STORM: What do ya know, I finally pluck up enough sense to finally update but you all know how it is working full time (and I do now at a hospital //how's the irony at that!//) so don't land me in A & E alright 

-xXx-

Hell's reign.

…Brother!

It felt like time geared into neutral, as that one word seemed to reverberate through my thoughts. It couldn't be…it just couldn't. Yet there was the street special, ears flattened backward, icy eyes glazed over in pure rage and lips peeled back over wet teeth and snarling.

I never knew fear until now. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't move. Magnus was just too much. He was strong…insanely strong. Rafe seemed like child's play compared to this werewolf on steroids…

The bones in my wrists were just about touching under the strain his paws were exerting and I couldn't take the pain any longer. I cried out and growled at him, "Your brother huh?" I spat, "…I thought I could smell the family resemblance!"

That retort didn't gel with his pride at all. The look in his eyes showed his temper blew like phosphorus out of the water. He snarled and went for my throat, the proximity almost too close for me to create the mental force field in time. Yet he stopped when a high-pitched whine rang through the air. We both looked in the general direction to see a huge barrel staring Magnus in the right eye.

Magnus froze as the woman he thought he had restrained earlier, leveled the new Ultra-Sonic-Vortex-Cannon at him with an amused smirk on her face.

"Well I thought something smelled like wet dog in here." She announced as the cannon thrummed and the lights along the barrel blinked on gradually with renewed power.

Magnus eyes shrank with horror for rumour taught him enough to know that one blast from that thing could reduce any living matter into tainted applesauce!

I could have sworn I heard a faint yip under his breath and I squeezed my eyes shut, half expecting the gruesome blow to throw blood and gray matter everywhere but no such luck would deal Magnus that bad hand.
No…instead the cannon chose this golden opportunity to somehow lose power. The lights dimmed and the thrum of the cells powering down signaled impending doom. Magnus sneered above the barrel at the woman –already losing the colour in her cheeks- and brutally kicked her backward.

I gasped in surprise, yet before I could throw the mutt in the opposite direction, a deafening roar boomed and suddenly, something muscle bound ploughed into Magnus' side. He yelped and was sent careening through what was left of the computer hardware.

I scuttled backward but stopped as I recognized it was Ray'jin standing guard beside me. His fists were clenched, body ripped with intensity as he kept his amber eyes trained on the hellhound. Ray'jin hissed and looked over at me as I turned over and coughed before trying to pick myself up.

Feeling a strong hand on my right shoulder and help pick me up, Ray'jin rattled.
"Are you alright, Shur'ie?" he asked.

"I could be worse off…you?" I said after shaking my head slightly to get my brain cells back into some coherent order.

"Fresh air always did me good." He growled lightly, tipping his head.

A corner of my mouth curled up into a smile, "Glad I could help you out of there."

A mandible flicked out in a sort of 'predatory' smile.

I smiled in return then grew serious. "Now if I wasn't concerned about that scientist who cared enough to help me out, I'd say point me in the right direction of that mongrel so I can punch his canines in!"

Ray'jin's hand on my shoulder halted me in my tracks. "See to it that she's not too injured." He rattled, "My business with him is now personal." He finished, eyes narrowing and directing his attention over his shoulder as Magnus began to lift the combined weight of most of the laboratory paraphernalia off of him.

He was right, for this coarse of action was logical as I could help that scientist if she was fatally injured… I consoled with myself, remembering Tania and realizing that time was running out if she was. I dipped my chin and skipped out of the way as Magnus threw a computer off his chest before regaining his footing, snarling back at Ray'jin and charging him.

I heard glass shatter and metal clashed behind me as they went for each other's throats. Reaching the side of a wall flanked by a work desk beside what was left of my tank where I presumed the poor woman landed, I helped her out of the mess she was in by using my power to lift the junk off her.

She winced and moaned in pain as she held the right side of her rib cage. Not good, I thought and knelt beside her, immediately asking if she was ok.

The woman could barely speak and was finding it very hard to breath. A spot of bright red blood showed in the corner of her lip, confirming her ribs were broken and quite obviously puncturing a lung…
"Hold on, I can help you with that." I assured her, holding my hands open over her chest.

She seemed unsure at first and stared at me, a surreptitious hint of unrest in her eyes before they widened as she felt the warm subtle glow radiating in comforting waves in her chest. She stopped wide-eyed, unable to speak and I just smiled and helped her up.

"How on earth…erm…hey are you OK?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I replied, "…you get used to it. Come on, let's get out of here." I prompted.
"Vanessa's the name."
I smiled, "…Storm."

Vanessa glanced from me to the trashed computer then back to find me heading off.

