She took a deep breath, grabbing the hilt of her sword again, staring st the ground. She just mumbled under her breath, seeming annoyed.

Ash gazed straight ahead, not moving a muscle. Ash was lost to them. The cold stranger across the table had taken his place.

"Well." Virus took a step back. "This has grown tiresome. I think its time I took what I want from you, my dear. Ash." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kill the princess. Kill them all."

With a flash of blue light, Ash drew his sword and slashed it across the table. It happened so quickly, she didnt even have time to scream before the icy blade streaked down at her face.

Puck lunged in front of her and caught the blade with his own, deflecting it with a screech and a flurry of sparks. Puck grabbed her wrist, dragging Claire away. "Retreat!" he yelled as the Thornguards leaped across the tables with a roar. Ash jumped gracefully onto the table, his terrible blank gaze fastened on Claire. "Ironhorse, fall back, there are too many of them!"

With a bellow and a blast of flame, Ironhorse reared up into his true form, breathing fire and lashing out with his hooves. The guards fell back in shock and Ironhorse charged, knocking several aside and clearing a path to the door. As the huge Iron fey thundered past, Puck shoved Claire toward the exit. "Go!" he shouted, and whirled to block Ashs sword, slicing down at his back.

"Not without that scepter Puck." She snapped, sprinting past him and Iron horse, her sword drawn as she runs towards Virus. "I'd rather die than go back without that scepter." She sneers.

Virus didn't seem concerned at all.

Puck snarled a curse and threw a fuzzy black ball into their midst. It burst into a maddened grizzly, which reared up with a booming roar, startling everything in the room. As the Thornguards and Ash turned toward this new threat, Puck grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the room.

"Been saving that, just in case," he panted, as Ironhorse snorted with appreciation. "Now lets get out of here. We can come back for the scepter later!"

They ran for the elevator. The hallway seemed longer now, the steel doors deliberately keeping their distance. Ash was stalking toward them, his sword radiating blue light through the corridor.

Ahead of them, the elevator dinged. A second later, the doors slid open, and a squadron of Thornguards stepped into the hall.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," Puck exclaimed as he skidded to a halt. As one, the knights drew their swords and marched forward in unison, filling the corridor with the ring of their boots.

Ash was advancing steadily as well, his eyes glassy and terrifying.

"This is crappy." He mutters, still pissed about the fact that he took her away from Virus and the scepter.

A click echoed through the hall and miraculously, one of the side doors swung open.

"How predictable," Grimalkin sighed, appearing in the doorway. "I thought you might need a second way out. Why is it always up to me to think of these things?"

"I would kiss you, cat," Puck said as he crowded through the doorway, "if we werent in such a hurry. Also, the hairballs could be unpleasant."

She chuckles, running out the doorway after glancing at Ash.

Puck slammed the door and leaned against it, gasping as he took in their newest surroundings. A vast white room stretched before us, filled with hundreds upon hundreds of cubicles, creating a labyrinth of aisles. A low hum vibrated in the air, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of tapping keys. Humans sat at desks within each cubicle, dressed in identical white shirts and gray pants, staring glassy-eyed at the monitors as they typed away.

"Whoa," Puck muttered, looking around.

Simultaneously, the tapping stopped. Chairs shifted and groaned as every single human in the room stood up and, as one, turned in their direction. And, as one, they opened their mouths and spoke.

"We see you, Claire Chase. You will not escape."

Puck cursed and pulled out his dagger just as a boom shook the door behind them.

"Looks like were going straight through," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Grimalkin, get moving! Rusty, clear us a path!"

"I hate this." She snaps, tossing her sword between her hands.

Grimalkin bounded into the maze, dodging feet and weaving through legs as the hordes of zombie-drones shuffled toward them. Ironhorse pawed the tile, put his head down and charged with a roar. Drones flung themselves at him, punching and clawing, but they bounced off or were thrown aside as the angry Iron fey stampeded through the hall. Puck followed in his wake, leaping over downed bodies, dodging the hands that grabbed for them. "Youre not the only one!"

The maze of aisles and cubicles seemed to go on forever.

"Theyre coming fast. How much farther, cat?"

"Here," Grimalkin said, darting around a cubicle. The room finally ended with a stark white wall and a door in the corner, marked with an Exit sign. "The emergency stairs," he explained as they rushed forward in relief. "This will take us to the street level. Hurry!"

Ash stepped out of an aisle next to them, appearing from nowhere.