Straightening up as the others arrived, Volkov she smiled lightly hearing Ashes ask his question. Shaking her head, the russian beauty stood in her leather cat suit, and chuckled. "I'm sure a house full of catnip would appeal to Scar." she said lightly, the tiger rubbing up against her, purring loudly at the thought. "I am not one to settle down. And I can't go back to my modeling career." she said lightly, and shrugged. Sitting down, she crossed her legs and tapped her chin. "I would want a simple house, attached to my lab. I personally make enough to survive myself, but to have a high tech lab and the resources to keep up my studies... That would be my dream." she said softly and smiled. "I like being able to make things to heal people, like mecha organs and robot prosthetics. As well as more cures for different cancers. Things to help people. I am not really one to settle down." she said and then chuckled and kissed Scar's head. "Maybe some extra cats, Scar has wanted a brother or sister. I have been inventing a mecha that can evolve and grow. I haven't perfected it yet, but when I do, it will be a great addition to our family." Volkov said as Scar rubbed his cheek against her own, making her chuckle and smile. "A boy would be a perk. But no man wants a work-a-holic woman."

A rage flared up within the bright blue orbs of the woman, making them appear more dangerous than dazzling. She chewed on her lower lip for a moment, her hands balling into fists and relaxing again. "Nearly dieing once really hasn't taught you to not disobey orders, did it?" The woman spat out, or she would have were it not for a tug at the hem of her jacket.

Those dangerous eyes jumped to their next prey, but instantly softened when she saw Remy and heard his request. She rested a hand on the top of his head. With a sigh she said, "Remy, even Reino shouldn't be near the action this soon after his surgery." It was the motion he made to his tag and his next pleading words that really got to the blond haired woman.

Her brown furrowed slightly as she groaned, her eyes moving to Ashes as he the begged the next question. The fact that Reino answered did nothing to help the woman try and calm down. His story though, it brought an idea to mind and the woman smirked at the thought.

"Reino," she said, her heels clicking to attention as she met his face with a more neutral appearance. "You may join Division One in moving to the Battle Dome. However," she then paused, her eyes narrowing. "You are to remain in your wheel chair at all times and you must not leave the waiting area without my direct authorization. Remy will remain by my side, though I may have him watch over you as well. Even though he is not allowed in combat, I do not feel that allowing him to not witness the chain of command will prove beneficial with recent events that have come to pass."

Her hands were folded behind her back as she thought of everything. The waiting area was still connected to the battle dome; one wall was actually made of a nearly indestructible material so that the male could watch, but he would remain out of harms way. "I would like to practice the team without your assistance," she then added. "In your current position I would rather you focus on healing and accustoming yourself with your new equipment. Once I receive that ok from the medical department, only then will I allow you to return to the battle dome and the on-ground operations."

That wasn't to say Reino wouldn't be allowed on missions, Hime just wouldn't let him be seen. That usually meant she was going to stow him away on Volf, or at least something to that extent. Turning on her heel, she began to lead the remaining members of Division 1, including Remy towards the Battle Dome. "Should you go against these orders," she said, tossing a glance back to Reino. "I will not hesitate on shooting you."

The woman left to eat, and Kanra was left alone once more. He stood, placing the now haldf empty canister upon the table, before questioning what he should do with the napkins. He ignored much of the convesations going on around him, it really was none of his buisiness at this point. If they wanted him to know, they would have spoken to him. For a moment his mind went back to the past, it was really always like this, especially once Berserker began to set in. People are fools he said within his head, they care little for others, unless it is convienient for them. For some reason though, those words coming from him did not carry the full on weight that they used to. It made him wonder even more if something had happened. He was tempted to ask, when he heard his name...well...code name.

He lifted his eyes, to see the cat man asking if he cared to join them to this dome place. Some of the others had already begun to move on. There was really no reason to stay here anymore, so he merely gave a slight nod to the other before he stood. Oh joy, physical contact, something that right now made his skin crawl. He said nothing though, pushing aside what was going on within his mind, as he helped Cias along. This cat man seemed to be interested in learning more about them, which is why he said what he said next. Kanra paused for a moment, tempted to give a dry laugh. Such plesant morning conversation, what was he supposed to say? He was a killer with a split personality, who people either feared or thought was a freak? His childhood and past was even less of a topic he wanted to discuss.

It tended to bring out Berserker, and right now he did not think that was what the four of them needed. Thankfully, they ran into one of the females, which is when the cat man began talking to her. He glanced over at her, the woman by the name of Volkov. Raising an eyebrow at the appearance, she definetly took the term 'catwoman' to heart it seemed. He said nothing again, but there seemed to be a bit more to it than that. He could feel her energy swirling a bit, and it seemed to have residual energy of the odd new one Rieno had been putting off. He had noticed it before, but in his slump, he really had paid no mind to it. But now, he wondered what the two of them would be doing together? He would think more on it later, for now he dismissed the thoughts as he glanced around the place.

Vlad happened to catch the last bit of Hime's comment toward Reino. Honestly, the thought of someone shooting Reino was enough to brighten his day. Or, for a few seconds, anyway. Vlad averted his gaze to avoid letting on that he was listening to the Agent reprimand the half-mech criminal. It didn't stop a smile from finding its way into place.

The air was thick with energies. Vlad didn't need to bother any single person for theirs - he nearly reached out to taste the air. It was always interesting to find criminals and agents in the same room. There was this sense of conflict and emotion that translated into rather interesting pulls of energy.

As they approached the dome, Vlad tilted his head. Battle sounded like a nice way to start the day off. Even if it was lessons in teamwork, at least it wasn't boring. Teamwork. Hah. Well, Vlad never was a team player. Teal eyes flickered over the others in Division 1. He hated them all. Working with them was only an option because Vlad wanted to stay alive. Fine. Let them try to smooth out the wrinkles between the criminals. At least a few of them would cooperate.
-

Sai had finished his meal, and was just standing when someone got close enough to wrap an arm around him. Stiffening, the agent realized immediately that it was one of the criminals. Ashes, by the blatant color and brightness of his aura. "I'm fine," Sai said, but was instead pulled along with the others as they started toward the battle dome.

