FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Ordering, two eight ounce filets and one Duran fish feature. I want the plates in the window in twelve minutes!" The busy beige furred fox yelled out over the heavy rush of the kitchen surrounding him. He wore a bright white chef's jacket and black cotton pants his waist surrounded by a black apron, the fox's brow was covered in sweat as he rushed to wipe clean the square glass plates holding the towers of bright colored food then placing them rapidly in the window only to have to rip down another set of orders and plates. "C'mon guys, we're at twenty seven minutes on the lead three tables, fire on table twelve, three and forty one!"

The fox growled slightly as a couple of the servers impatiently barked at him for their table's food. "Two more minutes and you'll have it!" he yelled then turned to a lynx as he frantically whipped pans back and forth over the large fourteen burner stove range his jacket splotched and splattered with various greases and sauces. "Davin, how long on the two features?!"

"One minute chef, it's almost there!" The lynx mewed, obviously stressed but delivered as promised on time. The night dragged on continuously for several hours until the final orders had left the window. The fox finally sighed and ran a towel across his forehead and patted the lynx on the shoulder giving him a comforting smile then left the line heading for the side managers office tossing his apron on the desk and collapsed into one of the chairs being met by a business suit wearing rabbit, his deep chocolate brown furred brushed neatly into the grey suit.

"Zen seriously I don't know how you do it." He said finally sitting down in the opposite chair and tapped a few keys on a computer keyboard displaying the sales mix for the evening. "Thirty two thousand in eight hours, not one quality issue" The rabbit excitedly said. "We haven't done those kinds of numbers with so low promo in years."

The fox nodded and smiled slightly "Well at least I'm earning that salary."

"Definitely, I wasn't sure about you when you walked in here but I'm glad you did." The rabbit replied as he inputted some data into the computer.

"Well I'm going to get out of here, see you tomorrow?"

"Of course...have a good one Zen"

The beige fox growled and panted heavily collapsing his arms against the bathroom wall his teeth bared in pain as it felt like his brain was trying to push out of his skull. "Demons from within, I do not curse you, I want to be at peace with you...by all my strength to the universe be gone...be gone..." Zen huffed, and muttered the words over and over again eventually the pain subsiding enough for him to open the cabinet and pull out a bottle containing a bunch of iridescent tablets, quickly he opened the bottle and swallowed two of them. Zen's head fell down towards his chest and let out a whimper forcing himself into his bedroom and settled down for sleep.

Dawn crept up into the large three story tall glass windows of the restaurant, silent the oak wood tables stood set with wine glasses and cutlery ready to be used during service. Not many people where in the building at this time of day except for the night cleaners as they finished up their work, two of the morning prep cooks and of course Zen, whom sat in the office in front of the computer monitors dumping in his inventory, labor and food values from the week before. He sipped at his coffee, idly flipping through the pages trying to get his numbers right when the phone began to ring.

"Good morning, Sunset Grill, Zen Hunt speaking how may I help you?" Zen said into the phone.

"Hello, my name is Hixzen Niles, I was wondering if I could book a reservation for two at two o'clock today?" A smooth sleek voice asked.

"Of course Mr. Niles, that won't be a problem. Two o'clock right?"

Zen bid the person farewell and hung up the phone returning to his work. Hours later Zen finally finished his work seeing his opening line cooks starting to arrive both of them looking obviously like they'd been out partying the night before, he smiled and chuckled getting changed from his black cargo pants and tight black shirt into his chef's uniform starting to work on the line.

"You guys have fun last night?" Zen asked the lynx Davin, as his skilled vulpine paws swung a knife down along some vegetables cutting them into bite size pieces.

Davin smirked and nodded stirring some of the sauces on the stove "Yeah we were at Long beach until like six. You should have come with us chef."

"Yeah right, I was already here by the time you got home." Zen laughed.

"Well what do you do for fun, I mean you've been here seven months and you've never once came out with us even for an hour." Davin inquired.

Zen sighed slightly placing a steel containing in one of the cooling drawers and shrugged. "I've done my share of partying trust me. But the next time you guys go out let me know I'll come out for a bit."

