FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(Author's Note)

=Character thought=

"Human Speech"

'Telepathy between characters'

-Writing, or on Screen Text-

{Pokemon Speech}

example: "Ni nine tai tales ninetales ine?" is what a human would hear.

{What do you mean you can't understand me?} is what other Pokemon, and certain humans would hear.

|| * * * | | | * * * || = End Chapter

* * * = Scene Change

// // = Major Scene/Time Change

Chapter 14:

Sitting back and patting her stomach, Aura let out a content sigh. Glancing around the table, she saw the Irishman leaning over the back of his chair, a faint groan leaving him as well. Giggling to herself at the sight, her gaze turned to the Gardevoir, who was also in a state of semi-comatose, most likely from the turkey that they'd all eaten.

The Irishman spoke quietly, sitting back in is chair properly, "My god, Carter. That was the best food I've 'ad in ages!" Accenting that remark, a small belch left him, and he used his balled fist to cover his mouth quickly. "ahem, 'cuse me," he said with a bashful chuckle.

Carter chuckled, leaning back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. Smiling, "In some cultures, that's considered a compliment."

Aura giggled a little at that, before pushing her chair out. The quiet scrape against the hardwood made the Irishman glance at her, before giving her a small nod. Bowing slightly, Aura smiled, thanking Carter for diner. With a nod to the Irishman, she took her plate, heading to the kitchen.

Also standing up, Kasha stretched her arms to the sky, her white gown going tight for a brief moment. Letting her arms fall to her sides again, she smiled as her eyes suddenly flashed, the rest of the plates suddenly lifting off the table. "I'll take these and put them in the dishwasher," she said, walking out as the plates stacked on each other behind her with quiet tinks. With another smile, she followed the Lucario out into the kitchen

Carter sighed again, leaning back in his wooden chair, smirking as he looked over the empty plates. There was almost nothing left but bones of the turkey, the gravy bowl only having some drops left. Leaning his head forward, he pushed back with his chair as well, grunting as he stood up. With a sigh, he started gathering the dishes, pots, and pans, stacking them up.

Scratching the back of his head quickly, the Irishman started helping as well, gathering the few things that Carter couldn't get. Moving around the table, he followed all of the others into the kitchen, eyes flirting around for a moment. He then grinned to himself when he saw Aura and Kasha setting the dirty dishes in the washing machine, before turning to the sink and dropping his dishes in.

Carter sighed, turning on the hot water, and squirting a bit of soap onto the dishes. "Don't feel like doing them now. Maybe later, yeah?" He asked, looking around at the others. The Irishman nodded in agreement, as did Kasha and Aura, the two Pokemon finishing loading up the dishwasher, and starting it.

With the dishes being run, Aura and Kasha walked through a doorway, and into the living room. Both of them giggled at the sight of their Mightyena and Houndoom friends cuddled up on the couch, sleeping soundly. Leaning close to the Gardevoir, Aura whispered, "Those two are so cute sometimes."

Kasha giggled quietly at that, nodding in agreement, "Yes, they are." Silently, both of the girls walked by the sleeping canines, moving to sit in chairs near each other. Keeping her voice low, so as to not disturb Spike or Tina, "How is it that you came to meet Ira?" As she said that, she ran a hand along her gown, smoothing out a wrinkle that had formed.

Sitting down in her own chair, Aura made a small click with her tongue. Not really sure how to answer the question, she made a neutral "circumstances kinda threw us together."

Kasha, being a psychic, could see there was more to the story. With a small twist of her mouth, she thought about asking, but decided better of it. Instead, she smiled, nudging Aura with a small psychic poke, "Alright, how 'bout yourself then."

This made Aura pause, and she leaned back, pondering the question. After a few seconds of deep thought, the Lucario leaned forward, leaning her chin on her folded paws, resting her elbows on her knees. Blinking slowly, "Not that much to tell about me. Just recently evolved, and I'm still learning to adapt to some of the changes."

The psychic's mouth twisted in a smile, and she giggled as she asked, "What kind of changes?"

"Hm, mostly being able to sense everything without much thought," the Lucario answered, still blinking slowly. "I had never imagined how easily my power could be brought to bear until I evolved." Kasha sighed at the answer, muttering under breath.

