Surprises sometimes suck... [Malik, Nessa, Bree, Cyd]

Cold air rushed in and out of her lungs as she huffed, hot on her trail. She wasn't running, that would make it all too easy. Instead, she was walking briskly, giving Nessa enough space until she stopped walking… then Lisette would do what she did best. They were odd friends, dangerous when angered, lethal in a fight against one another, but where one treaded the other was sure to be close. Nessa was the one human that Lisette could feel inferior to. And though she would never admit it, she felt a little lost when Nessa was not by her side.

Now, here, alone in the cool night air, she looked for her. [color:0693=ff8286]" NESS!" she hollered out into the night. It was not the silence that made her heart flutter in fear, but the shift in the wind. A gust blew her way and she lost Vanessa's scent. " Vanessa!?" she called out, a little more uncertain. That's when it hit her. An unfamiliar scent brushed across her face… that and blood.

" VANESSA!?!"

Now she ran, desperately trying to locate her human friend. There was the distant sound of a "thunk" and then gravel that she very faintly heard in her good ear. She must be to the right. Lisette used her speed to round the corner and race down the alleyway. For the first time in her life, Dash wasn't fast enough. There was no trace of anything, only a knife, a needle, and cloth. Lis dropped to her knees and inspected it. Her fingers lightly touched the blood and she brought it to her nose. That wasn't Vanessa… however, this knife was.

She sat frozen, putting the pieces together. So deep in thought, the sound of Malik's deep voice startled her. She didn't answer his question, it was more rhetorical anyways, but instead, only shook her head. She listened to Malik's orders, but remained completely frozen, sitting on her knees, surveying the area. " This is a foe beyond Nessa… but she got one hit in. That's not her's." Her voice was flat as her hand signaled to the blood.

" I want her back." she demanded. " I want her back NOW." there was an animal growl in her voice now as she stood. The lion's order still rang in her ear… but Lis was not in the mood to be ordered around. She was in the mood to run. Fast. She could feel daintily feline teeth within her jaws. Lisette was about to loose it.

"Get the guard." she said flatly. Bree helped this mess and she would help get them out. The fastest way to look for anyone was via cheetah… twice as much ground would be covered by two. She stood up now and walked in to opposite direction of Cyd. There was no trace of Nessa's smell… she was gone. Looking was futile, and they all knew it.

She and Cyd would full a circle if they both kept walking, but Lisette's heart was not in it. She was completely lost in her own thoughts. As she rounded the corner, Lisette stopped and leaned against the side of the brick wall. Slowly, she allowed herself to sink down into a sitting position. Knees drawn up, she crossed her arms and placed them on her knees. Her eyes were cold, slightly glossed over. Someone had taken Nessa. Her Nessa.

Glancing up, she saw Cyd coming towards her. Apparently one of them had followed orders as they were told to do. "It's my fault, you know." She said out of the blue. Lisette was never the type to open up and talk about something being her fault and Cyd, though nice enough, was still new to her. Lis was weary of newcomers… yet here they were. "She left because of me… I can't keep a temper. She would of stayed. With me. I shouldn't of kept talking. I should of just shut up and moved on… I should of never lied to Vanessa and now it's too late. She's gone because of me. I shouldn't of let her walk away. I'm faster, I'm stronger, and I should of done something. I lost her." It was odd to admit it all in the open, but the cheetah was on the verge of tears. She'd done this. This was her fault.

A small smile was Bree's response to Malik's words. [color=white]"Good to know,"[color] she said before her icy hues looked where Lisette had wandered off. A slight furl came across the surprisingly elegant arch of her brows. The smooth flesh wrinkled, as she pondered the situation once more. This could've gone off differently, but Bree was never good with social interaction. It took the guard a good while to warm to any body. Mitch had been the exception because he had been her partner, and Jack... She tried not to think about Jack. Their time was over and done with. She could've made it work, and that brought up an interesting question: should she make this work? This was an opportunity to not fuck up, and not cause any more tension. The way Bree lived as a soldier who followed orders was only an empty one, even with comrades that were plenty.

