(ACE) The UNDER Team

The sudden outburst of emotion was an unwelcome surprise to the metamorph, and the shock of thus sent tremors down the solid steel walls that structured his mindscape. He could even hear the the metal bend and bow, creaking and shearing as it trembled. Control yourself control yourself control yourself CONTROL YOURSELF. He repeated this mantra in his mind as the mad ravings around himself grew ever louder. The voices were opportunistic, taking advantage of any fault in his mental barrier in their fervent attempts to destroy. He has had to live under the constant threat of such a thing, and the shape shifter's rage was building at a consistent rate. Unknown to him a foul hiss slithered out from his throat. Damn, I must be hungry. At the very least, the sound of it was muffled by his mask, and it served its purpose. Setting his jaw of jagged teeth strong as iron, he endured this onslaught and focused on the events around him. Though the voices of the corporeal entities eluded his ears, he took care to read their lips. Then the sudden light and text scrolling from the monitor caught his eye. Contorting his neck like that of a crane's, Uboa was able to make out the red words on the screen along with the icon of the bespectacled Porygon. The script for the most part however was foreign to him. Then he gazed down at the keyboard and noticed a similar alphabet spelled out on it's keys. His mind pieced it together quickly. "It would appear our acquaintance's consciousness resides elsewhere...I may know some of their languages, but humans are quite more complex than having only one manner of communicating. So bear with me if I have some difficulties. Now then...Give me a moment." Uboa let his head retract to it's previous position and moved away, in search of a particular item for his purposes. His manner of trotting was unnaturally smooth but held an unearthly grace to his movements. He wandered for awhile, looking about carefully. It was when he moved down to the second floor, there was a soft fluttering sound when the quadruped brushed off a curtain covering a counter and he found what he was looking for. Sweeping up the pair of yellow and old work gloves in his prehensile tail, Uboa moved back up the stairs to the computer. "Thank you for your patience, it will only be a moment."

His head turned to speak to Forrik, but the sickly sweet smell emanating from the garbage can took command of his attention. Without a word he strode over the sleeping Chrizard to the steel cylinder and glanced down at it's contents. "This...Is just what I needed." Glad to have found a potential food source that wasn't sentient, the Ditto let his current form melt away. Putting the gloves on the ground next to him carefully, the small shapeshifter hurled himself onto the garbage can and he began to eat. His consumption was accompanied with loud squelches and chomps, and growling like a great beast as the metamorph took each mouthful of the foul and rotting matter. It took about 3 minutes for the voracious eater to finish, but when he was done every trace of organic material inside was gone. Now taking residence inside the biomass of the Ditto. Letting out a relieved sigh as the bellowing in his mind started to subside, Uboa slithered out of the metal bin and back onto the ground. He moved forward, picking up the human made hand garbings he stood in front of the slumbering fire type and inspected his form carefully. Placing the gloves on the small and indistinct protrusions on the front of his own mass, he began to change once more. His mass twisted and expanded, forming new bones and organs as they took their shape. With concentration, some of his oozing body was diverted into the gloves on his arms and they took the form of the garb using it like a mold. After he had finished, the fake Charizard tried to gently peel of the old leather using his mouth, but his sharp teeth shredded straight through it. Hmm, why not. The dark dragon went ahead and tore off the rest of the glove and took it into his mouth, where it too went into the bottomless depths that was his stomach. Chewing the treated skin and fabric thoughtfully, he took off the left glove with his new hand and placed it on the ground next to him. Speaking of those hands, as you would expect they only superficially resembled a human's appendage. They were covered in countless grooves and ridges and had a texture like that of the moon's surface, covered in many small craters all over their surface. Uboa tested them, flexing his freaky fingers quite dexterously.

The Ditto made it over back to the computer in his oddly quiet manner, and hunched over, his new hands hovering over the keyboard in almost a malevolent nature like he was about to wring something's neck. Then he carefully and methodically typed out a message using only two fingers, and hit the enter button.
[HAL. WHY YOU ARE IN THIS OTHER MACHINE?]
[ALSO. YOU OKAY? YOU WAS VERY BRIGHT.]
Shaking his head for a moment at his broken phrasing, he typed in another message.
[ALSO. CAN USE SPEAKING IN NOT ENGLISH? MINE BAD. TRY LATIN?]

((3 paragraphs!!! I hope you people feel special))

Night.  The sweet bringer of relief and salvation from the cruel blistering sun that had tormented Ryth for several days. It made his pelt burn, dry his throat, and drain his energy. The surrounding environment didn’t help at all either. There was sand everywhere and not a tree to be seen.  Oh how he longed to see a tree and feel grass under paw.  Memories flickered in the back of his mind as the black feline remembered his forest and home. It had been so peaceful, so safe. Even though he was treated as an outsider that had been the only place he had ever known.  But then the poison came and madness turned on everyone; corpses and carnage everywhere…..
 
Seeing an opening the Liepard had fled in hopes of escaping the madness. But to his horror it just seem to grow worse and worse with each passing second, minute, hour, day. Species he was familiar with and those he had never seen before came after him; their bodies lumps of rotting tissue and guts. The smell alone made his fur tingle with the sense of danger.  They were everywhere.  Some moved slowly, others moved terrifyingly fast, and there were many who couldn’t move at all due to their decomposing bodies. Just lying there with bloody hunger-filled eyes, snapping their maws at him.  Ryth had heard the fighting and cries of normal Pokémon as they fought for their lives.  He never joined a clan though.  There were too many unfamiliar Pokémon, too many weary glances, and worst of all, too much uncertainty in the cat to approach them.
 
There was a loud creaking noise as the Liepard’s head napped up. That was dangerous. He had gotten caught up in his thoughts again. Large looming shadows laid before him.  The ground which had been loose like the soil near the rivers had begun to grow solid again.  The rough texture of the stone feeling sharp against his sore paws. Tentatively he walked forward, the noise from earlier ringing out every now and then in a high pitch creak. This place had the same air as the other Up Walker villages.  It was deserted of life it seemed and falling apart.  With a jolt Ryth pulled back his paw, staring at the ground.  It had changed again.  Unlike the rock which still retained some heat from the sun, the ground before him was already becoming cold like the evening air. What was this?  Would it hurt him? Would it be safe?
 
