Non-HPU: Crater City

[Welsh Halfwit]

"This afternoon," Julian joked as they got to the next hospital, "the tourist board's having me push a building so they can compete with Pisa." He knelt so people could apply the boards to his fingers and drive the vehicles up and on.

[SeanWolf]

"You think the sniper will try to pick them off while they try to board? There's not many places around the hotel they could do that from, but a car would definitely be lower profile. If Mark goes with you, I'll make the call. In addition, I'll need to set the chopper down on the roof anyway. If we just fly off, they'll know we're evacuating the witnesses through other means." Heather explained.

"DON'T come anywhere near the hotel!" Mordecai snapped briefly. "That'll just raise suspicion, like you said. Mark'll come with us so, right now, all I ask is that you trust me. We Tikbalang know how to handle these situations." He then hung up, looking over at Mark and the Fishermen. "OK, so our ride will be here soon. Once I get the message, we'll be making our way to the lower floors and out the pick-up area where Jarek, my chauffer, will be waiting to take us to Thunder Bay, where you three will be safe." He looked at the main wounded one. "You able to walk or do you need one of us to carry you?"

Once she has Mordecai's response, and the number for the Thunder Bay Council, she gives them a call. Once they pick up, she repeats Mordecai's message. "Jarek needs to head to the market for a bushel of apples for the bake sale."

One of the members of The Thunder Bay Council, receiving Heather's call, acknowledged her and placed a call to Jarek, telling him to "Head to the market for a bushel of apples for the bake sale", with Jarek getting into the designated vehicle required and drove normally to Crater City.

[Krytus The Dreamer]

"First day for me too. They really have you hit the ground running, don't they?" Tracie sighed. "Oh well. Not like we didn't sign up for this. You should come with us. It'd be easier if you just come along with us." she said to Richter. "You big guys do the carrying and I'll do the talking!"

"Can do." Richter cheered quietly as he followed the Kaiju sized Fox

"This afternoon," Julian joked as they got to the next hospital, "the tourist board's having me push a building so they can compete with Pisa. He knelt so people could apply the boards to his fingers and drive the vehicles up and on.

"Oooh I heard about those and how tasty they're supposed to be. Why would this tourist board, whatever that is, want you to push food around? Is it cause its food our current size? I wonder if anyone can make me some once this is all over." Richter licked his lips distracted for just a moment,

Shaking his head, Richter refocused himself on the task at hand. Richter scanned the area but remembered his earlier bout with Pestilence and the amount of shaking he had to do. As a precaution, Richter lightly tapped the floor with his tail to judge if there was any instability in the surrounding area.


*********************************

"DON'T come anywhere near the hotel!" Mordecai snapped briefly. "That'll just raise suspicion, like you said. Mark'll come with us so, right now, all I ask is that you trust me. We Tikbalang know how to handle these situations." He then hung up, looking over at Mark and the Fishermen. "OK, so our ride will be here soon. Once I get the message, we'll be making our way to the lower floors and out the pick-up area where Jarek, my chauffer, will be waiting to take us to Thunder Bay, where you three will be safe." He looked at the main wounded one. "You able to walk, or do you need one of us to carry you?"

"It looks like I have my orders." Mark yawned before standing at attention, "Sir, if need be, I can carry him. Due to the circumstances, it might be wise to take the fire escape. The quakes earlier are concerning, but if our pursuers ever catch wind of where we are, a well-placed hack could jam the elevator, making us sitting ducks."

[CyberDragon]

For now, though, he had another task. Seeing only one unit left even semi-able, he pulls the outstretched arm back and launches the bundle of flares in an arcing throw. "WEREWOLF! Catch!" He was primed to set them off, but charging in to place them himself would be immensely foolish. Surely one of them could do it.

Fenrir looks over to see Mist throw the flares. He lunged upwards, climbing the back of the snake's neck as fast as he could before letting go. He reached out and only just managed to catch the flares while holding onto the Leviathan with his legs. The wolf activated the flares, jumped up to the snake's head, and jammed them just under the Leviathan's left eye. He let go to get out of range of the incoming shock and attempting to slide down the snake's scales to slow his descent, but still hitting the water hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

- - - - -

Seeing the flares, Heather got briefly on a second channel to speak with the big guns. "Target has been painted. Squadrons one through four, prepare for assault. Batteries six and seven, prepare to open fire on my command!"

She switched to speaking into the KDF communicators. "Mist, Tigress, Fenrir, back away from the Leviathan! Minimum safe distance, five hundred meters! Someone grab Ronan too, he doesn't have a communicator."

- - - - -

Fenrir stood up in the water, feeling a little dazed from the fall. He waded away from the snake's head and made is way towards Ronan to see if the Kelpie needed any help.

--------------------------------------

"This afternoon," Julian joked as they got to the next hospital, "the tourist board's having me push a building so they can compete with Pisa." He knelt so people could apply the boards to his fingers and drive the vehicles up and on.

Tracie just giggled at Julian's joke, genuinely finding it funny. She helped the last of the ambulances drive up into Julian's hands, then started to scale back up to her boyfriend's shoulder. "I might... end up cancelling... my membership... at the rock climbing gym!" she joked as she made her way up his chest. She sat down on his shoulder with a soft thud when she reached it, tired from all the climbing she was doing. "I've got a new wall to climb, and with a much better view!" she smiled, looking up at Julian's face.

"Oooh I heard about those and how tasty they're supposed to be. Why would this tourist board, whatever that is, want you to push food around? Is it cause its food our current size? I wonder if anyone can make me some once this is all over." Richter licked his lips distracted for just a moment,

Shaking his head, Richter refocused himself on the task at hand. Richter scanned the area but remembered his earlier bout with Pestilence and the amount of shaking he had to do. As a precaution, Richter lightly tapped the floor with his tail to judge if there was any instability in the surrounding area.

Richter wouldn't pick up on any instability in the ground. There were tunnels running under the city, but nothing that threatened to cave in.

Tracie blinked at what Richter was saying, not having the slightest clue what he meant at first. She then giggled again when she finally got it. "Pisa, big guy. You're thinking of Pizza. Pisa is a place in Italy that's got an old tower that's famous for how it leans, and how it's still standing despite the fact that it's tilted." she explained.

"Anyway... lets get these medics to the train yard. If we take too long, then they might as well be driving there." she said.

--------------------------------------

"DON'T come anywhere near the hotel!" Mordecai snapped briefly. "That'll just raise suspicion, like you said. Mark'll come with us so, right now, all I ask is that you trust me. We Tikbalang know how to handle these situations." He then hung up, looking over at Mark and the Fishermen. "OK, so our ride will be here soon. Once I get the message, we'll be making our way to the lower floors and out the pick-up area where Jarek, my chauffer, will be waiting to take us to Thunder Bay, where you three will be safe." He looked at the main wounded one. "You able to walk or do you need one of us to carry you?"

"You carried them to that building, didn't you? In Kaiju form? Then they already have their eyes on the building, and avoiding suspicion is a moot point. They know you're there, and they're watching for your escape route. The helicopter will draw their attention to the roof while you all slip out through the garage. I am trusting you and Mark to keep those witnesses safe, enough that I'm going to allow you to take them to Thunder Bay. I need you to trust me too. I know what I am doing." Heather responded before Mordecai hung up.

"As long as this place has an elevator..." Frank answered regarding his mobility. "Don't think I can handle stairs."

"I can support him while we move." George said.

"It looks like I have my orders." Mark yawned before standing at attention, "Sir, if need be, I can carry him. Due to the circumstances, it might be wise to take the fire escape. The quakes earlier are concerning, but if our pursuers ever catch wind of where we are, a well-placed hack could jam the elevator, making us sitting ducks."

Frank raised an eyebrow. "What kind of elevator are you used to? Never heard of one getting hacked before. And I ain't gonna make it down a fire escape."

"And that would definitely raise suspicion if they see someone using those things. Nobody uses a fire escape unless there's an emergency..."

[Hlaoroo]

Fenrir stood up in the water, feeling a little dazed from the fall. He waded away from the snake's head and made is way towards Ronan to see if the Kelpie needed any help.

His teeth affixed to the Leviathan's hide, Ronan is unable to react in time and finds himself dangling above the water for an instant before his stomach rises into his throat. His eyes widen and he does his best to brace himself for impact but nothing could have prepared him for the pain that blossomed up his flipper and deep in his shoulder as he's slammed into the water at an odd angle. He blacks out for a moment, coming to as he drifts away from the giant serpent, one flipper hanging limply. He spits out a chunk of the monster's flesh, grateful to at least have done some damage to the snake in return, and rolls onto his back, using his hind flippers and tail to push himself away from the fight.

