Gears of War: Rising Scions Chapter 2 - Mission to Algangi

Gears of War: Rising Scions Chapter 2 is the direct follow-on of Gears of War: Rising Scions Chapter 1 - Scouting Timgad Valley, and serves the singular purpose of delving deeper into the character casts, their mindsets, goals, ambitions and their driving forces.

Light Patrol: Sector 4, Pomeroy Depot.
Dean Quisling walked down the lonely roads of Sector 4 of Jacinto with no one other than his twin brother, Max, as company on the cold night. “What was their mission” was the question he had asked of the Sergeant giving out orders. He was told simply and with orders of speed to enforce the Fortification Act and ensure the curfew set forth by the COG was maintained. Shoot on sight orders were given to Gears on night watch. Kept everyone safe, the Chairmen had said. Things were getting bad enough when you couldn’t trust your own in the dark of night.

Dean was of average height for his sixteenth year, with dirty blonde hair and no head-gear worn. That used to drive his old teacher back at basic clean mad. The old goat always – always – made the recruits wear their helmets. Said it had more benefits. Dean found it that it was heavy, narrowed his vision and made him impossible to distinguish alongside the other recruits. So he didn’t wear it and would probably get chewed out again for by. Max, like Dean, was of average height though slightly taller than his twin, with black hair instead of blonde. That aside, they were identical. Only Max walked with more assurance, his back straight and with generally greater confidence than Dean managed.

“How long before we shift out?” Max asked quietly. Talking was discouraged on these ops. Apparently it scared people and encouraged wretches, if there were any hiding in the shadows, to come out and play. Weighing the options, Dean kept his voice low.

“About twenty minutes,” He whispered back. “It’s not as if I’ll sleep anyway. Where do you think we’ll go, as part of Dawn Squad?”

They had been given their orders this morning. Starting tomorrow, you two are members of Dawn Squad, under Sgt. Neville Briggs: a veteran from the Pendulum Wars and one reliable Gear. Your corporal will be Gary Henderson.”

That last bit was what surprised Dean. Gary was their childhood friend, a private like them not two days ago and now he’s suddenly a corporal? It was nice knowing he’d have someone he could trust guarding his back… but Dean was really only happy that he and Max weren’t split up. Nash had been trying to get them into Echo Seven. He even tried pulling in favours among the brass, but in the end, Briggs overruled him. Said they needed the men.

“We’ll do fine,” Max answered.

He wasn’t much for enthusiasm. Why would he? After what his nightmares showed him, people doubted his ability to be sane at all lately. Every night, no matter what, Max dreamed of E-Day and saw their mother and father die over and over and over again continually before his eyes. He never could do anything. He was either being dragged away by Nash against his will, or paralyzed with fear. On especially bad nights it was the Locust who was dragging him away, leaving him to wish and hope his father would awaken to save him. In more than ten years of dreaming he had yet to.

Twenty minutes passed in the blink of an eye and before long, the relief patrolmen took up the patrol and left Dean and Max to sleep. Max once again dreamed of death, Locust and hopelessness. Dean. On the other hand, never once shut his eyes. Ideas kept running through his head about what life on the front-line, as a Gear, fighter of mankind, spearhead of their fight for survival, would be like? He sat up for about two more hours wondering on that until exhaustion swept over him and his eyes slowly closed…