A/N: I'm back! And better than ever, baby! As said in my profile, -Slipkn0T- is dead now. The only thing left of him is the few signatures at the end of all the chapters so far. Now someone new is here… Now Chaos Productions is in control! Just kidding. I'm still the same dude, just… better, you know? Well, enough stalling! Last we saw, our heroes had just run into a horde of Xenomorphs that appeared at the hospital! Why are they there? What does Project X want with the crew? And where are the Predators at this crucial time? Let's find out!

CHAPTER 5
The Hive

CRASH!

With an almighty clatter, three more of the black beasts crashed into one of the many gurneys scattered about the ward as Eva's sweep kick sent them reeling, screeching as their bodies twitched and jerked from the force of the impact. The small vampire grimaced as four more of them were upon her no sooner than the others were sent flying through the air. Grunting, she quickly hopped back to avoid their deadly talons as they lunged at her, smirking slightly as each one hit the wall with a sickening crack after she pirouetted around them and delivered a spinning kick to their backs.

Several more cracked the wall behind her as Takamichi's Iaiken attacks sent them reeling, screeching as they flew from their feet in random directions. With his hands dug deeply into his pockets, loud bangs and cracks signified cracks appearing wherever his fists met with blinding speed, some even completely crushing the smaller black creatures under the force as he attempted to focus the bulk of his attacks on the large crested creatures, seemingly the leaders of the ambush. He grimaced slightly when he only saw them cross their arms in front of their oblong heads, and slink back a few steps before attempting another attack on him.

The gunshots ringing throughout the ward echoed off the pasty, gooey walls as the gang fought the near endless wave of creatures, five, six more joining the fray for each one felled by their fighting prowess. Eva bore several nicks and cuts along her back, chest, arms and legs, while Negi had two deep cuts along his left cheek, another on his right arm, and a few tears in his small suit, edges stained red from the cuts. With a loud screech, another black creature opened a wound on Mana's shoulder, shortly before she slammed the top of her gun into the side of its face. As it flew backwards, its tail lashed out, resulting in another slash to her body, from the tip of the shoulder to the centre of her chest. With a loud grunt, one of her guns slipped from her hands as more of the creatures descended on her.

With a frown, Setsuna quickly appeared before her, knocking the attackers away before returning to Konoka's side, hand on the hilt of her sword as she glared daggers at the hissing beasts, preparing one of her attacks. "Zangan-"

"Stop!" Eva called out, slightly shocking the swordswoman, resulting in the beasts utilizing the chance they were given. None of them met their mark as Yuunagi's sheath struck each of them in the mouth, knocking them away as several more circled her. With a puzzled look, she turned back to Eva for an answer. "These things bleed acid, I told you!" The small vampire cried at her. "You'll die if you slash at them while they're close to you!"

"Got it!" She answered, readying her still sheathed blade as she awaited the rest of the attack. A loud screech from the front door vibrated from the walls again, a screech Eva quickly recognised as one of agony, and she smirked when she glanced at the exit. One of the larger, crested beasts had decided to engage Negi in battle, and it was now squirming where it stood as his magic arrows of wind bound it to the walls. Asuna followed shortly after, swinging her large fan at a wave of the creatures who leapt at Negi. "Eat that!" She cried as the material slapped into their drooling mouths, effectively knocking them back as Negi readied his staff again.

The other crested beast screamed shortly after, and Takamichi grinned when he saw his Iaiken attacks had neatly broke the top half of the crest clean off. The creature fell to all fours, shrieking loudly. "Master…" Chachamaru spoke in a soft voice as more sparks flew from the hole in her body. The gynoid seemed to be struggling to keep the monsters away - the top half of her left thigh had been shredded into small scraps, and her eyes had taken on a very dull colour. "We have a chance to escape now… We should hurry up and-"

Eva grimaced when a large, muscular fist connected to the side of the gynoid's face, effectively cutting her off and propelling her form into the wall, cracking it on impact. With a scowl, she turned to face Chachamaru's attacker - and grimaced slightly when she had to crane her head up a bit to meet its gaze. The floor shook as two strong, muscular, sickly green legs walked over towards her. Yet another of the creatures had joined the fray - this one a polar opposite of the rest. Eva slowly moved back as the smaller creatures fled from her, instead focusing more on the other fighters. Where the other creatures were thin and body, this one was as muscular as could be, more pale green plates covering its buff body. Its strong arms arched backwards, clawed fingers flexing as it approached, and she saw several black dreadlocks in the pale moonlight filtering through the windows. Her expression slowly changed from one of frustration to one of apparent worry when she saw the four mandibles surrounding its mouth. What… What on earth could it need those for? She mentally cried as the four small limbs flexed outwards, allowing its small jaw to drop as it uttered a roar that shook the very foundations of the hospital. In the pale moonlight, the little vampire could just barely make out the 'X' carved into its forehead. Its tail, not thin and ridged but full and almost as muscular as its body, slowly swayed behind it as it locked eyes with her.

"Master!" She heard Negi call out, quickly dispatching three of the smaller creatures as he looked to her, and then to the dreadlocked monster, with a look of slight horror.

"Stay focused on the small ones, boya." She replied, not daring to take her eyes off her new opponent. The monster seemed to be waiting for a chance to strike, growling and leaning forward at times as it slowly started to circle her. Negi did as he was ordered, hesitantly turning back to face to the smaller creatures, who were already surrounding him and Asuna.

"Don't worry, Negi." Asuna smiled as she looked at their attackers. "This is Eva we're talking about. There's no way some fat monster can beat her." She said. "We should be a bit more focused on these. It loo- CRAP!" She quickly ducked as one of the monsters shot at her, slashing wildly as it flew over her crouched form. Its friends were quick to follow its example. One by one, they lunged at Negi, fangs bared, hissing loudly.

Eva smirked when she heard their bodies connect with Negi's staff, and the shrieks of pain that followed. "Looks like your friends aren't faring very well…" She taunted the large monster in front of her. "Seems that the name 'X' is just for show…" She said, assuming her fighting stance. "Care to prove me wrong?" She asked with a smirk. With a loud growl, the beast complied, pulling back its arms as it lunged at her with a mighty roar. She laughed as she hopped back a few steps, dodging the creature's attack. However, her laugh died out in her throat when she saw its great talons tear trenches in the floor, leaving large, deep slashes in the concrete foundation as tile splintered in every direction. Not good… She thought in distress, leaning to the side to dodge another blow from the creature's claws before hopping in the opposite direction as its tail lashed out at her. Just how strong is this thing? She quickly dodged another attack, this time reacting with a spinning kick that struck the beast clean on the forehead.

To her utter confusion, it did not even respond.

