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Storm Chaser
by Lilithangel
Strangers often talk of odd things when they're trapped together not knowing if they'll see another day out. Anything to keep the demons at bay. Share a cigarette, a drink or a story.
"They call him the Storm Chaser, the One Who Knew. Always there just before or in the thick of alien invasions, first contact, and anything that went bump in the night really.
He turns up and saves people from certain death, encourages them to keep fighting, telling them that it will be fixed one day. They say he's died many times and just gets back up again.
He always looks the same, except for his eyes they say. It's even been suggested he was here from the beginning, from the fall of the empire.
They talk about time travel and some have suggested he's immortal, but how could that be? Nobody could stay sane living forever and I don't believe he's a god. Others say he's a clone or that Storm Chaser is a title and that history is becoming mythology so that we have no real idea of what he looks like. That makes more sense to me, kind of like the old stories of superheroes.
They say he's looking for something or someone that he thinks will be there too, where the aliens are."
"Since they call him Storm Chaser maybe he's searching for the right storm."
"What sort of storm?"
"The Oncoming Storm, maybe."
"That's more of a legend than he is. The one who was supposed to save the world and destroyed everything. Where the hell is he then?"
"Maybe that's what the Storm Chaser is thinking too; maybe that's why he keeps turning up."
"And maybe it's just a story to help us sleep at night and fight the next day. If the Oncoming Storm or the Storm Chaser really exist, why don't they do something."
"What do you think they could do then?"
"Fix this, put things back they way they were supposed to be. They say the Storm Chaser tells stories of him. I think you're right; he's looking for the Storm. Probably he's mad to boot. If he's a time traveller he's got to be nuts to hang around here when he could be any time that isn't here. Look out... incoming..."
"You love this don't you?"
"Combat? At least it means you're alive. You can't hide your grin either."
"It's better than doing nothing."
"That it is. I'm Brian by the way."
"Jack."
"Well Jack, I don't fancy being pinned down here, you want to make a break for it?"
"Pretty risky Brian."
"Those bloody tin cans will try it either way, unless you really don't like running away?"
"Live to fight another day and all that. There should be a bolthole about ten clicks north."
"It's been a pleasure sharing a foxhole with you Jack, just in case one of us doesn't duck fast enough."
"The pleasure was all mine Brian. Ready? See you in hell."
* * * * *
"We barely made it to the bolthole. Jack took a bullet but it didn't even slow him down. I had my legs knocked out from under me and the next thing he was practically carrying me. The bolthole turned out to be a dead end and we ended up huddled there waiting for them to find us. I swear I felt his heart stop beating as I fell asleep but when I woke up he was watching me.
He put a finger to my lips before I could say anything and pointed upwards. I could see a battalion of the monsters flying overhead searching. We stayed as still as we could, hoping they wouldn't see us, but we weren't so lucky. Four of them peeled off heading towards our position.
Jack kissed me then. Startled me, I can tell you. I've never really been that way inclined but there was something about Jack, something that made it not matter. Yeah he was handsome, tall and dark with a strong jaw and striking eyes, but it was more than that. He was so very alive you know?
Before I could gather my wits the bastard was up and out of there. He ran right at the tin cans firing wildly and drawing them away. They cut him down in front of me and that's where it got weird.
There was this noise and this box appeared in the middle of the battlefield, right next to Jack's body. This guy steps out and the tin cans just stop. He was tall and skinny looking and they were scared of him. He called himself a doctor or the doctor and they knew him. He told them their emperor was dead divided into nothing long ago, and he was going to send them after it. It wasn't a threat, it was a fact. They had one chance to stop or he would stop them. They started their usual chant about exterminating but this guy just stared at them and nodded.
He looked down and said hello to Jack. He looked sad which wasn't a surprise if Jack was a friend of his. Then he picked up Jack's body like it was a child and went back inside the box. Funny thing, I could have sworn Jack moved, but I saw him fall and nobody can survive a hit from those creatures.
The noise started again and the box just disappeared. Then there was another noise and a light that damn near blinded me. When it cleared the tin cans were lying on the ground helpless. We waited to see if they would get up but they didn't. Hundreds of us crawled out of our foxholes and destroyed them. None of us cared that they were helpless; they had never cared about us.
So yeah, I do believe I met the Storm Chaser and he was everything the legends said he was. I also think that maybe he found his Storm and maybe he didn't die in front of my eyes.
Legends can't die after all.
end