Right, so this fan-fiction crossover has taken quite a bit of time to write. No, it isn't done yet. I've covered the events of FEAR in here, as set in the Halo universe. This takes place sometime around Halo 2, possibly into Halo 3 as well. Constructive criticism is appreciated!
The Date was October 4th, 2552; two days after the Covenant had invaded Earth. Fighting was spread across the globe, and New Mombassa was not the only target attacked. Although Regret was gone, Covenant forces still existed. One such group was lead by a Minor Prophet named the Prophet of the Departed. His legions had landed within the American Protectorate: the name for the government that had combined South and North America, Mexico, and Canada into one super-nation.
The city they had landed in, Neo Chicago, was a surreal war-zone. Entire city districts were reduced to burned and charred rubble. Still others were un-touched by the fighting, either having no importance to either side or being an utter loss to defend. The old section of Neo Chicago, parts of the original city, now had new names; Historic Chicago, the Arts & Crafts District, and the Auburn District. Historic Chicago held the pride of Old Chicago, it was the up-town section and held many historic significances to its people. The A&C District was a whole district of theaters, art shops, bazaars, and beautiful apartments. Auburn was the slums of Old Chicago, always too costly or not profitable to tear down. Not many lived in Auburn to begin with; the population had dropped drastically two years before. When the Covenant came, they found little more then rats, long abandoned buildings, and an unshakeable sense of dread.
While the fight raged on in Neo Chicago, another battle was taking place. The Covenant first found the indications of these new problems when they discovered Human recon and assault teams slaughtered, but not by plasma or needler fire as they expected. No, these humans were killed with the primitive projectile weapons they were so fond of
Hey, Joe! Over here! Two marines from the UNSC made a sweep of a previously unchecked warehouse area. One recon team had reported possible Covenant contacts in the area, so now it was time to make a thorough search.
Whats up?
Come and see for yourself man. The two looked inside one of the large warehouses to find rows of people. Four different uniforms could be seen, and they all appeared to be sleeping standing up.
What the Are they asleep?
They cant be dead. Dead people dont stand up like that.
There were three rows of 10 people, the first wearing a gray/black cameo uniform with something akin to a black motorcycle helmet, the second wearing solid gray with a red visor strip over their eyes and gray ski mask covering the rest of their features, the third also in a gray/black uniform but with a gas mask instead of helmet. In the back stood two others, black uniforms with red trim, shoulders, and body armor with a red hood over their heads and white masks set onto their faces, the eyes of which glowed orange.
All of them were armed with either shotguns, assault rifles, or SMGs, and would have looked quite threatening save for the fact that they all held the guns loosely in their right hands, were slouched over, and their heads appeared to be looking somewhere around their booted toes.
What the heck? These are old Rakow G2A2s! The marine identified as Joe pulled one of the assault rifles out of the sleeping soldiers limp grip. The other marine wandered into the back of the soldiers and approached one of the two strange men.
Hello? You boys awake? The second, Steve, came right up to one of the pair and pulled up his head.
Hey, can you hear me? The soldier in question stood limply, not answering.
Come on, you awake under there? Steve reached up and pulled the mask off with a little pop. Under it was a typical human face, jaw limp and eyes unfocussed.
Are they drugged? The marine known as Steve looked away for an instant, and in that instant the Unknown Soldier blinked. His eyes snapped into focus and locked onto the marine in front of him like lasers. The first indication Steve had of the soldiers awakening was said soldiers fist driving his fingers like a spear into the surprised marines trachea. Steve was propelled backwards, gagging and trying to get air moving again. Joe heard the noise and looked up as the rows of soldiers awoke, snapping to arms.
Holy sh- Joe never finished his sentence, as the soldiers in front of him opened fire and ended his life.
Steve lay on the ground, making gagging noises as he tried to re-open his windpipe. The soldier who had done him that injustice picked his mask off the ground from where Steve had dropped it and set it back on his face. The impassive figure glanced over to where Steve lay choking, took brief aim with his rifle and splattered brain matter on the concrete. The first two interlopers down, the soldiers rushed out of the warehouse and into some nearby trucks. Their commander had finally called them, and there was work to be done.
Commander? The squeaky voice of a Grunt reached the ears of one Eta Nogalmee. The buff Sangheili looked down to the diminutive Unggoy that had interrupted his thoughts.
We find something on street. Group of humans, but they not look like ones we see before. They not very nice looking, and there be the humans we remember dead around them.
Eta cocked an invisible eyebrow at the little Grunt. Show me.
The Unggoy lead the field commander to the window where the strange humans could be seen from a safe distance. Sure enough, there was a group of humans wearing armor that Eta had never seen before. And the humans that Eta had fought on several occasions lay dead around them. No plasma burns on the corpses, but holes from the projectile weapons. Nogalme mused at this odd turn of events.
See something interesting? Eta started as the Sangheili Black Op spoke from behind him.
Yes, excellence. It appears that some humans have attacked and killed another group. What it means, I dont know. The Black Op Elite walked to the window and looked out at the carnage below.
They are still but human filth, are they not? They must all die. No sooner had the newcomer finished speaking then a sound not unlike the beam rifles used by the Jackal Snipers sent its rapport echoing down the road and a stream of energy crashed through the window and smote into the Black Ops back. Stunned, and not realizing his shields were down, the Sangheili crouched and looked about for the sniper. From a darkened window across the street, the same shot fired again and consumed the foolish Sangheili and sent the remains scattering across the room; blackened bits of armor and a carbonized skeleton.
Eta had thrown himself flat after the first shot, the veteran being no stranger to combat with humans. While not encountered often, the human snipers were quite skilled at their art. The Unggoy broke and ran from the room screaming. The sniper fired off another shot and fried one of the fleeing Unggoy. Silence reigned for a moment. Eta looked for and found a shattered bit of mirror that he used to try and peek over the edge of the window. The sniper had moved on, and the humans in the street were pulling out, running off to some unknown destination.
Cursing in his own tongue, Nogalme crawled from the room to round up the grunts again. These new humans had some strange tricks up their sleeves, and he was determined not to suffer the same fate as the Black Op. That didnt make his last words any less true though. They were still human and must die.
This firefight has gone on too long Thought Corporal Banks. The Covenant had found the building his squad was and what had been a skirmish quickly turned into a running gun battle between himself and the Covvies. With only him and two squad-members left, it was time to find a way to really disengage.
