I couldn’t think of a comment to put up here

Over fifty winged Ombrso Khadrein, accompanied by a dozen Ogosk Olsgomba on their winged Sagrab mounts, were hurling toward Tom at high speed. Luckily for him, Alicia was still awake. Unluckily for him, she had dropped her blaster, which was now in the hands of an Ogosk. He didn’t have the skill to use it, and the blaster shots flew erratically around them. But it wouldn’t be long until either the aliens reached them, or the Ogosk hit Tom by chance. There was only one thing Alicia could do.

She weighed her options. Certain death or possible death?

She chose possible death.

Alicia slipped out of her parachute, catching hold of Tom’s as she fell. She grabbed the blaster that, thank goodness, was still clutched in his hands. Then she climbed to the top of Tom’s parachute, the air filling it making it quite sturdy.

Okay, she thought to herself. Now I just have to not slip, fall five hundred meters to my death and be killed instantly. Simple.

First things first. She raised her blaster and fired an expert shot at the Ogosk with her blaster. The shot hit it in the face. It made no noise as it fell. She found herself watching the body as it fell, and even though it wasn’t possible, she imagined the sickening thump as it slammed into the ground. Then the twenty aliens flying at her shrieking bloody murder snapped her back into reality.

She cracked off shot after shot, Khadrein and Olsgomba falling out of the sky, their blood and ichor spattering the ground. The place would be avoided by bird and beast for over a decade, an unholy cemetery of the most foul creatures to walk the Earth. And it was she that had dirtied the ground. She knew this and kept on shooting, continuing the exhibit of blood and agony. Why? Because they would do the exact same to her? That didn’t make her better than them. That brought her down to their level.

Finally, she could stop shooting. The aliens numbers were greatly lessened, and they went back to their ships. Alicia slipped back to Tom to find him awake.

“What happened?” he asked. “Where’s your parachute?”

She smiled. “Overhead. I had to get out so that you wouldn’t die.”

“But why? What happened?”

Alicia told him. By the end of the story, he was grinning.

“Alicia,” he said. “You just killed about twenty aliens, all by yourself!”

“I know.” she said miserably.

“Why’re you sad?” he asked. “Something like that-no-one’s ever done that.”

She looked away. “C’mon,” she said. “Help me steer to the east.”

“WHAT!?”

Tom was shocked. “There’s nothing out there but Chokers, Pox Beasts, maybe a zombie or two. And,” he said jabbing his index finger in her face, “let’s not forget possibly the biggest landing of Khadrein aside from the Invasion. You told me to watch them.”

“Yes, but-” Alicia stopped short.

“But what?” Tom asked.

“Well, think about it. The HQ is overrun by Khadrein and Olsgomba. In a month when they leave, infected people are going to come. Gonsel Abrinda and Georg Klauer-the leaders of the two most powerful countries in this day and age-are dead. That,” she said, pointing into the wasteland of the Inferno, “is our best chance of survival.”

“Our chances must be pretty bad if going into a desert full of people who want to kill us is our best chance of survival,” Tom murmured. He shook his head. “I’m in.”

“Where should we head for?” Alicia asked.

Tom pointed to a twisted hunk of metal. “That’s an old airport,” he said. “Old complex building. Probably full of insane, choking people who want to gnaw our legs off. What’s not to like?”

Alicia smiled as they drifted toward the airport, unaware that it would be the last time she would do so for a long time.