augustus cole

Early life Augustus Cole was born and raised in the town of Hanover by his mother and father. Even though Cole's father was present in his childhood and a good father, it was Cole's mother that had the biggest impact on his life. Cole cited his mother on often occasions as the reason for his best attributes such as his manners, respect, humility, patience, selflessness, and courage.

Pendulum Wars At some point in his early life, Cole became interested in sports and began a hobby in Thrashball. Due to his sheer strength as well as abilities in coordination and planning, Cole went on to become a professional Thrasball star as an adult. A defensive lineman, Cole signed on with the Eagles before later signing on with the Hanover Cougars of his hometown. He became an international star and millionaire - garnering sponsors and endorsements. For most of his Thrashball career, he bore the number '83'.

During his five-year career, Cole had broken dozens of long-standing records, including most injuries inflicted in a single play.[5] He won many games for the Hanover Cougars, one of them being the Allfathers Trophy against the Sharks. However, the validity of the game's referee was highly debated. Cole also won the International Finals against the Eagles by implementing a first-time maneuvering play as well as the Grayson Cup Championship, earning a championship ring. This was just one of six championships that Cole would win throughout his career.[6] After becoming a two-time MVP, Hanover celebrated Augustus Cole by presenting a silver statue of him at the entrance of Cougars Stadium. He was often nicknamed by locals as "Hanover's favorite son."

In the 79th year of the Pendulum Wars, the Coalition of Ordered Governments finally won against the Union of Independent Republics by destroying their fleet with the newly launched Hammer of Dawn. The UIR signed the UIR-COG Armistice and sought for peace, except for the Republic of Gorasnaya that remained a UIR state and vowed to still fight the COG. Augustus Cole was relieved the war was over, but he also regretted not doing his part by fighting the war - as Cole believed his abilities could have been an asset in saving lives.

Due to his fortune, Augustus Cole paid back his mother and father by purchasing them a mansion in Hanover, as his mother did not like living in Jannermont and having to clean so much around the house but refused Cole's money to purchase a maid.

Locust War Emergence Day Six weeks after the end of the Pendulum Wars, Hanover was still celebrating the end of the war. Augustus Cole was being driven across Centennial Bridge by his drive Josef to discuss a contract renewal from his agent when they both heard about a recent attack. Cole, Josef, and everyone on the Centennial Bridge tuned into their radios and were told by the emergency news that Jannermont was attacked and the city ordered an evacuation. Cole became concerned for his parents and initially believed it to be an attack by the Indies. But the news soon dispelled this theory, describing grey monsters that would emerge from underground and kill everyone in sight. Cole became increasingly concerned and thought it would be better to see the news on television.

Cole left the car and told Josef to find his family and keep safe while Cole figured out what was happening. At the corner electronic store, Cole began to watch the news in the display windows along with dozens of other Hanover locals. The news was so disturbing that none of the locals recognized that Cole was among them. On the television, traffic cameras from Jannermont an hour earlier revealed monsters emerging from sinkholes and attacking everyone in sight, revealing the death toll in Jannermont to be in the thousands. The news also revealed a list of cities that had also been attacked, as well as former UIR states, confirming that these were not the Indies and that an alien force was attacking Sera.

Cole feared that this event could be the end of the world. Sometime later, Cole discovered that his mother and father did indeed die in the attack of Jannermont. This day would later be known as Emergence Day, and the day ended with 100,000 people killed in Jannermont and 25% of the entire world population as well.

While Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago were in a bar in Kalona shortly before the Emergence in Kalona, a TV in the background was playing a news report on Cole and an upcoming game between the Cougars and the Kalona Eagles.

Joining the Army Within the first five days of Emergence Day, Cole suffered immense grief, as did every survivor of Emergence Day on Sera. Chairman Tomas Dalyell ordered the Hanover Cougars to play their regularly scheduled game of Thrashball in order to boost morale, considering since Hanover was one of the few major cities spared by grey monsters, which were then being called Locust. Within that time, Cole reflected on his regrets not participating in the Pendulum Wars and the murder of his parents and everyone else lost in the past week. Wanting to avenge his parents and do his part, Cole joined the Coalition of Ordered Governments Army.

The next day, he went back to Cougars Stadium to announce to his teammates, agents, and fans that he joined the army to do his part in stopping the Locust Horde and avenging those who were killed. He then encouraged the spectators to celebrate this moment and compelled them to do their part as well. Cole then left the stadium shortly after, not participating in what would be his last Thrashball game. Due to his popularity, Cole's enlistment caused a huge rise in volunteers for the COG army. Local recruitment officials reported a 390% jump in voluntary enlistment following the event.

