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Hey, nearly done. Action, action, action! Archiving permission granted.
 

THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST

Synopsis: The showdown, part 1- Mulder and Scully

"QUARTET", chapter 8

by Eric R. Umali

Quest Compound, 5:18 PM

The mysterious man in the back of the black car lit another cigarette. "Disable the security system again. Allow the second creature to enter," he ordered. The young technician hurried off to obey.

**********

It was an unnecessary instruction. High on one of the gables, the second creature had just finished tearing a hole in the roof. It clambered inside.

The three adults downstairs heard the racket a floor above them. Benton was first up the stairs, with Agent Scully close behind. Race was straining against the security shutter's hand crank.

Benton and Scully were on the second floor landing for all of two seconds when the second creature struck. It flew from a darkened hallway and plowed right into both of them, knocking them to the floor. Scully's gun, with the precious silver bullets, clattered to the ground and slid away.

Rising dazed, Scully looked for the creature. Nothing. Nothing but black hallways and shadows. Scully knelt by the prone form of Benton Quest. A small trickle of blood was forming at his graying temple, and he was unconcious. Scully diagnosed a concussion, then began to search for her gun.

**********

At 5:19, Mulder and Jonny had made it to the front entrance, to find the heavy oak door torn to shreds and the steel security shutter open just wide enough to get through. Drawing his gun, Mulder entered the house. Jonny began to follow him, until he heard a scream.

Jessie.

He turned from the door, and began to run for the sound. He tripped and fell flat on his face. Cursing, he scrambled to his feet. Looking down, he saw what had tangled him. The antique spear. He rolled it onto his foot and kicked it into the air, catching it on the run.

**********

In one of the open doors, Scully saw what could have been the gun. As she stepped into the room, the creatured showed itself again. It struck her again, and she stumbled back into the hallway.

The creature stepped out towards her, its fanged mouth twisted into a terrible smile.

**********

Race heard his daughter's screams. He heard the fear, but also the defiance and effort. *Good,* he thought, *that's my daughter. Still kicking. Still fighting.*

He increased his pace. He felt a sharp sting to the back of his neck. Race recognized the effects, but, as he unwillingly sank to his knees, couldn't figure out the who or why.

**********

"Scully!"

Both she and the creature turned towards the sound. Mulder came from the shadows, hitting the creature like a linebacker, knowing that his gun would be useless. The two tumbled down the hall, locked together.

Mulder jammed his hand underneath its slavering jaw, trying desperately to keep its jagged teeth from his throat. It managed to cram its arm between them, and levered them apart violently. Mulder slid backwards, through a partially opened door. As he rose, his hand found something hard and familiar. Bringing it up, he saw it was an aluminum baseball bat. *This must be Jonny's room.* Suddenly, the creature was in front of him.

Trying to take it off guard, he lunged for it, swinging the bat. He made contact a few times, to the thing's shoulder, to its forearm, but never with any real force.

It grew tired of the irritating thing and tore the bat from Mulder's grip.

The creature grabbed a handful of Mulder's shirt and jacket. Flailing, he felt hiself picked up from the floor. The creature held him there, a yard off the ground and at arm's length, shouting in victory.

BLAM BLAM!! BLAM BLAM!!

Four reports, in quick pairs, like a good agent.

The creature jerked as the bullets caught square in the chest. Mulder dropped heavily to the floor, staring at the creature. It twitched slightly, then was still. He backed away as it began to dissolve, the bubbling, putrid liquid spreading, then evaporating. Finally, he turned back down the hallway.

Scully stood there, still in firing stance, her gun in both hands, arms in the standard isoceles hold. When the last of the remains were gone, she exhaled. Mulder came to his feet, then walked over to her.

"Took you long enough," he said.

She smiled. "You're welcome, and I'm fine, thank you very much."

"Good. Then you get to do the paperwork."

**********

Jonny saw Race's unconcious form lying by the side of the path, the tranquilizer dart still in his neck. He moved into the cover of the trees just as another dart embedded itself into a nearby trunk.

The lights of the compound snapped back on. Twenty yards away, Jonny saw them. With her thrashing, Jessie had forced the creature to the ground. It towered over her, preparing to strike. Jessie was trapped.

Jonny tightened his grip on the spear.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Hey, this action stuff's as much fun to write as HR and drama. I'm beginning to like this. Oh, BTW, are the cliffhangers working? Just a thought.