Someone Just Like You (Kjon and Jenny)

by Kjon147

A yautja named Kjon ,who has been brought up in human society (terribly), does his best as a colonial marine to defend humans from xenomorphs, while doing his best to regain his dead mother's honor. But after saving and teaming up with Weyland's daughter ,who's a half xeno-human hybrid he finds the love and affection he's been working and fighting so long for

50. Abandoned

Hadrick Schaefer's Audio Diary Log.

July 23, 2621

I didn't need Weyland to call me. I heard what was happening on the news. Weyland just clarified a few things. To make a long story short, my son had been busy. Too busy. The reason Charles called me in the first place was because he knew I was the only person close enough to him that he'd listen to. The Task Force had done everything it could do but nothing could stop him. Weyland wanted me to talk to him ,make him calm the fuck down and stop tearing shit up. I accepted.

When I got there New Hadley's looked like Poland after Warsaw. Buildings were on fire, others were crumbling to pieces, debris filled the streets, and everywhere I looked I saw operatives looking for him ,on the ground and in the skies. I'll be honest, I wasn't really surprised by the level of destruction I saw. I'd seen images of New York after 1989, so if anybody knew how much damage these guys could do, that was me. Even if you take into account he's just a teenager, you need to remember that I trained him, so that gave him a leg up. Kjon not only knew combat techniques and steal tactics from his own kind, but he was also taught our tactics too. He was also a crafty son-of-a-bitch, just like all of us Schaefers are.

Once I got there, I met Massey, Spears and a few other high ranking Task Force agents brainstorming. They'd set up defensive positions around the colony in an attempt to keep him from escaping, but he hadn't made any efforts to get out.

"He's not trying to escape. He's pissed off and he's making a statement." I said seizing the attention of the entire tent. "Whatever the hell happened, riled him up pretty bad and he isn't going anywhere, at least not until he's finished."

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing interrupting this meeting!" Massey snapped.

"Major Hadrick Schaefer." Spears addressed me respectfully as he stood up and gave a salute. I responded with the same gesture. "He's here because Weyland called him here." Spears told Massey.

"That's right. Right now he's gone too far to turn back down now. Even if he wants to escape he knows he has no chance, so he'll just keep fighting." I explained.

"How do you know this?! What do we even need this guy for anyway?!" Massey asked.

"Are you one of Kjon's commanding officers?" I asked.

"Yeah! I'm his Sergeant?! Why?!" He replied with sass in his voice.

"Then you should've paid attention to him. It's what your supposed to do. Had you done that, maybe he wouldn't have went AWOL on your ass for four whole months." I told him.

"I've had it with these damn Schaefers!" Massey growled. As he got up to confront me, Spears stood up and gave Massey a hard look ,putting him in his place.

"Weyland called Major Schaefer here to help us. He knows our target. He can do something to help us find him." Spears said as he invited me in. "What do you say we do ,Major?" He asked with a gruff voice. This guy didn't even have any scars on his face like I did, yet his expressionless face had the demeanor to rival mine.

"First things first, if you want to get him, get your men out of the area. He knows your after him so he's going to stay hidden. If you give him some room to breath he'll be more likely to come out. Second, stop shooting at him, that's just making it worse." I told them.

"Well then how else do you expect us to get this freak? Use harsh language?!" Massey spat.

"Maybe if you shut the hell up, sit down, and open your fucking ears, I'll tell you." I replied. Just looking at Massey, I could tell he wasn't leadership material. I could tell he was smart, but he was lacked common sense. He was cocky, impatient, and trigger happy. I'd heard a few things about him, and although his track record said fairly positive things about him, he didn't impress me.

"Welyand gave me the run down. He wants to see if I can get him to cool his jets." I could tell my explanation made no sense to any of them ,except for Spears, but none of them made any arguments. "I trained the kid, practically raised him. He looks at me like I'm his Dad. If you do as I tell you to, I can get him out for you guys' hair. There won't be any more violence, I guarantee it." I told them. Before we could do anything else, another operative came in saying they had Kjon pinned down in an armory.

"Ha! Now you'll see how the Task Force kicks ass!" Massey spat again. I was beginning to understand why Kjon was so upset as he was. For the sake of convenience, Spears had them keep Kjon where he was, but he did give me the chance I needed to speak to him. He did mention that I was on a time limit. I had fifteen minutes so I needed to make this quick.

