《When Gods Cry: Book 1: Black Moon》 Instincts "Following them may lead you astray, even in familiar lands.¡± Dust billowed in the muggy wind of Abberro Springs, a town that stretched the length of the Crescent Highway. Travelers journeyed between Citadel Refuge''s towering spire and the businesses lining the road. Most of the soldiers in their powered suits and black uniforms journeyed the 15 miles from the spire on Sundays to Abberro for one thing. Coffee, church, lunch, eclipse. The order of Sunday. Most looked up at the black moon as it zipped by at impossible speeds, the 1PM movement pattern resembling a triangular motion before settling on eclipsing all of Ravensmantle at 2, every single day. It always felt like a threatening gesture to the troubled ecologist sitting in the Tangled Spiral. Every day at the exact same time, the Black Moon loomed ever larger in the sky, it looked as if God took a hole puncher to reality, and reality fought back by being literally impossible. The hole in reality moved. The hole devoured reality. Many spoke of the rapture, and some parts were right. Towns, cities, wherever the black moon was, homes weren¡¯t anymore. Simply reduced to empty houses as if it were taking them somewhere. Far too many during the first heralding a mere decade prior prayed to it, doing everything they could to communicate with it. It spoke in tones of watchfulness and silence, no words shared with its hostages on earth. Merely feelings of utter, nameless dread when it touched down. Unlike the prior decade, nature itself... It was wrong. Something is wrong with nature itself. Melissa Hawthorne sighed as she stared out the window of her favorite cafe, her fingers drumming idly against the worn countertop as she sipped a cup of dark roast. This little diner in the heart of Abberro Springs had been her sanctuary for years, a refuge from the burdens of her work as the head of Ravensmantle''s Ecological Authority. As the guardian of Ravensmantle''s fragile ecosystems, she had dedicated her life to preserving what remained of the natural world. The very keystone species that held those delicate balances in place were disappearing one by one, as any creature near that horrific black circle ran away from their prime habitats and domains. The desperate crawling of fish escaping poisoned lakes, dogs almost entirely gone from the world along with most feline species. Carnivores hiding away as herbivores do. Plant loving creatures over-populated entire regions, stripping the land bare. They, along with humanity hid. Those that didn¡¯t hide. Those that weren¡¯t fast enough. They, unlike humanity, wore rictus grins. Even the grey cloaked soldiers of the Cadre avoided them. They did the opposite with the massive ringed border wall of Ravensmantle, soldiers often attacking patrols and engaging in guerrilla warfare. The same men and women in those powered suits came back wounded and bloody most of the time. A gentle cough drew her attention, and she turned to see Vahlen standing beside her, the older woman''s brow creased with concern as the diner door jingled with more soldiers filing in for lunch. Each bore differing insignia, the similarity between each being a raven head and wings, a circle of feathers, the recruits had one up to the left. "Melissa. I''m glad I found you here." Vahlen slid onto the stool next to her, ordering a black coffee from the harried waitress before turning to face her fully. "I have... a proposition for you," she began, her voice lowered. "Something that could change the course of this war, if you''re willing to take it on." Melissa felt a flutter of trepidation in her stomach, but she forced herself to remain outwardly calm. "What is it?" she asked, despite knowing exactly what she was going to say for the dozenth time that week. Vahlen took a sip of her coffee, relishing the bitterness. "You know the Ravenguard program we''ve been developing?" she said quietly. "An elite force of soldiers, augmented beyond the capabilities of ordinary humans?" She gestured to a few taking their mannequin-like helmets off and ordering their food. Melissa nodded. "I''m familiar with it. But I''m not - " ¡°Interested? I¡¯ve heard you speaking with Amanda and Tom about it a few times now, and I... believe you would fit right in.¡± Vahlen¡¯s red hair swished as she leaned against the counter. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been looking over a specific suit model as well.¡± ¡°I personally think it¡¯s for the best, you have a neural lace, and now you just need a little something extra to ensure that,¡± she pointed at her head, ¡°ridiculously expensive, priceless brain of yours stays in one piece.¡± ¡°It is rather important to preserve ones nearly perfect memories and knowledge.¡± A subtly husky voice owned by a thin woman crept behind Vahlen, as her stool slid forth, Melissa could only smile at the gentle crease of her friend¡¯s face. It always made the single freckle on the left raise. ¡°Hey Ripley, I¡¯m... considering it,¡± Ripley leaned forward, accepting a cup of dark roast from the waitress after waving off any sugar or creamer. ¡°And I do believe it would for the best, I too am wishing for this program.¡± Vahlen smiled at both as Melissa spun her cup once, the remaining coffee swirling much like her thoughts and emotions. A sharp tap on her shoulder made her jerk to a new face. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re tearing up again, hey guys!¡± Melissa took the cloth given to her by her old friend, Karla. Wiping her eyes and cursing the lace¡¯s forced, perfect, recall. She pushed the sudden surge of trauma back, frustrated again as it surfaced with no trigger or warning. ¡°Lace sucks ass, but being super-duper strong is a nice bonus if you spring for it.¡± Her curly hair bobbed along with her dimpled smirk. Despite years, she had trouble looking away from it, once together, separated, and together again in Ravensmantle. Still separated. She did her best to be happy for her and her new flame. Nala was far too kind and seeing both smile at each other as she crept behind Karla brought her a warm feeling regardless. They shared a kiss as she sat down with the group at one of the tables in front of the diner bar. ¡°The Ravenguard program is amazing.¡± ¡°It has given me such a wonderful sense of smell, I can smell the chemicals from each little critter.¡± Her floral tattooed hands brought up a small beetle, its shell a stark blue. ¡°This one is a herbivore, yet, it has poison glands as a directed defense and offense.¡± The little ten-legged beetle shined blindingly on the dark oaken table. Melissa leaned on the counter after turning around, listening to it chitter audibly. ¡°I can tell when he wishes to emit said poison, almost akin to a chemical warning siren to my nose.¡± ¡°Hey losers, and hello Director.¡± Amanda strolled in with Tom and his flashing blue eyes. Both wore heavy suits of powered armor, their sleek frames ducking under the old doorway. Her mannequin helmet hissed off, letting her steel hair free. ¡°Amanda,¡± Vahlen chided as she tucked the helmet under her arm, mirroring Tom, ¡°I know it¡¯s not something you want to do, but cut your damn hair.