Joey looks behind him to see who brought a crowbar. He kneels down by the locked manhole cover, and smirks. "Uh-huh," he says, running his fingers along the edge as he concentrates, attempting to use his Gift to pop locls to open up the lock on the cover.

Yi keeps a look out over the park and its boundaries, shifting the backpack she wears containing the lights with proper, smaller sockets thanks to the Walkers. Her nervous energy goes into a short run of her hand through her hair.

Bernie, similarly laden, watches Joey, ready to try and give him a hand if the thing happens to be particularly obstinate. She shifts her weight slightly from one foot to the other, waiting.

Kaz's flashlight is the same type she had last time, only this one hasn't been dumped into the sewers. Yet.

The cover opens easily enough to the Gift, and everyone heads down. As the group comes down the ladder into the sewers, the tunnels are somewhat dimly lit, but they are still lit. As you head north, it's evident that the earlier explosion had more effects than the flames and explosion itself--some walls have hairline cracks along them, some lights have portions of the array broken in the direction of the explosion, and there are scortch marks along some of the tunnels.

Joey looks around, before whispering "Nice decor," he drawls. "So...early post-modern I-can't-Steal-My-Own-Kenmore-box..." He shifts his weight to his other foot, goingon full alter as he gets down here, not wanting to be all that surprised.

Yi thanks Joey quietly before motioning for Bernie to come with her. Kaz with the lights, and Joey with backup, she nods a bit while examining the walls with their cracks. "We'll try to do a leapfrog formation. I set up one light, get it working, and Bernie, you get yours ready." With that, she closes her eyes momentarily to wish for some luck, and takes the lead.

As the group makes its way along, theynotice that two of the lights are still installed just fine. One is gone completely. Two are partly functional, between a half and a third of the original LEDs still working.

Bernie nods to Yi, adding, aloud, "A'ight," as she follows, in case the gesture isn't visible in the gloom. "An' tch," she adds to Joey, "philistine, ain'tcha never hearda 'shabby chic'? 's all th' rage, y'know..." She grins, teeth fleetingly reflecting ambient light as she moves on.

Kaz is apparently stuck like a limpet to Bernie this time, as something of a rearguard, shining her flashlight at appropriate moments and, after slowly shifting to glabro, generally keeping quiet.

Joey is taking the point, by Yi. He shuts his trap after his initial whisper, and looks around to make sure he has room, shifting to Glabro so he doesn't get stuck.

Yi inspects one of the partly funtional arrays. Her eyes stray to look for any claw marks, bite marks, wet spots.. anything that would tell her what might be messing with the lights. "Don't try to speak too much," she says in a low tone. "We'll leave these alone, go to cross section where we met Goldfish Monster." Then she acts on her words and moves further north.

Bernie follows along, silent, now, and adjusts her pack of lights so that she can prepare a set when they stop and Yi attempts the first.

Kaz spends most of her attention on Bernie, following behind, but occasionally breaks off to scan behind them. Safety first.

Joey, as Kaz is scanning behind, is looking far ahead, and in varied fits of paranoia, looking upward as well.

As the group approaches the place where the other east-west tunnel crosses this one, the stench of rot becomes more and more prevalent in the dank, stale air. Some rats scuttle down the other tunnel as the Garou approach. Getting closer, the array is still there in the socket, though the base upon which it was built is obviously mostly slag now. As you get to the light itself, it looks as if the array has melted somewhat onto the socket, fusing there, and the incredible stench of rot wafts up even stronger from the side tunnel.

Yi curses mentally, but remains verbally silent for the moment. She evaluates whether or not the socket is salvagable, then decides against it and motions for them to move on. The rot from the east-west tunnel is noted, but otherwise she pushes on northwards. "Kaz," she says quietly, "Watch out for Ugly."

Bernie's nose wrinkles at the stench, and she works on not breathing too much through her nose as she follows along. The light gets a curious look as she passes, but no more.

Kaz the wary scanning machine mutters, "Doin' it already," as she follows after Bernie.

"Somebody," Joey says quietly. "Please define Big Ugly." He is still looking, even more so because of the stench.

Kaz's attention sharpens slightly on the corridor, but, true to the intent of the mission, she doesn't move towards it; she just watches it a little more carefully, when she scans it.