"Corporal Kjon Schaefer, United States Colonial Marine Corps Unit 019870, Fifth Battalion, First Division! My name is Gunnery Sergeant Alexander Douglas! We have the perimeter completely surrounded! Come out with your weapons on the ground and your hands behind your head! If you comply, I promise my men and I will not use lethal force against you!" Obviously he wasn't just going to give up like that.

I found him hiding behind some metal tables and debris he'd fashioned around himself. It was all he had really, since the whole place looked like it'd cleaned out. Despite being reduced in everything (provisions, defenses, energy, ammunition) he still refused to give in. Just as I suspected.

"It's been a long time ,Kjon." I calmly announced my presence to him. He immediately stopped loading the firearms around him.

"Dad?" He replied, before turning around to face me.

"What have I told you about calling me Dad ,boy?" I asked in a calm but commanding voice. Not that I didn't love him as my son or anything like that ,I did, I just didn't like being called Dad. His astonished look widened when he saw me. He immediately jumped to his feet and stood at attention, giving me a respectful salute as he did so. "At ease."

"Sir, what are you-?" Kjon began.

"Charles called me down here. He told me everything that happened. You've been causing him some real hell." I answered.

"None of this wouldn't be happening right now if it wasn't for him! He brought this upon himself and he just expects me to surrender to him! Let him treat me like I'm his bitch! And then he sends you to fix his mess!" Kjon growled.

"I didn't just come here because he called for me ,Jonny. I came here because it gave me the opportunity to see you again." I said. "I know Charles has been keeping you on the low. He's been keeping me in the dark too. I wanted to see my boy again, talk to him, catch up with him. That's what a father does, doesn't he?" That calmed him down a bit.

"Thank-you... It's good to see you again ,Sir." He told me with a low smile.

"It's good to see you too ,kid. I'm sorry it's been so long." I said as I gave my boy a fatherly hug.

"It's okay ,Dad. Thank you."

"And stop calling me ,Dad, already will ya." I told him a little more forcefully this time.

"Sorry. How've things on Ralcos been? How's everybody else doing up there?" He asked as we took a seat.

"Oh, the old dinosaurs and I are doing alright. I'm still staying in shape. Gordon's let himself go a bit, but the old bastard is doing good." Kjon chuckled a little when I said that. "I'll be honest, retirement has been pretty nice and relaxing, but damn if I don't miss the good old days ,Jonny boy. Especially before all of this cultist crap started happening. It's bullshit I tell you. Bullshit."

"Join the club... We really could've used you on Crimer's Ridge." He said me with a downcast look.

"I heard about that. How's everybody on your end doing? How're the 'Hunter Siblings'?" I asked. I saw his frown drop lower and tears begin to form on his face. I'd retired right before Crimer's Ridge happened. I wasn't surprised by his response, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt me either. I liked those kids.

"There all gone ,Sir. Michelle, Rich, Taylor, William, the whole platoon. They're all dead. Even Stacy from the Talco mission... she's gone too... I'm all that's left." He replied. I didn't even know who Stacy was until he reminded me of the girl who'd strip-teased. Whatever he'd been through, it had to have been pretty bad for him to have mentioned her.

"I'm sorry about that ,Kjon. I'm sorry." I apologized.

"It's not your fault ,Sir. You weren't there." He excused me.

We sat there in silence for a moment before I continued. "Listen ,Jon, Charles wants you to stop, and so do I."

"I can't do that, Sir. Not after what he and those lemmings of his did!" He growled ,looking at the front of the armory.

"Listen to me ,Kjon, you've made your statement and you've caused enough damage. Just let it go. They'll leave you be."

"How do you know they won't just shoot my ass the minute I step outside?!" He asked ,trying not to be disrespectful to me.

I paused for a short moment. "I met some friends of yours on my way down here, they wanted to see you too."

"Who?" He asked me curiously.

"Hello ,Kjon. It's good to see you again." Rachelle's voice sounded behind him.

"Rachelle, Ch'ris?" Kjon asked as he turned around sharply with a stunned look on his face.

"It's good to see you ,Hunter Brother." Ch'ris told him as they both decloaked.

"Guys!" Kjon exclaimed happily as he jumped up to embrace them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We are sorry we did not receive your messages sooner. We are greatly sorry about what happened with you and Jennifer." Ch'ris apologized.

