[i]I've been called a monster before, but honestly when you look at the entirety of the human race, we are all monsters right down to the last child. The irony is that I can admit to doing terrible things, take responsibility for the actions I commit. It is however the people who label me who are unable to own up to their sins. Hiding behind a facade of innocence and self righteousness because they are too afraid to see the monster that lays just beneath the surface. Many claim they are incapable of terrible acts, and even to some extent believe that. But if you were thrown into an impossible situation that could only end in the loss of your life or another what would you do? Would you so easily choose death to spare one who would take away what no one person has a right to take, or would you fight for your right to live even if it meant to take a life yourself? The truth is that we are all monsters inside, it just takes extenuating circumstances to draw it out into the open. Monster is just a convenient word to hide who we truly are deep down, to project it onto someone else to cover our own fear, our fear of ourselves.[/i]

[b]- Ian Bannister[/b]

[color=tan]Cass was silent as he applied the synthesizer to the wound he suffered from the chunk of glass that had pierced him. Clicking a couple of buttons on the nearby console there was a low hum as the small black device of the wound activated. A low light appeared under its edges as Cass grunted the device closing the wound and cauterizing it. It took mere moments but the device quickly did its work, he removed it and idly tossed the device aside as he looked at the freshly closed wound, another scar to add to his collection as it would seem. Turning Cass looked at the young woman who was bound to a nearby medical table, her mouth was taped shut but grunted panicked as her eye's moved wildly around. Approaching the table Cass removed the medical tape from her mouth as she gave a small yelp of pain.

[color=black][b]"You monster, let me go!"[/b][/color]

Cass showed no apparent reaction to the insult, he did however move closer as he reached out his hand and slowly placed it over the woman's throat tightening his grip just enough to make sure she could breath but not talk easily.

[b]"You call me a monster but you are but a hypocrite my dear, were all monsters deep down even if your little brain can not perceive such a thing about yourself. I could snap your neck at this very moment if it suited me, this cybernetic limb is quite... dangerous when used as a weapon. Let me ask you a question, if you were able to move right now, able to fight back, would you take my life knowing that my objective was to take your life from you? I bet that you would if you had to do it, and it is that exact reason that your just as much a monster as I am, after all only monsters would take a life regardless of who that person is. Life is a delicate thing, and when it is threatened we will fight to preserve it just like I am now. It is unfortunate that I do not possess the time to continue this lecture on philosophy."[/b]

Cass became silent as he reached over and released one of the restraints on the woman's wrist giving her the ability to free herself. Cass turned and walked to the door of the medical bay but stopped just for a moment to speak one last thing before exiting.

[b]"It is because of monsters, real monsters in our society that I am even here right now. If you accept that or not it doesn't matter but don't believe for a second that your any more innocent then me."[/b]

Time was ticking down as Cass heightened his speed and ran down the empty corridor of the ship, he had to make it to the escape pods, the rest of the crew was already there he was positive of it and this ship had a limited supply of seats and he was fairly positive they were not going to give a damn about an escaped prisoner getting one of those said pods. Cass slowed his speed as he came upon the bay where the escape pods were, he could see a lot of people in the bay as they moved chaotically into the pods. The question now was if Cass tried to take a pod what would they think of it? Would they let him try to live like everyone else or would they stop him and leave him to die? Nothing was going as it should have and this was more then agitating, to plan so accordingly and then to have one big kink to throw it all out of proportion. It didn't matter he needed to eject now and get planet side regardless of the cost. Cass began to move forward, he would take the closest pod as fast possible and get the hell out before anyone could figure out he was not part of the crew.

It was sudden and quick, the attack was hard and direct, Cass felt someone crash into him from behind, his body slammed by what could only be described as a bone shattering blow. Cass flew forward and smashed the ground hard, he slid upon the metal floor and smacked into one of the fleeing crew knocking them over.

[b][color=black]"Get the hell out of the way!"[/color][/b]

Cass heard the angry voice as he quickly rolled over and climbed back to his feet, he turned seeing one of his bounty hunting captors, the one he had kicked in the head trying to make his way through the panicked crowd. Cass wasted no time as he pulled the electrified baton from his belt and flicked it to life as power surged into its top, the mercenary quickly pulled a gun from his belt intent to take Cass down. With little to no hesitation Cass quickly grabbed the man he had been knocked into and flung him to his feet and wrapped his arm around his throat to use him as a shield.

[b][color=red]"Hey let him go!"[/color][/b]

Cass slammed his cybernetic limb sideways as a nearby man tried to interfere, the back of his fist slammed into his nose and he crashed backwards grabbing at his face, the others surrounding them quickly scrambled to get the hell out of the path of the situation that was unfolding before them.

[b][color=black]"Let him you psychopath!"[/color][/b]

Cass tightened his grip with no intention of complying with the command, he did not come this far to be thwarted by this buffoon and his goon squad that was probably not far behind. The man he held gagged as his breath was shortened drastically.

[b]"Psychopath... isn't that word too big for your little mind to comprehend none the less use in a full sentence? You already know that I have no intention of listening to you Bounty Hunter. No, I did not come this far to be apprehended by you again, no, I am taking one of the escape pods and getting off this sinking ship and there is nothing you can do about it."[/b]

[b][color=black]"You freak! Do you really think your making it off this ship?! Don't make me laugh, your gonna go down with it! You don't deserve anything less! Did you really think a criminal like you would be allowed to use an escape pod before everyone else on this ship?! Let him go and just accept your fate, let justice be served!"[/color][/b]

[b]"Oh your funny, justice? Don't even utter that word in my presence you low class piece of trash. You speak as if you have some sort of moral high ground. I wonder what most of these people would think of you if I told them a little bit about your splendid history. You think I don't know you? You think I let you capture me without so much as a fight just because, that I escaped my cell without so much as a blink of an eye by luck? No I knew who you were before you ever entered that space station, I know because I was the one who planned it out detail by detail. Why we don't tell all these wonderful people about what you did seven years prior to now hm? Why don't we tell them how you..."[/b]

[b][color=black]"Shut your mouth criminal! My history is none of your business!"[/color][/b]

[b]"Oh but it my business because you think you have some right to call me a criminal but I wasn't the one who murdered my own wife, was I? Oh how you got away with it to, how your little friends safe guarded you and lied for you while you walked away free as a bird. Did you think no one else knew? Did you think that it was your dirty little secret? Who's the bloody criminal here now? Not so easy to be the hero when your just a piece of trash like the scum you hunt is it?"[/b]

Cass became silent as the bounty hunter gritted his teeth and looked around at the people around him whom were now looking in his direction. Without hesitation he raised the gun and pulled the trigger, the shot tore out of the barrel and smashed into the man Cass held, it smashed into his chest as the bullet went through him and hit Cass in the shoulder. The man fell limp almost immediately as the life drained from his body. Cass let go of the man in pain as the baton dropped to the floor beside the man whom hit the floor hard with a loud thump. The entire bay erupted with outrage and the crew quickly flung themselves at the bounty hunter in a blinding rage. Cass grabbed his shoulder as he smirked menacingly and quickly flung himself into the nearby escape pod and quickly slammed the button to close the door. 

Cass threw up the casing over the eject button and smashed it with his good hand, there was a sharp hiss before the escape pod started to slowly move. Cass quickly jumped into the seat and strapped himself in. The pod ejected at a high speed as he was soon free of the ship and barreling into the gravity of the planet below. [/color]

[img]http://pre06.deviantart.net/b185/th/pre/i/2015/213/d/0/hiveworld__xenomorph_prime_by_cerberuslives-d93ltuz.jpg[/img]

[@Dusksong]