Malo's tail twitched, he smelled the other coming before she was even at his side. Deep blue eyes shifted to her, as she silently gave word to report. He nudged his nose up towards the cliff as if signalling. "Humans....six of those sacks of meat" he said in a low growl. His fur bristled, his fangs lightly showing as he spoke. His tail flicked the air in typical feline adgitated manner. He wanted to get going and kill them all before they could do more damage.

His claws flexing a bit against the rocks below him. His eyes once more turned to their fallen beast of a comrad. He leaned down to nudge it with his nose lightly, as if hoping it was not really dead. There was no denying it though, he could smell death in the air, and blood as well. He turned to look at her, giving a light growl to signify his anger and want for action at this. He knew he had to be smart about it, but at the same time his ferral instincts were kicking in. The others hiding within that little cave up there would pay for what they had done here.

Thistle nodded a little saying “If you can do weird things too then yeah I’m like you.” She didn’t really understand how he knew what she was thinking but she went with it since anything was really possible now a days. Seeing the little robot thing she stared at it a little in amazement, it was the first time she had seen anything like that and made her wonder about what was actually out there now. When it scanned them as well she was shocked a little, hearing what it had to say though she realized that it must be another one of the doctor’s creations. As they went to the cave Thistle wondered what he meant by almost all nine together, would that mean that the little robot knew what exactly was going on and who everyone else was? On top of that the idea that there were nine of them shocked her, just knowing that there were at least eight other humans living gave her more hope.

When they reached the cave Thistle noticed that there were already three others in the cave. At first she was a bit hesitant about staying there the night but she realized that finding a place now was going to be dangerous and difficult. Plus she kind of wanted answers about things, if this little robot knew about them then it must know about what happened. She had isolated herself in the North and kept communications down to a minimum with the outside world. But now that that was all over she needed to know about it. She sat beside Alpha as the robot healed him and watched as he did so; it was really interesting to her and different from how she had learned how to heal. Plus she wanted to make sure that Alpha wasn’t getting hurt. She knew that she didn’t want to make connections like that again but she couldn’t help it. She knew that she would do anything to protect people as that was what she had done for most of her life. Besides she had already helped Hibiki, who she had never met before, thinking about this she realized that Alpha was right with her power she can do a lot to protect people, she just needs to get stronger. Though she would never admit it to him that he was right she wouldn’t put herself down any more about her power, even if it seemed like it was a curse at times it was a gift.

Being forced to sleep though by the little robot Thistle borrowed one of the animal skins and found a dark corner. She noticed that Alpha had gone to the mouth of the cave to sleep; she figured he would be safe, after their journey together she had learned a lot about him. Lying down on the cave floor she shifted around a little, not getting really comfy she changed the density of some of the floor so that she could sink in to get comfy. She knew that she could keep the density of the floor that way over night and she would be fine. Using her arm as a pillow she pulled the skin over her and fell asleep of the night. She didn’t really sleep well as her mind was always on alert with images of beasts and memories of the small village she came from. She was able to get some sleep closer to morning though which was peaceful.

Thistle managed to sleep until she heard a thunking sound; she sat up straight in her dark little corner and scanned the rest of the cave. Seeing that it was the sound of meat hitting the cave floor she settled down a little. Though she did notice that there were a few people up by now, and where the noise came from was a man and one of the girls who were sleeping when they came in last night. She stayed where she was and took in who else was awake, Hibiki, Alpha, and the other female, meaning she was the last one awake.

Thistle sighed a little and shifted slightly, she couldn’t believe that she was the last one up. She sat quietly and listened to the conversations going on around her. At first it was about preparing food for the group and then it shifted to Alpha talking to the other male who he said was Ryker? She paused for a moment then realized that he must be the friend Alpha was looking for, she smiled a little to herself she was glad that Alpha had found the one he was searching for. She stood up and shifted through the floor again letting its density go back to normal and stretched a little. She would defiantly change the density of what she slept on from now on, it was much more comfortable. She moved to put the skin back where she found it when the little robot started talking.

Pausing Thistle listened to the robot, he mentioned that they had metaphorical ground to cover she looked at it for a moment, what ground could they possible cover and why was it metaphorical? When he mentioned how they would have to trust each other and work as a team to survive she paused. Hearing that the fate of the rest of the world rested on that she stood still her eyes wide with horror. Hearing that only put her back to memories about her small village and what had happened. She shook a little then blinked a little when he started introducing everyone. She already knew Alpha and who he had been talking to was Ryker but learning the others powers was interesting. She learned that the girl named Masuyo was the other female in the cave the night before and that she could change her appearance. Next was her and she knew what she could do. The last was the tattooed woman name was Wakanda but went by Chumana, and that she could teleport. But he stopped at Hibiki and only called him nine, she was confused slightly, did he not know about Hibiki? He seemed so sure about everyone else that to her it seemed that something might be missing.

Hearing Chumana mention how Ryker only had one job; that was when she noticed that the food they had been preparing was burning. She noticed that Ryker was there one moment and gone the next and then a vortex appeared. She paused for a moment then though speed, his power is speed so it makes sense. She watched as the fire went out and then Ryker appeared again, at that moment she moved her hands up and rand her fingers through her hair to straighten it out and untangle it. After that she used her red ribbon to tie her hair back out into a pony tail. She listened to Ryker tell Chumana to maybe fix the food he had burnt with some herbs. With that she moved again and put the skin back where she found it the night before.

When Chumana mentioned for them to take a portion of food Thistle had already found a sport along the wall and sat down again. She was fine for now and would eat after them, besides it was only right for the people who found it and cooked it to eat first. Besides if there was none left she always had some dried meat to eat. She had learned how to dry meat back in her village and that was how they preserved the food they caught for long amounts of time. She listened to the others asking question to the little robot. Hearing these questions she perked up a little and thought that since she had questions too this would be the best time to ask them. But first she said “The little robot guy said it was metaphorical ground, it doesn’t mean we are going anywhere it just means that we have a lot to learn in a small amount of time. So, if you have questions now is a good time to ask them.”

Looking over at the robot she said “So since you are planning to tell us things why don’t you start at the beginning. Like how come you know so much about us all but you hesitate when it comes to Hibiki?” pausing she thought for a moment then asked “Also, If the fate of the world rests on us why were we allowed to leave instead of staying around to be trained about our power? I mean if we are supposed to save something shouldn’t we have been trained instead of trying to learn on our own?” She had so many questions for the little robot but she knew that to be fair she would only start with a few of them.

"Hey now," Ryker was joking at this point, "I never said I was the brightest of the bunch. I'm just the fastest." Looking from Al and Nine and then to himself, he chuckled. "And the hottest." He could almost feel Ana jab her elbow into him, despite her being across the room. She was often one to tell him things like 'now's not a good time to joke' or 'can't you ever take things seriously.' It was true, all the accusations, but in this bleak world, his goofing around was much needed. Well-trained soldiers could only endure so much hardship before they chipped away and cracked. Ryker stood between that crumbling and the lighter side of humanity, the side that's able to laugh, joke, and play.

Digging into the food, he found a spot between Masuyo and Ana. He would shoot the shit with Alpha later. Right now it was time to make Masuyo realize that she was just as important to the group as the rest all while attempting to give Ana peace of mind. Having been together for so long, the redhead could gather when she was starting to feel on edge. Reaching on a hand to both the ladies, he gave them a gentle squeeze before sharing a smile with both.

"Hibiki is the newest to the world of experiments. Perhaps Cion never had a chance to learn about our new friend's power. Either way, as we work toward restoring mankind and fighting off the beasts, we'll also see if we can unlock Hibiki-kun's powers. We can also test our skills and ability to work as a team, too. There's nine of us. There must be a reason. I'm sure we can all hold are own alone but, together, we're a team that the beasts will come to fear. We'll restore balance and purge the world of the darkness that clouds it currently." Finishing up his little pep-talk, which was aimed at covering Cion's ass as well as helping Hibiki out of this awkward situation, Ryker happily ate the food, purring a bit as he gobbled it down.

