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Counter Earth Chronicles - Fallen Empire

Chapter 21: Beast Beneath The Moonlight (You Win Everyone Else Loses Part III)

Day: 29 (6:30 PM Concert Hall World Two)

“We have to act fast!" Corbin shouted.

“So much for subtlety." I said calling up the weapon's menu.

\ **Laser system engaged**

I tried to cut a hole to widen the crack in the wall Corbin had sent the probe into so we could maneuver the prototype inside but the surgical incision was taking longer than it should have.

“Alex!" Corbin said looking his monitor.

“I am trying but it looks like the designers used some premium building materials here."

“But we are running out of time!"

I glanced at the infrared footage from the probe. Inside the darkened concert hall we saw a purple cube looking thing advancing on an okapi, lemur, naga, sugar glider and lion. There was also a lynx that approached the creature first, he was sucked in rotated around the interior of the creature like a piece of laundry and then spat out. He stopped moving at that point.

Seeing that I resumed trying to cut through the exterior wall of the concert hall.

*What ever material the designers used. It is impervious to the laser system Mr. Winter.*

“Big brother!!!"

I turned my attention to Corbin's monitor again and the feed from the probe. We watched as the monster sucked in the lemur. Like the lynx before, the female beastial was spun around the inside of the cube monster and ejected out the other side covered in purple goo; she stopped moving too.

“Right, running out of time!" I said throwing the prototype into reverse. When we were about 1000 feet from the outside wall, I returned to the weapons menu. “This ought to do it."

I lined up the cross hairs with the exact location on the exterior wall and pressed the left toggle switch on the weapons console.

*Grenade launcher engaged*

*BOOOOOOM!!!!*

(That is a weapon we will never be able to restock.)

The resulting explosion gave us the entrance we had been desperately trying to make.

“Hold On!!" I said flooring it.

I drove over the rubble into the ground floor of the concert hall. All the while the cube monster was making its way through its victims, the okapi was next joining the goo-ed lynx and lemur.

“Corbin what floor?" I asked as we raced down a front hallway of the concert hall that was largely intact. “Corbin?"

“Checking."

The little mongoose boy remained silent as he tried to retrace the path the probe had taken when it entered the concert hall. All the while I watched out of the corner of my eye as the monster went through its line of victims who just sat there. Not a single one tried to run or flee from the pending danger.

I drove around a corner and slammed on the brakes as we came to a dead end- a ceiling had collapsed. Blocking the way forward.

“Corbin?"

“Alex, I don't know. It is one of the upper floors!"

“Overwatch engage hover mode."

**Right away Mr. Winter.* *

We moved on to the floor above desperately looking for the creature and its victims.

“How bad is it?" I asked my little brother who was glued to the copilot monitor and keyboard.

“It got the naga, sugar glider and is at the lion!" Corbin said shouted.

“Do we know if that is Shakara?"

“I can't tell! Oh no! We are out of time!"

“Corbin use the probe! Attack it!" I shouted.

(It is a shame that Sir Ram and Mara did not include a tracker tracer on the probe that would have made this a lot easier.)

The prototype flew over the mezzanine and into one of the balconies as Corbin used the probe to attack the cube monster, who was taken back by the orb acting quite aggressive as it tried to consume the lion.

“Alex! I can't keep this up!"

“I think we are here! Overwatch the front mounted camera! Magnify!"

“That floor next to the scaffolding!" Corbin pointed.

“Overwatch set us down over there!" I shouted.

*Side-pods engaged.*

The automated assistant placed us right down in between the cube monster and its last victim.

*Alright purple and cube-y no sudden movements otherwise you go splut!* Corbin shouted on the PA as I jumped out to check on the lion.

“You alright?" I asked approaching the kneeling individual- my glowstick held high.

“What the hell are you doing?!" The leonine beastial shouted at me.

(Well it is not Shakara.)

“Trying to save you from that!" I said pointing at the scared and confused monster that was lined up in the prototype's crosshairs.

“Did I say I needed saving?!" The he beast said standing up. He was quite thin with a tired- long looking face and a black mane.

“But that over there was about to devour you!" I retorted. “You know eat? Imbibe?"

“And it is a wonderful experience!!" He countered.

“WHAT?!" I asked.

“Alex check on the victims." Corbin advised.

