"What in the name of Leviathan did you do?!" Rayne cried as Jade and Rude joined their friends in the lounge. Jade was right, the lights were out all over the building. Now all they could do was sit in complete darkness, until they figured out what to do.
"Rude did it!" Jade cired, pointing an accusing finger at the Turk "This is all his fault!"
"......." Rude only shruged as he felt his way towards a table. "Owww!" he winced in pain as his knee bumped a nearby chair.
"Theres a chair there ya dumby!" Jade smirked.
"Well now what?" Reno wanted to know "Are we just supposed to sit around in the dark, twiddling our thumbs?"
"Hey!" Jade shouted excitedly "Maybe Rufus will let us go home early tonight. I mean, we can't very well get any work done in the dark."
"I think you might be on to something." Rayne agreed "He has to let us go home."
"Think again." came a familair voice from the doorway. Rufus slowly made his way into the room, being careful not to trip over anything "No ones going anywhere until we figure out whats wrong with the power."
"Aww man!" Jade grumbled "You are so lame Ruffie!"
"That may be," Rufus replied "but you're still not leaving."
"The generators out too." Reeve called from the hall "It'd take all night to get it fixed. I guess we're just gonna have to crash here for the night."
A low mummer of disaproval swept through the group of friends. The idea of staying over night at work didn't sound too appealing. "Now wait a minute." Jade smiled "This might not be so bad. It could be like a big slumber party."
"Yeah!" Elena agreed happily "We can sit up and do each others hair and makeup."
"There is no way anyones doing my hair or makeup!" Reno cried "Count me out!"
"Fine by me." Jade replied "More fun for me and Laney." She paused a moment and glanced around the dim room. "Anyone seen papa?" she asked.
"Nope." Rayne replied "And I don't care to."
"Last time I saw him, he was on his way down to the lab." Tseng told them "He said something about checking on his specimens... That was half an hour ago."
"Shouldn't he be back by now?" Jade asked worridly "With the power out, it might be a good idea if we all stick together."
"I hate to admit it," Reno sighed "but the kids got a point. Maybe one of us should go find that little creep."
"Well don't look at me." Rayne shook her head "I could care less about that freak. No offense Jade."
"None taken."
"So whos gonna go look for Hojo?" Tseng asked, casting a glance around the room. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one moved. "Well?" Tseng asked again.
"I'll go!" Jade cried. She stood up and left the room, mumbling to herself. A moment later she stuck her head back in the room and smiled sheepishly in the dim light. "Someone go with me." she said "I don't wanna go down there by myself."
"I'll go." Rude and Reeve both replied at once. Both men stopped and looked at each other, as if trying to decide who should go.
"You can both go." Jade sighed "Now come on."
The two men shrugged as they followed Jade out of the room and down the hall. "You're probably worried over nothing Jadie." Reeve said "Your dads probably shut himself up down there, and doesn't want to be bothered."
"You're probably right." Jade replied "But I still want to check on him. I don't know why... but I have a bad feeling about something."
*********************************
The three of them slowly made their way down to the basement, with an extremely frightened Jade clinging to a blushing Reeve. "Whats with her?" Reeve asked, glancing down at the girl who was holding onto his arm in a death grip.
"Shes scared....." Rude replied with a slight smirk.
"I see."
"Its quiet down here..." Jade whispered softly "Its slightly unsettling."
"It is awfully quiet down here." Reeve agreed "I don't even hear any weird sounds coming from the lab."
"Is that good or bad?" Rude asked. Reeve and Jade only shrugged.
The deafing silence seemed to consume them as they approaced the door to the lab. "Oh my God!" Jade gasped suddenly and took a step back. At first glance, nothing appeard to be wrong, but a second look showed the two men what had upset their young friend. The lab door was ripped off it hinges and leaning against the wall, huge claw marks etched deeply into the thick metal.
"What the..." Rude tore his sunglasses off and stared at the door in utter disbelief. "What could've done this?" he asked quietly "The... the claw marks go straight into the metal...."
