[1] The Hunters

[Friend or Foe]

Ares
Piper
Szar
Orion
Kaden



"Thank you all for coming," a voice said suddenly from the mansion. The five people all standing around the courtyard turned to see the large, muscled man that walked towards them. "My name is Kai Demolic. I'm overseeing this operation. I appreciate you all signing up when our recruits came to you."

Of the five people there, only one female stood. Piper was leaning against a pillar near Szar, who sat on the fountain in the center of the area. Off to the side was the blonde Kaden and the one-eyed Orion. Near Kai was Ares, standing off on his own.

"Not much talkers, huh?" Kai asked, "Good, I like that. As you know, you're all going to be participating in my documentary. Out there on this island are two groups of convicts. You're going to hunt them and subdue them. I'll make sure you have supplies, including a map, food, water and a gun with tranquilizer shockers. For every person to bring down, on one of the hundreds of cameras around this island, I will pay you 100,000 zeni. That's five zeroes, my friends."

This obviously perked the interests of all five, who still remained silent, but communicated each other through their eyes.

"Good to know that struck a chord somewhere," he said, "There is a camp outside the mansion. Rest tonight, get to know each other...and leave in the morning. Once this is done, I'll have my movie, and you'll all be very rich and very famous."

There was questions to be answered, but he didn't allow any to reach his ears. None of that was important, after all. He walked back into the house as the questions fell on deaf ears. "That was very nice," said the voice of his better half.

Kai walked up the stairs to where Trisha, his wife, was waiting for him at the upper level. "You were listening? Well, I guess it's fine," he said, mainly talking to himself, "After all, you'll be playing a part in this as well."

"Do any of them suspect?" Trisha asked as she smoothed her blonde hair back behind her.

"No," Kai said, "But they will, inevitably. "But by the time they do, it'll be too late. The five of them have no idea that they're in a worse situation then the people they'll be hunting.






(The five hunters have before the end of the first round to PM me where you want to hunt: The Sandtrap or the Abandoned Town. Feel free to talk to each other to go to the same place, or go alone somewhere. This will determined where you in the next chapter

For this chapter, just roleplay at the small camp getting ready and talking to each other. There will be two guards there who can be NPCs for you if you need 'em.)

[James]

The terms settled strangely with Ares, such an extensive sum would be paid for a mass of individuals who had been designated to be captured rather than disposed of wasn't an order the teen was accustomed to hearing.

Kai stood before them, explaining the terms with a flare of personal dignity to his step and wealth to spare, it would seem... or at least wealth to spend. "There is a camp outside the mansion. Rest tonight, get to know each other...and leave in the morning. Once this is done, I'll have my movie, and you'll all be very rich and very famous." and with that they were dismissed.

The various pieces of the documentary were only slightly obvious to his immediate observation. They were to track down and tranquilize several threats that were either of minimal or casual threat given the provided weapon, each offering a fair amount of reward for their restraint. "Right." now was the time for a bit of educated guessing on his part; each member of this group would either be a step forward or leap back should he find their role essential for the coming tasks.

A color variation caught the boy's eye examining over the group, the shock of yellow hair belonged to a man of height equal to that of his own who looked rather scrawny for his given stature. Displeased, he moved on to the next nearest participant who, merely at the sight of, brought a rather joyously wicked smirk to his lips.

Turning towards the designated direction of the camp began the cyclopic who appeared very detached to the entire situation, alike to many of the bounty hunters.

"Saiyan." the warrior's footfalls came together in step as an honorable tribute to the man who took them. Half turning with his good eye, he looked back to his caller; a mere child no less before the amassed experiences of his own life. "You are Saiyan, I presume?"

"To whom would it concern?"

"Ares, merc-class Saiyan elite." to give this answer the elder warrior would have assumed at least another few decades under the belt of the youth that stood before him, instead this was what said branch of Vegeta's military designated an elite? Preposterous.

Outward, the examination of the younger Saiya-jin took longer than Ares had initially desired.

"Soldier of higher rank, I see." growing at ease standing before the presumed commander only added to the resolve that this was the man for the task. "Regardless, it appears beneficial to combined our strengths for this little manhunt, do you disagree?"

"Hm, so be it." cold, yes, but direct. With any luck the truce won't have been in vain.

[Orion]

"So you're a saiyan elite, huh?"

Ares sensed a slight note of disbelief in the elder warrior's tone. "That's right."

Orion's single eye rolled up and down the teenage hybrid, examining him inscrutably. It was such a rare occurrence that anyone of the saiyan race was strong enough to exist outside the tidy walls of the old Cold Dynasty's protection, let alone smart enough. This 'mercenary' standing before him could not have even been old enough to father a child. How could his power be so high to be labeled as elite? Even being born to saiyan elite parents, it was highly unlikely that his fighting style was refined enough to take on missions by himself.

Yet, the elder fighter smirked. There was one he knew, even at the age of eleven, that would put this bounty hunter to shame.

"I'll take your word for it," Orion concluded reluctantly. "Actually, a thought occurs."

"Hmm?"

"Do you still work for the Vegeta family? Conquering planets, doing their bidding?"

Ares stone cold face twitched for a split second. "No. I'm freelance."

Orion nodded. Perhaps this kid was of more worth than he originally thought.

"Being a mercenary, you'd be used to taking high profile targets. Kidnapping, assassinations ..."

"Absolutely," Ares confirmed.

"Well then ... I think this partnership is going to make both of us exceedingly wealthy." Orion folded his arms. "Is there any others amongst the group that match the description of 'hunter'?"

"Not that I can see," Ares answered, looking over his shoulder. "But by all means, take a look for yourself."

A woman was present. Her only chance to gain Orion's belief in her abilities was to be sporting a brown, furry saiyan tail. It was absent. The warrior's eye moved on.

