FRAWD Investigators: Owendoher’s Revenge | Scene 19

Aiden hustles down the corridor after helping Lilly with the door, but he likewise notices the marine marching down the hall off to his left. The man’s stride speaks to his confidence at being able to handle anything the boarders throw at him. Probably he is not aware of the warrior lying in wait. Although Aiden’s new zerg impulses make him relish the thought of something putting this protoss in his place, they are allies in this fight. Rather than rejoin his sister, Aiden lingers near this corridor entrance, across from Malorn, to provide what support he can. Besides, he owes these pirates some payback, not just for his own sake but also for what this has put the family through.

Malorn spends the time he waits for his next opponent augmenting the strength of his shielding. While it is certainly better than anything terrans can produce, it is not as impenetrable as he has perhaps implied. The faint shimmering bubble around him redoubles in strength, becoming a seemingly more solid sphere that pulses with a pale red glow. The process produces an audible hum that draws the brief attention of Imogen Owendoher. No doubt the insufferable terran will have questions about this later. For now, though, Malorn eagerly awaits his next match, psi-blades at the ready, eyes creased in anticipation.

The marine continues thumping down the hall and suddenly stops. With a panicked swear about how dangerous protoss are, he brings his weapon up and unloads it towards where Malorn is hiding. The reinforced shielding deflects some of the bullets, but several others tear through him. Blue blood trickles down from a hit on his cheek, and he unconsciously wipes at it as he staggers back. The resultant smear forms a creepy smile across the bottom of his smooth face. The new injuries to his torso and limbs slow him enough that Imogen Owendoher’s brother gets in the first blow. The zerg-infested terran does at least have sufficient courage to directly engage the foe, getting close enough to place a hand on the marine’s armor. Acid begins eating through it, burning the flesh below and compromising the suit’s integrity. The marine turns to bat away the current attacker, and Malorn charges in at the exposed flank, sinking one of his blades into the exposed flesh and giving it a vicious twist. “Face me, you coward!” he seethes. “You cannot hide behind that face mask.”

The marine manages to get an arm up and shove the protoss back a bit, but the other strange creature presses his attack, clawing at the weakened power armor. The guy is stuck between a rock and a hard place. His power armor affords him some protection, but it will only hold up so long under these twin threats. He slaps some dials on the torso plate and groans, “Oh, yeah, the juice!” as stimulants flood his system. His gun is rather unwieldy in this crowded tussle, but he brings it up in the bit of space between him and the protoss and lets loose. “Damn protoss!” he cries, enjoying the sight of all the blue blood. “That’s right! That’s right!” he shouts, but as his target collapses one way, the marine falls the other, toppled by a combination of kickback and strikes from his other assailant. Shots come from an unexpected direction, knocking the gun from his hands, as well.