As the group pushes forward, they do so into the unexplored darkness. Despite the flashlights, the darkness here is an almost palpable thing, pressing in close. Perhaps a spiderweb just brushed your cheek, or maybe it was the darkness itself. Was that a rat skittering ahead? A quick sweep of the flashlight reveals no rats, but perhaps it ducked into a hole. With each step forward, the flashlights look perhaps just a touch dimmer, or maybe it's just an optical illusion from the surrounding dark.

Yi very dutifully steels herself against her fear of the dark. After months in a closet, and another in a fish crate, she's learned to deal with it by now. Her eyes scan upwards, looking for the first socket. When she does find it, she takes out the first light to set up.

Bernie's attention is split, half watching Yi to be sure she understands how to do this, and half on the surroundings. The almost tangible darkness concerns her a bit, almost as much as that smell.

Joey stays close to Yi, trying to calm his own nerves. He keeps looking around quickly, in Glabro, as if waiting for something.

Kaz growls, softly, "There's a fucker may be comin' to visit."

Yi reaches up and twists the light into the socket, with immediate and blinding results. Light fills this area of the tunnel, and the darkness visibly parts to the sounds of shrieks. /Something/ vanishes, and the shadows seem more normal, less palpable.

Yi squints and turns her head away as the light comes on, and she looks down at her hand momentarily before rubbing her forehead. "Good.. run away," she grumbles before having a better look at what's around them. "Kaz, do you think there are rats who will come out and speak with us?" she intones quietly, also looking over from around Joey's glabro'ed form to see if Bernie has her light ready.

Bernie blinks at the effect, eyes widening slightly behind her glasses. And then blinking some more to readjust. She nods a little at Kaz's comment, and heads toward Yi, onward to find and fill the next socket with the light she has prepared now.

Joey crosses the tunnel, keeping his back to the wall as he watches the other Raggies work. And still, his eyes are going this way and that.

Kaz growls, in beast speech, -Anyone know what /that/ is?-, and pretty much gives up on watching Bernie, instead focusing on the tunnel behind them, trying to spot the first sign of movement and jump on it.

Yi lets Bernie through, watching the darkness around warily as she slips out another light from her pack to get it ready and wait for Bernie. "Don't go too far Stomper," she says quietly.

Bernie nods to Yi, careful, in fact, not to get too far ahead at all. She edges into the deepening shadows, glancing all around warily, to the ceiling every so often to find the proper placement.

Yi watches Bernie's back this time, keeping her at least within a lunge length from herself. Her eyes catch the movements of the shadows around as she glances up occassionally from setting up her second light.

As Bernie slowly works her way forward from the safety of the light into the almost sudden and stark darkness, from someplace behind comes a loud raucous noise, as if a small menagerie had gotten together and all made some sort of sound at once. There are barks, some sort of lip-smacking noise, a few plaintive mews, and plenty of hissing. As the sewers echo, it's hard to tell exactly where the sound originated, except someplace behind you, towards Harbor Park.

Joey tries, really hard, not to jump out of his skin at the noise. But, the Gnawer keeps on full alert, right hand twitching a little as he waits on word from the installers what to do next.

Kaz says, -You don't say,- a little nervously, and adds, "It's definitely the fucker from last time. An' it's makin' threats this time."

Yi nearly drops her light as the sounds come echoing over the pipeline. She tries to pick out the sounds, but otherwise looks blank for interpreting them. "Kaz?" she queries. "I don't seem to recall any..cats in the sewers either. What did it..they..say?" Another glance around the lighted area with its moving shadows. "It's a tight fighting space.. be careful," she intones before glancing back to Bernie to see how her progress is going, moving a little closer to her.

Kaz explains, "It said it was our doom. I ain't makin' bets on /that/, though." She's still watching the tunnel behind them warily, tensely. "It's comin' closer, too."

Bernie glances over her shoulder a second before continuing forward, just ahead of Yi. "...so what's this wannabe doom thing comin' up on us, then?" she asks softly, watching forward and above again, looking for the next stop.

Finding it, she lifts her light, trying to plug it in. "...light comin', with luck..." she murmurs to warn the others.

Joey flexes his fingers, waiting to do one thing or the other. He's listening for now, letting the others talk, since he's along for the ride.