A young blonde haired man wearing a red jacket was leaning against the wall. Whatever abilities this would-be hunter possessed, ruthless fighting didn't seem to be one of them. His demeanor, his stance, his countenance all revealed that he wasn't comfortable in his current situation.

The last remaining hunter in the room ... Orion did his best to stifle a sudden swell of rage. There was ... a changeling. A changeling, on his team. Instinctively, his hands balled into fists.

"Hey kid," Orion snapped, although not angry at Ares. He rose a finger to Szar and warned, "if you want to stay on my good side, don't work with that ... creature."

[Piper Juunanagou]

”It’s just some new type of reality show, Juunanagou. It’s totally harmless, but we feel that it’s a great chance for you to field-test your other capabilities against other anomalies.”

The words of Master Sergeant Wolfe echoed in Piper’s head as she let out a heavy sigh and relaxed against a small tree in the camp. All around her, the other members of the group were off in their own little worlds. From what the quiet, reserved woman could tell, these people had known a little more about this competition before signing their name on the dotted line.

“’Other anomalies’,” Piper mumbled the sergeant’s words beneath her breath as she glanced over at the gruff, one-eyed man standing ominously near the edge of the camp. He was engaged in what seemed to be a casual conversation with a younger-looking man. “…Like me,” she sighed as she slid down onto the bare ground. A frown spread across her pale features as she lifted one of her hands above her body.

“Anomaly,” she said with a faint sigh as she gently slapped her hand down on the ground. That was the endearing term that her military employers used to label anyone that was ‘an unnatural digression from the norm.’ Vad, Misa, and Piper herself were all examples of said unnatural digressions. The fact that she was picked for this ‘totally harmless mission’ on the basis that she was different made her feel like she was back in high school.

“I’m a medic,” she muttered as she rolled her eyes. “How did I let myself get conned into volunteering for this?” She whispered under her breath as she stood up off the ground. As she slowly walked toward the middle of the camp, she noticed that the others around her flashed her quick, fleeting glances. She could tell from the looks on their faces that this next couple of hours wasn’t going to charades and Yahtzee.

“Thanks, Sergeant,” Piper groaned as she glanced over at one of the two massive guards standing watch at opposing sides of the camp. “This is definitely ’just some new type of reality show’ … one where you get paid to kill people,” she added sarcastically as she kicked at the lifeless ground. Each time she jabbed the tip of her boot into the bare soil, little plumes of dust would billow outward.

“Haven’t seen one of those,” Piper said, quietly addressing herself as she turned her attention toward the strange, alien pacing around on the other side of the camp. The bizarre creature bore a relatively human frame that was dotted with several rather inhuman features—horns, a tail, and skin that was a strange shade of purple. What were they called again?

A changeling. Piper deduced after a few moments of furrowing her brow. If Piper recalled her history, the changelings had tried to conquer the quadrant on countless occasions before signing a bunch of peace treaties and settling into relatively obscurity. As she looked at the bitter-looking creature, Piper wondered what changelings were actually like in twenty-six years before what she considered to be the present day. Was this changeling a member of those warmongering fleets that the old soldiers had always told horror stories of?

Before Piper knew it, her thoughts were drifted back to the future that she had been pulled. Amidst her reflections, she failed to notice that she was still looking right at the foreign creature. It only took the armored alien a handful of beats before he noticed the woman staring right at him.

“What are you gawking at?” The alien hissed as he took a menacing step toward the redhead. With a faint squeak, Piper snapped to attention as her mind returned back to the reality at hand.

“Nothing,” she remarked as she turned her eyes to the ground to her left. She began to fidget slightly as she took a few steps away from the unpleasant alien. “Zoned out,” she added as she quickly retreated from the creature’s sight and back to the small tree near the edge of the camp. As she walked away, she could feel the creature’s gaze burning into her back.

[Kaden]

Of all the ideas Kaden had ever had, joining Friend or Foe was not among his best. Though, in all fairness to himself, Kaden didn't really consider this to be his idea. He usually wasn't one to be persuaded simply by a batting of eyelashes, but... well... everyone has their moments. Truth be told, there was a lot to be gained from this experience, as long as Kaden was willing to keep an open mind.

The young courier considered himself to be at a crossroads. With his newly discovered powers, Kaden felt that there were also newly discovered responsibilities. Some people would be content to fly around the universe doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted, but Kaden knew he could never be one of those people. What he needed to see, what he needed to experience first-hand, was what people with these kinds of powers were capable of.

If one simply believed the things shown on TV or thrown onto the internet, then every other person who crossed Kaden's path would be willing and able to destroy entire planets with a simple flick of their wrists. While Kaden wasn't exactly looking to become some kind of super-powered police force, he wouldn't be able to just sit back and do nothing if that was the actual state of the world. So far, though, he hadn't seen much to help bring an end to his ponderings.

Thinking back on it, Kaden wasn't even sure how he had gotten involved in this... event in the first place. There was no doubt in his mind that Solina had some hand in getting him entered. She had been the one urging him to figure out what he was going to do. Something about a mantle of responsibility... pulling back the curtain of dusk to reveal... something; even Kaden had trouble keeping up with her when she really started ranting.

Whatever Solina had been on about, Kaden was pretty sure he had already come to the same conclusion about what his best course of action should be, which made it all the easier to just nod along when a couple of big guys in suits knocked on his door. Kaden would have felt a little overwhelmed by the suddenness of their arrival, but he had recently been instilled with a false sense of confidence.

It had been a couple of weeks since Kaden had first met Solina after searching for her for five years, and things had actually been going pretty well. Solina, more so than anyone else Kaden knew, was in a position to provide some much needed information and advice about how Kaden's new powers worked. Despite the short time, Kaden had figured out some basics about how his ability to sense ki -- as Solina called it -- in other people.