It swatted at her again, catching her off guard, and sent her flying into one of the gurneys. "Okay…" She muttered to herself as she hopped up again, narrowly escaping death at the hands of its sharp tail. "It's very strong…" She muttered, rubbing her jaw. As if responding, X roared at her again, starting another chain of attacks as it madly slashed at her small form, to no avail. She dodged each attack with a grin, responding with swift attacks to each of its joints. She revelled in the sound of its roars of pain and agony, and its blind attacks seemed to fuel her building adrenaline that much more. "Oh, come now!" She mocked as she danced around the beast, arching her body around every attack it threw at her, its inaccuracy seeming to anger it to astounding levels. Its attacks became clumsy and predictable, and its rabid nature seemed to increase by the minute as it roared at the small vampire. "Is one hit all you're capable of?" She laughed as she landed a few feet from it, almost breaking into a fit of maniacal laughter when she saw it panting heavily, almost slouched. "My, what stamina you have…" She taunted as she shot forward. As she expected, the beast's tail lashed out at her, and she grinned as she hopped over the attack, stepping onto the sharp tip and kicking off it, propelling herself at the monster even faster.

Its attack missed by a mile. As soon as its right arm lashed at her, Eva ducked under it and delivered a crushing knee to its stomach, and immediately raised her leg for another attack, connecting a sweep kick to its lower jaw. The force of the blow combined with its fatigue caused it to stumble backwards, but the small vampire was not planning to let up her attacks so soon. Shooting forward, she struck it in the stomach again with a series of powerful palm thrusts, followed by a spinning kick right to its face. She smiled broadly when she felt the creature tip backwards under her foot, and with a loud crash, it fell over, skidding back a few feet where it remained motionless.

"Is that all you have, monster?" Eva asked with a bored expression, placing her hands on her hips as the creature stirred. "You're easily the biggest one here, yet you have this little fight in you?" She raised a brow when the creature suddenly jumped to its feet, seemingly undeterred by her attacks. "You can take a few hits, I'll give you that…" She said with an amused tone. "Let's see if you can hit me again, shall we?" The creature only nodded in compliance.

Several more gunshots rang as Mana picked off the monsters that attacked her, one by one. Her guns helped a fair deal, despite her injuries, and the creatures seemed to grow more wary of her by the minute. With a frown, she slammed the barrel of her gun down one of the monsters throats and pulled the trigger, and smirked when she heard the rubber bullet break through the roof of its mouth. The rest of the monsters backed away when her kill slumped to the ground, and with confident eyes, she turned and aimed at her next victim - only for her eyes to lose their confident gleam, and widen substantially.

There was almost nothing left of her gun.

With an almost fearful expression, she studied the barrel of her pistol, seeing that something was quickly eating away at the metal. A sulphuric smell assaulted her nostrils, and she grimaced when glanced down, seeing the blood gushing from her kill's mouth corroding the very floor of the ward. Warily, she turned her attention back at the remaining monsters. A frown flashed on her face when a dozen more joined the current ranks. Several of them stood on their hind legs, while others slowly slunk around her on all fours, waiting for an opening to attack. She quickly scanned the area around her, looking for her other gun, and her hopes left her when she saw it a few feet outside the circle. Again, she cautiously turned her attention back to the beasts. They seemed to twitch with eagerness to attack her, some even hopping around on their hind legs in anticipation. Slowly, she closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable.

In complete darkness, she heard the creatures screech as they lunged at her. Almost instantly, their shrieks died out as she heard their bodies slam into the floor, sickening cracks reverberating off the walls. Several more screeches joined the chaos, but none of them lasted longer than a second before dying out. Slowly, she opened her eyes, finding each creature that had surrounded her dead, lying within a small crater. "I didn't expect you to give up so easily…" She narrowed her eyes at hearing the voice as Takamichi stepped forward. He casually extended his arm to her, and she saw her remaining gun in his hand. "Don't lose this one again…" He smirked. "Something tells me they're angry with you for killing a friend of theirs." Mana smirked as she took her gun, turning around to face an area where the circle was relatively weak. "Shall we?" She heard the teacher ask her, and with cold expression, she whipped her gun in the creatures' direction.

"Let's go." She said.

A whispered Eep! escaped Konoka's lips as she ducked her head, feeling the swooping tail miss so narrowly that the ridges swept her hair around. A loud thunk caused her to jump slightly, only to feel the familiar warmth in front of her. Smiling weakly, she opened her eyes, her fears leaving her as she saw the sheath next to her head, and the squirming creature struggling to escape the broken gurney it had crashed into. Smiling, she observed the brilliant, white wings splayed in front of her as Setsuna stood ready with her blade, glaring daggers at the hissing creatures. "You will not harm her…" She said sternly, eyes unfaltering as she stared at the monsters. "You will have to come at me first."

One of the creatures suddenly shrieked, leaping at her with its claws at the ready. With one swift motion, Setsuna slammed her sword's sheath into its gut, flinging it backwards into two of its friends as three more of them stormed at her. With a frown, she knocked each of them several feet away, and placed her hand on the hilt of her blade. "Zanganken!" She cried, slashing at the flailing monsters with a ki-coated blade. With sickening cracks and gut-wrenching shrieks, each creature split neatly in half as their grossly green blood spewed in every direction. With a smirk, she ignored Eva's enraged cry at her foolishness, and watched as her plan came into action - the spraying blood stopped short a few feet in front of her, and even farther away from the others. With a confident gleam filling her eyes, she sheathed her blade again, and took up her stance. "Who's next?"

Seven more of them leapt at her, screeching wildly. Her keen eyes quickly noticed the pattern they were using - spread out, in a sweeping formation, to avoid he sword's sheathe. With another frown, she spread her wings, and blasted a huge wave of wind at them. The gust knocked them clean off their feet, sending them all crashing into the wall in a bundle. Dashing forward at a blinding speed, she quickly drew her blade, gracefully executing a number of diagonal slashes at the beasts before hopping back, avoiding their acidic blood before reappearing at Konoka's side. The remaining beasts slowly slunk back, hissing and baring their teeth as they scanned her, trying to find a weakness in her defence. "Are you okay, ojou-sama?" Setsuna asked without glancing back. "Are you hurt?"

With a smile, Konoka shook her head. "Nope. Thank you for saving me…"

"I won't let them touch you." Setsuna responded. "Not now. Not ever." The creatures sneered at her in response, and leapt at her in unison before Konoka could react to her bodyguard's words, and the young heiress simply hid her smiling face in her hands as Setsuna shot forward again, and the sounds of slaughter met her ears.

"Thirteen!" Asuna cried as her harisen smashed into an attacking creature's face with tremendous force. Another attempted to flank her, but received only a pommel to the mouth as the redhead brushed its attack away as well. "Fourteen!" She cried almost gleefully as she saw several of the creature's teeth fly past her. "How much you got, Negi?"

