The Hornet's Nest

"My friend, from up here, it looks like the whole village is trying to kill you!" "Tell me something I don't know! Just be ready to pick us up!"

- Nikolai and Captain MacTavish

The Hornet's Nest is a singleplayer campaign mission on Modern Warfare 2. You will control Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson escaping the Brazilian favela along with MacTavish, Ghost, and the other Task Force 141 members through the market and onboard Nikolai's Pave Low.

Walkthrough
You start with your squad members near the last location of Takedown, with Rojas' body after being electrified. Move up until you end up in a square. Militia will begin attacking your group from buildings and cover in the center of the square. Eventually two M2 Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun-mounted pickup trucks (technicals) will enter the square. You and your teammates make quick work of them. Move through the square and into the market. The market's exterior will be much like that in Takedown, except with caged chickens that you can kill to earn the "Colonel Sanderson" (a parody on KFC's Colonel Sanders) achievement. After fighting through the militia, Nikolai's Pave Low will attempt to land at the first LZ (landing zone). The LZ is too "hot" and Captain MacTavish will tell Nikolai to land at the second LZ on the roofs of the slums. You and your team will jump from roof to roof across buildings until there is a gap that you/Roach attempts to jump but misses. He loses his grip and Soap will try to grab him before he falls. Sadly, Soap misses Roach's hand, and Roach falls into the alley below. The screen will black out for a few seconds, and Captain MacTavish tells you to get back onto the roofs so that you can be rescued. Nikolai announces that the helicopter is at nearly bingo (zero) fuel and that he will have to dust off in 30 seconds. You will have to run unarmed to the roof with Soap guiding you back to the LZ. You will slide down from a roof into a house, run, and jump onto the Pave Low's ladder. The mission will end with Roach hanging onto the ladder, and Soap telling Nikolai to 'Take them back to the sub.'

Enemy Intelligence
Intel No. 15: After 1st fire-fight. Inside a yellow house on the South side of the antenna tower.

Intel No. 16: After 2nd fire-fight, in front of the "BARATEIRO" store area. Take the left path. Just before the stairs, inside an open corrugated metal shack.

Intel No. 17: After 3rd fire-fight, on the hill street. Second floor kitchen behind "Pelayo's" ice cream store (West side).

Intel No. 18: After 5th fire-fight, on the soccer field. Inside a window, behind the soccer goal net (West side).

Trivia

 * The news feed featured in the cutscene are made of parts of the world reveal trailer.


 * In the square with the big antenna at the beginning of the level in the middle of the Dragunov and the AK-47 there is an Akimbo Mini-Uzi set that you can use.


 * It is unknown why the entire team that is situated does not all escape to the rally point at once. For example, two 'non-important' soldiers will accompany you. If those two die, two more will replace them, but those two will never come if the first two are not killed. If the first option happens, this means that all 4 soldiers should accompany you. The reason may be for balancing reasons, for if a large friendly force amassed, it may make the mission much easier. Another idea may be that TF141 soldiers were all over the area, and that slowly, small groups of them made it to Soap and Roach's escape group. Also, if more TF141 troops are killed, it is unknown how that many ever got into Brazil, as the only 'important' friendlies you see in this mission and Takedown, are Soap, Roach, Ghost, Meat, Royce, Chemo and Rocket.


 * Ghost says his signature quote "Let's do this!" in reference to his featured Special Ops missions where he says the same thing at the beginning of each mission. (Although the similar character Gaz also said the same sentence in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at the beginning of each S.A.S multiplayer match.)


 * Near the beginning of the level, there is a small row of poppy plants, if you walk into them, and behind a building, you will find a former "hideout" of a child. There is a tall crate with a teddy bear sitting atop a drawing of different sized hands. Next to the crate is a soccer ball and on the wall is a movie poster for a movie called "Porter Justice". Porter Justice is also featured in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and other : Modern Warfare 2 levels.


 * At the beginning, there is Alejandro Rojas, who you can kill. He is seen hooked up to electrical wires and a car battery, indicating that he was probably tortured.


 * There was no talk of showing the information that Makarov instigated the airport attack to Russia, possibly averting a war. This might have happened as Russia invaded the United States in Wolverines, which takes place before this.


 * It is unclear as to how Nikolai obtains a Pave Low to help evacuate TF141, as with an C-130 in "The Enemy of My Enemy" and a Little Bird in Endgame. It appears that Nikolai has contacts and/or he might be a member of some sort of rebellion against the Ultranationalists in Russia.


