Intro to Zoology (Izzack)

[Lepa]

((So uh, I'm used to doing longer stories with plots, but... before any of that, I wanna get a good feel of what my guys are like, so I've got a mini plot here just to introduce all (well most) of 'em here? At some point? Yeah.... I say "most" because I haven't figured out how to introduce Cardinal, but that's whatever since I already established him a year or two ago for an existing story I'm working on. I really just need to test out Sierra, Katsurou and Leo.))

~~~~~~~~~~

"Haaah... Geez." Sierra placed her hands on her hips with a sigh. She stood in front of the large house, glancing up at it. "So, this is where one of them wanted folk was last seen, huh...?" The Faunian rubbed her chin, looking around. Was this really the right place? After all, the neighborhood was... pretty nice? It wasn't exactly what she expected, but... Then again, she hadn't really been doing this bounty hunting thing for too long, so what would she know? There was probably a lot to learn about these sneaky criminals...

Sierra nodded to herself. "All I've gotta do is sneak in and surprise 'em!" She pounded her fist into her palm in excited declaration. "But first, I've gotta find a way in..."

She looked around briefly before putting on her best attempt at acting casual as she snooped around the building. It... was anything but casual; not by human standards, at least. To see some strange rabbit lady with one ear pressed to the ground, peering into a crevice between the foundation and dirt, tail twitching eagerly... It was a miracle no one questioned her, though anyone who saw her childishly crawling along the edge of lawn probably thought nothing of it. After all, what would a rabbit do? What could it do? Run away, and... reproduce. Okay, sure, she could kick pretty hard, but that was the basic extent of Sierra's skills. She didn't know much about weapons, nor did she find any appeal in using them... Rabbit Faunians generally didn't believe in killing.

"Aha!" Sierra whispered to herself, pushing herself back up off the ground. She'd crawled around the edge of the house and ended up right at the doors to the cellar! "I can probably get the jump on 'em from down here, right? Heehee... Just like a ninja or something!" she chuckled to herself as she yanked on one of the doors, carefully lowering it to the side to avoid noise. The Faunian glanced around once more - just to ensure she wasn't being watched - right before sneaking in.

All right, she was in! And it looked like there was nothing out of the ordinary here; just another basement. But that's how she'd get 'em - she'd sneak up from below and hit 'em before they knew what was coming! Now, to just scan the area and... "...Hm?" Her ears twitched as she stood still. "...Huh." She furrowed her brow, ears twitching again as she strained to hear. "Strange..." She frowned. Listening carefully was the easiest way to survey her surroundings, but... there was only silence. If there was any movement, she would at least hear it through the floorboards, but... there was none. "Maybe they're just sitting down... or... sleeping, maybe?" The rabbit placed a finger to her chin, tilting her head. "...I guess they're just out then, huh?" She sighed. What a letdown! Here she was, all pumped up to nab another baddie, ninja style, and they had the gall to simply not be home? She pouted, leaning against the wall. "And here I was hoping for a bit of excitement..."

Then wall flipped aside.

"WAH!"

Sierra shrieked, falling backwards into another room. "Oof...! ...Ow..." She sat up, rubbing her head. "Geeeeez..." She whined, then raised her fist up at the ceiling. "That's not what I meant!" The rabbit pouted again, childishly folding her arms. ...What was that, anyway? She got to her feet, still staring at the wall she fell through. "...Uh?" It had closed on her. "...Uhhhh..." She approached it, running her fingers across the surface. Her brow furrowed as she started knocking on the wall, looking for something, anything to reverse it. There... There had to be a way to go back through it, right? Right?

A tinge of panic began to well up inside her. But... what for? There was nobody home... probably... right? She was just getting worked up for nothing. "All I need to do," she asserted, "is just go upstairs and leave through the door," she reassured herself. No need to panic. She put her hand to her chest, taking a deep breath and felt her heart rate go down as she did so. Whew. That's right. No need to panic.

Then she turned around.

Oh, good.

She had fallen into an armory.

A full fledged armory.

An armory full of all sorts of fun things that could kill her.

Well. Now it was time to panic.

[The Izzack]

Sometimes a man was pushed to the exact limit of what he could take.

Sometimes, a man could only keep a smile for so long until he started to scream and break things.

