With the dead approaching, Marcus did his best to fight them off with that he had. He had an idea to get giant hunks of metal and put them all in front of the gates. With the metal there, he could bend it's shape and form to create giant spires and pillars that could impale the dead, or sent out an electric current to all of them to shock all nearby enemies. He was curious to know how his abilities worked, as he had never really researched it before. Was it some sort of thing that had to do with electromagnetic fields, or was it just some sort of connection with metal? And if it was the latter, wouldn't he be able to control earth as well due to the fact that metal is just a refined version of earth? He had so many questions about his power that he couldn't answer for many reasons. One, he didn't have anything to go off of, and the other was that he was currently preoccupied with fending off zombies to think any further about the topic.

He could only grunt to himself as Anora called out to Jacob. Marcus wasn't all that far away from Jacob, and he was sure that the harpy was able to see him. Despite having an important job for the city, he felt like he was fading into the background, and he didn't want for that to happen. Still, he wordlessly continued to fend off the zombies, one explosion after another aimed at the larger groups of them. He only shot a few more rounds before he ran out. He had no more explosive rounds to use, and his weapon was now useless until he made some new ammunition for it.

Quickly, he scaled down the wall and rushed into his shed, Putting his gun down before facing the wall and calling out to Jacob. "Hey! I'll be right back!" He said simply as he ran towards Tobias' workstation. He needed to reassure himself that Shay was doing alright, and he quickly went off to see her.

Cypher stared out at the group gathered in front of him. Ninety-three was the final count if he remembered correctly. Ninety-three pairs of eyes all glued to his serious face, all looking up to him for guidance, for answers that sometimes even he didn't have. Today however, he had the answer to their most burning question... or at least he hoped. Most sprawled out before him had been with him since the groups inception. They knew what he was looking for, why their group moved around so much. Others who had joined late just accepted that their nomadic habits were a simple way of life and quickly adapted. To Cypher, staying on the move not only meant covering ground for his never ending search, but also meant safety. However, with the City now only so many miles away, true safety was closer than any of his people realized. Soon, they wouldn't have to move anymore, fear for their lives, wander around a dying world in search of a safe place to lay their head to rest. It was time to let them know why.

"Thank you all for coming..." He would begin, his eyes moving from one side of the crowd to the other. Everyone was here... everyone. He knew each face by name. Doc, Shea, Brand, Cliff, Skylar, Fraz. There was Eliza and her brother Geoffrey standing at the edge of the crowd. Cypher had discovered the both of them young and defenseless and oddly enough, having emerged from the ocean. He'd knew right away that they were special and after little coaxing, was able to convince them to stay. They were both metahumans as far as he understood though their powers had very little offensive capabilities as far as he was concerned... or so he thought. After the siblings were Kaiden and the small group of people he'd brought along with him. Cooks, warriors and of course himself: A gifted man with the ability to communicate with beasts of all kinds. Now there was plenty of value in that. In fact everyone before held value to him. Sure he could measure it but whether large or small, that value was precious to him and like everything that was precious, he wanted nothing but to protect them.

"I know this isn't our usual time for communal meetings. We usually spend a few extra minutes after our Father's sermons to talk about the past week and the coming weeks just to keep everyone up to speed. However... something new has happened... something very important has been discovered." Cypher read the crowd as best he could, catching some brow raising while some others shrugged. "The City, our Land of Milk and Honey.... Paradise! Paradise has finally been found!" He yelled out triumphantly. His voiced boomed echoing off the walls of the tent and slipping into the afternoon air outside. He was a little more boisterous than usual and the extra energy was contagious. People began to clap as they realized what this meant. Years of wandering was over... years of waiting, of fear and doubts. All over now that they'd found the city. Some stood and shouted, yelling at the top of their lungs, some turned to each other and embraced. Cypher smiled. "The woman who had come through our camp only a few days ago, the same one that killed Crystal... may she rest in peace. In her final moments of punishment for her crimes, she divulged its location. This location was then confirmed by your leaders Shea, Brand and Cliff." He paused, holding his smile and gripping the edges of the podium with both hands. He leaned forward, trying to get closer to the crowd as if what he had to say next was of the utmost importance. "It's real... It exists." He said, slowly pulling back again. "However just like Moses turned out years of strife and hardship to bring his people home, so too is our journey incomplete. This city is run by people who would rather not share their safety, their walls with people like you and me. People who have suffered and lost and died just to see the walls. While we wander the wastes they house criminals like the woman... like Jacob Powers..."

At the mention of his name, the crowd became a little unsettled. Those who were around and still remembered began to pass whispers to one another about the crazed lunatic that had wiped out the other half of their group. Back when they were an unstoppable force, they'd been reduced to half their strength in an instant. He was both someone they feared and hated and a name for all of them to claim. When the whispered finally settled, Cypher continued.

"That's right... He's there living well and large. Safe and without judgement after having murdered so many of our own. He will not go unpunished, those who live behind those walls refusing to share their safety with us but house men like him will not go unpunished. We will judge them and take what it is they do not deserve. However, before we do we must prepare. We do not have the strength we once did. We are weak but we can become strong. We've recently learned of another group in the area. We are working to get in contact with them in hopes of combining our forces to take the city... More importantly... we... have... you." Cypher pointed at individuals in the room, one person but everyone at the same time. "You are all part of the key to the Heavenly gates. Your bond, your will to survive, your strength. Together we cannot fail! Together we cannot fall! Together!... We will take this city and once and for all know true peace!" The crowd began to rise to their feet as Cypher brought his hands up toward the sky, cheering and screaming their praise.

"What did He say?" Cypher yelled out to the heavens to which everyone replied in unison:

"Let there be light!"

SUN

His two hearts finally fell back to their normal pace. Thump-thump, thump thump...a double pounding sound that would normally be alarming for others, was very normal for him. But with the straining conditions of his telepathy, even his two hearts were being over worked. One would think that abilities of the mind only affect the brain, but in actuality, theres a complete connection throughout the entire body. Not only would his brain give out, but so would his body. Sun fanned his face with his hand, making the best effort to cool himself off as his body began relaxing, slowly regenerating the vitality he had used up when he was maintaining the mind-link with Shay. But quite honestly, the last priority on his mind was himself, it was Shay. His eyes glazed over her body as a look of worry plastered itself upon his face. His eyes were darting along her body nervously.

Oh no....it's happening again....I'm of no help...incompetent..., he thought to himself.

His eyes were glossy...watery even. Sun had a knack for doubting his abilities and capabilities, especially when he was around other capable indiviuals. He frowned briefly as his thoughts were uncertain and his heart heavy. But it wouldn't be for long. When Shay opened her eyes, so did Sun, brightly, as a stream of tears seemed to flow from his eyes almost instantaneously. "Oh Sun", Shay cried out to him. Sun was cheesing like a silly happy puppy, but before he even had time to react, Shay pulled him in, almost strangling him with her decievingly powerful arms. Sun didn't even care, he was just crying and elated, that not only was Shay awake, but that he had done something helpful. He was actually useful. And what perfect timing.
Sun tried brushing off the bit of grunge that had been on her body a la Red Waste, but it was to no avail so as long as she was hugging him. When Shay finally released her grip, she asked him how much longer, but was Sun slightly confused. It took a moment for him to realize, but eventhough the hallucinations had subsided, she was still in incredible pain. She was wincing, struggling to physically verbalize her thoughts to him because of the comparable discomfort. "Oh Shay....I'm so glad to see your okay...or at least better than you were doing...but...I'm not sure how much longer the pain is going to last....but if it hurts too much to talk....", he spoke aloud...and then paused for a moment and projected a sprite from his mind and into Shay's to continue his sentence...

"...we can always continue on like this...", his voice rang out telepathically in her head. He smiled gently, wiping the tears from his face and looking to Isam who had also come over and asked her how she was feeling. He had been silent for nearly the entire time...just watching, like a father looking over his children. He didn't do much, but Sun was lightly comforted that he came over as well.

---

ELIZA


What a breezy afternoon it was...Eliza's hair was flowing violently in all directions it seemed and she was frantically trying to contain the chaos going on on her head. She was in the garden, a small isolated section of Cypher's camp grounds that generally only she visited. It was filled with flowers galore, vibrant colours that layered the ground in this small, private area she called her own she needed to be....well....alone. Her voice carried along the wind as she vocalized a remembered melody, singing a soft tune she created for her mother after she died and left the earth....or at least...after her soul did. Her mother's body still roamed around as one of the mindless carnivorous Dead, unattached to the world on any plane other than the physical one. The decaying body remained...but... her mother no longer did.