He didn't cause a scene. Sai kept quiet, though looked distinctly bothered as he was led toward the dome. He could have followed the others easily. Ashes mentioned that they would receive freedom upon success. Sai smiled slightly to himself. He wouldn't leave upon finishing whatever missions Division 1 was sent after. He'd stay, if it was permitted. There was nothing in the normal world for him now, and his life was invested in the studies here with the SFA.

Sai tilted his head to listen to Volkov as the woman spoke. Her accent was very distinct, even if her aura was not. Only criminals had brilliant colors dancing around them. The agents and all other humankind were just white and grey lights - life without Purium enhancements, Sai assumed.

Volkov's plans upon leaving the agency sounded close to what Sai would have gone for if he'd intended on leaving. It sounded nice. A place to live and work, freedom to study and create....

Someting caught his eye. Sai glanced toward Kanra, frowning. That one was unique. His aura shifted between a purple to a deep seething crimson at times. That must be Berserker. Or was it Kanra? He couldn't tell which was which. From what he'd read about the criminal, it was a severe case of split personality. For a moment Sai wondered if anyone else could see what he did. He supposed it was a privilege to see when Kanra and Berserker shifted sides.

Pulling away from Ashes (and looking beyond uncomfortable with the contact with a criminal), Sai glanced around to take in their surroundings. From what he could see in the dark grey blurs and darkness, it looked like they had finally arrived. "How are we going to do this?" he asked Hime, stepping close enough to be heard. He could tell it was her because she'd just finished saying something. Her voice was a very distinct one: young, soft, and deceivingly calm. "I heard that the dome was big enough for everyone. Should we divide everyone up into their teams, or start with one on one training?"

Seeing Shadow’s eyes fall on her after telling Reino she could teach him yoga she gave the woman a slight nod to encourage her. Right now it didn’t seem that her friend was going to get the chance she needed right now. Going to the battle dome sounded like a wonderful idea to the woman. She was in the mood to train or attempt to beat the crap out of Vlad, not that she cared which of the two it was. Advice from Shadow would have to wait until later. She stood and moved to her friend’s side.

“Looks like the others are leaving us behind. We should probably get going too. It should be fun training in the dome considering I don’t have my pocket watch right now.” She half whispered before shaking her head and sighing. Really she had no probably fighting without the aid of her Purium. “So what will you do about Reino?” Vex looked at Shadow a hint of curiosity in her eyes. “It looks like he’s going to be a hand full.” A small grin formed on her lips. The pair walked slowly a little ways behind the others mostly so they could chat without the rest of Division One hearing them.

Although not overly fond of taking the wheelchair, Reino did find a wheeled chair that he could use in the actual wheelchair's place. After all, the wheelchair he was previously given was a tad destroyed. Remy, bless his soul, was kind enough to play this game called "Push Reino to the Dome." It was mainly a trick, but Remy didn't seem to mind, especially when Reino allowed the kid to sit on his lap as they watched from the balcony. So Remy disobeyed Hime's rule about staying at his side. It wasn't too big a deal, especially since another agent happened to be in the balcony with Reino and Remy. Although the privacy and bird's eye view were nice, this agent watching them was not. Why did no one trust him? He had his chance to flee and he came back. He proved his worth time and time again and yet they still treated him like a threat. Tch, I see I still need a babysitter. I wonder who doesn't trust me now....

Resting his chin against the railing as Remy took a seat on the floor beside him, the raven let out a yawn. "I wonder what type of battle they'll do. One x one? Group? It will be neat to see how Sai and Hime differ in battle tactics."

"Mmmhmmm," he agreed. "Do you think your girlfriend and Mango Bewbs will get to lead, too?" There was a glimmer in his eyes, proving that the kid did know much more than he lead on. "Dun worry, your secret is safe with me, bro." And then a wicked grin came. "But I do have to ask. What if they were both dying. Who would you save?"

"I..." Reino turned away. Such an odd question. And said with such perfection. Golden orbs slipping back to Remy, he confirmed what he already knew. This kid was way smarter than people gave him credit for. "I'm honestly not sure. Since Volkov is an agent, I suppose it would have to be her, based on logic."

"And based on love?"

There was silence between the two. Opening his mouth, the raven let out a sigh. "I can't be certain. Right now, my heart tells me it would be Volkov. But, tomorrow it could say Shadow. It's just..."

"Complicated."

Yes."

Eyes focused on the field below, the two men found themselves silent for the time being. Until a battle officially started, they wouldn't even look at one another. Reino knew Remy secretly loathed that he was cheating on Shadow. But it's not like he was really dating Shadow. So they shared a kiss. And there was a chance he was dragging Volkov down to his level. Don't you do odd, selfish things when you're in love? Reino found himself still staring at the two women as they moved onto the field.

"I really don't know who to pick," he whispered before lowering his head on the bar in defeat. "I just don't know."

---

So the others were a tad shy in opening up. Would Ashes complain? No, why complain if people don't want to open up and share. With time, they probably would. Until then, Ashes had to respect their decisions. Since it was clear none of them wanted his attention, the cat-man moved to pet Scar, purring ever so lightly as he did so. Giving the metal cat a nuzzle rub, Ashes found himself purring even deeper now, almost like a motor boat. Sadly, his affection was cut short when Hime arrived. She seemed ready to command an army and, from that fierce look in her eye, Ashes could tell that her previous team hadn't obeyed her.

Popping to his feet, the former military man give Hime the ultimate sign of respect, a salute. Heels together and posture perfect, his green orbs glanced down to seek out her shimmering blue pair. "I await your every command, ma'dam."

A part of him hoped that the first battle would be his so he could set the bar high. There was no way he would let these rookies outrank him. He was special ops and he knew how to follow a command down to the dotted I's and crossed T's. Besides, a part of him wanted to show off his wondrous fury. There was a reason Division One called him in. And there was a reason the beasts feared him. To this day, he still stands at the highest ranking on the scoreboard of threats terminated. Granted, the weighed ranking for taking out higher level monsters probably gave him a huge edge. Still, he was better than many could have ever hoped. His connection with his Purium was flawless. And with the God-Pill, it was... holy.

