@tex

Ebenezer adjusted his scarf and made ready to leave. He let the women go first, after all he was a gentleman. Though he hesitated as one of the CMAS' men spoke.

"Did you hear that?"

The man then looked around. It wasn't the nervous scholar from earlier, but another one. This one looked like a puff of wind could blow him down. Ebenezer frowned at the man, his mind working overtime. The only noise could have been Imp since most everyone had left but them. But no one could see Imp, or hear it for that matter. Of course with CMAS the guy might be pretending. The Demons were tricky and so were their minions. He had already told himself not to underestimate anyone.

"I think I might be hearing things."

Ebenezer just grunted, not gracing the man with a response. However, Ebenezer wasn't an unsociable person. Not even years of being hunted and paranoia could stop him from chatting with people. Of course, get someone talking and you learn far more about them then you would any other way.

"Ebenezer, which I'm sure you already knew." He stuck out his hand with a friendly smile. "What was your name again?"

@tex@FateWeaver@Jensoman@Hatman1801

Lone listened to Alvios speak, interpreting the rules set forth to them. He sighed again, annoyed by the restrictions. Not that it would matter, anyway. Fighting was undoubtedly going to happen, and it didn't matter to him if he had to kill or not-- so long as he could fight. However, he never had any intention of chasing after the enemy, regardless. A waste of energy and he much preferred for them to come after him, anyway. Lone shook his head. Jake got back up onto the pile and began to give another speech-- why do they keep talking?! Lone thought, his agitation growing. However, something Jake said caught his attention: Survey Team Alpha. That was oddly specific and Lone suspected he wasn't the only one who caught it. Just how good was their recon? Lone felt... paranoid. This could not bode well.

Agitation and anxiety gripped Lone. This was definitely a suicide mission, but was it intentional? Or was it just a coincidence the Divers of No-Man's-Land opted out due to sheer apathy? Lone let out an exasperated sigh, unsure of how to feel. He needed to let out his frustration, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. As Luke began to leave, asking them to follow (in so few words and phrasing), Lone followed suit.

"What are we in for?" Lone asked Luke, unable to restrain himself with silence. His voice was deceptively deep for his slender frame and it was also quite monotone, void of emotion. A strong attribute, perfect for masking his growing anxiety.

---

@tex@Hatman1801@Jensoman@Sessamaru

Alex scowled at Alvios' arrival, rolling his eyes as the speeches continued. Rather than listen, he kicked at the dirt, scratched at his beard, and messed around with the knife he carried. Since it looked like he wasn't going to get to fight any time soon, he was bored. In most cases, this was the sort of thing he would have paid attention to. Then again, the old man had reinforced his demands for attention with a sturdy stick. There was something about being hit on the wrists and ankles over and over that made you sit up and listen close. All in all it meant he missed the specifics of the 'rules' as they were laid out, and any additional intelligence on the Junkers they were after. It didn't really bother him, he would just go with the flow like he always had.

Before joining the others in moving on, Alex made a stop at the pile of supplies. His pack was currently flat and if the supplies were meant for them he figured it at least meant he wouldn't have to hunt or forage along the way. He filled the leather bag with simple food, strapping his blanket and a large canteen of water to the sides. The weight didn't bother him all that much, though it would probably tire him throughout the day. Still, he had dealt with worse. Ready to go, he made his way back the group that was heading out.

As he caught up, he heard someone ask what they were in for. Maybe there wasn't as much info as I thought. Whatever, might as well listen this time. Nothing better to do. Alex fell in behind Jake and the black-haired guy, arms crossed while he walked.

@tex@Blue Demon

---

Sulfrax scowled at the door as the two women completely ignored him. He had half a mind to commend them on their dedication. The other half was very tempted to blow the door down and accidentally set everything in there on fire, but that was probably not the best idea either. Instead he decided to keep lurking, still curious as to how this project that was once his was going to play out. After all, this was all supposed to be him. Those women should have been under his thumb. These speeches and orders should have been handed out by him...or at least some underling. Not the pansy inside.

