A young brown feline, Layla, looked out the window at a quiet empty road with fields of corn, grass, and flowers passing by in a blur of colors on either side. The armored military truck's shadow cast along the road, giving the unusually quiet highway a more foreboding feel. After some time it began to show why the road was so empty as what appeared to be a military outpost came into view up ahead.

Anima dressed in uniform of camo and yellow patrolled a line of cones and road blocks, both on and off the road. 

Just like the marked border there were signs posted along the road and in the grass stating "DO NOT CROSS GPAT: Controlled Area" in large bold lettering.

"FINALLY!"  Layla groaned, spotting them. "I thought I was gonna die of boredom at this rate!"

A male golden retriever who sat in the backseat behind her spoke up offended. "Hey! I tried to get you to play eye spy with me."

He was one of the taller anima of their team, second only to Jared, a white tailed deer who sat quietly on the opposite side of the back seat. Leaving the second to shortest of the team, Adam, a raven with a friendly demeanor to sit between the huffy canine and deer.

He laughed at the golden retriever's words. "Eddie, we can't very well play with you being color blind."

"So? You know what kind, plus I can still describe shapes! Being color blind doesn't mean I'm blind blind." Eddie huffed.

"Do you have any idea how much that doesn't help us?" Layla asked. "You still got an upper hand on the spy-er side."

"Not if I'm the guesser! Remember, that's half the game." he argued.

Adam patted Eddie's arm with a chuckle. "Give it up buddy, Layla still hates the odds."

"Hey, don't act like you weren't just on my side." Layla argued playfully.

"Okay, quiet down kids we're here." Marcus chimed loudly from his position as the driver. However there was still amusement on his face.

"Don't lump me in please, I was quietly waiting for them to shut up." Jared said.

"Rude." Adam and Eddie retorted.

Before anyone else could speak, their vehicle slowed to a stop right outside the makeshift barriers. From there they could already see the very thing they had been called for, behind the camp of GPAT soldiers was a large wall of fog. It was as tall as it was wide and by that, it stretched every direction endlessly. A faint fog covered the nearby road but not nearly to the density of the wall they were investigating.

Layla's orange eyes remained on it until a tan and white wolf appeared by their vehicle, he walked over to the driver side window. As expected Marcus rolled down the window.

"Hello Marcus, do you have your whole team?" the wolf asked.

Marcus leaned back enough to allow the soldier to peer into the vehicle at everyone. Eddie waved with a smile at the wolf, the wolf did not respond. Instead he pulled his head back and waved for other GPAT soldiers to allow them in. "Looks good to me, you'll get the appropriate gear over in the truck closest to the barrier."

Marcus and Layla looked in the direction he was indicating as he spoke and saw it. Anima lingered around the vehicle, talking while some were heading back to other posts. Supplies sat stacked on the ground that others were carrying to other parts of the controlled area.

"Got it, thanks." Marcus responded.

The wolf nodded and walked back, allowing Marcus to finally drive in. "I wonder what we're gonna end up using." Layla said, thinking out loud. "You'd think being armed head to toe would be enough."

"Yeah, but it would be kind of dumb to keep trying the same thing that keeps failing." Jared replied.

"Duh, I'm just saying...how is this wall of fog causing this much trouble?" Layla huffed.

"Maybe we shouldn't underestimate it Layla, we JUST got assigned to it so we're pretty clueless." Eddie chimed in, sounding nervous.

"That's right, and here I thought this mission was for higher ranking soldiers." Adam added.

Layla pursed her lips. "We're not low ranking, it's just they wanted to give other teams a chance to prove themselves. But they didn't, so they called us."

Marcus rolled his eyes.

"I saw that!" Layla exclaimed. "We got high praise during our first mission on the bombers in town, there's no way GPAT would do that and still think of us as rookies."

"Whatever you say." Marcus chuckled.

Before the firey feline could argue any more, Marcus had parked the armored truck that they were riding in. They filed out of it, already greeted by yet another anima that was there awaiting their arrival. This time however it was a husky, looked a lot like a wolf from a distance but upon closer inspection you can see a rounder shape amongst the gray and white fur.

"Layla, it's great to see you again!" he exclaimed, his tail wagging happily.

"Boris! How are you?" Layla asked, matching his enthusiasm.

