Never Mess With A Taxidermist (IMPACT THREAD)

[Juliet]

Subsonic rounds. Juliet knew what they were; she didn’t think she had any and would likely have to look for them before they left, or purchase some, which wouldn’t take too much time as there was a shop downstairs. A silencer, that she had - it was on her boat. “Well, hopefully we won’t run into any trouble until the others get back with us.” She stated thoughtfully, but she was glad they were all sorting out their plans. Reaching to where she kept her handgun, Juliet then began to check her clip - it wasn’t entirely full, but she had a decent enough amount that would last a while. A last resort, as it was. “If they notice us and we have to resort to firing off a few rounds, I would hope we don’t need to hit them hard with a bullet, but be a decent enough shot to kill them.”

She shifted her weight. The difference in how she was talking to how she would have been talking in the past astonished her - there she was, so blatantly mentioning ending a life. But, Paladin weren’t good people were they? They harmed innocent vampires, some who were comfortable continuing to live their lives alongside human beings. Even if they thought they were doing people a service, they were generalizing and in some ways, creating a massive genocide. It reminded her of some of the history courses that she took back as a human, truthfully, crazy zealots.

As Doc spoke about the apartment, Juliet blinked and lifted an eyebrow. “You would think that, but no, I’m not. The last time I went in there, she was mad at Ric because I had a key.” She stated, and focused a little bit before she spoke to Skylar, mindful of the allurist’s recent drinking, Doc would like to know if you had suppressors and subsonic rounds. If you don’t, I’m sure I have some back on the boat. I’ll just have to make a quick detour and stop by a stop. The words were spoken softly before she removed an elastic band from around her wrist, pulling her short brown hair into a small ponytail. A few strands fell, but it’d be better that way. “I told her.” She tapped the side of her temple to acknowledge how.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of a woman though, particularly Sky. I swear, you just make it more fun for us to harass.” A shake of her head was given before her green eyes looked over the group and she offered a small smile to Freyja as she noticed her arrival. “Hello dear.” She greeted, and then stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She considered asking one of her employees to come and bring her weapons to her - it would cut back down some time. Then again, the boat wasn’t a far run. Juliet contemplated the pros and cons. She knew her weapon, the way the scope was set. But, there was always a chance there would be a better one and something she could adapt easier. After all, hers was a few years old and the power behind it wasn’t that strong to begin with.

[Doc]

Doc: Doc gives Jewels a look. He scoffed , “Afraid? I am not ‘afraid’.. it’s a healthy respect. The Ball and Chain? If ever there was a Psychopathic crazy.. it is she. And how does she fit into this? Skylar and she are siblings.. peas in a pod. I have seen that look before. I have felt the follow through of that look. More than once.. I not eager to feel that follow through from Skylar.”

As the Amazon wandered over to them, Doc fell silent, as he got a look at her weapon of choice. It was a .50 caliber rifle. He looked at the rifle, then at the Amazon. “Damn woman.. when you are ready to rumble, you aren't taking any prisoners.” He gave her crooked smile. Most females that he was acquainted with, were less inclined to favor handguns. The majority favored swords, and those that did go with a firearms, preferred handguns. To find a female that appreciated the finer art of blowing the ******* guts out of her target, was rare.

His own fascination with the wound reactions from the human body had started at a young age. Very young. He had fallen and skinned his knee. He watched the wound heal and leave practically no mark. Yet when his mother was involved in a car accident, the cuts she received on her face required plastic surgery to correct. Why had his wound healed with no mark, and hers had not. Then as he hit his teens and he had progressed to the darker side by taking lives. Which then progressed to experiments on the corpses.

Shaking himself out of his reverie of his best childhood moments, Doc cast a glance at Sparky. She seemed unnaturally subdued. She had nodded, and made eye contact, but no words had passed her lips. Perhaps she was younger than he had first expected. He had made the assumption that she had been in a similar situation like this before. But now, watching her caress the bracelet like a totem, he realized she was scared. She hadn’t wanted to come across as scared, but she was. His playful banter directed at her earlier, had unnerved her more than he had realized. Well ****. First he pissed of Skylar, then he had .. no.. first he had unnerved the fledge, then he pissed off the sister-in-law, he was batting a thousand tonight.

Giving Sparky a more direct look, “Ric said you’re a Shadow. I am a shadow. Most of the time, it ******* pisses me off. Lame *** powers, for the most part, like walking on water.. “ He rolls his eyes, remember how his Spawn teased him about being a Vampire Jesus. “However, for our plan for tonight, your most basic skill, will work great. You know how to move without drawing any attention to yourself. It’s perfect for this. And if you have dabbled any at all, at working on your powers.. you may be able to go invisible .. which would be ******* perfect.” He pointedly asked her, “Can you coalesce into Shadows?”

[Roderic]

I’m packing things away in some small totes I pulled from the hallway closet; bear traps in one, turrets in another and so forth, when my wife comes back dressed as I hoped she would. I picked her outfit out for two reasons. The first being because it was dark and we would primarily be in the dark until it was go time. The second was because her clothes were a lot nicer than mine, and while Skylar isn’t one of those girls-the kind that drags you shopping every five minutes, I can live without some things-like a coat that I haven’t worn since my MC days.

Of course she wants to know how she looks before we leave. Only my wife would ask something crazy and pointless at a point like this. As long as she was wearing what I told her to do, Skylar looked reasonable and prepared. As she should be. I glance over at her and nod my head. “You look like you. But sneakier. Ready to carry out a task successfully.” I’m not going to stroke her ego right now, even if she does look hot. It gets in her head, these ideas of hers and keeps in there. It’s no good for anyone, most of all to be stuck in her own head.

The containers are placed in a small army rucksack of sorts and secured in them before I look at my wife. “I’ll meet you out in the hallway. Four minutes.” I’m not giving her much time to dilly daddle. She knows where her best weapons are at, how to carry them and give them out. Four minutes inside to gather what’s needed and then another two to pass them out to the girls. The sack is secured around both my arms and then snapped in place around my waist. “You look cool.” There, that’s all Skylar is going to get from me until the mission is completed.

The door to our space closes behind me, thanks to my help, and I walk over to the rest of the group. “Skylar should be out in a couple of minutes. She’s grabbing swords for the ch-women.” I watch how I say women, because apparently some people find chicks to be a negative connotation. People were such sensitive pussies these days. It was disgusting and made me think about how fucked our world; no matter the species, actually was. “You sure these are the teams?” My question is directed at Doc, giving him one last time to rethink things that had been planned. In the end, I could probably do what needs to be done by my group by myself-but sometimes things go south. As annoying as Skylar can be at times, I know she won’t let too much bad stuff happen to me and I won’t let too much bad stuff happen to Frey. We might not be close anymore, but we were pretty cool once. “If so, I’m ready.” I say as soon as Skylar comes out and starts passing out the swords she found. Once the women folk have their swords in hand, or tucked some place safe, I look at the other group. “Let’s move.” I head to the elevator, press the button and wait for it to appear in silence.

