Fantasy Code: Feral

[Flutterby]

Beth watched Barry closely, noticing the way he still swayed a little even sitting down. He signed a thank you to her, and she nodded, saying, "That's what teammates are for." She fussed a little more over his head, then glanced over the rest of him, before pulling back. He caught sight of her palms, and started to gently pick out the bits of dirt and gravel stuck in them. She grimaced lightly, but didn't want to complain when it was obvious she had really lucked out.
She had a little more trouble with his next sentence, but after a moment of replaying it and thinking, she realized he was asking if she was hurt anywhere else.
"I bashed my knee pretty hard, but it holds weight so I think it's fine. I think one of my eardrums ruptured. I might need first aid for this when someone gets here," Beth motioned to the gash across her cheek, where the side of her face had hit the concrete as she fell. It was starting to swell, and she would probably end up with a bit of a black eye. She paused, sinking back to the floor next to him, and added, "It's really lucky you threw the table down, or I might be a debris pin cushion."

Simon approached with Jimbo in tow, looking like actual hell. Beth could see a hunk of wood sticking out from his back from where she sat on the other side of Barry.
"Jesus, Simon," She said softly, but he started laughing before she could ask how he was. He said something to Barry about it not being as bad as it could have been, and Beth watched Barry sign back. BB was out of commission for the moment, so Beth managed to say, "Barry said uh.. something like, 'No problem. You'd do the same for me. Lucky your throw was good for Beth to get behind.' I guess he means the table." She glanced at Barry apologetically, and said, "Sorry, I'm still working on phrases."
Beth leaned back to look at Simon's injury again and frowned, "Simon, you just sit there and try not to move too much, okay? Don't dislodge that until medical is here." She wanted to get up and look at it up close, but Barry was starting to feel even worse, and he started to lean sideways.
"Woah, okay, Barry. Here, just rest a bit. Not on the ground though." Beth guided him down to put his head in her lap, where his wound would stay a little cleaner. The three of them would not be moving until a medic came, or the building started to really burn. She gave BB a nod, and said, "I think he flew out of the building. Look for Manjano too, please."
zCrookedz Bolts

Totus hopped deeper into the building, shaking his feathers every few hops to get the sprinkler water off his feather. The smoke seemed to be clearing a little, but he had no idea where Beth had ended up, and the landscape of the building had changed significantly. "Beth! Elizabeth Aylin, answer me!"
He caught sight of a few other team members, most of them actually, and thought about going to ask Manjano to help him look, but before he could, he heard a familiar high voice calling out to him.
"BB, I'm over here! I can't see you. Do you know where my Beth is?"
Bolts SilverFlight Lioness075 deer

 

[SilverFlight]

Alec hissed in pain as he turned over to sit, letting Xiao examine his leg. He gave her a weak but goofy smile. "I wouldn't trust anyone else more." deer

Calista scurried into the room, squinting in the dissipating smoke. "I radioed the support team. They're on their way. Amber?"
Amber didn't hear. She was right on Jimbo's heels, at Simon's side as he got to his feet. She'd seen the shrapnel wound, but looking him over again she determined the wound wasn't critical. Her fear and worry hardened into anger.
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
Calista started, staring wide-eyed at her partner. Amber's reaction was obviously a shock. Duik, who had been making his way over to Alec, Xiao and Laohu froze in his tracks. Everything went quiet.
"You could have been killed! All you had to do was take cover! Why do you always have to be such a damned hero?!" There was a short pause and Amber stepped back, remembering herself. She clenched her fists and turned away, trying to calm her breathing.
zCrookedz

In the distance they heard the sound of tires on sand. Moments after the door was pried open and the medical team arrived. Calista sauntered over to Barry and Beth, sitting down beside them as she watched her partner sadly.
"You did good with that table kid." The civet looked up at Barry, gratitude in her small black eyes. "I dunno what'd Amber'd do if that idiot actually kicked it."
Bolts Flutterby

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Manjano	Companion: Falarion
Manjano's Attire: Red-Brown Hair Dye, Dark Green Eye Contacts, Maroon Suit, Black Shirt, Black Dress Shoes	Falarion's Attire: Dark Brown Eye Contacts, Maroon Scarf around Neck, Dark Orange Fur Dye, Black Fur Dye on Mane and Legs, Cream Fur Dye Underneath Snout and on Belly and Tail
Location: Warehouse
Tagged: zCrookedz (Simon and Jimbo), Flutterby (Beth and Totus), SilverFlight (Calista, Amber, Alec, and Duik), Bolts (BB and Barry), deer (Xiao Hui and Laohu)

As the sound of the explosion died away, both Manjano and Falarion coughed while they tried to regain their bearings. Blinking away residual dust, they slowly got to their feet and paws to see everyone mostly intact. While their hearing was not the best, they saw Amber looking around and calling out something. Manjano quickly assumed she wanted to everyone to check in and he shouted unnecessarily loud, "Falarion and I are okay!"

With that out of the way, Manjano began searching for Beth with Falarion tagging along in a daze. They soon spotted Beth with a few others and Falarion opted to lie down nearby while Manjano approached Beth. His expression instantly became one of concern, as he looked her over for any injuries. It did not take him long to see a few and he knelt beside her. His hearing was beginning to return, though, as he could hear BB nearby talking at her usual speed. At least someone seemed to be in relatively good shape. Falarion was nodding off when Manjano quickly looked back at him and thought, Hey, don't fall asleep! That's dangerous to do after any potential injuries. Are you okay?

Falarion blearily glanced at Manjano and sighed, I think so...just...I guess I'm just really tired after that. I don't know.

Frowning at this, Manjano returned his attention to Beth and the gash on her cheek. He had no medical knowledge to help her with, so he merely sat down beside her. Seeing Falarion nodding off again, Manjano quickly thought, Fal, come join us. I'll have a medic look you over when they get here.

Grumbling about having to move, Falarion slowly got to his paws and then ambled over to Manjano, hunched the entire time. He had no obvious injury, but seemed really out of it if that were the case.

With Falarion slumped at his side and his head in Manjano's lap, Manjano looked sideways at Beth and asked loudly, "Where is Totus? He's usually right by your side or close by." His ears had not stopped ringing yet and it was still difficult for him to hear much. Anyone speaking normally sounded like they were whispering or mumbling to him.

Since his hearing was not all that great, Manjano was oblivious to Amber's outburst while Falarion struggled to stay awake.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra Sinciato	Companion: Luness
Leandra's Attire: Dirty Blonde Hair Dye, Hazel Eye Contacts, Khaki Traveler's Jacket, Grey T-Shirt, Light Jeans, Cream Tennis Shoes	Luness' Attire: Crimson Feather Dye, Dark Orange Eye Contacts
Location: Warehouse
Tagged: deer (Xiao Hui and Laohu), SilverFlight (Amber, Calista, Alec, and Duik), zCrookedz (Simon and Jimbo), Flutterby (Beth and Totus), Bolts (BB and Barry)

Leandra could not help herself when the bomb went off - she screamed. She also hugged Luness tightly in fear of her getting injured, though Luness would have argued that the tight hug was more likely to injure her in that moment. The crate they hid behind had proved an exceptional barrier and neither had been injured in the blast. Their ears rang like most everyone else's, but by the time Leandra had stumbled over to join Simon at his makeshift barrier, she could more or less hear again. Luness hopped onto their safe crate and hung back while she tried to recover herself. Her sensitive hearing meant she had a roaring headache to accompany her ringing ears.

Seeing Simon's injury and then Alec's injury nearby, Leandra snorted before saying, "You guys wouldn't last an hour in this line of work without me."

Her joke was quickly lost on most when Amber snapped at Simon. Surprised, Leandra took a step back from Simon while Amber berated Simon for potentially saving his teammates' lives. What little she knew of the pair told her to keep her mouth shut, though. If they were a thing at all, then that meant Amber was merely being protective and anything anyone said right now would make her angrier.

Avoiding Amber's gaze and hopefully her anger, Leandra approached Simon again and quietly pulled out her stitching kit from her knapsack along with an ACE wrap and gauze pads. Focusing on the injury she had to fix, Leandra stated, "This is going to hurt. A lot. So, on the count of three, I'm going to pull it out of you and then try my best to be quick while I stitch you up, okay?"

Threading a needle to make sure everything would be ready for her, Leandra added out loud, "If anyone gets queasy around a lot of blood. I'd suggest looking away now."

