STORM: Allo everyone (smiles sweetly) ya know what I love about updating a fic? Ur story is at the top of the charts again! XD

Enjoy… and to appease your reading experience even further, this chap was inspired by the song: Blood Red Skies by Judas Priest. Album: Metal Works. Find it. Play it… and let the fun begin!
…and if you wanna know when's a good time to start playing it, Id say… when they reach a bolted door to the roof.

…………..

-xXx-

Blood Red Skies.

I located the elevator soon enough and activated the call button. Ray'jin tilted his head inquisitively as the doors opened and followed me inside the lift. As promised, there was another camera inside and the lenses soon whirred to life.
Vanessa spoke in a low voice. "Right… you'll need to go to floor four."

I studied the panel. Judging from the digital display, we were quite deep underground by three floors and pressed the '4' button. Ray'jin tensed as the doors closed. I could empathize with him thou. The last thing even I needed was to be cooped up in another box.
The elevator thrummed as it cranked itself up, headed for the surface and beyond.

"Ok Storm here's the scoop. As soon as those doors open, you'll see the hall splits left and also lies straight ahead of you. Hold the doors and when I give the go, head straight down. You'll see a narrow stairwell on your right and… wait… no! Go the other way!!" Vanessa suddenly hissed at he end.

I eyed the camera. The panel now read Floor one.

"Shit! Storm, one of those things is about to walk past on Four! It'll see the lights!! You have to get out of there!"

I felt my eyes widen. "Crap!" I hissed and all too suddenly Ray'jin pushed up a service hatch leading to the top of the elevator. I spun in surprise. Nice thinking!
Ray'jin gave a sharp click and before I knew it, he grabbed me around the hips and hoisted me up so that my shoulders cleared the hatch. My wings were plastered to my back and I hastily pulled myself up to the top of the ascending elevator. Ray'jin for his part gathered his strength and jumped up, clearing the hatch and holding onto one of the cables for support. We were nearing floor three now and acting quickly, Ray'jin pulled out a set of small pincer like gadgets that opened their twin bladed maws like the jaws of a large Hercules beetle upon activation.
Swiftly, he closed the hatch and planted the strange devices into position. They whined and I suppose my cocked eyebrow begged the question.
Ray'jin tilted his mask in my direction. "Remote Bombs." He answered while pulling out another one of his strange weapons, this one's barrel sporting a ring of sharp pins out in the front.

I just about recoiled. "Bombs!" I squeaked as Ray'jin aimed the thing at the hatch and fired a web like wire net over it. Effectively blocking it from opening…or in the aliens' case, at the very least, stall them and give us the precious time we so desperately needed.

We were now ascending level three and Ray'jin clicked again with urgency, "Hurry Shur'ie, start flying!"
I scoped the elevator shaft and decided that is was no place for flying anyway and grabbed onto one of the cables and immediately got yanked upward. Ray'jin rattled and did the same, holding onto the cable tightly as I held on for dear life.

Using my big and second toes to grip the cable like a monkey would, I was able to climb up more efficiently. We were slowing down now to the rim of the door that lead to level six and then it stopped altogether. I nearly gulped when I heard the distinct sound of the elevator reaching its destination and the double doors opened for I could see light stream in through the seams. Vanessa's suspicions were proved correct as a dark shadow moved through the stream of light and into the elevator. I climbed faster.

Ray'jin was just behind me and to tip the odds against us even further, I discovered that six was where it ended. There were no more floors above. From what I could see, a side of the elevator shaft was see through, like there was metal mesh separating the shaft and what looked like a bit of a stairwell.
I looked down at Ray'jin and opened up a mental link with his mind to preserve the silence, // Can you cut through that up there? //

Ray'jin rumbled, the vibrations running up the cable, nearly tickling my toes as I came near the diamond mesh fencing. I chanced the leap and clutched the twisted wire with everything I had.
Then the clanking started. The Xenobot figured where we were. From here, I could see the elevator light outlining the seams of the hatch brighten and dim as the Xenobot pounded at it.

Ray'jin used his weight to swing the cable and then hold onto the mesh as well. He periscoped his spear and with a grinding slash, the fine blades tore through the wire mesh like the proverbial hot knife through butter.

