--=-Chapter 41: Get Back Here!--=-

Being trapped between the drone and the floor apparently pissed off the crow-rat-monster.

I could feel its wriggling against Podperson as it tried to escape. It leveraged its feet between itself and Peterson and began to kick and rake the drone's stomach with powerful kicks with its clawed feet.

The drone's whole body tried to contract when the creature started kicking and scratching, but he didn't cry out. I had to fight to keep Peterson's limbs splayed out while he struggled to lift himself off Crowdent. For the briefest moment, he pulled his arms free and leveraged himself up from the attacking monster. The next moment, I wrenched his supporting arm back and stole his balance, causing him to faceplant.

The damage was already done, however, and the feathered rodent managed to finish kicking itself free, its feet and body red with blood from the rents it had torn in Mr Peterson. It stood on hind talons as it freed itself, a long tail flicking against the ground in agitation. Its patchy white and black feathers revealed pale, dry skin—as though it had mange. Its body was that of a crow, but its legs and wings were beefy, and dexterous-looking rat hands hid in the underside of the wings. It also had a swishing feathered tail; if not for the pointed rodent ears and long whiskers, it could be mistaken for a dinosaur.

Blood covered its talons and lower body, but with the green light of the thing's aura, the blood looked almost black, with dark red highlights.

Crowdent hissed, its winged forelimbs raised as though ready to grapple with me. It leaned forward, its tail extending backward for balance as it prepared an attack.

I scrambled up off the drone and jumped back a few paces; I didn't have anything to use as a weapon. Anybody who saw this scene without context—a seven-foot-tall hulking werewolf facing a three or four-foot-tall bird monster—would probably put their money on the werewolf. As that werewolf, I have to say it didn't feel nearly so certain. Slender Hopper was less than half that size, after all, and it had still managed to maul me to death more than once.

I'd had to abandon pinning Mr Peterson, but he hadn't moved, so he was either dead or his metaphorical strings were cut.

Behind the rat, I saw Jessica disappear around a corner into an operating room. I hoped she knew where she was going. I was pretty sure there was another exit from that room on the other side of the building, but I wasn't sure why she hadn't used the hallway she'd run past. Maybe she'd just wanted more doors to use as obstacles in case she were followed.

Regardless of how things appeared, I was a monster in body only, and I'd really rather run away or chase it off than fight it. The fact that those weren't really options I could take, since it would just put others in danger, didn't change the fact that I still didn't have much practice listening to my killer instinct.

Then again, so far, Crowdent had been knocked to the ground, gotten trapped, and disabled his presumed ally to gain freedom a little quicker. Its own instincts didn't seem to be doing it any great favors either.

We stood that way for a moment, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Then, Crowdent whipped around, its tail swishing past my face as it did. I jerked back in surprise and made a clumsy grab for the tail, but Crowdent wasn't attacking, and I missed.

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Turned away from me, Crowdent leaped forward, going down on all fours, and began galloping down the hall toward the operating room Jessica had disappeared into. After a few steps, it leaped off the floor, spread its wings, and glided quickly away.

I didn't know if it was running in fear or chasing after Jessica, but either way, I didn't have much choice but to chase after it.

I didn't make it far.

I'd no sooner jumped over Mr. Peterson than he grabbed my leg and pulled, tripping me. I fell flat on my face, barely catching myself with my hands and knees rather than doing a belly flop onto the hard, tiled floor. I reflexively kicked out at the drone to shake free his grip, but his unnatural strength let him hold on.

I looked up to check if the rat would turn at the intersection or if it would keep running straight.

Not only had the rat gone straight, following Jessica's path, but it had a significant lead that was fast growing. Its gliding gallop was taking it further and faster with each leap, outpacing what I could manage. More importantly, it was outpacing what Jessica would be able to manage.

I hoped she had a plan or reason for going into the operating room.

Not willing to leave her on her own, I kicked the drone in the head, hoping it would make him loosen his grip. When it didn't, I kicked him several more times. I kicked hard enough to hurt my foot, so I couldn't imagine it was sunshine and daisies for Podperson either, assuming he felt pain.

"Sam!" I heard a voice shout in alarm—or maybe admonishment. It was Alice.

"Shit, what's going on," she asked, beginning to run over. She was coming from behind the elevators, and I wondered if she'd seen Crowdent chase Jessica past the intersection. At the sound of her voice, the strength left Podperson's grip, and my leg was freed.

I didn't have time to stick around and play 20 questions, so I pulled my leg free, got to my feet, and started loping down the hall.

"Sam!" Alice said again. A glance showed me that she'd flipped Mr Peterson over and saw the damage Crowdent had done.

"Sam? Oberon? God Damn it- get back here! What the hell?" Alice yelled after me, but I wasn't hanging around to listen or play pantomime. I was already halfway to the operating room Jessica and her trauma monster had disappeared into.

Alice seemed fine. It made me wonder if she knew one of the trauma monsters had breached her defense. From how Jessica talked, the doors leading into surgery were all secured closed. She'd also said that 'demons' were trying to break into the area and only barely being held off. When crowdent appeared, I'd worried that something violent had happened to the hospital's defenders.

Alice's appearance and reaction suggested that the breach wasn't of the assault variety. Crowdent must have snuck in. I was leaving Alice alone; I'd just have to hope her trauma monster wasn't also sneaking around waiting to attack.

I ran past the elevators and glanced down the hallway ignored by both Jessica and her pursuer; I didn't see any reason they might have avoided running that way. It made sense for crowdent, assuming it was after Jessica and not running in fear, but I didn't yet know if Jessica had a plan.

What I couldn't understand was—why did Podperson open the door to let Crowdent in? It didn't seem to view him as an ally, and it hadn't gone well for the drone.

I approached the door Jessica and the rat had slipped into. Alice had stopped calling after me, and a quick check showed she was trying to help Mr. Peterson. I could only hope she wouldn't be too successful. If things had gone differently and the drone had attacked directly, we could have been sneak attacked by the crow-rat while facing the drone.

I wasn't sure how durable Podperson was; it had increased strength, at the least, and I didn't think most people would have been able to hold onto me while I was kicking them. That suggested at least a bit of an increase in durability. Then again, from the glimpse I'd caught of Peterson's abdomen, he didn't look especially resistant to slashing damage.

With luck, blood loss had overcome whatever increased constitution he had. I hoped he wasn't playing possum again and just waiting for the right moment to strike. I'd really underestimated the thing's intelligence before, but even he should have limits to his resilience.

Looking through the sight glass of the operating room door, the lights were all off, but I could see a small room with an observation window. I didn't immediately see Jessica or Crowdent, but there was a green glow I thought was from the monster at first. Then I realized it must be coming from the vortex wall that came down through that side of the building.

I glanced back at Alice, still occupied by an unmoving Peterson. She looked up as though feeling my gaze. The only path forward was the one ahead of me. I briefly considered using a glamour on her. I'd assumed that they wouldn't be much use against Podperson or Crowdent. Still, I could try to soften Alice's suspicion toward me after seeing me kick her patient in the head.

Hopefully, I'd have a chance for that later. I entered the operating room.

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