The Sound of Footsteps

by DFIK

After a Zergling attack on a Terran base, only three men are alive, and a search party of three more search for them, but a Zergling is on the loose... Rated PG13 for violence, language, and gore.

1The Sound of Footsteps

"What was that noise?" Johanson asked, his voice penetrating through the darkness around them. Robert, Michael and Johanson were the only men left alive after the recent battle. The Zerglings had penetrated the small camp they had made and slaughtered the entire group of fifty men. Three survived, by running away like cowards.

"What noise?" Michael asked, barely above a whisper. He was afraid. They all were. Not a single one of them was a mediocre soldier. They were the worst of the worst. They were cowards.

"I thought I heard a noise… like something stepping on a dead branch or… something, I'm not sure." Johanson replied, whispering in a squeaky voice of fear. These three men did not even know one another. It just happened they had all decided to run away in the same direction, whilst their friends and best friends fought and died for their cause.

Something prickled in the distance. "There it is again!" Johanson cowardly said, shivering from head to toe. They were laying in a hole they had dug and only had their coats for blankets. They were huddled together in the darkness, with out even a fire. They were afraid that fire would attract the attention of the Zerglings.

"I heard it too!"Robert sighed.

"Someone go see what it is!" said Michael.

"Why don't you?" asked Robert. Michael didn't reply. The noise came again, this time closer.

"What do you think happened here?" Asked the marine, Sid, as they ventured through the old battle field. It looked like a Zergling battle had just recently taken place, and there were a good 50 men dead, if not more.

"What do I think?" Asked Barkley

"Yes, what do you think?"

"I think they're all dead and we're wasting our time with this fucking search party, that's what I think."

Stubbley laughed and replied to the two of them; "Why don't the two of you shut the fuck up?"

"It's getting much closer…" Whimpered Johanson. He began pushing himself against the wall, and was trying to hold in a tear.

"For God's sake, Johanson, get a grip of yourself!" Michael said, trying to keep himself as calm as possible, although he was still scared as heck.

The noise rumpled again in the distance. "Good God!" Robert cried, "Someone PLEASE go see what that is?"

"I'll go…" replied Michael. "To shut you two the hell up." The other two men smiled, and shook his hand. "I'll be off then?" Michael's leather jacket made a small noise as he got up. The three were not in battle armor, none of them had been, it was a surprise attack, done whilst they slept.

The Zergling crept ever closer to it's target, lying just up ahead. One had just recently moved away from the others, and it was going to target him. Kill him. Make him bleed. Taste the blood. The Zergling decided in it's own way of thinking, that it was making too much noise. He must be quiet. He must be silent. He must be lethal.

Creeping ever closer, the Zergling spotted it's target only feet away. The target unaware of any activity surrounding it. But wait, what's this? The target flipped sideways with a small pistol and aimed it straight at the Zerglings head.

Silence was over, it decided. It was time to kill.

"OH CRAP!" Michael screamed, and pulled his trigger. The pistol let out a small yelping noise and a small pathetic bullet went screaming out, into the Zergling's carapace. The Zergling almost seemed amused, and jumped over to him. Michael took a step to the side, and dodged the oncoming Zergling. Again the Zergling went for him, this time, pricking his shoulder as it jumped. The purple body of the Zergling was oozing with shear terror.

Michael let out another two bullets into the Zerglings carapace. It seemed not to notice anything had even happened to it. The Zergling screamed and jumped yet again at Michael. Michael jumped to his left, just dodging the creature, and hit the ground hard. The warm liquid already on his arm hurt enough, now dirt and other bug may have crawled into his wound.

The Zergling screamed again, and this time jumped on top of Michael. It stood on his stomach, and went onto it's hind legs. It screamed something and then raised its left claw. Michael lifted his pistol yet again, and let three more bullets enter the Zerglings carapace. Yet again, it noticed nothing.

The target was his. The Zergling had taken its chances and punctured the targets arm. Now all he had to do was strike. The target had put up a fairly amusing fight, using some odd small mechanism. It was pathetic compared to what the Zergling had seen before, these odd looking creatures the targets called 'guns'.

