Ilima City, Sera
Ilima Sinkhole
Abigail's POV

With Clayton's help, we helped Starlight away out of the torturing deck. I patted her on the back to free up her airways. "Keep coughing it out," I advised, "Will find a toothbrush later so you can get the acid out of your mouth."

"~Thanks~" Starlight said after her coughing fit.

The sound of gunfire reached our ears just then. "More Locust!" Clayton readied his Mulcher.

"*Cough* Let's do it!" Starlight said as she readies her Retro Lancer.

Regrouping with the others, I spotted a draw plank lowering down with a few Locust trying to board.

"Take them down!" Marcius ordered.

We all fired our Lancers nailing them as they tried to force their way on board. Four Locust tried running down the ram only to be mowed down with a wall of led.

"Grinder!" Clayton warned everyone just as it let lose a substantial stream of machine-gun fire over us. While its fire focused on one side, the other raised and nailed it repeatedly with gunfire. When it down, I waved for Marcius Ben and Dom to advance.

"Marcius, take Dom and Ben up and engaged them. Everyone else covering fire!" The three Gears ran up the wooded ram while everyone else fires at the remaining troops.

"Area cleared," Marcius sounded off.

Soon me and everyone else ran up the ramp and back into the caves. I watched Clayton stop for a moment over the dead Boomer and relieved it of its ammo for his recently acquired Mulcher. We moved on past the dead Locust and across a natural rock bridge. Further ahead, I could hear growls and hissing of Locust.

"Kantus!" Marcius called out. When we reached the other side, I see the Kantus rallying a few Locust troops in a coordinated fire back on us. Before I could call them out, I spotted a pair of Tickers going to do some damage. Aiming my Lancer at them, I was rewarded with twin bursts of explosions. With that threat neutralize, I refocused on the Kantus to find a pair of Bloodmounts backing the Kantus.

Signaling the older Carmine. "Clayton, focus fire on the Bloodmounts!" Pointed at the Locust.

The big Gear complied and unleashed a carnage of bullets into them, with the first becoming a pile of meat in seconds followed quickly by the second. Then the group shifted fire right to hit a few Locust troops trying to push forward.

"Grenade!" Ben Carmine warned everyone as an ink grenade exploded, making everything dark and hazy while also hard to breathe the poison fumes. Rolling out of cover, the first thing I spot is Dom and Baird revving their chain saws on one Kantus. Moving on a bit more, Marcius put a finger to his earpiece.

"Control, I don't know what the hell's going on, but Locust tactics have changed. They're taking Prisoners, touching them." His gaze met mine. "Hell, we don't know what else."

"I'm getting similar reports, Marcius. It's horrible...did you find Baird?" Control responded and asked.

My brow slightly at the question. A Control Operator that's sympathetic? That's a new one. Typically they're emotionless bastards.

"Yeah, we got Baird...we also found Tai... he didn't make it," Marcius responded sorrowfully, which was shared by everyone.

"Roger that Delta..." Control responded. "I've got a Raven in route. You've got a new objective. I'll tell you more on the way...and about Tai." Control stopped for a moment. "I'm sorry, Marcus. He was a good man."

"Yeah, he was...Thanks, Anya. Delta out," Marcus ended the call before hefting up his weapon and moving on.

I stood behind and watched the whole conversation play out and admit it was interesting to see the two's interaction. An outsider would think the former commando and Control operator had a history. Then a realization hit her halfway through their conversation, that was Ayna Stroud. It made sense. The Strouds and the Fenix have shared history together that dated back to the last war. It's not well known to the standard solder today, but to those that paid attention to class back in the academy.

Putting the history lesson to the back of her head, they continue on down the tunnel. Facing several more Locusts soldiers with Bloodmount support. After killing off a Kantus, we left the caves and were back in another sunken part of the city.

What came next was a series of firefights in the fallen city. Even after witnessing it and fighting down in it, was hard to process. Storefronts, apartment buildings, fuel stations, hell, whole damn street blocks had fallen nearly an eighth of a mile down. And in between, Locust troopers, Bloodmounts, tickers, Reavers, and more! The worse was its former tenets, the Stranded that were left out here. A few Gears, too; some either went down fighting or just fell down along with the city.

"Marcus, Abby," Dominic snapping me out of my slight depression of the city. "We can get a safe LZ on that roof."

I looked up to see what he was talking about and gazed over the rickety hotel. Looked stable, but what building is after falling into a giant hole. I looked over and met Marcuse's eyes and nodded. Better than nothing.

Getting my confirmation. "Good call, let's move!"

We go around the corner into a burning hallway with a stairwell at the end. I held my breath as we passed through smoke, which still stung my eyes. Making me really want my helmet back.

We followed the stairs up till we reached the roof the top floor with no obstruction. I watched the younger Carmine toss the smoke grenade in the open for a clear signal.

"Smokes out, Sarge! Hope the Raven finds it before the Locust."

"Ben!/Private!"

The older brother and I said at the same irritating time. Making the younger brother look back and forth between us.

