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

[sixth_attack]

[From here.]

A few steps into the hallway and immediately Sechs sensed the telltale signs of a violent scuffle going on in the distance. Kibitoshin's flashlight had not illuminated the battle going on yet, but the android could hear and smell the extent of the fight. It made his racing heart accelerate. He wanted to join the fight, vent his frustrations over everything... But his mission to find Alita took top priority. Plus, he didn't think Kibitoshin would appreciate him getting into more "silly fights"...

Keeping a safe distance for now, Sechs stood his ground and pondered over his plan. From what he recalled, the janitor's closet was on the other side of the building. That could mean running past a perfectly good fight! Sechs grumbled and scowled at the thought. The other option would be to go back to the first floor and take a different staircase, but that took up too much time! The more he thought, the more his frustration gathered up inside his chest! He felt slowed down by Kibitoshin and rushed by his need to accomplish his

[bitpartgod]

This time, to Kibitoshin's surprise, he found something beginning to flare in his chest- and it was with even greater surprise that he realised that it was actually anger. Not exactly blind, white-hot rage, but the way Sechs was talking to him was actually starting to make him a little bit mad, which was practically unheard of for him. Especially when he'd managed to spend time with Franziska and not get mad.

Or maybe it was exactly for that reason. Maybe he was just starting to reach the end of his tether, and- and--

He took in a deep breath. Okay. So if this was his temper, he needed to try and control it. There was no point in having a big fight here, where everyone could see it (including monsters and brainwashed patients looking for a fight). Which was why it came as yet another unpleasant surprise when he heard himself, in an incredibly sulky voice, answering, "I was just trying to be helpful. Don't be so unfair

[damned_monsters]

Chattering suddenly broke the silence, though the creatures remained safe under the cover of darkness throughout the hall. The chattering was shortly joined by scuffling, a sickening scraping sound, like something sharp scratching along the hard floor of the hallway. The sounds started to grow louder, more frequent, as thought whatever creatures were making them were coming closer - and then it all stopped, and quiet overcame the blackness again

[sixth_attack]

Sechs froze; his thought process was popped violently like a burst balloon. If Kibitoshin had a higher pitched voice and a twin who sounded exactly the same, Sechs could have sworn he had heard Elf and Zwölf whining behind him! He angrily turned on the spot, his hair whipping the air and the many buckles of his outfit creaking with his movements. Those twins never failed to push his buttons, and that resemblance just added another layer of annoyance on his already large pile of aggravation with the Kaioshin. And to think that this guy used to be some cosmic protector of the universe!

"Don't be so unfair...!" crooned the dark voice in Sechs' consciousness. In that short moment of silence, Sechs felt the words reverberate inside, giving way to shame. Sechs himself hated seeing unfairness in life, and Kibitoshin was his friend--

Yet the faint presence of guilt disturbed his festering temper, and within seconds it reared its ugly head inside Sechs, bursting out of him in the form of a loud snarl. "Hey! It's not like I begged you to come

[bitpartgod]

And where Sechs' first reaction fell in line with what he'd been expecting, Kibitoshin had been almost sure that he would follow suit and collapse into apologies like a house of cards, same as always. It came as a shock when all it did was strengthen his resolve. Suddenly, with everything he'd heard already tonight, being shouted at was the least of his worries. No. Sechs hadn't begged him to come. But he'd come along as a favour, and as a friend. The android could threaten all he wanted, and maybe, yes, maybe he would just get out of his face and walk awa-

Scrrraaaaape.

Kibitoshin froze as well. He'd heard it- he'd definitely heard it.

The next moment came at the Kaioshin as a blurr; first he was replying to Sechs, then he was listening again, and before he could even register the latest sound there were suddenly six eyes staring at him, almost a luminous yellow in the dark. Was it one creature, he remembered thinking, or three? Two, with three eyes each? And then they attacked.

In a dark, confusing mash of sound and sensation,

so sorry guys ;;

[damned_monsters]

The two were met with frantic chirping and giggling and squabbling; the scraping noises grew in volume and frequency as the eyes darted around the dark hallway as one of the swings made contact with the creature leaping off its prey. In the dark, it was hard to tell which swing did the trick, but there was a sharp cry that sounded pained. That one fell onto the tile with a loud smack! - and it didn't get back up.

But when one set of eerie yellow eyes closed, two more popped up, at the same place at the corner between this hallway and the next, to replace it. They stayed back while the other two ventured forward, one coming forward and aiming its claws to rip into the white-haired one's left leg, just under the knee; the other shot around him, aiming its own claws for the other prey's right leg, it's equally sharp teeth biting at his hip.

[sixth_attack]

SHIT! The monsters were real then! Sechs' hand missed the scrambling creature and he watched with shock as Kibitoshin's fist connected with his attacker, sending it tumbling off with a pitiful thump. The whole thing wasn't an illusion, and the blood seeping through Kibitoshin's sleeve came as painful proof to the Replica

[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

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

[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

[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

[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

[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