Spring Cleaning (Open)

*After Gabby's grand entrance*

Jack let out a very long puff of air. The destruction to his apothecary was random and extensive. And it wasn't his fault this time. It might be easier to cash in on his insurance policy this time. He ran a hand through his thick hair. A cloud of chemical fire suppressant fell to the floor.

"What. A. Mess. Prometheus, get a....oh right."

Prometheus was where Jack had left the homunculus, melting in a heap in the middle of the showroom floor. The magic that animated him was gone as was his head. He was in no shape to sweep up. If the heartstone, a piece of quartz that held all the magic in place, Jack could rebuild Prometheus' body. The same went for Archimedes who had smoldered right next to his flightless brother.

"You get off this one time, you hear me?" he pointed a finger at the two of them.

Jack picked his way around the rubble piles to the broom cupboard. He stubbed his toe on a warped floorboard and hobbled the rest of the way. That's when he realized how sore he was from the riftbeast attack. Jack used the push broom as cane to check his stock of pain relievers. Fortunately, pills didn't explode when the mana levels spiked. He grabbed a bottle of generic stuff and knocked a couple back without water.

"Crap. The druggies might try to take advantage of me tonight."

Wincing from the after taste, Jack decided to just take a seat for a moment. He slid down along the only standing shelf to the floor. He tried sweeping up what he could but it was just too awkward. Jack started waving his right hand in a scrubbing motion.

Slowly, the grime of potion and fire suppressant scraped from the prestidigitation. Jack could theoretically clean the whole shop this way, but he didn't know if he had the mana for that right now.

Well that was a shit storm, and some. Bree winced, nursing a headache. Transforming back was not a task she looked forward to, same with shifting to that animal form. She wasn't used to the pain. She didn't relish it as most werecreatures would, at least the ones who were used to being their animals. She felt like she had an unexpected roommate living in the back of her skull, prodding and poking at the door to get out. The Cheetah was restless, often pacing back and forth, so when that accident happened in the middle of Librium, on the streets in broad daylight, worse came to worse. The girl gave her a boost that unleashed the beast. Bree had no control in holding the Cheetah back.

She couldn't remember much. She must've blacked out from exhaustion. Shifting took a huge toll on Bree, especially since she'd only been a werecreature for three months.

When she came too, she was glad for being hidden. She was completely nude, her clothes torn and scattered. There was no way of putting them together now. She had thankfully found some clothes to borrow from a fellow citizen, a female who supplied Bree with trousers and a tank top. She found her sais and looked at the mess that decorated the town's square. It was a bad Christmas Card; a city partially in ruin.

Currently, the Terran Guards were at the site to assist the clean up. The injured were tended to by a medical team, and buildings were getting stacked together. Librium was a city constaly in motion. There was no stopping a continually growing civilization, especially one that aimed for peace between races. Bree remembered a man at the scene who helped with the wounded when the chaos happened. She recalled his scent, and the magical properties that emanated from his form. From the way he dressed, he appeared a magus of sort, or something more.

She found his building, the one that had been smoking violently. Waving her hand over her face, Bree wrinkled her nose, trying not to sneeze from the many smells she was picking up from within. "Hello?" she called out when she stepped inside. She found him soon, sweeping away. Bree's form relaxed. She moved her sais to tuck into the belt loops of her trousers.

"Do you need help, sir?" the Terran Guard asked.

After the beast was dead, Gabby had to get her head on straight and figure out what was going on. Training took over first, her years at the agency making her think in terms of procedure and protocol. The rest of her squad was dead, she was lost in unfamiliar territory, and a quick check of her cell phone showed no bars (since, unbeknownst to her, the 2017 cell phone was working on a completely different type of signal than any of the magically-powered technology here). With no means of contacting HQ, her priorities were survival, containment of any threats, protection of civilians, and securing of any agency equipment and/or information.

The threat was contained, there was some sort of police force here handling the civilians, and she was in a city where food and shelter would be easy enough to acquire, so 'survival' seemed pretty certain. That meant securing agency property was her current first priority.

Part of that meant getting the gear, and herself away from here before these strange police picked her up.

There was enough chaos in the aftermath of the fight for it to be pretty easy for her to move about unnoticed. The police force was focused on the civilians first and foremost. Securing the foreigner wouldn't be far behind, though. She had to move fast. She began gathering up the sidearms, phones, computer pads, and other gear from her four dead comrades. Sorry, Johnson. Summers, she thought. At least I wasn't the one that got you killed... She snatched up everything loose, right down to their wallets and their badges, shoving them all in her backpack. With everything secure, now she just had to escape.

Unfortunately, by the time she gathered everything up, there were some people staring at her. Blending in would be impossible. A quick glance showed her that the style of clothing here was COMPLETELY different from what she had on. She stood out, and needed a distraction if she was going to escape long enough to figure out where she was. She briefly considered just talking to the authorities, but the risk of talking to them outweighed the benefits. She could always come back and talk to them LATER, when she was more confident in her situation. What she couldn't do was escape later if they decided to throw her in a cell. Best to move now, figure things out, and then decide if the police here could be trusted.

Luckily, chaos and distraction were something of a specialty for Gabby.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she snapped her power output down to a trickle, and spread her aura as wide as she could. She sensed a lot more mana signatures here than she was expecting; the very technology here seemed to be brimming with magical energy. Magic powered cars, cell phones, televisions... this place was DANGEROUS for Gabby. There was lots of mana in the people around her too. It was just a matter of finding one that would suit her purposes.

Every type of mana had a unique signature. Learning how to tell them apart by her mana sense was of critical importance to Gabby, since she had to know what was safe to boost, and what wasn't. Her agency training had taught her a great deal about every known type of mana signature, and how to tell the difference between them as easily as she could tell different people apart by looking at their faces. Familiar mana signatures stood out the strongest, but even foreign ones had a 'feel' to them that indicated what type of magic there was.

She immediately discarded the ones that felt dangerous: fire, lightning, physical enhancements, telepathy, or anything else she knew could be dangerous when boosted. She needed something simple.

It didn't take her long to find a fairly weak power. Strangely, it didn't come from a person, but from a device. The lights here were powered by magic. It was strange to her, but also useful.

A quick burst of energy, channeled only into the mana collectors of a few nearby streetlamps, gave her the distraction she needed. With her eyes closed, Gabby was the only one who wasn't blinded by the sudden burst of brighter-than-the-sun light, before the bulbs exploded and shorted out. By the time anyone's vision cleared, the Italian Booster was gone.

***

A short time later, she was passing by the strange little magic shop, and saw the two familiar faces inside. 'Familiar', of course, was a relative term; when you'd only met half a dozen people in the city, those people became the closest things to friends that you had. They didn't seem (at first glance) to be cops or anything, so maybe she could safely talk to them, and subtlely gather some information.

