-Area 57-

[Jay]

It clanked against Kiana, not harming her, but the blow knocked her to the ground. "Bears?! There are undead gifteds, military people, and whatever else, and we have to deal with freaking bears?! Well, this one has pemission to KISS....MY....ASS." she shouted threateningly.

[fugama]

Drakaron grabs her and merges them both into shadows. He then moves under the bear and launches her apart from the shadow, the force again increasing her velocity.

[Sparrow]

Jack glances around the tree tops... He could make a lair here. Quickly too. Over about an hour he sets up a series of levels and web tunnels in the tree tops. Hidden up high in the canopy. He sets up a standard web underneath his new lair half way up the trees and about two feet off the ground. It is not connected to the lair. The ground web is several yards away from the lair.
Bits of dew sparkle as they gather on the webs. Revealing them more openly.
Jack, now tired from the work, retreats to a Lair tunnel to rest.

[Doom]

The skies outside were beginning to darken. This meant a blizzard of great proportions was about to begin. The snow came fast, and fell in a blinding veil. "It's getting hard to see. We may have to go on foot. The van can't drive very well on the outskirts of the forest, and we'll hit a dead end if we drive too far." The engine heaved and whined, barely getting the van through the drifts. Freddy, even if he couldn't see well in this blinding snow, could clearly make out some form of netting in front of them. "Um, Steven. We should probably..." He was interrupted when the van was stopped cold. The tires squealed and the engine groaned, but the netting wouldn't break. "Alright, we'll just back up. We'll be fine." He threw the van in reverse and slammed the gas petal. However, the van only backed up a few feet, then was stuck again. "What the..." Steven was puzzled, but Freddy could clearly tell the structure of the netting that it wasn't rope. "Uh, Steven. We really, really gotta get out of here! Now!" Steven yelled, almost audible over the roaring engine, saying, "Why? You afraid of someone?" The engine was erupting and sputtering, a host of booming noises scattered every which way.

[Sparrow]

The sudden rev of an engine and the yank of trigger lines jarred Jake awake. He got up and crawled to an exit in the web tunnel. Snow was nearly blinding, and was beginning to weigh heavy on the web. He peered down the the trapped vehicle in slight puzzlement. A van, in Alaska wilderness? An odd catch indeed. Knowing he could get seriously injured by nearing the van, he stays put. However he sprays a jet of webbing that spreads over the back of the van, sticking to nearby trees. The better the trap, the better the chances he'd get something out of it.

[Doom]

Freddy sees this jet of silken web shoot from the tree tops, and now the back tires are stuck, no longer moving at all. "S-s-s-Steve, what was that?" Steven halted the gas, knowing it was a useless tactic. He had seen the jet spray as well, and quietly said, "Kid, you ever killed a spider before?" Freddy cringed, saying, "Y-y-y-you can't mean..." Steven nodded, saying, "Well, the advantage humans have over regular spiders is size. They're about a hundredth-thousandth our size. This is different. Now, the spider gets a fair fight." Freddy yelped, and curled up in his seat. Steven reached for the button labeled "Heat Sensors." A screen that resembled radar replaced the GPS, and a pulse emanated from the center. "A mass about three times the size of a human. Just wonderful." He looked up at the treetops. "A good hunter has patience. Let's see if you can out wait me. Your move." He whispered to himself.

[Sparrow]

Jack senses something in the air, but can't discern what it is. He watches the van through the snow, remaining still as can be and wondering how long it would be before the vehicle's windows were left snow blind. He keeps as silent as he does still, let the waiting game begin.

[Doom]

"C-c-c-can't we just shoot it?" Freddy asked.
"No. Too agile. Spiders have almost precognitive abilities. We couldn't hit this one if we tried." Steven thought for a moment, knowing that the windows would be opaque with snow in short time. "I do have one idea, though." Steven pressed another button, and he pulled the speaker wired to the dashboard off its hook. He pressed in the button, and yelled into it, saying, "Are you hungry, Fangs?" A set of Amps sent off a shock wave of sound.

