predatory ● instincts

Gah! Lerien gasped a little as she was picked up and put into Duke's 'satchel'. Her face was a light red color, and had a flustered look on her face. She was not used to being picked up like that, let alone by suprise. She herd duke ask if there were any objections, she was about to yell and say 'hell yes there are objections!' but she simply gained her composure back and smoothed out her long purple hair, taking it out of the ponytails. She let her hair fall down all around her, which made it look like she had some purple barrier around her. For she had not cut her hair in 13 years. She tucked her knees under her chin and sighed heavily as if she were saying; 'no objections here.'

She glanced over at Princess, who had been dropped on his head. She silently smirked and then looked away again. She, for right now, was not in the mood to look at or talk to anyone. They did not know though that wen her hair was down she was basically in a raging mood which usually meant 'talk to me and die' sort of thing. Lerien was not dramatic but when she was like this, most people knew just to ignore her. She figured that her newly found team mates wouldn't give her much attention anyway she she finally decided that she would tell them later.

Gabriel laughed at the comments about his face "Yeah my face has seen better times..." Looking down at Boomer's arm he couldn't help admire the handiwork in the arm "That arm is very impressive if I can say so myself!" Continuing to walk he heard princess mention the change in the weather "I'm sorry did no one catch Princess saying the weather is going to do a Three Sixty? That would mean the weather stays the same, you're thinking of a one eighty. Either way! If the weather is about to get bad we should find someplace to bunker down for the night."

Looking around Gabriel tried to spot anything that could be used as a shelter looking around Gabriel saw a somewhat destroyed house off to the side of the road. "Well there's that house over there I think it'd be best if we went and stayed there until the storm passes."

Max looked around for anything else and said heading over to the house "Well...I say we check the house out, never know we might find something useful, or someone who can give us some info" he continued to the house even if someone disagreed.

The crew had probably only been about two hours into the walk and they were already freaking out about the storm. Sycom did tell them they would have time to make it to the docks, which meant they should, if anything, pick up the pace. Some did while others seemed more interested in securing a shack.

His eyes looked up at the sky - it was still clear and still. The calm before the storm, he figured. They had time. They needed to have time. Besides, what was an adventure without a bit of a rain. Okay, a ton of fucking rain. Nonetheless, they couldn't just stop whenever the weather looked bad. It just didn't seem… patriotic. Were they not Americans - save for Luli and Xiaolian (or maybe they were)? Were they not supposed to be fearless and brave? Valiant and strong with an unwavering deviation to save their country? Those were just some of the things that swirled around Princess' mind. For not being one to care, he sure was giving a damn. And a hell of a damn at that.

Being back on Duke's shoulders, the pink-haired male let out a gleeful chuckle. This was going to be fun. They were going to charge on ahead of the rest and make sure came was safe and secure. Or so he was envisioning. Not that he didn't trust Sycom and Daliah's friend at the dock! No, no, he trusted them, he just didn't trust the idea of entering a foreign warehouse in a huge-ass group. If something went wrong, all nine would die. Then, they would all fail, would they not?

Rolling his eyes, he couldn't quite see what the ladies - Bili and Boomer - saw in Paladin. He wasn't that good looking. Besides, Duke was cooler. Way cooler. What lady didn't want tall, rugged, and tall? He was everything Princess was not. Rough and tough. Large and strong. They were the ideal pair. Baby Doll, too. She was the quite one of the group and seemed a bit moody. Perhaps she wasn't a fan of heights? Eh, he wasn't going to let her little silent streak taint the moment.

Hands flying before Duke's head, he pointed toward the South. "Onward march!" he commanded with a bit of a sarcastic tone. Rolling his head back to look at the others, who were probably annoyed at their sudden rush toward the docks, he smirked. "We'll check the area out and see if it's all clear. Should we be compromised, we'll let you know. Maybe." A devious flicker went through his eyes but soon shifted when Duke gave him a bit of a jerk. "Okay, okay. We'll warn you…."

Princess adjusted himself once more so that he would have a secure hold on the guy. With his glasses now covering his face, he gave the big guy a pat on the head. "Let's see how fast you can go," he said with a bit of a challenging authority. If this guy could run twice as fast as the average man, they would get to the location - Perth Amboy - by maybe four o'clock. That seemed fair. Duke, Baby Doll, and Princess could scavenge for food and get the camp set up, assuming it wasn't already ready and waiting for them (which Princess hoped it was).

the voice message system is oddly quite...
You noticed that Sycom hasn't said a word for the last hour (it is now almost noon). You might begin to wonder if things aren't as safe as they seem. You are probably getting hungry, too. Some of your teammates have run off ahead (Team C) while the rest of the group seems to be left behind in the dust.

When you try to communicate with Sycom, you get an eerie static sound in the speaker. Looks like the storm out West is messing up the radio frequencies.

You appear to be on your own now (Team A and Team B) and Princess, Duke, and Baby Doll are now out of reach. Looks like you won't be getting any warnings or alerts after all. You can only hope that they can clear a straight path toward the docks and make sure all is good for when you arrive.


your options include...
It might be wise to regroup and think of a plan. Food should be the top-most priority. Seeing as you've only made it to Jersey City, you notice that there are a lot of abandoned buildings around here. Some, however, appear to have a woman's touch to them. Might there be people here that will take you in and offer you some advice? Perhaps they've seen your friends (Team C), who are about an hour and a half's walk ahead of you.

