Hell is not all fire and brimstone. It isn't a burning pit of flames and smoke. Hell is cold and dark. It is demons living within the darkness, waiting, preying on you. They strike when you least expect them to. They feed on your fear, thrive on it, and use it against you. They torment you to the brink of death and drag you back to torture you further. Hell isn't a place where only the dead and damned are sent. The innocent are sent without thought and suffer through the choice. Hell is place for the dead. For the living, they call it Olduvai.

O nine hundred hours marked three hours since military transport carrying RRTS 6 survivor Staff Sergeant Vera Dimitrov off base met with disastrous consequences. Preliminary investigation hypothesized the transport was sabotaged, resulting in the explosion. No survivors were reported, only casualties recovered. Scorched, torched, ash. O nine hundred also marked the twenty four hour return mark of RRTS Unit 6 from its mission to the UAC Research Facility Olduvai. Of the nine specially trained marines that left earth and forty plus scientists that were on the planet's facility on Mars, only two of the three that had survived the station, remained alive. One marine. One scientist.

Staff Sargent John Grimm was seated in the hall of one of Earth's military medical facilities, waiting outside the room. He sat hunched over in the chair. His elbows held himself up against his knees. His chin was pressed against his closed fists, while his eyes were shut tight. His mind was flooded with images ranging from twenty-four hours, to three hours ago. Dark corridors, sewage tunnels, transport station. Every face of his fallen comrades, every face of the scientists, of the monsters, all replayed through his mind. The last few moments with Vera turned his blood to ice.

"Sargent."

John opened his eyes, broken from his thoughts. He raised his head, meeting to eyes of the doctor. Immediately the fallen fell from his thoughts, bringing them back to his reason for waiting. He rose from his chair and met the doctor as he exited the room. "How is she?"

His sister, Samantha Grimm had been carried into the medical facility, by him, half dead. John had found her near the elevator, collapsed on the ground, unable to walk. Vera had given him what information she could of their course through the vents in the faculty. But the moments after being found by Sarge were minimal. Whatever had happened, though, had caused a great deal of damage.

"Your sister is resting comfortable, Sargent." the doctor explained. "We've repaired the internal damage and set her remaining injuries. She should regain feeling in her legs within a few hours, range of motion in a few days. She is stable, conscious, and she's asking to see you."

John nodded slowly. "Thank you."

The doctor simply nodded and continued on his way.

John remained rooted in the spot. He inhaled slowly, trying to regain his calm. He had spent much time in the infirmary just looking after Vera. Now that she was gone, simply being in the building without her felt hallow. He turned to the door and pushed it open. His eyes instantly fell upon Sam's battered form, lying on the bed. He swallowed painfully, the memories of Olduvai returning to his thoughts.

Sam lay on the medical bed. Her arms lay across her stomach on top of the blankets. She head was turned away from the door, facing the window. Her bright blond hair had fallen from its previous bun, falling on her shoulders. Her eyes were closed, as if she were sleeping. As he stood by her side, John noticed how fragile his sister appeared to him. His chest tightened with the same fear he'd felt when he'd found her on the ground. Sam turned her head slowly, meeting John's gaze. Her pale lips turned into a small smile. Despite her condition, John returned the small smile. He gently sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand.

"How're you feeling?" he asked.

"I was going to you the same question." she answered.

John smiled sadly. "I'm not the one in a hospital bed."

"This time." Sam reminded. "I know for a fact you've spent time in here."

John chuckled lightly.

Sam swallowed. "How's Vera?"

John lowered his eyes from Sam, lowering his face as well. His silence was all too loud to Sam. It didn't make since. She remembered Vera in the elevator with them, had she been injured so severely that she hadn't survived. She tightened her grasp on his hand.

"John-"

"Doctor said you should get feeling back in your leg within the next few days." John explained quickly. "Then we're outta here."

Sam only nodded in response. Whatever had happened, it was still too fresh in his mind to talk about. But the pain was far more than what he was letting on simply by his avoidance of the situation. Her eyes shifted from John for a moment, catching movement coming from the hall. She frowned as the door opened. "John."

John turned his head. In the hall, two upper ranking MP's stood by the door. One had his hand on the door. John recognized them from the base during their shifts. Both officers watched him while one gestured at him. A crippling feeling coursed through John's body. If they had come for him, he was royally fucked. How much more could he take before he too gave in?

"I'll be back." John said. He gave Sam's hand a comforting squeeze and rose from her bed. He walked toward the door and stepped into the hall.

The officers were waiting for him. "Staff Sargent Grimm."

"Yeah?" John asked.

"We need you to come with us." One said.

"For what?" John demanded.

"Debriefing and reassignment." The other explained.

"Bullshit." John replied. What the hell were up top thinking reassigning him so soon? Shit, they waited days after Vera had lost her unit before reassigning her to RRTS 6.

"Let's go."

The MP's escorted John from Sam's room. They stood on either side of him. As he was escorted through the halls, John surveyed the MP's. One seemed to favor his right side, possible injured untreated early on. The other had trouble retaining attention. He snorted mentally at the irony of the situation. But the irony was short lived the closer they came to their destination. Whatever had happened while RRTS 6 had been away, it sure as hell must've been important to pull him to active duty.

They reached the interrogation room and stopped. One of the officers opened the door and motioned for John to enter. John followed the suggestion and entered the room. At the other end of the room, John found himself face to face with the RRTS General. The look on the general's face told John that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. John took a deep breath and prepared himself for war. In the back of his head he could hear Vera pleading with him to get out before it was too late. As he heard the door close behind him, John realized just how quickly 'too late' had become.

I'M BACK! wow that wasn't long. Okay I know you all hate me for the last chapter of Doom...but did you notice the title? hope you guys enjoy this one as much as Mira and Doom!