The Vet's Life After...

The Next Journey- Part Four

Alex walked down the hall, checking every body to see if anyone is still alive. He felt both angry and mortified, trying to understand why. 'Why now? We already defeated the Covenant.... we banded together to defeat the genocide we faced. Why would we massacre one another like this!?'

Alex had concluded that, due to the Covenant races either seeing kinetic weaponry as inferior or difficult to hold, the bullet shells on the ground would likely mean humans were responsible. He swore to end this, one way or another.

Minutes went by, the number of bodies were lessening as he moved. He checked the closest body to him, seeing the man's chest barely rise and fall at a slow rate. When he checked for a pulse, he felt two slow beats followed by two slower and less noticeable beats.

Alex let out a shaky sigh, living through more moments similar to this in the past. "I'm sorry, I wish you hadn't gone through this." He felt like his younger self, disturbed and full of anger. "I'll make sure no one else has to."

He quickly stood up and looked down the hall, not seeing any more bodies or bullet shells. Following his anger, he quickly jogged down the hallway with his gun raised. Alex made sure to check any open pods or side rooms as he moved closer to a security hub.

While moving further, he heard a voice in one of the pods ahead. "-should we do with them?" He quickly stepped towards the wall and stopped moving, waiting a moment before quietly moving towards the voice.

"Do I look like I care? Just kill them and let's go, we don't have all day for this." A second voice spoke up, more clear since Alex now stood only a few feet from the door.

"Fine, but I don't want to use the gun; I don't want to fire it anymore, it's already hard enough to hear due to the closed interior of the ship." The first voice was more energetic, sounded younger too. "Plus its not as fun either."

Alex heard a scoff and then watched as one of the two stepped out of the pod, their back facing him as they talked to the one still inside. "Just be quick, still need to check in."

Alex took his opportunity and wrapped his left arm around the man's neck, grabbing his right elbow before placing his right hand on the back of the man's head. Squeezing his left arm and pushing the man's head forward led to a quick, but noticeable struggle before the male collapsed. Alex knew he only had a few moments, so he quickly grabbed the man's weapon; an M7S, primarily used by U.N.S.C. Special Forces.

Alex quickly raised the sub-machine gun, leaning against the wall while waiting for the second culprit to walk out of the pod. He was met with silence, no movement or voices to be heard. He walked closer to the pod door, slowly counting down in his head.

Once he hit one, Alex quickly turned around the corner; he scanned the room from the left to right, looking for the second male inside. He was nearly shot by the second male, hiding behind a woman he had tied and gagged. "Drop the fucking gun!" The male pressed the barrel against the woman's head, the heat from the barrel causing her to try and push away.

"Easy, let the girl go." Alex lowered the SMG, kicking it towards the male. "I'm unarmed, let her go."

The male scoffed before firing at Alex again, but the woman struggling and Alex quickly diving forward caused him to miss. Before the male could retaliate Alex removed his home-made pistol and pressed it against the male's knee, pulling the trigger and watching the bullet tear out a chunk of his flesh and patella.

Alex removed the gun from the grasp of the screaming man before removing the woman's binds and gag. He made sure she wasn't injured before using the binds and gag on the male writhing in pain, minimizing the noise created.

"Alright, let me deal with the one outside before any more show up." Alex walked to the man he had incapacitated, removing the man's long-sleeved shirt and using it to hogtie the unconscious man.

"Who are you?" The woman's voice was hoarse, and she was holding herself up between Alex and a small child. He knew it was likely her child.

Alex looked around the room, noticing a large blood spot on a blanket covering what looked like a body. "Are you and the child alone? I have a friend who's already looking after two.... lost children." He removed any and all weapons, ammunition, or armor the two men were carrying. "Two SMGs, one sidearm, plenty of spare ammo, one chest-plate, and one radio; this definitely isn't military, but the rebels don't usually target non-U.N.S.C. affiliated civilians...."

Alex turned back to the woman, she was holding the child close to her body. "As I said before, I have a safe place for you and your child; further away from these people than here." He put the chest-plate on over his clothing, not caring about discretion. "She is a Sangheili though, so if you don't feel safe with her I would suggest barricading yourself in here."

Alex took a few minutes to carefully inspect his new gear, making sure there weren't any faults that may lead to his death. "Would you like to barricade here or with my companion? At the very least I can guarantee you my companion won't be harmful to you or your child, which is better than I can say for anyone else on this ship."

     The woman just shook her head and wrapped her arms tightly around the child, shaking as she began to sob.

     Alex slowly approached the woman, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. "Would you like me to help you barricade the room before I leave?" The woman once again shook her head, whispering something to the child.

     Taking that as his queue to leave, Alex stood and walked to the exit of the pod; setting one of the SMGs on a shelf by the door. "Here, this'll be helpful if anymore show up." With that, Alex dragged the squirming man into the hallway and closed the pod door.

     "Alright, time to share information with the class; who do you work for?" Alex pressed the barrel of his new pistol against the wound on the squirming man's leg. The man screamed, the gag not being too effective as his voice echoed down the halls. "I know you're in pain, but no words will lead to more bullets in your legs; if you don't talk after that, I'll start on the arms." Removing the gag, Alex placed the barrel of the pistol on the man's lower leg; after all, one can survive with no gastrocnemius.

     The man clenched his jaw, his scream turning into a loud groan as he tried to breathe slowly. "I work... I work for a pri... a private- security firm." His sentence was constantly stalled due to his quick, hyperventilating breaths.

     "Alright, that saved you one bullet; why kill civilians?" Alex knew he couldn't push too far, he didn't need the guy passing out or dying before he gave any useful information.

"Orders came.... ugh- to leave no-" The man stopped abruptly, his breath hitched as he tried to block out the pain. "No witnessessss.... to lead back, to the boss."

"And who is this 'Boss'?" Alex pulled the hammer of the pistol back, finger gently pressed against the trigger. "Remember, you still have time to dress the wound and survive; don't waste it."

The man stared at Alex with a mixture of hatred and fear, straining with each breath to control his words. "If I tell you.... I- I'm a dead man!"

Alex stares at the man, raising his pistol to aim at his chest. "You're a dead man regardless, but you'll live longer by telling me what I want to know." Alex grabbed the man by the throat. "Who. Ordered. The shooting?"

————
Sorry for the long delay, phone got soaked and then my personal life got difficult; but I'm back now and hopefully I can get back on schedule soon.

-@Mr_Miscellanious