Coffeeshop Crossroad

[Crono]

The bockade was clearly expected, because as soon as the N.E.A. started to move the cloaks were repositioning themselves as well. Drim continued forward while the other five cloaks turned their tight group into a line, revealing the hostage. She was a older female of pudgy body definition. The blueish green scales covering her body, reptilian head held aloft by a strong neck, and two spiked tails identified her as a Agwo. Her eyes were reddened with tears as a look of pure terror was plastered across her face, made even more unnerving by the fact that the race was known for there fearless nature. In her claws was a infant wrapped in brown cloth, a gag over his mouth was removed as the cloaks moved, allowing one to hear his wailing.

The the Agwo was two feet in front of the line of cloaks, flinching as they all pulled out military laser rifles and pointed them at her, the action showing that they wore metal armor, also military grade. It was easy to tell weapon's from the War from weapons of the current time, health and safety was replaced with power and reliability. Drim stopped directly in front of the N.E.A. phalanx and spoke so quietly that only the officer he was looking at could hear him. "We don't have to make a big fuss outa this. We're here for two people, both conficts. We'll let 'er go as soon as they're in the van, if any of you get brave then all these media crews will see the N.E.A. choosing the fate of some lawbreakers over the life of a mother and her child. And don't think we don't have the nerve to shoot her, I just spoke with one that was looking forward to it. So let me in the cafe and they'll be no fuss, or don't and there is going to be a lot of trouble for you. Send that to whoever's in charge of this with your brain messaging or whatever ya do."


Celtic gave the tiniest of nods at Ella's reply about fire, then muttered, "Momma taught me that lighting fires is bad. Papa didn't believe her. He told me fire is good and useful." His words were strangely unintelligent in comparison to those previous, the emotion was gone too. He fell into silence for a while, returning to the position he had before this all started, face down with a hood of black hair covering his head. He fell half-asleep, his branches drooped slightly, he listened to the sounds around him and the conversation going on above.

"What do you mean by not to mention? Who else are you expecting to make a appearance?" Ella's voice, alert, slight worry. "An old friend. We left on bad terms. Just remember what I told you." Flint, awaking from some sort of daydream, simple and stern, like always. "Guess you're not such a badass after all, huh? Pretty worthless...more trouble alive than dead, hmm? Maybe they'll put you out of your low-life misery, down like a street dog." Baylen, snarky, his methods confused Celtic. "What did you just say?" Oh no. The Druid boy listened the sound of Flint getting out of his seat and the pulling of fabric, undoubtedly the Sickle grabbing Baylen by the scruff of his collar. "Sorry, couldn't hear you, what was it you were saying?" There was the sound of a baby crying, but it seemed too muffled for anyone else to hear without foucusing or improved hearing. Celtic lifted his head and faced the direction of the noise. "Why is there crying?"

 

[Alis_Audāx]

Cain huffed at the cloaked man. The N.E.A, have now tighten their ranks so much that it was difficult for the media to see through the black clothed bodies. He looked over at the sobbing female. If they expected to use this threat tactic and make any leeway with him, it would not work.

"It does not matter to me what you do with her. Nor am I concern for the well-being of her offspring. If you wish to make way into that cafe you will need clearance. Our leader will arrive soon.", Cain tone was neutral.

The same scrawny N.E.A that ran into the shop to drop of the bag made his move. He ran towards the cafe, ready to report the occurrences of outside.

***

Ella watched the interaction between the female Nism and Al with great amusement. It was about time someone other than herself would take over handling him for a bit. At Flint words, Ella turned to look up at him.

"As I stated before, I will do what I can for Celtic. Though I think he would do best with have you around.", she said to Flint.

Baylen prodding was evident. Perhaps he was getting nervous? She needed information from him on the item in his pocket.

"It may be important, but that is none of your concern at the moment. Unless have some information that you would like to share. If you share first I may just share something with you.", she said to Baylen.

She waited for a response but it would appear that Baylen had said something to piss off Flint. She let the males fight it out.
Ella ears perked at Celtic's statement of fire. Now that had interest her, the boy obviously tougher than her looked. Especially if he was able to keep up with an individual like Flint. Fire.

"I suppose it depends on how the fire is used. Better yet, it depends on the user of the fire.", she spoke to Celtic.

Phone buzzed:

Text(Boss): NOW
Answer the damn phone NOW. I have received reports that several of our clients have caught the scent of you possibly being at the cafe. Cain has reported there is a threat. I am done waiting, pick up the phone and report €

***

Al smiled up at the female. He was all to please to be in any position that would bring him closer to interesting individuals. Despite the female Nism hands firmly on his head, he did not worry about his neck possibly being snapped. It took more than that to kill the demon. In fact his body seem to relax into her hands.

" My Dear you may call me anything you wish, so long as I get to have my own forms of enjoyment as well.", a charming smile formed on his face. Though the charm may have dulled while he was still in his twisted pose.

"If you play nice I wouldn't mind the squeezing.", a shiver ran through his body when he said squeezing.

A loud thump came from the door as it shook.

 

[Roose Hurro]

Hear Them Cry...



Jingle bells started playing the theme to "Jaws" as the demon Al spoke.......

Peet, being Nism just like her, couldn't help but be aware of all that went on, inside and outside Trepper's coffee shop. Yes, him and her heard the crying, just like Celtic... more importantly, they both felt the crying. The sensoria brought to them by their forehead "badges" allowed them to perceive all the energies and flows, sources and movements of chakra, from every living thing. They both knew where everyone was, where they'd come from, where they were going. What they were feeling, inside. Mother. Child. Crying...

... "Honalee......." Peet only managed to get this female Nism's name out before she...

... "I know, dear brother."

Peet winced. Then he got back up on his haunches again and sighed, ears back, tail now in hands. He knew what was coming. Because he knew his sister...

... "George... would you like to answer this poor tree-boy's question?" Her claws touched Al's demon skin, traced small but distinct patterns in his chakra field... "It is a very important question. Very, very important."

Officer Tain felt the fur all over his body rise, his alertness level kicked up quite a few notches, his whole physical aspect turning hard and intent as he started moving about the room, the intensity of his observations flashing red.......

....... as Honalee continued, her grip on Al's face not letting go. Her own face, getting closer to his... closer to his left ear...

... "George... "

THUMP!

"... playing nice works both ways. If you wish to... enjoy my attentions, I have a very good feeling your particular talents will be very much needed. Because I don't think those outside will play nice with any of us."

