Maverick Stroud, the older brother of Anya Stroud, is a seasoned veteran of the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG). Once a highly respected soldier, Maverick's life took a drastic turn when he uncovered sensitive COG secrets that were never mean...
As Hoffman's Raven took off, another wave of Locust emerged from the building.
"Enemy reinforcements!" Marcus barked, raising his Lancer.
"Take cover!" Kim ordered, motioning toward the barricades.
Delta Squad dove behind a line of sandbags as a King Raven thundered overhead, its cannons lighting up the horde with blistering fire.
"That one was on the house. Good luck, Delta," the pilot crackled over comms.
"Get up those stairs! Alpha is waiting!" Kim shouted.
Without hesitation, Delta Squad surged up the stairwell.
"Okay, guys, here we go," Dom called out as their boots pounded the steps. "Still got it?"
"Guess we'll find out," Marcus muttered, reloading.
Maverick scoffed. "Did you not see me back at the prison?"
They burst from the hallway into a small courtyard, where another squad of Locust grubs materialised, emerging from behind cover with guttural battle cries.
"For RAAM!" one of the drones bellowed.
Maverick moved first, snapping his Retro Lancer into position. His shot slammed through the drone's skull, the creature's head detonating in a spray of bone and gore.
Without breaking stride, he charged forward, bayonet raised. The blade plunged deep into the chest of the next Locust. It shuddered, then dropped lifelessly as Maverick tore the weapon free.
Behind him, Delta Squad cut down the remaining enemies with brutal precision, their movements cold, practiced, and efficient.
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"Holy shit, that was awesome," Anthony said, eyes wide as smoke cleared from the battlefield.
"Move up!" Kim barked.
Maverick's foot caught on something, halting him mid-step. Glancing down, he spotted a lone COG tag half-buried in the rubble, its surface worn and scarred from battle. He crouched, picking it up with a solemn expression, turning it over in his hand.
It belonged to a fallen Gear. The name etched into the metal hit him with quiet weight—Jace Hunt.
"I'll make sure these get back to your parents, Jace," Maverick muttered.
As they climbed the stairs toward the mausoleum, another wave of Locust emerged—this time accompanied by a pair of rumbling sinkholes tearing through the earth.
"Grubs!" Dom shouted, raising his Lancer.
"Anthony, with me—we'll flank them," Maverick called out, already on the move.
He and Anthony darted off, circling around the Locust while Delta Squad advanced in tight formation. Moving from cover to cover, their precision fire dropped enemy after enemy. The flank gave them the upper hand, forcing the horde into retreat.