Eliza Singing
"Spring comes...roses die...I dream of you...whisper me....a sweet lullaby....you used to sing...how many dawns and dusks...have gone by...enough to know what I found....deep sighs sadly ring out....in the universe....I lost...my way...but I remember....
The way you smile....the way you cry...just the way you are...the way you kiss me....the way you touch me....the way look into... my eyes and tell me...the way you call me....the way you surrond me....the way you breathe...when I look up to the sky..only you...just only you...now I can see the way to you...so I'll return...to....where...I...belong..."

"I remember...."

Her voice was so angelic even the songbirds would cower in shame. Her voice faded gently...slowly losing power until it came to a complete stillness. Her hair was still flying about, which she quickly tried dealing with by brushing it behind her ears, but with little success. Her eyes marbled like a sphere of clear water. She looked down...plucked a small daisy from its roots and held it curled in her hands. She made a sighing gesture, closed her eyes, and brought her cupped hands to her chest and began to pray. She wasn't sure who she was praying to, but for some reason, relinquishing her feelings and worries to an unknown Almighty Power made her feel better. At least...that's what her father did before he lost his way.

"You doing okay sis?", a stern, yet loving voice called out from behind her. She dropped the flower and almost jumped out of her skin, quickly swiveling her body around to see her brother Geoffrey, who had been watching her intently as he lazily rested his body against a nearby tree and had his arms folded. She put her hand to her chest and took a deep breath, before frowning to him coyly. She lifted herself off the ground and ran her fingers through her hair agitatedly..."Sheesh Geo...you don't have to sneak up on me like that. I was fine....as you can see...", she said to him in a snide like manner. "Who was sneaking? I've been here the whole time...just watching over you is all. Hell, you should be grateful..", he responded blantantly, smiling to her warmly afterwards.

She rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly, walking over to him and poking him in the arm with her pointer finger. She was still wearing her mother's flower shaped ring, never taking it off for anything. "Well..you know I'm grateful. It's just...I hate being underestimated and treated like the weaker sex...", she began in a somewhat serious tone. "Hell...", she continued..."You could be the one in need of protection."

Geoffrey grinned and laughed out loud..."Naturally...", he retorted teasingly, uncrossing his strong arms and wrapping them affectionately around his sister, pulling her in and resting his head on hers. "You know I'm just looking out for you...", he spoke in a low, almost whisper-like tone. Eliza wrapped her own thin arms around his waist and had her head rested against his chest. "I know, I know...", she responded simply. Geoffrey lifted his head from off hers and lightly kissed her forehead, "Good! Now lets get goin then snail! Our favorite crazed cult leader is calling for a camp gathering. All heads have gotta be accounted for. I mean...come on. How can you resist that gorgeous face of his...", he playfully said to her in a teasing manner, letting go of her body and placing the back of his palm to her forehead to check her temperature.

She quickly swiped his hand from her head and snarled at him..."Give it a rest will you? Yes....he is a bit...eccentric, but...he's likeable...I guess. Besides, he practically saved us. I merely suggest we give him a chance..", she responded kinda carelessly, shrugging her shoulders as she walked past her brother and made her way towards the meeting area. Geoffrey quickly followed suit..."Whatever...I still don't trust the guy.", he quickly retorted. "Paranoid much?", she mumbled under her breath.

A few minutes later they arrived in the nick of time, opting to stand in the back. They were relatively new to the Cypher's camp and didn't want to feel as though they were intruding. Cypher stood in front of the crowd, bold, commanding, and quite frankly...almost intimidating. When he spoke, his voice roared and carried like a fighter jet shooting acorss the sky. He was immensely charismatic, and it seemed as if he knew exactly what to say. He mentioned some things about a Jacob Powers, a Paradise Land, Revenge-esque type material. "What is he talking about?", Eliza asked her brother in a confused tone. He shrugged and let out a quick, "No clue", still keeping his eyes focused and trained on Cypher, analyzing his every movement, posture, mannerisms. Geoffrey was soaking it in like a sponge. When Geoffrey had a bad feeling about someone, it was almost impossible to shake. Eliza could see the uncertainity on her brother's face, but she turned back her attention to the handsome Cypher.

Cypher was coming to his vocal climax it seemed, causing the camp folks to roar and chant in unison with him. As the roaring continued, Cypher seemed to be content with himself. Eliza looked around at the cheering crowd, her eyes a bit glazed and befuddled. She nonchalantly clasped her hands around her back and sighed, not really sure what to make of his speech or why everyone was so elated by it. She really had no clue what he was talking about. Geoffrey on the other hand had his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes leered at Cypher's misleadingly peaceful countenance.

He wasn't impressed. And in his mind...he wasn't fooled either.

Anora’s confusion was apparent to Ramera as she was committing her strange antics. However, the face of realization that dawned on her face cooled Ramera, down through her to her fingertips. She could then see the wheels begin to turn in Anora’s head. And thus, she joined into Ramera’s antics.

It hadn’t taken long for the two of them to break out into laughter. Anora was one of a few whom she would ever show this side of herself to. Moments like these were rare and few between. Special moments like these held a close place to her heart. This was the side of her that she refused to show anybody else. A side of her that cared deep down, and thus it was a side that was weak.

Anora’s laughter halted and her gaze snapped away. Ramera followed her gaze down to the man referred to as Jacob, he’d launched some form of green orb down close to the gates, and his arm had begun to expose the pure white of his bone already. Ramera walked to the edge of the wall, eyeing the remains of the shambling dead. Tch, we let our guard down for a sec and they already close the distance. I should’ve known, nowadays not even the dead get rest.

Ramera watched her sister as she began to throw the make-shift knives into the scattered dead. Anora had much more skill when it came to throwing knives; none of the dead were close enough for Ramera to hit with accuracy. However, Anora hadn’t made much progress, now that was a problem about the knives, you could only manage targets individually. Someone like Jacob however had much more diversity with his ability. She turned in the direction of Jacob, about to voice an idea to him before her sister cut her off, yelling his name out and grabbing his attention.

At Anora’s request Ramera joined her off the side of the wall. Ramera extended her wings before pitching left to avoid being too close to Anora’s herd. When she found she was at a good distance, one far off from Anora’s group, yet still within Jacob’s range she landed, centered between some of the scattered corpses. “Goddamn, this is always unpleasant,” she whispered to herself before cupping her ears with her hands.

She pulled her wings in front of her and brought the flat of her wings together. She pushed the two of them together and with a resounding screech rubbed her metallic wings against one another. She could feel every movement, pushing through her down to her toes. The feeling was unexplainable and the only comparable sound was that of nails on a chalkboard. The nerves in her wings seemed to wail in protest and her entire being felt like she was being pulled to the ground with each vibration.

She pulled her wings apart, feeling herself pitch off balance while doing so. It’d worked. She could see the corpses stumbling towards her with their awkward movements. She pulled her aching wings above her head drowsily and pushed herself into the sky fast and hard. It felt like irony how moments ago she’d been complaining about aching wings and now her time of reckoning came. They weren't unbearable, nor would she let them hinder her flying, it was just extremely uncomfortable and the after effects still made her feel unsteady.

The Last Harpy
A collab between OoTrillionoO, Luminance and Exit
--Part 1--
Clo took a step back, tripping over the pale she'd dropped and landing square on her ass. She winced in pain on impact and quickly scrambled back to her feet, turning to face the two once again. She wanted to say something, scream maybe, yell for help but something had caught her tongue. Instead she simply stared at them, took in their dark forms. The moonlight blasted them from behind obscuring most of their features but it wasn't their face she wasn't trying to see. Their wings... their wings were beautiful... magnificent things that fluttered in the air behind them and seemed to glow in the light of the stars. She couldn't take her eyes off them. Her own strained against their confines, pushing against the leather straps holding them in place suddenly wanting to be free.

"Hey, hey, shhh. It's alright. We wont hurt you." The smaller of the two cooed when Clo fell back. She was about to move in and lend a helping hand but stayed in place as Clo quickly regained her feet. Seeing the fear in the young girls eyes, Anora held her hands up, one of which was bandaged neatly, to show that she was unarmed. Opening her mouth to say something else, the white winged girl noticed that the young girls eyes were glued to the spot behind her and her sister Ramera. Glancing in the same direction, she realized that it was their wings which caught the child's attention. Anora smiled gently and gave her wings a flutter.

The elder of the two glanced at her sister's actions, before eyeing the reason behind Clo's admiration. With a sudden flash of silver, inches away from Clo her leather bindings dropped. The girl had extended a metallic wing and severed her bindings in a flash. "Anora, we shouldn't be wasting time," she said with some level of grief etched into her words as she faced her sister.

The motion had been so quick Clo hadn't the time to react. Suddenly a weight had been lifted off her shoulders and without warning her black wings shot to their full length. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized what happened.

"No...no no." She began to mutter over and over again turning to look at the cursed thigs sprouting from her back. "Oh no... he's going to kill me..."

