Lilmaniac- Thanks for the advice on writers block, that does help me sometimes and do love Evenessane. I'll try to have my chapters in soon, maybe before the week is out, no promises though.
11:28 pm
I heard a hiss, I guessed that was the gas entering my lungs. I gripped Karen tightly, I kissed her. I felt a rush of cold air, that, I guessed was my soul leaving my body, but I still felt Karen's body, and her heart was still beating. I opened my eyes.
There was no green gas, all of the doors had opened, the cameras were still off.
"Get back in morph! Before the cameras come back on." I recognized that voice. Ian! I looked up from Karen's shoulder. Ian had jumped from an opening in a ventilation shaft . Amy was standing next to him. We had been saved.
"Not yet." Jerry said. I have a job to do.' He walked over to the computer, the large screen changed it showed an image of orbiting satellites. Jerry put a disk in the computer's disk drive. The image of the satellites showed each one seem to turn off. "There that'll knock out the satellites for three months. And the damage we did here will take time to clean up I think we can chalk this up as a…"
"What the fuck just happened?" I head a voice from beyond the doors, another answered him.
"Someone shut off the gas from upstairs, Sub-Visser 2."
"Shit! Fucking Andalites, where's the video feed?"
"Camera's shut off when gas flow starts, it's less messy that way."
"Get them back up now so I can see if the gas did it's job."
(Get in morph guys!) Ian yelled. We each resumed our battle morphs and made it just in time to avoid the camera's going on. Amy had gone into the one battle morph she had: an anaconda. Now this wasn't some monster like snake like you saw in that low budget movie. She didn't do any hissing or growling and she was only about 14 feet long. Still she was a formidable sight.
"Damn, there's more of them now. Open up the doors! Do it now!"
(When the doors open,) Ian said. (Follow me.) The doors opened. There were four sets one on each side of the rectangular room . Ian ran through the ones on the left side. It wasn't the ones we had come in on but this wasn't the time to argue. We followed. We didn't run into much resistance, at least that's what I thought until I looked back. No less than twenty Hork-Baijar were running after us with Dracon beams raised.
(Why are we running, why don't we fight these SOBs) Robert said.
(Dear God Robert do you have a death wish even I don't want to fight right now.) I yelled. Robert was brave I'd give him that any day but he was also incredibly stupid. I may take a lot of risks but I won't go charging into certain death without a reason.
Tessewww, Tessewww. Two dracon beams missed me by an inch.
"What the fuck are you doing you dumb meat cutter, don't fire here, if you hit a computer Visser one is going to have my ass." I assumed that was the voice of the Sub-Visser. We continued to run, the morphs we chose were fast, unfortunately the Hork-Baijar were fast too and hippos and cheetahs couldn't run for very long. Ian and Anna were overtaken by the Hork-Baijar who commenced to slicing and dicing.
(Ok you get your wish Robert we get to fight.) I said turning around. I was the first into the battle pouncing on a another unlucky Hork-Baijar and slashing it's face into pieces. Two tried to get in and slash me but, one found itself on a Cape Buffalo horn and the other was missing a head, since it had been bitten off by a tigress.
(That's 6 you owe me.) Jade said.
(Five.) I said, jumping over her and killing a Taxxon that had somehow gotten behind her. Karen joined the battle, at least 6 Hork-Baijar were stick between her large antlers . She shook her head violently and got them off easily, relieving them of a few limbs in the process.
Amy had two Hork-Baijar in her grasp and was knocking a third one aside with her large head. Becky was sticking close to her to make sure that she wasn't hurt since her battle morph was somewhat slower at bringing death than the rest of us.
The number of Hork-Baijar had dwindled drastically, but we had a long way to go. Jade had gotten herself backed into corner with four Hork-Baijar slashing at her. She disemboweled one but the other got her across the face blinding her. Marco was over in a heart beat, literally ripping the offending Hork-Baijar to shreds.
Jade shape shifted into lioness nullifying the blindness. Karen was tramping over a group of Taxxons, Jake was fighting a Hork-Baijar with Cassie. I looked past the other Hork-Baijar to see Sub-Visser 2. He looked familiar.
(Oh my God, that's Chapman). Marco said. (Even now he's trying to give me detention!) Amy was just staring at Chapman with an expression I couldn't read.
(Chapman, how did he get so high on the Yerk hierarchy?) Jake asked. (Bishop what the fuck you doing.) A tiger jumped between me and Chapman.