Satisfied with her needle, she set it down on the table with her laid-out supplies and then looked Simon in the eyes. She carefully placed a hand around the wooden protrusion while laying the other flat against his shoulder. "Okay, on the count of three, yeah? One...two." Abruptly, she yanked it out of Simon's arm. As the blood began to flow and trickle down his arm, she quickly snatched up her needle and began stitching his wound shut. She used her spare hand to now try and hold Simon's arm still so her stitching would not leave a nasty scar. She had been smart to pack stitches that dissolve this time around. They could just keep the injury area clean and it would heal in time. Her hands were now covered in Simon's blood, but the wound was stitched shut. Setting aside the needle, she grabbed a handful of gauze and held it against Simon's wound. Looking at him again, she said, "I need you to hold these in place, okay?" Once he did so, Leandra grabbed the ACE wrap and deftly covered his wound and the gauze pads so as to keep them in place.

Satisfied with her work once the wrap was in place, Leandra almost put her hands on her hips, but stopped herself when she saw just how much blood was on her hands. Harrumphing, she muttered, "Gross." Luckily, being a team medic meant she had some sanitizing wipes handy and she quickly went to work with wiping her hands clean and a bit raw by the end of it. She would not be of much use in her own mission if she were seen with blood literally on her hands, though.

Shaking her hands dry, Leandra looked over at Alec and saw that Xiao Hui was with him. She immediately assumed that Xiao Hui would help take care of him and she grinned before waving at her and saying, "Time to put those medical lessons to good use, yeah? Be careful around him, the hero types always get injured. But that means you'll get plenty of stitching practice, too! Trust me!" Her grin remained as she remembered their first few missions and when she had helped stitch up Alec. She had thought they had really bonded over that ordeal and the many after, but now she felt more distant from him. With her mood slightly ruined by her own thoughts, Leandra returned her attention to Simon with a sigh, "You know, stress really isn't good for anybody, especially someone who means something to you." She still did not really know the relationship between the two that well, but it was getting increasingly obvious to her that something was there.

 

[Bolts]

BB darted around making sure not to be utterly soaked by the water and stayed lower to the ground as to not choke on the smoke. Her yelling managed for find her target, Totus, who was lost due to the smoke and water. Locking on to the voice, she hardly paid any mind to the others who seemed to move well enough. Beth put her on a mission and tasks are what she was trained to accomplish. She darted just in sight of the owl who was hopping along the ground. "Whoa! TT, you okay there buddy? Nick your wing? Yeah, been there and done that. Maybe just too much to fly through cus you're a bit bigger? Yeah that could be a reason to. Have not been there and won't be doing that. Any who, YES! I know where Bethy is at. She is doing better than some people. Just some scratches and such. Nothing a band-aid wont fix. It has to be one of those freakishly huge band-aids though cus of surface area. I figure you want to get to her though. Follow me! I'll be like Rudolph and you can be Santa, bringing the gift of love to Beth. She began to head back to the group lightly singing holiday carols, at a slow enough pace for Totus to keep up. It was a little comforting knowing bigger birds may have trouble getting her in a setting like this. She also shook of those types of thoughts, knowing Totus wasn't going to harm her. Flutterby
~~
Barry remained on his back, trying his best to keep his eyes from closing shut for too long. He was pretty sure going to sleep without getting checked out was a bad idea. Even the slightest movement of his eyes or head sent him on a spinning room ride and groaned each time it happened. It wasn't long before Amber's outburst came about. Barry would be surprised to see such a change in character had the rising, and multitude of voices joining the area, pound on his head. He gave a thumbs up to Calista for the gratitude and slowly rose for Beth's lap. With everything going on and the fact laying down only made sleeping more enticing, the last thing he wanted to do was get some shut eye. Looking over at Manjano and Falarion, he felt pity for wolf. Looks like they may have similar injuries. "Hopefully he can stay awake long enough for the support to get here." He thought to himself. Soon, Leandra joined up, patching up what was probably the worst injury of all, Simon's arm. He wasn't that phased by blood normally, but given the circumstances, he was not in the mood to test more waters. The sound of the process was enough for him right now. "Luckily BB is out of sight, I don't even want to know what she would do." He smiled faintly, amused knowing she would be over the top in commentary. It was also from the hint of joy seeing everyone made it out alive. The faint voice, singing lightly, came to his ear knowing his companion was well on her way back. "Through the window I can see! Snow Being to fall! Knowing you're in love with ME! Come on Totus, sing along! THE GREATEST GIVE OF ALLLLL!"

SilverFlight Lioness075 zCrookedz Flutterby

 

[deer]

As Alec turned his leg over for her to examine the wound he sustained, Xiao Hui bit her lips before hearing his words. His trust in her eased her troubled mind and she couldn't help but smile in return. "That is a lot of trust, Alec. I will make sure it won't be carelessly placed." Her heart swelled in pride and happiness.

Laohu's ears perked at the sound of cars approaching the warehouse as his attention looked towards Calista, but before he could say anything towards the civet and even Duik, Amber's voice rang in the air. Xiao Hui paused, her attention looking towards the rest of the members as they formed a small huddle near Barry, Beth, and Simon. Thankfully, the smoke cleared and both Laohu and Xiao Hui were able to asses the situation. Xiao Hui gasped in audibly at the injury Simon sustained before worry creased her forehead at seeing Barry, Beth, and even Falarion's state.

Frowning, Xiao Hui could understand Amber's anger ( though, being on the other side of her anger was one she didn't want to be on ) and it wasn't until Leandra called over towards her that Xiao Hui let out a slight laugh, nodding. "It looks like I did find my practice 'dummy'. Thank you, Lea." Xiao Hui teased before turning to look directly at Alec, shrugging her shoulders lightly. Laohu, on the other hand, continued to sit by Alec's side for support as Xiao Hui waited to get a medical kit from the support team. [ Lioness075 ]

Although the medic wanted to help Alec, Xiao Hui shook her head, "I can handle it. Thank you." She politely said before the medic went on their way.

As Xiao Hui opened the medical kit, she questioned softly, "How are you feeling? Faint?" Looking through the box, Xiao Hui found some gauge, a tweezer, scissors, thread, and needle and quickly placed them flatly on the box in preparation. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Hui gently took Alec's hand, squeezing it tightly, "This will sting and hurt, use this to bite on if you feel the need to." She whispered, handing him a napkin.

Laohu watched ahead, zoning in and out as he listened to BB's voice zooming inside the warehouse and towards Totus. He was glad his companions were doing okay or rather, better than expected from an unexpected explosion. But, as he sat there, many thoughts ran through his head as he growled at the trap the Ferals laid out for them. Was it coincidence? Did they know they, the Agents, were in Singapore? Were their covers blown?

Soon, Xiao Hui assesd Alec's wound, biting her lips as she took the tweezers in her dominant hand and a gauge in the other, ready to press down on the wound if it were to bleed. Carefully, Xiao Hui leaned and scooted a bit closer to get a better look at the sliver of metal lodged in his leg. Quickly, Xiao Hui took the tweezers, carefully to not touch any other area of the wound but the metal and took it out fast and placed the gauge on the wound, keeping the pressure. With one hand on the wound, Xiao Hui looked for a small water squirt and began to clean around the sides of his skin before she starting stitching him.

As the needle poked his skin, keeping sure to keep pressure on the wound, Xiao Hui methodically stitched up the wound. But, as she did, Xiao Hui glanced up slightly at Alec, making sure he was still with her. "Thank you." She started, her cheeks flushing lightly. "For covering me. I . . ., but, Amber and Leandra are right. First and foremost, you are important." Xiao Hui said, her brows furrowing slightly as she almost finished. "Don't. . try to be a hero either. I wouldn't know what to do if something more than . . . this. . happened." She paused before closing the stitches into a tight knot as she cut off the extra thread.

