"Ah!" shouted the canine anthro in surprise, leaping to his feet. "Take your hand off me, madame, and slap yourself across the face of your head!" he snapped at the tigress behind him. "How dare you lay a finger on my wondrous self!"

"Oooookaaaay," drawled Altaica, backing away slowly. "We've got a live one here, guys."

"Donny! You found friends!" cried Axecat happily, stepping back into the clearing.

"Seatiger?" asked ThunderManx with a trace of disbelief.

"Erich! Yep, it's me," grinned the ballooney feline, "but it's Axecat for*this* game."

"I'm going by the name 'ThunderManx' myself. And I can tell by the tailcoats that your partner in crime is the most infamous Don Karnage,"replied the panther with a smile.

"My reputation precedes me," huffed the pirate. "And it is the *feared pirate* Don Karnage to you!"

"And I'm the Lord of the Thundercats," smirked Altaica, turning slightl ytoward the snarf and twirling her finger near her temple.

"Sounds in character to me," shrugged the taller man helplessly.

Don Karnage ignored the exchange. "And YOU!" he continued, poking a fingerat Axecat's springy chest. "You were supposed to be watching my back! What if something awful had happened to my glorious being?"

"We'd have thrown a party. Give me a break! There's a creek over there and I haven't had a good float yet," replied Axecat unconcerned. He leaned toward ThunderManx and added confidentially: "I've had to listen to this for *hours*!"

"I heard that!" accused the canine. "I would brain you for such an insult! If you *had* a brain..."

"We pool toys are notorious air-heads," grinned Axecat at the newcomers.

"Help me," moaned Altaica. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Don't look at me," protested the snarf. "I aim for irritating, but intelligent."

"You're right. I take back any earlier remarks...just take me with you!" pleaded the bounty hunter.

"Relax...enjoy," ThunderManx interrupted the tigress. "Altaica and thesnarf," he explained somewhat appologetically to Axecat and Don Karnage.

"The infamous snarf..." mused Axecat. "You look bigger in person. And considering what Altaica does to Snarfs, I'm surprised they haven't slaughtered each other yet. I have in mind a certain Don Quixote..."

"Of no relation to my wonderful self, I assure you," interjected Don Karnage.

"Anyway," said Axecat, regaining control of the conversation, "you might as well take Erich...er...ThunderManx's advice; night is falling and you'll be stuck with us for a while unless you want to brave unfamiliar woods after dark. Besides...the creek's so nice and peaceful..."

"There is a point in that," admitted the snarf. He'd been keeping quiet for the moment...observing and analyzing his environment and the players...in the hopes of figuring out the purpose of their game. So far he'd had no luck. "We have no idea what this game is about and if the saying says that two heads are better than one, then five should be powerful indeed.Besides...there's safety in numbers."

"I think there were tarps folded into our packs," mused ThunderManx."They'd make passable shelters...for those of us who need them," he finished, nodding at Axecat.

"I guess," sighed Altaica. "I have survival experience as a bountyhunter...low as my stats might be right now."

"Ah! Then you will be the one to set up the shelter for yours truly, the great Don Karnage?" grinned the canine morph.

"In your dreams, dog breath."

Karnage's ego deflated somewhat. "I am not a mere dog," he sulked. "I miss my lackeys...they feared me."

"Don't sweat it, Donny...me and 'Manx'll give you a hand," said Axecat, rolling his eyes. "Too proud to admit that he can't build a shelter," he finished, nudging ThunderManx.

"Right," agreed the panther with a grin. "Just don't come to expect the service."

"We're all doomed," groaned Altaica to herself as she sought a place to build her shelter.

*********************

"I see movement!" exclaimed Xahji, looking out over the field of grass.

"And I smell food on the wind," agreed Rhythm.

"Do you suppose we've found more players?"

"If we're lucky...best to be careful though. They *could* be enemies, afterall..."

