battle at kenn park. (the silenced)

[Rook]

Tabitha pulled on her soggy silver jerkin, working on the cold plastic black buttons that adorned it around her neck, in a brisk nervous fashion. The rabbit was a nervous individual, with wide staring blue eyes and long silky brown fur, her hair was tied back hard but it could have been beautiful as well, for now, she had no time for beauty however. It was apparent there was a good reason she'd had to be escorted to and back from the library, but she wasn't keen on sharing it with either of them, neither the battle scarred vagrant nor the big scientist.

Rook was pissed, to say the least, he was old enough to hide it fairly well but he diddn't even try to mask the blind rage he was feeling as he stalked in the rain, looking rather more forbidding than he ever did in the the Angels headquarters where Zarek usually stayed, he supposed he could have been more considerate, Zarek must be twice as confused as he was, being forced to play a role he wasn't used to here but even if it was to a lesser extent that made both of them. Rook wasn't used to playing second fiddle and he definitley wasn't used to being used as a two bit security guard. Hell, he'd be happy to defend some stranger whod' just been sworn in two weeks ago and hardly had said a word, he would've even enjoyed it and tried to make her feel more comfortable, but having to follow her around all day while they acted like skittish rabbits, and the air of obvious danger swarming around them made his blood boil.

He was being shut out from this again.
Were they going to tell them nothing?

Rook's hood was drawn over his face, and his ears stuck out completely flat against his head, it was impossible to tell who he was, let alone what breed he was (he could have been anything from a raccoon to a grizzly bear at this rate) , and he was walking so differently and at such a brisk that how old he was was a guess between 19 and 100. This was of course what he was paid for, among other nastier things, but he wished he could have just gone up to that rabbit and shaken her, for answers.

[texas]

Zarek wasn't use to going out on missions like this. He was usually stuck inside. Every now and again he would go on patrol, but this was completely different and it excited him. Rook seemed to have a completely different view of the whole thing. He seemed like he would rater walk on hot coals than follow around some Angel that they knew nothing about. Zarek knew that his companion shouldn't be so pissed at not knowing anything, but of course the wolverine felt like he should be told everything when the Elder Angels thought otherwise.

Casting a glance around he grinned when he notice Rook in his disguise. Zarek was no where as nearly as concealed. He had on a pair of baggy black sweat pants, a tight grey shirt, black gloves, sunglasses, a black trench coat, a white hat turned backwards, and a bright green umbrella. It felt ridiculous to be dressed this way, but he was sure no one would even slightly recognize him like this.

As time wore on the rain had begun to bother Zarek as he was soaked to the bone. He was getting close to just leaving the rabbit to her own devises. Thinking of devices made the tiger think of Weddard.

"Rook, you think they sent me out here so they could go through my lab?" Zarek asked slightly panicked though the small chip in his tooth that let Rook hear everything he said when it was turned on. That would explain why he was out here and there was some stuff that he figured could have been hidden a lot better than he had.

[Rook]

Rook shook his head in response, he put his hand to his mouth, his claws glowed so dimly they could not be seen and the words were muffled by the faint humming of them.

"I don't think so. I think there's something important their not going to tell us. There must've been a reason she went to the library, besides if they were trying to distract you they wouldn't pair you up with two other Angels".

He had looked at Zarek disapprovingly for his immature decision for a disguise at first, though for the first time that evening he did grin, his large teeth flashing, looking odd so disconnected from his face "You look like a complete jack ass". He recognized Zarek was worried however, and he could guess what it is. "He'll be fine, he wouldn't want you worrying about him like a Jewish mother anyway".

[texas]

"Oh, I am worrying like a Jewish, jack ass, mother am I? Well I believe I have a right to be worried. If you didn't get out as much as I did then you would be worried that they where after more than just a little kiss from Jamie." Zarek growled back and pulled his umbrella closer to his body.

