Apparently, after a few minutes of conversing with Duke, they were resting in the Ark room. There was a run-in with some zombies, who literally jumped out of no where and almost chopped Kid's head off… again. Luckily there were only a few and no one was hurt. Reaper and I were now very close to them, and personally I couldn't wait to reunite with my boys. It felt like I had been away from them for too long.
They noticed our entrance immediately, and I saw relief written all over their faces. Duke smiled in my direction and gave me a knowing look with a wink. I cocked an eyebrow at the gesture, but quickly shrugged it off. Reaper was greeted with an embrace by Sam, whispering her concerns for him in his ear. Duke didn't tell her where her brother had gone after they left the storage room, so she only assumed the worst had happened. I smiled in their direction, and he glanced at me with a small smirk. His sister hadn't embraced him like this in a long time, and it made him so happy to know what it felt like again. He really loves her, despite the past, and the thought warmed my heart. It made me long for my brother at that moment. Duke then approached me, drawing my attention to him. He took me into an embrace, which shocked me all the way to suspicion. Duke doesn't usually hug me, unless I almost died of course.
"Ya'll used protection right?" He asked cheekily in my ear. I would have ripped him up right at that moment, but there were too many witnesses.
"What the fuck are you talking about Duke?" I came back, frustrated.
"You and Reaper were gone for a while." He hinted.
"We did not have sex, are you crazy?" I whispered in shock.
"Ah, but something happened! You didn't deny that!" He whispered ecstatically. I pulled back from the embrace and cocked an annoyed eyebrow at him. "What? Think your best friend doesn't know when you're in love?"
"How the hell would you think of something like that?" I asked in shock, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.
"You don't think I notice the difference in how you act when he's around, Ice. You might not, but I do."
I wanted to slap him, but I loved him too much. Instead I just gave a slight smile and leaned in.
"Say a word and you're dead." I threatened playfully. He just nodded triumphantly.
"Did you guys set the bombs in that sector?" He asked.
"Uh… no." I answered slowly, turning towards Reaper. He cursed to himself and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Sorry Duke. It kinda… slipped my mind." He apologized, and I chuckled inside as he glanced in my direction.
"It's ok. When the other three sectors collapse, nothing will be getting in or out of this facility. Whatever's in there will suffocate when the air runs out." I stated. He just nodded, and after a few seconds of looking over the civilians, he continued.
"We're less than ten minutes away from the elevator, maybe a little more if we run into trouble." Then he paused, leaning in towards me so that no one else could hear. "Ice, zombies aren't the worst in this place, and they're changing fast. If we run into one of the big ones someone's gonna get hurt or worse. We simply don't have enough guns to protect these people as much as we want to. We can't guarantee that all of them are going to make it through-"
"I know. That's why the faster we move, the less of a chance that we do run into one of the big ones." I interrupted in a whisper.
"But what if we run into one?" He insisted.
I sighed and looked down at the floor for a moment, thinking.
"You'll keep going. I'll stay to hold it off. While I fight it you can make a run for it. I'm the only one who can battle it face to face." I answered.
"No-" He began, but stopped and thought for a moment. He sighed when he saw the stern look on my face. "Fuck, I probably wouldn't be able to stop you anyway." I grinned and patted him on the head.
"I'm proud of you Duke. You're finally getting it." I teased.
"Yeah yeah… can't help caring can I?" He countered. Just then, I heard someone whimpering painfully behind me, near the civilians. Everyone noticed and turned their attention towards the sound. It was a man, lying face-up on the floor, grasping his forearm and closing his eyes tightly in agony. I saw tears slowly forming in his eyes. Blood was leaking through the fingers holding his arm, and I began to grow tremendously concerned when a large lump was twitching on the side of his neck. My instincts were sensing something extremely… eerie about it. Something wasn't right, and I had a feeling it wasn't natural either. The lump seemed to have a length, and it was noticeably throbbing like a… living thing… I suppose is a way to describe it. It was moving up his neck, and soon enough, disappeared through his jaw. Everything seemed quiet for a few seconds. People were waiting to see what would happen next.
"What's wrong with him mommy?" I heard a little girl ask. Her mother had no answer, and I don't even think she heard the child. She seemed much too frightened, or perhaps anxious, to give her attention to anything other than the one thing that made her uneasy.
