The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Welldrinker Cult
A shadowy group is gaining power, drawing in people who are curious, vulnerable, or malicious, and turning them into Mystics. They are recruiting people into their ranks to spread the influence of magic in the world, but for what end goal?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Sept 7, 2022 19:54:40 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
The world spun around Elizabeth in a dizzying kaleidoscope of motion and color. She missed a woman’s face with the butt of the spear and decided she was overextending herself. She was in too many minds, experiencing the melee from too many points of view.
She exhaled and whipped the spear across the woman’s face with half a second of her initial miss. The woman’s face jerked to the side. For the moment, Liz had a breather so she extracted herself from the mind’s of the multi-headed dogs. They had too many eyes and ears and she could no longer afford to properly integrate their senses into her own. If only she could possess them all and still control herself. Instead, she had to rely on simple commands and hope they chose to carry them out. Some emotional impetus didn’t hurt either.
“That’s not exactly….oh, nevermind!” Liz yelled as her boyfriend’s very questionable wording reached her human ears. She’d snort and giggle and explain what the phrase meant later. She didn’t have the mental capacity for controlling a battlefield and an etymological discussion at the same time.
There was a sickening crunch behind her and a flash of insight from Zorro saw the club returning to Hercules’s hand from somewhere near them. A spark of relief bounced between the woman and dog. They were covered.
Kinda.
Some of the people had makeshift weapons, or actual weapons. At first Liz didn’t notice, because the dogs were such excellent battering rams, their sheer size and mass enabling them to trample and bullrush just about anybody effortlessly. After the first two dozen feet or so, the crowd finally began to react.
A crowbar struck the pit bull in the side once before the arm was savaged, yanking the assailant off their feet. A woman had what looked like a heavy ring set or a pair of brass knuckles. Liz jabbed her in the stomach before whipping the spear around overhead and swinging it down in a two-handed chopping motion on another woman’s wrist to knock a gun out of her hand. Liz watched Shadow down that woman but then a gunshot rang out from the side.
Pain flooded Elizabeth for a moment before she blocked it out. It wasn’t coming from her. She whirled and she caught sight of Orphan, who started howling and favoring a leg.
“KEEP GOING!” she yelled, enforcing her words psychically, a wave of determination flowing off of her. The behemoths threw themselves forward with added vigor as Liz began feeding the rage and anger in them. Mouths started frothing, howls and roar-like growls began uttering forth.
They made it to the doors at the end of the room. It was not quite a bloodbath, but it was a carnage no less. The dogs, even Zorro, were red in tooth and claw. Elizabeth’s hands were no better. She tossed the spear aside as soon as they got into the room and shuddered. For a moment, the weight of it all was about to crack her, but she closed her eyes. Her hand reached out instinctively and Zorro stuck his head under it.
The things she’d seen, felt, and done, she’d process them later. Deal with them later. For now, they would only hurt her and limit their survivability. The shaking and shivering stopped after a few seconds and then she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. As she released it, she released her tension, her rage, her fear.
Calmness, artificial as it may be, swept from her and poured over the couple dozen caged dogs. Even the monster dogs settled. Elizabeth walked forward into the midst of them and drank in their forcibly calmed consciousnesses.
“Let’s free them,” she said clinically, already finding a ring of keys on a hook.
Posted by Hercules on Sept 17, 2022 7:04:32 GMT -6
Mystic
422
10
Jan 26, 2024 6:11:27 GMT -6
”Ha Yes! Excellent Elizabeth! This side of you! I have never seen it before! I like it!” someone broke the line and managed to get in front of him ready to attack the rear he was protecting while her back was turned but fell short when the prince of power intervened. If it wasn’t for the cage of the arena he would have sailed through to the bleachers.
The gunshot caused the giant to stir and look around. Elizabeth had no blood on her, his eyes darted to Zorro next then the other beasts that guided them. One of them was injured. An ally injured in battle. The god started to grow brighter the more he felt his anger. It wasn’t like when his eyes were red, they were his standard godly green shining brightly.
The club was sent towards the one who wielded the gun, not caring what other people got in the way. They were alone, a few against many. Hercules would not see another injured in his party. When they reached the doors Hercules pulled them shut as a few hands and chains smacked against his resilient flesh. ”None shall pass as long as I Hercules hold the doors!” he grunted slamming them shut behind him leaving them in a room full of cages and dogs.
