Marcus kept his eyes on Jacob as he heard what he said. Quickly, he closed the gates and put them into lockdown, which essentially meant that Marcus would reinforce the gates with more metal. What had been just a light sigh, had turned into a light pant because of the constant opening and closing of the gates. Once they were fully locked up, Marcus looked around and decided to take some initiative for once. The gate was locked down, and he didn't have to worry as much as before, so he instead began to walk until some sprites appeared before them. He was shocked by their appearance, but not as much as one would think. With them entering his consciousness, he received the message that Sun had sent him.

His eyes widened as Shay was mentioned, and he wanted nothing more than to rush over there and see how she was doing. He couldn't, however, and looked around to the people around him. "Everyone keep an eye on the waste! Pick of any of the dead if you can!" He ordered the ones around him. It was one of the few times that he actually yelled, and because of that his raised voice didn't sound quite right. He ran from his current position over to his shed, where he began rummaging around to find a weapon to use. Aside from the experimental rifle, he had a few other guns that he had made. His ability to control metal helped build his guns, and most of them were built specifically for him to use.

Marcus found the gun that he was looking for and smiled slightly to himself. It was one of the first guns he had made, and was nothing more than just a glorified slingshot. It was to be used with explosive bullets that he made himself, and the right components that were needed to make the bullets were scarce, so he only had a limited number of bullets to use against the dead. The gun looked like some mix between a crossbow and a pistol, and obviously needed some attention. It still worked fine, but it was old and hadn't been used in some time. Marcus just hoped that he could be of some use other than opening and closing gates.

Marcus ran out of his shed and scaled up the wall, making sure to make a good estimate of how many were out there. He wanted to take out the problem as quickly as he could, wanting to see Shay and her currently condition as soon as possible.

Anora gave Ramera a disbelieving frown when she said ‘it’s nothing’ but when she added ‘i’ll tell you afterwards’ Anora decided not to push it further. After all she would find out at some point what it was that had upset her eldest sister. “Alright.” Came her soft agreement along with a nod of the head, “afterwards and whenever you are ready I will be waiting.”

While her sister filled her pockets with adequate dagger shaped rocks, Anora removed the tiny and inadequate ones from the main pile, but paused when she caught the sound of crumpling paper. She looked up just in time to see a piece of familiar looking paper being placed on a nearby bench. Although she herself had not ever gotten one before, Anora knew that it was one of Sun’s fortunes.

Her sister really must have been worried if she had accepted such a thing. However as much as she wanted to say something about it, she kept quite and instead answered her sisters enquiry.

“Indeed. I have never seen such a thing before… they were acting like troops in some kind of an army. Sending in a first wave of the slowest and weakest behind what could be considered no less than a scout.” Anora stopped there, gave her sister a glance in the eyes then turned her face away, biting her bottom lip.

“Uh… I did… T-that is to say, I did learn something quite alarming. Fen found a big unconscious man, wounded but not my the dead. Before I got there the man told Fen that 'they sent them… They sent a Trojan horse’ and Fen tells me that a Trojan horse was a statue to enter an enemy city and inside were soldiers who attacked when those in the city were asleep. I am worried Ramera, you know how Fen is with his books, what if someone inside Paradise has bad intentions?” She asked, now looking back at her sister again but this time with eyes filled with unease.

“We must be diligent at all times.” With that said, Anora continued to sort through the rocks. Once all of the unfinished ones where separated into their own pile she found herself staring at the fortune paper on the desk, which came from Ramera’s pocket. Anora leaned forward and placed a gentle hand on her sisters shoulder.

“You know,dearest sister of mine… You don’t need a fortune to know that I will always return to your side. We made a promise, remember? I do not intend to break it.” She told Ramera resolutely, giving her sisters shoulder a reassuring squeeze before walking back over to the edge of the wall with the mat being dragged along behind her as she went.

Tobias smirked as he walked into the back room, where the nurse had taken the children. Ravenia's words still playing around in his head, leave it to her to get her resolve back, and start flirting again. clearing his throat, he looked at the children. "well now" he smiled at them kindly. "now that we are not so rushed, my name is Tobias, im the Doctor around here, and im just going to give you each a check up, and then make you both a little something to take that will hopefully help you sleep nice and long, then tomorrow we'll see about getting you so good breakfast alright?" he asked, dealing with Children was easy, though at first it hadnt been.. his bedside manner had been limited when he first arrived and had stated he had some medical training, now it was pretty much like breathing. taking an old worn, but still useable Stethoscope, he tapped the front of it after the buds were in his ears, he smiled. "working just fine, might be a little cold but you wont feel anything" he said, moving to start checking them over, when he heard a combination of Fen yelling for him, and Shay being hit by the antidotes effects, he pulled the buds out. "new plan, the nurse is going to come in and give you the check up alright, and i will come see you two later" leaving the room he looked at Ravenia. "something isnt sitting right with me" he whispered to her. "something isnt sitting right with me at all, they dont look any worse for wear" he said, before he rushed toward where Fen was with their russian, his eyes widening as he saw why Fen Called for him. "alright, this guy needs operated on now!" he yelled, unhooking the shackle. "Fen, go on and get out of here, you dont want to see this" he then rushed out and toward the equipment table, collecting on a tray everything he was going to need or thought he was going to need, running through the list in his head. "Someone didnt want our Russian friend to live, and by the looks of his wounds, if i can save his life, it will be a true Miracle, but im going to try my damnedest" sighing. "Sun, Isam and Fen, sit with Shay, talk to her softly, be there for her cause what she is going through right now isnt fun, i assure you" knowing what the sickness was like first hand, though he had been the only one the purposely get cut or bitten by the damned dead. rushing back into the room. "i need an extra set of hands!" he called out, hoping someone would come, if not he'd start working and eventually he probably grow the damned things.

not about to wait, he gently flipped the man over onto his stomach, moving the water that had for his IV to the other side of the bed so it wasnt stretched and in the way, then Tobias began tearing the man's shirt open, exposing his back fully. "damn" he said, seeing the damage first hand, this was going to take some time as he collected the tweezers, sterilizing them over a flame and beginning the long process of digging out the first of many modified nails this guy had imbedded.