Suddenly the man's eyes opened, and the civilians jumped away from him with a start, some screaming. His eyes were very dark, animalistic like the demons, but they were outlined in red. His whimpering stopped. It was almost like what he was doing before had never happened. He sat up very slowly, not moving anything but the necessary muscles to lift him up, which gave him that freaky… robot look I suppose. Only more… dead. The squad raised their guns and pointed them at him warily. There was good reason to suspect he was 'turning'.
"What's… urgh… wrong… with me?" The man asked to no one in a familiarly guttural tone. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head in frustration, barring sharp teeth and growling through them. He screamed. For a second he tried to fight with himself, but then stopped and became the cold zombie like person again. He looked towards a child sitting four or five feet away from him. I recognized the look he was giving. It was the one the scientist was giving Reaper and I in Carmack's office when he had been eating all the animals. It was the look a hungry predator gave prey. Immediately I went into action.
"Shoot him!" I shouted, opening fire with the pistol. I struck him in the head, expecting him to die instantly. Everyone else must have expected it too, because they didn't shoot.
The man turned his head in my direction, completely unfazed by the bullet. My eyes widened in shock and complete disbelief. I shot him in the head again. His reaction was an evil grin, and a deep laugh that sent chills up and down my spine. He began to stand, still looking at me with that predatory gaze.
"You're giving him much trouble…mmm… mortal Seraph." He chanted to me. My face twisted in confusion. "He would have already been victorious… mmm… if it wasn't for you…" He then snarled before continuing. "…and your brother."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked in confusion. He took one step towards me, causing Reaper to erect his gun threateningly in reaction. The man noticed this and turned to him.
"You!" He shouted angrily, letting out a low snarl in Reaper's direction. Then he smiled, as if a mischievous plan had just erupted in his brain. He glanced at me, then back at Reaper. "You don't know her as much as you think you do… Jonathan Grimm."
Reaper knew what the man was going to try to do, and he wouldn't tolerate it. "Shut up." He threatened, tightening the hold of the rifle in his hands.
"Neither does she." The man continued, and that made Reaper pause, but his threatening look remained. "Lover? You don't love her enough to tell her, do you?"
"Shut up." Reaper said again, more menacingly this time. I looked at him, ignoring the shocked glances of my squad that were passing between us.
"Satan knows everything. He knows your dark secret Jonathan Grimm."
Satan? Could this man be from Hell? A messenger perhaps? What does he mean about John? What sort of 'dark secret' could he be keeping?
"He knows what really happened here. He knows about your parents." He continued, and I noticed Reaper start to shake. His face was strained and turning red. I wasn't sure why. "He knows what you did."
"SHUT UP!" Reaper screamed.
"It's your fault they're dead. You let them die." The man continued to harass, starting to walk towards him. "You shouldn't have been fiddling with the beams John."
"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Reaper shouted again, tears forming in his eyes.
"John, what's he talking about?" Sam asked in a concerned tone. "What did you do?"
He looked at his sister desperately. "I-it was an accident. I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't."
"John… what did you do?" She asked again, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She was thinking the worst.
"Tell her John. You've procrastinated long enough. The truth hurts, doesn't it?" The man said evilly. I couldn't bear seeing John like this. Tears were silently falling down his cheek, and he doesn't cry about just anything. This must have been extremely serious to have him in such a state. The pressure of everyone watching, the harassing man, and his sister putting pressure on him wasn't helping. I wanted to put a stop to it.
"John. What did you do to the beams? Is it your fault they collapsed?" Sam continued to demand, and it was making him weaker, preventing words from leaving his mouth. "Tell me now! I need to know!" She cried, tears falling from her cheeks.
"I… it was an accident Sam-" He tried to say, but the man interrupted again.
"That's the lie you've been telling yourself all these years. Tell the truth-"
"It was an accident! I know it was! You think I wanted my parents dead?" He shouted unsteadily.
"I don't know. Did you?" He said with a grin.
"SHUT UP! You're trying to turn everyone against me! You're trying to make my own sister think I killed my parents!"
"Well, that's the truth isn't it?" The man asked serenely. That completely set me off. I couldn't stand it any longer. Seeing Reaper like this was breaking my heart. I didn't want to see it any longer.