"But we aren't wasting time Ramera. I'd say that helping someone is time well spent." The younger responded to the elder as the pieces of the bindings which constrained Clo's dark wings soundlessly fell to the ground. Her mutterings caught the attention of the one with white wings.

"No he wont. Especially not since Ramera and I are here. We," An imploring look at the elder sister before continuing, "we promise that you will never be harmed again." It was a gentle yet resolute promise.

The eldest watched her sister as she spoke to Clo before closing her eyes and giving a resolute nod of her head. "Yes, we promise. We'll never let anyone harm you. Ever."

"No... no you don't understand." She began to fold her wings back up, picking up the bindings that had fallen on the ground trying to mend them. "They're not supposed to be out... crap." It would be the first small expletive from a girl the sisters would get to know very well. However their fateful meeting would be cut short by the cocking of rifles and the deep voice of one of the guards.

"You're right... your wings aren't supposed to be out." Said the first. He stuck to his act in front of the strangers though Clo knew who he really was. However his presence didn't dampen the fact that her night out had taken an unexpected turn for the worse. There was no way she could fix the bindings before her master found out.

"And what do we have here?" The other guard turned toward the sisters Anora and Ramera, his rifle trained on them both but his eyes trained on their wings. "More freaks? you three related?"

The sound of cocking guns made the younger of the two flinch in surprise. The appearance of the men was completely unexpected and made Anora unconsciously move closer to her sister. When the gun pointed in the sisters direction, Anora shuffled even closer and held onto her sisters hand. It wasn't the first time that she had been at the barrel end of a rifle.

The larger of the two girls stared at the men, unflinching and with defiant eyes. She wouldn't let herself show fear. Not in front of these louts. She could feel Anora creeping closer to her. It was suddenly apparent that there was nothing she could do against the both of them. Instead of acting on her emotions she averted her gaze downwards in defeat as the men continued their approach.

"What do you think John? What do you we do with these two?" He spat on he ground next to Anora and Ramera.

John held his rifle up to Clo. He too was staring at her wings even as she was trying to fold them up and hide them. To him they were magnificent and why anyone would want to have them hidden was beyond him. Those wings on the two girls were just as well, white and glowing in the dark. All three of them were beautiful creatures that would be torn to bits as soon as they entered the town. Clo... he knew she would get beat, knew she'd be thrown in with the others for the hundredth time with bruises covering her body. The other two would get the same soon enough and shortly there after, turned into slaves... or worse. They'd become part of the endless cycle awaiting all metahumans that had the misfortune of crossing their town. It was sickening... it sickened him and he was tired of it.

John took a moment, putting together a patchwork plan before turning to his partner. "We're taking them to the cells with the others."

"Sure we shouldn't take them to the boss first?"

"We'll do it in the fucking morning... I'm too tired for this shit."

"And her?" The guard asked pointing his rifle at Clo. "What are we doing with her?"

"What do you think? She's going back home..." John said, picking her up by the collar of her shirt and shoving her back toward the town.

The guard nodded in agreement and then motioned for Anora and Ramera to follow. "Let's go..." He paused for emphasis. "...Freaks."

SHAY

A wave of comfort washed over Shay as she held on to Sun for a moment in her deep embrace. She felt like she was grounded, focused back to reality where the fear was washing away, leaving nothing but the pain to experience. As she pulled back listening to him, his final words being transmitted through her mind, Shay shook her head. She could see how much effort it took him to communicate this way and she didn't feel it was fair. She shook her head, inhaling deeply. "No....no it's ok. It's....getting better." Her words were strained still but clearer than before.

Isam's voice drew Shay's attention and she turned her head to look at him as he asked how she was feeling. He was so quiet in his chair she didn't notice him at first. He looked even more exhausted than before and she hopd he wasn't staying awake simply for her; hopefully he had been helping others giving him more important reasons to stay awake. She remembered how tired he look the first time they met. She gave him a weak smile and said "Better...glad to be back to...realty." she smirked, then quickly grimaced, clutching her stomach. "I'll be glad...when this is...finished." She took labored breaths between speaking. Although it took more effort to speak out loud it allowed her to stay focused on realty and her friends and less on the pain she was experiencing.

Shay looked to Fen and gave him a small smile, trying to avoid the smile from turning in to a cringe. "I'm glad..you're ok" she looked at them all and glanced around to any of the others that might have been in the near vicinity "...all of you." She didn't want to ask but it didn't seem like they had lost anyone. Although poor Sun looked as if he had lost her twice. But that was him, a very caring soul.

Tobias then pulled back the divider that separated her and the other bed in the room, catching her attention. When he revealed himself, giving last instructions to the nurse, she looked over to him, her eyes catching a glimpse of the unconscious Russian and his bandaged back. She saw the bloody rags on the floor, the last of the mess left behind of what seemed to be some sort of impromptu surgery. This was perhaps what Fen was howling for. This man had been so severely injured and seemed to have been running out of time to be helped.

Shay looked up to Tobias as he came to her side, taking her hand in his and checking her pulse. She knew she was in good hands. Shay smiled wider than before at his comment, glancing to Ravenia who was near. Perhaps she learned her strength and stubbornness from her. It was a quality that had given her immense strength and fortitude. As Tobias continued, moving her hair back, she inhaled deeply, held it for a moment, then slowly exhaled shakily. She nodded to him to show she understood what he said. The pain was becoming manageable. She couldn't wait to get her strength back though. She knew that the Russian was still around, the children they had recovered were still there, and she didn't feel right lying helpless in bed while new people roamed their city they fought so hard to keep peaceful and protected. If something were to happen she would be useless. This was the wrong thing to focus on; she was only frustrating herself. When Tobias mentioned her leg she looked down to see it heavily bandaged. She had forgotten about her leg, her focus rather being on her entire body, dealing with the pain and convulsions. As she looked at her leg it seemed like only a small inconvenience compared to the pain she was forced to endure from Tobias' antidote.

As Tobias pulled away and made his last remark Shay glanced around the room. She didn't see Marcus. Her brow furrowed slightly. Had he not wanted to come see her? She knew he had to handle the gates but her eyes strayed hopefully to the entrance of the room, looking for Marcus.

KAIDEN

At Cypher's gathering, Kaiden stood near the front but on the outside of the group. He was slightly claustrophobic at times and the din of the crowd would overwhelm him if he remained in the center of it all. Kaiden wanted to be able to not only hear Cypher well enough but to see him as well. His mother stood by his side, her thick hands stuck in the pockets of her apron as she looked up towards Cypher. Akasha was roaming the skies. Once in awhile Kaiden could hear her shriek, a confirmation she was ok. It gave him peace of mind for her safety and allowed her to freely roam on her own. He encouraged this especially when Cypher had announcements or gatherings as his respect for their leader ensured there were no distractions amongst the group.

Cypher announced the revelation of Paradise Land. He hadn't believed it existed yet since he had yet to see it for his own eyes. He knew it was a goal Cypher had been working towards for a while now. When he and his small group had arrived they were grateful for a community of protetion, a stronger home than they ahd ever had before. But they still kept moving. They didn't travel as frequently as his old group did but enough to where everyone remained somewhat exhausted and hopefully for a permant resting place. Obviously, the crowd was enthralled with this news. Kaiden smiled up towards Cypher, relieved and exciting as everyone else, just shwoing his emotion in a more reserved manner. He looked to his mother, giving her a wide grin. She returned with her warm small, her round face glowing with excitement. She placed her arm behind his back and pulled him in sideways for a hug, always a strong and warm embrace, no matter the angle. He layed his head down a moment, resting it upon her head as his 5"9 statue allowed him to, then quickly looked back up to continue listening to Cypher's speech.

Jacob Powers. He had heard of him. He was sort of a legend, a horror story told around their camp fires at night, especially to frighten the little ones. The descriptions were gruesome of his skin, his abilities with radiation frightening even the adults who conveyed the story. Kaiden had listened to several various, all of which led to a description of a soulless man with no compassion and a passion for mindless killing. Kaiden was of peace. He could not fathom how a person as Jacob was portrayed could exist and live in a land that was to be an example of peace and hope. Everyone knew Jacob was real. Kaiden wasn't quite sure how much of the details in their stories shared were of actual truth.

Kaiden's eyes never left Cypher. He could listen to him speak all day. He had developed quite the crush on him since his first arrival, a mixture of idolizing him as a father figure, and secretly adoring him as his handsome heroic savior. He kept his feelings to himself but his smiles for Cypher were always different for him than for anyone else, always a bit warmer and held longer. Cypher hadn't led them wrong yet so he clapped along with the crowd in their excitement at the end of his speech. Kaiden's eyes turned from Cypher to wander across the people around him. Since he stood on the outside, though near the front, he saw down further at the end, on the outside as well, two younger people, not as engaged as everyone else seemed to be. Instead it looked to be that they were not thrilled at all with the news Cypher had given them. Kaiden kept clapping but watched them with a frown. Why would anyone doubt Cypher? While Kaiden was of peace, as with his animal friends for survival, sometimes you must attack and kill for your survival when you've run out of other options. Paired with what seems to be horrific stories of the damage done by a man called Jacob Powers that seemed to be a leader within Paradise Land, Kaiden didn't oppose Cypher's speech of their plans. Kaiden eyed Eliza and Geoffrey, resting back on Eliza thoughtfully, his brow only slightly furrowed with concern. If she were to meet his eyes he would raise an eyebrow to her, as if silently questioning her aloof response to the end of Cypher's great speech.

