Chapter 6: Chapter 4: And Hell Followed With Them

Asheville, NC

5:59 pm, Breach Event Beta t-minus 1 minute

Galen and Tessa gently lowered the makeshift stretcher onto the operating table of the ER at Mission Hospital, allowing the nonplussed surgeon and nurses their first good look at the catgirl who had, amazingly, held on for the long trek into the burning and bloody city of Asheville. Galen's hopes that the majority of the rush had somehow bypassed the city were dashed the second they had crested the last hill before reaching the city, and he had grimaced and held back tears as they silently moved forward to find a working hospital.

After dropping the impromptu patient with the trauma response team and letting the surgeon know the importance of saving the catgirl with a gesture toward the tigress holding an uneasily napping kitten, the girl had been rushed back to the OR with haste. Galen moved over to the chaotic front desk and waited to catch the attention of the receptionist. a space at the front of the line cleared, and Galen moved into the space before it could be claimed by others seeking the status or whereabouts of loved ones.

The receptionist glanced up at him. "I'm looking for my squadmates, James O'Rourke. Is there any way of telling whether he is here at this hospital, or of checking the other area medical centers to see if he showed up at one of those?"

The receptionist efficiently typed the name into the networked computer. "You're in luck, he was just checked into The St Joseph campus under the care of a, um, a werewolf. It seems to have carried him in from an accident site far back in the forest. Do you have any idea what is going on?"

"An unintentional invasion, I'd gather. Celtic lore speaks of thin places between realities, far as I can tell, some of them just got ripped apart at the seams. But what do I know, I'm just a Ranger, that's far above my paygrade." He gestured toward his own werewolf and the tigress, shrugged hard, and smiled. "Thank you for your help and info."

He made his way back to the two monster girls. "James is here, in town. The catgirl will probably be in the OR for several hours, which should give us time to make it there and back with them in tow. Your packmate brought him there, so she is okay." He nodded at Tessa.

"Oh, thank Arceus!" Tessa smiled, her features losing some of their tenseness. "I will come along. Tigress?"

The tigress nodded. "Tigress."

"Well," he nodded, "let's double-time it, then. I think we can hoof it and be there within the hour."

The motley crew left the hospital and set off in the direction given to them by the receptionist. Galen was suddenly stopped by Tessa's paw on his shoulder. "Something's wrong," she stated directly, pulling the four of them into an alleyway.

Galen could feel the rumbling headed in their direction. "Shit," he muttered. "That couldn't have been the only event now, could it. No, that would have been too easy."

The party watched silently as a veritable stampede of monster girls ran past the alleyway. Galen almost stood up from cover when he was roughly held in place by Tessa. "Something's at the entrance," she hissed in a low, raw whisper. Galen nodded and unslung his rifle. Sure enough, backlit in the entrance to the gloomy alley, a figure crouched, sniffing the air, before slowly making its way toward the area the group huddled in. Tessa growled in a low whisper, and he could tell she was almost preparing to shift into her battle form.

"Easy," Galen said. "Not yet. She could be friendly."

"Charmela?" the reptilian girl said in what sounded like a question as she moved closer to their impromptu hiding spot.

"Shit," Tessa said. "She knows we're here. Do not get close to her if she turns hostile, she's a pyro and a poison type, and is probably going to aggressively try to either tame you or eat you."

"What is up with all you aggressive ass monster girls?" Galen asked bitterly.

"We were literally bred to be war machines." Tessa said plainly. "And the asshole who made us made sure we were equal parts aggressive and horny. He had a grudge against the rest of humanity and females in general for not giving him what he felt he deserved."

"Charmela?"

"Shit. Shes headed here, let me do the talking, since I already talked too much and gave us away." Tessa grimaced. Galen reached up and scratched her behind the ears. "It's okay, you've gone from a domestic breed to a literal werewolf in less than a day, we're all new to this."

Tessa, looked at him and smiled. "You'd make a good trainer."

"I'm a squad leader, it comes with the territory. Now let's try to keep this from turning into a fight with what looks like that dragon's little sister over there."

Tessa grimaced. "You're not far off. And that Whorizard isn't technically a dragon type."

"looked like a dragon to me." Galen grinned. Tessa just shook her head and stepped out of their meager cover.

"What are you seeking?" She asked the dark green Charmela. Galen was starting to pick up that the ones who could only say their name were the feral monsters, reduced to what's likely raw instinct and emotion. He could work with that, if push came to shove. He glanced back at the Tigress and ktten, and reminded himself that feral didn't automatically mean 'evil', though 'dangerous' certainly fit.

