Part One: Defeat

Bored out of their minds as they were, Soshika, Grey and everyone else never expected the attack.

It had been a hot day. Everyone was lounging about outside. Misuka was near the house practicing gun tricks, twirling, twirling throwing and flipping them madly through the air. Solla, lost deep in thought, reclined in an old armchair that rested outside the door, expressionless. Jet and Kyotoshi were inside with Grey and seemed to be having an arm-wrestling or drinking contest while Grey watched calmly. Darkfool and Rabindranath had disappeared someplace out back, probobly to tinker with some miscellanieous machinery.

Soshika observed all this from her vantage point on the wall, watching with almost a sad expression on her face as jeers and cat-calls (no pun intended) drifted out of their small living quarters. Her eyes wandered back to the holographic projector she had in her paws. She cuold almost smell her mother's cooking, hear her father's voice, strict yet gentle...

A loud explosion shattered her reverie, and she scrambled to her feet, thrusting the box into a pocket on her pants in the process. Glancing around quickly, she took in the situation.

It appeared that Misuka had dropped the gun on a fairly complicated menuver, setting it off. The bullet had placed a hole half an inch away from Solla's head, and the two were throwing blistering insults at eachother.

"DAMNIT RANEC! You could have Killed me!"

"All the better for us, bitch!"

"Go to hell, Ranec!"

"Eat shit and die, lizard girl!"

Solla threw herself from the armchair at Misuka, only to smash into the suddenly opened door as Jet slammed through to investigate with Kyotoshi following after. Grey already knew what had happened from Soshika's mind, and leaned against the doorframe. Darkfool came around the corner of the house dragging Rabin with him, who was clinging to a bottle of vodka. Ro Koji took in the entire scene and laughed wildly for a few moments. Rabindranath, not knowing what to do, took a swig of the alcohol, hiccupped and followed Darkfool's lead.

Soshika sighed. A cloud blotted out the sun momentarily, but Soshika didn't glance up as she headed for the confused mass.

Or she might have saved them all.

Just as she reached the argueing pandemonium, a low key hum vibrated the very air around them, causing the Hellcat's fur to rise. Grey suddenly seemed startled, and looked up.

For once, he wasn't his own, usual, stoic self. He cleared his throat, catching the others attention.

"We're in trouble," he said.

Misuka and Solla launched themselves off the ground as the first of the insectiod creatures dived at them. They looked unbelievably grotesque, bloated and covered with some kind of thick puss. They flew using bee-like wings, and the flight path was strangely erratic. Thy didn't carry weapons, but the two gigantic scorpion tails protruding from between the wings seemed menacing enough. Soshika drew her weapon.

In an instant they were upon them. Blasts of red light, mixed with the sounds of gunfire and yells filled their ears, along with the drone of gossamer wings. Soshika found herself desperately fending off three of the aliens before Jet and Kyotoshi pounced on their backs.

"All right there?" Kyo called.

"I'm fine," Soshika called back, and slashed the last one's neck.

Looking around, she saw Darkfool being carried into the air by one of the creatures. Kicking and screaming, he pounded on its head with his three free arms, yelling. "Put me down! Moi feed are foine on the ground, thank you very much!"

Suddenly, Rabin materialized on top of the creature and smashed the (now empty) vodka bottle over its head. Dazed, the bee-thing lashed out blindly with one tail and Rabin winked out of existance just in time. Then it dropped Darkfool as Solla smashed a fist through its face.

Behind her, a yell from Kyotoshi reminded her of her own situation. Turning, she saw him clutching a scorpion tail, holding it inches away from his own face as Jet wrestled vainly with the other one.

Leaping into the fray, Soshika severed the tail menacing Kyotoshi and ducked as Jet was hurled at her off the other one. He was caught by two more of the bee-things before he even hit the ground, and borne aloft, yelling and struggling.

"Jet!" Kyotoshi jumped away from the wounded bee-creature, forgetting in his haste all caution. A tail pierced his thigh, and another one pinned his shoulder and smashed him into the ground.

Soshika despereately sliced the wounded one in half as she screamed at the creatures carrying away her brother. Bullets and blood rained down from above as Misuka emptied her clips at the bee-creatures closing in on her. Solla punched and elbowed her way through a horde of the things to get to Soshika, but to no avail. Grey, unable to feel his injuries, slumped to the ground surprisidly as venom he didn't know was there took effect on hsi body. Darkfool and Rabindranath weren't visible but yells from somewhere behind her told her that they, too, were fighting a losing battle.

Her own body felt numb from the shock. Was this how it was going to end? Defeated by strange aliens which had no reason to attack? She could feel her katana slipping from her grasp as poison overtook her, from an injury she couldn't see.

So, I guess this is it... she thought, as black crowded into her peripheral vision.At least we took some with us... And then, she blacked out.