I almost wish that the Combine dropships doors would open slower, the sudden change in light made me wince behind the tinted goggles of my helmet. I listen to the shuffling of the Combine getting out infront of me, my heart skips a beat. I press my foot onto one of the bars of the inner dropship and leap out, the grassy earth beneath me sinking a bit as I press my weight into the luck of Mother Nature. My squad has been sent out on a recon mission, much to my dismay. A large group of fast headcrabs have been attacking combines while they make their way to the new checkpoint added near City Fourteen. The checkpoint was made for easier supply travels, rebels wouldn't discover this trail easy and it would give the Combine just enough time to overthrow the bastards.


I turn my head with my eyesight as I scan the area, looking at the ancient moss covered trees with much interest bellowing into my mind as I take a couple steps forward and push a couple more shells into my shotgun. Beneath the Combine standard uniform, I'm literally shaking in my boots. Headcrabs are down right creepy in my opinion, the way they latch onto your face and suck the life out of you turning you into an ugly killing machine...I shiver at the thought of me mauling at my other team-mates. I listen to the leader of our team, a rather large Combine Elite bark out orders to the other. "Take position at the northeast opening of the trench, make sure they don't flood in." His voice rattles my ears as he talks through the filtering mechanism.


Suddenly, a rattling noise makes me turn 180 degrees to the right, my shotgun pointed directly at a small shrub that was dangling from a large oak tree. The sudden movement on the inside causing it to swing back and forth with ganging momentum. I take a step closer, due to the fact if something jumps out I will instantly be able to blast it to a bunch of itsy bitsy and tiny pieces. The shrub suddenly stops moving, a long moment of agonizing silence passes by before I sigh and take a step backwards. Pressing two fingers to my comm unit. "Area all clear," I state simply as I nod mentally. "Please stand by fo- GACK" My words were interupted and my world suddenly went black.