It definitely helped that Tessa wasn't feral, that the common language seemed to be English on their world too, and that she understood the feral girls as well as his tongue.

Tessa and the Charmela were talking animatedly, though neither looked tense or aggressive. He tried to follow along with the, to him, very one sided conversation. He tried to pick up context clues based on the one side he could understand. The reptile girl needed something, and it sounded like Tessa was negotiating on his behalf. Galen wasn't certain he liked that, he'd seen enough base bunnies on deployments to get the idea of what a pimp was.

Tessa and the Charmela turned and walked up to them. "Okay, bossman," Tessa said, "we have an opportunity here. But it depends heavily on how much you're willing to 'give' for the cause of adding a heavy hitter to the team. And I must warn you that if you agree, you may well end up dealing with three horny pokegirls and delaying the trip to the hospital by a few hours."

Galen grimaced. He freaking knew it. "The things I do for my country." He groaned. "Tell me what I need to do, and that I'm not gonna lose my dick in the process."

Tessa nodded. "Luckily, none of us will need to be in bondage for this, and before you ask, yes, there are certainly breeds who absolutely require it if you want to remain in one piece during taming. But that's hopefully not something we're gonna have to deal with. You have two ferals. The Charmela here was a threshold who lost touch with her harem and has recently gone feral. Tigress there was born so, so you're going to actually have to teach her your language after you tame her. The kitten is just a kit, and luckily for you won't turn needy or aggressive until she evolves into a catgirl, which, from the looks of her, could be a year or more away. By then we will hopefully have her mother back, and she can help train her. You're developing quite the harem, boss."

"You keep using that word." Galen deadpanned. "I do not think it means what you think it means."

"Well, it does on my world, anyway." Tessa smiled. "We need a secure and preferably fluffy location to make this happen. I'm closer to being feral than I would like, myself." Galen nodded.

"Well, we could probably commandeer an abandoned house around here, shore it up for a few hours while y'all get… tamed. Whoever your inventor was, He's a real dick, doing this to y'all."

"Sukebe. The taming was his way of keeping us on a leash. And fulfilling his sick fantasies."

"So an Asian dude started all this? Makes a twisted sort of sense."

"No, a caucasian with an Asian fetish, would be more correct."

"Goddamn weeaboos," Galen grumbled. "Giving the rest of us a bad name."

"Ask the new girl if she's willing to accompany us to get my squadmate first, two dicks are better than one in this circumstance, I think."

"I'll do that, but it might mean you end up losing the loyalty of one of them to James. He'll be building up a harem as we go along, as well. I reckon he already has my packmate on his side. Which is fine by me, as I don't like playing beta pup to a packmate. Which one do you hope to keep with us most? Am I wrong for assuming I am one of the ones you want around?" Tessa asked, suddenly apprehensive.

"Oh, you're definitely mine." Galen gave her what he could read that she wanted to hear. Plus, he knew her to be an invaluable resource in this strange new reality, and he had long since learned to hoard valuable resources whenever possible. "And I want the Tigress, as well. Anyone that passionate about trying to kill me is gonna be just as passionate at trying to keep me alive."

"Tigress", the feline almost cooed. Well, she read the intent behind that, whether she fully understood it or not. "Can she fully understand me, or is she just picking up on intent?"

Tessa grinned. "She fully understands you. You'll just have to teach her to talk back to you."

"That can be done, she's smart as a whip and twice as sexy already."

Tessa had a short conversation with the Charmela, explaining the plan, which the new girl seemed amenable to. As the group began traveling again, the Tigress looped her arm in Galen's, purring gently as they walked along. Tessa looked on in mild amusement, taking the lead in the direction of the other hospital. The Charmela took Galen's other flank, glancing at him curiously from time to time.

The reptile girl reached out and hesitantly touched him. Her skin was scaly, with a warmth to it that he assumed had to do with her flame-based powers. He took her hand in his and smiled down at her. It was best to keep the girls comfortable, he was sure that them getting antsy or annoyed would lead to a breakdown of the fragile squad he currently commanded.

After walking for the better part of an hour, mostly to avoid large groupings of pokegirls, they reached the hospital. Galen loosed himself from the girls, leading them inside to the receptionist, and was slightly surprised to see a humanoid pokegirl in a nurse's uniform helping the overwhelmed staff. She looked up at Galen as they approached. "Hello, My name is Evelyn, I'm a Nursejoy, and I'm helping with pokegirl related injuries and healings. How can I assist you?"