Placing the equipment back into the medical box, Xiao Hui made a mental note to either clean the equipment or remind the medical team to. However, Xiao Hui made sure to clean around the wound before feeling satisfied with her work. "Okay!" She exclaimed, gazing up at Alec, "How is it? How do you feel?" Xiao Hui tilted her head extending her pinky out towards him. "Promise?"

tags: SilverFlight , Flutterby , Bolts , zCrookedz

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon sat with his back to the wood checking his breathing. He felt like he could take long deep breathes, which meant the wood hadn't penetrated his lung. That was a good sign. But as the adrenaline from the excitement wore off, he could feel the throbbing of pain beginning to grow from his wound. He looked up to Jimbo, but found that the gorilla had backed away several feet and was starring up at a VERY upset Amber. Simon sat and listened as she berated him on what he did with the bomb. He knew it was stupid, he had known the second he had decided what he was going to do. But he still did it, and as he wasn't about to apologies for it either. But he could understand her fear, it was the same fear that had told Jimbo to grab her and Callista before ducking for cover. The same fear that he had felt years ago when he had been told his father had been killed.
He nodded to Leandra as she ex aiming him and then began the bandaging process. He hissed through his teeth as she yanked the wood out, and he felt every tiny stab of the needle as she worked on the wound. As she worked, Simon looked back at Amber even if she could not see him.
"You outta no better than anyone that I don't do the stuff I do to be a hero Amber."
Simon followed Leandra's instructions and let his words sink in to Amber before continuing. When she was done, Simon smiled at her.
"Thank you Leandra. Feels better already."
Simon let his right arm stay close to his waist so as not to undo the stitches he had just received. With his left arm he hoisted himself to his feet with the help of Jimbo who pressed his own injured shoulder into Simon's side. He sighed with relief when he finally stopped moving and stood before everyone in the room. He let his gaze drift from the back of Amber's head to the rest of the group.
"I'm sorry everyone, for throwing myself around like I do. I am not a very delicate person, just not in my nature. I have my size and strength to use as my weapons, so the stuff I do may not be the most......tactical.....or well thought out sometimes. But I'll be damned if i'm going to stand back and not use what I have to not protect the one's I love. My friends, my family, all of you. I won't loose anyone else in the gods forsaken place. Not while I can still pick up bombs and toss them like a shot put."
Simon felt Jimbo brush against his mind, his pride for Simon washing over him as he lumbered up next to him. He eyed him out of the corner of his eye before nudgung his thigh.
"We'll keep working on it. Maybe next time though, take Amber's advice. Just jump behind the damn cover."

SilverFlight Lioness075 Bolts Flutterby

 

[Flutterby]

Beth eyed Amber and Simon, as she let one hand rest on Barry's shoulder. The other was very, very gently picking pieces of debris out of his hair. She needed to do something, and she hoped the little bit of sensory input would keep Barry awake while they waited for someone to look at him. Amber shouted at Simon, when she seemed to realize he was okay, and Beth averted her eyes politely. Calista joined them, thanking Barry. Beth nodded a little, and added, "Saved my ass too." She kept a hand close, as Barry sat up, just in case he started to fall. But he made it up, and Beth smiled a little in relief as the medics came rushing in to get them all patched up.
SilverFlight zCrookedz Bolts
Manjano appeared in front of her, a little suddenly, and peered at her gashed cheek. "It's fine, I just hit my face when I fell," She waved him off, but he was already moving to sit down net to her. Falarion looked pretty worse for wear, dazed and clumsy just like Barry. They were a mess, all in all. Manjano looked okay, though, and she barely noticed how loud he was talking. He sat down on the side of her blown eardrum, so it ended up sounding like normal volume.
"Totus flew out before the blast. He's fine, BB is finding him." Beth leaned over, placing her fingers on one side of his jaw and her thumb on the other to gently turn his face back and forth to look closer. Not obvious injuries, his eyes focused on her well. "You look okay. Do you feel okay?"
Lioness075

Totus hopped along behind the zipping hummingbird, caught between being amused as always by BB, and being upset about the fact Beth had gotten blown up by a massive speaker. "I have extra plumage and wet plumage, and I do not sing, BB." His tone was warm, but the little bird didn't hold his attention for very long- he stopped listening as soon as he caught sight of Beth. "Thank you, BB."

She was seated on the floor, blood streaked all over her cheek, between Barry and Manjano. She was leaned toward Manjano, a hand cradling his chin, checking over his face. Totus watched her from a few feet away, noticing the way she held her head at an angle, with a little trickle of blood near her ear. Hurt, but okay. The owl knew better than to butt in while she was checking on Manjano, so he hung back and looked for a medic that wasn't busy. It looked like Beth needed some stitches.

Beth frowned a little, wondering if the streak on his forehead was dirt or a bruise. She was about to check, when Simon stood and addressed them all. She withdrew her hand from Manjano's face to listen, and when he was done, she said, "Well, I don't mind you throwing your weight around when it saves my life, so.." She offered Simon a smile, and then her attention was consumed by the medic that wanted to examine her and fix her face.

 

[SilverFlight]

"Hey..." Alec pouted after Leandra's comment and Xiao's playful jab. Duik just giggled. "Yup, a real dummy". Alec flicked water from a nearby puddle at Duik's grinning face. As Xiao worked Alec tried his best to hold still. The cut smarted, and he kept making faces, trying to turn his head so she wouldn't see.
When she spoke again however he found he could only stare at the ground. "I don't think I'm more important than anyone else here."
There was a short pause as she told him she wouldn't know what to do if his injuries were any worse. "Well hey, keep passing your exams and we'll be fine." He shot her a mischevious grin. He was teasing her, but afterwards his expression fell into something more serious.
"It's the same for you you know...I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone, you included....you especially."
Alec examined his leg once it'd had been bandaged, giving a mock-critical sniff. "Well I dunno...this stitch-work...do you think it's up to snuff?" He sounded displeased, but he was grinning at her.
deer

Amber shut her eyes and only those who saw her face saw the anger in it return in a short flash. She turned back to Simon after he had explained why he'd done what he did. It looked as if she wanted to say something, wanted to say a thousand things. Her stare threatened to burn a hole right through her old partner, but at length she turned and walked out of the building as the medics swarmed in.
"Anyone with injuries too severe is staying behind. The medics make the calls," was all she said as she left.
Calista sighed heavily and went to follow, muttering something almost inaudible under her breath: "And what if some people felt the same way about you?...ya big turdbrain."
deer Lioness075 zCrookedz Flutterby Bolts
((For those that want some characters to stay behind I can also arrange for some fun hotel shenanigans, or everyone can do them once these missions are over.))


~*~*~

The van Alec had been given had fabric upholstery and smelled like cigarettes and mustard. The logo on the side of it matched the one on his badge, marking him as a security camera technician. He'd been given some mild pain killers and his leg was bandaged neatly under his khaki pant leg.
The first building they had to check looked like a shopping center that had recently been turned into public storage. The stains on the side of the building outlined rectangles of clean wall where shop signs had once been bolted in. Instead there was a single, back lit plastic box with a few Mandarin characters printed in blue above the garage door.
Alec punched in the access code and saluted to the tired security guard that appeared on the monitor. They were buzzed in.
The building was dark for the most part, through the double doors that lead from the parking lot Alec could see the mall: storefronts dark and dusty or piled with boxes. The security camera house was just beside the double doors.
"Okay, I'll get out and talk to the guard. When the cameras go down, you guys slip out and start searching the shop space for any signs of the missing animals."
It wasn't until the guard was opening the door that he realized the man likely wouldn't speak a word of English. Frantically he looked back at the truck, hoping Laohu had noticed his mistake as well.

Through the double doors, 4 shops down there were scratch marks on the floor, as if something heavy and metal had been dragged in a great rush. A small tuft of thick, white fur had been snagged on a lose nail by the shop door.

deer Lioness075

~*~*~

Amber's vehicle was a deep void black, like the suit she wore, which luckily had sustained no damage during the explosion. The pieces of the device had been salvaged, though it was fairly clear that anything useful had been destroyed. The detonation had been thorough.
Her temper had improved and now, she was focused entirely on their mission. The gps blinked their position on its silent screen, so it would strike a few of the members as odd that she pulled off the road and into the garage of an elegant apartment complex far before their destination.
"You can get out, but it might be best if you don't ask too many questions."
Thsi was all the warning she gave before three cars, equally black, pulled up in front of her. A monster of a man emerged from the driver's seat and opened the back door of the lead car. The woman that emerged was tall, elegant and intimidating. Her ebony hair was cut perfectly, sharp and angled, curving around a sharp and angled face. She was older than Amber by at least thirty years, but she bore the same tattoos trailing down her cheek.
"I was surprised you called." There was the faint hint of an Asian accent, though it was hard to trace. "I thought you were supposed to stay away from...your old family." Her smile was like the edge of a knife.
"In this particular case, my employer's scruples are...minimal." Amber replied in a confident, silky tone. She offered a deep bow, which the woman returned.
"Your associates can get the pins they need. The buyer knows to check for them. They go under the collar of a shirt, or on the inside of a dress strap. They are always hidden, and never below your heart. You know...In most cases I would not have returned your call." The woman said this in a practical tone. "But these Feral agents are aggressive, and they are not careful, they have a lot of power, but dealing with them is bad for business. In this at least, we have a common interest."
zCrookedz Flutterby Bolts deer Lioness075

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon and Jimbo rode in a bit of uncomfortable silence in the back of the black van that was taking them to their destination. It was uncomfortable both physically, and mentally, from their injuries and Amber's characteristic silence. She hadn't said anything else to the pair after the medics had finished up with them. They had told Simon that he needed to stay behind, else risk tearing the stitch job that Leandra had done so well. He thanked them for the concern, but said he had complete faith in Leandra's job and would try to keep his right arm at a minimum of movement. Jimbo had not done much to dismay him, in truth he knew it wasn't going to do much good to try and stop Simon which he knew wasn't going to happen. So the pair moved along and found their places in the van. Simon once again dawned a new jacket as the other one had a hole and blood stain on it, while Jimbo found the case containing the canon had been placed in the back of the van for him.

