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Trial By Fire

The first things to fall were the drop pods. Legions of Grunts, Spectres, and Stalkers filed out, laying waste to everything in sight. I grabbed my scroll and immediately called Ruby. When she didn't pick up, I tried Qrow. "Milo, where have you been? You and your team've cut class for the past week."

"I know, Qrow. Listen, this is really important. Get everyone at Beacon to a safe place, preferably underground. I don't know how long it will be until they get there," I said.

"Wait, back up. Who's 'they?' What's going on?"

"No time to explain. Just trust me. I gotta go." I hung up before he could say anything else. "Rumble!" I shouted, getting my friend's attention. "We're out in fifteen."

"What about the strike team?" He asked.

"The IMC attacked before we could assemble one. It's you and me."

"Two pilots, explosives, and impossible odds? Hell yeah!"

"Everyone else, gear up. You're dropping in ten. Your Titans should already be on the dropship. Rumble and I will join you all on the ground when we're done cleaning up. You'll take orders from Kane, Viper, Briggs, Barker, and Gates. I will give orders over the comms if needed, so keep them on. I'll mission brief you on the ship."

I made sure I had enough ammo and Rumble did the same. The two of us headed to a stolen IMC Goblin, a ship so standard that no one would blink twice at it. Scavenger and Hazard were already waiting for us. "YOU TWO MIGHT WANT THIS," Scavenger said as she sent us both a file.

"What is it?" Rumble asked.

"A 3-D MAP OF THE IMC DRACONIS. THE RED PATH IS THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE TO THE FOLD WEAPON. THE HANGAR IS IN THE AFT, AND THE WEAPON ITSELF ON THE BOW, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO FIGHT YOUR WAY THROUGH THE SHIP," Hazard answered.

"Aren't you just a bundle of joy..." Rumble said quietly.

"We're ready to head out!" I called to the ship's pilot.

"Great. We are wheels up and engines hot," she said.

"Scav, patch me through to the main dropship. I need to mission brief the team." She did as told.

"Okay, guys," I said once I was patched through and everyone could hear me. "Your mission is to clean up the ground forces while Rumble and I destroy the Fold Weapon. Once we slap a bomb on it, the IMC will get their ships out and leave their ground forces here. Me and Rumble will help clean that up when we get out. Again, you guys may die. That's just a truth of war. However, I have total faith that you will complete your mission. I trust that you are over the drop site. Good luck. Standby for titanfall." I cut the comm.

Rumble and I sat in silence while our ship was en route. No one looked at the ship as it landed in the hangar. "Scav, Hazard: hold down the hangar. We'll clean up the room. Make sure no one gets in. Radio us if something goes wrong. You ready, Rumble?" I asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be." He unsheathed two data knives.

The rear door of the ship opened and the two of us stepped out. I was cloaked and Rumble was in the phase dimension. As silently as ghosts, we attacked the guards. We went on a silent rampage, slitting throats and snapping necks. Once everyone was dealt with, we moved silently through the corridors. No one was in sight, a perfect time for our tactical abilities to recharge.

"Hold on, something's not right," I said.

"What's up?" Rumble asked as he turned around.

I unsheathed a data knife and held it by the tip of the blade. "Heads up." Rumble phase shifted as I threw the knife. The blade buried itself in a cloaked pilot's visor. She collapsed instantly. "I am fucking awesome."

"If you're done stroking your own ego, we need to keep moving." Rumble hit me on the back of my head. "Show-off."

"Anyway, the map says the quickest way to the weapon is through the vault. Maybe we should see what's in there that could help us." Rumble nodded in agreement. I grabbed my data knife from the lifeless body and followed the map.

We entered the vault and looked around. There were weapons and relics everywhere. I grabbed a couple guns and Rumble locked the door from the inside. "We're taking the vents out of here."

"Good call," I said.

I went back to looking at the selection of weaponry in the vault when I heard a searing noise behind me. I whipped around to watch the doors being breached. One of the doors narrowly missed me. Standing where the doors once were was a pilot. He wore blue armor and was very bulky, and his helmet was like nothing I've ever seen. All I could see was a glowing, red visor in the shape of a manta ray, and the rest was covered by a hood. There were symbols of rays on his shoulders, and a giant manta ray painted onto his chest plate. He had on a massive backpack with two fuel-filled cylinders attached to it. A hose led to the flamethrower he clutched in his hands.

"What the fuck is with this guy?" Rumble said.

I glared at him, as if to say, 'Shut the fuck up.'

"I am Manta. I command the forces on this vessel," the pilot said.

"And I don't care." I unsheathed a data knife and threw it at Manta. To the shock of both Rumble and myself, Manta phase shifted and the knife's blade was buried in the wall. Manta reappeared a moment later. "The IMC did it. They actually did it."

"Phase shifting was thought impossible for humans, until the IMC perfected the suit." Manta lifted his flamethrower to aim at us. "Now, either leave or burn like your planet."

"Manta, you have no idea what the IMC is doing. They want to destroy this planet."

"Nah, they don't want to. They just want your resources. The planet is just collateral damage. A loss that the IMC can afford to take. I extend to you the same offer. Leave or die!"

Rumble and I stared Manta down, none of us backing down.

"Suit yourself." Manta fired his flamethrower at us. Rumble and I ducked behind crates and used them as cover.

"I'll say it again. What the fuck is with this guy!?" Rumble shouted.

"Quiet. We can't underestimate him." I grabbed my R-97, anticipating a battle at moderate range.

"I've got a plan. I need you to trust me."

"Fine. But for the record, I think your idea sucks."

"You don't even know what it is."

"What's your point? I know you."

"Fair point. Just trust me, dammit! I need you to get Manta to phase shift."

Rumble phase shifted and I cloaked. Before Manta had time to react, I grabbed a data knife and sliced through the fuel hose of his flamethrower. The liquid poured out of the hose and covered the floor. I switched out the chamber of lead in my hand for one filled with fire dust and shot at the floor. The fuel caught fire immediately and Manta phase shifted to get out of it. Rumble gave me a thumbs up and phase shifted as well. A few moments later, Rumble reappeared with Manta, who was on the ground and clutching his neck. "What did you do?" I asked.

"I took his helmet off. He can't follow us. Let's keep moving." Rumble was already in the air vent.

"That guy was a dick..." I trailed off, following Rumble through the vents and to the Fold Weapon. "I sure hope the ground squad is having better luck than we are."

"Not to jinx anything, but we've had pretty good look so far." Just as Rumble said that, the vent collapsed and we fell into a room full of soldiers. They all raised their weapons at us. "Aw fuck."

"Really, Rumble? You just had to say that shit. Now I really hope the ground squad is having better luck than we are."