Destruction of Halvo Bay Fourteen years after E-Day, Cole was a private in Alpha Squad with Pvt.Damon Baird, Jan Rojas, and Gyules. During Operation: Midnight, Cole manned a side gun on a King Raven, providing cover to Midnight Squad from a squad of Theron Guards. He congratulated the Gears in Midnight for holding the Ferro Bridge long enough for the convoy to arrive.

Cole and the rest of Alpha took part in the Lightmass Offensive, and were tasked with getting a Sonic Resonator deployed in the Hollow so the COG could hit it with a Lightmass Bomb. The squad took heavy casualties as it fought across the city of Ephyra, and Cole was separated from the squad. He was found by Delta-One, who had been sent to assist Alpha, fighting alone against a group of Locust inside the House of Sovereigns. After saving him, he reported to Lt.Minh Young Kim that the rest of his squad was at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and that the radios were not working because of Seeders. On the way to the Tomb, they found the body of Rojas, which upset Cole.[10] After fighting through a large force of Locust and killing the Seeders jamming their transmissions, they regrouped with Alpha at the tomb and Kim called for a pickup. Cole informed Baird of Rojas death, which upset him as well. A second wave of Locust then arrived, and shot down the King Raven coming to pick them up. Kim was killed, along with another Gear from Alpha, forcing the remaining five Gears to retreat into the tomb.[11] Unfortunately, a Berserker was waiting inside the tomb, and it killed Gyules after he panicked and ran straight into it. Cole and Baird were ordered to hang back to guard the Resonator while Pvt.Marcus Fenix and Cpl.Dominic Santiago tried to find a way to kill the Berserker. They succeeded, and Cole and Baird rejoined them outside of the Tomb. Marcus was promoted to Sergeant and placed in charge of the squad by Col.Victor Hoffman, and they were tasked with deploying the Resonator at the Lethia Imulsion Facility. However, no King Ravens were available due to Nemacyst infesting the sky, but Dom told them he knew where they could get a vehicle, and Cole moved out with the rest of the squad.

After leaving the area around the Tomb, they come to crossroads. Cole and Dom go one way, while Marcus and Baird go down the other. Cole talks about wanting to find some Locust and ruin their day, which causes Dom to ask him if he ever gets tired, to which Cole replies "Hell to the no!". They then encounter two Boomers, but manage to kill them in a crossfire. As they move onwards, they walk into a room and find a Corpser, which retreats. Marcus and Baird argue about what the Corpser is doing, much to the amusement of Cole and Dom. After fighting through a group of Locust and regrouping, Dom reveals his plan is to borrow a Junker from a group of Stranded. They fight their way to the Stranded camp, where the gatekeeper lets them in. Dom convinces the camp's leader, Franklin Tsoko, to let them borrow the Junker, but only under the condition that Cole and Baird stay as collateral.[13] While at the camp, one of the Stranded realized who Cole was, and all the Stranded started talking to him about Thrashball, and getting him to sign autographs. The next time Marcus contacted Cole, he told Marcus that the Stranded were bringing out their big guns and that something was about to go down, and Marcus told him he would return as soon as they could. He and Baird were then contacted by Lt.Anya Stroud and told that Locust were closing in on their position. They then came under attack from Locust and Kryll. They were in danger of being overrun when Marcus and Dom finally made it back, and helped them defeat the attacking Locust. Cole and the others got into the Junker and headed for the Lethia Imulsion Facility.

When the vehicle broke down just outside of the facility, Cole and the others walk the rest of the way. After spotting glowing Wretches, Cole became very wary of them. When they discovered the door was locked, Marcus split the squad into two groups: Cole and Baird would go left, while Marcus and Dom went right. Cole thought that splitting up the squad was a bad idea, but Marcus dismissed his concerns, hurting Cole's feelings. They located an entrance through the basement, while Marcus and Dom entered through the roof. Marcus then ordered them to find a way to get the lights on, and locate the Cart Control Room. They restored the power, but in order to continue through the facility, they had to enter the sewer system. Cole took it in stride, and teased Baird about how it was good for his immune system. They passed under a sewer grate and talked with Marcus and Dom for a bit before proceeding on. Soon after, they regrouped with Marcus and Dom, and Cole assured Marcus that the resonator was still in one piece. They fight their way to the cart control room, and each Gear boards a mine cart and heads down deeper into the facility. Cole fights to the drilling platforms with Dom, and they board them and head down into the Hollow.

