Ch. 16 Part 2: Jump for it

A.N.:

Well, as promised, there is a lemon in this part. I am glad I broke this chapter into two sections because this half was nearly a chapter within itself. Anyway, again, I tried not to be too descriptive so no one would get offended. I hope everyone enjoys reading this and review if you want. For the underage readers that ignored the M rating, go find something rated T.

With the lockdown deactivated, we were able to reach the bland concrete staircase without incident. As we hurried down the steps, Alma asked, "Why aren't we taking the elevator?"

I snorted before I replied, "Because shit always goes wrong in elevators."

She said, "But that was mainly because of me."

I nodded as I remarked, "Yeah, I figured that already."

By that time, we had reached the door leading to the floor that Bravo team was assigned to clear. On the other side of the door, I could hear the sound of small arms fire. I ordered the men following me, "Whatever this thing is, we put it down fast and hard. We have a schedule to keep." They all acknowledged my statement in their own way.

I went to open the door, but Alma stopped me by saying, "Wait Michael." I retracted my left hand from the door handle as I turned to look at her. With a mischievous expression she taunted, "I bet you can't open the door with your mind." I smirked as my body was enveloped with a red aura.

With a distorted voice I questioned her sarcastically, "Oh really?"

Her glowing eyes narrowed in amusement as she replied, "Yes. Poor Michael, he can kill whomever he pleases, can control thousands of Replica soldiers, killed my second son and my father, but he can't get through a flimsy metal door." My eyes narrowed as I focused on the obstacle. Using my frustration as a catalyst, I sent a pulse of energy against the door. The door flew open with a metallic screech and the doorframe itself warped as black marks appeared around its edges as if it had been burned.

I could feel her smirk as I proceeded through the opening with my rifle at the ready. I said through our bond, "Bitch."

She purred, "Is the big man going to force himself upon me?"

Annoyed, I snarled, "Shut up Alma."

As I observed the blood covered walls of the hallways that had been turned into a warzone, I heard her giggle perversely in my mind with her childish voice before her voice changed when she said in her husky adult voice, "I love it when you think of my body like that. My soft breasts, my flat stomach, my firm ass, my smooth legs, my…"

Shivering with desire, I pleaded, "Alma…stop. Please."

Her taunts were sending my hormones into overdrive and I had to fight to stay focused on my surroundings. She replied to my pleading with her creepy childish giggling before she remarked, "Not so tough now are you my love? Good with weapons and your fists but not so good at controlling your repressed desires. Not that I would have expected anything else. I mean, besides me, you have never felt the touch of a woman."

As I reeled in my body, I retorted, "I was busy."

She sighed before she said, "Being a soldier. I know. I know everything about you Michael. There is nothing you can hide from me."

Forcing myself to focus, I concentrated on the firefight damaged hallways as we proceeded towards the sound of gunfire. We occasionally passed the mangled bodies of the members of the ill-fated Bravo team. Most of them appeared to have died fighting and the rest appeared to have been caught off-guard. We scavenged the ammunition and grenades from our fallen comrades as we made our way to the lone survivor.

As I recalled from the personnel roster, Bravo 2 was the elite sniper/scout unit for Bravo team. He had been trained and designed to be a lone wolf but he had sounded distressed when I had conversed with him through our com link. When that thought went through my mind, I quickened my pace. As we neared the heated battle, I found myself curious about the identity of the assailant. Bravo 2 had mentioned that the contact was female but he had failed to provide any additional information. Whatever it was, it was capable of almost taking down an entire team of Replica soldiers, which was a notable feat within itself.

We turned the corner and came to the main lobby for the floor. The two elevators were to our left and the reception desk was to our right. Behind the desk, a staircase led to the upper level offices. Bravo 2 was in the center of the room with his back to us as he scanned the upper level for movement with his sniper rifle raised. Without turning to look at us, the Replica sniper informed us, "She jumped up to the upper level. I have not seen her since." With our own weapons raised up towards the upper level, we cautiously made our way towards the surviving soldier.

As we reached him, I questioned the sniper, "What is it? What are we fighting?"

Bravo 2 replied, "I don't know sir. She moves too fast." Before I could question the sniper for more information, movement caught my attention.

A skinny feminine form about five foot six inches tall clad in some kind of snug fitting, black full-body suit front flipped down from the upper level railing and landed about a foot away from us in a hunched posture. Before I could activate my reflexes, she had somersaulted towards us, recovered, roundhouse kicked Bravo 2 to the floor, flipped me onto my back, knocked Alpha 1 onto his hands and knees, vaulted over his body, roundhouse kicked Foxtrot 813 to the floor, and finally ran off down the hallway before Point Man could get a clear shot.