The time to strike was now. The target seemed to not be able to function the critter it used in defense, and it was easy street from here on in. The Zergling lifted on it's hind legs and screamed in anger at the easily killed target. Way too easy.

The Zergling lifted it's claw into the air, and struck with such force that Michaels blood squirted on the trees behind them. Blood got everywhere, and the target no longer had a distinguished face. One target down, five to go. At least that's what the Cerebrate had just recently told him. There were five more. The two others he had seen earlier and three searching for them.

They knew he was hear now, and he must kill them quickly, or the punishment would be death.

"Ah crap!" Barkley snarled. "Looks like he's dead; well we better go!"

Sid outstretched his arm and caught Barkley as he tried to turn around. "That's a big no-no, Barkley old boy!" Sid said playfully. "We've got some work to do. We should at least kill that goddamn Zergling if nothing else!"

"I suppose your right…" Barkley sighed.

"Say," asked Sid suddenly. "Where's Stubbley at?" A gurgle was heard somewhere off in the distance as a marine was put out of his misery.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!" Johanson cried. He looked like he was in a fetal position. He was all curled up, and he was rocking back and forth.

"Calm down man," Robert said sheepishly. Now that Michael was gone it was up to him to act leader.

"Easy for you to say!" Johanson whined. "Look at you with your big gauss rifle! Lucky you, you remembered to bring one. Mikey had a pistol, but me, oh no. I have nothing but a fricken switch blade that just happened to be in my pocket."

"Look," Said Robert. "Acting like that we aint gonna live."
"We aint gonna live anyway you freakin' moron!"

"Yes we will. We just have to stay calm. Don't you remember its policy to do a search and rescue after every battle? There's bound to be at least three other men out there looking for us."

"What if they're all dead?"

"Don't talk like that, Johanson. Stay positive… Oh God what am I saying? We're fucked…"

Two targets were walking up ahead. It was three just a minute earlier but the Zergling cleverly grabbed it from behind and scythed it's back open. The other two were alerted now, sensing that the third, the chubby one, was gone. Now the Zergling had to find a way to sneak an attack on these two men…

Aha! Here was the chance. The two were separating now, and walking in different directions. The Zergling thought it amusing, (in a Zergling mind it's hard to have feelings like that, but this was the Devouring One) that they were stupidly walking away from one another like that. Perfect.

"Oh God, what was I thinking?" Barkley asked himself, as he walked south, and Sid walked north. Why the hell did they separate, he thought. What a stupid idea. Oh well it was too late now. Sid was on his way too look for Stubbley and Barkley was on his way to look for any survivors.

After walking a good two minutes Barkley noticed something red and dripping from a tree. "What in the hell…?" Barkley took a step closer to the dripping juice. At closer inspection it looked like more than just a liquid. It was thick. And a dark red. The color of blood.

"Oh my god…" Barkley caught site of the untimely death bed of Michael Herald Stebbins Jr. "That poor sun-of-a-bitch…" Barkley thought that maybe his footsteps would lead to more survivors. It was mud on the ground after all. The jungle surrounding them was dark with its night sky. The moon shone brightly above his head, just begging him to go forward.

Barkley followed the footsteps up the small little hill. He noticed a ditch that looked man made just above him a bit. Better see if anyone's in there.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh dear lord of heaven and Earth!" Johanson was weeping now. The sound of footsteps were getting ever closer. Robert clutched his Gauss rifle tightly and turned around to face the exit of the small hole they had made.
Right at that moment Robert swore he would kill the creature that was scaring them. The creature that had killed Michael. Robert jumped up holding his Gauss rifle and fired in the direction of the noise.

"What the-" screamed a human voice from the direction of the screaming bullets. Robert let go of his gun and dropped it.

"Oh, hell no!" Robert screamed and jumped up toward where the voice had came from. "NO!" He screamed when he noticed the marine with a bullet hole through his visor slipping in through his head and out the other side, blood oozing from the hole. "NOO!"