As they walked out Shadow glanced at Vex, studying her eyes. She was relieved when she mentioned her pocket watch. After they had left the garden to go to their rooms and sleep, Shadow had walked back to the medical center to check in on Reino. As she walked by the room Vex had been in something caught her eye. Upon seeing her friends Purium item she snatched it up and took it to her room.

"Reino...what am I going to do about him?" She smiled and laughed softly. "Yes he is going to be a handful. I know I need to talk to him. Everything else will come after that. I just hope it good.."

Shadow glanced at Vex and then brought her hand behind her head. There was a small pocket on her swords sheath, that's where she had stashed the pocket watch. Unbuttoning the pocket she pulled the watch out and held it out in her hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Was all she asked. She was a little worried about Vex leaving her Purium like that. It was a major part of them, something they couldn't live without anymore. But she wasn't going to push Vex.

Hime's heels clicked together as she stood in attention, her gaze falling about the mix matched group of individuals. Remy had wished to stay with Reino, which the woman not deny him that, he would still be safe there and able to watch what was going on. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the last two women, one of her own and one of Sai's, make their way into the dome and up to the rest of the group. Once they had joined, she scanned over the crowd once again and she saw Ashes react to this, though Agent by title, he still fell in with the criminals by history.

The woman smirked, though it was slight and could have easily gone missed. "We shall do solo battles first, and should Agent Sai approve, we will alternate criminals. We may be different teams, but we are one unit and everyone must be used to acting on behalf of leaders of either section. This also means responding to directions of Agent Volkov and Agent Artemis."

Hime took in a slow breath through her nose, the small action was enough to noticeably raise her chest. "Ashes," she called out to the group, wishing to get things started whether they would use each others people or their own, they had to start somewhere. "You're new to us. I want to see what you have to offer."

Turning her back to the group she called out to the others, "If it is not your turn, stand to the side lines, but be ready to join the fight at any time." She paced toward one edge of the dome, standing near the middle divide. Dangerously bright orbs shot towards the short (shorter than the others) male and gave him a sole warning, "You better not disappoint me."

At this point, Hime had lost the 'nice' Princess act that many of the newer agents saw her as. Those that had worked with her or had seen her on the field knew that she was ruthless and more of a tyrant that a Princess. This last mission was the only one that drew her to ruin her perfect record of no deaths and due to Reino's near experience, she would no longer boast such a thing because to her, that had gone too far.

"Each pair, meaning an individual picked by myself and another by Agent Sai, shall face off against a beast," Hime called out to the group as she awaited the other agents to join her. "Regardless to whom picks you, you must respond to orders given by either Senior Agent. Should our partners call out orders, you are to respond to those as well as these Agents are still following orders of the the Senior."

She pivoted on her heel to fully face the group. "Your goal is to be so good at your job that the Agents are not required to step in or save you," she said as a large door opened up behind her revealing the arsenal that the Agents had at their disposal, including Volf. "Something of that nature should really be a vanity desire, shouldn't it? Do any one of you super humans wish to be saved by those of us without special abilities? If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't accept such a thing and I would find such assistance an insult unless it's truly needed."

Of course, Hime's speech as to how they should fight were merely her own beliefs and the others were free to conduct their fights however they wish. She wanted them all to be aware as to how things were to be run if she had to take the wheel on things and how she viewed initial fights to be best fought. Agents were back ups to the criminals and in her mind, they shouldn't step in unless they needed to; their foe was far too powerful to get involved too soon.

Happy to be the first pick of the battle, Ashes did a toe finger salute from his head before hopping over the railing and onto the field. Ah, it felt so nice to be on the field again. For once, he would actually start with the team, rather than show up last minute to save the day. Granted, he was all for saving the day. If push came to shove, he would just pop one of those sour pills and become a thing to fear. Such measures weren't necessary, though, at least not right now. For now, he would simply show off his skills without the aid of a drug.

All emotions coming off his face, the male stepped further into the dome. With each step he took, Ashes seemed to shrink. Then, as if by magic, his body transformed and a small, gray house cat. Not moving from his spot, he sat in the middle of the floor. Ball of yawn being tugged from his collar, the cat happily rolled around while he awaited Sai's pick. His signature motorboat purr could be heard from even where Reino sat. In all honesty, he probably looked and sounded crazy. But that was all part of his game. He looked so sweet and innocent, until you met his dragon-like fury.

Tip of his tail now twitching to and fro, he devilish look glistened in his eyes. Soon, he would show these fools what they really should look like. Of course, his talents would be left to Hime, Artemis, Sai, and Volkov. After all, they were the ones to bark out commands.

Volkov's eyebrow raised as she smirked seeing that Ashes saluted in such a fashion that screamed military. Sometime she would have to ask him what division he was in and what missions he may have had. It would be interesting, that was for sure. It seemed she and Ashes had a lot more in common then she had originally thought. Smiling as he walked over to Scar and nuzzled him, she just wanted to pull them both into a hug because they were so gosh darn adorable! Scar purred loudly as he rubbed up against the other cat in happiness as they shared a moment of enjoying each other's company. When he was called forwards to preform his fighting might, she watched as she moved to stand besides Sai. Watching as he shrunk her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't realized that they had spliced his DNA in THAT way. They used one of the newest and most complicated ways of animal DNA splicing known to the world. Watching it work so smoothly she wanted to hop over the bar, and just hug the cat and kiss him. Oh, man. Had others not been there, they would have really seen her cat loving side. He was literally the best of both her worlds, science and cats. Adorable, and scientific. Oh how she could just cuddle him, and pet him, and run tests.... Her mind wondered away and she had Scar nudge her out of her thoughts. Smiling down at the mecha cat sheepishly, as he gave her that knowing look, she then removed the emotion from her face and waited for the next criminal to be picked for the drill.

Vex listened thoughtfully to Shadow. She gave a nod. “Hopefully it will. You have more of a chance of loving someone then I do.” The woman gave a light laugh. Nothing more was said for a few moments. She stopped in her tracks when she seen the pocket watch in her friend’s hand. Tentatively she took it, her eyes showing a mixture of emotions that didn’t reach her face.

