Difference between revisions of "Lost Child/Chapter 1"

Latest revision as of 05:45, 22 May 2013

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Apostasy woke in the middle of the night, waking up her neighbours within the bathhouse with a loud scream.

Sorien starts awake, looking around for the source of the sound; after a few blinks she recognizes the voice, and charges to the source- Apostasy's apartment.

Cilan wakes up to the sound of the screaming, her head rising from the desk in her room that she had been working at late into the night, quickly rising from her seat, she charges out of her room and into the hallway to help the source of the screaming.

Solixis wakes with a jolt, surprised by her mate's scream. She rushes to find her, frightened of what would cause her powerful mate to scream.

REDACTED manages to sleep through the noise, and even her mate waking and moving, but after a minute of the lack of her mate's presence she awakens, blinking in the darkness and seeing the door to the apartment open. Kay slept through the noise like her mother and is asleep in her crib.

While others who were wakened converge on her room, Apo has gotten dressed and has her sword strapped to its usual place on her back. She comes out the door in a hurry, almost colliding with the gathering crowd. "Ah! Good. People. Yes." She looks at Sorien. "Sor. Need you to get the bus. We have to go to Oregon. Northern Oregon. Barton."

Sorien pulls up short at the sight of Apo. "Buh. Now?" While she's physically ready for action, it’s obvious her brain may still be in bed.

REDACTED walks blinking out into the lit hallway, her ears perking at the voices, she's actually nude for once, her arm wrapped around her chest.

Apostasy nods firmly. "Now. We have to go. Kale is in a hell of a lot of trouble." Anyone paying attention can see and hear the combination of terror and anger on her face and in her voice.

REDACTED asks groggily, "Kale? What? You have word from her?"

Cilan stares dumbfounded to Apostasy, scratching at the back of her head in curiosity, curiosity that quickly fades when Kale's name is spoken, "Wait.. K-Kales in danger?!" a look of surprised terror pressing at the once groggy face.

Solixis stares with half-lidded eyes. "What's going on? Apos, what happened?"

Sorien shakes her head, obviously trying to get her brain into gear. "It'll take a bit; I have to refuel it, and I don't think I'm safe to drive yet... Gotta wake up."

Apostasy shakes her head at REDACTED' question. "No, a dream. You know the kind." She gives everyone a pleading look. "Please! We can talk about this on the road. We have to go now!"

Cilan softly churrls, "Im right behind you!"

Solixis nods, shaken to wakefulness by her mate's earnest pleadings. "Okay, Apos. Will do. I'm ready to go whenever you are."

Sorien rubs the bridge of her muzzle. "I'll get the pump. We'll fuel at the old gas station. Okay? REDACTED, can you wake Mara and see if she'll watch Kaylah? Everyone else, see who we need and what, and meet at the bus. I'll get it ready."

Apostasy nods, her tail twitching in agitation at the delay. "I'll be waiting at the bus. Please, all of you, hurry."

REDACTED nods to her mate and turns to Mara's room, opening the unlocked door and disappearing inside.

Apostasy heads off down to the bus to wait for everyone else.

Sorien goes to the storage shed and gets the fuel pump; she loads it into the cargo bay of the bus, still looking quite sleepmazed. She latches it shut, and starts checking the bus to make sure it’s ready.

Solixis follows her mate, unsure where or what this bus is. She readies her equipment anyways, preparing for trouble. Checking her food, she doubles her normal ration load. "I'm all set."

REDACTED has found herself her clothing and weapons, although her fur is matted clearly showing she has wasted no time. She walks in briskly, saying, "Kay is taken care of love. Now what is going on? Is Apostasy having vision dreams?" she asks her mate.

Cilan frantically dashes down to the bus alongside Apostasy, moving to assist Sorien in prepping the bus for the long ride to Oregon.

Solixis climbs into the bus, curious, excited, apprehensive, and nervous about what is going to happen.

Two figures appear in the darkness before the bus is ready. A small four tailed 'yote and his guardian who's in a sort of meditative state. The 'yote seems to be walking the big griffon, who's elsewhere at the moment. The 'yote immediately beelines for Apostasy aboard the bus when he sees her, and presses his cold nose up to the once-dreamer's leg. "Your dream tastes funny." he says.

Apostasy blinks at Eliot. "Come again? What do you mean, my dream tastes funny? And what do you know about my dream at all?"

Taggart steps outside from the underground Den, blinking emerald eyes as he investigates the source of muffled scream. He looks slightly worried and pensive as he does, fingers rolling and unrolling in a fist, natural habit of using them to damage people.

Sorien seems to just realize that she's naked. "Buh. We're near ready. The gas station is 45 minutes out, we'll fill up there. I'll... I'm gonna get clothes."

Sparhawk lumbers up into the bus zombie-like and squeezes hirself into one of the seatrows, while the 'yote seems distracted, and then responds after Spar is settled, "They tasted of both the real and the unreal, chewy like rubber and sweet like chocolate." He licks Apostasy's leg perhaps trying to comfort her.

Solixis nods to Sorien, making sure to adjust her now quite loose clothing. "Apos, please tell me what's going on?"

Apostasy just stares at Eliot. "I have no idea what you're talking about, beyond that what I dreamed may not have actually been happening?" She looks over at Sol. "I'll explain to everyone when we're moving. Easier than telling a bunch of people separately."

Sorien spots Tag. "Uff. Did we wake you? Sorry... Apo had one of those dreams; Kale's in trouble, and she seems to know where. So, we're gonna go. We could use you, sweetie. I'm gonna get dressed." (She hugs Tag, then jogs back to the bathhouse for her clothes.)

Eliot bounces a bit, and then saunters over toward Spar, "Likely, happened, and didn't." He says turning back, "Small lies and big truths."

Solixis winces. "Half-truths? I'm used to those, but we probably don't have time to try to pick out the differences..."

REDACTED is watching Spar with some concern, noticing the little coyote's interaction with her guardian. She calls out, "Spar, are you there?" But is answered by silence.

Taggart frowns softly as he watches everyone loading the bus, shoulders relaxing, but arms crossing over his chest as he listens to Sorien's explanation, taking the hug with limbs still interlocked. His head tilts very slowly to one side as he digests and processes before green orbs blink rapidly and a hand slips up and pushes bangs over his scalp, the usual four or five strands slipping free anyways. The man slowly makes his way to the bus, face slightly bunched and crumpled, lost and confused, obviously, as he's been spending time to himself.

Sorien grabs two of her casual outfits, and clothes for REDACTED as well; she also stops in the Den, getting several thermos' filled with both hot water and coffee, and grabs a box of tea bags as well. With these, she gets to the bus and boards.

Eliot dances on his hindpaws for a moment and presses his front paws up against Spar, nosing him silently and then turns back to REDACTED, "Shi's just tired and asked me to help. Don't worry, I'm not doing anything shi didn't want."

REDACTED sees Sori bringing so much stuff, "If I didn't worry about you staying awake while driving I'd have said you were silly for wasting so much time love. I really do need to learn how to drive so I can relieve you of this."

Sorien yawns as she sets the stuff down. "I'll be okay. Cil can drive too if I recall."

Taggart steps up onto the bus and glances about, still trying to figure out what's up. He doesn't speak, thoughtful frown curling lips downward, arms recrossing and head tilting to the side. He almost looks as a disapproving parent.

Sparhawk suddenly and inexplicably smiles, though hir eyes remain closed. Hir shoulders lose some tension that was hard to notice before it was gone.

Cilan moves to the front of the bus, and holds her hand out to Sorien, "If you want, I can drive.. all I know is Kale's in danger, and right now, we do not have time to bicker amongst ourselves.."

Solixis frowns to herself. "I never learned how to drive, and I could have... At least I can stay awake to help keep the driver active."

Sorien softly churrs, "Take the first go, please. I'll spell you at the gas station."

REDACTED shifts in her seat, tensing slightly at Taggart's presence, in a combination of both fear and caring, "Tag, are... are you going to help?"

Apostasy is still pacing in the aisle, trying to resist the urge to leap off the bus and start flying.

Eliot nuzzles the Spar and says, "Hi, I got you where we needed to be!"

