Sydney's Rangers

Rohan
twenty hours later, 1 PM
The A25 Highway

"So, which would you rather? A mutated face, or two mutated arms?" Matt asked me from the back as he inspected his knife for faults.

"I don't know, what kind of mutations are we talking? Like, a melted face where you can see the bones or hardened skin that looks vainy? Like a Redskull rip off?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.

A storm had rolled in shortly after we left the Sydney Ruins and it had not let up yet. The side of the roads were flooded and the once green landscape was obscured from the endless rain, making it hard to see a few feet in front of you without the highlights on. It was almost impossible to see the broken cars or the corpses that littered the roads but we were cautious enough to avoid everything, despite Cameron's insistence that we were going way to slow.

"You got a melted face, but whats left is durable as hell and the bony parts are tough as rocks." Matt said as he looked outside to window to his left.

"What about arms?"

"Well, one's normal to the elbow then the skin rots away and forms a bone blade, like a Reaver, the other ones normal but really sensitive so it hurts like a bitch if you get a small cut." Matt said, a small smile on his face.

"In that case...Arms. I could just cover my bad arm in a shit ton of armor or something and stab people with my mutant arm." I answered a bit unsure.

"Meh, I would go with the mutant face, I'm quite attached to my arms." Matt replied, the smug self approval in his voice was so thick you could cut it.

"Oh fuck you, Matt, that wasn't even a good one." Jeremy muttered as he was slowly waking up from his restless, sleepless nap.

"Meh, better than anything you could come up with. How long till we reach the FOB?" Cameron muttered next to me as he stopped humming a song for a minute to talk.

"Not long now, we should be-"

"This is a Ranger exclusion zone, if you lack permission to enter turn back now or you will be detained or shot." I heard an emotionless voice say over the radio, then the faint slurp of someone drinking something.

"This is Sierra team, here to provide assistance with the Canberra operation." Jeremy said as picked up the mic.

"Shit, you nut jobs all the way out here? I thought you four where getting used to that desk job at Fort Alice." The voice said with a chuckle.

If the slight hint of age was anything to go by he was a senior Officer.

"Yeah, but there's only so much political bullshit you can handle before you need to shoot something."

Matt said loud enough to be heard through the mic.

"Huh, don't I know it. The watchers have spotted you and made out your registration, you're clear for entry." He said as the frequency turned to static. As Jeremy hooked the mic back in place and Sheila rose over a slight hill we saw the forward operation base up ahead. Once an old motel with a gas station across the road, now a tiny military complex surrounded by a small metal wall. The ACT exclusion zone's FOB was usually manned by a skeleton crew as no one was crazy enough to try and enter the old ACT, but at the moment it was alive and the sound of training and gunfire carried all the way down the road. The sky was occupied by the few helicopters the Rangers owned landing or flying away from the outpost, no doubt carrying a few Rangers from either the Great Divide headquarters or from the only functioning airport way out west in Perth. The road, though appeared empty, was no doubt being monitored by a group of Hunters or a system of cameras and sensors, how else would they be able to spot us this far away in the pouring, obscuring rain? As we neared the outpost, I couldn't help but feel like something big was about to unfold, and that shit didn't sit well with me.

Jeremy
10 minutes later
The ACT Exclusion Zone Outpost

"Names and designation." The bored guard asked. We had been in line for what felt like hours behind a string armoured cars heading towards the metal scrap wall, and now we were at the front of the line being questioned by a half asleep guard.

"Ranger Tycho, Ranger Patches, Ranger Sundown and Ranger Flare. Sierra Team." Matt said, bored and not even looking at the guard who only looked up from his trashy romance novel to inspect our badges.

"Yeap, it all checks out. Move along." The guard muttered as he pressed a button to raise the small barrier in our way. Driving into the camp I was struck with a sense of urgency. Everyone was running around, training their collective asses off or working on some project and I could see a few officers and trainees here and there. If we were desperate enough to have Nosebleeders and seniors on site then something huge must be going down. Turning left we drove into the motel car park, most of the spaces had already been taken but there was one left, all the way to the left and next to the 'board room'. The motel was an old two story painted building with a staircase from the car park leading up to the second floor and a now empty and grimy pool. The windows were boarded up and the rooms were rarely used for sleeping. Getting out of the car I sprinted under the hotels walkway to get out of the oppressive rain and stretched my tired muscles. The tents next to the motel were all occupied with soldiers who got here first, unlucky bastards have to sleep outside in this kind of weather. Hope we can get a room or at least sleep in Sheila if we're staying for a night or two.

"So, where do you think the officers are?" Cameron asked after surveying the area. Wasn't much to see aside from rows of tents, an old motel, a gas station turned armoury/cafeteria, a few trucks and cars refueling, some recruits being put through impromptu training, a tank and a line outside the men and women restrooms at the gas station.

"If I had to guess, probably the board room, though honestly I just want to get something to eat." I answered as I vainly tried to keep warm. Walking towards the board room we could hear a hushed conversation and saw two guards standing outside.

These guys were Soldiers, but not like the Militants. They wore heavy metal armor that looked similar to Ned Kelly's, though theirs' was much more light weight, had simple Kevlar on underneath and wore a riot helmet instead of a metal helm. They had painted their armor dark blue with white stripes, indicating they were guards instead of normal Rangers. They were probably either older than us, were much more decorated or simply preferred a safer line of work then us. Each were armed with a Steyr AUG, a Ranger favorite, and an M9 pistol.

"Let us through." Matt said bluntly as he went to walk past them, only to be shoved back by the guards.
"Sorry, no ones allowed in unless given permission." The guard on the right said, she had a surprisingly soft voice.

"What's so important we can't know? We're all men and women in arms here aren't we?" I asked with a diplomatic voice, trying to take a less direct approach.

"Sorry, we can't help you. Please move along, I'm sure you are needed elsewhere." Her partner continued, unlike his fellow guard his irritation towards us was showing through his burly voice.

"Listen you fuck, we're getting in there and you couldn't stop us even if you wanted to!" Cameron shouted, stopping the conversation inside.
"Sir, I will have to ask you to leave before we are forced to detain you and your friends." The female guard insisted as she noticeably clicked her safety off while her partner reached for his pistol and a pair of handcuffs.

"What my hot-blooded friend here is saying is that-" Patches tried to say before the door was opened.

"What the Devil is going on out here?" Questioned an old voice which sounded suave, annoyed, posh and pissed off.

"Sorry to disturb the meeting sir, we were just dealing with these uncooperative Rangers." The male guard said quickly.

The sir he was referring to was the most senior member of the Rangers, Ranger Victoria. He was a tall man at six foot four and was in his early fifties, possibly forties, his long, well kept white hair and beard, the lines on his face, his partially blind right eye, knowing smile and cane where all indicators of his age. Victoria was one of the first Rangers, and wears his old tin badge with pride. Unlike most Rangers his badge only featured the quote and star and almost no spark in its design or look, but he loved the antiquated thing. He wore black suit pants, white dress shoes, a stained white dress shirt and a large black jacket. He looked more like a fatherly gentleman with a usually soft and charming voice to go with his attire and look, but his duel Colt Python revolvers and his rosewood and gold Winchester rifle were enough to stop any trooper, raider or mugger dead in their tracks.

"Hm, annoying and reliable would be a more apt description for these four gentlemen. Would have thought you four were going to drag your feet coming here." He said with a small smile as he shook our hands.

"You know us sir, couldn't wait to kill more Yanks." Cam said enthusiastically.

"Ha! If more of the Rangers around here had that attitude we could attack L.A and come out no worse for wear." Vic said with a chuckle as he inspected his ebony cane.

"Well sir, when it comes to killing those fuckers it seems us and the euro trash living in what's left of the UK are in a tie. Still, I say we could rack up some collateral damage if you let us at them again like Operation Shitstorm." Ty said with a small smile, an unusual thing for him to do in public.

"Operation THUNDERstorm was only possible because of a mix of tactics, luck and favorable weather. If we were to attempt that now with a much larger force it would be a battle of attrition, which we would swiftly lose on their ground, and not based on the hit-and-run guerrilla tactics we used before." Vic said matter-of-factly as he quickly shot down Tycho's overconfidence.

"Man, you really know how to create a fun idea then tear it apart." Cam said, disappointed at the fact that charging head first into trouble isn't the way to solve things.

"No Ranger Flare, I'm just using my mind. Remember, most humans are born with a self preservation instinct. Well if that's all gents I must get back to the meeting, politics wait for no man." Victoria said with a small hint of snark then humour.

"Actually sir, that's why were here. What the hell is really going on?" Ro said quickly as he grabbed Vic's shoulder before he opened the door. Vic turned around and sighed.

"Short answer, we don't know. Long answer is that we believe the Blue Coats may have found a prototype weapon hidden somewhere in the various government facilities littered around the ruined parts of the world. We don't know what it is or if it even works but we know the Blue Coats wouldn't walk into the most radioactive and infected area of Australia with a small army and an unknown piece of equipment unless they were confident they could push us back." Vic said after dismissing the guards at the door and speaking in a small whisper.

"And this is bad why? Remember the last time a threat used a prototype weapon? We destroyed it and the wankers using it! Why is this being kept secret?" I said, reminding him of some of the past 'threats' the Americans and Raiders brought with them.

"This isn't a secret, we're going to tell everyone tonight as we believe the last batch of Rangers should be arriving soon. We're always cautious of threats Sundown, even if they seem broken or useless they could still wipe us out if we gave them the benefit of the doubt and threw caution to the wind." Vic said honestly.

"We know its a serious threat and we're treating it as such, but the last few times they used a secret weapon we were able to outmaneuver it or it broke down. Lets face it, most of the 'secret' weapons or 'weapons of mass destruction' are think pieces and base models that no one worked on because they weren't batshit crazy." Cam said, reassuring that we weren't borderline suicidal or dumb asses with no concept of tact.

"I know you're not completely insane and you've gone up against worse, but that doesn't mean that this one will break down or run out of power. Listen, I would love to stand outside under a crumbling cement staircase in the rain but I have a meeting to attend to. If I were you I would get something to eat. There's still a few more hours to sunset. Now I must bid you adieu." He said with a small bow then walked back into the room, slamming the door behind him.

"...Ever get the feeling he secretly regrets meeting us?" Matt questioned as we turned around and began running across the rain slick street towards the old gas station, avoiding bumping into any rookies or cars.

"Wouldn't be the first dude to wish they had never met us. Ben seemed pretty pissed the last time he saw us." Rohan shouted over the rain as we walked towards the gas station's double doors. Outside the gas station where various armoured cars and trucks refuelling at different pumps or simply using jerry cans full of oil or petrol. The small store was well lit and almost full as people desired a safe haven from the endless downpour.