Closing her eyes, she smoothed out the frown from her brows with her thumb and index finger. She exhaled slowly after taking a deep breath, "have a good night," she said to the pair before stalking off. She returned to the bar without meeting any glances. Their group had caused a scene. Bree had as much fault as the other cheetah, and that forced Bree to move quickly. The tension was still in her lower spine despite the considerably warmer atmosphere of the bar. Distinct chatter and music still permeated the air as the drama long ceased, but she couldn't be more wrong.

Once outside, Bree chose a random path and didn't look back. Not much distance was covered because she could still hear the music, but something had happened that made Bree pause in her tracks. Quietly, she slipped into the shadows of the nearest building, and watched as Malik and Cyd emerged from the bar. Worry was the color that painted their forms before they dispersed. Bree had a good idea of what was going on. The guilt gnawed at her senses without remorse, before she found herself cursing under her breath.

Terran Guard, or not, Bree couldn't help her tendency to help anyone in need, regardless of how tense her relationship was with Lisette. Neither could she fight against the restlessly pacing beast when she looked up, and to the right, picking up Lisette's scent before the change in the air. Something was not right, and it brought out the flicker of gold in her icy hues.

She couldn't turn her back on this. She couldn't easily walk away. Bree may look like tough shit, but she did have a soft side. Lowering her hand, Bree finally made her decision by stepping out of the shadows and following Lisette's trail. A cheetah could easily find their own. She had the girl's scent embedded in her memory. Her speed picked up, limbs moving in sync with the other as if she was in a dance and the wind was her partner. Cool invisible fingers swept through her tendrils as she dashed down the alleyway. Bree slowed down, hair falling in place about her shoulders, when she reached the bend and turned, finding Cyd and Lisette talking.

Lisette didn't look so tough anymore. Bree's expression remained impassive as she approached the pair. Her cheetah was drawn to its maker, and as much as she didn't like that at this moment, she knew when help was needed. "I haven't left yet, so I will help." It wasn't a question. Bree was going to assist them whether they liked it or not. Vanessa might not be in her favor, but whoever had done this... was going to get the boot end of Bree's frustration.

"Get the guard." Lis said.


Malik's scalp flexed pulling his ears back slightly. He'd given orders to sweep the area so that the kidnappers couldn't get away so easily if they were still in the area, and the one person who had a chance of catching them broke ranks. Now she was giving an order. The beast in him broke free of the cage. He loved Lis but now her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Each word made him angrier, especially when she started lamenting. It took her endangering his family, loved ones that she loved as well to make her realize. One of them was gone because she couldn't act like an adult and deal with the situation with a level head. Malik closed his eyes for a moment and pictured himself tearing something apart to relieve the violent urge. A growl rumbled in his throat as he stood up and gripped the bloody knife in his hand.


He spin on Lis and looked her dead in the eye. "You want the guard!?!?, " he roared because there was no more patience in him. "She's right there! You burned that bridge, you rebuild it." Malik wanted blood and he needed to be careful not to draw it from the people closest to him. "Vanessa may die so you can learn a lesson so don't you ever forget it. Don't break rank again." There was no mistaking the Lion's anger or his warning. He spun on his heel, leaving them to reconcile, and stormed into the bar almost knocking someone over as they were exiting. The look on the brick wall of a man that walked into them silenced any reprisal from him. Murder was in his eyes. The chocolate brown orbs were a wild gold that showed he wasn't human.


"Someone's got Ness," he said to Mac when he got to the bar. "Bag this for me, and I need you to find me a bloodhound. You tell them it's a personal favor." Malik's word was better than money among the mercenary community because he always kept it and paid his debts. McGregor knew this about his old friend and wouldn't had that opportunity out to any disreputable types that would put Malik in a tough spot to keep his good name. "I'm gonna need my stash. Send the Pride to meet me out back by the ATV when they come in. I don't want the Guard knowing you hold for me." Malik left the bloody knife in Mac's hand, and made his way to the storeroom in the back that all of them had just come out off. There was something in there he needed.


