Chapter 1 – Bad Company

i. C-130, flying over Seattle

'So, the war is over.

'Bad Company, what is left of them, is currently flying over Seattle. U.S. forces had successfully pushed the Russians out of Alaska and Canada.Eastern Europe was at a stalemate and the Russians were about to lose their South American footing when the Russian President called for a ceasefire. Apparently, some U.S. and British Special Forces had rescued his daughter from some radical separatist or something. It was all very hush hush, no one was supposed to talk about it. But one month after the ceasefire was declared, a peace agreement was signed by all parties involved in the war. Russia would retreat back to its borders, the U.S. would get some money, and everything would be like it was before.

'Millions of lives lost, Trillions of dollars spent, an untold number of civilian refugees and not a damn thing changed. Go figure.'

Not much has changed with the four members of Bad Company. No longer the place where fuck ups and losers are sent, they have become the most effective fighting unit of the U.S. Military. Deployed to the most dangerous, life threatening, suicidal missions, their special brand of chaos has them doing things no one else is even willing to consider. Blowing up an airplane while you're still inside it is just the tip of the ice berg.

As the C-130 touched down at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, the four members of Bad Company, no longer part of the Special Activities Division, sat next to each other. The rest of the plane is filled with other returning service members, mostly Army and Marines, and their equipment.

'Haggard hasn't changed too much. He had gone back to using a shotgun after the whole Scalar weapons fiasco.That had served him well, until the push to Gnome when it got run over by an enemy tank.Afterwards, he picked up an M14 Mod 0 EBR with a 4-8x scope.Turns out that on top of being a demolitions expert, Haggard is the best shot out of the four of us. We should have known better, as getting a head shot on a gunner in a dune buggy while flying inside a helicopter at over 60 mph is quite difficult. And instead of the AT4 he usually carried, or the Carl Gustavs that the U.S. started out with, Haggard also carries a SMAW with a 2x scope. And as he is the engineer of the group, he also has a tracer dart gun. Paired up with the SMAW, enemy armor and helicopters became mere annoyances than actual dangers.

'Sweetwater hasn't changed much either. He complained that the M60 was too heavy for him, slowing him down significantly. So he went back to his M249.His glasses got crushed in Chile though, so he had special wrap around glasses made in his prescription. General Braidwood got it to them ricky-tick, once he heard one of his best operatives was down.On the plus side, they are much lighter than the old ones were and could clip on polarized lenses if necessary. Sweets also carries the long range communication equipment for the squad, as well as being the tech expert.

'Sergeant Redford, or Sarge as we all call him, can finally look forward to his retirement. With the war over they no longer need Bad Company, so he was told to expect his discharge papers within a week. He traded his XM8 for the M416 before being sent to Canada, and hasn't looked back since. Fitted with a C-more red dot sight and an M302 grenade launcher, it served the Sergeant well across the past year. Now 45, Sergeant Redford would be able to retire and finally have that fishing trip he's been talking about.

'And that just leave me, Preston Marlowe, the last, but definitely not least, member of Bad Company. I went back to using the XM8, but the plastic broke apart when I bashed in a Russians skull while fighting in Canada, about a month after we were deployed there.So with limited options, I picked up an M16 and kept fighting. Turns out it was an M16A3, one of the very few that were deployed. Most U.S. forces had the A4 version, limited to either single or 3 round burst.But with the A3 I could go single or full auto. Apparently, one of the navy Sea Bees had been deployed alongside Bad Company.Fitted with the M203 and an ACOG 4x, the rifle served me well to this day.'

The plane is now taxying to its resting spot, the engines dying down. Haggard, who is nearest the ramp, looked around and shook Sweets awake, who did the same to Sarge who in turn woke Marlowe. The loadmaster opened the cargo bay door, lowering the ramp and allowing the soldiers to exit. The four members of Bad Company got their luggage, their guns and the rest of the equipment. Each of their guns were loaded before exiting as even though the war is over, paranoia and habits die hard.

Once clear of the ramp, the four made their way to the convoy of military vehicles waiting for them. Haggard spoke "So Sarge, why'd we come to Seattle of all places anyways. None of us are from this part of the country."

"First of all," replied Sarge, "It's the first flight out of La Paz I could get us, so it was the best choice even with the fuel stops. Second, the next military flight out of that country wouldn't leave for at least a week. And thirdly, I'm from Montana, so this is easiest for me to travel back once my papers come through."

That last one surprised the three of them. "You're from Montana?" asked Sweetwater.

"Yeah, where did you think I was from?"

"I dunno, Georgia or Florida. I never really thought of it."

"Well I'm from Montana, so get used to it." Sarge then looked at the other three. "Where you boys going afterwards?"

"Welp," drawled Hags, "I figured I'd go back to Texas. Finally catch me a Cowboys game at the stadium. I'm bound to get a discount on account of me being a vet and all. Hell, might be able to get me a free beer and a lady friend too if I'm lucky."

"You're not that lucky Hags." Interrupted Sweets. Haggard flipped him off in response. "As for me, I'm going back to Jersey. Probably finish my college degree. See if my old girlfriend is still single." He looked over at Preston. "Hey Marlowe, how about you?"

Preston thought of the answer for a moment. "I dunno, probably go back to Indy." He got questioning looks from the three. "Indianapolis? That's where I'm from. Go see my family, get a homecoming. Maybe watch the Colts pound the Cowboys into the ground."

"Thems fighting words Marlowe" growled Haggard. The four finally made it to the convoy. Choosing the lead Humvee, the four put their luggage in the back hatch before getting in their seats. Haggard is driving, Sarge is in the passenger seat while Sweets and Marlowe got in the back. "My Cowboys could beat your Colts any day of the week."

"Not if your wide receiver keeps having trouble holding onto the ball like he has."

"He's got an injury! Just watch, next season he'll be back on his game and nothin will stop him."

"They've got to get past this season first Hags."

Three of them laughed while Haggard fumed, but he got over his bad mood quickly.

Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers on the plane were getting into the cargo trucks. One of them started complaining. "Man, why do we have to get into these heaps of junk while those four get a Humvee all to themselves." Though the Humvee is not luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, they're a lot more comfortable to ride in than the Cargo trucks the rest of the personnel are stuck with.

"Keep your voice down man!" his squad mate harshly whispered to him, "Don't you know who that is? That's Bad Company!"

"Who?"

"Bad Company? Are you telling me you've never heard of them?"

The soldier shook his head, leaving his disbelieving friend in shock. "Hey Aaron, Charlie's never heard of Bad Company!"

"Are you shitting me?" asked Aaron as he helped the other two onto the back of the truck. "How have you not heard of Bad Company? We witnessed the aftermath of their operations enough times to know when they've gone through an area."

"What're you talking about?" The three of them sat down on the bench with Charlie in the middle.

