Bishop nods, then asks Tigger, "You got a comm unit? Better yet, do you have a datajack installed someplace I can't see the thing?"

What seemed to be days, now is 2 hours. The excitement in Tinys face starts to climb.
" 2 hours thats great..."
Seeing that the end is near, on the chase, it just the return trip now.

"Awefuckingsome. We better start planning on how to take him down. Normally I would say we go at night, but since we believe him to be dual natured, do you think the darkness would assist him more than us?

"Tigger, or Edena, did either of you get a reading on how many he has with him? We have eleven, including Kane and Herne, so we should have the upperhand. Of course, nothing ever goes down that easy, and I am sure this bastard is full of surprises."

Tigger chuckles. "I have some comm gear in my bags, no datajacks here. Trying to keep it natural. Less trouble from the powers that be." He listens to the questions thrown out. "I only saw a single body guard at the airport when he arrived but I have no idea how the security is set up where he's going. I got the impression from the locals that this place was by invitation only so they will probably have some sort of on-site set up we'll need to contend with."

Bishop replies back to Tiger, "Let me take a look at your comms real quick if you don't mind. I've got a full BattleTac rig and need to plug you into it. Unfortunately without a datajack you won't gets the heads-up display, but I can at least issue verbal commands your way when need be."

He then turns to the rest of the group, "Once we get there, let me do some recon of the area. I'll compile a map of the area and tag their security messures. From there I can run the plan through my TacCom and see what a best plan of action would be."

As he speaks, Bishop reaches into his pack and pulls out what looks like a full suit of grey security armor. As he finishes speaking, he clamps the helmet down and an instant later completely disappears from veiw. A few seconds later he turns the Rutheniums back off and gives the group a nod that he is set and ready.

Tigger takes a moment to sort through his bags. Pulling out a slim case, he hands it over to Bishop. "It's a personal comm unit. Pretty basic I'm sorry to say. I usually work solo so never really had the need for something more complicated." He shrugs, looking slightly embarrassed.

Bishop smiles, "Don't worry about it, totally understandable. I'd do what I can for ya."

He takes the comm and digs throguh his own bag, pulling out one of this spare BattleTac Recievers and connects the two together.

Passing down the highway, stopping every fifteen to twenty minutes to pay a small toll, the team quickly becomes used to the "alien" concept of having to pay to drive on a public thoroughfare. Most of the signs are in English and French with graffiti defacing the former and obvious efforts to preserve the minimums of legibility rather than replace the marred signs.

A quiet shiver runs down Gonzales' spine, a brief twitch of chemical alertness. The dwarf blinks a few times as sun light flares through the windshield of the van and then he goes back to staring at the long road ahead.

Soft snores come from the back of the van as Charlie rolls his head back on the bench and falls into an even deeper sleep. Always rest when you can, he remembered, just in case there's not a chance to later.

"When we get to the chateaux, we may need to split up, to cover all ends. I would think we should divide into 3 or 4 small teams, each with some combat, magic and a battletach."

The drive is tedious, but you go without any breaks not wanting to lose the trail. Soon you are heading on a course south-southeast and you begin climbing back into the mountains that you had only left this morning.

Sunset raises the hairs on the back of your neck as the team drives with the radio turned on, more for noise than anything else. Those of you who speak French hear ghost stories about hunters vanishing into the northern mists, some dying as soon as the mist fills their lungs, others coming back with huge cauldrons filled with precious metals that vanish with the dawn.

Winding through the mountains, the trail turns down a small road off the main autoroute. Well-manicured hedges and evergreen trees that seem to be perfectly formed by a touch finer than that of mere mortal-kin frame the path just wide enough for a single vehicle. About a hundred meters further up, your headlights barely illuminate the gilded decoration of a wrought-iron fence.

Tiny checks the time. This trip has taken much of a toll now, with the sight or the wrought iron fence in view.

" Well is this the place we are supposed to be at? Or am expecting to much? This road trip has been a little long."

The meandering of the road seems to have taken its toll on the troll.

"He's inside there deeper in the compound or at least his trail leads that way." Tigger moves into the back space of the van and begins to disrobe and switch over to his working gear. He pauses to give Edena a wink and a playful smile. He quickly dons a set of body amor, bracers and a long coat. Grabbing a small satchel, he quickly scans the contents and secures the bag to his person. "So we wait here for some recon and intell?"

