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Sunny Side Up

King walked out from behind a small fountain. His uniform, with crystals embedded in the shoulders and long chains on the pants, almost glowed in the sunlight. He busied his hands constantly shuffling a deck of cards. The couple stood up in a hurry, but he waved them down.

"The next to enter-" he said, solemnly " will be Eleven."

Sure enough another card, Eleven, wedged itself into the rocks. Michael stepped into the light.

"We'd better make this quick, I left Rose at home with Saharah and she's eager to get to where we're going today with Twelve."

Yet another card, a nine, pummeled into the scenery as a black cloaked figure landed in the Onsen with an explosion of water. It stood up straight. His almost totally black clothing made it difficult to distinguish a figure, but his face had a look of complete concentration.

"I got the message." He said, his voice like tombstones grinding concrete.

"I only summoned two more. They should be here in a few moments. First shall be Queen."

A queen card embedded itself near King's and a red figure walked in. She wore a White and black bathing suit, but all her other features were red. She had medium length hair draping around her head, two harlequin-like ears poking out the top. She had a tail about the same length and width of her arm.

"Father." she said, addressing King. She stepped into the waters and took her card.

"And second." King said quietly.

Another card, the two, came out of the shadows. King caught it and flung it back. An orange figure walked into the area and stepped into the waters. She had black bathers on, but her bright red hair accented her the most, moreso than her baby-blue eyes.

"Finally we're all here." King said, finally.

Another card, the Ace, smashed into the rocks, cracking them.

"I didn't think you'd stay away, Ace, but when I say two more, I mean anyone else aint invited." King said loudly.

"You would keep out your best assassin?" Jay asked, walking in from the doors.

King sighed. "Assassins are not required to initiate our newest member."

"It would be wise to at least have the polar opposite number here when we initiate, I AM going to be her teacher and all."

King flipped the deck of cards between his hands across a roughly two foot distance and stopped. "Twelve." he said aloud "You are our first initiate in a very long time. I believe that Ace has told you the current mission for us?"

Cibbie shrugged. "Stop Jack."

"Correct. Though I know who he is, I know not where." King said. "I know you all, from Ace to Queen, and yet I never at any one time know your whereabouts unless you are near each other. Occassionally I can feel his location, but that feeling quickly fades, hiding his true position. Now, before we get into idle chat, let us initiate and then we can proceed with the pleasantries." King flicked a card at Cibbie, who dutifully caught it. "Do you know what this is?

"It is a symbol of who and what we are. We may be small, but together we are great, we are the Dozen. Our cards are our identity, without them we are simple commoners. You are the missing piece in the suit. The initiation starts and finishes when you can get blood on the card." King announced.

Cibbie looked down at the card she had been thrown. Another twelve, only this card had crowns on it and a funny feeling to it. Dutifully she pricked her finger with a blade on her gun and let a drop of blood drip onto the card. Off the card. The drop seemed to roll away just short of hitting the surface. Cibbie closed her cut finger onto the surface of the card leaving a bloodied fingerprint. The card suddenly glowed like sunlight and she threw it back to him.

"Clever." King said, catching the card and shuffling it into the deck. "It took Ace forever to do it."

Queen waded over and sat next to Ten.

"Woah, Ten! Either you need to lay off the cheeseburgers or congratulations are in order!" She said cheerfully.

Ten blushed. "It's congratulations, Queen."

"Who's the lucky man then?" Two asked. Four blushed.

"I am" He mumbled.

The whole group stared at him for a short while before shrugging it off. They spent the next two minutes returning one-another's cards before the group actually using the Onsen sat back and relaxed. Two and Ten chatted, mostly about the pregnancy, Queen and Four listened and Cibbie almost fell asleep, sliding down her seat until Four pulled her back up, cautioning her about drowing in the water. Cibbie carefully stretched and twitched her neck sharply, making a loud crack which made Queen wince.

"That can't be good for you." She said, chuckling.

"It's not." Jay said. "It'll lead to arthritis and all sorts of other problems."

"Oh, really now?" Michael said, a cheeky grin on his face. He cracked his knuckles, all of them, and then his elbows.

"Look, Eleven, if you want to end up an old man who can barely move his hand, fine by me, but don't come crawling to me for sympathy later."

Cibbie found herself drifting in and out of sleep for a few minutes until Queen's voice by her ear made her jump, bringing pain with her sudden movements.

"So this is the new girl, eh?"

Cibbie spun around. She was leaning over Cibbie from the pavement behind her, inspecting the large cuts on Cibbie's shoulder.

"A bit more battleworn than I'd have thought, but King chooses them well." Queen tugged at the cable on her other shoulder "And a little bit different from the rest of us, too. Much like we all are from each other, eh Ten?"

Ten stared straight ahead. "That's for sure, we all have our own disadvantages." She turned her face towards Cibbie, her eyes never focused on anything in between and were a perfect yellow circle in each eye. She smiled brightly. "Ace is incapable of pain, but is also capable of many other things that human bodies can't do naturally and he is incredibly durable."

Jay nodded. "Four can't tolerate cold temperatures, but is able to breathe underwater and can swim unbelieveably fast."

Four scratched his chin. "Eleven is human, and cannot take much damage or survive in certain conditions that we would, but is the most versatile of us and has the most influence as the only public figure of the group."

Michael shrugged. "Nine's useless for recon because he shows up easily on radar, but is extremely strong and has a wide array of powers that control the environment around him."

