How Soon Is Now?

Brask walked out, his daughter followed behind him, to which Vahn went red and looked away. Seven and sameal turned around to face Brask."I have a mission for you three...from what Vahn has brought with him, and from what our scouts have relayed to us, theres a Research facility in the city of Vollice...from what I can remember, they are in charge of the collosus project"Seven looked at Vahn."any Idea?" Vahn sighed."the collosus project...they take street urchins, slaves, Ex convicts, wanted criminals, and nobodies...they carry out extensive experiments to create these..these hulking, armored behemoths, then they pair them up wtih children they took of the streets, turning them into power weilding psycho's, who look for those crystals...those behemoths protect the children" Seven clenched his fists."I was close...I could have ended up like that" he said as Brask straightened up." we beleive that a pair have escaped..and they want to destroy the facility...help the and recruit them" he said looking at Vahn

Sumiko snorted.

Okay, Brask, but do we have to take Tall, Dark, and Creepy with us? I think his rage issues would probably just get in the way.

She grinned tauntingly at Sameal. Despite herself, she was starting to get attached to the damn psycho. He was right, though she would never admit it aloud.. They were very similar in more ways than one... She connected with him, and she hated it.

Out of all the beings in the world, you connect with him?? You've got some serious issues, Su.

Yeah, I know.

She smirked at Vahn as he went red in the face at the sight of Brask's daughter.

Well, at least we don't have to worry about him not keeping it in his pants. That kid is so damn shy! Maybe I should give him a few flirting pointers...

She chuckled aloud at the thought.

Brask laughed slightly as he walked closer to her. he leaned in."Serenity will be coming along with you...take care of her" he whispered as Sameal smirked."and don't forget powerful..tall dark creepy AND powerful...yeah, got a nice ring to it" he laughed slightly. Seven crossed his arms."jackass" he mumbled slightly. Brask smiled and looked around."your transport will be waiting outside..." Serenity nodded and walked closer to the group. she was timid and even more shy than Vahn was around her. Sameal looked at Vahn and then back to serenity and smiled. Seven was still in a mood about Sameal

Sumiko grinned at the lovebirds and walked over to Seven. She slugged him playfully in the arm.

Hey, now. Lighten up, moody.

She was in a decent mood for a change.

Seven sighed."but he...he is such an ass...does he have to come?" he asked looking at sumiko. Sameal walked passed them." I suggest you 2 hurry up...this isn't some sort of game." he retorted as he carried on, Vahn and Serenity both talked as they made their way to the transport. seven sighed once again."your right" he then smiled

Sumiko flipped off Sameal as he passed them.

Yes, well I'm an ass too, and I don't hear you complaining about me being along.

She grinned.

Seven smiled."but atleast you easy on the eyes..." he grinned. Sameal hopped in the front next to the driver."our stop is Vollice...we have a mission." the driver nodded." you must be Brask's special task group...Names Ryden, I'll be your designated driver from now" he laughed. Vahn jumped in the back, and extended his arm to help serenity in. she smiled and sat by Vahn. Seven looked at the large Armored van and sighed."should have known it would be Ryden" he laughed to himself

Sumiko jumped in the van, sitting next to Serenity with one open seat next to her. She yawned and stretched out, rolling her eyes.

Seven sat next to sumiko in a lounge position, tilting his hood over his eyes."wake me up when we get there" Ryden then started up the van."this ride might get alittle bumpy" as the van rode off. Sameal turned his head around."so sumiko...whats your story?" he asked as the others were asleep

Sumiko blinked at him, her slate eyes burning.

My story... I'm a runaway. Have a pack back in my hometown. But they expected me to be the Alpha. Too much pressure. So I skipped town, like a scared puppy.

Her voice held all the tension she had been holding inside.

sameal just let out a laugh." sometimes when high hopes are on you thats all you can do...its the answer to every question you fall into...I've run from many things...but never leading a group...not the leading type I guess...so your pack looked up to you?...or was like royalty...your father was the pack leader and so on" he asked, as serenity rested her head on Vahn's shoulder

Sumiko yawned.

It's in my blood. So naturally, the pack looks up to me. Even the men. I had to get out of there. I'm just... Not cut out to be a leader.

She looked down at the bottom of the van, watched the light glint off the dull metal.

Sameal looked at sumiko curiously."hmm...I take it you left family behind" he said as Ryden sped up alittle." we gotta be careful...this is where it gets really rocky" he said

Sumiko nodded slightly and held on to the support bar next to her.