 * MacTavish says "Jump for it!" before you jump off the roof and grabbed the ladder. This could possibly be a homage to the level "Crew Expendable" from, where as you're about to jump onto the chopper an SAS says the same thing.
 * It is possible to get ahead of MacTavish when running across the roofs, in which case, he will not be seen attempting to catch Roach when he falls.


 * Right after Nikolai's Pave Low leaves for the first time you can find a laundromat with what look to be American's faces on the walls. They could possibly be some of the developers of the game.


 * Strangely, even if you jump way past the location you fall off the roof from, you are pulled back and fall onto the road. Also, if the player makes the jump AHEAD of MacTavish, he will not make a grab for you. Also, if the player doesn't even attempt the jump, he will fall to the ground without reaching for the roof. Also, if the player jumps at exactly the right time, a little faster than Soap, the player may see Soap in mid-air performing the jump, and another Soap reaching for you. While tumbling, you. may see the second Soap re-enacts the same act.


 * Also just like in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare when you are about to fall off your hands start to rapidly try and grab the surface your slipping off. Since the jump is a lot like the helicopter jump many people expected Roach to be caught however he isn't.


 * Strangely Nikolai or Task Force 141 never gave you covering fire using the Pave Low. However, it may be that TF141 wanted to minimize the risk of hitting Roach or civilians, or the heli had no guns currently aboard.


 * At the beginning of the mission the guns on the "technicals" can be used, they have the use icon of the M249 SAW from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.


 * There are posters that had an Infinity Ward logo, a number 23, a photo (in low resolution) of a black man with a mic, and the name Griggs.


 * A M79 "Thumper" and Winchester Model 1887 can be located in the building named "Pelayo's," which apparently is an ice-cream eatery and a reference to the Cobra pilot from the last game. These weapons are an homage to the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.


 * One of the starting allies is called Rocket. This is probably a reference to the main character of the 2002 Brazillian movie "City of God", which is also set in Rio de Janeiro.


 * At the beginning of the level Rocket and Chemo are always the first two randomly created soldiers of the squad escaping.


 * After Roach falls down to the streets, and while he is running to find a way to the rooftops, the player will see gunshots fly through Roach's side, but if the player looks behind him, nobody is there.
 * It seems that after you fall and you are running, you are running faster than usual. Roach may have thrown away some equipment or used the ammo he had before/during the run, as you cannot use your weapons, he may also run faster due to adrenaline.
 * If you fall off the roof and look to the right, you will see a group of enemies. If you run past them, you can see the whole level and eventually fall through it.
 * In the marketplace with all the chickens, you will find a television on the wall to the left from where you enter the market. Shoot the glass and you will find a teddy bear inside.
 * It is possible to let either Rocket or Chemo live until the end on Recruit. It is easier to save Rocket because Chemo is usually killed near the beginning. It may involve going to the last checkpoint if they die, but that is the only way to let them live.
 * Oddly, the scripted part where Roach falls down and gets knocked out for a few minutes, Soap tells him that he is unarmed and must go up to the rooftops to be extracted. The weapons that Roach orginally wielded appear to have disappeared into thin air.
 * Nikolai, who hasn't been seen or heard from since the end of Safehouse, reappears to rescue Ghost, Soap, Roach and the other Task Force 141 operatives.
 * If you don't attempt to make the first jump you can see Soap, the TF-141 soldier, and Ghost jump and land. Soap and the TF-141 member whip out their sidearms while Ghost is still holding his beginning weapon. This is because Soap and the other Solder dropped their weapons when running across the rooftops
 * If you are hurt while in the last unarmed run, the "hurt" message will say "You are hurt, run for your life!" rather than, "Get to cover!"
 * When Soap is on the Pave Low beckoning Roach to get on it, it would seem highly unlikely for Soap to survive being held outside the Pave Low without getting shot.
 * During the final jump, you dont even have to make an attempt to jump. You can just walk and fall and you won't have to try to claw your way to try to get back on the roof.
 * If the player does the elevator glitch trying to go to the LZ, Nikolai's Pave Low will be floating in the middle of the sky.
 * There is a glitch when you are doing the 1st jump. Hold any type of grenade, then jump to the next roof. Just before you fall to the ground, a THIRD HAND will throw the grenade!
 * The last part, where you have to escape to Nikolai's Pave Low, could be a referrence to the game "Mirror's Edge", as you have to jump over roof tops and to slide down a roof. You can even see your both hands in this part, like in "Mirror's Edge".
 * Sometimes, if you manage to make the jump, that makes you fall on the street, you can move a bit further on the roof, but will soon magically slide backwards onto the streets.