There was something about doing his own work that made this sort of thing far more interesting. In the past his nodes did his work for him, and he instantly was aware of what they were but now that he had none of them left he had to do his own work.

Often times he had been under the guise of an illusion as part of the flight crew at this end unloading bags from the plane.

It was during this moment that he had taken stock of the new students, delving into their memories and histories was a simple matter for him and he hot the heads up on what students he was likely to spend a little more time with if any. He was picky at times when it came to those qualities that he liked, he did not always go for the virgins or those that possessed looks but often went for the smart ones, athletic ones or those that had could immortalize him in some fashion. Even here he had still clung onto that vanity and loved being appreciated.

As a result he had often passed up on the virgins so that they were indoctrined on the island, saw the horrors here, experienced them and he would not seem so bad in comparison. That was not always the case though. Some times he delighted in doing so himself, training the girls for their new life on the island.

Generally he followed his agreements, save for once here at the island …

So when he scanned Juniper's mind he had been mildly interested. Oh, he knew that she had the personality that would get her into trouble. Still, she was a journalist by nature, wanting to get to the truth and he pondered whether or not to make a bargain with her, to give her a little information at a time but should he let her blunder around for a bit until she experienced some of the horrors herself?

That was probably best, she would accept his presence easier that way. She could be one of the lucky ones, she might not draw any attention to herself … doubtful, very doubtful. She'd be found sneaking around or get nabbed doing something foolhardy, that was obvious.

Now, seeing that he was ancient he did look to the distant future and making certain students slaves when the time was right. Some times he knew that he had to approach a student, make her one of the lucky few so that this was possible … he was currently involved in two grooming projects so he was not looking to take on a third though he did like the aspect of being written about even if no one was going to read it, the writer was still thinking of him, trying to immoralize him and that was what initially drew him back to the dorms first a few days after “meeting” Juniper, that gave her a little time to pick up on what was going on her, how things didn't sit right.

But she wasn't in her room so since he was here already he made a few nightly visits to his favorites, just a few and returned but she was still gone. So, she was already off somewhere getting into trouble. So he was heading back to the forests, cloaked in the illusion of the blue haired girl Cindy. It was getting late and he knew that all manner of things came out at night though he hit upon her brainwaves … she was near the classrooms, late class? Or was she poking around things best left undisturbed?

Juniper had had enough. She'd known something bad was happening on this idyllic tropical island for days now. There were hints of a cover-up all over, but she couldn't pin down what exactly it was being hidden. For a time, she'd been content to coax the truth out of hiding slowly, to establish a little cheap trust and sympathy with those effected, and then use their stories as a launching off point. But not after this morning.

-- -- --

She'd gone to the dorm showers early today, hoping she could beat out the morning rush and maybe have a shower devoid of hairy clumps sticking to the drains, but despite the hour she could hear the rush of falling water in one of the stalls. She'd sighed a bit, a private moment would've been nice, but sharing with one other person wouldn't be that bad. As she passed the stall though, she could hear a soft whimpering, and the harsh sound of a scouring brush being vigorously run over skin. She paused outside the stall, trying to make out what the other girl was saying, but the words wouldn't form over the sound of water splashing and running over her body. She glanced down a bit and blinked, there were no suds in the water circling the drain, but she could see a faint pink hue in the water.

"Hey, are you okay in there?!" she asked, pulling the curtain slightly to one side. She saw the curvy figure of a fellow student, her long blonde hair matted to body under all the water. Her skin was raw and pink from the harsh scrubbing, and in places the stiff bristles had broken through leaving diluted rivulets of blood running over her contours down to the drain below.

"It won't come out..." she could hear it mumbled lowly, absently, even as the girl continued to scrub "...it's in my skin..." she kept going, staring blankly ahead. Juniper winced as she watched more red blossom on the girl's breast as she scrubbed.

"Hey, whoa!" Juniper exclaimed, jumping forward and grabbing hold of her arms. The other girl didn't fight her off at all, just turned her head to regard her with eyes that were focused miles beyond the washroom. She continued her mutterings "It's in me . . . behind my eyes . . . I can feel it crawling. . ." her grip tightened on the brush, but Juniper held her fast.