Having been left to their own devices, the five Hunters -- as Kai had dubbed them -- had been escorted out of the mansion and into their small staging camp. Kaden thought it was a bit of a shame that they wouldn't be allowed to stay in the ridiculously compensatory mansion that Kai owned, but there was no use in crying over spilt milk.

Nothing much happened during the short walk to the actual camp, so Kaden took the time to look over his would-be allies. No doubt they were all interested in the hundred-thousand zeni reward. While the sheer amount of money had piqued Kaden's interest, that interest had been quickly wiped away; he had no intention of killing anyone while he was here. In all honesty, Kaden didn't want to see anyone killed if he could help it; how he planned on accomplishing that, though, he had no idea.

As he watched the other Hunters, Kaden tried to think of them in two different ways: physically and, for lack of a better term, metaphysically. Physically, the bizarre white-and-purple alien was easily the most interesting. Kaden knew very little about aliens, other then what had become relatively common knowledge about Saiyans. After the alien, the one-eyed saiyan and the younger saiyan were of interest. Coming in last, through no fault of her own, was the only other human -- at least she appeared to be human -- in the group.

Beyond their physical appearance, though, things were pretty much the exact opposite. The human woman's inner light shone brighter than anyone else's, while the alien's wasn't even half as bright. The two Saiyans fell somewhere in between. Kaden wasn't sure where he, himself, stood in terms of power. Solina's attempt at sealing his powers five years ago made it pretty much impossible for Kaden to determine his own strength. It was a problem that the courier had yet to find a way around.

What had been particularly interesting to Kaden was the strength of their benefactor, Kai Demolic. His strength was infinitesimal. Predictably, though, there were several much brighter sources of light inside Kai's mansion. To most people, they would have been out of their line of sight. After considering the information he had aquired, Kaden decided it would be better not to mention it to the other Hunters.

Inside the actual camp, people had been fairly quick to seperate. The two Saiyans had found each other and were trading words. Kaden's eyebrows arched when he saw the one-eyed saiyan shot a particularly nasty look at the alien and mumble something to the younger Saiyan. The woman seemed content to just let her eyes roam about, not really showing interest in anything specifically. The courier frowned when the woman traded brief words with the alien, then turned and started to walk away. For some reason, Kaden took that as a cue to actually say something.

"Hey guys," Kaden started. He had raised his voice significantly without actually realizing it. "I'm, uh, Kaden. I'm one of the Hunters here... I guess." Clearing his throat, Kaden tried his best to look at everyone without actually looking at anyone. He wasn't even sure if anyone was listening to him. "So how about we, like, come up with a plan? Or something?"

[Orion]

Stop.

...

Stop it. Look away.

...

You're staring.

Orion forced his gaze away. His missing eye made it no easier to weaken his mind's hold on where his vision rested. Yet, even though he finally heeded his thoughts, vacantly watching empty space, he could feel his ocular muscles pulling and tightening, coercing him to stare at that one image that aroused an anger stronger than he thought he could contain.

Don't look. Dooooooooooon't ...

Orion looked.

Ugh.

His single eye narrowed. No matter how hard he tried to control himself, he couldn't stop staring at that changeling. There he was, standing around in his brazen, filthy glory, acting better than everyone else. Damnable tyrant though he was, Orion knew at least that attacking him in this setting would be foolish. This Kai person was grossly rich and obviously starved for excitement. 100,000 zeni for each person they captured was nigh on insane. Gathering from his introduction speech, they didn't even need to kill the convicts to earn the cold cash. Not that killing bothered Orion, but it meant that the bags of zeni in his hands wouldn't get bloody.

Attacking the changeling, though, most likely meant expulsion from this once in a lifetime, guaranteed get-rich-quick scheme. And Orion really could do with some fast money. Being on the run, escaping the last planet with only the clothes on his back left a burning hole in his pocket. Plus, knowing he was being followed, maybe even hunted ... staying on Earth wasn't a long term solution.

Which presented another problem. To ensure winnings, he needed accomplices. If Kai chose five people to be these 'hunters', then there must be a wide selection of convicts to claim for reward. If he learned anything from his days working for the changelings, it was commandeering a motley crew of renegade warriors effectively to achieve a common goal. He'd never done it without spilling blood, nor by leading anything but a saiyan. Still, he had to work with what he was given. At least in this Ares beat the heart of a cold hearted tactician.

"Hmph," Orion mumbled, expelling his rage in the only sensible way he could.

Ares turned. "Did you say something?"

"It's just dawned on me. I'm assuming this Kai lunatic wants us to work together, right?"

"I guess," Ares responded apathetically.

The cycloptic nodded once, his theory validated, albeit unenthusiastically. "Good."

"Hey guys," a voice suddenly perked up. The blonde human stepped forward, speaking to no one specifically but everyone in general. He seemed surprised with the outspoken way that he stepped out of silence, quickly realising that he was moving out on a limb.

"I'm, uh, Kaden. I'm one of the Hunters here... I guess."

Ares unfolded his arms. "He's not very confident, is he?"

"That's to be expected," Orion informed.

"How do you mean?"

"The way he stands ... " Orion started, slightly narrowing his eye, "the way he moves, and up until now, avoiding contact with people. He's been sitting back, nervously assessing his options. This is unfamiliar territory to him. But at the same time, he's taking a stand here. He's trying to get the ball rolling. That shows that he's at least willing to make the best of a terrifying situation. And although that might not seem like much on the surface ... it may make up for the things he's obviously lacking."

Ares gave the elder saiyan a curious glance. "You can tell all of that?"

