Previously on Ookami no Monogatari:

The team is going to do a mission already. It's a simple research mission,nothing too hard. And the benefits are awesome!

-

6:30 AM,SEPTEMBER 12th,3069

-

Diana snarled loudly.

“Why do I have to sit next to you?”
“Diana,if I wasn't this tired I'd argue with you.”
The redhead yawned.

“But I am. So just shut up.”
The Dragonian glared at her and turned around on her seat,standing on her knees. The two girls were sitting right on the front seats,while Zero and Sanji were on the back.

The bus was completely full. Zero waved at her and she waved back. Sanji had fallen asleep.

“Diana,please sit down.”

She looked at the older girl.

“If you're so tired,why don't you just sleep?”
“I can't.”
“Why?”

“I don't know. I didn't sleep anything tonight,either.”

Diana sat down with a worried expression on her face.

“Are you okay?”

“What,are you worried about me?”
Diana snarled and put on her sunglasses.

“Of course not!”

There was a moment of silence.

“But seriously...Are you okay?”

“Yeah,don't worry. Just anxious about the mission.”
“I said I wasn't worried!”

-

“Whoa...”

The town wasn't as small as the professor lead them to believe. Yet,it looked very old and decaying. The town hall was know as the “T-wn ha-” due to the broken,rotting sign. As the team of four quietly walked into the building,a tumbleweed passed by. Diana laughed slightly and looked around.

“Anyone there?” she shouted.

Silence.

“Uh,maybe they went out for breakfast?”
“Wow,Nami,that's really funny.” sarcastically remarked the younger blond.

“Shut up. I'm seriously. Didn't they know we were coming?”
Sanji walked out of the building and looked around.

“Maybe they didn't. Maybe Dr. Ricard didn't tell them.”
“Why?” asked Zero,following Sanji.

“I don't know. But I know that if we find Dr. Ricard it will all be explained.”
He smiled confidently.

“C'mon. We can found our way around town.”
After a while of walking,Diana stopped and looked around.

“Don't you think it's strange?”

Nami glanced at her.
“The fact that ever since we came here we haven't seen a single living soul?”
“Yep.”

“It's more than strange.” said Zero,kicking a rock.

Diana sighed. The teenager was wearing a blue,open shirt over a white cutoff shirt,black jeans and blue sneakers with a blue cross.

“The damn weather in this place is horrible.”

Nami raised an eyebrow. She was wearing a pink and black halter top,shorts and high-heeled sandals.

“Please. It's not that bad.”

“Well,Nami-san,I agree with Diana.”
“Sanji,you're wearing a suit. Wait,why are you wearing a suit?Prof. Blitz warned us about the weather.”

He loosened his tie and smiled.

“I like wearing suits.”
“Yeah,we kinda realized that.” said Zero. He was wearing a black t-shirt and red pants,with gray sneakers.

“Anyway,” said Diana looking around again “Does anyone have any idea where the lab is?”
“Down the road to the left.”
“Thanks.”

Everyone stopped and turned around. They screamed as they saw the person who had spoken. Who wasn't really a person.

With big,gold ears and a small,bright blue body,the creature in front of them looked like a cross between an elephant and a dog.

“You're welcome.” it said,in a mildly high-pitched voice.

Diana gulped.

“And you are...”
“I'm Charlie,Dr. Ricard's assistant!”
“Okay,Charlie. Is Dr. Ricard at his lab?” asked Nami,smiling at the creature.

Charlie first looked down and then started crying. The redhead knelt down and patted his patted.

“Hey,calm down. What's wrong?”
“Doc-Doctor Ricard disappeared!”
“What?!” shouted the team.

“Tomorrow,when I went to give him breakfast at his lab,he wasn't there!I looked all around town but he wasn't here either!”

Nami took a deep breath.

“This isn't good is it?”
“Nope.” answered Diana walking around in circles.

“Hey,Charlie!”

“Yes,Miss Blond?”

“Where is everybody,anyway?The town seems empty.”
“Well...Most of them disappeared like the professor. But there are still some people left.”
Diana nodded.

“Can you take us to see any of them?We need to find more about this place and what's happening.”
Charlie smiled and began to walk away.

“Follow me please!”

-

“Oh,Horace,come here and take a look!”

“What is it Marie?”

“The team,the team Dr. Ricard hired!”

Diana smiled. Marie Oliver was a short,plump,typical housewife. Horace walked out of the decaying house and smiled at them. He was the complete opposite of his wife. Tall and skinny,he looked more like a politician than a lumberjack. He had a small mustache.

“Hey.” said the teenager.