"Great chef, tonight then." The lynx smiled.

Lunch began with a steady flow but nothing crazy as usual with the end of the weekend it was usually slower, nothing the three extremely talented cooks couldn't handle. Eventually Zen moved to the staff lounge and stat down with his lunch looking to his watch seeing it was about two twenty in the afternoon and not more than a bite into his sandwich the rabbit general manager stepped into the room "Hey Zen, there's a table out there that would like to speak to the chef, said he'd spoken to you earlier this morning?"

Zen nodded and grumbled from being interrupted but quickly stood and made his way into the dining room along the second floor which directly over looked the large gold trimmed window that showed out onto the deep crystal blue ocean, the restaurant being set right on the beach of the bay. The fox moved along the tables no one else was seated up there but a pair of furs a male collie and a female coyote both were dressed in jeans and t-shirts, as Zen approached the table something about the pair just wasn't right the way they sat picking at their plates leaning back in the chairs. "Hello, my names is Zen Hunt I am the head chef here."

"Good to meet you Mr. Hunt we had spoken earlier this morning. Just wanted to compliment you on the wonderful food and building." The collie said his muzzle had a smile but it didn't seem real especially because Zen could see that the food was barely touched.

"Well I am glad you enjoyed your meals I hope you will come back." Zen said with a bright smile being as polite as possible.

"We definitely will be."

Service ended at the usual time and the restaurant closed, Zen yawned and packed up his uniform he'd been in the building for over thirteen hours and really didn't want to go out but he promised meeting his staff at one of the high profile dance clubs along the beach, since the own of the Sunset knew the owner of the club all the staff were let in as VIPs and given one of the private boxes that hung over the main dance floor surrounded by plexi-glass so they could watch the hundreds of laser and strobe lights pass over the near thousand patrons below. The staff laughed and carried on, while Zen reclined in one of the comfy red leather lounge chairs swirling a glass of amber colored alcohol.

"C'mon chef, buck up, what's up?" One of the large built stallion waiter said with a chuckle, jokingly slapping the fox's knee making him jump slightly.

Zen shook slightly and faked a smile "Not much Ian just tired dude. Oh and drop the chef thing we're not at work."

"Fair enough Zen, here have a shot." The horse said handing Zen a shot glass of clear booze. Zen couldn't refuse the offer and clinked the glass against Ian's slamming the strong booze back.

After a couple hours and several drinks and shots Zen loosened up a bit finally enjoying himself a bit telling a few jokes and stories, his eyes suddenly wondering along the neck of one of the extremely attractive male otter cooks his paws tensed and began to shake, he could feel the life energy flowing through his jugular he was almost salivating for it. Zen shot up from his chair almost knocking over the table of glasses and rushed out of the box and down the stairs bursting into the bathroom and threw open one of the stall doors, startling a couple furs who were already in there and making them quickly get out. Zen hurried through his pockets finding the bottle of pills and gulped down a pair of them he winced and panted at the hunger died down.

Stumbling out of the stall Zen quickly doused his muzzle in cold water and stared himself in the mirror suddenly realizing he was being watched, Zen shot around seeing both the collie and coyote standing in the doorway dark black trench coat hung over their shoulders, the collie grasping a large silver plated pistol in one paw. "We told you we would see you again."

"Hunters huh, I figured as much..." Zen panted.

"Yeah, we've been tracking you for three years. A truly difficult mark." The collie said.

"Look you know as well as I do, even both of you stand no chance against me. So why are you here?" Zen asked not turning from the mirror.

"Research and observation, we've been watching you ever since you came back on the grid nine months ago. The JSTF command doesn't understand how you have gotten rid of Alicia and controlled your demon urges." The collie said as the coyote growled to a pair of male wolves as they came into use the washroom and quickly turned them away.

Zen straightened his body and finally faced the two hunters "Two years locked away in a monastery on the edge of the alliance, I haven't gotten rid of her just controlled her. With the aid of tormorix, which I believe both of you should be aware of. Question for you now, if you've been watching me for nine months, why choose now to break cover?"