[Skylar]

Ric barely even looks at me. Arse. Is it so hard to humour a girl? I mean really? So I look like me. Big surprise there. Though mad as I am that he can’t spare even a minute to look me over, he says I look sneakier and that brings a smile to my lips. I look down at my outfit. I don’t look that different from my usual self. Do I? Though honestly it’s all too obvious I have a guy. I mean this jacket screams I either have a guy, or am like seriously into my exe or something. That or I have daddy issues.
I’m chewing over that last comment as I head to our little work room. What the **** does he mean by that? Was that a jab at me? Was that advice? I get the ******* hint Ricky. I need to be ready. Well I have news for you buddy. The coffee’s doing its job. I’ll be on the ball soon now. I’m not so off the ball now.
I almost miss him telling me that I look cool before he goes to join the gang. That’s the closest I’m gonna get to a compliment, so I’ll take it.
I string my belt through my jeans and put my sheath on it before securing it in place. I grab up my sword, check it over and then put it away. I need to get one of those sheaths that lays across my back… someday. I should talk to Ric about that. I’ve left that discussion till now because I was half convinced I’d cut my own head off as I drew the damn thing. But the time’s come. I think.
As I root out the weapons I chose for the girls, I realise River had one of my best already. It was probably my alcohol fogged brain that stopped me from remembering that before. So yeah. Just need something for Jules. I know she had something decent, but I know for a fact she never took one of my best. I look the blade over I’ve chosen for her. I have others of a similar quality, but they aren’t as pretty. So that makes the decision pretty damn easy.
I walk out into the hall looking decidedly more put together than I did when they saw me last. Well not put together. Just more serious. More on task. I guess that’s what Ric meant earlier. I look ready for business.
I briefly entertain the idea of shouting ‘heads up’ at Jules and chucking her the blade but yeah, even I realise that might not be the best idea. I mean even if she’s paying attention that could go wrong and I really don’t want to be blamed for unintentionally spearing my sister before we even attempt this mission. I can just imagine the look – and lecture – that would get me from Ric.
“Hey Jules.”
I make sure to get her attention and then pretty much force the hilt of the blade I picked out for her into her palm and use my free hand to grasp hers and wrap her hand around it. When I’m sure she’s got a grip on it, I let go and step back.
“That’s for you. No takebacks.”
I wink at her and join Ricky by the elevator, where I find myself all too blatantly checking out his arse. I really want to pinch it, but well… he has all that explosive stuff in the bags he’s carrying and well.. yeah… my luck means curbing that impulse. In fact it means maintaining minimum safe distance. Damn it.

[River]

River: It didn’t take long for the group to split up into their teams, and she found herself lagging behind Doc and Juliet as he lead them to their location. She had thought - hoped - that adrenaline would have kicked in and eased the panic that gripped her throat, but she found that with each step she took, it only got worse. What was going to happen to her? Why did they think that she could handle this? Shaking her head, she ran her fingers through her hair and frowned. She had been so engrossed in her own thoughts, that she barely noticed when their world changed. The filth and grime of the hotel had disappeared, and in place of the rundown wallpaper, an open forest greeted them. This must be the Hunting Grounds, she mused to herself as she adjusted the weight of her blade against her back. Pausing in her steps, she turned her attention to Doc and motioned quietly to the first compound she saw.

It was time to get started.

Juliet: Her fingertips traced over the weapon that Skylar had given her, familiarizing herself. It was a precaution, really. It was easier to trust herself to react with a weapon she knew than one she didn’t, the brunette walking quietly as she went over the plan mentally. It would be something they could handle - she was sure of it. It should run smoothly, no accidents. “Has your wraith said anything about change, Doc?” Juliet questioned, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She had settled for making an employee bring her rifle, the weight of it a comfortable and familiar friend. A better extension. It had been loaded, the rounds in place with the suppressor fitted properly. Afterwards, the woman fell silent and chewed the inside of her cheek. Observe, get the information, distract if needed, attack if **** hits the fan. It was simplistic enough, really. A small smile was given to Doc and River to signal that she was ready.

Doc Doc moved silently over to Sparky, took out his cell phone, activated the program that Ariadne had designed and installed for him. Holding out his cell phone to her, he said quietly, “Anything you find like a IPad, cell phone, or tablet.. you can bump this phone to the devices you find and it will start transferring the data. Keep the devices within twenty-four inches of each other. The light right here,.. “ he gestures to the tiny light by the camera lens, “stays red while it is receiving. Once the light goes out, you’re done and you can move to the next device.” He put his cell in hand, “You’ll do fine. The phone is on silent, and doesn’t make any noise when it’s done.”

Turning his attention to Jewels, “Bob counted nine people. Two groups of four, practicing some sort of tactical drill, one team against the other, with one drill instructor. With them grouped together, I will attack and hopefully scattered them all in the same direction, away from the camp. There are tents set up .. but no one is supposed to be there currently. They are all over in the clearing, drilling.” He grinned suddenly, “Game time.”

River: The command had come swift and quiet, and she shifted her gaze back towards the compound. It’s now or never, she thought quietly as she brushed her fingers over the cloth of her hood. The black material concealed her face in shadows, giving the lithe female a rather eerie appeal as she brushed off her jeans. When Juliet smiled, she tried to pull on her serenity, but she found herself growing more anxious with each second that ticked by. Bracing herself for whatever was to come, she tipped her head to the brunette and slipped forward, her sneakers sinking easily into the soft of the grass. Her movements were nothing more than a whisper, and as she neared the netted window to the tent, she chanced a quick look inside.

Empty. Excellent.

Lifting her hand, she signaled for Juliet to follow her as she donned her gloves, the leather sliding easily over her slender fingers. Once they were in place, she flexed her hands and grabbed the zipper to the flap, her features twisting into a wince at the sound it made on opening. Pausing to chance a look over her shoulder, she let out a relieved breath when she saw Juliet standing by herself and no hunters threatening to overrun them. Offering her a weak smile, she ducked inside and shook her hood off, allowing the moonlight to dance off of her dark curls.

If I were important information, where would I be?

Juliet: As they drew closer towards the hunting grounds, she removed her rifle off her shoulder and double checked that she had a round in the chamber after switching off the safety. “Better to be ready and not need it…” She thought to herself and blew a few strands of stray hair out of her face. The gun was lifted as she followed River, searching silently and keeping her guard up. Her boots made her footsteps softer, every now and then she’d nudge a few sticks out of her way or stepped over them. One, two, three. When the younger vampire moved to look in the window, Juliet adjusted so that her body would be closer to the tent wall, watching one direction before checking the other.

She hadn’t seen River reach for the flap and jumped when she heard the sound, her head turning quickly to observe the girl before her relief was evident. “It was only River. Things are gonna be just fine.” Once she disappeared inside, Juliet waited a few moments. Softly, the mystic spoke into the other’s mind, “I’ll only be a space over. If you need to, shout and Ric will summon you back” before she made her way towards another tent - only after making sure that she’d be close enough to hear. Carefully, she checked the window - mimicking River’s previous action, and then slid the zipper open once it was clear the tent was empty and slipped inside.

Immediately, she moved to the nearest bag and knelt down.

Doc Doc moved toward the dense overgrowth that was between the clearing and the campsite. It wasn’t overly tall, but there was just enough cover that a someone from the clearing glancing toward the campsite, would not see anyone unless specifically searching for them. And seeing how he was about to attack from the direction of the campsite, logically they should all flee in the opposite direction giving Sparky and Jewels time to search, and gather information.

Crouching low by the overgrowth that separated the clearing and the camp, Doc used his shifter power to change his form to that of a Puma. Staying where he was for the moment, he growled low in his throat, allowing the growl to slowly grow in volume. The sound was enough to catch the attention of one the group, who then tapped his mate, to also stop and listen. Using the actions of the two paladins that were actively listening to him, Doc’s growl became more menacing as he moved out from behind the cover of the thicket, and slowly stalked toward the paladins.

The rest of the group now stopped and stared at the large cat as it closed the distance between. Looking at the group, the Puma’s eyes narrowed as it chose its victim. It was one of the smaller humans in the group. With a silent burst of speed, the Puma launched forward in a running spring attack at the thin wiry human in the center of the group.

