November 16, 2012...
Baümer's Mansion. Danelburg, Azurea...
A REISS medical van sits at the expanse of the front lawn. Walter can be seen at a distance, having a conversation to a paramedic beside him. Last night was a rollercoaster ride of paranoia and worry, with a little side of tomfoolery. As it turned out, Carl had his own phobias of seeing his own blood and he remained on the verge of fainting despite Ilse's expertise on handling injuries. Fortunately, Owen had a gift with words which relieved some of Carl's panic, or at least kept him from screaming like a little girl.
Upon recieving the news of the attack, the rest of the squad immediately rushed on-site right at the start of their duty. Luckily though, Eidessa's aggressions around the area ceased at the tick of the dawn's rising sun, leaving the manor's surroundings in a temporary solitude of peace to say the least.
Carl is reclined on a stretcher, his right arm is secured by the embrace of the sling circling around his neck. The whole squad is gathered around him, making him look like an old man on his deathbeath as he bid farewell to his brood of mismatched beloved ones. Leon, Gunther, and Juliane could be his adult children in this case, while Noralie and Ilse being his grandchildren, beautiful as they ever be.
"You really got your ass kicked, huh?" chuckled Juliane.
The sardonic remark prompted Carl to groan in annoyance, "Shut up, Ju."
"Stop bickering, you two." A sigh escaped from Gunther's lips, "Meds, kindly take this guy, please."
The two nearby paramedics approached and wheeled Carl's stretcher towards the gaping rear doors of the medical van. In a synchronized motion, they ushered the stretcher inside, aligning it securely within in place. Carl offered a brief thumbs-up to the team just before the doors sealed shut with a thud.
Noralie's gaze lingered on the van as it let out a series of cranking that ignited into a rumble before it skidded towards the driveway that led to the gate. The departure of the medical vehicle left the rest of the Orion Thirteen in solitude, their company now limited to the swaying leaves and gentle rustling of the nearby trees.
"So, mind telling us what happened out there?" Leon looked at Ilse and Noralie expectantly.
"We were caught off guard," Ilse rubbed her nape whilst maintaining a sheepish smile. "I already warned him but saphead's a tryhard."
"I'm sorry." said Noralie in a hushed voice.
"Hey, there's nothing to apologize, rookie. It's not entirely your fault." Leon nodded in reassurance, but his tone says otherwise.
"And we're not going to finish anything here moping around," Walter approached. "Carl is out of the line for now and we must continue the investigation and analysis phase."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll substitute Carl from here on," Leon insisted.
"Woah! Substitute Carl? By you? No way, not gonna happen." Gunther huffed and approached Walter, "Sir, with all due respect, let me take over Carl's position here."
Leon took a slow deep breath, "Just stay out of this, geek. You know nothing about this case besides the briefing yesterday, you'll just probably end up like Carl while accomplishing nothing."
"Uh-huh, that's true," Gunther's voice slightly raised in an exasperated tone. "'Cause you know everything, right? Co-lead."
"Ja, we've been scouting this situation for days so I'm more than capable enough to be Carl's substitute here," scoffed Leon. "Got any problems with that?"
"Yeah and you're the problem, hmmp, sucking everybody's businesses and throwing around with that attitude..."
Noralie looked at the quareling Leon and Gunther with her bloodshot eyes, coming up into a conclusion of a clear, personal beef that must've been going on between the two for quite a while now. Maybe there's some sort of competitive tendencies happening among her squadmates? If so, should she be cautious not to overstep her own boundaries here?
"Hör auf!" Walter yelled, and looked at them with furrowed brows like a disgusted parent chastising a couple of brats. "I swear, I'll tie the two of you up on a tree and let Eidessa tear you apart."
"Yeah," Leon awkwardly looked around, trying to avoid Walter's gaze.
"Sorry, sir." Gunther sighed.
When the two finally calmed and quieted down, Walter continued, "We will follow the original procedures by Leon taking over, period..."