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not combat personnel,¡± she dramatically put a hand on her chest, ¡°I am but an engineer.¡± Vahlen¡¯s face didn¡¯t change, and though she argued with Amanda over it weekly, her hair grew, nonetheless. ¡°If a machine yanks your hair and you die, I warned you.¡± Amanda smirked at the jabbing cup of coffee. ¡°Yeah, for the thousandth time, and besides,¡± she looked at Tom, ¡°he likes yanking these locks.¡± He smirked, shaking his head. ¡°Thank science for engram tech... because if you do die, Amanda, I may just have to put that little crystal in your head into an android.¡± Amanda scoffed in mock shock. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I invite you to test that assumption at your earliest convenience.¡± Vahlen casually checked her nails and flicked her eyes at the tall, muscular woman. ¡°For science. Of course.¡± Amanda cocked her head, folding her arms and gripping the helmet by the rim. ¡°Suuure.¡± Vahlen addressed Melissa again as she drained the rest of her coffee. ¡°We have another rotation in a week or two, will I see you there?¡± She keyed up her wrist display, the 2-dimensional screen appearing between both. She looked around the expectant group, and a seemingly, equally nervous Ripley. She shot a thumbs up behind Vahlen as Melissa finally gave her the answer she wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± Vahlen nodded, fingers gliding across the electrically charged surface of suspended particles. ¡°Good, carry on, I do have some duties of my own to attend to, and dispatch is expecting me for a report they want to give.¡± ¡°Ovoi¡¯s calling directly to the almighty Director, directly?¡± Karla swept her hand out, almost smacking Melissa¡¯s cup, ¡°what is it this time? More anomalies at the border wall?¡± ¡°Even stranger... from space, she said she sees a box zipping here from the Eridani system.¡± She got up from her comfortable seat, shaking hands with Melissa, ¡°here¡¯s to changing the world, it will be worth it.¡± ¡°Of course, Director. One piece at a time.¡± Vahlen nodded her farewell. As she stepped up to leave the little diner, Ripley followed along with her. ¡°Ready for more training Ripley?¡± She nodded as both spoke on their way to a heavy military carrier and its urban black and grey camouflage waiting in the street. The 35 feet long armored carrier was full of other specialists and passengers, most wearing black uniforms and various gear. They called Ravensmantle their country, and their destination with Vahlen and Ripley, Citadel Refuge. Home sweet home. Two towns ran between the spire and Abberro. The quiet, heavily forested brickwork lumber town of Mithrop and its giant sawmill in the east and Wilco Crossings in the middle of the Crescent. Its maglev train lines cut the ancient highway perfectly in half and ran out into the Crescent District holding Ravensmantle¡¯s fields. Deliveries of fresh goods made daily from the country¡¯s food bowl. She stared at the massive concrete wall from a few miles away, Zone 17 seemed to call her akin to a moth to a flame. A place of discovery and escape, she departed the Tangled Spiral, saying her goodbyes to the staff and walking to the local clinic. She swung her head to the local clinic as she approached, kicking a rock down the battered asphalt, tumbling down the berm into the fields. The old hospital had been converted into a bio-lab, experimenting with new food hybrids. The most prominent being dragon carrot, bright blue, high in minerals, and delicious to the summertime visitors to Abberro. Melissa stood inside it after taking some creaking stairs, discussing a plan she had with Eta, their resident everything biologist. Her command over medicine was didactic, as her preaching in the church on Sundays. Her face often scrunched in concern at the unhinged ecologist as a near crazed smile crossed her face. ¡°So... you¡¯re hunting one of them down and Vahlen¡¯s sayin¡¯ to go try the Masque?¡± She waved a gloved hand out, still spattered with viscera from a dissected animal laying on the medical table. Her face laced with concern. ¡°Yeah, Zone 17 has the answer I¡¯m looking for, I think...¡± she put a hand over her alice pack, balancing the old high-power bolt action rifle and ensuring it was strapped down. ¡°I need a specimen, alive, kicking. If it can run around and track plant life I¡¯ve never seen, and that plant life doesn¡¯t care about Cadre spores. Then... yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hunting one in that creepy assed theater, Vahlen mentioned seeing tracks that grew these little flowers.¡± ¡°Without a Sabre suit, or body armor, or any of the cool shit we have?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Ravenguard, and,¡± she held a up her hand, ¡°electronics don¡¯t work well in that place.¡± ¡°Can you at least take someone with you?¡± ¡°Wanna come with? You will have to spray down with this.¡± She held a can of spray up after digging it from her bag. Eta¡¯s face said hell no at the scent leaking from its nozzle. ¡°Eh... nah, I don¡¯t wanna smell like dirt... and I actually have some experimenting of my own to do... gotta figure out the lack-of-babies problem as usual once we figure out what took our sow down.¡± She smiled miserably as she gestured at the massive creature, ¡°not many more left coming out of the Citadel, or in from the Outlands, or from this guy.¡± ¡°Best of luck, kay?¡± She grinned at her, both parting ways, Melissa swung her pack on, ensuring her rifle was loaded. ¡°Kay Lil¡¯ Mel, just don¡¯t get eaten, and bring an MPA for fucks sake.¡± ¡°An electronic like that hardly even works out there, besides, I¡¯m hunting, not gunning down Cadre soldiers in body armor.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Alright, said the woman with a 30-06 rifle, you hunting bears or something?¡± She scoffed, ejecting the magazine of the rifle, each round had blue tips, and hidden within each, a tranquilizer dart. ¡°Diazepam rounds, enough to knock a bear over from a good distance, not kill it.¡± ¡°Mhmm... and what if the fucken¡¯ thing decides it doesn¡¯t want a nap?¡± ¡°I have other means, I¡¯m not just packing tranq rounds, Eta, Cmon, I¡¯ve been at this for years.¡± Her hands waved outward, casting the flaps of her jacket to the nonexistent winds of the tiled ward. She merely rose an eyebrow, resisting the urge to itch the back of her neck, only itchy when her hands were dirty, covered in blood, and all manner of bodily chemicals. ¡°You know I worry about you, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Eta continued frowning, ¡°see ya¡¯ Eta. Let me know what happened to that sow as soon as you can please.