"Yeah, but Bens' a dick. 'Sides, he seemed pretty happy with his new job as a Trader." I said as I opened the door, letting us into the small cafeteria. The yellow walls were fading in colour and the white tiled floors were cracked or removed. The back of the store was refurbished and was now a small kitchen staffed by cooks and the front housed rows of tables and benches where restless Rangers sat enjoying a simple meal or a cup of what looked like soft drinks. As we walked past the various tables some people either waved at us with a smile, ignored us or seemed to be staring at us with contempt. Making our way to the fast moving line we made our order from the various options listed.

"A garden salad please." Rohan said as he got a small, chipped ceramic bowl full of fresh greens, some kind of tomatoes and onions.

"What the hell is 'mystery meat'?" Cam asked as the chef serving us grabbed a small tray with semi burnt ham and some mashed potatoes on it. "Meh, can't complain it's still meat." Cam said as he and Ro walked away looking for a table.

"Holy shit! Beer battered fish is an option?! Give me two!" Matt said excitedly as he slammed his hands into the bench. The chef simply rolled his eyes and handed him a plate with some battered fish and a few chips. "Fucking A."

"Lasagne? Awesome, that thanks." I said with a smile as I was handed a decently sized cut of freeze dried pasta.

Walking over to Matt we saw Cam and Ro waving from a table near a window. Walking over we noticed four strangers sitting at the table. Ro and Cam were on the other side so we could see them eating, though these strangers were hard to identify as they were facing our squad mates. Stepping up to the table I sat down next to Ro, with Matt on the edge of the table, and facing the strangers.

"So, you're the infamous Sierra team? I always imagined you guys to be taller." The guy opposite me said, his smile matching his smooth, yet cracking, voice.

He looked...Odd. His long, styled and spiked black hair hung loosely over his light brown face covering his blue catlike eyes, probably contacts of some sort. Probably paid a month's worth of rations for something usually so cheap. He was athletic and averagely tall at five foot ten but was shorter than most of Sierra. He had a few silver piercings on his lips, nose and eyebrows giving him a punk look. He wore a plain singlet with a black jacket covering his arms with a splash of faded neon purple paint on the jacket, making it look liked someone who ate a bunch of radioactive elderberries spewed on him. He also wore black pants with strange lines painted on and a few weird decals, 'new world art' some people like calling it, and a bunch of pockets here and there, the various miscellaneous items within bounced haphazardly, and a pair of purple skate shoes that looked hand painted were on his feet. The only other noticeable things about this special snowflake was the surprisingly bright purple streak in his hair which gave him a weird, killer DJ look, a pair of blue headphones which seemed to be blasting some loud, irksome, bass heavy song and lastly a pair of dog tags. Overall, the guy looked like a prepubescent Mexican kid who just got back from a rave...And smelt like he got kicked in the face by a man made of deodorant and some kind of fruity energy drink.

"Don't mind him. Frogs a prick, but he means well usually." The girl next to 'Frog' said with near no emotion in her voice.

She looked off to say the least. She was tall, as in head to head with Ro, had a messy red pixie haircut that framed her dark brown and round face nicely. She had light hazel eyes and a stoic expression which seemed out of place with her chubby face. She wore a black hoodie, with no zipper on it, and a yellow skull and crossbone design painted on the back in bright yellow. She had the hood up which casted a shadow over her face giving her a sinister vibe. She wore faded jeans that looked like they would offer no protection if it weren't for the off yellow leather armour wrapped around her legs and the black leather work boots which would most likely only stop rocks, tools and glass from stabbing her feet. Aside from the causal attire she also wore black/yellow gloves wand an odd gas mask. It was bright yellow, had gas filters on the front, blacked out eyeholes, a few words decorated the mask and seemed to spell out recipes for making chemicals or explosives and a few metal pieces added that only served as decorative plating. She looked like an Industrial graffiti artist straight out of the Ghetto, and the duffle bag and guns she was carrying didn't help.

"Um, who are you four?" Ty asked as he took his hipflask off his belt and took a quick swig before ravaging his meal.

"Heh, we're the soon-to-be unstoppable force known as Freakshow! I'm Frog, that assholes' Roach, and those two are Four Eyes and Poindexter." Frog said, his voice full of bravado.

I think the easiest way to describe Four Eyes would be to call her a hobo loaded with weapons and a steely look. She had her long, dusty, ivory hair tied back into a loose bun held by a pink scrunchy. Her lightly tanned, yellow face was angular and thin, signs of fleeting beauty or malnourishment. She was clearly young, nearly an adult I would say. Her thin, pale brown eyes were obscured by a large and cumbersome pair of glasses; the frame was metal, the lens looked recently repaired but the strangest thing about her glasses where the small magnifying glasses built onto the frame that looked locked in place above the lens. Few would wear something so abstract and bizarre. Covering her body was a large, dusty brown, leather trench coat that seemed to move with a hint of weight, concealed tools and supplies perhaps? She also wore black pants with Kevlar woven into it, a dirty and torn black button up shirt and a pair of steel toe boots.

"Soon to be? Need I remind you that some of the people here have actually contributed to the New World?" Four eyes said, her young, stern voice carrying a scholarly accent.

"Honestly, it's dreadful that I'm considered on par with you." Poindexter said, his posh, annoyed tone lined with a hint of mirth.

He was a near extinct type of person: an albino. His snow white skin made it almost impossible to see his long, immaculate blonde hair. His pale green eyes, guarded by a thin pair of glasses, held a hint of sinister thoughts and his charming, bored smile and beautiful features only served to give a guise of trust. He wore a long, grey and stained done up lab coat with various tears along the bottom, a pair of clean, ironed pants, black loafers, white gloves and a plain leather belt. All in all, he looked like an albino male model dressed as an unlicensed rich doctor. Strangely, he had no noticeable scars, injuries or any other abnormality and his youthful looks would suggest he would be only a year or two older than Four Eyes.

These four looked out of place, like they'd stumbled across the outpost and wandered in. They were definitely Nosebleeders...Great, fucking rookies.

"Before these three get into a punch out, what's up?" Four Eyes asked, breaking up the angry stares being thrown at Poindexter from Frog.

"Clouds." Tycho answered bluntly, trying to ignore the four newcomers.

"Not a very talkative lot huh?" Poindexter asked, carrying equal humour and boredom in his voice.

"We're not big on strangers, 'sides we were here first." Flare said, trying to get them to leave as he continued to eat the weird pseudo-meat on his plate.

"Oh come on, we just want to talk to a few vets. You guys got to have some interesting stories!" Frog asked eagerly, banging the table lightly.

"Sorry kid, we're not bards and we don't babysit. If you want a war story go pester Whiskey, those drunken idiots will say anything for a good drink." I said, trying to get them to leave without hurting anyone.

"Hey, I want to hear a story so I'm gonna get a story." Poindexter said nonchalantly.

"That a threat?" Flare asked, slowly getting angry.

"No, Dexs' just straightforward. If you give him what he wants he'll probably go away." Roach explained,though I was unsure if she was being diplomatic or just uncaring.

"...Fine, what do you want to hear?" Patches asked with a sigh.

"What was Darwin like?" Frog asked quickly and a bit too loudly. Almost instantly the friendly and warm atmosphere of the mess hall ended as we stopped eating. A chill ran down my spine as my mind went to a faraway, isolated memory. Patches seemed dead inside as he stared down at the table and Ty seemed content to ignore everything.

"Shut the fuck up..." Flare said, fury painted on his obscured face as he viably restrained himself from violently lashing out.

"W-what did I say?" Frog asked obliviously as his comrades looked at him, shell shocked.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Roach snapped, causing Patches to drift back into reality.

"Hey! Dipshit!" We all heard a particularly annoying voice scream. Looking behind Frog we saw three burly men stand behind him, all livid.

"Oh, hey." Frog stuttered,trying looking tough.

"What the fuck are you and your pisshead crew doing here? Real Rangers only. 'Sides, a Ranger would have known to keep his god damn mouth shut about Darwin. Leave now or I'll make you." The gang leader said, his calm, masculine voice hiding his hatred. Must have been a survivor.

"Listen meatheads, why don't you go back to whatever the fuck you were doing and we-" Roach said before being interrupted.

"You don't get to talk to us like that maggot!" One of the new men shouted right in Roach's calm face, spittle flying freely from his cut and bloodied mouth. He was trying to scare her but only annoyed her as she leaned in to return the state and challenge him.

Looking between us, we wordlessly argued whether or not to step in for these four trainees. Despite Flares reluctance, we all stood up from the table making our presence known.

"There a problem here?" Patches asked rhetorically as the three lightly armoured men shifted their attention towards us.

"Hmm, not surprised a group of madmen like you are wasting your time with these rookies. This ain't a problem Ranger, just trying to get these runts to leave." The ring leader said in a tone that suggested he wasn't about to be fucked with.

"Incase you haven't noticed it's pouring outside, it would be cruel to send anyone out in this kind of weather." Patches informed him as he seemed to chuckle.

"And I care? Training in the rain will do them good, we got hot water and medicine so even if they caught something they'd be fine." He challenged as he and Patches continued their stare off. Looking down I took notice of Roach and Frog slowly reaching for a small, metallic club and shimmering dagger respectively. Tycho likewise took notice and, wordlessly, sat down at the table and reached under, grabbing each of their hands and stopping them. If the three dumbasses had even a bit more observant they would have noticed the fairly obvious movement.

"Trust me, I'm all for rough training, we were all Nosebleedsrs once, but I think everyone deserves a decent meal before whatever's happening tomorrow. Now, drop the issue and walk away." Patches commanded as I gave Ty and Flare a quick look, telling them to ready a weapon as the three thugs twitched and seemed to inch towards their melee weapons: standard issue knifes.

"You threating us?" The third Ranger questioned, laughing slightly as he pulled his knife halfway out of his holster.

"No, he's giving you an order." Tycho said calmly as he removed his revolver at the same time it removed my handgun from under the table.

"Heh, I knew you fuckers from somewhere. Sierra Team yeah? No wonder you're not telling these runts about Darwin." One of the guys henchmen said, leaning into my face and giving me a shit eating grin that was quickly pissing me off.

"Sundown right? You tell them about how you and your boys-" He didn't get far into his taunt before I swiftly grabbed his scarred head and slammed it into the wooden table, causing the table to rock violently. Before he could yell out I pulled his head up and throw him back, causing him to stumble over himself and trip. He went to grab his pistol, so I and Patches pulled ours out. He aimed for his head and I aimed at his balls.

"Unless you all want to walk out of here less of a man I recommend you drop what you're about to say and walk outside." Tycho said as he looked up from his food and leveled his revolver squarely at the jaw of the ringleader, who looked tough but was also shaking like a leaf.

