You're playing with your life,, So let's lie in this mess we made.

[Lycan]

It had been a long while since the VG spy had ever been able to escape from Antia's view until the day where the NINE oddly enough agreed to work with VG to take down the upcoming forces of evil that opposed them both. It was relieving to get away for once and be able to speak to the people she had gotten to know well before she had picked up her rather risky mission. The one thing Lycan recalled about that very day she took up the offer was Shutter flipping out and trying to prevent her from doing it until she made one valid point: she was the only one that would be able to do it without being classified as a VG member. He let her go, but she could almost sense he was worried about her, and she never understood why he really would when she was merely a stranger in a sense still.

Letting out a soft sigh as she trekked through some of the densest forests of South America, hoping to by pure chance run into Shutter. She had heard some rumours that something was up with him, something about another entity possessing him? Rumours were rumours, and until she heard it from him she refused to believe them at all. Heck, truthfully she had missed talking to him at times and also was concerned about him as a friend. Now she had every reason to talk to any of them to form 'plans', although they would merely be to tell them the information she had been retrieving for a good while now. It wasn't much, but it was a start at least, and being able to figure out where the headquarters were little by little helped a lot.

It also drove her insane that she couldn't shapeshift around the NINE and only when she was trying to gain information when she had the freetime. Part of her craved being able to just become one with nature as an animal of her choice, but at the same time she already felt like she was a part of it anyways. Right now she was listening carefully as the wind sung songs through the trees, small animals scurrying around gathering food and finding shelter, birds taking flight into the air. All of it amazed her, but she used these ques to figure out if someone might be following a path through the woods like herself or might be following her by chance. Yes, she was paranoid about being followed, but what can you expect with her being a spy?

Suddenly a flock of birds took off in the distance, the fluttering of wings and calls they made caught her attention. It spooked her a little because it confirmed her fear of not being alone as usual, but it also made her curious. Was it one of the VG as she wished, or was it another NINE member wondering why the hell she wasn't with Antia?

[Shutter]

To say that he was out of his mind would be an overstatement of the facts. He wasn't out of his mind, he was just in a valid, very strong battle with a being from another world. He did strange things under Visio's control. People sometimes were left to wonder if he was changing sides. He killed people sometimes. Granted they were always NINE agents, but killing was still forbidden amongst the Valor Guard. He was becoming what the NINE used to be, according to some. As such, a few VG members had vowed to capture him which led to him running to South America. He'd hide in the rain forests and mountains until he conquered Visio.

At the moment he was in control. Visio was being held at bay by Cole's sheer willpower. There was no other way to describe it for there wasn't anything else there. Just him mentally keeping the inter-dimensional being at bay. Could he account for the future? No. He couldn't save the future just yet. He still needed time to figure out how he was going to trap Visio and get him out of his head. But that meant running, it meant hiding. It meant fighting for control when Visio took over. It was sheer hell.

He was getting tired of running and he needed a break. The safest place he could find was a tree so he climbed up into it, scaring the birds away. Curling up within his clothing, he found a niche in the trees. Some would say he'd lost the essence of who he was, but he hadn't. He was just tired and afraid of what he was becoming. There wasn't much else to it. For now he'd rest.

[Lycan]

It was silent for a long period of time, perhaps a little too long as she silently hid in a tree, having of quickly shapeshifted into a native falcon. Rarely did birds ever fly away only to have no other noises afterwards and it deeply confused her, convincing her to take quick flight into the air in the direction the birds took off from. Never before had events turned out that way and she knew she was placing her life on the line, but no longer did she really care about what was good for her. The reason she was doing the work she was, the reason she enjoyed it as well, was to please others who were like herself. Especially for a select few people, Cole being one of them, hence why she had been silently seeking him out instead of other VG members.

Never had she seen him much to her disappointment, and she never dared to admit she wanted to, fearing a response she didn't want to get. They would mistaken her for liking him, though that was rather impossible in her mindset, besides she considered him an equal. They both knew loss and the pain it caused when it was someone close to you, they both had put their lives on the line to end the organization that caused this pain.. but they were different. Or, at least that was how she felt.

As she found the source she carefully landed in a tree nearby to the male, before she let out a soft cry once she saw who it was. Speak of the devil, it was the one person she wasn't expecting to run into, especially now of all times. Quickly she shifted back into her human form, greeting him with a small smile as her eyes lit up a bit to show her happiness. Or, that was for at least a moment, all of it fading into a concerned frown once she fully took him in and the fact he had spare clothing with him.