The young mage quickly finished the chant to another Magic Archer spell, and several arcs of lightning shot from the tip of his staff with deadly precision, blasting back several of the creatures as their bodies jerked from the shock. "I'm not exactly counting down…" He said warily, quickly spinning around to block yet another wave of attackers. The four creatures that leapt at him slashed at air when he performed a shundo, reappearing behind them with another spell at the ready. Asuna turned back to her attackers with a grin when she saw Negi's attack blast his victims into the opposite wall, causing a multitude of cracks to appear on it. "How many of these things can there be?"

"I wouldn't bargain on much more…" Asuna called to him, smacking two more beasts away. "You tied down one of the big ones, and Takahata-sensei took out the other one. See for yourself!" Negi quickly cast a glance at the area where Takamichi duelled one of the larger crested creatures, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the creature doubled over, its limbs weak and lifeless as the blood oozing from its mouth burned a crater in the ground.

"When… When did he…"

"A few minutes after he broke the things crown off!" Asuna called. "Shows you, if anyone can get us outta this mess it's -"

CRASH!

Everyone's attention suddenly turned towards the door of the ward as the ruckus echoed through the room, and Negi grimaced when he saw that the other crested creature had broken free from its bindings and, more importantly, was charging straight at him, screeching in a fit of rage as its crest bobbed up and down. The young mage immediately had to hop back as the monster's unimaginably long tail shot at him, and he quickly preformed another shundo to open some distance between it and himself. Grunting, he slowly pointed his staff at the beast as it started to circle him. "Negi!" Asuna called at him with a worried expression as more of the creatures surrounded her. "Be careful against that thing!"

The crested beast suddenly let out a monstrous screech, one so loud that Negi dropped his staff as his hands flew to his head in attempt to shield his ears against the vocal onslaught. He only realised his mistake after the beast flew at him with a snarl, lashing out with its claws in an attempt to prevent him from getting his staff back. Negi quickly hopped back once, then again as the creature chained another attack. Swiftly, he turned to the ring Eva had given him, and began chanting another spell with which to fell the beast.

"Boya!" He heard Eva call at him. "Remember, that thing's skin is rock hard! You need more than a simple spell to harm it!" She yelled as she continued to duel with the dreadlocked beast known as X. With a determined expression, the boy turned back to the great monster and let loose another Magic Archer spell. The creature saw this coming and crouched low with a snarl before fully lowering its head.

Negi grimaced as his spell collided with the top of the beast's crest with no effect.

In a flash, it was almost upon him, slashing wildly as it attempted to lay hands on him while its inner mouth shot forward, snapping shut mere inches from the boy's forehead as he danced back to avoid its deadly talons, making good use of the multitude of openings given to him by reacting with attacks to whichever part of its body was closest. Sweat started to form on his forehead as he saw his attacks and counters shrugged off by the beast as it continued to slash at him. The young mage quickly ducked under its tail, and tried performing another shundo to appear behind it.

He only realized his mistake when he reappear - and found the creature's enormous hand closing around his neck. With wide eyes, he tried to break loose as the creature's lips parted to reveal its long, razor sharp fangs. H-How did it… He paled as his eyes fell behind the beast, to see yet another crested creature there - the same crested creature he had fought against. Two more loud shrieks signalled two more crested beasts bursting through the walls of the ward, bringing a huge swarm of smaller creatures along with them. A-Another? Three m-more? How?

"Three more?" He heard Asuna cry as the redhead stormed the creature holding him. "Are you serious? Just how a…" Her words suddenly faded out, and the young mage recoiled as the putrid smell of blood and rotten flesh filled his nostrils, and slowly, almost as if time had slowed to a crawl, he turned to face the creature as his heart picked up, hammering wildly in his chest. His eyes widened as he saw the creature's mouth opened at its widest, its second mouth quivering as the small fangs parted. The creature's firm grip around his throat prevented him from gulping, and his throat was so dry he could not speak. His hands quivered uncontrollably, and his bladder was threatening to release itself. The creature's shrill screech reached his ears as nothing more but a faded ambient sound, and he slowly closed his eyes as he awaited the final strike.

"Giving up so soon, boya?" He heard Eva call at him through the darkness, her voice clear as day in the darkness around him. Master…He thought as he felt a faint glimmer of hope within himself.

"Come on, Negi-baka! Snap out of it! You need to kick that thing's butt!" Asuna-san…

"Negi! Wake up! Please!" Konoka-san…

"Negi-sensei! Get a grip and wake up! That thing is still vulnerable!" Setsuna-san…

"You can still beat it, Negi. Just wake up and show it what you're capable of…" Takamichi…

Open your eyes… Wake up… Negi willed himself as felt his eyelids crack open. Wake up… Wake up! All it took was an instant. The boy's eyes shot open into a determined glare just as the beast's second mouth shot forward in a flurry of spit and blood. Wait… Wait for it… Negi repeated in his mind, while yet another Magic Archer spell formed in his hand. Slowly, the creature's second jaw crept forward. Just a bit more… A little bit more… Just when the teeth were mere inches from his face again, his eyes narrowed, and his lip curled back into a sneer. Now!

"Raika Hoken!"

In a brilliant flash of light, Negi's fist collided with beast's jaw, releasing the lightning arrows he had charged there directly onto the dome covering its face. The creature let out a muffled shriek as its jaw slammed shut on its second mouth; shredding the flesh and causing it to bite it clean off. The minute his fist hit the creature in the face, Negi felt its grip around his throat loosen, and he dropped to the ground. He quickly rolled to the side to avoid the acidic blood spewing from the creature's mouth, and quickly dashed forwards, forming another Wind spell in his hand.

Dodging more of the vile green blood, the young mage bolted forward, slamming his charged fist into the creature's chest. His attack did not stop there - the boy kept attacking the creature with his magic-charged attacks, growling like a rabid animal as he laid punch after punch on the beast's chest, and revelling in the sounds that met his ears as he heard the monster's armour crack under his attacks.

The creature's ridged tail suddenly struck him under the chin, as the beast lunged forward, ignoring its pain. No! I lost focus… Negi thought in distress as he saw the creature nearing him in mid-air. Just as he prepared to right himself, however, a black blur flew past his head, resulting in a sickening crack filling the air, and the creature screeched in agony. Just as he landed, Negi flipped back and landed in a low crouch, and turned to the beast - and saw Asuna's broadsword pierced into its chest. The monster's blood was doing a quick job of eating away at the steel of the artefact, but it still doubled over from the pain, and its two comrades quickly appeared at it flanks. "Ha ha! Bull's eye!" He heard Asuna cheer as the redhead liberated a pipe from a crushed gurney to replace her blade, which disappeared in an elaborate display of white sparks and smoke. The fallen creature slowly, almost agonisingly raised its head at the girl, and hissed at her before arching its head back and letting out a low screech, just as its body went limp. As soon as the shriek died out, the creature was no more.

