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Fantasy Code FERAL

Beth glanced up in surprise when Manjano approached again. Totus flitted back up to the back of the couch, satisfaction flashing in his eyes. It clicked, then, somewhere in her mind, that Manjano must have carried her inside and laid her down with the pillow. After sitting with her on the ride back. She blinked uncertainly, moving as best she could to help him help her. She stiffened visibly when he leaned over her, tried her best to help get out of the coat. The girl couldnt help but feel grateful when he retreated from her. It would seem that touching her was as difficult for him as it was for her to be touched. The realization made her respect him, as odd as it was for her. But the way his eyes wouldnt meet hers unnerved her. She knew it was because he was uncomfortable, but it felt like he wasnt seeing her.. it made her nervous.


"Thanks," She said quietly, as his back turned to hang the coats up.She glanced at Totus, about to say something about the man who had just entered with medics, but the bird was sleeping again. Beth frowned, but she didnt have time to wake him to check on him, because Manjano returned, trailing a medic. Thankfully, a female one. She asked a few questions and checked Beth's eyes with a small light, agreeing to the concussion conclusion quickly. The cuts on her face weren't a problem- they would heal quickly on their own. Beth nodded, closing her eyes for a moment, only to snap them open with a yelp as a stethoscope was pressed to her chest. Totus started, almost leaping to her defense.


The medic withdrew her hand quickly, with a raised eyebrow.


"Its okay!" She said quickly, then looked at the medic. "Sorry. My ribs are a little bruised, I think." Beth said, biting her lip. "Im hoping they arent broken."


"Well, let's see. This will hurt." The medic advised, and then began gently pressing along her ribs. It hurt like hell toward the left side and center of her chest, causing Beth to close her eyes tightly. Man, did she wish she had something to squeeze. A soft whimper escaped her, and the medic frowned, but didnt stop.


Once all her ribs were checked, the medic nodded. "None broken," The medic lifted the edge of Beth's t-shirt, taking a quick glance at her skin. "But you're already getting a nasty bruise. Nothing more I can do, just try to rest." With that, the medic picked up her things and moved on to her next patient. Beth, on the other hand, very carefully sat up, using the pillow to prop herself up a little more. She bent her knees and drew her legs in, making a little room on the couch in case someone wanted to sit. Her head hurt like crazy. But she looked to Manjano before thinking about painkillers.


"It scares me when you wont look at me." Even though it was hushed, her voice now was strong and certain. It was very different from the listless tone she had used while falling asleep. "But I understand. I know its because you're uncomfortable. I really appreciate your kindness despite that. Im very grateful for the way you've taken care of me."


@Lioness075
 
Bill and Bam, who had been silent up until now exchanged concerned glances, then Bill stepped forward and straightened, clicking his heels together in what could only pass for an armless salute.


"Sir! We weren't expecting an appearance from a supervisor sir."


"And We weren't expecting Rogue activity anywhere near as heavy. So I'll ask again, what happened?"


Bill shrunk under the man's hard gaze and proceeded to explain what he had seen. How they had been pincered by the rogue wolves and had to fight to keep Elliot and Kyle alive on the cliff. He explained how Strong had detonated an anti-avalanche mine and taken the alpha to the bottom of the cliff with her. he also told them what he saw when the enemy helicopter landed at the bottom.


"It doesn't make sense they'd take a body." Alec jumped on the possibility, trying to give Callista a little hope. "If she was alive she'd be useful, they could interrogate her."


That did seem to catch the civet's attention. She sniffed, trying to clear her small nose.


"Senior Agent Darcy." She said in as professional tone as she could muster.


Alec decided he was best used surveying the treatment of Leandra's phoenix, but he kept an ear on the conversation.


"Callista," The man seemed to soften slightly as he addressed her. "This is a terrible loss, but the young man is right. There would be no point in taking agent Strong if she couldn't be useful to them."


He then surveyed the injured team.


"This was supposed to be your initiation mission, but clearly things happened that we did not anticipate. It was supposed to be low risk. We underestimated our enemies, but it will not happen again. Once you are all fit to be moved you will be taken to headquarters, there you will recover while I confer with the other senior agents on how to proceed with the case. Talon, make sure they are put on my ship." The saber-tooth nodded his great head.


"Wait." Elliot finally spoke, stepping forward timidly. "You all rescued my partner and I...because I knew something about agent Boris and agent Kelly and I....I think I know where they would take agent Strong." He looked about the room nervously, as if he expected more wolves to jump through the windows just because he mentioned this but he took a breath and continued bravely: "Before Boris went Rogue he was talking to me. Normally he'd always complain about how animals were treated by humans but...recently it started to become extreme, bordering on violent. Finally he asked me to join him. He told me there were animals...there was a base where they were working on something big."


There was a short silence before senior agent Darcy prompted him.


"And did he say where this base was?"


"...It was in Paris."


Darcy nodded, it seemed like the man was connecting dots in his head. "Very interesting. Bill, Bam, make sure the Boar and his partner get to a hospital. Then I want a full report on everything they know."


With that he turned. "I will be waiting on my ship." Darcy did not explain anymore than that.


The ride in the futuristic ship was insanely fast. Alec was fairly sure they had just crossed the Atlantic ocean in two hours. Duik had obsessed over the ship when he had the chance to get a good look at it, saying it was straight out of his favorite sci-fi tv show. As soon as everyone had been treated to the point where they could be moved the great cat had made sure they were all loaded onto Darcy's ship. They had said their goodbyes to the big-horned sheep and climbed in.


Darcy was in the cockpit and unavailable for questioning but Talon had remained with them in the passenger area, lying calmly at the back of the cabin like a very fluffy, breathing sofa.


"Where is this base of yours exactly?" Alec asked, he suspected it might be in vain.


"Exactly?" The cat purred, "If I told you that, I'd have to kill you." He grinned, a gesture that looked terrifying with his over-sized fangs. "Suffice to say it is not so far away from where the boar told us to go."


To Alec's surprise they began their descent over a large tract of old-growth forest. He was even more surprised when the aircraft switched to its hover mode and began to weave elegantly through the thick trunks. Moss grew thickly on the weathered bark and carpeted the forest floor, sparkling with dew in the morning light.


Just then something began to move ahead of them and in the side of a bare stone cliff a door opened up, wide enough to admit the shuttle and then some.


"No." Duik said in disbelief. Talon just smiled.


The hangar was bustling with activity as small vehicles raced up to the shuttle and began light maintenance. Still more drove up to take the passengers to the med wing.


"The base is organized in a cross, most of it is underground but there are windows and skylights to let the sun in at specific points." Talon obviously had a tour-guide voice he put on specially for new recruits. "We are currently in the West wing, the aircraft hangar. North is the training rooms and arena, East are the medical and research departments and South is information and digital logistics." As he shepherded them into the tram that was waiting he explained a bit more about each section and the fact that they had full access to the med and training wings, but the other two wings were restricted to authorized personnel only.


"There is even a recreation area, with an above-ground garden and lounge, if you are feeling the need to take a step back."


They sped into the central hub and Alec tried not to look completely amazed. The central part of the cross was completely open, showing all three floors of each wing. Every floor was alive with activity, humans and their companions making their way from one task to another and the companions came in all shapes and sizes. In just five seconds of observing Alec saw an elephant, an okapi, a tapir, a cockatoo, a lion, three ponies and a British bulldog.


In the center was a garden of tall trees and above that a massive skylight that poured sun into the whole place. It was absolutely breathtaking.


The med center was only another five minutes away down the East wing and once there the medical staff were waiting for them.


Talon remained in the tram and nodded to them. "I will come and seek you out once you have settled here. Your things have been moved to the dorms above the training hall. You have private rooms of course."


Alec's eyebrows were still well above his hairline when all had been said.


"And recruits?" Talon said as the tram began to pull away. "Welcome home!"


((I'm sorry if this post is not great, wanted to get us to the base ASAP so I wouldn't hold up interactions. We should be here for a little bit before the next mission, especially if people need to heal broken bones :P ))
 
Jimbo looked from Calista to the big man then to the BIG cat and then tried to think without making eye contact. He would have scratched his head if he could as he tried to rattle around where he had heard the name Darcy before, but fear of dropping Calista or even moving with the giant tiger in the room made him freeze completely. He knew he had heard the name before, but he just couldn't place where. All at once he wished Simon was conscious, he was pretty good with names and faces.


Jimbo stood there and listened to the man talk about the mission, and when they began to speak of Strong, Jimbo couldn't almost feel the spark of hope light up in Calista. If there was a chance that Amber was alive, he knew that Simon wouldn't stop fighting until he got her back. And as long as Simon fought, Jimbo would be fighting right beside him.