“Thanks for keeping it safe.” She let out a sigh as they continued to follow the others. “After I woke up in the infirmary I just couldn’t stand that sight of this thing. Even though it gives me the power to change things. I found myself afraid to use that power.” Vex laughed slightly. “That was the first time I’ve ever felt so powerless because I knew even if I used my power it wouldn’t have changed anything. Or it would have made the situation worse.” Closing her eyes she held the pocket watch tightly in her hand. Her expression shifted momentarily as she considered the possibility if using its power to change what happened this morning.

Looking at Shadow Vex smiled once more. “Truthfully I thought that this was going to end up in Sycom’s hands or at least one of the senior agents. Then after they had it I’d be getting a lecture or worse for leaving it like that.” Her gaze lowered. They were almost to the dome and she still hadn’t asked Shadow for advice, but then again she was still somewhat pissed at Sycom. Oh he was in for it the next time she got him alone. “I think I was wrong about exploring my feelings. It will probably be best to just ignore them like I have before. After all emotions become weakness in a place like this.” She only half believed what she was saying. Plus it was hard to tell if she was trying to convince Shadow or herself of what she just said.

Once in the dome the pair lined up with the others inside of the dome. Their conversation would have to wait for now. Vex turned her attention to Hime, the narrowing of Hime’s eyes when she watched them enter didn’t go unnoticed. She listened to what the woman had to say. This was going to be fun, but the thought of possibly having to team up with Vlad didn’t please her. The agent’s words mostly made sense to her. She knew how the SFA operated. After Hime was done speaking her she let her lavender eyes wander, glancing at Volkov then Sai.

Sai nodded in response to Hime's words. Yes, some one on one combat was a good place to start. "Glancing" to the others, the male gestured one of Team A forward. "Discord."

Ever since Sai's earlier observation about Discord's shifting energy, he was curious to see him fight. He assumed that the purple and red aura about the boy would shift more dramatically. It would be interesting to observe. Perhaps there were triggers to set Berserker into motion. Perhaps not. Either way, it was essential to know how his new team would work. Starting with Breaker B was logical.

The silver-haired agent must have put value in Discord's power. There was so much there....

Sai stepped forward, his "gaze" moving to Discord. "Be sure you respond to commands," he said quietly, waiting for the boy to get closer before continuing. "I'm not hesitant to reward rebellion with punishment." His words weren't harsh, but were said softly - they were fact. It was no secret that Sai wasn't fond of the criminals. In fact, this was the most contact he'd had with such people in his entire career with the SFA. He supposed it was necessary, but wasn't exactly a fan of the time spent with those who'd thrown their lives away.

"If you have no command from me, you fight to survive. You do whatever you feel is necessary until you receive an order." He nudged Discord forward, looking back to Hime and Ashes.
-

Vlad leaned against the railing, calmly watching Ashes roll about for a brief moment before turning his attention to the window where he knew Reino to be. If there had been a way to make sure that the other criminal didn't survive through the dome battle, Vlad might have considered trying it out. Cruel, but such was his hatred. He really did resent the fact that Reino had lived.

Teal eyes flickered to the agents, then back to Ashes. He was already getting irritated with the waiting.

Hime wasn't sure why Ashes took to turning into a feline and in fact, she wasn't even aware that the man could do that. Her brown furrowed slightly at this; if he was going to do behave in such a manner before practice, who was to say how he would behave in the real situation. Being one for treating all scenarios as though they were really happening, she couldn't say that this put faith in the newcomer.

"Each round will end when the opposing team has failed to protect the Agents," Hime called out to both males. Her eyes glanced at Artemis as well as to Volkov as she added, "for now, being one on one combat, the target shall only be the Senior Agent. When it gets to group combat we will include our Junior Agents."

"By failure," she then continued on. "The opposing member must make physical contact with the opposing Agent, or you are to make your opponent unable to pursue the Agent any further. Though you are not to harm one another, it us up to yourselves to make the first line of defense to say when you are out. As Agents, the rest of us will step in to decide a winner if we feel you are not calling in a safe zone to allow for combat later on." Her eyes scanned those before her, as well as those in the side lines. "Please remember that this may not be your only fight for the day and we do not know when we will be called to the field again. I respect you will all keep yourself in a condition that is ready to face another mission when the sirens sound."

Hime folded her arms behind her back as she stood at parade rest, her chin lifted slightly as she gazed down at the grey feline. She would have to have faith in the cat as well as in herself in this fight; she knew that Discord was a Breaker, though she also was aware that she did not have as much information on the male as Sai would have, though even then, she didn't know how long he had to go over such information.

She knew that Ashes had the God pill, but using that in such a situation would not allow her to properly gauge his abilities. She would have to move on the more cautious side in not knowing what he was capable of and knowing that he was going up against a foe that was designed to take damage.

"Ashes, flank their nine o'clock," she called out to the male calmly. Their nine o'clock would be translated to their left, or what would be their three o'clock. Depending on how Ashes would respond to this beginning command would tell her how she would be able to proceed and would probably lead to military lessons for the rest of the group.

After giving her first of many commands, Hime stole a quick glance to Artemis. "You are free to give commands as your role dictates as well Agent Artemis," she quietly told her as to let her know that she was not placing rules to run this show alone. Looking back towards what she now considered a battlefield, Hime thought to herself, this cat better not be toying with me, as she awaited his movement.

With Discord summoned to the field, Ashes felt a bit of irony in the whole thing. The guy he wanted to get to know was now going to face off against him. Well, he could. Discord could go straight for Hime, should he want to. Ashes wondered just what he should do. Go for Sai or pin down Discord? Why plan something like this, he joked inwardly. Attack whichever shows the first sign of weakness. For now, that would be Sai. He was the one unable to defend himself and the logical choice, at least right now.

Playfully swatting his yawn ball across the floor, the monochrome cat blinked his eyes. This was going to be fun. And then, the tiny cat began his full-on run toward Discord. Only, just before coming in contact with the man, Ashes drifted left to bypass Discord and make a shot at Sai.

He probably didn't look intimidating. In fact, Sai and Discord might just cock a brow at the situation. Although a cat's bite and claws can hurt, they weren't enough to kill anyone. About 6-feet from Sai's position, things came into a different light. The once tiny house cat soon became a full-grown panther whose toe-to-shoulder height was close to 3.5-feet! His long, silky body gleamed with silver-black fur. Those once not so deadly quarter-inch claws soon became three-inch blades of death. And his fangs? While the half-inch kitten teeth were painful in nature, Ashes 1.5-inch long curved fangs were even more of a threat.

