Author's Note

I am currently on the look out for an editor and proof reader, one would be very much appreciated as well as an criticism one may have for me, this is my first serious fan fiction and I would very much like for it to be a good one.

Drive On First Platoon (Act l Prologue)

I stood straight and proud as the Drill Sergeant passed me inspecting every aspect of my uniform for any flaws, he grunted turning and moving onto the next soon to be Army Ranger seemingly finding nothing wrong with my uniform. As the Captain took the stage in the atrium looking us over as he started giving a speech, most likely about the honor of being in our position and some other shit, but I really wasn't paying attention.

When he finally ended his speech with "And remember Rangers Lead The Way," I stood up even straighter then should be possible more proud then I thought I could be. Suddenly I heard a whistling overhead something that even here I knew to dread, mortar fire. I saw the shell heading straight for me , but before it exploded I was shaken awake.

I awoke with a gasp staring at the grim face of the man in the building next to me and I really started to wonder how it all went wrong so fast. It was supposed to be an easy mission, quick, simple, and effective. Get in, grab the VIP and get out. We didn't expect the whole village to be filled with civilian hostages, suicide bombers and Taliban fighters. Evidently command was just as surprised, so much for good intelligence. I sighed glancing at my second in command who was currently off to the left staring out the window of the building we we're stuck in. We'd taken to having two man shifts swapping out every hour to keep an eye out for hostiles and let some of get some rest while we can. My second in command was a reliable solider and officer, his name is James Thorn. He was currently my second in command as opposed to the usual Lieutenant due to the rest of our squad getting annihilated as soon as we stepped into this hell hole.

We we're a squad of 10, now down to 5. Just Second Lieutenant Thorn, Sergeant Major James Perkins , Specialist Steven Edwards, Corporal Thomas Anderson, and me Captain Gerald Wilkins. I could see the Thorn clenching his MK17 SCAR-H tightly in his hands peering down his Holographic sight occasionally. I sighed glancing down at my own MK17 , it was a reliable weapon firing 7.62 x 51 mm cartridges with a reliable range as well. I then looked to to Edwards who was sitting down with his Mk46 Light Machine Gun resting on his lap, he wasn't due to be woken for another 10 minutes so I glanced over him at Anderson who was leaning against the wall eating out of one of his MREs. He was equipped with an M4a1 with an under slung grenade launcher and was glancing around as if expecting the walls to explode in any second, which they may well very do. Lastly I looked to Perkins who was coming down the stairs from his make-shift snipers nest his MK11 slung over his shoulder.

I sighed standing up and moving over to the Lieutenant and placed my hand on his shoulder "You're relieved," I said quietly to which he nodded and went back to where I was sitting against the wall again slowly nodding off.

It was early in the morning around 7:30 or so it was almost peaceful if you could ignore the corpses surrounding the building from the last assault they had launched at us, we'd already contacted command the day before and they said evac should be coming soon if we could hold out until then. I sighed and was about to take out one of my MREs to get a quick bite in before I saw movement out of the corner of my eye in one of the buildings to the far right.

I quickly raised my MK17 scanning out across the street before a shot rang out and a bullet impacted right next to my head causing me to duck down into cover.

"Alright lads we have company!" I shouted rousing all of the rest of my squad causing them to rush for vantage points at the windows. The Sergeant Major rushing towards the second floor to his sniper's nest.

I peeked from my cover seeing several insurgents rushing down the street towards the building, I counted around four of them raising my SCAR-H, aiming in on the rear most one and squeezing the trigger, the weapon firing out it's lethal payload into the insurgents neck causing him to go down instantly. His fellows didn't seem to notice, or didn't care. I switched to the new one in the rear squeezing the trigger sending a bullet into the mans chest sending him to the ground, I barely noticed as I switched my aim to the next and fired again sending a bullet into the mans knee causing him to fall to the ground crying out in pain, my rifle switched to the last one who seemed to have realized rushing across an open plaza to a building occupied by Army Rangers wasn't a bright idea. He was a slow learner, and in war slow learners die. I pulled the trigger sending another bullet into the mans head killing him instantly.

I checked my magazine, seeing there were around fourteen bullets still in the mag, I slid it back into the weapon with a satisfying click.

I heard Thorn shout out "Seven to the far right! Furthermost building, Wait is tha- RPG!" As soon as that dreaded word was said we all hit the ground as we heard the tell tale sound of the Propelled Grenade firing into the building obliterating around a quarter of the wall I was taking cover at. He never got the chance to fire again Perkins made sure of that I'd be surprised if anything was left of the bastards head with all the blood I saw after he fired that rifle of his.

It gave a lot more satisfaction than I'd care to admit seeing it. I saw another insurgent break for cover rushing towards a stone fall near to the house, I raised my SCAR-H aimed at his chest and fired twice the bullets ripping through his clothing, lungs, and heart as he dropped to the ground a blood puddle already starting to form around him. Then I saw something that I really wished I didn't, A truck with several armored plates welded to it and a M240 mounted on the back of it.

"Fucking bastards must've taken it off the Humvee," I mused quietly as it started spraying the building sending all of us into cover. I heard a scream and looked to my left to see Anderson gripping his shoulder a large amount of blood leaking through his fingers. "Fuck," I muttered.

I jerked suddenly when I heard a large explosion, fearing the worst I peaked my cover to see the Armored Truck in flames the smell of burnt flesh already reaching my nose, I glanced to the left seeing two Humvee's with around four soldiers around outside of them one of them holding a M136 AT4 up to his shoulder. The Humvee's were already opening fire with their M240s mowing down any insurgent unlucky enough to get caught out in the open. I heard the rest of my squad cheering for our boys out there and taunting the insurgents as they fled while I rushed to Anderson helping him to his feet and grabbing his M4. We all slowly left the building sticking to cover until we reached the Humvee's quickly loading up with the rest of the men.

"About fuckin' you lazy shits showed up," I heard Perkins exclaim.

I heard a chuckle before another solider replied "Sorry 'Sarge, thought you wouldn't want us to spoil your fun," Perkins whipped around a glare on his face before his expression relaxed and he chuckled to himself.

I heard Anderson speak up, "Captain, This remind you of that old cadence they had back in trainin'?".

I grunted and said "Which cadence Corporal I remember quite a few rather vividly," He chuckled and started humming an too familiar Hymm. I looked up and started humming along as did the rest of the squad, I guess for this situation it just spoke to us in a way that would be difficult to explain.

"Ay' Sarge why don't ya bless us with your splendid singin' voice?" I heard Edwards exclaim suddenly

"Alright Sugar-tits just for you," Perkins replied in a clearly sarcastic tone, but he still did start the hymm

"Drive on first platoon,"

"DRIVE ON FIRST PLATOON!" We all shouted in unison matching the feeling of the hymm.

"Drive on first platoon,"

"DRIVE ON FIRST PLATOON!"

"Someday you'll be all alone....."

"SOMEDAY YOU'LL BE ALL ALONE! "

"Way out in a combat zone, "

"WAY OUT IN A COMBAT Z-" We stopped suddenly as a rather loud explosion rang out and the Humvee in-front of us lit up like the fireworks during the fourth of July. I grimaced as I saw a man drag himself out of the top of the Humvee screaming as he burnt alive, the smell of burning flesh granting us the privilege of being introduced yet again. I looked out the side window of the Humvee to see an RPG already aimed at us, I just sighed resigned to my fate as the projectile launched, everything seemed to go into slow motion.

I just whispered "Second platoon will bring you home," under my breath before the rocket propelled grenade smashed into the Humvee, and everything went white.