She smiled back, showing her quite impressive dentition, the jingle bells on her tail suddenly silent...

... as Trepper drew a very nasty looking "shotgun" from under the counter, and aimed it at the door.

 

[Blox]

While local enforcement, irritatingly combined with the NEA, was a force to reckin with they still were no match for an exposed public cafe. There were too many ways for someone to crack the barrier and sure enough it happened. The NEA closed in, causing the blocked out media to begin a furry of vocal frustration, trying desperately both high and low to gain footage.

Officer Stark Gundry's eyes landed on the exposed female Agwo. He was very familiar with the species, though only met one a few years past, and the sight of her broken state was highly unnerving. His large pointed ears twitched uncomfortably as the group of threatening hooded figures made their demands. Cain remained placid and unaffected, simply waiting while one of his scummy mongrels fetched Al no doubt. The cry of the baby in the Agwo's trembling arms brought his attention forth again and he looked at the small one with concern. This didn't feel right. They needed to know more before they just blindly gave in to these demands.

Stark moved up close to Cain, glancing to the cafe entrance, ready to stop Al or Tain as well as a medium to this situation. "Cain, we need to find out more before we just give in to their demands. Something isn't right. This Agwo is completely out of her normal state. Let's get more information before doing anything detrimental." Unfortunately most of what drove Gundry at this moment was a feeling. The Agwo and her child gave him an uneasy energy that was spurring his decisions. He felt a warmth spread through his body, a heat that gave him a flashing image of fire. He turned his blood red eyes to the cafe door as a pulsating urge gripped his thick chest. The urge to protect the Agwo and her child was growing inside of him like a fiery out of control flame.

No one else seemed to realize there was another threat outside the coffee shop, preparing to make a move.

--------

At Ella's words, Baylen merely crossed his arms and remained silent.

Baylen widened his eyes as he saw Flint react to his words. Fuck. He needed to learn to keep his mouth shut. For his family history you would think the young man would be better composed and have a more mutual respect for other species. The position his mother held as a prominent human ambassador for the Inter-Species Peace Alliance wasn't enough to keep Baylen in check. If anything it pushed him further from the progress his mother worked so hard to cultivate. His father's death probably had something to do with that. Although he was in his early twenties his rebellious nature made his actions as stable as a teenager.

Regret filled Baylen's eyes and while he tried to move backwards he found himself knocking over a chair, stumbling as Flint grabbed hold of his collar, jerking hard enough to rip part of his shirt as their faces came close together.

"Sorry, couldn't hear you, what was it you were saying?"

Panic rose in Baylen's chest, a fear for his life as he saw the look in Flint's eyes, merely inches from his face. Flint's tone, though not shouting, was enough to pierce fear right through him. He couldn't hear the baby crying, he couldn't hear the female Nism speaking with Al or notice Trepper pull out her shot gun; he didn't notice the druid reacting to the noise either. His ears rung as he felt his breath catch in his throat. He was going to die.

"GET OFF OF ME!!" Baylen yelled in panic as he grabbed at Flint's grip, held too close to his neck. At the same moment as his outward cry the Doomra began to glow, revealing itself against his leg with a shine through his pants. A soft glow emanated from Baylen's hands, a bright and warm white light. In the next moment, as Baylen struggled to pull Flint off of him, the power of the Doomra suddenly accelerated his strength, causing Baylen to successfully rip Flint off of him with force enough to mostly likely throw Flint backwards, perhaps knocking him to the floor.

Baylen was gasping for breath, unsure if it was the fear or the sudden strength that had taken his breath away. He raised his hands up and stared at them with his mouth slightly open. The glow lingered for but a moment before dissipating.

In the back of the cafe Tugger's eyes rolled in to the back of his head and with a heavy THUD! and CRASH! his chair snapped, shattered and left him lying unconscious on the floor.

 

[Nartina]

The infant's cry cut through her very soul, and the Ju'unda turned her whole attention towards the door. The antennae at the end of her ears vibrated in tension as panic threatened to overwhelm her. She jumped to the side as Trepper pulled out a nasty weapon from under the counter. Jai had seen a gun or two before, and detested them for their destructive power, but she did understand why Trepper would have one. The buzz of negative energy just out side the door was tangible.......and then met with another buzz of negativity from inside as well.

As the sickle grabbed the human's caller, knocking him off his feet, her eyes were temporarily moved from the door to the commotion. Clearly the human lacked all sense of self preservation. Like a squirrel. But then the Doomra flared to life, and the large Jiinian dropped to the floor, vibrating the floorboards, and she rushed over to see if Tugger was okay.

The closer she got to the window, the more her panic screamed at her to run farther away. When she reached Tugger's side, she was shaking in fear, and there was a sheen of sweat on her brow. She heard the two Nism, and added her own sense.

"Dey not deh only ones, dem wit teh cryin'. Anuddah sits. She waitin'." She looked up at officer Tain.
-------------------------------
The order was soft, and she almost missed it in her boredom. But when it whispered in her com, every muscle in her body stood at attention, every fiber of her being rejoiced at the words she'd been waiting to hear for so long.

"Complete in anyway you deem fit," came the last words, and she purred in brutal elation.

Deftly, soundlessly, she scrambled into the shadow between two buildings, and seemed to melt away into the darkness.

 

[Crono]

Now a rational person would believe that the thump on the door was simply the scrawny N.E.A. officer, who's name was Joe, knocking on the door. However, what actually caused that thump was something slightly different. While the police force and N.E.A. were all attentively looking at the group of cloaks, Joe neared the door of the cafe and was promptly stabbed multiple times in the chest. The blade and its wielder both were hidden, invisible actually, and after killing Joe, he stuck a tiny device to the officer, making his corpse invisible as well.

The body unintentionally fell against the cafe door, causing the sudden thump, as the murderer took on the appearance and voice that belonged to Joe. 'Joe' quickly moved the unseen body out of the way and opened the cafe door. He poked his head in and looked confused then frightened by the scene that layed in front of him. He shook his head and nervously spoke to Al. "Uh, S-Sir? Officer Cain has asked for you, it's rather important."


Whilst these actions were taking place Drim sighed at the baldy's reply. "Your almost as bad as him, wait, nah. He woulda shot the lady to prove his point." At that moment the faint sound of a small portion of 'Never Gonna Give You Up' could be heard from inside Drim's cloak. The other cloaks all snickered collectively as he hurriedly fumbled the phone out of his pocket and held one black, gnarled finger up to the officers. "Sir? Wait why? But... Yes sir." Drim put the cellphone back into his pocket and silently made his way back to the van.