"We were indisposed with our clan. None of the other clans have helped us in our reconstruction. Once we received word from your father we came as soon as we could." Rachelle explained.

"What are you talking about? I thought you came to him?" Kjon questioned, referring to me.

"I'm not the one they're talking about ,Jonny." I said to him. We heard three short electrical buzzing sounds coming from the other end of the armory as three figures decloaked.

"Ph-rills? Trish? Beo'n?" Kjon said with a perplexed look on his face. "How did you all-? How did you even get in here?"

"That does not matter ,my child. We've come to take you home." Ph-rills answered.

"What? What do you mean? I-I'm supposed to be banished aren't I?" Kjon asked looking at us with a puzzled look.

"They filled me in." I said needlessly.

"It was not you who stole the shards ,Kjon. You're innocent." Trish told him.

"Our brother ,Bri-ci'all, was the one who took them. The Yautja who had brought his story against you was his friend. They and others, are the ones who lied about you. We do not know who they are or how many, but it was him ,Kjon." Beo'n said.

"BRICK!... THAT SLIMY SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!" Kjon snarled before he exploded, punching, kicking, and throwing everything around us, spare the six of us. "DID YOU CATCH THE FUCKER?!" He growled.

"Unfortunately not ,Brother. When we tried, his allies came to his aid and they escaped." Thrish-alu replied.

"FFFFFFUUUUUUUUUCK!" Kjon roared

"Kjon! Calm the fuck down!" I yelled at him. If he kept this up the Task Force was going to blow us all to kingdom come.

"Kjon. The scoundrel will be caught, and punished for his crimes. But now is not the time for this. Listen to him." Ch'ris told him. That managed to calm him down some.

"Come home with us ,Kjon. I promise you Bri-ci'all will pay." Beo'n said, as he and Trish came to their brother's comfort.

"I-I-I can't. Weyland, t-the Task Force... what they did to..." Kjon stuttered. I could understand his frustration. He had two conflicts going on between both his own kind, and us humans. I could tell he didn't want to let either of them go, but he had to choose the one that meant more to him. Like I mentioned before, Ph-rills had explained how Kjon had been banishment, and also included the detail that his mother's honor had been permanently taken from her. I knew how much Kjon loved Ma-ek'laa, but he also had a very firm fondness for the colonial marines too. I could tell that whatever had caused him to tear apart New Hadley's Hope had to have had something to do with them.

"Kjon, go back home, please, there's been enough damage. Just let it go." I told him.

"But... they still need me ,Dad." He replied.

"You've put in your paperwork, you've served your time, there's no more you need to do." I said pulling out his retirement contract. "And stop calling me Dad, will ya?!" I added.

He still didn't want to let this go, but he knew had other things to worry about. He thought about it for a moment before replying. "Alright, but I'm coming back."

"No you're not." I told him.

"What do you mean I'm not?" He asked.

"I mean your not coming back to KJ-147. If you do Charles is going to come after you, and next time he won't be calling me to talk you down. I'm supposed to be turning you in, but I'm not. Nobody knows you're family and friends are here." I told him.

"Wait? What do you mean you're suppose to be turning me in?" He asked with a confused look.

"Weyland gave me orders to talk you down so that the Task Force could apprehend you, and I agreed. I can't just let you continue to harm innocent people, there's been enough casualties." I told him.

"What casualties?! What innocent people?! I haven't killed any-?!" He retorted.

"Yes you have." He gave me a puzzled look when I said that. "Remember? Four months ago." That made his eyes widen in shock.

"No, No. Don't tell me you believe Weyland's bullshit too?" He asked in a worried tone.

"I understand you're angry for what he did to you. I get that. I'm pissed off about the last eight years too, but I don't agree with what you did to those scientists over at the facility. I was suppose to tell Weyland and the Task Force about your friends here, but I didn't. I'm sticking my neck out for you because I understand you've been through a lot. I'm also doing this because I love you ,son." I told him. He began shaking his head slowly in horrified disbelief. Yes, my years of retirement had softened me up, and ,yes, I also believed the big tech and what their outlets were saying. I didn't believe all of it, but I did believe a lot of it.

"No, No, No!" He growled angrily. He would've likely gone off had Ch'ris and Rachelle not stepped in.

