Speed vs. Greed [She-Wolf & Puppet Master only]

[Cold Shadow]

The Puppet Master: not much was known about the foreign showman who had journeyed across the sea to stir up wrongdoings in Calisota. His pen name vaguely reminded Cold Shadow of some B-horror movie he had seen in his youth, but he couldn't quite place what movie it had been, or the title (not that it was relevant). More importantly, the man was a wanted fugitive in Epcot City.

Rumors and sources suggested that the Puppet Master had a caravan idled somewhere in the expansive, maze-like forest that presided away from the hustle and bustle of modern city life. Unfortunately, the jurisdiction of the forests around Calisota was debatable. The ECPD had no grounds to enter the forest and arrest the wanted criminal, and the Puppet Master was likely aware of said fact. At the moment the forest was his sanctuary; a no-man's land.

But that didn't necessarily indicate that he was completely untouchable...

While the law couldn't touch him as it were, the swift and stealthy ninja known only as Cold Shadow had no defined jurisdiction. He fully intended to locate the Puppet Master's caravan and give the man a not-so-gentle push across Epcot City's borders, where he would be within reach of the law.

Cold Shadow made his way through the dense forest, the wild ambiance filling his ears (not that he had any, but his ear holes sufficed); the lush scents of the forest filling his nostrils. Though he ran across beds of fallen leaves his webbed feet made no sounds of trampling said dry roughage, as he moved with agility and trained footwork to where his feet didn't remain on any one spot, or apply enough pressure, to disturb the leaves. He covered as much ground as he could, seeking the caravan. The forest, however, was quite large, and it could take him more than one attempt over the course of unknown days to locate the man. And each day was an opportunity for the Puppet Master to relocate, so Cold Shadow hoped to find him as quickly as possible.

[She-Wolf]

Even if the avian ninja was light enough on his feet so as to not even make a sound, his presence would not go unnoticed in these woods. Those that dwelled here could rely on senses other than hearing and sight to help them find their prey... such as smell. And the stranger's unfamiliar scent was quickly picked up by one of the forest's residents, almost as soon as he entered this thick woodland. As Cold Shadow silently sprinted through the forest understory, he would be watched, and followed... until, the follower decided to strike.

Cold Shadow's hunt for the fugitive hiding in these woods would be put to a momentary stop. Just then, a massive shadow would soar above the duck's head - even if he couldn't see whatever was creating the shadow, he would feel its presence, and the air rushing by from the sheer speed of whatever it was. This was followed the sound of a large animal meeting the leafy forest floor, accompanied by an intimidating and truly vicious snarl emanating from the beast's throat.

Before Cold Shadow stood an enormous white wolf, its huge fangs bared as it growled threats towards the trespasser and its yellow eyes blazing - it was clear that Cold Shadow was not welcome, here. However, the guttural snarls of the giant canine would be accompanied by an additional sound - a voice, seemingly coming from atop the wolf. The voice sounded young, and was definitely feminine - but it was anything but gentle and sweet. The woman's tone was harsh and distrusting, almost sounding just as vicious as the wolf's growls.

"What are you doing here?"

[Cold Shadow]

Though the impulse of most would be to freeze given the startling and aggressive approach of some alien entity from out of the darkness, as soon as the creature and its rider appeared before him he somersaulted backward, then, using his wooden staff, pole-vaulted himself upward high into the air. He landed in the canopy of the tree which was closest to him, where he took efforts to conceal himself among the leaves. Whoever (whatever) had just confronted him would know he was there, but he wouldn't leave himself a sitting duck out in the open, and could take more appropriate actions from high ground should things turn ugly.

The beast sounded canine, given the noises it was producing. And it sounded huge - larger than any canine he'd ever heard of. Cold Shadow crouched on the large branch he now inhabited, 'looking' down toward the hostile, feminine voice he had heard address him prior to leaping away to the treetop. "I could ask you the same question." He responded.