Upon hearing his name, Leon nodded, a subtle hint of smirk etched across his lips.
"...and Noralie, were you hurt?"
"Not at all, sir," Noralie stated, taken aback by the sudden gentle shift in Walter's tone.
"Good," he let out a sigh of relief. "We're heading back to the HQ soon, you can go with us if you want to take some rest, I'll have Juliane to substitute you."
Just as she's about to consider Walter's words, Leon stepped up while adjusting his tactical vest. "If she wants to stay, just let her be. I'll do my best to keep her in one piece."
Noralie's gaze softened, eyeing him and Walter back and forth.
Walter rubbed his ears for a moment before asking, "Do you want to continue this, Noralie?"
She nodded without a second thought, earning her a playful shoulder tap from Ilse.
"Well then, I will now entrust it to you, SecLead Flores." Walter nodded before turning to walk away, "Back to the HQ, team."
Having made their way, he, Juliane, and the visibly-frustrated Gunther walked towards the REISS Van. The vehicle's engine rumbled to life before turning across the driveway as it exit the metal gates. Leon walked towards the gaping gates, proceeding to yank and latch them closed. As he is now left in the company of Ilse and Noralie, they all decided to head back into the mansion.
The doorway of the study room was rid from the strange substance that had sticked around it by Gunther to bring in some samples to Dr. Christina for further testing. Within the cozy confines of the room, the team entered, and settled around the table.
"Let's wait for Owen before we begin." Leon crossed his arms, his eyes wandered around the room for a while until his focus fell over to Noralie, who was staring at the surroundings outside through the window.
Suddenly, everyone's attention was caught by Luna's repeated barks as she enter, beside her was Owen, strapped behind him is his hunting rifle, his hands carrying a metal jug and a metal tray filled with chocolate muffins and a stack of ceramic cups. He placed all of it on the table and beckoned everyone to have some.
"Pardon me for being late," Owen bowed his head before taking a seat. "I welcome you for your unexpected return, Herr Flores."
"Thanks, Achenbach." Leon cleared his throat. "Now, back to what I was saying, we are going to prioritize locating Eidessa's nest. Hopefully, we'll be able to accomplish this as early as possible before her presence can inflict drastic nature disturbances..."
Noralie leaned in, reaching for the metal tray on the table. She picked a couple of muffins, handing one to Ilse before taking a bite of the tantalizing blend of baked goodness.
"...and of course, we must keep an eye on any materials or residues that it might've left behind. If any of you have ideas or speculations before we proceed, might as well let's hear it..."
The room fell silent while they process their thoughts, filled only by the occasional chewing and munching. Noralie mused the circumstances how Eidessa was able to lock them in the study room before making its way towards the courtyard that quick. Despite the files insisting that it possesses an incredible speed, it is totally unlikely that it can traverse around in a flash. Right then, a thought sparked in her mind.
"Last night, seconds before Carl was attacked, someone or something tried to lock us in this room using the yellow 'slime' to paste the door shut. There's a considerable distance between the foyer and the courtyard so there should be noticable delay before it reaches Carl."
"What's your point?" asked Leon.
"What I'm saying is that, what if we're not only dealing with Eidessa alone? What if there are others too?"
"That's a possibility," Ilse nodded.
"If that's the case then it may already started to form its own pack," Leon's jaw clenched. "And it won't take long until they begin searching the area for more organic scraps—"
His words were cut off when something suddenly hit the window, prompting everyone to whip their attention towards it. Their eyes widened when they saw a crimson splatter on the other side of the glass pane, stained by chunks of flesh and bones like a squished tomato forcefully thrown to it.
Luna darted towards the window, letting out a faint whimper and growl before bursting into a series of loud barks.
Noralie took a heavy gulp as Leon slowly approached, gently tugging Luna away from the window. Suddenly, a tiny head of a squirrel then popped into view. Its movements were uncoordinated, and its fur was dyed with reddish stains.