The three wankers immediately stopped what they were doing and back away towards the door, lunch wasn't worth a forced vasectomy. They shouted a few insults toward us, all of them pathetic, as they slowly vacated the crowded room. It was impossible to find a Ranger who wasn't carrying at least a pistol and despite the fact they were most likely also carrying some form of firearm they were wise enough to realize we would shoot them if they tried anything. Not kill them, just in the leg or arm.

"Thanks, is it normal for pricks to make it into the Rangers or should be become more assholeish?"Four Eyes asked, the irritation in her voice as thick as a block of cheese.

"Na, it comes with the job." Flare said, causing the few people listening in to chuckle, at this point a few people were coming over, most of them didn't look like a piece of shit.

"Hey, um, I don't know what I said but-"

"Look, don't bring up Darwin and you'll live longer. Ok?" Ty interrupted Frog, his tone becoming more and more agitated and angry as he fidgeted under the eyes of the crowd.

"Sure..." Frog said, unsure what he should say.

"Sooo...Got any stories you don't mind sharing?" Four Eyes asked shyly. Flare seemed to light up a bit as he gave her a mischievous look.

"Well, there was this one time when we were in Mexico-"

"Dear sweet zombie Jesus don't tell them that one!" Patches interrupted with an uneasy look, countered by Sundown and Flares evil smirks.

The evening passed quickly in that shitty cafeteria, people came, left, fought and shared tales of their various invigorating adventures which served to raise morale and lighten the oppressive atmosphere of the Australian wasteland.

Matt
Five hours later, 6 PM
Outpost Mess hall, ACT Exclusion Zone

The blazing sun had slowly started to set below the broken horizon and the inspiring environment had begin to shift to a more jovial one as a few Rangers bought some boxes of booze from a few travelling traders. Caravan brew might taste horrid but it got the job done. The Nosebleeders had been ordered to report for training a few hours ago and no one was missing them, now it was just us, a few senior members and three or four packs of Hunters. The makeshift cafeteria was alive with the sound of bad singing as people sang along to an old drinking song, and the sound of laughter and swearing as Patches and Flare reveled in the attention as they told tale after tale to the intoxicate. Alcohol and funny stories about killing criminals are great for passing the time. To say the least I felt out of place as I leaned against the side of a cracked, pale wall taking quick swings from my silver hip flask, adjusting my hoodie and trying to blend in with the wall...Which was going well until Sundown showed up.

"Getting drunk in the corner of a room won't make you invisible, you know that right?" Sundown asked rhetorically, leaning next to me.

"It certainly helps with dealing with you. Sup?" I said, curious to why he came over.

"Not much, got bored of telling stories to drunk idiots and tricking people into playing card games, plus you look like shit." Sunny said honestly, grabbing a beer can from a nearby crate left ajar on top of a table.

"Feel like shit. Nah, just a bit out of my element." I said jokingly, taking a quick drink from my hip flask. My home brew whiskey, though fruity, was fucking strong .

"Your element is your bedroom or a dirty hill. Come on man, try and live a little." Sundown said mockingly as pushed me off the wall lightly.

"You know I don't want to do this." I said reluctantly as I dragged my feet on the ground, trying to slow down Sunny as he continued to walk while bringing me along. I tried to calm myself internally, though to anyone else I would have looked slightly annoyed or displeased.

"I don't care, you're allowed to be a loner at Fort Alice, the people there are yokels, rednecks and idiots, but you can't ignore other Rangers because technically their our co-workers." Sundown said as I finally gave up on stopping him.

"...Fine." I said simply as I stopped dragging my feet along and walked alongside Sundown. As we walked through the small crowd of rowdy Rangers towards the centre of the room I looked around for anyone I wouldn't mind talking to.

"Wingas and Dingas are still telling stories, those guys in the corner look pissed off, could probably take them but I don't want to start anything...Yet. The volunteer cooks were on their smoke break and there was-"

"Look Brothers, Death approaches!" I heard a loud, cheerful feminine voice announce. Turning around and looking towards a table near the back I noticed perhaps the most abnormal group of people in the camp: the Hunters.

Hunters were a mix bag of skill, crazy and camping equipment. When the world went to shit some were prepared and survived, and then there were people who thrived. These people were mostly hunters, farmers, botanists or any other naturey shit before everything went to shit and instead of evacuating to a designated 'safe zone' or head inland like most people they fled into the bush or the rainforest if they lived close enough. As everyone was trying to jump start society and bring back law these fuckers were living in a tribal paradise. They formed nomadic groups and traveled the wilderness, they fashioned bows, clothes and tools from whatever they found or traded food and herbal medicines with other wanderers for their weapons or tools. Overtime they grew to love the new world, seeing the infected as ways to hone their skills, often firing arrows at them from the tree line, and saw raiders and slavers as fair game, often using a single tribal member to lure them into the woods. No one knows what they do to slavers, but the bone chilling screams deter people from finding out. They were either insane or so wrapped up in their new lives that they gave no shits to anything outside of their communities. No one was quite sure what they do, but there were a few things they do know about them: 1) their good at tracking and hunting, 2) they mostly stick to the bush or forests and 3) their the only group in Australia that grows weed legally. In exchange for assisting the Rangers with hunting down criminals and bolstering numbers in the case of an invasion they're allowed to grow and sell cannabis. Some people loathed this while others, like me, loved this decision.

"Oh, hey."I said calmly as I walked over to the small table. There sat two guys and two girls decked out in leather and metal armor that looked like they skinned a bear, wolf and suit of armor and stuck the pieces together giving the fur covered armour a haphazard design with an earthy smell. Their skin was covered with various tattoos, scars and marking, all outlandishly colored and so abstract that the meaning of each individual tattoo would be lost on an outsider. Their hair was long, decorated with items ranging from shiny beads and jewelry to pieces of animal bones carved into specific shapes and either tied back into a pony tail, twisted into dreads or left in a wild look.

"No need to be shy my friend, your actions speak louder than your words and your actions have helped us numerous times. You will always be welcome at our table, I em Huntress Nightshade, these are Hunter Lionheart, Huntress Onix and Headhunter David." exclaimed the girl to my left, pointing out each of the identical members at the table. She had jet black hair, decorated with small bones used to tie her hair back into a loose ponytail and decorate the few dreads which followed the contours of her face. She wore simple leather and cloth clothes that hanged loosely off her toned body. She, along with her friends, carried a handcrafted metal dagger, a wooden bow and arrows and a small silenced sidearm. They might have gone native but they weren't stupid enough to stop using guns.

"It was just work, I was paid to shoot stuff so I did it." I said plainly, taking a quick look around the table.

"Any task of such importance, regardless of payment, deserves to be praised! The Chieftain spoke highly of you, I still don't know why you rejected our offer, but to each their own I suppose." She continued, taking a swig of her drink, audibly gulping her fermented and sweet smelling drink, I would call it alcohol but the smell was so otherworldly that I wasn't entirely sure if the Hunters had created a new kind of fruit.

"So, what kinda deal did HQ make to get you guys out here?" I asked, looking over the small group. They didn't look like much compared to a militant, but they were just as deadly, and revered, as any trained Ranger which makes them a rare sight outside of their usual territory.

"In exchange for all the loot we can find off corpses and a cut of your peoples rations for two months we're offering ground support and scouting parties. I doubt we'll find any good loot off those cravens but a fight's a fight." The guy to my right said, David I think his name was, his smile indicating this was apparently a good deal for them. His bushy, brown beard was littered with crumbs and reeked of alcohol. His fat body was covered head to toe in thick, cloth and leather armour mixed with decorative animal bones of unknown origin, possibly a sea monster or an infected animal. His disheveled hair hanged loosely over his face, obscuring his features. All in all, he looked more like a happy cosplaying drunk then a fearsome Hunter, though appearances are often times deceiving.

"So, what do you think those bastards are bring with them?" I asked, trying to get a less serious view on the situation. I don't care what anyone says Vic is a god damn downer.

"Does it matter?! Those American devils couldn't fight their way out of a preschool and anyone they've killed were no doubt worse and probably deserved it. They've lost touch with what makes a warrior great and it shows through their ranks and lack of strategy! It's all just numbers to them, no grace or tact in any of those simpletons." Jeered the loudest women at the table, Onyx was it? She had short, brown pixie hair that was left untouched. Various scars lined her face and her throat leading down to her metal covered body. Her crimson covering was rudimentary to say the least, held together with hardened hide and straps but was probably sturdier and more comfortable than it looked. Despite her petite form, she was most likely well toned and prepared for a fight...All of this did nothing to deter me from standing up from the table and visibly shaking with rage at her comments.

'lack strategy?'

'Just numbers?'

'Deserved it?!'

"...Lack of strategy? I'm sure it was just numbers alone that let them invade and enslave what's left of Canada, or bombard Fort Alice which killed hundreds of innocent people, or burn down half of mexico! Yeah, just fucking numbers right?! Fuck you, you cocky whore! I haven't seen you do jack shit for this country so don't you dare sit there and insult those who were brave enough to actually do something overseas instead of hiding in a fucking forest waiting for it all to blow over!" I shouted at her, bits of spittle flying out of my mouth, my furious voice rising in volume with each word till I was screaming over the music. All the partying, talking and music had stopped as everyone turned to look at me...Some were angry that I had ruined the moment, some were sympathetic to what I was saying as they were probably veterans of previous conflicts and some were simply confused as to what I was saying; it didn't matter to me as I picked up my flask and left the table, leaving the baffled Hunters to sit and think about what I had just said. Pushing open the cafeteria's doors and shoving my way through some of the mechanics who had assembled around outside near the cars I tried to avoid anyone who would come after me.

"Dude! What the fuck happened back there?!" Sundown asked as he sprinted after me, quickly catching up to me as I vigorously tried to drain my now empty hip flask.

"You heard it asswipe, those cocky-fucking shit!...Look, I appreciate you wanting me to 'let loose' but I'm sick of these fucking pricks. Look around you man, how many of these Officers, Hunters and Rangers do you think have stepped outside this wasteland? Their all overly confident dumb asses who think the American's winning streak is just luck..."I ranted, stumbling over my words as I quickly walked through the street and towards the hotel. I was going to find a vacant room and just rest and try to calm the fuck down.

"Look, I can't speak for everyone but they're just trying to raise moral by imaging them wiping out a cowardice army or pushing back an unstoppable force. No one wants to think about harsh realities in the middle of drinking or whatever the fuck Hunters do in their down time. You got to stop getting so wound up by that shit man, it's not healthy." He consulted as I made my way up the cracked, wet cement stairs of the hotel two steps at a time.

"Yeah, like you're one to talk about health. They're going to have to realize we're fighting a real threat and not some raider gang with new toys...Look, I'm sorry for ruining the good times n' shit but you knew I was uncomfortable and anxious to leave." I said as I walked up to each door and tried the handles until I found one that was unlocked and pushed open the door.

