[i]”About time.”[/i] Clay muttered nonchalantly in response to the man appearing out of nowhere and falling to the ground. Acting as though this was not only uncommon but somewhat expected.

————————-

With their prime objective secured, the invasion parties waiting patiently at each and every window sprung into action. 
If the room was occupied they went in hostile, otherwise they simply placed explosives and carried on sweeping the building. Intent and determine to clear any and all trace of their presence. 12 soldiers entered in total, spread out through the building. 5 remained out front with Evelyn. Numerous drones continued to scout and assist. An unknown number of snipers surveyed and continued to feed intel.

Before Salamel [@King Tai] could even finish taking in the scenery, he was under attack. Flanked from either side by two small tactile teams assisted by combat drones. K12 [@Blueflame] would encounter similar troubles on his way to the upper floor windows. 

——————————

After hitting into the door futilely, with enough strength and effort to dislocate his shoulder, Clay groans with a growing rage. He chuckles proudly about what the symbiote said.
“[b]You ain’t seen nothing yet doll, hold on tight.[/b]” he replies as enemies entered.

Beneath the layer of symbiote covering his body, Clay’s tattooed flesh began to ripple and roll as the muscles beneath began to pop, expand, tense and grow. His teeth grit tightly together in agony, trying to hold back his groan as his contorted figure snapped violently from one position to another. His fingers curled and contracted. He sporadically shook his his head, trying to tame the pain and clear his thoughts. 

Amidst his own brutal battle, Clay managed to say one thing to the symbiote. “[b]Protect her.[/b]” right before he launched himself at the bullet ridden wall beside the door. Finding a new strength in his legs and with the protection of Xz he tore a path right through it sending splinters of debris and wood exploding outwards.

As the shattering debris and smoke settled, Clay stood there, in the cold air of outside, all attention and guns pointed at him. Slightly larger than before, muscles well more defined. Jaw seemingly move protruded, teeth noticeably sharper, his twitching ears reaching up nearing a point. His wide chest and shoulders heaving up and down heavily as he inhaled and exhaled deeply.

He surveyed the scene with new eyes that now glowed with a wild demonic orange, as a raw untamed energy coursed through his veins. He was overcome with an extreme predatory excitement and hunger. Highly alert and energetic he moved in a more beastly and erratic nature.

If Xz was attuned to Clay at all she would be aware of the overwhelming urges of the beast within. His battle for control against this ecstatic drug like rush and feeling of invulnerability. It became obviously clear what he meant earlier, ‘protect her... from me.’
His monsterous gaze fell upon Evelyn, for a split second it nearly passed her without recognition, but as a soldier proded her with a gun barrel, Clay snapped and gave into the insatiable rage swelling inside him.

The cold nights air suddenly erupted into a cacophony of gun fire. It was the uninjured dogs that first broke the stillness before Clay could act. Out of nowhere their jaws suddenly latched onto the layer of symbiote skin covering Clay. The drones and soldiers followed. But it was a sniper bullet that dropped him. Punching right through all the built up armour it tore a clean hole in his chest as it threw him into the tavern wall. 

Coughing and spluttering, he collapsed to the floor. Blood trickling from the few holes that managed to penetrate Xz. In the distance the sniper reloaded and put Clay’s head in his sight.
Unaware of his potential doom he managed to wheeze out a whisper to Xz, [i][sub]”ready for round two?”[/sub][/i]