So, Sulfrax stepped into the room itself, pausing at Ebenezer and the frightened Brian near the doorway; he had just let the women out, after all. The poor CMAS fool was yammering about hearing things, and he supposed the scruffy man in the scarf was trying to comfort him. Neither of these things would have mattered, until his gaze turned to where Ebenezer's Imp was standing. Brian might have just been crazy, but Sulfrax was crazy and an Arch Mage. His gaze flicked back up to Ebenezer after a moment, mumbling something to himself as he passed, striding slowly over to Sydney and Joshua.

"So, this is my replacement then, Sydney?" He didn't bother with introductions, or waiting to see what Syndey's reaction would be to Sulfrax showing up where he didn't belong. He just immediately switched his gaze to Joshua, taking a moment before reaching up to pull his hood back, making sure the scientist got a good look at the enchanted leather straps covering his hands and wrists. A reminder of just who Sulfrax was, and what he had done. "You look soft."

@hatman1801@blue Demon

---

Sydney lifted his eyes from Joshua's clipboard as Sulfrax spoke to him, immediately tensing the muscles in his irritably. Why the hell was he here? Joshua looked up momentarily when he was labeled 'soft' by his predecessor, visibly uncomfortable with twitching fingers and an unsteady gaze. He broke eye contact immediately and turned to Sydney for some sort of relief. "What are you doing here, Sulfrax? I thought my council was rather clear when we removed you from the project. That of course gives you little reason to trespass on these grounds, and strike fear into the heart of your successor?" Sydney inquired, glaring at the arch mage threateningly.

"T-That's alright, Sir," Joshua yelped, tapping his clipboard, "We have business to attend to while the survey team is out, anyways. Perhaps we should return to S-S HQ?" Sydney didn't respond immediately, but nodded. Brian kept to himself, still shocked at how kind Ebenezer's response had been.

"O-Oh. I'm uh- Ah, Brian Tormal! Almost forgot my own name for a second!" Brian said, nodding kindly to Ebenezer. "Maybe we should remove ourselves from the immediate scene. This doesn't seem like the most uh.." He paused and silently gestured towards Sulfrax and Sydney.


@FateWeaver@Sessamaru@Jensoman

---

Luke rose his hand, not looking back at Lone as he responded. "A whole' lotta CMAS scum, Bud! I'm uh, not too sure who we'll be seeing exactly but you'd better be prepared for anything boy-o!" He roared, leading the group through a set of uneven stones. "We'll be takin' them head-on, do or die y'know?"

@FateWeaver @tex @Hatman1801 @Sessamaru

Jenso took note of Luke's words. He sounded quite confident. Jenso was prepared for this mission as well, but he didn't appreciate the lack of detail that Luke had given in his reply. As eager as he was to get right into the action, he didn't exactly want to go in blindly without any sort of well- prepared plan. "You...do have a good plan of attack, right? Just charging them head-on doesn't seem like the best idea.." He asked Luke. Of course, he wasn't scared about the idea of charging in like that. But he was well aware of what CMAS was capable of. They were certainly no fools, and even if they did have the element of surprise, it would certainly not be easy.

If this confrontation hadn't been well prepared, they could be charging straight into their deaths. And on top of that, it didn't seem like Luke knew which CMAS people they would face. As such, Jenso wasn't exactly able to prepare himself for what this 'Survey Group Alpha' would have in store for them. Despite not liking the thought of going in unprepared, he was still quite eager to fight to the best of his ability during this battle. He would certainly get to face some strong opponents, and the sheer thought of it made Jenso all the more excited for all this. He would be able to fight for what he believed in, and get to feel the thrill of combat while doing so.

@tex

"It's true.", Karida remarked, sitting down as she finally started to utter complete sentences since coming to the HQ. "It's true that Sulfrax would be little more than a nuisance-- both to the project and whenever his hells has gone loose. But we're not even sure how powerful he is now. If, say, he'd lost some, that wouldn't be too much of a problem. If he gained some, that's a bit of a problem, and we'll have some losses on our side. But either way, that doesn't matter. He's still little match to all of Arcadia's finest mages and archmages.