As the van bounced along now, the pair sat in silence until they came to a stop. Simon nudged Jimbo, who pulled the ear buds out of his ears and returned his phone to the pockets of his suspended trousers. The pair listened to Amber and then readied themselves for departure of the van. They followed suit behind her, but stayed back with Xiao more so to begin the illusion of her body guards. As they rounded the corner, Simon saw the monster of a man that was opening the door to one of the cars that had pulled up before them. He immediately puffed out his chest a bit more and began to walk with a bit more purpose to each step. Jimbo merely shook his head and chuckled to himself as he noticed Simon's undercover ego begin to rear its head. It was the woman who left the vehicle that made Jimbo a bit more interested. The first thing he noticed was her tattoo and how it matched Amber's, a token from her days past in Japan that she rarely liked to talk about. Given that the woman in question that was stepping out was also of Asian decent, the two clues molded the scenario before Jimbo overheard the woman speak to Amber. They were meeting Amber's former employers.

As they spoke, Jimbo nudged Simon with his mind.
"Simon, don't do anything stupid alright? Those guys are the real deal. Need to start keep our heads down now."
Simon nodded in agreement as the monster of a man opened a case that he had fished from inside the car. Inside were several small pins that the woman mentioned to be worn for there meeting with the Feral agents. The pins we're familiar to Simon, and it only took him a moment to remember where he had seen it. The logo on the side of the helicopter that had taken Amber in the Rockies of a wolf face with its teeth bare was emblazoned across the face of the pins. Simon scowled at the pins and their memory, but reluctantly he and Jimbo both reached out and took hold of a pin for themselves. Simon attached his to the under side of the color of his jacket before reaching for another of the shiny pins. He turned to Xiao and held out his hand with the pin in it giving her a short head bow to her.
"Ma'am."

deer SilverFlight Lioness075 Bolts Flutterby

 

[deer]

At Alec's playful jab at her and his mischievous grin, Xiao Hui could only shake her head, sighing. But, at the mention of passing her exams, she shot him a determined look with furrowed her brows. "That is a challenge I will take you up on, Mister Desrois." She stated firmly before a small grin appeared on her lips. But, of course, at the turn of the tide, Alec had responded with his own concerns but mostly about her being careful. Her thoughts drifted back to the memories of Beijing when she recklessly, out-of-character, jumped ontop of Nian. Xiao Hui could only feel her cheeks flush from the sudden memory as she gave him a sheepish smile. "R-right." She blurted out in response only to quickly divert her attention towards Alec's wound feeling a slight shudder.

Humming slightly as she tapped her chin, checking her thread-work, Xiao Hui was satisfied with the results, however, she wasn't sure if her patient took a liking to her taking her time to stitch him up. Hearing Alec's tone, Xiao Hui couldn't tell if he was disappointed but seeing his grin gave her all the reassurance she needed. With a wide smile, Xiao Hui nodded, confidently speaking up, "I definitely do believe it is up to . . . snuff." She commented, though the word snuff made her nose scrunch up in wonder as she never used the word in her vocabulary before. Perhaps he was influencing her much like Leandra was.

Laohu, on the other hand, grinned at the playful jabs, grateful to get out of his head for awhile. However, at seeing Simon get up, Jimbo in tow, Laohu rose a brow if he would be able to finish the mission in his condition. But, Xiao Hui was determined Leandra's handiwork helped tremendously, besides Simon didn't look like he would give up so soon. He was a stubborn bull, after all. Xiao Hui could only breathe a sigh of relief though a part of her felt that Amber was still angered by Simon's tenacity. Nevertheless, Xiao Hui and Laohu merely shook their head, piping in after Beth, "As long as everyone is alright now and thankfully made it out alive." Xiao Hui added in while Laohu agreed. "Thank you for your bravery." ( zCrookedz , Flutterby )

Although Xiao Hui knew such actions, if Simon was still in Beijing under her father's orders, the display of action would have resulted in dire consequences. An order was an order, despite personal beliefs. Would they ever be trained soldiers? Warriors? Perhaps not. It was this display of reckless behavior that most of the team shared, but they all meant well: to protect one another despite it ultimately being their downfall. Was it worth it? Indeed. Laohu and Xiao Hui knew sooner or later things would have to slowly ease out, hopefully. Their eyes scanned Barry, Manjano, Totus, BB, and Beth's state and ultimately hoped they would still be able to do their mission, but if not, she hoped they would rest well. ( Bolts )

Soon, it was time to take their separate ways, one van had the weapon's team and another had the animal rescue team. Xiao Hui shot Laohu one last glance before going their separate ways, the both of them feeling a sense of pride for each other. They worked hard the past year, honing their skills separately and together. Xiao Hui could only hope her decision was a good one and it wasn't her need to prove herself. Laohu, on the other hand, knew the feeling of entrapment and resisted the urge to lash out at the thought of those Ferals kidnapping and doing who knows what, maybe even brainwashing, those animals.

As Laohu sat in the van, he resisted the urge to scrunch up his nose in disgust at the smell inside. He could only mentally sigh and praise land when they finally got to the first building to check. Laohu followed in line with the rest of the crew as he listened to Alec's orders. "Don’t worry , old sport.” The foreign word slipping through his tongue as he gaze upon Alec’s dilemma and expression. “I won’t leave you hanging. I can translate what you need.” Laohu spoke with pride and quickly trotted next to his partner. Needless to say, the big cat managed to watch some movies and had his own book marathons on his own. however, he was grateful for leandra and falarion’s help when it came to suggestions. ( SilverFlight , Lioness075 )

Xiao Hui, on the other hand, sat quietly inside the vehicle with the rest of the team. Her eyes gazed curiously at the GPS tracker but wondered why they had stopped at an apartment complex before heading to their destination. However, at Amber's warning, warning bells rang in her head as Xiao Hui straightened up next to Duirk as she placed a small hand on his hand for comfort. She didn't like seeing three black cars pull up in front of their vehicle, but, it looked as if Amber was expecting them. Not wanting to assume anything, Xiao Hui got out of the car, keeping a safe distance as she looke ahead at the scene. Simon and Jimbo had been beside and behind her, acting like her bodyguard.

