The Horrors of the Futuregraph part VI

_____'s dreams were restless. She could hear the screams of Jennifer, Nathan, Lauren. She saw their faces, stricken with fear. A child appeared in the middle, swirling with blood and glass. It began chasing her. She couldn't run fast enough. She felt it's long, bloodied claws rip in to her back.
         She sat up with a start. Sweat drenched her neck and shoulders. She was breathing hard. Outside, the sun was just starting to rise over the hive-city. She hard a light knock on her door.
         “Come in.” Javid poked his arm through, coffee first. Once he was sure she was dressed, he followed.
         “Bad dreams?” He asked, setting the other coffee down on the table for her. She wiped her arm across her forehead to rub away the beads of sweat. She didn't need to answer; he could tell by the tightness around her eyes.
         “I'm afraid it's not going to get much better. Central just called.” He took a long sip of his coffee and gave _____ a moment to take a drink.
         “We brought the two men in last night, I checked them in to Central myself. I must have missed something. I searched them for weapons, drugs, the usual. I missed one thing. A key chain.”
         “A Futuregraph ©?” She gripped her cup, pushing back the sickness in her stomach. The detective nodded.
         “Are they--” She couldn't finish the sentence.
         “Both of them. In the very room we put them for safety. It was quiet; the guards found them this morning. It's a goddamn mess.” She noticed his knuckles were white around his own coffee cup. A simple thing like a key chain had killed both men. Javid must be feeling terrible. She set her coffee down and stood up. She walked to the detective and pulled him in to a hug. He didn't resist. He laid his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath. She could feel his chest shaking from the effort.
         They both felt so helpless. They stood for a moment before Javid pulled away. His eyes were red – whether it was from lack of sleep or tears he kept pushing back – she wasn't sure. He nodded to her in thanks and stood a little taller.
         “We have to find the source of the Horrors. I can't tolerate any more blood on our hands. We can't wait for Central.” She nodded, following where he was going.
         “You can get anywhere – it's part of what Anne made possible. There has to be a reason behind it. If we can find out how the children from these families connect, maybe it will tell us what we're looking for. Anne must have known we'd make the connection.” _____ turned to look at the table. She picked up the picture of Lauren.
         “She's standing in front of an orphanage. The men were also going to adopt. Next week, they said. That's much sooner than Jennifer or Nathan would have had their families. I wonder what Lauren had planned.”
         “Let's start there.” Javid started to leave, allowing her to get ready.
         “Javid—-” She stopped him before he left the room. He turned back to her.
         “We'll find Stephon. I'm lucky, remember?” He gave her a small smile, but somehow, it was enough.
#
         Stephon rode next to Kitsune in a dark vehicle-pod. They had been blindfolded and their hands bound the entire time. The ride itself had seemed like forever. After leaving the room inside the cold prison, they had no idea where to return to. They'd have no choice but to cooperate to get Jin back. Stephon didn't mind cooperating, he just preferred it was his idea first.
         The vehicle-pod rumbled to a stop. They heard the pod doors slide open. Stephon was pulled forcefully to his feet. His blindfold was removed and the sunlight made his eyes water. He blinked away the shock and searched for Kitsune. She stood next to him, rubbing her eyes. It reminded him of a cat. The man who had lifted him from the pod stood back with his arms crossed. The guard from earlier jabbed a finger painfully in to Stephon's chest.
         “Listen, Prince Charming. You got your friend in to this mess, and you're going to help get her and Jin out of it.” She spoke casually, even as people walked past on the streets. She did not appear to be concerned about people identifying her.
         “You and Kitsune have an appointment to make. An inspection of a recent Futuregraph © installation. Anne was going to view it herself, but sadly, couldn't keep the date. You'll have to do it for her.” Kitsune was looking around the streets. People were walking through the hive-city without even noticing the group standing in the street. They walked right past; no acknowledgment, no rude remarks for blocking the path. They simply walked around them.