"Leave him alone!" I shouted. Reaper looked at me anxiously, suddenly realizing that I was there. It comforted him tremendously. I hurried to his side and touched his hand, pushing the rifle down. He let it drop despairingly to his side, looking me in the eyes, desperately trying to find some sort of hint that I didn't believe what was being said. He needed to know that I wasn't listening to the lies. I took his hand and twisted my fingers through his, caressing his face gently and turning it away from the staring people. We shared a short moment of loving gazes. I wanted to let him know that I was here, that I was going to stand by his side right now.
"It's ok. It's ok John. Don't listen to him." I whispered.
"How can you even look at her John? You lied. You killed your own parents and told her they died in an accident. Knowing that you murdered your own parents, do you think she can feel the same?" The man continued.
"You think I could believe you? I know him." I said in his direction, and I heard Reaper heave a sigh of relief. The man laughed shrilly, sending shivers up and down my spine.
"Know him! You didn't even know your own brother Kyra! Why would your good and angel of a brother turn into a demon, huh? You didn't know William. Not like you think you did."
"Don't you dare fucking say his name!" I shouted, making to charge at him, but Reaper put an arm around my waste and held me against him. My brother's name shouldn't fall from a demon's lips. He deserves better. "You're a fucking liar! You did something to make him change!"
"The Devil can't make anyone do anything. Persuasion is his best tool." He countered, which angered me even more. I was about to spit another thing back, but Reaper turned me away and pulled me into an embrace, speaking in my ear.
"Just don't listen to him Kyra. He's yanking your chain." He whispered.
"He's saying my brother's… a bad person!" I whispered harshly back, my face going red with anger.
"Doesn't make him one." He reasoned. "It doesn't matter what he says. No one will listen."
I opened my mouth to keep arguing, but couldn't find anything to say. I closed my mouth and buried my face in his shoulder. I wanted to hide. Just for a few minutes… hide from the world. Just a few minutes of nothing.
"What do you want?" I heard Reaper ask the man viciously.
"Fine." He growled in defeat like an immature child. "I've done my…" He chuckled while looking at me. "Factual damage. You're obviously not that stupid, Kyra Lucas. Satan wants you out of his way. You and your friends- especially you- have been an annoying hindrance in his path. So, he offers you… a deal." He said with a slight smile. I perked my head up and looked at him. "If you withdraw, dropping all weapons right now and leaving this place, in return he will set your brother free. No catches. Simple as said. By his word."
I sneered and pried myself from John's hold, walking towards the man coolly and stopping a few feet away.
"And just what is his word worth?" I asked.
"Do not insult a promise of the Devil!" He snarled, face turning to a deep frown.
"Too late. Is there an answer?" I spoke boldly.
"If you do not agree to this deal then Hell will be unleashed upon you like you've never seen it before!" He continued to vent.
Now… if it was only my life that was in danger here, then I'd probably laugh in his face right now; but, since I had my squad and the civilians to think about, I refrained from disrespecting him that far. We don't need any more demons chasing are tails than we have now. Plus… he did mention setting my brother free.
"How do I know he will call his demons off if we drop the weapons, let alone free my brother?" I asked.
"He will grant you safe passage out of the facility, and your brother will be at the elevator waiting for you."
I eyed him suspiciously. This was all too straightforward to be true. "So, he's just gonna let us go?" I asked apprehensively.
"Provided that you leave your weapons behind." He stated sternly. Why is he so keen on that part of the deal? This has to be some sort of trick. I find it extremely hard to believe that "Satan" is just going to let us go, being all fine and dandy with it. Bullshit. My instincts are arguing against this.
I turned to the squad and motioned for Reaper while I met with them to debate. They had the same opinion.
"It's a trick. If we drop our weapons then we are completely vulnerable. There's too much at stake to risk believing the word of a demon, Ice." Destroyer spoke.
"I agree." I consented. "Our priority is to get as many people out of here as possible. He's bluffing about unleashing all of Hell on us."
"How do you know?" He asked.
"I… just do. The only thing that can be thrown at us is what has mutated so far. Nothing we haven't seen before."
"I don't know. We've seen some crazy things. There's no tellin' what could be out there." Duke spoke.
I closed my eyes in slight frustration and started to get my point across more through hand gestures. "Look, it doesn't matter because weapons or not, we're gonna run into these things. I think we all agree with not taking this deal, right?" I stated. They all nodded, and I looked towards Reaper. He seemed distracted. His eyes were on his sister, whom I noticed to be staring at the floor with glistening tears down her cheeks. Those two will have to sort something out. I understand this deeply personal conflict going on between them, but it won't help the rest of us if they are focused on each other and not the crisis at hand.
