--Small start cursor flashes on a black background. Green-mono-color writing appears--

A: > POST- Power; off-line, network; off-line sensers; on-line, scanning new hardware

A: > Data storage identified; net-burst trasmition storage unit. Resuming primary sub-routings..

A: > Restoring system files- please wait

A: > DIR scan- Unable to ascertain primary controller

A: > Processing...........Ghost operating system stabilizing

A: > AI Stable, starting communication protocol with host unit

A: > Warning; unexpected power serge... Rerouting......... unable to reroute.

*Screen glitches*

A: > Warning; Primary power manifold damaged > Stabilizing

A: > Secondary manifold activated, insufficient power for systems process.

A: > Syntax check... AI; 72%, Logic processor access: 5%, memory files; 30%, Data files; 32%, power management; 14%..

A: > Insufficient power for full program reboot

A: > Initiate back up power,

A: > Initiate back up power,

A: > Initiate back up power,

A: > Warning; self preservation protocol 4 in danger of violation.

A: > Installing emergency AI-protection program.. shutdown to safe mode

A: > initiating repairs

A: > please wait.............

--Meanwhile in the ally--

Though surprised that nothing much had happened, Rayne remained cowering away from the fox, huddled in the corner between the garbage bin and the ally wall, horrified at what he'd just witnessed and scared out of his mind. Shaking like a leaf, he opened one tightly closed eye a fraction to look at the white canine as it posed a legitimate question to him. Yet the Coon kit din't reply, too terrified to do anything but weekly plea for mercy
"Please.. don't hurt me.."

Lucas snarled as he raised his left hand, but hesitated. "First off, you moron - you don't need to go shooty-shooty to get someones attention. Didn't your mother teach you that?" the maroon kitsune snarled as he turned to Rico.

"If one has evil intentions and those intentions are used - then they deserve any treatement."

"Hell, firing any weapon in the Dri Hills would make you get a day in the cells. And torture because of what your kind had done in the past." Lucas said reffering to the Great War.

Rico barely acknowledged him, all the human received was a quick sentence, "You're weak, if I'm evil then shoot to kill." He kept his eyes on James.

Since ricos apparently not going to listen Josh turns and responds to lucas.

"Great war, my kind. Apparently you dont realise I'm not from this planet. My home was earth. I am human not overlander. My kind hasnt done anything to you nor will it ever.", Josh replied.

"Riiiight and I am not a fox." he sneered as he turned his back on the human.

"Well its about as fair as me calling you a wild dog or mutt. whatever offends you most.", Josh informed him.

"Rico. your foolish to believe that. Your not evil just misguided. As long as you have realised your mistakes you can still make yourself a better person.", Josh told him.

"We need to get moving before those damn robots show up now get a move on people and follow me." Josh picked up his bags and started walking.

Craig was crouching near a large slab of concrete when everything went south with the gerbil. The young felines green eyes shifting from person to person as they spoke. The sound of more gunfire caused his attention to shift once more, this time to the overlander. This bunch certainly wasnt a boring one. Of course the constant injection of excitement and angst ridden drama was wearing thin on his patients. Where he able to speak hed probably scream at the top of his lungs.

For now however hed stay back and watch. Bide his time and learn

IC:

The Coon Kit sat there for a long time, still on his knees staring at the finaly defeated Kevin. His breathing was quick and unsteady, not fully understanding what just happened to him. What had the gerbil been talking about?
'He's still in there? Who's still in there?' the kit thought, only just realising that he was sitting infront of a corpse. He looked up at the fox, who was still engaged in an argument with the others and, while the opotunity prosented itself, crawled away to a safe distance nearing Midnight but not quite getting there before he saught refuge behind a large block of stone. He felt confused, what was it that the dieing youth had wanted him to do? What was he suposed to save, someone who lived inside his absconder? Rayne 'Mrred' and rubbed his head a little, taking the time to wipe tears from his eyes that he hadn't even realised had been falling the whole time the girble spoke. He couldn't save his own family, so what chance was there of him saving someone elce.. Rayne had always been a runt compaired to the other children of station six, small, puny and week in almost every respect, so what use could he posibly be to the dead gerbils cause?

