Moon Knight
In the Brooder
Fox's gaze snapped up as the forage ahead crunched with a sharp russle, and he jerked his rifle back into his shoulder, and watched Gen's black scales flick through the scope. He lowered the gun.
"There is a woman ahead," the black dragon said, his tone low.
"A woman?"
"Yes. Not one of ours."
"She's alive?"
"Yes. She has not seen us and we did not approach. Sol is waiting from where we first saw her. She appears unarmed." Gen glanced past Fox and gave Jacks a short, obliging nod. Isaac and Killdeer broke from their squads and approached. "It is strange. She sits atop a tree lying over a gully of water, and she does not move."
"It's a trap, then." Said Jacks, and Fox gave a short nod.
"She is different," Gen said. "She lacks clothes and sits oddly."
"She lacks clothes," Jacks muttered, sending ripples of laughter through the men, "like an animal?"
"Yes, like an animal." Gen agreed.
"Take Alicanto and our support team." Fox ordered, nodding towards Jacks. "Head to the birches and wait among the rocks. We'll see what's up,"
"Release Alicanto," Gen said, his words hurried, "anything restraining him- remove it. You will want his protection."
The woman sat atop the fallen tree, and the murky water below reflected her eerie shadow.
"It is wrong," Harper whispered, pushing the rifle into Fox's hands.
"Really," Fox muttered, his tone brimming with sarcasm as he lifted the rifle.
"Yes, look at her."
He squinted through the scope and centered the crosshairs on her face.
A moment of silence, then he pushed the gun back to Harper.
"What is it?"
"I don't know," he glanced back at Killdeer. "Can you see Isaac's crew?"
"Across," Killdeer whispered. "Ready on your signal."
"Geez, Fox," Harper murmured.
"Stop it." He pushed the gun down. "It's a lab thing, Harp." He glanced up towards Killdeer. "Get every rifle on it. If I say kill her, then kill her."
"Right."
"Sol's moving," Harper held her breath as the dragon's bright red scales flickered through the forage across the pond.
The woman on the tree turned her head, watching Sol. Then tilted her blank face towards Fox.
"Shoot her."
"Shoot her?" Killdeer echoed.
"Yeah." Fox breathed.
No one moved.
Killdeer lowered the rifle.
Fox cursed and reached for Harper's gun.
"Wait," Killdeer said.
"There ain't time." Fox pushed the gun into his shoulder and stared ahead at the unnerving figure.
"Wait," Killdeer repeated, reaching for Fox's rifle.
Harper pushed him back. "Get a grip."
"That's my daughter."
"It ain't your daughter," Fox lowered the rifle and turned towards Harper. He swore and ran a hand over his mouth.
Shots echoed in the distance across the gully.
The woman stood, and Fox saw her for what she really was, but only for a moment. "Look at it, Kill. It's a lab thing. It's shifting."
"What do you see?" He muttered.
"Nothin. Don't let it play with your mind, now."
Fox pushed the rifle back towards Harper.
"What, Julius?"
"Do it."
"You can't?"
"I said do it."
Harper raised the gun.
"What do you see?" He whispered.
"A monster."
"Kill it."
Harper shot and the small rifle hardly kicked. A direct hit between the eyes, the creature fell back into dark water.
Fox stood, the movement tense and abrupt. "Come on." He grabbed Harper's elbow, starting up the steep hill.
"Wait," she breathed. "Look."
Water sloshed as the creature emerged, crawling up the muddy shore. Blood ran down its head, a profuse flow.
Harper raised the gun and shot it again.
"Stop, stop," Fox said, starting up the hill. He grabbed her arm and she stepped back towards him.
"It's not dying."
"I know it's not. It's a blasted lab thing. Let's go."
"There is a woman ahead," the black dragon said, his tone low.
"A woman?"
"Yes. Not one of ours."
"She's alive?"
"Yes. She has not seen us and we did not approach. Sol is waiting from where we first saw her. She appears unarmed." Gen glanced past Fox and gave Jacks a short, obliging nod. Isaac and Killdeer broke from their squads and approached. "It is strange. She sits atop a tree lying over a gully of water, and she does not move."
"It's a trap, then." Said Jacks, and Fox gave a short nod.
"She is different," Gen said. "She lacks clothes and sits oddly."
"She lacks clothes," Jacks muttered, sending ripples of laughter through the men, "like an animal?"
"Yes, like an animal." Gen agreed.
"Take Alicanto and our support team." Fox ordered, nodding towards Jacks. "Head to the birches and wait among the rocks. We'll see what's up,"
"Release Alicanto," Gen said, his words hurried, "anything restraining him- remove it. You will want his protection."
The woman sat atop the fallen tree, and the murky water below reflected her eerie shadow.
"It is wrong," Harper whispered, pushing the rifle into Fox's hands.
"Really," Fox muttered, his tone brimming with sarcasm as he lifted the rifle.
"Yes, look at her."
He squinted through the scope and centered the crosshairs on her face.
A moment of silence, then he pushed the gun back to Harper.
"What is it?"
"I don't know," he glanced back at Killdeer. "Can you see Isaac's crew?"
"Across," Killdeer whispered. "Ready on your signal."
"Geez, Fox," Harper murmured.
"Stop it." He pushed the gun down. "It's a lab thing, Harp." He glanced up towards Killdeer. "Get every rifle on it. If I say kill her, then kill her."
"Right."
"Sol's moving," Harper held her breath as the dragon's bright red scales flickered through the forage across the pond.
The woman on the tree turned her head, watching Sol. Then tilted her blank face towards Fox.
"Shoot her."
"Shoot her?" Killdeer echoed.
"Yeah." Fox breathed.
No one moved.
Killdeer lowered the rifle.
Fox cursed and reached for Harper's gun.
"Wait," Killdeer said.
"There ain't time." Fox pushed the gun into his shoulder and stared ahead at the unnerving figure.
"Wait," Killdeer repeated, reaching for Fox's rifle.
Harper pushed him back. "Get a grip."
"That's my daughter."
"It ain't your daughter," Fox lowered the rifle and turned towards Harper. He swore and ran a hand over his mouth.
Shots echoed in the distance across the gully.
The woman stood, and Fox saw her for what she really was, but only for a moment. "Look at it, Kill. It's a lab thing. It's shifting."
"What do you see?" He muttered.
"Nothin. Don't let it play with your mind, now."
Fox pushed the rifle back towards Harper.
"What, Julius?"
"Do it."
"You can't?"
"I said do it."
Harper raised the gun.
"What do you see?" He whispered.
"A monster."
"Kill it."
Harper shot and the small rifle hardly kicked. A direct hit between the eyes, the creature fell back into dark water.
Fox stood, the movement tense and abrupt. "Come on." He grabbed Harper's elbow, starting up the steep hill.
"Wait," she breathed. "Look."
Water sloshed as the creature emerged, crawling up the muddy shore. Blood ran down its head, a profuse flow.
Harper raised the gun and shot it again.
"Stop, stop," Fox said, starting up the hill. He grabbed her arm and she stepped back towards him.
"It's not dying."
"I know it's not. It's a blasted lab thing. Let's go."
@-Shade-
@RDchicken99
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