¡± She stepped up the creaking oak stairs to the waiting warhound she called prior, powering off her display and cell phone. She devoured a pomegranate and tomatillo hybrid developed and grown across the highway from the cafe as the beast rumbled past the Pomatillo tree arches framing the fields, branches connected and interwoven together. With each passing vignette of healthy fields of heavily modified crops, part of her always imagined that one day, she would pass by one arch to the next. And her fields would be on fire. Her thoughts terminated at seeing the wall to Zone 17 get closer through the swaying treetops, the smells of fresh overgrowth and cut grass on the roadside reminded her of another time when people had and cared about having a lawn. As she approached one of the reinforced entry checkpoints along Zone 17¡¯s looming concrete walls a few minutes later, a group of people wearing hiking gear were talking about something they saw inside, pointing at one of the particle displays of missing people pasted on the wall. She disembarked with a wave at the driver, looking at the growing list of missing people. The one that always caught her eye Evelyn Reed, her most notable feature, a large pink nose ring she made by taking one from a 3-ring binder. The little rivet point was clearly visible. She hadn¡¯t been for weeks. Safety only applied to a few small areas of Ravensmantle. Evelyn never came back to the cafe. She looked at the solid walled gate to Zone 17 with her alice pack full of gear, heavy hiking pants and tan jacket. She fixed her black hair with a swipe back as she regarded the tall black metal door barring her path to discovery. And mental escape. One of the men inside the little booth palmed a bio metric reader, the sealed gates slithering open. The flat black metal surface had the crest of Ravensmantle in simple white. A raven¡¯s glare peering straight ahead surrounded by six pointed wings. Just before she entered a new guard at the booth said, ¡°Do not stay after dark, we have a no go rule just like the Outlands.¡± He gave a small gesture to the sun, its rays above the horizon. ¡°You mean the no go rule I made?¡± The smile that crept across her face made the senior officer behind the new recruit and his single feathered insignia laugh. Her eyes softened at the private, internally giggling at the show of bravado and how it shrunk at seeing a Seargent. In truth. ¡°You¡¯re out of uniform, soldier.¡± Just a scientist. ¡°Ma¡¯am, my apologies, ma¡¯am.¡± He straightened out his collar. ¡°Sorry, new guy, Doc.¡± she waved her hands at them dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just pulling your leg, just check up on our local social media, you¡¯ll know all about this place, I¡¯m posting new stuff all the time.¡± She double checked her phone to ensure it was off. ¡°Alright, just be careful in there,¡± the senior officer quipped with a wave. While inside the borders of Ravensmantle she couldn¡¯t see the shimmering protective field. She felt it like a sticky heat on her skin. Zone 17 was the same cloying sticky summer heat, May had arrived in the form of heat strokes to some, and sunburns to the workers of Abberro. The stickiness of her own skin and the cloying, windless heat felt choking. She wished a breeze would blow through to cool her off, sighing in relief at the sight of shaded areas and trees choking out roads, overgrowth had consumed the area past the little expanse of cleared field between it and the wall. It was perfect. Unmanned, no human contact save for her and a few other scientists. She craned her head around the high walls choked with snarling vines that strangled old lighting fixtures high up. They were a variety that had blooming flowers of many differing colors, an unnatural amalgam of plant life and cross species all within just a couple of feet of vine that coiled over itself. The center of the spiral stuck out by a couple of feet, a large bulbous see-through membrane with blooming flowers under it. The thing that struck her every time she looked at it, the silver skin was the same type found in animals. The interior of the wall was lined with them on the suspended gardening beds that Karla, Nala, and her placed. Each of them worked to keep them healthy, Omega Floralyzene was an important chemical compound and one of many important products coming from the zone. It was like liquid acceleration, the toothpaste sized micro stims developed by Eta stitched wounds together quickly and made for one of the most used medical items in the crescent. Tired people make for accidents. For the same reasons, she hunted her quarry. If a creatures tracks resulted in healthy overgrowth, even from would-be extinct species, it was an important discovery. She had to know how, if she did. She would fix the world, her world. Everywhere the black moon landed. Cadre spores erupted, the forests outside Ravensmantle were starting to turn black, the animals ran while it happened. She admired it, turning away and into the deeper parts of Zone 17¡¯s wilderness, after scanning the area for a few minutes, taking note of how quickly the brush retook the path she often cleared. She turned down a narrow side street branching off the main thoroughfare passed a crumbling, rusty playground. The small merry-go-round listed, eaten on one end by rust. Her turn off led down a treacherous road of overgrown, bushy rubble. Her machete cleared the way for the third time that month. As the leaves swished out of the way, more and more of the sky exposed itself. Her way point was an ancient urban temple of a building that marked the boundary of the swamp, most of the old, nameless city sunken below by whole stories with it sticking out in the distance like a road flare. She knew that to the east lay the Masque Theater, a place that had been whispering at the edges of her mind ever since Vahlen mentioned seeing strange tracks there. Trees grew along her snaking path as if someone planted them with a leaf blower. She ensured her waterproof gear was fully sealed before approaching the urban temple. The ancient, listing apartment building took up a city block, its facade buckling. Wicked-looking tree roots had dug into the roof, snarling down to meet the leaning telephone poles. One was curled over itself in a spiral, the end a bendy straw twirl. The old broken panes of glass glinted in the setting sun and she could swear that something moved in one of the broken windows. The place served well as a nest for the giant dog-sized raven resting on the treetops. She took a breath in as she studied it from afar, pulling her binoculars from her belt. Vahlen¡¯s ravens were designed to wipe out any invasive species the dared encroach on Ravensmantle¡¯s delicate ecosystem. It swiftly took off after a bird flying by. The bird disappeared after shortly evading the raven in a red streak against the blue sky. She decided against going any closer to the building, the overgrown street her sole barrier from what was prickling her spine. A white orb in the dark gloom of the building disappeared with a flicker of her vision, she rubbed her eyes. And yet, as she rubbed, the strange object didn¡¯t move. It waved. A hand with no visible owner shrunk into the gloom, the dusty, decrepit building unsuitable for anyone to reside in, let alone explore alone. She swept her binoculars to each opening, window, and crumbling doorway. ¡°Hello? Nala? Karla? That you?