, it will rise back up and dig underground and towards safety. This stage is encountered in Act 3 right after destroying the cocoon.
Sixth Stage (Adult Growth) - The Scaleworm has now webbed itself in a small room and has been in a form of hibernation which will cause it to grow and mature faster. It will attempt to kill you by spitting globs of toxins, but those are easy to dodge. You have to shoot the thick webbing in order for it to fall down. This stage is considered the easiest. After the webbing is destroyed, the rocks that were connected to the web will fall and will cause an avalanche. The Scaleworm will roar in anger as it's being crushed by the falling rocks. While it's roaring, you have to toss a grenade into its maw which is pretty high up and the explosion will cause the Scaleworm to shake the space it's in and bring down an avalanche. Then, you and the rest of the team will have to run out of the tunnel through a series of roads. If the avalanche catches up to you, then you're screwed. If you do manage to escape, you'll reach the outside and the caverns behind you will collapse. This stage is encountered in Act 3 (end).
Seventh Stage (Matured Adult) - The Scaleworm has matured rapidly and reached its full adult stage. Its back shell has opened and four wings are revealed. The spikes around the back shell have grown massively and the legs grew miniature spikes along with claws at the end. The stinger has grown along with the tusks and the spikes on the back have grown larger. The Scaleworm is now capable of flight and will create short gusts of winds during battle. The battleground is a large cliff with a huge abyss underneath the cliff. Therefore, if the gust of winds blow you away and you're not in cover, then you'll be blown off the cliff. You can also do a roadie run while the Scaleworm is blowing gusts of wind so you don't really get blown away as easily. You have to take cover behind some fallen pillars and you have to shoot the wings in order to damage it. Although big in size, the Scaleworm can fly pretty fast. The best way to shoot at it is when it's ready to blow a gust of wind. It will also spit out large globs of toxins that can cause heavy damage and can fly towards you and use its stinger. Sometimes it will swoop down and do a nose dive to strike you. After the wings are taken out, it will attempt to kill you by use its original ground attacks. Instead of jumping and crushing you, it will charge towards you. Before it charges, it will kick backwards with one of its legs. You can either move out the way like a Berserker, or you can quickly run underneath its body and stand ready behind it. The stinger is its weak point and therefore, when you run behind it, shoot the stinger. It will grow more red after each series of shots and after a whole bunch of shots, the Scaleworm will start to run around crazily. Then, it will stop near the cliff and face you. It will roar once, and then the cliff will collapse and it will fall deep into the abyss. This stage is encountered in Act 4 (end).
Eighth Stage (Damaged Form) - The Scaleworm is now damaged and injured in its current form. Its wings are beaten with holes in them, the legs are cut fof and its body is ruined. It can still fly, but only a mere hover. You encounter it in a Locust tunnel and its flying over a whole lake full of Imulsion. The King Ravens are trying to take it down, but its constantly spitting toxins towards the Ravens and therefore taking them down instantly. Andrew, Amanda, Alex, and Matt are in a Queen Raven while the others are in other Queen Ravens. The objective here is to aim either the Hammer of Dawn or the Spear of Noon towards the Scaleworm and fire the superheated lasers at it. After taking enough damage, the Scaleworm will roar and fall into the lake of Imulsion. This stage is encountered in Act 6 (end).
Ninth Stage (Lambent Form)
[Cutscene] It sinks in it while the Queen Ravens hover around it. Then, Andrew realizes something. "Hey, do any of you guys remember what happened when Marcus Fenix's Brumak stepped in a lake full of Imulsion and stayed in it for too long?" Amanda answers with a horrifying answer. "The Brumak...mutated into a Lambewnt Brumak, although much larger and more dangerous." "The Scaleworm landed in that lake of Imulsion..." says Alex. "So that means..." "Oh SHIT!!!" yells Matt. The cavern starts to shake and therefore, large tentacles emerge from the lake ans they started to swing around. It knocks one of the King Ravens down and the Queen Ravens all flew higher. "Not again!" yells Michael. "Look out!" yells Matt as a tentacle swing towards them. It strikes the Raven and it goes down. "Jump!" yells Andrew. They all jump from the Raven as it crashes into a wall while the Gears land on a distant cliff away from the other Ravens. Suddenly, a gigantic figure emerges from the lake of Imulsion and the Scaleworm is now mutated. The tentacles sprout from its back as some of them planted themselves into the ground. It roars as it swings its other tentacle towards the cliff. The Gears dodge the assault and they take out their weapons. Matt reaches for his earpiece and says, "All KR and QR units, evacuate towards the surface! It's not safe down here! Alert all of the citizens and evacuate the whole city!" Andrew then reaches towards his earpiece and says, "Dani! Do you read?!" "Read you loud and clear Gamma, what is it?" "I need you to evacuate all COG units out of the area. I also need you to evacuate also!" "Why?! What's going on?" "I'll tell you later! But for now, just evacuate!" "Alright Gamma. Good luck, and come back alive." "Don't worry Dani." He releases the earpiece and faces the Scaleworm. "Alright, how do we kill this bastard?" "Here, catch," says Matt. Andrew turns towards him and catches the object he tosses to him. "The Flare Cannon!" he says. "Brought it just in case," he says. He takes out the Axe of Dusk and faces the Scaleworm. "Amanda, Alex, run through the tunnel and find a way out here," says Andrew. "We'll take care of things here." "Alright," says Alex. "Be careful," says Amanda. "Let's finish this!" yelled Matt. [End of Cutscene]
The final boss battle will begin! The objective of this last battle is to defeat the Lambent Scaleworm (obviously). Matt will fire his Axe of Dusk at the Scaleworm and will cause hotspots to appear all over the body (4 in all). Then, your objective is to shoot the Flare Cannon at each hotspot 4 times. When the hotspots are exposed, you have about 4 seconds to destroy on hotspot. During the battle, the Scaleworm will attempt to kill you with its tentacles. As it swings it down, you have to roll to the side and evade it if you don't want to get crushed. It will also spit out a large fume of Imulsion towards you and you have to dodge it if you don't want it to drain your health away. After destroying all four hotspots, the Scaleworm will start to erupt as Imulsion starts pouring out of the beast. Then, Matt fires his Axe of Dusk and the beam fires from the satellite and strikes dead center through the creature's head. Its mouth opens and roars in pain as the laser fires continuously. Andrew then aims towards the mouth and fires his Flare Cannon towards the uvula and blood starts to erupt from the beast's mouth. Then, rays of light begin to explode out of the Scaleworm. "Let's get out of here!" yells Matt. Andrew and Matt turn and run out of the tunnel as the beast explodes...
=Introduction=
"Due to the past events, the humans have made desperate sacrifices in order to save humanity. In the past, they have launched a weapon that destroyed our tunnels, but we have returned to fight once again. After the infestation of the Lambent, we have lost our home to them and the humans' last beacon of hope, Jacinto, was gone. (Gears of War 3 information not included because of lack of Gears of War information [obviously]). They have rebuilt their city of hope throughout the years and have managed to build up their forces. They thought that planting the Lightmass Core in our new palace could destroy us, but they were wrong. We have emerged once again to finally finish the humans off for they already doomed themselves to extinction during E-Day. Now, the final war between the Locust, the Humans, and the Lambent, begins."
