Look at me and know that free time hath become a thing of dreams. I was polishing off the rough work on chapter twelve and thought I saw the end of the story. But (uh-oh, a but, terror of storytellers everywhere) as I lay in bed about to go to sleep I came up with a new (and better of course) plot twist that will add at least another chapter to this beast. Then (yes there is a then...sort of like a but, but with more ominous overtures) as I was working on that I thought (literally mind) that the story was a little too cluttered. So I went and removed one of the sub-plots that was due to start showing up in this chapter. Now, what do you think I did with the sub-plot? If you guessed shoved it aside and forgot about it you are wrong. If you guessed started a whole new story give yourself a star. I'm fearful about the possibilities of this sequel (especially when I'm struggling to finish the original) but I think I like the characters so much I'll forge on ahead. Oh well...this chapter resolves the cliffhanger, offers more Blue Storm, and showcases Jo's dietary issues.
Fall of the Heroes: A Tale of Detroit
Chapter 7: Swirling Clouds of Blood
The darkness around him glinted with the baleful red eyes of the computers. The strange red glow making him all the more uneasy for being here. Charlie wrenched at the metal bar on the door, but the reinforced titanium alloy was beyond even his considerable crinos strength. Behind him Jo typed away frantically at a keyboard, desperately trying to open up the system to Syntax. Charlie looked back through the window and suddenly gasped in surprise. Dominic came rushing around the corner, trails of blood streaming from his klaive and his own wounds. He leapt forward and elbowed hard into the door, but to no avail.
"It's locked! We can't get out," he shouted in the Garou tongue. Dominic didn't seem to hear, instead he twirled around. Behind him Charlie saw a host of black uniformed guards come into view. Their mirrored helmet faceplates glinted sinisterly as they raised their weapons and began to fire at the trapped Shadow Lord. "Noooo!" Charlie howled in impotent horror at the ghastly end for the great hero.
But Dominic reacted quickly. He sprang upward, his body tearing through the ceiling above him as he disappeared from sight. The guards quickly rushed forward, their guns warily pointed upwards. Charlie watched as one looked in at him, then pulled out a walkie-talkie and began speaking into it. He frowned as he backed away from the door, fully expecting the worst. Suddenly there was a loud noise of shattering glass behind him. Charlie spun around to see a desk plummet past the window and out of sight. A few instants later Dominic, back in his homid form, was swinging through the hole in the glass window. A fire hose was gripped in one of his hands and stretched back out to the floor above.
"What's going on," growled Dominic as he quickly stormed into the room. "Charlie, why didn't you come back and support me?"
"Door was locked," explained Charlie weakly, realizing how pathetic that excuse seemed now. Dominic said nothing, but Charlie knew the Shadow Lord was thinking him a fool. Why hadn't he thought of going out the window and breaking through from one of the less secure rooms?
"Josephine, tell me good news," snapped Dominic as he leaned forward to peer through the door's window at the guards who were arraying themselves into defensive positions.
"I know what I'm doing, I just need a few more...there! I've done it!" Charlie turned around and eyed the computer system warily. Suddenly the blinking red lights started to flare out. Replacing them were softly gleaming blue lights. Jo laughed and looked over at Dominic, she snapped her fingers. "Told you it'd be a snap! Literally I told you!"
"Then let's see if we can also get out of here alive," he snarled as he turned and pointed to the window. "Charlie, you first. Go down as far as that blasted hose will take you." Charlie felt his ears droop slightly at the minor insult. To have him withdraw before even Jo had... He shook his head in frustration as he turned and rushed for the window. "Jo," called Dominic, "get on the phone and make sure Syntax locks this door off tight so they can't open it!"
"No sweat," said Jo as she hopped across the room to grab the phone. Charlie dropped out of sight of them then. The chill morning air ruffled at his fur as he quickly scaled down the hose. Below him the city was starting to come to life, the trailing streaks of headlights glinting in the darkness. On the horizon he saw the lightening of the sky from black to blue He reached the end of the hose, it had only taken him down about five stories. He gripped the cold metal nozzle as he leaned over towards the window. His hand lashed out, claws smashing open the thick glass. He struck it again, shattering a wider hole. He quickly swung into the dark office and released the hose. He waited there nervously for the others, wondering how they would get out of here.
Leona held tight to her bleeding gut as she tried to push herself back to her feet. However her usually sleek and powerful crinos form seemed too weak to manage the simple task. Across from her Snapback quietly rose to his feet. When the Dancer had first dropped him the usually fearsome metis had appeared truly scared. Now his eyes were narrowed, his fanged maw twisted in anger. Leona looked back to the Black Spiral Dancer who had wounded them, and the strange rescuer who had appeared. They had been silently watching each other for the past few moments. Their cold and deadly eyes locked together as they both seemed to wait for some sign.
The Dancer's attack was once more too fast for Leona to follow. However the speed didn't seem to leave the stranger as stunned as it had her. He quickly sprang back, avoiding the flaming arc of the blades by mere inches. However he also snapped out his hand in a sharp jab. As he did so he shifted quickly to crinos form. The sudden gain in size and reach allowed his claws to rake along the side of the Dancer's face, despite the stranger's retreating leap. The Dancer jerked back in surprise, the smile disappeared from his face. The stranger landed lightly on his feet, his body already reverting to his human shape. The brief flash of his crinos form only a momentary glimpse to Leona's awed gaze.
