15. Line: Favor for a friend in need

Standing at our posts alongside the pioneers Noah had brought back with Marcus quickly broke down the tension between us. Somehow he had gained their help. On his briefing that we’d be helping the pioneers stand against the other mercenaries attack we felt content in being able to help the people here. It was nice that for once things weren’t so cut throat which gave morale a boost for our defence.

Crouching behind a concrete barrier on the roof resting my M14 designated marksman rifle on my cover alongside two pioneers and another squadmate scanning the forest for anything the pioneers might’ve missed I conversed with them as the dissipating fog faded away.

“You’ve got proper stance about you. Guessing you were army or a contractor?” The man also scanning the forest with his scoped mosin nagant replied without hesitation.

“Army. That obvious huh?”

“Most guys who come here aren’t well trained if at all.”

“Fair enough. How’d you end up here?” With a smirk I brought the rifle to another sector to continue my vigil.

“Money, what else. Lead found us an exceptional job. With this I could’ve bought some nice cars, a big house and have something worth impressing chicks with. Can’t resist scars and cash you know?” With a sarcastic chuckle the pioneer with a shotgun spoke up.

“Yeah, I bet. Surprised you’re fighting for shit like that.”

“That doesn’t interest you? You like it in the ass or something?” Strider picked up the conversation once more with a flat tone as something took his interest down the scope.

“Trying to say something about that?”

“Nah just would’ve expected a soldier to have more of a sex drive.”

“Fair enough. Not as bad as you think. Besides Flux’s asexual he doesn’t care for that shit.” Wincing taking my eye off the scope I looked towards Flux.

“Jesus you didn’t have your dick shot off did ya?” Chuckling at my crudeness Strider provided an explanation while Flux continued scanning.

“Think it has something to do with being shot but it wasn’t his dick relax. Him and another friend when we were kids were involved in a shooting. Poor bastard’s were plugged in the chest. Heard he was resuscitated a few times in the op room. Other friend passed away unfortunately. Think it rattled him and he never took interest in anything. Hell it took him awhile to get basic emotion out again.” Flux piped up for a moment while still gazing over the field.

“Still don’t remember being shot.” Returning to his scope Strider went on.

“Yeah well you were. Had the hole to prove it. Good mates we were though we stuck through it.” After I was sure he was finished I continued the conversation.

“You guys sound like you were a good group of friends. What made you risk it all getting into the army and ending up here?” Strider picked up where he left off.

“After the shooting we wanted to fight back against dickheads like the one that shot Flux and protect each other. Load of shit that turned out to be. Mission first, lives later. Got sick of it and ended up here.”

“Probably a terrible decision. Hope you find whatever you're looking for.”

“Got a feeling I will.”

The silence continued as we focused on the forest ahead. An hour later I could feel my lips being slightly cracked to realize how long it’d been since I’d drank anything. Reaching down to my canteen a shot cracked overhead accompanied by another ping sound. With searing pain from my head as the bullet ricocheted off the top of my helmet I readied my rifle shocked.

“Fuck! Contact east!” Strider took a shot then crouched for cover to bolt his rifle as Flux lept off the back of the roof.

“What the fuck were those pioneers doing in that forest.” Rising again to take a shot I saw a line of heavily armed men advancing over the fields under developing smoke cover. Shooting at one just barely grazing him saw a shot return blasting fragments of the concrete barrier into my face.

“Goddamn we’re suppressed up here light ‘em up!”

“We can’t see shit down here. Smoke’s too dense!”

Growling with frustration I crawled with Strider off the roof to set up positions facing the gate. Sandworm ran out to find a position only to have his shoulder shot out violently throwing him to the ground. Yeti desperately dragged Sandworm wailing back into cover yelling out a warning.

“Thermal! They’ve got thermal shooting through the smoke! Hold back!”

The clouds of smoke could be seen even over the walls that the enemy was no doubt advancing to unchallenged. It fell to the fight that would ensure in the compound then. Drawing my USP 45 I prepared for the breach. Gunfire continued outside the compound as pioneers to the west attempted to cover the entrance but it wasn’t enough.

Grenades flew over the walls detonating all around forcing us deep into cover. Shellshocked reeling from the barrage of explosives two other men and myself rose to see ten enemy mercenaries already in the compound taking a foothold clearing it out as another ten attempted to clear the gate.

