<Storyteller> Somewhere in New York
<Storyteller> It watches the building, listening to the screams that eminate from
it. They are her screams, not of pain, but screams of fear...and sorrow.
<Storyteller> It can feel that thing inside him try to well up, try to take control,
to help her. It focuses it's will to try and push it down.
<Storyteller> A change comes over it's face, and he is out and he rushes towards the
building
<Storyteller> Brianna hangs by her arms, her head held low. She senses someone
enter. It doesn't matter, she is doomed she thinks. The spectre walk over to her
and he raises his arms.
<Storyteller> Brianna flinches waiting for the thing to hit her, and there is a
small clink and she falls from the open cuffs into it's arms.
<Storyteller> "Wha-? Who are you?"
<Storyteller> The spectre covers her eyes, "Don't look at me... I'm here to help."
he says as he carries her through the wall and into the street.
<Storyteller> Somewhere in New York, the 82nd watches the spectre melt away
<Daniel> "Gods, it looked just like her." he says watching the face ooze and crack
<Hans> "We'll have to be more careful from now on."
* Angelo rubs his chin and looks around. "What brought Shadow here, then, I wonder?"
<IronJohn> "Ey that it did lad, just remember that these dark bastards have no end
of tricks up their sleaves."
* Daniel bends down in the goop, and brings up a mask
<Daniel> "This was...is her mask."
<IronJohn> "Thats what the dog picked up."
* Daniel nods
* Angelo nods. "So we keep following the trail, then?"
<IronJohn> "Indeed lad."
<Angelo> "It's like we're just being toyed with. I don't like it."
<Daniel> "I think that Shadow will only follow the scent, so whatever was hers
he'll find. Hmm maybe if we like gave him a piece of corpea he'd be more accurate
in finding the person rather than their possessions."
* Daniel bends down and puts the mask in front of Shadow
<Daniel> "Get the scent,"
<IronJohn> "Ey but where are we going to get a piece of corpa from now, lad?"
<Hans> "We can only pray we are not too late."
* Angelo nods at IronJohn.
<Storyteller> Shadow perks his head up and sniffs the mask. Shadow begins to pull
towards the north east.
<IronJohn> "We should be on our way...these trails get cold awfully quick."
<Angelo> "I was wondering the same. Looks like he's got a whiff of something,
though."
<Storyteller> Shadow pulls Daniel through the wall and out into the street.
* Angelo puts his gladius away and follows, dusting off his suit.
* IronJohn follows
* Hans follows
<Daniel> "I think as soon as we get a chance to relax, maybe we should each set
out piece of our Corpea for Shadow."
<Storyteller> William shakes his head. "No."
<Angelo> "For future insurance?"
<Daniel> "Yeah," gives William a disapproving look.
* Angelo gives William an odd look. "If a buncha spectres grabbed me up, I'd sure
as hell want someone to be able to track me."
* IronJohn remains silent as he walks
<Storyteller> William shrugs
<Storyteller> You continue to walk down the street, when...
<IronJohn> "Look at that lads, look at the aura on that one."
* IronJohn says as he points to a quick carrying a laundry basket
* Angelo narrows his eyes and looks.
* Hans turns to look at the quick.
<Storyteller> You can see a strange aura on the young man carrying the laundry
basket. It is green, with streaks of deadly pale
<Storyteller> You estimate the man is about twenty-six-twenty seven.
* IronJohn gets close to the man and says "Hey!"
* Tom drops the laundry basket, and yells in surprise
<Tom> "Jesus!!"
<IronJohn> "No not Jesus."
* Tom bends down and picks up his laundry as the passerbys on the street watch him
* Angelo looks interested.
<IronJohn> "Sorry about that mate."
* Tom hands are shaking as he picks up his laundry
<Angelo> "He can hear us."
<IronJohn> "Yep he can."
* Tom whispers, "Not again..."
<IronJohn> "You can hear us can't you?"
* Angelo chuckles. "Now this is entertaining."
<IronJohn> "So whats yer name lad?"
<Tom> "Mmmm," he hums trying not to hear you
<Hans> "Interesting." mumbles Hans.
<Storyteller> The passerbys are now moving on, this is New York
<IronJohn> "Whats yer name?"
