Blow Me Away

Fire your guns,
It's time to run,
Blow me away.

I caught up with Mac and headed toward the archaeological dig, Reaper seemed a little more on edge than normal but I didn't press the matter. This place had everyone on edge.

"Pinky, we're entering the archaeological dig site now." Sarge called into his mic. I took the back as Reaper and Sarge entered the pitch black space through a thick airtight door followed by Mac. My eyes scanned left and right before i followed after with my weapon raised.

We descended a set of stairs that led into a room that had lines of lights running, I assumed they had their own power source. Rock samples and digging equipment sat on a table a couple feet in front of us. I walked further toward the center of the dig sight and stopped to see John staring at pictures and samples in the room. It felt eerie being in here, it was almost like entering a graveyard.

"Mac secure the exit" Sarge called to Mac. Mac nodded and fell behind.

We entered what seemed like a tools room, it was neatly packed with tools varying from chisels to chain saws. I had no idea why they'd need a chainsaw up here. I took the middle and Sarge took the rear surprisingly. Suddenly the whole tunnel shook and i sank into a crouch with my rifle aimed at the source of the sound. I felt a small object slam against my boot and I immediately directed my rifle down to illuminate the object. It was a rock. There must have been a rock slide.

"Move ahead, it's clear" My fingers shakily held down the button on my earpiece as my heart rate began to steady. Rocks crunched under my boots as i moved forward and a stationary object caught my light. Reaper stared at the pile of rocks with fear hidden under his soldier exterior until his eyes flickered up into my light. I wouldn't have been more than a metre away and it was like he didn't hear what i said by the look on his face.

"You good?"I asked firmly and received a small nod.

"Sin, move ahead and search for the airlock" Sarge ordered, I nodded and patted Reaper's shoulder as I moved forward into the dark tunnels. I kept my weapon raised through the dark corridors. I had a no idea where I was going I just followed the engraved plates that were mounted at every corner

"Air lock" I mouthed and scanned one of the signs with my light until my eyes landed 'Air lock'.

"Air lock straight ahead" I said softly and moved out. I felt somewhat more secure on my own knowing Sarge wasn't waiting for me to screw up. My rib cage still burned with every step as i rounded a corner to the left and had to double take on what i saw.

"Shit" I whispered as my eyes landed on two bodies that looked exactly the same as Carmack.

The look of fear was unmistakable. Both had been mauled to death and blood was sprayed in all directions. One of them had his head snapped around at 180 degrees so his body was face down but his head looked up to the ceiling. My finger tapped against the side of my rifle as I crouched over the first body and slowly leaned forward to glance at the name tag. His intestines hung on the handle of the door and draped back to his body where his mouth was opened wide in horror. My hand grasped his name tag that was attached to his lab coat and i slowly detached it. I outstretched my left leg over the body and swayed toward the man whose head was snapped around, just staring at me. I recognized the claw marks that ripped into his organs from the wounds on my ribcage and cheek.

His eyes were pried open in horror and blood splattered the outside of his mouth. He choked on his own blood. I hesitantly reached forward and ripped off his name tag before crouching back to the other body. The familiar feeling of nausea washed over me and I quickly rose to my feet.

"Sarge, You might like to see this" I called into my mic and shined my light on the two tags.

"Clay and Thurman" I whispered. Shit…these guys didn't even stand a chance.

Sarge appeared behind me in seconds.

"Meet Doctor Clay" I stood and shined my light on the man who had his back ripped open. "And Thurman" I turned to the scientist that was slumped in a corner.

"Look at them. They weren't to stop something from getting in. Something stopped them from getting out." Sarge observed just as Reaper walked in.

"Mac stand by. Destroyer, report." Sarge spoke into his mic.

"We've reached the north airlock. It's secure. Console indicates nothing come in or out for twenty-six hours." Destroyer replied quickly

I heard a deafening roar through my ear piece and quickly pulled it out of my ear. Chills ran up my spin when I heard the same terrifying roar echoing through the tunnels.

Shit..Mac was down there.

"Mac!" I yelled into my mic and placed my ear piece back in before sprinting down the tunnel with my weapon raised.

"Mac do you copy?" Sarge's voice echoed through my ear as I ran with Reaper close behind. Shit…the stitches on my ribcage burned with every movement.

"Talk to me. Talk to me Mac." Sarge yelled desperately.

"Oh, Fuck!" I stopped in my tracks at the sight of what my light had caught. Mac's decapitated head lay a few feet from his body along with a pool of blood.

