Writing Homeworld Hell... ...Done Right.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]So I take it the space kitties are going to be staying with us a while longer then ? Well so long as they're both neutered and house-broken, I don't see any problem. :animesmil[/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]So I take it the space kitties are going to be staying with us a while longer then ? Well so long as they're both neutered and house-broken, I don't see any problem. :animesmil[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]I'll have you know that space kitties are well trained so long as you don't piss us off. =P[/size][/color]

[P.J. McKrafty]

Just maul mi hermono y me. that was pretty rough if I do say so myself. I guess shit sucks for me.

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I prowled forward carefully, and gazed carefully at both, opening my inner eye to encompass the pair of them. They were the twins of my Sight vision for sure, but both were brainwashed to the point of animals. I should?ve known. Gavin and Vicky both set down their catches and everyone assumed a circle shape around the prone forms. Andrew spoke up first.[/i]

?We should kill them. They won?t ever be able to talk to us. They won?t ever want to talk to us.?

?Might as well do it now while they?re still out. We?ve already proven to the kids that they?re no match.?

[i]Connor and Neil both nodded in agreement to Gavin?s suggestion, and I leapt up in an instant, catching the eyes of everyone who would dare to look at me.[/i]

?We don?t know that. Maybe Will, Iki, and I can get through to them.?

[i]My voice stayed calm, but I felt a pinprick of annoyance. I?d been an animal once. But I?d come back. Eriju spoke for the first time since I?d defeated her. Her voice was quiet, and seemed to drift across the field, to everyone?s ears of its own volition. Vicky even tilted her head to catch the Feral?s voice better.[/i]

?In our culture, when a kit has had his mind badly damaged by outside forces, sometimes it can be regained. These boys are very young. Their minds may yet be healed.?

[i]She spoke with such conviction, that even Andrew fell back, abashed. Gavin crossed his arms over his chest in consent and let me and William examine the pair. I felt the tingling in my spinal cord that meant Iki was probing them both while he sat still, a short distance away. My twin had his name tattooed in Galactic Standard the base of his neck. Mattheus. William turned his over and found another name. Sikal. Presumably, Morrigan?s brainwashers had needed a way to tell the two apart. Iki closed down his thoughts and made his pronouncement.[/i]

?They have near identical mental signatures. Near identical mental wounds as well, but there?s a hint of original life beneath all the damage.?

?That?s a Saiya-jin?s pride for you.?

[i]I straightened from my hunched over position and shook Mattheus until his eyes opened. He didn?t make eye contact with me, and instead attempted to jerk away, but I grabbed his jaw with one hand and held let Eriju hold down his limbs with her own. Forcing his eyes to meet mine, I initiated a psychic stranglehold and pressed down with force of will. He instantly yelped and tried to close his eyes, pull away from my empty gaze, but it was too late. I spoke with a voice of power, injecting energy into every syllable.[/i]

?You are Saiya-jin. We are not your enemies. Morrigan is the enemy. She is your enemy. She is our enemy.?

[i]The mantra repeated itself repeatedly in his mind. I could feel the two messages colliding. His lips formed the words of his own programming, and he strained to repeat it while my new programming was forced down his throat.[/i]

?You are the enemy. Morrigan is to be obeyed. I must kill. I must kill. I must kill.?

[i]His eyes took on a hunted look as I increased the pressure until his eyes filled with tears. With a scatter of my own tears, I released him as I felt the damage fading away. William had attempted much the same thing, but unlike Mattheus, Sikal was not so easily turned. I opened up my Sight to watch Sikal?s mind, twisted in agony, surging towards William. To my eyes, in these moments, I saw only an animal, acting out of instinct, struggling to stop himself. But Morrigan?s evil was pervasive, or perhaps William hadn?t tried what I had done. It didn?t even matter. With the last of his power, the boy wrenched Will?s head around, snapping the neck instantly. The Konatsa-Jin fell to the ground, his eyes staring uselessly at nothing at all.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Poor Bill, I actually didn't see that coming. Here's guessing that twin is going to meet mine or Andy's boot in the next few seconds.[/SIZE]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

Hahahaha! I killed Bill! Yes! I always knew I'd be the eventual end of Joko.