Long fangs extended from the woman's mouth as she opened it to hiss, her eyes locked on the dead creature that lay before them. "I hope you thirst," she hissed to her feline companion, her eyes only momentarily flicking towards him. It was bad enough that she had to share a partial appearance with these disgusting, selfish creatures, but to have them slaughter her own on top of that was an even bigger insult. Quetzal's tail coiled up beneath her and was used like a spring to push her into the air once more, though this flight would be short lived. Her wings beat only a few times to get her to the mouth of the cave which she landed just inside, her fists hitting the stone sides though with nowhere near the strength needed for it to actually do anything.

A low growl rumbled within the woman's throat before her jaw dislocated, opening to release an ear-piercing, hawk-like screaming that echoed through the walls. Quetzal extended her wings as far as they would go, aiding to propel her faster through the tunnel of the cave, her tail thrashing and beating against the cave sides as she went.

She could smell them.

She could hear them.

She could feel them breathing and she would stop that in a few moments.

Quetzal blasted into the wide mouth of the cave where the humans sat, eating the charred hide of yet another beast they had killed. Her white hair danced about wildly as she stopped sharply, the chains of her remaining restraint jingling, echoing slightly in the damp air.

Her lower jaw dropped wide as her red eyes locked on the first thing she saw, a particular robotic thing that seemed to bring up the bad memories of years past. With a 'keck' sound, a large wad of venom found its way out the snake-like creature's throat and was flying through the air and towards the machine, robot thing.

Arm-like wings propped against the walls of the cave as Quetzal continued to rain a flurry of venomous pools down on the group of experiments. They would all die that day, she would see to it. Her body quickly flew about the cave walls and ceiling, moving in a pattern as quick and unpredictable as a humming bird's. Malo should have been close behind at this point, if he had somehow not been able to keep up with the Queen earlier.

Oh how easy it would be for them to bring the whole cave down in these disgusting creatures and just be done with it, but it would be so much more enjoyable to toy with them and let them suffer just as creatures like herself had before granting them the bliss of death.

Masuyo watched the others, listening to them. It seemed a few of them already knew each other from the past. Her eyes kind of followed the robot as he introduced everyone and talked about how there was a lot he needed to tell them. Learning the others abilities was interesting. Her train of thought was broken when she noticed Ryker move quickly to the fire. She couldn’t help, but to laugh slightly when Chumana got after Ryker for letting the food burn. Though she stood back she didn’t really feel out of place here. The others did seem to be quite talkative and lively. Moving forward finally she took a seat near Chumana. She gave Ryker a small smile when she squeezed her. “Restoring mankind sounds like a worthy cause. There has to be a reason why were given the abilities we have and have managed to survive to meet like this.” As she spoke she got herself a small helping of the food that had been prepared.

Unfortunately is seemed that their time was shorter than expected as their meal was interrupted by an unusual beast. Her mind raced as she trying to think of a way to fight this creature. Sure the others were there, but it was clear that this beast meant to kill them all. Masuyo squeaked as a wad of venom landed beside her. She fought her body as it tried to morph to blend into the surroundings. Hiding wasn’t going to do her any good right now; at least that’s what she thought.

The young woman pulled out the dagger hidden in her boot as she raised to her feet. Watching the creature she wasn’t sure what she could do, but she wouldn’t go down without a fight. Unable to fight her body any longer she disappeared along with her dagger in front of everyone’s eyes. She cursed herself, but then had an idea. If only she had some throwing weapons or a spear.

Cion reguarded Ryker with a look as the other leaned on him. His eye narrowed slightly, as he pressed a metal hand against his head and pushed him off. "Don't touch me..." he said, before looking over at Alpha. Experiment Eight had gotten the others food, and he nodded. "You are all going to need your strength" he then started to address Alpha's question, when Thistle spoke up from over to the side. "At least someone has some brains around here" he said, glancing in Ryker's direction. When Experiment Two made his next comment though, Cion proceeded to smack him in the back of the head.

"How dare you...my data is one hundred percent accurate and up to date" he crossed his arms, "there are just various percautions to make sure it never fell into the wrong hands. When it is truly needed, it will come....probrably" he floated over to Hibiki. "Nine is the last in the line, there are no more of you out there. He was designed to be both a catalyst...and a final call" he nodded, "yup....that sounds right" he tapped the side of his main body, looking over at Hibiki. "If you guys are going to get anywhere...you need to work together...and trust in Nine. Otherwise" he looked at them, "the world is doomed."

As if on cue, a rush of wind and water sprayed into the cave. Cion turned his attention to the large creature who had just managed to exploat into the cave. He did not have a moment to say something, as it spit something at him. He sqirved out of the way, looking at the mass as it landed and the rock under it smouldered. "Whoa....dangerous lougies" he looked at the creature, "two words....breath mint." A roar followed the entrance of the creature, as a larger tiger like one entered. "Oh boy...I think that...is our cue to get the heck out of here!" he moved behind Hibiki, peeking out from over the other's shoulder.

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Hibiki looked to Cion as he stood there, his eyes slowly moving to the others as it seemed that all eyes were on him when the robot hesitated. He felt completely in the spotlight, which made him feel very uncomfortable. It did not help when they began talking about here. It was one of those moments where a normal person might be like 'uh...you know I'm right here?', but Hibiki remained silent. He was slightly curious as well, why did Cion hesitate when it came to him. Thistle spoke up, in reguards to Ryker's comment about where they were going.

The woman that had been labeled as Experiment Eight and Chumana had gotten food. It was slightly surprising to him, but he actually felt a bit hungry this morning. He turned his attention back to Cion though, the robot having pushed a leaning Ryker off him. When the other made the comment about Cion just plain not knowing about Hibiki, he almost laughed as the robot whapped the older man. He looked then to Cion as the robot moved close. The words he spoke were anything but comforting. A catalyst and final call? What did that mean? He thought about it. Did it have something to do with his abilities?

His memory... Maybe? The next comment about them all having to trust in him or being doomed did not help the situation at all either. It only made things worse. Unfortunatly, there was little time to contemplate this as the mouth of the cave errupted with the arrival of a strange creature. It looked to be a mass of scales and feathers. Was it a bird, or a snake? He looked as the odd goo was shot at Cion and the little robot moved out of the way before moving behind his shoulder. The other was right, they needed to get out. Especially now with a several foot tall tiger man towering over them. He took a step back, his eyes on the two of them.

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Malo glared up at the cave once more, before looking back at the Queen. She seemed furious as well, her eyes on their fallen comrad. He growled slightly, watching her take off towards the cave. His eyes moved back to their fallen brother, before his pupils narrowed into more slit like. His claws flexed, and he took off with surprising speed up the side of the mountain. Rocks gave way benieth him, but that failed to stop him. He was on a mission, one that could only be satisfied when the filthy humans were dead.

He stopped on a large boulder just outside of the entrance. Crouching down, his tail flicked the air behind him like a whip. His ears flattened against his skull and his fangs bared themselves. They would pay. With that he flattened his body against the boulder, before he leaped. He cleared the mouth of the cave, hitting the ground with enough force to cause it to shake benieth his body. Coupled with a roar, dust and pebbles fell from the cieling below. The scent that reached his nose and flicked across his mouth was that of fear. These tiny humans were not expecting them, they were not prepared.

His eyes turned on them all, then to the creature they were cooking. Another! They dared use another of their brotheren in order to help themselves without a care. He could feel the anger bubbling within him. It tickled across his skin and fur like an itch that couldn't be scratched. He felt his tail puff out a little bit, a feline habbit when emotion and instinct ran high. The fur on the back of his neck and shoulders were similar.

Bristling and separating, adding to his overpowering appearance, making him seem bigger. He did not bother to try and hide the anger within his eyes. The hatred or the want to bring them all down right then and there. He would only wait for one thing though, a signal from the Queen. She had first move and command, what would she desire to do about these monsters? He could only wait and see.