"Cole..." Trailing off softly, she leapt down from the branch she was sitting on, walking over to his tree before leaning her back against it. Tilting her head, she watched him curiously before she spoke again. "Are these rumours I am hearing true? A good while ago I thought I heard something about another entity having of taken control of your mind or something. I've been trying to find you because I was concerned about it and wanted to know the truth." Well it was true she was being rather blunt, but in her mindset it was better to cut the chase and find out the truth than leave the question up in the air.

[Shutter]

Did he expect a friendly face to find him within the jungles of South America? No. He did not expect that. He didn't expect to see a friendly face for a long time. As long as it took him to finish what was going on. As long as it took him to take care of Visio once and for all. But yet here she was. The always lovely Raven. How dangerous could it be if Visio took control now. Would he kill her? Likely. He was strong. Far stronger than Cole, and he was trying to break through to this dimension using Cole as his gateway.

"Hi, Raven."

He doesn't look happy or pleased or anything, but that could be just because of the nature of the moment. Eyes watch her from where he is in the tree, and he doesn't move from the curled up position. It's a good way to make sure that nothing happens to her without her having time to escape. If Visio can't move him quickly, then she has time to leave. Still, having a friend nearby was a nice change. So long as he could keep control of things it would be good.

"His name is Visio. He claims to be from another dimension. He wants to come through to ours and destroy it as he has others. I'm his gateway."

Quickest way to explain things was just to explain them. And it made things more important that she knew them to be true. Curling up tighter, he wrapped his arms around himself to further ensure her safety. No, it wasn't because he liked her. It was, indeed, because she was his friend and another member of the Valor Guard. He had an obligation to ensure her safety as best as possible.

"It is dangerous to be near me."

[Lycan]

The whole idea of another being using Cole as a sort of gateway took her a little off-guard, trying to figure out why it would chose him instead of any other of the VG or someone of the NINE, until she thought carefully. Cole was different, he could easily get to anywhere within his line of vision, and he was also a rather strong individual because of his experiences. Or at least that was her reasoning behind it, but the whole idea of this being alone being able to destroy the very earth they lived on? A part of her refused to believe this, especially if they had the resources of powers and the chances were higher for survival now that a temporary alliance had been formed.

When he stated how it was unsafe to be around him she couldn't help but let out a sort of scoff. If there was one thing she made obvious to him and all of the VG, it was the fact she wasn't afraid of danger or of something being unsafe. Hell, why did she even risk her life by being a spy as Antia's bodyguard alongside her little 'boyfriend'? Mist drove her insane and it took a lot of restraint not to strangle him, especially with how often he tried to get her to admit she wasn't one of them. She had managed to prove herself multiple times, but it was really hard not to hurt her 'fellow' worker.

"If there is anything you should know about me by now, I believe it would be the fact I don't care about this danger you speak of. Your a fellow Valor Guard member, a friend Cole, and even if it means my life I'm not going to just up and leave you here alone. The wilderness is a lot harsher than you think unless you are able to be one with it."

She made sure to stress the friend part, certain he remember another fact about her. Her trust was very testy, especially in males, and she had given him more than a normal stranger when they first met. Gazing away from him into the distance she chuckled softly, closing her eyes as she relaxed and absorbed the world around her in her minds eye.

"Besides, you can't just run away and hope you can handle this threat we have here on your own. Has there ever been a single problem in the history of this world that was simply solved by a single person without some sort of help or guide?"

[Shutter]

"I need to find Div..."

The words are cut off as something changes. First his eye color and then his demeanor. He seems a lot more aggressive. Yes, and he starts unfurling himself while he looks down at her. An impish grin finds its way to his face. Visio has gotten control again. Dropping down from the tree, he stands in front of Raven. Staring at her rather maliciously, perhaps some ill-intent in his eyes as he looks over her form, eying parts of her that Cole would never eye. And when he speaks even his voice sounds evil.

"Dear, dear, Raven. You realize that I will take you as mine and then rid the world of you? It will be so easy."

