The world exploded all around her in fire and smoke. Emily felt herself flying in the air as something that felt like a gigantic hand hit her. Blinking away the tears she looked around. The blast knocked her nearly twenty feet backward on the tarmac. She looked around to see she still was on the runway. She rolled over to see the hole in the sky. It was still there. Surrounding it was a bunch of caters. “Mortars.” She thought to herself recognizing the craters.

There were a bunch of dead things everywhere. She looked upwards to the sky but couldn't tell what time it was. The sky was completely covered in dark smoke from the hole in the sky. Everything had an odd blue-black coloring to them. Grimacing she rolled onto her knees. For a second she thought she was going to pass out. She got really dizzy and faint. Holding her stomach she stood up. The tentacle thing was still inside her stomach but thankfully it was not moving anymore. For a second she thought about pulling it out even if she did bleed to death. The tentacle grossed her out.

She heard automatic gunfire from her behind her. “Calvary!” Emily thought happily. She turned towards the sound and saw a line of soldiers with really heavy weapons pointing to the hole in the sky hiding behind cement barriers. They lined up sideways to the hole. A few were firing at the hole as something jumped out. The gunfire seemed to stagger the thing but not kill it. She wondered what they were going to do when a huge explosion knocked her backward again. Once the dust settled Emily couldn't see anything left of the thing.

“A little overkill.” Emily thought to herself looking at the huge new carter. Shaking her head she looked around for Righteous. She found her tomahawk sticking out of the ground only a few feet away from her. She limped over to it and pulled it out of the ground. She looked around the area for her little black knife and found it by a knocked over folder chair. She limped over and picked it up too. She had to painfully drop down to her knees to pick it up with her left hand holding the tentacle inside her still. She slid her little black knife home in its sheath with her right hand. Taking one last look around she started to stagger towards the line making sure to avoid being anywhere near the hole in the sky.

She was halfway there when she heard calls for a medic. One of the guys manning the line rushed over to help her. He slid his arm around her back and helped her walk where they had set up their line. It took a few seconds for her to notice that he was super with an EXO by the patch on his shoulder. He set her down by a waiting medic.

The medic took one look at her and called for stretcher bearers. “No. I'll walk.” She told the medic wanting more than anything to just lay down but knew that whoever that was going to carry her was going to have problems with her weight. She stood up painfully.

“Look private, you have a … something sticking out of you. There is no way in hell I am going to let you walk out on your own.” The medic said frowning.

“I'm walking,” Emily said stubbornly.

“You're going to die long before you get to the aid station if you walk. Your insides are torn to hell and every step you take is going to make it worse.” He told her.

“I'll heal,” Emily said using the Navy EXO's arm to stand up. It was the same guy who helped her before.

The medic decided to pull rank. “Captain!” He yelled.

Emily cursed at the medic. The Captain came running up looking confused. “How did that happen?” He asked her.

“Playing king of the mountain on a really big dead thing,” Emily said not liking the captain and not feeling like being nice. “The medic started it.” She thought to herself.

“You're one of the Mains!” He said startled as his eyes found Righteous.

“Yay me,” Emily said feeling woozy.

“What are you doing Corporal! Get this woman to the aid station!” The Captain said his eyes wide.

“Trying sir but she won't let the stretcher bearers take her to the aid station. She says she wants to walk.” The Medic said waving his hand at Emily.

“Grrrr,” Emily growled to the Captain. It sounded funny to her ears.

“Listen Private, why don't you lay down on the stretcher and let these guys take you to the aid station. You've done enough.” The Captain said trying to appease her.

“I am walking,” Emily said stubbornly.

The Captain signed and wiped his forehead off on his arm. “Ok. Someone help the Private to the aid station. Stretcher bearers follow she in case she passes out. No, I take that back, for when she passes out”

She made it to the aid station walking. She felt like she needed to apologize to the medic. He was right her inside felt like they were on fire. They took one look at her and sent her to the hospital in an ambulance. She arrived at the ER and was pushed inside fairly quickly. A doctor came by and asked to see her stomach. The medics on the ambulance had put a dressing on the tentacle. Emily thought it was because it grossed them out. He took off the bandage and swore. “Let's get her over to our stretcher now. Someone call up to the OR and tell them we are sending an immediate to them.”