It remained there, as if observing the room through its lifeless, empty eyes, until it forcefully slammed its head on the glass, leaving cracks and splashes of red liquid around its surface. Its lifeless body fell from the window, leaving the people in the room shocked.
"W-what's that?" Noralie asked, eyes repeatedly blinking in disbelief.
Before anyone could respond, another critter climbed forward, and relentlessly bashed its head against the pane. The glass trembled with each thud, splattering liquid oozed across its surface that painted it in an eerie hue. More and more critters followed suit and joined in as they pound the window in an uncanny synchronized set of motions. The glass tried to bear and contain the strain until it finally collapsed, shattering into pieces of scattered shards.
"Everyone, out!" Leon shouted, beckoning for Luna to safety as he pull out his pistol.
Everyone jumped out of their seats and hurriedly made their way to the door. Luna's barking proceeded to erupt as a continuous stream of tiny rodents, ranging from squirrels to chipmunks, breached and flooded the study room, filling the area with echoes of high-pitched shrieks. One of them leaped towards Leon, but he ducked just in time. The squirrel crashed flat against the nearby wall, leaving it in a disoriented state as it fall to the floor. He aimed his pistol and fired, squashing it into a shower of fleshy chunks.
Noralie snatched the grenade from Ilse's belt and yelled, "Leon!"
He looked at her and saw the grenade in her hand. As if reading her mind, he nodded and ran towards her, along with Luna at his side. Noralie pulled the pin of the grenade and thrown it into the middle of the room before pushing Ilse and Owen towards a safe distance to the foyer.
In an instant, the grenade exploded, shaking and reverberating the atmosphere around them that left the study room in shambles. Noralie kneeled on the floor, her hands are planted against its white-tiled surface. Ilse approached and offered her a hand, helping her to reorient herself. Once everyone regained their bearings, they let their weapons do the rest of the job, dispatching what remains of the creatures.
Everyone found themselves sitting on the porch outside, unwinding from the unexpected encounter with their uninvited guests. At one side was Noralie, holding her cellphone in hand while messaging her mother, who was checking in and asking why she hadn't called last night. Beside her was Luna, sitting quietly with her tongue sticking out, and behind them was Leon, engaged in a conversation with Owen, who now clutches his Blaser R93 rifle.
From the entrance of the mansion, Ilse emerged, strapping the walkie to her vest. "I just called the sanitation department. They're on their way."
"Good, let's take a rest for a while."
Noralie slipped her cellphone into her pocket and patted Luna's head covered in brownish fur, before asking, "What's our next move? The situation seems to be getting worse."
"The young lady is equitable, Herr Flores," Owen stated, "We can't just allow Eidessa to meander freely to the extremeties of this location. It's more likely to precipitate further botheration if we remain sitting ducks."
"Eidessa can wait. For now, we need to contain the wildlife situation in the area."
They spent the passing hours sitting there, gazing at the bright sky above. Owen proceeded to fetch snacks from the kitchen which he distributed to the entire team, silencing the growls of their voracious stomachs, sitting there idle until a sanitation unit caravan arrived.
After almost an agonizing hour if waiting, the roars of engines blared ahead. Leon nodded at Ilse, who immediately jogged towards the gateway. She yanked the latch, and pushed the metal gates outwards as she beckon for the sanitation caravan to enter; prompting the couple of vehicles to proceed and ramble through the driveway and park towards the front lawn.
As the unit hop out of their vehicles, Leon, along with Noralie and Owen, headed to meet them. As they get near, Ilse can be seen taking the courtesy of introduction, having a word with a man who's about the age as Walter— which Noralie assumed to be the sanitation unit's head officer.
"Chief, I didn't expect to see you here!" Leon called out.
The man, who was having a conversation with Ilse, excused himself and strode to meet Leon. A smile etched across his face as he offer a hand. "Me neither, Lon. You called?"
