Emily 7 (4/2/16)

   As Becky stands before the decimated radio room the events from earlier flash through her mind; she was heading downstairs to investigate the girl that had been thrown into the book store by River Alpha; however between the two flying demons fighting and the first storm clouds she has seen in the three years or so since she's been here...she was staying put. Not long after hearing that weird all points radio transmission about Commander showing up and being branded, and a second one who was also branded, a girl named Emily...also learning that Commander is named Vicky and Eye on the Sky being a Trojan. However not long after that Becky got a direct call from Bob, telling her to stay put, how he had gotten a direct call from Hector...about the demons up to something new, passing off trojans as recovered Lost Ones, they may have actually snagged Commander who they hadn't heard from in over a month and replicated her; not knowing they'd never seen her. It made sense to Becky, using a sob story about being captured and branded like cattle to get into their bases. It also made Becky a bit nervous remembering that she almost went down by herself to find the other one.

   It wasn't long after nightfall, after a lack of communications that her radio went haywire, a massive electric jolt knocking her out. When she came to she found herself on the floor of the office where she was hiding, the window smashed in, glass on the floor like something had come in from outside. There was a storm out there, wind, rain, lightning; something that she had never seen here before. All three of her guns were on a desk, all but three bullets each missing, as well as her four knives. Even her hidden knife and smaller gun she kept hidden away that even Hector didn't know about; just incase she had to use it on him, having heard about his...side buisiness without him finding out. Her radio was gone, someone had stripped her of her weapons and stolen most of the ammo, and then left them out like a taunt. There was a scrap of paper sitting there, written in blood on it [Game Over]. She had thrown away the paper, remembering how after their large compound had been destroyed something had come back and etched those same words on the doors of the commanders.

   Now here she stands, Bob's radio room is trashed, the equipment fried, scorch marks all over the floor, everyone missing...and she turns looking down the hall..most horrifyingly of all...the Safe Room door...is open...while it is still night.

  ******

  As Emily and Vicky wander through the night air the wind picks up.

  "Vicky," says Emily, "Um...you do realize we are out here after dark right? Those rat things...the things that appeared in the pet store...and whatever else could be on the streets with us."

  "Shit," mutters Vicky looking around, "We needed to scope out a safe place during the day...I thought we did...fuck."

   As the wind picks up Vicky and Emily shielding themselves against it with their arms Vicky nods to a nearby building with a wall to block the wind.

   "What is with this wind?" ponders Emily outloud, "never saw anything but nice days until now."

  Vicky remembers the clouds and lightning that Emily missed, not sure if she should tell her that the Mistress is likely behind this, possibly disorientating the other teams or keeping them inside. As hot rain begins to fall Emily reaches for the door, "wish we were back in the apartment,"

   Her markings glow as she opens the door, the air distorting, and inside...its the apartment.

   "What?" stammers Emily.

   "Mini-star gates?" offers Vicky peering inside, "we need out of this."

   As they both go in, the realize the door opened where the bathroom door was. There they are standing inside the apartment looking out onto the street about ten blocks down the road. Emily looks at the window and says, "I wander if we could see each other from here? Like look out the window and see ourselves in the doorway?"

   "Too many buildings I bet," says Vicky as the wind kicks up and the door slams shut.

  Emily opens it and its the bathroom.

  "Well," says Vicky looking around, "That was....educational I guess...so...think the front door is still open or maybe we should start digging."

   They both jump as *Thunder* shakes the apartment and lightning flashes outside

  "I wouldn't even want to try right now," says Emily looking outside, wide eyed as lightning actually brings down a three story building down the street.

   ******

   -One Month Ago (roughly)-

    As Thomas makes his way across the barren field he is filled with doubt looking back at the city and the way he came, although he cannot see it now, the trees give away where the river is and the horror he has run into twice there in. He shakes his head and trudges on. There is a soft whisper upon the air, it is high pitched and he can really make it out. As the suburb comes closer in sight the high pitched whisper like that of a small child is clearer "Go Back," , "Turn Away," , "Not Safe Here,".

   He tries to ignore the voices from every direction as he forces himself forward stopping only short as one, "Go Back," is clearly coming from around his feet. Looking down he sees a felt tomato puppet, dead black bead eyes and a simple mouth.

  He jumps as it moves and speaks, "Go Back,"

  Thomans inhales deeply and with a look of pure rage snatches up the puppet with a "Fuck you!"

  He freezes as he has pulled the puppet off a human hand. It moves as though operating the puppet, "Go Back," the voice clearly emanating from the hand and not someone buried there. In a flash he is running across the field, jumping down into a ditch between the field and clearly mowed grass.

   After a breather he can't hear the voices anymore, what he can hear however are lawnmowers. Peering over the ditch at the suburb he sees simple but expensive houses, fenced in yards (all of them), grass that looks oddly uniform like that of a cartoon, and lawnmowers gliding over them, running themselves. He makes his way down to the overly clean sidewalk and street, his dirt covered clothes making him stand out. As he passes houses the lawnmowever follow him along the fence line.

   "Guard dogs..." says Thomas outloud.

   He looks past the yards and notices the blinds and curtains are all open, there are large televisions, speakers, appliances, game consoles, and other expensive items clearly on display in the very still and empty houses.

   "Its a trap," says Thomas looking around, "But really...who would be so stupid as to try and rob a house around here? Why even bother?"

   As he comes around a corner he tenses up for a moment, and then *sighs*, as before him he thought he saw the red devil that had thrown him to the snake creature, instead it is a grey stature crouched on a pedistal, sorrounded by green grass and flowers, with a thing sidewalk on a circular median in the middle of an rounded fourway intersection. It looks very similar except its horns are more straight up with a slight twist, and has a pony tail in the back, which looks be clay added onto the stone. He steps forward to examine it closer.

   "AAAH FUUCK!" he screams as he falls back on the sidewalk holding his foot.

   The grass had cut right through his shoes and feet, as he holds his foot grimacing waiting for the pain to stop he watches as his blood on the grass is sucked into the stems, even his blood dripping on the sidewalk is sucked into the cement. After his foot heals he stands up and looks around, "that's why its so clean...fuck this..."

   As he storms off past the statue he doesn't see its eyes open, white orbs without pupils on a see of black turn in his direction before closing again.

   ******

   -Now-