World War 3 Part 1 United We Stand Ch. 1

      World War III Part 1 United We Stand



      Training Center 3rd Level

      Base 14

      Baden

      Chapter 1

      “This is your most important test,” the instructor yelled over the room of cadets that stood silent in front of him.

      “All squads that are composed of five men will complete training battles. Squads that finish in the top 10 will get shipped out to join the 337th Infantry Division and the 4th Airborne in the front near Erie,” the instructor continued.

      “Let’s get it started, Bouncer Squad against Rhino Squad. Let’s Move,” he yelled as 10 cadets stepped forward onto the platform that would lower them to the weapons center and then open into the practice battle area.

      The giant room became filled with noise as the instructor walked into the viewing room and the cadets began to whisper to each other.  I turned around and found my group of cadets. I walked over, through a couple of technicians and stood beside my squad mates. We were a ragtag bunch, Fix (the technician), Blitz (weapon expert), Stitchwork (medic), Sifter (explosives expert/my best friend), and me Rusty (pilot/sniper).

      “What’s wrong Rusty,” asked Blitz.

      “Nothing, just a little nervous I guess,” I replied.

      “Ok, just get a grip cause we might need to pull out all the stops,” Blitz told me as he slapped me on the shoulder.

      “The other unit must have stolen your stops Blitz,” Sifter said jokingly.

      “Oh ha ha, you’re funny, next time pass the assembling of a C37 in less than 15 seconds by yourself, asshole,” Blitz replied a little angry.

      “Calm down princess, it was a joke, go assemble a sense of humor,” Sifter said almost laughing.

      I looked over at Stitchwork who was quiet up until this point. I saw that he was reading through something on his helmet’s holo projector.

      “What’s that?” I asked him as I tapped him on the shoulder.

      “Just some medical records that I wanted to go over. What’s going on?”

      “Oh nothing, just Blitz and Sifter cracking jokes at each other again,” I said.

      “Always,” he said holding back laughter.

      “Avenger Squad against Demon Squad!” the instructor yelled over the training suit comlinks of all the cadets.

      I started towards the lift at the same time that Sifter, Blitz, and Fix did. I tapped Stitchwork on his shoulder again as I passed him and he fell into line with the rest of us. We stood for about 45 seconds on the platform as the other squad filed on from the other side of the room. They piled on and we started down and onto Level 2. The platform finally came to a rest in the center of the weapons hold. Here there were 2 sections, the training combat section, which consisted of several thousand C37 training rifles, several thousand C17 training pistols, and other assorted tactical equipment and attachments which were stored in crates that were stacked all over the place. The second section was filled with actual weapons, such as the CC13 tactical rifle and the BP490 blaster pistol.

      “Ready up,” said the weapons officer that was leaning against a stack of crates.

      “You’ve got 30 seconds before you start,” he informed us.

      “Yes sir,” all ten of us said at the same time.

      I grabbed the C37 that I always used for training battles and slung it over my back. Next, I picked up a C17 and holstered it. The last thing that I snagged from one of the crates was a grappling cable for the front attachment point of my C37. When I was finished I saw that Fix, Blitz, and Sifter were done and standing by the hatch waiting to be transferred to the training ring. I turned and saw that Stitchwork picked up a couple of switchblade training knives that popped into the slots on the side of the wrist plate. When you wanted to use one all you had to do was poke the top of your wrist and it would pop into position. I noticed that the trooper behind me picked up a ton of CM.9934 explosives. But, before I could see what he needed them for we all had to step onto the next lift that separated us and took us to our respectable sides of the training field.

      “Here we go,” Fix whispered as we stepped off of the platform and onto the training course entrance walkway.

      “At least our course is easy,” I assured him as I checked our set of field schematics.

      Each of us had the battlefield data loaded into our suits database. The instructors did this because after every battle the course was changed into a completely different form, so that you didn’t get too accustomed to fighting in the same places.

      “Load all weapons,” Sifter said as he popped a brand new clip into his C37          .

      “Copy that,” everyone said in unison.

      We stepped into the training battles slide open starter room. It wasn’t much, just 15 feet of empty space to wait in until both teams were ready and the door opened into a battle waiting on the other side.

      “Weapons free,” said a voice over the comlink as the doors to the arena opened.