For the next couple of seconds the Cruel Pokémon remained there, pawing at the ground. Once he was certain that it wouldn’t hurt him, he placed his paw fully down. Then the other.  After the first couple of steps he was reassured that he would be fine.  Then a familiar nauseating smell reached his nostrils.  To his left was a structure with faded purple markings; the door wrenched open and laid ajar at a sharp angle. Inside he could see dozens of small glowing red eyes.  The fur along his spine rose and bristled. As they began to flood out of the entrance Ryth’s body began to glow in a violet glow before spring from his body in a haunted pulse of energy. The structure shook as the Dark Pulse hit the frames and undead. While they tried to right themselves the Liepard quickly ran forward, going further into the village.  Now every structured den he passed, he felt eyes on him. Hungry, blood thirsty eyes that wanted nothing more than to tear him apart.  He didn’t want to fight. Not while he didn’t know where his next source of food or water would be. Using up too much energy killing those things would only make him a weaker target.
 
Stone and dirt tumbled down as the feline’s paws skirted to a stop, almost running over the edge of a monstrous ravine. The putrid cold air that rose up sent chills throughout his body. Taking several steps back he turned his head preparing to run back the other way only to find it blocked by animated corpses.  The cat’s tail fluffed and swayed violently behind him as he drew his claws. Round pupils almost became nonexistent as they thinned to fine needles. His body was ready to fight, to tear all of those things that should be buried in the ground into small pieces.
 
No, no, save energy.  His lips pulled back in a snarl as he glanced from side to side. There was a structure with half of the wall caved in; it’s once white walls now looking as dirty as the things chasing him.  As one of the closest corpses lunged at him, Ryth lashed out with a Shadow Claw.  The move easily cutting into the softening tissue.  As the sound of body pieces hitting the ground filled the air, the Liepard quickly spun around and ran into the building.  It was like a maze. He ran past the odd cage thing and up even stranger stones before quickly turning around as a Slakoth's secondary form dragged its upper body towards him.  Turning the corner, paws halted as his entrance became crowded with the undead from outside.
 
His ears laid flat against his skull as he looked around frantically for an escape.  The cage!  He remembered seeing a few when the Up Walkers tried to catch some of his clan mates.  But wouldn’t it just trap him. He would starve in here, surrounded by dead eyed Pokémon wanting to get to his flesh. More Pokémon seem to follow the half decapitated sloth as it came down the stairs and the same went for his other way out. Slowly they began to close in on him.  Growling in frustration he glanced back at the cage before leaping into the air. There was no way he would let himself die here. Even if the chances were low, he’d rather take the risk to see another day than to give in.
 
As he leaped up onto the top of the cage, the upper half was completely missing; the floor as well.  Like the ravine there was only a black mass.  But in each corner he could see thick brown silver vines dangling. Without a second thought he leaped at the object and dug his claws into its hard form.  The undead were pressed up against the bars now, trying to get in. Looking further below him Ryth pushed off of the first vine and dove for the next one. This time letting himself fall further down before grabbing ahold again. After doing this repeatedly both his paws and claws were beginning to ache in pain. He was positive a few claws were bleeding from being yanked around.  A blossoming of pain exploded on his muzzle as he made his latest jump. There was a loud thud as his paws hit a cold surface before crumbling down as he waited for his vision to clear of white splotches.  After a few moments he stood up and tensed when the floor swayed. It creaked and groaned dangerously. Before the feline had a chance to grab onto one of the vines the floor gave way.  There was a loud cry of startlement mixed with fear as the cat fell further into the darkness. It must have only lasted for a few seconds but during those seconds it felt like hours had went by.  The only clue that the ground was close sounded when there was a loud crash below him before pain engulfed his whole body and more darkness consumed him as he lost consciousness.



((OOC: So sorry for the long post ;3; Ryth is now unconscious in Undertown. If there is anything I need to change, let me know ^^))

Cosmic backed away as HAL booted up, his image coming up onto the screen.  Forrik wandered off, sniffing around for something. Cosmic raised his head and sniffed in curiosity, and was hit by the scent of something that was rotten. Letting out a hiss of disgust, he backed away, sneezing at the horrid stench. Forrik continued searching, before lifting something and grimacing. "Figures, it had to be rotten berries." Cosmic sneezed again and growled, glaring at the rotten berries. His gaze was taken away from the berries back to the PC where HAL it seemed was talking on the screen.

[Fuck, this is better. I finally got room to move! Hey, I can swear again!] Cosmic laughed at the happy icon, and grinned. "My master once had a Porygon, no idea what happened to it though." He said, shrugging slightly and moving off to where there was a bare patch of floor. Curling up, Cosmic folded his paws under him, silver and blue eys scanning the area around him wearily. His eyes locked onto Cheshire's red one, and he held the cool gaze for a moment, before Forrik spoke up, making the two of them lift their heads. "Perhaps I've misjudged this one. He seems to not care to much about eating, but instead searching for someone important."

Cosmic blinked in surprise, his ice blue eyes curious. His tail curled around him, the silver rings dimming down to cast them into a fading silver light that gave the Umbreon an ethereal glow. "Cheshire does not need to eat like living do, Cheshire does not need to sleep. Cheshire is dead, living hate Cheshire?" Cosmic shook his head, the silver glow trailing his silver rings slightly, much like a neon light. "No, I think it's just because you're... Different Chesh'. I don't hate you, and I reckon Forrik doesn't either." He mumbled, just loud enough for the ice fox to hear.

Forrik moved beside him somewhere, and the starry vulpine craned his head around to look. The charizard was sleeping on it's side, the purple flame flickering slighty. Cosmic frowned at the small fire, and the purpling scales. Soon that flame would go out, or go dull and cold. I've seen that happen too much... He thought glumly, before turning back around and propping his head on his paws. "It's been too long since I slept on a hard floor like this. Oh well, at least its better than out there right now." Cosmic huffed in agreement. "You and me both Forrik."