"Things have changed in the JSTF, the former command of General Florenas has been dissolved and the Alliance government now holds direct control of operations. You are in danger." The coyote female finally spoke up.

"Danger? When am I not, aren't I still like on the top ten on the JSTF hit list?" Zen gasped.

"Yes but after our observation the General has decided to try and make peace with you and bring you back into the fold."

Zen threw his paws up and sighed loudly "I couldn't even if I wanted to. In the monastery I was given a spell it took away my urges and my need to feed for the most part but it also took away my abilities, my strength, my speed, everything. For all intense in purposes I am normal."

The coyote and collie looked at each other a sense of doubt on their muzzles "We will continue to monitor you until we get further orders. But be on your toes Zen remember you are still on the hit list." The collie said before both of them slipped silently from the washroom just as the lynx cook Davin burst in.

"Zen are you okay?!" He yipped.

Zen rested his paws back on the sink and again looked in the mirror. "Yeah just had one too many shots. Listen, say good bye to everyone for me, I got to get home."

"Sure, no problem, be sure to take a cab."

"Not a problem, thanks Davin." Zen said, watching the lynx go back into the club.

---^---

Zen sat cross legged in the middle of his living room, all the lights turned off, only the dim flicker of several candles danced along the walls and ceiling. The fox's eyes remained closed and his breath was deep and thoughtful his memories flying past him...

"Please help me!" Zen cried out, crawling up the stairs of a marble temple, its structure was rounded and smooth seeming to reflect the crisp sunlight that fell through the lightly clouded sky and also only emphasized the crimson blood pouring out of the grey furred fox's body his tight white muscle shirt and black leather car coat already soaked with the thick liquid. His vision blinked in and out of consciousness the last thing he saw was several furs standing over him.

Coughing and wrenching in pain Zen shot up in a bed, his clothing gone, only a bandage wrapped around his chest and a blanket covered him. He looked around quickly being confronted by a single fur sitting in a straight backed chair his eyes closed tightly seeming to be meditating. He was a beautifully golden furred lion his mane cropped short a much deeper reddish brown color a thin slender tail hung out the back of the chair swaying slowly back and forth tipped with the same color of his mane. The lion wore a loose fitting hooded white sweater and light beige pants he slowly opened his eyes hearing the fox awake. "Glad to see you pulled through." His voice rumbled deeply from his short muzzle.

"Thank you..." Zen replied trying to move but his body was just too weak, barely being able to sit up. "This is the H'gath temple of light correct?" he asked softly.

"Yes it is demon, why have you come here?" The lion replied very to the point yet showed no sign of fear.

"I need help, I have succumb to my hunger, I have killed...and I have enjoyed it. I want it to stop." Zen said trying to hold back the tears.

"And why do you think we can help you?" The lion stood and looked over the young fox.

"I don't know...I heard rumors about this place and how you use magic against evil energies."

The lion nodded and turned to leave the room "The rumors are true but it not as simple as that. I have to ask, how did you receive the gunshot wound to your stomach and chest?"

"I have a bounty on my head; a group of mercenaries trapped me. I barely escaped." Zen explained.

"Then they will be looking for you..."

---^---

Uneasy about the club the past night Zen stayed in the office of the restaurant for most of the night, it was dead so his other staff could handle it on their own. He tried as best he could to focus on the following week's feature meals but his mind just wasn't in it. He left earlier than normal, just after placing the produce and meat orders for the following day climbing into his car making his way back to his apartment, constantly glancing over to the passenger seat to where the bottle of pills laid, Zen didn't want to be tied to any drug and battled with himself whether to take them or not but of course his better judgment and past made him swallow the dose.

"How are you feeling today?" The lion Zen had come to know as Taylor asked watching him slowly and shakily move about the room.

"Better, I'm still really weak but I'll live...although I don't understand, ever since I was brought in here I haven't felt the urge to feed on anyone." Zen asked somewhat nervously.

"Well it wouldn't be very good having over two hundred different kinds of demons on the grounds if they all couldn't resist the thirst. This temple has been blessed with a protection spell suppressing the need to feed while sustaining them through energies of light." Taylor explained crossing his paws over his chest.