Isam, who was in Shay's half of the room, hurried over when he heard Fen yelling. The man cursed under his breath. The Russian man, from what he had heard, held some very interesting information. Yet all he was able to give them was some cryptic clue. If the guy died, they would never know who sent what or whatever his strange message had meant.

When the doctor came in, Isam was sure to get out of the way. About that time, the antidote in Shay's system began to take effect. Isam could look past the room's privacy curtain and see her convulsing in bed. He let out another string of curses as he made his way back into her part of the room, Fen at his heels. There was too much shit going on, and he didn't like chaos. His instincts kicking in, Isam quickly took charge.

"Fen, you have done a good job, and thank you for the help, but please go get a shower and put some clothes on," Isam said, his voice steady and calm. Fen looked down at himself, having completely forgotten his current state of filth and indecency among the hectic events.
"Oh, right," He said sheepishly, sparing Shay one last worried look before leaving to get cleaned up and dressed. Isam then turned to Sun.
"I don't know where they might keep blankets in here, but please go find some. She might feel more comfortable if she were covered."

While Sun went to find blankets, Isam got a clean washcloth and soaked it in cold water from the sink. He took it back to Shay and gingerly draped it over her forehead. She looked sweaty, probably from panic. Whatever it was she was seeing, he had a feeling it wasn't good.

---

The sun began to drift out of the sky to end another day. Long shadows were cast upon a lonesome town, a couple miles outside of the decimated city. It had chain link fence all around it, barb wire on top. An old military base. A lone man walked down the street, until he reached a house that sat on the corner. He let himself in, not bothering to knock. The man slunk through the dark home until he found another man, who sat on the old couch in the living room, listening to an old radio full of static.

The first man cleared his throat. "Sir, we sent a couple scouts to check on the group's progress. Sasha was taken."
The man on the couch was silent for a moment before he spoke. "It doesn't matter," He finally said, "Trojan Horse will work. We will wait for the first report."
"And what about the others?"
"I don't think they'll be a threat to us. We will keep our eyes on the prize, William. The city."

Cypher stepped through the tent flaps and into the sun, kicking up some red dust on his way out. It was about noon now more or less. He squinted between his upturned hand at the sun as it hung at it highest point in the center of the sky. The air was heating up and getting thick and soon people would be in sour spirits. ...Time to give them something to smile about...

The camp was rather large. Under his shelter Cypher had little less than a hundred people and surprisingly, he knew each of them by name. As he made his way through the camp, he would greet each one, giving them a nod hello and a wave. Most of them weren't fighters, merely survivors who had grouped together under his leadership. They'd realized early on that the best way to survive was together. The rule of the jungle was always strength in numbers and in the Red Waste it was no different. There were all manner of people here. Woman and children most of all and of course the men. The majority of them were metahumans and he accepted them all, no questions asked. The rules were really simple enough: The man and woman beside you are your family. Hurt your family and they hurt you. In other words, you fuck with someone and Cypher made sure they fucked you back and you never forgot. The one rule set everyone straight not surprisingly. People learned to treat other as they wanted to be treated and there was very little strife to be had in the camp itself. Not only that but people were indeed well taken care of. There was work to be had as usual. People always needed assistance and were compensated well. He and Doc were one of the few who had access to their food banks where their supply was unlimited. Clean water was easily accessible as well thanks to Shea. As long as his people behaved and worked together, everyone remained well fed and happy.

The camp itself was made entirely of tents, save for where their food and water were stored. Cypher and his people were for the most part nomadic and continued to roam around the country, never settling in one place for too long and ever in search of Cypher's fabled promised land. The tents, situated behind earthen walls, were set up in a short spiral formation around the more important setups. There was Cypher's tent. He'd originally had it propped on the outer perimeter but many insisted he relocate to the center. Then there was the largest tent. Meant for group meetings and Sunday mass lead by himself at times and by their local priest. It was also used to address the individual leaders of Cypher's group. His people, for better organization and communication, were split into smaller groups based on profession. Doc was in charge of those who dealt in the sciences including medicine and the study of all new flora and fauna that they discovered. New creatures of the Red Waste were also categorized creating something of an encyclopedia that was ever changing. Under his leadership and with those hands he had under his employ, their work continued with diligence and was both accurate and as up to date as they could manage. The collection of data had already grown quite large. Shea, Brand and Cliff counted as one body and headed their men and women capable of combat. This included humans and metahumans as the two were always being grouped together. They were in charge of training, making sure that those who would be called upon to defend their camp remained fit. Scouting parties were organized as were patrols and all collective information was passed up the chain until it reached Cypher. Next there was the woman Skylar put in charge of those who were not able to fight but placed their skills to use elsewhere. In a way she had the most to organize having to consider individual jobs to hand out to those who couldn't find their own work, distribution of supplies when Cypher was too busy to handle the task himself and other things. She along with Doc kept tabs on everyone's health and made sure people were well fed. She worked with the triplets to keep up to date with threats and was sure to keep her people informed and as always, she organized lessons for the children with Cypher. Together, they kept things in order and in working condition. Everything functioned as one... like a well oiled clock and every day that clock would be inspected. It was just about time for another inspection.

Up ahead he could already see Doc and Skylar entering the tent. Shea and Brand lagged a little behind and stopped when Cypher came into view. They exchanged a few words before Shea continued inside. Brand waited by the door, nodding a greeting as Cypher stopped in front of him.

"News?"

"Very important news..." The face he'd been making before was now exaggerated. Apparently Cliff had discovered something big. "First, the herd. Seems we missed the party but not miles East of us was a fairly large group battling the dead. Cliff reported winged creatures, an intelligent wolf... and... " Brand paused and Cypher raised a brow. "The glowing man..."

Ravenia nodded at Tobias's words as he walked out of the room. She looked back to the kid's room, her finger pulling the blind down slightly. Her attention was suddenly snapped from the kids as Tobias yelled for help. She rushed to his side quickly. She pinned her hair up quickly on the top of her head. She rinsed her hands free of the Red Waste's filth. She threw the raven feathered cape she was wearing off and onto an empty bed and straightened her vest as she looked to Tobias. "You wanted help, you got it."