"Well, people only hear stories of when our guys win overseas, the heroic battles and overwhelmingly implausible operations going right and never the soul crushing defeat. It's better the militants and conscripts have something to sing about then to mourn over. Honestly mate, that scene was pretty boring...I was just trying to get someone else to lighten up a bit so it wouldn't seem so dull to me...Heh, I think Partytown might have ruined parties for me, ironically enough." Sundown said with a small, somber laugh as he looked for a seat to sit down in. The room was pretty bare bones; a big, stained red bed facing the right wall, a small wooden table with two termite infested chairs around it next to the big window near the door with the blinds down. The room was dimly light by a small bulb in the roof, the smashed TV, broken fridge and sink and dilapidated and moldy bathroom beyond saving. Sundown sat down in one of the chairs as I completely removed my gas mask and then slammed myself face first into the bed and rolled over onto my back so I was staring at the ceiling.

"It there's one place I can happily get high and drunk at the same time without the fear of losing my wallet, gun and kidney then it's Party town. Fucking guards are so wired no one wants to screw them around...I'm gonna try and catch some sleep." I said as I wiped some sleep out of my hazel eyes while removing my backpack with my other hand.

"Shit, you sure that's a good idea?" Sundown asked as he leaned his chair back against the wall. Removing my pistols holster and knives sheath I placed them on the ground next to my backpack and rolled around till I was comfortable.

"No, not really, but I get the feeling I'm going to want to get SOME rest, even if it's short lived, before we go into the eye of the storm...Night." I said as I got comfortable on my side, facing the door to the right.

"Its not even seven yet."

"Shut up Sunny." I said as I closed my weary eyes. Silently, I heard Sundown started going over his supplies and checking his magazines were full. Of course he knew all his supplies were in order, but it was a meaningless task that he did to distract his mind from less savory thoughts...

"Fucking hell...I need some coffee."Was the last thing I heard, only accompanied by the squeak of his chair, before I drifted off to sleep.

Patches

"What the fuck was his problem?" Flare asked me, breaking away from his captivated audience to speak to me, his plain statement apparently seemed funny to his crowd as they laughed like he was telling a joke.

"Someone obviously pissed him off dillweed...Shit think he's alright?" I asked worryingly, looking out the glass doors of the cafeteria towards the room on the second story hotel I had seem him stumble into.

"Sunshit went with him so we know he won't do something dangerous to himself so stop acting like a little bitch and cheer up!" Flare chastised with a smile as he passed me a stubbie of some shitty old world beer that was still popular, which I promptly tossed aside.

"You know I don't drink that piss man, so stop giving me bottles." I demanded angrily, Flare just seemed to find my irritation funny as he cracked a smile and slapped my shoulder with his left hand, his other one holding a small bottle. His glove smelt faintly of ash and gunpowder.

"If you drank more you would be less of a stick in the mud. Come on mate, the worlds not going to end again if you drink it up!" Flare pressured as he nudged me in the sides as I purposefully looked away from him. His small crowd of listeners started to boo me and mock me, which I wasn't about to stand for.

"For the last fucking time no, do I have to break your fucking arms before you get that through your shrapnel laced skull?!" I shouted at him. His audience stopped jeering at me as he slowly pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the time.

"Oh shit man, your meds!" He shouted, showing me I had missed my prescribed time for the day. A cold shiver ran down my spine as I got up from my chair and sprinted through the doors, shoving them open and running around the engineers and across the street to the hotel parking lot, running through the large puddles in the street. Looking back I could make out Flares face. He looked scared but determined, like he wanted to follow me, but something was stopping him...It didn't matter, nothing mattered but getting my medicine...

'Fuck, how could I loss track of the time so carelessly?! Shit, I left them in my bag right? I left my bag in the back of Sheila...I'm good, stay calm, stay calm, you are fine, you are fine!' I shouted mentally as I ran up to the car and pulled Sheila's keys from out of my pocket. It didn't take long to open the car's back left door. Climbing into the back I found my grey, large duffle bag.

'I am fine...I am fine!...Fuck, where did I put them?!' I mentally screamed as I searched the various compartments. Pain killers, antibiotics, morphine, gauze, needles and yet I still couldn't find them.

'I am fine, I l am-yes!' I cried in joy as I found the clear plastic container which held an uncountable number of white, dusty tablets. With shaking hands I unscrewed the top and grabbed one out from the top, but my twitching hand threw it to the ground onto a sticky patch of the car's floor. Thinking fast I secured my container and picked up my tablet. They were too valuable to waste. Placing the dirty and sticky med in my mouth I forced it down and ignored the disgusting and painful aftertaste. Hyperventilating, I laid myself down onto the back seat and tried to steady my sporadic breathing as colors, shapes and ghastly images of unimaginable horror flashed outside Sheila. The laughing and Technicolor faces were enough to almost break my mental barriers, but I wouldn't let him gain control, not again.

'I am fine.'

'I am fine.'

'I am fine.'

'I am fine!'

'I am fine...'

???
???
???

"I don't fucking know alright?! Let him go, please!"

"You're lying...Tell me what I want to know or your friend will suffer."

"We don't fucking know anything!"

"Let him go or I swear to god I will rip your throat open with your own knife!"

"tsh, tsh, tsh, you still refuse to listen? I hope whatever your hiding is worth it...Hello sir, it's that time again...Don't try and bullshit me I know you're faking..."

"NO, PLEASE!"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

"FUCK YOU, YOU SADISTIC FUCKER!"

"L-l-liste-n t-to me...D-don't loo-AAAAAAHHHHHHH!! FUCK!! GGGAAAAHHHHHH!!! FUCKING CHRIST! AAAAHHHHHHHHH-"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed violently, instinctively reaching for a phantom gun. Shooting straight up from the broken mattress, my right hand shielding my right eye and my left instinctively reaching for the knife no longer at my side I did a quick scan of the dirty room. The old lamp next to me barely illuminating the room, the only other light source being the pale moonlight shining through the cracked window. Sundown sat in his chair, taking a long drag of a cigarette and going over our supplies again, looking at me with a concerned expression plastered on his freckled and wrinkled face. Sighing, I wiped some sweat of my head and got of the bed, stretching my back after standing up.

"Hey...You were mumbling in your sleep...The Basement again?" Sundown said, commiseration laced in his words. I grabbed my belt, back pack and gas mask.

"...Yeah. I'm gonna go man the walls, shooting anything that moves sounds fun right about now." I said quietly, my mask muffling my voice. I had my supplies and knife n' gun, all I needed was my rifle.

"Look, be careful, don't do anything stupid before we get a chance to kill some Blues." Sundown said, like he thought telling me to be cautious would stop me from getting in an accident.

"Whatevs."I said simply as I walked outside the dusty motel room and out into the cool night. The campsite was still alive in the dead of night, street lights and a few piss poor construction lamps; the only people still awake were the guards and mechanics who worked tirelessly to get all our armoured assets in near perfect condition. Yawning loudly, I walked down the chipped stairs and towards Sheila. Walking past the car doors I saw Pat passed out in the back, curled up in the fetal position...No doubt he had suffered a bad trip and was sleeping it off. Deciding it best not to wake the slumbering giant I quickly walked to the back of our car and was revealed to see the car wasn't locked. No one had a reason to steal from another Ranger and if they tried to steal the car they would have Floyd to deal with. Opening the boot I took out my beautiful rifle and a few spare magazines. Silently shutting the boot I walked off down the road towards the locked gates. Aldo the base had two entrenches the entrance leading towards Old Canberra was always locked so as to not let anything unsavory in. Whistling a jaunty tone I looked around. The bats were flying overhead, I saw Vic through a motel room window doing some stupid shit and I could clearly see Flare asleep inside the old gas station to my right, asleep on top of a table. Looking forward I neared the wall and looked up at it.

Made entirely of scrap metal and spare parts it was pretty shit by old world standards but all things considered it was all we could get. The twenty feet high grey wall had one sniper nest atop the gate, the only way to get in was a small metal ladder near the gate that looked like it could give me tetanus if I looked at it hard enough. Slinging my rifle I grabbed a hold of the ladder's rungs and climbed up...The nest was unnaturally silent. usually you could hear the occupants sharing a joke or listing to a faint radio but it was just quiet. Climbing all the way up I reached for the small hatch in the floor of the nest and climbed inside.

The room was dark, barely lit, and the place reeked of the sweet stench of copper and raw iron, and the silver moon's faint light illuminated the dark red liquids seeping out of the ex-guards bodies...The small, cramped living spaces of these two guards was bathed in their blood. Everything was covered from the small, torn white blankets they used as beds to the faint crackling radio. As I climbed into the room I immediately grasped my metal flashlight and revolver and scanned the room. Nothing but the corpses and their possessions. Kneeling down, ignoring the faint creak of the old metal floor, I examined the men.

"Fresh wounds, torso and neck, knife wounds...Who ever did this wanted them to suffer in silence since their jaws seem damaged, possibly broken by a strong punch or blunt force, who ever did this is-" My analysis of the first guard was cut short as I heard the faint sound of something dropping. Not even questioning my instincts I turned around and opened fire with my old sidearm. The loud bang bounced off the metal walls, amplifying the ringing in my ears, but I was still able to hear a male shout in pain then someone collapsing. Shining my light while keeping my revolver ready, I examined my target...And as I laid my eyes on it, my blood ran cold.

Dark blue clothing under black Kevlar armour and small pouches filled with supplies, a silenced Heckler & Koch HK45 pistol painted blue in one hand, and a M7 bayonet in the other. A Shemagh covered face with infrared goggles covering the eyes, and a small symbol emblazoned on the agent's chest: The american flag. No one who wasn't willing to get shot would wear that on himself, there was no doubt in my mind at that point.

"Oh fuck! RED ALERT, AMERICAN FORCES HAVE COMPROMISED OUR DEFENSES! THIS IS NOT-Oh shit!" I began to shout before I was forced to hit the ground as my tower came under heavy fire, the sound of bullets ricocheting off of my scrapyard cover was deafening and within a few seconds the sound of a siren rang out in the compound as Rangers, both experienced and green as grass, got ready. I slowly and carefully got off the floor and looked outside of the lookout to survey the soon to be battlefield. A line of our men and women had formed behind cover near the wall, three teams of engineers were already leaving a few explosive surprises and wire triggered flash bangs near the gates to wipe out the first few waves, a few snipers had set up on top of the gas station and motel and I could see some senior officer rallying the recruits and rookies while three of the very few tanks we had were being rolled out and pointed at the gate. M1 Abrams that had being found at an infected military base. After taking a quick look at ours and their weaponry I could see that aldo we had the more devastating weaponry they had brought a god damn army to our doorstep.

"What the fuck?! Are we being bombed?!" I heard Flare asked, confused as he ran out of the gas station, pistol in hand as he sprinted to Sheila intent on retrieving his supplies.