[She-Wolf]

The gigantic wolf's rider would remain unseen by the blindfolded ninja, but she could very well see him clearly, even as he concealed himself with the leaves of the tree he was perched on. What sounded like the removal of a clay mask of some sort could be heard, as the mysterious rider - a young human girl in her very late teens - locked her sharp, intense eyes onto the stranger. Even when blindfolded, Cold Shadow might have been able to feel this penetrating gaze.

"This forest is my home," the girl continued to speak in her harsh tone, "and it's no place for criminals like you to cowardly hide from their own kind." Disgust seeped through the girl's voice - it seemed there was a case of mistaken identity, here. "Leave, now." The girl's voice, just then, became lower and even more intense, seemingly evoking outright hatred. "Or shall I have to kill you, myself?"

The great white wolf, too, had its sights set on the stranger up above. Its fur bristling, it continued to lowly growl towards Cold Shadow, although more quietly than before, so as to let its companion speak.

[Cold Shadow]

He inwardly cringed at her remark about him being a criminal hiding from his own kind. He seemed to be getting a lot of that lately, and although he had cleared up his name in Epcot City with both the EPCD and the Dream League after the recent framing incident he felt this sort of thing would creep up from time to time still. He supposed his black ninja gi was unfriendly enough to be misconstrued as a villain's costume, and his alias name didn't help much either, as 'Cold Shadow' also wasn't the most definitively 'good guy' name out there.

The forest was her home? Ridiculous; there were no settlements anywhere near their current location. Or was she insinuating she was some sort of wild-woman? Well, that would explain the beast and all. While her words were rather unfriendly and remarkably territorial he didn't get any vibes that she was a criminal, much less in cahoots with the Puppet Master. She just seemed to keep intruders out of her domain.

He folded his arms over his chest, scowling down from his perch. "Kill me yourself? Well, that would make you a murderer. You're not a murderer, are you?" He addressed her. "As far as criminals are concerned I am searching your 'home' for one such coward. A showman who goes by the handle 'Puppet Master.' If it's criminals in your home you're troubled by then it's him you ought to be confronting with such hostility, and not the individual trying to clear such garbage from these forests."

[She-Wolf]

In response to Cold Shadow's first reply, a sound could be heard escaping the girl's throat, something like a restrained gasp. Her fierce eyes seemed to momentarily retreat from their piercing gaze towards Cold Shadow, and the contempt within them was replaced with what looked like regret and hesitance. Cold Shadow wouldn't have known it, but he had hit a weak spot within this girl, just then. As much as she wanted to deny it and continue to threaten the duck, he had succeeded in silencing her for the moment, allowing him to continue speaking. The wolf, too, had ceased its threatening snarls for now, not letting its yellow eyes drift away from the stranger.

The girl quietly listened to what else he had to say, not simply because of his earlier quip, but because it genuinely interested her. She had indeed sensed a strange presence in this forest long before she had encountered Cold Shadow... it was a sinister presence, too. While the duck was an unwelcome visitor, regardless, it seemed he was not the felon she was initially tracking down. His scent was a bit less pungent than that of the trail she was following earlier, now that she noticed.

"...." The wild woman was silent for a few seconds longer. She didn't fully trust this supposed crime-fighter just yet... but his words were believable, nonetheless. "... I'll trust you for now," she responded after her long silence - despite her choice of words, her voice seemed only slightly less harsh and unwelcoming than before. "But I'm not letting you out of my sights until we find this criminal," she added. "And if you're lying... you'll wish you've never set foot in this forest."

[Cold Shadow]

He adjusted his weight on his high perch. It seemed as though his words had reached the girl. Though he was not in the habit of teaming up with others, operating as a loner, the fact that the girl lived in the forest meant she'd know it far better than he himself, and if she had managed to locate him, a stealthy ninja not making a sound, then it stood to reason that she could easily find a stationary caravan positioned somewhere in these woods. With her as a guide he might be able to locate the Puppet Master faster than he had hoped.

