Alex swayed backwards and forth, rocking in his chair slowly as he listened in on the lecture. The constant droning of the lecturers seminars continued onwards, but the cream coloured rabbit was oblivious to it all. He simply rocked back and forth, lost in his own private world inside his head, his own daydream. He started out of the window for which he was seated right next to, and could only sigh as he wished he was out there instead. It was such a nice day after all

A bell suddenly rang out, signalling the end of the session. Alexs eyes widened in surprise and then at mild panic as he realised he hadnt been paying attention to anything that was told. The mildness suddenly sparked higher as he began to overhear some of his classmates discussing an apparent test that was approaching, but then Alex simply shrugged and promptly ignored the concern. It didnt really matter after all. Hed just wing it, and, being the lucky sod he normally was, would Ace the test. It didnt matter.

But the outside sunshine did.

Alex raced out of the building, as quickly as he could, leaving the Coral Advanced University to relax outside in the overwhelming beauty of the day. He collapsed on a grassy local and just looked up at the clouds above him. The smell reminded him of his home in the forest, and oh how he missed it. He was raised within a rural location of the nearby forest, but his parents desired for him to put forth his surprising intellect into further studies, and thus, the university. But it didnt really interest him. He felt more bored than anything else.

He wanted something different.

Alexs daydream abruptly ended by a surprising force of something stepping on him. Alex coughed sharply, as the figure which ran over him carried onwards. Alex noticed it was a crocodile dressed in a smart suit, and along with a human, they were chasing some sort of mouse. The bastards! Had they just not seen him or something?! Of all the inconsideracy this was one thing he hated about the city!

His red t-shirt was stained grey and light yellow from a mix of sand and dust from pavement. He tried brushing it down, but it just ended up making things worse, and now his hands were caked in the dirt as well.

Darn it, they wont get away with that! Alexs thoughts shouted. He chased after the fleeing three hoping to get some answers and at least an apology from the crocodile who had ran across him.

Those he were pursuing dived down an alley. As Alex raced to follow, he reached the opening to the alley a few moments after. He shouted out to the group

"Hey, stop right there!"

The human and crocodile agents looked back at the rabbit, at first with consternation, then with knowing smirks of ill intent. "You know our orders, no witnesses. You handle the old man, I'll take the bunny," rumbled the crocodile as he cracked his knuckles and reached into his suit jacket to produce a wicked-looking knife.

"Remember, the quieter the better," cautioned his human companion as he turned to face Cipher, drawing a similar blade.

Even under the obscuring business suit, it was obvious the croc had muscles to spare. He approached Alex, threatening with the knife. "I think I'll have myself a little rabbit stew," the croc said, licking his tongue along his long reptilian lips, and then he jabbed forward with the pointed end of the balanced knife!

Alex hopped backward out of range, and the crocodile nearly stumbled, but righted himself again and tried to corner Alex. The croc was not very fast, but he had murder in his eyes, and Alex would have to do more than dodge if he was going to get out of this mess.

Cipher meanwhile pulled a knife of his own and started dueling with the human, metal swishing through the air with each swipe.

The alleyway had junk strewn in it, but a couple of trashcans also stood to one side. There was only one way in, and one way out.

OOC: Sorry for the ever so late reply, I was just expecting some more people to join. o.o

IC:

The crocodiles weapon swung in a wide arc, narrowly missing Alex once again as he barely dodged to the side, avoiding the sparkling blades edge by centimetres. The crocodile wasted no time in allowing Alex to get his bearings, and once again performed another swing; this one horizontal. Alex jumped back again, the blade finally cutting through Alexs ruined top. A cut line ran through the fabric, and Alex breathed heavily in relief that the blade hadnt pierced his body.

Blasted rabbit, stand still! The crocodile shouted in anger. He quickly pocketed the knife, to allow both of his hands free where upon he lifted one of the trash cans parked against one of the alleyway walls. The crocodile had intended to throw it at Alex!

Alex quickly knelt down, looking for anything he could use for protection. He had never believed that something like this would happen! He had gotten in over his head, these men were dangerous, and now it was likely he was going to regret it.

Alexs wandering hands rested on something small, but hard, as his concentration focused on the advancing crocodile. Alex gave a brief sideways glance to determine what it was he had picked up, and look in apt shock to find that it was just a small pebble

Uh oh he quietly muttered, but then his apt look of horror turned to determination. Fuelled by adrenaline in this life and death situation, he rested the pebble in his hand and flicked it. He flicked it with enough force that it shot towards the crocodile, and with unbelievable luck, it smacked the crocodile right into his eye!

Arggh! The crocodile cried out in abject pain. He moved one hand to nurse his wound, before realising that this meant his grip on the overhead trashcan was lost and then it fell on top of him, smacking him in the head and covering him with dirt and grime. The crocodile collapsed in a daze.

Before the smartly dressed crocodile could do anything, Alex charged forwards. He picked up the discarded trash can cover, and with it, proceeded to beat the crocodile upside his head until the crocodile fell unconscious in a daze. He then proceeded to hit him some more.

Eventually, Alex was satisfied, and dropped to the ground, his energy exhausted. He turned his head to the side to see what had happened to the other suited man and the curious mouse whom the pair of thugs had been chasing

OOC: I'm joining now; just needed to figure out how to enter with my character, without compromising Terg's setup for Angel Island... let's see what I can do.

IC:

A keen set of peridot eyes watched the scene through the scope... his weapon wasn't loaded-- almost never was. It served him more as a telescope, while he was in the city limits. His thoughts fell back to his people, the Sand Cats, who lived in the alleyways on the backside of town; they normally lived in small communities in the less-explored spots of town, but regularly gathered into a large mass in the junkyard, to keep their traditions alive.

