Hauling back dead soldiers was never a thought that had crossed Reaper's mind when he originally signed up for the Marines. He'd been so distracted by the trauma's of his life, he failed to notice what new trauma's awaited him in his more violent line of work. In the past four days, Reaper had counted hauling five of his teammates. Four of the were now dead. Mathiss was draped over his shoulders as they walked toward the infirmary. Reaper had closed her eyes before lifting her onto his shoulder. Behind him, Vera brought of the rear carrying Mathiss' weapon.

Unit 2 was still maintaining their position around the ARC door. Cal was kneeling on the ground twenty yards from the door, directly in front of the door. His sniper rifle was in position in case anything emerged from the chamber. Gale stood at his left with Bio and Skeet on his right. Each soldier had their weapons ready.

Sam had situated herself near the corner of the atrium, holding Vera's secondary pistol in her hands. She wasn't as familiar with guns as her brother and the others, but she was familiar enough when it came down to her survival. Still, that wasn't enough for Sam to hold onto the gun like it would save her. She turned toward the airlock, catching the sound of footsteps. Sam gasped quietly as her eyes fell upon her brother and Vera.

Skeet was the next to notice their return. His eyes immediately fell upon Mathiss' dead body on Reaper's shoulder. "What the fuck happened?"

"Imp got her before we could stop it." Reaper answered.

"Did you kill it?" Gale asked.

"Yeah." Reaper nodded. He tossed Skeet Mathiss' secondary tag. He looked from Skeet to Gale, then to Bio to Cal. Two dead, one infected, four left alive. Taylor was making sure his plan succeeded. It infuriated Reaper to no end. Taylor believed he could toy with them all and then ghost the, out of existence. The bastard was about to learn just who he was fucking with. "Cal, maintain a perimeter on the door. I want everyone else to regroup to the Infirmary. Move!"

Everyone seemed uncertain of the order, but slowly moved from their position. Cal maintained his position by the door and watched as the team departed. Reaper kept track of Vera and Sam, both staying near each other as they returned to the infirmary.

"System reboot. Time required to begin renewed operation. Six minutes."

The door hissed and slid open. Reaper made a beeline for the gurney and ;aid Mathiss' body next to Sky's. Two dead. Two soldiers in the exact same manner. It was harsh, but it better than losing them the way Hazard was lost. The fucker was on Earth ripping people apart and infecting others while they were trapped on Olduvai. This mission was just one big fuck up after another. That was what Taylor was counting on with the unit. He was expecting them all to die or become infected.

Reaper sighed heavily and turned his attention to Vera. She was sitting on the desk. several rolls of bandages were set beside her legs with a bottle of antiseptic solution. She held the tattered remains of her sleeve in one hand and her boot knife in the other, carefully cutting away the shreds. Vera cut one after another until her long sleeve was elbow length, freeing the lacerations on her arm. She slid her knife back into her boot and picked up the antiseptic. Reaper watched as the antiseptic washed away the blood and grime from the sewer. It pooled beneath her arm on the desks surface. Sam took the antiseptics and began cleaning Vera's arm.

Reaper walked toward Vera. He came up quickly and quietly. She didn't know he was near her until he lifted the pack from her. Her head spun quickly toward him. Her eyes met his, unsure of what he was doing. Reaper said nothing and stepped away. He looked around the room, gauging the other's reactions. Skeet and Gale stood by the bodies of their friends, but Bio stood by himself. Four soldiers and two civilians. That was Taylor's leverage over him. Do the job or they all die. If he finished they were dead anyway and then it was Earth's turn. Taylor would fuck the entire planet over for the shit in the pack.

Reaper held up the pack, showing everyone. "This is what Taylor's after. The data and the virus."

Skeet's eyes grew wide. He folded his arms, suddenly looking uncertain of what his XO was about to say. Beside him, Gale lowered her gaze, as if she was unable to accept that their freedom was in Reaper's hand. Or was it their death sentence now. Bio seemed-indifferent-to the information.

Continuing, Reaper tossed the pack onto the table near them. "That is what Sky and Mathiss died for. That's what he tried to kill Vera for." he turned toward Sam and Vera to his right. "It's why he sent my sister up here. And that's what Taylor's going to kill us all for."