¡± She dared not take a step forward, the hand was still there for a brief moment as she caught site of the owner. As it gripped the railing of some exposed stairs, the owner of the hand was a little girl. She squinted to get a better look. ¡°What the...¡± Just as quickly, the little girl disappeared deep into the bowels of that urban temple. She noticed another white shape outside her periphery, flinching at the sight after lowering and putting the binoculars away. A white rabbit, nibbling at the strange black vines that had a peculiar red tinged sap that bled out into the thirsty asphalt. Its head trailed to face her, a blood red mouth, much like her recurring nightmares. What she could have sworn was a twitch from the dark vines caught her attention, just as she got closer her heart leapt from its chest. A sound completely shattered the silence. Her limbs blurred her to action instantly. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s just like Monty Python.¡± Melissa shrieked with her hands up in a defensive stance with a can of bear spray. Melissa¡¯s nerves ebbed off as she made eye contact with Amanda had both hands up in a placating gesture with her eyes wide at the eye torching spray nozzle. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to scare ya¡¯.¡± She pointed at her then the spray, ¡°you mind putting that down, Vahlen won¡¯t let me wear my Sabre here and I stopped wearing glasses just a week ago.¡± Melissa fixed her hair with a swipe, putting the spray back in her pocket. ¡°Scared the shit out of me,¡± she gave her a quick hug. ¡°Still jumpy, sorry.¡± "What brings you out here to my neck of the woods?¡± The dusty wind finally picked up, the vines twitched. ¡°Scouting out a spot for a new facility and checking out some weird interference out here, Vahlen¡¯s got some crazy stuff planned,¡± she patted her shoulder, throwing her arms wide, the fabric of her shirt stretched, ¡°for all of Ravensmantle...¡± ¡°Yeah, I love this place, say, you don¡¯t smell good.¡± Amanda could only raise her brows and squint her eyes. ¡°Well, excuse me?¡± ¡°Well, that''s just it,¡± Melissa tried hiding a mischievous grin as Amanda nearly flinched at a can of spray rising in her sun kissed hands. ¡°Floyd¡¯s Scent Blocker?¡± Her brows somehow rose higher, she squinted at her expectantly, glancing at the little weasel putting paws to its nose on the shiny surface. Melissa broke into a brief fit of laughter. ¡°Stop looking at me like that, I¡¯m being serious. I¡¯m hunting something, and you, don¡¯t smell good here.¡± She pointed at the ground. ¡°Or too good,¡± she dropped the act, putting her hands between the pouches and gear on her plate carrier and belt. Melissa rose a brow. ¡°Uh huh, it''s what you smell good to that could be a problem.¡± ¡°Well, I smell good to Tom no matter my condition.¡± She triumphantly cocked her head with a smile. ¡°Where you headed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the Masque, Vahlen told me there might be a nest out there, and that nest might have a Gestaltia organism inside.¡± ¡°The hell is that?¡± ¡°They grow plants from their bodies, so... hopefully if, we, can bag one I can figure out how it¡¯s dispersing Cadre resistant seeds.¡± She thrust the can at her, ¡°I think you might need to strip out of that body armor of yours.¡± ¡°Aw, cmon!¡± She glanced at the urban temple, having heard what she thought was humming. ¡°And the belt, gear, clothes...¡± Amanda cocked her head at her with a barely hidden smirk, ¡°you¡¯re just tryna see me naked.¡± ¡°If you want to see the Masque, which is where I¡¯m going, lather up, buttercup.¡± She stabbed with the can. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ve always wanted to check out the Masque, gimme.¡± It plopped into her hand as she took the armor off, Melissa grabbed it, spraying it down with another can from her ruck sack. ¡°Tom¡¯s cologne is pretty strong on you.¡± ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± She waved her arms as both worked for a few minutes, ensuring neither smelled like a human. Once Amanda and her enhanced senses lost the scent, they carried on, tightening the veclro straps on her body armor. After an hour of traveling through the empty, vine choked streets, they skirted around a deep ravine of crumbled buildings that cascaded into the old collapsed subway system. Amanda chucked a rock, pocking and rolling down to the bottom. The wall of the apartment block slanted away from the exposed grid, making up a concrete slope dotted with rebar and nasty looking concrete chunks that stuck out like spikes and blades. ¡°Well, that''s the thing, creepy,¡± she pointed at the ravine, trailing it ahead of both to the wall between them and the Outlands. Despite still being so far from it, the fact that the half mile high, building thick concrete ring structure was visible on the horizon made both uncomfortable. Just outside. In the Outlands. The Cadre waited. ¡°Versus fucking terrifying, there is a pretty big difference in my book.¡± She leaned against the stony, coastal looking surface of the sheer drop on the other side, Melissa peered through caved-in walls into the old crusty grid of rooms. Amanda put most of herself over the edge, forcing Melissa to wince, ¡°I was with the Western Federation Military before this all went down...¡± she reached toward her belt, plucking a flashlight from its holster behind her pistol and clicking it on. Everything coated with dead leaves and overgrowth that crept up the grid-like edges. ¡°Our grand overlord wants me to start installing relays to get our network back online and to reenforce the barrier.¡± A short, almost mirthless laugh escaped her. ¡°In her own words, we need to keep the fucking birds out.¡± Her blinding flashlight beam caught something. She squinted at it, cocking her head slightly for a better angle as the breeze picked up, blowing dusty leaves into the broken maw. A few landed on the thick board that spanned the gap with quiet ticks only Amanda could hear. Just as quickly as she saw the apartment light flicker on, blasting the room below with light and the rest of the ravine in front of it in a dim amber cone, its focal point set within its vine-snarled concrete edges. The light just as quickly shut off. Up high on her vantage point a story or two above, she took a tentative step away from its edge. ¡°I didn¡¯t just see that, did I?¡± ¡°Uh, you did, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ve seen stuff like this in the movies... and the Outlands.¡± Amanda strode away with a hidden smirk. She saw the power line connected to the building, yet she held a thought close. Something she thought she saw in one of those little apartment rooms. It was a small thing that looked like a pale bramble of twigs with no leaves. The only issue she had while watching Melissa hurriedly walk ahead of her lay inside that little apartment, her peripheral told her something alarming. The bramble, those pale little branches. She thought they waved. Melissa turned to meet her concerned eyes as both hurried their steps to get away from the concrete mouth, she didn¡¯t seem to notice the bramble as she pointed the opposite way to her relief. ¡°Were pretty close.