"So how about we, like, come up with a plan? Or something?" Kaden proposed uncertainly.

No one took up the red eyed human immediately; the changeling and the female human were as unsociable as each other. Ares was happy to stay by the other saiyan in the group. The opportunity to lead was presenting itself rather obnoxiously.

"Over here," Orion called out, motioning to the outspoken human.

Kaden, caught off guard by the proposal, but hardly about to refuse it, moved over to the two saiyan warriors.

"Uh ... hi, guys," Kaden added.

"What are you?" Orion asked rudely.

"I ... huh? What does that mean?"

"What are you?" Orion repeated. "Human, saiyan without a tail, miscellaneous ... ?"

"Oh, right," Kaden realised. "I'm human."

Orion nodded. He had nothing against humans. Unfolding his arms, he offered a handshake.

"I'm Orion, human. Saiyan, to be exact. And you?"

[Szar]

Szar groaned. He’d been a tinge harsher than intended. Trotting after the retreating girl, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder after having caught up. Her reaction was not one the Icer had expected: she leapt so high Szar was convinced her skin had been left behind. Relinquishing his grip, the Changeling stumbled back a pace. As she had been frightened, the girl had loosed a loud shriek, and now the rest of the people assembled were staring at him. Wishing he could rewind things to a few minutes prior, so he could perhaps establish a decent first impression. But, the fact was that he couldn’t. So, he chuckled nervously and averted his gaze from the rest of them. If he couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see him, right?

Try as he may, Szar was unable to camouflage himself with the grass: purple stood out very strongly against green, apparently. The group’s gaze was smoldering, and Szar winced beneath it. After a decade’s awkwardness, the girl bounded into Szar’s vision, her face painted with embarrassment. She muttered something about apologizing, then quickly wheeled about and skittered away. Furrowing his brow, the Changeling shrugged. She was entitled to behave however she wanted; right now Szar had other interests.

The mansion looming above the group was oddly inviting. There was likely to be an incredible amount of information locked within, surely there was something Szar could use as evidence to support Kai’s involvement with the heist on Kajin Rala. His face, ever since seeing it Szar had been unable to get it out of his mind. But, despite how quickly the gears of his mind churned, he couldn’t remember where.

Normally when there was something he was stumped with, he would go to the shooting range and practice. His marksmanship was one of the reasons he was a Security Officer in the first place, the other being his father’s position. When he’d shown up at the training facility on the first day, the instructors had chastised him relentlessly, saying that Changelings had no place on the police force, that they were nothing more than planet merchants and extortionists. Szar had hated them, and he’d told his father so. On the second day, those instructors weren’t present. Nor were they there on the third, or the fourth. It wasn’t until two weeks later that their bodies were discovered.

Knowing his father had been involved, Szar confronted him on it. Feigning ignorance, he insisted that he had no involvement. Their relationship from then on was teetering on collapse. However, the Security Force was under order of the Kajin Rala council. So, even if their personal relationship died, there would still be a professional one.

Reality hooked his mind like a fish on a line and reeled his attention back to the present. Knowing what he had to do, Szar slipped the pistol from the holster at his waist, eying the guard nearest him. Pulling the trigger, the dart dug into the man’s chest. The sedative was quick to take hold, and he crumpled. Moving closer to the door, Szar turned back to the rest of the Hunters. Raising a thumb, he pointed to the door.

“Anyone coming?” he proposed. Not waiting for a response, he slinked toward the door, cracking it open, he slipped inside.

[James]

They clasped hands in a terse but fruitful shake, the sign of greeting between Saiyan and Human had been a legitimate and possibly, in time, a useful one at that.

"Kaden," the tension that had christened his posture noticeably slackened now that the human wasn't a complete stranger anymore. "Human, uh... just human, to be exact." a bit of a stammer but at least he was more at ease.

Turning towards the younger warrior the two engaged in the mutual exchange of respect once more. "Name's Ares, Saiyan as well. A pleasure, Kaden."

Now with formalities out of the way the youth turned himself more towards the immediate demands at hand; those they would be tracking in the hours to come. He left the pair to their discussion, taking up the supplied gear with a keen interest to what these 'provided provisions' would amount to.

The food smelt of the leather though had the taste of the human he had sampled earlier... perhaps a sun-dried jerky. A strange set of misshapen, plastic-sealed snacks and a pair of water bottles told their time out may or may not be as prolonged as had first been anticipated. The map offered the general landmass and several various locations by which the convicts in question were supposed to be held up or at least wandering about in.

He wandered the map with an index finger attempting to distinguish various advantageous; the desert held a certain homely appeal not to mention with the distance at hand would provide decent hunting with little to no cover in favor of the opposition. Then again the prospects offered in terms of room-to-room excursions found near the abandoned towns might be a little more suited for taking out opponents quickly.

Finding what he had been most curious with, the youth withdrew from the bag his designated delinquent demoralizer by which he examined with the slightest bit of distaste. Using weapons wasn't something the teen was exactly horrible at, in all regards he was quite capable of taking on and handling any various assortment of armaments given his training. The fact that this would dismiss any chance of engaging in ample hands on combat often during this competition almost tempted him to intentionally sabotage this gun of his.

"Hm," mentally defeating himself he sighed, carrying on with sizing up the pistol by its caliber and construction.

Without a moment's warning a shrill sounding yell pierced what silence Ares had been engulfed in. Loading the weapon as if it were second nature be stepped into the open. Over near the outskirts of the camp the commotion aroused had been caused between the woman and that creature, as Orion had so elegantly put it.

The peculiar lizard beast stood in an indecisive pose eying the imposing figure that was the mansion stationed but a few yards from the respective campsite.

