Mark ran up to Rip-fang, raising the hatch door and he jumped to slam into him. Rip-fang's tail tried to lash him, but he hadn't acted fast enough. Colliding into his side, Rip-fang stumbled off balance and fell to his side. Mark rolled over Rip-fang's side, raising the hatch over his head as Rip-fang's tail and wing tried to pummel him as he rolled up onto his feet to face him. Backing up, Mark kept the hatch door between them. The hatch was dented up badly from Rip-fang's blows, but Mark just needed it to last long enough. Rip-fang rose on all fours, his tail arching behind him as his wings rose, snarling out bitterly. "You DARE attack me! I'll destroy YOU!" Mark didn't reply, he needed to stay focused. One surprise attack from him could be his end. Rip-fang let out a hiss, drool leaking from between his sharp teeth. Rip-fang lunged to tackle him but Mark leapt forward to slid out under his belly. Holding the hatch door up, the sharp edges clipped Rip-fang's thighs. Rip-fang yelped, landing and sliding into the wall. Rising to his feet, Mark barely raised the hatch door in time before Rip-fang's tail slammed into him.

The blow knocked Mark off his feet to slide across the floor on his back. Rip-fang let out a vicious snarl, scrambling across the floor to chase after him. Mark heard Sean scream his name but couldn't do anything. Rip-fang caught up with him as he stopped sliding, opening his mouth wide to try biting him. Mark raised the hatch door off his chest to try and block his bite. Seconds before the bite came, a burst of fire came from the hallway that led down to the escape pods. Rip-fang screamed, retreating from the flames. Mark raised an eyebrow, watching Commander Steele step out into the room with a lighter and a can of hair spray. Keeping the lighter and nozzle aimed at Rip-fang, she yelled out. "Back off, asshole!" Rip-fang peeled a layer of burned scaly skin off the side of his face, before growling out to her. "So... you wanna play that game, do you?" Mark rose slowly to his feet, his eyes drifting to check on Sean. Sean and Logan were creeping up behind Rip-fang. He wanted to tell them to stay back... but that would only put them in more danger.

Rip-fang's tongue flicked out like a snake, tasting the air. His whole body tensed as he glanced over his shoulder to see that they were surrounding him. Giving them a devilish grin, he growled out. "You're a bunch of fools. I can take you all on." Rip-fang cracked his knuckles, showing off his talon nails as his tail and wings rose up. The Commander sprayed the chemical through the fire on her lighter, showering Rip-fang in bright flames. Rip-fang rose to let the flames sear over his chest, then kicked out at the hatch door that Mark held. Mark was knocked back into a wall, before Rip-fang spun around and lashed his tail out at the Commander. She managed to duck as his tail soared over her head to smash against the doorframe. Facing Logan, Rip-fang lunged to bite him, forcing Logan to leap back to avoid his jaws. As Logan fell from slipping on the wet tile, he managed to swat Rip-fang's face away toward Sean. Mark forced himself away from the wall, gasping to get air back in his lungs. Sean had a knife at his hip, but it wasn't drawn!

Rip-fang started to crawl toward Sean, sneering out. "I can smell him on you, human!" Rip-fang opened his mouth, arching his neck to snap at Sean. Sean fought with something in his hand, before panicking and tossing it into Rip-fang's mouth. Rip-fang's jaws snapped shut loudly, before he winced and opened his mouth again with a pained hiss. Something had gotten lodged between Rip-fang's large teeth. Mark couldn't tell what it was, but it looked like a small bottle. Rip-fang paused to dig at it with his talon, popping it free to let it roll across the floor. With it gone, Rip-fang flicked his tongue over the spot in his mouth to make sure it was gone. Sean bent down to snatch the rolling bottle but couldn't get it. It had rolled too close to Rip-fang's feet. Forcing him to abandon it and bolt out toward the other hatch. Logan got up, leaping at Rip-fang, but Rip-fang shoved him back with a powerful arm. Snarling, Rip-fang dashed after Sean on all fours. Mark rushed forward to grab the bottle as Commander Steele asked him. "What the hell is that?"

