Chapter 12: The Order

I was one of the best shots in the Academy. A genuine sharpshooter, if you will. I could hit any point on the body at any moment. Many feared me because of it. People would forfeit practice bouts because they already knew what they were dealing with. It almost seems unfair with this armor on. It doesn't even seem difficult on targets that aren't humans, even though their anatomies are different than ours. Doesn't make a difference. We have heads. They have heads. Head shots are always the best way to go. You shoot them, they don't shoot back.

Randall and Keller slowly moved around the ship. I still stood there, unaware of my cover being blown. Their guns were raised, but it didn't worry me. They probably had standard ammo with them. Even with armor-piercing shots, I could outrun them. They weren't much of a threat either way. Still, I kept my arm cannon at the ready. You never know what to expect on the field of battle.

"Houston, the Federation would like to see you for debriefing."

Shit. They were onto me.

"No can do, I have other business to take care of."

With that, I began to walk towards my ship, but the two troopers stood in my way.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid we can't let you do that."

Cameron reached behind his back, grabbing at a pair of handcuffs. They sprang to life, electricity wrapped around the cuffs. Energy cuffs were a pain in the ass. I could probably break through them, but it took some time. I couldn't risk losing time with two men capable of at least disarming me.

"Believe me, it would save us all a lot of trouble if you let me be."

The cuffs swung around before me, but he had no time to even click them on. I swiped the cuffs out of his hands and chucked them into the waterfall behind us. The light from the cuffs slowly died as it sunk to the bottom of the soft bedrock below. My arm cannon glowed with yellow energy and shot out of the gun. Randall sprang out of the way in time and rolled behind a rigid rock. Keller slid next to him and began to fire blindly over the top of the formation.

The bullets rang against my armor. Definitely not AP shots. I didn't feel a thing as they bounced off of my body. I was simply egging them on to keep firing, standing in the same spot for nearly half a minute. They must have burnt through at least a dozen clips before realizing they were just wasting ammo.

"It isn't doing anything Cam!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed!"

Keller rocked on his back and ducked his head, trying to stuff another clip into his rifle. GF guns were unique, that's for sure. They reminded me of primitive rifles, since their rounds were bullet-like. The guns shot energy that was solidified and shaped into bullets, making them easier to shoot, but not as powerful. That is what AP and higher-calibur rounds were for. The stronger the rounds, the less bullet-like they were. These rounds, however, did nothing to phase me. They were going to switch ammo soon if they had it available to them.

"Damn it! What the hell is it?"

I finally began to move towards them, firing warning shots above their heads. Cam barely stuck his head over the rock to take look, but quickly zipped back down has another shot raced over him. Heat washed over him. His scalp prickled has the shot buzzed away and impacted into a mossy cliffside. The moss burnt up in flames before dieing out immediately after.

Cam put his back up against the rock and began to reload again. He shoved it in the clip as hard as he could, but it wedged itself in an awkward position.

"Shit! Bastard's jammed!"

Steve pivoted to face Cam. He wound up and backhanded the clip, forcing it up into the holder. Cam gave a nod and began to fire again. His shots, however, ricocheted off the rock before him. Steve was lowering his gun, ushering for him to stop, with his hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from wasting all our damn ammo. Armor's too powerful. Do we have anything stronger?"

"All we have are Mach Carbines, but they are back on the ship."

Steve looked down, ran thoughts through his head, then spoke again.

"Go grab them. I'll hold the hunter off."

"It'll kill you first!"

"Just go!"

Steve gave Cam a push, popping him out from the rock. He turned and saw me slowly walking towards him. I had no intention of killing him, but it seemed like he had the intention of pissing himself. His eyes were as wide as they could be. Steve kicked his calf and Cam sprang to life, sprinting up the ship.

Steve didn't fire, which confused me. I doubt he was giving up or anything, but I was under the assumption they would run out of ammo. With that, I watched Cam make his way into the ship. I had no idea what they had on board, so I assumed the worst. Assuming the worst can be beneficial at times, but hindering at others. Sometimes it'll save your life, others it'll kill you. They better not have armor-piercing rounds in there.

I began to rush towards him, but kept my cool. I kept myself in a fast walk. My boots made dull thuds on the wet ground. Steve's nerves were destroying him. His hands began to shake. The light armor on his hands clattered against the riveted metal of his rifle. Whatever got into him was beyond me, but less than a second later, I found him standing straight up before me.

"I can't let you go in there."

"I honestly don't plan to."

"Sir, stand down."

"What are you, a Private? I don't take orders, let alone from Privates. For your own sake, I suggest that you stand down."

I was getting agitated. He wasn't taking the hint. I didn't want to, but it seemed that I'd have to use lethal force. Too bad for him.

"I said, stand down!"

My arm rocketed towards his chest. I scrambled to grab the little mesh visible between his skin and his armor. My fingers finally grasped it and I forcefully pulled him towards me. My suit made me a good two or three feet taller than him, so he his feet were hanging when I raised him to eye level.

"I will say this one more time. Leave me alone. Do you understand?"

I didn't seem like he did. His rifle was still in hand. I was getting clumsy. It was basic training that teaches you to disarm an opponent before verbally confronting him. Still, his bullets did no good. He fired rapidly at my abdomen, then began to bash my armor with the side of the gun. He kept switching between shooting me and hitting me, but I didn't feel either.

My arm cannon raised. His head met the crushing force of my gun. I watched him soar over the rock and land hard on the ground. Land at the bottom of the ship. Land right at Cameron's feet. Steve's helmet slid off his head, revealing a bloodied face lacking any signs of life. A Mach Carbine in hand, Cam looked up at me. I stood like statue, waiting for a response. He stood there as well. Frozen.