Once in the Hollow, Marcus orders Cole and Baird to hang back and guard the resonator, while he and Dom scout ahead. However, they found that the route they went down was too dangerous to take the resonator down, so Cole and Baird had to scout out an alternate route. They went through the mine, and regroup with Marcus and Dom just in time to see them kill a Corpser. Cole informed Marcus the resonator was still okay, and they reached the pumping station. Cole and Baird approached the station from the right, while Marcus and Dom go left. They take out the Theron Guards who are at the station and deploy the resonator. They make it back to the surface, happy that their mission is over. When they learn that the resonator barely mapped any of the Hollow, they became angry, but then Baird learned from a geobot that a full map of the Hollows was at the Fenix's Estate, at the East Barricade Academy.

Cole and the others board KR Six-Four, and head to the Academy, along with another squad in KR Two-Five. However, Two-Five was shot down, and Six-Four was forced to drop Delta off far away from the Fenix Estate. They landed in an area filled with Locust, but managed to defeat them. After learning there were survivors at Two-Five's crash site, they headed toward it. When they reached it, they found two survivors. Cole and Baird stayed with them, providing medical treatment while waiting for a King Raven to arrive and extract the wounded. However, they came under attack, and were forced to leave the area. Cole and Baird then headed toward the Fenix Estate. They regrouped with Marcus and Dom in the courtyard outside of the Estate, and Baird found APC-142 in the backyard. Marcus ordered Cole to guard Baird while he fixed the APC. After Baird fixes it, they head back into the house to defend it against the Locust attack. Marcus and Dom return from the basement, and send them to get the APC ready for extraction. The four of them then manage to escape in the APC.

As they headed toward Timgad Station to deliver the targeting data to the train with the bomb, they found the Timgad Bridge was raised and uncrossable. Cole and Dom stayed with the APC, while Marcus and Baird tried to find a way to raise the bridge. They discovered the bridge was out of power, and Delta then comes under attack from Locust scaling the side of the bridge. After they defeat the attack, Cole and Baird stay with the APC while Marcus and Dom try to restore the power. When their progress became too slow, Marcus had Cole and Baird have Anya guide them along an alternate path to the power lines. They reached a building overlooking Nassar Memorial Park, and directed Marcus and Dom on where to go. When a group of Locust approached on the ground, Baird and Cole covered Marcus and Dom. After the Locust were dead, they continued on toward the powerlines.[26] When they got to the powerlines, a Brumak arrived, and Marcus ordered them to keep it away from the lines. As Baird ran, Cole approached the Brumak, yelling at it and causing it to follow him as he ran after Baird. After they thought they lost it, they headed back to the powerlines, only to have the Brumak show up again and be forced to keep running. They managed to escape it, and JACK repaired the powerlines, but the Brumak had them cut off from the APC. They regrouped with Marcus and Dom behind a theater, and Cole complained that the Brumak had been following them all over the city. The four of them hunted down and killed the Seeder that was jamming the comms. They then headed to Timgad Central Energy to raise the bridge. After fighting there, Cole split off with Baird and JACK to find a way to restore the power. Cole guarded Baird while he and JACK tried to repair the damage the Locust had done. After Baird got the power going again, and Marcus and Dom tricked the Brumak into connecting two transformers, the bridge was lowered and Cole got back into the APC with the rest of Delta, and continued on their way to Timgad Station.

Upon arriving at the station, Cole and Delta fought against a large Locust force as they waited for the train. As it approached the station, Cole and Baird covered Marcus and Dom as they jumped on the train, but were unable to make it themselves. They were picked up by a King Raven with Col.Hoffman aboard. Cole and Baird cheered Marcus and Dom on as they made their way through the train. After Marcus deployed the Lightmass Bomb, Cole and the rest of Delta were honored for their part in the Lightmass Offensive.

One week after the Lightmass Offensive, Cole and the rest of Delta-One were on patrol in Ephyra when they came under attack by Locust. During the firefight, an unknown sniper saved Dom from being killed by a Drone. He and Cole then briefly scouted the area to see if they could find the sniper, and climbed atop a mound of debris at the back of an old bank, where Cole had kept his fortune before Emergence Day. They found a spot where the sniper might have been hiding, but decided whoever it was gone. When they got back to Marcus and Baird, they learned that Echo Squad had come under attack on Sovereigns Boulevard and raced to assist.[35] When they arrived, they found Echo pinned down inside a mall, with a Boomer and a group of Drones attempting to get in and reinforce the other Locust. Cole and Baird provided covering fire while Marcus and Dom went to the mezzanine above the Locust and dropped onto the Boomer. After they dropped the Boomer, the Gears killed the remaining Locust. Cole shot the last one, and then began checking the bodies with the others, remarking that he hated the smell of the dead Locust. While Dom went to get a Lancer that had been dropped by a Gear in Echo who had been killed, Cole stayed with the rest of the Gears to wait on a King Raven coming to pick them up. When they heard gunfire, they went to check it out, and discovered Dom had found the sniper, former Sergeant Bernadette Mataki. Cole happily introduced himself to her, and was impressed by her handshake, which he compared to a Boomer. The Gears, along with Bernie, then returned to Wrightman Base on the King Raven.