Isam tilted his head, his face taking on a look of concern. He hated feeling like there was nothing he could do. He took a look back at the Russian man, still unconscious in his bed, then turned back to Shay.
"Fen brought that man in from the desert. He supposedly said something about a 'Trojan horse' being sent to the city. I don't trust him." That wasn't surprising; Isam trusted few people. Maybe whoever shot him was trying to stop him from getting here for a reason; maybe he was the Trojan horse.

Isam got up from his chair and turned it around to sit in it backward, giving him the back of the chair to rest his chin on. "Once you feel better, we can take you back to your home. It would probably be more comfortable there for you." The doctor hadn't said anything about keeping her overnight, so Isam figured, why not?

Marcus ran as fact as he could to find Shay. A look of worry was spread across his face as he went on, his thoughts focused on his friend. He hoped that she was with Tobias, as Sun had telepathically told him that she was hurt somehow. He had to make sure that she was okay, she was one of his closest friends and he worried about her. As he ran, he realized that he had never left the gates like this before. No matter what happened, he always tended to the gates. He wondered why he chose now of all times to abandon his post, but the thoughts flew out the window as he reached the room where he had heard noise coming out from. Once he reached the room, he looked inside of it and panted lightly, looking around to find Shay. When he say her, he was more than happy to see her, and slowly walked over to her, his looks of worry being replaced by a small smile. A wave of relief hit him as he saw her, and he was happy even with the dead attacking the walls that he should be guarding. "She's okay." He thought simply as he approached her, unsure of what to say or do. He didn't even register the other wounded person in the room, as all of his thoughts were focused on his friend. Once he reached her side, he exhaled lightly. "Glad to see you're okay." He said simply, not sure of what else to tell her.

Jacob fired bolt after orb after whatever he could at the dead below. Some of the stationary ones he would fire waves at. It required more concentration, since he had to hold the waves on his target, but it was always a sure fire kill, every time. Plus, it was satisfying to see their heads pop like overripe grapes. Then Anora called out to him. “I’ll draw them together so that you can take them out! Sound good?", she said. Jacob responded with a quick nod and a curt "Do it!", and prepared himself for a bigger attack. As he watched for a good opportunity, he saw Anora gathering a group of about 10 dead. When Anora took off, Jacob charged his energy for a second, then fired a large beam of energy from his hands, aimed right at the group. He gradually moved the beam across the group, until all 10 dead were charred corpses on the ground, half disintegrated.

Then, Jacob heard Marcus, who was nearby at his firing post. "Hey! I'll be right back!" he said, before taking off down the wall. That was quite irksome for Jacob. He called back "Make it quick, Marcus! We need you up here!" Turning back to the dead, he continued to obliterate each group that Anora and Ramera brought together. Jacob checked his shirt as he went. His chest was cracking now. He could clearly see his sternum, glowing green with his energies. It would take much longer before his face would be on the chopping block. Undeterred, Jacob kept firing.

"Celebrate" had been the word Cypher used to close his speech. They were going to celebrate the great news and for finally discovering Paradise. Sure his plans were yet to be realized but he was sure his people could use the nice change of pace. The past few months had been especially rough on them. They'd crossed paths with more raiders than Cypher cared to remember and the last group had managed to cut away a slice of his family. They were constantly on high alert and there were many nights when Cypher went without rest. At least now he knew why: They were in close proximity of the fabled city that many people were still searching for and not all of those people were of good intent.

Shortly after the speech was over, the communal tent was taken down, an easy task with all the available hands. The furnishing inside were set in storage while their collection of christmas lights were removed. They were strewn up around the clearing and attached to generators, giving the center of the camp a dazzling look to it. Tables were propped up on one side of the clearing while the rest was kept open for dancing later during the night. At the other end of the clearing, a small platform was placed for the "band", more a of a mix bagged of a few survivors who knew how to play instruments. They were rusty to say the least and could be seen hours before the affair already trying to practice and tune their craft. Before long they were able to play a few soft melodies in synchronization with each other:

For food, Doc, Adie and many other hands were tasked with preparing much of what they had in storage. There was no risk in running out fortunately for Cypher and since they had so much, he let them whip up almost whatever they wanted. An old large grill that had survived the war and been discovered and maintained by Cypher was set up near the tables. All manner of meats were being seared, rice was cooked, vegetables boiled. Many loafs of bread were baked in their earthen oven. They'd even managed to track and kill a two headed dear... a delicacy at least to them. Venison from their hunt was being grilled and soon the air was filled with the sweet scent. Of course to cater to those who weren't keen on the notion of consuming meat, many vegetarian dishes were prepared as well. For drinks, Shea made sure they had plenty of clean water to serve but kept the more potent liquids hidden away until later that night. They wouldn't come out until all the main courses of their meal had been consumed and the little ones had gone to bed.

Cypher himself was busy helping where he could. While most of his people specialized in certain jobs, Cypher had the odd task of bouncing around wherever he was the most useful... usually anywhere away from the kitchen. He was an awful cook and almost everyone knew it. They made sure to keep him away from the food lest it all spontaneously ignite and burn to a crisp. Instead, the man put his hands to use breaking down and setting up, repairing what needed to be fixed and as usual giving directions to those who needed doing. Course finding him was harder than finding natural clean water in the waste. He had a tendency to blend in with his people when working with them, trying his best to always remain among his family instead of above where they always wanted to place him. It was different up there than it was down here with everyone else. For Cypher, it was a gift to see his people flourish and thrive everyday, working together, flashing smiles, see the excitement in their eyes. The dangers of the dying world around them were lost and forgotten. Kids would laugh as they snaked through volunteers, playing a little too rough with each other in the dirt. Men and women chatted each other up chasing down potential partners for the intensity that would be that night. Soft music fluttered from their band of musicians, their song filling the air around the camp with a bliss that had long been missed. Cypher smiled. To him, it was... almost perfect.

"...Almost..."

Ravenia smiled at Tobias's words with a quirk of her eyebrow. They moved quickly, their hands moving around one another's. When Tobias finished, Ravenia smiled as he wiped her brow and tucked her hair behind her ear. She smiled for a brief moment and pressed her cheek against his hand. It was a comfort to her, feeling his hands upon her flesh. It was only a fleeting moment, the warmth of his hand gone. He spoke about the children now, taking in his words, Ravenia nodded her head and looked towards the room.

"You're right. There definitely is more than what meets the eye here. Tobias, I need to head back out to the wall. I would like for you to keep them locked in the room. Once we can atleast thin out the initial Dead at the wall, I'll be back." Ravenia said. She busied herself with getting her attire straightened and knocking the initial dust from the Red Waste off of her. She pinned her cape back about her, throwing part of it over shoulder. Her attention snapped to when she heard Shay speaking. She rushed to the girl's bedside, throwing the curtain back in her rush.

"By the Gods!" Ravenia called out with a wide smile. "I'm so glad you're okay." She smiled down at Shay, cupping the girl's cheek and tenderly kiss her forehead. "I do hate not being able to stay much longer, but I have to return to the Wall. Rest up." She spoke quickly and grinned down at Shay's tired face. She nodded to the others in the room, as she passed Tobias she gently touched his arm, smiling up at him, and made her way quickly towards the door. Ravenia was now sprinting from the building, she headed towards a rack of weapons that had been placed for such issues like this. She pulled her second favorite weapons off, fastening the holsters upon her back and quickly withdrawing the twin rapiers. Their long and thin blades had led many a dead to their quick deaths. Expertly twirling them about in her grip, Ravenia returned them to their holsters and turned towards the wall.

In no time she had scaled the wall and marveled at the destruction that Marcus and Jacob had already wrought upon the Dead. She moved farther down the wall and leapt from it. It was a good drop, something that jarred her bones and would make her sore, but she softened the blow by tucking her body and rolling into the impact. She was on her feet in a moment, running around to the back of the Dead, her rapiers drawn. It was a foolish move for some, but Mother knew what she was doing. The shadows of the Dead were long and spilling out towards the Red Waste. If she were to ever become too overwhelmed she could just make a quick getaway back into the Walls by phasing. None too worried, Ravenia began to plummet her blades through the back of the Dead's heads or take off their heads completely. She drew a good crowd of them towards her and picked them off one-by-one.