Well, now you got me hooked. I got some catch up to play, but I am excited to see the rest of this, and what happens next.

w00t![/color][/size]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Wait...Mike is one of the two twins ? So then who's the other one ? This was a lot easier when we just used people's first names. :animeswea[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]For a moment, nobody moved, then Neil roared in a violent cacophony, the sum of all his rages and frustrations, his aura snapping a brilliant gold. Connor started forward, his sword raised, but I moved quicker than them all. I stamped one foot down, my tattoos flaring to life, and summoned a ring of blue fire. My rage at William?s death, at Morrigan?s foul perversions of life, and my indignation at my companions all lent power to my magic. The ring rose higher until it seemed that Sikal and I were encased in a globe of pure flame.[/i]

"Still your rage Neil! It's not his fault!"

[i]Neil attacked, blind with rage, but was repelled by the shield, the ki dissipating harmlessly. I didn't fault him for it; he was beyond the reach of my voice and any other voice to be sure. I turned my eyes towards Sikal, who was watching me with a hunted look in his eyes, and he tried to cross the barrier, but turned back when the flesh of his fingers began to blacken. Like any trapped animal, he leapt towards me, and I sidestepped, catching him around the throat. I planted both feet firmly so he couldn?t toss me over his shoulder, and began pressing against his windpipe. I could see Gavin yelling something incomprehensible at me, but the fire storm I?d summoned was howling so loudly it was impossible to hear. Who cares?

The boy kicked and struggled, but I put my free palm over his forehead and gave him the crash course equivalent of what I?d just done to his twin.[/i]

?You are Saiya-jin. We are not your enemies. Morrigan is the enemy. She is your enemy. She is our enemy.?

[i]With my mind, I felt his pain, his screaming. Part of him knew he?d just killed someone trying to help him, but the voice telling him to kill, was nearly deafening. I tightened my grip, felt something snap, and instantly released him. The boy fell down on all fours, still surrounded by a maelstrom of fire and smoke. It stung his eyes, and the eyes of everyone too close to the fire. Except me. Protective shield over my eyes in the form of this membrane that?s both opaque and devoid of color. My goodness I win.

Sikal stood up, unsteady on his feet, and looked at me with a remarkably sane expression on his face. I raised my fingers and removed the ring of fire. And he spoke, in a voice that was, while hoarse, completely calm and comprehensible.[/i]

?Thank you. For years, my brother and I have been the flesh slaves of Morrigan.?

[i]Mattheus stood as well, and his voice was equally calm, but perhaps a shade less raw.[/i]

?We owe you our lives. Anything you ask, we are now bound to do.?

?Ah sweet life debts. Complicating people?s lives since the beginning of time.?

[i]Iki looked pleased, but even so, I couldn?t help but remember William?s corpse was still fresh, and his murderer now speaking to us. Neil had calmed himself by degrees, and while the others looked calm enough, Vicky?s expression was completely empty. Normally I would?ve figured it meant she would kill Sikal as soon as I took my eyes off of him, but I knew she was simply covering up for one vitally important emotion. Relief. She?d always been pulled between Andrew and Vicky, and while she?d covered up her confusion by sinking herself deeper into the relationship, it?d always been a source of sadness for her. Now that the rival for her attentions was deceased, her life had been made so much easier.