Clo remained motionless in her cot oblivious to the commotion in the other rooms and lost in a deep sleep...
---
"I said..." The man pulled his hand back by his ear and swatted at the girl, knocking her to the floor. Dust bellowed around her small form and stuck to her like glue. "...pick up that pale and get us some goddamn water!" He reached down, picking the girl up by the collar around her neck and choking her in the process. Hethrew her toward the waiting bucket where she landed on her hands and knees. Fearing another beating, she quickly scrambled to her feet as fast as she could and darted toward the well with bucket in hand.

It was evening now. The sun was beginning to slip behind mountains on the horizon and chasing it away were the stars as they filled up the sky. It was a beautiful sight as always, something Clo tried to catch every night before bed. Everyone would talk about the sunrise but it was the sunset that always caught her eye. The colors that were splayed across the expanse above her were breathtaking. Hues of red and blue and purple she'd never knew existed surrounded by sparkling light, flashing stars all winking their "hellos". She'd wink back at each one as she walked through the town. Most were afraid of the dark when dangers lurked everywhere unseen but under the watchful eyes of the night sky, she never really felt alone. In the back of her mind she knew she wasn't. She clutched the pale a little closer to her chest and continued on her way, trying her best to avoid eye contact with anyone still wandering the barren streets.

"Hey John!" Someone called out to her right. She didn't look and kept her eyes on the ground as she walked. "Get me mah rifle ahaha! Found us some dinner!" Clo picked up the pace. The man wasn't bluffing. He'd been drinking whatever it was he drank out of the jar of his and it made the deputy crazy. He'd shot at her once before and when the Sheriff questioned him, he simply retorted that he'd thought she was a large quail. He got a shrug in response. "Looks about right to me..." She remembered the man saying. She wouldn't be safe until she was around the corner and out of sight.

Down another street she walked, this one quieter than the last. The town was mostly a collection of dilapidated buildings all waiting to crumble to dust. There was no wildlife here, just rocks and dust and dirt. There was so much of the stuff that it clung to everything including the air. Clo hated it in the town. Every breath was a struggle to filter out the debri that cluttered her lungs. It was nice outside but the grime of a war long forgotten seemed to gather here in particular. Maybe it was dragged in by the people who lived there? She didn't know. They seemed just as dirty as the rest of the fallen world. The only real freedom from it all was when she was outside, far away... gathering water.

"I'm watching you." The guard would say to her as she passed him by. "I even think you're trying to run little girl and I'll put a bullet in that empty head of yours." She said nothing, nodding her head letting him know she understood. He watched her continue to the small well just outside the town, never once looking up and never straying from the thin beaten path.

"You always gotta talk to her like that?" The man to his left asked. He too had been posted as guard that day. The both of them stood at the edge of the town with their weapons slung across their chests and their eyes facing the irradiated wastes ahead of them.

"Gotta keep up appearances man or we'll get thrown in with the rest of 'em."

"It's not right how they treat them... us... our people. We're no different."

"Shut up before you get us both killed man. Like I said. Keep up appearances... but give her as much time as she needs."

"As usual..."

"As usual..."

Clo smiled a little but did her best not to let them notice. They always talked a little too loud for their own good. They might have acted tough around her, pushing her around just like the rest but she knew they meant well. Almost every night she came out here to draw water and almost every night she'd stay a little too long for her own good and they never said a word. Her master was too dumb to notice her absence anyways, content to waste his time away in the hut he called a home.

The pump was rather worn itself having miraculously survived the assault on the planet. It sat there in the middle of the nowhere defiant, it's red paint now entirely gone save for a few slivers here and there. It's metal was nearly rusted, and the lever jiggled around a little more than necessary. Of course there was also a beauty to destruction. Every now and again someone would pour too much or miss their bucket and a little bit of water would sprinkle the ground. Around the pump's base were small weeds, thin colors of green stretching away from the dying earth and reaching toward the sky. Clo reached down and pushed some of the blades away gently, tugging on them lightly as she placed her bucket on the ground. Wrapping her fingers around the lever, she began to pump water up and out of the spout until it poured into her pale. After a few pumps, it was nearly full and she stopped. The clear water sparkled in the moonlight above her and she smiled, placing her finger in the cool liquid and disturbing the surface. The stars and the moon danced around her hand erratically, crashing into her skin and breaking into a million tiny lights. They'd wander the sky lost for a while before finding each other again and finally settling, winking back at Clo and seeming to smile at her. She winked back again. "Hello..."

"Hello" Came a soft voice behind her.

Clo shot to her feet startled, knocking over the bucket and spilling the precious water all over the parched ground. It drank it all up in seconds. Clo's eyes fell on two figures, their wings glistening in the light of the moon.

"Anora." Said one. "Ramera" Said the other.

Sun's eyes widened and he nearly toppled onto the floor. He had been leaning on the wall, dozing off as he lazily watched Fen cleaning off the Russian man. When he heard Fen yell his eyes yanked open like a bullet. Not only that, but relatively around the same time, Sun could hear Shay going a bit crazy on the other side of the room divider. Fen yelled for Tobias, who seemed to rush in from the hallway and get right to work. Sun walked close slowly, seeing that the man was bleeding heavily, although, he didn't get enough of a look to see what was causing the insane bleeding. Tobias asked him to rush to Shay's side, who at this point, was hallucinating. Intensely. "Understood", Sun said clearly, brushing the divider out of the way and rushing over to Shay's side.

He brushed his delicate fingers against her head gently, trying to soothe her, but it wasn't doing much. She was out of it..."Oh Shay...whatever your seeing...fight it...its not real...", Sun whispered to her softly, affectionately. Sun was wincing at the thought of the blood that was seeping from the Russian man, it so much. Its a shock that they didn't notice it before. He could hear Tobias going to work, using his years of knowledge that he quickly adapted to needing and making quick use of it on the Russian man. Sun's gaze was brought to Isam, who asked him to find a towel. Sun nodded, but didn't want to leave Shay's side. He looked around the room, intently eyeing for anything similar to a blanket. He spotted one, lazily hanged on the edge of the top of the shelf. Sun was definitely too short to reach it. He took a moment and closed his eyes, releasing several of his sprites from his mind as they flew over to the blanket, lifting it off the top shelf and gently levitating it back to him. Sun reached out his hands, gripping it tightly and then watching as his sprites dissipated into thin air.

