A single man Dressed in a black t shirt and olive drab khakis emerged from the great forest setting foot into the remains of knot hole armed with nothing more than a silenced sig 552 assault rifle and a sidearm. He collapsed to his knees and put his hands to his face.

"Why? elderly, women, children", He asked as he surveyed the scene."What did they do?"

He layed the Rifle down in the dirt.

"Tatiana!", His eyes widened He begain running up and down the row of dead bodies hoping he would not recognise any of them. It didnt help that the some of the remains were so badly burned that you couldnt make out who or what they were at one point. Josh collapsed at the end and removed the folding spade from his belt.

-Several hours Later-

Several piles of dirt each with a makeshift cross stood in the open field. Josh went around to each hut lighting it onfire after getting any useful supplies that may be inside then lighting it on fire. He came to His and tatianas hut and walked inside. He picked up a photo album and put it into his pack along with several other items. A tear rolled down his face as he dropped the match on the door step within a few minutes the hut was engulfed in flames.

"Robotnik. Genocide is a warcrime.", Josh said to himself.

Josh continued on his way. He noticed some foot prints in the sand leading away from the village.

"Could it be?", He asked himself.

Tails looked to Amy and the then the others. "I suspose, we should really either avoid them, or take them out without alerting them." Tails said. Tails slowly, and silently drew his sword and then let it rest in his hands touching the ground lightly before deciding what to do.

"So I say we....we should, avoid them. But what do you guy's think?" Tails asked, he wasn't always right he was sure.

"Attack or Avoid?"

(OOC: Sorry, that I really never even updated. That is changing today. I am still commited, hell my dormant fic is now being worked on a little bit on it every day nowadays. Sorry all.)

"Avoid." Ryuji said quickly and with little hesitation. James looked to him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Much as I'd hate to let Robotnik's vile creations run free, I don't I, or the rest of us are really up for fighting. And I don't mean physical-wise."

"I'm with him," the cub mumbled, still stood in full veiw, yet seeming to go totaly unnoticed by the bots. He paused a moment to regain his balence again, clearly struggeling with the long hike, blood seeing down his head from the now sodden bandage. "I don' wana fight anymore today.. besides, it din't help last time."

"Alright. I can live with that." Tails said in a nod.

He looked at the patrolling SWATbots from their position. They werent picking them up on radar, maybe these robots were just standard patrollers that Robotnik really cared not about. But as aforementioned, they had not the spirit to attack them. The orange furred fox began to think some more as he sheathed his sword. Observing their route once more, he found a way to dodge their sight and continue on the way to their destination. The six SWATbots. They were in groups. Tails called them group A and group B. He smirked as he examined them. Hmmm... Tails muttered. He nodded and decided to make his move now, while the two groups werent looking at one point of the crossing, that he decided to go through.
He quickly and silently led the group through the passageway. When they were out of that possible mess he continued with his journey to that village he mentioned. The one that used to be a rough fortification. It took him a good hour or two to get to it, and about another fifteen minutes to go through the safe road instead of the fast road. The faster way would probably have occasional SWATs and he didnt want to deal with any. As they arrived at the old place, he grinned and spoke.

Well, were here...heh.

The fortifications walls were not walkable on the top of them, just walls to stop invaders. Inside, it looked like a small village, though abandoned. Dust, broken windows, no people. That whole deal. There was one watch tower however, it was connected to one piece of the wall and made of stone halfway and then the rest was wood. It was walkable on its roof. A old machine gun on the tower as a turret. Though it didnt fire bullets; it fired stones.

It looks abandoned, all right. Amy said.

Heh. Tails nodded.

He then slowly approached, them following.

In a few good given moments, perhaps 5 minutes, the group had gone to the tower, and to the roof of it, and Tails had lit the two lanterns on it to provide good light for the harsh night. Tails sat on a few chairs that were up there.

Josh continued following the footsteps, broken blades of grass, snapped twigs, and whatever he could find to lead him to the group of possible survivors. He soon stumbled upon the group of swat bots and froze in his tracks. He dropped to the ground bringing the silenced rifle out from behind him.

