Due to increased activity in the city, Mega-Primus police has increased its patrols. One person could see as many as a dozen armored vehicles drive by in an hour because of the tension and anxiety in the city. No one paid attention to the armored cars because they had gotten used to the site of them. They ignored a particular Wolfhound APC as it drove away from the Transtellar Space Port.

"Why does the commander have me baby-sitting these kids" the driver grumbled.

"Come on Sarge, quit complaining. You know that if you had been watching in front of you, you would have seen the proximity mine in the hallway." Squaddie Davidson said. "You are lucky to be alive and will be on combat duty in two days."

"I hate being a mother, having to pick the kids up after work and get the groceries." Sergeant Hunter complained. "I am going to kill the pilot that shot the Transtellar Airtrans, even if it was accidental. Now the Commander has to prove that it we did not shoot them because of their increase in prices and pay them 15,000 credits."

"I know. And to top it off, Marsec is unfriendly with us. Our supply of weapons has stopped coming this week and now we have to get as much ammo as possible from Megapol." Davidson said.

"Look at these recruits." Hunter said, full of contempt. "They are all got out of high school and joined Lunsec. They may be eager, but are going to run at the first sight of trouble. God, a troop of Earth Scouts could beat them up."

"I don't know about that." Replied Davidson. "Some have been in Lunsec for a year. All their stats are pretty high."

"O-all right, can you shut up and drop it." Bellowed Hunter.

"Can you listen to that guy" a dark skinned man said. "I hope I am not assigned to him."

"I know what you mean" replied Daniel.

"I forgot. My name is Marco Ortega, the guy to my right is George Rathbone, to my left is Frank Harrison, and the one in the corner is James Watt. We are all from the Plinus Colony near the Sea of Tranquility. What about you." Asked Marco.

"My name is Daniel Cowper, the duplicate over there is my twin Chris, and the short blond guy is my younger brother Matt." Answered Daniel. "We are from the Autolycus Colony."

"Who are the other three?" asked Chris.

"They are Alex Adam, Pierre Worthy, and Billy Weir, from the Lunar orbiting facilities." Frank said.

"Were you guys there when the Colony riots started?" James asked.

"Yes." Daniel said. "Four months of hell over ration shortages."

"I was Orbital Facility 19 when the Kabon pirates attacked." Adam put in. "That was the worst hand-to-hand combat I have ever had to fight in."

"You three have had combat experience." Marco asked.

"Yes" Daniel said. Adam agreed with him. Chris only nodded.

"So, I guess we are all here for the same reasons." Marco said, changing the subject. "To defend humans against aliens like in the first wars."

"I have no clue, only that it was very secretive." Adam said. " There was a special assignment for volunteers and I volunteered."

"Same for us" Matt said.

"Do you think the rumors are true, that we are fighting another alien war." James asked.

"They might be." answered Frank.

In the skies over Mega-Primus, were the suspended Dimension gates. They were watched with the highest amount of attention by MegaPol and X-Com forces. The average citizen would ignore them after seeing them for so long.

"Alert, Alert. Massive energy discharge picked up in sectors six, seven, and twelve." Droned a computer.

"Get the Commander and have the pilots ready for launch." Yelled the Officer on duty. "What have we got." He asked a comtech.

"We have seven ships, sir." Replied the tech. "An alien transport and two scouts in sector 6, a fast attack ship and two scouts in sector 7, and a single alien probe in sector 12."

"Send Hawk Air Warriors 1-2, Valkyrie 1, and Phoenix 4 to sector seven. Have Valkyrie 2 and Phoenix 1-3 go to sector six. Alert Wolfhound 2 and Stormdog 1 on patrol in sector six for possible ground interception." Commander Valerie Demoise said as she entered the room at a run. "Send Hoverbikes 5 and 6 after the probe."

"Sorry Commander." The officer said. "But all the Hoverbikes are being repaired after the severe mauling they got when aiding Diablo during the battle with Osiron "

"Damn" muttered Valerie "Alert MegaPol to the probe then. They will have to intercept it."

Hawk Air Warrior 1 and 2 lifted off in a roar of fire followed by Valkyrie 1 and Phoenix 3 after the fast attack ship. Valkyrie 2 and Phoenix cars 1-2-3 took off in a flash towards sector six.