Johnathan was right on the cusp of that boiling point.  This entire day had been little more than babysitting.  Still, he kept his composure as he entered his home, completely unaware of the intruder he managed to attract.  He was trailed by three members of his little family, the cause of all his annoyance.  As a rather clingy group of specimens, he had expected that they would do well together.  Their personalities matched perfectly, they all seemed to like each other, and everything had been set up so as to remove any potential of conflict within the household.  Everything was perfectly set up, except for the fact that, early in his treatment for his rather high anxiety, Jacob was loathe to be left alone with people he didn't know, so John had to visit personally and stay in this in between home until the group became better acquainted.  "Now," he began, not quite slamming the door behind him as the group entered, but certainly making sure it was quickly and completely closed, "I shall be in my study.  Unless it is important, I do not wish to be disturbed.  Jacob, make tea for your new friends.  Sai, tell everyone that story about when you went camping in the mountains.  And Tyler...Don't be afraid to ask questions.  These are good people, and I'm sure they will be willing to answer." Johnathan ordered, seeming more a general than a therapist as he curtly directed the people in the house before venturing upstairs to where he could relax in his isolation, and watch his security cameras in peace.

It didn't take much watching to realize that he had another, unexpected, guest.  As he watched this strange little creature panic, the frown on his face slowly turned into something of a smile, though it seemed far too predatory to be at all disarming.  "Why hello there." he whispered to himself, watching the little rodent, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" his sour mood, while not completely allayed, certainly was made less apparent by this glimpse into a fearful creature.  He quickly looked towards the smaller monitors behind him, which displayed the same video, but on a lengthy delay, so as to watch how this rat got into his home, and if she had gotten in before, or after he had entered.

[Lepa]

"K... Kyaa-!" Sierra began to yell before immediately cupping both hands over her mouth, shortening it into a yelp. Oh, this wasn't good. In fact, this was the opposite of good! This was bad! Why was this place even here? Who needed a secret room full of weapons?! Was this normal in neighborhoods like this? No... No, it couldn't be! She'd gotten word that a baddie was here, but... to think they'd be this dangerous...! And now she was trapped?! This... This was not the kind of excitement she was hoping for.

But she couldn't shriek about it! Even while in a state of shock, she'd just heard something upstairs... Footsteps, talking... That had to be them returning, right? They'd hear her if she yelled, so she couldn't make noise now... and she didn't trust herself not to. She just stood back, keeping her hands pressed against her mouth while her mind raced. Urgh... She had to calm down. Forget the bad guy, she thought. Forget them and focus on escaping!

Finally, she removed her hands and suddenly gasped for air. Oof... she didn't realize she was holding her breath. She sputtered a bit, sighed shakily, then took in a few more breaths to stabilize herself. "A-All right," she quietly tried to reassure herself, though it was clear she was still spooked. Her eyes darted around, looking for a way to progress, and spotted a hallway. It was scary, but... it was either find a way out or stay here and be found. There weren't any other options. She clenched her fists up, defensively holding them against her chest as she moved forward. "I'm gonna... I'm gonna get out of here...!" She nearly squeaked, scurrying through the armory and straight down the hallway.

[The Izzack]

"Oh?" Johnathan said as he returned to the live feed, "Seems our little guest doesn't desire our company. Tsk, Tsk, little one. You haven't even met us. That can be fixed, though." he continued. It was idle commentary at first, but as he said it, it started to make more and more sense in his mind. Yes, this would solidify his little group so much better than simple chatting ever could. Give them a mission. Nothing too severe, but something they had to work together on. While he was loathe to leave the monitor, if only for a moment, he felt this opportunity was simply too good to pass up. slowly, he got up out of his chair, and went to the door to his study. "Jacob! Sai! Tyler! I need to see you. Now, if you would please!" he called down, and sure enough, the trio came up almost before he could finish his sentence.

Eager to please, the trio stood silent as John paced back and forth a few times, deciding on the best way to both phrase his 'request' and for the best way to deliver it. "It would appear," he said, nearly shouting. He might be on the second floor, but he wanted his intruder to hear him, and, while his study was well soundproofed, the rest of the house was not, if at all, and a frightened intruder straining to listen for any and all movement might just hear his yelling. "that we have an intruder." he continued, appreciating the shocked, somewhat angry looks on the faces of his three subjects. "I don't know where this intruder is, but I have noticed signs of their entry. As it is, I cannot deal with this on my own, for I am needed in here. I do hope I can trust the three of you with this important matter. I can trust you, can't I?" he asked, but it was clear that he already knew the answer that he would be given. "Good. Now, make sure you work as a team now. None of you are strong enough alone, but together you can find this thief." and with that, they were off.