Connor looked stricken, but I knew he?d understood. Leave it to a demi-god of war, to understand the fortunes of such, as well as the price. Gavin knew that the loss of William was serious, but then again, he?d never been so much of a fighter anyway. And it was one less person he would be responsible for. Andrew looked sad enough, but I wasn?t going to probe further to find out if it was a real sadness or like Vicky, a response to the feelings of relief. I closed my eyes for a moment, then thought of Warlock.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"][I]Gavin knew that the loss of William was serious, but then again, he?d never been so much of a fighter anyway. And it was one less person he would be responsible for.[/I]

Wow, jeez I'm glad to see I'm so moved by my friend's death. :animesmil[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]?Does anyone object to my purification of his body with fire??

[i]Gavin un-crosssed his arms for a moment and regarded the remains of one of our friends. The brand on his face standing out sharp and red in the glare of the sun.[/i]

?It?s just an empty shell anyway. He?ll be glad to know we didn?t stand on ceremony.?

?Technically this conversation is the ceremony. May [b]Eiyagameya[/b] give the poor bastard peace in the Death world.?

[i]Eriju?s voice, laced with irony, seemed to fade into nothingness, lost in the vast prairie that had become William?s final resting place. My only regret, was that he wouldn?t live to see me holding my children once more. I snapped my wrist in his direction, uttering one word of power, and watched a torrent of fire rush down from the sky to engulf the body. I turned away, letting the fire burn itself out, utterly unconcerned with the prospect of a fire. The others, lost in thoughts I didn?t bother discerning, eventually turned away from the ashes of William, scattering in the breeze. Andrew kicked open the hatch to the ship and the rest of us climbed in.

The twins blended in with our group better than I had feared. Neil was teaching Sikal basic ki control if only to pass the time. Mattheus was studying under Vicky, learning methods to control his body as well as his mind. Gavin spent his time cloistered in a relatively sealed room with Iki and Connor, all three of them charting a path through the territories that Morrigan controlled. Of course that?s what they told us they were doing. For all I knew they were having clandestine gay orgies. Eriju had taken to following me around the ship, which I didn?t understand, but didn?t question either. I knew that as soon as we had broken through enough space, I?d be sent right back to sleep, but I might as well make the most of things. Eventually, Vicky remembered that when I eventually lost my temper, I?d send us all into a horrible fiery death. And there I was in the galactic coffin as I?d started calling it.

It was cold this time. That was news. I was feeling cold and wet and miserable and empty. My father appeared, but his voice appeared to come through me as if through a long tunnel. The distance was finally overwhelming the magic that we were accessing. At least it explained something. Neither of us were relying on pocket dimensions or alternate voids to talk to one another.[/i]

?William?s died. We found twins Morrigan had corrupted. I saved the pair of them, but in the process, our friend was killed.?

?I?ll pass the word to his family. At least he died his own death, and not a death meant for another.?

?Is Earth quiet? We?ve passed through so many wild riotous planets, it?ll be a relief to go somewhere slower paced.?

?Earth is very quiet. Your mother and Neil?s have both expanded their power to control the entire solar system. They?ve developed a rather elaborate method of defense.?

?This defense you speak of wouldn?t happen to involve a lot of fire and magic and possibly hideous nightmarish death to all of God?s creatures would it??

[i]There was a silence so awkward and uncomfortable that I felt an unreasonable desire to laugh, until my father responded in a hurt tone.[/i]

?That?s crazy talk!?
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]XD That's crazy talk.

Yes, nothing really much to say except another meaningless post for the sake of non-doubleposting.[/size][/color]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"][I]Clandestine gay orgies[/I]

... :animesigh[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]A wave of hysteric laughter wiped away the vision and I found myself waking naturally in the dimmed light of the sleep chamber. Vicky and Mattheus both were sitting cross-legged on air, floating above the railings. Both were locked in what I could only assume was meditation, so I quietly snuck out of the relative quiet and into the hallways. I was just starting for the main bridge, to find Neil or Andrew or some other form of pleasant distraction from a mild headache, when I heard the screeching of Eriju in what I could only figure was happiness. She jumped me from behind, a whirl of fur, mane, and giggles, knocking me forward, but twisting so I landed on her instead.

