The Search Begins

The next day came with some bad news. A ranger came to the resort to see if anyone had seen the two missing hunters.

Bulma: "No. We haven't seen any hunters."

Kyoraku: "Where'd you say they were last seen?"

Ranger Rick: "Up on north ridge. We've narrowed it down to this area."

Gin: "Well two nights in the wilderness ain't that bad."

Yoruichi: "You did say they had wilderness training, right?"

Ranger Rick: "That's right. But their wives said that they should have been home yesterday the latest. Unfortunately I'm a little short handed right now. I thought I'd come and see if perhaps anyone had seen them."

Krillin: "What are their names?"

Ranger Rick: "Stan and Evan."

Goku: "Well there isn't anyone here by those names that are hunters. But if you'd like, we could help you search. We don't have anything to do and none of us would feel comfortable knowing that there are two men out there possible lost. In fact, my buddy Vegeta here is one hell of a tracker."

Ranger Rick: "If I had more help, I could find them in a few hours. Alright. I appreciate it."

Gohan: "So we'll split into three teams, two having three and the other with only two."

Goku: "Everyone else will stay here and ask around some more."

Ranger Rick: "How good are you?"

Vegeta: "I guarantee you that we'll be the first to find them. All I need is to be taken to the last place they were seen at."

Ranger Rick: "I can do that."

And with that, everyone left to search for the missing men. Ichigo, Toushiro, and Urahara were one team. Goku, Gohan, and Yoruichi were another. The ranger took Vegeta to the hunter's last know spot. Everyone else started asking around the resort. But they weren't the only ones with troubles. At the military lab, a scientist named Erica was reading a test result she got from her mom about her research. Unfortunately, her research involved some deadly creatures. Spiders. Particularly, the ones that have already killed. Erica walked down to her lab while reading the results. The spiders apparently have been fed something she didn't know about. And she was about to find out the whole horrible truth. She saw an air vent smashed open by her lab and noticed that every one of her colleagues were gone.

Erica: "Joe?"

She looked around but no one was around. She thought it was odd.

Erica: "David? John?"

As she walked around a table, she noticed a shoe around the corner. When she looked around the corner, she gasped in fright and disgust as she discovered that a bloody severed leg was laying there.

Erica: "OH!"

Erica took a moment to collect herself and look further around the table. On the other side, she found the bloody dead body of David. When she looked again, she saw Joe's body laying not far from him.

Erica: "Oh, god!"

Suddenly, she heard a gurgling sound. It said help.

Erica: "John? Where are you?!"

She looked around and there in the corner she saw a sack made from webbing.

Erica: "Oh my god..."

As she approached the sack, the voice got louder.

Erica: "Oh my god."

Her other colleague was in there.

Erica: "John...?"

John: "She's hungry..."

Erica went up and started to remove the webbing from around his face.

John: "She... took my legs..."

Erica was in tears as she removed the last bit of webbing from around her friend's face.

John: "She's hungry... Coming back..."

Erica: "Oh my god, John..."

John: "Get out...! She's coming back! ... She's hungry."

Erica: "I'm not leaving you here! Tell me what happened?!"

John: "They... ran out of food... They- They broke loose, they went crazy..."

Erica: "That can't be, there's enough food to last them for weeks!"

John: "It's all gone."

Erica: "H-Hold on John!"

John: "Took my legs... She took my legs."

Erica: "Oh John..."

Blood suddenly poured out of John's mouth as he shivered. And then... He was gone.

Erica: "Oh John. Oh no..."

But a sudden clicking sound snapped her out of it. Erica hid just in time as the black spider ran past on the other side of the lab. Erica ran to a table near the door and hid as she watched the black spider climb up and continue to feed on John's body. She whimpered quietly and tried slinking out of the lab. But she accidentally tipped over a piece of equipment and the spider found her! She ran to another room and locked the door just in time! Meanwhile... Ranger Rick drove over to the last known location of the missing hunters with Vegeta.