Letting out a blood curdling roar, Ashes swung his large, clawed paw out at Sai. Ashes just kept swinging his paws, flipping between his right and left, until he hoped to pin the agent against a wall. In between the claw swings, Ashes would also lunge forward and snap at the agent. Tail flicking behind him, a low growl soon became a full on hiss. The second his spit his Sai's body, steam would start to smoke off his clothes. There was something off about Ashes' spit. It was oddly hot.

Meanwhile, should Discord (or Berserker) try to advance on Ashes, he would find himself in an interesting situation. Recall that ball of yawn? Well, it's formed a perfect circle around the criminal. It looks harmless, but if one were to try to step over the yawn, it would burst into flames and singe the perpetrator. To make things worse, with each attempt to escape the circle, the yawn would shrink in size, until it's firmly wrapped around the legs of the foe caught in the middle. As you might be guessing, if it wraps around your legs, you become a BBQ and burned to death.

Before swinging another paw at Sai, Ashes looked back over his shoulder for a cue. Was Hime impressed? Or did she expect more? He was also wondering if Volkov might call another person onto the field to aid Discord. There was no real way out of the yawn, at least not without help. Unless, of course, you wanted to render your legs useless -- that was always an option.

---

---

I know Ashes seems overpowered. He is. Remember, he's the one who saved all of you and he's special ops. Defeating him will not be easy. If Hime/Artemis notice that Ashes isn't have issues, they can always call him off the field and throw someone else in. If Sai/Volkov can't seem to push back the cat, they're free to call the whole team in.

P.S. Ashes is still in his maid outfit. xD

Kanra stood within the room. There was really nothing that his mind was focusing on at the moment. Though as his name was mentioned, his eyes lifted up from his thoughts. He had been chosen? The man he had not really payed much attention to before was speaking with him. He takes a breath, watching him. He could feel an odd energy from him as well, and it did not take a genious to figure out he was attempting to read him. He takes a breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He did not wish to go through this, contact right now would not help his emotions and energy at all. He spoke of commands, of following orders.

So, he was going to be nothing more than a puppet once more, a toy to this man and a show for the others who stood within the room. He felt the other nudge him, the physical contact spiking his energy a bit within. He could feel the ripple effectt of it through him. It made his skin crawl, all of this did. He made no move as the cat man moved past him. He did not move or react, his brain kind of switched off for a moment, as his eyes fell to the yarn around him. His eyes moed around it, inch by inch. It was not a coincedence that the yarn was there, that he knew. He stared at it for a moment, his mind blank as things began to detatch themselves a bit.

He began drawing the energy from the air around himself without a word, almost as if mechanically as his reactions moved much like training through years of being here. He gathered enough within him, before pushing it out in a tangable force, like an invisible wall. Upon coming into contact, he did not even flinch at the burst of flame swirling around a bit as it mixed with his energy. He pushed against it, ignoring the strain that began to rise within him. He pushed out upon it, sending a wave of flame infused energy rippling across the room. He remained still, though inside things were shifting.

The blue gem upon his silver ring was beginning to turn red. It started like a pendrop within the center, spreading out slowly over the surface like blood spreading upon glasses. His eyes closed for a moment, as his body seemed to relax a bit. A bit of a smile began to tug at his lips, the corners turning upwards a bit. He began chuckling a bit, his arms loosly wraping around himself a bit, before he raised a hand to run his fingers through his hair. He opened his eyes, they had dulled in color, a familiar slighly yellow tinged ghostly white had taken up their warm light violet. Berserker had come out to play in this game.

Hime's words brought Sai to glance back at his companion agent. With a slight smile in Volkov's direction, he nodded to show that Hime's invitation for Artemis to join in the battle plans also passed on to her. Volkov was just as able to give instruction as Sai himself was. It was always an advantage to have another agent looking at the scene from a different perspective - he knew that Volkov could see something that he'd missed.

As the battle began, and Hime's voice signaled the first command, Sai's gaze locked on the glowing form that was Ashes. "Look like you're ignoring him," Sai said quietly. "Wait until he passes, then strike his back." The energy that shifted in Discord was startlingly violent. Sai didn't let it distract him as he focused on the orange aura that flew at him. Honestly, there was no way for Discord to stop Ashes. The only hope was to stumble him, and to prompt Discord to strike.

Strange enough, as Ashes swung at Sai, the criminal felt something tugging at him. It felt as though every blow aimed at Sai was pulled back, or pushed away. The agent knew that if his opponent were to get too close, he wouldn't be able to judge the distance of Ashes' swings. He wasn't good at close range combat anymore. Not after losing his sight. It all became a blur.

Some of the saliva from Ashes' hissing managed to get on the end of his coat. The sound was a dead giveaway. Avoid that. It would be unfortunate to be distracted or burned to death by spit.

Sai was remarkably good at staying just out of range, though was obviously uncomfortable with being so close to Ashes.

GM NOTE
Since I haven't seen CL, Mido, and Aoi post lately, I will be taking control of their characters. Should they step in, they can reclaim them. I will do my best not to have them engage in conversation, as I don't want to break the character's personality traits or language. That is all. Thanks!

---

Lolipop couldn't hold back any longer. She saw Discord struggling to overcome the yawn charm-weapon and decided it was time to show this crew why she was an enhancer. Hopping over the line that divided the 'sidelines' from the 'battle field,' she felt a slight be of guilt. Maybe she should have waited? No! She needed to aid a teammate out. Should she get punished, so be it!

Eyes carefully watching Discord as he tried to figure out the yarn's strength, Loli began her verbal deductions. "Don't touch it, it'll burn. Try to jump over it, it'll burn. Can't cross through it or go around it. How about... no over, no through, no up, and no down. Wait. Down. He hasn't tried down." Her head shot up as she tried to conjure up a protection spell. Maybe only the flames worked for the one inside. If it was the case, she could protect Discord. If not, well she would just pray that he was fast enough.