”Now? Should we not wait till the fighting settles outside?” he could handle it. Not without leaving Elizabeth and Zorro behind and vulnerable. ”How is our new friend? I saw him limping after the gunshot!” the door he was holding with one arm was vibrating with strikes from the other side. They were trying to enter. Hercules just scoffed.
”Foolish mortals. They have no chance to best me in a test of strength! Elizabeth, are you alright? Zorro?” he asked eyeing the dog who had a new coat of red on him. Not sure whose blood it was it upset the god greatly. ”Can you control this many dogs?” he looked around for an exit knowing he could make one if needed.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Sept 17, 2022 8:21:34 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
A small part of Elizabeth was a bit worried about Hercules’s compliment. The “side of her” he was talking about was someone immersed in the minds of battlehungry attack dogs. From a coldly intellectual point, it made sense and she saw the compatibility. From an ethical viewpoint triggered by emotions that she was violently and firmly suppressing with the backwash from the psionically sedated dogs, she felt…nothing.
Other things could come later. At the moment they needed to get out of here and get all the dogs out too.
Elizabeth started unlocking cages as Hercules single handedly held off the hammering horde. “I do not believe there is time,” she said calmly, too calmly. “There’s no telling who is causing this berserker effect or how long it will last, even if the effect is undone. Emotional manipulation often carries a momentum of its own. And at any moment, the horde might figure out there are other entrances to this room. We can ill afford to be trapped in here, despite the bottlenecking possibilities.”
“Orphan was shot in the meat of his upper left foreleg,” she reported with absent ease, her telepathic link easily reading the dog even as she administered a cocktail of bliss to try to offshoot the pain. “He’ll survive. The gigantification seemed to have toughened him. A bullet isn’t as harmful to him and will likely fall out once the effect wears off.”
She opened a cage of a scarred Dalmatian and immediately moved to a Great Dane’s. “I am fine, as is Zorro. Physically, that is,” she said. She knew she’d process everything later, so now she didn’t add to the things on her mind. Waves of patiences and Zen rolled out from her, squashing the spikes of happiness, anger, and fear that erupted from each dog as she approached it and freed it. Most remained in their cages, even their curiosity squelched.
“I am already in control of all these dogs,” she said with no real change in tone. She was making swift time. She’d already gone through about a dozen cages, only another couple dozen left. “How long can you keep covering the doors?”
Posted by Hercules on Sept 21, 2022 5:17:34 GMT -6
Mystic
422
10
Jan 26, 2024 6:11:27 GMT -6
The son of Zues frowned as she answered her questions. He had spent enough time with Elizabeth to know she had more to say about everything she responded with. It was one of the things he liked about her. Meaning she was busy assessing everything else. ”Good! I rather like Orphan!”
”May the furies wreak havoc on whoever caused this!” the ancient Greek cursed as he held one hand on the doors. He could move elsewhere but knew what would happen if he did that. The enemy would overwhelm them and by them the mortals he was so enthralled with. No harm would come to them. He would not allow it.
”I can send club to one of the other entrances, it would stall them only for a moment unless I am there to wield it.” it was one of the flaws with his weapon. Hercules had to wield it to be most effective. In this situation it wasn’t ideal. Especially because he wished not to harm the attacking mortals more than he did already. Their bloodlust was supernatural.
”These doors shall stand the test of time. You are forgetting I shouldered the weight of Atlas’s curse before. This is nothing to me! However, I can’t be in two places at once!” the god roared leaning forward. He was tapping into his godly might to prevent the doors from budging, if he didn’t the numbers would have had this day.
That was when the idea hit him. ”Club!” Hercules started to glow, ”What if we make our own door? As much as I hate running from a fight I also know that there are others that need our help more!” he was referring to their new furry friends.
Without a cue, he threw the club one handed to an outside wall.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Sept 22, 2022 16:44:33 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
The world began to narrow for Elizabeth as she summarily broke down all possible outcomes. She ignored perfect worlds and druthers, sticking to only that which was real and practical in the uncertain time they had left.
“Then save your club as a last resort,” she said decisively. She unlocked another two cages, the motions swift and easier with each one. Liz was starting to distance herself. She allowed the calmness to soak through her psyche, but she did not allow it to dull the importance of speed. Instead, she used it to slowly overtake anything else she might feel. Shame. Guilt. Horror. Fear. Compassion.
If there was a last resort, it would be brutal and bloody, but she would survive it. That much she was confident about. The repercussions and fallout would be a problem for her future self and for now, would only hinder her survival. So she locked that soft, squishy part of herself away, like one of the cages she was now unlocking.
