I was hearing several voices, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. Then I felt a sting. I felt energized, and the pain was eased. I opened my eyes.
— Glad to see you're in one piece, Captain. Said a soldier standing in front of me. It was "Medik," the squad's medic.
— Captain! We thought you weren't going to wake up. Said another soldier as he reached out his hand to help me up. It was "Big B," a giant African-American soldier, 196 cm tall and weighing 115 kg.
— Captain, can you walk? asked a third soldier — "Scar," or by his real name, Jack. We called him that because the weapon he chose was an FN SCAR with multiple attachments.
— Yes, don't worry. I'm just glad to see no one's seriously hurt.
— About that… you, Captain, suffered the most damage from the crash. Most likely a few fractured ribs, your left tibia is broken in three places, dislocated shoulder, possible skull fractures, and superficial dermal injuries. Said Medik, explaining my condition.
He approached and handed me three syringes, then added:
— They contain morphine. Keep them on you — you'll definitely need them.
The earpiece started beeping. I answered.
— Finally! You answered. I had no idea what happened to you. The tracker showed you were stationary for several minutes. Said the Boss.
—We were attacked by beasts, and Deadshot was killed during the assault. The rest of us had a crash, but we're okay. Only minor injuries.
— I see. Losing a comrade was inevitable. That means you're the last remaining member of the original DeadSquad.
— Yeah...
— In any case, putting that aside, the storage area should be directly ahead. Over and out.
We moved inside. There were all kinds of old and new tanks, boxes filled with weapons, and all sorts of vials. Containers full of gear and vehicles for handling them. There was also a massive metal door, shut tight. We looked around the military equipment with our guard up, ready for any surprise attack. What did Kasahara need all this military hardware for?
Then, a silhouette dashed behind a container. Jack aimed his weapon in that direction and went to investigate. Surprisingly, there was nothing. Big B and Medik had the same gut feeling as I did. We went upstairs toward the control room, but then the door we came through started closing, leaving everything in total darkness. Someone else was definitely there. Most likely the same person who created the hole in the main entrance was also responsible for closing the door. We turned on our flashlights and kept moving.
The control room was just as dark — the flashlight beams didn't help much. From the control room, a corridor stretched ahead. Big B went first. When he entered, he started screaming. It was Big B's voice. He screamed as loud as he could. His weapon was thrown back into the control room.
— Big B! Jack shouted.
Then, something large was hurled into the control panel. It was Big B's lifeless, armless body. Jack fired his weapon toward the corridor, unloading the entire magazine. Half the bullets ricocheted off a metal surface, while the others missed. The final ricocheted bullet hit Jack in the shoulder. I was filled with rage but held myself back from firing.
— You know, it's not very polite to welcome someone like that. Said a voice coming from the corridor.
A man about 180 cm tall, wearing a black suit, a top hat, and a purple tie, stepped out of the dark corridor holding a black cane. The cane looked like it was made from obsaiadan — judging by its color.
— Pleasure to meet you, AmberSkulls soldiers. I didn't intend to cause the death of one of your squad members, but I felt threatened by him. My humble apologies.
— Who the hell are you?!
— Me? I'm no one. But if there's a name you can call me by, it's Purpleguy.
— Okay... Purpleguy, give me one good reason not to blow your damn brains out right now!
— ...you can't.
Jack and Medik started shooting. Purpleguy dashed into the shadows and disappeared. I called the Chief to report.
— I'll conduct a thorough investigation regarding this Purpleguy. Over and out. The Boss told us.
I could see on Jack's face he was barely holding in his anger. Medik was also confused and disappointed. Honestly, I couldn't take it anymore either. If we kept going like this, we'd all end up slaughtered by beasts. And now we also had some weirdo with an obsaiadan weapon against us.
— Let's keep going! Jack said, visibly frustrated.
We headed down the corridor. After a while of walking and checking several rooms, we reached another massive exit. It was a platform full of containers, crates, and a fuel truck. It looked like we were on the opposite side of the big metal door. Most likely, the platform was used to move equipment and supplies into the lab. Next to the platform was a control room — probably where we could activate it. We went inside.
"Bingo!" — I had found the activation lever.
I pulled it, and then an alarm started blaring. As it did, the door we had entered through closed behind us.
— I see you've activated the platform, congratulations! But I'm afraid we won't be meeting in the lab. I'm afraid... your journey ends here! Purpleguy's voice came from a speaker.
— FUCK YOU!
Screams started coming from outside. Beasts — drawn by the sound of the siren. A secure metal door on the opposite side began to open slightly.
— I'm going in first.
— I don't think that's a good idea, Captain. The door doesn't look stable, Said Medik.
— Do we have another option? Asked Jack.
I squeezed through and made it to the other side. Medik followed. He started slipping through, but when he was almost out, the door closed, crushing his left hand. I pulled him through. He collapsed on my side, his hand mangled. A large pool of blood began forming beneath him.
— Medik! Jack shouted from the other side. Captain, don't worry. I'll find a way out. Make sure Medik's okay. I promise I'll stay alive — for you.
I picked up Medik in my arms.
— Captain... it's been an honor fighting beside you. I'm glad I got to know all of you. Thank you...
Medik died from blood loss.
— Rest in peace, my friend...
Then I heard a beast's scream. I started running. Maybe there was still something I could do. I took a left down a corridor — two beasts: one on the ceiling, one on the floor. I drew my pistol and shot the one on the ceiling. It collapsed onto the one below. I jumped over them. A door — a regular one this time. I slipped through it. The door led onto a catwalk. Then, two more beasts jumped in front of me. Another one was coming from behind. I was surrounded.
Then I noticed the platform descending. I looked around. If I jumped over the railing, there was a sloped surface below at about a 45-degree angle. I could use that as a ramp. I took out a flash grenade, threw it, and jumped over the railing. If my timing was right, I could land on the platform. At the last moment, I made the leap and landed on the platform. I rushed to a container and opened it just enough to crawl inside. I collapsed to the floor and dragged myself to the edge.
I couldn't take it anymore. I was starting to understand again what it felt like — the same thing Jack felt. I knew Jack wouldn't survive either. I was beginning to hate what I was doing, to hate the Bosses indifference. I couldn't forgive any of it. We weren't war machines. We weren't pawns. We were people.
My whole body was in pain. I closed my eyes. I began to see faces: Captain, the Old DeadSquad, Deadshot, Big B, Medik, Ja... no, Scar. All of them. It took eight lives for me to finally realize this.
I took one of the syringes Medik had given me, pulled off the cap with my teeth, and injected it into myself.
-Avex Adam