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A Reason To Fight by Phoenix99
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A Reason To Fight ( I )
Date: 7 July 2004, 9:17 PM
There was no time for heroics. You always heard stories of great heroes doing amazing things. Movies of one man taking on considerable odds and coming out on top, with a beautiful blonde in his arms. Not this time. Not on Earth.
The siege on Earth had begun a week ago. We hadn't had much time to prepare. The emergency broadcasts rang out only 5 hours before the first blast shook the city. "...EVACUATION OF THE CITY IS IN PROGRESS, PLEASE KEEP CALM AND TAKE ONLY WHAT IS NEEDED..." But the announcements hadn't really helped. Sure, a handfull were able to escape from the city, but most were caught in the bombardment.
I had missed those public announcements as I was sleeping soundly with my wife, July. But we awoke with a start as a blast shook our apartment complex. I stumbled out of bed to the window and pulled away the shade, wiping sleep from my eyes. I stared in confusion at the scene outside my window. A large explosion had torn a gaping hole in the building across the street and cast heated metal and ferrocrete onto the surrounding ground. Nearby street lights flickered on and off, people were running everywhere.
"What's going on?" asked July.
"I don't know, it looks like a bomb went off in the next building" I replied with astonishment.
But my speculation was put to an end as I saw three bright flashes in the distance and their resounding blasts shook the room. I leaned closer to the window and peered up into the blank, ink sky. My jaw dropped as a saw a blue beam of light lance down from the sky into the city with a deafening roar.
"Oh no... honey, get ready to go"
"What's wrong, what're those sou—"
"Now!" I replied in a forceful manner.
I flipped on the viewer to channel 4. A reporter sat at a desk looking distressed.
"Reports are in that the bombardment has commenced. Blocks 36 through 47 have sustained considerable damage. Please make your way to the nearest e-vac zone in as orderly a manner as possible. Power will not last long so please act quickly, the Covenant—"
The hologram disappeared, the power gone, cutting off the reporters words, but it was enough for me to
understand. I turned and saw July standing at the window.
"How did they find us... I thought they said we were safe" she said turning away from the window.
"I don't know, but we need to leave now" I grabbed the two packs July had brought out of the closet and stuffed them with clothing, a flashlight, and some rations before zipping them up and hoisting one onto my back and handing the other to July. A large blast shook the room so hard I had to catch July from stumbling to the floor.
"common," I said and reached for her hand.
We left the dark apartment and stepped into the hallway that was now bathed in red light and sirens from the emergency lights that glowed in the ceiling. A blast shook the hall and the lights flickered, but stayed lit.
"The elevators are probably down, we'll have to take the stairs," I yelled over the sirens. We started to walk briskly to the emergency stairway at the end of the hall. Suddenly a roaring explosion threw us to the ground and sparks showered from the ceiling. I threw a protective arm over July and looked up. Another explosion rocked the building and a door ten feet ahead of us was blown off its hinges and slammed against the opposite wall. The smell of charred ferrocrete and ozone filled my nostrils and I pulled myself and July up. We ran to the Emergency Stairway door and tore it open. Bunding down the stairs we were almost jarred from our feet from another blast that must have struck nearby.
We burst from the building into a scene of chaos. It seemed almost calmer inside the apartment complex. People were running here and there, most of the buildings were either burning or in ruins. I glanced to the street and saw that using a car would be useless as large craters and debris rendered the streets worthless. Screams and explosions filled the air and the smell of smoke clogged my nostrils. I turned to look at our apartment complex just in time to watch a beam of light lance from the black sky into the structure. The blast knocked us to the ground as the windows burst and the rest of the building crumbled in upon itself. I grabbed July's arm and pulled her to her feet. She was crying, I ran my hands through her hair and hugged her close.
"Sir! Sir!" A voice called from behind me.
I turned and saw a UNSC marine come running to me.
"This way sir, we can get you outa here." He turned and I followed him, pulling July along.
