OOC: As promised o-o just moved N Team into the elevator. I didnt know if you had some predetermined plan, Shadow Lady, so I didn't want to go overboard. In any case, this is your opportunity to really have at it and go crazy =) show me what you got, yeah?

As for the rest, just bits on Cherry and Legs' ends. Will move the bank team along soon if Castor doesn't post, as I don't want us to hold the rest of the game up, and we should probably at least start moving upwards. Or somewheres ^_x so yeah. I might edit this later, but that depends on how much time I have.

Cheers =)

Sending his latest aggressor spiraling through the water, Cosmic swam hurriedly into the elevator, joining up with the four already inside. Mike and Silver kept an eye each out for incoming danger, while Torn confronted Kristi worriedly.

Now what?!

While the three prisoners desperately searched for the hidden switch, two guards stood (or rather, sat) sentinel just outside the door at a small table, idly playing cards. Compared to the chaos inside the rapidly filling room, outside, all was seemingly peaceful.

Seemingly.

Obscured by the tabletop as he was, Legs made short work of both pairs of boots, knotting the laces on each shoe together so horribly he was certain they wouldn't be coming un-done any time soon. As he worked, he listened to the conversation of the men above.

You hear bout the business out front?

Who hasnt? Nothing to go on about, really. Chiefll have it sorted within the hour. Always does.

I heard he enlisted outside help, though. Means hes worried.

What sort of outside help? Cops come round all the time, if thats what you mean. Aint nothing to brag about.

Nothing like that. This guys come out of nowherepale, long ears, black clothes. I heard from Murley downstairs he looks like some kinda genetic experiment gone wrong.

Legs paused, looking up.

Huh. Thats weirdchief dont trust no one. Whyd he trust some outlander?

Beats me. Murley said the guy claimed to know one of the robbers. Could have somethin' to do with it. Hes vanished from surveillance, though, which really throws some suspicion on him.

It would, for all they know hes-HEY!!

The guard exclaimed, starting some as he felt a sharp tug on his belt (which had come undone, oddly enough) that sent his pistol and walkie-talkie crashing to the ground. Darting out from under the table, Legs grabbed the heavy walkie-talkie and zoomed down the hall, dragging it along as best he could. Both guards jumped up and started after him, only to slam faces first into the hard floor. Legs kept running, though the shouts of the fallen men pursued him down the hall.

HEY! HEY YOU! COME BACK HERE! BARNEY! MAX!! OWEN!! ITS THAT BUG! KILL IT!! KILL IT!

Rounding the corner, Legs panted heavily, his eyes desperately searching for some means of escape. Spotting a grate near the floor, the tell-tale entrance to a ventilation shaft, he dragged the walkie-talkie over to it, undid the bottom screws, and lifting as best he could, heaved the small communicator inside the shaft, plunging in after it as the panel fell back into place behind him. As he lay in the dark, breathing hard, he heard several pairs of feet storm past.

I saw it come round this corner! Cmon, couldnt have gotten far!!

The decipede didnt move until he was certain his pursuers were long gone. Letting out a breath he hadnt known he was holding, he stood, and pushed the walkie-talkie a little further down the vent (just to be safe).

In the time it had taken the two guards to describe Jerin, you see, Legs had come up with a plan. He couldnt very well abandon Cherry to Jerin AND Junk. But Cherry had insisted he remain with Justin and the others, so leaving them now would not only make him feel guilty, but also cause him to break his promise to his friend. Still, it was Jerin. He needed to reach her. He needed to warn her.

I bet at least one or two of those guards in the bank have walkie-talkies

He had thought. Adjusting a knob on the side, Legs switched the frequency of the small machine from 098765 to ALL. He then hopped on top of the walkie-talkie, and pressing the large gray TALK button, chirped frantically into the receiver. He knew the entire Financial Center could hear him. But it made little difference, as only Cherry, Jerin, and Junk could understand him. He could only pray that the former would hear while the latter pair were somewhere far, far away from walkie-talkies.

Cherry!! Cherry!! Do you copy? Please pick upplease answer!

Starting at a familiar chittering, Cherry looked around wildly.

Legs?

Puzzled, the echidna frowned. Then she heard it again, to her left and down. Peering over the edge of the counter, she stared at the unconscious security guard, before her eyes fell on his belt, and in turn, his walkie-talkie. Snatching the small thing from him, Cherry fumbled with it for several minutes, swearing heatedly as she struggled to find the correct frequency and buttons. Finally, she held the walkie-talkie to her mouth, inquiring uncertainly.

Legs? S'that you?

THERE you are!!

Legs, what th bollocksy frell is this? Where are you?? Whats goin on?

Im safe, that's what matters. Our group was captured, and they brought us up to run through that horrible human womans maze. Justin fought with the guards before they were thrown in, though, and I escaped. While I was making my way back to them, I overheard two guards describing someone who sounded like Jerin! He's somewhere inside the Financial Center. And worse, they've currently no idea where he is!

The echidna swallowed hard. In the back of her mind somewhere, she could hear Castor saying something to those assembled outside, but the words seemed unimportant.

You positive bout this?

Not that its him, but the description matchesand who else could get past security like he does? Junk's capable of shutting down most systems he runs across. And the more he learns about a system, the easier it is for him to figure out how to shut it down.

True...

No worries, Ive made up my mind. Ill be down in ten minutes, give or take. I can probably jack an elevator, or something...I'll work it out-

Cherry sat up, brows drawing together.

-WHAT? NO. Legs, you SAID youd stay with Justin! They need you! You cant abandon them!

I cant abandon YOU! Cherry, Ive known them for about one day. Ive known you almost three years. Not even taking into account that I have orders from the Oasis to think of your safety and well being first and foremost, youre my best friend. There isnt any contest here. Besides, they seem plenty capable. Im unnecessary. Id do better by your side.

LEGSI am TELLIN you to GO BACK to JUSTIN.

And I am telling YOU I WONTif its JerinI wont. Jerin and Junk together-Cherry-you need me to keep Junk busy while you take on Jerin. You always told me one wrong move. Junk will MAKE you make wrong moves. He has no morals, no ethics, no heart. Just orders. Junk will get you killed. So Ill be down in ten minutes.

Cherry rubbed her forehead tiredly. Many of the hostages were beginning to stare at her nervously, probably concerned that she was having a conversation with a chittering walkie-talkie.

Legsbollocksy frellin LISTEN fer two minutes in yer life, ok? I know you think th oddsre good that its Jerin, but weve no surefire way o tellin. An cant you see how daft and wasteful itd be fer you to come all th way down here fer nothin?

Isuppose thats true. But we shouldnt take the chance-OH! I know!! Ask Luminos! You said Luminos could sense the presence of other living weapons. Does he sense Anarchis?

Cherry had just caught sight of the darkened stairwell, and her answer was lost in a wave of newfound awareness. Luminos lay at her side, the steady hum of his lifestream changing abruptly, intensifying as her blade started to paint horrible, blood red pictures inside her head. She smiled.

...No mate. Luminos says everythin is ok.

There was silence for a moment. Then Legs chittered softly. He sounded almost sad.

Thenit must be nothing

Must be.

If thats the casethen Id best get back to Justin and the othersI think perhaps I might find a way in via the ventsthe room is fairly close, soIllIll at least check.

Sounds like a smart plan. Ill see you soon as we clear things up down here

Surebye Cherry.

There was a crackling of static, then nothing. Cherry lowered the walkie-talkie with a sigh.

Sorry Legsbut I need you to look after th others, especially Justin. Hes been so nice ta me since I got here, an Ive been mostly unpleasant to him. Yet hes still nicehes odd, that onenot like humans from our worldmore akin to one o us then one o hisan I just really need you to take care o himme, Ill be okIll be-

She was drawn from her thoughts by another sharp crack of static. Puzzled, she lifted the walkie-talkie.

Was there sumpthin else, mate?

Theres always something else between us, red. Id love to discuss exactly what you think IS between us at length, but Im rather busy at the moment. I do hope you can accept my apology for such continuous absence from your life of late, though. Work is MURDER. You understand. But I think youre really going to love my latest pieceits to DIE for. Speaking of which, I hope youll lend me your acumen in that regard sometime soon?

If her voice was cold as she answered, then the blood coursing through her veins was glacial.

Aye. Me acumen. Sometime soon.

Turning the walkie-talkie over, she snapped the back open and ripped the battery pack from its slot, causing the entire thing to switch off.

But not right now...

Legs hopped half-heartedly along the ventilation shaft. Hed have been lying through every one of his legs if hed said he really felt like returning to Justin and the others at the moment. But he had to.

Because Cherry had told him everything was all right. And he needed to believe her. He needed to believe she wouldnt lie to him.

Nearly colliding with a strange apparatus, Legs skid to a stop, chattering crossly.

What the hell is this doing here?

Pressing his head to one side of the oddly placed machine, he heard running water.

Some sort of pump? Thats oddweird place to put a pumpI wonder where it goes?

He stared into the mess of pipes ahead, frowning.

...I guess Ive little choice but to make my way through this mess. Not like I've the time to find another way around.

Hopping atop the nearest pipe, he leapt along the smooth surface, following it to its source.

(OOC: In terms of having a plan, I was sorta just trying to get things moving by posting with the elevator, and I'll finish up what I started for sure. Soon as I do, I'll see what the rest of the team does. *nod*

Oh yeah, it's good to have you back here Silver. )

~*J Team*~

Claire nodded her agreement, knowing that, although Electra had put them in danger, she was probably just as confused as they were about how they got here. Even though Lilian had explained it, The Dunn twins still hadn't understood why they were chosen, and Claire knew she was still slightly ticked about it. They had an important role on their planet, and she hoped that nothing bad happened while they were away. She knew she and her sister would never be able to forgive themselves if something DID happen....