Galen put on his best smile. "hello Evelyn, My name is Galen, and I'm here to enquire after my Friend, who I was told from another hospital had checked in here along with a Lupina who brought him in. Could you help me find him, or at least give me a status update on the both of them?"

"Certainly, sir. What was the name of your friend?"

"James O'Rourke. I never caught the name of his companion, we wrecked out and got separated before I was able to make her acquaintance."

The nursejoy nodded and went to speak to the receptionist. She came back, smiling and visibly relieved. "Here you go, he's out of the OR and in room 317, along with his companion, Gayle." Galen noted and memorized the name. "Luckily," Evelyn continued, "his injuries were mostly minor, save for the hairline fracture in his left arm and some bruised ribs. He was very lucky. From what Gayle told me, you were all in a very intense wreck while under attack by a feral Whorizard. You were very lucky."

Galen smiled back at the nursejoy. "Well, I have Tessa there to thank for my survival, she's like landing on a high velocity cloud." He winked at his companion, pleased to see her cheeks turn three shades of pink in a manner of seconds. "Can James and Gayle have visitors yet?"

Evelyn nodded. "Yes, they should even be able to leave once you go up and see them." Galen thanked her profusely after she gave him directions to the room.

They found the room in short order, and Galen knocked on the door and waited. "Come in, I'm decent as this wolf will let me be." James said, and Galen walked in, already laughing, his squad following suit at the spectacle before them. The Lupina, Gayle, he guessed, was draped across poor James, the big spoon to his little spoon, tail wrapped around one of his legs as she stroked his chest.

"I see you made a friend." Galen's voice was full of mirth. James quirked an eyebrow at him. "Looks like you've made a few of your own." Galen nodded. I've acquired a stray or two. There's another being looked after at another hospital, and her kitten is asleep in my backpack right now."

"Dang friend, you work fast. I'd expect nothing less out of my Seargent, I suppose. This is Gayle, she saved my life and carried me here while I was knocked out from the crash. I see the other wolf stayed with you."

Galen nodded. "This is Tessa. she saved me when I went airborne during the wreck. She's been an invaluable font of knowledge as pertaining to our current situation as well." Gayle looked up at Tessa's name. "Tessa!" she squealed, unwrapping herself from James to stand and walk over to Tina enveloping her in a big hug. "I'm so glad to see you alive and in such…" she looked Galen up and down and smirked, "…fitting company. Has he made you his alpha yet?"

"We haven't had that conversation yet. Too much going on for it so far." Tessa nodded almost imperceptibly at her packmate. Galen gave her a side-eyed glance the let her know that conversation would be happening as soon as a few other things were taken care of. Tessa returned the glance almost sheepishly.

Galen spoke up. "While we haven't gotten to that, we've been operating using squad rules from my Ranger Batallion. If the Alpha position is seen as similar to second in command, then Tessa is my acting Alpha until such a time as we can make it permanent or someone better qualified makes their presence known. But I wouldn't place odds on that latter option happening."

Gayle nodded, then turned back to a visibly beaming Tessa. "Yes, I like this one too. You've chosen well." Tessa nodded.

"Well," Galen spoke up again, "if you're done lazing around with a beautiful wolfgirl pampering you, ready to find and set up some more permanent digs until we can make contact with base?"

"Just five more minutes, wolfgirl pampering is addictive." Gayle lightly slapped his chest, causing James to grimace slightly before grinning ear to ear. "Yes dear." He said, slowly getting to his feet and looking for his clothes, which were folded neatly in a chair in the corner of his room.

"We'll be right outside." Galen nodded and stepped outside with his entourage. He pulled Tessa into a brief but warm embrace. "I don't think I've properly thanked you for saving my life yet." He kissed her cheek before releasing her. Tessa swooned at the display of affection.

The tigress and charmela were soon upon him, hugging against him jealously after the display. Galen just grinned and wrapped them in an affectionate three-way embrace as well, giving them each a delicate kiss on the cheek. "Yes, yes, you both get some loving as well." Tessa was immediately at his back, wrapping her arms around him as well. So, he thought. This was a harem. He could get used to this.

James and Gayle appeared soon, dressed and ready. He had followed Tessa's clothing example by providing Gayle with his longest shirt and a spare belt. They would have to hit up a boutique and a hunting supply store soon to stock up on clothes for the girls, sidearms, ammo, and long-term food supplies for what could be an extended stay in the area until the Army got their shit together.