"First of all, you know how the Russians were having trouble keeping in communications with each other in South America?" Charlie nodded, "Well apparently Bad Company had been blowing up M-Com stations whenever they came across them on their missions down there. Threw the entire Russian comm net into disarray."

Charlie got wide eyed at that. Taking even one M-Com station was a hard fought battle, two divisions of troops clashing over an area with armor and air battles taking place everywhere. That four people would be able to accomplish the same thing themselves is mind boggling.

"You boys talking about Bad Company?" asked the soldier who had just sat down across from them. The three nodded in response. "I never saw them fight directly, but I've done enough clean up after them to know that you do not want to mess with them. Ever."

"What clean up? I'm Charlie by the way." Charlie extended his hand which the other soldier shook.

"I'm Rick, and this here is Steve." He elbowed the man to his right, an engineer going from his kit. All five introduced themselves to each other, with the last soldier introducing himself as Ryan. "I was part of the northern defenses. The Russians overran two of our bases up there. I was there at each base, they fought something fierce let me tell you. They were half way to capturing a third base when four guys got dropped in from the sky and took those Russians to town. Stopped their advance cold. I was at the fallback point already, hell, most of our Battalion was there. All of a sudden we get a call in from our rear guard company stating that those Ruskies had been stopped. Not only stopped, but they were being pushed back. We all mounted up and charged back into the fight." Rick shook his head. "Let me tell you, the devastation I saw is not possible from only four people. They pushed back two Battalions and attached armored with only small arms and whatever rockets we had left behind. I saw the wreckage of four Hind helicopters, and I know for a fact that our Battalion did not shoot them down. So we followed the sounds of explosions and gunfire. By the time we reached them, they had captured the Russian Battalion commander. We took over 200 prisoners, but I know for a fact we walked past far more bodies than that. Stopped the entire Russian advance cold."

Steve is shaking his head. "I've never seen anything like that. Hell, I've never even heard of anything like that. They would get inserted behind enemy lines and cause all sort of havoc. I mean, every time we attacked the Russians would either be disorganized, low on supplies or not have any support. Turns out, those M-Coms both of our forces love so much? Bad Company went out of their way to destroy them. Every HVT up there they targeted was either killed or captured. It's thanks to them that we pushed those Russians out of Alaska in six months. Rick and I got sent to Chile two months after that, but I heard Bad Company was sent almost immediately after the Russians were removed."

"Wait, I think I remember them" stated Charlie. "Yeah, I remember." He looked at his two squad mates. "It was after we failed to push them out of Arica. Our Task Force took heavy casualties, I overheard command stating that we wouldn't be able to attempt another push for at least two months. Then word passes through the grapevine, some sort of special company was going to be sent to deal with the problem. They got priority on artillery and airstrikes, whatever we could give them. Two days later, explosions started going off near where we knew the Russians are. Our artillery got constant requests, they nearly ran dry by the time the orders stopped coming in. Air Sorties were overhead constantly. Seven hours after the first explosion started, we get the all clear signal. The Task Force got into whatever they could and moved forwards." He shifted in his seat a bit. "I was in a helicopter, so I got a bird eye view of everything. The Russians had re-enforced their position with an entire Armored Battalion after beating us back. I'm talking about Tanks, BMPs, Armored Trucks, the works. They also had three squads of Havoc attack helicopters. Whoever command sent tore through that like tissue paper. Everywhere I looked Russian bodies littered the ground, enemy vehicles would be engulfed in flames or be charred hunks of metal. Large sections of the small town they took over got turned to rubble. I found out later that the harbor was the main distribution point of oil for the entire Russian military in South America. Taking that harbor cut the legs out from under them, one that they never could recover from. I remember now that one of the officers said 'Thank God for Bad Company.'"

"Crazy huh." Ryan shook his head before leaning in. The others did the same. "Heard from a friend in Intel. Apparently, the first thing the Russians demanded during ceasefire negotiations was removing Bad Company from the front lines. They wouldn't take no for an answer. Once our side agreed to that, the Russians became far more willing to capitulate to our demands." He leaned back in his seat. "And now gentlemen, we have those very same badasses leading our convoy."

In the lead Humvee, all four members of Bad Company sneezed simultaneously. They looked around in confusion before Sweetwater said "I think somebody's talking about us."

"Aw, that's just an old wives tale Sweets" said Haggard before turning to Sarge. "Hey Sarge, what's the hold up? How long they going to take before loading up all their shit back there."

Before Sarge could respond the radio crackled to life. "Bravo 2 Actual, this is Whiplash Actual. All personnel have been loaded and are ready to go. Lead the way."

Redford picked up the mic. "Whiplash Actual, Bravo 2 Actual copy that, we're moving out." Sarge motioned for Haggard to drive, which he obeyed.

"Where are we going anyways Sarge?" asked Marlowe.

"There's a National Guard base just north of Seattle. The Guard expanded the base there when the Russians started coming through Canada. Our orders are to head there until otherwise notified. I figure that's where we'll get our papers and we can all go our separate ways."

"Don't say that Sarge" whined Sweetwater, "You know you'll miss us. We're like the sons you never had."

"Sweetwater, if you three are my kids then you're the redheaded stepchild."

All four laughed at that. Things were looking up.

And of course, we can't possibly have that.

ii. Seattle Space Needle

At the Space Needle, tourist were walking around, enjoying the weather and getting in line to go up the tower.

Suddenly, a gate appeared on the grounds next to the tower. Big and wooden, in between the pillars was a black yawing chasm. All around, the people stopped to stare at the sight, unbelieving at what just happened. Some thought that someone was doing a magic trick and came closer to get a better view.

Instead of a performer they were met with a monster. 6 feet tall, the Orc lumbered out of the tunnel slowly. Covered in metal armor and wielding a club, the monster looked at the people in front of him before letting out a loud roar. The civilians in the front covered their ears, and did not see the Orc charging forward in a murderous rage.

The scene quickly became chaotic. Civilians fled in terror as nearby police officers tried to make it to the scene of the commotion. They quickly fired upon the creature, saving a man who was shielding his family from a deadly blow. They quickly ordered everyone away while they tried to contain the scene.

The Officers immediately called for backup, while slowly approaching the downed creature when they were distracted by a noise coming from the gate. From the darkness came even more Orcs, and behind them men in armor wielding shields, swords and pikes.

The newcomers didn't pause before charging the defending policemen. The officers did their best but were quickly overwhelmed. The invaders started fanning out as more and more beings poured through the Gate.

The Battle of Seattle had begun.

iii. Northbound, Interstate 5

Bravo Company is currently going North on Interstate 5. It had taken a while to exit the Tacoma Airport with the traffic and construction making things difficult. But now the convoy is merrily on their way and had just passed King County Airport.