Another light goes into another socket, and more light floods into the tunnel, a little further north this time. Once again there are shrieks, though this time, for Bernie and Yi at least, the sound of rushing water ahead someplace almost drowns them out. From behind once again the menagerie can be heard, but this time it steps out from the side tunnel into the tunnel directly to the south, towards Harbor Park. This ... creature seems to be an analgam of many smaller animals, most in various states of decay. There are plenty of fish all over its body, ranging from partial goldfish to small, delicate skeletons. Here is a hamster, there a small bloated kitten. A large bit of the monster is charred and blackened; those who saw it before note that perhaps a third of it is gone now, but there are a few fresher-looking corpses--a couple of snakes and a mangy puppy--on the edges of the burnt area.

Yi nods with some satisfaction as the shrieks go again, but the water sounds are attracting her. "Excuse me a moment," she says to Bernie as she sidles around with a grim smirk on her face and light in hand. As the creature steps out, she looks from the pipe ahead back to it. "Hey Joey... that's Ugly. And I think there's wider pipes ahead... c'mon." The nomoon doesn't rush, but there is a sense of urgency to get out of the creature's vicinity.

Kaz growls quietly, takes heads straight for the creature, and then pauses for a brief enough moment to at least to try to set the thing merrily on fire.

Bernie glances back to see the thing, and makes a face. "Sure 's fuck is," she remarks, as Yi passes her, and turns back to help cover the other installer as they edge onward.

Joey does follow the Canto-Gnawer, fo course. But he spares a few glances behind him to make sure that this isn't some sort of dangerous trap.

Flames appear on and among the corpses making up the things body, and dozens of animal corpses cry out in pain. Still, the creature continues inexorably--and not too slowly--forward, and a couple of snake skeletons supporting a rotting hamster lashes out at Kaz. The hamster's teeth scrape the Gnawer, but it's only a shallow wound.

Yi hunts, quickly, for the next light socket. She's well aware of the danger she's putting Kaz in particularly but is sure that every one of them knows well enough to help their tribemate should things Go Wrong. Satisfaction is fleeting about the flames on the creature. "Burn baby burn," she quotes from somewhere.

Kaz grunts in pain. Dancing away slightly, she puts thought into action, muttering, "Come on baby, light my fire," as she focuses her Gift on the front of the thing, and somewhat further in.

Joey frowns, seeing the fire doesn't do that much. He hesitates for a moment, as if unsure of what he can do.

Joey shifts to the side as o continues to put up some lights. He stays by her without getting in the way, guarding her as best he can.

Bernie turns, looking at the Big Nasty, and tilts her head, considering something. A shrug, and she moves back toward Kaz, passing by Joey on the way. "Watch Yi?" she asks as she goes.

The fires continue to mostly smoulder on the creature, as damp as it is. Still, the pipes are filling with smoke rapidly and the stench of burning as well as rotting flesh is starting to permeate this area of the sewers. The beast cries out again through its many mouths, then swipes once more at Kaz, this tome making a little more solid contact with a bloated, drowned kitten, knocking the metis back a step or so.

Kaz growls, "No fair, hitting with Hello Kitty," and finally just slashes into it with her less-effective glabro claws, trying to give people more time to install more lights.

Yi continues down the pipe, glancing back just once before heading for the next socket and starting to screw in the light. Her eyes check the 12 o'clock too. Rushing water... a drainage pipe? "Come on," she growls as she hurriedly fits the light in.

Closer now, Bernie lifts her chin a bit and gives the creature her most confident glare, or at least parts of the creature... She stands prepared to try and dodge attacks, but doesn't physically attack it, just trying to mystically, well, unknit the thing. It =could= work...

Joey keeps shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Right here," Joey says to Yi.

Kaz's slashes pull off a fish carcass that flops around ineffectually on the ground, while Bernie's decidedly unorthodox approach seems to result in a couple of rats falling off of the thing. It roars once again, then the smell of rotting flesh gets really strong around Kaz and Bernie. For just a moment, there's the smell of something more, then there's another large explosion right in front of the creature. It's knocked back a ways and Kaz and Bernie are both knocked towards the north, towards Joey and Yi. Both Garou are scorched on the front, Bernie much worse than Kaz.

Joey wheels around at the explosion, and finds a pair of ladies at his feet. Normally, that would cheer Joey up to no end, but tonight is a different story. One look, and the kid speaks up. "Now would be a good time to leave," he says.

Yi turns and glances down as the two of them plop by Joey. Immediately, she's up among them and shifting while dragging Bernie up. "Ok that's enough fun for tonight." And if looks could kill, Yi would've sliced, diced, hung, drawn and quartered, boiled and jumped on the monster repeatedly. "We're Out."

