RWBY: Just A COG In The Machine

Brothers Till The End

106 years.
106 years of war.
The Pendulum Wars spent 89 years worth of human blood from the COG and the UIR over a resource known as Imulsion till it was ended by the COG's accusation of the Hammer of Dawn. A satellite array that had the capacity to level a city or fire a low powered laser that still could still turn a platoon into nothing but burnt flesh.
It wasn't even a year before the next war started.
The Locust War.
A war that was conducted more like an extermination of the human race from the view of the Locust. The Locust were a collection of pale creatures that emerged from the ground all over the planet of Sera and began their genocidal campaign against the human race, easily killing off anything the COG could throw at them.
The COG, in a futile and desperate attempt, to at least stall the Locust Horde's assault was conducted and the Hammer of Dawn was used to burn the surface of Sera. Leaving nothing but ash and ruins outside of a lone COG city known as Jacinto.
This did nothing but create a general hate for the COG among the survivors of the Hammer strikes.
As the years of war droned on, Jacinto itself fell as well and left the COG remnants to wander their scorched world in separated groups.
Isaac Carver was one of many COG Gears that spent their entire life in the shadow of war. Always fighting against something that seemed almost impossible to stop, never resting.
Isaac has been doing this since he was 7.
He was just another stranded kid with a Retro Lancer then and wasn't officially with the COG till he was 13.
The COG wasn't picky about how old you were. As long as you could do your job right the COG would take you.
Now Isaac was 18, Sergeant of Bravo 3, and was with his team of Gears that was assigned to scout with a few Mule bikes and was to keep an eye out for Locust or Lambent, an infected organism from the Imulsion that was once thought to be a fuel but turned out to be a parasite.
Isaac was dressed in the standard issue COG armor but had the sleeves rolled up and had done away with the shoulder plates. As a personal touch he had on a blue bandanna around his neck with the COG logo in the center.
Their home for the moment was an old fort called Anvil Gate, and was one of the more primary collection areas for remaining Gears and other COG sympathizers.
Isaac was looking down a cliff from the small collection of buildings that his team had used to set up camp in and watched the horde of Locust and Lambent alike move on either sides of Isaac's position.
The complex was very simple in design. It had a large two story garage. The center with 4 smaller buildings around it.
"There's no way in hell we can survive that. Even if we run they will catchup with us sooner or later and kill us then."
A Gear by the name of Collins said, fear laced in his voice.
The armor Collins was dressed in the standard issue Gear armor and uniform but had a few pieces of tape to keep a few bits of the armor together, much like the rest of the Gears nowadays.
The other Gears in Isaac's team consisted of a large man named Philips, he was dressed in modified COG armor that had no sleeves and was covered in large pouches so that he may carry more ammo for the bigger guns he normally carried with him.
Amy, was a sharpshooter and because of that she had bandoliers across her waist and chest to fuel her supply of Longshot bullets plus the bayonet she had on her lower back.
Kowalski was the explosives expert and always had a big bag full of bolo grenades or Boomer grenades or something else that could explode or burn.
Isaac knew his fellow Gear was right.
But they could at least do some good in their last moments.
"Collins, unload all the ammunition you can from the Mules. Philips, get your Mulcher and set it up on the ramp there."
Isaac said, pointing toward the left side of their small base.
"Amy, strip your Mule down to the skeleton. Anything that isn't required to make it run or find its way back home tear it off."
The Gear nodded and ran off to her Mule.
"Kowalski, set up explosives around this area and don't hold back on it. We leave nothing for them tonight."
"How can I help Sergeant?"
The youngest Gear by the name of Natalie asked, as she forced her arms to keep from shaking from the adrenaline and fear that was now running throughout her veins.
"Mule's ready to go Sergeant."
Amy said as she jogged over with the stripped bike that only had the NAV computer on the front and a seat.
"What?"
The young Gear asked before she picked up on what was happening as Isaac began to drag her to the bike.
"Please Sergeant. Don't make me go."
"All of us might not make it but we can buy time to ensure one of us can."
Isaac said as he picked the small Gear up by the back of her armor and placed her on the Mule.
"Isaac, please don't make me go."
She sobbed in her helmet only for Isaac to wrap her in his arms.
"I'm sorry I wasn't the best big brother Nat. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you as much as I could have been."
Isaac said softly.
"It's ok. Please we can make it all up when we get to the fort."
"We both know that isn't happening. I won't ask them to die just so we could run off. I won't let my friends die just so I can live."
The small Gear in Isaac's arms nodded and cried softly as he finally let go.
"Hey Nat. You still got that bandanna I got for you when you were 4?"
Natalie nodded and fished a sky blue bandanna from the neck of her armor that had a white COG logo in the center, similar to the one Isaac had on.
"As long as you have that. I'll always be with you. No matter what. Now please do me one last favor and live for Mom. Live for Dad. For me."
Natalie said nothing at first as she just kept her head down.
"Ok?"
Isaac said softly.
Natalie nodded her head.
"I promise."
"Boss! We don't have much time before they get here!"
Collins called out while he ran with a stack of ammunition cases to the pile the Gears were amassing in the central building.
Isaac gave his little sister one last hug.
"Now go. I'll be sure to give our parents a glowing report of our service."
Isaac said with a sad smile as Natalie adjusted herself on the Mule and said
"I love you."
Before she sped off into the forest.
"I love you too Nat. Please be safe."
Isaac said softly as he watched the lights of the Mule fade into the night.
"Sergeant?"
Philips asked with his Retro Lancer slung over his shoulder.
Isaac took a deep breath
"GEARS!"
Isaac called out to his team making them all gather around their leader and friend.
"We stand here! WE DIE HERE! IT! HAS BEEN! AN HONOR!"
Isaac yelled followed by the cheers of his remaining friends in this long and bloody war.