With an internal sigh, Xiao Hui began her role. She eyed the muscular men before her attention gaze upon the woman Amber was meeting. Her eyes narrowed, listening in closely as she folded her arms, her hair high-up in a slick back pony tail. Although Xiao Hui hated eavesdropping, from the small conversation, she could gather the two had been acquainted at one point. But even so, being the daughter of a crime boss gave her advantage of knowing when there were other suspicious organisation around. Was Agent Strong a part of one before? Xiao Hui didn't move a muscle as the pins were shown, waiting for her bodyguards to take one for her. But, as Simon handed her a pin, Xiao Hui rose a brow, seeing just one. "You have forgotten one more." She commented in a matter-of-fact manner as she moved slowly between Jimbo and Simon, grabbing another one for Duirk. ( zCrookedz )

Briskly taking the pin from Simon, Xiao Hui merely frowned before placing one of the pin under her collar while turning over to look at Duirk. ( SilverFlight )

 

[Flutterby]

Beth winced and sighed as the medic cleaned and patched up her face, putting several butterfly closures over it. Once he was done, she actually didn't look to terrible. Totus hopped back and forth, watching closely, but even he was mostly satisfied with the result. Beth smiled shyly at Manjano, and gave Falarion a gentle pet as she stood to get in the car. It looked like Fal would be staying behind, so she left them to it.
~~~~~
She and Totus sat silently, nervously blinking in unison, watching the GPS blip. When they veered off course, they both looked up sharply at Amber, but her warning silenced them quickly. It was instantly obvious that this was another covert meet-up, with dangerous people, and Beth fixed her expression somewhere between neutral and arrogant, tightening her ponytail.
They stepped out of the car, Totus on her shoulder, and both drew themselves up to their fullest height. A massive man got out of the lead car, but he wasn't half as intimidating as the woman who emerged next. Beth kept her eyes slightly lowered, but she couldn't mistake the similar tattoos this woman had. She had always wondered, about Amber's ink, and here was the explanation. A powerful and criminal 'family.'

Beth kept her expression fixed, and Totus was uncharacteristically still on her shoulder. She stepped forward for her own pin, and one for Totus. For good measure, she gave these other people a half-bow, mostly with her head, and kept her eyes near the ground. She didn't want to anger them, but she always didn't exactly feel like she needed to show them too much respect.

Silently, she reminded herself of her cover story, as she placed the pin properly under her collar. Like Simon, she frowned at the half-familiar logo, but couldn't place it. Placing Totus's pin was a little easier, but it was surprisingly secure. Beth and Totus's eyes both slid over to Amber, both waiting for the signal to leave, and watching her for some kind of reaction. This was shaping up to be quite the emotional day for their leader.

 

[SilverFlight]

Once the pins had been equipped to every human and animal on the team the large man stood back behind his boss. The pins were small and light, and adhered to cloth, fur and feathers without matting or coming loose.
Duik tilted his head up so Xiao could pin it on. "Yeah bodyguard. Bad service." Duik stuck his pink tongue out at Simon, giving him a wink for good measure.
The woman eyed them quietly, when Simon turned his back to provide Xiao with the pin she made an audible gasp.
"You dare turn your back on me? That is the highest insult."
There was a tense silence. Eventually Amber crossed her arms and the woman broke into a pleased smile. "Just kidding."
She turned back to her car. "But seriously. Don't screw this up."
zCrookedz @weapons team

Once they had piled back into the care and were on their way Amber relaxed visibly.
"It's good to see my old 'employer' hasn't lost her sense of humour...now you can ask questions."

Their final destination was large loading dock on an empty pier. The warehouse at its end was closed off at nearly all points, the only open point a large set of double garage doors facing the ocean. Two large bears stood at the vehicle entrance to the docks. Amber slowed the van and flashed her pin. The animals nodded to each other and stood aside to let them pass.
"Ok guys. In character. Duik. No laughing." The hyena shut his mouth instantly, fixing his gaze ahead and trying to make it as serious as he could.
"Remember, this is Feral, but they're dealing with human weapon dealers. Our partners won't be expected to do a lot of the talking. Simon, grab the weapon, Jimbo, you can start the sales pitch, the rest of you, examine the competition, talk to people, see if you can piece together what their plan is by what they're buying...and...good luck guys."

There was already a group of four people gathered within the building, each standing by their guards and a large crate or canvas covered object. Amber drew in a breath and lead her team straight into the lion's jaws.
Amber had been thinking of it as a metaphor, but when they got closer she could see an actual lion, perched on the top of an empty freight car. There were two more big cats beside him, body armour hugging their sleek fur. Their claws carried carbon fiber extensions that were wickedly sharp.

The sellers in attendance were a diverse group. There was a Russian and her guards, barrel-chested with short-cropped bleach-blonde hair. Her companion was a bearded vulture. An Italian wearing an immaculate tailored suit yawned with boredom. His companion, a doberman, looked equally bored and offended by the dingy setting. The Australian and her komodo dragon sat on their crate. She was twirling a knife in one hand while her lizard companion eyed the vulture hungrily. The final seller was from Nigeria, his companion was a massive black rhino that twitched irritably at every sound.

"Welcome." The voice of the lion echoed through the empty building. "I won't waste your time with idle chatter. Let's get straight to it. My organization has a lot to get done, and we are willing to pay. So...show me what you can do for us."
Flutterby Lioness075 deer zCrookedz Bolts

~*~*~

Alec stifled a sigh of relief. "Just tell him we're here to do maintenance on the cameras."
When the guard approached and immediately began asking questions Alec flashed his badge and held up his tool box, letting Laohu explain why they were there. He slipped around the puzzled guard and began his work. Disabling the cameras was child's play. He just needed to disconnect several wires.
"Tell him I need to go check some of the cameras." He spoke softly to Laohu, before sneaking back to the van.
"I think that's bought us a bit of time, come on guys. Let's go find those animals."
deer Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Manjano	Companion: Falarion
Manjano's Attire: Red-Brown Hair Dye, Dark Green Eye Contacts, Maroon Suit, Black Shirt, Black Dress Shoes	Falarion's Attire: Dark Brown Eye Contacts, Maroon Scarf around Neck, Dark Orange Fur Dye, Black Fur Dye on Mane and Legs, Cream Fur Dye Underneath Snout and on Belly and Tail
Location: Warehouse
Tagged: zCrookedz (Simon and Jimbo), Flutterby (Beth and Totus), SilverFlight (Calista, Amber, Alec, and Duik), Bolts (BB and Barry), deer (Xiao Hui and Laohu)

Feeling relieved at Beth's replies, Manjano gave her a small smile and let her move his head around. He was rather amused when she checked him for injuries, but he was also comforted by the small action. He had only ever been treated like this by his sister or either of their companions before. It was very pleasing to be treated like this by someone outside of his small family.

Falarion let out a small whimper and Manjano immediately began stroking his back fur. While Beth was treated by a medic, Manjano frowned slightly at Falarion. He was on the verge of going to sleep and Manjano worried that would be bad for him to do. He waved down another medic and it did not take the medic too long to find a decent bump on the maned wolf's head. His ears stayed down on his head and the medic soon had carefully wrapped a small ice pack over the bump. Falarion looked rather ridiculous with the wrap over his head, but he did sigh in relief and that in turn relieved Manjano.

The medic also sighed, but not so much in relief. He looked up at Manjano and said, "I'm sorry, but your companion really needs to go rest at the hotel. The first twenty-four hours of a concussion are very dangerous and if he overworked himself at all or got hit again...You shouldn't take any chances."

Furrowing his brows, Manjano looked down at Falarion. He did not want to be separated from Falarion and absolutely abhorred such an idea. But the medics were making the calls and if something worse were to happen...Manjano scowled, but he nodded at the medic. At the very least, Falarion would be with Calista and she would make sure anyone staying back was safe. His heart already began racing when he realized what he was agreeing to. Separation anxiety was strong for him when it came to Falarion and last time he had been able to stay with Falarion, but that was no longer an option this time around.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Manjano let the medic carefully pick up Falarion in his arms. The maned wolf's legs were always too long and so the medic let them dangle from his arms while he focused on supporting Falarion's body and head. Manjano quickly stood and stopped the medic briefly. The medic complied and allowed Manjano to give Falarion a light hug while he whispered, "They'll take good care of you, Fal. Just focus on healing up so we can be together again, okay?" The maned wolf was silent by now, but Manjano took a step back and nodded at the medic. He quickly left with Falarion, leaving Manjano standing aimlessly in the warehouse. This was going to be yet another long mission, which was appearing to be the norm to Manjano at this point.

~~~~~

Manjano was reserved the entire way to the weapons team's destination. When they arrived, he exited and joined the group, though he did his best to avoid standing out in any form or fashion. He took his own pin and attached it underneath his suit jacket's collar before following everyone back to their van. He did not think too much of who they had just met, as his mind was still on Falarion.

He finally regained his focus when they arrived on the scene for their weapons deal. He could not be distracted any further and he could not do anything for Falarion now. Thus, he needed to be on top of things so as to help keep Beth safe. She was the next closest person or companion in the group.

His eyes darted this way and that, as Manjano took in the variety of enemy companions present and he did not miss the fact that one appeared to be eyeing a fellow companion. The komodo dragon eyeing the vulture was important to Manjano, as he quickly clued in that they could use that to their advantage depending on how things went down here.