         “I've done Anne's inspections before. I always found them boring and uneventful. What, exactly, are you looking for?” Kitsune was losing her patience. The woman turned from Stephon sharply and focused on Kitsune.
         “We are looking for information that we believe Anne was hiding on the premises. We want you to find out, and return it to us.” Kitsune nodded. Her stomach turned to a ball of ice.
         “Your meeting starts in twenty minutes. You'll meet with the Matron of the orphanage, and inspect the installation of their commissioned Futuregraph ©. From there, you will be searching for information that Anne left behind. She was your boss, I'm sure you'd know where to look.”
         “I have an idea, yes.” Kitsune closed her eyes. She thought about Jin back at the facility. She hoped he was being brave.
         “It's time to go. You have a job to do.” The woman gave a short laugh and walked back towards the vehicle-pod.
         “As usual, we'll know when you've done your part. Meet us outside on this street. We'll find you.” The group disappeared in to the vehicle and sped off down the street. Stephon and Kitsune were left all alone.
#
         Kitsune walked through the front doors of the Hive-City Orphanage. The automated Secretary at the front desk recognized her immediately. The screen glowed to life with a woman's face.
         “Welcome, Miss Kitsune. The Matron is expecting you.” The voice was young and sweet. It irritated Stephon. Kitsune nodded and walked through the open doors on the right. She had met the Matron before.
         A woman in her early sixties sat, legs crossed, on a couch in the lobby. She was reading a book to a young girl. When Kitsune and Stephon stepped through the door, she closed the book and sent the girl running off. She nodded her head to Kitsune.
         “I am sorry for your loss. Thank you for coming.” Matron Leandra was polite but efficient. She walked through the large doors and indicated for the two to follow.
         “We are nearly ready for the installation. Once the Futuregraph © is in place, you are welcome to tour the facility, as usual.”
         “Thank you, Matron.” Kitsune bowed her head.
         “Anne had never mentioned she'd be bringing a guest..?” The woman raised a brow curiously at Stephon. Kitsune waved away her curiosity.
         “With Anne's death still under investigation, the company insisted.” Kitsune lied with an ease that made Stephon tense. Stephon nodded to confirm her statement. The Matron continued to walk in silence through the hallways. Kitsune stepped around large orange cones and warning signs.
         “I apologize for the mess. We've been renovating the building, thanks to a donation provided by Anne. She was displeased with the state of the Orphanage on her last visit. Work has been a little behind schedule. Please, watch your step.”
         They were careful as they walked across the stone floor. The building was a historic landmark in the Hive-city. The renovations would have been expensive. The building was in need of it, however. They could see cracks in the wall, peeling paint, the carpet appeared to have been damaged. The hallway they walked down was in poor shape.
         They walked through the halls of the building. It resonated with the sound of laughing children. Kitsune and Stephon watched as children younger than Jin wandered the hallways, followed by caretakers. The building seemed full of children from all ages and backgrounds. Kitsune had a sad smile as she watched a little boy dart across the hallway.
         They walked in to a large, central room. Kitsune saw the workers unwrapping a large box. It was protected with layers of packing foam and wrappings. They pulled off the last layers and revealed a large Futuregraph © meant to resemble a large painting. Anne had been insistent about commissioned images; she made a point to meet every client on the day it was unveiled. Most of the commission pieces were high-profile members of society – actors, artists, fellow scientists. This piece, Kitsune remembered, was a charity piece. It had been paid for and donated by Anne herself.
         No children wandered in the main room of the orphanage. The doors had been locked due to the renovations.          The Matron stopped in the middle of the room. The workers were at the top of a staircase where two stairs met. It was meant to be the center piece of the first floor, leading up to the second story. They saw walls being repainted and rebuilt, windows were being replaced and updated. Anne had wasted no expense on the renovation. The workers lifted the Futuregraph © and turned to the Matron, who nodded. They struggled to lift the large image and hung it against the wall. The image was so large, it hung more like an over-sized mirror.