The girl licked my neck in happiness, biting my nose, and pawing me all over to ensure that I was alive and not a weird illusion. I was pretty sure she was flicking her tail around my face too, but I was too confused to figure it out further.[/i]

?Raihaaaaaa! You?re awake!?

?....ummmm. Yeah, I think I am. And if I wasn?t before, I definitely am now. Why are you using me as a fluffy pillow??

?I missed you. It was boring just prowling around the ship. Andrew?s so wrapped up in what he?s doing that it?s hard to get more than five words out of him. And Connor, Iki, and your husband are so busy with their plotting and stuff it?s almost pointless to try and bug them. Sikal and Neil will be announcing their engagement any day now, and Vicky and Mattheus spend all their time practicing to be priests.?

[i]It was after that interesting pronouncement that Neil and Sikal burst through nearby doors and raced down the corridor, both topless and covered in sweat and carrying weighted packs on their shoulders. Both appeared to be in fine health, but the part where they were not in fact wearing shirts was new. After that memorable sight, Connor drifted through what I thought was a solid wall and waved a hello to me. I managed to wave back, wondering just how much bonding I?d missed while I was out. And by bonding I mean- Oh shut up. Don?t look at me like that.

Gavin also managed to make an appearance and gave me a peck on the cheek after patting my behind and calling me ?snookyhuns.? Iki also showed up, if only to give Eriju a pat on the cheek and then follow after Gavin while waving to me with his...tail? Definitively lost, I sat down again, only to discover that Eriju was now curling around me in a most disconcerting fashion, purring to beat the band.

And that was the point where I decided everyone on the ship was going mad. Or maybe I just going insane. Further research revealed nothing outside of the typical: ?It?s not me, it?s you,? style response. It was about at that point that I decided caring about it further would be stupid. That and it?s not like I had the technology to figure out what was wrong. Everyone?s mentality seemed relatively unchanged. Except for where the twins seemed to be developing their own distinct personalities for a change. And Eriju?s initial hatred of me had been replaced with an undying animal devotion. I guess that?s what happens when you get your ass saved by one Siyannan Saiya-jin half breed. Ala moi. .....did I just have a thought in French? Dear god perhaps I was loosing it too. Eriju poked her head over my shoulder quizzically.[/i]

?Why long face? Is something wrong??

?Well everyone on the ship seems to be fine, but everyone?s striking me as odd.?

?Separation anxiety. You stay in comas for too long. But I guess it?s up to me to tell you. We?re very close to Morrigan?s lair. While you were out we hijacked several enemy ships and disguised the exterior of ours to match.?

?So now we?re flying towards almost certain death, only in a much less pretty ship.?
[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Andrew]

[size=1]Horray I had a mention this post! ^_^[/size]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]?Kind of yeah. But we also discovered that Morrigan has a rudimentary hive mind set up to control her minions... ...so she knew when we iced her ships.?

?And I?ll assume we?re only still alive because of Connor or something??

Oh lord no. We?re alive because Iki and Connor threw up shields to make us disappear off the radar. Essentially we?re invisible.?

[i]I probed with my mind automatically, and felt a stinging sensation, as Iki?s mental shield slapped down my thoughts. I shivered with surprise at the strength. It had left me feeling like I?d just grabbed a chunk of dry ice with my face. Apparently the shield blocked outward thoughts and inward ones too. Maybe that?s why everyone was going loopy. Thoughts need space to move forward, otherwise they just circle endlessly and stagnate and make everyone insane. Maybe that?s why Vicky and Mattheus were mediating. Anti-thinking is a good method. But hey, I had been out of the galactic coffin for five seconds, and I was already wishing I was back in it. Maybe that was my brain?s response.