Once he's clear he spits three clouds of steam into the air, grimaces as a wave jostles his injured arm, and then repeats the signal, hoping the helicopter will spot it and recognise it as an S.O.S. He then shifts back into sea otter form, hoping that it'll make him less visible to the snake and easier for the helicopter to winch him up, despite knowing that it'll also make it harder for the chopper to spot him. He sends up three more clouds of steam for good measure and then allows his natural buoyancy to just float him on his back, nursing his injured arm which is floating perpendicular to his body and twisted oddly at the shoulder and elbow, and doing his best not to cry out and draw attention every time he bobs over a wave. He hasn't noticed the approaching wolf, his eyes fixated on the aircraft above him.

In the fog of pain and shock it doesn't occur to him that he might have just blown his and thus his father's covers if any news choppers are still in the area and watching.

[DdeeStar]

Fenrir looks over to see Mist throw the flares. He lunged upwards, climbing the back of the snake's neck as fast as he could before letting go. He reached out and only just managed to catch the flares while holding onto the Leviathan with his legs. The wolf activated the flares, jumped up to the snake's head, and jammed them just under the Leviathan's left eye. He let go to get out of range of the incoming shock and attempting to slide down the snake's scales to slow his descent, but still hitting the water hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

The mage barely manages to stop himself from giving his command, arm caught mid-swing as he prepared to express the electric charge he held. Why this stranger was so determined to maintain contact with his target was beyond him. The growl of annoyance he gives matches the volume of the audible buzzing along his forearms.

Seeing the flares, Heather got briefly on a second channel to speak with the big guns. "Target has been painted. Squadrons one through four, prepare for assault. Batteries six and seven, prepare to open fire on my command!"

She switched to speaking into the KDF communicators. "Mist, Tigress, Fenrir, back away from the Leviathan! Minimum safe distance, five hundred meters! Someone grab Ronan too, he doesn't have a communicator."

Both Rakshasa make no secret of their displeasure. Mist's hands illustrate some muttered grievances before both palms ball into fists, the arcing electricity discharging quickly into the air. He holds his stance, glaring out into the water.

Tigress, still some ways from the target, draws a claw through the water to splash a wave vaguely in the direction of the snake with a grunt of exertion. This wave would travel nowhere near far enough, but releasing her frustration on something always helped her feel better. Her forced march slows to a stop. She was... probably far enough away? Fieldsight didn't lend itself to judgement of distances, but the water was deeper here than where she had been fighting, so she was probably fine. The last order had her a little lost, though. Scanning the area, the Life around her was mostly accounted for. Big snake. Mist on the shore, looking peeved. The lapdog running off. Some little sparks over to the side, not important. Though there was someone else here earlier, wasn't there? Probably just too far underwater for her to notice. Either way, someone should keep an eye on the snake, and she was nearby...

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Right ho," Julian said, taking off at a careful trot to try and avoid too much property damage. "Be there in no time!" He lowered his tone somewhat, and the volume so it was practically just a whisper. "You realise I have to kiss you when I shrink down, Tracie," he asked with a glint in his eye.

[Krytus The Dreamer]

Richter wouldn't pick up on any instability in the ground. There were tunnels running under the city, but nothing that threatened to cave in.

Tracie blinked at what Richter was saying, not having the slightest clue what he meant at first. She then giggled again when she finally got it. "Pisa, big guy. You're thinking of Pizza. Pisa is a place in Italy that's got an old tower that's famous for how it leans, and how it's still standing despite the fact that it's tilted." she explained.

"Anyway... lets get these medics to the train yard. If we take too long, then they might as well be driving there." she said.

"Oh really?" Richter lit up like a child still maintaining a whisper "I wanna go there! I hope when I get assigned a partner they can take me to wherever that is."

Motivated by a trip with a partner he doesn't have yet Richter lightly padded the ground and ramps made of earth rose from the ground up to his hand mimicking what Julian was doing and allowed a decent number of vehicles to drive onto his hand before carefully lifting it and following the two.

****************

Frank raised an eyebrow. "What kind of elevator are you used to? Never heard of one getting hacked before. And I ain't gonna make it down a fire escape."

"And that would definitely raise suspicion if they see someone using those things. Nobody uses a fire escape unless there's an emergency..."

"The KDF employs that kind of Elevator as a security measure at the base. Since this was a Hotel that took in guests of Sir Mordecai's prestige I assumed they had a similar security system in place just in case someone tired anything funny with their guests." Mark explained, "be that as it may, you make a sound argument, very well the elevator it is." Mark turned to address Mordecai "I specialize in marksmanship with my rifle and explosives. I can shore up the rear in case someone tries to follow us, unless you have any orders for me sir?"

[SeanWolf]

"The KDF employs that kind of Elevator as a security measure at the base. Since this was a Hotel that took in guests of Sir Mordecai's prestige I assumed they had a similar security system in place just in case someone tired anything funny with their guests." Mark explained, "be that as it may, you make a sound argument, very well the elevator it is." Mark turned to address Mordecai "I specialize in marksmanship with my rifle and explosives. I can shore up the rear in case someone tries to follow us, unless you have any orders for me sir?"

However, Mordecai wasn't paying attention. instead, he was on his phone and busy tapping away, looking calmer than a capybara. After a few minutes of texting, Mordecai placed his phone back in his shirt and went, to the confusion of everyone, went to his room, then came out a few seconds later with two briefcases. "There'll be no need for your weaponry, Mark." Mordecai said with a smile, walking over to a nearby bookshelf and pulling on one of the books. To everyone's surprise, the bookshelf opened up to reveal another elevator. He looked back at his guests. "The Black Pearl chain of hotels was founded by a group of Kaijus, two being Tikbalang, back in the 70's and have a special 'Kaiju Room' that has a hidden elevator that leads to specific areas in the hotel, in case of situations where a kaiju and/or their guests need to leave the area without raising suspicion. In this case, this will take us to the kitchen where our ride is waiting."

[CyberDragon]

His teeth affixed to the Leviathan's hide, Ronan is unable to react in time and finds himself dangling above the water for an instant before his stomach rises into his throat. His eyes widen and he does his best to brace himself for impact but nothing could have prepared him for the pain that blossomed up his flipper and deep in his shoulder as he's slammed into the water at an odd angle. He blacks out for a moment, coming to as he drifts away from the giant serpent, one flipper hanging limply. He spits out a chunk of the monster's flesh, grateful to at least have done some damage to the snake in return, and rolls onto his back, using his hind flippers and tail to push himself away from the fight.

Once he's clear he spits three clouds of steam into the air, grimaces as a wave jostles his injured arm, and then repeats the signal, hoping the helicopter will spot it and recognise it as an S.O.S. He then shifts back into sea otter form, hoping that it'll make him less visible to the snake and easier for the helicopter to winch him up, despite knowing that it'll also make it harder for the chopper to spot him. He sends up three more clouds of steam for good measure and then allows his natural buoyancy to just float him on his back, nursing his injured arm which is floating perpendicular to his body and twisted oddly at the shoulder and elbow, and doing his best not to cry out and draw attention every time he bobs over a wave. He hasn't noticed the approaching wolf, his eyes fixated on the aircraft above him.

In the fog of pain and shock it doesn't occur to him that he might have just blown his and thus his father's covers if any news choppers are still in the area and watching.

Fenrir saw the steam signal and waded his way through the water towards where he saw Ryan floating. By this time, other Choppers had started to enter the airspace. News choppers. Their attention was primarily on the Leviathan, but Fenrir did not want to take the risk of them seeing Ryan. He dipped his paws into the water, scooping the otter up into his hands and keeping them cupped so Ryan wouldn't fall out.

Meanwhile, Heather saw what happened, and saw the news chopper getting closer to where Ryan sent up the SOS. She ordered her Helicopter to turn and get closer to the news helicopter while she called in medevac. Once they were close enough, Heather got on the radio to contact the chopper's pilot and started shouting at the news crew to leave the area while Fenrir tried to get away from the scene with the injured kelpie.

Both Rakshasa make no secret of their displeasure. Mist's hands illustrate some muttered grievances before both palms ball into fists, the arcing electricity discharging quickly into the air. He holds his stance, glaring out into the water.

Tigress, still some ways from the target, draws a claw through the water to splash a wave vaguely in the direction of the snake with a grunt of exertion. This wave would travel nowhere near far enough, but releasing her frustration on something always helped her feel better. Her forced march slows to a stop. She was... probably far enough away? Fieldsight didn't lend itself to judgement of distances, but the water was deeper here than where she had been fighting, so she was probably fine. The last order had her a little lost, though. Scanning the area, the Life around her was mostly accounted for. Big snake. Mist on the shore, looking peeved. The lapdog running off. Some little sparks over to the side, not important. Though there was someone else here earlier, wasn't there? Probably just too far underwater for her to notice. Either way, someone should keep an eye on the snake, and she was nearby...

