OOC: I always fancied having a go at one of these
Certainly I grew up with Disney and Don Bluff films so I've always had that familiar love for that genre.

Ironically, I wanted to see what my main Sonic fan character, Wraith, would look as a wolf via Oekaki and had fun with it!

So I'll bring him in
If it comes to that, I'll think of a past similiar to his official past. For now, it's the same personality, different species. You'll see >>; XD .

IC:

As one side of the street appeared so apparent and still- the shattering of glass was suddenly heard coming from a nearby butcher's window. Shortly afterwards, a startling alarm suddenly sounded out.
The peace within this part of the city had been disturbed. Chaos was about to unfold. And the creature responsible for this was an indigo-lavender furred wolf that donned the cruellest set of icey eyes the whole of London and the forest had ever seen. His canines protruded as they latched onto a large leg of lamb that he had stolen.
Though it wasn't having stolen a leg of lamb or breeching security that made him notorious. It was more the dark stories that went around- of him mercilessly having attacked people, even young children, of having wielded a sense of wrath and destruction in his path, and the fact that he was a hard creature to damn well catch.
Did this canine really have ulterior motives to his sociopathic ways? Or was he just a plain crazed, rabid dog? No knew...

"It's that damn dog again!... or wolf... what the hell is he?!" shouted a cop down the intercom.
"The scientists said he was a wolf. Maybe a little undersized... but he's not a noble one. That's for sure..." replied his partner.
"You're such a genius!" the first cop replied sarcastically, before pulling back the gear stick and sending the car into overdrive.
Wraith flicked his ears and looked at the approaching car, still dragging the leg of lamb by his front teeth.
He grinned maliciously, before turning and running ahead at full speed.
"Yeah! Go on... run as fast as you can... this'll be your last one after all," sniggered the first cop, as he made an effort to make his vehicle gain on the running wolf.
Wraith ran into a dark alley, suddenly snarling despite the meat in his mouth, as he found himself face to face with the brickwall.
He squinted his eyes as he found his face confronted by the intense glare of the light beams off of the police car.
The beams gradually died down, putting the alley into darkness as a couple of doors open and closed at the same time off the car. Wraith could see the silhouettes of the two cops walk out, each one carrying a rifle, and a baton.
"Should we ask him to surrender? I think the scientists wanted him alive..." said the 2nd cop.
"What the hell?! He's an animal! Stoopid! He won't understand what we say... besides, look how crazed he is. Who cares what the scientists want. We should kill him now!"
Wraith understood the conversation between them very well, and sniggered derisively at how ignorant the first cop was.
As he glanced to his left side, he noticed a stack of barrels, that appeared to be roped up and bound together. And then it hit him that this would make sense, as this alleyway had a storage for wines and other such alocholic beverages since the anterior building was in fact a pub.
"Okay Wraith! You're adventures as a free lone wolf are over..." said the 2nd cop, cocking his gun as he aimed it towards him "we can make this less painful for you if you cooperate..."
"What are you... stupid?!? I told you mutts can't understand!!" said the first cop, shoving him, which gave Wraith a moment to quickly manouvre within the shades.
"Hey watch it! I could've pulled the trigger on you there!" the 2nd cop said, startled and annoyed.
"Keep your eyes on the..." the first cop said, suddenly noticing that Wraith was not on the former spot but instead in the process of climbing up the barrels- at his own pace.
"...target..." the cop finishes bitterly. Pulling out his handgun, he abruptly pulled the trigger.
BANG
There was a sudden leap from Wraith's part, as he topped the height of the stack. And as the bullet came cascading to hit his leg beforehand, it did instead, cut through the binding rope. And as that happened, Wraith suddenly leaped blindly in a seemingly hopeless direction.
"Look out!" the 2nd cop cried, as a cascade of rolling whine barrels suddenly came rolling and in their direction. The two cops turned to run, not caring what happened to their car, but rather running as fast as they could to escape from the alleyway.
As the last of the barrels toppled and tumbled, some bursting open and causing red whine to pool all over the place, Wraith leapt back to the ground from a balcony rail which was formerly hard to have seen in the dark.
Whilst landing with a thud, he picked up the leg of lamb, and casually walked out of the alley, smiling in his mind at having outslied the stupid humans once again.

OOC: Hmm...guess I'll try it out.

IC:

A sharp hiss startled Gem, causing her fur to bristle and stand on end. The House Cat looked around, rapidly trying to pin-point the source of the noise. A sleek silver and white she-cat emerged from behind a dumpster, her dark blue eyes eyeing Gem with hostility.

"What's a housepet like you doing near an alley at nightfall?" The stranger hissed. She was obviously a Stray, for her ear had been bitten, resulting in a lost part of flesh, and a long scar stretched over her left eye.

"You should be at home, housepet, with your humans!" The she-cat yowled.

OOC: Definitely an interesting looking RP so I'll join. Btw, I probably didn't say it earlier but welcome to the MoFo, Wayfarer, I'm sure the RP experience will be as cool as the ones that were on Eliteboard.

IC:

"Ah, c'mon doll, don't leave me." The tabby cat spoke, walking hurriedly out of the alleyway and into the street, trying to catch up to the swift walking Siamese cat before him who walked with a distinct air of dignity. The pair were in the south part of the city, the one famous for mostly stray and not too pleasant animals within it. The tabby cat tried to catch up with his partner at the moment and after he finally managed to, he slowed down at the Siameses pacing. We were just about to have fun, right?

Fun? With you? Youre kidding, right? The Siamese replied, stifling a laugh. Dont be joking.

The two were walking along the street along with the humans above them, paying no attention to them whilst the Siamese cat was leading the way, towards the northern side of the city, and more specifically Central Park which was in-between the two parts of the city.

W-whats wrong with me? Is it my breath? The young tabby cat breathed out into the Siameses face, which automatically made her turn away in disgust, and look back displeased.

Thats not the main problem, but it is still a problem, Leon. The Siamese spoke back, continuing her dignified walk.

Well then whats the main problem? Leon asked, clueless.

Your life and the way you live it. Im from a higher class of society, and youre from a much lower one, being that youre a stray. That wouldnt stop me from being with you, but its the way you live your life in this part of the city who you follow.

You mean the Don? Hes a good guy really, Alexis. He looks after me and the others hes like a father. Ive got nothing left then to be with him. Being a stray means we lead a pretty hard life. Leon replied.

Of course. But the way he operates things I can understand some of it, what you have to do. Scavenge food and the like, but he does more then just that. Hes a bad man, and instead of uniting with everyone, he simply bands together the strong and capable and ignores the weak. Hes less of a good, father figure, and more like a criminal, the way he attacks and exploits the others. Like hes exploiting you and your talents. Alexis explained.

No! I wont have you bad-mouthing him. Hes a good guy! And theyre my family! Leon shouted back. The pair had now reached the neutral ground of Central Park and now stopped, with Leon looking dignified and upset with how Alexis was handling the situation. Alexis looking bad, depressed, and then prepared to walk back to her home in the north side of the city.
Whats more important to you, Leon? Your crooked family or me? I understand times are hard, but the way you live your life is not the way it should be. Until you learn and accept that, dont expect to see me. Alexis then turned and began to run off through the park and to the northern side. Leon could only stare after her, scowling.

You dont understand Alexis you dont live the life I do, or have even experienced it. Its too tough to live by yourself, and the Don you just cant leave him. He makes sure of that

OOC: Thx, Pach (I can call you that, right?)!

Looks good, plenty of great ideas! Keep it up!

IC:

Gem began to back away slowly, as she said, "I...I'm sorry...I-I was just...abandoned..."

The full force of what had really just happened hit her, and she began to cry!

A Great Dane had been watching Leon and Alexis. He whispered to a small, dark form hidden in a tree, "that's so sad. I wish I could do something about this!"

The form replied, "Don't be hasty, Marshall. Remember, while we can't do anything about this now, soon we'll be able to make everything right."

"Yeah, you're right. Waiting can be so difficult, but...I guess you and the others know what you're doing..."

Just before the dark form moved into the trees and vanished, it said, "If you take care of your end, we'll take care of ours. Mark my words, someday soon, the Strays will fall!"

Marshall shook his head, barely able to believe his friend was able to move so fast. Then, he moved out from the shade of the tree, and back into Central Park, where he resumed his duties as a protector and a guide. Marshall the Great Dane was known as an Administrator of Old London, one who any animal could go to and ask for help, and it would be given.

The she-cat seemed to tense as Gem spoke, but relaxed her muscles when the Persian opposite her began to cry. The dappled Stray hesitated, before padding a little closer to Gem, making the blur-furred cat realize just how much bigger the silver-and-white cat was. Stormcloud sat down and began to wash her paws.

"Obviously you're lost, are you not?" She meowed, flicking an ear. Gem nodded. "Well then, you're not the first housepet that's gotten lost on the streets, and you'll not be the last."

The she-cat's deep blue eyes met Gem's, and she dipped her head. "My name is Stormcloud, and if you want it, I can help you. I can escort you to Central park...."

"You can?" Gem pricked her ears, gazing intently at Stormcloud. The other cat nodded.

"Mind you, once you're safely tucked away for the night or you find someone else to take over, I'll be on my way. Mossbelly might be there tonight, and she'd be happy to have the company."

(OOC: Hey Wayfarer. Sorry I'm late...today's been crazy! Dang, I'm amazed though! I'm certainly joining this! It's ten times better than I thought it would be, and it's already moving fast!

I wanna ask if I could have two characters, but one may not be in line with the story, so I'll just inrto one for now. I'll EZmsg you about the other^^)

With a loud roar the train's engine gained revs, and the massive freight train shuddered into motion, slowly picking up speed as it rumbled out of the station. Just north of the station was a large rail bridge, a masive, hulking, iron construction, blackened by years of whether, reaching over the large river that flowed through the town. The ground shook as the roaring metal behemoth lunged out onto the gantries and thundered across the supports.

Then, as the last goods carrage passed, the noise slowly died away and all became quiet again.

A small water vole popped it's head out of it's burrow, nervously checking the air with it's sensetive nose. There was a strainge smell in the air tonight...something it had not senced before.

Hello my dear. Yes, I knew you were there. What, is something wrong? Come now, I'm not that bad once you get to know me. And you will get to know me, I assure you. You'll get to see aspects of me few ever have...