Banks opposite, a Sangheili named Fosa Nalrenee, was thinking along the same lines. Only he, a rookie by the name of Ras Poteilee, and three Unggoy were left of his original team of the two Elites, 8 Unggoy, and two Kig-yar. Trying to uproot the humans had drained more resources then he had thought, and it was either time to end this or to retreat.
Fosa clicked his mandibles. Retreat was out of the question. The humans could not push back the Holy Covenant. His thoughts were interrupted by one of the Unggoy ordered to watch the corridor to the south that opened up into this lobby the humans had hidden in.
Boss! There be a small human here! It- The rest of the transmission was lost in a skull-splitting wail through the radio, with a dull thump heard from the hallway. Ras, who had heard the same, crept over to a bank with more of the green plants in it and peered between the leaves. His voice came over the waves a moment later.
The lights are out. I cannot see our scout I think he is dead. There is a large pool of Unggoy blood spreading out from the doorway. Fosa growled. Another member of his team was dead. Even if he returned victorious, the other Veterans would no doubt mock his apparent lack of leadership skills.
Banks and his men had not sat idle, however. Spotting a handy corridor to the south, they crept along the edges of the room towards it. Finally, the destination was in sight. With a final Frag out! as a parting shot, the three humans dashed down the corridor. The floor was sticky, but they paid that no mind, only trying to escape. At the end of the corridor, a light flickered. And every other flicker, the shape of a small girl could be seen
Both Sangheili ducked as the grenade blew and sent dirt and shards of tile about. Ras peeked over the edge to see the last human duck into the gloom.
Theyre gone, sir. Do we follow them? Fosa stood and looked about the lobby. With a sigh, he answered his fellow Elite.
Rally on me. We must withdraw and gain reinforcements.
Ras reply was lost in another skull-splitting wail over the comm., followed shortly by a human scream. The staccato rapport of the human weapons echoed out of the darkened corridor, the flashes casting yellow-orange light on the bend. The wail toned down, but the firing did not. Another scream, and then the gunfire silenced as well. Silence for a moment, before a gloved and blood splattered hand grasped its way out of the darkness and into the light of the lobby. The human marine pulled himself along the ground, coated in human blood and obviously injured.
Banks looked up, and saw two tall blurry shapes. One was blue, the other more red. Part of his mind realized they were the Elites his team had fought. Then he realized that they were in danger as well
Run The human croaked out to Ras. Run!
Ras might have obeyed, but he was staring above the marine, at the ceiling of the hallway. On it, walked a little girl in a red dress. Somehow gravity didnt seem effect her, for she acted as if it were the floor she walked upon. Quite suddenly she disappeared, and the human on the floor gasped one last breath and simply melted, the human and Unggoy blood mixing into some grotesque pastel. Ras jerked into motion, turning to run away. Fosa could only stare as the human girl stood beside Ras and looked directly at him. Ras moved forward, and pitched over as he too melted away into blood and bone. Fosa finally raised his plasma rifle, firing in a blind panic at the little girl. The blasts only impacted on tile, the girl was gone again. Fosas eyes and weapon jittered around, looking for some indication of this new assailant. When none appeared, he calmed down a bit and turned around
Where he came nose to nose with the same little girl. His last act on this plane of existence was to scream out over the command channel as he liquefied.
It is the nature of man to create monsters And it is the nature of monsters to destroy their creators.
As night fell over the besieged city, the edges of the engagement zone began to fray. These new attacks cut off communication, killed recon teams, and sent each side into a semi-panic, each expecting it to be some kind of attack from the other. At the Chicago Reserve base, the Humans HQ for defending the city, they launched drones into the air and requested satellites be redirected to help identify the attackers. Within the Chicago University Campus, the Covenant directed teams hither and yon, organized fast reaction teams, and sent cries to the remaining Covenant forces for more aid.
And as the last rays of the sun faded from sight, the current policy of cease-fire was broken in the Historic District.
HQ, this is Recon Zulu 5! Gunshots detected in the Historic District! Defense team sent to guard and evacuate remaining civilians at Armacham building not responding!
Roger Zulu 5, assault forces inbound. Keep the area in sight and try to isolate the intruders.
Affirmative command, Zulu 5 out. Sergeant Hoky put the radio down and looked over his shoulder.
Saddle up troops! Were going in! The 9-man recon team mounted the M12 LAV Warthogs and gunned the engines. All three of the vehicles rolled out onto the asphalt and roared away, the gunners and passengers yelling at each other and betting who would be the first to bag a Covvie today.
Likewise, a deep-strike Covenant recon team, all stealthed Sangheili, watched the wheeled jeeps bounced away. With a few hand signals, the 5 sprinted off in the direction of the hogs in order to find out just what idiot had gone and blown their cover at this Armacham building.
Unfortunately for both groups, everyone had the wrong assumptions.
Parking the loud reconnaissance vehicles a block away, the 9 man marine team snuck up to the silent but lit complex. The Armacham building was recently renovated a year ago, boasting of advanced labs, an almost military grade and unbeatable security system, plus quite lush decorations and furnishings. The main entrance was soon in sight, and there were two armored trucks out front. The marine guards assigned to the place lay in steaming and quickly congealing pools of their own blood in the evening air. An ATC security officer also lay by the doors, his blood splattered along the wall as he had tried to run.
Covvie bastards are goanna pay for that. One of the marines muttered and chambered a round into his assault rifle.
No, look. The Sergeant pointed to the blood. Covvie weapons dont punch holes, they burn. And I dont think they use trucks either.
What? Those aint ours?
See any markings? They dont even have license plates. The team slowly crept across the road, conscious of the many lit and unlit windows of the building ahead, towards the bodies and unknown armored cars. The team moved out and inspected the area. Sure enough, there were shell casings about and the trucks were unmarked. Keys still in the ignition and the trucks were obviously well built things, but there was no stamp identifying who they belonged too or who made them.
Ive got a bad feeling about this one Sarge
Mohamed, normally I would tell you to shut up but you may just be right this time. All right, game faces people. Lets secure the lobby. The marines collected at the door and prepared to move in.
Behind, hidden and silent, the Covenant team watched and listened. The humans had confirmed that there were no other recon teams in this area with their chatter, so now it was time to find out just what happened. Perhaps the same strange assailants that had plagued the battlefront all day were to blame.
Plasma rifles and carbines charged, energy swords and garrotes ready, the team snuck in behind the advancing marines and observed. There was time enough to kill the scum, for now information gathering was a far more important mission.