Even through the layers of armored, flamboyantly colored skin the Saiyan was able to predict with accuracy his moves with the small twitches of muscle flexing beneath the surface of its epidermis.

A small spurt of air issued, pushing the drugged dart forth from the inner chambers towards its target in that of the local security guard's chest with amazing inhuman precision. Wincing only catching sight of his fate at the last moment the suited officer tumbled backwards shaken from his superior stature, looking up at the teenage fighter who stood before him. Between the boy's fingers rested the discharged dart resting easily whilst its captor inspected its flawless design.

"Guess there won't be any worry about the lizard after all." rolling the tranquilizer through his fingers he smirked, inquisitive to see the repercussions of treason considering the game hasn't even gotten underway yet.

[Piper Juunanagou]

As the changeling walked away, Piper collapsed to her knees as her head was assaulted by fragments of the creature’s memories. In her mind, the woman saw broken images of the tale that had led the changeling to Friend or Foe. She saw the alien working as security on a far away world due to the prestige of his father, and then she also saw how he had been ostracized for being a changeling by his tutelage. The next of the changeling’s memories was that of those bigot instructors being killed.

Piper clenched her teeth to choke down her screams as the last bits of the episode began to play out in her head. Although erratic and slightly incoherent at this point, she could see the changeling’s relationship with his father strained over the belief that the elder alien had been involved with some sort of crime on a planet Piper could not recognize. As the last vestiges of the changeling’s memories faded from her mind, the medic was left with nothing but the weight of the alien’s resent and anger weighing upon her mind.

From several yards away, Piper heard someone let out a muffled yelp. Turning her head sharply, she watched as one of the camp’s two guards clutched at his chest. The man’s eyes bugged slightly at his pitched back on the ground. Standing a few feet from the fallen guard was the changeling, whose pistol was still aimed at where his target’s chest had been but a few moments earlier. With just a fleeting glance over his shoulder, the changeling gestured toward the large, imposing mansion with a purple thumb.

“Anyone coming?” He inquired with a toothy grin as he slinked up the pathway that led toward the mansion. Piper, who was still mildly lightheaded from her interaction with the changeling a few minutes prior, could only watch as the alien vanished into the mansion.

“Guess there’s won’t be any worry about the lizard after all,” Piper turned in the direction of the voice to see one of the younger men rolling a small dart between his fingers.

Tranquilizer… Piper thought as she crawled up off her knees and turned her attention toward the mansion. I shouldn’t let him go in there alone. She told herself as she started to make her way toward the mansion.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” The gruff voice came from the far end of the camp. In tandem, all four remaining volunteers turned their attention back toward the small grouping of tents. From the trees beyond the camp, the other guard was rushing up toward the slightly scattered group. As he moved closer, he reached for his belt and grabbed for what appeared to be a walkie-talkie.

Realizing what she had to do; Piper reached behind her back and drew her handgun. With an uneasy look on her face, she aimed the nine-millimeter and pulled the trigger. A split-second later, the guard let out a weak yelp as the hand with which he gripped the radio shattered in a vibrant array of blood, plastic, and electricity. The next shot caught the man right in the center of his left kneecap.

As the guard collapsed into a twitching, agonized heap, Piper stuffed her gun behind her back. Turning her attention toward the nearby group, she saw the three men staring at her with an array of expressions that ranged from shocked to slightly horrified. With a heavy, uneasy frown, Piper backed up a few steps and let her shoulders sag forward.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered just loudly enough for the others to hear here. “I couldn’t let him turn us in...don’t worry, he’ll live,” she added dejectedly before she pivoted and sprinted toward the doors of the mansion. As softly as she could, Piper cracked one of the large, heavy doors open and slid her thin frame into the foyer of the lavish structure. The massive entrance hall was at least two stories tall, with a large staircase on the far wall leading up to a balcony that wrapped all the way around the edges of the room.

“Changeling?” She whispered as loudly as she could as she moved back into the shadows beneath the second-story balcony. The woman narrowed her eyes as she tried to deduce whether or not the alien creature was still lurking around in the large room.

“The name is Szar,” the slightly serpentine voice of the changeling caused the woman to jerk just slightly out of surprise. Turning around, Piper found herself looking down at the purple-skinned alien, whose eyes seemed to constantly be scanning the large room. “There are roughly eight exits from this room,” he said as he finally turned his eyes to the redhead. “One behind the stairwell leads to a small shed that connects to a path behind the house...we should go there incase anyone heard what happened outside.”

“What are you doing inside this house?” Piper asked, effectively redirecting the conversation and causing the lizard-like alien to furrow his brow. “Shouldn’t you be out there waiting to go get rich?”

“I’m a cop,” he answered—something Piper already knew. “I’m here on the basis that the mastermind behind this little program is an accomplice to a crime.”

“And you’re going to try and arrest him?” The woman replied with a faint smile. As she searched her thoughts for another remark, she suddenly picked up the sound of encroaching footsteps. Unfortunately for Piper, the strange acoustics of the large foyer made it difficult for her to pinpoint whether the footsteps were coming from another room or from the outside porch. As she mulled over the possibilities, Szar’s head perked up as well, and almost immediately, he pointed to the pillars that supported the staircase.

“Move, move!” Szar whispered with a degree of urgency as he sprinted across the marble floor of the foyer. Piper followed the alien between the large pillars and down a small set of stairs. The changeling came to a grinding halt in front of what seemed to be a normal plywood door.

This is out of place… She mused as Szar gently pulled the door open and ushered her into the small shed that lie within. A heartbeat later, the changeling police officer followed her in and shut the door—blanketing the two in darkness. Somewhere in the next room, they could hear footsteps and several different voices.

“There’s a metal drawstring for a light near the center of the room,” Szar whispered. “Once they’re gone, feel free to turn it on.”

