The Onyx Chronicles/(Almost) Nowhere to Run

TTR zipped past his head, paint splattering across a tree behind him, he barely even heard it over the pounding rain on his domed helmet and the boom of thunder in the sky. Jacob-G043 gritted his teeth and squeezed off a few rounds back in the general direction from where the shot came. Which admittedly was stupid, considering he was more than halfway through the last magazine he had.

“Where the fuck is Machete?!” He called out darting between the trees as more of the simulation rounds cut through the grove.

“I couldn’t answer the question under normal circumstances god forbid while under attack in the middle of a storm!” Rodger-G050 called back, leaning out from behind a tree and letting off a single round. They were all that was left, the DI’s had knocked out the rest of Macuahuitl in the little ambush they’d sprung a few minutes ago, attacked the trainees while they were trying to rest.

Scratch that, there was no way the DI’s could shoot that straight, his money was on Gladius. When the majority of Gamma had bolted, they’d stood on the pad and instantly gunned down another team, Spatha was his guess but he wasn’t sure. Either way, those assholes had stopped a whole team from having the slightest bit of fun. Maybe that was paramount to treason to kiss asses like them.

Jacob dropped into a slide, kicking up mud as he glided behind a massive tree trunk.

“Do you think Jian made it?”

Rodger ducked back behind cover and turned his head to Jacob and stared, the pause lasted for a few seconds as TTR whipped past, then the two laughed hard. There was no way Jake would’ve stood for this, he’d probably turned Jian in himself if he’d run with them at all in the first place. Jacob didn’t remember seeing him the first night, but he sure as hell remembered seeing Ralph, Mary, Simon, and Cass. The former two made more noise than the rest of the ‘escapees’ combined.

“That was funny boss, nice one.” Rodger quipped, peeking out and squeezing off another shot, a solid thwack echoing through the trees just above the patter of the rain. “Got one!” G050 jeered.

Jacob reached out and yanked his friend down by the collar just as a hail of TTR peppered the spot he’d just been standing in. Rodger let out a nervous chuckle as he looked up at Jacob, behind the visor G043 was looking down on him with a deadpan stare. He smacked the back of Rodger’s head before popping up and letting off another burst from his carbine.

His rounds caught nothing but the side of trees, but he could tell Gladius was moving in. “They’re coming. How much you got left?” He questioned eyes zeroing in on the rustling brush to his front, his carbine burped again, then clicked. He was out.

“Little more than that.” Rodger replied as he hopped to his feet, even with the helmet Jacob knew he was grinning. “Time to run?” He asked.

“I don’t see a better option.” Jacob debated tossing his empty MA5K, losing the excess weight, if he was being honest the odds of he and Rodger taking out the rest of Gladius and scavenging them for ammo with the few rounds left in his friends carbine were nil. But, when JAILBREAK finally came to an end, he didn’t want Mendez having him hike back out here to find the stupid thing, so he slapped it onto his back and the two bolted.

Shots whizzed past them, but the two weaved between the trees, laughing at the thought of Gladius’ frustration. They were supposed to be some of the best, but they couldn’t even land a shot on them, it was like they weren’t even trying. Then it hit him.

“They’re driving us into an ambush.” He stated as matter of factly as a sprinting ten year old in full body armor could manage.

“Almost certainly, who do you think it is?” Rodger shot back, vaulting over a fallen log as the two began racing down a hill, serpintiening to the best of their abilities. Jacob had a few ideas about who was likely waiting behind the rocks at the bottom of the hill, his money was on Katana, but given their luck it might well have been-

Four forms popped up, MA5K’s leveled, a fifth was no doubt up in the tree with a bead on his head. It was the best of the best, the creme de la creme of Gamma, Saber. The could’ve dropped them right there, should have, but Ash always wanted to win unconditionally.

“Freeze!” Saber’s leader called out to the two trainees closing the gap on them. Saber’s guns didn’t waver, their aim was steady they had every chance to take the shot, but G099 had his pride.

“We aren’t stopping huh?”

“Nope.” Before Saber could squeeze the trigger on their weapons Jacob propelled himself clear over one of the embankments, torpedoing Dante-G188 with his shoulder. Instantly the two Spartans fell to the ground, just as Rodger sailed overhead, firmly planting both feet on Oliva-G291’s helmet. Her head jerked back as she fell, hitting the ground at the same time Rodger did.

For a second it was frantic, Jacob scrambled up, hitting Dante across the jaw with a haymaker as Rodger fumbled with his carbine, bringing it to bear on Oliva the instant before he did the same. Colored paint splashed across her visor in an instant just as Jacob yanked Dante’s carbine away from. They were on autopilot now, laughing like a couple of idiots.

“Stay sharp Saber!” Jacob mocked, planting a round in Dante’s chest and looking to the others just in time to see the angry bear of a girl that was Holly-G003 coming down onto him. He knew that was it. First a round of TTR splashed across his chest, then the butt of Holly’s carbine connected with his head, snapping it sideway. Apparently she didn’t like their sense of humor.

Before he could recover she was laying into him, a knee hit his gut, a fist crashed into his throat and a kick floored him. Holly was just too fast and too good for him to counter. Rodger moved to help, but in an instant TTR coated his helmet as Mark-G313 finally took a shot. Jacob looked up at the fuming Holly and eyed the carbine leveled with him, she thumbed the select fire to automatic.

“Guess it’s too late to surrender?” The question was answered by the other trainee unloading her magazine into him. The paint hardened quickly, and to no one’s surprise, Saber gathered up Dante and Olivia then left them there in the rain, dropped a beacon thankfully, but otherwise left them there out of spite. The torrential downpour hammered away at them as they lay prone, eyes facing the stormy sky.

“G-guess it’s t-t-too late-late to surrender huh?” Rodger teased from where he lay on the forest floor.

“Fuck you Rodger.” Jacob laughed in return, staring up at the swirling angry sky.

“That’s three of the company’s best we took out while underequipped, completely exhausted, and in an ambush.” G050 remarked, laying their in silence. A minute passed, nothing but silence hung over the two.

“Jacob?”

Snoring answered Rodger, just loud enough to hear above the rain. “You went to sleep, are you kidding me man?!”