"Talking about your daughter, I have seen that she has been looking at some of the new apprentices. How old is she now anyway? There is no way she can be old enough to start liking boys." Zarek was just being mean now, but it was because he was starting to get annoyed with this mission. What the hell where they out here for anyway? The rabbit was an Angel she could take care of herself, it wasn't like she needed to other people to watch her back.

[Rook]

Rook had his own suspicions, he doubted if Zarek's experiments had anything to with them, he could see this lady had no experience with field work, much fewer than Zarek even, she sure drew attention to herself even when she was trying to avoid it at all costs, her body reeked fear scent and Rook was almost overcome, as any fur with a good nose would be, by it.

No, she wasn't afraid, she was terrified. What on earth could scare a full grown Angel out of her wits like this? Nothing ordinary, no the person they were following was doing something important, so important they'd dragged Zarek out of his lab because he was the most qualified, the oldest and smartest of the fledglings, to take the job even though field work wasn't his specialty...and Rook, their old rusty sword, trotting along beside him.

Trotting? Stalking more like it, he was pissed but he did know his way around the situation, it was just that one, crucial little piece neither HQ, his Elders or this Lady had bothered to tell him....what were they trying to hide?

What is she running from?

He diddn't want to spread his uneasiness so he turned to Zarek with a convincing scowl "Jamie? I'm more likely to get a date than her, all the new apprentices go after her, only to be welcomed with a suckerpunch and a coffee mission".

Jamie was beautiful and witty, but she was as hard as her father, and unlike him she was addicted to her work, as a detective. She treated most of the other apprentices with unhidden disinterest.

[texas]

"So true, so true. I think I should talk to her. It isn't good not to shun the fun you can have with others." Zarek felt the tension in the air, but was keeping up the small talk. By the way Rook was acting he was trying to keep Zarek clam, yet the tiger was trying to keep the wolverine calm. It was all a little twisted.

Looking up to the rabbit he frowned a little when he didn't see her. "Um... Rook? Where did she go?" It wasn't that he was missing her either. Scanning the crowed he searched for any clue that might point out where the woman had gone too. "Did we just lose the person we are supposed to be protecting?"

[Rook]

"Stay where you are".

Rook had stopped a few meters ahead of him, his eyes wide, he raised his head and let the hood gently fall from his face, he couldn't think in words right now, but his instincts told him he needed his full vision. The look on his face was essentially expressionless, except for the tics of interest flashing as his eyes moved, the rest of his body was completely still down to the last hair.

The silence was looming, and Rook felt it press so hard against them that he was sure it was an entity in his own, however he needed to speak to give guidance, his voice was soft.

"She ran ahead of us, and there's a reason for it."

His tail swept down below his feet brushing against the thick sawdust of the children's park they had entered hardly without knowing it. The swingsets and Zarek and himself's breathing were the only things Rook could hear, as much as he strained his keen ears, and the winds, forceful carried only the faint scent of the rabbit that had run ahead of them, Rook had noticed her doing it but barely, ...she'd been faster than anyone he'd ever seen, simply a flash in the corner of his eye.

There it is. Not just a bookworm. She's got unnatural speed too...I've never seen anything like it, but it dosen't explain...

No. Stop it. We're in danger.

The wind wasn't blowing the right direction to pick up the scents behind and above them, but Rook knew they were there, his claws fed him little tidbits of information, nothing specific, but he diddn't need his nose to figure out they were being watched.

What should we do? We were put here to protect her but she left us on her own free will. In a minuite, if we don't do something we'll be attacked.

Rook stood stock still, his ears flicking gently...and then there it was...the small smooth sound of a paw pad hitting the ground carefully, but not carefully enough. At least not this time, they must've been following them for minuites.

"Move"! He barked, he wanted to look back at Zarek and made sure he was following but the mission was to be put first at all costs.

Please be safe, you damn jack ass.

Rook closed his eyes momentarily and then without hesitation raced ahead of the smells and sounds that made up a group, everywhere behind and above them but he paid them not attention, he was chasing the girl, Tabitha, hopefully he'd get to her before they would.