The lobby was an absolute mess. Bullet holes punctured the walls, shattered glass glittered from the floor, shell casings tinkled about, and fresh blood made the already shiny floor gleam under the fluorescent lights. After the three outside had died, it seems the attack force had just opened fire on full auto from the doors and killed whatever resistance waited in the lobby; 4 more marines and 6 ATC security guards, plus one poor civilian who looked like your average computer coder packing up and going home for the night.
After that, it was just a matter of following the boot prints of blood to the elevators and finding out what floor it was at. The lobby secure, the Sangheili Black Op team started to head towards the stairs. They would get noticed in the elevator, and the real assault team had just showed up anyway. It was time to move out and search around.
The 5 Elite team split up into two groups; Group 1 were two Sangheili named Roak and Sune, Group 2 was Ban, Vil, and Unka. The two groups went to different floors, trying to find the strange humans responsible for the slaughter below. Taking the stairs, neither team encountered much resistance. In fact, the place seemed utterly devoid of life. No humans to speak of save the odd corpse found in hallways or rooms. Some were shot, others with snapped necks, and some appeared to have been liquefied leaving only bloody bones.
Group 2 continued trying to follow the attack group, while Group 1 decided to examine an area that was reported to be an area of great activity to these new humans. It was group 1 that started to come across the atrocities.
When the stairs had failed Roak and Sune, they tried the elevators planted within the tall building. It only took a moment to figure out the controls, and then the two started to ascend. Progress was slow, and it seemed as if it was slowing more and more. At last, after proceeding three floors, the elevator grinded to a halt and flashed a warning. Maximum Weight Exceeded was the blinking sign, and the doors to the elevator parted. Confused, the pair crawled out through the gap left between the floor of the 7th story and the elevator. Looking about the small waiting area, they located a door to the maintenance passages for the elevators. Proceeding through the door and up a ladder, they were soon alerted to the reason for the elevator stop.
With a wet squish, the body of another civilian flopped down from above onto the pile of dead co-workers. Covenant weapons cauterized wounds, so blood was not commonplace. The sheer amount that dripped down the walls and pooled on the elevator staggered even these mighty warriors.
Sune spat. Humans are filth That they would slay their own kin thus goes beyond that which even I would have expected of them.
Perhaps then, Brother, the humans we hunt are different. Roak knelt and peered at the mound of corpses. I do not think the humans are capable of this not this slaughter of their own kind. Something troubling is at work here.
Regaining senses, the two proceeded to climb. Two more corpses flew past to land on the blood soaked pile below as they ascended, sometimes bouncing off a wall or two before landing. As they approached the open doors to the shaft, the sounds of crying could be discerned, along with the sharp rapport of a human pistol. Apparently there were still executions going on.
The pair got closer and closer, finally almost to the doors. Three more bodies were flung down the shaft, and the crying got louder. As they climbed, one particularly loud screech echoed out.
NOOO! NO! NOOO! Another sharp rapport and a fourth body, a female human, pitched backwards and started to fall. A younger voice cried out after that, MOM! and a small human child flung himself over the edge after the body of its mother. As the youngling descended, a head covered with a red hood and white mask leaned out after it. A weapon was held in the figures hands, two barrels and a side bar fed into the side. This was leveled briefly and one-shot whumped out of the cannon. The barrels still switching positions, the grenade tore into the childs back and blew it in two. Blood splattered everywhere, including onto Roak and Sune.
The figure glanced over at the blood hovering in mid-air for a second, and its glowing orange eyes locked into those of Roak. A heartbeat eternity passed, as the neurons fired and connected. Roak was discovered, and the new human knew there was something in the shaft. They both reacted instantly after that heartbeat, the human leveled his grenade launcher again and Roak took aim with his plasma rifle. The barrage of plasma forced the human to flinch and send the grenade off course. It slammed into the wall behind and below the two previously stealthed Elites, peppering them with concrete shards and the pressure wave.
Sune cursed as he felt one shard drive deep into his thigh after the explosion knocked out his shields. Roak continued to spray the doorway with plasma, forcing the humans beyond to either stay out or get their faces burned off. He continued to fire until his weapon cycled to cool off, and silence descended again save for the hissing plasma and the muttered curses of Sune. No humans appeared to take advantage of the vulnerable Sangheili. After a few more moments, a voice lifted down the shaft.
Dont come up yet! The test-tube mother****ers left a proxy mine up here. Give me a second, Ill get it gone. There was silence again, and then a little beep and fwump followed by a large BLAM! The elevator doors bent inwards, and one blew completely off in its weakened state. It tumbled down and, as luck would have it, scraped Sune on his already injured leg. The now badly injured Elite cried out in pain as the door continued its fall, this time with a bit of his leg with it.
****! Are you all right? The voice came down again.
No! Sune growled out through gritted teeth.
Damnit, I didnt know those things packed so much bang. Just hold on, Ill get a rope you can grab onto and Ill pull you up. Running footsteps could be heard for a moment before they tapered off into silence. With whatever help the two had found themselves with gone, Roak glanced below to the grimacing Sune.
Brother?
Sune managed to look up at his partner. Shrapnel wound from that human with the strange mask and the door hit me on the way down. Hnph My left legs fairly torn up
All right, rope on the way! A black cord fell down the shaft, a loop in the end to put someones foot.
Sune nodded to Roak. You first. I wont be of much help getting up. Roak nodded and took the offered climbing rope and clambered up through the hole.
The single marine on the other end only stared for a moment before tossing the rope down again. With both the marine and Roak pulling, they managed to get the injured Sune onto firmer ground.
Dayumn That looks right painful. Hang on just a bit longer there The marine looked at sympathy with Sunes injury. He grabbed a med-kit from a nearby chair and popped it open. Pulling out biofoam injectors, bandages, tweezers, and cotton swabs, the marine prepared to treat the ragged wound on Sunes thigh.
Roak watched with an invisible eyebrow raised. Why do you help us, human?
The marine didnt even glance up. Well, were both stuck in the same little pickle, aint we? Those bastards are killn everyone, not just us. Way I figure it, we gotta work together to beat these guys back. As he talked, the marine used the swabs to clean away the blood and try to disinfect the ragged wound.
You know about those humans? Roak stood behind the human, partly to make sure he didnt hurt his brother, and partly to observe the humans rather impressive knowledge of field medicine.