"You are going to pay dearly for what you have done", He said under his breath.

He squeezed the trigger back and placed a shot to the visor and internal power supply of one preventing it from sending a distress signal. The others grabbed their blasters and begain scanning the area. The next one fell. Soon the remaining three were shooting in every direction to find the sniper. Another bot fell. The three were running around firing and scanning still picking up nothing. Three final shots were fired. The swatbots lay motion less.

Josh took piled the bots one ontop of the other and put an incinderary grenaded in the middle of the pile. He tied a string to the pull pin and began walking away. after about 400 feet. He yanked the rope. there was a loud boom and nothing but a molten pile of ash and metal left.

Josh's arm began to feel warm and wet. He had been hit. Though he wasnt sure wether it was from shrapnel from the explosion or a blaster rifle itself. A few yards away he became lightheaded and passed out.

ooc:Somebody find me please.

Meanwhile in Robotropilis.....

In one of the security halls inside Robotnik's Fortress inside the middle of the city Robotropilis, a figure observed something rather strange. Six SWATbot's had mysteriously disappeared from the map system in the middle of the Great Forest, practically near Knothole...or what was left of it. The monitor of this system frowned, as he rubbed his chin. Hmmm, those mobians aren't entirely intelligent- now are they. Snively chuckled.

Should I depart more SWATbot's....no that wouldn't be smart. he retrieved a cellular phone from his jacket and dialed a number. Boris. Report.

He hung up afterwards and waited for who he wanted to talk to, and give orders. Boris was a expert tracker, and assassin. And he would send that spider out to where those SWAT's were disassembled and let him do his work from there.

He grinned, a grin that only a Robotnik would use.

River had made sure the injured members of the party were cared for, before taking a seat a little way away from the others, in the corner of the tower. He sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, head down, almost as though he was asleep!

The night was dark, but mercifully warm thanks to a cloud covering. Silence reigned for a while, as each party member sat, immerced in their own thoughts for a while, staring blankly into the flickering flames of the lanterns. Everything seemed so calm now...so surreal...

A distant BOOM wafted across the trees, making them all look around. River's head snapped up, his cold eyes regarding the forest below.

"Something is out there."

"That sounded like an explosion." muttered James quietly.

Amy blinked in fear. "More SWATbots?"

"I will investigate." replied River, standing up and moving towards the ladder up to the watchtower. Tails grabbed his wrist.

"Wait, you don't know about the bots and Robotnik...you won't know what to expect!"

"No, but I have lived in the forest all my life." replied the old wolf. "I am a hunter and a tracker, and the forest is my home and friend. I will be safe, my brother..."

(OOC: Sorry for the delay in posting. Mike, it's up to you how Tails responds here...wether he let's River go or not. Spider is still out there though^^)

Amy blinked in fear. "More SWATbots?"

"I will investigate." replied River, standing up and moving towards the ladder up to the watchtower. Tails grabbed his wrist.

"Wait, you don't know about the bots and Robotnik...you won't know what to expect!"

"No, but I have lived in the forest all my life." replied the old wolf. "I am a hunter and a tracker, and the forest is my home and friend. I will be safe, my brother..."

Tails bit his lip and nodded. "I trust you, just be more careful then you'd be any other time." Tails said.

River nodded and made his leave.

Josh awoke as a leaf brushed against his face. He could feel the sleave of the shirt was drenched with blood. He sat up and took a small medical kit from his pack and started dressing the wound. He winched in pain as he applied the pressure to the gauze. He heard a twig snap off in the distance and immediately grabbed his rifle and waited.

Something or someone was coming.

The old wolf also heard the noise, and stopped, becoming as still as the trees around him. Silent, he listened carefully to the wind as it whispered through the darkness of the forest night.

Nothing. But it had definitely been a sound...a sound unlike any of the animals that would be about at this time of night.

He moved off again, just as silently as before, still listening as he walked...

There was movement coming from his left somewhere...