The group made their way out of the hospital, immediately looking for a shelter they could turn into an impromptu base. James was interested in some of the historic houses in the area, while the girls argued for finding a building with a built in shelter, and you were wanting to see if the Oak Grove Inn would be a good prospect, since the girls you had been coming to meet might be there waiting for the two of you. Decisions, decisions.

In the end, the thoughts of southern comfort and style won out over the need for safety and security or ghosts and human girls, and the group made their way to the historic district. The houses here were beautiful plantation style homes with columns, but sadly many of the beautiful homes were sporting severe damage from the recent feral rush that tore through town recently.

"For the last time, James, we're not taking over the Biltmore estate. And if you bring up Sadaam's palace again, I'm going to shoot you in the leg with your own gun." James visually deflated at Galen's words. "I was just saying, man. You're a spoilsport."

"What can I say, they beat the whimsey out of you in officer training." Galen grinned at James. "Don't worry, while you won't be living the Bridgerton life, a minor dutchy isn't out of the question." James chuckled, then stopped in his tracks, pointing at a home that was still untouched by the tornado of destruction that had rained down on the area. "What about that one?"

It was a two story home with a wraparound porch that also acted as a wraparound balcony for the second floor. That gave good sightlines, Galen thought he and James could exchange lookout duties from there, and in a pinch could block off the ground floor and use the second story as a last stand/escape hatch if push came to shove. There were no cars in the driveway, so there was a better than average chance that the inhabitants had fled the incoming danger, and if not, they could offer protection in exchange for shelter. It seemed as secure a house as they were going to find in the area, so Galen nodded. "Alright, let's go up and ring the bell. If there's no answer, we split into two teams and clear the house. James and Gayle, you will take Charmela with you, I'll wake the Kitten, she and the Tigress will be with Tessa and I."

"Wait, Gayle said. "You've just been calling them their breed names? You should name them." Galen looked at Tessa and shrugged. She nodded. "It is likely to please them and make them more loyal to you if you name them." Galen nodded. "okay then, lets give these beauties fitting names." the Tigress and Charmela visibly preened, and the kitten lazily swatted at Galen's head from his bookbag, he figured it was probably in annoyance for taking so long to get around to naming them.

Galen pointed at the Tigress. "Okay, you first. Let's see… how would you like Elaine?"

The tigress nodded. "El… Elaine. Elaine? Elaine." She nodded enthusiastically back at him. "Elaine!" She wrapped Galen in a tight hug. He felt all warm inside as he returned the hug. "That's a good girl, Elaine. I'm glad you like it." Elaine released him, beaming.

Galen took off his backpack and gently lifted the kitten out of it, looking her in the eyes. "And you, how do you feel about Leona?" The kitten stared at him for a second and then grinned. "I like it! Leona it is, it fits me so well!" Galen was surprised, the young pokegirl hadn't made a noise to this point except for some crying over her seriously wounded mother.

"Well, aren't we talkative all of a sudden?" He grinned at her. "I'm glad you enjoy it." Leona booped him on the nose with a paw. "In my defense, you kinda just kept putting me in warm places that felt good to nap in."

"I suppose that's true." Galen nodded, gently setting her down before turning to the Charmela. "Now, how would you feel about the name Rosie?" The dark green girl looked up at him in thought. "Ro… Rosie?" She said hesitantly. "It's ironic," Galen responded. The girl grinned. "Rosie. Rosie." She sounded it out, rolling the word off her tongue. "Rosie!" She nodded and wrapped Galen in a hug in thanks. "Rosie." His shirt suddenly felt damp. He leaned down, enveloping the girl in a warm embrace. "Shh. It's okay. You're with us, your family. Your squad. Are you okay?"

Rosie looked up at him, smiling and crying at the same time. "Rosie." She kissed him lightly on the lips before breaking the embrace and was promptly scooped up by Elaine and hugged tightly. Leona and Tessa followed, then Tessa hesitated, turning to Galen. "Boss?" He looked over at her, a questioning look in his eyes. "Can… can you give me a new name? If I'm to be your alpha, then I would like a name that fits my new harem and master."

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Galen thought hard on it. "Is this really what you want, or do you just not feel worthy of your old master's name? Because I want you to know that you are worthy of the name you have if that is the only reason. Your master would be very proud of you for the way you have handled yourself."

Tessa shook her head. "No, I don't think I'm unworthy of my current name. In fact, I think with you, I'm worthy of a name that is… more. Please give me a fitting name for this new journey in this strange land with you as my master."