"Fair enough. But once we find him, you retreat. I'll handle this criminal and return him to Epcot City where he can face the laws of civilization." He instructed her, though he still made no effort to descend from the high ground. He not only said this for the girl's safety, but for the Puppet Master's, as well. He was entirely sure just what the girl was capable of, but he made it clear that this was a mission to bring him to justice, not a seek-and-destroy mission. Cold Shadow didn't operate that way.

[She-Wolf]

Not unlike Cold Shadow, the wolf girl wasn't terribly keen on the prospect of having to work together with this stranger - with the exception of her fellow pack members, she, too, preferred to go it alone. Still, it was the only way to both make certain the duck wasn't a criminal as she had suspected, and to run this 'Puppet Master' out of her territory and back where he belongs, in the scum-filled realm of humanity.

The prehistoric-looking girl took offense at being given an order, but made no objections to it, regardless, as she had no need to. Were things to go her way, she'd treat this villain with far less care than Cold Shadow... but, so long as he was removed from her forest, she had no complaints. "Fine," was all the girl tersely said in response. Meanwhile, her lupine partner had its nose hovering above the forest floor - it had picked up a scent, and it wasn't Cold Shadow's.

The great wolf lifted its head upward to face the girl seated atop his back, and gazed into her eyes for several seconds, panting with excitement. The girl exchanged glances with the wolf and was silent for a moment, as if it was talking to her... yet, to anyone else it would seem that no conversation was going on, here. Regardless, the wolf had told her something, and she understood.

The girl gently rubbed a palm across the canine's shaggy white head, and lifted her eyes back up to face the avian ninja perched in the treetops. "We've found his trail," she affirmed, no real emotion coming out of her voice - her focus was on the business at hand, right now. "Try and keep up with us," she added, rather unsure of just how he'd be able to do that while blindfolded - although, if he had gotten this far into the forest, surely he had some means of finding his way around.

The girl spoke once more, this time with that harsh and suspicious tone once again seeping through. "And don't try and run off on us. I'll be watching." Her intense eyes glared up at the red bandana covering the duck's own eyes, before she and the wolf began to, once again, follow the fugitive's trail.

[Cold Shadow]

He remained motionless and silent as the wolf-girl communicated with her large, furry companion. While he wondered what a young (at least she sounded relatively young judging from her voice) girl was doing out here in the dark, uncaring woods in the company of a large beast, she seemed to be doing ok for herself, and his primary focus at the time was the Puppet Master. Though he fully intended to investigate her some other time; after all, she could prove dangerous.

When the girl's exchange with the mongrel had concluded and she informed him that she had located the Puppet Master's trail he was delighted by the news, though he didn't outwardly show it. That had been faster than he had suspected, though if the mongrel she was riding had picked up the scent then he must have been pretty close before the girl had confronted him.

He could hear her take off in a burst of speed upon her peculiar, furry steed. He silently scoffed at the comment about 'keeping up' as he began to jump from tree to tree in great leaps, using his wooden staff to propel himself further if the gap was too great for him to clear with a standard jump. Leaping from canopy to canopy in this manner he was actually able to keep pace with the girl and her wolf.

Puppet Master, I wonder if you realize how close you are to being incarcerated, Cold Shadow thought to himself as he followed the girl.

[Puppet Master]

The caravan was stationed at a clearing within the natural wonder that was Calisota's (mostly) untarnished forest, outside of Epcot City lines. Yet this clearing was secluded, and could really only be found by either the slimmest of chance, or by, say, following a scent.