Suddenly, their radio crackled to life. "This is Archangel to all U.S. forces in the Seattle area, we have hostiles attacking civilians inside the city. I say again, this is Archangel to all U.S. forces in the Seattle area, we have hostiles attacking civilians inside the city. All available personnel are to head to Seattle and evacuate the civilians while engaging hostiles, respond if you get this message."

Sarge picked up the mic, "Archangel this is Bravo 2 Actual, Bravo 2 is currently leading a convoy of returning service members north through Interstate 5. What kind of forces should we expect? Have the Russians broken the ceasefire?"

"Bravo 2, unknown at this time but unlikely. Intel is sketchy, but reports are coming in of men in metal armor and monsters. There have also been reports of flying dragons. We're talking about fantasy characters here Bravo 2, but too many reports from different people have come in to disregard the possibility. Your orders are to divert towards Century Link Field, civilians are evacuating there in mass. Other ground and air assets will be available shortly but you are the closest force we have. Sending you co-ordinates now."

The GPS screen on the dashboard updated with their new destination, the four members of Bad Company looking bewildered before Sarge responded "Orders acknowledged Archangel, Bravo 2 out." Haggard followed the new course while Sarge changed frequencies to contact the rest of the convoy. "Whiplash Actual this is Bravo 2 Actual, did you get the update from Archangel over?"

"Bravo 2 this is Whiplash Actual, yes we did. What's the play here?"

"Just like Archangel says, divert to Century Link Field and defend it from any hostiles. We'll play it by ear afterwards. All your boys loaded for bear?"

"Yes we are Bravo 2, passing the orders down the line. We'll be ready by the time we get there, Whiplash Actual out."

Sarge looked at the other three members of his squad. "All of you heard the situation, lock and load people."

Preston and Sweetwater checked over their gear with Preston asking "You think fantasy creatures are attacking downtown Seattle Sarge?"

Redford had finished with his gear and was checking over Haggards M14 "I don't know Preston, but until command says otherwise kill anyone dressed in medieval cosplay." He finished looking the gun over and set it down. "Marlowe, get on the .50 Cal."

Marlowe nodded and slung his rifle over his back before opening the gunners hatch and standing up. Once behind the gun, he opened the receiver and loaded the rounds into the M2. Though the XM312 was good it was more prone to breaking than the venerable M2 is. Also, the lighter construction made controlling the recoil from the massive .50 Cal round much harder. Thus, the U.S. Military decided to replace all XM312s with the old Brownings.

Once the Ma Deuce is ready Preston looked over the city skyline. Every now and then he could see something flying in between the buildings. Unfortunately, it was too far away for him to get a good look at much less shoot. Looking over to his left he could see the Stadium. It was maybe one mile away but Haggard had to take surface streets in order to get there.

Once off the highway the convoy was slowed down due to traffic. Luckily, not too many cars were on the road and they could cut through easily. Making the final turn before reaching the stadium, Preston could see civilians rushing towards them in a stampede. Haggard cursed as they were on the road, impeding the convoy's progress. Thankfully, they moved out of the way as the Humvee neared them. Preston could hear handguns being fired in the distance, as the police were apparently making a stand at the stadium.

Redford came on the radio. "This is Bravo 2 Actual to all units, we are approaching City Link Stadium from the south side. From the directions the civilians are fleeing it looks like the enemy is coming in from the north. Archangel has informed me that several police units have made a blockade with their cars at the stadium but they will be overrun soon without assistance.Humvees, pull up just behind the blockade and open fire with your machine guns. All others, block the northern entrances with your trucks and deploy your troops. Have one platoon enter the stadium and take up firing and defensive positions, the rest of us will get behind the police blockade to form a firing line. Understood?"

"Whiplash Actual to Bravo 2 Actual, orders received. 2nd Platoon will enter the Stadium. We have two more Humvees in the convoy, we'll get this done over."

Redford got off the radio and turned to Haggard. "Hags, once you park behind the defensive line go inside the stadium and get to an over watch position. Make sure you bring your SMAW with you. You got a spare Tracer Dart Gun?"

"Yeah" replied Haggard, not taking his eyes off the road lest he accidentally run over somebody, "It's in my bag. Preston knows where it is."

"He's going to be on the .50, get it and give it to me when you grab your SMAW."

"Sure thing Sarge."

'So there we were, going towards an enemy we knew nothing about, fighting another battle where we couldn't see the big picture. None of us could foresee where the next few hours of action would actually take us. As we finally cleared the last of the fleeing civilians, we knew this was going to be bad. And all four of us had a feeling that Sarge wasn't going to be retiring anytime soon.'

The Humvee cleared the last of the buildings next to the stadium. The sound of gunfire was constant now, and they could now hear the loud yells of men as well as the roars of creatures. The road clear, Haggard stepped on the gas pedal, jumping the curb in between two of the concrete plant holders and pulling up just behind the police cars. The Police had done what they could, but the shotguns and handguns they were assigned are not powerful enough to force the enemy back.

As the Humvee stopped just behind the middle of the defensive line, the other three passengers bailed out while Preston took aim and fired. Massive .50 Cal slugs flew forward and eviscerated the enemy formation which had gotten within 10 meters of the officers. Soon the other Humvees came and did the same, while the troops from the transport vehicles came forward and added their own wall of fire to the scrum. It was a target rich environment as the entirety of the parking lot was filled with enemies. Preston actually ran out of ammo for the .50, forcing him to stop firing and reload.

"Holy Shit!" cried Haggard over the comms, "Do you guys see that big sunofabitch? He's got to be at least 20 feet tall!"

Reload complete, Preston looked up to see what Hags was talking about when he saw it. It was indeed 20 feet tall and completely covered in heavy looking armor. It honestly looked like a troll from one of the Lord of the Rings movies. It even wielded a large wooden club. The soldiers on the defensive line were too busy with the targets in front of them so Preston aimed at the, for lack of a better term, 'Troll' and opened fire. The first dozen or so rounds was able to penetrate the Troll's armor and injure it until it brought up a thick metal slab as a shield with its left hand, blocking the bullets. The .50 Cal was chewing through the shield at a steady pace but not quick enough to bring the Troll down before it got to them.

"Shit, somebody use rockets on that Troll thing, the shield is too tough for the .50!" Preston yelled into his Mic.

In response, two engineers fired their AT4s at the Troll. The first hit the shield, causing the Troll to stagger backwards and fling his left arm to the side as the 2nd rocket hit it directly in the chest. Once the smoke cleared, Preston could see the Troll stand drunkenly before pitching forward, dead. The rocket had blown completely through the Troll, causing a large bloody wound to appear on its back.

The Troll dying broke the attacking force, and those in the rear started making a break for it. Some of the enemy officers attempted to organize a retreat, but their movements made them easy targets for the Snipers and Sharpshooters that had taken up positions in the stadium. What should have been a victory became a complete rout with over half their number dead.

