Night 54: Main Hallway 2-West

[vitale]

( from here. nnn so close.)Closer. She was getting closer. Almost there, almost at her destination. ... And then she would have to do it all over again. Get from one point to the other, without hopefully being hit or ... well, if she was being honest, she would really appreciate it if she wasn't noticed, but hey, she couldn't look a gift horse in

Comments

[bitpartgod]

Sending the thing, whatever it was, crashing out of his field of view was satisfying, even if he could barely see anything at all anyway, but Kibitoshin wasn't given more than a few seconds for that feeling to be replaced with sheer, plummeting dread. Because then he saw the eyes.

One second with his eyes off of the other two, just one second, was all it took for one of them to dart towards him and, quick as a blink, swing its claws straight into his calf. Kibitoshin gasped, then cried out as they ripped first through the material of his pants and then into unprotected skin.

His knees buckled; it was only through force of will and the sudden, splitting roar from behind him that he stayed on his feet. "S-Sechs! There are more! We have to--"- have to move, not talk, what was he thinking?! Pushing, forcing his way through hot pain like a whip-stroke, he clenched his jaw and kicked out with his injured leg. Anywhere else the kick would have been fast and powerful enough to rip through steel. Here, he'd have to pray it was enough to dislodge one eager monster.

crap, guys, I'm sorry. ;;

[damned_monsters]

The monster attached to the dark-haired prey managed to just barely dodge the swing of his weapon, landing on the floor with a disturbing scraping noise before launching upward again, aimed for his chest this time, with both feet and teeth.

The other, however, was not quite so agile in its escape from close contact; before it could detach itself from its own prey, the white-haired male did it for the creature. It banged against the wall, falling to the floor in what seemed like shock - as its fellows flew forward, claws scratching against the floor as they chirped and chattered. Finally, right when they reached just the right range, the other two launched forward, one aiming for his left arm, the other aiming for his right leg.

[sixth_attack]

An infuriated growl rumbled out past the Replica's clenched teeth. No! They couldn't back down now! He had to finish his mission! Get those damn batteries and find Alita! He had already been slowed down enough! Sechs knew he could plow through the horde of these chirping creatures by himself. He wasn't going to wait for his clumsy friend anymore, SCREW that--

Someone or something had scrambled over the fallen flashlight, causing its beam of light to roll across the floor and catch Sechs' attention. Above the single light, Sechs caught a disturbing glimpse of his friend under siege by more of the deadly creatures, exposing their disgusting, misshapen bodies and terrible claws. Kibitoshin's other-worldly uniform was swiftly becoming nothing but shreds beneath his attacker's toothy mouths. Even if Kibitoshin was fighting them off without a weapon, the creatures just kept ganging up on him and there were many more on the way! The feeling Sechs experienced inside his chest earlier returned in full force, along with the fleeting image of Forte's dead body--

"SHIT! GET OFF HIM!" he roared, fighting to get away from his own attacker but failed to smash it with his axe. The creature made a leap into the safety of the darkness, but Sechs' instincts sensed that it wasn't giving up yet.

For now, Sechs' main concern was focused on Kibitoshin. He stomped over to the Kaioshin's side, intent on driving off the surge of creatures but was alerted to the flash of his foe's yellow eyes streaking through the black, briefly glimpsing its disgusting hide, enormous claws and gaping mouth as it flew in again for the kill...!

Realizing that his axe was just too heavy and slow to deal with the small monsters at such a close range, Sechs freed one hand from his axe and pulled out his machete from his back in a single, swift motion. Before the creature could land on his chest plate, Sechs' blade flashed through the air, aiming to slice the damn thing up before it could plant its teeth into his flesh.

[bitpartgod]

The kick did its job, and Kibitoshin felt the creature unlatch from his leg before he heard the sick yet encouraging thump as it hit the wall. Two down, goodness only knew how many more to go, and that was just for him; he'd been trying to get a look in over Sechs' way, but taking his eyes off of the creatures for a second was pure suicide (urgh, that word-!), and he'd been forced to rely on his ears the entire time. What he'd heard had not been encouraging.

