Digressive Aggressive

It wasn't very typical that one area was singled out as investigation worthy when it came to monsters. Monsters roamed the world, and that was just how it was. In certain cases, certain places would be deemed questionable. Last time that had happened, Dimitri attended, of course, they had brought a lot more people that time, as the rumors were monsters eating demigods. Boy, were those rumors nothing short of an absolute truth.

The Greeks had sent their own trio, Andrew, Sam, and Dimitri. They would meet up with the Roman's own trio and investigate a clifftop, and the sands below it, and any cave that might be with the sand. There was water outside of the cliff, but the drop was high enough from the cliff-side that landing in water wouldn't make your fall any better. Dimitri couldn't get his mind off of what Lear had in store for them this time. He was still scarred from the time before last, and it had been a long time since then.

"Why did you come?" Andrew asked Dimitri.

"You know why." Dimitri shot the question down, his tone was collected and emotionless, but from the expression on Andrew's face and Netha's glare, they didn't much appreciate. "Why did you?"

"What I actually do know is that not all of us can be Johnny Appleseed." Andrew replied, his tone was sly, as though he had made the best joke in a decade.

Dimitri didn't have a reply, instigating with Andrew wouldn't help anyone. He was certain that they would remain a team unit, so long as he didn't get Andrew heated. Of course, they would have to communicate with the Romans too, which Dimitri hadn't looked forward to. Separating them wasn't the worst thing he could think of, but it did mean their tactics and time spent together would be null. Still, Dimitri had already suspected separating the two groups would work best, depending on the area of expertise.

The trio reached a close range to another group of three, and with each step closer the group could see the other group a little better than the earlier moment.

"No way."
"No way."

The pair in unison had muttered the same exact phrase at the same exact time as they saw the Roman trio that consisted of the only three Romans Dimitri was hoping he didn't see today. Surely enough, there they were, lined up as though they were here to bring him to death row. His eyes automatically centered to Dominika, despite having no good moments with any of them during their last encounters, he still loved Dominika very much, but he wouldn't be saying that today, or ever again for that matter.

"Um, guys, why are you staring at the Romans as if they just sent the three Furies to attack you?" Sam asked, cocking her head as she looked between the two Greek boys and the three Roman soldiers. To be fair, the Romans did look intimidating with armor and weapons, but not terribly so. At least they weren't enemies this time.

The little dark skinned Roman made a sound of derision in the back of her throat. "Probably because Tweedledee and Tweedledum here would probably prefer demons from the underworld."

Dimitri hadn't replied to Leandra, he'd decided not to let things intensify. However, it certainly didn't stop Andrew. "Hey, good one! Maybe after this you can grab some tweedle-eee-zers and pluck that lip hair off of your face." Andrew sarcastically said, with fake enthusiasm.

Dimitri put an arm on Andrew's shoulder, giving him a piercing look. It didn't phase Andrew in the slightest, but it did leave him with some questions. Dimitri was grateful that Dominika had spoken up against the squabble. He already had a relatively good idea of what the game plan was. He'd already seen three out of five of the others fight, and had a good idea of general strengths and weaknesses.

"We should split up in two teams." Dimitri stated, giving everyone a look to see if there was approval; even Dominika. "We have two places to tackle, I figure coverin' 'em both at once stops one place from potentially flankin' the other. With all've us in one spot, we're bound to attract 'em all at once anyway, only we won't have the crowd control advantage." He had his game plan already made up, but decided to hear everyone else out before putting it on the table. The only person he wasn't sure about was Sam, this was the first time he'd met the daughter of Hermes. "I'm good with a sword, and I sure ain't innocent of gettin' personal with monsters if it comes to that. But, my ability to control water says the fact that I'd be most useful goin' down towards the water."

"I'm a hell of a shot. I can track. And it goes without saying, but, she comes with me." Andrew said, summing himself up in three sentences. He gestured to Netha, no matter who he possibly ended up with, his most trusted partner was going to be his best friend, no matter what. Andrew couldn't wait another second to blabber out his thoughts. "Okay, elephant in the room, what is going on between you two?" He looked between the southerner and the Russian. He had kissed a rather large boy to make this happen, after all.

"Sam, Leandra. Your strengths and thoughts?" Dimitri asked. He'd ignored Andrew, because he knew there was never anything good to reply to him. Anything he would say except a full explanation would only come with backfire. Not only would that take too much time, but Dimitri was beginning to get tired of talking to people about it who weren't Dominika.

"My first thought is before we figure out everything about who goes where and what not, mighten we ought to find out just exactly what type of monsters we're dealing with? We don't know if we're going after ickle little telekines or Langestonian Giants. Information before rushing in headlong." Leandra said, resting against her scutum. "And I am well rounded, though my specialty is in scouting."

Sam looked between her fellow Greeks and the Romans for several seconds. "I'm fair with a spear, but I'm inclined to agree with, uh, um, I don't know your name. The Roman. We have very little information at all."

Dimitri looked to Heath, trusting his words wasn't a secure feeling. But, based on those specific words, Dimitri felt he knew what had to happen best. "Yeah." Dimitri replied, though he didn't bother clarifying if it was agreement or not. "The only way we're gonna know is when we find 'em. I get it, we have a scout, but we're also carryin' the scent of six of us, some of us stronger than others." Dimitri hadn't wanted to add that in, especially because he knew it would be targeting Dominika, but he knew Leandra would knock him at any chance she got. It was important to add in every semantic. "Stickin' together now, in a big group? 'Sonly beggin' to be grabbed, by anythin', really. It's too dangerous to try to gather information like this. Two areas, two teams." Dimitri layed it out the way he saw it.