The elder was a gnarled man, with feathery brows and razor-sharp eyes. No one outshot him; no one outfought him; no one questioned him. He was the combination of religious faith and military skill that everyone took pride in... "Lash, step forward." The young man moved forward from the shadows, stepping up to the old man seated in front of the barrel-fire and kneeling before him.

"Signs are coming, one after another; our people dream restless dreams... dreams of our home, that we haven't seen for generations upon end. We speak not of ourselves, or our past to outsiders. We keep ourselves as we were, when the calamity struck, so that we won't be washed away by the world around us, and forever lose hope of returning. That, is why I've called you forward..."

The small cat lifted his large, foxlike ears and shifted a bit, losing composure. The elder continued: "Lash... the gods blessed you with the best ears of the tribe, in return for your voice. You alone, can venture into the world for us... find the gifted ones, that hold the key to our home. Guide them, and protect them with your life... and if you survive... return with the key, and lead your tribe home.

A brief, encouraging chant passed through the homeless ranks, and Lash bowed his head 'til his brow touched the ground. The elder stood, diminuitive yet powerful, and beckoned them all to settle with raised hands. "Gods guide you, boy..." The young Sand Cat opened his eyes once again, and checked the scope of his Dragunov; he read the lips of the man who he'd thought had the key... he seemed to be denying that he had it, now. And the inquirers looked like trouble...

The X factor came in-- the newcomer, this rabbit that suddenly showed up, was suddenly involved... he pulled back from the scope, and quickly, but regretfully, began to load the rifle. When he looked back into his scope, he was surprised to see that the newcomer was winning...! A sigh of relief passed his lips, and he turned his attention to the remaining assailant, who sought out the former 'Keeper'...

Should I help, Lash wondered, or let fate decide for him...? The cat fretted, trying to keep an eye on everyone in the alleyway...

OOC:... okay, just for the record, that was supposed to say 'shifted', and the typo set off some alarms there. *Dies inside.*

OOC: Thanks for joining, Pach; looks like all we had to do was keep up the excitement and tension to get more people interested in joining. I was actually afraid I'd responded too quickly at first, wanting to try to keep up a swift pace.

Welcome to the RP, Lash! I notice you are new to the board; in the future if you have to make a note of a mistake in a prior post, it's actually easier to just look under your name in the post with an error in it, click on the "edit" link (which should only appear in your own posts), and then you can go in and edit the post without the need for double-posting.

Don't worry about the error you mentioned; I went in and edited it for you, so it should read right this time. You can ask me any questions you have about the board or the RP Guild too.

IC:
The human who confronted Cipher was a good fighter, and Cipher thought he might be outdone for a moment. But at the surprising crash that came from where the crocodile was, the human let down his guard for a moment as he glanced over to see what had happened. Cipher seized the opportunity, lunging forward with his knife-

-and then swung his free fist to smack the man in the back of the head, hard enough to knock him down and unconscious.

Cipher replaced his knife into its sheath in his coat, and he brushed himself off, looking up with his single eye at the rabbit who had intervened. "Well done, lad, well done," he complimented as he approached the young man. "You just took down a trained government agent - with a pebble, no less!" He chuckled, seeming to be amused at a situation that could have meant life or death to the both of them. "Oh, you were that boy I stepped on while I was running, weren't you? Sorry about that, terribly sorry."

He reached into his pocket and tossed the rabbit a couple of ten-Mobium coins. "Here, for your trouble and the laundry. But you might also be able to help me. You see, I left the item that these gentlemen were looking for in the possession of a girl, and I might not be able to find her again. Maybe, just by chance, you might happen to know her?"

Cipher described the girl, a raccoon with startling blue eyes, a somewhat sour expression, and had raven black hair with a long single braid hanging from the back of her neck.

Alex paused for a moment, considering the description. It didnt feel particularly helpful, he wasnt very good at painting a picture of someone in his head unless he knew he was absolutely familiar with them. Hed needed a photo, otherwise he had no idea.

But that wasnt what intrigued Alex the most, or made him wary, in fact. It was something that the mouse had said before that, perhaps a slip of the tongue that had him concerned.

"You just took down a trained government agent - with a pebble, no less!"

now why on Mobius would a man be hunted by a government agent, unless they did something particularly sinister enough to warrant it? Was he a criminal? And what was this possession he talked about?

Alex took a sidestep, shifting his body slightly, as he folded his arms in front of his chest. He gave the impression that he was deep in thought about the appearance of the girl, whereas, in honesty, he was moving for the best position possible to be able to run out of the alleyway if necessary.

I dont know anyone like that, Im afraid. Alex answered. At least, not without a photo.

Alex kept silent about his reservations for the mouse. He didnt want to provoke him. Whereas he had beaten the crocodile by blind luck, the mouses battle was a different story, it was skill. Alex had no doubt that if a fight were to occur he would lose.

Do you have a photo of her, Mister? Alex prompted.

OOC:Hehe... actually I was looking for the edit button there... funny thing is... it wasn't there at all, when I initially saw the mistake. Well, either way, thanks a million. ^^ Here's hoping I can help spice things up a bit.

IC:

The little fellow continued to 'listen' in on their conversation as best he could; when they switched their positions, he lifted himself from his prone spot on the edge of the building, and swiftly hopped his way a few ledges over, to where he could just barely catch their expressions again. Lip-reading was a pain, especially through a scope... but he had to learn as much as he could, before he decided whether or not to reveal himself.

They have good eyes, he thought to himself. But the mouse... his seem tired, somehow. Lash mulled this over for a moment, then made his decision and took off across the skyline; jumping, climbing, rappeling and navigating his way towards the pair. He'd catch up with them in a while, if his network could keep them in sight. They're the only way I'll find the Keeper, he thought to himself...