If you're with Team C, you are probably feeling a wee be peckish too. You're just arriving at the Newark Penn Station, Newark, New Jersey station. You hear something coming from the station, which appears to have been closed for years now. Do you check it out and make sure the others will get safe passage? Or do you keep pressing onward toward Perth Amboy?

"You're telling me to go full speed, Crumb? Oh, you better hang on tight."

Duke leaned down, bursting full tilt into a mad dash. He was sprinting, which surely didn't seem wise, that couldn't last much longer than a minute or two.

"Just do me one favor, Princess," he panted. "Stay awake and navigate me. I'm bad with directions."

Lerien was thinking to herself while leaning against the side of the over sized satchel that she had be so carelessly put in, when suddenly she was jolted forward from duke running. Her head kind of got pushed against the satchel as her eyes widened in bewilderment. You IDIOT! Her face turned bright red both from anger and embarrassment from hearing her own British accented voice. Ugh! She flipped her hair out of her face and tried her best to smooth it out, while still being carelessly bounced around since duke had still been running. Do you mind? Honestly, what's their rush..? She re adjusted her gear and decided to take off the chains that had been neatly tied around her waist. The had since dug into her skin a little, leaving a chain looking imprint in her pasty white completion. Ugh, great..

Lerien bowed her head, stupid stupid..She did not want to be mean to these people, she was not a mean person but she had a little problem with containing her anger. Alot of things could get her upset but she decided that these people er- Princess and Duke, she would treat them differently. She hoped.

Duke slowed back to barely more than a jog. "Yes, ma'am!" he shouted, taking care not to bustle the bag his boss was in.

"Well, Crumb, if you didn't hear, I've been instructed to never again go that speed. We made good distance, though." It seemed as if he was bringing this up to remind Princess that he was the bottom of the barrel.

Boomer sighed, I suppose it's time to start being the leader, huh? She looked toward the house they were pointing at. There were many around but that one looked simply abandoned. A few seemed to have a more lively look. If they could get under a more... stable house, they'd be safe. However, it would take off a lot of time from their walk to DC and they had to get their fast. Boomer placed a finger on her collar and tried contacting sycom, but she got nothing but static. Lost contact. She bit her lip and eyed the more lively houses. It wasn't late... but evening was threatening on the horizon. "Team Apexd, Sycom said earlier that we would have enough time to get to the port." She said, turning and walking backwards to talk to her crew, "Now, we could go for the abandoned building which probably has a bunch of spoiled food that would make us sick, or we could go for that house over their with the lights on."

Boomer pointed out the house she was referring to. Sure, the lights could just be on and no one lives there, but that was very unlikely. "However, staying a few hours here to wait for the storm to pass would cause us to lose a lot of hours. Team C is already a good hour or so ahead of us. The storm is closing off a lot of communication and I'm not sure if we'll be able to contact them." Boomer turned back around and stopped, thinking of the best plan of action. They were already behind on time and risking her Team's health wouldn't help them. "We're behind on time as is. We're hungry and I don't want to get caught in that storm." She finally decided, "I say we head toward the house and see if they'll take us in. Team B, if you want to join us, you're more than welcome. Let's move."

Boomer headed toward the home. It was a regular city home and probably accommodated a few apartments in the past. She stepped up the stairs and knocked on the door, hoping for the best. She waited there for a few moment before she heard the click of a lock and watched the door open. An older woman stood a few inches shorter than her. She looked like one of those old ladies who would pass out cookies to anyone. Boomer gave her a bit of a smile, "Good evening... We're from The Agency. We're heading toward DC, but there's a bad storm brewing and we need a place to bunker down while it blows over. Would you mind taking us in?"

The woman stared up at her and eyed the people behind her. "You said you're from the Agency?" She asked. She waited for a few moments before she opened the door and allowed us in, "Come in. Come in. We always welcome those trying to save our world." Boomer stepped in and called out to her team, "C'mon, Team A!"

She didn't like all this talk of stopping, Bili was hell bent on continuing the mission as quickly as possible. A few hours in was much to early to stop, but her stomach told her otherwise. She'd grabbed food for the journey, but didn't want to eat from her stores unless she had too. Being taken in by a family for a meal was a good option, and she commended Boomer just going up and doing it. Bili would have been more than willing to do it, but she likely wouldn't have handled it with as much tact as Boomer did, so it was better to let their leader do the talking.

Bili smiled at the woman as she let them inside, but once they were out of earshot of the woman she turned to Boomer. "I know we need to eat, but I do think we should just continue on after eating, the storm won't hit for a while yet and I think we can make great time getting closer to the first rest stop if we just keep moving. We'll lose so much time by stopping. I mean the final decision is up to you, but I honestly think we should keep moving until it is absolutely unsafe to continue doing so." she explained quietly, not wanting to offend the woman that was being so kind to them, but knowing they needed to keep on, well, keeping on.

