(Jax POV)
We run out the front door, 15 meters away from the apartment building as we get behind cover.
Kat: "Was that all of the explosives?" Kat asks for Nova only shrugs her shoulders.
Nova: "I was able to go through about 4 or so, I'm not a super soldier Kat." The explosive experts say.
Jack: "How much time do you think we got Nova? If there is another explosive I mean." My squad leader asks the alpha team member.
Nova: "3 minutes... more or less maybe...? not sure." The leopard says thinking to herself.
Jack: "So we just sit around for 3 minutes instead of checking?" The dragon questions.
Kat: "Too risky to go back in, besides we pulled the fire alarm and police are commanding people to get out." Kat says while pointing towards the police blockade.
Kat: "I don't think anyone is in there."
I stop listening to my commanders and look around at everyone else to see them talking with some of the police. I do a head count and notice we are missing the human!
Jax: "Hey guys where is the human!?" I shouted out which only got me a confused look from everyone.
There was a few seconds of silence.
Kat: "He's dead kid, I don't know what to tell you but he was bleeding out severely." Kat says coldly, breaking the silence.
Jack: "Jax I'm sorry." The dragon says with some sympathy towards me.
Roxy: "Did the kid have some sort of crush on the fucker?" Roxy says walking over to us, which makes me growl at her.
Jax: "I joined to save lives not leave one behind."
Emile: "You joined the wrong side then faggot, we actually get shit done here." The fennec fox says making my blood boil.
"I fucking hate that fox"
Jack: "Just leave him alone" Jack says annoyed at Roxy.
Roxy: "Naw fuck that, it's funny when he always gets mad." The shark taunts.
I look around to see that Artic, Nova, Kat, and Jayce have left the area somewhere. I sigh before throwing my SCAR L on the ground and watching closely at the building.
Roxy: "Throwing a fit now are we?" The bigger shark teases.
"Who knew the best soldiers in the world were such assholes" I think to myself.
I watch the apartment building closely as I tune out Roxy and Jack fighting with one another. I stared for about 2 minutes until I heard the sound of a dang against a door which made my ear twitch.
Erick: "GET THE FUCK DOWN!" The human yells as he kicks down one of the side doors while holding something.
Before anyone could react, an explosive goes off which makes half the apartment cave in on itself with debris falling everywhere and people going crazy. I quickly get my shit together and run towards the human to notice the state he is in, multiple gunshot wounds to his plate carrier with one in his thigh and shoulder and a knife in his shoulder.
Jax: "How the fuck are you alive!" I yell to him as I run to go support his weight as he clearly begins to weaken.
Erick: "C-can't kill a Cadaver-" He tries to say before passing out onto me.
I held his body weight up and began to drag him towards an EMT who gave me a shocked look and rushed towards me and helped me support the massive human weight.
Jax: "JACK COME HELP PLEASE!" I yelled in his general direction which got his attention immediately.
I hear him run towards me and gently push me out of the way to take Erick's dead weight. I quickly behind them.
EMT: "He not gonna get any help in this damn city," The EMT says sadly while turning his attention to someone.
EMT: "Emily get your ass over here!" The wolf yells at a female human.
Jack: "A human here? that's a death wish."
I follow the group closely until we reach the ambulance and get another look at Erick and notice something clinging onto him.
Jax: "Hey something is clinging onto him!" I say which makes the group stop and look at him closely.
Emily: "That's not good... I got the kid David" The human EMT says to the wolf.
David: "Hey shark dude, you know what shark that is?" The wolf asks before focusing on getting Erick in the ambulance.
I watched the shark kid start to cry when began to cry when Emily held him, Emily turned to me with an uncomfortable look.
Emily: "This is a...?"
Jax: "Lemon shark... which forms a bond with humans easily." I finish her sentence quickly.
I walk up to her take the small pup and get in the back with Jack and David, I sit in the front and watch closely as David and Jack stabilize Erick.
Emily: "Exodus is not safe for me and him, you think Aperture would be better?" Emily says while driving off.
David: "It's our only choice," David says quickly.
Jack: "Aperture is in another country! that's way too far away!" The dragon yells.
David: "Exodus and Apex as a whole is a shit city and country with their human rights and I want my girlfriend alive and your squad mate!" The wolf yells out angered.
We sit in silence for a few minutes with David focusing on keeping Erick stabilized with Jack sitting down next to me. I look down at the lemon pup to see that they have fallen asleep again.
Jax: "Why did we leave him behind..." I ask quietly.
Jack: "Kats orders" He replies.
Jax: "But you command your own squad from another country?" I ask confused.
Jack: "I'm sorry, just thankfully he's alive, I won't let him die."
---------------------------------------------------
(Erick POV)
I slowly stumble my way through the concrete basement that will soon be my coffin. I grab onto my shoulder wound and apply some pressure to maybe slow my death. I breathe heavily as I feel my eyes become heavier and heavier.
I look around dazed before noticing something standing before me.
Maverick: "You've been played kid, sucks that they will never remember you." Maverick says to me? which makes me shake my head out of the daze.