He had spent many a night in the forest, tracking, hunting and simply walking, and had learned to listen to the forest. The smallest sound, however insignificant, had meaning, and he had learned to pick out the sounds that were alien to the environment like alarms in a silent room!

The sound of fabric rustling...clothing perhaps.

He turned, making his way towards the sound, and soon came across the clearing where Josh was sat.

He seemed on edge...nervous, and to make his prescence known in that state, and with a gun in his hand, could have been dangerous.

River simply stood, stock still, waiting for the man to lower his weapon. He was in full view, his head and shoulders clearly visable above the bush he was standing behind, but the darkness and his amazing stillness made him blend in with the backdrop of trees perfectly, making him completely unrecognisable!

Silently, he waited, while the figure looked around nervously, then slowly began to lower his gun. He stepped forward.

The gun was instantly raised again, but in the second it took, the figure had had a chance to see River, and so didn't fire! "I will not harm you if you will not harm me." murmured the wolf, looking down at the man in front of him. "Who are you?"

"Thats a good thing to know. My name is josh.", He replied. He slung the rifle over his shoulder but kept one hand ready on a sidearm hidden in the vest. He picked up the ruck sack and slung it onto his back as well.

"Who might I ask are you? What happened back there? Did anyone make it out alive?", Josh questioned.

Astral was sat in a dark corner of the watch tower, legs pulled up into his cest again, rocking gently as he watched the others converce and tend to wounds. His head was hurting a lot, the blood was now gradualy seeping down his muzle from under the drenched bandage and the kit was begining to feel woozy, tired, as though something were sapping his energy. Now alone long enough to think through what had taken place that day, denial had begun to set in along side his emotional barriers, the darkness hidding the hot tears that cascaided down his muzzle. He knew he shouldn't feel sad, she had to be alive, the boy simply couldn't understand the meening of the tears as they fell though his fur and onto his chest.
He felt tired, cold... lost... alone.

Tails turned to Astral. He nodded, and stood up. "Hey, buddy we better get that wound stiched up - now. Theres a infirmary in this village, I'm sure they will have what supplies I need." he smirked warmly. Astral nodded. "Mm..kay." Tails smirked as he looked to the others. "I will be back." he nodded and led Astral downwards through the tower, and back to the surface. After doing such, he led the small foxboy to the infirmary doors which were undoubtely unopenable. Tails bit his lip and rammed the door- the force was enough. Enough to open the door. As it opened he was familar with the complex. It was built similar to other infirmaries. Reception, bathrooms, and two doors. Hallway 'A' and Hallway 'B'. In small villages like this the morgue and such things were in hallway 'B'. Hallway 'A' was for the living. The two-tailed fox nodded once again and led Astral into that given hallway and went into the first room that looked hospitable. Tails though, he could feel the spirits in this building. He bit his lip. He had been to this village two years back- when living souls were here. It made him shiver. He blinked and took off the headband he gave to Astral, cleaned the wound, treated it, and then stitched it quickily and securely. He then discarded the headband into a near thrash can and retrieved a white cloth used for wounds and wrapped it around the wound to keep it from infection.
"There...." Tails said as he smirked.
Slowly, he then led Astral towards the exit of the infirmary. Tails wanted to get out anyway, so many bad memories in this place. Murder. Death. Demon.
"...it was a long time ago, Tails. You couldn't do anything." Tails said to himself aloud.

"...just like Knothole's massacare."

"This was nothing like knothole..." The kit said wearly. Tails looked down at the small kit who was now staring around the infermary entrance, eyes as unfocsed as his voice sounded. The child had been edgy ever since they had entered the infermary, practicaly jumping at shadows and constanly looking as though he were on the edge of a panic attack. Now he was stairing wide eyed down the corridors, breathing heavy as he tried to keep himself calm, shaking so much that his hand was bearly able to keep its grip on the rune.
"In knothole they died where they stood... But here. Here, they died in their beds... they-they were helpless.. s-screaming for help but no one came...noone.. but something elce..." The boy croaked, voice slowly rising as a blind panic began to set in "It killed them all... right here".
There was a crash of mettal from an off shooting room as a trolly sundenly fell to one side, the kit leaping back with a yell, whimpering with his tail tucked between his legs, definatly panicking.
"no.." he whispered to himself, looking around as though trying to pin down an unseen enemy within the darkened corners of the corridor "they're here..."

