Chapter 18

It was pressure that brought me back, pressure, warmth, softness. Lips caressed mine, chasing away the fog of screaming, banishing its echoes. A few blinks brought the world into sharp, searing focus. The face before me was bruised, bloodied, and probably, no definitely, the last pair of lips I wanted laying one on me. I emitted a muffled a scream, my hands scrambling to put distance between our torsos.

Princess drew back with the pop of broken suction. I held her at arms length, staring into her smug expression.

"What the actual f-"

"You're lips are incredibly soft. Anyone ever tell you that?" She grinned, reaching up to wipe the blood away from under my nose. I made several noises, none of them coherent words, wondering which emotion I was going to articulate first.

"Why, just why?"

She shrugged. "You were bugging out. I need you coherent for now. Slapping wasn't working so I tried the next best shock to the system method. Plus, it was fun. Don't worry, you can succumb to your stupidity later."

"Stupid! What-" This time I interrupted myself, realizing I was still holding Princess firmly at arm's length and our little show was being watched by Kit. Not Kit through the hole in the wall, Kit two feet from us, wearing an expression that looked suspiciously like awe. "How?" I was still too angry, shocked, or astounded to form much more than monosyllabic sentences.

Kit cleared his throat, shifting his legs.

I glared at him. "You didn't."

He had the grace to look mortified. "I've been in the cabin for a month and that was weirdly hot. I'm sorry."

Princess stifled a bark of laughter, coming to his rescue. "I managed to jump off you despite your stroke out, and dragged him back over the wall. I think they have too much going on outside to bother coming to check on us at the moment." On cue, another impact rocked the ship. I had to keep hold of Princess just to stay on my feet.

"If you managed to get over the wall, why drag him back in here? Why didn't you get out?" I asked, releasing her to wipe my hands on my pants.

She rolled her eyes. "Sadly, the force field razor wire or whatever it is they have locking us in does go all the way up." She held up a hand, two finger tips sheared clean off. "I checked."

The bone was already starting to regenerate. "How many did you chew on to achieve that trick?" I murmured. In response, she grabbed my broken hand, crunching my fingers together.

"Huh, a couple more than you've had. What are you, vegan?"

I yanked my hand away. "Yeah, fuck you. I'm not going to go around killing aliens for a patch job."

"Not going to have much choice on that one, little lady, cause we are soon to have company," said Princess, as the wall vanished.

"Didn't say I was going to roll over and die either." I braced myself as the trio sauntered into view. Great, they all had their stun sticks of justice on hand. We were so boned.

Kit piped up, "Maybe I can block those rods."

"They'll just swat you aside fly boy," said Princess. "Stay out of the way and let the big kids play." She leaned toward me while the lieutenant went to fume on the opposite wall. "Protect the human."

"Sometimes you surprise me," I said, bracing myself as the trio halted before us.

"Tell me about it," she mumbled. Their leader, the same snickering jerk from earlier, did a complicated tracing in mid air, stepping forward to grab me.

Kit charged past us, launching at the group. As predicted, one of them flicked him away, Princess caught him like a stray pitch, unfortunately leaving me wide open.

I blocked the first stab with crossed wrists, but the second stun stick caught me between the ribs. I collapsed in a fleshy puddle on the ground, flopping helpless on my back. It gave me a great view of the shadowy metal rigging over head. The head alien grabbed my limp arm. Something moved up there. He began to drag me out. Metal flashed above him. If I wasn't completely numb I would have smiled.

Especially when his brain bits splattered all over me.

Wolf Girl stood in his place, the demolished alien at her feet, its skull caved in from the very same kind of rod it used on us. I think I just witnessed poetic justice. The other two stumbled back from her, shocked by the sudden violence of her appearance. She had that effect on people. The one who'd succeeded in stunning me made a horrified noise a moment before a pair of leathery brown hands clamped on either side of his bulbous noggin and came together with a satisfying crunch. Number two dropped, his misshapen skull oozing at the cracks, revealing a shorter filled out Ernie. I stared, not much else I could do like this, noting the rounded features, the petite stature, the....curves.

Damn, I should have called her Erina.