Sun looked back to Shay's face, affectionately, but worried. He would spread open the blanket, and gently lay it across her body, making sure to tuck the corners in under her sides. He sat back down, but was startled as Tobias himself called in for some assistance. Ravenia rushed in from the hall as well, quickly going through the half of the room Shay was in and brisking through the divider to the other side of the room the Russian was in. She was diligent and quick on her feet, not waiting a second to lend a help. Such a good leader indeed. Sun smiled slightly, and then his gaze fell back to Shay. Maybe I can help her....speak to her... convince her that what she is seeing isn't real.... Sun thought to himself.

He bring his head a bit closer to Shay's and closed his eyes...releasing a continuous stream of ethereal sprites from his mind into hers. Hopefully in the chaotic mess she was going through, she would hear him...recognize his voice....and hopefully...snap out of it. It was worth a shot. Sun made sure as he was trying to maintin the connection between himself and Shay, that he stayed completely focused.

Sun spoke to her telepathically, his mental voice angelic and light, ....Shay....Shay....do you hear me??? It's me Sun.....listen....what you are seeing is not real....don't be afraid....I'm speaking to you telepathically....and.....I'm sorry this is happening to you....but ....whatever you think you are seeing.....it isn't real....Can you hear me sis?......It isn't real....

The pain was continuous, riveting throughout her entire body from the tips of her fingers through each limb, up along her spine and through her face. Despite the pain she was experiencing she was alert enough to "see" what was happening around her. Her parents had come to the hospital to make sure she was ok. She tried to yell at them to run, to leave this place full of the Dead. She didn't know why they were here but she didn't want to lose them again. A large Dead had snarled loudly, jumping up on the bed next to Shay. It moved with more control and direction, as if it had working brains to use. The large Dead one called out orders to the horde surrounding them. Suddenly, a group over took her parents and pulled them away, trailing blood as they disappeared down the hall. A silent scream escaped Shay's lips, as in her mind she cried out for her parents. Shay thought she heard a familiar voice, Isam. He was saying something, but although she could hear his calm voice, strong and in control, she couldn't understand what he was saying. Hearing him gave her comfort and she turned her head, brow furrowed, trying to "see" where he was in the room. He needed to get out before the Dead over took him as well. She barely knew him but she knew he didn't deserve to die. She cared for him more than she realized. She caught a glimpse of Isam, looking at his profile as he was speaking to someone else. Her face felt warm. Her heavy eyelids struggled to stay open and quickly fell shut again, Isam disappearing.

On the bed in the hospital her body shook, sometimes violently, sometimes only slightly, her frame trembling as she lay curled up holding herself. Her eyes remained shut most of the time, at moments opening and reacting to what she was "seeing". The images stayed around her whether her eyes were open or shut. The bed she lay shaking on was getting moist with the sweat from her body. She was moving so much, her body working hard to endure the process, the exertion could be physically seen.
Shay lost sight of Isam. She didn't know if he had left the room or if the Dead had taken him. She tried to call out to him but could not find her voice.

Warmth spread over her as Sun lay a blanket over her body, keeping the heat in by tucking the fabric in at all corners of the bed. The warmth took the heavy chill off of her body, the ripples along her skin from her sweat cooling her down finally relaxing and smoothing out. The comfort from the blanket didn't take the Dead away. Shay tucked her chin down, her eyes shut tightly. She expected her death to come any moment now; she was desiring for an end to this torment.

Shay then heard a familiar sound. Soft and sweet, a soothing tone that made her lips twitch in to an awkward yet distinctive small smile. She could hear Sun in her head, the sound clear and easy to understand unlike the sounds from the others. She "opened her eyes" and tried to see where Sun was. She could see across the room her brother, his arm stretched out, his eyes locked on to hers. He looked scared but he wasn't hurt. Not an ounce of blood had stained his clothes. "S-Shane" Shay whispered desperately. Sun's voice continued through her mind. As she listened she saw Shane's lips moving in unison to the words she was hearing. Shay thought back to Sun, eyes trained on what she thought was her brother she was looking at. Sun, what's going on? What's happening to me? What...what do you mean it's not real? I saw them take everyone...kill them... Her body shook violently as a wave of sharp pain rattled through her veins. It's not real?.... she asked, pausing before thinking to Sun with confidence ....it's not real. W-what's happening to me? she pleaded him for answers. Focusing on his voice helped her mind clear slightly. The Dead had disappeared from along the walls, the blood that had once been scattered everywhere was gone.

Ramera listened to her sister. She hadn’t objected to Ramera’s secrecy, but instead allowed her to push the subject to a later date. Ramera noticed Anora eyeing the fortune she’d received. However, Anora surprised her with silence, and instead continued on to Ramera’s question revolving around the dead’s actions.

She hadn’t surprised Ramera when she revealed that the dead had used some form of formation. Ramera actually found it kind of interesting. Perhaps there was some form of natural responsiveness that was conveyed when they acted in a society. She closed her eyes, attempting to destroy her thought process. She couldn’t help having some form of interest, it was just at moments like these that it was apparent, her relation with that man. However, the continued voice of her sister cut through her thoughts and brought about a different matter entirely.

A man, with the whispers of a trap fresh on his breath? Not only that, but she’d seen two children in the car with Clo by the wall earlier. Could the children be? Or, perhaps the man is some sort of signal, or has a transmitter of sorts? Ramera dismissed her thought process quickly before she became paranoid of everyone stepping foot into Paradise. She’d been tasked with the protection of Paradise from outside forces, not internal ones. If worse came to worse there were those who could do their duties inside Paradise. Sometimes a lack of thought was favorable; this was most likely one of those moments. She needed to focus on her upcoming fight with the horde, distractions were unneeded. She stared into her sister’s eyes; they had unease about them. The look Anora had, it was like some sort of toxin. Ramera could feel her sister’s unease quickly clawing into her mind and gripping her.

