Delta team stood before a enormous hole of what remains of the city of Llima, the worm swallowed the entire foundations of the city and every building collapsed in a horrendous wake.
"Damm, they are sinking cities around Jacinto, this can't be good." Dom remarked.
Marcus saw lights appearing from the sky.
And planes and helicopters began to opened their searchlights to find the survivors.
Cries of pains and agony echoes in the desolate city.
But the locust didn't care. Every ruin of this sunken city was being garrison by the locust horde. Traps and landmines were being placed.
They took advantage of human morality and used the survivors as a hostages to bleed the enemy dry.
The silent city began to be engulfed in the crackling and smog of war.
At the peripheral outskirts was heavily contested with locust and Church's soldiers that is defending the relief forces into the city.
A helicopter was burning at its tail rotors as it crash landed nearby.
"Control, this is KR Five and we are going down! I have charlie nine in our hold! Locust are converging at our position!"
"Alright, KR five, This is Delta, coming to aid you!"
Marcus rushed to the nearest signal made by cog king raven that is crashing down nearby..
"Must be a seeder nearby."
"At least Cole is somewhere close enough to send us a message."
As the group reached the crash site the crew was dead minutes prior due to excessive blood loss.
"Control, this is Delta, KR Five and Charlie niner is kia. Delta out."
"Affirmative, we are sending a force to your location."
"Alright men, we should head back to the building before they spot us."
A long barrel popped out nearby and Anthony dragged Benjamin just in time before a bullet hole was blasted into where Benjamin once stood.
The locust began to popped from the wrecked buildings windows and opened fire at them
"Take cover!"
They began taking potshots and controlled burst at the locust.
"Whoo! Nobody messes with me!"
"Wait... Isn't that."
"Yup it's him alright."
Several locust was seen running away from Cole.
"Yeah, how do you like my Cole special!"
The burly man rammed into a locust and slapped a explosive at the locust spine.
The locust struggling to remove it, until it evaporated the upper torso, leaving the legs behind.
And Cole shot several locust skulls in the process
He rammed the last locust and began to use the chainsaw to skull fuck the locust brains out.
Sending brain matter across the pavement.
"You can't stop the star player, and I am the Cole train! Damm, I told ya that crash site was a trap!" Cole rushed back and a whirling sound was heard as he broke down a wall near by and he smile.
"Welcome back Cole" Dom hugged and patted the man.
"Where's your team Cole?"
Cole smile slowly faded as he silently held out several cog tags...
"These brothas are all I got going...Baird is coming after me. Said that he was doing something."
"Cole, I told ya that I... Oh it's you boss man."
"Anya, call off the evac, we are now linked up with Cole and baird is regrouping with us, resuming mission over."
As they ventured forth, they found a locust dock beneath the city and this time, there was plenty of prisoners being held captive in this torture capsules, Marcus ripped one out, revealing a frighten man that is shivering.
"What the hell happened here?"
"They... Took Clive. I can hear screaming from where I was held. One of them scream that they are being process." The man muttered as he pointed at the floating barges that held in the bay.
Marcus looked around and nodded to his teammates.
"Control, this is Delta, Found civvies at our current location, and it looks like they are capturing civilians and torturing them... Over."
As they separated they opened the cages and they found people that was in shock, broken even, as they witness the horor of what the locust had done to them.
As they opened one of the barges hold, they found Alexander tyrus was sitting at one the rooms.
Several cans of MREs was piled up beside him.
"Major? You alright?" Anthony asked.
"About time you showed up." Alexander spoke.
"How did you get here?
"Got captured in Landown, protecting the rig drivers with my men as they escape, that grub attempted to torture me... Damm, if that was any ordinary man... He would gone insane." He pointed to the room next to him.
It was a dessicated man and all that's left of him was a torso and the thing that held it up was just rusted chains.
"Kill...me.... please."
"Marcus... Do you got a weapon? I need to finish the rites." Alexander asked.
Marcus nodded as he handed him a laspistol.
"Sir...is that you?" The man heaved.
"Yes... private."
"Will I go to heaven?"
"Yes...the God Emperor smiled upon your bravery. He came to me and given his mercy upon you."
The man smiled as he watched Alexander aimed his pistol at him. Knowing fully well that he was beyond saving.
"Private... I hope that you can see your family in heaven. The heaven that the God Emperor made for you...."
A trigger was pressed. And there was no sound of gunpowder but a clean beam of light.
A clean shot to the head. And Alexander hands tremble a bit. He taken lives against the forces of darkness. But never his own.
The man last moments was that he smiled.
He removed the chains that held the man and placed the corpse to the ground, making a aquila gesture to the soldier that perished.
He noticed a cog tag and handed it over to Marcus.
As they made their way in the underbelly of the worm tunnels, Anthony asked.
"Do you know that man, Major?"