SUN

Sun was just as gleeful as can be to see that Shay was feeling better and that many of the others were around in support of her and her recovery. As everyone spoke around him, he couldn't help but just sit silently next to Shay, smiling warmly, enjoying the repport that was going on among them. It was nice to have a moment to just chit chat, or at least, be in the middle of folks just chit chatting. It was short, but sweet nonetheless. Tobias and Fen were there in support of her. And that was so encouraging to see. And then when Ravenia rushed in from the otherside of the room behind the divider, Sun's cheeks turned rosy and lit up. He watched affectionately as Ravenia zoomed over and hugged Shay, speaking to her like any other good mother would in the world. But unfortunately she only stayed briefly, taking off in a haste to get back to the wall. Sun frowned. The dead must of probably already made their way to the wall then.

Sun's eyes narrowed toward the door. This was his chance to be useful in battle. All this time everyone had been fighting off the Dead and defending the wall. And this entire time, he hadn't been much help at all. This was finally his opportunity to dig in and get dirty. Soon after he had this thought, Marcus came running in through the door, taking him by surprise and causing him to fall flat on his face off the side of Shay's bed. Marcus left the wall for Shay...woah.., Sun thought to himself musingly, lifting himself onto his knees and resting his crossed arms on the side of the bed and then resting his chin on his arms, gleaming and pleasently glaring at Marcus and Shay's interaction. It was so impeccably cute. They might not have known it yet, but Sun could see a spark. Marcus was so in love, he didn't even have much to say. Probably didn't know what to say. But, he didn't have to. It was all over his awkwardly in love face. Or at least...thats what Sun thought. The Gatekeeper leaving the Gate? Thats an indicator.

Sun's head turned to face Isam, who recommended Shay be taken home. As long as she rested, it should be okay. Sun quickly stood up, gleaming as he clutched his hands together in enthusiasm. "What a brilliant idea...Shay...it would probably be more comfy for you to rest at home.", Sun said in agreement, nodding his head to Isam as an acceptance of his idea. He unclasped his hands and excitedly placed them on Shay's arm, affectionaly tickling her arm as he continued..."And....you know that promise I made you when you were...down under? Well...I can do it. I can take you home. Or better....I can fly you home. You can fly...I mean...we can fly....we can fly together! You up for it?", Sun said in a high and giddy tone, almost jumping up and down beside her, hoping she would accept this offer. Although, he knew how much she wanted to fly, so she probably would, or at least he was desperately hoping she would.

---

ELIZA


"Well....that was...interesting.", Eliza said to Geoffrey in a teasing manner, reaching out her fragile fingers and poking him in his insanely muscular arm. Geo rolled his eyes. "More like weird", he retorted to her unimpressed. Eliza began to hum casually, watching almost enthusiastically as the camp folks began rearranging the decor and getting ready for what looked like some kind of party or celebration. She didn't really understand what they were celebrating, but anything positive and uplifting was generally contagious. She was already in a very relaxed mood and the atmosphere was quite tantalizing. She was smiling, looking to her brother who was still somewhat frowning with his arms crossed. She swiveled her head to him..."Oh relax already", she spoke, playfully punching his chest as if she were as strong as he was. She then had a thought. Some guy was looking at her all weird during Cypher's speech. Giving her some kind of odd look of disapproval. What was that all about, she thought to herself. Her eyes were darting around, looking for the guy who was looking at her funny, but unfortunately, she didn't see him. She shrugged.

Amidst all the festitivies, there was an awkward silence between Eliza and Geoffrey. They were just standing there. "Okay...we definitely look weird just standing here. Maybe we should help with the setup", she finally stated to him to break the silence, looking into his eyes intently. He cocked his head to the side and shrugged, casually placing his hands into his pockets. "Why should we? We don't know these people...", he said sternly and unaffected by the going ons. She looked at him and frowned, turning away and looking around once more for the guy with the red scarf. Or maybe it was dark red. Or some kind of reddish colour. Anyways. "Exactly! We are guest here. Or at least thats how it feels. I just think we should be lending a hand. It wouldn't hurt right?", she retorted affectionately, rubbing her hand against his arm in an attempt to ease his ego.

Geo playfully bumped his hip into her and smiled..."Alright, alright, your right. What should be do then?", he said, finally having come to agreement with Eliza. And what a coincidence it was too. Nearby, a group of older men, probably in their mid 30s to 50s were huddled in a small area, next to what looked like a large tree that had fallen, blocking an area they were trying to use for the celebration.. One of the older gentleman, seemingly of african american descent, with scruffy salt and pepper facial hair and a balding head, called out to Geoffrey, "Aye young buck! Mind giving us a hand instead of just standing their unengaged?. His voice was slightly sarcastic and demeaning.

Eliza looked to Geo, whose face was obviously becoming flustered. She teasingly patted his back..."Just smile and say yes", she whispered to him. Geo took a deep breath and stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles, looking to Eliza with a crazy disposition on his face. "Just wave and smile", he said sarcastically to her. She chuckled lightly. "Right", she quickly responded. Geo grinned at her and looked back towards the group of men. "Ugh...sure sir.", he said in a deep and politely as he could. Geo strolled over to the men, with Eliza casually following behind him until she veered off to an area nearby to help some women fold rags and towelettes. But as she did so, she kept a keen eye on her brother. Geoffrey was a skeptic and at times, a hot head. He was about 6'3, rugged face for his age, and after his mutation manifested, his body structure lost all its body fat and was replaced with solid muscle and strength like a bulldozer. Geoffrey's mutation gave him something equivalent to super strength essentially, but when his adrenaline was high, his strength became quite unreal...scary even. Eliza watched as she semi-accurately folded the napkins, hoping her brother wouldn't get into a confrontation. He wasn't the best at making friends.

Geoffrey stood still with his arms to his side and his face blank. The men seemed to be somewhat frustrated, most of them on one side of the large fallen tree and trying to roll it out of the way. The older African looking fellow turned to face him, "Ahh...glad you got off your ass and came to help.", he said bluntly. Geo gave the coy smile..."Wouldn't have it any other way.", he simply said. The older black man wasn't too impressed for whatever reason. "Good to hear son. Anyways, we need some assistance. You look pretty strong youngin, so go over there and help those fellows roll it over into the brush.", he said rather plainly, pointing his finger over into the direction of the men, who were obviously struggling. Geo nodded, following the man over to there to help. Geo nodded to the men as he took his place in the middle. That was his way of saying hello. They looked at eachother somewhat awkwardly and nodded to him, but didn't say anything. The older black man stood behind them.."1, 2, 3, Roll!", he was shouting, and not actually participating in the group effort himself. What a hypocrite...he isn't even going to help?, Geo thought.

Geo frowned and could feel his annoyance build up and in one large push, his powerful strength accidentally blew right through the center of the fallen tree, breaking it in half. The men stood back shocked, staring at him in disbelief. Sure there were plenty of metahumans in the camp, but they looked as if they had never seen one with strength like his. "Gotdamnit! I said push it, not break it in two. Now we got two pieces to deal with. Son, don't you listen to instructions whe they are given?", the older black man said in a degrading tone. Geo huffed and turned his body around to look into the older gruff man's eyes coldly. He walked over to the man and stood right in face, his eyebrows furrowed and angry. "And don't you know how to not be a hypocrite? How about join in and help instead of barking orders. Ever thought of that?", he retorted agitatedly as he raised his voice. Some of the nearby folks who were talking and preparing for the celebration were beginning to take notice of the confrontation. Eliza took notice as well and had stopped folding. She was looking on...nervously. Geo...don't do anything stupid..., she thought worriedly.

"Shut the hell up boy before I knock some respect into you..", the older black man retorted, raising his clenched fist in front of his face, as the skin on his hand gradually began to harden into some kind of brick-like material. He was a metahuman. "Try it old timer...", Geo retorted angrily as he stepped up closer into the man's face, his adrenaline beginning to climb and his veins began to noticeably swell. The other men nearby looked on in amaze. They probably hadn't seen a metahuman whose veins popped out so intensely. "Oh shit...", one of them said under his breath. "You asked for it", the older black man yelled out, edging back his brick-skinned fist as if he was about to swing forward. Geo let out a deep breath and his eyes were so expressively angry it was kinda scary. Before the older black man could bring his fist in for the hit, the other nearby older men had jumped in and were trying to hold both them back away from eachother. People in other nearby areas had stopped preparing for the celebration and were intently focused on the fight that was ensuing, gathering closer around to watch it unfold.