We ran across the pock-marked street dodging falling debris and sparks from the crumbling buildings. Thunder seamed to be sounding in the sky. We ran through what must have been an ally between two buildings, and came to a small courtyard. Two ships with the words PELICAN stenciled on the side poised for liftoff. The buildings in the courtyard were burning and one had a gaping gash in one side billowing smoke. The engines were whining over the surrounding sounds of destruction and I could see the pilots inside waving their hands quickly for us to get aboard. We ducked under the wings of the craft and the marine helped us aboard through the rear of the ship. We threw our packs to the back of the bay and grabbed onto the steel handrails on the ceiling. I saw three other marines sitting in the rear of the ship, looking stern, and two other men, one holding a small child. The Pelican's engines roared and dust and debris rushed into the surrounding air. The ships lifted from the burning courtyard and we began to fly over the collapsing buildings. I put my arms around July as she buried her face in my chest. Looking out from the large open bay, past the following Pelican, I saw the once beautiful sky-line burning. I bowed my head as tears trickled from my eyes.
"John, where are we gunna go" asked July, her big dark eyes looking deep into mine. "What will we do?"
"We'll work things out, it's ok, the marines-" But my words were muted as a blue lance of light plunged from the sky into the pursuing Pelican's right side. The blast shattered the wing and showered sparks and charred metal into the air. The craft banked to the right and began to spiral down, billowing black smoke, into the burning city below. Suddenly our Pelican shook with a jolt. The passengers were tossed inside the bay and July and I were thrown to the cold metal floor. Another blast shook the Pelican again and the pilot began to lose control of the ship. It was all happening in slow motion. Sparks showered from the burst lights in the ceiling, the stifled yells of the marines over the roaring engines and crackling of electrical fires was inaudible. I watched as July was tossed towards the open bay of the craft. I reached out for her. But I wasn't fast enough. July was swept out of the Pelican, to the burning city below. I fell to my knees as the ship began to lose altitude. Burning tears streamed from my eyes as the engines whined. My mind went numb as I saw the devastated buildings grow larger. A strong hand lifted me into a seat and sealed a harness around me.
"Hold on, it's gunna be rough!" A marine yelled to me while sealing his own harness. But I couldn't hear him, I couldn't see the ground rushing up to meet us, I could only see July.
"Oh shit hold on!"
To be continued...
A Reason To Fight (II)
Date: 13 July 2004, 2:44 AM
A Reason To Fight ( II )
"sit tight, it's gunna be rough!" A marine yelled to me while sealing his own harness. But I couldn't hear him, I couldn't see the ground rushing up to meet us, I could only see July.
"Oh shit hold on!"
The smoking Pelican I was aboard plummeted towards the ground. The air screaming as it rushed past the damaged craft. The engines roared as they tried to compensate for the rapid descent. My hands were rapped tightly around my restraint harness as I looked across the dim bay at the other passengers. Two of the three marines were strapped into their seats, gritting their teeth. The other was securing the man with the child in his arms, trying to clip the harness into place. The last passenger was a young man who seemed to be in his late 20's. He sat, strapped with his harness, with his eyes squeezed tight.
The world outside the Pelican had become a blur as it swept closer to our wounded craft. Burning buildings flashed by ever closer as the Pelican shuddered and bucked nearer to the earth.
"I'm gunna try an' land 'er in the street!" yelled the pilot over the intercom.
"Mac, get in your harness!" yelled a marine to the one who was trying to secure the man's restraints.
"Hang on, I just gotta... There he's in tight!" replied the standing marine. But as he turned to stumble back to his own seat, I saw fear fill his eyes as he looked out of the open bay.
"Oh God."
There was a loud crash as the pelican slammed hard into the ground. I was thrown against my harness with great force and felt the impact rattle my clenched teeth. The standing marine was thrown against the rear bulkhead of the bay. The Pelican rotated while still sliding down the ferrocrete road . The metal underbelly of the ship screeched as the road tore at the panels. The Pelican slammed into a crumbling building with a crash, throwing the occupants hard against their restraints. My head slammed against the metal bulkhead behind me and everything went black.
Visions of July played through my mind as I lay unconscious in the bay of the Pelican. I kept seeing her fall from my reach, to the burning city below. Every time I tried to reach for her, but was never fast enough. I relived the horror time and time again in my mind, until someone began to shake me.
"Hey buddy... You hear me?"
My eyes opened from my dream state and I saw a dark blur in front of me.
"Wake up man, com'on"
I blinked until the dark blur materialized into a marine.
"You were out for a couple hours man"
I turned to look around and winced as I felt a pain in the back of my head throb.
"Yeah man, you hit your head pretty hard. Hell I heard it from where I was sitting across from you in the bay!" The marine chuckled to himself.
I didn't find it too funny, but took the liberty to still crack a smile. The bay of the Pelican was a mess. Gear and medical supplies littered the ground. Shattered glass lay by my feet, and what looked like drops of blood were hear and there. All the other passengers must have had left the bay because I was the only one still in my seat.