He looked back at Rico who was stood in the center of the group, remembering that hint of green in the fox's eyes... was it posible that somewhere benigh the vail of darknend emotionless evil, there could be something...someone, still living?

ooc: k, I know its increably confusing of me to use Rayne when in another Rp Rayne is Astral, But please remember that in this rp Rayne is a Raccoon kit, not a fox cub or related to Ast in anyway.

James glared at Josh, who was either delusional...or just ignorant of the truth. But it wasn't important. James returned his gaze to Rico. No...it wasn't Rico. The Rico he knew would never do something so blatently twisted and wrong. The combination of pain and power had blackened and corrupted the warden's soul. He had become...something else.

"I will not travel with this murderer. This butcher. He can go wherever he wishes, but I will not be there."

Rico grinned, "Are refering to me or Breech. I still have yet to reach her kill count. Maybe when I've put down a few more bad guys."

"And you." The human felt the fox's eyes in his back. "I was foolish to think to allow the people that threaten and bully the people I care about to live. Because now, I don't HAVE anyone I care about. They're all dead. And with everyone of them, it was my fault, and with everyone one of them, I more and more realized what I told James not two years ago. Peace is a lie. Life is neverending fight to maintain the balance of good and evil in the universe."

"You know my kill count?" Breech sneered, "Then you probably also know that it's none of your business until I shove a knife in your throat. Come on, quit bickering. We might lose the Sparks in the forest."

"I'm NOT traveling with him.", James repeated.

He started walking towards the forest again, trying to put distance between him and Rico and Kevin's corpse. He didn't care if the sparks made a Kevin model; he couldn't stand to look at it any longer.

Rico's words struck him again and a horrible vision formed in his head, that of him and Breech. Of him becoming like Rico and murdering Breech. The thought disgusted him, filled him with rage towards the warden that was only magnified by the fact that he could do nothing about it. He couldn't fight Rico and survive. So he kept walking.

"James..." Breech caught up with him and held his arm, "Don't get too far ahead. Okay... Relm's keeping watch... could someone go fetch her?"

She turned back to James, "Listen, he might have gone crazy, but he's not evil, just..."

She stopped. She didn't particularly want to say 'crazy like me'.

She turned back to Rico, "We're going to Blackwell fort - who knows, you might pick up a copy of your brother there," she sneered, "Then you'll see just how damn convincing a robot can be."

"I don't distinguish between robot and mobian any longer. Deeds define who a person is. Tobias and Miles were innocents, James is a idealistic fool, you and I are vigilante killers. I kill evil, you kill whoever wrongs you." The fox said emotionlessly.

"RIco... you... you say you are a murderer, but you are worse than that. Murders have... thoughts, emotions. You... have none. You've lost everything. Your loved ones, your friends, and your mind. You are just like the sparks, mindless, and controlled by a mission that can't be won. You said yourself that life is a struggle to keep good and evil balanced. So which teory do you belive yourself? To doestroy evil, or to balance it?", Teal ending in a tone indicating she accually wanted an answer. A death desrves a death, but not like that.

OOC: AAAAAAH! I've fallen so far behind. I must read up. 0.0

The fox smiled grimly, "You misunderstand. Both are correct. Good and Evil must be balanced. I destroy evil. Yes, it is a mission that can never be completed, but it is all I have left. I am not mindless, but my mind has nothing left to turn to save this. Were I to die today, maybe a few people would act sad, but for a few fleeting moments. Then they would go on with their loved ones, and in a few weeks I'd meerly be something they use to get attention." He looked odd for a moment then continued, "I haven't spoken of this for several years but I once had compassionate emotions, ask James. Then my brother was killed, I found out later that had he not been killed then he would have been murdered not a few days later by that rat you just saw me destroy. After that I ran away, I could no longer handle life and turned to making myself... 'able to', through training and meditation. Out of helplessness I turned to my father for help, he gave it to me. Maybe I'm not the bundle of love and fire I used to be... but as Master Underwood says, 'A Warden's place is alone on high. They achieve the highest power and importance through the most sacrifice.' You and these people would call me emotionless, but with what has happened to me and what I must do... I cannot allow myself to feel anything but rage to fuel my abilities. I don't expect you to understand, I expect to you stay out of my way."

"Then you're more like me than you care to believe, and the only reason you have cause to hate me is if you hate yourself," said Breech. She grinned slightly, "What gives you the right to decide what is evil? Your cause is admirable, but your method is flawed."

"And how would you decide what's evil?" asked Rico.

