As the pair walked back to their camp, Shade turned away, and seeing some somewhat tall trees about him, decided that sleep was a worthy endevor. He quickly began his climb up, and settled against the trunk of a tree, keeping himself balanced, and quickly set *Impassive* to guard, and clains him and his shadow to the tree trunk, ensuring that he would not fall that night without outside influence. **Sleep well lunkhead!** *I will stand guard of us. None shall get to us before we awaken.* (....sure....whatever....don't care....g'night.) With those parting thoughts, Shade drifted away, and fell away from the world, embracing the realm of dreams with ease.

> Oliver and Cerys wondered through the woods. They were happily chatting away until Oliver came to a halt. He looked around; inspecting the area. "Shit. Um, I mean crap" > Cerys sighed. "We're lost again aren't we" she said. There was slight annoyance in her voice. > "What? No of course not. Just a slight... detour." > They looked around the area a bit before their gazes met smoke in the sky. They both fell silent. Oliver kneeled down and picked up a few stones. They began to glow purple. He looked at Cerys and signalled her to keep quiet. They slowly walked to where the fore was originating. They were led to a camp. Not an empty camp either. There were two girls there. One looked barely any older than Cerys. The stones stopped glowing and he dropped them to the floor. They sat and watched in silence "Sis anything in the traps?" Haru asked as she poked at the flames, with a stick, that her sister had started. "No, they're empty. Though there is some edible herbs that we can roast so that'll be dinner." Aki said sitting doen beside her little sister. Her deep red hair caught the orange of the flames and turned it into a shade of fire, the same went for her younger sister's hair.

Midnight saw a boy climb a neighboring tree as she wondered about how people would talk to her. Whoa, now that was such a weird thing to think about, she thought so she silently jumped down the tree so she wont wake anyone up. She whispered to Tim that they were going to leave while the person slept. So they walked slowly back home still being careful.

John followed Ice towards the city, rubbing his arms to fight off the cold that was creeping in. "About a month or so ago, I started looking into the energy barrier. How it works and who built it and what not. I've been searching for anything but I think I might be too late. We've been here for a while now. I'm afraid that any papers in the city referencing the barrier are long gone. But the forest however could have easily hidden a secret government base. Anyways, I didn't find it," he aid, sighing. "But what about you? What's your story?" he asked Ice as they drew closer to the city.

"I don't really have one," she says simply, jumping from broken wood piece to another. "I had a normal family before they abandoned me here in the city. My powers developed young, around five or six. I haven't really cared that I am here. I've lasted well enough. My family taught me how to hunt and considering that I am pretty much frozen on the inside, I don't need a lot to eat and I don't age fast." She smiles at him. She looks toward her house once again.

"Sounds like you've been living the good life. My mom left me and my sister alone in our apartment one day and never game back. And then all the evacuation stuff came about and my sister had to leave. I've been hunting and scavenging ever since," John said, looking off into space for a second before returning his focus to not tripping. Talking about his sister always made him a bit sad.

Ice frowns, looking toward him. "I'm sorry." She stares at her feet. "I had a brother once. Back when I was really little, about four or five or so. My powers were just developing and only my family knew about. All of my family, not just my parents, but my brother as well. We were messing around in the yard and he wanted to see how far my powers would go. I wound up creating an ice shard, sharp and deadly." She swallows. "Grazed him right across the throat and cut it. Split his windpipe open and killed him. I could never forgive myself after that. I try not to use my powers as much as I can." She sighs and looks up at her house, which they are now standing in front of. "This is it."

John looked at Ice, a look of understanding on his face. "I'm sorry," he said before clearing his throat and pushing open the rickety door and holding open for Ice. Once they were inside he quickly found the stairs down to the bomb cellar and next, the couch. He placed his messenger bag down before taking a seat, yawning loudly. His search of the forest and his running from the Blades had left him exhausted.

Ice stands close to the door, watching him sit down on the couch of the bomb shelter. She isn't tired at all, considering that she slept in until late morning, early afternoon. She locks the bomb shelter door, hoping that no one would try it and just think it was shut. She then leans up against the wall, taking a sighing breath.

"Thanks for the place to stay. It's a good thing I ran into you," he said, leaning over the arm of the couch and rifling through his bag to find the piece of paper the kid had given him. He finally found it and opened it up. However, instead of writing he found a microchip. "Huh. I'm assuming he's gonna use this to track me seeing as how he couldn't have known that I had any thing to use this with," he said, thinking out loud.

It didn't take too long for Jack to spot the faint orange glow of a growing fire. It was a little walk away and the other side of the stream however that didn't matter, he still had time before the sun disappeared entirely. Climbing back down the branches whipped Jacks face and he was left with a number of small cuts on his face. He could fix that later, once he had somewhere safe to camp. The walk from the trees to the fire was a confusing one as he lost sight of the city entirely but the orange glow was a continuous point to walk towards. Coming to the edge of a clearing he quickly lent in. The fire was unattended and there was some people's effects around it. Though the wood supply look freshly restocked so people couldn't be o far away. Pushing his way into the clearing he stumbled forward and sat down in front the fire. On the opposite edge of the clearing he could see a few silhouettes. Looks like he would be seen soon as they turned back.

> "Sis anything in the traps?" Haru asked as she poked at the flames, with a stick, that her sister had started. "No, they're empty. Though there is some edible herbs that we can roast so that'll be dinner." Aki said sitting doen beside her little sister. Her deep red hair caught the orange of the flames and turned it into a shade of fire, the same went for her younger sister's hair. "They're outcasts" Cerys says. "Like us. We can talk to th-" "**No**" Oliver said firmly. "We don't know if we can trust them. They're too close to the cave"

Midnight felt her heart beat fast after watching those people. Those were actually real people who actually breath. Midnight, not fair, heard a snap of branches which made her tense as she looked around. She stopped when she saw a figure holding a flashlight. Her eyes widen as she looked around to hide till she reached a tree that could hide anyone. Then she heard more then two people which made her worry. So she climbed up high hiding so no one can see her.