      “Go! Go! Go!” Sifter yelled as we all burst into a run for the nearest cover.

      We all took refuge behind a low lying wall in the middle of our side of the battlefield. I sat up and took shots across the battlefield at the other team as they all got behind a low wall as well. One shot hit a trooper in the arm and he fell in behind the barricade.

      “Hit one,” I said as I reloaded my C37.

      “Nice, but there is still another four out there,” Blitz said as he ducked down below some stray shots.

      We battled back and forth for about another 10-15 minutes. Occasionally I would toss a mag to Stitchwork or Sifter, or Blitz would hand me a grenade to chuck down the range.

    ‘Look out, one breaking for cover,” Stitchwork yelled as he pointed to a trooper that was making a flanking run off to our left side.

      “Keep track of him,” Sifter said as he tapped Fix on the shoulder plate.

      All Fix did was stop firing, swivel, and open fire on the new target. I saw another trooper break towards a bunker on our right and was about to point him out when Blitz to a shot to the shoulder

      “Ahhk,” he yelled as he slumped against the barrier.

      As soon as he did Stitchwork slid over and started opening up a new field medic container. Even though the shots from the training rifles weren’t real ammunition the training suits made it seem like you had received a real injury. So, on the outside it was just a scorch mark on Blitz’s shoulder plate. But, the suit he was wearing probably made it feel like he had just gotten his arm amputated.

      “Look out!” Sifter yelled but it was too late.

      A flash grenade impacted off of the ground behind our bunker and went off. The only thing I saw was empty whiteness. I could feel myself hit the ground, hard but I couldn’t see anything. There was a loud ringing in my ear that muffled the sound of C37 rounds hitting off of something hard. As my vision cleared I realized that Fix had taken a shot to the lower part of his leg and that he was lying down next to Blitz. Stitchwork and Sifter were keeping up a steady barrage of fire but they were being peppered from every angle. I tried my legs as I leaned forwards.

      “Nothing wrong,” I thought to myself as I crawled up and crouched down next to Sifter.

      “Where you been?” he asked as I pulled up my C37 and joined the fighting again.

      I looked around as I ducked under another barrage of fire, expecting to find some kind of escape route for us to take away from this nest of fire. I found one, a beat up looking house structure that the bomb teams used for rapid entry practice.

      "Sifter look!" I said as I showed him the building.         

      “We’re going for it!” he yelled as he tapped Stitchwork.

      “I got Blitz, come on,” I yelled over blaster fire as I hoisted Blitz over my shoulder and got up.

      I looked back as I ran across the field of fire to see Stitchwork dragging Fix along behind me and Sifter laying down a barrage of fire whenever a trooper in the other squad would show a piece of armor past the barricade. I got to the door and kicked it in as hard as I could; it went flying at least a few feet into the small room that waited behind. I sat Blitz down on the floor in the back of the space. Sitting up I got a quick look at our surroundings, just a simple, unlit room with a table, some chairs, a fake fridge, and a walkway leading to the stairs that went upstairs. Stitchwork came in next and leaned Fix up against the wall and began to work on his leg but I heard Fix tell him that Blitz was in worse condition and that he needed treatment first. Stitchwork just nodded and pulled out the equipment needed to help Blitz. Sifter came in last and pulled an empty mag out of his C37.

      “Rusty lets go you and me got guard duty,” he said as he chucked the used up mag against the floor and reloaded with a fresh one.

      “Copy that,” I said as I ran to a window and set up shop.

      I don’t know how long we sat there and just fired on the advancing team, occasionally tossing ammunition back and forth as we struggled to make sure the enemy couldn’t get a clean shot at us. A couple seconds after I reloaded for about the tenth time Fix hobbled over and crouched down next to me with a limp arm across his chest and a C17 blaster pistol in his good hand.

      “You got shot in the arm to?” I asked him as he took a couple shots out the window.

      “Yep, it happened when Stitchwork was bringin me in here, the shot was aimed for the side of his face and before he saw it I stuck my arm out in front of the side of his head and took it for him,” he explained.

      “Ohh, so now he owes you one,” I said almost laughing at the image that popped into my head.

      “Yeah, a big one, it hurts like hell,” he said as he reloaded his mag with one arm, flipping the holding mechanism off, slinging the empty mag out and away to the side, sliding the pistol down and jamming it onto a mag that was clipped to his utility belt.