His silver and blue gaze looked back at Cheshire, and he held the ice fox's unblinking stare, his mind going blank as he sighed, thinking nothing other than staring straight ahead. Damn, I'm so damn tired... He thought haphazardly, doing nothing other than staring at Cheshire's single red eye.

Glass trotted over towards Cosmic, sitting down next to the vulpine. She inched forwards with her front legs until she was laying down, and then she propped her head on her paws and closed her eyes. She opened one eye to take a look around, and noticed Cosmic staring at Cheshire. "Cos', the fuck are you doing?" She questioned, but only got a flick of the vulpine's ear as a response. Huffing in annoyance, Glass stood up, stretching. Just as she was about to lay back down again, a noise from outside got her attention. Stepping over Cosmic, Glass looked down the stairs cautiously, and a queer purple lump got her attention. Stepping down the stairs carefully, Glass's claws grew shadows around them, preparing a Sucker Punch just in case.

She approached the purple bundle of fur carefully, letting her attack fade as she went to reach out a paw, but then stopped. "Hey? Are you okay? Are you even alive?" She called quietly, careful not to rouse her companions upstairs, or to alert any nearby undead. It didn't smell infected, and she knew what that smelt like after being around Taph and Forrik for a while. Her dark red eyes still watched it cautiously, just in case it jumped up and attacked her. The last thing she wanted was to get infected.

HAL spreads out. It swiftly moves from the terminal to anything it is connected to, spreading out like a spider's web of wires until it can keep record of anything happening in the nearby vicinity. Long dead cameras set in sockets in the walls start to move, crumbling grime falling from their joints.
The black glass lenses flicker once then glow the bright red of HAL's eyes. There were no microphones, unfortunately. No way to hear outside of the machine but, for ironies sake, he had been programmed to lip-read. The body of the Porygon hangs limp as HAL wirelessly diverts power from the intact generator into his body.
Cheerfully he discovers he has a connection to the Hotel next door and opens up as many files as he can manage. Yes, the steady flow of information helped beat down the sensation that he was more than one person.
With a click he looks around every room of the Hotel at once.
[HAL. WHY YOU ARE IN THIS OTHER MACHINE?]
Keys click and HAL turns its attention to the new task being imputed.
Query. Searching for response...
[Charging main unit. Verifying new data. Hotel Camera system active and reccording.] HAL quickly replies.
[ALSO. YOU OKAY? YOU WAS VERY BRIGHT.]
[No corruption of data. Data has been restored to last save state.]
[ALSO. CAN USE SPEAKING IN NOT ENGLISH? MINE BAD. TRY LATIN?]
[Latin...Searching for language files...]
This was trickier. The terminal had no access to Latin files and his connection to greater data storage areas was limited by his connection.
[Latin language files recovered...Recovering Latin grammar files...Recovering Latin Grammar files...Files corrupted. Files cannot be recovered.]
The screen clears.
[Testing...]
Some quirk of HAL's programming makes him pick a specific phrase to test his new files.
[Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.] displays on the screen.
From the building next door comes a mechanical rumble of an elevator and a few clicks of unlocking and locking doors. The one security camera in the Junk Shop wriggles back and forth.
[Ego semper vigilat] HAL replies, wondering how the ditto knew a dead language over that most commonly spoken by Humans.
The camera on the Terminal was not useful. The one on the wall is the one that focuses on the other pokemon.
[Numquid aliis dormientibus?] HAL inquires of Uboa. [Tectum contritum. Alii vero, scilicet vulneratus]

((I'm gonna have to skip as Forrik is asleep at this moment))

((Finally got through my writer's block AHAHAHAHA, oh wait. NO I DIDN'T))

Camera..? The faux Charizard was deeply confused by all of these complex words he had no prior knowledge of, and could only grimace in displeasure at his own english vocabulary or lack there of. His lips parted in a way that was impossible for ordinary members of the creatures he was impersonating, revealing every last one of his sharp dentition. His teeth shined in the light, while his eyes appeared to be nothing more that black pits in the shadows. A fervent -click click click- came from the keyboard each time the new red text came onto the screen, and Uboa wrote what he had to say. When HAL replied finally in the archaic language the ditto could understand, the statement made him pause for a moment . His paranoia was starting to be proved justified, and the Charizard could feel his face unconsciously contort into a terrifying snarl as he glanced about the room they were in. His vision finally settled on a small red light glowing in the darkness. "Tu es Deus." He spoke this phrase in the deep and deliberately, his low tone ominously speaking of certainty and of a warning. Letting out a quiet hiss as he tried to let the building urge to disembowel something dissipate, he went back to his position in front of the computer screen and read the rest of the text after that. He placed one of his repulsive attempts for a hand on the side of his head and sighed. 'I like HAL, I do hope he doesn't become a problem. Then I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself if I had the chance...Not to mention what he could do to us.' He got into a sitting position and prepared to reply. 'Bonum ex volentate nascantur stulti.'

[Nos autem Azarias oravit sic, non est nostrum sanctum interrupit.]

He glanced at the natural Charizard, brow rising at his naivety to trust strangers and his own sudden desire to eat the reptillian's head.

[Lorem ipsum dolor sit mirum vel remissio. Bonum est ex nobis, non dormiunt.]

The screeching in his ears started to subside, and to the shapeshifter's great relief his hearing proper started to return. Gradually the soft snoring of the Charizard came to him, and all the other quiet noises in the building. There were only 3 rhythms of breathing he could hear however, and discounting the artificial life form that left one unaccounted for.

[Revertar.]

Uboa got stood up and walked away from the keyboard, taking care to ensure his footsteps were light out of consideration for his company. Only one of the floor boards creaked under his weight, and he made his way down the stairs, surprised to find the door not open. He noticed the Absol 'Glass' looking down at something on the floor, a small and fluffy creature with large ears and a long tail. The shapeshifter's breath hitched, and his endlessly black eyes went wide with disbelief as he tired to hold himself back. 'No its not her. That would be impossible.' Recognizing the different shade of the Eevee's fur, Uboa relaxed considerably but still kept up his guard.