"Yeah, sure. S'long as she listens to us, I'm willing," Claire said, eyeing the clown girl.

~*N Team*~

Kristi swam over to the suberged elevator panel, hoping that Pike had enough sense to make the machinery water-proof. With a frown, the silver vixen pressed the button that closed the doors, and watched as its light flickered on and off, making the doors groan. They moved a little, causing Mike and Silver to jump and back up slightly. Kristi felt hope bubble up inside her like a volcano as she pressed the button again, holding it down this time. With a muffled 'ping', it lit up, and the doors began to close ever so slowly.

"Yes!" She shouted as Mike and Silver swam into the elevator. Suddenly she spotted the pirahna pack, being led by Chino, swimming rapidly toward the machine, jaws snapping.

"C'mon, c'mon...." Mike murmured urgently, flexing his fingers as if he itched to use the pistol he holstered.

"Ahahahaha, ain' gonna get away from Chino an' his boyz, little senorita!" Chino cackled.

Just in time, the doors shut, and Kristi breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the clangs of the many pirahnas colliding with the metal doors. The vixen nodded at Cosmic, who in turn pressed another button on the elevator. With a jolt, the machine moved upward, the water slowly seeping out through cracks.

N TEAM

Silver breathed a sigh of releif, and took off his rebreather. "That was close...", he sighed,slumping into a sitting position. Suddenly, the elevator stopped, mid-floor, the emergency brakes going off. "...Great, we're stuck in an elevator.", He said annoyed. He tried to force the doors open, nothing. He sihed, thinking. He suddenly became aware of a low hissing. He opened the security hatch on the top of the elevator. "Everyone out! They're trying to gas us!"

OOC: Arg, I forgot to post that I'll be away for just over a week on vacation. sorry. >_>

OOC: Sorry about my recent silence, last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy for me. I'll try to have an IC post up tonight or tomorrow.

OOC: It's completely understandable, Castor, stuff comes up. I'm glad you were able to let us (me =P) know what was going on, though, because now I can hold off until you post =3 take your time, and don't worry about it. I think we all know how crazy life can get sometimes.

In other news, I meant to have this up yesterday, but stuff happened ._. SO yes, lets try again. A bit of IC, just to get J Team moving >_> y'all have been stuck in that room for awhile now.

TJ nodded.

"It's settled, then."

Making his way over to the decrepit box, the young man knelt cautiously, peering inside. Electra was curled forlornly around a small pile of glass spheres, reciting half forgotten rhymes to herself in a soft voice. T cleared his throat.

"Ah...would you like to come with us?"

The little harlequin paused in her mutterings, but said nothing for several minutes. Just as T was beginning to wonder whether or not she'd heard him, she sat bolt upright, her intense blue eyes mere inches from his face.

"You would take me with you?!"

Standing just behind TJ, Claire nodded, though when she spoke her voice was stern.

"-IF you promise to behave, yes, you can come along. I...well. WE know what it's like to be forced into a world that isn't your own..."

Giving an excited squeak, Electra bounced energetically out of the box, unable to sit still despite her bonds.

"Oh oh!! How I shall behave!! I shall be entertaining, enchanting, ecstatic, and all else you would wish of me!! How wonderful it shall be to be in service again! I daresay this is better than the Land of Sweets, or the story of the Dreaming, or all the batteries in all the world, or-"

Amused, T smiled, nodding a bit.

"-Right then. We'll re-trace our steps, and maybe we can find-"

"-NO!!"

Electra broke in quickly, her words punctuated by sharp jangles as she shook her head from side to side.

"Please, you musn't go backwards!! You're like to run across Jabberwocks of a most fierce nature! NEVER go backwards!! Did the Goblin King teach you nothing??"

Claire scowled, putting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, and you know a better way, miss smarty pants?"

Electra grinned, chiming sweetly.

"I MIGHT, if you told me where it is you are going! Backwards and forwards are relative, afterall, and if even YOU don't much care about a specific destination, I don't suppose it matters whichaways you walk..."

Claire frowned, hesitant to answer, but TJ spoke up.

"We're looking for an article of some power. Something the one in charge of this place values highly. We aren't sure exactly where it's being kept, though. Think REALLY carefully, Electra, have you seen anything in here like that?"

The little clown girls brows drew together as she thought upon T's words. She bit her lip. She tilted her head to one side. She stared at the ceiling. She stared at the floor. She chewed on one gloved finger. She tapped another against her lower lip. Finally, after what seemed like eons, she inquired.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...something valuable? You say? Like a battery? As valuable as a battery?"

Blu nodded warily.

"Yeah, as valuable as a battery...I guess you could say that..."

"I've seen a battery!! Down down down into the Earth!"

She pointed downwards with her bound hands as best she could.

"Down. It's like a battery except not, but it is, but isn't. Many of the Jabberwocks merry menial companions keep company with it. I've met them in my wanderings several times, and in my wonderings have often thought on the amount of fuss and bother over something so small. Perhaps that is what you seek. But take care. The Jabberwock is passing there tonight, take heed to come not within its sight-"

Here she paused, and glanced up at Claire with an impish smile.

"-but...if you wish to go. Untie me. Unbind me. If you wish to go, I can take you there. If you untie me..."

~*J Team*~

Claire raised an eyebrow, glaring suspiciously at Electra. TJ must've sensed her hesitation, for he moved his hands in a gesture that said for her to hurry up. With an agitated growl, the vixen moved her hands up and down near the back of the glowing black rope, grunting as it dissipated into thin air.

"There. Undone. Unbound, untied!" She said with a sigh.

Electra danced from foot to foot, rubbing her wrists and hugging herself with an expression of pure glee on her face.

"I'm free, I'm free! No more licorice to bind little ole me!" She sang.

Blue moved forward a little, still with a wary expression planted on his face. "Um..Electra? Could you lead us to this....battery?"

The harlequinn stopped her dancing, before nodding vigorously. "Yes, yes! I shall take you! But you must be careful of the Jabberwock and his friends."

Claire blinked, "Jabberwock? Uh..." At a loss for words, she turned to TJ for an explanation of some sort.

TJ just shrugged, "I guess she means Watchmen."

"Right."

~*N Team*~

Kristi let out a tiny squeak of surprise, before placing her re-breather back on in a futile effort to imitate a gas mask. She joined Mike and Silver at the elevator doors, trying to pound open the big slabs of metal.

Torn worriedly started dancing, "Guys! The gas...!"

"Hold you breath and put on your re-breathers!" Mike shouted.

They did so, wondering how long they could hold it, when an eerie green gas started entering the small elevator chamber. Kristi forced herself to remain calm, taking small, sharp breaths that inhaled as little gas as possible. Slowly, though, her mind started whirling, and she began to feel a tad bit drowsy. She noticed Cosmic wobbling to and fro, and Torn holding her head. With a start, Kristi realized the re-breathers weren't working!

Almost in a daze, the vixen pointed a finger at the emergency hatch, using a short blast of magic to knock the hatch-door away. With a sense of alarm, Kristi saw that Cosmic and Torn were now on the floor, unconcious, and that she herself was sagging against the wall. Silver was doing the same, while Mike still pounded at the door, with much less energy than before. Realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

We're not gonna make it!

And slowly, ever so slowly, Kristi gave in the the gas, falling unconcious, just as her teammates had. Her last vision was of Silver and Mike collapsing, and the doors of the elevator being wrenched open. Her last thought was if her sister was doing as bad as they were....

"Five minutes left," mentioned Justin after a glance at his watch as he, Camden and Knight struggled in the flooding room. The water lapped at waist level, and Justin looked away from his watch as he felt panic claw at his throat. Don't give in, don't give up, he thought as he set his lips together, focusing on the task of searching the walls. I've still got too much to live for...

Images passed by his vision as the threat of death loomed, images of his parents, of Dr. Johansen, of his friends in the MFW, especially of Cookirini...and Cherry? Yes, Cherry as well. Justin didn't know what it was about her that seemed to make her important, but there was just some part of him that knew she was a good person and that she deserved to be happy.

Blazes, I need to chill, thought Justin with a mental smack. I'm not going to die here!

"Camden, stop for a moment."

Justin looked up from the near-trance he had just shaken himself out of to look at Knight, who was looking at Camden seriously as she slid her hands across the walls. "But the water's getting deeper."

"I know, sweetheart, just stop for a moment and take a deep breath. Close your eyes."

Camden stopped and swallowed nervously, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Justin wasn't sure what the heck Knight was trying to do, but he was willing to let him try whatever he had in mind. Heck if I've got any better ideas, thought Justin as he tore off his suitcoat and let it drop into the water, letting him move somewhat more freely in the water which he needed at that moment as he continued to run his hands along the walls.

"Okay, now I want you to focus on the woman who was talking to us through the speakers earlier," Justin heard Knight say quietly, gently to Camden. "Her name is Renee Jameson. Don't think too hard about the name, just focus on the image that we saw of her during the briefing."

Out of the corner of his eye, Justin could see that their time was rapidly diminishing, and the water itself served as a dreadful reminder as it came up to his chest. Soaked to the skin. Water's freakin' cold...

"Now, just imagine where she is right now, above us...she knows where the switch is for this room. Focus on that thought in her head."

