Path of the Hunters [PART 3]

Mani smiled at the happy little group. "Twins born on Valentine's Day," she mused. "I have to admit, in all my experience, this is a first for me."

Sol went to his wife, planted a kiss on her lips. "You done good, Mani."

Aurélie laughed softly. "I cannot think of a better day for them to 'ave been born."

Several loud explosion are heard outside the house, completely ruining that truly romantic and heartwarming moment, as Shadow Squad's AGM-loaded UAVs take out several dozen Laroche assassins trying to sneak up on the place.

Everyone looked up towards the ground floor (the medical floor two stories underground), while the babies started crying loudly.

Nova growled. "Have I mentioned how much I hate that Damien guy?"

"At least they're doing their job," Sol said, though he couldn't hide his annoyance.

"I would rather they didn't need to." The dog sighed, nuzzling Aurora gently. "If we've been found, we need to find somewhere new to go." But where?

Damien glanced over at Cross after the explosions with a raised eyebrow. "Well, we had guests. Guess it was a good idea to pack AGMs on those things."

"Don't worry," Nova said reassuringly, gently rocking D'Artagnen. "Cross' house is a stronghold. I think we can outlast a handful of assassins, even if they are Laroche."

"I just hope Shadow Squad mops up every one of them," Sol said. "If one of them gets away, we'll all be in trouble, in the future."

*

Cross's eyes narrowed, grabbing his gun from his belt. "Let's make sure that's all of them."

"Do not take the Laroche's lightly. They will be able to withstand much of what can be thrown at them. Fire, poison, and sharpened plastic - those are effective. Anything metal and they will be fine. And if this 'ouse is made of anything metallic anywhere, they will be able to pass through."

She sighed. "And if there are still Baudoins, they, too, are not to be taken lightly. And someone will escape. There is always a runner."

Damien chuckled. "Those things are equiped with thermal scopes, the only way they'd be missed is if they're in a sealed suit that masks their thermal signature like my ODSTs wear, or inside a building." He pulled out a pair of objects from his pockets, one a gauntlet of some sort and fitted on his left arm, the other was a small bar. He smirked, "But hey, better safe than sorry. Time to go hunting, eh?"

"As far as entrance goes," Mani said. "The entire building has been retrofitted with all kinds of synthetics-particle board, fiberglass, plaster-the works, inside and out. We've yet to encounter anything that can pass through plastic, so..."

"And, for the runners," Sol said, shouldering a sniper rifle that was by the door. "There's me." With that, he left the room, made his way outside.

*

He nodded. "Let's." He led the way to a set of stairs that led them outside.

Aurélie shifted the baby more comfortably, sighing when another explosion caused her to burst into tears again. "It is too bad it wasn't refitted with soundproofing..."

Damien blinked, "That...wasn't from one of ours..."

Nova sighed, softly rocking his son, coaxing him to relax again. "I wish I could be out there with them..."

"Don't be ridiculous," Mani said. "You need to be right here, protecting your family directly. You're the last line of defense."

The wolf nodded, sighed. He still didn't like feeling so useless at the moment.

*

Cross turned his head back to the house, hearing gunfire from inside. "SHIT!!" He rushed for the hole in the wall of his home.

"Figures, can't phase through it, blow through it. Must've got some cold-blooded folk in there. I need to get R&D working on a new scope..." He gripped the bar tightly as he followed Cross towards the action.

"Nova..." The dog scooted over on the bed. "Sit by me."

Nova's heart raced in fear for his family, but he complied. "I won't let anything happen to you guys." He nuzzled his wife softly.

Meanwhile, Mani pulled out a gun of her own. "Let's see how they handle bullets coated in plaster," she muttered.

*

Cross moved quickly but carefully, his special blaster primed and ready. When something caught his eye, he sidestepped the knife tossed at him, and shot the thrower clean between the eyes, the energy bolt ripping clean through his head.

Damien smirked, "Now I'm impressed." He twirled the bar and darted forward, gauntlet activated and projecting an energy shield, deflecting the blade aimed at him, and before the assailent could pull another blade, he put the bar, now projecting an energy sword, through the man's chest and pulling upwards, effectively cutting him in half with ease. "I love this thing."

Aurélie laid her head on his shoulder, sighing. "I 'ate sitting 'ere as much as you do, mon coeur. We are just born fighters. But we 'ave something new to focus on for now." She smiled at both babies, then tilted her head back to capture Nova's lips.

Nova returned the kiss, framing her face with one hand, D'artagnan cooing at the sight.

*

Just then, Cross heard the ring of the elevator bell. "NO!" He rushed for the elevator, and was almost met with a barrage of knives. Almost because they stopped in midair, held in place by a magnetic field projected from Cross' hand, which was sparking electricity.

He flung the knives aside, but the elevator doors had closed already. "FUCK!!" He ran through the nearby door, and down the stairs.

Smiling, she drew back slightly. "Je t'aime," she murmured and the smile faded, her hold on her cooing daughter becoming protective. "Mani, they are in the elevator."

"This is a problem." He muttered as he followed Cross down the stairs.

Mani nodded. "It's still a bit of a way to get here. I'll be ready." She stepped out into the hall, but was surprised at who she saw. "Crescent! What are you doing up?"

Crescent glanced back at the hedgefox, blade drawn in her good hand. "I won't let them near my cousin's family," she said adamantly.

"Then take this." Mani moved to the wolf, gave her an injection from a gold syringe she pulled from her pocket. "You can now use your other arm safely."

Immediately, a her other blade was drawn. "Merci."

*

At the other end of the hall, Cross burst through the door, and was met with the sight of Kane taking out one of Laroches. "The other two got away," he said to the echidna, running down the hall towards where the others were.

Cross followed closely behind. "Heads up, guys!" he spoke into a comm on his wrist. "Two of them, headed your way! Get ready!"

Aurélie tensed. "Give me Dart. I'll keep them from the blades. If Crescent and Mani can't stop them..."

Without another word, he placed his son in her lap, rose to his full height, cracked his knuckles. "They will not get in here," he said with dark determination.

She stroked her son's face with a fingertip, marveling on how much he looked like his father... To think that her babies were in danger just because she hadn't wanted to be a Laroche...

She looked up sharply and two blades shot off. She felt them pierce the skulls of the two who were coming at them and blinked. "They were Baudoins! Then where..." A blade came through the opposite wall, went directly between her eyes, and embedded in the far wall.

"Nova... they are working together..."