Once the last of the enemy had either retreated or died the defenders ceased firing. All long the defensive line soldiers reloaded in anticipation of another push. After a minute of nothing happening Redford came on the radio.

"Archangel this is Bravo 2 Actual, enemy forces at Century Link Stadium have been defeated. Stadium is secure with no friendly or civilian casualties over."

"Bravo 2 Actual Archangel copies. Friendly forces will be using the stadium as well as the docks beside it as a staging area. Expect reinforcements within the next 30 minutes.For now leave one platoon to guard the stadium while the rest of you push north. Reports are coming in of civilians being held at Pikes Place Market while Harborview Medical Center is under siege."

"Archangel, be advised that the parking lot of the Stadium is currently covered in dead bodies. They will need to be moved and the lot hosed down before it can be used again."

"Archangel Copies Bravo 2 we'll get some bulldozers and fire trucks there to clean up the mess. You have your orders, Archangel Out."

Redford shook his head as he neared Preston, motioning over Sweetwater while switching frequencies. "This is Bravo 2 to all Whiplash units, enemy forces are still operating to the north. 2nd platoon and one Humvee will stay and guard the stadium. The rest of you reload and rearm, it's going to get messy. Get down here Haggard I need you to drive the Humvee again."

Redford got off the comm and looked at Preston, "Marlowe, how much ammo you got for that thing?"

"I went through one and a half cans Sarge. I got one and a half left, not sure how long that will last with how things are going."

Redford 'tsked' before getting on the radio again. "This is Bravo 2 Actual to Whiplash Actual, I need you to meet me by the middle Humvee."

Just as Redford got off the radio a grappling hook buried itself into the concrete next to them. The three squad members could only stare at it before they heard the unmistakable laughing of one George Gordon Haggard Jr. Looking up, they saw that he is using a zip line to get down to them from the top of the stadium. Letting go of the line as he neared the bottom, Haggard staggered a bit before raising his arms up and let out a loud "WOOHOO!" after regaining his balance. He basked in his own glory for a few moments before noticing that the rest of Bad Company was staring at him. "What?" he asked.

Sweetwater is the first to get his bearings back "Haggard … why were you using a zip line? How did you even get one anyways?"

"Well" said Haggard, adjusting his pants, "there was a police sniper up there with us who had a zip line gun with him. I told him I needed to get to ground level quickly and he let me use it."

"Why would police officers need a zip line gun?"

Haggard only shrugged in reply. Any more questions were prevented by the appearance of a soldier. "Sergeant Redford, I'm Whiplash Actual. What do you need sir?" Whiplash saluted which Redford returned.

"Do we have any ammo supply crates with the convoy?"

"Yes sir, we have three. What's the plan?"

"Leave one in the stadium for the defenders. Put the other two in the Humvees that we'll be taking with us. We leave in five."

Whiplash saluted again before turning around and shouting orders to his men. Sarge then turned to the police officers. "Whose your commander here?"

"I am" said a plainclothes officer who is wearing a Kevlar vest and carrying a shotgun. He also had a handgun strapped to his right leg. "Sergeant Brooks, Seattle PD. Thanks for coming when you did, we couldn't have held them off for much longer."

"No problem Sergeant. I need four volunteers to go with us while we push north. Your men know this city much better than we do. The rest need to evacuate the wounded civilians or guard the stadium."

Brooks rubbed his chin in thought. "I can get you the volunteers but most of our squad cars are pretty beat up, not sure how many we can get out ourselves. We'll do our best but don't expect miracles here."

"Do what you can." Brooks nodded and headed off to talk with the officers. Redford turned to his own squad. "Haggard, you're driving. Marlowe, Sweets, you're on foot. I'll be manning the .50."

Marlowe clambered out the top of the Humvee before dropping down to the ground. Redford then passed him the extra Tracer Dart Gun. "Just in case" he said before getting into the Humvee. Once in the gunner position, Redford looked around before keying his mic. "All right people, we're going north. One platoon is to come with me towards Pikes Place Market, one platoon is to go towards Harborview Medical Center. Keep your eyes open and expect civilian casualties from this point on, it's going to get nasty."

It took a few more minutes before everyone and everything was ready. 1st Platoon would go with Bad Company, 3rd Platoon would go and defend the hospital until relieved. Each platoon would get two police officers and a Humvee.

Bad Company led 1st Platoon North West, cutting over to 1st avenue for a direct line to Pikes Place Market. It didn't take long before they could hear the gunfire and radio chatter of 3rd Platoon, as the hospital is much closer than Pikes Place is.

It was mostly quiet for a few blocks. The enemies they did run into were either on horseback or small groups and both were easily dealt with. It wasn't until they were within sight of the Market itself that enemy forces appeared in large numbers.

What was undoubtedly an enemy commander, wearing Roman style armor with a red cape while sitting on an armored horse, strode out in front of the enemy shield formation. The platoon spread out along the street while the Humvee stopped right in the middle of the empty avenue.

"QR 827 RDU7 1 827 7U%7G G, Q 27G746 #+DQU 827X7 +DRPX 1 G 827 7U%QG7. XJGG7UP7G DRP 6 J KQ++ 47# U7 X+DE7X. G7X9X8 DRP 6 J KQ++ PQ7" Yelled the man on the horse.

Nobody could understand a word he said. Redford knew they wouldn't be able to understand each other in the slightest but tried anyways. "This is Sergeant Redford of the U.S. Army. You are invading a sovereign nation. I hereby order you to surrender or face the consequences." Redford yelled out. Once done he got back on the radio. "Whiplash 1, prepare to engage enemy. Open fire only when I do. Engineers, get your rockets ready these guys have got something planned. Hags, get out the Humvee and get your SMAW ready as well. Marlowe, when I open fire kill their commander." Redford got off the comms and yelled out again, "You have 30 seconds to comply before we open fire."

"JR#QEQ&QT7P 4DG4DGQDRX" yelled the armored horseman, "6 M KQ++ G7OG78 6 JG QRX &+7R#7. D++ JRQ8X D88D#&. X2 K R U7G#6."

The enemy soldiers started moving forward in formation, just below walking pace. Redford let them get closer, holding his fire until they had crossed half the distance. Just as he was about to open fire, a loud bestial roar was heard above. Looking up, the U.S. soldiers saw three dragons turn around a corner and fly towards them. Momentarily slack jawed, it only took Redford a few seconds to get back his bearings. He immediately changed his priority targets. "ALL UNITS, OPEN FIRE!" He put words to action, pressing the butterfly trigger on the M2 sending fat, .50 Cal armor piercing rounds towards the flying monsters. "ENGINEERS FOCUS ON THE DRAGSON! EVERYONE ELSE, KILL THOSE ARMORED MOTHERFUCKERS!"