"I know everyone that worked for the church. This man, his story... He lost his family during the hammer of dawn. He joined cog for a while, but he grew frustrated that he joined the church, because the government failed. He was here days before... I was captured, he bore the torture and mocked the locust for several days... There was no way to save him... He was barely alive because of the adrenaline that is pumping to his brains. Even if he was saved... Where would he go? All his family is dead, and what's left of him was his hatred and his faith...
As they reached the end of the tunnels, they met a ambush by the locust. And in the distance a enormous mouth of the worm was seen heading towards them.
"This is Delta, we need evac!"
A helicopter was seen flying and the crew of the helicopter was manning the Gatling guns to cover fire. Causing the locust to hide behind the rubble.
Delta team boarded the helicopter, the worm was almost directly upon them.
They noticed Benjamin was the last out as he fired back at the locust
"Yeah! Come get some! Don't worry sir, I covering your back!"
"Ben! Get your ass back here!"
"Rookie, this ain't the big game yet, save your strength for the playoffs!"
Benjamin nodded as he hip fire his way back and a shot pinged at his armor, causing him to stumbled backwards as Marcus and Anthony dragged him back on the helicopter.
"Damm, I still alive huh, brother." Ben laugh a bit.
"Ben, Clayton would kill me, if I lose you." Anthony spoke.
There was a heavy turbulence as the worm attempted to suck in delta team helicopter.
Benjamin almost fallen off into the abyss of worms mouth, as the helicopter is faltering by the wind current. He was held on by his brother and Alexander.
The worm was directly in their faces and the vacuum of the suction cause the helicopter to sway and being sucked into the mouth of the giant worm.
"Alright, Sound off!" Marcus barked.
"All, alive here Sarge." Anthony groaned.
Most of them was alive and the pilot was the only one that is dead. The cockpit was smashed into one of the teeth as it slid down near Delta team.
"Ugh, this is Inside the worm..."
"The helicopter is nearby, I will scavenge it for weapons. Yes, you two, help us out." Alexander told the two remaining crew of the helicopter to get their personal defense weapons."
Alexander looked at the mangled corpse of the pilot and took his cog tag away from him. When he was not observed by Delta, took the corpse for burial.
Marcus handed Alexander the Chainsword, but He shooked his head.
"Nah, it's all yours, seemed like that feisty fella like ya." Alexander smiled.
Eleven people now stood in the belly of the beast. Two of them was the remains of the crew of the helicopter that crashed.
They grow frustrated that Cole shot at the innards of the worm throat.
"Fuck this shit! You want some of that! Huh! Want some of this!" Cole yelled as he fired at the throat of the worm.
A rumbling was heard behind them, and the worm was swallowing a large amounts of rubble and building towards the survivors.
As if to attempt to flush the survivors to a sweet past of blood.
They rushed down towards what seemed to be the weaker side of the worm innards, Marcus and Carlos, used their chainsaw to make a hole.
And the rest followed inside just before the tidal wave of rubble swept upon them.
As they passed through what seemed to be a digestive stomach of the worm.
Benjamin stare at a place. In a spine field that is filled with stomach acid. As if he was spooked.
"Major... I get the feeling that... I supposed to die here."
"But yet, you still live. Come on... We need to kill this worm."
Benjamin looked back at a image and voice that imprinted upon his mind... A broken torso of himself laying on that place and Marcus and the rest stood before him.
"Sarge...I hurt Sarge... tell my brothers... my ma... tell 'em I love 'em, and...and.."
He shook his head, but in that vision... He had doubts. He looked at Alexander as in that vision there was no tai or him in that last dying moments.
As they razed hell upon the innards of the beast. The creatures that dwell within the worm began to attack them en masse. Like a white blood cells attacking a intruder.
"Okay, here we are at the supposed biological speaking, the heart of the beast." Baird spoke as he tried to get reading upon the beast constitution.
"Let's just kill this and go home." Marcus growled as he cut the arteries of the heart.
Gallons upon gallons of blood spill out, and they heard the monster growling in agony.
They thought it was over. And Baird gave the bad news.
"Shit... This one have a second heart. Hear that?"
A thumping sound echoes in the distant walls of flesh and it made everyone groaned.
"Let's go and get that last heart!"
The city eating worm tremble with much more frequency as it suffer from internal bleeding.
The blood from the heart that is destroyed is filling up the nooks and cranny across the body.
But the denizen of the worm body is furious as they swarmed over Delta team.
The men fought their way to the last heart cavity of the giant worm.
Now by the time they reached the second heart, the blood it is almost reached at their legs. Marcus and Carlos went on different direction as the rest of the team fought back the denizens of the worm.
"Oh shit, oh shit, there's so many of them!" Benjamin panicked as the monsters is flooding out like a tide of flesh and sharp bones.
"Keep firing! Marcus you done?!' Alexander yelled as one of the critters attempted to bite his arm off. He whacked it with a dead corpse nearby. Smashing it, bone and flesh shattered upon impact.