As Drim passed the line of cloaks however he made a small motion with his hands, one that simply ment 'fire.' With that the five cloaks took out there other arms which all bore energy shields that covered most of their person, formed a tight circle like before, and began shooting there rifles into the crowd of police and N.E.A. officers. The Agwo completely broke down and curled herself up in a ball around her child, both sobbing intensely. Drim ran back into the van and it immediately took off, swerving out of the crowd and down the road.


Flint had sighed at Ella's reply. He realized Celtic would probably hear him anyway so he just said it. "I've been having a feeling that I'm going to have to leave him for a while, for his own safety. I don't know how, I just know it's going to happen." He was being to realize exactly what Celtic was was talking to Ella about but was interrupted by Baylen's insult. Did he really think that would help him in this situation? Or was the fucking ancient artifact he steal making him even stupider by the second? The human needed to be taught a lesson, hopefully Flint would have beat his head to get the message through.

But before the lesson began, something unexpected happened. A sudden glow from Baylen's pants and a scream. Flint could hear Celtic beginning to say, in a miserable tone, "Papa killed-" but it turned into a noise of surprise. Flint was sent to the floor. He blacked out for a second, then awoke with sudden fury. "You've done it now." His voice was creepily unsteady, the sudden nock to the head to blame for that. "Now I HAVE to take off whichever limb that was. Hmm, now which one was it? Oh well, I'll guess." He slowly pulled himself up and his one hand began to turn black and thin. However Celtic quickly got out of his seat and held him back, although he didn't try very hard as the boy pushed against his legs. Not only that but he was distracted by the officer poking his head into the cafe, and the violence ensuing outside.

 

[Alis_Audāx]

The moment Drim twitched his fingers Cain's body dropped. A large hand reached out and grabbed the Officer Gundry by the collar pulling him down with him. The large man's body pressed against the ground as the first bullet left it's barrel.

"Prepare yourselves!", Cain yelled only a few seconds after the shooting began.

Releasing the officer, he lunged forward like an animal on all fours. His body slamming into the closest cloaked bastard. A energy shield can only do so much when hit by a freight train. He smiled as his hands tore through the fleshy abdomen. Warm squishy parts filled his hands and it felt right.

"Sir!", Cain roared over the sounds of gun shots.

The N.E.A did not concern themselves with the "innocents", several were able to shield. It was evident that the N.E.A did not contract the ordinary. Several of the N.E.As were fatally wounded and those who weren't closed ranks and returned fire. They slowly created a tighter and smaller perimeter around the front of the cafe.

***

Al rolled over onto his stomach like a big kitty cat. Smiling up at Honalee he gave a dramatic sigh.

"Depends on ones own definition of nice. Personally, nice can mean many things to me.", he said with a lazy smile.

Indeed Al heard the commotion outside, the feeling of despair gave him butterflies in his stomach. He enjoyed it, the cry of the child. It was evident by the others body language that the sound was a warning. However, unless there are any signs from Cain it did not concern him. "Uh, S-Sir? Officer Cain has asked for you, it's rather important." (fake Joe).

"What is the the problem?", Al lifted himself off the floor, brushing his suit clean on the way up.

When Tugger fell to the floor, it only gained a quick eye gazed from the demon. Such creatures were smelly and uninteresting to him.

***
Ella had heard the child's cry, it made her hair flare out slightly. The commotion from outside began to grow louder, as did her phone every time it rang. She turned the damn thing on vibrate. Something did not feel right, the words from Flint and his eventual departure from Celtic left a bad taste in her mouth. Ella stood and brushed her calf against the bag that was sent in, comforting herself.

"Al, Officer Tain. I think it about time we finish this quickly. We have been doing nothing but engaging in irrelevant activities and stepping around the information needed to finish this investigation. Is there any possible way to move this to a less....", Ella's words were stopped by the sound of Joe's words. Then soon after Cain's voice and bullets....many bullets.

 

[Roose Hurro]

Wham, Bam!



More information....... *

Unfortunately, events didn't allow for such a thing. Bam followed wham and people started dying. Oh! How could a simple breakfast lead to this? One simple phone call to the police over a fight/murder/revival incident, now an insane bloodbath. Why? What was so important about....... *

In the grand scheme of things, Nism tended to remain uninvolved in conflict. A long, long time ago, they'd learned not to choose sides. Anacora, a now dead world, with ten thousand dead Nism still trapped on its surface, because they'd dared get involved in a conflict, dared to choose a side without fully understanding. In the here and now, neither Peet nor Honalee knew why events had turned to such violence. They only knew others were dying because of something. Some... thing. Some... one? To them, it didn't matter, in this case. This... was personal. Their Creators had given them Free Spirits, along with other Gifts, so they could enjoy full lives. Could freely meet and interact with other living beings across the Universe. And beyond. Death defeated that purpose. Death... it came to every mortal being, either naturally, with age, or, as in the here and now, by violence.

Lives, cut short.

Nism didn't like seeing lives cut short.

Especially one particular female Nism named Honalee, who found herself in the same position as her brother. Involved in a situation, unexpected. She certainly hadn't expected following her brother would lead to a full-on firefight over... whatever it was. But she did know this had to end. Or at least turn, a necessary change in direction. Because even Nism, old and advanced as they were, couldn't have everything their way. Honalee knew this fact quite well. Peet knew this fact quite well. And they both knew, change one little thing, shift the balance. Change the consequences. Because consequences couldn't be avoided. Everything had a price.

But that didn't keep them from acting, it just kept them from acting stupid.

Quayo Tain, police officer, charged with maintaining the peace and protecting the public. He also knew. Knew he wanted to return home to mate and offspring. Knew his job, his profession, meant he risked not doing either of those things. But it kept him from acting stupid, this desire, this want.

Trepper? She had no deathwish, either. But her kind had certain things they found necessary in their lives. And one of those things was guarding their nests. Trepper considered her place of business her "nest". Reason she kept a weapon to protect it, knowing beak and claw and swift sharp kicks couldn't stop everything. Angry, because all this was threatening her nest.

Ahhhh, yes....... *

Doomra, revealed. Jiinian, collapsed on the floor. Blood. Bullets. A coffee shop occupied by an odd group of beings. Each with their own lives and concerns. Their own pain and skeletons. This whole incident, perhaps a rattling of such bones. More pain to come.

But not if Honalee could help it...

... "I just wanted to make sure my brother didn't forget Christmas this year......."

