What came after

{This post was largely inspired by and seeks to expand @Jayna's What remained post but in a different direction. Click there to see her post first.}

Source of where I found it

Me and Charlie-3 Team were in hot pursuit to a crash site thought to be uninhabitable. For cases like these, usually we're restricted to Order-4 weaponry: machine-gun emplacements, lasers, AKMs and all Order-3 and below. Otherwise, I and a few others noticed that the clouds begin to convert themselves into more grey colors as we push forward to the site of conflict. Anyhow, the security sub-team was feeding me information so I can regurgitate to the C-3s what was happening.

"This couple had arrived at the scene at sunset, they called the security number to report a dangerous figure and they're still on the run. Report states:

Hannah and Ricky stepped over wing debris. They had seen the plane falling, burning, that night several months back. The area was no longer cordoned off by forensics.
Officially they made for the call was the fact that they saw a figure was hiding inside the plane and had remained frozen in place for Flyin' Dutchman knows how long... Right now we're here to secure them and to eliminate the threat, human or not."

"Aye C-3L!"

We drove as fast we could, eventually finding the couple's vehicle before they arrived at one of the many paths to the crash site.

"C-3Ds, halt the driving program at that parked vehicle over there. Charlie-3: once the convoy stops, we're setting up a perimeter here. Once established, a temporary fire team will be formed and lead by my command to enter unto the forest and extract the couple half-way through. Understood?"

"Yes C-3L!"

We arrived on sight, cocked our guns and got everything ready to extract the targets and secure the LZ. I commanded them to mask up and place machine-gun emplacements in case more of the bastard's friends shows up, they executed those without hesitation. Then the storm clouds from earlier today began drizzling, lightly at first but it always starts out nice in this region. Regardless, once I assembled my fire team of four including me, we headed out quickly.

Last update reported their location three kilos to the South and West of the crash site and their threat hotly in pursuit of them. Though some of the status update made no sense of the threat being ahead and behind at points, yet it was clear that the threat was danger close.

"Alright, Charlie-3 fire team, we're half a kilo away from their location. We'll intersect with them in a few mikes, ready your arms and take aim of the hostile and its allies. Also prepare to slip in any case, rain's going to be storm soon."

"Aye C-3L!"

Then noise of trees splitting and receiving crashes from an unknown entity began to sound louder and louder. Meanwhile it was accompanied by a forsaken screech and our targets' wails mixed in.

"Targets spotted! Fire team, move in and secure the targets!"

We managed to swoop in to save them as we continued to hear the threat continue crashing in with the trees, but the crashing noises stopped as we came into contact with them... my fire team was on edge and looking up for any indication it can hiding up high. There was none for our liking and the forest wouldn't reveal its hiding spot.

"I presume you are Hannah and Ricky, no? Anywho, we're here to help and extract you out. Worry not about what happened back there, you'll explain to us later. Right now we need a descriptor of the threat."

"I'll go first, but we need to keep moving. Anyways I'm Hannah and that thing has been chasing us for God knows how long and well... It looks like a pale white figure, the darkness shaded its eyes and most facial figures and it has a distinct monkey-like tail... and..."

"Let me finish it up, and I'm Ricky. And it has no legs but a tail..."

"By the Flyin' Dutchman, I thought they were taken care off in The Rebe... hmm... whatever thank you for the description, let's get a move on before it grows impatient as we stay here."

And we pulled out, as predicted the rain became a living storm and the terrain became heavily muddy. It became a slog fest to march out of there, but our energy was limitless if that creature was still stalking around. Time to time, me and my fire team would pick up faint clambering and branch squeaking, these we distinctly looked up. If that creature had a knack for survival, it was an daredevil of some kind. Yet I swore I saw it sometimes and wasn't able to take even a pop shot at it at all.

"C-3L, do we even have creatures like them documented?"

"C-3, I'm afraid not. Can you radio in ahead and warn them we're arriving to the LZ hot with one dangerous threat. Give a general descriptor as well so they got a clear image to work off on."

"Aye C-3L."

As the C-3 was radioing in, it started to get agitated that it continued its terror business in clear and cut stages. Each encounter becoming worse than the last, but we kept a steady pace and the creature calmed down eventually. Then it swooped in from above and exploded the ground into a crater of mud and wood-chips.

"Threat spotted! Engage! Protect the targets! And don't stop moving!"

"Aye C-3L!"

A fury of lead start flying out of our AKMs into this hellish beast. Each of the wounds causing it to flinch back and get pummeled downwards, yet when we reloaded it slowly got back up and struggled doing so. And that thing's image became real clear: it embodied the Subject-Z-like stature and features like those reported from that Rebel Compound that the Echo Teams infiltrated days ago, but its mouth contained hidden needle limbs inside and its four-limbs ending in sharper claws than a Z.

"Dammit, pop lead at its head! Peckneck ought to have a weak spot."

