Subjects

30- Not This Time

A/N
I like this chapter very much but I have to warn you that there are some parts that include blood and other things that some people may not like to read about. It is not that figurative but I'm just giving you a heads up in case it bothers you.

Right now all Ben wants to do is go somewhere alone and stay there for all eternity. Since that can't happen, he'll even take thirty minutes of brooding at the weather deck, but no. He has to go get Angie. They need to talk.

So he walks down to the cargo halls. He asks every person that he meets if they had seen Jeff but even the single solider that knows who Jeff is hasn't seen him. This place is like a maze. Ben tries to go through the halls one by one but at this point he has to admit that he's lost.

The next hall he walks into is dark and small, compared to all the ones he saw before. Jeff and Angie don't seem to be here.

"Jeff?" Ben shouts just to be sure, but there is no reply. Ben turns to walk out of the hall when he hears something. He turns around. "Is there someone here?" Still no answer.

Ben is standing in the dark, waiting to see if he hears the sound again. And he does. It sounds like a deep snore. At this point Ben's eyes got used to the darkness and he can see that there are five large metal boxes in the room. About two meters tall and two meters deep. He walks over to the closest box.

There is a label on it and even though it's dark, Ben can tell that it is not in a language that he can read. So strange. The box is sealed with a big lock and one the side of the box Ben can see a small screen, like a control panel.

Ben touches the screen and it comes to life. There is only more of this unknown language. This is getting very suspicious. The snoring sound strikes again. It is coming from the box, Ben is sure of it. It sounds like something big is sleeping in there.

Ben touches the screen again, he can hear a hissing sound, like gas pouring into the box. Ben steps back, what did he do?

"What are you doing here?"

Ben jumps. He is so relieved to see the familiar face at the entrance of the hall. "Thank god it's you, Jeff. I was looking for you."

"You shouldn't be here," Jeff says. "It's a classified area, even I don't know what they store here."

"This is so weird, Jeff. It sounds like there's something alive in here," Ben says.

"Look, Ben, let's get out of here. This place always freaks me out," Jeff says, "and Angie is waiting for you."

"Alright, alright," Ben only hopes that whatever he did wasn't too bad.

They walk out of the hall but then they hear a loud thump coming from there. Ben immediately goes back, Jeff is a bit more hesitant but he comes too. The thump is heard again and Ben can swear that he saw the box moving.

"What is in there, Jeff?" Ben nervously asks.

"I don't know," the solider holds on to his weapon. "As far as I know, just some classified weapons."

Something moves inside the box, this time they are sure of it. They hear a deep growl before the box starts shaking furiously.

"This is no weapon," Ben says. "It is alive."

The side of the box bends when something on the inside crashes against it. Over and over again. Jeff pulls his gun out and aims it at the box. Ben stands there, cursing himself silently. Why did he have to touch the box? This is all his fault.

The box creaks at the thing inside pushes harder to get out. The side of the box keeps bending and bending, until finally it breaks. The thing growls. Ben takes two steps back. Jeff tries to stay calm but the truth is he is freaked out.

Something dark and huge steps out of the broken remains of the metal box. It is the scariest thing Ben has ever seen. Unlike any creature he heard of. It stands on four legs, with huge muscles to support the beast. It has two big fangs and a bit of drool pouring from it's mouth.

It turns to Ben and Jeff, deep growl escaping it's throat. It runs to them. Jeff shoots again and again but it's no use. The creature only runs faster and closes on Jeff. Ben is paralyzed.

"Run!" Jeff tells him. He doesn't move.

The creature gets to Jeff and with one swift motion closes it's mighty jaw one Jeff's legs and throws him aside.

"Jeff!" Ben runs to him. This time he won't leave. He takes Jeff's gun and stands in front of the bleeding solider.

The creature turns to them again. There is so much blood dripping from it's mouth, those big yellow eyes are staring right at Ben. Ben shoots. The creature roars with fury and Ben takes the chance and shoots a bullet right into the creature's open mouth.

The blood keeps pouring down the creature's front. It stands there for two seconds before snarling and running out of the hall. Ben immediately turns to Jeff.

He can barely see how bad Jeff's injury is. Red everywhere. Outside someone screams. Ben kneels next to the solider. Jeff is panting heavily.

"Stay with me, Jeff," Ben says. "Stay with me."

"My... Leg..."

Ben looks down and for the first time in his life he feels the urge to puke. His first aid training, that his parents made him take when he started getting into survival, kicks into action. He tares a piece of his uniform and wraps it around the injury tightly. The fabric is soaked with blood within seconds. Ben tightens the bandage and keeps tending to the wounds.

"Talk to me, Jeff," Ben says, trying to keep the solider awake.

"I've... Never... Seen anything like it," Jeff hisses the words. His pain almost makes him faint but Ben keeps talking, keeps asking and forcing him to stay awake.

When Ben is done he tells Jeff, "I need to go get help, don't close your eyes, Jeff. Promise me."

"I... Fine..." Jeff fights to stay conscious, he can barely tell what is happening at this point.

Ben runs out to the hallway, "help! I need help! I need a medic!"

There are so many people screaming in the distance. Ben keeps running, he can't let Jeff die, he can't.

Not this time.