Meanwhile.
In a certain gas station west of Gemini Park..
An orange scaled man dreamed strange dreams. Dreams of past lives.. this one dream he has had before, chasing hungrily after prey, this time a small blue and white energy creature. It gave a tiny cry of fear as it rounded a corner into a dead end. Just as he lunged, grabbing the prey in tendrils of dark energy, the dream prey turned, and bit into his shoulder. Painfully!
'OWWW!' yelped Shrike, blinking into startled wakefulness. The pain was far too vivid to be just another part of this dream. 'Wha..?!'
Whatever it was, it was latched tightly onto his shoulder.. following his first impulse, he rolled, somehow managing to dislodge it. Gaining his feet, he could just barely make it out in the dim light of the room.. something vaguely dog-like, large and gray.
Whatever it was, it recovered fast, and launched itself at Wild Shrike again. Shrike focused his gaze on it, intending to focus Kheldian energy into an eye blast.. but nothing. Quickly, he tried to shift forms into something more protected, the giant energy beast.. nothing again.
'OOF!' The creature struck out hard, throwing Shrike across the room. Crashing into the wall, Shrike's mind went back to the other evening.. harassing Polsol, his girlfriend, Shamrock and Guardia while they investigated a series of attacks against peacebringers.. the way the peacebringer had said he felt drained near the beast.. but he said it was small, raccoon-like, and brown, not large, dog-like and gray.
Whatever it was, it landed on him again, and suddenly Shrike felt intensely weaker.. whatever it was, it felt almost as if it was radiating some sort of quantum energy. Jolted, he kicked out, throwing the creature to the other side of the room.. and sending his television crashing to the floor.
'Oh, no ya didn't.. ya BROKE MY TV?! I saved fer a WHILE t' get that thing!! Gaaaaaah!' enraged, Shrike launched an all out assault of thrown bottles and cans at the creature, which snarled.. then suddenly, just as a bottle was about to impact, it vanished.
Wild Shrike tensed, spinning around, certain whatever it was had teleported or phased somehow, and would attack again. But the small back room was empty now. Shrike wobbled, still feeling far more drained than a few bites and claw marks could account for. And worst of all, the constant voice in the back of his mind, his ever present 'friend', was silent.
Shrike slumped back onto the mattress on the floor. He knew he needed to do something about his injuries, perhaps even to the point of visiting the hospital (which he hated), but even thinking about it was tiring. Perhaps a nap first...