Nine sighed. "Two gets overly emotional at almost everything because she's a crybaby, but can survive almost any 'fatal' wounds with incredible endurance and resistance to pain, though she does whine about it for days afterwards."

Two, true to Nine's words, shouted: "Shutup, asshole!" And splashed water at him. "Queen is a foolish tomboy who runs headlong into the fray and loves to practical joke, but she's almost invincible and can shapeshift, she also appears to be made of a gelatinous compound."

A giggle by Cibbie's ear got her attention again. "Yup. Ten's blind, however she can hear the slightest thing, giving her almost perfect senses; she also has some wonderful cooking and can find the true nature of anyone she talks to."

"And you, Twelve-" Ten started "Are an Archethal-Polaris hybred. You're shunned by society, but are incredibly resilient and, if I'm not mistaken, are capable of incredible feats; you also have the air of someone with a kind heart, a rare commodity in today's age."

Cibbie giggled slightly. "I'm also at a total loss. It's hard to remember your numbers. I'll get it eventually."

King nodded. "That you will. Each card has it's own value, too. Ace is Pride, Two is Hope, Four is Justice, Nine is Vigilance, Ten is Faith, Eleven is Caution and you, Twelve, are Kinship. Four and Ten are in a relationship, Two and Ace are also a couple."

Cibbie's eyes darted between the two of them, puzzled.

"It's a lot more complicated than you might think." Two sighed. Michael's phone rang.

"What?!" He almost yelled down the line. "Oh- sorry, Rose." He tugged his collar theatrically as the group chuckled at his expense. "What is it? An emergency at our destination today? I'm not going to say it out loud, she's right here! Alright, I'll get her there, you meet us at the front counter. Ok. Love you too, see you then!" He clicked his phone closed. "I know it's been a long time since we've gotten together like this, but I gotta break up the party, I've got urgent business at our planned destination today and the instruction is to show up wih Twelve or not at all."

Cibbie sighed. "Ok, I'll go get changed."

She stood up to go, but Ten grabbed her hand.

"Listen, girl; you've got to wash after you've been in a large body of water with many other people like this. There are minerals and sand in the water that can clot your fur because we have not used soap. Promise me you'll go clean up first." She said.

Four chuckled. "Maternal instincts are interesting, you've barely known her an hour and you're acting like her mother." He scruffed Ten's hair. "Shouldn't be much longer though, hun."

Michael shook his head. "No, Twelve's mother was almost ignorant of her children. What Ten is doing is being like the mother Twelve never had." he said, gloomly. "As far as families go, only mine has proven to be more dysfunctional."

"We are all children of someone, but we are all together a family of our own, aren't we father?" Queen mumbled.

"Indeed. Now two of our family must leave for a while, and I must also take my leave." King said.

"So soon?" Two asked, saddened.

"Time waits for no man." He replied. "And room two fifty nine is in quite a messy state, Markas will be quite upset if I'm absent for too long. I'll chat with you all at another time." And with that he left.

"We'll be here at this hotel for a fair while yet, so if you want any help, drop by room two twenty three, okay?" Ten said.

Cibbie nodded. "Thanks, Ten." and walked out of the clearing.

"Cute kid." Four stated. "Keep good care of her for us, Eleven. Innocence is not a common thing to stumble upon, keep her that way until she's ready to know the truth."

Michael grinned. "We're good at keeping secrets, but..."

Cibbie stepped into the elevator and slumped against the wall heavily. What had her father been doing, involved in some group like this?! The doors opened and she stepped out, hurrying to her room.

King stopped Cibbie in the hall right outside her room. "Hey, listen..."

"Yes, King?" she asked, innocently. King smiled happily.

"Welcome to the family." He shook her hand and walked off, pushing a cleaning trolley as he walked.

Michael and Cibbie materialised in a large administration room roughly an hour later. The room was devoid of almost everything but a male Feline at the counter. He wore a plain black business suit which blended in with the surroundings well, as most everything was black. A large set of letters above the counter said 'Administration' in bright yellow. There were a few plants around the room, mostly ferns, but only one door other than the entrance. They walked up to the counter.

"Hello, Felix." Michael said.

Felix looked up. "Ah, Mr. Starfury! You're here on time and you brought the VIP. If you could just sign this here I'll go get the Broodmistress."

Michael signed a sheet he was handed and Felix walked out the door. Panicking people could be seen rushing about for the split second it was open. A few moments later the door opened again and Felix walked out ahead of a female Draconid. Tall, muscular and red, she had claws on her fingertips and horns adorning her head. A long slender tail draped down from her back and her steel-toed digitigrade shoes thumped lightly with each step. She held in her arms a green mass which Cibbie could almost hear growling with every clomp.

"Broodmistress Melissa!" Michael said, happily. "How lovely it is to see you again. How is the Mother?"

"She is well, Starfury." She said in the tone of someone who deals with royalty for a living. "I trust you are well also?"

"Oh yes." Michael said. "Mistress, allow me to introduce you to her highness Sybil 'Cibbie' Heritance, head of the destroyed Archethal throne."

"Pleased to meet you, miss." Melissa said flatly. "I advise caution on these grounds, we are not a safe facility for probing minds."

Cibbie nodded, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms-"

"Broodmistress will be fine." Melissa butted in. "I run a fairly informal ship, but I'd like at least a little leeway."

"O-of course, Broodmistress." Cibbie mumbled, taken aback.

Michael leaned in close. "And who is this little bundle?" he asked.