"You are the one," muttered the Dancer slowly. His long black tongue slipped from his mouth to lap at the blood dripping from his torn cheek. "It was you who decimated Pugdog's pack." Leona gasped in surprise at the statement. Had this one warrior defeated a whole pack? The stranger simply crouched slightly, his own hands lifting into a ready combat stance. He started to advance on the Dancer.
"Hurry, box him in!" Argent's cry startled Leona from her careful scrutiny of the stranger. She looked up as Argent started forward, now apparently eager for battle. His clothes melted away as silvery white fur sprouted across his body. His body expanded into a tall and powerful crinos form. His eyes now seemed brighter and more aware as he snarled at the Dancer. Snapback growled as he fell in alongside Argent and advanced. The Dancer spun about, warily keeping an eye on all of the Garou. He snarled in frustration as he suddenly turned and sprang back onto the rooftops.
"Let him go," said the stranger as Snapback and Argent made to follow. "There are more important matters for us to worry about." He turned to eye Argent up and down, the aged Silver Fang returned to his homid state. The stranger's quiet and dark eyes narrowed slightly. "I presume you came to find Dominic and Charlie?"
"Yes we did," said Argent with a small smile. "But I am happy to see you. I never would have thought to find you involved with this mess. How are you old friend?"
"I draw breath yet." The stranger turned away from Argent to look down at Leona. "She will need help moving. You," he motioned to Snapback, "help her. Follow me, I know where we need to go." He quickly jogged back up the alley to retrieve his wooden case. Then he walked past them to lead the way. Leona shifted down to her lupus form as Snapback reverted to homid. He bent down and picked her up in his arms. She nuzzled her head against his chest, happy for the supporting strength of his strong arms. She listened to the quiet beating of his heart, surprised at how quickly it had grown calm after the battle. However that didn't concern her, she just allowed herself to rest as she listened to the soothing rhythm. She glanced up as Snapback fell into step alongside Argent.
"Lord, who is this man, and why does he treat you with disrespect?" She asked him the question quietly, but her eyes burned eagerly for the answer. Snapback too glanced over towards Argent, curious of his reply. Argent sighed and swallowed slightly.
"He is an old friend from my younger days. He is a great warrior, but has little honor. I would not trust him overmuch. Nor put much faith into what he says." Argent glanced over at the two and smiled slightly. "He has had his brushes with the Wyrm before, and none can come back from the edge of that chasm unmarked." The stranger took them to a large warehouse. He tried the door, but it was locked. He frowned and muttered in annoyance. Argent looked over the door and the walls with a sigh. "Reinforced by Pattern Spiders more then likely, I don't think she wishes to be intruded upon. So tell me, my friend, how did you become involved in all this?"
"Because a girl was almost raped and smiled afterwards," he said cryptically. Argent's brows lowered in confusion. Leona glanced up curiously at Snapback who shrugged. The stranger pounded on the door as he shouted loudly. "Syntax, are you there? Sphinx! We need to get in, the password is Sphinx!" Leona's eyes widened in shock as the door suddenly swung silently open. The stranger nodded and motioned them hurriedly inside. Obviously full of nervous energy for action. "Come, we'll learn what we can do to help here."
They entered into a massive and expansive warehouse. The stranger led them towards a back corner which had a large stairway that wound up to the upper level of the warehouse. He sprinted lightly up the steps, the others following more slowly. The door at the top of the stairs opened into a large and dark room. The wild hum of machines grated raw on Leona's nerves. Maddeningly bright and sudden lights flickered on and off in the darkness. The strange gleams casting unnatural shadows across the room. Leona felt herself suddenly tense at a soft whir off to one side. Her hackles rose in unease, and but for her wound she would have sprung from Snapback's arms and fled the place.
"I am busy at the moment," came a cold voice from the darkness. The stranger walked through the looming machines towards it. Argent and the others followed warily after. "Jo, Charlie, and Dominic are in trouble. The webs curl about them, and they may soon be trapped." Leona spotted the slim figure in black who sat behind the computers, her pale face illuminated in their sickly glow. The stranger walked up behind her and gazed dumbfounded at the screens.
"We have to help them somehow. Surely there is a way, how far off are they?"
"By the time you got there it would be over," snapped Syntax as she turned and began typing wildly on another computer. The one she had been on suddenly sparked and went out. "We have overextended ourselves and unless-" Suddenly the lights in the room seemed to slowly return, adding a dim glow to the once pitch darkness. The computer screen flashed as a metallic blue spider appeared upon it.
"Statement: The access has been opened, I have entered the mainframe system and blocked attacks on your system." Leona hissed uncertainly at the cold metallic hum of the voice. Syntax however seemed to grow quiet and still in calm relief. "Query: What course of action shall I take?" Syntax grinned, her teeth glinting in the light of her computer screen.
"Download financial records and personal files of all senior officers and board members." Syntax reached over and grabbed a cell phone that lay nearby. "Jo, I hold the keys now. They shall learn a lesson for assaulting my jungle."