At the time when the wolf princess and the waterfowl ninja were searching for him, the Puppet Master himself, Stromboli, was seated inside his caravan. He was at his table, carving a cute, dainty puppet for his collection, for future shows. He was in the early stages of carving a puppet that would resemble a pretty girl. As he worked, Stromboli hummed lowly to himself. His humming was so low in pitch that his vocalizations sounded more like grunting than anything musical. He would occasionally rest his carving knife on the table to eat his meal. Unfortunately for him, one of his favorite foods probably made his odor easier to track: he took a large, raw yellow onion and bit a good chunk from it. He chewed the large amount of raw onion as he continued working on his puppet. It was only after he swallowed did he continue to murmur/hum.

On his right ear he wore a small earring: a purple stone that most closely resembled amethyst. And on the table in front of him, the puppet, and his plate of food was a very large chunk of a crystallized meteorite.

The exterior of the caravan itself was surprisingly colorful, with a color palette that was probably not a good idea for being on the lam. The walls were mostly painted with dark blue, but with some bit of gold paint. The roof and back door were red (though the door had two lime green patches for repair), and the door's steps and wheels were wooden brown. Attached to both sides of the caravan were wooden barrels.

[She-Wolf]

It wouldn't take too long until the two unlikely and reluctant partners had reached their destination - both the girl and her faithful, er, steed, could easily recognize that this was where they had wanted to be. The scent they both were tracking was stronger now than ever, and it seemed to all be coming from this particular location. The aroma, in question, was a mixture of several smells, some more or less pleasant than others: several types of wood and other assorted rustic scents, a faint whiff of paint, numerous foods (the strongest of which smelled absolutely repugnant, to the girl at least), and a certain, hard to describe scent that was... gruff, sweaty and overwhelmingly pungent.

The white wolf had slowed its brisk, loping trot into a creeping stalk; although whoever or whatever was within that caravan was not seen as prey by the wolf, it knew it had to remain as silent as possible. Its rider, too, laid low and said not a word, as the two of them remained behind a veil of leaves and undergrowth. The girl looked upward into the canopy to try and spot Cold Shadow, wherever he was. She said nothing to him, figuring he could ascertain whether or not they had found their culprit.

Whatever the duck had said earlier, however... she wasn't intent on leaving the scene, just yet.

[Cold Shadow]

At first it may have seemed to the girl that he had not been able to keep up with them, but he had in fact kept pace with them the entire trip. Once they had gotten closer to the caravan, however, he had descended from the canopy of the trees and again taken to the ground, preferring to keep low and to the shadows now that they were so close. He lurked behind a nearby tree, peering over the side at the nearby caravan. Why he did this was anyone's guess, since he couldn't see it, but a ninja never gave up all of their secrets.

He felt even more thankful than ever that he had run into her, as it had been some distance from where they had been to where they were now, and he realized he wouldn't have found the location of the Puppet Master tonight were it not for her help (whoever 'she' was since neither of them had made any effort to exchange names).

Keeping to the shadows and the shelter of shrubs and trees he made his way closer to the girl and her companion. He didn't see anyone, but one could never be too careful; and just because he couldn't see them never necessarily meant that they couldn't see him (though technically Cold Shadow never 'saw' anybody). "Thank you for your assistance. I'll take it from here. You just keep a safe distance." He said in a hushed whisper almost too low to be audible. he wasn't sure how well she'd take the dismissal, but he couldn't very well get a young girl involved in a confrontation with a known criminal, plus he wasn't sure what she was capable of, or what she'd do to the Puppet Master. Cold Shadow needed him in one piece.

[She-Wolf]

The faint rustling of leaves in the branches above, as well as his low whispering, indicated to San where Cold Shadow was. Seems he hadn't run off on her yet, at least... maybe he was telling the truth about wanting to flush out the fugitive hiding in these woods... No, San thought to herself, don't trust him so easily just yet. She had to continue keeping an eye on this strange duck, until both he and the Puppet Master have made their way out of her forest.

As such, without any sort of response to the avian ninja besides most likely unseen eye contact, both the girl and her lupine partner remained just where they were, not intent on leaving this spot anytime soon. In silence, they watched whatever was to happen in the clearing before them... And if Cold Shadow was lying, or whoever was in this caravan refused to leave, she would ensure that they had never made those mistakes, respectively.