Jimbo had followed the medical team around that had loaded Simon into the futuristic looking craft. As he sat down next to his unconscious partner, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself and give Simon a thump on the shoulder.


"To bad you aren't awake to see this thing Simon. You would go nuts like Duik over there. "


The trip seemed like it didn't take long at all. And when Duik began to get excited about arrival, Jimbo had to make his way over to one of the windows so he could see it. He had been to HQ a few times before, usually to rest up before the next mission of some kind of training. IT never ceased to amaze him whenever they came here the vast amount of HQ there actually was, and he had never even been to the authorized wings. But as he stepped off the aircraft and looked around the hanger, he felt that same sense of wonder hit him all over again. HE would have to walk around and visit some of the places he could remember after Simon woke up. But right now that was his top priority. He saddled up on the tram that the medical professionals were using to haul Simon away on and received a few cross looks when he took up a good section of the tram. All the same, they headed off towards the medical bay as Jimbo heard one of the medical personnel begin to tell someone over a com system what the status of the patient was and how to get ready for his arrival. Jimbo tapped the man on the shoulder and gave him a half cocked smile.


"Their gonna need restraints on him when he wakes up. Trust me, if you don't want broken furniture and windows, make sure they have the strongest restraints they have ready."


Jimbo smiled down at Simon as they made their way to med bay.

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​



Darkness swirled around Simon like a liquid that he had never seen before. Almost metallic to the taste, a single light filtered down into the turning waves above his head as he tried to get a hold of something, anything, to pull himself out. Flailing his arms Simon finally breached the surface of the water gasping for air. He spun around floating in the waters trying to see where he was, a sense of familiarity crashing over him harder than the waves of the water. Finally he spotted the shore line, he wasn't that far so he began to swim as fast as he could.


Between the splash of his arms hitting the water propelling him forward Simon could sworn that he heard someone yelling out. He couldn't pin where the screams were coming from so he kept swimming until he could touch the sand beneath. As his feet hit the ground, his right leg gave way as lightning raced up it and brought him to his knees. He rested his head on the sand for a moment before looking down at his leg, the bone was sticking out and blood was washing down into the water behind him. How did he do that?


He didn't have time to wait and think as the sound of a scream was coming from down the beach now. Simon did his best to get back up, his leg dragging behind him completely useless.


Night sky became clearer the further down the beach that Simon walked, the stars and moon overhead helping to adjust his eyes to the darkness. A little ways up he was able to see what looked like shapes lying on the beach. Simon tried to pick up the pace a bit, and was astounded when he felt the pain in his leg disappear completely. The mangled mess still looked disturbing, but Simon was able to walk on it as if nothing had happened. He picked up the pace and knelt down next to the shapes lying on the beach. They were people and animals, three people lying on the beach next to a different animal looking like they had just washed up on shore. Something about this seemed so familiar to Simon, and when he reached for the first of the people he recognized why. The first body fell over on its back when Simon touched its shoulder, a young African american male with eyes wide and empty stared up at him.


He looked up at the rest of the figures and the moon light seemed to shift to reveal the faces of people and their companions he had worked with. He tried to yell something, anything, but his voice would not come out. Then he heard the scream again, this time he could make out that it was calling his name and he knew the voice. He stood quickly and looked out over the ocean, to see Amber standing in the water up to her knees. She held a pistol in one hand, and a sopping wet Calista in the other. Off in the distance Simon could see a wave growing and getting bigger and bigger as it got closer to the beach. Simon felt his feet moving underneath him before he realized he was moving. Something about this felt so familiar. He watched as the wave grew in size and as it got closer it seemed to shift and change. The wave stretched over Amber and Calista and for a split second, Simon saw the face of a lion in those waves. He reached out to grab Amber's hand just as the wave came crashing down on the pair of them and black water filled his vision once again.

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​



Simon's eyes jerked open and immediately began to search his surroundings. He was visibly sweating and had been since the med team had brought him back in after patching up his leg. It had taken some time, and they said his leg would be fully healed in a few weeks but that he would have to keep off it until then. They obviously didn't know Simon very well. But they had taken Jimbo's advice and as Simon began to panic about where he was, he found that he was strapped down to the medical bed with some pretty thick leather straps.


"Don't think your gonna be able to break those bud."


The familiar voice made Simon whip his head to the wall with the window attached. The big furry gorilla was sitting in the corner, a table pulled up next to him with all manner of tools and pieces of a gun spread out over the top of it. Jimbo was sticking a long bristle down the end of one of his Magnums as he looked up to Simon.


"Jim, what happened? Where are we?"


Jimbo looked back down at the gun and continued to slide the brush in and out a few times before answering him.


"I'll give ya one guess, and no it ain't Detroit."


Simon sighed as he relaxed a bit. He knew where they were, it wasn't hard to imagine where if the events in the mountains were indeed not a dream. He tried to shift himself into a more upright position so that he could see Jimbo better.


"The others? Is everyone ok?"


Jimbo shrugged ans he slid the chambers back into place on the Magnum and gave it a flick with his wrist to shut the gun.


"More or less. A few bangs and bruises, I think the Leandra girl got a bite on the leg. But the worst is Calista. She's hurt'n Simon."


Simon's head dropped down and he looked out the window. He knew it wasn't a dream, but god he had wished it had been. The look in Strong's eyes as she went over the edge of those cliffs, the sight of the alpha crawling out of those rocks, and then her limp body being taken out of the snow and flown away. The heart rate monitor beside the bed began to beep fast and faster as Simon sat there and got angrier and angrier. He began to pull on the leather straps as hard as he could, the veins in his head and arms began to bulge as he yelled in frustration. It didn't last long before he began to thrash at the straps, but nothing budged except the bed. Jim placed a foot on the edge of the bed to keep it from thrashing about as well while he began to run a clean cloth over the top of his Magnum.


After a few second, Simon gave up, his breathing ragged and heavy. Jimbo placed the gun down and stood up from the edge of the bed and patted Simon's good leg.


"And that's why I told them to strap you down. Sit tight, I'm going to get Jello."


As Jimbo lumbered out the door to find a food cart, Simon sighed and leaned his head back into the pillow. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. But all he could think about was revenge and how he was going to get Strong back.


@SilverFlight @Lioness075 @DawnAntalios @andujarprime @Hel @Flutterby @Sleipnir @StoneWolf18 @crucialstar
 
When Beth yelped at the touch from the medic on her chest, Manjano jumped in surprise and then was suddenly standing by Beth's head with his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly in a protective manner.


Listening to Beth's explanation, Manjano glanced over at the medic to see what she'd do next. Seeing how pained Beth was frustrated Manjano, but it wasn't like he was about to comfort her verbally.


Hearing the quiet whimper from Beth, Manjano frowned slightly, but the medic seemed to have finished her job at this point, announcing that they were indeed just badly bruised.


When the medic lifted Beth's shirt to double check it, Manjano's eyes widened and he swiftly turned on his heels so he was looking in the opposite direction.


In doing so, Manjano listened in on the conversation with the authority figures and was curious to know about this home base when it was mentioned that was where they were headed next so they could recuperate. Recuperating and relaxing for a few days definitely sounded amazing. Plus, it'd be more than enough time for Falarion's shoulder injury to heal and then he could explore the base with Manjano.


Hearing a creak behind him, Manjano slowly turned around to see the medic had wandered off and now Beth was sitting up, with her legs held close to her chest.


Deciding he didn't want to appear to be berating her with his arms crossed and his usual neutral expression, Manjano dropped his arms to his side. Feeling awkward with his arms just dangling about, Manjano then shoved them in the front pockets of his cargo pants. Well, this was annoying.


Yet, Beth's voice interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to the present.


Hearing what Beth said though, made Manjano blink and give her a clearly confused expression. Why would the lack of eye contact scare someone? He had been uncomfortable and would've felt even more so if he'd looked at her in the moment. Granted, the very motion had brought back some uncomfortable memories, but it wasn't like telling them to Beth would change anything...or make anything easier for him.


That, and the last time he'd shared a secret with someone, he'd been exploited. He wasn't going to make that mistake again.


Hearing Beth's understanding, Manjano relaxed a little and he even had the hint of a blush on his cheeks when Beth understood that despite how uncomfortable he'd felt, he'd still helped her.


Nodding in his usual mute response, Manjano then realized that he had no where to sit and was just awkwardly standing and practically towering over Beth.


Yet, before he could do anything about it, everyone had finished up with whatever they could do for the injured and now everyone was getting ready to leave.