Everyone followed his orders, through Marlowe was already firing when everyone else decided to join the party. His first burst easily killed their commander, after which he turned to the shield wall. Not seeing any other choice, Marlowe started shooting the center of the shields.

The bullets tore apart the wall with men dying left, right and center. Redford had taken out two of the dragons by himself but the last one is taking evasive maneuvers while using the buildings as cover. He had to constantly switch from firing on the shield wall and keeping the dragon at bay. He cursed as the 2nd ammo can ran dry, switching the empty can for a full can as fast as possible. "Marlowe, tag the last dragon with the dart gun! Haggard, get ready to shoot it down!"

Preston finished reloading and sent a 40 mm grenade downrange before putting his rifle away and pulling out the Dart Gun. Making sure it was loaded, he then lined up a shot on the dragon, who was weaving from side to side in order to avoid the incoming fire. The dragon paused momentarily in order to avoid a burst of fire, allowing Marlowe to fire a Tracking Dart which attached itself to the dragons' stomach. "Target painted, get it Hags."

Haggard looked through the scope of his SMAW, letting the target lock engage before shooting his payload. The Anti-Armor rocket flew through the air, curving towards its target once it was five meters out. The dragon and rider tried to fly away but the missile flew fast and true, impacting just behind the human and cutting the dragon in half.

Seeing their last Dragon fall without it doing any damage to the enemy, the soldiers making up the shield wall started to panic slightly. The officer commanding them, however, told them to keep steady and move forward, as victory was within their grasp.

The U.S. Soldiers didn't understand why they kept up the frontal assault, especially with the amount of men they were losing. A support gunner had just finished reloading his machine gun when the sound of hooves reached his ears. Turning around, he saw around 30 Knights mounted on armored horses turn the corner and come up behind them at full gallop. Taking up a new firing position, he yelled into his mic "Contact rear, contact rear! Enemy mounted cavalry coming up on our six!" before opening fire. Half the platoon turned around to start focusing on the new threat. With the dragons down, Redford spun to engage the rapidly approaching mounted knights, seeing them as the more formidable threat. But just like the shield wall, the Knights and their horses were easily taken down by the firepower of the U.S. forces.

All thirty knights were quickly dispatched, allowing full pressure to be pressed upon the shield wall once more. 40mm grenades were arced over the front, not even allowing those in the rear any safety. It didn't take long before the tight formation fell apart, leaving them even easier pickings for the battle hardened vets.

As the last armored soldier fell, silence descended onto the street. The platoon waited thirty seconds before Redford spoke into his mic. "Archangel this is Bravo 2, we have encountered enemy forces at 1st and Spring. Hostiles are confirmed to have flying dragons, over."

"Bravo 2, Archangel, copy that. National Guard units are encountering enemy forces to the north, armored units are coming in from the east. Continue onto Pikes Place Market, the Air Force should have aerial support soon."

"Roger that Archangel. What's the status on our backup, over?"

"Backup is still ten minutes out and their first priority is to re-enforce the hospital, they got hit pretty hard and sustained some casualties. Get a move on Bravo 2, Archangel Out."

Redford got off the mic and yelled at the soldiers around him. "Alright people, resupply at the ammo crate we need to keep pushing north." The soldiers, and the two policemen, got into an orderly line to resupply whatever ammo they used up, with Bad Company being the last three to do so. When it was their turn to re-supply, Redford called out to them. "Hey, how you boys doin?"

The three of them could only nonchalantly shrug. "Meh, could be better." Said Haggard, pulling out a few rockets. "Still, it's not very often you get to go down a zip line and kill a dragon in the same day."

"Yeah, what Haggard said" replied Sweetwater, who pulled out some linked 5.56 rounds. "After all, we've done worse."

Marlowe didn't really have anything to add, so he stayed quiet while pulling out the ammo he needed. So Redford decided to ask him another question "Marlowe, are there any .50 Cal rounds in there?"

Preston looked. "Yeah Sarge, there's two cans here." He pulled them out and slid them over to where Redford is standing.

"Thanks." Redford got them prepared, as he was down to a quarter can loaded. He then turned back to the other three and motioned them closer. Leaning down, Redford asked them "Alright boys, are you three as freaked out over this as I am? Cause I just killed two flying dragons with a machine gun here."

The three privates looked at each other before Preston said "Yeah … not sure what's going on, but they're attacking civilians and invading our country. We'll have time to freak out properly after we kick their ass."

The other two nodded in agreement. Haggard stated "Yeah, what Marlowe said. Kick ass now, freak out later."

"It's always worked for us, and I see no reason to change our strategy" replied Sweetwater.

Redford nodded before straightening back up. He looked around once more before yelling out. "OK folks, we still need to make our way to Pikes Place Market, everyone move out. Haggard, you're driving again."

Haggard once more got behind the wheel while everyone else moved out on foot, carefully moving past the dead bodies. Haggard didn't have a choice and simply drove over the fallen soldiers, hoping that one of their swords wouldn't pierce a tire.

There was no sign of the enemy until they got to the Seattle Art Museum. The doors had been broken and a few enemy soldiers were taking works of art out. Sharpshooters were able to take them down without damaging the paintings, but several retreated back into the museum. Redford ordered a squad to clear out the building and guard it from further looting. The rest would continue onwards.

Once the platoon arrived at the entrance to the market the streets were too littered with debris to allow the Humvee to move freely. So Redford and Haggard got out after parking the armored vehicle next to the Farmer's Market sign. Redford ordered a squad to stay and guard the entrance, using the Humvee as a stationary gun. Redford then gave them their marching orders over the radio.

"Alright boys, command says the enemy are holding civilians prisoners here. Don't know how they know, but expect ambushes. Check every nook and cranny. And as much as I would like to, do NOT search the underground area. We don't have the manpower to hold back a determined assault and do a top to bottom search at this time. Once we get our re-enforcements, then we can do a proper sweep. Ok, half you boys sweep the first floor of the market with me, the other half go through the street outside, Bravo 2 Out."

The platoon did as Redford said. Marlowe joined the soldiers checking the interior while Sweetwater and Haggard followed those in the street. Taking point, Marlowe didn't see anyone alive. There were several dead civilians spread throughout the length of the Market and most of the stalls had been trashed to one point or another. But they didn't run into anyone still breathing. So Marlowe kept going forward until he reached the end of the Market building. Once he reached the end, Marlowe lowered his guard and turned around to help do a better sweep. Just as he turned around, an armored forearm came up from behind and put him in a chokehold while dragging him backwards.

