Madness Bio-Haz 2

Chapter 9: Trouble at the Hotel

Lerioc and Lucius exited the sewers, the light making them squint. "Damn, that's brighter than what I'm used to."

"Let's just go...Lust's sensin' somethin'."

She nods and keeps walking, her tail swaying slowly. She looked around, her senses were going on the fritz as she rubbed the back of her head. She knew this feeling too well and looked for a building that they could take a small rest. She sighed as a Bar came into view. "Yo, Lucius...wanna get somethin' to drink?"

He looks at the building and nodded. "Might as well...we need to rest from that sewer."

They entered the building and the Bartender grinned upon seeing them. She nodded and sat down with Lucius next to her. She looked around as a bottle was sat down in front of her making her look at it. Her eyes went wide when she saw it was soda and looked at him. He nods and leaned toward them. "Long time, Leri..."

"That's an understatement, man. Anythin' good goin' on...after I left?"

"A guy with yellow shades came in with a two others not too long ago. They got a drink, then left after they downed it."

She nodded and took off her mask, she didn't care anymore about the look of her jaw bones as she took a drink. She sat it down and looked at him, he didn't bat an eyelid about the look either. "Which way did they go?"

"Toward the hotel, not too far from here."

She nods and looks around again, the feeling getting stronger. She shook her head and took another drink as the Bartender backed up slowly. She didn't notice him moving away as Lucius moves also. She was about to swallow the drink until a hand slapped down hard on her shoulder. She snorted and the soda came from her nose. "THE HELL?" She turned to see Deimos behind her. The grin on his face was enough to make her want to strangle him. She shuddered and wiped her nose with her arm as she glared at him. "Deimos...don't do that when I'm drinkin'!"

"Well, Leri. Looks like you made a mess here."

She flips him off and he laughs sitting down next to her as Lucius takes his seat again. They were quiet for a while until a siren rises and fades as a police car zooms by. She rolled her eyes and looked at Deimos. "What's been happenin' with ya guys?"

"Well...nothing much. Just trying to keep the peace from breaking. It's been much more peaceful since the drives have been destroyed."

"That's not an understatement...The Auditor's gotten more...how can I say this?"

"Non-Mental?"

She looks at Lucius and tried not to laugh, knowing he was right. She takes a drink after looking around and looks at the door. Something was bothering her. "When did they leave?"

"A few hours...um, three to be exact."

She nods and keeps looking at the door. Leri we got somethin' don't we? She nods at the question and downs the rest of the soda with one gulp. She threw the money down and tugged at Lucius to follow.

They stepped out as Deimos followed too making her look at him. "Don't ya have somethin' to do with ya team?"

"They're gone and I've got nothing better to do."

"Wait, they left ya?"

"No. They had to do a small errand and I decided to come here and get the usual until I saw you."

They made it to the Hotel and Lucius looked at her. She was feeling something and it clashed with her senses even more. "I'm goin' in, guys. I got a feelin' that a ya know what's in there."

Deimos looked at her blankly as Lucius groaned. She walked inside and looked around. The front desk was empty as so was the rest of the place. "Damn, talk about dead."

She shook her head as she remembered something and looked back at the door. "Didn't this place use to be shut down?"

Deimos turned to her and nodded. "Yeah, it was. I'm surprised it wasn't boarded up and unlocked."

They looked up as there was a creak to see the chandelier swaying dangerously fast. "Well...that's a shocker." She heard the snap and pushed them out of the way as it fell.

Lucius looked at the fallen chandelier and scrambled to get up as he saw the glass shards, broken and impaled, in her. He knelt down and she looked at him with a small chuckle. "Nice save?"

He looked up as Deimos tried to get the chandelier off of her. It finally came off after a while and she sat up with a groan, pulling the shard out with ease. "Thanks, Dei. I owe ya one."

"Ya owe me two, Leri. Let's get."

She held up a claw and stood up. "Not until I get this hunch of mine away. There's somethin' wrong when the team goes into a buildin' like this. Gettin' my drift?"

They nod and made their way up the stairs, making sure that they don't fall through. Deimos let out a small scream as a stair collapsed from under him. She grabbed him and pulled him to her stair with wide eyes. She continued and looked round on the second floor, the feeling increasing. She jumped as a pair of voices were heard and she relaxed as she remembered who it was. "ATP's been acting weird lately, Ivan."

"So, I've noticed. He's not the same anymore, after that overgrown lizard told him something."

"She had something, Ivan. I knew it when I saw her behind me on the roof. Why did he hesitate the first time, I don't know."

"You think he's better now that we're here, Natasha?"

There was silence as the footsteps got nearer Lerioc and her group. "He's...I don't know. He's not acting the same."

They appeared from around the corner and stopped dead as they saw the group. Ivan pointed at Lerioc with a glare, making her raise her claws in defense. "YOU!"