Easily taking the human down to the ground, the Puma clamped its jaws on the throat of the human and ripped it apart. The rest of the group had fled initially, but then returned to help their fallen mate. The cat screamed and charged at the invading humans.

River: Spinning in a slow circle, she scanned each and every crevice that her eyes could find, hoping to find a clue that would lead her in the right direction. When nothing immediately jumped out at her and screamed ‘here I am, this is what you’re looking for!’, she shook her head and sighed. It, of course, wouldn’t be that simple. Biting into the corner of her lower lip, she headed for a stack of empty boxes that made up a table, and began to rummage quickly through the papers that littered the top. Beneath a rather large stack was a notebook, and as she picked it up and began to thumb through it, she chuckled. This is wonderful, she thought, her eyes scanning over the various maps and blueprints. It wasn’t a surprise that it didn’t make a lot of sense to her, but she knew that if anyone could decipher the codes written in the margins of the pages, it would be her sire.

[Juliet]

River: Just as she rolled up the notebook and tucked it into the pocket of her hoodie, she heard the whisper of cloth as someone moved into the tent. Within seconds, it felt as if her back had been caught on fire. The pain was blinding, and the sound that left her throat was almost animalistic as she spun on her heel, her sword palmed in one hand. Her attacker had his blade raised, but instead of bringing it down to sever her head, he merely stared at her. His lips were parted in a shocked gasp, and as she tilted her head in confusion, the light began to dim from his eyes. It took her a solid second to realize what had happened, and when she did, she quickly pried her blade free of his chest, the sickening wet sound it made making her gag. What did I just do? Oh, god. ****, that wasn’t supposed to happen! Shaking her head, she sidestepped the man as he fell to his knees and quickly bent down to pry his cell from the belt around his waist.

Stumbling back a few steps, she wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, unsurprised to see her sunkissed skin stained crimson. Tucking the phone into her jean pocket, she lifted her hand to tug at the shoulder of her hoodie and instantly regretted it. Every move, every brush of fabric, sent a sharp, agonizing pain through her system, and she closed her eyes as the room began to spin. This can’t be good. Focus, Danika. Come on, you can get through this.

Juliet: There wasn’t much of interest in the bag that she had found, a few rounds of stray ammo that had been lost over time, she supposed, as well as a magazine or two. It seemed the tent belonged to a new trainee, someone that had recently signed up to serve the “greater good” or whatever the zealots told themselves. As she searched, her attention traveled from boredom to needing to consider leaving a note for the Paladin to get a more interesting lifestyle as she found a few sticky notes. There was a picture of a young man that wasn’t covered in tattoo like most Paladin, and a pretty girl that she tucked away into the back of her pocket - it could be used, maybe.

Stuffing what she’d taken out back into the bag, she moved to another and found a cellphone immediately. It was cheap, likely a prepaid one that would be easy to replace if lost - or in this case, as she tried to turn the device only to find that it was dead before pocketing it, stolen. It took her a few minutes to find the charger and once it, too, was pocketed, Juliet paused when she heard the sound of fighting coming from the direction that she had left River. Not caring to pick up her mess, Juliet pushed herself up off the floor and swung her rifle over her shoulder with practiced ease.

She didn’t bother to enter it quietly, the gun lifted only to lower as she could smell the blood and then see it. “River.” Her hands softly went to the other’s shoulders, “Talk to me, are you alright?” She asked, concern peeking through her form. Roderic was going to kill her. It was a thing.

Doc The cat leapt over the dead body of the human it had just killed, toward the oncoming group. Again, targeting its next victim the cat ignored the group, instead focused on the human that seemed to be directing the rest. Take out the leader, the rest would scatter and or fall quickly. The leader was yelling and waving his arms and sword, in what should have been an intimidating manner to most animals. But it did not phase the cat at all as it propelled its body into that of the leader, knocking him easily to the ground.

The group, seeing their leader taken down, attempted to swarm around the cat, attacking it with the wooden swords they had been using in practice, until the cat went on the offensive and launched itself at the closest human to it. Sharp teeth and razor claws slashed at the hapless victims that got within reach of the cat, as half the group bolted into the forest, and the other few remaining tried to help their leader. The cat’s angry growl and piercing scream let the humans know, the cat was not happy they were in his space.

The cat now locked its gaze on those few remaining humans that were helping the leader. The leader now back on his feet, having gotten no more than the wind knocked out of him and a few scratches, was the only human to have a real sword handy. The human rolled his shoulders while stepping forward to challenge the cat. The cat, continuing to grow and pace in an aggressive manner eyes the leader, while listening for the sounds or actions of anyone trying to circle in around him. There had been nine humans originally. Two were now dead, a third one was severely lacerated, but would recover, and three unharmed, but highly nervous humans, behind their leader. That left two unaccounted for.

River: The pain was astounding. It was the only thing that she could focus on - the aching, knee-weakening throb that was pulsing from her back. Snap out of it, Danika, for fuckssake. Shaking her head, she reached out a hand and gripped the edge of a cardboard box, hoping to use the makeshift table for balance. When she felt it sway beneath her weight, she snapped her teeth together and groaned. Beside her, the paladin gave the last twitch of death, his fingers curling in on themselves, fingers pressing to the odd design tattooed in the center of his palm. She focused on that for a moment, before Juliet’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. Keeping her head bowed, she released a breath through clenched teeth before speaking.

“F-f-f-fine. J-j-ju-just a sc-scratch.” Her scratch was a gaping wound from shoulder to hip wide enough that the flesh was straining to knit itself back together. Her hoodie was ripped in two, as was the shirt beneath it, and she could feel her bra threatening to slide down her arms with each movement. Gritting her teeth again, she patted the pocket that held the phone and notebook, before tipping her head towards the entrance. When she moved to stand, her knee buckled beneath the pain, and she found herself grabbing onto her shirt before she hit the ground. “I-I-I thi-think w-we m-might be g-g-good,” she whispered, her discomfort causing her voice to strain more than usual as she offered her a weak smile.

She knew that there were more tents to explore - she had counted at least four on her way in - but the thought of making her way through them exhausted her. She had managed to find enough information on her own that would tell them what the zealots had planned, as well as a rather expensive looking cellphone that she was certain would house text messages filled with secrets. She had only glanced at it briefly, but she had seen the model before - high tech and designer. Anyone that possessed the money to spend on something like that, would also have enough for a decent encryption code. She only hoped that the software Doc had mentioned would be enough to crack it, because she was more than certain something important lurked in its data. Turning her head to the side, she gazed over the brunette that stared at her with such concern, and patted her hand. If she had managed to find something - she knew without a doubt that her companion had, as well. Maybe it is okay for us to go ahead and leave. I need to rest - just for a second…


Juliet: Her concern peeked as she could see more of the blood, smell more of it before she appraised the other female to check her blood levels. It wasn’t something she was happy with and as she moved, Juliet wanted to tell her to sit still. Listening for voices, she shrugged off her jacket and then took in the others shirt before pulling off the teeshirt she wore, a silk tank top underneath. “Put this on, dear.” She instructed, cautious. “I’m going to tell Ric to summon you.” Though, she knew, if anyone had heard, they’d be there soon enough. She pushed the jacket towards River, too, having noticed the way she'd seemed to hide in her hoodie earlier.