"So the compound is just ahead? I am going to find a nice set of trees or something to park the van in. Everyone set? Bishop go ahead and hop out, get yourself a head start while we park."

JT kills the lights as they close in on the chateaux, slowly coming to a stop to let Invisable Bishop do his thing.

At JT's suggestion, Bishop activates his Rutheniums.

He transduces over the comms, "Roger", and hops out from the rear hatch. Slowly, he makes his way towards the front gate to get a feel for the area. He scans the area with all his vision mods and runs the data through his Orientation System and GPS Unit, then finally feeds it into the BattleTac Network.

Bishop:
The plants on either side of the driveway are very tightly woven together, thick hedges that under closer examination have some sort of heavy thorn weave grown into them. The gate is heavy iron with gilding, motorized. You see 2 clusters one on either side of the gate that are most likely sensor packs. They could be tied into a CCSS network but only closer examination could tell. Backing down the path, you scan the treeline and spot sensor packs nestled up in the trees at each end, both at the autoroute and near the fence.

"JT get the van out of here, go about 2 klicks down the road and wait for my signal."

You stop in the middle of the path, as far from any of the sensor bundles as you can get. Kneeling down, you fold your body over your back pack in an attempt to minimize its appearance since the inside is not coated in ruthenium. The zipper sticks a little in the cold but you are soon able to pull out the grapple gun with stealth line and re-situate the backpack. Your scanner registers comm traffic in the surrounding environs, most likely the security force in the chateau judging by the encryption.

*SSSSS--Thunk*

The grapple line hisses out and the hook digs deep into the frozen bark of the tree. With the line secured through the harness on your armor, you begin the climb into the perfectly formed fir tree. Feet scramble for a purchase in the hedges as sharp thorns glisten and drag across the heavy plating on your boots. Glad for the sealed armor, as you imagine how easily cloth and leather would snag and tear, you drop down on the back side of the hedge work and move towards the imposing stone wall that traces along the border of the posh ski resort.

Each step is carefully placed to minimize the amount of noise you make. Several times you stop as patrols trudge heavily past you on the other side of the wall. Single guards with a four legged companion panting lightly. A drop of sweat builds up on your spine and slowly works its treacherous path down bringing a quiet shiver with it. Almost ten minutes later, you reach the end of the stonework. The GPS mapping system shows that you are nearly a kilometer from the gate. Here a short rail-wood fence takes over the task of delienating what is public land and what is clearly the private reserve of nobility and the playground of Europe's elite.

"This may take awhile."

Hunkering down next to the stone wall, you watch the movements of each patrol. With the Battletac system, you tag each pair and map the path that they walk. A glance behind you reveals a clear trail of footsteps in the soft snow. Watching the sky you mutter a quiet prayer.

"Looks like dawn will be the best time to hit the compound. It should start snowing and help to cover our tracks."

The light from the chateau in the distance is muted and the patrols are reduced to the bobbing of flashlights and brief muddled flares. You place one hand on the railing and step over the wooden fence. Mixing your tracks with those of the patrols to confuse efforts to track you until the encroaching snowfall comes with the dawn. Ice crystals have formed in a slick furrow through some of the tracks. Kneeling you lay your hand across the broad paw print. Larger paws, melted snow, used as upscale security--you shake your head in the bitter cold and darkness.

"Hellhounds." Comes the whispered call over the comm unit.

With a dark chuckle, you realize that your ruthenium will be next to useless against the awakened dogs. Plotting a course of action through the Tac-Comp system you lay out the best path to take to keep maximum distance from the supposed path that the patrols are taking. Cutting through the woods to keep solid objects between you and the hounds, you duck and move from tree to tree blending your astral signature in with that of the trees and undergrowth as best you can.

There is a limo parked in front of the main manor house. Several smaller buildings surround the main building, your mind starts taking inventory of the maximum number of guests that could be here. Then you reassign security to two of the smaller houses and renegotiate numbers, planning out contingencies.

You feel the land around you ripple, the trees closing in on you, a wave of dizziness hits but you shake it off...you almost forget why you are here...shouldn't you be in Rome...no, that part of your life is behind you...you are here to find someone else...

Nestled in the canopy above you, a swarm of small fairies jumps from tree to tree. It's hard to focus on anything specific but you still have your free will...

"... Fairies... under mental attack..."

They seem to be following behind you, bouncing and giggling from one tree to another. Glancing around panic rising in your gut, you think one of the patrols is moving in your direction.

"Spirit attack... send help now..."

