Crusade ~ World from Ashes {Complete}

14

"Move!" the voice screamed at me and I did as it commanded.

Jace came flying out of the shadows behind me, his gun in hand. I just barely got out of his way as he unloaded on the creature that was very close to beheading me. Staring in disbelief, I watched as he took that one down and turned on the next one. Behind him, Zak, Tristan and Valkyrie all came rushing from somewhere in the darkness. Maybe there's a way out of here then!

"Takye! Are you alright?" Valkyrie's sweet voice asked me as he came up next to me.

I was shaking still, but I nodded anyway, "Y-yes... What about you? Did they do anything to you?"

Valkyrie grinned at me, "Hell no! I kicked their asses," he beamed at me and then dragged me down as a sharp growl came from behind me. My skin tingled at the feel of the air rushing past my back with how close the claws had been to tearing into me. Valkyrie dragged me with him as he took several quick steps backwards.

"Can you fight?" Valkyrie asked as he allowed Holy Grail to take over his body. His hands turned black as long claws extended out from the tips of his hands. It looked like onyx on his hands and arms, scales of purple of black laced his forearm all the way to his elbows and spikes erupted from the sides of his arms.

"Yes," I answered. I wasn't sure how much I could do though. I had used Crusade already and I wasn't sure how much more of it I could handle before it made me sick and throwing up like it normally did. Ignoring that, I turned on the drug anyway. There were so many of the creatures that I knew it was going to be one hell of a fight even with the others joining Ryker and I.

The drug flooded my body and I allowed it to take over as quickly as possible. My long claws extended out and I turned a full circle sharply, lashing out at a creature that had come up behind me during the exchange between myself and Valkyrie. Gun shots filled the entire arena like area. Quickly dispatching the creature before with a swift strike to its throat, I dissipated into the black mist and shot out to where Jace and the others had gone to.

Something came flying at me and I pulled my body back together just in time to catch it. Jace slammed into me and we both went tumbling. I held him tightly, my other hand slamming into the floor to stop our backward roll. When we did slid to a stop, I eased my hold of him, and he coughed hard, panting as he lay against me, "Fuck..."

"Jace?"

"I'm alright, but those bastards are ridiculous!"

"There are so many," I uttered glancing around us as I lifted Jace up into a sitting position. Looking over his body, I noted the deep scratches along his chest and stomach. I winced, my jaw tightening as I eyed the wounds, "Jace..."

He glanced up at me and then down to his body. Heaving a heavy sigh that sounded like he was utterly irritated, he rolled his eyes at me, "Just scratches, idiot."

"They're so deep..."

"Shut it! I've had worse, you imbecile! Now get up and start fighting or we're never getting out of here!" Jace ordered as he snarled at me.

I don't think he meant to be mean or cruel, his intentions were only to get me fighting again. He was absolutely right though. If I didn't pull myself together and help, we would all die. I didn't want that. Not when I had finally gotten through to Ryker. I wasn't sure I could deal with the idea of losing him, or anyone for that matter. They had become like family to me. A family that I was going to protect. I would do anything for them.

Anything.

Jace got up from me and rushed into the group of creatures. I watched as he dove between the legs of one that slashed at him and rolled into a crouch. It took me a moment, but I realized that he'd gone for his weapon. He had probably lost it when he'd been thrown by one of the beasts. As he unloaded the clip into the things back, I ground my teeth and lunged forward. My claws sliced through the thing's neck, tearing into muscle and tendon as I went.