The Space Between

Chapter Twenty-six: "Escape"

Mark ran up to Rip-fang, raising the hatch door and he jumped to slam into him. Rip-fang's tail tried to lash him, but he hadn't acted fast enough. Colliding into his side, Rip-fang stumbled off balance and fell to his side. Mark rolled over Rip-fang's side, raising the hatch over his head as Rip-fang's tail and wing tried to pummel him as he rolled up onto his feet to face him. Backing up, Mark kept the hatch door between them. The hatch was dented up badly from Rip-fang's blows, but Mark just needed it to last long enough. Rip-fang rose on all fours, his tail arching behind him as his wings rose, snarling out bitterly. "You DARE attack me! I'll destroy YOU!" Mark didn't reply, he needed to stay focused. One surprise attack from him could be his end. Rip-fang let out a hiss, drool leaking from between his sharp teeth. Rip-fang lunged to tackle him but Mark leapt forward to slid out under his belly. Holding the hatch door up, the sharp edges clipped Rip-fang's thighs. Rip-fang yelped, landing and sliding into the wall. Rising to his feet, Mark barely raised the hatch door in time before Rip-fang's tail slammed into him.

The blow knocked Mark off his feet to slide across the floor on his back. Rip-fang let out a vicious snarl, scrambling across the floor to chase after him. Mark heard Sean scream his name but couldn't do anything. Rip-fang caught up with him as he stopped sliding, opening his mouth wide to try biting him. Mark raised the hatch door off his chest to try and block his bite. Seconds before the bite came, a burst of fire came from the hallway that led down to the escape pods. Rip-fang screamed, retreating from the flames. Mark raised an eyebrow, watching Commander Steele step out into the room with a lighter and a can of hair spray. Keeping the lighter and nozzle aimed at Rip-fang, she yelled out. "Back off, asshole!" Rip-fang peeled a layer of burned scaly skin off the side of his face, before growling out to her. "So... you wanna play that game, do you?" Mark rose slowly to his feet, his eyes drifting to check on Sean. Sean and Logan were creeping up behind Rip-fang. He wanted to tell them to stay back... but that would only put them in more danger.

Rip-fang's tongue flicked out like a snake, tasting the air. His whole body tensed as he glanced over his shoulder to see that they were surrounding him. Giving them a devilish grin, he growled out. "You're a bunch of fools. I can take you all on." Rip-fang cracked his knuckles, showing off his talon nails as his tail and wings rose up. The Commander sprayed the chemical through the fire on her lighter, showering Rip-fang in bright flames. Rip-fang rose to let the flames sear over his chest, then kicked out at the hatch door that Mark held. Mark was knocked back into a wall, before Rip-fang spun around and lashed his tail out at the Commander. She managed to duck as his tail soared over her head to smash against the doorframe. Facing Logan, Rip-fang lunged to bite him, forcing Logan to leap back to avoid his jaws. As Logan fell from slipping on the wet tile, he managed to swat Rip-fang's face away toward Sean. Mark forced himself away from the wall, gasping to get air back in his lungs. Sean had a knife at his hip, but it wasn't drawn!

Rip-fang started to crawl toward Sean, sneering out. "I can smell him on you, human!" Rip-fang opened his mouth, arching his neck to snap at Sean. Sean fought with something in his hand, before panicking and tossing it into Rip-fang's mouth. Rip-fang's jaws snapped shut loudly, before he winced and opened his mouth again with a pained hiss. Something had gotten lodged between Rip-fang's large teeth. Mark couldn't tell what it was, but it looked like a small bottle. Rip-fang paused to dig at it with his talon, popping it free to let it roll across the floor. With it gone, Rip-fang flicked his tongue over the spot in his mouth to make sure it was gone. Sean bent down to snatch the rolling bottle but couldn't get it. It had rolled too close to Rip-fang's feet. Forcing him to abandon it and bolt out toward the other hatch. Logan got up, leaping at Rip-fang, but Rip-fang shoved him back with a powerful arm. Snarling, Rip-fang dashed after Sean on all fours. Mark rushed forward to grab the bottle as Commander Steele asked him. "What the hell is that?"