Joey, seeing Yi handling Bernie, offers Kaz an arm. "You okay? Besides the exploding bit?"

The smell of burning gas begins to overpower the area; to the south, near where the explosion happened, one of the gas lines has been broken and set ablaze by the strange explosion, releasing burning gas in a jet into the sewer to the south.

Kaz grunts in pain and scrambles, slowly, to her feet, shooting Joey a grateful look as she grabs his arm. "I'm scorched," she reports after a moment of thought, and then starts heading toward the nearest manhole.

Joey looks up, sniffing the air. "Us. The fuck out of here," hye says, looking around for the nearest manhole. "Now," he says, moving. For safety, he tries his gift again for popping locks on the first manhole he sees.

Much worse, yes. Bernie staggers back from the blast, not falling all the way to the ground solely due to falling sideways into the wall, instead. She doesn't quite scream... but only because it's more of an anguished yowl. As Yi pulls her from the wall, she winces again, the other new moon's hands grasping seriously scorched flesh. Nonetheless, she follows toward the Out with no argument.

Yi pages to the room: Hopefully the nearest manhole isn't right out on the street, either..

There's a manhole not far, near the second light placed, the one placed by Bernie. The cover comes off easily enough after the application of Joey's Gift, and it opens into an alley right off East Regan Street

Joey pokes his head up, making sure no one else is around before he gives Yi the thumbs up and climbs out.

Yi pushes Bernie up through the manhole before climbing out herself and stooping by the cliath. What follows would be rather indecipherable, but there are hints at a vow of vengeance amidst the growled eastern language. ~If John doesn't get it, I will,~ she rumbles out in the Mother Tongue before looking at Joey. ~Did you get a glimpse of what was beyond the last light I put in?~

Bernie sucks in air through her teeth as Yi shoves her. "Don't push, push not!" she manages through clenched teeth as she climbs painfully up and out, collapsing on the street by the hole for a moment, on her rear. Luckily, no cars are currently speeding toward the group.

Yi changes to kneeling on one knee before apologizing, and sounding very sincere in it. "We need to move... can you walk?" She looks over Bernie's injuries, then briefly at Kaz as well before going to Joey. "You ok too?"

Joey looks up, and shrugs. "Yeah, pretty much," he says, as he looks out the Alley, shifting doen beforehand to Homid, and seeing if they're clear.

Kaz shifted down in the sewer -- handily, metis can heal in homid. "Jesus Christ on a pogo stick," she mutters.

Bernie's wounds are, at least, confined to the front half of her body. The old t-shirt and jeans are a loss; the front of her sneakers are melted, and all the skin that had been exposed on that side is... well... kinda crispy. Her eyes are all right, protected by her glasses, but the frames have gone a tad melty. And she smells like singed flesh and hair. The ponytail means most of it's still there, but those first few badly behaved curls are gone, and her ears are kinda toasty too. She's currently particularly lucky to be garou, since it'll probably heal up fine, instead of screwing up large portions of the rest of her life. "Um," she says, looking down and starting to realise how hurt she is, "...yes? But I think I'm gonna need help up the stairs..."

Yi looks over at Kaz, some debate flashing through her mind. "Rialto?" she asks, the single word question uttered implying more. Her slightly lighter eyes gaze over at Bernie again, and she winces, jaw tensing.

Kaz nods. "F'now. We c'n get her home after she crashes t'night."

Joey hmmms. "Whatever's closest, til we can flag down a Theurge to help her out."

Bernie moves as if to protest, and winces again. It seems to at least partially change her mind. "...okay," she says, reluctantly, "...but someone tell Matt I'm there an' not dead or anythin'? I left a note I was doin' this, so." She looks down at herself again, sighs, and makes a note not to look at herself anymore.

Joey chews on his lip. "I can go do that," he muses.

Yi nods, holding out a large hand to help her up. On a deeper level, she's feeling guilty, but for now priorities. "Let's get to the Rialto first." Her form shrinks back to her breed form.

Kaz glances at Joey, about to suggest that, and just grins. "Yeah -- that's cool." She heads over Rialto-wards, and prepares an actual comfortable couch for Bernie, before crashing herself.

Bernie clasps Yi's hand in both of hers, keeping only the non-burnt parts touching, and gingerly hauls herself to her feet. "...okay. Right. Rialto," she murmurs, as much to herself as anyone else. "...yeah."