"Nooo..." Astral whimpered.

"They're here." he bit his lip. Tails could feel it too, the room was shivering, decreasing in tempature as they stayed in the infirmary. It doubled as a graveyard and a tomb. Which was not at all pleasant. The door that was in front of them only a few feet ahead had clicked. Locked. Tails' eyes widened, and he ran to the door. Praying it hadn't done what it had done. He pushed it.. but it didn't budge. "Damn." he cursed silently as his right hand would reach for his sword, but his mind reminded him... these were spirits, and no sword- not even the sword of chaos could stop this. Tails gritted his teeth for a mere moment as he looked around. The noise of footsteps, multiple footsteps in the halls not too far away were heard- approaching. The sound of something metal scraping aganist the lineoleum tiling. Tails jumped slightly at this and wondered what to do.

He had never been in this kind of situation before.

Ever.

Still stood where Tails had left him in the hallway, the kit was still stairing off down the corridor in mortal terror, whispering to himself "they're here, they're here" over and over like a nurotic psyck ward pasiant.
To the Kitsune, the sounds of foot falls deep in the bowls of the decrepit infermery were all that prominated the pressence of unearthly gists, the scraping metal of beds that tossed too and froe as though their last ocupants were still bound to them by shacle and restraint.
But to the child, now slowly sinking to his knees, there was an altogether difrent sound, the sound of dozens of voices, calling through the darkenss, a darkness that seemed to infect the rest of the room, covering every wall and dimming every light, the voices that screamed in agony and moaned of their suffering. Astral screwed his eyes shut, moving his paws slowly to cover his knees tuched the hard lino. "stop it" he muttered, his tone strained and hart racing in blind terror " just.. stop it.. please"

"..just stop it. Please." Tails could hear Astral's last sentence over and over as this infirmary and its permenant patients echoed through the cold, empty halls. Tails bit his lip as he looked ot Astal who, was scared out fo his wit's. Tails couldn't see anything- but anyone cursed with any connection to the paranormal would see sights no one should ever see. Blood draining from vents, walls seeming like they were getting closer, moans of despair, cries in vain, even the original sight of where those people got killed. The receptionist imapaled to the wall with a metal pipe- a patient beheaded in a chair, a child patient mutilated on the floor, a body smashed aganist the ceiling. This infirmary was deadly cursed. Tails couldn't see any of this mind you, but felt the horrible distrubance.

"...there must be another way out.." he mumbuled.

"..There isn't" The child strained from where he sat on the floor, voice croaked with fresh tears "They don't want us to go... They won't let us..."
Leaning back to look up at the sealing, Astral opened his eyes, still breathing as though he'd sudenly become ahasmatic.
"close.." he whispered. Gradualy, he turned to look down the corridor on their left, eyes sudenly going wide as a shimmer moved though the air down the far end of the hall way. The kit sudenly became animated, scooting backward on his tail and whimpering loudly. Slamming into the wall with a wet crack, he grabbed the edge of the repeption desk and halled himself to his feat, still keeping his eyes on the corridor in terror. Stumbling backward, he didn't even so much as glance at the other fox as he turned to run down the oposite corridor, skidding into a trolly as he dove for cover in another examination room, seeming to vanish into thin air once past the pitch black doorway.

Josh stood patiently waiting for the wolfs answer. Something didnt seem right at the moment.

"We'd better get moving.", Josh said.