Manjano did his best to conceal his surprise when the lion spoke for the Feral group. It had been so long since they had interacted with the Feral group, he had forgotten that the companions were usually in charge instead of the humans. Luckily, Manjano was able to keep his bodyguard job even without Falarion and he quietly moved near Beth. He put both of his hands behind his back and stood up tall while eyeing each of the Ferals before them with a calm expression. It was now his job to protect Beth and he was keen on doing his best at that.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Falarion
Attire: Dark Brown Eye Contacts, Maroon Scarf around Neck, Dark Orange Fur Dye, Black Fur Dye on Mane and Legs, Cream Fur Dye Underneath Snout and on Belly and Tail
Location: Amber and Calista's Hotel Room
Tagged: SilverFlight (Calista), Bolts (Barry)

After he was moved from the warehouse to the hotel, Falarion blearily woke up to find himself lying down on several soft cushions in a hotel bedroom. Confusion overcame him, as he wondered where he was and how he had gotten there. Anxious, he let out a whimper and struggled to his paws. He stumbled forward and caught himself before he went headfirst into the back of a desk chair. Blinking, he poked his head around the chair and mumbled, "Wha-where am I? Wuh-what's going...on?"

His eyes still were not quite focused and he had an oddly distant look in his eyes. As his senses returned to him, he suddenly realized he was hearing cartoon-like gunshots and he blinked before he realized he was watching someone playing a video game on the computer setup in front of him. He felt groggy and struggled to remember who his furry friend was sitting in the chair. He knew she was a friend, but he could not recall her name. He frowned at her, one ear crookedly sticking out, as he tried very hard to remember her name. His head was still wrapped haphazardly, although the ice pack had fallen onto his cushion pile without him realizing it, so now his wrap was slowly beginning to fall off his head.

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra Sinciato	Companion: Luness
Leandra's Attire: Dirty Blonde Hair Dye, Hazel Eye Contacts, Khaki Traveler's Jacket, Grey T-Shirt, Light Jeans, Cream Tennis Shoes	Luness' Attire: Crimson Feather Dye, Dark Orange Eye Contacts
Location: Shopping Center / Storage Building
Tagged: deer (Laohu), SilverFlight (Alec)

Leandra chewed the inside of her cheek when Simon began moving about almost immediately after she had helped him. His stitches would not last long if he kept that up. When he thanked her, Leandra merely smirked and said, "Yeah, just don't ruin my amazing job, yeah?"
Luness shook out her feathers and then flew to Leandra's shoulder, content that neither of them had been injured in the explosion.
They both noticed Falarion being taken away with a medic, but Manjano was quiet now and merely brushed past everyone before either got a chance to speak with him. Leandra felt concerned by this, but the medic had not been in a major rush, so Falarion should be okay. Luness chirred and Leandra smiled at her before smoothing some of her neck feathers.
"Don't worry dear, he'll be fine. The Watch medics know what they're doing, too," Luness said quietly.
Sighing, Leandra nodded and then headed for the van for the animal rescue team. Almost immediately, she was coughing within the van and gasping, "Who the heck chose this dinky van?!" When she got no reply, Leandra harrumphed to herself and then sat down in the nearest seat with Luness in her lap.

At the first location, Leandra almost abruptly exited the van while Alec gave his instructions, but Luness stopped her sharply, "Wait! There's a guard!"
Harrumphing yet again, Leandra muttered, "Great, I'll just asphyxiate myself in here instead."

Luckily, Alec and Laohu seemed prepared for this and soon the guard was taken care of along with the cameras. Excited now, Leandra hurriedly left the van and then composed herself before walking in to the building casually. As she went, she whispered to whoever joined her, "Act like you know what you're doing and pretty much nobody should question you."

After she said this, Luness flew after Leandra and passed on a baseball cap for some baseball team to her. Leandra knew nothing about sports, but understood that it would help her conceal her face. She gave Luness a grateful smile and put on the cap before heading into the building.
As she began meticulously walking through the building and eyeing all of the shops, Leandra soon found herself growing rather bored with the task. She had not realized how slow this may be and it was getting frustrating to not find a clue so quickly. On the upside, she had a phoenix as a companion and Luness' eyesight was keener than most.
"Over there!" Luness cried and Leandra rushed over to the scraped flooring to see the many clues piling up in one area. Excited now, Leandra looked back at her teammates and exclaimed, "Guys, come here!"

 

[Bolts]

The medical team rushed in, checking each agent for their injuries thoroughly. To their surprise, BB was unharmed by the blast. Not even a scratch or ruffled feathers. "You're clear, no signs of harm. Quick thinking for whatever you did." They said while BB zipped out of their grasp. "When you're as lovely as I am, not even force can stop you. I'm pretty sure its my forceful attitude. Right Barr-Barr?" She hollered out circling Barry as he was getting checked out. When he didn't respond immediately, she perched on the table just behind him. "Barry? You still not feeling too hot?" She asked calmly with a hint of concern. "I'm afraid your partner isn't stable enough to respond at the moment. Far from mission ready but with some care and rest, he should be on the path to healing." The other medic responded in a professional tone along with a smile. "Err... Alright. I suppose we can stay back an-" She started but was interrupted by a sudden wave of a hand. Barry used all he could muster to wave in the direction of the Vans and gave her a thumbs up. "B-BUT BARRY!" She pleaded but he was already too far unconscious. With a huff, she made her way with the team to the Van.
~~~
BB sat on to of a head rest while in a state of silence for Barry. As much as she wanted to talk and make noise, she had no energy for that right now. She had not seen her companion so beat up like that. She knew she could trust the medical team with his problems, but a little bird gets anxious. He mind still ran even when getting the pins. It was a tough job, but she managed to tuck it into her feathers. Luckily they made it in a variety of sizes. Though she felt terrible inside, the less questions from her worked out in the teams favor and she caused no problems with the sudden meet up. As they all tucked into the van again, she silently shifted to Manjano. He was the closest to being silent like Barry, while also being partner-less at the moment. The trip wasn't long, and they exited once again. This time to a few dealers. She wasn't overly thrilled at the vulture or the komodo dragon as absentmindedly shifted as far away from the large bird. She was pleasantry surprised by the black rhino. With each little noise, they seemed to get more and more ticked off. Just her match in a fight! She gently came to Manjano's shoulder, close to his ear. "Heeeeeyy bud. I'm feeling a little lonely, I hope you don't mind." She said softly, with a slight wobble as she eyed the vulture once more.

Lioness075 SilverFlight zCrookedz Flutterby deer
~~~~

Barry feel asleep during the trip back to the hotel. It wasn't the best of rest by a long shot due to the damage and his nightmares. There was the saving grace of a sudden shift in noise that woke him up. He was lying on his stomach and felt the cool drips of water streaming down his head and neck. With the slight shift in body, he threw his center of balance off, causing himself to be daze again. He pinched the bridge of his nose, irritated by the sick feeling he still had. He held the back of his head as he turned to see the commotion. Blinking a few times, he recognized Falarion who was peering over a chair. He shifted off the bed, feeling the carpet beneath his feet. Carefully, he stood up and shook lightly as he gained balance. Shuffling over to the chair as well, he placed a hand on the head rest for support. Craning his neck slowly, he also took the time to check what was going on with the cartoon like noises coming from a computer.
Lioness075 SilverFlight

 

[Flutterby]