"Kjon, don't! Listen to what he says! You can still come back for them. Save what you can now while you have the opportunity to do so." Ch'ris told him. He was a pretty smart and reasonable individual. Even though I couldn't keep him away, at least I did what I could for him. He looked at both of his friends, before staring back at me with a betrayed look on his face. I returned it with a hard glare. After a few seconds of silent posturing, he turned away and marched over to his father, giving a pained growl as he did so.

"I'm ready to go, Sir." He told Ph-rills softly.

"Very well." Ph-rills replied before the five of them began to leave. Before Kjon went with them, he turned around and gave me another painful look. I just continued to give him that hard disappointed glare.

"Once we return home, you will be given another chance to redeem yourself." Ph-rills told him.

"Wait?! What do you mean another chance to redeem myself?! I've already proved myself to you?! What more do I need to do?!" Kjon erupted with confusion.

"You did use the rage shards during your conflict against the Oomans. And what of the Oomans your trainer says you slayed?" Ph-rills pointed out his misdeeds.

"You have a point, I did use the rage shards. But I didn't kill any unworthy Oomans! That was all a lie! I've never killed a single ooman in my life!" Kjon replied.

"Very well. We shall see to the truth of that." Ph-rills told Kjon, willing to offer him a chance to prove his innocence rather than just pardoning him. It may have been harsh, but this was how they enforced there rules. You had to prove your loyalty to the clan and the rest of society itself. If you did something out of bounds with the laws that governed you and your society, you had to be punished. Kjon's society was not a very forgiving one, and they didn't give second chances like this very often ,if ever. That's just the way the ball bounced.

"What about ,Mom?" Kjon asked.

"What of her?" Ph-rills asked.

"Has she been pardoned?" Kjon asked hopefully.

Ph-rills paused for a moment. "No. Ma-ek'laa shall not be pardoned."

"What?! What do you mean she won't be?! What has she done?!" Kjon bellowed.

"You have still dishonored us, thus she must be punished as well." Ph-rills replied, sounding more impatient than before.

"She did nothing wrong?! Why are you still going after her when I'm the one that made the mistake?!" Kjon continued.

"It is the ways of our laws ,Kjon. There is nothing that can be done for her. It pains me as much as it does you ,but we must all abide by the laws that govern us. You will know of this when you are of age to understand." Ph-rills explained in an irate tone.

"No! She doesn't deserve this! She doesn't deserve any of it! I didn't even do anything wrong to begin with, and your still going to punish her?!"

"Kjon, you are being foolish now! You at least have a chance to restore yourself!" Ch'ris told Kjon with angry look on his face. Kjon couldn't believe he was actually agreeing with Ph-rills. I knew they were close friends, but it was hard for Kjon to listen to any of us. Like I said, I knew Kjon loved his mother, hell, I'd say he loved her more than life itself. He was like that with everyone he cared about, and judging by how shaken Kjon was, it didn't surprise me to think he felt the same way for Ch'ris and Rachelle.

"Don't you realize I care about my mother too ,Ch'ris?! Don't you know I care about you and Rachelle?! Don't you remember that?!" Kjon asked with a shocked look on his face.

"If so how come we did what we did for you, when you came to help us?!" Rachelle exclaimed as she took her husbands side.

"I didn't just help you both, because you helped me! I did it because you were my friends! I did it because I loved you like you were my family! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!" Kjon shrieked.

"We do realize that Kjon! We are just trying to help you! This is the way our society works! It is our laws! We are doing everything we can to appeal to our laws and to you ,Kjon! Do you not see that?!" Ch'ris roared back.

"Enough of this foolishness! Will you come or will you not?!" Ph-rills growled impatiently.

"No! Not until you get it through your skull that Mom did nothing wrong, and that she doesn't deserve any of the dishonor you're unjustly putting on her!" Kjon howled back challengingly.

"INSOLENT CHILD! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME SO DISRESPECTFULLY!" Ph-rills snapped as he smacked Kjon in the face. As he knelt back up, Ph-rills stared down at his son with angry disapproval. Kjon returned the look with defiant rage.

"It's like you said! I'm not your son!" He growled.

"Very well! Abomination!" Ph-rills barked back.

"Why are you making this difficult ,Kjon! We're all just trying to help you!" I asked arresting Kjon's attention.

"By spitting in my face?! By throwing Mom's name and honor in the gutter for something she didn't even do?! How is that help?!" He asked.