Jingle bells made a random jingle as she turned from Al, a glance and cheeky smile towards Baylen... "Fascinating, what some males keep in their pants..."

Peet sighed. His stomach growled...

... "Oh, by the way, Peeve... Maxx allowed Kassie to keep that roadtrip picture you took... you know, the 'special' one?"

For just a moment, Peet brightened, grin on face... but circumstances didn't allow for further brother/sister exchange. So Peet simply touched that space under-ear, releasing a cascade of multiple fweeps! as the Omni Bit formerly used on Tugger, the one fused to his pen... well, to be short, every Omni Bit in the room tagged to him emerged from flesh and otherwise, activated and.......

....... Peet went from haunches to all fours to a short run and leap and... a sudden shift in air pressure, a pop of ears, as he vanished through a slice of air from tip of snout to end of tail....... *

In the next five seconds, several things happened. Al got up, dusted off, and, perhaps, started to move towards the door where "Joe" stood. Honalee removed her scarf and tossed it on the pile of her brother's possessions. Officer Tain, still on high alert, clawed hand on sidearm, turned one eye towards 'Ella. And Trepper, her anger peaking at this "Joe" invasion, and all else gone wrong, pulled the trigger on her weapon.

Now, Trepper's weapon bore a functional similarity to Officer Tain's, in that it didn't fire bullets. It was, however, quite a bit more potent. Honalee took that shot in the back, having swiftly moved between "Joe" and gun. Yes, she knew what she did was... well, it was, indeed, quite painful, as flesh vaporized off bone. But she was Nism. A being most others in the Universe knew only by rumor... by legend, in some cases. Yes, the Universe, a vast place, indeed. Still, quite horrifying, to see bone, to see flesh seared from spine to chest...

... as Peet returned through the same slice of air he'd vanished through, carrying a... toolbox. Looked at his sister and shook his head...

... "We really need to talk......."

... as the Omni Bit once within Tugger landed on his forehead, extended tendrils into his brain, and said Wakey! Wakey! The other Omni Bits? One went to hover before "Joe" as Honalee's horrific wound crackled with "static"... and re-knitted her flesh and fur. One went to hover before Officer Tain, as if there to render service. One, to cover Flint/Celtic. And the fourth? 'Ella found herself staring at it, a feeling of.......

Peet dropped to haunches again, opened the toolbox, and plunged his clawed hands into all the Omni Bits contained within.

 

[Nartina]

Everything seemed to move at once, time appeared to mesh and meld together, coalescing into a smudge as the pale Ju'undah froze in place. Her eyes tracked the Omni-bit as it escaped from Tugger's motionless form. The antennae that normally floated with ease vibrated. Cold panic crept up her spine. She was no fighter, no warrior, no brute. And all of this violence happening at once was just too much.

The "bullet that wasn't a bullet" that vaporized Honalee's flesh, the still crying infant outside, the now whimpering mother, the booming of each individual bullet fired outside, the bliping of each Omni-bit....it was all far too much stimulation, and she did the only thing she could think of, she shut it all off. The jewels in her forehead, at that instant, switched from a bright orange of panic, to a clear opalescent glow, and then slowly faded out. Her eyes clamped shut as she blotted out all of the movement around her. With a deep breath, she defend her ears, muffling all of the sound around her. Still, she was tense. This poor country soul, suddenly thrust into a fire fight like none she'd seen before. But the more her self-imposed silence enveloped her, the calmer she became. Her wide eyes slid open once more, and she took a couple of steadying breaths.

At the moment, the Jiinian was out of reach. With all of the chaos, she had to focus her attentions elsewhere. She could hear the people outside dying, and her heart screamed at her to help. As she glanced out of the door, she breathed in deeply.

"Don't dey run out at saam point?" She squelched the panic that tried to surface as her voice cracked.
_________

Elsewhere was exactly where the Ju'unda was focused, when she should have been paying attention to the panic in her spine. Behind the boy and the Sickle, a darker shadow formulated, assessed her location, and then disappeared.

@Crono | @Roose Hurro | @Alis_Audāx

 

[Crono]

The rather murderous cloak was laughing madly as he fired into the crowd, suddenly catching sight of Cain ripping one of his fellow gunners apart. The other, far more sane members of his regement quickly choose to let the pychopath deal with him and tossed said pychopath a small metal cylinder. The muderer dropped his rifle then grabbed both the dead gunner's power sheild and the cylinder, tapping a small button to the side of it. The cylinder extended into a rod with two very sharp blades on its ends that charged with electricity as the cloak activated the other power shield, encircling him with a stronger force field. Finally he let loose a mainiac screech and lunged at the NEA officer.


"Joe" seemed to panic at even Al's question. "The assail-" he then flung his hands in front of his face as Trepper fired her rather frightening weapon. When he looked back up to see Honalee had taken the shot for him he appeared to want to thank her instead of making a tiny 'eep' noise. The man shook his head and turned back to Al. "The assailants are more heavily armed then we first presumed, appearently they're carrying explosives as well." A short pause. "That's all he really told me before he started fighting," "Joe" reluctantly admitted, "that and he requires your assistance immediately."


Baylen continued to stare at his hands even after the glow dissappeared, until Treppers shot rang out. He then looked at the wounded Honalee being healed and the Omni Bits darting around the room. He appeared to still be in shock, which was probably for the best.


Celtic pushed himself against Flint's standing form, but then the push turned into more of a lean. He didn't want his guardian to leave him, not again, he would rather risk being killed. The murder outside was deafening, so many yells, screams, blasts, screeches, whams and bams. A electric 'zang', the smell of a open wound, bleeping and voices. Another new voice, how many people were here now?

Yet there was something about this new voice, something that only someone with ears like this boy could notice. It was well hidden behind many deceitful walls, but he heard it. That particular fire, one of the types that burn the hottest, one that you lock away but it just keeps burning. That dreadful, smokeless flame. A flame that was ready to fly out and burn someone to death.

Who did this fire wish to burn? Celtic's wasn't told who by his ears or mind, but his gut. The fire... The fire wanted to burn Flint.

 

[Alis_Audāx]

Cain's eyes quickly locked onto the screeching cloaked, as it made it's way towards him. His brow wrinkled as he pushed his feet into the ground. The asphalt cracked and crunched as he launching his enormous body straight for the cloak. His hands raised up in a defensive position, yet his hands were no longer that of a human. Thick black claws protrude from where his finger nails should be, along with tan and white fur trickling down his fingers.