"Listen, you're going to be okay," she said carefully, the girl was plainly out of her head, some student probably pushing bad narcotics, "We'll get you down to the infirmary, and they'll get you fixed up..."

"NO!" whoa! In a rush the other girl's strength came back and she started fighting back roughly. Juniper grit her teeth, the towel she'd had wrapped around her body falling loose as the two of them wrestled. The blonde tried to shift her footing and she slipped on the wet tile, the two of them fell crashing to the floor where they wrestled for a while.

"Okay, OKAY!" Juniper called out, pinning the other girl's arms to the floor after she'd caught an elbow to the eye, "Not the infirmary!" she winced as the other girl's knee dug into her side, "We'll just get you bundled up and back to your dorm! Everything will look better in the morning!" she said, a bit fervently. Slowly the girl's struggled slowed as she looked up at the new student, the water falling off of her shoulders.

"Yes...sleep would be good..." she'd said, almost robotically. Juniper helped her back to her feet with a cross expression on her face, and the two of them made their way down the dark hallway trailing damp footprints behind them. When she'd knocked on the door that the dazed woman indicated, the room mate who answered gave a tired but pitying look to the two of them before silently ushering the blonde in.

Juniper had stood there in the hallway, half naked and dripped for a few minutes, quietly simmering at what she'd just seen. There was no way she could just stand back and let...whatever keep happening unopposed any longer. Whatever it was, the girl had been afraid of the infirmary, there was certain to be some answers held within. Given the desperation with which her floor mate had fought to avoid it though, it was clear she didn't want to run afoul of the nurse though.

-- -- --

Now it was after lights out and the halls of the University were dark and eerily quiet. Juniper had waited until her room mate was quietly dozing before she'd thrown the covers off and climbed to her feet. She knew curfew was in effect, and if she was caught roaming the halls detention would probably be the least of her worries, but she'd had an idea during class. Dressed in her light PE clothes, she'd crept out of the dorm and to the nearest janitor's closet, using a stiff plastic gift card to jimmy the lock. Sure enough, hanging on the door hook was a pair of plain gray coveralls and a canvas cap, A student might raise an eyebrow, but a custodian who'd accidentally locked their keys in the Infirmary? She smirked a bit to herself, she might lack an ID badge, but she could feel her chances improve.

She tucked her camera into an inside pocket before she'd zipped up the coveralls. The nurse's ledger would be lost if it went missing, but she could snap pictures of each page and then take time to examine each page later on her computer. If nothing else, she figured she could get a firm idea of who the victims of the school's secret was, and she could start planning her next step after that.

Still, the Shokushu grounds were hardly small. She'd decided against carrying a light with her, but that meant that she had to pick her steps much more carefully, sticking mostly to the exterior walls of the building so she could use the moonlight outside to find her way. She craned her ears for the sound of people wandering the halls, swallowing a lump in her throat as a circle of a flashlight passed briefly against the wall at an intersection up ahead, though the person carrying it turned away. At her pace, the minutes dragged on, coming close to an hour before she finally saw the infirmary door in front of her.

She crouched down next to it, tipping the bill of her hat down to hide her face if anyone should chance upon her. As she suspected, this lock was considerably sturdier than the one on the janitor's closet, no one wanted students running off with medical supplies after all. Juniper pulled the paperclip she'd painstakingly bent into the shape of an improvised pick from under the rim of her cap and inserted it gently, lightly rattling the lock as she tried to get a feel for the tumblers.

It had been Juniper's first experience with something so birazze, something so unnerving here on the island that drove her on. The scene still sharp in her mind as she heard the splattering water and witnessed the pinkish hue of the water that had been diluted with the girl's blood as she scrubbed and scrubbed.

It was creepy, the though of something squirming through your skin, something like that had to be psycological in nature right? The girl needed help, that was for certain though Juniper had to wonder why the girl fought so vehemently to avoid the infirmy. Sitting and waiting wasn't getting her results though and she had enough of the waiting game.