Myrrah
=Act One-Launch=
Chapter One-Deja Vu
Chapter Two-En Route
Chapter Three-Rising
Chapter Four-Razed
Chapter Five-Down the Hole
Chapter Six-Surprises
The Centaurs rolled into Jacinto as the C.O.G. soldiers patrolled the streets while Sergeant Andrew Yim and Corporal Michael Ahn were walking to the newly built C.O.G. Headquarters. The new soldiers were scheduled to be at the docking bay where all of the King and Queen Ravens are docked. Michael and Andrew walked towards one of the Queen Ravens and there was Corporal Cha working on a Queen Raven.
"Amanda, have you seen Alex?" Andrew asked.
“Hold on,” she said. From below the Raven, there were sparks flying from the bottom and then, Amanda slid out and said, "Alex is at the end of the docking bay. He's part of the introduction committee."
"Alright thanks," said Andrew. Then, they began to walk down the hangar as the soldiers around them prepared the Ravens for takeoff.
"So what's the deal here?" asked Michael. "Why are so many Ravens being prepared?"
"We're going to the Ostri Republic," said Andrew.
"Oh, alright," said Michael. Then, after a few seconds, Michael exploded. "Wait WHAT?! For what though? For the war?! There’s no one there to help us!"
"They have something we can use," said Andrew. "A weapon they created."
"What? Like the Hammer of Dawn?"
"Possibly. But I know the Hammer was a prototype for this weapon.
"But what makes you think we can retrieve the weapon? First of all, there's going to be a shitload of grubs from here to there! Second of all, the Ostri was completely destroyed after the Locust invaded the city and they had to use the Hammer of Dawn on them. So what makes you think that the weapon will even be there?”
"We'll just have to wait and see,” said Andrew calmly. “It's been nearly 64 years since the Ostri was destroyed and most of the Stranded over there are in hiding. We have readings that the Locust activity hasn't been fluent in the Ostri as it was many years ago when they assaulted the city. So, we just might have a chance. Who knows what surprises we're in for..."
The two reach the end of the docking bay and there was a woman motioning for an incoming King Raven. She turns and notices Andrew and Michael. "Oh, hey Andrew. Are the Ravens and the Derricks ready?”
“Almost,” said Andrew. “Are those the new recruits up there?”
“Yeah,” said Dani.
The Raven landed and multiple soldiers jumped out. Then, Andrew notices Alex and Aaron.
"Hey!" said Alex as he waved. Andrew and Michael walk up to them and shake hands.
"Nice to see you cuz and you too Aaron," said Andrew.
"Nice to see you too," said Aaron.
"So, how are the rookies?" asked Michael.
"Man, they were so fucking annoying!" said Aaron. "They were like, 'What if I don't live?' and 'What if I have to be in a wheelchair?” Andrew let out a deep breath.
"But there is one person who is being recruited in Gamma Squad," said Alex. "His name is Alvin Wong." Andrew and Michael's eyes widened.
"Alvin?!" they both asked. Then, the last soldier jumped from the chopper and landed on the ground. In his hands were the Jack N' Jill SMGs along with a bag over his shoulders.
"Alvin!" called Michael.
"Hey!" Alvin said while waving his arms. Andrew and Michael walked up to him and shook hands.
"Good to see you again Alvin," said Andrew. "Ready to shoot some grubs?"
"Who isn't?" he asked.
"You boys better start the training," said Dani. "The Ravens, Centaurs, and the Derricks are almost finished."
"Alright," said Andrew. "Aaron and Alex, find our Derrick and Raven."
"Right away!" they both said as they walked towards the docking bay.
"Okay, let's start the training and then we'll hit the road."
==Chapter One-Déjà Vu==
Andrew, Michael, and Alvin all head towards an alleyway and the training commences.
“So, Alvin, what brings you to the C.O.G.?” asked Michael.
“Well, my parents were killed by the Locust and I somehow escaped,” said Alvin. “The only refuge I had in Sera was the C.O.G.”
“Deep,” said Andrew. “Well, let’s suit you up. Now, I’m sure you know the first rule of the C.O.G. is to…”
“Take cover!” said Alvin.
“Wow, how’d you know?” asked Michael.
“No, take cover!” yelled Alvin. Alvin pointed towards the end of the alleyway and Andrew and Michael both turned. There were cracks forming in the ground ahead of them. Then, the cracks expanded and a massive hole was formed.
“E-Hole!” yelled Andrew. All three immediately jumped into cover as the hole became a little bigger and from the hole came…nothing. The three looked up from their cover and watched the hole for any signs of Locust.
“What the hell?” asked Michael. “It could be a trap.”
“I don’t know,” said Alvin. Then, Andrew reached for his earpiece.
“Control, we have a confirmed Emergence Hole in an alleyway near HQ. But there’s nothing coming out of it.”
“Heh, that’s what she said,” Michael whispered.
“Copy that Gamma,” said Dani over the earpiece. “There have also been confirmations of other E-Holes throughout Jacinto. It’s strange how they just randomly appeared.”
“True,” said Andrew. “Give us a little more time to complete the training and we’ll be back at the docking bay ASAP.”
“Affirmative.”
Andrew moved from his cover and walked towards the E-Hole. Michael and Alvin also moved out of cover and they all stood around the hole.
“How can multiple E-Holes randomly appear in Jacinto?” asked Alvin.
“Actually, how CAN E-Holes appear in Jacinto?” asked Michael. “Our underground is completely filled with granite. Not even our Grindlifts can dig through it. It’s impenetrable…right?”
“Yeah,” said Andrew. “Strange. Let’s continue with the training shall we.”
The three eventually made their way down the alleyway and turned a corner. There was a large opening and it was perfect for a shooting practice.
“Okay Alvin, let’s see how your shooting skills are,” said Andrew. “Shoot those bottles on top of those boxes.” Alvin walked up and just swung his SMG’s and pulled the trigger. A spray of bullets fired from the guns and the bottles were knocked down immediately.
“Damn, not bad,” said Michael. “I can’t even do that.”
“Let’s move on,” said Andrew. The three moved through the alleyway and make another turn and up ahead were a bunch of trash cans all lined up against the walls of the buildings. “Okay, let’s see how you can handle a grenade,” said Andrew. “Toss a grenade into one of those trash cans.” Alvin immediately grabbed his grenade and just randomly threw it like it was blind fire and it landed in one of the trash cans. The grenade exploded and the explosion caused the trash can to fly up in the air.
“Nice,” said Michael. “But watch this.” Michael grabbed his grenade, threw it in the air, took out his Lancer, and shot at it. The bullets hit the grenade and it exploded. The explosion created a shockwave and knocked some of the stones off of the buildings along the alleyway and knocked down all of the trash cans.