Tails eyes kept on Astral and chased after him, quickily. Astral had made it to the hallway and had turned into a room as Tails saw such. Tails nodded and chased after the kit and upon entrance to the room he closed the solid oak door with steel hinges and quickily bolted it. Though subconciousily he knew- ghost's probally could redo that easily. So it didn't matter. Tails breathed heavily, as he looked at Astral. As luck would have it, this room had been one of the unoccupied rooms during the attack how many years back the demon had attacked. So Astral wouldn't see bodies, and Tails wouldn't feel as frightened.

Hopefully.

Tails panted fully, as his eyes kept on Astral.

"...the hell..." he mumbuled as Astral was either calming down or staying in 'scared shitless' form. "Astral..." Tails began.

The Kitsune was cut off midsentance as the cub shot forward and clung to him, keeping his wide frightend eyes on the door and whispering to himself "...Their right out side..."
Something struck the door, the oak fraim ratteling with force of the blow, the shocked pair having little time to recover before a second, stonger blow shuddered through the room. Then it began, a volly of attacks, striking the door like dozens of fists pounding upon it, despirate to be let though.
Then.. as sudenly as it started, the drum beat on the door stopped, the enitre infermary falling silent once again. The cub whimpered and burried his head against the kitsune's side "I done' like it here..."

"I done' like it here..."

Tails nodded at this, and agreed. "Neither do I bud..." he said as the door's pounding has suddenly stopped. He sighed lightly. "But between..the damned and that damned door. I don't know what to do." Tails didn't like this, he was in his high teens and he could not do a darn thing. He felt as helpless as he did, years earlier when the demon had been chasing him.

He gritted his teeth.

(OOC: Sorry for the delay in posting. Just checking something in EZmsg with Mike.)

Silence descended upon the small dark room like a damp cloth, drowning out all other senses with its presence, creating a musty atmosphere of tension that was practically tangible in its smell and texture. The cub clinging to Tails had begun to calm, his harsh erratic breathing now slowed to a mellow pace as the kit strained his ears, listening for signs of the apparitions returning. He gulped slightly and began to asses the room they were now trapped within, scanning the walls and cupboard doors with frightened eyes, fresh tears streaming down face.
Sure that there was no other way into the room, he let go of the kitsune and wandered to the back of the room, slumping against the wall with an exasperated look, gradually sliding down to the floor and pulling his legs inward again, covering his small head with his hands in a kind of mock shelter.
"...why?" he begged to no one in particular, voice croaking with angst "Why won' they just leave me alone?"

Josh got lightheaded and stumbled.
"Maybe we should sit down for a bit. I seem to have lost a bit more blood than I thought.", He said looking at the wound on his left arm.

He sat down on a fallen tree and pulled his pack off from his shoulders and laid the sig 552 at his side. He flipped the pack open and pulled out a couple bottles of water.

"You thirsty.", He asked the wolf.

(OOC: Right, sorry for the delay >< )

IC:

River just shook his head slightly, and Josh took a swig himself.

The old wolf knelt down beside him, taking his pack off his back and reaching into it. "Here...try to stay still." He pulled out a package of leaves, bound with some twine made from roots, and undid the bundle, taking one of the leaves and pressing it against Josh's arm. He let out a sharp cry and jumped, but River took hold of his arm. "I know it stings, but it will help the wound."

Josh nodded slowly, and gritted his teeth as the leaf touched his arm once again.

"You are not from around here." muttered River as he continued his work. "Where do you come from? What are you doing here?"

Tails sighed once more. He had to get the fright out of his system. Quickily nodding he walked where Astral had placed himself. The kit was frightened, worse off it was more than he was. But he couldn't blame the kit. He felt the same exact way when the demon had stalked and chased him quite a while ago. He somehow knew that coming to this village had been a bad idea. Death was a reminder in it, and he kept remembering- thinking of what happened her when he arrived that day.... with Sonic.

Flashback.

"Sonic aren't we supposed to meet some guy named Blade here?" was what Tails had asked. Sonic turned to Tails slowly, "Thats what the telegram noted....said he had weapons and old war maps of a whole lot of cities from the great War." Sonic replied.

Back at the entrance to the village Sonic and Tails had made an intro....to hell, and the impact on their lvies would be fatal.