The green mass untangled itself, two wings, a tail with a large sharp blade on the end, four legs and a snouted head. Its pink eyes looked Michael up and down wearily before it hissed, bearing sharp teeth and a pair of large fangs. Melissa slapped it on the head lightly to discipline it.

"My last died a few weeks ago in the... Accident; and I had this little one on request. She's my new personal drake, hatched only a few minutes ago. I'm at a loss for naming her, as I'm used to having a red, which are easier to name." Melissa said, tugging the creature's horns playfully.

"Ah, yes; I forgot about that, I'm so sorry for bringing it up. Well, greens are venomous, so why not simply call her Venom?" Michael said, rubbing his hand along the animal's back. She churred happily at the sensation.

Melissa seemed to contemplate for a few moments. "Yes, I believe that should suffice." And pulled the animal's head to her face. "Venom." She said in a commanding tone. It stared for a moment, gave a toothy grin and curled back up. "She'll sleep alot today, but I'll not let her far from my sight." She turned and nudged the door open with her foot. "Come now, we have much to do; and my sister is in a good mood today so you should be able to see her."

They walked through the door, which clicked shut behind them, into another large room. Large boxes lined the walls, about five high, with eggs about the size of basketballs in each one. People were running everywhere, carrying little bundles of varying colour or eggs.

"What's the fuss about, Broodmistress?" Michael asked. "You're usually so calm and quiet down this end."

A passing draconid, who had nothing in her hands, was tripped up by the Broodmistress' tail. She struggled to her feet with an apologetic look on her face.

"Yes, Broodmistress?" she said, hurriedly. "This needs to be quick, egg four ninety eight is hatching and I'm responsible for him."

"What's the situation with egg three thirty four?" Melissa barked.

The woman rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a panel. "Still unhatched. We've tried everything, Mistress, it just won't break!"

"Alright, off you go." Melissa said, patting the girls shoulder and watching her rush off. "Dammit, this hasn't happened before, and if we don't succeed in getting her out, she'll suffocate..."

"What's wrong?" Cibbie asked.

Melissa looked at her in a motherly way. "Alright, I'll give you the basic information. Here, in this facility, we hatch and sell Dragons. Well, that's not quite true, we sell Drakes, which are smaller and easier to feed, not to mention train. Drakes come in a wide variety of colours, from Red to Gold, and occasionally Black or White." She led them down the hall. "Each colour represents the type of Drake they are. Hotter colours, like red, yellow and orange are fire Drakes, and can breathe fire." While she talked, they walked past a handler holding a small drake blowing fire five feet before a sharp slap on the head got it to stop and eye the keeper accusingly. "Colder colours, such as blue and purple, can breathe ice and freeze things, however they are rare.

"Greens and Browns have venom sacs and are highly poisonous. We get a sample of each poisonous drake's venom when they are born to work on antivenoms, and we 'nullify' the venom sacs with an injection of a potent yet reltively harmless acidic compound, as removing the teeth can cripple the drake's development; we also teach them never to envenomate unless they are ordered to or their master is in danger. Whites and Blacks, which are the rarest of all, have the combined abilities of two of the three other colours. Drakes are born with large wings for flight and the spiked club or, in Venom's case, blade is used to break it's way out of the egg. If the drake is unable to do so, we usually smash the egg manually. However, about five months ago - the gestational time needed for a Drake is five months - the Mother layed a black shelled egg. Most eggs are white, or an off white colour. Though we worried that this egg was bad, and that the young inside was already dead, we kept it anyway. Today we heard scratches and cries, but when we X-rayed the egg, the drake inside had no club or blade on the end of her tail. She has both ice and fire glands, telling us she was a white or black, but she has no way to get out herself. We've been trying to break the egg open, but it's incredibly hard and we've not even cracked it. Ah, here we are." She put her hand against a panel on the wall and a clunk was heard, opening a door. They entered into another big room, but the size of the room was only the tip on the iceberg. "Miss Heritance, I introduce you to the Broodmother." She said, holding a hand up to the room.

A huge dragon, her scales pitch black, lay semi curled up, her enormous head, framed in horns and two massive ears looking in Cibbie's direction. She growled lightly as she watched Cibbie stare in stunned silence. For almost a whole minute Cibbie stood before snapping out of it and reaching forward with her hand. She slid her palm along the dragon's snout, the scales felt like silk under her touch. The Broodmother cooed lightly, but didn't break her growl.

"She's beautiful." Cibbie sighed breathlessly.

Melissa smiled. "It's customary to bring in new broodmaidens to meet her. We can also bring in potential owners for her blessing, though that is usually only for when we think that the owner is a bit shady. Several of our promotions require you to spend a night in here with her. Most who come in here usually say 'she's huge!' but very few first say that she's beautiful." She walked over to the huge dragon and put her hand on the massive head. "What do you think, Shan'any?"

The dragon looked Cibbie up and down, gave a grin that would cause heart attacks, and nodded. A forked tongue wider than Cibbie's head snaked out and licked her on the face.

"Oh!" Melissa said, shocked. "She likes you, Miss. She even smiled, meaning you're a worthy candidate for a drake."

Cibbie smiled. "I'm not sure I'd know how to care for one, really." Michael slapped her across the back of her head.

"We have a whole regiment of Drake tamers at the guild, I'm sure they'd not mind giving you some helpful advice if you adopted, they're a friendly bunch." He told her. "And we can install drake care programs on Terry."

