I've been thinking about a story for a while now, but I just haven't got
around to writing it all down.  This is a scene that probably won't make
the cut, but it's one of the few I've started to write.  Send me some C&C
on it.  It's just an action scene, no characterization or anything yet,
so judge it accordingly.  I only took an hour or so to write it, so
quality might be lacking... I'm not even sure if this character will make
it to the final version; I'll probably kill him off if he does.

Sorry, it's not a fanfic.

I've been reading most your stories, people, and I will eventually post
some C&C... I feel kind of guilty asking for it when I haven't doled any
out.  I always read a story twice before commenting, though, and it takes
a lot of time!
----------


The cell was small, only a couple steps across, and completely
dark.  Shino searched the walls, trying to find a seam that would reveal
a doorway.  His fingers soon slipped into a large crack between the foam
pads which lined the walls.  No handle or knob; not even a keyhole.  He
let his eyelids droop, took a breath, and concentrated.  His mind reached
out through his skull, through the padding, through the heavy metal
sheets which protected the lock mechanism.  Probing the tiny pins and
gears, he quickly found the right combination.  A small push, and the
deadbolt slid out of its socket with a dull click.  Whoever brought him
here certainly didn't know the extent of his abilities.  The door swung
open, slowly, and a beam of light hit Shino's wide eyes.  Tears welled
up; the bright fluorescents were too much.  Squeezing his eyelids nearly 
together, he popped his head through the doorway and glanced around.  
He was in a long hallway, with white, plastic-looking walls; across from 
his cell was another doorway, probably a cell like his, and at each end 
of the hall a large silver door with a small electronic keypad off to
the side.  

Shino made a quick decision.  He headed right, carefully approaching the
keypad.  Three lights topped the buttons, red, yellow, and green.  The
yellow light was lit.  He placed his palm in front of the keypad, once
again extending his thoughts into the lock mechanism.  He followed the
tiny electric pathways until he found a break in the circuit.  He
clenched his fist; felt the spark, and the yellow light extinguished.  A
strange buzz emanated from the door, followed by the thud of the heavy
bolt.  The green light flashed and stayed lit.  Shino reached for the
handle.  The bright lights above him flickered and dimmed.  He glanced
up, his heart nearly beating through his ribs.  Movement.  He brought his
head down as the door swung open with incredible force; it struck him in
the jaw and he fell backwards.  His vision was blurred, but his eyes
never strayed from the dark doorway.  A large dark mass flew over his
prone body.

Groaning loudly, Shino forced himself onto his stomach, and lifted his
chin.  Down the hall stood a tall man, dressed in a simple grey hospital
uniform, exactly like his own.  Only this man seemed totally out of
proportion.  The arms and legs were extremely long, the chest was wide,
and the pelvis was tiny.  His flesh was very dark, and his face was
hidden by shadow.  Long hair streamed down to his knees.  Shino could
hear the powerful breathing of the semi-human creature all the way down
the hall.  The beast crouched low and grunted, barely audibly.  The
lights flickered again, and barely stayed lit.  Shino pushed himself to
his knees, then slowly to his feet.  The pain in his jaw was incredible;
his head spun with the effort.  Clenching his fist, he let out a long
groan, his mind working on his body.  The swelling on his chin began to 
recede, and the pain subsided.  He moved into a defensive fighting
stance. 

The creature simply cocked its head and watched.  Neither man wanted to 
make a move; they had reached a stalemate.  The tension in the air was 
suddenly broken by a buzzing at the opposite end of the hall.  The yellow
light above the keypad flickered and died.  The creature stood, then
hopped into the air, its feet twisting sideways,  its body rotating,
until it was upside down. The motion was strangely slow, as if gravity
had ceased to work.  Then the creature "fell" to the ceiling, clinging to
the lights.  Its body began to shimmer as it took on the appearance of 
its surroundings, even reproducing the dim glow of the fluorescent
lights. As the silver door swung open, the creature became completely
invisible to sight.

Four guards entered the hall, two abreast.  They wore shiny blue helmets
and dark face masks topped by flashing sensor "eyes".  Each carried an
extraordinarily large gun in addition to the small pistol strapped to his
leg.  As the first two guards approached, weapons steadily aimed at him,
Shino began to inch backwards, continually glancing from the guards to
the ceiling.  A sickening crack and a muffled shout made the two guards
spin to face the others.  One lay headless on the floor, his partner
scanning the corridor and operating the keypad.  The other guards
adjusted their weapons and pulled the triggers.

Harsh strobe lights, eminating from the guns, swept the hall; Shino
could see the creature once again; it couldn't keep up with the rapidly
changing light sources.  The guards fired bright ruby beams simultaneosly
at the ceiling, but the creature had already leapt to the wall.  With a
quick motion of its long arms, another guard fell to the ground.  Shino
scrambled forward on his hands and knees to grab his weapon.  The guards
were too occupied with the beast to notice.  Hot lines of light danced
around him, but Shino managed to grab the gun.  The dark shape of the
creature leapt around the guards, unable to attack.  Shino clumsily
pointed the large weapon at the torso of the nearest guard and squeezed
the trigger.  There was no kick as the glittering beam arced towards its
target; there was no sensation at all.  No sound, no heat, just the
instantaneous arrow of light connecting the barrel of the gun with the
guard's chest.  The beam flickered and died, moments later the guard fell
silently to his knees.  The last guard glanced over at his dead partner
as the creature leapt toward him... The lights died as a strange sucking
sound, interspersed with the cracking of bones, filled the hall.
-- 
"Fleshy-headed mutant, are you friendly?"
"No, eh!  Radiation has made me an enemy of civilization!"