Taffy stepped back as the door opened, and a squirrel and a sheep, both dressed in black suits with shades, barged into the apartment. "Who are you and what are you doing here?!" shouted Taffy, upset and caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of these men - who looked all too similar to the thugs chasing after the one-eyed mouse.

"Where's the map?" demanded the sheep sternly grabbed Taffy's wrist and twisted it. "If you give it to us, we'll let you go. We know you have it, you're the only one that mouse ran into. Are you an accomplice?"

"Ow!" Taffy's temper flared, and she tried to punch with her free hand, but the sheep quickly whirled around her and pressed her trapped wrist against her back. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

The squirrel shut the door and went further into the apartment. Taffy had left the map in plain sight on her bed, and if he went that far inside, he'd find it in a flash. And then they might even kill her, despite the sheep's promise. In a desperate move, she slammed her foot downward onto the sheep's foot, which made the sheep yelp and let go long enough for her to whirl around and ram her foot into his crotch for good measure. Leaving the sheep wheezing for breath, she dashed to the door and swung it open, but before she could leave the squirrel grabbed her under her arms, yanked her back inside, and did some kind of judo move to trip her to the floor before slamming the door shut.

The sheep, very angry and still moving carefully, nonetheless drew a knife and held it to Taffy's throat. "You lost your free chances, girlie. Now where's the map? We'll kill you and search the place anyway if you don't tell us."

Taffy knew the door wasn't locked, but even if her roommates came in just then, how would they be able to deal with these thugs?

The one-eyed mouse smiled genially. "My name is Cipher, lad. I was in a bit of a hurry at the time, and don't carry a camera around...but I suppose I can show you what she looks like, if you can keep it a secret."

Reaching into his coat with one hand, Cipher made some gestures that bulged through the coat, and he pulled the hand out in a fist. Holding out this fist, he opened his fingers, and there in his palm was a miniature but fully-detailed three-dimensional shimmering image of a raccoon girl! "That help any?"

For a second, Cipher's ear perked in the direction from where Lash was, but he moved it back quickly. He scratched it with his other hand, giving the implication that his ear was itchy.

OOC: I'm still here; simply postponing my input until Pachamac posts, so things balance out.

Alex took a step back in disbelief. He had never seen such a thing as before occur to him in his life! Of course, he had seen a variety of things which blurred the barriers of what was generally normal, incredible acts of magic, but nonetheless it still surprised him every time. It had to be magic, there was no other way of describing it. And if that was the case, then Cipher was similar to his dad

I wow, Im impressed you can make something like that, Alex said bemused, bending down to get a closer look at the 3D holographic image before him, inspecting it. It helped a lot better than a mere verbal description at any rate. How can you do things like this?

Cipher fell silent, and simply replied It gets easier with practice. Alex simply nodded.

I think I know the girl, actually. Alex replied, taking a step back, and stretching. I think I saw her once around my universitys campus. She isnt in any of my classes or anything, and I havent ever even really spoken to her. But Ive seen her.

Do you need directions to the University? Alex added.

A boy had seen it happen. A young coyote boy, probably a freshman in high school, had stopped at the stairwell outside her apartment and waited, just looking around the corner, watching men charge into a lady's apartment, and he heard some commotion.

His palms were sweaty, and his mind was racing. What was he going to do? Just go about his business? Her apartment was past his own... he was still in dirty practice uniform for his baseball team, his backpack slung over on arm and his metal bat in the other. Would they take him too if they saw him, to get rid of witnesses? If he called the police, they wouldn't get here in time before something happened...

He was the only one around, to the best of his knowledge. He gulped once, dropped his bag on the ground, and strode out from his hiding place in the room with the metal bat gripped firmly in his paws.

He stopped a few feet away from the girl, and just shouted "Hey!" as bravely as he could, pointing the metal improvised weapon at them with both hands. His ears were flat against his head, and his eyes wide, betraying the image of fearlessness he was going for, but nonetheless, as one of the two started to turn and face him, he squeezed his eyes shut and swung it at the assailant's head.

Taffy heard the ringing of metal as it crashed against something hard, and the thump of the squirrel against the floor near her told her that someone had been behind that noise. Out of the corner of her eye she could see movement, but she couldn't tell at all who it was.

The sheep swore and pressed the knife against Taffy's neck. "Hold it right there, chump! One more move and I'll slit her throat!"

Taffy's danger sense was going critical as she felt the metal against her throat. The sheep was already angry enough after he had gotten her foot in his crotch, and seeing his partner go down so quickly and suddenly drove him to the edge of mania. But seeing through the feeling of raw lethality, she saw an opportunity: the sheep had lifted himself up slightly to see the interloper better.

If I'm dead anyway, I might as well make him pay for it, was her thought. And she jammed her knee into his stomach, following through with the momentum to flip backward and push him off.

The knife briefly pierced her skin under her fur, but it was only a shallow cut, and the knife was now sliding on the floor with her blood on it while the sheep gasped for breath - before another thud happened, and she felt the danger level drop immensely, signaling the end of the fight.

Taffy got up to her feet, instinctively reaching for her neck to check how badly she was cut. She saw her savior, a wide-eyed trembling coyote boy who was staring at her, his eyes not meeting hers but looking below...and she got angry. "Hey, my eyes are up here, kid," she snapped.

"You're bleeding!" he shouted, nearly dropping the bat as if his own voice surprised him.

Taffy winced and pulled her hand away from her neck; there was plenty of red splashed onto her black-furred hand. She swore under her breath, partly for assuming that the young man had been staring at her chest when he'd just been having a fairly normal reaction to seeing someone bleed from the neck. "Look, come with me, I'll need your help getting this bandaged. Just do what I say and it'll be okay."

She led the way to the bathroom while staunching the blood flow with the same hand, and she quickly pulled out the first aid kit under the sink and opened it up on top of the closed toilet lid. She directed the coyote to tie bandages around her throat, and soon she had lines of white around her neck. Good thing I'm going to medical school, she thought.

