Shock and adreneline having played their part, pain began to re-enter Bayfield's world as he starred in suprise at the sudden act of selflessness ahead of him.

"Yeah, I am..." he replied with a passified tone "why did you..."

Claw then gave his warning and his dazed and confused mind was able to finally put a name to that swooshing sound in the air which grew ever closer.

"Uh, shure, 'k..." he replied before returning attention to his saviour "I wanna ask wot just 'appened, but... maybe we shood get ta a safah place first, ey?"

There is a warehouse district west of here, Niki said calmly as she walked across the rouble toward the gathered group If you need a safe place to gather, it would be there. Its not the most defendable location but it is quiet enough to avoid detection and civilian casualties should the warden come after you again.

"Ix'silvan!"* The human suddenly snapped at Niki. "Daddy won't hurt anyone e'kwan ta'key o'ko! To'na!"** The small boy stood firm between the newcomer and Claw carrying Rico's form.

"Right, gimmie a sec to get Captain Dorkface back to normal. You musta really chapped his ass more than he though to make him do that." The hybrid smirked walking over to the rabbit as if blood wasn't pouring down his leg. "Hey, Tobe, come'on, that chic just said those are bombers. We gotta go, push him down and come on, you can thank me later."

* - Kydane curse meaning literally ' wandering evil'

** - A literal translation would be "Dog brain no, Go away!" He's most likely calling her a 'no brained dog' or a stupid animal.

'He' already has. Niki stated as she stared coldly at the human child, his brazen words not going unnoticed but hardly enough to merit more then an equally harsh glance. It lasted only a second or two before the Raccoons eyes snapped to the end of the street beyond where Claw was walking, her ears twitching as though seeking some far off sound above the ruckus of the city. Every one had heard the change pitch by now, the sound of jets thrusting away rather then maintaining their course.

They have broken off to make their attack run, we have to get out of here, NOW. She said intensively, the last word definite that it resembled more of a relapsing-order then a statement of facts.

Any younglings that cant keep pace should be carried, anyone with questions reserve them till later. Lets Move!

The boy looked down rather helplessly uttering a distinctly human curse, and one rather unbecoming a young child.

"Where..."

"Move it Tobe, this place is going to be a crater in a minute. You were at least right about the Evolian military. These guys are psycho enough to bomb their own people to dust. We gotta go now."

The stunned rabbit lifted himself clumsily to his feet with the help of the youth. The weight from helping the larger man walk make his leg even worse, sweat was starting to form and occasional winces of pain started to dance across his face.

"Raptor, Raptor. We have go ahead, initiating approach."

Gaelic banked hard, the ship rattling as the thrusters engaged. He settled the horizon, tugging on the yolk and aimed his sights on his target.

"Scout 7, Scout 7, maintain. Bombing approach."

--~~>

"JAG!!!!" Palmer screamed in fear. He had stumbled backwards a handful of feet, and fell on his rear. He had somehow managed to get a grip on his side arm, and was keeping his sights on the Kydane's head. "JAG! HELP ME!"

Jag couldn't move. Swinging the rifle to shoot the interloper would cause their position to be the bombing target. He had to maintain the laser's position. "PALMER! HANDLE IT, DAMNIT!!" He couldn't miss the strike now. They were moving. He moved the beam to intercept where they were walking.

Palmer, absolutely filled with fear, began pulling the trigger, all the while pulling himself to his feet and continually backing towards the door. "HURRY!"

-~~>

The bombers. They're approaching.

Christer knew that deafening sound. The sky echoing a haunting song as if it were being torn in half, a sound only pleasing to the Devil himself. Evolian bombers.

And, without a doubt, this street was their intended target. Turning around, he tossed his rifle to the side.

"They're on the bombing approach!" He shouted, unslinging his rucksack and tossing it to the other side. "F*CKING RUN! F*CKING RUN NOW!!!" He sprinted towards the two closest children, happening to be Sparky and Kenneth, and vaulted both of them onto opposite shoulders. Pure momentum kept him going, as the deathly sound of the world's largest zipper becoming undone at deafening levels. His ears began to ring, the rest of the world drowned by the frightful echo. He ran straight, tugging into the pavement as fast as he could, pumping his legs harder, harder, and harder.

DOOR!

A heavy wooden door stood in his way, only ten feet ahead. At five feet, he lept in the air, throwing his foot into it.

Crack.

He felt it before he heard it. As the door gave way, so did his foot. Tumbling to the ground, a searing pain shot up his right leg, a painful reminder about how heavy that door actually was.

As he rolled on his belly, his foot now useless to him, he saw it. A giant marble reception desk at the back of the room.

"Get...get behind that desk!" He shouted, throwing his left arm up fruitlessly. "HURRY!"

With the rest of his remaining upper body strength, he dragged himself behind a wall. Pulling his kevlar helmet over his face and curling into a ball, he hoped for the best.

-~~>

"Raptor, Raptor. Bombs away."

"Bomber loadout is up, looks like some kinda napalm. Dangit, they're going for an attack run, dad!" A teenaged canine barked from a chair surrounded by glowing consoles and dancing lights.

"Pat, turn us into them." Robert growled watching the planes flock in unison towards their friends. "There's no way anyone's going to survive firebombing. They want to play, lets show 'em what happens when you try to attack the crew of the Temecula. Shawny, you got the weapons online?" The boy nodded, "yeah but... there's too many, we only have two guns."

"Hit 'em hard and fast as soon as they drop. One shot per plane. Those big bastards should detonate each other." Robert growled, giving a silent prayer for the rabbit and the two young kids that had become family to them.

"In position!" The cat cried out in a panic.

"They're bombing!" The dog yelped

"Open FIRE!" Robert barked loudly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bullets seemed to veer from their path, as if frightened of the man they faced. Suddenly the shabby canine jerked his head to one side. "Damn." The single curse followed by the rather clunky looking ship racing through the sky and coloring the sky with peppering laser blasts. Several bombs exploded, igniting their planes and turning them into falling masses of fire.

Still several bombers survived but only by veering off their paths, the occupants of the craft wincing at every explosion from the stray bombs falling all over the city. The street was suddenly hit with fire and wreckage. The warehouse walls groaned and glowed as burning fluid and metal hit it. But it held, there were no explosives left to destroy the thick walls, only fire to scorch the earth.