"So, you're the one. I will deal with you first.", his voice held a hint of enjoyment.

The other N.E.As were dealing with the other attackers. Innocents were trying their best to scatter, however not everyone could get away. Some were wounded or attempting to hide behind the news vans that had yet to stop filming the scene that had broken out.

***

"Oh, what a waste. I would have liked to collect you. Perhaps we can have some more fun later if you survive dear." Al, spoke down to Honalee.

His eyes traveled down her pretty open back. Blood always put him in the mood for food and other things. He reluctantly turned his attention to Ella and the others.

"It would appear that some of you have brought more of your trash to this little....place. My men are taking the blunt of the force for now, however I am not one for fighting if there is nothing to gain or it is not an objective.", Al looked over at Baylen. He wasn't to please with having to interact with such a uninteresting lump of flesh.

"SO! my lovely pets. Are you all prepared to clean up your mess?", his body stood vertical to the door. He gave a dramatic swish of his arms as if he was hosting a show.

***

Ella's face twitched at the sound of the weapon Trepper had shot and wounded the Honalee. She would have been more concern for the female if it wasn't for Peet. After seeing his work on the Jiian, she was pretty confident that his skills would work well in this situation. The boss would like him, she will defiantly have to keep some information to herself.

Ella sighed at Al's behavior, "To state that it is their trash alone is incorrect Al. Regardless, this is not the time to argue as to who the trash belongs too. However, it does need cleaning."

Ella reached down and unzipped the bag, pulling out two thick silver rods and snapping them together. She reached into the bag for another piece of something.

"Officer Tain, I would suggest giving a ring for your back up. The N.E.A will not be calling for more men. I will lose no more than I already have.", she spoke to the Officer. She didn't want to show her face outside of the coffee shop. However, it appears she may have to. The boss will not like this.

 

[Roose Hurro]

The Little Things...



Whatever Tugger's brain decided to do with his Omni Bit's prodding, that was up to Tugger. The other Omni Bits? Well... "Joe" didn't seem to notice. Neither did 'Ella. Flint?... uncertain. Hard to tell with Celtic, what with all the confusion and distraction. Officer Tain had no trouble being very aware of the "device" sent his way. Only took him a few seconds to decide, to snatch and stuff in a belt pouch, to keep it out of sight.

Yes, all the little things like this matter. One grain of rice, and all that. Oh so many grains of rice! So, one out of four, perhaps not so bad. But still, three "grains" left wanting.

Ju'undah... if she found the "blipping" of each Omni Bit only added to her desire to "fade out", then Peet's hands twiddling with a whole toolbox loaded with them could very well...

Baylen, human... in bad need of a cold shower. Or perhaps just a slap across the face to shock him back into reality...

Trepper... in her own form of shock, weapon clunked on the counter as she stared at Honalee's regeneration...

Yes, all the little things matter. Officer Tain listened to 'Ella, and called for back up. Trepper's feathers ruffled. Honalee cleared her throat as she got her lungs back, eyes still on "Joe" for the moment. Peet finished his "twiddles".......

....... One hundred and forty-two Omni Bits activated all at once, their cascading Fweeps! a sound to behold. Their flare rippled through the local tensor fields, so intense the distortion wasn't only felt, but seen, as bits of quantum reality flickered. And then it got really busy. Two Bits shot up and took their places behind each of Peet's ears. Eighteen Bits fused with his hands and forearms, nine to a side, forming a matrix with his flesh. The rest flashed away, phasing through walls, windows, furnishings and whatnot, most headed in the direction of violence.

Outside, in the chaos, an army of "Tinkerbells" flashed into view, everyone from crying child to innocent bystander to N.E.A. agent to "terrorist"... not to mention every camera lens present... able to witness the rare oddity of Nism technology as each Bit linked into the local tensor field and.......

Back inside Trepper's coffeeshop, Honalee gave her brother a cheeky smile before she threw Al a...

... "Now George... I may be one of a kind, but I am not a collectible item. Fun, yes. Collectible, no."

Peet wiggled his fingers as he examined the room...

... "She's also my sister. Play nice." Peet patted his hands together.......

Outside, every weapon suddenly ceased to function.

 

[Nartina]

Silence, it slammed into her very being as all weaponry in the vicinity was deactivated. Even her own. As the necklace at her neck was flipped off by the little beeping objects, her body resolidified. And she was not in a nice spot for resolidifying. Stuck between the walls of the cafe, she found herself barely able to breathe, and totally unable to move, save a light pushing on the wooden structure. It was dark, and very hot, and her face was pressed against the plumbing. Every breath drew in some of the steam, and caused the wood around her to strain. She wasn't a large creature by any means, but there was not a whole lot of crawlspace between these walls either.

Needless to say, the force of her body becoming solid was physical, and she cried out as a bend in one of the pipes pressed into her side, and the valves in another became lodged in her knee. Her boss would not like this. He would not like this one bit.

---------

Tarjai, in her own right, was grateful for the silence. Long ears twitched at the thump in the walls, but she was more concerned with the Bits, and what they were doing. She took a deep breath, a relaxed breath, and the tension in her shoulders disappeared. She then moved to the window, and peeked out.

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she took in the chaos. A shakey breath, and without thought, she was moving for the door, and pushing past the imposter to get to the victims outside.

 

[Crono]

Silence. Pure silence as thick as concrete. The assailants collectively froze as their blasters powered down, the glow and shaking that exposed their unsafe design the last thing to fade from the street turned battlefield. They looked around with hidden faces, finding that they were not alone in their dilemma. The murderer looked at his spear, the electric charge leaving its wicked blades, and looked back up at Cain. He growled and charged forward, ready to impale the officer's raised arms.

His coworkers glanced at each other. They had knives and their shields were still working, but something felt... awkward about it. They spent their lives killing people for money but had never experienced something like this, where they were staring at the people they were killing and the people stared back, both relatively enable of doing anything. Even the pychopath's fight with Cain became unnatural to them, just violence with no noise in the background. The Agwo had managed to get behind the NEA officers, and was now trying to calm her wailing child as the wounded moaned with pain. These two sounds, along with confused whispers and bleeping of omnibits were all that accompanied the silence, not exactly helping the mercenaries' self-esteem.


Baylen seemed to pull himself back into reality when Al and Ella spoke of fighting. A smirk formed on his face, "finally we're moving." But then the omnibits sent their wave of deactivation and fatigue flashed into his face. His legs shook as if his torso suddenly weighed a hundred pounds. He grabbed the counter to support himself, "gah... What?"