When Apostasy comes in range of REDACTED she reaches out and touches the dragon's hand, "Apo, do you have a moment? Can you sit by me? I need to ask you about this dream."

Taggart blinks and raises both bushy eyebrows at REDACTED's question before he silently makes his way to the back of the bus and sits down. His head turns to watch out the window, green eyes thoughtful, but scowl slowly fading.

Cilan nods, taking the keys, and hopping into the driver’s seat, once there, the engine can be heard turning over, the seemingly worried rabbit girl, wasting little time to get it onto the road, over her shoulder she calls, "Everyone, get to your seats, please.." before leaving the garage, and heading north.

Apostasy freezes when REDACTED hand touches hers, and she slowly looks down at her. She nods and takes a seat, gaze flicking towards the windscreen distractedly every now and then.

Sorien starts putting on her clothes, fur still mussed from sleep. She sits next to Tag once she gets the outfit shrugged on, and fusses with the buttons.

Solixis sits near her mate, nervous at how distant she seems. "Can I help in any way, Apos?"

REDACTED thinks carefully about her wording and then asks, "Think through what you say before you respond. How do you know it was real?" She asks, not accusatory, but trying to find out exactly what made it so convincing to her.

Apostasy looks at REDACTED coolly. "I just... know. It's hard to explain more than that. It was like that dream we all had with Carson, Elaine and Eliot. The same kind of realism."

"And what details did you see. We need to know what we're running into. When I saw through Ferox's eyes, I picked up on a lot of smells, sounds, and details that stuck with me. Is there anything helpful you remember?" REDACTED asks, nudging Apostasy carefully.

Apostasy gazes off into the distance. "Barton. My home town. That's where we're going. My house is where the trail will start. There's creatures there, though. Another packmind. But... different. Not normal creatures that would have been around before P-Day. Big, black things. They look anorexic, undernourished. Six legs. Patchy, mangy looking fur. No eyes. Four nostrils. Tentacles, with barbed suckers on the end. Big, bigger than a cougar."

The bus is on the road with Cilan driving, the scenery going past up the coastline is quite familiar to those who've travelled up into Oregon. Passing through the Redwood Forest has never lost its beauty, but it's over soon afterward as they head for the boarder.

REDACTED can't help but shudder at the description, then memory strikes her and she looks over at Eliot, "Have you heard of such a thing?"

While still looking at the road, Cilan calls over her shoulder, "It doesn’t matter how big they are, as long as they're putting Kale at risk, they're as good as dead!"

Sorien leans briefly against Tag, then gets up. "Want coffee or tea, Tag? I brought some."

Eliot makes a big show of shaking his head but his energy level doesn't drop, "Nope, nothing I remember seeing before we became me."

Taggart gives a little nod of his head, eyes turning toward Sorien, "Tea." He manages a brief smile before turning back to watch the scenery roll by.

Sorien softly churrs, "Okay. (She gets water into two cups with a teabag in each.) "There's coffee and tea, everyone. I'll start the 'maker for more when we finish these thermos' off." (She then goes back to tag, and waits til they get to the abandoned gas station.)"

REDACTED pages, "it was south of the forest hon. ;)" to you.

Taggart takes the tea without a word and sips, the occasional suckle at an oversized canine disturbing the quiet air around him.

Solixis feels her skin writhe. "Sounds like something I saw in a book once. At least, judging by that description. Really gross, and Always Evil.."

Apostasy stands up and moves to the front of the bus, looking back at everyone. "I said I'd explain once we were moving, so I will. I had a dream last night. Not the first one. In the dreams, I was Kale. She was travelling north, into Oregon. First time around, she was in the suburbs near Portland. The whole place was trashed. It got dark, and those creatures I described attacked. I got kicked out of the dream before I knew whether she was alright or not. But then last night, I had another one. This time, she was in a river when I got control. Turns out the river was very close to my hometown, Barton. I... I went, and I took a look around. The place was a wreck. Those creatures tore through it on P-Day. I went to my old house. One of the creatures found me... her... there, but I was able to kill it with the rifle that my... father... had always kept on hand. Just as I lost control again... he was... it was... him. I don't know how it was. I saw him changing. But it was. And now he has her. And I have to get her back."

Solixis shudders. "I think it's called a Displacer Beast, but my knowledge of that game is hazy."

Sorien softly churrs, "Displacer beast? The D&D thing?"

Solixis nods. "Yeah. I barely remember the name, awfully fuzzy my memories are of that game."

Cilan listens to Apostasy's story, still keeping her eyes on the road, though the engine can easily be heard revving up, pushing the bus even faster, to the first destination of the gas station, and then to Oregon; to Kale.

The bus ride north continues as they cross the border to Oregon, the highway widening and the occasional wildlife beginning to disappear as they cross into pack territory in the heavy forested areas of southern Oregon.

REDACTED watches Apostasy's eyes while she speaks, clearly watching something about the girl, but remaining silent while she does. Her ears move as she listens.

Eliot yips, "No black vomit?" and actually managed to wink at Apostasy, which is impressive for a coyote.

Apostasy glances at the little coyote. "There was. Both times I lost control, I vomited up inky black stuff."

REDACTED says, "I'm not one to think that everything black relates to -him- but that really doesn't sound good. I was wondering why you were receiving these..." She trails off in thought.

Apostasy shakes her head. "I don't think it's him."

Solixis furrows her brow in thought, trying to remember more about the beasts. She doesn't and she begins to get frustrated.

REDACTED shrugs, "I suppose there's nothing that will change it either way. You're going to go help Kale regardless of if it's a trap, and I wouldn't be able to stop you and wouldn't let you go alone."

Taggart clears his throat, "I seem ta remember loadin' up a bus a few mont's back wit'out any say-so regardin' Sori goin' missin'. Be awful unfair ta not let Apo go'n'do tha same t'ing."

Taggart continues, "Aside... we're already a good ways on tha road."

Apostasy nods firmly. "Damn right I am. And it's almost certainly a trap. -He- must've hated that I got away. I could tell when I saw him on P-Day. So now he's gonna do whatever he can to get me back under his power."

Solixis tips her head askew, confused. "Who is this 'he'?"

"Apo, what the fuck did he do to you?" REDACTED swears. She never swears.

Apostasy looks at REDACTED. "I -told- you what he did to me."

Sorien kisses Tag. "Thank you."

REDACTED blinks, and then realizes in her dazed and distracted state she completely forgot, and goes silent.

Apostasy turns her gaze to Sol. "He... is my father."

Southern Oregon, the pack territory passes by with little interaction, except for the area around Log Cabin with the many crashed vehicles making for quite the road hazard. Cil and Tag both remember the area well.

Sorien laps tea and pays attention to the discussion, finally awake.

Solixis gulps. "I'm not sure I can help there..."

Cilan calls over her shoulder, "We're almost there, if you have things to get prepared, it’d be best to do so now.."

Taggart breaks his stoicism with a small smirk, "Shoulda brought me a pint." The Irishman just shakes his head and turns his attention back to the scenery, falling stonewall and quiet once more.

Apostasy looks about, her gaze lingering briefly on each person present. "Any other questions?"

Sorien softly churrs, "SIlly. Then I'd want one, and I'll be driving shortly."

Sorien softly churrs, "No, we're with you, Apo."

Cilan says absently towards Apostasy, "Sis, reach into my pack and you'll find a bottle, a beer I found in one of the liqour stores Richard sent me to.. Taggart, I hope you like Kokanee!"

Sparhawk blinkblinks a little. "Yeah, I got one. This the first time we saw sign of the black beasties?" Hir eyes take a while focusing.

Solixis shakes her head. "You'll have to share this with me sometime... I feel a bit out of the loop here."

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "They were what showed up around my hometown on P-Day. Wiped everyone out. Didn't take long."

Solixis gulps. "Everyone? Damn...That's scary." She shivers again.

Apostasy shrugs. "I got out. Couple of others might have too. Can't say. Haven't met anyone else from Barton since, though."

Sorien softly churrs, "Nothing so... Coordinated happened at Minneapolis."