* Tom picks up his laundry and shouts, "Tom! Tom Morgan ok?!!"
* Tom begins to run down the street
<Angelo> "Settle down, Tommy."
<IronJohn> "Thank ye lad, sorry about the bother, we will leave you alone now."
<IronJohn> "Come on lets go, the fun is over."
<Angelo> "Wish I had time to skinride him for a bit. Something tells me interesting
things are bound to happen to him."
<Storyteller> You watch him run away, and you swear, that he turned around for a
second, and looked right into your eyes.
* Angelo shrugs and nods.
<Storyteller> You continue to follow Shadow down the street
<Hans> "Once this is over, we should find that lad again."
<IronJohn> "That is why I got his name Lad, that is why I got his name."
<Hans> "Could be of great use to us in the future."
* Daniel nods
* Angelo nods. "Though I somehow doubt he'll be inclined to be overly helpful."
<IronJohn> "Ey I think he pissed himself runnin away."
* Daniel laughs
* IronJohn walks in the direction that Shadow is leading us
<Daniel> "I wonder how many people can see us?"
<Angelo> "More than you'd think."
* Daniel nods
* Angelo takes more notice of the people he walks through.
<Storyteller> You walk for about an hour when, suddenly, Shadow stops
* IronJohn blunders through people, he is too old to care
* IronJohn looks at the dog
<Storyteller> Shadow's hackles raise, and he begins to growl
* Angelo keeps walking for a moment before noticing everyone else is stopped, and
looks at Shadow.
<Daniel> "I think we got a spectre, nearby."
* IronJohn looks around
* Angelo reaches for his gladius.
* Daniel suddenly flinches
<Angelo> "I gotta get a gun."
<Daniel> "What the hell.."
<IronJohn> "What is it lad?"
* Hans pulls out one of his pistols.
* IronJohn reaches for his gun
<Daniel> "I...I just saw the spectre...he's over there," motions discreetly
towards the top of a small gift shop.
* IronJohn looks
* Angelo tries to look subtly.
* Hans looks toward the shop.
<Angelo> "I don't see... where?"
<Storyteller> You see a small movement in the shadows, maybe a hand, you couldn't
quite see it
* IronJohn whispers "On the count of three rush the bastard."
* Daniel nods
* Hans nods.
* IronJohn whispers "One....two.....three."
* IronJohn rushes at the spectre
* Daniel pulls Nocturne and rushes at him
* Hans rushes toward the spectre.
* Angelo charges.
<Storyteller> You hear a shrieking and a small spectre runs along the top of the
rooftop.
* Hans aims at the spectre.
* IronJohn fires
* Angelo holds back, looking for a way up.
<Storyteller> William watches you all fire at it
<Storyteller> The spectre jumps at the edge of the building, but is caught by
Ironjohn's fire, it catches him in mid jump and it falls to your feet.
* IronJohn looks at it
* Hans comes forward, still aiming at the spectre, waiting for it to twitch.
* Angelo steps up and looks at the fallen spectre.
<Storyteller> It is a small ten year old child, it's angelic features are marred by
the black veins coursing through it's corpus.
<Daniel> "My god, it's just a boy."
* Hans puts his gun away.
<IronJohn> "Its a spectre."
<IronJohn> "The form matters not....."
* Angelo looks concerned.
<Storyteller> William shakes his head, "This war..."
* Hans looks sad.
<IronJohn> "I want all of you to listen up and listen hard...."
* Daniel looks up
<IronJohn> "You are all young wraiths, so this sort of thing is going to shock you
now."
<Storyteller> William looks at IronJohn
* Angelo keeps half an eye on the spectre, but appears to be listening.
<IronJohn> "But this is how things are....Form does not matter...."
* Daniel nods
<IronJohn> "This thing is a spectre...leave it at that."
<Daniel> "I have seen these things before."
<Daniel> "When the first wave came, many of them were...like this."
<IronJohn> "If you heed my words you will save yourself a hard won lesson later in
your unlife."
* Angelo nods. "More dangerous than most, since it's hard to put a bullet in a
kid's head."
* IronJohn finishes off the spectre
* Angelo gives the spectre a distasteful look and scans the area again, looking for
Shadow's mood.