"Worse, fucking Blue Coats' at the gates." Sundown shout angrily as he looked over the wall from the balcony, shotgun in hand and provisions on his back.

"Fuck...Tycho, where are you? Can you see anything?" Patches said sleepily as he crawled out of the backseat of Sheila and assisted Flare in getting ready. He checked his assault rifle and sheathed his reliable crowbar.

"Sniper's nest. They got more than double our numbers but don't seem armed to take on any towns or cities, I would say their scouting but the numbers say that they've been given guns with the orders to kill anything Australian." I said as I started shooting at anything that moved out there, the rifle's recoil giving pulses of numb pain from my bruised shoulder. From my vantage point I had a good view of the plains, and I could see the fire from a camp far off in the distance.

"Good, keep your head down but don't hesitate to make our job easier you god damned lazy prick." I heard Sundown say as he and the others ran up to the barricade set up three or so dozen meters away from the gates which were being lined with explosives on the outside as the American army started their breaching attempt.

"Don't worry you glory hog, I'll make your job nice and easy..." I said challengingly as I lined my sights up with some Blue Coat C.O. He was decorated with a few badges made from scrap metal and from the looks of his scars he was a veteran of war. he stood tall and proud in front of his platoon, who all seemed scared shitless and inexperienced. He wore large, metal plated armour painted royal blue with basic kevlar armour and clothes beneath the thick chestpiece and to cap it off, he’s cape made from a torn material akin to a blanket and stood proud with fierce determination and bravado. Compared to him, his men looked deprived of confidence. They wore something you would see soldiers were about ten years ago: a bulletproof vest with desert camo, a lightweight helmet offering modest protection from bullets, pants covered with armour in areas that wouldn't hinder mobility and enough supplies in their hefty backpacks that killing one platoon would give a man enough rations to last a long time if he was resourceful. unlike the C.O who had a well looked after, shining pistol in one hand, they all tightly held onto dirty M4A1's. The Americans were hit hard when all hell broke loose, and with all those abandoned military bases, factories and compounds, it didn't take long for the New America Defense Regiment to start sending every man with two brain cells to rub together out into the field with old world or new world weaponry. The officer walked back and forth, his boots kicking up brown dust, no doubt giving some inspiring speech about honor and sacrifice; I proceeded to breath in slightly, squeeze the trigger, and breath out. The now dead leader fell forward onto one of his soldiers as the other troops around him screamed and wiped the blood and grey matter of their faces.

"Don't worry guys, their sending in the worst they got to offer with some shiny toys. As long as we keep up the fire they should break formation and scatter." I said as I continued to look for high priority targets. For awhile I and the few people who could get a clear view outside the wall continued to fire at anything with a face, only ducking to avoid gunfire and reload. By the time the gate had begun to break down almost every Ranger was behind cover with their gun pointed at the opening.

"When that gate comes down, open fire and don't let those dastards get the upper hand!" Victoria instructed as he ran behind cover near the front of the barricade, barely thirty meters away from the scrap metal wall which was now wavering under the blast of several controlled explosions.

"Fuck, they must be really want to get in here if their just skipping right to the heavy shit." Sundown said over the radio, his voice nearly lost in a sea of chatter as various Rangers were changing frequencies to find their own squad as they hurried to organize themselves.

"Well, we're not exactly the kinda-fuck!-Kinda people you don't use weak shit on." I shouted as I quickly ducked down as various soldiers were firing at me.

"To be fair, we have pissed them off to the point where I'm surprised they haven't just tried to carpet bomb us just to get it over with, I mean, I'm sure they got the planes and bombs necessary-" Pat's droning was interrupted as two loud echoing explosions sounded out in near harmony. I felt the gate smash into the ground and heard the gunfire ring out as shouting and cheering of various war cries rivaled the sound of tank fire, but I was more concerned about the loud, shrill creaking of the towers supports. It seems someone got tired of me eliminating all their officers and someone had fired an RPG at the tower's struts. In an instant the tower rocked violently as I shuffled towards the left wall and held onto a bar that offered mild support as the tower lurched backwards.

"Holy shit, Tycho!" I heard Sundown shout in alarm as the snipers nest slammed into the ground, burying me in rubble and scrap metal. In an instant, everything was dark as my body slammed into the ground, the only thing cushioning my fall was the two mattresses that had fallen to the hard ground.

Flare

As I watched the snipers nest crumble into debris I had to restrain myself from running into the pile to dig Tycho out...He'd be fine, he always is. Looking over my small concrete barricade set up in the middle of the road I saw the endless men in matching blue armour charge our line of concrete dividers and burnt out cars. They most likely knew it would be a death march but they also knew their was no cover for them to take so it was either storm the line with their men or stand behind the wall and wait it out, and seeing as how we had the home field advantage and more supplies, they would have to charge us. Many walked onto one of the various traps we had set up, usually blowing them apart and leaving a red smear on the floor and a few body parts or blinding them as they set off a flashbang allowing someone to gun them down where they stand. The gate was covered in blood within half a minute as man after man ran into the kill zone. Some soldiers would take cover behind a friends corpse or get to one knee to make them harder to hit but they all feel the same.

"Fuck...Tycho better be fine, he owns me a ration pack and a crate of bourbon." I said with a hint of worry as I loaded a 40mm grenade round into my launcher, the barrel nearly whacking my leg, and locked the barrel in place I placed the stock into my shoulder and looked over the barricade. I could see an army truck driving up the battered road and I could tell it was full. Deciding it would be better to take out a truck instead of a group of soldiers, I adjusted for distance, raised my barrel slightly and pulled the trigger. With a slight thump the grenade went soaring through the air like a metal dove. As the truck neared the demolished gate the driver tried desperately to dodge the projectile, but it still hit it's mark and exploded on impact with the trucks engine.

"HAHA! Burn you American fucks!" I shouted as I reloaded my launcher and watched gleefully as the truck was engulfed in fire. shrapnel and broken car parts were sent flying, most finding their new homes in a Blue Coat chest, and the men in the back of the truck jumped out, most of them partially on fire. I watched with a mad smile as the opposing force ducked for cover to avoid the rain of shredded metal and quaked in fear.

"Nice shot! Almost makes up for your horrid smell." Sundown said as he ran up next to me, his mini uzi held in his scarred hands. He looked over the small wall and shot at the few people still trying to push past us.

"Hey, you try dealing with gunpowder and explosives on a daily basis and smell daisy fresh. Do you know where the fuck Pat is?" I asked as I shot out another round, blasting apart a small team of seven and leaving their destroyed body parts behind.

Patches
Motel Parking Lot
1:34AM

"Come on, start you antiquated piece of crap!" I shouted with frustration. Sheila wasn't starting and for every second I was wasting Tycho could be bleeding out under that rubble...I continued to try and start the car until I realized something very important.

"Mother fucker...Flare you son of a bitch!" I shouted as I opened the car door, holding my AK-47 in one hand and my car keys in the other. Running up to the boot of the car I heard a group of boots stomp against the pavement, turning around I saw the four Nosebleeders from the cafeteria walk up to me, all of them holding a weapon and looked ready to fight.

"Okay, what do you want?" I asked as I placed my rifle in the car's boot so I could remove a jerry can of fuel.

"Ranger Patches, Ranger Victoria has instructed us that you and the rest of Sierra are now in charge of us, sir!" Roach said, surprisingly loud. In her hands was a dusty MAG-7, a very rare shotgun to find outside of South Africa and seems to be favored by the Trader's Guild guards.

"What?! Now?!" I shouted as I began refueling the car. Vic wasn't known to spring shit like this on us in the worst of situations.

"Well, Victoria told us that after this deployment you four were 'going to be give the burden of training us', his words, and since we have no idea were to be..." Frog said with a noticeable lack of courage as he looked around nervously and drummed his fingers into the handle of his FX-05 Xiuhcoatl...A weapon that was only used by the Mexican Militia and impossible to find.

"Fine, your first order as recruits is to dig Ranger Tycho out from under that pile of rubble there!" I said as I pointed with one hand towards the collapsed snipers nest.

"I'm positive he's dead sir, shouldn't we focus on the barbarians breaking down our door?" Poindexter said, an eagerness in his voice told me he wanted to gun down anyone that walked through our gates and as he he absentmindedly checked his Vector SMG I knew he would probably get himself shot if he got too eager.

"No, he's alive I know he is! Sides' those Blue Ball bastards aren't going anywhere...Yes, finally, you guys stay behind the car, I'm gonna get us close to the tower then lay fire on anyone who might try to sneak up to you, got it?" I ordered as I closed the can and stuck it back in the boot before running up to the drivers side door.

"Got it, don't get shot and dig out your guy. Simple." Four Eye said as she jammed a magazine into her pristine white XM2010, a remarkable find considering their used almost exclusively by American assassins.

As I put my keys in the ignition, turned them and slowly drove forward I could see the huddled figures of the four recruits in my rear view mirror, all of them sticking close to the car like their lives depended on it. As I neared the wall Sheila began to be struck repeatedly by bullets and shrapnel, all of them doing nothing aside from putting me on edge. Driving past the motels car park I could see the pile of rubble and loose pieces of metal that once stood tall to my left and a never ending horde of charging, armour clad monsters to my right. As I shifted the car into park and moved to the hatch built into the car's roof. Opening it, the sound of bullets, explosions and blood curdling screaming filled my ears, nothing new unfortunately.

"You four dig him out, I'll provide cover!"I shouted as I grabbed a hold of the machine guns handles and opened fire on the approaching forces, the hail of bullets scattering their numbers and massacring the ones who didn't run for cover. In an instant the four recruits ran out of cover and behind a chunk of cement, firing a few rounds to keep the soldiers at bay. The blue coats soon had to fall back to another position as they were under constant harass by me and being flanked by the bulk of the Rangers. With all the distractions gone or dead, and the numbness in my hands from constant fire receding, the Nosebleeders made short work of the rubble.

"Sir! We found him!" I heard Four Eyes shout, her no-nonsense voice cutting through the battlefield.

"Get your hands off me, I'm fine!" Tycho said, as charming as ever. After reloading my gun I once again directed a barrage of bullets at the
gate, keeping them from advancing while the four of them and Tycho fell back to me and crept behind the car for cover.

"You know, saying thank you can go a long way." Poindexter said, clearly wanting to be rewarded for saving Ty.

"What do you want? A pat on the back? There's a time and a place and this is neither of those!" Tycho said as he pulled his rifle of his back, set the bipod down on the cars hood, looked in the scope and waited for someone to walk into his line of sight.

"Gee, thanks 'Sir'." Roach said with an annoyed tone as she looked for something to shot.

"Orders?" Four Eyes asked simply.

"I don't know, go support the barrier I'm going to keep the fire on them." I said quickly, not sure how to handle this.

"Fuck..." Frog said, slightly scarred as he and his squad mates ran behind cover to the small force of troopers.