She stepped into the shop, gritting her teeth as she pulled her aura in tight around her to keep it from touching anything. Which meant she had to stay in the doorway for the most part, since even with her aura shrunk to only five feet wide, she couldn't go much further without boosting something. She kept the power output down to the lowest trickle as well, for maximum safety. Except for when the dagger flying around the room came too close to her...

Gabby whipped her hand towards it and gave the dagger a quick surge of energy. The self-throwing magic item got boosted so much that it flew across the room with massive speed, embedding itself up to the hilt in the nearby wall. She then let the energy drain, and when the knife was back down to its normal mana levels, it wasn't strong enough to pull itself back out of the wall. Stuck there so deep, it would probably take a very strong person to yank it free. It would be safe until then, and there wouldn't be a risk of it throwing itself into a person.

Her face slightly pink with exertion from holding her power in, Gabby looked up at the two people, one of whom had a broom (and was possibly the shopkeeper?). She cleared her throat lightly to get their attention, stopping to think what she should say.

"Hello?"

"I'm not open. Not until I find out what I have left."

It was good to finally be able to hear again. Damn thunderstones, but that was why Jack made them.

"Do you need help, sir?"

Jack braced himself against the shelf and tried to pick himself up. Nope....still too sore. He chuckled painfully. "Don't ask if you're not serious. I will put you to work."

{Now how do I get up? Ah hah!}

The alchemist snapped the fingers of his left hand. A very long length of rope came out of hiding from the glove he was wearing. Jack wrapped his hand around a section and mentally commanded it to go up. The free end lifted up like a serpent before a charmer. It went up, up, up until it found the rafters. Jack had it loop around the beam and tie itself off. He grunted as he tried to lift himself up. He had a good grip thanks to the gloves, but his biceps groaned in protest to the exertion. He was just too tired to get himself off the floor.

"Aww," he muttered.

Fortunately, Jack could cheat. He brought his feet together and grinned as the levitation enchantment in his shoes lifted his body up. He adjusted his position by using the rope as a guide wire. When he could finally get his feet under him without too much exertion, Jack ended the lift.

"Yaaay," he tiredly squealed. "I love you, shoes."

Jack got a good look at the potential helper. There was just something about the outfit that didn't seem right. This woman didn't seem like she belonged in them. Were they even the right size?

"Oh, watch out for the knife....nevermind." Jack saw that girl with the weird Corporation gear standing in his doorway. Mana Battery had decided to pay him a visit and end the fearful rampage of a returning blade. Her boosting had shorted out its ability to transplant itself across space. She looked like she was over encumbered, and Jack was in desperate need of funds.

"Carrying too much crap? I have a backpack for that. Or a purse if that's more your style....Somewhere." Jack looked around the rough and tumbled shop. "Maybe. It looks like I'm all out of potions, but my pharmaceuticals should still be here if you need medical...stuff."

Jack ached too much to think of the word 'attention.' Where did that bottle of pain killers go again? Or did he need a muscle relaxant? Or sleep? Sleep sounded good.

Bree smirked at his response. She shook her head, dark locks moving about her face until she brushed them back. "I am very serious, sir." The Terran Guard replied. She watched him with a bemused expression as he tried to get up. She could sense the tired energy about him, as well as she could smell it. He was simply drained, and being whatever he was, a magus of sort, he was like a lighter running on its last drop.

She stepped further into the ruined building. So much mess lingered from the catastrophe. No worries. There was no time to feel sympathetic toward someone's plight. They were going to have to move forward from now. He pointed out the enchanted knife, which Bree was fortunate for it to not have flown at her. It went in a completely different direction, and embedded itself deeply within the wood of the wall. Bree's brow quirked, but it was when she scented the girl and heard her cough softly for their attention that she looked away, to focus on the petite figure standing within the doorway.

Jack began selling to the girl instead of asking for her well-being. However, everyone was different. He was the shopowner, whose expenses became important due to the shop's damage. After Jack Master's interesting approach to advertising the girl his wares, Bree took that moment to observe the unfamiliar uniform. It was nothing like the Terran Guard, or The Church, or any other corporation within Terra. Tilting her head, Bree's nostrils flared as she pulled in the girl's scent again.

She certainly didn't smell familiar, at least not like this city...

Bree turned off a fallen heavy crate filled with miscalleneous items. She easily hosted it up, causing the slender muscles in her arms to tighten up. She lifted it up to replace in the shelf, and after clapping her hands together, she looked to the girl again. Her eyes were bright blue, much like her own. The older woman tilted her head.

"Hello again," Bree began, "my name is Bree Donahue of the Terran Guard. My official uniform had been lost - thanks to your help however. The beast has been removed from this city. Who are you?" Bree's arctic gaze fell down to the emblem on the girl's gear before lifting back to her youthful visage, "and where is it that you come from?"

The shopkeeper seemed to be injured, but Gabby was no healer. She was well trained in field medics, had given herself and others stitches before, and could stabilize a wounded soldier. But beyond those basics, she needed the help of a real doctor, and there didn't seem to be one around.

Plus, she couldn't safely get close to the man.

Despite his injuries, he started making sales pitches. Typical. Gabby wasn't here to shop... especially since she didn't have any money. Her debit card surely wouldn't work here, and even if she'd brought any cash along, it likely wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on. Though she considered the possibility of selling something in order to get money. She'd need food and shelter soon, and it was likely either sell some of the agency gear for funds, or else start stealing. She hadn't stolen anything since the days she lived alone in the wilderness, and wasn't inclined to start up again.

Before she could get down to that business, though, the other woman in the room drew her attention. Lycan... Gabby had seen her shift during the battle. During the day, without the full moon. Something was definitely not right here. Gabby was in unfamiliar territory, so she needed to learn everything she could. That meant keen observation. Luckily, that sort of thing was exactly what she was trained to do.

Flared nostrils, taking in her scent. That meant enhanced senses even in human form. Enhanced strength when she lifted the crate with ease. Plus the woman moved with grace. Predator. Dangerous. Gabby wouldn't let her guard down around this one. She needed to find out what her allegiance was.

The words 'Terran Guard' made Gabby's spine stiffen. The woman's questions weren't simple curiosity... this was an interrogation. The Terran Guard must have been some kind of police force.

Great.

Act Casual.

"Do you buy, or just sell?" she asked the shopkeeper, stepping a bit inside. Her face was flushed with strain as she held her aura in as tight as she could. A few items nearby flared with energy, though it was only a minor trickle. Nothing dangerous. She dug into her backpack, trying to quickly decide what she could afford to sell. The weapons were a poor choice; not only might she need them, but the cop in the room might not look kindly on someone selling weapons without a permit. She didn't know the laws here.