"So what's your name, kid?" she asked as she stood up. "I'm Taffy Tanner."

Cipher noted that this rabbit boy was very observant - a trait he'd have to be careful of.

"Why yes, directions to the university would be just grand. I have a feeling we'll meet her there."

"We?" echoed the rabbit.

"Yes, we. It'll be easier if you just bring me to the university, and I'll pay you a little more there. My name is Cipher, lad; what's yours?"

The rabbit hesitated. Cipher grinned. "You're wise not to trust me on a whim, but try to believe me, I'm not the bad guy here. The reason those men were after me is because someone in the government wants the map to Angel Island badly enough to kill for it, and they thought I had it. But I already passed it on to the girl I showed you while I was escaping, which means she'll be in great danger now if any of the other agents saw her. And yes," he said, seeing the rabbit's guarded expression, "this is a lot to take in all at once, but now you understand the danger to all of us, don't you? If you're going to the university, as you mentioned, then surely you've heard of Angel Island and of the map that supposedly can lead someone right to it."

This was dangerous; the boy might decide to go for the map himself, or report him to the authorities. But Cipher was already in more than enough danger that he was willing to take the risk.

He lifted his chin up a little to respond, in a vie to look more confident, but the way he said the words so nervously cut the effect. "I'm, uh, my name is, Adam... Prince. Adam Prince." Taffy watched the boy's eyes wander from her to the bathroom doorway, at the downed people on the ground. He gulped, hoping they one he hit wasn't dead. Adam did swing that bat pretty hard.

"S-so. What were they doing in there? Where they trying to rob you? I... heard somethin' about a map?" Adam spoke with quietness, like it was out of some kind of fear of being overbearing.

"Oh, that. I guess I can show you..." Taffy said while looking the boy up and down. "We might be in this together now, at least for a little bit. Come on." So, she led him into her bedroom, where the map still lay in plain sight. Adam was a little skeptical when he saw the old thing - why would anyone threaten to kill over something like that?

His opinion quickly changed when his eyes rested on the golden cross placed on an island, marked down with the name Angel Island. The coyote felt his knees weaken, as he nervously questioned the thing's authenticity: "I-is that real? Really real? Angel Island?"

Alex instantly recognised the name of Angel Island, and the tying of that name with the keyword map only made things clear: this was the island his father had spoken to him years ago his fathers ideals and dreams of searching for such a legendary island. Back when he was little more than a youth, Alex was joyful at the tales and whimsy such a thing garnered, but as he grew older, he became more realistic and dismissed such a thing as just a myth.

If what the mouse was saying was true though things were quite different now!

Alex wasnt sure whether or not to believe the man. He claimed that those who had been chasing him was the government who were supposedly after the map that the mouse had. The government were the ones who were supposed to be upholding justice and keeping the peace. If they had to try and forcefully acquire the map from a mouse such as this Cipher, and Cipher wouldnt allow it, then the old mouse wasnt quite as noble or heroic as a person should be.

Agh! It was all too much to be taking in at one time. He had a lot of information, but no way to determine whether or not whatever it was that the mouse said was genuine. If Alex knew any better, he should have just left now, but it was too late for that. According to the mouse, a girl was caught up in all of this mess now and she was in danger. And, partly because Alex said he had seen the girl, that meant it was his fault that she could be in danger by the mouse.

What should he do?

Follow me, Alex said, walking out of the alleyway onto the brighter street again. Ill show you the way to the university.

It was all spontaneous, but regardless Alex had made his decision now. Hed go along with the mouse now, see what was going on, and see whether or not the girl was in danger. If she was, Alex would try to rectify his mistakes and help her. Plus, he had been bored for a long time this would be different, exciting, even! And the curious rumours that his father had told him of the legend, of Angel Island they were too intriguing to resist.

Its only a ten minute walk, Alex added.

The sound of boots hitting the pavement sounded off, in four clicks; toes, then heels. The feline that appeared before Alex and Cipher was so diminuitive, he hardly looked like a threat-- until one noticed the rifle slung at his back. He slowly unbuckled the sling from his shoulder, and carefully lowered the antique to the ground behind his feet, releasing the straps. Drawing out a scroll tied with a simple twist-tie, he rolled it to them, and bowed in a courtly manner.

The letter read:
I am Lash, a member of the sand cat tribe. I've been sent by my kin to guide you on your mission, to search for the island. I will do everything I can to help you along the way; please allow me to assist you.

He said nothing himself; simply kept his eyes to the pavement, despite how vulnerable it made him. At the very least, he had good eyes; depth and conscience pooled deep in them. He calmly awaited their decision...

"If it isn't real, then those guys were trying to kill us for a fake," stated Taffy bluntly as she walked toward the two downed suits. As much as she felt she'd regret it, she was going to check their injuries and see if there was anything that she could do to help them. At the same time, she wasn't going to be stupid about it.

The squirrel's skull had been crushed by the baseball bat to the head; Taffy quickly grabbed a cloth from a nearby table and set it over his lifeless head. She then examined the sheep, who she would rather have seen dead, but who apparently the coyote had only kicked in the head; there was a big bump forming where he had been struck. "Not anything life-threatening there," she muttered, tempted to kick the sheep again. She settled for improvising with his tie as a rope to tie his hands behind his back.

She stood up and glanced back at the coyote, who she immediately recognized was going through shock from the experience. "Look, ki-Adam, don't think about them right now. What we need to do is make sure that map is real before we do anything else. If it is some fancy fake, then we'll be able to get this cleared up so we don't get targeted by more of these guys."

Adam asked, "But how are we going to do that?" He was scared, but at least he was trying to hold himself together; Taffy respected that.