Reaper said nothing he just reached down and ripped off Mac's dog tags.

"Shit" Sarge murmured.

A thunderous growl caused me to quickly raise my weapon and turn, it sounded like it was coming from behind us. I looked to Reaper with determination then to Sarge who nodded and I moved forward. I could sense Reaper close behind me, I glanced to my left and squinted into the darkness.

"Come on you son of a bitch" I whispered.

"Contact!" John opened fire and sprinted after it. I quickly leapt into action and chased after him.

"We're in pursuit, moving fast out of the dig!" Sarge's voice echoed in my ear.

We rounded a corner and Reaper started firing again, I couldn't take a clear shot with John in front so I took a short cut and turned down a corridor to cut it off.

Pinky what do you see?" Sarge asked through the comms.

"It's big. Very big. Moving fast, back towards the lab complex."

I came out at the closed door of the Lab and shined my light down the corridor to see the creature charging at me. I quickly sank into a crouch and pulled the trigger of my rifle, shit…not again. The creature didn't even seemed fazed, just pissed off. I gasped as it dug its claws into my shoulders and slammed me against the wall. The floor collided with my stomach and in a daze I used my elbows to prop my body up. My rifle was still strapped to my shoulder but lay a few centimeters in front of me. I looked to the weapon and quickly reached for it with a groan before rolling on to my back, narrowly missing a strike from the creature. The demon brought it's talon's down toward my face, I rolled to the side once more to avoid another strike and leaped into a crouch.

The power of the rifle caused a small smirk to form on my lips as i fired two bullets into the beast and it hissed in pain but it didn't slow down. I braced myself for impact as it grabbed onto my shoulders and threw my body like a rag doll into the ceiling. A stinging sensation burned through my skull as it collided with the ceiling light, smashing the casing to smithereens. Suddenly gunshots rang out and the creature hissed before slamming me chest first into the hard floor on a bed of glass.

I smacked my head hard but it almost seemed like the thing opened the door by itself. A slight grunt escaped my lips and i tried to push my cut up body off the floor with my elbows.I couldn't breathe, my lungs wouldn't inflate. shit,I was dying. Slowly my eyes began to get heavier and my vision became fuzzy.

"Sin?!".

"Fuck" I hissed as my fingers curled around the strap of my gun and I dragged it closer. Shit. My legs buckled as I forced them into a crouching position and stumbled back, colliding with the corridor wall.

"Sin" John said softly as he crouched down beside me.

My breathing sounded like a raspy wheeze and i coughed as fluid rose in my chest. It felt like being suffocated and choked at the same time. No matter how many times i tried to cough up the fluid, it just rose higher and higher until i could no longer breath. Shit. Something wasn't right.

"Sin" John grabbed my shoulders and I quickly shook him off as instant pain burned through my arms from the pressure.

"Collapsed lung" I groaned between wheezing coughs and unzipped my vest to release some pressure.

Reaper reached into his side pocket and pulled out a small needle before glancing back up to me.

"Hold still"

I nodded wearily as he moved my vest out of the way and felt for a gap between my rib cage. My hand instinctively gripped onto his arm as he moved his hand back and inserted the needle into my right lung.

"Fucking, Son of a bitch!" I hissed in pain and jolted forward but he pushed me back with his forearm as he ripped out the metal object.

My airways were suddenly flooded with an income of oxygen and I leaned my head against the wall in relief.

"Shit" He looked at me with wide eyes and I looked at him with the same expression until my mind stopped racing and i focused toward the lab door.

"AH FUCK!" I cursed painfully and released my grip from his uniform. I could barely think straight from the aching of my ribs as I quickly leaped to my feet. The creature, it was inside the lab.

"Stay here" Reaper said softly as if he knew what I was thinking and gripped onto the front of my vest.

"Not in this lifetime" I added firmly and harshly pulled my vest free of his grip before shouldering my weapon.

"Valkery!" John called after me as I jogged toward the sealed door.

"Sin?" Sarge interrupted my thinking through the comms.

"Yes, sir?" I replied while unlatching the door and bursting into the lab with my rifle aimed.

"What's your position?"

"Lab complex" Reaper replied from behind me as I flicked on the lights and illuminated the room. Nothing but empty desks and equipment.

Clear" I sighed and walked further into the white room. Where the hell did it go?!

"Valkery, let it go"

"The bastard couldn't have vanished, John" I replied firmly and inched toward a closed door.