That left cell phones and watches as her best options. She started laying them on the table, taking out the SD cards from the phones. They would contain security codes and other encrypted information that she couldn't let fall into someone's hands. Other than that, though, the phones themselves were pretty standard. Advanced, expensive, and quite a bit better than what was available on the open market (where Gabby came from, at least), but there was nothing top-secret about them.

And of course, unknown to her, the phones and watches were all antiques here... models that were about 160 years old. If Jack was knowledgeable about such things, he'd likely view them as very valuable historical pieces. The sort of thing that would fetch quite a hefty price at an auction for collectors of historical antiques.

While she gave the shopkeeper a chance to examine the goods (four phones and four watches), she casually answered the cop's questions. "My name's Gabby," she said. No need to supply more than her first name. She paused for just a moment on the question of where she was from. She didn't know where she was, so she didn't know if these people would recognize where she was from. Her mind raced going through the possibilities.

She could be on an alien world. She had certainly met a LOT of aliens in her time, and thus knew there were plenty of other inhabited worlds out there. Yet these people seemed mostly human, along with some other familiar races. She had passed some not-quite-humans in the street, including a few elves. That sounded like the Earth she knew. The sky was still blue, the sun was still yellow.

Yet the style of clothing here was completely different from what she was used to. The people spoke English, but with a strange accent. The technology was foreign to her... more advanced than what she was used to. She'd passed cars on the streets that looked futuristic, and saw things around the room that looked familiar, and yet not. Lamps, phones, and appliances that she could recognize by their general form, but which were powered by mana she could sense flowing through them, and had foreign styles unlike anything she'd ever seen.

The large degree of familiarity told her this had to still be Earth. Humans, elves, light bulbs, phones, cars... these were signs of home. Yet this clearly wasn't her home.

All things being equal, the simplest solution was usually the correct one. The simplest way for her to see foreign things that were similar, but not quite the same as what she was used to, was that she was in another country. Another country could have different brands for all the common goods she knew. Things would look foreign, but still be recognizable for what they were. And things powered by magic? She had been carrying a few with her when she came here. They weren't super common where she came from, but maybe some other countries, less ravaged by the cataclysm, had been able to make faster advances than her home had.

That meant her best bet was to take a gamble on telling the truth. "I'm from New York. America." she said. She watched the cop from the corner of her eye, waiting for a reaction to this information. If the woman recognized the city and country, then Gabby was right and she was still home, just in a foreign land. If she didn't, then... then she didn't know WHAT to think.

"I am very serious, sir."

"Well then," Jack smiled, still surprised. "Take this and start sweeping." He pushed the broom handle Bree's way.

Jack hobbled over to the broom closet and pulled out what looked like a chalkboard eraser with different crystals on it. He pressed it against the wall and pushed the blue crystal. The gizmo remained where it was. He then hit the yellow crystal and it slowly moved up and down the wall. The grime was no more. However, it would take a few hours for the eraser to cover just one wall. Oh well, at least it would be thorough and he wouldn't have to do a thing. His helper had put a crate back up on the shelf when the girl appeared.

"Hello again," Bree began, "my name is Bree Donahue of the Terran Guard. My official uniform had been lost - thanks to your help however. The beast has been removed from this city. Who are you?"

{Terran Guard...that explains why she offered to help.}

"And where is it that you come from?"

"Do you buy, or just sell?" the girl asked. She went flush as she stepped in. They had all went up against that...thing...and were sore in various ways so he thought nothing of it.

Jack really wanted to tell her 'only sell' at the moment, but something seemed intrigued to see what she had to trade. That and he was too tired to let anyone down at the moment. The girl placed four finely crafted watches on what was left of the main counter and four things that looked like mobile phones. Jack wasn't familiar with the phone manufacturer but watches were watches. He moved behind the counter and fished out his jeweler's monocle while she removed some sort of chip out of the phones.

The alchemist clenched the lens with the muscles around his right eye and inspected the wristwatches. Definitely metal mens watches with no defects in the quartz crystal faces. Whoever owned these previously had taken great care with them. He didn't recognize the style, but Jack wasn't a jeweler. There were a couple buttons he wasn't sure what their purposes were.

"Can you describe the features of these watches?" Jacked bobbed his hand up and down. "Seems a tad heavy to just tell me the time but I'm definitely interested in them."

Jack moved on to the phones. He opened the backs where he saw the girl remove the computer chips. The power system was like nothing he had ever seen before. He turned one on and frowned when it said no service. Even without that chip, it should have been able to detect any of the major phone services that Librium used.

It didn't.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can use these without the pieces you removed. Quite frankly, I'm not sure anyone can. The best I can offer is to pawn them from you if you're that strapped for credits."

Jack waited for the other information before he would make an offer.

*

"My name's Gabby," she said. "I'm from New York. America."

"The island or the state? You're still in America, Gabby."

{You do know that, right?}

Bree took the broom with a smile. However, she kept a careful eye on Gabby, more out of curiosity really. The girl didn't look menacing in any way, but she revealed abilities that were nearly incomprehensible to the Terran Guard. The girl had given Bree a boost of power that released her beast. There was no hiding that stench of anxiety in a foreign world. Wherever this girl came from, it was clear that she wasn't comfortable or certain.

The flush on Gabby's face revealed that she was holding something back. Could it relate to her abilities? Magic was regular in this world, and pretty much seen as the norm. That she was a lycan didn't stir a blink of an eye, especially since they were in Librium. Bree decided to speak again once Gabby stepped inside, visibly flushing as she relieved some of her properties to Jack.

Interesting.

"Pleasure, Gabby." Bree replied, unphased that the girl didn't relinquish her last name. A person's surname can revealed much about a person's character, and Gabby sounded more like a nickname. The two syllables rang with innocence and childishness, but this girl was no child. She had fought well in the battlefield, and offered great assistance. That, Bree appreciated.

"You are safe here, Gabby." Bree said. She was serious. If Gabby had fallen anywhere else other than Librium, she wouldn't have been greeted with the same hospitality. "This is the safest place for you, in fact." Many would be curious about this girl's whereabouts and origin. She couldn't simply disappear from the street, not after an entrance like that - which Bree hadn't actually seen.

Sweeping carefully, Bree looked over the antiques Gabby showed to Jack. Her reaction was similar to the Alchemist's. Less surprised, but more curious, Bree's head canted as she held the broom still to use as a prop. These were pieces that weren't unheard of, but they didn't exist, at least not in the same way as before. Mana was the main current that powered the cities, and above all, this world.