“Show off,” said Andrew.
They turned another corner and there was a growling sound nearby.
“What’s that sound?” asked Alvin.
“Probably just a couple of dogs,” said Michael.
“Let’s move up,” said Andrew. “Quietly.”
The three slowly walked towards the source of the noise and when they peeked over the corner, there were a group of 5 Wretches growling at each other.
“How the hell did they get here?” asked Alvin.
“I don’t know but let’s take them out,” said Andrew as he and Alvin both picked up their Lancers and aimed them at the Wretches. “On my mark…one…two…”
BOOM!
Andrew and Alvin lowered their Lancers and watched as the Wretches’ bloods and guts flew everywhere.
“I’d prefer grenades thank you very much.”
They both turned and saw Michael holding onto a grenade.
“Geez Michael,” said Andrew.
“What? I couldn’t help it.”
“Look,” said Alvin as he pointed towards the sky. Andrew and Michael looked up as King Ravens flew from one end of the building to another.
“That’s our cue to leave,” said Andrew. “Come on.” The three began to roadie-run all the way down the alleyway and eventually reached the road where all of the soldiers were preparing to leave.
“This is one hell of a battalion,” said Michael.
“Come on,” said Andrew. “Let’s reach the docking bay.”
The three soldiers walked down the road as the Derricks and the Centaurs began to roll by.
“Are you sure this is going to be enough?” asked Michael.
“I’m positive,” said Andrew. The three continued to walk and soon enough, they reached the docking bay where all of the King and Queen Ravens were prepared to launch. Andrew noticed one of the soldiers preparing a Queen Raven.
“Matt!” Andrew called. The soldier turned and removed his helmet.
“Hey little bro! How’ve you been?”
“Never been better.”
“So Alvin, how do you like the C.O.G. so far?”
“So far I like it,” said Alvin.
“Well enjoy it while you can,” said Matt. “Cause hell will be unleashed soon.”
Matt climbed up onto the Queen Raven and sat in the pilot’s seat. He flipped on the controls and the engine activated.
“Head towards the Derricks, we’ll be leaving soon,” said Matt. “Alvin, you’re with me.” Alvin boarded the Raven and operated the chain gun.
“Okay everyone!” said Andrew. “This is it! Michael, get aboard Rig-144. Amanda will be there. Let’s move out!” Michael nodded and Andrew ran towards Rig-314. He climbed up the ladder and reached the top in a matter of seconds. He noticed that Alex and Aaron were already onboard.
“Ready to kick some ass?” asked Alex.
“You know it,” said Andrew.
“All Gears are onboard the Derricks,” said Dani over the earpiece. “Gamma Squad report in!”
“Corporal Amanda Cha, Rig-144.”
“Corporal Alex Cha, Rig-314.”
“Corporal Michael Ahn, Rig-144.”
“Corporal Aaron Slone, Rig-314.”
“Private Alvin Wong, KR-276.”
“Sergeant Andrew Yim, Rig-314.”
“All members checked in,” said Dani. “Colonel Hoffman, you are now ready for launch.”
“Affirmative Control,” said Hoffman. “All units, move out!”
==Chapter Two-En Route==
The Ravens rose up in the air as the Derricks and the Centaurs began to move down the road. “Okay Gamma Squad,” said Dani. “Your mission is to provide ground support to the Ravens above. Matt and Alvin, you two provide air support for the vehicles below. We have located a large number of Nemacyst down the road and the chain guns attached on top of the Derricks should help. Good luck out there.”
“Thanks Dani,” said Andrew. “Gamma out.”
“So, are we going to bust up some Locust or what?” asked Aaron.
“Oh yeah,” said Andrew. “A whole shitload of them.”
After turning a corner on the road, the C.O.G. approached a large valley. “Load your weapons,” said Andrew. “You never know what could happen out here.” The Derricks all moved down to the valley and the Ravens flew above. “Matt, what do you see up ahead?” asked Andrew.
“Nothing so far,” said Matt. “Wait, hold it. I see some seismic activity down the road.”
“What is it?” asked Alex as the Ravens moved forward and hovered over the crack.
“Looks like some breaks in the fault lines, like a miniature earthquake or something. Hold on, there’s something beneath the surface.” Then, he saw an orange light emit from within the crack. “Shit! All Ravens, take evasive action! Repeat! Take evasive action!” Matt immediately moved the Raven and turned towards the left. The other Ravens soon followed, but one of them was too slow. Suddenly, form beneath the fault lines, a large orange beam of energy fired upwards from the ground and towards the sky. The beam collided with the Queen Raven and the Raven exploded into many pieces of rubble. Then, the beam continued to fire upwards for a couple seconds, and then faded into nothingness.
“QR-033 is down!” yelled Alvin.
“What the fuck was that?!” yelled Alex.
“Whatever it was, it took down a Queen Raven in just one blast!” said Matt.
“Not just the Raven Gamma!” said Dani. “We’ve just lost a reading on one of our Hammer of Dawns, like it was blown up or something!”
“No,” said Andrew. “That’s impossible!”
Suddenly, another orange beam shot up from beneath the surface and the Derrick next to him exploded as the cries of the soldiers echoed through his ears.
“Damn, we lost another reading on the Hammer of Dawn!” yelled Dani.
Aaron turned and tried to see what was ahead, but only one thing caught his eye. There was a dark mist of objects flying towards them. “What the hell is that?” he asked.
Andrew and Alex turned and moved towards the front end of the Derrick. “Oh my fucking god,” said Alex.
“Nemacyst!!” yelled Andrew.
“Holy shit!” yelled Michael over the com link. “That many?!”
“Andrew!” yelled Matt. “We need you to cover us!”
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. Then, large cracks in the surface began to appear. After that, a giant hole. Then, a loud screech echoed out of the hole as the Derricks and Centaurs got closer to it. “Shit!” yelled Andrew. “Corpsers!” After a Derrick got close enough to the hole, a Corpser leg emerged from the surface and thrust it into the side of the Derrick. It cut through the Derrick like it was a piece of cheese. Then, it dragged the Derrick back into the hole as the Corpsers began to emerge onto the surface.
“We’ll cover you!” yelled Matt. “Just get rid of the Nemacyst from killing us up here!”
“Easier said than done!” yelled Andrew.
Andrew ran towards the top of the Derrick and operated the chain gun. He aimed it upwards and pulled both triggers. The barrels spooled up and they began to fire rapid bullets towards the sky. The bullets collided with the many Nemacysts covering the sky and some of them exploded in a blast of black smoke. “Holy shit!” yelled Aaron. “Shoot them all down!” Suddenly, a Nemacyst threw itself from the sky and crashed into a King Raven. It spun out of the sky and crashed onto the ground in a fiery explosion. “KR-059 is down!” yelled Alvin. “Repeat, KR-059 is down!”
“Hurry up and kill them all Gamma!” yelled Matt.