"By going to the university. One of the older scholars there, Dr. Redblum, is an expert in ancient manuscripts and artifacts. If anyone would know if this is the real deal or not, it's him." She walked back to her bedroom and retrieved her backpack, emptying it of the school binders and filling it with first-aid kits and supplies. She took the map from Adam, who was only too willing to give it to her, and slipped it into the backpack. "I suggest you go and get whatever you want from your apartment and meet me back here in ten minutes. We might not come back here until this is cleared up, so make sure you're dressed to travel."

Adam nodded and went out the door, leaving Taffy there. She closed the door of her bedroom and locked it before stripping out of her swimsuit and changing into blue overalls with a red T-shirt. She was quick and methodical as she slipped on some hiking shoes, and then moved from the bedroom to the kitchen, grabbing beef jerky and other small food items she could carry that wouldn't go bad for a while. It was like moving out all over again, except she knew she didn't have the time to pack up any of her mementos. They might be in danger every moment longer that they stayed where they were.

She came to the hallway where the stairs were, and waited for Adam. Really, she was probably as nervous inside as Adam was on the outside, but she didn't want to give in to that. She had already messed up once before, when it counted, and she didn't ever want to feel helpless like that again...

Cipher took the scroll and read it aloud so that Alex could hear it as well, then tied the scroll neatly back together and stuffed it inside an inner pocket. This was actually a stroke of luck - the sand cat tribe was also said to be descended from those who lived on Angel Island long ago, in the harsh desert region known as Sandopolis. While Cipher was sure of his find, this only added validity to what he had already set forth to the young lad.

"Arise, Lash of the sand cat tribe," said Cipher formally. "Your service to your kin is an honor. Come with us, because we're going to find the others who will join us on the quest for the Angel Isle."

He gave Alex a wink. "You don't mind, do you? All the help we can get, after all. But we'll hurry of course to the university. I have no doubt that is where we'll meet her, and anyone else caught in this mess."

Adam Prince's only stall in time was that he couldn't help but give a look at the man he swung the bat at. Evidently dead was the squirrel on the floor. The kid was horrified. He just killed, after all, and probably had every right to be... the fact that his actions saved another's life somehow did little to soften the notion that he was now a murderer.

He hadn't a choice, though, but to get his things - his bat, and the backpack he had left in the hall, before rejoining Taffy. As they moved out from the apartment and started their trek to the university,, the coyote boy quietly asked, without looking right at her "What's going to happen to me, though? I killed that, uh, guy... w-will I go to prison?" He gulped after finishing his sentence, a feeling in his gut making him expect the worst.

Alex eyed the new arrival, and took a slight step away from the newcomer. It felt bizarre, for someone like this to suddenly show up after what had just happened. Was he watching what had happened before in the alleyway? How long had he been watching them?

And why did Cipher automatically trust the newcomer? He claimed to be a member of the sand cat tribe, but there were no guarantees. He might have looked like one, but he could have changed his appearance

Alex carried on, leading the two, keeping his thoughts to himself and his guard up. In ten minutes, they had arrived at the university.

Alex felt guilty that he could be leading such dangerous people to a girl. He gulped anxiety. He pointed to the west.

The dormitories are there. She might be there or she might have gone somewhere else. Or she might be where you bumped into her before? Alex added, waiting to see what Ciphers reaction would be.

The little sand cat looked up, and managed a toothy little grin; an odd icebreaker, after such a formal arrival... but who said all representatives had to be tightwads? The young man hopped to his feet, glanced back at his rifle, and sharply stomped the stock; the barrel flipped up, and was swiftly turned over his back as he strapped it in place.

He knew his entrance was 'far too convenient' by most standards... but he also knew that waiting until there was danger again would be a needless risk-- they needed to know they had a spotter. He quickly snagged a piece of scrap paper from his pocket, and scratched out another message:

I thought it would be better to know you're being followed by a friend... I'm going to disappear, for now; I'll watch your backs until you reach your destination.

Waiting until the note was read, he tapped the butt of his rifle for emphasis, though some reluctance ran across his face... he obviously wasn't ready to use the thing, but having a sniper in name only was a good bargaining chip... and with Lash's ears and eyes, he could ensure the bluff carried.

Waving, he ran up the side of a dumpster and used it as a springboard, scaling his way up the retracted fire escape nearby... and again, he was gone from sight. An odd, brief, yet opportune encounter.

Outside of the Apartment Complex

"Oi! You danged peice of junk!" a familiar hedgehog droned in dismay as his Automobile had stopped in front of the complex. He was heading to a Gas Station to make sure this Used Car, that is in perfect and excellent condition and all yours! was as it claimed. Max was half-cursing and half-laughing. The Salesman, he had to figure. Ah, well. He wasn't too sure, why the Car decided to STOP WORKING here, but he didn't give a rat's you-know-what. The Maroon Hedgehog shoved a cigarette in his mouth and straightened his jacket. He exited the driver's seat and closed the door as he got out. He... peeved; like usual extended his foot and slammed it hard into the side of the car.

"OW!!!!!! THAT HURT YE' DANG PEICE O' DINGED UP CITY CRAP JUNK!!!!" the words following that sentence were all profane, although the yell was loud enough to hear through the Apartment Complex. Stone's were known for their complexity to be bigmouthed and loudmouthed. There was no doubt Taffy and her new friend heard it.

Max Stone. Pilot. Loudmouthed Hedgehog. Idiot.

Before hearing Max Stone

Taffy sighed, and put her hands onto Adam's shoulders. "Listen to me really carefully, Adam - those guys were ready to kill ME. And who knows how many more that they killed to try to get this map. You acted to protect someone else who was in harm's way. IF the police investigate, we'll just testify about what happened and explain the situation."