Oh no..., Eliza thought to herself, quickly rushing to Geo as fast as she could. A small crowd of people had surronded the group of men who were trying to hold Geo and the older black man back from pounding eachother into a pulp. Eliza brushed through the crowd and ran up into the center of the confrontation. "Get back little girl, this ain't none of your business. We will handle it..", one of the older men said to her as she approached. Eliza rolled her eyes. "It is my business, that's my brother.", she retorted. He narrowed his eyes at her, then to Geo, and then back at her, letting out a simple, "Oh". Eliza looked on disheartened, but not surprised. She was feeling a bit awkward to be quite honest. The people that gathered around were staring at her as she rushed into the group of chaotic men. She hated confrontation. It always drew so much attention. She shook her head and walked over to Geo who was being held back by one of the older men. She placed her hand on his now swollen arm. If Geo wanted to, he could easily knock the man (holding him back) off of him, but he was trying his hardest to restrain himself. Although, his anger was getting to that point. Eliza spoke softly..."Calm down", she said in a simple and gentle voice. Geo pointed his finger to the older black man and retorted in a aggrevated and almost rude tone..."But this ass is trying to boss me around and isn't even going to help...what kind of shi...". He didn't finish his sentence. Eliza cut him off. "I said calm down...". Her voice was very stern at this point, passive-aggresively in control like a mother. She looked to the older black man who caused the trouble, he was cussing and barking at Geo, and also being held back by one of the other older gentleman. Her eyes narrowed and somewhat cold..."I do apologize for my brother's behavoir, but...you should probably calm down as well...", she suggested to him in a calm and polite tone.

It was in that moment that Geoffrey knew what she was doing when he smelled an aroma emanating from her body. It was an unusual smell, but pleasant, inviting even. He knew exactly what she was doing. Everyone else didn't know what was causing the scent, but she was releasing pheromones into the air around her. The older men trying to stop the fight, Geoffrey, the older black man, and even some of the crowd that had gathered were smelling the aroma that wafted in the air. Her pheromones slowly began taking effect as the older black man's face and body seemed to relax. He was definitely calming down as a wave of tranquility rushed over him. Everyone else affected by her pheromones were feeling the same effects. The older black man's brick skin went back to its normal state, and when Eliza looked to Geoffrey, his veins had also shrunk down to their normal size. She sighed in deep relief, but frowned at the same time. I've really got to get hold of who I effect with my pheromones..., she thought to herself. She walked over to Geo and gripped his wrist tight, which seemed lose and lanky from her pheromones having calmed him down. She took a moment to look at the older black man. "Sorry again for the trouble...", she said to him respectfully.

He nodded in an awkward manner and simply stated in an unnaturally calm tone, "Sure...I guess..."
Eliza looked back at her brother, her face clearly showing she was disappointed and frustrated. "Let's go.", she simply said. With her hand still wrapped around his large wrist, she pulled him along with her, brushing through the crowd that had been watching, and walking off to no where specific, just trying really hard to act normal and find an isolated area where she could talk to her brother in private about what went down. What a drag this was indeed. Her pheromones and the calming effect they had on the other people would quickly dissipate after she left the scene.

Taking the tiniest of moments to collect himself, he rose back up from leaning against the counter just in time to feel Ravenia's hand on his arm gently, he smiled down at her. "dont do anything foolish now, if i have to come save your ass, i'll never let you live it down" he called after her, before he smirked, seeing Marcus bolt into the building he then gave a true smile. he walked over and stood, giving the man a clap on the back, whisper just for him to hear "Good Man" before leaving him to it. yes Marcus was vital to the wall and defense of the city but right now in Tobias's eyes to hell with the wall, Shay needed to see him, needed to know he cared enough to make sure she was alright, and she was going to be fine. stopping his nurse, he wanted to make sure the Children were alright, and when she gave them a clean bill of health that just made the mental puzzle he had, have a few pieces fall into place, while revealing new pieces that yet had a place. thanking her, he then headed down to the room the Children had been placed in, when he noticed the door was closed, that wasnt right, no doors were closed, they always used the Curtains.. Tobias was nursing a small fear of tight, enclosed spaces. Curtains moved with the air, they were opened at the bottom and tops, Doors were solid, he didnt like doors closed. in his mind, he flashed back to that time, Seven years old, a child in the Red Wastes.. he and his Father were with a small group of Nomads, travelers that banded together.. nothing special, just people realizing there was strength in numbers. Tobias didnt like meeting new people, his gift always made people afraid of him.. that night he had been sitting with his father, sharing the days rations and one of the watcher's, who thought himself funny had snuck up behind Tobias, intending to scare him.. and he had.. the moment he jumped and grabbed Tobias, Tobias screamed, thinking it was a Dead.. he'd met them before with his father. he reacted, his skin became as tough as rock, looking almost like the texture of rock and was as tough as rock too.. he screamed, scaring the others and trashed and swung his arms trying to get away.. in a span of a few seconds he had broken the guys arm, and had cleaned his father's clock, catching him across the face with a wild hand. the group hadnt known of Tobias's abilty, and it frightened them, everything frightened those in the Waste.. Tobias was taken that night, his father was held down and they dropped Tobias in a hole, the remains of a dried up well, but it was still deep enough.. he screamed, cried, his body changing over and over again to try to adapt to the situation. he screamed himself horse when Morning came, and his father had climbed down, using some rope and got him out.. but the fear had stuck.. they didnt meet and stay with people and groups after that, the stayed on their own and Tobias never found out how his father had gotten free, but nights later some newly risen dead would have been found around that camp.

moving to the door, Tobias reached for the knob, but stopped.. Ravenia's words playing in his mind as he supressed that paticular memory of his past. he dropped his hand, if they wanted the door closed, it was fine.. if they tried to leave, well they'd have to come out.. none of the windows opened fully and they'd been barred, just for that paticular situation, couldnt question someone if they could climb out your windows. turning quickly from the door, he went back to where it was all open.. Clo was still resting and recovering, the Russian was going strong but still out of it, a good thing that.. he changed the empty blood for a fresh and full one, then hooked up the Saline drip in the other arm, before covering the man up so he could at least have some form of modest when he woke. Shay was fine and with friends and those that she needed. with nothing else to do, he moved back to his desk, but stopped and went instead to where Shay was. "Marcus im going to go take your place at the wall, you stay here for as long as you need to" he said, meaning it.. the man didnt ask for anything, and worked his ass off, since they were on lock down anyway, there would be no need for opening and closing the doors. "those children are not to leave" looking at Marcus, Fen, Sun and Isam. "Mother wants them to stay put til she can question them, things are not adding up right with all of this. the big man is out cold, and Clo will probably needs more rest, but wake her if you need help with anything alright, everything else, the nurses can handle" and with that he left, sprinting out of the med Center and toward the wall. his bare feet hitting against the ground as he ran forward, grabbing a rope he scaled the side of the wall, and came up and checked out the situation. "damn" even with the killed the two harpies and Jacob had taken down, the mass of them was still large, far larger then Tobias could remember.. noticing movement out among them, he cursed full on, not something he did often. "Son of a Bitch, who let her go out there like that?" seeing Ravenia on her own. "i swear she's trying to get herself killed" and before anyone could stop him, he ran and lept off the side of the wall, dropping right into a large mass of Dead

where he had dropped right into a mass of Dead had collected, those nearest the point of impact was sent stumbling back, then they were forced down to the ground as those behind them moved forward. Tobias rose to his full height and in the span of the drop, he'd changed, and not for the better looking.. he hated fighting the Dead cause, his body protected and adapted to their bites and clawing, and the change wasnt the greatest to look at. he looked as if someone had turned him inside side out, what looked like Muscle and Bone visible, but really it was just his flesh having changed and hardened to protect him from the fall and the Dead collecting around him. he was black and Grey in color.. the muscle looking fibers in between what looked like bone was black, while the bone like covering was a darker Grey. luckly he still had on clothes to keep most of himself covered, only what was exposed was visible. from behind, one of the dead he'd sent flying into he wall from his drop moving and caught him, and tried biting on his shoulder, her rotted teeth shattering, her nails breaking as she tried to claw and dig in, tearing his shirt.. grabbing her head, Tobias pulled her up and over and tossed her away like she was nothing. Tobias kicked his foot out straight ahead, catching one right in the chest.. the force alone would have sent the undead thing flying backwards if it hadnt exploded on contact. he saved fighting as a last resort, prefering to save lives, but seeing Ravenia on her own among all those dead, that had changed big time. stepping forward, he caught two coming in at the sides and slammed them together, their heads like melons being hit, and exploding, he didnt even waste time letting them drop, as he moved forward into the frey, kicking and punching anything that came close to him. he wasnt moving fast however and each step he took left a good print in the hard earth, he was heavy, extremely heavy. a side effect, speed was Sacrificed for strength and endurance.