Reaper and i gave each other the same look as i reached for the handle and he raised his weapon.

I held up my fingers in count down and my fingers gripped tighter around the handle as i reached two.

One!

The door slammed open and i quickly shined my light into the dark. Nothing but brooms and mops.

Suddenly I was spun around and pushed up against the wall with a forearm across my throat. My natural instinct was to lift my rifle but it was pinned at my side.

"Next time you report fucking contact" Asher hissed in my face and I raised an eyebrow.

"Sarge" John intervened but Asher shoved him back by his chest with his free hand. Reaper stumbled back in surprise and looked at him with disbelief.

"Reaper, search for any door, vent or pipe the Imp could have escaped from" Sarge said firmly then focused back. John gave me a look and i nodded for him to leave.

"Next time I'm being mauled by fucking E.T i'll be sure to ask him politely to stop so I can report contact" I responded in the same menacing tone and he removed his forearm from my throat.

"I don't care if you are on the brink of death, you report contact" Sarge ordered and stepped back but I stepped forward.

"Just remember who you're talking to. This is my mission" I hissed in his face and his jaw clenched in anger before he followed after John.

I breathed out deeply and moved toward a metal bench before leaning against it.

Bloodied footprints stained the once clean floor and led to the air lock, damn this creature was smart.

"Shit" I hissed as blood ran into my vision and I reached to wipe it away. Fuck my ribs hurt. I immediately threw my head back in pain as i zipped up the front of my vest and groaned inwardly as the Kevlar compressed against my body. I lost the goddamn creature. Shit!

My fingers gripped around the metal edge as i swayed on the spot and placed my rifle down. Blood streamed down my shoulders from the deep claw marks the creature left.

"Fuck" I softly touched around the area on my right shoulder and winced at the pain.

I could sense Reaper watching me from the other side of the room and I glanced up with a neutral expression.

"Find it?"

He didn't say anything but strode toward me with an unreadable expression.

"Look at me" John said softly and forced my chin up with his hand while swinging his rifle around his back.

"You have glass stuck in your wound" Reaper stated and wiped the blood away from my eye with his thumb.

"Well, I did get thrown into a ceiling light" I said flatly, the cut was in the exact same spot as my scar to the side of my eyebrow. I was less than impressed.

"You got cut up real good" Reaper observed and pushed my chin up so he could get a better look at it.

"You should see the other guy" I mused and received a frown from John as he let go of my chin and inched closer to dab at the wound with a pad he had prepared.

"Sit" He ordered.

"I'll live" I added and reached for my weapon but he pushed it away.

"Sit" He repeated irritably and I glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll live" I repeated and took a step past him.

I heard him breathe out in frustration before my legs were swept out from underneath my body and I was lifted bridal style. I wriggled as i was placed down lightly on the metal table..

"J-"

"Valkery, sit down and shut up"

I clenched my jaw in anger and sucked air between my teeth as he applied quick clot to the wounds on my shoulders.

"Try that shit again and you'll be breathing through a tube" I hissed and a smirk formed on his lips.

"I'm sure of it" He replied.

"You better well be"

"You better get the wounds on your shoulder's looked at" He glanced at me, ignoring my comment.

"I'll live" I responded, only to receive his usual hard ass glare.

"Do it or i might just end up breathing through a tube" He said softly and glanced down into my bluish green eyes.

"Damn it's fast!" Sarge walked into the room and Reaper immediately stepped back. I didn't realise how close he was to me but it wouldn't have been more than 20 centimeters.

"Did you get it?" Kid appeared in the doorway next to me and I snapped my head in his direction while John raised his Rifle.

"Shit, Kid" John hissed and lowered his weapon. Portman and Destroyer appeared in the doorway a few seconds after the Kid.

Sarge shook his head and glanced in my direction.

"What happened to you?" Portman asked with a hint of amusement.

"I ran into your biological mother" I hissed and he simply scoffed.

"All round defence men!" Sarge ordered and we circled up.

"Pinky." Sarge called into his mic.

Yes Sarge? Pinky answered.

"Anything gets through that door, use an ST grenade! It can not get back to Earth!" Sarge ordered. If that thing got loose on earth, it would be the end of the human race.

"No, if he pops an ST in there he's going to blow the Ark!" Portman cried, at this point I don't think any of us thought we would make it back to the Ark.

"Reaper, Kid drop Sin off at the infirmary then sweep the floors, go" Sarge ordered.

"Wha…"

"Let's go Sin" Reaper basically dragged me by my arm.