Beth and Totus got back into their vehicle without a word, and when Amber said ti was time for questions, they looked at each other mutely. After a moment, Totus said, "We don't even know what questions to ask."
Beth added, "Glad you're working for us now."
That was all the pair said, but Totus was eyeing Amber curiously for the rest of the ride.
~~~~~
As they approached the warehouse, Beth straightened her jacket and Totus drew himself up as largely as he could. Both checked the placement of their pin carefully. They didn't look at the bears as they passed through, but Totus gave Beth's shoulder a small squeeze.
Inside the warehouse, they both scanned the other beings, eyes moving in sync. Beth gave a small nod of her chin to point out the big cats in charge, and Totus shifted one wing. Their attention was also distracted by the man in the incredible suit, who had the most mundane companion, but the lion speaking brought their attention back to the proper place.

Everyone there had something big with them, and Amber said to find out what it was and what feral wanted to do with it. Beth turned and gave Jimbo and Simon a glance, before taking a few steps away. She wanted to listen closely to the sale pitches of these other dealers. The best way was probably to follow the Feral cats, at a distance, as they listened. Hopefully, this wouldn't be seen as too rude. Beth looked back at Manjano, who was dutifully hovering over her shoulder, and indicated with her head to follow her around to check out the competition. She glanced curiously over at the objects covered in canvas instead of crates, trying to puzzle them out before they were revealed.

 

[deer]

Xiao Hui could only give a small smile and a shake of her head at Duirk's reaction, clearly showing her amusement. However, at the inaudible gasp coming from the woman of Asian descent, Xiao Hui could only briefly narrow her eyes at the way she had addressed herself and Simon. A pin drop could be heard and the shuffling of uncomfortableness passed but Xiao Hui bit her tongue not wanting to bring more ire to the woman. However, eventually, at the pleased smile of the woman, Xiao Hui could only raise another brow at her action. A part of her wasn't amused, feeling slightly challenged by the woman. But, what concerned Xiao Hui the most was the fact she was feeling tense and slight animosity towards the woman and she wasn't sure if it was really how she felt or the disguise.

As Xiao Hui gently placed the pin on Duirk's fur, Xiao Hui merely nodded at Amber's response in regards to her "employer's" sense of humor. But, whisking away the feeling of the prior moments, Xiao Hui sighed, taking a deep breath. Moments later, they have all arrived at the warehouse. Xiao Hui carefully gazed around the place, checking to see if there were openings in case an escape plan was needed if the dealing were to take a wrong turn. She could smell the slight scent of salt from the ocean coming from the open doors of the warehouse. Nevertheless, at Amber's words, Xiao Hui nodded before looking over at her partner. Duirk always had been a reassuring essence to lean on, even if he didn't say anything, just knowing he was there made Xiao Hui feel a whole lot better. But, of course, she'd never tell Laohu that.


But, just as Xiao Hui thought of Laohu, the orange coated tiger slightly sneezed while listening to Alec's order. As quick as Alec told him what to say, a guard came around and Laohu chuckled before looking up at Alec's badge and the guard. Seeing the slight confusion, Laohu stepped up as his tongue slipped naturally into his mother language, "We're here to do maintenance on the cameras. Protocols." He shrugged his shoulders, keeping a toothy grin as he tried to be as amicable as possible.

The guard still seemed to be concerned but, with Alec's words, Laohu pressed more in his common tongue, "My partner has to go and check some of the cameras. Wouldn't want your employer to blame you if the cameras are all messed up, right?" With a helpless laugh, the guard nodded before telling Laohu they had a few minutes before he would come back to lock up. [ @SliverFlight ]

Soon, Laohu was scouting the warehouse, looking around ever nook and corner he could stick his nose and eyes into. But, hearing Luness and Leandra's excitement on the other side of the place, Laohu's ears perked before trotting over towards them carefully, "Found something?" He questioned before his eyes looked at the track marks. Narrowing his eyes, Laohu scanned the markings as he circled around trying to see the depth and size of it. "Do you reckon the markings were of that bomb we found?" He asked the both of them before at the corner of his eyes he noticed something else as well. [ Lioness075 , SilverFlight ]


On the other hand, Xiao Hui walked behind Amber in a timely fashion as Simon stood behind her as a bodyguard while Jimbo was the supposed buyer who bought the weapon from her and Duirk, being Jimbo's benefactor. It definitely had been awhile since the Feral case had been active and Xiao Hui almost forgot that the Ferals never dealt with humans. But, as they approached, Xiao Hui eyed the lion standing atop the freight car and two bodyguard lions behind the leader.

Xiao Hui stared slightly amused as she knew that if Laohu was with her, he would definitely be asking for a fight with those lions, wanting to puff out his chest and show them who was "boss". But, regardless, Xiao Hui's attention drifted towards the other sellers and their companions. Curious, Xiao Hui eyed them for a moment wanting to take in their disposition before approaching. Perhaps, it was in their best interest to at least be acquainted with one of them, getting to know the other buyers as Amber had instructed.

Taking in their demeanor, Xiao Hui took note of the massive black rhino as he twitched at every sound. Was he easily irritable or the type to hear the smallest of sounds? But, what caught her attention the most was the vulture who was eyeing the komodo dragon as if it was ready to attack. That wouldn't be pretty, but that could be used to their advantage. But, at seeing the Italian and his partner, Xiao Hui tilted her head slightly before looking at Duirk. Safest best?

But, at the lion's voice, Xiao Hui slipped to the side, waiting for each buyer to say their piece as she eyed Jimbo for a second and looked between Simon and Duirk. Without interrupting the process, Xiao Hui slipped slowly towards the side, hoping to get a little closer to the Italian male.

In a soft whisper, yet clear tone of voice, Xiao Hui spoke, "I couldn't help but notice your eye for beauty and yet here you stand in this warehouse." She paused, wanting to gauge the man's reaction before looking at his companion as she emphasized his attire. With a flick of her head, her long hair whipped around slightly as Xiao Hui scrunched up her nose in slight disgust when as she patted down her suit, not wanting any dirt on her. "Absolute, pity. There must be a reason for you to want to come to this place if not for more wealth or power. The name brand perhaps?" She slightly shrugged, folding her arms as she sighed bored. "I was told there would be an object of gold here but, alas, I do not see any."

tags: SilverFlight , Bolts , zCrookedz , Lioness075 , Flutterby

 

[zCrookedz]

Simon froze when the woman rose her voice about him turning his back to her. He hadn't even thought of the gesture being considered rude, turning to walk in the opposite direction was just a habit. But his fear was short lived as the woman broke her gaze and smiled. Simon exhaled with relief, but now the thought was in his head that he needed to play this off the right way and not do something stupid. He followed after Xiao and Duik with Jimbo by his side and returned to the van with the others. As they climbed back in and returned to their seats Simon chuckled to himself and then glanced at Jimbo before gesturing playfully at Amber.
"Your former "employer" has a good sense of humor. Why in the world did she ever give you a job Amber?"

As the van approached the warehouse, Simon could feel his pulse beginning to pick up. It comforted him when he felt Jimbo nudge his mind, but they were walking into very dangerous territory. He wasn't sure what kind of backup had been planned, or if an extraction team was laying in wait for them if things went sideways. There were a lot of things that were uncertain about this, but it was far to late to turn back now. He listened to Amber give them directions, and grabbed hold of the handle of the case as Jimbo slid it over to him. The gorilla huffed and then looked over at Duik who was trying to put on his best serious face. An obvious struggle for the fella.
"Duik, let me handle the technical side of the speaking. If they need any information on financials or statistics of production, i'll let you handle that. As Xiao and you are our "benefactors" for this weapons, you guys should know that better than we should. 1 Mill per unit, that production, testing, and shipping. Takes about 3 weeks to have 100 units ready for shipping. Those are the hard numbers we came up with, anything else, your going to have to sell it."

As the van rolled to a stop, Simon and Jimbo collectively took one last long breathe before following Xiao and Duik out of the van. Simon hoisted the box containing the canon onto his shoulders and put on his best emotionless expression. He thought that maybe a pair of dark sunglasses would help pull off the persona a bit better, but the idea was swatted away by Jimbo who poked him mentally with a Focus Simon, which snapped him back to attention. Jimbo sidled Duik as they made their way into the warehouse. He took a quick glance around the room and noticed the other dealers, then the group of large cats sitting before him. Jimbo's eyes went wide for a moment. He had spent plenty of time around other big cats, Darcy's saber tooth tiger and Laohu were both fine. But there was still a twinge of fear around big cats he did not know, something he doubted he would ever shake. Jimbo let them speak and caught something out of the corner of his eye. At the bottom of the empty freight car in the shadows stood a figure that looked human. The figure looked as if it was watching the groups, and watching very closly their small group that had entered. Jimbo didn't like the feeling this figure was giving off, and when he went to poke Simon's mind, he found Simon had noticed them too. Before either of them could say anything over their mental link about it, the figure was gone. Jimbo knew they had both seen someone standing there, possibly another seller who had already gone? They would have to talk about it later, for now Jimbo shook himself of the moment and turned back to the deal at hand.

None of the other dealers had stepped up yet, so Jimbo thought it was best to rip the band aid off quickly. He cleared his throat and nodded for Duik to step up with him. Simon took the gesture as "go time" and stepped up from behind Jimbo and placed the crate on the ground before them. Kneeling, he unlatched the crate and opened the lid for Jimbo and Duik, then with a grunt from Jimbo and a head nod backwards, he stepped back so as to keep himself facing the group with his head lowered. A trick he picked up from Amber's former boss's chastising. Jimbo straightened himself on his knuckls and and gave the big cats his best smirk.
"Well, last to the party, so only seems fit we're the first to show off. Evening everyone, hope your gonna enjoy the little toy we brought for you tonight. My compatriot here is my financier for this little 'beaut and wanted to tag along to exsplain the money side should you like what you see. I have no doubt that you won't."
Jimbo lifted the canon with ease from its cushioned case and hefted it onto his shoulder. Walking on h is hind legs, he strode out towards the freight car and began to slowly turn for the group to see.
"My I present, the Concussion Canon. 10,000 joules of concussion force that can be aimed and directed by the user. It runs off of a small "Reactor Core" Battery system that is basically a small nuclear reactor that lets you get off a steady stream of a shot for about 5 minutes without stop. The liquid nitrogen cooling system keeps the battery from overheating, and has an auto shut off function when the battery does get too hot. After about a minute to cool off, your ready for round two. We would have liked to have not needed the cooling system, but the board inside would have liquefied without it. This is the bipedal model, but we have quadruped and a smaller lighter version in development for aerial critters."

deer SilverFlight Lioness075 Bolts Flutterby

 

[SilverFlight]

The computer sounds stopped. There was an audible snap as the laptop was closed. Calista looked around to see the source of the commotion behind her. Falarion had nearly run full on into her chair.
"Hey easy there champ. Don't want to make it worse do you?"
Her usual gruff tone was softened, which either would make her charges feel better or otherwise feel a lot worse. It was uncharacteristic. Just then, Barry tried to get out of bed. "Hey! What did I just get done telling the dog?"
The civet threw her tiny paws in the air relinquishing her control over the situation.
"If you hit your head again, just tell them it wasn't my fault."
Calista paused for a few moments before adding, "The team decided to go on without you too but that doesn't mean we can't have fun tracking them. And, I'm wired into their ear pieces."
She reopened the laptop and quit the game she was playing. Immediately several displays appeared on the screen next to a map of the docks area where the meeting was taking place. The displays showed a transcript of what was being said as well as vital signs of each agent, all in the green for now.
There was another pause as Calista meditated on her two injured charges.
"Um...can I, can I get you anything?"
Lioness075 Bolts

 

[SilverFlight]

The Italian seemed to preen under Xiao's attention.
"Hmm, yes, this is a very drab place isn't it? Why couldn't it have been held at one of the hotels on the beach? Dragging us to this filthy warehouse was far beneath my organisation's standards. But alas, they have the money to pay. It is they who have gold, so we must play their game."
The doberman eyed Xiao carefully, but decided not to speak. deer

Duik concentrated hard on what Jimbo was saying to him. "Right." He nodded confidently. "Sta-fishsticks. Got it." zCrookedz

When Jimbo's eyeys fixed on the big cats Amber slowly stepped closer to him, brushing her hand against his hairy knuckles. "Steady big guy." She said softly.
The cat's eyes lit up at the end of the demonstration. They were clearly very impressed. zCrookedz

Amber frowned as she too caught sight of someone lurking in the shadows, her gaze shifted quickly to Simon before she caught herself. The mission came first, before everything else.
The Russian, feeling upstaged, waved her bird off and pulled the tarp back from her own contribution. The vulture glided effortlessly forward and came to rest on a crate sitting by the cats as they watched.
"I bring to you this little trinket."
The device was about the size of a Volkswagen beetle, a cable net coiled tightly around a central spear-like shaft.
"Net ken be fired up to eight hundred meters. Steel cables make it impossible to break. It ken also be electrified with varying voltage, to stun captured prey."
Though the net was coiled tightly, it was obvious that it was designed to catch something big.
Both other groups presented their weapons too and the theme was obvious. Whatever Feral was looking for, they needed some heavy gear for it.
"I wonder if we should go fishing for some of the answers." Amber said softly so only her team could hear.
Flutterby Bolts Lioness075 zCrookedz deer

 

[Flutterby]

As they moved about the room trying to get a peak at each project, Beth's face read a slight frown while Totus did his best to looked bored. The only time he didn't was when a soft, out-of-place noise caught his attention. His head snapped around, but he only just caught the edge of a figure before it moved from his sight. The bird hesitated for a moment, but Beth's focus on what the Russian was saying drew him away from mentioning it.

Beth raised an eyebrow when the woman said the steel cable net were unbreakable. Everything had a finite strength, even if it was absurdly large. Totus gave a soft churr, and as the rest of the presentations continued, Beth approached the woman as confidently as she could.

"I am curious," She said, getting right to the point.
"Your net. Even the strongest materials has a breaking point. How large does the tensile strength of a net have to be, to claim it is unbreakable?" Her voice lilted a little, with the suggestion of an accent, and her eyes ran over the machine intently. Beth half-turned, the very edge of the pin glinting slightly. I wonder if Feral would kill us for trying to buy this stuff, too.
Totus shifted his feathers, his faux beady-black eyes resting on the vulture before switching to the Russian.
"Unbreakable can only be a sales tactic, surely? Or is the strength really that absurdly high?" His tone was critical, bordering on accusatory. Riling them up, poking at them, to get at an impulsive (and likely truthful) answer.
"Cael, hush." Beth's tone was brisk, and her glare sold the part as Totus clamped his beak shut and settled lower on her shoulder in false distemper.
His human counterpart returned to looking at the Russian, wondering if the specifications would really shed any light on what was happening here.
SilverFlight ( Lioness075 )

 

[Bolts]

Barry lightly grabbed his head after the sudden rush of pain hit him. It stung like needles doing a haphazard acupuncture job. "Note to self, never be near a bomb ever again." He thought to himself. Hearing Calista, he gave a quick thumbs up. He would hope being out of action would mean no head injury but luck is always random. He peered down to the screen, seeing the words fly by as Jimbo was explaining the Cannon. He had a hard time keeping up with everything. His head started to spin a little, so he focused on Fal for the moment who seemed to have a similar injury. He noticed the ice pack had slipped off the poor guy. Reaching up to feel his own ice, it was more of a damp rag than ice pack. Reaching over lazily for the note pad, he squiggled down a poor excuse for hand writing. "Maybe more ice?" He dropped the pen and sat on the edge of the bed. While he focused on the green status of everyone, he was fixed on BB's. Carefully, he rested a hand on Falarion's back. He seemed to be more confused and it was times like these he wished he could say something. Giving a gentle pat and rub, he continued to watch the team at hand. "I hope you feel better soon there, Bud." He thought to himself.
SilverFlight Lioness075
~~~~~