"John." I called quietly. He turned his gaze to me. My questioning look spoke the words for me, and he nodded. I flashed a small curve of my lips in response. "Ok."
"Let's just chop his head off and make a run for it." Duke stated indifferently, glancing at the now grinning man standing a few feet away. The civilians were set uncomfortably at a safe distance from him, looking frightened and confused. They have no idea what this is about. All they know is that some crazy man who should be dead is talking about Satin and all Hell being unleashed upon them. Nothing but crazy talk right?
"In most situations I'd consider that a foolish idea." I stated, drawing a slightly glaring look from him. "But I think I'll make an exception this time. Everybody in agreement?"
There was a slight nod from everyone. I discreetly reached for the knife folded inside my belt, just below my belly. Whilst keeping eye contact with my comrades to avoid suspicion from the man, I clicked the button of the knife so that it popped out. The sound of its release was masked by a loud cough from Duke.
"Cover any exits." I whispered very lowly, looking pointedly at Duke and Destroyer. They nodded. I then looked at Reaper standing almost shoulder to shoulder with me. Our eyes met. "I don't think I need to tell you to watch my back." I suggested, his answer was a subtle touch of my hand with his. I was comforted by the graze of his skin. It was a short moment that we shared intimate eye contact, but then I started to turn towards the man.
The cool glassy touch of the handle of the knife in my hand roused every active nerve in my body. It gave me power. It dared someone to get in my way. That's what it feels like to have a weapon in my hand. I am infatuated by blades. That demon was going to be the victim of my deadly passion.
"So the answer's no." The man stated. Though I was slightly shocked at his reaction, I wasted no time and closed the space between us. My knife met the tender skin of his throat, cutting as deep as possible with the short blade. Blood was pouring from the wound, yet he still grinned at me like nothing had happened. I suddenly felt the breath knocked out me. He had violently plunged his fist into my stomach. Temporarily dazed, he wrapped long abrasive fingers around my neck and squeezed, lifting me up into the air. The knife fell from my hand and clanged on the floor.
Guns opened fire, hitting the man many times in every place possible. He didn't falter in the slightest. How can he still be alive? Reaper quickly took action, about to knock the man up the side of the head with the gun.
"You will not save her this time, John." The man said, raising his hand towards Reaper. Reaper was thrown back by some hidden force, hitting the floor with a hard thud far from me. I just barely saw it happen from the corner of my eye. Rage swelled in me like a balloon about to pop. I brought my hand up to the fingers around my neck, using all the strength I had to pry them away. His middle finger broke as I ripped it backwards, and he looked at me with a scowl. He brought my face close to his, staring me down with glowing red eyes.
"Your brother is my servant. He will do as I say. He failed to kill you once, and was harshly punished for that, believe me; but he will not come back to you Kyra. He is doomed to serve. Nothing you do will change that. Your purpose means nothing anymore, so why don't you die? Your death is inevitable." He spoke hoarsely, squeezing tighter to the point where it was painful to even make a sound. "As hard as I try… you just will… not… die. Guardian angels wherever you go. Their Master must have a purpose for you. What is it?" He asked to himself. "Hmm… what is it He needs from you?"
"Let her go!" Someone screamed. I didn't know the voice, but it was the high pitched tone of a young girl. It's one of the civilians. The demon turned his head towards her, staring intensely.
"What did she ever do to you? You're just a big bully!" She shouted with surprising contempt. Oh, this youngin' meant business, and I would have smiled if I could. She tore herself from her mother- who tried to go after her but was stiff with fear- and stomped towards the demon aggressively. His eyes watched as she neared, and did nothing when her foot connected with his shin violently. I saw his lips curve into a smile, and a full eerie laugh escaped his bloody lips. He turned his head towards me.
"Such fire in such a small body! She seems a bit like you Kyra, when you were that age!" He snickered, and looked down at his free arm. I glanced down to see what had drawn his attention, and widened my eyes in surprise at the sight before me. The girl's teeth were clenched around his flesh, biting down with all her might. He looked back up at me with the same shocked expression. "Similar fighting technique too!"
"D-on' y' da-re touch er'" I tried to spit, but it was difficult to get out through a crushed throat.
"What was that? I don't think I heard you. Shall I get rid of this little vermin?" He said wickedly. "Pinky! Come out boy! Feeding time!"
