Destination Zero (3)

Daniel's gun was aimed upward, discharging rounds into the beast that had seized him. In retaliation, the creature's claws slashed across his chest, ripping through his protective clothing and drawing blood. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he spun and shot the creature in the head. Its death throe was marked by a spurt of blue blood.

The screeches grew louder, signaling that the onslaught was about to begin. "THEY ARE HERE, LADS!" Badger roared, his weapon blazing as he shot into the numerous holes from where the creatures were pouring out.

His shots were well placed, causing the monsters to tumble out, some landing in heaps, others trampling their fallen comrades, adding to the carnage.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, Lando, Renan, and Casp held their ground, guns barking, pushing back the oncoming wave of creatures. Amid the chaos, Lando found a moment to glance at Casp, shouting over the deafening sounds of battle, "What the hell are these things?!"

A scream echoed from the other side, drawing Lando's attention. His heart clenched as he saw their lines starting to falter. Mary was down, a creature dragging her off into the darkness.

Despite Lando's desperate attempts to hit the creature with his gun, her terrified screams reverberated throughout the cavernous room before culminating in a bloodcurdling cry that cut through the chaos. Mary was gone.

In the midst of this horror, Jackal spun around just in time for his helmet to collide with the outstretched claws of one of the creatures. The impact sent him sprawling, his face marked with deep scratches, blood staining his cheek and lips.

The damage inflicted was so severe that it distorted his speech, reducing his screams to a lisped cry of pain.

In the throes of agony, Jackal tried to raise his weapon, but a creature pounced on him, dragging him backward. Two more joined, each grabbing an arm. Then, in a horrifying display of brutality, they started to pull, each limb giving way in a gory spectacle. The screams were unbearable until they abruptly ended when his head was torn from his body.

Driven by rage and grief, Badger charged forward, an explosive clutched in his hand. With a yell, he hurled it into one of the holes.

The beeping echoed ominously before rapidly increasing, culminating in a thunderous explosion that caused the tunnel to collapse. A second explosive followed the first, bringing down another tunnel. As he reached for a third, a creature sank its teeth into his arm. With a cry of pain and anger, Badger turned his gun on it before hurling another explosive, causing the third tunnel to collapse in a shower of dust and debris.

Meanwhile, Sammy was providing cover fire for Badger, gunning down creatures that dared to venture too close. But then his gun jammed. While he wrestled with it, Badger was overwhelmed, his gun wrenched from his grip and tossed aside. Sammy's eyes widened in horror as he saw Badger being swarmed. A grin crossed Badger's face as he reached for his last explosive, priming it as the creatures drew closer.

"Fuck them up for me, La-" His final words to Sammy were cut short by the explosion that claimed his life and those of the creatures that had been crowding him. The air was filled with smoke, dust, and the smell of charred flesh. The echoes of the blast and Badger's last words lingered in the cavernous room, a chilling reminder of the battle still raging on.

Tears welled up in Lando's eyes as he watched his comrades fall, one by one. He felt an ache in his chest that mirrored the physical pain they were enduring. "FALL BACK, GUYS!" Lando roared, his voice echoing in the blood-stained halls. His trigger finger didn't relent as he slowly retreated, his body a fortress against the encroaching horde. Casp and Renan provided additional cover, their steps keeping pace with Lando's.

Meanwhile, Charlie managed to down one of the creatures, a panicked look crossing his face as he turned towards Lando. "BADGER'S GONE! HE JUST..." His voice trailed off in disbelief, only to be interrupted by Lando's fierce rebuttal. "I KNOW! BUT WE HAVE TO BACK UP!" His shout seemed to reverberate against the walls, matching the intensity of their desperate situation.

Charlie's eyes hardened in acceptance, and he too started to retreat, his gun blazing. Their remaining companions, however, Eris, Dante, and Daniel, were still locked in their individual struggles.

Daniel was trying to break away from a creature that had latched onto his leg, a grimace of pain etched across his face. Seeing his predicament, Eris immediately responded, her gun taking down the creature. "I got you!" she yelled, trying to pull him to his feet, only to be tackled down by another of the monstrous creatures.

Her scream echoed through the hallway, drawing Dante's attention.

Dante spun around, his gun aimed at the creature attacking Eris. But before he could fire, he felt the vice-like grip of another creature on his chest. A pained scream ripped through his throat as the creature managed to snatch his gun. To his disbelief, the creature aimed his own weapon at him, firing a round that sent him to his knees.

His screams echoed as the creature swung its claws, ripping through his flesh and sending a spray of blood across the floor. Dante's agony spiked as his left eye was gouged out by the ruthless creature, a hollow socket left in its place. Charlie, witnessing the horrifying spectacle, released a volley of bullets into the creature, bringing it down. But it was too late for Dante, his limp form being dragged off into the darkness by another creature, a bloody trail marking his path.