Firing at the men out of cover wounding two of them return fire forced me to turn back behind the wall, the sniper I was conversing with nowhere to be seen. Looking to my side the Crusader stood firing into the hoard of men until taking a flesh wound. The Cerberus operative utterly suppressed went to his aid as the outlaw cowered under fire while Noah could be heard shouting a room over trying to organize a counter attack as the situation became dire.

Peeking out again through a lull in the fire I witnessed hope incarnate. The four pioneers Noah had brought worked as if their minds were one. The sniper picked off those in deep cover while the strongest amongst them found a machine gun from one of our own and fired relentless barrages regardless of the weapons weight or recoil. The man armed with an assault rifle ducked volley after volley moving with perfect timing in between attacks.

Though it was Flux that caught the most attention. Seemingly useless at first until he followed the man with the assault rifle he dropped the shotgun on reaching cover. Not sure what he was planning the madman drew a knife as he entered the occupied building.

Diving, juking and dashing past fire in the cramped spaces slashing wildly in between the plates of impenetrable armor flushing out those who remained entrenched in our compound that the rest of our force cut down with impunity as they fled. They continued on without hesitation pressing the advantage even against their fallback positions. A symphony of overwhelming coordination and tactics distorted by the absolute violence of action.

Pushing the counter attack thirty more mercenaries could be seen out in the open trying to retreat as the smoke dissipated. Completely routed by the sudden dislodgement from our compound we continued firing into the fleeing mercenaries as a victorious cry went up from the pioneers in the forest that we ourselves joined. As more and more fell in the field a ranting could be heard from below that sounded almost demonic. Taking a moment to inspect the source Flux could be seen with his hands against his head shaking.

“Let their voices siiiiiiiiiiing…”

He seemed completely lost in a trance. Jumping off the roof once more I moved to his immediate aid to try break him from whatever PTSD induced horror he was going through. I felt I owed him that much after he risked himself dislodging everyone from the building. Taking him by the shoulders I tried to shake some sense into him.

“Dude snap the fuck out of it. It’s over. Relax.”

“Do you hear them? Doyouhearthemtoo?” His eyes were so wide it seemed his skin would peel over his face, pupils skittering and dilated.

“It’s so beautiful. Do you want to hear them too?”

Taking a step back he had his entire focus on me. Something was horribly wrong. Reaching slowly for my pistol he was on me. Gunshots rang out from outside. No one noticed us. Driving me into a wall his voice sounded broken.

“YOU CAN HeAR In It TOO. JOiN tHE SINGULARITy.”

Throwing me down with incredible force he drew the knife. Bringing my pistol up I fired. A shot directed for his chest effortlessly sidestepped. He plunged down. Pushing him back with a leg and blocking the knife with both arms he still almost drove the knife through my eye.

“Flux what the fuck are you doing!? Stop!” He didn’t reply but continued hacking the knife towards my eye.

“Someone!” Blocking his blows he wore through my defence with sheer force as he ripped out one of the armor plates in my vest with his spare hand.

“ANYONE!” The knife finally broke my guard crashing through my goggles just scraping my eye. Bringing the knife up one last time I threw my arms up terrified closing my eyes only emitting a broken scream.

“FUCKING HELP!”

As the knife came down Flux was tackled off me. Scrambling to my feet wheezing and choking in panic falling back over to scramble backwards until I hit the wall. With my back to a wall through misty eyes I saw the large man wrestling the knife away as Flux continued to rant. More men entered the building to inspect the commotion as the large man desperately kept Flux pinned as he writhed in his grip.

Noah pulled out a shot of morphine and gave Flux the shot. Without any sign of ceasing another shot was administered to achieve the desired effect. As he stopped writhing muttering something about the pillar and the singularity he went under. Looking through the broken goggles I reached to my eye to check it was still there. Still shaking I noticed the pioneer with the assault rifle pointing it towards Flux only for the sniper to push the gun away.

The 3 pioneers stood in absolute shock unsure how to proceed with the psychotic episode Flux had just undergone. Noah however seemed to smile. Not sadistically or menacingly but a smile of hope. Ordering Flux be tied to a metal post in the building he recomposed himself letting the smile fade before anyone else noticed.

Marcus helped me to my feet as I leant against the wall still shaken. Unsure to what had just possessed Flux and completely thrown by his attack all I knew for certain now was that we had to get the fuck out of this place before something like that took over one of us as well.