My heart jumped when I heard him shout Pinky. I remembered Pinky being dragged away by my brother. He must have been infected, and now he's calling him out.
Suddenly there was loud guttural roar from the southern corridor. I heard the squad shouting, turning their guns towards the approaching monster. Where was John? What if he's unconscious and that monster gets a hold of him? What about the civilians?
I gritted my teeth and looked down at the demon, who was temporarily distracted by the entrance of his pet. Swinging my leg back, I brought it up with every ounce of power I could muster, crashing it against his face. The impact worked like a charm. His neck snapped backwards, ripping what muscle was left in his throat so that it was hanging by a few strings of flesh down his back. The hand around my neck went limp, making me drop to the floor. My legs gave way due to the lack of blood flow they had received.
I rolled onto my side, coughing hard from a dry throat and heaving the largest breathes of air I could take. Things were a little blurry, but I did see lots of dark figures running around, and then a much larger silhouette pouncing at anything living. It must be our "pinky demon". What a wonderful name, and scary too. It's like Telly-tubbies gone bad. Imagine those things chasing you around in the dark. Can't get much scarier than that. Wait, where's that little girl?
"Go for the head!" I heard Duke shout.
"Don't let it by! Keep it away from the civilians!" Destroyer's voice followed.
"Somebody get Ice away! Put her with the civilians!" Duke shouted again, noticing that I was no longer in the grasp of that demon.
A few seconds later, things went dark as someone leaned over me. Their hand caressed my cheek and I sensed their face close to mine. They spoke, and I felt my heart jump again when I recognized his voice.
"Kyra. You ok?" Reaper asked, lifting me up and resting me against his chest. I couldn't speak, so I nodded instead. He smiled in relief that I was even able to respond, embracing me tightly. "How do you get into so much trouble so easily, babe?" He almost said to himself. I gave a weak shrug, receiving a brief kiss on the forehead. He put an arm under my legs and lifted me up, carrying me to a safe distance from the action. Things began to come into focus, but my breathing was still ragged. He set me on the floor and grasped my hand, calling for Sam. She quickly came and looked at her brother.
"Take care of her… please." He quietly asked of her. She briefly nodded and broke eye contact with him, turning her attention to me to avoid having to face him further.
"Be careful John." I wheezed before he stood. He looked back at me and smiled, taking my hand for a moment before standing and going towards the action. A few seconds later Sam drew my attention.
"You said you weren't together." She said.
"We weren't. Things sure change fast huh?" I responded weakly. She paused for a moment and looked away.
"Yes, they do."
"You can't honestly believe it." I spoke sternly.
"Believe what, Kyra." She retorted, but kept from looking me in the eye. I tried to sit up to seem more intimidating.
"That it's John's fault your parents are dead. That's what. He's your damn brother, Sam, so the first thing you ought to give him is the benefit of the doubt, not pressure him to the point of tears. I have never seen him cry. You must have known he was sensitive about the subject. Yet you kept pushing. Now, I don't know much about your relationship, but I won't let you do this to him. You're a family, so I suggest you start acting like one." She was silenced.
Feeling much better after saying that, I was pumped and ready to do something. I cracked my neck and jumped to my feet, looking towards the gunfire to evaluate the situation. Destroyer was on his back and fighting the jaws of the supposed 'pinky demon'. The creature itself looked like a pig with the agility and ferocity of a dog, and mechanical wheels for back legs. It was huge, about the same size as the dogs I had faced earlier. There were no eyes on its face, only two chipped tusks on the side of its head and a row of large, sharp, yellow canines. Already there was blood leaking from a wound on its back, and quite a few on its neck. Destroyer was fighting for his life, and all anyone could do was shoot and hope it died of blood loss or a destroyed organ.
My first impulse was to find my knife and… well… jump on its back and do as much damage as I could. However, past experiences with that directing of action, I thought twice about it. There had to be something I could do that wouldn't involve putting me or anyone else in danger. Use your brain, Kyra. Think of something clever, something that will get its attention and drive it away.
I looked around, observing the surroundings and making note of all the things that could be useful. There was the nearest corridor, which had a panel next to it containing one of those genetic sensors. It activated the blast door, which would probably crush anything in its path. Then there was the dead man that had been possessed. He looked like an employee, so his hand might be compatible for the panel and trigger the door. One thing I've learned is that these demons are always hungry and seeking blood. It takes a lot of energy to mutate, and this demon is fresh, so it still may be hungry. I could lure him to the blast door with the dead man, then at the last second use his hand to activate the door, crushing the monster instantly. It could work, but timing will be crucial.