Hungry for answers she put her plan into motion, though if she knew the truth, really knew it then she would have been aware of the inheriant flaws in it.

Being away from her dorm tonight might have saved her from one visitor for the time being at least though now she was taking a bigger gamble that something else would find her, and something would of course.

Hideen cameras were abound and she was picked up sneaking into the building, luck had been on her side for the moment at least for the person normally manning the monitors had a call of nature and thus she was able to sneak around with a few close calls as she heard others motioning down halls or saw the close beams of a flashlight.

Her nerves had been shot though with careful steps she made it to the sealed door that lead into the infirmary. She could already smell the disinfectant that had been used to clean the halls beyond, a mid aroma that waifed up to her nostils as it crept up to her from beneath the door.

She cursed herself now for not bringing a light source for she could not see what she was doing as she got out the reshaped paper clip, totally unaware that her mind was being sensed about then or that the same something was monitoring her mind.

Yes, trouble ...

“Gus is stilll on the can, I can't ask him yet but it was definitely Chicago, he'd back me up on this.”

“I don't know about that ...” a second voice retorted as she could see lights flash upon the walls at the end of the hall. The voices were male, both 30 ish from what she could tell. She had to hurry or hide.

Shit!

Almost …

The voices grew louder and she could hear foot steps.

Then, click! The stubborn door unlcocked, just in time too as the guards made it to the end of their corridor and soon would have turne in her direction only that she was not there any longer …

C'mon... she thought as she fumbled around with the lock, the hairs on the back of her neck raising as she worked. Come on! she urged silently as she felt a tumbler come loose from where she'd shifted it. This was taking longer than she'd expected, and she was distinctly aware that she was on the clock.

Shit! she grit her teeth as she heard the low murmur of voices approaching. Her heart bumped hard in her chest as it became apparent that they were heading her way. She took a quick glance around, there was a potted plant but it'd never hide her. She looked up at the window at the end of the hall. She considered that she could hang from the windowsill until they moved by...but what if they dallied? Or, worse yet, noticed the open window? That'd be a nasty fall, her best chance was the lock.

FuckfuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK her thoughts scrambled in panic, but her instincts stayed true. She held her breath and tried to keep her hands steady even as the adrenaline started pumping. YES! finally she was rewarded for her perseverance with the soft click of the lock moving loosely in it's housing. Glancing at the corner, she saw the lead foot of one of the men coming before she rolled through the door. Swiftly, but quietly, she closed the door behind her and turned the lock once again. The click echoed in her ears, but she hoped that the two guards were too caught up in their conversation to notice.

Still, there was no sense in sticking around by the door. Still on hands and knees, she looked around the dark room for a place to hide until the men moved on. She caught a glimpse of a supply closet but discounted it, too far away and if it was locked she'd never get it open fast enough. A thin white curtain divided the patient area from the receiving area, but she discounted that as well, if they turned on the lights her silhouette would be apparent behind the curtain, and she couldn't be certain there was no one using the beds. Swallowing, that left only the nurse's desk. She quickly scampered under the desktop, pushing herself as far back from the edge as possible and curling into a ball as she pulled the chair back into place behind her.

Just keep on going she pleaded wordlessly, struggling to keep her breathing shallow as she clenched her eyes closed. Don't check inside, just continue your patrol. Nothing to see here, honest.

Her heart beat in her ears, the dull throb of blood pumping through her veins throbbed in her ears as those men strolled along. Each foot fall getting louder until the pair was just outside the door. She had not been able to discern what they were saying though breathing became hard and labored as the smells of disenfectants irritated her throat, or was it the fact that she was so unedge that breathing came tougher.

Then the door knob twisted to her horror someone was trying to obtain admittance to the rooom! Her heart pounded in her chest though she soon realized that the guards were just checking the dooor to see if it were locked, and it was a good thing she locked it behind her for that meant the fiffrence between the guards just cpntinue on with their rounds or investigating furher and possible discovering her there beneath the old oak desk.