Boris embraced Layla, however to her displeasure but let him hug her anyway. "Good, however this assignment has proven to be tricky...I was hoping your team would be assigned to this."

"You really think we're good enough?" Eddie asked, hopeful.

"Now Ed, you know we are..." Adam pat him on the shoulder. "But why did you want us in particular? Got a crush on Layla or something?" he teased the dog.

Marcus stiffened, looking to Boris expectantly, his expression far from kind. However the husky didn't seem to notice the daggers being thrown at him as he responded. "She's a good friend! Nothing else....I just figured based on her scores with training and how you five did with those bombers in the city."

"So you're saying we're a better fit?" Adam asked.

Boris nodded. "Yeah."

"Care to elaborate?" Marcus asked, still irritated.

"Oh of course." Boris responded. "Follow me."

He took his arm off Layla after setting her down and lead the way to the truck. "You already know that this fog has been here for at least a month by now. Correct?"

"Yeah." Marcus said. "It was in the files we were given before heading here."

"Well, not only that but many of our soldiers are not coming out alive. And those that do seem to be very disoriented." Boris explained, they reached the back of the truck to see multiple oxygen tanks and what looked like fire fighter masks. "Turns out a lot have been suffocating in there, granted the screams of not being able to breathe were a dead giveaway, but it is always helpful to have doctors look."

"That's not normal, but the oxygen is fine for the most part. Scanners can't seem to detect any abnormalities in the air. And everybody seems fine that somehow gets turned around early on." Boris continued.

"That doesn't explain why you wanted us specifically though." Adam added.

Boris nods, pulling an ipad off the floor of the truck. "This could mean the air gets thinner as the fog gets thicker and I was remembering Layla's stats." he turned the screen to them, showing Layla's profile. "Her training was off the charts for a cat, but during the bomber incident. She was one of the last standing when the air started to get contaminated, tests were done and she has some powerful lungs."

"I figured whatever it is causing these things, Layla at the very least will have a fighting chance in getting further in." Boris smiled. "..well her and you Adam, birds naturally having stronger lungs though."

Layla grinned. "What can I say? I-"

"Am a mutant?" Adam asked.

"NO!" Layla smacked him, but he still snickered. "I'm EXCEPTIONAL."

"Didn't know you knew that word." Eddie joked.

"Hey, thems fighting words." Layla huffed

"Why didn't you just make a whole new team of birds and Layla then?" Jared asked, ignoring the banter. "Sounds like the rest of us wouldn't really be suited for this mission."

"I realize this...but..." Boris said.

"But?" Marcus asked.

"But...Layla was adamant about staying with you four." Boris said.

"Damn right I was." Layla hopped from talking to Eddie to joining this conversation as if she wasn't just preoccupied with something else. She put her hands on her hips as she confidently spoke. "I said 'I go with my team or I don't go at all.'"

"But Layla, this mission is dangerous." Eddie reminded her gently. "Jared, Marcus, and I don't have the right genetics for this kind of thing."

"Ah, pshhh." Layla said, she grabbed one of the masks on the truck. "That's why we're using this junk obviously! You'll be fine."

"It's not junk." Boris said.

Eddie grimaced, still unsure about this.

"I have faith in you boys, we're tough. Remember?" Layla grinned.

"Well we do put up with you." Jared replied, looking at the gear as well.

"Hey-!" Layla began.

"Boris was it? There’s five oxygen tanks here, are you positive your reasoning for wanting us specifically is what you say?" Marcus questioned.

He nodded seriously, "Yes, I’m sure. This is merely precautionary, we've lost enough GPAT soldiers. I don't want to lose any more."

And with that, they stopped questioning the reasoning for everything and allowed Boris to begin helping them suit up. The suits they were handed resembled that of a firefighter's except with a lighter material that would still protect against airborne poisons and minor attacks. Boris explained this when they gave him skeptical looks and quickly moved onto getting their bullet proof vests back on.

The next piece of equipment was masks for their individual species connected to oxygen tanks, an easier thing to equip than the various weaponry that they were carrying with the tanks strapped on in the front. However this speedy preparation began to slow down once more as Boris pulled the final piece of equipment out of the truck, struggling a bit in the process as it was also the biggest piece of equipment.

"Hold on, Jared. Since you're the biggest, you're gonna be the one to carry this scanner." he said panting.

Jared paused in the middle of putting his oxygen tank on to look over at this so-called scanner he was going to carry. "Alriiii..." he trailed off when he saw it.

