Antithesis make remarkably little noise. I heard, somewhere, that they’re basically overgrown plants?

I’d struggle to believe that, but there’s something about the tentacle monstrosity which substantiates it. It’s… eerie. Even burning the way it is, it lets out no screams, no cries of terror, vengeance. It’s more like some kind of machine, just quiet, unwavering intent- like some kind of organic Terminator.

The monsters in the office beyond do not seem similarly reticent. Above the crackle of the flames, I can hear this horrible cracking sound; like someone flexing a vine and letting it snap back, but hundreds of times a second.

Over the top of that, comes a weird, hissing, crooning noise- it puts me in mind of a snake, hypnotising prey before it strikes.

I have no idea what they are, but apparently Olivia does.

“Model Threes!” she hisses at me. “They’re smaller, hound-sized!”

It doesn’t take her exaggerated glance at the gap in the doorway for me to realise why that’s a problem. As much progress as we’ve made in pushing this monster out, there’s still a decent gap in the doorway. Big enough for a person to slide through. Or a large dog.

Shit, fuck. Well, there goes my plan to wait for the Model Four to burn out; I can’t imagine it’ll take long for the dog-plant-whatevers to scout out the available gap. Our only saving grace thus far is that the Model Four is apparently too single-minded to think to give them easy access underneath it.

Still, at this rate, they'll be squeezing in any minute, and then I… Guess I have to hope I can kill enough with this pea-shooter to plug up the gap before they get in? Tall order.

The only alternative is… I pause, glancing over at Usk, at Olivia. I can think of one way out of here- for them. Unfortunately, for me, it’d basically be suicide.

Do I want to give my life for them? If it was just Usk, the answer would be easy- he’s an asshole, and crooked too. But Olivia… I’d never gotten to know her, not really, and sure, I’d never thought that highly of her when she was basically my supervisor.

But here, locked in this dark tomb with me, she seems so… Small. Right now she’s barely holding on, barely keeping in the tears, and I realise in that moment that I’d really like her to get out of here.

I find myself tensing up against the door, even as I decide. Knowing you need to play the hero is one thing, going through with it is another. I don’t have the courage to willingly go to my death.

But really, it isn’t a question of survival, is it? In under a minute, I’m going to be dead either way. I don’t have to choose gallant fearlessness. I just… need to move for a little bit longer, and then my death can mean something.

So, I act.

“Olivia! Mayor! Get ready to hold the door alone again! I’m going to distract them, so maybe you can close it!”

Ignoring Olivia’s pleading, and Melon’s whining, I step away- the door bulges, the tentacles making more progress at widening the gap. But, they hold. The gap itself is a little over two feet, with a handful of the tentacles curling through and trying to lever it further. They’re about four feet off the ground, trying to escape the creeping flames; the alcohol puddle has mostly burned itself out for now, but thankfully Antithesis… Flesh? Seems pretty flammable, so the monster is still burning.

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Okay. A perfectly reasonable, only slightly on-fire hole. I can do that. I tense up, affect something like a runner’s crouch, and before I can second-guess myself I screw up my eyes and I am diving through.

My whole body toasts as I dive through the flames, but it lasts only moments before cool air greets me. I take in a shocked breath, and open my eyes, to find- monsters.

I am running before I even process what I just saw; thankfully, while my mind blanked, my body understands that we need to keep moving.

The door- I am taking long strides towards it. Gotta get the monster away from the vault; gotta get it focused on tasty, tasty Jet instead. Can’t die just yet.

My brief flash of the newcomers gives the barest impression: big, as big as a wolf, maybe, but sleek and black and furless.

Thankfully, it seems that as inhuman as Antithesis are, they aren’t immune to being surprised; clearly, they didn’t expect prey to run towards them. I make it as far as the door before I hear a certain intensity charge the hisses behind me.

Well, so far, so good- might as well see how far I can take this, right? I think, numbly, as I throw the doors open and keep running. No point stopping now.

I’d really quite like to stop, though, as I falter for a split second two strides past the door. After all, there’s a balcony in front of me.

That weird vine-snapping is getting closer, though, so I make my decision and leap- dropping into the middle of the bullpen. Behind me, I hear snaps in the air as jaws close where I was, moments earlier.

My landing is awkward and painful. I almost crumple as I hit the ground on my hands and knees, and it takes a supreme effort of will to ignore the way my wrists ache, to rise and try to keep sprinting. I’m inordinately grateful that the bullpen is carpeted; if it was marble like the rest of the building, I think I would have broken most of my joints just then.

And then I'm twisting to the right and I’m sprinting for the door- halfway across the room, I hear the dog-things land behind me. I don’t doubt they’re faster than me, built like that, but I’m getting close to the door. If I get out ahead of them, maybe I can bar the door or something?

I didn’t expect to get this far, I think, but I’m a few paces from the exit and I’m starting to hope again- just as the doors I’m reaching for slam open of their own accord, and two more dog-things surge inside.

Fuck! Fucking bullshit! I twist, throwing myself desperately the only direction I can maybe escape- up the corner staircase. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like these dogs were expecting me either; but still, they’re bunching up, and I am just waiting for those jaws to snap closed on me.

Instead, nothing, except a weird thudding sound behind me. Was that?...

I reach the top of the stairs and risk a glance back, and, yes; the two pairs of chasing aliens both tried to leap for me at the same time, and collided, ending up in a crumpled heap. Even as I look, they’re shaking it off, returning to pursuit- but I bought myself a couple seconds.

Seconds that I could use to run along this walkway, which leads… Straight back to the balcony I just jumped off of.

I’m trapped, I realise, a strange numbness spreading through me. Even if I could reach the vault, they won’t open it before the hounds catch up to me. And I won’t be able to bar the office door in time.

All of this was for nothing, I realise, and then I’m reaching the balcony and below I see the Model Four has just touched the ground and is turning to look up at me, and all my numbness turns to anger, anger at this whole situation, anger at the stupid paranoia and that bastard Usk and this stupid motherfucking alien.

I swipe up that bust I hate so much, the Edison one, and then before I can even process what I’m doing I’m leaping from the balcony for a second time- this time, directly into the arms of a monster.

I bring the marble statue down like a righteous God, a true strike to that stupid alien’s stupid head, and the marble shatters under my hands and the alien crumples beneath me, going still, and I realise that that was it, I killed it, I caved its head in, and the satisfaction is euphoria, my lungs burning, and my head too, and why is my head hurting that bad, holy fuck, what is happening, I’m clutching at my skull even as I remember the aliens that are still going to kill me, and I twist to stare up as my brain catches on fire, and-

As the first hound leaps down at me, someone in my head speaks. A woman. System initialised. Dismemberment imminent. Would you like a weapon, Vanguard?

“YES!” I scream, and then my flailing arms are holding something, something heavy, and I swing it like I swung the marble and I see the alien buckle- as my new mace buckles it in half.