"See that?" Eva taunted X as she glared at the beast with a wicked smile. "My disciple just killed your kin…" She bragged as she took up her stance again. The dreadlocked beast seemed to bristle with anger as it glared at from under its protective dome, two eye sockets clearly visible in the pale moonlight. The creature snarled at her again, flexing its claws at it circled her. The remaining crested beasts suddenly let out loud shrieks again, and Eva's ears quickly picked up on the soft tapping sound resonating around the roof of the ward. Then, as if orchestrated, the cover on each ventilation shaft within the room flew off as another swarm of smaller creatures filed into the room, treading on the walls, the ceiling and even the diagonal beams of green ooze stretching from wall to wall. The small vampire grimaced at seeing the sheer number of them now - there were easily twice as many as there had been when they were first ambushed. She cursed under her breath, and turned to face the dreadlocked beast again. "Is this your way of spiting me?" She growled at it.

"S-So many!" She heard Konoka whimper from behind Setsuna, and she could pick up that even the normally stoic bodyguard was in distress over the current odds. Several more booms reached her ears as Takamichi got to work on clearing an area for them to group in, and she heard Mana's gunshots ringing in every direction. The sound of Negi panting from slight exhaustion, as well as Asuna's foul exclamations at the number of attackers were closest to her. I need to draw this thing away from them… She thought, studying the beast's stance. If it decides to attack them as well… Acting upon her plan, she quickly charged at the monster, anticipating every possible attack it could throw at her. She gracefully ducked under the slashes it sent her way, and rolled to the side when she landed in front of it, instead opting to go past it to draw it away.

The beast saw this, and with an almighty roar, it lunged at her, swiping at her with its talons in mid-air. Eva grinned as she quickly hopped back again, dodging the swipe without cause. However, her grin disappeared when she saw that the creature standing on one leg, the other still raised, trembling slightly as it dangled in the air. I can't remember injuring it… "Are my attacks kicking in, monster?" She grinned again as she saw the monster stand still. It was then that she noticed it wasn't looking at her, rather at the ground. What could it be- Her train of thought ended almost instantly - the minute her feet touched the ground, the creature brought its leg down with inhuman force, sending a tremor throughout the whole ward and, more importantly, knocking the small vampire off balance.

Such force - Wha? She grunted as the creature leapt at her with blinding speed, its crest crashing into her chin with enough force to make her teeth pierce her lower lip. The impact from the blow propelled the girl back, and her eyes widened when she felt the beast's hand close around her shin, yanking her back to it. As she returned her gaze, she came face-to-face with the great monster, the mandibles around its mouth inches from her face as spit and blood dripped onto her face in a slow, steady rhythm - and she noticed its closed fist a second too late.

With yet another display of inhuman strength, the beast brought its fist down onto her chest, slamming her into the ground with such force that several chunks of tile and even concrete flew in different directions from the force of the impact. She felt the floor crack and give way under her, and the wind left her lungs before she could even register the thought of crying out in pain. With another rabid snarl, X closed its fist around her chest and hoisted her up from the floor, only to slam her down again with even more force. The small splatters of blood flying from her mouth seemed to dance in front of her vision as the creature brought her up again, and slammed her down on the very cracks she caused again before it let go, allowing her body to bounce into the air. The beast closed its fist around her face this time, and slammed her into the wall so hard, she felt her nose break under its palm. "Master!" She heard Negi desperately call at her as the monster pulled her from the indentation in the wall, still holding her by her face. With her one open eye, she managed to look at the rest of her friends, all with looks of shock and horror splayed across their faces as they tried to fend off the endless waves of attackers. She lazily returned her gaze to the beast holding her, and saw it sneer at her from behind the tusks on its mandibles. She felt her body sway as the beast pulled its arm back, and she was suddenly airborne as the beast hurled her from its grasp, letting out a triumphant roar as it watched her body flail through the air before crashing into one of the remaining gurneys, where she remained motionless.

"Master!" Negi cried helplessly as he watched the great beast stride over to Eva's fallen form while the smaller creatures descended on him and his friends. It was agonising for him to see his master is such a condition and not being able to help. His loss of focus resulted in the creatures getting an even better chance of harming him, had it not been for Asuna and Setsuna at his side. "Master! Wake up! Please!" He called, oblivious to extra wounds he was receiving for his lack of attention. The dreadlocked creature X paid no heed to him, and continued to stride towards its prey, tail swaying menacingly behind it. It seemed to jitter in anticipation, and it let out a string of loud clicks from its mandibles as it approached the fallen vampire.

With one quick movement, its tail flew over its head and embedded itself into the vampire's back, drawing a soft groan of pain from her. Negi watched in horror as the beast lifted her into the air and brought her to face it as its mandibles flexed outwards. He paled when he saw how weakly Eva's bloodstained face stared death in the eyes as the beast's jaw opened completely, inner mouth eagerly snapping open and closed as the monster drew its head back, and the young mage screamed loudly in denial as the inner jaw shot forward.

But something intervened.

In a miraculous moment, the creature's head jerked back, causing it to miss its mark completely and open nothing more than a shallow cut on the vampire's forehead. Almost jumping up from the relief flooding his body, Negi watched as the monster whipped its head back and snarled. Only then did he see the mechanistic fist clutching a bunch of the dreadlocks on the side of its head, and another locked around its upper arms, each connected to a long, black cable. Hardly daring to breathe, the young mage traced the cables to their source, and broke into a wide smile when his eyes fell upon it.

"Chachamaru!" He cried happily as he green-haired gynoid glared at the dreadlocked beast with something akin to a sneer on her face, pulling at the cables extending from her arms with every fibre of her being.

"You will not harm my Master…" She said in an oddly warped voice. "Not while I still function…" She groaned as the cables started to retract. With strength only a machine could conceive, she started to drag the creature away from her master in an extraordinary display of power. "Master…" She groaned as she looked at Eva. "The structure… Between this floor and the sewage system - it's… it's unstable, and weak… T-Too much activity could-" In a blur of static, the gynoid's voice seized function. Roaring and hissing like mad, the beast attempted to slam its feet into the tiled floor, only for the tiles to shatter and break from the force it was being pulled. It swiftly glared back at the gynoid, and let out another ear-bursting roar, but Chachamaru remained unfazed, planting her feet firmly into the tiled floor as she continued to pull at the great beast. Negi gazed at her with an expression of wonder and awe at her devotion, smiling broadly as he lazily knocked the smaller creatures away with his martial arts. Then the creature fell silent - and Negi's expression changed from one of awe to one of horror in a flash.

With yet another display of its inhuman strength, the beast yanked its entire body away from the gynoid with such brute power that it lifted her clean off her feet. The retracting cables quickly kicked in and propelled her already heavily damaged form to the great beast at a frightening speed. With a loud roar, the beats swung its hand at her, striking her in the side with a backhand strike strong enough to shatter the plating covering her rib area. It quickly grabbed hold of the cables of her arms as she reeled from the blow, and pulled her to it again.