Melissa slapped a palm to her face. "Speaking of which, I was supposed to ask how Snowball was doing?"

Michael shook his head. "She's fine, but you should really ask her keeper. Miss Ironfall has really been dying to ask you for advice, but has been unable to get in contact, what with Snowball with a broken leg and all."

"Is that so? I'll have to drop by some time, it's been a long time since the drakes there got a good physical."

They chatted for a while, mostly about the Drake regiment at the Guild, while Cibbie looked about the room. A young Broodmaiden rushed in holding the pitch black egg; she didn't seem to be much older than her late teens, and she was holding the egg like it were made of some rare and fragile substance. She got a few metres away before she tripped, throwing the egg in their direction with a squeal. Cibbie and Melissa both dove for it, and Cibbie caught it inches from the ground. They stood back upright, Melissa with an angry look on her face.

"Dammit, April, how many times have we drilled into your heads don't run with eggs!" Melissa yelled.

"Sorry Broodmistress." she said, looking at her feet apologetically. "We've tried everything, Mistress, even shooting the egg but we've not even scratched it. She's suffocating in there!"

Cibbie looked down at the egg, and then at her gun. The hidden blades slid out with a loud smack and started humming.

"Back at the hotel, my blades cut through unbreakable bullet proof glass like it was made of paper... Maybe I could help here?" she asked.

Melissa shrugged. "At this point, we're desperate. Anything is worth a try."

Cibbie handed the egg to the young broodmaiden. "Hold it still please." she said. "If this works I don't want to cut the little one." She swung her gun up above her head, and then in a smooth downwards motion sliced a long gash right into the eggshell. They could hear squealing inside, but not of pain. She swung back upwards on an angle, and then across, carving a large section out of the egg. The section fell onto the floor with a clack and Michael picked it up.

"It looks like it's composed of pure carbon!" He barked. "What have you been eating?" He asked sarcasitcally, looking to the Broodmother, who turned her face to one side and looked away from him.

Melissa reached in and pulled the little drake out, her four legs flailing as she wailed. She was a pure, almost glowing white, with small wings and only two short horns on her head, which curled back partially behind her ears. There was no club or blade on the tip of her tail, and unlike the other drakes Cibbie had seen around, she had no larger protective scales, looking more like a large lizard with horns and wings than a Drake. Cibbie swooned.

"She's so adorable!" she said.

Melissa took a bottle off the belt around her shoulders and put it in the squealing drake's mouth. "April, bring me a carrier bag for Venom, will you?" The girl nodded.

"Yes Broodmistress." And hurried off into the previous room. While she was gone Melissa examined the drake critically.

"Hmm, she is almost an evolutionary throwback." She said. "Her front feet are paws, not hands, and her wings have nowhere near the size needed to allow her to fly. She's devoid of any Protective Scales. But..."

Michael looked puzzled. "But what?" he urged. The girl came back and helped Melissa into the carrier before she responded, Venom now safely on her back.

"Look at her horns, she's missing the Gender Slits, and if she's supposed to be a Royal, her horns are undeveloped." Melissa pulled the bottle away and opened the drakelet's mouth. "AND she's got venom fangs! This is an anomaly my expertise cannot explain, a White with the characteristics of all yet none of the drakes? It's like our Broodmother has laid another, smaller Broodmother. But she's too small to be one. With no protective scales she can't become a Guild unit, so her venom sacs will have to be nulled out so that she'll be safe for households."

"How much do you charge for Drakes?" Cibbie asked, out of the blue.

"Oh? About fifteen hundred credits. We housetrain and other sorts of important things for free, mostly because we're the only people who know how to do it and the Guild'd take command of this place if we didn't do it free." Melissa replied. "Housepet Drakes are usually bought with five weeks notice so we can give it a name and reserve it, but this little one was reserved for the Guild and now she's next to useless."

Cibbie turned to Michael. "Sir? Could I?"

"Hm?" Michael blundered quizzically.

"May I have her? She's nowhere else to go, and I am part of the Guild anyway?" She asked, hopefully.

Michael put a hand to his chin. "We'd have to move you out of the hotel and into a dormitory in the guild eventually, and it's not like we don't have loads of free dorms in the Drakewing dormitories anyway... But fifteen hundred credits is a lot of money, I couldn't get away with spending that much on you in one go, our spending department'd have a royal fit..." Michael suddenly stopped and grinned. "However, the your parents did leave behind a rather large amount of credits in their account, and I asked that it not be liquedated, I wonder if we could use that..."

"Do you know the account number?" Melissa asked. "Get me the number and I can smooth over any legal bumps, one of my relatives has his paw in quite a large legal pie."

"No, but I do know someone who does." Michael finished, grabbing his mobile. He waited for a moment or two before it picked up on the other end. "Hello, Saharah? It's me, Michael. Yeah, we're at the Roost. Rose is in the foyer? Ok, we'll go pick her up in a minute. Tell me, do you have the details for the Heritance bank account in your memory? You do? That's great! SMS it to me, would you? Thanks much. I'll see you when I get back. What? Why'd I want to know? We've got a Drake that was in the queue for the Guild's Drake unit which isn't suitable and Cibbie's said she'll adopt it. Yep, you too. See you then." and hung up. His phone beeped a minute later on their way back to the foyer. "Ok, I have your details on my phone, let's start the paperwork when we get to the foyer."

They stepped back into the black foyer and Rose bounded up to them like a puppy when its owner comes home.

