Ark Mason
Ark heard the other man introduce himself as Zane. Well, at least now he knew his name. That just left the druggie. He was now wearing a creepy grin and tossing the knife from hand to hand. Class act. Had his government career ended with the Marines, he may have been fooled into thinking the guy was a creepy druggie and probably would have taken the moment to launch a preemptive strike so he wouldn't need to worry about him later. However, his career had not ended with the Marines, and his work after had given him the ability to read people one might read a book. This guy couldn't weigh more than one-fifty, Ark had nearly half a foot and fifty pounds on him. Only a lunatic would seriously consider giving him that kind of look while playing with a pocket knife under such circumstances. He had met lunatics, drug addicts, and all manner of the other dregs of society. This guy wasn't a lunatic, he may be a drug addict, maybe. But beyond that, he wasn't anything more than a poser. This was just a foolish display of bravado. He didn't have time for this man's stupid game, he started back across the hallway, wanting to help Zane get the others moving. As he reached the other door, he saw the druggie look up the hallway that now separated them and stop tossing the knife. He spared a quick glance and saw a blue form slide out of a vent shaft in front of a sealed door further up the hallway.
Quickly ducking back inside the carnage room, Ark frantically motioned everybody to stay still. He inched over to the dead-looking blue thing on the floor and gently pried the rusty, chipped combat knife. He noticed it was inscribed with the Black Iron insignia. It had apparently been well used, though it was showing serious neglect in regard to maintenance. He edged his way back over to the doorway. He saw a dim shadow advancing towards him. He crouched against the wall in the carnage room, not daring to breathe. The thing was apparently drawn towards the druggie, because it continued past the carnage room, perhaps it knew to expect only dead bodies in this room. As it moved past, Ark was disturbed by the ease with which it moved, and the effortless quite. He doubted many would be able to hear the thing's footsteps unless they were listening closely for them. The thing had blue skin and a number of spines extending from its back, same as the first. It appeared to be holding some sort of pointed stick, perhaps fashioned from a broom, or maybe a mop. Ark steeled himself as it continued past the door, it was now or never. He had to kill this thing quickly and quietly or else more would probably come running. He slowly released his pent-up breathe and soundlessly drew another. He crept out into the hall, sneaking up on it from behind. Just like the drill sergeant taught us, he thought to himself. He was in predator mode now. He was only a step behind the creature as it continued its approach towards the room the others were in. He brought his left arm, holding his thermos around its head and up, the stainless-steel container smashing its jaw up into the air, while moving to the other side and plunging the old knife blade into and across its neck, severing the wind pipe and the arteries. Just like the drill sergeant taught us. Silence the sentries.
The old knife blade broke off in the things neck, worthless junk. That was a problem because while the windpipe was severed and air moving through the ragged new hole with a wet, pulpy sound, the creature did not seem as bothered by the neck wound as it should have. As it attempted to howl in rage, the air continuing to escape ineffectively through its neck, Ark was dumbstruck, the thing should be dying of blood loss right now. Apparently its arteries were set up at slightly different locations from his own. The thing swung around to its right, the back of its right arm hitting Ark across the face with surprising force, sending him thudding to the ground, thermos rolling across the hall. The creature jumped at him, the stick pointed down, it intended to impale him right there on the floor. Ark rolled to the right, the improvised spear hitting the floor next to him as the thing landed. Ark took the opportunity to throw a kick from the ground into the side of its knee. What would have dislocated a man's knee merely caused the thing's leg to shift a little, maybe a sprain. As the thing shifted a little under the joint blow, Ark drew his leg back quickly and got to his feet. The creature threw itself at him, still going strong despite what should have been two debilitating injuries. Ark threw a combat-boot enhanced front kick straight into the thing's pubic bone. He heard a bone snap somewhere inside the monster, but it only seemed to slow from the force of the kick, not out of any sense of pain. Its arms flung out in front of it as the kick impacted, and Ark grabbed a hold of the spear and attempted to wrestle it away from the creature. It kept a firm hold and pulled back, until Ark lifted his right leg and brought the full strength of his mass crashing down on the thing's right kneecap. He felt and saw it slide away down the leg. Even this creature had its limits, sagging to the ground, and loosening its hold on the spear. Ark grabbed it from its hands, the thing trying to regain its footing. He then thrust the spear into its gut and ran it back into the wall, using the impact to drive it deeper into, then all the way through the beast. Despite this, it was still struggling, still very much alive, kicking, and dangerous. The spear broke off, the majority of it inside the belly of the beast. Taking the remainder of the weapon, Ark plunged it straight through the thing's new windhole, and put all of his weight on it until he felt it go through the monster's spine at its neck.
It stopped moving, and Ark, panting, bent down and retrieved his thermos from the ground. He saw a dirty rag on the ground and picked it up, using it to wipe the creature's dark blue blood from his hands and arms, streaking them with some other dirt in the process. Riding the tide of his victory, he got a move on towards the civilian quarters, in a lighter mood now that he was on an adrenaline high. Still, he moved quickly, they had lost valuable time during the struggle. Time they didn't have. The other group of monsters, the one the captain had warned them about, was undoubtedly getting close now. Ark didn't think he, or the others, had enough fight in them to take on four at once. Hell, he'd gotten lucky against the one by having the element of surprise. Still, it felt good just knowing it was possible to kill these things. As Ark walked past the druggie he spared him a brief glance and a smirk. Let him play games all he wants, he wasn't fooled by them. Now Ark was inside the temporary peace of the civilian bunk room. In a hushed though upbeat voice he said, "Well now we know we can kill the blue bastards."