Meerjou walked to the back of the apartment to the back door. Her long, black pony tail swishing back and forth as she walked.

"So Stace," Rory started. Stace beamed anxiously.

"That's me!" he chuckled nervously.

"What prompted you to hire two assassins and not tell them?" Rory asked.

"Well, not only did I want Ellie dead, but I kinda wanted to see what would happen," Stace said with a sheepish smile.

"A social experiment?" Rory asked.

"Yeah!" Stace smiled.

"Risky business doing that with two assassins," Rory pointed out.

"Here's Ellie!" Meerjou smiled, handing Stace the bag of dismembered parts.

"Great..." Stace said with an uncomfortable expression, timidly taking the bag. "P-pleasure doing business with you guys!" Stace exclaimed, running away. Rory looked over at Meerjou. She was about two inches shorter than him with pitch black irises.

Something of a Renclaw and a Gooman, considering the two tiny goat horns peeking out of the top of her head. Tiny black feathers lined her jaw, her pupils a shimmering gold color, just like a Renclaw's.

She wore a grayish blue long sleeved shirt and baggy brown pants that were tucked into tall black boots that went up to just below her knees.

"Well?" Rory asked.

"Yeah?" Meerjou asked, looking up at him.

"Are you gonna leave?" Rory asked. Meerjou stared at him blankly for a moment.

"Uh- yeah I guess I am," Meerjou said, stepping out the door. "Nice to m-" Meerjou started.

"Bye," Rory said, closing the door before she could finish her sentence. Rory sighed, and looked over at Kitty who had fallen asleep on the couch. Guess I'll go for a walk by myself then. Rory thought, putting on his coat.

He stepped outside and a cold wind ran through the streets as gentle snow glided onto his face. The air was cool enough to reveal the condensation coming from Rory's warm breath. I forgot to ask for my dagger back. Rory thought. Damn, that was hard to get too... Rory thought, starting his normal walking route around the reservoir.

This place... is where we're trapped. The hybrids of the Living Web. No one is truly human here, or truly Xeeropian or Claysir... we're all mixes. Like a litter of unwanted puppies. Smarter than humans, but just as trapped and clueless. Rory thought, skidding a rock across the water. It made three jumps before finally plopping into the water.

Rory looked up to see a sign that reminded him of just that.

WELCOME TO TEST PLACE 46!

We're nothing but a bunch of test subjects for Stellabio. Given the illusions and benefits of free will. But it's temporary. It's all temporary. This artificial planet... the people living on it... and just how many days... until I'm history? Rory pondered this frequently. How long until I die? Rory looked around, no one was out today. Everyone was inside hiding from the cold.

It could be right now... Rory thought gingerly stepping to the edge of the reservoir. The water is cold enough to freeze me in a timely fashion. I could- I could just- Rory thought, he felt a soft hand land on his shoulder, startling Rory, causing him to trip, almost falling into the reservoir. Rory caught his balance and stepped away from the freezing water, and tuned to see...

No one.

Rory looked down, there was a square rock by his feet that wasn't there before. Rory picked up the stone, and text engraved on the stone began to glow red.

FIND THE OTHERS

Isn't this how horror movies start? Rory wondered, dropping the stone in the reservoir. Live to die another day. Rory thought, walking back home. He walked up the steps to the front door.

A thin layer of snow covered the ground, and the city was quiet. Rory went to open the door, when he kicked something, stubbing his toe in the process.

"Ah... ow..." Rory breathed, looking down at what he'd kicked. Are you kidding me?! Rory thought, looking down at the stone he'd just thrown into the reservoir.

Months passed. The stone followed him everywhere. It even ended up in a can of beans at one point. It started showing up in more and more extreme places, even showing up in Kitty's digestive system. That was an expensive visit to the vet. Rory hadn't slept in weeks, and the rock had shown up months ago at this point.

No matter what Rory did to break it, or get rid of it, it just came back.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" Rory yelled at the rock. It had appeared in a more simplistic place this time. Which somehow angered Rory even more. It was dead center of the table, glowing red with the same message as before. 'FIND THE OTHERS.'

"Why... Why me?!" Rory sighed. "How do I get rid of you?" he asked desperately. Surprisingly, the text on the stone changed.

Go to where you found me in ten minutes.

Whatever it takes to make it go away. Rory thought. So ten minutes later, he found himself at the reservoir where he found the stupid rock. He found himself standing beside Kitty, looking out onto the water.

It was below freezing outside, and Rory hadn't even bothered to put on a coat.

Rory peered across the water, trying to figure out why the rock brought him here. Suddenly, he saw someone on the other side of the reservoir. Then, all around the reservoir, people surrounded it. Four other people stood around the water. The rock that had been haunting Rory suddenly evaporated in his hand. Suddenly, a structure started to arise out of the water.

People came out of their homes, children looked out their windows with curiosity, until a bridge connecting the five stood in front of them. Rory felt overwhelmingly compelled to walk forward, as if it weren't his own will.

He and Kitty walked across the bridge towards the center, as did the other four people. One similarity between the five of them was they all had black eye bags underneath their eyes. Kitty stood by Rory with pride, chest puffed out and letting out a small huff.

