AVP Ultimate Prey 26

The drone dipped behind Huntress, whipping her with its tail, knocking her onto her back. Without hesitating, it jumped onto her chest, pressing its long, taloned feet into her armor. Huntress swung wildly at the drone with her free hand, managing a few blows. But the drone persisted. It leaned into Huntress's helmet, breath fogging her fire- red eyes. Then, it opened its mouth-and the smaller appendage finally revealed itself. It jabbed at the helmet fast, like a snake striking its prey, denting the alien metal.

It struck again. Crack. And again. Crack. And again. With a final blow, the drone unleashed its most powerful strike yet-straight through the eye of Huntress's helmet. In an instant, her body went limp. The drone retracted its appendage, a stream of neon green blood following with it. It stood on top of Huntress for a moment more, waiting, as though she may spring to life. But Huntress remained still. The green ooze began to spill from underneath her helmet and onto the debris- covered floor.-pg.199 chpt.7

"Blake," her strong voice slowly brought Blake back to reality. "Stay with me."

"Are you... real?" was all Blake could ask.

Mariana smirked. "I've been real for a long, long-"

A sudden whirring sound cut through the night, and before Mariana could finish her sentence, dark blood, the color of charcoal, spurted from a fresh gash in her throat. Mariana went wide-eyed and dropped to the asphalt. Blake went down with her, immediately pressing her own hands against the wound. Huntress stood at the far end of the street, a round, discus-like object in her hands. One with six deadly blades sticking out of it.

The creature's mask was gone, revealing her true face-there was something reptilian about her pale beige skin, something ancient and animalistic. Neon green blood oozed from where her eye had once been; the remaining eye glared at the women with an intensity that made Blake shiver. Her mouth was a tangle of fangs, reminding Blake of an insect's mandibles. More dark blood spurted from Mariana's mouth. Blake felt her own hands slipping away from the wound, unable to keep a firm grip to seal it.-pg.204 chpt.7