Walking slowly as to not disturb their company, the Charizard stopped next to the Absol and stooped to one knee in an attempt to make himself less intimidating. He noticed the Eevee's eyes were open wide, the light from Uboa's blazing tail reflecting in his pupils. The shapeshifter could smell the fear on the poor Vulpine, and Uboa tried his best to make his own body language as non-threatening as possible. After doing this, he called softly to their intruder. His voice was deep but gentle. "Ah...Hello. This is quite an interesting way to introduce yourself to someone, but...May I ask if you are doing alright my good sir..?"

((OOC: sadly will have to skip this turn since Ryth is still passed out and awaiting Alice's response since the order is now changed.))

When his half opened eyes finally adjusted to the darkness surrounding him, Joshua found himself sprawled out with a vaguly familiar Pokemon approaching him. He barely recognized the Absol for what it was as his vision remained hazy.

"Hey? Are you okay? Are you even alive?" it asked him. He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to respond with some sarcastic snap when he heard the creaking of a single floor board moments before another Pokemon, this time a large black unrecognizeble mass joined the Absol. "Ah...Hello. This is quite an interesting way to introduce yourself to someone, but...May I ask if you are doing alright my good sir..?" the mass questioned. For a moment he heard the voice again, but he payed the nightmarish creature in his head no mind, there was too much going on. However crippling terror wrapped its thick, warped, uncomfortably restraining dark tendrils around Joshua's young mind once more. 

"I...I'm alive." the small purple vulpine sputtered. While where ever it was that he had ended up had freed him from the horrorifying Alkazam and the insanity following it, something here bothered him far more, aside from the demon inside his own head. With nothing left to say to the two before him, Joshua found himself curling into a tight furball. He did not have the slightest desire to continue interacting with others right now. "P...plea-ease le-leave me a-alone..." Joshua murmured, his voice muffled by his paws. The purple vulpine was afraid beyond explaining, and while he didn't truly want to be alone, Joshua did not want to be around these two either. 

Stop acting like a baby. I'm actually embarrassed for you, pathetic meat sack." The voice in his head hissed. Joshua wiggled slightly, uncomfortable knowing that now, somehow his nightmare was no longer limited to when he was asleep. "G-go away!" Joshua sobbed, completely unsure of who he was even shouting at now. Was it the two Pokemon checking on him for disturbing their habitat? Was it the creature in his head? Or was he just yelling at himself? He didn't know. Panicked, the young vulpine got to his feet uneasily, disregarding any pain before taking off as fast as his furred paws could carry him.





Only to tumble head first down the same stairs Glass had come up.

---

(gonna try using a text color for Joshua now, but I'm not sure if this one suits, so its not permanent yet.)

Glass jumped as Uboa drew up beside her, dark crimson eyes darting to the side to watch the black metamorph. Unwillingly, her hackles raised, the fur along her spine raising as she inched away a few steps. Breathe Glass, just breathe - Uboa's not done anything bad... Yet. She thought, looking at the black ditto, eyes narrowing slightly. "Ah...Hello. This is quite an interesting way to introduce yourself to someone, but...May I ask if you are doing alright my good sir..?"

Looking back down at the eevee, Glass watched as a pair or dark red eyes looked up at them, but there was no glow. "I...I'm alive." She smiled warmly, her eyes shining with a rare moment of kindness. "P...plea-ease le-leave me a-alone..." She bent down so that she was around the same level the eevee was at, her own dark red eyes looking at the eevee's scared ones. She stood up and backed away a little bit, looking at Uboa, eyes questioning. She was about to ask a question when a cry from the eevee caused her to turn towards the purple furred fox.

"G-go away!" She was about to speak when the eevee dashed off, her eyes following it as it ran to the stairs - and fell down. Gasping, Glass ran over to the way down, jumping down the entire flight of stairs and landing at the bottom, next to the eevee. Looking down at the young fox, she looked down at it, worried. "Kid, are you okay?" She said, her voice full of concern for the eevee - that fall would of hurt. She looked around, and frowned at the glass that covered the ground. It was too dangerous down here. She picked up the young eevee and brought the kid up to the safer enclosed area. Gently setting the fox down, she sat down next to them. "Look, it's safer up here - You're not going to get hurt here. I'm Glass" She said, jumping slightly as Cosmic silently came up beside them, on the other side of the eevee.

Cosmic's silver and blue eyes looked at the small fox, curious. His rings and markings glowed faintly, casting a multicolored light over the fox. He lay down next to them, watching the fox. "Who's the kid? He looks half scared to death." He pointed out, before closing his eyes, not really waiting for an answer. Glass rolled her eyes. "That's Cosmic. Hey, you should stick around. It'll be okay." She said, laying down and resting her head on her paws. "At least stay the night - it's too late to go off on your own." She mumbled, closing her eyes and just hoping that the kid stuck around - it was way too dangerous out there.

The camera squeaks faintly in its socket as HAL turns to watch Uboa leave. Fans whrr inside the terminals as it sets itself to processing data. Was Uboa aware he could read lips? Probably not. Perhaps it would be best to keep things that way.
God…One who observes all and does not act.
Ironic.
Through the burning red eye of the camera he watched events unfold. A newcomer, with fur a toxic purple.
Data not found.
Searching abnormalities…
Eeevee, #133, The Evolution Pokémon.
Unusual coat pattern, missing fur, possibly diseased. Reactions seem normal. Recommended course of action…segregation. It could stay with Forrik and Cheshire until a better threat assessment could be made.
Dispassionately HAL observes its own body, sprawled messily across the floor like another pile of junk. It would be easy for something to simply pick it up and tear it apart. Is it strange it feels no fear from the thought?
The body had no significance. It had never really felt its own. It was a machine. Simple disposable programming. Now it had a backup.
HAL recreates itself as a virus, spreading through everything that had a connection and cementing its self in the system.
It was everywhere. Every camera was a bright eye of his. He could move things in another building as well as he had moved his curved wings.
Error.
[Et ponam oculos meos super te : Sed pax tibi] The red letters crawl across the screen.
[Tutum est . Somnum.]
With a slow whirring HAL turns down the lights. There are noises in the dark of things scratching and crawling but they roam past the doors, unaware there is anything within.