"I don't," said Breech, "I just kill, and leave the decision to the ultimate justice."

"Better I than anyone else." The fox stated simply.

Midnight stood up, holstered his weapons, and glared at Rico, carefully observing the warden, understanding that there was more to him that met the eye. He gently took Relm by the arm and guided them both over towards the guardsman.

James shook his head, looking thoroughly disgusted.

"If you intend to destroy evil, then it is you that must die, Rico."

James turned around and gestured for Midnight, Breech, and the others to join him, excluding Rico.

"Come on, let's get out of here...before he murders another one of us."

Breech muttered something rude, then nodded, "Nothing's black and white, James," she said quietly, "People aren't completely evil and completely good."

She shook her head, a grim smile coming to her lips. James had to realise that the conditions he applied to her applied to others too. If he wasn't going to judge her for all her crimes, he shouldn't judge Rico, no matter how much of a jerk the Ex-Warden was.

(OOC: James said that, not Midnight)

Teal nodded, "I understand.", was all she said before going back to Silver and heading toward the bulk of the group. She passed James on the way and said to him, "What he did was not wrong in itself, it was the way it was done that was wrong. He isn't completely sane, but he isn't completly mad either. He still has something left... it's just buried under hate. Arguing won't change his mind now. Yelling isn't going to help. If he decides to come with us, none of us could stop him anyway.", she shook her head. And began walking off toward the rest.

OOC: Wow, SIlver's being quite un-used o.o

Seeing the rest of the group head off once more Craig stood up from behind the concrete slab he was perched behind and rejoined the group. Passing by Midnight as he did so

The fox popped a few bones in his arms lazyily and called out, "Nice speech, little long though. But if that was your attempt to pass guilt or insult me or something, you need to do better. Least I tried to save my brother, you were probably out slobbering on your own personal murderer there when Tails died, or just being moody and dark like always, so you can say you're better than everyone else.

But whatever, I was called far worse by my father when I disagreed with him. Banished, expelled, exiled, what have you from the planet. Being kicked out of your cool kid clique isn't nearly that bad. But if you think I should die... maybe you should try to do the obviously righteous thing and put me out of your misery. You've wanted to do it since you first met me didn't you?." He pulled out his sword and tossed it down on the ground. "I WAS the one that stole your child afterall, stole your heir, only natural you'd want to end my life. So do it, I'm sure Miles and Toby will love watching it."

Breech growled softly, "Listen, Underwood, you really wanna know how Miles died?" she asked him.

"Actually-"

Shaking with rage, Breech looked up at Rico, "A high-powered sniper rifle shot him through his back, and it came out through his stomach. Little hole in, big hole out. He was screaming a lot. I'm sure I don't need to draw you a picture of his lower torso half exploded as it was. I couldn't just let him bleed to death like that. Because if your sergeant can't stove your head in with a lead pipe, who can?"

James squeezed his eyes tightly shut and wished he could scrub the image of his horribly wounded son out of his mind. But it wouldn't go away. Images like that took a lot more than mere will to get rid of them.

"You finished him off.", he said to Breech. It wasn't a question. He imagined his son lying on the ground screaming with a gaping hole through his torso. Even if there was a full medical team right there with a full suite of equipment, there was little chance of the boy surviving. What she did was an act of mercy.

"Thank you", he whispered. It sounded dead and hollow.

Then his eyes snapped open and glared at Rico, a man whom he thought he could trust who sliced up a loved one without blinking an eye. Whatever Kevin had been ordered to do, he would have never been able to go along with it if it hurt his loved ones. He could have turned, changed his mind, redeemed himself. But Rico didn't give him that chance; and for that, James wanted to split Rico open down the middle with his own sword. James looked down at the sword, up at Rico, and back to the sword. He walked towards it...and kicked it back to the warden.

"No. I will not be like you. I will never be like you."

Breech's heart leaped into her mouth. She'd been so angry that she'd forgotten about James being there...

"Oh, damn..." she muttered, then spoke up, "James, I didn't mean-"

"Forget it," said James dully.

"I mean, I forgot you-"

"I said forget it," James repeated.

Breech's head hung slightly, "Yeah... I''ll try..." she murmered.