And then suddenly he doubles over, laughing, only for it to change to crying as Cole regains control. Another moment and he falls over. Curling up on the ground, he wraps his hands around his legs and just lays there. Oh to think of what Visio almost did to Raven. Scary thoughts, for what the being meant to do played out fully within Cole's head. He saw every excruciating moment of it. Same as always. While Visio did whatever, Cole screamed and cursed and watched whatever it was that was going on.

He doesn't move. He doesn't look up at Raven as she stands above him. He doesn't make a sound either. The crying was temporary as it always is when he regains control. Just that bit of a change within him. A signal of the ending of Visio's control. Shorter it was this time. Cole must be getting better at regaining control now. Way different from before. Used to be he never was able to gain control.

"I'm sorry."

[Lycan]

The sudden cut-off in his words caught her attention as her eyes snapped open, instantly sensing the odd change in him way before she had the chance to see it. As soon as he moved infront of her she instantly tensed up, noticing the overall change, especially with his actions, but she didn't dare to make a single move or show fear. Even as his words were spoken and rang through her mind she managed to keep a sort of emotionless guise, or at least until the laughter turned into crying and he collasped to the ground. He was back to himself, seeming to have managed to lock the other being away, which was rather relieving.

Carefully sitting on the ground besides him she gave a small smile, gently reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder. If she was able to, she would of hugged him to give him reassurance, but that was pushing her own physical comfort zone level. She was afraid of hugs because it took a lot of trust to allow someone to hold her in a spot where she couldn't readily escape, and she felt it was the same for this situation. A simple sign of understanding and perhaps even comfort was the action she had just done, or at least without the words to complete it.

"It is pointless to apologize for something that is not your own doing, but I do appreciate that you were able to regain control. I didn't want to hurt you in order to defend myself."

A joking tone was added to her voice at the end, trying to help lighten up the situation that was at hand. She could only faintly understand what he was going through, but she was definitely willing to make every effort she could to help him out, as long as he was going to let her try at least.

[Shutter]

It might seem that he nearly moves away from the touch, but it thereafter brings him some sense of calm. A touch from a friend can do so much for a situation. It was the first time in so long for him to have had a friend touch him as she just did. The sensation of being wanted, of being cared for.. it made him feel so much better. A few more moments of just laying there and then he sits up to actually look at Raven for the first time from an advantage that lets him see her up close.

"You don't understand what he can do..."

There's a sigh, a big sigh. He looked tired and to be truthful he was so very tired. How long had it been since he'd slept? It seemed like forever really, and it had been a long time since he'd let himself sleep. When he slept he was much weaker and holding Visio back became harder and harder. Visio often gained control of him during his sleep, so unless he was going to sleep very lightly then he wasn't going to sleep at all. He was such a mess, though. Rush was going to kill him if she was still alive and out there. If she still cared for him. So far as he knew they were just friends. They'd never gotten anywhere else.

"It takes so much to hold him back. I'm not sure how I will defeat him permanently. Or if I can. But I must try."

This side of Cole that she was seeing. This quiet, brooding, emotional version of the man that she had known... It had to be off-putting. Everyone was so used to him being the charismatic leader. The other three Guardians didn't fit the bill like he did. But yet here he was, hiding when the world was at war with a new enemy. Hiding instead of fighting like he should be. Except he was fighting. He was fighting an enemy that could destroy them all. He wavered a bit, seeming on the verge of falling over once more if she didn't stop him...

[Lycan]

As he sat up it took a good amount of effort to not move back a little, silently reassuring herself that Cole was not the type to do any of the things she feared. Her concern for his obvious state of physical and mental well-being had began to overpower her natural instincts as she watched him, making sure he wouldn't suddenly collaspe on her again. The concentration she had briefly broke when he spoke for the first time, only for a small growl in response. Of course she didn't understand his capabilities, but there was one person who did, and he was sitting directly in front of her at the moment.

His next set of words made sense merely because she sensed this Visio being was quite powerful, but since when was she one to back down in the face of danger? It was then she noticed how he was ready to fall again and she reacted without a second thought, sitting besides him while lightly wrapping an arm around him to prevent him from falling the opposite way. Despite the fact she put herself in a risky position she didn't care, rather she was making sure he would be fine way before herself as usual.

What he didn't know was she felt oddly drawn to him because she was seeing a different side of him, a side she could rather strongly relate to. He was fighting a war that not many would be able to understand, she knew this very well, but she refused to let him fight it alone.

