Authors note: Hey guys. Just got back from Katsucon. I don't have much to say. Enjoy the end of Echo 12's story!
Bray Road
Beast
-PFC Raynold Bandley-
-Fireteam Echo 12-
-Location: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, United Republic of North America: November 15, 2552-
-Time: 1837-
Ray walked through the forest, rifle at the ready. Things were not going well. First all the weird stuff was happening on their mission. Then they lost contact with Leon and Michaels. Finally, Ginny and Wade were assumed to be attacked just now. He really wanted to get out of this forest.
Suddenly, Ray heard gunshots behind him that were quickly cut off. Ray spun around aiming his own rifle. He saw a large back beast on top of Mitch, biting into something that Mitch was holding. It bit through the object and Ray opened fire on the thing. It let out a howl as it flinched, giving Mitch enough time to push it off him with his foot. It stumbled back before jumping off into the shadows. Mitch jumped back up, pulling something else off his belt. Ray aimed his rifle into the woods, letting the light from the flashlight illuminate the area. He glanced at Mitch and noticed that he had his sidearm in one hand and something else in the other. He also noticed Mitch's helmet on the ground a distance away.
/Gunny. We have a problem./
Ray said over his radio.
/What is that soldier?/
/It found us. Some kind of creature./
/…Good luck soldier. Kill that thing quickly so we can go home./
Ray smiled slightly.
/We'll do our best sir./
He heard the sound of a twig snapping and spun to the side, shooting. He didn't see anything. There was another on Mitch's side but Mitch never shot. Ray glanced at Mitch and noticed that he was staring into the dark with determined eyes. Ray smiled again. He wished his thinking was as simple as Mitch.
He heard a slight growl before something jumped at him. Ray quickly shot at it but it was too late. The thing knocked him to the ground. The last thing he saw before the thing's teeth filled his vision was Mitch raising something in the air. Something that looked like a club with spikes on it. Then Ray's thoughts stopped.
-GySgt Timothy O'Riley-
-Fireteam Echo 12-
-Location: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, United Republic of North America: November 15, 2552-
-Time: 1850-
Gunnery Sergeant O'Riley was a hard man. He had survived multiple conflicts, including Reach and New Mombasa. It took everything he had but eventually, he went from that young naïve recruit in basics to the fireteam leader he was today. Well, at least what was left of his fireteam. Half his team was wiped out. Maybe more. Still, they had a mission to compete. He could grieve for them when he was dead. Hell, if they had bars in the afterlife, he would buy them all drinks, assuming he could get the money for it.
An explosion was heard in the distance from where Hudson and Bandley were.
/Hudson. Bandley. You there?/
Nothing.
/Respond. Hudson! Bandley!/
No response.
Bortels hung his head as he came to the same conclusion.
They were gone.
"We're on our own now. Bortels. Take the objective. I'm better equipped for close range combat so I'll hold it off while you get to the evac point."
O'Riley took off the case that he had and gave it to his most trusted surviving soldier.
"It was an honor serving with you sir."
Bortels said.
"It's been an honor soldier."
A sound came from their side. O'Riley and Bortels quickly aimed their weapons. The flashlights on their rifles fell on the hulking bloodied form of Hudson. He stumbled towards them, looking barely alive.
"It's coming."
He rumbled out.
The gunnery sergeant heard a scream from behind him where Celeste was. They all turned to see the girl drop her rifle and run off into the woods towards where the evac point was.
"Bortels. Poésy. Go after her and get the objective out of here. I'll take care of this."
The brown haired soldier looked at his sergeant one last time before taking hold of Poésy's arm and the two started to run off.
O'Riley sighed and turned to the half dead marine.
"Hudson. I don't know how much fight you have left in you. But I need any you have."
"You can count on me… Gunny."
O'Riley chuckled as he raised his shotgun to the woods, where rustling started coming from.
"That I can soldier. That I can."
-PFC Thomas Bortels-
-Fireteam Echo 12-
-Location: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, United Republic of North America: November 15, 2552-
-Time: 1920-
Thomas and Gabrielle paused as they heard the sound of a shotgun go off several times before going silent. After their brief pause the two started running again. They had lost track of Elise a while back. Now it was just the two of them, running towards what they hoped would be safety.
Behind him, Thomas could hear a slight sniffling sound from Gabrielle. She was crying. Thomas's own breath was a little ragged too. He had spent most of his career with some of those men. But there was no use in crying now.
The two continued to run. Occasionally hearing a snort or huff of air, as if the beast was next to them. They would even hear an occasional crash in the woods.
Thomas focused on keeping moving. Trying to outrun it and keep Gabrielle with him. Suddenly he heard a short scream from behind and Thomas whirled around to see that Gabrielle had tripped over something.
Thomas rushed over to help her and heard her gasp. Thomas froze as he looked down at what tripped his blonde friend. Staring back up at him was the tear filled, lifeless eyes of Elise.
"Tom!"
He heard Gabrielle cry out. He whirled around to where she was looking and then he saw it. It resembled a wolf with red eyes and sharp, snarling teeth. It was big. Easily as big or bigger than him. It was no doubt to anyone watching that this was the thing that had torn up the warthog and gutted the brute. This was what had killed all those people and all of Thomas's fireteam.
It didn't get out of it unscathed though. The area above its left eye was bleeding and there was a chunk out of its shoulder and spikes around that wound, like it had been hit by a spike grenade. Several other wounds peppered its body. It let out a growl as it charged Thomas.
Thomas opened fire before it hit him, knocking him over and making him lose his rifle. Gunfire came from behind him as Gabrielle also shot at the beast. It let out bark as it loped to the side. Thomas made a grab for it to try and slow it down but ended up knocking one of the spikes loose instead. The beast let out a roar of pain and swiped at Gabrielle who blocked with her assault rifle. The rifle was destroyed and was about to lunge at her next before Thomas shot his M6G pistol at the creature's face, causing it to jump back. Thomas and Gabriel struggled to stand up , aiming their respective sidearms at the creature. It charged at them again, swiping. Thomas got in front of Gabrielle and took most of the damage, the claws cutting his chest and weapon as the two surviving members of Fireteam Echo 12 fell over backwards.
The thing circled them as Thomas lay bleeding. He looked around him for anything to use as a weapon. Then his eyes fell on a spike. It was similar to the other spikes that were in the creature. A good portion of it was already covered in the monster's blood. Thomas heard a roar as the creature started its attack. Thomas quickly grabbed the spike and stabbed with both hands as the creature's claws came down towards his head.
Then everything went black.
-Transmission End-