* IronJohn walks on
* Hans follows IronJohn slowly.
<Storyteller> Shadow begins to follow the scent once more
* Angelo follows.
<Storyteller> You walk for what seems to be an hour or two when Shadow stops
* Hans still has his pistol out, expecting any danger.
* Daniel kneels down, "Come on, Shadow, is it really her?"
<Storyteller> Shadow continues to point
* Hans looks to where shadow is pointing.
* Daniel looks to where he is pointing
* Angelo follows Shadow's gaze.
<Storyteller> Shadow's gaze takes you down the street, and into the darkness
<Daniel> "Shadow that's just an empty street."
<Storyteller> You can hear off in the distance two sets of footsteps
<Storyteller> They seem to be running
* Hans is ready for anything.
* IronJohn is on the lookout
* Hans has his pistol ready.
* Angelo strains to see down the alley, and draws his gladius.
<Storyteller> Suddenly from around the corner, you see Brianna holding the hand of a
spectre running around the corner
<Angelo> "Spectre!"
<Storyteller> "Run!!" she screams
* Hans aims at the spectre.
<Storyteller> "Don't shoot!" she yells
* Angelo blinks in confusion.
* IronJohn looks confused
* Hans is confused.
<Storyteller> "Just run!!" she waves at you
* IronJohn takes to the air and flys over them
<Storyteller> Then you hear it, footfalls....hundreds of them coming around the
corner following Brianna and the spectre.
* Angelo frowns as he turns. "I suppose this is Brianna, then?" he says to Hans as
he begins to run.
* IronJohn turns around and says "Run!!!!"
* Hans begins to run quickly. "Yes it is."
* IronJohn books it out of here
<Storyteller> Then you see them, spectres flooding the streets behind Brianna and
the spectre, in the middle of them is Scar.
* Daniel runs for his life, along with William
* IronJohn swoops and picks up Brianna
* Hans starts to 'flicker' away.
<Storyteller> Suddenly, the spectres stop and there is a loud gun shot
<Storyteller> The spectre is blown off of his feet and he rolls on the ground, there
is laughter.
<Storyteller> "So there is a price for salvation," you hear Scar say, and then as
quick as they came the spectres suddenly flee
* IronJohn looks back
* Angelo slows his run for a moment to look back.
* Hans looks back, farther than the rest, not sure of what is going on.
<Storyteller> The street is now empty, and a large crack in the street is closing
* Brianna rushes to the spectre
<Angelo> "What the...?"
* IronJohn lands
<Brianna> "He saved me..."
* IronJohn looks at the two of them
<Storyteller> The spectre writhes a bit on the ground, as Brianna leans over him
* Hans stops, then hurries back to the rest.
* Brianna touches his mask
<Spectre> "No leave it on...I am unpleasent to look at."
* IronJohn stares at them, as if he were torn by opposed thoughts or emotions, you
notice that he grips his gun tightly
<Spectre> "I will survive this," he says looking at all of you
<Spectre> "I don't...want to be this way."
<Spectre> "Please...I can't hold on much longer...."
* IronJohn is shaking
* Angelo gives IronJohn a look, and turns back to the spectre on the ground.
* Hans looks around the group.
* Brianna shakes her head, and holds up her hand to IronJohn
<Brianna> "A gun," she croaks
* IronJohn throws her his gun
* IronJohn begins to settle down a bit
* Brianna stands and with shaking hands points it at the spectre
* Angelo watches without flinching.
* Brianna fires into his chest
* IronJohn watches
* IronJohn looks miles away
* Spectre lurches on the ground, and his body begins to melt
<Spectre> "I'm afraid....what will happend to me?"
* IronJohn is slient
* Hans is quiet.
* Brianna shakes her head..
<Storyteller> The spectre begins to fade away
* Angelo runs his hand through his hair and watches.
* Brianna face gets a hard look as she hands the gun back to IronJohn
<Brianna> "Scar!!! I know you can hear me!!!"
* IronJohn takes the gun without a word and just lets it hang at his side
<Brianna> "You are not the man I loved!! You are nothing like him!! And to me you
are nothing!!"
<Brianna> "I vow the next time we meet, Scar, I'll kill you!! You hear me, I'll
kill you!!!" <Storyteller> to be continued