Team:
You watch Bishop's form vanish in a trick of refracted light, his movements all but impossible to track except through the astral plane where his life force glows clearly. A video signal starts feeding clearly over the Battle Tac system flooding into image links. A rough map starts building itself even as you have the disorienting view of a camera placed in the first-person view of a sim-sense shooter.

Occasional bits of sounds come over the comms.

"Edana and JT, you two are with me. Edana, have your ally spirit guard the van, he'll be our backup communications with the rest of the team through your psychic link with him, and whistle up a nature spirit to cover our asses. Gonzales, get a map and find us a safe place to hide. The rest of you cover fire in case we need it and get ready to evac. We got a guy in there, let's move out."

As the team receives Bishop's call, a flood of memories enter Graves' head. Not now, got a job to do. Graves grits his teeth and forces the flashbacks away. He triggers the day-snow camo on his jumpsuit, his weapon at the ready. He waves Edana and JT forward with his free hand.

Charlie jerks to alertness pulling his crowbar up at the sudden shift in mood in the van.

A quick twitch from Gonzales snatches the map up from the floor where it had been discarded during the long wait. He begins tracing his finger along different routes trying to find the best possible place to hide the van and a team of bounty hunters.

Tigger nods as the orders are given, suppressing the urge to fight for the alpha spot. "FYI, no guns here. Call out if you're coming in with company." He moves to a better position to see outside the van.

It takes Bishop a moment to realize what Graves is saying, then he replies over the comms, "Send Astral Support ASAP. Nothing Physical yet. Get the spirits off me and I can get out ok, just be ready as backup if needed, I don't want to set-off every alarm they have and spoil our mission."

"Edana, you heard him, send the spirit ahead."

Herne stretches and almost growls with anticipation, as Edana gets out of the van. Wild green, verdant features mask her own as she bends her will towards the wild countryside around her. Lightning crackles in her eyes and her skin takes on a violent tempestous nature as the storms rage beneath her flesh.

A huntsman comes walking out of the woods, his flesh made of bark and hair long strands of a weeping willow. A bow is slung across his back.

No words pass between them but the huntsman turns and sprints away, a massive hound bounding at his side. Herne and the spirit vanish into the qoods almost before you can convince yourself that you ever saw them.

JT is already moving toward his fallen comrade before Graves can give the command. His bulky shotgun/launcher shouldered at the ready, as he silently marches on. Kane follows, close beside his master, nose in the air seeking out the enemy.


After Bishop's next message, and the spirits flashing past them, Kane and JT hold and realize they are jumping the gun a bit. A bad habit of JT's, rushing in when his friend's are in trouble, and of course Kane follows. The two watch the spirits pass, then look back at the team. Maybe she could teach me how to conjure up spirits someday.



Tigger's words are duely noted, but JT doesn't like to rely only on magic in a fight. Once the enemies know who is casting, they become as much of a target as the guy with the BFG, and JT hasn't developed the art of subtle magic. At least no one knows his abilities while he isnt active.


"Ok Graves, Kane and I are ready to move," Taggart's weapon still at the ready, aimed down range.

Helios "awakens" as the team's van comes to a stop at their destination. Satisfied that the redness in his eyes from his long-overdue grieving has cleared, he stands up and gets ready to cover the recon man as he does his work.

You better not take this guy, Bishop, Helios thinks to himself. This Infected freak is mine.

Hearing the message about being under attack from Bishop, Helios pulls out his Colt SMG and readies the first round. He also slaps on his combat vest under his armored trenchcoat. Holstering his trusty Manhunter, he hears Bishop's caveat about not sending physical help yet. The vampire hunter obeys, but still slips on the 12 ammo pouches his combat vest can hold, readying his katana in its back sheath as well.

Minutes later, Helios is loaded for war. 6 clips each of pistol and SMG ammo hang from his vest under his coat, while 4 clips each (2 pistol, 2 SMG) of oak-jacketed, silver, and iron-jacketed ammo hang alongside them on the vest.

Just try something, Balfour, Helios thinks, a slightly maniacal grin appearing on his face.

Soon, the battle would be joined.

Tiny Grab his bag pulls out his winter wood camo suit as he prepares to get dressed. Extracting his spurs to check that the cold as not settled in the retractable devices. Realising the pain is going to come when he has to retact the cold pieces of metal. With his With the camo full suit covering his personal body armor.