[Puppet Master]

Puppet Master looked up from his work and blinked. Did he just hear something, or was his mind playing tricks on him? He wasn't sure he heard a noise at all, but since he was on the lam, it never hurt to be cautious. His large hand picked up an even larger knife, his best friend in the world, and then he lumbered for the door. The wooden floorboards creaked under his footsteps, and his door also creaked as he opened it and took a step out of his caravan. Maybe it was his two horses that made a noise? The last time the Puppet Master saw them, they were grazing.

Now exposed to the still air, Puppet Master looked at the forest that surrounded him, trying to detect anything unusual. He wasn't afraid, but he exercised caution.

[Cold Shadow]

Before Cold Shadow could decide his next move it had been decided for him. The door to one of the box cars creaked open, and he could hear someone emerge from within. From their footsteps they were large; large enough to all but confirm to the ninja water fowl that it was none other than the Puppet Master himself who had emerged, though he couldn't guarantee it.

Without a sound the stealthy hero had vanished from the girl's side without a trace. At first he seemed to have disappeared completely before the top of his white crown, partially covered by a black portion of his ninja getup, slowly crept up from behind the caravan, on the side opposite where the large man was standing. Then his red blindfold, and finally his yellow bill. He silently crept up and onto the wooden roof, down on all fours, his staff safely secured to a holster on his back, as he crawled closer to the ledge where the door had opened.

He easily slipped down from above and now stood on one of the sides flanking the open door, standing behind the one who had exited the caravan. He was deliberate in not standing in front of the door, as the light coming from within would cast Cold Shadow's... well, shadow, which the individual might see.

Cold Shadow was close enough to him that he wouldn't even have to fully extend his arm to touch them. At that close range his nostrils filled with an unpleasant funk; onion and what called to him as someone who hadn't bathed in a while. But was it the Puppet Master, or simply one of his servants? It would have been easy enough for him to draw his wooden staff and strike an unconscious-rendering blow to the back of the head of whoever had their back to him, but he had to be sure it was who he sought. Sticking to the side of the caravan he made his way to a nearby window, and proceeded to creep inside through it. After a quick survey he didn't detect anyone else inside. He approached a nearby lantern, its flame dancing hypnotically through the glass which he could just barely make out through his head wrap. He waited for an opening. When he heard a light gust of wind whistling through the caravan he quietly blew out the candle, flooding the room with darkness.

[Puppet Master]

Puppet Master continued to stand at the door, and peer out into the forest submerged in night. He was, of course, oblivious to the intruding ninja. The rotund, Italian fugitive was in the process of scratching his bald head with his free hand, his fingers so fat they appeared more like small, inflated balloons than the average hand. In fact, his hands in general were enormous, and he only scratched the top of his head with a single fingernail.

Puppet Master arched his eyebrows as he peered outside, but it was then that he noticed his shadow had vanished. Behind him, his candle was burning to illuminate the room, and so looking out at the door, the man noticed his shadow, which seemed to dance on the ground in front of him because of the flickering, moving fire. But the candle was snuffed, and the Puppet Master turned to see behind him.

Darkness.

Even the familiar interior of his caravan was foreign to him, because he couldn't see beyond the reach of the moonlight from outside, and that wasn't sufficient to make out anything different in the room.

"Where did I'a put the matches?" he said to himself. From inside the caravan, one would catch a glimpse of the fugitive's face under moonlight for less than a second. After that, the silhouette of the Puppet Master stepped into the room, clutching a large, sharp knife.

[Cold Shadow]

Having snuffed out the illuminating flame, Cold Shadow quickly made himself scarce, putting as much distance between himself and the extinguished lantern as possible within the narrow confines of the caravan. He had to be cautious in this place, as it was not only relatively narrow, but also not entirely neat. The room had some oddities to boot, such as an iron birdcage which, oddly, housed no bird, and various hand-carved puppets strewn here and there. The smell of food was still in the air; most notably onion.