Flint looked down at Celtic with a annoyance that quickly melted. He placed his bandaged stub gently on the boy's back and silently absorbed his surroundings. He shifted when Honalee was shot but stopped as the omnibits began to zip around the cafe and then the outside. He was ready to swat them when they approached however the healing effects they had on Honalee calmed him, although he still watched the one attending Celtic with steely glances. Then Al and Ella began talking about going off and taking out the trash.

The extreme acidity of Flint's stare bore a hole into the mer-person's head. Once he had her attention he jutted a angry finger at Celtic, who was looking ponderingly at 'Joe.' If she and her boyfriend thought he was going to put the boy in danger they had another thing coming in the form of a haymaker. Then, the overwhelming wave of silence came over the outside. Flint looked back, confused, did those little omnibits really have the power to do that? But then he was distracted by another thing.


The other thing was 'Joe's face. As Al turned from him a look of frustration formed on it, which changed to panic as his 'skin' began to dissipate with the deactivation of all weapons. It started on his left temple, giving away to a gray, glasslike surface. In the blink of an eye what was once his arm turned into a large black tenticle, first attempting to push back Tarjai and then trying to hit Al. The attack had the intent of throwing Al out of the cafe through the pure force of the sudden strike, which was equal to that of a bullet train, and if successful would be followed by the imposter's arm turing into a black tube which, after closing the door with his normal arm, would spray a gooey substance onto the door, solidifying quickly into a gray... solid with the strength of steel.

Either way the mysterious person was soon revealed. Dark brown overcoat with tattered ends, black pants, and shined shoes. Covering their head was a plain grey helmet that hid the face. They were rather tall, about Flint's height if a little shorter. What was more pressing was the only two exposed parts of his body, his neck and non-transformed hand. Both were almost milk colored but had a faint tinge of blue, as if they lacked proper blood flow, and had what appeared to be dark grey circuits running through them. The hand had black zigzags and fingers slightly mismatched in proportion, one a hooked claw, and the neck had a few azure scales to one side.


Flint pushed Celtic behind him and moved to fully face the helmeted person, his eyes colder then death. Among all the things that could have gone wrong, it had to be this. "Hello Zetch." The acid that had left his eyes now covered his words, burning his throat as he spoke them.

 

[Alis_Audāx]

Ella stopped mid-reach for the object in the bag. She looked up at the Omni bit that had come flying in her direction. It was floating there waiting for her to make a decision. Her breathing slowed as she stared at the Omni bit, calm like the ocean before the storm. Ella's still manicured fingers tentatively reached up and plucked the Omni bit from the air. She placed the Omni bit in her shirt securing it over her heart.

"I do not fully understand the need for this. However, after seeing what it can do I will not question it for now.", she spoke to Honalee. Her attention was taken by Flint.

Her eyes flicked over to Flint, she meet his acidity stare with an arched eyebrow. He was a fool if he didn't think she had already considered Celtic's need for protection. Regardless, something must be done for the protection of not just Celtic but many others involved. Then "Joe's" face melted away to it's true form.

"Al! watch your left.", she shouted when the dark tentacle went for Al.

Al only had a few moments before the tentacle would make contact with his body. His hands placed in front of his body, a light red glow emitted from them. When the tentacle made contact, his body looked like a rag doll being thrown through the window. His body landing in the bright sunlight with a impossibly heavy thump. His bones snapped in places that made him look like a bucket of fried chicken after game day, destroyed. Yet, was he smiling?

"Son of a...", Ella had crouched down pulling out a sharp silver weapon head attaching it the silver staff in her hand, completing her weapon of choice. Merfolk may not be the strongest of creatures when out of water. But the boss made sure his fish wasn't without a few defensive features. Perhaps the boss found it humorous to push her to learn how to properly use a Triton.

Her body moving fluidly and quickly, her feet light on the floor. She stopped before the impostor, thrusting her weapon towards its chest. The end of her triton pierced through the armored clothing like butter, but did not pierce the flesh. A show of her control over the weapon was evident.

"Zetch?", she kept the spear steady. "If you take another step I will not hesitate to run this through you.", a low hum emitting from the weapon.

"What is the reason for your attack? It was neither initiated nor in need.", her shoulders even and strong. Her body ready....


***
A deep throaty sound rumbled up from Cain's chest. More animal than human as he barreled down on the murder. He was no stranger to the murder's weapon, he has trained with 'Ella. The electric spear did not prompt him to stop his full frontal attack.

Cain's claw ripped through the protective shield. His body curled slightly into himself, his muscles flexed ready for the murder's next move. Perhaps he will be able to catch the spear and grab a hold of the murder's arm subduing movement of the spear. Regardless, Cain was enjoying himself.

 

[Roose Hurro]

The Plot Thickens...



Peet winced after Al got slammed through the window. Honalee took hold of Tarjai, to steady her, to be there in support. Trepper cupped hands over her beak, eyes wide...

... "Is so sorry!"...

... the three words she spoke soft yet clear in the sudden silence, her shock starting to fade as her protectiveness rose again, unbidden. Hands dropping to weapon as her feathers settled and her eyes glowed with an inner fire of Spirit.

Officer Tain had made his backup call, both to his partner Gundry and to headquarters. But with "Joe" revealed and Al on the other side of a very broken window, Tain didn't hesitate to act. 'Ella had her Triton set in this creature's armored chest, he had the muzzle of his pulse disruptor aimed at its head.

"Don't move..." His eyes narrowed. His teeth, exposed. His two words, dark and cold.

Despite the Omni Bits, it seemed events were reaching a head, the plots of so many live thickening to a rock-hard reality. Much still to happen, yes, even after so much had already happened. And was still happening. Honalee gave Tarjai a hug. "Joe" a shake of head and "serious" glare...

... "Behave!" One word, delivered with a blown kiss and a jingle of jingle bells, as she helped Tarjai out the door. Plucked "Joe's" Omni Bit from the air and pressed it to a spot just behind her right ear. "Joe" didn't deserve one, anyway.

Oh, yes, 'Ella's weapon made a low hum. And while Officer Tain's pulse disruptor didn't hum, its charge status was full, and its power setting ramped up to max. Both of these weapons, working just fine in the here and now. Because Peet had seen to it they did. He'd also seen Baylen's reaction... perhaps better to let the Doomra "recover" more slowly... perhaps... better for the human not to be shocked by the sudden return of such power. Perhaps better to leave things be, even if it meant Baylen paid for his mistake. Peet closed and secured his toolbox, stood up, and walked on twos over to the human...