Justin was shivering now, but now he was just getting weirded out. I remember that Camden had weird things happening in her dreams...I remember that from some of the times I had back when I was Sailor Modesty...but, she has the ability to read minds? And since when did Knight start knowing this stuff?

Camden's eyes flew open, and she raised her arm to point a finger right above Justin's shoulder. "There!"

Justin followed the line of sight and reached up to the spot. "Here goes nothing!" A hand-sized panel pushed in under the pressure of his hand, and Justin let out a breath of relief as the water reversed direction down a drain that opened up in the middle of the floor. One side of the room slid open to reveal a darkened corridor.

"I...I did it," said Camden almost dumbly as she shook her head.

"Of course you did," said Knight with an encouraging wink. "Now let's get going, we've passed the first trap, we can push it on through."

"Roj that," acknowledged Justin as he followed the others down into the corridor. Maybe this is really weird, but I'm not going to argue with the results, thought Justin grudgingly.

His mind briefly went back to the images he had seen as the water was rising, and he had to shake his head and consciously push them away. I know when I'm going to die, and now's not the time. I will help Cherry keep her promise to see us on the other side of this.

"Sounds excellent, O'Riley." Jesus, even in this crazy dimension all the police brass are Irish, Castor thought bemusedly. "Maybe if the chopper's nice enough I'll drop you a 5% tip out the side for your good work... But I still don't trust you any more than you trust me." With that, Castor pocketed the communicator and walked toward a cluster of 4 civilians on the floor. They looked at him, terrified. "All of you, stand up and walk over to the door." They stared at him for a couple seconds in silence. Castor responded by drawing his gun and making a 'come hither' motion with it. "Do it, now."

Slowly, the civilians stood up and walked towards the front entrace. They passed by the trio of guards Cherry had taken out during the initial takeover, one of whom was starting to come too. Castor noticed his awakening and pointed his gun at him. "You too," he said. "Join them by the front door." The guard stared daggers at Castor as he slowly stood up. He wobbled a bit once on his feet, unbalanced. Concussion, Castor thought with a smirk. Dame knows how to put them down, that's for sure. With the group of five lined up against the door, Castor turned them all around so they faced the police outside. As he did, he pulled the communicator out and set it to broadcast. "Alright, now I want you to look outside, people. Look right out that door at the people who'll either save ya or kill ya depending on what they do. Make sure they don't forget who they're protecting." Castor clicked the comm off and left the group there as he walked over toward Cherry.

Outside, O'Riley grimaced. The perp's intimidation tactic, while pretty much pointless, took away their visibilty through the front entrance. Something down in his gut told him that the guy he was talking to was no ordinary bank robber, but he had to keep playing along until he had his chance when they tried to escape off the roof.

Castor came upon Cherry as she was ripping the batteries out of her walkie-talkie. He'd heard what she'd heard, and obviously it'd rattled her something fierce. Hopefully not too much, he needed her to keep her head in the game if they could ever hope to pull off this disappearing act. "Calm down Cherry, don't let the bastards rattle ya. I need you thinking clearly, got it?" Cherry nodded. "Alright, now we still might have a chance of getting out of here in one piece, but that means keeping those guys outside out of here for as long as possible. We have to delay them, so what I want you to do is take one of my grenades, some fibrewire and some duct tape and rig a trap to the fire door. Doesn't matter how well you cover it or not, since all we need is the couple extra minutes that defusing that is gonna cost them. I'm going to get something going by the front door here that should keep them busy for a bit."

Cherry nodded. "Right, mate..." she said, not sounding entirely enthusiastic.

"What, do you have a better idea? Let me know if..." Something suddenly grabbed Castor's attention: a small circle of light skittering across the floor towards them, glare from something... something moving by the window. Castor's hand moved impossibly fast and two shots rang out in quick succession from his pistol. Cherry's eyes followed where the pistol was pointing and saw the guard by the front entrance pressed up against the door with two fresh holes in his chest. She had only a half-second to register what just happened when a third shot rang out. The guard's head slammed against the door, a fresh bloody hole dead center between his eyes. The small holdout revolver tumbled out of the guard's hands and he slumped to the ground amid the screaming civilians in the bank.

Cherry turned back toward Castor, who was holstering his pistol without a word, his face expressionless and cold. He turned back to face Cherry, his expression not changing. "So, did you have another idea of what we need to do?"

OOC: According to my calculations, Silver should be back from vacation either tomorrow or Saturday, so I'll hold off on posting anything for N Team until he returns. Shadow Lady is, of course, welcome to move that plot further if she so chooses.

In the meantime, literally moving things right along with J Team and Legs. Bit more background on Electra, and its finally revealed what exactly she is in this post. Gonna do another post later for just Cherry, as I need some time to plan my next move in her regard. Good bit of writing on Castor's part =) thanks mate. Well worth the wait.

I think that's everything. Cheers.

Electra clapped her hands together, smiling brightly.

"Ok! Before we commence our wanderings, I should firstly like to know how I am to address my new Lords and Ladies!"

TJ chuckled, crossing his arms loosely.

"Of course, but there's really no need to be so formal. I'm TJ, and this is Claire. Behind her is Blu, and the winged hedgehog next to him is Spiner. The rabbit just behind Spiner is Megan."

Electra nodded slowly, lifting her feet from the ground almost absently and hovering in place as she pointed at each of them.

"Lord TJ. Lady Claire. Lord Blu. Lord Spiner. And Lady Megan. I won't forget."

Claire shook her head, still not entirely pleased with their new traveling companion.

"CLAIRE is fine."

Electra scowled, insisting.

"LADY Claire."

TJ stepped between them quickly, addressing Electra.

"-OK. Now that we've all been introduced, more or less, can you lead us to this 'battery,' Electra?"

The harlequin nodded, smiling sweetly at him.

"Of course, Lord TJ! If you'd just be kind enough to wait here a tesser. Don't touch anything, you never know what sorts of things can come of touching other things, especially things that bite, as blenders are wont to do-"

She continued to babble cheerfully to herself as she turned and floated to the far right corner of the room. Once there, she drifted downwards, and began to carelessly fling piled objects over her shoulder. Several misplaced orbs went sailing through the air, causing Claire, Blu, and Spiner to dive to the side as they hit the ground, exploding harmlessly. Growling, the vixen jumped to her feet.

"HEY! WATCH where you're THROWING that crap!!"

Poking her head above the diminishing pile, Electra smiled apologetically.

"Sorry! Those didn't hit you, did they?"

Shaking her head, Claire exchanged worried glances with the rest of her team. Though she couldn't read minds, the vixen supposed they were all thinking very nearly the same thing. Even if Electra's intentions turned out to be not entirely bad (and Claire wasn't even sure about THAT), she was careless and inattentive to the effects her actions had on others. Still, they'd already asked her to come along, and it was a bit late to be going back on the offer.

"There!"

Brushing her hands off triumphantly, Electra landed beside a small door set into the wall, previously buried behind the mess of knick knacks. Opening it carefully, she turned, indicating they should come forward.

"This is one of the doors the humans used to access the lower floors before the big jabberwock came. These stairs go down a looooooong way. I must admit I'm quite excited about this, as I haven't romped about the Underworld in some time. I've been meaning to, but with the very taxing tasks of sitting and sleeping and rehearsing I've had little time..."

Eager to get a move on, the group pressed forward, though Claire halted them at the entrance, extending a hand towards the harlequin in mock courtesy.

"After YOU."

Electra smiled eeriely at her, but turned, obediently heading down the stairs.

"As you wish, Lady Claire..."

Claire frowned, discontent, but followed her, TJ close behind. Blu came after him, and Spiner and Megan brought up the rear. They hadn't gone far when the door behind them snapped shut, plunging the stairwell into darkness. Swearing, Claire fumbled for her torches, but before she could find them, a hand closed about her wrist, pulling her paw upwards. She lashed out at her assailant, expecting to strike flesh, but instead connected with thin air. Turning her hand over, her attacker pressed something cool, round, and smooth into her palm. A second later a flickering light flooded the narrow passage. Electra stood in front of the vixen, one finger pressed to the top of the glass sphere she now held, feeding it with tiny, twisting bolts of pure electricity. Tapping the orb gently, she removed her finger, releasing the vixen's wrist. Claire held the sphere aloft, staring at the slim clusters of lightening dancing about the small core of pure electricity placed within. Pressing her lips together, she glanced back at the clown girl, her voice reft with annoyance as she spoke.

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't randomly grab me without so much as a word when I can't even see you, ok clown? I know it might be a little difficult to FATHOM, but I don't enjoy that. So don't do it again."

She paused, then added grumpily.

"...Thanks."

Electra smiled, clasping her hands together behind her back and bowing her head a slight.

"You're welcome."

Kicking off the ground, Electra drifted above the bewildered group, pulling more orbs from a small bag at her belt, fusing them with electricity, and then carefully handing one to each group member.

"I know some of you can make your own light, but you should save your strength. You're like to need it should we run across some jam or fish or arguments or chess pieces..."

Megan trembled a bit as she accepted her sphere from the harlequin. Pausing above her, Electra turned over, hanging upside down in front of the little rabbits face. She smiled mischievously, narrowing her eyes.

"...Don't be afraid of me. Ok? If you can accomplish that, I daresay nothing else down here should scare you. Not the robots. Not the Jabberwocks. Not even the one who walks without us..."

Righting herself, she floated back to the front of the line, landing beside Claire.

"Be careful of my spheres, now. Exploding hurts them more than it hurts you."