Mark briefly looked at the label and smirked. The hottest sauce in the universe was almost ironic to him. Unable to answer her, he threw the hatch door to slow down Rip-fang. Logan even helped by grabbing Rip-fang's tail, forcing him to drag his reluctant weight. Rip-fang swiped at Sean, catching his leg to trip him. Sean fell to his stomach, but as Rip-fang tried to bite Sean, Logan tugged him back. Rip-fang's jaws snapped shut just short of Sean's legs. In frustration, Rip-fang whirled around to attack Logan. Only as he turned, Mark threw the bottle at his face. The bottle wacked Rip-fang in the eye, before falling to the ground with a soft clink. Mark cursed to himself. The little bottle was pretty fucking hard to break. Rip-fang paused to rub his eye, then growled as he looked at Mark. Mark flashed him a smile, uttering out aloud. "I challenge you, Rip-fang!" Rip-fang's whole body tensed up with disgusted fury. Mark backed up slowly to draw him away from Sean, stating out sternly. "I have a right too as a young male! Will you accept?" Rip-fang flicked Logan off his tail, walking menacingly toward Mark as he snarled out. "You have no right to challenge me for earth! You are a weak abomination to nature!"

Mark shrugged, casually retorting to him. "If I'm so weak... Why deny my claim? Prove your metal. Fight me!" Rip-fang snorted, gruffly growling out. "I don't have to prove anything to you. I'd never lower myself to your level. You will die. Unwanted and dishonored by both worlds!" Mark saw something slide across the ground between Rip-fang's legs toward him. Rip-fang ducked his head to look, but lost interest in it when Sean yelled out. "You're wrong! I love him!" Mark bent down slowly to pick up the knife as Rip-fang glanced back at Sean. Sean took a breath, then tilted the bottle of hot sauce up to pour the contents into his mouth. For added flare, while he took in the liquid, Sean flicked Rip-fang off. Rip-fang's tail lashed out at Sean, but Sean jumped back to avoid it and gave him a smug tight lipped grin. Rip-fang looked to Mark to briefly tell him. "Watch me kill your mate!" Rip-fang whirled around with his teeth bared to bite Sean. Sean waited with watering eyes as Rip-fang opened his mouth to bite him. When he couldn't take it anymore, he spit the sauce into Rip-fang's mouth.

Rip-fang jerked his head back, closing his mouth in shock. Mark used Rip-fang's hesitation to rush in under his wing to stab the knife into his ribs. Rip-fang thrashed wildly, knocking everyone anyway from him. Retreating from everyone, Rip-fang began to cough and dry heave. Commander Steele reached them, raising the spray can and lighter in the hopes of keeping him back. Mark staggered over to Sean, who was dry heaving and coughing just as badly as Rip-fang. Rip-fang plunged his head into what remained of the water feature, favoring his injured side. Logan covered his noise, his eyes watering as he uttered out. "Oh my god... that's worse than before..." When Rip-fang jerked his head up from the water, hacking loudly before snapping out. "You disgusting beast! What did you do to me!" Mark glanced at the knife still in Rip-fang's side. It would have to go deeper to do any real damage. Rip-fang's eyes locked on his, before choking out in a strained voice. "You don't want to fight fair? FINE! I can play dirty!"

Rip-fang spread his wings out to their full impressive length. Then Rip-fang looked up at the ceiling and leapt up into the air. Mark gasped, when he realized that Rip-fang was heading toward the glass of the station! Commander Steele lowered her hands, screaming out. "Oh my god!" Mark quickly picked up Sean into his arms, yelling out in just as much panic. "TO THE PODS! GO! NOW!" Logan ran for his dad, coaxing him to get up enough that he could rush him to the hatch that led down to the pods. Logan got his dad in and Commander Steele rushed in shortly after. Mark just got Sean to the hatch door though, when the glass shattered above them. Immediately, a strong suction began to draw out the air from the room. Mark managed to grab the hatch doorway before his feet were lifted off the floor! Unlike the other lizards, he didn't have a set of space lungs. Exhaling to keep his lungs from exploding, he clung to the doorway. Sean slammed into his chest, clinging to him in a panic as Mark's feet rose up toward the ceiling. Within the hatch, Logan clung to the walls of the hallway, yelling out. "HANG ON!"