“I’m trying I’m trying!” yelled Andrew.
Suddenly, a Corpser rose from the ground in front of the Derrick. “SHIT!!” yelled Alex. Andrew aimed the chain gun and fired towards the Corpser’s roaring mouth. The Corpser reared backwards and roared in anger. Then, Matt fired missiles from the Queen Raven and the missiles struck the insides of the Corpser. It roared one last time and it fell backwards. The Derrick Andrew rode on continued forward and drove over the destroyed Corpser.
“Nice work!” said Andrew.
The journey to the Ostri Republic continued as the onslaught of the Nemacyst and the rest of the Locust continued as well. Their tactics were getting more and more brutal by the minute. “Andrew, we’re being heavily attacked by Corpsers!” yelled Amanda from Derrick 144.
“What’s your status?” asked Andrew.
“So far, our driver is down!” yelled Michael. “We’re immobile at the moment and we only have a handful of soldiers left! We need assistance now!”
“Copy that Michael, we’re on our way!” said Andrew. “Control, we’re heading towards Rig-144 to retrieve Amanda and Michael along with some other soldiers as well.”
“Copy that Gamma,” said Dani. “You are clear for evac.”
“Understood Control. Gamma out. Matt, we need you to cover us while we head towards Derrick 144!”
“Got it!” said Matt. “Keep those ‘cysts off of us!”
Rig-314 began to turn left and towards Rig-144. Andrew aimed his chain gun to the sky and fired at the Nemacysts flying through the air. Suddenly, the Derrick began to shake. “We got Grapplers!” yelled Aaron.
“Take them out!” yelled Andrew. “Michael, what’s your status?”
“Not so good!” said Michael. “It’s only me and Amanda right now!”
“Just hang on a little longer! We’ll be there soon!”
Andrew continued to fire at the Nemacysts while Aaron and Alex took care of the Grapplers. “Andrew, behind you!” yelled Alex.
A Grappler approached Andrew from behind and was about to fire, but Andrew quickly spun around, grabbed his Lancer, and activated the chainsaw bayonet simultaneously, and brought it down on the Locust before it could pull the trigger. Blood sprouted everywhere as Andrew turned and operated the chain gun again. Then, he noticed Derrick 144 ahead. “There they are!” he yelled.
“Shit, they got Corpsers all over it!” yelled Alex.
“Matt, open fire on those Corpsers!” yelled Andrew.
Matt turned the Raven and fired its missiles towards the Corpsers. They all reared back, but they still kept on coming. “It won’t be enough!” yelled Alvin. “You have to evacuate Michael and Amanda now!”
“We’re on it!” said Andrew. “Driver, take us in close!”
“What?!” he yelled. “Hell no!”
“Just fucking do it!”
“Fine fine!”
The driver continued on and drove next to Rig-144. The flames were burning quickly and the Corpsers were approaching quickly. “Get on quick!” yelled Andrew. Amanda stepped back and ran forward. Then, she jumped at the boarding platform and landed on our side. Now it was Michael’s turn. “Jump Michael!” yelled Andrew. He stepped back and ran forward. He was about to jump, but right when he launched himself in the air, an orange laser fired from beneath the ground and through the Derrick. His jump is thrown off and he tried to grasp the ledge of our Derrick, but he failed to do so. Andrew quickly jumped forward and dove for his hand. He grabbed it and held it tightly. Michael began to sweat nervously as he looked down, then up, then back down. “Driver, get us out of here!” yelled Andrew.
“On it!” he said. The Derrick began to move as the others helped Andrew and Michael up. “Thanks Andrew,” said Michael.
“No problem.”
“Gamma, all Seeders have been neutralized,” said Dani. “There won’t be any signs of Nemacysts for some time now.”
“Thanks Control,” said Andrew.
“Yes, thank you!” said Matt.
“So, how far are we?” asked Amanda.
“We still have about 2 kilometers to travel,” said Andrew. “Buckle up Gears. It’s going to be a long ride.
==Chapter Three-Rising==
The Derricks, Centaurs, and the Ravens exited the open area and approached what seemed to be a one way road. “Okay Gamma, keep your eyes peeled,” said Andrew. “This ain’t over yet.”
“Gamma, I’m picking up some serious seismic activity ahead of you,” said Dani.
“Again?!” asked Alex.
Suddenly, the ground ahead broke apart and a giant E-Hole appeared. The Derricks stopped moving and Gamma moved towards the edge of the rails. “So…nothing?” asked Aaron. Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground. Then, from the hole, appeared a large creature resembling a gigantic moth with many wings…but was way more hideous. “Holy fuck!” yelled Aaron.
“Nice jinx dumbass!” yelled Michael.
The insect-like creature hovered in the air for a few seconds, and in just a couple more seconds, it flew towards a Queen Raven, grabbed it between its many legs, and tossed it at a King Raven. They both collided and they both exploded.
“QR-122 and KR-047 are down!” yelled Matt.
“Control!” yelled Andrew. “Are you getting this?! What the hell is that thing?!”
“A Mosect,” said Dani. “It’s supposed to be like the next step in the stage of evolution of a Rockworm.”
“That thing doesn’t even look like a fucking Rockworm!” yelled Amanda.
“The Mosect lacks the rocky armor unlike their past stage!” said Dani. “However, their main body parts are still thick enough to stop bullets. But we’ve discovered that their wings are completely unprotected and bullets will penetrate right through them. So the best choice of action is to shoot the wings.”
“Copy that Control,” said Andrew. “Gamma out.” Andrew quickly ran towards the top of the Derrick and operated the chain gun again. “Aim for the wings!” He pulled the trigger and a spray of bullets fired towards the Mosect. It screeched and reared backwards, but it still kept on fighting. It then swooped downwards and picked up a Derrick between its legs. It rose in the air, and after screeching, it dropped the Derrick and it exploded into many burning pieces. “Son of a bitch!” yelled Alex.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake again. Another massive E-Hole was created and from it, emerged a Manticus.
“We got a Manticus ahead of us!” yelled Michael.
“All Derrick units, open fire on that Manticus with your chain guns!” yelled Andrew. “Centaurs, fire your cannons! All KR and QR units, keep that…whatever the hell that flying thing is off of us!”
“Will do Andrew,” said Matt. “All units engage!”
Andrew aimed the chain gun and fired towards the platforms on top of the Manticus. The Locust on the platform began to fire their Troika Turrets towards the Derricks. “We’re taking heavy fire!” yelled a C.O.G. Gear from Rig-252. “They’re too strong!”
The Manticus roared and launched two rockets from its shoulder-mounted rocket launchers. The rockets spiraled their way towards Rig-252 and it completely annihilated the vehicle. “Rig-252 is down!” yelled Alex.
“Shoot the launchers on that son of a bitch!” yelled Andrew. Gamma aimed their weapons towards the Launchers and the bullets began to ricochet off the launchers. The Manticus roared and fired another two rockets. Andrew immediately aimed for them and fired the chain gun. The bullets flew through the air and eventually struck the rockets. “That was a close one,” said Alex.