"If Taylor knows what this stuff does to the wrong body, why risk it in the first place?" Skeet asked.

"For the small percentage that it works on the right body." Vera explained. She stepped away from Sam, her arm finally bandaged. "Think of it from the generals perspective. Find the right host and you have an army of super soldiers. Every dead end host that mutated will be dealt with by his new breed and it'll all be worth it. To him."

"Bottom line, if this pack gets into Taylor's hand back on Earth, everything is dead." Reaper explained. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. "We came up here on orders, Taylor's orders, to find this stuff and bring it back to him. There's no doubt once we get back he'll kill us, either with a gun or with this shit."

"So we're fucked." Gale said.

"Dead if we bring it, dead if we don't." Vera replied.

Reaper nodded. "Yeah. Yeah that's what's waiting for us. But I'd rather die knowing that Taylor can't fucked up Earth with this shit." He scanned the faces around him. "I'm not bringing this shit back. Anyone who wants to take their chances with me, say so now."

The room was silent. All eyes were locked onto Reaper. A Sargent, unit 2's Sargent had just proposed mutiny against a general. The crime itself was punishable by death. Skeet fidgeting where he stood. The corps was his life. This was his career. Yes he'd made some shitty mistakes, getting himself dropped to Unit 2, but he'd been cleaning his shit up. If he listened to Reaper all that would be for nothing. But then, watching Hazards bloodied, twisted face charging him in the ARC chamber. Knowing that that thing will become any number of people back on Earth for Taylor's plan.

Gale was tying not to hyperventilate. Trying not to panic. She had done the same thing when she signed the enlistment papers years ago. Back when she'd been arrested for hacking the FBI mainframe. Enlist or go to prison. At eighteen, the choice wasn't that hard to make. Serve her time and then maybe move the ranks to intelligence. But she couldn't even make his through the low ranks without problems. Now she was faced with even worse crimes to commit.

"I'm in." Cal called through the comms. Skeet and Gale both jumped. They had completely forgotten he had heard the conversation. "I'm looking at strike three anyways. Now its on my terms."

Skeet snorted. "Hell Cal ,you ain't getting anywhere if I ain't watching your back. Count me in."

"So am I." Gale agreed.

Bio shrugged. "Why not?"

Reaper nodded. "Alright. First thing we need to know is exactly what is waiting for us back on Earth."

Gale nodded. "Give me a console and thirty seconds."

"Take your pick. See what you can see at the faculty. Try to raise somebody on the comms." Reaper replied. "Skeet, go with her, cover her. Bio, return to post with Cal. We took out one, but there could be more. Regroup at the ARC chamber when the reboot ends."

"What if Taylor is on the comms?" Gale asked.

Reaper paused. "Tell him the mission has been delayed, but that we have what he wants. No matter what, he ahs to believe we have that pack. If he learns that we're going to fuck him over-"

"He'll ghost us." Skeet finished, shoulder his weapon. Reaper nodded. Skeet adjusted his weapon. "Always thought when I fucked a general it'd be a nice, fine lady general."

Gale shoved skeet's shoulder. "You ass."

Skeet, Gale, and Bio quickly departed. Skeet and Gale headed for the closest control console, taking the opposite route as Bio headed toward Cal at the ARC. The door hissed closed behind them, leaving Reaper, Sam, and Vera in the infirmary.

"Do we have a shot?" Sam asked.

Reaper turned toward his sister. She was still sitting at the table where she had wrapped Vera's arm. She fiddled with a syringe in her hands. It was a nervous habit she picked up when they were younger. Whether it was finals or an interrogation from their parents, Sam would always fidget with something in her hands just to keep her focus.

"More of a shot than obeying Taylor's orders." Vera answered. She had moved to the empty gurney to Sky's left, where his supplies were. She picked up his comm and tactical belt. "And more of a shot than unit 6 had."

Reaper stared at her back as Vera worked at the gurney. He watched her check Sky's secondary weapon for ammo. It was then he noticed the small bulge beneath her top just a few inches below her right shoulder. If she was going to play this game, the so be it, he knew how to play her game. He quietly moved toward her.