It growled in frustration as the elevators suddenly seemed to freeze, leaving security teams trapped within them. Its arms flailed and danced over the keyboards around it, its eyes darting over the displays. It scowled as it watched the safety walls crumble away into nothingness. Around it the red glow of the lights flickered. One by one the bright red gleams changed to a luminescent blue glow. It roared in pain as the keyboard suddenly sparked and shorted out. The screens flickered as information left them. It desperately worked to reopen systems, send out any last bits of information. It found one and chortled as it started to send it through some of the last active vestiges of the system. A brightly gleaming spider suddenly manifested on the screen.
"Statement: I am Blue Storm, messenger of Syntax." The master of security snarled at the image, some of its many eyes narrowing. It sent the last bits of the information through. It grinned, revenge would be had. The image of the spider pulsed menacingly, its metallic carapace seeming to glow bright blue as the last of the systems were silenced. "Statement: You have angered us. Reap now the bitterness of our discontent."
The security doors to the room hissed shut, steel bars locking into place. Sparks flew from the huge banks of computers. The creature dragged itself slowly from its chair. Tentacles scrabbled at the sealed door as monitors began to burst open. Its eyes twisted up to the Halon system that protected the room from fire. Protected it by removing the oxygen that fire needed to burn...and it needed to breathe. Computers popped and flared as fires burst out amongst them. Orange flames dancing about the chamber and reflecting in its many eyes, eyes full of fear. A voice warbled coldly through the sparking speakers.
"Statement: Your chances of survival are calculated as; nonexistent." Red flashing lights snapped on, warning of a need to flee the room. Then they burst apart in a shower of sparks. It howled a pitiful wail of anger as vents opened and sprayed the room with a thick white gas.
"Syntax says we better get out of here now. There are guards swarming all over this place. They're confused now, but the longer we wait the better organized they'll be." Jo turned to watch as Dominic backed hurriedly away from the door. He turned and rushed towards her and the waiting hose. "Get going," she called, "I'll catch up!"
Dominic frowned slightly at her choice, but leapt onto the hose and quickly began sliding down it. Jo turned and leaped out of the window, her arms outstretched. The wind tossed her long hair about her as her jacket flapped wildly from the rush of air around her. Jo's body shrank and compacted. Her small bones became yet smaller, and hollowed. She tilted her wings with a triumphant caw as she lifted upwards from her plunge.
She flapped up towards the three holes in the side of the building and the hose dangling alongside them. She saw the dark shape of Dominic leap into the lower hole. She flapped higher, her eyes carefully watching the second hole. Suddenly she saw activity by the top hole. She cawed slightly in annoyance as she watched the men in black uniforms swing out onto the hose and start shimmying quickly down it. Their mirrored faceplates gleamed in the lights of the city, their guns glinted dully upon their backs. Jo sailed towards them, the guards paying no attention to the black raven.
Jo arced her wings wide as she swept in towards the top hole. Her wings dipped slightly as the edges of her feathers suddenly seemed to take on a strange metallic tint. The guard waiting at the hole looked up in surprise as the raven suddenly banked sharply and dropped right for the hose. Jo lowered one of her shoulders as she quickly lashed her wing around in a sharp slash at the hose. The hardened and sharpened edges of her feathers shearing through the tough material easily. There was a series of desperate screams as the four men on the hose plummeted towards the street below.
Jo cawed in loud amusement as she allowed herself to fall into a wild downward spiral. The remaining members of the guard team cursed in anger as they started to fire at her. The bullets cracked through the air around her. But Jo was a small and erratic enough target that they failed to hit her. She tucked her wings in tight against her sides as she soared through the lowest shattered window. She arced out into the hallway and fluttered her arms as she returned to her homid form. She dropped to the carpeting and smiled over at Dominic and Charlie who were standing nearby.
"They're coming down to get us...but they're taking the stairs."
"Good," said Dominic, "it seems we may not be totally doomed just yet." Even as he spoke a loud humming seemed to fill their ears. Jo spun around as a large black shaped loomed up outside the window. Her eyes widened as she stood transfixed in terror. The sleek black gleam of the helicopter gave it the seeming of a massive and deadly hunting insect. It rotated as a blindingly bright light stabbed into the building and lanced across them. Dominic's hand snapped out and grabbed her coat, he pulled her with him as he sprang away from the doorway. There was a sudden loud chatter of gunfire as the office was chewed up by a machine gun.
"These guys aren't kidding around," hissed Charlie as he pressed himself to the floor. Paint and bits of wood sprayed down upon them as the machine gun blasted gaping holes through the flimsy walls of the office. Jo felt Dominic shove her and began crawling along the hallway quickly, the others following. Soon enough the gunfire stopped as the helicopter pulled away. Jo could catch occasional flashes of its spotlight streaming under doors and across distant hallways. The helicopter circled about the building like an angry hunting dog, waiting for the chance to spring upon its prey.
"We need to find the elevators," growled Dominic, "get down the shafts to a lower floor." He motioned them to follow as he led them through one of the interior hallways. They ran up to the elevators, Dominic and Charlie easily prying open one of the doors. Dominic peered down it, and suddenly there was the sharp crack of a rifle. Dominic jerked back in surprise as the bullet hissed past his ear. "What the hell?"
"They must have snipers near the bottom. Probably to prevent us from using the shafts," offered Jo helpfully. Dominic frowned at her and spun around to eye the rest of the hall. Jo tried to smile. "How about we use that hose trick again, it worked pretty good."