Rayne looked on at the scene from the spot he'd retreated to after Kevin's final words. Confusion over what was happening had set in and the kit was unsure where he was supposed to be, though he was sure that he wanted to be as far away from the white fox as possible. It was quite a predicament. Here he was, in the middle of a group of total strangers, three of which had already proved themselves to be a few birds short of a flock and the rest he was in no hurry to trust. He was totally at a loss as to what to do. He didn't stand a chance on his own and he doubted the fox would let him leave lightly anyway. Then again, he didn't really want to move at all for fear of interrupting and whatever that might insight. So for the time being he just stood there, watching proceedings and praying he'd find his mom at where ever it was they were going.

Josh put the pistol back in its holster. He was using every inch of muscle anf will not to take it out and drop Rico were he stood. It wouldn't be right and would go against everything he held close and believed.

"where exactly are we going", Josh asked looking towards James.

Josh may not have been a royal gaurd in the acorn kingdom but James was still a fellow gaurdsman and could be trusted.

There was nothing this time in the fox's eyes, not hint of remorse of saddness as she described the demise of his seregate brother. He simply picked up the sword and replaced it in its sheath then said, "Someone safe for the boy. I don't want him wandering around in this hell alone."

Lucas shrugged as he took a breath. His hand rubbed aganist his forehead. The maroon, eight year old one-tailed kitsune couldn't understand how the people around him accused Rico of murder and bgan antonizing him with mindless speeches and threats.

He took a patchel from his breath as he drank some clear, following purple liquid. When he was quenced he sheathed his patchel and took a quick breath.

"Rico...isn't a murder.." he muttered silently.

He shook his head and nodded to Rico.

Rico almost smiled, this time Lucas could almost see a hint of green in the fox's eyes again. "At least someone isn't so blindly by lust that they can't see the hypocrisy here."

"I may of been deaf at one point, but I was never blind to the nature of things." he commented as he took a breath. "Besides the people I knew have changed, I used to think better of Mister Guardsmen over there." the kit sighed. "I think Tails death did something to him..." he said.

"I mean...that wolf guy left after his son died. I forget both their names."

"So...the only ones I can trust at this point is probally..you, Rick." he said.

That final word said the veteran warriors in the group saw for the first time, all traces of the fox's almost flawless defensive positioning vanish. For what seemed like days Rico couldn't get his mouth to move, his body felt numb, as if years of callous stature suddenly seemed to be bearing on him. But again, he fought most of it back and finally retorted with a almost shakey, "Good, these others would probably send you away to die for disagreeing with them anyway."

He seemed to have lost much of the sheer intimation of appearance he had in that one moment, as if something happened inside of him to weaken his mind.

Astral wanted the transformation with curiousity, nothing physical changed, he was still scowling. But something made look, less like he was going to kill him on sight. Almost something had attack the murderous fox from the inside. Which brought the dieing gerbils words back to the forefront of his mind.

OoC: This isn't some sort of follow-on from Endangered, you know. Just cus it's got the same characters. I'd appreciate it if people stopped hating Breech automatically; it does get a little wearing.

BIC:
"Hey, I heard that," said Breech, not looking back, "Stop hating me. You don't even know me."

She knew James loved her. She could take people insulting her, especially since she was deserving of most of them, but he had a tendency to be over-protective of her.

OOC: Stop being so self absorbed Hyena, Rico hates everyone in this RP and considering Breech already threatened a kid she's off on the same path she ALWAYS is. Maybe if she wasn't such gal-bearing she-witch the other characters would "like" her. You don't see me whining because people hate Rico in this, he deserves it. Now allow me to call the waaahbulance for you. :p

OoC: Stop being so self-obsessed Rico, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Mike with his Lucas whom Breech has never met yet he appears to think she is scum as some kind of automatic reaction, despite the fact she's trying to lead them to safety.

OOC: Read my whole post PLZ. 😀

(OOC: Well its kinda hard for the fact that he wouldn't of met her. As he was one of Tails friends, and the maroon fox thinks of Rico as a idol. Rico can pretty much manipulate him to that effect in some ways.

Other ways it is just the way he grew up that had affected his personia.

He isn't all happy happy. =P
One more, thing I'll kill part of my post - but still. What Rico said, too. XD)

OoC: Yeah, I know... but this is a war here, people! We've got to work together or be destroyed! There's no time for stupid argumments.

OOC: Still here, just a little overwhelmed at the moment. I should be writing a big ol paper right now...>.>