It was a debate between yelling at her sibling to summon River that instant and locking the girl into the tent after helping her hide until she got a look around. But, there was also the chance to have Doc look. “If you want, I can leave this,” Her hands went behind her back to where she kept her pistol, “and check on things before I do it, but if I do, I want you behind that box, using it as a stand and pulling the trigger on anyone that isn’t him or I.”

[Doc]

Juliet: She reached over towards the Paladins body, her hand tracing over in search of any weapons and tossing them to the opposite side of the tent when she did. She didn’t want to leave River, though, it was evident as she looked her over.

She felt guilty, concerned. She shouldn't have left her alone.

Doc The Puma’s tail swished and twitched in an angry annoyed manner. There were two humans unaccounted for. However, there had been no gun fire, so it was presumed all was going well for the girls. Right now, it was the Puma’s job to keep everyone’s focused on him and away from the camp, that meant talking on the leader with the blade. Wheeling suddenly, the puma coiled and sprang at the leader, again successfully taking him to the ground. Now the cat used its advantage while it could. It lost no time in clamping down on the throat attempting to strangle its prey, while it’s back paw clawed at the arm that desperately held the blade, even if he wasn’t able to wield it. The cat’s razor sharp claws, shredded the leader’s weapon arm, as the four remaining humans closed around the cat and pummeled it with their wooden practice swords.

As the close in beating continued, it became clear to the feline, that it was time for a strategic retreat. Reluctantly, the cat let go of the its prey’s throat, then the puma sprang loose and darted into the over growth, between the clearing and the camp. Any time one of the humans made an attempt to head toward the campsite, the puma gave a very loud and clear growl of its displeasure, causing the human to back off and rethink its decision.

River: Every movement sent another sharp bite of pain through her system, but she reached out for the offered clothing almost automatically. It was that, or walk with her own top threatening to fall off at any given moment. No one would even notice if it did, she thought venomously, before offering the brunette a weak smile. Her fingers gently grabbed the edge of the shirt, and she straightened it out over her form, her back screaming in agony with each twitch of her muscles and brush of cloth. “Oh god,” she gasped, her words heavily accented as she braced both palms on the blood coated ground. How had this gone so horribly wrong? She should have listened, she should have been better equipped.

I shouldn’t have been here.

The last thought made her frown, and she closed her eyes. She should have told her sire that she wasn’t ready, and stayed in the safety of the lobby. However, she had wanted to please him. How pleased is he going to be now? Biting into her lower lip, she re-opened her eyes when she heard her voice, and stared at the gun. It looked heavy, and she knew instantly that she wanted nothing to do with it. The sound would alert too many enemies, and she had no trust in her aim. With a quiet shake of her head, she nudged the weapon back to her and lifted her mismatched gaze to focus on her face. “T-T-Tell h-hi-him.” Pushing herself unsteadily to one knee, she gave a brief flick of her hand to the open flap once again. “D-Doc i-is st-still…” Her voice trailed off and she grit her teeth, before pressing her hand to her head. “o-out th-there. H-He p-promised t-t-to t-ta-take c-c-c-are o-of t-them.”


Juliet: Her hands automatically flew to help straighten out the cloth, aiding River where she could and looking over the wounds. “It’ll all be okay.” She wasn’t dead. It was a positive thing, and she reached up to push some of the girl’s hair away from her face, “We’ll get you patched back up soon.” She turned her head back towards the Paladin, frowning. “At least you did a number on the ********.” She muttered and then reluctantly stood so that she could drag him more into the tent. Unlike where she was gentle with River, Juliet all but heavily dropped him onto the ground before using her boot to kick him onto his side.

“Puto.” Juliet spat the word, although she knew with Cassadee's British accent it likely was an amusing sound before she nodded at River’s words. “Summon River. We split up, she's alive but wounded. ******** didn’t die slow enough. Be ready to catch her when she's there.” The words were bitterly spoken into her brother’s mind as she pushed her hair over her shoulder in its ponytail. At the mention of Doc still being out there, Juliet frowned. River was right. Still… “Here, let me help you up. I gave Ric the heads up.” Focusing quietly as she moved closer to River and knelt down, she began to focus on the way that some of the trees looked in the area - making them seem more important. It was a poor trick, but it could help Doc out. She felt terrible about River, it was written across her features. “This was on me. I shouldn't have left you.”

River: The tender touch shocked her, and she could do nothing more but stare at the woman for a moment before averting her gaze. You should say something. Anything. This wasn’t her fault, she chided herself mentally as she ran her fingers weakly through her bloodstained hair. When she moved to stand, River inched back and out of her way, her own gaze locked on the muscular form that the brunette all but tossed aside. The way he fell to his side, his mouth open and his eyes staring blankly at the wall, sent a shiver down her spine. I killed someone. The thought circulated in her mind as she continued to stare, as if her gaze alone would will him back to life. It didn’t matter to her that it had been the intention - and that if she hadn’t, she would be dead herself. All that mattered in that moment was the fact that she had taken a life. Releasing another strained breath, she tore her gaze away and bit into her lip.

He bled beautifully, though.

At least that was the one decent thing she had taken from the entire ordeal. His death, though swift, hadn’t been in vain. He was forever imprinted in her mind, from the dust of whiskers on his jaw to the way his blood left a unique trail as Juliet relocated him. She was already thinking of the various colors she would use to bring him back to life on her canvas when the woman crouched down in her line of vision, breaking her concentration. Without a word, she rested her hand on her shoulder and moved to her feet, though she remained bent at the waist. The act of straightening her spine was too much to bear, and so she had no choice but to balance her weight on the taller of the two. “No, J-juliet. It is m-my f-f-fault. Quit b-blaming yo-yourself.” The words, though barely above a whisper, came out cleaner than usual as she snapped her focus to her features. Before she had a chance to say anything else, however, the world around her began to shimmer and she found herself being pulled from her side and into the unknown.

[Roderic]

Ric Once the doors open on the main floor, the two teams split up. The church isn’t that far from the QZ and it’s a pretty easy commute there thanks to the ice that covers the river. “We’ll take the river across to Bullwood and then head east to where the Cathedral is.” I tell the two girls before heading for the river bank. I look at my wife and mutter a couple words only she’ll understand. “We’re all walking across the ice.” I’m not giving her a piggy back ride with this rucksack attached to me.

Skylar: I follow like a dutiful puppy until Ric says we’re walking over the river. Well **** that for a game of soldiers. I tell him that too. Pretty much.
“**** that. You walk across the river. I’ll meet you at Watchtower Market.”
Without giving Ric a chance to argue. I disappear. I use my tome and make my way to the depot where I hop – literally – through a portal to Bullwood station. The caverns are closer, but I figure it’s best for me to meet Ric and the blonde on route, as opposed to trying to get around the church on my own.

Freyja: She hefted her heavy rifle to her shoulders when it was announced they were crossing a frozen river. Ice. Thin ice. Over the coldest water she could imagine. The impracticality of her attire for this kind of traverse was suddenly at the very front of her mind. Falling through the ice would be absolutely horrific. Wet leather. So not good. And the stiletto boots practically screamed ice picks.

At the least, if she broke through the ice, her firearm would be safe up and over her head. She wouldn’t let the rifle get wet, the Walther much more durable after a dunk in the freezing cold. As she balanced the weight across her shoulders, she looked from Ric to the empty space that used to be Skylar. She blinked slowly, and looked back to him again. “I guess that just makes us fording the ice.” She couldn’t have pulled that trick if she had wanted to. Her tome had vanished, leaving her to walking, or driving, wherever it was she needed to go in town. She smiled, and pushed her hair over her shoulder. “Shall we get started, then?