"You want to know?! You want to know?! Alright! Look at them all out there! Look at them! See all of those people you've just declared war on?! The Task Force, the colonists, Weyland Yutani! The whole fucking planet thinks your a cold-blooded killer because you couldn't keep your cool! I can understand you're angry, we all are, but if you don't end this now they could kill you! Is that what you want?" I exploded. Kjon looked over at the front of the armory where the Task Force was waiting for him, before looking back at his friends and family who all stared at him judgingly. His decision was an easy one. He began holstering all of the firearms scattered on the floor. He was going to fight. there was no way he'd be able to take them all on. Hell, he'd be dead before he even made it out the door. He didn't care about that though.

"Schaefer you have five more minutes left to bring him out before we use lethal force!" The operative with the megaphone said.

"Kjon, wait!" Trish called for him as he began walking towards the door. Before she could make it two steps, Beo'n stopped her. Trish's words wouldn't have done any good anyway.

"Leave the Abomination to his fate ,Thrish-alu." Ph-rills told her coldly.

"You hear that ,Kjon! This mission of yours has gone too far! It's over!" I hollered at him, grabbing at his armored sleeve. "IT'S OVER!"

"NO, IT HASN'T! It hasn't gone far enough! You tell me to look out there at what you see, and do you know what I see?! Huh?! I see the people we used to protect! Those same stupid ingrates who've been praying for our deaths, while we were out there fighting for their lives! I didn't start this war, they did! We didn't abandon them, they abandoned us! We just did our jobs because we believed we were fighting for a cause! That we were putting our lives on the line for something greater than ourselves! And we were! And we still are! But those stupid sheep out there can't see that! They can't see anything! How many times do you here 'Oh, the marines did this' and 'Oh the marines did that!' and how many times do you see them do that! Look past your TV screen and see how many marines out there actually hurt somebody! Then look at how many of them hurt us! Did you see any marines get pulled out of a fucking subway car and get stomped on to death?! I saw that happen to twenty-seven of them four days ago! Twenty-seven! They didn't hurt anybody! Yeah, that's the world we're risking our lives for! Them! THEM!" Kjon exploded.

"Things have changed since then ,Kjon. The marines are different now. Believe me I know how you feel. It's a bad time for everyone. It is for me too. But that's all behind us." I tried speaking to him in a softer more reasonable tone of voice. We only had three more minutes left.

"No you don't! You don't know anything! You say you understand! Like you were there when it all happened! Like you know what it felt like! Like you know how it felt to watch all your friends and closest loved ones die all around you! Just like all of those worthless pukes out there who think they know everything! All of those bright faced colonists out there who live their lives care free from the horrors we face every day! Those same colonists from the subway station who called us cultists and baby killers and worthless fucks! Who are they to judge us?! Who are you to judge me?! Huh?! Who are you?! None of you were there when one hundred thousand marines charged towards their deaths! You think you remember all of that?! I do! I'm not going to forget about it either, but do you think I want to have those memories stuck inside my head?!" Kjon was right. I wasn't there. I had forgotten about the marines. I'd forgotten about all of it because I became too comfortable in retirement. I didn't want to remember my pain. Kjon wasn't forgetting about his. He was remembering, because he didn't want to regret it. Because he didn't want to have to be reminded of the pain when it all came back to him again. I was like that once. That's how I knew. But at that moment I didn't see it, and I just kept pushing him.

"That was eight years ago! Things have changed!" I sneered.

"So what?! None of that matters anymore?! We were all just a means to an end?! Just meaningless pawns meant to be thrown to the wayside?! Useless grunts?! Expendable cannon fodder?!" He roared.

"Kjon, that's enough! I don't want it to end this way." I told him trying to calm myself down.

"I didn't want it to end like this either, but it feels like I'm the only one alive who remembers how it feels!" He returned.

"Kjon, I'm asking you right now. Don't let this happen, please" I tried telling him in a calmer tone. By that time we only had one minute left.

"How much else have you forgotten about while you were off sitting your ass down on a comfy sofa, eating into the lies Weyland was feeding you?! Who else have you forgotten about while you were doing that ,DAD?! Michelle, Rich, Taylor, William, A'rgr-lo, Ma-ek'laa, YOUR WIFE!" That struck a nerve. Of all the memories I wanted to forget about, that is the one I tried to distance myself from the most. The moment where I'd lost her. My beautiful Julia.

