Downfall

Mickey pressed himself to the wall. He held his breath as his ears strained to hear the words that pretty Gallagher had said. His plan had been to slowly reveal himself. Then get them to follow him back to his freezer. Once the monsters were gone from the area, maybe he could help them back to their ship. He lifted his arm and quickly pulled up his scanner. Shit! The monster was practically on top of them!

Mickey took a deep breath and pushed away from the wall. He held up his hands. His eyes widened. All three were looking at him! Caleb wasn't watching the stairs! Mickey pulled out his plasma cutter, a power tool that shot energy pulses, used to chip away at large rocks. "Turn around!" He snapped. But it seemed like everything moved in slow motion. Mickey lifted his cutter and pointed it at the monster ambling down the stairs.

Gallagher lifted his rifle up, pointing it right at him. "Drop your weapon!"

The monster darted in closer. For something so large and cumbersome, it could move quickly and silently. A lot of them could. It almost resembled the person it once was, if Mickey closed his eyes and squinted. It was missing an arm and it's jaw had two large, almost horn like things jutting out the bottom. It's skin was pulled and twisted and in some places, hardly covering the thick muscle underneath. Caleb didn't even get a chance to scream. The monster darted forward and pulled him to the ground. Caleb managed to flip over and his eyes widened seconds before the grotesque thing opened its twisted mouth, its jaws extending wider than it should. Then it dipped forward and engulfed Caleb's entire head. It ripped it clear off, snapping it off at the man's neck.

Small Man was the closest and was splashed with blood. He stumbled back a step as Gallagher lifted his gun, his hands shaking a bit as he pulled the trigger and shot round after round into the monster's chest. The thing dropped Caleb's body, blood pooling onto the floor. It turned it's twisted body towards them.

Mickey rushed closer. "Helmets!" He snapped. "It's contagious!" He didn't wait to see if they listened. He aimed for the monster's left leg and shot at it. "Limbs!" He shouted and shot a few more rounds. They had to get it down and fast, before more were attracted. The fuckers could really move when they tried. Another shot severed the leg and a pool of black blood coated the floor. The monster let out a terrible shriek and it's other leg was severed seconds later by Gallagher and Short Man. The thing dropped to the floor and let out another blood curdling shriek. It used it's single long, sharp forearm to pull itself forward, stabbing into Caleb's body as it moved over it.

"How the fuck..." The Short Man gasped and staggered back a step. "Ian..." HIs voice wavered a bit.

"Uh... guy?" Gallagher asked, turning towards him.

Mickey rolled his eyes as he pointed his cutter and shot at the remaining arm. "All the fuckin' limbs!" He snapped. He shot a direct hit and slicked through the monster's shoulder. It dropped to the floor completely but it was still coming, half rolling and half scraping along the floor with it's weird horned jaws. "Fall back." Mickey snapped. "I got this shit." He darted forward, jumping to the side when it tried to snap its twisted jaws at him. The limbless creature tried to roll over on its side, towards Mickey, and continued to snap its jaws. Mickey hooked his cutter back to his RIG and reached over to grab Caleb's pulse rifle. It was a model he was familiar with and he was able to disconnect the trigger in a second. He held it like a bat and swung as hard as he could. He caught the monster in the face and tore off one side of its lower jaw. Then he jumped on it, standing over it, and started slamming the butt of the rifle into the thing's face. The skull collapsed easily. Mickey bashed into it a few more times, not stopping or slowing down until he crushed the thing's neck and chest.

He was breathing hard as he let his arms fall to his sides. The barrel of the rifle touched the ground. It felt heavy suddenly but he didn't drop it. Both it and his whole RIG was splashed with blood and guts. He could feel it. He turned towards the two men, both standing, facing him, with their rifles lowered. Mickey was glad he couldn't see their faces.

A scraping sound above them stilled them all. All three of them turned their heads up, staring at the ceiling.

"Fuck!" Mickey breathed out. More were on the way. Of course more where on the fucking way! He lifted his arm and called up his display. He logged into his freezer terminal and cycled through all the hydroponics cameras quickly. It looked empty. He opened the door. "Gallagher." He called out and waved at him.

The man seemed to snap out of it. He stepped forward. "Yeah?"

"You're gonna gun." Mickey said, stepping closer. Damn, how tall was this fucking guy? He brought up the map and drug a line through the hall. "Down the hall, to the right, to Hydroponics. Big fuckin' sign. Right inside the door, turn left, giant ass freezer. Don't look like a freezer anymore. But the doors will be open."

"But what..." The man started to say.

"Fuckin' run!" Mickey snapped, pushing him. "I'll be right behind you."

Gallagher nodded his head and waved at Short Man. "You hear that?" The other man nodded and the two turned.

Mickey waited a moment. Then he pulled his cutter back out and turned. He bent over Caleb's body and pressed the cutter to the arm. He shot a round off and the arm went flying. He did it again to the other arm and then moved down to the legs.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Ian heard the shots being fired and stopped. He glanced back down the hall.

"Ian!" Trevor snapped, slowing and doubling back towards him. "The crazy dude said run!"

"Did you hear that?" Ian asked, ignoring Trevor's words. "He's firing at something."