"Almost there!" Marcus cut the last arteries and a flood of blood swarmed across the cavity.
The worm erupted and groaned as the body rose to the skies and landed on the ground with such vibrations that it cause a tidal wave of dirt and dust in the surroundings. Unable to be awaken more.
Several chainsaw began poking out and began to whirling to life as it carved a hole outside the worm body. And the pressure of the blood allowed the hole to be expanded and forced everyone out of the body of the worm, drenched in blood and gore.
Alexander looked outside and found that the sun is rising outside.
"God... I coughing up blood that's not even mine." Baird cough the blood from the amount of blood that he swallowed.
A bottle of water was handed out and first time they had something to drink.
He noticed that Alexander held it as the man poured over his head to remove the blood.
"How on cog did you get this?
"I have very big pockets, just don't ask and remove the sweat. Yeah, Ben here's bacon that you wanted!" He tossed dried bacon at the Carmines to eat.
"Well... It's a long story."
As Marcus recounted his tale.
Alexander picked up his radio and called for a tracker on his location.
As they hear two helicopters in the distant horizon.
Each of them bearing a wheeled tanks called centaurs and each of them landed next to Delta.
"Control, I requested a pickup, not a dropoff of centaurs?" Marcus asked.
Jack hovered before them and revealed a video screen.
There was a collective groan as many beginning to despise Prescott.
"Did my bullshit detector gone off?"
"Nah it over Richter 6 over here."
"Wow...just wow."
"Even now at the risk of defeat, he still keep secrets? I am more open than he is." Alexander pointed out.
"Sorry to say, but your guess is good as mine. If we known about it... Perhaps the war would be over soon. Your task is to reach a cog affiliated site that is mothballed years ago near your location to find information where the main locust hive is, the Operation Hallow storm is going on, it is to slow to expand and casualty is mounting, if what Prescott said is true. We could bring a end to this war quicker than expected. Colonel Hoffman over and out."
Marcus looked around them and grimaced at the fact that they are going on a blind hunt to a location that may or might as well be a key to ending this war.
"Alright, Delta team roll out."
Baird spoke as he rushed past them.
"Dibs on the cannon!"
Two tanks rushed off into the location.
After running into corpsers, Brumaks and several fragile rock bridges, they ended up on the location that is marked.
It was raining and the surroundings was filled with bog and puddles of water is strewn across the area.
A simple looking cog warehouse.
The group separated and observe the facility.
"Looks like a abandoned warehouse to me." Cole remarks.
"Unless they are hiding something. Dom, Carlos, Anthony follow me, the rest stand guard" Marcus spoke as they entered the facility.
"Guess I am following you Sergeant" Alexander smiled
"You kidding me right? There is not a grub in sight?" One of the rescued helicopter crew asked.
"Nowhere is safe no more..." Marcus muttered.
Smell of decayed fecal matter and musty smell envelope the group.
"Seemed like the stranded was here..."
"But how long did they stayed? That's the question." Alexander spoke.
There was not even a rat in sight. And the belongings of the stranded that lived here gave a wild estimation that they stayed here for a couple of months.
They checked everything, that deemed important. But abandoned records and paper revealed that it was just a warehouse.
Until they arrived at a blast door.
A old screen opened up, revealing a man.
"Welcome to Jameson Depot. Proper identification is required for entry. I'm sorry, but proper identification is required for entry. Good day."
"Would you kindly let us in?" Alexander spoke.
"I can't let you in without authorization."
"Jack see if you can slice the door." Marcus ordered the bot and a welding torch began to operate as the robot attempted to slice the machine. After a few second the reactor of the bot began to overheat.
"Shit... That not working. Stop jack."
"Okay... How about this, does this work?"
Alexander held out a aged keycard and slotted into the gate ..
"Sorry, not even Alexander Tyrus is allowed access. By order of Chairman Monroe himself." The figure tone regrettably spoke.
"Marcus... Do your thing. I will look for extra reinforcements from the church.." Alexander shrugged as he ventured off somewhere.
"Baird, I want charge ready, the entrance is blocked. Blast door grade."
"Normal or extra heavy?"
"The extra heavy, I will take my boys and look around."
The facility was desolate and nerve wracking, Marcus found a emergency generator and headed towards it. In transit they found a flamethrower, not the one that the church uses, but a decent one at best.
"Seemed like it's not used... I know a certain Carmine that wants it. Always want to burn things." Dom commented as he picked up the flamethrower.
"And burn our asses with it. That what he does." Marcus retorted.
"Well, great more reinforcements." Dom smiled a bit. Sending two tanks in deep behind enemy lines is nerve wracking.
"I always wondered, why the church is so eager to help him?" Carlos commented.
"Yeah, with so much records about him being obscured by conspiracy and rumors is a mystery as well.
"I wonder about that brother... When he put in that keycard, why is he banned from this place, what is his relationship with the old Chairman Monroe? What cause him to be drifted apart from that particular chairman." Dom ponders.