Now all that Johnathan had to do was wait, and watch. After closing his door once more, he turned his attention back onto his little show. He watched his little minions turn over nearly everything they could, looking for any signs of intrusion, though there were none to be found other than the cellar door. Nevertheless, they all but tore the house apart in their search, making quite a racket while they did so.

[Lepa]

"It would appear... that we have an intruder."

Sierra stopped, her heart skipping a beat. The voice was high up above her, but loud and clear to her ears. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. That is not what she wanted to hear! How did he know?! Was... Was he an animal, too? Did he hear her? Did he catch her scent? No... No, that couldn't have been it! They'd just gotten here, and even if it was another beastkin, they wouldn't have picked up her presence right away...

Unless they were an experienced hunter.

She gulped, shaking her head to dispel the thought. She had to not do that. She had to stop assuming the worst. Sierra's inherent rabbit instincts were mostly helpful, yes; except for the one she'd get locked into a frightened survival mode and start picturing the worst case scenario. She always had to stop herself and take deep breaths to regain her senses, even if just for a moment...

"None of you are strong enough alone, but together you can find this thief."

She snapped out of her thoughts. "D-Damnit...!" She swore, steeling herself and scampering forward once again. Her ears flinched at the sounds of the commotion up above. "I hope they're not armed... Gh..." And what if they were? Her mind raced as she tried to strategize in her head. That one voice said there's at least three of them, she thought. Counting that voice, there's at least four... And they were told to work as a team... Sierra grit her teeth. That's right, they had power in numbers. She hoped it wouldn't come down to actually confronting any of them, but... the best thing she could do was try and fight them one on one. All she had to do was sneak up, give 'em a swift kick to the head, knock them out, and run. Yes, that would work. She hoped it'd work. She would stick with that plan.

It felt like she had been down here forever, though. It hadn't actually been that long, but she could've sworn she was going in circles. It didn't help that she was trying to stay as far away as possible from all the noise going on above, but... it seemed like she'd be stuck down there if she continued to avoid it, and starving beneath the house of a bad guy wasn't exactly most appealing way to go. She'd have to make her way towards the noise. Urgh...

Sure enough, doing so finally led her to a staircase. She could hear movement behind the door at the top, and it was closer than ever. Sierra swallowed again. "Now or never," she murmured, and ascended the stairs on all fours, her feet and hands light against each step. She stopped right before the top, leveling her eyes with the small crack between the door and floor, hoping she could get a better reading of what was going on...

[The Izzack]

For quite some time, the trio of 'hunters' searched in vain.  Part of the reason for this was that, despite the doctor's orders-and much to his frustration-they were not properly working as a team.  They searched over areas already searched by others, they didn't communicate well, if at all.  Overall, it seemed more like people searching for a missing remote than an intruder. 


"Guys, wait!" one of the trio, Tyler, suddenly said, gaining the attention of the others.  "We're getting nowhere!  If we don't find this guy soon, he's going to leave!  And if that happens, the doctor will be disappointed!  What if he's stealing something the doctor holds dear as we speak?  We need to work as a team here!"

"That's what we have been doing, Tyler!" Sai complained.

"No, Sai, we've been simply searching three times as much, not three times as well, as we should be." Tyler retorted, seeming to pick up steam.  "Okay, so here's what we do,  Jacob, you look upstairs, the the signs of a break in the doctor talked about could have been up there!" Tyler began, earning an immediate "You can count on me!" from Jacob.  "Alright, then I'll check the basement.  Sai, we need you here to keep watch in case the thief is armed, or they try to escape past either of us." he continued, earning a much less enthusiastic "Okay, I guess I can do that." from the woman.

With that, they were off, now a focused group, as Johnathan watched with amusement.  His smile grew as Tyler neared the door to the basement.  The very door that he had seen this little rat going towards, before she got out of range of the camera.  It wouldn't be long.  The rabbit would have to choose.  Fight or flight, and she would have to choose soon, else the choice would be made for her as soon as that door opened.  Now this was a way to turn a day around.  He got his trouble subjects to cooperate, he got to watch the behavior of an intruder when they knew that they were in danger, and soon he was going to see just what an intruder in that situation would ultimately do.  He would have to be sure to thank this intruder, if he ever got his hands on her.