The sudden change in the Gardevoir's attitude made Aura look over, head tilted to the side. Suddenly giggling, Kasha scooted closer to the edge of her chair, folding her legs underneath her. Leaning in close, a sly smile graced the Gardevoir's face as she spoke. "Come now, we're both girls here," the wink she gave made Aura look to the side, wondering and blushing at an involuntary thought, even as Kasha continued. "You recently evolved, you're a beautiful female," Kasha giggled like a teenager, leaning in even closer to Aura, "so tell me. Any good males?"

Aura snapped her head up at the question, eyes wide. "I..! You..! I..!" Quickly stuttering, and blushing deep enough that it could be seen through her azure fur.

As Aura continued to stutter, and come up with a response, Kasha laughed quietly, enjoying the reaction in the Lucario. "Oh, is that how it is? You like him, but he doesn't know," she winked at Aura again, who was still blushing furiously as she continued stuttering.

Sighing in defeat, still blushing hotly, Aura took a sudden and strong interest in the hardwood floor. This only made Kasha giggle again, stepping over, and sitting in the chair with Aura. Draping her arm around the Lucario, "Oh, fine. Don't tell me then," and giggling again used her powers to lift a blanket over them both. Suddenly covered by the heavy blanket, Kasha snuggled up close to Aura. Leaning her green-haired head on the Lucario's shoulder, whispering. "Although, I'd kinda like knowing."

Aura smiled at the inquisitive Pokemon, sighing as she also moved in close, sharing their warmth between them. Closing her eyes, the dreadlocks on the back of her head lifted, and Aura watched as the world took on its bluish tinge. That sense of wonder at being able to see the world like this never got old, and the Lucario savored the moment. Suddenly, she extended her mind, focusing on the bright form next to her. 'Hello, Kasha,' Aura said, giggling at the slight look of dismay on the Gardevoir's face.

Smiling back in return, Kasha mentally laughed, the sensation sending small shivers up Aura's back. 'I always love talking like this. Even Pokespeech can be listened in on, and we wouldn't know. But this,' she gestured between them with a hand, a faint smile still gracing her face. 'This is truly private,' she gave another sly wink at Aura, 'much more intimate.'

Aura couldn't help but laugh, reveling in the feel of another mind touching hers. With her crimson eyes still closed, she slowly pushed more power into solidifying the mental connection between them, leaving her mind open as she did so, a sign of trust in its most base form. Kasha soon closed her eyes as well, feeling as Aura opened up to her; softly, gently, the Gardevoir returned the power, opening her mind to the Lucario as well.

Both of them waited for a moment, the mental connection between them strong enough that any psychic or aura-reader could see it for miles.

// //

Snapping his navy-blue head around, a Lucario suddenly stopped what he was doing, earning some small stares from the others in the back of the van. His eyes were flirting around, ears twitching as if straining to hear something; something that the Weavile, Scyther, nor the Grovyle could hear.

After several minutes of his eyes dancing around, searching, Rain sighed, letting the thought that it was his imagination playing tricks on him take hold. With a last twitch of his ears, he leaned his head back against the cold metal of the van wall again, looking at the others.

Two humans sat in the back of the panel van with the four Pokemon. One was dressed in, head-to-toe, in black leather cloths, a pair of black boots and sunglasses topping him off; Smith had his head down, slowly working over a MP5, lifting it up, working the action, ejecting and clicking the clip back in. Finally, the mercenary slapped the bottom of the clip one last time, working the action again to chamber a round a half-second later, and with a flick of the thumb, he turned the safety on. Pushing up his sunglasses with his middle finger, he set the butt of his gun on the ground, barrel pointing up, and let the top part rest on the bench he was sitting on.

Shifting his gaze to the other, his gaze soon rested on the man that had Liam, the Grovyle as partner. Lifting his head up to look at the man, Rain called out sharply. The young kid jerked his head up from the Sig Sauer in his hands, eyes holing confusion. Laughing at the response, Rain continued to chuckle. "This your fist time running with us, Jack? I can't seem to remember."

Jack sighed, letting his head drop for a moment. Looking back up, he answered the Lucario. "Nah, been on a few jobs with you guys before," he suddenly looked around the van, swallowing slightly as his gaze flickered over Smith. "Although I've never worked with the whole group at once before."

Rain's eyes narrowed briefly, before he nodded his head in agreement. "I think it's a bit overkill, really. I mean, the Irishman is good, but he's nowhere near good enough to warrant the whole group."