"They'll get wise to it far quicker then we could ever get down," said Dominic with a shake of his head. "Besides, it would never be quick enough to escape that chopper. We just need to get out of here quickly and avoid the guards. They must be filling up the stairwells by now, and blocking us off from above and below..." Charlie suddenly looked up in wide-eyed excitement.
"I think I know another way!"
Mr. Kay snapped his cell phone closed with a muttered snarl. He slipped it into the pocket inside his black coat and pulled out a notepad. His gold rimmed glasses glinted in the dim light of the crescent moon that shone through the window behind him. He quickly pulled out a silver plated pen and wrote down the information he had received. The tall African-American tilted his head to glance over at the ornate grandfather clock that sat against a nearby wall in the library of the mansion. He frowned slightly and walked towards the wall. As he stepped into the shadows there his body seemed to fade from view.
"...operations are proceeding most agreeably," said the man sitting at the desk. He was a young and bright faced man. His feet rested on the desk as he leaned back in his leather office chair. His sandy blonde hair was perfectly groomed, not a strand out of place. He smiled as he spoke towards the active speaker phone that sat upon the polished wood of the desk. "Really Colonel, I begin to suspect you of just being a little too antsy at times."
"These are uneasy times," said the voice on the phone, a slight trace of a English accent in the voice. "Caution is how one survives, and I have survived for far too long to make a mistake now. Are you sure you play the game wisely Robert? Are you certain you do not overstep yourself?"
"Overstep myself? Surely you jest." Robert chuckled slightly, then he spotted the tall figure stepping forth from the shadows near a bookcase. Mr. Kay walked forward and showed Robert the note. Robert's face drained of color as he sat up straight. "Excuse me Colonel, I'm afraid something has come up that requires my immediate attention."
"Of course, be very careful." The phone clicked off, Robert glanced up meaningfully at Mr. Kay.
"Came in just moments ago. The whole place is in an uproar, the Garou broke through the computer system's security. We have no idea how much information has been compromised, but Security seemed to believe that they had gained full system access."
"No." Robert raised his hands slightly and shook his head, as though denial could wipe away the existence of the problem. "This is not what I needed to hear." He glared up at Mr. Kay, but the tall figure remained silent. Robert grimaced as he thought over the problem. "Can our security teams deal with it?"
"A questionable matter."
"Blast!" Robert frowned as he slid open a drawer of his desk and pulled out a shriveled human ear. He quickly held the grisly and twisted piece of gray flesh up to his mouth and whispered into it. Then he shifted it so the ear was pressed up next to his own. He waited with a frown, his lips slowly curling back in anger. Finally he lowered the ear and slid it into his pocket. "Come Mr. Kay, we have some business to deal with and Garou to kill."
They stood in a wide hallway that ran around the outer edge of the building. One of the walls was nothing more then huge sheets of glass. The other wall was a featureless progression of identical doorways. Dominic snarled in agreement as he looked out the window and down to the massive glass and steel walkway that connected the two towers. Charlie felt a flush of pride wash through him as Dominic accepted his plan. Jo shrugged as she turned and rushed down the hall for the nearest stairwell.
"Okay, we like the kid's plan. Now let's make it happen, literally!" Charlie grinned as he turned around to follow Jo towards the door. Suddenly the door was slammed open. A figure in black leapt into the hallway, rolling along the carpet and coming up in a crouch. His sub-machine gun quickly sweeping towards Jo. Charlie looked on in fear as she gasped and tried to skid to a stop. The guard's finger tightened on the trigger...then suddenly jerked back as a gleaming flash of silver slapped into his chest and tossed him to the carpet.
"Beware," bellowed Dominic as he sprang forward. He shouldered aside Charlie as he transformed in mid-leap into his crinos form. More guards burst out of the door as Dominic landed near his knife. Charlie quickly started forward, he grabbed Jo with one large paw and easily shoved her behind him. She squealed in surprise as she was tossed away to land unceremoniously on her backside. Dominic spun towards the door as all of the guards aimed their weapons at him. Charlie rushed forward to help, but knew he would be too late.
Suddenly Dominic brought his hands around to clap them together in front of him. The clap seemed unnaturally loud. There was a roar as the glass around Dominic shattered, spraying around him in a gleaming cloud of sharp splinters. Charlie staggered slightly as just the outer edges of the shockwave seemed to hit him. The front guard was hurled back, his helmet's faceplate shattering as he howled in pain. All around him the other guards seemed to stagger and be tossed about. Thrown off balance and dazed by the soundwave.
Dominic quickly reached down and jerked Bonespur from the chest of the dead guard. His eyes seemed to flare angrily as he roared and leaped into the stunned fomori. A bright spray of blood spattered across Charlie's face as Dominic tore his klaive through one of their guts. Dominic's other hand lashed out, his claws slipping under the faceplate of the armored helmet of a second guard. He squealed in pain as Dominic lifted him up, blood pouring down from inside the helmet, coating the Shadow Lord's black furred arm. Dominic then tossed the body forward, sending it slamming into the stunned men before him.
Dominic readied himself as the two remaining fomori quickly regained their feet. One of them growled and seemed to grow as his clothes shredded away from his body, revealing the bright red and exposed muscles underneath. The creature's flesh was slick with a coating of mucus and blood. Its much smaller companion simply tore off its helmet. Its jaw seemed to become unhinged, gaping open like a snake's. Massive fangs grew into place as it hissed loudly. Charlie started forward to help as Dominic eyed the pair carefully.