As they found the manual valve to open the garage doors they met Baird and the rest and rumbling was heard in the distance, several apcs stumbled besides the two tanks and soldiers came pouring out and took defensive position.
"Wow, Major, you called the calvary here?" Baird asked.
"What do you expect? More soldiers means this place should be secured... Did you got the charges ready?"
"Yes, yes, I made it extra explosives and Boss man, don't drop the thing."
"I let you know." Marcus nodded at Dom as they heaved and carry the explosive in front of the door.
" I know alright... From this safe distance."
"Thanks sir for the flamethrower!" Benjamin waving his newest trophy as he bade them good luck.
"Did you got your identification?" The figure spoke.
"Yeah, I got my identification riiight here." Marcus sarcastically spoke.
Dom is already finishing the timer.
"Timer set, let's get out of the blast."
Both of them rushed out and as the seconds ticked down. They managed to reached the entrance just barely as the blast doors exploded.
Marcus and his chosen squad was covered in dust and debris. As they walked past the blown out doors.
"Identification co-co-confirm ha-have a nice day."
As they entered in the facility entrance a different recording played out.
"Welcome to the New Hope Research Facility. I'm Niles. Please, let me know if I can be of any assistance."
"Are you a a.i or some shit?" Carlos spoke
"Actually, I'm not just a recording... Please, do come in. I'll tell you more about the facility." The figure gave a sarcastic response.
As they search the premises, they found blood marks...
"Seemed like you kept this place in tip top shape."
"Our facility maintains the highest possible standards, I assure you. We take great pride in our work here."
A automated machine gun aimed at Marcus and before he could react, a beam of light shot at the turret, causing it to melted into slag. He looked at the direction of the shot.
"Keep your eyes out, seemed like this placed is rigged with automated defenses and we are tagged as invaders."
A voice came out and mocking the people within.
"As you can see, we maintain the highest standards of security at New Hope. After all, one can never have too much security, can one?"
What is found in the depths of the facility is disturbing....
"Fuck... What have you done... Monroe." Alexander muttered.
Human trials using children fused with imulsion.
Several tinted vats that contains something within.
And several recording of the man voice at the gate.
Each of them more darker than the last.
And if it got to light in a civilized society, it would be the cataclysm of sera downfall.
"So... You were right Major... The locust was made by us." Dom spoke as he paled the fact that this place is a cover up that dammed the planet.
Locust bred like flies to replace humanity...
As they reached the office of Niles Samson.
They found a active mainframe.
"Jack, plug in and see if you can find anything." Marcus spoke to the machine and as it began to jack into the mainframe.
That annoying voice spoke once more
"I should warn you, these are state of the art security systems that cannot be breached by any-"
The robot shifted the files and managed to get one recording.
"The trip to Mount Kadar won't be an easy one, not by any means. We'll have to move during the night, in the snow, and Chairman Monroe won't even authorize the use of vehicles to transport the subjects. I will be leaving behind a semisentient security system to watch over the facility. I would hate for anyone to disturb the Sires' rest, and we would all like the later opportunity to study them as they grow. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that the security system is based off of my personality."
"Mt Kadar of course... That's where they are hiding..." Dom eyes widen.
A shattering of glasses was heard in the distance...
"What the fuck was that?"
Niles spoke as if it meant nothing to him.
"I would begin exiting the facility if I were you."
"What the fuck it's making that noise?
"I tried to warn you. Now it appears you have awoken the Sires. That could be very problematic."
Several humanoid looking specimens faced the group. It looked vaguely locust. But more feral in appearance. Their hands is more claws than opposable thumbs.
"What's the hell is that thing!?" Carlos yelled.
"Sires, of course. Didn't you read the abstract before your arrival?"
"Those are irreplaceable specimens... a genetic bridge to our future."
"Not for long you don't! Alexander bellowed as he fired back at the sires.
These were dumber than a locust... Almost feral like. But they were more durable.
"Baird, we are fighting cavemen locust! Get ready to retreat as soon as Jack managed to get the entrance!"
"Roger that, it seemed that the locust is attracted by the noise you make as well!"
As the download was completed, jack removed his hacking jack and went invincible.
"Command, this is Delta, already sending coordinates to you now!"
Marcus looked at the mainframe and spoke to it a final time.
"Nighty night, asshole." He pressed the off button and shut the mainframe down.
The facility automated defenses shut down, but the sires are beginning to be awaken.
They tore from their slumber and seek to vent their hatred.
Marcus and the team he chosen managed to fight their way out.
But locust now making their holes and started swarming them.
They met at the entrance was the two Carmine brothers waiting for them.
Benjamin yelled enthusiastically as he set the sires and locust on fire.
"Yeah, who wants some smoke grub!"
"Keep your eyes peeled brother, grubs inbound and I can smell their stink from here!"
The soldiers from the church aided their defense as reavers started to swarm the location. The Church soldiers fought valiantly as their weapons taken down the locust air support.