"Wait...We're giving those bastards orders?" Tycho asked with confusion and dread, interrupting his sentence to make a shot.

"Apparently Vic thought we should begin teach rookies since we were getting too comfy with the easy life or something, nice shot by the way." I complemented with a small nod as Tycho smeared the wall with cracked skull, blood and grey matter.

"Man, I don't know how to teach people shit, why do we get stuck with the worse assignments?" Tycho asked, clearly upset.

"Would you rather be posted to Old London and fight off Gits?" I asked, looking for something to shoot with my big ass gun.

"..."

"...Well?"

"I'm thinking, don't rush me!"

Flare

"Holy.Fuck." Sundown said as he looked up from his work in the direction if the motel. Somehow, four or so assassins had sneaked past us and were heading for the motel, knifes and suppressed pistols drawn. Aldo that was shocking, the truly surprising thing was Victoria looked like he was surrendering. As the four men neared him, he smirked, and right when they were close enough he twisted the handle on his cane and slide the handle out, revealing a long, shining blade. In one quick motion he inserted the blade into the man in front of him, the blade going straight through the mans heart and out the other side, and left it there as he rolled back behind another assassin. As the three assassins aimed for him he grabbed the one in front of him by the head and cracked his neck, a sharp crunch noise was heard from afar. The interlopers shot multiple times trying to hit him, instead his used the now dead body to cover him as they tried to hit him and flank him. The poorly trained killers quickly ran out of bullets and when they went to reload Vic dropped the body and drawed his two revolvers and fire at the both of them, the hollow point bullet going straight through their throats and causing them to spasm on the ground as they tried to stop the bleeding. He carefully walked past the bodies, making sure not to get any blood on his suit, and pulled the bloodied sword out from the dead mans chest and wiped the blood of on one of the dead assassins clothes before holstering it and walking off.

"Fucking A, wonder if we can get one of those swords?" I asked as I watched Vic get behind cover, pull out his ancient rifle and start firing off rounds with a snipers precision.

"Screw the sword, I want one of those rifles, would look good on a mantelpiece." He replied as I saw four figures run up to us, one of them tripping over himself to get into cover.

"Don't look now Sunny side up, but those kids are coming this way." I said with slight annoyance as I continued to fire off grenade rounds at the incoming forces. I watched as those Hunters we meet crept up to the latest batch of lambs for the slaughter and killed them in barely a minute. They would grab one of the Blue Coats, use them as shields while they filled the other troops with bullets before stabbing their shield in the throat with a carved bone knife. David, I think his name was, seemed to be having way too much fun as he wiped some blood off his face and howled like a hyena as he and his fellow killers ran into the shadows, waiting for more prey.

"Shit, just my luck we get stuck with redshirts..." He said disgustedly as he kept his head down and got back to working on...Something. Next to him sat his toolbox, opened and disorganized, and in front of him was a small box like contraption with a tripod supporting it, two long barrels and two box magazines under each barrel. Amid the obvious parts there was various parts, pieces and gizmos that made the thing work. Anyone who looked at it could tell what it would do, but I had no idea how it would work.

"Ranger's Frog, Four Eyes, Poindexter and Roach reporting for duty sirs." Roach said, somewhat on edge.

"Reporting for-oh fucking shit!" I said aloud as I continued to look for a target.

"What? What's so bad about training?" Frog asked, keeping his head undercover and barely moving.

"We're being stuck with babysitting is what's the problem!" I shouted as I got more and more pissed at Victoria.

"Calm down man, could be worse." Sundown said, barely in the moment as Poindexter took more interest in his work then the fight.

"No, this is the worst possible situation! Fucking-Okay that felt good-Fucking babysitting!" I shouted again, only stopping to admire the effects of a tank round on a small group of people.

"honestly, this is pretty lax as far as assignments go. A bit of training here, yell some abuse there, it's just boot camp, what's your problem?" Poindexter said as he continued to watch Sundown work with slight amazement.

"That's the problem, it's too easy! Where's the excitement? Explosions! Monsters?! HOW COULD THIS GET AN-" My infuriated shouting was cut short as Sundown's little toy snapped, sending a various parts flying at me. The parts didn't render me unconscious, but tripping over a large brick and hitting the ground hard did.

"Oh fuck, not again..." Was the last thing I heard Sundown say as I went to sleepy land, whether he was worried about me or his pet project.

Somewhere
Sometime

"I want my...I want my own TV~..." Was the first thing I heard, the smooth, calm, grainy voice was soon followed the sound of a drum beat and then an intense guitar solo. Truly, the best way to wake up. My head was heavy like a bag of bricks yet my body surprisingly good. Opening my blue eyes, I did a quick scan of the room. Smelt of disinfectant and dirt, green tent walls, various stretchers with different bodies with different injuries, a bored guy near the entrance to the tent, faint rays of golden sunshine, people moaning in pain or laughing from some kinda drug...Yeap, it's the morning after the fight, we won, I'm in a medical tent...AND I FUCKING SLEPT THROUGH THE GODDAMN FIGHT!

"FFFFUUUUCCCCKKKK!" I shouted with contempt for everything as I jumped off my stretcher, then fall down to the ground as a nurse came up to me, plastic gloves on her olive hands and a blue surgical mask over her pale, tired face. She wore simple green army fatigues with a medical cap covering her hair.

"Dude, calm the fuck down, people are trying to sleep." She said, disinterested in my anger.

"What happened?! What did I miss?!" I asked, my anger replaced with genuine curiosity.

"Minimal casualties on our side, Outpost is ruined, the Blue Balls fell back into the ACT and the fight was kinda boring. I mean, we had two tanks, how many snipers and jeeps with turrets and men? It was more like a shooting range then an actual fight." She said disinterestedly as she surveyed the multiple injured.

"God damn...Can I leave or-"

"Just go, we're too busy with the actually hurt and aside from a bump on your head there was no damage done to you." She said as she went back to looking around.

"Coolio I guess..." I said as I walked past the sick or dying and out the tent, taking care to avoid the doctors and nurses.

The outside was a mess. After my eyes adjusted to the blinding light I was able to take in the facility. The gas station was fucked, the glass all broken and the left side of the building completely collapsed. The building was destroyed along with the long since empty gas pumps and concrete roof protecting said pumps from rain. The motel was mostly intact. A few rooms were smoldering piles of debris and others looked like they had been set on fire but there were still rooms for people to sleep in and knowing some people, they would sleep in the rubble anyway. The road was littered with blood, bullet shells, scorch marks and body parts being covered by tarps or discretely placed into black bags. The gate was painted with entrails and viscera, like a macabre painting, and the land outside looked like it was carpet bombed with all the destroyed vehicles, marks where tank rounds had hit and burnt corpses. The early morning sun displayed everything in a calm, vibrant orange, juxtaposing the gorgeous carnage. Everywhere people where either searching for working equipment, radioing for backup, identifying the dead or simply eating their breakfast. As I walked into the Motel car park, avoiding the various people running around, I saw Sheila up ahead.

The four recruits seemed to have dragged an old couch out from one of the ruined rooms, evident by Roach lazily resting on the left side of the couch, Four Eyes reading on the right and Poindexter sitting awkwardly in the middle, listing to something on his phone. Frog was lying on the ground staring up at the sky, humming along to the song being played on the radio. In the back of Sheila, Tycho was strumming along to said song with his acoustic guitar while Patches was scoping 30 cal. shells of the floor...And Sundown was cooking what looked like eggs and bacon in a pan on the small portable stove we brought with us, the smell of sizzling bacon and delicious eggs served to lift the smell of gunpowder and death.

"Hey princess! Enjoy your beauty sleep?" Sundown said with a hearty laugh as everyone looked up, aside from Patches who continued to curse and throw shells out of the car's back right door.

"Ha ha, go fuck yourself. My head feels like shit, hey Ty, you got some painkillers?" I asked as I sat down in the passenger side seat in Sheila.

"Na man, used then up before we left Fort Alice." He said honestly as he continued to play.

"Man, last night was EXTREME! I wish you were there to see it Flare, you would have seen the epitome of war!" Frog boasted loudly.

"Right, because 'the epitome of war' is you bitching about fighting and nearly shitting your pants." Four Eyes said with a smirk as Dexter and Roach crack up laughing.

"Can someone help me with this please? I'm gonna be here for awhile." Patches pleaded as I started rubbing my temples.

"Nope."

"Nada."

"No."

"hhhmmmm....Tempting but no." Frog, Four Eyes, Roach and Poindexter said in quick succession.

"I'm still recovering." I said as I faked a moan of pain.

"I'm playing my guitar, so I'm giving you moral support." Tycho said with a quick strum of his guitar.

"I'm cooking eggs...So no." Sundown said simply like he didn't need to elaborate.

"Gee, bunch a fucking dicks around here..."Patches mumbled angrily.

"What's the ETA on that bacon?" I asked hungrily, nearly drooling at the mouth.

"About five or so minutes...Man, crazy fucking night." Sundown said in a tired tone of voice.

"Yeah, that attack came out of nowhere. What I want to know is how did that assassin get into the compound and how were they able to bug out so fast?" Tycho asked with curiosity.

"My bullets are on an inside guy." Roach piped up as she continued to nearly fall asleep.

"A Blue Coat spy in the Rangers? Please, they're more likely to become a true democracy then get one of their members in our ranks." Poindexter said, scoffing at the idea of deception in the force.

"Well something happened, the attack was too prepared to be a random assault." Patches yelled from the drivers side seat.

"True that...I wonder if we can find any good salvage out there, there were a few old world trucks I saw." Four Eyes said with new vigor.

"Possibly, though knowing those fuckers they laid a few traps for people like you." Sundown added with a hint of caution.

"hm, a challenge huh? At least they'll make it a bit more interesting...Dex, you in?" Four Eyes asked, giving Poindexter a slight nudge with her shoulder as she dropped her book on the couch.

"I'll pass, it's far too early in the morning to do heavy lifting." He said disinterestedly as he went back to his phone. But just as she was about to walk off, we saw a tall shadow creep up, looking behind us in the direction of the motel we saw the shadow belonged to Victoria. He was whistling an old Australian song as he waltzed up to us with his rosewood rifle. Frog saluted him from the ground, roach stood up, saluted then collapsed back into the couch, Sundown and Tycho merely nodded at him, Patches saluted and walked up to him, Four Eyes and Dexter saluted then sat back down in their seats.

"At easy Rangers." Vic said with a small smile.

"With all due respect, what the fuck?" I asked as I pointed at the four rookies, who seemed to be slightly annoyed by me.

"If you're wondering why I dumped the job of training on you four, then you should know that I value you four and believe there is much you could teach, or scare into, these four recruits. Their good but far from disciplined and aldo you four aren't the most...Loyal of soldiers your combat prowess and military history speaks for itself...Besides, I didn't want you four to get too comfortable with that desk job back in Fort Alice." He said with a charming and honest smile.