Trevor shook his head. "The guy looks like he can handle himself just fine."

Ian gripped his rifle hard for a moment and nodded his head. He'd already decided ,the moment he heard the first shot. "I'm going back."

Trevor stepped closer, raising his hand. "Ian, did you fucking see what just happened to Caleb? We need to run!"

Ian glanced back at him. "Find the freezer thing and wait, okay?"

"Ian..."

"I'm still captain!" Ian said forcefully. "That's an order!"

"Fuck!" Trevor turned and ran, holding his rifle out.

Ian spun around and raced back down the hall. He thought he'd come running around the corner to see the stranger being overrun by the... things. Whatever they were. The thing that... Caleb... Caleb was gone... Ian shook his head as he ran. They all knew the risks. They knew the danger when they signed up. He would grieve for his maybe sort of friend later. So yes. Ian was sure the stranger needed saving. But when he printed back down the redlined hall, that was not what he found.

The stranger was standing over Caleb's dismembered body. He picked up one of Caleb's arms and tossed it away. Then he bent down and rifled through the remains of the monster. He picked up a still bleeding chuck of arm and turned. He still had Caleb's pulse rifle, the gun covered in guts and barely visible.

Ian swallowed the forming lump in his throat and he was glad he was wearing his helmet.

"You fuckin' suck at following orders, Red." The stranger barked out as he stepped towards him.

Ian stepped to the side, awkwardly faltering as the guy brushed past. "I uh... heard... you firing..." He mumbled and moved to keep up. "I thought you were in trouble..."

"Nope." The guy said. "Don't survive however fuck long's it been without knowing what the fuck to do." He lowered the bleeding chuck of arm or leg or whatever it was and let it drag along the floor.

Ian glanced back at the smeared trail it was making. "What... what were you doing... with Caleb's body?"

"Gotta dismember the dead." He said. "The mutated ones, too. Cuz they just keep coming. Usually stop when ya get the head. Usually." He added, stressing the word. "But ta get close enough ta get the head, gotten get 'em down on the ground. An' they don't stop."

Ian tightened his grip on his rifle and glanced back. He could hear something, like scraping. "Uh... are they..."

"Take this." The stranger held out the arm chuck. Ian tried not to hesitate but his hand wavered a bit as he reached out for it. He took it and lowered it to the ground as the guy pulled up his display. "Sometimes it works." The guy explained. "Using their blood and shit to mask the living scent."

"Not always?" Ian asked.

The guy shook his head as he lifted his arm and tapped on his display. "They eat each other, too, so..." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's hit or miss." He stopped for a moment and turned, stepping closer to Ian. He held his arm out and pointed at his display. A larger, fatter monster thing was leaning over the dismembered pieces. "This type ya gotta be careful with. They got these uh... little parasite things growing in their bellies. Ya shoot the belly, and they come flying out at ya."

Ian looked away quickly. "So it was you, then?" He said, changing the subject for a moment.

"What?" The man asked, lowering his arm and starting forward again, walking slowly down the hall.

"The camera." Ian said, falling in step with him. "Trevor said he saw it move."

"Trevor the short man?" He asked.

Ian glanced over at him and smiled under his helmet. "You're calling him short? You guys are like the same height."

The guy shrugged. "Still shorter than you and Caleb."

Ian tilted his head to the side. "Just how long were you watching us?"

"Long enough." The guy answered.

Ian lifted his rifle, holding it out in front of the guy and stopping him for a moment. "You called me Gallagher." He said bluntly.

The guy let out a snort and shook his head. He extended his arm and pointed at Ian's nametag. "Zoomed in and saw it."

Ian glanced down at his RIG. He'd forgotten about the nametag. "You zoomed in?" He asked, looking back at him. "On me?"

He shrugged again. "You got a pretty face." He said it in an easy and calm voice. Then he grabbed the bloodied arm chunk from Ian's grip and tossed it away. "That's good enough. C'mon." The guy started off down the hall, faster this time.

Ian sprinted to catch up with him. "Did you just call me pretty?"

He shrugged. "Might have. Been alone for a while." He slowed as they reached Hydroponics. He turned and pointed through the overgrown plants. "Can't be held responsible for what I say. Shit just comes out."

Ian glanced around for a moment. "Calling me pretty just came out?"

"Yep." The guy answered.

They rounded the corner and the freezer came into view. Trevor was pacing back and forth outside the door. "Quit fucking flirting and get in here!" Trevor snapped. "I'm freaking the fuck out!"

Ian glanced at him. "You heard us?"

Trevor turned slightly and pointed at something inside. "The cameras keep changing and I could hear you over them."

Ian stepped closer and peered inside. He looked around the large space. There were two thin mattresses, placed side by side, along one wall. The other wall was lined with computer equipment and a small refrigerator. The floor was littered with clothes, trash, and Ian really wasn't sure what else. It was a mess. "Are you living inside?" He asked, turning slightly to look back at the stranger.

The guy was looking down at his display. "Get inside." He hissed lowly.

Ian straightened up. "Why?"

His fingers flew over his display for a moment and then the doors to the freezer started to squeal. The man dropped his arm and then surged forward. He pushed Ian inside the freezer before slipping inside. The doors slammed shut and locked with a loud click.