The dog snarled loudly and stared defiantly at the men. "You damn idiots, why didn't those bombers have protection? Worthless creatures!" With that the drawn fist slammed into the top of the building, collapsing the concrete support in front of the them and destabilizing the roof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"NO! NO DAMMIT! HENRY!" The smaller dog cried out from his station on the ship. As the ship veered off a few last blasts hit one of the surviving bombers heavily damaging it. "Patrick! Turn and follow those damn planes! They killed him! Follow them! We have to -"

"Shawn thats ENOUGH." The older dog, Robert, barked stifly. "You did your best, no reason to shoot the messengers. Pat, hold position and look for survivors. If they got into cover there's a good chance they made it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Toby... It's hot."

Tobias was finally looking more alert, enough so that he looked up hearing the boy say his name. "Are we... in hell?" He muttered looking up finally.

The hybrid child winced, trying to re-bandage his wounded leg. "No, we're ok. Don't understand. No explosions at all. What the hell happened out there?"

Maybe on any other battlefield she would have grabbed the nearest civilian before turning in retreat, hoping to save at least one life.

But not here.

Not with that sound in the heavens.

The sound of raining death.

For a split second it took her back to a very dark place, trapped in the bunkers while dozens of Earthshaker missiles pounded a position only a hundred meters from theirs. The lieutenant next to her lay screaming in pain, his entire left side pitch black from plasma burns and his left leg ripped away at the knee.

She kissed him.

And then there was silence.

Not even her own footsteps existed amongst the muted chaos of the street. Pure wild terror ran through her eyes as she began to run, the world seeming to slow to an agonizing tempo that took barely a moment to last an eternity.

The darkness in the shadows reached out for her, calling her down into the ally while all around dove for cover behind half fallen buildings

Then it came.

Silent at first which quickly grew into a rolling cacophony that swallowed everything in its path, consuming the street like a savage best of sound and raging air. There was no time to scream, no time to breathe. Just the terrible burning wind that took her off her feat and carried her through the window of a near by building.

Then silence was restored, pitted only by the hissing of the burning wreckage that surrounded her.

There was nothing.

Nothing but fire and dust.

--
On a hilltop some miles away, two trenagers looked down upon the city scape and the black clouds that now billowed out of the bombed area.
One had her hands to her mouth in awe. The other simply stood and watched.
"Things are really heating up down there" Said a strongly accented voice from behind them. The large badger stepped up between them, placing a hand on the girls solder in comfort, "Nothing she can't handle though. Why don't you head back inside and give Elmo a hand. Hmm?"
Sash nodded surely and turned back toward the hidden ship, vanishing with a shimmer as she passed through the Sinth-wall that cloaked the ship from prying eyes.
Rayne remained, gazing at the craft that now hovered over the site as a slight twitch of uncertainty entered his eyes and fluttered away like a startled sparrow.
--

Niki came too slowly.

The first thing she smelt was smoldering flesh
The second thing Evolians!

The woman was bolt upright in a second, weapon drawn and pointing into air that was thick with black smoke. Suddenly aware of what had just occurred in the last few seconds earlier she dropped the gun and crumpled forward, trying desperately not to be sick. Vivid imagery still rocketed through her mind. It was difficult to dispel something like that when you'd come so close to death. She'd had it many times after the incident, but never this bad.
Gradually she stood up and holstered the weapon, picking a few shards of glass from her body as she did so. Her right arm had take the bunt of the punishment, but now her shoulder hurt like hell and there was still the matter of dozens of bits of glass that were now imbedded in her skin. Brushing away some of the smaller shards and pull out the others, the woman picked her way unsteadily through the building, eventually finding her way to a door.
As she staggered into the dim light that filtered through the dust filled street she stained her hearing for signs of the plains circling to attack again. When nothing came, she called out to any one who could hear.
"Hello?? Any one still hear me?"

Time seemed to slow to a standstill for Ryn as soon as Christer yelled out and scooped up two of the kids. With the roar of the bombers overhead ringing her ears, she hurried as fast as she could towards the warehouse...

The first of the explosions started soon after she arrived inside the shelter as the walls shook violently.

"Sis!" Kenneth's voice called out to her.

The cat turned around as he ran to her and threw his arms around her waist.

"I...I," he started to say, his voice breaking. "I thought..."

"Don't worry." She smiled gently and placed a hand on his head. "Things should be alright now."

As the warehouse continued to shake, Ryn led her brother away from the heavy doors.

Damn Evolians... what the hell were they thinking?!

Christer was curled in a ball on the dank, concrete floor of the warehouse.

Ears ringing.

Eyesight black and white.

Shell shocked.

He let out a whimper, still clutching his knees. He had forgotten his foot. Dust had begun filtering through a crack in a shutter across the way, and billowing through the entrance he made.

Theytriedtokillustheytriedtokillus
IwanttogohomeIwanttogotobedThiscantbehappening...

Shaking still, he began to let the tears flow. The pain in his foot came back suddenly, making him scream out loud. He lifted his head, his fur damp from crying. With a dirty sleeve, he brushed away at his face vigorously.

At least those three were safe...but there others...

He could only hope.

-~~>

The explosions gave quick enough of a diversion. As the planes were shot down, and as bombs somehow made their way through the counter-attack, Jag had snatched up the sniper rifle and high-tailed it to the door. Palmer was quick on his heels, trying to escape the instability of the roof.

They didn't have enough time. The building would collapse, and they'd be trapped.

"We need to try!" Jag said, leaping side rails and trying to get down the stairwell as fast as possible. Palmer gracefully followed suit, skipping a floor with each jump.

How long did they have? Minutes? Seconds? It didn't matter. If they stopped and tried to think, that was only more time wasted. They had to get out as quickly as possible.

Hopefully the flames would of died down by the time they reached the bottom. If they reached the bottom.

-~~>

Captain Gaelic had ripped full afterburner. Tailing him, only a few remaining bombers..

Seven went down. Seven of the initial eleven. The Kydane had been waiting...

"Command, this is raptor, raptor." He said, shaking in his air mask. "Bombing mission unsuccessful. We got a few 15's down, but.." he trailed off, looking behind him. The city was an inferno. A mix of napalm and jet fuel stinging the sky with acrid smoke. "They knew we were coming."

"...Understood, Raptor, Raptor. Return to base..."