“I am a Super,” Emily said to the doctor feeling really woozy now. “Main-type super.”

The doctor cursed again. “Tell them to prep from a Main-type super.”

Emily laid down on her left side and went to sleep.

When she woke up the tentacle was gone and her side was healing. The doctor was concerned because he thought she overused her superpowers. Once the tentacle was removed her healing powers kick slower than normal. It took two days for her stomach to close up but she still felt very sore inside of her stomach. The doctor was very adamant about her taking it easy for a little while.

They had her taking a massive dosage of antibiotics because they had no idea where the things were coming from or what bugs they were carrying. Most of the base had evacuated and the airport was shut down because the hole in the sky was still there.

She talked to a nurse and found out that Rags was in a bad way when he arrived and had been one of the first to be medivaced on the first day. He died in the air on his way to Germany. He had some really bad wounds to his chest and was unconscious when he was brought in to the aid station. She learned that Val was still at the hospital waiting for a medivac. The weather had gotten too bad for any more flights. Then they told her that Val had lost her leg. None of the hospital staff could tell her what happened to David or Bubbles. They had not come through the aid station as of yet.

She found Val later that morning in her room. The first time she arrived at Val's room Val was asleep zonked out on pain meds. She was awake the second time Emily visited her that afternoon.

“Never, my sister from another mother,” Val said giggling.

“Wow you are on some hardcore drugs,” Emily said shaking her head as she sat down on a stool next to Val's bed.

“Yea,” Val said smiling her glazed eyes staring at Emily.

“How are you doing,” Emily asked not knowing what to say.

“Well, there is that leg thing,” Val said smirking.

“Dammit sorry, Val,” Emily said embarrassed.

Val laughed. “Sorry, that was funny. I was just pulling your leg.” She said laughing again. When she calmed down she explained. “Well, the healers think they will be able to regrow my leg. It's going to take six months to a year but who cares. I’m retired as soon as they get me back to the states. The VA will regrow my leg but don't worry, they assured me that I will walk again on two legs.”

“That's great Val,” Emily said smiling.

“Look, Never please sit down,” Val said suddenly serious.

Emily's froze and her stomach dropped. She looked at Val and knew. She knew that David was dead. Val looked down not saying anything. “What happened Val?” Emily asked her voice sounded funny.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“When those demons attacked it went crazy fast. Rags went down quick because of his arm. Me and David, we went back to back over him. It was bad but not as bad as you had it. You kept pissing them off. All but a few were following you. We took out as many as we could but I got hit. Took my leg right off. I told David to run but the stupid bastard stayed with us.” Val said with tears in her eyes and a faraway look in her eyes.

“I thought we were dead but your man he stood over us. Between you and David, you two saved my life. You would swing by pissing the bastards off to chase after you and David took the ones who didn't follow you. Then one got through and hit David in the head. He went down hard but he felt no pain. I grabbed them both and dragged them out of there. I wasn't going to leave them behind but I can still see you back there. The whole friggin lot of them chasing after you following like a bunch of lost rabbit puppies. You were all alone. You dance right through them leaving them dead. I thought I was leaving you behind to die but there was so many. I am really sorry Never.” Val said starting to cry.

Emily stared down at Val for a few seconds not feeling anything. She leaned down and hugged her friend feeling numb. After a while, she climbed into bed with Val and held the older woman until Val fell asleep. Feeling like a robot Emily left Val's room and returned to her room.

When she opened the door a Staff Sergeant was waiting on her in her room. Medical had released her while she was gone and she now had new orders. The Staff Sergeant had her weapons but not her clothes. Her dress uniform was gone. Destroyed either by the things or the operating room staff when she went to surgery. They did manage to salvage her boots. She ended up leaving the hospital in blue scrubs and boots. He took her by the hanger to change. Back in her normal uniform she felt more comfortable and looking at herself in the mirror she thought that at least she looked the ok.