I left the upset lion to check on the lynx, lemur, naga, okapi and sugar glider. The beastials were all covered in goo, but alive... and moaning as in some extreme form of ecstasy.

*AHHH!!!!* The lynx called out while the lemur started uttering something unintelligible.

“They are inebriated, very inebriated." I shouted.

“Say what?" Corbin said.

*Drunk Mr. Mongoose.*

“Why?" I said to the black maned lion.

“Why not? We come here to forget about everything, our problems, our struggles and our lives." He said walking over and petting the purple cube monster.

“And your creature has its needs met as well." I said crossing my arms.

“Um... kay..." Corbin added.

“It is a cult, Corbin. They worship that monster." I said.

**Joyless souls who have nothing left but to drug their sorrows away. Well at least they still have their free will intact when they come to.* *

“Thank you Overwatch." I said to the automated assistant.

“Wanna give it a go?" The lion asked.

“Thank you, but no." Corbin said looking at the creature's victims.

“Well sorry to interrupt your debauchery." I said apologetically.

“I will over look it this time." The lion retorted as his fellow cultists writhed and twisted under the influence of the cube creature's goo.

“We are searching for a friend of ours, another lion like yourself." Corbin said deactivating the side-pods on the blue coupe.

“She was taken from us by The Horde." I added.

“What did she look like?" The lion asked.

“Dark tan fur, red eyes, intoxicating smile, adorable ears, flat nose, slightly oversized breasts." I started describing my lioness.

“And very horny!" Corbin interjected.

I looked at Corbin.

“I mean she was wearing a brown jacket and boots." He said back peddling.

“Well I did see something on my way here...." The lion began.

Sometime later that evening....

“I can't believe I was only passed around to two of them!" The dark tan lioness said depressed. “I thought it should have been six or even more if not the whole gang!"

“Only two of them huh?" A mysterious shadow next to her said.

“Yes, no other beast was interested in me; they thought my breasts were too large! They hated the color of my eyes, my smile was too wide and my sex was not soft enough." The she beast said quite somber like.

“I take it you have seen rejection before?" The shadow said moving closer to the lioness.

“Yes, especially when I was younger- I wasn't good enough for the males, any of them!"

“Why don't you relax and tell me all about it sweetie?" The shadow said making itself comfortable.

“When I was younger none of the boys thought I was pretty or attractive." Shakara said tearing up. “Do you know what that does to one's sense of self?"

“That must have been quite difficult for you. Because you are quite scrumptious." The shadow said placing a claw tip on Shakara's breast. “So what you experienced in your youth motivated you to make yourself more attractive?"

“Yes very." Shakara said as the shadow sat down next to her making itself even more comfortable.

“So how did you wind up a prisoner of The Horde?" The being said lifting up the lioness' chin.

“I was separated from my friends as we entered the city a few days ago." Shakara began.

“Oh so you are not from around here?"

“No."

“We were trying to find supplies and search for friends that we lost contact with since the fall. That was when we were captured by The Horde." Shakara said wistfully.

“The Horde? Those idiots?" The shadowy creature said. “You just have to know how to handle them."

The lioness dropped her gaze at that comment.

“So they captured you dearie?"

“I was taken to one of their hideouts where two of them had their way with me. It was ok, nothing special. I was ready for more when both of them looked at each other and said that they were done. For now? I asked hopefully. No, forever they both responded. I was expecting to be passed around to the rest of the crew afterward. I was particularly wondering what Vicious- the lone zonkey of the group looked like down there."

“But that never happened?"

“No he had better things to screw, err do. I was taken to another hideout where I was placed with their so called OTHER offerings."

“I see, they decided to turn you over to the entity before I found you." The shadow creature said kissing Shakara's neck.

“Rejected again." The lioness sighed.

“Times have changed drastically during the past month for us all. I was freed as this society disintegrated creating chaos for most and opportunities for few. Don't fear little one, I will have you." The shadow creature said as it materialized into a solid form.

*chomp*

“Thank you." The lioness said.

“So delectable! Such flavor! *OAH* Soon the pain, anguish, depression and misery you have experienced in this life will disappear... forever."

“AHEM! Excuse me!" I said walking into the dark alley the two were sitting in.

“What is it?!" The dark creature asked angrily. “Can't you see that I am with a client?"