A bit. Theyre part of a secret project, named Perseus. Goal was to clone an army of super soldiers under the command of a telepathic commander so that the commander could get a first hand view of the battle without actually being in danger himself. But something went screwy, and now the commander in charge of these ****ers is killn everybody. The commanders a guy named Paxton Fettel, and nobody has any idea where he is. As the marine continued talking, he gently probed the ravaged muscle of Sunes leg for shrapnel. Pulling aside tissue and probing with the tweezers, he finally found the shard of concrete imbedded in Sunes thigh.
Gocha. The marine pulled the shard out in one swift jerk, causing Sune to flinch as the ice-cold dagger was yanked free at last. The marine dropped both tweezers and shard, picked up the biofoam injector and filled the still bleeding tear with the stinging foam. It stopped the bleeding and would help the damaged tissue regrow in time. After that he slapped a self-adhering bandage and pronounced the job done.
Well, done as best I can with a med-kit. If you want it really done youll have to go to a proper doctor. The marine stood up and brushed off his hands, helping a grumbling Sune to his feet.
Roak mused to himself for a moment. What is your name, human?
The marine looked up and gave a wry smile. PFC David OHara, certified field medic, at your service sir.
The Replica forces were not entirely focused in one area however. While a large number had assaulted Armacham Technology Corporation Headquarters, there were other forces elsewhere. A passing satellite detected one such force before the Covenant armada located and eliminated the eye in the sky. The pictures taken before the sats destruction showed a huge number of them. If anything, this force was bigger then the one that attacked Armacham. Like some kind of insect species, they had infested the entire Auburn district and captured part of the warehouse area of the docks.
Wheels began to turn, questions were asked, and decisions were made. An infiltration team was constructed, and a diversionary strike force was assembled to draw attention away from the insertion team. Unfortunately, nobody could contact those at Armacham due to some strange interference so nobody knew just what these people were or what their goal was.
It seemed that the universe was determined to be fair this one time, for the Covenant had no advantages over the UNSC in this fight. They too had no true idea of what was going on, and were also interested in finding out more. So when they noticed the attack force descending on Auburn, they too launched an attack force of their own. What neither realized was that they were descending into Hell itself.
It would seem that these soldiers had been keeping many secrets. As the UNSC and Holy Covenant forces pushed into Auburn, they began to wonder at the light resistance. Few soldiers, some snipers, and two roadblocks were all that either encountered. Not quite the battalion of soldiers the satellite had shown. When both groups reached a construction site, a strange battlefield of cover, half-built structures, and open ground, some of the sergeants knew they had been tricked. Sergeant Marboro of C Company started to order his squads back when the real fight began.
A flight of HIND-86 choppers strafed the area with heavy machinegun fire, and then deposited their clutches in flanking areas of each army. Human and Covenant alike suddenly found themselves assaulted from air and from land. In addition to well-trained squads, the HINDs had dropped a new threat; a powered armor of some kind, much larger and bulkier then the MILJONIR armor of the Spartans, these were walking tanks. Duel rocket launchers shredded both infantry and armor, and whatever got close enough these machines would just step on or smash. The name printed on the front in bold stencil was REV6, and although only seen once in action now, the UNSC and Holy Covenant learned to fear the REV.
In an almost endless wave, more and more soldiers poured in. Snipers took up positions on towers and in nearby buildings, squads found cover, the REVs chewed up the ground with rocket blasts, and soon even more threats entered the fray. Accompanied by squads of regular soldiers, more of the strange forces came in heavy body armor. Neither fast or particularly willing to hide, these aptly named Heavy soldiers had a few perks; Their armor was thick, their weapons were powerful, and they were well trained in the art of aggressive defense. The opposing sides soon discerned two types of Heavies from the enemys ranks; the first were simple Heavies, equipped with heavy armor, a helm with four glowing blue lenses that fed to a small targeting computer inside the helm, and either a rifle that spat thick steel spikes at supersonic speeds or a triple rocket launcher. The second were Mini-Gunners, with even thicker armor, helms with a trio of red lenses leading to an impressive array of filters and targeters, thick riot shields that would fend off small and even medium arms fire, and a large rotary cannon that ripped everything short of tanks to little pieces. The armor made them slow, but both soon gained a measure of fear when soldiers were suddenly pinned to walls with the back end of rail spikes blossoming from their bodies, or when they disappeared in clouds of blood, bone, and bits of flesh mixed with the hurricane of bullets spat out by the Chain Gunners.
Within half an hour, both attack forces had been reduced to scattered squads trying desperately to escape the blood-drenched slaughterhouse. When you see your friends and comrades die around you in droves, even the best of soldiers can break. The crackle of automatic weapons echoed back and fourth, the whine of plasma weapons began to diminish, and every so often the rolling boom of the enemies REV mechs thundered out, as if to remind the other sounds that it was king. The Enemy combed the desecrated and blood drenched ground for survivors, so that the wounded would finally glimpse the afterlife.
Armacham had changed a lot in the few short hours since the first Replica attack. What few people had still been in the location were dead, the only ones alive now being the five-man Covenant stealth team, about a hundred UNSC Marines in separate Hunter/Killer teams, and an unknown number of Replicas. Plus or minus the odd little girl in a red dress.
For the moment, however, none of that was crossing the minds of David, Roak, and Sune. All that concerned them now was the squad of Replicas pinning them in the research sector of the building.
What else can you tell me about these Replicas? Roak peeked his head around the corner as David tried to hack the security system.
Not much, sides the cloning thing. Theyve gotten a little in terms of biological upgrades, like increased muscle mass and reaction times and whatnot. I think the main thing we have to worry about is surprise. Those bastards are tricky. Famous last words, as it turned out.
Rounding into the long hall that Roak was watching came the squad. The 4 in front dived for cover, spraying the hall with bullets. Roak pulled his head back, snarling.
How did they find us? He asked nobody in particular and pulled his two Plasma Rifles to ready. Sune slipped another clip into his Carbine, and David typed at the keypad even faster.
Uh oh Big guy coming in. More of those test-tube mother ****ers too! David warned as the security cameras came to life on the screen before him. The four blue-clad Replicas already engaged lay down a suppression fire for the ones behind. Four more appeared, escorting a much larger soldier. Equipped with one of the experimental HV Penetrators, this would be a deadly foe.
The Replicas continued to advance, using overlapping fields of fire and suppression bursts they forced Roak and Sune to keep their heads down and peppered the hall with shells and bullets. David finally slapped the computer screen in frustration.
