Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

unison, driving her to the floor. Midnight Blue started forward, only to stop as the Hadenmen around her moved menacingly forward. Bonnie tried to fight back, but there were too many of them, and no room to move. Hazel looked at Owen, but he just stood there and did nothing, though he wouldn’t let himself look away.
    Hadenmen fists broke Bonnie’s dead-white skin and tore piercings from her flesh. Blood spurted thickly, and her eyes grew vague. Eventually she stopped struggling and lay still, and the Hadenmen drew back and let her be. Midnight glared at Owen. “You could have stopped that.” “Yes,” said Owen. “I probably could have. But she had to find out the hard way what they’re capable of. I wouldn’t always be there to protect her. Besides, she’ll heal. It’s what she does.”
    “You cold-hearted bastard,” said Midnight.
    “Sometimes,” said Owen. “You aren’t the only one who learned hard lessons from a hard war.” He moved forward to kneel beside Bonnie Bedlam. Her face was a swollen, bloody mess, one eye completely closed. She was breathing harshly, and her gaping mouth showed missing teeth at the front.
    “How are you feeling?” said Owen gently.
    “Great,” said Bonnie, struggling to get her breathing back under control. “Give me a minute and I’ll get up and hammer the bastards.” “No, you won’t,” said Owen. “This is their idea of a warning. Next time they’d just kill you. We can’t beat them like this. We have to think our way out. Now, will you please forget the solo heroics and follow my lead?” Bonnie thought about it. “How many metalheads did I take out?”
    “Less than one.”
    “I’ll follow your lead.” Bonnie sat up straight, and concentrated. The puffiness in her face went down, and her swollen eye healed in seconds. New teeth pushed up out of her torn gums to replace those she’d lost. She stretched easily like a cat and rose to her feet in one lithe movement, smiling widely. “Oh, man, what a rush.” She glared at the Hadenmen. “Next time I’ll plan it better.”
    “Next time,” said Moon, “we’ll find a place for you in our laboratories. You only live now as a favor to the Redeemer.”
    “Yeah,” said Midnight coldly. “I can see you and he are real close.” Owen looked at her. “You’re supposed to be a warrior. Don’t you recognize the futility of overwhelming odds?”
    “We’ve been through the Maze!” said Midnight. “Nothing can stop us!” “You’ve never had to face the Hadenmen,” said Hazel. “If you want to get out of this alive, take your lead from Owen. He knows what he’s doing.” Moon glared at Hazel, and then at Owen, and then turned away to offer Bonnie a supporting arm she didn’t need. Hazel moved in close beside Owen. “Tell me this is all part of a cunning plan,” she said quietly.
    “It’s all part of a cunning plan,” said Owen.
    “Now try saying it like you mean it.”
    “Right now I’m just trying to keep us all alive,” said Owen quietly. “I really don’t fancy our chances here. Maybe we could take them, maybe not. I don’t want to find out we can’t the hard way.”
    Hazel glanced around her and shrugged uneasily. “I still think we could trash their metallic asses if we had to, but I am definitely in favor of trying every other option first. Keep pressing Moon; I think you’re getting to him. His last few responses were almost human. Stay cool, Owen. Stay on top of things. I can tell how hard this is for you.”
    “Is it that obvious?” said Owen. “How much I want to tear this place down? What’s happening here is vile, inhuman, utterly evil. It’s everything we fought against in the Empire. But the bottom line is we can’t risk dying here. At least one of us must get away to warn Humanity.”
    “Understood,” said Hazel. “And no, it’s not obvious. But the others don’t know you like I do. All this reminds you of Charnel House, doesn’t it? Of what was done to your people on Virimonde.”
    “Yes. But this is different. Most of these poor bastards are still alive, even if they are in Hell. So I have to come up with a scheme that not only takes out the Hadenmen, but will also free the captives. And since schemes aren’t necessarily what I do best…” “You’ll think of something, scholar. Just tell me when I can start hitting things. Which is very definitely what I do best.” Owen’s mouth twitched for the first time in something like a smile. “You