Sparhawk glances down at Eliot, who is curled around hir forelegs looking pleased with himself. "Not gonna feed these things a dream yet, I think. Too far from home. Do we know anything about the packs farther west, o smug one?" Then shi yawns, unwary of setting off other people.

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "Minneapolis wasn't hit by a packmind though, was it?"

Sorien softly churrs, "No... It was more like Fairhaven, just slower."

Sorien gets another cup of tea. "Your father in the dreams... He was human, or human-looking?"

Solixis keeps silent, scared.

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "I only saw him at the end of the second one. And even the... just legs, and shoes. But they were his shoes, I guarantee it. And I don't know how. I saw him changing into one of those things."

The roadway breaks into cleared city areas that have been overgrown, animals retaking it, and at one point in Springfield Cilan has to divert off the highway with Apostasy's help navigating through back areas to return to the highway north. However they hit a river and the bridge that ran over it is completely gone.

Apostasy looks at the ruined bridge. "Yeah, they blew all the bridges north of Portland to try and keep the creatures back." She points a different way. "If you go that way, there's a side route we can use, takes us right to Barton."

Cilan eases on the gas, stopping the bus before it goes into the river, "Alright.. uh.. end of the line, Apostasy, you know where to go from here? Maybe another road into you--.. heh.. alright." a light grin pulling at the once scared face, and using Apostasy's guidance, she moves to the side route, and continues on.

Sorien softly churrs, "They did a better job of it here than in Frisco... Unfortunately."

Sorien softly churrs, "... Crap. If he was human... He could be a form of adept."

Apostasy shudders. "I'd really rather not think about that."

Solixis blinks. "At least they were smart enough to try to halt the advance."

Sorien softly churrs, "I think we have to, Apo. I'm sorry. We need to be ready."

Sparhawk muses, "What do we know about people who can shape pack-fingers into their own bodies? I do hope there aren't...competing dreams out here." Eliot is, meanwhile, up on a seat with his nose pressed against the window staring into the darkness. He doesn't offer any advice on dealing with them.

Cilan softly churrls, "Hey, adept or no, I’m certain he'll still go down.. just attack anything that proves to be hostile"

Sorien softly churrs, "Likely true."

"All I know is, the last time I saw him, he was turning into one of the creatures. When I saw him in at the end of the dream, he looked human." Apo stops for a moment, thinking. "But then... Eliot did say that there were some little lies in there. That could have been one of them. Maybe he -is- still just one of the beasts... and the dream lied and made him look human."

Solixis nods, prepping what little she has in the way of self-defence. "Apos, I'm ready."

REDACTED says, "Coyote did unseal your memories for a reason. Did he not say it was to prepare you?"

Sparhawk squawks, "Heh. I would think you would know as well as I how human we can choose to look in dreams. So he could just be a strong-willed mind borrowing black beasties. I am not entirely sure that's better."

Apostasy shudders again. "He's definitely... strong willed." She looks at REDACTED. "I know, but I'm still not sure how knowing what he did to me is going to help here."

"You weren't there when I remembered what happened in Daly. I put everyone at risk in San Fran when it all came rushing back. How do you think you would have been if the first time you remembered what happened was meeting your father again?" REDACTED ears are flat.

Sorien softly churrs, "Did you see how the things attacked? That would be useful."

Sparhawk is distracted for a minute whispering 'billions of blistering blue-black barnacle beetles'. Shi looks around at the landscape too, though an ear points REDACTED' way.

Apostasy nods slowly. "Yeah... good point, REDACTED..." Her gaze turns back to Sorien. "They find their way around by touch, smell and sound. When they sense prey, they either try to sneak up on it, and restrain it with their tentacles... or just chase it down and pounce."

Taggart is quiet.

Solixis listens for sounds, since she has no idea what to expect.

The drive through the abandoned suburbs is almost more disturbing than the empty forests, nearly every building showing damage, windows and doors broken down, many of the abandoned cars crashed with large dents and broken open windows.

Apostasy turns and looks out the windscreen at the ruined suburbs. "Is that it for questions?"

Sorien softly churrs, "Great. At least I'm good at keeping stuff off of me."

Cilan softly churrls, "I’ve got none, just give me the directions, and I’m fine.."

Sparhawk squawks, "One more. What is our goal and-or plan here? When the plan goes splat against circumstances, I'd like to know which way to improvise."

Cilan softly churrls, "To rescue Kale!"

Solixis smoothly says, "I'll be okay, I think."

Still looking out the windscreen, Apo answers with, "Main goal is to rescue Kale. Secondary is to kill my father."

Sorien softly churrs, "Rescue Kale, don't get killed."

Sparhawk nods thoughtfully. "Don't get killed is usually assumed. So bugging out with Kale is a viable option..."

Taggart clears his throat again, "Actually... iffun ya think about it, Spar... a few uv'us've died bafore doin' wut we tend ta do."

Barton's not far ahead, the area around it is largely farmland, with the occasional mansion or large house dotting the way. The strange combination of the rich and the poor is quite odd and offputting.

Sparhawk gives a thumbsup to Taggart. "And we didn't enjoy it on either end, so let us attempt to avoid repeating the procedure!"

Apostasy points Cilan towards her house, the large three-storey building soon coming into view. "There it is. That's where we pick up the trail. Hope you're all ready."

Sorien softly churrs, "Weird lookin' place..."

Solixis nods, sticking to the centre of the group.

Apostasy's home is relatively recently built, the opulence almost disgusting in the way it's shown off. Multiple stories, a giant backyard with a second house on the land acting as a guest house.

Taggart snorts and almost mumbles, "Dyin' was wut I was good at." The man stands up, though, and slips over Sorien to head into the small bathroom. If it previously did not exist, Taggart just created through power of thought alone.

Cilan nods slowly, and pulls off of the road, pulling the bus to a stop near the driveway, once fully stopped, and the engine is turned off, she nearly leaps out of the bus, and pulls her twin handguns out, and holds them in a readied position, stern hazel eyes scanning the area for either Kale, or the beasts Apostasy had spoken about.

Apostasy walks off the bus and heads straight for the front door of the house, not waiting to see if the others are following her.

Sorien kisses REDACTED, then follows Apo.

It isn't hard to spot tracks, it looks like perhaps a herd of large creatures came through here. Paw marks they leave quite clear, their thick claws shredding the soil below.

Cilan flicks the laser sights on her handguns on, and moves to Apostasy’s side.

Sorien sniffs, trying to catch the scent of the creatures. Her nose isn't canid, but it IS a lot better than human.

Sparhawk does follow, carrying Eliot balancing on hir back. All hir claws are out, and shi sniffs at the tracks from a standing position. "How...worryingly linear."

Solixis tries summoning some marsh fire to help brighten the gloom.

The smells are foul, they clearly marked the territory, that thick stench covers up most others.

Sorien softly churrs, "Ugh. Not hard to follow THAT."

Taggart feels the bus lurch to a stop while inside the lavatory, stepping back out and then down onto the yard. Emerald eyes glance up and watch Apo's determination, a small sigh finding his chest with a shake of his head.

It looks as if three sets of tracks break off in the direction of the house

Apostasy ignores the tracks for the most part, heading into the house towards the wetbar on the ground floor. She stops at the entrance and looks around carefully for signs of Kale.

Solixis follows the tracks, the stench almost sickening.

REDACTED looks in concern at Apostasy walking off, but sighs, and spends her time carefully listening to the wind, the sense of smell nearly useless here.

Taggart pulls up the collar on his peacoat, then shoves his hands deep into the pockets. He almost seems surprised to find a flask, pulling it out to take a short swig before he tucks it away and follows quietly behind the group.

The tracks head around behind the house, a section of the fence having been knocked over and trodden upon. The back area is large and features a tennis court and a pool, as well as having numerous garden chairs which are trashed and strewn about.

Sorien's eyes flick back and forth, keeping an eye out for ambush. She's not nervous; she's done stuff like this too many times for that anymore.

Sparhawk follows Apo to the house area, scanning the place for lurking horrors as well as leftovers from the recent raid. "Anybody need any glowsticks? I still got piles of 'em in my pockets."