Unfortunately for me, there would be no returning into space coma. For shockingly enough, we were already too close to turn back, and putting me into the sleep would be pointless. I idly glanced over at a calendar and realized that we?d all been stuck on this flying death trap for six months. My children were being dealt incalculable damage while I was still so far away from them. A moan escaped my lips, and I struggled to contain my feelings, knowing full well that if I succumbed to my feelings, I?d tear the ship apart. Instead I reached for the nearest bulkhead and sank eight claws into them, sliding them down slowly...oh so slowly. Eriju yowled at the sound and jerked my hands back from the walls. She put her paws over my hands, flexing and rippling with sinew and muscle.[/i]

?No! Let go please??

?How much longer until we?re there??

[i]I spoke through gritted teeth, and slowly retracted my nails from the metal. Eriju pushed me back gently into the middle of the corridor. I sat down slowly and she plopped down right in my lap, curling her tail around my hips to prevent me from standing up again right away.[/i]

?Not long. Perhaps a day and one more night. It depends. But Connor and the others have a plan. Which...I guess saves us from having to think.?

?I don?t even care, so long as it comes off and I get back my children.?

[i]Eriju?s tail twitched thoughtfully, and I remembered at that point that she too had kits taken by Morrigan. I thought back on the lore that I?d picked up over the months, either from my father or from other interstellar travelers. Morrigan tried to take twins after she?d killed off the family. But sometimes she failed and sometimes things didn?t go as planned. I assume she took our babies as revenge but perhaps it was also to get her hands on Siyannan blood, since she?d been up till now, incapable of it. Eriju and Iki had escaped with their skins intact and nearly been driven to their deaths, but I didn?t understand it. Ferals were everywhere in the galaxy. Why pick theirs?

I turned to ask Eriju why, but she?d already loped off towards more exciting people, now that she had made sure I wasn?t going to keep shredding the walls. Sighing, I trailed towards the bedroom that was Gavin?s and sat down on the narrow bed. My hands plucked at the covers and I leaned towards the pillow, crushing it to my chest as I curled up to sleep in the natural way. I looked up out of the corner of my eye and saw stars in the window, vaulting and careening around me. Then I curled up tighter and felt my husband?s hands on my shoulders. He sat down next to me and pulled me to his lap. I exchanged the pillow for him and put my head on his chest.
[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]And here I was stupidly worried you weren't going to keep this up. :animesmil[/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]And here I was stupidly worried you weren't going to keep this up. :animesmil[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]As was I. But the poor darling did her best. I'm just glad to see that she's feeling slightly better. =][/size][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]?Soon my sweet, we?ll be there. Iki and Eriju will be scouting, and Connor?s going to protect us as much as he can with his foresight. You can find the babies once we?re there and Neil and I will protect you. Andrew and Vicky will do the brute squad work as much as is needed, but we?re hoping to do this quietly.?

?I suppose we?re not going after Morrigan.?

?Our primary goal is to get our children out first, and then make our run. Once we?re out we can set up a defensible position and wait for her to catch up with us so we can fight her on our terms and not hers.?

?I wish I could say that was a great plan, but it?s not like we have other options at this point.?

?That?s the spirit honey. I?m sorry this has been taking so long, but Connor?s led us on a bit of a roundabout so we don?t attract much attention.?

[i]I shrugged my shoulders, just happy to hear his voice in the flesh, and not in my dreams. I clung to him quietly, as if he were my security blanket, and I was a fractious babe. He stroked my hair, which had grown even longer during the time I?d slept and smoothed it away from my face. We?d all grown so pale on the journey. I knew my eyes looked sunken into my head, so I closed them instead and reached out for my husband?s mind with mine. I put my hands in his, and listened to his heartbeat. It was faster than mine, stronger, deeper...and it consoled me. He put his face in my hair and kissed my neck, and I fell asleep in an instant.

