Venus wasn’t Alecs first time there, shoot, wouldn’t be his last. Alec had hid aboard a merchant vessel, heading to Venus to pick up a shipment of herbs and exotic spices. Alec stayed awake the trip, fearing what he may dream; Eleanor haunted him for some reason. The ship entered the atmosphere after a few hours, Alec had no window, but he tried to remember what it looked like, the memories were so faint, he couldn’t remember yet. The ship landed, Alec took off, making a break for the tree line nearby. As Alec traveled, he came across Rain, Rain inquired of Alecs help, which Alec did, only on the condition if Rain or any on his team had any information on Stahll. Alec assisted them in ambushing some Vex and helps them to safety when Rain was injured. Rains squad mates didn’t know anything on Stahll or his whereabouts, so Alec left them to their business. Alec received a radio message from Whisk. “Alec,” Whisk started. “Stahll isn’t on Venus anymore; he’s back on Earth now. Stahll is somewhere in the sunken city of Sladan, off the coast of old Mexico. Sorry to inconvenience you.” Alec growled as Whisk ended the conversation. Alec back tracked to the merchants’ ship, luckily, the merchant hadn’t left yet. Alec boarded the ship and waited out the five our ride all over again. Sladan was a city that was built on a manmade island, it wasn’t the first island to be built by man, but it was the first man made island to be sunk when the invasions started. About a mile beneath the Pacific Ocean, the city lay quiet, hidden away for at least two decades. Until, one day, the Hive took interest in it; no one knows why, but some believe they nest there. The ship approached Earth; Alec sneakily crept up near the cockpit, listening to the pilots chatter to one another about their pay day. Alec could see out the glass windows, they were over the Pacific Ocean. Alec quickly went to the back of the ship, securing the door to the compartment he was hidden in. He radioed Whisk. “Whisk,” Alec called out. “Can you track my location?” “Sure,” Whisk said. “Give me a minute. Ok, good news is, your over the Pacific, bad news is, you’re about to fly over Sladan. I suggest-“ Alec didn’t wait, he crashed through the compartment door and ran for the door to exit the craft. The crew was quite surprised to see a stowaway of Alec’s size. Alec opened the door and jumped out; plummeting to the ocean surface like a rock. Whisk chimed in; then again, it wasn’t Whisk. “Alec,” Jk-Bx yelled into the radio. “YO, did you really just dive out of a ship over the ocean, falling hundreds of feet, not to mention the crushing pressure beneath the ocean surface. Oh, and-“ “Get, of my channel,” Whisk yelled at Jk-Bx. “Alec, watch out down there, the Hive is everywhere. The city is about two miles north from your location. Also, Stahll is apparently there looking for trophies.” “Alec” Jk-Bx started again. “Bring me a souvenir.” Alec continued to fall towards the Pacific Ocean, gaining speed. All Alec could think of was how he hoped that he wouldn’t land on and hit a reef. Alec passed through a cloud, now the Ocean was in full view; Alec hadn’t seen the ocean in years, it was green as he could remember. There was a fog hovering over the water, Alec wondered how cold the water was. Shortly after seeing the green of the ocean though, Alec hit the water with a loud smack. Didn’t take Alec long to get to the bottom, it had gotten dark rather quickly. Alec’s eyes began to change, adjusting to the darkness, he could see clear as day, as soon as the computer finished its scan of the water. Soon, Alec touched bottom and began the two mile walk towards Sladan. “Alec,” Jk-Bx chimed in, again. “How about a Song, Alec? I got the perfect one!” Jk-Bx started to play some kids song about being under the sea, said it was from a movie. So, walking through the darkness, under tons of tons of water, Alec had to listen to a kid’s song, over and over; Jk-Bx said it wasn’t his fault and said nest time he’d make a mix tape. Alec had Jk-Bx turn the song off after he came close to the city limits; debris was strewn throughout the area. Alec came to a cliff, overlooking Sladan; it looked abandoned, but of course it wouldn’t be. Towering buildings, once some engineers pride, is covered in the oceans residue, sea life occupies objects that people