Page 174 of You Only Love Twice
And for the first time in years, Obsidian gave himself over to it, his teeth elongating.
Chapter 32
"This way!" Charlie screamed, hauling Kincaid along a narrow, poorly lit hallway toward the munitions factory.
He’d caught a glimpse of the monster chasing them as it smashed through the door into the medical bay. X was almost as large as Charlie’s entire Cyclops suit, a leather muzzle strapped over his face, and his eyes hazed with broken blood vessels. The second he saw them, those piggish eyes lit up, and then blood was spraying across Charlie’s face as X grabbed the doctor and ripped his head clean off.
Charlie had faced vampires and slasher gangs,dhampirand enraged blue blood lords in the past few years. Nothing had come closer to making him want to piss himself than the brute bellowing on their heels.
Red gleamed ahead of them.
Fire.
Almost to the factory.
Charlie shot a glance over his shoulder and saw X’s broad shoulders backlit by the faint light. He’d paused to rip his mask off and sink his teeth into the doctor’s throat, which was probably the only reason they were still alive, but the second they’d bolted he’d given chase.
Kincaid’s arm was wrenched from his grasp, and Charlie dropped the satchel he’d somehow still been carrying.
Skidding to a halt, he heard Kincaid scream.
X slammed him against the wall, a single punch driving a dent into the side of Kincaid’s Achilles II armor. Solid sheet metal buckled, and Kincaid grunted.
Charlie lunged forward, his steel fingers enclosing around X’s throat. He smashed him into the other wall, but X simply bellowed and grabbed hold of his own suit.
Oh, shit.
Thedhampir’sforehead slammed into his, and Charlie lost his grip. A series of blows sent him reeling, as hot breath caressed his face.
"Kincaid!" he screamed.
Teeth raked at the metal collar around his throat, and Charlie scrambled to hold X off. Barely. Then he was staggering back, his feet going out from under him as Kincaid came out of nowhere to tackle X.
Charlie hit the floor with a steely rasp, sliding several feet.
He felt like a frigging turtle on its back, and tried to kick his feet. His legs were strapped inside the Cyclops, and the pistons hissed as the gas-powered joints reacted to his movement. Somehow he rolled onto his side, steel knuckles pushing into the floor as he found his knees.
If he got out of this, then he was going to have to work on the suit’s dexterity.
But that was a problem for another time.
Kincaid grappled with the beast, every punch sending him staggering back a step. Fire formed a frame around X, as Kincaid was shoved back against the metal railing of the munitions factory. They had to be several levels above the factory floor.
X peeled the top layer of his chest carapace open and tossed it aside.
"Kincaid!" Charlie yelled, lining them both up. "Get clear!"
Kincaid’s eyes locked on him, as Charlie lifted the arm cannon. He grabbed X by the arms and forced the bastard to the side. "Shoot him!"
Charlie pulled the trigger.
The small missile in his arm cannon zoomed toward the enormous monster.
Kincaid managed to get clear at the last second, and X spun, snarling as he tried to snatch at the missile. It exploded as it hit his chest, flinging him over the rail.
And then he was gone.
Charlie’s arm shook as he lowered his arm.