Ravenia's eyes snapped to the loud explosion of earth not too far from her. She felt the sudden upheaval in the soles of her feet, and it jarred the bones in her legs. She kept her eyes on the area as she spun about the dead, hacking and slashing. Finally, she saw it. The gray being walking closer to her. She felt a wide smile suddenly break across her face as she recognized Tobias's face. He had been the explosion, from what she guessed he had leapt from the wall and his body had adapted and turned his skin and bones into what he was now. Ravenia kicked at a Dead's chest, sending the creature onto its back. She stepped over the top of it, her eyes on Tobias as she squished the Dead's head beneath her boot.

"By the Gods, what on Earth are you doing out here?" She asked, laughing as she got closer to him. She was always so amazed by his transformations, reveling at the things his body could do. For a moment, it was like the world had stopped around her as she got closer to him. She did not see the Dead, but saw the transformation Tobias had gone through. She quickly sheathed one rapier and ran her hand down Tobias's arm. Feeling the consistency of his new skin. Her eyebrows knitted in curiosity as she studied his arm momentarily. She was brought back suddenly by the sudden pull on her cloak, she spun about, kicking the Dead in it's knee. A sickening crack filled the air as the Dead's rotting bones gave way under Ravenia's fierce kick and the creature stumbled forward. That was all Ravenia needed as she plunged her single rapier through the monster's eye and out the back of its head. She placed her foot against its chest and slowly pulled her blade from the dead creatures skull. She flicked her rapier with a quick twitch of her wrist, shaking off the most of the Dead's brain matter.

"Come to join me, have you? I really feel like this is the second time you've come out of the Lands for me. You act as if you can't bear to have me out of your sights." Ravenia said with a playful wink as she unsheathed her twin rapier. She twirled the blades expertly, their silver glinting in the high sun. She turned from him quickly, not allowing the Dead to get close to her. As she turned and ducked and spun about the Dead, lashing out at them with her rapiers her cloak and hair moved about her. Her hair and the feathers of her cloak glinted the purples and blues of a raven's wings. It was such times as this that her father had even begun to call her the Raven. Sometimes, he said that when she moved, her waist-length black hair looked almost like smoke, following her every movement.

"So Tobias, let's put these Dead to rest. I want no more of my people to be harmed, nor for them to worry any longer."

Jacob continued to fire on each group that the harpies gathered, but it wasn't enough. More dead just came to take their place. Jacob considered triggering a melt down to obliterate the herd entirely, but decided against. To close to paradise, he might irradiate the city. Suddenly, Ravenia came flying over the wall, and landed on the other side. Jacob let out a "tch" of irritation. Now he couldn't fire at dead not in groups, as friendly fire was now an issue. He knew Ravenia could easily handle herself down there, but he wasn't sure she would be fully aware of his aim up here. It wasn't long before Tobias had found himself on the wall as well. Before Jacob could so much as scowl at him, Tobias leaped off of the wall himself. It took every ounce of will for Jacob to not accidentally burn his face off with a face palm. Now he had two friendlies to worry about, and, looking at Tobias's new adaptations, one of them wasn't very good at dodging. Jacob took another look at the herd. They had certainly made it smaller, but it was still large enough to cause trouble. The time for games was over. Jacob followed suit with his colleagues, and jumped off of the wall, firing beams of energy on the way down to slow his fall.

Jacob landed with a thud, and moved to recover his footing. However, just as he had almost righted himself, one of the dead that was crawling grabbed his foot, causing him to lose his balance. Jacob didn't have time to move his hands, so instinct took over. Green beams of radioactive energy shot out to his eyes, cooking the dead's head like an egg. Jacob quickly picked himself up again. His eyes now glowed with an unnatural green, and cracks of green could be seen across his face, with the spider web like quality of a window shattering, with his eyes as the center point. Jacob moved forward, firing bolts more rapidly then before, paying no mind to the new feeling of itching on his face. At closer range, he no longer had to worry about missing his target as much. Regardless, they were still enough to give them trouble, and Jacob wanted this fight over as soon as possible. He called out to Ravenia, saying "Ravenia, I'm sick of this bullshit. I'm ending this. Permission to lose the skin?"

SHAY

Shay's attention was brought to Ravenia as she hurried over to her, taking her in to her warm hands and kissing her forehead affectionately. The loving embrace was the cherry on top of all of her friends' presence and support during her whole ordeal. She would normally push away such fuss and attention being spent on her, especially in the middle of such a crisis for their city, but she selfishly welcomed it all; she had never gone through such mental and physical pain as she was enduring at this moment. This was something they should try to work on later, perfecting Tobias' antidote to get rid of the nasty side effects, even if it simply rendered the healer entirely unconscious.

Shay, slow to speak, gave Ravenia a smile of gratitude but could not get words out before she had to rush off. Her brow furrowed with concern as the realty of the threat from the Dead outside their walls came back to her focus. It frustrated her to such an intense level on how incapacitated she was and helpless to defend their city. But her frustration quickly melted away and her focus abruptly changed as she saw Marcus hurry through the door way.

At first Shay stared at Marcus with such a look of shock it could be considered rude. Never had she seen him leave his gates, especially during a time of crisis. But Marcus was a smart man and resourceful. He knew how to handle his post. He simply chose to stay up with the gates at most times. His passion for protecting their city and his discipline and endurance to man the gates intently was a striking truth to the integrity of his character. Shay never once spoke to him on how he should handle the gates differently. When she began training she stopped coming to see him. And when she stopped her visits to his position their relationship came to a pause as Marcus rarely left his gates. Shay never held it against him. Her respect for how serious he held his position led her to patiently understanding him, despite what others may say.

Shay smiled, though haphazardly as her body was still being slightly shaken with waves of pain. "Marcus" she said softly as he came to her side. "Yeah, I'm fine" she said to him. "It's just a scratch" she said glancing to her ankle. Shay then reached out her hand to hold his, the hand that was not made of metal. If he extended to meet her embrace she would place her hand with his, her fingers clasping between his, their palms touching warmly together. His hands would feel rough, large, and strong, which was to her a comforting feeling.

At Isam's suggestion, Shay bit her lip thoughtfully. She had been selfish long enough, embracing the attention and care from her friends she loved so much while the city still needed protecting. To go home to continue her rest, which was not as close to the main gates as the hospital was, seemed to over stay the selfish attitude and was too much. "Shay shook her head slightly, although the motion seemed to cause a wave of pain to ripple between her temples and across her brow. "No...no I couldn't..." she said. "I need to be close....in case...in case they need help." She would find the strength she needed no matter what if all hell were to break loose on their city.

When Sun chimed in Shay looked to him, her face relaxing slightly just by listening to his sweet voice speak. It wasn't that she didn't trust Isam or value his opinion better, but Isam's valuable suggestion was pushed a little further at Sun's encouragement and with a last moment of hesitation, Shay inhaled deeply, exhaling with a barely audible shutter. She remembered Sun's offer to fly her at some point, something he knew she wanted. She still wanted to fly the jets but she had already waited so long that flying by Sun's sprites was going to be the next best option. It was all for her brother but who knows, she might like free flying better than flying a machine.

Sun's excited enthusiasm for his idea, riding on Isam's first idea, made Shay smile. How could she resist him now? His exuberance could not be deflated and she could definitely not be the one to pin him down. "Ok" she grinned, glancing down "OK, yeah that sounds like a great idea. Thank you...Isam" she said, turning to look at him warmly. "That was very kind....to help me be more comfortable." She hoped her discomfort was not as obvious on her face as it felt within her body.

Shay turned to look at Marcus "Will you come with us?" she asked eagerly. "Just to...just to get me home. You don't have to...stay" her pauses were different this time, less from the pain and more from the same feeling that was causing a soft pink glow to shine on her cheeks. Her tears from before had washed away most of the dirt on her cheeks, revealing her skin, which was warm and a pinker hue than normal.

KAIDEN

Kaiden helped the crowd begin to tear down from the speech and begin the prep for dinner and festivities. Tonight would be a fun filled night of celebration, as Cypher so aptly named it. Kaiden wasted no time helping the group. He had a lithe frame but was muscular enough to lend a helping hand. He was looking for Cypher amidst the crowd. He knew he would not be around the food as he had seen his mother shoo him away many times until he was forbidden to return unless they needed someone to fetch a seasoning. Adie was serious about her cooking and with her fellow cooks wanted to ensure the food they had was not wasted through poor cooking and would taste delicious.
So Kaiden continued his search on the grounds as tables and chairs were being set up for dining.

Two younger kids were fighting with stick swords, racing each other through the area, dodging between moving chairs and sliding under the tables set. Kaiden took a quick step to the side to avoid hitting one of the little kid's in the head with the end of the chair he was moving. He looked up from the kid with a grin, remembering his days of youthful carefree ignorance, and saw Cypher across the way helping out with another table. Kaiden smiled and quickly made his way over. Cypher was in conversation with another man so Kaiden waited patiently at his side, arms held behind him. A loud screech shook the night sky as Akasha announced her return. Kaiden looked up with a smile and raised his arm for her to land on him. His forearm had a heavy leather wrap around it for her to grip on.

