Hey everyone, sorry it's been so long since I last updated, I'm currently caught up in reading a few books. Once I finish these books I will definitely be more active. Just a heads up, this chapter has slight gore in it, nothing serious but I thought I need to warn you.
Short bursts of gunfire erupted near the tree line, drawing Artimus' attention towards it. He couldn't see what was happening very well, but what he did manage to see caused immediate alarm to cross his face. Hundreds upon hundreds of jet black creatures were making their way out of the dense forest and charging the small marine groups and Xenomorph Guards.
The Xenomorph Guards stood out like rocks jutting from a harsh sea, forcing the creatures aside as they held their ground. The Guards seemed to finally be pushing the Xenomorphs back, but that changed when a large crashing came from the forest. Shortly after the crashing several extremely large Xenomorphs emerged, charging towards the startled Xenomorph Guards.
Artimus had called Varrek over and had sent an emergency signal to the drop ship that had brought them there. The pilots had said they would get there as soon as possible, but it would be at least five minutes. Artimus swore under his breath, but knowing that there was nothing that he could do to make the ship come any faster.
Varrek had made it to Artimus' side, feeling something strange happen to him. He felt as if there was something that he had needed to do, something that he was about to accomplish. Varrek grabbed hold of Artimus and hugged him, feeling Artimus return the gesture.
The constant drum of firing guns was dying down and was replaced by screams of the fallen men being dragged away into the forest. Varrek had seemed terrified, and while Artimus knew that they would be saved, Varrek was acting as if he was about to die.
Varrek tightened his grip on Artimus, not even sure why himself. Artimus struggled a bit, having clear breathing issues at how tight Varrek was squeezing him. Varrek didn't seem to notice it, he didn't seem to notice anything. How could he notice anything with the blaring white noise in his head, drowning out his every thought. He saw the world around him, but it was colourless and had no meaning, he saw Artimus in his arms but didn't know who he was.
Artimus was now trying to free himself from Varrek, noticing how still he had become. Varrek wasn't moving at all, and Artimus thought that he may have stopped breathing altogether. Varrek just seemed to squeeze him tighter and tighter, and Artimus knew that if he couldn't get out of Varrek's grip soon it would be the death of him.
Varrek didn't even notice, let alone register Artimus trying to break free of his grip. His mind had gone blank, he couldn't think over the noise, couldn't see over it. He had to get rid of it, but how could he. He tried to think of a way but his thoughts were washed away again, and he felt something crack in between his arms. Varrek didn't know or care what had cracked, he just knew he couldn't let go.
Artimus screamed as his arm fractured and snapped, breaking ribs and tearing skin. Varrek was still gripping him tighter and Artimus had started calling for help, he was certain that he was going to die. Varrek squeezed tighter, forcing Artimus' body to compact into itself, sending two ribs through one of his lungs. Artimus coughed blood onto Varrek's chest, feeling lightheaded. He was actually thankful for that conscious was slipping away from him.
The pain had become unbearable and Artimus went limp in Varrek's arms, letting blood drip from his mouth and onto Varrek's arm. Varrek finally let go of Artimus, feeling like enormous weights had been lifted from him, as if he had just finished some unknown life mission. His head began to clear and he felt his thoughts coming back, the noise was ebbing away and Varrek was slowly becoming aware of his surroundings.
It didn't take him long to find Artimus crumpled in a heap on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. Varrek panicked at the sight, screeching for help as he violently shook Artimus. Varrek didn't know much about what people needed to live, but he knew that if Artimus didn't wake up soon then he wouldn't wake up at all.
Varrek picked Artimus up, letting his head loll onto his shoulder as he held him. Varrek held Artimus tightly, but also gently, not wanting to hurt him. He didn't know what had happened, he didn't know how Artimus had got hurt but he needed to find help. Varrek felt Artimus' heartbeat weakening, and his breathing becoming shallow, he needed someone to help him now.
Varrek screamed at the giant metal box that had brought them to the ground, it had fire shooting out of it and was slowly making its way to the ground. The pilot landed the ship and sent out a message to everyone on his channel to start retreating towards the drop ship, so that they could be safely evacuated off planet.
Varrek charged at the metal box, slamming his free hand against its side, trying to tear pieces of metal off so that he could get inside. He heard something behind him and turned around to see a part of the ship had opened up, he ran towards it, trying to find help as soon as possible. Several marines were toppled to the ground as a Xenomorph burst into the ship, frightening everyone that saw it.