... "Here..." Peet held up an Omni Bit... "Looks like you could use one."

Fweep!

Tugger? Well, the Omni Bit tending the Jiinian was feeling a bit peeved, so it pushed a few particular "buttons" with determined insistence.......

....... while outside, weapons or no weapons, at least two combatants remained locked in combat. While a mother tried to calm her child. And yes, Omni Bits... especially a whole mess of them... could do many things. Even a single Bit, limited as it was, still made for the ultimate in multi-tasking technology. Omni, because each Bit could...

... Tain's remained hard and cold, ready to snap.

... 'Ella's radiated warmth and support into her heart, a fragment of Nism Spirit.

... Celtic's reached out and touched the boy's senses in curiosity.

... Baylen's remained ready for anything, most of all the human's acceptance or rejection.

... Outside, the "whole mess" simply waited for further instructions. Held things as they were, as they "whispered" to each other through tensor field lines. And then started tapping into the chakra of the injured, as Honalee tapped the right side of her head. And no, it hadn't been any Omni Bit responsible for her regeneration... that was one of her Creator's Gifts. A Gift given to all Nism. From the original Thousand Pairs till the present day.......

 

[Nartina]

The imposter's tentacled arm pushed her back from the door,and forced all of the breath from her lungs. With a gasp, she stumbled back until strong arms steadied her. Disbelief, it was written clear on the Ju'unda's face....disbelief, heartache, and pain. Her chest heaved as she caught her breath. The air rushed in, but she found no relief.

The mermaid's warning to the demon stung her ears, and she found herself clutching both hands to her chest as glass broke, and Al's broken body crumpled in the dirt outside. The healer in her wanted to be sure he was okay, but the healer in her also thought it would be best for such a creature to disappear. And for a brief moment, she allowed herself to feel his loss...one brief moment, and then she saw his horrific smile.

Her attention was drawn, then, to the acid in Flint's voice. She took in the imposter's name, and felt the hatred it brought. Yet another one the sickle knew. The mermaid's query followed and then there was silence, and the solid form at her back, keeping her steady as she recovered from the shove.

"I'm so sorry," the whispered words of Trepper echoed through the stillness, slowed everything down, and she gasped for all of the palpable tension in the room.

The moisture in her eyes streamed down her face, and then to the wooden planks under her feet as she was embraced, and then lead back to the door, and toward the imposter. She felt no fear, no hesitation as she was ushered through the threshold, past that silent fake. The goings on in the cafe no longer concerned her as she stepped out once more into the street and faced the carnage before her.

As though a switch was flipped, she fell into her natural role, turned and uttered a quick thank you to the Nism female, and faced the gruesome scene. Those that were no longer breathing, she could not help, and she uttered a whispered prayer that her goddess would guide them safely to peace. She left Al where he was....her kind of help would do him no good anyways.

A muffled moan, and a twitch, and she was sprinting toward one of the officers and skidding on her knees. Already humming a healing song, and preparing her body for the task ahead of her, her hands, jewels, and antennae glowing with a healing light, she pressed her palms to his side and strengthened her song.

----------

The other, the silent stalker, had nowhere to go. Rather, she waited in the walls, and let the pain strengthen her. Her target had left the building, but there were plenty others. As she waited between the plaster, she uttered a silent promise. Those meddlesome freaks would follow her quarry.

 

[Crono]

The imposter named Zetch lowered his arm as it reverted to match the other. Now that Ella was close she could notice that the man's coat had tiny silver and gold details that greedily grabbed up light to sparkle in a fleeting manner. The details were not exactly gaudy but they were clearly put in to be noticed. The plain helm turned to follow Honalee and Tarjai, when the Nism told him to behave there was a evident snicker. "You could have avoided this. You were the one stupid enough to save me," all noise that came from the helmet was cold and metallic, hollow.

He wore no armor. As Tain and Ella both pointed their weapons at him he did move, as a matter of fact he spun in place to face Flint. A deformed hand was brought up to a button on the side of his helmet and pressed it. The gray glass slid up to reveal the Zetch's face.

That same blueish pale skin with those circuits running out from the ends of his mouth and eyes. The mouth was in a wicked smile exposing pointed teeth, it reminded Flint of a wolf. A few black spider-like eyes were scattered around his main ones along with bags that showed Zetch's sleep deprivation. One was icy blue and silted like a snake, the other appeared to be three eyes melded together. Three pupils would separate when looking to something else but then cram together to focus. His round, pointed ears confirmed his race, a Sickle.

"Well well well," the freak cawed, his voice scratchy and thin, "it's been a while, hasn't it Brother?" Flint narrowed his eyes, "too short given how fucked up you are now." "Kha ha ha, language my brother language! Do tell me, how is Fathers fortune serving you now?" He gestured to Flint's worn wear and then to his own finery. "Perhaps you would have had someone to help you when it was stolen if you hadn't shoved me into my closet when we were young, or used me as a punching bag when you came home drunk. Perhaps if you hadn't thrown me out of our house when you inherited it you wouldn't have to be standing here, a street rat."

"Why are you here Zetch," Flint spoke to his brother, it was more like a command then a question. "And who's this?!" Zetch pointed at the Druid boy behind Flint, paying his brother's question no attention. "Is this how your going to make up? To balance out what you've done for your entire life? A child you drag along on your pointless struggle for survival? That's absolutely adorable broth-" "WHY ARE YOU HERE."

Flint stomped his foot hard onto wooden paneling, his seriousness had turned into a icy coldness, the acid in his eyes was now frozen and sharp. The imposter's smile only widened. "Never one for talking to your worthless little brother. Well look at me now you rat, I've revolutionized covert infiltration technology. Not only does my device allow me to take on the appearance and abilities of any person I wish with nothing more then a strand of hair, I can take on their minds, their memories, what makes them tick. I've made a fortune of my own as a spy and a assassin taking on people's personalities, as once again you have fallen from your throne."


Celtic was in shock. He never knew Flint had a brother, the man had never spoken about him in all the time that the boy knew him. Flint's cold was beginning to get to him, a shiver ran down his spine as Zetch spoke. The boy couldn't imagine his guardian doing the things the man was saying, but Flint's lack of a comeback was worrying. He hugged the Sickle's legs in a attempt to restore the warmth, but what Zetch said next chilled him too.