--~~>

Sergeant Tucker stood on the bridge spanning the Guile river. They had come from what once was a thriving city. He grew up there as a boy, until he enlisted into the army. Now, all his memories floated away with the billowing destruction that had ended his past. Most of the civilians he had evacuated with what remained of his national guard unit stood in disbelief. Most were crying.

"Come on, people.." he said, his military bearing wavering. "Just keep walking. The ships will be coming soon to take you away...whatever was in that city is gone now, you all need to just..." he paused taking a deep breath. He fought back the tears. "Just let go."

An Army engineer was already planting explosives on the bridge. "Once we cross, I don't care if you see straglers at the other end." The Sergeant said, moving past the engineer. "Blow this bridge. I don't want those Kydane scum having an opportunity of keeping on our heels. Our main priority is to get everyone out of harms way."

"Mister." A small voice came through the horrific ringing in his ears. He couldn't even feel it when the human removed his sacred trenchcoat and placed it over him.

"You don't have to worry, mister. It'll protect us." The boy said quietly, curling up next to him.

Dammit, why hadn't he noticed that targeting laser?! It didn't matter now, Claw was carrying a literal mark of death over his shoulder as he noticed his baggage was being tagged for bombing.

Move you old fool urged Claw angrily to himself.

With a sudden psinoic-aided burst of speed Claw sprinted as fast and as hard as he could down the street

If I can just get out of range...

The concussive blast of something slamming the pavement behind him hit hit him in the back like a sack of quarters. He was flung forward but somehow managed to land on his feet and keep his blinding stride.

Another explosion, then the intense heat.

Fire bombs? In their own city, Kruehees what the hell are you thinking? cursed Claw to himself.

The psionic speed gave way and suddenly Claw found himself staggering down an alley, the shade provided by the black clouds of smoke offered a small reprieve from the terrible heat. Claw ducked behind a dumpster and propped his old buddy Rico up against the wall.

He had been separated from the others during his mad dash.

Claw drew his katana and pointed it at Rico.

"I could end this now, old friend," growled Claw, "But for some reason I can't bring myself to slice up your ugly mug."

Claw gave a short laugh, he was making conversation with sleeping beauty. He took his katana and jammed it tip first into the ground and sat down across from Rico. He closed his eyes but made himself aware of both ends of the alleyway.

If the Evolian Army was this hellbent on taking out Rico, it was only a matter of time before they sent out search parties to confirm the kill.

In the chaos of chatter before the explosion Key had been quick to slip away from her position, turning Nix's recording function off. She had moved back behind the building and circled it, coming out the other side to keep Claw in her sights. She watched as he hoisted Rico up and started off. She'd follow him, because he was involved, and because she needed to give him a piece of her mind now. "I like my boots..." She muttered as the small squirrel pitter pattered up her arm onto her shoulder.

The air crackled with a sound she had never had, it seemed to fill everything. She could hear Christer scream, the man with the gun. Bombs? Could they... would they? It took less then a second to decide they would. With a sigh is disappointment she broke sight of Claw and moved back behind the building she had been moving around all this time. Spotting a door she moved to it, shoving against it since it appeared to have mo handle. "Open... come on." There as nothing.

Spotting a small keypad beside the door she hastily pushed her open palm to it, a soft hiss, a crackle, and the once pristine piece of security hardware was blackened and destroyed. As the door slid open she moved in turning to the right. She ran down the corridor and turned the first corner she could, getting out of sight from the door. There was no place else to hide, she had hoped this was enough as she closed her eyes.

"Cause we've got, high hopes, cause we've got high hopes..." Nix sang softly as the bombs had dropped.

"John hurry up dammit." Rob growled. Back on the Temecula the air grew tenser by the second as they waited for the grey furred rabbit to finish rhythmically tapping light buttons on a console. Buttons they hoped would give them the answer the wanted, no needed, to hear.

"Most of the surviving Evolians look like they're out of the city. Estimating around half died from their own bombs. Several Kydane signatures with them, probably hiding their identities..." The rabbit rattled off staring fixated on the small glowing screen showing him the data.

"Kinnear..."

"Getting to it. They're spread out. Ones that were with our boys that is. I got what looks to be Tobe, Corky, and a few others in a warehouse. All very much alive. Then I got a Kydane and an Evolian in a alley ten blocks out, damn they moved fast." He paused, "Rob you better take a look this biosignature." The dog blinked and leaned over the rabbit, "You gotta be @#%$ me. Are you sure the scanners are just fouled up?" The rabbit sneered, "My sensor grid is spotless, thats another Underwood."

Rob gritted his teeth, knowing who it probably was and suddenly understanding why Tobias was so cold to them the last few days. Then he let out a small gasp realizing something, "Human lifesigns. There." The rabbit narrowed his eyes, "What the? He's by several people, a mix of species. Not good, humans aren't exactly well liked around here, we better go pick up Junior first."

She felt the pulse from the scanner before she saw the ship. Instinctively Niki looked up, catching glimpses of the vessel holding position over head through the steadily clearing smoke. It defiantly wasnt Evolian, but then again it wasnt defiantly Kadine or Human either. When in doubt she thought to herself. With a slight frown the raccoon turned toward the building that the yelling was emanating from, her corresponding dot vanishing from Kinnears screen as her signature field came online. She didnt know their intent and while it was obvious that the crew of the vessel must have intervened for them to have survived, she wasnt taking any chances.

Everyone alive in here? She said as she stepped over the broken down doorway Christer had dove through just as the bombs began to fall.

"Yeah, more or less." Ryn was the first to reply. She approached the raccoon from the rear of the building. One hand held her shoulder, a sign that it was causing her pain again.

"That man over there could use some help, though," she added, acknowledging Christer.

OOC: More filler, rejoice! More Post-E'sRP stuff

IC:

The next time Claw became conscious he was careful not to move around. He kept his eyes relaxed but closed, his heart beat steady and his brain a stone wall.

He wouldn't give those bastards a chance to start pumping chemical sleep though his veins again. He would have to act quick.

How long had he been out this time?
His whole body ached, and it didn't matter, not right now.

How was he being restrained?
Claw tried to move his arms... they were free!

What the hell was going on? His whole body was being suspended in a vertical position yet the only pressure he felt was around his head and wrists. Bracers of some sort? He tried to extend his claws but realized he couldn't. So that was it.

They kept his claws restrained through some sort of neural blockers injected through the wrists. He suddenly became painfully aware of the helmet he was wearing and of some sort of breathing tube shoved down his throat.