“Oh,hello darlings!”

The woman quickly walked over to them and hugged Diana and Nami,who were the closest to her.

“Oh,such lovable,cute girls!Look at them Horace,aren't they just the cutest thing you've ever seen?”

Horace laughed.

“Please,Marie,let the kids down!”

He turned to them and smiled fondly.

“There aren't many young people 'round here. My wife tends to get too excited.”

“Oh,shut up!” said Marie glaring at him.

She turned to the team.

“You must stay here!The only hotel is in the next town. It's too far and expensive!No,no,you're staying here for free!”
Nami grinned widely.

“Thank you so much,Mrs. Oliver!”

“Please dear,call me Marie. And that goes for all of you. Now,come inside!It's getting dark and it gets cold at night!Plus,it's almost dinner time”When was the last time you ate,you look starving!”
Zero gulped.
“Our last meal was at 6AM today,before we left home. Damn,I'm really starving.”

Diana nodded energetically.

“So what's dinner?”

-

“Three roasted wild boars,nine roasted ducks,twenty pounds of French fries,ten grilled salmons,five big salads and a pound of butter,along with fifty loafs of bread.” said Sanji,examining the dinner table closely.
“That's is one big dinner!”

Diana chuckled and glared at the table.

“I hope it's as tasty as it's big.”
Horace smiled.

“Don't worry kid!My wife makes the best food in all the region!That's why we have the only restaurant in town!”
“I'..” said Diana,walking away.

“You have a restaurant?That's amazing!” said Sanji smiling at the man.

“Not quite,young man. Due to this regions geography and weather,we don't get many turists. And most of the people 'round here dislike restaurants,for some reason or another.”
“Oh,that's bad. Right,girls?”

“Uh?”

“Hmph?”

“Please,girls,don't start eating before everyone is seated.”

-

“This isn't fair.”
“I agree.”
“Why do we have to stay in the same room?”
“Because this house only has two spare rooms and we're both girls.”
Diana glared at the redhead.

“It's still not fair.”
“Shut up.”
The blond snarled and lied down.

“Turn the light off. I wanna sleep.”

“Well,too bad. I can't sleep and I want to read this book.”
“I'm tired!”

Nami stuck her tongue out at the younger girl and returned to reading.

She barely heard the teenager mumbling “Lousy bitch.”

-

Clack.

“Uh?”

Clack.

“Nami!Are you awake?”

“I am now. What do you want?”

“Didn't you hear that?”
“Hear what?”

“That clacking!It came from outside!C'mon,let's investigate!”

Nami sighed and glanced at the watch on the wall.

“For god's sake,it's 3 A.M.!”

“So?”
Nami growled and turned around,completely ignoring the girl.

Diana sneered and jumped off the window.

She looked around and caught a glimpse of a shadow. Folowing the shadow she passed by severall houses and buildings,finally stopping in front of a dark cave.

“Hmm. Interesting.”

She walked into the cave and lit her fist on fire,making an improvised lantern.

“Yo!Anyone there?”

...

“Well,of course not.”
She chuckled.

“Who would've been in a dark cave in middle of the night?”

Clack.

“The hell?Clacking again?”

She sighed.

“It's too dark. I'll return tomorrow. Wait,why am I talking to myself?”
She casually walked out of the cave. Inside,a humanoid figured chuckled to himself.

-

Nami yawned as she got out of bed. She straightened the pink and black top and looked around. She smiled as she saw Diana peacefully sleeping.

She gently shook her shoulder.

“Come on honey,wake up.”
“Yeah,yesterday you were bitching at me and now you're calling me honey.”
“Shut up. See,this is why I don't like being nice to you.”
“You're never nice to me.”
The redhead turned around and stormed out of the room. She went downstairs to the kitchen and sat down. Marie placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her and she began to angrily eat them.

“Is something wrong dear?”

“No,just that idiot.”
“Who,Diana?Why,fights between friends are normal!”
“She?My friend?Ah,ah,yeah right!”

Nami jumped on her seat as she heard the door slam.

“Oh no...Please,don't tell me she heard that!”

-

“...stupid,lousy bitch,always complaining,can't shut up for once...

Diana stopped walking in front of the cave.

She smiled.

“Well,I can see now. Time to investigate.”
She walked into the cave and looked down.
“Uh?Footprints...But of what?”

Next chapter of Ookami no Monogatari:

Now,Diana found some strange footprints. As she dwells more into the cave,what will she discover?

Next chapter:A strange feeling of despair

OOKAMI NO MONOGATARI

Diana:Don't screw with my friends!