@Flutterby


Staying by Beth's side when they boarded the ship and carrying Falarion, while also making sure Beth didn't fall over and get hurt even more, Manjano soon was onboard and gently set down Falarion's unconscious body near his feet.


When they lifted off, he was amazed by how smooth the ship moved about in the air. It was nearly impossible to even tell that they were moving, which was even more amazing considering how fast they were going.


Overhearing Alec's short conversation with Talon, Manjano raised an eyebrow at the cat's rather stereotypical answer.


At the moment though, Manjano wasn't overly concerned with where they were going. He just wanted to make sure Falarion got the treatment he needed and was running around and getting excited about everything again.


That, and he wanted to make sure Beth made a sound recovery as well. Luckily, it seemed that she'd mostly just be sore and need rest for a couple days while the tough bruising from the ribs died down.


@Flutterby


While Leandra and Luness were helped to the medical bay some medical personnel who met them at the hangar, Manjano carried Falarion out himself and listened to the brief tour to make sure he was at least slightly oriented.


Once the tour was over and Talon welcomed them all, Manjano rolled his eyes and then quickly walked away from the group, his aim to make sure that Falarion could make a swift recovery.


In his rush to take care of Falarion, Manjano had temporarily forgotten about Beth and simply assumed that someone else had already helped her to the medical bay.


Meanwhile, in the medical bay, Leandra suddenly woke with a gasp, her head covered in beads of sweat, though she didn't make any moves right away. Blinking and frowning, Leandra looked from side to side and soon realized she appeared to be in some kind of hospital setting. An IV was going into her left arm and her lower left leg was wrapped with fresh bandaging. Two crutches were leaning against her bed and Leandra wondered if that meant she could move around sometime soon. No that she was planning on dong anything anytime soon.


The pain meds had definitely kicked in and Leandra was feeling very comfortable, despite being in a hospital gown and knowing that some person she didn't know at all had changed her. Um, ew.


Unaware of how she'd gotten here or where anyone was, Leandra was at least relieved that Luness had been placed on a small bed beside hers.


Sighing, Leandra was about to relax when she suddenly heard Simon and Jimbo interacting together at the bed just beyond Luness'. Seeing the restraints on Simon, Leandra's heart skipped a beat, but she soon was able to raise one of her hands without feeling any restriction. Exhaling at that relief, Leandra then glanced back over at Simon with a worried expression.


Though, it was reasonable for Simon to be acting the way he was. From what she could tell, he and Strong had been close or at least had some kind of history with one another.


Problem was, Leandra had no idea what to say to him that would be remotely encouraging or taken well.


Sighing, Leandra decided that some casual conversation might do the guy some good at least.


When Jimbo wandered off, Leandra then spoke up to Simon, "Hey, how ya doin', mate? How's the leg?"


@zCrookedz
 
Rin heard Calista in the next room. He needed to tell her, let her know that "Agent Strong had to be alive. They took her, they need her alive. There's still a chance to find her, and bring her back." He stood slowly, and turned in the direction he had heard her voice come from. As he slowly made his way, he only managed to take two steps before he heard the aircraft outside. Shortly followed by the entrance of a large sabre tooth cat, and the rest of the Watch's entourage. He watched and listened carefully, he nodded mostly to himself when Alec spoke up about agent strong. He spoke quietly to an operative that was helping to load their equipment. "Listen, I uh, I brought back a body. One of the ferals, I need to get it to a lab. We got room on board? In the cargo hold?" He asked, the operative gave him a strange look before nodding tentatively. "Don't worry, we will carry it, just show usss the way." Haku assured the man who jumped back with a now scared look. She was hidden in his coat and had only just popped her head out. Rin rolled his eyes at the agent and pushed past him to head outside. The trip to the facility was uneventful, but when the reached the facility, it was a whole different story. Once they got to the base he looked on in awe. He couldn't believe that the entire facility was built into the side of a mountain. After having taken the tour, he could honestly say he was impressed. Which was saying something given his family and what he was used to. He found a nearby operative and explained to them that he had a body he needed brought to the research facility. The operative only nodded and pointed him in the direction of other stretchers, some of which were used to move his group into the med bay. He grabbed one up and moved the wolf's body onto it, Haku slithered out of his jacket and onto his shoulders, looking, smelling around. "Let's get this body into research, frozen then find Calista." Haku said to him in a low tone. As he made his way in the direction of the research facility, he managed to spot the silent win. Manjano, that was his name, and Falarion. He had a worried look on his face as he sped up his walk a little to catch up. "Hey, are you guys okay?" He asked, painfully aware of the obvious answer, but he hadn't made much of an attempt to socialize with the group. He figured he would at least start now, before he lost the chance again.


@Lioness075 @SilverFlight
 
Beth gave a soft sigh and followed the others on board, moving slowly and carefully. Totus rested quietly on her shoulder. On board, she sat quietly. Her eyes took on as much as possible, amazed. The place was extraordinary. She couldnt wait to explore the more natural parts.


In the medical wing, Beth had to wait a while, alone in a room with Totus. She spent the time preening him with her fingers. He loved it, and it made them closer. When a doctor finally came, she was given a more thorough examination. At its conclussion, she was officially concussed and bruised, but otherwise fine. They gave her a small bottle of white pills, which would take care of the pain if it bothered her too much. She took one right away, to the amusement of the doctor.


Then she was given a bed, in the same room as Simon and Leandra. Totus had a perch nearby, and there was a dish of what looked to Beth to be mice. He settled onto the perch, eying the food hungrily, while Beth climbed into the bed. Once she was under the thin white sheet, the painkiller began to kick in, and she started to drift off into sleep.


Totus ate calmly next to her bed, watching over her as she fell asleep. The concussion would be harder for her than the bruised ribs, he knew. He looked up as Leandra spoke to Simon, and shifted on his perch. Now that he had eaten, Totus would have liked to stretch his wings, but wasn't sure if the others in the room would find him flying laps annoying or not. He would have to wait for Beth to wake up, which shouldn't be long. Hopefully, she would wake after the initial rush of medication had worn off.


@zCrookedz @Lioness075
 
Simon liad there, his thoughts swimming in his head. The shot of adrenaline from his anger had gotten his blood pumping fast, making the pain killers in his system work even faster now. He lay there and just waited for Jimbo to return, when someones voice perked his ears. He lifted an eye lid and looked over beside him to see Leandra laying in a bed beside him. He lifted his head and opened the other eye starring at her with a bit of confusion, contrite, and even more so embarrassment. He hadn't realized someone else was in the room with him other than Jim during his outburst. The act now made him feel very childish and if he could move his arms and legs he would be rubbing the back of his head right now like a dolt.


"Leandra? Ah crud, I'm really sorry about that just now. I honestly didn't know there was anyone else here."


He shifted a bit uncomfortably and tried to get passed it by answering her question. He paid a little more attention to his extremities now and focused on the leg. It honestly didn't feel like anything at all, like it was nothing but air and some light pressure. The medication they gave him was obviously working, and he was still probably under whatever local anesthetic they had used during the surgery. Either way, he was glad to not be feeling whatever pain he was in.


He could tell by the way the bed comforter was bulged more on his right, that they had put a cast on the leg. Probably for the best, he only hoped they made it tough enough for Simon to still use his leg once they unbound him, cause he would be moving as soon as he could.


"Ah, yea, its ok. Don't feel nothing at least, the meds got that taken care of. How about you? Jim said you took a bit of a beating in the mountains as well."


About that time they moved someone else into the room with them. Beth didn't say anything, and was out like a light before he could say anything to her. Probably for the best, people needed to be resting


@Lioness075 @Flutterby
 
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Wednesday found herself smiling at Zoe's words, and agreed that they should get to know more about each other. The thing was, though, that she didn't really want to share.


She heard bael refute the girls apology and briefly wondered what exactly had happened. Maybe she knew and, like Bael, disagreed with the need for an apology.


Either way, before she could respond the man came, and explained their mission further, she listened as they all put together the prices, feeling quite lost herself. She had thought that the nod meant strong must still be alive, and thus was less upset about the situation. Either way it seemed they were once again off to another base.


As they rode to the next place, she slept rather than spoke with the others. It had been a long day and traveling always made her tired.


Cerci, on the other hand, was excitedly watching out the window, even when there was nothing to see. She spent some time chatting with Cedar bear, too.


When they got to the base, Wednesday yawned, nor feeling overly refreshed, but no longer being able to sleep either.


'Morning sleepy. How was your sleep?' Cerci thought to her.


'Good enough' Wednesday returned. 'What now?'


'We find our rooms, I think... I'm gonna walk with Cedar, away from all these big cats. wanna come?'