Sawdust was scattered in clouds, and Rook lost most of his vison, but the scent grew stronger as he saw the dark figures closing around him, he also saw her, she was in a patch of green a ways from the rusted jungle gym, her strange blue eyes wide.

The expression was unmistakable. Help me. Both of you. Please. Oddly, there was no panic only dignified regret

...regret?

Someone tried to come at the bush from the side, Rook intercepted...
the bright glow of his claws flashed and he lunged blindly, feeling his teeth sink into the scruff of neck fur.

He had caught one of them, the fellow was a black cat, he moved so quick Rook knew it was pure luck that he'd stopped him in time, his claws flashed and the fellow was dead before he hit the ground, the sound of his fall smothered by the waves of sawdust.

The rabbit however, bolted, and Rook had no time to stop her. He heard a gunshot ring out far into the thicket of green bushes and stiffened, his eyes widening in shock.

"No"!

He'd been tricked, they'd led them here and ambushed them, Tabitha had been part of the trick herself, without even realizing it until it was too late.

[drake]

Was that... was that gunfire Athos just heard? No... it couldn't have been, could it? Anybody shooting this late at night would have to be pretty damn close to a target to hit, otherwise you'd have a hard time seeing anything. His first instinct was to go and help, but when you're wearing bright blue as an entire outfit, anybody shooting could probably see you sticking out like a sore thumb. Much as he knew it would be a bad idea, as he wasn't armed if he ran into trouble, Athos felt obliged to find out what was going on and possibly help an innocent person.
"Not my job really... but my job does happen to involve a lot of antiques that are aquired through various means... might find something interesting if nothing else."
Slowly, trying his best to blend in with the shadows, Athos crept toward the sound. Whatever was going on, it seemed as if he'd only missed the beginning. People were fighting, and he wasn't really supposed to be here probably... no he DEFINITELY wasn't supposed to be here. "Just makes the trip more fun." he whispered to himself, crouching down behind the nearest cover he could find as he tried to make out any of the shapes.

[Adeline]

Adeline had only recently locked up the antique store "Groves" up for the night, after telling the owner she was going to talk a walk. This, thankfully, was a break in the nights she had required herself to get drunk, as not a single one of the people working under her had made a single mistake...mostly because she hadn't given them anything to do. She didn't want to have to get drunk again; it was getting out of hand.

So, for a change, the tiger had decided to go walking the streets of East Lucent. Though it certainly wasn't the safest place to go, Adeline was perfectly capable of defending herself, and wanted to look around for possible antiques. You never know what you could find on the streets of the slums. Her noncommittal walk eventually led her to Kenn Park. That was when she heard the gun: Damn, looked like she was probably going to have to get drunk after all. Running closer to the scene to see which ONE of her many stupid associates had gotten shot now...or fired the shot.

While running, she suddenly saw a snake creeping towards the area to find out what was happening. With a jolt, she recognized the employee she had recently hired for the antique shop. "Athos?" she asked, stunned, shaking her head slightly and groaning. "Do you know what the hell is going on here?" she asked, gesturing towards the scene unfolding her. She saw the shapes twirling and fighting, and then, sharpening her eyesight, she recognized the Angel Rook. The other one she wasn't so sure about, but she knew Rook. And the others...much as she was relieved that it wasn't any of her men, a pang of uncontrollable fear also raced through her: Council Assassins. And, by the sound of it, they had just shot whom they were after.

Anger pulsed through her veins faster than her heart as she unconciously clenched her fists. But no, it would be stupid to be caught up in that. Rook wouldn't know which side she was on...Adeline didn't know what side she was on. She hated them both, but....she must hate the Council more....no, she was sure of it. If anything, she would help the....the....Angels....

She wasn't wearing her normal hat, and as a result, her hair flew everywhere in the wind, exposing the tattoo on the back of her neck: the inverted Angel's sign...proof of who she really was and what she really strived to be: An Angel...but a real one, not those fake guys ruled by the Stupid Council.