Smith suddenly spoke up, head still resting against the wall of the van. "That's 'cause you didn't see what he did Nigeria. Got dropped deep in the jungle, nothing but a Kalashnikov and his Colt. A week later, he and his partner were at the extraction point, now with another warlord and fifty or more kills under his belt." Rain grunted, waving his paw dismissively, and Smith growled. "May not sound like much to you, but consider the fact that most all of those were in a single firefight."

Jack had been watching the whole ordeal between Rain and Smith, the wheels of his mind spinning rapidly. It was clear that Rain did not like authority figures; in fact, it seemed almost like he just hated everything. A shiver ran up Jack's spine as a thought crossed his mind. =He'd be happy to just watch the world burn,= an even greater shudder ran through him, =hell, he'd probably pour the gasoline.=

The feel of the van coming to a halt, Newton's First Law making the occupants shift in their seats. Scyther, who'd been sleeping the whole time with his scythed arms crossed over his chest, snapped his head up. He swung his head around for a moment to ensure that there was no danger, when he suddenly blinked, the light haze over his eyes vanishing as fast as his sleep had.

Violet and Liam, who'd both been deep in thought, also looked up. The Weavile stood up, stretching her back while the Grovyle twisted his neck, a small pop sounding out as it cracked. Looking at Violet, the Grovyle nodded, standing up as well, walking to the door of the van. Placing his green hand on the handlebar, he lifted up and pushed, opening the back to the sun.

Taking a quick breath of the cold air, his breath condensing into a small puff as it hit the cold air, Liam stepped out into the snow. He took a moment to look around, his gaze being drawn to the valley, the setting sun casting brilliant hues over the valley, and the Grovyle simply stopped, taking in the surreal sight.

A rough shove from behind made the Grovyle stumble forward, and he gave a quick glare over his shoulder at the laughing Lucario. Giving Liam a rough pat, he continued to laugh. {You really shouldn't get distracted so easily. Might get you killed one day.}

Liam growled deep in his throat, cursing the Lucario in his mind, wanting nothing more then to choke the life out of the creature. Instead, he sighed, nodding in agreement. Rain laughed again, clapping Liam again as he said {Good, now,} the Lucario looked over to the Smith, switching to English, "How long 'till this damned assault begins?"

Stepping out of the van, slipping the strap of his MP5 over his shoulder as he did so, Smith looked around. Before he answered, he pulled a cigarette box out of his back pocket, bringing it up to his mouth and grabbing one in between his teeth. He started talking while holding the cigarette in his mouth. "The other teams should be almost in position," pausing to light his cigarette with a Zippo, he took a deep drag, exhaling slowly, "we go in ten minutes after the engagement begins."

Rain nodded, turning to face back towards the gravel road that led into the woods, his eyes narrowing. The sound of another van pulling up made him turn around though, briefly using his aura-sight to scan the occupants. Jack also looked up, also having lit a a cigarette, puffing on it slowly, pistol hanging by his side.

As the other came to a stop, the back opened, and Craddok, Kris, Mightyena, Houndoom, Umbreon, Hobbs and Jackson all stepped out into the snow. The Pokemon all stepped away from the van, stretching their bones as they did so, warming up in the cold air. Craddok looked around with a dark gaze, a Steyer AUG hanging loosely from a strap over his back, a pistol hanging from a holster at his waist on his right side, and a knife loosely strapped by his left knee, bouncing slightly as he walked. Waving over towards Jack and Smith, the two men and Rain walked over, ready to hear the briefing.

"Good, you're here," Craddok said, gripping Smith's hand tightly. "Teams 'A' and 'C' are almost in position, so we won't be standing here for long." Releasing his grip, the leader looked at the group of men around him, nodding. "This is a good group, not even the Irishman can take all of us plus the assault teams on and hope to win."

Just as he said that, a static filled call came over the radio on Jackson's belt. "Craddok? This is Alpha, we are in position, awaiting order to commence attack, over."

Unclipping the hand radio, Jackson gave it a light toss to Craddok, who caught it. Pressing the button down he held it up to his mouth, speaking into it, "This is Craddok, all teams are a-go. I repeat, all teams are a-go." With that, he released the button, tossing it back to Jackson, who clipped it onto his belt again.

"Roger that, all te...." the transmission was cut short when Jackson fingered the volume, silencing the radio.

Looking at Craddok, an evil smile on his face, Hobbs shouldered his Kalashnikov. "So, when do we get to start the shooting?"