Somewhat humiliated, I scrambled to my feet. Alpha 1 and Foxtrot 813 had recovered as well but Bravo 2 was slow in getting to his feet. I noticed that he was laboring with what were likely several broken ribs from other encounters with the woman. I moved over to him to assist him and helped him rest up against one of the walls.

I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, we have made contact with an unknown female assailant. Bravo 2 is in need of medical evac."

She replied, "Copy that Becket. A medical team is in route. Any idea about the identity of the woman?"

I answered, "Negative, but she is likely some kind of prototype that Armacham was working on here."

With a worried tone, my old squad mate said, "Copy that. Please be careful Becket."

I replied, "Don't worry l-t; I am a fighter, not a lover."

She laughed briefly at my bastardization of what Keegan had once told her before she said, "Check in when you have an update."

I replied, "Roger that." Looking back down at the injured soldier, I reached into my equipment pack and withdrew a medical injector with my left hand. I carefully injected the liquid into the wheezing sniper. After the booster was empty and I withdrew the needle, I informed him, "This should hold you over until the evac team gets here."

As the lifesaving substance did its job, the Replica said gratefully, "Thank you sir."

I smiled slightly before I said, "No problem."

I motioned for Foxtrot 813, Point Man, and Alpha 1 to follow me as I chased after the strange enemy. We moved back into the war-torn hallway as we constantly scanned our surroundings. Whatever she was, she had the slow-mo ability like Point Man, Foxtrot 813, and I did. However, her slow-mo seemed amplified to the extreme that it was two-fold to ours.

We would be fighting a difficult battle against that thing in a fair fight. A thought occurred to me. I asked my companion, "Alma, can you take away an individual's power? Like you did to me in the amplifier but in reverse?"

She frowned before she explained, "Not unless it is a natural ability. You were already an extraordinarily gifted psychic so I just had to amplify what you already had. I did not give you anything. Whatever this poor girl is, Armacham made her into it. She is…normal…but surgically enhanced. Sorry."

I cursed under my breath as we cautiously made our way down the vacant hallway. We came to a "t" at the end of the corridor and, as I was deciding which way to go, the woman dropped down through the ceiling tiles. She landed between us and tried to assault us with another round of kicks but this time, I was ready for her.

With my reflexes activated, I managed to land a blow with the butt of my rifle's stock. However, my strike only landed a hit on her right shoulder and thus failed to do much damage. Even with my reflexes activated, her movements were still hard to follow. She tried to counter my attack with a high kick but I ducked, grabbed her right leg, and threw her against the glass wall of the nearby meeting room.

She smashed through the glass but landed on her feet on top of the long wooden table. She emitted a mechanical sounding hiss of what sounded like anger as she stood menacingly on top of the table. Alpha 1 and Foxtrot 813 opened fire on her but she dodged their bullets as she jumped and twirled through the air towards them.

Alpha 1 barked as he pushed Foxtrot 813 out of the way, "Look out". After he pushed his Replica brother off to the right, he turned to take the full brunt of the force of her flying kick. My best friend gave off a deep, distorted grunt as his shotgun flew out of his grasp and he slid backwards a few feet. He, however, managed to remain on his feet and was able to grasp the woman roughly by her neck despite the fact that he did not possess the slow-mo ability.

While he held her around her neck with his left hand, his right hand reached down and retrieved The Hammer from its holster on his right leg. She violently attempted to escape his grasp but he held her in his vice like grip as he fired the extremely lethal revolver into her lower abdomen five times at point blank range. The strange woman howled in agony as greenish liquid sprayed out of the exit wounds and blanketed the ground and wall near the two combatants.

He threw her onto the ground and tried to stomp her skull with the bottom of his right boot. However, she somehow recovered and started to grasp his foot so she could force him off-balance. As my left hand glowed with a red aura, I sent a blast of psychic energy into the downed woman. My blast lifted her off the ground and slammed her into the far right corner of the "t".

The front half of her body impacted the sharp corner of the turn as I heard the distinctive sound of vertebrae snapping. I unconsciously cringed and shivered at the sound. The woman flailed about on the ground in pain and I noticed that she had lost the use of her legs. Point Man ended her torment with a burst from his G2A2 assault rifle.

I walked over to the dead woman and stood next to her. I studied her for a moment. Her armor was definitely a prototype because I could see the telltale stitching where the scientists resized a section to make it as snug against her body as they could have made it. The strange green liquid continued to seep out of the bullet wounds as I studied her.

