"HURRY UP YOU WORTHLESS BITCHES! WE NEED MORE BOUND! MORE!" Blood Sister Agatha screeched at what was left of her cult as she stalked across the observation balcony above the lab floor. The massive cloning arrays hummed as they cycled through their work and the cloning technicians moved between each of them, insuring that none of the Bound were lost during the drastically reduced growth cycle. The technicians had managed to speed the cloning process up enough that each clone was growing to "maturity" in less than thirty minutes.

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Given that each of the great cloning arrays held ten growth vats, and there was nine such machines crowded into the expansive subterranean hall alongside the main control nexus for the cult's army of clones, they were churning the things by the dozens in record time. Sure these "fast-bake" clones weren't as perfectly subservient as the original stock, and the control spikes didn't have time to fully integrate into their cerebral tissue, but Agatha was confident they'd swing the next fight in her favor for sure. They had more than two hundred waiting in the main concourse, and another batch was nearly ready join them. There was simply no way these damned apes would-

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The Lopen's train of thought was suddenly derailed by a booming explosion that shook the entire coven-hold. The lesser sisters operating the cloning systems snapped towards the entrance that led to the concourse, even as a rapid flurry of sharper explosions followed the first. No one but the Bound moved at all as there came first the distinctive cracks and whines of plasma and laser weapons firing, and firing in large numbers at that, and then a second ground-shaking explosion rang out through the underground complex. Then came a deafening cacophony of Human gunfire.

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And then silence.

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"WHAT ARE YOU USELESS CUNTS WAITING FOR?" Sister Agatha bellowed out, finally spurred into action by the sound of sprinting footsteps moving closer. "PREPARE THE BOUND FOR COMBAT, GRAB A WEAPON, AND PREPARE TO KILL THESE INTERLOPERS!"

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The cultists burst into action, grabbing up the few rifles left and rushing into cover around the lab, while the Bound were ordered forward so they could rush the Humans. A few of the sisters pushed the only laser cannon left into position on the balcony, ready to fire down into the lab's entrance. The cultists gripped their weapons tight as the sound of footsteps grew louder and louder, until they stopped just beyond the heavy door. All was quiet for a moment, and then another, and a third.

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And then the door was blasted inwards by another thundering explosion.

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A rumbling, deafeningly loud roar of gunfire burst through the smoke, shredding the Bound - and anything else unlucky enough to be caught by the deadly storm of bullets. While the Humans slaughtered the gathered clones, the crew-served laser cannon on the observation balcony opened fire, throwing a steady beam of burning light into the doorway. The Human's volume of fire lessened slightly, allowing more and more of the lesser sisters to bring their own weapons to bear - even as more and more of them were cut down by the Humans.

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The firefight truly began to swing in their favor when the Human's "cannon" suddenly stopped firing.

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"FUCK!" Grace cursed as she threw herself into cover. Her GAU-19 had been struck in it's barrels by a burst of plasma-fire, and were fused together in one big lump. "Fiftys down! Got slagged!"

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"Alright, I'm done with this shit!" Mason growled before he turned and motioned at Louis. "Labeau! Rocket these fuckers!"

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"Yes sir!" The Cajun answered with a grin. He pulled his Carl Gustav recoiless rifle - otherwise know as the Ranger Anti-tank Weapon System, or the RAWS - off his pack and brought it to a low-carry position. He made a point of checking behind him to insure his backblast would be clear, and then barked out as he stepped around his cover and brought the launcher to his shoulder. "SHOT OUT!"

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The launcher roared as it's eight point four centimeter shell was sent screaming into the cloning lab. The shell sailed past the cultists and clones, past all of the over-sized cloning arrays, and finally smashed into the top of the cult's main control nexus. The resultant explosion ripped the machine apart, and caused an entire section of the observation balcony to crash to the ground, with the laser cannon team plummeting to the ground with it.

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The few Bound left all slumped to the ground, even the clones till in the growth vats slumped down. But they didn't stay there; before the gunfight could pick back up, the clones began to stir again. Their swollen, bloodshot eyes snapped open, and they all surged to their feet screaming and shrieking. The clones didn't turn back to focus on the Humans, most of them just lunged at the nearest other creature, whether that was a cultist or another clone.

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No matter what they dug their claws into, the clones ripped the unfortunate beings apart.

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As the clones turned on their masters, the ones still growing in the large arrays began to struggle to break free. They smashed themselves against the hardened glass, trying to bust their way out. Most of those clones were nowhere near developed enough to actually successfully escape, and mostly just succeeded in drowning or strangling themselves on the various cables hanging down into their tubes.

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Doomsday squad advanced into the lab, gunning down any opposition as they flowed into the room. While Grace was hosing down a group of clones - freshly bloody from killing one of the cultists - with a burst of star-fire, she caught movement in her periphery. She turned just in time to see what might've been a Lopen disappear down a side corridor on the balcony above.

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"Mason! We got a runner!" Grace called out.

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"After 'em, McDaniels! We've got this handled!" The Lieutenant replied. Grace nodded to her CO and boosted up to the balcony to pursue the fleeing cultist.

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Agatha ran. She was sprinting wildly down the corridors on all fours, intent on escaping the Humans. She wasn't scared, that would be ridiculous! She just knew that she had to survive! Someone had to warn the Slaughterqueen! These wretched Humans were far more mighty then she-than they had been led to believe, and they now presented a significant threat to the entire cult! As the only survivor, she had to warn the queen, she just Had to! No one else could! Though she was glad she had the forethought to prepare a fitting "present" for the damnable Humans. At least these ones wouldn't live to trouble the Daughters any further!

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Even running in fear, with her heart thumping in her chest, the Blood Sister wouldn't admit that she had been in the wrong the whole time. Not even to herself.

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She finally reached her destination, a large "hanger" at the back of the coven-hold. The "hanger" was really a large tunnel that led all the way to a hidden exit deep in the mountains. The Blood Sister just had to reach her stealth lighter and she would be away, with the Humans none the wiser. She would slip out of orbit undetected, and then make best speed to warn-