Sorien softly churrs, "I'm better without. I've decent night vision. "

Solixis shakes her head. "I'll be fine."

Taggart pulls a human hand out of his pocket.

Taggart raises said hand.

Sorien softly churrs, "Yes?"

Taggart speaks quietly, "Glowstick."

The rifle is gone when Apostasy looks for it, clearly at least something from the dream real. The house is also like she remembers it, empty and barren, broken. A few more pieces of furniture seem broken that she doesn't remember being.

Apostasy nods as she notes the missing rifle. "Well, that much was real..." She looks around for shell casings or bullet holes, any sign that Kale might have recovered enough to put up a fight after she was forcibly ejected from control.

REDACTED shivers as a thick wind opens up, the early morning light hidden by the overcast sky. She slowly pads still trying to listen. No bird sounds, no insect sounds. Just like all the packmind territories.

Cilan parts from Apostasy's side to creep into the basement, scanning that area for anything that might be useful, her bare padded feet creating hardly any sound as she moves.

Sparhawk fishes out some blue vials and gives 'em a shake, the nanite fluid inside brighter after Spar's attentions. Shi murmurs quietly, "How many d'you want, Tag? Or a wristband or necklace thing? If the local pack hunters are eyeless it shouldn't matter too much."

The basement is of course dark, no electricity for light doesn't help. A musty smell leads the way down. It's dark and cramped, Gypsum lining the way showing a small storage area. She spies tools, saws, a few hammers, woodworking equipment. Perhaps a private area for the father?

Sorien stretches a bit, still watching carefully.

Taggart shrugs gently, "Couple, I suppose. Enuff ta hold up like a torch, I guess." The man crosses to Sparhawk, taking the nanite vials in hand and giving them a small shake of his own. He frowns as they darken and almost seem to retreat from his touch, even through the glass of the vial. He only shakes his head and tries to make do.

Solixis looks around nervously.

There's a bullet from where it passed through the creature's head embedded in the floor, it's high calibre expected considering the type of guns her father kept around. At the top of the stairs Apostasy sees a light spattering of blood on the carpet, surrounding a carefully written note. It's hand written with ink, the envelope reading “My Dearest Selene.” on the front.

Sparhawk regards the nanite behavior with interest. "How about...tying them to a stick, to be more torch-like? Man, Tag, you scare even the nanites!" Spar grins lightheartedly and starts assembling the suggested device.

Apostasy freezes as she sees the note, and reaches out, picking it up in a trembling hand. She tears the envelope open, unfolding the paper inside, and begins to read.

Taggart smirks gently at the attempted joke to lighten the behaviour of nanites to his curse, but hands them back to Sparhawk, letting hir assemble away. After the device is completed, he nods a quiet thanks, holding it out in front as one would hold a flashlight. He raises it to the air, then lowers it, then raises it again. A small sound of recognition, then shrugging and holding out in front once more.

Solixis places a hand on Apostasy's shoulder. "I'm here for you."

Sparhawk nods agreeably at Tag. "We should catch up." Shi slinks on toward the house and keeps assorted weapons at the ready, listening for the familiar sounds of co-adventurers moving.

Sorien closes up on Apo's position, keeping an eye on open passages and doors just in case. She also doesn't crowd in while Apo is reading.

The note reads, "Oh how I have missed gazing upon my beautiful child's face, her pretty eyes full of joy at seeing her father. I've missed you, and with the passing of your mother I realize that I was wrong to let you go on your own into this dangerous world, alone in the big city. I have made a new home for you, and your friend here who I will care for quite well until you join us again, where we'll be one big happy family." The letter is unsigned but the tone and handwriting is unmistakable.

Cilan guides herself through the basement, making sure to tread carefully in the low light, the rabbit making her way to the storage area, searching it to see whether or not there is anything useful, or at the very least, unusual, if not, she'd head back upstairs, and rejoin the rest of the group.

REDACTED remains outside, and follows the tracks as they head westward into cornfields. She studies their gait and movements, carefully trying to pick out weakness in their form from the way they stride and move.

Apostasy crumples the letter tightly in one hand, shaking with anger. "Sick... son of a bitch.... He has her... and he wants me. He's gotten set up somewhere else, and that's where he's taken her. Need to figure out where it is."

Cilan searches finding nothing unusual, and is about to turn and leave when something in the darkness on the wall catches her eye. She moves closer, seeing a thin line in the sheet rock, a door she quickly realizes, clawing the edge and pulling, it opens a crack.

Cilan blinks, and continues tugging away at the door, opening it enough for her body to fit through, and squeezes in, her handguns again moving to the readied position they are usually in.

Sparhawk freezes and holds perfectly still for a moment, then taps at hir radio. "Black vomit. Apo, please describe this black stuff and other people compare it to Elaine jumping into her borrowed body back in Crater Lake." Basically everyone should be tied into Spar's signals by now.

Solixis stops, confused.

Taggart is, luckily, standing next to Sparhawk, as he hasn't been wearing a comm for months.

Apostasy moves away from the others, heading up to the top of the stairs. She ducks into her room, noting the destroyed door lying on the floor nearby. She moves over to the bed and picks up the pair of ragged, tearstained stuffed animals. She cuddles both of them for a moment, eyes closed, before tucking them carefully into the inner pockets of her duster, leaving their heads peeking out. When she hears Spar's radio message, she replies "Kinda like a pool of ink... kind of ethereal as well. Just weird."

The room is dark, a double bed, barren of pillows and sheets. There are handcuffs on the bedposts, and chains attached to the walls. She sees more work tools, knives, saws, along one wall, with a nasty looking whip as well hanging from the wall. The room reeks of fear.

Solixis shudders. "I'm getting a really bad feeling about all this...."

Sorien glances in, watching Apo. "You... Okay so far?" (Over the radio, quietly) "We should regather soon."

Cil at first is simply disgusted, but then she notices the dust, it's been disturbed far more recently. Footprints on the ground, human shoes, tread into the back area and then return.

Apostasy squeezes one of the stuffed animals through her coat. "No. No, I'm not. But I knew I wouldn't be. That note.... He's taunting me, trying to make me slip up. He's in Portland somewhere." Her voice is shaking and she's visibly trembling. She's barely holding it together, being in this place, especially after the note.

Taggart speaks quietly, glancing to Sparhawk. "Ask'er which room she's in..."

Apostasy hugs the stuffed animal for a good long while, and then notices something new in the room. A little stuffed Hummingbird rests on top of the dresser.

Sparhawk vaguely annoyed at not having the wild tangent followed up on immediately, but asks over the radio, "Sorien. Regather where?"

Sorien keeps an eye on Apo. "Main entry I think."

Apostasy reaches out for the stuffed hummingbird with a shaking hand. ".....how?" She picks it up gingerly, and looks at it carefully, one hand still on one of the stuffed animals in her pockets.

Solixis guards the stairwell behind Apostasy.

REDACTED ignores the radio chatter, following her way off into the cornfield a bit, overcome by her senses, trying to feel the air and the place. She stops, when she realizes one of the tracks has stopped and doubled back.

REDACTED pulls up the radio immediately and shouts into it, "There's one still here. I'm sure of it!"

Sorien softly churrs, "Location, REDACTED. Where are you?" Sori starts heading for the door.

Cilan follows the footprints, scanning the back of the room for any reason that the owner of the footprints could have had there. If the tools were set there, she scans for any empty sections, somewhere, where one of the implements could’ve been recently.

Taggart growls gently, his voice raising, "Sparhawk, where's Apo?"

Solixis knocks on the door to Apostasy's room. "Selene, we need to get moving. We got a live one."

Sparhawk repeats 'Main entry' to Taggart, then pads on over toward the front door. REDACTED' shout makes hir jump, and perch on the side of the house sideways... "Huh."

"I'm on my way back, just followed their tracks for a bit and one broke off from the pack." She has broken into a run.

Apostasy is jerked out of her reverie by the shouted message, nearly dropping the stuffed animal. She shoves it into another pocket, and rushes out the door, crashing down the stairs towards the main entrance.

The little bird is perfectly stitched and new, not something she'd ever have owned, but it also doesn't have the stink of her father on it either.