Once inside the storeroom Malik walked over to the rack at the back of the room that had all the kegs stacked on the bottom shelf, and cases of beer on the shelves above them. Malik walked over to the one side, gripped the support bars with both hands, and lifted with a growl. He picked the shelf end up and walked it out away from the wall so it didn't leave drag marks in the floor. It was an inhuman feat of strength that few weres would be able to match without shifting. He had been engineered and bred for strength, and he was furious. Malik knelt down at the wall where the shelf had been, and pressed into a section that didn't look any different from any other place in the room. A hidden panel swung open to reveal a large steamer trunk. Malik pulled it free and put the room back the way he found it. He picked up the heavy trunk, carried it out to the alley where the drive section of the mule waited, and threw it onto the short flatbed.


A city like Librium was walled and policed at its entrances. Military police checked incoming vehicles and shipments for illegal weapons to keep the streets safe. It difficult to smuggle large caches without some serious doing, but anyone could slip one or two in if they were resourceful enough. There was no way he would be able to get the Mule or any of its armory into the city, even if he was stupid enough to try and go to it. Vanessa needed them now, and probably didn't have that much time. Malik smuggled weapons into the city a few at a time over the years, and built caches all over the city just in case shit ever hit the fan. McGregor's was the hiding spot for his largest stockpile, because he knew it was a safe place, and he wanted to make sure Mac was well armed if he ever needed it. Malik pulled the key from the hidden spot in his belt and unlocked the box.


By then the two remaining members of the Pride and the Terran Guard were arriving. Malik looked to Bree and said, "You want in, then tonight you're not Guard. Don't ask how I got this stuff into the city, and when this is over you forget you saw it. Illegal guns really isn't your problem anyway since I'm not trying to restart the war." Large hands started to pull out assault rifles, hand guns, ammo boxes, and bricks of plastic explosives. They were well maintained and properly packed so they were all in serviceable condition. He looked to the three of them and spoke in the voice of a military commander that was ready for war, "Body armor is inside the truck behind the seat. Lock and load. When Mac finds me a bloodhound to track whoever Nessa knifed we're rolling hard."


He turned to Lis directly and made sure she read his lips, "Fall in and stay in. We're bringing Lis home and killing anyone that had any part in this.". It was his way of telling her he didn't want any more breakdowns like she had in the alleyway. She was now on the clock. He tie Ed to Bree and made sure there was no misunderstanding, "If you ride with us, you follow my orders to the letter, even of it is only for a night. That clear?" Malik finally turned to Cyd and gave her the option before she got drug into a fight that wasn't hers, "I'm about to do a whole lot of bad to people you never crossed paths with. If you're gonna have trouble sleeping at night, now's the time to leave." He stopped moving and waited for their answers. He and Lis were going to get back what was theirs with or without them. Nessa was their family.

Ethan knew McGregor's pretty well. Then again, any soldier with half a brain knew about it as well. It was a place you went to forget, or be forgotten, whatever your fancy happened to be at the time. That, and they had decent draft specials every now and again. After the text conversation with Nessa, Ethan had gotten in contact with his tech person out of Paladin. He had her cell signal traced until it died or was cut off...then, Ethan would truly go hunting.

First, he had promised Nessa he would find this Malik and his "Pride," whatever the hell that meant.

Who they hell calls a gang of mercenaries 'The Pride,' anyway? There are so many other good names for a band of roving mercenaries. What the hell did she mean she was the only human? She running with elves now?

Pulling his car to the side of the road a couple blocks from the bar, Ethan emerged from the vehicle and had a brief look around. Wearing a light, loose jacket, Ethan had worn a tactical vest underneath that was nearly completely hidden to the human eye. Thanks to his cybernetically enhanced speed he could draw and use whatever implement he needed without anyone catching up to him. The way Ness had spoke of her 'Pride,' he was going to need all the advantages he could get if things got hairy.

