I do not own anything...literally. Here is the list of what I DON'T own:

Tiki is a Xenomorph, which I DON'T own.

War of the Worlds is another thing I DON'T own.

And the Crystal Egg is another thing I DON'T own.

I disown everything!

The door slammed open, startling me awake. It was Machi. He didn't look very happy.

"Where's the pets?" he asked. I tilted my head.

"What are you saying?"

He grabbed me around the throat and tightened his grip. Although my windpipe was closed, I can still breath through my crest.

"Machi. Calm down. I don't know where they are." I said, using telepathy. Machi got a grip on his temper and dropped me.

"Let me make easier. Tiki devised a plan to rescue you."

"They are?" I asked. Machi paused and smiled.

"They won't succeed. Nothing can save you. I'll insure it." he told me. "Now for the questioon...where is the pzanos?"

I was stunned. The pzanos is like the Crystal Egg, except a bit different. It can be called the Crystal Skull. The Crystal Egg controls life. The other controls death and destruction. If the Martians were to get a hold on it, they'll be able to kill anything. They'll practically rule the universe.

I'm not going to let that happen.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I heard a zippy sound and felt something whip my face so hard, I was sent flying into the wall. Machi has hit me with a tentacle.

"Don't give me any of that, Reginite! The Council told me everything. They said you're the only one that knows."

Oh great. Betrayed by the Council. But I'm not giving up that easily.

"They lie. I know nothing."

The explosion of pain returned, but not just my head, my whole body.

"When I say don't lie, I mean it. I know you enough to know when you're telling a lie. And you're not being truthful."

The pain got worst. Then it got light enough to let me talk, but it was still there, waiting to go back.

"Alright...I admit...I know." I said, huffing and puffing.

"Then where?" The pain went away completely. I knew it could easily return. But I don't care.

"I know...doesn't mean...I'll tell..." The pain immediatly came back.

"You learn nothing Reginite. Not answering causes the worst pain of your life." I growled lightly.

"I...don't...care...! I'd...rather...DIE...than...tell...you...anything!" He smiled and chuckled.

"Death so soon? That's no fun. But if that's what it takes, then so be it."

The pain reached it's ultimate high. It was so intense I actually felt my life slip away. Then, on the verge of death, a break.

The door bell rang repeatedly and annoyingly. Machi huffed and released his mental hold.

"You're quite lucky this time reginite. I'll give you a few more chances." With that, machi left to answer the door.

I gained enough strength to pull myself against the wall. While I tried to slow my laboured breathing, I thought about one of my opinions.

The ultimate sacrifice: Mental death. As in we use our brain power to shut down all bodily functions. It's an alternative ability that only Reginites have. We only use it to stop suffering. Mental death is the best way to go. No pian or anything, just concentrate.

I agreed with myself and layed down across the floor. I closed my eyes and thought hard of my intention. I was in the middle of the proccess when I heard a noise within the wall. Curiousity sparked and I dropped what I was doing. I stared in the direction of the noise and saw a hole start to form. Then Muffin crawled into the room. She has knawed her way in here.

"Hi, Zerxus." she greeted cutely. I smiled as best I could. She chirttered her teeth a bit.

"Hurry up Muffin! Melissa could only distract Machi for so long!" I heard Tiki's voice yell from within the hole. They were too big to exit. Muffin paused for a moment, then began to chew the edge of the hole, making it bigger.

In a minute or 2, Tiki and Morphius squeezed in. They immediatly ran to hug me.

"Zerxus! We thought you'de be dead! But I got new info regarding Machi!" Tiki said, catching all our attention. "You're death won't matter! Whether you're dead or not, the Martians will still get what they want!"

But how? How would they get the pzanos if I'm dead? I was about to ask Tiki thatwhen the door opened.

"Very good Tiki. And Reginite?" Machi looked at me. "I have something for you."

He held up a tentacle and revealed Melissa. She was thrashing and struggling and yelling that Machi should put her down.

"Your little distraction game was fun for a bit. Then it just got annoying. Don't do it again." He threw Melissa in and she landed on me. It was painful to my already hurting form. "I'll decide what to with you later."

He shut the door.

"Sorry, Zerxus." Melissa apolegized, gettin off. I stayed down. My pets stared, as if waiting.

"What's wrong?" Morphius asked. I didn't answer. What is there to say? That I'm better off dead? And even that won't help the slightest. I decided not to preform mmental death. For the sake of my pets.

"Why don't you stand?" Tiki said. I paused. I attempted to stand, but fell back down. That upsetting my pets and weakened me further.

Then my pets pitched in to help me up. I tumbled a few times but eventually succeeded. As Tiki and Melissa stayed by me in case I fall, Muffin and Morphius tried to get the hole big enough for me to escape.

I can always count on my pets.

Next chapter may take another while. Not only have I not started on it, but my computer user got temporarily removed. I'll get it back as soon as I can. Until then, I'm using a friend's computer.