[Lepa]

Sierra drew back quickly, eyes widened in anticipation. She looked around frantically, glancing back down the stairs. For a moment, she thought of fleeing back into the odd, shadowy basement labyrinth and hiding in the darkness until the danger blew over, but... she'd still be trapped. She'd be trapped, and that one voice that somehow knew she was here would still know she was here, so what good would that do? She couldn't run. Instead, she looked back up at the door. The handle clicked, followed by a crack of light. Damnit, what was she supposed to do?! She told herself she would just kick them, but what if they had a gun? Getting shot in the leg would cripple her chances of escape!

As she ran through all sorts of horrible scenarios in her head in trying to figure out the safest way to react, she realized it was already too late to ambush them. The door opened and she blinked hard a few times, adjusting to the sudden flood of light before going wide eyed again. In that moment, she really was more animal than human: Sierra was still perched on all fours, her body low to the stairs. Her breathing practically stopped as she dared to make no movement, her ears flattening in fear as she looked up at the man with the eyes of a deer in headlights.

[The Izzack]

"Remember," Tyler said, suddenly seeming a bit nervous. After all, if the thief actually was in the basement, what would he do? He wasn't a big guy. He couldn't tackle anyone, and the only person here that really could was upstairs, also looking. Suddenly he felt weak, despite his taking charge of the situation. Despite his choice to search the basement. Well, better to get it over with than to-

there was a huge rabbit in the basement.

"Gah!" he shouted, more out of the shock of seeing something so soon than actual fear. "SAI COME QUICK THERE...wait...is that a person? Wait...is this the thief?" he seemed more shocked than angry, and more confused than shocked.

Sai, however, did not seem as stunned by the rabbit girl's sudden appearance. "You! Just what do you think you're doing here? This is a private home, not some sort of community center. Did you steal anything!? So help me, I will beat every dollar you stole out of you!" fiercely loyal to the doctor, she couldn't stand anyone doing anything that could bring him any sort of harm or disrespect, and this was both. How dare this little rodent come into his home unannounced, how dare she take from such a loving, giving man like the doctor? There was no way she was going to let this stand.

Meanwhile, in all the commotion, Jacob lumbered down the stairs, seeming more curious than anything. "So, did you guys find the thief? Is that...Is that a bunny?" As if to form a perfect trinity of emotions, Jacob seemed almost thrilled. "It's so cute! What is it doing here? It can't be the thief, can it?" he asked, reaching out a hand to Sierra, as if to pet her.

[Lepa]

Sierra recoiled from the hand, taking a step back down the stairs. This... is not what she was expecting, but... she a bit relieved. Were these really bad guys? None of them fit the description she was given by the captain down at Aegis Wing, so... maybe this was just some mistake. Maybe she'd barged into the wrong house after all, and now she'd get scolded by the captain again for being so reckless... This was all just some misunderstanding. At least, that's what she wanted to think. There was something off about that one voice from earlier... the loud one... but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

Either way, if these were really just normal people, attacking them would just cause more complications. Unless they made the first move, that is, but... it didn't seem like the men would? That was a good thing though, and Sierra wanted to keep it that way. She looked to the man who called her cute and thought, maybe, just maybe if she appealed to him, she could leave with little problem. Without a word, she put on her best pout and slowly climbed back up one stair, lifting her ears back up as she gave curious headtilt. Yes, good. If he thought she was cute when frightened, how could he resist a headtilt?!

[The Izzack]

"Aww...Come on, Sai, how can you be mad at a face like that? Poor little thing must have just gotten lost. It may look like a person, but I guess it just acts like a bunny." Jacob said. From the way he spoke, it didn't seem as if he meant to insult Sierra's intelligence. He seemed to genuinely believe that this was just a normal rabbit in a strange, half rabbit half human body. "You must've been so scared, what with all the ruckus we were making. Sorry about that, but we thought you were a mean ol' thief, come in to steal from the doctor. We didn't know it was just a little rabbit!" he cooed, trying his best to make Sierra feel at ease.

Sai, angry as she was earlier, seemed to slowly, but surely, let her guard down. Perhaps Jacob was right. Perhaps this little thing didn't know regular...human things. Maybe she didn't know that you couldn't just enter a person's house without asking, and, since neither she nor her companions knew about the armory in the basement, she found it possible to believe that this little creature just entered through a carelessly left open cellar door. "...Okay, okay. Maybe I was a little too quick to judgement." was all she said. She still didn't really like the creature, but she certainly felt as if she could emphasize with it. She could very well see herself frightened if the roles were reversed.

