Chapter Seven

DANI watches nervously from the observation room as the OSI
doctors begin surgery on the little girl. Her name is AUBREY. DANI found her
file while she was helping KILLIAN and JASON with their research. Seeing AUBREY
lying helpless on the OR table reminds DANI of her own little girl, which she
met only briefly before being forced to watch her frail form die in the claws
of the Pure that cut her from DANI’s womb. She can’t bear to watch another
little girl die.

LEIDECKER arrives shortly after the containment team and takes
DOM aside for a brief conversation before heading into the room where KIDA and
NEMO are resting. DOM takes a couple of OSI teams back down below to try and
find the missing creature. They end up discovering two trails that lead away
from the hospital and into the city’s sewer system. Detective LAURA HOUSTON
departs with the SFPD. KILLIAN decides to go home and try to get some sleep so
he can look at the investigation with fresh eyes. He has an unexpected visitor
when he makes it back to his apartment, though. MEAGAN is there helping herself
to his fridge and his wine. She claims she wanted some company and proceeds to
ask him about his day. After a pleasant conversation, they both end up falling
asleep in his bedroom. JASON heads over to the children’s hospital where the
staff and patients were transferred planning to talk with DR. WAHNSINNIG about
ALEXA WOODS.

Back at the other hospital, DANI’s heart sinks as she gets
her first look at the creature inside of AUBREY. It is a miniature version of
the nightmare she fought below. The doctors are shaking their heads, shoulders
slumping. The creature has attached itself to AUBREY’s heart and respiratory
system and they don’t think they can remove it without killing her. They decide
it is too risky to continue surgery. DANI cannot except the doctor’s verdict
and enters the OR, somehow managing to convince the doctors to give her a few
minutes with the AUBREY before closing her back up. As the doctor’s leave, DANI
closes and locks the door behind them. She looks down at the creature and
decides to try and talk to it using the First Tongue. It seems to understand
and lifts its head slightly to look at her, begging her to leave it alone. DANI
refuses, insisting the creature detach itself from the little girl. It says it
can’t do that – it’s not fully developed and will die if it leaves the host
now. DANI offers herself as a host instead, but the creature says it is unable
to transfer hosts. “I can’t let you take this little girl’s life…” DANI
responds, and takes a deep breath, knowing what she has to do.

KILLIAN is awakened by the buzzing of his phone. It is
LALEH, who has apparently just been briefed about a new case at the children’s
hospital where the patients and staff were transferred. A janitor has gone
missing. KILLIAN carefully extracts himself from MEAGAN’s arms, leaving her
sleeping soundly and heads out. He is met at the scene by Detective LAURA
HOUSTON, who once again makes her displeasure with having to work with the FBI
known. LALEH meets up with both of them as LAURA is briefing KILLIAN and LAURA
demands to know who she is since she hasn’t met LALEH yet. KILLIAN introduces
LALEH as their medium, which is met by an eye roll and a huff. Together they
walk into the hospital and head toward the janitor closet on the first floor,
which is where the janitor was last seen. There are signs of a brief struggle,
but no blood and KILLIAN discovers a layer of ooze heading up into the vents
above. It is very reminiscent of what they saw all over the boiler room of the
other hospital where the three patients were found. LALEH starts to set up her
ritual in the janitor closet, but is ordered not to proceed by KILLIAN. The
argument that follows results in LAURA walking out of the room until they
resolve their “lover’s quarrel” and LALEH leaving in a huff and heading outside
for a breather. How is she supposed to do her job if her team continues to be
so afraid of the unknown?

Back inside, JASON confronts DR. WAHNSINNIG and is summarily
dismissed. The doctor is refusing to cooperate with the investigation and
manages to get JASON escorted outside by hospital security. KILLIAN joins up
with LAURA and receives a phone call from DOM who is requesting back up to
follow the trails leading into the sewer systems. KILLIAN responds that he has
his own situation at the children’s hospital, and also needs back up to
investigate further. It seems the problem has spread outside the original
hospital. DOM asks if LALEH has any insight to provide and KILLIAN explains
that he did not allow her to proceed with her ritual, after which DOM
reprimands KILLIAN for interfering with his teammate. A heated argument follows
which results in KILLIAN hanging up on his superior, but not before DOM orders
him to investigate the boiler room of the children’s hospital. KILLIAN and
LAURA head downstairs to the boiler room. LALEH sees JASON being escorted
outside by security and interferes, ordering them to stand down. JASON has been
approved as a FBI consultant on this case and is authorized to take part in the
investigation. JASON and LALEH head back inside together and revisit the
janitor’s closet. After assessing the scene, JASON realizes something that
sheds new light on the investigation. Up to this point the team has been trying
to determine where the face huggers and the nightmare creatures originated
from, whether they crossed over from the Shadow or something else. JASON
explains this creature didn’t *come* from
anywhere. It just appeared in the janitor’s closet and then escaped with the
janitor up through the ventilation system. Something was causing these creature
to materialize out of thin air. While LALEH and JASON discuss the next step,
KILLIAN and LAURA find the missing janitor in the boiler room, complete with
face hugger. KILLIAN senses there is something else in the room and shifts his
gaze to the ceiling above, searching through the maze of pipes and vents above
their heads. Between some of the larger pipes, he spots a dark figure hunched
in the shadows. He signals Laura before drawing his gun and firing. One of the
nightmare creatures unravels from around the pipes and launches itself at
KILLIAN, hissing. LAURA draws her gun and unloads a full clip into the creature
as it grapples with KILLIAN and it collapses. KILLIAN stumbles back and fires
two more rounds into the creature’s head before sinking onto a crate to catch
his breath. “You’re hurt bad.” LAURA states, hurrying to his side. “Hold still
and let me take a look.”

