Chapter 11

-Surviving the Night

"Everyone wait here, I'll check outside and see what's going on…" Gibson stated while rushing out the door and into the hallway.

Strangely, the door suddenly locked behind him. Startled, everyone raced around the room like chickens without heads. Terror fulling their flees as Vex slowly approached the closet. When her claws grabbed the knob, Otto pulled her back by the mane.

"W—what… are you doing?" He asked with a terror riddled face.

Vex pulled her wrist free from Otto's grasp. Staring long and hard at times, mentally asking the reason for her interruption. The male monkey tugged on her mane harder to redirect her attention to the panicking team.

A shadow drifted past the old monkey. Her eyes darted in the direction of the window as the team silenced theirs banters. As if all caught the strange sight. Vex, with Otto's hand still on her, slowly approached the window and looked out. Massive dripping fangs leaped to the window; a mangled looking black monster roared at them. Claws as big as butcher knives breaking the glass' like it was only butter.

Chiro went from screaming to a fight stance.

"Monkey team, formation O, take that ugly thing out!"

Everyone paired up as they launched their attack. The ugly malformed creature with a horse-like head dodged each attack. Flinging itself onto the roof, it slithered into the kitchen and knelt on the cabinet. Its weight cracking the wood as it ripped a drawer open and flung all the steak knives at the team.

Everyone gasped and leaped away from the flying knives. Sprx froze as each knife stabbed the wall behind him, forcing him in an awkward pose as each knife sat centimeters away from vital spots. He sighed in relief and proceeded to move forward but found himself stuck. The kitchenware, though missing fatal spots, had stabbed his metallic parts into the wall. The pilot angrily yodeled and tried to pull himself free.

The creature hissed and was gone. Reappearing behind Antauri, its claws dug into his back. Antauri was violently drained of nearly all his power, causing him to fall into shutdown. Electricity sparking around his limbs.

"Antauri!" Otto yelled as he drew his saws and ran at the creature with a war yelling. He leaped high above it and threw both sighs into its back. Slicing it wide open and cartwheeled away.

"Otto, watch out!" Chiro yelled as the inky abomination got Otto's foot in its teeth and repeatedly slammed him into the floor. The green monkey spits up some teeth before his eyes were nothing but confused circles from the aggressive beating, he just took.

Chiro now stood alone with only Nova and Vex at his side.

"Okay girls watch it…" he sweatdropped as the creature hissed from its spot hanging from the wall. Its three angry ember eyes reflecting in Chiro's. "This thing is a lot faster than it seems…"

Nova wasted no time and flung herself at the beast, delivering a full-frontal right hook. Snapping its neck in an awkward angle before returning with a harsh blow to its stomach. She sent the creature smashing right through the wall and into the connecting room that contained their indoor pool and hot tub. It hissed in pain, licking at the blood dripping from its mouth. The gold warrior valiantly stood in the hole the creature made. Eyes burning with even more furiosity.

"Come on you ugly piece of crap!" She came at it with fiery strength. But surprise caught her when the creature's tail grabbed her by the waist and shoved her beneath the water. Her flames burnt out as she gagged for breath. It was not letting go and repeatedly dunked her head under again and again. Nova quickly lost breath and passed out. It hissed in victory and chunked her sideways into the wall before regaining its feet.

Chiro summoned a lightning bolt and threw it at the monster. It was struck in the side and emitted a high-pitched squeal. So loud it nearly deafened both him and Vex. Angry beyond belief, it launched itself right on top of Chiro. Its jaws savagely biting into his arm as Chiro used his forearm to keep its ugly teeth away from his face.

"Gah!" He yelled, eyes shut tightly with its spit and smelly drool coating his face.

Shadows with long claws came and slashed the beast's face, severing its left eye. It was thrown off Chiro as he scrambled to his feet. Vex stood against the wall for support, her shadow forming into two massive clawed hands. Her eyes narrowed, commanding the shadows as they moved lightning speed. Their transparent hands grabbing onto the beast's neck and hips. Shifting her wrist, the shadows followed in sync as they began to twist the creature's body in every angle possible.

It screamed even louder as every bone was broken and twisted out of place. Vex's frustration rose as she twisted her claws back, causing the shadow hands to bend it back like a paper Mache till its spine snapped. Then dragging it up to her, she drew her massive fangs hidden behind her front teeth. The creature croaked a raw roar as the old assassin moved in and bit into its neck. Every ounce of venom she could muster was poured into its wound. She bit down harder, tearing its flesh the tighter she bit.

Its screams quieted the longer she bit. Chiro froze at the grizzly animalistic sight. When the creature was two breaths from death, he couldn't stand the sight any longer.

"Stop!" He yelled.

His yell jarred Vex awake as she immediately let go. The bite wound she inflicted burned a while wide open on its neck. It groaned in utter pain as the shadow hands released it. Barely able to move without its bones cracking in protest.

She trembled as its fluids dripped from her elongated canines. Breaths shaky as her pupil dilated to normal, broken out of her haze. Chiro stared at her, hands also shaking, barely able to reach out. So, startled by what he just saw, he almost forgot about the red-eyed beast they just fought. He snapped out of it and grabbed Vex.

"I—it's okay," he hugged her frozen form.

The doorknob was melted down as Gibson finally managed to break his way into the room. His eyes widened at seeing the damage done to their room. The beast moaning in utter pain before it vanished into black dust. He dashed to Antauri, checking his power system, and tried to reboot it. Sprx managed to at last free himself, holding the wires hanging from his open gashes.

"I—is everyone okay?" Sprx asked as he rushed to assist Nova out of the hot tub she was dunked in.

"Yea… just a monster headache," Nova rubbed her head before pulling away from Sprx's worried hold.

Antauri's eyes were powered on, but his body remained paralyzed.

"What was that… thing…?" He asked slow and low voice reflecting his low battery power.

"No idea," Otto stated while going over to the spot the creature dissipated. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know, but least we managed to kill it," Chiro spoke as he looked down at Vex. "Hey," he whispered low so no one would hear his worry. "Are you okay?"

Not responding, Vex pulled away from his arms and went to the door. Refusing to look back as she ceased her rapid breaths. Pupils starting to grow darker as she pushed the damaged door open.

"Retrieve keys… for new room…" she closed to the door behind her.

Chiro stood dumbstruck at what just happened. Sighing, he turned and quickly aided Gibson in sitting Antauri up.

"Any clue on what that thing was?"

"No idea, my scanners didn't pick up anything." Gibson relayed to their leader, "but what I do know is… whatever that thing was…" He reached a free hand over and took a sample of the dust. "We'll figure it out."

Antauri tried to turn his head but was unable. The tiny white specs of his pupils shifting in and out. Sign that his battery was struggling to come on enough to allow his body its mobility.

"I… is everyone… okay?" He whispered.

"Yes, everyone is okay, a little banged up but okay."

He fell silent, Chiro and Gibson exchanged glances.

"W—where is… my wife…"

"Vex is fine, she's just going to get us… another room, I guess." Chiro scratched his neck, "not sure how she's going to explain the damage."

Antauri's fingers whirred as he tired to curl them. His blank expression struggling to shift into a look of more worry.

"I sense… something off. When she comes back… please check on her." His eyes completely powered down.

"We will just hang in there Antauri… as soon as we get Otto going, we'll fix your battery." Chiro reassured as he laid the offlined simian on the only non-broken bed. He looked to Gibson and back at the creature that had been violently killed.

"Whatever is going on… it can't be good."