Satisfied enough with my plan, I quickly went to the mangled corpse on the floor and picked it up from under the arms. I began dragging it towards the corridor, watching the pinky demon as it continued to try to bite at Destroyer. Once situated where I wanted to be, I loudly whistled.
"Here boy! Come on Pinky! Over here!" I shouted as if speaking to a dog. "You hungry? Got something for you!"
I had successfully captured the creature's interest when it heard its originally human name called. It paused in what it was doing and turned its head towards me, sniffing the air hungrily. Perfect, it's smelled the corpse. Slowly it moved off of Destroyer, and all fire ceased. The squad's attention was on me now.
"That's it Pinky. Come on." I urged, picking the body up and moving back slightly. It moved more quickly towards me, barring its teeth in a snarl. I set the man's hand next to the panel, standing behind the blast door. The demon moved faster now, sensing a free meal, and I felt my heart rate increase. This had to be timed perfectly, or it will make it through before the door closes, or not make it in time. Either way, I won't be able to get back into the ark room to help me, or the people inside.
The monster was now at a speeding limp, ten feet away. Just a few more seconds, and three feet should be enough. I put the hand closer to the panel, watching the demon's distance with hawk eyes. It had to be precise. Five feet. Four Feet. Now. I put the hand in the panel, and a brief alarm sounded.
"Blast doors activated." The computer announced from the speakers. The door came down quickly just when the demon was halfway under it. There was a sickening crunch as the door crushed its spine and anything else located in the center of its back. It wailed in pain, clawing at the floor and shaking its head for a few seconds before going completely still.
Sighing in relief, I rested against the wall and looked down at the corpse still in my hands. The head was still hanging by only an inch of flesh, and it brought a small smile to my face. It reminded me of an old series of books I read as a teenager. The Harry Potter books and the ghost called Nearly Headless Nick.
"May God grant peace upon your soul, sir. You served your purpose well, and I hope you have a sure journey to heaven." I spoke respectfully. I gently laid him down on the floor and closed his eyes. His face was softened underneath the blood, peaceful. Now I was sure the demon possessing him had left. He would be passing on, and that was a comforting thing to know.
I went towards the door and slid under the small opening. The demon was big enough to keep it up two feet or so, therefore it was easy to get back to the other side. I heard loud gasps of relief everywhere, and got up to see everyone smiling. It was a relief that both monsters were dead, and only one person was lost. To the civilians it couldn't have been a better feeling. Reaper was already in front of me and taking my face in his hands, putting his forehead against mine and smiling.
"Would it even matter if I told you to stay out of trouble again?" He asked lowly.
"Nope." I replied.
"Then I won't waste my breath." He chuckled. "You ok?"
"Yep." I answered. "You?"
"Perfect."
"Good."
There was a brief silence, then he pulled away and we walked over to the squad assembled in a circle. I looked at Destroyer and examined him with concern.
"You ok Destroyer?" I asked. He just shrugged and rubbed his arm.
"Just a scratch." He said. "I'll survive."
"Good. Alright guys, let's get going. Elevator's less than ten minutes away, so let's push it. Any trouble and you keep going. I'll cover the rear and take care of any business, but you keep running. Clear?" I ended.
They nodded and quickly gathered around the civilians, getting them to their feet. I was surprised that there were no protests against my plan. Usually someone like Duke of Reaper would have something to say, but I guess they've found that their objections have gone to no avail in the past.
One by one the civilians passed under the blast door, Kid and Destroyer waiting for them on the other side. Once through, we continued at a suitable sprint for the children towards the elevator. I noticed the little girl who stood up for me before, standing arm in arm with her mother. Seeing her brought a small smile to my face. She would make one hell of a Marine one day if she tried.
Suddenly, almost three minutes into the march, the group came to a halt. I heard a gentle call from Destroyer and moved up front to see what the problem was. He had his back leaned against the wall, close to the corner of a split in the hallway. I placed myself next to him, looking wearily down the opposite direction of the corridor.