The young mage's jaw dropped when it slashed at her face with such force that its talons ripped the left side of her face clean off, leaving a part of the metallic skull visible for all to see. With another aggravated his, the beast lashed out again, and again, and again, reducing the gynoid's chest area to nothing but a mess of mechanical bits and pieces and shredded plating. With one final move, it grabbed hold of her neck and brought her to its nightmarish face, as its mandibles slowly parted and its jaw slowly lowered.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl again as Negi and Eva stared in shock at how easily the gynoid had been beaten. With wide eyes and shaking hands, the small vampire saw the dull green eye widen slightly, just as the beast inner mouth shot forward. Negi's pained cry meet her ears in a louder tone than anything in the room as the beast's inner jaw crashed into the gynoid's forehead, violently tearing at the metallic skull with a cacophony of scrapes, cracks and shattering sounds. In a burst of steel bits and torn green hair, the inner jaw erupted from the back of Chachamaru's head accompanied by a dance of sparks, and both Eva and Negi saw the life leave the gynoid's functioning eye as it dulled to a pale, sickly green colour, and her body finally slumped, devoid of life as dreadlocked beast's inner jaw quickly retracted into its mouth. In a final gesture of triumph, the beast hurled the gynoid's lifeless body at one of the higher windows in the ward, roaring as her body flew at the glass panel.

Eva saw tears well in Negi's eyes as the gynoid's body shattered the glass with a loud crash, and slowly turned her attention back to her former servant. The moonlight danced off the shards surrounding her body, mirroring the brilliantly white light onto her mutilated body. She saw the same monotonous expression on the gynoid's face as the one she had become accustomed to over time - the same mask she wore whenever the small vampire gave her order. The same mask she wore when she did a random activity when her master didn't need her. The same mask that was slowly crumbling away since Negi came to Japan… Then she was gone. The dancing shards of glass fell to the floor as Chachamaru's body disappeared beyond the windowsill, and clattered as the hit the floor. Panting, the dreadlocked beast arched it's back, tossed its head back and roared, a display of power and might over the battle it had just won.

With a loud growl, it turned back to Eva and picked her up by the face again, tossing her to the centre of the ward. With a loud growl, the lesser creatures ceased their assault on Negi's group, opting to run up the walls and ceiling and finding a spot to linger as the young mage and his accomplices eagerly rushed to the small vampire's side. Baring its teeth and flexing its mandibles outward, the beast hardly gave them chance to reach their target, as it immediately started to act. Crouching down, the beast leapt into the air, curling its body into a large ball before slamming down on the floor, causing a tremor that shook through the entire hospital. It growled when it saw the young mage and his friends stumble from the impact, and eagerly leapt to the side, slamming down on the floor again. Several rumbles coursed under the tiles, and the beast jumped again, and again, and again, slamming down on the floor with all its might every time. It heard its prey cry out as they lost their footing, stumbling over each other as they fell to the ground while the rumbles became more intense with each leap. Finally, the beast charged at the wall, jumping as high as it could before kicking off the vertical footing, propelling itself even higher. "W-What could it-" Eva's eyes widened as realisation dawned on her.

"Master… The structure… Between this floor and the sewage system - it's… it's unstable, and weak… T-Too much activity could-"

"Hold on!" She cried, grabbing hold of the cracks in the floor as the dreadlocked monster came plummeting back down to the ground. With a final, bone-quaking crash, the small vampire felt the floor collapse and give way under her and her comrades, just as the beast roared again. Screeching in unison, every lesser creature around them leapt from their perch, flexing their talons and opening their mouths to the limit as they descended upon the small group of fighters, denying them any chance of moving off the floor. With no other option but to defend, Negi grimaced as he and his friends had to face the horde in freefall as the darkness leading to the black depths below swallowed human and monster alike.

Standing atop the ledge left by the now destroyed floor, Project X growled at the darkness as the remaining crested creatures leapt into the chasm. It glanced up at the moonlight filtering through the skylight, and let out a last, triumphant roar before leaping into the chasm as well.

"What do you think is happening, Kazumi?" The journalist's ghostly companion Sayo asked as they eagerly navigated the halls of Library Island. Their arrival had been most eventful - Several of the teachers stood guard at the entrance as the sounds of construction within the large building drifted across the sky. These teachers told them that they are to remain inside at all times until a definite conclusion has been reached concerning the missing students and the recently destroyed Science Building.

"I really don't know, Sayo-chan." Kazumi responded as she searched for some kind of figure of authority. "But this is way too much trouble for just a blown-up building and a few Missing Persons cases; I smell a scoop, and I'm going to find out where I can get a lead."

"Don't you think that's dangerous?" Sayo asked with a wary expression. "If the teachers are going through all this trouble then it must be something big…"

"And big things are always kept secret, Sayo-chan." Kazumi sang with a wink. "The only thing they're probably telling the students is that 'The situation is under control' or some other stories like that. Don't you-" The paparazzo immediately stopped in her tracks as several stern voices met her ears. "Isn't that Konoe-sama?" She asked with puzzled expression as she slunk closer to the door where the voices were coming from. "He seems tense…" She mused as she leaned in to hear the conversation.

"…cannot let this go unattended any longer!" The headmaster said, voice filled with urgency. "If the reports of these monsters are true then the students and inhabitants of this campus are all in grave danger! Yet you sit here telling me it's all under control when we have lost contact with not only two of the school's most renowned teachers, but my own granddaughter as well?"

Granddaughter? Kazumi thought warily. They lost contact with Konoka-chan?

"I know your granddaughter is of importance, Konoe-sama," another voice spoke up, "but first we have to focus on those who can be saved at this moment. We have no idea whether your granddaughter left that hospital, and if she didn't she probably still on the other side of the campus. We-"

"How do the statistics look?" Konoemon interrupted the man with a breaking voice, tears evident through it. "How many?" Kazumi heard the man sigh.

"Sixty-nine percent of the total campus populace have been declared missing, Konoe-sama." The man said sadly. "And ten percent of them have already been informed and are moving here as we speak."

"What of the other twenty-one percent?" The headmaster inquired, and Kazumi heard the other man sigh again, initiating a long silence.

"The other twenty-one percent…" The man finally spoke, "…are currently unaware of the order to come here."

"Unaware? Unaware?" Konoemon fumed. "What insolent fools have you sent out to inform them if twenty-one percent of them still don't know what to do? Where did those incompetent… Those… Those…"

"Please, Konoe-sama, calm d-"

"Don't tell me to be calm!" Kazumi winced when she heard the old man almost yell at the other person. "My granddaughter is out there right now, heaven knows whether she is okay or not, and to make matters worse she's stuck between a mercenary force and monsters that came from a place nobody could dream to know of!"

