Rifle

Chapter Six

Once again, the echoing of boots as they marched back to the cave; the slushy mud on the ground covered their boots in a layer of dirt. They were at the cave where all of the confusion happened…once again. Live flood samples- that was the first thing they needed to grab to get this whole cure thing off the ground.

Bant wondered, to himself only, if it was really all they would need. He had curiosity that maybe there was something more- maybe there was something they were missing…something important. Bant didn't wear armor- no- the glass case to nab a Flood in was heavy enough, so he wore an oxygen mask and light clothes. He was the one who insisted that he'd be the carrier. He had no doubts that he'd be all right if he did it. He would've worried too much if one of the girls stepped into the cave as defenseless as he was now.

The girls escorted him through the narrow passageway, Elizah in front of him and Aron behind him. Aron, in her same aqua armor, was followed by Haza- the fairy in bright yellow armor. Behind Haza was Campbell, in a deep blue shade. Aron didn't feel comfortable letting the two they knew least, leading up the back. For all they knew, they could get stabbed at any moment by the two who trailed along.

The new mission was set: capture a specimen and bring it back; preferably, capture one of the small ones. For one, those would be much more easy to handle. Secondly, the container wasn't all that big… it was about as big as a regular-sized pillow in height. It wasn't wider than an adult's arm length, but close to that circumference.

Their boots, once again, experienced the sickly sound of the flesh like ground and horror surroundings. It had been over a month since they last were here- in the cursed grounds- where the Pry originated. Suddenly, one or two of them began to think. The Pry wasn't around before that mission…

The few that did think, of the group, if the mission caused it; if maybe it had something to do with how they awakened the poor souls.
Maybe it had to do with the fake Kyle, the one that only Aron was aware of. Maybe it had to do with the artifact, or the fact that we were attacked or…

There was a slight thumping from the deep parts of the cave. They all cocked back their guns, and, as if on queue, Flood appeared from the depths. Swarming in a nasty way. The only thing the Spartans could smell was the cleanliness of the Oxygen and Hydrogen in their helmets. Just imagining the smell of what this place truly was like, made them cringe. Whilst the creatures hopped and bounced by the millions into that one part where the Spartans stood ground.

Unintelligibly, Haza mumbled something. Aron wished she had caught it. Campbell, with a sniper got to work eliminating the numbers from afar. Elizah would've been picking them off, too, but she was afraid to bring any modded guns with two soldiers she didn't know too well. Aron could care less; Her sword was going to make her this time, not break her. Elizah used a revolver- another favorite of hers; Bant loaded twin shotguns; Aron had a shotgun, too, but her sword was kept in close reach.

The things crawled out in vicious speeds- from the ceiling, floor and both sides of that one opening they emerged. They flew, slimy root-like arms open, into the air. Some got shot down, while others moved closer. For a few minutes, they held off the popcorns around them. For a few minutes…they stood unscathed…for a few minutes.

From the over caverns and cave lead-offs, more crawled out. Not popcorns. Not smaller flood; the other ones. The ones they had met last time.
Aron shivered. This time, each one was more sickening- the fact that once a human harbored and controlled that body- the fact that they still moved and breathed in death. They still fought strong with what was controlling them. Were they once soldiers, too? Did they ever fall in Love? Did they ever even get a chance to live their lives before it was snatched away from them? Pry. Was it was pried from their fingers?

She hadn't realized how close the monstrosities had gotten to them. She hadn't realized she was the only one not shooting them. She hadn't realized that she had dropped her gun to the ground.
She snapped.
Getting her sword, she broke out of the group. It glowed longer and fuller through her grasp than it ever did before. She went to the side, out of the line of fire, and waved to the creatures in taunt. They took the bait, while she hid her sword behind her back. They lunged at her in a rage that only a wild beast could generate.
That was when she became one-hundred-percent sure.
She could kill them without a second thought.

She wouldn't have to feel guilty for killing a beast of the land: a beast of the flood. The part that was once human was no longer there. The blue slashed through the air and the monsters fell to the ground in sets of two.

"Charlotte!" one seemed to scream.
"Charlotte! Why did you leave me?" it's human head writhed and thrashed, screaming in its insanity over and over again. "Charlotte! Charlotte!" Its cries were inhuman and distorted- by the cave and the beast's form.

That was it. Her eyes widened. It was human, it still cried almost like one. She was busy staring at the poor creature at her feet- the one scrambling for some form of life. The one crying out for his dear Charlotte, his life was taken from him.

Aron just stood there, almost lifeless. She could see something going on out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't tell what it was- a monster lunging for her- someone running towards her.
It was both.

When another monster fell, in front of her, she returned to the reality she came from. Elizah was standing next to Aron, her revolver smoking of fresh gunpowder.
The monster that was wailing for a Charlotte finally stopped moving when the second one fell atop it.