"Hello!" she said loudly. Venom stirred. Melissa shushed her.

"You'll wake Venom!" She stated, agitated. "Honestly, I told you last time to keep quiet, we have newborns here!"

Rose cringed. "Oh, right, sorry Broodmistress, I forgot." she breathed. "Anyway, what're we all doing out here again?"

Cibbie smiled brightly. "I'm adopting a drake! This little white one, in fact." She scratched the drake behind her ear, making her coo as she suckled on the bottle.

Rose leaned in close to the white drake, examining her critically. "She's cute." She said.

"Thankyou." Melissa said, pulling some sheets from the counter.

"Not you!" Rose laughed.

"Alright, Miss Heritance, if you could just read these and sign your name at the bottom I'll get you the Drake's statistics." Melissa said, sliding a pen and some sheets to her on the desk befoe walking back out the door. Cibbie read the sheets, mostly stuff about liablility if the Drake maims anyone etc, etc. She signed her name at the bottom as Melissa walked back in. "Ok, now you just need to fill in the blanks, such as the account you'll be using when you purchace the Drake, the animal's name and a postal address."

Cibbie looked to Michael. "Uh...?"

"Postal address is to my office, Michael Starfury, Hunter's Guild HQ office inbox 26. Your account number is 278 986 7753 in the Alliance Bank."

Cibbie scribbled these down quickly, filling in her Name, Age and Species. Most of the sheet was filled in, but she came to a complete loss with the name of her new Drake. "I've no idea what to call her!"

The next five minutes were spent picking names out of a hat until she got one she liked. Amanda. She finished the sheet, signed the bottom and handed it back. Melissa signed and stamped them all and moved to file them into the desk, but not before almost double-taking at the writings Cibbie had scribbled down. Not that they were messy, or badly spelled, but they were almost all in Archethal! She shrugged and filed the papers.

"It'll be a few days before you can come and actually pick up your drake to take her home, but you can handle her for now if you'd like."

Cibbie reached over and tenderly took little Amanda from Melissa's unresisting hands. Melissa handed her a bottle and Cibbie promptly began feeding her, resting the little body against her gun. She was just beginning to enjoy herself when the doors to the outside world barred themselves shut loudly. Venom wailed at the sudden outburst of loud noise.

"What's going on?" Michael asked.

Melissa looked at the computer monitor on the desk. "Someone' s activated a lockdown! No-one gets into or out of the building!" She prodded the touchscreen a few times.

"Where'd it originate?" Rose asked, cracking her knuckles.

"The Mother's room!" Shouted a broodmaiden who popped her head in the door. "There's an intruder in the Mother's room!"

Melissa looked up in a panic. "This has never happened before!" She said, frantically. "C'mon, let's go!" Melissa put little Venom into the maiden's arms and ran on, Cibbie found another maiden who had no Drakelet and handed her Amanda, instructing her to follow them. They ran down the hall, past crying Drakes and silent eggs, worried maidens and busy keepers til they came to the Mother's room. Melissa slammed her hand against the panel on the wall and the doorway clicked open and they rushed inside. A male humanoid Dragon stood, roughly seven foot tall, with his hand on the Broodmother. His red skin shone in the light, catching each of his well toned musles. He had two short wings, unlikely to carry him in any sort of flight, and horns like a ram -Royal's horns that curved around behind his head. His only clothes a pair of tattered pants. He seemed to not notice their arrival.

"Hey! Get away from her! It's dangerous for the uninitiated!" Melissa shouted. "Rose!"

Rose sped like a bullet right at the intruder, pulling back a fist. She got within metres of getting him before he spun around and caught her on the chin with his lenghty tail, flooring her. He flowed the movement around and pinned her to the ground. Michael walked up to him, standing between the intruder and the Broodmother and raised his gun.

"You may be able to outmaneuver Rose, but let's see you outdo a Sparkplug round. Give it up or I'll send your limbs across the far wall."

The intruder slid Rose across the room on her back and stood upright. "General Michael Starfury. Leader of the Hunter's Guild. Reclaimer, Butcher, Flashbang, Sparkplug Starfury. Father of Felrose." He growled.

"It's nice to know someone knows all my nicknames, but who the hell are you?!" Michael demanded.

The intruder smiled. "The Mother recognises me, and I'm sure the Mistress will too." he said, proudly. "Don't you, dear sister?"

Broodmistress Melissa simply stared, open-mouthed at her intruder. "F-Flare?!" She stammered. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?!"

"Why, visiting my two closest relatives, of course." he replied.

Rose stood up and shot Flare a dirty look. "Flare Wingspan the Brushfire, Riptear Flare, Monster of the Mutenagenix war!" She growled. "Released from prison four days ago. You have some nerve showing your face here!"

Flare looked unnerved. "I did my time, and I paid a hefty price for my actions in the war." He said, irritably "But so has everyone else. I come here only to visit my little sisters and ask for a position in their fine esablishment."

"A position I'm willing to give, unfortunately-"

"Unfortunately she is not in any poition to give you one." Came the booming voice of Hazard from the door. "Brother."

"I see that my arrival has not gone unnoticed by you, Hazard." Flare growled.

"You are in no position to talk to me on a first name basis today, Flare!" Hazard spat. "Or should I be calling you the Kinslayer?"

"Don't call me that!" Flare roared, charging at Hazard, who simply stepped to one side. Bane, standing behind Hazard grabbed Flare by his face, lifting him off the ground. Flare's struggles and kicks simply bounced off Bane's frame. "You made more monstrous creatures than us?" Flare asked coldly. "You fools."

