Cydren Laboratories

As Gabriel remained vigilant prepared for whatever came through the door a new sound met his ears. The sound of something pounding on metal… it got nearer and nearer and more and more echoed as what ever was causing it seemed to multiple. It was then that one of the noises was over head… the metal air vent above acquiring a large set of outward dents as something traveled through it… stopping at the grate on the other side of the room. Soon it would break open four legged creatures with thick black fur desended a main of red and a tail alit with fire. There yellow eyes glowed in the darkness and a low snarl filled the room as the Hell Hounds made their way towards their prey… the patient… though one of the three began to rush Gabriel fangs opened to snap down on his throat.

Gabriel’s mind raced as he heard the movement through the vents. “Shit, those can’t be subjects.” He turned quickly as the three creatures fell down from the ceiling. “Wolves?” he asked out of surprise as he laid eyes on the creatures which were illuminated in the dark by their tails. Then he saw the two of the three dart off into the back room, as the other began to rush him with its mouth open and ready to chomp down on him.

Reacting quickly, Gabriel knew that he would not have enough time to dodge the attack. He also knew that he would not be able to stop the beast’s charge. “Open mouth, scalpel in hand.” his mind reasoned through the only possible defense of the attack. As the beast charged, Gabriel quickly switched the scalpel into his left hand. Then, just before it hit him, he stuck his left hand into the maw of the beast with the head of the scalpel facing up. The beast hit him with full force, flinging the two of them a few feet back and into the wall.

Gabriel regained focus quickly. He was slumped against the wall and the hellish beast was apparently dead as it’s tail was no longer on fire. He pulled his left hand out of the jaws of the beast and inspected it. There was some tissue damage to his forearm and blood stained his white sleeve, but nothing serious. When the Beast had clamped down it’s jaws, the scalpel had been forced upward into the base of its skull and right into the section of the brain controlling motor function. The beast had in effect died instantly, loosing control of it’s muscles. Which was a lucky for Gabriel, otherwise he might be missing an arm now.

Pushing the dead beast off of him he got up quickly, there where still two more inside the office. Running quickly over to the door to the storage room he saw the curtains to his operating station thrashing violently. “Damn it.” He cursed in his mind, as he felt the mental sting of loosing a patient. Turning away from the doorway he tried to walk as swiftly and as quietly as he could over to the exit of the office.

He cupped his hands to the cold metal door and listened. It seemed to be quiet enough. As he opened the door he heard a swift *woosh* as a large metallic blade swung down in front of him and embedded itself in the floor with a screech. Gabriel jumped over the blade and out into the hallway as its giant wielder tried to pull the blade from the metal.

Landing in the middle of the hallway, Gabriel did a double take of the two directions. There seemed to be more creatures in both, and there was no way he had the agility to navigate them. The doors where all more than 5 feet away and the monsters were closing fast. Then he spotted his only apparent salvation, a gaping hole in the floor that was only a couple of steps away. He heard a loud screeching behind him and did not check to see that the giant had retrieved his weapon. He jumped for the opening. “It's ten feet, roll when you hit the ground, ten feet, roll when you hit the ground.” He told himself as he fell through the air.

He hit the ground hard, doing his best to roll out of the landing but not doing a very eloquent job as he felt a sharp pain in his ankle and ending up sprawled out on the floor. He then shambled quickly out of the light that was spilling down from the hole in the roof, pulling himself to his feet and began limping away from the possible avenue for his pursuers. He spotted a soft glow in the distance and two figures, one quite hulking and the other short and skinny. He pushed up his glasses, which now had a large crack in the left lens, squinted to get a better view of them.

They seemed to have a human enough gait. So Gabriel limped quickly and quietly as he could towards them, he didn’t want to alert anything that might be in the dark. As he got close to the two, he realized that they were defiantly human. When he was about ten feet away from them he called out in a soft tone. “Hey, over her. Are you two ok?” He made sure to ask a about their well being and keep a soft tone so that they would know he meant them no harm as he continued limping slowly toward them.

Unnerved by the silence of the girl (whose name he had yet to learn), Lein continued down the hall. Now and then, he almost opened his mouth to say something, anything, to fill the silence, but didn't. Besides, it wasn't safe.

There wasn't much to see as they passed through the cellblocks. Here and there were corpses, but mostly the way was clear. Presumably the fighting had spread into other parts of the facility, or perhaps had ended altogether. No way to know, and the only thing they could do was get to the armory.

It had to be safe there. Had to be. He couldn't die, not here, not in the dark.

“Hey, over here. Are you two ok?”

The voice made Reznoph snap to attention and made the soldier step protectively in front of Kim. He drew back the buzz baton, partially to prepare to hit whatever was coming and partially so his artificial eyes could get a look into the darkness without the blue haze messing with them. He saw the shape of a human, probably a man, limping towards them. Something on his face was messing with the light- Probably goggles, or glasses. If it was a monster, it was the weediest one he'd ever seen. Reznoph could snap it in half.

Lein glared Gabriel's way, although the effect was somewhat reduced with his mechanical eyes. "Been better. Been way fucking better. How 'bout you step into the light with your hands up and any weapons you got out?" He lowered the baton slightly, in interests of a peaceful resolution, but kept it turned on, in interests of paranoia.

Kim Stewart

Kim had to been silent the whole time with the man, edged in fear of the dark she was a bit close to him but not that much to provoke him. She was watching the light of the baton the whole time. Wondering, if she had made the right choice, her only weapon, her only light, with the strong man, it was yet another stress in her head to deal with. She was wondering to her self just where the monster was hiding this time. She knew it was stalking her, but she felt slight comfort as well as fear with the man, begin that he promised that he protect her. Could he defeat it, or... She remembered that there were other monsters now, all just as scary. Were they his friends? Was the monster just plotting with this monster buddies to get her? It seemed relevant enough in her corrupted mind thanks to the machine.

“Hey, over here. Are you two ok?”

For a moment she thought the monster was a back, then remembered that it didn't sound like that. This sounded, human... More importantly it asked if they were okay that must be good. Yet, the dark plays tricks, what if... She began to panic hiding behind her meat shield... I mean, large partner as he got ready for what ever was there. She too, got ready to dodge, or if he would be killed, run... Seeing on how the last monster was covered in black, they could all be around them, this could just be hiding in the dark and messing with them before ripping them apart like the guard before. She began to whine, and her breathing increased.

"Been better. Been way fucking better. How 'bout you step into the light with your hands up and any weapons you got out?"

This was it, was it human, or another monster tricking them? Kim could only wait and be on guard for what could be waiting in the dark. The dark...
"Remember what you said..." she whispered out, hoping that Lien would hear her and remember his promise of protection.