Originally, he thought the slap was a bad but when the venous spray from this thing -- yes, thing for Ryker wasn't even sure what he was staring at. Never before had he seen such a hideous thing. It almost reminded him of a grub. A gross, fat grub that burrows into the ground and lets its leech-like face suck all the fun out of things -- came, he was officially disturbed. Today was just not his day. Whether it was burning dinner, getting slapped by a bot, or having to deal with this spit -- oh look, now a tiger is blocking the entrance -- these misfits were in for a real change of pace. Things were no longer going to be easy. With them concentrated in one area, the enemy was bound to surface. Clearly, it showed its face and was retching all over the cave.

The second the poison grazed his skin, Ryker winced. He couldn't stay in this for too long, at least not without suffering severe burns. But the cat was blocking their route out. Nine and Cion had explored the cave the day before, had they found an exit? It didn't appear so as neither were retreating into the darkness behind them. The front entrance was the only way out.

His eyes watched as Masuyo vanished. Impressed, he too decided it would be time to leave. Would they others follow and use their powers to escape? But what about Nine? Was he capable of using his powers yet? And Cion? Although he wanted the robot to melt, Ryker knew Cion was just as vital to the team as the experiments were. Sighing, he decided his move would be to aid the youngster and the cowering robot. Just how did he plan to do this? Well, he wasn't too sure. At least, not yet. Thinking, as he stated, wasn't really his thing. Speed, however, was another story.

Zipping toward the kid and robot, he quickly ran in a circle around the two. His speed seemed fast enough to deflect the grub's spray (he has dubbed the 'thing,' the 'grub'). If he kept this up, however, he would peter out and that just wouldn't do. The second he saw an opening, he reached for Nine and the bot. Sure, the reciprocation of having your arm yanked at a high speed would leave the lad sore and tender for a few days, but at least he would be safe.

"Out you go," he chirped as he whirled Cion right toward the entrance. He hoped the robot's body would collide with the tiger and push the two down the side of the cliff. If that worked, he would then launch Nine out the entrance and would then leap out himself, catching Nine in mid-air. If that didn't work? Well, Ryker was okay with sacrificing Cion. The robot had it coming.

Thistle stood and quietly listened to what the robot was saying, she knew that she could trust people; her only issue was getting to close again and failing. Hearing the robot mention how she had brains she sighed a little, she didn’t like being pointed out rather to just blend in. She also saw how Hibiki felt when everyone’s attention was on him and that the fate of the world was basically placed on his shoulders. She knew exactly how uncomfortable that feeling was from her experiences. She bit her lip a little to conceal a laugh when the little robot hit Ryker in the head. She knew that it was not the right thing to laugh at, but it was the first time he had seem normal joyful actions towards one another in a long time.

About to speak up to say that she could trust everyone a giant creature appeared within the cave. Staring at it for a moment Thistle took in the serpent like body with the wings of a bird, but what took her by surprise what the human like appearance of its torso. It took her a moment to realize what was going on, she saw the venom shot towards the little robot and was moving towards him to change his density when he move avoiding the shot. She watched the venom begin to dissolve the floor of the cave. Her eyes widened in horror as she looked up at the beast. This was something she was not used to, and she certainly didn’t want to. Thistle watched as the little robot moved to hid behind Hibiki and then looked back at the creature to watch where it was shooting its venom. She noticed a shot going towards Ryker and grazes his skin. She watched him wince at the pain then realized that getting touched by the venom was not a good idea at all. Though she should have realized that when it was disintegrating the floor.

Thistle looked back to the beast just in time to see a shot flying towards her. Fear freezing her where she stood she changed her density just in time to let the venom pass through her. The feeling she got as it passed through her was not a pleasant one and instinctively her arm went to hold where it had passed through. Changing back to her original density she looked up saying “This is really not nice stuff. I should have never left home. At least there wasn’t any venom spitting serpents there.” more to herself than anyone else.

Thistle covered her ears hearing the roars of both the serpent like creature and the tiger that had joined the party. She didn’t understand how two completely different creatures would be working together and how they both managed to find the cave. But all that really mattered was that the tiger now blocked their escape. She then noticed that Ryker had moved and that there was a small vortex around where the little robot and Hibiki once were. That was when she saw the little robot get thrown out of the vortex and towards the Tiger. This confused her for a moment as she really didn’t think that the damage done by the little robot would amount to much to the giant tiger. She looked around quickly to try and find something else that would help. A she saw was pebbles; she realized what she could do. She figured that Ryker was attempting to deal with the tiger she could deal with the serpent. She could change her density and pass through things to get out if need be, so if she could distract it for them to get by all they would have to do was deal with the tiger.

With that Thistle picked up a handful of pebbles and started to throw them towards the serpents head saying “Hey you! With the bad breath, over here!” She figure that the little robot had said that it needed a breath mint that maybe calling it names would distract it. She continued to throw the pebbles at it moving around so that it might open up a space for the other to get out by. She also kept calling it names and doing whatever she could to distract it. All she hoped was that it was going to work and that the other would realize to get out, she knew that the little robot mentioned her power she just hoped that they would remember it and try not to stick around to help her out too.

Chumana offered a slight smile to Masuyo as they ate side by side. At least she was getting used to this woman. Plus, she had to at least try, Ryker would be disappointed if she didn't. Eating silently as Ryker plopped his butt between her and Masuyo she shook her head and nudged him playfully after his sqeezed her. Setting down her make shift plate she watched the bickering continue about Hibiki. To her, it was obvious that with someone so introverted, that his mind must be powerful. The doctor who made them was very much the same way. To her, it probably had something to do with extremely fast thinking or problem solving. Or maybe seeing visions, like her mentor back in her village when she was trained to be the next shaman. Though she kept these thoughts to herself. These silly men could bicker all they wanted, as long as they didn't piss her off.

It was then, when everything began to crumble. Hearing the rush of wind, her eyes widened in deep shock as she gazed upon the goddess of war and death. The beast was the horror that her people told stories about to scar children and remind others that they could bring the wrath of a horrid creature onto their entire family. Seeing the terrible beast land in the cave and let out a scream, Chumana instantly looked to Ryker. He was grazed by the poison, and the native woman moved to action. She grabbed her hunting bow and quiver, and with her knives already on her, she was ready.

Turning to Masuyo, she watched in surprised as she melted from vision, like an illusion. "Be careful. Stay close." she said to the girl, just loud enough so she could hear. Watching Ryker move to save Hibiki, she nodded and then moved to Thistle and Alpha, who had backed up further in the cave. "Be ready to move. If the robot doesn't work, I will get us all out." she said, her limbs tingling with the want to teleport. Her arm was not fully healed, but it was healed to the point where it was just a red annoyed blotch on her arm where the burn had been. She watched as the robot flew past the pissed off goddess, and nailed the tiger man. She breathed a string of curses in her native tongue as she saw him as well. The god of ferocity, and vengeance was also here. What had she done to piss these two off? She didn't know.

The living world around her was up in a buzz, a massive four-legged creature that seemed to be made of wood began making a noise that seemed to replicate the chorus of nightly insects as it nudged a tiny female with its head. A small woman that appeared to be clad in a dark regal type attire sat with her feet in a cold water creek, her weight supported by her hands that rested on the earth behind her. As the creature proceeded to nearly topple her over, she lifted her arms to hug its head, the beast pulling the woman to her feet slowly. "We best make our way too, is that what you mean to tell me Drip?" Her glowing green eyes watched the massive creature as it began to nudge her away from the water, making more chirping noises.

She smiled up at the beast, chuckling slightly as she said, "Drip, you do not make a sound argument while you continue to stand in the water." The massive beast shook its whole body, as though it were saying 'how dare you', and as it shook, pollen spores fell to the forest and watery floor, soon to take root and sprout more plants to cover the once human world. Drip moved his massive feet out of the water, stepping over the tiny plant woman who lifted her hands up towards what looked like the bones of a rib cage made out of wood. As she did so, flowers and leaves seemed to blow off the woman, causing her body to vanish as flowers decorated the body of the massive creature.