Yeah... My younger sister.

She hated talking about her family... It was a painful part of her life. She missed her little sister ferociously... But she coulnd't go back.

Sameal looked out of the window."how long Ryden." the driver looked at him an back on the road."may take atleast a day...since they are tired lets stop at an inn...should be one uphead."Sameal smiled."that okay with you sumiko?" he asked

"so sameal has joined up with them?...thats alittle nuisance...luckily I have sent out Mikhail...I know he won't be taken at any cost." retorted Azreal as, the messanger was shocked."you sure sir?" he asked as azreal just laughed.

as the van drove, a mysterious figure lurked on the cliff. his hat covered all his top head, his bandana covered his lower face. he pointed his gun at the van."your goin down...cus thats my job" he smirked as he dissappeared

Sumiko nodded. She didn't feel like talking anymore. She inhaled and caught a strange scent wafting in through the open window. She glanced up and spotted a retreating figure in the distance, up on a cliff. She narrowed her eyes.

Looks like I'll be keeping watch tonight... Great.

the van slowly pulled up. Ryden jumped out of the van and opened the back. Seven slowly woke up."are we here?" he asked half asleep. Vahn and Serenity slowly woke up."no we are just having a rest...well I need some rest" ryden smiled. Sameal looked around as he walked around to the back of the van." I think someone might have followed us..." he said to sumiko

Sumiko nodded.

Yeh... I caught his scent. I'm going to keep watch for him while the others rest. Probably a bounty hunter.

She hopped out of the back of the truck and stretched out her back, popping vertebrae. She glanced at Vahn and Serenity, who were standing right in front of her. They were shyly smiling at each other.

Sheesh. It's so cute, I could vomit.

She walked around them and stalked the lands surrounding the inn where everyone would be sleeping tonight. She sniffed the air, studied the grass, committed the landscape to memory. She'd be damned if she let this bounty hunter catch her by surprise. She was so intense in what she was doing, she had retreated into her own little world...

Mikhail watched from a distance, through his scope on the rifle."now I've seen her before...she left her pack.." he pulled the trigger, as a bullet narrowly shot past sumiko. he reached down, grabbing his handguns."she is more of a hand to hand fighter...need to play this cool"

A snarl ripped from Sumiko's throat as a bullet whizzed past her and hit the dirt.

Oh, hell no... That bastard did not just try to shoot me.

She whirled around, catching sight of a man with his face covered watching her through the scope on his sniper. She half smirked in his direction and raised her hand slowly and deliberately so he was sure to see it. Then she flipped him off, still smirking.

Gonna spy on me, I'll give ya something to see, assface.

he loaded another bullet in his rifle and took aim."this is for flipping me off" another shot out, hitting her in the arm. he smirked getting up and moving without a trace to another location."luckily I set this place up just for me...this battle is as good as finished" he laughed

Su swore loudly as the bullet bit into her flesh.


This one's a damn big one, too-- shit!!

She dug the bullet out with her fingers, biting her lip to keep herself steady. She got the bullet out and grasped her arm just above the wound, making a tourniquet of sorts. She ripped off the bottom of her shirt, exposing her belly. She tied the strip of fabric around her arm at the site of the wound until it was tight enough to stop the blood flowing.

I'm gonna find you, you bastard. You are not going to take me out, or any of the others, either.


She stood to her feet, a bit shaky from the blood loss, and took off sprinting, following the direction that the scent led her. She had to sneak past the armored van on her way. She blended in with the trees; none of them spotted her. She bounded up the hill that the sniper had hit her from her did the army crawl in the grass until she came upon his scent very strong.

He was just here...

She snarled under her breath and kept moving.

he placed his handguns back into their holster."lets up the ante" he took a fairly large minigun from his back and placed it over his left arm. he looked from the branch above "say night night" he laughed as he started to fire at her, his minigun spun rapidly

Sumiko grunted as she dodged the bullets. She caught a glimpse of him up on the tree branch. She leaped up into the tree onto the branch behind him, grabbing his gun hand. She wrenched it from his hand.

Don't you know it's poor etiquette to shoot at a lady?

She punched him squarely in the jaw.

Mikhail stumbled."Really?...and I thought i was just trying to put down a rabid pup." he got out his handgun, and ketp firing at her."hmm...might need to up the game...having fun though" he laughed