As Delta team passed by, Alexander looked at the lieutenant colonel that is leading the battalion and they both nodded as the tanks swept by.
Valkyries started to swarm the place and one landed in the vicinity as it dropped the troop ramp.
A red robed mechanical man stepped down and is lead by a entourage of metal masked men.
"++We must scour this place for the Emissary of the machine god, dataslates, any bits of information to aid in our endeavors of wiping this.. Abomination from this planet. And secure the perimeter for our base now.++" He tapped his cog staff as the Church...
No. The imperial guards now swarm this location and eliminate the sires and gathered their corpse for dissection and collection for trazyn..
What Alexander sent to aid Sera was the descendants of the planet that he immigrated centuries ago.
What tanks and plane exploded and burst into flames was made by the very citizens hands that forged them, that have their beliefs to this planet.
Even the very princepts that waged war on mighty metal titans are local from the planet, they were just orphans and downtrodden that were taken from the slums.
Every sister of battle, every preacher, every imperial guards that veil behind the image of the church was organically recruited by the very same planet.
As the soldiers watched as the command center began to unravel itself.
A portal beneath the structure began flickering to life. Behind that very veil of reality, the Imperial army of vengeance is readied for the orders of Alexander.
This is the first true stronghold for the imperium.
Nearby several base structures is dropped from orbit and ready to be unloaded...
The final stake was already made.
Alexander is playing house keeping with the cog. He didn't do anything to undermine it. He just watched it collapse in its hubris.
The hammer of dawn strikes, the neglected stranded. And their issue that plague cog with manpower.
All this issues is piling up and cog is focused on war and neglected the basic empathy for the people that it strove to protect.
The fact that the locust was a experiment and cog attempted to make them a supersoldier in the Pendulum wars was dark enough. But children?
He didn't even need this, most of sera population is now belong to the Imperium.
Financially, military and religion as well.
As he knows the people and their insecurities. No one, especially the UIR former countries wanted the cog to come back. And they didn't want the UIR as well.
If there was a third factions they will willing to follow.
Alexander spent his time and resources to make the people willingly embraced the imperium.
No need for a war, people are too tired to fight back.
Alexander got what the former imperium unable to have.
Soft power.
Sure you can send the arbites to quell rebellions and hanged the inciter, but that is the short run to collapse.
But if there is a higher up wanting to listen to the people than just pushed their proposition to the garbage bin.
People is more willing to defend the country.
Politician can offer the sun and moon to the masses, until he is voted and gaslight everything to keep his regime afloat. For the next 4-5 years.
By Modern standards, Alexander is a benevolent tyrant. Not ordained by the God Emperor by the masses. A Regent of the Imperium he holds.
That held no check and balances.
But why is he in power, despite he suffered 2 civil wars and still a Sky Marshall? And assassination being carried out by the day?
Because he cared about the people.
No politician before him actually walked in the streets without bodyguards and speak to the voter base. Some may argue that he got the military and the economy by the balls, but even without that. Saving humanity take a bigger priority.
It put cog in a dilemma, if the locust war end and they clash with the imperium...
Who would join Cog?
The ones that rained lances of fire from the skies, changing many lives for the worse, made breeding farms that is no different from the locust, and attempted to draft all men and sterile women into the war?
And the added news that they made the locust is bad enough for their pr.
Or the Imperium that is disguise as a church that lived for almost 300 years, that kept people hopes up, regardless of nations and save them whatever they can? That gave them a purpose as they fought for humanity?
Such thoughts came later... Alexander bided his time as he waited for the government to dissipated...
Better to be embraced by a liberator, than a invaders that sweep in.
As the two centaurs tanks dredged the path that is shown by Command that is finding the mountains path.
Until they reached a barricade that is heavily guarded. There was several Brumaks and the local building that is placed near the entrance is guarded by many.
Marcus listen to Alexander advice.
"The church have given you a airstrike, just use the location and inform them.
Marcus nodded as he called in a airstrike. Several Valkyries arrived as they began fighting with the locust.
"Command, we are entering Mt. Kadar and communication would be iffy."
There was a trace of concern from Anya.
Two lonely tanks entered into the darkness of the mountain.
"Damm, a star player like me could use some light!"
The head beam of the centaur tanks sprang to life, illuminating as they travel deep.
They found the entrance deeper was a ravine and Marcus rushed down the slope and the crash landing conked out the engine.
"Sarge... I think you better fix it soon.
They heard growling as the centaur tanks headlights flicker to life and several corpsers snarling at them.
"Take the left, I take the right!"
Two of the tanks barrels aimed at different direction as they fired and pierced the skull of the Corpser.
"Weird... Why is these corpser's here?"
"Are they running out of grubs to toss at us?"
As they dwell in their thoughts, they arrived at a survivors camp.
A familiar looking fellow walked out among them. He looked dirty and covered in grime.