“Sorry to disturb you. I was just wandering by this wreck of a neighborhood and I was curious about what you two were doing down this alley here." I asked.

“I am trying to help this depressed and despondent soul." The creature said sucking on my lioness' neck.

“Really now? The corpses around you seem to suggest otherwise."

“How do you know they are mine boy? They could have been from the cataclysm."

“They all have peaceful stares- I guess they weren't in agony when they died. They also have prominent bite marks on their necks. By the way how can you help anybeast by sucking on their neck?" I said assuming a confrontational tone.

“I was feeding and helping myself, oh and her too. Your doing fine sweetie just a little more." The creature said to my lioness.

“Helping her how now?" I said stepping further into the corpse riddled alley.

“By alleviating her suffering." The creature said.

As I walked closer, I saw the blood dripping from the puncture wounds on Shakara's neck.

“Did she consent to this?" I asked the dark creature.

“You don't hear her screaming or begging for her life now do you?" The being retorted.

“No, but that could be because she is in a deep funk or possibly under your influence. How often do you do this?"

“What is it to you boy?!" The monster asked.

“Just curious, I am aware that there have been many creatures floating around since the fall. In fact I have stumbled upon a lot of them unintentionally of course but this is the first time I met one like you." I said holding my glow stick right up to illuminate the two of them. “Whoa, you're a vampire!"

“You are interrupting me." The creature said annoyed.

“And a bat- a pretty one." I said astounded. “You could even pass for a beastial."

The creature grumbled as I inspected her feeding ground.

“Quite a collection here- some look like they were from The Horde and some look like they were from some other gangs. Say is that where you found her?" I said redirecting my attention to the two of them.

“You are annoying me human! Leave now, while you still can!" The bat said angrily.

“You mean you are still hungry? How many does it take to satisfy your appetite?"

It was at this point my she beast's attacker started to grow impatient with me. By that I mean she was growing rather irritated.

“GARAHH!!!"

The creature lunged at me. I dodged her at the last second as she hit a alley wall raining down debris on her.

“Hmm.... it is a shame that you are evil, in the right light you look rather lovely, I like the grey fur, the webbed paws, the super long ears, the piercing teeth and the hook like nose too."

“Human, I warned you to leave! You are stressing my meal."

“Come again lady bat?" I asked curiously.

“I like my prey relaxed and very calm when they die. They taste better that way." The vampire bat said rising to her foot paws.

“Nope. Not going to happen." I said crossing my arms.

“Oh and why is that?" She said her eyes glowing an eerie white.

“You have something in your possession that is mine; someone that is precious to me and if you think I will let you kill her like she is today's special you are so very, very, very wrong pretty lady bat."

“Is that so human?" She snorted.

“Very much so. I lost a lioness already to the entity. I am not going to lose this one as well." I said staring down the vampire bat.

“Little cutie? Is that you?" My lioness asked.

“Shakara remain perfectly still. You are in extreme danger." I warned my devious person.

My lioness hardly reacted. So I knew she was not in a good state at all, otherwise she would have gotten out of this fix some time ago.

“Very well boy you can join her. I have been wondering what human tastes like anyway. Oh and thank you for the complement!" The bat creature said charging at me.

*KLONK!*

“What the? I passed right through you!" The bat said rubbing her head after slamming into another wall. “Wait, you are not really here! How is that possible?!" The vampire said turning her attention back to her meal which had up and vanished.

“It is called a distraction." I said as my hologram disappeared.

The monster moved around the alley turning over corpses looking for Shakara and myself. It then ran out into the street looking for its escaped meal.

*KLUNK!*

It was promptly hit by a fleeing blue coupe. Corbin watched as the bat creature was knocked upward and crashed into a pile of rubble.

“You have made an enemy tonight boy." She hissed.

“Really?! Another one? The line starts over there doll." I yelled as we sped away. “Shakara don't move."

“Alex?" My lioness said as I examined the bite marks on her neck.

“Wow in this day and age vampires exist. Who knew?"

*Why not Mr. Winter? All of you live with a werewolf.*

“Thank you Overwatch." I retorted.

“How is she big brother?"

“Despondent and depressed and missing blood thanks to that monster back there, but she should be fine." I said.

“It was a good thing we got to her in time." The little mongoose said.

“It is all hopeless and futile; we are just ultimately delaying the end." Shakara said.