"What the hell was that?" Sid asked himself. The jungle trees surrounded him unmercifully. The trees might have well of had a sign on its trunk saying: "You're lost you unlucky mother fucker! Your gonna die!"

The gunshots had alarmed Sid, and he was looking around him scaredly. He was a brave man, but any man would act slightly cowardice when you alone in the midst of a jungle on a planet that is obviously infested by the Zerg Xenomorphs.

'Crack'. Something, a twig or a dead branch, snapped behind him. Sid turned around aiming the Gauss rifle forward just in time to see a Zergling jump into the darkness. It was gone. It was hiding. Sid had to go back, and look for anyone else.

Sid began running back from where he had come from. Following his footsteps, and always watching his back for the Zergling that he was certain was watching him.

This target was more clever than the Zergling thought. It had heard the Zergling and was now fully aware that it was being followed. The target kept looking back, staring, asking for more information on where the Zergling may lay, but the Zergling was no dumb creature either. Always in the darkness. Heat vision was the key, and the Devouring One had such powers. The red-yellow shape of the Target soared through the mud and the trees of the darkness.

It was heading toward the gunshots had been. The Zergling was curious itself about what that had been all about. Well maybe, just maybe, it would soon enough find out.

Passing by the dead body of Michael, Sid ran straight forward to someone kneeling on the ground. Please be Barkley, he thought, please tell me you found some dead man. Sid was wrong however. It was the other way around.

"I'm so sorry!" pleaded the stranger. "I shot, thinking it was a Zergling. I knew he was Terran when it was too late! I'm SO SORRY!" Although mad, Sid could not do anything about it now. For now he had to figure out the situation at hand. Radio contact was not a choice, considering the radio was down for repairs for the next week and a half.

"What's your name?" Asked Sid.

"I'm.. I'm Robert… My buddy over there in the hole is Johanson… we're the only survivors from the attack…"

"Alright, look, we're in deep shit. Its just us now. I know there's at least one Zergling left and-"

Suddenly to Robert's horror, a purple scythe ripped through Sid's body. A claw tore through his battle armor from the back, and came searing through the other end. Sid's mouth spurted a squirt of blood out, and he fell on his knees. The Zerglings claw was still inside of him.

Robert was whimpering backwards on his ass, toward the hole trying to escape the horror before him. Sid stretched his hand forward as if reaching for Robert, and gurgled words through the splitting pain and blood oozing from his mouth. "My gun… use… run… gun…use…" Sid, fell on his face into the ground, and Robert could see the shape of the Zerglings body above him.

The Zergling tore its scythe from Sid's back and screeched an extra-ordinarily loud scream, and then looked back at the cowardly Robert, edging his fingers toward Sid's gauss rifle. The Zergling raised its claw and held it directly above Robert's hand. It struck down in his arm, and Robert screamed, in utter pain. The claw ripped though his palm and came out on the other side.

Robert's blood splattered his own face, and he tried using his other arm to grasp the rifle. The Zergling saw it coming and used it's other claw to ram down in his other hand. Robert let out another yelp of pain, and then called for Johanson. "Johanson!" He screamed with all his might. "Help! Please oh God help!"

Johanson popped his head up from the dirt and noticed the scene around him. Two dead men lay near Robert. And next to Robert was a real, live Zerglings, baring it's teeth and growling. Johanson jumped back down into the hole.

"Come on you cowardly piece of shit! COME ON!"

"I can't!" Johanson cried. The Zergling raised its claw again, and this time struck hardly into Robert's right shoulder. His right hand was free. Robert took a reach for the rifle, and pulled it toward him with his numb fingers. He couldn't feel his hand anymore, and his shoulder was screaming in pain, but he had to grab the rifle, he had to use it. He had to live.

Just barely grabbing the rifle, he plucked it into his right hand, and raised it toward the Zerglings stomach.

Looking downward toward the ground the Zergling noticed the Target grasping the defense creature in its bleeding claw… if you could really even call it a claw! The creature took it and raised it toward the Zerglings stomach.