Now, why did you call me here?" Karida lent her ears to Yvette. As she was listening intently, a weary expression shifting to a solemn one, Karida sipped a little out of the copper bottle the woman hurled at her, tasting nothing but the nothingness of water. As Yvette finished speaking and Karida finished scanning the entire room, she made her turn to speak, in a slightly stern, but mostly assuring tone.

"I believe everyone is aware of my unwavering allegiances to the CMAS, but apparently I'm mistaken. So I'll say it again for you: The Council is the authority-- an authority my sense of duty and my ambitions compel me to follow. If you still have any doubts, then I won't force you, but we have to have some degree of confidence between ourselves for this to succeed."

@FateWeaver@Sessamaru@Jensoman

---

"Nope!" Luke howled at the top of his lungs, jutting his arms forward like a robot before chuckling at what he did. There was no need for a plan! Not in his mind anyways. The CMAS may have been organized, but they couldn't possibly stand up to a group of trained divers! Most CMAS mages hadn't even fought against others before! Luke paused for a moment on that though, stopping in his tracks and holding his arm back, slowing the group to a halt. "Didja hear that? Sounds like uh..." Luke stopped talking and reached for his pants for a moment. A few seconds passed before he spun around with a giant smile, and shrugged. "Naw, nevermind!" He barked, marching back in the direction they were intially headed. Truth was, something was watching them, or rather, it was watching Luke. But it wasn't anywhere nearby. Call it a hunch in the moment, but Luke would of sworn it on his artificial heart that he felt a disturbance in his arcane presence for a split second.


@Unfortunately

---

Yvette stared at Karida blankly, watching the muscles in her face bend and snap with every word. The stress-torn commander nodded at Karida's assurance with an air of disappointment, looking as if she wasn't convinced, but forced herself to proceed with the debriefing as ordered. "We will be pulling our team through the surrounding plains using the provided machine as necessary, as I'm sure you're already aware, before reaching Xena. The grounds there are too treacherous to simply drive through without possibly damaging the vehicle, so we'll be forced to escort the driver on foot, clearing the path as needed, until we've made our way through the blasted stone-lands in its entirety. Crucial to our success is that we keep the vehicle safe, not only from accidents, but from the local creatures that plague Xena, and any Divers with an eye for shiny equipment. Not only that, but I'm to believe, or rather, I've been told, that some Divers aren't too fond of the Survey initiative, and may interfere with our mission. Of course, nobody knows about Survey group Alpha except those within it, and the highest order within the CMAS, its council. If we are attacked, it's been asked of us to capture and detain any Divers we come across for later questioning at the hands of Arch-mage Sydney himself, Yvette explained curtly, swishing the liquid in her bottle around as she did so. The woman then glared at Karida again and narrowed her eyes. "It has been ordered that you are equal with my rank, despite your title. But please, don't let that fool you. The only person you are to take command from while out there, is me, and if you disobey, I'll be sure to enforce my orders with gusto. Do not acknowledge the pain of our allies, and do not let their weakness jeopardize the mission. Understood?"

@FateWeaver @Sessamaru @tex @Hatman1801



Jenso stopped in his tracks as Luke asked the group if they had heard anything. He looked around himself quickly, not immediately seeing anything out of the ordinary. He overlooked the various rocks that were scattered all across the landscape. "I don't see anything..." He replied. Was Luke suddenly getting nervous about this entire plan? Or was there truly something, or someone, nearby? It was quite possible that someone had followed the group, and used the rocks as cover to avoid being seen. But it seemed unlikely. He believed that at least someone would have noticed sooner. Jenso calmed down somewhat as Luke told them not to mind what he just said.

However, Jenso kept his guard up the whole way. One could never know what they could encounter in No-Man's-Land. He still wasn't too sure about trusting any of his fellow Divers, but right now he would have too. That was the point, after all. Gather up a reliable group to strike back against Project S-S. He kept most of his focus on his surroundings as the group moved forward.

Ebenezer's eyes followed the hooded mage as he failed to leave the building. Even while talking with Brian, as the man introduced himself. When Brian himself pointed them out, Ebenezer inclined his head.