It was unable to pinpoint the source of the scent, but it didn't seem too dangerous. It clambered forward a little more, looking around with it's small black eyes. Nothing. Reassured, it climbed out of the burrow and set off down the bank towards the stream.

Thank you for your consideration. I do appreciate it when people prepare themselves before meeting me...it makes the meeting so much more...palatable. Take your time, my dear. I'm in no hurry.

The Vole quickly splashed the water onto it's wiskers and face, shaking itself dry, then turned and set off up the bank, foraging for edibles. More rubbish had been dumped on the riverbank overnight, and a particularly unusual object caught the Vole's eye. It seemed to be a massive rubber tube, mottled green and black, streaching well over fifteen feet along the riverbank! One end of the tube tapered off slightly, then ended abruptly, the other end was hidden in some long grass. At it's thickest, the tube was around six to eight inches thick! The Vole stared at the object curiously, it's nose twitching. It moved forward to inspect it in more detail.

Ah, the poetic justice of life. Come along, my dear. Don't worry. It's time. All your moments have been leading to this day. Every event in your life has been guiding you irresistably to this moment. This is your purpose. You live to serve me. You are mine. It's time, my dear...time for the STRIKE!!!

It was over in a flash.

The Venasuaillen Giant Anaconda raised it's head off the ground, the Vole's tail protruding from it's jaws. It swallowed slowly. Pickings were very thin, and every meal had to be enjoyed.

His minders (they were NOT his owners...no one owned him) called him Silas...

...but his name was Blood.

He glanced up and down the riverbank, making sure no Humans saw him. Fortunately Humans rarely came on foot to the industrial district. With a sigh he slipped his long body down into the water of the river and set off swimming.

His minders had abandond him six months ago, saying he was too big. Heh, if only they could see him now! They had driven him down to the riverbank and dumped him in a large box. Since then he had steadily been moving downstream, surviving on whatever Voles, Mice and Birds he could find. His body wasn't used to eating so little so regularly...he longed to swallow whole one of those foolish Humans, digesting them slowly the way he was ment to. Not only was it natural, it seemed to have a certain poetic justice about it.

He continued swimming down the river, unaware that the river's course let straight through the middle of Central Park...

She crouched down, shifting her weight onto her haunches, remembering what her mentor had taught her. Slowly, paw by paw, she approached the foraging mouse, glad that she was downwind; it had not yet scented her yet. Quietly she crept along the ground, until she was no more than half a tail-length away. Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight, startling the mouse. But it was too late. In one swipe she finished the little creature off, picked it up, and bounded up the nearest tree.

"Nice weather we're having..." She purred to herself, taking a few gulps of meat. "It's ideal for prey...which is, of course, ideal for me."

Once finished with her meal, Mossbelly began to groom her paws, swiping her tongue around her muzzle every now and then. The white and ginger Stray began to doze on the lowest limb on the tree, still alert for any dangerous noises or lost housepets. Indeed, she had encountered small dogs and cats, all lost and coming for help. It seemed that they all had one thing in common: their humans had all thrown them out for the night, and out of fear of being out in the open, they got lost trying to look for a hiding place.

Mossbelly purred some more, remembering what some small kitten had said to her.

"I...I heard that Central P-Park is the s-s-safest place for any animal...." The young tom had stuttered, staring at her with an alarmed gaze.

"Indeed," She had replied. "You heard right. Now, let's get you some food, and in the morning we can take you home. It's not safe for a kit like you to be out at night, even in Central Park."

And that was that. She had done exactly what she had said she'd do. Mossbelly finally drifted into a light sleep, ears and tail flicking and twitching, alert.

OOC: Just noted something... if the Aristocats could play pianos, can dogs pick up lager glasses? XD I'll edit if my passage isn't suitable.

IC:
As the last tube had dissappeared for the night on the central line, Wraith jumped from the platform and landed on the ground where the rails were.
He raised his lopsided ears whilst shifting his eyes with suspicion, an icey glare shimmering off of them, before turning and running into a hidden, dark tunnel, with the leg of lamb in his mouth.
All that could be heard was a few dripping noises from the dampness of the cavity and the splashing of his feet against the paddle, which turned into sloshing as the water got slightly deeper.
The murky tunnel, all of a sudden, became slightly lighter as an orangle glow began to creep its way across the tunnel brickworks.
As the wolf rounded the next corner, he leapt down a hole from where the orange light came from- the emerging noise and commotion getting louder and louder as he fell.

"And THEY'RE OFF!" shouted a chihuahua commentator, as he as he hung within a bucket that dangled from the ceiling in that very room.
"Bruno's-taking-the-lead... knocking-pinkfoot outta the ring... and yeah... he's really making a round on this one... itall looks very certain ladies and gentlemen... but wait! What's this?!? It looks like Bruno has just been knocked off track! My my,... what a dissappointment... his friends won't let him live this one down... ho no! And now... it looks Benny is in the lead! Yes, ladies and gents! A lot of you are banking on him as I check the cards! Was it a gut feeling? You bet I hope so!!! Cos I'd hate to think the majority of you are stupid! Oh yes indeed!" the commentator continued talking at a rapid pace as he tried to keep his eyes on an ongoing rat face, through which the community of gambling strays had placed their bets on the racers.
"And yes... it looks like Benny... No no wait! It's Pippin... or is it?!? *gasps* Merrygoaround... no it's.... it's.... BIGSHOT has won the race ladies and gentlemen! Fluke or not he has passed the finish line! Who would have though? WHO would have thought?!?!" the commentator shouted, clasping his had ectstatically as the last rat had passed the finished line and was suddenly being ganged up on the cheery crowd that had placed their bets on him.
"Well now that was quite the eye opener ladies and gentlement... stay tuned for another round of this exciting race which will be taking place again in about half an hour... bonus prizes exclusive tonight if your rat wins..."

"If you ask me... I'd say something here is being set up..." growled a nearby German shepherd, as he spoke to an accompanying Agfhan hound.
"Bitter you lost your bet, Bandit?" replied Rye.
"Erm..." Bandit frowned, reluctant to give an answer straight away. Before the dogs had walked too far, they suddenly gasped as they observed a midnight-lavender furred canine falling towards the pub counter. On landing, he knocked a couple of drinks which went flying in the two dogs direction, causing them to gasp- and then frown with a 'wet weekend' expression as the found themselves drenched in beer and ale.
"I love today..." Bandit said sarcastically, as he lowered his ears in an extremely annoyed fashion.
"Quite," replied Rye.
"Wraith..." Bandit said, forcing a smile as he walked up to the wolf who had in the meantime, jumped off the counter and flashing the annoyed bartender and other surrounding customers superficially sorry grins.
"Always making an entry aren't you pal?" Bandit said, tilting his head, grinning fakely.
Wraith blinked boredly, before tossing the leg of lamb in his direction.
"Sorry if I gatecrashed your little party. But I had to divert my path a little and take the backdoor. Heh, seems as if the security is looking to yank your leashes," Wraith spoke, a smirking and sly personna apparent with how he was carrying himself "in any event, you were right. A dog wouldn't have made this little escapade. But a wolf? Yes. He he. Take it..."
Bandit stared at Wraith, unamused slightly. But he was broke for the night, and he hadn't eaten for a while so he accepted the leg of lamb, but avoided Wraith's arrogant grin.
"And now... for your end of the bargain," Wraith said, narrowing his eyes, causing Bandit to raise his ears as he felt caught off guard.
"What is it that Zenobia is hiding?"
Bandit frowned slightly, before turning to look at Rye.
"He did get our meal Bandit... you indeed owe him your part of the bargain..." Rye spoke in a 'matter-of-fact' manner.
"But the Zen will KILL us if he finds out!!!" Bandit hissed as he suddenly shifted right next to Rye, gripping him in a paranoid manner. Rye shifted his eyes around the room with embaressment, before pushing him back off again.
Bandit well on his back, growling slightly, before picking himself up again and chuckling as his eyes met Wraith's.
"Tell you what. I need to collect something around his place anyway... so... give me chance to finish this entree, and I'll take you to his place AND... will show you what he's hiding myself! Besides... it'll be nice to have someone keep you company!" Bandit winked.
'Company?!' Wraith thought, as his eyes widened, before his eyelids drooped in an irretated fashion 'greeeeeaaaaaaat.'

OOC: Wraith: Good to see you! I wouldn't say you were late, just dignifiedly (is that even a word? lol) on time

Bentleee: Glad I could be of assistance in your own development of your character, pure coincidence though it may be ! I don't have any complaints with your post, only to keep in mind that though it is within the realm of possibility for an animal to play a piano, the animals in this RP don't have opposable thumbs (or much resembling them; mouths are a common carrying tool)! So, pretty much a cat would have to walk on the piano to play it, so far as that goes (This isn't like "All Dogs Go To Heaven", in terms of how far the humanizing of animals goes, just as a reference point). [EDIT]lol, I guess I should rephrase that a little...: it is fitting to have that style of thing in what we could call the underworld of animals, but almost anywhere else it wouldn't be possible, I think. So, I'm saying that what you've got it okay, it just is limited mostly to strays and things like that. Now I think i'm saying too much, lol! Just don't worry about it, though I can't help but think of what would happen if a human found places like that...! Keep in mind that since rats are an available character species, they are more intelligent than they appear. The rats you describe might be rewarded with food for complying with the terms of the other animals, or they might have been so inbred that these rats really are easy to control! Just something to think about.[/EDIT]

To Pachamac and Bentleee: If you have any specific ideas for The Don and Zenobia (The Zen), please contact me. They sound like important characters, and I just want to know what you have in mind. Click my profile, and e-mail me, or else EZmessage me, like Wraith has to okay his char. At this point, I guess I would prefer EZmessaging, if you know how to use it (because I sure don't! lol).

To All: Looking good! Any questions, feel free to post/contact me!

IC:

Gem stopped crying, and sniffed. "Really? Thank you, Stormcloud!"

As they began to walk, Gem glanced at the larger cat. "Um, so how far away is the Park? Oh, by the way, my name is Gem."

Marshall was beginning to develop a headache. Today had seemed to be an ordinary day, in terms of animals needing help. Then, at nearly the same time, a much larger quantity began to appear from all directions. He had just finished setting up a camp beneath some large trees, and now had a moment to catch his breath. He headed over to a second Admin, Fenix the Vixen, who had set up shop on the other side of the Park.

Fenix was just pulling the last quill from a stray dogs' face, tossing it onto the sizable stack that had formed. "Now, do we know what we do the next time we see a porcupine?"