Rory surveyed the other four people, one of them looked oddly familiar, but he couldn't seem to remember where he knew her.

One of them was wearing a trimmed, black, hooded cloak with a bright red inside. She had an open shoulder and black tights. Black, feathery wings that also had a bright red inside. She had short black hair and a scarf covering her mouth and neck. She wore short, black boots with gray laces and gold buttons, and had short bright red hair. Pure white eyes with thick eyelashes, and pale skin. There was a gold button on her chest, keeping her cloak wrapped neatly around her. She had sharp ears with pointy earrings. She had slim fingers hidden under soft, black silk gloves.

It was hard not to stare at her when her color scheme was so pleasing to look at. However something about her appearance made Rory feel slightly sick, or like fainting. So he continued to survey the others.

Another one seemed to be a kid. Wearing a bright green jacket over a red hoodie. He had dark skin, and wore tan cargo pants with expensive white and red high tops. He had his hood pulled over his spiky orange hair. He wore a bat skull over his face with orange markings.

There was also a tall man with neat blonde hair and green eyes. His posture was impeccable, and he wore black cloak and had tall black boots. He had a freckled nose, and wore white slacks with a halberd slung over his back.

The fourth was the familiar one. She was about two inches shorter than Rory, with a long black ponytail and black irises with gold pupils. She also had tall black boots, with baggy pants tucked into them. She wore a loose long sleeve shirt, and she had two sais at her hips and a familiar dagger clutched in her hand.

The five of them stood facing each other in silence.

"Have you guys been getting haunted by a rock too?" the kid asked. Everyone groaned in response. "I'll take that as a yes," the kid said.

"WELCOME EVERYONE!" A booming, yet cheerful voice announced. The voice echoed over the city, bystanders waited anxiously, and even more anxious, was Rory and the other four. "An even warmer welcome to our special guests! Please welcome; Pyraxis Shade, Synthro Johnson, Stellarax Joy, Meerjou Song, Rory Jelikaro, and last but certainly not least, Kitty Jelikaro! An honored guest of ours," the voice listed.

Meerjou... where have I heard that before? Rory wondered. Kitty barked upon hearing his name, and sat down.

"Ah, the hell you spittin' our names out for?!" the person with the red and black wings asked, shaking her fist at the sky. She had an Australian accent, which was a little surprising to hear from her.

"So you can get to know each other my dear!" the voice said.

"I'll fuckin' kill you..." she mumbled.

"Hey, hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves! Cause, I was thinking about it first," the kid snapped at her.

"Oi then, you wanna fight for it?!" the winged girl asked, spreading her wings out to appear more menacing.

"Maybe I do!" the kid grinned.

"Hey, c'mon now. We barely know each other. Let's at least try to be civil-" the girl with the black ponytail tried.

"I'll do what I want," the winged girl snapped.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong darling," the voice said smugly. A frighteningly tall man descended before them. He had a black magician's hat with a red ribbon and a bit of mint tucked underneath. He was wearing a fancy black suit with a white blouse underneath and a red bow tie. He wore white gloves over his long, slender-like hands.

In his left hand, he gently held a magician's wand that had creepy flowers spiraling out of it. He had pitch black eyes with red spirals, and he had an eerie, toothy grin. He had short black hair that was spiked upwards, and he wore nice dress shoes to go with his black suit.

"You followed the rock here. You didn't want to, however, you did. This is where I revoke your illusion of freewill," the magician smiled sweetly. Rory looked over at the man with the blonde hair and green eyes. He stood tall and silent, as if he weren't even there.

"That illusion hasn't worked on me in a while anyways," Rory grumbled.

"Oh-" the magician said, sounding a bit surprised. "Um, anyways! I've specially selected the five of you to find my rabbits," he smiled.

"Why?" Rory asked.

"That sounds kinda stupid if you ask me," the girl with the black ponytail said.

"For entertainment!" the magician smiled.

"Well we aren't doin' it!" the winged girl exclaimed.

"Haha! Yes you are," the magician smiled. "My name is Avenfrol Frester! You are going to find my rabbits, spread across the timeline, and then, you will return them to me. Simple, right?" Avenfrol asked.

"There's always a catch," the kid sighed.

"Right you are! If you don't find them in time, the whole- everything dies," Avenfrol said. Bystanders gasped in their houses, and one kid started crying.

"Wait, why don't you just kill everything now?" the kid asked.

"Shut!" the girl with the black ponytail snapped.

"Simple! It's in my contract that I must give the group of my choosing a fighting chance!" Avenfrol smiled. A contract appeared in his hands and he started reading off of it. "Said group must meet the following requirements: All group members must be in shape and mobile, all group members must be in good health at the time of selection, example: no infections, severe injuries, or severe illnesses. At least one group member must be capable of flight and at least one group member must wield magic of any variety. The selected group members must be a challenge for I, Avenfrol Frester, and I must put up a fair fight in order to win. If I win, I will immediately destroy everything," Avenfrol read, making the contract disappear.

"I may have made up that last part, but there you go. It's in my contract to put up a fair fight. Which will help determine if the Living Web really is worth keeping alive," Avenfrol grinned.