"I wouldn't mind a change in venue." He agreed and casually swept out of the building. Self assured, and sure Brian would follow. There was a slight weight on his back as Imp jumped on him from somewhere. Mages always made his skin crawl. Sly as snakes and as cunning as demons themselves. There was no worse combination when wearing a man's face. So very, very deceptive.

Outside the morning sun was making it's daily climb. Ebenezer tilted her face slightly towards it. He heard Imp's sharp grumble as the same rays struck the minor demon. It detached itself from Ebenezer's back and scurried off into the shadows. All the while it was very vocal in it's protests. Sun light harmed Demons. Only being bound by a summoner would prevent damage. But it didn't prevent sun light from being uncomfortable.

After Ebenezer decided he was far enough away from the HQ he slowed and turned to see if Brian was indeed following. They were somewhere between the HQ and the assigned gate now. Ebenezer recognized the location. He had a friend who used to live near this spot.

Onweer’s eyes ran over her reflection in the mirror. The attire was fiery, bold, provocative. It revealed too much of her lightly tanned skin to be completely official but she did have the father cloak draping over her shoulders and covering her back so chances were it would obscure some of it when she wasn’t moving. The first time she’d visit the HQ in Arcadia and she looked like a circus performer… but that’s how it should be. Back in her CMAS days she’d always dressed appropriately, perhaps even a bit too manly, careful not to let anyone think her position had anything to do with her looks. But that had been Garnet Daybreak. Onweer was a Diver, and with the new persona came a new wardrobe. Divers were notoriously hung up on their “individuality” and “freedom” and this confident and cheeky girl in the mirror was hers.

A slight crook to her lips cracking the otherwise serious expression and betraying her emotions. Then again, she had a reason to be proud. After years of running from those narrow-minded men and women who had no notion of advancement and considered mind-magic pure evil, after years of living on the streets and hiding among beggars and thieves, it felt nice to be back in the civilised world. Not that she minded being a Diver, roaming around and discovering shiny trinkets had its own charm in a way… but the power-play you got when you belonged to an institution, all the little intrigues and machinations, the way some people looked up to you while you were looking up to someone else… that’s where her heart lay. Way at the top of it all, surely, but a slow, steady pace was sure to bring her there one day.

The launching of project S-S was more than she could have ever hoped for, the perfect opportunity to turn a mistake into a stepping stone. Who’d have thought that falling from the position of a CMAS mage, then becoming a Diver only to be employed by CMAS again, this time in a completely new role? The irony almost made her laugh. So what if they called her Junker? Her position was the best one in the world, offering her a perfect view on both sides. It was everything she’d ever wished for. Well, almost.

Onweer detached herself from the mirror and went to get her provisions. A backpack with some food in it, a flask of water and her staff. As a Diver she was always travelling light, only taking as much as she could carry and hover with. However, now that she was a Junker, maybe she could hope for something fancier? A horse? A gun? Maybe even some charged amulets or some interesting books on the arcane? The anticipation made her giddy. And who would she work with? Hopefully they’d be knowledgeable and wise. Or rash and funny.

She threw the backpack across her shoulder and, using the staff as a walking-stick, made her way to the meeting point. This was going to be a helluva adventure!

Lone listened to Luke and he felt highly unsure. Paranoia sent his mind into a spiral and the lack of a plan made it all the more worse. Could it be a trap? To destroy the Diver's that actually cared enough to preserve their way of life? Lone did not trust Luke and his ilk. Tactically speaking, using the chaotic Diver's against organized mages would be beneficial, especially if the mages from Arcadia were rather green around the edges. But something didn't feel right, nothing sat well with Lone. The warrior sighed and shook his head, though he immediately stopped with Jenson and Luke. Was there a sound? Lone didn't hear anything, but he was also so deep into contemplation that the entire world didn't exist to him. Lone looked around, incredibly wary.

Edging for a fight while also worrying about other things... what is wrong with me? Lone thought, feeling as though he had dulled as a warrior. However, he disliked the idea of unnecessary bloodshed. If Luke and his gang were trying to pull anything, Lone made it his top priority to take them down when the entire skirmish was over.