But now he had a break, the briefest of reprises from the fray, and he could just about spare a second to look around. He needed to see, he needed to make sure Sechs was okay, because there was no way he could carry on with this fight alone. There was no way he could carry on with anything here alone. With a deep breath, part-gasp for the near-paralysing pain shaking his body, he turned.

He turned, and he saw, by flashlight: one of the creatures was diving towards Sechs, towards his chest. Android or not, if those claws dug too far into his skin--

Kibitoshin's throat constricted, but then his mouth was open and he was shouting out, "Sechs, look out-!"

It had already been three seconds.

With his back turned there was no way he could have seen the two of them coming, and they hit him as though they were made of lead, one to his elbow and one to the back of his knee. He buckled, and before he could do much more than turn his elbow so that the think would hit the ground with him he'd fallen to the floor. The shock ran through him and jarred his limbs, freezing him for several long, dangerous moments- and he was utterly vulnerable for all of them. He could only hope he'd caught that one as hard as he hoped he had.

[damned_monsters]

The creatures already in mid-air continued, two latching onto Kibitoshin with their mouths and feet and teeth and claws, digging into the soft, tender flesh and focusing on having their meal. Their packmate was swiped from the air before making it to its prey, though, and it landed on the floor with a squeak, sliced in two and falling still at last.

At the sound of the other necrit dying, the one on Kibitoshin's arm pulled its head back, blinking at the other prey before chirping at it angrily. Hopping down in a hurry, it flung itself at the other male, mouth moving and ready to chomp down wherever it could find sweet flesh.

[sixth_attack]

Sechs felt the satisfying impact of his machete slicing through the armless creature, his eyes blinking defensively against the sensation of blood sprinkling his face as the monster's thick remains splattered to the ground.

One down, more to go.

The fight was far from being a game or sporting competition however, as more panic pulsed into Sechs' heart when he heard Kibitoshin cry out in the darkness, followed by the sickening thud of his body hitting the ground. The seriousness of the situation had truly dawned on Sechs as the fallen Kaioshin became open to the terrible mouths of the hungry creatures. The throb inside his heart exploded into an uncommon rage that Sechs had just begun to experience ever since he saved that one girl from killing herself under a tyrant's manipulation. He wasn't mad because of the bite to his hip, he was mad as hell that the creatures were ganging up on Kibitoshin -- his friend!

Such fury helped the Replica focus past the horrendous pain of his wound and lock eyes upon his darkened target. One of the creatures that had torn into Kibitoshin's arm seemed just as furious, stridently clattering its teeth together before pouncing at Sechs.

"Hold on!" Sechs cried, his voice hoarse with panicked agony. With the bloodied machete in his hand and the axe carried behind in the other, Sechs charged to Kibitoshin's aid, the machete's edge cutting through the darkness towards his second attacker. He had to get the monsters off Kibitoshin before...

Within the rush of that violent moment, another image of Forte flashed through Sechs' mind. Gritting his teeth, he could only hope that his attack would be enough to save Kibitoshin from the same fate...

[bitpartgod]

The one on his leg bit down all the harder than the previous, and Kibitoshin, who'd had his teeth clenched together the whole time so as not to alarm Sechs to the point of distraction, couldn't take it anymore. He gave a howl of pain and kicked out, desperate to dislodge the thing, but now that he was down on the ground he struggled to find either the energy or momentum for a repeat performance.

With a distant, almost alien sense of dread, Kibitoshin realised that he might die. No, not realised- recognised. He'd been here before, back to the wall- well, floor- and in mortal peril while some great creature closed in on him, feeling the blood run down his skin with the sweat and the blossom of fear in his chest. He'd been smaller, then. Smaller, weaker, and yet at the same time much stronger than he could ever have hoped to be here. The East Kaioshin, the weakest, could have taken out this thing without a thought.

But for all his training, his fusion, he was human here. He was entirely vulnerable.

Sech's voice sounded out like a ship's horn in the fog, and Kibitoshin clung to it, a castaway. He could hear the android moving now, the swipe of his axe, and he'd felt the rain of blood (it had to be blood) from before. His throat strangled his thoughts before he could speak them; he kicked out a final time and willed Sechs to move.