“Roger, roger,” Piper whispered as she slid down to the ground and waited for the noise outside to die down.

[Kaden]

Things started happening quickly. At least it seemed quick to Kaden; the courier noted that neither Orion nor Ares seemed startled by the sudden commotion. The Saiyans inclined their heads in the woman's direction as she sudden let out a scream while Kaden practically leapt out of his skin. That the purple-skinned alien pulled out his tranquilizer gun and downed a guard seconds later didn't help Kaden's nerves.

Turning towards the departing changeling, Kaden grimaced as he heard the second guard making his presence known. Kaden surprised quickly turned to horror as he watched the woman draw a gun of her own and level it at the second guard. Though he tried to move, or do anything really, Kaden could only watch as the woman squeezed off two rounds. The pistol's report rang through the camp, followed quickly by the guard's cries of pain.

In the corner of his mind, Kaden was aware of the woman saying something, but was too distracted for it to actually register. As the courier watched the guard writhe in pain, the reality of the situation dawned on Kaden. He had been able to distance himself from what was about to happen by treating it as a game, something to simply be laughed off, but that wasn't the case. There was a good chance that the guard would be cirppled for the rest of his life, which probably wouldn't last too much longer.

To Kaden's immediate right, another report rang throughout the camp. This one, however, was the dulled sound of the tranquilizer guns that all the Hunters had been given. Kaden twisted around to see Ares pointing his gun past the courier. Spinning again, Kaden saw a dart sticking out of the second guard's neck and noticed a distinct lack of painful whimpering.

"I don't need to listen to that," Ares said nonchalantly. Before returning his tranq gun to its resting place, the Saiyan looked it over appriasingly.

Both Saiyans turned their attention to the retreating figures of Piper and Szar before shrugging their shoulders and turning back towards each other. Kaden's head swiveled from the guards to the mansion and back again while he tried to decide what he should do. While the woman had seemed somewhat remiss about having to shoot that second guard, she had done it nonetheless. Kaden had no idea what would take place if they should happen upon more guards inside the mansion. The human started towards the mansion, then stopped and turned back towards the two Saiyans.

"I'm gonna go get those two. I, uh... yeah."

Kaden's eyes darted between Orion and Ares for a moment, looking for some kind of acknowledgment. Ares just shook his head and shrugged, but Orion paused for a second. Eventually he ended up shrugging just Ares had. With nothing else to really say, Kaden moved towards the mansion.

The sheer size and magnificence of the building was intimidating enough on its own, the fact that Kaden was sneaking in didn't help the situation. As he approached the still-open door to the mansion's foyer, Kaden caught bits of conversation between the woman and the alien. The conversation seemed cut short, though, and Kaden could feel the two of them moving away from the front door.

Slipping into the mansion, Kaden pulled the front door closed as quitely as he could and quickly discovered what had caused the two Hunters to quiet up. Footsteps echoed throughout the massive foyer as someone approached. Turning his head, Kaden's eyes lit up as he scanned the inside of the mansion. The person approaching was coming in from the balcony enterance to Kaden's right. Trying to move quietly, Kaden strolled across the foyer and came to stop underneath the balcony.

Knowing he was out of sight eased Kaden's nerves a bit, but he was still anxious to get the other two and get out. Staying beneath the balcony, Kaden had a relatively easy time following Szar and Piper. Even with the two of them beyond his Sight, he could feel them easily enough. As he made his way down a small staircase, Kaden could make out the flowing light of his fellow Hunters behind an intriguingly out-of-place plywood door.

Without really giving it too much thought, Kaden reached out and pulled the door open without any real warning. As light poured into the small room, Kaden found himself staring down the barrels of Szar's tranquilizer gun and Piper's not-so-tranquilizing pistol. Instinctively, Kaden jerked backwards and threw both of his hands into the air.

"Uh... hey guys." Kaden swallowed hard as Piper and Szar exchanged quick glances. "It's Kaden. Y'know... one of the Hunters..."

[Szar]

Szar lowered his weapon and motioned for Piper to do the same. Kaden chuckled with relief as he let his hands fall to his sides, and then slip into his pockets calmly.

“So, yeah…why are you here?” he inquired.

Szar was focusing so intently on the boy’s eyes that he didn’t even here the question. They were shining brilliantly, far brighter than any human’s eyes should. Realizing what Szar was scrutinizing, Kaden laughed again.

“It’s a long story,” he began, pointing to his eyes. “I can see things; it’s how I found you.”

Szar didn’t try to hide his puzzlement. Piper looked equally confused, but she made an obvious effort to not appear as such. Exchanging glances with the duo, Kaden smiled. “I don’t fully know how it works either.”

Shrugging, Szar perked his head out the door, listening for the footsteps. Satisfied that they were gone, the Changeling brushed past Kaden and into the hallway, waving for the humans to follow. Not knowing which door to choose, Szar turned to the blond.

“What way do you see as the safest?” he asked hastily.

Kaden let his bright eyes move up and down, brushing over doors and walls. Finally, he stopped, pointing to a door further down the hall, on the right. Szar then traced a line with his mind from the extended digit to its chosen door, Szar tip-toed towards it. The house creaked with every step, but the Icer hoped that no one would notice. Turning back to Kaden, Szar thumbed to a door, confirming it to be the right one. Kaden nodded, and Szar gently gripped the knob. Twisting slowly, he pressed the door open, letting his gun enter first. Scanning the room, the Changeling decided it was clear to enter, and he did. The duo followed him, Kaden in the middle, and Piper at the rear, watching their backs.