"Look out!" Charlie twisted his head about in surprise even as Jo leapt and rammed full speed into the back of his left knee. He grunted in surprise as her blow cast his leg out from under him, causing him to collapse to the ground. He wrenched about wildly as he fell, trying to avoid crushing her beneath his massive body. There was a chattering of gunfire as bullets hissed over his head. Charlie turned around to see the squad of eight figures now charging down the hallway towards them. "I think we're in a world of shit," hissed Jo, "literally in shit."
Charlie grabbed her as he sprang to the side and muscled open an office door. More bullets raked the ground where he'd been laying only moments before. He snarled in the back of his throat as he saw the silver gleam of the bullets that were now embedded in the gray carpeting. There was a sudden roar. Charlie looked up in surprise as he saw the massive, bloody muscled, creature leap into Dominic. It seemed to slam the Shadow Lord back as though his powerful black and white furred body weighed next to nothing. Charlie suddenly shouted out in terror as he watched the pair go sailing through the shattered remains of a window and plunge away into the darkness below.
"No!" Charlie sprang to his feet even as the serpent fomor came leaping into the room. Charlie growled in anger as he swung his claws for its face. But the creature suddenly seemed to pull back its body, its spine bending at an unnatural angle as his claws passed harmlessly in front of it. Before Charlie could react its head snapped forward again, fangs sinking into his arm. He bellowed in rage as his second arm swung around and smashed hard into its side. He heard the gratifying popping of bones, but the creature only bit down harder. There was a sudden wave of pain as it felt like liquid silver was pumped into his arm.
Charlie ceased to think, only knowing he wished the fomor off his arm. He bellowed as he grabbed its head and twisted and pulled with all his might. Lances of agony slashed through his arm as he heard a horrible crunching noise. With a last angry roar he tore the fomor off him and tossed it aside. One of its teeth had been cracked apart, and still lay embedded in his left arm. His arm was simply a pure bit of pain attached to his body, it drooped weakly to his side. Charlie looked up angrily at the creature. Blood dribbled from its mouth as it glared up at him. Charlie growled and sprang forward. Suddenly its mouth opened as a stream of syrupy greenish liquid sprayed from its last tooth to splash into Charlie's face.
He wailed in pain as he crashed to the carpet. His eyes felt like red hot needles had been driven into them. His hand wildly wiped at his face, desperate to remove the horrible liquid. He could see nothing, his vision was a wild blur of white hot flashes of pain. He heard a hiss of glee somewhere in front of him. He blindly swung out his arm, trying to fend off the fomor. Suddenly there was a loud squawk that seemed to pain his ears such was its intensity. There was a startled gasp from the fomor, and then Charlie heard the sound of flesh being ripped apart.
"Get. Up. Literally. Move!" He felt sharp, bony fingers press into his shoulder and urge him to his feet. He staggered as he stood, his vision starting to clear, though still blurry. "Follow!" Charlie blinked in surprise as a large dark shape rushed past him and into the hallway. There was a sudden spray of bullets as it sprang through the window and became a large raven. Charlie's vision cleared as he watched her circle over the top of the walkway. He growled as he ran into the hallway and leapt.
Dominic snarled as he fell through the air. The massive beast atop him growled back. There was a sudden and jarring impact as they smashed down hard, the sound of glass crunching and cracking beneath them. Dominic quickly shoved out, forcing the fomor off him as he rolled backwards and to his feet. They stood upon the top of the walkway between the two buildings. Far below the distant sounds of the city could be heard. Bright flaring spotlights flooded up around the walkway, darkening the shadows along the top. The air gusted powerfully around them, catching and pulling hard at their bodies. Dominic snarled as he eyed the fomor, judging it carefully.
The beast grinned as its fingers suddenly seemed to burst apart, bloody talons of bone jutting through the flesh. It opened its mouth to reveal its black slug-like tongue. Hissing whispers seemed to carry easily through the roar of the wind to Dominic's ears. He knew well what they were, he had felt their power before. The fomor had learned the language of The Wyrm itself. It spoke blasphemies that could not be understood, yet could still drain the will of those who heard. Dominic quickly began to bellow out his own chant. The Order of Duty, an ancient battle chant of the Garou. Attempting to drown out the Wyrm's darkness with the strength of his own beliefs and duties.
"What is our duty? To serve Gaia's will!"
Dominic sprang forward, his klaive gleaming with silver light. The fomor sprang as well, its tongue still warbling out the Dark Litany of The Wyrm. Its clawed hand swung out for his face, but Dominic quickly raised his klaive to block. The silvered blade cut deep into the beast's wrist. His other arm quickly snapped out to catch the descending swing of the fomor's right hand, Dominic's body shook under the mighty impact of the creatures strength. His wounded shoulder exploding in a flash of pain. But he held firm its hand, and stopped the swing. The two stood there for a moment, testing strength to strength, Dominic felt his arms begin to buckle. The fomor grinned eagerly as it slowly started to press his arms inward.
"What is Gaia's will? That we fight and die!"