His brain had probably turned to mush wit the speed that Duke had been charging forward at, but, as if by a miracle, it was still in tact and working quite well. Perhaps the boost of adrenaline did some good for the petite lad.

It was then when his remorseless eyes slid toward the gargling sounds that echoed from the nearby abandoned translation. "Captain," his eyes wandered toward Baby Doll, "please tell me we aren't about to check in there." It wasn't so much that he was afraid to enter the area. No, if anything it was the fear of never returning, or worse, finding something that would scar them all. Yet, within him, Princess knew that it was the job of the first group to scout the area. Granted, the teams with the scouts were over an hour behind them. With a heavy sigh, he found his strength to stand on his own.

Shoed feet on the earth, his pink hair tousled in the faint breeze some. He didn't really like the feeling that started to form in his gut but he knew that luck rarely let him down. So was the fate of a shorty - forever blessed with all one could ever need to get buy and without lifting a finger.

Skipping toward the station, he spied what looked like a female deer (a doe). With quick hand gestures, he motioned that the crew ought to circle the creature and, with force, take the being down. And by circling the creature, he meant Duke and Baby Doll would have to do all the dirty work. Or at least that's what he had planned.

An odd noise (thankfully faint), cackled from the Sycom Comm. Hands gracing the electronic communication device, the boy didn't really pay much more attention to it than that. If the thing was having interference, it was meant to be. The storm, as determined by his radar, was massive. Looked as if there was going to be a hell of a wind force, too. With some serious scrutinizing, he discovered a 'LIVE CAM" view of the area that was currently under heavy rainfall. Upon seeing the images, his pale eyes dilated to three times their size. Shit was going to get real by nightfall. They needed to get to those docks on the off chance that the land flooded.

"I hate to be Johnny Rain Cloud, but we have a dilemma." For not really having a specific role, Princess was really getting into the whole 'rain on your parade' information rely job. "This storm. It's fucking huge. Appears to have tornado-like winds."

The deer seemed to pay no attention to the trio as they spoke above whispers. In fact, if anything, it seemed rather peaceful. It obviously knew it was about to become someone's lunch and it had no qualms about it. Truth is, the animals of Earth knew of Judgement Day and most of the gentler ones didn't seem to fear or hate the idea of dying. The creatures seemed to just… accept it all.

Looking toward their leader, Princess shrugged his shoulders. "Your call, Captain. Do we take a peak inside the station? Or do we kill the doe, eat, and get back on the road?" To him, both options sucked. One would push them further away from their agency friends and the other would prolong their journey to the docks. With a sigh, he muttered, what a drag - a new catchphrase he adopted from Baby Doll.

Lerien peeked her head up out of the satchel, looking over at Princess then at the eery looking station. Should they check it out or not? Ugh, Decisions decisions.. Well since we've already stopped, we might as well go take a look.. She sighed and helped herself out of the over sized satchel. She re-tied the chains around her waist and walked forward, a little hesitant to go inside. Its not that she was afraid, but what if there really was something big and mean in there? Would her team mates be able to protect themselves? She knew Duke probably could, and she certainly could, even though she knew people thought otherwise. Princess however, looked like the type of guy to run away from something mean and nasty. But, looks can be deceiving, hmm maybe he's alright after all..

She sighed heavily, smoothing her long purple hair back. She had gotten over that little 'fit' she had just moments ago, but she had forgotten her ribbons. She shrugged a little and decided to just let her hair flow freely along with the wind. She took a deep breath then exhaled, and started to walk up to the station.

Duke didn't really feel like venison. Nor did he feel like stopping. But Princess had seen a train station and protested and now they might kill a deer and Princess was making them investigate a building. And the storm was worse than imagined.

"Should we tell the others, or no?" He glanced at Babydoll, not exactly expecting an immediate answer, but trying to convey that he was not going to persue any course of action without her approval.

He looked down at the doe. She could feed Princess and Babydoll for days-him, maybe she would last two meals. A waste.

Gabriel stood behind everyone and saw the elderly woman listening to Boomer talk to her. Standing and pondering what everyone's next move should be, his thoughts were interrupted by Bili interjecting that they all should keep moving "I have to agree with Bili here actually, the storm isn't here yet so we could probably cover a few more miles before the storm hits. I'm certain we'll be able to find some type of shelter."

Walking up to the door he placed both his hands on the elderly woman "Madame we thank you for your kindness but we must keep moving!" pushing the woman gently he moved her back and shut her door, turning around he looked at everyone "We ride!" Parting the crowd he stepped through them all and made his way down the road.

Not phased by Paladin's overly handsome looks, the brunette kept her iron grip around PB's arm. Her eyes flicked to her sister who hadn't said much lately. In fact, PB hadn't said much either. Or even her. Were they to be the silent team? Team B for Boldly Silent.

With a light sigh, she moved toward the woman and give her a curtsey. "Thank you for the bit to eat. Your kindness shall not go unnoticed. All will know how you were sweet enough to take in some strangers without hesitation or fear. Again, we thank you as does our great nation of America."

