Carter shouts in Hayley’s face, “Why can’t I fucking corrupt you?!” She laughs lightly, “Guess you’re getting soft.” He punches her, the loud impact, the ripples in her skin, I wince as the blood flies from her cheek.
“Norbie can out-shoot you!” “No he can’t!” I rub against my cane’s handle, “Quiet.” They both look my way as I focus in again.
”There you go again, giving yourself false hope.” Hayley wriggles against her restraints, “You can’t control me, that means you can be beat.”
He laughs as he grabs her arm, “No-“ He twists it and her bones snap in two, then comes her incoherent scream. He snaps it back and surprisingly, he starts wrapping it up for her, “You know how long I’ve been here? Hunting down the filth? Destroying the disgusting creation?” She winces, “What the fuck are you getting at?”
”It was I who was at the last true battle. The one who conquered god’s creation.” Hayley's heart skips and then fastens, likely to the ominous, chilling air hissing from him, enveloping her, her skin tightens as he reels in, he whispers in her ear, "You can feel it, can't you? The miasma of fear?" Her heart starts beating so fast that mine follows. Markus and I grab at our hearts, my breath escapes me, as do the other two. Jean grabs me, "Oh my god, are you ok!?" I shoo her away, but Markus and I fall over as my body sweats like crazy. Jean, Rose and Jack surround me, nudge at me with worrying shouts and cries.
Hayley's voice echoes between my ears, "Scott will come back for me." My heart returns to normal almost immediately, despite the lingering pain. Despite everyone's worry, I hold my hand up and they shut up.
Distant clanking of footsteps, noise cancelling headphones, a welding mask dragging against his head and neck, loud to me, yet silent jogging with a knife and small oxygen tank in his hands. "He's coming to take you down!" Carter laughs, "Scott Crawford is a scared little radio tech." She wriggles against her restraints, "He tricked me. He can do you the same." A jack plugs in, loudspeakers come on from far way, I cover my ears, yet a loud static still explodes through them, everyone covers their ears but Carter. He clenches his fists, then runs towards the source.
Two soldiers with their ears covered turn to Scott, Scott throws the oxygen tank at a goon, nailing the guy out cold. The other reaches for his gun, but here comes Scott, the man stops reaching and tries to grab for Scott's knife. Scott cuts him, but the man pushes their desperate struggle to the floor. The soldier starts turning the knife as Scott shouts amongst the loud static, "Come on!" The man slowly gets control of the knife, pointing it down as Scott can't do anything but slow it's movement. I bow my head, then Scott swings his hips up, then pushes him off. He quickly crawls towards the downed man and pulls his gun. The other lunges at him, but Scott shoots him, three shots to his vest does absolutely nothing. He points to the man's head and amongst another three shots, one round goes through his skull. Scott hyperventilates on the floor and lies flat.
Something in him snaps, as if his mind is dead focused on something. Scott quickly slings their guns on his back, then runs while heaving and huffing. Markus looks up to me, "He's coming for us, get ready." How does he know that? Doesn't matter. I look to the other three, "Get ready to run." Jack stands up, widening his eyes in hopes to see better. Rose holds his hand, "Just follow me." Aww, Jack, your heart's beating faster.
The guns clack and clunk on my back as my stride gets ever smaller. God, this gear is heavy! Pushing the door open with my shoulder, my eyes start darting around the room. I gag as the decaying bodies still remain. I open the cargo container and they already have backpacks on. The old woman walks forward, "Time to depart?" I nod, "Can anyone here use a gun?" The boy tries to shout, but the man covers his mouth. "I'm probably your best bet, name's Markus." Sliding a gun off my back, I groan, "We have to get to a dropship. Have to beat-" The old woman and Markus say at the same time, "Have to be faster than Carter." I gulp. Who are these two? Markus scratches his head while the woman smirks. My eyes suddenly turn to the blond woman sitting awfully quiet. "Is she okay?"
She stands up, "I'm fine now. The other gun, give it." Her dead eyes pierce through me as I take the other off. The boy shouts, "I can shoot! I'm a sniper!" I shrug and toss him a gun. I jump as he kicks the gun around in his hands, desperate to get a grip onto it. A chill goes down my spine as it tumbles to the floor. The gun goes off and I stumble back from the force. My hand slowly goes to my vest, it didn't go through. "What the hell, kid!?" He sighs deep, "Is everyone alright?" Everyone lets out an annoyed sigh.