As the entrance to the alleyway next to the bar got closer, small drops of darkness sprouted from the cement, obscuring a relatively mono-colored section of sidewalk. Crouching down, Ethan could tell that the droplets were blood and hadn't been there long enough to turn brown yet from exposure. He didn't have to wonder if Nessa's companions were far, they seemed to be loudly proclaiming themselves from behind the bar.

Body armor is inside the truck behind the seat. Lock and load. When Mac finds me a bloodhound to track whoever Nessa knifed we're rolling hard.

Stepping carefully down the alleyway, Ethan reached in to his jacket and softly unfastened his pistol and taser before doing the same with his long knife on his thigh. It never hurt to be careful, and this gentleman who was speaking of Nessa didn't seem to be in the most chipper of moods, he sounded like a cat would when he got all wet. Just as a precaution, he loaded his combat HUD in his vision and loosed the Android chip he had gotten from Andromeda so long ago.

I'm about to do a whole lot of bad to people you never crossed paths with. If you're gonna have trouble sleeping at night, now's the time to leave.

Taking a short step in to view, he took in the group. The man speaking was a darker-skinned man with an angry look on his face. His companions were all female, in various degrees of emotional turmoil. Ethan wasn't sure if it was anger, frustration, sadness, or what, but there faces showed that something, presumably Vanessa's kidnapping, was on their minds. Surprisingly, he knew two of the faces: one of Nessa's friends, and a face from his past.

I sure hope you're not leaving without me. I don't think Vanessa would be pleased with you if I wasn't included in this hunt. I can't tell you how glad I am that I caught you before you left the bar.

Ethan leaned on the wall with an ease and air of confidence that defied his situation. Four on one odds sucked in every stretch of the imagination, but a man with confidence, intelligence and hopefully superior firepower usually prevailed. Now it was just time to test that theory.

Don't be surprised, Ness told me what I needed to know to find you. She didn't tell me that I would get to see my old friend Bree today. Winking at Bree, Ethan shifted his gaze to the pack-leader. Just consider me a stray who can help you...a lot. If you can bring them in, so can she, eh Malik?

The gambit was either going to cool down the alley, or kill him. Either way, it was gonna be fun.

Cyd stalked carefully around the corner. Boots not making a sound, where they should have scuffed and chiseled against the concrete floor of the alley. With her head tilted slightly, she tuned herself to the slightest of sounds. Just beyond her step, a rat chiseled at some old crusty bread. A companion squeaked at plea for a bite, then set to scrapping at a half opened can. Through the wall of the bar, Cyd could hear the music still playing. Voices within where oblivious, even if some of them might have noticed the disturbed group of cats leaving a hasty exit from the back room.

But, from where she was, the blonde couldn't see any marks on the ground. There was no disarray of stone, or any signs of blood from someone who had been wounded. It just smelled of the city, exhaust, vermin, and garbage that the city dump must have neglected picking up from their last route.

Then she scented the hint of feline in the air. Stepping about the edge of the building, she saw here there. Lis, curled up in a near fetal position. Her eyes almost vacant with worry set deep into their glistening pools.

Shooting a sharp glance over her shoulder, Cyd looked for a reason why Lis might have been just sitting there. It seemed odd. They were soldiers looking for one of their own. Had someone found Nessa? Was the search called off. A frustrated huff of air brushed from her nostrils, as she walked up to the younger woman. Lis's voice now quivering with her emotional break down. Another quiet huff, but this time it would puff from the back of her throat. Cyd wasn't used to this. Not in the middle of battle, in the middle of a hunt.