Her head was encased in a glossy black, pyramid shaped ceramic helmet that noticeably did not have a vent or any other traditional method of allowing the wearer to view the world. If had to venture a guess as to the intended purpose of her creation, I would have said that she was an assassin and likely an attempt by ATC to find a replacement for the rogue Replica assassins. I felt sympathy for the woman for a brief moment but then I frowned at the ATC experiment. She had killed some of my men and tried to kill me. She had been beyond saving just like Keegan. As I turned away from the body, I sighed and then commented, "What a waste."

My spirits lifted as I saw Alpha 1 retrieving his shotgun. I waited for him to stand before I asked him in a humorous tone, "Tell me Alpha 1, is it easy being superman?"

He shrugged as he replied, "I was built to be a shock and awe trooper. Close quarters fighting is my units' specialty."

I laughed at his humility for a minute and then asked the group of men, "Anyone got an incendiary grenade?"

Foxtrot 813 answered, "Yes sir."

I ordered him, "Burn the body."

He nodded before he shouldered his assault rifle. He withdrew an incendiary grenade, pulled the pin, lightly tossed it onto the corpse, and then stepped back with the rest of us. As we watched, the grenade exploded and its contents ignited the woman's body. I motioned for my group to follow me as I walked away from the unpleasant sight and smell.

They followed close behind me as I made my way back to the lobby. Eventually, the smell of cooking flesh left my senses. By the time we made it back to the lobby, the medical team had arrived. Two Replica soldiers had their assault rifles raised as they guarded the three Replica soldiers with white striped body armor as they slowly moved Bravo 2 onto a stretcher. As we approached, the two guards saluted me.

I returned it and then asked, "Why not just use a medkit so he can move on his own power?"

After they had finished moving Bravo 2 onto the stretcher, one of the medical units turned to face me and explained, "We have stabilized him with a medkit, but his injuries are extensive and there is a slight chance that there is internal hemorrhaging. It would be too risky to let him move on his own until we can get him back to Sparta sir."

Concerned, I asked, "Is he going to make it?"

The Replica medic assured me, "Don't worry sir. His chances of survival are ninety-five percent. This is just standard procedure. If you would like, one of your party can accompany us so you can check in to see how Bravo 2 is doing."

I nodded before I turned and ordered Foxtrot 813, "Foxtrot, escort Bravo 2."

The Replica replied, "Yes sir." He moved closer to the sniper.

I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, enemy contact has been neutralized. Bravo 2 is being evacuated and Foxtrot 813 is accompanying him. What is the status of the demolition team?"

She replied with a relieved tone, "Glad that is over. Holiday and the demolition team has completed the memory bank transfer, rigged the charges, and transported Mr. Disler to the helipad. Stage two is complete Becket."

I smiled briefly from satisfaction before I said, "Thank you Stokes. I will be at the helipad momentarily."

I could almost see the slight smile on her face as she replied, "Copy that Becket."

I focused back on my surroundings to find the medical team and Foxtrot 813 in the left elevator. As the elevator doors closed, I called out to Bravo 2, "See you downrange." I cringed slightly at my choice of words and a momentary flash of the memory of Keegan passing me as he exited the APC played through my mind.

Alma, sensing my darkening thoughts, playfully remarked, "That blonde seems to have taken a shine to you Michael. Perhaps we could include her and have a threesome."

I was so stunned and slightly aroused that I temporarily forgot where I was as I replied with a serious tone, "Y-Yeah?" The image of Alma and Stokes caressing each other's nude body as they kissed went through my mind.

Alpha 1 brought me back to reality when he asked in a confused tone, "You say something sir? I didn't copy."

Hiding my embarrassment and ignoring Alma's amused giggling, I replied, "Disregard. Let's get the fuck out of here."

He nodded before he said, "Right behind you sir."

I made my way over to the elevators and pressed the call button. After waiting for a few seconds, the right elevator doors opened as the device made a dinging noise. We all eagerly moved into the elevator. When we were inside, I pressed the button for the roof and the doors closed.

As we ascended with the annoying elevator music playing, I spoke into my com link, "1st and 2nd Battalion, initiate stage three. Report if you run into problems. No one gets left behind."

The Replicas all simultaneously responded in one mixed voice, "Yes sir."