Ric I’m about ready to cross the river when Skylar ups and disappears. This was a bad idea. A.Very. Bad. Idea. My wife is going to get us all killed, so I will probably have to immobilize my wife before entering the cathedral. I sigh and look over at the tall blonde and shake my head. “Change of plans.” I reach out and touch Freyja’s shoulder and send her about a block or so away from the towers and follow after her a few seconds later. What a waste of magical properties already. And we’ve not even begun yet. But I can’t have my wife standing around for ten minutes waiting for us by the tower. It wasn’t that close, but it just looked strange. Some woman, all alone, standing around not doing anything. If it doesn’t attract human attention, it might attract vampire attention. I’ve come to notice that about our kind. We’re all a little paranoid. It’s not a bad thing, to be guarded, but it could be bad for us in this situation.

“I think it’s this way.” I point to the direction of the tower, I know where it is. I’ve done enough tracking in my time with Tytonidae and for personal reasons, but I don’t want to seem like I know where it is without thinking about it. People get freaked out about that kind of stuff.

Skylar: I appear at Bullwood station still mumbling to myself. I mean really… What the hell was he thinking? I mean not only are the chances good that I’d find the only thin patch of ice on the whole damn river and fall through it, but he’s carrying things that go boom and I’m wearing a sword. I mean, hello! Accident prone female here who can quite literally trip over her own feet. And he wants me on a slippery surface? I’d be like frickin’ Bambi learning to walk on the stuff, even if my boots are the sturdiest pair I own.
Wanker.
Actually I pretty much mumble out loud to myself most of the way to the market. It takes me a while to get there and I’m kinda surprised I didn’t run into Ric on the way but whatever; it’s not a problem.

Freyja: Watching as he reached out for her, she shifted the weight of her rifle to the crook of her arm. She lifted a brow at his touch and tipped her head at what he had said. “Change of…” She vanished, the flick of his power tossing her through space and time to land her in the middle of a city block, tucked neatly into an alley. She pushed her hands through her curls and glanced around at the empty darkness around her, letting her rifle lean against her side. “…plans? What the ****?” She frowned, and glanced at her watch.

Was it all some kind of game? Ric didn’t really seem the type for games. As she was just starting to feel like the whole situation was some kind of mind ****, Ric flicked into existence just shy of where she’d found herself, the two of them neatly out of the way of any kind of real notice. Immediately, she felt foolish for letting herself get worked up. She huffed at herself, and followed his gesture to where he was pointing. She nodded, trusting his sense of direction. It was bound to be better than hers. Quietly, she fell in behind him, letting him lead the way.

Ric We’re at the tower waiting for my wife to grace us with her presence, when I look at Frey. “So, what can you do other than shoot things?” I probably should have asked this while we were back at the flats, but now was better than never. “You know...with powers and stuff?” Maybe she could inspire people or do that nifty shield thing. Skylar usually inspires me every night, but an inspire or shield would probably do her a world of good if I let her tag along with Frey and I. I’m still undecided.

Skylar: Should I be jealous of the blonde I left Ric with? Not bloody likely. I mean for one it was my choice to tome out and leave them alone. Two, Ric’s well… Ric. My near sober mind seems to recognise the fact that only threat to mine and Ric’s relationship is me. And since I don’t plan on ******* things up – even if he half expects me to – I’m pretty sure we’re five by five; at least on the relationship front.
I realise a little later than should be possible that I have my phone in my hands. I don’t need directions – this is my home town – so the only explanation is that I’m considering phoning or texting Ric to see if he’s pissed at me for ******* up his plans. I kinda realised too late that I may have kicked his OCD up the arse by doing what I did and despite the fact that I do kinda love driving that guy crazy, I like to drive him the right kinda crazy, not like actually crazy.
Well **** Skylar. This is what you get for acting on impulse – again. Good ******* thing I can’t do that mind melding thing, else I’d probably be babbling in his brain right now.
I slip the phone back in my pocket and sigh. Shoulda text him but I’m not sure ‘I’m sorry’ is gonna cut it.
When I reach the pair I see something in Ricky’s eyes I don’t like. Disappointment? Mistrust? I try and feel him out with my little empathic ability.
“Now… Before you go losing your **** at me…”
This is how I start my so-called apology. I have my hands out in front of me like I’m trying to calm a raging bear or a worked up toddler or something but in all honesty Ric isn’t the sort to go yelling at me and ****.
“I didn’t mean to run off and ruin your little ice walking plan. I just figured, me on ice is never a good a thing. Me on ice with a blade. Probably worse. Me on ice with a blade and someone with explosive devices. Well ****… I hope you see where this is going. You know what I’m like and well the chances of me ending up under the water, impaled on my blade or just blown to **** were just too damn high to take. ‘Kay? I didn’t mean to mess with the plan. I just seriously doubted the chances of safely crossing the damn river while I was with you and we were all armed and ****.”
I blow out a breath in relief. That little ranting apology must have been building in the back of my mind on the way over here.
“So yeah. For what it’s worth. I’m sorry. ‘Kay? Forgive me?”

Freyja: Quietly, the tall woman makes herself comfortable while they wait. She props herself upright with the length of her long rifle, fishing through her pocket for her cigarettes. In an instant, she’s got one lit, resting in her lips as she answers the man’s question about her powers. “I might not look it, but when I’m in a fight, I can be rather intimidating. Something I’ve found to manipulate in the heat of the moment. I can also confuse and inspire, and more recently I’ve learned a few new tricks… transformations, mostly. Some of them more subtle, some of them… well…” She shrugged as she spies the other blonde approaching them. She gives a friendly smile and pulls the cigarette from her mouth to greet her. “Hey, Sky. Nice disappearing act.” She chuckled, and flicked at her cigarette as she watched the woman approach her husband like he was some kind of rabid animal more prone to ripping her apart than he was a person listening to her apology.

The analogy amused her. Ric the bear. She’d have to remember that for a time more appropriate for her humor. She slowly let her gaze drift from Sky to Ric and back again, watching her deliver her apology, along with a full explanation of her disappearance, and then to Ric for his reaction. She felt like she was in the middle of something she should probably be someplace else for, but at the same time she couldn’t help but feel just a little amusement at the entire ordeal. She just smiled, and let them talk.

Ric I just stand there and listen to Skylar before shrugging my shoulders. “Okay.” I tell her before looking from the tower to where the church is. “That’s our target.” I tell both ladies while I distribute the weight of the sack on my shoulders. “I’ve been in there two times off hand. We don’t need to go past the main floor to make our statement.” I look at Skylar, indicating that she needs to listen and that going any further than that will be problematic. “It’s dark. Chances are there aren’t many people or any on the main floor. It legitimately appears to be a church. Pews, altar, whole nine yards. But we know better.” I shrug my shoulders. “I’m going to send my wraith in to peek around before we go in to snoop. Tell me what he sees and how many are in there.” I stop and look around for my wraith, he’s usually around this part of the city just waiting for me to give him something to do. “****. Hold on.” I turn away from the women, remembering where Daegal was last at. I sent him on a mission to look for something.

I pull him to me with a mere thought and then nod my head in the direction of the church. “Simple eye spy. How many on the main floor. All I need to know.” It might look like I’m talking to myself, but I know I’m not. Daegal takes off without a word and leaves us there. “ We might need to use some of your abilities.” I look at Frey. “If we need to get out of there in a pinch. Buy some time.” I’ve personally never seen more than five individuals in the building at one time, but who knew? The Paladins were obviously up to something with their activities in the grounds.