Ramera watched her sister as she turned back onto the rocks, continuing shifting through them removing the useless ones and separating the usable into a different pile. Suddenly she stopped; Anora’s gaze was directed to the fortune lying, separated from the rocks in the center of the room. Ah, there’s the sister I know and love, Ramera thought to herself as Anora spoke, telling her that naught would change, reminding her of their promise they’d shared as she gripped Ramera’s shoulders. Anora had always been so much better when it came to emotions. She showed a natural caring to people that few others possessed and could quickly calm her frayed nerves. Ramera was quite the opposite, she rarely was able to control how she thought and displayed hostility to most others. They were like the two sides of one coin, bound together, but eternally different.

Ramera stood as she watched her sister intently as she dragged the mat out of the shack. She extended her wings, rotating them whilst doing so to allow her to gauge their feeling. “Aww, they’re still a little sore from some of the rounds I’ve made,” She whined to her sister uncharacteristically. “Ugh, I can’t go on!” She said, teasingly. It was quite apparent she would do her duty even if her wings had been ripped from her body. She would fight to protect this Land, bent or broken she would do her duty and live to see the next day. She continued watching Anora as she prepared herself for her duty as one of The Harpies Of Three. Perhaps there was a trait that the sisters shared among them.

Tobias looked up, seeing it wsa Ravenia that had come to his call for help. he nodded "we are going to do this together, i'll remove the object, you cover it to hold off the bleeding so i can get the needle ready to sew it closed.. this man has lost a lot of blood and each time i remove one of these nails he's going to lose more til i can get it closed, so we'll have to move slow and steady, but also fast" nodding to her.. he had everything they'd need.. rolls of bandages and towels to mop up the blood that was coming, already a good portion of blood soaked bandages and towels were on the floor as he had gotten the man's back cleaned off, and each wound covered, they'd work at it systematic, removing and sewing each one up at a time. with the Saline replaced with blood, the transfusion going strong, Tobias wiped his brow on the back of his arm. "alright, i got one out and closed, so we'll do this together, keep the area cleaned as best you can, try to not wait for me to ask, my hands are going to be moving alright" looking up at her one last time. "ready?" he asked, and not waiting for her answer, he took up the tweezers. "remove the next bandage" and the moment she would, they'd begin.

"Are you absolutely positive it was him?"

Brand nodded yet again trying to reaffirm their suspicions. "It's the same guy. The mans face has been burned into our minds since that day twelve years ago. There is no way we'd forget." He paused looking at each of them. Skylar had her doubts, not wanting to risk anymore lives for such a large task. She knew the history of their group even when she hadn't been around long enough to let it affect her. Back when their numbers were staggering, they traveled in not one but two groups that worked together seamlessly. In this way, their moving around helped to cover more ground and in case something happened to one group, it didn't happen to the other. The Doc was indifferent about it but understood the rules Cypher had laid down. He wasn't going to stop his brand of justice from being served and the thought of getting his hands on someone who could emit radiation enticed him. Cypher himself had seen what this "glowing man" was capable of and had been wanting to find the man since that day as well. "He wiped out everyone in our camp... everyone." Brand continued. "If that bitch is still alive, he deserves to die."

"And I agree. Cliff is still out there?" Brand nodded.

"He last reported his intentions to follow the man back. Says he too saw the city where the entire group was headed, retreating from the dead it seems. They suffered some injuries and had to return to shelter."

Cypher stared down at the round table they were seated at. In between them all was a rather large map of what was once Louisiana. It's surface was marked in different colored inks telling of where they'd lost a man, what they discovered and where, the possible locations of the city. Only today, all the other markings didn't matter. He picked up the red ink pen laying next to the map and drew a large circle over what was once New Orleans.

"According to Cliff's reports and those of the woman you three captured earlier today, this is the final location of the City." It felt odd letting the words slip from his mouth. He'd been searching for Paradise for years, watching his family die, his friends captured, enslaved or murdered just to find a place that was supposed to be safe. Now that he'd finally found it, he didn't feel joy like he thought he would. Instead, in place of the happiness that once resided within him, there was this spark, this small flame building up within. Hatred perhaps? No... it wasn't hatred. When he really thought about it, the idea of the city finally being within his grasp made him a bit melancholy oddly enough. There was so much hate, all this sadness and remorse surrounding his people about the city, like this bag of luggage they were all dragging behind them. It only made sense that freeing themselves of the city would lift them of their burden. Return the favor that years of searching for a fabled land did to them.

"It will be heavily guarded I'm sure and most of the inhabitants are metahumans much like our old friend. We won't know for sure what we're up against until Cliff returns. Until then we can expect to be up against heavy resistance. Winged warriors, sentient beasts hundreds of people ready to defend what they believe is their rightful home. We can't fight them with just ourselves without risking everyone's lives in the process. Luckily for us there is an alternative."

"The devices..." Doc chimed in with pride. He was immediately shot down.

"No. We're not using those."

"What then?" Skylar began. "We don't have the man power we used to and besides those things you two are so secretive about, there is nothing we can do against a walled city housing hundreds of people who are willing to fight. Most of ours can't take up arms on their own."

Cypher nodded toward her, acknowledging her concerns and knowing full well that they were hardly the fighting machine they once were. "The woman informed me of another group somewhere in the waste. I'm not entirely sure where yet. It seems they had plans for the city too. It's a possibility, a slim one, but if we link up with this other group, depending on their numbers, we may have enough to overtake Paradise. That is assuming whoever heads them is willing to a temporary partnership. We won't know who these people are and what they're about until we find them."

"That slut sleep around with the right men to get that kind of information?" Shea let the poison of her tongue drip freely when it came to their former captive making sure that everyone knew her resentment of the woman. She'd never forget what she'd done to Crystal and she was glad Cypher took her out of the picture.

"Seems she came across a few people from this group, moving away from the city. They'd done some trading before they parted ways."

"Shit... well if we knew where they'd met, we could track them... but she's dead now unfortunately." Shea shrugged. "Oh well."