"I know what it seems like…but don't let them get to you." She grabbed Aron's shoulders and faced her so they could make eye contact. She gulped looking into Elizah's eyes- full of pain and anger…but also that gaze of a friend- the friend who just saved her from thinking.
Yes, from thinking.
She needed to stop thinking about it, and take action- like the soldier she used to be- like the soldier that she, in that next moment, became once again: the perfect soldier.

"A little help over here!" Bant yelled to the girls. The hoard of Flood was making their way towards the group of three men easier now, quicker. Elizah turned to see. They could really of used her help about then.

"Aw, El, Bant's all lonely without you." Aron laughed; she picked up her sword again, and slashed another flood near them. Her precision, accuracy, and speed were back again. "I think I got it over here." She smiled.

"I know you do." Elizah clicked her revolver again, and made her way back to the center of the room. Fighting back the flood, keeping her Bant safe. They have a good chance at happiness; Aron whispered to herself, I hope to God that Kyle's still alive. I'll kill him if he isn't.

More flood, more shooting, more hack-and-slashing. It raged on. Aron kept at the creatures, even through their distorted human-like attributes.

Aron looked over every now and then, checking on her teammates.
Whether she liked it or not, she separated herself from the group. Not just on this mission…but for the past few months. The separation was supposed to come to an end eventually. She needed someone to help hold her up, even a soldier like her, even someone as violent and sometimes as heartless as she was.
She needed her friends.
She needed to tell them.
She needed to tell them everything.

Why was she holding this all in, she wondered. She always saw Elizah as a person she could trust- even in times like this. Elizah was never one to shout secrets in the streets, and Aron knew that. Still, something kept her from saying anything. She regretted it now, because if she'd die, no one would ever find out what happened to Kyle. No one would ever find him and save him from wherever he was. He's probably up in a tower somewhere, she thought, with a dragon guarding him.

No. She wouldn't die. She was the only one that could keep Elizah thinking straight, the only one who could find Kyle, and the only one to slap Bant if he did anything wrong. Her friends needed her too, and it fueled her rage to survive- her rage to protect. The swinging of sword became more violent, but still controlled.
Pulse.

Elizah shot and reloaded, shot and reloaded, shot and reloaded. The only thing she could do. She wanted to protect Bant…to protect Aron…to make everyone happy. Even through all her life, she wanted to stop being a people-pleaser…but she'd never stop. She could do it all her life; it was a bad habit, sure. The difference and decision she made, though, was to people-please and protect the people she loved most. She planned to stick to it. She couldn't help but glance over form time to time to see Aron, making sure she didn't need help.

Her only friends left, now. She had to keep them safe. She didn't care what happened besides that. She pulled out her shotgun and loaded it; she shot with both hands, the shots were quick, but aimed with accuracy. She turned her head towards Aron again, but she dropped her shotgun. Her revolver in tow, she ran.

Bant loved people. Especially her. Her didn't want anyone to get hurt. Everyone had been hurt enough, especially her. He couldn't let her die- not now and not ever. He got the container and opened it, "Let that small one through- shoot the others!" he yelled through his mask. One little popcorn flood lunged and it fell into the container.
The lid was screwed on before the thing could recuperate, it was dazed and tried to jump all around, but the container didn't shatter. The container was made strong- almost stronger than a Spartan's armor; it had no cracks for the thing to slip through. He had to do this- to save her- to save everyone. He didn't want her to turn back into what she used to be. He didn't want her to give up on life. He'd fix it. He'd fix everything.

He saw Elizah's shotgun drop to the ground as he was reloading. He looked up; she had ceased fire. She was running. She was running towards Aron.
He felt it, the slow motion panic setting in. The way Elizah was running, something was wrong. He looked around…he couldn't see Aron. He saw a blue glow over there- a blue glow clattering to the ground.

Screaming…

…There was so much screaming.

The situation set in, and he abandoned Haza and Campbell. His only concern was the two people he knew. Haza yelled at him, but he didn't care, he kept running. He would help Elizah and her best friend. He had no armor- just an oxygen mask. He had no protection; he had no knowledge, no expectation.
The flood had ammunition. He didn't see it…he didn't hear it…he felt it as it hit him in the shoulder…one shot…it burned like fire, it ripped through his skin.

Aron was screaming. Gripping her shoulder and neck. It was doing that thing again- that thing that felt like she was bursting out of her own skin. Like she was being shot and stabbed a million times in the same place- over and over. She wanted it to be gone. She wanted to pulsing and throbbing to stop. She dropped her sword. He heard screaming and yelling.

Am I screaming?

Or is someone else?

Bant could no longer keep conscious. One bullet was enough; he could see them on the ground, while his eyes got weird. He could see colors that he thought didn't exist. He could feel himself falling to the ground…or was he already there?

He could see the blue glow as he blacked out.

She could see the blue hair as she went into a deep sleep.