I reacted by punching him as hard as I could. I was able to knock him to the floor when I did that. Truth be told I don't think I actually hurt him. At least not physically anyway.

Forty-five seconds left.

Kjon looked back up at me. I was fuming. My face was hurt as my eyes began to water. "IF THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT THEN GO!" I said without realizing what I'd just done. I had practically told my own son to go fuck off, worse I disowned him. He returned my wide-eyed staring with a stern but controlled glare.

Thirty seconds.

Kjon turned back over to his friends and family who were stunned by what they'd seen ,all except for Ph-rills. He got back up calmly and faced them with a somber look. "You don't know how much it hurts to see how much you all have changed." He turned around, looking me dead in the eye. "Especially you. Hadrick!" It was then that I actually thought about what he'd told me. He was right! I had forgotten, not just what I'd lived through, but those I'd served with! Those I loved! My friends! My family! My own wife! Hell my own son! I'd forgotten what he was, who he was! My look of anger shifted into revelation and remembrance as I realized the terrible mistake I'd made. Kjon wasn't a killer. I knew it deep down inside me, but I still believed Weyland.

Fifteen.

"You want know what we've been through these past eight years?! There, maybe that'll jog your memory!" He whispered to me grimly as he threw his mother's bio-mask to me. I caught it and looked at it. I noticed bronze design underneath the scratched off Mashmello smiley face, and remember Ma-eklaa. Kjon began discarding his guns ,including the pulse rifle we'd modified together.

Ten.

"Kjon! Son! Wait, stop!" I screamed as I saw him stomp towards the door.

"No, Kjon! Don't go out there." "Stop ,Kjon! Please!" Ch'ris and Rachelle called for their friend, realizing the mistake they'd made.

Five.

"Kjon. Don't, please." "No, brother! Don't!" Trish and Beo'n begged, the latter fought to keep his sister safe.

One.

By the time the Task Force were about to make there move Kjon was already outside. He did nothing to antagonize them. He didn't have a gun or a blade in his hand to threaten them with. They all took their positions and aimed.

"Fire." I was able to hear Spears order.

"ALL UNITS OPEN FIRE!" The person with the megaphone repeated the order.

"Hit the deck!" I exclaimed, before we all dropped to the ground. All except for Kjon.

10x24, 10x28 caseless ammunition, 9mm, .45 ACP, and 12-22 gauge all began erupting outside in a wave of hellfire. I could see the shots as they impacted. Tiny fragments of metal punching Kjon at high velocity speeds that would be enough to kill anyone else with one shot. Fortunately ,or unfortunately, Kjon's body was denser than a normal human's is. He also had armor on so that also benefitted him. Or it just helped prolong the agony... The shots tore through, and I saw his blood began to squirt out. He tried shielding himself with his arms as the rounds and shells tore into him. I could hear Kjon exhale a series of shrill growls, grunts, and roars as it happened. Once they ran out of ammunition, Kjon dropped to his knees and rolled down the entrance steps, landing right in front of them.

They noticed he was still alive, and gleefully began laughing and smiling. "Deal with him, Massey." Spears ordered.

"With pleasure." Massey replied. "Hey there, Private Pussyface. Remember when I told you you were mine. I wasn't kidding." He told Kjon with a bright grin on his face. Kjon looked back at him with fearful defiance before he began trying to crawl away. Massey and the other operatives laughed when they saw it. As he crawled away he looked back at me. We managed to lock eyes with him for a moment. We could see the helpless fear in his eyes, but there was nothing any of us could do to help him. Once the operatives stopped laughing, Kjon tried getting up again. "Let's waste this fucker." Massey said. They began firing again shooting him in the back. I heard my son as his roars of pain, turned into helpless screaming. All I could do was kneel there and watch.

Amazingly, this wasn't enough to kill him either. "Hey ,Massey, look! This little shit is still holding on for dear life!" One of them laughed.