'Sure' Wednesday thought, after a nervous glance to the large snake that rested nearby.


With that, Wednesday moved to Cerci's side, who was near Cedar. Cerci turned to the other relatively small bear with a smile and introduced the two, "This is my human, Wednesday," she said, "wanna find our rooms together?"
 
Hearing someone asking if he was okay, Manjano paused uncertainly before turning around to face the sword guy from before, Rin.


Raising an eyebrow at Rin's seemingly worried expression, Manjano then glanced down at Falarion, who was still unconscious in Manjano's arms, his injured shoulder bandaged.


Looking back up at Rin, Manjano cocked his head as if to ask why Rin was bothering talking to him.


Noticing the wolf body nearby, Manjano instantly frowned, making a disgusted expression, and then turned away from Rin before continuing on his way to the medical bay.


He couldn't believe that they'd taken one of the wolf bodies to dissect it. Granted, it'd probably provide useful information, but it always disgusted Manjano to see or even hear about humans using animals to their own benefits, regardless of how the animals were treated. He always treated Falarion as an equal, nothing less.


While he'd never hunted before and was against doing so as a sport, Manjano liked to envision himself one day living in some cabin out in the woods, hunting for his own meals and living off the land while giving back to it. It sounded like heaven to him, even though he doubted it'd ever actually happen that way. Too good to be true.


@andujarprime


Leandra was temporarily distracted from Simon when Beth was rolled into their room with Totus. Yet, both seemed to nod off within seconds of arriving so Leandra looked back at Simon.


Hearing Simon's initial response, Leandra couldn't help but giggle. Luckily, Leandra hadn't sustained any serious injuries to her chest, so laughter didn't hurt. That really would've sucked considering how much Leandra enjoyed to laugh and have fun. Then again, she was currently immobilized thanks to her leg injury. Crap.


Hearing Simon answering her question now, Leandra nodded and then realized Simon probably couldn't see her nodding.


"Well, that's good. And I'm doped up on pain meds so I have no idea just how bad my injury really is. Based on what I saw before it got properly cleaned up, it was pretty deep and I think the wolf managed to tear a muscle or two in the process of trying to bite off my calf. That probably means I'll be stuck in this bed for another day or two before they let me crutch myself around here. That, or they'll stick me in a wheelchair."


Grinning at a sudden and rather stupid idea, Leandra then added, "Hey, maybe we can be wheelchair buddies."


Glancing sideways at Luness, Leandra's grin soon widened when Luness slowly began waking up and was blinking while she slowly looked around in a bit of a daze.


@zCrookedz


Luness slowly awoke to find herself in a foreign setting. It was definitely some kind of hospital, but how in the world had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep in Leandra's lap while the pair had been sitting on a sled out in the battlefield.


Glancing from side to side, Luness then realized she was on a small table in between Simon, whose leg was in a cast, and Leandra, whose leg was tightly wrapped.


As Luness began to unsteadily attempt to stand up, Leandra suddenly said in a concerned tone, "Wait, Lune. You've got an IV in you and they probably went over your wounds once more before leaving you here with me. I don't know who did your stitching, but they did a brilliant job considering there haven't been any fresh blood stains on your dressing."


Blinking at Leandra, Luness relaxed back down on her little table, her injured wing wrapped against her body and her good wing tucked against the other side.


Sighing, Luness then asked in a sleepy tone, "Where are we? How'd we get here? ...and what happened to you, Simon?"


Letting out a breath of relief when Luness settled back down, Leandra then replied, "We're in a hospital right now. I don't know how we got here, but I'd assume we were in some kind of aircraft. I also don't know where exactly this hospital is, but I wouldn't be overly concerned about it, Lune. We're safe now and that's all that matters. Plus, we need to make quick recoveries before our next mission begins. Whenever it begins, anyways."


Pausing, Leandra then said to Simon, "I suppose you should explain your own injury to us. I don't think you told me how exactly you got yours. A wolf bit my leg. Did you fall or something?"


@zCrookedz
 
Zoe nodded after she listened to Bael's words. It was strange to see someone who was so much more flexible than she herself was... it was quite peculiar to watch him and Wednesday, even though the girl did not seem to enjoy their company as she did. It was almost as if she had seen herself in a mirror leading to the not so distant past... and her heart shivered after she thought about something like this. There was no turning back, she knew that much. She had decided to take up the mantle of the team player once more and she wanted to make sure that she can regain the trust of others she has lost earlier.


It was then when the enigmatic man entered the room with his strange companion and asked about the mission. She listened carefully as he was briefed then, as they wanted to depart, she stood up and signaled Eos to be prepared. Before they could board the aircraft she turned to Bael and spoke.


" Bael, wait just a moment. I... " the words did not come out easily, she felt as if she was being suffocated. Clearing her throat her expression turned to serious once more " I wish to talk to you in private once we arrive to these new headquarters, if possible. " while her expression did not change she felt the warmth filling her cheeks once more as the situation - once again - turned awkward. " I would like to explain my... outburst which happened under that tree. I would like to dispel everything which might lead you to think that this was something I did to... use you. "


Knowing that she probably made the situation worse she boarded the plane, Eos following her closely. The old stag stopped before the boy for a moment and with a warm smile he bowed before him.


" I know not what sorcery you have cast on my Zoe... but I thank you. "


With that he also climbed aboard and they were off.


@Sleipnir


The journey was much swifter than she had anticipated, they have already landed by the time she began her meditation. This, however, did not bother her since it was good to be at a safe place for a change. Gone were the icy mountains and instead they were in a very special encampment, one which she had not seen before. It was massive and she was thankful for their guide who decided to show them around, explaining everything during their visit. As they have reached the end of this tour Eos stepped up to her.


" You will have to excuse me, I have something to do. I will catch up with you later. "


" All right, take your time. " the girl said as the two of them parted. She waited patiently until the others dissipated as she stood next to a wall, searching for Bael with her eyes. When she finally found him she waved at the boy as she walked up to him. Somehow she felt almost a tight knot forming in her throat the moment she stepped close to him - a strange thing she had never felt before. Nevertheless she gulped and then spoke up.


" I am glad that we have arrived so quickly. " she mused " That biting chill did not make it any easier to walk in these bandages, the cold was still making it worse. " she hesitated for a moment, then looked for a rather secluded corridor and pointed that way.


" Would you mind if... I asked you to... well... " she did not know how to say it " ... walk with me? " her expression turned to serious again, concealing her panic " It... it is not what you think it is, I can assure you about it, I just wanted to... know this place better. "


@Sleipnir


It took Eos a while before he could find the room where those who had been injured were stationed and he silently walked in. He had spotted Simon, Leandra and Luness at first, bowing his head in respect as he walked past.


" I hope your suffering is not too great. " he spoke but he noticed that the three of them were rather preoccupied recalling the events so he decided to walk onward. His purpose was not with those noble heroes this time - he wanted to check on Beth and Totus. As he walked he finally found them in the room - the girl was sound asleep and her stalwart companion watched over her slumber vigilantly. He walked up to them, bowed his head then spoke with voice barely louder than a whisper.


" The young hero sleeps, her pain waning every moment she spends with recovering. " he smiled, turning to Totus " Rest, my friend. You must be really tired as well. I shall take your silent vigil and watch over both of you while you recuperate. After that, however, when you have a spare moment for me I would like talk to Beth - and to you. "


@Flutterby ( @zCrookedz @Lioness075 )
 
Rin waited for an answer with a tentative smile on his face. He watched as Manjano connected the dead wolf with him, gave him a judging look and turned without a word. All traces of a smile, or any concern were wiped from his face, even from his mind the minute he saw Manjano's face turn. He felt all warmth rush from him, his face and demeanor turning both cold and distant. "So quick to judge, with so little understanding of the world you live in." He said aloud as Manjano continued walking. He held his hand up to his shoulder so that Haku could wrap herself around his arm while they walked. "No worriesss love. We'll focus on Sstrong, on how we can get her back." She said to him before nuzzling against his cheek as they sped up to walk past him, following the signs for the research labs. The look wasn't new to him. It was something he had learned to deal with growing up. Mainly from his mother, her business partners, kids in school, the usual. It was something he learned to ignore, even when they came on with more frequency after Haku found him. But Haku helped him to ignore the looks, the whisperings, the shunning. She taught him to focus on himself, and his tasks. To focus on his meditation, and his research. Still, when it came unexpected he couldn't help but to get torn. By the time he made it to the research lab he was calmer. He found an area where they kept preserved specimens suspended in a gelatinous solution. He found an empty tank and made short work of getting the wolf in there. He sealed it and printed out a short write up and explanation of his uses for the tank just in case anyone came along, they wouldn't dispose of it. Leaving the file on a clipboard next to the tank he took off with Haku on his shoulders. "If I recall, there were a few solitary places back in the garden. Why don't we head back that way, I think we can both use some more time." Haku said to him softly as he made his way out. Once back in the garden Rin found his way to a small clearing. Trees were spread sparingly around him, almost in a ring he noticed as he sat down. He crossed his legs and allowed himself to take a deep breath as he felt Haku sliding down and coiling herself on his lap.