In between shouting at Helicopters and directing Fenrir, when Heather saw the flares ignite, she radioed in that the planned strike was clear for launch. At her command, a squadron of about a dozen fighter jets rocketed through the skies, and explosions of cannon fire could be heard from the old fortresses near Giant's Gate as artillery launched shells through the air. The jets launched air to surface missiles, targeting the heat of the flare. The missiles and shells streaked through the sky, converging together as they soared like arrows towards a bullseye.

The ordinance struck the Leviathan in the face, right under the eye, and exploded into a ball of fire and shrapnel which enveloped the enormous snake's head. The Leviathan shrieked in pain, reeling its head back out of the ball of fire. It's eyes were shut, and thick red fluid flowed down over the great blackened scar the explosion had left.

"Well, that did something!" Heather said before going on coms. "Mist, I saw you were preparing something. The Leviathan is reeling, and you've got a clear shot! Make it count!"

----------------------------------------

"Right ho," Julian said, taking off at a careful trot to try and avoid too much property damage. "Be there in no time!" He lowered his tone somewhat, and the volume so it was practically just a whisper. "You realise I have to kiss you when I shrink down, Tracie," he asked with a glint in his eye.

Tracie smiled at this. "Well, why wait until you shrink? I'm pretty sure 'bigger is better' applies to kisses too!"

"Oh really?" Richter lit up like a child still maintaining a whisper "I wanna go there! I hope when I get assigned a partner they can take me to wherever that is."

Motivated by a trip with a partner he doesn't have yet Richter lightly padded the ground and ramps made of earth rose from the ground up to his hand mimicking what Julian was doing and allowed a decent number of vehicles to drive onto his hand before carefully lifting it and following the two.

"Maybe it'll happen! I'm guessing we're going to be pretty busy with this job, but who knows!" Traci commented as they got closer to the railyard.

By the time they got there, the paramedics were administering treatment to some of the survivors, applying the green fire to their chests and heads. A few of the survivors were already recovered, and speaking with the police on the scene. The ambulances already there were loading some of the more severe cases, driving off to take them to the hospital.

The retired KDF Colonel sighed and shook his head, then turned to address the incoming Kaiju. "Just set the ambulances down over here. I think that will do it for now. Cerb says we've found them all."

----------------------------------------

However, Mordecai wasn't paying attention. instead, he was on his phone and busy tapping away, looking calmer than a capybara. After a few minutes of texting, Mordecai placed his phone back in his shirt and went, to the confusion of everyone, went to his room, then came out a few seconds later with two briefcases. "There'll be no need for your weaponry, Mark." Mordecai said with a smile, walking over to a nearby bookshelf and pulling on one of the books. To everyone's surprise, the bookshelf opened up to reveal another elevator. He looked back at his guests. "The Black Pearl chain of hotels was founded by a group of Kaijus, two being Tikbalang, back in the 70's and have a special 'Kaiju Room' that has a hidden elevator that leads to specific areas in the hotel, in case of situations where a kaiju and/or their guests need to leave the area without raising suspicion. In this case, this will take us to the kitchen where our ride is waiting."

The fishermen blinked at this revelation and looked at each other. Then, they followed Mordecai into the elevator, Captain Frank leaning on George for support.

[DdeeStar]

In between shouting at Helicopters and directing Fenrir, when Heather saw the flares ignite, she radioed in that the planned strike was clear for launch. At her command, a squadron of about a dozen fighter jets rocketed through the skies, and explosions of cannon fire could be heard from the old fortresses near Giant's Gate as artillery launched shells through the air. The jets launched air to surface missiles, targeting the heat of the flare. The missiles and shells streaked through the sky, converging together as they soared like arrows towards a bullseye.

The ordinance struck the Leviathan in the face, right under the eye, and exploded into a ball of fire and shrapnel which enveloped the enormous snake's head. The Leviathan shrieked in pain, reeling its head back out of the ball of fire. It's eyes were shut, and thick red fluid flowed down over the great blackened scar the explosion had left.

"Well, that did something!" Heather said before going on coms. "Mist, I saw you were preparing something. The Leviathan is reeling, and you've got a clear shot! Make it count!"

A fist raises skyward, draws back into his stance across his chest, then flies outstretched towards the smoking snake. The electricity sparking out along his arms reaches a blinding brightness as it channels from his whole body, shadows steaming from the mage's coat and swirling into small streams of lightning to join the momentary mass. For only the briefest of moments, Mist is illuminated by the charge, then with a cry of "Vidyut!" the two fields are connected. The massive positive charge on his hand acknowledges the enforced negative charge around the snake's head with its own echoing BOOM, splitting the air between them with the deluge of electrons. The spell's lightning shows odd behavior for the form it takes, failing to travel far down the target and instead creating a short-lived tesla of excess electric energy in the minimal quantities of empty air in the field that the snake's head doesn't occupy.

The 'spell' ends far faster than the gesture and cry that call it, leaving Mist breathless and stumbling to recover himself. He continues to vent off the shadowy smoke, having called it at a power requiring more energy than was at hand - despite only being roughly half-strength for the spell, he'd shed far too little strength to have the reservoir needed even with the twin fields overlapping. Still, the excited grin and wide eyes visible past his labored breathing and slumped posture made it clear that not only was he still physically able but delighted for having landed such a hit.
============
Completely inaudible behind the deafening explosions are the jeers and cheers of the warrior, tearing her claws through the water as though the insults and whooping were somehow empowering the missiles. It breaks into raucous laughter as the expressed Power streaks across her vision, briefly adding to the Heat and Life radiating from the site of the barrage.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"It wouldn't do to swallow you, beautiful," Julian told his shoulder surfer as they made their way to the drop off point. He knelt carefully to release the rescue vehicles. He turned his head to face to Tracie to give her the gentlest kiss he'd ever given anyone. It was so careful he could barely feel it. "That's not so good," he told her, before helping her down with a hand so he could shrink down and embrace her properly. "That's much better," he told her.

[Hlaoroo]

Fenrir saw the steam signal and waded his way through the water towards where he saw Ryan floating. By this time, other Choppers had started to enter the airspace. News choppers. Their attention was primarily on the Leviathan, but Fenrir did not want to take the risk of them seeing Ryan. He dipped his paws into the water, scooping the otter up into his hands and keeping them cupped so Ryan wouldn't fall out.

Meanwhile, Heather saw what happened, and saw the news chopper getting closer to where Ryan sent up the SOS. She ordered her Helicopter to turn and get closer to the news helicopter while she called in medevac. Once they were close enough, Heather got on the radio to contact the chopper's pilot and started shouting at the news crew to leave the area while Fenrir tried to get away from the scene with the injured kelpie.

Ryan tenses as the giant shadow blots the sun but relaxes as he realises it's the wolf and not the Leviathan. He allows the paws to scoop him up and carry him away and idly wonders if he'll be treated by Ted or someone else.

[Krytus The Dreamer]

"Maybe it'll happen! I'm guessing we're going to be pretty busy with this job, but who knows!" Traci commented as they got closer to the railyard.

"ooh now I'm excited." Richter beamed a goofy smile trying not to rain drool on the vehicles in his hands.

The retired KDF Colonel sighed and shook his head, then turned to address the incoming Kaiju. "Just set the ambulances down over here. I think that will do it for now. Cerb says we've found them all."

Once again Richter bent down to lay his hand on the ground and created a stone ramp to help the vehicles down gently, and as soon as they were gone Richter looked around somewhat unsure of what to do next.

"Now what?" Richter asked the man, "I think I remember there was another one besides the giant walking skeleton? Do we just go over there too?"

******

The fishermen blinked at this revelation and looked at each other. Then, they followed Mordecai into the elevator, Captain Frank leaning on George for support.

As the secret elevator hummed its way to the ground floor Mark made sure his equipment was in working order. Yet still something was bugging him.

"If you don't mind I would like to ask you, how did you get in contact with your employers? Did they reach out to you? Or did you seek them out? What method of communication did you use?" Mark asked breaking the silence. "I know the KDF will ask these same questions of you when you're in a safe place but just in case something happens I would like to know now. I am by no means saying I won't protect you any less when I know this information. I just need assurance."

[CyberDragon]

A fist raises skyward, draws back into his stance across his chest, then flies outstretched towards the smoking snake. The electricity sparking out along his arms reaches a blinding brightness as it channels from his whole body, shadows steaming from the mage's coat and swirling into small streams of lightning to join the momentary mass. For only the briefest of moments, Mist is illuminated by the charge, then with a cry of "Vidyut!" the two fields are connected. The massive positive charge on his hand acknowledges the enforced negative charge around the snake's head with its own echoing BOOM, splitting the air between them with the deluge of electrons. The spell's lightning shows odd behavior for the form it takes, failing to travel far down the target and instead creating a short-lived tesla of excess electric energy in the minimal quantities of empty air in the field that the snake's head doesn't occupy.

