When the Auction ended we were waiting.

Yumi was the first to get eyes on the target and drifted behind his group. Her work clothes were reminding me more and more of a ninja's outfit. It even had a hood to hide the shine of her hair.

People's eyes just avoided me unless I did something too out of place. It even went so far as people unconsciously moving out of my way. None the wiser.

So Yumi trailed them, I trailed her and Trish followed in my wake.

They weren't making for the Front Halls, where we entered the Market, they were heading deeper into the stalls. Heading to an exit leading to the area of the Underworks the locals referred to as the Wilds.

Heavy Underlord presence, and worse. Worse could potentially include rogue drones, and the mickle (MCL) rusts thrown down here by the Corps. So fun times.

We followed them out of the gates and past the walled of sections of the Market. We fell further behind them to avoid suspicion.

Three intersections down from the last walled area, and thus the limit of patrols, the Target's group took a turn. Where could they be going?

At this point we had no reason to avoid attention, so we sped up to intercept them before they could lead us further into dangerous territory. After a short time we were sure they had heard us.

No good way to hide that we were chasing them, so I ran flat out. Trusting the Ladies to catch up.

When I got there I didn't stop and bullrushed straight through them, a few bullets careened off my armor and I had knocked one of the junkers to the ground trampling him. Damn, I missed goring him with my bayonet. Lucky bastard. I both heard and felt some cracks and crunches underfoot. Oooo, not so lucky after all.

I spun around and threated them with the Kraken.

"Stop! It's already over." I bellowed, more to rattle their nerves, then any expectation of them complying. They froze up. Giantkin blood was good for something after all.

Also, it would keep attention on me, not Trish and Yumi and the drones coming up behind them. While I had to hold my fire, they didn't know that. I gestured with the Kraken for them to get up against the wall. They slowly backed toward the wall, while I crept closer. That's right look at me.

The guy I trampled was groaning and moaning about his broken bones. I stood over him. I thought, why not. I stomped. One less Junker in the world.

That freaked them out and they started shooting. Just a bit longer.

There was a bullet rain plinking my armor. There we are. Keep that aggression on me.

The Ladies had arrived and just started shooting. Heh. Quick and clean.

Two less slag brains in this World.

I pulled out my axe. I lopped off the head of the target, and lobbed it over to Yumi.

"Confirm canning." 333,000 NBs, minus Saul's cut, here we come.

Yumi scanned the head. "This is him. We are good to go." She walked over to Z0R4 found a box I hadn't noticed before. A refrigerated case to preserve the head.

I hadn't thought of that. Damn, some bounty hunter I was turning out to be. Act natural.

Also, if they were going to try to cut me out. This would be the time.

I was almost positive they weren't going to fuck me over, but I had to be ready.

I have to admit, I was worried about dealing with KL1CK. I could handle everything else they had shown, but the swarmer was a real problem for which I had no good counter. I'd have to strike it first, and hope Harvey didn't do too much damage.

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Meowser had a surprise for Yumi. She'd go down quick unless she was a lot better than I'd clocked her.

Yeah, I could do this. I really didn't want to though.

Let's hope they don't start anything. I'm really beginning to enjoy their company.

We started back, I didn't change the marching order. If they were going to crack me, they'd feel safest doing it to my back. I'd feel enough betrayal from a back shot it wouldn't hurt so bad to null them.

They were excited, cheerful. It was pleasant to see. A warmth I'd not felt since the Woen, and not for decades before them, filled my belly. Maybe even my heart.

Please don't. I begged silently. Don't turn out like everyone else.

And to my relief they didn't. We got back to the Market with no troubles. If they hadn't done it before now, the chances of them turning on me went way down. I couldn't relax till the job was done and I was home, but I was starting to think we'd all make it through.

We were out the other side of the Market back on the path we trod to get here. Simple enough to get back.

When we made it to the Elevator, even the bodies didn't get them down. Of course, they probably noticed as I had at first, that most of the bodies were ghouls. a warning from the Underdwellers to the Underlords, not to fuck around.

This is when it went wrong, not because of them, or because of me.

Xenos.

