Celeste couldn't believe what was happening. Here she was, standing like a moron, taunting a creature that could easily tear her in two. Well, at least she had a story to tell to her grandchildren one day. Celeste realized, however, that if she started rambling on to her descendants about the 'glory days' of her fighting a velociraptor on a rooftop, she'd end up in a nursing home in no time at all.

Celeste was waving her activated lightsabre at the raptor. "Here, dino! Niiiiice dinosaur! Looky what auntie Celeste has for you!"

The reptile seemed fascinated at the neon blade that Celeste held. It cautiously took a step closer and ducked its frightening head to get a better view.

"Good boy - or girl - or whatever," Celested crooned. "Come a bit closer..."

Celeste had never been so scared in all her life. She forced herself to remain calm. She didn't want to startle the raptor, whatever else happened. She had to get it as close as possible to her so that she could stab the creature. Celeste's breath caught in her throat. The velociraptor was nearer. It stared at the lightsabre with clear, unblinking eyes. Suddenly, it screamed and charged directly at Celeste.

Celeste didn't know that anything could move that fast. She forgot all about her fencing skills. Shouting, she took a leap backwards and made a blind stab for the beast, hoping for the best. Luck was with Celeste. The lightsabre had caught the raptor right in its scaly stomach, stopping it in mid - charge The prehistoric reptile gave one last tormented wail before collapsing. Its lifeless body rolled off of the Gryphon's roof. Celeste didn't know how to react. Had she REALLY killed the velociraptor, or was it just playing possum in hopes to catch the Huntress off guard? She doubted it...even if the raptor had survived the stabbing, which was unlikely, there was no way it could have taken the fall off the Gryphon. Breathing a sigh of relief, Celeste took a step backwards - Into the empty air!

X had heard the whole battle. It was hard NOT to. When he had heard Celeste shout, and the Raptor scream, he became startled and prayed that Celeste was okay. Almost as soon as that thought had run through his head, Celeste's shrill, unmistakable scream reached his ears. X winced at the sound. Chirstine from The Phantom of the Opera probably couldn't hold a candle to Celeste when it came to reaching high notes. But it didn't sound like Celeste was being torn up...it sounded more like she was falling! Forrest broke out of his paralysed, terror - stricken state when he heard the scream.

"Ack! What is it? Ragnarok? Judgement Day? What's that ungodly sound?!"

"It's Celeste!" X shouted. "I think she's hurt!"

"Celeste? You sent a HUMAN to battle a velociraptor!?"

"Well, what did you want me to do, send YOU? Forrest, the Fearless Reploid?" X started to explain, but Forrest paid no heed. He lept to the back of the Gryphon, and bounded up the rungs. X heard the hatch above him crash open. There was a pause, then, "Oh my God! X! Come here, quick!" X could hear the muffled thud of Forrest climbing on the roof, then quicky jumping off of it. X didn't know if he would be able to stand the sight of Celeste splattered all over the ground. Still, he followed Forrest suit. Rembering that the Gryphon's roof couldn't hold his weight, he quickly made the two storey jump to the ground. The leap was no problem for a reploid. He ran to his friends. Celeste was sitting up, conscious, but very dazed. Forrest was sitting beside her, asking her questions. Celeste didn't answer them. She just shook her head and mumbled to herself.

"Uh oh." X said when he saw the scenario.

"Yeah, 'Uh oh' is right!" Forrest snapped. "X, she fell off the Gryphon! And I think she hit her head. Look!" Forrest pointed to the side of Celeste's head. X was alarmed to see blood trickling though her hair, down to her chin.

Celeste suddenly pitched forward. Forrest caught her before she hit the ground. "She's unconscious! Geez! Knocked out cold twice in one day. That CAN'T be good for you."

"Forrest! Wake her up!" X instructed. "If she has a concussion, don't let her sleep!"

"Hey that's right," Forrest remembered. He grabbed Celeste by the shoulders, and shook her. "Wakey wakey! It's a brand new day! Well, it WAS." Forrest said as he glanced up at the setting sun.

"Hey! Take it easy! Don't break her neck!"

Forrest rolled his eyes. "I can't do ANYTHING right, can I X?" He shook Celeste one more time. "Wake up, Raptor's - Bane!"

This time Celeste's eyelids fluttered open. Without warning, she jumped up, flapping her arms and screaming. For a wild instant, X thought that maybe the human was trying to take flight. Celeste just wailed on like a firebell.

"RaptorraptoromigodomigodIcan'tbelieve
whatIjustkilledWHYdidyousendmeoutthere
togetdisembowledwhatkindofheartlessfreak
AREyouomigodIamslowlygoingcrazy!!"

"Well, SHE's okay." X said with a grin.

Celeste spun around on her heel to face the amused reploid. "I'm NOT okay!" She insisted, flopping back down on the ground. "I feel like I've been run over by a truck." She blinked and yawned. "And I'm sorta sleepy. Listen, how about you and Forrest go on ahead to fight Vile. I'll just catch a quick nap." Celeste closed her eyes again. But Forrest began to shake her violently once more. "No! Non! Nix! Ne pas de sleep! DO NOT GO TO SLEEP. X thinks that you might have a concussion, so you have to stay awake.

"Whatever." Celeste mumbled, giving in to the sandman once again.

Forrest lifted up Celeste's limp body, propped her up into a standing position, then brought his platinum - plated boot down on Celeste's foot. Celeste woke up in a hurry, and screeched.

"All right! I'm UP! This time I mean it!"

"Forrest, stay with Celeste," X instructed. "I'm going around to the other side of the Gryphon to look for her lightsabre." Forrest nodded in agreement.

A short trip later, X found Celeste's lightsabre. It was still lodged in the raptor's stomach. The reptile was rolled over on its back. It's head was thrown back, it's mouth gaping open. Its forked tongue lolled between its deadly teeth, which would never rip apart another victim again. ("Thank God!" X thought.) Dry blood clotted the beast's pebble - patterned skin in black patches. X had only one thing to say about the whole scene.

"Eeeewwww."

Bracing himself, X pulled the ignighted lightsabre out of the motionless creature's stomach. Not a pleasent task, but someone had to do it. X wiped the sabre clean, then deactivated it. Taking one last look at the raptor, he left the corpse to rejoin with the other Hunters.

Celeste seemed to have improved a bit by the time X got back to her. X had mentioned that it might've been better if one of them teleported Celeste back to the lab, but Forrest had just pointed back to the force field. It was still there, shedding its ominous light silently. Teleportation was still impossible. Celeste had to come along to the showdown, no matter how injured she was. Celeste didn't seem to mind. She didn't want to be sent back to Maverick Hunter HQ, anyway.

The party abandoned the wreck of the Gryphon, and began to walk towards their destination. X and Forrest supported Celeste between them, although she didn't need that much help to walk.

"Cain isn't going to be happy when he sees what has happened to the Gryphon." X brought up suddenly.

"Don't worry about it." Forrest assured him. "I think that Cain will be happy to know that the Gryphon...uh, died a noble death while taking us to Vile's fortress."

X frowned. "Maybe so, but he probably won't break out the champagne when he hears that his months and months of hard work is now just a twisted mound of titanium."

Celeste spoke up suddenly. "I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"Am I the only one who noticed that we're walking towards the Mavericks' fortress without a plan to get in? What are we supposed when we get there? Ring the doorbell?" Celeste laughed.

X's grim response startled them all. "Not a bad idea. Do we have a choice?"