There was a cave in Mount Kremlin, near the middle, that housed the 42nd Infantry. Mendoza and Hiley sat there, huddled up together near the slim fire in the middle of the cave. Canteens lay empty, scattered around in the darkness. Mendoza was alert and watchful; the radio was strapped to his shoulder and a cell phone beeped unpleasantly. He kept writing down notes and codes on a pad of paper, while glancing at Hiley with a sad look.
The lingering musk of alcohol and his wet face easily identified him as the source of the empty canteens. Bloodshot eyes betrayed his sober expression; he muttered several curses under his breath and attempted to stand. He clumsily smacked his head into the wall and finally let it out.
"Son of a b***h!" He bellowed. Evan fumbled for his pistol and (after nearly dropping it twice) slammed his shoulder into the cave wall. A rock fell; it smote him on the shoulder and dropped to the ground.
"c**k-sucking--" Two pistol shots drowned out the rest of his words. The rock danced around, taunting him; Enrique grabbed the rock and hurled it out the window into the frothy rain. He tackled Evan and pushed him against the wall. "¡Consiga un asimiento de se!" Get a hold of yourself! Evan growled and spat in the face of his best friend. "Get off me!"
Enrique let go and backed up, his foot unintentionally stepping into the flames. His un-flaming, left, foot smacked into a half-full canteen which careened into the flames. Alcohol and flames, apparently, do not mix. A small explosion ripped canteen through Enrique's shirt and lit his entire left side up in flames.
A scream ripped through the air.
Without a care in the world, a drunken Hiley stumbled out into the sleet. There were four figures approaching up the slope. Smoke leaked out of the cave; the figures approached more swiftly. Noises and shapes and sounds and colours blended themselves into one and Evan collapsed, a line of bile trickling down the side of his jawline.
Why us?
In the bunker of the 42nd, darkness triumphed over limited battery life and primitive techniques for light. Hail drummed lightly upon the concrete-brick structures. At 06:00, the only thing on was a re-run of 'The Twilight Zone'. The black-and-white images flashed quickly across the dimly lit room as seven of the newest cadets whispered among themselves. After a consent, they dashed out of the room and headed for the mess hall. An early breakfast, early patrol, and the afternoon all to themselves..
As they entered the mess hall, several things happened at once. First, the lights combined with the blinding reflection of pure snow filled the room. Second, the snow poured through the doorway which they opened, and third the entire base shook.
"Oy, what's goin' o-"
The roof shattered in what seemed like a thousand pieces. Deafening explosions ripped through the walls and everything seemed to shatter quicker than light could reach the rooms and everything would be lost and there was no hope and nothing could be don--
"Wake up!"
A shriek pierced the otherwise "calm" air of the mountain; the three girls and Seth had obviously made it through. Evan had been dragged back into the cave. The lingering smell of gunpowder unpleasantly stenched the cave. "Evan, we did not climb a whole mountain so you and your buddy Enrique can get drunk and light each other on fire! Fiddlesticks, my hair.." Isabella Medina muttered something under her breath, but Seth Wanda couldn't help but smile as cadets Alison Do and Devyn Parker awkwardly huddled up next to Enrique.
"Hey, son, lay off mah booze," he called out as he tended to Enrique. Jeremy Martin slapped Evan across the face and growled. "You almost killed Enrique, drunk ********," he said. It wasn't a yell, which made Evan feel worse..
I don't need this.
Archangel Serith Community Member 
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