"Hey wait a sec!" Vanessa yelped and promptly followed.

-xXx-

We both nearly ran skull first into another terminal that Magnus hauled at Ray'jin, whom, -thank God- sidestepped without being clipped. With the mental field up in a protective sphere around the scientist and myself, the tower followed by a trailing keyboard and slammed into the shield. Vanessa yelped then covered her head as some half trashed, oversized test tube canister or whatever followed.

Ray'jin was fast for his size plus brawn as he dodged and encroached into Magnus' side of the field quicker than we thought conceivable. Ray'jin was not armed in any way yet and still didn't have his mask or any armour except his wristcuffs. It was just narrowed down to W.W. E. RAW when Magnus decided to 'put his wings on' and pounce on him.

No longer bothering about the field, I grabbed Vanessa and dragged her out of their way. Magnus yelped as Ray'jin pulled one of his wings back as they landed beside us.

Something rolled beside Vanessa's foot and she nearly succeeded in clinging onto the above light fitting. I looked down to see another broken canister… still wet inside…
"Wasn't there something in stasis in there?" Vanessa asked warily.

My blood ran cold as the chilling sound of blades suddenly rang out, silencing the brawl. I looked to see twin jagged blades were on show and digging deep into the underside of Magnus' left arm…
but that's not what was bothering me. My mind was still on the canister… and the horror was that I had just figured out the answer to Vanessa's question.
That thought froze me to the bone.

"Ray'jin, Facehugger loose!" I warned and trained my senses on every sound and corner of the lab.

Clanking sounded overhead and Magnus, despite the near fatal wound inflicted, swung his right arm at Ray'jin. The blades came loose as he took it in the ribs.
Above me, metal claws pierced and pulled back the ceiling grids like the top of a Sardine can.

The Xenobot shrieked and Ray'jin noticed with a sideways glance. The danger was even more real as well as the odds. He snarled and threw Magnus back into the trashed heart of the lab and veered around to guard my six.

My mind focused to locate the Facehugger, laying low, just waiting for the right moment to spring. I could take care of myself but I was fully aware of Vanessa's mortality that had me guarding her round the peripheral clock.

Vanessa was scared, only just coming to terms with this nightmare staring us in the face. She stepped back as I looked over my shoulder to locate a new life force in the room. It was a little harder to see the cloaked figure this time, but Vanessa wheeled around to see what she bumped into.

The Predator uncloaked, arm outstretched and fired some wire net at the Xenobot. The alien flew back, shrieking…
Two more nets followed.

-xXx-

Rayjin stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his father. Rajitar lowered the weapon and barked a quick order, "My son, get the winged one out of here, find your things and rendezvous with the clan at the perimeter."

Ray'jin pulled his mandibles together, "For honour's sake, you think I would abandon the hun-"
"Don't thwart my word." Rajitar warned, "You know she's the key to this plot, I'm counting on you to prevent it!"

-xXx-

Gosh even I felt small at that caped predator's bellow. Vanessa also looked a shade lighter…

Ray'jin tipped his head briefly, "Understood"and gripped my shoulder lightly, "We have to leave Shur'ie."

"What about Vanessa?" I asked.

Vanessa lifted her head at the sound of her name, "No. Go. I'll find the security control room and aid you from there."

I turned, "You sure?"

Vanessa breathed deeply, " Positive, just go."

What sounded like bubble wrap being wrung, confirmed the Xenobot had torn the nets apart. A workstation flipped as it shrieked.

"Now!" the caped predator barked.

Ray'jin and I sprinted for the open corridor. The Xenobot hissed, leaped forward to jump sideways and propel itself off the adjacent wall after us.

Looking back I telepathically halted it in mid-air. Spearheads flew from somewhere out of my vantage point and threw the alien sideways. Those that managed to wedge themselves between the cyborg's metal plating, pegged it to the wall from there.

Though the alien still managed to yank the spears out, it provided enough time for the caped predator to shoot another spearhead into the door control panel. The door closed with no way to open from the inside.

"Hmm…" I looked down both sides of the open corridor. What looked like steps started up to the floor above us was at one end. The other side seemed to look like it was prepped for further development, most likely to expand these lower catacombs.
So the stairs was it and I headed towards them. Our near silent footsteps were amplified through this hall until the stairs finally greeted us. Looking up confirmed they allowed entrance to two more floors. It was clear the true belly of this place lay hidden up there and it felt daunting.

Ray'jin started up the steps, looking down my way and indicating with a claw to be quiet. I nodded once and followed him up to the next floor.

As Murphy's Law would have it, the high security door was air tight, and your only pass was most likely Dr. Philip's eyeball on a stick.