The 'spell' ends far faster than the gesture and cry that call it, leaving Mist breathless and stumbling to recover himself. He continues to vent off the shadowy smoke, having called it at a power requiring more energy than was at hand - despite only being roughly half-strength for the spell, he'd shed far too little strength to have the reservoir needed even with the twin fields overlapping. Still, the excited grin and wide eyes visible past his labored breathing and slumped posture made it clear that not only was he still physically able but delighted for having landed such a hit.
============
Completely inaudible behind the deafening explosions are the jeers and cheers of the warrior, tearing her claws through the water as though the insults and whooping were somehow empowering the missiles. It breaks into raucous laughter as the expressed Power streaks across her vision, briefly adding to the Heat and Life radiating from the site of the barrage.

SKREEEEEEEAAAACH!!!!

The Leviathan wailed and shrieked, convulsing as the electricity struck it's head with the force of a lightning bolt. It lifted further out of the water, then fell back into the sea with a mighty CRASH!

It's body twisted and writhed, nearly coiling itself into knots as it turned tail away from shore, evidently deciding whatever it was after wasn't worth the pain or energy. It dove beneath the waves, it's shadow rapidly shrinking until it could not be seen any longer.

"Attention all KDF units..." Heather said over comms. "The Leviathan has retreated. I repeat, the Leviathan has retreated."

Ryan tenses as the giant shadow blots the sun but relaxes as he realises it's the wolf and not the Leviathan. He allows the paws to scoop him up and carry him away and idly wonders if he'll be treated by Ted or someone else.

Fenrir waded through the water towards the boat house Mark and Mordecai were in before. It was in rough shape, having been hammered by the waves from the fight, but it was mostly standing and it would obstruct the view of the news helicopter, so the wolf carried Ryan to it. He shrunk down and entered, setting Ryan down on a workbench.

"Got wounded on my position, Colonel! Boathouse, closest to the fight." Fenrir called out on comms.

"Acknowledged. Calling Major Lightfoot." Heather said before establishing a secure line to HQ. Once she had the Major on the line, she spoke up. "Major, the Leviathan has retreated, but we've got wounded. It's Ronan. Not sure what his injuries are."

--------------------------------

"It wouldn't do to swallow you, beautiful," Julian told his shoulder surfer as they made their way to the drop off point. He knelt carefully to release the rescue vehicles. He turned his head to face to Tracie to give her the gentlest kiss he'd ever given anyone. It was so careful he could barely feel it. "That's not so good," he told her, before helping her down with a hand so he could shrink down and embrace her properly. "That's much better," he told her.

Tracie closed her eyes as Julian turned his head to kiss her. She placed a hand on his lower lip, leaning slightly into the kiss. He was so big, powerful enough to shake the earth by walking, strong enough to carry busses and trucks like toys, and yet he was so gentle. He was so careful with her. She smiled, and sweetly kissed him back.

She reluctantly climbed into his hand and let herself be lowered. When he was back to normal size, she embraced him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "I know you wouldn't swallow me, or hurt me. I've seen how you are. You're a literal gentle giant." she smiled. "But yeah. Probably best start small, so to speak."

Once again Richter bent down to lay his hand on the ground and created a stone ramp to help the vehicles down gently, and as soon as they were gone Richter looked around somewhat unsure of what to do next.

"Now what?" Richter asked the man, "I think I remember there was another one besides the giant walking skeleton? Do we just go over there too?"

"The Leviathan." the former Colonel nodded. "Got word from Colonel Heather that it's retreated. Our work is done here. We'll need to regroup at the KDF base for a debriefing." he said. He then looked out to the East, a tired expression on his face as billowing smoke rose from the forests in the mountains. He sighed. "Every time Pestilence shows up. Air quality's going to suck for a few days, but it's better than a plague..."

"Is... Is that a forest fire causing that?" Tracie asked.

"Yeah... Wildfire living up to his name. Pestilence spreads disease wherever it goes. If Wildfire doesn't burn away that disease, a lot of people could get sick."

--------------------------------

As the secret elevator hummed its way to the ground floor Mark made sure his equipment was in working order. Yet still something was bugging him.

"If you don't mind I would like to ask you, how did you get in contact with your employers? Did they reach out to you? Or did you seek them out? What method of communication did you use?" Mark asked breaking the silence. "I know the KDF will ask these same questions of you when you're in a safe place but just in case something happens I would like to know now. I am by no means saying I won't protect you any less when I know this information. I just need assurance."

"It was one of those... What do you call them... 'Dead Drop' things? Like, they left instructions in a locker on Pier 29..." Frank answered. "I'll say more once we're in the car..."

[DdeeStar]

SKREEEEEEEAAAACH!!!!

The Leviathan wailed and shrieked, convulsing as the electricity struck it's head with the force of a lightning bolt. It lifted further out of the water, then fell back into the sea with a mighty CRASH!

It's body twisted and writhed, nearly coiling itself into knots as it turned tail away from shore, evidently deciding whatever it was after wasn't worth the pain or energy. It dove beneath the waves, it's shadow rapidly shrinking until it could not be seen any longer.

"Attention all KDF units..." Heather said over comms. "The Leviathan has retreated. I repeat, the Leviathan has retreated."

The warrior's uncouth parting gesture is held high at the end of both arms, her jubilation finally ending when the massive wave from the Leviathan's fall slams her off her feet. Unconcerned, she rises again, shaking quickly to remove the worst of the water weight. Her head turns towards the shore, face still shining with post-combat excitement, and though she struggles to make out the scene from such distance she already knows where she's going - back where the lightning came from. She starts to push through the deeper water again, forcing her way back towards Mist.

Mist, managing to regain some semblance of an upright stance, begins to cloak himself in shadow. Pouring from the wound, instead of dissipating to smoke, it grows across him until he's nothing but darkness and the bright red of his eyes. Both begin to fade, the glowing eyes dimming and the shadow covering shredding into the air to slowly uncover his diminutive form a considerable distance below. Once his focus finally returns, his senses reacquainted with the new perspective, he falls backward, lying tired on the shore as he tries to find the helicopter above and get some sense of whether he's actually done. He was worn, no doubt, but far from unable. If this was how the day started, there was a good chance he wouldn't be resting long.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Julian sighed, happy in the moment despite everything else. "I'm thankful for you, you know, Tracie," he said, slipping his hand into hers as they made for their next location. "The only thing I could think of worse than..." he chuckled, "being seen by everyone... would be hiding who I am from the most important person in my life." He glanced at her quickly, then looked back to where they were heading. "Which has been you for weeks."

[SeanWolf]

"It was one of those... What do you call them... 'Dead Drop' things? Like, they left instructions in a locker on Pier 29..." Frank answered. "I'll say more once we're in the car..."

The elevator soon came to a slow stop, the doors opening to the hotel's kitchen, where the cooks were busy prepping for the dinner rush later in the day (Kaiju attack or not). One of the chefs looked up from his duties as the doors (or, rather, wall) opened up, revealing Mayor Mordecai of Thunder Bay and those travelling with him, and casually motioned to a nearby chef to 'check the crates for any golden delicious apples'. The other chef, a mid-30's female, nodded and 'kaiju signed' at Mordecai to follow, Mordecai 'kaiju signing' back and motioning for the others to follow close as she lead them outside to the loading area, which was connected to the kitchen. Outside, a van marked 'Thunder Bay Sweet Acres' was parked, it's side opened as two dock workers unloaded crates of apples and placed them on a nearby trolley. One of the workers, seeing Mordecai, went and opened the back up, pulling out two crates and taking them to the trolley.

"Get in." He told the fishermen and Mark, pointing to the back of the van, helping the wounded one in carefully. Once they were in, Mordecai made his way to the front of the van as a worker placed two empty crates in the back and closed the back up as another closed up the side, with Mordecai shaking his hand before getting into the passenger side. Driving the van was Jarek who looked over at Mordecai. "Good harvest this year, huh?" Jarek said as he started the van up. Mordecai nodded. "Indeed. Just watch out for bumps in the road. We don't need any more bruised apples." With a nod and a smile, Jarek drove the van out of the lot and onto the streets, taking a different route then the one he took coming in.