When the considerably larger man had entered, Cold Shadow could hear that he had a thick, Italian accent as he muttered to himself about finding some matches. The ninja had just about all of the evidence he needed that this was the target he had come to collect. And if all went smoothly, he would insure that the Puppet Master wouldn't be seeing another match for some years, barring parole.

Cold Shadow darted out from his concealed location, simultaneously drawing his wooden staff as he aimed to strike at the weapon the Puppet Master was clutching in his hand.

[Puppet Master]

The Puppet Master's eyes narrowed to slits as he tried to scan the room. There was something very suspicious going on here, because his lantern was never extinguished that way before. Anything out of the ordinary, as innocuous as it seemed, was enough reason for the Italian fugitive to be wary.

That's when something struck his hand, and he dropped his large knife in shock. The Puppet Master exploded in a (comically) high-pitched squeal, and he jolted from where he stood. He did not expect to be attacked like that, and the surprise was too much for him. But there was no time to think about it! He shouted at whoever was in the caravan as he bent to search for his blade, which was hidden in the darkness.

"Who's there?! Show'a yourself, you cowardly dog!" As he knelt on the ground, his face was incrementally growing in anger, and he started shouting profanities in his native language.

[Cold Shadow]

Despite the angry demand issued by the Puppet Master to show himself, Cold Shadow had no intention of doing anything of the sort. The Puppet Master was a dangerous (and much larger) adversary, and the masked vigilante had to use his unique strengths to overcome an opponent considerably more physically endowed than he himself. On top of that, the police reports surrounding Puppet Master only had vague information pertaining to his mind-control tactics, and he wasn't aware of the full scope of the Italian's powers.

Leaping out of his hiding spot once again, Cold Shadow raised his wooden staff above his head, catching both ends of the weapon in the scaffolding lining the roof of the boxcar, where it stuck fast. Like a gymnast on a pole, the avian ninja then swung forward, planting both of his feet squarely against the chest of his opponent.

[Puppet Master]

The Puppet Master had shouted quickly until his face was red. Of course, the redness of his face couldn't be seen because of the darkness, and the blindfolded ninja couldn't see it anyway. The fat fugitive continued to fumble around the floor, searching for the blade, when he felt the sudden, strong force of two large, webbed feet against his chest. The blow was significant; Stromboli fell back, and barely avoided his legs getting broken by straightening them in time. As he fell back, he immediately shot up from the floor and grabbed what struck him. The man's breaths heaved like a furious train; he was so angry that he couldn't even speak clearly.

After grabbing whoever was there, he reached into his pocket and, with great speed, brought out a crystal shard and tried to slip it onto an article of clothing on whoever he grabbed, so that person could be under his control.

"I'll-a break every bone in your body!" his voice growled menacingly as he jabbed the crystal on the fabric he felt in his hand.

[Cold Shadow]

Cold Shadow was meticulous, each movement the ninja made being like a thoroughly calculated plan, or a well-rehearsed dance movement. But everyone made mistakes every once in a while, and the avian night-walker was no exception to the rule.

In this case he had underestimated the immense difference in weight between himself and his target. His double kick, which was intended to launch the Puppet Master through the window opposite of them, fell short on power, as the scoundrel was just too heavy to have made it the entire distance. So, while the kick had hit home, and the Italian had been knocked back, he had not been knocked back far enough, and even the speedy Cold Shadow couldn't dodge in time for the man's thick fingers to have clasped a portion of his ninja garb and plant something upon him.

Before Cold Shadow even had time to curse himself for his miscalculation his mind went entirely blank. Everything seemed to haze over with a white smokescreen, and before he could even react to what had happened his mind had retreated to some dream-like trance. The ninja stood idly, not twitching a muscle, like some bizarre, organic statue.