"You sure you're up for this?" he asked, knowing that Vera's temper would get the better of her.

Her lips pressed into a tight line and she was silent for a moment. She looked up and met his gaze. "You gonna give me my weapons back?"

Reaper held her hard gaze, watching for the moment when she'd drop her guard, which was the exact same moment she blinked. He moved fast and calculated. Reaper grabbed her shoulder with one hand and her rib cage with the other. A sharp popping sound echoed through the infirmary. His hands dropped from her body the second the rib had been put into place. Reaper stepped back and watched her frozen stature melt into complete anguish.

Vera dropped the gun onto the gurney and clutched the side. Her pale lips parted as an anguished scream pierced through the air. She clenched her jaw, silencing her scream. "Vy syn suka!"

"Don't hide your injuries." He stated, turning from her.

Vera glared daggers at him. Her voice was tight and ice cold. "I don't need your help."

Reaper turned around the look at her. "Right, because you can relocate your own busted rib."

"Managed everything else just fine." she snapped in retaliation.

"Just like your managing your breathing?" Reaper asked. He held her narrowing glare. "Oh you didn't think I'd notice? You sound like a severe asthmatic trying to catch your breath."

"Well that's what happens when your lung is punctured." Vera replied.

"All the more reason why you shouldn't have come here in the first place."

"Where the fuck was I supposed to go?" she demanded. "I was dead."

"Exactly!" Reaper yelled. "Everyone thought you were dead. Taylor thought you were dead. Why not just stay dead and disappear?"

"On prishel za mnoy pervym! " Vera screamed. She looked up from her semi-wrapped arm, her eyes blazing with fury. "Eto mudak pytalsya prizrak menya posle togo kak on podpisal moi razryada rabot. YA ne byl ugrozoy dlya nego i yego oblazhalsya skhem , i on vse yeshche pytalsya ubit' menya ! On prishel za mnoy v pervuyu ochered'." She stepped toward him, closing the space between them step by step. "He wanted me out of his way for a reason and now I know why."

Reaper stepped toward Vera. "Why didn't you come to me? I could've helped. I would've helped."

"That's exactly why I didn't go to you." Vera answered. "If you thought I was dead, you'd get out of RRTS and Taylor would leave you out of this. You'd be safe."

"Didn't quite pan out that way." Reaper said bitterly.

"No shit." Vera replied.

"Did you honestly believe you could take on Taylor by yourself?" Reaper asked.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Vera muttered.

"Seriously." Reaper relied. "Taylor has far more manpower behind him. Did you honestly believe you could steal the data and destroy everything before he realized you were alive? Even if you got past security and managed to get up here, Taylor would've discovered you. He would've been waiting on the surface for you. And then he would've killed you."

"Just like he's waiting for you." Vera reminded, looking up at him. "You can warn your men about what's waiting on the other side of the ARC, but it's not enough. Even if they survive the slaughter, they won't get past Taylor's men. I came down here, knowing I'm going to die. Accepting that this is where I'm going to die. Just to make sure that this bastard doesn't win. And all you have done is act like the coward you are."

Reaper flinched at Vera's cruel, but honest words. He'd come clean about the teams odds, offered them a chance. But she was right, it wasn't enough to make up for the coward he was. He could've told the General to fuck off back on earth, taken the bullets and then killed the men and then the general. But he hadn't. He'd followed the orders. He followed them...like a good little soldier does. Reaper felt his blood turn to ice. He was no better than Sarge. He fucked up more than Sarge ever could. Hell, if he hadn't stopped her, Hazard wouldn't have made it to Earth. This wasn't her fight, but Vera still stepped up like the brutal fighter she is, ready to die for this. He'd seen what she was ready to do to stop Taylor. This was his fight. Always was. And he'd be damned if he let her fight this one for him. He'd watched her die far too many times for his liking, and he wasn't going to let it happen again.

"Vy pravy." Reaper muttered. It was barely loud enough for Vera to catch. "I am a coward. It's this place. This hell. Hasn't let me go yet and its still fucking with my mind. You were right to come here on your own."

Vera was silent.

"I told myself Taylor wasn't going to fuck me over and he still is." Reaper looked up toward Vera. "You were always one to kick my ass when I needed it. Looks like I need it now. And I need you, Vera. You in?"