Taffy truthfully wasn't so sure that there'd even be an investigation. She wished she had thought of checking the pockets of the suits for identification, but they looked very official for thugs. Could they be working for the government? Or was it the Mofia? Either way, that meant it was most likely that the police either wouldn't get involved. Which was why she wanted to check the map's authenticity instead of going to the police to report this situation.

She patted Adam on the shoulders. "We'll get it sorted out. It'll be okay."

After hearing Max

"OW! THAT HURT YE' DANG PIECE O' DINGED UP CITY CRAP JUNK!!"

The swearing that followed certainly interrupted Taffy's attempt at consoling the kid. But when Taffy turned to see who it was, she saw a possible opportunity, and grabbed Adam's wrist and dragged him along.

"Hey, buster!" said Taffy loudly as she approached the reddish hedgehog. "Can you give us a lift to the university? We need to get there in a hurry."

The hedgehog swore and kicked the car again. "This stupid thing won't give anybody a lift anywhere, missy! It's a lousy hunka junk! And unless you've got the dough to fix it up, you're gonna have to hoof it."

Taffy was getting ticked off by this hedgehog's shouting. "Don't shout at me, I'm right here! I'm not deaf y'know!"

"You sure ain't mute yourself!"

"Why I oughta-"

"Please stop it!" exclaimed Adam, who waved his bat emphatically but lost control of it and it slammed against the hood of the car.

The car's engine sputtered and came back to life, grumbling and popping as the entire vehicle shuddered and shook, but it was going again. The three Mobians looked at the car in stunned amazement for a few moments.

"...I guess I can give you a lift," said the astounded hedgehog. "I'm Max."

"Taffy. And this is Adam."

They all got in, Taffy taking the front seat while Adam got into the back. The decaying leather seats had a musty smell, though they were very soft and spongy. "Let's see if this hunk o'junk'll stay put together long enough for the trip," grunted Max as he put the decrepit car into gear.

Cipher rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "No, she wouldn't be in the dormitories now...she struck me as a smart cookie, and if she survived the agents who surely must have followed her, then she'll be going to Dr. Redblum's office. He's the global authority on this map at the present, and she'd want to verify that it was indeed the proper map."

Cipher noticed the briefest moment of suspicion in the rabbit's eyes. "Mr. Cipher, are you sure? You only met her the one time, right?"

"I may only have one eye left, but it's a good one," said Cipher. "I've always been a good judge of character, if I do say so myself. And that girl seemed to be the type to make it out of a tight situation, one way or the other. Nevertheless, we should make it to Dr. Redblum first, then wait and see whether she'll show up there or not. Or if she beat us to him, at least we'll be able to find them and the map."

The car broke down at the university, with Max cussing and swearing a storm that left Adam wide-eyed and Taffy in a slightly less than cheerful mood herself. "Oh, shut up and thanks for the ride," she said as she grabbed the door handle...and it came off of its hinges when she tried opening it. She shrugged and let it drop with a clatter to the cement, and stepped out. Adam followed, trying to stay as quiet as possible after the mishap with his bat earlier.

"Hey, you owe me for that ride!" demanded Max as he too got out of the car.

"Your car was fixed long enough to get here, right?" snarled Taffy back. "I don't have the money to pay you anyway, so you might as well shove off."

"Eh, I'm not leaving 'till I get paid back decent enough," said Max in a surly manner, determined as he followed Taffy and Adam into the building they had stopped in front of. "Besides, there'll be parking fees later."

Taffy really didn't want this...jerk along, but she felt it was more important for them to get to Dr. Redblum's office now. Not once did it cross her mind that Max could be one of the bad guys - he seemed too loudmouthed to be an effective agent for the government, and the Mofia would have shot him.

Taffy led the way down the halls of the university office building, the light gray mottled tiles reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights above them. It didn't take her long to find the right office, and she knocked loudly three times against the wooden door. "Doctor Redblum?" she said. "Doctor, are you there?"

There wasn't an answer. Taffy knocked again. Adam ventured to say, "Maybe he's teaching a class right now?"

"These are his office hours," said Taffy definitively. "He's got to be here."

"Then let's not waste our time here!" Max kicked his booted foot against the door, smashing a hole in the thin wood. He then reached through and unlocked it from the other side, and opened the door.

The office was more like a library, with huge shelves on either side overflowing with books. A fine rug from a foreign continent laid on the floor, its blacks, yellows, reds and blues exotic and supporting the otherwise orange-tinted wood surfaces of the room. And there, his upper body leaning heavily across his desk in a puddle of blood, a long knife jutting out of his back, was an older woodchuck whose graying hair was frayed and scattered in a horrible mess.

Taffy and Max swore at the same time. "Who did this?!" growled Taffy as she ran forward and looked at the knife, careful not to remove it.

"Not you, I'll wager," said a voice from behind the group.

Taffy whirled around to see the one-eyed mouse with a rabbit she had seen around campus. The mouse entered the room with a jovial smile. "And I'll bet it's the same agents who are after the map," continued the mouse as he gestured to the dead professor. "Which means that he knew something important. Perhaps there'll be notes hidden somewhere in here that will help us."

Lash mulled his impulsive introduction over as he tottered along the rooftops, arms folded over his chest to show his troubled mood; Was that too sudden, he asked himself as he watched them below the crest of the building, slowly ringing their position with a hop to the adjacent roof. Nah... it'd be no less suspicious if I had waited 'til they were ambushed again. Guess I've just... gotta hope they trust me.

With a thud, he found he'd only half-made the jump... hissing, he kicked at the wall repeatedly until he'd scrambled up onto its surface, and flopped onto his back. Ahh.... I need to quit spacing out... Pulling himself up, he sought out his acquaintances down in the alleyway, listening in on their conversation. The university... hm. I should learn the routes. That Cipher guy's pretty tough... they should be fine for that long, yeah?