The machine Boris was calling the scanner was a large bulky metal box with antenna sticking out the top and buttons dotting the side. A handheld remote with more buttons and knobs was attached to it via a long springy cord, resembling that of an old time-y landline phone.

"The hell is that?" he said not believing what he saw.

"Honestly, I thought we were in the 21st century, not the dark ages." Layla commented. "That thing is so bulky."

"Will Jared even be able to carry that AND his oxygen?" Eddie asked.

"First, the fog wall interferes with most tech we have tried sending in. Nothing seems to work, except for these 'dark ages' things." Boris responded, walking over to Jared. "Second, this isn't that bulky. Now is it, Jared?"  

Jared made a face as the giant hunk of metal was released onto his back, the straps digging into his shoulders. He held onto them for a moment as he tried to avoid toppling before buckling them in the front. "...no." he heaved. "Not at all."

"See? He's all good." Boris responded happily.

However as the husky connected the oxygen tank to the device and began looking over everything for safety, everyone else was still unsure of it. Jared was not weak by any standard, but his reactions left them concerned. 

"Are you sure, Jared?" Adam asked. "You look....strained."

Jared looked up and nodded. "Yeah I am...it was just a surprise."

"Surprises don't usually last this long though." Eddie commented.

"I said I'm f-" Jared began.

"Alright, everything is working here and the device is successfully streaming to our computers here on site." Boris spoke up, interrupting him. "We need you to keep an eye on this scanner and inform us of any changes. What you five see, paired with these readings, will help us be able to finally get to the town trapped inside."

"Yes sir." Jared said.

"We won't let you down!" Layla exclaimed.

After Boris gave Jared a brief introduction on how to use the scanner he was in charge of, the team was finally ready. Dropping their light banter and finally getting serious, the group of anima headed to the wall of fog. Jared even with impaired movement led the way, with the others acting as a kind of shield around him on either side.

They pause at the edge, seeing a clear line between inside and out. Normal fog tends to fade in and out of thickness but this one just got dense all of a sudden. It appeared as a solid thing before them, seeming almost impassable.

Layla had an expression of determination. "Let's get to the bottom of this."

"Mh." a grunt of agreement echoed from the team.

As if that was the cue, they stepped inside. The white mist swallowed them in one motion, obstructing their view immediately upon entering. Some time passed after their silhouettes disappeared and they were contacted by Boris. "Hello? Team Fogbait, come in." His voice was followed by an electric buzz and static.

"Are you serious?" Eddie responded. "You couldn't have called us anything uplifting?"

"Nope." Boris answered curtly, making Eddie annoyed. "Tell me, how are your surroundings? You are currently not far in, but it could be vital."

"Empty." Eddie answered.

"We can't see anything in front of us, we can barely see the asphalt of the road at our feet." Marcus added.

"And everything sounds pretty muffled..." Jared added, sticking a finger in his ear without the earbud. "Feels like it's a few temps away from just being water."

There was silence for a moment, Layla wondered why she wasn't feeling this sensation. She rubbed her ear to see if something was on it but it didn't feel much different than when they were outside of the mist. Her vision was obstructed as they described, but it didn't have a weight to it like it could become water.

'Why is that?' she wondered.

"Okay...that is new information, we'll look into what could cause that kind of vapor." Boris said. "Now look out it seems th-"

"There's something on the scanner." Jared exclaimed.

Everyone readied their weapons immediately and focused their attention straight ahead once more. "How far away is it?" Layla asked.

He stops, holding his hand up to halt the others in their path. "Right here..don't move."

They looked around, trying to find what had shown up on the scanner but still nothing was standing out in the fog. "....odd....guys are...than expected." Boris continued talking.

"What?" Marcus said. "You're cutting out. We can't hear you."

Wind began to pick up, moving the thick vapors around them. A whirlpool -like effect quickly forming around them."How is it windy in here?" Adam asked, squinting as he tried to avoid being pushed back.

"And how is it still so foggy?" Eddie added.

"LEAVE!" Boris's voice suddenly cut through the interrupted communication. "You're somehow where we lost the last group."

Everybody stopped and as Jared was about to ask him to elaborate further, but then the communication went back to static. "Dammit." he growled. "Stay close, we need to turn aroun.......d"

"Oh my god." he said.