Ray'jin's little makeshift lock below was beginning to fail and we pulled the flaps in the fence aside. Just then… the net tore away completely… an awesome explosion… a screech… the cables snapping and recoiling in a whiplash then ultimately the terrible squeal of the elevator beginning to plummet.
We dove through onto the stairwell before the fire and shrapnel could bite at our backs.

Heart brutally pounding the wall of my sternum I caught my breath and we made our way up the stairs to the roof of the complex.
Coming face to face with yet another bolted door, I slipped the bolt back and walked outside. Wet air permeated with the heavy dose of ozone and thunder choked my senses and for once in a long time, I grinned.
Now it's on.

My wings itched restlessly with anticipation to grope the open air once more. Freedom burned with the intensity of the setting sun peering through the rifts of the restless cloud around exploding and dumping everything they had all around till the city was whitewashed in a curtain of rain.
This was no longer a petty little storm… this was a hurricane ready to wipe this place off the map!

I was soaked through. Beads of rainwater trailing down my legs as my feet waded through shallow water and found the edge of the rooftop. Ray'jin stood by my side as if triumphant, looked down and made a sound somewhat like a quick bark. Someone else returned his call in a similar gesture from down below and then there was a series of roars. I focused on the threatening figures below, discovering more predators… a whole hunting party of around eight, raising their spears towards us, their ascending note of victory reaching our ears.

Ray'jin looked over at me and motioned with his clawed hand before leaping down to join them.
I followed by pushing off and gliding down with him, adopting the way an eagle glides in a widening gyre while hunting.

Black bodies lay like grizzly specters around when I landed on the tarmac. I eyed them, their prized kills (headless of course), but only a few of them where now offline. My gaze flashed back to the buildings, judging the windows, watching for any movement to betray their positions. There I knew they would not stop there.
Dr. Philips would never stop.

Every hunter stood still in what I gathered to be undulated awe at my very presence. Thou their expressions were hidden behind their masks, their hearts betrayed everything and a very familiar predator stepped out from among them, the ghastly head of a fallen Xenobot run through the tip of his spear as he approached me. Drek'va.

I smiled and a dull thump behind me signaled that Ray'jin had finally reached the ground. Drek'va rattled and conversed with Ray'jin for a moment while I kept a wary eye on the windows. I knew it was only a matter of time before my creator retaliated. I held no fear however but harboured pure determination that reformed itself into a mask of my own that would face this battle till the end.

From where I stood, Ray'jin seemed relieved yet his nerves strings played like a violin, the music a chilling melody that made the thought of Armageddon all the more real.
Indeed I agreed, it was breathing down our necks…

I blinked the rainwater from my eyes as another atomic crack of thunder shredded the sky. A sky so beaten up, catching the last rays of the burning sun hanging on the horizon like gauze of cotton wool that soaked up the blood of all my inner wounds.
Around me, some of the predators rattled and chattered. Lightning flashed again, reflecting off the glass of the windows… and a barrel.
Wait.
I must've been seeing things and snapped my view to the suspected window.
It was Adrian.

What sounded like a whip cracking, a mini blue comet sailed to the window. He ducked out of the way before the wall exploded and tried to get another shot in with the rifle in his arms. I didn't think, just acted and struck my hand out, throwing the field out in front of Ray'jin. The surface rippled as the bullet ricocheted into the sky.

My fury sparked and I just about snarled in Adrian's direction before propelling myself through the air after him!
Barks ascended behind me as I honed in on my target. The wind had whipped the rain into Adrian's fur, making him look deranged in the neon light of lightning as it flashed randomly. Adrian quickly aimed the rifle to shoot me down. The barrel chucked with random bursts of fire but I forced the bullets to get caught in the field so that they wouldn't deflect at odd angles below and possibly hit my newfound friends.

Eyes ablaze, I barreled full force toward him with the brass bullets glittering around me. I veered sharply to the left and he anticipated as much, ducking out of harm's way as I let the bullets loose around him.
My speed went unrivaled as panel after panel of black glass blurred beneath me in near solid parallel lines. Suddenly, glass shattered ahead and a well-swung armoured tail sent me careening into the pavement below.