The next morning was just about what I?d expected. Everyone was putting on armor. Eriju was sharpening her nails. All twenty of them. She twitched her tail quite often, her ears perked, as if she was waiting for a sneak attack from anywhere, and her eyes glowed with the fever of excitement. Neil and Vicky had taken over the twins training entirely, and both were being trained to wear the usual Saiya-jin armor. Andrew kept the ship on its course, as Connor kept on springing back and forth between the ship and the base where we?d be infiltrating. Gavin and Iki finished wrapping up plans, and I turned to stare into the mirror. Pale, empty, I looked completely devoid of life. But then again, I?d spent the better part of six months suppressing my magic, energy, everything. I slipped on my jacket, kept my feet bare, and tied back my hair loosely. Eriju popped up behind me.[/i]

?Ready? I?m so excited! Killing, rending, maiming...?

?Down girl. That?s my job.?

[i]I caught her up and swing her around lightly, which was remarkably easy. She let go of me and landed on the ceiling, claws sinking in to hold her weight. Once there, she swirled around and landed on the floor several dozen feet beneath her. I laughed and we skipped down the hall, already feeling better. Feverish with anticipation, dancing on the steps. I leaned forward slightly as I walked, and bumped into the twins. Both looked taller, healthier, far more sane, and stronger. Mattheus recalled Vicky in his form, slender but containing a wellspring of energy. Sikal looked more like Neil, muscular, all that strength barely held back by force of will. Both bowed, having taken etiquette courses from Iki in their spare time. I smiled and proffered my hand.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Yay, new chapter and it looks like the fight is just about to begin.[/SIZE]

[Zen]

[color=darkred][size=1]

Whee! I'm a beast, that's cool. I hope I get to kick booty.[/color][/size]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]?So glad you?ll be joining us for this mission boys. You both look so well.?

?We?ve been well ma?am. Your husband?s had us treated better than we?ve ever been before.?

?It was wonderful to learn and train with everyone here. And we?re going to help you, and then come back to Earth with you.?

[i]It felt like the ending of some noir film from 1970, and I shook my head to clear it. Refusing to look closer at the omens I?d already seen, I turned and found my husband watching me. He took my hand and led me towards one of the windows by the exit hatch. We were already landing. We were going to our children. I could barely sit still, with the knowing. No greeting party, and Iki?s shield was still going as strong as I?d ever felt it. ...I was afraid, and at the same time, I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into my children?s tormentors. The jerk of the landing gear nearly shook me off my feet, so I braced myself, and then the hatch came down.

Eriju slunk off the ship in a flicker of tail and mane, and Iki followed. Sikal and Neil left right after, with Vicky, Andrew, and Mattheus joining and spreading out in a different direction. Connor walked behind me and my husband, arm in arm, down the causeway. I smiled, feeling my pulse quicken under the strain. I could hardly wait.

Eventually, we all looped back together. The complex we?d strayed into was large, stark, quiet, sterile. It felt like a hospital put together by millions of architects with obsessive compulsive disorder. The hallways were empty. Every room had a small window, but I didn?t look inside. I reached out with my thoughts and didn?t find my children nearby. Perhaps down another hall. Eriju swooped down on me from the ceiling to whisper in my ear.[/i]

?I found our kits. They?re in a room like this one. We?ll wait to open the doors until you find yours.?

?Good then. Get going.?

[i]She swirled away, using a technique to move I could only describe as shadow hopping. It was on the fourth floor of the building that I first caught the whiff of my flesh and blood. My husband didn?t move, he couldn?t smell them yet. I lowered my gaze and watched for movement, sending out my thoughts slowly, until I knew I?d found them at last. My babies. [/i]

?Iki...I found them. Are you ready??

[i]His thoughts came to me on a rise and a surge of hope mingled with hatred. And I threw open the door leading to my children and swooped down on my baby girl as Gavin snatched up our son. Alarms went off, explosions in the corridor, and I took my chances. Bundling up my child and pressing her underneath my jacket I went for the window. Throwing out a hand I screamed a howl of incoherent words and it exploded outwards under the pressure.[/i]

?Everybody! Fly!?