"We disconnected your safety harness but didn't want to move ya, just in case you had hurt your neck or somethin,'" said the marine while taking off his helmet to scratch his head. He helped me to my feet and I moaned as my head began to swim in pain. " Com'on outside, I got some stuff you can take for that head."
Despite the distraught bay of the Pelican, I hobbled out behind the marine into a tepid sun that bathed my body in warmth. I covered my eyes from the golden rays. The sun felt good , but it could not hide the scenery that lay around me. We were at what seemed like the end of a street. I could only see a few fires still burning, but the damage to the buildings around me was severe. Many of the structures had been reduced to great mountains of rubble, but some had survived the bombardment. Walls were missing and it seemed that fires had charred every one of the once shining white buildings. I looked down at the massive gash our sliding craft had left in the street. Turning on my heels I looked back at our downed Pelican. It had skidded from the end of the street into a building, which had crumbled around it. The engines were still smoking and I could see that most of the craft had been ripped apart by the crash. I turned back to the marine who too was staring at the smoldering Pelican.
"They sure do make them damb things tough," he said with a look of pride, "I mean look at that plasma scarring!"
"I guess we really lucked out huh," I replied with mild interest.
"Lucked out, hell no! If we had lucked out, we'd a been a smear on that street."
"What?"
"Look man, if you havn't noticed yet, we're still alive."
"What do you mean?"
"Look man, those ass holes don't just attack a planet with a bombardment like last night. They don't leave survivors! Never!" the marine said forcefully.
"So you think there is going to be another attack?" I asked
"Look man, I don't know, all I know is that we're still alive, and there's bound to be others. The Covenant don't let that happen."
"You say it like last night was nothing!" I yelled in anger at the marine. The picture of July falling from the Pelican burned deep in my mind.
"You don't get it do ya? Ok, how much action have you seen against the Covenant?" asked the marine, cocking his head to the side.
"None"
"That's right. Listen man, I've seen these fuckers up close, I've come face to face with'em, I've seen what they can do! They've glassed worlds in one bombardment man! Just like that!" said the marine as he snapped his fingers.
"So why not do that to us?"
"Gotta let their troops have some target practice man!" Laughed the marine with a smile across his face.
"You have a sick sense of humor"
"Hey man, with a job like mine, ya gotta find the good in the bad, ya gotta. But I'll tell ya one thing, these Covenant may be some badass mother fuckers, but they can still bleed"
"Right," I replied
"Now lets go get some of that painkiller for your head huh?"
To be Continued...
A Reason To Fight (III)
Date: 19 July 2004, 2:55 AM
A Reason To Fight (III)
"Hey man, with a job like mine, ya gotta find the good in the bad, ya gotta. But I'll tell ya one thing, these Covenant may be some badass mother fuckers, but they can still bleed"
"Right," I replied
"Now lets go get some of that painkiller for your head huh?"
I followed the Marine into a building next to the smoking Pelican. The building had managed to keep its walls relatively intact from the night's bombardment, comparably to most of the other crumbling buildings. We stepped over rubble and ducked through the collapsed doorframe. Inside the building was not much different from the ravaged outdoors. There wasn't any furniture or anything really for that matter inside the room. A fire had scorched the back wall, and the ceiling had caved in to our left. Bright beams of light shown through the large whole in the ceiling to our left. Rubble and ash lined the floor and crunched under our feet as we walked to the back of the room. Up against the blackened wall were the rest of the occupants that had been inside the Pelican. One Marine, the one whom the others had called "Mac" on the Pelican, lay on the floor with is head propped up against a soldier's pack. Another Marine had pulled up his sleeve and was administering an I.V.
"How's he doin' Preston?" asked the Marine I had followed in.
"He's doin' ok I guess. He's still out cold, but I think he should be comin' around soon, he really hit that bulkhead hard man." I remembered when we had crashed. Mac hadn't been strapped in and was thrown against the wall of the bay.
"Yeah, but that son of a bitch'll pull through, you know Mac, he doesn't give up that easy"
"Yeah," replied Preston with a chuckle before turning his head to the medical equipment set up around him, "I'm just given'em another hypo."
