22 Boss

Cries and constant banging of the metal doors gritted on everyone's nerves, but the doors remained firmly shut. The three of them thus took the time to explore the room thoroughly.

"This racket is making me crazy," Kristine moaned. The banging against the doors and the sounds of drums at the back were constant echoing within the chamber. "I wish they stop."

She lifted up a piece of threadbare rag from the pile of dusty cloth. She indicated to the pile of rotting clothing. "Think they ate all these people?"

"Maybe," Karl gave a shrug. He lifted what appeared to be a broken spear, the metal badly corroded. "Nothing of use here, all spoiled."

He dropped the spear back into the pile of broken weapon shards. "They seemed to be using stuff from museums."

James stood at a raised platform in front of what appeared to be a block of chiseled stone, but the majority of it has been destroyed and vandalized by the green skins. "This appears to be a kind of throne or stone chair here."

He looks around the room in the dim light. Eight finely chiseled pillars with the art defaced standing four by four on each side of the room. "This is supposed to be a throne room!"

"Yes, it is quite obvious," Kristine gave up her battle against the noise. She indicated the raised platform and said, "That is where the monarch sits, viewing down on his or her subjects."

She stepped up the platform next to James. "This is probably used for ceremonies. The pillars should be carved beautifully but looking at the vandalism, you can see how they knock off the carvings."

"You seemed to know a lot about this stuff," James said.

"Yup, graduated from Cambridge, I majored in archeology and history." She replied. "It's actually quite exciting to find all these alien ruins."

"Why did you sign up with the navy?" James asked curiously.

"Well, seeing all my friends get drafted or volunteered. Plus the money pays off my student loans, and I get to see the stars." Kristine shrugged. "You?"

"Well, I came out of college, worked a few years at odd jobs," James said casually. "When the war started and I decided to do my part for mankind."

He smiled. "Actually I just wanna escape from my life. A change of pace."

"So how's the change of pace now?" Kristine gestured around them. "Great?"

"Haha, yea, it's pretty exciting actually." James smile widened.

"Hey, you two lovebirds," Karl spoke up from where he stood at the edge of the doors. "I don't hear anything at all!"

The two of them blushed after hearing Karl's words but soon realized it has suddenly gone quiet. The drums, cries and even banging on the doors have stopped. They quickly joined Karl at the doors. "Did help came? They retreated?"

"I don't know, suddenly they all just left? I am getting a bad feeling here." Karl whispered.

"Ok, I take it back my wish, it's starting to feel really creepy," Kristine whispered back.

"Why is everyone whispering?" James asked in a low whisper.

"Cause it's quiet out there!" Karl hissed back.

Sudden the beating of the drums sounded again, except it seemed louder. Karl backed off from the doors and raised his shotgun. "Bad feeling," he repeated.

James handed Kristine a pistol and wo stacks of pistol magazines. "I found your stuff earlier outside, most of it is trashed, but the gun and ammo aren't damaged."

Kristine grasped the G88 pistol and worked the slide before holding it in a two handed grip. "Why didn't you give it back earlier?" She pocketed the magazines in the marine BDU chest pockets.

"Erm, you don't have any way to carry it." James gave her a quick check with his eyes, smiling.

"Jerk." She responded, turning away and hid behind a pillar facing the wall giving a small smile.

Bom bom bom bom bom bom!

The drums kept beating louder and louder. It sounded like the drums were just right outside the doors. Karl and James stepped back from the doors, Karl took the left side of the room while James covered the right side.

Bom bom bom bom bom bom!

Then silence.

BLAM! Dust dribbled down from the ceiling and even the pot slide back slightly from the sudden impact. Kristine gave a frightened cry, while both Karl and James, jumped in surprise. Another huge crushing blow, the doors creaked ajar, a dent could be seen. "What the hell is that?" Karl yelled.

The green skins seeing the doors getting destroyed, shrieked in excitement and joy. James called out, "Karl, you got any grenades?"

"Nope, I only have one smoke," Karl replied nervously.

"I am going to throw my last grenade through the door before they break it down," James said and he pulled his last grenade out, activated it and tossed it through the opening all in a single move.

A muffled blast sounded, making more rock dust trickle down from the roof. Screams of pain and agony could be heard beyond the doors. "Nice one!" Karl gave a thumbs up.

A deafening roar erupted from beyond the doors, causing them to flinch, and the doors shook once again as something massive hammered against it.

"Eh, I think you made that thing angry." Kristine's voice came out from behind one of the pillars where she hid.

"Alright make ready, they are coming." Karl gave a warning as the pot started to tilt up and down from the constant hammering. "Here they come!"

With a space large enough for the child-sized green skins appeared between the door, they mindlessly rushed into the room, meeting thunder and fire.

Karl left his shotgun leaning against the pillar and instead drew his Glock 88C. Each magazine in the Glock holds 32 rounds of 5mm CT ammunition. He aimed and fired at the green skins that enter one by one, dropping them with single shots. James kept watch for any stranglers from his side of the room, as the opening was towards Karl, there weren't any green skins for him to shoot at currently.

James turned around to see Kristine's red hair hidden behind the furthermost pillar at the back. She noticed him watching her and gave a small wave with her pistol before turning her attention back to the door.

Suddenly, something massive shoved the doors all the way back, causing the pot to slide to one side, and a creature over three meters wielding what appeared to be a part of a stone pillar loomed over the mass of green skins that rushed excitedly into the room.