         Once the image was secure, the small group walked up the staircase. The workers backed away to give the Matron room. One man stayed behind.
         “Ah, pardon, Matron Leandra. This came with the delivery.” He handed a red envelope to the Matron. She held it, turned it over, then held it out to Kitsune.
         “It's addressed to you.” Kitsune's hands shook as she accepted the envelope. She nodded, trying to hide her fear.
         “Anne had mentioned there were special instructions for this Futuregraph ©. I've never activated one this size before. Can you explain the process?” The Matron stared up at the blackened frame. Kitsune handed the envelope to Stephon and caught his gaze. She mouthed 'I'm sorry.' He frowned, but held the envelope.
         “I had assisted Anne when she activated the Prism Bank Futuregraph ©. This is roughly the same size. This was a commissioned piece, which means Anne herself was directly involved in the process. Did she—-request--anything from you or the Orphanage for it?”
         The Matron shifted uncomfortably. She reached in to a purse she held at her shoulder. She took out a small vial. It was filled with pale blue liquid.
         “Anne gave this to me the last time she was here. She said you'd know what to do with it.” The Matron dropped the vial in Kitsune's outstretched hand. She felt her stomach turn to ice. Yes, she did know exactly what to do with it.
         “Thank you, Matron. I can activate your Futuregraph ©.” The Matron gave a shrug and stepped back.
         “Well, as long as you're here, I have enough business to attend to with the renovations. Can you find me if anything goes wrong?” Kitsune was thankful the woman wanted to leave. She couldn't blame her. The Matron turned to the workers and dismissed them.
         “You and your men are dismissed from the Futuregraph ©. Miss Kitsune and her partner will be overseeing it from here on. I could use your attention upstairs, however. There are cables laying all over the floor, and I don't want the children stepping on them.” The Matron had returned to her mother-mode and was escorting the men up the staircase. Stephon and Kitsune were left alone.
         Kitsune let out a deep breath. She couldn't explain to Stephon without fear of her captors overhearing.
         “This won't take long.” She mused aloud, running her hand along the side of the cold metal frame. She knew what she was looking for. She felt her fingers run across an indentation in the frame. She pushed it, and a panel slid open within the frame. Stephon watched as white smoke emitted from the panel.
         “What is that..?” He asked, moving around to get a closer look.
         “Anne's own recipe. It will activate the vial, then the Futuregraph ©.” She placed the vial in the panel and it shut automatically. From the few seconds the small door had been open, it had made the immediate area chilly.
         “Are all commissioned Futuregraphs © activated like this?” He asked, rubbing his shoulders from the chill. Kitsune looked at him, trying to make him understand. She shook her head indicating 'no.'
         “Yes, Anne infuses all the frames with an activating fluid, it's all part of her patented process. This is the first time I've ever done it myself, however.” Stephon knew she was lying, but understood who she was lying to.
         Kitsune stepped back and watched the large screen. It began to flicker. Stephon looked around the edge of the frame. He saw something that caught his eye. He knelt down and ran his hand along the frame. He felt it before he saw it. Another panel opened. Inside, he could see a series of microchips and wires that were buzzing with life. Before he closed the panel, he noticed a small notch. To anyone else, it would have been a minor defect. To Stephon, it was a sign. It was Anne's signature.
         The screen shifted from complete darkness to muted outlines. Kitsune knew it would take a few minutes for the image to fully manifest. Stephon shook his head and closed the panel.
         He had to be certain.
         He closed his eyes and accessed his micro-receiver. It had been jammed ever since they had been in the strange building. It was wide-open now. He noticed a new message had appeared on his retinal screen: Futuregraph ©. He recognized the signal.
         “They're not renovating. They're reinforcing.” He thought Kitsune would jump from her skin. Her eyes were wide.
         “They can hear us--” Her voice was panicked.
         The bodyguard shook his head and pointed to the panel he had found.
