The hunter's bow

The first strike

Aksel's pov
      I looked at Nomad and Finka talking before I glanced to my right and saw the plume of Amber Ruin gas and asked Thatcher "we're goin in that aren't we?" He looked at the gas and replied "yea mate, we're heading in. We have to find out what's going on at Harris Homestead" the pair finished talking before Nomad spoke "we're going in" I sighed and pulled on my gasmask, checking the seal before I nodded to the group, tinker did the same as I got asked "how do you think we should do this?" I spoke "groups of 3, it gives us good firepower and allows us to stay in small units capable of moving stealthily" ash spoke "so who's in what group?" I replied simply "doesn't matter who, but Nomad and I have to be in different groups" tinker asked "why?" I was about to answer when Nomad spoke "we're stealth experts, as far as I know the rest of you aren't. Two stealth experts on the same team leaves the other team without one" I nodded as I pointed at her "she gets it" as I double checked my laser.
      We started into the smoke as I slowly made my way towards the coordinates the homestead was located at. I had Ash and Tinker with me as I sighed and saw a group of three sentinel operators near a light post, I asked "why the fuck is there a light post in the middle of the jungle?" As Tinker replied "no matter, we have to eliminate them and keep going to the coordinates" I sighed and lifted my 416 before I spoke "I got mine" as our lasers marked our targets before ash and tinker spoke "set" as I squeezed the trigger for a second feeling my rifle kick 4 times as the targets dropped. We pushed forward and I saw that the light post they were by was a illuminated sign stating the area had toxic gases and to stay out. I looked around and commented "so they put the stay out sign inside the gas, smart" I heard another shot behind me causing me to spin and lift my 416 pointing it at Ash as she looked over "what? He wasn't dead" I just chuckled as we turned and continued towards the coordinates. I saw some more flashlights in the distance as Tinker commented "they sure do like their lights"
I lifted my 416 and fired as I closed catching the sentinel corp soldiers off guard at the sudden combat, as Ash and Tinker joined in the gunfight. We found cover behind various trees as we traded fire, I heard Thatcher on comms "how're you guys doing? We hear a lot of gunfire" I had the tree splinter as a round hit the bark infront of my face and I replied "oh we're just peachy" as I fired a long burst and the sentinel trooper I was aiming at dropped dead. Ash made a risky move and ran to the next tree before leaning and firing, I chuckled at her typical aggressiveness before tinker yelled "reloading!" And pulled the 20 round magazine out of her Arx. I paused and realized time seemed to slow, I saw the grenade land next to me causing me to yell "grenade!" As I scrambled to get around the tree. My feet kept slipping as I threw myself over the roots and pressed myself against the trunk just in time for the grenade to detonate. I must've been enveloped by the smoke since Tinker called "onyx? Onyx you alive?!"
I quickly checked my body and replied "ja, ja im alive" as I pushed myself up, I stumbled out of the smokey cloud as Ash killed the last sentinel soldier. I looked at her and asked "got any idea who threw the nade?" She pointed to the one she just killed as I walked over and kicked his corpse in between my words "you. Bastard. You. Almost. Killed. Me." I sighed as Tinker asked "you hit?" I shook my head no as I checked my 416 seeing it had a new scratch. I sighed in relief before speaking "let's go, we gotta move. Just 150 meters to go" we started moving again as I breathed heavily as we continued on. I tried to calm my nerves at almost dying but the adrenaline continued to pump, even after all these years it always gets the heart running. I heard Ash "you good Onyx? You seem shaken" I chuckled and replied "give me a minute, I'll be fine" she nodded as I pulled my magazine out of my rifle and checked the clear plastic on the back of the twin drums seeing I had about 40 rounds left, I quickly slid it into the gun and continued on with the mission.
       I glanced to my left and saw nomads team in the distance, just faint silhouettes in the distance. I looked at my gun before I looked forward seeing the building in the distance. I smiled under my gasmask before I heard Finka on comms "we have 7 enemies on target, we're gonna clear out and hold a perimeter" I looked at the team as Ash radioed "got it, well be in position in 30 seconds" as I pointed to the fence to the right. We moved over and set up a crossfire as I heard Tinker "we're all set." Thatcher replied "so are we, drop em" I held the trigger as my 416 rocked in place on the fence cross bar as I watched the tracers hit the targets as they fell before Nomad ran across the open area and tackled one of the sentinels wearing a red beret. I smirked knowing we grabbed a co before we killed the last mask, I heard Tinker yell "set up perimeter!" Nomad gripped the CO and asked some questions while I reloaded and moved off into the forest seamlessly merging into the surrounding jungle.