Tyler, meanwhile, Tyler just watched, still feeling rather stunned at the whole situation. He had expected to find someone trying their best to hide until they gave up, not some rabbit lady staring up at him as soon as he opened the door. The whole situation was just too confusing, and it felt as if he was missing some vital piece of information that would allow him to make sense of it all.

[Lepa]

Whew... Good. It worked. As far as these three were concerned, she was just an oversized, human shaped bunny - a role she was more than happy to play. Besides, it wasn't an inaccurate statement, either: she was descended from rabbits, after all! (Or at least, that's what her parents told her growing up.) She'd be insulted if they didn't buy into her act of being a small, fluffy creature beloved for being cute. But would she speak? She could just explain herself, but...

...No. Not now. Her actions spoke louder than any words she could come up with. They thought she was a lost bunny! She wasn't about to risk blowing that cover - especially since her act was enough to diffuse the tension. Now all that she needed to do was escape to freedom. Sierra glanced past the trio's feet, hoping to see some sort of exit... And spotted one door with a little window near the top. That had to be it, right? There was definitely sunlight coming through it... How convenient.

Now with a target, Sierra tilted her head again, leaning forward slightly to indicate that her focus had shifted onto the door in the near distance. She glanced back up at them, then looked back to the door, hoping to draw their attention to it. And if that didn't work, then maybe she could even climb up the last step and just gently nudge herself past their legs. They thought she was harmless, so surely they'd leave her alone, right? She immediately buried any thoughts that said otherwise and instead twitched her ears, hoping to keep up her appeal.

[The Izzack]

Once again, Sierra's mere existence worked like a charm on Jacob. "Aww, it wants to leave. Well, little fella, I'd rather you stay, but I guess it wouldn't be fair t-" "Don't let her by just yet, Jacob." "?"

Jacob stopped in his tracks. They all did, and watched as Johnathan descended the stairs, seeming to hold something behind his back, though if she was paying attention, Sierra would have been able to make out the clear scent of gunpowder. As it was, he had seen just about enough, and, as he saw it, this little group exercise was drawing to a close. "I congratulate your efforts on working as a team, and a part of me wishes that I could give you our little...guest here, but I'm afraid that she has overstayed her welcome. he said as he neared the group, never taking his eyes off Sierra. "You see, our guest here isn't just some dumb little bunny. She knew full well what she was doing when she came in here. This wasn't some mistake, she broke in. She is a snooping rat, and there are certain punishments that are due to those who are found guilty of such things." he continued, as he revealed what he had been hiding. It was a rather antiquated rifle, one that hung in his study. It was more decoration than anything. Chances were, it couldn't even fire, but Johnathan didn't need it to.

"In England, they hunt foxes. They don't track them down in their homes, however. You see, they capture the fox first, then they let it loose in a forest of their choosing, and after they give it a certain amount of time, they chase after it. With hounds." he rested a hand on Tyler's shoulder, so as to drive the point home.

"Well, little rat. I would say that the hunt is on." he leaned in close, and stared at the girl. It was as if something lurked behind his piercing gaze. Something dark, and deranged. From that look, there was no doubt that this man was gripped by madness. "Run." and with that, the group parted, leaving Sierra an open path to the door.

[Lepa]

Sierra's ears stoop up as her eyes darted to the sound of a new voice. No... the fourth voice. It was the voice that ordered these three to find her, wasn't it? It had to be. She knew there was something off about his voice before, but actually seeing the man descend the stairs... She could feel that something just wasn't right with him. She could smell it. Were her instincts overreacting again? Or... no. No, they were working just fine. Every fiber of her being was certain of one thing: This man was dangerous.

And if she still had any doubts left in her mind, the rifle he pulled out certainly convinced her. She tensed up, eyes wide again, just barely able to register his words about hunting and hounds. She... was not a fan of dogs; especially hounds. ...Was he saying these people secretly expert hunters? Were they the ones who feigned cluelessness to lure her into a false sense of security? She just didn't know what to believe anymore.

The fourth man got close and she stared back, entranced by her fear. Every alarm in her head was blaring loudly, telling her to flee. She knew nothing about this man, but she could see in his eyes that he was a predator. "Run," he said. And she did.