**** this! Come on, lets get out of here. None of the codes are working! David un-slung his rifle and pulled back the slide to load a bullet into the chamber. A quick grenade toss, and the three dashed out of the security alcove in a bid for escape. When the smoke cleared, the Replicas found the area empty. The Heavy raised a finger to the side of his helm and pressed a button.
Command, the targets are on the move. Successfully flushed them towards Fire-Team Betas position. His voice growled out from under the mask, an evil sounding thing, almost garbled beyond recognition.
Roger that. Beta has been alerted and the capture is eminent. Stand by.
Team Alpha took a moment to reload and clear, before moving after their pray once more. Only one option was open to them now, and that was to walk straight into Team Beta.
The plan was good, although the one independent variable decided to be stubborn in its value. The two Sangheili and one marine proved to be far better then anticipated, plus much more cautious. It took them almost half an hour to reach the strike point, and even after that the three had inflicted heavy casualties in the attempt.
Continued attempt, that is. This fact was quite evident to both sides as the running firefight entered its fifth minute. From an all out battle to a vicious game of cat and mouse, the three absolutely refusing to back down when outnumbered.
Or outgunnedDavid thought to himself as the sniper ripped off another three round burst from his Bakasha ASP Rifle and tore divots out of the little wall he crouched behind. While the weapons were old they had lost none of their potency, a fact that Sune and Roak had discovered when the high-velocity bullets had pounded their personal shields flat. Several times.
These humans are the most annoying I have ever had the misfortune to deal with to date! Sune growled out from between his clenched mandibles. David just grinned.
Just think; if you guys had left us alone, it would just be us humans against these test-tube mother-****ers. Could tape it and make a killing back home. Roak glanced at the crouching medic with a look of surprise.
Even at a time like this, you can joke? David glanced over at the shocked Elite.
Why not? If Im gonna die They flinched down as another trio burst smashed into the marble boxes of plants they hid behind. Im gonna go out smiling. Maybe theres something to The Jolly Ol Devil. Mayhaps hell let me off light down there.
This time Sune was one to stare. Demons? You worship demons?
David just kept on grinning. If I had cared about goin ta Heaven, I wouldnt have joined the Marines. Sides, its not like I would have lived much longer anyway with you guys glassn our planets. Life is short enough as-is, and I plan to make sport of it while I can.
Both Sune and Roak were silenced by the frank admittance. As much as they didnt like it, they had grown somewhat attached to the wisecracking human. Sune was prepared to turn a blind eye to any escape David might make, Roak thinking similar thoughts, the idea of keeping David as a personal-prisoner or even a pet flickering in and out every so often. Not much of a life, but a life none-the-less. Although getting out of here at all, much less intact, was looking more and more remote.
It was Roak who finally got tired of this cat and mouse. Stepping out with a snarl, the Sangheili let loose a torrent of plasma at the snipers. Two fell and the third ducked into cover as the super hot gasses melted the rock around them. Until, of course, Roaks plasma rifle gave off a pathetic wheeze and stopped glowing. The Elite stared in horror at his empty weapon, other hand already clawing for the pistol on his side, when the last Replica sniper popped back out from cover. The first three round burst exploded on Roaks shields, fortunately fully recharged. Time slowed to a crawl, Roak still grabbing for his pistol, the human pulling his gun back down from the recoil. Roak knew he couldnt bring his pistol up in time, and with an almost detached air knew his time had come.
Oh ****! David, outside the time slow effect, had precious milliseconds to stop what was going to happen. Roak first knew of this interference when a shadow crossed his vision and David sailed off in front of him. The three shots fired, and David continued. Roak never ceased pulling out his gun, and caught the Replica by surprise. A flurry of green plasma, squeezed out almost as fast as a Brutes Plasma Rifle, impacted on the unfortunate soldier and his life ended with a cry.
David! Sune rushed over to the human, now curled up into a little ball on the floor after a hard landing. He grasped his stomach with his hands, teeth gritted in pain. From between his fingers leaked a viscous red fluid.
Roak! Help me get this armor off of him! The two Elites found the buckles for Davids breastplate, undoing the ones they could and ripping open the rest, the got the armor off and exposed the wound fully.
With the removal of the plate, the two knew from their own anatomy and from watching humans die on the battlefield that David was dying. Precious liquid life now poured from between Davids fingers like rivers.
Tis Tis not wide as a church door, nor nor deep as as a well but twill serve Mercutio, from Romeo and Juliet David tried to grin, ending up in more of a grimace as a fresh wave of pain pinged from the three holes in his body. Roak picked up the implication immediately. If only Mercutio had a friend like Roak when he was slain, he might have lived to stop Romeos folly.
Sune! Find one of those human medical kits, please hurry! Sune nodded and rushed off to find the requested aid. Roak pulled the combat knife from Davids boot and cut the shirt from Davids body. His blood began to pool on the cold concrete, making the surface appear red as rubies but incredibly more valuable. Sune returned at last, empty-handed.
There are none here, brother. Roak cursed, and looked down again. David was breathing raggedly through clenched teeth. His blood spilled freely, and without help soon David would depart the world of the living forever. An idea flashed through Roaks mind, and he pulled the energy sword from its place at his side.
David, Im going to have to cauterize those wounds. It will be painful, but its the only chance you have to live. David, nodded once, then screwed his eyes shut and tried not to pass out just yet. Sune, knowing what was to come, bent over and picked up one of the shell casings from Davids gun. He offered the piece of brass to the prone human, who looked up with gratitude and opened his mouth for the case to be offered. Biting down on the cool metal, David once more shut his eyes for the deed to come. Roak activated his sword, a brilliant flash of blue plasma lighting up the area. It was a risky venture, both for David and for Roak, but it had to be done. Roak did his best with the lower tip of the blade to quickly jab the bullet holes and stop the bleeding. David cried out for a second as the first hole was burned closed, then drew in a breath as if to drown the traitorous noise in oxygen. The second was similar, and on the last one David passed out. This left the two Sangheili to decide his fate, however. Any objections he would have to their decisions would be ill grounded.
We have to return him. Sune was the first to speak after Roak had turned off the improvised sealer.
Return him? The humans wont let us get close enough, and I wont trust them to find him in time to help.
But the Hierarchs wont allow a human to sully their ships, or their medical facilities, much less let us keep him to care for ourselves!
