Firestorm

A Command & Conquer 3 fanfic

by: Alamandorious

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to, I don't own the C&C universe...although freakily enough I thought up a game incredibly similar to C&C Renegade YEARS before they came out with it...even then, I still wouldn't have owned it :P

Chapter 1:

The first days.

It was the afternoon, a bright and sunny day in the DC blue zone. I was downtown in the business district, walking along my patrol route. Civilians nodded and smiled to me as they passed...well, some of them did anyway. Others ignored me...chances are they were part of the group that thought our military branch wasn't needed anymore. Yet who do they come crying to every time something goes wrong? Heh..well, I won't go there...most of us soldiers and such have a sore spot for that particular debate.

Where was I? Oh yeah, I was doing my rounds, my assault rifle slung over my shoulder, fastened securely to my body armor. Wasn't as good as the armor the Zone Troopers get...but if my app gets through, maybe I'll get to wear some soon...but our armor isn't all that bad; it can take a lot of small arms fire before it gives out, and even a few grenade hits. Still hurts like hell, though, when we do get hit. Anyway, I was near a TV store, and I happened to look in...see, I was looking for a new set for my apartment...and noticed the news was on. Suddenly, the view shifted from the anchorman to a view of the Philadelphia space station...there was something heading towards it from Earth...well, as we know now it was a missile and my heart almost stopped when the whole station blew to bits.

That was when all hell broke loose. Bombers suddenly showed up out of nowhere and started dropping bombs all over the city...one bomb hit almost a block away from me and nearly knocked me off my feet. I unslung my rifle and called in for orders, but all I got was static. That's when I heard the Nod tanks...how'd I know they weren't GDI just by sound, you ask? Simple...ever listen to a Predator's engine, or the sound its treads make when it moves? Well, I've heard it lots...and these didn't sound like Predators.

The civies were all scurrying around me like ants in a panic...wasn't much I could do. I grabbed a few of them by their arms as I ran, pointing them in the direction of the nearest shelters...the tanks were really close now, and they were starting to shoot at anything that moved. I guessed by the way they were moving that they had some infantry with 'em...see, otherwise they would have been on me a lot faster. I smashed out the window of a flower store and dove inside; the staff and owner had already gone down to their basement to protect themselves from the bombs...smart people. The street outside was nearly deserted, but I could still here the panicked screams further up.

I knew that the people up the street would be in deep shit if someone didn't do something...it was stupid of me in a way to do what I did, but I did it anyway. I stood up and hugged the wall next to me, looking out around the edge of the window, gun first. I saw the tank and the Nod troopers show up a moment later, and I didn't hesitate. I opened fire on the troopers, got four of them before they even knew what was going on. The were pretty good, though, because when they did start shooting back it was accurate; I had to pull back behind the window and wait for them to stop.

Meanwhile, the tank got the hint and turned its turret around, aiming at my window. As soon as I saw that I went prone...damn good thing I did. The tank fired, and instantly my world was nothing but pain from the concussion of the shell. the wall across from me was blown out, and a bit of the cieling came crashing down around me. I couldn't stay down, though...I got back up and let the Noddies know that I was still alive and really didn't appreciate the gift their big brother just tried to give me.

I gunned down another four, taking 'em down below half of what they started with...but by then more started to show up with more tanks, and I knew I'd done all I could. So I did the only thing I could do; I gave them a target to follow, something to lead them away from the people in the basement below me. I don't think I've ever run that fast...bullets landing all around me, nearly getting knocked off my feet by tank shells. By now, the city was a wreck around me, and I had plenty of cover to dodge around and make it harder to hit me.

Heard the bombers go overhead again; I looked up for just a moment when I was suddenly yanked down an alleyway. I pointed my rifle at what I thought was gonna be some Nod trooper looking to make good by capturing a GDI soldier, but it turns out it was my buddy, Corporal Luke Ericson. He nodded his head towards the end of the alley; I didn't hesitate, I followed him as quickly as I could. We reached an open manhole and jumped down inside just as another wave of bombers flew overhead, dropping their deadly payload right over the buildings around us. I prayed that any people that were still around, like the people in that basement back in that shop, weren't crushed by falling chunks of cieling.

Hmmm? Yeah Doc, fine...can't you see I'm talking to this reporter? Eh? Oh, alright.

Sorry that you have to go...listen, come back tomorrow and I'll tell you more...people have gotta know what it was like out there. Maybe we won't have to go through it ever again.

End Chapter 1.

Author's notes: This chapter is intentionally short, sort've acting as an introduction to let you see if you want to keep reading or not. The first person style is what it's going to be...maybe third person coming in in later chapters. Read and review: constructive criticism welcome. Flames will be ignored.