And we continued to pummel lead, yet clearly more stubborn to just keel over. Thank the Flyin' Dutchman that the mire was a helper in our struggles against it. Else CQC would've been engaged, and I don't want to peck with this bastard even on my best day.

And as we got closer to the temp camp, the more that thing became assimilated with the mire and its body was a bloody mess regardless. I decided to have a full blown retreat as the thing was lamed and agitated enough to simply fall into our execution line.

"Fire team, triple time it out of here! Let the peckneck follow us, it's not thinking straight anyways."

And we rushed our targets out of there, for we could tend their wounds later. As predicted, the thing followed us closely behind but never danger close. It tried latching on to the trees but I heard it stumble down a couple times because of the stray bullets that hit its tail dead-on from earlier. But there wasn't time to rest up and laugh at it, the time was to crunch and force it to have a speedy death.

Finally we reached the temp camp and struggled to climb up the slope as our feet became piercing bombs of pain, but we all got through with the help of the gunners on the standby. I then heard it come closer and the camp heard it as well.

"Threat spotted twelve o'clock on treetops! Engage! Engage! Give an inch, give a mile!"

And the thunder roared as the rain only intensified, 'twas a unholy rain of blood and guts spewing out but 'twas dead only mere seconds it tried to lunge at us for one more moment of glory... As I regained hearing, the rain began to return to a drizzle state and the storm ended finally. As that happened I redirected our targets, Hannah and Ricky, to our C-3Ms to patch them up and to stabilize them so they wouldn't collapse after experiencing the joy of seeing their threat annihilated. I then, with my fire team, approached the mangled corpse of our killing.

"Dead enough?"

"Dead enough to me. How about you C-3L?"

"Dead enough to me as well, I'm going to report this to HQ. Get C-3S on the scene and id it so we can send info to HQ, they'll like to see this for sure."

"This creature will surely agitate the Central Committee even more, if those Zs and Xs talking didn't infuriate them..."

"You can say that again..."

Time passes by as I fix up the standard issue radio from all the mud and wood-chips it received during this whole excursion. I still had my eyes on the damn thing, it perturbed me that it even was resistant to that much lead. Then I heard C-3S strolling up and decided to debrief him.

"C-3S, finally your here!"

"I came C-3L as soon as I heard the distress call from your little temp fire team, anyways I heard about it today. So spare me the details of this creature, which I think we've never seen before."

"Well there's always HQ to fall behind just in case. Anyways, I will call HQ now... Grand SIR, this is C-3L speaking. I like to report on a new Subject if it hasn't been documented already. Over."

"Copy that, provide a descriptor of such Subject. We'll cross-reference from here. Over."

"Copy that, its features are: pale skin, internal mouth needles of unknown quantity as the mouth didn't survive engagement, four limbs liken to a Subject Z but each hand's claws sharper than a Z, no legs but a monkey-esque tail and eyes that are sunken in pretty far. Any results so far. Over."

"Cross referencing is still occurring, but to my knowledge we never encountered such a creature. I know your location anyways and you report a creature like this near a crash site? Well, distance-wise, its far-ways away from that Compound infiltrated days ago. Freaky shit nonetheless, over."

"Copy that, we're relaying to you now details of the creature. Considering the naming convention, may Charlie-3 Team be accredited to calling it Subject Y? Over."

"Copy that. Considering the creature's very existence and the information HQ is receiving, that name might just pass. Ha ha, but we'll sort it out by today and get a full report on the creature done tomorrow. Over."

"Copy that. Over."

"Alright. Thank you for your cooperation, anything else for that matter? Over."

"Copy that. Nothing else HQ. Over and out."

"Copy that, over and out."

"Thanks C-3S."

"As always C-3L."

As we climbed up the slope, I walked towards Hannah and Ricky while ordering Charlie-3 Team to de-mask as the C-3S went forward to spread the information about the soon-to-be Subject Y. At this point I returned my view to them and saw they were stabilized fairly well and patched to a point of quality. I gestured for the C-3Ms to take a break and restock on supplies. I just listened in as the explained their situation, writing down all the notes that I could on the creature and fascinated by the sheer terror of this oppressive creature.

What caught me off guard was that fact that they heard the Subject Y had on many occasions spoke, in a crooked manner of course but I understood very well. Oh me Flyin' Dutchman, this Compound really set off the hornet's nest I guess... But eventually the ambulance arrived and they were carried off - yet not after giving massive gratitude for our service. I took it in humbly and said no problem... After they were gone, I decided to pull a cigar up and start lighting it up...

As Charlie-3 Team packed up, I returned to the slope to look at the Subject Y for the last time while holstering my cigar to the side. I came to see it being dossed by gasoline and the flamethrower torching its corpse, and a charcoal corpse was all that remained.

In inferno autem vestrum adprehendet pace.

Other parts of the series so far:

@theironfelix - The Rebel Compound

Cited posts:

@Jayna - What remained

Cited images

Gasmask trooper with the AK