It wasn't hard to focus. Ashes was busy and one one else was on the field. Eyes closed for a moment, she cast the spell at Discord. As her eyes open, she saw it land. Success!

"Discord!" her voice bellowed across the large dome, "lift the yawn and go under it! Down is the way out!"

Twisting her head toward Ashes, she hoped he might give a sign of surprise, but he was still too busy with Sai. "Oh no you don't, mister kitty!" A zap of lightning teased his rear, which only caused him to hiss again. With his spit catching Sai's clothing again, Loli squeaked at her failure. Well, there was no hurting Ashes without hurting Sai. She supposed the cat would only stop the assault when Discord emerged. But by then, Hime might summon another to the field. Oh well, here was hoping luck was on their side.

A scowl formed on the small woman's face, it was a look of a mind set for battle and of one that wouldn't be taking prisoners. The second her blue orbs locked onto the silver haired woman and her actions that brought her into the ring and released the presence now known as Berserker. A hand flew forward, her finger pointing at the opposing woman as she called out, "Shadow, direct attack on Lolipop now."

Her eyes then flicked between the massive cat known as Ashes as well as the Breaker that was now free to attack either upon command or at will. "Cias," she called out as well, adding yet another to the fray. "Report to the field, boost team defenses and keep Berserker occupied."

As she was watching, not only those in the field, but those that were still watching and at this point, waiting to take part, Hime was quickly playing different scenarios in her mind as to how to force Sai into a checkmate. Her processing and planning abilities were second to none and her aggression on the front lines only added to her skill; she was merciless when it came to fighting, but as she noticed from their recent mission, she had grown too soft when it came to what happened to those on her team.

"Ashes, direct assault to 3 o'clock, attempt to get at his 6 if possible," she called out to the large feline across the way from her. Her eyes glanced over to Agent Artemis for a brief moment, trying to judge whether she was going to give commands, just watch, or go against Hime's 'perfect scenario' and join the fray before them.

Volkov walked along the line separating herself from the battle and watched as Lolipop went into the battle. Smirking she then nodded as Beserker would be able to go under the flaming yarn. Smart move by the enhancer. Hearing Hime though, counter measures moved in through her brain. "Vex, counter Shadow. Strain the shoulder and right knee. Make her move faster then she would want to. Keep her off of Loli. Loli, a speed boost for everyone please." Volkov called out calmly. Her brillaint silver blue eyes glancing up to Reino before looking back at the area around her. "Mozilla. I want a wire fence from those two posts. Sai take my instructions now." she said and then pulling a cuff off of herself she threw it across the feild to Beserker. "Put it on and press the button. No need to worry about flames." she said and her heel clicked on the ground. "Ready Sai!" she called and looked to Loli. "Get ready for that boost." she said lightly and looked back to Sai. "Right. Left. Duck. Side step left. Back. Right front." the Russian beauty called, anticipating the large cats movements. She knew how cat worked, she knew how they anticipated. How do you think she created Scar? "Loli now!" she called and as the boost made its way towards all their teammates she smirked. "Sai, back and jump forward. Land in a double tumble!" she called. It seemed though that the agent had already caught onto her, for he was jumping at the perfect time. A twang rang out as Mozilla had wires hit one pole and was moving to get ready to connect to the others.

Once Sai tumbled under the wires, they could group and make the advantage of Ashes no longer existent. It also helped that the healer had gone over every person's files to see their injuries, and know their weakness because of it. These were things she had to know for the sake of having to go out onto the feild suddenly, but it also helped knowing how to counter her teammates to help her own team succeed. She also knew that Shadow and Vex were both injured, but Vex had healed better then Shadow had. So they had a speed advantage. But it only helped if they had everyone work together.

Following Hime's command, Ashes continued to move in her attack pattern. However, Volkov's instructions seemed to know exactly how he would land and hit. Probably didn't help that she he hear everything Hime was saying. Still, it wasn't much fun to just keep striking out and missing.

"Stop thinking like a cat, Ashes! You claim you were a brilliant S.O.T.F. agent. Let's see that brilliant mind of yours at work. Cross-strike and somersault. If you can, transform to your man form. All fours, though fast, is sloppy." Artemis was now pressed against the wall that kept her from the field. Her eyes moved toward Shadow who was going to be engaging Vex. "Drop and slide," she chided to the raven. "Use your ice to create a direct slide to Loli! Freeze her feet and make it impossible for her to move. Let Vex pursue you and then give her a shocking blow."

Tugging out a book, Artemis thumbed to a page that had some notes written in it. For a while now, she'd been documenting the members of both teams. Right now, she was figuring out who would be best to strike down Sai and end this thing. With a bit lip, she mumbled to Hime, "I suppose having Reino snipe is breaking the rules." Blowing up a puff of hair to take care o fher bangs, Artemis smirked. "C'mon, you can't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing. There's a reason Reino's an asset. He's the only real long-ranged fighter we have. Heck, he's the only one D1 has."

Back on the battlefield, Ashes kicked away from Sai and in that very motion he became a man clad in his maid uniform. To everyone's luck, his transformations didn't leave him stark naked. Skipping backwards, Ashes made note of Mozilla's handiwork. Would be easy to avoid that. Like all cats, he had a six sense that alerted him to suspicious things. Cias' speed boost came and it gave Ashes the boost he needed. Zigzagging forward, he danced past Sai and made a direct move toward Mozilla. Knocking the tall mall off his feet, the two males engaged in a fist fight.

It was at that time that voices could be heard in the stadium seating around the dome. It looked as if the battle had attracted some visitors. Agents sitting in the room were starting to place beats on who would win -- the skilled Hime or the brilliant Sai.

With Ashes and Mozilla locked in a fist fight, the two rolled beneath the blond's wires. Mozilla was doing his best to push the cat up into the electrical masterpiece, but was finding it hard to rip the cat man's claws from his bat. Not to mention, Ashes was strangely heavy. With each punch he received, Mozilla felt his rage build up. He knew it was just a practice match, but he didn't want to be reminded of his past. Grabbing Ashes' punch mid-way, he used his legs to kick the beast-man off him. With hope in his eyes, Mozilla was just about to grin at his success when Ashes transformed back into a cat and easily avoided the wires. F---ing cat, Mozilla cursed to himself.