The Staff Sergeant clued her in what was going on with the base. A half-mile area around the gate, as he called it, was a no electricity area. For some reason, anything that ran on electricity did not work no matter how well shielded it was. The air above the gate was really hellish and too dangerous to fly. The gunboats that were flying overhead during the ceremony had crashed into the dessert all lives aboard were lost. When she asked about the EXO's the Staff Sergeant looked pissed. All the EXO pilots were found dead at the ceremony. No one knew how they were killed. Their bodies were being kept for an autopsy. For now, all remaining EXO pilots were taking turns at guarding the gate. There EXO suits were shelved until they figured out what killed the pilots.

The Sergeant drove her up to a three-story building and led her inside. She had to sign in before they let her beyond the lobby and she was given a red and white ID badge. The Staff Sergeant led her up the stairs to the second floor and to the Command Sergeant Major's office. The Sergeant Major got up from behind his desk to Shake Emily's hand.

“Never! Damn glad to meet you. That was some fine soldiering you've done for us. I've never seen anyone do something so brave. To single-handedly hold the line to prevent the base from being overrun....” The Sergeant Major said shaking his head.

“I am sorry I had to pull you out of medical. I know you're still hurting but I need you. We got a bunch of eggheads coming in to see about closing the gate. I need you to meet them when they land at tonight. You will be their bodyguard until they shut this gate off. You will go with them everywhere and be with them until they leave. Never, these guys are really important. They are the only ones in the world who know how to shut this thing off or at least know how to seal it off from the rest of the world.” The Sergeant Major said.

As the Staff Sergeant was driving her to where she was to wait for the team to come together to drive to the where the scientists were landing he asked her “Hey Never, are you in a lot of pain?”

Emily had her head leaning on the back of the seat with her eyes closed. “Am I in pain. I don't know. I just feel numb.” Emily thought to herself. Out loud she said, “I should be.”

Emily joined the convoy headed out of the city to an airfield just north of the city. It was too dangerous to land in the city now and it was getting worse. The airfield was about half an hour away from the city. Emily rode in an armored troop transport with several large unarmored trucks to transport whatever equipment the science team had with them and some armored Humvees. Emily winched in pain as the bumps in the road caused sharp pains in her stomach.

Emily met the plane when it landed with the team of six people, four men, and two women, as they disembarked. The leader was a gray lady with who smiled a lot. The rest of her team were young looking people. First Lieutenant who was in charge of the protection of the team went out to meet the team with a First Sergeant. Emily followed them. The First Sergeant nodded but the First Lieutenant frowned. Emily found she really didn't care.

The First Lieutenant did the talking and he introduced himself, the Staff Sergeant, and then introduced Emily as ‘your bodyguard Never’. She kept feeling like there was a target painted on her back and at any moment the person would pull the trigger. She looked around at the Afghani people at the airport and saw too many suspicious people eyeing the group from the plane.

The team had a lot of equipment and it took a long time for Emily and the work party that was sent to load the team's equipment in the back of the trucks. Emily helped them load the trucks taking the heaviest loads. Once they were done Emily made sure she was seated by the back door of the armored truck in case if they had to bail out for an emergency. She wanted to be out first to take attention off the rest of the people who needed to exit the vehicle.

The team looked nervous except the old lady who was talking up a storm and acting like she was on vacation. She tried to talk to Emily but Emily just answered with the least amount of talking she could get away with. All the talking was getting on her nerves. Her stomach was bothering her again. Once they got back at the base she had them stay in the armored truck until she checked out the mostly deserted base.

“My, you're a paranoid one aren’t you.” The old lady said once the team was out of the armored truck.

Emily had it. She turned to the old lady and told her “Look I am not sure anyone has told you this but someone snuck in one of the most secure bases in Afghanistan and somehow killed two full squads of EXO supers while they were inside their EXO's. On top of that, we have a gate to hell spewing out demons. I am sorry if I am inconvenience you but I really want you to be alive when you leave here.”