All was still save for the beating of her heart in her ears and the tick of the clock hanging on the wall. It was quarter past eleven. It was late as far as curfiew went though it wasn't too late.

Crawling out from the desk she was left to wonder what happened to all the people? The nurses. The patience. Why was there none here after all that she was aware of and why then was the door locked against intrusion. Or was it just to protect their supplies?

She supposed that most evyone was in the dorms and there was little need for the infirmary but whatif someone was up late and got hurt? Things did not make mush sense.

Neara nurses station though she found three colored lines on the wall, greeen, red and blue eaach give a spefic color, if followed the lead certain olaces/

Green was laundry, blue was storage and red lead to the pharmacy. The stripped bands on the wall certainly made it easier to find where one was going by following the line to completion. Near where she was had been a nurse's office and a few rooms along with an examination room and waiting area. Students probably didn't see too much beyond this initial point though and it was up to here where she was going to start. It was dark though she could see those lines on the wall well enough, now she had a decision to make.

Juniper more climbed to her feet rather than stood up, leaning on the chair as she took a deep breath of the thin air that pervaded the infirmary. She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the deep bass pounding of her heart against her ribs. The faintest trace of a smile graced her lips, she'd been half convinced it was going to pound it's way clear out of her chest and start jumping around the room when the guards had tested the door.

"Heh, that was a little too close." she muttered as her eyes started adjusting to the lighting of the room, mentally adding , But what a rush!

She stood in place for a few moments, trying to sort out the state of operations, and at first it didn't make a lot of sense to her. Back in Bristol she'd been in her fair share of hospitals, lots of newsworthy things happened there and there were enough outsiders roaming the halls that it was the ideal sort of place for her to practice her sneaking about. Of course, that was the problem, she realized knocking the heel of her palm up against her forehead. This wasn't a major metropolitan hospital, after all, it was an infirmary for an island with a population of a few hundred. The nurse was probably on call, should anything happen, but with the curfew the grounds were basically locked down until morning, meaning that something really out there would have to happen for them to need this room before morning.

Enough dallying, time to get back on the case, she admonished herself. Sure, she'd ducked the guards once, but it wasn't as though they wouldn't be back. She wanted to be finished and on her way back to her dorm before they came around again. Her eyes lingered on the colored lines on the wall for a few moments. The pharmacy was no good, she didn't know near enough about medicine to make heads of tails of whatever she found there. The laundry was a laughably long shot, she sincerely doubted that she'd find a bunch of school uniforms in a pile covered in incriminating evidence. Storage...well...the other girl had been afraid of something, she supposed she might find out what it was by perusing the shelves. What she really needed though, was a paper trail, something she could use to start putting names to the conspirators and begin identifying victims.

That meant the nurse's office. She licked her lips to try and put some moisture back on them and swallowed her dry throat, not for the first time. Whoever was in charge here was either pathologically afraid of contamination, or had some kind of thing for the smell of iodoform. Hospitals hadn't smelled like this since she was a kid, and never this strongly. She was half surprised anyone could get any kind of work done here without going dizzy from the fumes. She pulled off her canvas cap and pressed it over her mouth, breathing through the thick cloth as she tested the doorknob to the office.

She had taken a moment to consider her options here, the colored markers on the wall and their desinations had all been well and good but what could she hope to find there? Her heart pounded in her ears, the thrill and fright of nearly getting caught washed over her though she looked around and got her barings. The markings on the wall indicated that getting to these places had been tricky she guessed, why else the need for them if they were close by? If this were a small office like she had assumed then why the need for this sort of map that you would clearly find in a larger hospital and not just a schhol infirmary.

But the destinations had not been of much use to Juniper. She needed evidence she could make sense of and thus settled on the nurse's office. If there was anything to be found it was probably going to be there so she made her way to the door, horid smell in the air, her hand reaching out to the door knob but something felt off …

She could not explain it, not at first and probably never would as she turned the door knob handle slowly. This amounted a bit of surprise as she felt that the door would have been locked though it wasn't. Odd … she half expected it to be locked. Still she popped it opened a little for there was no light streaming out from under the door, no indication that it was occupied though to her horror it was!