It sounded like a passing addition, "ah yes, I am here for you and the human by the way." Heat ran up Flint's legs and his words were alight with fury, better then the cold at least. "Over my mangled corpse." "I assure you that will be arranged."


Baylen looked at the Omnibit for a while. Then he took it from the air and touched it to one of his weak legs. He wasn't surprised that Flint was a asshole, he was however by Zetch's last statement. Had all this been over the Doomra? The fight outside, the police, the N.E.A.? He took a few weak steps back from the freaky looking guy, ready to, well, try to run.


The murderer, seeing Cain rip through his sheild with ease, quickly moved out of the man's way. The cloak swung his blades in a attempt to slash into the man's shoulder. He kept his feet ready and his mind clear, ready for anything.


The mercenary's were still standing there, watching the two fight in near silence, questioning the purpose of it all. One of them took a single step back. Suddenly his mask became red hot and the cloak fell onto the ground, writhing in agony and clawing at the mask. Wisps of smoke rose as the cloak screamed, his mask not allowing a single sound to come out. A metal voice pieced into the ears of the mercenaries, calm, no anger noticeable, yet still very loud, "you will obey my orders and nothing else. I'm about to teleport you, you will stall the officer in the mangled heap by any means necessary."

The mercenaries didn't even have time to react before they vanished and reappeared standing over the smiling pile of Al. Immediatly they withdrew and combined their shields, the energy becoming extremely solid and so heavy that they all had to carry it over to drop it down and cover Al. Then they all drew their long knives and watched the sheild that was now a prison, waiting for something to tackle and forming a wall of their own between Al's prison and the cafe.


Officer Gundry had grown annoyed with the situation. The N.E.A. had the criminals outnumbered and weren't even doing anything! "Don't any of you dumbasses know how to use handcuffs?!" He growled as he began running at the terrorists past Cain's little duel. He stopped when he saw the cloaks disappear before his very eyes. Then he noticed the call for backup from Tain, and began to jog back for the cafe.

 

[Alis_Audāx]

The cloth that had been pierced by Ellas Triton made a distinct ripping sound when Zetch spun to look at Flint. It would appear this male would pay no attention to her or Officer Tain. It matter not to her that he ignored her direct question, rather being underestimated by power wielding individuals had it's advantages.

Ella pressed the tip of her Triton firmly against whatever piece of flesh was under its target line. She spoke never taking her eyes off Zetch.

"Ah, so we have a royal son feeling scorched by what is a subjective sense of unfairness. I have no interest in your family battles. However, I can not allow you to make offense of one of my men and attempt to take the human.", she glanced at Baylen.

"You may just be a human, but whatever you are holding seems to be of interest to come very troublesome people. That is enough to make me want to conduct business with you.", she spoke to Baylen while continuing to look at Zetch.

Ella didn't much care to take part of family squabble, but Zetch showed to much interest in Celtic and the human. It would appear she would have to pause her orders of retrieving information. A more active approach is needed for now. Oh isn't fun being a business woman.

***
Cain felt the blade sliced into his shoulder. A dark patch oozed onto his suit jacket. Did it hurt? yes, Cain was not immune to pain. However, it was not enough to distract him.

"Weakness, you smell of it.", Cain grumbled at the murder.

Cain spun around elbowed the murder's head. His clawed hands ready to sliced up into the murders rib cage.

 

[Roose Hurro]

Pain's Gain...



What was that saying? No pain, no gain. Obviously, whoever had come up with that saying was an idiot. Plenty could be gained without the need to suffer. Though this saying, on the other hand, had a kernel of wisdom buried deep within. Pain taught lessons. It also caused reactions. One Ju'unda female, driven to heal. And one Nism female, driven to.......

Peet did not fail to notice his sister's tap-line into the Omni Bit tensor field network he'd set up. He didn't mind. Because she used it to keep lives sustained, to keep the chakra of the injured from fading into death. Another change in the balance. What else his sister might do... well, he didn't want to dwell on whats. After delivering his Offer to Baylen, he simply stripped off his vest and tossed it on the "pile" by his former breakfast stool. Removed that last bit of civilization, and completed his "transformation" to... well, not animal. Just to the natural state of his birth, the "condition" he'd spent most of his life in. His pants, already stained. Didn't need to ruin his vest, should anything further happen.

Heh. Fat chance he'd get back to a normal breakfast.

What with Flint's brother, Zetch, and everything else still going on, Peet knew things were far from over. Whoever had started all this wasn't giving up. But Peet... and his sister... had just gotten started. At Zetch's "stupid" remark, Honalee stuck her tongue out at him on her way out the door. Yes, her, simply amused. Because his living had its own pain. Because he was not free, either in body or in Spirit. Let him learn or not at his own peril. He was, after all, within the tensor field her brother had set up. Like the sneak in the wall, he wasn't going anywhere. And again at Zetch's "stupid" remark, Peet decided.......

Well, first off, Zetch had moved. Had disobeyed Officer Tain's order. But Tain hadn't pressed his trigger. Instead, he'd listened, weapon unwavering, his decision not to fire... not to fire yet... made. Silent, no more words, just steady aim and alert ears.

Yes, Peet decided...

... "My sister didn't save you. She saved Trepper." Peet arrived, on twos, hands behind back, eyes bright, tail a-flick, to stand beside 'Ella... "Because Trepper fired before she knew who you really were... fired at what appeared an innocent person.

KLACK!

Trepper no longer stood behind the counter. She'd jumped, weapon back in hands. Yes, still very sorry she'd shot Honalee, but... no harm done. But this one... this Zetch. He deserved the pain Honalee had taken in his stead...

"Is right! Is need to shoot you now! Give reason!"

Trepper raised her weapon. So Zetch now had three weapons aimed at his personage. The fourth weapon wasn't aimed, but "it" was standing there, dressed in only fur and feathers and scales, eyes bright, tail a-flick. Hands behind back packing eighteen barrels-worth of heat. Fur ruffled all over, feathered shroudruff on display, scales reflecting light, eyes intent and intense, tail now still as...

... "Yes, give her a reason to shoot you." Peet grinned.

Meanwhile, outside.......

Honalee tapped the shoulder of a mercenary/cloak/terrorist...

... "Do you mind if I have a word with George before he kills you all?"

Back inside.......

Baylen may have touched the Omni Bit to only one leg, but this Bit knew just what to do. Like the Doomra, but much quicker and much more refined, it slipped into Baylen's leg and went where it was needed. Unlike Tugger, who seemed determined to sleep this whole incident through to the end, the buttons this Bit pushed, well.......