The Last Day

The C.O.G. are making one final push against the Locust Horde, and are almost half-way in the beginning stages of Operation: Hollow Storm, wherein humanity takes the fight to where the genocidal monstrosities of the Locust reside: The Hollow.

Delta squad, led by a certain Sergeant Fenix, has already cleared the way for you and your squad's Rig to tear through the forgotten, snow-covered town of Landown, and into the town's cemetery where the grindlifts will be prepped in order for you to break through the surface, and into enemy territory underground.

It's the last day for you on the surface, but you feel it in your heart that you may have yet another day to see the open sky once again. You're in the middle of a routine check up on your equipment on the ground below, having arrived at the site and disembarked a few minutes ago. Above you, on top of the giant lumbering Rig's platform, a fellow Gear waves at you to climb on up to the platform.

The matter seems urgent to you, but you still have yet to make the final checks on your Lancer Assault Rifle's chainsaw bayonet.

"It's time for the initial briefing, Rook. Cpl. Harris wants everyone back up here. That includes your green-as-grass behind!" he says for a brief moment, then removes himself from the rails before you can reply.

You shake your head in exasperation at how callous and reckless these gears can be, and stand up with your Lancer over your shoulder, its bulkiness making you shift your balance a slight bit.

You're about to head towards the rig and join in on the briefing -- which you may have already missed -- but a sudden noise has you spinning your head in the opposite direction, alert and with Lancer at the ready. Your eyes scan the horizon through the helmet's visor, peering down the gun's iron sights, but see nothing.

With the assumption that it was nothing but the Frost wind in the air, you lower your weapon and put yourself at ease... only to hear that noise again.

But this time, it's loud enough to be recognized, and that you can tell it's human. It is faint, but you manage to make out the words to the mysterious noise.

"Help! Please, help me!!! AAAAAUGH!!!" the feminine voice cries out, far across the cemetery, too far for your squad to hear, but not distant enough for you to dismiss is it as the wind. From this point on, you have two choices:

-> You rush to where you can hear the voice coming from, and help out whoever it is that's in trouble.
-> You can call out to your squadmates, and request assistance from them.
-> Or, you can ignore the cries for help, and proceed to the briefing atop the Rig's platform.

 

Being the inexperienced greenhorn that you are, you decide to forgo the formation of a plan, and instead rush to the aid of the unfortunate soul. Judging from how extremely distressing the commotion sounds, and since you have very little recon intel on the layout of the surrounding area, there didn't seem to be much time to formulate a proper strategy anyway.

A rather wiry-framed rookie, just like you, slides down the ladder from atop the rig to join you. Visibly excited and a bit skittish, to say the least, he runs up beside you and greets you with an enthusiastic salute.

"PFC Reedstalk, reporting for duty, Sir!" he exclaims.

"Come on, someone needs our help over there!" you say, pointing your Lancer in the general direction of the disturbance. He nods, and both of you hastily proceed.

You run across the slushy, bloodied snow and weave past the rows and rows of tombstones and graves, vaulting over a low stone wall separating the rest of the graveyard from a Mausoleum. On the other side, the snow is melted, and there are signs that a struggle has taken place over by the Mausoleum's entrance.

Both of you rush toward the building, panting heavily from the weight and bulk of the armor that strained every adrenaline-fueled step you took.

It seems the metal gate is open, and a struggling noise can be heard inside.

"Sir, I think we should storm in there and get her out as fast as we can! I'll provide some cover fire for you." the jittery soldier whispers to you.

"But what if there are too many of them? I barely got past my training."

The grunts and growls from inside the stone structure begin to lower, until they become muffled and distant. From this point, you have four viable options:

-> You take on Reedstalk's idea and ready yourselves at either side of the opening, and find cover within the dark room while he suppresses the hostiles.
-> There's no time! You storm the Mausoleum with guns blazing and take down every single grub you can train your sights on.
-> Thinking a surprise attack would fare better in situations such as this, you reach for your ammo belt and bring out a concussive smoke grenade that can incapacitate -- but not kill -- the occupants, making your job much safer and easier.
-> From the way the noises begin to lower to the point of faintness, you quickly assume that you weren't fast enough and failed to save whoever it was the grubs took, and fall back to the rig.