Meanwhile, DANI prepares to surgically remove the creature
from AUBREY. She knows her chances are slim, given her limited medical
knowledge, but she has to try. KIDA and NEMO wake up in a hospital room,
miraculously healed from their recent encounter. NEMO’s face has no indication
of ever being burned. Relieved, they get dressed back in their normal clothes
and head out into the hallway to see how the investigation is progressing. KIDA
is surprised to see DOM in the hallway standing by a vending machine. She
hasn’t see him in a couple of days and rushes toward him, embracing him in a
hug. “Where have you been?” DOM takes a few moments to catch her up on
developments in the case, purposely avoiding the subject of his recent evolution.
He has just returned with two teams from down below. There are two trails
leading away from the hospital that need to be investigated. There is also
something going on at the children’s hospital the patients were transferred to,
but currently KILLIAN, JASON, LALEH and LAURA HOUSTON are handling that
investigation. DOM, KIDA and NEMO head down to *Surgery* where DOM left DANI. They arrive just in time to see her
emerge from a surgical suite and lean, relieved, up against the wall, motioning
the doctors back in. To her great surprise, she was able to successfully remove
the creature from AUBREY. She had crushed its hideous form in her hands as it
cried out for “My QUEEN!” DANI wasn’t sure what that meant, but for now knowing
AUBREY was going to be okay was enough.

“Come on DANI,” DOM breaks into her thoughts. “We have to
find out where those other creatures went.” Together the four of them head back
down below and decide to follow the path of the slower creature. It leads them
out away from the hospital and into a nearby apartment complex. DOM asks DANI
in a hushed whisper if they should change forms to be able to track them
faster, but DANI shakes her head. It would be a violation of the Oath to do
that in front of KIDA and NEMO, not to mention the inhabitants of the apartment
complex they might run into. The trail leads upstairs and then breaks off into
three different directions heading into three separate apartments. As they
proceed toward the first apartment, DOM receives a call from LAURA HOUSTON letting
him know KILLIAN did well, but is hurt pretty badly. The threat has been
eliminated for now. LAURA is taking KILLIAN back upstairs to be treated by the
hospital staff. DOM nods in approval as he hangs up the phone and they move in
to search the first two apartments. To their dismay, they find a total of three
residents between the two rooms, all with face huggers attached. They dispatch
the face huggers, but determine they have been here for roughly five days. Most
likely the affected residents have creatures growing inside them. DOM calls for
an OSI team to come and remove the affected residents as they move to clear the
final apartment. DOM takes the lead and is attacked by a face hugger as soon as
he enters the apartment. It wraps around his throat and moves to attach itself
to his face. KIDA, NEMO and DANI scramble to help. DANI grabs for KIDA’s stun
gun but is unable to discharge it in time. NEMO attempts to stun it, but misses
as DOM thrashes around. DOM panics and to DANI’s dismay, shifts up to his
battle form to remove the threat. NEMO and KIDA gasp and stumble backward, then
break and run, screaming as the Lunacy takes hold. DANI helps DOM free himself
from the face hugger and destroy it. He shifts back down to his human form and
DANI admonishes him for breaking the Oath. Feeling guilty, he calls for LALEH
and JASON to track down NEMO and KIDA and try to help them while he an DANI
finish searching the apartment complex.

LALEH and JASON have the FBI run traces on KIDA and NEMO’s
cell phones to track them. They are unable to track NEMO, but KIDA is
apparently on the Golden Gate Bridge, which isn’t far from the hospital. Hoping
the two of them are together, they rush to the bridge. JASON is somewhat wary
because he knows the bridge is claimed by the LORDS OF THE GATE, which are a
pack of high ranking *Storm Lords*.
Going into their territory unannounced will be dangerous. His concern only
deepens when he and LALEH reach the bridge and behold the sight before them.
KIDA is in the center of the Golden Gate Bridge discharging her weapon at a
school bus full of children and screaming at something called the *Agents of the Storm* to leave her alone.
She appears to think NEMO is with her though JASON and LALEH see no sign of her
presence. JASON knows the LORDS OF THE GATE will be coming to eliminate the
threat in their territory. He motions for LALEH to try and circle around behind
KIDA and disarm her while he tries to talk her down. LALEH moves off and JASON
calls out to KIDA. She focuses her attention on him, temporarily halting her
attack on the school bus. They can hear sirens and news helicopters in the
distance. Time is running out.