He was being suspended in a tank of liquid like some sort of science project! No doubt they had collected all kinds of data on him. He would have to deal with that troublesome problem later on.

First priority was escape.

Claw carefully and slowly extended his aching, weak arm in front of him and could feel the smooth surface of shatter-proof glass. It was thick, but certainly breakable.

He would have to do this fast, violent, bloody. The helmet prevented him from gathering any energy for psionic techniques. It was going to be brute strength for this. Claw was left to rely on something he hated resorting too, something bred into his very veins, something "they" could never suppress; his feral rage.

Claw gathered all the anger, rage, and hatred that he had kept in check up until that point. Through his watery prison he could see some of the white lab coat-clad scientists shuffling around in the background. His heart rate and brainwave activity had gone up. Some of the scientists were gathering around his tube. He could make out a purple substance traveling down a series of tubes stuck in his body like a computer chassis.

Not this time you bastards

Claw roared angrily as he put all of his force behind one well placed punch into the tube.

It didn't budge.

Dammit!

A small crack formed where Claw's fist had struck. Claw roared again, bubbles erupting from his mouth and ascending in grand fashion to the top of the tube. He struck the crack again, turning it into a spiderweb or fractures, water began spewing out of the narrow spots. Claw put his whole body weight into the next punch, shattering a pumpkin-sized hole through the front of the tube. The noxious green fluid poured out, pushing the small gathering of scientists grouped around the tube to the ground. Claw heaved his tired drugged body out of the narrow hole, giving himself deep lacerations all over his weakened form. Without a second thought he ripped the various cords and I.V. needles out of his back. He looked in dismay as the purples substance dripped out all over the floor along with the green suspending fluid and all the blood from his cuts.

Claw climbed to his feet and pulled the breathing tube from his mouth and promptly threw up until he was violently dry heaving. He took a few deep breaths, it wasn't over yet.

Claxons filled Claw's ears with their horrible cacophony, warning him of impending soldiers no doubt equipped with guns. Out of the corner of his eye he could see another scientist approaching him with what looked like some sort of stun baton. Claw balled up his fists and slammed them into the scientist's face, he could feel the bones in the victim's face crack underneath his powerful, desperate blow. The scientist staggered backward, blood dripping from his broken nose.

Get Up! Move!

Claw charged down the hallway and spotted his salvation, an air duct! With a feral growl his ripped the grate from the wall and dived into the duct. As he crawled deeper into the darkness he could hear soldiers shouting in a vaguely familiar language. He could pick out a few words, the general gist being they weren't too pleased he had escaped.

He scrambled through the narrow crawl spaces until he felt a cold draft.

The outdoors!

Claw punched the grate blocking him from freedom and skittered out into a blizzard. The cold stung his exposed, furry body. The blood in his cuts slowed from the terrible wind chill. No time to complain about the cold now.

Claw made a mad dash away from the facility and into an alleyway. He was in the middle of a giant metropolis.

I know this city... I know where I am!

"Burrisia, I'm on Burrisia, those slimy Burrisian scientists..."

The planet of Burrisia, the researchers there would dissect anything if it meant the next new miracle cream, weight loss pill, or super vitamin.

Luckily Claw had a friend on Burrisia that owed him a favor...

"So long as everyone can still walk," Niki said, stepping through the debries to kneal down next to the fallen medic "We might make it out of here alive. Can you move?" She added, directing the level question at Christer as she glanced over his bloody foot and looked into his eyes for signs of a responce.

The human's bright red hair popped up from behind Christer, his blue eyes glaring at Niki, again the same babbling came from his mouth. Again it's tone was obviously insulting, "E'kwan ta'key o'ko."

Niki's eyes narrowed slightly as she took on a rather more serious expression, fixing the boy with the disapproving gaze that had many a time been used on her own daughter.
"netxal nenx'ale,"* she said firmly but without malice, pronouncing the words as though they had been her home tong.
"You ought to lern when you are being spoken too."
The woman broke away from the childs furious face and back to Chister, Can you walk?

ooc: Thanks for the pointers Rico, I've copied that OOC onto the word doc where I wright my posts so I will have a refrence point from now on ^_^

OOC: "netxal nenx'ale" Or "watch over tongue" as in 'watch your tongue' would be close.

Kydane is essentially based the language of the Tonkawa Indian Tribe. If you want something translated just let me know and I can give you something close enough to fit.

At this point I'm not sure who knows Kydane anymore. The language fell into disuse long ago and only fragments remain in fluent speech.

And you seem to me consistently misspelling it, so you maybe pronouncing it wrong. It's a hard 'K' then long I ending with "Dane" as in Danish, rhyming with rain. Kydane.

The planet is Kyzarie. Same hard K and long I, 'zar' is said 'zer' rhyming with sir. The ending is said with a long e. So, kI zer ee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't have ta. He's sick, leave him alone." The boy spat out in a almost mocking tone.

The colors seemed to flush back into his eyesight all at once. Things began making sense for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. How he missed the child kneeling beside him and embracing him, he didn't know. How everyone was standing around him, unbewildered by the firebombing, he didn't know. What he did know was his foot hurt.

A lot.

Ignoring the questions, he reeled out, tearing his pant leg up. Was it broken? Wincing, he tried wiggling his toes.

Success! Now, what about the ankle

PAIN.

Christer made a field diagnosis. Although he still had motor control of the digits on his foot, his ankle had other plans. He jacked up his ankle alright, but it wasn't broken, per se.

"I...i'm alright." He said, his face still moist from the tears. He fetched into his medic bag on his hip, and removed an auto-injector. "Oh, morphine..." he muttered to himself, as he jammed the needle into his calf.

Only a pinch, followed by a sweet numbing effect. He'd be good for a few hours.

"Hey, what's that?" Kenneth had emerged from behind his sister and stood over the medic, his green and blue eyes filled with curiosity. "Does it fix your foot?"

OOC: Sorry, I'm starting the process of buying a house so I'm going to be semi-gone till I buy it and get internet setup there.

I'll be able to check up on this at work and such but probably no time for replies or plot movement. If anyone wants to progress it in my absence by all means do. I just ask everyone to keep an open mind and roll with the waves.

Wish me luck. Going into a fifty thousand dollar purchase is nerve wracking to say the least. D:

OOC: G'luck, Rico!

OOC: Nice, well hope that goes well for you Rico.