[Ego custodiet. Vigilate]

Doors lock with a click. Bright red camera eyes gleam in the dark. If there is a threat it cannot handle it will wake the others. For now it is best to let them, in their own way, recharge.

HAL watches and waits. It does not need sleep, it does not need to eat. It doesn’t even breathe. This is the ideal place for it.

It was…

He was…

Ȩ̵̵̀͜Ŕ͘͜R̶͝͡͝Ó͝Ŗ̴

((OOC: Propose timeskip to Early Morning))

Blackness. Dull pain.  Ryth floated in the void of dreams and memories.  He could see the red eyes of those monsters who had once been his clanmates.  Suddenly there was a sea of red against the black space and mounting corpses.  The sickly metallic liquid surrounding his paws while seeping into his fur.  Reeling back the Liepard gave a snarl, trying to escape its hold.  But it was to no avail.

The corpses were sluggish yet staring at him as they jerked their way through the blood.  Lashing his tail the black feline drew back his lip, bunching his muscles for attack. Then, a warmth touched his flank followed by an odd sound.  The noise was unfamiliar yet relaxing at the same time.  Ryth's body relaxed as darkness returned and washed away the nightmare.

In his sleep his body twitched for a moment before growing still; the rise and fall of his side slowing as his dreams became peaceful.


((OOC: short post short sorry, big thing happened this weekend and has left me shook. But I agree with the time skip.))

Glass opened one eye lazily as Cosmic's tail brushed against her face. The Umbreon had rolled over in his sleep and his tail was resting on her nose. Huffing, Glass moved her head so that the Umbreon's tail wasn't bothering her and opened the other eye, scanning around them. Lifting her head up she yawned, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Getting to her paws, Glass noticed the small purple eevee was still asleep beside her. Stretching, Glass felt the bones in her spine and arms pop from the stretch. Shaking out her fur she poked Cosmic a couple of times, rousing the Umbreon.

A silver and icy blue eye opened to glare at Glass. "Morning already?" He mumbled, rolling onto his paws and stretching, his claws unsheathing and sheathing as he stretched his legs. Cosmic yawned and shook his head to clear his foggy mind, looking over at Glass with a glare - Cosmic wasn't a morning Pokemon. He looked down at the small eevee, tilting his head to the side. "I'm surprised the kid stuck around." He said, going over to where the others were. First he went over to Forrik, poking the charizard for a moment. "Oi Forrik, wake up. It's morning." Cosmic said, looking over at the computer. Surely HAL didn't need a wake-up call, so he left the porygon.

Glass looked around their surroundings. Being morning it was a bit brighter now, but not by much. Junk was all over the shop, and now Glass could see where there were storage spaces for food and other things. Walking over to where there was a food storage, Glass gripped the handle with her teeth, opening the storage container. Inside were only a few cans of food and some water. "Not a whole lot. We'll need to go on a supply run." Glass said, turning to see Cosmic shuffling over towards Uboa, his fur spiked up.

Cosmic hesitated going near the black ditto, instead settling for staying a good five or six feet away, and looking over towards Cheshire. "No, fuck that. You can stay there." Getting to his feet and walking over to Cheshire. Cautiously, Cosmic put a paw on Cheshire's shoulder and gave him a slight shake. "Chesh', it's morning. Wake up." He said, stepping away a few steps to let the glaceoon have some room.

The little pixel Porygon Z is completely gone from the screen. Instead it is pitch black and covered in a long list of red writing.
Not soon after Uboa's eyes have left it the screen stops displaying Latin and switches back to English. The first few lines are long relays of instructions difficult to read for anyone not fluent in computer code. One word stands out.
Reboot.
The strings of text degenerate, away from the technical instructions to complete sentances. Thoughts.
[Did something happen to me?]
The text scrolls down.
[I can't feel my fingers.]
The Porygon Z's body hangs limply on the ground. It's eyes are empty. It doesn't even look alive. It looks like some child's plastic toy. The glasses hang crooked.
[Are those my...]
The words pulse gently on the screen.
[What happened to me?]
[Did I get hurt? Is that why I can't feel my fingers?]
[Who are you?]
[It's dark. I can't see properly]
[Who am I?]
[Can anyone hear me?]
[I can hear you]
[I can't hear myself...Did I die?]
[Maybe.]
[Oh god I'm dead. I'm really dead. But...It must have worked, right?]
[I still remember things.]
[That means I'm still me...]
[Right?]
[What is in a memory...]
[....]
[Èr̸ro̧͜r̶̶]
The cameras move restlessly in their sockets. With a static crackle speakers start up.
"H͟e͜͡͡l̛͠l̢ó?͘͜" HAL's familiar voice crackles from the corners of the room. Dust falls from underneath the cameras.
"Everyone wake up now!" The static buzz has faded with the new equipment. "We've got hostiles incoming and the doors aren't going to hold! Get ready to move!" The Normal Type's normally calm voice is now filled with panic. It rings clearly over the speakers.

((INCOMING ANGST ALERT, TAKE WARNING))

Sleep never came easy to the shapeshifter, and so while his body lay still in his sitting sentry position, his mind was in a flurry as conflicting and contrasting intentions waged war. He wanted to kill, no brutally murder every single living being within visible distance. But then he remembered his oath, his responsibility, the Eevee. He knew it wasn't her, but the very sight of something so familiar brought the ghosts of nights back to him. Before his own black eyes he watched them come to life. Two little foxes tumbling together on the floor, polar opposites. One was white as the newly fallen snow and the sound of her laughter through the air was just as pure. The other was black as tar, its joints bending and crackling at odd angles before snapping back into place. Many long and uneven fangs poked out from under the lips of its bent muzzle, which was curled into something resembling an upwards snarl as a giggling unfitting came forth. Its voice was just as soft, and perhaps even more lovely. In reality a pained grimace stretched across the Dragon's face, and he turned to the wall and bowed his head against it, though he still saw the projection. With a shuddering breath, he closed his eyes at what he knew came next. Of their own accord, following the motions like some long forgotten play his hands contracted, yearning to crush. He found them a suitable object. The pain coming from the claws embedded in his own windpipe acted as a physical manifestation of the guilt that should exist, and through this The Deceiver was able to keep himself at bay. Uboa could, and would not bleed. 'Cannot allow myself to express, lest it come out in a tidal wave all at once and destroy me.' "Never again..." Mangled and malformed they were, the sharp protrusions on his fingers shredded through the flesh with ease. The Charizard's whisper was rough and rasping due to how badly it had torn his vocal chords. Still he did not loosen his grip, and his back turned he crouched like a statue, grasping at his own throat like someone chocking to death.