The agressive crackle of electricity from the stun baton, just reminds Tiny that it is still fully charged. Attaching the Baton to the Molded plastic holster on his leg. Pulling out his Browning he converts the Quick draw concealed holster, to a converted concealed ankle holster, fastened to his pants on the inside.

After rigging his personal Comms unit, the browning is cocked and ready 3 Clips are put in to seperate concealed poskets, Tiny is now ready to go.

Graves moves quickly and surely through the snow, leaving no footprints to announce his presence. He was trained by the Trans-Polar Aleut Peace Force in artic warfare, a little snow and cold isn't going to stop him. He is careful to control his breathing, a conscious effort to avoid dehydration and to avoid misting his breath and giving himself away.

The team prepares for war as weapons and armor get dragged out of duffel bags. Helios obviously is the most heavily laden, but he moves with a grim determination that speaks of countless nights carrying the same and heavier loads.

Some of you press into the woods, tracking across snow and the occasional patch of ice as you start to cover the distance to the private resort. Already you are sure that astral combat has ensued moving at the speed of thought.

Looking at Edana, Tiny turning both hand face up. "I here if you need some support. Just let me know."
Tiny ready his kit, if he needs to go in for support. Stealth is not his forte, so he will be no use in the recon, but plans to be there if added support is needed.

"Graves, you think we should take the guards down, or just try to avoid them as much as possible. Those hellhounds are going to seriously cramp my game plan, but a got a few tricks up my sleves. If you want I can make them all run away," JT snickers, almost half joking.

Bishop:
Your mind starts to clear as one of the fairies turns to face something you cannot see, moonlight reflects off its glistening fangs shattering any possible thought of a gentle fey creature. The Unseel launches itself from the branch fading from view.

One guard is closing in on your position, he has a stun baton drawn. The hound at his side almost pulls him off balance as it tries to break the leash and come bounding towards you. The guard's armored jacket carries an insignia you can't make out in the darkness under the canopy.

Bishop:
The cross hairs coalesce in your vision as the induction pad makes a solid connection with the pistol grip. Thermographic sensors outline the hellhound's breath and face clearly. A slight snag of the silencer on the holster means your pistol is a fraction of an inch lower than expected as you pull the trigger.

Seeing the gun leveled in his direction, the guard let's go of the leash and rolls to one side.

Two muffled explosions occur in the chamber of the gun. The hell hound yelps as it leaps towards you, taking the capsule in the throat. Following the human's movements is even easier, extend the arms, press off with the balls of your feet, drop the shoulder to roll. The second round slams firmly into his chest.

The guard comes up in a crouch, his stun baton lost somewhere in the dive. Leaning behind a tree, he takes cover and returns fire once. A gout of flame bursts out of the hell hounds mouth within a heartbeat of the gun's report.

Tigger looks around the van and senses the rising tension, the alertness of the other hunters. Setting his comm mic to voice activation. "Okay folks, we need to rethink some of this. I have a lock on Belle now and this is just a ski resort for the privileged not an arcology. We've lost total surprise but we can still bag this guy, but we need to move now before he makes it to a car or other fast transport." As he speaks, he reaches out to open a door and drops to the ground, low and tight. "Those we can, follow me. Let's get him and get this over with." With that said he sets off low and fast through the snow, following the trail to his prey.

Tiny digs in his bag and gets the UZi ready. Checking that Edana's unresposive body sitting there he lets his thermal vision soak up the pale bule and blue. checking his surrounding for any heat signitures. Hoping that all is going to be well around here. The spare clips for the Uzi placed in the mag holder on his belt.

"I am staying at the van to make sure Edana has got back up..." Tiny voice rumbles over the com unit.

Graves: "Stay in the bloody fragging vehicle goddamnit! If we do get in, do you know exactly where he is? Even if we do, we are going to be going through every fragging guard in this place! We've got no extraction plan and places like these can afford good security coverage! Local police will want our hides." Graves slows down to catch his breath, amazed at the remarkable stupidity of that Tigger guy. "If we do it now, 1) we got to get in, 2) get the guy, 3) get him into the vehicle and 4) avoid being arrested. When all the local police knows, we are kidnappers. What are the chances of they believing "one of the guests in this resort is a wanted mass murderer, so we made a citizens' arrest"? For god's sake, they'll come after us with SWAT! Somebody stop that maniac."

"Why the rush, now the foolish mistake I made is being repeated here." Tiny grimaces

"Tigger, get the hell back in here!" Helios hisses over the commlink.