Slightly panicking, Preston brought his left hand up to prevent the gauntleted arm from fully choking him. At the same time, he squeezed the trigger of his M16, shooting off all 31 rounds into the ground. Once he was out of ammo, a different hand wrenched his rifle away from him but it was too late. Knowing that the firing would bring the others running, Marlowe concentrated on his kidnapper. It took about 10 seconds for him to come up with a plan, just in time for his abductor to stop moving. Once that happened, Marlowe took advantage by immediately stomping his foot down hard on his kidnappers foot. Marlowe's bet that the feet would not be armored paid off, as a pained cry above his head and loosening of the arm allowed Preston to pry the hand away before twisting it, nearly breaking the wrist and bringing the kidnappers head down to waist level. Marlowe then kneed said head, knocking out the enemy soldier.

Reaching down for his M9, Preston instead grabbed an empty holster before realizing that the one who took away his M16 must have removed his handgun as well, leaving Marlowe with only the combat knife which he pulled out and held in a reverse grip. Taking a look around, he saw that he was in front of a park, with at least a hundred civilians being guarded by around 70 enemy soldiers. Directly in front of him had to be their commander, as the individual was in much more ornate armor with gold highlights, as well as having a long flowing red cape and a big red plume on top of his helmet.

The enemy commander stepped forward and pulled out his broadsword, bringing it up before his own face. "Q DU # JR8 1 GUD+ 1 2 JX7 1 GUD+, X7GEDR8 1 827 7U%QG7. 4GDE7 X PQ7G, Q &R K 82D8 U6 1 G#7X #DRR 8 P717D8 6 JGX. QRX87DP, Q KQX2 8 %G7X7GE7 U DRP #2D++7R0 PJ7+ 471 G7 U6 U7R DRP Q XJGG7RP7G. P 6 J D##7%8?"

Preston of course had no idea what was being said. He could hear that the others were coming from the chatter on the radio, so he replied with "I have no idea what you're saying, but I suggest you surrender before we kill all of you."

The enemy commander smiled before bringing his sword to a ready position. "Q KQ++ 8D$7 82D8 DX D 67X!" and moved forward, sword swinging for Marlowe's head. Preston immediately dropped into a forward roll, feeling the wind from the blade pass his neck. Coming up to his feet, Preston turned around and got his knife ready while trying to come up with a plan.

"Ok Marlowe, you're completely fucked but you should be used to that by now." He dodged a few more sword strikes before moving towards the street to have more space to maneuver. "Blocking a sword with a knife is damn near impossible, so let's keep that as a last resort. And the gaps in the armor are too small to target. Think you stupid man THINK, what can you do?"

The enemy commander said something else that Marlowe missed before lunging forwards, thrusting the sword towards Preston's chest. Preston could only think "Fuck it!" before lunging forward as well, bringing up the knife to parry the sword.

Sparks flew as the sword and knife met, and Marlowe had to use all his strength to keep the blades away from his body, screaming a war cry in the process. The enemy commander was caught off guard the by move, allowing Preston to take advantage of being inside the enemy's guard, dropping the knife and grabbing the commander's wrist. Bringing them down at an odd angle, he forced the caped man to drop the sword. Marlowe then kicked the commander's feet out while pulling the armored hands forward, causing the enemy to fall on his stomach. Preston flipped his opponent, bringing a knee down on the armored chest while pulling out a 2nd knife concealed in the right combat boot. Putting the blade across the unarmored throat, Preston paused, something telling him to not draw blood for some reason.

And as the two stopped, one defeated, one victorious, the other U.S. soldiers had made it to their position and were aiming at the standing enemy soldiers. At a stalemate, Preston spoke a single word: "Surrender."

The armored man underneath Marlowe closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "U7R. %J8 P KR 6 JG XK GPX DRP XJGG7RP7G."

The enemy soldiers looked nervously at each other "4J8 XQG7, Q1 K7 XJGG7RP7G 827R –"

"Q1 K XJGG7RP7G K7 KQ++ D++ XJG7+6 PQ7!" yelled the enemy commander, "827 7U%QG7 2DX + X8. 8276 X78 11 R 82QX Q++ # R#7QE7P # RAJ7X8 KQ82 J8 82QR&QRO 1 827 # RX7AJ7R#7X DRP Q KQ++ R 8 2DE7 DR6 U G7 1 U6 U7R PQ 82QRO. R K XJGG7RP7G!"

The armored soldiers looked nervously at each other. The U.S. soldiers stood at the ready, each aiming at a different enemy while waiting for some sort of signal to open fire. The seconds ticked by with the tension escalating by the second until just before it broke one of the armored soldiers dropped his sword and shield. Then another. And another. More and more dropped their weapons in a cascading effect that left invaders disarmed in under a minute.

The American soldiers rushed forward to secure the prisoners while the medics moved to check on the civilians. Those who were uninjured were quickly ushered inside the Market, while those who are unable to move were being tended to.

Preston felt a hand on his shoulder pulling him up to his feet. As he stood, two other soldiers moved forward to secure the subdued commander. Turning around, Marlowe came face to face with Redford who asked "You alright there Preston?"

"Yeah Sarge," he replied, "I'm ok. Just panicked slightly when they caught me off guard."

"Would'ja look at that there Sweets," came a southern drawl, "the new guy got himself captured." Haggard and Sweetwater came up to him, Haggard holding Preston's M16. "I tell you Sweets, these rookies do the damndest things."

"I know what you mean Hags," agreed Sweetwater sagely while holding Preston's M9, "You get a new guy, you teach them enough to survive on their own, but they somehow find a way to get themselves taken. Doesn't it just break your heart?"

Preston was unimpressed "Ha ha fucking ha you assholes. Give me my guns back." Preston grabbed the M16 from Haggard and the M9 from Sweets. Reloading his M16, Marlowe continued, "And while I was busy getting the enemy to surrender, you two apparently took your time to raid Starbucks." Indeed, both Sweetwater and Haggard had had large thermos cups with the Starbucks mermaid symbol on it stuffed inside their vests.

"What?" defended Hags, "They had it already made and no one was manning the store. Sweetwater and I figured that it would be a crying shame to let all that coffee go to waste due to unforeseen circumstances." Haggard noticed Redford giving both him and Sweets the stink eye. "We got one for you too Sarge?"

Redford could only shake his head in reply before keying his Mic. "Archangel this is Bravo 2, we are at Pikes Place Market. We have rescued around 100 civilians and taken between 50-70 enemy soldiers prisoner at Victor Stein-ummm Steinbrueck Park including what looks like an HVT how copy?"

"Bravo 2, Archangel, have you secured the market over?"

"That's a negative Archangel, I don't have enough men to thoroughly search the underground areas of the Market. We hold the ground floor, Pikes Place and Victor park only. Also, I have one squad clearing out the Seattle Art Museum as enemy forces were looting the place."

Redford had to wait about 10 seconds for a reply. "Copy that Bravo 2. Re-enforcements will be at your position in 5 mikes … New orders Bravo 2. Aerial recon has determined where enemy forces are coming from. When the re-enforcements arrive you are to proceed to 5th avenue and make your way over to the Space Needle. Whiplash 1-1 is to stay and secure Pikes Place Market. Friendly forces are making a concentrated push at this point in time. Along with Cal Anderson Park, Pikes Place Market will act as a Forward Operating Base until further notice. How Copy?"

