"What's the rush? I was gonna hang around, stay for the sights!" Triste snapped back as she pushed the sub to its maximum speed... which didn't seem to be nearly enough. Glancing into the rear monitor, Triste could see the huge creature already beginning to gain on them again, its grotesque face looming closer as it used its tail to propel itself through the water.
Reaching across, Triste wrapped her hand around the trigger and fired off a second round of torpedoes back at the creature. But it had learned from the last attack and it raised a clawed hand, swatting the missiles away without even blinking. “Son of a bitch…” Triste started to swear – but then the creature sliced its claw back down, and the sub was once again rocked violently to the side. This time, it was accompanied by a shrill bleeping that subsided after a few seconds. Pulling back on the controls, she managed to straighten the vehicle again, and glanced up at the damage report flashing on one of the monitors. The craft had almost been torn wide open. It’d hold together – at least, for now – but another successful attack by this monster and they’d almost certainly be dead. Gritting her teeth in frustration, Triste swerved to the left, and took them through a narrow gap in the plane’s wreckage, hoping to lose it amongst the broken machinery and twisted metal.
Scanning the ruins around them and looking at the rear cameras, where the creature’s hideous, bulbous yellow eyes were fixed forwards in a dead stare, Triste had a desperate idea. “Your psionics!” she shouted across to Vergil. “Try to lift some of these metal pieces and throw them back at the bastard’s eyes! Burst them!”
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As they searched around for something useful in the laundry room, Axel heard a bleeping from the phone he’d taken. Looking down at it quickly, he saw it was a call from Soren’s number. Answering it, he stuttered in the affirmative and hung up. “Okay… Soren and the others are on their way! We just… we just need to sit tight…”
From outside, he heard the loud rumbling of multiple footsteps and then; “Hey! Did you leave the laundry room open?!”
Throat suddenly closing, Axel looked across and saw what Lily was looking at – the laundry chute. “After you!” he choked, picking her up and tossing her through, trying to be gentle but probably not succeeding given the pressure of the situation. Gripping the sides of the chute, he lifted himself up and started to slide down feet first… but as he was disappearing down, he felt a hand grab his head, fingers wrapping around his hair tightly.
“I got the cocksucker!” a deep voice yelled triumphantly.
Crying out in pain, Axel bucked wildly, trying to shake the grip that was holding him back. He tried reaching his hands back to pry the fingers off, but in the tight confines of the chute he couldn’t quite manage. Axel gave one final tug… which must have unbalanced the guard and pulled him off his feet. Suddenly, the two of them were shouting and sliding down the dark metal passage after Lily, to whatever awaited them below.
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Rio stared down at his arm, amazed, as his torn flesh started to knit together, and the throbbing pain started to subside. When it looked almost as good as new, aside from the blood coating the limb, he raised his eyes and gazed with an equal amount of amazement at the strange being’s chest. “Hey, something… ah… hurt my balls. Yeah. I think you should check them out, too…” he moaned theatrically, starting to pull his underwear down as Aurora tended to Flora.
Blinking, Rio looked across at Nairda, mid – underwear pull, and frowned. “Wait… how did you know we actually got to Voltaic? And how did you know we rented out a love yacht? How is that even possible?”