Vera stared at Reaper for a moment. Her eyes masked whatever thoughts crossed her mind, leaving reaper in limbo for the innumerable time since he'd met her. "What made you think you were going on this suicide run without me?"

Reaper smirked. He reached onto his hip and took out the pistols. He held them out toward Vera. "You might want these back."

Vera took the pistols from him. She slipped one into the holster and one behind her back. "No turning back, John."

"Shouldn't have hesitated in the first place." he replied. He turned toward Sam. "Sam, I want-" the remainder of his sentence died when saw his sister standing up from her wheelchair. She stood next to one of the lab chairs, unwinding the bandage around her leg. The bandages fell to the floor, revealing the tiniest of scaring on her leg. Reaper was completely astounded. In a matter of minutes, five months worth of rehab was completely bypassed. There was no longer any sign of injury beyond the scar, no physical sign of discomfort on Sam's face, nothing to hint that she had been severely injured. There was nothing that could accelerate healing to that degree. Yes, C24 could, but Sam had not bee exposed. Human genetics were nowhere near this close to replicating rapid healing. Except...there had been one attempt known to the world. Reaper turned toward Vera. "BlackPhem."

Vera lowered her gaze from him.

"That was how you accelerated your healing." he continued. "You got black market pharmaceuticals."

"They got me back to fighting condition." Vera explained.

"At the cost of your lung, right?" Reaper reminded. He remembered back when BlackPhem became a real issue, just a few years ago. The excitement it caused was outweighed by the severe disappointment of the side effects of the drug. It did was it was meant to. It healed severe injuries with no repercussions, but not all injuries could be healed properly. The drug wasn't mean to repair respiratory injuries. Patients with lung problems never recovered. In fact, the drug actually made their previous conditions worse, even killed them. the drug was pulled from distribution and labeled illegal. Not long after its recall, it began popping up on the BlackPhem watch list. The had take a mission two years back to stop a BlackPhem shipment from crossing the boarder. He shook his head. "The risks didn't matter the risks, so long as you could stop Taylor, right?"

"Right." she answered.

"Keep your inhaler handy then." Reaper stated. He lifted his weapon and shouldered it.

"System reboot. Time required to begin renewed operations...twenty-one seconds."

"Sam, take the pack and destroy it. Meet us at the ARC Chamber." Reaper removed his backup weapon and handed it to his sister. He turned back to Vera. "Let's move."

Sam turned as her brother and Vera headed toward the door. Her hand shook around the gun in her grasp, not from the weapon itself in her grasp, but from the haunting feeling creeping through her body. Just days ago four bodies of RRTS 6 had lined the gurneys. And Doctor Carmack had been frozen within the nanowall just behind her. It seemed like another lifetime yet it still came back to haunt her. Sam clutched the gun tightly, driving the images of the bloodied infirmary from her mind, and turned toward the rolling table where John had tossed the pack. She froze, staring at the empty table. Sam frowned and walked toward it. It was the right table, wasn't it. Yes, she was certain John had tossed the pack to this very table near her. So what the hell was it gone? Everyone had agreed it was best for them to leave the pack behind...unless someone didn't.

"Shit." Sam muttered. She spun on her heels and sprinted out the door after John.

okay, please tell me this made sense to everyone. I started thinking John kept going back on his decisions and i'm trying not to put him off as indecisive. Hope you guys enjoyed Vera's healing story. Figured I could add some illegal work on her part. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

now fro what you've been waiting for...Russian translations! wow, haven had these in a while. remember when it used to be every chapter? ahh good stories.

Vy syn suka! You son of a bitch!

On prishel za mnoy pervym! Eto mudak pytalsya prizrak menya posle togo kak on podpisal moi razryada rabot. YA ne byl ugrozoy dlya nego i yego oblazhalsya skhem , i on vse yeshche pytalsya ubit' menya ! On prishel za mnoy v pervuyu ochered'.

He came after me first! That asshole tried to ghost me after he signed my discharge papers. I wasn't a threat to him and his fucked up schemes and he still tried to kill me! He came after me first.

Vy pravy . You're right