The stray felt reprimanded by his own mother, and replied, "we turn tail and run!"

The Vixen rubbed an herb on the stray's face, causing the pain to start fading. "Close enough. Try to get to shelter, there's a storm tonight!"

"Thank you, Fenix!"

The stray hurried out of the Park. Marshall stood next to Fenix. "Wasn't that...?"

Fenix was sorting through her herbal collection. "Yep. He was one of Slayer's lackeys."

"No wonder he was in such a hurry. Slayer really hates the Admins, so who knows what he would do if he saw one of his own over here."

"How's the camp coming?"

Marshall glanced to the trees. "It's actually going well, for one of my creations. We might have to expand it, though..."

"Mossbelly has been a big help with the new ones. Odds are, if she sticks around, she could help you with that, too."

Marshall turned back to Fenix. "Ohhh no."

"What?"

"I know what you're doing. I may be dumb as bricks, but I know you well enough to know what's going on! Since White left us, you want another girl Admin, don't you? Mossbelly isn't here every day, she isn't committed!"

Fenix sighed, and began to assemble her herbs back into her basket. "You're the boss. Will you be fine here without me?"

Marshall nodded. "Yeah. Even if we desperately need you, your family is much more important."

Fenix sighed. "Yes, they do. All 23 of the little munchkins. I can't be away for more than a few hours at any one time, but I'm heading back now to bed down for the night."

"Okay. Uh, Fenix?"

"Hmm?"

"If you wanna take some time off, you've more than earned it. I mean, with losing Striker and all..."

Fenix rested a paw on Marshall's ear. "Hush. If there are any emergencies, you know where I am. You take care tonight..."

Marshall smiled a little. "Okay. Goodnight, Fenix."

"Goodnight." Fenix picked up her basket in her mouth, and trotted off into the night.

IC:
Meeka scrambled through the rubbish, searching for somehting good to eat, his tulip ears turning back and forth searching for cat-like sounds.
"No no cat cats get Meeka. Oh no no. Meeka to smart for dumb dumb cats, me supa rat, rat rat good, cat cat bad, bad bad bad cat cats. Too too big for rat rats." The sleek yet tatty light brown furred rat sat on his haunches and held a piece of mouldy bred in his front paws and nibbled delightedly, his tail twitching exstatically and then he stopped and froze like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car.
He jumped round and stood alert, ears flicking and rotating, searching...
He suddenly darted out and ran behind some flower pots, before scaling up onto a step and looking down the street to see two cats.
"Oh no no, big white puss puss and fuzz ball grey-blue cat cat. No no good. Oh dearsie me, poor Meeka be in troubles tonight, yes yes."
The rat nodded his head wisely and crouched down low, his intelligent black eyes sparkling as he eyed his potential foes.

OOC: Hope that's okay.

OOC: Just curious this IS set in England right???

IC:
She slunk along the wall, keeping to the shadows, searching for some source of food, the tabby cat padded into an alley and relaxed, she was safe again, she was in Shadows turf.
Amber jumped onto a wall then walked carellessly at a high speed trot, until she reached the over hang, where she made a brief hop onto the roof and then she could get a much better view.
Fluffing up her fur and licking a few of her battle scars she looked around, and noticed a flicker of movement.
A rat, brown, by the plant pot, now on the step, and two cats completley unaware of it.
Amber ran silently and then crawled out of sight and earing until she was practically ontop of the rat, then she jumped and landed behind the rat.
"Hello ratty. Out for a stroll?"

OOC:

groovygerbil: Aye, that's okay though I would like to point out the edit I made in the post above regarding rat intelligence. All animals are made equal, so to speak, so you do not HAVE to roleplay as you are. However, bear also in mind that it will probably more interesting if you continue as you are, and I would say will add to the story. Up to you.

Super Ferret: Old London is a creation of mine, so no it's not set in England, just a place similar in terms of building style. Since I haven't been to England recently, or watched those movies for several years, I'm a bit rusty on specifics. If you noticed something inconsistent, let me know.

To both of you: Welcome aboard! I'm going to assume the two cats mentioned are Gem and Stormcloud, as it makes considerable sense to me. If that is not the case, please mention it.

His tail was stinging again.

Blood slowly moved over to the riverbank and stopped in the shallows, resting his tail in the water. The cold soothed it slightly.

It was just one of the many reasons he hated Humans. When he had first arrived at the train bridge he was curious as to what it was, and had begun an investigation. Unfortunately this investigation had coencided with the 5:30 Express on the down line. He had got his body off the rails in time, but had lost a good half a foot from his tail!

He looked down at the blunted end now. The bleeding had stopped some time ago, but there was still a dirty ragged scar where his tail used to be. It would probably never heal fully.

He sighed and laid his head down on the grass, examining his surroundings with his unblinking eyes. There ere a lot of trees around. Had he left the city without realising?

There was a familliar monster roar overhead, and he looked up to see the familliar eyes racing across the sky. He had learned by now not to be afraid of them (he couldn't even admit to himself that he had been afraid of them at one point...he was afraid of nothing!). So long as one stayed still they would ignore you.

But the great roaring monsters in the sky only flew near the city, this he knew. He had been dumped a little way out of the city near the forest, and there were none of the monsters out there.

He looked around again, this time in the trees and bushes nearby. He tested the air with his tongue. This place could be nice! Thee were thousands of different scents all around, most of them warm and moist...animal scents! It seemed this area could be a nice hunting ground!

Lazily he began to move off into the trees, keeping to the shadows and long grass. This merited investigation!

(OOC: in case anyone is wondering, the monster is an airoplane. Blood has never seen the airport, so he doesn't know about them)

"Gem? Alright then. Follow me, and try to keep up." Stormcloud gave her chest a quick lick before starting off at an easy lope through the streets. Her ears flickered back and forth to check for any dangerous noises, and she scented the air occasionally to make sure Gem was following.

The dappled she-cat slowed to a walk, then stopped completely, parting her mouth the take in all the city scents around them, before loping off again. The second time she stopped, Stormcloud scented rat in one of the alleyways to her left, and the faint scent of cat. Not wanting the hassle, she motioned with her tail to the already panting Gem to keep going.

After the two cats had turned a corner at a trot, Gem spoke up, addressing her guide.

"Why...why are we....running, Stormcloud?" She asked the silver-and-white flecked she-cat beside her.

"So we can get to Central Park as fast as we can. You'll be safer once you get there; I hear Marshall the Great Dane has set up a camp for lost housepets. You'll probably go there."

And when Stormcloud seemed not to want to continue the conversation, Gem didn't ask any more questions. The Blue-Furred Persian was still wary of the big Stray, even though Stormcloud was helping her. The housecat thought of what the she-cat had said, and was a little alarmed that a dog would be there to help her. As far as she knew, dogs hated cats with a passion, and Gem knew that some fellow housecats had had terrible experiences with dogs.

Stormcloud must've seen her expression, for she added, "Marshall isn't one of those nasty brutes you housepets see all the time. He's quite a kindly old fellow, a real friend to those in need."

-*-*-*-

"Not committed, am I?"

Marshall jumped slightly, but relaxed as a white cat with ginger paws, tail and belly padded over to him. Mossbelly purred, and gave an amused chuckle.

"I'll have you know I've helped just as many housepets and Strays as you have, Marshall...give or take a few."

After taking her well-deserved nap, the she-cat had decided to visit the Great Dane's camp and have a friendly chat for the sake of friendship. Mossbelly had heard Fenix talking, and felt slightly honored that the vixen consider recruiting her. The ginger and white Stray purred some more before licking a paw and swiping it around her face.

(OOC: Right this is ok'd with Way now^^)

IC:

Stormcloud and Gem continued down the street a way, then Storm suddenly stopped again, this time tense.

"You smell that?"

Gem sniffed the air. There was something...something she'd never scented before. A strainge, musty smell. "What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Fox." muttered Storm quietly. "And not all of them are friendly."

CLANG!

Both cats jumped as they heard the noise. It came from one of the back streets intersecting the road at right-angles.

"We'd better hide." The two cats dived to the side of the road, ducking under a parked car. They waited there a few minutes in silence...

...then he came round the corner.

He was big for a Red Fox...very big! His fur was soft and silky, and his large brown eyes glowed with an interest and intelligence that seemed to light up anything he looked at like a torch. He was young...in his prime, and Storm could imagine many Vixens holding their breaths and trying to catch his eye when he was around.

He sauntered down the pavement casually, up to a large litter bin sat by someone's gate. There he reared up on his hind legs and nosed the bin lid off with considerable expertise. He had had practice in the act, apparently.

The bin lid fell with another resounding CLANG! and the Fox began to nose through the contents interestedly. Finding nothing of value he dropped back down onto the concrete and resumed his easy pace down the road.

And onto the downwind side of the car.

Suddenly he stopped, his nose sniffing the air curiously. His head turned, and his brown eyes scanned the road behind him. He spoke in a clear, powerful voice: "Is someone there?"

Gem glanced at Storm and whispered, more with facial expression than words, "what should we do?"

Marshall turned and muttered to himself, "darn cat ears...!"

Raising his voice, he spoke to Mossbelly directly. "Now listen here, you little rogue! Do not get any ideas from what we said...maybe we Admins are a bit short-handed, and maybe this is a time when we need more animals to help, but that will not force me to make drastic decisions! I need proof that you are committed to helping those in need, as you suggest...I'll tell you what, if you will take care of the camp here, then I'll be able to go out on patrol, and take an active role in this whole 'pet abandoning' business. What d'ya say to that?"

Stormcloud thought for a moment, before motioning with a flick of her tail for Gem to stay put. The dappled Stray sauntered out from under the car, muscles tense, as she sat down about a foot away from the fox. He could tell she had had to face up against his kind more than once, but was still cautious in doing so.

"Hello." Stormcloud's eyes flashed in the moonlight.

-*-*-*-

Mossbelly considered what Marshall had said, not at all offended by his tone of voice. The ginger and white feline flicked an ear toward the camp, before purring amusedly.

"Alrighty, Marshall, I'll tend the camp for while. Just show me the ropes...I'd be glad to help, really."

OOC: Many thanks for the info Way. Got a reply from the pm I sent you. Many thanks ^^ Will note you if I do have 'bright' ideas as it were XD
BTW, is it 5:30 in the morning? Judging from what happened to Blood's tail (ouch). But erm... there's still an approaching storm regardless of the time of the day, right?
Will change if necessary.