"We did not make these two or their kin, nor did we condone the actions of the man who did. However, you are now in only one position, the position of someone who needs to give a good reason as to why I should not have Bane here crush your skull." Hazard calmly replied.

The Broodmother angrily slammed her front hand into the ground where Bane stood. Bane, however, caught the massive dragon's hand above him, the concrete below his feet cracking loudly. "I find this position no less unsafe than before you attacked me, Broodmother, I suggest you remove your hand before something unfortunate would occur." He growled.

"Stop!"

They all turned, even Bane, to Cibbie, who had screamed out. "Just stop..."

"You allow a Polaris in here?!" Flare outraged, motioning to Cibbie. "I'll kill it for you!" He managed to writhe out of Bane's grip and rushed her. Cibbie, panicked, unsheathed the blades in her gun and practically threw it at his oncoming head. The blades nicked his ears as his face slotted in. Flare growled, baring his teeth and swung at her. The collision of his fist with the top of her ribcage not only made her discharge her gun with a stunning charge of energy, but also threw her across the room into the wall. Flare fell to the ground, knocked out from the shot to the face. A card flew through the door and embedded itself in the wall Cibbie had been thrown against. Cibbie coughed blood onto the floor and glanced up at it. Ten. Michael smiled as Ten ran past him. He lifted his phone, showing it to Cibbie and wiggled it lightly from side to side. Ten knelt down next to Cibbie and put an ear to Cibbie's chest.

"I don't hear anything broken, but it sounds like you ruptured a blood vessel in your windpipe." She said before turning around. "Broodmistress, we require medical aid!"

Melissa walked over slowly and sat down next to Cibbie, thumping aganst the wall heavily. "You told me nothing about the Cards."

Cibbie coughed, tears filling her eyes. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."

Melissa slapped her upside the head. "You dolt, I'm great friends with several of them, you think I care if you're in the Dozen?!" She reached up and opened a box above her, pulling out a small tub of something green. "Here, open the lid and inhale deeply and this'll seal the wound. It'll be healed in about ten minutes." Melissa handed her the tub and leaned back, eyeing Flare. "That's the first time anyone has shot him in the face." She sighed. "Faith, how're you doing? I've not seen you in ages."

Ten blushed. "I'm doing fine." she said, patting her stomach. "This'll severely sap my strength though, I'll need to rest in the Onsen again."

Melissa smiled. "Pregnant, eh? Finally I can see you as a superior."

"Superior?" Faith asked.

"The strength and courage needed to make it through pregnancy are huge. I never made it, I'm just not the Maternal type I guess." Melissa replied. She sighed heavily. "Good luck, Faith, you're going to need it."

Faith laughed. "I think that Twelve is the one who needs luck. Injured twice in almost as many days."

Melissa's head tilted. "Twelve?"

Cibbie raised her arm. "That's me." She choked. "Also, while we're on the subject of children, if you ever let your baby go while you're on a road Faith, I'll kick your ass."

Faith laughed. "This is the start of either a beautiful friendship or a bitter rivalry. Either way, I'm going to love knowing you, Twelve."

Cibbie extended her hand. "I know your name," she said "It's only fair you know mine." Faith shook her hand. "I'm Cibbie Heritance."

Faith smiled. "Faith Starbrook; Four is my husband, Silence, but we all call him Hush." A deep growl behind her made her turn. "The beast wakes." she said.

Flare slowly got onto all fours. As his strength returned, he stood up, eventually cracking his neck before he opened his eyes. He bared his teeth.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance!" he yelled, charging at Cibbie again. Melissa stood up and grabbed his shoulders, using his momentum to hurl him across the room. This didn't dissuade him, and he simply charged again. Melissa whistled and fifty odd Broodmaidens stormed the room. Melissa threw Flare over them, who stood between him and Cibbie. Melissa walked through them and stood infront of her brother.

"This Polaris happens to be a friend of mine, AND one of the Dozen. If you really want to try this again, I'm game, but I'd like to see even you get through us all." Behind the group Cibbie stood up. Flare simply grinned.

"It wouldnt be so hard, grab you and hold you as a meat shield until I'm through the crowd and then throw you away like a ragdoll. Even my fellow Dozen are defeatable!"

Cibbie waded through the group and stood next to Melissa. "It's me you want, it's me you'll get." she said. Her eyes started to glow a faint red. "Melissa, stand back."

Flare pounded towards them, teeth bared, fist ready to swing. He swung, missing Cibbie as she ducked, then arced her gun upwards, blades extended, cutting gashes along his arms. Flare lashed out again, swinging around with his tail and feet, trying to catch her, but she just kept dodging each swing, slashing another cut into his frame. He stood back, panting heavily and she just stood there, not even slightly worn down. Cibbie sheathed the blades in her gun and turned around, and Flare took his chance to strike, claws ready to rip flesh off of her. He swung, and she crouched below him, spinning around and planting the entire end of her gun into his gut, winding him. The barrel flared and he jolted. She dropped him on the floor, knocked out again from a stunning charge. Cibbie's eyes stopped glowing as she straightened up. "And stay down." she said over her shoulder. Hazard walked over until he was standing next to Flare.