"I can't argue with that, we are pretty great." Tycho said, tuning his electric blue guitar.

"Um, Sir? What are our orders?" Frog asked as he sat up from the cracked road.

"Your orders, ladies and gentlemen, is to go along with the scouting party, those Americans went somewhere and we need to know where." vic said as he looked over the compound, a flash of pain crossed his face as he surveyed the dead.

"And we're to keep these four alive? You know we don't have a good record of keeping people alive right?" Sundown said, pointing at the four rookies with a spatula.

"Hey, we can look out for ourselves in a fight." Four Eyes said defensively.

"Yeah, when they got me around their safe as can be! My mom taught me everything I need to know." Frog boasted with a confident smirk.

"That's right, the Blue Coats are too busy trying to shot your skinny ass as you run around the field to focus on us." Four Eyes rebutted as she went back to reading.

"Hey!"

"As I was saying, the scout party will only be gone for an hour as an emission has been sighted near the ACT boarder and the Blue Coats aren't crazy enough to go into the exclusion zone." Vic informed us.

"Any sightings on that supposed super weapon?" I asked. Curiously, Poindexter seemed to perk up at the sound of a super weapon.

"No, we believe they're saving it for a bigger assault. The purpose of this mission is to find them and see what we're working with, do not engage them unless necessary, you'll be outnumbered and outgunned if you do." Vic informed us as Tycho and Roach nodded in understatement.

"Get in, take a few pictures, get out. Simple, when we leaving?" Roach asked nonchalantly.

"Seven, you got an hour. Meet them at the gate, they'll provide transport for you four, and you Sierra can bring Sheila if you wish. Be careful out there, don't do something foolish. Dismissed." Vic said as he walked off towards the motel.

"Amazing, out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire..."Poindexter said, clearly not wanting to go.

"...Eggs anyone?" Sundown asked as he put some food on a plate for himself and more food onto other plates.

Tycho
7:10 AM
Near the ACT Exclusion Zone

"Good morning to all you faithful listeners out there! This is DeeJay Dundee and It's another burnt-out atomic day here in the Australian Wastelands and we're keeping it cool here at our bunker! The days gonna be hot, as always, and no rainfall whatsoever, as always. The coastal areas are gonna be a cool 23 degrees but the inland is gonna be a blistering 41 degrees, keep inside and keep heat stroke away, that shit sucks. Good news people! We've discovered a cure for radioactive sterilization, America and Australia are at peace, the infected are being taught how to love and there's global peace...And now the real news. Anonymous sources have reported various sightings of American forces near the ACT Exclusion Zone, what are they doing there? We don't know, maybe they're looking for oil or some crap. We've also got unconfirmed sightings of giant sea monsters, is this proof that the lock ness monster might be real? Find out later when we interview a lucky Chinese trader who got away from one. And lastly, an increase in crop production and booze making has given the once ghost farming town of Red Fields a boom in security and trading, is this the start of another Fort Alice? Or another Sunshine Haven? Find out later, on FAR: The home of old world music and new world sensations!" A thick Australian accent shouted excitedly over the car radio before a calming, old song played. Without companies and groups buying up ad space the radio was just music, jokes and interviews.

"Man, who the fuck leaked all this?" I asked from the passenger's seat, confused as to how someone leaked something that happened a few hours ago.

"I don't know, maybe someone with radio clearance was a shit, maybe some random civ watched it all, we probably won't find out." Sundown said as he ducked back inside the car briefly, it was his turn to man the gun. We were a part of a small convoy of three armoured jeeps sent out to find where the Blue Coats where hiding so we could wipe them out, and so far as we drived down the empty dirt road with nothing but empty fields to our sides, I knew this was gonna be boring as all hell.

"Hey, Sierra, you heard the radio broadcast?" I heard Roach ask over Sheila's CB radio. I picked up the small mic and proceeded to talk into it while resting my head on the window.

"This is Tycho, yeah we heard it. When this is over we're going to have to have a chat with Dundee, that was meant to be secret and there were no towns for miles at that outpost." I replied, still on edge from last night.

"I'm tellin' ya, a spy's in our barracks!" Frog shouted, muffled by their car's noises.

"And I'm telling you the odds of an American sneaking into our ranks is astronomical." Poindexter argued.

"Shut up you three I need to drive." Four Eyes said, followed shortly by the car behind up swerving a little to shake the people inside.

"Fucking Christ! Some warning would've been nice!" Frog said with a slight pain in his voice.

"Knock it off you four, we need to stay alert, we don't know what's out here." The car in front of us said, filled with a few anti-tank personal if worse came to pass. We came upon an intersection, the one leading to the left was blocked off since it lead to Canberra so that just left the straight road, which was flanked on both sides by dead trees and shrubs, and a long road leading into a field.

So, which road do we take?" I asked the car in front of us.

"We got little under an hour before we need to get out of the area and we still have heaps of ground to cover...Sierra Team, go right, Freakshow Team, you're with us." The leader instructed.

"Wait, why are we the people with less backup?" Flare asked, kinda suspicious.

"Because we have anti-armour munitions and need more protection, their recruits that need more protection, and you four are used to operating alone." The leader said, his gravely voice sounding a bit annoyed at the hold up.

"He makes a valid point." Roach said plainly over the radio.

"Fine, but if you die it's not our fault...Sierra out." Patches said as he indicated right and turned as the car in front accelerated away with the car full of Rookies closely behind. As we drove down the lonely road, we noticed it was slowly, but surely, starting to rain...A VERY bad omen. The dirt road was starting to get rockier and bumpier as the car shook and shuddered from the new obstacles. We would occasionally have to drive around a giant hole in the road, a desecrated corpse or a collapsed tree but aside from the never ending fields and infrequent hills, there was nothing out there. As the rain got heavier and heavier and the roar of thunder got louder and closer, we realized we would have to turn back soon.

"Fucking hell, the radio didn't say shit about a storm, that emission must be real close...Screw it, I'm contacting the other cars, we need to leave...Hey, Team Leader, Freakshow, anyone out there?...This is Sierra, is anyone out there?" I asked the mic, all the CB radio gave me in return was static.

"Dude, anyone else getting a bad vibe from all this?" Flare asked as he scanned the horizon looking for anything. As I went back to the CB radio, a loud, shrill ear piercing shriek resonated from the CB radio and the stereo. Pat almost swerved off the road while I and the other two held our ears. It didn't take long before the noise stopped, but both the radio and stereo were now dead.

"Ah god I think I just got tinnitus...Was that some kinda EMP?" Sundown asked as he tried massaging his head.

"I don't know but fuck was that surprising...We should head back, if the nearing emission and EMP wasn't warning enough that certain-" As Patches was explaining why we were about to turn around, we felt a loud bang resonate in the car and then felt the front left side of the car slam into the ground and scrape along the ground.

"Oh fuck, ambush!" Sundown yelled as we looked outside the car. Somewhere in the fields someone was sniping us and troopers seem to burst from the ground as people hiding sprung their trap.

"Oh shit, everyone get to cover it's show time! Gas masks on!" Flare shouted as we got out of the car, gun in hand, gas masks up and ran for cover at the side of the road, making sure to avoid the sniper. Me and Sundown were on the left, myself hiding behind a large rock and him behind a turned over car, and on the right Patches and Flare were keeping cover behind a large rock as well.

"Sun, keep them off me, I'm gonna look for that scumbag!" I shouted over the pouring rain, the storm was close and if we didn't hurry we would be wiped out by it.

"Got it! Eat fire bitch!" Sundown shouted as he loaded a few home made dragons breath rounds into his gun and fired them off, lighting a few small fires in front of our cover and lighting the charging soldiers up. I sneakily raised the scope over the rock and searched...Nothing, grass, rock, nothing...Bingo. I saw a small flash of light, the glass in the snipers scope, and a small figure moving in the distance as he tried to reload the rifle, frantically adjusting the rifle. I breathed in lightly, marked my target and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out for miles as it hit it's target.

"Sniper down, someone get that tire fixed!" I shouted as I turned my attention on the approaching enemies, most of which taking cover in the fields.

"On it!" Sundown said as he run behind his cover and to the boot. Curiously, he took out his heavy suitcase and also one of the spare tires and the tools needed.

"What the hell is your suitcase gonna do?!" Flare shouted as Sun opened the box and pulled out what looked like a small turret.

"This! After you got knocked on your ass I was able to fix it, nows a good time to beta test it since it's raining blue men!" Sundown shouted as he pressed some buttons and placed a small camo tarp over it to keep the rain off the machine. He ran up to me and placed it just outside my cover, quickly getting behind cover as a bullet grazed his hand.

"Gah ya son of a...Here, this is a controller for that thing, you move this stick to rotate it and press this button to fire, simple. It's only got two boxes of ammo so be careful!" He informed as he ran back to the car and got to work on replacing the tire, not caring if the rain beats him down. I looked over the cover and picked my targets, adjusting the smallish machine I pressed down on the green button. I thought the thing looked simple, a black box with a small antenna sticking out the top, a black joystick like thing to maneuver it and a big green button to fire, not really complex, but as the gun let loose and I heard the anguished screams of men as they fell down when a hollow point bullet pierced their chests I knew this thing would sell like hot-cakes.

"Shit! When can I get one of those?!" Patches asked as he reloaded his rifle then leaned out of cover to fire, taking down five or so people with accurate, controlled bursts.

"Still in beta Patty, gotta work out the kinks." He answered with a slight huff as he got to work on taking the blown out tire off.

"Kinks?!" I asked as I looked for more targets.

"You know, sparks when the parts move together, manual reload, possible fire if overheated, the usual!" He shouted back as he finally got the tire off and threw it aside.

"Still, can't complain when it causes that much damage!" Flare shouted happily as he grabbed one of the flashbangs at his side, let it cook for a second then threw it over the cover.

"Shut your eyes boys!" Flare said a second before a big white flash appeared. While the ten or fifteen men hit by the light were dazed and blinded, Flare fired off a grenade round right in the middle of them, killing most of them instantly and fatally wounding the others.

"ETA on that, fuck! That tire?" Patches asked as he almost got shot in the ear.

"I don't know! I've never had to change a tire while getting shot at!" Sundown shouted, he sounded worried, annoyed and pissed all at once.

"Just hurry...Oh FUCK!" I said as all fighting stopped when a loud, green, enormous explosion rocked the sky. The clouds twisted and warped to the green swirling light, the rain picked up in intensity and pelted the ground like a missile, the ominous and mysterious light changed hues and brightness in an instant but always seemed to be green. The ground shaked in fear and caused trees to fall over and men to stumble.