Craddok looked around again, finger twitching slightly. "Remember, we want the Irishman alive if possible, and the Lucario at all costs. That means that you do not shoot unless you are certain it's not a kill shot, understand?" His brow was furrowed in annoyance as he stared the larger man down. The death glare was enough the Hobbs just ducked his head. "Good. Now," he pulled out a map that he'd printed out, unfolding and holding it so the others could see, "Let's go over this again."

A couple of soft groans left the men, but they all agreed, going over the plan again. All the while, the Pokemon had all grouped together, speaking in their own tongue. Liam was standing off to the side while Rain told a crass joke, Mightyena, Houndoom, and Scyther all laughing loudly at it when the Lucario made a lewd thrust of his hips to show what he was talking about.

Turning his gaze away from the group in disgust, the Grovyle again turned his attention to the valley, feeling the cold air fill his lungs with each breath, slowly exhaling, creating large puffs of mist. The only indication that he heard someone walking up to him was the slight twitch of the leaf on his head, and a flick of his eyes when he saw movement.

Sitting next to him, also looking over the valley, was the Umbreon. The dark-type's ears were drooped down, as they usually were, his eyes staring uncaring over the majestic sight before him. Liam turned his head to look at the Umbreon, wincing when he saw the fresh wounds laced through his black fur, hidden, but not enough. Sighing, the Grovyle turned his attention back to the twilight-covered valley, allowing the silence between them to remain.

The sound of a soft voice made Liam startle, looking around quickly. {I can remember images similar to this. But that's all they are, memories,} the Umbreon said, sitting on top of the snow. Bringing his gaze to the canine-Eeveelution, Liam just listened. {Kris has done a good job of teaching me to block the pain,} a sad undertone came into his voice, just barely picked up by Liam, {he's also taught me to block the good as well. They say that only monsters don't feel anything.} The Umbreon blinked, continuing to stare over the valley, watching as the sun slowly set. {I wonder then, does that make me a monster?}

Liam had no answer, never having even heard the Umbreon speak to anyone before. The topic though, did draw his interest, as no one was ever there to argue on the deep topics with. Taking a breath, he formed an answer. {You felt something at one time. That was taken away from you, forced on you,} the Umbreon nodded in agreement, {if you were taken from this position, I have the feeling that you would be a wonderful being.}

{But how can I be, if I can never leave?} The Umbreon retorted, still looking forward.

This made Liam pause for a moment, before answering. {You can always leave,} the Grovyle's eyes suddenly narrowed, {but I have a feeling that all of us will be able to leave after tonight.}

The Umbreon laughed bitterly, shaking his head in disbelief. {What, are you a psychic now? Able to see the future?}

Liam shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. {No, not a psychic. Just a feeling...} he trailed off with that, not wishing to elaborate further. Umbreon dropped the subject as well, and silence once again came over the two. Together, they watched as the sun as it continued to fall behind the mountains, the shadows lengthening as the light started to pass.

// //

Stepping into another coffee shop, Jayden rubbed his hands together, stepping up to the counter. Looking the over the shoulder young kid behind the counter, his eyes flicked as he read the board.

The kid, in a bored tone, looked at Jayden, his green brimmed hat hanging limply. "How can I help you," he asked, eyes dropping slightly.

Jayden's eyes continued to flirt over the options for another moment before answering. "Yeah, I'd like a medium coffee, black."

The kid nodded, clacking against the cash register quickly before turning and filling up a cup with coffee. Turning around, back towards Jayden, the kid told Jayden the price of the coffee, setting the cup on the counter. Taking out a wallet, Jayden handed a couple of bills to the kid, and when he got his change, put it into the tip jar.

Taking the coffee, Jayden turned with a slight flutter of his coat, he walked to the back corner of the shop, and slipped off his bag. Setting it on the table, he took a sip of the bitter brew, sighing contently before undoing the buttons of his coat, letting it hang open. Then he set his coffee on the table, sitting himself in the chair, situating it so that he was in the corner and looking over the entrance and the way into the kitchen at the same time. Eyes flirting around for a moment, glancing over the few other patrons quickly.

Reaching into his bag, Jayden pulled out his touchpad, quickly entering his password. Swiping through the settings, he accessed the internet offered by the cafe. Pressing some more buttons, he accessed the settings, making sure that he had a secure browsing, that no one was watching the cafe's internet.

Satisfied that he was secure, he opened an app that allowed calling over an internet connection. Quickly typing in a number, Jayden clicked a set of earphones into the tablet, and slipped one into his left ear, leaving his right ear open. A few moments later, he heard a ringing, and he waited, the ringing repeating every few seconds.