For a few minutes, the going was easy. The door led to a hallway which only stretched in one direction, making it simple to choose a course. No one spoke as they continued, though Kaden’s eyes hadn’t picked up anyone yet. Finally, the hall came to end in front of an elevator. Pressing the down arrow, the trio idled awkwardly while they waited. Szar took to checking the clip on his pistol, examining the amount of rounds remaining before clicking it back into place. Not content to silence any longer, Kaden chimed in with a question.

“So, you never answered me earlier, about why you’re in here?”

Szar didn’t turn to face Kaden, nor did he even respond. Piper spoke on his behalf. “He’s a cop, and he thinks Kai is involved with a crime.”

Kaden scoffed. “Good enough for me, but what about you?”

Piper shrugged. “Didn’t want him in here alone, I guess.”

The elevator’s bell rang out, and the doors parted. A stunned scientist eyed the trio up and down, and his hand reached shakily for a walkie-talkie. Szar’s tail lashed out, gripping the man by the throat. He squirmed at first, struggling to free himself. Asphyxiation set it, and stopped his writhing. Seeing the man’s eyes go dead, Szar dropped him. Guilt quickly overtook him, and he stooped down to check the man’s pulse. Not finding one, the Icer let his body sag down, moving to the corner of the elevator. Kaden and Piper followed him in, both worried about their colleague.

“I-I didn’t mean to…” Szar stammered, as he stared at his trembling hands.

“We know.” Kaden assured him, before pressing the down button on the elevator.

[Kaden]

Yeah, Kaden thought to himself, like I'm going to disagree with an alien who killed a guy just for being in the wrong elevator.

Though he tried to ignore it, Kaden couldn't help but feel guilty for the presumed scientist's death. It should have easy to warn the alien that there was someone already in the elevator. Despite the guilt, though, there wasn't much that could be down. Kaden hefted up the scientists body and set it in the corner opposite Szar. As Piper stepped into the elevator the doors shut behind her.

"So... I never actually caught your names," Kaden mentioned to his pro-tem allies.

"Piper," replied the woman with a short nod in Kaden's direction.

"... Szar." The changeling was slow to answer.

While it was comforting to know the names of people he was committing crimes with, Kaden felt more than a little unnerved by Piper's constant gaze. What she was watching for, Kaden had no idea. Regardless, the courier tried to give her as much room as the elevator would allow. Several seconds passed in an awkward silence before Kaden realized that no one had actually specified a floor. With a shrug, Kaden reached over the dead scientist and pressed a button marked "B2."

"Know where you're going?" Piper asked. Kaden couldn't be sure, but he thought he detected a slight edge to her voice.

"Kind of," Kaden admitted. "There are a bunch of people that way," Kaden pointed towards the second floor on the other side of the house, "so I figured going in the exact opposite direction couldn't be a bad idea."

"How many people?" Szar suddenly asked.

"Uh..." Kaden steadied himself against the elevator wall as it lurched to life. "I'm not really sure. They're... uh... pretty bright, though. If that makes sense."

"Bright?" Szar arched what would have been an eyebrow.

"Uh... they're probably pretty strong... I guess." Kaden hated having to be vague, but he was simply too inexperienced with his ability to say anything more definitive.

Fortunately, Kaden was spared having to say anything else that would make him sound like much more of an idiot that he actually was. With a light ding the elevator doors opened. The hallway that spread out before Kaden, Szar, and Piper was well lit and surprisingly... sterile. At least that's the best Kaden could come up with.

Unlike the foyer up above, this floor was stripped of the pomp and frills of the rest of the mansion. The white walls, clean floors, and non-descript doors every few yards reminded the courier of a hospital more than anything else. This was obvious not a space reserved for rest and relaxation.

Without actually realizing it, Kaden had stepped out of the elevator and was strolling down the hallway with Szar and Piper behind him. As this fact settled upon him, Kaden stopped in his tracks and allowed the changeling to pass. The courier shook his head as he fell in line behind the changeling, and focused on trying to sense anyone around them. It didn't seem like there was anyone in the immediate vicinity, so when Szar rested his hand on a random doornob and turned Kaden, the courier nodded.

Pushing open the door, Szar slid in with a surprising amount of... grace. As Kaden followed Szar in -- without bothering to do so much as tip-toe -- he took note of the rather small room. The entire room was white, and lit with a series of flouresent lights in the ceiling. Kaden found it to be almost blinding. Along one of the walls was a series of filing cabinets; the cabinets were labeled with some kind of numbering system that didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.

Towards the back of the room, facing the door, a desk was set up with a laptop computer. Szar moved almost immediately to the computer and, pushing the high-back executive's chair out of the way, began poking at the keys. With no better idea of what to do, Kaden walked behind the desk and dropped himself into the chair that Szar had been so quick to abandon. It occured to the courier that having a tail might make it difficult to find a comfortable chair.

"So this Kai Demolic guy is some kind of criminal?" Kaden didn't really care who answered.

"I suspect he's involved in a crime," Szar took a deep breath and straightened up from the laptop. "There was a robbery on Kajin Rala. I'm looking for something that will link Kai to the robbery."

"Riiiiiight." Kaden leaned back in the chair and watched Piper as she inspected the file cabinets. "And then what? Just ask him to come along quietly?"

"I..." Szar stared down at the laptop, though it was obvious his mind was on something else. Shaking his head, the changeling leaned back towards the laptop and continued pecking away at the keys. "I'll deal with that when the time comes. If I find what I'm looking for, I'll... do whatever needs to be done."

There wasn't much more for Kaden to say, so he reached back and folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. Without really needing to be told, Kaden's job was to let the others know if someone was coming and if he was going to be an effective human radar he should probably concentrate.