The earth shook with the steps that the beast took towards the source of commotion on the other side of woods. The forest was talkative that day of word that the Queen had made an appearance and that her and Malo were busy dealing with a human pest problem. Drip let out a worried sigh as they moved through the foliage, the planets bending slightly away from the beast to avoid from being brushed against too hard, Drip also being careful to avoid harming all that he could. "We are fine," Belladonna coo'd to the massive wood pup. "We shall get there in time."

The plant woman, now a series of flowers, continued to listen to the forest as they neared the end. She knew they would not make it in time to be within the cave, but such a thing played to her advantage; plant life within such a dark and dank area did not seem to agree.

By the time that they would make their appearance at the green before the cave, the first member of the humans hiding away would have found a way out. Drip came to a stop facing the mouth of the cave and the flowers quickly gathered together and began falling off the creature as though it were rain until the female was revealed, a smirk on her face as her eye met with the poor sap.

The woman wanted to heed the younger ones words, but she couldn’t bring herself to stand around and do nothing. If it hadn’t been for Ryker the day before she wouldn’t even be here now. Plus she wanted to know more about why the experiments were created and the only way to do that right now was to fight so she could get the information from the little robot. “Don’t worry. I have an idea,” she whispered back to Chumana. Making her decision Masuyo made her move. Clutching her dagger tightly she made her way across the cave, dodging the venom of the serpentine creature. Her target was the tiger, his figure blocked most the of entrance, but she was sure she could get behind him to distract him.

She wasn’t the fastest, but she was fast enough and since she blended into her surrounds her movements went unnoticed. A smirk crossed her lips when she seen the little robot wiz by her to hit the tiger. Leave it to the other male to come up with a plan like that. This was her chance she thought as she made her leap to dive between the tiger and the cave wall.

Masuyo’s previously injured leg was starting to bother her once more. Pain shot threw it as she landed behind the tiger in an awkward position. The woman rolled so the tiger’s tail didn’t hit her and alert him to her presence. Getting to her feet she stumbled slightly at first, but quickly regained her balance. Really she wished she had a spear, but her dagger was going to have to do for now. Grinning she grabbed the tiger’s tail with her free hand, yanking it as hard as she could before releasing it again. If she could distract him then others might be able to take care of things on the other side. With the tail no longer in her hand she backed away and moved to the left. Her eyes never left her enemy as she watched his every move.

Something felt off as she moved again to keep the tiger guessing as to her real location. Glancing back, just for a moment she seen something. At first she thought her eyes were playing tricks. Crap, another one and this one is plant like. What the hell did we do to deserve this? How could she let the others know that they needed to find another way out? Her mind raced, searching for the answer. This caused her to stop paying as close attention to the giant creature at the mouth of the cave.

Leila stopped talking when Sky held p her hand, and watched as she wandered off. The young lady looked around as she repositioned herself in a sitting position, preparing to stitch herself up. It felt like forever because how injured she was but it really was only a couple of minutes. "Thanks" She reached out her hands grabbed the thread and needle. She set the items down before lifting her dress over her shoulders, well she start to before she looked over to Sky. Would she mind or does she not care? She hoped not. Leila didn't want to be particularly left alone right now. She then proceeded after the thought, and looked for the dress' tag. "Well.. last I remember I'm a size 5 in both dress and pants. But I'd prefer if you could find a dress if not that's okay. Um... if you get the pants a size medium should work for me."

Leila paused and nodded when Sky told her there were no beast around, atleast none close. Leila slowly lifted up her right arm, and looked at her side, it was covered in a opaque black substance, though it was dark where it was concentrated. Leila held in her breath after taking a big one and relaxed her mind. As she did so, the darkness faded. With her left hand she threaded the needle, it took awhile but she did it. Leila placed the needle on her skin next to a good sizeable open wound, she bent her right arm so she could use her right hand to hold the skin togther. Once she had it the way she wanted she started stiching. Halfway, though her hand became shakey, and her pauses before piercing the skin longer. Leila closed her eyes, imagining thin dark tentacle thread like thing that would finish the stitching for her. This way, with her imagining a purpose beofre conjuring the shadow would do as told versus controlling it herself. Though this took more out of her. When it was done she looked over the rest of side, there were small wounds but they didn't need stiching, but a bandage would be helpful.

Leila set down the thread and needle, picked up her dress and started tearing it into strips. Once that was done she proceeded to wrap the remains of her dress around her rib cage (below her bust) to her waist/hip. She might have wrapped it too tight since she winced one or twice. Leila looked over to Sky, "I can't remember if I asked this yet, but how long have you been here? Am I the first person you seen in awhile?"

"What?!" Cion felt himself tossed towards the mouth of the cave. The world spinning around him. Luckily, his internal stabilizers kicked in. He turned right side up, near the mouth of the cave, his eye rolling around for a moment. One of his hands on his main body, he shook slightly. "You are so going to pay for that" he glared, turning though as a massive shadow loomed over him. He turned to see the tiger guy growling at him. "Pardon me...you reaaaallly don't want to eat me. I'm all metal, take the dumb one over there" he pointed at Ryker, "could do without em." A roar followed his answer. "No? Fine, then how about..." he lifted his arms, and as before, blue beams of energy shot out of them at the cat man's face.

The large beast took a step backwards, a hand over his face for a moment. Cion flew back over to Hibiki, but not before he shoved an arm in Ryker's face. "Ever do that again..and I will fry you" he says, before he pushed Hibiki towards the entrance. "Time to go" he said, floating out into the open air. He turned, motioning for Hibiki to follow him. He turned, scanning the area after a moment, the internal computer workings of his circuts already calculating and working. There were multiple ways one could go about this, but some of them ended in a not so good way. He needed to find the best way to get out of here for now. He then glanced towards a clearing not far away in the woods. He turned, calling out coordinates. If the other experiments were smart or had any idea, they would know to head there. He would handle the rest.


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Malo watched as the little metal thing was flung in his direction. It made it close, before it moved rightside up again. He growled slightly, as it began yelling at one of the meatbags. His teeth bared slightly, as he stepped closer to the robot. It turned noticing him, and began speaking. He did not care much for the words, he had no intrest in them. He growled once more, preparing to strike as the little robot lifted its arms. Beams of blue light struck into his face, they left a strong sting, causing him to back up a bit and cover his face with a massive paw. Unfortunatly, it did not do much for his anger. His fur bristled more, as a darker more menacing growl echoed from his throat. He opened his eyes, seeing spots dance in front of them a bit.

He noticed two forms, of a dark haired male and a taller more reddy brown haired male. His teeth bared again, the ones that metal thing had been speaking to. He roared, making his way suddenly for the taller older male. He would have landed it to, if the younger male had not moved in the way, suddenly Malo's body hitting something hard but...invisible? Some odd force keeping him from his prey. He roared, slashing with his claws over and over again. He noticed the strain on the boy, raising his hand again, before the force moved forward and caused him to slide back. He growled, the other looking like he would not be able to do it again, Malo prepared for another attack.

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Hibiki was not expecting to have Ryker move over and literally throw Cion. The robot was his friend..his first one...and now he was hurling towards the bad guys. Hibiki felt relief swell inside of him as the little robot stabilized himself, though then the large tiger man moved up to the plate. He glanced around, everyone looking so focused but afraid. They were all thinking of a way to get out...to save eachother. He was useless, here and now...he did not even know his own abilities, let alone how to use them. He clenched his hands, glancing up as Cion suddenly began pushing him towards the entrance. No...he couldn't just leave the others. He paused, listening to Cion talk about coordinates. For some reason...they made sense within his head. How, he did not know, since they at the same time made no sense to him at all.

Somehow he just knew. Out of the corner of his eye, movement was made. The tiger man had regrouped faster than they had thought. He was making a move for Ryker! Hibiki had no time to think, his body just seeming to react like it had before. "Ryker.." he moved in the way, putting his hands up before him. His eyes flashed a sharp blue color, and a slight ripple of blue light ran through the air before him before vanishing completely. However, as the tiger man reached where that ripple had been, he ran into something very solid. It stopped the attack, unfortunatly Hibiki felt the full impact of the tiger man's weight on the force. It wasn't physical to his body, but it felt like something had deffinetly struck him, causing him to flinch. The tiger man raised his claws, and began hitting the field over and over again. Each hit made Hibiki flinch, the strain getting worse and worse.