Galen nodded, and thought hard. He needed the prefect name for this fierce, loving, devoted wolf before him. Suddenly, it struck him, and he grinned widely at the thought of it. "Okay, I have just the name. In the mythology of the Norse vikings, there was a woman who was equal parts lover and warrior, who gave birth to kings and adopted tyrants. Who defended her husband, the god Odin, with her very being. The goddess of blessings, of love, of fertility. I can think of no better name for you than this. From now forward, your name shall be Freya."

The girl stood, wide-eyed at the passion of her naming. "Freya. I… I…" She rushed Galen, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply. She pulled back, staring him in the eyes. "Master, you do me the greatest honor. I am Freya. Thank you." She hugged him for a very long time afterward, whispering promises in his ear that he refused to share with anyone else.

Once Galen and Freya finally broke apart, he moved back to the group. "Okay, guys, it's time to make our presence known and clear this house. James, Gayle, Rosie? Y'all clear the ground floor if there is no answer. Freya, Elaine and I will clear the second story. Freya, I think it's time to give James his rifle." Freya nodded, unslinging the 30.06 and handing it to James. James nodded to her, and Galen noticed a glance between himself and Gayle. He thought there might be a conversation coming for those two soon, after the group was set. "What about me?" Leona said. "Back in the rucksack for now. You're our secret weapon if anyone gets too close to us." The kitten looked at him wryly. "Sure, that MUST be why. I can fight, you know." Galen stared at her. "Back in the rucksack, or I tie you to a column until we get back." Leona grumbled, but did as she was told.

Galen strode forward and knocked loudly on the door, announcing their presence to anyone inside who would have been too deaf to hear the conversation on their front porch. He waited a minute, knocked again and shouted "Hello? Anyone inside, this is Seargent Galen Hardin, Army ranger, 82nd Airborne. My squad and I are going to enter your home now, we mean you no harm." He tried the door handle. The door swung in, unlocked. Whoever had left, had gone in a hurry.

Galen raised his rifle, tracking his line of sight down the barrel across the entryway. "Clear in the foyer, moving in." He slipped inside, checking the doorway on his left first, then swinging back forward, toward the staircase. He looked back at James and his squad, pointing up, then through for them. James nodded, swinging his gun right , then forward, Galen approached the staircase with Freya and Elaine close behind. James, Rosie, and Gayle moved ahead, on their way to clear the rest of the ground floor.

Galen's squad ascended the stairs slowly, listening for any signs of movement from the floor above them. It was deathly silent. Reaching the top of the stairs, he saw that there was a long hallway with rooms lining both sides to the right, and an exit to the balcony past a sitting room on the left. "Left first," Galen whispered, "easier to clear."

Galen quickly cleared the sitting room, as it took up the entirety of the space and was fairly open, then the squad made their way to the balcony access doors. He opened it gently, this was likely the most open to attack they would be on this side of the house, out in the open on the exterior where even a feral on the outside might consider a ranged attack on them if the opportunity to pick one of them off presented itself.

Galen swung his rifle to the left, then the right. "Clear, let's take the right and move all the way around the house." Freya and Elaine nodded silently, following his lead. Galen walked slowly to the next corner, peering around it with his gun raised. "Clear, but the two of you need to keep a lookout into the yard and treeline as we go. Alert me if anything suspicious catches your eye."

The group advanced toward the next corner, making it halfway before he felt Freya's hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Master, there's movement in the treeline, something is tracking our progress without advancing on us." Galen whispered back to her. "Keep your eyes on it. If you can identify it, do so. If it advances in our direction, let me know, and I'll engage." Freya removed her hand after giving him an affirmative tap. They continued forward.

Galen reached the next corner and made a display of putting his back to the wall, turning to look at Freya as an opportunity to search the treeline. There it was, covered in shadow, but not quite stealthy enough to completely avoid a sharp set of eyes. It seemed more curious than anything, whatever it was, so Galen made a show of clearing the next corner and moving on.

Galen led the team around the rest of the balcony with no further contacts, merely their shadowy stalker in the treeline who would move parallel to them without breaking cover. He grumbled slightly as he failed to get a better look at the figure. All he could tell was that it seemed humanoid, seemed to have mostly feminine features, and was intelligent enough to remain obscured in the treeline, though he wouldn't count on it not having noticed that it had been spotted.

