The Eyes of Fate (Currently in Rewrite)

Chapter 67

"Reloading!"

Vyper's voice was barely audible over the ringing in Sentinel's ears. The explosion had been punishing, and the subsequent gunfire was only making it worse. Sentinel popped out the side of the bunk bed he was crouched behind and started firing out the door. There wasn't anybody standing there, may not have been anybody in the hall, but he was firing anyway. He saw Vyper finish reloading and right as his pistol clicked empty. He ducked back his meager cover and reached into his ammo pouch only to find it empty.

Vyper didn't start firing immediately, and Sentinel looked up to call for some ammo himself. Vyper saw him and put a finger to his lips, then cupped his ear. 

Listen.

Sentinel listened. The ringing in his ears was starting to fade a little, and he realized he could hear screaming. It sounded farther away than just outside the door they had been shooting through. Which could mean only one thing. 

Fang's here. Sentinel felt himself smile with the realization. He made it.

As if he could sense the budding hope in Sentinel's chest, a man rounded the corner into the room. He raised up his pistol, and Sentinel threw his own at him. It hit him square in the face, and the man's nose went with a crunch. His hands shot up to his nose, and Sentinel leapt over the bed and tackled him at the waist. He felt the man's back hit the far wall and grabbed the backs of his knees. With a yank, the man's knees unlocked and he fell, sliding down the wall and taking Sentinel with him. 

The man tried to kick Sentinel off of him, but Sentinel grabbed his leg and slammed a fist into it. The man gasped, and Sentinel punched him in the jaw this time. He felt the bone go under his knuckles, but he punched again, sending the man's head back against the wall. His eyes rolled back and he went limp. Sentinel slowly stood up and looked around. 

Vyper was just limping up on his right, looking impressed as he saw Sentinel's handiwork. Behind him he saw Chesyr looking at him with wide eyes. He couldn't see Oracle, but he assumed she was still sat on the floor where she had been the whole time.

"Not bad, kid." Fang's voice came from his left, and Sentinel whipped around to see him. He was soaked like the rest of them, and both his jacked and his skin were streaked with blood. He had several knives in one hand, and loosed one of them into the man Sentinel had just taken down. Sentinel looked from the knife back to Fang, who jerked is head back the way he came. "Everyone that was is dead. Let's hole up and take stock real quick."

Sentinel nodded, as did Vyper, and together the three of them went back into the room. Fang went straight to Oracle and knelt down next to her, while Vyper went over next to Chesyr. Sentinel grabbed the bunk beds and tilted them back onto their feet.

 Sentinel sat down hard on the bottom bunk, suddenly feeling exhausted. He could hear Fang mumbling to Oracle, but it sounded distant and indistinct. He couldn't make out a word of it, even though they were in the same room. He put his elbows on his knees and hung his head. He could close his eyes for just a moment, while the others took stock.

"Sentinel!" Fang's shout made Sentinel shoot up, his eyes open. Fang was crouched in front of him, looking at his eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm alright." Sentinel shook his head to clear it "Just tired."

"You've been fighting since before I got here, right?" Fang asked, and Sentinel nodded. "It's combat fatigue. Wears out everyone, especially the unprepared."

Sentinel looked away from Fang to see that everyone else was sat down too. Fang stood up and walked to the wall beside the door, then leaned against it. They were all silent for a moment before Vyper broke it with a laugh.