I clawed myself out of the small crater I dug into the cement blocks and glared at the creature responsible coming down on me from above. I ducked blindly out of the way of being skewered as its tail slammed into the spot I was in only milliseconds before.

I took off on a complete frontal assault as it turned on me and I used my forward momentum to leap up its arched form and propel myself up into the air. It screeched once again and tore up the wall after me.
I veered backward into open air, needing to find something…anything to use to my advantage. Glass rained down as the remaining Xenobots burst through the windows and came down on the hunters once again.

The hunters welcomed the rematch without pause. Water splashed up as the Xenobots met the front line and came after me as well.
I landed among my new comrades and joined the fight on the ground. Two of the monsters pounced at me.
Mistake number one.
I used my abilities to send them careening into opposite walls of buildings flanking the open streets. The walls imploded and brick and rubble crumbled around them. I ducked just as one failing to crush a hunter's mask in, took a blinding slash at me with its tail.

Adrenalin surging through my stampeding heart contradicted the world appearing to move in slow motion around me. How my mind could deny and fool me at the rate the real world was moving in. Yet this was when our human form is at it's best. Should my systems be operating any faster, I'd be dodging bullets.
Who would have thought such wonder and marvel could prove nearly fatal. Heh…can anybody say 'Irony'?

Overwhelmed with astonishment, my weight flew off center. A growing puddle surged to fill my vision and envelop the ends of my hair. Ripples radiated outward as that black void suddenly retreated.
That feeling of dread mixed with horror or otherwise morbid curiosity forced me to look up dumbly into the hair-masked chrysoprase eyes of my captor.
Black-mottled lips peeled back to reveal sharp teeth in a frightening grin. Lightning flashed behind him and his fur outlining his form lit up as if he was on fire.

The force exerted on my ankle sent hot rods of pain to tear though my leg as he leaned in closer…

"Surprise!" Justin hissed.

"JEES F - - K!!"

I'm sure I've never sworn so badly before, but my reaction was so fast and so hard, I felt the numb impact of my other heel under his jaw in an instant uppercut. Justin's head flew up and he suddenly let me go so he could clutch his ringing teeth. Gravity clawed at my sides then cold water splashed up through my splayed fingers and up my wrists as my palms plunged through that growing pool to meet the obscured dark tar beneath. My form bent backward in an arc till the spray of more water tickled my shins as my feet found solid ground again.

I looked up through the wet tassels of my hair hanging over my eyes, ready to bowl into his guts. Suddenly, a frightening snarl came from behind him and as he turned, I was greeted with a gore-strung spear tip erupting through his back. Justin roared with pain and staggered back with the pole wavering in the air. Now I could see Ray'jin in a throwing stance. He must've tossed the telescopic spear aiming to peg the bastard's heart!

Justin growled as he stepped back a bit to keep his balance. Ray'jin tensed his right arm to excite his wristblades to sing in rhythm with the drumming rain. From my perspective, I could just see Justin's right cheek curl into a wicked smile and he held the spear shaft firmly before ripping the offensive object out of his abdomen, roaring once again with pain as well as anger and unceremoniously dropped the spear onto the road beside him then leapt at Ray'jin in a blind rage!

Ray'jin didn't even falter and cocked a devise on his left forearm-band and his shoulder-cannon squared in on its target before blowing him up to pate' and bone shrapnel!
Thick blood splashed onto the wing shielding me…
Totally gross.

My ears picked up on the distinct sound of bricks shifting. The Xenobot was already in the air in a blink of an eye. My mind whirred into focus and I sent the abomination skull first toward the thunderhead above me. Remembering the bloody spear forgotten on the floor, it jiggled to life and rocketed upward at top speed. Heading straight and true towards the cyborg. It seemed to take forever…
I couldn't see the damage I'd done from here. The alien finally came down and the protruding spear slammed into the ground forcing the alien's bodyweight to run it through from the shoulder into its chest cavity and dent the plates around the ribs outward on the other side.

Just then a blazing bolt of lightning hit one of the conductors on one of the rooftops. The boom was deafening and for the moment, I couldn't hear a damned thing but it struck me with an idea.
Weather this was going to work, I didn't know. But I had to make the attempt.