Hawks 1 and 2 engaged the fast attack ship with lineage plasma guns at extreme range, followed instantly by a flight of Janitor missiles crippling it. Valkyrie 1 fired a single Prophet missile in support, then banked to attack the first scout. Phoenix 4 fired the only Justice missile it carried at the second scout ship as it attempted to escaped though Gate, when the alien vessel was fired upon by six MegaPol Hovercars, destroying it instantly.

Hawk Warriors 1 and 2 quickly finished off the fast attack ship and joined the Valkyrie in destroying the first scout ship. The second Hawk and the Valkyrie went to help the forces in sector six while the first Hawk went into secure the fast attack ship and PXH 4 made pick up on the two unmanned scout ships.

The X-Com forces in Sector fared worse in the aerial battle. Valkyrie 2 and Phoenix 1 engaged the alien transport, it being the greater threat. Plasma and laser beams flashed, Janitor missiles rocked though the air and impacted on the alien ship's hull. The two remaining Hover Cars, 2 and 3, each took on a scout in a deadly ballet of the skies. Two purple shots from the fast attack ship left Phoenix 1 a smoking wreak plummeting to the ground.

Wolfhound 2 arrived in time to pull the burning survivors out of the crashed PXH. Stormdog 1 fired 3 GLM missiles at the scout still engaged with PXH 4. Two missiles hit the alien craft, sending it to the ground. The third explode on the fifth floor of an Evonet building.

Phoenix 2 broke off from the last scout that it was fighting to support Valkyrie with the transporter, letting it escape. Phoenix 3 returned back to base with moderate repairs as Hawk 1 and 2 arrived to finish off the transporter.

Valkyrie 1 made pick up on the scout destroyed by Stormdog 1. Hawk 1 returned to base as Hawk 2 and Valkyrie 2 landed to disgorged 20 troopers to capture the ships.

"Wolfhound 2 and Stormdog 1, proceed to coordinates Charlie 15-Baker 3 in sector six. You are on ground interception duty" squawked the radio.

"Did you hear that Davidson?" asked Sergeant Hunter. "The aliens are attacking and I won't get to kill anything."

"Wait Sarge, there is more" said Davidson.

"MegaPol forces in Sector 12 are en-route intercept the alien probe. ETA: 2 minutes." Crackled the radio.

"We are in Sector 12" replied Davidson. "We can help."

"Get the location of the probe." Hunter said, "We will shoot it down."

"Sarge, forget looking for it. Its right ahead." Davidson said.

The Wolfhound accelerated to catch up with the probe. The probe stopped over a school and a shimmering beam appeared beneath it. The Wolfhound fired a GLM missile, hitting it where the beam met the out hull. The probe shook and attempted to escape, but a second missile took it out of the sky permanently.

"Get on the radio and tell HQ we took out the probe, Davidson." Hunter said. "Tell them to send a team here to deal with the infestation."

"Commander, six ships were destroyed, including the transporter. One scout got away with heavy damage." A tech said.

"Excellent," Commander Valerie said. "What are the casualties."

"Phoenix Hover car 1 was destroyed, with one dead and three in critical condition. Phoenix 2 and 3 has moderate damage. The Hawk Air Warriors and Valkyrie 2 received minor damage." The tech answered.

"Commander," yelled another tech. "Alpha and Beta platoons are encountering heavy resistance near the transporter. Requesting additional assistance."

"Send Delta platoon and how is Charlie" Valerie asked.

"Yes, ma'am." The tech said, turning to her board. "Charlie is having difficulties with the fast attack ship. Apparently there are more aliens than usual, but they are able to handle it."

"Commander, Sergeant Hunter in Wolfhound 1 engaged and destroyed the alien probe. MegaPol forces did not arrived in time." The Duty Officer said, looking up from a small map.

"He was not supposed to engage in combat!" Valerie said.

"He is requesting that a team be sent to deal with an infestation in the Life Tree school in sector 12."

"Tell him that we have no team to send." Replied Valerie.

"He acknowledges. He says that the he and the new recruits can hold the problem until help arrives."

"He can't send the recruits in, they of not been conditioned yet." The Duty officer exclaimed.