Stage three was basically a controlled withdraw from the area. 2nd Battalion would be evacuated at designated landing zones or emergency secondary landing zones should the assigned landing zone be compromised. The Elite Power Armored units would be airlifted out of the area by specially designed cargo helicopters. At the same time, 1st Battalion would be evacuated from the building at the designated landing zones/helipads that were located at various roof locations every fifth floor or so. The order of evacuation would be injured soldiers, VIPs, and then it would proceed by floor in the order of first to last. My team would be the last to be evacuated.

As the elevator continued its ascent, Alpha 1 groaned before commenting, "Whoever came up with this damn music should be killed." I laughed in agreement. Alma perked up slightly as she heard my wingman's comment. For the remainder of the trip, the elevator music was replaced by the haunting melody of her music box.

As much as I had grown attached to the sweet but sad tone of her favorite song, I said to her, "When we get back to Sparta, I am going to introduce you to something called rock 'n roll."

She looked at me with a smile before she informed me, "I know about rock 'n roll from your memories silly. Too violent and loud for me."

I snorted before I replied in disbelief, "Too violent for you? But…you're…you know…Alma Wade."

She giggled in her creepy way for a moment before she explained, "I just don't like very many songs…or loud things...or when little boys question my taste in music."

I fidgeted uneasily as I replied, "Oh…did I mention how I love this song?"

She smirked before she said, "That's a good boy." We ascended in silence for a moment so I started to watch the floor numbers.

As I watched the floor number slowly increase, I commented, "Fuck me man. Why are these things always so slow? I swear, if one of you guys farts, I am going to throw you off the roof when we get there."

Alma retorted, "I don't fart."

I laughed sarcastically before I said, "Good thing that you don't because you would probably kill us if you did."

She looked at me and frowned before she stuck her tongue out at me. I smirked slightly in response to her childish behavior. That aspect of her remained despite her attempts to mimic being an adult. When she was excited, irritated, or somehow offended by something, she would always revert to her signature unnerving childish behavior even if she was in one of her other forms.

She was, and still is all these years later, a complicated individual that defies even my attempts to understand her. After all these years, the best way I can describe her is that she is a psychic; who is a woman; who is a child; who is a mother; who is a powerful goddess of death and darkness; who is a scared child that wants love and acceptance; who is a rage filled woman that wants to kill those who wronged her; who is a psychic.

Finally, the elevator reached the roof. The doors opened and I was immediately assaulted by the downdraft of an Osprey as it maneuvered away from the helipad with a full load of Replica soldiers. As I walked out of the small space and into the reception area, another Osprey landed on the helipad to pick up the waiting team of soldiers. Over the roar of the rotors, I heard Stokes call out to me, "Becket."

I looked to my left just in time for her to lunge into my body as her arms wrapped around my neck in a quick hug. She retracted from me before I had the chance to return the hug. She stood back a few inches from me with an embarrassed expression. She tried to defend her display of affection by saying with a nervous chuckle, "Glad to see that you have all your parts."

I ignored Alma's suggestive purring that only I could hear as I tried to help Stokes recover some of her dignity by casually replying, "Nothing to worry about l-t." She nodded as she regained her composure. She turned and walked over to the reception desk where she had set up a field command center.

I followed her a few steps behind. When I reached the desk, she informed me, "Evacuation is nearly complete. 2nd Battalion reports that they are at a seventy-five percent withdraw. 1st Battalion is at an eighty percent withdraw. Finally…something went according to plan."

I laughed slightly before I teased her, "Adversity is what makes it fun though."

Just as she started to say something witty in response, over the emergency channel the voice of Delta Force Operative Sgt. D. Passalaqua urgently inquired, "Does anyone copy?"

I replied into my com link, "Sergeant Becket here. I copy you. What is it Sergeant?"

Passalaqua informed me, "Some kind of creature just compromised Landing Zone Halo by taking down the last evac bird. I fought it off and managed to locate two survivors in the wreckage. One is still combat ready but the other has a broken leg. I am escorting them to the landing zone on the roof but that thing is right behind us. I am running out of ammunition. We need backup now!"

I replied, "What is your location?" I heard the signature thumping of a G2A2 assault rifle firing approximately fifteen rounds and then the sound of yelling. Concerned, I asked, "Sgt. Passalaqua, do you copy?"

After a few tense moments of silence, the operative replied, "Sergeant Becket, we are in Sector Gamma. That thing just cut us off from the elevators and the staircase. We are holed up inside the security office. I managed to reactivate the security system for this floor but that is not going to hold it back for much longer."

I said, "Copy, maintain position. Backup is on its way."

Passalaqua replied, "Roger."

I started to walk out of the reception area and towards the helipad. As I did, I ordered, "Alpha 1, Point Man, let's go kick some ass."