The young man in his late twenties had his back up against the wall and was fast asleep. He had a gash along his right shoulder but looked relatively unharmed. The Marine sat down next to a medical pack on the ground and beckoned me to do the same. I sat down across from him as he took off his helmet and rummaged through the medical pack. He pulled out 2 blue pills which he handed to me with a canteen of water.
"The name's Jared," said the Marine while I washed down the pills.
"John" I replied extending my hand. His grip was firm and his hands callused. Jared zipped up the medical pack and pushed his helmet under his head as he lay down on his back with a sigh.
"Man, I was enjoying a well needed rest when those ass-holes decided to light up the city," said Jared with a far off look in his eyes.
"Yeah, me and the wife were gunna go out to dinner that night," replied Preston while applying a damp cloth on Mac's forehead. "I was gunna get a big steak. Oh man, I havn't had a real steak in so long"
"Hell yeah man" agreed Jared. The two Marines continued their conversation, but I was lost in memory of July. I recalled that less than a day ago, she was curled up, sleeping next to me. Yesterday she was in my arms, safe. But now, now she was gone. Torn from my grasp. My eyes burned as the memory of her filled my mind. I looked up to see the two Marines staring at me. I could see sympathy in their eyes. Wiping my eyes I turned towards them.
"Man..." Said Jared slowly, "I'm sorry about what happened last night. You couldn't do anything about it, you have to realize that. I know it's hard. I've watched friends die in my arms. But you just gotta keep pushin on." Preston bowed his head.
"How do you get through it?" I asked through choked back tears "How do you go on every day."
"Because I gotta. Because the Covenant bastards who killed'em are still alive. That alone keeps me going. Vengeance my friend. A reason to fight." Jared's eyes burned into mine. His face rigid as stone.
"But, the pain is just so—" I choked out
"John... John, look at me," said Jared in a hushed voice as I raised my eyes to his, "use it."
I nodded my head and wiped away the tears that I had failed to contain. "Wasn't there another person on the Pelican last night? Yeah there was, a man and his child. Where are they?" I asked trying to change the subject. The two Marines bowed their heads. Preston looked up.
"The crash... it... They're not with us anymore. The crash it..." I could see that Preston was struggling to find the right words. "The man couldn't hold onto the baby tight enough... and when we hit..." Preston's eyes were wet with tears. I bowed my head.
"And the man," I asked quietly, "Where's he?"
"Once we had gotten off the Pelican and set up camp here... He found our medical supplies, and... We had left to go back to the ship for more supplies... He found the Hypos... We found him dead when we came back. The grief was just too much for him. He blamed himself for the death of the child. But no one could've held onto a kid in a crash like that." Preston looked to the door of the room. "We buried him outside with his child." There was silence. No one spoke.
"And how about him?" I said nodding towards the young man asleep against the wall.
"His name's Michael, he's fine. Been asleep for a while."
"Well guys," broke in Jared, "I think we should get some sleep too, We've had a long night. We don't know what we'll be facing tomorrow." Preston agreed with a stern nod. I lay down on my back with my hands behind my head. The sun was still shining through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Preston and Jared had already fallen asleep as confirmed by the light snores that I heard around me. The medical equipment hooked up to Mac gave random beeps, but besides that it was silent. It was almost relaxing. My head had stopped pounding and my body was at ease. I began to drift off into a dreamless sleep.
I awoke to Jared shaking my shoulder.
"Hey man" whispered Jared "Wake up." I sat up rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Propping myself up with my hands I looked over at the other two Marines. It was dark out and I could see the stars shining through the hole in the ceiling. Michael had awaken and was crouched on the balls of his feet looking at the two Marines. Jared and Preston were holding their rifles, heads cocked to the side, listening.
"What's goin' on, why do you have your—" but I was cut off by a finger to the lips from Jared.
"Listen" he whispered to me and pointed up. I tilted my head to the ceiling and listened. At first I couldn't hear anything. I strained to hear harder, and could make out a faint hum.
"Landing craft" whispered Preston without taking his eyes off of the ceiling. I listened as the humming became louder. I looked at Jared who glanced back with a stern countenance.
To Be Continued.
A Reason To Fight (IV)
Date: 19 July 2004, 3:00 AM
A Reason To Fight (IV)
"What's goin' on, why do you have your—" but I was cut off by a finger to the lips from Jared.
"Listen" he whispered to me and pointed up. I tilted my head to the ceiling and listened. At first I couldn't hear anything. I strained to listen harder, and could make out a faint hum.