[Sparrow]

The web shakes from the burst of sound, causing an avalanche of snow to fall behind the vehicle. Jack jumps in surprise and nearly falls off the web. Luckily he catches on with one of his spider legs and pulls himself back up. He glares down at the amps causing the pain in his ears. The pressure wave had affected his spider senses, enraging him. He balls up a wad of snow and pitches it at one of the amps.

[Doom]

A red light flashed on the dashboard, indicating serious damage to the vehicle. "Well, the sound may be off, but, that blast should have done more than enough." Steven looked over at the heat scanner, and touches the screen. The scanner disappears, and a list of weapons appears on screen, and Steven selects Minigun. A mechanical whirring can be heard, and the screen shows a loading process. Then it displays the message, "Error. Optical targeting systems unusable. Activate manual targeting camera? >Yes >No." With a grunt of frustration, Steven selects Yes. The screen displays a live view of the storm from the vehicles roof, with a targeting reticule at the center of the screen. "Can't see what I'm shooting at, but I'm still gonna shoot!" a joystick meant for aiming the minigun rises from where the shift stick was located. Steven holds down the trigger and madly sweeps across the treetops, bullets flying.

[Sparrow]

The bullets first shot a row through a web tunnel to his right. It was quickly coming for him. In panic he leaps off the web a bullet nicks him in the right side of his hip. A few drops of dark crimson blood land on the windshield, forming a row showing the direction he went. He lands on a tree on Freddy's side of the van. He clings to the tree for a moment before clawing behind it to use the trunk as a shield. Two legs go up the trunk and two go down, to better protect them from the fire of bullets.

[Doom]

Freddy shrieks in utter horror, and goes back to his fetal position. "So, you can still run?" Steven aimed at the trees to the right of the van and let loose, unsure what he was shooting for. He didn't care, though, for a steady bullet stream could rip through a trunk, even these hearty Alaskan pines.

[Sparrow]

As soon as a bullet tears through the trunk and strikes his left arm Jack instinctively lets go. A drift of snow soften his landing. He remains still, to see it he'd have to dodge again, or is this was a safe spot. Just then an idea strikes him. What was he doing? He'd tricked people before, making them think he was harmless. He'd rather not give his position away with a false cry for help, at least not yet. He keeps low to the ground, almost hidden entirely by the drift.

[Doom]

Steven ceased firing for a moment, unsure what had happened. He had barely made out Jack falling to the snow and dropping, so he assumed Jack was dead. But, did he dare exit? Was Jack trying to ambush him? "Spiders have the most cunning minds of any predator. Always playing dead. Yet, I don't believe I can get a straight shot at you in the snow, Fangs." He shook Freddy, trying to calm him down. "It's alright! Stop your crying." Freddy sniffled a bit, then sat up, saying, "Sorry about, sniff, that."
"Just stay cool. Your gonna be just fine with me." Steven reassured him. He took the speaker off its hook once more, and, the amps far too quiet to injure ears, but still loud enough to hear through the wind, said, "Alright, Fangs, I have a deal to make with you. Let us go freely, and I'll give you a free meal. However, I can easily out wait you. You will freeze to death if you remain in the snow, and you will die by bullets if you attempt to attack us. Hear me out." He pushed a button under the jockey box, and another list appeared on screen. Rather than weapons, it strangely listed assorted baits. He selected "Ham," and another list appeared, asking, "What size of bait? >Wolverine >Cougar >Lion >Bear." He selected bear, and a sound like a cannon sounded in behind the truck. A large, netted, collection of pork shot into the snow. Steven picked up the speaker again, and said, "You have my word, if I have yours."

[Jay]

Kiana's eyes widened as she was made into a mere projectile. She was going to have the world's biggest cow at him. For now, Kiana shifted her hands slowly, tiny spikes appearing. Suddenly, her mind went blank. This was simply a mother. She shifted to change direction, kicking off of the tree and grabbing the cub.