**"What the hell was that?! What if he was dangerous?!"** Violet scolded the older man as the two walked back to their nearby camp, the one in question had his arms crossed stoically. A moment of silence passed as the two walked, **"What, are you not just going to talk to me now?"** A deep, frustrated sigh from Ronan. **"You're bein' too dramatic about this, darlin'."** He looked back over his shoulder in a foreboding sense, **"I don't trust 'em anymore than you do. That's why we'll move camp in the mornin'. Go further away, y'see?"** He knew that the boy could've posed a potential threat, but he didn't have the heart to kill him. It wasn't like the boy had directly attacked them. And even if he had killed him, then Violet would complain about that _too._ With the question of moving camp in the air, she fell silent and followed behind him in a stride. Only a few feet later and both came to a suddenly stop. **"What? What is it?"** **"I told ye to tend the fire,"** another frustrated sigh and not wasting another minute, Violet peered out from behind his shoulder, seeing an unfamiliar man by their campfire, **"I-I'm sorry, Ronan,"** was all she got out as the older man made his way to the younger one, giving a shout, **"Hey! And who the hell are you?!"**

Jack heard the footsteps before the man had pushed him. Jack was expecting a shout or to be threatened before closed on so it was a slight surprise when he was squarly pushed and planted his face into the dirt. Spitting slightly his ears rang with the shouting. Raising his hands to show he was unarmed he threw an explanation out. "Hang on there fella! I meant no harm. I just spotted the fire and followed. I take it you're Outcast? Otherwise it probably will have been a bullet not a shove. Seriously i just need a place to sleep tonight, i didn't mean to freak you. I sweat i'm a good guy." Jack smiled cheerily but a slight undertone of fear created a shiver in his lip.

> "Thanks for the place to stay. It's a good thing I ran into you," he said, leaning over the arm of the couch and rifling through his bag to find the piece of paper the kid had given him. He finally found it and opened it up. However, instead of writing he found a microchip. "Huh. I'm assuming he's gonna use this to track me seeing as how he couldn't have known that I had any thing to use this with," he said, thinking out loud. "Who's tracking you?" she asks, looking at the device. She narrows her eyes. She feels like the piece looks familiar, but she doesn't remember where she has seen it before.

**"Ronan!"** Violet had called out, only a second too late as the man fell to the ground with a bit of a tumble. Ronan wasn't sure what had overcome his sense, maybe anger or fear. He was so anti-social. The next action surprised Violet as he threw out a bit of a sigh, **"Kids,"** he mumbled and held his hand to the stranger on the ground. **"Lemme help you up,"** he offered before continuing further, **"What's yer name?"**

The cry of Ronan brought all of Jack's senses back to their normal selves as he righted himself on the ground. Reaching forward he grasped the mans outstretched arm and hauled himself up. The dive had been slighty theatrical however it would have put some distance between himself and a possible attacker. Dusting himself down again he smiled again with no hint of fear. He was confident now. "The name is Jack. And don't worry yourself about me. I'm just fine, a man can never be too careful. Especially with such a lovely companion." Jack smiled and leaned around to wave at the girl behind the man, he assumed, was Ronan. Standing straight again he looked back at the fire. The flames were dieing down and so he grabbed a couple of larger logs and placed them in the small blaze. He got a couple of burns but nothing serious. He had burnt himself worse on the oven at home. Taking off his jacket he placed it down like a blanket on the ground and sat in front of the fire again. Warming his hands he continued to speak. "Do you mind if I ask your name? It's only fair. Also do you mind me asking what you are doing out here?"

Maxwell Rite was alone. There was no noise around him, save for the wind, and the sound of a metal pipe dragging against the ground. The blaring of the intercom alerted Max while he was walking along the streets. Others. Finally, even if he was insane, this guy was most likely not out to kill him. That is, unless he was a blade, or looking to loot people. But.. there was HIM... he wouldn't let Maxwell get killed, as it would mean he would die too. Maxwell decided to go through with it, and began looking around. There it was, a flag with an odd symbol on it. Max walked at a brisk pace with the metal pipe resting in his hands. Maxwell looked around the flag, finding the small radio, with a channel scratched into the back. He turned it to the channel. "Hello, psycho from the intercom, you there?"

So Jack was his name. Or that is what the Outcast had claimed it was. Ronan wasn't sure whether or not to buy it, but it's not like he'd have any reason to hide his name, right? They were all abandoned now. **"Right."** Was all he said in response, while the man peered over to look at Violet, complimenting her. This stirred a quiet gruff growl of warning from Ronan. Sure, Violet wasn't technically his daughter nor would he ever dream of taking the place of her father (hence why he was "Ronan" and not "Dad"), but he'd be damned if he didn't treat her like one. Both watched in curious silence as the man began to tinker with the fire. Violet made a slight cringing noise, looking at the burn on the man's hand, only finally speaking when spoken to. **"I'm Violet. And those burns look painful."** She looked at Ronan, as if waiting for something. Though, after a few moments had passed, he did nothing. Instead, he exhaled sharply, **Ronan. The hell ye doin' out here, kiddo? Don'tchu Outcasts run together in packs these days or what?"** To say he was out of the loop would be true -- if there **_was_** a loop.