"Goddammit, Flare. What's gotten into your head?" He said sadly. "You were so calm and collected once, has prison dulled your mind? Or are you just so saddened that we did not see your leave of that godawful place that you go into a fitful rage? Even I may be unable to stop you in the future... I don't want my eldest brother to die at the hands of Bane." Hazard stood in silence for a minute or two. "I deny your application to the Den. You have suffered too much to be here, a place of nurture. I shall have to find you an adequate place to vent your frustrations."

Michael stepped forth, holstering his gun. "Mayhaps the Argos Facility, as deep Locale wing security personnel?"

Hazad shook his head. "There are too many of the Stupendis and Horribillius innocents underdeveloped there. He'd have to take up point in the Mech wing, and even highly trained units are in great danger there, what with the rogue security androids and all."

Michael pushed Hazard. "I'm not having him on the front lines, he would be a morale drain, not boost."

"The Kinslayer on the front lines? I would not put him back there, he suffered enough for more than ten people at the conclusion to the Mutenagenix wars." Hazard replied to the stimulus, pushing back. "He's too dangerous for anywhere but prison, he doesnt deserve to go back there." Hazard, suddenly hit with a good idea, slapped his forehead. "I'm so stupid!" he said loudly. Venom stirred.

"Hazard!" Melissa warned. "Volume!"

"I could put him in the military training routine!" Hazard said, flustered. "He needs retraining and to be disciplined again, where better?"

Michael shook his head sadly. "Where the hell would you put him? He's too strong for regular recruits, but Jay's class has Cibbie booked in for the next few months and he goes crazy at the sight of her."

"That's the perfect class then!" Hazard said. "Where better than where he can learn who is and isnt our enemy?"

"It'd be hypocritical." Melissa said. "'Kill these things, but not this one.'"

"Jay's class'd be perfect, it'd be like putting a hungry dog in a room full of pies out of reach because he has a short leash tied to his neck." Michael said. "He could try and do as much damage as he wanted, but with Jay there the worst he could do is hurt himself; which is exactly what we want. He practically disciplines himself."

Flare stirred. Turning his head and looking at Hazard's feet. "I'm on the floor again." He grumbled.

"That you are." Hazard said. "I am placing you in the Military training routine for the next few months. If you show no improvement in your mental and discpilinary state I shall have to have you decommissioned permanately." Hazard pulled Flare to his feet with little effort. "You shall be joining your classmates, of whom include Highness Sybil Heritance."

Flare's jaw dropped. "You'd put the Archethal royal line in a class in the military?!"

Cibbie walked past him, holding Amanda. "If you don't mind, sir, I practically put myself in there." She said.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Flare said, rudely. "SHE'S-"

"The current ruler of the Archethal throne; she became queen almost entirely because she's the only one of her species left." Hazard said. "You've attacked royalty twice. When we were little, you'd have gotten a severe beating for that. However we are not little anymore, and instead you have gotten a light beating." Hazard pulled a rag out of a pocket and gave it to Flare. "Wipe the blood off yourself. You shall be joining your classmates in Roy Jay's class. No harm can come to the students of his class, it's a noted fact, and you shall not be any more than a reason for them to punch lighter. Hopefully you shall be brought back to the person we remember you being before the war."

Flare licked the blood off the back of his hand. "And if I don't?"

"We have no place for monsters, Flare. I may have started the war, but I did no worse than obey the orders of those who had greater militaristic knowledge than I. Nor did the humans. You, however, disobeyed all our teachings, everything our fathers and mothers taught us, and turned on us simply becuase you had a difficult choice to make. You were a true monster of war." Hazard sighed. "As further punishment and orders, you are on guard duty, you are to protect Miss. Heritance. Should you turn against your subject, temination shall result. Do I make myself clear?"

Flare sighed defeat. "Yes, Mr. Wrathgaze."

Hazard turnd to Cibbie. "You!" he said, angrily. Cibbie stepped back as Hazard walked up to her, reaching out. To her surprise, his hand whipped down and scratched Amanda behind her ear. "I heard that your P.R.A. looks like me." He smiled. "You're a cute kid, you know that?" He looked up at the Broodmother. "And you, little missy!" He snapped and she turned her head away. "Don't do that again. Honestly, to think you'd do such a thing while your eldest brother and sister are watching. Disgraceful." He waved over his head as he walked out. "Don't forget to write, I do love to hear from you. I'll send little Venom a birthday present in a short while."

Michael patted Flare on his shoulder. "You dodged a bullet there, boy. If you're not careful, he'll make sure you can't dodge the next."

Flare rubbed his forehead. "This is almost torture, I've got to keep this... Girl alive as well as myself?"

"Correct." Michael finished. He motioned Bane over. "Bane shall escourt you to your quarters."

Flare hung his head and walked out of the room, trailed closely by Bane. Melissa scolded the Broodmother for attacking guests, apparently not the first time she had done so, and the Broodmaidens left. Hazard had returned to talk with Michael about something, and Faith stepped up next to Cibbie who was busy cradling a sleeping Amanda in her arms. Faith gave a stern face.

"You've adopted, hm?" She asked.

Cibbie nodded. "She's so cute, and she'd have been in the military if she were normal anyway."

Faith sighed and grabbed Cibbie by her horn, tugging painfully. "None of us are normal, remember? Everyone is different, everyone is special."

Cibbie's ears drooped and her face followed suit. "Except me." She said. "I'm worse than abnormal; I'm a monster."

As one person, the whole room sighed. Faith tugged on the horn she had ahold of again.

"I don't want to hear that!" She said. "You adpoted a hatchling Drake not because she's different but because you think she's cute. You looked through the differences and saw what she is. She's small and adorable, she may be different to the others but does that really matter?"