As she made her way to the last six cages, Hercules broke through her tunnel vision. A vulpine smile stretched across the psychic’s face. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” she said. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand!”
With the last cage unlocked, Liz stepped back and shut her eyes. She began streaming thoughts and ideas and images to everything. Images of her, ideas of protection, of safety. Stay with the pack. Stay with each other. Follow her. Obey her. Food. Love. Happiness. Safety. Warmth. Follow. Listen. The pack.
As the club burst through the wall, the dogs began pouring out of their cages.
Posted by Hercules on Sept 26, 2022 5:19:12 GMT -6
Mystic
422
10
Jan 26, 2024 6:11:27 GMT -6
”Yes my four legged friends! Flee!” the god roared as his club was called back to his hand opening up more of the wall where there was already a now sizable hole. A few of the dogs didn't’ need to be told twice and with them possibly being coaxed by Elizabeth the god had no worries about any of them wanting to stay in such poor living conditions.
”Go and find your forever homes! For this is no place for man’s best friends!” the club smacked into his hand and then flew off into the opposite direction as a door swung open. “Get them!” someone shouted only to be smacked by the club and sent back into the hallway. ”Such insolence!” the club flew back from the hallway it once flew and smacked back into his hand while the god held the other door shut,
”Elizabeth! Now is the time to escape! Leave no dog behind!” Hercules called out as he threw the club back into the hallway again as someone decided to poke their head out into the room they were occupying.
”Your opponent is I Hercules!” the prince of power looked over to Elizabeth and made sure she was in a suitable position for escape with the other animals. He’d be fine. It was her and the dogs the god was worried about. They were all so... fragile.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Sept 26, 2022 6:59:53 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
The hole in the wall wasn’t the largest thing in the world, but it certainly worked, assuming they had time to let each dog climb three feet up the wall and then walk through it. They certainly didn’t have time. “Orion, Othelo! Wall!” she said, her words and ideas echoing in their thoughts as well. The multi-headed bear-sized beasts unleashed guttural barks she could feel in her bones and then they charged forth, smashing through the rest of the wall around the hole, leaving a massive opening even Hercules could walk through without ducking.
“Good boys,” she said, automatically sending out a pulse of joy to them for obeying her. She nearly regretted it because as the words left her mouth, dust from the debris filled it. She coughed and switched to telepathy. <<Guard! Stay! Guide!>> she thought as a new door was opened in the room.
<<Time to go!>> she said and she unleashed the dogs of war.
Three dozen fighting dogs streamed past Elizabeth and out the hole she’d widened, filling the alleyway behind the building. She was fast on their heels, Zorro and Shadow flanking her. Orphan limped out.
She turned back to Hercules, her wild mane of dark blonde hair whirling around her face. “We’re all clear! Let’s go!” she shouted. Then she pulled herself onto the wolf-dog’s massive back. <<Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!>> she said as the dog launched into a retreat, the pack of psionically pumped dogs following suit.
Posted by Hercules on Sept 28, 2022 6:31:48 GMT -6
Mystic
422
10
Jan 26, 2024 6:11:27 GMT -6
Running was for cowards, and very few would call the son of Zeus a coward. Even if he knew it was now a rescue mission it still didn’t sit right with the god running from a battle. A chance to prove himself. Alas, it was time he left this cursed building and these cursed mortals. To house and force others to fight... this was no Colosseum. There was no honor to be had here. Just senseless anger. Foolish mortals. He pitied them.
>>>> “We’re all clear! Let’s go!”
The ancient diety looked over and smirked with wonder as Elizabeth, his favorite non-master mortal of the era hopped onto the back of one of the enchanted beasts. Surprised by the way she climbed onto the back of it Hercules wondered what Elizabeth’s lineage was. It reminded him of the Amazonian warriors who rode the animals of the forest into battle. ”Good! I shall remind them not to follow!” Hercules roared with pride.
Throwing his weapon again back towards the doorway across the room this time slightly higher than the door. The impact created debris and rubble. Enough to be an inconvenience to anyone who would try to pursue them. With one way more limited his glow became stronger. ”Club!”
‘Crack!’
His weapon snapped back to his hand again this time with more purpose. The sound alone made it clear anyone other than Hercules wielding the weapon would be far to weak to stand the impact. With Elizabeth and the dogs gone Hercules stepped away from the metal cladded doors.
