sins8

Thorn let out a kind of squeak as she was pulled violently back, out of view. Kai13 heard a sound like something hitting the stone walkway. A moment later a familiar shadow appeared above him.

"You look like you could use a hand."

"Very funny." Kai13 ground out as he looked up at Tyrathca. Using his brace, Tyrathca, grabbed Heather's arm and slowly pulled her up, freeing Kai13 to pull himself back up. Pulling her over the wall, Tyrathca set her gentlely down. Glade to have his feet on the ground again, Kai13 knelt down next to her. She had a nasty abrasion on her forehead, from contact with the outer wall, but seemed OK. Kai13 looked around, "Where is she?"

Tyrathca nodded, "That way." Kai13 turned in time to see a flash of black and green disappear around a corner of the castle...... with Lily hot on her heels.

"What the?"

"She got here first, I just followed." Tyrathca said, as Lily disappeared around the same corner, "Go after her, I'll take Lady Heather inside."

Kai13 frowned a moment before nodding and getting up, "Lovely, two of them to save now." With that he took off, trusting Tyrathca to take care of his love, while he tried to save her equally stubborn and foolish clone.

In the back of Lily's mind, a tiny voice screamed, "What Are You Doing?? Your running the wrong way. Run, Run The Other Way!!". Unfortunately, it didn't scream loud enough. Lily ran on, hot on Thorn's heels. She ignored her aching lungs and soar legs. Her eyes locked onto the back of Thorn's head, the rest of the world seemed to drift away. There was nothing but her, Thorn and the 15 feet of space between them.

In the Great Hall, Tyrathca tried to answer the questions from several worried and anxious ladies. They had swooped down on him the moment he walked in, carrying an unconscious Heather. Dgre held a bandage to Heather's forehead while Tyrathca told of what little he knew.

Off to the side, HunterKai listened. He had returned from his forest partrol just in time for the alarm to be sounded. He hadn't had time to check on Lily when Tyrathca came in. ".... Kai13 went after Lily and the intruder." Tyrathca finished.

Before he'd said the last word, HunterKai bolted out the door, his impassive face hiding the raging anger underneath. If anything happened... NO, nothing was gonna happen to Lily. He wouldn't allow it.

Lily lost sight of Thorn as she rounded a corner ahead of her. Gritting her teeth, Lily poured everything she had left into her speed. She rounded the corner.... and ran into an outstretched arm. It was a perfect clothesline, better then any pro-wrestler could have done. Her feet flew out from under her and she slammed into the ground. Her already oxygen-starved lungs coughed out what little they had, knocking the breath out of her. Gasping like a fish out of water, she could bearly focus on Thorn leaning over her.

"You pathetic little weed." She snarled, "Your as weak as your poor excuse for an Original." Reaching down, Thorn grabbed the front of Lily's shirt, dragging her to her feet. Turning, she slammed Lily into the outer wall, before leaning against her, smashing her ribs into the stone. Lily fought hard for air as Thorn hissed in her ear, "I have to thank the Fates that my demented maker didn't use such substandard DNA. Other wise I might have come out like you." Thorn smiled cruelly.

"She..... monster." Lily gasped out.

Thorn growled, before driving a knee into Lily's ribs, "That's my mother your talking about." Thorn smiled at Lily's painful cry, "Besides, one man's monster is another man's hero."

Reaching around, Thorn wrapped one clawed hand around Lily's throat, "I was going to let you live.... long enough to watch your Original die that is. But now..." Thorn dug her claws into Lily's soft throat, "I'll just have to kill you first."

A soft, deadly click paused Thorn. "Don't." Thorn turned to see HunterKai, the open claws of his brace a mear inch from her neck.

A large grin spread across Thorn's face as she looked up into his cold hazel eyes. A low purr rose in her throat as she racked her eyes over him. Licking her lips, she sighed seductively, "Hello Hunter.... long time no see."

"Not long enough, Thorn." Hunter's deadly calm voice hide his surprise. This was part of his past he'd thought long dead.

Thorn pouted, "What? You didn't miss me?"

"Miss you? The last time I saw you, you tried to kill me dead-dead." Hunter's eyes narrowed dangerously, remembering. He itched to let his brace fly, but Thorn still held Lily by the throat, pining her to the wall. He couldn't risk Thorn hurting her.

Thorn smiled coyly, batting her eyes, "Your not still holding that against me, are you?" Thorn purred, eyeing him up like a piece of prime meat, "Not when you could be holding ... other things against me."

Hunter flexed his wrist a tiny bit. Thorn smiled inwardly, digging her claws a little deeper into Lily's neck, knowing just how much Hunter wanted her dead. But he couldn't do it. It was a stalemate. If she sliced Lily open, Hunter would kill her. If Hunter fired first, she would cut Lily from ear to ear on the way down. While she didn't know of Lily and Hunter's relationship, she knew he wouldn't let her hurt the pathetic little seedling. Thorn's inward smile grew larger as she thought, "How utterly delicious."

Lily gasped for air, trying to take in all that she had heard. Hunter knew this creature? She was surprised and yet she wasn't. She knew little of his life before he found her, laying among the piles of discarded clones, near death, waiting to be thrown into the incinerator. He never talked about his past, wishing to leave it behind. Now it was back to haunt him. Lily closed her eyes, fighting back tears as Thorn's claws drew blood. It ran down her neck, staining her white shirt red. She could only imagine what was going threw his mind as they stood, trapped in this standoff.