Slipping away, she produced some food for her teammates. It was nothing super fancy. It was obvious that the little old lady didn't have much. Why would she after all? She was in the middle of nowhere. It was a dark and desolate area that seemed to have lost faith in salvation years ago. Although some of the houses were lit, they all seemed so sad and depressing. The once brilliant blue and white houses had faded to ugly shades of gray. The once green grass wilted away and the birds that lined the down power lines seemed to lose their glorious songs.

Never before had Luli seen such a poverty stricken area. Everything out here was poor, old, and covered in a thick layer of dust. Even the people - there were a few eyes poking out from behind blinds and curtains - seemed to be aged. Wrinkles marred the faces of the children who laughter was no longer heard. The mothers of thirty were faced with gray hair and their husbands did nothing but curse. The toll of it all was taxing and it was going to break this nation in to shambles.

Finding a spot of courage within, Luli's wild eyes flicked from the faces of those that hide within their homes. "You're in good hands, America. We, the chosen members of the agency, will bring back the light and laughter. Joyous days… they will be had again. That, my fiends, I can assure you."

Head held high, the Chinese woman skipped forward so that she was now in-sync with her sister and PB. The crew was back on the road again and, she swore she saw out of the corner of her eye, a smile on the faces of those that heard her words. Perhaps, with that bit of cheeriness, this area would get back on its feet and work toward mending the other broken towns around them. America was built by the a group of hardworking individuals bonded by a common goal and dream and America could be saved by that same thread of hope and pride.

"That's the spirit Luli...but you make it sound like were travelling through the land of rainbows and leprechauns...being threatened by a rabid bunny" P.B said as he watched Luli. She had spirit, energy and determination but too much of it in his eye's, she had some growing up to do and was going to be a hard time for her when he does, in a way it scared him.

Her feet weren't used to this much walking but if Luli wasn't complaining, Xiaolian certainly wasn't going to fuel the girl with something that would get her going. The brunette's silence wasn't because she was lost in thought, if anything, it was quite the contrast. Xiaolian was merely taking in the sights and committing them to memory. She wanted to keep a record of all that she and the agency faced as sort of a documentary. She didn't know why she was so fascinated with the idea, but she figured it had something to do with Luli as the girl always wanted to be a movie star.

The stopping was nice and just what she needed. With the aid of a little girl, she had wrapped her feet with enough cloth so that it felt like she was walking on clouds. A bit of a smile appeared on her face as her way of saying thanks. Of course, the pit stop was cut short and Luli seemed to know just how to pick up the broken spirits of those in the area. Although the people seemed inspired by Luli's words, Xiaolian could see a flicker of hesitation in their eyes. To give them hope, the agency would need to make these people believe. Luli was too blinded by her own blissful ways to see this truth and the older sister wasn't about to burst the girl's bubble - there would be plenty of bubbles burst along the way, she figured.

It was while she was racing through her mind that her pale eyes zoomed in on something that seemed… odd and out of place. Head cocking toward the side, the woman slowed to a near stop. Had Luli not been walking in the very back, Xiaolian might have been left behind without knowing for all of Team A was upfront and PB seemed to be just a step behind them.

Her sister's hands flew out in front of her face; eyes focusing on the object at the end of her extended finger, Xiaolian gasped. Their bodies collided, which caused a semi-loud thud to echo forward toward the others. Scrambling to her feet, Xiaolian reached for the hilt of her sword and belted out a term known all to well by all. Demon.

AGENCY EYEQUIP DATA ON SPIRIT
The following information is displayed on screen before your eyes (Team A and Team B only)....

LEVEL 5 WERECAT GHOUL
This little ghost was once a cat that were drown in the nearby creek. It now stands on its two hind-legs and stands about five feet tall. Wicked black horns jut from his spine and forehead, giving it a reptilian appeal. Long claws that are easily a foot in length stretch out and have an eerie green glow to them. Avoid at all costs. Obtaining a scratch from this creature will call full-body paralysis that can only be treated with ANTITOXIN 34K, which is in sort demand.

KNOWN METHOD TO SLAY OR WEAKEN
Silver bullets or silver-tipped objects. Everything else, useless.

CHANCE OF SURVIVAL RATE
87% chance that blows will not prove fatal

SUGGESTED TACTIC
Run

TOTAL POINTS ACHIEVABLE
5

**NEWBIE NOTES FOR SYCOM
Level 5 monsters are the lowest in rank but they are still a bitch to kill. The monsters go up in hardness from there. Level 1 would be the highest and hardest ranked monsters... unless you run into WIND of JUDGEMENT DAY (or SEKHMET or ERIS). All three are Level S. Level S is for "the shit is getting kicked out of you so run, fucking, run."

Boomer looked down at Bili and nodded her head, understanding where she was coming from. However, they needed food. "I completely understand, Bili." She said, "But we can't continue on without a bite to eat. We just need to stay for a few minutes to get a-" She was interupted by Paladin entering, speaking his mind, and leaving. A click of anger got to her. She stepped toward the door, turning to the woman before screaming out to her teammate. "Ma-am, after a bit of talk with my team mates, We simply need to continue on the road. If you can provide us with a bit of food for our trip so we can leave, it would be much appreciated." After the woman nodded and started toward her kitchen, Boomer watched Paladin move out toward the road. She was not going to be disrespected.