¡± Both spared a glance back at the ravine, the sun¡¯s rays casted a black bar that consumed the building in darkness, leaving her side of the ravine bathed in tenuous light. The black shadow seemed to slowly crawl up the slope behind their hurried steps. The bramble was gone. A winding path through a once bustling entertainment district with old arcades and an ancient and decrepit well before the end of the world Blockbuster. Across the street of the worn away blue and yellow sign was a shopping mall with an aged and weather-beaten board. Primrose Shopping Center. Vehicles stuck to the ground on tires stitched into the pavement by creeping root systems in both the parking lot and the neighboring Viola Street. Amanda paused, pointing her finger out down the road, she raised it high, slowly lowering it while counting silently. She noted some measurements or some type of mathematical information down, flatly saying. ¡°Scouting.¡± Melissa¡¯s head bobbed as she looked in the direction Amanda was. ¡°An old junkyard down the street, might be a good spot for a new Sabre facility.¡± She turned to the Masque in the north a couple streets away as Melissa did. She jerked with the motion of Amanda¡®s hand patting her shoulder. ¡°Speaking of, you¡¯re still looking over the Harrier model, right?¡± Her eyes flicked side to side. ¡°Yeah.¡± She drew out with a smile she had no clue she was wearing, it disappeared just as quickly. ¡°Amanda¡­ if I¡¯m being honest¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°I get that¡­ you¡¯d be less scared as a Ravenguard, and, so far it''s worth it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was backing out. Vahlen and I shook hands on it, discussed it at length for months. "I''ve just had cold feet about going through multiple surgeries and the lace has been kicking my ass emotionally. Ever since Juniper Valley, the thought of having my mind and body so intimately tied to technology terrifies me. What if I lose myself? What if I become something...other?" Theater ¡°What? Frog in your throat? You got this, break a leg, champ!¡± [---R.E.A. Expedition: 11,219: Dusk---] The approach to the theater was made easier after chatting for a few minutes, mostly for Melissa to get her mind and tears away from the pain. Another welcome distraction came in the form of rapidly-shifting fungi clinging to the understory of bushes lining the path. She wondered how the slices would look when she went to study them later and if they would change colors after being plucked from their muddy root system and merged with Cadre spores. She shook a couple of them off, the stinking mud flinging itself on her canvas jacket. ¡°Gross!¡± Amanda quipped. The mud smelled like rotten fruit, a thick scent that stuck to her nose, making it scrunch. Melissa seemed unbothered by it. She collected the specimens and placed them inside a couple of paper bags, taking a moment to label them. ¡°Just how it is, rot is the smell of life, in its own way.¡± Her nose scrunched regardless as she tried to wipe the brackish mud off, her jacket sleeve stained brown. ¡°It means...¡± her gaze was suddenly fixed on something Amanda couldn¡¯t fully see. Poking out of the black water of the pond ahead. It had antler-like growths with seven eyes sockets forming an ovoid ring. Given its decay, she couldn¡¯t tell whether the skull was a predator or prey animal. ¡°It means that something was, alive...¡± She snapped a photo with Karla¡¯s borrowed polaroid camera. ¡°Well... We found it...¡± She waited for it to develop, inspecting it to make sure it was clear and carried on. The skull had a similar shimmer that resembled a glare off hot asphalt as the sun dipped on the horizon right behind it. "See, this is what I came here for. It¡¯s creepy but won¡¯t eat me. Right?¡± Amanda shivered, her smile slowly faltered the longer she looked at the skull. She hurried along with her friend, noticing the near constant eye twitch scan of paranoia, hands at her sides, marching steps like her own. ¡°Say, you were in the Western Federation military at one point, right?¡± They walked to the small pathway leading into the theater. ¡°Kind of, contracted by them, they wanted me to save a colony. I did that, and the Cadre showed up, but I wasn¡¯t taught how to fight, just basic and they spit me out to do my eco stuff.¡± ¡°Ran for my life after the black moon arrived over us.¡± Melissa splashed through the black water that lapped at the crumbling floorboards with loose nails and threatening squeaks. ¡°Once it touched down, curtains for those that didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You?¡± The theater entrance had flaking gold paint peeling from the grooved support pillars on either side of the heavy, sagging door. ¡°Eh you know already, a photographer, we were going around interviewing survivors from the first black moon attacks... weirdly, they all said the same thing sort of...¡± The Masque Theater''s entrance was flanked by crumbling, flaking pillars. The heavy, sagging doors emanated a fetid, asphalt-like smell, while a moat of bile-water and spikes lay before them. As they approached, Amanda shuddered at the thought of falling into the hazardous moat, recalling the stories of strange creatures lurking in such places, abandoned buildings in the Outlands were dangerous. The theater looked much the same. Amanda leaned back away from the little moat, she shuddered at the thought of falling in and dying of blood loss or catching a disease that took her leg. Or getting stuck as the rest of nightfall comes, and she too, would vanish. Just like Evelyn Reed. ¡°They had said that the being or its location was the first target every time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s creepy... so, could it be that this thing, whatever it is. Isn¡¯t here for us?¡± She peered inside the darkened building, only lit by the hole in the roof, the sunlight silhouetted several rafters that cast long shadows across the theater floor in darkened bars. Its rows of seats lay in shambles, unmoved and partly sunken into the building¡¯s sagging flooring under blankets of moss. ¡°I mean... it doesn¡¯t damage any infrastructure, just phases through stuff like... a Vaporial entity.¡± Melisa scrunched her face at the word. Most of what was wrong with the world came in the form of objects, creatures, and even whole places. All of it wrong. Nature was wrong. And despite it, nature held tightly to life. No matter how it looked. Clots of debris broke free to float on the surface under Melissa¡¯s boots. She pulled her white kerchief over her face with a wince as she unslung her rifle and a trail camera. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, what if we¡¯re not on its menu?¡± Amanda stepped over the gap, putting a kerchief of her own on, orange streaks on stark black. A fiery streak of stink in her nose. ¡°Then what the hell does it want?¡± Strange reddish stains covered parts of the floor and walls as Melissa strapped the camera up to a pillar facing the deeper parts of the theater. ¡°Beats me, worlds in a lot of trouble.