After the fifth ring, the line clicked and a male voice answered. "Hello?"

Jayden smiled, recognizing the voice instantly. "Hey, Carter, how ya been?"

A slight sound of surprise came over the line, and Carter laughed a bit. "It's been going good, brother!" A soft rustling came over, sounding like he was standing up. "Mind giving me a second? You know I don't like talking in front of Kasha if I can help it."

Jayden nodded, forgetting for a moment that he was talking over a phone line. Chuckling at himself, "Yeah, yeah. Take however long you need."

"Thanks," Jayden then heard him saying something, presumably to Kasha, before another rustling could be heard. "Yeah, you remember my safe room?"

"Yeah," Jayden said, memory kicking in as he visualized Carter's home quickly.

The sound of wood creaking, followed by a door closing came over the line. A deep sigh suddenly came over the line as Carter brought the phone back up to his ear. "Alright, I can talk now. How ya been, brother?" An easy tone came over Carter's voice.

"Ah," Jayden said to fill the air, "I've been better, that's for sure." Jayden grimly smiled to himself at the understatement.

"Damn, that sucks. That why you calling?"

"Yes and no." Jayden quickly scratched his upper lip, glancing around the cafe again.

"So it was the reason you called, but you've been meaning to anyways. That 'bout right?" As he said that, he was chuckling, already knowing that was the answer.

Jayden couldn't help but smile, Carter having hit the nail on the head with that statement. "Yeah, yeah, that about sums it up." Jayden suddenly sighed, deciding that he'd delayed long enough. "What do you know about the 'Half-Bloods'?" He asked, dropping much of his conversational tone.

Carter sighed, a raspy sound coming over the line. "Half-Bloods?" He gave a cross between a groan and a sigh as he thought, mumbling to himself for a moment. "I remember hearing something about them a few years ago. Didn't we lose a bunch to them? Yeah, we did, right around the time you came in."

"We did?" Jayden asked, sitting up slightly. "How come I don't remember this?"

Anther sigh left Carter just before he started to answer. "The higher ups wanted to keep it all hush-hush, if you know what I mean."

Jayden sighed, rubbing the back of his head, then scratching it roughly. "Yeah, I know what you mean," groaning a bit, he leaned his head against the wall, "always happens." Jayden sighed deeply, a memory trying to force its way to the front of his mind; with a rough shake of his head, he shoved it back into the depths of his mind, refusing to relive that memory. "So what can you tell me about them?"

Carter exhaled slowly, thinking for a moment. "Hm, not much that you wouldn't already know. They're considered a 'non-existent' group, but they exist. I know that for a fact," Carter coughed once, and then cleared his throat. "They're small, no more than two dozen members world-wide, and they have very strict entry policies. Namely," he coughed again, "you have to be a half-blood to even be considered." Before Jayden could ask, Carter answered his question, "Yeah, just like you."

That made Jayden sigh again, and he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, hunching his back slightly. "Well isn't that just great," he said, hanging his head a little.

"Yeah," Carter agreed, a bitter chuckle leaving him, "I know exactly what you me..." A sudden, harsh beep interrupted Carter as he was in mid-sentence, making Jayden's ears perk a touch. "Hold on a sec," Carter said, and Jayden could hear as the phone was set on a table. Not only that, he could also hear as a keyboard clacked, even as more harsh beeps sounded out. "Oh, shit!" Suddenly sounded over the speaker, and Jayden could hear the phone being picked back up. "Jay, gonna have to call ya back."

"Carter. Carter!" Jayden said, just as he heard the call being disconnected. Leaning back, Jayden's breath became shallower, even as his eyes darted around. His hands were shaking like an earthquake was happening as he reached up, pulling out the earbuds, slowly setting them on the table next to the tablet.

A multitude of scenarios ran through his head, each one worse than the last. Forcing himself to calm down, slowing down his heartbeat, he closed his eyes and started breathing deeply and regularly, not allowing his emotions to control him. In this state, he allowed his consciences to spread a little, allowing him to see the world around him.

He noticed that an Espeon had taken notice of him, and was looking around curiously. Taking that cue, Jayden snapped his mind back to his own body, opening his eyes, the brief blue fire in them blazing for a heartbeat before fading away. Grabbing his stuff, he slipped everything back into bag, and stood up, redoing the buttons of his coat as he did so. Slipping his bag back over his shoulder so that it was resting by his side, he thumbed the strap quickly before grabbing his coffee, walking out of the cafe.