"Landing craft" whispered Preston without taking his eyes off of the ceiling. I listened as the humming became louder. I looked at Jared who glanced back with a stern countenance.
"Lookin' for survivors" he whispered, and tightened his grip on the rifle. The hum became louder and louder until it was directly above us. The four of us stared out the gaping hole in the ceiling as the stars were blocked by a large shape. The hovering craft's main body was "U" shaped with a small extension to the back. It was hard to make out specifics, but I could definitely see a swiveling turret on the back extension of the ship. Two beams of blue lights shown down from the front of the craft. We looked out the crumbling door frame of our room to see the lights panning the ground. Stopping here and there to examine dark crevices.
"Maybe they'll just pass over" said Michael in a frightful voice. The lights fell onto the downed Pelican.
"Shit" hissed Preston. The lights moved slowly over the downed craft, before panning the ground again. They moved from place to place and onto our building. The light spilled through the hole in the ceiling casting the room in a blue glow. But the lights continued on, seemingly unaware of the occupants huddled inside. The light was suddenly extinguished and we heard the humming craft move away from above us. Preston let out a sigh.
"They're movin' off!" said Michael in an excited whisper. But to our horror, it did not fly off. We watched through the collapsed door frame as the ship slowly began to descend to the ground.
"Oh shit. They're gunna find us. We can't stay here, they're gunna find us!" uttered Michael.
"Keep it down!" Said Preston, "Besides, we can't just ditch Mac here." Mac still lay motionless on the ground beside Preston. The blue light panned across the building and the four of us ducked to the floor.
"Do you think they know we're here?" I whispered to Jared.
"I don't know, But if they knew we were here, they coulda just glassed the place from the air."
"Or maybe they do know we're here," stammered Michael, "Maybe they're just fuckin' with our minds!"
The light moved from our building and Jared raised himself to a crouch. He pulled his satchel from his back and removed a pistol and three magazines. He slid one of the magazines in and pulled back the action with a click. He looked up at me.
"Can you handle one of these?"
"I think so" I replied
"Just point and click" He said while sliding the pistol and two spare magazines across the floor to me. Preston raised himself to a crouch and moved quietly to the door frame. Jared reached over to the pack next to the Mac's unconscious body and removed another pistol and magazines. He slid them to Michael. The weight of the cold metal in my hands was reassuring. I inched up to where Preston was leaning against the door frame, peering out. The ship was descending to the ground about 75 meters from our building. I felt Jared's hand on my shoulder.
"What's happenin?"
"We're gunna have company real soon." said Preston. The ship slowed it's descent about 2 feet from the ground. The low hum seamed to slowly die out and all was still, save for the two lights still panning the area. With a slight hiss, a panel running from the length of the ship facing us opened. The black starry night shed no light on the scene, but the panning lights flooded the area around the craft in a glow. Out hobbled four squat creatures that were no taller than 4 feet. They stood erect with two stubby legs and around their faces was what looked like some kind of breathing apparatus. With their guns raised, they hobbled a few meters from the ship.
"Grunts" said Jared in low tone, "The cannon fodder of the covenant race. Not too bad on their own, but you get a big enough pack of em' and they can cut right through ya."
A loud deep bark resounded behind the grunts. Another creature stepped out from the craft's open bay doors. Unlike the Grunts this creature stood around 8 feet tall, with two long muscular legs. One arm was hoisting a weapon of some sort while the other adjusted the iridescent blue armor that clad its body.
"An Elite" whispered Preston. He didn't have to explain to me about this creature. It was obvious that this beast had been made for war. The Elite walked powerfully over to one of the Grunts as the landing craft lifted off and disappeared into the night. The Grunt turned and quivered at the sight of the advancing creature. Towering above the Grunt, the Elite let out a series of harsh grunts and barks. The Grunt replied with a high pitched voice in a language alien to me.
"We gotta pan out, if they find us we'll be sitting ducks" whispered Preston.
"Yeah you're right. Look I'll head out to the left a little ways" said Jared while pointing at a large pile of rubble about 25 meters to our left.
"Sounds good, " said Preston, "I'm headin' over to the right, near the Pelican."
"Got it. John, you move up about 10 meters to that car." said Jared nodding in the direction of some twisted wreckage.
"Guys, I don't know how much help I can--"
"Hey John remember what I told you?" asked Jared.
"Use it" I said.