@Lioness075 and anyone else
 
Bael nodded when Zoe asked to speak to him once they arrived to headquarters. "Not a problem," he told her readily. He decided it best to drop his off-handed comment about the disinfectant. He watched Eos as he spoke to Bael, and was somewhere between bewildered and warmed by the stag's comment, as he entertained a good deal of respect for the deer, and when the group parted, he slipped away to find a quiet spot and tried to put the battle behind him. He dozed off after some time, and he dreamed peacefully -- about his home, fishing on Lake Superior -- and catching a sturgeon at that, at which point it bonded to his sister, who was just barely fifteen now, whos birthday he was missing -- and about the lighthouse.


When they landed, he opened his eyes and was quite frankly a little disappointed he wasn't at home.


"Dreaming about the light?" Cedar asked.


"Yes. You know, Annie turns fifteen here in a week or two. I'm going to miss it," Bael told him, slightly unhappy.


He heaved himself up, and watched Cerci as she and Wednesday approached. Cedar sat up, then looked at Wednesday. "Sounds good. Nice to meetcha, Wednesday. I'm Cedar. He's Bael. I think you must already know him. Anyway, let's go find some stuff!" He loped away, waiting for the other two to follow.


Then came Zoe.


He watched her as she struggled for her words slightly, patiently waiting for her to finish what she had to say. "Sure," he said simply. "I'd like to walk with you. I do, after all need to figure the place out too," he added quickly. "And -- and it's easier not to get lost when you aren't alone and all that. Let's just go." He mumbled a bit on the last sentence, turning to go quickly. He was more than a touch embarrassed with himself, and despite not having spending much time focusing on any facets of his life than his work, it wasn't as if he didn't know what was going on with him here. He wasn't ignorant and he recognized that he was getting a bit self-conscious in Zoe's presence. He just wasn't exactly ready to accept that yet. After they had started out in silence, Bael watched the ground and walls for awhile before, at a length, saying, "Sssoooooo..." and then realized he hadn't a clue what to say to her, so he fell silent again.


@DawnAntalios @Hel
 
Alec strode into the room, white lab coat billowing behind him and a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose.


"Glad to see you're all awake." He said in a business-like tone. He had been working since they arrived. Making sure his friends had the best care among other things. "How's the leg Luness? I made the lead surgeon work on you. He was clearly the most competent." He flipped a page on the clipboard he held and then looked up.


"Simon..." He began to say and then grew silent for a moment. "Bill told us what happened...I don't think....well I think agent Strong is alive, and the boar gave us a lead on where to start looking for her. Paris." He handed him a small sheet. "I've been doing a little data-mining myself." He leaned in a bit closer and whispered. "I also may have hacked into the city cameras, I have a list of places with noted unusual activity. We can start there when the team's on its feet again." He stood up after that and said a bit more loudly. "The gardens are beautiful. You should all check them out when you get the chance. I left Duik there playing with his music tech."


Just then an aardvark trotted into the room, also wearing a white coat though this one had been made to fit the beagle-sized creature.


"Ah, good Simon is it? I have a proposition regarding your leg."


"Hello Christopher." Alec said in a deadpan tone. It was abundantly clear he didn't have much time for the animal.


"My research facility is in the middle of developing a new treatment for knitting bone...its still experimental but, I need data points...if you're willing. The treatment is designed to heal a broken leg in three to four days."


"And the side effects?" Alec mentioned casually.


"Ah well, yes...we've never really tested in on humans before but in rats it caused...mild hyperactivity."


"You call climbing the roofs of the cages 'mild'?" Alec nearly laughed. "Its up to you but personally, I don't think its a great idea..."


@zCrookedz @Lioness075 @Flutterby


The wolf that Rin had brought them was in the phorensic's labs and being studied thoroughly for any clue into how it retained sapience. Talon had been very impressed with Rin's initiative and made sure to tell him as much.


"You show foresight, that will stand you in good stead for promotion here in the Watch." He had said before getting the researchers to take it away.


Callista emerged from a debriefing room, her attitude had shifted from distraught to worried and sorrowful, but at least now she could think. The doctor that had appraised her told her to go to the gardens and try to regain a bit of focus. like she could focus on anything with the crater Amber's presence had left her with. Catching sight of Rin however lifted her spirits mildly. She trotted up to him.


"Rin, I..er, I need to thank you. If you hadn't though fast out in the field last night...well. Thanks."


Duik was already in the garden, sitting next to a rose bed with a pair of eccentric customized headphones, made to fit his head perfectly. He sat in front of a computer and gave them both a friendly wave.


@andujarprime
 
Totus looked on as Beth slept. She shifted a little, wincing in her sleep, before settling on her uninjured side and curling up like a small child. She looked peaceful, and Totus watched contentedly, even though his wings were getting restless. He looked up as Eos entered, giving him a very respectful nod as he approached.


The owl's eyes glittered with amusement as he said, "Beth would resent being called a hero. Very much so. It's not her way of thinking," He considered his partner for another long moment. gave a grateful nod. "She should wake soon, after the medication settles in her system. They gave her some very heavy painkillers. I will go stretch my wings, and ask about a change in dosage for Beth. By then, she should be awake, and looking for some conversation. Although, I have to warn you, she was concussed, when she tackled a wolf to save me, and her mind won't be as sharp as it usually is." The owl spared her a worried glance, before ruffling his feathers and hopping to the edge of her bed. He bent, running his beak through a few stands of her hair. Beth sighed softly, as if she was comforted by the gesture even in sleep.


"Thank you. It puts me at ease to know there is someone watching over her." He said, and then lifted himself into the air silently. Totus swooped out of the room as the aardvark entered, and headed back toward the central garden. Weaving between the trees would do him some good. Down below, Rin, Calista, and Duik were enjoying the serenity. Totus went as high as he could go, before diving down and circling around the tree trucks as he got closer to the ground. His flight was silent and slow, more of a glide than anything else. He just wanted to feel some wind in her feathers.


@DawnAntalios (also sort of @SilverFlight @Lioness075 @andujarprime @zCrookedz)
 
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Simon was glad to see Leandra in such high spirits. She seemed like she was doing ok enough, but when she mentioned the pain meds, and then becoming "wheelchair buddies" which mad him smile from ear to ear, it kinda made it hard to tell. Simon smiled, glad to hear that the others were doing ok and that they had walked away with few severe injuries.


When she asked him about his injuries, Simon sighed to himslef, trying to rub the leg but the constraints kept him in place.


"I was probably about 3/4 of the way down the cliff when the helicopter landed. The came in and dug out Strong. I just lost it, I jumped from the cliff, i guess I thought it was cushy at the bottom from the snow. I was very wrong.


HE tried to crack a smile at the misfortune, but all he could see was those animals taking Strong and loadingin her up into the helicopter. Luckily he wasn't in his memories to long as Jimbo reentered the room behind Eos caring a hand full of small opaque packed with different colored jello in them. He perked up at all the people in the room and made his way back over to the corner next to Simon. The gorilla tossed a red color cup towards Simon with a smirk, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to touch the cup.


Simon was trying to figure out how to get the cup when Alec entered the room. The guy looked completely in his element on the white coat and glasses. But when he began to talk about Strong, Simon's face grew more serious. He remained silent through the talk about Strong and Paris. But when the Aardvark came in and mentioned getting healed quicker. Simon got restless again.


"Damn it Jim, get these friggin things off me."


Jimbo was hesitant at first but he lumbered over and began to undo the belts of the leather straps. It only took a second, and when Simons arms were free he undid the rest himself. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, the right one heavily bandaged in the cast and a bit swollen around the top. He looked down at the Aardvark and then to Alec.


"Cut the damn thing off and stick a piece of wood on it if you've got to. But I'm leaving in 24 hours to go get Amber back. Whether The Watch likes it or not."


Jimbo sighed and began to rub his eyes in exhaustion. He knew this would happen, and if it hadn't been for the restraints he would have been gone when he first woke up. He let his arms rest over his chest and looked over to Alec.


"50 mg of Propofol, knock him right out."


