David quickly froze in place, one of his feet still off the ground. Slowly he lowered his foot down onto the sandy ground below, and sighed. "Figures." He muttered to himself, glancing down at Rupert for a moment, before responding. "Nobody threatenin', Ah promise that!" He replied, pretty sure he needed to say a bit more than that. "Ah'm from one of the Stations, you are too, ain't ya?" He asked, hoping his hunch was right. He swore he'd seen her a few times before, perhaps he passed her back down in the Station? He wasn't absolutely sure himself. Rupert simply stared ahead, seeming to not care much about what the girl thought. If worse came to worse, they'd fight. He was used to fighting, and didn't see it as a horrible thing. David, however, wasn't one for conflict without reason. He'd rather see things end peacefully rather than having to perhaps get him or her injured. All he could really do was hope in his current position. Though he did want a peaceful solution, he kept aware of the girl and her Pokemon. He didn't want them pulling any dirty moves and taking him off guard. David hoped the worse that could happen was them walking away and pretending this never happened. --- Jezabel had heard somebody calling out to her from behind, and though Quartz seemed to become somewhat defensive, his trainer put a hand in front of him as she turned, eyeing the approaching young man. He didn't look too threatening at first glance, but she remained skeptical and made sure her knife could be easily accessed. "Make sure you stay on your guard." She whispered to her Pokemon, before gesturing for the boy to come closer. Once he was in a more preferred speaking range, he was quick to introduce himself. As one of those Station-dwellers, no less. "From one of those Stations, huh?" Jezabel smirked, having thought he looked a bit cleaner than usual for people around here. She wasn't absolutely certain of what to say when it came to answering his question, though. She COULD tell the truth and say she was new, but that might give the guy ideas. Not interested in that, she crossed her arms and kept her smirk. "New? Heh, not quite. Me and my Sableye here have been together for quite a few years now." She explained, leaving out details of where exactly they had been. "I was raised out here, not in one of those stations, y'know. I grew up learning to take care of myself in some pretty harsh conditions." Again, leaving out specifics of where exactly she was raised. She seemed proud, a small grin was on her face. "So don't think just because I look innocent that I'm not dangerous~! I can fend for myself." She added, a small wink following. Quartz simply shook his head, almost embarrassed by his trainer's words that might end up getting them into trouble. He eyed Jude and his companion, noting them as a possible threat but also as possible allies. The small fire-type wasn't exactly Quartz's first choice for an opponent, mostly because he wasn't a fan of getting possibly lit on fire. With no water in sight, that'd be pretty bad. Almost like a statue, he continued to stare at them, which was perhaps mildly eerie for Jude. --- Cerulean City was rather quiet. Occasionally, bandits camped in the area, some scavengers looted the buildings, and others passed strait through. But nobody seemed to really stay for long, possibly because the place just wasn't worth it, or because it was one of the first rumored locations that The Beast was spotted in. A killer, said to be swift and vicious, that'd show no mercy to those who crossed his path. Bandit's originally began spreading the rumor when their patrols ended up dead, always seeming to have been killed quickly, though messy. Loud screams would echo throughout the area, and when the victims were discovered, they usually had multiple stab wounds around the chest or back. They would also have their ankles cut rather deeply, suggesting whoever did it slowed their prey before finishing the job. Some suggested that there were actually multiple killers, though it was never proven to be true. The image people imagined and began to spread around was a terrifying one; a murderous man with intents of ending the lives of many. Rumors spoke about him having blood red eyes and sharp fangs and claws, a literal beast among humans that saw others below him, as pure game, not even worthy of being given the chance of begging for mercy. A ruthless killer that sided with no one and was in it solely for himself. People had tried to hunt the beast, but either never returned, or came up empty handed. He knew how to not be found, that was for certain. Some began doubting his existence, even though the rumors raged on. The rumors were somewhat true. There was a Beast that roamed the sands, but not exactly like they had imagined. This beast was but a cub, a young boy who only mostly cared about survival, though his past left him with a craving for revenge against the bandits of the sand. His eyes don't dawn a deadly red, but a youthful blue that would symbol possible hope rather than death. That didn't mean he was peaceful, mind you, he didn't intend to show mercy on his enemies, but wasn't a feral beast like most thought. He was very able, he could be understanding of those who he conversed with, and though he wasn't innocent, he knew his rights from wrongs. Somewhat, anyhow. ... Hands and feet slammed against the sand as Maul ran, turning into an alleyway before stopping. He spotted a lone Pidgey, and grinned at it. A dark being showed up behind him, and simply licked around it's mouth, seeming hungry. A moment of silence passed, before both charged strait ahead, catching the Pidgey's attention. The bird turned it's head to notice them, and quickly began flying away. Maul jumped up onto a nearby dumpster to gain more height, before launching himself upwards at the bird. His speed and accuracy showed experience, as he grabbed the Pidgey by it's wings, causing it to cry out as they slammed down onto the hot sand below. Maul raised his head and eyed the Pidgey as it squirmed, attempting to peck and scratch at him. "You'll make a good meal, you're pretty big for a Pidgey." Maul commented, squeezing it's wings momentarily, causing the bird to struggle more. It managed to scratch Maul's left arm, which caused a short but apparent gasp to escape from him. Maul released one wing, reaching down to his waist and unsheathing one of his knives, before swiftly bringing it down upon the bird, stabbing just below the throat of the poor thing. It cried out and continued it's impossible mission to escape as crimson rushed down into the sand. The boy stood, looking down at the bird as his Sneasel, Blight, joined his side. It watched the Pidgey, simply observing the dying Pokemon with a blank expression. Food was food, she wasn't skeptical of where it came from. "I get first dibs, I caught it." Maul said suddenly, and his partner didn't respond, knowing he deserved it. After a minute or so, Maul removed his knife from the bird and wiped the blood off, before sheathing it and picking up his victim. He began walking away from the alley soon after, pulling out the feathers as he began to make his way back to his little hideout. He hummed a small tune along the way, one his father used to hum after a good hunt. It made him feel somewhat more victorious. But what would really make him feel victorious was sinking his teeth into the plumb Pidgey he was holding.