"You haven't lost anyone, Lis. But, if you don't get up, we will...." Her words were broken silent, when she heard Malik. She eased a step back, as the conversation heated. She could feel Malik's rage bouncing off the walls of the buildings around her. It was hot, prickling at her skin, causing the ghostly feline within to stand up and take notice. It's ebony tail a wisp of black smoke sweeping broad strokes against the inner wall of her flesh. With her chin lowered slightly, she listened to the last of his reminder towards Lis, then heard the angry thud of his heart beat a warm drum inside his chest, as he turned and left them behind.

"Come on, Lis.. get up," She said, her voice much softer than Malik's, yet with the certainty it wasn't a request. And as Lis stood, Cyd stepped forward. Taking the frame of the cheetah's jacket, and tugging it on straight around the narrow shoulders, "We will find her. Don't give up so easily."

She motioned with her head for Lis and Bree to follow her. Wherever Malik raged off to, he wouldn't want to wait on them any longer than he already 'had'. Hearing the clank of metal on metal, she turned them towards the alley again. It was there that she saw him. Shoving a heavy trunk in the back of the truck. She moved a bit faster in her stride, stepping around the back edge of the truck where Malik was going through a rather heavy arsenal.

Standing silently, she listened to his directions. Blue eyes dancing towards the two other women, as he pulled them both in line verbally. Then, his eyes turned to her. His words surprised her, and then did not. Cyd had yet to state that she wanted to remain with them. So far, she'd been there, riding on the edges. The silent one hadn't given a verbal signature on the dotted line of being a pride member. With a tilt of her head. A slightly sly smirk on her lips, as she slid her gaze towards Lis, then back to Malik, she bobbed her head in a single nod, "I can sleep at night. I'm fine."

With that, she reached out and took a semi-automatic from his hands. Her cerulean eyes locking into Malik's, just as she gave the light tug that would release the dark weapon into her pale hand. She stepped around him, just behind his back, where she could draw in the blossom of his heated musk and anger. Her dark blonde lashes fluttered, feeling the heat roll off the nape of his neck, reaching out to caress her ivory cheek. No, she wouldn't leave them. She wouldn't leave him. She was in.

The sound of footsteps halted the panther in her tracks. The chiseled tip of her chin rose up quickly, as a flutter of scents were pulled through her nostrils with a quick suckle of air. Lips parted, tasting the draft of air snaking between the buildings. Then she saw him, as he stepped out casually between the dim light of the buildings. Her gun already raised, a finger poised carefully on the trigger. His scent did not carry danger. At least, not towards them. But, it was more than human enough, stranger enough, for her not to trust. And a low guttural growl began to vibrate within her chest, warning the others.

"Deal, was her only reply to Lisette's 'lesson of the hour.'

Bree's expression remained stoic when Malik spoke to her. She nodded curtly. He didn't seem like the usual terrorist types, and with a grimace, she flushed out what she'd just learned about the group her maker was a part of. They were a mercenary group, and Bree was not a mercenary. Yet, in some ways, the line could be blurred, or maybe Bree wasn't seeing the difference anymore. She had fought for a long time, the faint scars that criss and crossed her flesh, and hidden by her outfit were a testament, but she was not the sort to 'show off.'

Glacial pools with pupils that had sharpened into crescents took in the weapons that were pulled out. Lisette's voice would catch her attention. Emotion steadily broke the control in her expression. Her gaze burned into the younger woman's features, committing every little detail to memory. This wouldn't be the last time they were going to meet. She could feel it in her bones. The cheetah within rose in challenge, but there was a reluctant acceptance that this girl was her alpha. With a shake to her head, she knew that this was beyond the two of them and their furry little issue.

"Crystal clear," she said to the Lion about following orders to a T. It was something Bree was very good at. She ignored the box of weapons, and headed for where the body armor were located. She pulled the seat forward, and removed her leather jacket. Her blood red tank top was soon covered by a vest, before she tugged her jacket back on. She had her sai, which was still missing its other pair tucked into her long boot. She then strolled over to the box of weapons, and raised a brow at Lisette. Was this small 'soldier talk?'