Facing forward, she flicked a gloved hand back and forth over her shoulder, indicating they should follow, before floating on down the stairs. Megan kept close to Spiner, glancing at Electra every so often with wide eyes.

"I-is she a ghost??"

She finally inquired of the hedgehog. Spiner frowned, watching the harlequin as she turned about in the air.

"I don't think so. What does a ghost use doors for? Why not just go through the wall?"

Megan gripped Sinbreakers hilt tightly.

"B-but she FLOATS..."

"I DOUBT she's a ghost. Look, I'll ask."

And before Megan could stop him, Spiner called.

"HEY! ELECTRA! You aren't a ghost, right?"

Turning, Electra frowned down at him, crossing her arms and resting one leg over the other.

"GHOST? Certainly not. I should think an ANIMAL would know a SPRITE when they see one..."

She studied Spiner for a moment, then shook her head, bells jingling.

"Then again, you are not of my world. You don't even shine like one of them, though you seem to go about the same tasks...just as well, might turn out like the Watcher if you don't wash your vegetables before you eat them..."

She turned, muttering. TJ frowned, certain thoughts entering his head alongside this new bit of information. He was beginning to get a better idea of what they were talking to, and it worried him. His next question was voiced calmly, but in his heart he wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

"Are you an immortal sprite...?"

Electra shook her head, pressing on down the stairs.

"No. I am ageless, but I am not immortal. Electricity is my keeper, and I live only while I am surrounded by a constant source of electrical power or energy-"

"-which is why you can't leave this place..."

Claire finished. The harlequin smiled sadly, gazing into the dark.

"Yes. Too many trees between I and the city...not enough electricity in the air to sustain me-"

She stopped abruptly at a loud sssssssshhhhhhkkk. It was the sound of something heavy moving rapidly over stone, and it came from further down the stairs, the source hidden in darkness. Tensing, Claire growled.

"What is THAT?"

Electra landed again, crossing her arms and frowning as she contemplated the sound.

"Jabberwocks, I expect. Just little ones. Nothing to fuss over..."

She glanced back at them, smiling sheepishly.

"Still...it is a shame you can't float..."

Several minutes of alternating hips and hops eventually brought Legs to the convergence point of the mess of pipes, and a bit more poking around in the same area revealed his exit in the form of another grate. Slipping through the slots carefully, he hopped to the ground, recoiling a little at the wetness of the floor. Chittering softly to himself, he paused, taking stock of his surroundings. The room he'd come upon was white in color, circular in shape, bare of furnishings, and at the moment, very wet. Small puddles dotted the hard linoleum floor, and across from him was a single black opening, made several times more ominous by its striking contrast to the white walls. As the decipede contemplated whether or not he should pass through it, there was a soft whirr, and a door began to slide back into place over the gap. Hurriedly leaping forward, Legs dove through the now tiny crack and into the darkened corridor beyond, the door snapping shut behind him.

Sitting back on his haunches, the insect frowned. He felt rather foolish racing for the door when he could just as easily have slid under it...but upon closer examination, he realized there was nothing to slide under, not even a sliver of an opening or a crack to speak of.

Water tight...

Glancing down the length of the corridor (and he could see it went on a ways despite the dark, thanks to his large eyes and inherent night vision), he scratched his small head thoughtfully.

...I'm fairly certain this is the direction the maze is in, if not a part of the maze itself. Perhaps the humans even came this way. In any case, I can't go back, so I might as well go forward, at least until I can figure out where I am, exactly...

Nodding to himself, Legs stood, and continued onwards.

OOC: Sorry for my absence. I forgot to leave a note because I am in TX for the entire week...so I'll try to enter a post because I won't be on again until I return home next Tuesday...

IC:

T rubbed his chin. He found this bit of info interesting but it still creeped him out. In a way he felt sorry for the young clown, to be trapped in such a building. He was about to mouth his concern about this but then decided against it. "So what do jaberwocks look like?"

OOC: Woo. I'll probably edit this later ._. just wanted to get it up, though. So yes.

Electra blinked at TJ's question, then rolled her eyes.

"A JABBERWOCK looks like a JABBERWOCK, silly. Everyone knows that."

Blu sighed, remarking softly.

"Well, she's sort of right. Everyone WILL know what a jabberwock looks like very, very shortly. The noise is getting louder. I think whatever it is knows we're here..."

"EVERYONE SETTLE TH' FRELL DOWN."

Her words were a command, not an option, and the screams and cries of the panicked civilians slowly ebbed away, leaving only a few tearful whimpers in their wake. Jumping from her position on the counter to the floor, Cherry confronted the hostages with a frown, though her voice was gentler this time.

"Kill only to eat, or to keep from bein' killed. This is an unwritten law I think all can embrace. M'sorry you folk had ta see it in action, but who among you would have acted differently when faced with th' same scenario?"

She paused, her daunting blue eyes challenging those before her to respond.

"Well? Anyone?"

Silence. No one moved. Cherry nodded, smiling.

"Thought so."

Turning, she she knelt beside the dead guard, addressing Castor in a calm, rational voice.

"Apologies fer th' untimely response, mate. But to answer you, yes, I had a few ideas. Mine're equal in risk to yours, though, and now that I know..."

She trailed off, rooting around in her pocket. After a minute she produced two silver coins, and closing the guards eyes, placed them gently upon his lids. She continued to speak as she crossed his arms over his chest.

"...now that I know Jerins somewhere in th' building, that makes things doubly dangerous. Luminos can sense Anarchis, but sadly, he can't sense exactly WHERE she is, only that she's nearby. M'thinkin' he's hidin' out in the stairwell, though, judgin' by th' suspicious lack o' light-"

Leaning against the counter, Castor crossed his arms, interrupting.

"-Look, I can see where you're going with this. But the elevators jammed, and we can't go up the fire exit. The stairs are our best and only bet. So what do you want to do? 'Cause I'm listening, but so far I'm not hearing anything. Are you trying to tell me there's another way up?"

Cherry sighed.

"No...I s'pose we could...maybe...bugger. No...no, we couldn't. Nothin' to be done fer it...no matter which plan we go with, one o' mine or yers, there's trouble, be it potential in the case o' me query or certain in th' case o' th' law outside...given th' choice, I'd honestly rather go through a hundred plus lawmen. But that's not smart or beneficial ta either o' us. So there appears ta be no choice."

Taking one of the deceased mans hands, she recited softly.

"Mar is le linn dinn tabhairt a fhaighimid fin;...is le linn dinn pardn a thabhairt a mhaitear dinn...is le linn dinn bs a fhil a thimid i seilbh na beatha sora. Be at peace, warrior. You have my respect fer yer actions, though I daresay I and those who count on me are glad you did not succeed. Fare ye well, and may your journey after death prove longer and less troubled than your journey durin' life."

Leaning down, she planted a light kiss on his forehead, then stood, turning back to Castor.

"Closest I ever came ta dyin' was fightin' Jerin in a stairwell. I know you don't think much of him or it or this, an' I respect that an' yer ability to handle whatever we run across. You've proven yerself quite capable thus far, an' I'm glad ta have you at my side. All I ask, therefore, is that you bear in mind what I asked of you before...f'we do run across Jerin, that you leave him to me. What you choose to do is ultimately yer choice, o' course. I can't make you run. M'jus' suggestin' it, is all..."

She trailed off, tucking some stray hair back into place absently.

"...Yer right, though, we gotta take th' stairwell in any case. Every plan I've come up with lands us in there at some point, so I s'pose I'd just assume we get in an' out quick as we can as soon as we can. Lets do it."

Outside the bank, Chief O'Riley sat on the hood of a patrol vehicle, smoking and staring intently at the strange, red creature who stood just in front of the revolving doors. A young officer approached him uncertainly, clearing his throat.

"Chief...? What now? We got the helicopter on the way, but Murphy says we still can't get a bead on that weirdo inside, and poor Tyler in there already gone-"

"-Leave me for a bit, kid."

The young cop blinked.

"Chief?"

"I SAID I need a minute. Send Murphy over, though. I'll be ready to talk when he gets here..."

Confused, the officer nevertheless nodded and hurried away. O'Riley continued to stare at Cherry, frowning.

Irish girl, no mistake about it. I've never seen anything like her, though. Suveillance tapes didn't do her justice. She looks like an animal, but more like a combination of a few different species than any one. Her DNA must be absolutely...absolutely...

He shook his head.

I've got to get my hands on her...

"You wanted to see me, Chief?"

Turning, O'Riley confronted Murphy, a much shorter and younger tech. He nodded.

"The long eared freak I let in earlier, and this red female inside here. I want them both."

Murphys brows drew together in concern.

"Sir, as soon as the girl moves, we'll apprehend her. But we still can't find the male. There's something weird going on with the surveillance equipment. We keep losing visual and audio contact with random sectors. And when I send guards to try and investigate the problem, they return with nothing unusual to report."

"Is there any pattern to the crashes? Location-wise or otherwise?"

Murphy shook his head, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Not so far. We're still working on it. I just don't know. It's like somethings shutting @#%$ down from the inside."

He frowned, leaning back some.

"Bottomline is, until we can discover the cause of this interference, trying to find your freak pal is a bit like trying to find a needle in a haystack, if you'll excuse the expression, sir."

The chief nodded.

"Could be our systems are acting up and he just hides himself well, what with no confirmed reports of malicious activity as of yet. But that seems highly unlikely. All of this is too coincidental. I'd wager he's the one doing something to surveillance, though I've no idea how or why. In any case, it doesn't matter too much, because I think I know how to draw him out. I've got a weird feeling about him and this girl. Like if we let the girl run, the male...Jerin, that was his name...Jerin will go to her. I can't explain it. But after hearing him speak of her and then overhearing their conversation on speakerphone...I just...I got a hunch. I just got a hunch they're the kind that can't be separated very long without clashing back together..."

