The Call to Arms

Chapter 1: Fresh Meat

McNasty fell. Hard. For a moment his sight went dark and he found it near impossible to catch his breathe. With effort he managed a few gasps for air and with his sight still blurry but steadily returning he attempted to gain some awareness of what had just happened. The ringing in his ears soon gave way to the returning sounds of gun fire and the screams of the men around him. He soon heard a familiar voice calling to him from what felt like just a few feet away.

"McNasty! McNasty get up! Damnit soldier you're making yourself look bad."

It was his squad leader Sgt. Nal'thain. Despite the roar of bullets and explosions his voice was calm and steady, as if he didn't even notice the battle going on around him. It was at that moment he realized he had lost his helmet in the impact.

"McNasty! Are you quitting on me soldier?" Nal'thain asked.

McNasty noticed he was kneeling over him. It was odd to see the Sgt. without the familiar HUD readout displaying his orders and vital signs.

"N-No Sir!" McNasty chocked out in response.

Even through his visor he could tell the Sgt. was smiling.

"Now thanks more like it! Get yourself reset and get back in there." Nal'thain ordered as he tossed him his helmet "And don't let me catch you sleeping again."

And just like that the Sgt. was gone. Likely giving orders to the others assigned to Onyx squad. McNasty slide his helmet back over his head and reactivated it's HUD. He soon had the current objectives and the names and vital signs of the other members of his squad strewn across his vision.

After relocating his MA5C Assault rifle he slammed home a fresh magazine from his vest and as he watched the ammo counter reset he refocused his efforts towards his current assignment. He noticed that the rest of his fire team was only a few meters from his position. He jogged over to their position ducking ever so often to avoid tracer fire from the enemies position. As he slide into the trench he was greeted by familiar voices.

"Glad to see you made it." Wolf said to him jokingly.

"Yea we thought you'd miss all the fun." Crash goaded as he reloaded his light machine gun to, inevitably, exhaust it once more into the enemy lines.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." McNasty responded playfully.

Without warning he felt hands on his lower back and turned his head to see Frost silently patching the wound he received from his fall earlier.

"You had some serious air time back there." Frost said quietly.

"Yea good to see you all too jack asses." McNasty finished. "What's the plan Wolf?"

"You see that hill back there? There's a sentry gun placed on top of it. And we, are taking it."

"Just the four of us? That's suicide." Crash questioned.

"Don't think we can do it?" Wolf replied.

"No. Just didn't wanna steal all the glory from the rest of the platoon." Crash mocked as he racked his LMG and gave his team lead a nod.

"Alright then Boys." Wolf grinned from behind his visor. "What do you say we go get ourselves some fire support."

No further words were needed the entire team stood in unison and began their charge up the hill from their trench line. They had waited for this opportunity all throughout their training. The entire platoon was giving it all they had in this battle. The least they could do was give the same.

As the group crested the top of the hill, guns raised in anticipation, they were met with an entire platoons worth of enemy fire. It was too late to find cover, the ambush was sprung, and as the enemy rounds found their marks, every soldier of the fire team fell to the ground.