At the door of the shop, he stepped to the side for a moment, holding the door for a woman, nodding pleasantly to her. She gave him a smile as well, the smallest of blushes coming over her as she thanked Jayden. He smiled back, but then quickly stepped out of the cafe, onto the street, just as a cold gust of wind blew through. Despite the cold wind, the sun shone brightly on this street, and Jayden turned his gaze to the setting sun for a moment, taking the sight in, before turning on his heel, walking down the street, towards a parking structure.

// //

"Kasha! Get up here!" Carter shouted as he snapped his phone shut, throwing it onto the table, next to his laptop. He heard a muffled reply, but he was busy opening his computer, clacking away furiously at the keys as he tried to figure out what was happening. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of several pairs of feet running on the floors below him, but he was engrossed in his computer.

The door to the third floor slammed open, and Carter could feel the slight pop as Kasha used her power to appear next to him, not wanting to waste more time than necessary. He only took his gaze from the screen when he felt her rest a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to look at the screen as well. "What is it," she asked, worry tainting her voice.

Carter glanced up at the Gardevoir quickly before facing the computer again. "I'm getting way to many hits on the sensors for it to be a herd. Plus," he pointed to three different locations on the screen, "they're reading from multiple directions, all moving this way."

Kasha's eyes flicked around for a moment as she interpreted the information for herself. "They're well within range for me. Do you want me to check them out quick?"

Thinking about it, Carter's eyes narrowed. Sighing, he scratched the top of his head, quickly forming a plan. "No," he said, not leaving any room for argument. "If these are people coming for me or Ira, they'll shoot you on sight."

"Very well then," Kasha said with a slight bow of her head. Right as she said the, the Irishman and Aura both came into the room as well.

Aura paused for a moment to gawk at the weapons mounted all around, while the Irishman, having already seen this room, walked up to Kasha and Carter. "I heard that alarm you have set up. What's going on?"

Carter pushed back from the desk, standing up quickly. "I think we're about to have some unpleasant company." Moving over to the wall, he took a black FN SCAR off the wall, then walked over to his table that was covered in clips of ammo. Picking up a clip, he slapped it into the rifle, and twisting his wrist to turn the weapon, he pulled back the charging handle to chamber a round. "Ira, you were always good with a bolt-action, yeah?"

The Irishman nodded, stepping over to the wall and picking up the L96, it's long frame fitting nicely into his grip. "Yeah, I'm a good shot," Carter grunted at that, picking up a couple of clips. Turning to the Irishman, he tossed one to him, and the Irishman caught it, slipping it in and working the bolt quickly to chamber the round. "We have an idea where they coming from?" As he said that, he looked back up at Carter.

"Uh," Carter mumbled to himself, picking up a pistol and slipping the clip out to check it, then slapping it back in. "Yeah, those areas I said they would come from."

The Irishman laughed, shaking his head. "They're coming to their death if they're from Greyson," walking over to the window, he slipped it open and then set the bipod up near the front of his rifle. With a small sniff, the cold air making his nose itch for a moment, the Irishman leaned in close to the rifle, looking through the sights.

Carter looked over at the Irishman for a moment before turning his gaze to Aura and Kayla. "You two," he pointed at them, "get Spike and Tina, then get into the basement. If the worse should happen-"

"It won't, Carter." Kasha interrupted, hugging him tightly.

Returning it briefly, Carter closed his eyes while he held the Gardevoir close. Pushing her back lightly, he looked her in the eye. "But if it does, you remember where the tunnels are?" Kasha nodded slowly, closing her eyes tightly. Carter smiled weakly, tipping her face up with a finger. "Don't worry. Just in case, right?"

Opening her crimson eyes, Kasha nodded, taking his hand with hers. Grasping them with both of hers, she held it to her chest, smiling. "Just in case," she whispered, lightly kissing his hand. Letting go, she turned, the hem of her dress fluttering. "Aura, let's go."

Aura looked at the Irishman, who was still gazing down the scope of the rifle, adjusting the elevation and windage occasionally. Lifting a paw to say something, she stood there, not saying anything. Slightly closing her paw, she turned to follow Kasha out, but paused at the top of the stairs. Looking over her shoulder, she whispered "Be safe...."

As she said that, she quickly followed Kasha, closing the door behind her.