"If they do not go in, children are going to die and we will have a hell of a lot more problems then aliens to deal with." Valerie said. "Send them in."

"But they have only limited weapons and only picked up the torso amour." The Duty officer stuttered. "They are going to be slaughtered."

"I know, but it is better that they die doing something then the children." Answered Commander Valerie with a grim look on her face.

"All right newbies, listen up." Bellowed Sargent Hunter. "We have a problem. All teams are currently engaged in combat and cannot deal with the infestation. That is going to be out job."

"James, Marco; the locker to your left contains MegaPol torso body armor. Pass one to each guy." Hunter ordered. "Adam, Chris; the locker to next to you has three Marsec M4000s and 4 MegaPol laser sniper rifles. Each of you take a M4K and give one to Daniel. Frank, Pierre, Matt, and Marco get the sniper rifles. All of you take six ammo magazines. Grab a couple of grenades also."

"Billy, James, and George, you guys are going to be the scouts like me." Replied Davidson. "Grab a Lawpistol, four clips, and a motion scanner."

"We arrive in 2 minutes and will enter though the front of the building. We will then separate into teams and move our way up. Everybody understands." Hunters said.

"YES SIR." Came ten replies.

There are some that do not want to defeat the alien threat. The Cult of Sirius believes humans will be servants to the superior aliens that will conquer them. Today, a group decided to help the aliens and boarded two hovercars and several hoverbikes. They proceed to the school where they saw a divine light and where one of their gods went down.

As they were about to enter the school, they saw a red MegaPol Wolfhound racing towards their same goal. Several of the vehicles opened fire, hitting the Hound and sending it into an oncoming civilian car just before it fired a single missile in return that destroyed a hoverbike.

"Is everybody all right?" Adam asked; as he pulled himself form the wreckage.

"Yes" replied Marco. "But the Sergeant and Davidson are critically injured."

"It looks like we will have to do this on our own." Daniel said aloud.

"All right, James and George will stay here and watch these two until help arrives. Billy, take Hunter's Mini-Launcher and ammo, but keep the lawpistol. I recommend that we all take a pistol for those that do not have one. We may need back up weapons." Adam said.

As the 8 rookies entered the front of the school, they could hear screaming and running.

"Let's split up into twos, we can cover more ground." Adam said. "Daniel and Billy take the west side, Matt and Pierre go to the east wing. Marco and Frank will go down and work your way up. Chris and I will move towards the back of the school."

Daniel, Billy, Matt, and Pierre disappeared around the corners. Marco and Frank went down into the science department.

Adam and Chris searched the main lobby and found no one. They went towards the back of the school, finding nothing in the classrooms.

"Front lobby and main hallway is clear." Reported Adam over the tac-net.

"West side clear." Replied Daniel's voice.

"East side empty." Matt reported.

"Science area clear." Marco said.

"There should be something." Adam stated. "Billy what does your motion scanner read."

"I'm picking up motion about 30 meters ahead of you and some on the third floor." Replied Billy.

"Check." Adam said. "Chris, cover the door."

Adam undid the safety on his M4000 as Chris moved to the left side of the door. Adam opened the door a crack with the muzzle of the gun and peek though. He saw four humanoid shapes; one blue and three pink creatures with no head. Two small slimy things on the floor brought the word WORM to mind.

"On the count of 3" Adam whispered to Chris.

"THREE"

Adam and Chris kicked the doors open and came though guns a blazing. Adam's first shots killed the anthropoid with craters appearing in its chest. He dropped into a crouch and placed two bullets into a spitter.

Chris crashed around the door and sighted the M4k on the first alien he saw. He placed a three round burst into the funnel/head of a spitter. Then turning on the last spitter, Chris put it out of human misery by cutting it in half on full auto. Combining his firepower with Adam, they finished off the worms.

"Guys, we found aliens. They are pink or blue and humanoid shipped. Also look for small worms." Chris said into the radio, slinging his assault weapon over his shoulder.

"Ok." came back Daniel's reply.

"Copy that." Matt said.

"Ditto." Marco said.

A cracking sounded could be heard and a brainsucker jumped towards Adam's head. Chris pulled his lawpistol and shot it in it in mid-air. Hearing more cracking near the dead body of the anthropoid and saw four more suckers hatching.

"Oh shit." Adam said.