         “There's a panel that was installed with software designed by Futuregraph ©. The F.E.U. commissioned the installation – it's an interference program. It means, Anne included it in her custom installation. They can't hear us.”
         Kitsune paused to check her own systems. She didn't feel the restrictions from earlier. Stephon was right. However, the freedom to speak only meant she had to tell him the truth.
         “I know what they're looking for.” It was barely a whisper. Kitsune leaned against the wall and listened to the sounds of the Futuregraph © warming up. Stephon watched a tear roll down her cheek.
         “Anne thought she had buried all her secrets. She should have killed this one, not buried it where she thought no one would ever find it.” She opened her eyes and looked at Stephon. He saw a darkness in her gaze he had never seen before.
         “Listen to me. No matter what happens, they cannot know the location Anne was trying to conceal from them. She was hiding it from everyone. Even from me.” Kitsune's voice started to falter.
         “If we don't give them the information, they'll never return Jin. They'll kill us.”
         “They cannot find what they are looking for. Regardless of the cost. More than our lives would be at stake, Stephon. I'm sorry. We have to give them something else.”
         The bodyguard nodded. They were looking for something, and Kitsune knew it's location. She was willing to give up everything, including her own life, her child's and even a stranger's, to protect it. Stephon sighed. He always seemed to get involved with the emotionally unstable ones.
         “Step back a moment.” She said, watching the screen. The Futuregraph © was beginning to form a picture, and Kitsune had a feeling she'd know exactly what it would become.
         An image of a machine appeared. It was unlike anything Stephon had ever seen before. By Kitsune's expression, she was not unfamiliar with it. Smooth metal, tubing with red liquid and a sealed door. A circular glass window appeared in the middle, sealed with heavy bolts. A face was beginning to appear in the window. Stephon took a step backwards. Just as the face appeared, the image went black.
         An object fell from the darkened glass. At first, Stephon thought the glass had broken and chipped off since the image had disappeared so abruptly.
         “Don't pick it up.” Kitsune's voice was strained.
         “Hand me the envelope.” Stephon nodded and handed her the red envelope. She stared down at the object that had fallen from the darkened frame. With shaking hands, she opened the envelope. She removed another vial, but this time, it was filled with a dark red liquid. She closed her eyes and stepped around the object on the floor. She opened the panel to the frame and removed the vial; it was empty. She replaced it with the new vial and an image shimmered to life.
         It was an image of Matron Leandra, surrounded by dozens of smiling faces. The image was taken in the exact balcony, in front of the obscured Futuregraph ©. The Matron looked close to twenty years older than she was now. Kitsune leaned down and picked up the small object. It was as black as the picture frame had been and made of a dull metal. It was the shape of an old skeleton key. She placed it in the envelope.
         “What is it?” Stephon asked, admiring the picture on the Futuregraph © screen. All the children seemed so happy.
         “This is what we're going to give them.” She said, closing the envelope.
         As Stephon watched the screen, an object floated from it. It seemed to manifest from the image itself. Another key drifted forward, moving through the air. It was damp with red liquid. Kitsune reached out and wrapped her fingers around the key. It was sticky with blood. Stephon's nose wrinkled.
         “And this is the one that Anne meant for us to find.”
#
         Javid and _____ walked across the open pavement of the Future Events Unit complex. They had originally planned to wait for nightfall but Javid eventually felt they could wait no longer. ____ tended to agree, and so they had set off in search of Kami and a vehicle. She had beat them to it.
         A vehicle-pod rolled up next to them and rolled down a tinted window.
         “Need a lift?” Kami asked, smiling at them through the driver's seat. Javid could not have been more thankful for her interference. They loaded in to the vehicle-pod and Kami sped off the premises.
         “I heard about the boys we brought back last night. I'm so sorry. The guards outside their room, I knew them both. They were good men. They swore they didn't hear a thing.” Kami checked the rear-view mirror to watch her passengers as she spoke.