The cat took off, skimming the roofs with an occasional stumble or fall.

Alex was stunned at the scene before him. One of the professors of the university was dead, a large blade sticking out from his back, his body lifelessly perched atop across a wide desk. This was the first time Alex had seen a dead body, and yet, the reaction of the mouse, who called himself Cipher surprised him.

The mouse didnt believe the group before them had killed the university, off a whim? The group contained the girl, the raccoon whom Alex had seen before and whom he was worried for his safety, and even he had to admit hed doubt she could have done such a thing.

But the other two people were complete strangers! One of them, a red hedgehog, had a noticeably surly disposition, his expression betraying and arrogance and hostility. And the coyote boy, he was even holding a weapon of sorts! True, it wasnt a blade, and only looked like a baseball bat, but it was a weapon nonetheless. What was there to say these people werent responsible?

And then, for Cipher to just suggest theyd search for any clues, of notes around the room, instead of immediately reporting the crime! Alex began to have serious doubts. Could this Cipher have been in league with the others, and could they have killed the professor? Could everything the mouse had said before been a lie, and was that weird individual who dropped in on them before have been connected as well?

Alex turned, and ran, faint tears in his eyes, overwhelming emotion from the sheer shock of everything. He didnt know what to do, other than he just had to get AWAY from them. They were dangerous, they might have been killers!

And as he ran, Alex felt a faint pang of regret and guilt that he could have left the raccoon girl, a likely innocent, all by herself amongst the other men.

He had to report this crime quickly. He had to report it immediately.

Cipher watched Alex go with a sigh. "He's probably going to try to tell someone about this murder," he said resignedly. " Maybe even to the police, but that won't do any good. Hopefully they're just being paid off to ignore requests for help in this matter, and not to arrest anyone as the murderer themselves."

"Look, buster, you've got a heck of a lot to explain," growled Taffy as she approached the mouse. "YOU were the one who gave me the map, and because of it, I nearly got killed!"

"But you survived, didn't you?" countered Cipher quickly.

"Yeah, but now at least two people are dead because of all of this!" Taffy seethed. "And it looks like I wasn't the only one you tried to sucker into this mess! I recognize that guy, he's a student here too! Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"I'm not trying anything - except to find a way to finally verify that map and find a way to get to Angel Island. It's unfortunate that you are involved now, but you really don't have much choice now."

"Heck I do." Taffy pulled off the backpack and grabbed the map from it, throwing it at the mouse. "Here, now get out of my life!"

Cipher caught the map with both hands, and gingerly held it. "I'm afraid it isn't that easy. The government wants the way to Angel Island, and if you left an agent alive, then he'll tell his superiors that you have a connection to the map. Which means you'll be captured, tortured, and killed. They won't care if you don't really know where it is anymore, that's how desperate they are to get to the island."

"SHUT THE **** UP!"

Taffy and Cipher stopped and looked at Max, who stood there looking irritated. "This is a load of crap. You're tellin' me that the myth about that echidna empire is real? And that the government is actually trying to go after it? And now we have to do as you say and help you find it before they do?"

"Very accurate description, yes," said Cipher, blinking his one good eye. "Whether you believe me or not, the map is real - and we may be too late to get the notes we need to prove it, but if you will help me search this room and find them, then if they aren't here, you are free to leave and pursue your lives as you see fit. But I offer you a chance at the adventure of a lifetime. And that other boy as well, who we may have to rescue. At least give me a chance to prove that it is real before you write me off as insane."

"And what do you get out of this deal? Why not just leave now for Angel Island and keep all of the treasure to yourself?" asked Taffy suspiciously.

"I can't carry it all myself," quipped Cipher. "Besides, it would be impossible to achieve this by myself, and you young people are the only ones I can trust to not be agents of the government."

Taffy shook her head. "Okay, old man, I'll give you your chance. But if it's fake, and I see you enter my life again, I'll make sure you never have kids."

"I'll take you up on that deal."

The truth was that Taffy was a little excited about the prospect of a new adventure, something to get her away from here...and maybe away from her memories. But she was worried about that rabbit, who she only knew from seeing him in the halls and in a class or two they shared, yet felt a connection with because unlike these others, she shared the university with him as a student, and that was the only kinship she had right then.

"Okay, let's look for clues then," said Taffy.

OOC: Feel free to find clues as you see fit, I realize I started this plot and have a degree of control over it, but I'd like to give opportunities for others to contribute. Feel free to let me know if you'd like to do something with the plot as well.

Lash had stayed in the general area, scouting and keeping an ear up for more pursuers... but what he heard instead was the hurried pace of poor Alex, and the remaining group's conversation after Max's outburst... more than enough to garner his full attention. Not a moment later, a letter tied around a wooden dart pegged the ground beside Cipher. It read:

I'll try to catch up with him.

The little cat didn't have time to write more, as he had to haul tail to stay on Alex's trail. Whatever the chieftain says about it... being mute is tough. He frowned and skittered along the rooftops, trying his best to pinpoint the distant footsteps amongst all the other noises of the night.

The question is,he thought to himself, what will I do when I catch up... if he's this shaken, I doubt he'll stand still long enough for me to write a letter... He pondered this worriedly as he skimmed along. I've gotta at least keep him safe until the others catch up...

It didn't take long for Alex to find two University police officers strolling along one of the sidewalks near the building he emerged from. "Help! There's been a murder!" he shouted after them, getting their attention as he ran closer. Such relief to find representatives of the law so quickly after that horrible scene!

"A murder?!" exclaimed one of the police officers, and the two men exchanged glances with each other before focusing on the rabbit. "What happened? Calm down and tell us everything."

"Dr. Redblum, in his office...the murderers might still be there! We have to hurry!"