[Hlaoroo]

Lightfoot swears, then swears again for good measure before regaining his composure and professionalism.
"Right. Ahhh. Right. Triage, Colonel. I got a bunch of critically ill people from Pestilence here I'm trying to keep from dying. Is there anyone with Ronan at the moment? I need you to find out the extent of his injuries. Can you get him evacced?" the hare requests.
"Get an IV into him, one twenty milligrams penicillin. Er, sorry, that last bit was for the nurse, not you, Colonel."

~~~~~~~~
"Thanks for the save, Fen." Ryan tells the wolf who he knows in passing.
"Did we win? I didn't see and I don't have coms." he asks, carefully nursing his arm and trying to minimise movement.

[CyberDragon]

The warrior's uncouth parting gesture is held high at the end of both arms, her jubilation finally ending when the massive wave from the Leviathan's fall slams her off her feet. Unconcerned, she rises again, shaking quickly to remove the worst of the water weight. Her head turns towards the shore, face still shining with post-combat excitement, and though she struggles to make out the scene from such distance she already knows where she's going - back where the lightning came from. She starts to push through the deeper water again, forcing her way back towards Mist.

Mist, managing to regain some semblance of an upright stance, begins to cloak himself in shadow. Pouring from the wound, instead of dissipating to smoke, it grows across him until he's nothing but darkness and the bright red of his eyes. Both begin to fade, the glowing eyes dimming and the shadow covering shredding into the air to slowly uncover his diminutive form a considerable distance below. Once his focus finally returns, his senses reacquainted with the new perspective, he falls backward, lying tired on the shore as he tries to find the helicopter above and get some sense of whether he's actually done. He was worn, no doubt, but far from unable. If this was how the day started, there was a good chance he wouldn't be resting long.

Heather continued on comms. "Mist, Tigress, regroup with Fenrir at the old boathouse. Keep your faces covered, that press chopper is still circling like a vulture"

She turned to the pilot and instructed him to set the helicopter down as close to the boathouse as he could.

Lightfoot swears, then swears again for good measure before regaining his composure and professionalism.
"Right. Ahhh. Right. Triage, Colonel. I got a bunch of critically ill people from Pestilence here I'm trying to keep from dying. Is there anyone with Ronan at the moment? I need you to find out the extent of his injuries. Can you get him evacced?" the hare requests.
"Get an IV into him, one twenty milligrams penicillin. Er, sorry, that last bit was for the nurse, not you, Colonel."

~~~~~~~~
"Thanks for the save, Fen." Ryan tells the wolf who he knows in passing.
"Did we win? I didn't see and I don't have coms." he asks, carefully nursing his arm and trying to minimise movement.

"Fenrir, what's Ronan's status?" Heather called over comms.

- - - - -

"Yeah, we won. Leviathan retreated. Fenrir answered Ryan.

"Awake and alert, but his arm's injured. Not a medic, but I don't think it's supposed to be sticking out like that." the wolf responded to the Colonel.

- - - - -

Heather relayed Ryan's status to Lightfoot. "Seems he's stable, but has an injured arm. Wildfire reported in, said he's almost done purging the forest. He also said he left some of his healing flame with the medics on scene where the sick victims were found. You can use that to stabilize them."

--------------------------------------

Julian sighed, happy in the moment despite everything else. "I'm thankful for you, you know, Tracie," he said, slipping his hand into hers as they made for their next location. "The only thing I could think of worse than..." he chuckled, "being seen by everyone... would be hiding who I am from the most important person in my life." He glanced at her quickly, then looked back to where they were heading. "Which has been you for weeks."

Tracie didn't say anything at first. Instead, she just hugged Julian tight. "I got really lucky when I met you." She said.

She was still enjoying the moment when the former Colonel stepped up and cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but it seems the crisis is, for the moment, over. Just got word from Heather that the Leviathan's been stopped. You three..." he said, pointing to Julian, Tracie, and Richter, "should head on back to the truck. I'll be there shortly. Just need to wrap things up around here."

--------------------------------------

The elevator soon came to a slow stop, the doors opening to the hotel's kitchen, where the cooks were busy prepping for the dinner rush later in the day (Kaiju attack or not). One of the chefs looked up from his duties as the doors (or, rather, wall) opened up, revealing Mayor Mordecai of Thunder Bay and those travelling with him, and casually motioned to a nearby chef to 'check the crates for any golden delicious apples'. The other chef, a mid-30's female, nodded and 'kaiju signed' at Mordecai to follow, Mordecai 'kaiju signing' back and motioning for the others to follow close as she lead them outside to the loading area, which was connected to the kitchen. Outside, a van marked 'Thunder Bay Sweet Acres' was parked, it's side opened as two dock workers unloaded crates of apples and placed them on a nearby trolley. One of the workers, seeing Mordecai, went and opened the back up, pulling out two crates and taking them to the trolley.

"Get in." He told the fishermen and Mark, pointing to the back of the van, helping the wounded one in carefully. Once they were in, Mordecai made his way to the front of the van as a worker placed two empty crates in the back and closed the back up as another closed up the side, with Mordecai shaking his hand before getting into the passenger side. Driving the van was Jarek who looked over at Mordecai. "Good harvest this year, huh?" Jarek said as he started the van up. Mordecai nodded. "Indeed. Just watch out for bumps in the road. We don't need any more bruised apples." With a nod and a smile, Jarek drove the van out of the lot and onto the streets, taking a different route then the one he took coming in.

The fishermen complied, climbing into the back of the van with Mark. Once they were settled in and the van was on it's way, Frank spoke up again. "Locker 216." he said, referring to the locker being used for the dead drop. "That's where we were picking up the instructions, and where we were supposed to pick up payment."

[DdeeStar]

Heather continued on comms. "Mist, Tigress, regroup with Fenrir at the old boathouse. Keep your faces covered, that press chopper is still circling like a vulture"

She turned to the pilot and instructed him to set the helicopter down as close to the boathouse as he could.

Mist's eyes shoot wide open, the realization like ice along his skin. Immediately he rolls onto his stomach, reaching back to pull the undershirt up over his head. It makes retaking his footing a little awkward, with one hand pinning the sleeve holes between his ears so it'll stay up across his face, but he's still on his feet before the quaking reaches its worst. His whole torso contorts to peer upward, somewhat, nowhere near high enough to face his sky-scraping mother.

"Mist!" The booming voice echoes down, getting a (relatively) minuscule wave in response. Her bright grin is far beyond his sight, but it's well-communicated by her tone. A short, excited growl precedes her next statement. "Ah, that felt GREAT! I feel great!"

The cat's body turns to search the sky, trying to figure out where the outsiders are. He needed to get her moving, but shouting their next move probably wasn't great if there were cameras aiming to follow them. "Mom, we need to - let's follow the Colonel's helicopter! Can you see it?"

One of her massive ears twitch. "Yeah, yeah, I heard her. Do you need a hand?"

"Well, it'd probably be faster..." He waits for a moment, gradually realizing the problem. "Yeah!"

It wasn't exactly a common occurrence between the two. Generally, Tigress tried to avoid staying Shifted any time Mist had Shifted down in training, if for no other reason than his size. As such, the initial situating of her son is no quick affair, but with the speed she traveled at, the time was quickly made up. Tigress carefully kneels a reasonable distance back from the boathouse, retrieving Mist and putting him down on the ground so he could attend the landing.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"I hope the rest are OK," Julian said, his tail wagging happily whilst he held Tracie's hand on the way to the truck. "Particularly Mist And Tigress. They probably got right in that things path," he added wryly, thinking Tigress would have enjoyed that.

[Hlaoroo]