The old lady looked surprised. The Staff Sergeant smiled and the First Lieutenant looked pissed. Emily didn't care. He could send her up for another NJP if he wanted too but she was going to get these people home alive. The First Lieutenant brought them to a gym that someone had cots set up. Emily went back out as the team got settled in and helped drag all the equipment off the trucks. The First Lieutenant found her carrying a box the size of a refrigerator.

“Never, while I appreciate you doing your job I just want to remind you these people are not in the military. We need to handle these people with a little more tack than we do with our fellow soldiers.” The Lieutenant said while Emily put the huge box down.

“Yes, sir,” Emily said turning back towards the truck. “Just trying to warn them that this base is not safe and we are in a battle zone.”

“Well, let me do that and you take care of anything that comes after us.” The First Lieutenant said smiling.

Emily sighed. “Yes, sir.” Once the First Lieutenant was gone Emily gently banged her head against the truck. “I should have stayed in the hospital.” She muttered standing up to get the rest of the boxes out of the truck.

The team spent the rest of the day setting up and chatting to each other. Emily stayed in the background sitting by the door on a fold-out chair with her rifle on her knees. She got a few odd looks from the people in the gym but she couldn't care less. She had propped the door open a little so she could keep an eye out on what was going on outside.

“You going to stay there the whole night?” The old Lady asked a few hours later.

Emily looked around to find most of the team were in their cots and some were even sleeping. The old lady was dressed in pajamas holding a coffee mug in her hand. “Unless someone comes to relive me I guess I will,” Emily said turning back to the door.

“Would like some coffee.” The old lady asked.

“No thank you, Ma'am,” Emily said shaking her head.

“You really think that we are in that much danger here on this base?” The old lady asked.

“Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I am just tired of people dying around me.” Emily said feeling exhausted. She was starting to feel the weird numbness start to crack and behind it, she felt a storm of emotions waiting. She took a deep breath and pushed her emotions back down. She didn't have time to have a freakout.

Emily stayed up the entire night guarding the door and the morning the First Lieutenant found her at her post. “Never what the hell are you doing.” The First Lieutenant said when opened the door to find her.

“Doing my job sir,” Emily said standing up and stretching.

“I did not assign you to guard this door.” The Lieutenant said frowning.

“Yes, sir,” Emily said slinging her rifle over her shoulder.

“Did you get any sleep last night. I don't need you to be falling asleep today of all days.” The First Lieutenant said looking at her.

“I once stayed up for four, almost five, months. I don't think one day of no sleep will be a problem, sir.” Emily said wondering if he was going to bring her up on an NJP again. She knew she was dangerously close to insubordination but she was just too tired and sore to care. It was stupid but she found she just couldn’t stop.

The First Lieutenant cursed. “Ok Never, I'll have someone assigned to guard this door at night if you try to get some sleep tonight. Fair enough?” He asked her.

“I would sleep better, sir,” Emily admitted.

“Ok, we will do that. Why don't you go and get a couple of hours of sleep.” The Lieutenant said smiling.

“Yes, sir,” Emily said taking one last look behind her.

“Don't worry we are not scheduled to head to the gate until this afternoon. I'll have Staff come find you before we go.” He told her smiling.

“Yes, sir,” Emily said nodding.

Emily walked into the Hanger feeling strange. She looked around the empty hanger and felt lost. She walked down the hallway where they were all staying feeling the loss of her friends. She opened the first door on her right. It was Rags door. Inside his room was surprisingly neat. The bed was made and everything was folded. Emily looked around and found a picture of Rags in civilian clothes with his arm around a very young teenage boy. The boy looked embarrassed at the camera in the picture while Rags looked happy. Looking at the picture Emily realized she didn't know Rag's real name.

She left closing the door quietly. The door across the way from Rags was Vals. Emily opened her door and peek in. The door was empty. Someone must have come and cleaned out her room. Emily gently closed her door too. The next room was Bubbles. She knocked on the door but no one answered it. She still had no idea what happened after he took off with the generals. She was too worried that he somehow didn’t make it either. She left his room alone just in case. The door across from Bubbles was her. She ignored it to look at the last room in the hallway. Davids room. She turned away and went into her room.