[Puppet Master]

The Puppet Master continued his long, rapid string of Italian profanity, even after his enemy was stuck in a trance. The fat and tall man got up on his feet and, still angrily muttering, felt for the lantern. He reached into a pocket, pulled out a box of matches, and readied to ignite a stick of it to light the lantern. He was so mad that he fumbled and his hands quivered, but he got the lantern going. The room was once again appropriately illuminated, and he glared back to get a good look at his attacker.

It was a duck dressed like one of those ninjas. He cut to the chase immediately; he lumbered to the mind-controlled duck and spoke with a bitter tone to match his displeased face.

"Where did you'a come from, and are you alone? Answer me!" His earring glimmered in the candlelight, the earring that was key to controlling the ninja's mind.

[Cold Shadow]

Cold Shadow had gone bye-bye. There was only a totally submissive, living puppet of him remaining. It was as if he was unconscious, yet his body remained animated through supernatural means. He had no hesitation in responding to the man's questions, because really it was just as though he were relaying data from Cold Shadow's mind, rather than a coherent Cold Shadow answering for himself.

"I've come from Epcot City. I came alone, but a wolf girl joined me while I was searching for you. Her and her furry beast are outside, laying low." He responded in a bland tone which was unsettling in its total lack of emotion.

Having answered the two questions presented to him, he resumed going completely idle; an eerie, living mannequin incapable of performing any further actions without command.

[Puppet Master]

One would think that getting a straight answer would have calmed the fat man down, but no. If anything, his anger increased. He clenched his fat, thick hands into fists and closed his eyelids so tightly, it hurt. He stifled a scream and, with great speed, grabbed the ninja by the front of his clothes and started insulting him in rapid Italian. Then, the hotheaded gypsy thought of an idea, and he immediately calmed himself. He even smiled and chortled deviously. He patted the ninja on the head, releasing his grip on him.

"So, a wolf girl is'a outside." After a pause, his smile grew more menacing and he rubbed his palms together as he delivered his order. "You will'a go outside and call her. You'a will tell her that you caught the'a Puppet Master--that's'a me!--and you will lead her inside. You need 'help.'" Again, his lips curled wickedly, as he picked up an ax. "And when she'a comes in..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence. "Go! Go, hurry up, before I'a break you in'a two!" he ordered his puppet. Cold Shadow was his marionette, and Stromboli pulled the strings.

[Cold Shadow]

Cold Shadow didn't react whatsoever as he was grabbed and cursed at by the large man. He simply hung, limp, from the considerably larger man's hands until he was placed back on the ground. Having been given his orders, he turned toward the door, without a word, and made his way out into the open.

"Wolf girl." He said in an emotionless, cold tone. "I caught the'a Puppet Master" He repeated that part exactly as he was told, including the accent, which he reproduced with eerie accuracy, though still in a rather flat voice. "I need help." He concluded, having carried out the specified orders. He then stood there, motionless, as he waited for the girl to appear so that he could commence with the next portion of his orders.

[She-Wolf]

Just as she had promised, the wild woman and her canine steed did not leave the premises of the Puppet Master's cart, until she was certain that the strange duck was telling the truth about trespassing in her forest to capture the crook... she was more than eager to make both of the two pay, if the duck was indeed lying. She showed no sign of boredom or disinterest at all as she waited in the bushes in silence - her eyes showed no less fierce, almost predatory intensity than before. Her eyebrows did lift in intrigue, however, as the carriage's door creaked open... and out stepped that duck ninja.

At first, it seemed that all was well, and the duck had indeed captured the villain... but, immediately, she couldn't help sensing that something was off. The duck's voice... it sounded odd. Much flatter than the way he had spoken before... and he revealed what sounded like some sort of accent as he spoke. And he was standing in the stiffest position possible, looking like a statue. It was just downright weird... but he had said what he said. If he was to believed, the Puppet Master was incapacitated, and she could now take care of him herself.