Murphy nodded.

"Your hunches are usually right, chief."

"Not always. I've been wrong before. Still. Dispatch orders to all units, INDIVIDUALLY, to watch the girl and her partner closely whenever they start to make their way upwards, be it when the chopper arrives or beforehand. Keep things fairly low-key if they head up when the chopper gets here, but give 'em a bit of trouble if they break off before then, so they don't get suspicious and think we're lettin' 'em run into some sort of trap. See if you can keep them runnin' long enough to draw the male out, though. If you DO happen to find him before then, he is to be immobilized on sight, and we'll take the girl and her friend down in the same manner shortly thereafter. I don't care how you put them down, tranquilizers, gas, whatever, so long as you're quick about it, and they survive the experience. I want them alive."

"Understood, chief...individual orders, though? It'll take time to circulate word by walkie-talkie."

"I don't care. After hearing that little chat over speakerphone, I'm not taking any chances."

"Roger chief. What about the human with the girl? What do we do with him?"

O'Riley smiled.

"Renee will want him for her amusement, I suspect. She sent word that she captured the other three intruders on the fifteenth floor. You can throw this human in with them. Watch him closely, though. I'm thinkin' he's no small-time crook. Got experience, expertise, know-how. So shut him up when the time comes, and shut him up quick. And above all else, make certain the...creatures make it into my keeping and not that of the maze."

"Yes sir...ah...speaking of Ms. Jameson, she has approved this, correct?"

The chief smiled.

"Sharp as ever, Murphy. Not on the record. But I think she'd appreciate my...experimenting more than a few additional dead bodies. At least something useful might come of it."

"Understood, sir. I'll see to it."

As Murphy strode away to complete his orders, O'Riley turned back to the bank, thoughtful once more.

It's bigger than what it started as now...go on. Run. Run my little guinea pigs. Lure the other out.

He smiled, inquiring softly as he stared at the girl.

"Cad is ainm duit? Red? That's what he called you. Not much of a name. Gotta be more to it than that. Perhaps we'll discover together just how much more..."

OOC *got back yesterday* @_@ *reverse-jet-lagged*

IC: Silver was awoken by a faint beeping. "Ugh... where in the world...", He opened his eyes. Surprisingly, he nor any of the others were bound in any way. "well... this is unexpected...", He said to himself, noticing some of the others getting up. He looked up on the ceiling, and was sorry he did. There was water. No glass holding it to the ceilding or anything. And in this water were More Sharks. It was then That he noticed that some of the others were standin Upright. On the walls. "...Uh, What's WRONG with this picture?"

OOC: Silver, I'm a little confused about the description of the room that they're in. The water is above them but some of them are standing up sideways...I think I'm gonna need a little help understanding that one, it might just be me.

IC:
Megan shuddered at the sounds of scraping coming from the darkness ahead of the group. The tight corridor was claustraphobic, and it felt as if only the presence of Sinbreaker's comforting weight and Spiner kept her from losing her mind. We've already gone through spiders, robots, and Electra, she thought in an attempt to get a hold of herself. We can handle anything they throw at us...

The scraping became louder, and Megan's ears detected a low hiss, the hiss of something alive. "Snakes!" she shouted, gaining some of her courage back as she recognized the sound. At least she knew the kind of foe they were going to be facing, and that renewed her resolve somewhat.

The corridor widened out as they moved forward, their bodies tense as they peered into the gloom. Megan narrowed her eyes, listening as the hissing came closer...and closer...

The first thing they saw was the glistening of two pairs of eyes that slid steadily toward them, low to the ground. They were yellow, reflected in the glistening light from the electric spheres the party held. Then as they grew closer, two reptilian heads came out into the open, completely expressionless as they slithered forward on serpentine bodies. Their scales were a dull brown, lightening to the off-white of the bellies which could be seen as they reared up. These were not ordinary snakes; they were almost as thick around as a human torso, and nearly twice as long as anyone in the group was tall. They opened their mouths to reveal razor needle fangs that were as long as daggers, hissing angrily as cobra hoods flared up on the sides of their heads. And the last freakish thing that threw Megan off was the pair of skinny arms that each snake had, arms that ended in talons.

So THESE are Jabberwocks...if these are just little ones, I'd hate to meet the big one...

Justin was feeling greatly relieved now that they had gotten out of that deathtrap, but since he was no longer distracted by his own imminent death, he found himself wondering about Cherry's safety. He was walking along with Knight and Camden down the corridors they had been led into, and they reached a three-way intersection. A red light was the only illumination, forcing Justin to struggle to see in the darkness.

"So we finally reach the maze bit," said Knight as he looked down each corridor. "We'll have to find our way up to the next floor."

"How do you think the others are doing?" asked Justin, distractedly.

Knight turned to look at Justin. "Are you still thinking about her?" he asked quietly.

"Well, yeah, but I'm just worried about her," Justin said defensively, fully realizing that Knight hadn't said anything to imply otherwise.

"I wouldn't. You saw her back there with those robots, she can take care of herself."

Justin didn't respond. Knight let out a breath of air and crossed his arms. "Justin, you've gotta focus on the mission first. She knew the kind of risks she was taking when she came with us, and she knows what she's doing. Besides," and here Justin could see the corner of a smirk appearing on Knight's mouth, "haven't you already found a girl?"

"It's not like that," said Justin, shaking his head. He felt a little angry at Knight for bringing that up, but he also knew that Knight had been trying to lighten the mood and not accusing him of anything. "I'm engaged to Cookirini, I love her. I'm just trying to help Cherry be happy for once in her life. You've seen her, she hardly smiles. Cooki would've wanted me to help her."

"Okay, that's your business. But there's no point in worrying about her when we've still got to get out of this mess."

Justin nodded. "You're right. So, which way do we go then?"

I'm not thinking of Cherry like that...gotta focus, Justin, you won't get out of here any faster if you don't focus. Knight is right, she can take care of herself...which is actually part of the reason I like her...

"Well we can't get out of this maze if we don't hurry. We'll go right."

The little group started to troop down the corridor, Justin now wishing that he could at least dry off before they had to do much more.

T pulled out his sword. The thing was huge, bigger than he had imagined and it looked horrible. He looked at Electra. "Well any ideas on how to beat it?" He asked. He hoped that in her long years here, she might be able to talk them out of a fight but he had come to expect the worst.

Claire shivered violently as she examined the Jabberwocks, past fears rising to the surface. She'd never much liked snakes or bugs, but this was ridiculous! With some difficulty the vixen pushed back her doubts, setting her right hand aflame and holding the orb in her left hand.

"Any pointers on these Jabberwocks would be delightful..." Claire muttered to Electra.

OOC: Sorry about that. Basicly, Gravity decided to die. Does that help any? I'm not gonna IC right now, I seem to have had an attack of Exploding brains.

OOC: Gravity decided to die? You'll have to explain it more because I'm confused...

OOC: I think he means its some sort of anti-gravity room, and I'm assuming N Team was captured and thrown inside after everyone passed out. Could be a prison cell of sorts, something to keep them from leaving or escaping. Or perhaps some sort of bizarre trap that'll drop them into open water as soon as they're all awake. I can only guess, of course, and ultimately it's up to the members of N Team to decide what happens there. If you need more information on how the room -works- I'm sure Silver can provide that. Just be specific about what you want to know.

In any case, perhaps you could move the plot forward a little more Silver, just to give the rest of your teammates something else to act on. Not sure if you had specific plans for this room or not, but if you do, keep going with them. If not, Terg and I will see what we can arrange, ok?

Electra kept her eyes on the serpent-like creatures as she spoke, clasping her hands together behind her back.

"Though they be but little, they are fierce with their teeth and claws. And getting bit is probably not a good idea. I saw another guy get bitten, and he fell and wriggled and screamed something horrible before he stopped moving. And and...um...don't let them wrap around you. That's another good way to stop moving-"

Claire growled.

"How do we BEAT them?"

TJ quickly added.

"And do we really NEED to beat them? You can't like, make them leave without a fight?"

Electra shrugged, smiling.

"They don't like fire or bright light. I suppose I could drive them away with the latter..."

Rising into the air, she took several orbs from her bag.

"...I suggest you cover your eyes. If you don't enjoy being blinded, I mean."

Charging the spheres, she sent them slamming into the stairs just in front of the creatures, creating a blinding flash. The snakes hissed and lurched backwards a few feet, shaking their heads and blinking wildly as they tried to clear their vision. The clown girl hovered above them, crossing her arms and grinning.

"Silly snakeys. Now you'll-"

She paused, suddenly lifting her head to stare at the ceiling. Frowning, she nodded at nothing for several minutes, then turned back to Claire and the others.

"-Oh. Excuse me. It seems I must depart momentarily. I think somethings trying to tell me somebody!"

And with that she exploded in a shower of sparks, leaving them to better acquaint themselves with their new serpentine friends.

T grumbled to himself as Electra bound off, leaving them to deal with the rest. He turned to Claire. "Since they don't like bright lights or fire, how about we give them a demonstration?" He asked, wielding fire in both hands.

OOC: Note. Still in this. Life calmed down, but don't have a stable internet connection. Utilize DL as you will, I'll be sure to post something by Sunday --maybe even today if Im lucky to read through what I missed before then.