As always, Alpha 1 was already walking beside me and replied, "Let's get them sir."

Behind me, I sensed Point Man following. I walked over to the edge of the helipad and peered over the side. I walked along the edge until I found a section of the building that had a column of windows along its side. I reached into my equipment pack and withdrew the rappel gear. To my right and left, Alpha 1 and Point Man prepared their own gear. Sector Gamma was five stories down so we had sufficient length of rope to reach it. After I anchored my line, I turned to face the Osprey that was loading Replica soldiers. I silently prayed that the line would hold. Then, I jumped backwards off the building.

My body responded to the sudden drop with its usual uneasy feeling in my abdomen as I rappelled down the side of the building. Even now, I am not a fan of rappelling because one has to entrust his or her life to a piece of fallible gear that has claimed the lives of even the most experienced daredevils. Occasionally braking and then jumping back off the side of the building, I descended the five stories.

Beside me, Alpha 1 and Point Man matched my pace. Within a minute, we had reached the window for the right floor. We timed our last brake just right so our boots all impacted the sheet of glass at the same time. The safety glass held together and the combined force of our impact caused the panel to pop out of its housing. As it landed on the tiled floor, we detached from our ropes and landed on top of the glass panel.

The floor looked like a deconstruction team had started taking the place apart but then stopped a quarter of the way into the project. Chunks of wall laid on the floor, overturned furniture strewn the hallways, glass was everywhere on the floor, and security gates were compromised with their centers bent inwards as if something had bull charged straight them.

Alpha 1 commented, "This looks promising."

I laughed briefly at his comment before I spoke into my com link, "Stokes, we reached Sector Gamma. Whole place is fucked. Attempting to reach Sergeant Passalaqua and his men."

She replied, "Copy that. Evacuation is in its final stage. You guys will likely be the last ones out of here."

I interrupted when I told her, "Don't wait for us Keira."

She interrupted me when she protested, "No, I am not going to leave you. The detonation sequence is set to begin in fifteen minutes."

I replied, "I want you out of here in case things get worse. Have an Osprey standing by pick us up."

She protested again, "But I…"

I had started moving forward with my rifle raised as I interrupted her, "Keira, please. Just get safe." She finally submitted and replied in a forced calm tone, "Okay Becket. You better not get yourself killed."

I assured her, "I will see you back in Sparta. Becket out."

With our weapons at the ready, we ran towards the security office to relieve the pinned down soldiers. As we ran, I ordered Alpha 1, "Alpha 1, time watch. Keep me updated every three minutes."

He replied, "Roger that sir." As we neared the security office, I heard a strange deep growling that I had never heard before. Alma materialized running next to me.

She sounded worried when she informed me, "Michael, I am sensing something strange. This thing is not paranormal in origin but neither is it alive. I honestly don't know what it is."

I replied, "I know, I sense it too."

My com link activated and a distressed Sgt. Passalaqua asked, "Becket, where the fuck are you?"

I reassured him, "We are about to turn the corner, hang in there." I heard what sounded like fists pounding on the reinforced, ballistic plastic panel that allowed the occupants of the security office to look outside the room. Realizing that the assailant was about to compromise the security office, I barked, "Double time." as I started sprinting down the hallway. The two men following me sprinted after me.

I turned the corner and stopped. Seeing the creature pounding on the panel with its fists, I rhetorically asked, "What the fuck?" It was a bipedal, nine-foot tall, muscular humanoid clad in what looked like a black explosive ordinance removal suit. The Armacham logo was stitched into the back of the suit just below the neckline. Since my arrival was unnoticed by the creature, I shouldered my assault rifle and retrieved my sniper rifle.

I aimed down the scope and lined up the crosshairs on the creature's head. Before I squeezed the trigger, I quietly remarked, "Say goodnight you bastard." The FMJ round penetrated the humanoid's armored head and exited as it decorated the panel with the same green liquid from the assassin, bits of skull, and brain matter.

Thinking I had killed it, I was stunned when the creature uttered a growl as it turned to look in my direction. I cycled the bolt and fired another round into its head. One again, the bullet penetrated its armored head but again, it remained standing. By that time, Point Man and Alpha 1 had joined me and started firing their weapons at the creature. The rounds penetrated the armor and more green liquid squirted out of the wounds but the humanoid simply started to walk towards us. Alpha 1's automatic shotgun shredded sections of the armor, revealing disgusting looking decayed flesh. Realization hit me; this thing was a walking corpse.