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As we all march out, the only one who doesn't gag at the smell is this blond girl. "Hey, are you ok?" She doesn't respond as I open the door. The static suddenly stops coming from the speakers. "Old woman?" "Mama Hearth, baby." I shake my head, "How-" "I can hear everything on this ship. Carter can most likely see through others' sight, hearing. They hunt for anyone not part of them." I try to cut her off, but she keeps going, "We must leave your friend, Hayley." "But she's-" Markus shakes his head, "I trust Mama. Do not go to save her." What do you people mean?! I just leave her!? Damn it! Screw it. "We're getting to Kinelt. Where is the nearest dropship?" Mama frowns, "He's blocking them all. There's one with less troops, but he'll just come and-" The blond girl runs off and I shout, "Hey! Come back!" She turns, "I promise, I'll be back with help, go!" Markus runs after her and I grab at my head, they just ran off with the guns. Mama's laughs make me turn to her, "What's so funny!?" She's walking ahead with the kids following, "You worry too much."
My overthinking stops as Mama gets onto a forklift and starts it up. She shouts, "Come on!" How can she hear everything on this ship? Carter suddenly shouts through the speakers, "Scott! I see you have friends! Cute little blond Jean. A shame she has to die. Surrender in thirty minutes and everyone helping you will live!" The boy laughs, "Sounds like a thirty-minute head start!" Mama shouts, "Sounds like he's already searching, Jack!" She then nudges my leg with her cane, "Jean and Markus are going after Lasal, her brother!" "That monster is her brother!?" Groaning, I shout, "When we're clear, I deserve an explanation!" A tiny hand reaches up to me, it's the little girl smiling bright, "I'm Rose!" I grab her hand tight and she jumps, "Ow!" Loosening my grip, I shake her hand, "Sorry- I'm Scott!"
Mama shouts, "On your right! A soldier coming up! Machine gun!" My gun goes up as a door opens, A soldier in heavy plating walks out. I immediately hop off, he tries to swing up the heavy gun, but I push the barrel back down to the floor. He kicks me back, "There you are, Scott!" He drives the stock across my body armor, forcing me back. "You look different!" He jerks it back and takes aim at my vest as my muscles lock in place. Something whizzes past and hits his vest. Then another. The machine gun flashes, I stumble back at the pain and the soldier falls backward. I grab at my vest in pain. It's like I got punched in the gut. But- Who shot him? The only one I gave a gun to was- Who are these people!?
Right! Just pick up the machine gun- With a long, loud groan, I hoist the gun up. I can move just fine, the vest stopped that bullet. He knows where we are now. Mama backs up the forklift as I walk to them. I plop down onto it's frame, rest the gun and Mama steps on the gas, Jack smirks at me with his pistol and I hold my hand out, "Thanks." He shakes it firm, "If she drove this thing faster, I would've had better aim." I slap the forklift, "Mama! We need to take a dropship!" She shouts, "I don't like it!" Opening the gun's ammo box, a whole belt of ammo is ready to use, "They aren't people anymore!" She bangs on the wheel, "There must be a way to reverse what he did!" Jack stretches, "Yeah, but we don't have that! Post me up down the hall and I'll pick a few off." Rose and Mama shout, "No!" Jack shouts, "I've fired a rifle! I've shot a gun! What more do I have to prove!?" Mama shouts, "You are just a kid! You-" She grabs at her hear, "You can't be killing people. I want you to not regret-" He growls as I lie back, as if I could avoid the conversation, "I don't regret killing people trying to kill us! Diesel would want me to fight!" She bangs on the wheel, "No! He-" I shout at the top of my lungs, "We don't have a choice, Mama!"
Mama slams on the brakes and she looks back with tears in her eyes, pointing to the hangar, "This is the door. You better come back to us!" Jack hops off and we follow suit. I sigh, "Go hide in the nearest room, you two." They walk away as I grab the lever for the hangar cargo doors to open up. They screech open slowly as I jump in the forklift and set the machine gun on the dashboard. Can't move at the same time. I gulp as the door raises up, "Your move, kid."
Gunshots whizz past, soldiers shout as Mama shouts out her door, "Two down!" I drive the forklift to peek in, they open fire as I stop. I clench my teeth as bullets ping off the forklift's frame. As the trigger gets pulled, the bullets spread out wildly as I struggle to control the recoil. I stop and there's plenty more down. A bullet pings across the dashboard and I duck down. Countless more flash past above me. Mama shouts at me, but I can't hear over the stream of bullets. The speakers cut on again as I hug the forklift's seat for dear life, "Screw your friends! I'm coming for you, Scott!" Mama shouts, "Scott!" I grit my teeth.