         Javid met her gaze.
         “We're headed to the Hive-city Orphanage. Do you know the coordinates?” They both knew he didn't have to ask, but he was letting her know: he didn't want to talk about the recent deaths. Kami looked away from the mirror and tapped the screen on her pod-navigation system. A blue indicator appeared on the screen.
         “With traffic, we're about twenty minutes away.” Javid nodded. It was more time than he wanted to spend, but he had no other choice.
         A message appeared on Javid's retinal scanner: 'The peacock lives, but has limited time. You listening?' Javid smiled. He responded, utilizing the 'thought-to-text' software that was unique to Futuregraph © and the F.E.U.
         'Loud and clear. Are you safe?' He adjusted his seat belt. _____ noticed the Detective's distant expression.
         'We will be. We're leaving something for _____, Kitsune thinks that's the safest way, and I agree with her. Things may get ugly real quick. If I don't make it back – keep an eye on Kami for me.'
         Javid smiled and looked towards the driver. He had always wondered if the two were more than co-workers.
         'Why didn't you check in?' Javid went back to business.
         'Complicated. We got picked up by the organization that killed Anne. They're holding Jin, and Kitsune and I are being forced to do a little investigation of our own. I'll send you the coordinates. We're leaving now. I'll contact you again when I can.' Javid's retinal screen flashed red, indicating that Stephon's signal had gone offline.
         The coordinates that Stephon sent over moved across his vision. He forwarded them to the navigation system. The blue indicator turned purple, showing two identical locations. Kami frowned.
         “What's the deal, Detective?” She asked with a strained smile. She was still worried about Stephon.
         “A little bird told me – Stephon will be just fine. He sent over the coordinates. We're headed right to him.” Kami's face lit up at the news. He noticed the pod increased in speed substantially.
#
         Kitsune and Stephon stood on the street outside of the orphanage. They looked around, waiting for the vehicle-pod. Stephon felt his head become fuzzy again and realized their jamming software had re-attached itself to his system. He knew he'd be out of touch again for a while. Maybe forever, if they found out they had been tricked.
         The vehicle-pod swung around the corner and hovered to a stop in front of them. The back doors opened and both Stephon and Kitsune climbed inside. The guard sat in the passenger seat and looked back at them.
         “What have you brought me?” She asked, looking between the two. Kitsune handed her the envelope.
         “It was meant for me. I opened it, just to be sure. I think this is what you meant?” The woman ripped the envelope from her hands. She opened the envelope, running her fingers along the tear lines that Kitsune had made. She tilted the envelope and let the key fall in to her palm. It was darker than any metal Stephon had ever seen. It seemed to make the entire vehicle-pod darker. He held back a shiver.
         “..Yes. Thank you.” The vehicle-pod sped away. It drove a few blocks and pulled in to a parking garage. Kitsune looked at Stephon nervously. The vehicle-pod rumbled up the ramp and pulled in to a parking place. The doors opened.
         “Get out.” The woman barked. They did not hesitate. They were in another parking garage, different from the last. The heat was nearly suffocating. A man was holding Jin by the shoulder. He released the small boy who darted across the cement straight for his mother.
         “I suggest you start running.” The woman rolled up the tinted window. The man took their place in the back seat. As the vehicle-pod rolled away, Stephon expected his communication system to come back online. His held still felt fuzzy. Something was still blocking his data-receiver. He wouldn't be able to contact Javid or Central from here.
         Kitsune was holding her son tight and rocking him back and forth. She held him out in front of her and looked him over.
         “Did they hurt you Jin?” She brushed dirt from his face. The boy gave her a toothy smile and shook his head. She sighed and pulled him close one last time.
         “What do they mean – start running?” She asked, looking up at Stephon. The bodyguard crossed his arms over his chest.
         “I'm not sure, but I'd rather not wait to find out. Let's get back to Central and get this all sorted out.”