"He did but we've used it all. Can you send him back my way to top us up when he's done in the forest, please? My powers don't work on infections, only injuries. Speaking of, can you give me an ETA on Ronan? I want to be ready when he arrives."

~~~~~~~~
"Arm and shoulder." Ryan tells Fen, eavesdropping on the half of the conversation he can hear.
"I think my collarbone is broken too, not just the arm. Hurts like [beep] and I can't move the shoulder at all, let alone the arm. Any word on Pestilence, by the way? Ted'll be swamped with infections." he asks when it seems like there's a break in the conversation. He's hiding the pain well, and the water in his fur helps to obscure his sweating, but an observant onlooker would see the tautness of the skin around Ryan's eyes and the tense set of his jaw.

[Krytus The Dreamer]

Julian sighed, happy in the moment despite everything else. "I'm thankful for you, you know, Tracie," he said, slipping his hand into hers as they made for their next location. "The only thing I could think of worse than..." he chuckled, "being seen by everyone... would be hiding who I am from the most important person in my life." He glanced at her quickly, then looked back to where they were heading. "Which has been you for weeks."

Tracie didn't say anything at first. Instead, she just hugged Julian tight. "I got really lucky when I met you." She said.

She was still enjoying the moment when the former Colonel stepped up and cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but it seems the crisis is, for the moment, over. Just got word from Heather that the Leviathan's been stopped. You three..." he said, pointing to Julian, Tracie, and Richter, "should head on back to the truck. I'll be there shortly. Just need to wrap things up around here."

"Okay!" Richter responded happily, "All the smallfolk seem to like their moving boxes but I've never actually gotten the chance to ride one yet! Looks exciting." Richters stomach gave a grumble "Oh when are we gonna eat by the way? Making a lake of lava really works up an appetite!"

**************************************

The elevator soon came to a slow stop, the doors opening to the hotel's kitchen, where the cooks were busy prepping for the dinner rush later in the day (Kaiju attack or not). One of the chefs looked up from his duties as the doors (or, rather, wall) opened up, revealing Mayor Mordecai of Thunder Bay and those travelling with him, and casually motioned to a nearby chef to 'check the crates for any golden delicious apples'. The other chef, a mid-30's female, nodded and 'kaiju signed' at Mordecai to follow, Mordecai 'kaiju signing' back and motioning for the others to follow close as she lead them outside to the loading area, which was connected to the kitchen. Outside, a van marked 'Thunder Bay Sweet Acres' was parked, it's side opened as two dock workers unloaded crates of apples and placed them on a nearby trolley. One of the workers, seeing Mordecai, went and opened the back up, pulling out two crates and taking them to the trolley.

"Get in." He told the fishermen and Mark, pointing to the back of the van, helping the wounded one in carefully. Once they were in, Mordecai made his way to the front of the van as a worker placed two empty crates in the back and closed the back up as another closed up the side, with Mordecai shaking his hand before getting into the passenger side. Driving the van was Jarek who looked over at Mordecai. "Good harvest this year, huh?" Jarek said as he started the van up. Mordecai nodded. "Indeed. Just watch out for bumps in the road. We don't need any more bruised apples." With a nod and a smile, Jarek drove the van out of the lot and onto the streets, taking a different route then the one he took coming in.

The fishermen complied, climbing into the back of the van with Mark. Once they were settled in and the van was on it's way, Frank spoke up again. "Locker 216." he said, referring to the locker being used for the dead drop. "That's where we were picking up the instructions, and where we were supposed to pick up payment."

(Soft reminder that Mark was renamed Kite because his name suddenly didn't fit)
Kite hopped in the van alongside the fishermen only after taking a quick survey of his surroundings. He made sure he was next to the exit not to prioritize his own safety but the other passengers around him.

"If you don't mind I'll update the colonel on our situation. I'm pretty sure she'd like a chance to interrogate these fishermen personally." Kite lowered his head out of habit before reaching to his ear to activate his com line to the colonel "Colonel, I'm with Mayor Mordecai, we're en route to Thunder Bay, I can tell you more but I'd er on the side of caution just in case someone is listening. It appears that someone is invested heavily in these men's silence."

[SeanWolf]

The elevator soon came to a slow stop, the doors opening to the hotel's kitchen, where the cooks were busy prepping for the dinner rush later in the day (Kaiju attack or not). One of the chefs looked up from his duties as the doors (or, rather, wall) opened up, revealing Mayor Mordecai of Thunder Bay and those travelling with him, and casually motioned to a nearby chef to 'check the crates for any golden delicious apples'. The other chef, a mid-30's female, nodded and 'kaiju signed' at Mordecai to follow, Mordecai 'kaiju signing' back and motioning for the others to follow close as she lead them outside to the loading area, which was connected to the kitchen. Outside, a van marked 'Thunder Bay Sweet Acres' was parked, it's side opened as two dock workers unloaded crates of apples and placed them on a nearby trolley. One of the workers, seeing Mordecai, went and opened the back up, pulling out two crates and taking them to the trolley.

"Get in." He told the fishermen and Mark, pointing to the back of the van, helping the wounded one in carefully. Once they were in, Mordecai made his way to the front of the van as a worker placed two empty crates in the back and closed the back up as another closed up the side, with Mordecai shaking his hand before getting into the passenger side. Driving the van was Jarek who looked over at Mordecai. "Good harvest this year, huh?" Jarek said as he started the van up. Mordecai nodded. "Indeed. Just watch out for bumps in the road. We don't need any more bruised apples." With a nod and a smile, Jarek drove the van out of the lot and onto the streets, taking a different route then the one he took coming in.

The fishermen complied, climbing into the back of the van with Mark. Once they were settled in and the van was on it's way, Frank spoke up again. "Locker 216." he said, referring to the locker being used for the dead drop. "That's where we were picking up the instructions, and where we were supposed to pick up payment."

(Soft reminder that Mark was renamed Kite because his name suddenly didn't fit)
Kite hopped in the van alongside the fishermen only after taking a quick survey of his surroundings. He made sure he was next to the exit not to prioritize his own safety but the other passengers around him.

"If you don't mind I'll update the colonel on our situation. I'm pretty sure she'd like a chance to interrogate these fishermen personally." Kite lowered his head out of habit before reaching to his ear to activate his com line to the colonel "Colonel, I'm with Mayor Mordecai, we're en route to Thunder Bay, I can tell you more but I'd er on the side of caution just in case someone is listening. It appears that someone is invested heavily in these men's silence."

Up front, Mordecai watched their surroundings as Jarek continued on the path out of Crater City, making sure to take different routes and such. Wasn't long before they made it out of the city and was on the road to Thunder Bay, much to Mordecai's delight.

"From the look in your eyes, you're happy to be out of there, I take it?" Jarek inquired, seeing the smile on his mayor's face. Mordecai chuckled then sighed. "Crater City's not a bad city, don't get me wrong; it just has some problems...especially regarding the kaiju there."

"What do you mean by that?" Jarek asked.

"Well and don't get me wrong, there are some good Kaiju's in the city...just some would rather hold dear their showju ways instead of remembering why they were put on this planet in the first place." Earlier in the day, he had told Kite that he holds to his old ways cause of his grandparents and that he does want to evolve past it, but, truth be told? He really does agree with them. "It's a wonder the city's still standing with how many showju's they have." Jarek looked at his mayor. He respected his opinions and the Tikbalang ways, but even he knew that, sometimes, they needed to lighten up. But, not wanting to get into an argument with his mayor, especially with the current situation, Jarek simply kept his comments to himself and continued driving towards Thunder Bay.
------------------------------------------------
"Welcome to Thunder Bay." Mordecai opened the van doors and helped everyone out as a grizzly bear in an police officer's uniform approached. "Lt. Landon, escort the fishermen and Kite to my office; Code Cerberus. I'll be there in a few minutes." Landon nodded and began ushering the group to the mayor's office. "Oh, and get a medical team to look at Frank there. He took a shot from a sniper a while ago."

[CyberDragon]

Mist's eyes shoot wide open, the realization like ice along his skin. Immediately he rolls onto his stomach, reaching back to pull the undershirt up over his head. It makes retaking his footing a little awkward, with one hand pinning the sleeve holes between his ears so it'll stay up across his face, but he's still on his feet before the quaking reaches its worst. His whole torso contorts to peer upward, somewhat, nowhere near high enough to face his sky-scraping mother.

"Mist!" The booming voice echoes down, getting a (relatively) minuscule wave in response. Her bright grin is far beyond his sight, but it's well-communicated by her tone. A short, excited growl precedes her next statement. "Ah, that felt GREAT! I feel great!"

The cat's body turns to search the sky, trying to figure out where the outsiders are. He needed to get her moving, but shouting their next move probably wasn't great if there were cameras aiming to follow them. "Mom, we need to - let's follow the Colonel's helicopter! Can you see it?"

One of her massive ears twitch. "Yeah, yeah, I heard her. Do you need a hand?"

"Well, it'd probably be faster..." He waits for a moment, gradually realizing the problem. "Yeah!"

It wasn't exactly a common occurrence between the two. Generally, Tigress tried to avoid staying Shifted any time Mist had Shifted down in training, if for no other reason than his size. As such, the initial situating of her son is no quick affair, but with the speed she traveled at, the time was quickly made up. Tigress carefully kneels a reasonable distance back from the boathouse, retrieving Mist and putting him down on the ground so he could attend the landing.

The Helicopter landed near the boathouse and Heather climbed out. She shouted further instructions to the driver that were difficult for others to hear over the sound of the chopper's blades. After a moment, the Helicopter took off again and Heather ran into the boathouse.

"Tigress, unless you can treat a serious injury, it might be best to stay there in full form for now. Stand watch, keep that news chopper from getting too close. Don't threaten or swipe at them or make any hostile movements, but just stand between them and the boathouse and glare intimidatingly at them if they come any closer."

"He did but we've used it all. Can you send him back my way to top us up when he's done in the forest, please? My powers don't work on infections, only injuries. Speaking of, can you give me an ETA on Ronan? I want to be ready when he arrives."

~~~~~~~~
"Arm and shoulder." Ryan tells Fen, eavesdropping on the half of the conversation he can hear.
"I think my collarbone is broken too, not just the arm. Hurts like [beep] and I can't move the shoulder at all, let alone the arm. Any word on Pestilence, by the way? Ted'll be swamped with infections." he asks when it seems like there's a break in the conversation. He's hiding the pain well, and the water in his fur helps to obscure his sweating, but an observant onlooker would see the tautness of the skin around Ryan's eyes and the tense set of his jaw.

After addressing the pilot, Mist, and Tigress, Heather moved into the boathouse to check on Fenrir and Ronan while responding to Lightfoot. "I'll call him and see if he's done yet."

Heather got off the line with Lightfoot and reached out to Wildfire.

"Wildfire, what's the status on the forest?"

"Fire's started and the disease is being purged, but the forest is tinder dry. I need to keep on top of this blaze or it'll rage out of control."

"I'm sending someone your way who can help. Once they get there, move out and assist Lightfoot with the sick."