once used every day: Bus stops, cars, mail boxes, etc. Alec noted a giant type stadium in the center of the city, perhaps that’s where Alec may find Stahll. “Whisk,” Alec called out. “Is the dome flooded?” “Actually,” Whisk started to say. “The dome is the main nest of the Hive in Sladan. Most of the buildings are flooded, the Hive seem to be using the sewer system, connecting it to buildings, sealing them to make the nest bigger. Best bet; find an entrance in a basement of one of the buildings, leading to the sewer. I’ll guide you from there.” Alec looked at the bottom of the cliff; it was clear of debris and would make a clean and strait shot to the city. So, Alec jumped over the edge, and once he touched down, he marched on the city. Alec got close enough to see inside one building; it was flooded, but you could see the skeletons inside, siting at tables, it must have been a restaurant. Alec decided to check the basement inside, so he entered through the back, through the kitchen. Alec found the entrance, covered in Hive residue; he didn’t hesitate to kick it open. Only when Alecs boot hit the residue, his foot passed through. Hive, scary, but creative. Alec passed through, however, Alec found that he was now dry; this day was getting weirder by the moment. Whisk chimed in, telling Alec which way to go, and telling Alec that the Hive was concentrated on one thing: Stahll. Alec got out his shotgun, which he dubbed “Painful Reunion,” and started his descent into the murky corridors. It smelled like fish, fish bones littered the floor, and human clothes with skeletons in them, were quite often found, as Alec walked along. After what seemed like hours walking, Alec reached the entrance to the dome. As Alec dropped out of the pipe, he landed in a pile of bones, all human. Alec heard a cry, a….not so human cry. Alec looked to be in a shower room; he found his way out and cautiously walked down the hall. The stench of rotting flesh become very immanent, Alec’s suit had censers in it that could sense temperature and orders; it was quite warm, 76 degrees in fact. The room had a dim light to it, almost a gray like light. Alec rounded a corner to his left at the end of the hall; a Hive knelt on the floor, back to Alec, feasting on a corpse of a dead Merc. Alec stopped; the Hive hadn’t noticed him yet. The hive stopped, it hissed as it arose from the floor, its ugly, twisted, gray body, turned towards Alec. It didn’t seem to have eyes, just black holes where eyes should be, a little light glistened deep within it seemed, its face covered in blood. Alec was done admiring its ugly mug, he pulled the trigger on his weapon and just like that, half the hive disappeared. Now, firearms normally make noise when shot, but “Painful Reunion,” sounded like he shot off a cannon; there was no way he could keep incognito now. Hive shrieks echoed everywhere; Alec realized the blunder of a mistake he made too late. Alec bolted down the corridor that he shot the Hive in, hoping to find an exit, but there was none, and he found himself at a dead end. Alec turned around to face his fate, but Alec wasn’t going to die here, he had work to do. Alec loaded a shell into his shotgun, and pointed it down the corridor, and waited. The footsteps were many, the cries grew louder, and the cries grew more and more. Alec could see the shadows on the wall, there were many, more than eight rounds of buckshot could take care of, but that didn’t shake Alec. The first few rounded the corner; Alec disposed of them with one shot, then more, but now they were even crawling on the walls, there was so many. Alec empties the shotgun, draws his blades and charges into them, sending a few of them flying back. Alec ferociously slashes at the Hive, left and right, hitting, kicking and head-butting. Soon, Alec is being buried in Hive. Alec feels a rage in side, a dark fury rising. All seems lost, when suddenly; Alec slams the ground, an energy wave sending the Hive that had buried him flying back. Alec roars, no longer using the blades, Alec uses his bare hands to tear the hive apart. The Hive just keep coming, but as the new ones that show up to fight, they realize it’s only a meat grinder that there headed too. Soon, the Hive is retreating, terrified of this enraged foe, they run and crawl away. [b] Finished Bellow[/b]