Lambent Pandemic Three days later, Cole was off duty while Baird, Dom, and Sam went out with the Pelruan trawler fleet as guards. When one of the trawlers, the Levanto, exploded under unknown circumstances, Cole gathered with a large crowd of civilians on the dock as the remains of the ship were brought back, and did his best to comfort the citizens.[99] The next day, Cole and the rest of Delta were selected to guard the trawler fleet, this time going on board the trawlers to try and determine what was sinking them. As they waited at the dock, Cole asked her where Mac was, and Bernie told her that she had left him in a fuel compound with a sheep carcass until she got back. Cole and Baird were assigned to the Montagnon, and became seasick as the boats settled in and began trawling up Oilfish. He contacted Bernie and asked if it was okay to throw up yet, and she told him to try and miss the fish. When the trawler Marcus and Bernie were on, the Coral Star, trawled up a Lambent creature, the crew evacuated and Marcus and Bernie set the ship to full speed and jumped off. The Lambent creature exploded, and destroyed the vessel. Cole contacted Bernie and told her they were heading to pick them up. When the Montagnon pulled up next to the Gears and the crew, Cole helped pull them inside.[100] As the trawler fleet returned to Vectes, Cole told Aylmer Gullie, the captain of the Coral Star, that he had warned him about the Lambent, and Gullie told him he was sorry he hadn't listened to him, and asked how they had lived with fighting these creatures for fifteen years. Cole told him that those had mostly been Locust, and they didn't explode very often. He and Baird then turned their attention to Bernie, who was freezing after having been in the water, and they told her that she needed to get some rest and have Dr.Isabel Hayman check her out. Bernie got annoyed with them and said she would do her best to stay alive until Andresen's funeral, which shut them up. As they got closer to shore, they saw the CNV Falconer preventing the Gorasni Imulsion tanker from leaving, and learned that Hoffman and Trescu were having a disagreement over what Trescu had the authority to do, after he had led several unauthorized attacks on the Stranded. Cole was annoyed by this, and asked Bernie who exactly they were supposed to be fighting.

After they reached the dock, they were met by Reid, who ordered Marcus and Bernie to report to the medical building, and then get debriefed about the Lambent. He also ordered Baird to take the others and patrol the area of the city where the Stranded who had accepted amnesty had set up. As they walked along the road leading through the neighborhood, the Gears talked about several different things. Cole said that he still wanted to take up fishing, since there were so many streams around the city. He also waved to several children who looked frightened for the Gears as they continued their patrol. Cole stopped and watched Baird help an old Stranded man work on an engine for a while, until he noticed that a Gorasni vehicle was heading for the camp. He alerted Baird, and they saw that the Stranded behind the truck was screaming and crying. They discovered why when the truck pulled up to a stop next to them, and three Gorasni Gears led by Yanik Laas began dumping the bodies of Stranded Insurgents they had killed onto the Stranded's lawns. Baird ordered the Gorasni to get out of there before a riot started, and Cole and Sam moved to block the Stranded from attacking the Gorasni. After they left, Cole asked Baird if they should help the families with the bodies, since there were kids looking at them as well, and that they hadn't done anything, but Baird told him that would go over well with the Jacinto citizens watching the spectacle. However, he moved to help Cole do it anyway, but they were stopped by the Stranded, who demanded that they leave, that they did not want their help. They moved back to the border of the Stranded camp and the Jacinto citizens living area, and guarded it until they were sure nothing would happen