¡± The system hummed to life, she smirked briefly, thank the thing was hardened against interference. ¡°Yeah, it is, currently working on that one.¡± The lens cap hung down after it popped free, flashing a quick smile at Amanda. A skittering in the darkness in the shade of the theater stage made her whip around, heart pounding. But she saw only rats fleeing her light among the rubble running around Amanda¡¯s feet, she quickly stepped up onto the raised platform that skirted the walls. The back of Melissa¡¯s neck tickled suddenly as the rats passed by to the theater¡¯s entrance, feeling almost wet. With a yelp she spun around and almost tripped over herself, grabbing the main stage railing while clambering to catch her rifle. It was a spiderweb that hung in a sheet, clinging to her shoulder. She stabilized herself with a shaky breath, wrestling the backpack¡¯s weight to get her balance. A black spider web clung to her collar. She wondered what species the spider was that wove it. And, if it was venomous. "Hey, is there anything on me?¡± Amanda hopped off the ledge and checked her shirt collar with a quick swipe. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re good, wait, wait.¡± She pulled a single strand of web and when it didn¡¯t leave her body, she kept pulling at it to no effect other than extending it. ¡°Hrmm, yeah, one hell of a web here, it¡¯s not breaking.¡± She walked the web to the front entrance, and it kept going, she noticed after pulling it close that it was the same coloration as her uniform. Melissa plucked the opposing end off. She pursed her lips and blew it off with a sharp breath. Both climbed creaking stairs to the faded stage, Amanda uncurled a few posters and pamphlets, wanting to see what play or musical was last played before the world vanished in violence. Instead, she found long tears in the walls and sheets, odd scratch marks too precise to be natural. Amanda hung back as Melissa went to the hallway to the right of the curtain after finding it in tattered sheets. It bugged Amanda as she travelled to the old break room at the end of the hallway, an old, shattered TV with a neat hole dead center. The darkening skies filtered in through the dusty windows ahead, waning fast. The dark slowly encroached on the break room table. Amanda kept flicking her eyes back and forth to Melissa and the curtain. A shape formed as the light died down, making Melissa almost automatically raise her rifle. ¡°Occupied nest.¡± There was a deathly stillness in the air at the statement. No bugs, scrabbling creatures, let alone a creak of the ancient building broke the sound as both froze, concerned glances shared. At the edge of her hearing, she thought she heard something. It was almost imperceptible, the pounding of her own pulse in her ears and her creaking footsteps taking her away from the break room the sole sound. She thought it was her alice pack¡¯s faulty zipper giving way again. She had another thought, thinking about the curtain, how it was torn and tattered. Amanda slowly reached for her holster as Melissa whispered, almost backing into her, ¡°we need-.¡± She was cut off as her chest rig light went out, plunging both into darkness as the sun finally fully set on the horizon. ¡°Hey, just follow my voice, I see you.¡± Amanda¡¯s vision wasn¡¯t affected heavily by the lack of light as the moon revealed itself. Melissa was blind, holding stock still and trying to get her light to work. ¡°Hey, cmon, doc. We gotta¡¯ go, it¡¯s late/¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going,¡± she made careful steps towards the exit, a mere rectangle of gloomy moonlight. Both hurried at the sound of scrabbling inside the break room, Melissa¡¯s hair stood on end, something felt wrong, as if this nest wasn¡¯t natural. There was something disturbingly organic about the noise, it wasn¡¯t the sound of movement on creaky hardwood. It was as if lungs previously filled were slowly emptying in a death rattle. It scraped against her eardrums like claws drawn across bone, setting their teeth on edge. The air shattered in a rasping, wet croak sounded from the maw of the break room, like air being sucked forcefully through a reed. It started low but steadily climbed in volume and pitch, taking on an agonized, keening quality that raised the hairs on their necks. Her weapon light flickered as she heard something shuffle above them on the second story balcony. ¡°We need to leave, quietly.¡± She spoke softly, eyes flicking side to side as her vision finally adjusted, still seeing nothing but the dimly moonlit theater shadows as she slung her rifle. Karla''s camera slowly rose to eye at the strange, nearly unseeable creature stalking through the hallway. Trying to keep her voice calm, the camera held steady as both backed out, ¡°I might get a good one, anything counts.¡± She thumbed the capture button as Amanda quipped in a whisper, heavily considering either booking it or drawing her pistol. ¡°Girl you¡¯re crazy.¡± She gave a silent chuckle as she pressed the button, ¡°Here¡¯s to science.¡± As the blinding flash lit up the hallway she just left, it momentarily revealed one dimly glowing orb peering from the darkness behind the corner at the end of the hallway. Before either could process what they saw, the light lurched into motion with shocking speed as the snap of light went out again. Her scientific veneer shattered as she stumbled back, screaming and felt the air in front of her whip with a glint of something sharp as Amanda grabbed her backpack carry handle, dragging her to get moving. ¡°Go go go!¡± Melissa leaped across the channel of shattered wood as the air behind her whooshed again. Amanda was just ahead of her with a horrified expression as she looked behind Melissa and saw what was chasing them. It didn¡¯t run. It loped wrongly. "Move, Amanda!" they scrambled through the puddles as the thing''s heavy breathing closed in, Amanda cutting a path through the reeds. Its pounding steps shook the ground as they burst onto the street As Melissa scrambled forward her head swooped down just in time to feel the back of her neck burn in a straight line. Her adrenaline was in high gear as her pace turned into an all-out sprint, she cleared shrubs akin to a hurdling athlete right behind Amanda. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "The board! Run across!¡± Amanda sprinted for the faceless apartment ravine, as their boots met the board, it held long enough for Amanda to get to safety, just as she got to the edge Melissa felt an impossibly strong tug as the beast¡¯s breath roiled around her skull. Its entombing musk assaulted her nose. She could only gasp as her shoulders painfully took the whiplash from her pack, rifle flying down into the ravine. Along with her. Flipping backwards and landing in one of the darkened rooms two stories below. Amanda only heard the concussive thump as she called to her frantically, firing her pistol above along with a string of vile swears. Melissa¡¯s eyes burned her as she opened them to see a dark brown fuzzy surface and something sharp that gleamed in the moonlight, her adrenaline kicked into full gear as she rolled to the side. Her backpack stopped her, keeping her on her side. ¡°Melissa!