Ranger Rick: "Thanks for you and your friends helping out, Vegeta. All of the other rangers are out sick with the flu."

Vegeta: "Yeah."

And Vegeta just had to ask.

Vegeta: "Is your name really Rick?"

Ranger Rick: "That's right."

Vegeta: "And you ARE a forest ranger."

Ranger Rick: "... Yes..."

Vegeta: "So wouldn't that make you 'Ranger Rick'?"

Ranger Rick: "You think a guy who's name is a pun of 'vegetable' would be a little bit more sensitive to funny names."

Vegeta: "You're right, I'm sorry. Actually that's not the worse name I've heard. I knew a guy named Litter."

The ranger just looked at him with a certain face.

Vegeta: "Yes!... And pronounced that way too!"

Ranger Rick: "Heh! Bet you had a lot of fun with that one-"

Vegeta: "More than you can imagine! And that was BEFORE he changed his name."

Ranger Rick: "What'd he change it to?"

Vegeta: "... ... Titter."

Ranger Rick: "... Seriously?"

Vegeta: "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Ranger Rick: "Man... He wasn't very bright, was he?"

Vegeta: "No! With a capital N O!"

Ranger Rick: "What happened to him?"

Vegeta: "... You don't wanna know. So how'd these guys get a permit to hunt up here? Isn't this all restricted land?"

Ranger Rick: "It was, 'till they shut down all of the military posts last year. Now they aren't quite as strict. If it wasn't for the cold winter lab taking over the mountain base there wouldn't be anyone up here except resort ski bums."

Vegeta: "You ever see the inside of that place?"

Ranger Rick: "No. But not from lack of trying. The professor, Dr. Rayas, he's a real piece of work. Ever met a lab nut before?"

Vegeta: "I'm married to one."

Back inside the lab, the black spider hung around the closed door Erica was trapped behind. She tried to call for help with the phone inside the room, but there was no connection. There was a whole group of soldiers outside. If only she could get their attention. That was when she noticed the fire alarm. Outside, the soldiers were playing basketball when the alarm rang out.

Soldiers: "Wha- What?!"

Captain: "Let's go! Gear up!"

As the men geared up, another man in a white lab coat came out. It was Dr. Rayas. He was the head of the whole project.

Rayas: "What's going on?!"

Captain: "Unknown. Alarm's from the lab and there's no communication."

Rayas: "Well isn't Erica suppose to be there?"

Captain: "She past by 20 minutes ago."

Rayas: "Well. I'm sure there's nothing wrong."

Captain: "We're about to find out."

The soldiers and the professor got in the vehicles and headed towards the lab. Meanwhile, Ranger Rick and Vegeta had arrived close to where the hunters were last known. Parked on the side of the road was truck that belonged to one of the hunters. They stopped as this was a good place to start looking.

Ranger Rick: "Well that looks like their truck. Plates match."

Vegeta: "Good place to start."

Ranger Rick: "Let me get the snowmobiles out and we can start."

Vegeta: "I don't need one. I can keep up."

Ranger Rick: "On foot?"

Vegeta: "4 actually. I can run with my hands and feet. Don't ask. Besides, if I'm gonna track them, this is the best way to do it."

Ranger Rick: "Old school... I like that."

The ranger pulled his truck aside and started to unload one of the snowmobiles out as Vegeta started his search by looking for tracks. They were both unaware that they were being watched by something green and eight legged. Meanwhile, the soldiers and the professor arrived at the lab. With guns of every caliber and type locked and loaded, they took their positions at the door and waited for Rayas to open the door. Once the door was open, the soldiers stormed in with weapons drawn and ready. Rayas followed behind them as if nothing was to worry about. Meanwhile, Ranger Rick started up his snowmobile just as Vegeta was ready to go.

Ranger Rick: "I'll take the east ridge you take the west, this shouldn't take long. If you see anything, give me a call."

Vegeta: "Got it."

And they headed off to search for the missing hunters, unaware of the horror they were about to face.