IC:

Niki stood and looked towards the open door.
"we can't stay here. There's a ship hovering about sixty feet directly above us. They've probably already picked us up on their sensers and if its survivours their serching for its a good bet the army will be walking through here rather soon to mop up."

OOC I've been comisshed!

img.photobucket.com/album...ommish.jpg

Yay Christer!

IC

Christer pulled himself to his feet, testing his foot as he slid up the wall. When satisfied that the opioids running through his leg had done the trick, he graced it by standing tall. Finally settling, he glanced over at Kenneth, giving a weak smile.

"Not exactly," he started, straightening his back, "but it'll help for a little while."

He then glanced over at Niki, nodding.

"You're right..." he started, stepping forward. Sweet, sweet numbness. "We need to get out of the city...but where.."

He wasn't ready for this. Deep down, he hoped someone else would take charge.

"Jeeze, uh, let me introduce myself." He began, astounded that he was introducing himself at a time like this. "I'm Christer...Private Raytorfield, but you can call me Christer. I'm with the 311th Infantry Platoon, Evolian Army. Sorry for everything..."

Sorry? They just FIREBOMBED the city. Sorry wouldn't cut it. But it's all he could offer.

"Are any of you hurt? I'm a medic..." He said, reaching into his pouch.

"Agent Shade?," asked an authoritative voice.

Claw had sensed them as soon as they stared rappelling down the roof and into the alley. They were ESO, Evolian Special Ops.

"Yeah, it's me," growled Claw, still sitting against the wall.

"I see you apprehended the subject," said the voice.

Claw looked up and found two groups of ESO troops on either side if him clad in light black armor and equipped with automatic machine guns.

"What the hell is the Evolian Army thinking? Firebombing an entire sector or a city like this?" growled Claw.

"We're sorry Agent Shade, Director Kruehees is still trying to figure out who gave the orders," replied the head ESO trooper.

Claw rose to his feet and put his face inches in front of the trooper.

"You mean to tell me Kruehees didn't call this air strike?" growled Claw.

"No, Agent Shade, the Director loves Evolia, he wouldn't have resorted to firebombing so quickly," explained the trooper.

"How sporting," spat Claw.

"We have orders to bring the Warden in," informed the trooper.

"I bet you do, unfortunately, my order and your orders are at a bit of a crossroads aren't they?" growled Claw.

"Our orders override yours effective immediately," informed the Trooper.

Claw could hear the distinct clicking of automatic weaponry being readied to fire.

"That a fact?" growled Claw, slowly placing his hand on his katana.

The gunfire could be heard for miles.

OOC: Slow day at work. Filler.

Year 850. Kyzarie City. Central Defense Agency. Room 102, Master Warden of War.

"Her real identity."

The rattle of weapons fire, the foreboding clap of air as ships breezed overhead. Then came the bombs. It didn't sound as Key had thought, faint at first, and a growing rumble to lead to silence. Several seconds that seemed to last an hour. The air hissed as fire swept up and around the building, windows in the distances shattered, dust sprinkled off the old fixtures. The air became stall and dry. Letting her body slip down the wall she dropped into a sitting position, gauntlets raised over her head as if that would provide lasting cover.

The vibrations stopped, the building stood. She lived, her and Nix had lasted through the bombing. Letting her arms dropped she glanced about, blinking her eye twice to toggle her vision something more suitable for the dark hall. Pushing herself up, she looked around the corner, the doorway still open, still intact.

Jabbing the side of her head lightly as she stepped out into the alley her vision returned to normal. Even before she had a change to look around, Nix issued the scene a whistle as if he was impressed with that chaos that had ensued. Slowly she crept out from behind the alley to the main street. Arms limp as she stared in silent awe at what had replaced the street she had been viewing just moments before. Cars lay toppled like children's playthings on oceans of broken glass, fire licking at the city from anything that seemed capable to hold a flame. The streets looked broken, cracked like sheets of ice, wanting to collapse on the weight of anything that dared step on it. Smoke, ash, and smells she couldn't even begin to place was all that she note. Nothing moving, nothing but her.

"H-hello! Anybody else out there?" She brought her hands to her mouth, cupping them to funnel her voice into the distance. She took uncertain steps forward, changing her direction, unsure of where to go. She felt like a small girl lost in the mall, separated from her mother.

Weapons fire, not from a ship, smaller, like a gun. Someone was alive, someone with a gun, but why shoot? Perhaps, perhaps it was the army? Light the city on fire, kill the witnesses. Conspiracy! Maybe that was cause for the bombing? Kill your own, blame the other side. Cry out to the people to rise up against your enemies. Politics were deadly, that's why Key stuck to blowing things up, it was a safer profession. She didn't want to risk it, couldn't, so she moved, heading away from the sound of guns, blindly wandering the flaming ruins of the streets.

"Remind me to get the name of their decorator, they did a fab job honey." Nix sat perched on her shoulder, unphased by the happenings.

"I don't need any help," Ryn bitterly answered. "After this whole fiasco, there are others worse off than I am, probably even dead."

The feline looked right at Christer. "While I am grateful for you rescuing my brother, you probably should be more worried for yourself, or figure out why your own people blew up a town just to get at a Warden."

"But-but sis," Kenneth spoke up, "I don't think he knows anything. He's not bad like the other 'volian people, I can tell!"

"Hmph." Ryn walked past him, Christer, and Niki and to the front doors of the warehouse. "There's still too much noise from those aircrafts. At least there ain't no one around."

The gunfire shattered the roaring sound of flames that were smoldering and smothering the city sector. Claw had managed to draw his katana and strike one of the ESO troopers in the neck with the flat of his blade. The soldier behind him fired, Claw tried his best to deflect the lethal bullets with his sword but took one square in the shoulder.

Without hesitation he gathered psionic energy around himself, grabbed grabbed a sleeping Rico and leaped into the air, he then extended the claws on both of his hands and scampered up the side of the building while balancing Rico on his uninjured shoulder. Bullets whizzed by the psionic as he dragged Rico up on to the rooftop. Claw tried to stand but found his leg would not respond.

Blood gushed from his shoulder and thigh.

"Those bastards," growled Claw.

"Freeze, Agent Shade!" commanded another ESO trooper.

More troopers on the roof? Of course! That's where they had rappelled from, idiot! cursed Claw to himself as he pulled himself and Rico towards the opposite edge and plummeted to the streets below.