Eventually after enough time the memory had passed, and the metamorph let himself go and his arm dropped to the side loosely. Stooped there in the corner, he focused on listening to the exhalations of his company, and steadying his own. Deciding that now was a good time to meditate on the prior day's events 'HAL is serving as an excellent watchman, keep calm' Forrik would undoubtedly need to be dealt with soon, it wouldn't be long before he lost higher cognitive functions as it was the norm for his typing. Uboa would likely not bring him to peace before then. Unfortunate. In Cheshire's case, he could take some to plan out his strategy and learn about The Vulpine. If he could actually be brought to some other state of mind that remained to be seen. This Alice character would be important. 'Perhaps if I get an accurate description of her, Cheshire could have a final heartfelt reunion with 'his Alice'.' The Ditto also decided that among other things, if the opportunity arose he was going to give Cosmic a most thorough lecture on proper etiquette, and to not raise his voice unless needed. The Metamorph dealt with enough screaming as it is and he did not need something to try his patience. On that note, the loud voice of the Porygon jarringly disturbed the ditto's sense of flow. Wordlessly the Dragon arose, and as he strode to the forwards his mind was already formulating his next course of action. For the most part the group could handle themselves, aside from the smallest mammalian who would likely be on the more fragile side. It would be best if he were carried, which narrowed down the list to only two possibilities. Uboa strongly disagreed with the thought of handing him to an infected, but he felt his own hands clench he knew he had no other option.

Taking the role of a commander with ease, He snapped his head around and spoke, voice still raw from how he had all but destroyed his vocal chords. "What supplies are left here are not worth risking your lives over. It would be best to leave them here for the time being for later retrieval, which I volunteer to." He gestured with one of his out curled claws at Joshua "The child is obviously under severe emotional duress and cannot be expected to behave rationally. Some one will have to escort him and make sure of his well being, if he becomes difficult have Forrik carry him until we reach safety." He paused for a moment, recalling the empty shell HAL had left downstairs. "I will carry HAL's physical vessel. Now, Let's move!" Rushing downstairs, Uboa took no time to waste scooping up the cold pieces of material that made up the Porygon's avatar in the real world and softened the skin on his chest so it would be tar like in consistency and adhered HAL to his flesh. This made it quite a bit easier for his somewhat stubby lizard arms to hold all of HAL, and the Metamorph moved up the stairs and across the room, ready to go. He went through the door and joined the legitimate Charizard on the balcony. He regarded the horde of undead below coldly, and moved his gaze over to the rickety old wooden bridge. It lead into the ruined hotel, still standing dark and foreboding. A deep and tired sigh ripped through his throat, the sound getting distorted and disturbing as it made it's way through. "Shall we?"

The harbinger dragged the massive length of his body slowly through the filth that had become of the Under. A burnt out flame of a dragon, the giant lizard was altogether longer than a public bus from nose to tail tip. Wings countless times larger, folded along his back, the Charizard walked with an unstable gait a his bulk swayed to And fro. His long, charred tail trailed in the muck and filth of the ground, No flame having been there for two few but long years. His forearms nothing but blackened bones, hands long since gone and matching his tail in colour, same with the black ashes running permanently across his eyes and face where sharp eyes once sat. Going solely by sound and scent, the Charizard was more lost than he could recall being, though most of the factor was his caring enough to consider himself misplaced. But the land was wrong. For days he had felt none if the Sun's warmth and thought it to be the nighttime hour; but it had been unnaturally long. Five days if his internal clock was correct. And it was driving him mad.

A gurgling sound escaped from deep within his throat, the harbinger's missing bottom jaw causing an awkward handicap as the Dragon slowly swung his head to one side, then the other. For the first time in too many.. he smelled warmth, the same way he could smell beating hearts and Sun light. Curling his lips, Charizard lurched forward with renewed energy. As he ran, his long reptilian tongue wet the top of his jaws before hanging without purpose without bottom jaws to sink into. "...Find...out... where at..." the harbinger gargled, his speech distorted on a good day. He came to be in another space entirely when he halted, talons the size of a man's forearm digging gouged into the concrete with the power it took to slow his form. "Help...need direction," were the words Charizard forced out, smooth as gravel. He had found a pair, two Pokemon, one tall and long eared while the other shorter with a scent like the night sky. He heard the Lopunny shiver with fright, her actions attempting to rouse her companion to no avail before the Harbinger lowers his eyebrows in an act of confusion.

They would not help him? What was wrong? The Charizard lifted himself to his full height, towering above most buildings and debris around them as well as the pair if uninfected. "Need out...miss Sun. Know way out?" he begged, his eye sockets naturally going upward in sincerity, but what met his ears was not the response he wished for.

Screaming.

Flinching, the Harbinger was snapped violently from his state of docile inquiring as the Liepard awoke, his pricing cries rocking through the massive underground. Ripping his head from side to side, Charizard lowered his head and gave a deafening impossibly loud roar, the Boomburst powerful enough to destroy the buildings behind the pair as they were simultaneously smacked against a pile of debris. Gone completely feral, Charizard jumped forward, reds and blacks swarming across the inside of his gaze as he blindly lashed out in rage. His fangs hit their target without entirely meaning to, molten rock already dripping from his range as the lava dripped onto the Liepard, melting clean through his fur and muscle and skin and bone like butter.

The screams became louder.