The next day, Cole went out with Baird in the CNV Clement to guard it as it looked for the Nezark, the missing Gorasni frigate. He kept hitting his head in the cramped submarine, and found Baird in the torpedo compartment. Cole told him that if he kept looking at the submarine like he was, the Imulsion rig was going to think he was cheating on it. Baird told him that he was shallow and went for looks every time, and Cole told him that since the submarine had dived, he hadn't been puking as much as he normally did on a ship. Baird began telling him that the Clement was the most advanced piece of weaponry that had ever been built, even the Hammer of Dawn. Cole laughed at his enthusiasm, and asked him when they were going to make a full-sized version. They headed to the bridge, and listened as Commander Garcia talked with Gorasni navy men Teodor Marisc and Janu, who were telling him that the seafloor had changed since they had last looked for the Nezark. Everyone was confused by this, and Garcia ordered the Clement to resurface. Cole wondered what the explanation was, and told Baird that he was going to find a sick bag and lay down in the torpedo compartment until they were done surfacing. Not long after, the Clement came under attack by Lambent Stalks and Polyps, and Baird fought them off on the deck of the submarine while Cole was trapped below. The submarine dived again to avoid them, and Baird was picked up by KR-80, which discovered that the stalks were heading toward the Emerald Spar Imulsion platform.

Cole was taken off of the Clement by a Raven, and flown to the Emerald Spar Platform with twenty other Gears, joining Marcus, Dom, and Baird in an effort to defend the platform. He was contacted by Bernie, who wished him luck, and told him to tell Baird that she had known he was human deep down. After landing, Cole gave Baird his armor and passed along Bernie's message, but Baird claimed he had just been trying to save the submarine, but Cole knew that he had done it selflessly and without thinking. Baird asked him where Bernie was, and Cole told him that Hoffman had grounded her after her two close calls with explosions, and that Bernie was not happy about that. As the Lambent closed in, Hoffman attempted to come and assist aboard another King Raven, but Marcus told him it was too risky with how close the Stalks were. After Hoffman told him that he would come aboard if he saw them getting their asses kicked, Cole remarked that he was savage. Cole was somewhat nervous, and kept messing with the controls on his Lancer, saying that he had never fought against weird glowing crabs before. After the Stalk attached itself to the rig and began letting Polyps aboard underneath it, Cole went with Baird and Sam in the middle of the platform and began clearing out Polyps from the corridors. They were joined by Aurelie Dersau, a crew member of the platform, who used a Scorcher to burn away the Polyps. However, she and Baird got trapped on a ladder, but Cole managed to fight off the Polyps long enough to pull them up. As KR-239 attempted to cut down the Stalk, the platform began taking lots of damage, and fires broke out. Cole continued to work with Baird and Sam, taking turns shooting and reloading to cut down the Polyps. The Raven managed to cut down the Stalk, and the Gears finished clearing out the Polyps, but a second Stalk arrived and unleashed a new wave on the other side of the platform. The damage eventually became too much, and they were forced to evacuate the platform. Cole and Baird rushed through the smoky corridors to reach the lifeboat, and joined the rest of the Gears and rig crew on board. Baird piloted the ship away from the Emerald Spar, and they watched as it began to burn and sink while the Ravens evacuated the remaining crew. They began pulling other survivors out of the water, and Cole wrapped Aurelie in an emergency blanket after pulling her out. As they headed back to Vectes, they watched as the Emerald Spar exploded, and sank fully into the ocean.

A day later, Delta was sent out in KR-80 to scout for signs of Lambent activity in the ocean and on the mainland. Cole used this time to write a letter to his mom, but still listened in on the others' conversation. When Dom was asking why command was bothering to try and make an alliance against the Lambent with the Stranded, Cole told him that it beat having to fight them both at the same time. As they flew over the area where the Emerald Spar had been, they found no trace of the platform. Baird and Dom talked about where they would find another source of Imulsion, and Baird shot down Dom's idea they could get it from the mainland, saying there would be too many problems with that. Cole put his letter up and asked Baird if he wanted a coloring book because of how antsy he got on long rides, tactfully warning him to not shoot down all of Dom's ideas. As they continued their flight, they found an uncharted island that had recently been created by a volcanic eruption. As they flew closer to check it out, Baird wondered what made the Lambent glow, and how many different kinds there were. Cole mentioned that at least they knew why the Locust Queen had been so worried about them, and Baird said he regretted not having asked her anything. As he returned to writing his letter, Cole reminded him that they had been busy trying to stay alive at the time and that she hadn't exactly been holding a press conference. When they reached the island, Cole asked if they could name it, which caused everyone to stop talking as they considered who they would name it after. Baird tactfully suggested they wait and see if it was worth naming, and after they got close enough to look at it, they saw a dead Lambent Stalk jutting out of the middle of the island. After Barber reported the island to control, he picked up chatter on a Stranded channel and located where it was coming form, and they headed to check it out. As they flew over the ocean, Dom said that it would be great to live on the sea most of the time, but Cole told him that that was his worst nightmare, alongside living on a Raven. When they reached the source of the communications, they discovered it was a massive Stranded fleet with over a hundred ships, and on a direct course for Vectes. Marcus and Dom were dropped off on one of the ships and talked with Lyle Ollivar, the leader of the Stranded, about the Lambent. After they were picked up, Cole and the others returned to Vectes.