The officers exchanged glances again. "Just like the chief said," stated the other officer, tipping his hat slightly to hide his eyes.

The first officer turned to Alex. "Yup. Look, we need to bring you into custody right away - for your safety, of course. Would you come with us?"

"But what about the murderers?!" Alex started to wonder if they had heard him right. "They're still there in the office, if we can just-"

"Don't worry, we'll arrest them all - just come along with us and you'll be fine." The officer unbuckled a pair of handcuffs from his belt. "Of course, to make sure you're safe, we'll need to put these on you. Safety precaution."

The search of the library quickly revealed scattered papers and notes that had obviously been ransacked by someone else. "As I feared, it looks like the government has already taken anything they could find that appeared to be valuable with regard to the map," noted Cipher with a hint of sadness.

"Convenient excuse," remarked Taffy with a snort as she walked back to the desk and looked at it. While it was repulsive to see Dr. Redblum's lifeless body there, she got a strange feeling that if anything were to be found, it would be in the desk or around it.

But it was Adam who pointed it out. "Hey, isn't that a paper sticking out of his vest pocket?"

Taffy gingerly reached over the desk and pulled out an envelope that had been sticking out only a millimeter or two from the vest of the dead woodchuck. Pulling it back, she examined the blank envelope before opening it and pulling out a piece of blue note paper scribbled with words. "'The government has recently contacted me about the existence of a certain map reputed to lead to the Angel Isle, the homeland of the echidna empire. I am worried because from the description of the map, it has echidna hieroglyphs on it that identify it as the correct map. It also possesses a golden symbol that follows the exact location of the Isle at any given moment in time, which is not possible to be replicated by mere trickery or chicanery. They are on their way to speak with me soon, but I am not sure of their true motivations. In case something happens, here are the symbols that can be used to properly identify the true map. I hope this will fall into the right hands.'"

Taffy held out a hand to Cipher, who graciously provided the map to her. Max and Adam gathered around to peer at the scribbles and the map itself, looking back and forth between the two.

"They look consistent to me," stated Taffy after matching each symbol. "And even magic tricks can't replicate something that lasts as long as this. Looks like this is the real thing."

Cipher reached for the map again. "Now that we've got that settled, we can-"

Taffy yanked the map away from the mouse's grasp, and took it and the note with her across the room as she unstrapped her backpack. "You still put us all in a lot of danger, Mr. Cipher, so in exchange for believing you, I'm keeping this map. Even if it's the right map, that doesn't mean I trust you - because you were willing to put my life at risk over this. If you're coming along, then I'm going to be the one in charge - not you."

For a moment, Cipher's expression twisted into furious rage as he saw the map rolled up and put away into Taffy's backpack. But control reasserted itself and he was soon smiling, even laughing. "I knew you were someone capable of handling herself; I will agree to your terms."

"No more secrets, too. If you have any other surprises, tell us about them on our way to the docks."

"To get a boat for the Angel Isle? Clever girl."

"No fake compliments either, we both know we'll have to find someone we can trust who has a boat." Taffy looked to Max. "You look like the sort of guy who has shady contacts, maybe you know somebody who could lend us a boat."

Where did she get off with such things! He narrowed his eyes, before letting a snort. "What do you mean by that! Are you imposing I'm sum' type of Criminal or something?"

He looked to her for a moment, "I don't know about a boat.... but 'ey who needs a boat when you have a plane?"

Taffy blinked. "A, a plane will do." Maybe this lug will be useful after all.

"You'll have to contend with fierce weather around the island," quipped Cipher from his place near one of the office walls, leaning on it. "A moving island creates currents in the air and sea that make it difficult to get there safely."

"Thanks for the warning," said Taffy sarcastically. "And I bet there'll be government agents who'll try to stop us from getting to the plane to begin with."

"They may be expecting you to acquire a boat, but they may be covering all of their bases. Up to you to take the risk."

Taffy turned to Max and Adam. "I'm going no matter what now. And coming along will mean you'll be in danger too. We'll need to find that rabbit and bring him along too, I bet he may be in trouble too. But, I don't want you coming along if you don't feel you can or want to. Are you with me?"

"W-well," Adam said quietly after straightening up a little, "if the government is the big thing in trying to kill people over this... then maybe I'm better off with you guys, 'cause... cause if they figure out I hit that one guy before, then I'll be history, won't I?"

Max raised a brow. "Well looks like you kinda need me, 'hon." he replied with a sly smirk on his face. He thought about her warning for a second. "Danger? Sounds like fun, man."

Lash wasn't having any of this. The boy had gotten to the scene in time to see a pair of handcuffs come out, and he had a feeling they wouldn't give poor Alex time to think it over. He'd already loaded that tool of his earlier... now he put it to use. Propping it up on its bipod, he crouched to a proper aim, and...

The officer with the handcuffs held them up for emphasis... just enough for the young cat to get a glimpse of metal in his scope. He pinged it with a bullet, and the fellow yelped as the cuffs flipped loose from his hand wildly. "What was that," he said roughly, having lost his wind from the shock. The other officer went for his gun to take point and find the source, but it too, quickly recieved a bullet, and went off itself, startling the pair further. He went to pick up his dropped sidearm, and it spun across the pavement following a third report... finally the two got the message, and quickly moved to find cover in a pool of sweat.

The lad with the rifle grinned, and congratulated himself on a bloodless job. ~Don't trust them. Just run.~ This was written on a napkin that flew down in front of Alex's nose, attached to a small rock by a string. It fluttered as the pebble bounced off the pavement, and came to rest in plain view. Unfortunately, the leisure of letting Alex find out for himself just what the sand cat had caught of their intentions, with a good ear and a good scope, wasn't there for them. He just hoped the kid would get antsy over the cuffs and take the chance to get away while they were smarting from their loss.