Helios drops out of the van silently and grabs the errant bounty hunter by his back shirt collar, dragging him towards him.

"We go in together, got it?" he growls. "We don't, and we're all dead."

"Besides," he adds, switching off his link so he speaks only to Tigger, "this Infected freak is mine to bring down."

"I know exactly where he is and I have my license so local heat is not an issue." He looks around. "Who the hell is going to take us down, the ski lodge elite assassins? These guys are not Renraku Red Samurai." He shakes his head. "Do you think we're the only people after this bounty? I guess we'll talk later when we have some dead bodies because other hunters will frag us up as oppose to these yahoos."

Switching the link back on, Helios starts talking again.

"I don't care if they're not the damn Red Samurai; they could be more skilled than we think! Hell, they might even be ghouls for all we know. Haven't you learned that no job is ever as easy as it first seems?"

Edana sits quietly, peeking into the astral plane from time to time, monitoring, as best she can, the auras of the others. She senses Herne straining to catch their prey, slavering in the Astral plane with the desire to bury his muzzle in the wretched man’s throat and lick the blood from his jaws.

No. We can’t kill him. We have to bring him in or this is all for nothing.

No. Herne’s sending is an icy whip-crack. Not for nothing. For the Hunt. And the death of a murderer.

Edana feels a sympathetic surge of anger rise in her chest. No. Justice. This man must pay with more than his life. Much more.

And, she thinks, not directly at Herne, if he really is onto a cure, we can't squander that.

She blinks as the van has stopped and the others’ auras flare with ratcheting tension. Their prey is near.

She blushes and looks away from Tigger as he winks playfully, color rising in her pale cheeks, stormy skin swirling.

“Uh, I, need to change to. I think my bag is right… uh,” she turns her back as best she can in the confines of the van, and tugs at the duffel that Helios is sleeping on. She sees a patch of dampness when his head shifts away.

Mmm… drool. She catches a glimpse of reflected light on the stoic man’s face before he rolls over, face. Was that…? Tears? No way. She shakes her head, her momentary embarrassment at Tigger’s wantonness vanished in questions about the quiet Adept. She unzips the pack and fishes out her winter woods camo. Glad I packed these. She smiles and manages to change quite demurely, a feat master by the fairer sex since time immemorial.

She hisses involuntarily as she draws out the mystic blade – strange and seemingly too full of carving and frippery to be well-suited to combat. Her eyes become a solid sheet of glowing energy that crackles out over her face, along her horns, down her hair, trailing in a fine web of white-blue down her arms and onto her long-boned hands. She kicks JT out of the driver seat with a ‘since I’ll be astral anyway, makes sense that I can be ready to snap back here and drive if we need it’ Once settled and buckled in, she takes several deep breaths that are neither deep nor meditative, but rather more like a boxer entering the ring.

A spirit answers her summons and steps from the woods, sure-footed, wild and dangerous. Herne leaps to the spirit’s side and the two vanish as if they’d never been.

Bishop’s all by himself. Got to get out there.

Edana takes one more savage breath in and closes her eyes and goes completely limp… it is hard to tell with her pale skin, but the knuckles of her hand on the hilt of her spirit-blade are paler even still.

She surges into the astral plane with them, sword blazing as she streaks skyward, trailing clouds from the ragged crown of bolts. Clouds that obscure her form as she tries to maintain cover through the urge to shout and bay and fly.

Sturmdottir. We Hunt. The voice of Herne and the spirit blend in chilling harmony.

Yessssss…. Her astral voice blends with the hissing of her swift passage and the quiet girl who is Edana vanishes into the spirit huntress that is the daughter of the hunting storm.

From her height she looks down, searching out the dark flame she’d come to know as Bishop’s aura in the blaze of the astral wilderness. She spots him and in a herculean effort of will, returns to her body and relays his location as best she can to Graves.

<<Bishop spotted, not far, keep headed the way you're headed. He's under attack, I'm going in to draw them off. Will check back when his situation is under control. Uh... Over.>>

She plunges back into astral space, breath catching as the heightened emotions surge over her like a welcome heat. She streaks toward Bishop, blade ready, blood in her glowing eyes.

A readout comes over the BattleTac Network:

BattleTac Systems Engaged.

Van Team: Move the van around to the front gate and cover that zone.

Tigger, Graves, and Helios: Converge on my possition and we will find the target.

Anyone left: Group up and provide cover over the area between the facility and the gate. Keep your Thermos on, the Hellhounds should be easy to spot.

