Dee Dee flew the star, thankfully it had it's own safety system in where a person on it couldn't fall off, so that was good, For Dee Dee flying on the star was super comfortable, then again using a warp star was like a dream come true for her so of course she didn't notice any negatives, in fact to here there were none the Star was perfectly safe and could cover a lot of ground, it even gave off light but only a gentle light so it helped in seeing too! Everything about it was quite handy to her, and every time she flew on it she let her bandana play some nice upbeat music, most never heard it of course since she flew high, and she only used the music in safe areas.

Now that they crossed into less safe territory she made her bandana turn the music off she had to keep an ear open for any threats that there could be, as they flew Dee Dee looked around, she had been in New York before, even scavenged the areas around the settlements, but still there was always things to miss and places to hide, but she never considered people to be in there before, she figured most would be to busy trying to survive in the new world and they would rather do that then focus on others, then again some may have seen the new people as a prime opportunity to get things for much less effort, that was a larger worry, if they continued to do this and they started to draw others into it, it could cause a downward spiral of issues.

As they landed Dee Dee waited for Hikari to get off the star Then she and her Friends all opped off and she put the star away, looking around at the place, they all kept their eyes open just in case, but as they got to the wall Dee Dee noticed the marks and tags and raised an eyebrow, some where new.. that was a worry you could tell the new from the old due to the fade and quality of the paint used "That one is new..." she pointed out with her Word bubble, the one Hikari was looking over did in fact look new.

Hikari

Dee Dee looked closer at the mark, the paint was thin and in multiple layers, that would explain a few things, likely they found thinned and combined a lot of the same colors to get it to the point of usability, or they had someone that could make paint but not from a class? Ether way she took note of it in her note book and followed Hikari to the building in question, Dee Dee had her summons keeping an eye out for now, as she took notes on the area, Anything could help figure things out, not to mention if it was a group that regularly operated in the area they may have left something to mark the territory like that tag or something only they would realize was a mark? Something like Survivalists do in the woods to know they came a certain way before.

As they got to the building Dee Dee seen the blood on the door and the ground and nodded a bit, Considering they had run into people here she assumed a fight broke out, but by the way Hikari had informed her about it she assumed it was Hikari and Andy that came out on top, "Hmm.. looks like you guys had a time of it.. Lets go in through the back any security system would be long dead by now, but shops like this usually have a bell or something by the door to go off from the door moving, usually something like just a bell attached to it, or it's a small built in mechanism that sets off a bell from door motion activating a lever, if anyone or anything is in there the back door would be safest" she informed Hikari as she started to circle around.

"You have to remember even if you don't think people are inside, there might be monsters inside, always consider additional means of entry, and consider if the main entrance has something left over from before the flash that could give you away, I have no clue is this place has a bell or not, but why take the chance? Any alarm on the backdoor however? likely damaged or inoperable, granted it could also have a mechanical set up as well but if it does we were gonna make noise going in regardless" she advised Hikari as she got to the back door and found it ajar.

"So you were attacked inside or on your way back out?" she asked as she took out her shield and her Sickle just in case here were more back, her Summons all ready if needed to fight, there could also be a monster inside having moved in and attracted by the scent of blood

Hikari

Dee Dee nodded as she heard Hikari's account and she started to look over the door, it had been pried open "Door was locked at some point but it was wrenched open, a crowbar or something or maybe just a piece of rebar? There is enough laying around to make sue of..." she informed Hikari through the bubble, She looked it over a bit more, "It would have made a lot of noise so it must have been done before you arrived..." she continued It was possible this door was pried open long long before the attempted ambush by some other looters, though the front door looked perfectly serviceable.

Now Dee Dee wasn't an investigator this was about all she could tell from the marks, it was rather obvious it was pried open, and considering Hikari said they were in there waiting it was also obvious it was done before they got there, So with that in mind she peeked in the place, the backroom was dark and empty nothing of use there at all and she stopped a moment, thinking before looking back to Hikari "when you guys went in was there still stuff inside?" the word bubble asked as she looked back at the empty backroom looking around the door for anything that might work as a clue.