He landed, using psionic energy to create an "energy pillow" to cushion his fall, yet the pain cause by the impact on his leg was exquisite.

ESO troopers had secured the nearby rooftop and were now snaking out of the alleyway he had just come from.

"Set to non-lethal, Agent Shade should be taken alive if possible," screeched a radio on one of the troopers belts.

Claw was out in the middle of the street, he was a sitting duck.

Suddenly the lump on his shoulder shuffled, "Leave me and go. I've done something unforgiveable."

Claw was a bit startled by the sudden movement but kept his vigil on the troopers that surrounded him.

"We've both done things, Rico, terrible things, but I have no intention of making that list any longer by leaving you here," replied Claw.

His eyes were open now, staring through what was in front of him. "You talk like you're leaving me to die..."

The fox suddenly came alive and shoved himself free, landing on one hand and using it to throw himself further to land on his feet. Hand already on his sword's hilt.

"The soldiers will die soon enough. Where did HE go?"

With all of the chaos and calamity, things had got totally crazy.

After the warehouse had rocked itself by explosions, Craig sat about, woozy and disorientated.

Rico was attacking the city. An adult Toby wearing Rico's clothes had shown up, some new guy referred to him as an "experiment" and stopped Toby from pummelling him.

All that time ago, he'd seen Rico die and Toby, with Rico's emerald eyes, walk away from the body.

"...dis shapeshiftin' bollux 'urts me 'ead..." he sighed under his breath, looking over to Toby and Corky. "Ok... stay calm. No 'itting. Let's just talk. What the 'eck is goin' on?"

The boy looked around for a moment and held his forehead, "Damn, I wish I wad bigger, I lose any blood at all and I start getting dizzy."

*Whump*

The boy looked up to see Tobias sitting across from him, his fist was against his forehead, his eyes were shut. He looked like he's just punched himself in the head. After a moment the wincing on his features subsided and he lowered his arm and opened his eyes, adjusted his glasses as they apparently were disturbed by his violent display. Finally, he looked up, "I was about to ask the same thing."

Corky's eye twitched, he sighed in frustration. "Far as I can tell someone tried to kill us and everyone else in the city. Whatever the reason the bombs aimed at us musta gone off early and this place just got set on fire.

Tobe, you lost control again."

The rabbit's eyes settled on the boy's leg, then widened and became glassy.

The half breed narrowed his, "Stop it. I told you, I knew the danger of running with you. You start cryin' and I'll beat the crap outta ya."

The rabbit took in a breath and lowered his head. Corky turned to Craig, "I'm sure you already know Tobias, you met his fists intimately. I'm Henry. Henry Underwood. People call me Corky though." The boy seemed very rough, his eyes didn't seem like a normal kids would, he didn't show any pain even with a bullet in him, his was well spoken and calm even in this situation.

"'ENRY Underwood?" he said in shock, looking at Toby and then Corky "Uh... I'm moar confused den evah. 'ow did Rick and Tobe end up with another Underwood?" he turned to Toby "Why are you big an' wearin' Rick's coat?" Back to Corky "Why is Rick attackin'? Where did you guys come from? Why is Tobe wantin' to beat the crap outta me? Why dya call me experiment? ...more important... wot're we gonna do now?"

Quote:

---

ow did Rick and Tobe end up with another Underwood?

---

The sentence seemed to take out the boy's rough and gritty demeanor in an instant. He looked like he was about to speak when Tobias's voice preempted him. "He's Rico's son, so is the other boy." The rabbit looked over at the squirrel, "I'm wearing this because I have no other clothing. Rico... I don't know, perhaps you should ask him yourself. You know where I came from, obviously." He stood up and dusted himself off, "You, Rico, and myself are all experiments. Kane, or should I call him Kenji, used us to see the effects of his discovery, Magus Stones, on various species. We're probably not the only ones."

His tone turned darker, "Why I attacked you? I wonder, did Rico ever talk to you about Kolakawax? The Raven?"

He scratches his head and looks down shyly in reply "I kinda blotted alot of dat stuff outta my mind... I 'member important bits. Shootin' someone, getting a sword in da chest, yer mom taking you down... but Raven... da name rings summin' inside." he scratches the side of his face and looks back to Toby's eyes "Why. I got nothin' to do with 'im"

Tobias nodded, "Because he's the one thing Rico fears. We've learned a lot that was hidden from us by the older Kydane. Kane, Myca, Russell, they all had secrets. One of the worst is what they were hiding behind things like 'Raven' 'Underwood' and 'Pendragon'. Names we thought symbolized things. All a lie, the names meant nothing and were just adult code for what Kydane discovered lurking in the depths of the energy they told us was some magical power of good, called The Art." The rabbit knelt by the hybrid and put his brown furred hand over the boy's smaller furless one, doubling the pressure to speed stopping the bleeding.

"Creature's reside in that layer of reality. Even the previous generation didn't known too much about them, they only identified a few. And instead of forging ahead with technology, our stupid society reverted to superstition and made it into a religion. But, those creatures are just as varied as us, some good, some evil. 'Raven' is one of the worst we know of, it even carries with it a scarring stigmata, turning it's hosts eyes a disturbing red color. Raven seems to get into people and carry out it's own agenda based on the hosts goals, I'm not entirely sure what end it seems to be working toward, but I think I'm beginning to get a better idea."

Craig scratched his head again, "Why ya so 'terested in it? Wot's it got ta do wit' me?"

The rabbit took in a breath and looked over at him again, "Thats what I should ask you." The rabbit reached up with his free hand and took hold of his glasses. "I got these after my surrogate father found out I was nearly blind due to astigmatism, thats why I was always bumping into people when I was little, the lenses are tinted." He pulled them off and closed his eyes.

"You haven't asked why my eyes are brown."

He opened his eyes. The lens had been hiding their true color. They were red.

"Why does Raven want you dead?"

Once again the squirrel couldn't help but scratch his head and look in complete dumbfounded shock and awe. He was just an uneducated brat who got handed a training sword, afterall, nothing special or threathening there.

"Uh... got me..." he said slowly "You know me, Tobe. I ain't nuthin' but a little scurryin' rodunt. Left me trainin' sword back on Mobius when I thort Rick was dead an' I was alone. Ain't nothin' now. Just a bum, worth nuthin' ta no one."