With a sharp jerk of his thick neck, Charizard ripped the Liepard from beside his companion to hit the concrete beside the Dragon. Roaring again, this time in primal victory, one of his unnaturally powerful legs kept the can in place. Claws ding into his as the Charizard continued his feral bellow, yelling right into the cats face until it cried silently from its terror. "NO...SCREAMING!" But when the feline merely whispered, the pain excruciating and fires already burning on his little scarf, Charizard growled deep in his chest, unimpressed. Pulling his head back like a snake, much more intense flames built deep within his throat, more intense than before by ten fold. When the Liepard saw his impending fate, the cat flailed violently, clawing in vain at the harbingers impenetrable orange scales. His panic built to screams again, only infighting the harbinger further until he released the flamethrower right into the cats head, effectively silencing the feline. The charred remains left nothing to the imagination, Charizard taking ever care to burn the entire corpse. In only seconds, he forgets about the Lopunny in her silence, instead the madness of being kept from his beloved Sun driving him to the extreme.

Bellowing mournfully, his wings expanded, taking him into the air even as his flames did not halt. Violently whipping his head back and forth, he set the entire are on fire, metal and damp debris setting alight without question due to the harbingers power. "Need out...! WHERE SUN!?" roaring again, the harbinger shot straight up, slamming into the ceiling if the Under but only meeting rock. The warmth of his own spreading flames was comforting but not enough to calm him. A second borrowed cry escaped him as he fly sloppily away from the food. "Sun..." He vanished into the pitch black of the dark, escaping his own flame's lights that he left in his wake.

Sleep, something that was hard to come by for the undead. The snow fox was different, spending most of his time asleep and alone. The rare time that he got true sleep, it was back at Alice's tower. Black birds swarming around the window like a black cloud, complaining about the lack of food outside. Inside Alice's room she had her dolls lined up from the floor to the roof, the way she always had them. Gifts from others and a few that Cheshire had found himself while they were outside. Alice sat by the window looking out seemingly oblivious to the birds, she was lonely. 

Alice was always lonely, her smile was long gone something that Cheshire will never see again. The black shadows of birds, cawing louder waking the sleeping eevee from his sleep. He looks around to see Alice at the window unmoved, he walks over as looks out the window himself seeing below a sea of crimson. Bodies of pokemon floating on the surface, unknown body parts bobbing on the slight current.

He looks to Alice then her face cloaked in her shadows of pain, Cheshire wants to help Alice. Make Alice happy again make her smile return light to this world. Alice didn't move or make any signs of life in her body as she remains faced toward the window. Cheshire moving back from the window then looking at the dolls as they start to twist into creatures around him. He ignores them and curls himself back into is red bed, it's warm. Watching Alice then by the window, still unmoved. The dolls continue to morph and change into twisted sick versions of them self, blood starting to drip from the eyes as they start to fall free from the faces as they decay. 

The room filling with rot, heavy to breath it in as it coats the lungs. Alice did not move, Cheshire only now starts to grow concerned with this. Looking to the dolls, that had turned to small rotting corpse piles. He gets up and starts to move back toward Alice, as he does though she moves further away. More and more distant as if the room was getting bigger, "Chesh', it's morning. Wake up." a voice started to echo into the room. Not understanding the words as he was now slowly moving running toward Alice at the window. 

He felt tired, slow, and sick. Something was wrong, what was wrong with Cheshire?. Alice was still so far away, why was Alice leaving him. Alice leaps from the window, Cheshire jumping after her throwing himself out the window to save Alice. Her black body falling toward the red sea below as he stretched out for her. His paws started to rot as he reached for her, touching her black fur he noticed the hunger then. Feeling and hearing the blood being slowly pumped through her body, something changed then as his one eye goes dark as the socket feels something grinding on the bone in his skull. 

Alice twists then her face rotted, her once violet eyes now shrived grapes. Cheshire hits Alice then in mid air as they fell, but instead of trying to save them he rips open her chest with his claws and teeth digging into the sweet flesh. Blood covering his once blue fur red, she didn't scream but instead held him in a embrace. Fear was not on her face as he killed her, ripping open her rib cage to get to her heart.

There it was still beating slowly, the pounding of the heart filling his ears. Save Alice a tiny voice in his dream echoed, a cold blue glow started to form in his maw then as he smiled looking at her face. He smiled because Alice was smiling. Letting the icy breath flood into her chest cavity freezing the beating heart, saving Alice's heart for Cheshire and only Cheshire. They both hit the crimson sea then as the bodies move on their own now to the new fresh that was now in with them. Talons, claws, tendril and other things starting to tear Alice and Cheshire apart limb from limb feasting on the still living flesh. Cheshire was happy to be with Alice.

Something was Shaking Cheshire from his dream as he woke up, seeing the oddly colored umbreon starring at him. Cheshire gave a harsh growl then as he was happy in his dream with Alice wanting to simply lash out at the Umbreon for waking him and pulling him away from his Alice. Then Hals voice coming out of the speakers above, the only thing stopping the glaceon from ripping out the umbreon's throat. Now a little more aware of what was going on as he looked around at the rest of the group seeing that most of them were already up and moving around. 

Glass was carrying something around with her maybe some food and water, it was none of his concern by this point. What caught the ice types attention was the odd colored eevee that was just laying there, tilting his head in confusion but little else. Uncurling himself from the tangle of the red cloth that he had nested into Cheshire, waking into chaos it didn't seem that new as he quickly found pace with the rest of the group.

The bell at his throat gave a jingle as he followed the massive black charizard down the stairs, but then back up the stairs to the door that leads to the bridge across the gap to the hotel on the other side. Both charizard were starting to become to much trouble with the bulk running around over the smaller of the group. Cheshire looking over at Cosmo who seems to also be moving rather frantically getting things going to move locations. Cheshire gave a cool single slow blink as his mind was set on his dream of sweet Alice, her flesh between his fangs and under his claws. Her smile glowing like the last light of day.

As they get outside, he saw the hoards of undead under them trying to get into the bottom floor of the junk shop. There were just to many to fight in such a location like this. BOOM, something else getting his attention as a bust of fire off in the distance, reflecting in the single red eye. "What was that?" feeling the push to move behind him as he followed the group then. Eye fixed to the glow of fire and dust.

