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Hearing Madison brought Katie's attention back. She was so focused on trying to help these people that she didn't notice what had caused that crashing noise to her left. She would turn to look at the dark, looming figure that was there.

She'd quickly reach for her sword. As she pulled it free part of the shield rubbed against it, causing a metal on metal sound to fill the air around them.

"I don't know what it is. All I know is there is more than one.."

With a determined look she would move towards where the creature was walking.

"Let's get this thing."

The screams of terror ripping through the air bothered Katie. She wished she could save everyone, but they'd have to do this one step at a time.

"What the hell is gHRRRRG--"

It was the kind of blow one would expect if they had just been hit by a semi truck. Being driven by the Incredible Hulk. She went skidding along the ground in an almost comical fashion, coming to a stop some yards away and laying in a crumpled heap, light scratches up and down her now dirty and slightly torn clothes.

"Okay... I'm not a happy camper...."

Sakura wouldn't get a lot of sympathy from the stoic shade, which dove after her, sprang into the air, and came down elbow first, looking to strike a fatal blow to her head, or a crippling one to her spine. There was no pause from one action to the next, and pretty soon it was certain, more would follow.

-----

Steven and Quinn would easily be able to follow the shade, branches neither dissuaded nor impeded the armoured black being from it's course, which, if either two man started to notice, began to curve, and then spiral in on itself. The boy attached to it's back was doing them no favours, however, being the only thing in plain sight in the darkness, it was hard to tell where human ended and shade began.


-----

Katie was about to find out that the obvious shade wasn't her problem. Her issue began with the one that exploded from the chimney.

Yes, the chimney, like a black, stoic, heavily built Santa of BLACK DOOM. It sprang at her back, and then found itself embedded into the stone wall of the inn.

The shield seemed to class emotionless intent to kill just as much as it did anything else.

Madi herself would find the pawn that had crashed through the window slowly making it's way towards her, the bunny having been the first creature it set it's eyes on, as well as seeming to be the weakest and smallest of the bunch.

Katie hadn't even noticed the shade that jumped from the chimney, until she was hitting the ground, face first. The force of the shield sending the shade in the opposite direction had taken her by surprise and sent Katie sprawling the opposite way, but things were suddenly very clear with her face planted on the floor.

Just to prove her sudden clarity, she would clamber to her feet, coughing dust she had accidentally inhaled, and wiping away a small amount of blood from her chin where she'd hit. She would wipe the blood away while she looked to where the shade had been tossed. The shield had tossed the shade, and now it was embedded into the wall of the inn.

That was when she saw the shade that was moving towards Madison. By the time she'd noticed it moving towards the bunny it was almost on her. She'd reach for the shield to pull it forward and charge at the dark figure.

"The shield, Madison, we had the solution the whole time!"

She'd say as she charged passed her.

It would be a lot of work on Madison and Katie's part to drive the shades away, but they possessed the key. Katie had no doubt that the two women could handle this alone.

Catching the weapon handily, he noted the other mans' speed. Watching the shade for a second, he baseball slid, bringing the weapon to bear. Stopping, he aimed towards the shades' legs, lined it up, and fired. He had a feeling this creature wouldn't be affected by a bullet just like that, however.

However, Quinns' author was in a hurry and that's all the description the other role-players recieved. Clove cigarette time.

A black tide swept towards Reen.

Okay, maybe a little dramatic, but that's what it seemed to the guards that were stationed on the outer wall. But these men were trained to handle orks, and in truth, these silent killers were all but the same size, so everything at their disposal handled the tough outer shell of a shade with just a bit more effort then usual.

Lighting the torches highlighted the edges of the armour the pawns wore, and but for one or two Rooks, the guard itself was holding up to the press against the walls. Careful defences did a lot to stop most of the regiments, although individual groups were fanning out into the city itself, causing panic and, in Knights case, very real danger.

A giant, shadowed hand reached around his middle, just as Sakura gave her attacker a face full of foot. The pawn staggered backwards, and the girl would find something flash as Knight's threw what he'd taken from the wall. Would her reactions prove as on the ball as the tall man hoped?

Whatever was flying would be hand sized, and with her senses on edge, clear as day. The rook, finding that the person he held had no further use, chucked Knights into the darkness without anything more then a blink. He was focused on someone else now, with bright green hair. As soon as Sakura caught the stone fragment, a large shadow would loom over her. The pawn that attempted to get some balance back would find itself smashed into the concrete as the massive shade decided it's hand currently needed to occupy the spot that it was in.

Ichigo was indeed right about the snappy follow up, a red eye narrowed, and a hand lined up the man in it's vision, before the shade moved again. It was fast, maybe not as fast as Ichigo, which would account for the early attempt at taking the orange haired man down quickly. But this boy was obviously made of stronger stuff.

The shade would come in for a low blow against the sternum when there was a crunch behind them both, the Rook moving and flattening the other shade seemed to startle it into looking at Sakura's position at the last moment. Or maybe it was what had been thrown towards the girl that held it's attention.