Tails winced at the flashback he had had just now. He had remembered the people...all dead. After the demon was destroyed he had returned to the village before- but then it was to clean up the bodies of the villagers. He closed his eyes harshly and opened them again.

"Why won' they just leave me alone?" Astral asked, though to no one in particular. Tails bit his lip. "The memories haunt me as well..." he mumbuled.

"You wouldnt believe me if I told you and its a long story but since we have a long walk Ill fill you in.", Josh said "Short version I am airborne special ops and was on a transport plane heading to a military base in europe. Pretty much packed everything I owned on that plane. Sometime in mid flight. We hit a storm. thats what we thought it was anyway. Next thing we know we are flying over a strange looking city only to be greeted by gunfire. The transport was a lockheed cj24 galaxy a very large aircraft armed with its own cannons so we popped the flares and returned fire. One final striking blow was fired to the fuesalage. We crash landed it somewhere in the great forest. The freedom fighters found us. They were a bit wary for obvious reasons. We look exactly like the overlanders for starters. Large 120mm cannons mounted to a flying aircraft similar to something robotnik would use, Military issued weapons, Our own personal firearms, several land and water vehicles once again both military and personal, The list went on. We were in lock up for days being interogated, questioned, until they finally decided that they would let us go and see what would happen. pheonix squadron was born. We were not a faction of the freedom fighters. But our own group. There was no playing around. Lets just say unlike the freedom fighters we took no prisoners which really put quite a bounty on our groups heads. Its really not as exciting as it sounds. Im just a young man trying to pay for school and get back home to my family. "

"So whats your story?", Josh asked

River shook his head slightly. "I have no story." he replied. "My mother died giving birth to me. My father had lived many years in this forest before he had met her, and so when my mother died, he returned here, bringing me with him. He taught me how to survive here...how to be one with nature, how to track and trail. I have lived in these forests all my life."

"All your life?" echoed Josh. River nodded, not speaking in response.

He was leading the duo, moving through the trees quietly, allowing Josh to follow since he didn't know the way...

...but they weren't heading back to the camp where the others had stopped.

Instead, River was leading them at an angle, out into the forest, near the camp, but not towards it.

The bottom line was, he didn't know if he could trust this newcomer. He had never seen his kind before, and he spoke about a lot of things that River didn't understand. The Wolf said nothing, but he wanted to get more information before he took the man to where the others were hiding. Josh said he knew the Freedom Fighters, but how much of that could be trusted?

For all River knew, he could have been one of the ones responsible for all the killing! He certainly seemed trained in combat.

The old wolf came to a stop in another clearing, somewhat larger than the one he had found Josh in. "There is still some way to go, and that wound needs more attention." he said, turning to the Human. "We should rest here for a while, perhaps until daybreak, then we can carry on."

Josh looked bemused for a moment. "What?"

"I will collect some wood and find us some food." continued River. "While we eat you could tell me more of your history. It's fascinating to me...I'd be interested to hear more."

"Sure. Feel free to answer any questions you may have. I may not be able to answer them all though. You know that was my home back there too", Josh answered lifting the leaf off the wound a bit and peeking under it.

"Thank you." replied River, nodding. "I will get us some food first. Wait here, and try to rest."

Josh nodded, but as the wolf turned away, he spoke up again. "By the way, I don't know your name yet..."

"I am Flowing River." replied River, nodding again. He was so unnacustomed to speaking to anyone that he had forgot to mention it.

It didn't take him long to collect some firewood and catch some wild rabbits, and soon their bodies were roasting over the fire. "So tell me about your friends." said River as he slowly turned the spit, making sure the meat was fully cooked. "I hope some of them survived the attack?"

A short way away, a figure moved stealthily through the bushes, watching the glow of the fire as it moved. It was the same thing that had caused the noise Josh had heard a short time ago, and it was intent on the two travelers, silently shadowing them, watching their every move, it's stealth almost perfect...

