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Private Cruse sat in his command wolf cursing every commander who would dare pare him up with such a newb-ish, inexperienced, poor excuse of a soldier. Of course everyone but him was this way in his cruel eyes.

Her ran his fingers through his chocolate brown hair as he glared at the monitor with his cold green eyes.
Angelina would remember him from the day he took her notes from the General on Sergent Radfield's orders. That was also the day she had meet Chase Donnavan.
"I don't want you getting in my way cadet." He stressed the lower ranking word. "I still out rank you and you will do as I say. I'm in charge of this mission."

His wolf growled. It too was as jealous as its master. There was nothing special about this ZOID... A regular blue command wolf with no upgrades or special status symbol. And here it was walking next to one of the Republic's pride and joys.

"You will be Taking the center of the field cadet, I will walk the parameter." Private Cruse figured he could find something worth reporting on the outskirts rather than the already charred area. If anything he wanted to come out of this proving he was better. Even if that meant breaking the buddy system rule.

Over the horizon the could see the vast charred field, still smoldering in some areas. The black field was massive, and filled with a sense of dread...

"We -are- working together!" He snapped. "We are covering more ground so that this mission will be over with as soon as possible." Heaven forbid a lower ranking soldier try to correct him. "If you have any troubles you can signal for help, that what the 'distress call' button is for. It shouldn't take a genius to figure out how to use it..." A subtle slam in the deceased pilot. He couldn't understand why Chase didn't send the distress signal when he was attacked. He also didn't realize that Chase was unable to because of the black fog.

The wolf's head rose like his pilot's ego. The scanners still picking up nothing. Why would they be so dense as to send them to a charred field? Fires happen all the time! Why was this one any different? It was a ridiculous waste of time.

Cruse rolled his eyes at the cadet's 'ignorance'. "Report back in an hour, any mess ups and you will be put up for disciplinary watch." He barked and urged his ZOID away from Angelina. There was nothing in his authority that he could do to make that happen, but Mr. Radfield seemed to favor this soldier, so some strings would be pulled, he was sure. He was actually hoping that he would get to pull those strings and perhaps that ZOID would be taken from her. One could only wonder how a soldier could turn up this way.

( wahmbulance Dangerous Character Warning wahmbulance )

The scanner would pick up nothing but chard lands for the longest time. A half an hour walk proved to be as rewarding as she first started. Some embers were still clinging to what little life they had left here and there, but nothing else extraordinary or distinguishing.

Than, ten minutes later something finally came up... The ground was fading from the screen as any sensors or communication links begun to malfunction. Though Cruse had turned his communicator off a while ago, there would be no more communicating with the stiff now.

In the center of the field stood a figure dressed in black. It seemed more like a statue than a live person, and was slightly invisible against the blackened land. The only movement visible was the wind sifting around the loose parts of the black cloak.

Nick stood there still watching the scarred land. It was one of those times between being dormant and in a nightmare she had where clear thought was present. A rare opportunity to breath fresh air... though she wished to be watching over those she cared about in this small window of slight freedom. Sadly, they were both in a place where she could not even stand by, the Judge had forbidden it.

A long breath left Nick's lips as she looked up to the sky. "..." A sudden sound disrupted her day dream. A ZOID approaching? Here? Nick grabbed her cloak and pulled it tight over her scared and unnatural mechanical right half. She could have easily used the black fog to escape the situation... but that would mean summoning -it- and whomever was in that ZOID did not deserve to die... or be threatened by the damned beast... they didn't deserve any illusion the black fog would torture them with. No one did.

For now she would remain still and hope that they would leave her be... Though the feeling in her gut had told her otherwise.

Nick growled as she heard the ZOID did not differ from its chosen path. Her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. There would be an encounter, there would be one more soul to see the damned monster.

This one was Republic... Kai would no doubt hear about anything that had happened here. Perhaps, perhaps this soldier knew Kai? Nick's fangs flashed as she took a deep breath and prepared. Mentally she did all she could to keep from drifting into the nightmare at any time during this encounter.

Her back was kept toward the approaching duo. The closer they got the more the ZOID would find it harder to keep it's consciousness online. Jury was close, but not not close enough to notice or be noticed. In a moments time it could be looming over the group, but Nick did not wish to summon it. Not while her mind was with her.

Nick's eyes widened as she subtly looked over her shoulder to see a white liger, majestic... it... was almost like the black one from her nightmare a little while ago. That pilot. Perhaps she knew that pilot.

Nick's left hand reached into her side and felt the dog tags she had ripped from the poor soul's body. They were fastened securely to her belt right next to the sharp whip. She had planned on planting it by one of the base out posts so that it could be discovered and given to his family... her 'job' and locations had not permitted her to do so just yet.

Nick looked over her left shoulder at the terrified ZOID. Perhaps that was her key to getting out of this without a confrontation. Fear was not always a cowards approach.

There would be nothing that Nick could say that the pilot could hear in her cockpit, not with the ZOID's scanners and sensors down. There was a feeling that had already occurred, though she was somewhat unsure of that.

Without any word Nick focused forward once again and slowly made an advance forward. Angelina would get to see a glypse of crimson tipped white hair as the wind picked up once more. It looked as if the white had been stained with blood, even from her distance it seemed this way.

Nick didn't dare look back, she had to keep focused... and prey that this person just left.

Nick halted as requested by the young Soldier. The warning growl did little to scare her, it was a relief that the thing still was working, for the most part. That thing had to be fast. It looked fast. A good escape.

It took her a moment before she looked over her shoulder and spoke a quick response. "Yes..."

Slowly she focused forward again and started to walk with the same pace as before. Best not look suspicious, more suspicious, to the soldier.

Weather or not Angelina had heard her was of no concern to Nick. But she found herself stopping again before even a minute had passed.

Nick again paused in her advance. That name was the same name on the Tag. Private... newly promoted by the look of the tag. She winced as he heart would no longer permit her to continue forward. The way she spoke that boys name, he must have been important to her.

She again touched the dog tag at her side. The red stained metal had quite the violent story to tell...

"...I do." Nick hesitated. She made no move to go back to the soldier nor move away from her.

"It would be best for you to leave. " Nick again looked over her left shoulder and waited. This time she hoped that the Soldier would leave for good and be out of harm's way.

" 'They' might come back..."

When the Nick heard the sound of the ZOID retreating she couldn't help but feel relief. Something that could have turned terrible was averted. Nick drew another deep breath and looked out over the land once more.

Cruse meet with Angelina halfway to the land border. "Why didn't you check in cadet? You are ten minutes late with your check in and there is no excuse for that."

He had turned back mid route when there came no response, he figured she had found something big and wanted to partake in that glory. He would never admit that a small fraction of that was worry.

"What did you find Cadet?" He asked impatiently.