There was a woman there, the light was bad of course seeing how there was none on but she was probably curvy, dressed in a nurses uniform rather than plain clothes. She was standing before a mirror gazing at herself, her face reflected in the surface of the mirror and for a moment, just a moment it appeared that her face was devoid of skin! Dark, blood smeared perhaps. Certainly a trick of the light, certainly! And then a moment later she had confirmed this as the nurses face seemed to smooth out and appear as a face should while cast in these deep shadows.

Oh God, she was turning! It was all she could do to get the door closed and hope it had not been seen or heard closing though now with even strides the nurse was making her way towards the door now.

Juniper's breath caught in her throat with a soft gasp as she caught sight of a white nurse's uniform inside the darkness of the room, the cloth held firmly over her mouth to filter the air the only thing that kept her from giving herself away outright. The young girl held her breath a moment as she looked in a mix of horror and confusion. Surely, surely she was just being jumpy. The creepiness of the morning's encounter mingling with the fear of being caught and the adrenaline from her close call. See, look, now that she turned her head a little, she looked like a perfectly normal woman.

Oh crap, she was turning her head towards the door!

Juniper kept the knob of the door turned as she pushed the door silently closed again, chewing her bottom lip as she released the knob and threaded the door bolt back into it's hole. The timing was too suspect, she was sure that the nurse had seen something, probably the door opening a crack in the mirror, her only saving grace was that there was no way she could have seen Juniper herself in any kind of detail. She had about two seconds to think of a place to lay low, and to get there before the Nurse opened the door she figured.

Examination room. she thought, her lips creased in determination. This infirmary seemed to like taking on the pretensions of a larger hospital, she reasoned that if that was so the examination room would contain a closet to contain the patient's clothes while they wore a medical gown for the procedure. More of a tall cabinet, really. With any luck, the nurse would decide she was imagining things, or at least chase down security instead of risk being caught alone with a prowler, that would be her window to escape.

She clenched her teeth down around the hat as she made quiet but hasty steps down the hall and leaned into the door that lead into the examination room, letting it close gently behind her. She looked around hurriedly trying to get her bearings of the room. Medical charts, examination table, light on a hinged arm, tray to hold creepy medical instruments that'd currently be soaking in sterilizing solution, sink, cabinets...bingo! She pulled the small closet open and hopped inside, not even sparing the moment to see what was already in there. She had to bend at the knees to fit properly, but she pulled the door closed behind her, not even leaving a crack of dim light that she could use to look out into the room.

What kind of dizzy dame spends her night sitting alone in dark rooms? she mused, gritting her teeth in aggravation. She didn't like it at all, but she had to admit that she'd might've blown her chance. She'd be lucky if she could get out of this without compromising her identity and duck the administration's punishment as it was, Dammit!

There was the panic of being caught, the fear that drove her to the examination room where she hide inside the cabniet, a few white coats hanging here though it had been to dim to really make out the other objects in the cabniet. She hide with the door closed cursing her luck as thoughts strolled through her brain.

Who was this woman? What nut stood in a dark room looking into a mirror? It made no sense though she shuddered at the play of light she had seen. The journalist hide in the closet as the light to the exmination room snapped on with an audiable click.

Where are you, dearie ...

The femine voice, probably of the nurse crackled as she heard the soft heeled shoes on the floor growing closer, the thump of her heart beat growing louder in her ears as the sound crossed the room towards the cabniet slowly as she must have been picking her way though the room.

She could hear the nurse come to a half outside of the cabniet, the handle slowly turning as she was a moment away from being caught. And then it stopped suddenly as she heard a sharpe noise on the other side of the cabniet door followed by a shriek.

Now what are you doing up, dearie? I am glad that you are awake!