¡± Her breathing stilled at the sight, an old, busted couch sat up against the wall of one of the exposed living rooms, its metal support rods were bent out of shape and caught the moon light. She stood up and yelped, promptly falling to the floor, catching herself just in time to keep her face from getting cut open on that couch. ¡°Hey you alright? That thing ran off!¡± Amanda called from above. Melissa painstakingly took her right boot off, and then her sock. ¡°No, I broke my ankle. I can¡¯t walk.¡± Amanda pried at the rooftop access door, it creaked open as she spotted Ripley and Bishop running down the street to investigate the sudden gunfire. She waved them over. ¡°Hey guys! Melissa¡¯s hurt bad, get over here!¡± Melissa broke a piece of a chair to splint her leg, tying that with her boot lace to brace her foot. The pain made her gasp. She cranked down on the final knot with a quiet hiss. She held her breath, thinking she might have alerted something, she heard a brief tap, scrabble, and something that landed in one of the other rooms neighboring her. Heavy steps echoed inside the space, bouncing off the ravine wall. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here,¡± Amanda called out, she saw the Melissa had already got to one foot, leaning on the tall allice pack frame holding the machete. She helped her out of the building after she sheepishly holstered it with a metal on plastic scrape. The retention clip sounded like a firecracker in the silence. She carried her up the stairs, ¡°got it together quick,¡± she remarked, looking down at Melissa¡¯s splinted leg. ¡°Yeah,¡± she shrugged as they opened the rooftop access door. ¡°Not the first time, sprained it once on the Appalachian trail but I had a few miles to get to my car at the trail head... no authorities these days. Or medical care...¡± ¡°Damn, reminds me of me once.¡± The roof was level with the edge of the jagged sidewalk, Bishop reached out to Amanda as Ripley reached for Melissa to help them over the 2-foot gap with stories of darkness below. Likely jagged concrete and rebar at the bottom. ¡°Thanks, what are you guys doing out here?¡± she waved, wincing as she lunged over the gap with Amanda pulling her the rest of the way and keeping her upright. ¡±Well, you wouldn¡¯t answer your phone, at least that¡¯s what Eta told me.¡± Bishop remarked, looking at both her and Amanda. ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t work in Zone 17.¡± ¡°She said you¡¯d say that.¡± Melissa gawked at Amanda¡¯s words. ¡°Did Eta send you out here to babysit me?¡± Amanda¡¯s brows rose, eyes squinting. ¡°Maybe.¡± Ripley had a concerned grimace as she glanced down. ¡°I believe you need medical attention, regardless.¡± Melissa winced again, ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± she reached for her camera, checking the polaroid tray, she had a few stills waiting in their storage compartment. She packed it away. ¡°I think I got a photo of... whatever that was.¡± ¡°Yeah, what the hell? That thing was straight out of a horror flick, couldn¡¯t get a good look at it either.¡± Amanda rubbed her arms, regretting not bringing her jacket. Melissa nodded, ¡°Yeah.¡± She reached for the back of her neck with a wince, her fingers came back red. Bishop reached into his pouch, producing gauze and tape, ¡°here, lift your head for me, it¡¯s pretty bad.¡± She lifted her head, wincing at the sudden pain and wet trickling down her spine, he wrapped the wound tightly enough to feel like she was being choked. Her strained voice carried command, regardless. ¡°We need to move, it might come back because we¡¯re in its territory.¡± Bishop''s voice carried an edge of wariness as he swung his large frame in a backward glance. ¡°Where was it?¡± Amanda picked Melissa up in her arms after handing her pack over to Bishop. ¡°The Masque,¡± he grimaced, glancing behind him as he and Ripley were trying to get their lights on with no result. ¡°That is quite frightening, I must say.¡± ¡°Science can be.¡± ¡°It''s worth it.¡± She glanced down at the battered ecologist, making brief eye contact, and Melissa wasn¡¯t certain what look she had in her eye at that moment. Nor was she certain what she felt as stomach pain rippled through her. She wasn¡¯t sure what to do with her hands other than hold them against her abdomen as she bobbed with each step. Amanda felt well-worked muscle under her canvas pants. ¡°Nice legs, you hit the gym, science girl?¡± She kicked out her good leg, the fabric stained with mud, ¡°Nope, but I do a lot of hiking. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to hike for a while,¡± her face scrunched in pain and something else Amanda could only place as regret as they made eye contact. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I dragged us in there.¡± ¡°Nah, that was terrifying but exactly... almost what I came for,¡± she gestured at her broken ankle, ¡°Just not that much terror, glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°And besides, I asked to come along after hearing you were coming here alone, glad I did.¡± She nodded her agreement as her abdomen felt like it was internally burning. They passed the urban temple at a slow jog, eventually reaching the recently cut trail leading up and out of the sunken city. Melissa¡¯s heavy breaths became more audible as the gut pain intensified, Amanda¡¯s concerned look only made her move faster. "Hey, you okay?¡± A lazy head shake said hell no as her eyes started lolling back slightly. The clicking sounded behind them as Amanda picked up her pace. Bishop reached down as he marched, Ripley started at the sound of a wet pop nearby, turning slightly to her right and flinching at a swaying tree in the chilly night breeze. Bishop scanned the lonely suburb for any movement, keeping his right hand low, and his eyes seemed to glow in the dark much like a feline would. It was one of many reasons it made Melissa nervous. Eye surgery. Amanda¡¯s own reflective orbs glanced down at her as she resisted the involuntary urge to wipe at her eyes, keeping her hands firmly pressed down, the pressure felt like it was digging a knife through her bladder. As the group hustled down the dark streets, a rhythmic clicking that sent chills down their spines echoed out from behind them. After half an hour of evading the noise and ensuring they weren¡¯t followed, the group climbed up the rubble strewn overgrowth. Shortly after finding themselves hurrying to the main gate, the tangled works of the Pythagorean blooms on the wall garden provided a dim light to see by. It looked like a giant exit sign with its bioluminescent glow, one of the few things Melissa could focus on. Something felt horribly wrong. Bishop and Ripley spun as the raced across the few hundred feet of flattened grass, glimpsing a fast blur racing past a shattered storefront right behind them. "Move move move!" Bishop called out as he drew his pistol, it was a massive frame with a simple and elegant design. Capable of punching through body armor and exosuits. A dark shape emerged from the gloom, barely visible except for twin pinpricks that bobbed in the dark. They pumped their legs hard as Amanda broke into a full sprint with Melissa swaying in her arms. Behind them, that strange chorus of guttural clicking only increased in volume and seemed to emit from every direction. The bobbing pinpoints in the dark gave their location away. ¡°We¡¯re almost to the wall! Ripley, get that gate!