Marlowe, Haggard and Sweetwater got closer to Redford to hear the plan. "Bravo 2 Copies Archangel. Question, what kind of backup are we getting?"

"Two companies from the 75th Rangers are deploying to your location. Two companies from the 101st Airborne are deploying from Cal Anderson Park and will make their way west through Denny Way with the armored units. National Guard units are coming down Elliot Ave and Mercer St, but they are encountering what we believe to be the bulk of the enemy forces so their progress has slowed to a crawl. A push from the south and east is our best bet to cut off any more enemy re-enforcements Bravo 2."

The three members of Bad Company looked at each other at that statement. "Copy that Archangel, Bravo 2 Out."

They could hear the sound of incoming helicopters ferrying backup to their location. Redford made his way over to the rest of Whiplash who are guarding the prisoners. Redford had the prisoners moved up to Pikes Place Street so that the incoming choppers could use the park as a landing zone.

The other three meanwhile, got ready. This last push was going to be difficult.

iv. 5th Avenue

Indeed, the fighting was some of the hardest Bad Company had ever been part of. The helicopters came and dropped off the Rangers, with one company staying and do a top to bottom sweep of the entire Market, not just the main area.

Bad Company is proceeding with Wolf 3, led by Captain Vance. The enemy soldiers had wizened up, so instead of fighting in the open they were going for Guerilla tactics. Archers would lie in wait while armored soldiers would hide inside buildings or behind rubble. Every corner had to be checked, every alleyway monitored and their rear guard had to be extra vigilant.

On top of that, they were encountering more of those large Trolls and flying Dragons. The Dragons were confirmed to be able to breathe fire when an unlucky squad of Rangers was set aflame during one of the many ambushes encountered. It got really bad when three Trolls and two Dragons simultaneously attacked with about forty armored infantry. They got saved when two Apache Helicopter gunships came by on a strafing run. Call sign Hammer 2-3 and Hammer 2-5, the gunships stayed with the company as long as they could, clearing a path forward until they ran out of ammo and fuel. But by that time, the Rangers and Bad Company were able to hook up with the 101st at the intersection of Denny and 5th.

None of the remaining soldiers had gone through the fight uninjured. Bad Company had it worse, as they acted as the vanguard the whole way through. Preston had been shield bashed by a hidden enemy soldier, causing the chemical lights on the left side of his vest to break and give off a bright orange color. He was too busy to realize what happened, and is now too tired to care.

Taking a quick breather and re-supplying at an ammo crate a Blackhawk had dropped, the U.S. soldiers got ready for the final push. Thankfully, they had an Abrams Tank, a Bradley IFV and two Humvees with them to provide heavy fire support. A quick meeting was had, where it was decided that the Rangers would attack from the south while the 101st comes from the east. As the southern approach had the bigger roads the Abrams, the Bradley and one Humvee would go with the Rangers while one Humvee went with the airborne troops.

At the forefront once more, Bad Company lead the way forward, turning the corner and seeing exactly what they are up against.

A large stream of enemy soldiers and creatures were seen entering a large structure that had appeared on the park of the Seattle Center. However, what caught their attention was the large formation of what could only be described as a rearguard.

Bad Company moved forwards as one, in sync with each other firing in a steady rhythm, each burst of fire and pull of the trigger ending a life. They worked like a well-oiled death machine, dispensing retribution and judgement without any hesitation or mercy.

The Abrams tank turned the corner and came up on Bad Company's right while the Bradley took their left flank. Hammer 2-5 flew in and took out two flying dragons, while a belch of flame from the Abrams signaled the death of a Troll. The Bradley and Humvee are making short work of the orcs while the infantry soldiers made short work of the enemy formation.

While all this was going on outside, a local news crew had been trapped inside the Space Needle on the Skyline Banquet level, as they had been there to cover an event. When the invasion occurred, Space Needle employees got as many people as they could off the ground floor before turning off the elevators and blocking the stairs. Now the film crew turned their Cameras to the U.S. counter attack, streaming live to the world what was happening in real time. Only 100 feet off the ground, they had such a good view that U.S. Central command had it up on their main monitor, as it was better than any other camera they could access.

The camera man captured the Tank crushing vehicles and enemy monsters underfoot, the Bradley firing on the move while Tracer rounds lit up the surrounding area. He moved the camera up to see an Apache helicopter make a strafing run, and then further skywards to see Air Force Jets dueling with Dragons. Turning back down to the ground, the camera panned left to see more service members coming to their rescue, sowing even more death and confusion on the enemy members. But for some inexplicable reason, the cameraman was drawn back to the four soldiers leading the formation from the south.

He zoomed in until only the four were in frame. Everyone could see their determination, their concentration, their dedication and single minded goal. They were dirty, bloodied, bruised and magnificent. And all across the globe, the people of the world saw the members of Bad Company leading the charge to re-take Seattle.

As the last enemy fell, and the last soldier fled through the mysterious structure, all U.S. forces ceased fire. The resulting silence was deafening, the quick change of noise level shocking to those not used to it. Bad Company slowly made their way over to the structure, with the other forces spreading out to secure the area and check for any surviving enemies. The four members stood in front of the strange structure, looking at it in awe and wonderment. After a few moments, Redford got on the radio to report their situation.

"Archangel this is Bravo 2 Actual, the Space Needle has been secured, I say again the Space Needle has been secured. U.S. forces are currently in the process of securing the rest of the Seattle Center, but we're going to need more backup to do a proper sweep and clear over."

"Bravo 2 Actual, Archangel here we read you loud and clear. Friendly forces are inbound at this moment. Be advised, National Guard Units state that enemy forces are falling back towards the Space Needle. Your orders are to evacuate the civilians while defending the Seattle Center grounds from any counter attack how copy?"

"Bravo 2 Copies Archangel, I'll pass it up to Captain Vance, out."

Redford went off to inform Captain Vance on the next steps, leaving the other three to stare at the strange structure. Haggard rubbed his chin in thought. "Wonder what this thing is and where it goes to."

"I dunno Hags," replied Sweetwater, "But I have a bad feeling we're going to find out."

Haggard got a shifty look on his face. "I'm sure they'll give a medal to whoever is brave enough to check it out on their own. Sweets, why don't you scout out the other side while me and Preston here help with the cleanup."

"I'm not that stupid Hags. Besides, I thought Preston here was the one that wanted all those shiny medals and whatnot. But then again, we all are glowing right now." Indeed, each member of Bad Company had glowing orange chemical lights attached to their gear, a result of getting physically bashed. Preston had his entire left torso aglow as did Redford, while on Haggard it was the right chest area and while Sweets had it just above where his bellybutton would be.