I switched back to my assault rifle and started firing into the creature's neck. Beside me, Alpha 1 informed me though his com link, "Three minutes sir." Finally, after using up three entire clips of ammunition, the thing's head and most of its neck fell off its shoulders and landed on the floor. As we watched, the creature paused, stiffly bent down, picked up its severed head with both hands, and then lifted it back up into place. Disgusted beyond description, I watched as what appeared to be coils of flesh extend out of the gaping hole, penetrated into the severed member, and then lowered it back into place with a nauseating squishing noise.

Managing not to vomit, I said, "Shit…I think we need to make a run from this one. Point Man, retrieve the Sergeant and his men and get them to the roof. Alpha 1 and I will keep this thing distracted." Silently, the Origin Prototype made his way to the men inside the security office. I yelled at the abomination, "Hey asshole! Over here! Come on, come and get us you ugly motherfucker!"

It growled and started walking faster towards me. Alpha 1 and I slowly retreated as we continued to fire our weapons. The ploy worked and the creature completely forgot about Point Man and the men inside the security office. We slowly walked backwards and around the corner with the creature pursuing us in a single-minded manner. Alpha 1 questioned me through his com link, "What is this thing sir?"

I replied through my com link, "Don't know. Just keep up the fire. We have to buy enough time for Point Man and the Delta Force Operatives to get to the roof for extraction."

He said in response, "Roger that sir. By the way, it has been three minutes again."

We lured it further away from the security office and through the corridors of the floor. According to Alpha 1, we had distracted it for another three minutes before Sgt. Passalaqua informed me through his com link, "Becket, we made it to the roof and are being extracted now. Thanks for the assist. Now, get your asses out of there."

I replied, "Copy that." We needed an opening to get around the creature so we could make a run for the staircase. As the creature passed a soda vending machine, it paused to look at it. It grabbed the heavy machine with both hands, lifted it up, turned towards us, and started to throw it. I yelled, "Oh shit, look out!" However, as the vending machine neared us, it suddenly halted in midair and started to hoover where it was.

Alma materialized in front of us in her child form. With a playful tone, she said to the creature, "Catch!" The machine flew back at the abomination at tremendous velocity. As it struck the creature, the sick sound of cracking bones and crumpling metal filled the hallway. The impact forced it off its feet and through the nearby wall.

I started running forward as I yelled, "Thank you sweetie. Alpha 1, this is our opening. Let's get the fuck out of here once and for all."

He replied beside me, "I am with you sir!" We ran past the creature as it struggled to get to its feet like an overturned turtle and towards the staircase. As we neared the staircase, Alpha 1 informed me, "Three minutes again sir." We only had three minutes left to get to the roof before the demolition charges would bring down the building and the entire ATC communication network along with it.

However, as we ran towards the door, the creature suddenly charged through the wall behind us on the left. I thought we could outrun it, but I underestimated the undead abomination. It grabbed both of us from behind and threw us across the hallway towards the now vacant security office. As we landed, I quickly calculated my best course of action. We were running out of time and we were cut off from the staircase. Our only hope to reach the roof in time was the elevator shaft.

Scrambling to my feet, I helped my armored friend stand before I led him towards the elevators. As we reached them, we ran out of time. The building shuttered and rocked as the first charge detonated. I withdrew my utility knife and stuck the blade through the narrow crease of the elevator doors. With a bit of effort, I managed to pry open the doors. Alpha 1 held the doors open as I sheathed my knife. By either blind luck or Alma, the elevator was one floor below us so we jumped down onto the roof of it.

With my rifle still strapped to my back, I bent down and grasped the underside of the metal bar running along the top of the elevator with both hands. As another charge detonated, I lifted up on the bar as hard as I could but the elevator did not move. Alpha 1 asked me, "What are you doing sir?"

I replied as I continued to lift up on the bar, "The elevators are offline because of the fire alarm. Help me! We have to activate the elevator's counter-balance to manually override the electric lock." He placed his shotgun on his back and bent down. He grasped the underside of the bar and we lifted together. The bar started to move and I grunted, "Come on you bastard!"

As we continued lifting, I grunted out, "Fucking open your legs you bitch!" As I said that, I fell backwards as the elevator lurched and started ascending towards the roof. The building shook as I stood. That was the second to last charge. The next one would bring down the entire building and us with it if we did not reach the helipad in time. Luckily, the elevator ascended faster than it normally would have because the electrical safety system was not activated. The elevator was ascending only because of the descending counterweight on the other end of the cable.