Jimbo gave Alec a half cocked smile, before looking back at Simon and receiving dagger vision coming from his partner.


@SilverFlight @Lioness075 @DawnAntalios
 
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Rin was calm by the time Calista made her way out to him. He opened his eyes once more and looked around. He noticed Duik not too far away, listenin to music it appeared. He smiled at the hyena, remembering his jovial nature and waved back. "He is an interesting one indeed" Haku said as she pulsated with laughter. He then turned his head and caught sight of Calista nearing him. He looked at her, his eyes full of sorrow, and pain for the little Civet. But also determination, he smiled lightly at her. "It's,I, well,. You're welcome Calista." He finally said. "I'm just sorry we couldn't do more" He added in a low voice, looking back down briefly. "We will find her, and bring her back." He assured her, his voice hard and determined. "I can imagine, to an extent what you feel. There was a time that me and Haku were separated. A few years ago, while on a research assignment, we came across a very hostile tribe. Go figure, we knew they inhabited the amazon, and we took all precautions to avoid them. It could not be helped, we were tracked and ambushed. I, I wasn't sure we would survive the night. They took her in one direction, me in another..." Rin was almost lost in a past memory. "But that's neither here, nor there. We found each other, we will find Agent Strong, and we will bring her back to you." Haku interrupted, bringing Rin back from dark memories. Rin shook his head then smiled, he wasn't supposed to be sinking into darkness. He needed to be positive, to show Calista that she had every reason to be optimistic. "Haku's right. We're going for her, you two will be together again." He said confidently before he looked up, just in time to see Totus gliding down and around the garden area. He smiled at the silent guardian, watching him for a few moments before turning his attention back to Calista. Hoping he was able to lift her spirits, at least a little.


@SilverFlight (@Flutterby
 
Their steps echoed in the empty halls as Bael and Zoe slowly walked down the base. For a while they remained silent, just contemplating about the things she wanted to say to the boy. It was a strange situation... she had not been in one at all... she was a veteran, a warrior who was born in blood, honed in battle - she was fearless, merciless and ruthless. Yet right now she felt like just as a normal girl, one who knew not what to do with a situation like this: she felt completely lost for long minutes.


It was then when Bael started to speak but silenced immediately as well. Zoe turned her attention to him then sighed.


" My apologies that I am not the best talking partner. " she said " I am still new to this... teamwork thing. But that was not always the case... "


They took a turn starting to walk deeper into the facility.


" I had a very strong team before this time. I was there when we originally formed and together we were unstoppable... or so we thought. "


She stopped for a bit, shaking her head.


" I am sorry, I have trailed off topic. What I wanted to talk about was the thing that has happened between the two of us back there. " she walked, feeling the awkwardness growing " I tried to introduce myself as a strong, independent huntress who fears nothing and can vanquish any evil on her own. That, however, is not something I am capable of doing any more. I have never imagined the Ferals to go this far, they are stronger than ever before and we need to stand together to defeat them. Together as a team. Together as... friends. "


She looked at him.


" Ever since that nightmare I was... cold, feeling empty and powerless to talk to people. I was unable to soften up and recreate the bonds I have had so long ago. Yet, due to a strange twist of fate, I have met all of these people, who one by one changed my attitude - some influenced me less, some more. Still, I was not really into this friendship thing. But you... "


They finally arrived to a small hall where she once again stopped and looked at Bael. Her eyes narrowed, she folded her arms together and with a stern, firm look she stared at him with a questioning look.


" What is happening to me? " she asked firmly " I feel unfocused, hazy and I find it difficult to keep my judgment clear recently. It started after that ominous snowball fight. Why do I feel clumsy all of the sudden when I am supposed to be a well trained fighter? "


@Sleipnir


Eos nodded as Totus took wings and flew away. He glanced around the room, finding others having a nice conversation and Simon calming himself down a bit. He felt sorry for him, not because he thought that he could not handle this situation but because of the connection he had with that woman. Though it was an unspoken oath he knew that the two of them were close, or at least once were. That had probably caused more harm that the explosion or the fight itself.


He now turned his attention towards the sleeping girl and smiled.


" Hero you are, little one - as all here are, there is no doubt about that. " his whispers were carried away by the wind. " So fragile yet so strong - truly a miracle you are. Just like my little girl... "


He chuckled. He remembered Zoe slumbering like this and he was glad that she was returning to her old self even though she herself did not realize it yet.


" Wisdom runs true in your blood - a rare gift at this age. Let us hope that you recover soon. "


And with that he fell silent, waiting for the girl to wake, watching over her as a guardian.


@Flutterby
 

Xiao Hui hadnt realized how much she was shaking until she heard Alec's voice above her as she stopped her movements slowly. She heard him stammer an apology as she felt his hands on his shoulders, gently lifting her up as he stood facing. It seemed as if it worked, however, the expression on his face plagued her mind that showed one of disgust and shake. Her cheeks were red as her eyes were watering still, perhaps from the cold and the emotions that were swirling around her at the moment. Before she could wrap her head around what she had just done, her heart pounded loudly in her ears as she shot a small smile in Duirk's direction as he comfort her, but that didn't lost long until she heard a loud explosion along with Laohu's ear piercing heart broken roar. A lump got caught in her throat as the emotions coming from Laohu enveloped hers making it that much harder to breathe as she whipped her head quickly over to the sound of the explosion. Her eyes quickly scanned the area at her comrades, all injured, unconscious, and hurt. Xiao Hui sat there frozen, staring into the emptiness of the cliff as Alec and Simon took off after the person who fell off the cliff: Agent Strong. Realization never dawned on Xiao Hui until she felt more warmth by her side, shaking with anger and heartache. Laohu's heart dropped seeing the fall of the fallen warrior, even much so seeing his companion in such a shocked state of mind. He never saw her in such a state since. . back then. Nudging her shoulder, Laohu nodded towards Duirk, chuffing slightly, "Thank you." He managed to word out as his ears perked and Xiao Hui's attention was back to the cliff. Her eyes widened as a loud helicopter was shown overhead. "S-strong!" Xiao Hui croaked out, managing to get just those six words out. But she sat there, rendering useless as Loahu growled loudly protecting both Duirk and Xiao Hui. Once the helicopter flew away, she felt waves of emotions hitting against her. Agent Strong. . kidnapped. . injured friends . . Unconsciousness. She kept repeating that as Laohu tried to speak to her but she couldn't hear anything, her face showing nothing but a blank expression, that is, until the tears rimmed down her cheeks, flowing without stopping. Laohu hushed her, "This isn't the end, Hui. She's alive and we are getting her back. You'll see. When we do, we will be more prepared." He said, comforting her as Xiao Hui leaned her head against him, and gently brushed her hand against Duirk's coat. "Thank you, both of you." She whispered softly, sincerely meaning more than those words let on. She watched as Alec and those who were conscious helped bandaged each other, taking care of each other like a family. A small smile crossed her features, but her worry still was growing strong for her comrades. "They're so brave and they've done so well." She whispered to the both of them, admiring all of them. Soon a second helicopter came to them, rescuing all of them and taking them away from the scene of the crime were many mixed emotions and actions took place.


Xiao Hui waited with Laohu and Duirk, being the last ones to climb aboard. Once she arrived, she grimaced at the scene before her, blood, pain, broken bones, and bandages. However, she stayed close with Laohu and Duirk. Limping to one side of the helicopter, she stayed out of everyone's way. She observed Leandra's and Alec's handy medical work, working swiftly like a team. It was as if they were dancing around each other taking care of each patient. Xiao Hui said there quietly, wondering what feelings were surfacing, but ignored it once the adrenaline rush disappeared. Looking at Laohu, "You need-" "No, don't worry about me. Wherever we are going, I'll heal up there. And I only trust you." He said looking at her directly in the eye as she nodded nuzzling her face against his mane, hissing slightly. But , nevertheless, spoke to Duirk, "He's amazing," she complimented before continuing, "you both are , Duirk. Glad to have met you." She said, before another airborne flight came into view as a elder man with sandy blonde hair, a grey beard, wearing a pristine suit and a cane came into view. She eyed the man, feeling a sense of familiarity with him, or feeling as if he resembled someone she knew. Xiao Hui watched as an exotic cat came into view as Laohu eyed the feline, a sense of curiousness peaking up as he stared with intensity. Headquarters? Soon, a group of medicinal workers came, taking caring of most of them as Xiao Hui and Laohu insisted nothing was wrong with them.