The third alien came to the realization it was vastly outnumbered a bit too late. Princess charged and took a flying leap, driving it into the wall with her knees. I lost sight of her at that point, but judging by the mushy banging sounds I don't think it went well for the alien. Kit crouched over me, peering down at me with puzzled concern. He reached out, possibly touching my face, I couldn't be sure. He brushed a hand over my lips. Cool, bitter ambrosia slid along my tongue, honeyed chocolate with a faint chaser of sulfur. It sizzled all the wall down, revitalizing me, hot-wiring my senses as he tentatively slid another errant piece of brain splatter into my mouth.

It was sweet and disgusting.

"What'reyadoin?" I managed, my mouth still full of cotton.

"Patching you up," he whispered, feeding me another piece.

I wanted to saw something profound for such a gesture. "Oof!" Wolf Girl landed on me, snuggling against my chest, giving two shits about the gore covering us both. I was so grateful and relieved she was okay I hugged her tight.

"You scared the crap out of me, little mongrel," I told her, brushing her tangled hair back to look at her face. She had the gall to roll her eyes at me. "That woman is a bad influence."

"Am not," Princess stomped up to us, her face unapologetically smeared violet. She was still chewing. "Ready to get out of here?"

"Am I ever," I muttered, taking the offered leathery hand. Ernie pulled me to my feet. I shook my head, still a bit boggled by the reveal. She didn't seem to mind, resting her head on my shoulder, still my Muppet. I was going to choke up at this rate.

"Awesome," said Princess, "except for one thing." She rested a hand on my free shoulder. I narrowed my eyes at her, justly suspicious.

"What now?"

"This," She shoved a fistful of brains into my face. "That should do it."

Pinned down by Wolf Girl and Ernie, I nearly gagged on them, swallowing hard.

"I hate you," I gasped, as the bones in my hand snapped back into place.

"You'll get over it," she retorted, leading the way to the doors that sealed the cells off from the rest of the ship. Princess traced an identical pattern to the one the alien used on the closed door.

"Was something supposed to happen?" Kit said from the rear. Princess tried again, and again on a different area of the wall. She stomped her foot.

"Damn things must be DNA locked."

That piece of information slowly sank into my addled brain. "Are you saying we are still stuck in here?"

"Until the next one comes a-knockin', yeah we are still up creek, sans paddle." Princess gave the door a solid kick.

"I haven't heard or felt anything from outside in awhile," said Kit. He flinched at my slightly wild-eyed look. Leave it to the freaking soldier to notice the fun details.

"Do you think they were killed?" The thought made the brains churn in my gut.

He quickly shook his head. "Doubtful, or they would've killed us out right rather than try to stun you."

The statement left me mollified by we were still trapped. The door hummed.

"Um, guys," I said, and shoved Wolf Girl behind me. I just got my human back, wasn't going to lose her now. I might have shoved Kit behind me too. The alien in the doorway took in the scene with a surprising level of calm, as if he expected it, surveying the carnage behind us with familiar sky blue eyes. There was even a faint scar on his cheek.

Princess and Ernie crouch to jump him. He didn't glance their way, merely stared at me, all three feet tapping. It was the human equivalent of impatiently crossing his arms.

"Wait!" Four sets of eyes soaked me in incredulity. I ignored them, focusing on good old Bullet Face. "What are you going to do?"

To my surprise, he made an unmistakable sneer, stepping aside to let us pass. "I never liked those three. Morons. We are retreating. I suggest you make for Fort Braydon. Another contingent is there."

Princess held up her hands, inching past the alien. "Don't know, don't care, peace out E.T."

"Go on," I said, herding Ernie and our humans out. Bullet Face's voice stopped me on the way out.

"This makes us truly even, abomination."

"Pfft, yeah right ass hat." I paused, glancing at him sidelong. "Thank you." He visibly shuddered. Jerk.

"Come on!" Princess waved at me, grabbing me when I got close. "Time to go back to Kansas gang. Bonzai!" Passing through the ship in the opposite direction reminded me very much of petting a fish with the scales. Rather than the sensation of being stabbed or chewed on, it felt like dozens of knives gliding over my skin, cool, sharp, and dangerous, but not painful.

It was still sunny when we emerged, the light surreal and blinding after the dim interior of the ship. The vessel sputtered to life behind us, severely dented in places. Deep torn up furrows surrounded us where the ship fired at the ground. What in the world happened out here?

"Truck!" Princess screamed.

I looked up to the see the red pick up sailing right at us.