Damn the Hierarchs! Sune gasped. To defy the Hierarchs was about the biggest bit of blasphemy one could perform. I owe this human my life! Mine for his, without him mine is forfeit! Or would you have me deny the power of our peoples Life Debt?
Sune stared at Roak only for a second, then looked down to the ground. Forgive me, brother. I had forgotten the Life Debt. But surely that applies only to other Sangheili?
Roak shook his head. Some may argue that point, but the exact wording is that any who saves the life of another at the cost of his own, the one who was saved owes their savior their life. Us two are bound together now, for better or for worse.
Sune sighed. You always did have a habit of changing the way people looked at things. The two battle-brothers smiled wearily, a bit of old humor returning to exhausted faces.
Come, let us leave this vile and accursed place. Sune nodded, once more trying their communicator.
Command, this is special reconnaissance team Revealing Light. We need an extraction. Duty done.
Sune? By the Prophets, it is good to hear your voice again!
Jakta? Sune heard a voice he hadnt heard in a long time; that of his true brother.
Aye, brother. I had feared the worst, after Vil reported The Elite trailed off for a moment, forcing Sune to fill the gap.
Youve heard of the others? What happened? Where are they?
Im sorry brother Vil had reported their capture, although he managed to escape long enough to inform us. The agony of that memory was evident in Jaktas voice.
Oh Prophets Dont tell me theyre dead!
That is the news brother, but that isnt all of it. Before Vil died, he told us what that human had done to our comrades! It was unfiltered rage that hissed out of the comm. now, like a venomous acid leaching warmth from the normally comforting voice. Sune That human filth has eaten the flesh of our brothers!
Sune was shocked to the core, his mind reeling as it tried to comprehend just what Jakta has said. Eaten!? From the Jiralhanae, it would expect something as brutish and barbaric, but the humans!?
Brother? Roaks sudden intrusion on the shaken Sune brought the shocked Elites eyes up to lock with his battle-brothers in an instant. Brother, whats wrong?
Our comrades The leader of these Replicas, he ate them!
What!? Impossible! Roaks reaction was the one Sune so desperately desired; plain denial. Yet it seemed that it would be Sune who was forced into the role of righteous fury.
It is true, brother! That human has defiled what little respect I had for their pitiful race! Whatever argument Roak was about to make was drowned in the jet-blast of the Phantom that drifted overhead. The grav-beam activated, projecting a ray of hope and safety to the bedraggled team. Sune and Roak looked at each other for a moment before Sune stepped into the beam, while Roak bent to pick up the limp form of David.
The appearance of a human in their midst, even a critically injured one, almost set the Unggoy in the troop-bay into a panicked frenzy. Sunes voice of command stilled them one more, while Roak began retrieving some of the medical equipment from the forward portion of the ship.
But but-but, maaaaaaaaster One unfortunate Grunt had been chosen to the spokesman for this group. It be a human! Why we take it with us?
Sune paused a moment before answering. This human is our prisoner. It may contain knowledge of our enemies, something that I would feel much better having then not. This seemed to satisfy the Grunts, who lapsed into their own squeaky language and chatted amongst themselves. With those dealt with, Sune turned towards Roak and David. Gently clasping his hand on Roaks shoulder, Sune looked over the pale human.
Will he live? Roak sighed in frustration.
I dont know. He is beyond the help of our limited kits here. This, he gestured to the burnt holes in Davids torso. Require the skill of a surgeon. That is assuming we can get blood for him. Hes lost a lot. Sune nodded in silent agreement. Roak put the useless kit in his hands away and stood to face his battle-brother.
So What happened to loosing respect for the humans? Sune held Roaks gaze for a moment before looking away.
No matter what his kin do, this one has earned my gratitude and grudging respect. Without him, I would surely have lost a brother of many conflicts. Roak smiled at this frank admission.
Well Im glad something can turn your heart of stone. The two brothers forged by fire smiled, although any will to laugh had been drained way in the fight before.
Beside them lay David, unbeknownst to either Roak or Sune, who was to be a third member of this brotherhood. Although David would have to survive for a few hours to be saved, and right now those chances were looking rather grim.
When mankind toys with mother-nature, she may become very, very angry
- Eli Vance
Three hours have passed since Roak, Sune, and Davids flight from Armacham. Roak had been called to speak with the Prophet directly; David was currently under the care of the head surgeon on the Covenant Cruiser, Harmonious Repose; and Sune Sune was engaged in a universally consistent favorite pastime for soldiers wherever or whatever they are, sleep. Without any new demands or requirements, Sune was trying to grasp the dreamless sleep that was his due. Unfortunately, even in his dreams the visions of death and destruction haunted him. Amidst all this blood, violence, and an unnerving feeling of being watched but unable to wake, was that one little girl. Only it wasnt the same one anymore; this one looked older, taller, yet even more of a corpse then the first. No clothes to speak of, but instead of making it comical or sexual it made the vision all the more disturbing, intimidating even. She was slimy and thin as a rail, the word skeletal coming to mind. She never made a grand entrance or appearance, but she was there watching waiting for something
It was from these disturbing images that Sune finally and suddenly joined the world of the waking. A quick scan of the room revealed that his dreams were just that; dreams. With a sigh, Sune dropped back to his sweat drenched sheets. He lay there exercising control over his breath and overly rapid heart, attempting to regain his composure. Given two minutes, Sune was satisfied that he wouldnt appear shaky to the troops, and thus decided to dress and join the waking fully in daily activities. His armor was fine, but the body glove that went underneath it was still torn around his thigh. He would have to pick up another from the quartermaster soon. Until then, Sune opted for a pair of thigh-length shorts and a tank top; what amounted to underwear for the Sangheili.
Better then nothing, I suppose. Sune mused to himself. Drawing up the shorts, however, a lance of pain shot into his leg like a red-hot knife as the stretchy material rolled over an innocent white bandage.
There we go Nnnnng I was wondering when that was going to catch up with me. Sune gritted his teeth, drawing his pants up the rest of the way and trying to ignore the throbbing knife buried in his leg. It was time to see the doctors about that. David did well, considering all the human had at his disposal was a medical kit, but this would require the work of a surgeon to finish the job. Striding out of his room, he gave the two Grunts who hastily pulled themselves back into attention when the Elite strode out a quick nod of acknowledgement before moving on. Sune forced himself to walk at the same pace he always did, despite the discomfort in his leg. It was a test of endurance, something to face and best. And thus Sune began a brisk walk to the medical bay, the ravaged muscle of his left leg protesting loudly the whole way.