[Friend or Foe]

"Jackpot," the changeling police officer hissed as he led the group into an office area. Behind Szar was the redheaded Piper and then the blonde Kaden, who was keeping an eye on their surroundings, trying to ensure they weren't being followed. Szar quickly took a seat at the desk that was marked 'Kai Demolic', moving to peek at the contents of his personal computer.

"Make it quick," Kaden warned as he shut the door. Even with the door sealed off, he could still feel the various energy sources start to split up around the mansion. "Remember those bright lights I told you about? They're moving. Everywhere."

Piper looked between the two men as she found a comfortable spot by the wall. She still wasn't sure why exactly they were running around the mansion. It seemed kind of quick to already turn against the people paying her to fight in front of cameras. "Why are you so sure Kai is directed to this, uh...thing on Kajin Rala?"

Szar never looked up. He was too busy looking in the computer. It hadn't been password protected, which already felt fishy to him. The man was a computer genius and one of the richest men in the world, yet he couldn't even lock his devices down? It was almost as if he was wanting to be found. "It's just a hunch," Szar said. He then looked up from the corner of his bright eyes, right into Piper's. "My hunches are usually right."

Things seemed to be okay for a moment as Szar browsed through some of the files. "Anything?" Kaden asked, still looking in the direction of the bright lights he was sensing.

"Nothing," Szar said, "I mean, that's not true. This Kai guy is definitely into some illegal stuff. But I don't see anything about Kajin Rala."

Suddenly, Kaden let out a gasp. Piper and Szar looked in shock as Kaden jumped backwards from the door, landing in front of the desk, still facing the doorway. "Someone's coming!" He warned, shouting. "Fast! Like, too fast to be human! It's insane!"

Piper reached to grab her pistol just as Szar stood up, looking for a way out. There were no air ducts and they were on the third floor of the mansion. He hadn't counted on someone showing up as fast as Kaden was claiming. There were no hiding spots, no way out. "We need to move!" He shouted, moving around the desk. "We gotta get out of this room! It's a death trap!"

"Too late!" Kaden shouted, "They're moving too fast!"

Before anyone could move, someone appeared right in front of the door. Without actually going through it, they had teleported directly in front of the trio, who looked in shock, holding a defensive pose as the newcomer grinned, standing with legs spread like they just landed a long jump.

The woman was blonde with a lean body and large bust, her flowing yellow locks practically floating behind her head. She held her pose for a moment before raising up, an evil smirk across her face. "The show has only been on for an hour and already we're being naughty children."

"Who are you?!" Szar demanded, standing in front of his comrades. "What is your relation to Kai Demolic?! Talk!"

The woman stood up, and as she straightened she took two blades out from the sides of her long, black pants. Kaden felt a shiver as he could sense the ki energy flowing through the handles of the daggers, charging them up as she spoke. "My name is Trisha Demolic," she said with a sadistic smile. "Kai is my husband."

"Husband?!" Piper echoed, surprised.

"What do you know about the heists on Kajin Rala?" Szar asked, not skipping a beat.

This time, she didn't answer immediately. Her eyes flickered between the two people behind the changeling, first Kaden and then Piper Juunanagou. "Now, listen," she said, "If you back down quietly, we can send you out to do your job, and we'll just forget this ever happened."

Szar gritted her teeth. He knew she knew something. She had to! Why else had she got here so quickly? It was almost as if this entire scenario had been planned. The computer was left unprotected. There was almost no security leading to the room. Now, she was here, so quick. Were they on camera right now?

"I think we should listen to her," Piper offered.

Kaden didn't say anything, but inwardly he agreed. He could literally feel the power that was oozing off of Trisha, especially those dangerous blades of her's.

Szar dropped his fists. He lowered his head but raised his gaze, looking at her out of the top of his bright, colorless eyes. "I'm going to ask one more time," he said, "What do you know about Kai Demolic's involvement in a robbery on Kajin Rala?"

"She's getting stronger," Kaden warned, backing up slightly towards the nearest window on the opposite side of the desk. "Her daggers. Watch the daggers."

Again, Trisha didn't say anything. She just smiled. Her smile was so cold and uninviting that it made Piper shiver. It was exactly what one would picture when they thought of an evil grin.

"Oh, hello," somebody said. All three looked behind Trisha to see Kai Demolic in the doorway. "Did I miss something?"

That was it. The trigger that send Szar moving forward. She rushed at Trisha and then juked to the left, trying to get around her to get at his target: the multi-millionaire and potential robber, Kai Demolic.

She moved too fast, though. Trisha simply raised one arm, the dagger sliding along the thick skin of the changling and her wrist connecting with his neck. As his legs flew upwards, she spun sideways, smashing the underside of her left forearm into his body and sending him crashing towards the wall opposite the desk. Szar didn't stand a chance, and only one hit later he was reeling in pain on the floor.

Piper's first instinct was to attack, but Kaden grabbed her shoulder, knowing it was better to live to fight another day. "Run!" He said, moving to leap over the desk towards the window. "Let's go!"

With Kaden moving, Piper stopped and pulled away. While he wanted to ensure he survived, the redhead had an instinct to fight. She lept up and threw a sloppy kick towards the blonde Trisha. Kaden had stopped when he realized he wasn't being followed and turned to look at the situation. Just as his eyes saw the fight, he witnessed the tall blonde slamming Piper down onto her back from way above her head.

"Kaden, right?" Kai spoke up from behind Trisha. While Kaden was extremely spooked and nervous, neither the big man nor the blonde seemed the least bit excited. "I'm sure we can come to an agreement before anything escalates further, yes?"

He could have asked questions. He could have fought. And yes, Kaden could have surrendered. But instead, he turned and smashed through the window, leaving only three stories of empty space between his body and the hard ground.





(Everybody in this group advances to the next round. Kaden has earned the right to use a sync weapon of his choice for the duration of the saga)