Argus Fletch
Argus had pocketed his apathy pill. He liked to save them for special occasions, like when the screaming was especially bad. Sure it meant he had to put up with actually caring about what went on in the facility, and that made him uncomfortable at the best of times, but he was a specialist in the CCTU. He was the Pointman, first man into any unknown situation. If he wanted to be comfortable, he wouldn't be in any form of military or paramilitary work, and he sure as hell would not be wearing this armor. But that was all fine, the discomfort kept him on edge, and that was how one stayed alive in combat. After fifteen years of assorted combat postings, Argus knew how to stay alive. He was in the armory cleaning his riot shotgun when he heard another horrible scream, not unusual here, and the red light went off. Here we go again, he thought to himself. As the earsplitting siren went off, he put the shotgun back together, and loaded an extra round in the chamber. Sure, some people complained that keeping a round in the chamber was unsafe, if he accidentally pulled the trigger without the safety he might kill someone. What a load of bull, every time he pulled the trigger he meant kill someone. Accidental discharges were rookie mistakes, and he was no rookie. One round meant the difference between life and death, this practice had saved his life and ended another's more than once. As he heard gunshots, the Lieutenant Colonel's voice echoed over the loudspeaker giving everyone orders to take up tactical positions around the laboratory. Show time. He grabbed his Smith and Wesson, holstered it and tucked the butt of his shotgun into his shoulder. He beat it double time to the lab door.
As Argus made his way to the lab, he couldn't help remembering his posting prior to the CCTU. When he was twenty seven, had been with the Cydren 501st security team for one year. His superiors noticed his astounding reflexes and combat skills and booted him up to CCTU school. At that time, the 501st had been slated for re-assignment to the mysterious "Project Black." There had been a hell of a going away party. Everyone was drinking and laughing and having a good time. He never saw any of them again. Not more than a few weeks ago, he got word that the Project Black site had been wiped out by some sort of accident, the 501st had been wiped out. That was when his CCTU team was sent to reinforce the Valens Project. Argus did not believe in coincidences, something far worse than a simple accident had happened at the Project Black site. As his mind came back to the present, he hoped the same thing was not about to happen here. One of his new superiors had recommended him for Blitz Axt training. Of course he had heard the stories, the mortality rates and such, but he still thought he had a good chance of making the cut. He didn't want to get wiped out by some "accident" before reaching this next pinnacle of fighting men. As he reached the lab door, he saw a number of security forces had taken up positions near the door. Fine with him, he would let them take the brunt of whatever made its way through that door. He took position in a doorway on the left side of the hallway between the front group of men and a CCTU lieutenant and... a female Blitz Axt? That's hardcore, he thought to himself, impressed despite the situation. He made sure he was out of their immediate line of fire, friendly fire was a hell of a way to go. He mounted his shot gun against his right shoulder, leaning slightly against the wall to his left and out into the hallway, exposing only the part of his frame necessary to fire at whatever might come through the door. "This one's for the five-oh-first," he muttered to himself.