"Shit!" Massey said aloud as he reloaded his ZX-76 combat shotgun. "You really are one persistent little son of a bitch, aren't you?!" Massey told him as he began trying to crawl away again. Kjon didn't bother running, I don't even think he could. Massey stepped on his hand as he tried to drag myself along with it. "You know what? ditch the guns guys! Lets have some fun with him!" Massey said as he tossed his shotgun to the ground, and cracked his knuckles in anticipation. The operatives all cheered before ganging up on him, punching him, kicking him, and stomping on him repeatedly. "Alright guys that's enough." Massey called them off after they were finished. Some of them groaned in disappointment. "Be seein' ya Schaefer." Massey said as he raised his pistol. Before he could take the shot, Spears ,like lightning, brought his M4A3 out, took aim, and shot Kjon in the face. I gasped in horror as I saw Kjon's body drop to the ground.

"What the fuck was that Spears?!" Massey hollered at him.

"I told you to deal with him ,Massey, not play with him." Spears told him, before giving them all a grave frown. That put them in their place. After thoroughly scaring the energy and shit out of his rowdy subordinates he turned to Massey, and looked at him. Massey wisely took a few steps back, throwing his pistol down as he did so. After that, Spears took his fingers and felt Kjon's pulse. "Dispose of the body." He ordered. I began to cry even harder after I heard that.

Ch'ris, Rachelle, and I followed Massey and his men as they took Kjon's body and carried it to the outskirts of the colony. They tossed his body over a small cliff. I saw it hit a few jagged rocks as it fell. Once that was over they all walked away, laughing, cheering, and whistling as they went. We stood there and cried for several minutes thinking about what we'd just done.

Kjon Schaefer ,my very own son, had paid for our neglect and now he was gone, and it was too late for us to fix our mistake. It was too late for me to tell him I was sorry. I would never get the chance to tell him that I loved him again, and he'd never get the chance to hear it. We'd made the last moments of his life the most painful and scary they could've been. We'd abandoned him. We'd left him so badly hurt from everything we did that he gave up. Even though we were there when it happened, he still died alone and scared. That was no way for a marine to die.

"Look!" Rachelle exclaimed a couple minutes later, pointing down to where Kjon's body was, or had been. We saw a small puddle of florescent green blood, which trailed off into the jungle in smaller dribbles. He was still alive! How Spears determined he was dead ,I don't know. We followed the trail which lead us about a mile into the forest, the blood trail getting fainter and fainter as we went. Eventually we lost the trail forcing us to call out to him.

Ch'ris tried getting a better view in the trees. He managed to detect a heat signature on his bio-mask which he called out to us. "There! By the water!" Ch'ris declared pointing at a creek a couple hundred yards away.

"Son!" I exclaimed when I saw him. He was kneeling down in front of the creek, his back was facing us. He was holding something in his hand, I couldn't see what it was.

"Kjon! Are you alright?!" Rachelle asked ,worried.

Ch'ris gasped when he saw him. "We must get him to my ship ,immediately!"

"Do you know what it feels like to be alone?" Kjon asked us softly with a quiver in his voice.

"What?" I asked. I couldn't hear what he'd said.

"Do you know what it feels like... to be alone all of the time? To wake up and live every day knowing there is no one around you who cares about you...? To wake up... feeling... like... like there's nothing left?... Nothing left to live for... because there's no one around you?... Only a bunch of strangers?... Strangers who beat you... and mock you... and stare at you?... That you don't even have one person close to you... who can pick you up when you fall?... Who you can pick up when they fall?... Somebody who can tell you 'It's okay man. I'm not going to leave you behind. Well get through this together. Just you and me.'... And do you know how it feels when all of the sudden... they just leave you behind... no reason at all?... And when you see them again, and they don't even remember you?... Do you know what that's like?" He asked us with a tearful whimper.

"Kjon we... I... I didn't know... I'm...I-." I stuttered.

"Do you know what that feels like?" Kjon asked as he turned sharply, revealing his broken and scarred face. We grimaced as we saw him stare at us with that wide-eyed look of horror that made his visage all the more haunting. "It's more painful than it looks." He told us, his mandibles vibrated a hiss as he said that. He looked down at what he was holding in his hands again. It was a Desert Eagle Model 50 AE. "I don't want that anymore..." He said. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly, before moving the gun to his head.

I threw myself at him managing to grab the gun and rip the barrel away from his head before the shot cracked. Ch'ris and Rachelle quickly aided me and the three of us were able to tear the firearm away from him. I ripped the magazine out, ejected the round in the chamber, and threw the gun into the brush. Kjon began to cry uncontrollably after I did that. "WHAT IN GOD'S NAME WERE YOU THINKING, KJON?!" I screamed, right before he exploded into a fit of tearful screaming.