"Copy that."

Heather got off of the line, then called one more person.

"Nimbus, report to Wildfire for fire control. You'll be relieving him."

"Yes ma'am." responded a voice on the other end of the line.

Finally, Heather got back on with Lightfoot. "Wildfire should be on his way soon. Ronan says he believes his collarbone is broken and he can't move his shoulder. We are not equipped to move him. I'll call medevac, but odds are you'd get here faster than they would. The infections take priority, but best get down here as soon as they're stable."

Heather gets off of the radio to answer Ryan. "Pestilence is gone. That beast never stays dead, but it'll at least be down long enough for us to haul it's bones into some kind of containment."

--------------------

"I hope the rest are OK," Julian said, his t
ail wagging happily whilst he held Tracie's hand on the way to the truck. "Particularly Mist And Tigress. They probably got right in that things path," he added wryly, thinking Tigress would have enjoyed that.

"Heard we've got one injury on our end." the Ex-Colonel explained. "Nothing life-threatening, though, thank heaven."

He opened the door for Julian and Tracie in the back seat, then opened the passenger door for Richter.

"Okay!" Richter responded happily, "All the smallfolk seem to like their moving boxes but I've never actually gotten the chance to ride one yet! Looks exciting." Richters stomach gave a grumble "Oh when are we gonna eat by the way? Making a lake of lava really works up an appetite!"

"First thing's first, we need to get back to Headquarters." the Ex-Colonel said. "Then you can come visit me at the diner. Meal's on the house today, given all you three have helped with."

The Diner owner started the car and, once everyone was buckled up, he pulled away and started the drive back to base.

"Name's Robert, by the way."

--------------------

"Welcome to Thunder Bay." Mordecai opened the van doors and helped everyone out as a grizzly bear in an police officer's uniform approached. "Lt. Landon, escort the fishermen and Kite to my office; Code Cerberus. I'll be there in a few minutes." Landon nodded and began ushering the group to the mayor's office. "Oh, and get a medical team to look at Frank there. He took a shot from a sniper a while ago."

The fishermen followed the bear as instructed. All except for Frank, who was being tended to by paramedics.

[DdeeStar]

"Tigress, unless you can treat a serious injury, it might be best to stay there in full form for now. Stand watch, keep that news chopper from getting too close. Don't threaten or swipe at them or make any hostile movements, but just stand between them and the boathouse and glare intimidatingly at them if they come any closer."

WIth a lax salute, the lumbering beast stands back at her full height. Theatrically she surveys the area, searching for her next target - then her eyes lock on the faint traces of Life in the air nearby. Her stance loosens without a threat nearby, spreading out closer to her new toy. Her tongue traces along the car-sized fangs of her open mouth before the jaws snap shut in an eager smile. The unbreaking stare and show of fangs her challenge to the outsiders, daring them to approach.

Her son's approach stops when the Colonel enters the boathouse, quickly accepting the new duty to guard the building. With a few quick steps, he stands against the wall, trying to shelter himself from the surveillance overhead without removing himself from the scene. He didn't know what to expect, but in a situation like this, it felt better to lie in wait than out in the open.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Julian allowed Tracie in first, following her in to seat himself and strap in. "Backseat," he said quietly, "Wonder what he thinks we'll get up to in here?" He smiled happily at her and put a hand on hers. The smile faded as he looked around. "I can understand why they fear us, you know?"

[Hlaoroo]

"Understood." Lightfoot says, signing off and getting back to work while waiting for the dragon to appear.

~~~~~~~~
"Yeah, get it somewhere airtight so it can't hurt anyone any more." Ryan concurs.
"You know, I'm not sure I should stay on this work bench. Ted might get ideas when he sees those saws and hammers." the sea otter jokes, trying to take his mind off his pain.

[CyberDragon]

WIth a lax salute, the lumbering beast stands back at her full height. Theatrically she surveys the area, searching for her next target - then her eyes lock on the faint traces of Life in the air nearby. Her stance loosens without a threat nearby, spreading out closer to her new toy. Her tongue traces along the car-sized fangs of her open mouth before the jaws snap shut in an eager smile. The unbreaking stare and show of fangs her challenge to the outsiders, daring them to approach.

Her son's approach stops when the Colonel enters the boathouse, quickly accepting the new duty to guard the building. With a few quick steps, he stands against the wall, trying to shelter himself from the surveillance overhead without removing himself from the scene. He didn't know what to expect, but in a situation like this, it felt better to lie in wait than out in the open.

Tigress's intimidating display doesn't seem to scare off the helicopter completely, but it does cause them to keep solidly out of arm's reach and too far away to get a clear shot on the boat house. Their attention instead seems to be more on Tigress herself as the chopper hovers around the area.

"Yeah, get it somewhere airtight so it can't hurt anyone any more." Ryan concurs.
"You know, I'm not sure I should stay on this work bench. Ted might get ideas when he sees those saws and hammers." the sea otter jokes, trying to take his mind off his pain.

"I know that's a joke, but we aren't equipped to move you." Heather said, keeping her comms at the ready. Soon, she got the message she was waiting for.

"Nimbus is here. I'll head to Lightfoot's location." Wildfire said over the radio.

Heather turned to look to the East where even over the mountains, she could see tall, dark clouds forming in the distance. "Confirmed. Once you restock the doctors with that miracle fire of yours, tell Lightfoot to get down here. We can't afford the risk of outing Ronan to the public, so I want our people taking care of him for now."

"Understood. On my way towards him now."

- - - - -

"Understood." Lightfoot says, signing off and getting back to work while waiting for the dragon to appear.

Only a few minutes later, Wildfire could be seen flying high through the air. He shifted down into his half-form, landing as an Anthropomorphic dragon before running in to meet with Lightfoot.

Once he got there, Wildfire approached the hare. "I'm here, Doctor. Where do you need me, and how much fire do you need?"

--------------------

Julian allowed Tracie in first, following her in to seat himself and strap in. "Backseat," he said quietly, "Wonder what he thinks we'll get up to in here?" He smiled happily at her and put a hand on hers. The smile faded as he looked around. "I can understand why they fear us, you know?"

"...Yeah, I understand it too. Most times, everything's calm. But it really only takes one time where it isn't." Tracie said, somberly.

The truck continued driving, pulling up onto Crater Rim Road and heading East. It wasn't long before rain started to splatter on the windows and tap on the roof of the truck. Robert started driving a little slower and turned the trucks lights on. "Sounds like Heather has Nimbus working on some fire control."

Tracie looked out of the window as they pulled off of Crater Rim and started winding their way up the mountains. "I always liked the rain myself. We don't get it too often around here, but watching it hit the window feels kind of cozy, you know?"

[Hlaoroo]

"I know that's a joke, but we aren't equipped to move you." Heather said, keeping her comms at the ready. Soon, she got the message she was waiting for.

"I know. I'm just talking to keep from screa- oh car- ahCHOO-AAAARGH! [expletive expletive expletive]! Aargh! That hurt! [expletive]!"

Wildfire would probably have heard that at the end of the Colonel's radio transmission.

"[expletive]. Er, sorry, Colonel. I should watch my mouth. Ladies present and all." Ryan jokes again, knowing that this will wind up Heather. The sneeze and previous exclamations had clearly been real though.

~~~~~~~~

Once he got there, Wildfire approached the hare. "I'm here, Doctor. Where do you need me, and how much fire do you need?"

"Thank goodness! I need all you can spare! A scout camping expedition didn't get out in time. Start here and work your way down this row." Lightfoot says, pointing out a row of kids with IVs and oxygen masks.
"They're in the worst shape, being kids. Do the rest of the adults after that." In other beds and lying on bedrolls, various soldiers and other members of the public are beginning to sit up, having recovered from their injuries and illnesses thanks to Lightfoot's powers and Wildfire's fire. These had been brought in prior to the camp being discovered, hence the shortage of fire.
"Oh, and if you can decontaminate me quickly then I'll get down to Ronan. I don't want to risk carrying Pestilence out of here with me. We'll need to start decontaminating everyone before we let them leave."

[Welsh Halfwit]

"I know," Julian said, testing out if this was the right time to handhold by handholding Tracie. "I think it's to do with the rhythm of the noise, yeah? Something comforting about it."

[DdeeStar]

Tigress's intimidating display doesn't seem to scare off the helicopter completely, but it does cause them to keep solidly out of arm's reach and too far away to get a clear shot on the boat house. Their attention instead seems to be more on Tigress herself as the chopper hovers around the area.

The metal bug flying before her only manages to keep Tigress's attention through the Colonel's command. Her locked gaze softens as she realizes they're far too cowardly to actually warrant her effort, but her assigned duty keeps her still. Idling, she locks her hands together and stretches them upwards, her smile genuine as she enjoys the (relatively) limitless airspace she can stretch in.

