Quoted By:
<span class="mu-r">“Why didn’t you tell me this thing was bulletproof!? That seems like an important thing to leave out!”</span> you shouted, readjusting your grip on the child.
<span class="mu-b">“Well, excuse me for not going into explicit detail when I don’t have your personal info! I was running out of nicknames to call you.”</span> Callisto shot back.
<span class="mu-r">“Originally, I only came down here to tear you a new one for calling my family, but it looks like ugly over there might beat me to it.”</span> you said, quickly turning a corner in an effort to lose your tail. You could already hear pounding footstop trailing after you.
<span class="mu-b">“Just be glad that I didn’t use your stage name. You didn’t exactly give me a lot to work with.”</span> she said, glancing down at the kid.
<span class="mu-r">“That Buglizard thing is healing way too fast for me to put it down. How’re we supposed to kill it?”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“If I knew that, I wouldn’t have called you down here!”</span> Callisto retorted as she turned, and flung a few knives at the monster. To your surprise, they sank into its flesh with relative ease. <span class="mu-b">“This way!”</span> she said, gesturing towards a tight crevice that seemed far too small for the creature to fit through.
<span class="mu-r">“Where are we going?”</span> you asked, taking out all three of your throwing knives and mimicking Callisto by flinging them at your pursuer. Two of them hit home, while another bounced off a patch of particularly tough scales.
At first, it seemed like nothing had happened. But mere moments later, you heard a series of “pops”, which was immediately followed by a pained howl.
<span class="mu-b">“Anywhere that this son of a bitch can’t get us!”</span> she said, as she plucked Cindy from your hands and pushed her through the crevice. She followed right behind her, and you were in the rear pushing them along.
You just barely managed to slip out on the other side before the Buglizard stretched it's impossibly long arms to reach for you. It grasped around desperately, clearly enraged by its inability to push through the solid wall. At one point, it even tried slipping its tail through.
<span class="mu-b">“Let’s go.”</span> Callisto said, running further down the tunnel without looking back. You and Cindy followed her, trying not to pay attention to the tiny cracks forming in the wall behind you.
—---
The three of you walked in silence for about five minutes. You were grateful that your Spider Signal still had some battery left. If you were left in the dark, then there’d be no way for you to fight that mutated monstrosity for very long. As it stood, you felt like you had just been locked inside of a cage with a coked up tiger. The sheer ferocity of your opponent in that encounter still had your heart racing.
That wasn’t just a bar fight or a street brawl. You were fighting for your damn life! You still are.
<span class="mu-b">“We need a plan.”</span> Callisto finally said. <span class="mu-b">“Any suggestions?”</span>
(Cont.)
