Xenomorphic

Chapter 7: Alien Vs Flock

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All the while, during the rundown, the Flock's horror grew and grew, reaching a pinnacle with the echoing laughter of the lupus-hybrids. "Subject 3...she isn't going to kill us...is she?" Gazzy asked. Jeb was silent for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. He came to decision, "The purpose of this test isn't to see if you can defeat Subject 3, it's to see if you can survive her. So far, all of her opponents have been ground-based and one-on-one. The higher-ups want to see what she'll do against a team," he looked at the group of avian hybrids, "that can fly." He smiled at them reassuringly, "The room in front of you has been specially modified to compliment your air-superiority. And, after ten minutes, they'll flood the room with gas that will put all of you asleep." The Flock looked a great deal more confident now.

They didn't have to fight, they just had to last long enough to live.

The avian hybrids swarmed Jeb in a group in a hug, nearly breaking his bones with their enhanced strength. They separated after a few minutes. "Jeb," Max said. The white coat looked at her, "You look really funny in that hat." Jeb's gobsmacked expression made the ever-stoic Fang smirk just a bit, the Flock giggle, and Iggy wonders what everyone was laughing about.

The hydraulic door opened up behind them, revealing a room bathed in darkness. The Flock shared one last hug with their father...before entering the abyss.

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The Flock entered the pitch-black room, and the door closed behind them. It felt like they were just sealed inside of their tomb. Max gulped when she looked around.

You know that feeling you get after watching a horror movie? The one where you constantly look around a dark room, making sure there isn't something in there with you? Yeah, that's how the bird kids felt.

Except, instead of them being fearful that there might be something in there with them, they knew there was something in there with them.

Subject 3. The ruthless experiment that made even the Erasers tremble in fear. And she was currently somewhere in this hell of a room with them.

It was a terrifying thought.

The Flock had superior vision. They could all read the bottom line of the exam chart from over a mile away. Their vision was only slightly worse in the dark. But this room...it was created using the furthest depths of space.

From they could make out, the ceiling was domed and at least 200 feet off the ground. From the ceiling, hanging by chains were several acrobatic bars big enough for them to light on. It front of them, on the ground, were over a hundred six-foot-tall pylons that were arranged like the stars on the American flag.

Max looked at her flock. Angel and Gazzy were clinging to each other, Nudge was biting her finger, her eyes darting around. Iggy was staring off into space, his blank eyes looking at nothing, but Max knew he was straining his ears to the maximum, trying to hear any movement. Fang was gritting his teeth, his eyes sliding back and forth. That was the most emotion she had ever seen out of him.

"Iggy," Max whispered as quietly as she could, "Can you hear anything?"

The blind avian was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing in concentration...then they snapped open panic, "Up!"

Without waiting for an explanation, the Flock snapped their wings out and were airborne in fluid moment. Just in time too, because something impaled the ground where they once stood. The avian hybrids landed on the bars above, the sudden increase in weight making them sway. Max looked around wildly, trying to locate whatever the hell just did that.