General Ruby: "ERICK LISTEN TO ME YOU ARE ALMOST OUT, TAKE ANOTHER LEFT AND UP THE STAIRS, THE EXIT SHOULD BE THERE. My collar screams at me which further takes me out of delusion.
I begin to try and walk faster with the newfound adrenaline rush through my body, but only yell in pain as my thigh wound burns and screams with pain. I push through it for a few meters before falling into a wall.
General Ruby: "COME ON ERICK YOU GOT A 2 MINUTES LEFT!" Ruby says.
I smile to myself and lean against the wall still.
Erick: "You think there is a heaven for me Ruby? Can I call you Ruby?" I say to Ruby through the collar to have some humour with my death.
General Ruby: "Erick please keep pushing you can make it!" Her static voice says completely ignoring what I had asked.
I push myself off the wall then begin walking more quickly and throw my body weight around to keep myself balanced but it makes me fall to the floor. I look around and see the staircase out and crawl over to it.
I shake the pain off before crawling up the stairs, barely being able to get up step. I feel myself begin to cough and I begin to taste blood in my mouth
General Ruby: "YOU GOT A MINUTE LEFT COME ON SOLDIER MOVE IT!" The static voice yells.
I crawl to the top of the stairs and stand back up slowly which makes me groan and yell in pain. I begin to feel the adrenaline run out, making me dash to the door before running out. I push the door slightly open but hear something fall over followed by crying.
I stop in my tracks and think for 3 seconds before running towards the apartment door I heard the noise, my legs burning with every step making me growl in pain. I slam into the door which makes it fly off its hedges which makes the crying be louder.
I quickly look around to see I'm in a trashed apartment, I notice the noise is coming from the kitchen more behind something. I walk into the kitchen and notice a yellow shark tail sticking out behind a counter.
"Oh fuck me it's a kid"
General Ruby: "YOU GOT 15 SECONDS HURRY UP"
Without hesitation, I quickly scoop up the kid into a one-person lift carry and run out of the room and to the exit.
Erick: "You're going to be okay kid! I promise you nothing will harm you!" Say while gently booping the shark's nose which got a bit of my blood on the kid's nose.
"oops"
I wipe the blood off his nose before running to the exit door and slamming into it which breaks the door.
Erick: "GET THE FUCK DOWN!" I yell out.
Moments later the C4, made the apartment building cave in on itself shaking the ground and making me fall forward and launch debris everywhere which thankfully missed me.
I slowly stood up and looked down at the small shark who was clinging to my plate carrier. I hear someone start running towards me.
Jax: "How the fuck are you alive!" The shark yells with concern and runs up to me.
Erick: "Can't kill a Cadaver-" I begin to feel my eyes grow heavy before everything goes black.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Several weeks later...)
(Ericks POV)
I groan loudly as I slowly open my eyes to be greeted by a bright white light and the sound of a heart rate monitor. I close my eyes again and slowly adjust to my environment and open my eyes again. I look down at myself to see I'm in a hospital bed, I look around the room to see Jax and Jack passed out, one on the floor and the other sitting on a chair.
I look down at myself to notice I'm not in my uniform which causes me to start panicking. I try to stand up which causes everything to start going crazy. Jax was the first one to jump up.
Jax: "Erick please calm down!" Jax says in a calm way my through panic as he gently pushes me back down into the bed.
Erick: "W-where am I... how long was I out for? what is happening?" I begin to say in a panic as I look at the shark worried.
Jax: "You're in a hospital in Aper under my and Jack's protection the N.A.F isn't here." Jax says with a relaxed tone before gently holding my hand to give comfort.
Erick: "Aper...? How long was I out for?" I ask worried.
Jax: "About... 4 weeks now?" Jax says before turning his attention to the now awake dragon.
Jack: "Oh thank god you're awake, I will go tell the doctor." The dragon says before giving off a quiet yawn.
I study the two closely and notice that they are out of uniform and in civilian clothing. Jax tilts his head sideways to get my attention again.
Jax: "You don't know what Aper is? It's the capital of Aperture." Jax says somewhat surprised but curious.
Erick: "I w-was never told about the outside world... I was stuck in Alaska for so long"
Jax: "Alaska? you are silly sometimes, Alaska has long since been gone for 30 years." Jax says in a joking way before realizing I was serious.
Jax: "I assume you are a part of the 3rd generation and don't even know why you fight."
Erick: "I was born with a gun in my hand pretty much... never got to rest." I say sadly which makes Jax lean forward and put me in a gentle hug.
Jax: "I may never understand your pain but I'm here for you man." The shark says in a comforting way.
Jack: "Hey I got the doc- Oh sorry for ruining the moment." Jack says apologetically which makes Jax laugh a little.
I watch as the door opens again only for a human to step in. I stare blankly at them as I feel my heart rate begin to spike as I feel my eyes begin to water.
Erick: "I-i..." I try to say something only to be left speechless from the shock.
The doctor gives me a confused look then looks at the dragon and shark couple then looks back at me.
Doctor: "I know there is a lot of explaining that needs to happen Erick but you are safe here in Aperture." He says with a soft smile.