Soon enough, everything happened too fast for Xiao Hui to process clearly, they passed through many landscapes and went from one thing to next and next thing she knew, she was staring out at the cross-like base before them. Xiao Hui jumped slightly from the greeting, "Welcome home, new recruits." It seemed for them say as Xiao Hui eyed Calista worrying for the sorrowful animal companion to be separated from each other. Laohu nudged Xiao Hui to keep going as she took some clothes and bandages without the medics knowledge, taking some for herself and Laohu, along with some anti-septics and alcohol based to clean the wounds. As the others went towards the hospital and elsewhere at the base, Xiao Hui and Laohu headed to the gardens for some peace as she saw Duirk and Rin coming later on. Finding a compfy patch on the ground with roses surrounding her, she was careful of the thorns she may encounter as Laohu watched his steps. Taking some cloth, Xiao Hui began treating Laohu, knowing the both of them had trust issues against those who they didn't know. Xiao Hui hummed softly to herself a lullaby she knew that could comfort the both of them as Laohu wrapped a tail around Laohu, taking in this moment for themselves to recuperate, knowing her teammates are in good hands now, it seems.

@SilverFlight, @ everyone and anyone
​
 
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Bael walked quietly alongside Zoe, watching his feet as she talked about their new companions, what life had been like for her before — ever since the nightmare. Nightmare? He had to wonder what she meant by that but didn't ask. It wasn't the time yet. Then he stopped short when she turned to him, almost as if interrogating him, he froze to think, working through what she had to say. The snowball fight? 'But you...' Was she blaming Bael—? For what, exactly? She said she wasn't thinking clearly, she felt clumsy and unfocused — all after the snowball fight. What, did she think Bael had done something to her...? "Well," he began carefully, "You did hurt your legs right after that snowball fight. And — you know — the elevation. And it can be hard... To — to focus up here in these mountains. Surrounded by so much — so much beauty, you know... And... That might... Be distracting..." He felt his face grow hot again and redden — likely visibly — as he thought further about what it was she was saying and another possibility was occurring to him, though he didn't dare say a word about it. He doubted he could if he tried.


Surely she didn't... Like him. He was just — he was a no-name kid from Michigan. For god's sake, he hadn't even combed his hair in the past two days! (he'd washed it but not combed it.) She was — she was so much better than that. She could fight. She was, as far as he could tell, a seasoned warrior.


Bael? He had accidentally shot a wolf once. On accident. While trying to pry its jaw off his arm with a gun. It hadn't even been a bright idea.


No. It couldn't be right. That wasn't it. He forced his bright green eyes back to her eyes, tearing them away from the floor. "You... You don't think it's my fault—?"


@DawnAntalios
 
Hearing Rin's comment as he walked away, Manjano frowned, though he didn't slow his pace.


Perhaps it had been a misunderstanding, but Manjano still couldn't agree with anything that had to do with dissecting an animal. It just felt completely wrong to him.


@andujarprime


Before Leandra got another response from Simon, Alec entered the room with a lab coat on and...spectacles?


Leandra couldn't help but choke on some laughter, which she quickly tried to hide with her hand and disguise as a cough. She couldn't hide her grin though.


Hearing Alec's business-like tone didn't help any, as Leandra repeated the same actions over again.


Blinking innocently afterwards, Leandra muttered, "Must be a dry throat..."


Luness raised an eyebrow at Leandra, though the phoenix said nothing otherwise.


Hearing herself being addressed, Leandra perked up and then blinked in surprise while blushing at the fact that Alec had gone out of his way to get the lead surgeon to fix up her leg. Wait, someone had gone out their way to do something for her? That was new.


Confused by this fact, Leandra didn't hear everything Alec said to Simon and had only clued back into the conversation in time to hear the mention of a new kind of operation he could do for his leg.


Yet, at the mention of hyperactivity, Leandra quickly said, "Considering the way Simon injured himself, being hyperactive probably won't help anything. Just sayin'."


Luness then rolled her eyes at Leandra's attempt at a joke before saying softly, "Perhaps now wouldn't be the best time for joking, Lea. Simon does have a rather serious injury after all."


Rolling her eyes back at Luness, Leandra then said, "Hey, someone's gotta try to lighten the mood around here. I'm pretty sure I felt the happiness dip a bit once that aardvark joined our fun little meeting."


Hearing Alec's response to the aardvark scientist, Leandra resisted the urge to add some height joke into the mix.


@SilverFlight @zCrookedz


Briefly overhearing Totus explaining to the oddly regal stag that Beth wouldn't enjoy being called a hero, Leandra raised an eyebrow amusingly when the stag then proceeded to call her a hero anyways. Man, that guy was dense or something.


Unable to resist saying something, Leandra blurted out to Eos, "Hey, Eos, I think Totus mentioned something about Beth not wanting to be called a hero or something. Surely you have another fancy term you can use in that fancy vocabulary of yours?"


@DawnAntalios @Flutterby


Hearing Simon now responding to her question, Leandra shifted her gaze back to him, tilting her head slightly out of curiosity.


Shaking her head in amazement that Simon hadn't died from such a height, Leandra then responded with a grin, "Did your boots come with some fall resistance or something? On the bright side, you can add that to the list of things you probably never thought you could do and survive."


Seeing his failing smile, Leandra furrowed her brows slightly, hoping she hadn't said something wrong to further upset the big man.


Seeing Jimbo reentering the room, Leandra threw up her arms in mock offense, while also surprising Luness and making her squawk in surprise, before saying in an exasperated tone, "Really? I mess up my leg as well and end up in the same room, yet Simon is the lucky one to get food. Jello, even! Jimbo, you disappoint me."


Watching amusingly as Jimbo tossed the jello cup onto Simon's chest, leaving him to wrestle with himself, Leandra was about to say something else when Simon's face grew serious once more at the mention of Strong.


Laying back in her bed, Leandra held back her joking for now, as she knew Strong had meant a lot to Simon.


Once Simon refocused on Jimbo removing his restraints for him, Leandra let out a sigh, as if the growing silence or something had been driving her insane despite it only having lasted a few seconds.


Just keep joking and smiling, and nobody will think about the bad stuff, right? Yeah, right.


When Simon's bed made a creaking sound, Leandra glanced over in time to see him sitting up and swinging his legs over the side as if he were about to walk on his own. Okay, who decided it was a good idea to unrestraint his stubborn old man? Wait, how old was Simon anyways?


Shaking her head to clear her wandering thoughts, Leandra then heard Simon's stubborn talk and she grinned before quipping, "Hey, if you remove the leg then you could get some brilliant prosthetic with bombs or smoke grenades that you could deploy while running or something. Then you could take the dismembered leg and beat your enemies with it. Or something like that. Okay, that second part sounded funnier in my head."


Hearing the mention of knocking out Simon, Leandra smirked and remained quiet, as she waited for someone else to say something now.


@zCrookedz @SilverFlight
 
Zoe watched carefully, her eyes seething with anger. She needed to know the answers but what Bael was trying to say was not something she had expected. He was talking about mountains... beauty... it did not make sense to her at all. But then she realized something.


" This! " she exclaimed " This is exactly what happens! Stuttering, loss of precision and control! " but now she was also confused " So you share the symptoms too... this is troubling... "


She was now uncertain about her feelings. She had hoped that the boy would provide her answers... she tried everything in her power to find them but it appeared that Bael himself suffered from the same... illness. She started to walk up and down in the room, thinking.


" It appears I am not the only one affected... " she mused " This is bad... I do not think that this is the effect of the wolf fight, nay, symptoms have shown themselves before... " she stopped for a moment " Neurotoxin? No, too obvious... Poisoning? No, not subtle enough... "


She turned to Bael, her eyes burning with determination.


" I know not what this is, but it appears that it affects both of us. It is something I have never felt before... just our close proximity makes my thoughts muddy, my heart starts beating unnervingly fast, I feel my cheeks turning red... " she looked at him with a serious expression and then shook her head.


" We can not ask the others for help... they would just think that this is a weakness which could jeopardize the mission... something we can not allow to happen, not now. "


She sighed, moving closer to him. Raising her finger to make sure that they were both remain silent she gently touched his chest, trying to find where his heart was. Surely enough when she found it it was racing. Just as hers...


" Bael, we have to find something which solves this issue. " she said " The last thing we need right now is an obstacle like this... " she stepped back with a worried expression on her face. " You have any ideas? What should we do? "


@Sleipnir


Eos' attention shifted to Leandra who asked him a question which made him smile once more.


" Does the tree ceases being a tree when it is not called as such? Will the warmth of the Sun be extinguished should we decide to call it Sun no longer? " he looked at Beth once more and smiled. " Nay, we can not escape reality, of what we are. We can be shaped, molded but what our heart decrees will be our true fate. "


He smiled at the sleeping one and turned to Leandra.


