Chapter 28

"This is Dropship Two-Two-Seven. Is anybody down there?" squawked Reaper's radio as Reaper stepped back out into the rain. "I repeat, this is Dropship Two-Two-Seven, is anybody down there? Is anybody still alive?"

"This is Reaper. Is that you Big Willie?"

"Yes it is, sir." said Big Willie. "What's happening down there? Are you ready for pick up?"

"That's affirmative Big Willie, we are ready." said Reaper, motioning for the others. He saw them lift up Shadow's dying body and they started to carry him over. "Please notify the Stormbreaker that we have critically wounded with us. Meet us out the front of the main plaza area."

"Will do, sir. Be there in fifteen." said Big Willie

"We'll be there. Reaper out." Reaper said, looking up into the sky. A flash of lightning streaked out across the sky followed closely by rolling thunder.

"Dropship coming?" asked Lice as he lifted Shadow's legs carefully.

Reaper nodded. "We need to move to the front of the Plaza complex."

"Hmmm, sounds like a plan." mumbled Lice as they started moving.

Reaper looked over to Dilligaf and smiled. Dilligaf smiled back, but only half heartedly as she struggled to keep hold of Shadow. Reaper walked over and took over from her, holding her hand as he handed Shadow over to him.

"The complex is about one click away." said Lice. "We better get moving,"

"Naaaa, ya think?" said Reaper sarcastically.


"Ok stop here for a moment." said Lice breathlessly. "I'm starting to lose my grip."

Dilligaf took over and Lice took a moment to get his breath back. "How long have we got?" asked Lice.

"Quiet." whispered Reaper looking around, his eyes alert. Lice looked at him, but Reaper just held up a finger and pointed to his ear.

Then Lice heard it. A slight crumble of stones being crushed by fast moving feet. Lice looked behind them and saw a Rachnie warrior bug staring right at him, its mouth open menacingly.

"Oh, shit!" gasped Dilligaf as she saw more of them moving in towards them from all angles.

"We, are, screwed." muttered Reaper, hefting Shadow's P90 to his shoulder, balanced Shadow in one arm and aimed at the closest one. It stepped forward and Reaper drilled a short burst into its eye. It reeled back in pain but pounced forward again completely blinded. "MOVE!" screamed Reaper as he fired another burst into the bug.

The bug dropped dead and the others lurched forward. Lice pulled out his sidearm and fired wildly behind them as they slowly made it out into the rain once again.

"We have to get to the dropship." growled Reaper as he hefted Shadow higher and started to jog even faster. Dilligaf found it a bit difficult to keep up with him, but she managed.

"Here, let me take care of him," said Lice, taking Shadow back from Reaper. "While you hold them off as best as you can."

Reaper just nodded and fired a quick burst ahead of them as another warrior bug launched itself over a wall of shattered rock and concrete. He turned back. "FUCK, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME? FUCK OFF!"

Lice and Dilligaf looked back as well. "JESUS CHRIST!" they yelled together, running as fast as they could with Shadow between them, away from a massive Mortar bug that was lumbering behind them.

Reaper ran up after them. "Keep heading for the dropship. I'll lead it away." Reaching around Shadow's body he unclipped the M41 Rocket launcher from his back and ran off into the darkness, screaming and waving at the Mortar bug to get its attention.


"COME ON YOU STUPID MOTHERFUCKER!" yelled Reaper, waving over at the Mortar bug chasing the others. The Mortar bug's head turned his way, its flaming red eyes looking directly at him.

A small bunch of warrior bugs rounded the corner ahead of him, rain beading down their flanks. Reaper sprinted straight into them, firing on full automatic killing each one. Once they were all dead, he launched himself over their dead bodies, and sprinted as fast as he could around the corner. He turned and waved back at the Mortar bug that had stopped to watch him deal with the fighter bugs. "Come on you fugly brute."

The Mortar bug roared and bounded after him, ploughing through old semi-destroyed buildings without slowing down. Reaper blanched and took off, running as fast as he could.


The mortar bug veered off course and chased after Reaper. Lice and Dilligaf watched as they ran. "C'mon, we have to move," said Lice softly. "He'll catch up later."

Dilligaf nodded lowly, looking off to where Reaper had disappeared. "If you say so."


Reaper rounded another corner and stopped dead in his tracks.

Dead end.

FUCK! Screamed Reaper's mind as he looked around for an exit, but there was none.

The Mortar bug chasing him, rounded the corner slowly weary of might happen and spotted him. He was about 100 metres away. Looking down at him it roared loudly blasting hot air toward him.

Reaper just stood there, as the heat blasted over him. When it had passed, Reaper screamed back. "YEAH? WELL FUCK YOU TOO!"

The Mortar bug reared back it head, showing a bright red patch of glowing skin as it built up fire to spit out.