Skylar: Typical. I pour my heart out and I get a one word reply. Still. It’s probably the best I could hope for. I still suspect I’m getting a lecture later though, even if my reasoning was sound. Of course Ric wastes no time going into mission mode. Going. Yeah right. He’s been in since he text me. Us.
I nod along in the right places and even understand what he’s trying to say without saying it. If he thinks I’m going to go running off on my own little mini-mission or something, he’s got another thought coming. I don’t plan on being all that far away from him. Well… I plan on being far enough away from him and the things he has in those bags of his, but I mean yeah. If he says ground floor only, I’m good with that. Though… if he goes running off, I’m likely to follow. Damn it. No wonder he gave me that look.
I huff to myself and cross my arms. I don’t have anything to say while we wait for his pervy friend to do his thing and nose about.

Freyja: Nodding her assent, she waited quietly while Ric appeared to have some kind of conversation with himself. She was used to that in this town; either some kind of crazy person sharing their flesh with another consciousness, or actually speaking to a spirit from the beyond. There were plenty of either. Ric, though, being both older and more powerful than herself, she suspected that it was the latter. As she worked on her cigarette, she let him lay out his plan, setting them up with the recon wraith.

When he turns to her, she can’t help but smile. She’d been waiting for those words. She thumped her rifle against the sidewalk and smirked. “You don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ve got your backs.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder again, and pulled a small band from around her wrist, tying her blonde curls back in a high tail. She let her gaze wander over the face of the church, getting a feel for the size of the huge building. She may not know the layout, but she can get an idea of exactly how much floor space she was looking at. She’d commit the rest of the layout to memory once they were inside.

[Skylar]

Ric I take a second to appreciate the silence that comes from my wife. It’s a rarity and must always be celebrated with more silence from me. Freya sort of ruins it, but at least she’s in full mission mode, so that’s fine. So long as her head is in the game, that’s all that matters. I’m going to assume and hope that my wife’s silence also indicates she’s now in mission mode and going to play nice with all the kiddies on the playground and follow directions. Is she accident prone? Yes. Would I have let her fall through the ice and stab herself? I don’t think about the answer too long, because I know that while it might happen, I wouldn’t let her stab herself too badly. It’s complicated, my thoughts sometimes.

“When we enter, there is a small hallway that opens up to the congregational area. I’d say about five hundred or so square feet.” I not, trying to do some quick calculations in my head. “Maybe five hundred and a half.” I clarify as we start to head in the direction of the cathedral after I nudge my head in that direction. “I figure we can put some of these bear traps by the hidden entrance for fun, and the turrets...those I’ve got something really special planned for.” I grin deviously as Daegal returns to me and informs me of the situation. His tone of voice is barely above a whisper and it sounds as if he’s struggling to get air. “Three on the main floor. One at the altar, the other two in pews.” With that, he’s gone back to his command post, as he always does after every task asked of him. I like that he’s a guy of routine, which is why I’ve kept him around so long.

Skylar: I still don’t know the woman’s name. I must have missed it, I’m sure it’s been said but knowing me I just wasn’t paying attention. Figures though, that she’s a battle babe. I snort at that realisation. And Ric had the gall to tell me he didn’t care that I couldn’t fight back when we first starting dating. ******* liar.
I roll my eyes at my own thoughts. Ric’s not a liar. He’d of come out and told me straight up if my non-fighting ability had been an issue. It wasn’t. Not then. But he does seem to like that fact that I can wield a blade these days.
I listen to him rattle off more of his plan. I don’t wanna be anywhere near anything he’s setting up so I’m guessing that leaves me either covering his arse, or the door. Not sure which I would be best for in all honesty, so I just stay quiet and wait for Ric to tell me what he wants from me.

Freyja: Listening as he describes the layout and the positions of the enemies, she nods her understanding as she slowly builds a mental model of the building. Having eyes inside made things much less complicated; knowing where to find the enemy as soon as they stormed through the doors. It would make for a lot fewer mistakes or friendly fire, too. She was glad for that much, at least. She flicked the cigarette with her tongue, letting the ash slowly drift to the asphalt as she let her eyes move over the building again, trying to paint a picture of the inside while she looked it over, doing her best to see what was being described.

She was fairly certain she had it figured out. The hallway was likely the place to set up her rifle. At least until the action started, then she would have to leap into the fray with the Walther. She didn’t want to take the slightest risk of hitting either of them with the big bore rifle. They might be far more resilient than the average human being, but a slug that large could rip a limb off at a thousand yards. No, she would stick to the small caliber pistol once things started to get hairy, and save the rifle ammo for the trip out. She turned back to Ric, giving him a wide grin, letting him know she was ready to rock. She lifted the butt of her rifle from the sidewalk and pulled back the bolt, sliding a round into the heavy receiver with a low click. “Let’s do this thing, then.”

Ric I look at my wife because she’s been too quiet for too long. It’s abnormal. I’d check to see if she has a pulse, but dead and vampire means she doesn’t have one. So I look at her instead. “I need you to cover me as I plant the traps. Frey, I want you to take out the guy or girl at the altar with that and cover Skylar is needed.” I look at both women to see if they’ve heard what I said before I head up the stairs of the cathedral and then pull the door open and move to the right side of the hallway’s wall, leaving the middle space open for Frey to do her thing to the guy the furthest ways away. He or she is the biggest flight risk compared to whoever is sitting at the pews.

Skylar: I nod to Ric. I have to bite back the urge to make some silly or sarcastic remark like ‘sir, yes sir’ when Ric tells me to cover him. I can do that. The only question is if I can do that without accidentally stepping in a trap he’s set for the enemy.
I bounce up and down and shake my hands out before drawing my blade. Okay. I’m good to go.
Where Ric goes I follow. I’ll watch his six. I just need to remind myself not to watch it too closely or let it distract me. In fact it will probably be an idea for me to turn my back on Ric once he starts setting things up. That way I’ll be watching the direction he’s not. If things are gonna go south, it ain’t gonna be cos I dropped the ball. I hope.

Freyja: She gave a short, quick nod. She understood completely what she was doing. As they moved into the church, she lifted her rifle and flipped down the bipod from the barrel stock, settling it quietly on the small table settled against one side of the long foyer. She rested her cheek against the stock, letting her sharp eyes focus on the sights, waiting for the two of them to slide to the other side of the long foyer and out of the range of her sights. It was then, and only when she knew she would have a clear field of vision, that she zeroed in on her target.

The paladin was standing at the altar, head bowed. The physique was feminine, soft, the lines almost girly. Dark ink lined the shoulder blades in the image of a pair of angel’s wings, an intricate design running down the spine with words writ in an ancient, runic language. She focused her shot between the shoulder blades, just left of center. The tip of a long, brown tail of hair rested just above where she wanted the bullet to slam home. She ceased her breathing, her chest falling still as stone as she steadied herself. The massive firearm was locked into place, the crosshair resting just over the paladin’s heart.

She could almost feel time slow to a stop. The world seemed to freeze in that instant, the only things in existence were the back of that paladin, and the long rifle between her and them. Slowly, her strong finger squeezed the trigger, just to the point of releasing the priming hammer. She could feel the tension in the rifle, waiting for the shot. Slowly, her lips curled into a smirk and she pulled the last fraction of an inch.

A gout of flame erupted from the barrel’s mouth. A roar like some tremendous beast filled the cathedral, echoing off the walls with a terrifying report. The massive slug struck the paladin, blasting the torso clean in half, the remains a bloody, meaty mess as the entire cathedral erupted into action. The moment was finished. She worked fast, sliding the bolt back, and forward, locking it into place and lining up the next shot.