The second Xenobot that tried to take me down earlier clawed itself out of its cairn and was soon after me. I had no time however to share my light bulb with the rest of the predator hunting party and the last three cyborgs standing decided finishing me off was their number one priority. They converged on me at once as I took off to the top of the facility once again, aiming for the highest ledge of this modern shell that masked the gates of hell within.

One had the near insane agility that Justin had and beat me to the roof. It hissed like a vampire and swiped at me.
My force field was around me before it made contact and my ascending momentum knocked it backwards onto the roof.

Tempting fate in this ionic affair, I turned back sharply and landed near my goal. The bots closed in fast, striking with frightening accuracy, forcing me to dive and roll out of harm's way.

My back soon felt the thrum of the power box. Now for one more piece to fall into place…
The Xenobot that had me cornered brought its tail down like a guillotine. I felt the breeze as it just missed shaving a cold slice from my shoulder. The grinding squeal of the protective door was music to my ears, 'Yes!'

Every synapse in my mind buzzed with renewed energy and purpose. The air warped in a shockwave, sending them all backward so I was clear to hop on top of the box and rip the severed and arcing cords from the mains through the gash in the door.

The cyborgs pulled themselves up to attack again. They halted, hissed, looked down at the one-inch pool of water swirling around their claws…
I could have sworn their jaws dropped as I cast the thrashing cords towards them.

-xXx-

The rain had calmed down dramatically into a subtle sprinkle. Ray'jin, Drek'va and the rest of his hunting party stood poised, ready and waiting for the battle to commence again. Ray'jin seemed agitated, tense and unsure of why Shur'ie left the safety of numbers among them.

He studied the roof ledge for anything that would give their positions away. His fists clenched and white knuckled from exertion. Ray'jin watched the flashes of light when sparks suddenly erupted!

-xXx-

I watched the cords strike the water like black serpents after their prey. Airborne by the time their forked tongues and fangs bit into transparent flesh and release that deadly current. Powerful venom struck unseen and burn organic or lesser circuitry to ashes.

The three Xenobots reared and shrieked as one. Every circuit implanted under the plates along their elongated heads exploded in a path of bright sparks, reminiscent of a set up runway at night. The force of the power blew holes in exposed chitin and excited the molecular makeup of their armour to glow a dull maroon and burn. Steam churned and coiled around them thrashing and emitting tortured screams.

I was hovering near the edge watching their torment. The Yautja below could see me clearly and as the Xenobots thrashed and shrieked, the blood-curdling scream of someone else began to fill the air and we all looked to the source, the main entrance doors to the building. I gasped as my eyes set and focused on him. My maker, creator and the most pathetic thing I knew as a father, Dr. Philips, stumbled through the doors screaming in raw agony and clutching at what was left of his graying hair in an all out manic display.

The Xenobots twitched and writhed as circuits continued to blow out of their bodies and Dr. Philips followed through with his own seizure. He fell and rolled down the few steps, still clawing, gasping and jerking his body uncontrollably.
If we were a human crowd I'd say, 'Bring on the paparazzi.'

The main power box arced and the cyborgs convulsed. The last of their chips blowing out altogether and they all went offline. Milky water splashed up and ultimately, Dr. Philips went still as well.

The Yautja had merely watched his whole ordeal. I gently lowered myself to the ground as an esteemed predator uncloaked in the open doors of the building. The other predators behind me unsheathed their wrist blades and crossed the blades across their chests in a show of great respect. I had my eyes on Dr. Philips thou. Was he…?

The caped Predator walked up to the fallen doctor and used his foot to make the body roll on its stomach. Then knelt down to pull the head up.

'God.' I thought. The back of his neck was charred around the devise he had inserted into it. Heavy bruising followed his entire spine…

The caped Predator rattled and let go of him. I felt the truth raw in my gut. There was no denying it…
The sensory overload received from the Xenobots literally fried his brain.
Dr. Philips was dead.

-xXx-

………

…
…and if you guessed that I'm grinning like an idiot right now then you guessed right.
// YES! He's Dead! He's FINALLY DEAD! HAAHAA! //

-§torm