Chris pulled out an AP grenade, armed it for zero seconds and tossed it at the emerging creature. The grenade went off with a loud boom and threw bloody chunks at them.

"Update, also watch out for small orange creature the size of cats or what looks like fruits. Destroy them." Adam said.

"Did you hear that explosion?" asked Billy.

"Yes, they must of set off a grenade." Answered Daniel. " You picking up anything on your scanner."

"Yes, eight blips." Replied Billy. "20 meters to ahead and to the right."

The two covered the distance quickly and peered around the corner. They saw a blue creature that Adam mentioned, but had no idea what the yellow creature was. It was hovering a few inches above the ground. With the aliens were two odd colored humans who could only be Cultists of Sirius, leading four more humans at gunpoint.

"The two humans with the guns must have been the ones that shot at the Wolfhound." Billy whispered."

"Okay, I will take the aliens and you take the humans. Don't shoot the captives". Daniel said. " On my mark."

"GO"

Billy ducked and rolled across the hallway, firing his law twice pistol as he came up. Both slugs hitting the closest cultist in the head. The second ducked and fired his own lawpistol, the round ricocheting off his right shoulder armor and burying itself in the wall. Billy fired a single shot at the last cultist, ripping the throat out and the head snapped backed.

Daniel fired two snap shots at the anthropoid, hitting the left arm and far wall. It roared and turned to face him, but three bullets blossomed red suns in the thing's chest and it slumped against the wall dead. The skeletoid fired a purple beam that destroyed the pillar behind him.

Daniel returned fire, hitting the creature once in the leg. The skeletoid panicked, dropped his large weapon, and fled down the hallway. Billy fired a missile from his mini-launcher, the missile passing the skeletoid and exploding against the left wall. The skeletoid fell to the floor stunned.

"Is it dead." Billy asked, shouldering his launcher.

"No, it is stunned." Replied Daniel. "Search the cultists."

"Damn" Muttered Billy, bending to do the task. "Wow, these guys were packing for some serious shit." Listing the weapons, he said: "autocannon, a plasma pistol, several explosives including a proximity mine."

"Okay, drag that alien bastard over to the end of the corridor and we will set the prox mine to keep it safe." Daniel ordered. "If it wakes or somebody nears it, they will die trying."

"Is it safe." One of the forgotten captives said.

"Yes, for now. Who are you?" Daniel asked.

"We are the teachers of the school.," one of them said. "What is going on?"

"It is an Infestation. Where are all the kids?" Daniel asked.

"Most of them are on a field trip to the Nutrivend hydroponics domes, but several classes of the younger children are still here." A teacher stammered.

"Where are they and how many?" Billy asked

"Third floor, the main Auditorium. 100 kids."

"Shit has now hit the fan." Billy said.

"Guys, this is Daniel. Most of the building is empty due to a school trip, but there are at least a hundred students on the third floor." Daniel said into the tac-net.

"Fuck." Adam said. "Finish your sweep of your area ASAP, then head to the second floor. Matt, finish yours and head to the second also. Marco, you and Frank find anything?"

"No, nothing." Marco said.

"Then head the main grav-lift and secure the area around it on the third floor. Chris and I will join you in a few minutes." Ordered Adam.

"Adam, our sweep is nearly finished. We will check out the cafeteria and then head to the second floor." Matt said.

Matt and Pierre crept along the hallway, peering in every classroom. Whey they neared the end, they heard crying.

"Did you hear that." Whispered Pierre.

"Yes, must be some of the kids." Matt replied. "It's coming from the cafeteria.

They inched along the hall until they came to the doors leading into the cafeteria. They looked in and saw a dozen children cowering in a corner. Three anthropoids, 2 Spitters, and a green Multiworm were holding them hostage. With them were four more cultists each holding a large fruit. One of the cultists placed the fruit near a teacher, where it hatched a small creature the size of a cat. It jumped onto the teacher's head and forced a proboscis down his mouth. The creature shook and fell to the floor. The teacher stood up with a possessed look and one of the cultists had him a weapon. The cultists then proceed to the children across the room.

"That creature must make its victim one of the aliens." Remarked Matt.

We are going to need some more fire power then these laser rifles." Pierre said hefting his weapon. "I hear foot steps coming.", looking back.

