The shift in the mist made Panda stop and look up, the thick clouds swirling as something passed by over her. Ducked down like she was she wouldn’t stand out, but it didn’t mean she shouldn’t be careful. This hunt was going on too long. She had heard the TBD attacking what she could only imagine was their osprey, which meant something was up.

The pilot would never have taken off like that but if he was dropping lures, they must have a good reason.

The first whistler smashed down only twenty feet from her. The sound of the TBD slithering past her towards it.

Setting her trap up she hit the wire traps safety release and it whirred up.

The next whistler began to make noise, the TBD would be on her soon.

Ready to go.

She heard the clicker from down the road, they were in the right spot. She had two more trap~

taptaptaptaptaptap

Someone ran past her through the fog, not fast, and quietly, which meant someone had coached them how to run.

She set a last trap raising her lance up to get it ready, she quickly spun the chamber to make sure the charges were ready to attack so Moose could get his shot.

The sound of heavy slithering was getting close.

Bear was on the other side of the street, it was too thick, and she couldn’t see him, but he was close, she could feel him.

Panda gave her clicker a squeeze.

Bear replied.

She looked up, the click had come from several directions, but~

She wasn’t fast enough to react.

The shadow settled over her and in a flash Panda felt cold well up inside her gut.

She tore her mask off.

“Bardil! I LOVE YOU~!”

*********

Bear froze, the words echoing through the heavy mist followed by a sickening crunch.

He had been going to investigate the click that he had heard. His heads-up had said it was him. But then that cry from Panda.

No, that had been his Shio.

He threw himself back against the wall behind him as he clutched his chest, practically feeling as the thread around his heart was cut.

He felt the weight of the world crash onto him, pushing him to the ground as all joy left his soul.

A faint echo came through the clouds as something ran up to him in the mist and suddenly Cobra was at his side.

She pulled Bear to his feet, grabbing his collar, shoving her lance into his hands.

He knew it.

Knew there would be time to mourn his malyshka, Shio.

He nodded.

Cobra held up her clicker, and tossed it aside so he could see it.

Then he heard a click, coming from down the street.

There were others?

No.

That click registered with his heads-up as Cobra, another as him, suddenly Panda but he had just watched Cobra throw her’s down.

He held up his hands, quick hand signs.

“More than one?”

Cobra nodded, then signed back.

“Two,” then she signed, “Maybe more.”