"What did I do, now?"

"Don't toy with us, Lizard. What happened to our boss the last time you saw him."

"The hell I'd know. I've been at the Factory for some time now. Goin' out due to some trouble. What's goin' on?"

"He almost tried to kill us one time...a few days ago, to be exact. Then, he came here with us. I don't know what's with him...wanting to come to an empty, rundown hotel."

She knew this was too familiar now. She went up and put an arm around each of their shoulders pulling them from her group. She glanced back to see that she was far enough to talk without Lucius and Deimos getting in the conversation. "Listen, guys...I need to see him. Also, anythin' that ya noticed like pains, screamin', or somethin' that ya thought was just plain weird?"

Ivan looked at her like she was crazy and shook his head. "He has been having a few fits of screaming. We were about to go inside out base when we heard the first one. I couldn't make out what he was yelling about but he sounded like he was in pain when he talked to us that same day."

She nodded and motioned with her head. "Lead the way, will ya? I gotta see this for myself."

Natasha was the first to lead as Ivan groaned. She followed them as Leric's voice screamed at her from inside. She glared at the ground muttering for her to shut up as they stopped at the door. Her head shot up as she heard a voice, it wasn't his at all. She glanced at Ivan and Natasha and they looked at her. "Ya hearin' this?"

"I'm hearing it...and I'm not liking what I'm hearing. What the Hell's going on?"

"One moment and I'll find out soon enough. Door locked?"

They shook their head and she opened the door. She was greeted by a few bullets hitting her right shoulder. "THE HELL?"

She held her shoulder as she glared at the now crazed ex-boss of hers. Even from behind the yellow shades she saw something that she wished she didn't. "Well...look who decided to show their good for nothing face."

She slammed the door shut before the rest of his team could come in and locked it, her tail curling tightly. "Well...I'm hurt...not that it matters. I'm surprised to see ya face out of all others here...Pride."

The other voice from inside ATP scoffed as he cocked the pistol at her again. "Wrath...what a pleasure again...damn, I've forgotten how much you actually sucked at staying on a team."

Leric glared at him from behind her counterpart, still stuck in her back. She pointed and let out a growl. "That's what ya think, Pal. I'm surprised Gluttony didn't shoot ya like he has the others."

He took another shot and they ducked. Lerioc glared at him and ran up, picking him up by the face. As he was lifted the gun dropped. "Leric....get the door. They need to see what's been botherin' their boss." Leric got out completely and opened the door quickly. They gasped as they saw he was in trouble. She held up a claw and looked back. "Guys...this is why ya need to watch ya back like I told him last time. Anti hurt when they take over without permission." There was a sudden red flash as she looked down, the real ATP falling to the floor. A darkened version left in her claw. The purple, almost black, shades were shattered from the forced extraction "Come and get him, ya two. I gotta take care of this faggot." . They ran over and pulled him gently away as she threw the Anti against the wall. There was a sickening crack as it hit. She nodded as Leric got back into her body. "I think I'll go ahead and kill Pride, what do ya think?"

They both shouted in agreement, glaring at the now broken Pride on the floor. "I think I broke his back...that's good then. Don't have to worry about that then." The glasses fell away as she slapped the Anti, empty eye sockets met her glare and glared right back. "Well, that's surprisin'. What Pride actually looks like behind the glasses, nothin' at all."

"You're dead meat...bitch."

He tried to get up but found he couldn't move. She chuckled as she picked up the pistol that he had, aiming at point blank right between the eyes. The shot rang out for a little while after she pulled the trigger, Pride now laying limp against the blue splattered wall. "Oh how lovely..." She grimaced and dropped the gun, blued also by the shot. She glanced back and turned around to face them. "How's he doin'?"

"He's got a pulse, so right now he's good. Damn, why didn't I see that?"

"Ya don't know the symptoms of an Anti possession. Ya pretty much need to have it happen to know it truly. I'll stay until he comes to. I actually feel bad for usin' that process." She picked up his glasses and looked them over, not a crack was seen. She handed them to Ivan as she knelt down, shaking her head. "Why do I have to feel so guilty? I feel like I almost killed him." They looked at him as a weak chuckle was heard. "Me getting killed by you? I don't think so."

She sighed and shook her head, relieved that he was alive. "It's more vise versa, probably."

He grinned and took his glasses from Ivan as he stood. He looked around and shook his head as he saw what had taken him over. "Let's get out of this place before it collapses or something." He said as he looked up at the ceiling. She was the first to get out of the room, the others following closely.

They stood outside the Hotel, Lerioc quiet as the dead. She jumped as she felt someone push her gently and looked to see ATP. "What?"

"You look like you're about to kneel over and die on the spot."