"Shit..." was all Adeline could say as she watched the scene unfold before her. She would need back up if she planned on helping Rook and the guy he was with out. She couldn't just jump in though. Assassins were smart, and there were probably more than just the shooter and the one Rook already swiftly dealt with.

[texas]

Zarek stopped in mid-stride and moved back to his original starting point as Rook told him to stay put. As much as he didn’t like to listen to others his friend had been on countless more missions that he had so he would listen, for he would like to live just a little longer.

Watching as the wolverine he placed his umbrella’s tip into the sawdust and leaned on it. The silence was slowly pressing in from all sides. Wanting to let out a little sigh Zarek knew what would happen next. Someone or someones, more likely than not, were going to attacking them.

In five… four… three… two… one…

Rook’s voice was a second latter than Zarek’s movements. Picking up his umbrella he had start to take a step forwards by the time the other Angel had told him to move. Changing the simple walking step into a full out run the tiger grinned to himself.

Can I call it or what?

The gap between the two grew, not in length up in width. The tiger was going to let the wolverine take one side and he the other. Looking over to Rook he watched as a cat jumped out of the bushes at him only to have himself caught and killed in a matter of seconds.

A gun shoot made Zarek look up to where the rabbit had stood. As she fell to the ground the tiger winced, there went their mission. Their assailants might not all have guns but some of them did. As he ran he caught his foot on the handle of the umbrella and dropped to the ground sliding.

The umbrella popped open and hooked into the ground as the pole began to extend until it was slightly longer than Zarek. Stopping the tiger with a little jerk the Angel listened as two bullets whistled over head where his back would have been if he had kept running. If he hadn't had dropped when he had, he'd most likely he be dead. Luck was on their side for now.


Zarek was slightly jarred as a bullet hit the top of the umbrella. Even if he had been turned down by the Council for bulletproof umbrellas he had still made one for himself. The only problem was it didn’t last for very long. To keep it light enough to carry around he had to make the whole thing temporary. Plus the bright green color would draw attention and get him shot from the unprotected sides if he didn’t move quickly. He was a sitting duck if he stayed where he was.

Sawdust that had been stirred up into a little cloud around him began to fall and the tiger began to cough and sneeze as it fell onto him. Trying to pull in a breath Zarek gagged because he had pulled in more sawdust than air.

Not having time to waste the tiger pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small hand grenade. Pulling out the pin he tossed it over the umbrella towards where the shot were being fired at him. Hopefully that would cause a small distraction that would let him get out.

Still coughing and gagging the tiger lunged forwards and rolled just as the grenade exploded. Coming to a stop he looked up to see a wolf turned to where the explosion had happened. Let a gun slid out from his trench coat sleeve he took the shot from his back. The wolf collapsed without a word as the bullet hit his head.
If he hadn't moved right then he'd be dead. Once again, luck was still on their side.

Looking around and seeing no one Zarek wanted to just lay down and rest until he had finished his little coughing fit. Knowing that he would once again being a still target again he rolled over and forced himself off his stomach and onto his feet. He had to keep moving.

[Rook]

A few of the assassins near the back, far out of range , moved fast, and Rook was struggling to keep them in sight, it was them he should have been concerned with but his gaze kept straying back to Zarek and his many near-death escapes when Rook's heart almost stopped for him.

Well his heart may have stopped but his claws never did, the robotic ones constantly slashing and rending whatever they deemed to be alive, they deemed not him, their sensors picked up most things at his side, and they saved his life several times.

His other natural claws grasping his gun as he released calculated shots, much different from the flurry the assassins threw against him relentlessly as he stood behind the tarnished metal slide, which was taking a beating itself and growing hot from all the ammunition twisting it against his back as the screaming metal and constant explosion of shots bore into his ears, he was so used to it it was near a familiar hum. Experience diddn't count in situations like these though, if he stopped moving, clawing and shooting, he'd be killed instantly, easily as any child would have if they'd been here. As he did these things, he thought non-stop feeling that delicious panicked adrenaline swell in his pained old chest.