#
         Javid watched the navigation screen as they approached the Orphanage. He was suddenly slammed against the side of the pod when Kami pulled the wheel abruptly.
         “Hang on—-” her voice was nearly a scream. Javid's vision was filled with stars from the impact. The vehicle-pod swerved through the streets until she regained control.
         “What the hell was that?” Javid asked, rubbing his neck. Before Kami could answer, she slammed on the breaks again. The vehicle-pod came to an abrupt, but smooth halt. She pointed towards the street. Vehicle-pods were stopped everywhere. Smoke was rising from the street. Horns and the sounds of people screaming came from ahead. Javid saw smoke in the distance. He looked at the navigation screen. The orphanage was past the accident ahead.
         “We'll have to walk from here.” They unloaded from the vehicle-pod. The detective tried to get a better view of what was happening ahead in the street. He could see smoke and fire coming from the road. People were running away from the smoke. _____ spotted it first. From the smoke emerged a body, writhing and covered in flames. Javid ran towards it, attempting to extinguish the flames.
         “Javid, stop!” _____ called out suddenly. He slowed his run and realized – it wasn't a person. They didn't need to be saved. They were already dead, or far worse. The body was smaller than he first thought; child-sized. It walked through the smoke towards them. Another body appeared, then another. They walked towards them slowly.
         “We can't go this way. It's getting worse.” Javid backed up. He looked at Kami and _____.
         “I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, we have to get to the orphanage.” Both women nodded. Screams and the sound of breaking glass erupted from the smoke. The children were making slow but steady progress towards them. Kami took the lead and ran to the side of a building. She looked around and found what she was looking for. She braced her foot against the brick of the building and yanked hard on a pipe.
         Javid wasn't about to remind her of the legality of her actions. The fact was, she had just found a great weapon. The angle had ripped the pipe to a terrifying point. He nodded to her and looked around for something of his own. They still had the data-pads that would alarm the creatures, but at the alarming rate they were appearing, they'd need to save them. They continued to move along the building, checking over their shoulders, until they each had found something worthy of being called a 'weapon.'
         Kami checked her wrist communicator. A blue light was flashing periodically. She stopped at an alley-way and pointed down it.
         “The navigation system says there should be a fence down this way. After that, we're just a few buildings away from the orphanage. Shall we risk it?” Another loud explosion came from behind them. Wordlessly, the group descended in to the dark alleyway.
         _____ gripped her discarded crowbar with sweaty palms. The weight of it made her arms strain; she didn't even want to think about having to actually swing it. They pushed forward, walking as quickly as they could without tripping on the discarded debris and garbage from a random city alleyway.
         Up ahead, a group of teenagers were bouncing a basketball against the brick wall. The group turned at the sight of three adults carrying a random assortment of pipes. Javid held up his free hand.
         “Please, get inside. It's not safe--” The teenagers were running down the opposite direction of the Detective before he managed to finish his sentence. He only hoped they were running home, and not farther in to the city. They followed the boy's tracks through the mud and grime of the street. _____ tried to ignore the stench of the forgotten parts of the city. They approached a set of cross-alleys. They saw the fence Kami had described farther ahead.
         They saw where the boys had ran off and down the right alley-way. To the left, Javid could see flames in the distance. They moved towards the fence. He tried not to worry about the boys.
         The fence was chain-link with barbed wire at the top. Javid sighed but grabbed the chain-link and started to pull himself up. Kami's hand fell on his shoulder and stopped him. She reached in to her back pocket. She pulled out a small metal tube. She pushed a button on the end and it expanded to include a red beam on the end.
         “Stand back, Detective.” She said with a wink. Javid did as he was told. She ran the laser along the fence in a large circle, clicked the button on the end of the small pipe, then kicked the fence, just for good measure. The fence piece went flying. She had cut a hole straight through the fence in a matter of seconds. Javid gave her an approving nod.
         “You never cease to surprise me, Kami.” He would have smiled but he started to smell smoke.