Ric I’ve made it down the hall and veer right as the gun, no, it’s like a cannon, goes off from Freyja’s shot. I stop dead in my tracks and look in Frey’s direction and then shake my head. This is why I dislike guns. This is why I never use them. Well, now that the rest of the team knows we’re here, it’s best to start moving our asses. To my left there are pews and to my right windows as I bolt for the hallway that I know is not far from the altar. My boot squishes against the remains of what used to be a paladin as I start unbuckling my rucksack. I find my knees and the bag is down in front of me, entrusting that Skylar is dealing with the other two people in the pews that weren’t near me as I dig for the bear traps. The turrets are carefully put aside as I pull out one trap after the other and line them near the opening of the hidden wall. I don't use them all, I over packed by a couple, but it's always better to have more than not enough in my books. I lay out the fourth trap, even if three would have suited just fine as there’s commotion in a different part of the building. People were coming. I leave the rest of the bear traps where they are, because I can’t care about them. It boils down to be greeted with a **** ton of angry paladins and potentially die, or lose out on some traps I can easily replace with that stupid paper green stuff my wife has more than enough of for the both of us. I leave the sack where it is too, as I grab the container of turrets and circle back to the pews, placing them out in no particular order on the long benches.

Skylar: Well ****. I have to wonder if the shot was necessary when it rings through the building. I mean up until then no-one seemed to be paying us a blind bit of notice. Now. Now we’re targets.
I sigh as one of the kneeling pricks gets to their feet and pulls a gun from god knows where.
****. I brought a sword to a gunfight. Damn it. And I own a gun too. Can’t do more than point and shoot with it, but sometimes that’s all you need to get the job done.
I’m reluctant to leave Ric but I have to do something before…
And that’s when the ****** shoots me in the thigh. I look down and groan. Not another goddamn pair of jeans I have to replace. Seriously I should buy shares in denim I buy so many pairs.
I move as fast as my injured leg allows and strike out with my sword. I still have Ric’s back. There’s still only 2 of the pricks here and I still stand between him and them and thankfully one of them has his attention on the blonde with the firearm.
I strike at my target, angling the blade up and to the side as I strike for the arm that’s holding the weapon at me. Thankfully I remember I can pacify the prick – I know, why didn’t I do that sooner - so it don’t take any more damage as I start to carve them up the way Ric’s shown me.

Freyja: The second paladin was on her in a flash. The rifle roared again, the eruption of flame blossoming from the muzzle like dragon fire scorched the stone wall of the foyer, the powerful frame of the paladin launching itself to one side, his shoulder slamming against the opposite wall as he lifted his blade. She dropped the rifle just as the edge crashed down where she had been standing, the table where the weapon sat abandoned burst into splinters. The heavy broadsword slashed clean through the wood.

He wheeled on her again as she pulled the short k-bar knife from her boot, her frame knelt into the shadows. She flipped the Walther from her holster, pulling the small pistol from the safety of her breast as she flipped the safety switch. She smirked, and charged at the paladin. She slammed her shoulder into the center of his chest as he lifted his sword. He crashed onto his back with a thunderous smack, swinging his blade wildly. She ducked the weapon, gliding in and out of his strikes, floating easily away from the dangerous steel as he fought his way back to his feet.

She laughed, the sound girlish as she parried the heavy sword with her small knife, giving the man a back handed blow to the side of his face with the butt of her pistol. The flesh of his cheek split and she felt teeth crack. She grinned, and dashed out of his reach again as he gave his heavy blade a murderous, finishing swing. The heavy weapon crashed through stone as it smashed into the floor. The blow could have cleaved her in two.

As he wrenched the blade from the floor, she pressed her boot to the flat of the blade, holding it in place as she leaned into him, pushing the muzzle of the small pistol beneath his chin. “Looks like you lose.” The single report of the pistol was a small crack in comparison to the bellowing roar of the rifle, but was just as effective as she needed it to be. The small bullet pierced his pallet, but was too weak to burst through his skull, bouncing about the small dome of bone instead, shredding his brain to mush.

She pulled the PPK from the man’s throat, and gave a gentle puff of air, blowing the smoke that wafted from the barrel clear, just as the man fell, collapsing on his back. She rushed to the end of the foyer, taking up a position to hold their line of escape as she flicked her gaze over the unfolding of the battle inside the sanctuary.

[Freyja]

Ric I’ve laid two of the sensors out by the time there is a second gunshot, this one not as loud as the first. My eyes systematically move to my wife, because she’s my wife. I notice the splotch of red on her jeans, before my eyes move to the Paladin who shot her. I’m tempted to abandon the other traps where they are, to go help her, but it looks like she’s actually got it under control. Being wounded and all, isn’t phasing her. I hear some commotion to where Frey should still be, and my attention shifts away from my wife to make sure Frey’s doing alright. And she is. She takes killing to a different kind of level. She gloats about it. She’s vocal about it. To each their own, but I wonder about her sanity in that moment before I remember the task at hand. Turrets need placing and then they need to be activated.

I head over to my wife as she’s slicing and dicing the paladin, slowly unsheathing my sword. “Slow down there, Sparky. I need him. Or parts of him.” I say before I raise the sword and hack his right arm off, then his left. There are screams that fill the congregational area, but it's not from him. My wife pretty much killed the guy with all her sword wielding badassery. It’s from behind us. Looks like the traps were useful after all. “Frey.” I say, hoping she hears and sees what I see, before I scoop up both arms, tuck them under my own right, and then give a shove to my wife’s shoulder in the direction of the door, indicating it was time to well and truly leave.

Skylar: I’d like to say I was aware of Ric before he was next to me, but he’s a sneaky ******. He tells me to slow down, which I think is code for he wants to finish the job, so I pull back and let him have at the guy that shot me. I’m not the territorial type, I can share – most of the time.
I watch someone enter where Ric set the traps and smile. It’s oddly satisfying seeing someone walk into those things. I’m so used to it being me. I wince though as they go off. I know their pain, but I’m not really feeling sorry for them. Well I am. I mean I can literally feel their pain, but it’s whatever to me. I’m not letting it break me mentally. If I can handle my own, I can handle theirs – no biggie. Thankfully it’s not Ric that’s injured, cos that might actually affect me.
When it’s time to go, I go. I’m not hanging around. I’m not toming out either. Not unless Ric tells me too. I have no clue what we’ll find on their doorstep as we exit and I’m not leaving Ric a ‘man’ short because I’ve misunderstood what he wants from me.
As we make it to the exit, I can’t help feeling like that might have been too easy. Gone too smoothly. Okay so I got shot in the leg but well… **** happens… the sadistic fucks in those raids we attend are worse. Better aim too. Unfortunately.

Freyja: She doesn’t have to hear Ric to see the traps doing their nasty work on the newcomers. She sees the two vampires rise from their cover betwixt the rows of pews, immediately leaving themselves open. The paladins, for the most part, are busy recovering from the traps, or working around the wounded to get into the sanctuary.

Freyja is already leaping into action, swiping her long rifle from the floor, among the shattered remains of the table and taking a knee over the fallen corpse as her teammates make their way toward the narrow foyer. Until now, she’s kept the exit clear, and it’s time to supply some suppressing fire. She smirked, and placed her cheek along the stock as she stared down the sight. “Showtime. Let’s light ‘em up.”

