The 99th Platoon – Escape from Batula's Castle
(A/N More creatures galore, hence the rather clichéd title… But everyone
likes a good cliché every now and then right? If not…well, constructive
criticism is also welcome along with your reviews. Readers, enjoy, and then
bestow your judgement upon me. Later folks.)
Chapter 9: Things that go bump in the night
The WereSquirrel trudged its way down the stone corridor of Batula's castle,
the blood drained by Dark making him weaker with each step. With a pitiful howl
Sarge fell through the next door, landing squarely by Mon's feet. He turned to
the others who pushed on further towards the east side of the house, shooting
the odd zombie. Then he looked back at Sarge.
"Ok then…I'd better hurry…"
He moved quickly, swinging his backpack off and began rifling through it.
"Luckily I stocked up on Anti-Virus when we raided that lab in 'Tediz Attack'…"
he muttered as he searched through the contents of his backpack. He pushed his
medic's helmet away from his eyes and lifted a syringe triumphantly.
"And with a little bit of tweaking from Chael and his lab…" he tapped the
syringe and squeezed out the air bubbles.
"E voila! A universal antibody." He pierced one of the clearly visible veins
and squeezed the red, gel-like fluid into Sarge's blood stream.
He waited to see if the drug would cure Sarge's disease…in principal this was a
disease…and hence could be immune against…kind like a reverse vaccination…
"If it wasn't for the blood loss he's gone through," thought
Mon, "I may have been his next appetizer."
Mon looked on curiously as the WereSquirrel's form slowly, but surely, melted
into the recognisable barrel-chested Squirrel.
Sarge stood shakily on two legs…Mon ran to him and let Sarge lean on him.
Sarge's pants were now shorts and his jacket looked worse for wear, but it was
still intact. He buttoned it up and looked at Mon.
"Where…Dark?" he coughed.
"Isn't he back there?"
Sarge shook his head and almost fell flat on his face.
"Easy there Sarge…it's the blood loss…here's a piece of chocolate."
Sarge gratefully accepted the glucose and trudged off, trying to fill the blank
spot in his memory. Last thing he remembered was that Dark was in trouble…
Mon and Sarge followed the gunshots until they caught up with members of the
'toon.
Deja fired down one of the corridors, stopping the second she saw Sarge. She
ran to him.
"Rico? Are you ok?" she asked. He looked up at her and smiled. She gave him a
playful ruffle of his hair. "You big oaf. You had me worried there for a bit…"
Oreos left Chael, Pyst and Stealth to lead Twisted, ILZ, CoolGuy, RedStorm and
Squeaky in an attempt to clear out a path to the second floor of the house,
where they presumed the Count's quarters were.
"Sarge! You're ok!"
Sarge nodded.
"Where's Dark Sarge?"
"He's back there…" Mon replied. Sarge popped another piece of chocolate into
his mouth and nodded.
"I'll go look for him," said Deja reloading her cannon. She started off down
the hallway.
"I'm coming with you," said Oreos chasing after her.
"Hey Dark, where are ya?!"
Deja shot down two tag-along zombies.
"Damn, this place is big…" she said to Oreos. He nodded. They reached yet
another corner. They both turned suddenly and purposely, guns armed and ready
to fire…
"Clear…" Deja whispered. She saw one of the doors blown off its hinges and
signalled to Oreos that they should try that room next.
They burst into the room scanning for any enemies. Deja gasped as she saw Dark
on the floor, slowly bleeding from six vertical gouges across his stomach.
"Oh shit!" Oreos moved to Dark's side while Deja scanned some of the darker
areas of the room. "Dark, are you alright? Don't add another casualty to the
list! C'mon Dark!"
Deja stared at the peculiar items lined across the shelves in the room. A thin
coat of dust rested on each oddity. Behind her she heard Dark whisper to Oreos.
"Oreos...monster...leave…"
"Where's the monster? Don't worry, Deja and her launcher's here…"
Dark began gurgling and frothing from the mouth. Oreos stepped back and looked
along the shelves.
"There has to be something here that can help…"
"Oreos?"
"Not now Deja!"