Johanson cringed his eyes shut as more gunshots penetrated the still air. The growling of the Zergling faded and the grasping attempt for breath of Robert was audible. "HELP!" Screamed the voice of Robert from a distance. "Please! Johanson! Help me! The Zerglings dead, I just need help! Please!"

"I can't!" Johanson cried. His muscles wouldn't move. Even if he wanted to go, he wouldn't be able to. He had frozen up in fear, and was as still as a rock.

"PLEASE!"

"I CAN'T!"

"WHY?"

"I can't move! I donno why… Are you sure it's dead?"

"I'm more sure than sure itself! Please help!"

Johanson cried again, tears rolling down his eyes. "Why did I ever get into this war?" He mumbled to himself. "What was I thinking? I just want to see my mom again… My sister… My wife… My daughter! For god's sake! I want to live!"

"If you want to live," Robert screamed from the outside of the ditch. "I suppose you should come out here and get me out of this situation. You can't survive alone, and neither can I!"

"Oh yes I can!"

"WELL I CAN'T!"

"I don't care!"

"PLEASE! HELP ME!"

Robert sat there, bleeding to death. Johanson was killing him. The Zergling lay dead just in front of him, it's claws still stuck inside Roberts body. Robert was gouged to the ground, un-able to move. "Johanson come the fuck out here right now!"

"No!"

"For God's sake I'm going to die!"

"FINE!" Johanson screamed. "I'm coming… hold on…" Johanson's voice was full of fear, and tears.

"Hurry up! I'm in big shit Johanson! HURRY UP!" "I am! I'm trying…!"

Looking in the direction of the hole, Robert saw Johanson's head pop up from the hole. His eyes scanned the area, and then he slowly crept out of the hole. He began edging towards Robert. "That's it…" Robert said calmly, "Your getting closer. Come on…"

After a two minute period, Johanson finally made the two yards to Robert. "Okay now, Johanson, I'm going to ask you a favor, okay?" Robert was talking in a very father-to-son voice, trying to keep him calm. "Just lift the scythe out of my shoulder, okay?"

"I can't do that!" Johanson bellowed. "no way!"

"What did you do in training? Itch your ass? C'mon!"

"Okay, okay! I'll do it!" Johanson began to edge his shaky hands toward the scythe. "Oh good lord…" Johanson whined. His hand slowly gripped the cold hard carapace of the Zergling claw. Ever so gently Johanson began lifting it. Slowly… slowly…

Robert lay his back on the tree, still staring at the Zergling that had caused so much trouble. It wasn't dead, he had lied to Johanson. When the Zerglings scythe was still inside his shoulder, he could feel the vibrations of its blood stream. But at the moment, there was nothing to do. Of course, about five feet away, lay the only gun with ammo left. The gun that had once belonged to Barkley. "Johanson…" Robert said, weakly. "Please.. the gun… give it to me."

Johanson took a gulp and walked over toward the gun. He leaned down to pick it up, and lifted up. Holding the gun, he turned around and began walking toward Robert. Johanson was feeling better now and- A purple scythe struck though his chest, once, and then retreated out. It re-entered his body, piercing his waist. Johanson, screamed, and fell down, throwing the gun forward as he fell.

The claw retreated out again, and this time, Johanson fell; dead. The Zergling walked toward Robert steadily. Robert reached for the gauss rifle, but could only touch it slightly. Closer, the Zergling crept, enjoying every bit of the Targets pain.

Robert cringed and reached closer for the gun, bending himself. The tips of his fingers brushed the smooth cold metal handle of the rifle. Closer… Robert began pulling it toward him, with the tips of his fingers.

The Zergling took another step toward him, and raised its claw high. Robert almost had the gun… The Zergling screamed… His fingers so close…

Yes! Robert grasped the handle of the gun, and pulled it up, so its tip was in the Zerglings face. He pulled the trigger. The entire clip ripped through the Zerglings upper body, and it fell backwards, screeching and moaning in pain. The growling stopped, and the clip ran out.

Exhausted, Robert dropped the gun, and laid back. He had done it. He had killed the dreaded Zergling. In the distance, Robert could hear the cries of Zerglings edging their way toward him. But perhaps; it was only an echo.