I'd no fuckin' clue how they got here. They shouldn't have been here yet. The high pitched screeching and clicking said otherwise. A ways off, but if they let themselves be heard, they had our scent. They wouldn't give up.

Adultforms, since they made noise, probably type Gamma. 7 to 10 feet long. A mix of insect and reptilian features. 2 sets of Extra limbs, prehensile tails with stingers. No eyes to speak of, though they sense light. Pheromone detection, Echolocation, a form of electro-proprioception, and a form of environmentally reactive skin that blends in, a bad combo for sight based hunters to deal with.

Let them be the only type, they are bad enough. The other types get worse.

Their species as a whole had no fear of injury or death, and were consumed by an endless hunger.

In other word they were nightmares.

And it got worse.

If they are well fed, they'd drag you back to their nest. You'd wish you had died.

They could out run a horse, had the stamina of a wolf, and could climb like a squirrel. Bad news.

They'll come up under us if we got on the Elevator. It didn't move fast enough.

Someone had to buy time.

KL1CK and Harvey would've been a good choice.

They really would've. I wished I could've suggest it.

But something in me, had awakened. My nature sense, which had been quiet for a couple of days now. It hated the Xenos. My blood boiled, the Alfar and Giantkin natures both agreed, the Xenos must die. I must deliver merciless death to the defilers. What? What the hell is this?

Defilers? Some new secret crossover lore?

I turned to the Ladies who were still frozen from the unfamiliar sound. Yeah, not quite as bad as a Tiger's roar, but their calls could still fuck up your nervous system response for a moment. I looked at the elevator shaft, the sound of the platform was near.

"Yall have to leave. I'll buy you time. These are not things you want to see much less fight." I nodded at them, "I got this."

"Wha.. Vick what are you talking about?" Yumi confused.

"No, Victor, we go up together." Trish breathed a little heavy, worried.

More Screeching.

They flinched.

I shook my head.

"No, no way. They can climb fast, they'd hit us from below then above. Only good thing is these ones get mono-focused on prey. One at a time. They won't move on till they are sure they've killed the prey giving them trouble." They wouldn't be able to kill me quick, I should be able to last long enough for them to get up to floor One. Then I could make my escape.

I took my two extra Kraken mags off of Z0R4's storage. I set them on the ground by the wall. Back to the wall, will only help so much, but something is better than nothing.

"Get up and out, and tell Saul to keep my cut ready for me, I ain't going to die here." I took my helmet off, I looked them in the eyes. "Trust me, these are trouble like you've never known, and if they catch you...well hope they don't, or try to put a bullet in your brain if they do."

"What are they?" Trish processing data, tried to come up with an argument that doesn't end the way this looked.

A series of clicks, they were getting close, a couple hundred yards at most. Off to the left hand side. Okay, I could work with that.

"Xenos. They are creeping now, trying to drive us, which means they don't know about the elevator. " I put my Helmet back on. I started tossing corpses in front of the left hand tunnel. built a pile about waist high to me. I stacked some more up like sandbags around the magazines I put down. I'd set these up a little better.

"Sorry, I have to use whatever's available." I shook my head, it'd be a minor help at best.

The platform arrived.

"There's your ride. Get going. I'll see you again, soon." I'd set up over by the first pile, A hunting pack usually consisted of 10 to 20 Xenos.

They might have a Beta or even an Alpha Type. I'd be screwed if that was the case. The Kraken could hurt them, easy, but they'd be as strong and likely faster than me. Maybe as smart. Gammas are at least dumb.

In the Movies and Books you could only take them out with preset defenses, claymores and the like, or pure mass fire. If there were enough people left.

"Vick, I could leave KL1CK, he'd buy us the time." Trish strategizing.

"Nah, acid don't work. The exoskel...skin or whatever just sheds it. Really wouldn't be a good idea. Harvey wouldn't know how to fight them, he get clobbered for only a little gain." I shrugged, kept my eyes watching the tunnel. "As suck as it is, I'm the best choice. I know them. Get on, please."

They got on. I told Meowser to turn on the platform. "Nya."

I didn't see their faces, probably for the best.