Oreos heard footsteps approach his back.
"Oreos!" said Deja backing out into the hallway.
"We can't leave Dark!"
Icy cold breath chilled his shoulder. Oreos gulped and turned round…
"Guys…I think we're lost…" said Red, looking at the particularly dark room in
front of him. Behind him CoolGuy got the radio out and then remember that they
still hadn't fixed it.
"The radio's still down…"
Squeaky, Stealth and CoolGuy walked in behind Red, Squeaky scanning the room
with a flashlight. RedStorm armed his staff.
"Man this place gives me the creeps…"
*…*
"What was that?" CoolGuy asked.
The door slammed shut behind them. Stealth drew his kitana, gripping the ivory
handle so tight his knuckles were white.
Something suddenly walked through Squeaky's beam of light. With a growing sense
of dread in his heart Squeaky spoke up.
"Guys…we're not alone in this room…"
"Dark's" face was squarer, his jaw line larger and heavier. Silver fur had
sprouted in place of his black and his eyes glowed an intense red…
Deja leapt into the air, spinning her leg around her to bring it squarely
across Dark's face. She relaxed her muscle as she landed gracefully on both
feet. "Dark" fell backwards, stunned. She ran out the door with Oreos close on
her tail.
"Thank you ma'am!"
"Hey, no problem!"
Behind them, Dark roared and burst out of the room. He fell to all fours and
very soon had gained on them both. The two Squirrels leapt in the air as Dark
ran under them, his momentum carrying him forwards into a knot of zombies.
"Quick! While he's occupied!" Deja pressed Oreos on.
"They'll kill him!" he said, attempting to turn back.
Dark ripped the closest zombie's head off and round housed the next. One bit
his hand, but Dark slammed it into the ground, crushing it. He sank his teeth
into one of the zombies' shoulders and tore it from the rest of the body.
"Ok. He'll be fine." They ran.
"Where is everybody!" Chael yelled, frustrated. Oreos and Deja ran in behind
him as he ordered those soldiers left to fire at the zombies pouring down the
steps. Taking out his sniper rifle he aimed at a particularly fat zombie…and
then hesitated…
"Mr. Big Wig?"
There was an even fatter zombie next to the first one.
"Mrs. Big Wig?!"
The zombies plodded down the steps…Chael shook his head, aimed for a second
through his scope and then shot both heads off with one bullet…
Something was in the room with them…
Something didn't want them to leave the room alive…or UnDead…
"Squeaky," Stealth whispered, "We could really use the radio here…"
Frustrated Squeaky slammed the machine with the side of his paw. The buttons
lit up and the sounds of the main unit travelled over the wavelength.
Mon turned as he heard a lion-like roar reverberate down the corridor. Oreos
looked at Mon and at once he understood. He readied a second syringe and didn't
have to wait long for Dark to leap through the doorway, paws outstretched,
towards him.
Mon ducked as Dark soared over him and swinging the syringe over his shoulder
Mon pierced Dark through the chest.
The Panther fell to the ground, trembling. The silver fur sucked into Dark's
usual black, while his body returned to a two-legged stance. The paws and teeth
sunk back and finally his eyes returned to normal.
Panting he stood up. He pulled his tattered trench coat on.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
*KssSsSsHHiIiIITtt*
"Yeah?"
The transmission was shaky and interrupted by bursts of static. Pyst could
barely make out the bare essentials.
*Pyst? ----------- It's
S-----Sto---uy---lth------AAARRRGH!----Ne-----ELP!---ampier!----All
around!------*
"Say no more!"
He ran down the corridor he had seen them retreat to and opened the first door
he found.
Empty.
He ran ahead and his heart sunk. The corridor was lined with doors on either
side. Behind him he heard the shaky breathing of the UnDead…swearing he turned
and fired taking a step back each time, opening every door he walked past…the
firing drew more zombies and they followed Pyst's slow march down the corridor.
The minigun suddenly overheated and stopped firing.
"Piece-a-junk!" Pyst yelled as he began a fast backward walk, waiting for the
gun to cool off.
He opened the door closest to him just as the barrel of his gun began spinning
again…