The woman had returned with a small box of food. It wasn't a lot, but it would hold them over. There were a few apples (Her favorite), some bread, and bottles of water. This land was poverty stricken, broken down, and lost. She felt bad for taking their food, but they had nothing, in all truth. They were simple travelers at this point. "Thank you, miss. And don't worry... We'll get things back to normal in this world." The woman gave her a worn smile and nodded. "Alright, Bili, we're moving. Hold the food for me for a second?" She handed the box to Bili before sprinting forward toward Paladin.

As Boomer made her way toward him, She outstretched her arm and smacked him in the back of his head. She stopped in front of him crossed her arms. "I am the leader of this group." She said, "I will not be disrespected. When I make a command, I expect it to be followed. Or talk to me about your concerns and I'll make the decision. Such as Bili did. Do it again, and your face will look worse than it does now." Feeling that she had made her point, she walked back to Bili, grabbed an apple and bit into it's rough skin. She sighed. I'm going to need to get used to playing the leader.

The group moved along the Road, Boomer making it infront of the other two. She had already finished her first apple and taken a bite of her second. Before she could finish however, a creature standing about a foot smaller than her, appeared before them. Stats flashed over her eyes. A WERECAT GHOUL? Boomer questioned. It had a Level of 5, which reminded her of the video games she used to play, and seeing as this was their first monster and they had just started, they were all probably level one. SUGGESTED TACTIC: Run.

Deciding to take the Suggested tactic and not get her team mates paralyzed just yet, Boomer reached into a pouch on the side of her hip and pulled out a small grey ball, a fuse sticking out of it. It looked like a childs toy, and basically, it was. But for now, it would do to hide them. "Team Apex! We're taking the suggest tactic, no objects." She said. She searched quickly for a vision of escape, and decided to just run left and right around it. "We're going around it, to the left and just keep going!" Looking back to make sure her team wasn't going to do anything stupid, she sprinted left.

Gabriel walked down the road barely paying attention to his surroundings when he felt a giant thud on the back of his head "Oww!" Without turning around "I'm going to guess that was Boomer because no normal hand could cause that much pain! Good God woman!" turning around he was faced with a verbal onslaught from Boomer, once completed she left and returned to him with an apple in hand "Listen Boomer I like you, do I think you'll make a good leader? Sure, but you have to realize something. We just met, it's been 2 hours, you haven't really had a moment to assert yourself as leader, excluding this, I've been on my own for the past 6 years running from the Agency and then I'm called in by them with the promise of a new start, also yes I did think it was a trap and I still do think it is a trap, then I'm thrown into this spirit and mecha nonsense. I don't really trust anyone here Boomer, I want to but right now I don't as long as I can remember I've had to watch out for myself because when I did trust someone I've been shot and or stabbed. So I apologize for that back there I'm not used to having a leader that doesn't have an ulterior motive, usually being they want to kill me. But please understand that right now my mind is going insane wondering if this is an elaborate plan by the Agency to finally kill me. But, and I mean this with sincerity I will do my best to try and follow orders from now on."

Turning forward Gabriel again began to survey the area wondering how long they could keep going until the storm finally hit. His neck guard began flashing and making a small beep noise. Gabriel pressed the button on his left wrist causing his helmet to again cover his face as info came up on his AR screen 'LEVEL 5 WERECAT GHOUL' turning to everyone he heard Boomer's plan of running "Okay I get that you're pissed from earlier but I'm not an idiot we have no silver tipped weapons I'm not going to just run and gun every ghoul I see. I wouldn't have survived this long if I did that, I am all for going around or for sacrificing Peanut or the annoying Chinese girl to the ghoul so it leaves us alone. But no walking around is fine!"

Paladin's agreement with her was nice, but Bili felt he'd been a bit harsh. Perhaps she would have said something if it had been a different day, but the mood of needing to bond with her team was stronger than her desire to snap someone into proper behavior. Besides, Bili knew that if she were ever the one to say something, her temper would get the best of her. Like it was doing as soon as she heard the drivel coming out of Luli's mouth.

"Luli, could you please just, not talk? Your voice makes me almost as angry as the spirits. We haven't done a damn thing that's heroic, not yet, so quit talking like its already been accomplished when you haven't even done more than walked a few miles. Thank god you're not on my team or I'd slap some sense into that vapid shallow brain of yours. All you care about is being pretty and charming, I'd like to see you actually care for something beyond yourself. These people don't need your silly fluffy words. They need heroes, that DO, and not just talk like they already succeeded. They need something real, not something like whatever the hell you think you are." She snarled, not giving the girl enough time to respond before she took the food Boomer handed her and turned her back on Luli. She did, however, take a few minutes to thank the kind woman that had fed them. They deserved to be thanked, just not in the ridiculous speech Luli had given. Who the hell did Luli think she was? And why the hell was she Daliah's favorite? (Also why had Daliah said that in front of everyone else, that was hardly good form)

Boomer walked over to Paladin, and though Bili couldn't hear the words, the body language told her Paladin was being scolded. After Boomer made her way back, Bili kept pace with her and Paladin, refusing to really pay any attention to Team B unless she had too. In Bili's mind, the teams were already competing. No point befriending them. It was kind of sick though, the way the agency had them competing. She wasn't quite sure why they'd done that, but Bili's desire to kill the spirits overruled any hesitancy the competition gave her.