After clearing the rest of the balcony, Galen and his group made their way back inside. "Okay," he whispered, "we just have to clear the hallway. There are three door on each side, we're going to clear left, then right, then down to the next pair of rooms. Clear?" Freya and Elaine, nodded back at him. "I'll just be in my bag here." Leona grumbled.

The first room they came to was a bedroom, with a very comfy looking bed that Galen tried not to think about while sweeping the room. He checked all doors finding a double closet filled with clothes bade for a teen girl. They might have lucked out on wardrobe choices for the girls. The room also held a desk, with an empty space where the laptop would be. Seems the occupant prioritized technology over tank tops.

The room was clean, so the group moved across the hall. A small noise in the room gave Galen pause, and he lifted his fist in a stop motion, then signaled contact in the room to the girls. They nodded back, taking guarded stances as he slowly pushed the door open.

"Oh!" a small voice peeped as the door swung open. Galen leveled his rifle at the dainty but buxom blonde beauty standing in the corner of what was obviously a bathroom. She had been looking at the shower, turning the water on and off, and now she was frozen in place, like her hand was caught in a cookie jar.

Freya followed Galen into the room and looked the girl over. "Master, this one is no threat. In fact, I'd say you probably just got another member for the harem and you just don't know it yet."

Galen arched an eyebrow. "And why is that, Freya?"

Freya smirked. "That's a Damsel, master."

The Damsel slowly removed her hand from the faucet. "Hello…" she said, shyly. Galen lowered the weapon. "Hi. So you're not feral. How did you find this house, how did you get here?"

"I… well, I was trying to get away from whatever rift or portal dumped me here, because there were all these angry pokegirls, and as I ran past, I noticed this house had avoided the damage, and I saw the people who live here rushing to some sort of vehicle and speeding away, the door was open, so I decided to wait for it to die down while I figure out where this is." The girl nodded demurely as she spoke.

"Well, you're certainly not a threat. If you're looking for safety in numbers, there are seven of us." Galen spoke calmly, the girl definitely didn't seem a threat. He looked her over again. She was holding herself stiffly but submissively as she spoke to them, he was unsure whether she was using that as a sort of built in defense or if it was just her nature, but either way made sense.

She nodded. "I would like that. I Can help the harem… uh, group, I know helping touch and cure, my master needed a healer and I fit the bill for short term healing."

"Good to know. Welcome to the team. Do you have a name?"

"It was Liza, sir, but my master is… not here, anymore. I'm unsure if I should keep it, being with you."

"Let's hold off on that until you have met James. He may need a healer for his squad more than I do." The girl nodded. "Yes, mas… sir."

"Now, stay behind Freya and Elaine, we are going to clear the rest of these rooms." The group filed back into the hallway. Galen took point, Liza at the rear. "Let's clear the next room."

The team cleared the rest of the upstairs without incident, and headed back down to the foyer. James was awaiting them at the bottom. "All clear down here, Sarge. I did find an entrance to a wine cellar, thought we should clear that floor as a single unit."

Galen nodded. "We found this one upstairs in the bathroom. She's on our side, and said she can be a healer. I figured y'all should meet before she goes picking a team." James grinned at him. "You, giving up a medic? What's the catch?"

"For you not to go dying on me before I can get us back to Bragg, or at least make contact to give a sitrep."

"Glad to know my survival is on a timeline." James ribbed Galen lightly.

"Who the hell else am I going to get to drive me back to recover Betsy?"

"Fair enough."

James walked up to the Damsel. "Well, hey there cutie, I hear you're looking to enlist." He wore his most charming smile as he spoke to her. Gayle rolled her eyes and sniped, a little jealously, "Well if that was gonna work on anyone, it'd be a damsel." Galen noticed Liza's cheeks turn a shade pinker as she looked up at James.

"Yes, I can help, and you all have numbers, and…" she looked James over. "…strong leadership. I have some short-term healing powers, Should be enough to keep us from bleeding out during a fight, since I don't know if your world has healing cycles, and no one is running around with harems and pokeballs trying to regain a semblance of order."

"I'm sure your world had many things that we currently lack here, so it's a whole new world out there. We'll adapt and survive. So, from those of your species I have met, will y'all. Okay, you can be my medic. This is Gayle, my Lupina. I think she adopted me."

"More like dragged your heavy ass around the woods for hours and then kept you warm in a hospital." Gayle turned to Liza. "Now he's just too cute to let go." She grinned. "So you're…"

"Liza. Or that's the name my former master gave me." She looked down at her feet in discomfort. "I'd prefer a new one if it's all the same."