Matt and Pierre turned around and confronted a pair of cultists as they rounded a corner. One of them fumbled with a heavy launcher, but the silent flash of Matt's laser bolts hit her between the eyes, vaporizing brain tissue and causing the eyes to push out. She died painlessly.

The second tried to unsling his autocannon, but Pierre shot him six times in the chest. The laser blasts cauterized the wounds, leaving no blood.

"Quick, Pierre get the Heavy launcher. I will grab the autocannon and the HE ammo." Matt said.

They scooped up the weapons and rushed back to the doors in time to see a cult member throw a pod at the children. With out even thinking, Matt and Pierre crashed through the doors. Pierre let loose with a rocket launcher with out aiming, the missile exploding a good 10 feet behind the targets. The blast killed the all the cultists, the possessed teacher, and the brainsucker in mid-leap. Matt followed with more accurate shots, explosions striking among the aliens. The spitters died in first followed by two anthropoids that took a direct shot to each of their chests. The third was thrown to the ground stunned. Thankfully a large counter was blocking the children from the explosions.

The Mutiworm spit a gob of acid that hit Matt dead center in the chest, dissolving the armor. Pierre let the last rocket have the alien worm, killing it in a shower of green gore. Four smaller worms burst out of the creature in its death throws. Matt fired the last HE round from the cannon, killing all the hyperworms in a blast of flesh and plastic floor splinters.

"Pierre, stay and watch the children." Matt said. "I will check the kitchen."

"You ok." Pierre asked.

"Yes." Matt answered, wiping the acid off with a towel the burned on contact. "I think I will have a slight burn though."

Matt entered the kitchen and searched the tiled room. In the back he found three hyperworms. Spotting a bottle of cooking oil and a rag, Matt made an ancient weapon, a Moltov cocktail. Lighting it off the stove, he threw it at the worms catching them all in the liquid fire.

He left with the smell of fried chicken in the air as fire extinguishers turned on. As he was turning to the door, he saw the fourth worm he had missed. Quickly grabbing a kitchen knife, he killed it by slicing off the head.

"Kitchen is clear." Matt told Pierre.

"All the children are safe, none of them are injured." Pierre said.

"Pierre, behind you." Matt shouted.

Pierre ducked to the left and brought his laser rifle up as a disrupter bolt flew past. He took aim at the third anthropoid that he had thought was stunned. He shot the creature as it corrected its aim thought the left eye with a single shot that killed it once and for all.

"Adam, this Matt. Pierre and I have secured the east wing. We killed a dozen hostiles and have two dozen kids that had been held hostage."

"That's bad." Replied Adam back. "Escort them to the nearest exit and go to the second floor. Daniel, you and Billy will be on your own for a while until Matt and Pierre arrives. Marco, what is your status."

"We found a few purple eggs that spit venom. Frank killed one until we realized that they can not move." Marco said. "We also found two pulsing cocoons that are harmless."

"Ok, proceed to the third floor. Chris and I will meet you near the main elevator." Adam said.

10 Minutes later.

"Report." Adam ordered.

"Nothing on the second floor but some purple eggs and a few dead guards." Daniel replied.

"Same here." Echoed Marco.

"Then meet us on the third floor." Acknowledged Adam.

"We are all here. Everything found has been neutralized. " Adam said. "Billy, use your scanner."

They all looked at the small screen as one blip appeared, then another, a third blinked into existence, and continued until it finally stopped at 128.

"They are all directly ahead. A hundred of the blips are children. There have to be several teachers. That means that there are 20-25 hostiles." Adam remarked. "HQ just called, reinforcements will be here in five minutes."

"So we only have to hold them for a few minutes and get the kids out." Chris added.

"Here is the plan. Daniel, Chris and I will charge though the main doors of the Auditorium. Billy will cover us from behind with the Mini-Launcher. We will go down the center, killing anything that gets in the way." Adam ordered. "Matt and Pierre will go down the left hallway, Marco and Frank will go down the right hallway. You guys will out flank them." Inserting a fresh drum into his M4000, Adam said, "Let's kick some ass."

The recruits went along to the assigned hallways. They crept along cautiously, searching for aliens. Making their way to the end of the hallway, they came upon the auditorium doors. The structure was three stories tall, built into the hillside to conserve on space, and was huge. They could see all the children huddled in the middle.

