Factions (Part 1)

Chapter 9- Plans.

Lupo, El and Monica sat in a room, around a long conference table carved from the rock system they live in. Lupo was suggesting different ways of attacking the unified factions, who now defended each other, instead of ambushing.
Monica was becoming bored. They had dismissed hours of preliminary planning. The only part that never changed, was killing the Huntsman.
Narissa burst through the door. "Get out!" She told El and Monica. Monica was more than happy to oblige. El was not.
"No! We have as much right to be here as you do." El's voice never rose. Her words were stern.
Narissa approached her, sizing up the young lady. El held her ground.
"You are a refugee! I wish to speak to him; alone!" El's defiance fueled the rage that permanently engulfs Narissa's consciousness.
"Then when you find your manners, we can come to an accord." El responded. She then turned to Lupo, whom, unlike Monica, was not amused. "Could we attack through all three factions?"
"No!" Narissa cut in. "El, please leave." Narissa snarled.
El looked to Lupo, who bowed his head in assurance. "Certainly." El said after another moment.
Monica led the way out.
After the door closed, it remained silent. Monica was walking away from the room they had just left, but at first, El didn't notice. She took a brisk walk to catch up to her friend.
"They aren't talking. Can you hear them?"
"Nope." Monica answered
"Wonder what she wants?"
"Are sure you want to follow me?" Monica said, stopping abruptly near the cave exit.
El didn't notice they were approaching fresh air until now.
"Where are you going?" El asked.
"To make a plan. Our entrance is through implant. But I need to see what we're up against first, and try to negotiate with the other factions too."
"Negotiate?"
"El," Monica took a deep breath. "I'm so glad to have you! You're awesome! But trust me. Okay?"
El nodded her answer.
"Good! If you're coming, don't die again."

...

"Are sure this will work?"
"Self experimentation has proven very successful! I can now call on the power of all the factions at will."
"Very well! What measures are in place to defend the factions?"
"Luna now become beasts at will. They are much faster, stealthier and deadlier. Bloodlust become creatures of the night. They shed their human skin and become a nimble, deadly monster. They can retain their conscious thought to control the beast, but it remains a separate being from within the human host."
"And the reanimation project?"
"Initial trials are unsuccessful. All efforts are developing a working prototype."

...

"How do you know we aren't walking to our deaths? The scientists are expecting us now. All the factions have united to keep us out and kill us!"
"It's all part of the plan, Narissa."
"Plan? What plan? Who's bright idea was it to unite everyone in the world against us?"
"Our scientists are developing a chemical agent for our clothing, armouring it against bites and scientist guns. We will be protected from any foreseeable force. We just have to get to the huntsman, and our job will be done!"
"We are here to reclaim the world! Not our factions, Lupo! We were evicted for being different. Being too good. Too strong to control."
"You weren't evicted, Narissa. I saved you! You will follow me, or you will be given back to the scientists to meet your fate. Is this clear?"
Narissa sighed. She left the room without another word.
Lupo tried to gauge her reaction and landed on 'permanently enraged'.
"Narissa?" She stopped in the corridor. "What's the problem?"
"Monica spent ten years with the scientists. She suddenly leaves, becomes evicted, finds us and now wants to stage an attack on the Obelisk. Am I the only one with ringing alarm bells?"

...

Monica was watching implant from behind a boulder. El sat with her back against it. She was chewing on something. Monica took a deep sigh.
"There are eight in total." She said to El.
"From each faction?"
"Nope. Defending implant. I expected more. We need to speak to as many as possible!"
"So go speak to them."
Monica contemplated turning back. The sky began turning orange as the sun set. Monica stepped from behind the boulder, brushed off her knees, and looked into darkening distance.
Something was off. As she got closer, the Luna's looked ready to sneeze. The bloodlust were trying to tear their own skin off. Monica decided to slowly creep back towards El.
Darkness was taking hold quickly, and with came the eight faction guards. Four of them gained fur. Thick and grey. Their bones grew. Their muscles stretched their skin and their canine teeth became too big for their mouth.
The four bloodlust finally ripped their skin off to reveal a smooth and shiny skinned, bald creature that stood haunched over. They were breathing heavily, and looked like the complete opposite to the Luna's.
"We should go!" Monica told El.
"Why?" El responded and peeked over the boulder. "I can't see anything."
"El. Let's. Move. Now." Monica kept her voice low.
El obeyed and followed Monica.
They took a few steps towards the evicted caves, when suddenly, two of the bald creatures were in front of the girls. They were sniffing and tilting their heads at the slightest noise. Monica suspected they had poor eyesight, so waved a hand slowly. As soon as she raised it, they were watching.
"Hello?" She said in a soft voice.
The creatures watched Monica. El watched the creatures. One took a small and unsteady step forward. Monica stayed still. Both of them were watching her reaction. Learning. It raised a Bony and clawed hand. Monica raised her hand again. Both creatures snarled and started salivating. Their curiosity quenched. The claw aimed for Monica's face. El had started an attack on the other creature before it could pounce.
Monica dodged the first clawed attack, and managed to grab hold of what would have been a wrist, during the second swipe. She twisted it until she felt a pop, then crushed the clawed hand and forearm using her powers. The creature released a ear piercing scream in pain.
The creature El was fighting then left El, jumping over her, and landing on top of Monica and the first creature. The injured creature then broke free of Monica and fled as quickly as it appeared. The second creature tried to bit at Monica. She noticed the rows of sharp, pearly teeth and reptilian tongue. El got a punch in which launched the light creature several metres away. This one them fled back to the Implant camp too.
"You alright?" El asked, helping Monica back to her feet.
"I'm fine. We need to go, now!"
The two took off as quick as they could, hoping they're not followed.

When Monica and El were safe, within the lookouts range; they stopped to catch their breath. El didn't seem to be breathing too heavily, but Monica could feel the burning of her lungs, trying to take as much oxygen as they can. El then shouted over the pounding of Monica's heartbeat. But Monica couldn't make out the sounds before she was hit by something and hit the ground.

...

"What are these creatures?" The implant Mayor asked in protest.
"They're the future!" The Luna Mayor answered.
"Uncontrollable!" Bloodlust added.
"Stop your squabbles!" Huntsman stated. "They're a special unit, if you like. They're the best of Luna and bloodlust, made even better!"
"Why do we need them?" Implant asked.
"To kill Monica and Narissa! Why else? They're your faction's evicted. You obviously don't need upgrades."

...

El narrowly dodged a claw to the face. This creatures attack was relentless. She was used to controlling her breathing from training, but she was struggling now. The people looked like wolves. She couldn't get close enough to hurt one, and had to keep backing away. Monica was unconscious and bleeding in the dirt. A second giant wolf joined the attack. It licked the blood from Monica, then turned her so she lay flat. It's clawed hand on her chest, looking for a heartbeat.
El ducked under the next attack and launched forward instead of back, towards Monica. The wolf saw her coming, and threw Monica at her, with only one hand. The claws drawing blood from her chest as they pick her up. Monica lands on El. Now she can't move.
She closed her eyes, trying to make the ground open and trap the wolves, like Monica does. She felt a rumble. When she opened her eyes, bother wolves were being held by the the ground. They smiled at each other, pulling their legs out of the ground, as easy as they would in a puddle of water.
El cursed and started to try again. Her face suddenly starting to burn. A ball of fire passed over her. Narissa was shooting fireballs, trying to ignite the fur. Lupo had picked Monica's limp body off of El.