<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_u">1st Squad</span></strong></span><br/><br/>One of the side effects of the intense forces used to shape a uninhabitable rock into a real planet with a real ecosystem was the formation of usually large  and complex geological features. The cave that 1st Squad found itself traveling through was a prime example of this fact. It even seemed to double back on itself at times, and at others simply continue on forever...<br/><br/>As they made their way through the cave, all was silent and dark. The location of the Weyland-Yutani executive's locator beacon growing closer and closer with each passing minute. Then suddenly the sounds of gunshots could be heard, booming and echoing loudly against the walls of the cave. But rather than the sound of weapons firing on full-auto these shots were fired in short controlled bursts as if who ever was doing the shooting was in no way panicked by their situation.  They were followed quickly by voices, also echoing off the walls and carrying further than they normally would.<br/><br/><em>"Hostiles spotted....engaging" </em><br/><strong>"Moving to support"</strong><br/><em>"Outcome uncertain...relocate executive"</em><br/><strong>"Securing executive"</strong><br/><em>"Understood, Holding Position"</em><br/><br/>Even over the boom of the weapons' reports the sounds of inhuman shrieks could be heard, what ever the unknown firers were shooting at had obviously been hit and didn't like it very much.<br/><br/><br/>Whoever had been shooting had obviously either killed their targets or been killed themselves, as the gunfire suddenly came to a halt and silence once again filled the air within the cave. The soft ping of the motion the squad's motion detectors now the only sounds in the cave as they dutifully showed that two objects were moving towards them at a quick pace, making their way down the cave.<br/><br/><br/>Seconds later the tight beam of a flashlight could be seen coming out of the darkness, followed by a  man in a white lab coat (http://images.wikia.com/residentevil/images/1/1c/Sam_Isaacs.JPG), and a second man (http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs39/f/2008/360/5/f/Next_Soldier_by_Roalmeh.jpg) who appeared to be wearing an odd form of body armor. The man in the labcoat was holding a rather large and menacing looking pistol (http://www.2000ad.nu/termight/props/lawcast.jpg) and the one in the armor a standard issue pulse rifle.<br/><br/>As soon as they spotted first squad the man in the labcoat began to rush towards them even more "thank God you're here" he said "those....things are back there!"<br/><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_u">3rd Squad</span></strong></span><br/><br/>The sound of clawed feet striking metal echoed through the halls, and was almost instantly overpowered by the roar of all of 3rd squad's weapons firing at once as the squad did it's best to turn both the left and right branches of the hallway into kill zones and insure that nothing closed the distance with them. The sheer amount of firepower being poured down each hall, along with the seeming lack of any cover, would have proven more than enough to stop almost any advance on the marines' position.<br/><br/>But in spite of this fact the motion detectors began to ping louder and faster, what ever was charging on them was gaining ground!<br/><br/><hr/><strong><span class="bbc_u"><em>Left Branch</em></span></strong><br/><br/>The incoming targets were closing with lighting like speed, within seconds they had gone from the edge of the motion sensor's effective range to nearly point blank range. There were three of them (http://images.wikia.com/annex/images/4/41/Adult_Fiorina036.jpg), each one brown in color and roughly the size of a large dog. They moved on all four legs with a swiftness that was almost too much for the eye to easily follow. One ran along the floor, another along the right wall, and the last along the left as if they somehow understood that spreading out as much as possible was the best strategy to use against the weapons that were being used against them.<br/><br/>The combination of the flames from Mathias's flamethrower and the shrapnel from the grenade thrown by Tychus caused the creature moving along the floor to fall down, writhing and dying, its blood hissing and smoking as it came into contact with the floor. The creature running along the right wall found itself blown off its feet by the sheer force of the rounds from Coop's weapon impacting with it, only to be finished by a blast to it's center mass from Tychus's weapon. But even as these two creatures died, the 3rd showed no fear, hesitation, or even instinct for self preservation as it leaped forward from the wall, it's forward legs outstretched and revealing fingers that ended in vicious claws.<br/><br/>It struck Coop with enough force to drive the man from his feet, it's claws digging into his shoulder pads as it attempted to rip through them and drove it's razor tipped tail forward striking at where Coop's head was located.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><strong><span class="bbc_u"><em>Right Branch</em></span></strong><br/><br/>The creatures moving from the right side of the hall, though still quite fast, were nowhere near as quick as their brethren, but what they lost in speed they more than made up for in size. As they closed the distance they (http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/2/21012/421372-04_super.jpg)  became visible. Even though they too were able to crawl along the walls, their bodies were jet black and they were each easily larger than a full grown man. The four of them moved together, with one on each wall, one on the floor, and one on the ceiling.<br/><br/><br/>At about mid range, the combination of smartgun and pulse rifle rounds proved enough to down one of the creatures. It fell from the ceiling with several holes in it's body and leaking a dull green fluid that could only be blood. It's blood actually seemed to be eating through the floor as the life left it's body.<br/><br/>The gout of flames from Marcus's weapon struck the creature on the floor it began to thrash around, it's shrieks and screams almost painful to hear as it was obviously burning to death and beyond all reason it seemed to still be attempting to move forward. As if its impending and closely approaching death was of little concern when compared to what ever task it had been.<br/><br/>Even as Riska's weapon roared its fury in her hands, the targeting lens over her eye mysteriously displayed no targets, as if the weapon's auto-lock system was on the fritz, or as if the enemies she was attempting to target could somehow confuse it.<br/><br/>The two remaining creatures kept moving forwards and quickly closed the remaining distance. As they drew close enough to strike both creatures reared up on their hind legs revealing that they could walk on two legs just as easily as four.<br/><br/>One of them had several holes already in it's center mass but seemed not to be bothered by the massive physical damage it had incurred, the second had used it's kin as a sort of 'human' shield seemed completely unharmed as of yet. With a frightening hiss the unhurt creature lunged at Arca, striking at the woman's chest with it's tail. Even though her chest plate seemed to hold, if for no other reason than because the beast's tail didn't appear from inside her back, she was thrown to the ground. And it quickly followed up it's attack with another strike from it's tail. This one digging deep into the woman's thigh. The second creature seemed to understand that it's very blood was a weapon and appeared to do it's best to move so that it's blood splashed onto Marcus before it swiped at him with it's right arm. It's claws digging deep into his own chestplate as it followed this strike with another from its left arm, this one aimed at taking out the man's neck...<br/><br/><br/>