Around the room, they counted 10 cultists, 4 anthropoids, 5 spitters, and 3 skeletoids floating in the air. Eight teachers were held apart from from the kids by two cultists and a new alien that looked like a blue, two-legged dog.

"When I say go, Marco and Frank will take out the two cultists guarding the teachers and the alien last. Matt, Pierre: you guys take out the two floating aliens closet to you and Billy will take out the third. Then all of you take out the spitters. Daniel, Chris and I will target the humans." Adam whispered into the tac-net. "Ignore the tall blue aliens until last, they only have fruit launchers. Anything left is a turkey shoot. Try not to hit the kids"

"GO" Adam yelled.

When those words were uttered, all hell broke loose. Chris and Daniel threw themselves into a roll in front of the auditorium entrance and came up with M4000s blazing on full auto. Their fist shots hit three cultists, killing them unaware. Adam came up behind, firing more accurate three and four round bursts, killing a fourth cultist and wounding another as he ducked to the left.

Billy fired a single missile from the mini-launcher, killing the skeletoid in a shower of bloody tissue with a hit to the chest. Matt and Pierre popped up from a side door; firing aimed shots at the same skeletoid nearest to them, dropping it from the air. Quickly correcting their aim for hitting the same alien by not specifying their targets, they fired two shots each and hitting the skeletoid with three out of four shots before Billy's last missile hit the alien. It hit, exploding body parts everywhere.

Marco and Frank came though a doorway directly across from Matt and Pierre. They fired a single shot in unison, the laser bolts hitting the aliens in the heads and boiling their brains. Marco fired two shots at the small alien, killing it. Frank tracked his sniper rifle at a spitter when he saw a blue blur to his right.

"Marco, Frank, alien to your right." Daniel yelled, too late.

The alien ran to with in two meters the two men and detonated. The explosion killed the two recruits and threw their bodies twenty feet away.

"You stupid bastards" Daniel yelled and pulled the autocannon from his back he picked up from the first skirmish. Pulling back the firing bolt and loading armor piercing founds into the chamber, be fired 25mm shells at the spitters with out aiming. He hit one spitter in the chest, blowing the arms in opposite directions. Seeing a retreating cultist, he adjusted the muzzle of the cannon without taking his finger off the trigger and separated here torso from here legs, which took four more steps and fell over. The autocannon ran out of ammo as Daniel blew the head off an anthropoid.

"Chris! Billy!, get the kids." Adam yelled over the roar of gunfire.

Chris and Billy rushed towers the kids who had hugged the ground when the first shots were fired.

"Who are you?" Asked a 13-year-old girl with brown hair.

"X-Com" Chris replied. "We are here to get you out. Run towards the that doorway behind those two," he said, pointing at Adam and Daniel, "When the smoke grenade goes off."

"Chris, are they ready." Adam asked between shots.

"Yes"

"Daniel, throw the grenade."

Daniel chucked a MegaPol smoke grenade at a cultist peering over a seat to get a shot. The grenade hit the man in the face, breaking teeth and smashing his nose. Smoke bellowed out and enveloped the remaining hostiles

"Now, run for the doors." Chris yelled. "Billy, you lead them out. I will bring up the rear."

The kids ran out after Billy towards the door. Billy fired backwards as Daniel and Adam fired blazed into the smoke to keep the cultist heads down.

"Matt, Pierre, break off and get to the elevators." Adam said.

Matt and Pierre fired their rifles several times, killing an anthropoid and a spitter. Heading to the elevators, they saw a brainsucker and a hyperworm. Not even bothering to fire, Matt brought the butt of his rifle around and knocked the brainsucker out of a third story window as it leaped at him. Pierre stepped on the worm, crushing its spine.

Back in the auditorium, the smoke began to clear. The remaining cultists and spitters redoubled their volume in a desperate attempt to overwhelm the rookies. The three remaining anthropoids dropped their brainsucker launchers and pulled out concealed disrupter guns. One of the shamblers took aim at the kids and fired wildly, hitting one in the leg.