A few minutes into her second apple, Bili was stopped by Boomer's sudden stop. Looking down, she saw the werecat ghoul (dumb name in her opinion but who was she to judge?). The notification came across clear, and while it angered her to have to run from something so, so small, Bili didn't hesitate at all once Boomer gave the order. "Aye-aye, cap'n!" Bili said, picking her pace into a run and sprinting to the left, Bili followed the suggested as much as it killed her to run from a fight.

Against her better judgement, a small giggle escaped Bili's lips as she heard Paladin mention that he'd be willing to leave peanut and Luli behind to save themselves. Did Bili ACTUALLY believe in sacrificing her allies (No matter how much she hated them)? No. But it sure as hell was funny the way Paladin suggested it. At least he had a sense of humor about all of this, that would come in handy once the days got truly dark, and they would. Bili knew, perhaps better than anyone, that light never stayed around for long.

Seeing the doe sitting so patiently, Duke, bored of waiting fr something to happen, picked it up. Placing it over his shoulder, toting it, he ripped a bush from the ground, offering it to the deer.

"I say we should just follow Princess."

With a bit of a devious look on her face, Luli smirked at their comments. So what if they loathed her to no end? She would show them all up - all of them - and with style. Sadly, the hideous cat before them seemed to have another plan in mind. Rather than following the Team, Luli maneuvered in the complete opposite direction. They were splitting here and now. If Team C could run off on their own, so could Team Badass.

A good tug on both PB and Xiaolian's arms and she was off into the bushes. It was easy to hide in here. It was also the perfect place to lay low. In her mind, they were going to be the kind of team that would just stay hidden until needed. Yeah, it would be hard but she really couldn't stand Team A any longer. Between Bili's bitching, Boomer's bossing around, and Paladin's pirate-like antics, those three were going to get her sister killed.

Hand holding the other girl's tightly, she offered up the woman a smile. "Don't worry sis, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Since the beginning of forever, Luli had been the protector and the savior for Xiaolian and she wasn't able to let that stat change.

"Don't you think we should stay with them," her eyes looked sad and lost. "Aren't we safe-" her lips were closed.

"No. We don't need them. If they don't want us around, we won't be around. Sorry PB but I cannot stomach those punks any longer. They think they are all so rough and tough because they are outlaws, bandits, and a cop. Well they aren't. We'll show them. Love, it shall trump all else!"

Of course, due to Luli's talking, the cat had decided to leave Team A alone. Finding the location of the girl's voice, those eerie green eyes peeked through the thicket, spying its dinner.

"Here, kitty, kitty," she taunted it with her tongue sliding against her lips. With Xiaolian's blade already extended and PB's hand on the trigger, Luli knew this cat was going to fall rather quickly. Why was she so certain? Daliah. Recall that moment in time where she slipped away from the crew? Well, while she was with Daliah the lady informed her of the vampire and werewolf nature of some of the creatures in the area. She had explained that PB's weapon was loaded with bullets cased in silver and that Xiaolian's sword was tipped in silver and doused with diamonds.

Daliah was a wise woman. She must have known all along that the teams would split and that Team B would been in dire need of a saving grace. Silver bullets and a silver tipped sword was that reward.

Sure, the other teams had sheer brute strength and unique skills only learned from the life on the run, but they would never fair well against these feline-like ghosts.

As the cat's paws came jutting toward her, Luli made a little squirm to the left. She ducked just low enough that Xiaolian's trembling sword would collide with the beast's chest. With the sword just gracing the beast, the cat would recoil backwards - straight into PB's silenced pistol.

"Ka-bang," slipped from her lips as she kicked herself from the ground and into the tree above her. With wide eyes full of excitement and awe, she saw the creature flop to the ground.

"Did we… did we…" her said stammered still holding her sword outright.

Pushing herself up so that she was now standing on the branch, the girl crossed her arms over her chest. "Cha-ching. Team B just earned themselves… five points!" With a bit of a joyous shrill, she leaped down from her branch and cheered. "Team B is totally awesome!"

Xiaolian, still scared shitless from the whole ordeal, dropped to her knees and let out a held breath. "Thank goodness."

Somehow, between the bullet and the sword, they were able to slay their first monster. It fell easier than expected, but it was also a cocky creature that seemed to believe it could take these three on.

With luck on their side, Luli wrapped her arms around her two teammates. "You two were totally awesome!" Both received a peck on the cheek and a good hair ruffle. "What say you to laying back some? I think we ought to put a good hour between us and Team Asshole."

Nodding, Xiaolian sported a smile. "I think we could use the little break. Maybe we can collect some samples from the area and send them back to Daliah and Sycom?"

"Oh, yes. I think Daliah and Sycom would like that. But umm… we should probably get the a-okay from bossman." Purring as she schmoozed her way over to PB, the Chinese woman batted her lashes with the hopes that he would allow them to 'investigate' the area some.

TEAM SCORES
The following information contains the scores for the teams.
Recall that team members are subject to change.