@Blue Demon

---

Brian spared no time in passing up Ebenezer as he stopped to look back at him, glancing away from the demonologist while he did so. "Something keeping you?" He mumbled, stopping for a brief moment to allow Ebenezer a breath, or whatever it was the man needed. Brian wasn't all to familiar with the northern half of Arcadia, or more specifically, the high-class district near the hub they were to meet at. This was a slice of pie for only the most noteworthy families to find haven in, and it wasn't all the busy considering that most local production and trade took place at and around Arcadia's southern hub. The closest thing to a factory in the north was the Teknoh Garage, where most of the vehicle enthusiasts congregated for work and/or entertainment. Although it was more of a small district than an actual garage, that's where Yvette would've picked up their ATV earlier in the day, no doubt.


@Wind Wild@Blue Demon@Unfortunately

---

The hub was lined with a row of buildings as it trailed out into the open expanse, just outside of the force-field's boundaries. Opposite to no-man's-lands stood a large steel gate, impassable through normal means and guarded by a sturdy line of CMAS mages and local enforcers. Several members of the survey group were already seated around Yvette and Karida near the edge of the northern hub, outside of a small cafe, aptly named 'The Edge' sitting on the hub's furthest corner. The main gate leading into the city creaked open as Yvette waved towards a man standing far above the massive contraption that controlled it.

From Onweer's perspective, the in-city guards had just finished looking through her paper-work and tossing her into the group looking to leave the city. A massive vehicle stood strong near the front of the group as the gates howled open, towering over the people surrounding it before hissing into motion, towards Arcadia's edge. The gate would only remain open for ten minutes, giving plenty of people time to pass through until the next group was to be allowed entry in about an hour. Yvette smiled as she saw the behemoth-like truck roll down the ramp and towards their group, stopping dead-center in the middle of the large walkway that divided the hub down the center."Feast your eyes upon the Z-ATV, boys and girls," She announced. "Zilmer's outdone herself this time, ho-ho.." The giant tank-like vessle was easily large enough to hold twenty people inside of it comfortably, with a single drop-down door on its right side, and a 360 degree mounted A/B cannon topping it off. Several smaller extrusions existed for those inside of the vehicle to fire outwards safely, protected by nearly 4 inches of reinforced living-steel. But who was driving it? "Right. Karida, Ylmat, Haress... Where's Ebenezer and Brian?" Yevette called out, scanning the area blindly. "And where the hell is Ninio's last minute replacement? I was perfectly clear about our schedule in the letter, I'm sure of it..."


@FateWeaver@Sessamaru@Jensoman

---

Luke lead the crew deep into Xena, a large mass of gravel and dirt littered with rocks of varying size. They'd set up on top of one of the rougher peaks, hidden in a crevice the stood more then 40 feet of the ground, with a good view of the surrounding rock-field. There were slanted rocks, smoothed boulders, and large circular plateaus, but no grass for miles. A few trees barely clung to life, soaking up what little nutrients the torn soil had to offer, but were practically dead in the sea of stone. Xena was always a confusing place, but it wasn't the time for history lessons. The Junkers would be here any minute. "Heh, last chance to bail, fellas," Luke said under his breath, peaking out of the large crevice to scan the fields for CMAS scum. By then, only 24 Divers had remained. Several had slipped away in disinterest or fear, while others simply lost their way. Luke wasn't about to slow down for weaklings. If they couldn't manage to keep up with him, they would've died in Xena anyways. "I've got word that they may be packing some serious heat, so you'd best take caution. Especially all you fist fighters! Living steel aint exactly similar to glass, alright?"

@tex@Sessamaru@Hatman1801@FateWeaver



Jenso overlooked the area as the group stood within the crevice, with a wide grin on his face. It was finally time. He'd finally get to see some action. He'd been looking forward for this moment. He cracked his knuckles as he looked at the many rocks. This area was indeed well chosen, it was perfect for an ambush. As Luke mentioned that this was their last chance to leave, he simply gave him a confident look and didn't reply. He wasn't planning on going anywhere. When Luke continued on and said that the Junkers and CMAS people would pack some serious heat, he let out a small chuckle. He certainly packed some heat of his own, both strength wise and with his flame powers. 'This is it...time to kick some ass!' He thought, feeling very excited about all this.