Matt made his way above the Manticus and Alvin operated the chain guns. He rained heat down upon the Locust on the fortress platform and then, Matt launched missiles towards the launchers and they exploded. The Manticus roared and it took a few steps back. Then, the Mosect snatched onto the Raven and started to swing it around. “We could use some assistance here!” yelled Alvin.
“I’m on it!” yelled Andrew. He aimed the chain gun upwards and fired at the wings. The bullets struck the wings and the Mosect began to descend. “Almost there!” yelled Amanda. After a few more bullets, the Mosect’s wings were torn up. It began to fall and it released the Queen Raven. The Raven recovered altitude and the Mosect crash landed in front of the Derrick. “Full speed!” yelled Andrew. The driver increased the speed of the Derrick and soon enough, the Derrick ran right over the Mosect and it acted like a ramp. The Derrick jumped and right before it knew it, the Manticus was crushed by the massive weight of the Derrick. The fortress crumbled into pieces as the Derrick crashed into it as well. The Derrick continued on, followed by the other Derricks along with the Centaurs and the Ravens. “Thanks for the assist Gamma,” said Matt.
“No problem,” said Andrew. Then, after making it through the road, a city came into sight…with smoke rising from it. “Control, Ostri is in sight. Seems like it’s completely destroyed though.”
“Affirmative Gamma,” said Dani. “Permission to proceed and investigate.”
“Wilco Control. Gamma out.”
“Whoa!” yelled Aaron. “We made it!”
“Don’t fucking jinx it man!” said Michael.
==Chapter Four-Razed==
The vehicles approached the city and the soldiers all noticed that the city was completely razed. “Oh my god,” said Alex with shock, not that everyone else was also in the state of shock. “What the hell happened here?”
“Don’t tell me the Locust were here too,” said Amanda.
The Derricks and the Centaurs halted and the Ravens landed. Alvin jumped out of the Raven and walked towards Gamma as they dropped down from Rig-314. “Okay, Gamma, you head into the city and investigate, the other Squads will take another route,” said Matt. “I’ll scout above and see if there’s anything that can help us see who caused this mess.”
“Got it,” said Andrew.
“See you on the far side.”
The Ravens took off and Gamma headed through the city gates and into the destroyed city itself. “This is just too much,” said Alvin. “How can so much destruction occur so quickly?”
“Don’t know,” said Andrew. “But we’ll find out soon enough.” Gamma approached a fork in the road, both leading to a path of rubble and debris. “Okay, Amanda, Alex, and Aaron, you three take the right, Michael, Alvin, and I will take the left.” The squad split up and Andrew, Michael, and Alvin headed down a ramp. They approached a large road with destroyed vehicles and fallen buildings in which they all burned. “The Locust will pay for this,” said Michael.
Suddenly, there was a grunted roar that sounded like, “Ground walkers!” “We got Locust ahead of us!” yelled Andrew. “Take cover!” The three soldiers took cover behind some vehicles as the Locust poured out of the buildings and started to fire. The bullets from their Hammerburst III’s grazed the metal coverage of the destroyed vehicles as Gamma tried to fire back. “An assault won’t work!” said Andrew. “Michael, Alvin, flank ‘em!”
“On it!” said Alvin. The two soldiers ran behind the cars and into one of the buildings. Andrew overlooked his cover and fired his Lancer at the Locust. Some of the bullets shot down a couple of them, but they were still coming. Andrew ducked back in cover and reloaded the Lancer. “If I knew there were going to be this many Locust, I would’ve brought another gun.” Andrew looked over his cover and shot down another Locust. Then, he tossed a grenade behind one of the Locusts’ cover and blew one of them away into multiple bloody pieces. “Got one!” He quickly ducked back into cover and reloaded. “What’s taking them so long?”
Suddenly, an explosion was heard in the building to the right. Andrew rolled away from his cover and watched as the building began to collapse and soon fell right on top of the Locust. The smoke cleared as Andrew stood back up and noticed Michael and Alvin walking out of the destroyed building’s base. “Nice job Gamma,” said Andrew. The three made their way over the rubble and they came across another building that still seemed to be intact. “This seems to be safe,” said Andrew. “We can get a better view of the city from up there.”
“Anyone have wood I can knock on?” asked Michael.
The three walked up the entry stairs and through the front doors. As they walked in, they noticed that it was a hospital. They took a left and entered one of the many halls located on the first floor. There were hundreds of beds with citizens lying in them with pain. “Damn,” said Alvin. “All these citizens…injured…”
“If there are this many citizens just in this hospital, just imagine how many citizens died from the invasion,” said Michael.
“Let’s just hope that they all evacuated in time,” said Andrew. They approached a set of stairs and they slowly ran up them. As they arrived at another floor and they noticed hundreds of citizens lying painfully in the hospital beds. Then, Andrew reached for his earpiece, “Control, this is Gamma. We’ve arrived at Ostri Hospital and Alex, Amanda, and Aaron are taking another route.”
“Copy that Gamma,” said Dani. “We have confirmed that there are no Locust in the vicinity. But take caution anyway.”
“Copy that Control. Gamma out.”
The squad walked across the hall as they eyed the injured citizens. “Hey Andrew, think the elevator’s safe enough?” asked Alvin.
“If we’re trying to reach the roof, I guess,” he said.
He pressed the “Up” button on the elevator panel and the door opened. They all walked in and he pressed the “R” button. The doors closed and the elevator began to move upwards. “I have a strong urge to press everything single button on the panel,” said Michael.
Eventually, the elevator reached the rooftop and the doors opened. The three walked out of the elevator and as soon as they did, the elevator snapped and it dropped all the way back down. They all turned and stared down into the deep hole. There was a crash and then silence. “Ah shit,” said Andrew. They all turned back and walked towards the edge of the building. They scanned the city and they saw the amount of destruction the city. “The city’s been totally destroyed,” said Alvin.
“How can this even be possible?” asked Michael.
“There’s no sign of a sinkhole,” said Andrew. “So there can’t be another Riftworm out there…so…what could’ve cause this? I’m pretty positive that the Locust couldn’t cause THIS much damage.”
"Hey wait, there's a hole down there," said Alvin. He pointed ahead and they all noticed a large hole.
"That's...definitely not a sinkhole, but it's the size of a Riftworm," said Andrew. "We have to get down there."
“Hey, there’s the rest of the squad!” said Alvin. They looked over the edge of the building and they noticed Alex, Amanda, and Aaron a couple blocks away from the building. “Alex, we’ve got an eye on you,” said Andrew.
“What? From where?” asked Alex.
“Look to your left, we’re on top of the Ostri Hospital.”
“Okay, dude, I can’t see you at all. All I see is a bunch of Locust heading towards that direction…holy shit! Hey, you got Locust heading your way!”
“What?!” Andrew looked down and his eyes widened. “Alex, move away from the building! We’re on our way down!”