I nearly fell over from the feeling of vertigo as the elevator ascended at intense speed. I spoke into my com link, "This is Sergeant Becket. We are approaching the roof. Whoever is there to pick us up, you better be ready because this place is about to go down."

Through the com link, a Replica Osprey pilot replied, "Raptor 8 here sir. We are hovering above the helipad now. We won't budge until you are onboard sir."

As we neared the doors that led to the reception area, I ordered Alpha 1, "Jam the pulley."

He nodded as he withdrew his utility knife. He forced the blade into the narrow space between the cable and the pulley. The metal alloy blade jammed the pulley but it would not hold for very long.

I forced my knife's blade into the crease of the doors and pried them open. The blade snapped but not before I was able to get my hands between the doors. Grunting, I forced them open. Alpha 1 slipped past me and held the doors open from the other side long enough for me to pass through them. Seeing the Osprey hovering above the helipad with its cargo bay hatch down and pointed towards us, I started running towards it with Alpha 1 right beside me. In the cargo bay, I saw Point Man standing just inside the bay and Sgt. Passalaqua and Stokes sitting down.

They looked at us as we ran towards them and motioned encouragingly. Just as we neared the hybrid machine, the last charge detonated. As the roof beneath our feet started to give way, I yelled, "Jump for it!" We both jumped and barely managed to land on the edge of the cargo hatch as the building collapsed below us.

I grunted in pain as the force of the landing temporarily made it hard to breathe. I started to slip off the ramp and clawed desperately to find something to grip. Just as I was about to fall, Point Man rushed forward and grabbed my outstretched left hand. Silently, he pulled me onto the hatch and helped me to my feet. I helped Alpha 1 pull himself up onto the ramp. Then we all moved into the cargo bay.

Stokes closed the hatch before she quickly hugged me out of relief. As she sat back down, the Osprey started to fly towards Sparta. Before I sat down, I looked at Point Man and asked, "Did you just save me without an order?" The mute soldier looked at me for a moment before he shrugged. I smiled before I said, "Thanks." He nodded before he sat down. Sitting down myself, I looked around the bay to find Alpha 1 sitting next to me on my left and Alma sitting next to me on my right.

Hours later, we were all safely back in Sparta. I returned to my office after checking in on Bravo 2. The sniper was expected to make a full recovery save for the use of his left index finger, which had been broken in too many places for a full faculty recovery. I sat down at my desk and started filling out the transfer request form to have Bravo 2 transferred to my squad. However, before I could complete it, Alma materialized on top of my desk in her nude seductive form.

Not looking away from the form I was filling out, I groaned before I said, "Not now Alma, I am busy." She edged closer so her legs dangled over the edge of my desk and also so I was given a clearer view of her womanhood. I looked up from the form to see her smiling mischievously at me. I shook my head as I said, "Alma, I have a lot of paperwork to do."

The amusement never left her eyes as she remarked, "Do it later. This is happening. We can do this the easy way or the hard way." She spread her legs and leaned back as she supported her weight by placing her hands on the opposite corners of the desk. She teased, "Come on, you can't tell me that you don't want it. Should I go get your blonde friend? I am sure I could get her to pleasure me since you are being stubborn. You could watch if you wanted."

Setting the form and writing utensil aside, I replied, "I hate you."

She purred, "That's better." She leaned in and removed my HUD glasses with her right hand. As she tossed them aside, she continued, "Now, be a good boy. If you do a good job, I might get you off." I grabbed her toned buttocks with my gloved hands. Pulling her in closer, I descended upon her womanhood. For several minutes, I orally pleasured her as she moaned quietly. Finally, as I moved over a certain spot, she cried out as she grabbed the back of my head and forced me in closer, "Right there! Don't stop Michael…please don't stop…"

I intensified my efforts and within a minute, she had curled her entire body up so she could hold me as close as possible. She moaned, "So close…Michael…please…don't stop." I reached up with my left hand and stimulated her other sensitive spot as I continued teasing the spot I had found. She screamed in pleasure as her muscles contracted. All the other pieces of furniture in the room except for the desk moved away from us as if from a shockwave.

She held me close as her body twitched and convulsed sporadically from the afterglow of my efforts. Finally, as I started to get tunnel vision, she released her grip and I was able to breathe. She gazed at me with a strange, adoring expression while she recovered. Finally, she asked in a playful tone, "Do I taste good?"

I smirked before I replied, "You tell me." I pulled her into my lap and kissed her deeply. She squealed in amusement as we continued kissing.

When she retracted, she said in mock scolding tone, "Dirty boy."

I retorted in a mock childish tone, "But you started it."