      We waited as Nomad interrogated the CO before cracking him in the mask, I saw his body convulse as the gas made its way into his lungs. I shivered at the sight before turning my eyes back to the forest muttered "sucks to go that way" I refused to watch or think about the suffering the gas that currently only my gasmask kept me safe from. I heard movement behind me and glanced over my shoulder seeing nomad gathering data off the casualties. I paid it no mind as I continued to scan the forest. A creeping feeling clawed it's way through my body, like a predator was hunting me. I scanned every part of visible forest, everything I could see or sense I searched but nothing showed itself. I keyed my radio and whispered "guys, I got a bad feeling" I heard Thatcher asked in a whisper "you too?" Nomad asked softly "what's got you spooked?" I replied slowly "like a predator is hunting me, I can't find them and I can find anyone. Something is out here and it's not natural" Finka asked "think we have another outbreak?" I heard Tinker "do we have the fire power to deal with that?" I asked "Nomad, has Sentinel been doing any experiments?"
       She replied "I've heard some rumors but never found anything to it" I looked around at flashes of silhouettess before I spoke into comms "well I think we found your proof" as a vaguely humanoid form stepped out of the bush, it smells the air before screaming and rushing my hide. I stood and unloaded my rifle into it as it dropped dead at my feet before more screams were heard and Ash spoke into comms "well we have company" I sighed and mutter "just another day at the office" Nomad yelled "keep them off me for 2 minutes while I finish getting data!" I grabbed the thing I killed and dragged it into the clearing as our team pulled back into a close shielding formation around Nomad. I dropped it and lifted my rifle firing at some silhouettes before I looked down and saw one huge eye located in the center of its head. It was cloudy and a dull olive green, the mouth was larger than your average human taking up position from ear to ear. The fingers were tipped with what could only be considered talons.
     I muttered "what the fuck did sentinel do to these people?" Nomad spoke "we were wondering where some of our homesteaders were taken, it seems we have our answer" Tinker asked "has sentinel just been using the homesteaders as guinea pigs?" Nomad asked in return "why do you think they gassed this homestead? They needed to test the gas" I sighed as I fired at the next group of the cyclops hunters ran at us screaming. I heard Finka "surge incoming!" As the recoil of my 416 became nonexistent and I unloaded 100 rounds into a dozen targets with them dropping like rocks. Ash yelled "reloading!" As we fired before screams were heard behind us. Thatcher yelled "Tinker, with me! We have the rear!" They peeled off as Ash, Finka and I kept firing into the main group. Finka yelled "Nomad, we must leave now! Our window of escape is closing!" Nomad yelled "30 seconds! That's all I need!" Ash yelled "we can do that!" My rifle stopped firing causing me to yell "reloading!" As I dropped my magazine into my mag pouch before sliding another in and grabbing the priming hammer immediately bringing my rifle back into the fight. I fired 30 rounds killing 4 more of the cyclops hunters before Nomad yelled "we can go!" Finka yelled the order "retreat! Ash lead us out! Onyx you're on rear guard!" I yelled "ja I'm on it!" As the team started running while I occasionally spun around firing rounds. By the time we reached the edge of the gas I spun and unloaded my magazine before turning and running to rally with the rest of the squad just for the cyclops hunters to stop and stay with in the gas.
       I breathed heavily as I caught my breath before I yelled "hvad fanden var det ?!(what the fuck was that?!)" I heard Thatcher not sounding concerned in the least as he told Nomad "looks like we know why sentinel made Amber ruin. I bet it's the only way those things can survive, they're selling the gas and then I bet they're gonna try to sell whatever the fuck those are" as he pointed to the silhouettes in the gas. She nodded as Finka radioed "Lesion this is Finka, we have good and bad news" lesion replied "what's the good news?" Finka replied "we think we know why sentinel made the gas." He replied slowly "and the bad news?" She spoke "they've been testing on the locals and created a sort of Outbreak-esk monsters. If we don't stop the creation and selling of this gas we could have another outbreak situation" he replied "I'll let Harry know, stay safe. And stop sentinels deal no matter the cost, ROE has changed. You can do whatever you need to stop this deal going down" Finka replied "acknowledged, I'll let you know how the next strike goes" Nomad spoke "I'll get this data to the good doctor, stay safe" we nodded as I stood and spoke "Christ let's get to an RON(rest over night) location"