“Roger roger.”
“Alvin, Michael, shoot those Locust down there!” They all aimed their Lancers down the wall and they fired all at once. The bullets flew downwards and they struck down the incoming Locust. They also fired upwards, but the bullets were astray. “Shoot those motherfuckers down!” yelled Andrew.
“Andrew, the Locust are planting grenades all over the perimeter!” yelled Aaron. “Get out of there!”
“The elevator’s down, there’s no fucking way down!”
Suddenly, there were a few explosions heard from the ground floor. “Shit!” yelled Amanda. “They just destroyed the pillars!”
“Ah, FUCK!”
The building shook and it began to lean left and right. “Alex, Amanda, Aaron, get out of here! Find a safe distance and continue with the search! Don’t worry about us!”
“If you say so!” said Alex. “Good luck!”
Suddenly, the building began to lean towards the left. “The building’s collapsing!” yelled Michael.
“No shit!” yelled Alvin. The building then began to fall towards the left. Andrew looked back down towards the ground and towards the edge opposite of the direction the building was leaning towards. “Ah the hell with this! Michael, Alvin, follow me!” Andrew quickly placed his Lancer behind his back began to roadie run towards the right side of the building. Then, Andrew jumped off the edge of the building and landed on the slanted slope of the building. He began to slide down and Michael and Alvin trailed behind him. “Watch those windows Gamma!” yelled Andrew. Andrew shifted his body and he slid to the left to dodge a window. He then shifted to the right to dodge another window. They soon reached the bottom and the slope began to flatten out. “Jump for it!” Andrew quickly stood up and began to run down the slope. Michael and Alvin did the same and before they reached the roots of the building, they all jumped and flew through the air. The building crashed to the ground and the three landed on a rocky slope. They tumbled down the slope and they soon landed on the ground. “Uhhh…damn it that hurt!” said Michael.
"At least this way was faster than the elevator," said Alvin.
The three stood back up and swept off the rocky dust off their armor. “Let’s move on,” said Andrew. “The patrols will be here soon.” They moved throughout the rubble and approached the hole.
==Chapter Five-Down the Hole==
The three looked down into the hole. The darkness was not welcoming them. “So…who wants to go into the creepy darkness first?” asked Alvin.
“Nose game?” asked Michael.
Suddenly, the ledge the soldiers stood on shook and it detached itself from the rest of the ground behind them. “Holy shit!” yelled Andrew. The three landed on the descending ramp and slid down the hole. Don’t hit the piles of rubble!” Andrew quickly leaned towards the left and he dodged a few piles. Michael and Alvin did the same, but eventually, the three were near the bottom. “Almost there Gamma!” Suddenly, there was a large ramp ahead of them. “Fuck me…” said Michael. The three hit the ramp and they launched in the air and they all yelled as they hit and rolled on the ground floor. “Uh…is everyone alright?” asked Andrew.
“Yeah,” said Alvin. He coughed. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“I’m still here,” said Michael.
Andrew reached up for his earpiece and spoke into it, “Alex, you three still good?”
“Yeah,” answered Alex. “We see a stadium ahead of us and we’re going to check it out.”
“Alright, be watchful for any ambushes.”
“Roger that.”
Andrew, Michael, and Alvin continued to walk through the tunnel and soon enough, the lights weren’t welcome in this darkness. “Lights on Gamma,” said Andrew. The three activated their shoulder lamps and lit up the tunnel. That’s when they realized that the tunnel was humongous. “What the hell could’ve caused this?” asked Michael.
“It can’t be another Riftworm,” said Andrew. “Delta Squad killed that thing a long time ago.” Andrew then reached for his earpiece. “Control, we have just entered a tunnel and it appears to be the size close to the size of a Riftworm.”
“Copy that Gamma,” said Dani. “We have another confirmed report on the other side of the Ostri. Take caution Gamma.”
“There aren’t any confirmed reports about any sightings of a Riftworm right?”
“Not at the moment Gamma, but there are speculations that it might be,” said Dani.
“Thanks Control. Gamma out.”
The three continued on through the tunnel and the silence was broken by Michael. “If the Ostri is gone, then how are we going to retrieve the superweapon?”
“I don’t know,” said Andrew. “But if the Ostri Industry is still around, we can find someone…if we can find someone…who can help us gain any information about it?” The three continued inward through the tunnel and the darkness began to lift as they approached a cavern. “Don’t tell me…” Michael’s mouth dropped in awe. “It’s another Hollow,” said Andrew. Shades of light blue covered the cavern walls with exotic plant life covering the rocky grounds of the Hollow.
“But…didn’t we flood the Hollow when we sunk Jacinto?” asked Alvin.
“They must’ve prepared for this,” said Andrew. “They must’ve known that one of the only ways to stop them is to flood the Hollow and wash away any Locust inside it. Damn, and I thought we turned this war around during that day.”
They continued to walk and there was another fork in the road. “Alright, Michael, Alvin, you take the high road left, I’ll take the low road right.”
“Roger roger,” said Alvin. The Squad split up and Andrew slowly made his way deeper into the Hollow. “Control, we have confirmed another Hollow under Ostri. I repeat, we have another Hollow located under Ostri.”
“Copy that Gamma,” said Dani. “We just got another confirmed report from Alpha Squad on the other side of Ostri. Advise you take caution.”
“Copy that Control, Yim out. Alex, how are things at your end?”
“Not so great,” said Alex over the earpiece. “There are somewhat a hundred citizens in the stadium here.”
“Can you evacuate them?”
“We tried, but they don’t want to leave.”
“Just keep trying. We’ll be there soon.”
“Understood. Cha out.”
Andrew ventured deeper into the Hollow as he viewed the Hollow’s features. He approached a glowing plant and was about to touch it, but it reared backwards and covered itself with its leaves. “What the hell?” After that, his earpiece came on.
“Andrew, we’ve encountered some…thing,” said Michael.
“What…thing?”
“Don’t know. But it looks like…a fossil or something…just follow the high road, it’ll lead you to us.”
“You have got to be shitting me. Alright, I’ll be there.”
Andrew followed the high road and wondered, “How would a fossil end up all the way down here? I mean, the creature must’ve been ancient.” He continued to run along the road and soon enough, he caught up with Michael and Alvin. That’s when it shocked him. Ahead of him, he saw a large skeletal body with clean white bones protruding from the walls of the cavern. The midsection was gigantic and it had multiple bone connections on the base of the rib bones so it must’ve been like a giant insect of some sort. It also had bones for wings. They looked similar to an exoskeleton of some sort, but it did look like an insect wing. At the end of the fossil was a large cone-shaped object, like a stinger. Then, Andrew reached for his earpiece. “Control, I hope you’re getting this on Jack. We have seem to found a fossil…a giant fossil.”
“Say again Gamma,” said Dani. Jack approached Andrew and unfolded the screen from his insides. Then, it revealed Dani on the screen. “You said you found a what?”