Jacob saw fragments and stragglers of the herd finally begin to approach the walls. He would have to fight, that much was clear. Jacob grimaced. If the herd got to close all at once, he might have to go nuclear to push them back. It was a fairly unpleasant possibility, but one he would have to prepare for. Jacob through his lead lined jacket off to the side, exposing his radiation. His skin had melted off almost all the way up his arms. A little more emission, and the skin on his chest would begin to peel. Personally, aside from irritation of the skin growing back and his skin peeling off in the first place, he had no problem with being skinless. It was everyone else he freaked out. There had only been one time when the skin on his head had melted off, revealing his skull. Not one human and only a few of his more trusted blessed ones would look at him. Not that he cared, it just annoyed him. But enough reminiscing. One of the dead finally was in range of the wall. Jacob aimed his hand, and a bolt of green energy shot out of his hand, frying the dead's head like an egg. The assault had begun.

-ignore-

Ravenia was not the one to be squeamish about blood, but Lord ah'mighty there was a lot of blood. Her bright eyes looked back to Tobias as he spoke to her about keeping the area clean and moving quickly with her hands. She nodded her head and pulled her hand back from the wound, letting him do his thing. "Tell me exactly where you need my hands, sugar." She said as she gave him a playful wink. Not being a time to joke, she quickly cleared her throat and made work of the area around the wounds, wiping the blood up and cleaning up the mess around them. She worked around Tobias, never once deterring his hands or his workings. She even leaned over and swiped a clean rag across his face when she noticed his forearm hadn't been sufficient enough.

"Tobias, what are we going to do with this guy? He's as big as a house and probably hits harder than a truck." She said, her voice low and holding mild concern. The way she chewed her lip, she was obviously lost in thought. "There's more to this. Not to mention the kids too. Tobias, I just want you to know, if this man presents a danger to my city, I will kill him." She said, her eyes locking onto him with a steely gaze. There was no hesitation or doubt in her voice, she knew that as Mother that she would have to make hard decisions. "I won't kill the kids, but I will return the across the Red Waste if the same goes with them."

Shane?.... Who is Shane? Sun thought to himself when Shay called out the name under her breath.

Nonetheless, Sun maintained the telepathic connection between himself and Shay, breaking a gentle smile of affection when he noticed that his mental reverbation with her caused a slight and somewhat awkward smile across her face. He traced his fingertips lightly along her ear, and over her forehead, brushing some of her hair from her face. He looked back to her eyes and focused more intently. The stream of sprites were still flowing from his mind into hers and he was now at this point, feeling the strain as he began to sweat and his body was feeling heavy and fatigued. Shay's body trembled violently, causing Sun to startle and rest his hand on her arm and then gently gliding his hand along her arm until it rested in her own hand. He slid his fingers between hers until their hands were clasped together.

Sun, what's going on? What's happening to me? What...what do you mean it's not real? I saw them take everyone...kill them...it's not real?, Shay finally spoke out to him telepathically.
Sun gleamed in glee that he was finally able to get her to focus her mind on his voice. His mental voice spoke so softly, it was almost like a mother was comforting her child who just had a nightmare. It was so unusal though. Shay was always the one protecting Sun and comforting him, and now, he was the one doing it to her. He was being the mother...so to speak.

Don't worry Shay...you'll be fine. You were injured in the battle against the Dead. Tobias...the doctor...he had to give you some kind of antidote...but....it caused u to see illusions. No one was taken anywhere, we are all here....we are all here for you...just come back to us. Follow my voice into the light of the sun....and....if you find your way to me...I promise to fly you high into the clouds....I know how much you've wanted to fly....now come back to us.... Sun spoke to her telepathically, quickly breaking the telepathic connection between the two of them as the strain on his mind had become too intense for him to handle. This sprites stopped flowing between their minds and they dissipated into thin air. Keeping up a telepathic link was difficult for Sun. He didn't have much experience with his telepathy and using it for short periods of time was all his mind could take before it gave out.

Sun was breathing deeply, heaving almost. Even with two hearts pumping in his heart, using his telepathy wore out his mind and his body. He held his hand to his chest and took deep breaths, trying to get his breathing in check. As he did so, he stared into Shay's face...hoping madly that she would break from her mental captivity.

Shay focused on Sun's voice as she stared at her brother she was "seeing" across the room. While everything horrific she had endured before was vanishing, melting in to the realty it really was, Shane was the last standing hallucination before her. She still could not see anyone real in the room as her eyes remained closed. She was understanding now through Sun's telepathy that what she was seeing wasn't real. This meant that seeing her brother was not real either. A heavy tear slid out of the corner of her eye and fell down her dirty cheek. It was as if she was losing Shane all over again. She never spoke of him to anyone except for Mother and Marcus when she arrived. She had been so close to her brother that speaking about him to anyone was still painful and was a memory she didn't feel like digging up or sharing with anyone else. She told Mother and Marcus in confidence, knowing they would keep her secret. Ravenia took her in and Marcus helped her heal at the gates during her first few weeks. Marcus was kind enough to let her vent, cry hard for several days, grieve, and finally heal. After that she promised herself she would be strong thereafter. Strong for her brother and for herself. Crying was a sign of weakness and she was not weak. She was determined to be as strong as any Blessed One. When she told Ravenia and Marcus of Shane a weight was lifted off of her chest and she had no need to speak of him to anyone else again. His memory was sacred and her own.

As Sun reassured Shaylly that she was hallucinating and explained the situation, Shay focused on his clear words, taking in what he was saying and putting everything together. The pain was still riveting through her body but she was able to focus when she heard Sun speak. At Sun's final words Shay saw Shane wave his arm softly back and forth, a goodbye for her as he slowly vanished from her sight, dissipating like her parents and the other hallucinations. Shay felt her throat choke. She was not one for tears and weeping, but she felt emotions pull at her that she had not felt in so long. Sun was all she could ask for in this moment. He was her adoptive little brother. He was not a replacement for Shane, but rather their relationship just came naturally and filled the hole in Shay's heart when she had first arrive to Paradise Land. She was always there for him, to protect him, to teach him anything she could. Despite playing the big sister role, he did so much for her that she secretly leaned on him more than he would know. His presence now made her feel secure, Sun her brother, taking care of her.

When Sun's voice grew silent she realized the connection between them was gone. Was that moment even real? She could feel the pain riveting through her body and as she lost Sun's voice her focus fell back on the pain torturing through her veins, her bones, her skin. Her body shook. She focused on what Sun said. Wake up! she yelled to herself. Wake up damn it, this isn't real. Sun is there for you! Get your eyes open and your mind focused! Sun's close touch relaxed her pounding heart and heavy breathing slightly, a physical effect she was not aware of but helped her.