"Mercenary force…" Kazumi mused to herself as she crept away from the door, leaving the headmaster to fume at his unfortunate employee. "This could be huge!" She said with a foxy grin. "A real live mercenary force on campus?" She suddenly gasped. "Sayo, what if they're the ones who bombed the Science Building? This is brilliant!" She whispered sharply as she danced down the hall. "A terrorist mercenary faction - this could be my biggest scoop yet!"

"Wait, Kazumi!" Sayo pleaded as she hovered beside her friend. "These are real mercenaries - they could be dangerous!"

"It's totally worth it!" Kazumi sang as she eagerly ran to the entrance. "Now, if I could just-"

"Dude, did you hear about the abandoned dorm?" A voice suddenly met their ears. Helloooo... Kazumi mentally spoke to herself as she crept closer to the aisle from where the voices were coming, and hid behind the bookshelf.

"No. What about it?" Another voice asked.

"Jin said that Takeshi and his girl went there a few hours ago for some 'alone time'. They never came back…"

"Nah, dude. You serious?"

"Completely! And get this: Jin told me a few minutes ago that when he passed the place earlier on his way hear, he heard freakin' gunshots, dude! Gunshots!"

Jackpot! Kazumi cheered as she danced toward the large double doors with a large smile on her face. This is gonna be my biggest scoop yet! 'Terrorists Terrorise Mahora!' I can see it already! She smiled as she broke into a sprint towards the double doors. "Oh, wait for me, mercs! My scoop is on the line here!"

Satomi screamed softly as the soldiers chucked her back into her small cell. "Magic, huh?" One of them grinned at her. "What, they gonna dazzle us to death with cheap card tricks and bunnies pulled from their hats?"

"Nah man, they're probably gonna shoot some fancy red sparks at us from their small sticks…" The other joked as he kicked Satomi in the ribs. "Jesus, just look at her. Corban's a fuckin' animal…" He said, poking the gauze on her face with the tip of his gun. A makeshift cast had been placed around her dismembered left hand, on which only her thumb and her index finger remained. Numerous circular burns covered her bare thighs and stomach, and the gauze covering her severed eye was already stained blood red. "I'd hate to get on that guy's bad side one day… Seems his superiors were some real fucktards not to believe him back in the day." The soldier said as he locked the gate to the young scientist's cell. "You know Hawk? He served in the Seals with Corban all those years back, says that the Xenomorphs are exactly what Corban described that killed his team."

"Look where that got them. Then there was that fool Schaeffer… What was his call name again?" The first soldier asked as Satomi quickly skittered to the corner of her cell, sobbing softly as she brought her knees up to her chin.

"Dutch." The second replied. "Alan 'Dutch' Schaeffer. God, Corban hates that man with a fuckin' passion. That douche went into an Indonesian jungle shortly after Corban was dishonourably discharged, then came out a sole survivor claiming an invisible monster with plasma weaponry killed his team off. Of course the feds fell over their feet at the idea of plasma guns. So Corban tells a shit story and gets his ass whipped. Dutch tells a shit story and gets hailed a hero. Ironic, wouldn't ya say?"

Satomi's sobs became louder as the two soldiers left the cell. This is all my fault… She thought to herself as the lights dimmed. All because of my stupid wishes 'for the sake of science'. And now everybody's because of it… She buried her face into her hands, ignoring the pain brought on by her severed eye. Then there's the hospital… Oh God, please let them live… I hope the team Corban sent there doesn't find them… I… I know Negi-sensei is strong… But against X… Even Eva has no chacen against a full horde… Grief-stricken, she laid down on the cold, hard floor, her knees still pulled up to her chest.

Negi-sensei… Everyone… Please, forgive me…

"So the vamp got jumped by Project X…" Corban grinned evilly as he took a deep drag of the cigar hanging in his mouth. "One less magic bitch for us to worry about, eh, boys?" He asked as he turned back to his troops. The abandoned dorm towered into the sky in an intimidating fashion, with gun nests and snipers in every possible location. "Seems the Hakase bitch speaks easily when you turn up the pressure…" He said as he turned to face the bushes outside the minefield. He frowned slightly, and turned back.

"Think he saw us?" Sayo asked in a panic as Kazumi pulled the branches aside and raised her camera to her face again. "What if he saw us? Oh, I think he saw us…!"

"Calm down, Sayo-chan." Kazumi whispered as she eagerly snapped photos of the compound. "That guy with the trench coat looks like the leader… If he needs a coat to make himself look big, there's no way he's sharp enough to see us all the way here. I am curious to know why Hakase told them everything, though… But-" She quickly held her tongue when the coat-wearing man spoke again.

"The one thing I really am worried about is that damn ghost…" He said, causing Kazumi's eyes to widen. "An invisible soul is much more trouble than a simple Xenomorph or one of those damn Hunters…" He quickly whipped out his revolver, and aimed in the opposite direction. Kazumi subconsciously released a baited breath, and continued to take pictures. "Hakase told me about an over-eager journalist residing here, too…" He said, still scanning the area ahead of him. "No doubt she's gonna want to know about this Hunter stalking us if I manage to kill the bastard…" Grunting in unison, each soldier raised his gun and aimed at the bushes where their leader was aiming.

"There's a Hunter there, sir?" One of them asked warily, gluing his eye to the sights of his rifle.

"Not anymore, Kiddo." Corban said, lowering his revolver. "Seems we scared it off. That, or there wasn't a Hunter to begin with…" He said cryptically.

"You mean you misinterpreted something, sir?"

"Nope." Corban said. "Do you know how you properly deal with foes that hide, Kiddo?" He asked the young soldier as he slowly moved to holster his gun.

"No, sir. How?" The rookie asked eagerly. Corban only grinned as madness flashed in his eyes.

"You mislead them…"

With one quick motion, Kazumi found herself staring down the barrel of Corban's revolver through; his eyes filled with madness, hers filled with a sudden fear as his sinister smirk sent a cold chill up her spine. Quickly, she peeled her eyes from her camera and attempted to get up.

BOOM!

Her camera shattered in her hands as a stinging pain spiked through her chest, her shrill scream of agony easily overlapping the explosion of the gunshot and Sayo's fearful cry. With a devilish smirk, Corban fired off two more shots as Kazumi fell, one embedding itself in her shoulder, and the other in her stomach. The cold earth slammed into her face when she finally hit the ground, and her vision was swimming too much for her to make out her surroundings. "Kazumi! Kazumi?" Sayo cried in a panic, helplessly floating beside her dying companion, unable to do anything to help her. "Kazumi! No!" She cried, tears flowing down her cheeks.

None of her cries met the journalist's ears. The loud ring of the gunshots still ricocheted in her head, and her ears rang for a while before she felt a steel tipped boot kick her onto her back. The colour remaining in her face quickly drained when her eyes fell upon the man who shot her, smirking down at her bleeding body with eyes and a twitching trigger finger. "The ghost's only friend… How cute." He taunted. "So you're the journalist, eh? Hakase told me a lot about you… Kazumi Asakura." The journalist's eyes widened at Corban's use of her full name. "She also told me about your involvement with one Negi Springfield and a circle of mages here. Is that true?"