The Irishman did not allow himself to show anything until Aura had left. When she did, he hung his head low, resting his forehead on the polymer stock of the rifle, breathing deeply and slowly. Carter, still loading up different weapons, did not notice the Irishman tilt his head, and by the time he looked over, the redhead had already returned his gaze through the scope, scanning the ravine that led up to the house.

"Ira," Carter said, getting his attention, "you see anything?"

The Irishman's eyes narrowed slightly, his breathing still regular. Blinking, he took his gaze out of the scope, looking at Carter. "Counting eight plus men coming up the ravine," cracking his neck, he looked back through the scope, "definitely not law or federal enforcement." Taking another deep breath, he exhaled slowly, "Shall I take the shot?"

Carter, meanwhile, had slipped on a kevlar vest, and was settling it when the Irishman asked him. Slipping his pistol into the holster, he started slipping some extra clips for his MP5 into a series of pockets on his belt. "Take 'em out. I'll take care of the ones that come up the driveway and through the woods," as he said that, he slipped the MP5's strap over his shoulder, letting it hang over his back. Picking up the SCAR, he grabbed a couple of magazines for that as well, slipping them into pockets along his legs, and walked out of the room, leaving the Irishman to his grim business.

The only was the Irishman had acknowledged the affirmative was to rest his trigger finger on the guard, thumbing the safety. Slightly readjusting his chin, he settled in, placing the crosshairs over a man near the rear of the line; with a final readjustment on the scope, the Irishman took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, squeezing the trigger lightly.

* * *

"So what are we doing up here again?" Someone near the middle of the line asked, reaching up to shift his helmet again.

"Goddamnit Al!" The man behind him said, slapping said person, "Will you please shut up!"

Al laughed, shifting his grip on the rifle in his hands, looking back to the ground. "Honest question!" He said defensively, stepping onto a boulder, then jumping off it lightly.

The man in the front looked back at the men talking, an evil glare in his eye. "Shut up!" He said sharply, silencing everyone. Looking back up the ravine, his eyes danced around for a moment, even as he continued walking. Suddenly, he held his left arm up, hand in a fist.

Immediately, the men behind him fanned out, quickly taking cover behind the rocks while he went to one knee, looking around. Looking back behind him, he waved an arm, then pointed to a spot next to him. Another man moved forward, hunched slightly, taking a knee beside the man who was obviously the leader. Silently, the leader pointed up the ravine, and the man beside him nodded, pulling out a pair of binoculars, holding them up to his eyes as he swept the forest line. After looking for a moment, he handed them to the leader, who took them, looking for himself.

One of the men who was taking cover behind a large, snow-covered, boulder peeked out, watching the two in the front as they looked through the binoculars. Chewing away at a piece of gum, he leaned out even further, a disbelieving chuckle leaving him. Looking over to Al, he whistled, then gestured his head to the two who were still kneeling. "Can you believe these two?" Al chuckled as well, shrugging, and settling down behind his own boulder. Looking back up, the mercenary just sighed. "I won-"

The thought would never be finished though, as the man fell down, rifle falling from his now limp hands into the snow. All around, crimson blood crystalized as it hit the cold snow, and Al watched in horror as the man he was talking with fell dead, a hole in his forehead.

Standing up he shouted "SNI-" before he too was cut off, falling back into the snow arms splaying beside him.

The entire ravine was thrown into chaos, as the leader and the man next to him both started scrambling for cover. Suddenly, the man that'd been next to the leader shouted out as a bullet ripped through his shoulder, spinning him around as he fell.

Pressing himself against the wall of the ravine, the leader shouted to his men, telling them to find a way out of the ravine, and continue to the objective. The wounded man fell silent suddenly, his cries of pain cut off as a bullet tore through his head, killing him.

* * *

The Irishman worked the bolt again, sending the still smoking shell away, before quickly loading the next round with a sliding click. He faintly registered the spent brass hitting the ground, tinking softly against the hardwood table. Quickly, he shifted his gaze to another movement, exhaling and squeezing the trigger, feeling the rifle lurch into his shoulder, the silencer on the end suppressing the sound to little more than a firecracker going off.

A grim smile came over him as he saw another spurt of red from where he had fired at, a body falling out of the bushy cover that the poor soul had thought would hide him. Even while the body was falling though, the Irishman jerked his hand up, unlocking the bolt, and tugged back on the handle, ejecting another round. Mercilessly, he slid the bolt forward and down, locking it, and replaced his grip on the trigger, shifting the crosshairs to another target, following him as the man tried to make a break for it, dashing for the side of the ravine.