[damned_monsters]

There was a sharp squeak as the creature detached itself from Kibitoshin's flesh in a hurry, but to no avail; it was struck down by the machete, the sharp edge slicing it cleanly in two distinct pieces before they fell to the floor with a sickening squish. The other, as though sensing the imminent danger, released its prey before dashing off into the darkness, its chirping loud and high-pitched.

Barely seconds later, the chirping was met with more sounds, frenzied and excited. The chattering was shortly joined with more scraping, more hurried scratching.

[sixth_attack]

Another one of the little monsters fell victim to Sechs' machete, spraying more of its disgusting entrails upon his once clean armor. The other creature that had been devouring Kibitoshin turned tail and scrambled back into the darkness. Yet its flight did not signal the end to Sechs and Kibitoshin's ordeal. Growing increasingly louder from the distance, the terrible chattering and chirping multiplied into a deafening cacophony in the darkness. More of the little monsters were on the way!

Panting and swaying slightly on the spot, the sensation of blood crawling down his leg and sweat trickling past his eyes became amplified by the android's heightened state of fear and fury as his mind raced over what to do. By the increasing racket echoing from the unknown, the toothy little bastards were sure to arrive in endless droves. The blood-thirsty side of Sechs' combative ego experienced a rush at the thought of sweeping through the horde with his machete swinging with no relent. He wasn't going to let the little monsters get in the way of his goals! He needed to replenish his supplies and find Alita! That was all that mattered!

Yet the other side of Sechs' warrior spirit had his focus on Kibitoshin, sprawled upon the floor in a bloody puddle that was rapidly growing in size around his once colorful garb. The seconds of witnessing his friend in such danger seemed to slow time down into agonizing hours of indecision and panic. Sechs' heart was strongly tugging him away from the impending battle that was fast approaching from the shadows, and with a pained growl, Sechs made his decision -- and stooped down to help the injured Kaioshin up to his feet.

"C'mon!" Sechs growled through his pained gasps, "Let's get outta here!"

Ignoring the stabbing protest from the injury in his hip, Sechs stowed his axe and machete away to hang off his belt and kneeled down beside the Kaioshin. He reached for the fallen flashlight and wrapped his lean arm around Kibitoshin's side. Not wanting to waste another moment in such a vulnerable spot, Sechs quickly grabbed Kibitoshin's other arm, draping it over his shoulders before heaving him up off the floor, allowing the Kaioshin to lean upon most of Sechs' shoulders.

"Hold on! Don't die on me too now!" With one arm supporting Kibitoshin's back, Sechs' free hand held the flashlight aloft, catching fleeting glimpses of the terrible armless creatures that were swiftly surrounding them. Bent over from his friend's weight, Sechs shuffled to the door leading to the stairs and struggled to wrench it open.

The deafening scratching and skittering was filling the air like smothering fog as Sechs struggled to turn the knob with a hand that was already occupied by the shaking flashlight. What if he didn't open the door in time? Another shot of adrenaline coursed through Sechs' bloody, sweat-covered body as the chirping came so close that his prickling spine expected the agony of one of the creatures to suddenly leap upon him with its claws digging for flesh. Open damnit! C'mon!!

Yet at the very last second, Sechs' sweaty grip upon the knob succeeded in opening it, and without another moment to spare, Sechs threw the door open and dragged Kibitoshin through it with him. As they stumbled into the darkened stairway, the door slammed closed behind them with a strident thud, shortly followed by the sounds of hungry, toothy, clawed creatures slamming their little bodies against it.

"Shit!" Sechs gasped. That was far too close! With the creatures (hopefully) safely behind them, Sechs adjusted his hold on Kibitoshin before taking his first careful step down the stairs, "C'mon! We're going back to where it's safe! Don't go like..."

Sechs' words trailed off as the image of the deceased Forte briefly flashing past his vision. Gritting his teeth, Sechs kept Kibitoshin closer in a tight, one-armed hug, desperate to keep his friend alive, his throbbing heart willing the Kaioshin stay with him. "J-just... Just hold on!"

Without a moment or another drop of blood to spare, Sechs helped his friend down the stairs and into the darkness, hoping to reach safety before it was too late...