"Then tell me what you know about him, Cole. You are his host, and he is risking the fact you could easily discover a weakness by watching him.. learning what he's like." Pausing for a moment, she let out a soft sigh, turning her head to gaze at him while giving a small smile. "I'm not going to let you fight this alone, especially now that I know what your going through... and I won't give up even if you try to push me away."

She acknowledged her stubborness could easily be the death of her, but she didn't care as usual. Rather she prepped herself easily just incase Visio did take over and carefully took a few strands of different animal hairs out with her left hand and imbedded them into the small wristband she recently attached to her belt. As long as she had one hand free and if she was grabbed, she'd be able to shapeshift and be free of the grip if she made sure to use the right animal.

"That, and it's obvious you need to sleep. I know you don't want to, but at least try to get some, I'll be able to hold him off long enough to survive through whatever plans he might have."

[Shutter]

"He can do so much... He's conquered worlds. Mind control and things I don't know about. He's not as strong, though, since he's not actually here yet."

Thank goodness for that. With the zombie's killing people all over the world and the slow depletion of heroes at each others hands it would be extremely easy for Visio to conquer this world. It would be akin to handing him the earth on a silver platter and telling him to enjoy. No, there was only one thing holding him back and that was Cole's willpower, his desire to protect the people of this world at any and all costs. And it could come down to killing himself in order to keep Visio from using him as a gateway into the world. No Cole meant no Visio.

Leaning against her was so easy when you hadn't had anyone to lean against for months. Ever since he found Rush and then they got separated he was alone. Well, alone except for the voice of Visio in his head. And aside from Rush and the occasional visit with Div he'd been alone for years. Ever since Alex was killed. That was a real killer right there. He was growing so tired of being alone that he was slowly closing in on the thoughts of suicide. Not just because of Visio, but his past, too.

"I don't want to sleep. He might come out if I do."

He was so far out of his element now. How could this be the same man that had so blatantly gone around fighting the NINE at every turn? He looked weak, desperate, discouraged. Surely she would see the suicidal tendencies cropping up within him. If not in his words, the way he pushed off sleep and the like. Wouldn't take her too long to figure things out.

[Lycan]

A concerned look entered her eyes as she watched him, easily sensing the change that was definitely occuring within him from the first time they had met. It truthfully worried her, but seeing a different side of him allowed her to understand him more, to relate more readily than most. There had been multiple times where she would purposely shift out of bird or marine animal forms just to cause herself pain, but never had she gotten to extremes before she snapped out of that phase. Gently placing her free hand over ones of his closests ones she tried to comfort him, get him to relax more by showing she wasn't afraid like she normally would be... and that he wasn't alone.

"Cole, snap out of it. You've got a family in a sense within the Guardians, within the VG even, they all care for you. I care for you, that's why I picked up the mission. I wanted to return the favor of you giving me a home by finding a way we can strike back." Growling softly under her breath, a sense of confidence swept over her as she spoke again. "Sleep. I don't care if I'm putting my very life on the line, but I refuse to let you easily give up yours. If you die, he'll merely find another host, a weaker one more than likely."

She'd work with reasoning if she had to, knowing well enough how things could play out. Cole had the same dedication to put his life on the line for others, but this was the one time his life was needed to protect everyone. Death was not an option, nor was giving in to this 'greater' power that this being apparantly have, and she knew this. Hell, half of her purpose of going on the suicidal mission she was still on to this day would cease to exist if he were to give up on her now.

[Shutter]

"No..."

No, he wasn't going to let Visio take over him and do the things to her that he knew the being would do. And she could try and shift and get away, but she wouldn't get far. He would use his abilities to overpower her and then she would be lost. No, he refused to allow that to happen. If it meant staying up until his body could no longer function, the best way to keep Visio from using him, then he would do it. And that meant that he had to get away from her before she forced him to sleep or he weakened and let Visio out.

Finding enough strength in him, he pushed her away and jumped to his feet. Instantly he teleported away and started running. He couldn't teleport far in the midst of the thick jungle, but small jumps put distance between him. It would be relatively easy for her to catch him in some of her forms, but he had to try and escape from her for her sake, not his own. He didn't care about himself, never had, but he cared about those he called friend and those that he loved.