They carefully approached the gathering, peering through the grass. There was a shark-like being, a large male tiger, one young man with similar markings to Wilykat, and a little white cat who pointedly ignored the efforts of a female sabertooth to get her to pounce on a piece of braided grass. The pair had begun to move forward once again when a ball of red andyellow fur shot out of the grass like a fuzzy cannon ball, teeth and claws bared.

"ARRRRRRRGH! GEDDITOFF! GEDDITOFF!" yelped Rhythm, his voice muffled by a mouthfull of Snarf fur.

"Perverts! Assassins! Save the women for me!" shrieked Fuzzball, trying to bite Rhythm's ear.

Xahji quickly concentrated his thoughts to those of heat and fire. It was still quite difficult at these low levels of power and his hand trembled slightly as he fired off a blast at his friend's attacker.

"S'MYLEGYERSUNOVABITCH!"

"Sorry," winced Xahji. Out of power for the present time, he drew his rifle and fired a stunning shot into the Snarf's leg. Fuzzball yelped in pained surprise and was thrown to the ground as Rhythm managed to regain control. The rest of the group arrived at that moment, weapons drawn.

Rhythm raised his hands as he was confronted by a pair of blades and several firearms. Xahji froze, but did not drop his own weapon. "Explain yourselves!" demanded the tiger.

"Explain OURselves? You attacked us!" protested Xahji.

"Why were you spying on our camp?"

"Why not? You think we were just going to walk on in and chance you being Mutants?"

"Don't trust'em," muttered Shark. "They smell like shark-food.

""Is that *all* you think about?" interrupted Wilykat. "All you've done since you arrived is try to eat the players!"

"Hungry," sulked Shark. "You'd be too if you were a real man instead of agrown-up whiny kitty."

"The shark-man gets in a good one!" cried Gatotrueno. "Er...you two *are*players, right?" she asked the new arrivals.

"Xahji and Rhythm," confirmed the armoured one. "We only meant to see whether you were enemies."

"Then why's your rifle still drawn?" challenged Wilykat.

"Why's yours?"

"Because *you* crept up on *us*," snapped the Thunderian.

"Both of you, cut it out," snarled the tiger, running low on patience. He lowered his firearm. "Ruka," he said, holding out his hand. "These areShark, Fuzzball, Gatotrueno, Wilykat, and who we suspect is Jetkitten. We were just bedding down for the night in the hopes of figuring out the purpose of the game. You're welcome to join us...if you dare," he finished shooting a black look at Shark who was licking his lips with wicked glee.

Gatotrueno sighed and lowered her sword. "Guess we have room for two more. Either of you gamble much?"

"Not on the first date," replied Rhythm, finally lowering his hands.

"Damn," sulked Gato, stooping to scoop up Jetkitten. The white cat had ceased to fuss over Gato's attentions and the sabertooth had rewarded her complacency by not hoisting her into the air again.

"Please, allow us to confer," said Xahji, turning to Rhythm. After a moment of discussion, the pair turned back toward the rest of the group. "We'll accept your offer to stay. It *is* getting late in the day and there is safety in numbers." The rest of the weapons were lowered, though they were held at the ready.

"Besides," added Rhythm, "we need some quiet time to practise our powers."He winked and produced a small whirling breeze that ruffled the hair of the gathered players.

"Wow! That was cool!" cried Gatotrueno. "What else can you do?"

"Still finding out," shrugged Rhythm helplessly. "But practise makes perfect. And your aim could use practise," he finished, casting a glance at Xahji. "You nearly toasted my hind end."

"I *said* I was sorry, did I not?" shrugged Xahji, unconcerned. "At least Ididn't stand and scream like a girl."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" snapped Gato, turning back toward the campsite in a huff with Jetkitten cradled in her arms.

"It's going to be a long night...I can tell," muttered Wilykat, slinking back off to bed. Shark followed a few steps behind him.

"Well, grab your stuff and get settled," said Ruka as the newcomers gathered up any dropped equipment and headed back to the artificial clearing of bent grass and bedrolls. Fuzzball stayed behind a moment and watched them go.

"At least they aren't cats," he thought philosophically before finally ambling off to rejoin the croud of players.

*********************