My lower lip hung as I glared at the retina scanner. Ray'jin barely gave off an audible rattle and used his wrist blades to wrench off the circuit board cover.

He didn't hesitate to lift his arm and activate his wrist computer. A quick key sequence later and it chirruped with its new settings. Then Ray'jin brought his arm close to the panel and activated one of the touch screens with a claw and immediately, some static charge spat out and played hopscotch along the circuitry.
Within moments, the circuits overloaded, their ram scrambled and the door obligingly swished open.

The corridor that splayed open the next floor was washed in gray, clammy and filled with synthetic air. Pulling my nose up, the view reminded me of the crash on Korari. Just like on the Verloc, the hall screamed 'no-man's land' and reeked of an ambush.

We quickly crossed the corridor, splitting up to check different rooms to cover more ground but always keeping ourselves within eye and earshot. The search seemed to go on forever, revealing a small canteen, some sleeping quarters and a small room was used as an armoury.

Taking a peek through a view window in a door, I guessed I found what Ray'jin was after. Motioning him over, he confirmed and played 'open-says-me' with the door. He boldly strode in and I found myself grinning…I mean…he DID seem a bit desperate.

Keeping and ear trained down the hall, I peeked in and found him lifting the spear that gave this room away. Ray'jin rattled disdainfully before locating the rest of his armament. Dark gray-blue tinted chest plates clicked in between shoulder armour and metal plating rested over his thighs. The spear was sheathed in its rightful place followed by his mask and the rest of his deadly arsenal.
A true hunter to behold.
My ears pricked as I heard a definite faint scuttle echo through the hall and I froze instantly, getting together enough sense to lightly rap my fingers against the doorframe to get his attention.

I started first. Ray'jin was soon behind me but it did little to put me at ease. I was tense and on edge. I wanted to hunt this thing down and squish it because one thing's for sure, I was in no mood to be intimidated by another one of these eight-legged freaks.

I never really liked spiders anyway.

My hackles rose as I carefully peeked around a corner. Power tapped and ready for anything but no freak of the universe jumped out at me. Instead, another empty corridor lay ahead ending abruptly at a double door.
The culprit of the suspect noise was a lone camera in the left corner, whirring in and out of focus.
Shot, I nearly swore!

"Sorry about that, I was trying to figure out how to get the mikes to work with this thing."

I froze, trying to distinguish where the voice was coming from.

"Up here…the camera."

Ray'jin and I both looked up. "Vanessa?" I asked dumbly in surprise as realization dawned.

"Sorry about this, Storm but the system is only one way. You can hear me but I'm afraid I can't hear you."

"Charming…" I mumbled, "not charades again."

"Charades?" Ray'jin inquired.

Now I must've visibly sweat-dropped at the whole idea and looked up at him. "It's a game." I explained, "Where you're not allowed to talk but use a crude sense of sign language so your team can guess what you're describing."

Ray'jin pulled his back, "Oomans have weird games."

"You don't know the half of it." I relayed sideways.

Being the male that he is, Ray'jin rattled in a -dare I say- rather amused way.

I mulled over our situation and lifted up a finger, "Hang on I have an idea." and fleeted down the hall from whence we came and back into the 'weapon observation room'. I recalled seeing a white paper aisle where notes where being made. The aisle was burned now with every shred of evidence destroyed but the black marker now lay forgotten against the skirting near a folder cabinet.

Swiping up the marker, I hastily made my way back. The camera turned on me as I approached the far wall. Ray'jin rattled with curiosity as I pulled the cap off with a smile on my face.
"I always wanted to do this." I said with a shadow of dark glee and introduced the marker to the wall, writing; 'Where looking for a way out.' Across the wall's pristine surface so Vanessa could read through the camera.

"Heh, you're smarter than I gave you credit for. So you're looking for a way out huh? Hang on a minute, I'll use the data here to work out the safest exit route for you…gosh…the place is crawling…"

My face went grim.

"…Ok I have it. It's risky but it's the best I've got. Those robots are patrolling the halls so you're only exit is through hell. Back up and go left. Take the first right, skip the next two rights and take the third. There's a double elevator along that corridor. Take it. There's another camera so I'll brief you from there."

I nodded and turned to Ray'jin while capping the marker and sheathing it in my skirt's waistline by my hip for later use, "Let's get to it then."

Ray'jin's hand was soon on my shoulder halting me in my tracks. "You sure we can trust that ooman?" he said in a low voice.

"Certainly." I said, looking him in the visor of his mask. He nodded once and we where soon out of Vanessa's sight.

-xXx-

… to be continued.

……..

Your reviews of course are welcome! –bats lashes-

- §torm