Taking the shot, this man too fell dead, staining the snow around him red while his customized rifle went flying, bouncing away before settling in the snow. With another expert movement of his hands, he readied for the next shot, gazing around with a nigh-unblinking eye. When he didn't see any more movement, he picked up the rifle, slipping the bipod close and setting the whole weapon down on the table.

Walking to the wall, he picked up another SCAR, walking to the table to grab a clip and slap it into place. He then set the assault rifle on the table, reaching behind him taking ahold of a pistol he had in his waistband. Pulling the revolver out, he clicked it open, checking the six chambers before flicking his wrist to close it again, and putting it back. Picking up the rifle again, he went back to the window, looking through the enhanced-zoom scope, scanning the forest line quickly, before sighing, and letting it hang in his hands. Now he waited, either for the remaining men in the ravine to come out, or for Carter to call for help.

* * *

Aura had heard the shots, her sensitive hearing helping her in that regard. She dared not use her aura-sight though, afraid at what she might see in a man she had learned to call friend over the last few days. Instead, she, Spike, Tina, and Kasha all headed for the kitchen. Once in there, the Gardevoir opened the door, ushering them all into the basement, closing and locking the door behind her.

Spike was growling at nothing in particular, hating the fact that he couldn't do anything to help. Tina just leaned against him, resting her spiked tail over his haunches, rubbing her horns against him. Sighing, he returned the affection, lightly licking her muzzle, smiling gratefully.

Aura sat down cross-legged, near the middle of the rather cozy basement, closing her eyes. Sighing deeply, she waited. She didn't know what she was waiting for, but still she waited.

All the while, the Gardevoir was walking around the wall, obviously searching for something. When she came to a section by a support pillar, she gave a small shout of triumph, before sitting in front of it. Looking at the others, she smiled. "Carter always has a backup to the backup plan," tapping the wall behind her, she continued. "This is his last ditch plan." She gave a confident smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, we won't need it. More a 'just in case,' you know?"

The three canines all nodded somberly. Spike and Tina laid down together, closing their eyes as she rested her head on the Mightyena's back, they both started breathing regularly. In just a matter of seconds, they were already asleep, leaving Kasha to watch in both amusement and curiosity. Turning her gaze to Aura, who was deep in meditation, back straight and paws resting with the spikes facing down as she breathed deeply and regularly, ears twitching occasionally.

Sighing, the Gardevoir, closed her eyes as well, leaning against the wall. With that, she set her mind to focus on the area directly around the house, and she started watching. =If anyone gets close enough to the house, I have to get them out of here,= she thought to herself. Suddenly, she chuckled to herself, =not that'll ever happen though.=

With that thought, she returned her full attention to watching the yard, ready to move at a moment's notice if someone should get close.

// //

"Craddok," Jackson called out, getting the leaders attention.

Turning away from the woods towards the man, who was working the action of his M24 Remington, but also listening to a radio he had sitting next to him. "What is it?"

Gesturing to the radio with a bullet, Jackson sneezed suddenly. "Excuse me," sniffing slightly, "team 'A' has engaged, and is already taking casualties." Holding the radio up to his ear, he listened again, eyes flirting around as he processed the information. "Team 'C' is almost to the wood line, within distance for even them to hit a target."

Craddok nodded, turning his attention back to the woods, ears perking as he listened for the gunfire to begin. His mouth twitched slightly as another cold breeze passed over him, and he found himself wishing for the sun to come back. Shoving the thought back, he knew that this was the time to attack; when the sun had set, yet there was still light.

Nodding to himself, he smiled. "Now it begins," he whispered to himself. Suddenly, dozens of shots rang out of the woods, echoing through the cold air. Craddok smiled when he heard the shots, and swung his rifle around, holding it in his hands. "Everyone! Listen up!" He shouted, getting his team's attention. "We are moving in fifteen minutes! Lock and load, ready your powers, do what you have to do!"

A general sound of agreement came from those gathered, and the sound of guns cocking filled the air. Looking around, Craddok blinked, always surprised at how eager his men were to get ready to fight. Looking away, he cracked his neck quickly, before standing still, once again staring into the woods.

|| * * * | | | * * * ||

So it's begun, and it has. Kinda lied, last chapter, saying that all hell breaks loose, but it does, if you think about it ^.^

Anyways, comment, vote, all that good stuff, and hope you come back ^.^

Legal: Pokemon = not mine

Original characters and storyline = mine

please do not use without my permission ^.^