      We sat and fired off shots for about another couple minutes when I noticed something was up. There were only three troopers outside firing at us. I made it two as the one that I hit earlier sat up and took one of my shots to the faceplate.

      “Sifter, there’s only two out there, did you hit any?” I asked over the sound of a grenade going off near the doorway.

      “No, the only one that I saw go down was the one that you wasted,” he replied as he reloaded again.

      Finally, it came to me with the most chilling explanation that I had ever come up with. I tapped Fix on the shoulder plate and  told him to cover my position. I put a new mag into my C37 and crept to the back of the room towards the stairway. As soon as I looked around the corner I almost got my head taken off by a C37 round from the two troopers that had been hiding upstairs.

      “Sifter their upstairs!” I yelled as I ducked back around the corner.

      “Fix, go help him, Stitchwork get over here!” he said as we all jumped into action.

      Fix ran over to me and reloaded his pistol. I counted to three, jumped around the corner and emptied an entire mag into the stairway. One trooper took a shot to the arm leg and stomach and slumped down onto the top step and the other retreated back into the upstairs rooms.

      “Move up,” I said to Fix and motioning toward the top of the steps.

      We got to the top of the steps and found the trooper that I downed pulling out a pistol, Fix, without even hesitating, kicked him square in the faceplate, popped his right wrist blade into position and punched him in the chest.

      “One down, one to go,” he whispered as he clicked the blade back into its wrist part of his armor.

      We moved slowly expecting an ambush that never came as we investigated the first two rooms out of the four that made up the upstairs. The third room had a window from the view I got in the hall, I was about to step forward into the room when Fix stuck his good arm and his pistol out in front of my chest.

      “Stop, don’t move,” he whispered as he holstered the pistol and pulled out a pair of bomb tech scissors. He knelt down and snipped a trick wire that spread across the door and ended in a bunch of waded together CM .9934 explosive charges.

      “That was close Fix said as he picked up the wad of explosives and smashed the motion sensor.

      “That leaves one room,” I said as I started towards the door.

      “Rusty stop, Fix said as he turned toward me.

      “What?” I said as I tried to figure out the dark, serious tone in his voice.

      “I know this guy, we were in the same training group in the explosives camp, he’s too good,” he said as he took a seat on the edge of the bed in the corner.

      “He can’t be that good Fix, come on,” I said as tried to read his expression from underneath of his faceplate, but I couldn’t.

      “Salvo is too good, he could have been a combat specialist commander, but he just loved the explosives jobs because they were filled with action, like I said he is way too good for us,” he said as he slumped his head in defeat.

      I had to try something; we couldn’t just sit here and wait for him to make a move on us, so I crept towards the door and stuck my C37 out into the hall. Almost 10 shots hit it and another couple bounced off the door frame as I jumped back.

      “Told you,” he said in defeat as he punched the bead frame.

      I thought for a second and then went over and opened the window. I peered out and saw a window in the room that Salvo had found refuge in.

      “I have an idea,” I said as I checked my utility belt for a grappling attachment for my C37 and remembered that I had put the grappling line and the launcher on the front of my weapon in the weapons room.

      “Lay down fire from the doorway,” I told Fix as he noticed my plan and caught on.

      “Have a nice trip,” he said as he pulled out his C17.

      I opened the window again and made sure nothing was watching me from below and then I leaned out until I almost fell. It took some effort but I was able to fire the grappling line at the window in the other room, it stuck and suctioned to the wall just under the window sill. I tested the suction and jumped out. At first I thought I was going to hit the ground but I got jerked back against the wall and dangled there for a few seconds while I readied myself for the short climb. I made it to the top a short time later and stood on the window sill. I released the cable that had my rifle attached to the wall and reloaded the half empty mag. After I made sure everything was good I leaned back and burst forward with the butt of my C37. The window shattered and I made a quick analysis of the room. It was the same as the one that Fix and I were holed up in but in the doorway was Salvo shooting towards the direction in which I had just been in. He turned towards me and hesitated a split second, just enough time for me to get through the window. I landed on the floor and sprinted towards the bed for cover. He took three shots one hit the window sill, the other two came at my head and I had to duck down and slide in behind the bed. Another couple of shots rammed off of the side of the bed as I got ready to make a run towards the door and Salvo. I got up dodged a couple of shots and sprinted towards Salvo. I got within striking distance of him and I swung my rifle at his head. He ducked, rolled to the side and launched himself at me. I fell back and he landed on top of me and he started to land a ton of kicks and punches. I regained my composure and threw him off of me. He landed against the wall and started to get up as I jumped over and kicked him in the chest twice. He swiveled before going down and kicked my feet out from under me. I hit the floor and felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and looked over my shoulder. I had landed on the end of one of our C37’s. So, I swung my leg out and swept his legs out from under him and pulled the rifle into a firing position as he stood up. I realized that I had my back to the window so I moved forward and backed him into the center of the room.

