[centre][b]Vates – Sector Zero[/b][/centre]
Vates sucked in a massive gust of breath as he came back into consciousness and his eyes failed to adjust to the light as they sprung open. As his eyes slowly gained focus he frantically patted himself down, looking for signs of the injuries he had just received… but there were none. “What’s up?” came Roebuck’s husky voice, “You look startled.” 

“It was a vision?” whispered Vates to himself, not taking notice of his squad leader. Vates was still sitting on the concrete floor outside of the barracks and Hector was still giving his talk to the new host squads. 

“What?” said Roebuck raising an eyebrow. He began to wonder if he had trained the squad too hard that morning; exhaustion could do funny things to a man. He turned his attention away from his friend as he heard what sounded like large thumping. 

“Shit!” hissed Vates who also heard the noise. He quickly clambered to his feet and dragged Roebuck into their barracks. Closing the door behind them, Vates took up position beside a window with blinds and stared intensly through the slits. Roebuck went to ask what was going on but Vates (without looking away) quickly hushed him and motioned for him to take up position too. The two watched as Chief and his band marched past. 

Roebuck was just as taken back by the giant as he had been in the vision. “Holly shit, that was one big mother fucker. You know him or something?” Roebuck asked as he narrowly opened the door and gestured for the squad to fall in. Roebuck and Vates took a seat each as they filled in quietly. 

“Not quite, but he wants me dead.” Vates went quiet for a moment, the vision of his death still fresh in his mind and the squeezing sensation still tingling around his body. “Gets worse too: the bastard can turn into metal and gets even bigger when he does so.”

There was something in the faces of the squad members then, it was a mixture of anger and of diligence. “No one fucks with our squad mates!” spat one of the squad, a short man named Clarke. 

“Host or not, we’ll take out any bastard that tries it on with us!” chirped another as he patted Vates' shoulder.

“Bigger they are, the harder they fall ey lads?!” came another causing the squad to cheer in agreement. 

Vates was somewhat taken back by their protectiveness and inclusion of him. Many of them had appeared petrified in his vision… but then that was a different reality. Vates couldn’t help but smile and feel slightly bashful. Roebuck took a step forward with an equally big smile, “I think its safe to say the lads take you as one of their own now. We’ve got your back. Now what do you suggest we do about this tin-man?” 

“Nothing yet…” Vates said, “He’s too useful for the mission. But we need to plan a way to take him down.”