Path of the Hunters [PART 3]

Nova grumbled. "Well, that's just perfect. Guess we gotta find out what's goin' on, ourselves."

"Or I could use our coms and call him using them. Not that difficult."

---

"Well, at least she has a goal in life."

"We don't 'ave too much time to waste," Aurélie pointed out. "Do that. We will pick 'im up on the way if it isn't too far off."

"Agreed." It took a moment, but the ringing of a phone soon came from the hidden speakers. "Alright, hope he picks up. Though he will hear all of us instead of just one of us."

Sunny snickered. "Can I drop the Crescent-being-pregnant bomb?"

"No!" Crescent said immediately. "I don't want to give 'im anymore to worry about!"

"Not that serious, huh?" Nova mused.

After a moment, the line went live. "Hello."

"Briggs," Nova said. "How ya holdin' up?"

"Not bad, considering the city's on lockdown, and these psycho hunters are everywhere."

*

"For a four-year-old, that's pretty impressive." He nuzzled her gently.

"It's only impressive if she keeps that goal and achieves it, right now it's just cute."

"Where are you?" Aurélie queried.

"Aurélie? Am I on speaker?"

"Sorta," Nova answered.

"Well, hope the baby's doin' okay. Anyway, I'm headin' up to Greater North. That's about the only area Crescent could be, at this point."

"Um, actually," Crescent spoke up. "I'm with Nova and everyone else.

"Huh. Well, it's good to know you're okay. A call would've been nice."

"Sorry, man," Nova said. "No reception on our phones, where we are."

"Anyway, these hunters seem to be holed up in the Greater North, for some reason. I'm gonna find out why."

*

"Hey!" Yue snapped, pouting slightly. "I don't do cute!"

Cross chuckled. "At your age, it can't be helped."

"We know why," Sunny muttered.

"He's got you there, kid." Laughed Katherine.

"Really? They got a hostage, or something?"

*

She pouted more. "I don't do cute..." she muttered, crossing her arms.

"They have Star," Aurélie explained. "And we already 'ave a plan to get 'er out. You should wait and we will pick you up on the way."

"Well, you're going to have to deal with it, then."

Briggs sighed. "Fine. Hope you guys plenty of meds. I'm gonna need 'em the way these guys're poppin' up."

"Outta curiosity," Nova said. "How many have you taken out?"

"Seventeen. A few of 'em have crazy skills with knives."

"Not bad. We'll be there soon. Watch your back."

"Don't get dead, you guys."

*

"...Fine."

"Got your mother's temper, that's for sure."

"Same to you," Aurélie said, sighing.

Katherine smirked, "At least she'll have no problem standing up for herself."

With that, the line went dead.

Crescent sighed, rubbing her stomach. Then, she shook her head. "We still don't know for sure. It could be a virus, for all we know."

"First thing's first," Nova said. "We gotta wrap this up, quick. Katherine, where's Yue?"

*

Cross chuckled. "Mani's scared she's gonna be a little rabblerouser, like she was in her youth."

"What's a rabblerouser?"

"With Cross at the firing range."

Sol sighed. "Oh, thank God, she's with Cross."

"You sure lucked out today, huh?" Nova mused.

"You have no idea..."

"Seeing as how she could have ended up in one of our vehicle production facilities or reactor areas, since she somehow bypassed several layers of security and got past several armed checkpoints, yeah. You're lucky today."

Sunny snickered. "Some security system you got here, then."

"That's just her," Mani said, shrugging. "She's always got into some of the most secure of places, or something akin to it. Nobody knows how."

"There is a common theme, though," Sol noted. "She seems to be attracted to guns or weaponry in general. Either that, or there's someone there, that'll look after her."

"I'll figure it out eventually, I don't like people subverting our security so easily, especially a child."

Aurélie shook her head. "Of course. Now, Crescent, do you feel well enough to go along with us or will you stay 'ere and 'elp Elesis?"