IC:

It was dark, the sun and set a while ago and the tubes by now, were out of service as Wraith and Bandit emerged from a manhole like burrow, and started walking along a deserted track.
Bandit took a moment to shift his eyes warily amongst his surroundings whereas Wraith kept his head low moodily as he prowled his way along.
"So which railway is this?" Bandit asked.
"The 'Hammersmith and city line'..." Wraith replied, looking up at the platforms, simply recognising the signs when having heard announcements of the same mundane voice concerning the tube and its whereabouts. He couldn't read, actual fact.
"I'm assuming once we get to Barbican, that you'll lead the way?" Wraith asked "it should be slightly safer there from the cops and dog catchers..."
"Are you saying I'm bait for danger?!" Bandit frowned as he glanced at Wraith.
"To an extent you mutt-headed mutt!" Wraith, turning his head as he challenged his look "I can walk around any time, anywhere, any place and avoid getting caught... but you? You wouldn't be able to tear your way out through a paper bag! So now, we take the safer route, to ensure your safety..."
"My safety?! Dgee, I'm so flattered..." he snarled sarcastically.
"Well... you shouldn't be," Wraith laughed "I always have ulterior motives from my good deeds... you have the info on Zenobia's joint and I need you to take me there of course..."
Wraith paused, as he turned to look at Bandit and frowned.
"Of course you could just tell me right now," he said, lifting a paw expressively.
"I erm...." Bandit hesitated with frustration, before forcing a smile "I can't dictate. I work off of scent... sorry... it's shamless and stupid trait on my part!"
Wraith pouted as his eyes half shut grumpily, before snorting and continueing his pace.
"You know, I knew dogs were stupid... but not that THICK!" Wraith exclaimed "it's times like these I really do laugh at you canine incompetents. It's no wonder you became domesticated... ha! Guess you've all gone backwards as a kind cos of all your master's works! Yes?"
Bandit just nodded reluctanly, annoyed, but willing to keep Wraith thinking that the two really should stick together once they reach Zenobia.

Wraith and Bandit had finally walked up the steps, stepping onto the streets of Barbican which was still basically empty.
Just as they passed a lone, empty, hotdog-stand, Wraith suddenly flicked an inquisitive ear, before turning to look at the stand.
"Ladies and gents, this is your friendly and familiar 2FM host, Clive reporting for the night. A warning here, but nonetheless, this is just a reminder that anyone who has spotted a recent missing anaconda is to call the London zoo immediatly. A passer-byer was believed to have spotted it one and reported it to have been over 15 feet long...!" a well spoken voice emittion was heard coming from a musty radio. Wraith narrowed his eyes momentarily, before looking at the ground for a moment, but raised his ears nonetheless as he awaited the rest of the report.
"He's probably gonna grow larger too. Please do not underestimate this situation our dear 2FM listeners. Anacondas this size are known to eat humans... even swallow them whole. So if you find your little kid screaming in your backyard, or your pet dog kicking a riot, do check it out... *and bring out your gun*." the radio talker said with a whipser on the last statement.
Wraith's face broke out in a somewhat disgusted scowl, which matched the expression of Bandits as they turned to face one another.
"Woah! Can you imagine that thing eating a human... what danger we might be in?!" Bandit exclaimed, wrinkling his nose.
"Er..." Wraith frowned, before forcing a smirk "nyaaa. I'm not scared of colded blooded, legless losers. He he! If I saw him now... I'd kill him."
With that, the wolf and the dog turned from the hotdog stand and continued down the street, with Bandit suddenly regretting not having stashed a few sausages to curb his ongoing appetite.

ooc2: If it's still a bit off, please note me! (: EDIT: As in say via OOC >>

Leon had just been inspecting and checking out the neutral ground of Central Park for a while, looking for anything interesting or particularly noteworthy... any real good news that he would be able to take and bring back to the Don, when he spotted both a great Dane and a cat talking together. Leon stopped to pause and look at the pair of them for a while, gauging what he should neccessarily do, but ascertained it would be alright regardless. This was a neutral ground, and the Great Dane was the Marshal. Leon's family didn't neccessarily get on well with him, afterall, his family only cared for themselves at the expense of any other, whilst the Marshall aimed to earn equality between all animals more.

Leon simply hid behind a tree as he listened to what Mossbelly and the Marshall would speak about before the dane would leave, and then to talk to Mossbelly... just socialise, get any info he could...

OOC: Just a couple of quick notes for Bentleee: I refer to the end of the first post ("The sun was setting; it would be night soon, and most humans had already turned in for the night."), in reference to the fact that it is just after sunset. Unless your post takes place the next morning, you will want to edit...

The radio thing is fine, excepting that Blood was abandoned, in reference to Wraith's first post ("His minders had abandond him six months ago, saying he was too big"). To make it work, a train operator may have seen him near the tracks, and so he was spotted recently. I don't know how much this will change what you had in mind...

And lol, I almost made a bunch of mistakes like these ones, because I didn't read each post at least twice!

Will edit for an IC section.

IC:

Marshall relaxed a little. "You will? That's great! Look, all you have to do is direct as many of the homeless that are seeking shelter to the camp. There are already more than 50 animals there. You basically just need to answer their questions, and do what Fenix said you had been doing. If you have any problems or questions, or anyone is concerned about authority, there's another Admin here, a squirrel by the name of William. He lives in that great big willow over there," he said, pointing to the largest tree at the very center of the Park, "and he'll help you out. Right, well, good luck, and I'm off!"

Before Mossbelly could say any more, Marshall bounded off, beginning his patrols of the city streets...

(OOC: Sorry all I should have been more clear.

Blood was abandoned six months ago by the river on the outskirts of the city. He started swimming downstream very very slowly, and reached the vicinity of the bridge about two months after his being abandoned. It was at this point that he investigated the bridge and got his injury, but he stayed in the area for a further four months thanks to the cover the bridge provided. He's moved on now because pickings in the area are getting slim.

It's quite possible that someone spotted him somehow and reported him, although no one would know for certain he was an abandoned pet, since his owners wanted to keep it secret. They wouldn't have reported it or anything. The radio station may assume he is a former pet, but they wouldn't know for sure.

And yeah, the referance to the train time was four months ago, not last night or anything. Sorry everyone, my fault for not explaining enough.)

OOC: XD no probs.

Bare in mind I've only had three hours sleep and am simualtaneously cramming >>;

I will edit tomorrow morning and sort it all out...

Oh, by the way, I live in London so those names are real. And I think places like Barbican have existed for years. I know the central line, Hammersmith and city line, district line, and circle line on the tube have been operating since my dad went to University like, 30 years ago.

I know this ain't strictly london in this RP, but just to let you know.

Mossbelly smiled to herself, glad the Great Dane was more willing to let her help around the camp. Swiping her tongue around her mouth, the she-cat padded off toward the stand of trees where the camp was situated; a nice little clearing sheltered by the trees overhead. The shade kept you cool in the day time, and provided cover during the night, in which most animals in the park were active. Mossbelly spotted some beds made of moss for the smaller of their visitors.

So far, the only visitor left was a young, black and white kitten, who appeared to be asleep. Mossbelly went and layed down next to her, tucking her paws underneath her chest.

Once it's light, She decided, I'll take her wherever she needs to go. Maybe I can get William to watch the camp while I'm gone...

(OOC: Hey Ben, I'm in England too^^ I'm up near Manchester though.

Sorry for the confusion. It's only occurred to me now how sketchy I was about the details there...one of those moments where you think something but forget to actually type it in ><

Edit: Oh and something that's just occured to me...in Ben's post it makes a referance to Blood being about 6 feet long. In my post I placed his length at "well over 15 feet". I'd just like to point out in case anyone is unsure: I'm not exagerating here. Giant Anacondas are the biggest snakes in the world, and regularly grow to upwards of 20 feet! Roumours also circulate about some being found that measured as much as 30 feet long, although these roumours have not been proven. Just to let you know I'm not just being silly or anything, Blood really is over 15 feet long! lol

Anyhow, on with the RP^^)

The Fox's brown eyes fixed on the Cat, and he smiled slightly. "Hey, I didn't see you there. I'm always amazed at the feline mastery of stealth!" He stepped forward, but Storm lowered her head, the hackles on the back of her neck rising.

The Fox stopped short, a look of suprise on his features. "I'm sorry!" he muttered. "I don't want to hurt you or anything." He sat down in the midle of the road, cocking his head to one side as he observed the Cat. "I know there are some Foxes out there that aren't too friendly, but I can assure you I'm not like them. The name's Rhymane...call me Rhy. I'm from the forest, although nowadays I tend to spend more time here in the city than I do there..."

He smiled again, good-naturedly, trying to ease the feline's nerves. "What's your name?"

============================================================

Blood slithered through the grass silently, barely desturbing the undergrowth as his long body slid past. He could still taste the animal scents...they were much closer now. They were also stronger...whatever was causing them was considerably bigger than a Mouse or Vole.

He stopped suddenly as he heard voices. Slowly, carefully, he raised his head slightly, peering through the strands of grass.

There were two animals just ahead, in conversation with each other. He had seen their animal type through the window during his captivity. He recalled the Humans' names for them...Cat...Dog...

The dog was most interesting, being considerably bigger. Blood leaned his back against a tree, hiding his slender form against the thick trunk. So disguised, he raised his head further, giving him a clearer view of the area.

"...He lives in a big willow over there..." Blood froze as the two animals turned to face him. Fortunately his dark green and black colouring blended perfectly with the shadows and the bark of the tree.

"Right well, good luck, and I'm off!" The Dog set off with a bound, leaving the Cat alone in the clearing.

Blood's face cotorted into an evil, reptillian leer. Now the two were alone. Either one of them would be easy prey! He studied the Cat as she turned and moved off on some mission of her own. She would be the easier to attack, but she was considerably smaller than the hound. Not as appetising a meal.

Blood lowered his body back to the floor and set off at pace after the Dog. He could always come back for the feline later...he had time. His mouth began to water in anticipation as he persued his quarry. Even during his time in captivity he had never had a propper meal, forced to survive on the tiny titbits that were inserted into his cage twice daily. Now, the biggest feast of his life was mearly minutes, and meters, away...!

"What's shaking, cat?" said a friendly, but definitely surprising voice from behind Mossbely which made her turn around to face the voice and to who it belonged to, and had found that it's owner was a tabby cat, walking up towards her.