You were out longer than I expected! Kaiden told her.

He wasn't upset, merely curious. Although Kaiden had raised Akasha from basically her birth he made it very clear to her that they were equals, friends in combat for life. He was not her master. She stayed and listened to him out of a mutual found respect and love for each other.

Akasha landed swiftly on his arm, ruffling her feathers as she settled in to her perch and began to relax. Her long flight had left her tired.

I saw the city, Kaiden. Akasha told him. What Cypher has been saying is true.

Kaiden frowned, bringing his arm in closer to him so his face was only inches from her beak. Akasha, I told you not to go looking for that city; it's too dangerous. What if you got exhausted and couldn't return safely back? The concern and panic was evident in his communication with her.

Akasha chirped softly. I saw some lights ahead. They didn't see very far so I followed them. I didn't get too close to the city, I promise. But I saw the gates. There are massive gates. So big. So tall. I want to fly closer for a better look. She was eager.

Kaiden exhaled deeply, moving his arm further out again. He didn't want anyone to see his concern, especially Cypher. Just wait. Cypher will have a plan for us. One that will not include risking your safety.

Kaiden looked back to Cypher and seeing their conversation had come to an end her cleared his throat to engage him. "Cypher?" he asked a bit soft at first. When he would look to him, a grin would come across his face almost involuntarily, out of reaction to meeting Cypher's eyes. "How can I help?" he asked simply. Cypher knew of his powers and he wanted to make it clear of his support and willingness to help him finish this quest. Kaiden and Adie were enjoying their new family, security in numbers, a stronger home. But what's home when you're constantly on the go or under threat, even attack? They needed a safe haven. They deserved peace and rest. They needed Paradise Land!

Whizz. Sizzle. Thud.

A beam of energy and then the smell of smouldered rotten flesh permeated the air. The groups of dead that Anora and Ramera gathered together all met the same fate under Jacobs onslaught.

Soon there was a short lull in targets available to group together and Jacob called out to the two working harpies, saying that he would be right back, seconds before he took of down the wall and inside paradise. She didn’t know what he was doing since she was no longer able to see him, but while she looked back she noted the absence of Marcus, who usually never left his post at the gate.

Anora couldn’t blame him for his disappearance, news must have met his ears that Shay had been taken to the Med Center. While she didn’t quite know what it was to like someone in the way that Marcus obviously liked Shay even if he didn’t quite know it himself, she knew that if one of her sisters had been injured in the same way then she would have left her position to be by their side. If she lost one of her sisters-

Anora snapped herself from such thoughts when Jacob reappeared and continued where he left off. Corpses were piling up in the area in front of the wall of Paradise, the three of them were making a sizeable dent in the amount of dead which continued their slow shuffled march forward. By this time the rest of the group of walking corpses had caught up to the stragglers that had moved on ahead, but now lay in partially disintegrated and burnt heaps.

“Ramera! Help me gather this big group together!” She requested to her sister who was at the moment naught more than a few feet to her right. After receiving a response she would join her sister in rounding up the big group.
Unfortunately, just when Anora was about to tell her sister to move away and allow Jacob room to attack the mass of dead, she caught sight of Ravenia making her way through the bodies with a set of beautiful rapiers. Frowning at the sight of The Mother unknowingly foiling the tactical plan of the two harpies and Jacob.

Though slightly miffed about the derailing of the ‘gathering together’ plan, Anora still worried for the young Leaders safety and so from her vantage point in the sky above the group, she used a few of the stone knives which she had managed to equip herself with and took out any dead which got a little too close to Ravenia without her knowledge.

Not too long after, Anora moved her attention to the direction of where something heavy impacted the earth. Tobias had made an appearance in an adaption which was solely created for destruction. His thudding footfalls could clearly be heard as he slowly made his way over to Ravenia. His attacks on the dead clearly revealed his anger, which Anora didn’t really remember seeing before from Paradise’s resident doctor.

Even more corpses piled up yet the group was still rather sizeable and Anora was starting to see that there was less that she would be able to do to help, considering she could only really take out a limited number of targets at a time.

Marcus took that hand that Shay offered to him wordlessly and simply looked at her. He didn't know what to do or say in the situation, and simply stood there with a look that matched his current emotions. He was currently unsure of what to do or say, but he was still more than happy that she was alright. He was sure that whatever happened to her wasn't just a scratch, but he kept quiet about it for the time being. His head turned to Tobias as he spoke again, and the man was about to shake his head before he stopped himself. Marcus might have been stubborn, but the tone that the doctor was using left no room for argument. He simply nodded before glancing at his and Shay's joined hands. He hoped that Ravenia would be able to understand why he left the gates, but he also assumed that there would be some sort of punishment sooner or later for doing so. Whatever it might or might not me, he would face it without struggle. He needed to see his friend and he was sure that she needed to see him.

When Sun spoke, Marcus turned his head to face the oddly beautiful young man. Like most of the city, Marcus believed that Sun was a woman when he first met him, but at the time he was being stubborn and refused to believe that Sun was in fact a man. It had taken him some time to get used to the fact that he was what he was, but nonetheless he knew of his unique powers and their uses. If Sun was planning on flying Shay home using the sprites, then Marcus would no longer have a reason to be in the hospital and he could head back to the gates. His thoughts stopped when Shay asked if Marcus could go with them, and one again he was speechless. This time, another feeling occupied his mind as he stood there. He didn't know what it was, but it made him blush just the slightest bit upon being asked to go with her.

"I..." He really didn't know what to say to her. Of course he wanted to be with her to see that she made it home safely, but he just couldn't put it into words. He simply looked at her and studied her face as he stood there, nodding almost silently to her as he muttered a simple "Sure." to her. Of course, he couldn't go along with her and Sun if Sun didn't allow it, so the young man also had a say in what happened next. His head turned to him questioningly, wordlessly asking him if he could accompany them on their way to her house.

Tobias crashed his way through the dead like they were nothing, his fist leaving holes or nothing behind after they hit, his steps, each one like the crashing of a boulder crushing the dead that were unlucky to have been under his feet. he never once enjoyed the killing he was some times forced to do, but a necessary evil when faced with the chance of having the city over run and people getting hurt. the moment a hole had been cleared, he looked over, hearing Ravenia's question and seeing her laugh afterwards left him thinking perhaps he wasnt going to get 'much' of a talking to about orders. he moved toward her while she came to him, and stopped.. she was staring at him and intently to, he wanted to speak up and say that he wouldnt look like he did forever, only after the threat was gone.

when she took and touched his arm, her hand running down it, he'd have given anything to have felt that touch, it looked tender and delicate, but with this form feeling wasnt something he had, mainly cause there was no nerve endings attached, but it looked sincere, her touch. to her touch, he'd feel smooth, like someone had polished and buffed him and hot, extremely hot.. the extra density caused for a massive build up of heat stored underneath the protection, which slowly seeped out of his body, eventually if it became a problem or threatened him, his ability would react and change him in some way, shape or even form again. when she moved oddly and his eyes tore from her to look up, seeing the dead tugging at her cape, he planned to move, but she clearly had that one covered and taken down in a matter of moments. "came to join a crazy woman intent to either get herself.." he stopped for a moment to catch and twist the head of a nearby dead clean off, and throw it away while its body dropped. "killed or doing this to get my attention" his voice was deeper, the compression of his new form was compressing his vocal cords, making them less tight, which caused a deeper voice. "second time today and likely not the last i come to join you, knowing you as well as i do" he spun around, his hand coming around with a haymaker of a punch, and plowing through three dead, their rotted guts covering his arm as he pulled it back. "i rather like you in my sights, i wasnt found of finding you out here alone" seeing her wink and watched her with those deadly swords of hers, the way she moved, everything about her was deadly, and so damned inticing. once she was done showing him up, he rolled his eyes and bent forward. "Come here you" grabbing a semi solid dead.. hefting him up, he tossed the thing like a missile, sending it flying into the herd, knocking rows of the rotting corpses down and clearing a wider space for them. "lets do it then" he said completely in agreement, he didnt want anymore harmed and having the citizens worry about dead so close to their precious haven. as he went about crushing and killing, he heard Jacob, turning his head to see where he was, then the question came, he wanted to go 'skinless' meaning he was getting tired of the one on one killing and wanted to go full on boom. Tobias stomped hard, crushing the dead under his feet. "dont worry about me Jacob, i'll survive it" he yelled out, sounding more like the old generator they had, his voice so deep and odd. with the question posed, if yes was given Tobias made his way toward Ravenia, so if need be he could shield her from the blast. was he sure he could take that kind of radiation from Jacob, not in the least bit.. but with Tobias he knew he could absorb radiation or at least block it, his body had done that before, and if it had did it once, it knew how to do it again if presented with the situation.