Furious and bloodthirsty the enchanted men and women flooded into the room swinging at everyone in the way. Hercules glowed brighter, a dense green glow filled the room. ”You shall not harm them today or any day! You my word! If I should gaze upon the horrors of this fighting ring or one like it again you shall see no mercy from me!” someone jumped him. They found themselves thrown across the room into one of the cages. ”Such impudence.”
A few moments passed and Hercules emerged through the hole in the wall he and the dogs have created, however the ceiling above him collapsed as he exited his club was now sailing through the roof caving it inwards and blocking his exit further. Still glowing Hercules turned to the building to make sure none had followed him.
”Any more injured?” he asked after landing next to Elizabeth with an impressive leap.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Sept 29, 2022 10:27:26 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
It was a strange parade they formed as the massive dog pack spilled out onto a street. Liz blinked around her as the dogs momentarily halted traffic. She found some street posts giving her street names, but she realized she didn’t actually know where she was.
<<Keep going,>> she thought to the dogs, directing them out of traffic and onto the sidewalks. It wasn’t perfect and many dogs still played advanced Frogger, but it was the best she could do. Instead, pedestrians screamed or flung themselves to the sides of the sidewalk as the dog pack, led by the hulking beasts grown by Gary, led the way. The sight of the blonde woman astride one of them didn’t seem to ease their minds much.
By the time Hercules had joined them, his powerful leaps able to catch up to the running dogs far quicker than any baseline human, Liz had her phone out and was finding directions to the nearest police precinct. “No, I think everyone is relatively fine,” Liz said briskly, “Physically speaking, that is. Mentally, it will take quite some time for them to heal.”
Othello the wolf-dog clambered up and over a parked car to avoid a lady with a baby stroller. “We need to report that place to the police,” she said, raising her voice to ensure she was easily heard. “That mutant is exceedingly dangerous. But first we need to ensure we outrun any pursuit - we can find a safe place for the dogs after we talk to the police.”
”These poor creatures.” Hercules said agreeing with what Elizabeth had said. It would take time. It might even be difficult for them to trust another mortal again. Tears started to well up in the god’s eyes as he recalled a few of the cages and how small they were given the size of most of the dogs. ”I wonder if William will allow me to house them until we can find them all a home?” his massive hand patted Zorro on the head.
The sound of the car being walked on brought his attention over to the massive wolf-dog with three heads. ”I doubt others are equipped to care for such a magnificent beast.” they were larger and stronger than other household pets. Hercules just wanted to protect them after they had suffered so.
”I agree. Though they’d be foolish to follow us. My patience has run out for the day and I don’t think they would incur my wrath further.” even gods could grow weary. It was an emotional day.
”Excuse us ma’am!” Hercules called out to the woman with the stroller and turned back to Elizabeth, ”And how are you fairing?” his hand reached up and touched her hand. Even on the massive beast he could still reach her. ”You must be feeling a lot right now as well.” his eyes watered more eyeing a few of the starved animals walking in their now massive pack.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Oct 8, 2022 7:37:29 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
The canine horde was swarming over, around, and through everything, but other than the three goliath-sized dogs, they easily circumvented obstacles. Most people caught in the way had the common sense to flatten themselves against buildings or the edges of curbs, although some got caught in the midst of the swarm or ran away screaming. It couldn’t be helped. On the bright side, Liz kept them together and moving quickly.
“No, that’s not a good idea,” Liz said sternly. “These dogs have been through a lot of trauma. They need people trained to help them, to understand them. They’d tear Will apart.” She’d seen that kind of thing before, and read so many stories. “These dogs are trained and pushed to kill - they are dangerous. We need to get them to the authorities. If it wasn’t for my powers keeping them in check, I never would’ve suggested we free them.”
Liz felt exhausted. The day had been so long already. Her body felt fine, but her mind was feeling stretched to the max. She was starting to feel emotionally drained, from the sheer effort of continuously bombarding so many animals with specific and artificial thoughts and feelings. “I am feeling very little right now,” Liz said, turning just a bit around in her place on top of Othelo’s back. ”‘I’ll sort through everything later once we know where the dogs are going.”
This wasn’t the time to process her own feelings. Clinical detachment was setting in, the scientist’s brain kicking into gear. It was nothing personal, fairly objective, simply looking for the means to the end. It also knew that letting herself dwell on things would destroy the control she4 had over the dogs and potentially lead to disaster.