"What?" He asked. Very confused. Luckily Baird was there to clear things up.

"C'mon, man, don't jinx us...idiot."

We all took defensive positions behind whatever we could find. Overturn tables, crumbling walls as we waited for our ride. Starlight took cover next to me as we waited...but not long as we heard the familiar sound of foot stomps.

"Look's like the jinx worked!" Dom said as he pointed his Lancer at one of the stairways where the stomps were coming from.

Baird slapped Ben across the head. "Great! Nice one." Making the younger Carmine winced.

"Bring it on. I'll take on all yea bitches." Cole said without a lack of confidence.

The first pack came rushing up and met a hail of gunfire, killing the first two and wounding the third with the fourth ducking into cover. Ducking down to reload, I see Marcus toss a frag and land over the enemy's cover positions. A moment later, the boom left behind two trails of blood splatter.

"Where the hell's that chopper?" Baird complained as he pegged one Locust in the head.

More Locust came running up, this time from the way we came up here. Starlight and I shifted positions to meet them head-on. I see Starlight crouch back into cover and fumbling with reloading her Retro Lancer in the corner of my vision. "Come on, Starlight, we can do this!" I said in an attempt at encouragement.

The humanized unicorn did not look encouraged in the least. "Easy for you to say. I'm still learning this, horse apples!"

The fighting continued as we gunned down more Locust that ran up. Then the distinct sound of air chops filtered through the gunfire.

"Delta, this is KR one-nine. I have eye's on smoke." A Raven pilot sounded off.

"Roger KR one-nine. Delta's ready for pickup." Marcus replied.

"Bout time!" Clayton shouted before taking a Grub's legs off with a Gnasher shotgun.

I glanced up and searched the sky for our right. There, just over the edge of the sinkhole, I spot the Raven coming to circle around. Looking for the right angle to set her down.

"Ground walker!" Shouted a Drone.

Snapping back to the fight. I get back just in time to see a Locust Drone slap the Lancer out of my hands.

"Shit!" I cursed as the Drone was going to rush me. Rather than driving for my fallen Lancer, I throw a straight jab to his face, stunning it. I then grabbed my chain sword off my back and swung! The chainsaw belt roared in my hand before it met skin. The Drone scream in pain as it ripped and tore through its flesh and nerves before grinding its spine. Its two haves then landed on the floor with twin flops. I heft the chain sword up in appreciation. "Shining, you magnificent bastard."

"Whoa..." I turn to my right to see the two brothers staring at me.

"Where can I get one of those, Sarge!" Clayton asked, excitement dripping off his voice. The younger brother nodding his head in excitement.

I smiled smugly. "Got it from a magical unicorn," I said. Which was true. Recovering my Lancer, the Raven now came closer into view. All of Delta was firing at any Locust that was encroaching us.

Taking out another Drone, I suddenly felt the floor quake under me. Then I hear the sound of multiple buildings crashing in the distance. Glancing at Marcus, I see him glancing through at a destroyed wall that showed the outside. Following his gaze made my jaw drop and what I saw.

A worm. The thing that Delta mentioned was the size of a damn battleship!

"Awe shit!" Marcus cursed.

"One-nine, prepare for extraction now! On the DOUBLE!" I ordered. The Raven descended down onto them before landing on the roof. I reached out and pulled the door opened. "Pile it in, move, more!"

Baird and Cloe were the first to hop in, followed by Dom and Clayton. Finally, Fenix jumped next while turned to the last two men out.

"Star, Carmine, come on!" I shouted at them as I provide covering fired as Starlight came in, but the younger Carmine was still fighting. "Damn it, Carmine. Get over here!"

"Rookie! This ain't the big game yet. Save your ass for the playoffs!" Cole shouted off.

Ben looked back before running to them. I jumped in the Raven and pulled Starlight with me, and backed up into Clayton. We look up just in time to see Ben take one in the chest.

"Ben!" I Clayton cried out before going to the door gun. Marcus, Starlight, and Cole dragging him in while the older brother shoots the big chaingun.

"We're in!" Marcus calls out to the pilot.

I see Clayton killing a pair of Drones before turning to his kin and see him lying on the floor with Starlight with her hand-holding. "You alright there, little brother?"

"I'm fine, Clay," Ben grunted out in relief. "I can believe we made it!"

The Rave launched into a sudden spin as several rocks us. I grabbed the railing out of instant.

The two Rookies didn't have that.

I watched in morbid fascination as Ben and Starlight fly right out of the chopper.

"Carmine!/Ben/Starlight!" We all shouted as we watched the two fall into the mouth of the giant worm.

The Raven spun one more time and gave us the perfect view of inside the worm's mouth as it closed in on us. The only thing we could do in response. Scream...

Author's Note

Oh yeah...back in the game baby! Whoo!

Long over due chapter for this story that many want to see back. been playing the Gear's of War recently and decided to look back on this. Been busy with school before before going into working two jobs then writing non-MLP stories for the last few years. This story still on the back burner on what I'm planning to do with it but I'll try to come back to it.