Insanity

Chapter 26

Song: Lung by Vancouver Sleep Clinic

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"Can somebody help 
me out?"

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Soldier watched as a missile soared towards the helicarrier, sending the entire thing into an earthquake like frenzy as it hit. What he didn't see, however, was that a separate one hit an entire piece of paneling directly above him, detaching it from its framework and sending it reeling towards him.

By the time he saw it, it was far too late. He tried to move and managed to keep his skull from getting crushed as the enormous piece of metal landed on top of him. He heard cracks in places that should never crack in his body, and likewise with pops and snaps as pain seared up and down his entire figure. He screamed so loud he swore he ripped his throat open, trying in vain to push the metal off of his proportionally small body. But it was no use, he wasn't strong enough; even his cybernetic arm whined under the weight of the metal.

He tasted blood in his mouth. Had he cut himself, or had the fallen structure injured his insides and caused him to bleed internally? He wasn't sure, and he didn't want to know, so he focused all of his attention on trying to move the metal, to save himself. He wasn't even interested to know where the man went at this point, because he knew it wouldn't do him any good unless he could get out from beneath the destructed platform.

Missiles continued to rattle the helicarrier, shaking it with a disturbing crash every time they hit and sending different parts falling to the ground below. Soldier heard a crash far too small to be a missle and when he turned his head, he saw the USA man on the glass paneling not ten yards from him.

The man was coming to kill him, no doubt. And he couldn't blame him.

He pushed again on the metal, desperately trying one last time to pry it away from his crushed body. He shuddered at the thought of how many of his bones were broken but figured if he was dead in a few minutes anyway, what did it even matter? He could hear the man running towards him, he could see the sunlight glinting off of the shield that Soldier knew was soon to contain his blood, the proof of his demise. And the worst part was, he didn't care anymore.

But the man seemed to be struggling too, the spot of blood on his uniform where Soldier had shot him growing dangerously larger. He fell to the ground, closer to Soldier now, groaning and clutching his bloody abdomen. The man stood, tripping on the shaky ground as he stumbled towards Soldier.

Just when Soldier thought the man was going to kill him, the man instead started pulling on the metal crushing Soldier's body. Soldier froze for a second, puzzled, before realizing that this was his chance, his chance to succeed in his mission, to make Pierce proud. He too started pushing up on the metal again, both men grunting in effort as they pulled. Eventually, they both managed to lift the metal just enough for Soldier to squirm out from underneath it, finding himself to be incredibly winded. For a moment he stayed still, simply trying to catch his breath as more missiles bombarded the helicarrier.

"You know me," the man said, clearly just as winded as Soldier was. Though his voice had a conviction behind it, a conviction Soldier felt deep in the darkest part of his brain, one he recognized.

But no, he couldn't recognize it. He wasn't allowed to. Recognition led to punishment, and punishment led to pain. He wouldn't recognize it.

"No I don't!" he screamed, punching the man hard in the face, sending both men falling to the ground.

Soldier's heart quickened and his breathing started to sound something more like hyperventilating as he straightened.