Andrew walked towards the screen. “A fossil. I don’t know, it looks like one of those Mosect things from before…but just 5 times bigger.”
“Oh my god.” Dani was in shock. “Okay uh, we’ll look more into this Gamma. Report anymore findings from now on.”
“Copy that Control. Gamma out.”
The three just stood there staring at the fossil. “This must’ve been one giant motherfucker,” said Michael.
“No shit,” said Andrew. “Come on, let’s move on.”
The three moved deeper into the cavern and the farther they went, the more questions emerge; like how the Locust were able to create a Hollow so quickly after the first one was destroyed? After minutes of walking, they eventually came up to a dead end. “Aw, now what?” asked Alvin.
“We’ll take the road over there.” Andrew pointed towards an offside road leading deeper into the cavern. They were about to leave, but Michael noticed something away from the road. “Hey, guys, check it out.” The two stood beside him and they looked down below them. “What the hell?” said Andrew. Down below them was another section deeper into the cavern. Locust were down there and they were surrounding a spherical object. They were talking in their grunted voices which couldn’t be recognized. “Anyone know what that is?” asked Michael.
“Don’t know,” said Andrew. “But we’ll find out soon enough. Come on.”
The three moved away from the edge and they took the side road down. They were about halfway down when the worst possible thing happened. “Achoo!” Michael sneezed. “Humans!”
“They spotted us!” yelled Andrew. “Take cover!” Luckily, the thin side road had covering near the sides so they provided just enough cover for Gamma. The Locust made their way up the side road and they used their Hammerburst II’s to shoot Gamma down. “We have to make it down there!” yelled Andrew. “Give them all you got!” Andrew raised his Lancer from his cover and fired towards one of the Locust. The bullet pummeled it in the chest and it fell backwards. “Got one!” Alvin stood up, raised his SMG’s and fired everywhere around the side road. The spray of bullets collided with many of the Locust and they all went down in an instant. “Nice work!” said Andrew. “Move up!” Gamma continued to descend into the depths of the cavern. They reached the bottom and were about to approach the spherical object until bullets rained above. “They’re above us!”
“I got it!” said Michael. He reached for a grenade and tossed it upwards. It landed on one of the side road levels and it exploded while gibbing the Drone…along with part of the side road itself. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” said Alvin.
“What?” asked Michael.
“You just blew up our only way out you dumbass!” said Andrew.
There was silence. “My bad.”
==Chapter Six-Surprises==
The three turned and they saw the spherical object. It had a rough dark brown texture with indented circles that were glowing red. “What do you think it is?” asked Alvin.
“I don’t know,” said Andrew. “Looks like some sort of casing or something.” He reached for his earpiece. “Control, you might want to have a look at this.” The monitor on Jack opened and it revealed Dani’s appearance. “Receiving Gamma. What the hell is that?”
“Don’t know Control. But it looks like one more thing to exterminate.” Andrew reloaded his Lancer and aimed at the object, but suddenly, it began to radiate brightly. “I think it heard you,” said Michael.
“Really now?” asked Andrew.
Jack immediately retracted the screen and cloaked itself. The object began to glow even brighter and suddenly, from the glowing indents, long thin tentacles emerged out of the object, ten to be exact. “What the fuck?!” yelled Alvin.
“Control, we’ll get back to you!” said Andrew. “Gamma out! Jack, make sure you record this!” Jack nodded and one of the tentacles swung at them. “Dodge!” They all rolled out of the way as it slammed onto the ground with brutal force. The three took cover behind some rocks and the tentacles swayed gently in the air. “What the hell is up with that thing?!” yelled Michael.
“Just shoot the tentacles goddamn it!” yelled Andrew. Andrew raised his Lancer and aimed at one of the tentacles’ tip. The bullets struck the tip and it reared, however, it was still “alive.” “Shoot the tips on that son of a bitch!” yelled Andrew. “That’s its weak point!”
“On it!” said Michael.
The three began to fire their weapons and the tips of the tentacles began to rear back into the object. Only 4 were remaining. “Watch the sides Gamma!” yelled Andrew. Andrew fired his Lancer towards one of the tentacles and it reared back into the object. Then, one of the tentacles swung from above and it crashed down upon one of the covers. It shattered into multiple pieces and it started to sweep around the room and began to take out every piece of cover.
“Get out of the way!” yelled Andrew. The three dove over the tentacles and rolled. Then, as they stood back up, the slithering beings slammed down once more. Andrew rolled out of the way, charged up his Lancer and brought down the chainsaw bayonet. The roaring blades sawed its way through the slippery tube and it completely sliced it apart. The tip whipped around on the ground while the main part retracted back into the object. Then, another tentacle slammed downwards towards Michael, but he sidestepped and quickly tagged the tip with a grenade. After a few seconds, it exploded and the tip got completely blown off. Just like the last one, the base of the tentacle retreated back into the object. Now there was only one more left. It swung towards Alvin, but he quickly sidestepped and jumped on the tentacle. Then, it started to swing itself around. “Whoa! This thing is insane!”
“Hang in there!” yelled Andrew.
“Shoot that son of a bitch!” yelled Michael.
Alvin struggled a bit. He kept on losing his balance, but he hung in there. Then, he pulled out his Jill SMG and fired at the tip. The tentacle violently shook him off and he flew through the air. He rolled on the ground and stood back up. The tentacle retracted itself and the room stood still. The three stopped to catch their breaths. “Well, wasn’t that easy,” said Michael. Suddenly, the object started to crack. “What’s with the fucking jinxes today?!” yelled Alvin. The object’s cracks glowed and suddenly, it exploded. “Get down!” yelled Andrew. The three dropped to the ground instantly as the shell of the object dispersed throughout the cavern. The three looked up and there was a massive creature in place of the object. It looked like a large bulkier version of a Rockworm…only uglier and more disgusting. “What…the hell is that thing?” asked Alvin.
“Hell if I know!” said Michael. “Just fucking shoot it!”
The three fired their weapons and the bullets zipped towards the creature. The bullets ricocheted off the creature and it growled. “Uh, I think we only made it more pissed,” said Alvin. Suddenly, the creature charged forward. “Roll!” yelled Andrew. The three rolled out of the way as the creature bashed into the wall. “Jack, scan this…thing!” said Andrew. “Control, do you have any info on this monstrosity?”
“Oh my god,” said Dani. “I don’t believe it.”
“What Dani?” asked Andrew. “What is it?”
“Intel states that it’s a Scaleworm. A massive variant of a Rockworm that goes into multiple stages of evolution. It’s basically metamorphosis.”
“Yeah we get it Dani! Now how do you kill this thing?!”
“Like all Rockworms, it has a soft underbelly. But its weight and aggressiveness will probably prevent you from doing that.”
“Thanks for the encouragement Dani. Gamma out.”
“So are we screwed?” asked Alvin.