"I CAN'T FUCKING TAKE IT ANYMORE! I JUST CAN'T! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE CRIMER'S RIDGE, HADRICK?! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE HAD TO LIVE WITH THOSE IMAGES IN MY HEAD?! DO YOU REMEMBER MY HUNTER SIBLINGS ,HADRICK?! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I'VE HAD TO LIVE WITH THE GUILT INSIDE ME?! THE THOUGHT THAT I WAS TOO PRIDEFUL?! THAT I GOT THEM KILLED?! DO YOU REMEMBER ,WILLIAM?! HE WAS IMPALED THROUGH HIS BACK, HIS STOMACH JUST EXPLODES RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, BEFORE THIS FUCKING SHADOW... I-I-IT JUST PUNCHED A WHOLE THROUGH HIS FACE, HIS BRAINS ARE JUST ALL OVER THE FUCKING PLACE! DO YOU REMEMBER MICHELLE?! SHE WAS FACEHUGGED! I-I-I-I TRIED TO HELP HER... I-I TRIED TO GET IT OFF OF HER FACE, BUT THEN THIS BULLET JUST COMES OUT OF NOWHERE! T-TH-HE ACID JUST EATS HER FUCKING FACE OFF! SHE'S THRASHING AROUND LIKE A ZOMBIE, BEFORE HER HEAD'S JUST GONE! RICHARD! H-H-H-HE'S JUST A FUCKING VEGETABLE! HE SEES HIS FIANCEES-S JUS GONE, AND H-HE-HE JUSSS HE COULDN'T TAKE IT! TAYLOR! THIS-S FUCKING SHADOW I-IS-I-I-IT TORE HIS FUCKING LEGS OFF! I-I TRY TO SAVE HIM BUT H-HE-HE-HE JUST KEEPS BLEEDING OUT ALL OVER THE PLACE! I-I'M TRYING TO FIND THE FUCKIN' MEDKI BUT IS-IS-IT-IT'S-JUSSSS-... H-HE'S-S... MY FRIEND HE'S ALL OVER ME! H-H-HIS BLOOD ALL OVER ME IT'S ALL OVER ME! I'M TRYING TO FUCKING HELP HIM! BUT I-I-I-I COULDN'T HELP! I COULDN'T FIND THE FUCKIN MEDKIT! H-HE-HES JUST SAYING 'I'M SORRY ,KJON. I'M SORRY.' H-HE-HE'S JUST KEEP SAYING I-I'M NOT GONNA MAKE IT! I'M NOT GONNA TO MAKE IT OUT ,KJON! IT'S MY TIME! I-IT'S MY FUCKING TIME! I SAID SHUT UP! C-c-cause I was trying to find the medkit... I-I-I tried to save him... b-b-but I couldn't... I couldn't."

He began crying into his hands. Words couldn't describe what it felt like to see him in so much pain. To know he'd seen that. He didn't need to see that! Why should he have seen that?! The three of us remained silent, looking horrified by what we'd heard.

"I can't f-get... I can't forget about it... I-I can't... It's juss stuck in my fucking head. E-Every day now... for eight whole years." He paused for a short moment "... sometimes... when I'm sleeping... I'm fighting... I'm screaming... but there's nothing I can do... there's nothing I can do... And when I wake up... I can't remember where I am..." He whispered, before he continued crying. "Do you know what that's like?" He asked us again.

When we went over to comfort him he jumped away from us like a scared cat, before shuffling away from us, giving us a scared look as he did so. I couldn't blame him. He moved back over to the creek to wash his face and recollect himself. Once he stopped heaving and crying, I tried to comfort him. He jumped away from me again when I did that. "Go away! Just leave me alone please... Just leave me alone..." He groaned. He got up a couple seconds afterward and ventured slowly into the jungle, discarding the rest of his weapons as he did so. His machete, smart disc, wristblades, all of them.

"Where are you going ,Kjon?" Ch'ris asked him softly.

"To do what I should've done eight years ago." He replied before opening his wrist computer. "Please, don't come after me! Just tell Weyland I'm dead already! He won't need to worry about me again! Just leave me be! Leave me be!" He begged tearfully before disappearing into the jungle. We did as he requested and left him alone.

A half an hour later, there was an explosion.