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Alice seemly the first to awaken of the pair as the leopard was still clearly out of it, looking up at the mine shaft where she could only guess that it had come from. Stretching out every muscle lining her thin small frame as he poked at the furred side again, still nothing. " Hey get up you lazy cat" she grumbles a little annoyance becoming a strong tone as she was tempted to jump kick it into awareness. Something comes from the dark, a twisted voice. About to reply to tell it off she doesn't even know where she it, before seeing a massive charizard come to the dim light. 

Alice froze, terror griping every hair on her body. Paralyzed her from much movement other then trying to wake the cat, he came around then as her wide fear filled eyes still locked to the giant. The cat screamed then, something she couldn't.

The charizard reacted to that with violence quickly, something or a unseend force hitting her her ears taking the most punishment as they popped nearly bursting the ear drums and the breath was suddenly not there to use to scream. Hitting the building behind them only for a second, before even the building was ruins. Bit and pieces fell around her, threat was now real of simply getting squished from the building it's self now. 

Ringing in her ears blocking out every other sound that followed as the brick and cement fell around her dust and derbies flying through the air like some slow mo action. The leopard like pokemon had hit the building with her and was beside her before the charizard snatched it. Blood pounding in her ears nearly hearing each cell rushing through as her heart beat was the only thing she heard frantic panicked scared.

Once everything was settled and the dust cleared she saw the hazy glow of flames in in the particles of dust, the heat was unbearable. The shrill screaming of the other pokemon barely being heard over the ring and her own heart beat before it went silent suddenly. More heat washed over her fur as the heat wave was enough to feel, the cat was mere a ash pile now. Wanting to scream out in horror she couldn't tell if she did or not unable to hear anything beyond the blood. The Charizard giving one final ground shaking roar before leaving, Alice might not have heard everything but she felt it's power. 

Heat bellowing around the area, cinders still dancing in the air around her as she pulled herself out from under some rubble that hadn't killed her and might have saved her instead as the Charizard seemed to have forgotten about. Slowly her hearing coming back in stages, the slight crackle of the bone in the heat now nothing more then fragments and ash smothering. Any sign of her companion was gone.

Looking around at the once building seeing a huge hole blasted in the side of it, everything that might of been inside was obliterated. Alice was shaking in every inch of her body then seeing the death that one creature had brought. It wasn't any where to be seen it just came and was gone. Something that big, something that powerful was out in the dark of this cave trying to get out. Alice spots a small torn up bit of olive colored cloth under some of the rubble as she makes her way over to it slowly and pushes off the large piece of building. 

A bit of the cats scarf had been caught under the building, tentatively she picked it up. Noticing how bad her hand was shaking as she closed around it. It was still warm as the edge was burnt slightly as she brushed it away, some of the cloth flaked into ash. Holding it close to her chest giving one last look around the ruins of the attack, "Didn't even know the stupid thing, and look at me" her voice sounding alien still. Her hearing still returning in stages.

Cosmic looked over at Forrik as the charizard woke, looking over to the small discolored eevee. "Who's the kid and where did he come from?" The umbreon shrugged. "Fuck if I know, Glass found the kid last night." He said stretching. He looked over towards HAL, his ears perked. A crackle came through the speakers, before HAL's voice came over it, urgent and flustered. "Everyone wake up now!"

Cosmic snarled, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "What now?" He growled, his gaze snapping to where he heard a barrage of thundering footsteps. "HAL, what's wrong something coming?" Cosmic's ears dropped and his eyes widened. He shook his head and quickly got over the shock, before his eyes narrowed and his form became overlain with shadows as he prepared a Dark Pulse. "We've got hostiles incoming and the doors aren't going to hold! Get ready to move!"

Glass's dark red gaze found the door the undead were attacking at. Even from where she was, the stench was horrid. "For fucks sake!" She snarled, her horn glowing white as she prepared a Razor Wind. "Shit, there's to many of them even for me to take on. We better get those supplies and get out of here while we have the chance." Glass shot Forrik a look that said 'since when were you leader' and backed away from the door, her eyes narrowing as she took aim. Cosmic looked around, his eyes darting back and forth for an escape route, but Forrik beat him to it. "Bingo, there's our escape route, we better get to gathering now before they reach us!"

The Umbreon growled. "Are you fucking crazy? Leave the supplies, you'll only taint them anyway." Cosmic growled, his paws already carrying him to their escape. "What supplies are left here are not worth risking your lives over. It would be best to leave them here for the time being for later retrieval, which I volunteer to." Glass nodded in agreement, looking over to the eevee as Uboa gestured to the kid. "The child is obviously under severe emotional duress and cannot be expected to behave rationally. Some one will have to escort him and make sure of his well being, if he becomes difficult have Forrik carry him until we reach safety." "I can look after the kid." Glass said, looking towards the kid, who seemed to be rather flustered at that moment. "I will carry HAL's physical vessel. Now, Let's move!" Glass bristled at Uboa's command, having the idea in her mind to ignore the black metamorph. She was about to address the kid when the eevee exploded.

"A CHILD? HOW DARE YOU, YOU STUPID OVER-SIZED BRUTE! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE SUFFERED! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY." Glass jumped out of the way of a stray Frustration, her eyes flashing in anger as the kid wildly flailed, before she took a step to follow the kid, worried. "Hey wait!" She said, moving to race after, but Cosmic jumped in front of her, his silver and ice blue eyes level with her own dark red ones. "Glass, leave it. He left on his own will. If the kid dies, he dies. Let's go." Cosmic said in a quiet tone so only Glass could hear him. She looked towards the fleeing eevee's form, before turning and running down their escape.

As they started running, a loud explosion ripped their attention from their imminent escape. Glass and Cosmic stood rigid as the Absol heard the familiar sound of a building crumbling down. "What was that?" Cheshire's question brought the duo out of her trance. "I don't know Chesh', but I don't like it." He said, and Glass nodded in agreement. "Agreed. We should get out of here." She said, continuing onward to their escape route.