She raised her right eyebrow as she replied, "I am going to finish it too."

Before I could prepare myself, she had unbuckled my belt, unbuttoned my pants, and exposed my thoroughly erect member. As she lowered herself onto me, she said, "My turn." After she had guided my entire length inside of her, I scolded her, "Don't break my chair."

She huffed before she remarked, "Oh don't be a baby Michael. I won't hurt your precious chair."

She started to pleasure herself with my manhood and as the minutes passed, I started wishing more and more that I had been able to feel her in the amplifier instead of fighting Keegan. I was already exhausted from the day's events but Alma nursed me in a motherly manner and I was able to last for nearly an hour before I climaxed inside of her. She cried out in delight as I held her close and kissed her while her muscles tightened around me to coax out every drop.

When my muscles finally uncoiled, I retracted from her lips and laid my head against her left shoulder. She held me there gently as she rocked me like a mother trying to put her baby to sleep. Fighting off the urge to sleep, I said, "Alma…" She shushed me and continued to rock me in her arms. Unable to resist the afterglow, my exhaustion, and her rocking, I feel asleep in her arms. I awoke to find that my surroundings had changed. I was standing in the middle of my old bedroom. Annoyed, I said aloud, "O what now?"

As if on cue, a child's voice answered me, "Wow, I turned into a prick."

I looked over into the corner that the voice was coming from and was shocked by what I saw. A frail, brown-haired boy dressed in cheap blue jeans and a white t-shirt observed me with grey eyes filled with sorrow and intelligence. His face was covered with bruises and he had a black eye. I looked at my younger self with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. He walked up to me and stopped when he was only a foot away from me.

I asked, "What the hell are you?"

He laughed darkly before he replied, "You tell me. I am your apparition dumbass."

I sighed as I shook my head. After several moments of wallowing in self-pity, I asked, "Okay…fine. Since I manifested you, then clearly I need you for something…" The child version of me crossed his arms as if he was waiting for me to come to some revelation.

I glanced around the small dreary room. I just wanted to be free from the torment of these memories. They were like a disease rotting me from the inside out. A thought came to me, and the child remarked, "There it is…about time too. Geez, did I lose my IQ when they erased my memories? Damn…"

I snorted as I scowled at the little brat before I asked, "You know how I can prevent the fate of the other universe from being repeated in ours. I don't understand. What enemy have I not killed or weakened? I mean, Fettel is gone, Armacham is slowly being destroyed, Harlan's memory is gone, and I have taken control of the entire city for her. Why would it still happen?"

He explained, "Our goddess is not the only one that can create monsters. You have to face your…our past or he will corrupt her like Harlan did with Alma."

My eyes widened as I deciphered whom he was referring to and what that individual would do to my daughter. My frightened expression quickly turned into one of absolute hatred as I remarked, "No! I will not let that fucker touch her. He ruined my childhood and I will be damned before I let some apparition of him ruin her." As my anger spiraled out of control, I demanded, "Where?"

My younger self replied, "You know where. It is time to go home and burn it to the ground." I nodded now that I understood what I had to do.

My younger self suddenly cocked his head to the left for a brief moment before he remarked, "You know, it is not her fault."

Confused, I questioned, "What are you talking about?"

He replied, "What she did."

I said sadly, "I know."

He asked, "So why do you blame her for the things she did to your team? Was she supposed to have suddenly not been who she is or something?"

I replied, "I don't blame her."

He gave me an exasperated look before he said, "Yes you do. Come on man, it was a bad op and we got used. Let it go."

I replied, "I can't forgive her."

He shook his head before he explained, "I did not say forgive. No…you would be a fool to forgive. What I said was let it go. Dwelling on it will not change what happened. You have never wondered about how she felt…have you? While you were busy fighting Keegan, she was going through our mind. I bet she panicked when she realized who we were. The only person she could call a friend and she had raped him. I would imagine that she cracked and regressed back to her child state. Actually, now that I think about it, I believe that is what happened. The point is that there is more than one side to a story. Mull on that." Before I could respond, my surroundings turned into darkness.

I awoke in the cot that I slept in inside the tower. I whispered at the peacefully daydreaming woman in my arms, "Alma, I need to go home." For a moment, she had a hurt expression but then she read my mind.

Her voice was full of alarm when she asked, "Your father?"

I replied through our bond, "It appears so."

She thought for a moment before she said, "Do you want me to go with you?"

I smiled slightly before I replied, "Only if you don't mind." She shook her head in response. I nodded as I gently pushed her away so I could stand.