The Start Of Something Great

Seeing Red

Micky's POV: 0932, Jan. 8th

Thud. The pod hit the ground hard, and the impact jolted me awake. With a quick hiss, the door released its seals, and I kicked it open. Grabbing my Spitfire from the side of the pod, I raised my leg and slammed it into the hatch, sending it flying off into the sand.

I jumped out and surveyed the scene. The other pods were beginning to open, and around me, I could see the rest of the team making their move. The base loomed ahead to the north, with some of the heavy turrets already smoking, bright red flames pouring from their broken barrels.

"Heavy, let's go," Buck ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.

I nodded, glancing at Buck as he took the lead, sprinting toward the base. The sand beneath my boots made it harder to gain traction, but I kept up, following him through the door and moving fast. Caleb was ahead of us, leading the way toward what we assumed was the control room. Meanwhile, Ray, Carver, and Jean were heading for the reactor.

Caleb kicked open the next door, a gust of icy wind blowing in. "We gotta clear this platform to the control room!" he shouted.

We stepped onto the platform, and the cold of Erberus hit hard. Ice covered the surface, and massive Titan footprints were embedded in the ground.

Boom! The entire platform shook under us, nearly throwing me off balance. I reached out instinctively, but there was no railing to grab.

"Who the hell doesn't install railings on a platform like this?" I muttered, regaining my footing just in time to see Needle engaged with a Legion Titan.

"Let's move before we fall off!" Buck yelled, snapping me back to the task at hand.

We sprinted across the icy platform, trying not to slip as we darted past the fighting Titans. Buck reached a door at the far side, ripped it open, and signaled for us to follow.

Thud! The platform rattled again. I crouched instinctively, but the ground was shifting, the ice making it harder to stay steady.

"FUCK!" I heard Caleb shout behind me.

I turned to see him hanging by one hand over the edge of the platform. His grip was slipping.

"Hold on!" I yelled, scrambling to him.

His hand lost its hold, and I saw him start to fall. My heart skipped. Sliding across the ice, I grabbed an ice pick from my pack and dug it into the frozen surface, anchoring myself as I moved toward Caleb.

His fingers brushed mine, but it was too late. With a final scream, he fell. I reached out for him, but the gap was too wide. His cries faded into silence, and my stomach dropped.

"We have to go!" Buck shouted, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me away.

I let go of the ice pick, following Buck as we pushed through the door he'd opened.

I grabbed my Spitfire and quickly adjusted my pace. The familiar sound of boots slamming against metal floors echoed as we raced through the base. We hit a set of stairs, and Buck took the lead again, turning into a hallway.

At the top, a door stood before us. Buck didn't hesitate. He threw it open, tossing in a Gravity Star.

The IMC soldiers inside were instantly pulled toward the blue orb, and I raised my Spitfire, taking aim at the group. The recoil kicked back as I unloaded into them, blood splattering the walls and the windows looking out onto the platform below.

The Gravity Star detonated, sending bodies flying in all directions. I didn't stop firing until the room was silent.

Carver's POV: 1013, Jan. 8th

I held the bundle of explosives in my hands, the weight of it familiar yet unsettling. This was going to be the surprise of a lifetime for the IMC.

Placing the explosives on the reactor, I turned to see Jean and Ray motioning for me to move. They sprinted ahead, and I followed, making my way out of the reactor room.

We moved carefully across the platform, avoiding the edge as the battle raged around us. The roar of Titans fighting in the distance echoed in the cold air.

"Bravo Team, are you ready for pickup?" the dropship pilot asked over the comms.

"Yes, we're ready," I responded. "Marking the LZ now."

I grabbed a flare from my chest rig and ignited it, a bright red light cutting through the dim atmosphere. I dropped it on the ground, signaling the dropship's location.

It didn't take long before we heard the thundering roar of the dropship's engines. It descended, landing smoothly just a short distance away.

Ray, Jean, and I sprinted for the ramp. I turned just before entering, pulling the lever to seal the hatch behind us. The hatch clicked shut with a hiss, and the familiar white light flooded my vision as we lifted off from the surface.

As we ascended into the sky, I glanced out the viewport one last time, watching the planet below shrink into nothing. We were headed back to the MCS Dawn. The mission was a success. But the loss of Caleb... that would stay with me.