He could feel it becoming quickly to much, as the tiger man raised his claws one more time. An opening, and once more Hibiki reacted without thinking. He gave a slight push forward, not only with his hands, but with his will and his mind as well. The force seemed to move with him, pushing back on the tiger man. As the field vanished though, his breath was in light pants. He had never done anything like that before, and now he felt seriously drained. His legs wanted to give out there, but he refused to. He glanced at Ryker for a moment to make sure he was ok. "We need...to go...." he said, a bit out of breath. He used the last of his energy, to make a move for the entrance.

Quetzal's red eyes darted about the room, taking in the face of each experiment that was there, taking in their scents and learning all she could as quick as she could from their combined bits of information that was floating about the room. The woman growled as she watched these disgusting creatures recoil and react to their presence, a red haired male seeming to make the first and most notable movement. With the toss of the flying robot, the snake creature snapped the air, her raining of poisons ceasing for the time being. "Kill them all," she hissed toward Malo whom was busy whirling about disoriented.

Her eyes then locked on a small woman that seemed to be vying for her attention; folding up a pair of wings, she slowly glided herself towards the cave floor, her own poisons not burning her like it had been with other living things and flesh. "Do you view me as a simple creature such as yourself?" Quetzal hissed at the smaller woman that had been throwing pebbles at her. She slithered towards the girl, using her tail to extend herself upward, giving her even more height over the woman. A sinister smile came to her face as a set of long, slender fangs revealed themselves, dripping in venom.

Quetzal chuckled as she lifted her tail, dropping the massive appendage in front of the small woman, along with the small group that had gathered with her. "No," she hissed, a fork tongue appearing from between her fangs. "I am beyond that, thanks to your despicable kind." In the midst of her talking, one of the others darted passed her. Quetzal quickly spun around, screaming at the woman that ran by before she let it go, her attention returning to her nearly cornered prey. "She won't get too far anyway."

"You shall learn why it is not wise to go against mother nature," the snake woman hissed as her wings lifted around her, the bracelets around them jingling together as they seemed to form a frill, much like a cobra would have, around her body. Her face scrunched up as her fangs grew even longer, her body coiled back, ready to strike. Within moments, that massive body was being propelled, not towards one of the active women, but the male; he was the largest of them all, so one would presume that he would be the most fit.

---------- Post added 02-07-2014 at 11:49 AM ----------

Drip cooed from behind her, his feet stamping lightly which alerted the plant woman to a figure that she couldn't see. "Yes, I-" she started saying before falling quiet; the mosses were telling a story, a story of what was going on within the cave and that there was one that had separated. Belladonna began slowly walking towards the mouth of the cave, Drip staying where he was, watching from a distance. "Now, now, young one," she called, her voice traveling almost eerily over the wind. The look in her eye as she neared the stones of the cave towards her unseen prey would have probably been described as the equivalent of human bedroom eyes.

"Why don't we play?" The woman smiled pleasantly, an act that caused the leaves and petals that formed her very being to shiver slightly. "No need to-" she then started saying as she lifted a hand, her words stopping as she tilted her head to one side, her wrist rolling slightly, fingers extended towards the cave. The mosses that had made their home reacted to the call as they seemed to find the will to grow beyond their normal means. The foliage quickly grew out, intertwining with each other until they formed a semi-dense web. It was by no means unbreakable, but it should act as a semi-decent deterrent for the faded being to not wish to try and go back in.

"Play," the woman then giggled as she extended her arms outward, to either side. Drip began shaking, pollen and small plant matter falling from his sides as though it were dead fur; though what fell danced its way along the breeze to the woman and began dancing about her arms.

Letting out a yawn, Tony decided it was time to stop prying his eyes open with toothpicks. Another lazy yawn followed before he slumped down from his beam. Perhaps he should have moved sooner, but he found the iron beam quite comfortable. Okay, so perhaps he got himself too deep in some booze that he passed out on this beam. But that was beside the point!

"Why would you want a dress? Doesn't it make running harder?" His voice came from behind the two girls (Leila and Sky). When they turned to face him, they would see this giant creature with crazy hair and a tail. His hands were claw-like as were his toes. His chest, which was exposed, was layered in tattoos and markings. Around his hips were a pair of black cargo shorts and a belt. His face was littered with piercings and his eyes - one blue and one a mix of green, yellow, and red - were rather creepy. The second they looked his way, the man closed his tri-color eye, which left his blue one open. Perhaps he should have invested in a patch? Maybe? Yeah, he would hunt one down later.

Sensing their alarm, the beast chuckled. "I wouldn't do that. I'm not here to fight. Just... bored, I suppose." Scratching his fringe of red and black, he lazily stepped forward. Standing 6-foot 8-inches, he was clearly a monster. The best part was, he wasn't even full extended. He was probably 7-foot, if he tried. Thankfully, he preferred the casual stance. It did make him a tad less intimidating... perhaps.

Tail flicking around behind him, he smirked again. "Before you start labeling me with cruel nicknames, I'm Tony." In all honesty, the only reason he was here was because he wanted to avoid the others. He couldn't stand Quet, Bell, or Malo. Quet was too bossy. Bell was too stupid. Malo was too macho. All three beasts were things he couldn't stand. These two ladies before him, though, were proving to be far more entertaining. At least they weren't useless or pushing him to do things or babysit.

Suddenly, his large ears flicked forward. Falling silent, he listened before letting out a low growl. "I don't suppose either one of you ladies can fly to that beam," he pointed up at the one he was previously sleeping on, "can you?" Allowing his tri-colored eye to open, he growled again. "Sounds like something picked up your scent."

Depending on what transpired, Tony would step in. Outside their area laid two lizard-like dogs. They were starving and very eager to burst into the area. Should Leila and Sky not have enough time to scamper away, Tony would lash out at the creatures. With his uncanny ability to jump high, he could easily avoid their snapping teeth and push both out of play. Now, should the girls want to fight, Tony would simply sit back and allow them the chance to best the beasts. And what if they turned on him? Well, Tony wasn't too worried about that. He could just jump away if needed.

It's your move, ladies. Glancing quickly at them, Tony forced all his energy into his legs. When they came, and the monsters outside would, Tony would be ready.

Sky grabbed a dress the size Leila had described and tossed it to her. "Sorry, it's a size 6, not a 5. Hopefully it still works." She watched in wonder as the girl manipulated the dark. She didn't bother to ask how she did it. She already knew. The experiments. Even if she were to ask, he would have been interrupted.

The weird beast, Tony, had made his little appearance. At first, she went on the defense. But, when he continued to blabber instead of try to tear the two of them limb from limb, she relaxed a little. "I wouldn't know. I'm not much of a dress person."

Sky took a step back when he had growled. "Fly to the beam?" She was hesitant to show her abilities just yet, in case he was still planning to attack. If he was going to fight them, she needed the element of surprise. "I can't speak for Leila, being in her condition, but I could probably get myself up there." She would have asked why, but he answered for her. Something had picked up on their scent. That wasn't good.

"If something's coming, then we need to leave." Sky looked to Leila. She wouldn't be able to run. Then she remembered what Tony had said about the beam. She looked up at it. If she used her powers, she could get Leila up there. There was the chance the monsters would be able to jump up there, depending on what kind they were. Even with that risk, and the fact that it would mean showing Tony her powers, it was their only option.

"Leila, how good are you with heights?"

Leila thanked the girl and grabbed the dress, slipping it on over her. It wasn't a perfect fit but it wasn't terrible either. Leila was getting ready to lay back down and rest when she heard a voice behind her and Sky. Without thinking she immediately jumped, but not literally, and quickly turned to face what ever it was behind her. Big mistake, not only was the creature ghastly, at a height of what look over 6'5". It had sharp claws and talons. And it had strange markings and strangely.. tattoos? In any case, Leila winced and grabbed her side. She could feel the bandages becoming alittle wet, which was good. The wound must have reopened, which means part of the stitches may have come undone. But as long as she has this bandage on everything should be fine regarding that.