MOVE PEOPLE!

Finally. Tigger moves out into the night, moving towards the rallying point at best possible speed.

JT follows, keeping up with the lead. He isnt going to let them go in and face those hellhounds alone. They may be a bigger asset, than they are an enemy.

Moving through the snow covered forest, JT double checks his BattleTach for lifesigns, then uses a little magic to again check the area for targets.

"NOW we go in," Helios says to Tigger, rising from his crouch.

Helios makes a beeline for his troubled teammate's position, SMG raised and ready to fire at anything that moves at him the wrong way.

Frag... we are committed now. "You don't have to like it. You just gotta do it." Graves pushes his misgivings aside, the voice of his former drill instructor ringing in his head. Graves runs towards his teammate, weapon ready.

Astral Space:
Three hunters course through the land of thought and magic, crossing the threshold of verdant woodland to manicured forest causes a shiver to ripple through you. The discomfort doesn't have time to settle in as a writhing, hungry mass comes flying out of the tree cover and slams into the bark-skinned archer.

Teeth pierce quickly through the heavy bark that could stop bullets from most heavy weapons. The archer scrambles and beats innefectually at his arm, but gaping mouths seem to meet every blow and do more harm than they take. Herne comes to the defense of his partner hamstringing the spirit fey and causing a gossamer spray to fill the area.

Edana readies herself and closes the gap to the horde of faeries surrounding Bishop's glowing form. She slices cleanly through the first faerie that comes to her, shattering the perfection of blonde locks caught in a light breeze. Pixies and sprites wash over her en masse, each popping and dissipating before they can settle into a routine to aid their companions.

Outside:
Moonlight breaks through clouds, the sound of quick steps in snow echoing a stark counterpoint to your own heart beat. The sound of an engine roaring to life behind you grabs your attention.

The Van:
Charlie moves forward to pull Edana's body into the passenger seat, holding her in his lap while the short Gonzales climbs ito the driver's seat. The side door to the van hangs open as the engine turns over noisily. Feet on the pedals, and hands on the steering wheel, the dwarf isn't quite able to see over the dash but he gets the van moving faster than most people would think is safe. Shouted directions of right and left fill the van as it begins to careen down the road.

Off in the distance the sound of a gunshot cracks once. A humming thump-thump-thump comes from the sky well-behind you.

Bishop turns to see where the engine is coming from, doing his best to forget about the Hellhound and guard, knowing the drugs will take them soon enough.

Tiny Bails in to the van as he sees everyone getting in. Pulls the side door closed. Grabbing his duffle bag he removes his 5 concussion grenades from the bag and places them in his leg pockets.

"Okay Gonzales let get to that gate and try and make the road clear." Grabbing the UZI he cocks and readies the weapon so it can roar into action when needed.

"Lets get this back up rolling."

Bishop opens his hand on drops his Predator to the ground, then reaches behind his back and pulls his SPAS from its secured possition. As the Induction Pad connects with the gun, his Range Finder zeros in on the incoming guard. Bet he doesn't see this coming...

With a *thunk* sound, a freeze foam grenade is launched from the underbarrel tube.

What the... As the team suddenly bolt in different directions, JT has that aweful feeling that he missed something. Maybe while he was concentrating on his magic something happened, all he knows is its on. Dropping to one knee, he quickly scans the scene through the sights of his shotgun. Seeing no immediate danger, he is quickly back up following Grave's lead.

Over the comms he asks, "What the hell did I miss?"

JT activates his foci, preparing for battle.

Bishop:
The grenade launches in a low arc, landing softly in the slush and snow. Barreling towards you the guard doesn't see the matte gray cylinder in the shadows and darkness. A sudden inrush of air fills the area with foam locking the guard in place and encasing the hound's head and mouth in white powder.

The guard closest to you stumbles and falls as his body siezes and jerks. His eyes stare in horror as he loses control of his limbs. His hellhound companion is in no better shape, its head jerking back and forth.

Where there were once four red blips near Bishop's possition on the BattleTac map, they are now green. Over the comms, he transduces, "Situation getting back under control. Four guards imobilized. Beware guard and hellhound to the west, 350m from my possition. Invasion Team, move in on my possition... JT, are you able to assist with the Astral issue?"

As he lets everyone know of the situation, Bishop re-holsters his shotgun and bends down to retreave his pistol. He then takes a moment to aim and fires off a shot at the imobilized guard and hellhound, putting them to sleep.