His expression seemed calm and happy, willing to just make conversation. "Anything interesting happening?" Leon asked.

-**The Alley**-

Stormcloud relaxed visibly, her ears swiveling in different directions. The she-cat eyed Rhy for a moment, before giving her chest a quick lick.

"Stormcloud," She mewed, flicking her tail. "Call me Stormy and I'll scratch your eyeballs out."

Stormcloud did not want Gem to come out from hiding just yet, for even though Rhy seemed like a nice fellow, the Stray knew that some appearances can be deceiving. The dappled grey feline instead, licked a paw and batted her ear once or twice, before turning to the fox again.

"Well, Rhy...I don't see what the city has to offer for such a fellow as yourself.....not many venture here out of leisure."

-**Central Park**-

Mossbelly jumped up, then relaxed once she realized that the tom before her was not trying to sound aggressive. Her features relaxed as she sat down, clearly amused now of Leon's choice of words.

"Define interesting..." She meowed. "There's no fire or flood, if that's what you're asking." The she-cat was obviously being sarcastic.

Mossbelly got up and padded away from the slumbering kitten, so as not to wake her as she spoke with this new cat. The ginger and white feline flicked her tail for Leon to follow and then went and sat by a tree on the other side of the camp clearing.

"And who might you be, wanting to take a stroll through Central Park?" Mossbelly asked, her light blue eyes searching his.

Rhymane grinned. "I beg to differ." he replied. "There are all sorts of fascinating things to be found in those things..." He jerked his head towards the dustbin. "...and the locals are usually fun too."

Storm raised an eyebrow at this, wondering if he was making fun of her in a round-about way. He seemed genuine though.

"Plus I like to help out with the holessness problem whenever I can. I like to help."

"You're an Admin?"

"No." Rhy shook his head. "I couldn't be an Admin. I'd mess it up like I do everything else." He sighed slightly. "No I help out in my own little way. I know it's not ideal for the Admin White and all the others, but it's the best I can do, and like I said, I like to help."

Stormcloud nodded, before replying, "I see what you mean. I help those who are lost, but I'm not really that generous to start. I could be an Admin if I wanted, I just choose not to be."

"Why?"

"Because...I'm not as patient as Mossbelly, or as helpful as Marshall. Mostly I just help lead housepets to them. I prefer helping in my own way as well, I suppose......" She meowed in answer to his question.

Gem was still under the car, wondering just exactly what Stormcloud was doing. The silver and white flecked she-cat had told her to stay hidden, but why? This fox seemed like a nice enough guy; not one to attack cats like herself. The blue-furred housecat decided she would reveal herself; at the precise moment Storm called her name.

Gem sauntered out, just like her guide had done, and sat down beside her.

"Interesting..." Rhy muttered, raising an eyebrow.

"Like I was saying," Stormcloud purred, "I've made it a habit of mine, leading housepets like Gem to Central Park, and the Admin Camp." The Stray paused again to glance out at the street beyond the alley, and a sigh escaped her.

"Seems right now, there are more lost animals than ever...most of them housepets."

As Marshall strolled out onto the streets, unaware of the lurking danger behind him, he gazed towards the high buildings, before sighing.
So many domestic animals, who thought they had a home right now, may well have found themselves in a different position later on. Why was it that it had to come to that? Why did humans always think about themselves first before their own pets... surely they were family as well?

Sick and tired of life? You look so weary... Well, just keep calm and still. I'll cater for your troubles... your burden... once and for all...

With that thought, Blood predicted for sure that Marshall had kept still, in which time he was about to strike- when suddenly...
"Yo Barkie!" a voice suddenly interrupted Marshall, which caused Blood to almost jump out of his scales, and thereafter hiss with annoyance.
As Marshall turned to look, he noticed two canines coming in his direction, one looking like a social, if not somewhat stupid german shepherd, whereas the other canine looked more like- a wolf possibly? Certainly he seemed a little bigger than a dog, his coat was unusual- but the eyes in particular, were almost unnatural and cold.
"We were just on our way to North London and..." Wraith stopped, as he saw the park behind Marshall.
"Hey, nice place you got there," Wraith said, tilting his head "tell me, does Zenobia own that place too?" he continued, lifting a paw in the direction of central park.
Bandit was in a bit of a daydream, smirking lightly, before his eyes widened suddenly as he sneezed.
"Say! You got cats here or something?! Ugh!" he said, wiping his nose with his paw.

The handles Leon. The tabby cat replied, raising a paw as if to emphasise it. I was just seeing of my friend back to the North side of the city and I just stopped by to see if anything new was happening, any interesting information.

Leon stretched outwards, before lying down on the ground. Youre Mossbelly, right? An admin or something? Someone who looks after the animals in Central Park. Thats cool. I thought since youve got such an important position youd know anything new thats happened.

Ive got to get any new info that I can for the Don hes got to always know and make sure whats happening in this city. Leon finished explaining.

Rhy nodded, his face puzzled. "Yeah I've seen more out on the streets tonight." he riplied thoughtfully. "You have any idea why?"

Storm shook her head. "Beats me." she repled, her voice sounding a little bored, as though she was already thinking of moving on.

"Most of them were so scared they ran off before I saw them." continued Rhy. "I guess I should be quieter as I go foraging." His eyes came to rest on Gem and he nodded respectfully to her. She smiled a little shyly. "Gem is a nice name." the Fox said. "Nice to meet you."

Gem was still a little aprehensive about the larger animal, but she murmured a quiet "Thanks" in reply.

"So you're going to Central Park?" asked Rhy, looking back at Storm. "Mind if I tag along? I'd be interested to find out what's going on, if they know there."

============================================================

This wasn't expected!

Two he may have been able to handle, but three was pushing it. And on top of that, the front half of his body was exposed, the short grass doing very little to cover him!

If he moved he would be spotted almost certainly. He had no choice but to stay still, and hope the dark stormclouds obscuring the moon and the camoflage on his back would keep him from detection.

At the same time he tensed his muscles and bared his teeth, just in case. He didn't have the poison fangs of some of his serpantine brothers, but his bite was powerful none the less! And of course, he had his size, weight, and crushing, constricting strength.

If he could get his coils round them, their bones would snap like twigs...

-**The Alley**-

Stormcloud pondered Rhy's question a moment, before shrugging her shoulders and getting up to stretch. "Suit yourself. I wouldn't mind."

And with that, the Stray flicked her tail and Gem took up her place by her guide's side, both of them starting at a trot. Rhy followed quietly, trying not to startle any other animals out for the night, Storm guessed. The silver-and-white feline just led the way out of the alley and down the street, purring with satisfaction as she spotted the tall trees and black barred fence of Central Park as the trio crested a hill. Shops littered the sidewalks to Stormcloud's right, and to her left, some with flashy, eye-catching signs, or others with a certain air about them. The she-cat paused to drink in the scents, always enjoying the job of sifting through them.

There were housepet scents (they must have been on those blasted neck-ropes humans use) and many, many human scents, couples with the stench of the road and the huge monsters that zoomed by constantly. One scent, though, in particular, reminded Storm of a certain shop that was considered a poison-place to all canines and felines. It smelled of tantalizing sweets and gooey treats, but the white-flecked Stray knew better than to try and pilfer one of the little brown rocks that tasted so good. Instead of being solid, it was said to be quite edible. But animals who ate the stuff usually keeled over, terribly sick.

(OOC: Unless anyone know what she's thinking about, it's chocolate. Very bad stuff for animals like cats and dogs.)

Stormcloud continued on down the steep incline, picking her way carefully and keeping her ears alert for any of those massive zooming monsters. She'd heard of cats being killed by those things, and preferred not to endure the same fate. Gem, meanwhile, had been looking around in wonder, fascination, and slight fear at the world she had never been able to see from within the house walls. Usually the only times she was outside was when she had to be taken to the vets, and that trip wasn't exactly pleasant. The Persian had never had time to look at the scenery, and was now constantly scenting the air around her and stopping to look at strange things every now and then.

"Come one, then...you act like you've never seen a hotdog stand," Stormcloud mewed as she nudged Gem onward. The housecat was fascinated with the stand, and glanced back with a sigh.

"Well, I haven't...I never venture outside the house."

"Never?" Said Rhy, who had been looking amusedly from the curious stand owner, to Gem.

"No...not once." And that was the end of that.

The trio of animals continued on in silence, until they came to the gates of Central Park, where Gem spotted Marshall, speaking with two strange dogs, one of which, appeared to be quite...stupid. The other was just plain creepy to the housecat, who slunk behind Storm.

The Stray scowled, "We're going to have to pass them, Gem, so don't bother hiding."

And with that, Stormcloud, Rhy, and Gem turned the corner, heading straight for Marshall, Wraith, and Bandit, and behind them, the entrance to Central Park.

-**Admin Camp**-

Mossbelly nodded, "Correct. I'm Mossbelly, and while I am not an Admin, I'm tending the camp while Marshall is off on patrol." The Stray paused to lick some moss out of her coat, while flicking her tail lazily.

"I can't say that there's a lot going on...besides the fact that housepets seem to be turning up in large numbers. We've had our paws full." With a grim smile, the she-cat settled back down, paws outstretched.

"Mind you, I may not be very streetwise anymore, but I've got a friend who may be able to give you better news than I."

OOC: WOW! I turn my back for a few hours, and look what happens! I'm making a doozy of a post here, so get ready!

Lots of excitement here, so try to keep up! I get the feeling things will just get better!

IC:

The large glass walls surrounded her. She loved the claustrophobic feel. She loved the dim light cast by the worklamp next to her 'partner's' work area. She turned, and stared at her partner. The human was glancing from a computer screen, to a piece of paper, and writing things down. Filling out some report, she assumed. Those other humans made her partner work so hard...they were taking him away from her, giving him too many things to do! She enjoyed nothing more than listening to his soothing voice, being able to creep along his warm body, and feast upon the prey he brought for her!

Without warning, the door swung open, letting in the wretched light! Her front two legs reared up, and she cast an angry glare at her partner's assistant! The assistant didn't understand, and when they exchanged glances, she made sure to let him know he was not welcome! The assistant spoke, his voice like nails on a chalkboard to her! "Sir, I have an updated report..."

Her partner replied, and the gentle tones of it helped her relax. Her eyes began to droop, and she went into her nest to rest. "Good. Just one moment, and I'll be ready."