Jade just stared at the destroyed door with unblinking eyes. Suddenly, a thought entered her mind, causing her to rush past her friends and into the lab. "DAD!!!" she screamed in fear, not seeming to care about what she might run into. Her only thought was on her father.
"Jade no!" Rude tried to stop her, but he was too late. He and Reeve quickly followed the girl into the lab....or what was left of it. The whole place was destoyed, tables and chairs lay broken on the floor, cages were turned over, claw marks lined the walls... and the blood, so much blood. Jade was the first to notice it. It covered the floor and dripped down the walls.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Jade screamed in terror at the sight of the blood "Dad!! Oh God...papa...."
"Goddamnit shutup!" Rude placed his hand over Jades mouth to keep her quiet "Do you guys hear that?"
"What?" Reeve listened intently and scanned the dark room with his eyes. Faintly, a low growl sounded from a far corner of the lab.
Jades eyes widened in complete and utter fear. She tried to scream, but Rudes hand was still over her mouth.
"Go, NOW!" Rude cried, shoving Jade towards the door. The girl stumbled slightly, then regained her footing and bolted towards the only way out. After a brief second, it occured to her that her friends weren't with her. She halted in the doorway and spun around. A split second later she wished she had kept going.
Rude was nowhere in sight, but she could see Reeve. "Go, go, go!!!" he shouted at her. Jade started to turn back around and run, when she saw it.. A dark shadow moved behind her friend. It looked about 10ft tall, and it was distorted badly. Jade froze in place, her eyes fixed on the strange shadow.
"Reeve...." she barely managed a whisper, but it was too late. The frightened girl could only watch as a huge tenticle shot out of the darkness, grabbing her friend around the waist.
"AHHHHHH!!!" Reeve screamed in pain. That was the last sound he made before whatever it was completely ripped him in two. Blood splattered across Jades face and clothes, but she didn't scream, she didn't even move. She couldn't move. It wasn't until someone grabbed her from behind that she even made a sound. And then she screamed, a deafening, blood curdling scream....
"Rude did it!" Jade cired, pointing an accusing finger at the Turk "This is all his fault!"
"......." Rude only shruged as he felt his way towards a table. "Owww!" he winced in pain as his knee bumped a nearby chair.
"Theres a chair there ya dumby!" Jade smirked.
"Well now what?" Reno wanted to know "Are we just supposed to sit around in the dark, twiddling our thumbs?"
"Hey!" Jade shouted excitedly "Maybe Rufus will let us go home early tonight. I mean, we can't very well get any work done in the dark."
"I think you might be on to something." Rayne agreed "He has to let us go home."
"Think again." came a familair voice from the doorway. Rufus slowly made his way into the room, being careful not to trip over anything "No ones going anywhere until we figure out whats wrong with the power."
"Aww man!" Jade grumbled "You are so lame Ruffie!"
"That may be," Rufus replied "but you're still not leaving."
"The generators out too." Reeve called from the hall "It'd take all night to get it fixed. I guess we're just gonna have to crash here for the night."
A low mummer of disaproval swept through the group of friends. The idea of staying over night at work didn't sound too appealing. "Now wait a minute." Jade smiled "This might not be so bad. It could be like a big slumber party."
"Yeah!" Elena agreed happily "We can sit up and do each others hair and makeup."
"There is no way anyones doing my hair or makeup!" Reno cried "Count me out!"
"Fine by me." Jade replied "More fun for me and Laney." She paused a moment and glanced around the dim room. "Anyone seen papa?" she asked.
"Nope." Rayne replied "And I don't care to."
"Last time I saw him, he was on his way down to the lab." Tseng told them "He said something about checking on his specimens... That was half an hour ago."
"Shouldn't he be back by now?" Jade asked worridly "With the power out, it might be a good idea if we all stick together."
"I hate to admit it," Reno sighed "but the kids got a point. Maybe one of us should go find that little creep."