"Time to get rid of these wires before someone gets hurt," Ashes purred as he morphed back into a man. Drawing his head back, his chest raised. Then, as he released his breath, a stream of fire erupted from his mouth. Within seconds, the wires melted into nothing and the ground was scorched to pieces.

"Atta boy, Ashes! Keep it up and I'll give you some Whisker Lickins' as a treat!" Artemis hoped the bribe would work. Sliding her orbs to Hime, she wondered if her senior agent might share the battle tactics. Right now, it was pretty obvious each team did as they sought and they did so without coordination. Perhaps if they could work together, they could defeat Sai and the others.

Looking over at the female, Berserker raised an eyebrow for a moment, simply moving pat the obstacle of the yarn now with little trouble. The flames had been amusing while they had been around, but now he would need to get serious. He raised his hand a bit, out of his ring as before, the blade he used in battle now was forming within the air before him. His hand moved around the hilt, the style was that of berserkers. He glanced at Hime, who had called more out upon the field. The immediate threat was that cat man, he needed to be dealt with now. Sai had yet to attempt to give some orders though, which would only continue to play badly for him if this continued. There was Cias, taking him out, would take their advantage and boost of.

There was the option that going after their asset, would force action to be taken off Sai and Moz, placing it upon him, till a counter could be formed. He could handle himself easily, and did not mind taking a few wounds if need be. He sighed lightly, working in teams was such a pain like this. The female agent seemed to be stepping up where Sai was falling. He caught the cuff, doing as directed for now. He smiled, watching the action for a moment around him. The fighting was beginning to get him more and more excited, wanting to get into this fight. There was the option of forcing the cat man back, even if just for a moment, to distract or sway his attention. The blade began to glow red for a moment, as energy built within it.

The color intensified, as the energy built. Swinging it upwards, he swung it at the ground, at an angle, so it would pass close in front of the cat, but not fully hit him. The ground erupted a bit, as the energy cut a deep gash into the ground, kicking up debris, and a cloud of dust. It obscured visions of those close to it for a bit of time, as well as a loud and high pitched rush like noise. The energy itself pushed out, creating a backlash wind like force that came off of the attack as it moved past the cat man. This sent bits of the debris as projectiles within his direction. It was merely an attack for show, but still did quite a bit of damage.

Shadow smiled softly at her friend after she took the watch back. They were going to have to talk later when this battle was over. She could tell that Vex was having problems and she wanted to help her. Reaching out a hand she placed it on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Her attention shifted to everyone around her. She watched silently as Ashes and Discord were called forward to battle. This should be interesting..she thought to herself. Cocking her head to the side Shadow watched them start, studying each and how they moved. It was always good to know how your opponent and even your team member fought, just in case you needed that information later.

The second her name was called out Shadow had her sword in her hand and she quickly shed her sheath and sweater (she is wearing a black sports bra). The over-sized thing would only hamper her movements. She split her sword in two, ice in the right hand and electricity in the left. Glancing over at Vex, Shadow gave her a grin. She had a feeling the other agents would send her at her to stop her attack on Lolipop.

"See you in a few," she quipped to her friend.

Two seconds later Volkov called out to Vex, telling her to attack the weak spots from her injuries. Well that wasn't nice now was it?

Shadow spun and sent a bolt of electricity at Vex. She heard Artemis call out to her and she did just as the agent said. For now she would be a team player. She dropped and as she did she made a swiping motion with her ice sword. A stream of ice shot out from the tip coating the ground, making a slide for her to get away on and directly at Loli's feet. Half way down the slide she rolled to the side, pushed off the ground with one of her hands and did a front flip to her feet. As she landing she slashed her right sword vertically in the air and to the right, shooting another stream of ice right at Loli's feet, in-casing them in ice.

Though Hime couldn't fully agree with bribing Ashes with feline stacks, it seemed to be doing the job. From what she could gauge, their team was doing a wonderful job in keeping the pressure on the other half of their group. Glancing towards the outer ring, her eyes catching the figures of people actually watching, though they didn't register beyond being a part of the back drop. What her eyes happily fell upon was one last member of team b, a member she knew would be hungry for the energy that was quickly filling the battle dome.

"Vlad," she said, her tone darkening as her eyes once again locked onto the battle, one of her primary focuses on getting Sai pinned once again. "Come feast to your heart's content, after all, Berserker went through all the trouble of preparing it for you." She had sensed the tension from Vlad to the rest of the members of Division 1 and she was more than ready to play off of that. She quickly glanced over to Artemis and gave her a nod, reluctantly giving in to the fact that she had the closer relationship to the male and that she was handing the reigns over to her.

Her voice quickly dropped so that only her partner could hear her as she said, "Vlad should be able to handle Berserker's energy, we have to get Vex out of commission however." Her eyes locked on the silver haired woman that had quickly interrupted the plans of earlier. She quickly went over what she saw going around her and the behaviors that she had seen of the woman thus far.

"Volkov's directions are spot on, so we'll have to throw a wrench into their gears," her eyes then snapped to Ashes and Mozilla. "And I think we need to switch out players." Shortly after that, Hime was calling out more directions. "Shadow rotate with Ashes, keep that wire cold, make it brittle and get Mozilla to chill out while you're at it," she called to the woman, her attention then quickly shifting back to Ashes, whom was being pulled from his target.

She knew that metal wasn't a material that could handle harsh colds, much like it couldn't handle blistering heat and from what she gathered earlier, forcing Mozilla to fight a female would be much more difficult on him than fighting a male. Besides, their role differences were drastically different, it was like she was putting the long haired male on the chopping block. "Cias, take flight, we're gonna have to keep Ashes quick," she commanded the enhancer. Her eyes fell to Artemis once again as she awaited to see how she would assist in what seemed to have the possibility at being the last few moves.

"Quick moves Ashes," she said, eyes returning to the fight. "Let's heat things up for Vex, shall we? Keep quick, Cias, be sure to keep his boost up."