Leila immediately lifted up her free arm and position her hands in a claw like pose. Leila's eyes were looking for shadowy spots near the creature when he chuckled. Not here to fight... and he's bored?? What?. She thought as she scowled at him. Leila's eyes flicked over to Tony's tail flicking in the background. Then back to him, "L..listen Tony.. I don't ca--" She shut up when he let out a growl. What is he talking about fly? She thought as she followed the direction he was pointing in. Then back to him. Leila could get up there, but can't fly. As fate would have it though, in this condition she wouldn't be able to get up there. Maybe one fourth of the way or half if she was lucky. Leila was just too tired and drained to anything like that. She still hadn't recovered from yesterday. "I can't get up there in my current state bea....Tony." She looked towards the entrance of the store, but couldn't see anything.

Leila looked over to Sky, when she asked if she was good with heights. but why, could she get them up there? "I'm fine with heights, but with falling I am not."

Had Chumana really had the chance to face palm seeing Ryker's actions, she would of. Of course he threw the robot. That was just something he would do. She watched as Masuyo dissappeared, and knew that she was moving towards the exit. She would be fine for now. Moving her sight to the girl throwing pebbles, she seemed to be holding up well. Thistle? Yeah that was her name. She would do just fine. If not, Chumana could be there in a blink of an eye. As could Ryker, if he would take a second to think and get his head out of his rear. Sometimes, she swore he dropped his brain when they got into situations like this. The tiger then launched, and Chumana moved to get to Hibiki's side. When she reached it, she drew an arrow and pointed it at the tiger man, but the light that the boy had made, seemed to dissappear and stop the beast. Watching with serious eyes, she kept flitting her gaze to the snake beast. Thistle seemed to have gotten her attention, almost too well. Suddenly, the force stopping the tiger stopped.

Releasing the arrow as the snake sprung, the native woman had shot to hopefully hit the thing in the chest somewhere in its spring towards Alpha. Moving swiftly she grabbed Hibiki and took his hand. "Get ready to get out of here." she warned as she headed for the exit, she needed a bit of space from the beasts. Suddenly there waswhirrledas she stopped and whirled around, throwing snakes at the tiger man. They had three heads, and were definitely pissed off. They would delay him. Grabbing Hibiki's hand again, she then saw the exit closing up. Swearing, she grabbed Thistle's hand and heard the robot's coordinates. "I will be back in three seconds. Get the others Ryker." she snapped over the roar of the monsters and her eyes glowing brightly, the group was sucked through the vortex and landed in the spot where the robot had told them to go. Thank god she studied maps.

Looking to Thistle she then glanced to the male. "Keep him safe. Hide, I will bring the others." she instructed and with a pop, she was back inside the cave. Getting the others out would prove interesting.

Her mind came up empty with a solution. It seemed her time had already run out as well. The plant like creature moved towards her, talking. Masuyo grinned to herself. Like she would fall for this trick, oh no she knew much better than to talk back and give away her location. She gripped the dagger within her hand tighter, watching this new enemy closely. Play, yes she would play. She had to make sure that the others had a clear path when they escaped. This was the only thing she could do for them.

Crap, now what? I’m caught between those two and this web, but this web will keep the others from getting out. Well first things first I guess. Take care of the web then go play. Turning around she slashed at the web with the dagger to weaken it. The others should at least be able to break through this if came this way to escape. She kind of wished she knew what was going on in the cave since the tiger seemed to have moved further in. Shaking her head she moved silently, watching the plant woman. Two against one, how was this going to be fair? A smile grin appeared on her lips, not that her enemy could see it. Taking a breath she calmed herself again. She had survived this long and she be damned if she was going to die here after just meeting more humans like herself who considered her family.

Masuyo rushed towards the plant woman, her dagger ready to strike. The woman made two quick slashes at the creature as she ran past. Pain once more shot through her leg, but she ignored it. She came to a stop near the tree line. Taking off into the forest was a tempting option and she fought the urge to just run. Really she had no plan since she hadn’t really faced any plant like creatures before. Once more she took off running towards her enemy.

Just then, the door kicked in and two otter-like creatures with long teeth and claws snarled at the unsuspecting crew. Well, Tony knew something was coming but he honestly didn't think it would be mutant otters. With neither of the girls in a safe location, the beast-man leaped into action. There was no time to stall or hope; there was only time to defend and destroy.

Lunging forward, his long claws found their home int he back of one of the otters. As it thrashed and screamed, the other seized that moment to chase the girls. It didn't get far though for Tony's tail promptly lashed out and tripped the thing. Whipping it around, the otter finally gave up the girls and decided to focus its fury on the beast ridding its partner. It lashed forward, missing Tony's throat by probably a few inches. Rolling off the otter's back, Tony braced for impact with the rack of clothes that littered the area. Tangled in them at first, he eventually forced his way free. Of course, that was just what the otters wanted. They waited for him to escape and, when he did, both jumped at him. Only, Tony was smarter than they. Raising both his hands, he flipped backwards onto his palms. This action allowed his strong legs to kick outward and nab both otters square in the muzzle.

Whirling backwards, the beast flicked his red-black fringe aside before smirked down at the now injured otters. Coaxing the creatures on, he wriggled his fingers at them. Before they could latch their teeth into his skin, he leaped up onto one of the beams above him. Tail dropped down, he roped one of them up. Letting the creature dangle, he dropped it the second it fell limp.

One down, one to go.

Jumping off claws first, Tony found himself mixed with the brown fur of the otter. Teeth on teeth followed, but the otter was no match for Tony. The second it gazed into his eyes, the otter froze for a second. In that second, Tony was ripping the otter's throat from his skin.

A low rumble followed and it looked as if steam was coming from Tony's throat. Moving to the door, he slammed them shut before exhaling on them. Slowly but surely, the doors melted together, creating a firm seal. He was locking further intruders out! Door now secure and both mutant otters dead, Tony could finally roll back onto his legs and stand up right. Glancing around the surrounding area, he smelled the girls before he spied them. They were wise to hide, especially since the one, Leila was injured.

"You ladies up for a BBQ?" Another low rumble came from his throat and sure enough he was cooking the otters with his exhale. "Well, maybe not a BBQ, per se, but at least freshly cooked meat?"

Looking back over his shoulder, he happily wagged his tail. There seemed to be a light purr to him, too.

Was he for real? And was he really helping them? Better yet, could they really trust him? Perhaps it was time to start asking some questions and figure out what the hell this monster what up to....

---------- Post added 02-10-2014 at 09:52 AM ----------

Thank god for Ana and her teleportation. Granted, Ryker half-wished the girl teleported Alpha. Hibiki was much easier to carry than a full-grown man. Pretty much anyone would have been better for him to carry than Alpha! Still, he would do his very best. Besides, it's not like Alpha wouldn't help. Alpha's fists could punch anything from their path.

Could punch anything.

Anything....

THE MOUNTAIN!

Could he really punch the mountain and walk away with little damage? If so, then Alpha could trigger a landslid and trap these dull creatures in here. Sure, the tiger could force its way out, but it would give them some time to run. Granted, Ryker knew not what laid outside the cave. Thankfully, Masuyo was there and she would be more than willing to aid him. If they could just get this to work, they might have a chance to really run. Not to mention, Cion seemed riled up and ready to fight. Perhaps the robot could glaze over the rocks with some ice? Or maybe super heat them so their enemies couldn't follow? Either way, whatever Cion could do would be better than nothing.

Slipping Alpha a smirk, he prayed that this guy would have the strength to rumble up the rocks that laid just above the entrance. He also hoped that he would have the speed to jerk him forward enough to get him into position. If Masuyo could cast invisibility or a field around Alpha, that would allow the punch to go unseen. But this was all up to whether or not the girl's powers could extend from her own body. Even if they couldn't, Masuyo and Ryker could distract the enemy and help buy Alpha enough time.