With Sean's weight added to his own, Mark felt himself slipping as the suction grew stronger. Extending his talons out, Mark pierced the metal to help him stay put. With his legs, Mark wrapped them around Sean's to help keep him close. Logan got as close as he could, reaching out to grab Mark's wrist. Mark shook his head, gesturing to Sean with his head. Logan understood, reaching out a bit more to grab Sean. Mark pulled and pushed Sean into Logan's arms. Sean was gripping his throat like he was choking. Logan backed down the hallway wall with some effort. Trying to make room for Mark to make his way in. Mark grabbed the hatch door with his free hand, trying to pull himself inside. The suction was so strong that it was fighting to keep the hatch open despite Mark pulling on the door. It helped to get him to the doorway, when Logan yelled out. "Rip-fang!" Mark glanced over his shoulder. Rip-fang was flying in fast straight toward them. Mark could feel his lungs starting to burn from lack of air. So, he made a split-second decision.

Releasing the doorway, he completely grabbed the hatch door. Bracing his feet on the wall, he put all his strength into closing the hatch door. The force he fought against pushed his strength to the limits, until black veins shot up his arms. Opening his mouth to let out an inhuman roar, he managed to slam the hatch door shut. Rip-fang slammed over him, shoving him against the hatch door. Mark thought he was going to pass out, but he had to protect Sean. With the hatch door shut, the air would stabilize on his end. Reaching back, Mark grabbed the knife and yanked it out of Rip-fang's side. Rip-fang made an inaudible hiss, allowing Mark to push himself down and away from the wall. He couldn't control his floating, but he had a target spot in mind. Rip-fang clutched his side as droplets of blood leaked from between his scaly fingers and even from his mouth and nose. The hot sauce appeared to be burning Rip-fang so badly that is tongue was a bloody mess. Mark floated up toward the ceiling but before he was drawn out into space, he grabbed a ventilation shaft.

Weakly pulling himself to it, he used the sides to crawl through it quickly. He'd seen the blue lizard use a ventilation shaft in the hallway to the pod rooms. With any luck, he could find a way in too. Shortly after he got inside, the shaft vibrated and jolted without a sound. Glancing back, he saw Rip-fang's claws tearing into the metal shaft. He was far too big to get into the shaft... but he was easily able to tear it up. Biting and clawing his way along the shaft to get to him, Mark quickened his pace. His lungs were reaching their limit, but adrenaline was keeping him going. He was almost to the part of the shaft that was built into the wall, when Rip-fang's claws pierced into the sides of the shaft by his shoulders. Rip-fang seemed to have landed on top of it and was trying to cut him off from the wall exit. Rip-fang's teeth started to crush the square top of the shaft, while his long talons wedged in deeper into the shaft's sides. Shrinking low as the top caved in under Rip-fang's jaws, Mark forced himself to make his way past. He couldn't make it without touching one of Rip-fang's fingers though... and it cost him.

The second Rip-fang felt him, his fingers thrashed around, and a talon sliced Mark's hip. Wincing in pain, Mark ignored the blood running from his side to keep going. Farther into the more protected shaft, Mark began to peek out of the grates. He knew generally what direction to go in and found his way blocked off by an emergency ventilation damper. Mark banged on it, but it was firmly set in place. He thought about trying to use his tools to open it manually... but it would take so much time. Time his lungs just didn't have. Hanging his head, he thought he was going to die here. At least, until he heard two bangs on the other side. Mark jerked his head up, banging back. After a few seconds, the damper hissed loudly as air began to rush out. Mark dug his claws into the sides of the shaft to keep himself from being blown back. As the square panel tilted up, a tan scaly hand slipped a small mask with a little tank through. Mark took it, watching the damper close back up. Pressing the mask to his face, he turned the valve on the top and inhaled a rush of oxygen. Air had never felt so good in his lungs.

Once his breathing was back to normal, he noticed the note within a clear plastic folder on the side of the oxygen tank. Normally that held directions on how to use the tank.  It made him smile to himself at how clever it was to stash something in it. The note was in Sean's handwriting. He'd recognize it anywhere. Reading the note, he nodded to himself. They were gone to launch the pod and head to the Ceres. They wanted him to take the vent to the docking bay and seal the Ceres door. Taking light breaths to save the air in the little oxygen tank, he nodded. He could do that. To Be Continued...