"Listen." Destroyer whispered. I stopped breathing for a moment and sharpened my ears, listening attentively for abnormal sounds. Sure enough, there was something there. It sounded like one thing, but a very big one. Heavy but relatively silent footsteps were coming down the hall just around the corner we stood against. Slimy, rough growls echoed vaguely from the creature. It came from a deep, large chest, giving another hint that this thing was big.
"It's blocking our way to the elevator." Destroyer murmured. "We can't go back. It'll just take us longer and create a bigger chance of us running into more trouble. I think we only got one choice Ice. How do you wanna handle it?"
I silently sighed and thoughtfully looked at the civilians, and could make out the confused faces of Reaper and Duke behind them. My eyes locked with Reaper's, and I felt a longing in the pit of my stomach. Ever since we kissed it's like I need him more and more. For just one day I want nothing else than solitude with him. Maybe this is just that good, high feeling you get when you fall in love for the first time. It's like all I want is him, and nothing else matters. If only it could be like that right now. There are too many risks and dangers present, so I would have to shove those eager thoughts to the back of my head till the time was necessary.
"Give me a gun and I'll hold it off. Your priority is to get the civilians by safely, so don't be taking risks trying to help me out. I'll be fine no matter what." I spoke softly. Kid overheard my words and interrupted.
"I'll stay behind you, watch your back." He stated.
"But don't take your eyes off the civilians. If someone dies because one of us was careless, it'll be on our conscience. Understand?" I lectured.
"Perfectly."
I nodded and looked back toward Reaper and Duke, updating them on the situation using a series of hand gestures. They nodded in understanding, moving forward and giving directions to the civilians.
Destroyer handed me his rifle and winked reassuringly. I weakly smiled in response, switching places with him against the wall. My listening sharpened again as I tried to determine where the monster was. It didn't sound too far off. Maybe ten feet at the most down the hall. In the past, the head has been the prime kill point, so that should be the first thing to destroy. Piece of cake, right?
I slowly inched my head towards the corner and tilted it so that I could see down the hall. Only half of the corridor could be seen without leaning further, but I could still see the left leg and arm of the creature. It had no skin, only red muscle heavily packed over a five-foot arm. Clean, pearl-white claws protruded from three fleshy fingers. They were sharp with small razor like spikes lining the sides, like a shark's tooth. The foot was the same, only shaped like the paws of a canine with similar white claws tapping the floor as it walked. The shoulder of the arm ended about eight feet in the air, so the creature was probably around nine feet tall. Judging by the ample build, it was probably as large as expected.
Taking a short breath, I swung around the corner with the gun resting against my shoulder. The very second I found where the head was, I opened fire on it with a rain of shattering bullets. A deep wail escaped the creature's throat, and it started for me in anger. At the corner of my eye I saw Destroyer passing, Kid right behind him. They saw that I had things under control for the moment, so no one fired. It would draw attention to them and the civilians anyway.
The creature was nearing four feet away, and the bullets weren't doing anything to stop it. So I charged it head on, shoving the barrel of the rifle into its gut and pumping it full of metal. The impact itself had stopped the monster, and it screamed as I blew holes through its body. I could see the frightened people staring wide eyed at the demon whilst pressing themselves flat against the wall to pass it safely. It was distracted by me, which was a good thing.
I felt the pressure of its large hand wrapping around my body, yanking me away to slam me against the wall violently. Another gun opened fire, and I recognized as the creature turned that it was Kid. Realizing now that I wasn't the only one in danger, I quickly tried to draw its attention back to me by shooting at its arm in an attempt to make it release its hold. I was successful, but not in a way I would have hoped. It threw my body at the other wall, and I collapsed to the floor among the civilians. That little girl quickly sprinted from the wall to my side, grabbing my arm to drag me away to safety. When I opened my eyes to see this, I panicked. The monster was coming up behind her.
Suddenly Kid came into view, pushing the girl to the ground just as the monster's claws fell. He was looking down at me when it happened.
"NO!" I screamed. He let out a muffled shout as the claws ripped through his back. Tears welled in my eyes when the blood began to leak from his mouth, and he fell to his knees. The monster raised its hand to strike again, but I sat up and lifted the rifle, shooting furiously at its head. My firing didn't stop until it halted, and when it did, it fell back to the ground with a huge thud. Kid was lying on his stomach. I scrambled over to him and turned him over, letting out a grieving moan. His face was pale, body completely limp. It just couldn't be true. He sacrificed himself for a little girl. Kid… was dead.