The issue here was Dee Dee knew how to hunt but animals left trails without thinking about it, only avoiding things when they were avoiding a predator, humans didn't do that so her hunting experience was rather useful in a way yes but at the same time it also wasn't the best she could do was make up for it with further observation, and it was thanks to this she noticed in the bottom corner of the door a mark like the mark of a Skull with a Floral Crown "That mark is here by the bottom of the door frame..." she added with her word bubble as she pointed it out for Hikari.

Hikari

Dee Dee listened to what Hikari had to say and she nodded a bit likely an accidental noise then they got lucky that it happened, moving in with Hikari Dee Dee looked around, her Summons doing guard duty since a lot of them inside would more hinder then help, The back room was empty but it was rather clear it was emptied if not recently at least after the flash if the more clean area's on the floor where things used to be was any indication, maybe they knocked something over in here and that alerted Hikari and Andy? and so they got rid of it for use again later? or they had supplies here and decided to move it since this area was found? It was hard to guess really.

Hikari mentioned another mark and Dee Dee hopped up a bit to get high enough to see it, she nodded, though she looked at the hinges to the door they looked... clean? she put a finger on them then looked at it, Grease! this confirmed they planned to come back at least, she held her finger for Hikari to see as her word bubble popped up "The hinges on the door were greased recently, and this backroom was emptied out you can tell by the slightly cleaner patches on the floor where things used to be! I think you ether heard a sound from this room when someone was sneaking in and knocked something in here over, or the door made a sound when they opened it... Ether way they seem to have taken Precautions to make sure it didn't happen again.. which means they likely plan to come back"

Dee Dee looked at the door and checked the knob, it was unlocked and it turned very VERY smoothly clearly someone gave it grease and checked it made no sound ether if used carefully, all of this screamed preparation and Hikari mentioned the store had some stuff in it, enough to entice people to look around.. meaning they would spend time moving things and searching which would distract people that came in... if it had a front door bell then anyone hiding in the back room or nearby might hear it and could move in...

Dee Dee stopped for a moment "They may be listening for a sound...like a bell on the front door... Hikari when you two came in from the front was there any sounds when the door opened?" she asked through the Word bubble if they were watching the place then they would likely have left, but if they were in full hidden positions and just listening for the front door to open or a bell to sound if there was one on the front door.. in this quiet area.. that sound could carry a bit, and that's all they would need, and full hiding spots would mean they wouldn't be stopped at all by casual and even careful glances.. one would have to be looking for people in hiding places...

Hikari

Dee Dee thought about what Hikari said "You threatened them to not come back... but why would they listen to that? what were the chances you and Andy would come back here to this random store in the ruins of New York after you already got what you came for? If anything just waiting for you to leave then preparing the area would make a lot more sense, especially if they couldn't beat you, and you two seemingly had no reason to even come back" she pointed out as they looked around.

Though as Hikari asked about the front Dee Dee thought on that too then nodded "Okay lets check it out but don't touch the front door, stay quiet and keep low, I doubt they are watching or we would have heard about them already.. then again if they remember you they might have just run off, but we wanna check the place first.." she advised through the word bubble.

She then carefully opened the door that lead into the store front from the backroom but she stopped with it was only just barely a crack and she checked the top area, there wasn't anything resting on it, and there didn't seem to be a bell or anything, she then opened the door slowly, and it opened without a sound clearly they had gotten it ready so it wouldn't. "Yup... they prepped this door..." she pointed out with text before she moved into the shop proper, even with the darkness in the shop it was obvious there were some items on the shelves Dee Dee creeped forward to look them over and a lot of them looked to dusty.. like dust was put on them to make them look like they belonged..

"This really doesn't look right if someone knew to look for issues with the set up here.." she pointed out pointing to the obviously overdone dust on some of the items on the shelves as her Word bubble showed what she wanted to say, it was rather clear that these items were set here to be looked through.

Hikari

Dee Dee looked at the place and it only pointed to one thing, a trap meant to lure in people, and one that was clearly thought out "Well what were the chances you would ever comeback? After all you seemed to beat them handily in this random store that they just so happened to get into from the back and they failed to sneak up on you and left without a fight... you got what you wanted no doubt and there was no reason to think you would ever comeback, after all who would normally come back to a place like this after they already were here? If you spread information of the place they would find out rather quickly but you can't warn everyone, and some people you warn might not care to warn others, some people are Apathetic to others, it's not that they are malicious they are just more focused on their own issues to bother helping others, and some are just selfish and only look after themselves and those they consider helpful, important, or useful to them" she replied with her Word bubble.