Over the next several days, preparations were made for an attack by the Lambent on Vectes, and the Stranded agreed to join forces with the COG to try and defeat them. Cole was out walking the docks one night when he found Dom sitting on a jetty watching the fleet and some Ravens. He joined him, and told him how everybody seemed to love this part, and that they seemed to be at their best when they were waiting for everything to kick off. Dom wondered when they would shake that off, but Cole said he wondered if they would ever get the chance to. Dom asked him where Baird was, and Cole told him that he was welding pipes so that they could flood pits and trenches they had dug with fuel and set them aflame when they were full of Polyps. Cole said that Baird was creative in all the wrong ways, but that he was glad about it. They talked about what the citizens would do if an attack came, and Dom said they didn't have enough weapons to arm all of them. Cole told him they would just have to be sure they stopped the Lambent, and that was the only hope they had. Three days later, the attack finally came, but not on New Vectes: a Lambent Leviathan attacked Pelruan, and the garrison there, under the command of Anya, had just barely fought off a wave of Polyps, and KR-33 was destroyed. The rest of the Raven crews were hit hard by the news, and Cole talked with Lt.Kevan Mitchell in the crew bay of KR-239, patting him on the back and assuring him everything would be fine. As they waited for orders, Baird began formulating theories about the Lambent, and speculated they were mutagenic. Cole told him that didn't sound healthy, and Baird said that the luminous glowing snot like thing they had seen in the Locust tunnels had been an infection. Cole told him that it had gone flying around on its own, which sounded like something alive to him, not an infection.

When a Lambent Leviathan was spotted approaching New Jacinto, Cole and the rest of Delta were ordered to join the line of Gears waiting in front of the trenches to fight the Polyps. As they ran to join the other Gears, Baird said that there was no way the Lambent Leviathan from Pelruan could have reached them in such a short amount of time, and claimed that there must be two of them. Cole saw Marcus react to this, and knew that he was worried about Anya's safety. He jogged next to Baird and told him not to remind Marcus that Anya was in danger, but Baird told him that they were all in danger, and asked him if he thought Hoffman's plan would work. Cole told him it would work better than taking potshots at the Polyps until they ran out of ammo, but Baird didn't like the fact they were being used as bait to lure the Polyps in. They reached the line of Gears, and were joined by Hoffman, and watched as the Lambent Leviathan fought the CNV Fenmont and the CNV Vale of Dane. The Leviathan got past them and began letting Polyps out onto the shore, and the Gears fired into them until they were forced to fall back into the trenches. Near the end of them, Cole stopped to wait for Baird, and when he reached him, he lifted him up and over the side, and then scrambled up himself. The trenches were set aflame, and Cole and the other Gears found themselves outside of the Gorasni district. They joined the Stranded in defending the area, picking off the Polyps that were avoiding the trenches. Cole was worried that there were still people in the homes and tents in the district, but one of the Stranded told him all the non-combatants had been evacuated. They continued to fight the Polyps, but several were getting through and exploded, killing fire teams of Stranded and setting fire to tent and buildings.

During a break in the fighting, Cole met with Hoffman, Trescu, Ollivar, and the rest of Delta in the CIC. They formed a plan to kill the two Lambent Leviathans attacking the city by using the CNV Clement and the Zephyr, along with the Hammer of Dawn. To use the Hammer, they would have to take a patrol boat out and use it to somehow keep one of the Leviathans in one place long enough to hit it with the Hammer. Baird had to stay behind to input the targeting data, which neither he or Cole liked. They then headed for the CNV Falconer with Trescu, and Captain Quentin Michaelson showed them the harpoon launcher he planned to use to hold the Leviathan in place. They headed out to sea, and got into place to support the submarines and fire the harpoon.[111] As they prepared to put their plan into motion, Cole told Dom he was worried about the shallowness of the water, and that the explosion of the Lambent Leviathan might throw them into the air. He was right, but they quickly recovered, and Marcus shot the harpoon into the second Leviathan as it tried to escape. Cole took over holding the winch controlling the line connected to the Leviathan while Marcus targeted it with the Hammer of Dawn targeting laser. When Marcus told him to wind back on the winch so the line went taut and slowed the Leviathan, he targeted it with the laser. Baird fired the Hammer, and scored a hit on the Leviathan, taking it out. The ship was rocked, but Cole and the others managed to survive. Baird contacted them to see if they were alright, and they assured him they were fine. Baird told them they still had Polyps ashore, and Cole joked that he needed to get some ointment for that. Shortly after, they returned to shore, and the last of the Polyps were killed.