Bree's brows furled together slightly, and she lowered the broom to make her way over. She stood on Gabby's other side to watch the messages on the screen once Jack powered the phones. "He is right," she said. It was then that Bree realized she hadn't a clue of what the Alchemist's name was. "My apologies sir, it would've been wise to have asked for your name first." She grinned sheepishly, before looking to Gabby, more to study her features and her reaction to Jack's answer.

"Do you know what city this is, Gabby?" The Terran Guard asked, curiously. Bree could only have theories of this girl's origins, but they didn't expand that far. This girl could've been from elsewhere within Terra, a different place, but no small town would have uniforms like Gabby's. Not even the Church, not even Bastion.

"I'll pawn them, if that's the best you can offer," she said about the phones. "The watches are top of the line. GPS, multiple time zones, built in compass, stopwatch and timer functions, and a few custom features. Miniature digital voice recorder, altimeter and pressure gauge. Everything you could ask for." She knew the tech guys back home had added a few other features, but she didn't know everything about them.

When he told her she was in America, she stared at him for a moment, then quickly returned her attention to the watches, trying to cover the reaction. She COULDN'T be anywhere in America. Everything looked too different. She had figured Europe maybe, with how different everything looked.

She took a step away when Bree moved closer, keeping five feet between them so she wouldn't boost the lycan again. Holding her aura in to five feet was hard, and she was starting to sweat from the strain. With slightly ragged breath, as if she had just been running, she said, "I actually didn't know what city this was. I... got lost on the roads out in the countryside, and was going to ask for directions. Then that beast appeared, and I knew I had to help stop it." This was a complete lie, of course, but Gabby was gambling that they hadn't actually SEEN her come through the rift. She could easily pass it off that she had merely been nearby when the rift beast appeared.

She thought quickly, her agency training having prepared her for making up stories on the spot. Once a spy, always a spy. "If you could maybe show me where we are on a map, in relation to New York, that'd be great. I think I took a major wrong turn somewhere, and drove for hours before I realized I was on the wrong road. I've been driving for days, cross-country, heading back to New York." That should be an adequate lie. They'd just think she was from out of state, which would explain why she didn't know this city. And since she hadn't actually said where her trip started, she didn't need to worry about getting caught in the lie.

"Do you maybe have a phone I could use?" she asked the shopkeeper. "Since these don't get a signal here..." It was iffy, but it made sense to try. Something told her that if her own phone wasn't working, she would have no better luck dialing the agency from here. There was just something too alien about this city, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Strange accents and clothing, magic-tech everywhere. And there was no group called the 'Terran Guard' anywhere in America that SHE knew of. What was going on here?

"He is right," Bree said about the phones. "My apologies sir, it would've been wise to have asked for your name first."

{Did my sign blow up too?}

"Jack Masters, apothecary and maker of magical wares extraordinaire. You may want to come back tomorrow for the magical wares though. I'm a bit out of stock at the moment."

"I'll pawn them, if that's the best you can offer," Gabby said about the phones. "The watches are top of the line. GPS, multiple time zones, built in compass, stopwatch and timer functions, and a few custom features. Miniature digital voice recorder, altimeter and pressure gauge. Everything you could ask for."

"Sounds like my kind of watch. I could do two hundred credits a piece. The going rate for pawn shops in the city is a third of the sale price. I've never seen your phones before, so I can't make you an offer just yet. How much did you buy them for?"

"Do you know what city this is, Gabby?" The Terran Guard asked, curiously.

Gabby looked stunned to know she was still on the East Coast. Did she party a little to hearty last night? She stepped back when Bree moved closer. "I actually didn't know what city this was. I... got lost on the roads out in the countryside, and was going to ask for directions. Then that beast appeared, and I knew I had to help stop it."

{Driving? Really? I don't even have a car. Must be one of those corporate kids.}

"If you could maybe show me where we are on a map, in relation to New York, that'd be great. I think I took a major wrong turn somewhere, and drove for hours before I realized I was on the wrong road. I've been driving for days, cross-country, heading back to New York."

Jack looked dumbfounded. How could someone not realize they had driven into Librium of all the cities in the world. It was built upon the very site where Human and Other had signed the peace treaty ten years ago and ended the war.

"Did you hit your head? Would you like to sit down?"

"Do you maybe have a phone I could use?" Gabby asked him. "Since these don't get a signal here..."

"Yeah, it's right...." Jack pointed to a region of empty space. The phone normally sat on top of the display case for the 'milk and eggs' potions (the ones people always wanted from him). The case had gone bye-bye from Gabby's entrance to this realm. "Um, there's an extension at the top of the stairs. You can see if it still works."

Jack pointed to the staircase across the shop floor. A charred gate with an "Authorized Personnel Only" sign stood in front of it. It led up to Jack's apartment above the store. An antique looking phone was mounted on the landing, the kind where you put the receiver to your ear and spoke into a cone thingy sticking out of the box on the wall. A number pad was positioned below the crank.

"You have to crank it till it dings, then dial the number." He shrugged. "I like weird things."

There it was, the distance that was kept between them. Bree's awareness heightened, as well as her curiosity. She replayed the battle within her head, which had been a scattered mess at first. Bree wasn't exactly one with her Cheetah, but when they finally came together, she'd be able to see with better clarity, what had actually gone on. Being an animal was of course different. Every senses were heightened, as were her strength and agility. She was limited to what she was truly capable of in this human form, but it was never a hindrance since she'd been human practically her whole life.

An animal would've felt the change of atmosphere when Gabby pulled back her powers, especially an animal of the New Breed, born by technology and magic.

Bree's arctic gaze carefully assessed the girl's movement. She made no move to pursue, instead, she nodded to allow Gabby her space. She had no qualms, and she wasn't here to cause any trouble. Bree's role was to prevent any uprisal, and it seemed that for now, the town was calm as the clean-up ensued. Bree almost felt sympathetic toward Gabby. No matter what excuses were pulled up, the Terran Guard's sharply trained eye caught the sense of loss within the oddly uniformed girl.

This wasn't her home. She was lost. Bree's helpful nature rose immediately, but she wasn't someone who pushed, not unless she needed to make a point.

Bree moved her gaze from Gabby's face, and down to the space kept between them. She made no comment, but counted silently the feet between them. She then drew her attention to Jack Masters. Her smile returned, revealing a slight dimple. "A pleasure, Jack. You might need a new sign." A dark, elegant brow rose at Gabby's explanation. She had to help stop it? A car? Just who was this girl exactly, and what uniform was she wearing? She certainly didn't come from Librium, and it couldn't be Bastion. Bastion was present day Maine, and New York...

The Terran Guard hid her surprise. Who would she ask for directions? And did she find them complete fools? A rift beast wouldn't have just walked into Librium. Not as easily as that. The Terran Guard were active, and that something as grossly out of place wouldn't have just waltzed into their metropolis... Bree had to take a breath to refrain herself from getting too carried away with her thoughts. She was, after all, known for her stoicity than her passion.