"I…" She rasped at him. "I don't know… what you're talking about…" She spat at him, causing him to break into a hearty laugh.

"And what if I don't believe you, Asakura?" Corban asked. "What then?" His smirk grew when she only glared daggers at him, wincing from the pain the bullets brought on. "I'll tell you what happens then: I know you're in on the mages' little group. So now I take you back inside the dorm… and then I beat the living shit out of you, over and over and over again, until you tell me enough to quench my thirst." He chuckled when he saw Kazumi's eyes widen in fear as he brushed his coat aside, revealing a wide assortment of knives, scalpels and tools.

"Oh yes…" He grinned as he ordered his men to seize her. "I can see me and you are gonna be great friends… Just like me and Hakase…"

Asuna groaned as she sat up, blinking a few times to adjust her sight to the sudden darkness she found herself in. Several sick squelching sounds echoed down the circular passageway as she moved, and with several grunts, she stood up, still trying to figure out where she was. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to her gloomy surroundings, and she could already make out two paths of solid concrete flanking what seemed like a body of water decorated by a grisly assortment of vile, sickly green goo floating atop it. The walls and floor were coated with a substance similar to that which they saw in the hospital, and it seemed to form mounds of flesh on the walls and rook. Quickly, she looked around, and her heart sank when she found nobody near her. "Guys?" She called out, slowly stepping forward, surveying her surroundings carefully. "Hey guys! Anyone there?" She called, feeling the sudden narrowness of the corridor kick in as her heart began to hammer in her chest. "Come on guys… This isn't funny!"

Then she froze. There, at the end of the corridor, highlighted by a small torch, laid the corpse of what looked like a sewage worker - and above him, a thin, ridged tail soaked in blood, swaying menacingly in the light.

Asuna's heart immediately shot to her throat as she broke out in a cold sweat. She felt her hands begin to tremble as she watched the tail disappear into the shadows, and the sound of water dripping onto concrete suddenly reminded her very much of the sounds the creatures made when they walked on walls. "G-guys?" Her voice came out soft and broken, a barely audible whisper as the light at the end of the corridor suddenly went out. She quickly started to step back, not daring to take her eyes off the end of the sewage pipe - and froze again when she felt the warm breath on her neck, and the smell of blood and flesh in the air. Clutching her pipe tightly, she spun around with a slight yell, swinging madly at her attacker.

Nothing.

She swung at air as her pipe connected with the side of the large tunnel, scraping loudly as the sound of steel on steel echoed down the corridor. The smell of blood vanished, as did the warm breath on her neck. She heaved a sigh of relief, allowing her fear to die down as her heart started beating normally again, before turning around.

A loud hiss and a gaping mouth met her eyes, blasting wafts of the smell of blood into her face as a loud screech came from the being's throat. And just as it lunged at Asuna, her scream of terror finally escaped from her throat as the black creature attacked.

"Asuna-san…" Setsuna whipped her head in the direction of the scream as soon as it was abruptly cut off, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword as she turned back, only to find a hand on her arm, stopping her. Slowly, she turned around to face her companion.

"Judging by that scream, she's a goner." Mana said. "There's no saving her after that." Setsuna looked back in the direction of the scream, hoping, praying for a sign that her friend might still be alive. None came. Only sounds of water dripping onto concrete. "We should carry on." Mana said, turning back in the direction they came from. "If we stay still they might get us too."

Accepting her friend's untimely fate, Setsuna turned around with a look of sorrow on her face, and followed Mana into the darkness of the sewers, and all the dangers that roamed there.

"This… This must be their nest…" Eva panted as Konoka laid her against the wall of the pipe. "T-Their Hive…"

"Ssh." Konoka hushed her. "You shouldn't speak. Just rest. I'm going to try and heal you."

"No!" Eva snapped, quickly sitting back up and wincing from the pain. "N-No… Not if those things a-are down here… Healing me will take too long…" She grimaced. "If th-those things are near… They'd easily kill you, and me, if we're not alert."

"Then what do I do?" Konoka asked fearfully. "We have to get you out of here. We-"

"I'm in no condition to move." Eva cut her off. "You best go look for Sakurazaki… She's more capable of keeping you safe right now…"

"What?" Konoka gasped. "Are you… Are you telling me to leave you here?"

"I'll be fine…" Eva grunted as she gripped her side. "You, however… They can get you easily." She said, looking the young heiress straight in the eye. "So get going. I won't tell you again…" Konoka looked down at Eva's battered form, then down the sewage pipe, and back to Eva again.

"Fine then." She said, getting down on her knees.

"What the…" Eva's eyes widened as she felt Konoka's arms under her back and legs, and before she knew it, the young heiress had lifted her off the ground. "What the devil are you doing?" She raged.

"Helping." Konoka said with a determined expression. "If I can't heal you, then I'll take you to someone who can stand guard while I do." She said as she started walking down the sewer pipe with the small vampire in her arms.

"Have you lost your mind?" Eva raged at her, ignoring the pain her movements brought on. "This is literally begging them to come at us!"

"They will if you keep screaming at me…" Konoka huffed. "This way, we both live. I carry you, and you fight any of them who show up." She said. "That's not so bad, is it?" Eva was at a loss for words at Konoka's actions. The small vampire simply lay there in her arms. "I'm not gonna let you, Eva-chan. You're our friend." She said. "That, and Negi would never let me hear the end of it for leaving you…" Eva quickly turned her head away to hide the slight tint of pink on her cheeks.

"W-Whatever. You walk, then. I'll look out for the monsters." She said as she kept her eyes glued to the tunnel, and focused her senses on rooting out any monsters near them. However, just before their descent into the dark tunnels, Konoka heard the small vampire mutter under her breath.

"Typical. Just typical…"

"Well, this is a sticky situation…" Takamichi said as he gazed at the multitude of steel walkways crossing over a large pool of filthy water several feet down. "This looks like the sewage system… But this substance on the wall says it's not just a sewage system anymore."

"It looks like those snakes turned this network into a nest of sorts." Negi said, fidgeting with the sling around the arm he broke during the fall. "This is the same substance that was on the walls in the hospital…" He winced when Takamichi quickly turned his gaze to the way they came from with narrowed eyes.

"Visitors…" He said, digging his hands into his pockets and scanning the area around him. "Though I can't say where…" He turned around again, as did Negi, and the two scanned the surrounding area, failing to notice the hazy silhouette hovering on one of the walkways above them.