Sai couldn't focus on Lollipop's actions. He was far too focused on avoiding the claws that lashed at him, sometimes inches from his form. A flash of energy that Sai picked up on carried a pale lavender tinge. The agent grit his teeth as a burning sensation suddenly sprung up along his thigh. Lolli's prodding had gotten him hurt. That was the kind of insurgence that shouldn't be occurring. Criminals and their foolish thoughts that they knew better than anyone else just because they'd been given power... this was one of the many reasons Sai disliked them.

"Lollipop, keep yourself focused! Don't get your agent in trouble with your desire to express anger."

Claws came too close to his face. Sai jerked back, and was nearly thrown off his rhythm of dodging Ashes' attacks when a voice caught and held his attention. Hime was calling others to the field. Mind flickering to his teammates, the silver-haired male felt claws tug at the loose fabric of his coat. He was lucky to avoid Ashes thus far, but there was no way he would outlast the criminal. Sai was all too human for that.

Shadow and Cias. A Breaker, and an Enhancer. This game, this little battle of mental chess, was one Sai had rarely played. He'd only trained for this position for a limited number of weeks. Sai felt the strain of avoiding Ashes keenly when something sharp brushed his hand. He was slowing down.

An accented voice brought to mind that others needed guidance. Volkov stepped in to call the shots, for which Sai was eternally grateful. The last blow from Ashes had narrowly missed his midsection, and that was only because it appeared to be blocked by an invisible force. Sai didn't question it. He kept himself moving as quickly as his body allowed him to.

He performed every action that Volkov called for, trusting her and praying that he'd placed himself in the right hands. When called to tumble forward, Sai nearly hesitated. He couldn't see Ashes' aura clearly, and could only hope that his action was accurate enough for escape. Still - he'd anticipated this. He knew it would happen, so the very moment the instruction to leap left Volkov's lips, he was moving.

Sai tumbled forward, back on his feet in moments. Already he was feeling the strain of forcing himself into action so harshly. He could sense Ashes and Mozilla at war. The energies flickering through the air could be sensed, but Sai could see each individual aura in flashes of color and light. Ashes took out the wires, leaving that part of the battlefield at a loss once again.

"Vex, aid Mozilla. Don't let him get pinned." If they lost their Identifier, they lost the one who could point out weaknesses in whatever fight they were in the midst of. Vex, being a Breaker, was meant for front line damage. Get her out there between Ashes and Mozilla. They wouldn't be able to stop Ashes. They couldn't focus on the one creature that was too big to stop. They had to take the others out first.

When Berserker's ground strike came, Sai called for Lolli to redirect her attention fully to Cias. Take down the ones that could aid the others, and you weakened the whole. Turning his "gaze" back to Hime, he lifted what appeared to be a blade from somewhere on his person. He didn't wait for any of the others to interject. The flicker of metal flew through the air at Hime, aimed directly for her middle. For being blind, Sai had incredible aim. He always had.

A second blade followed. And a third. Sai moved, keeping himself carefully away from the other team's criminals as a fourth projectile shot in Hime's direction.
-

Vlad was completely still as the fight began and progressed. His eyes began to glow, and his entire form tensed at the thought of battle. Release me. Vlad's teal eyes locked on Hime, waiting for the call. He was growing more and more infuriated as each member was called to the field, leaving him standing with his hands clasped before him tightly. It took every ounce of will not to perform what he'd been bred to do - jump in.

He drew a slow breath, closing his eyes and attempting to draw spikes of energy toward himself. It wasn't working well from such a distance. Vlad's eyes shot open when he heard his name. Finally. The Breaker burst into motion, his gaze cold and his Purium crystal bright.

He stepped onto the field at a full-tilt sprint. It was completely unexpected when he rammed into Vex, knocking her a few feet and to the ground with the sheer force of his blow. He bore her to the ground, frost spiking out from them as Vlad did what he did best - he took in as much energy as possible, bringing a numbness to Vex's extremities.

He'd always disliked Vex. The cruel look in his eyes as he lashed at her with metallic claws was proof of that.

Volkov watched as everyone around her performed. Her eyes were reading everything and calculating at a rate that most others could not dream of. She paced, and as Sai got an opening to attack Hime, he took it. So was the way of the battle. It was amazing what could happen. Thinking to herself as things moved, it would be hard to stop Ashes, and keep him off of the others, but then she glanced down to Scar. He looked up at her, almost grinning as if he was thinking the same as she was, but oh he was. "Go." She said softly, patting his head.

The tiger shot out from his spot next to his creator like a bat out of hell. His speed uncanny. Suddenly he cut a harsh angle, biting Cias's shirt and pulling him to the ground in a furry of movement. It would stun the enhancer for a few moments, from the sheer speed of the action. Still moving swiftly, the tiger pounced on Vlad. Rolling with the criminal he then growled and shoved him into the wall before turning his eyes towards Ashes. Letting out a roar, he made straight for the other cat. Ramming into his form they went tumbling around on the floor. Hime had never said that the agents couldn't use their own purellum, just that they shouldn't fight. Scar was her weapon, and she would use him as she saw fit.

"Lolipop, more speed, hit Scar as well." she called, walking along the line. Her hands behind her back, her eyes hard as she watched. Mozilla was now free once again, they could continue with the plan. "Mozilla more wire. I want Hime's escape blocked. Keep watch for Cias, he could be after you. Loli, help keep Shadow off of anything she comes close to." Volkov commanded and something inside her stirred. Her cheeks suddenly flushed and her hand flew to her mouth.

Please not now.

It was happening again. But she couldn't let them see, they shouldn't know. Her eyes flying to the locker room, she knew she had to get in there. That's where her comp watch was, she could get help there. Moving swiftly, her face becoming more red by the second, her steps became more slow, and unsure. Vision blurring the feeling welled up within her and she couldn't stand up anymore. Collapsing before the doorway, blood flew from her mouth, splattering all over. Coughing and sputtering, the Russian found her breathing labored and her strength leaving her body swiftly. Another wave of blood was puked out of her as she tried to stand. Falling to her hands and knees, her form shook in pain. "Why now?" she whispered horrified, memories of her past flashing through her mind, of all the pain she felt then, and all the pain she felt now. "S-Scar..." she rasped, trying to prop herself against the wall, her fever spiking. This was her disease. This was the curse she was left with.

This is why she hated criminals.