There were the shrieks, a feminine cry 'NOOO' then the sounds of running footsteps leading away from here or at least it sounded like it. Who was out there? Another student? A fluke let her dodge the bullet at least this time ...

Juniper was backed into the cabinet, cornered as she saw white flourescent light around the edges of the cabinet door. She was breathing hard through her teeth, the hat that she'd been using to filter out the worst of the disinfectant muffled the sound of her breathing, but it also kept her from getting a good, full lung of air. Cornered as she was, she could feel her muscles coiling, her fight-or-flight response gearing up for a confrontation. She reached over and with a quick flick of her wrist, she tugged one of the white coats off the hangar, grasping it in both hands. A shadow broke the light in front of door, and Juniper swallowed. And then, fate interceded on her behalf.

Hey! HEY! What the hell are you doing!? a little voice in her head shouted. As she'd heard the shrill shriek of despair, Juniper found herself pulling the coat taut in her grip, You don't know this bitch! What good are you going to do anyone if you get yourself nabbed here!?

The shadow in front of the door began to recede, to move after...whoever the other interloper was, Dammit, a person only gets this lucky once in a life time, don't throw it away! But it wasn't her lucky night, was it? It was the other girl's, thanks to her shrill cry Juniper had an opening she'd never have gotten meeting this problem head on, and the desperation with which the other girl had wailed told her all she needed to know to not hold back.

She bumped the cabinet open gently, eyes narrow. The moment she saw the nurse she'd leap forward into action, pulling the coat over her head and using the sleeves to trap her arms against her side while she was blinded and confused. From there, a quick kick to the back of the knee and a choke hold should get her the results she needed. Of course, if the administration ever found out she'd assaulted an faculty member, her ass was toast, but these were extreme circumstances and she couldn't afford to doubt herself.

The doors of the cabniet flung opened as she heard the groan of metal, it was probably expected that she was in there though probably not that she would spring out. Sure enough the nurse was there though her back was turned to her and focused on the blond, a student no doubt from the uniform though it had been managled and shredded in place.

She was gripping a syringe in her left hand, prone on the floor with eyes wide in terror as the nurse loomed over her, her skin was no creamy in the light but now slick with what appeared to be a gel like substanced, not as thin as blood but not as thick as slim but the wet sticky substance that clung to her was probably as consistanat as pudding.

Acting quickly Juniper wrapped the nurse up with the coat and kicked. Her blow was like hitting a brick wall, probably as painful to her as to the nurse who had been forced to knees. She grunted, shook and broke fre of the grasp without any real effort though as she sneered at her and turned her face, Juniper could see that there was no flesh their just this red like paste and yellow eyes, eyes that seemed to drill into her very soul.

Fresh meat. She declared with a sneer though the blond had scrambled to her feet by then, plunged the syringe into the woman's chest and received the back side of the nurse's hands which sent the blonde tumbling away from her unconcious at the blow it seemed as a dull thwack registered as the student's head smacked off the wall.

Her finger nails were actually claws Juniper could see and the nurse was already rising, wrnching the syringe from her breast and tossing it aside. You'll do nicely ...

"Ow!" Juniper cried as he kick hit home, she managed to stagger the nurse as she'd planned, but the force of the kick traveled back up her leg and pressed her back before she could lock her arms around her throat. She realized that was probably for the best as the seams of the coat she'd tried to use to restrain the women burst without her even pausing to strain at the effort, "W-what the hell!?"

It was her turn to taste despair it seemed, as the nurse contemptuously threw the coat away, it looked like it had taken most of her face away with it. Juniper wasn't sure what exactly she was looking at, to her mind it seemed like someone had taken a medical mannequin and tried to to give it "skin" by applying a layer of wet modeling clay. She felt her knees lock as she stared into the ... thing's baleful yellow eyes. But at that particular moment, the blonde found her courage and lunged in with a needle. It might not have been the smartest of moves on her part, as she received a concussion for her efforts, but it was enough to break Juniper's stupor.