Cibbie shook her head. "Not really."

"And if I ask the people in this room if the way you look changes how they think of you, how will they react?" Faith said to the room in general.

Hazard scratched his head. "At first I thought you were an enemy, but I talked to you, got to know you and now know what you are."

"I too thought that you were an enemy, but I heard the evidence and got to know why you are." Michael kicked in.

Melissa shrugged. "Hey, you gave me a favourable first impression, you adopted a drake because it was cute and not for what it can do, I know who you are."

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but Michael butted in. "Rose likes anyone, so long as they don't attack her or steal her stuff."

Cibbie looked about the room, then to Faith. Faith, despite being blind, could give a stare that felt like drills boring into your flesh.

"We met at an onsen. I've never seen you, but I've heard you and talked to you. I am possibly the best person to talk to about others. Faces can lie. Eyes can lie. Words can lie. People can lie, but you cannot lie to me, I can hear exactly what is said, a great blessing when you're blind and people try to take advantage of you. You've got some good friends, and you've gone through hell, but you're not a freak because of it. You're durable. Remember that it's not how you look or how smart you are, it's what's in your heart that matters most."

Cibbie sniffed back tears and slowly nodded. She cradled Amanda for a short moment, handed her to a Broodmaiden who had stayed in the room and left with Michael and Rose. As the door clicked shut, Melissa grabbed Faith by her shoulder.

"You big softie." Melissa humoured.

For a short while they stood in an awkward silence before Faith shot out a topic of converation. "The word has gone out that Pride's daughter Priss is going to be of age to choose a companion race today."

"Oh?" Melissa probed, half interested. It was rare indeed when she got interested in anything other than the Den, being the head Broodmistress meant busy days and sleepless nights, often for days at a time, and she'd quickly become married to her work. She hadn't gone out to a function in over five years.

"Indeed, the selection is going to be Thursday according to Hush. She's set some rather strange rules for the process. She's treating the occasion more like she's selecting a mate than a partner race." Faith said.

Melissa chuckled. "Maybe she is using the occasion to select her mate? Many animals do different things to select the one they trust their future breed to."

"Well, we'll know tomorrow." Faith said. "We've been invited by Pride, and I believe you have been invited too."

"I shan't be going, the Den needs me."

A sound, deep like oceans and as loud as a freight train boomed around the room. The Broodmother was laughing! Faith covered her ears until the sound subsided and Melissa stared in wonderment.

"She's never laughed like that!" She said loudly; then, projecting to the massive dragon: "What's so funny!?"

The Broodmother craned her head down low and quietly growled some words, using a private language the sisters had created to converse without interruption. Melissa, however, looked angry.

"What'd you mean go?!" she said in a huff. More words were growled. "Fine!? Have you seen some of these girls handle your eggs? If it weren't for me they'd be accidentally killing young Drakes left and right!" The Broodmother's face gave a weird look as she tried to imagine this, then she grew serious and looked directly at Melissa.

"Melissa;" the Broodmother said, her voice deeper than a Bass singer, yet feminine in its own way "the Den shall be fine for a single night. You've been my most loving sister, but you're denying yourself life." Melissa went to complain again, but the Broodmother raised a massive hand. "No, no complaining. You gave up on a child for me, you've given up on the company of others for me and if there is anything I want more than your company through my life is your happiness. You deserve to mingle with others. Take little Venom with you, she shall need socialising with people. The Den shall be fine, I will take control for the night."

Melissa looked horrified. "I can't ask you to do that! You've got enough to deal with without having to keep an eye on the Broodmaidens!" She flustered "They don't feed the Drakes properly unless I mix the food, and several of them are extremely clumsy!"

The Broodmother smacked the ground loudly. "Listen!" she said, her voice audibly louder, and angrier. "You're the one who has put these lovely young girls into their particular position, and I've been watching them while you are busy elsewhere. You're a wonderful boss, but you're a terrible mother! Many of the egg Matrons are better at handling newborns than the experienced Handlers are, and I've seen some mix a rather good batch of feed, too! You should be defending your job less and paying better attention to your charges!"

Melissa's mouth opened in amazement.

"Besides;" The Broodmother continued "I want you to go. I shall have April take command."

"But April is clumsy!"

"She's clumsy with eggs and food alike, but have you had a conversation with her? She'd give you a run for your money handling this place." Then, with a calm deliberate motion snapped her fingers loudly. Several Broodmaidens ran into the room, and she tapped one of the cluster on the head, waving the others away. "April." she said. "I am having you removed from egg duty."

The girl who had tripped earlier looked horrified. "I-I'm sorry!" she half bellowed, almost in tears. "I didn't mean to-" she was cut off as the Broodmother flicked her head.

"Instead you are being put into a higher role." She said. "I'm making you Melissa's direct assistant. You shall help her with Venom while she is young and help maintain the order in the Broodmaidens." April, dumfounded, stared open-mouthed at the Broodmother.

"I..."

Melissa, now defeated, walked and stood next to April, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Today I'll be teaching you how to maintain order with the others. It's an important task, as they're likely to stand about and do nothing otherwise. I shall also show you how to fill paperwork for an adoption and how to mix feed. You shan't be feeding Drakes, but you shall be required to know how to feed them and the correct mixture of food."

Faith stood up and waved at them. "I'll be going now, I'll see you Thursday, Broodmistress." She said before she strode out the door.