There was visible disappointment on the ancient Greek's face when she said it wasn’t a good idea. ”Ah... I suppose your right.” Hercules said patting the dog that Elizabeth was riding next. Hercules often forgot how fragile mortals were and his job first and foremost was protecting William.
”Truely inspiring, your powers!” he added after clearing his throat. It was sad to think of leaving them back in the cages but it was this or that with the murderous crowd of people in the building. Something the god should take care of. However, Elizabeth and Zorro were too important to him to abandon them. Not to mention the pack of angry and scared dogs to consider...
”Is there not an animal shelter in the city?” Hercules asked before stepping in front of a car that wasn’t paying attention. The bumper hit his leg and the god pressed down lifting the back end up of the vehicle in the process. The dogs continued to move to an unknown location guided by the blonde he was very fond of.
”Is there anything I can do to ease this burden you are carrying?” he asked before turning to silence.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Oct 17, 2022 6:31:59 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
In the state that she was in, a small part of Elizabeth saw the disappointment in Hercules as she explained why the dogs wouldn’t make good pets, but that part of her was quickly relegated to a dusty shelf somewhere. It wasn’t serious compared to everything else that was going on, so it could be processed later.
Likewise, Hercules’s compliments didn’t warrant brainpower to address. She refreshed the minds of the dogs with sights and scent-memories of the next turn they had to make. “We’re not far now,” she said for Hercules’s benefit.
The question he posed to her did warrant a response. “There are several,” she said. “They’re all overloaded as it is. Can’t just dump thirty-something dogs on any one of them. Have to split them up across several. Gotta get to the authorities first - they can help with that and also shut down the fighting ring.”
Elizabeth was falling back into reflex. Problem and solution. Her last boyfriend was a cop. He was how she’d started working with police dogs and training them. She knew something about the legalities around this kind of situation, as well as the resources that could be brought to bear.
“There’s nothing you can do right n--oh,” Liz cut off. Something was up. A muscle rolled under her leg and Liz focused on Othello’s mind. She frowned but soon picked up similar things in Orphan and Orion. “The growth effects are wearing off,”she said.
Over the next minute, the three dogs began shrinking down, all their extra mass and appendages melting back into their bodies. Liz nearly threw herself off Othello before he became too small to bear her weight, which left her running with a pack of dogs and Hercules. It was a good thing she had a daily running regimine.
There were more questions and more thoughts that came to mind for the ancient deity as they strolled across the sidewalks, streets and alleyways trying to get to the first of the shelters. It was a good thing there was so many for they had a lot of dogs.
Finally Hercules responded after Elizabeth filled him in on the status on the shelters. ”That is horrible,” Hercules said looking at all the dogs. They should be able to stick together but Hercules knew not the ways of man’s best friend like Elizabeth nor the shelters that housed them. It just seemed that shelters of any kind shouldn’t always be full. It just meant there was a more of a problem. Mortals it seemed always needed his help.
>>>“There’s nothing you can do right n--oh,” “The growth effects are wearing off,”
”So they are.” that was good other than he there would be few willing to house a three headed dog. Shame. Hercules felt nostalgic around the three headed beasts. ”And that isn’t true.” said offering to help Elizabeth off of her once large mount. ”Shall I carry you? You are dealing with a lot.” there was always something the god could do.
Posted by Liz Sundance on Oct 20, 2022 7:51:55 GMT -6
X-Men
Metazoa
Chartreuse
Straight
949
9
Apr 12, 2024 15:17:35 GMT -6
Zek
It was definitely a lot. Three dozen dogs were bound to her will. She was no longer pumping images and tricky conditioning into their minds. They didn’t really need it and Liz was getting too frazzled for that. Instead she just kept broadcasting a sense of urgency and “follow follow follow!”, relying on typical dog psychology to do the rest of the work.
And the dogs were getting tired too. Canines were famed as long distance, persistence runners, an aspect that made them excellent partners for early human hunters. Liz hadn’t been thinking about long distances when she initiated the exodus though. She wanted them away from the angry horde and the dogfighting ring as quickly as possible. She had also been riding a massive, superstrong dog that wasn’t tiring nearly as quickly. Now that she was on foot, it was just one more thing.
“That…would be…lovely,” she said stiltedly. So many things were going on. She allowed Hercules to pick her up, taking advantage of his seemingly endless strength and endurance. “I think we can start slowing down now,” she told him. “Just as long as we keep moving. I don’t think they're going to catch us now. I think the worst is over.”