~*J Team*~

"Gladly." Claire placed her sphere down on the ground beside her, closing her eyes and muttering some strange words.

The flames engulfing her paws burst into life, growing and growing until the other team members had to shield their eyes. The vixen nodded to TJ, and both teammates sent showers of fireballs, some of them blinding black, and others bright red and orange. The Jabberwocks hissed loudly, before backing up, flexing their talons defiantly.

CRASH! T turned around and saw another jaberwock fall through the ceiling and right behind the group. "Ack, now what?" He asked.

OOC: Still figuring out what to post for the N team...

OOC: Erm, sorry, recent virus attacks.

IC: Silver tried to walk around, looking at the others doing the same made him dizzy. it was then that he noticed the doors all around the room. On every surface. "I see You're all awake.", A voice crackled over the loudspeaker. " You'll notice that your weapons are in the room... under the water. Now, every one of these doors, beside one, lead to certian doom. One of the 'walls' Holds the correct Dorr. Onpening any Door on that wall will correct gravity in the room. Open a door on any of the other walls will lead to one of my aquariums. Even if you do find the right wall, Behind All of the doors on that wall beside one will be A group of Ten Watchmen Each. Happy Picking, you doomed landlubbers."

OOC: That's my plan for the room. I forgot to mention on mypost, there's 9 Doors per wall, and 5 Open Walls. The other in below the water, with The group's weapons.

OOC: Sorry for being away for so long, everyone, but yeah, I've just experienced the goods and backs of life, twice-over. This was mainly thanks to EZBoard cutting out, and there were a few things in the real world which I had to straighten out, my life for one.

ANYWAY...
IC:
Great! Just effin' great! Spiner mentally groaned. Both blades were gripped tightly in his grasp, as he had spun to face the third Jobber-whatchamacallit. Snake-like bodies, he didnt like, and with the talons they had, well, now that just took the cake.

He wasnt in the mood to be fighting these things, after having to worry about setting of traps, fleeing from gigantic spiders, and facing Electra, not to mention getting hit in the chest by the magic Claire knew, as well as his lack of sleep.

The hedgehogs eyes had narrowed, as he focused on his target, the lone Jobberwock which as on the opposite side of the group. His gaze had never left it as he spoke aloud to the others, TJ, Claire, keep the other two distracted, Ill take on this one.

Right!

Roger!

Both TJ and Claire had responded at the same time, and Spiner could hear flames being ignited, most likely from TJ. Electra had said something about the Jobberwocks not liking fire, or even bright light, and slowly, he had sheathed one of his blades, as he cautiously advanced towards it, his hand outstretched to the side.

He silently prayed to the four Goddesses of Destiny that this would work, and muttered an incantation, and his hand was set alight in a bright fire. Hopefully, he would be able to take this thing down without having to get the others involved, and he trusted that Blu would be able to help both Claire and TJ if needed, and he wasnt still certain how well Megan would be able to herself against this thing, despite her sudden outburst earlier.

Cmon ugly, bring it, hed say with a grin, as he thrust his hand forward, and the flame left his hand as a ball of fire.

OOC: Oh my, welcome back Spiner =D great to see you! And Silver, welcome back again ^-^ no worries about the computer problems, it happens.

Annnnnd here's some more posty things. Sorry it's been awhile, got busy with life stuff. Anyways, little bit on all ends, just moving things into place. Picked Electra and Moloch up a bit so everyone knows where they're at. Gave Cherry another little kick in the butt because I'm dying to write a fight scene (no worries though Castor, I'm not posting again for her until you do). And to close we've a bit on Legs end. Things should get fairly entertaining in his regard verrrrry soon. I can't wait, personally =D

Cheers.

It was not a careless mistake that led to the discovery. Ironically enough, it was a precautionary act. Within a room high above the third level, a small, gloved hand reached upwards, tugging on a group of knotted wires that had not been knotted when the being the hand was attached to had last passed through the area. Untying them, Electra kept a firm hold on the squirming power lines, closing her opposite palm over the broken ends.

It is good to have informants everywhere, because it is good to be informed, most especially when you are not expecting company. Electra knew this as well as any other, though any other trying to detect her spies might have been hard pressed to do so. The thing about being a sprite, the harlequin had often thought, is that you were basically an element given a form and choices. But neither factor ever truly separated you from that which you had come. In other words, the vibrant power source freely exiting the wires was no different from her except in appearance. Other than that, they were the same, and they understood each other.

The harlequin tilted her head to one side, listening to her elements' tales of a strange man who passed through darkness and flew through the air. Her eyes lit up, and she marveled at these things, wondering and pondering and planning. She stood there for some time, eagerly devouring every bit of information the volts offered her as report after report was filtered in from all around the plant. Finally, she released the wires, allowing them to continue their flailing dance in the air.

"Six, not five? How unusual it is that the Watcher knew nothing of this! Well. I do love surprises..."

Turning, she left the room, floating fearlessly down the hall.

"...I wonder."

Within the open water, Moloch held casual conference with Chino and his gang, who had exited the tower moments earlier.

"You allowed them to escape? You're losing your touch, Chino..."

The piranha swam agitated circles around the barracuda's head, scowling.

"Didn't 'low no one ta 'scape, man. Freakin' female. M'a get her soon as they hit open water..."

"What makes you so certain they'll hit open water?"

"EVERYONE hits open water 'ventually, man. Look, I been here 'most long as you, and -I- know that. Everyone hits open water. Everyone hightails it. Everyone tries to escape. No one ever does. What, you gettin' so fergetful in yer old age, loco?"

Moloch smiled faintly.

"Perhaps I am...I do not know. It just seems to me this group will not be taken so easily. The Watcher spoke severely of them. It worries over their interference."

Chino rolled his eyes.

"Always th' freakin' watcher. The 'ell does yer Watcher know anyways, man?"

"Oh, all sorts of things, Chino. When you're lying to it, when you're telling the truth, whether or not you've been a decent person in your life. It knows. I'm not sure how. That's just the way it's always been."

The piranhas milled about boredly as their leader and the barracuda talked. One of the female piranhas finally slapped Chino lightly with her tail fin.

"'EY CHINO. When we gettin' back to the action? M'so bored..."

He grinned at her.

"'Ey cool it, Paloma. Real soon, I promise. In the meantime, les go see f'the two leggers dumped any scraps. M'starvin.'"

This suggestion was met with many eager smiles. Glancing at Moloch, Chino grinned.

"Comin,' loco?"

Moloch shook his head.

"Ate earlier. But thank you."

The piranha shrugged.

"'Ey, more fer us. Hasta luego!"

With that, they departed in rapid, noisy succession, Chino leading. Moloch stared after them for a moment, then looked back at the tower, Chino's words echoing inside his head.

Everyone hits open water eventually. Everyone tries to escape. No one ever does.

He sighed.

Making some final adjustments to her psuedo-bomb, Cherry thanked her lucky stars that she'd had the good fortune to have watched Legs disarm so many real ones. Dealing with Jerin did prove useful on occasion, though she'd never in a million years have told him so.

Standing on her tip-toes, she frowned as she moved the grenade slightly, determined to perfect her trap. As she fiddled with the duct tape, Luminos lifestream jumped dangerously, as though he was startled, which caused Cherry to draw away from the door.

Luminos...? What is it? Is he nearby??

The sword hummed softly, but said nothing to either confirm or deny this. Cherry frowned, biting her lip.

Bollocks...

Leaning against the wall, she took the time to stow her gun. She wouldn't be needing it again.

Removing Luminos from his case, she rested her blade against the wall. Lifting her right wrist, she tapped a few buttons on a slim black device hidden beneath her sleeve. It resembled a watch, and did indeed keep several forms of time. But its main purpose was something even greater, and Cherry got the feeling she was going to need it to serve its purpose in the very near future. When she was finished, she tightened her bandages, took stock of her clothing to make sure nothing was loose or out of place, and finally stowed the carrying case back inside its holding unit. Taking a seat on the floor, she set Luminos across her lap, and waited for Castor to finish with the front door.

Justin stumbled over an untied shoelace. Puzzled, he knelt to re-tie it, but quickly forgot about the renegade lace as he was confronted with a familiar pair of black eyes, staring up at him from the ground a foot away.

"LEGS!! You're ok!!"

Stopping, Knight and Camden turned. Knight crossed his arms.

"Hm. What do you know about that. Welcome back."

Legs chittered at the pair conversationally, before turning back to Justin. Reaching forward, the human tried to pick him up. But the decipede nimbly jumped away, chattering in irritation. Confused, Justin gave him another friendly smile, leaning down a bit.

"Hm? What's up?"

The decipede gestured at his clothes distastefully, chittering. Justin frowned, then remembered.

Oh yeah, my clothes're still wet. Of course he doesn't want to ride on my shoulder.

Justin nodded to the insect.

"I get it. You going to be ok down there until I'm dry, though?"

Legs chittered scathingly, indignant. Justin held up his hands, chuckling.

"Ok, ok, I get it. You're right. You'll be fine. I'm sorry."

Straightening, he nodded to Knight.

"Right, lets keep going. Now that we've got Legs, we'll definitely get through here no problem."

Continuing onwards, no one thought much of the decipede who now hopped alongside them. Knight and Camden were certainly glad for the extra help. And Justin was, of course, thrilled to see that the little fellow was all right and had found his way back to them.

As for Legs' own thoughts, I will simply say this. Decipedes are not malicious creatures. They will not intentionally harm those who they don't feel really, really deserve it. Still, they are fiercely protective of those they adore, and even more so when those they adore are keeping company with humans. And when they feel a human might be a threat to someone they like, even if the threat is only potential, they can get rather mischievous.