Reapers mind clicked and he quickly grabbed the rocket launcher from his back and aimed it up at the glowing red flesh.


Flied Lice and Dilligaf stopped at the entrance of the Plaza complex just as they heard the thunderous roar of dropship engines fly over the top of the building. As quick as they could they set down Shadow, Lice pulling a flare from one of Shadow's pouches. Igniting it, it flared bright red and smoke started drifting out of it.

"There it is!" said Dilligaf pointing over the top of the front entrance.

Lice ran out after it, waving the flare franticly, trying to get the pilots attention. It worked as the dropship shifted slightly and descended.

"GET THE FUCK DOWN." boomed the loud speaker, and all of a sudden the chin gun of the dropship flared to life and bright tracer bullets flew out. Lice and Dilligaf looked around to where the dropship was firing and saw an incredibly large swarm of Fighter bugs, pouring through the Plaza opening.

Lice tried firing with is pistol but it was no match to the large .50 calibre machine gun, so he let it be and headed back toward Shadow and Dilligaf.

"Get to the ship. Now!" boomed Lice, as he hefted up Shadow's limp body and swung him over his shoulder.

The dropship touched down and the troop bay opened up, revealing Sarah Parker and a small squad of marines, Assault Rifles held in hands. "GET ON!" screamed Sarah as she fired behind them. She saw Shadow draped over Lice's shoulders and she stopped. "Oh, no." But she snapped back to it and fired off another burst of rounds killing a Fighter bug as it came too close to the ship.

Dilligaf and Lice set down Shadow and grabbed some rope to hold him steady. Suddenly Dilligaf looked up at Lice. "What about Peter?"

Then, out of the darkness, over the roaring sound of the dropship engines there came an almighty scream. There was an explosion, Lice stepped to the side and looked out the back, and he saw a massive mushroom cloud of fire and smoke.

Eyes widening he pulled the Assault Rifle from the nearest marine, took a couple of magazines of ammo and bolted off into the darkness, screaming "I'M COMIN BUDDY!"


BEEEEEEEEEP! screamed the rocket launcher as Reaper aimed it up at the Mortar bugs throat.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" screamed Reaper, as he pressed down on the firing stud on the side of the launcher and with an almighty Whoosh, exhaust spat out of the rear end of the tube and a missile the size of his forearm flew out of the tube, speeding its way toward the Mortar bug.

The Mortar bug saw its approach and turned its head down to spray out its deadly, super heated fire, but it was too slow.

Reaper jumped to the side and behind a wall just a moment before the flying missile impacted with the Mortar bugs throat, screaming out. "FFFFUUUUUUCK!"

The missile collided with the Mortar bug's throat, which spread fire and scorched meat everywhere. However, it wasn't finished. Down the bug's throat it went, burning and burrowing through meat and muscle before lodging itself in one of the bugs many lungs. It was there that it detonated.

Fire spread throughout the Mortar bugs innards, roasting the insides left, right and centre. The bug stood up onto its back legs and screamed a silent scream, spewing liquid fire up into the air, which flowed back down, splattering all over the Mortar bugs back, where it melted through. Now, with holes for which the fire burning through the inside of the bug could escape, the fire leapt forward and exploded outward, spraying every direction in scorched meat and black green blood.


"YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!" screamed Reaper looking around the wall he was hiding behind, as he saw the bug in front of him explode as the missile inside it detonated.

Large chunks of meat flew out, rocketing into nearby buildings and walls. One of those walls, unfortunately was Reaper's. The wall crumbled around him, bricks smashing into his head as it came down over the top of him, knocking him out. After a moment all Reaper saw was black.


Flied Lice jumped over a low fence and rounded a shattered wall to find the completely destroyed remains of the Mortar bug, spread across the ground. Little spot fires were scattered all over the place.

Son... of... a... bitch, thought Lice as he jumped over a small fire that was burning away at a piece of meat. "How the fuck did he do that?" he said out loud to no one, as he looked over to the burning carcass of the dead Mortar bug. Then he remembered that Reaper had taken off with Shadows Rocket launcher. "Smart ass son of a bitch." he mumbled, with a smile.

"Who is?" growled a gruff voice behind him.

Lice turned around to find Reaper stumbling out of the wreckage of a former wall, covered in blood. Reaper made to step toward Lice but slipped, smashing his head into the ground with a dull thud.

Lice leapt forward. "Easy there buddy." he said lifting Reaper up to his feet. Reaper just groaned, letting blood and spit flow out of his mouth and nose. Lice put Reaper's arm over his shoulder and started walking away from the devastation.

"Wh...Wh...Who's the... smart ass?" mumbled Reaper, his head down, watching his feet being dragged behind him.

Lice laughed softly, straining under Reaper's weight. "You are. You heavy cunt."

Reaper just smiled. A moment later, he lost consciousness.