"Well don't look at me." Rayne shook her head "I could care less about that freak. No offense Jade."
"None taken."
"So whos gonna go look for Hojo?" Tseng asked, casting a glance around the room. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one moved. "Well?" Tseng asked again.
"I'll go!" Jade cried. She stood up and left the room, mumbling to herself. A moment later she stuck her head back in the room and smiled sheepishly in the dim light. "Someone go with me." she said "I don't wanna go down there by myself."
"I'll go." Rude and Reeve both replied at once. Both men stopped and looked at each other, as if trying to decide who should go.
"You can both go." Jade sighed "Now come on."
The two men shrugged as they followed Jade out of the room and down the hall. "You're probably worried over nothing Jadie." Reeve said "Your dads probably shut himself up down there, and doesn't want to be bothered."
"You're probably right." Jade replied "But I still want to check on him. I don't know why... but I have a bad feeling about something."
*********************************
The three of them slowly made their way down to the basement, with an extremely frightened Jade clinging to a blushing Reeve. "Whats with her?" Reeve asked, glancing down at the girl who was holding onto his arm in a death grip.
"Shes scared....." Rude replied with a slight smirk.
"I see."
"Its quiet down here..." Jade whispered softly "Its slightly unsettling."
"It is awfully quiet down here." Reeve agreed "I don't even hear any weird sounds coming from the lab."
"Is that good or bad?" Rude asked. Reeve and Jade only shrugged.
The deafing silence seemed to consume them as they approaced the door to the lab. "Oh my God!" Jade gasped suddenly and took a step back. At first glance, nothing appeard to be wrong, but a second look showed the two men what had upset their young friend. The lab door was ripped off it hinges and leaning against the wall, huge claw marks etched deeply into the thick metal.
"What the..." Rude tore his sunglasses off and stared at the door in utter disbelief. "What could've done this?" he asked quietly "The... the claw marks go straight into the metal...."
Jade just stared at the destroyed door with unblinking eyes. Suddenly, a thought entered her mind, causing her to rush past her friends and into the lab. "DAD!!!" she screamed in fear, not seeming to care about what she might run into. Her only thought was on her father.
"Jade no!" Rude tried to stop her, but he was too late. He and Reeve quickly followed the girl into the lab....or what was left of it. The whole place was destoyed, tables and chairs lay broken on the floor, cages were turned over, claw marks lined the walls... and the blood, so much blood. Jade was the first to notice it. It covered the floor and dripped down the walls.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Jade screamed in terror at the sight of the blood "Dad!! Oh God...papa...."
"Goddamnit shutup!" Rude placed his hand over Jades mouth to keep her quiet "Do you guys hear that?"
"What?" Reeve listened intently and scanned the dark room with his eyes. Faintly, a low growl sounded from a far corner of the lab.
Jades eyes widened in complete and utter fear. She tried to scream, but Rudes hand was still over her mouth.
"Go, NOW!" Rude cried, shoving Jade towards the door. The girl stumbled slightly, then regained her footing and bolted towards the only way out. After a brief second, it occured to her that her friends weren't with her. She halted in the doorway and spun around. A split second later she wished she had kept going.
Rude was nowhere in sight, but she could see Reeve. "Go, go, go!!!" he shouted at her. Jade started to turn back around and run, when she saw it.. A dark shadow moved behind her friend. It looked about 10ft tall, and it was distorted badly. Jade froze in place, her eyes fixed on the strange shadow.
"Reeve...." she barely managed a whisper, but it was too late. The frightened girl could only watch as a huge tenticle shot out of the darkness, grabbing her friend around the waist.
"AHHHHHH!!!" Reeve screamed in pain. That was the last sound he made before whatever it was completely ripped him in two. Blood splattered across Jades face and clothes, but she didn't scream, she didn't even move. She couldn't move. It wasn't until someone grabbed her from behind that she even made a sound. And then she screamed, a deafening, blood curdling scream....