The rabbit pulled on his hair a little, as if thinking hard. "There's something going on, even if you don't know it."

His hand moved back to the other on the boy's leg, "I'm sorry, both of you, as much training as Myca gave me, it still overcomes me sometimes."

Corky winced for the first time but it didn't seem to be from pain. The boy looked over at Craig, "Alone, I know about that. Why would you just give up though?"

Claw, katana still in hand eyed the soldiers around him and Rico.

"If killing these troopers would've solved things they'd already be breathing through their jugulars by now. Director Kruehees wouldn't have ordered this many ESO troopers just to apprehend me, or you for that matter," growled Claw.

"I asked where HE was," repeated Rico.

"Who, Bayfield, your brother, or those others... the ones whose blood smells just like yours... you a family man now, Rico?" growled Claw.

The ESO troopers were stoic, what were they waiting for. Suddenly the troopers began slowly backing away, slithering back into the various alleyways and doorways they had broken in from.

The Evolian Special Operation Troopers were retreating.

"Nevermind them, they're not important." Rico barked, refering to the troopers. "Yes, I had a family. The child that looks human, it's my son. If you don't know where he is simply say so, I'm wasting time here. This changes everything."

Claw watched as the last of the ESO Troopers disappeared.

Odd.

Claw sheathed his katana then turned back to Rico.

"I've go an idea, I dashed quite a ways to get away from the air strike," Claw looked around at the fires scattered though the streets, "They had an Evolian Medic with them, he probably led them back over to those warehouses I passed by. That'd be your best bet."

Try it now Elmo! rang the womans voice from the other side of the wing, the otter pulling strongly on a torque wrench embedded in a side panel. There was a whiz of pressure followed by neat bang and a strong curse word in a language that probably sounded offensive even in civil conversation.

Tis no good! Came the reply as a bright ginger head appeared from a hole in the side of the engine housing Wer rusin the system, shes not going to take anthin less then a full rebuild. Blasted piece o Gubberd crap!

The otter tilted her head slightly, putting a poststick up in her mind to ask the captain exactly what Gubberd meant later, Sash, can you fetch Ray up here, I need someone to hold this valve shut.

Sashs oil stained face poked out from the landing gear housing which shed been rewiring. Picking a rag from tool belt the young woman began to wipe off the excess grime from her hands. Shed clearly been working flat out since they arrived, the more technical minds they had on this problem the faster itd be fixed.

Sure He still out front?

Weir gave the wrench a sharp tug and turned to face the bow of the ship, Yeep. Still out there. For a kid that normally has all the emotional diversity of duck weed he sure seems worried.

Weir! Come over here will ya. Were gona need to detach the secondary feed. Then we can start on the-

The mechanics words faded into a dull obscurity as Sash made her way around the side of the vessel, still teasing the oil from a dense patch of fur on her right arm. Just a few more hours and theyd be back home, out there in the void. The moist life filled atmosphere on the planet had dulled her thoughts a little over the past week or so, sending her into a stupor not uncommon to space dwellers when they remained planet side for long periods. Ray himself had done little but sleep out the days and spend the nights on watch, determined that he alone was unaffected by the Atmosiss Sash was suffering from. But as usual his older sibling knew better.

As she walked up the side of the natural dip into which the ship had landed the girl spotted Ray still standing exactly where shed left him, staring out into the cityscape.

Ray, Weir wants you to help out with the repairs, common.

The coon turned around to leave, but noticed that her sibling was still unmoving, as though her message had gone straight past his ears without recognition. Frustrated, but slightly wary of the lack of response, Sash walked closer.

Hay! You listening?

Again, no answer. Now she knew something was wrong. Even if he was day dreaming (Which Rayne never did) hed have snapped round by now. There was something else too. Something about the way the light curved over his fur. It Almost looked as though smoke was curling away just above the surface of each follicle.
Sash stepped around him to observe from the front. The boys eyes were unfocused and gazing down across the cloud scattered sky at the buildings near the far west of town.

Ray? Sash asked cautiously, Are you alright?

This time the boy reacted, but only in a blink and a lowly whispered word.
Theyre here.

Suddenly the teens legs seemed to fail beneath him, a trail of black dust seeming to stream from his dark fur patterning as he fell. Sash darted forward to catch him but to her utmost surprise she must have missed, because a moment later a dull thud informed her that her sibling had reached the ground. Quickly she yelled back to the ship for help before kneeling down next to the unconscious Rayne, reaching forward to shake his shoulders as the dust still curled away from the black fur. With no response she tried to check his eyes. Her fingers brushed against his bandit-mask facial markings, and passed straight through into cold nothingness. The girl gasped, wrenching her by now freezing fingers back from the brink, kicking up a trail of black ash as she did so.

what the hell is this

--

Rayne stood atop the hill. Staring down at the gutted ruins of the once grate metropolis that had stood in their place. Even from so far away he could hear the sounds of gun fire and the screams of panic as strange obscure creatures stalked the desolate streets beneath a boiling black sky of darkness. Oily dark tendrils of living shadow tipped by large three lobbed maws stretched down the sides of the proud skyscrapers, snapping occasionally at the unseen populous that was clearly trying to escape the razed city. Crisp colourless fire raged through an apartment block without impedance as though it had a will of its own and in one suburban district near by the walls of every building seemed to have spouted disfigured limbs and grate snake like eyes that winked and rolled in there mortar sockets.

they are here.

The voice was disembodied, ancient, hungry and was as thick as black-treacle running down a pane of glass; blotting out the light of day from an already dark claustrophobic room.

both of them. that makes all three of us. all in one place for the first time in a millennia.

It chucked, a sound like a thousand ice cold needles sending piercing shivers down the boys spine.

Rayne had never been afraid. Fearful; maybe. But never truly afraid.

He felt tiny. Venerable. The emotionless chains of his mortal self had fallen from his neck and he didnt like it one bit.

look The voice whispered in his ear, causing the boy to back away from the source in fright the world as it will soon be. a fate that will reflected on every single world we descend upon.

Short of breath the boy began to back way from the hill side, turning to run back to the ship only to find its wreckage burning before him with a eerie blue light.

Captain? GAUSE? WEIR! He called into the silent flames, frantic eyes darting around, seeking his crew mates SASH!! SASH, Where Are You! NIKI! ... ..Niki? .. mum?

The voice glided past the end of Raynes nose too long have i awaited this opportunity. too long trapped within in the void. it is time, child.