Branches smacked into his face and he could hear Visio's voice in his head. Run, insolent fool. You will be mine. I will take over this realm just as I have all of the others. He cried back that he wouldn't allow it. But he was starting to realize that he couldn't hold on for much longer. Eventually he would have to do what so many other war veterans had done because of post-traumatic stress and kill himself. If it was the only way then it would be necessary. But for now, he had to run.

[Lycan]

At first she was kind of shocked at the fact he pushed her away, but she was quick to recover and get on her feet as she watched the path he took. It wouldn't be hard for her to catch up, but rather she knew well enough that even if she did manage to get to where he was she would have to match the pace until either got worn out, and even then he had his advantage of teleporting. Thinking on it for a moment she suddenly thought of his one weakness, the one which was suddenly very obvious to her: he could only teleport to places he could see! That meant getting ahead of him and hoping he was thinking to escape in the quickest path possible, plus he was heading into the densest part of the forest.

Grinning she pulled free a piece of cheetah hair, shifting into the best mammal for the job and taking off along a path almost parallel to his own, but at a distance where she was certain he'd not be able to spot her once she got ahead. She kept at the fast pace until she felt the muscles of the creature rebelling against her which she skid to a stop, luckly near a group of trees close to each other. Transforming back to her human self she pulled free some rope she had on her along with a small blanket, tying the blanket to the group of trees to form a frontal vision block if he teleported exactly where she predicted him to.

Looking at the other trees she paced for a moment before spotting multiple broken branches, the second best thing she could find. Carefully she placed them resting between the trunks of the trees, creating vision blocks off to the side just incase he decided to try and teleport off his original path, which left him only the option to have to turn around and face her if she planned it out right. Truthfully she hated having to do this to him, but if there was one thing she knew it was the fact he would be quite worn out by the time he got here, so he would at least have to spare her the chance to speak.

Leaping up into one of the trees she crouched on a thick branch, watching the direction she believed he would be coming from. Her plan was to jump down behind him as soon as he teleported into the spot she prayed he would, leaving him directly in the center of her partial physical-partial mental trap.

[Shutter]

If she only knew how well her trap would actually work she might have been rather pleased. Cole kept running. He had to get away from her for her own safety. Had nothing to do with him trying to escape her. He liked her. She was a good friend, a beautiful woman. No, it was all because of what he had to do in order to protect his friends. Nothing would stop him from doing that and there was no such thing as going too far to accomplish the task. Personal sacrifice was far from out of the question. In the end he'd be with Alex once again, wouldn't he?

His next teleport carried him right into her trap. Literally right into it. The blanket and rope tangled him up and he cried out. A moment of fright and panic as he flailed around within the confines of the thing, falling to the ground all wrapped up. Coincidentally the rope wound up wrapped around his neck and restricting his breathing the point where he couldn't really struggle because it squeezed his neck if he moved. Self-preservation was kind of a pain at times, really. Else he might struggle just to try and end it.

Soft whimpers escaped from within the blanket as Cole curled up, hiding from the world outside. For all he knew it could be some natives that had set up this trap. Though he suspected Raven, he couldn't know for sure. Not being able to see made him very afraid. He couldn't use his powers if he couldn't see and that scared him half to death. He was fortunate to keep a reign on Visio during all of this.

[Lycan]

It was true that she was rather pleased that her trap worked more efficiently than she had originally expected, watching as he got tangled up in it and fell to the ground. Carefully she jumped down from the branch and walked over to the tangled mess that hid the male who seemed rather frightened, much like a trapped animal. It was his nature she was pretty certain, not being able to see easily restricted him from teleporting away so she could actually try and convince him to listen to her words instead of running from them. Something else had clicked into her mind the moment she crouched next to him, chuckling softly to herself to prove it was her before she spoke.

"I'm sorry Cole, but you made me go to extremes here. Running from the people you care for the most doesn't help as much as you would like to think, nor does making yourself suffer from the lack of contact with them. Visio wants you to get away from them to weaken you, he wants to not be able to fight back because you'll be even more depressed than you are now, perhaps even weaker willed. If you die, he can still live on... I'm certain of that now."

It was true that she couldn't say she was one hundred percent right, but a large part of her believed it was exactly what the other being wanted. Having one less threat to his existence would make things that much easier, especially if he feared Cole for some odd reason or another. But there was one thing she could easily say could be the reasoning for picking Cole, and that was his very strength as well: protecting others before himself. His willingness to give up one of the things he saught out was a major weakness in this case, and she was willing to try and convince him to see that.