He was scared out of his wits, and for the first time in weeks he could think clearly, too clearly.

Assassins don't shoot like this, the one that killed her was a high priest of 'em but it's only a few the others are cronies , with no more experience than punky kids, I think there's 14 at the very most but they haven't come out yet, the fast ones...probably only five or six, if we can distinguish those somehow...God, the crowds not parting well.

Thoughts of the public's safety surfaced itself in his head, and he turned towards the crowd trying to decide how to round on them and push the cronies back towards the foliage like wolves and cattle.

....but he had no time to conclude the thought with a decision, someone had got him from above, he felt stubbly claws dig deep into his back and shoulders and someone drew their hard supple arms over his large neck, his elbow instinctively rammed backwards and he felt a gunshot go off right past his ear, and saw the object in question shivering above his head with the suprised hand that carried it, this, along with the pressure on his neck made his back arch painfully with all the strength he had he tried to buck the guy off and get at the gun, but the bastard played dirty and bit down on his shoulder as he tried to get a shot in, his partners had apparently stopped, not wanting to off their own compadre.

Rook threw himself backwards against the slide before he could and got the bastard off him, feeling another gunshot wringing in his ears and the tortured noise of the slide falling over on it's side like a sick sea serpent. Rook's claws finally reached his side and tore into the enormous crony, he felt a gush of blood that wasn't his own dribble down his back and soak his shirt and jacket.

The gun fell uselessly on the floor, as did the owner.

It was a dog, big and brawny as the cat had been quick , and his inner secrets were spilling all over near Rook's feet as he lay dying, leaned on the defeated slide. It wasn't long before his buddies would figure out he was wasted--five seconds or so at the most. Rook had to do this however, he came close to the dying rottweiler and spat, his throat as dry as sandpaper from being near suffocated

"Who are you working for"?

Looking down at his own guts, he half whined, half panted "Fuck o--" a shot rang out and the last time he saw the dude he was sprawled over the slide and staring up without seeing anything.

Three more shots pursued Rook as he lunged at the crowd, feeling his voice crack, still bleeding sore as he yelled

"This is an emergency situation everyone go home"!

It probably diddn't send too good a message to dodge under the jungle gym and fire off three shots of his own at three leopards who had their hearts set on his corpse but public appearances were the least of the Angels's worries if they got out of this alive.

That was before of course he noticed Adeline.

Crap.

[n00b678]

Another day in this place normal people called a frozen hell was another day in a Beamer for Martin Smith as he was driving back from his day job as an accountant at the bank. He sighed quietly, not really in the mood to listen to music as he turned and looked outside. It was pretty dark outside, and he noticed that it was particularly dark around Kenn Park. He didn't really like the look of that, the dust kicking up, and he didn't like it. Smith turned back to the road and then back to the park as he passed.

Then Smith saw it: a young woman rabbit that was being followed by a fellow, a fellow that put a bullet through her head in front of his eyes. Time seemed to slow as her brains and blood were splattered on the ground. Her body seemed to float down to the ground as she hit the grass. The man seemed to grin and step to the side of her body, turning his back on her as he headed back into the park. And that was about as much Smith saw before he suddenly floored it.

It was over in a few seconds. The man suddenly turned and was slammed at the car going at a good 55 miles an hours and slammed backwards, his gun flipping through the air and hitting the ground. Smith quickly got out of the car, seeing the man was very very dead, then looked back at the woman, suddenly noticing something that had fallen from her person. It was an envelope, which seemed to draw the wolf to her side. He knew she was dead, and he felt absolutely terrible considering most of the time he seemed like a cold person actually. However, Smith grasped onto the envelope, immediately sensing that what he was holding could get him killed...But then again, whoever hired the man who just got hit by his car could kill him for that, but he didn't seem like he was that experienced or paid well if he didn't turn in time to dodge or shoot at a moving car.

