Somewhat the Beginning (A Falling Skies Fanfiction)

Connection

A/N:

Hello! Let me warn you now this is a long chapter, the second longest so far (Somewhat the Beginning is still the longest). I think this is an interesting chapter, I hope you think so too!

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I entered the unfamiliar tent and tried to look for the most familiar gun. Hey a Colt Model 773, I thought picking it up, this is one of the guns Maggie used to teach me how to shoot. I tried to remember what she told me about it, but that felt like it was a million years ago. It has a good weight to it, I think this is the gun I want.

I grabbed an extra clip and some ammo then walked out of the tent. "Captain! Captain!" I heard Hal yell. He and Maggie ran past me to Weaver. I caught up with them but I heard only part of their conversation.

"If we move the med bus now Tom won't make it." Weaver said, then he paused in thought. Then he yelled, "The convoy goes, the med bus stays. I need five volunteers to stay with Anne and the bus."

"I'll do it." Hal said.

"Me too." Maggie said.

"You got three." Dai said.

"Four." Ben said.

I looked at Ben, "Five."

Weaver looked at me and I looked back and smiled. "Fine the five of you go over to the bus." He finally said. When everyone else was out of earshot I asked, "So what exactly is happening?" Weaver answered, "Anthony saw three mechs about a mile away heading straight towards us. Since this is your first mission, I'm trusting you to listen to Hal and if you see any action I don't want you running out in the front lines, you come back to get me and I'll send some people to help."

I nodded, "Thanks for the chance Capt."

I jogged to catch up with the rest of the gang. The convoy left and we huddled in front of the med bus.

"I'll be in the bus," Hal started," Maggie and Dai you take the front side of the overpass, Ben and Ashley you take the back. And don't shoot until I say..." He looked at Ben, "You got it?" Ben nodded and we went to our positions.

It was dark and I sat there awkwardly for a while; Ben was being abnormally quiet. I felt the ground shake and I looked up at Ben. He gripped his gun and started to get up. I grabbed his arm, "No." I whispered. He hesitated but then sat back down. There were about 3 mechs led by two skitters, but time seemed to drag while they passed us.

After they passed we all joined Hal, Lourdes, and Anne on the bus. "How's Tom?" I asked.

"I got the last fragment of the bullet, turns out we missed one." Anne said taking a seat in the bus' driver seat. "Now all we have to do is meet up with the rest of the 2nd Mass.." She started the engine and drove slowly down the road. Everyone else sat on empty cots and I asked them about their favorite one on one run-in with a skitter. Dai's favorite was right after the initial attack; he was pinned in an alley, but luckily he found a working chainsaw, and let's just say, the skitter's outcome wasn't a pretty sight.

Hal and Ben had never killed a skitter alone before, but Maggie had. She told us "It was three months after the first attack. I was hiding in a shack and there were about 2 skitters surrounding me. I had been alone in the shack for about a week by then and I was able to make some traps. Unfortunately only one of them fell into it, and when the other one found out what was happening it barged inside. I got my Glock and it just stood there while I aimed my gun at his ugly green face. His black eyes bore into my soul and it sent shivers down my spine. It started to move and I shot; I kept shooting until I heard it moan in pain. Then I got some fuel, put it in the trap and shack. I struck a match and burned it to the ground. And that, Ashley, was my first, and favorite, skitter kill."