I could whip up a whirlwind, Ryker told himself. That would force the enemy back and prevent an advance. It would leave Ryker tired though. Whirlwinds took a lot out of the guy as it required him to run fast enough to create a funnel. If he were outside the cave, he might be able to summon up a real twister, rather than a simple whirlwind.

God, a tornado would be perfect. But... that would be dangerous, too. Who was to say if the tornado would let him leave the funnel? And who was to say he could sustain enough energy to move it toward the enemy?

Hand gripping Alpha, he tugged the man forward. Whispering in her ear so only the other male could hear him, Ryker nodded before ripping Alpha forward. Alpha knew the plan now. With his speed, he was able to roll up the sides of the cave and unto the roof. Bypassing the enemies, he was now crashing through the waterfall that once protected him. Eyes landing on the plant lady, he dropped Alpha at the side of the wall that was directly below the stockpile of rocks.

Green orbs darting from the mouth of the cave where Quetzal and Malo were to the plant lady outside, he exhaled. Now was the moment of truth. Could Alpha collapse the cave or cause a rock slide? And could Masuyo keep the plant lady busy. With both of them busy, Ryker would zip between the two and provide cover. He could take a beating and, if needed, he would endure all the attacks directed at either Masuyo or Alpha.

They just needed time and luck. Would they have it?

With a hard swallow, he looked to the heavens and prayed. Please let this work. Please let us all survive another day longer.

"Don't worry about falling." Sky told Leila, as she knelt down next to her. "But I do need you to trust me." Before she could even think, the otter-things had barged in. Shoot! There isn't enough time for me to get Leila up to safety! she thought. Shocking to Sky, the thing, Tony, had already jumped into the action.

She watched as he defeated the other beasts, a shudder running through her as he killed the second one. She wasn't thrilled with the sight of blood, but in a world like this, you did what you needed to survive. She was frozen with shock. This Tony guy was quick to kill these other creatures, similar to him, yet didn't bother her and Leila? What was going on here?

"Well, maybe not a BBQ, per se, but at least freshly cooked meat?" The words had gone in one ear and out the other. She was still reeling from trying to put together just which side was he on. She tried to answer him, but the only thing that came out was "What the hell?"

Sky fell back and sat down next to Leila. She looked to her friend. "Tell me I'm not seeing things. Did that just happen?" She rubbed her eyes. "I'm going crazy. Yeah, that's it. I'm just crazy now." She looked back at Tony "Why did you do that? I mean, I thought all be- I mean, all of your kind, got along? I've never seen you fight each other."

I've also never had one of you talk to me before either. she added in her head.

She could hear the moss cry out as it was attacked by her unseen prey, it was such a predictable move, but seemed to put a feel of urgency into the human woman, much as the plant had anticipated. Belladonna nodded to herself, a soft smile across her pale, yet dark features. If Tony had been around to witness what the woman was doing, he would probably scoff at her as usual, but the woman knew what she was doing, strangely enough. Though she could not see the woman, the plants around her told her where she was standing; though they could not see her, the woman still existed and held some physical attachment to the world.

Granted, the downside to fighting someone that one could not see came from the next move from the human. Instinctively, Belladonna's hands dropped to cover her stomach as a sudden sharp pain shot through her being. For a moment the woman looked lost, almost dazed as she slowly pulled her hands from her torso, her eyes locked to her palms. Tilting her head to the side, her deep teal green eyes scanning the clear sticking fluid that found their way from her stomach to her hands. The amount of fluid was light though, but the pain was still enough for the woman to come to grasp with the situation at hand.

Several small voices began to call out to the woman, they were in pain. There was a new look in the woman's eyes, this time it was not one of confusion or disarray, it was a look of vengence. The surrounding grass was crying out to the woman, they were in pain from the lack of care this woman had taken to being stepped on. The slashes on the woman's stomach mattered not to the desperate cries around her. Her arms were out to here side once again, her hands rotating at the wrist as the pollen began to dance about the air around her, seeking a home within the grasses beneath her.

"Fight," she whispered out to them, the grasses below her answering her call. The small, delicate blades sharpened, the bodies hardening to stand their own. Drip, who still stood a good distance behind the plant woman began shaking once again, he threw his head back though no audible noise came out. There were no sounds of crickets, nor the call of the wild in the night sky that came from the peaceful creature, rather, in a pitch above what all others could hear, save for plants themselves, came a panicked, high pitch scream. This scream wasn't the sound of a hawk calling, nor the screech of any four-legged beast, rather it would have sounded like a mix of the scream of a dying rabbit with the reverberations of a cricket should anyone hear it.

The particles and plant matter that fell from the beast swirled about and aided the grasses that were trying to fight for themselves. With Belladonna's magic and Drip's aid, even the carnivorous plants that had nay began to bud were growing, growing much taller than what they should have been. The large heads of the Venus fly traps that now stood as tall as the plant woman, swirled about until they sat horizontally, snapping at the air as though they had truly taken on a life of their own.

Belladonna tilted her head to the side as she drew one hand through the air before her. She could create jungles out of the life around her if she truly wanted, but willing the razor sharps grasses to life seemed to appease the woman. The slashes across her stomach seemed to ooze more the liquid, though now it was more a clear green in color. The small thorny plants were the next to follow the same path as the fly traps and other carnivorous plants as they too grew, though they just seemed to be a larger form of their previous selves; the small thorny vines that decorated the ground, normally harmless and unnoticeable should you step on, became thick and taunt like rope. Though most of the plants seemed to grow, or in terms of the grass, become their own weapon, it was their reaction to wishing to defend themselves to those that did not take care in where they walked.

The woman knew that it was impossible for grass to not be tread on, but there was once an unspoken agreement, long before the alterations of present, that the walking life had with the plant world. There was a give and take relationship and each had respected the wills and boundaries of the other, but that agreement was no more, long sense ended with the testing of the wildlife to bend to man's power and will. Belladonna wished for those that had no voice to finally be able to speak up so she allowed her magics, her being to give them that power, though it did not seem to aid her wound any which sent Drip into his shaking and fidgeting tizzy.

You know, this experiment, Sky, brought up some valid points. Why would she even trust this monstrous fiend. He was the kind her type was supposed to kill. Hell, his kind was hellbent on killing her and her experimental friends. This thought caused Tony to think -- really think. Just what was he doing? Why had he killed this otters. Weren't they his brethren? His kin? Looking from their cooked bodies to his own, Tony just couldn't see the link between them. Sure, they were beasts, but they weren't alike. These otters were savages; wicked, feral creatures that lived in a non civil manner. They were dangerous, loathsome monsters that would kill anything and anyone. Tony, although beast in form, was still a target of their hatred. Only Quetzal was spared from the violent attacks of these wild mutants. Granted, Malo seemed pretty safe too, for his ranking was right up there. Tony, being a lowly pawn in the grand scheme of things, hadn't earned the respect of the feral monsters. In fact, he could almost guess that he was the brunt of their attacks too. Could they sense a moral compass? Could these mutant animals discern the evil from the good?

Sitting down, Tony crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to gaze over the two women. It was had to really explain just what was happening, as he wasn't too sure himself. Yes, he attacked his own beastly-kind. Yes, he would probably be punished for it. But... he didn't care. It felt right. He had to eat, too. It's not like the sun could feed him, like it could with Bella.

"I have to eat, you know." His large ears flickered to and fro, just listening to the world around him. "And let's be honest, do I look anything like them? I could see bits and pieces, but for the most part, they're just wild animals. They live without structure. I, however, am capable of spoke word and written language. I can tell you that the square root of nine is three and that ROYGBIV stand for the colors of a rainbow. Don't ask me how I know, I just do." He mused over this information. It was confusing for before he spoke, he didn't know any of that stuff. And yet, he just said it and it was all true. How could he know things without actually knowing things. Clearly, there was more going on than Tony realized. This gave him hope and made him wonder -- before he became this monster, was he... human?

