Starcraft

Lieutenant Corporal Lawrence P Fallows blind fired his standard issue M413 Gauss Rifle over the ridge before poking his head over to look. Suddenly the large bleeding exoskeleton of a small dog-like Zerg known to the Terrans as a Zergling came crashing to the ground and began a collision course with him. He ducked, and the creature soared over his head into the mud and gore of countless marines and other Zerg.

He gazed around searching for the remnants of his squad.

They had been sent to some damn backwater planet on the edge of the galaxy, in the middle of god knows where, by General Duke with orders to "apprehend those damn Sons of Korhal and kill anything that gets in your way."

Duke was a crazy bastard as far as Lawrence was concerned, but orders were orders. He brought his team down to the surface and wouldn't you know it, the Zerg had to show up to crash the party.

That was nine hours ago. In that time the small base camp and half the men they had, had been destroyed and completely massacred. The Zerg had been waiting, they hid in their holes and waited for the marines to let down they guard, but not him, no, no creepy bug is going to take Lieutenant Corporal Lawrence, no sir. Looking around he saw Goddard and Lawson firing into a group of three Hydralisks. Hydralisks were fearsome creatures Lawrence thought. They looked like giant snakes, he hated snakes, the way they slithered around… And the two claws they had not to mention their projectile acid spears. He shivered at the thought of one of those things piercing him. And then as if in answer to his thoughts, a Hydralisk turned to face him and opening it's chest cavity letting out a horrible gurgling growl. In an instant the Hydralisk loosed dozens of the acid covered spines at the Lieutenant. He dove out of the way, raising his rifle to fire round after heated metal round into the creature's grotesque face. Hardened shell and gore sprayed out as the creature fell with a gurgling cry. Lawrence rolled to his feet in time to see Dawson get a spine straight through his face plate. He stumbled backward as the spine pressed through the back of his helmet, and with a weak cry of surprise, fell to the ground.

"Dawson!" Cried Goddard "God damn it, I'll kill you, you cock suckers!"

Goddard then stood and leveled his rifle at the two remaining Hydralisks. The creatures reared preparing another barrage but were cut short by a barrage of bullets from Lawrence's rifle.

"Goddard, this is no time to play hero God damn it!" Lawrence screamed through the COM. "Hail the drop ship, we're getting the fuck out of here"

"But Sir!" Goddard started

"No 'buts' soldier that's an order!" Lawrence yelled.

The lieutenant put out the total recall order on all COM waves. Then ran for the regrouping point, he wasn't dying here, no sir, he was destined for greater things. His mother always said he'd do great things one day.

Just then pain exploded through his right shoulder and he was thrown forward. He ignored the pain and rolled over onto his back. A Zergling was standing over him chittering and making other guttural noises.

"You son of a bitch, you're going to regret that" Said the lieutenant raising his rifle, he took careful aim at the creatures head, and pulled the trigger. Nothing, a dry click echoed just as loudly as gunshot in his head.

"Oh shit," Lieutenant looked at the ammo counter, a blinking red 0 stared back at him.

The Zergling jumped on him and started tearing at the seams of his combat suit, determined to extract the tasty human morsel.

Lawrence used his rifle to throw the creature off him with a well placed bash to the head.

The Zergling landed hard on its back, and rolled onto its feet. It lunged at him just as he was getting up. The monstrosity threw him onto his back and began once again stabbing at the seams of his armor with its foot and a half long scythe-like claws.

"You fucker, you won't take me!" screamed the lieutenant, just then the creature was blasted off him, engulfed in flames.

The lieutenant rolled to his feet pointed his empty rifle in the direction of the new assailant. And there stood Corporal Desmond, the squad's Firebat. Dressed in thick layers of armor to protect against the heat of his large flamethrower, he stood like a flaming angel to the lieutenant. He dropped his rifle and recommenced his run to the rally point. Suddenly the ground gave out under him, he cried out in surprise. A Zerg hole he realized. The bastards must have tunneled all over the place around here. His hand was caught by Desmond who looked down at him, determination in his eyes. Just as he began to be pulled up, Lawrence felt excruciating pain in his leg, and cried out in agony. He looked down to see a Zergling. The bastard had put a claw straight through his armor and through his shin. The sight of his blood running down the creature's large claw made him sick. Suddenly he was distracted by horrid screams coming from above him; he looked up to see Desmond with green spines sticking out of his shoulders. Desmond lost his grip on him, and he fell. He seemed to fall for ages, even though it was merely a few feet. He landed on his back and shook his head trying to gain his senses, and then he saw the Zergling looming over him. The creature's pitch black eyes showed nothing of intellect or feeling, just cold blood-lust and hunger. He tried to roll over but cried out in pain when he felt his shin bone break what was left of the intact skin and poke into the inner lining of his armor. Then everything was a blur, for fifteen seconds all he felt was such immense pain, he begged for death. The Zergling had torn open the back of his suit and began tear at his back attempting to pull him out. He was hauled out of his suit and thrown to the ground. There, the Zergling stabbed his claws into his back and ripped out his spine. He felt nothing else, his last thoughts of his mother; she was looking down at him, saying…something, he couldn't make sense of it. Then he remembered she looked at him and said softly "You're destined for great things Lawrence, I can tell."

Corporal Desmond watched his lieutenant fall and knew it was over for him. The ensuing screams he heard from below were merely confirmation. He reached behind him and felt the corrosive spines protruding from his shoulder; he knew if he couldn't get them out they would soon start to burn him internally. He grabbed one of the spines, it sizzled against his palm but he held on and pulled. He gritted his teeth and exhaled as he pulled out the spine.

Suddenly he heard a growling from behind him, his mind made the connection, the spines must have come from somewhere. He ducked as he spun and saw a group of four snakelike hydralisks moving up behind him, he unleashed a gout of flame into their midst. The creatures screamed in agony as their shells burned and they roasted alive. All four crashed to the ground in a heap twitching before the light left their eyes.

Desmond took one last look into the hole where the Lieutenant had fallen and then ran for the rally point.