Redford came back before Marlowe could reply. "Alright, stop the grab ass we still got work to do." The Sergeant stopped before the structure again and sighed. "And here I was hoping the days before my retirement were going to be quiet. Come on boys, let's get going." The four turned around and made their way to the street. By this time friendly back up had arrived with more soldiers and had started moving civilians into transport trucks. One of the teenage civilians brought out a camera and took a picture of Bad Company. From left to right it was Sweetwater, Marlowe, Redford and Haggard. With the structure in the background and the black chasm directly behind them, Bad Company looked like action heroes in a high budget Hollywood blockbuster. She uploaded the picture to twitter, with the caption #HeroesOfSeattle before getting on the transport trucks which would bring the civilians to safety. And thus, legends were born.

v. Seattle Center, two days later.

It took two days to root out all of the enemy personnel from Seattle. Initial tallies had enemy dead at over 34,000, U.S. forces dead at just over 500 while civilian casualties was at 2,500 dead, wounded or missing. There were also around 4,000 enemy forces taken prisoner, with half that number being non-humans.

But now that the area was secure, General Braidwood made a personal appearance at the Space Needle. After getting briefed by Captain Vance, Braidwood made his way over to where Bad Company is lounging around inside a 7-11. Sweets is eating a package of powdered donuts, Redford is drinking a cup of coffee while leaning against the checkout counter, Marlowe is heating up a frozen Kolache in the microwave while Haggard was trying to figure out how to turn the Icee machine back on after he accidentally turned it off.

As Braidwood entered the convenience store, Redford spotted him first and called out "Attention!" All four stood straight and saluted which the General returned.

"As you were" responded Braidwood. "Gentlemen, I want to say damn good job to all four of you. I've talked to the President and he wants me to give you his personal thanks for everything you've done in the past few days."

Redford puffed his chest out at that. "Thank you sir. It's nice to know the President appreciates the work that I've done before my retirement."

"Yeah, about that Sergeant" Braidwood said, "We're going to have to postpone your retirement." Redford could only look at him in shock. "Actually, we're going to have to postpone discharge papers for all four of you for the foreseeable future."

"But sir," Preston said in disbelief, "The war is over. The Army doesn't need us anymore."

Braidwood put his hands on his hips. "Son, the war with the Russians may be over but that doesn't mean we're at peace. The only reason we haven't declared war on the people who attacked us is that we don't exactly know who they are. Otherwise, congress would have declared war yesterday."

"But General" interrupted Redford, desperate to finally have his retirement, "why do you need us specifically?"

"Why do I need you four?" asked the General incredulously, "Have you not been watching the news?" Four shaking heads were his reply. The General sighed in exasperation before walking over to the TV that was placed behind the counter and turning it on to CNN. There, broadcast to the nation and around the world was the picture of Bad Company taken by the teenage civilian with #HeroesOfSeattle underneath as a caption. Anderson Cooper is leading a group of journalists and pundits on what has happened in Seattle, as well as a discussion on who those four soldiers are. "They've been talking about this situation non-stop for the last two days, and half of those discussions are about you four. That picture has been trending non-stop worldwide, and video of you four leading the charge to take back the Space Needle has been viewed over a billion times on YouTube. On top of that, some jackass at the Pentagon Public Relations office decided that leaking some of your more colorful operations was a good idea, so they know you four also single handedly stopped the Russian invasion through Mexico and Texas. Hell, Reuters and Russia Today has even interviewed several Russian officials who have gone on the record to state that anytime you four were confirmed to be in battle to either triple their forces or retreat."

Braidwood walked back around the counter. "You boys think you can just up and disappear like that? You're national heroes for Christ's sakes! If we let you go the public would eat us alive!" He stood in front of the four stunned service members. "I'm sorry boys, but I can't let you leave just yet. Plans are currently being made to travel through the structure, which the media has dubbed as a Gate to Another World or just Gate for short, and you four are at the top of the list of personnel to go. Good luck boys, you're gonna need it." The General then turned around and left, leaving Bad Company speechless.

'Sooo…we're not going home. Redford wouldn't retire and instead, we would all go through a mysterious structure to an unexplored world, fighting unknown enemies with an unclear objective. Haggard put our situation in a clear, concise, two word statement.'

"Well….shit."

#

AN:

So, what do you think?

I was beaten to the Gate and Battlefield Crossover by about a month here looks like, but the more the merrier.

So, why did I choose Bad Company 2 over Battlefield 3 or Battlefield 4? Because the main characters in those games are boooooring. Can you even remember the name of your character in BF4? Or any Characters in BF4? In BF4, I remember that you are the 'Squad leader' but you never really make decisions. I for sure as shit never gave instructions during battle, as the squad mates were mostly useless. I remember that my two squad mates were an annoying black guy (who I sacrificed without a second thought at the end) and a Chinese triple agent that I wasn't sure I could trust. Same for BF3, until the other Gate/Battlefield story came along, I completely forgot what the name of the main character in BF3 was. The Bad Company series is the only Battlefield franchise that has a memorable single player story for the right reasons.

Anyways, I'm writing this story as a sort of break for my other Gundam Wing/ Mass Effect crossover story, which should be finished within two months.

I'm trying to balance the craziness of the games with real life (dropping ammo boxes and med kits, defibrillating dead people back to life, fixing a vehicle by drilling into it with a power tool, etc.…).

By the way, I'm not actually from Seattle. I visited ten years ago, but I chose the landmarks and objectives through Google Maps. And I know that Century Link Field has a building taking up a quarter of their parking lot right now, but in 2012 (when this story takes place) it didn't. But why Seattle of all places? Because it's under used. Most people would use New York City, Washington D.C. or even L.A. But I wanted to use Seattle so that when princess Pina comes, they'll have to take an airplane to address congress (which would be all sorts of fun and excitement).

Captain Vance is a reference to World in Conflict. He's the Ranger Captain that you support in the New York Mission. The Zip Line Gun is a reference to Battlefield: Hardline, and the orange chemical lights are callouts to how the Battlefield franchise usually has a soldier walking forwards with a portion of their bodies glowing orange. And some of the things that are attributed in the story to Bad Company are not true, just propaganda released by the army. What is true and what isn't? Meh, I'm not sure myself.

Also, the gibberish I wrote for the enemy language is a word replacement Cypher (Ex: A = O, B = 3, Etc.…[BTW, A does not equal O and B does not equal 3]). If you like, you can decipher what each and every person has said. There's a spoiler in there.

I am basing the story off the manga, not the anime nor any light novel that may appear. As such, I feel that the four members of Bad Company can replicate the craziness that is Itami the best.

Since Gate is still ongoing, don't be surprised if this story just stops updating one day. Just, go into this story knowing that it might just stop and never update again. No promises.

Thanks for reading.