The creature hissed as its tongue suddenly snapped out of its mouth. The rough edges slashed along Dominic's cheek, ripping open his flesh. Dominic growled as he jerked his blade from its wrist and twisted to the left. He kept his grip tight on its wrist as he moved to its side. The powerful beast staggered forward as it found itself pressing against nothing. Not agile enough to quickly follow or correct for Dominic's sudden move. It blathered on its inanities as Dominic twisted its arm up behind its back.
"What is death? It is our duty!"
His klaive slammed into its back as he shoved forward. The fomor staggered as Dominic continued to press it hard from behind. Its eyes suddenly bulged as he sharply twisted its wrist and shoved it to the side. Its large feet clumsily slid along the glass of the roof edge as Dominic jerked his blade from its back and released his hold on the arm. It snarled as it tried to turn, but Dominic's foot snapped up and smashed hard into its back. With a mournful bellow of madness it tilted forward and plummeted over the edge of the walkway.
"What is our duty? To serve Gaia's will," Dominic whispered as he watched it smash into a pulpy mess on the streets far below. There was a sudden loud caw. Dominic turned as he saw Jo swoop by overhead. She twisted around to circle back, still cawing. The large brown shape of Charlie suddenly sprang through one of the shattered windows and smashed down hard onto the walkway. More glass shattered as the guards still in the building turned and began to fire through the windows. Charlie staggered forward, bits of glass spraying up around him as the bullets rained down about him. "Move it pup," bellowed Dominic as he started forward, "we need to get away!"
"I know!" Charlie snarled the words as he continued to run. Dominic noted that his left arm was hanging dead at his side, a gleaming fang embedded deep into the flesh. He glared back up at the guards as some of them dropped through a window and down onto the roof of the walkway. Broken bits of glass crunched under their boots as they sprinted forward. Dominic reached out and shoved Charlie past him, pushing him towards the far tower.
"Go! Head for the tower!" As he had back on the lake Charlie turned back, unwilling to abandon Dominic. However Dominic simply snarled right in the young pup's face, his breath steaming out around them. Charlie's ears dropped back as he quickly retreated before Dominic's angry glare. With one last look he turned and continued on to the second tower.
Jo circled overhead, easily gliding on the sharp wind currents that hissed around the two buildings. She watched as the fomori charged forward, firing wildly as they came. Dominic stood waiting for them, his teeth bared and klaive ready. She frowned as she watched, didn't it occur to him battling atop a glass roofed walkway over forty stories in the air was a bad idea? Especially when he happened to weigh far more then the average human?
Dominic suddenly sprang forward, his legs launching him high into the air and over the bullets. The five fomori on the walkway quickly snapped their guns up and sprayed the air with silver rounds, casings clattered and rained down around them. Jo felt a cold stab of fear press through her as she saw some of the silver streaks cut into Dominic's black fur. Streams of red trailed after him as he dropped down amongst the fomori with a loud crash.
The glass rooftop of the walkway shattered in a shower of sharpened shards. Dominic and the fomori fell into the walkway below, their bodies cut and shredded by the slivers of glass. Jo quickly tucked her wings in and banked downward towards the hole. As she approached she watched the struggling shapes through the clear glass walls of the walkway. Dominic moved in a powerful black blur, each of his lightning fast attacks batting aside one of the smaller shapes. As he struck one a spray of blood washed across the window, concealing her view behind a curtain of red gore. Jo arced down and fluttered over the opening as she viewed the carnage.
Four of the fomori were dead. Their bodies lay in crumpled and bloody masses about the tunnel. Some had obviously shown their mutations as sprays of green acid and severed sections of tentacles also littered the area. Dominic stood pressed against the bloody pane of glass. The tuft of white fur on his chest stained red. Blood leaking and dripping from multiple wounds. He snarled as he gripped his gore stained klaive tightly. Across from him stood the last fomor, its shirt torn open to reveal a second set of arms. It gripped four knives of its own, all gleaming silver. Its helmet had been torn off, and a bloody gash across its forehead leaked blood into its left eye. It waited with a nasty leer on its face, knowing time was on its side.
Jo screeched loudly as she swept into the tunnel. The fomor looked up in surprise as she dove into his face in a flurry of feathers and beating wings. Her beak lashed out and the fomor squealed in pain. One of his knives clattered to the ground as his hand snapped up to clutch at his bloody face. His other arms waved about in blind anger, the silver slashes barely missing her as she flapped away quickly. Dominic grunted in thanks as he sprang forward. He smashed the fomor up against the wall as he sank his klaive deep into its chest. With a twist and jerk of his arm Dominic tore his blade through the fomor's ribs and tore open its chest. The guard collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from the horrendous wound and leaking from his empty eye-socket.
The doors on either end of the tower seemed to slide open at the same instant. Charlie stood at one, worriedly waving them to him. More black suited guards burst through the second They issued a mad cry of fury as they rushed forward at a dead run. Then came the blinding flash of white light. It streaked through the blood spattered walls and painted Dominic in an eerie red wash of color. Jo nearly choked in horror as the insectoid hunter came whirling into view, the chopper's search beam stabbing towards them as it hummed menacingly.
"Shit," snarled Dominic as he turned and began a mad run for the doors to the second tower. Jo flapped along frantically, her muscles straining as she sped along with him. There was a loud roar, as though the black monster had sensed their escape. Glass erupted behind them as a machine gun tore apart the walkway. The helicopter turned quickly, sweeping the spray of the machine gun fire after them. Holes were blasted through the floor and walls as the raging storm of destruction closed in on them.
