(Note: This takes place about a week after the RP "Evening Games".)

It's about noon in Black Oak forest, and all the animals are out and having fun. I jogged through a overgrown path in the forest preserve, along with Jeff. We were both healing pretty well, but the wound on Jeff's leg refused to close for some odd reason. I wasn't sure what was going to happen to the claw that was ripped out but after a couple days a new one began to grow. Now, it was only a little bit shorter than the others, and more sharp. "Are we there yet?" Jeff asked bored. Glancing around I replied "Almost. You'll know it when you see it."



Just realizing it Jeff asked "Where's Ryan and Kai?" I extened and retracted my claws saying "Ryan needed stitches for his shoulder so he went with Kai yesterday. They should be here still." He nodded and picked up the pace a little bit. A few minutes passed before a shape appeared in the distance. "That it?" Jeff questioned. I nodded and imitating a nagging tone said "Now Jeff, I want you to be on your best behavior. Don't get yourself into any trouble." Instantly he stiffened and a mixture of sadness and anger filled his unblinking eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked worried that Black Ace was here. Jeff shook his head and replied "Nothing. Just... you brought back some memories." "Oh." An awkward silence followed the next minute it took to get to the house. The house was in terrible condition, random garbage was strewn about the house and the door was hanging off it's hinges. The only evidence that somebody had been here recently was a blackish blue "42" on the front door. "Zippers, Ryan, Kai? We're here!" I called out.

A dark figure walked down the stairs with Kai following close behind. "Hi Zippers. Where's Ryan at?" I asked. In sign language Zippers responded "He's upstairs. Under some sedatives so he can't come down." I nodded my head and turned to Kai. "How's your ankle doing?" Kai stood on one foot and rotated his once sprained ankle in a full 360 degrees. "Glad that's looking better. Maybe we'll get to actually play a game tonight if Ryan's feeling well enough." I stated cheerfully.

(Gonna start putting reference pictures for the OC's. Sorry it's big.)

Suddenly there was a loud yell of surprise that came from upstairs. Unsheathing my claws I bolted up the stairs along with Jeff and burst into Ryan's room. He was laying on a dirty mattress shirtless, and where the wound had once been there was now a shiny zipper. "Dammit Zippers! I told you to sow it shut, not zip it shut!" Ryan cried out. Zippers walked into the room with his head hanging down. Kai was right behind him, slightly angry. "I'm sorry, I just thought that you would like a zipper. I may be able to take it out but it would require a lot of sedatives." Zippers signed out. Sighing Ryan replied "Fine. Do whatever, just remove the zipper and sow the wound shut."

Quickly, Zippers got a needle out of his bag and attached it to his arm through a tube. Ryan laid back down on the bed and lightly touched his mask. "What's wrong Ryan? Don't like needles?" I asked. He shook his head but before he could respond Zippers stuck the needle into Ryan's arm. Blueish black blood began to flow through the tube and into Ryan. He soon became subdued and for some odd reason, took off his mask and put it on the ground. "Don't move your arm." Jeff said, as Zippers was taking out a marker to draw where he would put the incision.

Ryan's eyes slowly slipped shut and he fell into what looked like a very deep sleep. "Careful with how much sedative you put in. He can handle a little pain." I said warningly. Zippers nodded and took out a scalpel. He then began to cut the zipper out of Ryan's arm. Blood was soon everywhere and Zippers didn't seem to care. Looking around wildly Jeff ripped a old curtain off of the broken window and placed it against Ryan's arm. Zippers did the closest thing he could to a glare and continued to cut the zipper out. Finally it was free and he placed the bloody zipper on the floor. There was now a small gash in Ryan's arm that Jeff was pressing the curtain against. Zippers adjusted a small knob on the needle and less blood began to flow from Zippers to Ryan. "I need to wait until he's bleeding a little less. Then I'll sow it up." Zippers explained in sign language. I nodded and headed outside for a little fresh air.

(Zippers, Ryan, Kai, Kagekao, and Zipper's reference picture copyright Ginga Akam. Gingaakam.deviantart.com Black Ace copyright Zeurel. Zeurel.deviantart.com)