The medical officer on duty that day, a fellow Sangheili, had the tear stitched back up in no time. He was fascinated with the bio-foam that had filled it however.
You say a human used this? The officer asked as he scraped a sample of the remaining foam from the wound. Sune merely grimaced and nodded.
Interesting Ill have to see if the Huragok can get a good copy of this What did he call it?
Bio foam. Sune continued his grimace, wishing that the officer would just get on with it.
Thank you. Like I was saying, this particular bio foam would have so many uses, that
If you -dont- mind Sune finally got fed up with waiting for the doctor to stitch his leg back.
Oh Sorry. The medical officer, sufficiently cowed now, cleaned out the wound and bonded the muscles together at last. A small shot with a local anesthesia, and the operation was done. With that, the medical officer picked up his tools and set about organizing the place again. Sune stood on his left leg tentatively, pleased that there was no pain anymore and that his leg was whole.
Officer? The other Elite looked up in surprise as the warrior addressed him.
Yes? Is there something else?
There is a human here, severely injured The officer nodded.
Yes, him. Hes a lucky one, thats for sure. I didnt dig around much, but from what I know of their biology and from the scanners if those bullets had gone anywhere else he would have expired long before we got to him. As it is, he almost didnt make it. Sune caught the words, yet some part of him panicked none-the-less.
So hes still alive?
Yes. I cant say hell be feeling very well for a few days, however. Those plasma burns may have stopped the bleeding, but I can only imagine how painful that was. Sune looked away briefly. Even he wouldnt be willing to get poked with a plasma sword anytime soon, no matter the reason. The act had been necessary, but the look of pain on Davids face and the smell of burnt flesh came unbidden to Sunes mind.
May I see him? The officer tilted his head to the side.
Yes, you may. Hes in bay 7. Sune nodded his thanks and made to move off. The medical officer rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment, stopping Sunes advance. I know many of the warrior caste look down on healers like me for lacking fighting spirit, but I cant bear to see injured creatures. Sune was surprised by this apparent non sequitur.
And what
No matter what the Prophets say, that human is still a creature. I wont let anything die in my bay without a fight. Thats when it clicked into place; the officer didnt know Sune was one of the ones who rescued David, and thought he was going to kill one of the vile heathens. Sune gave a bark of laughter and smiled at the doctor.
Dont worry about his safety with me. My battle-brother owes this human his life. Would I dishonor his name by slaying the one who he is indebted to? You have my word that the human will come to no harm. The officer nodded and let Sune go. He may not have been a warrior like Sune, but he understood the Warriors Way. Honor was very important to the proud Sangheili, as was their word.
Sune entered to find David laying on one of the medical tables. A sheet covered him up to his chest, his arms and pectorals visible along with his head. He appeared asleep at first, but when Sune approached his eyes fluttered open and he looked blearily at the Elite.
Sune?
The Sangheili gave a small chuckle. How did you know?
Davids face cracked into a slight grin. Bandage on the left leg.
One arm rose slightly to point at the splotch of white. To David, the world was a blob. Recovering from invasive surgery was like that. Sune pulled a stool out and sat, the holographic panels displaying statistics of the beds patient glowed softly on the wall.
David Sune paused before continuing. I have to know something. You seem to know about these new humans, these Replicas. You know about their leader, and his past.
David looked at the Elite strangely. Yes. What bout it?
Sune sighed, trying to figure out how to proceed. David In our group, Roak and me, we had three other members. We split up, they went once way we another. We were the only ones to make it out. Everyone else was killed.
David nodded in understanding. Im sorry
Sune silenced him with a gesture. Thats not it, David. Two of them The leader of these Replicas ate their flesh.
Wha!? David made as if to sit up, but a lance of pain shot through his abdomen as he did, leaving David to do nothing more then fall back to the bed and grit his teeth. Sune continued after a pause. What do you know of this human that would drive him to such an act?
David snorted, trying to calm his spasming belly muscles. I dont know. From what I gathered about the Origins project, Fettle went crazy during something they called a Synchronicity Event. A few people died or something, cause they shut down the project after that. My guess is that the guy isnt quite right in the head, messed up or something. Sune listened to Davids weakened speech intently. Seeming to accept that Fettle was crazy, he decided not to press the issue. And what about a female human?
David blinked. Huh?
A tall female human, naked and thin. She radiates this aura of anger and hate. Have you seen her?
The humans eyes widened. You too?
Whats that mean?
David sighed. Ive seen er. In my dreams, though. Only in my nightmares. It was Sunes turn to act surprised.
That is where I have seen her too! But How can this be? This is beyond the normal! David started for a moment, and then burst into laughter. Given his condition, it quickly turned into a hacking cough. Sune rose to help the human, but David waved him off with a hand.
Oh man, I am so dumb Should have thought about this ages ago.
Thought of what?
David kept smiling. I think I know who we can get to help us. A little organization called F.E.A.R
Roak was bracing himself for the inevitable fallout with the Prophet in charge. While only a Minor Prophet, the Prophet of the Departed still held some sway over the others. Young by their standards, Roak figured he had a chance to sway the regal figure over to a slightly different style of thinking. Surely, since the humans had lasted so long against the might of the Covenant, a total extinction would be throwing away a valuable possible asset.
Yeah right. And the next Prophet will be an Unggoy. Roak thought darkly to himself. It seemed like an eternity before the doors opened and he was admitted into the Prophets presence. As the doors shut behind him, any argument that Roak might have voiced died on his lips. Before him sat the Prophet of the Departed, his intricate headpiece sitting on a small desk in front of him and the Prophet massaging his temples. With a wave of his had, the irregularity became even more pronounced.
Come on, lets hear your report. Time is short, as usual. Roak made to bow and offer exaltations, as was the Prophets due, but again the Sangheili was stopped. Dont waste our time with honorifics, captain. I have neither the time nor the patience to continue with all the little niceties that are supposed to show honor and respect. Pfah! Lets just get onto the bad news and wrap up this miserable day. Or night. Whatever time it is now.
Roak was stunned, but he complied. After all, who was he to argue with a Prophet? He sat and delivered his story of what happened at Armacham. At the end, Departed sat for a minute processing the information.
And this human is still alive?
Yes, Prophet. He resides within our medical facilities this very moment.
Good. Even better then good. We need more information on this new foe. While they appear, fight, and even die like humans, they obviously have something bigger in mind. They are called Replicas, you say?