As NEMO runs blindly out into the streets of San Francisco,
she feels a surge of power course through her body. Her fractured mind suddenly
realizes she now has the strength to make all of her problems go away and
eliminate the source of all her fears and anguish. Filled with rage and
vengeance, she heads for the FBI building. If she hadn’t gotten involved with
the OSI, none of this would have happened to her. She has seen too much in the
last two weeks, been exposed to too many horrors. It was time to end it all.

Back on the bridge, JASON’s attempts to talk KIDA down
suddenly go south as she turns her weapon on him and fires. At the same time,
she seems to notice LALEH approaching and turns and fires at her as well. LALEH
fires back and as the two exchange rounds JASON realizes the LORDS OF THE GATE
are closing in as a thick fog encompasses the scene. If he doesn’t do something
fast, they will kill KIDA and probably LALEH too, that is if they don’t kill
each other first. Thinking quickly, JASON shifts up to his battle form and
charges KIDA with the intent of taking her off the bridge. She sidesteps his
first attempt and he manages to catch himself on the railing before going over
the edge. He pulls himself up behind KIDA, who now has her back to him as she
turns back around to fire at LALEH. Coming up behind her, JASON encircles her
with his large arms, pinning them to her side before falling backward off the
bridge. As they fall, JASON does his best to wrap himself around KIDA so he can
break her fall as they plunge into the cold waters below. LALEH lowers her
weapon as KIDA is taken off the bridge. A low growl emanates from behind her,
and she turns and comes face to face with a large wolf. She smiles a strange
smile and then gently reaches up to pat him on the nose. The wolf cocks his
head, peering incredulously at the human that just dared to snoot boop him.
LALEH swears the large wolf chuckles as he turns and disappears into the fog.

DOM and DANI trace their steps back toward the hospital with
the intent of following the second trail. The apartment complex is now secured.
DOM’s phone rings and he listens, jaw dropping, as LALEH briefly reports what
happened on the Golden Gate Bridge. As he hangs up the phone, DANI looks at him
pointedly, “And *that’s* why we don’t
change in front of them.” They proceed in silence for a few minutes before
DOM’s radio crackles to life. The FBI building is under attack and all agents are
being recalled immediately to assist. DOM looks down at the second trail and
back at DANI, hating to leave the mission incomplete. “We can hunt it down
later…that’s what we do. Right now, we should return to HQ,” she says quietly.
They decide the quickest way to get back would be to go through the Shadow and
prepare to cross the Gauntlet using DOM’s ring. DOM disappears first and DANI
follows. When she gets to the other side, though DOM is not there. She looks
around, confused, and then peers back across. DOM is nowhere to be seen. Unsure
of what just happened but knowing that DOM would want her to help his people,
DANI shifts into her wolf form and takes off in a full run toward HQ. There are
a lot of innocent people in that building.

As DANI arrives at HQ, she sees the entire top of the
building engulfed in a lightning storm. The building is shaking and starting to
crumble. It is currently being evacuated. DANI’s hackles rise as she recognizes
that Fae magic is being used here, a LOT of Fae magic. “I need to buy them more
time,” she thinks to herself, as frightened groups of people pour from the
building. DANI moves deftly through the crowd into the building, weaving
between people’s legs and feet. She asks RELIQ to help her locate the source of
the storm, and he adds his power to hers as she begins to hunt. She winds her
way through the destruction up to the top of the building, where she sees a
female figure engulfed in lightning floating above. The storm is originating
from her. Shifting to her battle form, DANI leaps in the air toward the Fae. As
they clash, the FBI building quakes below them. The Fae’s raw power far
outmatches DANI, but physically she is stronger. If she can distract the Fae
long enough, maybe everyone will be able to get free of the building. She
manages to do more than just distract her, though and is able to halt her
attack. The lightning dissipates as the two of them separate and plummet toward
the ground below. As they fall, DANI looks over and sees not the Fae, but NEMO.
She wraps her body around her, trying to break her fall as they crash into the
alley below. NEMO is unconscious, but alive. DANI picks her up and carries her
out of the alley, losing them both in the chaos of the city.

KILLIAN sits in his hospital bed as the news on the TV
explodes, covering both the shooting on the Golden Gate Bridge and the attack
on the FBI building. He shakes his head as LAURA walks into his room to check
on him, “HOUSTON, we have a problem…”

The Story Continues…

Current Developments - Chapter Six - Chapter Eight