"Uh, sir? Your tarantula was glaring at me like that again."

Her partner turned to his assistant. "Attila the Hun is very emotional. I wouldn't say any more than you need to. I don't want to have to get another new assistant, since the others are still in the hospital...now, that report, please."

"Err...yes, sir! Ten minutes ago, the Fox left Central Park. She is taking her usual path to her home, the basement of the Museum. Just a moment ago, the Great Dane stepped outside of the Park as well."

"Good, good...any news from inside the Park itself?"

"No...that blasted Squirrel has found and disabled more than 80% of the hidden cameras we set up..."

"I see."

"Nonetheless, the viruses we sent out are working; dozens of owners are tossing out their pets, and most of them are heading for Central Park. Many of the animals are still scattered and lost."

"Good. Are there any side effects to the Viral Growth?"

"No. They only affect humans inside; the outside has too much clean air for it to affect them there, most of the time. Animals are immune to it, which is good, because being allergic to oneself would usually result in termination...'

"And the vaccines we have taken are working?"

"Yes. As requested, we have a backup supply, should the current ones wear off.'

"Okay. Please elaborate on the target report."

"Great Dane is going out on patrol, like he usually does; Fox is going home to her kits; Squirrel is still in the Park; Dalmatian was last spotted in the North section, heading South; and we lost all sight of Wolf after two cops attempted to capture Wolf. All secondary targets are moving as predicted."

"Good. Now is the time. Deliver my orders: Capture teams are to go out, following pattern Beta. Initiate Museum Lockdown, and proceed with capture. I myself will send out Attila's brother, Eric the Red, to hunt down Wolf."

His assistant gaped at him. "You're sending a tarantula out to capture a wolf!?"

Her partner reached a hand into the cage, and she climbed on it. He lifted her out, and began to stroke her back. "Yesss...I need Attila here, just in case the animals get unruly...Eric should be more than enough."

The assistant hesisted, then saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Gem tried to be brave, and moved up next to the others. Sure, she felt more secure with these two, but still, the world was full of strangers and strange things, and her trust of them went only as far as the fact that she didn't know anyone else. She had never had good experiences with strangers, and while she felt lucky to have not been attacked on sight by Stormcloud, she didn't want to press her luck. "I hope I'm ready for this..."

Marshall mentally screamed. He just needed some space, and already there were more of them! Of course, being an Admin, he had to maintain appearances...at least, that was his line of thinking. Putting on a smile, Marshall faced the two dogs. "That there is Central Park, friend, a haven to all animals in need! Including cats, among others...the Admins don't discriminate. And no, Zenobia does not own it, though if trends continue, he just might try for it. You know something about the Zen?"

Wraith shook his head. "Only a little. I'm looking for more information."

"Hmm...okay. I know that, unlike the other gang leaders, Zenobia actually lives on the North Side. Just what the humans have got there makes him well protected, but add in his own posse, and he's almost untouchable. There aren't very many ways to get through all that, except...hmm?"

At that moment, Stormcloud, Rhymane, and Gem came strolling closer, looking as though they were trying to get to the Park. He turned to face them. "An odd crew you are! Are you lost, need some help, or - Gem?"

Marshall stared at the little Persian for a moment, utter shock on his face! Gem reacted by glancing around, then looking back. "M-me? Have we met before...?"

"I..."

Marshall was interrupted when a blue Woodpecker came flying by, landing on his head! "Marshall! Marshall! You've gotta hurry, it's terrible!"

Gem heard the name, and recognized it from what Stormcloud had said! "Marshall? He's an Admin?"

Marshall mentally sighed. This was more than he ever expected, and quite frankly he was feeling overwhelmed. "What is it, Jack? And calm down, I'll never understand a word you say if you talk that fast!"

Jack the Woodpecker, also an Admin, though not very well known as anything but a gossip, kept on his fast-paced chatter. "Oh, Marshall, this is bad! Humans have found Fenix's home!"

Marshall's heart virtually stopped. "WHAT!?!"

"There were only two, but more were coming! As I was leaving, they were capturing her kids!"

Fenix slipped through the hole from the alley, and entered her home. As she stepped inside, a strange scent reached her nose. Dropping her bag, she sniffed deeper, and realized it was Humans! A cold chill exploded in her heart, and the only thing that kept her from running in a panic was the fact that her children were still in there! Dashing inside, she slipped into the niche in the wall that held her brood. It was empty! The bedding she had prepared was all over the place!

Her eyes popped open in surprise as a metal panel was slid in front of the niche, trapping her! The ceiling above her began to open, and humans stood at the edge of the hole, watching her every move! "No...please no...how could you do this?!"

They couldn't hear her words, only the growling that came from her throat. She leapt up, far higher than they thought possible, and pounced on the nearest human, attacking vicously with claws and fangs! The human was screaming, but then the sound of a spark popping reached her ears! Another human slapped a metal device onto her side, and the electrical charge that went through it knocked her onto the floor! The human who used it shouted, "Medic!"

As her consciousness faded, she saw the humans crowding around, some picking her up and putting her in a cage, others helping the one she had wounded...

As the cat landed next to the rat and spoke, the trash can above then rattled, and the lid slid off! A white and black head poked out, belonging to a skunk! "Why all the noise? Can't a fellow get some sleep?"

Rhymane's ears pricked up suddenly. "Fenix??? Oh grief, what's happened to her? Is she ok?"

"I don't know." came the reply. "She wasn't there when I left."

Some of the others seemed a little suprised at Rhy's reaction, but Marshall knew the reason. He knew Rhymane, although he had only met him a few times. "You still like her?" he muttered quietly.

Rhymane met his gaze. "Can you blame me?" he replied pointedly.

Gem was looking from one to the other, a confused epression on her face. "Who...who's Fenix?"

Rhymane sighed and closed his eyes. "She's the only Vixen who's ever ment anything to me, and that hasn't changed, even though she turned me down. Marshall we've got to make sure she's ok. I offer my help."

"Cat cat!!" Screeched Meeka, immediately leaping into a pot plant, he shrieked again when a skunk popped out of a dustbin.
"Stripies and cat cats! Will rat rat Meeka live past day of this."
OOC: Soz I haven't posted in a while, I just didn't get on for awhile and then so much happens...eep.

OOC: That's just fine, groovygerbil! Time seems to go faster in this RP than in others right now, and so you're not the only one who's falling behind! I barely have the time for this right now, but I'm going to try to keep things rolling along!

IC:

Marshall concentrated hard for a few seconds. Then, he spoke. "Jack, go let William know the situation. Rhy, if you want to tag along, go ahead, but I will warn you that messing with humans is exactly what got Fenix's mate, Striker, in trouble. I would feel better if you stayed here, though. The rest of you should head to Central Park. It isn't safe out here. Okay, I'm going!"

Jack flew off, and Marshall began to run, giving but a moment for the others to react!

You do, huh? Leon replied, interested by what Mossbelly had to say next, curious as to who this person could be that might have information, and whether he already knew them or not. Who is it, and where would they be?

Within the southern area of the city, in a dark and dank back alley and at the very end of it which was blocked by a solid brick wall, in the wall itself was a misplaced hole, a hole which led into the building and into the lair of one of the most vicious gang members within the entire city. It belonged to the Don, and his family of stray cats.

The room was a bit big, just enough to comfortably fit the whole gang within it, although it wasnt ridiculously big either. Inside of it were some wooden crates stacked along in various places, with other pieces of splintered debris elsewhere. The building the base belonged to was a warehouse, and this was only one of the rooms within it formed by where the crates were positioned. In truth, the whole of the warehouse belonged to the Don it was abandoned, much like many other industrial buildings in the southern sector. It was due for demolition, but that wouldnt be done for quite a while yet, and as it was, it would suit the needs of the Don and his gang long enough.

Sitting atop a strange, but comfortable material was the Don himself a strange, grey cat who was large exceptionally large. You could see the fat and muscle pile upwards, and it seemed as though he would have difficulty moving. His size was a strange thing to behold, especially for a stray and the rest of his gang looked quite well too for strays.

The truth of that was, the Dons Mafia were far from a decent gang. They were feared by the other strays within the city, as the Dons Mafia only cared about themselves. They stole whatever they could find from any other stray around and fed on it themselves, with the majority of it going to the Don itself, and adding to his already unbelievable mass. The Don had power, and this was feared and respected. The other strays could do little to stop him, otherwise they would have been severely beaten by the Dons gang, who were powerful.

His gang were misguided. They were all strays once as well, all alone with no one else around to support them. But the Don changed all that he helped them, gave them a family and support, and in return, his new gang would follow his orders, even if it was morally wrong. They owed him and so they had to follow him.

But the Don didnt aim to save these stray cats out of the goodwill in his overstressed heart, far from it. In each one of them he saw a potential they were all far above average from the usual cat, each one excelling in something which would be handy for his mission. Whether they were good at fighting, stalking, agile but the family didnt know that. He kept his plans a closely guarded secret, and not even his family knew his true motives or intentions. In fact, he planned for more then just survival and a ruling of sorts within the southern district no, he aimed to dominate the whole city, every animal would bow down to him.

But there was competition, yes not least of all, Zenobia. A grouping that controlled the underworld of the North side. Whilst his Mafia ruled the underworld of the South side, he had found competition already, specifically in the area past Central Park. But, the time for battle would of course come later. He was a calculating figure, and a leader won through their tactics, not just brute force, which he also excelled in. He had sent many of his men to gather intelligence, about Zenobia, about Central Park, about the other animals which seemed to be littering the streets more and more, which was curious but then again, this new influx of strays allowed for more men

My majesty, the Don spoke out a voice which disturbed and interrupted the large cats thoughts.

Hmm? What is it? The Don said, his tone full of impatience.

I have just received some new information. The new influx of animals in the city its for certain. In fact, theyre rapidly coming out but of course theyre mainly within the northern sector of London. The black cat replied.

But of course, the settlement side of things and unfortunately Zenobia territory. Blast! He angrily smacked the floor with his paw. But no matter. It was to be expected after all, and it shouldnt change much, no They will of course head for Central Park. A safe haven for all animals the fools. Where the Don is concerned, there is no safe havens. The large grey cat smiled.

You mean were going to take over Central Park? The black cat asked, confused and slightly intimidated by the thought.