"Yeah, we have a lot to talk about," Leon reached out and graciously shook the chief's hand. "But first, let's get your stuffs settled."
With the team's assistance, they accompanied the sanitation unit to organize their equipment out of the respective compartment of the vans, before procceding to inspect the now-cluttered study room to gather samples from the suspected infected critters. At the time that followed, they began disinfecting the area and the contaminated items as well as objects using a specialized gas.
"It was totally unexpected, to be honest. Even I was unnerved," Leon shrugged as he plan their next initiative with the sanitation chief.
Once they ensured various areas of the manor were cleaned, they planned next is the distribution of dispersal beacons to specific locations that would attract any infected lifeforms, making them vulnerable and easy to seize for further extermination.
Noralie and Ilse found themselves venturing deep into the woods not far from the manor, carrying cases of large boxes. Along the path, the trees bore visible scars etched into their trunks, some of them had their boughs now brittle and withered as if a mere breath of wind could snap their fragile forms.
"You can place yours here, I'll set mine to the other side."
"Sure, be careful," Noralie said as she watched Ilse walk through the nearby slope.
Noralie knelt on the ground and popped open the case she was carrying where she took out a sleek, square mechanical box and a blue rod that somewhat resembles a flashlight. She set them down and switched the box on, releasing a series of pulsating lights and distorted static. She adjusted its volume before plugging the rod onto the top of the it, making it emit a continues shifts of flashing light akin to a lighthouse.
With a nod of satisfaction, she stood up, shaking her combat attire off of tiny bits of leaves and twigs, and waited for Ilse. After a few minutes, she heard snaps of twigs and the crunching of dry leaves. She looked behind her, the sight made her throat dry.
Standing nearby was a man, his skin barely clinging to his bones and frail form swaying like a reed in the wind. His teeth were crooked, and half of his body was covered by a pulsating yellow sac that oozes a familiar sticky mucus.
"H-est g-ist ni-ck-t s-si-ck-her…" he groaned in a chorus of wet, gurgling voice.
"Ilse!" Noralie shouted.
"What?" Ilse emerged from the woods, alerted, and was flabbergasted by the sight before her, "Mother of cow."
The man looked at Ilse, his neck inflated in an abnormal size, before spewing a lump of sticky yellowish substance towards her, but her quick reflexes allowed her to evade just in time. Unfortunately for her, the creature was swift and immediately tackled her to the nearby tree.
Noralie drew her pistol and repeatedly fired at the man while careful not to hit her friend. The bullets pierced through his body that covered his torso with tiny glowing red holes, making him look like a deformed living sponge.
Staggering, he attempted another spit, but this time, towards Noralie, but Ilse was able hit his mouth with a hefty stick that made him fall to the ground, twitching. Using the stick, she impaled his head that sprayed droplets of dark mucus around the proximity until his body went lifeless. The pulsating of his sacs were snuffed out, and slowly, its yellow color gradually faded into the swallowing hue of empty black.
In a swift motion, Ilse approached the unnerved, and shaking Noralie, "Are you okay?"
Noralie blinked repeatedly shaking her head as she lowered her gun, "Y-yeah, I'm fine."
"It's okay, Nora, it's gone." Ilse flashed her friend a reassuring smile before grabbing her radio, "Leon, come in."
After a few minutes of silence, the speaker crackled to life, "What is it? I heard some gunshots."
"Noralie and I are at spot A. We came across something, I think you'll like what we found."
Ilse and Noralie waited there as the body started emitting a lingering foul smell around them. With a breath of relief, Leon appeared into view from a distance, accompanied by a couple of sanitation personnel trailing behind him.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Noralie's gaze flicked to the fallen man, and Leon's eyes followed suit. He approached its corpse and knelt beside the unsettling sight, scrutinizing it briefly before releasing a sigh.
"W-what is it?" Noralie's voice quivered.
There was a brief pause in their exchange of words before shifting his gaze toward Noralie. "You're right. Looks like Eidessa got some friends."