[i]Connor?s voice was so loud it set off the children crying, howling, screaming, raising their voices so loud and shrill that I nearly lost my head. Floating above the complex, I watched as the others made their breaks. Swooping underneath the wing of the nearby ship, I flung myself through the doors, and tucked my body into a roll as I landed on the tarmac. Gavin landed beside me, with the others close behind. Andrew slammed up the gear and took off, with the sounds of explosions rattling my ears. My baby clung to me desperately and I held her up to look her in the eyes. Huge, empty, staring. Just like mine.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]So we got the kids back, cool and I seem like such a capable dad, you really do me justice honey. :animesmil[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]?Sevara. That?ll be your name little one.?

[i]The baby girl gurgled at me, and flailed her hands in an unmistakable gesture of happiness. She giggled, a small sound, but then again compared to everything I?d just flown through, anything would?ve been a small sound. The child cuddled up to me closely, and I detected a faint scattering of spider thin veins of power lancing through her body. Nearby, Gavin was holding up our son, tail and all. A spitting image of the Saiya-jin at a very young age. Even his hair was a royal disaster. [/i]

?What do you think honey? Does he look like a William??

?More than a Neil anyway.?

?But Billy for now, yes??

[i]The boy in question flung up his arms and chortled like a mad ferret. I smiled and pursed my lips in approval. Vicky was leaning against the wall next to me, her eyes smiling, but her mouth frozen in pain. Her side had been cut with goodness knows what and a small puddle of blood was pooling at her feet. Eriju had already knelt next to her, the Feral?s head covering the wound almost completely. I didn?t want to think about what she was doing, but there were larger issues at hand. I stood, my little girl?s head cradled in the crook of my arm, and made my way to the bridge. Around my feet, small Ferals leapt around my toes, their tails waving in a relatively distracting way. They purred at me, apparently they didn?t share their mother?s initial reservations against me.

The bridge was lit up, apparently none the worse for wear. Iki, Connor, and Andrew were already there, with Neil and the twins nearby. Gavin was right behind me, I could feel the heat from his body brushing up against me. Andrew turned over to give us a look.[/i]

?I?m heading for the nearest safe planet. We?re being chased, but we?ll make it.?

[i]Gavin leaned forward to watch the display screen, lit up with little red and green dots. He frowned slightly, and handed over Billy to me. I juggled him on one hip, with Sevara on the other. Nobody said my job was easy. Iki gave me a chuckle, and leaned back, one of his hands resting on the nearest surface, throwing up a semi permeable shield across the entire construct. I raised an eyebrow as I sensed it, and smiled slightly. Connor leaned forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.[/i]

?Morrigan herself might be roused enough to come after us. We?ll find out after we?ve gone through a few thousand of her minions.?

?It sounds like a wild time. You worried about it much??

[i]Neil drawled, leaning casually against the side of the main entrance, Sikal and Mattheus had assumed similarly relaxed, arrogant positions. My god, there were three of them now. I marched up to the man in question and nearly shoved Billy into his arms.[/i]

?Hold him. It?ll do you good.?

[i]Neil nearly dropped him, but righted himself and focused his grip. Billy glared right at him, and bopped one pint-sized fist into his mouth.[/i]

?Lots and lots of good...?

[i]Gavin chuckled, looking over at the display. Sevara cooed and wiggled her fingers with a surprising amount of dexterity. I could feel the burden on my heart already lightening. With friends like this, how could we possibly loose?[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Instead of a volatile group, we now have a volatile, baby-protecting pack of ferocious people. Considering two of them are mothers, sounds like there'll be hell. No pun intended.[/size][/color]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Neuvoxraiha'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Neil nearly dropped him, but righted himself and focused his grip. Billy glared right at him, and bopped one pint-sized fist into his mouth.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Great line, it really brought a smile to my face imagining Neil getting a punch in the face from our few months old son. With a temper like that, maybe he should be a Craig. :animesmil[/SIZE]