"They make a good ally." she said, naturally thinking about Svetlana. She slid the assault rifle around her shoulder, so that it hung against her back, and a handgun to clip to her belt. She drew another belt with ammo to secure about her hips. As good as she was in melee combat, she couldn't deny the comfort of having a weapon in hand that she could use from a distance before going in. There was no knowing how many they would go up against; better to be safe than sorry.

Bree was about to climb into the truck after Lisette when his voice carried over the silence. She whipped around, the compulsion to grab Ethan by his neck and slam him over and over again against the grimy brick wall ran so strong in her veins, but the sight of Malik, and how he had addressed the group kept her from acting up. Inwardly, she was trembling with her suppressed rage, glacial pools turning bright and feral. Cyd and Lisette's had their guns out, safety unlocked, ready to shoot. She wouldn't have given two shits about Ethan's life if it weren't for that innate part of her that was 'good.'

She clenched her teeth, as she stared at Ethan. "He's... adequate." she managed to say. "But I would keep him on a leash." Bree swallowed her pride then, forcing away the sharpness in her teeth and the spots that peppered the back of her neck at his unexpected arrival. She turned away and climbed into the truck, settling beside Lisette.

One by one Malik listened to their acceptance. It was extremely important that they all be on the same page going into this. The unknown was dangerous, and they were going up against an unknown opponent, and had no idea of where to find them. Those details would come later. Malik had McGregor making the call to find them a bloodhound. They would be ready to attack when they finally found a target. The crunch of boots on pavement walking around the corner tugged at his attention, but he ignored it to remain on task. The sound of a voice addressing the Pride and guns being raised definitely got his attention. Malik turned to the newcomer without raising his gun because the Pride already had him covered.

Malik wasn’t the type to take surprised guests by the throat and start yelling obvious questions at them. Those answers were usually volunteered, and it was better to listen to the answers volunteered. Despite being born to be a brute, Malik did have a brain and he used it to make the most of his muscles. Eyes took in the hardware the man was toting, and the way he carried himself. He looked like former military who was still in the game, and by the price tag on his gear he was well connected to someone who had deep pockets. The fact that he knew Bree puzzled him. Bree was Terran guard and this guy knew her. Malik had the suspicion that they were in league with one another, that this was all some sort of Terran guard sting operation, but Malik squashed it. He was wounded because Vanessa was missing, so he was seeing threats everywhere.

Ethan calling himself a stray was what pulled Malik out of his doubts. Vanessa was always calling Cyd a stray and he always had to remind her that Lis brought her home. Kyria was the stray that he brought in out of the cold. ”Alright…” he said walking towards Ethan, ”you’re Nessa’s stray. You help bring her home where she belongs and you’ve got friends. I’ll even leave a window open for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out an ear bud, and handed it to him. ”That’s on our frequency. We’ll saddle up and follow you since you know where she is. We’ll deal with introductions and briefing on the way. Let’s not waste any more time.”

Malik spun on his heel and walked back to the remaining members of the pride and their progeny. There was something that still tugged at the back of his mind and the bottom of his heart. Something Lis had said cut him deeply. He almost lashed out at her physically when he heard it, but he restrained beastly instincts. They were all hurting and they were better than animals. He stopped between Lis and Bree and he spoke loudly enough so that Lis could hear him despite her being deaf in one ear. ”I don’t own you, but I do lead this group. You’re my family our house is broken. It’s time to make it whole…. All of it.” He strode away to secure the cases and then leapt up into the cabin of the Mule’s drive section. He turned the key and the engine growled angrily as if it were echoing what was in his heart. He waited long enough for Cyd, Lis, and Bree to mount up and Ethan to pull his car ahead of them. Once they were on their way he gave Bree an earbud, and put one in as well. ”Alright people, we need to get to know each other and our specialties. We’re gonna have to fight together to get out of this alive. The better we know each other, the better our chances.”


”” .