“Perhaps, but you are forgetting my lioness existence in general is a struggle and I am not going just to lay down and give up. Nor are you. You will be fine, you just need a full dosage of well being."

*Hopefully your captivity was not too stressful Ms. Kubari.*

“It was beyond awful! None of The Horde found me attractive or the least bit interesting!"

“Vicious did- he hypnotized you, Alex and me." The little mongoose boy said.

“Hey, hey, none of that matters. We find you interesting especially me and our bear. That is all that matters."

Shakara blushed at my admission.

“So exactly how many of those road warriors were you with anyway?" I asked.

“So who rescued who?" The depressed lionesses said deflecting my question.

“Corbin was able to recover the prototype. He came after me and then we went after you."

“What about Dianna Wild?"

“No news Shakara." The little mongoose boy admitted. “In the days after your capture, I combed the city looking for you, Alex and her."

“There are many missing, I found out that The Horde has Sura as well."

“The singer Alex?"

“The same- they have been passing her around amongst themselves. I also ran into Theresa and Oliver some survivors Corbin and I met in World Three. Theresa has been looking for her sister as well."

“What is our next move?" The little mongoose boy said.

“Let's head back to the bakery for the time being Corbin."

So we took to the sky to quickly find the dalmatians' restaurant we had eaten at only hours ago. Overwatch landed the prototype and we drove into the alley behind it only to discover that Lune, Mitsa, Theresa and Oliver were gone.

*Scans indicate that there is no one inside.*

(Did they leave in a hurry?!)

“Are they perhaps in another location?" The little mongoose asked.

“It is getting late. I think... your friends are in hiding." My lioness concluded.

*Would you like to search for them Mr. Winter?*

“Anything within a mile radius?" I asked the automated assistant.

*There is a single life sign a half a mile from here.*

We drove to the location the scans had indicated. We didn't find Lune, Mitsa, Theresa or Oliver, but the coywolf from earlier he was still trying to become an Other.

“Overwatch magnify."

We watched as the coyote- wolf approached a grey black something near the base of a demolished building.

“Is he nuts?" Corbin asked.

Are you one of the possessed? The foolish beastial asked.

The creature he was talking to looked up at him with its glowing yellow eyes.

I heard Others were roaming this area. Are you one of the possessed?! The coywolf asked again.

That was when the creature 'stood up' and floated towards him. It looked like a dark black sheet a big dark black sheet.

The creature floated above and then landed on him like table cloth covering a table. It only uttered one word as it attacked the hapless beastial.

DECOMPOSE!!!

It then floated away. All that remained of the coywolf were bones, fur, and blood.

“That's it we are getting the hell out of here!" I shouted.

“What about Dianna and Sura?" Corbin said gasping.

“We need to regroup." I admitted to my companions. “Staying here in this city is not very wise- it is suicide, plus we have been away from Corey, Mia and Lolly for too long."

“And our own family as well." Corbin admitted.

“Overwatch let's go back to the cabin." I announced.

*Affirmative. Engaging the prototype's hover mode.*

We took to the skies making our way south west toward the Aard Woods.

“What are we going to tell Corey and Mia?" Corbin asked me.

“That we combed the city looking for Dianna and found everything but her unfortunately." I said wistfully.

“It is best that we take the three of them with us." Shakara groaned. “They won't survive by out here by themselves."

It took us about twenty minutes to reach the cabin. Overwatch landed the prototype at the tree-line. From there we walked back to the cabin and knocked on the door.

“Alex! Corbin! Shakara!" Corey said answering the door.

“You returned!" Mia said joining her brother at the door.

“I know it is very late." I started to say.

“And that we shouldn't be out after dark." Corbin added. “We haven't had any luck searching for your mother."

“We went to World Two and ended up getting into trouble ourselves." I added.

“We barely escaped the horrors there." Shakara added.

“We are sorry." I stammered.

“That's ok." Mia said casually.

(WHAT?!)

“Look." Corey said opening up the door.

In the back of the cabin by the fire place we saw Lolly watching over a sleeping centaur.

“She came back home a few hours ago." Mia added.

“You mean we went to World Two were abducted, betrayed, fought Rejects and monsters for nothing?!" I said.

“Looks like it." Corbin said.

“Umm hmm." Shakara added.

Alex Winter January 30 YOE 34