Swiftly and quietly, she removed herself from the back of her lupine partner, and turned to face him, stroking a hand across his white furry forehead. "Wait here," she whispered to the beast, who also remained silent and obediently remained where he was as the girl crept out into the open. She would have ran, had she not had such a suspicious feeling about this...

She eventually reached Cold Shadow, and glared down at him coldly, not very amused with this weird act that he was putting on. "Well?"

[Cold Shadow]

He made no movements as she approached, nor did he say anything further. Were his eyes visible they would likely have a lifeless, hypnotized emptiness to them. But, as it were, his blindfold concealed them completely. That was likely the main reason the Puppet Master had chosen not to unmask him yet and deduce his identity; or, perhaps that was giving him too much credit, and he merely hadn't considered it. Either way, no such thoughts crossed his corrupted mind.

He didn't say anything to the girl, or verbally acknowledge her in any way. He had already went through all of the dialog he needed to, as per his orders. And so, he merely turned away from her and entered the caravan, leading her inside to where a rather dangerous, and certainly not detained, Puppet Master would be waiting with a well-sharpened axe.

[She-Wolf]

The girl lowered an eyebrow in suspicion; this duck was acting even stranger by the minute. He uttered not a word to her, and, in an almost robotic manner, shifted around and entered the caravan. She simply couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong, here...

But, what mattered now was that, presumably, the Puppet Master was captured... and, apparently, the duck needed "help" detaining him. It sure didn't seem that way as she entered - she heard nothing but silence within the carriage's dimly lit interior. A sudden tension permeated the girl as she crept inside, taking cautious steps and examining every nook and cranny with her sharp eyes...

[Puppet Master]

Stromboli waited until his newest puppet obeyed his command. The duck led a young woman inside. The Puppet Master didn't recognize her (or the ninja, for that matter), nor did he care. Both would be dead soon, so there was little point in asking questions. He would kill the teenage girl first, because she wasn't under his control. After taking care of her, the ninja would be a cinch to murder.

Puppet Master bared his teeth as he slammed the door with his left hand and raised his ax with the right. He lunged for the girl and taunted before he took a swing for her. "Now I kill you!"

[She-Wolf]

The wild girl would soon discover that she was correct about her suspicions. A sudden SLAM from behind her caused her to immediately stop in her tracks, eyes wide, and whirl around to see what it was. The caravan was now much darker, save for the dim light of a lantern - but even so, the girl's eyes were much sharper than a normal human's, and had fairly keen night vision. Keen enough to see a large, burly, furious-looking man charging towards her, clutching a razor-sharp axe that shined even in the sheer darkness of the caravan.

With but a split second to dodge before she was sliced open, the girl felt adrenaline immediately rush through her veins, and with almost rapid swiftness, she leaped away from the Puppet Master to the back of the caravan, just in time to avoid the axe's blow. The strangeness of the earlier situation was all-too-clear to her, now - she was tricked. That damned ninja duck was lying, she believed - he was just a cohort of the Puppet Master, trying to lure her into the trap they had set. At least, she assumed the large bearded man was the Puppet Master - but all the same, she felt certain that she would have made the right decision, had she not trusted that duck. Of course, she was completely unaware of the unique power that the Puppet Master was so named for.

At any rate, it was high time she punished both of the two for trespassing and daring to attack her, she thought. The wolf girl now bared her own teeth - but unlike the Puppet Master's, they now appeared not as the flat teeth of an average human, but as razor-sharp canine fangs that gleamed white in ferocity. The girl had no visible weapons on her, until she outstretched her hands - and with a SNIKT, a set of gray, bladelike claws, five on each hand, emerged from her fingers. She stood at the back of the room in a crouched, battle-ready position, like a cornered wild animal ready to fight - she glared fiercely at the Puppet Master, awaiting his next move before she made her own attack. She'd best take care of him, first, before dealing with that traitorous duck...