"Sorry bitch, the market's closed." Juniper retorted as it called her meat, taking a step back. She grabbed the stainless steel tool tray as she gave a wary look to the fistful of razors this creature called a hand. It was clear that she did not want to lock horns with this thing, but it didn't seem to be appreciably faster than a regular person for all it's power. Maneuvering to keep the examination table between her and the nurse, her eyes flicked to the only exit from the room and the hallway beyond it. If she could just trip it up, she might just make it out. The only respite she could offer the blonde now was a chance to recuperate...assuming the nurse would rather chase after lively prey than dally with the unconscious.

Rena smirked. Rena O'keefe by day but now …

Those yellow eyes flickered to the door as she assumed that was what the young girl was thinking. She probably realized that striking head on wasn't going to work here, and that she wanted to flee from this place.

She probably would be relieved to encounter security now though she had been placed here working for the labs she could not pass up a morsel or two especially when it came to her so willingly like this.

Juniper was conscious and more lively than the blond who was groaning on the groun, still alive but obviously out of it, a state that probably appealed to Juniper then and there. Somethings were better left alone it seemed though Rena continued to smirk waiting for the girl to make a dash for the door as she moved casually to her left to better block the door and make her have to cover more ground to get out of the room.

Yes, lively, this one even retorted and she had the blond already, she was planning on having the girl again when she woke up but that was before all this fell into her lap.

Do it! ! ou will soon learn that there is no escape for you.

Oh, good. A smart monster. Juniper thought, gritting her teeth as the white-clad woman stepped between her and the doorway, having correctly deduced her intentions, Why couldn't it be like video games, where you kite 'em over complicated terrain until their pathfinding breaks?

She couldn't assume that this thing wasn't going to follow her out into the halls either, if this is what the faculty was covering up there was no telling how far it went. Reacting wasn't going to be enough, she had to anticipate if she was going to come out of this in one piece. Hiding it behind the table, she shifted her grip on the steel tray. Eyes. There wasn't a creature on earth that didn't flinch when something moved for it's face, and if her reflexes were good it wouldn't be those talons she brought up to defend herself. She didn't like her odds, but right now the nurse was the one exerting all the pressure, she could afford to just stand there until sun-up after all.

if this were a movie, she'd have telegraphed the move with a one-liner, but she was squeezing every percentage point of success she could get out of this long shot. Her wrist flicked out and hurled the steel tray for the bridge of the nurse's nose, to make her either close her eyes and turn her head, or even better raise her hand to bat it aside. Meanwhile, Juniper lunged into forward motion herself, diving into a low baseball slide that would take her under the woman's raised arm and passed the blonde if everything went according to plan. The smooth cloth of the coveralls and the clean tile floor of the infirmary were what she was banking on to carry her swiftly through, with enough time to kick off the wall at an angle and get a moving start back to her feet.

Time ticked by, the nursed grinned, stepping forward slowly as those yellow eyes focused on her, the drug that the student injected her with slowed her a little though did not have the desired effect of unconsciousness as it did on humans. Still, it had been somewhat effective in making her loose a step.

She sneered, oh she was going to have fun with this one. So naïve to come here late at night, looking for God knows what. She could tell that the student was scared, that this was her first “time” as far as experiences went with monsters though the jury was still out on that.

Juniper was't as rattled and helpless as a student that had seen their first horror but she had frozen up earlier until the blond made a move at least. The reality of the situation had to have kicked in Rena thought.

Yes, she was dreading the consequences of what would happen if she did nothing. She came closer though, drawing this out as “Rena” grinned at the fresh meat. This was going to be delicious though Juniper chose then to act, raising up the tray and bringing it down.

She herself reacted, a little slower than normal but still fast enough as her arm came up to block the tray while at the same time the other snaked out to grab the student, only she wasn't there. Rena was quick normally but not supernatuarally quick especially with the sedative pumping through her body, she was a little slow on the draw as the student made her move sliding beneath that arm, forcing Rena to snap around to face the student.

The tray had been on the floor batted away, the student now closer to the door and Juniper and the unconscious girl had been behind her now.

A runner? This willl be fun ...