She realized that she must be pretty pale from the encounter and rubbed the back of her head. "Thinkin'. This was just too awkward to just drop. It ain't an easy drop situation either."

"I understand. Oh...thanks for saving my ass in there. I thought I would never get back."

She looked at the sidewalk and nodded in agreement. "At least ya weren't shot to get the Anti out."

They were quiet as a semi roared by. She sighed and turned to walk away. "This ain't good bye knowin' ya, ATP."

"Same here, Leri. Same here."

They left as she watched, turning around as they were out of sight. She yelped as a pair of red eyes were staring at her, an amused gleam in them. "I scared you?"

"Boss...don't do that!"

He chuckled and looked back as Ray and Eight came up. Deimos stepped back, still not comfortable around the ATP Agent. Lucius got to her side and looked at her. "So, what's the agenda now?"

She was quiet again as she thought. Leric's voice nagged at her saying she needed her weapon. She groaned and looked back. This wasn't going to bode well with the past experience. "What?"

"I need to go back to the Anti Realm...a certain someone needs her security weapon.'

The Auditor looked at her in confusion and what she said hit Ray like a sack of bricks. "You've been possessed?!"

"No no no...it's nothin' like that, Ray. She's helpin' me and I'm helpin' her. A treasonous Anti now...she needs me more than I thought. She was about shot. Damn my compassion, but it's too much for me to take when she gives me the puppy dog eyes."

The Auditor looked at her blankly as Eight was trying hard not to laugh. He shook of the blank look and pointed at her. "If you do go, then take someone. It isn't safe there from what I heard from Eight."

She glares at Eight and he gave her a smug look. "I would sooooooo slash ya right now."

"That doesn't scare me, Leri. You don't scare me."

She flipped him off making Ray laugh and The Auditor sigh as he shook his head. "Do I need to put a collar on both of you?"

Her eyes went wide as he said that and she shook her head. Eight glared at him and raised his mask. "That's not cool, Boss."

He shrugged and looked around. "Well, no use going back to the Factory right now. I'm still stewing over Warden's secret and..." He grimaced and tensed at the thought making her put her arm around him. He looked at her and looked away. "Relax, Boss...I've been meanin' to beat the shit outta that snot nosed freak. I'll do it as a favor for ya."

He chuckled at that and patted her shoulder. "I don't know what I would do without you, Leri...almost the same thoughts, it's scary."

"Eh, I could think of worse."

He looked away and shook his head again, but knew she could. "Well, where are we going to spend the night at? It's getting dark fast and it's not safe out here in the dark."

Eight grinned and crossed his arms as she thought. "And I wonder why, Boss?"

"The drive's off so we have nothin' to worry about that's random...we could go back to the Bar, he has some rooms upstairs that he could lend to us for the night."

Deimos looked at her in surprise. "You know him that well?"

"Ya don't wanna know how either...so, shall we?"

They nodded and made their way toward the Bar, getting there as it was pitch dark out.

The Bartender looked up and grinned at her, leaning on the counter. "Needing a few rooms I suppose?"

"Yeah...we do."

He reaches under the counter and threw her the keys. "Anyone who's family I'll help gladly."

She caught them and nodded a thanks as she looked at the now grown team. "Well, let's get to the rooms and decide who gets what."

They walked to the rooms and stood in the hall. The Auditor looked at her and motioned for her to go on. "Well...all I can say is pick ya room...last room with few takers will be mine."

She waited as they took their rooms and she sighed with relief as she found she's with Ray like usual. She entered the room and sat down on the extra bed. He looked at her and shrugged as he took off his mask. "Well, at least it isn't Eight. He'll pester you for hours when you're trying to sleep."

She laughed and nodded in agreement as he took off his jacket and tie. She took off her mask and stretched, seems like all the joints cracked in unison. She stifled a yelp as she remembered the bullets were still lodged into her shoulder. He came over as he saw the pain in her face. He looked at her shoulder and glanced at her. "I'll be right back...I need to get something to keep you from yelling."

"Wait, what?"

He left and returned a few minutes later with a small rope. He wrapped it around her head from under her chin, clasping her jaws shut. She tried to talk but found she couldn't say a thing as he pushed her flat on her back. He was staring at the wound for some time until he poked the tip of his nail into it. She closed her eyes as her toes curled, the pain was too much. She heard a clink as the first lodged bullet fell to the floor. She almost passed out after the third one hit the floor. He undid the rope and threw it into the corner as he pulled her into his side. She looked at him and he gave a small smile in return. "You fine, now?"

She nods and gets closer, happy that he wasn't alone anymore. He held her close as he stared out the window. Finally, he looked at her as he laid down. He picked her up and put her on his chest. They fell asleep after awhile, her pain come and gone. The Auditor looked in and nodded in approval as he made his rounds on checking the rooms for anything suspicious.