Taggart starts walking with purpose toward the main entryway, using the soft blue glow of the nanites for light as he heads into the house.

Solixis follows behind Apostasy, keeping an eye on the way they came.

Cilan finds some chains missing, and then sees a carefully detailed notebook lying on the table. It looks as if it's had new entries.

Sorien heads out the entryway, glancing quickly at Tag and Spar as she does; she orients, then waits for more information- REDACTED didn't say where she'd gone! "Sweetie, where are you?"

Sori sees REDACTED bounding out of a cornfield nearby on all fours, she doesn't appear to be running from anything but she looks just as frantic.

Cilan takes note of the missing chains, and grabs the book, pocketing it before speaking into her comm, "I’m on my way.. found something in the basement, maybe deserves some looking into, but right now, mutant is more important." and with that, she heads back upstairs, and to her friends.

Apostasy moves away from the others and roars out "Come and get me! It's me you want, you fuck! BRING IT!"

Sparhawk makes little crackles on the paint as shi stands on the wall, backpack glowing and grin cracking hir face wide. Then into the radio shi squawks, "Sorien, Taggart, Spar and REDACTED are near the main entry. Cilan, Solixis and Apo still elsewhere." Then there is interference, Spar listens to Cil's message, and shi replies, "And I think I just heard Apo..."

REDACTED shouts into the air, "Look up!"

Sorien looks up!

Apostasy turns her gaze up quickly.

Solixis keeps an eye on the inside of the house before following REDACTED's com shout.

Sparhawk looks up basically all the time regardless!

On top of the roof the silent creature is staring down at them with no eyes. Its tentacles are waggling in the air and its ears twitching. Upon hearing REDACTED' words it answers with a loud cat-like growl and stands up on its many legs.

Sorien drops into stance, ready.

Apostasy launches herself into the air, making straight for the creature.

Solixis tries to summon a marsh wisp to torch the beast.

The creature must hear the sound of her wings as it dives straight down under her and slaps at her with one of its feeler tentacles, the sharp spines striking the soft flesh of one of her wings, and it continues past looking as if it's going to land right on Sorien.

Taggart glances upward at the growl and watches everyone else burst into action. The man launches himself, however, at the pouncing creature, trying to intercept with a bull rush of sorts to keep it from landing upon Sorien.

Sorien spins and leaps, kicking the thing in the head as she passes by and away!

Apostasy cries out as the barbs tear into the membrane of her wing, but she still whips her tail around, striking it in the chest hard and knocking it off its path.

Apostasy's tail knocks it against a wall, and then Tag manages to tackle the bouncing creature before it rights itself, it slamming for a second time into the same wall yowling.

Sparhawk observes the creature's trajectory, noting behaviours and the intense aggression of all hir other allies. Shi eases the Laser Pistol OF DOOM out of its holster, an ear flicking to note Apo's cry of woe. "Call out if you get tagged, everyone!"

Solixis gasps in surprise as the fire ball leaves her fingertips and... dissipates. Immediately. She stares in horror at her mate's injury and the lack of power she has here.

Cilan hurries her pace out of the house, and into the backyard as she hears Apostasy cry out in pain.

Apostasy lands next to the creature, a small trickle of blood coming from the tear in her wing membrane, though her ability to fly remains unhindered. She grabs the things jaws with her hands and pulls hard, wrenching the lower jaw clean off.

REDACTED arrives shortly afterward pulling out both her blades and tries to put herself a little bit between the creature and her mate, although Sori doesn't let her. She holds off cautiously, watching the creature.

Taggart pulls himself to his feet and scrambles out of the way of Apostasy tearing into the creature. He's no stranger to rage, and lets her do as she will.

The sound of tearing as Apo not only pulls the creature's jaw off, but crushes it's sinuses, the thing answers in a pitiful gurgle and it's death sounds are followed shortly by the creature dissolving.

Apostasy stands growling, staring at the stain left by the creature as if daring it to reconstitute.

Sorien softly churrs, "Holy hades. (Sori switches to watching for more enemies.)"

REDACTED says softly, "Love, it was the only one. I don't think it stayed to try to hunt us either. That clearly was not meant as an ambush."

Apostasy quietly says, "It was here as a lookout, to see if I'd take the bait."

REDACTED turns to Apostasy, "You didn't say they were this intelligent!"

Sorien softly churrs, "Maybe. I'm not a trusting soul tho, when it comes to hostile territory."

Sparhawk relaxes just a little, climbing up onto the roof for a bird's eye view of the area. And if there's any other critters up there. "Seems to be alright on the ground, yes?"

Apostasy looks back at REDACTED. "They weren't. Not before. Something's changed. You can probably guess what."

Cilan enters the backyard just as the beast's jaw is torn off, a look of surprise catching the silent rabbit, at least for a while, until she regains her composure, and gives the book she had found to REDACTED, hiding the exchange from Apostasy, finished, she whispers something to her,” I found this in a torture room in the basement, a few of the entries look new too, but I never did get too far into it.. hopefully you can make more sense of it, hmm? Oh.. and a few chains were missing too, just so you know, and so you can be prepared.."

Solixis winces at the scene. "More? How are we supposed to fight them? That one looked like it could take one of us in single combat and annihilate us."

Sorien takes out a clean nanite vial and VERY CAREFULLY gets a sample of the dissolving beast, then hands it to Spar. "Something to look over later."

REDACTED looks a little baffled at Cilan and whispers

Sparhawk leaps down lightly from the roof, murmuring 'step one to orbit, complete' as shi peers down at the tiny vial. "What's this, then?"

Taggart sits down upon the front step of the house, watching everyone gather after the short bout of excitement.

Sorien softly churrs, "Sample of our dead friend there."

Apostasy looks at the gathered people. "We need to go to Portland. That's where he's taken her. If you all want to head for the bus, I've got one last thing to take care of here."

Sorien softly churrs, "Always wanted to see Portland. Not like THIS, maybe, but."

Solixis nods to Apostasy. "I'm going to stay here, if you don't mind."

Sparhawk eyes Apo's wing suspiciously. "You appear to have a little red on you there, scritchydragon. Can we fix that first?" Shi winds a tiny thread around the black beast bottle, hoping it acts like a dousing rod the way the...vial of Apo...did last time.

Sorien starts for the bus, but hugs Apo before she does the same to REDACTED. "Okay. We'll need another fill-up to get to Portland, or at least I wanna top it off. And REDACTED? Excellent spot-and-call. Thanks, love."

The compulsion to return is weaker than the coyote infection, but the vial does still act similarly, the tug of it pointing west visibly.

REDACTED nods and hugs her mate in a tight embrace, happy she's safe, "I just didn't want anyone hurt, especially not you love. I knew something was off about the tracks."

Apostasy shrugs at Sol. "If you like. Just stay back from the house." She looks over at Spar, and then flares her wing out, revealing the tear in the membrane. "It'll keep. Just a scratch." She moves into the garage, and comes out with a pair of large jerry cans. She gives one to Sorien, and carries the other inside the house. When she comes back out, she's leaving a trail of gasoline behind her. After a suitable distance, she tosses the almost empty jerry can back into the house, and then lights the trail with a small puff of firebreath. The house is soon burning fiercely, the light shining in her eyes as she watches.

Cilan nods and follows the group to the bus, along the way she gives Apostasy a pat on the arm, and continues, until she’s again seated in the driver’s seat of the bus, "Next stop.. destiny.."

Sorien grins. "I'm off my game, still tired. I didn't even THINK of looking outside. That's not good. I'm glad you're here- we need you."

Solixis hugs her mate tightly after she lights up the house. "Please. Don't do anything stupid. I don't want to lose you." She's nervous, feeling useless in this group of capable mundane fighters.

REDACTED turns away from the destruction, not wanting to gaze upon the catharsis of destruction that Apostasy is feeling right now. She quietly kisses her mate and doesn't respond to her kind words audibly, however her tails wag despite the cloying depressiveness hanging in the air.