Perhaps Gabby did need to sit down. Bree wouldn't mind explaining the state of their being. Librium was known as the place of co-existance.

When Jack pointed out the location of the phone, Bree spoke again. "Gabby," she began softly, "I can see how strong you are. You've fought well and honorably against that beast, but if you are truly lost. You shouldn't be afraid to share that. I'm here to help. It is my duty." It was evident in Bree's tone and visage that she was no liar. Every word pulled from the terran's full lips were honest and sincere.

Gently, she shook her head. "Make your call, but I will still be here." Her smile was small, but true. Bree was no mother figure. She had never been in love, or had children of her own. The odds of that were unlikely because of her change. Somehow, seeing Gabby had sparked a maternal instinct within the Terran Guard. Watching Gabby go to where Jack pointed, up those stairs, the Terran Guard would finally turn to Jack Masters.

"Did you see a car here, Jack?" Bree asked, "I remember our battle, but..." she paused, uncertainly clear on her features. "Her story doesn't exactly fit." Bree may need to speak with Mitch about this. Her partner's thoughts usually helped clarify things. While Jack obviously wasn't her partner, he was the closest to having one in this current situation.

"Do you have a map?" Once Gabby returned, Bree felt that it was right for the girl to show them her path.

Two hundred 'credits'.

That did NOT add up right. What places used 'credits' as currency? They said she was still in America, but it just didn't make sense.

She continued to play it cool (as much as she could, anyway). She casually glanced at the products the man had for sale, making note of the price tags. By the best estimate she could make in a few short seconds, a 'credit' seemed about the same value as a dollar. "Two hundred is fine," she told him. "And the phones were originally six hundred." Six hundred dollars, of course, but it seemed like the same thing.

They still hadn't given her a straight answer about what city she was in, but pressing the matter seemed like a bad idea. "I am pretty lost," she replied to the woman, with a smile on her face to make the whole conversation seem casual. "I grew up in St. Louis, so I'm always getting turned around out here. Different area, you know?" Hopefully that would satisfy their curiosity about Gabby's origins until she figured out what the HELL was going on here.

"Thanks, I'll just be a minute," she said to Jack when he offered her the use of the upstairs phone. She headed upstairs and before even looking at the phone, she started snooping. Quiet as a mouse so she wouldn't draw any attention, she searched the room, opening drawers and searching for any clues about just where she was.

All she found was more and more questions. She found some papers listing the shop's address as 123 Main St, Librium, 648287-0301.

'Librium'???

There were shipping forms from someplace called 'Bastion', forms from some company called 'New Dawn', and papers dated 'March 18th, 222.'

THAT couldn't be right!?

Worried that the shopkeeper would come up and catch her snooping, Gabby headed over to the phone. Every paper she had touched was left precisely in the same position she had found them in; that was agency training 101. Of course, her training hadn't prepared her for how to dial a mana-powered phone without blowing it up.

Gabby hovered her hands near the phone, and felt the mana flow. Physical contact would overload the mana circuits, that was all there was to it. Her power passed through clothes and other objects, unless they were designed to be mana-insulated, and only a master mage could do something like that. She couldn't even poke the phone with a stick without the mana being conducted along the wood.

It took her a bit of work to figure it out, but eventually she managed to rig a bit of a Rube Goldberg devise with a chair, a few arrows, and her bow. She got the receiver down and aimed a blunt arrow, balanced on the chair, held just an inch from the keypad. Only drawing her bow string back very slightly, she was able to push the arrow forward and pull her hands back before contact was made. The arrow was never touching both her hands and the phone at the same time.

It was a pain in the ass. Which made it even more frustrated when she got a, 'Your call cannot be completed as dialed,' error message. She tried a few of the agency's numbers, then her friends, and each time got the same error. Finally, she dialed the operator, leaning her head down next to (but not quite touching) the phone on the table so she could talk. The operator had no record of Gabby's agency, or any of the names she gave of her friends and coworkers.

Finally giving up, she headed back downstairs, forcing herself to wear a smile. "Thanks," she said. "No one was in the office, so I'll just try them again later. Though I could still use some help with directions?"

"A pleasure, Jack. You might need a new sign."

{But I just got that one painted......nnnnnoooooooooooooooo-oh-oh.}

"Oh well. As long as the building is still structurally sound."

"Two hundred is fine," Gabby told him. "And the phones were originally six hundred."

Jack gawked at the figure. Six hundred credits for one that didn't work. Gabby had four. Jack wasn't sure if he could another two hundred a pop.

"No wonder you're trying to sell them. Good thing Officer Donahue is here, because that is robbery. I think you'd be better off trying to get a refund from the manufacturer."

Jack knew nothing of the alternate reality that was Gabby's home. He did know he couldn't pawn a Do-Nothing machine for the price she was asking. Not if he wanted to get his shop back in gear.

"Gabby," Bree began softly, "I can see how strong you are. You've fought well and honorably against that beast, but if you are truly lost. You shouldn't be afraid to share that. I'm here to help. It is my duty."

Jack just wanted to hug the guard for her adorable cuteness. That tone and words like "honorably" and "duty".....Jack checked his scalp for any bumps he might have missed before. What was that all about? He gave Gabby the directions to the phone, silently hoping she wouldn't go root around through his apartment. He had forgotten to lock the door behind him before he left.

"Make your call, but I will still be here." Jack and Bree watched the girl trod up the stairs.

"Did you see a car here, Jack?" Bree asked when Gabby was out of earshot, "I remember our battle, but..." she paused. "Her story doesn't exactly fit."

"I thought only you people had cars. You and the Corporations." Jack hooked a thumb towards the broom closet. "All I have is one of those collapsible bikes with a basket."

Jack realized he hadn't heard anything for awhile. Had she been sucked through the telephone? Considering how she came to the city, it wasn't that farfetched. "Do you think she fell in?" It was an old joke his family told when someone spent a long time in the bathroom. Little did he know Gabby had probably poked her nose in his bathroom.

"Thanks," Gabby said. "No one was in the office, so I'll just try them again later. Though I could still use some help with directions?"

"Do you have a map?" Bree asked.

"Right next to the phone." Jack tilted his head towards the obliterated half of the counter. "I think that might be half of it on the coat rack."

The alchemist hobbled over and retrieved the fragment of paper where the hats go. He was going to have to brew a muscle relaxing potion soon. He laid it out on the counter. New York could be clearly seen, but Librium was on the singed part.

"Librium's here, a little around Yardley. It's probably a good hour and a half train ride into Penn Station. Longer if you don't take the express one."