Shay opened her eyes, pupils dilated and wide. She gasp loudly, inhaling deeply. She was laying on her side,knees tucked up to her chest still. Her eyes searched the room in front of her and quickly fell upon Sun. The pain seemed to be slowing. It wasn't shaking her body as harshly. She felt like she had been drugged, her body heavy, eyes fighting to stay open. She felt like she had been stuck in a nightmare, unable to get herself free until now. "Oh Sun" she cried out, reaching her arm to pull him close to her. She was still dust ridden and damp with sweat from her ordeal, needing a nice hot shower. Trusting Sun that what she was feeling would be over soon she would worry about that later. "H-how much longer?" she asked with a short breath. She wanted to know how much more of the pain she would have to endure. She couldn't talk much as the pain was still coursing through her body. Shay could see Sun was breathing heavier than normal. His telepathy must have been hard on him and she was not sure how much effort it took for him to maintain that form of communication. She would remind herself when she was in a better state to thank him many times over.

TOBIAS

giving a quick smirk to her joke, which believe it or not was needed. in all the seriousness they had tossed on them in such a short time, to be able to joke helped.. a lot. "well, if we were alone, i can think of a couple places for your hands to be" looking back at her, he wasnt one to come outright and flirt back so boldly, but the occasion called for it and he wanted to see how'd she react to what he said. after that, they got serious, and while she kept each wound area cleaned, he extracted one after the other of this big man's modified nails he'd been filled with.. each wound had been cleaned out, and then using a technique he had developed himself, he sewed the wound closed in a way that would close it up from the inside as he moved upward. he and Ravenia worked well together, his mind and hands doing their things while she did what she needed. he smiled at her and offered a thanks when she dabbed his brow, this little rooms when closed off got extremely hot, but right now that was helping.

Finally with a tray full of bloody nails, and a floor covered in bloody towel, and discarded thread pieces, Tobias was on the last wound, making the final few stitches that would close the wound up. when she said what was on her mind, Tobias sighed. "i couldnt tell you really, unless he's a Blessed One and can heal, moving him could tear these stitches open Ravenia, and i cant do that, but you are right" and she was, this guy was an unknown, one of many they'd had thrown onto them since the morning, and if there was one thing none of them liked, it was unknown variables. last Stitch done, Tobias sighed, and wrapped the wound.. the man had enough bandages he looked like a checker board but he was stablized. done, he sat his tools down and looked at Ravenia "you are right, there is more to all of this, its not sitting right with me either" he said softly. "already my mind is working on figuring out this puzzle, and it keeps coming back to one thing" he said. "there are two things that keep coming to mind" grabbing a clean towel off the depleted pile and walking over he pushed Ravenia's hair off her face gently, pushing it behind her ear, before he wiped her brow down. "if you were going to test the defences, reaction times, patrol patterns and attack strength of someone, you'd present them with something that would force them to respond, and then you sit back and watch" he said, which could be the dead currently on their way, not knowing that they'd already arrived. "and secondly, the Trojan Horse, it didnt turn out so good for those it was used on" when she said that she would kill the man if he presented a threat, and if the Kids were the same what she'd do, Tobias nodded. "i know you will without hesitation, and if this guy or those kids out there are a threat, i'll be right along side you, helping to remove that threat" he said.

back in the room with the children, the nurse smiled. "Well you two surely are lucky ducks" winking and smiling.. her checking them up had went flawlessly, they were fine for the most part.. she'd left them for a moment, only to come back with two plates of food, actual food and two cups, the potion to help them rest was in the water. "now, Tobias wants you to drink at least half of the water, it will help you sleep and relax, so eat as much as you can the both of you, then drink your water and you lay down and rest" he smiled, and clearly she was a mother cause she moved forward and kissed the top of their heads, much like a mother would. "if you need anything, you just call out and someone will come alright" she smiled, and left them to it.. Tobias would pull back the curtain to the room, sighing. "take and dispose of these please" handing the tray of bloody nails to the nurse, along with the bag of bloody rags and trash he had picked up off the floor, it would have to be cleaned up later, but right now the majority was up. when he heard Shay speaking, and knowing Ravenia would be coming, he walked over to where she laid and walked in. "Well now" he said, smiling as he walked over to her, he placed a hand on Fen's shoulder. "you should know, you saved his life Fen" meaning the Russian.. "he wasnt going to last much longer bleeding like that, but we caught it i think, all he needs now is time.. when he wakes im going to let him know it was you that saved his life" then moving to the side of the bed, he took Shay's hand gently, checking her pulse and smiling. "if we all didnt already know this Shay, i'd say you are about one of the hard headed and stubborn women we got around here, right up there with the winged runners and our 'runs when its check up time' Mother" he said. "you talking is a good sign, really good" he said, smoothing her hair back. "pulse is good, color is returning slowly.. the pain will start to fade and your body will chill really quick, then go to warm.. til that happens, your to stay in bed, that leg is going to take a week or two to heal up properly" removing his hand from her head, he smiled at her. "and i think im going to have to pull my Doctor powers out, and order Marcus to come here and see you" winking playfully, before he left her to it.. checking in on Clo was easy, she was out cold and resting, finally one harpie that actually listened to him, if only the other two would. taking a moment, he walked to the counter behind his desk, facing the wall he leaned against it and closed his eyes and just took a moment to collect himself, not that he could take to long, there were things that still needed doing.

MICHAEL

Michael laid on his stomach in his bedroom, his hand rubbing his extremely sore ass, his aunt hadnt let him off this time, she was mad, he could tell cause moving made the belt whipping seem like it was still going on. when she got him home, she made him tell where all of the stuff was, and when he didnt want to, she looked through his room and found his stash of 'found' items under his bed. inside the old, worn hard suitcase was a first aid kit from the med center, three throwing knives he'd found that belong to Anora, a slingshot and a bag of rocks that went with it that one of the other kids had 'misplaced' and a lot of mismatched things that had been taken from other people. she had taken it all and was planning on giving it all back, the ass whippin had come when he blurted out "do you know how long it took me to steal all that stuff!" which was a big mistake, one he was paying for now. so he laid in bed, pouting cause after she laid into him, he was grounded, he couldnt do anything but go out to school with the other children, then head straight home. a small victory, she hadnt found his command center, that was still safe, but if she did what she said she was going to and take him to Mother herself, he'd be in trouble, he couldnt lie to the leader of Paradise, he was a warrior of Paradise, and that meant he had to follow orders.

