++++++
Harper's body collided with Bobby's over sized abdomen and chest. He felt his should bend and twist as it hit Bobby full in the chest. Pain shot through his back but through the haze of pain he also heard a resounding whoosh of air leaving Bobby's lungs.
They both collapsed to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs.
Bobby was recovering quickly from the surprise and both of them scrambled for the gun Bobby had been carrying.
Harper got his left hand on the gauss gun but his right arm was numb from the impact of hitting the other man.
Bobby's foot shot out and ripped the gun from engineer's weakened grip. It flew out of range down the corridor.
Harper kicked back with his leg. He heard a loud clunk as his leg hit metal.
Harper swore the guy must have been wearing body armor. No wonder his shoulder hurt. A quick thought ran through Harper's head. Bobby wore armor but Harper still managed to knock the wind out of him. This guy wasn't so tough!
Harper took a giant swing at bobby's face with his good arm His fist didn't quite reach though. Damn this guy was tall. He did manage to clip him just on the tip of his chin though.
Bobby back peddled a little. "Stupid freaking sewer rat!"
"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Harper took another swing this time at a lower target, Bobby's throat. Hey, all's fair in love and war. "Besides, I'd rather be a sewer rat then an over grown ape!"
Bobby swore as he ducked the wild swing and retaliated by hitting Harper full force in the stomach.
It was Harper's turn to gasp for air again.
Bobby leaned in close. "I'll make you cry for your Momma by the time I'm through. I never could figure out why Beka kept you as her pet."
"I'm nobody's pet!" Harper gasped and promptly kicked Bobby in the shin and dodged behind the slower moving man. Bobby spun to grab him.
At the same time they both spotted the Gauss gun again. Both men dived for the weapon.
Bobby won.
Harper hit the deck in frustration. Okay this was no good. Harper had a temper but he wasn't stupid. Letting his anger go he leapt to his feet and jumped away just as Bobby got full control of the gauss gun.
Bobby shot.
It went wild, as his position on the floor was still precarious. Bobby struggled to his feet. The armor was obviously slowing him down. Harper dashed by him. Running down the corridor, which hopefully led to Beka.
The Gauss gun charged.
Harper was at the junction of two corridors. His bare feet gripped the metal floor giving him speed. He slowed slightly to take the corner keeping one arm on the wall for balance.
It felt like he was hit with a baseball bat. He stumbled, the smell of sizzling skin wafted over him.
Then the noise.
Then the pain.
Bobby had shot him. More blasts hit the wall near his head.
Harper staggered and allowed himself a small yell of agony. The shoulder that he had hurt when he had jumped at Bobby, the one holding on to the wall, ignited with new waves of pain. He wished absently for the numbness he had felt before.
He willed his feet to keep moving. He could hear Bobby. His heavy footsteps weren't that far away. He picked up his staggering pace. Things were getting a little blurry. He couldn't allow him self the moment of weakness. He had to find Beka.
The cockpit..Beka might be there. "Boss?" he called weakly. The sound of his own voice surprised him. No time to think .
He fell more then ran in to the small command area. Beka lay on the ground beside one of the safety rails.
"Boss?" He collapsed at her side. She was pale. "Beka come on!" He shook her but got no response. She couldn't be.was she breathing?
"She's dead little man. I guess I hit her a little to hard."
Harper spun. Bobby stood at the entranceway no sympathy in his eyes. "No. she can't be!"
"I guess by default the Maru is mine."
"You Bastard."
Bobby laughed.
Harper's breath quickened as the events of the last hour caught up with him. He could think of nothing but how much he wanted to kill Bobby. This was Beka's home.his home. He would never let Bobby have it without a fight. "You don't deserve to live!" Harper growled.
"What are you going to do street rat?"
Harper leapt to his feet as the fury over whelmed him. But the universe as always had other ideas. Suddenly it was like someone spilled red paint across his eyes. Harper's vision turned red. Whether it was the anger, the sorrow, or the pain. it all became too much for him to bear.