Something behind Jack went 'bing.' The eraser had finished scrubbing the entire face of that wall. Aside from a few scorch marks, the wall looked pristine. "Excuse me a moment." He pressed the blue crystal and took the eraser out the back. A clapping sound could be heard as he slammed the magical scrubber against the outer brick work, causing a new plume of dust to form in the air. Jack triggered his levitation boots to get the eraser on the ceiling. He was just too sore to grab the step ladder.

Not anyone had a car.

Bree chewed the inside of her cheek as she thought over the girl's plight. She was basically a foreigner; a stranger in an ever stranger new land. Jack's comment caused a twitch of a smile on the Terran Guard's lips. "Good luck on finding anyone who still makes those these days." Bree observed the technology of the phones. She didn't ask to see them up close. From where she was, she could scent that they were simply phones, nothing more, nothing less.

After Gabby had gone up the stairs, Bree's arctic gaze moved up to the ceiling to where the girl would be standing. Judging by the distance, and the feel of power, the mana booster might be having a hard time getting anything to work without exploding. Bree could only hope that Gabby figured out how things worked. She seemed lost as a newborn puppy playing the role of adult.

Looking to Jack, Bree chuckled. "I don't think she's a corporate child, and she definitely isn't a part of the guard. That, I should know." She smirked softly, "at least the bike doesn't have to worry about mana." Then she quirked a broke, unless it's customized a certain way." It wouldn't be the first time Bree would hear of a flying mana bike.

When the map was pointed out, Gabby returned to the first level. Bree peered over her shoulder. "Of course, Gabby. Point out your route first. I'd like you to show us the road you've traveled." Bree stepped aside, gesturing for Gabby to stand up to the counter. Bree was considerate to keep the five-feet distance between them.

Bree nodded to Jack as he pointed out the singed part being Librium. As he hobbled to take care of his magic eraser that left his wall pristine, and then clean up, Bree pointed to Librium. "This is Librium, or Pennsylvania, if you'd prefer that. Further up, Bastion - Maine, and further down, Elyria, South Carolina." She then tapped Indiana, "Celestis. This is where the city in the sky has fallen. You say you're from New York, or St. Louis?"

She turned a questioning glance to Gabby, "Librium is very well known, Gabby. It is here that we can co-exist. Humans and Others. Bastion, she moved her finger back to Maine, humans only, also where The Church reside." She made a slight face, and then shook her head. "Are you trying to go back to New York?" Bree didn't reveal anything more, except what was shared. However, she doubted that Gabby would be able to find what she was looking for.

When asked, Gabby looked at the map, and picked out a random road from the west to point out. "I came down this way," she said, sticking with her original story about travelling on her way to New York. "I must have taken a right turn here, when I should have turned left." She pointed at a spot where a road was seen travelling north of Librium. If she had really been travelling that way, a right turn would have veered her into Librium, and a left turn would have kept her heading east. It fit her story well enough.

She committed the names he woman spike to memory. Memorizing names, faces, and important details was a key part of agency training. She kept her glances to the map casual, so that no one would realize how closely she was scrutinizing it. She had to keep her cover. It wasn't hard for her to tell this map was all wrong. She could believe maybe ONE city she hadn't heard of existing in Pennsylvania, but the woman had just listed FOUR, and she was spotting smaller cities on the map that she didn't recognize either. Yet, it was clearly a map of the east coast of North America.

She kept her cool the whole time, though she could stop herself from arching an eyebrow in surprise at hearing about a fallen sky city. There had NEVER been a floating city in the world that she knew.

"I grew up in St. Louis," she clarified when the woman asked for more details. "I've only been working in New York for the past few years. So I don't know the east coast all that well. Of course, I've heard of Librium," she lied, "who hasn't? I do most of my business in New York and Bastion, though. So I've never actually been here. I'm glad for the chance though. Everyone needs to visit Librium at least once, right?" She smiled like a tourist, knowing that she was making all this up as she went along. Since the woman had said Librium 'was a well known place where we can coexist,' Gabby ran with that to continue spinning her tale. "My girlfriend was an elf," she said, "so I've never been too fond of Bastion. I mean, when I have to go there for business, sure, but I wouldn't want to live there." She gave a casual shrug and a smile. Since the woman had said Bastion was 'humans only," she was gambling that this story would fit well.

"I can find my way back to New York fine," she said, "now that I know where I took that wrong turn. It should be no trouble. I appreciate your help, though."

After collecting her 'credits' in exchange for the watches, Gabby thought fast on what to do next. She needed more information. This world was all wrong, and she needed some way to probe for details and find out WHY it was wrong, but without revealing anything that would make her vulnerable. After pondering it for a moment, she thought of some questions that could get her some info without letting these people know just how ignorant Gabby was of what was going on. She asked, "So since I've been out west for a few days, I haven't had time to keep up with the news... anything new going on in the world? Politics? Hopefully no troubles that would make the roads unsafe...?" The woman was some kind of cop or soldier, so she would be a logical person to ask about that sort of thing.

Looking to Jack, Bree chuckled. "I don't think she's a corporate child, and she definitely isn't a part of the guard. That, I should know." She smirked softly, "at least the bike doesn't have to worry about mana." Then she quirked a brow, "unless it's customized a certain way."

"The basket is so I can fit all my groceries without needing a taxi. But other than that, I didn't do anything." Jack had considered a few other enchantments, but none stood out to him. The grocery store wasn't that far away that he'd go for an autobike feature.

Jack listened as Bree gave the history lesson. He had nothing to add without sounding condescending. It still surprised him this young woman had a car. Then again, the Haves still liked to show off to the Have-Nots.

"I grew up in St. Louis," Gabby clarified when the Guard asked for more details. "I've only been working in New York for the past few years. So I don't know the east coast all that well. Of course, I've heard of Librium. Who hasn't? I do most of my business in New York and Bastion, though. So I've never actually been here. I'm glad for the chance though. Everyone needs to visit Librium at least once, right?"

She smiled like a tourist. Jack had known enough shisters to be able to spot one. Who makes a wrong turn into a major city and has no idea where she is? Jack could understand one of the smaller towns but not Librium.

"My girlfriend was an elf."

{Huh. I didn't expect that turn of events. Besides, she's not my type. Too official looking.}

"So I've never been too fond of Bastion. I mean, when I have to go there for business, sure, but I wouldn't want to live there." She gave a casual shrug and a smile. "I can find my way back to New York fine now that I know where I took that wrong turn. It should be no trouble. I appreciate your help, though."

Jack squirmed a little on the inside. He was born in Bastion. The city wasn't for everyone, but he still felt put off by the comment. He had only moved to Librium because his father got transferred to the new New Dawn branch office.

"Is Trezza's still there? I used to get pretzel rods from there while my parents did some shopping. It was on the corner of Fourth and Lincoln, almost in the city center."