The Scaleworm turned from the wall and charged towards them again. They rolled out of the way and it made another crack in the cavern wall. Andrew fired his Lancer at it, but unfortunately, it only made it more pissed off. “Shit!” The Scaleworm charged again and Andrew jumped over it. He landed on top of the creature and ran across it. He landed on the other side and fired at the tail. That only made it even more pissed. “How do we kill this thing?!” yelled Alvin. Then, the Scaleworm turned towards Michael. He began to fire at it with his Lancer, but soon, it clicked and the nozzle smoked. “I’m out!” he yelled. Then, the creature started to charge towards him. “Ah the hell with it!” He pulled out a grenade and rolled it on the ground in front of the creature. The Scaleworm ran over it and the grenade exploded. The explosion caused the Scaleworm to tip over and roar. And then, underneath the creature revealed three thin sacks of blood. “Holy shit!” yelled Andrew. “Gamma, aim for the blood sacks!” The three started to fire on the first blood sack and it popped open like a zit. Blood splashed everywhere as the Scaleworm shook around. Then, it tipped back upright and began to charge even faster at the Gears.
“I think we made it even more pissed!” yelled Michael.
“No shit!” yelled Alvin.
The three rolled to their sides and the Scaleworm crashed into the wall. It roared and it turned around again. “Michael, do it!” yelled Andrew.
“On it!” said Michael. He planted a grenade on the ground and then fired his Lancer at the creature. The bullets aggravated it and it began to charge at Michael. Michael rolled out of the way and as the Scaleworm ran over the grenade, it exploded and the creature was tipped over once again. Michael quickly rolled to his side and took out two grenades in each hand. He rolled towards the two remaining blood sacks, tagged them with both grenades, rolled backwards, and the grenades exploded. The blood sacks burst open and blood splashed everywhere. Then, Andrew ran forward and activated the chainsaw bayonet and sliced through the underbelly. The creature squealed and began to rock back and forth. “Did we kill it?” asked Alvin.
“If I say yes, then it’ll probably still be alive,” said Andrew. “And if I say no, then it’s still alive.”
The Scaleworm curled up into a sphere and rolled around the cavern. “Get out of the way!” yelled Michael. The three avoided the rolling creature and then, it crashed right into a wall and kept on digging through. The tunnel it left behind was large and pieces of gravel began to drop from the ceiling. “Well, that wasn’t too bad,” said Alvin.
Andrew reached for his earpiece. “Control, this is Gamma. We seemed to have severely damaged the Scale…whatever it is, and it just escaped from this cavern.”
“Follow it Gamma!” said Dani. “We can’t let it enter the process of metamorphosis!”
“Copy that Control! Gamma out! Alright Gears let’s follow that trail!”
The three roadie-ran through the tunnel and began to exit the cavern. “How the hell are we supposed to catch up to that thing?” asked Michael. “That thing moved like a freight train!”
“Just keep on moving!” said Andrew. “We’ll catch up to it eventually.”
Just then, the three saw sunlight and they exited the long tunnel. There was an embedded road in the ground to the left and it signaled where the Scaleworm was headed. “Looks like we’re headed that way,” said Alvin.
“Andrew! Andrew, are you there?!”
Andrew reached up for his earpiece. “What is it Alex? And what’s with all the gunshots?!”
“The Locust got us pinned down here at the stadium! We need assistance now!”
“Shit! Alright, we’ll be right there!”
“But what about the Scale…worm thing?” asked Alvin.
Andrew released his earpiece. “We’ll get that thing later! Let’s go Gamma!”
The three headed towards the right where the stadium was roadie-ran. “Come on Gamma, double time!” yelled Andrew. The three approached the stadium and when they reached its proximity, the Locust on the top seats began to shoot at them. “Take cover!” Andrew rolled into cover and blind fired above his head. Some of the bullets managed to hit some of the Locust, but it wasn’t enough to take them down. “Shoot those bastards down!” yelled Andrew. They all aimed their weapons upwards and fired at the few Locust shooting down on them. Soon enough, the bullets struck their tough hides and they went down. “Get in there now!” yelled Andrew. The three mantled over their covers and entered the stadium. “There they are, cover their positions!” They headed towards the center of the stadium and fired upon the Locust taking cover behind the seats in the stands. “What took you so fucking long?!” asked Amanda.
“Hey, we had a giant worm to deal with!” said Michael.
“Another Riftworm?”
“No, it’s uh, what do you call it?”
“Shoot now, talk later!” yelled Andrew.
They began to shoot at the Locust and they all fell by their bullets, but more were coming in from the entrances. “There are too many of them!” yelled Aaron.
“No shit!” yelled Alvin.
They kept on firing, but the Locust kept on pushing through. “Control, we’re completely surrounded!” yelled Andrew. “Is there any way to bring the Ravens into the Ostri Stadium?!”
“One is on its way!” said Dani. “What’s your status?”
“We’re completely surrounded by Locust! They’re coming in large numbers!”
“I’m sorry Andrew! But I can’t do anything right now!”
Suddenly, there was an explosion at one of the entrances. After that, all of the Locust focused their attention towards that one entrance. “Did reinforcements arrive?” asked Alex. Suddenly, gunfire sounded out throughout the stadium. The Locust fired back, but they all started to fall one by one. Then, Gamma Squad noticed a black/silver figure running out of the entrance. “That’s…not a Gear is it?” asked Alvin.
“Don’t think so,” said Andrew.
The figure looked sort of robotic as its body seemed to be made of iron and steel. It was holding Jack N’ Jill SMG’s and it was mowing down Locust easily. One of the Locusts ran up to him and tried to melee him, but the figure jumped, flipped over it, and smashed the two guns together at the head. It ran forward and as it approached two Locusts, they began to fire their Hammerbursts at it. The figure quickly clipped the guns on its waist and flipped through the air. After it landed, it performed a back handspring multiple times and when he reached them, he did a back flip, took out his SMG’s, and fired at the heads of the Locust. That took care of all of them. “Andrew behind us!” yelled Aaron. He turned and saw a Locust running towards us, but it immediately dropped to the ground. Andrew turned towards the figure and it was pointing its SMG at the dead Locust. Then, it clipped it back on and looked Andrew. Andrew looked back and noticed the glowing red eyes on the head.
Suddenly, the air around Gamma began to swirl. The figure quickly jumped over the stands and over the edge of the stadium and disappeared. Two Queen Ravens hovered above the Gears as they touched down onto the ground. “Okay Gamma, get on, three each,” said Andrew. Aaron, Alex, and Andrew got on one Raven, and Amanda, Michael, and Alvin on another. “Control, the Ravens have arrived and we are taking off now.”
“Copy that Gamma,” said Dani. “You will rendezvous with the other Gears at the Peraspha Military Base in Aspho Fields.”
“Roger that Control. Gamma out.”
The Ravens took off in the air and headed towards Aspho Fields…
=Act Two...=
Chapter One-...
Chapter Two-...
Chapter Three-...
Chapter Four-...
Chapter Five-...
Act Two-Coming Soon...
Category:Under Construction