TEAM A: 0/1000
TEAM B: 5/1000
TEAM C: 0/1000

Follow Princess. Well that didn't sound like fun. He was really hoping the two would check out the station while he snoozed over on that nice rock. Unfortunately, they just had to be the type that through him into situations where he would have to make the choices. Baby Doll, she was doing it on purpose he decided. He thought it was just her way of keeping him awake and alert. Oh would he rip her a new one when he had the chance.

"Your hair looks nice when it's down."

His eyes widened and he thought of a hundred and one days to die. Duke's foot plus his head seemed the best options right now.

Shaking and them shuddering, he walked toward the station. He could NOT believe he just complemented the chick. What was he, sick? He had to be. Oh so very sick. Probably feverish. On the verge of dying. Yes, that was it.

In the large archway of the station, he let out a sigh. It was much louder than he had hoped, but, naturally, it would be in a large room without anything to buffer or slow the echoing.

Toes over the edge of the stairs, he peered down into the murky darkness. "My spidey senses are tingling," he muttered. The dipping sound of water followed his voice as did the sound of a scurrying rat.

"Oh hell no, I ain't going down there. There are bugs and rats down there! And red eyes. Very big red eyes." Taking a step back, he found himself bumping into Duke and Baby Doll. "Well, that one's all yours," he said brushing past the crew. However, he stopped dead in his tracks for there was a newfound obstacle in his way.

"Dammit," he cursed as he looked up at what appeared to be four large mutated rats with two heads and six or so odd tails. "Why us?" he muttered. So much for having luck on our side, he thought he heard one of them say.

With a bit of a grimace, he looked around at the six set of eyes that stared them down. Four were guarding the entrance and two more were lat the base of the stairs. Escaping without assault wasn't possible. They would just have to decide which set they wanted to face. Down would be easier but it would also force them to take the subway station to the other side of Jersey. Up would get them back out in the open, but there were four of them and, from the looks of it, they were calling in the dogs as in the distance you could hear the eerie howl of a hellhound.

AGENCY EYEQUIP DATA ON SPIRIT
The following information is displayed on screen before your eyes (Team C only)....

LEVEL 5 BLOOD RAT (x6)
Blood rats are mutated rats that roam the sewers as well as the subway stations. They have a killer bite and are known to cause infection. They travel in packs and are usually pretty slow. Although they are large (about three feet long), they are unable to see which makes them highly vulnerable. This little ghost was once a cat that were drown in the nearby creek. If infected, take PENICILLIN which is provided in all Agency MedPacks.

KNOWN METHOD TO SLAY OR WEAKEN
Fire - Duke's pole has a flamethrower option
Head removal - slice off the head's and watch them roll

CHANCE OF SURVIVAL RATE
0.7% chance that blows will not prove fatal

SUGGESTED TACTIC
Knock 'm dead

TOTAL POINTS ACHIEVABLE
6 (1 per creature)

**NEWBIE NOTES FOR SYCOM
Level 5 monsters are the lowest in rank but they are still a bitch to kill. The monsters go up in hardness from there. Level 1 would be the highest and hardest ranked monsters... unless you run into WIND of JUDGEMENT DAY (or SEKHMET or ERIS). All three are Level S. Level S is for "the shit is getting kicked out of you so run, fucking, run."

AGENCY EYEQUIP DATA ON SPIRIT
The following information is displayed on screen before your eyes (Team C only)....

LEVEL 3 HELLHOUND (x9)
Hellhounds are fire breathing dogs from the underworld. They are sleek and fast and come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. An average hellhound is the size of a full grown wolf but they have been known to grow as big as a horse. Hellhounds travel and hunt in packs, seeking out the weak and killing all that lay in their wake. Able to spit and breathe fire, these dogs should be avoided at all costs. Ear muffs are also required as the howl of a Hellhound is said to drive a strong man to his knees.

Treat burns with balm that is provided in all Agency MedPacks.

UNKNOWN METHOD TO SLAY OR WEAKEN
Method unknown

CHANCE OF SURVIVAL RATE
100% chance that blows will not prove fatal

SUGGESTED TACTIC
Get the hell out of there

TOTAL POINTS ACHIEVABLE
450 (50 per creature)

**NEWBIE NOTES FOR SYCOM
Level 3 monsters and higher require the use of Mecha to kill. Weapons will not be able to stop this creature. Injury is mininal, if at all.

Hands danced at a dangerously close distance to the jaws of a very powerful mouth. As they traced the pale soft lips, a light hissing sound could be heard coming from those lips. Pushing outward as if it place a kiss, they were met not by another's mouth but by the index finger of a man.

"Ahh ha ha. 'n day say it couldn't be done," was a bloody slur of words that slipped off a pair of loose lips. A bit of a guilty hiccup followed as did the flitting of eyes. Perhaps they had overindulged in the sweet nectar of life (liquor) and were a bit too intoxicated to function. Still, it was a bet and it had been won by none other than Sycom.

Sprawled across his golden bedsheets was a very lustful Daliah whose eyes were wide with sin and the desire to play a naughty little tune. The strap of he bra was falling its way down her slender arms and her pretty black lace underwear was revealing her rounded cheeks more than usual.