Not yet, no when our force is at its maximum, and when weve received all the intelligence, all the facts then the possibility is large. It is just one step to conquering the rest of the city, yes now go, my son! Keep gathering more information. Specifically, I want to know why these animals are leaving their households to come to the streets. It couldnt all just be coincidence, could it? I think not. The Don finished, nodded, and then the black cat disappeared back out of the hole into the alleyway. The Don turned and smiled to the rest of his men that stayed in the warehouse with him, and chuckled lightly. Soon

Suddenly something jumped up from the grass beneath Marshall, and he stopped in suprise. "What the..."

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder and he cried out, then he felt something grab his body in a powerful, vice-like grip, something strong, something big!

He couldn't breathe! Whatever had him was squeezing him, crushing him from all sides!

"Stay back, or he dies!" hissed a cold, sinister voice.

(OOC: Way hope this is ok, just to get Blood into the story^^ Don't worry, I have no intention of killing anyone off lol. The pain in his shoulder is where Blood bit him, but he didn't get a good grip, so it's only a superficial wound.)

Wraith simply observed all the commotion with a stoic expression, right to the minute when Rhy showed up, and then take their leave. Towards the museum presumably.
"What? Dgee... poor lady," Bandit remarked "should we go help them?"
"Eh..." Wraith replied, cringing as he saw little point in what would come out of this.
Without answering to Bandit, Wraith suddenly leaped and landed in front of Marshall and Rye, obstructing their path.
"I've been outwitting humans for quite a while now. I know how they tick... well, most of them," Wraith explained "it would be within your own interest to let me tag along." Wraith added with a smile, as if to say he refused to listen to any objections.
"Bandit! I suspect you'll be troublesome in this cause... go make yourself comfy in the park or something. Zenobia's gonna have to wait for now..."
With that, Wraith stepped out of their path to stand next to Rye, making the fox stand in the middle.

______________________________________________

Within one of the tallest skyscrapers of London, which was in fact the home of a one of the world's most successful banking companies, Investec, stood a lone Doberman who simply looked out the window. The window was translucent on the inside so that he could see the outside, but an opaque black on the outside.
He enjoyed looking out on all the buildings that dotted the whole of North London. It always pictured how powerful he was in the position he was in.
The doberman was the pet of the founder of Investec. As the owner, he was spoilt and filthy rich in his own right. His wealth was simply liquid enough to endure it was so vast.
Granted the Zen never got any attention from his owner. But he didn't give a damn. In fact, he liked it better that way. Little notice paid to him meant that Zenobia was able to get on with his plans.
Zenobia suddenly heard a slight fluttering and immediatly turned and glared at the intruder. His one red and one green eye hardened, with his teeth bared simualtaneously, right before the incomer being a kestrel noticed and flew up higher so as to avoid being in danger.
"Sir. Relax... it's me!" Quill said "you shouldn't stay in the dark all the time."
"Why are you here?! Is it urgent enough to interrupt me?!" the doberman spoke in a snappy voice.
"Unfortunatly it does sir. You are to decide the fate of Rhy, Agfahn hound. He's guilty of certain crimes!"

Rye yelped and winced when he found himself brutally pushed against a nearby wall.
As he opened his eyes wearily, he found himself in a semi-dark room, with the odd red light which consequently gave off that crimson tint throughout the room. There were hooks which hung off of the ceiling, and black silhouettes hanging off of some of the hooks.
Rye shivered slightly, before he noticed yellow eyes, all around him, glaring at him.
"Wh-wh-where am I?" he stuttered.
"In the master's slaughterhouse. Heh." replied one of the dark unknown hounds. There was a group of sniggers, before it was dismissed with slight snarl and a clearing of the throat from a particular authorative.
Rhy was in fact, in the storage room where investec stored their meat supplies.
"Indeed." came a cold voice, which belonged to a green and red eyed owner, presumably Zenobia. He lowered his head and narrowed his eyes as stared Rye down to the ground.
"Do you have any why you're here, pal?" Zenobia asked calmly.
"I.... I..."
"Speak up! I haven't got all day!" Zenobia growled, raising his voice.
"I... erm... well you see... I don't know..."
Zenobia sighed impatiently, before simply muttering "go."
At that instant, five or six hounds of all sorts, dobbermans, rottweilers and pitballs suddenly leapt towards Rye.
As claws and teeth suddenly sank their way in the Agfahn's direction, he cried out and yelped as he found himself mercislessly attacked in the dark. The dogs attacked chaotically, one swiping him against the muscle, another two biting his hind leg, whilst another rammed his head against him and sent him flying against the wall.
"Okay, heal." Zenobia commanded, causing the dogs to instantly dissappear and regroup around him in the shadows.
"Now. I'll ask you again. Do you know 'why' you are here?"
Rye has his eyes shut, his form scratched and stinging all over. In particular his scared mussel was excrutiating.
"I stole some of your gambling supplies. Bandit and I were desperate sir. We're sorry..."
There was a momentary silence, before Zenobia suddenly chuckled derisively.
"Well, thanks for confessing that one, underdog. I wasn't actually aware of that...," Zenobia spoke "an extra bit of information, but that's not primarily why you're here."
Rye whimpered, awaiting the rest of Zenobia's speech. Either that or to just get killed straight away.
"I believe you and Bandit have been interacting with someone that has been a slight thorn to me. That Wolf... that Wraith.. that overated Legend. That's wrong. You know that. Now, realise this. I can't afford to let this happen. I have enough trouble as it is with those damn cats in the South. Particularly the Don... so..."
Zenobia paused, in which time his red and green eyes flashed as he blinked.
"I need to eliminate these smaller problems if I am to deal with my bigger problems. Namely the Don. So in order to curb deceiptful beings such as yourself... and Bandit... you... have to be made a lesson out of."
Rye's expression sank, momentarily shifting his eyes in fear to see if there was possibly a way...
"Kill him."
And with that, the black forms belonging to the hounds suddenly overshadowed Rye. His last visions consisting of blinding white teeth, ivory claws... and slashed red against pitch black. His last hearing consisted of growling and tearing flesh before he finally fell...

Stormcloud had already bounded off into the park, with Gem at her side. The she-cat knew Fenix, and just how important she was to the Admin camp. She wanted to find Mossbelly, possibly, and let her know. Gem panted as she ran, having trouble keeping up with the big Stray. As the two cats slowed to a trot, they entered the clearing, and to Storm's relief she spotted her friend...along with some other cat.

"Mossbelly!" She yowled, slowing to a walk to allow Gem to catch her breath.

Mossbelly got up quickly, and went to Stormcloud, dipping her head. "Hello, Stormcloud. I was just talking to this fellow over here, by the name of Leon. He was asking for information, and I was just telling him about you."

Stormcloud raised an eyebrow, but shook her head, "Later. Listen, Fenix and her kits are in trouble. Marshall is on his way with help. I know it's not like me, but I feel I really should go and help him as well."

The silver and white-flecked she-cat turned to leave, before motioning to Gem with a flick of her tail. "Oh, and by the way, that's Gem. She can tell you why she's here."

And with a flash, Stormcloud disappeared into the brush, heading back toward Marshall and Wraith, hoping to catch them. Mossbelly knew their was another reason the Stray was helping, and that was the fact that she herself was Stormcloud's only kit. Her mother had brought her here because she was sick, and Fenix had cured little Mossbelly.

"Ahem."

Mossbelly turned around to see Leon beside her, staring after her mother and mentor. "Was that your info-wise friend?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I'm afraid you caught her at a bad time. Though she did say she'd try and catch you later."

Leon looked thoughtful, before nodding. "Alright."

Mossbelly turned to Gem, "Now, Gem? Are you lost?"

OOC: It looks to me like Wraith and Bentleee were writing their posts at the same time, so I'll continue as though Bentleee's post happened first, if that's okay with everyone involved.

IC:

Gem was very distracted by what Marshall had said, and almost didn't notice being led to the Park. She heard Mossbelly's words, and only with some concentration was she able to listen. "Um, yes, I'm lost. I was abandoned and...how does Marshall know me?"

Moss glanced from the Persian to where Stormcloud had just run off to. "Excuse me?"

A look of determination came into Gem's eyes. "Marshall said my name, and I'm sure we've never met! I'm going to find out why..."

Gem began to march off, all fear leaving her!

Two trucks sat side by side. There were two humans in each of the cabs, all four of them wearing a grey suit that obscured their faces, and held various gear. One of them used his radio to get in contact with his leader. "The Great Dane and The Wolf are right there, near Central Park. What shall we - wait!"

Wraith jumped in Marshall's path, and Marshall was about to say something, when he was attacked! He let out a cry of surprise, but couldn't move as he heard the threat from his attacker! Before anyone else could react, a Dalmatian jumped out of an alley and bounded on top of a car, growling! "It is my right to kill Marshall! If you so much as break one of his bones, I promise I will kill you! Let him go...and we'll talk."

The human spoke quickly, "The Dalmatian just came outta nowhere! We have three, I repeat, three of our primary targets in sight! Requesting guidance."

"A pity I already sent out Eric, if the Wolf is right there. Too late to call him back. Right, take your squad and execute pattern Gamma!"

"Roger!"

The two drivers of the trucks turned on their vehicles, and slid around the corner, getting closer to the now large group of animals. They stopped eight blocks away, and one human got out of each of the trucks, while the drivers turned the vehicles around. The animals paused now, looking at the humans with suspicion. One of the humans whispered to the other, "is this really necessary?"

The other replied, "be quiet and follow orders like a good soldier."

One of the humans took a step forward, just as the two trucks stopped. The rears of the trucks faced the Park, and they both opened. The human called out, loud enough so he was sure all the animals over there heard him, "Alright, all of you get into the truck, and we won't hurt you! If you do not comply, we will take you by force!"

The animals hesitated. The humans were acting like they knew the animals could understand them! When they didn't move, the other human snapped his fingers. 9 large mutts all exited one of the trucks, and lined up near the humans, growling. "You will get into this truck quietly, or you will be forced in! Your choice, all of you!"

Rhymane looked slowly along the line of animals and humans, shocked into speechlessness by the sudden turn of events. "Okay..." he muttered when he finally found his voice, "...just what the hey is going on here???"

Blood was also staring at the line of dogs, his face black as thunder. "Nobody gives me orders!" he hissed furiously, loosening his grip on Marshall and slowly moving forward, level with the front of the group.

"You'll do as you're told, worm! You understand me?"