Named thus apparently because they are clones. Of whom, OHara assumes the commander, this Paxton Fettle.
Hmm And what about this Replica commander?
I would say the human is out of his mind, Prophet. From what we gathered, and from what the human has told me, he is after specific people. When he captures these people, he eats their flesh. The Prophet simply shook his head.
And yet he commands these troops. I will never understand humans.
With all due respect, Prophet, the Replicas have no choice. If we kill Fettle, the soldiers will deactivate. A strange term applied to living creatures, I know, but thats what it is. Theyll be in a dormant state, unable to do anything. Dead, for all purposes except basic living requirements such as breathing. The Prophet mulled this over for a time. After a few moments he sighed.
Well, I must commend you on your mission. Its about the only thing that has gone even slightly right today.
Prophet?
You mean you dont know? I figured that every trooper would know of my failure by now.
You cannot be serious! A Prophet? Fail!? It is
I am mortal, Forerunners damn it all, and to be mortal is to be fallible! The statement shocked Roak to the core. Prophets had always been these pillars of strength, untouchable by the ghost of failure. And here was one, admitting the blame for Roak still didnt know what. But he was sure to find out; the Prophets outburst had opened the floodgates and now the Prophet of the Departed was spilling out the story.
Those Replicas are smart. So very clever. Of course, they would not have been quite so if I had listened to my commanders! They saw an opening, an opportunity to strike back, something too good to be true! They saw it, but I would not listen. I ordered a little less then half our troops to find and eliminate every single one of those damned Replicas. And then, it went exactly as my commanders had predicted. The trap was baited, set, and sprung. They were holding back, you see. These Replicas never unveiled their true power. They did back at that slaughterhouse. Roak listened with a stunned silence. At last, the spew of blasphemy ground to a halt, and Roak spoke quietly.
What happened? The Prophet looked up at the shaken Elite. His eyes burned with unfiltered hate, but not for the operative before him. Roak saw that hate reflected inwards, all of it internal. Not a drop of scorn was saved for those outside.
Theyre all dead, captain. A little less then half our forces, gone. And its my own fault. My fault and mine alone. If only this system werent in place, if only the commanders had not been afraid to tell me that it was a death-trap, if only this damned precedence had been ignored in the face of total annihilation, they would still be alive and continuing to fight for glorious salvation! The Prophet, in his fit of self-loathing and hate, slapped his headdress and sent it bouncing on the floor. Silence reigned for a few eternities before the Prophet spoke in a soft voice.
As it is, they now join hands in the afterlife, no doubt scorning me for my stupidity. Wasted. All those lives, wasted. Roak watched as the Prophet slowly slipped into a quiet depression. He gingerly walked over to the discarded mantle of office, picking it up off the floor. If the Prophet took any notice of these actions, he gave no sign of it. Walking back to the dejected leader, he extended the ornate hat.
Each warrior goes to battle, knowing full well it could be his last. To transcend the physical realm is but another step. Those who die for the cause of salvation are promised paradise. It is up to us, the living, to see their sacrifice brought to fruition. The Prophet looked up and gave a humorless smile.
I appreciate your words and the gesture, captain, but my mistake cannot be forgiven. He sighed, finally accepting the heavy thing from the Elites hands. And yet I cannot allow myself to fall into despair. Dead though they may be, they can die again if nothing is done about their first death. So be it! We must continue forward and hope to outrun the fall just long enough The Prophet paused for a moment, weighing the words he had uttered. Just long enough But how far until the end, I wonder. Will our speed save us, or will the distance prove to great? Roak knew the standard answer to this question.
Faith will save us. The Prophet looked up and gauged Roak with a thoughtful expression.
Only time will tell. Roak almost smiled. It was rare to find Prophets that understood limitations of reality. Faith was all well and good, and it certainly helped. But even the best faith could not turn the guns of the enemy. And those guns were many and powerful. Reality cared not for faith; a simple design by mortals, intended to give excuse for action. Although what Roak witnessed was nigh on blasphemy, Roak was an open-minded being. An untraditional captain, with an untraditional commander. If the Covenant were not quite so hard pressed on this world, both of them would surely be fodder for the Inquisition.
The two were interrupted by a ding at the door. The Prophet answered.
You may enter. One of the outside guards entered, only enough to speak.
Your Excellence, one of the stealth-team members says he has important information for you. He claims to have a special contact that may yield special information on our enemies. The Prophet of the Departed considered this, as did Roak. Roaks thoughts, however, were slightly different. Instead of What information could he have? he was thinking, What has Sune done now?
Normally, the PR office for First Encounter Assault and Recon was quiet. The only operator there was, in addition to being the top PR representative and only member in the PR department, was Betters secretary. Thus, it is with a certain amount of understandability that the ring from the PR phone gave him a bit of a shock. The secretary let it ring a few times before reaching over and picking up.
Hello, youve reached the First Encounter Assault and Recon teams pub
This is the real true story of rock and roll; it was not about anything more then, how to live your life, as a gangster, in sartorial splendor, and turning the world into a place where normality would never return again...- Malcolm McLaren
Um... I'm done. Ya'll can, you know, like post or sommat? If I get chapters 5 through whatever up, they'll be in a different thread. So... Tell me what you think, damnit!
This is the real true story of rock and roll; it was not about anything more then, how to live your life, as a gangster, in sartorial splendor, and turning the world into a place where normality would never return again...- Malcolm McLaren
This is not only a wall of text. This is a chinese wall of text. Try to read and understand it completely over the next year (I'm not a native speaker).
Knew I should have broken it up so each chapter had its own thread... T__T
This is the real true story of rock and roll; it was not about anything more then, how to live your life, as a gangster, in sartorial splendor, and turning the world into a place where normality would never return again...- Malcolm McLaren
It's a monolithic psuedomonster that has the capacity to eat brains. I LOVE IT!
Not to mention, it ain't too shabby in regards to Ye Ol' Writing. It shall be enjoyable... once I find out what the hell some of those references are... *sigh*
Ah yes... It -does-, unfortunately, require a bit of knowledge of the games Halo and F.E.A.R... Maybe I should have put a warning about that up at the top too... >_>
Ah well. Wikipedia is good. ^^
Oh, and for further fright; it's not done yet.
This is the real true story of rock and roll; it was not about anything more then, how to live your life, as a gangster, in sartorial splendor, and turning the world into a place where normality would never return again...- Malcolm McLaren
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