Reaching forward, the raven dug her claws across his chiseled chest, feeling each pocket of muscle below his baby smooth skin. The pleasure of the touch caused her to melt, giving into the redhead just a bit more. Within no time, their lips were locked as their hands hastened to remove their bodies of the few remaining garments.

A loud thud was heard as was laughter from the mating pairing. Apparently, a king sized bed wasn't big enough to contain their rolling and tossing. Of course, now that they had the entire floor to themselves, they could play on as long as they might. Why not even the calls of the agents could break them from their exotic dance of sorts. It didn't help that Sycom had purposely turned them on 'AUTO' and that they were now buried beneath a mess of pillows and clothes.

Still, after two hours of celebrating the beginning of the revolution for salvation, the pair had found time to have their tender moments. Although, both were too drunk to really know what the other was doing. So when the events would finally come to an end (as both were on the verge of passing out), they would probably have a great many heated arguments over the night. How he used her and how she coaxed him on. Their back and forth would eventually end much like they lay now.

It is safe to say that both Sycom and Daliah are out of the picture and will be for the rest of today.

Once out of range of the creature, Boomer slowed to a bit of a jog. She looked back, seeing if Team B was in sight. However, they had been lost in the run. She pursed her lips, they may have tried to attack the thing. It didn't look all that dangerous, but that paralyzing scratchy thing didn't look good. She just took the suggested tactic and that was run. She sighed and moved her hand to her forehead. She wiped the sweat from her brow and checked out her two team mates. "You guys doing alright? Looks like we lost B." She said, "Oh well, they were annoying anyway." Boomer sighed and searched the premiss. They were still in the city, but nearing the outskirts. There had to be a way to go that would make things easier, right? We needed to get to a Dock. So, that would be over water.

Boomer pulled on her goggles and flipped it to a map of the near-by area. Low and behold, a river lay outside the city and to the left. "Alright... There's a river to the left of the city. I say we start traveling along there. Where there's water, there's a Dock, No?" So far, she was actually hating being a leader. She knew she needed respect, but she didn't like getting angry. She's never been good at controlling her anger issues. Boomer led the group out of the city to spot the large river to it's left. They walked up to it to see that the water was as dense as ever. Pollution had gotten to it and it was obvious. This wasn't the kind of river they would want to drink from. Thank god that old woman gave them water bottles to drink from. Speaking of which, Boomer grabbed one from the box and took a sip of it before pocketing it in one of her many pouches.

Boomer started to walk next to Paladin as they walked along the edge of the river. "Look, Paladin, we're all tired. And I have anger issues. Don't set them off or that won't be the last time you get a smack in the back of the head." Not the greatest start to an apology, "I'm sorry for yelling, but you can't just go off on your own. You'll get killed that way. And I'm sure The Agency isn't playing tricks on you. Do you know see what kind of world we're in. The world needs you and it needs us. Wither it's hated you before or not. We're the ones who are going to take down those damn ghost-things." She crossed her arms and let out a small chuckle, "Anyway, if this was all a joke, I would be in on it. And I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. I'd laugh every time I looked at you."

Mounting the cheetah, he looked at the two woman that were before him. Both of these ladies were strong beyond belief, enduring all the hardships of life without ever asking for revenge. Now here they are, working alongside a man hellbent on ruining one person's life. It was noble of them both and very selfless. To Wind, both these ladies deserved to go down in history - as heroes rather than villains. Both had scarified everything to where they are today, losing parts of them that can never be given back.

He felt a bit of a burning sensation in his chest. It killed him every time he was beside Eris. As much as he wanted her, he just couldn't give into his body's desires and cravings. He refused to hurt the woman and if that meant staying a virgin for the rest of his life, he would.

When their eyes meet again, he felt them wet up some. Oh how he wanted to console her and tell her that everything would be okay. But he didn't want to hurt her or harm her for he knew that the touch of a man could easily frighten her. He had watched Sekhmet jump far too many times and he had seen the damage the rape had done to her body.

As he slid forward onto his chest to ride the feline, he let his feet give the ghostly creature a light kick in the ribs. In seconds, the spotted creature was off. The abrasive wind cut his flesh, but didn't seem to leave any marks for the wind knew better than to injure his own being. Still, the speed in which the cheetah was running was far too much for the tiger and the lioness to match.

Coaxing the cat to a slower yet still hastened pace, he allowed the ladies to catch back up to him. There was a reason he summoned cheetahs, but, as always, the girls never showed loyalty to another creature.

As their thunderous paws tore up the earth with each step closer to their sabotage destination, Wind found himself smiling with a sense of pride. The storm would be hitting those fools within the next four hours. They were already facing their first ghosts, all of which were reporting their findings to Wind, Sekhmet and Eris.

"It appears that they are having some issues. Perhaps they will be easier to kill than expected. Already taking to their own groups of three, we shall make a statement with their bones and blood in no time." Granted, killing them all so soon would thwart his long-term revenge. So, to his disliking, he would have to let the kiddies live if he wanted to obtain the true dream.

"Loves, would you mind sending some of your feline friends to randevú with agents in… say the Philadelphia area? Maybe one per team. We'll see how they can handle your wild cats. It'll also buy us some time to destroy the Mech one of my eagles found in the DC area. We should probably wipe them out before the agents see them."