Exiled Blood Ants (2)

"FUCK FUCK FUCK!!" Michael's curses echoed through the hallway as he sprinted, the thundering footsteps of the monstrous Ant hot on his heels. The ground quaked beneath its massive weight, sending tremors through the building.

SCREECH!

The ear-piercing screeches of the creature reverberated, assaulting Michael's senses and causing his head to throb with agony. His vision blurred, and his breath came in ragged gasps as he pushed his exhausted body to its limits.

"It's getting closer!" Michael's mind raced as he frantically searched for an escape route. The cramped confines of the hallway hindered the creature's movements, buying him precious seconds as he darted into classrooms and leaped through windows to evade the mutant's pursuit.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, the creature burst through obstacles, its sheer brute force propelling it forward without hesitation.

"Think, Michael, think!" Despite the panic threatening to overwhelm him, Michael forced himself to analyze the situation. "It's large and lacks intelligence," he reasoned aloud, his thoughts racing. "But why smash through walls instead of targeting weaker points with the windows on them, this thing just burst through a complete wall, which means it either has no thought in there or.. bad vision!!"

His analysis was based on minor amounts of data, while Zero couldn't even help him as every time he asked, it would demand Energy. This made Michael doubt himself, starting to rethink everything he did.

His body was starting to give up on him. His breathing was heavy and his perception was down to a minimum. "I'm going to throw up!"

He got slower and slower as the creature got closer.

His head was spinning, and he could no longer take it. Tripping over his own feet, he crashed to the ground, his senses reeling.

SCREECH!

His ears buzzed, feeling a ticklish sensation on his neck. "2 deaths in 1 day... What a joke!"

The Ant, seeing its prey finally stop, towered over him as it bent down, aiming to decapitate this human with its mandibles.

BAM! BAM!

Then, salvation came in the form of gunfire.

The sudden blasts echoed in the hallway, shattering the tense silence as the creature recoiled, its single eye ruptured by the impact. Blood splattered across Michael, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

"MOVE!!" A commanding voice shattered through the chaos, snapping Michael out of his stupor. With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he scrambled to his feet and stumbled away from the looming threat.

BAM! BAM!

"Teacher!!" Michael's voice was hoarse as he watched John unleash a barrage of bullets from his revolver, each shot denting the creature's armored exoskeleton and driving it back.

"I don't have much ammo left, start running!" John yelled as he kept shooting at the creature. Black blood painted the hallway as the Ant's eye socket bled all over the place, splattering blood everywhere as it thrashed around.

Click!

The gun was out of ammo. John, without hesitation, turned around and grabbed Michael before he started running away, and not long after, they could hear the tremors from the creature's pursuit.

Michael's heart pounded with dread as the realization dawned that they were now defenseless against the relentless advance of the monstrous Ant. But amidst the chaos and panic, a spark of insight flickered in Michael's mind.

"Its vision!" Michael exclaimed, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of the creature's enraged roars. "It has poor eyesight!"

With newfound determination, Michael seized upon this revelation, his mind racing as he formulated a desperate plan. Ignoring the protests of his trembling limbs, he sprinted down the hallway, his every movement fueled by adrenaline and fear.

The creature's thunderous footsteps reverberated behind him, drawing closer with each passing moment. But Michael refused to falter, his resolve unyielding as he pushed his body to its limits.

John on the other hand was in a better condition than the frail boy next to him, but he kept running at Michael's pace, offering a steadying hand whenever the younger boy stumbled or pulling him back up whenever he was about to fall.

"Teacher, I have an idea!" Michael's voice came out in ragged gasps, each word a testament to his effort. "This thing can't see properly. And with one of its eyes gone, its vision's gotta be worse."

"How would you know!?" John asked. He knew what these creatures were, he remembered the Mutants Encyclopedia he read a while back and knew what the Blood Ant was. This particular mutant was very familiar to the citizens of this city.

Mutants lived either in nests, packs, or groups, depending on the species and their level of intelligence, and the Blood Ants were the closest Mutant nest to the city which made them the main and most read-about mutant.

Memories of his military service flooded back, bringing with them images of the Blood Ants and the dangers they posed. "Michael, this creature is called a Blood Ant, nothing about their information says anything about bad vision" John explained. "Even if they are from an Exiled nest, it is still a far-fetched thought"

The exiled title applies to all types of mutant species, specifically their inhabitation. The title is given to the nest or place where the exiled members of the species reside. Blood Ants are a terrifying 5th Rank mutant species, they have their very own territory in the dark lands, which speaks volumes about their might. But, if a member is unable to perform to a certain standard, they are seen as a hindrance and therefore kicked out of the nest. These exiled form their own nest, desperate to survive.

"Trust me, I noticed something while it chased me," Michael insisted, his face contorted in pain as he clutched his stomach.

John hesitated, weighing Michael's words. "Alright, what's your plan?"

"I have an idea!" Michael repeated, his voice filled with determination despite his obvious discomfort.