"I know. I'm just talking to keep from screa- oh car- ahCHOO-AAAARGH! [expletive expletive expletive]! Aargh! That hurt! [expletive]!"

Mist's landing is slightly slowed by the sudden doubling of his surface area. The effort he'd put into not eavesdropping but still keeping his ears ready had been rewarded by a newly-doubled heart rate, and it takes several moments of hyperawareness before he manages to convince himself no one's in danger. Well, he wasn't in danger. He quickly drags his hands down his exposed coat, trying to smooth it back out and make his lashing tail the only sign of his surprise. Whatever was happening inside... was probably better handled by those inside.

[SeanWolf]

The fishermen followed the bear as instructed. All except for Frank, who was being tended to by paramedics.

Taking Lt. Landon aside, Mordecai told the bear, "The fishermen here were the reason for the Leviathan attack on Crater City, but not of their own free will. Frank mentioned they were paid by someone on our way over here. I want you, once he's treated and attended to, to interview him and see if you can get any more info about the payment and drop, then relay it back to the Crater City KDF." Landon nodded, his radio relaying a message from another officer regarding needing extra blankets. "What about the others? You think they'll ask for them?" he asked as he looked at the others being led to Mordecai's office. Mordecai looked at them and nodded. "Most likely, but tell them that the group is now under the jurisdiction and protection of The Thunder Bay Kaiju Defense Force and that we'll handle any and all proceedings going forth." Landon nodded and, with a salute, headed for the nearby radio to make the call as Mordecai walked over to Frank as a jackalope nurse tended to him. "How you feeling, Frank?" he asked.

[CyberDragon]

"I know. I'm just talking to keep from screa- oh car- ahCHOO-AAAARGH! [expletive expletive expletive]! Aargh! That hurt! [expletive]!"

Wildfire would probably have heard that at the end of the Colonel's radio transmission.

"[expletive]. Er, sorry, Colonel. I should watch my mouth. Ladies present and all." Ryan jokes again, knowing that this will wind up Heather. The sneeze and previous exclamations had clearly been real though.

Heather didn't respond. There wasn't much productive she could say, so she kept her eyes open and checked out of the boathouse window. It was the same boat house that the sniper had the witnesses pinned down earlier. She could see the bullet holes in the window, and knew that the sniper could still be out there.

Of course, the sniper was aiming for the witnesses. They were likely gone by now, but she didn't want to take that chance.

The metal bug flying before her only manages to keep Tigress's attention through the Colonel's command. Her locked gaze softens as she realizes they're far too cowardly to actually warrant her effort, but her assigned duty keeps her still. Idling, she locks her hands together and stretches them upwards, her smile genuine as she enjoys the (relatively) limitless airspace she can stretch in.

- - - - -

Mist's landing is slightly slowed by the sudden doubling of his surface area. The effort he'd put into not eavesdropping but still keeping his ears ready had been rewarded by a newly-doubled heart rate, and it takes several moments of hyperawareness before he manages to convince himself no one's in danger. Well, he wasn't in danger. He quickly drags his hands down his exposed coat, trying to smooth it back out and make his lashing tail the only sign of his surprise. Whatever was happening inside... was probably better handled by those inside.

"Tigress, there was a sniper on the mountainside earlier, hiding out somewhere on the cliffs East of our position. Think you'd be able to pick up a scent or trail?"

--------------------

"Thank goodness! I need all you can spare! A scout camping expedition didn't get out in time. Start here and work your way down this row." Lightfoot says, pointing out a row of kids with IVs and oxygen masks.
"They're in the worst shape, being kids. Do the rest of the adults after that." In other beds and lying on bedrolls, various soldiers and other members of the public are beginning to sit up, having recovered from their injuries and illnesses thanks to Lightfoot's powers and Wildfire's fire. These had been brought in prior to the camp being discovered, hence the shortage of fire.
"Oh, and if you can decontaminate me quickly then I'll get down to Ronan. I don't want to risk carrying Pestilence out of here with me. We'll need to start decontaminating everyone before we let them leave."

Upon seeing the injured and sick children, Wildfire immediately sprung into action. He didn't even wait for the Major to finish before rushing over to their sides. He pulled back his sleeves, and green light pulsed down his arms through his veins all the way to his fingertips. The light ignited into flickering green flames that engulfed his hands. He pressed his flaming hands gently against the children's chests, allowing the purifying fire, pure life energy, to absorb directly through their skin into their heart and lungs. He brought the fire up and applied it to their heads, easing their pain and reducing their fevers.

Wildfire worked wordlessly down the line of children, starting with the most critical, when he came across one zoomorph child who wasn't breathing. He checked the child's pulse, but didn't find one. Immediately Wildfire ignited his hands again and placed one on the child's chest, pressing down about two inches 30 times. With each push, green fire rushed through his arm and into the child's chest. After the 30th compression, Wildfire tilted the child's head back and breathed two slow breaths, followed by a stream of the life-giving flame directly into his lungs.

The child coughed and sputtered, his eyes opening. He looked over to Wildfire, too weak to say anything. But he was alive.

Wildfire backed up, breathing a sigh of relief before turning to Lightfoot. He drew in a deep breath, then rather suddenly blasted the doctor with a vortex of green flame. It lasted only a moment.

"There... You're clean. I'll take care of the sick. Go on, get going." the dragon said before turning to the other medical professionals in the area.

"Alright everyone, bring me the worst cases. Anyone who's flatlined in the past 30 minutes, bring them here too!"

--------------------

"I know," Julian said, testing out if this was the right time to handhold by handholding Tracie. "I think it's to do with the rhythm of the noise, yeah? Something comforting about it."

Tracie took Julian's hand in hers and scooted closer to him in the seat. She leaned her head on his shoulders, her tail trying to curl around his as the drive continued.

It took nearly an hour for the truck to arrive at the gates of the KDF Base town at the top of the mountain. Rob pulled the truck into the diner parking lot, pulling into his reserved space. He grabbed an umbrella from the glove box and unlocked the doors before reaching back and passing the umbrella to Julian.

"No doubt once the Colonel's back, she'll want to speak to everyone. Until then, you three can hold up here." he said.

--------------------

Taking Lt. Landon aside, Mordecai told the bear, "The fishermen here were the reason for the Leviathan attack on Crater City, but not of their own free will. Frank mentioned they were paid by someone on our way over here. I want you, once he's treated and attended to, to interview him and see if you can get any more info about the payment and drop, then relay it back to the Crater City KDF." Landon nodded, his radio relaying a message from another officer regarding needing extra blankets. "What about the others? You think they'll ask for them?" he asked as he looked at the others being led to Mordecai's office. Mordecai looked at them and nodded. "Most likely, but tell them that the group is now under the jurisdiction and protection of The Thunder Bay Kaiju Defense Force and that we'll handle any and all proceedings going forth." Landon nodded and, with a salute, headed for the nearby radio to make the call as Mordecai walked over to Frank as a jackalope nurse tended to him. "How you feeling, Frank?" he asked.

"Took a bullet to the leg, but it doesn't seem like it hit anything important..." Frank answered, looking uneasy.

[DdeeStar]

"Tigress, there was a sniper on the mountainside earlier, hiding out somewhere on the cliffs East of our position. Think you'd be able to pick up a scent or trail?"

"Yes Captain!" The tower of muscle growls to the (wrong) helicopter, giving it a quick salute. She immediately springs from her position, moving in a motivated jog towards the vague area she's supposed to search. A living target was nearly indiscernible from a field of grass, a tree, or a crowd at this size, but a human amongst a bunch of cold, dead rocks? Camouflage wouldn't save them from her. Despite her pace being tempered by the unfamiliar terrain, her excitement hasn't waned in the slightest as she reaches her zone, leaning in close to search for her target.

[Hlaoroo]

Ted salutes the Lieutenant-Colonel and dashes out the door. He grabs his medical bag from his office (having previously been using the on-site medical supplies instead) and uses his rank to commandeer a military police car to whisk him down to the bay with lights and sirens on full. He drums his fingers on his bag knowing he could reach Ryan in half the time if only he could Shift up within the city. As it is, given the distance involved, the police car is the quickest and easiest way to travel. The doctor wishes one of his powers was endurance to go with his high speed as he watches the scenery scroll past.

Down at the boathouse Ryan begins to hear sirens but doesn't get his hopes up, knowing the emergency services are rushing around dealing with the aftermath of the attack.

As they make the turn onto the bay, Ted pulls out his phone and punches in the Colonel's number.
"Colonel, I'm at the bay, passing Frederick's. Where are you and Ronan, exactly?" he asks.

[Welsh Halfwit]

"Thanks," Julian said, getting out and making sure Tracie was covered by the umbrella. He looked back towards the city. "Hope Mist's OK," he said sadly. He glanced at Tracie. "He's a lovely kid. Wants so bad to be a fighter and hero. Partly to impress his mother. He'll have been in that with her. Helping by fighting."