"Hey, you! I remember you, you those cog bastards that wrecked my gas station!"
"Why are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to head to a church evacuation zone?" Alexander asked.
"Well, after you assholes left and Frank outpost was in flames, we did attempted to reach one, but we decided to enter underground, much more safer than being on topside as nowhere is safe. Especially if you stay away from the roads that lead into nexus. We can still hear the people from here." The gas station owner spoke.
"Nexus?"
"Yeah, that's where all the locust come out... Their capital in that place."
"Can you tell us how to reach this place?"
The man pointed at the water beside him.
"This river should take you at least the periphery of it if you go downstream.. You not crazy enough to go there right?"
"Like you said... Nowhere is safe." Marcus grinned.
"Alright, I divide the team. Baird, Cole, Anthony, Tai and Ben, escort this civvies a d the helicopter pilots out to the drill site and the rest of us go ahead." Marcus spoke
"Wait, you going to keep us babysitting on this stranded?"
"The sooner you can free them and hand them over to the soldier In the frontlines, the quicker you meet us at the capital." Alexander gave his piece.
"Wait... You not going to draft us, are you?"
"You're too lanky to hold a lancer anyway. Now get going." Alexander chided.
Alright... It's just the four of us huh?" Alexander smiled.
They made their way to the docks and found that there was a boat, but it was rotten and unrepaired for a period of time
"No Way we can travel in that." Dom look at the integrity of the boat, he poke it and it crack by the slightest touch.
They heard splashing sounds as a Locust patrol boat came by and open fire at them.
The boat crash into the part of the dock that lead to the land and forced the dock to become a makeshift barge. And the current of the water carried this makeshift boat downwards.
"I think we got our ride! Kill the crew and leave that boat somewhat intact for us to ride!" Alexander ordered the men.
They agreed as they opened fire on the crew of the patrol boat and in the exchanging firefight the barge they were on started to set on fire.
"Come on, we getting a new ride than that waste of wood!" Dom yelled as he hopped aboard first and kicked out the surviving locust overboard.
Marcus and the rest travel down the stream where no man boldly goes...
Another patrol boats rushed towards them and Alexander manned the bolted down troika and opened fire at their pursuers.
But after awhile and several ships sunk to the bottom of the river.
The locust turned back.
"Wait... Why are they... Leaving?"
Marcus noticed the imulsion fumes beginning to rise ahead...
"Maybe, this is what spooked them off?" Carlos spoke.
"Doubt it."
But as the fumes subsided, it revealed that they were heading to a water fall.
"Hang on!"
The ship crash into the bottom and in a few moments later the buoyancy made it rise up to the surface.
"Anyone got that number of that mermaid?" Alexander muttered as he removed his helmet and poured out copious amounts of water, into the river.
A giant shadow vaguely seen below the surface of the water.
*Roar*
A giant tentacles began to clench around the ship. A giant head rose up from the surface and stare at them. Growling and looking at Delta as the next meal.
"Damm, that why the locust stepped away!"
"Kill that thing! If it crush the boat, we don't have a place to stand on!"
Alexander and Marcus fired at the tentacles enveloping the ship, and Carlos and Dominic find something that can deal more damage against the beast, it howled as the monster dove once more and this time it hit the bow of the ship and this time the face of the beast is gotten so close that they could smell the stench of putrid gas in their faces.
"That thing have thick skin."
"Let's do what we did to the worm! Kill it from the inside! Lob all the explosives into that fucker mouth!" Marcus yelled as he tossed grenade.
Alexander shot it to distract the monster and in return, making it yell in rage giving opportunity to Delta tossed, every grenades in the monster mouth. And before the monster closed its mouth and ready for another ram.
Alexander tossed a promethium grenade into the mouth.
A high explosion of water erupted as the beast corpse blew up to the ceiling and it is still burning.
"Damm, this must be the biggest catch I ever made in my life..." Dominic gave a goofy grin.
"More like the biggest dynamite fishing to me Dom." Alexander watched as the light of the eternal fire still shining brightly below the surface. He reached into his pocket and found that his cigarettes went all soggy.
They arrived in a derelict dock, and the managed to land upon the outskirts of Nexus.
They watched columns of locust marching out to meet the invaders on this ancient roads.
"So, should we raise hell or should we help the prisoners?"
"We don't have time, Major."
"Look, I know some believers are captured by the locust... At least i don't have the guilt to leave them behind. "
He reached in his pocket and revealed a beacon.
"What does that do?"
"Church stuff, allows to called in a elite squad to aid my endeavours. You go ahead while I catch up to you guys later." Alexander bade goodbye as they separated.
Alexander ventured out the prison block... It was more like a torture chamber.
Blood dripping from the holding cages. There was a terminal and he attempted to decipher it.
"Processed, unprocessed... It's like a meat factory..." Alexander muttered.
He noticed a locust Propaganda echoes throughout the locust capital, and he shrugged.