This was a test. Trezza's wasn't on that street corner. In fact, it was on the main road leading out of the city. There was just something about her story that seemed wrong. Someone who really did commute to Bastion for business would at least know the convenience store was nowhere near the center.

"As for politics....I try to stay out of it. That's not really my scene."

Already, Bree took a liking to Jack's character. Lightly shaking her head, she would turn her attention to Gabby, listening carefully to her story. It wasn't that she found Gabby a liar, but Bree was certain that this girl was lost, and she was trying her hardest to hide that fact. Heard? Bree thought as she eyed the girl, taking careful note of her choice words as Jack was.

Bree didn't bat an eye to Gabby revealing that she had romantic liaisions with a female elf. She nodded for the young agent to continue, not revealing whether or not she believed Gabby's story. If there was anything Bree was known for, it was her stoicity. She could keep a well-drawn poker face, but sometimes the eyes of her Cheetah revealed certain things. For instance, the scent of one who was lying despite their calm facade.

Bree drew in a light breath through her nostrils. She was patient and puzzled that Gabby would know territories, but not recognize that she was right in Librium. At the mention of Bastion, she looked to Jack, noting a slight change in his demeanor before he spoke. The mention of Bastion seemed to have struck something within, and his question sounded plausible enough for the girl to find an answer.

Of course, Bree had never been to Bastion to know for certain if Jack was being accurate with details. This was his way of making sure that Gabby knew what she was talking about. There was no shame in being lost, and simply admitting to it. To Gabby's question, Bree would simply answer. "What you should worry about is the attention you might attract with your abilities. I've been watching for a time to notice that five-feet is a good distance to keep from you." She blinked slowly, still keeping an eye on Gabby for any more indicators. She was a soldier after all.

"The Rift Beasts traipse the wasteland. You should be careful to not make any more wrong turns, but you're very lucky to end up here of all places. She blinked back the gold from her eyes. Cheetah distracted by the leather smell of the girl's uniform. "Politics, you have different sides trying to play the same game as they always do. I've been staying away from it." Bree didn't want to reveal too much about the internal war. As far as she knew, the various groups have been on the down low concerning public matters.

Gabby's agency training had included several classes on how to lie your way through any situation. One of the key lessons had been, "Never lie about details you aren't sure about." You never wanted to say something the other person could prove was wrong, or take anything for granted that you couldn't confirm. That was why she had looked at the map of the east coast before she talked about her fictional route, and waited until she had information on the cities before she spoke of her supposed business there.

When someone started throwing out names of people or places that you 'should' know if your cover was true, the best bet was to always be noncommital. It was safer to feign ignorance, because if you gave a detail that turned out to be wrong, you'd be caught in your lie. Yet at the same time, you couldn't act TOO ignorant, or people would think there was something wrong with you for the things you didn't know. These people were already acting like Gabby should have known about Librium without question, so too much ignorance on her part would make it clear that something was wrong.

She didn't have the first clue what 'Trezza's' was, nor did she know if it was still operating in the location the man had mentioned. She couldn't claim familiarity with it, because for all she knew it was a place that burned down years ago, and claiming to know it would catch her in the lie. Yet at the same time, she couldn't claim to have never heard of the place, because it might turn out to be either as common as a McDonald's, or else be some kind of landmark that only an idiot wouldn't know.

Therefore, ambiguity was best.

She smirked and said, "If I get lost driving by Librium, what makes you think I can keep track of any places in Bastion?" She giggled as if to cover her embarrassment at her poor navigational skills. "I'm only up there a few times a year on business, and I still need a map to find the places I frequent when I'm there." She hadn't confirmed nor denied the location of 'Trezza's', nor had she confirmed or denied if she had ever heard of the place. Thus even if he suspected anything, Jack wouldn't really be able prove that she was lying.

Then Bree started talking about Gabby's power. That was something that it was hard for her to hide, and she saw no reason to lie about it at all. She might need to release her aura soon. The strain of holding it in was getting pretty painful now. "My ability is well controlled," she said. "You don't have any need to worry."

She still needed more information to figure out what the hell was going on here. The news Bree had shared didn't really give her anything concrete. The information was too vague, and she couldn't probe for more without betraying her ignorance. Though now she knew that 'Rift Beasts' was apparently what they called creatures like the one Gabby had fought, and it sounded like they were a common occurrence.

"So, how long have you been with the Terran Guard?" she asked Bree. It was a good way to start up a conversation that would give her some more information about just what the Terran Guard WAS. It was also a safe question... No matter how old or new the group was, it was surely always recruiting. You'd have some people who had been involved with it for many years, or some who were new recruits. Therefore it wad a question Gabby couldn't be expected to know the answer to, since she had just met Bree and wouldn't be expected to know if she was a seasoned veteran or a green recruit.

Gabby smirked and said, "If I get lost driving by Librium, what makes you think I can keep track of any places in Bastion?" She giggled as if to cover her embarrassment at her poor navigational skills. "I'm only up there a few times a year on business, and I still need a map to find the places I frequent when I'm there."

Jack returned the smirk and scratched his right ear. It always itched when he heard bullshit. He shrugged as if to say 'Fair point.'

"What you should worry about is the attention you might attract with your abilities. I've been watching for a time to notice that five-feet is a good distance to keep from you."

"My ability is well controlled," Gabby replied. "You don't have any need to worry."

"And anything dangerous in here already exploded," Jack added. Based on what he saw in the battle outside, he was beginning to put two and two together. Of course, he could quite accuse the girl who just took money from him of destroying his store. Bree would detain her if she proved to be too dangerous.

If any of them survived.

"The Rift Beasts traipse the wasteland. You should be careful to not make any more wrong turns, but you're very lucky to end up here of all places." Bree blinked back the gold from her eyes. "Politics, you have different sides trying to play the same game as they always do. I've been staying away from it."

"So, how long have you been with the Terran Guard?"

Jack got distracted by a whirring from above. Half of his ceiling was now spotless. Scorched in some spots, but spotless. He should have bought another one of those erasers when he had the chance. A kit caught his gaze. It was a sample one he toted around when trying to bring in new clients.

"I'm sorry. I should have asked before." Jack pulled the kit down from the shelf and opened the clasps. The vials inside were so weak in potency that Gabby's initial aura wouldn't have caused any violent reactions. "Are either of you two injured? These won't do much but stop the bleeding...unless they still have the amp charge." He indicated for the two to just help themselves.

Bree made no comment about Gabby being lost in Librium and Bastion. Her excuse was well made, since she neither confirm nor deny Jack's query about this Trezza. Bree wouldn't have had anything to say since she didn't hadn't stepped inside Bastion. Her superiors had yet to send her there for any reason other than to stand guard on the city's perimeters.