Taggart moves away from the burning house and standing next to Apostasy for a moment. His Irish lilt is barely heard over the crackle of flame, but it's clear enough for Apostasy to hear. "Don't ferget... that we're here too. I know yer rage... an' I know wut this is fer you... but we're along fer tha ride. Don't leave us bahind." He turns then, and steps up onto the bus, heading to the back before he sits and turns his attention back outside.

"Yeah, neither do we!" chorus Spar and Eliot, who was basically hiding behind hir back the whole time. "Not dying is on the agenda, remember? I would have to disapprovingly frown.""

Sorien softly churrs, "I can take the wheel if you want a break, Cil. I'll have more tea while I drive. REDACTED, can you start the coffeemaker? It'll do hot water and coffee."

Apostasy hugs Sol back, still watching the burning house. A careful watcher would see tears shining on her cheeks as she watches the flames consume the building. She whispers, barely audible over the crackle of the fire, "I'll be alright. One day."

Cilan offers a dismissive wave to Sorien, "I’m fine.." is all that is said as she waits for everyone to return to the bus.

REDACTED nods to her mate and goes about trying to make both the fuels that her compatriots are addicted to. It's nice to get her mind off of darker thoughts.

Sorien nods to Cil, and checks the cabinets- there are MRE's and dry-goods instant foods, and she snags some packet-oatmeal for herself; when the hot water is ready, she makes the bowl with sugar and cinnamon.

Apostasy squeezes Sol again and says, "I know we will. We have to." before turning away from the inferno and getting onto the bus.

Solixis follows, worried that she may lose her mate.

Sparhawk meanders back to the bus, trailing just behind Apo in case of rabid cockroach ambush or something. "Do be careful you don't forget the rest of us are here, Apo. We're here to be helpful."

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "I know Spar. And I don't doubt I'm going to need all of you before this is through."

There's a gas station at the end of town still looking fairly serviceable, and Sori gets the bus refuelled. There's no contest from the creatures that clearly roam the area, their paw prints on the ground all appear to be going in that same direction toward Portland.

Sorien curls up in a seat with her love, tea in a holder and eating oatmeal. "Might wanna eat something, people. Calories are your friend.

Sparhawk thumps lightly on Aposhoulder. "I suspect we will find plenty of distractions along the way! And...breakfast. Let us indulge in breaking our fast properly."

Solixis grabs some oatmeal and tea. "This will fill me up nicely."

Apostasy stands motionless at the front of the bus, gazing out the windscreen. Somewhat incongruously, she's cuddling a small stuffed rabbit close to herself.

Eliot sneaks up to the front of the bus and peers out alongside, then glances up at the stuffed bunny. "You gonna eat that?" comes from about knee-high.

REDACTED finishes making tea, and watches Apostasy carefully, knowing full well what trauma does to someone. She forgets sometimes how young Apostasy actually is. She cuddles her mate. The bus ride out of town and through the backroads continues with the strange mix of rich and farmland, but the density begins to decrease and the workable land disappears trading toward suburban middle class housing.

While the sound of a rumbling stomach can be heard from Cilan, she continues to drive, making her way to Portland, not wanting to let Kale out of her grasp, especially when shi may be in danger.

Apostasy gives Eliot a fierce look. "No! And you can't either!" She hugs the bunny even tighter. "Sir Bun is not for eating."

Solixis smiles at her mate. "Of course he isn't." She reaches over and gently touches her mate's arm.

Taggart slides open the window of the bus and pulls a packet of cigarettes from inside his peacoat. A silver zippo flashes after, followed by the soft glow of cinders upon the end of rolled tobacco, a line of thin smoke trailing out of his mouth along with the distinct smell of clove. The Irishman flicks ashes out the window and pulls a knee up to his chest, the other extended down to the floor while he smokes and watches scenery roll by again.

Eliot hops down to the footwell at the door. "Old friend of yours, then? The only thing worth rescuin' from that house?"

Sorien softly churrs, "Wow. Where'd you find smokes that didn't go all horrid, Tag?"

Taggart answers without looking, "They -are- horrid."

Apostasy nods. "Him and Lady Whiskers. Everything else was good for nothing but kindling." She pulls the other ragged stuffed animal, this one a cat, out of another pocket as she speaks, and cuddles it as well. "Only friends I had for most of my life."

The townships and boroughs grow into full grown city sprawl - although Portland itself isn't a huge city, it's more populated the Fairhaven was before the infection. It isn't long though before they hit one of the bridges that was blown, except this time there appears to be something manually constructed again, allowing for vehicle crossing, although not stone and the bus will test the strength of the wood.

Taggart sucks on a large canine tooth for a moment again before he puffs and answers, "Idleness of tha mouth."

Sorien just grins. She looks over to Apo; "I never named mine, growing up. It was just 'dog' and 'frog'. But God help anyone who tried to take 'em from me!"

Solixis gives a soft “Awwwww” before hugging her mate. "You got me now. I can be your Lady Whiskers, too."

Apostasy headtilts at the bridge. "That.... is new. I don't like the look of it. They blew all the bridges trying to keep the things out. Can't think of a single good reason to repair it."

Sorien softly churrs, "We could park and hike, cop abandoned vehicles if you wanna."

Sorien softly churrs, "But... If they're civilized, it’s a good sign the bridge is fixed. Doesn't mean he's in charge, just that he had a route in."

Sparhawk stands well away from the smokin' section, crowding the front of the bus a little. "Not even the...pack-monsters wouldn't need something that sturdy to walk on. Maybe someone moved in when the pack was away?" Shi also looks amused at something, though it's not an unusual state.

Cilan stops in front of the wooden bridge calling over her shoulder, "Think we should chance it, or hope to find something on the other side?"

Apostasy peers down at the bridge. "No. Far too easily rigged to collapse under the bus. We hike."

Taggart smokes half of the clove before he tosses the rest of it out the window, shoving hands back into his pockets while emerald eyes glance up to the bridge.

Sorien softly churrs, "I'd have to agree with hiking. I worked too damn hard on this thing to have it go kerplunk."

Solixis stands up and prepares for the possibly dangerous hike ahead.

Apostasy puts the stuffed animals back into her pockets, once again leaving heads peeking out, and opens the door of the bus, stepping down into the street.

The bus empties quickly, and they cross on foot, the wooden bridge feeling sturdy under even REDACTED' heavy form.

Eliot scrambles out of the way of the giant dragon, with Spar following close behind to unclog the aisle. "Why hike when you can ride a Sparhawk? "

Sorien softly churrs, "Pull 'er off there, Cil. We'll lock it up and face whatever's ahead. I hope to god we've found more civilization."

Taggart gets up and then moves down and out of the bus, turning about to head toward the storage beneath. The man might be creating things from nothing once more, but he opens the storage and climbs it, pulling out a tire iron before he closes it up and moves off with the rest of the group.

Cilan nods, and pulls up where Sorien had asked, shutting the engine off soon after, and heads out again, gazing out into the wreckage of Portland, a certain look of longing pressed at her features as she moves onwards.

Sorien softly churrs, "Once more into the breach, my friends."

Apostasy keeps a careful eye out as she leads the group across the bridge. She leaves a small trail behind her as blood drips from her injured wing. "I'm not sure where he might be. But when I used to be holed up here with a whole bunch of survivors, we were forted up in the CBD. So there would be a good bet."

Tag notices a disturbingly complete set of automotive tools in one of the bays, including the specialized tools for pulling double-tires as well as the spare tires themselves.

Sorien softly churrs, "CBD?"

Solixis keeps her ears alert for danger.

Apostasy points at the cluster of skyscrapers in the centre of the city. "Central Business District."

Sorien softly churrs, "Oh. Duh. Right."

Taggart snerks gently and shakes his head, taking the metal club while noting complete set of tools. He catches up with the group and snerks once more at Sorien's comment, "Man was more a drunk than I am."

REDACTED has one hand permanently on her lower hilt, and both blade's tie ribbons loose and flowing. She looks agitated by the unknown, knowing full well that each city has a habit of offering something completely new and terrifying.

Sorien softly churrs, "Who was? And you're hardly a drunk."

Sparhawk eyes the trail of bloody breadcrumbs Apo's dropping. "Yeah, we're gonna fix that..." Shi tosses a self-reinforcement Remember Blood program at Apo's wing, then waves the group on. "I'll catch up, worry not!" And then goes about eradicating the bloodspots.