      “Raise your hands,” I said in a hoarse almost angry voice.

      “You’re good, but not good enough to beat me,” he said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

      “I already beat you,” I said as I turned off my outer suit coms and told Fix to come in and help me out through my inter-suit comlink.

He appeared in the door way a few seconds later with his C17 pointed at the floor and ready for any surprises.

      “Nice to see you again Salvo,” Fix said as he stepped into the doorway with caution.

      “Fix, long time no see,” he said without turning around.

      At this point I wondered how he figured out it was Fix because all of our voices sounded the same through the outside suit comlinks. But, I saved that question for another time and kept an eye on Salvo. I detected something with my motion sensors, a minuscule flinch of a muscle under an arm plate, but it was enough to know something was about to happen. Before I could figure out what Salvo ripped an explosive canister from his utility belt and chucked it straight at Fix. Fix reacted, but not fast enough as he shot his C17 the bolt hit the canister in midair and it exploded right in front of us. The last thing I remembered before blacking out was seeing Fix go crashing into the hallway.

I regained a grip on consciousness and looked up towards the ceiling. I rolled over to find that I had been tossed all the way off of the window sill and hit the ground. Standing was a little challenging at first but I managed to get up and walk over towards the door. I noticed Salvo lying on the floor next to the bed and motionless. I pulled myself through the doorway and found Fix.

      “You owe me one now,” he said with great effort as I leaned down to pick him up and put him on my shoulder.

      I was about to take him down the hall way and back downstairs when I heard the sound of a C17’s safety switch being clicked off. So, I set Fix down and leaned him up against the wall, drew out my own C17 and crept towards the room that we had just left. I knew Salvo was waiting for me so I took caution and stuck my hand and arm with my C17 into the doorway. The amount of force that he put into grabbing my arm almost gave me a real break in my bone. He hurled me through the door and onto the ground as my C17 went flying. He pinned me on the floor and smacked me across the faceplate with his C17. I threw him off and charged at him with all I had. He threw the C17 at me and rolled away as it hit my faceplate. I almost lost my balance and stumbled. He ran forward and tackled me into the wall and started landing punches and kicks. He didn’t realize that he hadn’t pinned my wrist well enough and I popped my wrist knife into position. Training knives didn't harm you through the suits but they made you hurt for a while afterwards. He landed a last punch and then I leaned back and punched him in the side of the neck. He fell away from me, clutching his throat as he fell limp to the floor. I walked over picked up my C17, holstered it, and returned to Fix. I carried him back downstairs and found Sifter and Stitchwork still shooting at the two troopers. I sat Fix on the floor next to Blitz and tapped Stitchwork on the shoulder plate as he began to move towards Fix.

      “He’s in bad shape,” I told him as I pulled out my C37.

      “Understood,” he said as he walked past.

      I slid in beside Sifter and found him almost out of ammo and getting frustrated.

      “I just can’t hit um,” he said in an angry tone.

      “I’ll take um,” I said as I stood up and walked towards the door.

      “How?” he asked but I pulled out my explosive canister and a sticky grenade and sprinted out the door.

      I stuck the canister to the grenade as I ran, dodging shots. I got to the edge of the barricade and one of the troopers went to swing his C37 at me, I ducked and slid over the top of the wall, turned and shot him with my C17 three times in the chest. The other one came at me and I swiveled, ducked and kicked him in the stomach. As he tried to get up I stuck the dagger tip of the sticky grenade into his chest plate. As I rolled clear the explosives went off and we won the match.