[_____V_____]

(Continued from above...)


CHRONOGRL looked around, tensely. She sensed something in the shadows but couldnt tell for sure what it was - a real person dodging her vision, or just a vague, uneasy feeling. She gripped her shotgun and slowly went on one knee, looking around. She spotted a shadow to the right of her, and lifted her shotgun quickly. The figure jumped forward, and Chrono quickly squeezed the trigger continuously.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! CLICK! CLICK!!

All six shells blasted into the figure behind the tree and PAUL THE MONK fell forward with a loud groan. Chrono lost count of her firing and kept squeezing the trigger. The soft, bluish smoke coming out of the barrel made a long, meandering curl in the heat vision of the watcher who stood a few paces behind Chrono. Chrono's senses stirred and she whirled. The watcher took a few steps forward, pulled out the huge razors from above his right wrist, and slashed Chrono across her chest.

SHRACKKK!

Chrono yelled loudly and fell back. Two deep gashes quickly reddened and gushed out blood from across her chest - from the left shoulder to the right underside of her ribs. She grabbed at her HPs and started to patch herself, as her breathing increased and a huge wave of perspiration broke out all over her body. Her eyes frantically looked at the invisible watcher who stared at her, the eyes glowing once burning through the air, then disappearing. The outline of the watcher then slowly receded away from her, and disappeared behind the trees.


SCOUSE MAC stared at bwind's body as it came floating down the river towards the bank he was hiding. Bwind crawled out of the water, and moved into the bank. He collapsed midway and rolled over, breathing deeply. Scouse saw his opportunity and smiled. He stood up and let out a long, deep whistle. Bwind's ears perked up and he looked back with sudden alarm. Scouse winked at him and lifted his shotgun.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

All shells thudded into various parts of Bwind's body and he fell backwards, stumbling on the rocks. Fresh wounds bled all over, and bwind reached for his HPs again. Scouse looked at him with a wide grin, then his jaw hardened. He started to walk over to Bwind, and soon reached him. Bwind was patching himself up the best he could, when Scouse suddenly towered over him. Scouse turned the shotgun over, and started to thrash Bwind savagely with the wooden rear. He beat him up several times, leaving deep bruises and pulpy wounds on bwind's body everywhere.

The watcher looked on, and a trio of red dots zoomed in on Scouse's chest.

THRACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!

The plasma beam scorched the air through which it passed, and Scouse heard it a fraction of a second earlier. He merely let go of the empty shotgun, and swerved. The beam caught him squarely on his left shoulder, and he fell down near bwind with a loud yelp of pain. The watcher moved out of the trees just as Scouse reached for his HPs. Bwind looked back at the trees at the silhouette of the receding figure, and a final thought of gratefulness flashed through his mind for the Predator, before he lost consciousness.


No one got killed this time around. But some of you have endured plenty of damage. The next Challenge will be up sometime within the next 24 hours, so have a period of rest.

Status Update shortly...