(OOC: Nothing in particular in mind here, if anyone wants to pick up on it feel free^^)

"My name Josh. Yeah they survived. We salvaged what we could from the wreckage. food, weapons, equipment. Since the large cannones were obviously to big for us to carry we destroyed them first thing along with the ammunition we also destroyed the onboard radar and electronics systems that could be used as well. By the time the swats got to it it was a smoldering pile of melted wires and metal. we had left in the vehicles only to be intercepted 15 miles away by a freedom fighter group. Ever since then knothole has been our home kinda. We are never around long enough to take a 5 minute nap. Usually we are out driving the old roads, camping, or something along those lines. Heck we even try to get permission to use the acorn royal palace for a couple rounds of paintball. The outside part.", Josh smiled."Man Im going to miss that place now."

River was listening intently, seeming to be thinking hard about Josh's words.

"And the Freedom Fighters." he said as Josh fell silent. "Who did you meet of them?"

"sally, rotor, tails and the blue guy himself.", Josh responded.

He leaned back a bit and relaxed. perhaps he hadnt heard anything.

(OOC: Darn RL...sorry for dissapearing again all)

IC:

River thought for a moment. "Sally, Rotor, The blue guy" he didn't recognise, but "Tails" he knew. If Josh knew Tails, then Tails should be able to ident Josh.

But then, even an enemy would know names. What if River led Josh towards where the group were hiding, only for him to kill them all on sight?

The best idea would be to bring Tails out here...that way their hiding place wouldn't be compromised. He stood up, looking down at the Human across the firelight. "I hope they survived." he said quietly. "If I have any word of them, brother, I will let you know." He picked the stick they were using for a spit off the fire. "They are ready...feel free to eat when you wish. I'll collect more wood to keep the fire going until morning."

"Aren't you gonna eat too?" came the reply.

"I'm not hungry. You go ahead." River turned, stepping towards the forest again. While Josh was buisy eating, he could go and collect Tails, see if the Kitsune recognised the newcomer. He'd have to be careful...there was always a possibillity Josh could stalk him, but River was an expert tracker himself, and knew how to avoid a tail and spot one.

As it happened, though, he didn't get that far!

"Stop-where-you-are-and-do-not-move."

The gleaming white figure rose from the bushes, extending to it's full height! It's glowing red visor glinted in the firelight, and it's gun was trained directly at River!

Slowly the wolf stepped backwards, back into the clearing. Inside, he cursed himself. He was thinking so much about the newcomer that he hadn't been alert to the forest around him...he hadn't noticed it approach!

The SWATbot strode forward, keeping it's gun raised. Suddenly it swung to face Josh, who had been carefully reaching towards his belt! "Drop-all-weapons-in-plain-view-or-you-will-be-destroyed!"

Josh grinned as he looked over to river and then winked.
He tossed his rifle and pistol to the ground then unbuckled the belt and tossed it to the swats feet but kept the pins to the flashbangs that were attached to it.

"RIVER HIDE!", Josh yelled in the split second before a loud bang and a bright white light filled the forest.

Josh ducked behind a rock and reached for the pistol hidden inside his vest.

River, being unused to the technology Josh carried, had been unprepared for the shock himself, and so was as disoriented as the SWATbot as the grenade went off! He did have experience on his side, though, so although temporarely blinded by the flash, he quickly ducked down and rolled, finding cover underneath a large bush.

The bot's lazer blasted out, calving up chunks of earth and sending tree bark scattering across the ground in splinters, but it's shots were innacurate, it's optics overloaded by the flash!

By now the old wolf was regaining his sight, and he carefully reached out from underneath the bush towards his equipment, still lay on the ground beside the camp fire...

Josh popped up from behind the rock pulling the pistol from his vest and firing 3 consecutive shots at the swat bots visor.

ooc: short post.

(OOC: Hmm...anyone seen the others recently...? Not wanting to interrupt the flow or anything, but there's only so long we can go on like this, and when it ends we're gonna be stuck for what to do...just trying to catch it early.)

ditto

(I know. I'm waiting for 'Ast....if I don't in a few days I'll just post again.)