A kid screamed and went down. Chris turned at the scream and saw that it was the girls the brown hair that had asked who they were. He went back towards the girl just as another girl attempted to pull her to safety. Chris grab them both and a boy nearby, shoving them behind one of the large pews before a salvo of gunfire ripped thought the air where they all had been.

"Adam, I am stuck behind a desk with three kids." Chris yelled into his radio. "One girl is badly wounded."

"Shit." Billy said, "You were behind the kids."

"We just made it to the elevator. We won't reach you for a minute." Adam said.

"The girl needs medical aid badly." Chris said. "I am coming out."

Spotting a plasma gun dropped by a dead cultist, Chris picked it up.

"Hey kid, what's your name." Chris yelled over the gunfire.

"Brian" He said.

"Brian, I need your help. I am going to carry…. What is your name?" Chris asked the wounded girl.

"Melissa, she is Korrina." Melissa said in pain, pointing at the other girl.

"I am going to carry Melissa on my back, and Korrina, I am going to carry you with my left arm. Brian, you take the plasma gun and cover my left. OK?" Chris said.

Turning around, he picked up Melissa and swung her behind him to hang on to his neck. He picked up his M4000 with his right hand and told Brian to be ready to leave from the pew.

"GO." he yelled

Chris stood up first, scooped Korrina up and began to walk backwards. Seeing two spitters coming towards him, he fired the M4k one handed. The gun bucked in his hand, the shots going wild and hitting only one of the spitters in the chest. That was when the machine gun ran out of ammo. The spitter let loose a gobbet of venom that hit Chris in the left should, burning though the cydomium plates. Brian fired the plasma gun at it, capping it in the venom tube.

"Nice shot." Chris said. He threw his machine gun at a cultist as he attempted to fire his own and drew his lawpistol.

Brian didn't answer back, to busy killing another anthropoid that Chris had missed.

They backed up as quickly they could, Brian firing shots at everything that moved and Chris struggled under the weight of the two girls.

Brian fired his plasma gun at a group of three of brainsuckers; killing two on the ground and missing the third as it leapt in to the air towards his head. Chris fired his lawpistol twice, both shots hitting the small alien and throwing it back. Chris fired his law pistol at anthropoid, wounding it.

Chris counted the number of shots and realized he only had five shots left. Brian had expended half of his magazine of his own gun. A bullet hit him in the chest, cracking through the acid worn armor. He grunted in pain.

"Adam, Daniel, where the Hell are you?" Chris yelled, but got no answer.

Chris finished off the wounded anthropoid with two more bullets. They had almost reached the door when Melissa and Korrina screamed. Chris spun around and saw a red humanoid shape in the hallway. Chris raised his pistol and was about to empty the if his gun at the figure but stopped his finger from tightening on the trigger when he recognized it as Marsec Flying Armor.

"Its about time you showed up." Chris exclaimed. "Where is Daniel and Adam?" he asked the X-Com trooper.

"We are right here." Daniel answered as eight troopers past with autocannons and Marsec machine guns. "We were about to go back when they showed up."

"Forget it. Let's get out of here." Chris said. "Daniel, could you take Korrina," he said as he passed her to his brother. "Get her checked out. I am going to take Melissa to the Medtechs." He shifted Melissa to his arms.

Turning to Brian, he said, "Thanks for your help. You are a great shot, but give the pistol to Adam."

They all the left the building hearing the faint screams and death yells of the aliens.

Six hours later.

"Congratulations, gentlemen. You did an outstanding job defeating the aliens even though the odds were against you." Commander Valerie said.

"I am sorry to say, but George and James resigned after learning their friends died. But Sergeant Hunter and Squaddie Davidson will survive, but will be out of action for two weeks." She continued. "All the kids were safe and the girl Melissa Okabe will be out of the hospital in a few days, thanks to Chris. Because of you actions, the Senate gave us a 20,000-credit bonus.

"Thank you, ma'am." They all said in unison.

"One more thing, you are going to become Gamma platoon. Adam, because of your leadership, you are now a Sergeant. Chris and Daniel, you are to be the two Squad leaders. Pierre, Matt and Billy are your squaddies. You will not see real action for a few more days until more recruits arrive to fill out the platoon. Anything else?" the Commander asked.

"Yes ma'am, there is." Matt replied. "Can we pay the Cult back for Marco and Frank."

"Maybe." She said.