Rabid *HF* Chapter 8
By Gene
"What is this stuff?"
"Some sort of magic energy, by the looks of it," Mufasa said. "Best I can tell, it's mystically-induced shadow. Better shift to a form that can work in the dark and still fight."
Strider's eyes glowed pale green as he morphed into a large bat, then into a fox.
"This should do," he said. "Excellent night vision and sense of smell, plus teeth, claws and speed."
"Speed isn't an advantage right now," Mufasa said. "Caution and senses are what we need."
A clanging came from far down the hall way ahead, then a scream.
"Go!" Mufasa shouted, breaking into a run.
"That sounded like a woman's scream!" Strider said, charging ahead.
IN his fox form, Strider easily took the lead in seconds, though Mufasa was able to track him by scent and the sound of his claws on the concrete. The two charged down the long hallway, searching for the source of the noise. THe clanging continued, combined with hard thumps, like a broom handle hitting a mattress - or a club hitting a body.
Suddenly, Strider found himself skidding across the concrete.
"What the?" he barked.
"Strider, what is...UHN!"
"Mufasa? What is...oh, shi..."
ZZZZZZZZZTTZTZTZTZTTZTZTZTTZTZT!
Strider jerked and writhed as electricity flowed through his body. Caught off guard, he began to absorb the energy through his electromagnetic shield, only to have the flow stopped.
"Stupid move, trying to electocute me, Gene," he said, morphing into humanoid form. "I'm a..."
WHUD! WHUD! WHUD!
A rain of blows struck Strider in the face and head, then his chest and nerve clusters as he was knocked off-balance. They continued for several seconds, then suddenly stopped. Strider shook his head to clear it, only to be knocked back by the full weight of Gene coming down on his chest. There was a hissing sound, then Strider was still.
Mufasa awoke feeling cold concrete against his back. He tried to open his eyes, then realized they already were open but he was in total darkness. He coughed, then winced in pain. He produced a proton sphere and let it rise above him, squinting to see what he could in the pale light.
"Son of a bitch," he croaked. "Tripwire."
"Find Strider!" Gomurr's voice screamed in his head. "There isn't much time! Find him!"
"It's pitch black in here! Give me some directions! Give me an idea of distance and direction and I'll teleport there!"
"200 feet North, 77 feet East of where you are right now. Teleport 2 feet West of that spot."
"Done," Mufasa said, already disappearing. When he reappeared, he was outside the building, in front of the mall's trash area. The trash compactor was running."
"He's inside!" Gomurr's voice said. "Get him out! Stop the machine!"
Mufasa hit the stop button and tried to open the large metal door. It was still automatically locked. Bracing his feet against the compactor, he pulled with all of his strength on the door, bending back one corner.
"Come on, dammit," he growled. He turned around and leaned his back against the compactor, slid his hand inside the compactor through the pried-back door, and shot out a photon burst. The door blew back on its hinges, smoldering. He looked inside the compactor.
The trash inside was already crushed against one side of the unit. He was too late.
"Strider!" he screamed. "Where are you?"
Hearing a rustling, Mufasa began to grab the smashed trash, ignoring the smell and the feel of the filth as it dripped on his hands and face. "Get out of there! I know you're alive!"
Moving a large bag of foul-smelling trash that seemed to be from Chi-Chi's, Mufasa uncovered a python. It began to slither toward him. Mufasa grabbed the animal by the head and pulled it out of the compactor.
"Strider! You're alive!"
The snake morphed while in his hand, changing into the familiar green-haired, pale-skinned man. Strider leaned against him.
"Fucker's clever," he said. "I ran into a puddle of water and he must have dropped an electrical cable into it before I could step out or change. Then he started to pummel me with some wood thing. Felt like a bat. WEnt right through my E/M field. Before I could get up or fire at him, he slammed into me, filled my mouth and nose with compressed Nitrogen. Chewing gum remover. Froze my throat and lungs. Couldn't breathe. REally hurts."
Suddenly, an explosion blew out a wall across the parking lot from them. The impact rocked them back on their feet and echoed for seconds. The two got up and tried to talk to each other, but then realized they were already screaming. Strider pointed at his ears and shook his head. Mufasa nodded, pointed at his forehead and mouthed the word, "Gomurr."
They concentrated, communicating with Gomurr on their mental link. AFter several seconds, they heard the old wizard's voice in their minds.
"Gomurr? What happened?"
"That was Rune," Gomurr said. "Gene was fighting him on a hit and run battle, drawing him out. He's figured out our link and has been interfering with it. Rune managed to hurt Gene and Gene ran. Rune followed him to the store room, but it was a trap. Gene had made a bomb similar to the one used by terrorists on the World Trade Center in 96 - all household material, particularly fertilizer. The room was lined with the rigged material, but it didn't look different from anything else in the store. Gene started the bomb with an arrow and RUne was caught in the middle. The concussion pulped him while he caught on fire. He'll regenerate, but not today. And it will be painful."
"Shit," Mufasa thought. "And he was our big gun for the mission. Where's the Bastard now?"
"He's heading back into the building from a loading dock on the other side. Echo and Scrib are on their way."
"Good," Mufasa said. "We've got to take him down."
End Part 8
Gene
Original and Longest-Running Editor
White Bastard/King's Pawn--HellFire Club
Knight of the Long-Necked Bottle
Forbidden by Law to Eat Onion Rings
Selectively Sterile
Wielder of Unbridled Contempt for Humanity