Sorien softly churrs, "Its places like this that I start wishing for high-powered rifles. I hate it being so quiet..."

Taggart comments again, "Churchill."

Sorien softly churrs, "Oh! Hee."

Apostasy shivers a little as she feels the forgotten injury to her wing healing, the appendage twitching for a moment.

Sparhawk does, in fact, catch up with the hikers with ease. "Anyone got a report on what's inside Portland, or are we going to get a big bonus from Zephyr when we get home?"

REDACTED finds her way over towards Taggart and whispers softly, "Can you read any of this for me?" quiet embarrassment still in how poor her English skills really are.

Solixis smoothly says, "I got nothing, Spar. Sorry."

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "When I was here before I wound up in Fairhaven, it was a safe zone. Just human survivors, no ferals. We were forted up pretty strongly in the CBD. I left for.... personal reasons. A long range Zephyr patrol picked me up."

Taggart pulls human hand from pocket and takes up the journal, flipping pages with his thumb.

Sorien softly churrs, "Only thing I've got on Portland were the reports from the first packmind contact, and that was well outside the city limits."

"Uhoh," replies Spar as shi fishes out the dousing vial and holds it up. "I suspect there's been a change in management, although that's a reason for a bridge to exist."

Sorien softly churrs, "Aw, geez... (Sori starts watching for watchers.)"

Apostasy sighs. "Yeah, I suspected as much when I read the note, and saw the bridge. Something happened, and the creatures must've gotten in."

Eliot yips, "Note? There's a note?" He appears to be doing a poor job of feigning ignorance.

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "Not for you, there isn't."

REDACTED says softly to Tag, "I made out numbers, but their purpose baffled me. Why is there a list of names and dates?"

Taggart frowns softly as he flips pages, suckling on large incisor again before he nods. "Ya don't really wanna know, luv..."

Sorien is mostly scanning the area for spotters as well as areas that could be used for ambush or observation.

Sparhawk comments offhandedly, "Good thing you have a lot of pockets, it'll take a long time for my son to learn pickpocket skills without thumbs..."

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "I'd advise against the attempt."

Solixis adds her own observation skills to Sorien's.

The areas surrounding the group are generic suburban houses, but the area shifts more commercial before long with box stores, strip malls, and other regular parts of suburban life.

Taggart murmurs softly as he reads pages. "Apo... that yer real name?"

Apostasy looks back at Tag. "Huh?"

Taggart looks up from the journal, looking at her. "Wut's yer real name?"

Apostasy twitches a little and looks awkward. "Selene."

Taggart nods and looks back down at the pages, his other hand raising up and trying to wave everyone's attention from him. "Starin' upsets me. Keep walkin'."

Apostasy notices the journal in Tag's hands. "....what's that, Tag?"

Taggart clears his throat without looking up, "Keep walkin'. I'll tell ya iffun'it's important."

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "It came from the house, didn't it?"

Taggart nods, but keeps reading.

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "Where in the house did it come from."

REDACTED returns to her mate's side, nuzzling her quietly in sadness, Taggart not really having answered but knowing she wouldn't be any help with the journal.

Taggart murmurs, "Bat'room."

Apostasy tantalizingly says, "Bullshit."

Taggart is actually a good liar. He sounds convincing.

Sorien distractedly scritches REDACTED' gently, but is watching the area intently.

Apostasy lived in that house for 18 years. She knows there was never journals in the bathroom.

Solixis keeps an eye on Apostasy and Taggart.

REDACTED moves forward placing a hand on Apostasy's shoulder and leans forward to whisper in her ear.

Taggart simply shrugs. "Iffun ya need ta worry 'bout it, I'll be sure ta tell ya."

Apostasy leans down to allow REDACTED to whisper.

Sparhawk glances down at hir rider'yote. The outside world hears hir say, "I think I need to make a harness for these things. I'm making blood-compasses often enough."

Taggart scowls softly at REDACTED and shakes his head, flipping another page. "People jus'dun' know when ta leave well enuff alone."

Taggart continues "Always bloody pokin' things till it bites'em in thee'arse."

Apostasy frowns at REDACTED' words, but sighs and continues walking, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

Sorien barely glances back at Tag. "Maybe so... But this... nevermind." She goes back to watching.

The stores are broken and looted, this time it begins to look more like human handiwork than feral.

Sorien softly churrs, "This looks like looting, more than random violence. People were gathering stuff."

Solixis follows, quiet, uncertain.

At the very edge of sensations everyone begins to feel the presence of the bubble, and Spar and Tag both also feel something else, a strange stirring in their loins that makes them rather uncomfortable.

Sparhawk is bitten on the hand by Eliot. Shi yelps a little and shakes it gingerly. "Sheesh, it was a thought and not action! Don't make me roll around in horseradish when I get home."

Taggart stops walking.

Apostasy shudders, her wings twitching and half-spreading as she feels the rush of the nanite bubble.

Sparhawk is distracted by impudent canine and unspoken conversation as the group enters the remarkably well-defined edge of the bubble, for once being the last to notice something nanite-related.

On the horizon the high rises from downtown can be seen a few miles off. The urban sprawl congealing.

Sorien notices that Tag has stopped after a bit. "Tag?"

Taggart winces slightly and looks uncomfortable. He clears his throat and lifts his nose, sniffing as if it weren't human. A small scowl, a shake of his head, a step forward and another uncomfortable look.

Solixis smiles. "Power's back on." She looks around.

REDACTED looks around at everyone's reaction, clearly not feeling what everyone else is. "I take it, your nanites are working again?" she says.

Apostasy stares up at the highrises and murmurs, "Where are you hiding, you sick monster?"

Sorien glances at REDACTED, and goes back to Tag- she knows other eyes are keeping watch. "You okay, sweetie?"

"Eh? Oh, uh... wow." Sparhawk looks a little nonplussed as shi looks up, blowing a little breath forward toward the city. "They ought to be, yeah."

Sorien stops. "Something is moving underground. Is there a subway here?"

Apostasy shakes her head. "You felt it too? And no. Not a functional one, at any rate. Or, there wasn't."

Cilan softly churrls, "Huh.. wonder what that was.. army of ferals underneath us?"

Solixis pauses to feel for the effects.

Taggart frowns softly, reaches down and seems to adjust his crotch while looking at the ground. He winces, as if from a stinging pain and resumes walking. "This ain't gunna be a good night."

Sorien softly churrs, "Aw crap. A TBM? No... It couldn't be."

Apostasy stays very still, ears straining as she feels the vibrations through her feet. "TBM?"

Solixis smoothly says, "What's that?"

Sparhawk looks around blankly. "This conversation seems to be keeping one step in front of me all the time. Tunnel Bowel Movement?"

Sorien softly churrs, "Tunnel Boring Machine. But... we're close to whatever the source is. As I'm paranoid, scatter please- I think whatever is coming up."

Apostasy takes to the air, circling over the group.

Sorien softly churrs, "Keep in pairs, buddy system time people."

Solixis sticks to Apostasy.

As Apostasy reaches about twenty feet overhead she spots in the distance a line of the feral creatures walking in path to the inner city, they seem focused on something else entirely. She's distracted by watching them.

Taggart slips the journal into an inside pocket of his peacoat as everyone starts to move away, still looking slightly pained and distracted. His nose sniffs at the air from time to time, a little scowl after each one.

Behind the group one of the sewer covers comes flying out of the ground, landing with a thud.

Sorien spins. "Incoming!"

Apostasy starts to drift away from the group as her attention is drawn by the line of creatures in the distance, but she veers sharply back towards them at Sorien's yell.

Cilan jumps back, making sure she's out of the entry path, but her jump had placed her nowhere near any of the other group members.

Sparhawk's eyes widen. "I think I remember those from books when I was young. They were scary-lookin' when an inch high on flat paper. I am not eager to meet our modern Shai-Hulud." Spar spins too at the pop and thud, wings spread slightly for extra balance.

Nothing appears to come from inside, but another cover blasts up into the air again like a cannon, landing with a dent on the ground.