He looked at the direction of the capital and mocked at the fact that the locust queen is desperately emotionally imploring as they shoring up the defenses.
Alexander laughed as Cole hijacked the broadcast and his charming voice echoed through the hollows.
"DELTA IS IN YOUR HOUSE, BITCH! YOU HEAR THAT SHIT? YOU GRUBBY ASS BITCHES ARE GOING DOWN, DEAD DOWN, SO DOWN YOU AINT EVEN GONNA KNOW WHICH WAY IS UP. YOU GONNA BE CRYING TO YOUR SKANK ASS QUEEN AND YOUR SIMP KING. OH MOMMY, DONT LET THE BAD MEN HURT US, FUCK YOU! WE GONNA WHOOP YO MAMAS ASS. WHOOO!"
He opened up the unprocessed sections and they were under psychological torment. Some of them is already at the edge of taking their life.
"Theseus... Can my morale perk make them... Stable?"
Alexander sighed as he held out a halo. And it floated above his head as it engulfed the capital in a golden light.
Those that Alexander saved, their eyes that were clouded, became clear as they watched the man before them, giving out a sense of divinity.
Many knelt and prayed as they hear and witness all the horror of what they lived through, they prayed, silently in the depths of darkness, to their gods to save them from this hell... days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, they begged for divine retribution. And in their final moment a demigod descended upon them.
One such being that desire hope, weak and weary approached Alexander...
"Are you a god sir?" That person eyes glimmer with something...
"Never a god... Just a protector of humanity. Let us guide you to safety."
Alexander activated the beacon and several drilling sound was heard.
A group of vehicles with a comically sized drill arrived at their location and several men stepped out and saluted at Alexander.
"Sera Sabertooth Auxillia reporting, your orders sir?"
"Escort this people out, and gather all that you can save. I heading to kill the king. Anyone wants to follow, follow me... Let's destroy this infestation."
"Roger that sir, good hunting. Alright, Squad 1 through 9 follow the High Lord! The rest follow me!"
Alexander rushed towards the capital city of the locust. He ran so fast that he was a blur.
He passed by the locust defenses from the shadows and in his wake, corpses tell the tale.
They fought with brutality, and he fought back with even more.
Locust skulls impaled on metal rods, is sent across their capital, Brumaks skinned alive and every door was bashed through with his power bat using the locust as baseball.
Following behind him is a army that arrive to siege the capital. These are handpicked men and women that is unreasonable, what they saw was already enough to burn everything on site, Flamers scorch buildings, bodies of locust riddled with bullets and splinters of bones and shrapnel.
Though he misses the fact he prefers to go commando... This is more suitable to drag the traitor out from this infested hellhole...
(Marcus Pov)
Damm that man makes a entrance.
That's what I thought as I heard the capital gates were being breached as locust focused on fighting the lambent and Alexander forces
But I get the gut feeling that it is just a hindrance than killing him outright we made our way to the top.
"Almost there brothers. Killing the king and queen is the end of this war." Carlos spoke.
I stared at my best friend, he was the one that encourage me to the army... And him and his brother was what helped me on my feet when I saw my father crushed under a rubble.
"This is it then, killing the queen... I mean." Baird spoke softly.
"We are going to make our parents proud!'
"That's right brother, it would make pa and ma proud of us!" Benjamin spoke.
I smiled softly as we could end this war at the soonest.
We all arrived at the throne room and we were pounce on by the Theron royal guards.
But we knew better, than to listen the quibble of the locust. A good grub is a dead grub.
We killed them at ease.
A sound of clapping was heard at the thrones.
"Bravo, you are the first from the surface that managed to reach this far and I'm afraid that this may be the last " a woman looking sat with a sense of pressure before me.
A man beside her spoke to her.
We all instinctively knew it....
He was a scum bag.
"My dear, this are the champions that the interloper have assisted with, my beloved.. allowed me to deal a blow." He stood before the throne and the locust general that crashed from the ceiling.
"Hah, we read your idea of Jacinto sinking, and too bad we will do it first!"
The woman looked unfazed.
"Shame, you are just like what your father Adam Fenix said... Always stubborn."
My eyes twitch as she spoke my dad's name.
"But sadly, you are already too late, despite the ridlftworm is dead, Skaar have already inform of your plans and now we will sink Jacinto in our own terms."
It seems like the one Alexander fought is upgraded, the lost limbs is replace by metal fingers. And his chainsaw staff is now electrified.
"Fire!" We all knew the consequences and if it goes on, it will make our journey here meaningless.
The bullets were blocked by these two freaks.
"Aww... You not letting me in the party?" A voice behind us spoke.
"Well then major, take your pick them."
"I going after that locust king, he have a debt to pay." Major vaguely spoke.
"Ahh, the broken doll have returned to me..." The man smirked until the grin faded from his face.
"You! What are you!" He screamed bringing the locust queen with a alarm.
"Let's just say, I had a few upgrades and a message from beyond."
