AU: I'll have to give credit to EA for making some of the drill sergeant's quotes, because they are so unbelievably awesome.

Chapter 23: Near Death Experience

There's a funny thing about death. "Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome." They say that when you're about to die, you can see your life flash before your eyes in an instant, or get a glimpse of heaven. At least, that's what the people who survive these experiences say, though nobody ever knows exactly what they will see when Death comes to knock on your doorstep.

Boot Camp

"Get up, maggots! This ain't your beauty sleep!"

The twelve recruits all bolted out of their beds, hastily shirking on their uniforms as the Marine drill sergeant barged into the barracks, shouting orders left and right.

"Move it, maggots! No one's getting paid by the hour here! You call that dressed? I think that looks like crap! Put them on properly or I will not hesitate to kick your chubby ass back to Earth!"

The recruits quickly dressed, cleaned up their cots, and stood at attention, ready for the sergeant's daily inspection.

Robles

"Son of a bitch!" Paccone yelled as he backed away from a pair of zombies closing in on him. He made his way over to the wounded civilian and started firing. Both enemies took hits and fell into the water with a loud splash. Kumi, meanwhile, gave the zombie that was on top of Leo a hearty smack in the head with the butt of her rifle. She could feel the creature's skull cave in to the force of her attack, and the zombie dropped into the water like a lifeless doll.

Just as quickly, Siler and Mann sped down the stairs, rifles raised and ready. They made quick work of the remaining zombies, who went up in puffs of coagulated blood. Kumi frantically thrashed through the water trying to find Leo.

Boot Camp

"Now." Said the drill sergeant. "You raw recruits think you have what it takes to be a Marine, don't you?"

One of the recruits made a mistake by answering, "Yes sir!"

The drill sergeant was on her like tiger leaping for the kill.

"Did I tell you to talk, maggot?"

"No sir, I just assumed you wanted us to answer the question." She said, with a hint of smugness in her voice.

"Oh, so we've got a smart girl here, huh? Lets see how you like KP duty for the next two weeks!"

Robles

Leo thought he was going to die. He didn't really expect it, but he felt disappointment. When he first joined the Marines, he really thought he would've met his end on the front lines or on some patrol in a firefight against the Covenant, not in some flooded basement by a person who didn't know when to die. Visions and memories crept into his head, and things that he wouldn't have given a second thought suddenly became crystal clear in his head. Suddenly, instead of being pushed down, something started to pull him up, out of the water.

Paccone yanked Leo out of the water with one hand a yelled, "You don't die until I tell you, Marine! Is that clear?"

Leo coughed and vomited some water. He managed to nod weakly.

"Good." Paccone said as he turned around. "Leeds, what's his condition?"

Kumi, meanwhile, was checking the wounded civilian, and trying to stop the bleeding from his wounds. She took out a bandage from her pack and replied, "Not too bad, sir. Mostly just cuts and scratches, but he should make it."

Leo finally managed to conjure the strength to stand up. He staggered a little, and leaned against the wall for support. "Jeez… hey Kumi!" He called out.

Kumi turned from her work. "Yeah?" She replied curiously.

"You got anything that for severe headaches?"

Kumi huffed and turned back to the wounded man she was working on. "I'm a medic, not your pediatrician. Why would you need that stuff anyways?"

Leo rubbed his head in pain and replied, "Because I can't get my stupid drill sergeant's voice out of my head…"

Boot Camp

"Now…" The drill sergeant began to pace back and forth along the barracks aisle. "Everything has to have a story, and so does the Marine Corps." He kept walking down the aisle and stopped.

"In the beginning, there was only darkness, until God said 'Let there be light!', and he then created heaven and earth." He continued pacing the aisle, while all the recruits still stood at attention.

"He then created the land, the sky, and the sea. And on each, he put down the animals." He turned and started pacing the other way, giving the recruits a harsh stare. "In the sea, he made the Navy, with their fancy ships and their too-tight uniforms. In the air, he made the Air Force, with their jackets fluffy and ruffled. And on the land, he made the Army, with pants too long and shorts too short. Then, on the seventh day, he rested."

Finally, the sergeant stopped at the door of the barracks and looked down the recruits again, "But on the eighth day, God looked down, and he was not happy! So then he created the Marines, who could fight on land, sea, AND air! They had combat-practical uniforms, and dress uniforms so they could go out at night with the ladies! But God was still not happy, because he realized he did not have a Marine uniform, but he took comfort in the fact that not everybody can be a Marine!"

The sergeant then raised his voice, as to get the attention of the recruits. " But I am a Marine, so that makes me one level above God! That means I tell you to jump, you say 'how high', and when I tell you to run, by God, I want you to say 'how far'. Got that?"

This time, all of the recruits stood there, silent and at attention.

"Good! I expect to see you outside and ready for training! Now, would be a good time!"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to piss off God, would we?" One of the recruits muttered to herself.