Jo flapped as hard as she could as Dominic dove forward in a desperate leap. Glass burst around them, silvered chunks sprayed in a cloud that obscured their vision. The bright streak of tracer rounds howled through the air. Jo felt her feathers ruffle as a bullet roared over her, missing her back by mere centimeters.
Then they were bursting through the door and back into the solid quiet of a hallway. They quickly rushed down the hallway and away from the windows. Dominic sank to his knees as they stopped, his mouth open as he breathed hard. His numerous cuts and injuries bleeding heavily. Jo flapped over and landed weak with fatigue upon the ashtray part of a trash can.
Charlie stepped forward and reached down to help Dominic to his feet. The Shadow Lord snarled as he shoved him back. Dominic then made a show of standing up, his face drawn tight in pain. Jo noted the large hole blasted through his side, bright blood seeped from it to soak into his matted fur. Though some of the smaller cuts were quickly healing closed. Charlie glanced over worriedly at her, probably hoping she'd be able to help. She sighed, Dominic wasn't the type one could help. She simply shrugged at Charlie, then she tilted her head back. She sighed happily as the fomor's eyeball was crushed in her beak and sucked down her throat. She hopped off the trash can as she resumed her homid form and smacked her lips happily.
"Hey Dominic, if you can still move we better get out of here. This tower switch isn't going to buy us a huge load of extra time y'know." As though to prove her point there was a flash of cold light streaming under doorways and a distant rustle of wind as the helicopter circled about outside. She turned to head for the stairs and noticed Charlie staring at her in shock. She placed her hands on her hips as she looked back. "What?"
"You. Ate. An. Eye."
"Your point?" Jo shrugged at him. Dominic muttered as he grabbed her shoulder and shoved her forward. He shook his head at Charlie, a message to drop the subject. Jo frowned in frustration as she allowed herself to be corralled down the hall. What was so wrong with eyeballs? They tasted good. "They taste good," she pointed out loudly as they approached the elevators. "I mean, have you ever tried them?"
"Jo, don't even," cut in Dominic as he started to peel open the elevator door. Charlie stood back from them a bit, a nervous look on his face as he eyed her. Jo smirked at him as she leaned in slightly.
"C'mon kid. You can eat raw meat just like a real wolf. Ravens are carrion birds, what'd you expect?" Charlie nodded slowly, his face still a little pale. There was a loud cry of metal gears twisting against their will as Dominic pulled the doors open. He quickly reached into the shaft and swung himself out onto the cables. Jo walked up and looked into the narrow shaft with a frown. Charlie pressed up behind her.
"What's wrong," he grumbled as he motioned her in, "we must hurry."
"I know, it's just too small to fly down, and I don't do cables. Isn't there a better way?" Charlie pointed meaningfully to the ladder that ran down one side of the shaft. "That's not quite what I meant," Jo sighed glumly as she reached out timidly for the nearest rung. Charlie promptly shoved her forward. She gasped in surprise as she desperately grabbed onto the ladder. "What the hell man! What the hell?"
"Hurry," he growled as he sprung out onto the cables. Despite his limp arm he began a fairly quick descent down the shaft. Jo muttered in frustration as she began to climb down the cold metal rungs. The dark gray walls of the shaft loomed about her. Jo shuddered slightly as she continued down. She felt small beads of sweat collecting along her brow. Her hands seemed to become slick, the ladder hard to hold onto. She breathed in slowly, forcing herself to just concentrate on the climb. Not to let her feet shake too much as they lowered for the next rung. Not to pay attention to the huge black walls.
The burning pain of his arm had given way to a numb nothingness. Charlie slid down the thick cables after Dominic. He could feel the blood pounding through his veins. He wasn't sure if it was from fear, excitement, or both. He knew though that he would never regret the coming. This was a mission worthy of a song. He would write it, they would all be remembered for what they did here tonight. As he continued to slide slowly down the cable he found himself starting to hum a small tune. He suspected it would make for a good chorus.
Then came the bright flashes of light from below. Charlie howled in pain as he felt a bullet cut along his back. The pain screamed along his muscles, a mad burning agony that could not be described. The burn of silver. Below he heard the angry growl of Dominic. He looked down as he saw the Shadow Lord quickly climbing up the cable towards him.
"Open that damn door and get through!" Dominic's harsh order echoed about the dark shaft. Charlie quickly stepped over onto the ledge. His senses and body burned with the fear of silver, he angrily snarled at the door in his path. His hand slammed into the crevice of the doors. His muscles bunched as his claws tore rents in the smooth metal. With a grinding crunch the doors were pulled apart. Charlie stumbled through them and turned around. Following him came Dominic, who leapt quickly through. Even as he landed Dominic spat in annoyance. "Where's Josephine!?!"
"Still in there," said Charlie as he worriedly peaked back into the shaft. Bullets rang and sparked off the walls. Apparently the snipers in this elevator had opted to hold their fire for a more accurate shot...their plan had almost worked. "Jo, down here!"
"I hate this!" Jo's cry echoed weirdly from the shaft. Dominic snorted as he shouted back at her.