"There are different ranks among us, too," he continued. "We're lead by Quetzal, the great white serpent. She controls all beasts. Her partner, Malo, a mighty white tiger, also controls her drone-like army of monsters. I, however, don't have such a rank. I'm rather new to the group. It seems as if only those of us who can speak are privy to join Quetzal's royal guard, if you can call it that." Tony sighed. "It's just... I didn't ask for this. I was saved by this petal monster. She controls flora and..." he found himself picturing Bella in his mind. "She's different, too. She's not... out for blood. She' just... there." His claws balls into a fist. "It's not like we chose this life. It was the life we were given, surely you can understand that." Tony was referring to the girls and how they became experiments.

"Quetzal wants us to murder. I know that's wrong. Murder is uncivilized. It's... wild. I want order. I want adventure. I want... freedom." Rolling onto all fours, he dragged the cooked meat over to the women. "I cannot promise that I won't be the one to bring about your death, but, for the time being, you've no need to worry. Just eat and keep safe. I do believe I saw a medicine kit in the upper level manager's room. Might be wise to treat it with the rubbing alcohol. Wouldn't want it to get infectious."

His mouth opened to state something more, but his ears appeared to be hearing something. This flung forward and widened, trying to capture whatever sound they picked up. Although it was not something humans could hear, Tony had learned to receive this high-pitched sound. Having heard it only once before, his multi-colored eyes narrowed and his face grew clammy. Some vines that managed to sprout through the floor began to quiver and shake, further causing Tony to grow pale with fear. If his ears and these plants were telling the truth, Belladonna was in grave danger.

Turning on his heels, Tony looked down at the two woman before giving them a heartfelt apology. "I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere. Someone..." his paw reached up to his heart, "someone important to me is hurt." Before vanishing from their sight, Tony whirled around and offered the girls one last peace of mind. "We shall meet again soon and it will still be on friendly terms." Before they could utter a word, Tony was gone. Should try try to find him, they wouldn't for he had already left the building and was leaping toward the rocky cave where Belladonna received her injuries. Nostrils flaring, Tony knew that Quetzal and Malo would be there too. This disturbed him for why had they not prevented this. Was Bella just as much a pawn as he was?

By the time he arrived, Drip was traumatized, probably in fear that his plant lady would perish. Looking at the wound on her stomach, Tony could only surmise that he arrived just in the nick of time. The green oozing didn't show signs of letting up. She would need nutrients, and such nutrients couldn't be sucked from the rocky floor here. She needed to find the sun and soak in its delicious rays. Her plant body would go to work producing food for her and allowing the wound to heal. Tony just had to buy her that time. She needed to retreat and he knew it would only piss off the Beast Queen. But what did it matter? Was it worth losing such a powerful woman? No, Tony decided not. He would save Bella just like she saved him.

If she were a rose, he would have picked her based on her torn petals and thorns, not her beautiful color or sweet scent. Bella had endured a lot and Tony had come to respect her for that, in a sense, at least. She was clumsy, but always looking out for others. She loved life above all else and she would fight to the death to protect nature's beauty. Although her thorns were sharp, her voice and love were gentle.

Hands wrapping around her body, Tony's pitiful glare sent a few chills down the spines of the experiments lodged outside. It wasn't easy to up-root her from her spot, but Tony eventually had the woman in his arms. No matter how much she trashed, kicked, and begged to aid her plant friends, Tony wouldn't have it. Even the thorns and razor-like whips from the grass didn't stop him. He could take the beating. No, he would take it. He had to. No matter what hell Bella unleashed, he would be there for her to save her.

Forcing her backwards, Tony could spy Drip's relief at the long-eared man's arrival. The experiments, Masuyo, Ryker, and Alpha, weren't what he was after. Sure, vengeance would be nice, but Bella would wilt before he was through with them. Sucking up his pride, his tear-filled eyes jerked away from the scene before him. As they turned away, he swore he caught a disgusted look from Quetzal, but Tony dismissed it. Bella's life was more important to him than the Beast Queen's wrath.

Lunging forward, Tony climbed the mountain. With each jump, the pair moved closer to the clouds above. If he could keep going, they would breach the clouds and the sun would no longer be hidden. He didn't stop, not even when the air started to thin; he just kept jumping high and higher until his body began to grow numb from the lack of plentiful oxygen. Sucking the small particles of oxygen from the air, he suppressed his heartbeat and forced his body to endure just a bit longer.

Cresting the clouds, the sun finally made its grand entrance. Its warmth instantly flooded him and he watched as Bella's body stirred in delight toward its glorious, golden savior.

Unable to keep at this altitude much longer, Tony started his descent down the mountain. In mere minutes, he had removed Bella from the fight and was now leaping toward a fresh water pond that was halfway between the cave and the location of Leila and Sky. Draping her toes into it, Tony found himself licking at the wound. It was gross, causing his nose to wrinkle, but he kept lapping up the oozing green liquid. He hoped that his saliva would slow the 'bleeding' or form a clot.

Still wrapped in his arms, the monster tipped back his head and howled to the sun that was just beginning to peak around from behind a wall of gray clouds. Blue sky coming into view, Tony let out another depressing howl. Not once did his clutch release. Not once did he move away. He simply just sat there and watched for Bella to regain her energy.

She pushed herself forward even though the grasses and other plants had come to life by the will of the plant woman. A fly trap snapped at her as she passed by it. She barely managed to dodge it, but in doing so ended up cutting herself on one of the many thorny vines. Ignoring the pain she continued to head towards the plant woman. Before she could strike at her target another creature appeared, taking the injured plant woman away. This somewhat confused her as she skidded to a stop.

Unsure of what was happening Masuyo moved to beside Alpha and Ryker. The woman allowed herself to become visible to them. “Good to see you guys got out. I assume that Chumana helped the others get away already. Do you guys have a plan?” As she spoke she looked back and forth between the taller males. Even though her battle with the plan lady hadn’t lasted too long her body was covered with light scratches and cuts from the plants the woman had brought to life. If the fight had lasted longer those scratches and cuts could have become something more serious.

((sorry it’s so short, but my muse doesn’t want to be very cooperative right now >.<))

Blinking in confusion as to what had happened, Ryker took this moment as their "lucky break." It was time they all run for it. With the planet lady gone and the other two distracted, they could all run down the hill. But first they needed to make sure their attackers weren't about to pursue them further. With Alpha in a daze or at least not responding to commands, Ryker was left to his our antics to cause a landslide. Speed was the only thing on his side and, right now, it would have to do. He had already showed his strength in creating a whirlwind from running in a circle, perhaps he could recreate one out here. Only, instead of smothering it, he would force it toward the mountain with the hopes of starting a landslid.

Within mere moments of hatching up a plan, his speed had started to create a funnel. Whipping up a whirlwind of sorts, he let the sheer force of his speed collide with the rocky wall as he came to a jarring stop with his hands sprawled out before him. He didn't have much energy left in him, so he put everything into that good shove of speed-created wind. At first, it didn't seem to do anything and that's when Ryker's green orbs opened to twice their size.

Hand stretching out, he jerked Alpha from his spot. Almost instantly, he heard the familiar sound of popping, a sure sign of a dislocated shoulder. They could deal with that minor setback later. Giving Masuyo a firm head nod, he suggested via gestures that they race down that hill. If the woman had any strength left, going invisible might be wise. Who knew if the enemies would try to chase them during the rock slide! Any edge they could have was one they needed to take. Their lives and the fate of the planet rest with them.

Within moments, Ryker and Alpha became nothing but a blur. By the time they reappeared, they were collapsed at the designated spot Cion had picked out. He was pleased to see that everyone seemed to be in the general vicinity too. At least they were all together.

Panting as he smeared the sweat that heavily dotted his brows, the redhead turned his head just in time to see the rocks start to smash down around Malo and the Beast Queen. Those two would be a bit tied up trying to avoid getting flattened by some of the large chunks of rock that smashed into the earth. If lucky, they would have enough time to run -- his eyes scanned the area. Where the hell could they go? Wherever they went, it wouldn't be far enough away. They needed a miracle right now. And, from the looks of it, such a thing didn't seem possible.

Is this the end, he asked before slowly turning to stare at his new found comrades. Would he really let them all die?