His heart raced, though he tried to remain calm. But, the more he saw, the more fear threatened. Every room, every lab he passed was empty. Most with chairs and tables turned, noting that the room had not been emptied willingly.
He purposefully kept from thinking of his wife. he had left her sleeping in their bed upstairs. The invaders were everywhere between him and Peggy.To reach herm he would have to fight through dozens of the enemy. And, considering his guns were up in his bedroom somewhere, his chances were slim.. Best for both of them would be to take care of the invaders first. Peggy was smart enough to look after herself.
Buckaroo just prayed that he could help the others before it was too late for any of them.
Rawhide and Pecos stared at the sceen before them. None of the invaders who had been in the sitting room when Chris' ball lite up were in any position to continue the fight. Most of them were unconscious, a few rolled on the floor in obviouse pain, their hands clutching at their eyes. One satd on the floor and blinked at his surrondings with unseeing eyes, crying softly "Blind, blind, blind..."
"Damn." Pecos whispered, a mixture of awe and horror reflected in her eyes. "Remind me never to piss off the kid."
Rawhide simply nodded, equally effected by the sight.
"Umm... guys?" a shaky voice came from behind.
"Damn it, Chris!" rawhide started, turning back to reprimand the boy. "I told you to stat p..." he stopped.
An arm pinned high up his back, Chris Knight was being held hostage by two more invaders. A sharp, jagged dagger was held so tight against his throat that a trickle of blood ran down his pale skin.
With a sigh, Rawhide set his gun down and raised his hands over his head
Peggy Banzai tip-toed down the back stairs. It was a thin spiral thing hidden in the back of the house. As an after thought for a fire escape, it was built in the dark spare space, running from the roof down to the lowest of the basement labs.
Behind her were three of the Institutes youngest and newest interns. When peggy had first awaken by the sound of gunfire, her first concern was for those not yet able to defend themselves. She thanked god that most of the residence were away visiting family for the holidays. Of course that was probably why whoever had decided to attacked did so now. The Institute was at less than half capacity.
She paused at ground level and peered through the sliding door at the storage room beyond. With a sigh, she continued down.
"Where are we going?" one of the youngsters asked.
Peggy snapped about, holding a finger to her lips, shushing him.
But it was too late. Tha damage was done.
The door slammed open and big hands reached in and grabbed the speaker.
The interns screamed, kicking and hitting until they had freed their companion.
"Go! Go!" Peggy screamed, pushing the children passed her and down the stairs. "Basement! Now!"
The big, black clad invader squeezed through the door as Peggy put herself between him and the retreating interns. "Leave us alone!" she yelled at him. She doubled up her tiny fists and held them out before her, suddenly wishing she had taken her husband's self defence tutolage more seriously.
The man grinned. After slipping his gun under his belt, he drew a wicked looking jagged knife.
Peggy's eyes grew as they locked on the weapon. Then she said something that rarely ever passed her pretty lips: "Oh, shit."
Suddenly anothe body jumped in, slamming the invader against the wall.
New Jersey slammed his fist into the big man's kidneys repeatedly, hoping that a fast attack would make up the difference in their wieght and obvious viciousness.
With a roar, the invader lifted his arm and threw the slim doctor back into the storage room where he crashed into a stack of paint cans and fell to the floor. growling, the invader followed his victem, intending to crush the little man under his heavy foot.
"Sidney!" Peggy cried, running after. As she passed it, she grabbed a broom that had been leaning against the wall, rose it over her head, and slammed it across the man's back, snapping the wooden pole.
The only sign the invader was even aware of her was a grunt. Then he continued on.
Stunned, New Jersey rubbed the back of his head where it had hit a fallen can upon landing on the floor. he didn't even notice the invader's approach until one large foot landed in the middle of his chest, pushing him back down to the floor.
The invader laughed as he began to grind the Cavalier into the floor.
His chest slowly being crushed, Sidney desperately struggled to reach his pistol, but, seeing the danger, the man reached down, took the weapon, and tossed it over his shoulder.
With a scream, Peggy leaped at the man, trying to dislodge him from Jersey. But the invader shoved her back, sending her sprawling into the stairwell.
New Jersey heard a crack. he didn't need to be a doctor to know what the pain lacing through his chest was. His ribs were cracking. In another breath they'd be snapping... if he could breath.
reaching out blinding, his fingers wrapped around the wire handle of a paint can. With all the strength he had left, he swung it.
The heavy can caught the intruder in the back of the knee, buckling the leg. He fell back, slamming into the rack, but managed to keep his feet. With a roar of inhuman rage, he stepped toward the downed Cavalier once more, this time holding his knife high.
But three shots rang out and three bullets slammed into his chest, each one knocking him a step back.
Stunned, he dropped the knife and rubbed at the holes in his chest. He looked over at Peggy where she stood, feet apart, Jersey's gun held out before her. "Bitch." he snarled, before falling to the floor dead.
Peggy Banzai stared at the body for a long moment, then, when her own chest began to burn, began to breath again. She rushed over the New Jersey was struggling to his feet. Slipping under his arm, she lead him back to the stairs. "We've got to get out of here."
They headed down the stairs, but just before the reached the last floor, cries beyond the door stopped them. jersey pulled away from Peggy, taking the gun from her. he took the last couple steps alone and peered through the door to see the three young interns Peggy had been helping being rounded up by several invaders. Jersey eased back, closing and bolting the door.
"What are you doing?" Peggy hissed. "We have to help them!"
Jersey struggled up the steps to her, turned her away, and pushed her back up. "All we can do is start a gun fight, one that we would lose, and probaly kill the kids in the process."
Peggy glanced back at him, her eyes filling with tears, but she swallowed them back, bowed her head, and kept going. "Where?" she whispered?
Jersey stopped. He hadn't thought about that.
Peggy suddenly gasped. "The jet car! We gotta get the jet car out of here!"
Jersey sighed. Like he didn't have enough to worry about. But she was right. "The garage."
Peggy grabbed him. "Upstairs. I know how to get back down."
