-Chapter 22-







"Why won't this damn thing fall!?" Grant said to himself while firing a shotgun at the monster approaching him, a few more gun shots filled the room, and he noticed two other people firing at the monster from a distance. One firing a handgun, and the other firing a heavy assault rifle; then noticed that the monster barely even noticed the pain that would've stopped an ordinary being but was bleeding lightly, its blood was a deep amethyst and crimson color. Damn, he thinks to himself, I wish I didn't waste my rockets on those other monsters!

"Grant!" Razor called out, "Keep firing!"

"NO! HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Kat screamed out, "Firing will enrage him even more!"

"Then how the hell do you suggest we take it down!"

Gunshots still rung through the lobby, she noticed that Mike's head was different than it was when he was at the school some hours ago. His head had been changed into a gorilla/ reptilian like skull, his brain was exposed, a thin membrane was the only thing protecting the tissue from the outside world, his eyes had been sunken deep into his eye sockets, his teeth were a little longer, his lower jaw was exposed to the air, being supported by exposed facial muscle, his nose was visually non existent only known by two thin slits. "Oh my god..." She narrowed her eyes and took out a small grenade shaped like a lipstick tube and hurled it at him.

Mike noticed the object and smacked it away toward the two other people firing at him, it detonated and sent out a pretty sizable shock wave; knock the two into the hallway behind them. He continued closer to the person in front of him, slightly feeling each slug hits his chest, stomach and legs with little pain at all. He let out a slight raspy and hoarse warning hiss at the meager human with the shotgun, to warn if the firing continued; death would be less instantaneous and more agonizing. The human before him seemed to get the idea of his warning and threw the weapon away, backing towards the wall with a look of insane fear in his eyes and face.

Kat noticed the thing in the trench coat steadily approach Mike from behind, she took out a capsule filled with an amber colored liquid with a cloth sticking out of it, she took out a lighter and ignited the cloth, tossing it to the man in the trench coat. The capsule made contact with the man, shattered instantly, and sent fire to be spread all over his body; incinerating the trench coat. The man swayed for a second, fell to his knees, and landed face first onto the hard marble tile. His light brown skin turned a pale ashen color instantly; muscle seeping out from behind the flesh, his breathing was irregular.

Mike loomed over Grant with dark intention.

Grant sensed that he is going to strike, but he didn't know how. His concern was answered.

He grabbed the human by thrusting one claw into the human's Kevlar vest, and lifted him high above the floor with his increased reach.

Grant struggled to get himself free, only making matters worse for himself; he cried out in frustration.

He narrowed his eyes at the vain attempts on the meager human's part to escape from his claws, and seemed to grin in an evil manner. He glanced into the human's eyes and thrust his other claw into the human's abdomen, pressed down and tore off the bottom torso with inhuman strength, he screeched in murderous glee as he saw the blood cascade from the upper body like a massive faucet. He withdrew his claw from out of the lifeless upper body, making it hit the ground with a sickening thud. He stared at his kill for a moment, and then glanced at Razor then to Kat. "KAT...." he growled, licking the blood off of his claws, walking steadily towards the stairs.

Kat stumbled backwards, Razor catches her. "Kat!" he said, "We've got to get down into the labs!"

"Yeah, I know." she replied, "One of us must act as a decoy.... Razor, get down into the labs and wait for me in Eric Nebel's lab..."

"What? That's-"

"Suicide...?" she interrupted, finishing his sentence, "I know there's a risk involved, but I need to distract it! Now go!"

"But..."

"Go, damn you!"

"Okay... meet you down there." He ran towards the open elevator, helped Vash up; and then went into the elevator and into the depths of the lab.