When They Come
15

Cassandra, as usual, was the first to lunge at Alex. But Alex was anticipating it. She caught Cassandra’s fist, locked her arm, and careened her into a wall.

During the time Cassandra recovered, Alex rolled her shoulders and stretched. This might take a while. Cassandra assaulted Alex with a kick to the head which Alex nearly missed and had to bend backwards to avoid.

As Alex straightened, Cassandra swiped her foot under Alex’s and tripped her. Alex fell to the ground and Cassandra was on her in a few heartbeats. Alex used her weight to flip her and the Ice Queen over, making her on top.

Cassandra cried out furiously and pushed off Alex. Alex stumbled back and watched as the furious-with-rage-and-adrenaline Cassandra charged at her, ready to punch.

Alex stared at her flatly as she sidestepped her attack, causing Cassandra to slam her fist into the wall, just like the locker.

“I’m really unamused, Ice Queen,” Alex said, kicking Cassandra in the chest. “I expected better moves than that. Honestly, not learning from your mistakes? How shallow of you,” She sighed and shook her head.

Cassandra gasped incredulously. She then flew into a blind rage, trying to hit Alex with all her strength and energy. Alex was ready and dodged every hit with her hands behind her back.

In a matter of moments, Cassandra had worn herself out without Alex doing much at all. As the Ice Queen panted, out of breath and energy to fight back, Alex hooked her padded foot behind Cassandra’s knee and pressed hard on that area.

Her enemy’s eyes rolled back into her head and Cassandra fell unconscious onto the floor. Alex made a surprised noise. That was a guess. Alex shrugged and walked away. That only took two minutes.

“I win,” Alex said aloud.

Alex had reactivated her hologram and was now sprinting down the hall, praying that John and Addir hadn’t forgotten her.

“Alex! Where are you?!” John’s voice called through the com.

“Relax, I just had a little bump in he road,” Alex replied lazily.

“Which was?” John pressed.

“Oh you know, Cassandra as a hybrid,” Alex answered cooly.

“What?!” John cried. “Xevon bit her?!”

“Obviously,”

“And…you’re ok?”

“Made it out in one piece,”

“Where’s—“

“Out cold on the floor—away from me,”

“Wow, ok,”

“You sound surprised,” Alex said with amusement. “Did you not think I’d make it?”

“No! Of course I thought you’d make it!” John said quickly. “I’m just surprised at how Cassandra is unconscious—by your hands. At least we know who’d win in a fight,”

“I guess she handled the sick part better than I did, but not the whole transforming thing,” Alex said, sliding around a corner. “That brat probably was waited on hand and foot as she was sick to her stomach. Doing it all to get back at me,”

“Maybe, maybe not,” John answered.

“Knowing Cassandra, we both should know she’d go this far,” Alex said flatly.

“I guess you’re right,” John admitted. “I feel like I keep having to remind myself that I was normal before all…this…”

“We were,” Alex nodded. “Now, we’re stronger and smarter than back then,”

“Yeah,”

The com fell silent and Alex didn’t mind. She was focused on getting to that transporter, and John’s talking, however sweet, was distracting. Alex rounded another corner and froze. She had met a group of Saimiens with what looked like laser guns strapped to their backs. Oh crap. They stopped when they saw her.

“Are you finished with your detoxification?” One immediately questioned.

“Uh, yes!” Alex replied quickly. “I finished and I didn’t know what else to do so I decided to take a walk,”

Another gave a suspicious look. “You don’t seem that sure,” He said slowly.

“What’s the first step?” A third questioned.

“First it’s the misting down,” Alex replied, sighing with relief on the inside that she had looked to the stations and watched it happen.

“Well, well, you do remember,” The fourth one said, amused.

“Is it alright if we pat you down to make sure?” The first one asked, approaching Alex.

“Sorry gentlemen, but I’m very sensitive about my privacy,” Alex said truthfully. The kindergarten incident made her that way. She’d rather not think about that.

“That wasn’t an option,” The third snarled.

Alex reached for her phone-like weapon from the belt on her suit and in an instant, she shot the first in the chest, knocking him unconscious.

“And that wasn’t an option,” Alex said triumphantly.

The Saimiens reached for their guns and started to fire at her. Alex pulled up her bracelet shield and held it in front of her. The lasers were absorbed into the shield and disappeared into it. Oh, Alex liked this. She shot more laser beams as she backed up and away from the enemy Saimiens and managed to hit another one. This time it was the head and it immediately sent that Saimien falling back and dropping like a stone.

The other two were relentless as they rained their fire onto Alex. Her panic rose as she found her shield arm becoming tired. She couldn’t keep this up forever!

One of her enemies was yanked back and Alex gasped once she saw who it was.

Addir growled in the face of the Saimien he had in his clutches. “You hurt her, and you’ll be hurting more,” He snarled.

“And you’ll be too dead to doll the pain,” The Saimien sneered.

Addir forced the Saimien to the ground and pressed his padded foot into the crook of his adversary’s knee. The last Saimien, gawking at his friend, was shot down by Alex, and hit the floor with a ‘thud’.

“What are you doing here?”Alex asked, sheathing her weapon.

Addir didn’t answer. He just ran up and hugged her. “You’re alright!” He sighed in relief.

“Yes, yes, I’m alright,” Alex groaned. “But you didn’t answer my question,”

“I sensed your fear as you were speaking to the guards,” Addir replied, pulling back. “I was a good thing you stalled or I wouldn’t’ve made made it.”

“I would’ve been just fine. But thanks. Remind me not to get into a fight with you,” Alex laughed.

Addir smirked and took her hand. Together, they ran down the hall in their disguises, making their way to the generator.

Addir and Alex had to make their way through several long and draining halls and Alex wondered how Addir had gotten to her so fast. Then again, it had taken her a few seconds to get to Addir when he got caught.

It took them a good hour to make it back to John and he wasn’t alone. John has also been approached by some guards and was having trouble keeping them stalled. The Saimiens were inching toward him as John inched back.

Alex narrowed her eyes and charged at one of the Saimiens. In a matter of moments, she had tackled him and knocked him unconscious. Addir took out the next one, leaving John to take care of the last two.

In about five minutes, the group had yet again taken care of a squad of Saimiens. John breathed a sigh of relief as he looked to both of them.

“It took you long enough!” He snapped. “You’re lucky they came at the last moment or I would’ve been long gone!”

“Relax you big baby,” Alex replied, folding her arms. “The good news is: you made it, you’re still alive, and we still have a few hours to get our mission done!”

“Key word ‘few’,” Addir pointed out. “We have to get moving. The transporter isn’t far off,”

“Addir’s right,” John nodded. “We can’t stop when we’re so close to the finish line,”

“Let’s go!” Alex sighed and began to follow her holo-map.

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