"That's right. A reason to fight" he gave me the thumbs up and he and Preston bounded off to their positions. It was pretty easy to move around out of sight outside in the street. Debris and wreckage was everywhere from last nights bombardment. I made it to my position and looked left and right for the other two Marines. To my left was Jared about 20 meters off, lying prone beside a large piece of building, and to my right, near the Pelican, was Preston, crouched behind another destroyed car. I peeked around the side of my cover to where the Covenant had landed. The Elite raised his hand towards the pelican with a bark. The grunt let out a squeal. Raising its left arm, the Elite back handed the grunt who rolled to the ground from the blow. The Elite bellowed and raised his weapon again, pointing in the same direction toward the downed Pelican. The Grunt scrambled to his feet and began to hobble towards the Pelican with a look over it's shoulder at the Elite. I watched as Preston peered through the broken windows of the car he was behind. He saw the Grunt approaching the Pelican and ducked back down with his back against the car. He looked to his right at me, and put a finger to his lips. I nodded. The Grunt moved closer to the Pelican until it was right outside the dark passenger bay of the downed craft. I watched Preston remove a grenade from his webbing. The Grunt stepped slowly into the dark bay of the Pelican and out of the light projected from the Covenant craft.
It all began very quickly. I watched as Preston tossed the primed grenade into the bay of the craft from behind his cover. I heard a startled yell from the Grunt, and then a loud BANG with a flash of light come from the bay of the Pelican. The Grunts gnarled body rolled out of the passenger bay with a sick thud. With that I heard rifle fire come from my left. I looked over to see Jared had opened fire on the remaining group of Covenant. His rounds peppered the Elite but I saw a kind of white shield that enveloped the Creature flare up. He immediately had to take cover as they returned fire. I then heard firing coming from my right, and looking over I saw Preston let loose on the Elite as the Grunts held down Jared with a continues barrage of fire. I watched the Elite's shields flare up again as it returned fire and Preston ducked down below cover.
"John!" yelled Jared to my left "Fuckin' fire your weapon man!" The three Grunts were slowly inching their way towards Jared's cover. I knew that they would soon overtake him. I gripped the pistol firmly in my hands and leaned out from my cover. One of the Grunts was about to round the side of Jared's cover. I took aim and fired off two rounds. The first took the Grunt in the shoulder and the second down near the mid section. It keeled forward and thrashed on the ground. Now aware of my position the two other Grunts turned to fire on me. I ducked behind the damaged car as fire filled the space I had just lay. I could actually feel the heat from whatever the creatures were shooting as it flew past. I heard Jared fire his rifle and looked around my cover as one of the Grunts took two rounds in the chest and one in the face. I fired 3 times at the remaining Grunt as it fled back towards the Elite. One of my rounds caught the creature in the lower leg and it toppled to the ground. Jared finished it off with two rounds in the back.
"Alright man, we gotta help out Preston with that Elite!" yelled Jared as he hopped over his cover and dashed towards where Preston and the Elite were exchanging fire. I turned to see Preston pop up from his cover to rip off a couple rounds. The Elite ducked behind the wreckage of a building and then returned fire. Preston caught one the Elites searing rounds in the shoulder and he fell back with it's force. Jared opened fire on the Elite from behind and I watched as it wheeled around to face it's new enemy. Jared ducked back down behind his cover.
"Cover me! Gotta reload!" He yelled. I stood up and released round after round into the Elite's shield from my pistol. I watched as the shield flared and then went out. My seventh round caught the Elite in the shoulder. It stumbled from the hit and then turned to me. I pulled the trigger but only heard a slight clicking. Dry. The Elite dropped it's weapon and reached behind to it's back to remove a small thin object. The creature squeezed the object and a blue shroud of light in the shape of double bladed sword appeared from the Elites hand. It gave out a deafening roar and I could see it's mandibles extend from it's lower jaw. It began to rush towards me, with the glowing blade held behind it, ready to make a sweeping blow. I stared in horror as the Elite bounded closer and closer to me. My heart pumped inside my chest, I could not move. the muscles in the creatures legs pumped as it closed the distance to where I was standing helplessly. A single shot rang out from behind me. I heard the round wiz by my right ear and watched it catch the charging Elite in the face. It's head lolled backwards from the blow. It stumbled on it's own legs and tumbled to the ground skidding to my feet, energy blade still glowing. I turned around to see Michael standing in the doorway of our shelter breathing heavily, pistol held out before him.
" 'Bout fuckin time Michael" I said
To be continued...
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