Gayle nodded. "That's an ongoing discussion that we will be resolving as soon as the cellar is cleared, but before the celebratory taming session." James glanced at his companion in a mixture of lust and nervousness. He talked a big game when pouring on the charm, but Galen knew he was a big softy at heart.

"One other thing. We have a stalker in the treeline, couldn't get any good info except that it's humanoid and would only follow us around the house while sticking to cover. If you took a peek out, I'd bet you could make it out." Galen patted James's shoulder. "But be careful, we don't want to spook it or enrage it until we have more info."

James made his way to the window, gently pushing the curtains aside with the barrel of his rifle. Grace kneeled slightly to get a look as well, scanning the treeline alongside him. "There, straight ahead, it's perched in a tree."

"Got her." James responded, then his brow furrowed. "Boss, we may have a situation."

"What is it?" Galen asked.

"There are four, no, five contacts stalking your stalker."

"Buzzbreasts," Grace said immediately. "They will overwhelm her then take her to their hive to turn her into another of their kind."

"They can do that?" Galen asked, surprised.

"It's how they reproduce, and we likely don't want them getting a hive set up in the area if we are wanting to use this house for any length of time," Freya replied.

Galen nodded. "Okay, well, let's go save a stalker and hopefully find out what has her interested in us. Two teams, Damsel, Rosie, you're with Grace and James. Everyone else with me."

"Does that mean I can come out of this stupid but comfy backpack now?" Leona asked.

"Yes, stay near Elaine and Freya. Only attack on command or when defending yourself, unless you have a ranged attack. Do you?" Galen said, as he lifted her from the rucksack and set her down. She shook her head. "I've got quick attack, Fury swipes, and pounce. Nothing ranged. But don't worry, I can hold up well in a fight!" Galen nodded. "Well, like I said, stay in formation, use attacks of opportunity, but don't overextend yourself." Leona nodded.

"Okay, form up, and let's go." Everyone nodded, splitting into their groups, and James cracked open the door, slowly pulling it open. Rifle raised, he took point, his team directly behind him, with Galen's squad coming right behind him. James and his team went left, while Galen's squad flanked right. They were hoping to use a pincer maneuver to catch the buzzbreasts off guard. Galen pointed forward, and the two groups began making their way to the treeline.

The two squads advanced slowly toward their targets, but unfortunately there wasn't much between them and the treeline but open field. Galen glanced at James, who pointed forward in a rapid motion, and Galen noticed the buzzbreasts splitting into three groups, with two of the beelike girls' headed for his squad, two headed to intercept James' group, and one making a beeline for the other girl, who had jumped out of the tree she was in and was currently running toward the space between the two squads. Galen got his first good look at the various girls.

"Holy shit, that's an Angel," Freya muttered. Galen looked over at her. "Focus on our enemies for now, worry about her later." Freya nodded, looking back. Her eyes widening. "Master!" She jumped in front of him, tanking a sting from the buzzbreast that had charged forward. Galen raised his rifle and let off a shot that missed the bee type by inches. Elaine engaged with the other one, biting at the enemy, who easily dodged her, hitting her with a brutal backhand that sent her flying a few meters away. Leona pounced at the girl, swiping but missing.

On James' side of things, the engagement was going better. Rosie shot a stream of flame with her tail that sent one of the bug type girls screaming and rolling away, looking much the worse for wear. James raised the 30.06 and fired, but the gun jammed on him, and he swore loudly, stepping as far out of reach as possible as he worked to clear the chamber. Grace stepped in front of him, delivering a brutal slash to the other buzzbreast, knocking it back. The Damsel, stayed near James, ready to heal anyone who needed it.

There was a scream from the middle of the field, as the Angel relieved the buzzbreast that attacked her of it's tail, stinger and all. It nearly collapsed in front of her, but shakily stood it's ground.

Galen fired again, this time catching one of the bee girls in the shoulder, knocking her to the ground with the impact. Leona swiped viciously at her as she hit the ground, knocking her away from the group, and she swayed as she got to her feet. The other buzzbreast feinted away from Freya's bite before swinging her tail right into a distracted Leona, knocking her sideways and making her tumble away. Elaine jumped in, having recovered from the last hit, and viciously tore one of the girls' wings off.

James thanked every deity he could remember as he finally cleared the jam and chambered another round. He brought the rifle up, aiming center mass at the charred and groaning bee girl and fired, his shot going true and dropping the girl where she stood. Rosie unleashed another gout of flame from her tail at the other buzzbreast, impacting the bug type directly, knocking it into grace, who viciously bit into it and then threw it to the ground.