Solixis turns around, having started to float up to her mate, hovers as she prepares for battle, this time capable.

Taggart winces away from each blasting manhole cover, emerald eyes going wide as he quickly scans around him for movement aside from their own.

A waft of smells comes from the newly opened sewers, rather than the stench and reek one would expect, the thick and cloying smell of sex blasts its way out.

Sorien softly churrs, "Ugh. Christ..."

Apostasy lands on a rooftop for a moment to draw Silverfang before taking to the air again, ignoring the smell assaulting her nostrils.

Sparhawk growls out, "Got room for one more passenger if someone wants to not be on the ground. This looks to be exciting."

Sorien softly churrs, "I'll be okay. get him safe, Spar."

REDACTED suddenly realizes where she's standing, and takes a step away just before the cover she was next to goes flying up into the air. She barely has time to respond, leaping out of the way as it crashes back where she was.

Taggart feels his eyes go wide as that thick smell of breeding washes over him, those emerald orbs then rolling up and into the back of his head with an almost sick groan. The man shivers and doubles over, shaking his head. "Bloody fan-fucking-tastic."

REDACTED shouts up after she recovers, realizing how the scents will affect Tag. "Someone grab Tag and let’s get moving, quickly."

From her viewpoint, Apo can see Tag's distress, and recognises it based on what she was told before. She yells into her radio "Everyone get the hell away from Tag NOW!"

Sorien glances at Tag, and uses a form she really, really doesn't want to use.

REDACTED growls at Apostasy's response, "It's not his fault, and we can't leave him."

Sorien whirrs, "I'm fine. I smell like oil at worst now. Get clear, REDACTED."

Apostasy shouts back, "We can't stop him, either. Best we can do is get away so he doesn't come after one of -us-!"

Solixis is torn by indecision. She looks for some way to help, to no avail.

Taggart growls gently and falls to his knees, fist suddenly pounding against the cement. Anger seems to well up inside of him, struggling with the obvious lust that seems to be clouding his green eyes.

Sorien prepares for the likely fight. "Get clear, the rest of you. We'll be fine. GO!" She shouts.

Sparhawk pulls up next to Tag to offer him a ride, right about time when someone yells in hir ear and makes hir wince a little. "One step behind again! Seriously, somebody pause the world for thirty seconds!" Shi wheels around, facing Taggart head-on and watching him with annoyance.

Sorien whirrs, "Spar. Get clear or go male."

Sorien starts watching the opened manholes, staying near Tag; she might seem female, but at the moment she's got all the turn-on power of a Chevy big-block.

REDACTED doesn't want to leave her mate or her friend, not when they're already surrounded by danger. She's clearly less scared of wolf Taggart than of whatever is out there in the city.

Sorien whirrs, "REDACTED... We'll be fine. GO."

Apostasy growls in frustration at this new delay, and continues circling over the group, keeping an eye out for anything else that might show up.

Solixis floats over the blown manhole, attempting to look down it for signs of movement.

REDACTED finally gives in, moving to follow the rest, more sewer covers are opening equally violently, almost as if it's following them. The scents start to even get to the females of the group, the musk scents are forceful.

Taggart seems to struggle with himself as muscles bulge and hair sprouts, emerald eyes flashing golden, then green, then crimson. When they're open, they're fixating upon the open manhole covers, though lust or pure rage war for which emotion.

The sewers themselves are hard to see in the thin light and overcast only illuminating a small bit, but no movement can be seen yet.

Cilan slowly backs away from Taggart, and over to the manholes, attempting to pull the weighty lids back down on the openings before the shift takes over.

Sorien picks up one of the manholes, then flames jet from a nozzle mounted on her hand; shortly the metal is red hot. She takes the cover, then SLAMS it back down onto the hole it formerly covered!

Sorien whirrs, "Come out of THAT, assholes."

Taggart glances at Cilan and manages a few words as teeth sharpen and face pulls forward, "DONT!" He only shakes his head, a hand raising up before they twist and grow long and sharp, claws extending.

Cilan moving close to the open cover has to duck back as two squid-like tentacles strike where her hand was just before, bigger than the ones from the pack creatures.

Sorien starts for another cover, internal targeting systems choosing her next goals.

Solixis sticks to the air, monitoring the battle-to be from her vantage point, hoping that she can provide intel from her position and aid when it is necessary.

Apostasy lands next to the hole Cil was at and sends a large blast of flame down into it, before grabbing the cover and slamming it into place, using more flame to seal it.

Taggart growls and then glares at Sorien, crimson and gold eyes shifting between the two, emerald barely there. "DONT!" His shoulders bunch and clothes rip away, legs shifting and becoming digitigrade. Finally, wolf head tilts back and lets out that strange, lonely coyote howl at the sky, almost a light bark following before he pulls himself up and starts to bound on all fours toward the nearest open manhole.

Sparhawk stares at Taggart incompletely comprehendingly, not assisted by the haze wrapping around hir brain. "So. Many interesting things here. Like giant tentacle monsters, and someone endangering us by our ignorance." Shi leaps into the air with coiled-cat-spring speed and prepares the laser pistol OF DOOM for burning holes in important things.

As Taggart reaches the closest open hole, his strides faster than anyone can imagine, four tentacles burst out, two striking right at Taggart's face, and another going for his genitals, The hook-like teeth bared in the ones going for his face.

Sorien heads after Tag, her metallic feet leaving divots in the pavement. She's not interfering in his attack, simply preparing to act as support.

Sparhawk shouts angrily from thirty feet in the air, "I am not prepared to test ripcord functionality yet! I wonder if /a hole in a wolf's chest/ is just tha way things'r meant to be?" Sparhawk isn't coherent enough to do more than a really awful job imitating a Taggart brogue.

Taggart growls and raises a paw, slashing the tentacle away from his crotch with claws extended as his mouth opens and snaps shut on another barbed appendage. The third rakes across his face, leaving angry scratches that start to knit shut almost immediately before the limb slips back into the sewer. Taggart pauses for just a moment and stands up, looking to the sky at the shouting Sparhawk. A little glimmer of a smile on a muzzle before a clawed hand raises up, middle finger extended toward hir before he turns attention back to the manhole cover and leaps down into the sewers.

Sorien whirrs, "Tag, dammit, I can't follow! I'm too big! (She does look down the hole, trying for a shot-sighting.)"

REDACTED cries out, "Tag!" sadness creeping over the lost friend. But she also realizes they better get the hell out of there. Shortly afterward the ground begins to rumble even more.

Apostasy starts looking for the line of ferals she saw earlier, to see if anything has changed there.

Solixis looks toward where Tag was. "Oh. Shit."

Sorien whirrs, "Watch the line of manholes; they'll flee from him past the heated lids!"

"Tag's curse will keep him safe. Let's move while they're distracted." REDACTED immediately turns and begins to run toward the city proper.

Apostasy swoops down low, flying just above street level, leading the others deeper into the city.

Solixis follows REDACTED's and Apostasy's leads, flying in close (And incredibly loose) formation.

Sparhawk does, in fact, fire a beam of terrible light into the darkness of the manhole. No eye can see in its glare from above, and the return of darkness follows instantly, leaving only the slow arrival of noises to tell if anything was hit or not. Then shi follows Apo, growling something about 'severely inconvenienced lifestyle'.

Sorien, not without a glance at the open manhole, starts to make her way after her friends. Guns and flamethrower tracking all ground level motions other than her allies.

Spar's laserlight creates a flash that illuminates nothing but water, but it burns and sizzles at -something- in the air, and for a brief moment hir fuzzy head clears.

The earthquake continues to rumble underneath the ground as they run and fly toward the inner city.

Sorien whirrs, "Keep moving. He'll be fine. And they'll... Likely be better off than they are now, if he kills them."

Apostasy leads the group through the streets, heading towards the CBD, mindful that at any moment they may come upon the line of ferals she spied earlier.

Despite saying this, Sori is obviously reluctant to leave.

The smell of sex has diminished, but they can smell the scents of the beast-creatures not far away. In fact, from the sounds of it, they are only a block over.

Click here to continue to Chapter 2.