"EMISSION! FUCKING RUN!" We heard a soldier shout, his hardened, masculine voice filled with terror as he and his friends ran for whatever cover they could find.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! That tire Sundown?!" Flare shouted in fear as he gave up on the fight and looked around the empty road hoping for a miracle to drive by at mach speed.

"It's too late...That storms right on top of us! What do we do?!" I shouted as I ran back and forth, unsure of what to do aside from panic.

"I'm almost done, Tycho come help me!" Sundown shouted as he raised the tire up and was about to secure it, but as I ran up to help him, a great gust of wind blew me back behind the rock and into the field. I rolled on the ground, over dead bodies and only stopped when the wind stopped.

"Ty! You okay?!" Flare shouted as he held onto the car for dear life, picking up Sundown's weird sentry bot when it blew into him.

"Everyone, get inside quick!" Patches shouted as he got into the drivers seat and braced himself. It was unlikely it would change anything but where he died...But anything's better than nothing. Sundown kept trying to put the tire in place but it became obvious he wouldn't be able to finish in time. Giving up he picked up the tools and tire and put it back in the boot and picked up his machine when Flare gave it too him. As I groggily got off the ground and ran to the car I felt a strange, pulsing sensation, like someone was tickling and pinching every part of my body. I began to run with double the effort but I felt unnaturally dizzy and fell to the ground. As the wind and light picked up and the roaring storm raged on. I faintly saw Sundown fall over, cradling his project, and hid behind the rock. Flare tried to get into the car but was blown down the road by the next big gust of wind and it looked like Patches fainted at the wheel.

As I laid there on the ground I felt something foreign, fear. I wasn't ready for this, I still had so much to do, things I never got to say, places I never got to see. I wanted to do so much and to die here, in a dirty field in the middle of nowhere was terrifying. I tried to crawl towards the car, too weak to do anything as I felt my energy drain from my body as the green light began to wash over me. I collapsed on my back, staring up at the rain filled black sky. Out of breath, terrified, but not alone or in pain...

"I...I can't...I can't die...Here..."I said with fleeting strength. As the world dissolved before my eyes and was replaced with green and clouds, I was faintly aware that I was glowing...Everything was green, dark and loud. I felt the air leave my lungs suddenly and I felt a sharp pain as I gasped for air. Then, just as it suddenly was disorientingly bright, I felt a lifting sensation then nothing. The world was pitch black, either that or my eyes were closed, and there was no noise aside from the ringing in my ears.

'This is death huh?...Fuck...How did it all go wrong?...' Death wasn't as the movies or novels imagined it. Time didn't slow down and my life didn't flash before my eyes...Instead, it was just a flash of light then nothing. It felt like I was floating and swimming all at once in a weightless vacuum...I don't know how long I floated in that empty void, but suddenly, I felt something. A cold pain in my back and the feeling of wind blasting against my face and the howl of a strong wind. I gasped for air and my lungs were filled with frozen wind. I was cold and in pain, but alive...I think. I had no strength whatsoever and couldn't bring myself to move...Instead I opened my eyes and stared up...Everything was white and blurry. I felt snow assault my face and the feeling of snow melting below my warm body...I was in a blizzard somewhere, somehow, and I was in immense pain.My hoodie kept my head slightly warmer then the rest of my body and the gas mask helped slightly but it would only be a matter of time. I figured I would die from the extreme temperatures but before I could resign myself to death for real, I heard something.

"Tell us your name or else!" I heard a strange voice yell. It sound warped and distorted, like someone took a normal voice and filtered it through some kinda voice modulator.

"I ain't tell you bugs anything!" I heard another voice shout in defiance. His voice was strong and confident, like he could face the world, yet also young. Most likely belonged to a young militant or private guard. I heard various noises that sounded like punches and kicks but their was something off about it, I also heard the same voice grunt in pain so it didn't take a genius to figure out someone was being beaten.

"Stop, stop, stop! We're wasting our time! I say we take him back to the hive for proper interrogation..." The first voice said with a sinister laugh and the laugh was echoed by at least six other discorded voices. I heard the sound of harmonious steps that got closer and closer till I could almost count the people patrolling. It got to the point where it sounded like they were right on top of me before they stopped walking.

"Commander, look! What is that?" I heard a younger voice shout, bafflement in his voice. The walking got so close that they might as well have been standing on my ears. Even when they were right above me I could barely make them out, my eyes were so blurry and pained that I thought I had gone partially blind.

"I don't know...It's clothes are foreign and that mask is unlike any other...But this, this I am familiar with..." I heard the original voice say with awe and confusion.

"What is it? I heard the young voice ask.

"It looks like a much bigger version of his majesties machine...And look, on his side! A near duplicate!" The voice shouted in amazement. I was drained and too beaten to talk but I tried to raise my fist at them.

"It's awake sir!"

"I know, shut up...Sleep creature, sleep...When he falls unconscious tie him and leave him with the pony, it's going to be a long walk back to the Hive but the King will be pleased with what we found..." I saw a faint, green glow and then my fatigue was duplicated tenfold and before long, I was unconscious again, though this time I dreamed of bizarre and alien creatures unlike any I had seen before, and it shocked me to the core...

Flare

I remembered the sensation of tumbling then being knocked unconscious but then I awoke to a very familiar feeling, heat. I slowly woke up and groaned in pain...

"Fucking crazy dream...It felt so...Okay, what the fuck?!" I began to say as I lifted myself up, my body sore and aching but good to go if I had to...But then I looked around the rolling, stone infested dessert and realized it was going to be one of those days...Sand and rocks for miles on end, and only the occasional stone mountain to break up the monotony.

"Fuck...Where am I?! I remember...I remember a bunch of fire and people, nothing new, and then I remember...HOLY FUCK DID I SURVIVE AN EMISSION?!" I shouted to no one but rocks as I tried to figure out how I ended up in a dessert.

"Okay...I survived a radioactive storm...SOMEHOW, and ended up here...But where is here? I know this isn't an Australian dessert, I've never seen god damn tumble weeds like that!" I shouted at a huge brown weed that floated past me on a hollowing wind. Looking around I appeared to at a crossroads of sorts.

"Four roads leading nowhere...Oh hey a sign!" I shouted in slight joy at a tall wooden sign post...That was eroded to hell. I couldn't make out the names but the arrows and kilometer distance was still readable.

"Okay, this is all gonna take awhile but THAT I can do in a day or so...If it's still early morning, which it's not...Okay, time to walk through a dessert with a trench coat on...Yay..."I said with no humour in my voice as I walked down a dry, dusty road, taking down my plain gas mask, letting my pale face breath clearly and adjusted my black cowboy hat, letting some of my red hair fall down.

"...To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day~..." I sang aloud then continued to whistle as I walked down my lonely road.

Sundown

"Gaaaahhhhhh..." I moaned in pain, I felt great floating, but then when I came down and smacked body first into concrete...Not so great. I could move, but it hurt...I slowly opened my eyes and looked around...I was in a god damn sewer. The place smelt like a sewer, the water was green, like a sewer, and their was SHIT floating in the water...HOW did I end up in a sewer?!

"Fuck my life...Okay, Survived a raid, survived an ambush then survived an emission, I think, and now I'm in a sewer...Great..." I slowly got up and rested on the wall next to me and looked around. The walls were stone and looked old...So I probably wasn't in Australia anymore, and if the noises from the grate way above my head was anything to go by I was in a crowded town of some kind...I heard people talking, people walking, carts moving, horses clopping and general noises...But no indicator of where I was. Looking on the ground I saw my shotgun and turret. But as I bent over to pick them up I heard a noise behind me. I reached for my pistol and turned around but was too late as I felt something slam into my head hard. I was on the ground again, disorientated and my ears were ringing loudly.

"What in Tartarus is this thing? It's not Equestrian, that much I know..." I heard a heavily accented voice ask quizzically. His accent was harsh, rough yet also noble and rich. It sounded European, possibly French or German? The voice itself was rough and deep, like a warriors, yet the accent also gave him a more sophisticated edge.

"Don't know, don't care. Take it with us if you want, it has interesting tools." Another voice said, this one female. The voice was smooth, calming and majestic, thanks in part to the mysterious accent. I felt something lift me, with much effort and then I felt myself being lowered onto something feathery and hard.

"woah, the thing weighs a ton..." The first voice said with a slight strain.

"Yeah, I'm feeling it. Come on, we got work to do..."The female's voice and small laugh was the last thing I heard before I fell back into unconsciousness.

Patches

I woke up feeling...Strange, like someone had shocked me. I slowly rose from my resting position and stretched my back, grunting from the release, and opened my eyes. I was in Sheila, that much I knew...But what was outside was beyond bizarre. I was in some kind of forest. The trees were tall, old and dark brown, the leaves a healthy green and the ground was an unusually light shade of brown mixed in with the grass and occasional shrub. I had no idea what time it was due to the density of the trees leaves but I assumed it was still day. I was in some small clearing with a small road behind and in front of me but the forest was so closely pack that I would have no idea where to go...

"Okay...This is...Disturbing...This can't be an Australian forest...So where on this brown Earth em I?" I asked...No one. Realizing something, I did a quick scan of the car...

"Oh fuck..."I opened the door and hopped out, feverishly looking for anyone.

"Hello?! Is anyone there? Tycho, Flare, Sundown?!...ANYONE?!" I shouted, the only response being a scared animal running away somewhere in the woods. I panicked and searched for a trail or a campfire or anything that would tell me if my team had for some reason left me behind.

"Come on guys, this isn't funny! Where the fuck are you?!" I shouted, pulling my hair out in frustration as I ran about the clearing, looking for anything...

"Fuck...The boot! They wouldn't have left without their shit!" I shouted with sudden clarity. I opened the boot, and was shocked and disappointed at the same time...Their supplies were still there. Aside from the stuff we never left without, it was all there.

"No...No they wouldn't leave me...We're friends! They need me! Where are they?!" I shouted to the heavens, hoping they would suddenly walk out of the treeline.

"No...No they didn't leave me...Their somewhere nearby...Right?! They have to be! HELLO?!" I screamed in desperation, hoping for anyone to find me. My face now wet with tears of fear running down my shallow face, I collapsed on the ground, trying to calm myself.

"Get ahold of yourself! They'll come back! They won't leave you!" I shouted aloud to myself.

"How the hell do you know that? They could be dead!" I rebutted, genuine fear in my voice.

"Those three are a cut above, they wouldn't die, not without you." I tried to reassure myself, but it was failing miserably.

"No, I know they've left me behind before, I know they're not coming this time..." I said, my breaths becoming faster and faster as I struggled to keep calm.

"Listen to me! Deep breaths, calm down and think! You can't think straight when you get like this!"

"Okay...Yeah..."

"In...Out..."

"In...Out..."

"In...Out..."

"In...Out..."

"In...Out..." I repeated until I was calm enough to think straight...I wasn't alone, I know I wasn't, I just had to find them...I won't be alone, never.