They would have shot the Xenomorph if not for the person it was carrying. The Xenomorph ran over to one of the marines that was still standing and started shoving Artimus towards him, trying to make him fix him. The marine didn't know what was happening, but t didn't take him long to figure out that they needed a medic.
The marine called out and two people wearing all white quickly rushed around a corner, one of them slipping over as it saw the Xenomorph. Varrek saw the new people, he had seen people that looked like them before, they were for fixing people, they could fix Artimus! Varrek quickly ran towards them holding Artimus with his arms outstretched, trying to make the people understand.
It didn't take the medics long to realise that the Xenomorph was trying to help, it must have been the one that was from the science ship. They quickly took Artimus and started rushing towards a room, Varrek went to follow but screeched in surprise when he was flung from his feet. He was pulled out of the ship by one of the larger Xenomorphs, being held by his tail and suspended in mid-air.
Marines rushed into the other side of the ship, no sparing a glance at their comrades that had fallen. They were desperate to escape with their lives, some even throwing their guns down so that they could run faster. They had never seen such a large amount of Xenomorphs before, and they didn't want to find out how much more there was.
The medics didn't even glance back when the saw the Xenomorph fly backwards, they just focused on carrying Artimus. Varrek struggled to get free, he had to make sure that Artimus would be ok, he had to make sure that the people could fix him. He twisted agilely upwards, grabbing hold of the hand that was holding his tail and sending his inner mouth through it. A bellowing roar could be heard as Varrek was dropped to the ground, the larger Xenomorph clearly surprised that Varrek had attacked him.
Varrek didn't care, he needed to get to Artimus. He started running back towards the metal box but was forced to the ground as a shockwave blasted through the air. Varrek didn't know what was happening, that was until he saw the metal box start rising into the air. He desperately tried to get to it, desperately tried to get to Artimus, but no matter how hard he tried the metal box was just to fast.
Varrek screeched at the box, begging it to stop, but it wouldn't. The ship had lifted off immediately when the electric fence finally gave into a full collapse, letting the whole hoard of the Xenomorphs through. They couldn't risk being stuck on the ground with that amount of Xenomorphs heading towards them.
They heard screams and pleas to wait through their headsets, but they couldn't wait any longer. Ignoring the pleas and cries the pilots set the ship the full thrust, sending it rocketing upwards. Below them the remaining marines quickly created a semi-circle, trying to fend off as many Xenomorphs as they could.
The pilots watched in horror as the marines were swiftly overtaken, like being washed away in a sea of black.
Varrek screeched and sobbed, telling the box to stop but it kept going. It was leaving him behind, it was keeping him away from Artimus. Varrek fell to the ground, still screeching and wailing, but was quickly silenced by a quick thud to the head. The few living marines, as well as Varrek, were being pulled back into the depths of the forest.
Varrek felt sore, he felt like he had fallen through one of the venting fans of the ship and tried to take in his surroundings. He was standing, which he found strange, seeing that he had only just woken up. He tried to move his hands in front of him but found that he wasn't able to, and the same going for his legs.
It didn't take him long to notice the thick black layer of chitin like substance covering his wrists, ankles, and neck. He felt dazed at first, but slowly his memories were coming back to him. He remembered being it in the head, but why was he hit? What was he doing when he was hit? He was helping Artimus, Artimus was hurt and needed his help. Artimus was hurt!
Varrek remembered, he remembered how he needed the people to fix him, how they left him behind. He didn't know what to do, letting out quiet screeches that sounded like sobs. He kept going like this until a figure walked into the room. It wasn't a person, it didn't look anything like human. It was like him, like the others on the ship he had been on. But why was it here? How did it get out of its room? Where was its room?
The questions stopped filling his mind when a sharp high pitched sound shot through his head, causing him to screech in pain. His hands and feet twitched and he shook his head, trying to get rid of the sound, but it only seemed to make it worse. The noise went on for hours, but Varrek was barely able to take a minute of it, and eventually his mind gave way, his head leaning to the side and drool freely leaking out of his open mouth.
The noise stopped eventually, but Varrek didn't recover. He was fed by the mouths of other Xenomorphs, he didn't know anything about it, he didn't even know he was being fed. He didn't have any thoughts, any memory, any feelings, he didn't have anything. He was just an empty shell now, a shell that was being forced to stay alive.