"Get down here now! Move!" Charlie could just make out the small shape of Jo a few floors above them. She clung tight to the ladder, her body curled up slightly in fear as she perched on one of the rungs, unmoving. Dominic snarled as he turned back into the hallway, he grabbed a potted plant.
"What are you-" began to ask Charlie. Then Dominic turned and hurled the plant and pot up the shaft. There was a loud thump and a cry of surprised pain from Jo. The impact upset her hold to the ladder, and she tipped backwards and fell with a scream. Dominic's large arm shot into the shaft as his hand closed about her ankle. With an easy jerk he pulled her to him and dropped her to the ground. "-doing with that," finished Charlie slowly as he looked down at the frightened Corax. She sat quietly, her eyes wide, as she took a few quick breaths. Then she looked up at Dominic.
"You're a real asshole, you know that? A literal asshole, literally!" She stood up indignantly, batting at Dominic's hand as he offered to help. "Now you can just leave me literally alone, okay!" Dominic snorted in annoyance as he turned and rushed down the hallway. Charlie followed, with Jo trailing behind. Dominic led them into a large, collective work area. Scores of cubicle walls separating the workers into little isolated holes. The whole place having the feel of a maze for mice.
"Excellent," snarled Dominic as he stormed up to the huge row of windows.
"It's crazy down here Mr. Sands! I don't even know what's going on. The guy just was flashing all these badges and stuff, I didn't know what to think." Robert Sands stepped out of his limousine and was confronted with the blathering and worried Captain Sheats. The chubby human waved his arms frantically as he pointed up towards the smoking ruins of the walkway. "Do you see that Mr. Sands! I didn't call in the chopper, I didn't even know we had a chopper!"
"Mr. Kay, if you would," said Robert quietly as he gestured to the flustered human. Mr. Kay quickly stepped forward, his dark eyes glinting menacingly behind his gold rimmed glasses. He gripped Captain Sheats by the arm and lead him back towards the lobby where the other guards were discussing the events in the tower. Robert brushed a hand through his hair as he glanced over at Mr. Barnes. The timid and bland seeming man who really ran the security in the towers. "Status?"
"Security is dead. We pried open his door and found that he had been suffocated by the fire safety system." Barnes frowned at the thought, unsure how the systems would have turned against a creature so hard-wired into them. "I've also had confirmed losses of about three security teams. No confirmed casualties to the Garou. They just managed to gain access to the south tower, we're trying to redirect men now. I think the damn fleabags are on the twelfth floor."
"Think?" Robert turned to frown at Mr. Barnes, who hung his head in shame. Knowing full well the price of displeasing Robert Sands. Robert turned back to his towers angrily. "You shall make sure you get them Mr. Barnes. Nobody makes a fool out of me, nobody!"
"My teams close in on them even now, there's no way for them to get out of the twelfth floor. I promise you Mr. Sands, there's no way for them to escape." There was a sudden loud crash. Both men looked upward to the massive desk that was plummeting down towards them. They leaped back as the heavy piece of furniture smashed down upon Robert's limo, crushing the roof and spraying glass across the street. Robert looked up at a loud howl. He saw two massive werewolves spring from the window, their leap carrying them across the wide street to land atop the roof of a ten story bank across from the Allied Towers.
"They've just escaped Mr. Barnes," hissed Robert in frustration. His underling was already pulling out his cell phone and shouting orders into it. But Robert knew it would be too late, the Garou had evaded his grasp and torn through his buildings at their pleasure. He cursed as he heard the sounds of approaching police sirens. It would take half the damn day to clean up this mess and barricade the police from figuring out anything. He turned and marched into the North Tower, Mr. Kay seemed to just drift out of nowhere to follow him into the deserted back offices.
"Mr. Sands, we may have some difficulties covering up this incident. There was the unfortunate happenstance that around five 'special' team members managed to plummet out of the building and to the pavement. The problem being some of their...secretions are not normal bodily fluid. And a few have...more then the average number of limbs."
"Industrial espionage," snapped Robert as he slipped into a cubicle and grabbed the phone. "Get some boys out there in contamination suits and say something about genetic research. Don't let any of the cops get too close. And get some of the damn Sweepers down here to start fuzzing out some memories!" Mr. Kay nodded and slipped silently from the room. Robert sighed as he massaged his temples and sank into the office chair. He typed in a number and waited for the line to pick up. "Lonnie? This is Robert. Listen, I need you to tone down something for the papers. When they call and ask for the official statement tell them it was just industrial espionage, and that no one was killed. That's all I want to see when I read the papers, you got that?"
"So tense, Robert." As he hung up the phone Robert felt the cold caress of fingers on the back of his neck. He froze as he felt a face come down next to his ear, its breath gently brushing along his cheek. "The business world can be so hard at times. I'm so sorry to see these problems come to your doorstep."
"I just overextended a bit, I won't let it happen again." The fingers danced around his neck, hands pressing in on his throat. The coldness of the fingers biting at his skin.
"Tell me Robert, what about my shipments. Will there be any problems?"
"None."
"Good." The hands slowly withdrew from his neck. "Oh, Robert? Your men can't seem to handle these problems of ours." A scrap of paper sailed gently past his face and dropped to the desk. Robert looked down at the information and directions. "Perhaps it is time to bring back in the specialists?" Robert picked up the paper and read the words at the top in a quiet hiss of anger and fear.
The Black Spiral Dancers.
