Story: Now with Choices!

TA managed to leap from the tree just as it exploded. The blast caught her and threw her deeper into the forest, smashing her through branches until she managed to snag one with a singed, outstretched arm. She flipped up to rest on the branch, and took a quick stock of her injuries. Splinters from the exploding tree had ripped jagged holes through her gi but, thanks to her defensive training, lodged mostly in her arms and legs. TA felt like a lightly toasted porcupine. Her left arm had taken the brunt of the damage, and she gingerly tucked it in close and tied it to her chest with a bandage from her first aid pack.

A twig snapped. TA’s head snapped up as she scanned the forest. She was in no shape to fight the witch. She would leave that fight to BSA. TA started running, leaping through the trees as she headed for the rendezvous point.

As TA was making her tactical retreat, the sounds of smashing limbs chased her. TA sped up, doubling back and switching her trail to shake her tail, but her pursuer kept pace. The old woman couldn't move this fast, perhaps she had sent a familiar or a monster. Determined to see her enemy, TA dropped a gas bomb and hid herself in the branches of a tree. She waited. Out of the trees swung a twitching cluster of greenery, using vines and tendrils it swung to a branch and stopped. TA watched in horror as the vines curled around a bloody spot on the trunk, thorns piercing deep into the bark as the leaf monster drank her blood. Behind it, she could see others creeping around her position.
“Blood-sucking leafy octopuses! Are you kidding me?!” she griped as she drew a ninjaken, her ninja short sword. Not only would the smaller blade be more efficient in the crowded tree tops, she could wield it one handed.

With a cry she leapt from the tree, her sword blurring as she sliced through dozens of tendrils that snaked out at lightening speed to catch her. One managed to get past her guard, wrapping around her boot and jerking her upside down. The vine coiled around her ankle, squeezing thorns deep into her flesh. TA screamed and used the momentum of her fall to spin around and slice the vine, freeing herself to land on a branch beneath. As she landed, she could feel the thorns still in her ankle, weakening it. She hobbled for a moment, caught off balance as the monster, sensing her weakness, rushed in. A thick vine wrapped around her sword arm, and the ninjaken slipped out of suddenly nerveless fingers.
“Oh Crap.” TA was jerked off the branch and wrapped tight into the belly of the leafy octopus, which then swung its way back to its mistress.

Yama-Uba had made herself comfortable, resting after her battle with the vampire. She heard the crackling in the forest and smiled as her spell created creatures returned from their hunt. An enormous leafy ball swung into the clearing and began unraveling, revealing a worse-for-wear TA caught in its leafy web.

“Well, well little thief,” the witch cackled, “Now you will face justice for stealing my prey. Now you will face the wrath of Yama-Uba!” Her eyes rolled back and power filled the small forest clearing as Yama-Uba formed her spell. So intent was she on her crafting, she didn’t notice when a large, bat-shaped shadow unfolded in the darkness directly behind her. BSA stepped out of the shadows, grabbed the witch’s hair, tilted her head to the side and bit deeply into her neck. As the vampire fed, the power drained out of the clearing, the vines wilted and TA dropped to forest floor.
“Ew,” BSA said as she dropped the old woman, “You owe me big time TA. She tasted like pickles and old apples.” BSA walked over to the prostrate TA, still lying on the ground. “Hey,” she gently prodded her friend, “I thought ninja always landed on their feet. Like cats.” BSA’s eyes widened as she took in her friend’s injuries. “Oh crap,” she breathed, “C’mon DFL! Get your over-privileged butt over here pronto!”

The chicken house ran into the clearing, ending nervously away from the witch on the ground.
DFL stuck her head out of a front window, “Get my what over here?” she demanded.
“Dude, TA’s hurt. Help me get her inside.” The chicken house settled on the ground and they lifted the wounded ninja inside.
DFL noticed the witch lying on the ground, “Did you kill her?”
“That one? No. She had too much power to drain it all.” BSA replied.
“Well, maybe we should do something about that.” DFL said thoughtfully.
“You’re the evil dictator be my guest.” BSA waved at the witch.
“Dictator’s don’t do that kind of thing personally. That’s why we have flunkies. Besides you’re a vampire.” She pointed out.
“But I’m a nice vampire! I like kittens, and puppies, and hugs. I can’t kill an old lady while she’s sleeping.”
“Well neither can I! It would make WW very upset. And she needs peace and quiet to heal right now.” DFL pointed out.
“Fine, well then let’s get out of here before the witch wakes up.” BSA conceded. The chicken house shuttered in agreement. The house rose in the air as its long legs stretched out, and ran in the first direction it determined as “away.”
“Whoa.” BSA said as she started sliding towards a wall. “Can you control this thing?”
“Of course I can.” DFL responded angrily, “I just need to know where we’re going first.”
“Well, I think we need help and fast. TA’s bleeding all over the entryway rug.” BSA pointed out.
“Can you stop it.” DFL looked at her friend, “I don’t do blood.”
“Well, I have some bandages and ointment left over from the ‘Bahamas Incident’ but that’s it. Get the Bag O’Stuff to make some super band-aids or something.” BSA looked over at the BOS. It was snuggled against TA’s side.
“I think it’s pining.” DFL said, “all right, you do your first aid thing. I’ll find a doctor.”

So where does DFL do?

A: Direct the chicken house to the nearest town
B: Call 911 on her cell
C: Search the forest for help
D: Wait for Deus Ex Machina


Authors note: The scenario for this bit is depressingly familiar, since, whenever I play a RPG, my character ALWAYS gets the snot beat out of them. I then spent the next part of the game watching my comrades try and find a way to heal me.

Good times. Good times.