The Angel readied herself for the charge from the grievously wounded buzzbreast, who attacked headlong out of sheer desperation. The Angel stepped aside from the charge, sword suddenly pointed at the ground, dripping blood. The bee girl stood, wavered for a moment, then her top half slid away from her waist, the two halves impacting the ground with a sickening thud. The Angel sprinted toward Galen's group.

In the trees, something watched in horror.

Galen fired at the girl Elaine had torn a wing off of, clipping her shoulder, but it was barely a flesh wound. Leona jumped at the girl, who just grabbed her by the ears and tossed her into Elaine, both going tumbling. Freya was slammed into by the other bee girl, and they locked into a grapple that had them at a near stalemate, Freya growling viciously. Galen was shocked as A blinding light erupted from the spot where Leona had ended her tumble.

James took another shot at the charred bee girl, impacting her right in the forehead, dropping her. One down, he thought. Grace swiped at the other buzzbreast, knocking her sideways, and Rosie stepped in, lancing the girl through with a needle that protruded from her tail. The bee girl slumped over, it's eyes glazing over as it slid off the needle and to the ground. James looked over to Galen's group, then back at the treeline, scanning for other enemies. Wait, Something was there…

Freya's grip on the buzzbreast was jarred loose as something impacted it from the side. Freya looked up, shocked, seeing the girl literally run through by a sword. Then there was a wet ripping sound, as the sword bisected the girl from waist to head, the two sides flopping apart as it fell. Beside her stood an Angel, covered in blood, staring coldly at the body of the bee girl.

Galen uncovered his eyes as the light faded, stunned by what he saw where a meek kitten once stood.

The lion girl in her place pounced at the remaining buzzbreast, slashing it's stomach open with a deafening growl. The bee girl was frozen, with a look of shock plastered on it's face, and Leona viciously stomped her into the ground until the bee stopped moving. She then turned, staring at Galen, before rushing up and wrapping him in a hug. "Master! I did it!" Galen was dumbfounded, but he wrapped his arms around the girl. Something… must've happened, maybe it was the evolution Freya had described undergoing after losing her master? He didn't know, but he knew this was still Leona.

"Well, I don't see how we're going to fit you into my rucksack now." Galen said softly, and Leona began laughing with him. Freya and Elaine came up, nestling themselves into the hug, and Rosie trotted over ahead of James and the rest of his squad, weaseling into the group hug as well.

James looked on at the impromptu group hug, amused, then glanced over at the Angel who was gently humming to herself as she took in the scene before her. "So, what's your story?" James asked, quirking an eyebrow. The Angel looked over at him, smiling softly. "The same as most of these others, I'd assume. Was helping my master and many other harems to contain a feral rush, one of the largest we'd seen in decades. As we were attempting to bait and herd the rush away from nearby villages, a giant rift appeared, all the masters seemed to either be pulled away or were killed, and the entire group of pokegirls was pulled into this universe. I saw my master vanish beside me. It.. it was horrible." The girl was clearly hanging on by a thread.

"So why were you watching our group?" James placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, and though she shuddered slightly at the touch, she didn't pull away. "I… I saw your group head into the house, as I was escaping the ferals stampeding through the area. You both seemed to be comfortable with your girls, I thought you might have been from my world, despite your weaponry. So I watched and waited, just to see if joining your group was feasible."

"Well," James began, "we are looking to expand our squads, I definitely have room if you think safety in numbers is the play to make. We're not from your world, but Galen and I are members of our nation's military, and would be happy to have you aboard as we try to regroup with our people and get this under control."

The girl nodded. "Having seen your group in battle, you seem to be a competent force with the ability to lead your girls well. I would very much like to work with you all. You do… understand the unique needs we have as pokegirls, right?"

James sighed deeply, but nodded an affirmative. "Yeah," he drawled in his Louisiana accent, "we've been informed of the complexities involved with keeping y'all tamed. In fact, I believe after saving your ass and clearing the cellar of that house, that's the next thing on the agenda." The girl perked up at this. "Oh, oh… that's good! I'm closer to feral than I would like to be, the stress of the day is going to make a lot of girls need taming before they go feral." James just smirked.

"I guess I can't complain much, Galen and I did come to Asheville with the prospect of getting some action. Just… not exactly the type we seem to have wandered into." The girl smirked at his words, chuckling softly. "Life comes at you fast, huh?"

"Adapt or die, hoorah." James grinned.

 

 

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