Two more squads of three branched out, having gotten past the outer defences. By now the walls were ablaze with gunfire, as well as torches and lights to try and focus on the attackers beyond the gate. Katie would find the Shade in the bar to be well taken care of by the time her focus shifted, Madi looking quite proud of herself as she stood on the table.

Again there was a rumble from the outside, shaking the foundations of the building they were in. People were pouring downstairs, men, women and children, looking frightened and horrified at the shades that littered the front room.

Finally, after a startled silence, an officer burst into the room. He was the same one that had taken the drunk man to the jail. Blood from a shoulder wound decorated his arm, and he looked tired, but other then that his authority rang clear.

"We have to get these people to the safe houses on the border of new town, they're the only things that'll hold up."

He of course, was speaking to the women in the room, Katie being an obvious warrior, and Madi...holding what was left of a chair.

"Once there we can see about fighting them off from that position."

Without more information he stood to the side, waiting for people to shuffle out. There were no more guards on the street, but there was a huge group of civilians. It was obvious that this man was the only one that had been gathering people, at least for this quarter. To say that the protectors of the city were stretched would be underestimating the matter.


Outside the walls, Quinn and Stephen would find themselves quite successful in taking down the single shade. The boy became all but dislodged and went rolling in the opposite direction as the shade, a mess of rope and fear. The boy's quiet snuffles were easy to track.

The shade itself was altogether helpless, and it lay still, having embedded itself against a tree branch upon it's landing. Black darkness oozed from it's impaled eye.

The pawn was coming in fast, and Ichigo knew that attempting to fight something of its nature in his current state wasn't the best idea. He wasn't here to fool around and test his mettle against these things. Everyone in the group made the decision to go against these creatures and stop their master from achieving his goals.

So Ichigo reached into his jacket...

"Hey, what's all the---GYAAAAAHH!" cried the startled Kon as he saw the shade heading for Ichigo. Why on earth would he pull him out of the safety of his jacket just to be face-to-face with the enemies he had seen before?

Nevertheless, Ichigo knew there wouldn't be enough time to do what he had to do before the shade came in for the attack, so he would have to make some distance with another maneuver. As the pawn came in with the low blow to the sternum, Ichigo quickly stepped to his right, turning his body in order to get outside of the shade's line of attack.

But it seemed as if that wasn't going to be their only problem.

The loud crunch sounded as the Rook's massive hand crushed the pawn Sakura had been dealing with. Ichigo noticed the glint of the object Knights threw to Sakura (considering Sakura catches it or gets hit in the face with it or whatever Rage wishes to do) and how his attacker's attention was now being directed towards her. Whatever she was holding was obviously attracting the shades, which definately wasn't good now that they had to face a Rook.

However, a distracted shade was pretty good news for Ichigo...

With the opening given, Ichigo quickly stuffed his hand down the stuffed animal's throat, pulling out the small, round piece of green candy that contianed Kon's soul. It took only a split second to swallow it, forcing Ichigo's soul out of his body with his arm grasping the hilt of something large over his shoulder that he brought down on top of the preoccupied shade...

-SHHNKK!!-

"HYEEEIIIAAAHHT!!"

And Zangetsu came crashing down.

Ichigo hoped the surprise attack from his shinigami form leaving his body would catch the shade off guard. If it made contact, the spiritual heft of Zangetsu's blade would cleave the pawn in two right down the middle. Ichigo hoped taking advantage of his enemy's diverted attention would work, as it would take both him and Sakura's full attention to handle the gigantic Rook.

Then again, Ichigo wasn't even sure if Sakura would be able to see him as a shinigami. If Sakura could see ghosts, then she'd be able to see him with little trouble. If not, exposure to Ichigo's spiritual pressure would no doubt make him visible in short time.

“THAT’S WHAT YOU GET!” Madison screamed at what appeared to be an exiting Shade. Her attention soon became refocused as she noticed that Katie was already on the move. She wasn’t even done being victorious yet!



“Oh. Right!” Dropping the leg, Madison fallowed Katie outside. The thing about this girl was she always seemed to need to refocus, or something. But she was out there right behind the true warrior woman. After all, she was just a rabbit.

She quickly blinked to notice that there were actually quiet a crowd waiting to go to the safe house. It was strange to have so many people dependant on one person; especially when that person was Madison.

“There’s too many of them to take in one big group. Maybe it’s best to split up into parties.” She looked up at Katie. If they remained in their large party as it was a hazard. It would draw attention, and it would also be a huge problem when it came to one of the “warriors” were meant to protect them. After all, Katie may able to pull some fancy moves to protect a large group. But Madison would be another story, if Katie was busy with one creature. Half of the group would be instantly knocked out.

“I’ll take one half, you take the other. And we’ll meet at the safe house in ten minutes.” She didn’t take her eyes off of Katie. This was then plan, and they needed to get moving if they intended to survive. Sure, she was scared; but members of GUARDIAN don’t get scared. Or at least that’s what she believed.