They next day, Cole worked with Baird in the machine shops, helping fix damaged vehicles and boats. As they worked on a Packhorse, Hoffman arrived, with a task for Baird. He told him he didn't have to accept the task, and that neither of them had to get involved in what he was doing. Cole and Baird were instantly interested, and Hoffman showed them a data disk that he had stolen from Prescott, which was encrypted with a non-COG encryption. He also told them that Prescott knew he had the disk, but Cole asked him what Prescott could do to him. Baird eagerly accepted the task, and left with the disk to begin working on it as Cole returned to fixing the Packhorse. Hoffman told Cole that that he would tell Marcus and Dom about the disk, but to keep it quiet to the rest of the army that the Chief of Staff was stealing from the Chairman. Cole told him he understood, and switched the topic, saying he had no idea how Baird made it look so easy repairing a vehicle, and that he couldn't figure out was wrong with the Packhorse. Hoffman said that Baird was gifted, and he had no idea what they would do without him. Cole said that he should tell Baird that sometime, and that he would appreciate even if he gave him crap about not caring what anyone thought. Hoffman told him he would do that, and left Cole to continue working on the Packhorse.

Ten days after the Lambent attack, Cole and the rest of Delta, including Bernie, who had been cleared for combat duty again, went out on KR-80 to scout Vectes for resources and Lambent. Everyone, including Cole, was feeling depressed by the recent events, and didn't have much hope of finding anything useful. They talked about if Prescott was still up for the job, and Barber said that he had done a good job keeping them alive for fifteen years. Cole mumbled that he guessed Prescott could count on one vote at least. Gettner then became determined to help Bernie find Mac, who had gone missing during the battle at Pelruan, and began flying around the areas near the town. Bernie had no hope that they would find him, but Cole spotted him running in the field below them, and alerted the others. After landing and picking him up, Cole noticed that he had burn marks on his skin. They realized they were fresh, and that that meant Polyps were still on the island. They alerted control that there might be Lambent on the loose, and began scouting the area for signs of them. Three Stalks burst through the ground near them, and Gettner called in reinforcements as Cole and the others prepared to engage the Lambent.

Several months later, Cole led a mission to his hometown of Hanover alongside Baird, Sam, and Clayton Carmine, searching for supplies. The first Stranded settlement they find has already been destroyed but the second one has survivors. Unfortunately they are unfriendly towards the COG, though they expressed a desire to trade Sam for a side of bacon. Cole turned them down and asked for the location of other Stranded camps. The leader told them of other ones across the town but said it was overrun with Lambent.

During their trek to the supermarket, Cole encounters a new Lambent lifeform, stating that it "broke a new world record in ugly". More Lambent attacked the group, but were all slain by Cole and his squad. Upon entering the supermarket, Cole is reminded of his old life from the several cutouts of him in his Thrashball career.

Eventually, Cole finds several food supplies and clears the landing zone of Lambent. After delivering the supplies, Sam asks Cole if they should leave Hanover as the Lambent are overrunning it. Cole refuses, as he wants to check out the warehouse and stadium, to which Baird replies if he's actually making a pilgrimage. On the way, they encounter another a Lambent strike force attacking a Stranded settlement, including a new lifeform. After killing all the Lambent, the settlement's leader greets them and recognizes Cole.

The leader offers them ammo, which Cole greatly appreciates. As they leave for the stadium, more Lambent attack them on the way, but are all killed. Outside the stadium, Baird remarks how Cole played "ladies field hockey", to which Cole tells Carmine that Baird didn't know better because he was a Sharks fan.

Upon entering the stadium, they find more Stranded. The Stranded recognize Cole and greet him, with one doing an incorrect version of his signature "Whoo!!". Cole corrects the Stranded, just as another Stranded informs them that the Lambent are attacking. Cole tells the Stranded to get to safety while they deal with the Lambent. Upon entering the locker room, Cole reminisces about his Thrashball career. He tackles several Drudges before placing the bomb on the abnormally large Stalk in the stadium, destroying it but getting knocked unconscious. He is soon woken up by his allies, and meets the stadium's leader, who is annoyed at the COG for bringing the Lambent inside.