With a final, desperate push, Eris managed to propel Daniel back towards the retreating group. Her voice cut through the chaos, "GO TO THE REST!" As she uttered her command, she was dragged down by her hair by another creature. Despite the pain, she urged Daniel once more, "GO!" Her screams punctuated the chilling air as the creatures descended upon her.

Daniel, shaken but resolute, managed to back up and rejoin Lando. A soft curse escaped Lando's lips as he continued to shoot at the encroaching horde. The ensuing chaos was marked by Charlie's exasperated scream, "It seems like this was a terrible idea!" Lando could only nod in agreement as he maintained his relentless gunfire, the echoes of their mistakes resonating in the blood-soaked chamber.

In the shadowy, blood-splattered expanse of the lobby, only six members of their initial force remained: Lando, Daniel, Charlie, Sammy, Casp, and Renan. As the weight of their losses pressed down on them, they locked eyes with the monstrous perpetrators. The creatures were devoid of any sympathy, driven by a hunger that deemed them nothing more than a meal.

Sammy, his finger steady on the trigger, sent more blue blood flying, adding to the macabre puddles already soaking the floor. His flashlight illuminated the sandy figures that lurked in the dark. Noticing an unnerving similarity, he shone his light on the other creatures - those that bore the visage of the fallen bandits.

Bits of ragged, blood-soaked clothing clung to the transformed bodies, hinting at their previous identities. This realization hit Sammy like a freight train, his heart pounding in his chest. He spun around, a desperate need to share this revelation with the group.

"GUYS! I THINK IT'S MORE THAN JUST A CREATURE!" His voice barely had time to echo off the walls before a creature, one with distinct bandit-like features, lunged at him.

A guttural scream tore from Sammy's throat as he was knocked to the ground. His hand shot out, scrabbling for his fallen gun, only for the creature to seize his arm. A sickening snap echoed through the lobby as the creature effortlessly snapped his arm. Sammy's scream was cut short as the creature, a grotesque parody of a smile plastered on its face, lunged at his throat.

The sounds of Sammy's choking cries and the monstrous snarls of the creatures reverberated through the dark corridors, making their situation even more desperate and heart-wrenching. Lando could only watch, paralyzed, as his friend was mercilessly torn apart, his pleas for help drowned by the relentless gnashing of the creatures.

The guilt was unbearable, the pain palpable, and Lando could only whisper his apologies to the dying man, feeling as though each word was a thorn piercing his heart.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he murmured repeatedly, his voice quivering with each word. His breath hitched, and his chest tightened as he fought back tears. He knew they needed to move, to escape the deathtrap they were in.

Suddenly, Charlie's voice pierced through the chaotic symphony of death. "In here!" He directed them towards a room. But as Charlie bolted towards the safe haven, one of the creatures gave chase, its ghastly figure closing in on him with every passing second. Acting on instinct, Lando dashed after them, his heart pounding in his chest.

A piercing scream rang out as Charlie was tackled onto a bed by the pursuing creature, the force of the impact snapping the furniture into splinters. Lando leveled his weapon at the beast, ready to fire, but the creature was quicker. It clawed mercilessly at Charlie, its sharp talons leaving deep gashes across his body.

Charlie's pain-filled pleas for help grew more frantic and slurred with each passing second. "H..elp!" he gasped, desperation seeping into his trembling voice. Lando, consumed by his protective instincts, shot repeatedly at the creature until it laid lifeless, its monstrous form finally motionless.

Breathless and trembling, Lando rushed over to Charlie, pressing his hands onto his friend's neck to staunch the bleeding. He tried to sound encouraging, to bring a sliver of hope into Charlie's fading eyes. "Hey, dumbass, stay awake! We've still got to get out of here!" But his voice was laced with desperation, his eyes filled with unshed tears.

To his surprise, Charlie wrapped his arms around him, clutching onto Lando with the last of his strength, his eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Help me… h..elp," he whimpered, his voice growing weaker with each passing moment. Lando stiffened at the unexpected embrace, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around Charlie. "I'm so sorry!" he choked out, his voice a mere whisper in the deadly silence of the room.

And then, as if someone had flipped a switch, Charlie stopped breathing, his arms falling limply to his sides. His once vibrant eyes stared blankly at nothing, the light within them extinguished forever. The room plunged into a deafening silence, broken only by the shallow gasps of the remaining survivors, each grappling with their loss and fear. They had entered as a team of formidable warriors, but now, they were a diminishing group of survivors, fighting not just against their monstrous enemies, but also against the crushing weight of their own despair.

The harsh reality of their situation sank in; they were prey, and they were being hunted.