BB watched in silent awe as the Concussion Cannon was revealed. The way Jimbo talked it up made it sound even scarier than the force it gave off. "A FREAKING MINI NUCLEAR REACTOR? PLEASE NO RANDOM MELT DOWN. I'M A BIRD OF ONLY 1 EXPLOSION A DAY." She screamed inside her head. Shrugging off the initial thought, she nodded with admiration of their weapon to sell. She wanted to blurt out something to egg them on. Something to rile them up. She stopped herself. She felt the lump in her throat and swallowed it as the Russian dealer revealed a large contraption. The net/spear weapon seemed to be for a resilient target for sure. "Oh my, that is quite the big one for sure. Seems like that has quite the range. Is it better for multiple targets or more fit for someone like this handsome fellow? She asked, pointing towards the rhino. She hoped to figure out if it was a tool to gather as many targets as possible with the least hassle or slow a larger being into submission. Her other hope was to get focus towards the rhino. Seeing him so irritable, she couldn't help but want focus on him more. Perhaps the more annoyed he got, the more irrational he would become and release info he knew without being asked!

SilverFlight Lioness075 Flutterby zCrookedz deer

 

[SilverFlight]

Alec joined the others soon and quickly saw what Leandra had spotted.
"It looks like something heavy was dragged...maybe it was a cage? Check around for more clues."
A quick comb of the area revealed the fur clump caught on a small piece of metal.
"So definitely not a bomb. The animals were here, but where are they now?"
Alec followed the tracks around a corner where they seemed to vanish.
"They might have been loaded onto something."
He examined the hair further. "This is polar bear fur...whatever they were loaded onto it would have to be big enough for that animal.
The rest of the shop doors were all small however. Round the corner and at the end of the corridor was a large set of double doors that lead into the old parking lot. Through the doors, Alec could see that it was pitch black.
"anybody got a light?"
Lioness075 deer