Rhy was edging backwards. "Marshall, you ok?" he whispered to the dog, who was panting heavily, getting his breath back. "I think we need to get out of here...like...now!"

-**Admin Camp**-

"Ah, Gem, wait!" Mossbelly meowed, lowering her ears as the Persian ignored her. "I don't see what's so important about the fact that Marshall knows her name that it can't wait until later."

The ginger and white she-cat padded back toward the kitten, who was now wide awake and shaking nervously since Marshall or one of the more familiar Admins wasn't there. Mossbelly walked up to her, and began talking in a soothing voice.

"It's alright, young kit. I'm a friend of Marshall's...you can call me Mossbelly. Now, what's your name?"

"M-my name? O-Oreo," The kit sqeaked.

Mossbelly gave Oreo a lick on her ear and gradually, by talking to the kitten, made her fall back asleep. The she-cat then settled down, a little ways apart, and spoke to Leon.

"You're welcome to stay here and wait a while, or you can leave," She mewed.

-**Entrance to Central Park**-

As Gem bounded out of the trees, she spotted the entrance to the park, and slowed her pace, hoping Marshall was still there. All of a sudden, as she reached the gate, the Persian yowled in surprise as she was bowled over, barely recognizing her attacker as they rolled into the flowers behind the park gates. Gem jumped back, frightened, ready to run.

"Gem, why are you here!?" Hissed a familiar voice.

"Stormcloud?"

"Yes!" Storm meowed, glaring at the housecat. "You can't go out there right now!"

Gem got up, shaking herself, causing flower petals to fall to the ground. "Why? What's happening?"

With a flick of her tail, Stormcloud signaled for silence, and led Gem to peer around the stone gate-posts. The two cats spotted Marshall, Wraith, Bandit, Rhy, Blood, and some other dalmation facing off against the humans and their dogs. Gem tensed as she sighted Blood, and the bleeding wound the snake had given the Great Dane. She took a step forward, only to be pushed back by the Stray beside her.

"We stay here," Storm said firmly. "Those attack dogs would tear cats like us to pieces...but we can watch."

OOC: o.o, indeed simualtaneous posting between Wraith and I must've happened. I think I spent 30 mins on that post and basically posted and then left. Sorry about that
Just a small thing, nothing major but Bandit's in the park. right now Unaware of all of this right now ^^

IC:

Wraith glared at his surroundings with a mixture of startlement and disgust. EVERYTHING had happened so quickly. He was about to face off that Anaconda he had heard off the radio and give him a piece of his mind for halting their journey by attacking Marshall. And then a bounding dalmation appeared.
Last but not least that got his goat... they were surrounded by humans, namely the police and attack dogs, who commanded that they all went inside the trucks.
"Like HELL I am!!!" Wraith screamed defiantly.
"You might wanna keep your voice down, lone wolf!" hissed one the mutts, which was heard as a growl to the humans, "our masters deal with non-compliant animals very severely..."
"Deal with me? Ha! You won't even get the chance!" Wraith spat, before looking at the rest of the... somewhat unusual party members as of now.
"I say we fight them!" Wraith nodded.

OOC: I hope I'm not posting again too quickly!

IC:

The humans watched, waiting. They had been told to expect slight delays, as the animals would probably talk to each other. Since they weren't running, the leader knew they had to be ready for two scenarios: One, the animals would comply and surrender, or: Two, they would fight. Judging from appearances, they were gonna fight. He raised a hand, and whispered, "get ready..."

As Marshall caught his breath, he turned to the Dalmatian. "Slayer! Why did you help me?"

Slayer the Dalmatian cast him a serious glare. "Listen, there's no time for explanations! I can take three of them. Marshall, I know you can take three more of them. The rest of you, if you're not gonna run, you just need to fend off the other three. My boys are circling around. All we have to do is keep them busy, and my boys will take care of the rest."

Marshall stared at Slayer in disbelief for a moment. When he realized that Slayer wasn't joking, he nodded. "Right, I'm ready!"

The mutts heard all this, but they had no way of letting the humans know what was being said...and they had to follow orders. They knew that when the human gave the signal, they would all have to attack, even if it meant leaving the humans defensless. Disobedience was not tolerated, even if it was smart.

Slayer barked, "Attack!"

As Slayer and Marshall charged forward, the human waved his arm, and the mutts growled and went on the offensive! As planned, Slayer and Marshall stopped a total of six of them from getting through, and the other three charged Wraith, Blood, and Rhymane! These three looked to be the toughest of the bunch, having much more than just strength on their side!

"I'll stay here, if that's okay. Wait for your friend to return, evn though things seem major. I hope they're okay." Leon replied, nodding and smiling somewhat.

"So, uh... why do you do this? I mean, helping others out like this. It's hard enough to support yourself." Leon asked.

Rhymane was in a quandry for a second. Attack them? They had to be kidding! But no, Marshall and Slayer jumped forward into the fray like the massive monsters the humans called "cars"! Oh for crying out loud, you two are insine! Taking a deep breath he lunged forward at one of their attackers, aiming for the throat with his teeth. Despite being large for a Red Fox, the dog was still bigger than him by a good few ears! Rhymane had the element of suprise, and managed to embed his teeth in the dog's neck, but the dog's extra strength soon came into play.

Rhy gasped as the dog slammed him down on the floor, winding him. His teeth tore the dog's skin with the movement, but the assailent just winced. He was used to pain!

Rhymane opened his mouth as he gasped for air, releasing the neck of the other animal. With a loud roar the dog turned on him, opening it's mouth to strike! Rhy had an image of teeth approaching...!

The dog suddenly went flying backwards, whimpering in shock and pain. Rhymane blinked in suprise as Wraith landed beside him. The Wolf had taken a run-up and ploughed into the animal at top speed, knocking it off it's feet! Wraith spun round, fixing Rhy with a stare. "You should be more careful!"

With that he span round to face another of the dogs, who was advancing menacingly towards him. Rhymane, recovered from his winding, rolled back onto his feet and moved to stand shoulder to shoulder beside him, teeth bared.

Blood, meanwhile, was enjoying himself. The third dog had made a beeline for him, snapping it's teeth and swiping with it's claws on all sides. Thanks to the Snake's thin body though, he had managed to dodge all the attacks. Then, as one of the dog's front paws slashed past, he quickly spun and latched onto it with his mouth, his sharp teeth digging deep.

The dog whimpered and staggered a moment, and that moment was all Blood needed. with a couple of deft flicks of his muscles he quickly wrapped himself around the creature's body, and in seconds the dog was completely hidden from view beneath the Snake's coils.

Blood's face creaced into an evil leer. "Goodbye." he muttered quietly, as he began to contract his muscles.

The dog started to cry out for help, but the call was choked out as he found he couldn't breathe in because of the pressure! A loud cracking filled the air as the dog's skeleton began to collapse...

This was Slayer's environment. He loved the sound of teeth gnashing, the scent of blood...he was 'home' here. Bobbing and weaving, he avoided almost every single attack that came his way. He saw an opening, and used a claw to uppercut one of his foes! As the mutt's head snapped back, Slayer dashed in and out, ripping the mutt's throat out! The mutt staggered for a moment, then fell over.

Marshall was going for a much more direct approach. With a slam, he knocked one of his adversaries into an alley full of trash. He spun around quickly as a second mutt lunged at him, and his long, poweful tail sent that one flying, too! The third was faster, and jumped on Marhsall's back! They soon were wrestling, as the other two were recovering from their flights.

Rhymane and Wraith faced off against the other two, as Blood finished his attack.

As Slayer had said, his 'boys' came in just about that time. There were four of them, a cat, two dogs, and a racoon! This motley crew split up their efforts: the racoon and cat climbed into the cab of the trucks, and began to attack the humans there! The two dogs bit the other two humans' legs, and once they were distracted, they ran to the aid of the others! The Chihuahua leapt on the back of one of the two dogs that was about to attack Wraith, while the other dog ran into the dogs attacking Marshall!

The leader of the humans rubbed his ankle where it had been bitten, and surveyed the scene. Snapping his fingers, he called, "Retreat!"

The human standing next to him muttered, "not without one of them!"

That human ran over to Slayer, just as the mutts were breaking off, and slapped a metal box onto his side! A bolt of lightning shot through Slayer, and he fell over, unconscious! The human picked Slayer up, and ran into the back of a truck, just as the mutts were retreating.

The drivers tossed out their attackers, and once the surviving mutts and the humans were inside, they drove off!

All of Slayer's group ran off, except for the Chihuahua, who walked over to Marshall. Marshall didn't pursue the humans, more concerned about everyone involved. "Is everyone okay?"

Gem saw the bite wounds on Marshall's shoulder, neck, and back, and glanced around. Stormcloud stared as the little Persian pulled a couple little plants out of the ground, and dashed to Marshall. She jumped on Marshall's back, tore the plants open, and began to put the liquid that oozed out of them on Marshall's wounds! Marshall breathed a sigh of relief. "ahh...that feels good." The pain was going away.

The Chihuahua looked around. "Everyone seems to be okay, sir Marshall, except for boss Slayer...this was his plan, though."

"What?"

"Pardon me for my rudeness. My name is Wheat. Slayer has been following these humans for months now. They have been watching animals throughout the city, capturing strays when they could! Those mutts that attacked you...used to be part of Slayer's group. He deliberately got as close to the trucks he could, hoping to be captured so he could help Fenix and the other prisoners escape."

Any reply Marshall was about to make was interrupted by a loud hiss a little way away. Everyone turned to look, still jumpy from arennaline.

The Annaconda was half way across the road, apparently trying to slip away while everyone was destracted, but he had been spotted by Rhymane, who had grabbed the snake's neck in his jaws. "You're going nowhere, pal." growled the Fox with his mouth full. "And you so much as try to wrap yourself around me your head is going bye-bye."

Blood writhed for a moment, but Rhymane had him close enough to the back of his skull to ensure he couldn't turn and bite him. "You'll pay for this!" he hissed as he admitted temporary defeat and stopped wriggling.

Rhymane turned and stepped back up to the others, forcing Blood to slide alongside him to avoid his head being torn off! "Okay Marshall, this guy is all yours." Rhy said, speaking round the Snake's neck in his mouth. He didn't release his prey, in case Blood tried anything. "He attacked you. Now you can decide what to do with him. And also..." He switched his gaze to Wheat and raised his eyebrows. "...will someone please tell me what exactly is going on here?"