Isam stood back as Sun did his mind thing with Shay. He wasn't really sure what was going on, but it seemed to helping. The man's tension left little by little as Shay finally stopped her panicking. Then, when she opened her eyes, he might have even smiled a little. It was about then that he re-realized just how tired he was.

Isam looked around until he found a chair, and pulled it into the room to sit down. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple times, then looked back at Shay and Sun. It looked as though she was going to be okay, but he felt inclined to stay anyway. The strange man in the next room helped convince him. What if he was the enemy? What if, while they were gone as thinking him asleep, he called his undead hoards back. It was strange, Isam thought, that he had been right in the middle of such a large herd, but yet none of them had touched him.

"How are you feeling?" Isam finally asked Shay, breaking his silence. She looked a little better now that she was...aware. It seemed that whatever she had been seeing was gone.

---

Meanwhile, down the hall, Copper poked his head out of the kids' room to watch the nurse walk down the hall. He pulled back in quickly and looked at Libby, a little hesitant. He waited a few minutes, squirming in his seat, before finally asking. "Should we call them?"
Libby looked up. "I guess..." She hopped down out of her seat and went over to the door, closing it. She then pulled a small device out of her coat pocket.

The girl sat back down in her chair and turned the device on, Copper coming to lean over her shoulder. The thing gave a bit of static, then went clear.
"Mr. Leader?" Libber asked, her voice hushed. There a moment of silence, then.
"Yes?" The voice that come over the
"We're inside. The people here are really nice, ans they have a really cool city in here."
"Tell me something I don't know, Libby." The girl gulped.
"Uh, we saw Sasha here. What do we do?"
"Sasha is a menace to our plan, and if the plan doesn't work, we're all in big trouble. You'll do what you have to do: Kill Sasha."

The girl squeaked. "But-"
"That's enough. Don't contact me again until it's done."

Once at the ledge of the wall, Anora came to a stop and looked down. The dead who survived the confrontation just about 25 minutes ago were still making their way closer to the City of Paradise. Unfortunately, they were still too far away and not yet in range of throwing distance, however Anora made do with the little amount of spare time she still had. Better to be over prepared than under. She told herself matter-of-factly, while beginning to place a few of the good dagger carved rocks evenly spaced along the ledge in front of where she was currently standing with tensed shoulders and clenched teeth.

Five of the stone throwing knives had been placed down when the sound of metallic clinking could be heard from behind her. Not pausing in her task, Anora placed another rock in place. The noise of her sisters shining silver wings was comforting after all these years of hearing it on a daily basis. It was just about the same as wind chimes in a gentle breeze and she hoped to continue to hear the noise for the rest of her life.

Just when her shoulders were beginning to relax, they tensed right back up as her sister whined to her about how sore her wings were. Turning around, Anora gave Ramera a blank look along with a confused blink of her eyes. Who was this and what did she do with Ramera? Her sister never complained, in fact joking and teasing were out of the question too, so wh-

That was when it dawned on her. An eye for an eye. I reassured her to calm her agitation and now its my turn. That or sun stroke has gotten to her head.

Anora smiled at her sisters odd antics. “Oh no! My poor dear sister what ever can I do?!” Came her mock exclamation of worry as she placed the back of her hand over her eyes like a damsel in distress. Her hand soon moved down to her chin a gave it a rub as if she were deep in thought.

“Hmm, how about I give them kisses to make them feel better?” She suggested and made a smoochy face. It just didn’t last very long because quite quickly a smile broke out on her face and her shoulders shook in silent laughter. Moments like this were rare and Anora couldn’t quite remember the last time.

It was somewhere back before we were given the position of The Harpies Three.[/i] She recalled mentally. It was a time where they found themselves in Paradise Land for the first time. They were offered a chance of a real childhood for the few years that they would still be classified as such.

She was snapped from her musings when something green was thrown off the wall which she caught in the corner of her eye. Facing the direction fully, Anora noticed that the Cities nuclear expert, Jacob was atop the wall and a little ways away from her and her sisters current position. She green that she caught sight of was one of Jacobs radiation spheres.

Upon closer inspection, the white bone of his arms were visible. It was always an unsettling sight, it made her feel bad, not in a sick way, but a sad one. It must have hurt horribly every time he used his ability. Constant pain. He must have been in constant pain. Her task as one of Paradise Lands warriors was to keep its inhabitants from harm, but she failed in this when it came to Jacob.

The looks he got from majority of those who lived in Paradise always irked Anora because they had no idea how much it must irritate him, they probably didn’t quite care either. This was why she made it her mission to never look at him in disgust or even sadness, but with caring friendship. After all it was what he deserved. He did give power to Paradise and asked for nothing in return.

Leaning over the ledge to see what he was firing at, Anora’s eyes widened at the sight of a few scattered corpses quite close to the wall.

Anora didn’t expect them to get within range so fast. They were usually slow. Picking up one of the knife shaped rocks almost as nothing more than a reaction to the sight of them, she threw it like on of her throwing knives and the pointed end pierced through the skull of the one closest to her place on the wall.

As her third one made contact with a third corpse, Anora realised that this was just going to take too long, if they were closer together instead of separate then Jacob would be able to take out a lot more in a single attack.

“J-Jacob!” She called out to gain his attention and once she received it she would continue. “I’ll draw them together so that you can take them out! Sound good?” Awaiting a sign of agreement from the man Anora turned back to Ramera, "Want to help me? I won't be able to get all of the dead to group together, but together we can create two separate groups." Once again waiting for a response, Anora was soon flying down close to the ground and making noise to gain the attention of a few of the dead. Ten of them converged together and Anora shot up into the sky, getting out of the way so that Jacob could do his thing.