The roar of the rifle is deafening in the tight walls of the foyer, the dense clutch of paladins are caught, working against one another as they finally make their way into the cathedral. The first bullet catches one square in the chest, turning the massive, defined muscular structure into a crater of flesh and bone as he’s thrown back, rolling over the stooped form of a man trying to work his leg free from one of the bear traps. The heavy action of her rifle makes a click as she slides the bolt back into place, priming another shot. The small crackle of automatic fire fills the air from the other side of the cathedral, and she feels a bullet slam into her cheek.

Blood drips from the gash in her flesh and she gives a wild laugh, gnawing on the bullet caught between her teeth and pulling the trigger again, catching the woman with the submachine gun in the gut. Her abs are shredded, and she clutches her midsection, falling into the floor and dropping her weapon. It was a cruel, horrible way to die. Noisy. Slow. Her screams were a perfect harmony with the agonized sounds of the few still working their way out of the traps.

Maybe Ric is right to question her sanity.

She certainly questions it herself in times like this.

Ric Skylar’s going to the door and Frey’s doing a damn good job at keeping the Paladin’s off our backs, but I’m no idiot. Most, it not all traps have ripped into someone’s skin, or been destroyed, so it won’t be long until they’re on us. I make a snap decision to remove Skylar from the situation because she’s hurt, and she’s not that far ahead of me. We’ll be ending up in the same location anyways in a few minutes. My left hand reaches out for my wife’s butt. I give it a pinch, because I want her in good spirits before I send her on her merry way, knowing she’s going to have some words to say to me later. After I give it a pinch, she’s gone and should be standing in front of the flats.

With my wife gone, and Freya close enough to the door, I give the two arms a toss in the air, intending on them hitting one of the four turrets to set them off. The left arm smacks a pew and flops on the first turret, setting it off. It’s not a big boom, but big enough to get people’s attention at the unexpected arm tossing. The right arm smacks right dab center of another turret, making a small explosion on another pew across from where the other was at. None of the explosions affect any of the members of the Order, but that wasn’t the point, was it? It would be a plus if it had, but in the end, they’ll be sore for a few good nights, a couple pews will need replacing and hopefully with all this commotion to their main center base, Doc and company were successful in their mission.

“****.” I grunt as I hear my sister’s invasion in my head. Jules and I were going to have words. Later. First, Frey and I needed to get out of here. “Time to go, Blondie.” I say as I sprint down the narrow corridor and meet up with perhaps the most trigger happiest person I know. My fingers reach out for her and Freyja is gone in a blink of an eye before I grab a tome and find myself not far from a portal that will take me to a station not far from the flats.

I’m sprinting past people, which isn’t an easy thing to do in winter, in combat boots and I’m getting looks because I still have my sword drawn out, but I don’t give a single ****. In this city, seeing someone carrying a gun, sword or some other weapon isn’t an unusual occurrence. I wait until I’m two blocks from the station before pulling River to me. I’m not even sure how she’s hurt, I just know she has been hurt. That’s good enough for me. I believe Jules knows when someone is in bad enough shape to need a get out of there now, summons. I sheath my sword and without a word, toss her over my left shoulder and proceed to the frozen river.

Roderic Other NPCs/Objects Moderate Intellectual Right arm hit turret Succeeded
Roderic Other NPCs/Objects Moderate Physically demanding Left arm hit a turret Succeeded

Skylar: I’m mid step when Ric gropes my arse and the scenery changes.
What the ****?
That guy has some serious control issues. Okay. So pinching my arse was a nice touch, but seriously? Doesn’t he know I have my tome on me? I mean the look on his face when I met up with him by the market should have meant he hadn’t forgotten that fact.
I pause where I am. I’m kinda safe here. The usual miscreants running around this place don’t bother me in the least. Soon though I find myself tapping my booted foot, while I consider just how far I can stick said appendage up a certain male’s behind. My arms are folded across my chest and my eyes take in my surroundings. I shouldn’t be the only on here. I even had time to clean my sword off on my already ruined jeans and sheath it.
The moment Freya arrives, I cast my eyes around again.
“Ric?”
It’s a single worded question and might just contain a good dose of fear along with my confusion. What the **** went wrong after he got me out of there?

Freyja: Seeing Skylar vanish first, just inside the view of her scope, she knows the first of them is clear. She feels that much better, knowing at least one of them makes it out alive. She chews on the bullet between her teeth, concentrating as the man charges down the corridor in her direction. Another paladin is pushing his way through the throng of flesh, a long broadsword in hand. He is plenty far enough to not be any worry of hers. He won’t reach them before they’re out the door and gone into the night, vanished as quickly as they had come.

That doesn’t save him, however.

The rifle roars again, flame bursting from the muzzle in a gout of yellow-white light. The bullet travels wide of Ric’s head, the rush of air displaced by the huge round forcing a blast of air across his face as the round accelerates. The paladin’s lifted sword snaps in half, the bullet tearing through the thin blade of steel and ripping through his throat. His head bursts from his shoulders on impact and the bullet strikes the man behind him as well, catching him in the eye and tearing away a quarter of his skull. The wall is splashed with red, hunks of brain sticking to the bricks as she grins, the hole in her face stinging as the raw, red flesh stretches with her smile.

She pulls back from the scope, re priming the bolt as Ric reaches her. She’s ready to turn and run for the door, just one more shot. She lifts the rifle, without aiming, and fires another round over his head into the crowd of paladins as she makes to turn, just as his hand reaches her. She is moving, nearly bowling over Skylar as she flashes into the lobby. At the last minute, she plants her boot into the floor and stops short of trampling the smaller woman.

She pulls back the bolt and leaves it open, the magazine empty. She pulls the empty clip from the rifle and hefts it in her hand, examining it as Skylar’s one-worded question reached her ears. She flicked her gaze from the magazine to the woman and lifted a single shoulder. “Flicked me out before I had a chance to run, but I wouldn’t worry. They weren’t making it far. Should be along any time now.”

She gave the woman a reassuring smile, the hole in her face tearing with her smile, the raw, open wound burning like seven hells, but you couldn’t tell it looking in her eyes. They were still wild, adrenaline and bloodlust still flowing through every inch of her as she shook out her hair and dropped her rifle’s butt to the floor with a thump, returning to nervously gnawing on the hunk of copper in her mouth. She wouldn’t admit it, but the longer they waited, the more she worried just a little, too.

Ric River’s not doing anything and with her over my shoulder, I can see the wound now. A pretty clear and solid gash down the length of her back. It’s deep, and had it been any deeper, it probably would have severed a bone and made her paralyzed for a couple of nights before it healed. With an arm around River, as to keep her in place and to keep her from sliding off my shoulder, I grab my phone from my right pocket, still walking towards the ice and look for Jule’s number. When I find it, I send her a one word message. Dead. I then scroll for my wife’s number and send her a message, as I start to cross the river bank. Be there in about eight minutes. I’m not going to summon Doc to me, even though I’m sure he would let me. One, I doubt the ice would hold all three of us and two, if anyone saw a cougar type animal this close into the city, people would start some kind of commotion. Hopefully, Doc will be alright. I know he will be, so I pocket the phone and keep heading to the flats, very slowly and listen to the ice creak and crack every so often as I make our way across it.

When we’re on the other side, I haul *** once again to the flats. I told Skylar I would be there in eight minutes and I intend to make it there in eight minutes. Not nine, or ten, or even eleven. I said eight and we will be there in eight. I squint my eyes and see two figures, both female, outside the flats and my steps get a little bit quicker. Good thing we don’t get tired too easily or need to do that thing known as breathing, because as good of shape as I’m in, I’d be flat on my *** right now. “Eight minutes.” I said, sounding proud and to verify that it was eight minutes, I grab my phone out and flash it to my wife.