(No, Human, Casualties!) He said.
(Look Jake, I can go around you, or I can go through you. That's your choice.) While I was arguing most the other Hork-Baijar had been finished off there was nothing between me and Chapman, between me and a blow to the Yerk's morale.
I moved to pounce, Jake jumped too and caught me with a paw in mid air. I flew into the side wall- pain. I was stunned and lay there for awhile.
(Erik!) Karen yelled. I found myself being nuzzled by a moose. (Are you OK)
(I'm fine Kare, bastard just caught me off guard.) I struggled painfully to my feet. Everyone was staring at Jake.
(What the hell are you doing Jake?) Marco said. (Have you lost your mind?) I honestly didn't know Tigers could look shocked at what they had done but Jake was doing a good job of it.
(I- I don't) BANG (Arrrg) Chapman had shot Jake, but his aim was off, it seemed just to graze his side.
(That's it, he's going down!) Karen yelled.
(NO human casualties) Jake yelled but he knew he couldn't fight Karen without killing her, and he knew if he did 1: he'd have a human causality, 2 I'd cut off every part of his body with a rusty steak knife and make him eat each part raw. Karen easily took the bullets Chapman shot at her. She connected with her anthers. She didn't cut him but sent him flying thirty feet. He hit the floor and skid another five.
He didn't get up. Karen charged at him to finish the job.
(Wait,!) Jake yelled. (He's not a threat anymore,) Karen stopped but not because Jake said to. (Amy let him GO!) Amy had slithered over and wrapped Chapman in her coils. (let him go.) Amy's voice didn't sound like her own.
(NO! He's the bastard that infested Joel.) I knew then that Chapman would die. Joel was Anna's late boyfriend. He was useful to the Yerks because he was an astrophysics major, and he knew a lot about Earths Solar system. Amy had watched as he was being infested through a sniper scope. When she heard him called "Visser" she had shot him. Ever since then she had never been the same. I now knew what the expression Anna had looked at Chapman with was: hate, pure hate.
Chapman's ribs had been shattered, it woke him up,
"Ah hel…" The air was squeezed out of his lungs so he couldn't finish the sentence. Chapman was about to die despite Jake screams for Amy to release him. Amy's snake head exploded, I saw the human controller standing there with a smoking gun, I heard the approach of foot steps.
(We need to go…) Ian said, but I could tell he was shocked at what had happened. We ran, I barely realized I was running. I just followed. Soon we reach an open man hole. We each jumped down it and ran a ways through the sewer before demorphing to recharge the time-limit.
"Amy…" Becky said, she had tears in her eyes. "It just it can't…" She started crying, Jerry put his arm around her, but he looked like he was about to cry too. She glared at Jake.
"It's your fucking fault! If you had let Erik kill him then Amy wouldn't have attacked. Where did you get your bullshit war philosophy anyway, from the French? No offense Jade." (That's Becky never offend someone unless you have to).
"I, I'm sorry." Jake said
"Beck," I said. "As much as I'd like to blame Jake for this it wasn't his fault. It was just bad luck."
"Bad luck?" Becky sobbed. "One of your best friends dies and you say it's bad luck?"
"Believe me it hurts Becky it really does," I said. "but crying isn't going to bring her back." Becky broke down entirely bawling silently onto Jerry's shoulder.
"Ian," I said. "Where are we going?"
"I have my ship parked nearby I'll drop you off at the valley. With the cloaking device on I'll be able to fly you there without anyone seeing, it'll take about 4 hours."
"Lets go." I said we walked through the sewer Becky crying, Jade looking shocked, Robert seeming jaded. Jake looking mournful, with Cassie comforting him. (This was the second time I almost felt sorry for Mr. Chamberlain.) Karen didn't show much emotion, but I knew she was just holding it in. Jerry was trying to stay strong for Becky's sake. Anna was only silently crying and being comforted by James. Myself? I just tried to forget, it was hard I felt awful because she was my responsibility and I failed her, but if I got too emotional I might not want to keep fighting, and that would be an insult to Amy's memory.
In the air over the Cape Fear River
New Hanover County, NC
February 8th 2008 12:22 am.
I was sitting in one of the few sleeping quarters aboard Ian's ship. Trying to clear my head. It had happened so fast. One minute Amy was alive and fighting. The next she was dead. I had never fully grasped that fear that, danger. This brought it crashing down. I was sitting on the bed. With my hand on my head.