He was going to keep focused, however. He knew full well that the Junkers and CMAS would be well prepared for anything. They would only have the element of surprise for a moment, so he hoped that he would be able to make it count. And he hoped his allies would be reliable and powerful enough to deal with the situation. His objective was clear. Defeat the Junkers and CMAS if needed, and get them to retreat.

@tex@blue Demon

---

Sulfrax returned Sydney's gaze, and his shoulders moved slightly, a half-assed shrug. While a bout with Sydney might be entertaining, he also wasn't certain he could beat the other arch mage. Or maybe he could. It didn't matter, he didn't really feel like fighting someone, or leveling the HQ. Casually injuring someone, maybe, but not an outright fight. Besides, he probably had better things to do, although that wouldn't explain why he was out here in the first place. I was on my way back to Hyznia and thought I'd step in to make sure the council made the right decision. Seems adequate to me, with all of these scientists and Divers. And I wasn't striking fear into this sorry excuse of a replacement, I was just greeting him. No fault of mine that he's scared of me. Sulfrax rolled his neck once, giving one last look around the room, before suddenly turning his back on Syndey and beginning to walk away.

"Nothing else to see here I suppose. It'll be a shame to hear about the project failing. Or satisfying to know it succeeded. Who knows? I'm not in the mood to argue. Goodbye, Sydney, replacement. Don't screw this up. I'll see myself out." It would have probably infuriated Sydney more if he sounded any less matter-of-fact about it, but there wasn't any hint of a threat or spite in his tone. Hell, he almost sounded friendly with his goodbye.

Onweer stepped through the gate confidently but her stride died down when she spotted the huge vehicle surrounded by what was surely Survey Group Alpha. She gave a small disappointed sigh and crossed her eyes, a slight pout finding her lips. She hated any form of inanimate transportation, considering it incredibly unreliable and highly dependent on circumstance. Only a human or animal truly had the capacity to overcome any obstacle.

Her eyes ran over the gathered crowd (much smaller than expected, which made her feel even more proud for getting the job) but aside from seeing a few eccentric people, didn’t spot any familiar faces. Then she realised someone was talking… no, bragging, about the machine and inquiring about some people missing. Her eye twitched when she didn’t hear her name, but the word “last-minute replacement” instead. Deciding to tackle the issue head-on, she stepped forward and stood right in front of Yvette, slightly in-your-face.

“I assume by replacement you meant me, boss.” A grin blossomed on her face. “The name’s Onweer, nice to meet you. And I really hope we don’t run into any forests else your little toy truck might turn out to be the most expensive gift the freelance Divers have ever received. Unless you intend to shoot any of them on sight with those big bad cannons?” The question might have sounded like playful teasing but there was more to it than that. The cannon did put her nerves up a notch because from what she remembered, murder was never part of the contract she’d signed. She hoped CMAS hadn’t concocted some insane plan of taking over Divers’ territory by force and firepower. And she also hoped the group leader’s mind was as strong as her frame and that she knew what she was doing.

---

@tex@Hatman1801@Jensoman@Sessamaru

Alexander paced along behind the others, casting his gaze out to the surroundings as they moved. Some of the few that had originally joined them ended up splitting off or falling behind, but he watched them go without comment. If they were weak they would just get in the way, same if they just didn't want to fight at that point. His attention was on the landscape and his own thoughts, as it so often was when he traveled any distance.

Once at the ambush point, Alex found a patch of stone to lean against. It was highly likely that someone else in the group would spot the Junker before he did, and he just wanted to be ready to dive right in. The talk about firepower and caution didn't really pique his interest. Life was dangerous, no reason to treat this like it was anything more than any other fight. Sure, there would be a lot more people involved, but that just meant it would be more fun. Alex lived for situations like this, and he was getting tired of waiting for it. It felt like he hadn't done a thing all day, and was more than ready to charge into battle.