His knees buckled and he was forced to fight another day as his consciousness betrayed him. +++++++++++
Harper's body collided with Bobby's over sized abdomen and chest. He felt his should bend and twist as it hit Bobby full in the chest. Pain shot through his back but through the haze of pain he also heard a resounding whoosh of air leaving Bobby's lungs.
They both collapsed to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs.
Bobby was recovering quickly from the surprise and both of them scrambled for the gun Bobby had been carrying.
Harper got his left hand on the gauss gun but his right arm was numb from the impact of hitting the other man.
Bobby's foot shot out and ripped the gun from engineer's weakened grip. It flew out of range down the corridor.
Harper kicked back with his leg. He heard a loud clunk as his leg hit metal.
Harper swore the guy must have been wearing body armor. No wonder his shoulder hurt. A quick thought ran through Harper's head. Bobby wore armor but Harper still managed to knock the wind out of him. This guy wasn't so tough!
Harper took a giant swing at bobby's face with his good arm His fist didn't quite reach though. Damn this guy was tall. He did manage to clip him just on the tip of his chin though.
Bobby back peddled a little. "Stupid freaking sewer rat!"
"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Harper took another swing this time at a lower target, Bobby's throat. Hey, all's fair in love and war. "Besides, I'd rather be a sewer rat then an over grown ape!"
Bobby swore as he ducked the wild swing and retaliated by hitting Harper full force in the stomach.
It was Harper's turn to gasp for air again.
Bobby leaned in close. "I'll make you cry for your Momma by the time I'm through. I never could figure out why Beka kept you as her pet."
"I'm nobody's pet!" Harper gasped and promptly kicked Bobby in the shin and dodged behind the slower moving man. Bobby spun to grab him.
At the same time they both spotted the Gauss gun again. Both men dived for the weapon.
Bobby won.
Harper hit the deck in frustration. Okay this was no good. Harper had a temper but he wasn't stupid. Letting his anger go he leapt to his feet and jumped away just as Bobby got full control of the gauss gun.
Bobby shot.
It went wild, as his position on the floor was still precarious. Bobby struggled to his feet. The armor was obviously slowing him down. Harper dashed by him. Running down the corridor, which hopefully led to Beka.
The Gauss gun charged.
Harper was at the junction of two corridors. His bare feet gripped the metal floor giving him speed. He slowed slightly to take the corner keeping one arm on the wall for balance.
It felt like he was hit with a baseball bat. He stumbled, the smell of sizzling skin wafted over him.
Then the noise.
Then the pain.
Bobby had shot him. More blasts hit the wall near his head.
Harper staggered and allowed himself a small yell of agony. The shoulder that he had hurt when he had jumped at Bobby, the one holding on to the wall, ignited with new waves of pain. He wished absently for the numbness he had felt before.
He willed his feet to keep moving. He could hear Bobby. His heavy footsteps weren't that far away. He picked up his staggering pace. Things were getting a little blurry. He couldn't allow him self the moment of weakness. He had to find Beka.
The cockpit..Beka might be there. "Boss?" he called weakly. The sound of his own voice surprised him. No time to think .
He fell more then ran in to the small command area. Beka lay on the ground beside one of the safety rails.
"Boss?" He collapsed at her side. She was pale. "Beka come on!" He shook her but got no response. She couldn't be.was she breathing?
"She's dead little man. I guess I hit her a little to hard."
Harper spun. Bobby stood at the entranceway no sympathy in his eyes. "No. she can't be!"
"I guess by default the Maru is mine."
"You Bastard."
Bobby laughed.
Harper's breath quickened as the events of the last hour caught up with him. He could think of nothing but how much he wanted to kill Bobby. This was Beka's home.his home. He would never let Bobby have it without a fight. "You don't deserve to live!" Harper growled.
"What are you going to do street rat?"
Harper leapt to his feet as the fury over whelmed him. But the universe as always had other ideas. Suddenly it was like someone spilled red paint across his eyes. Harper's vision turned red. Whether it was the anger, the sorrow, or the pain. it all became too much for him to bear.
His knees buckled and he was forced to fight another day as his consciousness betrayed him. +++++++++++