"No," Rory said.

"What do you mean-" Avenfrol started.

"It's not worth keeping al-" Rory started.

"He means it's not worth keeping a-all the spinach in the Living Web! Mhm! He means we should get rid of spinach forever!" the girl with the black ponytail interjected.

"Of course! Of course, unfortunately I have no control over what vegetation grows and what vegetation doesn't," Avenfrol smiled. "Anyways, this fate stone will show you where you must go. Goodbye, and good luck," Avenfrol grinned, disappearing. The rock from earlier appeared in between all of them.

"What the hell!? YOU TRYNA GET US KILLED?! LEARN TO HOLD YOUR TONGUE YOU FUCKIN' ASSHOLE!" The winged girl snapped. Rory just shrugged in response. "Do you not hear me you thick skulled-" she continued.

"Shut up. Just, just shut up," the man with the blonde hair and green eyes said. "It was a close call, but no one wants to hear you bicker about it after the fact," he said, looking down at the winged girl with disapproval.

"You think you're so tough?!" the winged girl scowled.

"Indeed I do," the blonde man said, patting the winged girl on the head. "Maybe you should be the one learning how to hold their 'tongue you fuckin' asshole,'" the blonde man mocked.

"C'mon guys! We can't be fighting! Everyone is counting on us to save them!" the girl with the black ponytail exclaimed. She's got a point. Rory thought, kneeling down and petting Kitty.

"Yeah, preppy one and preppy two have got a point," the kid said smugly.

"Am I- preppy two?" the girl with the black ponytail asked. The kid nodded.

"I think we should introduce ourselves now though," the kid suggested. "I'll go first. My name is Synthro... you can call me Synth... who wants to go next?" Synth asked.

"Ooh! I'm Meerjou, you can call me Meer if you really wanna give me a nickname... but I prefer Meejou!" the girl with the black ponytail smiled. WHERE DO I KNOW HER?! Rory wondered. It was starting to bother him that he couldn't remember.

"Do I know you?" Rory asked.

"Uh- maybe?" Meerjou shrugged, raising an eyebrow. Then it came to him. Wait, her eyes, she was the other assassin from months ago! Rory realized.

"Weren't you the other assassin that I worked with a couple months back?" Rory asked.

"I work with a lot of other assassins... sorry if I don't remember you," Meerjou smiled. Ouch- Rory thought, feeling a bit hurt that she didn't remember him. "Ooh! What's your name?! That might ring a bell!" Meerjou smiled.

"Rory..." Rory grumbled under his breath.

"Speak up!" the winged girl snapped.

"Rory," Rory said slightly louder.

"Oh! RORY! How could I forget?!" Meerjou beamed, hugging him.

"Please don't hug me-" Rory tried.

"Oh my gosh how have you been?! It feels like it's been forever!" Meerjou smiled.

"It hasn't been that long since-" Rory tried.

"Yup, you're still a bummer," Meerjou joked.

"I guess?" Rory shrugged. At this point, bystanders had gone back inside, back to what they were doing. Leaving the five of them to stand awkwardly by themselves. Meerjou hugged him tighter until he felt like he was gonna throw up his intestines. "I barely- know- you-" Rory strained desperately.

"Oh, sorry," Meerjou said, pulling away. Rory gasped for air.

"Were you trying to suffocate me?!" Rory asked, dazed by how tight she was hugging him.

"No, sorry. Got a little carried away y'know?" Meerjou smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, anyways, I'm Pyraxis, you can call me Pyraxis, and if ya call me anything else I'll chop your head off," the winged girl said.

"Noted. Well, I'm Stellarax. Please, just don't call me Stella," Stellarax said.

"Alright Stella," Pyraxis said smugly.

"Treat others how you want to be treated, Raxy," Stellarax snapped. Pyraxis squinted at him

"Touche," she said. Kitty barked, and walked up to the 'fate stone' that sat between all of them. He started sniffing it, and it floated up in the air.

"Great, the rock can fly," Synth said, crossing his arms. New text started to appear on the fate stone.

Stop fooling around and get a ship idiots. You'll need one.

"I didn't know rocks could be such assholes," Pyraxis grumbled.

"Let's get going then. We've got work to do," Rory said, grabbing the fate stone out of the air. Rory started walking down the bridge back to land, the others followed behind him, except Pyraxis who of course had something to say.

"Who says you get to take charge?" she asked.

"I did. If you think you'll do better feel free to take the lead," Rory grumbled. Kitty snarled at her.

"Fine. You can have the lead, but when you slip up, or it becomes too much for your tiny brain to handle, let me know," Pyraxis said, backing away.

"Will do," Rory grumbled. Rory looked down at the fate stone. It showed a very straight forward path with a dot at the end.

"So... we're just following a rock cause a creepy magician guy threatened to kill everyone? Alright," the Synth shrugged.

"Don't forget we're finding his rabbits I guess?" Stellarax added.

"I dunno what that guy's smoking, but if it's causing him to act like that? I want some," Synth smirked.

"Aren't you a kid?" Meerjou asked.

"Geez, it was a joke," Synth grumbled.

"Pyraxis," Rory called.