Hikari made a good point but there was another possible answer "Or they have managed to kill everyone they ambushed after all this is set up in a Medium threat zone.. people going missing out here wouldn't be out of the ordinary.. if this was in a low threat zone then maybe it would have been more suspicious, but out here? Many would assume it was just monsters.. also any they do ambush that get away could have fallen prey to any monsters around here if they were injured or forced to split up from the ambush ... Ether of those outcomes would mean no rumors or stories about it being an issue... For all we know you two were the first people that turned the tables on them and got away so they took the gamble that you wouldn't care about others and that you didn't come back... how did you act when you caught them?" She explained and then questioned through her Word bubble.

The sad truth was they put time and thought into this, this wasn't to catch monsters, Monsters wouldn't be looking for most of this stuff, food and the like yeah a monster might look for to eat.. But bandages.. Antibiotic's in sealed containers? Medical Splints, Tourniquets, Crutches, and not just medical stuff, Water purification tablets, Antacids, the place had these things laid out in places that made sense to them and they were not overly stocked, but it was all made to look like it was here a long time, but again a closer look from someone aware that an ambush happened here showed they were too dusty, this was all placed.. and it was all meant to make other people look around and spend enough time inside considering themselves lucky to find such things that they didn't notice the trap being sprung.

Then Dee Dee seen it, a large package of Instant coffee and she tightened her grip on her weapon, Dee Dee normally had a very passive and neutral look on her face but on seeing the instant coffee and remembering the mission her Gardener friend had set up she could feel herself getting angry.. they had been reading the missions to see what to stock... they were ACTIVLY preying on people doing missions...

"They are targetting people doing scavenger missions or getting things to help others..." the word bubble showed as she pointed to the package of Instant Coffee.

Hikari

Dee Dee looked at Hikari and see the smiles she moved closer to Hikari and gently placed her hands on the older woman's cheeks "you shouldn't take joy in killing and hurting others, Eventually you will not be sated with only hurting the evil ones and will start to make up reasons why you should hurt this person or that person.. you will try to justify your actions so you can enjoy hurting more people, I understand the world is harsh now as it is but you should never let yourself take joy in hurting others, you can feel satisfied with ending evil, but you shouldn't get that mixed up with hurting people okay?" the word bubble read as Dee Dee looked into Hikari's eyes, that smile was a worry, Dee Dee had seen her smile already before and it was when she was talking about dealing with those people.

It wasn't a good smile, it was a path down a slippery slope, "I don't mean we shouldn't kill them but only if we have no other choice, but we should NEVER take joy in having to do it" she clarified with the Word Bubble, she didn't learn this on her own of course, she never felt pleasure hurting people, but she had read it in manga, seen it on anime and in games, and on TV, and it may be a story, or a show, or a game, but still it was something she wanted to only STAY in those, and not happen to someone she knew. Especially in a world like this where there were no safeties for things.

She gently released her, not that she was holding on hard, simply resting her hands on Hikari's Cheeks "But I can only give this advice, it's your choice to follow it.. as much as it makes me angry to know they are openly targeting people, I can't let personal feelings get in the way of this, We have to stop them because it's the right thing to do. As for how you treated them before, they likely got the Idea that you wouldn't care if anyone else got caught up in the trap if you were acting vicious and menacingly, after all would a person like that really go tell others? Many would assume not.. they were wrong this time though thankfully"

Dee Dee looked at the instant coffee again, there was one thing they could do.. Spring the trap "We spring the trap... but you will hide in the back ally, I will return my friends for now and then come at this from the front and deliberately walk through the front door like I don't know anything" she looked over to the door and sure enough there was a mechanical bell attached to the door meant to ring when it opened, and by the looks of it, it wasn't placed there as a new thing it was just the one the Store already had, so the people doing this knew not to tamper with that meaning some were likely people that used to at least live in New York, or the US itself

With the plan set Dee Dee looked to Hikari "Go hide and send me a message when your well hidden... I will make it look like I am alone and walk in through the front, when I get in I will bring my friend back out and wait in here, there are lots of places in here for someone as small and light as me to hide" she gave a thumbs up and slowly made her way back to the back door since it would allow them to leave silently.

Hikari