Rayne looked toward the curdling clouds in despair, a burning hollowness squeezing against the walls of his hart as something began too fall from his eyes. Reaching up he rubbed the trickling streams away with his arm, only to find it covered in fresh blood when he stopped.

Who are you! He tried to shout, only managing an angry croak that rasped his saw throat.

who am i. but my dear boy, you already know. The voice cackled as it floated upside-down in front of the terrified child you have heard it many times, in your dreams, when youre alone. The voice redoubled as it swirled around the childs back speak my name boy. speak it so that i may walk in your flesh and bring my gift upon the petty races of mortalice. and in return i your enemies will be the first to fall.

Rayne stared into nothing where the voice was, there as little to see and everything to fear. Yet something more then he could describe forced the word out of his mouth.

No.

The voice seemed supised no? heh heh heh thats what they all said. every one of them. but they all called for me eventually. when everything they held dear had been obliterated i was their last resort.

No. I wont do it. Rayne repeated, not even sure if the words were his or not.

A rush of anger hit him full on, knocking the teen from his feat and sending him spawling across the mud. Something landed on his chest.

He could see it.

Oh Gods..
HE COULD SEE IT!

like it or not boy. soon you will call my name and summon me forth. and until that moment i will be here, like the sword at your side my will shall press upon you soul forever ever reminding you of the truth behind your pathetic existence -

The ground beneath Rayne gave way as the hideous twisted figure pushed him into the ground.
you are nothing but my puppet
--

Raynes scream finally escaped his frozen lungs. In a second he was bolt upright as he tried to run but was caught immediately by Sashs strong arms. The boy struggled for a moment, adrenalin driven strength quickly fading in his sisters grip. His flesh felt chilled to the bone like hed just come out of a deep freezer. She was talking to him, but for a fare few moments he couldnt hear what she was saying.
As calm settled and the emotionless manacles seemed to right their position in his mind Rayne opened his eyes to see several familiar faces running across the field towards them. Weir was the first to reach them, her words were as distant and frantic as his sisters, the old sheep dog that had been a few paces behind her dropping his emergency bag near by and looking into the boys eyes with a small examination torch.
He could just about make out the word sickbay over the haze of distortion.

Then, to his untold horror, a voice suddenly broke through the fog in the back of his mind. Crisp, clear, and overflowing with malice.

perhaps a demonstration is in order.

A word quietly forced itself passed the boys lips as he was lifted limply off his feat by the ships medic, a word so laden with unpronounceable vowels that it couldnt possibly be from any moral language. As he was carried toward the ship, the bushes near by moved silently with the congealment of reality, a dozen sets of eyes blinked at the retreating crew through the shadows before stalking away at speed, streaking out towards the burning city.

--

Niki had grabbed a piece of metal from the rouble around the building, fashioning a makeshift crutch for the medic.
Here, She said flatly, handing Christer the piping even with the morphine you shouldt -

The distant, resonating howls cut though her sentence like a hot knife through butter. It was chilling, a totally foreign blood curdling sound that seemed to echo from every shadow cast wall despite its obvious distance.

After a moment of silence, Niki spoke up, her voice stressed and obviously off nerved What in the name of Kenji, was that.

Claw stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing the unholy cries of something evil and dark seem to rise up from the very asphalt itself just like heat from the flame.

"Rico, I'm not sensing any psionics... the ESO's are gone..." growled Claw.

This presence was something he could swear he had encountered before. Or perhaps it was just that feeling of darkness creeping over him that seemed to foreshadow all great evils that Claw was feeling.

The human child was stuck to Christer like a leech, the weird howling had obviously spooked him. Odd, as nothing so far had had much effort of the strange boy. He crawled at the medic's fatigues whining, "That's not a kenji, it's death."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rico's ear's twitched, he seemed rather stoic again. He muttered something to himself, it sounded like he said 'droegemeier'. The fox gripped his sword hilt with his left hand and unseated the weapon, he looked around curiously for a moment before breathing what sounded like 'no', then stating, "What is it?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you mean there's more?! The troopers are retreating lets get down there." Sean barked back on the ship at the older rabbit. Kinnear was entranced on the viewer in front of him, "I... I don't know. Right before the troopers started pulling back. It's almost like EM interference, but the levels are completely insane. And the patterns are moving, together, almost like..."

The dog watching the exchange, previous named Rob, shoved the rabbit aside and squinted at the display. He couldn't guess the number of things it was tracking as the rabbit had the viewer in one area, but they seemed to be moving like creatures, not random magnetic patterns, and they were all heading toward the city they were still hovering over. "Like they're alive." He breathed stepping back from the viewer.

"Dad! We have to shoot em! We can't let them hurt the guys!" The teen barked again scrambling to hit as many buttons as he could on his own terminal.

"Do you have to blast everything in sight!" The dog barked turning around.

"It wouldn't matter what he does, we don't have anything that can lock unto something like that. He just be firing blindly at it," Kinnear stated grimly.

Rob sighed, "How long do we have to get them off the surface?"

The rabbit shook his head, "No idea, a few minutes at best."

"Land the ship"

"o-ok" The still nervous cat replied fiddling with his console.

"I'm going to get those kids, back the-"

"Rob. Let me go. These people need you, you can't leave your kid here alone. Just keep the ship away from the city and I'll contact you when we're clear." The rabbit suddenly spoke up in an even more serious voice.

The dog narrowed his eyes, but the hare was right, he'd seen first hand what abandonment does to kids. Those kids on the surface were proof enough to make him change his mind. He nodded his head in defeat, "Alright, do it. Take anything you want from the armory."

The rabbit look back, opening the airlock and allowing the light from the planet and wind to rush into the craft. his clothes flutter around him, even the green jacket moved into the burst of air swelling in from the planet's surface.

"I wouldn't try going after me. I'm not the only Warden preset for this event." He stated clearly before dropping to the ground, door closing behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The howl came before Craig could respond. Henry jumped at it and suddenly got very nervous. Toby's ears went up, but he didn't immediately respond it.

As soon as that awful sound reached the her ears, she stood completely rigid.

"Sis, I'm scared," Kenneth's voice spoke, barely above a whisper.

Ryn looked forlorn. What was she supposed to do? Tell him everything's all right? There was no way she could. If he really started to whine, though, things would be a lot worse than she thought.

Of course, a kid his age should've grown out of this already.