[4-14] The Town

[Hiro Protagonist]

Two floors above Deadpool, Hiro and Karl were charging up the stairs for their lives. Each doorthey had passed on the stairwell landing had either been locked, or had another one of the horrifying chimeric monsters bust out of them, forcing them to increase their speed. Four more flights of stairs and they were both exhausted. Karl didn't show it, but the hacker could see him lagging behind and sweat beading on his forehead.

"Karl, we're gonna have to make a stand, sooner or later."

The producer nodded in agreement and chanced a look behind him. "This landing coming up would be the time to do it; they're a floor below us." As they crested the top step, Hiro rapidly put in a few commands on his wristcomp. The sequence initiated, just as the first of the monsters rounded the bottom of the staircase. Karl winced as the thing leapt, coming towards them with tentacles outstretched. 

-VVWWIIZZT- 

"SKKKRREEEE!!!!"

A clawed tentacle thrashed around their feet before Hiro swiftly chopped it in half with his machete. Around them, a pulsing green lattice of energy made a wide cage, barely budging as the mutant threw itself against the wall blocking the stairwell. One of it's limbs was truncated, having been caught in the shield's perimeter as it formed. "Okay, Karl. This doesn't last long so get ready. I bought us fifteen seconds at max."

The producer frowned and held up a finger. "Wait...listen." Hiro drew his katana, but strained to hear. Over the sound of his vector shield humming, and the creature's wet clicking,  he heard a voice.

"Watashi wa baka gaijin!"

-shing- -slice- -thump-

Hiro shook his head. Man, what goddamned timing. Hiro was beginning to have a bit more faith in the red mercenary. He'd saved their asses twice. This guy was definitely getting his incredibly girly backpack back.

Twisting his hand around the katana, he watched as the shield flickered, nearing the end of its charge as the monster attacked the solid wireframe once more. Karl wiped a bit of blood off his machete on the side of the cage, while remarking. "I shouldn't exert myself too hard, Mr Protagonist....it sounds like Wade has the rest of them covered." The samurai turned over his shoulder and shrugged. "Yeah, but now he's just making me look bad."

The sound of boots coming up the stairs drew his attention. Just as the shield dissipated, and Hiro swung his katana high at the conjoined monster's body, he saw the shiny flash of another blade swing low, slicing through its bottom half.

"RYUU GA WAGA TEKI WO KURAU! Oh, hey guys. You can thank me later."