They also have very, very good hearing.

Castor patted the shoulder of the teller who'd turned him down for an account earlier. She was sitting just behind the group standing at the front door on an office chair, her legs bound to it by large amounts of duct tape.

"Now, don't think I'm picking on you just because you were rude to me earlier." Castor said as he took a grenade out of his attache case. "That isn't why you're in this position right now." He cut off a piece of fiberwire and looped it around the pin of the grenade. "One, it's because you're a woman, and everyone knows that a woman in danger gets more attention than a guy in danger." As he talked, Castor tied the fiberwire connected to the pin around the back of the chair. "Two, it's because you're an employee and not security. Civvies always get more help as hostages." He grabbed one of her hands, put it behind her and placed the grenade in it. He then grabbed her other hand and wrapped it around the grenade before duct taping her wrists together. "And three, because you were rude to me earlier."

Castor patted her shoulder as he stood up and picked up his case. "Now, when those guys in the armor come in, make sure you let them know what you've got in your hands there, or else it'll get really messy in here." He allowed himself a short smirk as he walked away from her. He saw Cherry looking at him from her seat on the floor.

"Bit of a sadist, ain't ya?" she said as he approached.

"No. If I was a sadist, I'd have ducttaped her mouth shut. Prolly would've bagged myself a couple of the security guys out there with that bang," he paused as he thought about going back, then shook his head. "But I'm more concerned about getting out of here than killing as many people as possible. Speaking of, we should move now. That beanpole out there is gonna make a move, soon."

"Y'sure?"

"What kind of negotiator doesn't contact a hostage taker after shots are fired? One who doesn't care who dies inside so long as he kills the perps, that's who. I say we make our move now. Ready?"

OOC: Sorry for the shortness and the delay.

OOC: It's OK, really Castor =P

Cherry nodded.

"Aye, ready..."

Standing, she pushed the fire entry door open, careful of her trap. Turning back to the hostages, she announced.

"Just so everyone knows, soon as this door closes, it best not be opened again. What I rigged heres a small explosive device, and though it might not look like much, it packs a nasty punch. So don't try'n follow after us. I wouldn't want anyone else to get hurt...truly, I wouldn't."

She smiled apologetically.

"Real sorry fer the trouble...farewell."

And without another word, she darted into the stairwell, Castor close behind. When the door had snapped shut, they were left in total darkness, the only light emanating from Luminos' blade. Cherry tensed, darting about the first level to make absolutely certain they were alone. When her search turned up nothing, she relaxed some.

But only some.

"Looks like we got lucky," said Knight as the small group finally reached the end of one of the darkened corridors to find an open elevator door. "This is the way up to the next floor, and the next deathtrap if my bet is right."

Justin shrugged, really wishing he had something he could hold in his hands as a weapon right now. "Looks like the only way up...this Jameson lady is pretty sadistic, making traps with escape routes in them on purpose. Not that I'm sad she's bonkers, it's a lucky break for us. And with Legs back with us, we can breeze past this place, grab that component, and be outta here in no time!"

The clanking of metal behind them made them all whirl around in time to see a Watchman robot step out from the shadows, its camera-like head focused on them as it strode forward with methodical menace. It's metal frame was clunky-looking, but it moved with inhuman confidence and whirred like the machine it was. It was unarmed, but Justin knew from personal experience that unarmed robots would usually win against unarmed humans.

Justin grimaced at the sight of the robot. "Blazes, I just opened my big mouth didn't I? I hate robots..."

"Stow it, and jump aboard! She must have put Watchmen in the maze to keep us from getting off too easy," exclaimed Camden as she slipped into the elevator.

"Death trap, or death at the hands of a robot...not much of a choice!" said Justin as he, Knight and Legs all crammed into the elevator, and the doors barely closed in time to block the advancing Watchman's reaching grasp.

"On to the next trap, then," said Camden, bracing herself as the elevator jolted to life and rose upward.

The "jabberwockies" hissed furiously at the lights and heat that were cascaded at them, their emerald scales catching the light and reflecting it in a thousand directions. Yet they had not left, and as the venom dripped from their fangs, Megan had the distinct impression that they were not running away because they had a deeper instinct preventing them. Or rather, the instinct to survive placed a higher priority on their minds than avoiding the hated flames...

Hunger.

This was no malicious evil they were facing. They were natural creatures that were starved, trying to find something to eat. Unlike the mechanical denizens of this place, these creatures were much like Megan and her friends, trying to survive in desperate circumstances.

But then time was moving again for Megan as the flash of insight passed, and the reptiles were darting back into the shadows in the corridor ahead of them, driven off by the flames. She had a terrible feeling inside that they would see them again.

"Now that we got THAT settled, let's move on, find that component, and get the heck outta here!" proclaimed Spiner as he landed gracefully onto the ground and started to move forward.

"That's more like it," said T with a confident smirk, much the same expression that he had worn since Megan had first seen him. "No more messing around, I'm getting tired of this place."

But Megan wondered whether they had really gotten out of a mess, or whether they had just wandered out of the fire and into the frying pan...

In the central generator room, the hum of working machinery and the occasional lightshow from behind shielded glass accompanied the shrouded figure of Husk as she glided across the ground smoothly, her hands gripping the large-bladed spear she carried with her. Her eyes were open and alert, but she did not seem to be relying on them alone, for she slid to a halt, a fanged smile glinting in the shadows of her cloak's hood.

"Sso, you have taken away from me ssome of my ssport, shadowthing," she hissed as she slowly turned around to face the equally-mysterious figure who had manifested across the room.

"If you can call hunting down helpless workers down sport, then I have," replied the shadow without hint of remorse or pity. "That, at least, seems to have gotten your attention. I have been searching for you, Lady Husk."

Husk's smile widened. "Are you a hunter? Do you sseek to challenge me at my own game?" she asked, sounding almost excited by the prospect.

"I do not play games," answered the shadow coldly. "I have come to speak with you, and I do not have time to waste."

"Then come and sspeak up, I am lisstening.

OOC: Phew, finally got this in.

OOC: This post is long, because I wanted an action-sequence {Since it was already written out}-and it will explain how DL got to the Central Generator room.

IC:

Down was the direction to go, as DL continued on. There were many differnt paths to follow, but he decided to finally be a bit more practical, and utilize the through-way. Lunging into the nearest shadow, he would phase himself down a few levels, until he reached a point where the hum he had heard before was considerably louder. That hum had a familiar pitch to it.

A unnervingly familiar pitch. He shuddered off the memories, even though they were growing in the back of his mind. He needed time to walk thrugh this place, grasp its full layout, and then strike, so he could get in and out quite easily.

In this new hallways, the lights were busted, His feet crushed the light bulbs that had long since fell from the ceiling. Damp odors littered the corners, enough to almost make him feel uncomfortable sliding into the shadows if he needed to. That feeling would soon be wiped away, when the metallic clang of footsteps could be heard. It was almost an audible stream of curses DL spout as he ran forward, sword already unsheathed. The door ahead of him was partially open, but he knew the Watchmen were ther. He was going to have to be perfect in execution, otherwise, he would be shot and there would be nothing he could do about it.

he door would be kicked open, right in front of a Watchman whom recieved an order to close off any small human sized passageways. He was inches from sealing it shut when it basted open, and a dark form flipped out, holding a pair of shiny objects. One of these objects flew toward the Watchman, and exploded in a deep flash of light. The watchman was prepared for such bright actions,a nd immediatly switched to an infra-red sensor---but found nothing. No form, no anythng. However, the Watchman would soon fall prey to DL's sword hacks, as its head was lopped off and disconnected.

He kept running though,making a sharp left anbd immediatly flaling on his back. Two Watchmen were already on him, and he coudn't figure out why! Was she already watching him? Was there a bug planted on him. Was he doing somethng that he should not have overlooked? He didn't know, but he did know that this madness was going to stop. He launched the other flash gernade, and when the ensuing flash erupted and allocated him a few moments to spare, he high-tailed it past them and kept moving, bumping into a few walls and boxes as he did so.

Diving left instead of right he holed himself into a small room, with a window. Jumping through it, he would barely escape a Watchman, but now that he was airborne, they had a target. They were all assembling around where he was headed. Why was that? He couldn't catch a break. Things became worse when the flamethrowers were turned on, socrching the sky. He began to descend,m keeping ahead of his himself so his movements were intangible. He'd land on a Watchman and stab it, jumpiog way before another one's Flamethrouwer would burn his back, melting the Watchmen a bit. That plan would have worke, but these guys wre built heavier. Able to withstand the heat. Dl saw this and sneered when he couldn't laugh at their misfortune.

"Why did they have to be the ones built to last through a damn nuclear meltdown." he screamed as he cut off the hand of anotyher potential assassin, and ran dowen another corridor, falling down a flight of stairs in his haste. They gave chase, and DL would soon realize that he needed an escape. It was almost as if they had done thig before-taken these postions to avoid any--

escape.

He could kick himself. In his absentmindedness, he had fallen into the escape route possibly used by tons of the huymans here. But they probably never made it now because of all the Watchmen guarding this route. That was fine, he wasn't any ordinary human.