I was still mad at Jake. Not for Amy but for hitting me. I knew that leadership was difficult but the stress of leadership did not excuse an attack on an ally. You could discipline your team, you had a right, hell a responsibility to but you never attack an ally. Much less an ally team's leader. I knew now that I couldn't trust Jake. I would continue to work with him but… only to complete my goal.
I heard a beep, that meant someone was at my door.
"Open" I said. Jade was standing in the doorway.
"Can I come in?" She asked.
"Sure." She came over and sat next to me.
"Erik I, I'm sorry about Amy… it must feel bad to lose a teammate. I can only imagine what kind of pain your going through."
"You concern is touching but unnecessary, anyway Jade, you've experienced a worse loss than me, I know what I feel pales in comparison." Jade changed the subject, what had happened to her a few years ago must still hurt.
"So how are you going to have the wedding?"
"A Hork-Baijar priest is going to marry us believe it or not. We plan to get married on the overlook."
"Here," She reached into her pocket. "I brought you a wedding present, since I knew you wouldn't have time to get a ring…" She brought out a diamond ring it had smaller diamonds carved into the band, and a wedding band carved from marble.
"Oh no Jade, I can't take those, those are from your family…"
"They were given to me to give to who I wanted to. My parents told me that, although they'd like me to use them myself they said I could give it to a friend for their wedding gift. You know that no one in my family who wore the rings ever broke apart. They say that these rings will give each spouse a piece of the other forever. I know that's the kind of love you have for Karen.
"I saw the way you looked into her eye's when the gas was falling, that kind of love is rare Erik, very rare. " I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the tears.
"You OK" she asked. I wiped my tears away embarrassed.
"Yeah, fine, I'm fine."
"Good luck, tomorrow, Karen said you wrote your own vows."
"Yeah we did." I had spent four hours pouring over a piece of paper, it was almost impossible to explain in words how I felt about Karen
"Are you still having the wedding?"
"I'm going to ask Karen that right now, pardon me." I walked out of my room and to the room where Karen was staying. I pressed a silver button that would alert Karen I was out there.
"Who's there?" Karen's voice said.
"It's me Erik." I said.
"Open." she said. The door slid open. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. Although she had tried to hide it I knew she had been crying. I could tell by her tone of voice when she answered me, not by her face. (Karen never needed makeup.)
"Kare," I sat next to her and put my arm around her. "You okay babe?"
"Yeah, fine." She said. "Hey your not supposed to see the bride before the wedding."
"You still want to get married?"
"Yeah Ere, I, I think Amy would have wanted it this way, she wouldn't have wanted to impose on us…" She buried her face in my shoulder. I ran my hands through her hair. Her hair was still as soft as ever despite the fact that she had been through so much. "I just can't believe she's gone, we couldn't even get her body, she, she didn't even get to die in her own body."
"I know, I know, it's okay." I kissed her on the back of her head and rubbed her back. Karen was rarely so vulnerable, even around me. Karen was one of the strongest women I had ever known, seeing her like this was hard. I held her and let her cry. Finally she seemed to be done she looked up and kissed me.
"Sorry," She said. "It's just… I've been around death since I was 18, but this is the first time it ever hit me so close. I mean all those that we've had to kill they were just ghosts, nothing, like stick figures on a piece of paper. Then when someone close dies, even though I've killed so many people, I can't stand it… it's so… selfish of me…" I knew what was bothering her, it bothered me too. I pulled her even closer.
"Karen, that's just something you have to get used to. I mean if we think of the enemy as having a soul then our job would become difficult if not impossible. And if we didn't think of each other as having a soul then we'd fall apart, you know that I try my damndest not to get too close to the others, but I already have, losing one of my teammates, losing one of my friends, hurts. If we don't care for each other then what are we fighting for? If we get too close to the enemy how will we fight? Don't feel bad about yourself Karen, you are one of the nicest kindest women I've had the fortune to know.
"Your only flaw appears to be remarkably bad taste in men." Karen smiled weakly. I let her go she looked at me, I looked back at her. We shared one of the most passionate kisses we had ever shared then. When we broke apart I got up.
"Get some rest. We'll be home in about three hours, enjoy the bed while you can, because we'll be back to sleeping on hard rock ground pretty soon." I walked out of her room and back into mine. I lay down on my bed, I had forgotten how soft a bed was. I was asleep in minutes.