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Fan Fiction


Life Is Short
Posted By: Venom_1956
Date: 1 November 2004, 12:45 AM


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The Story of UNSC Marine PFC Mark Somers



PFC Mark Somers fired his MA5B full-auto in to the mass of charging Grunts and Jackals sending sixty rounds at them in seconds, next to him crouched PFC Eric Randall rising up every few seconds to pump an eight gauge round in to the mass with his M90 Shotgun. Sarge crouched behind a battered dumpster some ten feet away. Eric's hands shook while he fed more shells in to the tubular magazine, not from fear but fatigue. Eric, Mark and Sarge had been fighting Covenant non-stop for over five days now with little to no sleep each day. Eric hadn't slept for some thirty-nine hours when this wave of Covenant had attacked.

The green paint of the dumpster boiled off as the plasma hit it making it bubble or even evaporate when it impacted. Sarge leaned out and let lose the last seven rounds of his clip, hearing the bolt click he spun around back to the dumpster.

"I'm out!" Sergeant Williams roared over the gunfire.

"Here! Last one! Make it count!" Somers shouted sliding a clip of AP rounds to Williams. The clip skittered across the ground hitting the Sarge's boot. As he reached for it a Jackal leapt over his small barricade screeching like a bird. Sarge hollered in surprise and swung his left hand around cracking it in the head. The creature blinked stupidly for a second, but that second was all Sgt Williams needed. He brought his booted foot up and pinned the monster to the wall of the dumpster drew is M6D Pistol and fired one12.7mm semi-armor piercing, high explosive round into is head which in turn promptly exploded in to a burst of purple blood. The Sarge grinned wiping the grim from his face with his armored sleeve. He snatched up the clip and slid it into his MA5B and turned to Mark and Eric. Eric was trying to shout something over Somers gun fired and pointed furiously behind them.

"Sarge... gotta... fall..." he yelled, "...rge we... FALL BACK!"

Glancing over the dumpster he saw that during his brief bout with the Jackal even more Grunts were coming down the street. Looking behind him Sgt Williams saw a small squat metal power station about twenty yards distant.

"Get to the power station!" Sarge bellowed, "I'll cover you two!"

They both nodded firing a final burst and running as fast as they could towards the building. Sarge fired several bursts of bullets checking on his two remaining marines progress seeing that they where nearing the door he hoisted himself up. Priming two grenades and lightly tossing them at the feet of the grunts he ran. Twin thumps resounded through the ground, as the Sergeant was halfway there. Badly aimed plasma struck all around him and he leapt into the door way hearing it clang shut behind him.

He turned to see Eric struggling to latch the door closed. He turned eyes wide.

"There's no lock!" hey exclaimed as the Sarge came over to investigate. Sure enough the steel bar was snapped off the other half still rest on the floor. Sarge was about to speak when the first Grunt impacted on the door, knocking Sarge on his ass and Eric struggling to close it. Only Eric wasn't fast enough, as several Grunts dark blue claws forced their way in the small gap and using the leverage to push it open. Eric used all one hundred and eighty pounds to push the door back just an inch. Sarge snatched up Eric's M90 and fired three rounds into the arms severing some and mashing others into a bloody pulp.

"Easy Sarge," Eric complained, "these Grunts taste like shit."

"Stow it Private!" Sarge chuckled, can deny the truth he thought to himself, and trigger a couple more shots between the door and its jam. He dropped the still smoking gun and helped Eric hold the door shut.

"Somers! Check our flank I don't want some Covenant creeping up my butt!"

"Roger that Sarge, I'm on it," Somers responded as he walked cautiously down the hall. Somers came back in a jog. "It's a dead end Sarge just one door and is locked tight."

"Shit," was the only word out of his mouth as the Covenant slammed into the door again Eric yelped and tripped over his own shotgun sending him to the ground and more importantly allowing the door to swing half open. Mark jumped over Eric and helped the Sarge push it closed. Eric scooted back flailing for his shotgun and packets of plasma struck the grating by his feet turning it a dull red. Then a Jackal squeezed through the gap and peered at the group and aiming is Plasma Pistol with its scrawny arm.

"Eat THIS!" Eric growled though-gritted teeth, stuffing the barrel into the creatures' mouth and squeezing the trigger. Eric smiled at his small victory as a long pink object shot in to the building and into his leg. It sunk deep into his flesh he fell back screaming clutching his thigh. Then it detonated sending glass splinters too fine to see everywhere. Shredding Eric's leg and sending a few glittering fragments into both Mark and the Sergeant but they where to busy to notice. They both slid back ward as the door slowly crept open.

"RUN!" Screamed Eric holding his shotgun in one hand and a pin less grenade in the other, his leg was bleeding profusely.

PFC Mark Somers and Sgt Williams boots clanked as they ran down the dark halls metal grated floor they're flashlights playing across the walls, as Eric's M90 bellowed twice he screamed and then there was the a deafening noise of his grenade. Mark's chest heaved from the exertion five days fighting Covenant had taking its toll, he round the corner and collapsed to his knees gasping sweat dripping from the brim of his helmet.

Williams turned grabbing one arm, "Come on! We gotta move they're coming!" he tugged trying to raise him up. Somers half ran-half dragged to the next doorway when he collapsed again.

"Sarge..." he mumbled, "I can't go on..."

Williams looked at him a realized he was telling the truth. "It's ok son, wait here." He told Somers and he walked back the way they'd come clicking off his light Somers followed suit. Williams was thirty-seven and had fought these Covenant bastards in over twenty engagements, which is more then most could claim. He thought to himself well everyone's luck runs out sometimes. He peered around the corner. At the far end over a dozen Grunts waddled they way covered in a green hue from their plasma pistols. Williams felt a faint glimmer of hope he'd fought Grunts in more numbers then this and won, but that of course had been when he'd had a whole squad of marines. Now it was only him and Somers through some trick of fate and luck. He drew his MA5B and took aim and the center grunt and squeezed the trigger. The rifle barked off a trio of shots sending the first grunt head-over-heels with a fountain of bight blue blood gushing out of his head. The response was immediate green globs of death flew down the hall splashing against the far wall. Williams felt his skin blister as one came millimeters from hitting his shoulder.

Somers watched Sarge with a thousand mile stare as he leaned out and fired bursts in to their Covenant attackers. On his fourth peek out he wasn't fast enough after firing his volley of shots a blob of plasma caught him in the knee making him fall in to the middle of the hall. Sarge was reaching for something on his vest when what seemed like a wall of green energy lanced into him. His flesh melted the bones beneath were vaporized or turned into the dull black of carbon. Somers reached for his rifle trying to summon the strength to face his attack like the Sarge but could not lift the rifle, Grunts poured around the corner, growling and whining like a pack of dogs and started towards him. Somers struggled to get his M6D Pistol out of its holster when the grunts found him, he lay there still as possible hand clasped on the pistols grip ready to use it. The lead grunt wearing red armor, showing that he was a veteran, leaned in sniffing the air and then raised his pistol with out notice triggering one quick shot into Marks abdomen. Marks body shook once as the plasma burned past him armor and clothes in to his stomach, he coughed blood coming out of his mouth in a dark red mist. Suddenly he was cold, he shivered looking at the grunts. The red grunt cocked its head to the side appeared satisfied and led the group onwards leaving Mark to shiver and bleed and the cold metal floor. Mark lay there thinking of how his life was so different just six days before... Life is short.

Just Checking out my Fan Fiction abilities. Please post feedback. I'm Considering making a Series. Thanx - Venom





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