" Besides, she is not the only hero here. You all are. " he glanced to Simon and Jimbo, Alec, Leandra and Luness " You all have stood valiantly against the darkness, struggled against our foe. You all deserve praise, be not mistaken. "


@Lioness075 @zCrookedz @SilverFlight @Flutterby
 
Bael frowned, suddenly a touch alarmed when Zoe insisted he, too, was showing symptoms. "No -- no, actually, this is just what I'm like," he pointed out quietly, but she didn't seem to hear him and went on about possible causes. Any concern he had was put down when Zoe brought up the possibility of neurotoxins or poisoning. Nope, definitely wrong. Definitely not. There was no way she could possibly have feelings for him if Zoe's first reaction was this.


Well... Infatuation. Neurological diseases. I'm not completely sure there's much of a difference there.


He felt almost suffocated when she stepped closer to him, closing the space between them almost completely and put her hand against his chest. He felt a bit dizzy, uncertain what he could possibly do now and ended up just staring stupidly into her face, green eyes wide and face feeling very hot. After several moments he managed to think well enough to step back, and then realized that Zoe had fallen silent.


She had addressed him -- asked him if he had any ideas, any solutions. He didn't even stop to think, immediately responding, "Tea," without really even realizing his was speaking until he heard the word leave his mouth. He fell silent for a short time, staring at the ground awkwardly again and realizing just how stupid this suggestion sounded. Then, at a length, he added, "I mean -- you can -- tea is... Green tea tends to enhance your brain function and general health on its own, and then there's any number of things that can be done or added to it to help more -- gotu kola, you know, and ginkgo biloba both help with brain function and then there's lemon verbena that people say is good for depression, and if it's good for depression it's good for anxiety so it's good for your brain, and redbush or -- or rooibos, whichever word you prefer, that helps you sleep at night which can help you stay clear headed and marigold flowers are great for infections and bacterias, so are elderberry if you think it's an actual disease but that's unlikely because that would be a neurological disorder so you'd want it to be maybe the gotu kola or ginkgo, and you know not all of those taste great so you'd want to think about adding things like- like cinnamon, because even though it won't help your head it smells and tastes good and helps you lose weight - not that you need to, you look fine - I mean, and orange peels are always a good choice and cornflowers add some lovely blue color, since blue really is a nice color, and then there's... there's roses." His voice had gotten a touch more alarmed and high the further he went and definitely faster, until he had reached a very fast pace, almost to the point that he couldn't be understood until he reached the end, faltered, and let his voice soften and go back to normal at the end. He looked up at Zoe again, looked away once, then folded his arms. "...Sorry. That was stupid," He added quietly after awhile.


@DawnAntalios
 
Totus hooted a greeting to those in the clearing, before circling back upward. He took a moment on a high-up branch. The owl breathed slowly, clearing his mind. Beth's consciousness was beginning to flare back to life at the back of his mind, very subtly. So he spread his wings again, and headed back toward the medical bay. It took a few minutes to find a doctor that could help him, but when he did, they willingly brought out a lower dosage and followed him to Beth's bedside. The doctor gave Eos a nod, swapped out the bottles, and then carried on with his rounds.


Beth began to stir, at first just shifting her feet under the sheet and making a few short, soft hums. Totus landed on the edge of her bed. His talons struck softly, but Beth felt his closeness and it drew her further toward being awake.


"Hopefully, with the smaller dose, she won't be down like this after taking her painkiller." Totus said softly, waiting patiently even thought there was a worried look to his heart-shaped face. Beth stretched out, rolling back onto her back, and slowly opened her eyes. First, she smiled at Totus, and then looked to where his eyes were, and found Eos standing next to her bed.


"Oh hello," Beth mumbled, as a yawn overtook her. "Did I oversleep?"


"No, dearest, you only slept about a half hour. I had them adjust your dosage so it won't happen again. But Eos is here to talk with us." He said patiently. She reached out and gave his feathers a loving touch, then turned her head to the regal stag.


"Is everything okay?"


@DawnAntalios
 
Alec gave Jimbo and exasperated look as Christopher could not have looked happier.


"Excellent! I'll set you up for a dose then." He bustled away leaving Alec to stare judgmentally at his back.


He caught the snort of laughter Leandra had given him and guessed it was the glasses. "What? I'm far sighted." He mumbled defensively, a little embarrassed. "Small print's tough for me to read."


Suddenly Alec snapped his fingers as he remembered something. "Simon, you need to have this back." He dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the gold locket on its chain, handing it to the big man carefully.


"You had it when you were unconscious. I made sure to keep it safe, but you should take it back now that you're feeling better."


He listened to Leandra's suggestions about the leg. "No one's getting explosive prosthestics." He said definitively. "But I will have food sent. Its about time you got a decent meal." He sent a message with one of the staff members who left to carry out the request.


@zCrookedz @Lioness075


Callista took comfort in the words Rin offered and she bowed her head. "Thank you Rin, Haku. It means a lot to hear you say that."


Duik grinned at Rin as he waved back.


"Dude! What's your favorite song?!" He called, being far too loud for the distance as he had the volume up too high again.


"Oh! High Totus!"


When he caught sight of Xiao and Laohu he tossed the headphones aside and went to sit with them.


"How are you two feeling?" He asked in a friendly tone. He had grown to like the pair immensely and couldn't wait to tease Alec about the things Xiao had said about him. But that would have to wait.


"This place is pretty sweet huh? Do you think they have a music room? I mean, the gardens are beyond fantastic, but it'd be nice to have somewhere with speakers, maybe a few instruments so I can record more stuff for my mixing." He regretted what had happened at the cliff, and dwelling on it would make him silent and somewhat sullen, but he was determined to keep a good attitude for the team. Enough had happened that they needed it.


"You play?" He asked Xiao, his bright eyes glinting with interest.


@andujarprime @crucialstar @Flutterby


((I'm sorry if I didn't reply to everyone, let me know and Ill amend next time I catch some internet.))
 
Zoe listened closely as Bael started explaining what was on his mind. As he progressed further and further into his analogy Zoe's face started to brighten up, her eyes burning with determination once more. She had never imagined that something as simple as tea would be so powerful, so effective in training - yet hearing all these beneficial effects it had on one's mind she was now completely enthralled. Stepping closer to the boy again she shook her head.


" Stupid? No! It is truly spectacular that you have amassed so much knowledge about tea! " she said, trying to suppress the enthusiasm in her voice with little success " If this special tea is this important... this powerful then we need to make some immediately! "


She started thinking again.


" Just think: who would suspect something as simple yet so powerful to be our secret weapon? It could be the cure we are looking for! "


She looked in his eyes and her face turned a bit more cautious. She gently grasped his hand and put in on her chest this time, bowing her head in the process. Her heart was racing faster than ever before, with his touch she felt warmth filling here again. She now looked at him and with a pleading expression on her face she almost begged him.


" I know that this sounds strange or outright demanding - but please teach me how to make this kind of tea. If it works it does not only helps us both but it would also be to the benefit of the team! "


She looked around.


" I think I have seen a kitchen here somewhere... they have a lot of ingredients lying around, we should probably be able to mix some tea together. " she hopeful face turned to him once more " Shall we go? "


@Sleipnir


Eos watched as Totus swoop in, flying next to his companion as Beth slowly rose from her slumber. He watched the girl with a warm smile, observing her as she finally returned to the waking realm from her deep slumber. He bowed his head respectfully and then spoke.


" Welcome back to the realm of the awakened, Beth. " he mused with a booming voice " I am fine and thus I hope that you are feeling better. The battle was fierce and dire, it was not the ideal initiation mission... I don't think even I and Zoe had such a harsh welcome to this Feral infested war. "


He silenced for a moment then he turned his face away for a moment, watching some birds in their nests outside.


" I am certain that Totus wants to protect you, that he wants to make you happy and be your company forever. That is what I wanted as well but I think I have lost my way with my little one... " he looked back at them " You have a very strong presence, Beth. It is unique, something I have not seen before. The boy, the twin of Leandra, is a curious person - he is silent, seclusive a true mystery few would bother to try and solve - yet you have found your way to him. You have found a way to unlock even the most mysterious, sealed heart - and that is a feat not many can achieve. "


He remained silent for a moment again.


" I know that my request is selfish but I beseech you for your help. She and I were once a team, we laughed and cried together but now I feel that this bond is waning. But perhaps with your wisdom, with your knowledge I can rekindle the flame of friendship within her heart - to bring back the old Zoe, the one I cherished so much. "


With a tired smile he added.


" You are my only hope. "


@Flutterby (@Lioness075 mentioned :3 )
 
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