I squeezed Rico's hand so tight, I though he would ask me to let go, but, he just squeezed back. Was he scared too? I pushed my thoughts aside, I had to stay focused. After we had walked for about a half an hour, I noticed bullet holes on the walls.
"Rico, look, there was a party here"
"Jeez, you're right. Come on Diz, lets keep going"
We walked on, and I heard a squishy noise. A looked at my feet, I had stepped in something. It was a blob of sticky translucent goo.
"Yuck"
"What is it?"
"Oh yeah Rico, like I know"
"It looks like, mucus"
"It looks gross"
This stuff was very gross, it dripped off my boot and made a nasty sound when it hit the floor. I wiped the bottom of my boot on the floor and looked up at Rico. He curled his upper lip up a little and shined his light deeper down the hall.
"Diz, look, there's more"
We ran up to the second puddle. This one was a different color, a deep red, almost black tint.
"Johnny, this is blood"
He squeezed his eyes and turned away slightly. I knew what he was thinking, Christ, I was thinking the same.
Could this be someone from the squad? My body went numb at the thought. Rico fell back into the wall and slowly slid down it. He sat cross-legged, his head in his hands, rocking slightly. He looked so helpless.
"Higgins, his helmet, that's Higgins blood, I know it"
"Johnny"
I slid down next to him.
"You don't know that"
"It has to be"
I moved over so I was in front of him. He still hid his face from me. I reached out and gently pulled his hands and from his helmet. He was crying.
"No, I doesn't have to be. Don't cry Rico, you're stronger than that, come on, you're a fighter."
I stood up and tried to pull him up. He violently yanked his hands out of mine. He stood up and grabbed my arm.
"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND DIZ!? I'm not a fighter, I'm nothing. I shouldn't even be here."
I clenched my hand into a fist and slammed it hard into his stomach. In fact, so hard, he fell over. I bent down over him.
"NO RICO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! IF YOU WERE'NT A FIGHTER, YOU WOULD'NT BE HERE! REMEMBER TRAINING? WITH ZIM? YOU MADE IT THROUGH THEN! AND YOU'LL MAKE IT THROUGH NOW!"
I looked at him, realizing what I had just done. A single tear fell from my eye and hit my helmet.
"Why are you giving up Rico?"
"Why aren't you letting me?"
"Because, we can still make it. The others are depending on us, you gonna let 'em down?"
He smiled slightly.
"No"
I smiled back and reached my hand down to help him up, he took it and pulled me down with him. He rolled over so he could face me.
"I can't believe you punched me"
I couldn't help but giggle. Rico started laughing too and pretty soon we we're cracking up about the whole situation. But our laughter was cut short by the unmistakable screeching of bugs. They clanged though the tunnels like thunder.
"Rico, how much you got?"
He looked at the ammo counter on his gun.
"Not much, you?"
"Same, magazines?"
He felt around in his pockets.
"Two, I think"
"Okay, I got four.
I handed him one.
"Make 'em count"
He grabbed my hand and looked at me.
"Diz, we'll make it"
I nodded and we stood up. The rumble grew closer, they were coming from the direction we had been coming. We stood flat against the wall.
"Dizzy, don't wait for them to attack, shoot 'em as soon as you see 'em."
"Yeah, Rico, I get the concept."
Four bugs came into view, they screamed when they saw us, but they didn't charge. They just stood there, screaming.
"What are they doing Diz?"
"Why do you always ask me? I don't know what they're doing, just kill them!"
We opened fire and blew the bugs to bits. Johnny looked at me.
"That was weird"
"Yeah, lets keep going"
We turned around and we encountered by two arachnids. One of them was huge, way bigger than any I've ever seen. The huge one swung it's jaws into Rico, sending him flying. The bug crawled over to him and kind of sat down on him, making it impossible for him to move. I watched horrified as the bug knocked Johnny's helmet off with it's lower jaw.
"DIZZY! RUN AWAY!"
I didn't wanna run, wanted to help him, but I was frozen. The arachnid began spiting something out of it's mouth, on the Rico's. It was translucent goo, like the stuff from before. Johnny started at me wide eyed, his screams muffled, the whole time. After a few seconds, his eyes rolled back into his head.
"NOOOO!"
Rage filled my mind and I jumped on top of the bug, before I could get a good shot, the smaller bug grabbed me and pulled me off. It swung me around and my gun flew from my hands.
"NO, NO, NOOOOOOO, JOHNNY! NOO!"
Screaming hysterically, I began whacking the bug's jaw with
my fists. I knew I was gonna die, so, I was gonna go out fighting. The bug
swung my into a wall than dropped me. The larger one came and sat on me and the
smaller went and grabbed Rico. I struggled best I could as the bug knocked my
helmet off. It spat the goo out on my mouth. It smelled awful, like nail polish
remover. I then realized that Johnny was'nt dead, he was unconscious, just like
I would be soon.
A/N
I'm lazy. But, The next chapter will be out soon, I swear.