Looking up suddenly, Smith heard more shooting and immediately dug in, grabbing the gun dropped by the fallen fur and tucking the envelope away in his coat pocket. He hid behind a tree, his heart pounding, adrenaline making his heart hammer in his chest. He was now risking his life for whatever this woman had just died to keep safe, and now he could very well die in the next few seconds if he wasn't careful. What the hell had he just gotten himself into!?

[drake]

Athos looked around at the rapidly changing scene, the fighting, the violence and blood. He knew Rook as the Angel, he knew he was a good guy too. That was about all he knew, except that anyone still standing about in this kind of situation had to be crazy or have a reason to get involved. If the gunmen couldn't see anything around here it might give Rook an advantage, or at least help him out a little. they wouldn't be able to see to shoot him, and hopefully they wouldn't blindly shoot with no visibility. Wait... he just might have something that could do the trick.

"Not a clue, aside from gunfire, blood, some death, and Rook the Angel in the middle of it all. I thought I might find something after hearing the first shot... well I guess I found a very dangerous show to watch for now. Hey, think if I made all the sawdust fly up the shooting might stop for a moment? And maybe we can collect a few things or help out? I dunno, your call on that. I just know if I let this little thing go it'd stir up a dust storm."

Athos held out what looked very much like a large spinning top. It was something he had fun with once in a while, a great way to get houses dusted quick. "It's kind of like a mini tornado, if I set it loose it'd stir up a huge cloud and we could take advantage."

[Adeline]

Adeline was only half listening to what Athos was saying, nodding her head absentmindedly while the snake was talking. She was watching the fight between the Angels and the assassins. It seemed to be going okay, but Rook and the other had a very wide disadvantage. However, something else had caught her eye, bringing her mind away from Athos, and away from the fight. A wolf stood near the area where the rabbit had gone down, and he had just put something that looked like an envelope in his pocket. Now he was holding a gun. Not good. He didn't look like the other assassins, wasn't dressed like them at any rate, but it could be a disguise. That rabbit was killed for a reason, and that envelope had something to do with it. Adeline needed it. Adeline needed to see what was inside it. Her mission was the same as the Angels', but she needed to get it first!

When Athos finished talking, Adeline looked over at him. "What about tornados? Never mind, I don't need to know. Advantages are good. Just...just...don't do anything stupid. Do what you think you should do and if it works out I might not fire you. And make sure, if anything, you help the Angels. Or just listen to what Rook said and go home. I have some business to attend to..."

With that, Adeline dashed around the fight to the bushes where the rabbit's lifeless body lay. The wolf was in front of her, hiding behind a tree and looking nothing like an assassin should. Maybe he was new. No...maybe he was just a civilian. Either way...

"You!" the white tiger yelled out, probably scaring the wolf out of his wits. "What'd you just put in your pocket?! And put the gun down."

[drake]

Help the Angels? Yea right, Athos was more interested in stopping the fight so he didn't get hit by a stray bullet. Well, he was also kinda interested in helping Rook, but he was pretty sure the big guy could handle himself alright without any intervention. Well assassins had pockets, and pockets meant possible valueables, or anything else he might be able to use. Normally that kind of mercenary thinking was a bit below him, but he really hadn't had his own gun in a long time and it'd be nice to pick up a new one. It'd also be nice to maybe find something useful or expensive.

Athos picked up a rather solid rock, hefted it, and nodded. It'd do if he bumped into anyone in the dust. He set it aside, put on a pair of glasses that would keep his eyes relatively safe, wrapped a scarf over his face, took a deep breath, and seriously hoped if he let his little tornado loose it wouldn't ruin Rook's chances of survival or taking down the bad guys. At the very least it'd probably help that other angel who was stuck on the ground basically, giving him enough cover to move... only bad part was it might give those shooters cover to escape. Well, it wasn't like he could dash over and ask Rook if it was a good idea now was it?