Tex bent low to retrieve her helmet that lay on the ground where she chucked it, before standing tall to survey her surroundings once more. The joints of her armour were sodden with water and the metal itself was caked with mud and blood, but she did not care. A little water would soon fix that if she wanted, and the sight and smell of death more than made up for looking like complete and utter trash. Tex's lips curled slightly into a devilish smirk before she fixed her helmet onto its rightful place upon her head and went to go retrieve her assault rifle. After dusting it down and inspecting it for damage, she pressed on, content with the knowledge that there would be no more interruptions in her journey other than those she facilitated herself.

It was not long before, finally, the trees began to part and the sun's rays beat down mercilessly on Tex. Her suspicions before about there being a place of interest near the forest was soon confirmed: sprawled before her, a labyrinth of ruined buildings lay waiting to be explored. Tex noted their, albeit old, military appearance; Maybe there is something that can help me in there...she mused in her mind. Rifle held low, she sprinted off towards the ruins, unaware she was being watched.

Tex slowed as she neared the buildings, eventually moving no faster than a crawl as she entered the nearest of them. It was dark inside, so dark she could barely see her own hands before her face. The Freelancer advanced cautiously, rifle drawn to her chest just like in the forest. She strained all her senses, trying to ascertain if anything else was here or not. Water dripping from the walls occasionally made her hairs stand on end, and her own noisy breath made her think someone else was there with her. Come on Tex, it is just your senses playing on you. No-one's been here for years, by the looks of things. You are the only person here, so pull yourself together!She was berating herself mentally again.

Though...if that was the case...if she was truly alone...then why couldn't she shake the feeling that someone else was watching her..?

Crash! Ding, di-da-ling!

Tex swiftly raised her weapon towards the source of the noise. There was someone else here! For a moment, she didn't dare move, didn't even breathe. Her heart was racing tenfold and the assault rifle in her hands was quivering. Finally, Tex released the breath she'd been unconsciously holding and it came out as a deep sigh. Hallucinations.Maybe Omega had sent her mad just as Epsilon had done the same to Wash.

Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle...

Tex whirled around again, but she still couldn't see anything. Damn, why did it have to be so dark in here? She advanced forward a few paces, only to stiffen when she heard what sounded like a bestial growl. I thought I killed those guys...unless...please don't let it behim... Tex advanced another step, only to be thoroughly confused as the growling turned to the sound of childish laughter. What the...!
"Who's there?" She called out loud, but only the echo of her voice off unseen metal walls replied in return. Tex sighed again, before calling once more, louder this time; "Helloooo? Show yourself!" Again, only the echo of her voice answered her. "Damn it. I really must be going mad..."

Suddenly, off in the distance and barely noticeable, Tex could just about make out the form of a young girl dead ahead of her. The girl giggled and pointed at the Freelancer, before running away into the darkness. Tex slung her rifle on her back and quickly gave chase.
"Hey, wait up! I just want to talk to you!"
By the time she came to where the girl had previously been standing, Tex couldn't seem to see her anywhere. The only thing that lay before her was a maze created by a load of storage crates. The girl who could have all the information she needed could be anywhere in this dump now. Why were things never easy?
Well, here goes nothing...
Tex decided on the central entrance to the maze and flung herself down it at top speed, twisting and turning her head quickly to look around her in case she missed anything. She spun and weaved with the passageways of the maze until she was sure she was thoroughly lost.
"Great, I'm lost, and I can't find that kid anywhere. Why do people always run away?" Tex grumbled at no-one in particular before she shook her head. She already knew the answer to that question.

Deciding it would be better to explore this dump hole than to play a pointless game of hide and seek, Tex drew her weapon and continued on walking in the darkness. After trudging aimlessly for what seemed like forever, Tex soon stumbled across the girl again and she half forgot who she was talking as a stream of words came unbidden from her mouth.

"All right! Don't you dare move, or I swear, I'll...-!"
But before Tex could finish her sentence, the girl turned and showed half of her face. Her dusty brown hair masked her expression, but Tex could tell by the redness of her blue eyes that she'd been crying. Her hitched breathing was also a fairly good indicator. Even if she hadn't ordered her not to move, Tex realised the girl had no intention of running anymore. She swung her rifle onto her back.
"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I..." Tex swallowed; she wasn't great with kids, let alone upset and frightened ones. "I just want to talk to you." The black armoured soldier took a step forward.
"No!" The girl's violent reaction made Tex jump, scaring her more than she would like to admit. "Stay away! Stay away!"
"Ok, calm down..." The Freelancer held her hands up defensively. "See, I'm not moving anymore. I won't come any closer until you say. Sound fair to you?"
The little girl nodded meekly. Tears began oozing from her eyes.
"Anyway, what's a pretty girl like you doing in a dump like this?" Tex questioned her gently. When she received no reply, she continued, "Don't you realise how dangerous it is?"
"I can look after myself." The girl stated simply and defiantly. "I don't need anyone to help me."
"Well, that's good to hear. But you know, you don't have to be scared anymore."
"I'm not scared! And I'm not stupid, either. I know what you are trying to do!" The girl retorted angrily. "Why do you care so much about me, anyway?"
"Well...I..." Tex was dumbstruck; outsmarted by a girl under half her age. It wasn't so much her anger that left her speechless; it was how much her question to her rammed home. Tex knew that nearly every answer would be a lie, including not answering full stop. There were just some things training didn't prepare you for... "Listen kid, I don't want to see you get hurt, kay? No-one is going to hurt you again, not even me."
"That's exactly what the other one said!"
Underneath her visor, Tex's emerald eyes snapped up. "'Other one'? What 'other one'?"
"He wanted something, said he wouldn't hurt me, but I didn't know and he got angry and he..." The girl choked on her sobs, "He hurt me! I told him the truth and he hurt me..!" The girl ran off into the dark.
"Wait up!" Tex ran after her again, but the girl's screams stopped her in her tracks.
"You are all alike! Go away and leave me alone!"
The black armoured warrior looked around her for the source of the voice, but the girl had disappeared once again. Everything faded into deathly, eerie silence, as it was before she arrived.

Heck, if I ever retire from the military, there is no way in hell I'm ever having kids. Period. Tex grumbled in her mind before deciding it would be better if she left the kid and this place alone. Now...where's the exit at?

Before she could move, however, Tex was grabbed by unseen hands from behind and the curved edge of a glinting blade was pressed against her throat. A soft spoken, familiar voice growled in her ear.

"Don't...move!"