"Wha-what is it!?"
"You will pay your dues.. traitor. And by the order and the will left behind by your brothers... I will be your executioner."
Both of them suddenly disappeared from my view. But now at least Alexander already taken out one of the more insufferable ones.
"Alright, let's waste this fucker!"
"Cole, the rest of you get to the queen! Me, Carlos and Dom is going to enjoyed this fucker right here!" I ordered them.
Everyone opened fire once more at the Locust general. They managed to provide fire until they left chasing after the queen.
The locust general used his Chainsaw staff to block the bullets. And leapt as he attempted to impaled me. I held my ground as my lancer chainsaw collided with his, causing sparks to fly out. And I used the second Chainblade that Alexander given to stabbed the grub before me in half. But he noticed as he kicked me and leaped away.
"Yeah, I going to gut you, like I done to your pet worm!" I bellowed out as he did the same trick again and this time he took the bait.
Carlos and Dom jumped by the sides as they managed to impaled this grub backside before my eyes, causing the grub to lose his weapons due to shock. I joined in as I impaled by chainsaw into the locust. Being ripped apart in three direction is the wore way to go.
It screamed as blood splattered across the floor. But it made us dig deeper into the flesh.
We already dissected the general. I looked around and found that Alexander already got the head of the scumbag, although he barely looked like he is clinging on a thread of life.. his uniform is in tattered and bloodied in one places.
"Did you got the fucker?" I asked.
He simply nodded as he injected stimpack shot.
"Yes, one of this baster leader is dead. The church have already fulfill your ned of the bargain."
We felt a tremor, as the capital began to collapse. Alexander began to call all the forces in the area.
"Shit... This is Alexander Tyrus, all units are to evacuate the capital! The leaders of this damn race want to drag as many as possible into the imulsion pit!
"This is Baird here, er, we lost sight of the queen, she took off in a reaver! But we are found several on standby"
"Alright, we found our ticket out of here!"
"Marcus, you can't be serious?"
"Of course I am, it will take too much time to escape the way, we went through. I spoke.
Reasoning the moment we even reached the entrance of the capital, we can't even get through the massive force that is heading to Jacinto
We all rushed to the platform that Baird reported.
And sure enough, there was several reavers that waiting nearby.
Each pair of Delta took a reaver. And we flew through the tunnels .
"Whoo! I always wanted to ride a horse, but Damm.. it's better than none!"
We felt a tremor as a flak envelope nearby. Along with several reavers chasing us.
"Damn! This day keep getting better" I grumbled as I man the rear turret and open fire.
Tracers and rockets were exchanged. And I saw a biggest ugly fucker of a reaver attempted to devoured us, until I blasted it with a rocket into its throat.
As we reached the end , we arrived at a cave that overlooked a vast forest.
"Control, do you read me, we are reaching Jacinto, and how's the evacuation going!"
I revved the reaver throttle as it fly as fast as it could.
Several reavers flew out of the forest to chase us down.
"Damm, did the locust have a speeding ticket?"
"Nah, more like a crazy that want a piece of Cole train!"
Another fight ensues as missiles from the forest and the reavers firing our asses were not helping.
Several missiles rained on our pursuers. I looked at the trail and saw several planes that is patrolling the outskirts.
Valkyries or that's what they are called , were flying alongside us.
A radio transmission was received.
"This is Aquila Zero-two and Five-zeven, providing escort.your team to Jacinto.
I smiled as we all rushed towards the sieged city.
(A/n): sorry, this headaches is getting worse and worse lately... I just don't know why.
I know having a sudden withdrawal of anti-depresant is like having your skull in a pressure cooker.
I don't have the pills to slow the withdrawal, just a sudden stop to my supply.
Short sense, I am like a plane that lost the landing gear that would softened the blow and I am going to crash in the airstrip. Hell... I like a Boeing moment. And hopefully not the faulty one.
All this pent up emotions flooding into me is getting too much to bear.
Not the horny kind of pent up, but things that I regretted the most is like a god dammed monster digging into my skull.
May be a outcast, but not a monster.
"Ich bin bereits ein toter Mann, verzehrt von Träumen, die nie wahr werden, beherrscht von Angst und verzehrt von Schuldgefühlen.
Langsam sterbend
Zukunft genommen und nie zurückerlangt
Ein Ritter, der seine Pflicht versäumt hat.
Von der Gesellschaft verlassen, verlassene Waffe
Verräterisches Ziel
Sex ist eine Sünde, und der Tod ist gesegnet für die verdammte Seele.
Gibt es einen Gott in dieser Hölle auf Erden oder nur Vergessenheit?"
"Du bist unwichtig
Du bist ersetzbar
Du bist wertlos
Du wirst nicht geliebt
Du bist entbehrlich
Du wirst nie gebraucht
Deine Existenz ist ein Fehler
Deine schlimmsten Befürchtungen werden wahr
All das geht mir durch den Kopf."