The guard didn't think Gabby to be a corporate child. She nodded when Gabby told her to not worry any more. Jack also added more ease by saying that there wouldn't be any more knick knacks for Gabby to influence with her mana boosting abilities. However, if worse came to worst, she'd have to do her best to ensure this town's safety. Even if she had to detain Gabby.

The idea didn't settle well with the older woman. Bree's arctic gaze moved over Gabby's form. She was no a person to be underestimated, but she was still young by Bree's standards. However, that didn't make the pair any different. Bree had been thrown into soldiery at an even younger age.

"Ten years," she answered, "before that I was a soldier. I fought in the war that nearly tore this world apart, but Mother Nature punished us first... so here we are now, thriving and still living," Her smile lifted in a half grin, "and hopefully learning our lesson.

Her grin softened to that of a weary soldier. Bree had spent too long fighting, and too short of a time as a turned were.

She looked away from Gabby to Jack when he mentioned those vials. Bree hadn't left the battle without injury. Scratches bedecked her arms and legs, and a couple of bruises, but nothing too serious. "No thank you, Jack, but thanks." She smiled at the alchemist before looking to Gabby. "I know you're not a part of the Terran Guard, but you're a soldier in your own way. How long have you been fighting, Gabby?"

"No, thank you," Gabby said to Jack's offer. "I'm not hurt." Her body armor had protected her from any serious injury during the fight, beyond a few bumps and bruises. Besides which, she would NEVER risk drinking a potion; the magic would continue to be enhanced more and more while it was in her digestive system, and she had no way to predict what the results would be. It could be fatal.

Bree's answer to her question didn't really do much to full in the gaps in Gabby's knowledge. Really she was just left with more questions. So when Bree asked Gabby about her own fighting experience, she continued to be vague about some details. "My formal training started three years ago," she said. "But I've been learning to fight to survive for four. Ever since I lost my family and was left on my own. I was too young to fight in the war, obviously." She didn't know the details of this war, but if Bree had fought in it ten years ago, then in theory Gabby would have been twelve then.

To get the conversation off Gabby's past, and avoid the difficult questions that would come of that, she asked, "Do either of you know of a reasonable hotel in the city? I'm going to need a place to stay for a few days until I get things sorted out. After what happened with that beast, I need to find out if my boss wants me to change plans. I might not be continuing on to New York right away after all."

"No thank you, Jack, but thanks." Bree smiled at the alchemist before looking to Gabby, who also politely declined. There loss. Healing pots could run a pretty penny. "I know you're not a part of the Terran Guard, but you're a soldier in your own way. How long have you been fighting, Gabby?"

Jack closed up the sample case and set it aside. He was going to have to start brewing a lot of them. He emphasized with Gabby, but said nothing. They all lost family during the war. He was only a couple years older than Gabby and just missed out on enlisting as a field medic. Although, Jack wasn't sure if he would have actually gone through with it.

"Do either of you know of a reasonable hotel in the city? I'm going to need a place to stay for a few days until I get things sorted out. After what happened with that beast, I need to find out if my boss wants me to change plans. I might not be continuing on to New York right away after all."

The alchemist scratched his head. "Um, nothing comes to mind on Main Street. I think there's a bed and breakfast over on Sullivan Street, next to Mr Cacciatore's across from the medical center. Two blocks...." Jack spun around and stopped, pointing northeast. "That way. Mama Leoni runs it."

Bree listened, curious about this girl's story. There was a reason behind everything, and to learn that she had lost her family stirred something within the Terran Guard's chest. By nature, Bree was a compassionate human being, but expressing her emotions were an entirely different thing altogether. The guard too had lost her father, the bravest man she'd ever known. She would ask more, but now didn't seem like the time since the girl was still getting used to things. She was lying, that much Bree knew, and parts of her were letting out some truths.

Bree had nothing to offer since she bunked at headquarters. Gabby's 'boss' remained a mysterious figure, but to this day, there were still private contractors about. The Omni were one group of bounty hunters filled with shifters, and the Terran Guard were the equivalent to the police force for the Others and Humans. Whoever this girl worked for, Bree was going to try and find out for herself. So many questions were left unanswered, but Bree decided to not pry. This girl had been through enough, in fact, everyone was exhausted from trying to rebuild the city's square after that rift beast's fiasco.

Jack ended up answering Gabby's question about a place to stay in town. Bree smiled, amused by how the alchemist carried himself. His exaggerated, though sluggish movements made him a character to remember. She listened, knowing the street names well. She looked to Gabby, "if Jack doesn't need any more help with cleaning up, I will gladly walk you to the inn."

Gabby nodded at Jack's directions, committing them to memory so that she, hopefully, wouldn't get lost. She didn't know the first thing about this city, and the layout was completely foreign to her. "Thanks," she said. "I appreciate all your help."

She figured now was a good time to go. She had all the information she felt she could get out of these people without giving away that she had NO idea where she was. This place still felt wrong somehow, though she hadn't been able to piece together just why. What was this 'war' from ten years ago? Gabby didn't know anything about any war. Why was the newspaper dated for the year '222'? She couldn't have been in the past; everything was too modern and advanced. Why was there NO record of her agency, her friends, or her coworkers? She was still on Earth, that much was clear just by looking at the map of North America. But the map was completely wrong.

She smiled at Bree when the woman offered to escort her to the inn. She wasn't sure whether to accept or not. The woman was a cop, or something similar, so it might not be a good idea to spend too much time around her. On the other hand, she was friendly and helpful, and Gabby currently needed all the help she could get. "Thanks," she said, "I'd appreciate that." Letting the woman walk her to the inn meant she wouldn't get lost, and maybe she could probe for a little more information on the way.

With her 'credits' tucked in her pocket, Gabby gave Jack a wave goodbye. "I might stop back in while I'm in the city," she said, "if there's anything I need." She glanced around the strange selection in his shop. It was too bad magic goods didn't last long around her. Some of this stuff might have come in handy.

"Thanks," Gabby said. "I appreciate all your help." Jack nodded.

"if Jack doesn't need any more help with cleaning up, I will gladly walk you to the inn."

"Nah, I'm good." Jack looked around the shop. His eraser was just about done with the ceiling. He could set up a hammock and prestidigitate the rest of the shop. If only he had some hard liquor.

{Oh wait, I have some scotch under the counter. Maybe I should consider a liquor license and do a bar on the side.}

"You girls have fun. And don't spend my money all in one place."

Gabby put the money in a pocket. "I might stop back in while I'm in the city," she said, "if there's anything I need."

"Come again," he said with a tired but sincere seller's smile. "I do herbals too, if potions and pills aren't your thing. All strictly legal, of course." Jack smiled at Bree for that one.