The tall figure ran through the hallway trying to avoid the bullets that whistled through the air as they followed it. Making distance between itself and the bullets, the person slowed down its pace and stopped for a quick breather. However it had made a terrible error, and was about to pay the price. The brigade of bullets whistled as they closed in on the figure, and one of the bullets flew out in front of the pack, right into the left shoulder of the surprised person. It hit the tile floor hard, and screamed loudly as its face twisted in pain. The hallway became a river of red blood that gushed from the injured person's shoulder. As one of the braver guards went over to check on the person they had just shot, they heard a scream and then he came rushing back to them, his face as white as a sheet. "There's no one there, just a pile of bloody clothes. " They all walked slowly to the shadowy area where the person had fallen, and their faces became as white as their friend's .The clothes sat there in a bloody heap, looking like the person who had worn them had melted. After looking at each other for a minute, they all rushed out of the hallway, screaming as if they had the devil at their heels.

Tenchi let out a sigh of relief as he watched the guards running away from the bloody pile of clothing and turned to his friends. They were leaning against the walls, breathing hard from the entire running they had been doing. They were too tired to run anymore, and time was running out for them. As they sat there relaxing, Ryoko's ears perked up, and before they could even move a muscle, they were caught. Bound in tight ropes and unable to move their arms as they were forced to march to meet Josh, and face the final battle.

* At the Masaki house * Ryo-Ohki mewed as she entered the dark, spooky area that was washu's lab. The machines standing all around her seemed to resemble a spooky forest, with the metal trees watching her every move. Trembling as she made her way slowly into the lab, Ryo-Ohki jumped as the sound of heavy footsteps sounded across the lab floor coming closer each second. Jumping into a nearby basket, Ryo-ohki watched as sasami walked past, her face dirty from working. After she heard Sasami exit the lab and lock the door, she got out of the basket and made her way through the spooky lab towards the aging machine.

Back at Josh's ship... Josh smiled as he looked down on the brats that had escaped him and his guards for so long. Two of the girls were in tears, afraid of what was in store for them, and the boy was holding his shoulder with his hand, as if to block something from coming out. "You there boy, what are you hiding under your hand?" Pulling his sword out of its holder, he hit it against Tenchi 's hand, making it move to reveal the hidden secret under it. A gaping bloody wound showed through, and a river of blood flowed from a small wound in his shoulder. One of the guards gasped "That's where we hit the person we were chasing after". Josh just smiled as he sat down in his big red chair and leaned back. "So you were the mysterious person who had my guards all frightened, how amusing". Turing to his guards, he motioned them to come forward, and then whispered something into their ears. Nodding, the guards came forward as if to assist Tenchi with his wound, but promptly grabbed him by his arms as Josh unsheathed his sword. "You will be the first to die Tenchi."

What will happen to Tenchi? Will he be killed or live? And what is Ryo-Ohki up to? To find out the answers to these questions, stay tuned for the next chapter !

Disclaimer: I do not own Tenchi or any of the characters in this story except for Josh and his goons.