The flamethrowers were soon switched to bullets again, and DL would find himself in a mass ricochet tunnel. He kept low, diving through their legs and hacking only when it was necessary. Running up ones chest, he would backflip off and tight curl into a flying position, effectively letting the spray of bullets that was behind him pelt the robot's outer frame and eventually disbale it beyond working condition. Salvation was only a few meters away, as he smirked. There was a grate that was dislodged. Possibly by the blast human that made it through. He sprinted for it, avoiding the oposition that came around just as his sprint began. A final dive, and he lunged into the darkness, and consequently sliding down the steel path that would inevitably lead him into the drainage system for the plant.

The slide would open up into a putrid smelling waste land, as DL barely gained his composure and floated in place. Looking behind him, he would see that he was inches from the water.

"Reminds me of that hunt for Virus..." But that waws neither here nor there, as the being righted himself and allowed himself to float along. He headed backwards in context to the flow of the water. "Watchmen wouldn't be back here, since this water would have been used to cool the reactor. As such, there should be anotehr grate..." He looked up as he spoke, spotting another grate blocking a ventilation shaft. He wasted no time inunscrewing the grate with the tip of his sword, and climbing up and within it. It was a tight fit, but he was able to squeeze in, utilizing his flight ability to propel him forward.

As he flew, he made one left, taking time to take deep breaths. The air was considerably stronger smelling, meaning he was near that dreadful hum. He could feel it in hs bones, how that sound made his body shiver with entropic glee. As long as no large outburst came, he would be ok. But his mind began to dwell on it,and so he lost sight of his own surroundings. Especially when he made a right, and found himself under a new sound.

A new, deep hissing sound. He wasted no time in forching himself forward and to the first left, as the sounds of his new pursuers filled the ventilation shaft. They sounded as if they had many legs, or maybe no legs at all, yeah that would make more sense. Snakes of some sort. Large ones too, as he could hear their mutated roars.

He had to focus. He couldn't fight, so all he could hope to do was escape.

"Let me just close my eyes, and I'll figure a way through thi--HEY!" He was about to try an move faster, when he realized that one of them scratched his coat and left holes init. He hissed as the arrogance, and kept moving, finally breaking free of the vent as it opened into a lit hallway. The snake-like beings followed, lunging at DL, but eventually falling as they even spat their venom at him. He flew up to avoid it, and watched as they landed a good few meters down. But upon their landing, the Jabberwocks took off like a shot, heading away from the area they landed on with utmost fear.

DL blinked and looke down below. Then he rolled his eyes and immediatly flew up, heading toward the only door he could see. The damn Watchmen were below, and already pointing their guns up at him.

DL didn't care and bashed through the door, ending up in a room with a large dimension. There was a window running the length of the room. Outside that window, was one of the main reactors. Seeing that made him smile, and then shiver. He began to run as fast as possible now, just so he did not get ambushed again. When the corridor was coming to an end, he dove into the shadow of the window and slid through the wall-ending up within the shadows of this new room. A room that was literally buried damn near under the Power plant from the route he had to take.

A room filled with machines and screens, tons of screen.

A room-occupied by a solitary figure holding a very formidable spear, that had more reach than his sword.

Finally, he found the control center for the generators. And with it, his adversary.

"Sso, you have taken away from me ssome of my ssport, shadowthing," she hissed as she slowly turned around to face the equally-mysterious figure who had manifested across the room.

"Then come and sspeak up, I am lisstening.

"Then listen. Kaiser asked me to check on the situation here. Where is the part you are so auspiciously guarding? In the meantime, what is the situation with the intruders? I have not ran into them, but I do not think they are your normal adversaries, if you are still dealing with them.

And third...just how in the hell were you able to keep those damn robots on my tail? I don't take kindly to people tagging me and trying to put me in the dead-book."

His interrogation done, he stepped from out of the shadows, sword drawn and hanging by his side, just in case things got a tad bit hectic. He knew he couldn't teleport away for a while, all that damn running tired him out mentally.

She smells funny. Like her skin is melting or something...

Its called not taking a bath.

OOC: I'm leaving for school early tomorrow morning, and I'll be without net access for a week or two. Do what you will with my characters in the meantime =) just don't kill anyone >_> that's all I ask. Yes, I know you'd all like a shot at Jerin. But I need him for things =P so sorry.

Annnnnddd that's all I got =) good luck to those of you starting classes this week or next as well.

Cheers.

OOC: Okay, going to try to kick this back into action on all fronts. I'm going to post in parts though since I'm writing this from college, I'll try to update this post with more sections if nobody else posts in the next few days as we go along. I'll also try to see whether we can't gather everyone involved back here.

IC:
Naval Base

Inside of the strange anti-gravity chamber, Kristi opened her eyes and had to blink several times before the scene in front of her made any sense to her. She saw Silver standing up on the wall opposite of a wall of water, and Torn and Mike were standing up further along the cylindrical "floor" of the room, though at their angle their heads were pointed at the ground as Kristi could see it. Cosmic Kid was sitting near Silver, looking across at the wall of water with an almost terrified fascination.

That was when the silver-furred vixen stood up cautiously and noticed that not only was the wall of water not being held back by anything she could see, there was also a pack of sharks swimming just on the other side, their angular fins easily cutting through the water.

Turning with a shudder from the view of the sharks, Kristi looked around at the others, trying not to let the disorienting effect of the room knock her off balance. "Is everyone okay?"

"Looks like it," answered Mike as he looked "up" at her. "But we don't have our rebreathers, or any of our gear."

"...Uh, what's WRONG with this picture?" asked Silver suddenly, gesturing at the room around them.

"I sense something," said Lena quietly. "It's like magic, but it's being held in this room..."

When Lena said that, Kristi became aware of a tingling sensation that hung in the air. It wasn't quite electricity, but the similarity of it to the aura of abused magic was very strong to Kristi, who had fought dark wizards in the past. "It's probably a spell being used to change gravity in this room. The question is, why?"

The sound of bellowing laughter suddenly filled the room, and Kristi flinched involuntarily at the tremendous amount of noise send echoing in the room. "Avast, me hearties, ye be awake! 'Tis a fine time as well, for ye are in time for dinner!"

"I have a bad feeling he's not talking about us having dinner," said Cosmic quietly, still staring at the sharks as one passed close to the water's "edge," its large triangular teeth brandished for a moment for everyone to see.

"The lad's a bright one," said the deep bass voice in as salty a dialect as any of them had ever heard, but the sarcasm was still clear as crystal. "Me pets haven't had much real meat in a few days - I'm sure they'll enjoy feasting on yore carcasses! In just one minute, I'll take all gravity from that room and let you float with me fishy friends!"

Kristi looked back at the sharks, desperately looking past the clear water to the far "wall." She could see that it was clear, and beyond it she saw perhaps the most stereotypical old salty sailor she had ever seen in her life, a tall yet beer-bellied white-haired and bearded man wearing a white and blue captain's outfit. He was grinning from the controls that he had at his disposal, and he was malignantly enjoying himself.

Then Krist's eyes fell onto the glass casing on a pedestal behind him, and she recognized what was being held inside it. The dimensional restabilizer! That's the part that we were supposed to acquire! she thought excitedly.

That excitement soon turned to horror as the captain pressed a button, and suddenly Kristi and the others found themselves floating away from the walls, and the wall of water was bubbling up to meet them...

OOC:

Quote:

---

IC: Silver tried to walk around, looking at the others doing the same made him dizzy. it was then that he noticed the doors all around the room. On every surface. "I see You're all awake.", A voice crackled over the loudspeaker. " You'll notice that your weapons are not in the room. Now, every one of these doors, beside one, lead to certian doom. One of the 'walls' Holds the correct Door. Onpening any Door on that wall will correct gravity in the room. Open a door on any of the other walls will lead to one of my aquariums. Even if you do find the right wall, Behind All of the doors on that wall beside one will be A group of Ten Watchmen Each. Happy Picking, you doomed landlubbers."

---

It was on the page before this, but yeah. >_>

OOC: Oh shoot, I was trying to find that post yesterday too because I knew something had been posted, but I couldn't find it and thought it had been lost or edited somehow.

Darn it.

Anyhow, such ends that pitiable attempt to revive things. What with schools getting up into full swing again, 'twouldn't be a bad time to see who all is still paying attention to this thread. I'd like to continue this but it'd help to have something of a headcount first. I've already received one message from someone who will be discontinuing, and I'm feeling it's time to get a feel for what everyone is feeling about this RP. Is there anything we can do to help inspire people for this?

I'm still here, as my computer connection is closer to becoming more stable . I'lll still be around 1-2 times a week .

Okay, it looks like this RP is burning down. However, Cherry and I are still determined to continue the story. What we're going to do is continue it, but as a fic rather than as an RP.

I'm going to start a new thread in Carnival Island most likely in the next week or so as Cherry gets the ability to be online more often, and I'm asking if anybody would like to contribute to the fic with their characters. If you don't want to or don't reply to this topic or otherwise contact Cherry or me about it, we will be dropping everyone else's characters out or make them anonymous for the fic, so you won't have to worry about your characters being used.

We can also use this thread for discussion purposes about what details that I might not have thought of regarding continuing this as a fic.

OOC: Ok =) got the stable connection back. Ready when you are Terg.

EDIT: Just so everyones aware, this RP has officially been moved to Carnival Island and turned into a work of literary fiction. It can now be found here: p072.ezboard.com/fsonichq...4075.topic

As of now, Tergonaut, Darkest Light, and myself are the only authors. If anyone else still wants in, please get in contact with Terg or myself, or go directly to the fic thread and tell us what's up. Otherwise, we'd like to thank everyone who participated in this, lending both their time and their words. Both were very much appreciated, and I'll miss all of you.

Cheers, and see you cats around.

~Cherry