"Are you sure?" Negi asked carefully studying the room they were in. "I can't see anything… Those creatures should be-" He froze as he faced the older teacher, seeing the three red dots hovering on his back. Casting his gaze upward and following the beams projecting the dots, he saw them stop at a very hazy area of one of the upper walkways. "Takamichi, above you!" He cried, and the older teacher quickly spun around just as a soft, harsh explosion echoed down the hole, resulting in a bolt of blue firing at Takamichi. "Look out!" Negi cried.

BOOM!

"This is getting us nowhere…" Eva sighed, as Konoka panted while she walked down the tunnel. "At least let me try and walk by myself. It'll go quicker that way…"

"So you can pull another 'Leave me' stunt?" Konoka asked. "No way. I'll carry you until - Wait… Do you hear that?" She suddenly stopped, tilting her head slightly. Eva did the same, trying to hear what it was that got the heiress' attention.

"…should keep going. I know that you're grieving for Asuna, but turning back now is suicide." A voice floated from a tunnel to their left.

"Isn't that Tatsumiya-san?" Konoka asked. Eva only nodded in answer, tilting her head again to hear who the mercenary was talking to.

"I know." Another voice spoke, and Eva literally felt the warmth starting to radiate through Konoka's body. "I just feel… I don't know… She just… It was so sudden. We just a scream, and then… Nothing. It's chilling to know that someone as physically strong as Asuna lost so easily…"

"Set-chan…" Konoka whispered, a wide smile plastering itself on her face as she quickly turned and sped down the passageway, running as fast as she could. The voices grew louder as they continued to run, and they eventually reached a large shaft leading to one of the lower levels of the sewers. Gently setting Eva down against the wall, Konoka knelt by the edge of the shaft, and almost screeched in joy as she looked down. "Set-chan!" She called happily down the shaft.

Setsuna's ears quickly picked up on the voice, and she spun around, seeking her friend. "Up here!" The voice called, and the half-demon looked up to see Konoka kneeling by the edge of the chasm. "I found you!" She giggled, and Setsuna heaved a sigh of relief as she smiled at her friend. "Hey, Mana-chan!" Konoka eagerly waved at Setsuna's accomplice, who simply nodded at her, before she turned back to Setsuna. "Hey, Set-chan, Eva-chan's up here, but she's hurt pretty bad. Can you help us?"

"Of course, Kono-chan." Setsuna smiled as she spread her wings, face radiating with joy as she flew up the shaft. She shared a brief, yet warm, caring hug with Konoka as she reached the top. "I'm glad you're safe…" She said softly. Konoka only giggled in response.

"Same here, Set-chan." She smiled. "Now let's get Eva-chan down from here. She needs to go first because someone has to keep her safe. If I leave her alone up here in her state, she'll lose if one of those snakes come."

"So Tatsumiya-san can keep her safe until I take you down too…" Setsuna filled in the blanks. "That way you can heal her while we keep watch?" She asked, and Konoka eagerly nodded. The half-demon slowly turned to a now sleeping Eva, and scooped the small girl into her arms before walking to the ledge. "I'll be back shortly." She said as she hopped from the ledge, gracefully gliding to the floor below, where she landed with a soft tap. Carefully, she set Eva down by Mana's side, and turned back up. Konoka was kneeling at the ledge again, smiling broadly as she looked at her and Mana, before giggling slightly. Setsuna slowly shifted Eva into a more comfortable position, while Mana decided to cast a glance at Konoka - at which the mercenary's blood almost instantly froze, eyes widening substantially as time in her world slowed again.

Konoka seemed oblivious to the shadow looming over her. The elongated, ridged head, the bony, almost emaciated body, the shiny dome covering its face, and the rows of sharp fangs hiding a powerful second jaw - all present on the being as it drew its lips back in a sneer and parted it teeth. Mana saw Konoka pale at feeling the breath on her neck, and her pupils shrunk to a size impossible to see at the current distance. Slowly, the heiress craned her neck around, and froze immediately when her eyes met the fangs, the bony chest and the shiny dome - and she remained.

"Setsuna!" Mana cried, whipping her gun out. The half demon immediately responded to her urgent cry, and turned around to face Konoka. She paled as well when she laid eyes on the creature, and her blood felt like it had turned to ice in her very veins as the creature's maw opened wide, revealing it's dangerous second mouth. "Don't just stand there - DO SOMETHING!" Mana ordered as she took aim at the creature. Within a fraction of a second, Setsuna broke free from her stupor and grabbed her sword, just as the beast wrapped its fingers around Konoka's throat. Even through its vice-like grip, Konoka's scream of terror reverberated off the walls as the monster pulled her back, away from the ledge. The scream shook Setsuna's very soul as she took flight after the beast, sweating profusely as she covered the distance of the shaft in a flash. With a look of pure fear on her face, she burst from the fall of water cascading down the shaft, desperately scanning the tunnel for a sign of her friend - and found nothing. "K-Kono-chan!" She called as she glided down the tunnels, each turn leading her into more turns and dead ends. "Kono-chan! Can you hear me?" She called, bewildered at the current turn of events. She quickly backtracked all the way to ledge where Konoka had knelt less than a minute before, calling her friend's name with every breath she took, to no avail.

She did not register when the tears started to flow down her cheeks. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she felt sick to her stomach when she finally stopped. Her breathing was rapid, raspy and heavy, and her head pulsed with every beat of her heart. "Kono-chan!" She called again, and again, she received no answer. Hopeless, she fell to her knees as more tears streamed down her face. She had failed, she told herself. Konoka was gone, disappeared without a trace.

There was nothing in the tunnels. No young heiress, no innocent giggle or playful comment. No accursed screech or hiss the creatures uttered, no talons tapping against the concrete as they moved. There was only darkness, the occasional howl brought on by drafts travelling along the streams, and the sound of water on concrete, as Setsuna's silent sobs accompanied the sound of the dripping water.

Konoka was gone.

A/N: The end!

…

…

…

Nah, not really. This is not the end, people! Don't make the same assumption my beta reader did!

So the dreaded cliffhanger strikes again, just like last chapter… I profusely apologize to all fans of Chachamaru for killing the poor gynoid off. I'm not gonna apologize to Asuna and Konoka fans just yet - are they dead? Are they alive? Is Takamichi okay? You know what? I'm not gonna tell you that… You guys will just have to wait for the next chapter in nail-biting suspense!

I dunno… I rewrote the end to this chapter about five times, and each bloody time it felt like it was… I dunno, rushed, I guess. My Beta-Reader tells me it's the coffee speaking, and my sis claims it's just that annoying voice in the back of my head. So I'm really confused over this. Please, guys, if you feel this chapter's ending was rushed, let me know. I need to get better at this…

Just so by the way, for those who don't know, you'll see two soldiers in this chapter spoke about a man named 'Dutch' Schaeffer - this man was Arnold Schwarzenegger's (Hope I spelled that right) character in the very first Predator film.

Well, 'til next chapter, then! Thanks for reading, guys. I hope this one didn't disappoint!

See ya!
CP