When the waiting really started getting on his nerves, he dropped his bag to the ground. Alex would come back for it after the fight. In the mean time, he set himself to stretching his limbs and muscles. No reason to go in unprepared.

@tex@Wind Wild

---

"Something keeping you?"

Ebenezer shook his head as Brian spoke. The little nervous man kept up surprisingly well. Ebenezer knew his own propensity to walk at a clip slightly faster than brisk.

"No." Ebenezer said as he cast one last look around. "Nothing at all."

And with that the two were moving again. This time Brian was off on the lead, obviously antsy to not be late. Not that they'd leave with Ebenezer. Not after all they went to get him to agree to this harebrained mission. There was something else going on. Ebenezer knew this for a fact. And he'd find out. He just hoped it was before he died. Or worse.

As the city changed, Ebenezer knew they were nearing the appointed gate. He feet slowed as he took in the massive vehicle near the gate. He could see the sheep from earlier crowded around it. His stomach did a little flip. Did they honestly expect them to ride in that? Together? All close and near and with no rapid exists? When he had said yes, he hadn't expected to be confined in such close quarters.

He was sure some of his apprehension must have shown on his face. But Imp's hiss and sharp claws jolted him back to the matter at hand.

"It appears we're fashionably late." He told Brian. Not to speak, but to cover his hesitation. "Compose yourself. No need to be panting and askew." Taking his own advice Ebenezer adjusted his jacket and scarf and gloves before continuing into the mass that was his new team.

@Blue Demon@Wind Wild@unfortunately

---

Yvette peered up and met Onweer's unprofessional inquiry with a grimace. "The big bad guns you're looking at are primarily for clearing difficult landscape, Miss Onweer, and I expect a far more respectful tone from here on out. I won't stand for weak links in our ranks. I've my hands full with Brian already," She barked, sipping from a small brass cup with restraint. "Unfortunately, we're still waiting on Ebenezer-" Yvette paused and glanced at the gate as it was closing, spotting both Brian and Ebenezer leisurely making their way across the hub. "Ah speak of the devil!" Brian rushed further ahead of Ebenzer and stood at attention with his hand practically glued to his forehead.

"S-Sorry if we're late, ma'am!.. Are we late?" He looked around briefly, noting every last survey member on site. It looked like everyone was here, except for the machinist, who would have probably been setting up the ATV for their expedition.

"Not too late. We've no time to waste, though! We were supposed to be in no man's land at the very least, 5 minutes ago! Haul yourselves into the Z-ATV boys and girls!" She howled, eager to get moving as soon as possible. It's not like they were on a set schedule or anything, though. Yvette's impatience was completely uncalled for. Maybe she was just eager to get out of Arcadia, or..?

"WE'RE HEADIN' OUT!" An angry voice rang from within the ATV. It was Kenny's, the head machinist for the crew, rushing the group even more adamantly than Yvette. Ah, maybe she was just trying to keep him from preemptively killing her squad. The Vehicle's side door swung open and slammed against the flattened stone ground, providing a small staircase into the mobile fortress. Yvette jogged up and into the machine, followed by most of the squad members.

@tex@Wind Wild@Hatman1801@Unfortunately

---

Ebenezer frowned at the large machine before climbing aboard. He made sure he wasn't in first, nor last. And kept an eye on everyone around him. The new girl gained special attention. So much in fact that he felt Imp alight from it's perch and hit the ground. Ebenezer carefully followed Imp as it scampered over the open ground and circled the girl three times. When it returned Ebenezer was already inside. Instead of allowing it to climb back on, he brushed Imp off.

Imp hit the ground with a thump and a hiss. He could hear it curse him in it's primitive language. But that didn't bother Ebenezer. They were empty promises. As long as Imp was bound, there was nothing it could do to harm it's summoner.

"Go outside and keep watch." Ebenezer told it. He watched as Imp hurried out the door before it closed. Not that a closed door would stop it. It just required less energy when it was already open. With that complete, the gentleman settled back into his claimed seat and set to openly watch everyone.