         “More where that came from – now, come on.” They ducked through the hole in the fence and ran towards the orphanage.
#
         Around the corner of the alley, a young boy sat watching. He bounced a basketball, watching the group cut through the fence. Around his wrist dangled a small key chain Futuregraph ©. The child's eyes went wide and the basketball dropped and rolled down the alleyway. His body fell to the ground, shaking. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the pain.
         “..Help..” The words barely escaped his lips. In a violent flash, the child's skin burned away. From the pile of ash, the figure of a small child rose. It's elongated legs lifted it from the ground. It turned it's head towards the fence and started to stumble down the alley.
#
         Kitsune screamed. Stephon moved to put a hand over her mouth. She struggled, eyes wide-open. Her voice became muffled and she pushed her back against him. Fear made her retreat, search for an escape. Jin was pressed between the two.
         “Shhh..” He breathed against her ear. She swallowed and closed her eyes. They were pressed against a dark wall in the parking garage. Something—someone--was moving slowly across the cement. In it's wake it left burning embers and bits of glass shards. Tiny, human-like legs carried it's body in lurching steps. It was only slightly taller than Jin.
         It continued to walk, making it's way through the parking garage and heading for the afternoon sun. Stephon released Kitsune's mouth and she stumbled away from him. Jin had started to cry. She turned towards him and held him close.
         “Keep him quiet.” Stephon urged. The creature stopped. With a slender neck, it turned to face them. Stephon and Kitsune froze. Jin was now wailing, struggling against his mother's attempts to silence him. The creature took a step towards them.
         “Shit. On to plan B.” Stephon stepped away from Kitsune and Jin. He looked at her and put his hands on her shoulders.
         “Listen, I have no idea what the hell we're dealing with here. All I know is, that thing ain't natural, and it doesn't like crying children. I need you to Jin and I need you to run. I'm going to pull it's attention away.”
         Kitsune nodded. She tried again to silence her son. He only fought harder and cried louder. Stephon looked back over his shoulder. The child-like creature was still approaching.
         “Once you get outside of the parking garage, maybe your micro-receiver signal will clear up. Find someplace to hide, and stay quiet. Contact me when you can. Go.”
         Kitsune picked up Jin and held him close. The boy sobbed loudly and returned to his whimpering. Stephon couldn't blame him. Brave or not, the thing they were looking at was damn creepy.
         The creature's head turned to follow the sound of the wailing boy. Stephon approached it. He was determined to buy them more time.
         “Hey, hey!” He yelled, not sure how to address the creature or if it even was sentient. In all his years at the F.E.U., he had never encountered anything 'supernatural' or out of the ordinary. Crazed men with guns, maybe, but at least they made sense. He shot them, they died; he had no idea what to expect from this—-thing.
         His shouting had at least given Kitsune enough time to run away with Jin. He heard them fade in to the distance. She was making good time. The creature simply moved to slow. It turned it's featureless face towards the bodyguard.
         “Help.. me.” The hair on Stephon's neck rose. The creature took a step towards him. He watched as vehicle-pods began to shake. Stephon took a step back. A loud sound filled the air as glass exploded in the air. The glass from the vehicle-pods had exploded outwards and were being pulled to the creature. With the glass and the burning embers, the creature grew substantially. It was now easily as tall as Stephon.
         It moved towards the bodyguard. Before Stephon could move to run, a large tentacle lashed out and slashed against his shoulder. He grunted in pain and surprise. The glass from the vehicles cut straight through his duster and shirt. He felt blood start to drip down his arm. He uses his free hand to try and stop the bleeding, and decided to try and make a run for it. Another tentacle slashed out and wrapped around his legs, knocking him off balance. He crashed to the cement.
         The creature started to pull him slowly towards itself. Glass was digging in to his legs as the tentacle tightened. Blood smeared across the pavement as he was slowly pulled closer. Stephon closed his eyes with a muttered curse.