Chapter 14

Lilly wasn't sure she believed Pride was 326. In fact, there were times he really did act his appeared age. His annoyed attitude coming off as a petulant child, and his blind faith that the Doctor had everything figured out came to mind. That said, she did believe he was considerably older than he looked. Aside form the obvious, the best was she could explain it was he seemed . . . tired. The looks he gave her when she did something stupid (by his standards at least) were exhausted. When he'd acted in the bar, it had been good, but she'd seen the way he tensed up right before, and that he seemed to put in enormous amounts of effort in to pull it off.

Yes, she'd been trying to figure him out for a while. She wasn't now. Because he was getting on her nerves. And she didn't like that look he was giving her.

"What the hell was that?" Pride asked, voice steadily getting louder. "Do I have to do everything myself? I do. I've had to walk you through everything! What is wrong with you idiots?!"

Mic objected, saying something about being harsh, in the background. But neither of them were paying attention to him.

"I don't think-" Lilly started.

"No! You don't think!" Pride snapped. "The only reason the Doctor brought you along is because she wants you to be her conscious. You offer nothing of value."

"Really?" Lilly asked, blinking quickly so she wouldn't start crying. It wasn't like it had been easy for him to get under her skin. It was just the result of hearing this all day. But the others wouldn't see it that way, and she'd rather be angry. Mic rubbed her shoulder, probably trying to comfort her, but she jerked away. "And what do you offer? The Doctor clearly doesn't approve of you, she keeps placing restrictions on you and telling you what to do. So what are you? Her prisoner?" Oh no. She knew something that would piss him off more, given his name and personality. "Her pity case?"

"Guys," Mic said quietly.

Pride actually clapped his hands together and brought a spike from the floor out towards Lilly. Then, before it could hit her, he pulled back like he'd just had a body spasm. Because he couldn't do that, and she'd known it.

When he spoke again, it was more composed, like that hadn't just happened. "I happen to be intelligent. A rare commodity. I'm going to get us out of this. And you can get out of the way now."

"So intelligent you forgot you can't kill me?"

"Guys!" Mic shouted.

This time they both turned towards him, and saw what was obviously an alien in the doorway. He stood taller than any of them, probably seven feet. He looked like he was made from the dust outside, but more solid, less like he was about to blow away. He stared at them with yellow eyes and grinned, black pointed teeth flashing.

"Were you just waiting to get our attention?" Pride asked.

"Well, it's no fun otherwise," the alien said.

"What's no fun?" Mic asked, stepping front of the other two. "What have you done to the people in this town?"

"Taken them away to hunt," the alien said with a smile. "Well, our leaders get to do all the hunting. I'm so glad someone finally came here. It's no fair, letting our leaders have all the fun."

The alien launched forward. Mic grabbed one of the metal poles and pointed it at the alien. The alien, unable to change course in so little time, slammed right into the metal pole, grabbing his gut and wheezing.

"Run!" Mic shouted.

Well, he didn't need to say it twice. The three took the chance to scramble around the alien into the next room. This room was large and well lit, obviously where most of the work was done. Lilly couldn't claim she was an expert on industrial work, but she recognized a conveyor belt and some sort of large furnace. There was also a catwalk along the perimeter of the second floor, with two flights of stairs going up to it. And on that catwalk, by a door that looked like it led to an office, were two more aliens. And these two were armed. Well, this was bad.