Cole and the group head to the top of the building and rappel to the bridge, narrowly avoiding Drudges and Gunkers who try to shoot them down. They eventually land on the bridge, where another group of Lambent greet them. Cole and the squad soon head to the bridge to negotiate with the "Stranded", but are fired at. Sam realizes that the "Stranded" are Locust and they continue to fight their way through the bridge.

Eventually contacted by Marcus, he asks Cole to have Baird come up with a plan to kill the Lambent Leviathan. After encountering Tickers, Baird deduces that there must be more of them so they should find a crate full of Tickers to kill the Leviathan. On the way, they encounter a Gas Barge, which Cole shoots down with a mortar. They eventually find the crate of Tickers and drop it on the Leviathan, killing it but destroying the bridge in the process, and the four fall into the water.

They survive the fall but are left exhausted and soaked. Cole attempts to contact Marcus and Dom to find out if they are ok and what there location is. However they are given no time to rest as Carmine spots a Locust patrol moving into the wreckage. They fight their way through the ruins and eventually find and rescue Marcus and Dom. The squad then moves and rescues Anya, Jace, and Prescott. However Prescott is wounded in the process and after giving them the key to his disk he dies. A Brumak then shows up and attacks them but they manage to kill it. Cole then goes with Marcus, Dom, and Baird to Anvil Gate to use the key Prescott gave them to unlock A2897.

personality Highly energetic, enthusiastic, and cunning; Cole's gung-ho attitude has gotten him far in everything that he does. In and out of battle, he has an inexhaustible amount of energy that seems to amp up people around him. And with his childlike humor he was able to lift the spirits of the fellow Gears. Though Cole has a darker side, every night Cole writes a letter to his dead mother saying all the things he could not tell her in life, a custom practiced by many Gears.

Generally friendly to anyone he meets, Cole made several friends with during his time as a Gear during the Locust War. Since he enlisted in the COG Army, Cole has been best friends with his fellow Gear and foil Damon Baird. Having scared away two Gears who were ruthlessly antagonizing Baird when they were both recruits, the two would go on to serve together over the next fifteen years. Despite their differing personalities, the two generally work well together in any squad.

In the days before E-Day, Cole was a terrific Thrashball player and was a huge celebrity, owning a mansion with a wine cellar while also having brand deals. While visiting Hanover, Cole reminisced about his days before the Locust War and imagined himself scoring for the Cougars while on the old field. Due to Cole's celebrity status in Thrashball, many Stranded respected him and have often done favors for him during missions. This shown in Hanover, where many Stranded were excited by Cole's appearance and in Cougars Stadium, where Baird noted that they had respect for him by not melting down statues of him. Despite his celebrity status, Cole did not hesitate to enlist in the COG Army after E-Day and held himself to the same standard as the soldiers he fought alongside with.

When it comes to fighting Locust or Swarm, Cole takes genuine pleasure in killing them and will often times charge straight into battle. Despite the Locust being savage fighters themselves, Cole was capable of taking several of them on at once even without backup. When faced with a problem or obstacle in the middle of battle, Cole generally relied on his instincts and acted on the fly rather than to wait to plan out his next move. This often results in Cole taking a direct (but highly dangerous) approach to dealing with obstacles. Several Gears who have fought alongside Cole often refer to him being crazy when witnessing him charging right into battle or coming up with an over the top solution towards killing his enemies. Following the end of the Locust War, Cole's daughter Hana described him as being a quiet man a home. Following the Swarm's emergence and Delta Squad's reunion, Cole's love for battle had been restored and even admitted that he missed fighting Grubs.

Surprisingly, Cole has turned down several promotions to Corporal during his service, since he believes there is no point in promotions, only in killing Grubs until there are no more to kill. And while Cole often shows an upbeat and energetic attitude, upon learning of Dom's death, that same energy seemed to be dropped for a short while as Cole swears revenge on Dom's death.

While his natural energy and exuberance were for real, he exaggerated it around his squadmates in order to cheer them up, and instill confidence in them.

Cole often got motion sickness aboard King Ravens and boats, causing him to throw up. Cole also had a slight fear of insects.

His language is biting, daring, and obscene when the situation calls for it.

appearance He is an African American man of extremely muscular and robust build, with very short or shaved hair. pubic hair in his crotch, long and thick cock.

He wears the distinctive military uniform of the COG (Coalition of Ordered Governments), which includes heavy tactical armor in metallic and dark tones that protects his torso and shoulders, leaving his arms uncovered for greater mobility.