¡± Amanda called out as they sprinted the rest of the way to the gate past the suburb and through the hundred-foot clearing. Ripley blazed past them, reaching the wall and sweatily palming a biometric reader to its side. [Error, unable to scan Bio-Sig. Please retry.] Ripley frantically wiped her palm on her pantleg, slapping it against the panel control, she did this a few more times as the group caught up. ¡°The gate is malfunctioning again!¡± Bishops voice rang out. ¡°Keep trying, Amanda, back me up!¡± As soon as Amanda could, she dumped Melissa with her back against the gate and her ankle slamming the floor, making her see stars with the sudden lightning bolt of pain. Bishop tossed her bag next to her as he spun around. Her vision swam with nausea and pulsing pressure. Amanda spun and drew her pistol, both opened fire, deafening Melissa and Ripley. The pained shrieks of the thing got closer as Ripley held one hand to her ear and the other pounded on the control panel. She was saying something in a language Melissa couldn¡¯t understand but it sounded like she was swearing at it. Melissa leaned to her left and frantically dug through her pack, rifling through to the bottom past all of her notebooks, markers, telemetry gear, specimen bags, to the little black box at the very bottom. When she got her hands on it, the world went silent save for her ears ringing. Something is wrong. A muffled voice asked. ¡°Where the hell did it go?¡± Ripley palmed the gate again and finally began to slither open, she swiftly approached with a stimm in hand. The sudden surge of energy felt metallic and cold as her vision finally cleared, her pain subsided if only temporarily. Something is wrong. Bishop swapped mags after a glance at Amanda and the sound of her pistols slide locking forward. Melissa popped the tabs on the box she pulled from her alice pack, slowly scooting forward to get her back off the sliding gate. Bishop¡¯s emerald eyes went wide as he glanced to his left in the dark. He squinted at something from around the corner of the recessed gate, he gasped, raising his heavy pistol. He was suddenly on his back and screaming, Amanda fired at something in the dark Melissa couldn¡¯t see as Bishop got dragged. He fired his pistol while Ripley stood back, eyes wide with her hands at her mouth. Sharpened points like a crown upon its head. A devil¡¯s candelabra, its flame flickered with each muzzle flash. He frantically swore at it as it mauled him, firing his pistol into what he thought was its head between the violently thrashing pinpoints. Red flooded his vision as he kicked it with crunching squelches, Melissa took careful aim at the black blur just ahead of him. Her target gleamed bright pink in the flashing darkness. As she pulled the trigger, she feared she would hit Bishop or Amanda. The flare thankfully rocketed into the things face, forcing it to let go of his leg as it thrashed back into the dark amid its agonized shrieks and guttural croaks. Free of its grip at last, Bishop rolled away coughing. Her eyes met his briefly as the thing ran off, a blurring red streak that was on fire headed back to the swamp. ¡°You okay?¡± She asked shakily, the smoke of the flare trailing from the barrel aimed at the dark, a shaky breath escaped her as she put it down, fighting a wave of nausea. Something is wrong. ¡°Yeah... damn thing almost... thank you...¡± he hacked and wheezed. Amanda helped him up, he just as quickly dropped to a knee. ¡°My leg¡¯s fucked,¡± his uniform pantleg was torn open, the bone showing as he bled profusely. Amanda sat him down just outside, winding the windlass of a tourniquet around his calf, a couple inches above the ground beef. He screamed again as it was tightened, she marked the time on a little white tag. Two hours or risk losing that thick assed leg to lack of blood flow. Ripley helped Melissa up as they walked out, Bishop kept his eyes on the gate as it hissed shut, he radioed out to Refuge. ¡°Onyx 1 to Refuge, requesting medical, 2 wounded at Gate 19, hostile getsaltia animal contact inside, requesting capture team to mobilize on... standby.¡± He paused, glancing at Melissa and Amanda from where he sat in the grass, ¡°The Masque Theater, 4th and Viola Street.¡± Ripley finished packing Melissa¡¯s flare gun in her bag, sitting next to it. "Copy that, Emerald. Medical transport en route. ETA 15 minutes." He put the radio down, looking at Melissa with a smirk. His boot squished, his vision swam. Nausea. ¡°Thanks for saving my ass.¡± She smirked back, feeling the nausea creep into her throat at the site of his mauled leg. The garlicy rotten-fish smell of the red phosphorous burning her nostrils made her vision spin. She shot a thumbs up, leaned over and vomited with Ripley holding her and her hair up. The pomatillo earlier spewed forth in bright green and red chunks that Amanda winced at. ¡°Gross, here.¡± She pulled a rag from her pocket out, handing it and a bottle of water to Melissa as her vision blurred, the adrenaline and sudden surge of internal pain hit like a wave. She vomited again. Something is wrong. Her vision slowly went dark in dawning horror. She realized what color it truly was. Something is horribly wrong. ¡°Oh shit, Bishop, grab the kit, now, she¡¯s puking blood.¡± Amanda¡¯s muffled voice called out. She rushed up to hold her as Bishop hobbled to grab the kit from his bag, tossing to Amanda as Ripley gently let Melissa down. All she felt was fire, something was wrong with her abdomen. The vomit inducing pain tore through her as she gasped in agony. She pulled a bio scanner, clicking it on, her eyes widened as she read her biometrics. The screen blipping warning signals, ¡°Bishop, tell them to hurry the hell up and call Eta.¡± ¡°Hey, stay with me, you¡¯re gonna be okay, we¡¯ve got you, Ripley, roll up that jacket and get it under her head.¡± The movement caused waves of pain, eventually battling her closing eyes. She was certain she had a concussion, her organs wouldn¡¯t stop burning as her gasp turned to yelps of pain, and vicious swearing. As the roar of a Spectre transport ship touching down a few hundred feet away, blasting the area with debris, her vision faded in and out as she was rushed to the massive gangway in Amanda¡¯s arms. Eta¡¯s looming form stood over her. A mix of worry and a held back ¡®I told you so¡¯ crossing her face before resolving to duty as she nearly flat lined again. Once they got back to Citadel Refuge, she was immediately taken to the spire. ¡°A union. In mourning black.¡± Melissa could only hear blood pounding in her ears as Eta shouted orders. from death, you shall come back. as spoken.