Andrew was happy with the plan, the way he saw it, the Romans could fend for themselves. Andrew was much more comfortable around the Greeks, at least, in this particular moment. What Andrew wasn't happy with was the fact that something was clearly going on, and he wasn't in the loop with it. How dare they keep that from him? He'd kissed a massive man in order to keep the dance going that night! "Sounds good to me, but seriously, what in the name of Joe Biden happened? You know what I went through to be the wingman, right?" Andrew asked, his small layer of patience wore thin.

"You can ask 'em." Dimitri replied this time, though, it was in an attempt to warm him up to the idea. "You can. 'Cause you're goin' with 'em. Heath, I-" Dimitri began speaking, but was cut off the moment he said Andrew would go with Dominika and Leandra.

"Ha, that's funnier than Coldplay thinking the people at the Super Bowl enjoyed their halftime show." Andrew said, slyly. The point was, he didn't intend to accompany either one of the two Romans. They were like Charlie's Angels, if the Angels were more fierce, more attractive, had one less member, and had the spite of Andrew.

Dimitri straffed towards Andrew sightly, bobbing his head to Andrew's ear. The sudden movement startled Andrew, and left Netha with an angered glare on her face. Dimitri noticed, but quickly whispered what he needed to. "Look, I started somethin' a little while back. Somethin' that ain't good. If I go with either one of those two, things ain't gonna end well for any've us. I need you. And after, I will tell you everythin' you wanna know. Okay?" Dimitri wasn't in particular happy with what he had to say, but he knew how Andrew operated. Make him feel like he's in control and he'll do what you ask. "This isn't because I don't wanna work with 'em. This is the best way to split our people."

Andrew wasn't happy with the sudden plea from Dimitri. He wasn't very comfortable being close enough to have trust with many people at all. Still, he almost felt a sense of responsibility to help him out. Andrew felt keeping the Romans to the Romans and the Greek to the Greeks was best, but as long as him and Netha made it out, nothing else mattered a whole lot. With an angered face, Andrew stepped over to the other trio while Netha followed. He could tell it wasn't going to be a fun day. "Hi, team." Andrew muttered.

"Heath, I want you to come with Sam and I. The way I see it is that melee combat is a lot more suited for goin' down there. More cover for us, and I figure people talented in ranged are better up here anyway. More open areas, make it a lot easier to attack before y'get attacked. Not to mention, once we hit the bottom, we don't know nothin' 'bout the cliffside. Could have instability, one bad hit and rocks could come down if our luck ain't good. If we do it this way, these teams, trust the person to our side, we can all be in our own beds by tomorrow night." Dimitri left the plan open for criticism and thoughts, but assuming Heath would join them, it was the plan he was going with. He'd done this enough times.

Leandra shifted her position again, looking at Nika and Heath for several seconds. Nika had been in the Legion for less than a year, she didn't have the training for strategy and understanding safe plans. Heath should have known better, known that more information was needed, but maybe he was resigned once he found out the Greeks didn't know anything. The Greeks, her superiors had assumed, were suppose to know more about this. That was apparently wrong.

So it was up to Leandra to step up and in. And make Dimitri back down before he got them all killed. "If we don't have information, then two groups of three would work, but it isn't the best plan when we don't know anything. Three groups of two. Cover more area, and it's easier for recon."

Leandra took a deep breath and looked around, doing mental calculations. "Dimitri and Nika should go together and you shut up for a minute, Dimitri. You are the lesser of all the demigods smells, aside from possibly me, but you do have powers that combined with Nika's are a deadly combination. Sam and Heath, you two are both of Olympic gods, but your styles fit each other. I will go with Andrew and his...wolf."

Leandra hid a snarl at the wolf behind her scutum, then straightened. "The name of the game right now is information, not combat. Find them, count them, rejoin here in one hour for a plan and combat. Conch horns and whistles would be best for if trouble happens."

"That's enough." Dimitri sternly said. "Yeah, there was a break up. These things, they happen. We're stronger than to let somethin' like this control who lives and dies." Dimitri declared. No, what determined that was how they approached it. "I don't think this plan is gonna work, for reasons I won't go into. I think we're walkin' in with smaller forces. If the place is dangerous 'nough to send six demigods? They know we're comin'." Dimitri layed out his thoughts. "But if we don't get movin', we're all just gonna die right here anyway. We ain't makin' a choice, so we'll live or die by Leandra, this time." In truth, Dimitri had been pushed into leading in the past. He felt comfortable making the calls, but he also knew what it was like to be responsible for death and injuries. He didn't mind letting his hands be clean this time.

"If she thinks she has a plan, I'll go for it." Dimitri saw holes in the idea, but decided this was done, no point in throwing them out. He knew nothing was airtight with a situation like this, but this idea set in particular, he knew for sure things weren't going to go smoothly. "If anythin' happens, that blood's on you." Dimitri clarified to Leandra. His expression was serious, though, all he expected from her was a laugh or a snicker or an angry remark.

Andrew's expression was puzzled at its entirety. Why did they break up? They were like that one stupid couple that dated in middle school and somehow still got married. "I'd be up for a partner change too. Actually, I sorta have a partner. She's furry and silver. And not from a Sonic game." He explained. "And, yeah, she's short, but I think she's probably the right one for me."

Dimitri ignored Andrew, which earned a fair amount of hidden anger from the demigod, which resulted in a mutter about why farm boys shouldn't bend over in a corn-maze. "Be careful. Be safe. Good luck. Y'all gonna need it'f these things are as deadly as last time."