Sierra bolted through the basement door frame and past the group, practically still on all all fours, nearly ramming her head into the door. She sprung up and clawed at the handle, not daring to look back, clumsily trying to squeeze herself through it exit before she had even opened it all the way. She let out a yelp as the door hit her on the way out. It was the only noise she made as she fled down the sidewalk, too frightened to even scream. Her instincts were in high gear - all she could focus on was not being caught.

[The Izzack]

As the small rodent girl bolted from his house, John smiled once more. Yes, that was the reaction he had been hoping for. As far as he saw it, frightening an intruder in such a way that they never even attempt to come back was much more challenging and rewarding than simply calling the police. "So, when do you want us to chase after her?" Tyler asked, even more confused now with the rapidly changing moods, and the vagueness of Johnathan's words.

"Hrmm? Oh, don't mind her, she is of no concern. As you were, I'll be in my study." he stated simply before leaving the trio amidst the mess they had made of the living room.

_____________________________________

Meanwhile, Izzack was on the lookout for crime, from an alleyway, on a rather dead street. As it was, there wasn't much chance of a crime happening, but on the bright side, there wasn't really much of a chance of being seen watching people, either, so that was nice. It was a nice time, sitting on the milk crate behind the dumpster watching the dead street. That was, of course, until he saw someone running by at full speed. It happened so quickly, Izzack needed an extra second just to process what had just happened, but as soon as he did, he was up. It was hero time. This person was obviously running from a crime...or to a crime? Maybe they had done a crime, and were running away from the scene? NO MATTER. Izzack was going to get to the bottom of this. Without further delay, he charged out of the alley, and after the girl, who seemed to be wearing bunny ears, going surprisingly fast, considering this long robe, though not quite fast enough to keep pace with her. "Miss! Miss, please stop! What are you running from!? Miss!?" he called out, though his weak voice didn't carry very far.

[Lepa]

Sierra may have heard his voice, but she was too terrified to realize that it called out to her. As far as she was concerned, she was being chased - hunted - and she was dead set on getting away. Her instincts were in high gear now, and they all yelled at her to run as fast as her legs would carry her. One would almost think it was was a primal state. She could've called for help, but alas, her priority was avoiding her pursuers, and being quiet was key to avoiding detection.

She hadn't dared to look back the entire time, but she had to be far enough now. Cautiously, she halfway glanced back. Yet, in that exact moment she took her eyes off the path in front of her, she collided into a bystander at full force. "ACK!" She shrieked, knocking over the innocent passerby. He landed with a soft thud, Sierra landing beside him.

"Urgh..." He sat up, getting to his feet. "Please watch where you're going," he muttered, clearly frustrated but trying to remaining polite. He closed his eyes with a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. The young man then looked back down, offering his hand. "Are you okay-" He began, but stopped at the sight of Sierra's ears. Why was she wearing these? It was an... odd fashion choice. Or... Were they real? Was she a beastkin?

"H-Help me!" Sierra practically squeaked, as she took his hand - and then some. Immediately, she was back on her feet and clinging to his arm, scrunched over and quivering with fear. She shuffled to the side, turning him around to face the direction she ran from. "S-Scary! Scary man!" She stammered, eyes screwed shut as she looked down, pressing her head against his shoulder. "They're hunting me!" She clung tighter, pleading. She didn't care who it was, she just wanted help! "P-Please, I'm scared! Help meeee! I don't want to die!"

The young man frowned as he looked down at her. He was about to scold her for not paying attention, but if she was running away from danger and now begging him for help... Well, he had no choice now. After all, that was why Katsurou was traveling: to lend his strength to those who needed it. ...Even if it was a frightened rabbit.

He looked back up, staring down the way from which Sierra came. In the near distance, he saw the culprit approaching: a black robed figure with a scythe on his back. It was... quite literally, death. No wonder she was so scared, Katsurou thought, furrowing his brow. If death had come to collect, was it worth fighting against it if it was the end of this woman's time on earth? He glanced back down in the corner of his eye, seeing the strange girl's face buried into his arm. He sighed. No, he had to fight.

"You." Katsurou firmly called out to the approaching reaper. "If you plan on taking this girl... then fine." Sierra looked up suddenly, her heart sinking. "But," he added, and her ears perked up hopefully. She then looked down as the arm she clung to moved slightly, clearing the way for his free hand to draw the blade that hung at his side. He stared icily at the culprit, pointing the weapon at him.

"You will have to face me."