"He's going to kill you!"
RJ wasn't listening. She hurled herself headlong into the monster's stomach.
"He's going to kill you, and then he's going to kill me," David mumbled as he resumed his trek towards the bike.
All mumbling stopped as David was thrown to the ground by the impact of an incredible weight. He lay where he'd landed, and dazedly watched as RJ jumped up off him, quickly disengaging the chain from her body. She whipped it out at the GSH. It hit the monster's head with a thud. David heard the thing fall, although he didn't really see it, and he was sure it wouldn't be down long.
David crawled the short distance remaining to the bike, where he fumbled to free the rocket launcher. Apparently, RJ had been more worried about losing the damn thing than about having to actually use it. He wasn't having much luck getting it off. She had the chain around the monster's neck, pulling on it for all she was worth. David fumbled with the strings holding the weapon, and the next time he looked, RJ was being choked with her own chain. David pulled frantically at the launcher, and it came loose with a jerk that set him on his butt. He aimed, but RJ was in the way. Then the giant made a fatal mistake; he threw RJ across the room. David fired. The kick sent him crashing into the front wall of the apartment. He saw the rocket hit the monster square in the chest and propel him through the exterior wall before it detonated. When the smoke cleared, there was a gaping hole in the wall, and no GSH.
David tossed aside the launcher and crawled to where RJ lay, the chain still around her throat and blood running from her nose and mouth.
"Don't be dead," David prayed. He poked at her to see if she would move."Are you OK?" he asked.
RJ opened her eyes and stared at him in disbelief as he unwrapped the chain from her neck. "Oh, yes, I'm fine," she croaked out."Never felt better. In fact, think I'll go dancing!" By the end of her speech, she was screaming at him.
David sighed with relief. She'd be fine. David got unsteadily to his feet and reached down to RJ. After a moment, she let him help her up and tilted her head back to slow the nosebleed.
The fat manager finally managed to shove his way through the small crowd that had gathered at the now door-less doorway. Shaking his head and clicking his tongue in obvious disapproval, he surveyed the room.
"The use of rocket launchers in the rooms is strictly against the rules—ten unit penalty." He crossed to the hole in the wall, and looked out. "As for that," apparently indicating the remains of the GSH which were on the street below, "it will cost you fifteen units to be paid immediately. After all, we can't have a corpse plastered all over our doorstep. I'm trying to run a classy place here, you know."
"Why you . . ." David raised his fist threateningly.
"Get the man his money, David," RJ ordered.
David lowered his fist reluctantly, and dug the money out of the pack on the back of the bike. He walked over and counted out the coins.
"And two units for dripping blood all over the room," the fat man said, his hand still extended.
"I ought to . . ." David started to raise his fist again.
"Take your money, and these people, and get out," RJ said as she took the two units out of David's hand and handed them to the manager.
Satisfied, the manager scurried out, herding the crowd out as he went.
"Come on, people! Party's over for now," he urged.
"We're going to have to leave Alsterase for a while," RJ said almost conversationally as she disappeared into the bathroom.
"Why not leave it for good?" David asked. "Last night I almost got killed; today you almost got killed. I think we should take the hint and get the hell out while we still can." He followed RJ as he spoke, but she shut the door in his face, and the lock clicked. "RJ, you need help."
RJ's voice floated out the door. "The last thing
RJ wasn't listening. She hurled herself headlong into the monster's stomach.
"He's going to kill you, and then he's going to kill me," David mumbled as he resumed his trek towards the bike.
All mumbling stopped as David was thrown to the ground by the impact of an incredible weight. He lay where he'd landed, and dazedly watched as RJ jumped up off him, quickly disengaging the chain from her body. She whipped it out at the GSH. It hit the monster's head with a thud. David heard the thing fall, although he didn't really see it, and he was sure it wouldn't be down long.
David crawled the short distance remaining to the bike, where he fumbled to free the rocket launcher. Apparently, RJ had been more worried about losing the damn thing than about having to actually use it. He wasn't having much luck getting it off. She had the chain around the monster's neck, pulling on it for all she was worth. David fumbled with the strings holding the weapon, and the next time he looked, RJ was being choked with her own chain. David pulled frantically at the launcher, and it came loose with a jerk that set him on his butt. He aimed, but RJ was in the way. Then the giant made a fatal mistake; he threw RJ across the room. David fired. The kick sent him crashing into the front wall of the apartment. He saw the rocket hit the monster square in the chest and propel him through the exterior wall before it detonated. When the smoke cleared, there was a gaping hole in the wall, and no GSH.
David tossed aside the launcher and crawled to where RJ lay, the chain still around her throat and blood running from her nose and mouth.
"Don't be dead," David prayed. He poked at her to see if she would move."Are you OK?" he asked.
RJ opened her eyes and stared at him in disbelief as he unwrapped the chain from her neck. "Oh, yes, I'm fine," she croaked out."Never felt better. In fact, think I'll go dancing!" By the end of her speech, she was screaming at him.
David sighed with relief. She'd be fine. David got unsteadily to his feet and reached down to RJ. After a moment, she let him help her up and tilted her head back to slow the nosebleed.
The fat manager finally managed to shove his way through the small crowd that had gathered at the now door-less doorway. Shaking his head and clicking his tongue in obvious disapproval, he surveyed the room.
"The use of rocket launchers in the rooms is strictly against the rules—ten unit penalty." He crossed to the hole in the wall, and looked out. "As for that," apparently indicating the remains of the GSH which were on the street below, "it will cost you fifteen units to be paid immediately. After all, we can't have a corpse plastered all over our doorstep. I'm trying to run a classy place here, you know."
"Why you . . ." David raised his fist threateningly.
"Get the man his money, David," RJ ordered.
David lowered his fist reluctantly, and dug the money out of the pack on the back of the bike. He walked over and counted out the coins.
"And two units for dripping blood all over the room," the fat man said, his hand still extended.
"I ought to . . ." David started to raise his fist again.
"Take your money, and these people, and get out," RJ said as she took the two units out of David's hand and handed them to the manager.
Satisfied, the manager scurried out, herding the crowd out as he went.
"Come on, people! Party's over for now," he urged.
"We're going to have to leave Alsterase for a while," RJ said almost conversationally as she disappeared into the bathroom.
"Why not leave it for good?" David asked. "Last night I almost got killed; today you almost got killed. I think we should take the hint and get the hell out while we still can." He followed RJ as he spoke, but she shut the door in his face, and the lock clicked. "RJ, you need help."
RJ's voice floated out the door. "The last thing
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