"I see...can I ask if you are willing to help me or not?" Zen anxiously said trying not to sound rude.

"Of course, it is our mandate to aid all who seek it but just so you know it's not a quick fix. Some of our residents have spent years on the ground fighting their inner evils." The lion explained.

"I've got no where else to go..."

Walking along one of the peaceful cobblestone pathways down the center of a garden Zen stayed next to Taylor as he explained the temple, Zen could see bunches of furs all around all of them having some sort of demon energy coursing through them yet all of them were calm and happy some tending to the flower beds others lounging in the sun and some playing various sports. "This isn't exactly what I was expecting...there doesn't seem to be much structure here?"

Taylor nodded and smirked "It's different for everyone, not every demon or person who has become a demon is an expert in the ways of killing and combat like you, most were just regular furs going about their everyday lives, feeding was just a way of survival."

Zen's jaw dropped slightly hearing Taylor peg him out for a fighter with barely knowing anything about him. "How did you know?"

"Well for one, bounties aren't issued just on everyday demons and two I can see the way you move; constantly watching your back, your stride ready to either vault into action or stand your ground. Plus I know a warrior when I see one." Taylor explained making Zen blush slightly and nod.

"Yeah I see your point, guess I pegged you pretty right then. What brought you here?" Zen questioned.

"I was cursed many years ago I pissed off the wrong crime syndicate which also had their paws in magic. They used a control spell on me and made me their assassin and in doing so made me kill my own family I took my vengeance upon the syndicate nearly killing them all but before I could wipe them out they triggered the second part of the curse which made me into a soul stealer like yourself, I must have slaughtered hundreds of people before I found this place." Taylor sadly explained, yet he didn't show any attempt to hide any details.

Zen nodded and flattened his big fox ears a bit the story sounded so close to his own. "How did you get through it, I mean you seem so calm about it."

"I haven't yet, I haven't found away to lift the curse on me and I don't think I ever will. So I spend my time here with the masters helping guide, teach and coach others." Taylor said.

"I don't mean to be pushy but is there a place where I can begin finding out about myself." Zen asked as they reached the end of the pathway leading back into the main temple building.

Taylor chuckled and nodded "Of course, I will show you to the library."

Zen reached his apartment block in the center of the city, pulling into the underground lot and stepped out of his car reaching into the back seat for his work bag and as he pulled out he had his shoulders grabbed and his body tossed like a rag doll to the damp concrete with a dull thud. He whipped his muzzle up to see three armored vest wearing wolves above him each one covered in various silver steaks and firearms.

"Team one to lead, we have acquired the target." One of the wolves a massive two hundred and fifty pound brown fur covered mass of muscle said into the microphone that hung out of his sharp ear and along his muzzle. The two other smaller wolves grasped Zen by the arms and ripped him up from the ground and thrust him against the pillar making him yelp in pain. "The infamous hunter 57..." The brute grinned.

Zen snarled and stressed his arms and legs trying to break the hold but these wolves were way too strong for him. "Look guys you don't have to do this!" the fox winced and yipped out.

"You killed twenty JSTF operatives not to mention countless other civilians you're nothing but demon scum. If it were not for our orders I would blast your worthless hide all over the ground." The wolf growled.

"What orders?" Zen gasped.

"You are to be brought back for examination and dissection, the agency wants to know how you were so good at the job and of course the weapon." The wolf said sending his fist colliding with Zen's muzzle, sending a spurt of his blood over the concrete and his yelp of pain echo through the garage.

The fox panted and barred his teeth quickly returning his muzzle defiantly to the big wolf, the red flow of blood fell freely from his nose. "I don't want to hurt you guys...don't force me." Zen said knowing full well he didn't have much of a chance and the wolves knew this laughing at him. However, even though he didn't have his powers anymore Zen still was a skilled fighter and used the wolves holding him as balance kicking up his feet hammering against the brown wolf's muzzle causing him to stumble back; the force of Zen's weight on the two wolves holding him took them off balance for a brief second giving the fox an opening to drop his body down pulling one of them into the pillar. While it didn't knock him out it did allow Zen to he his leg up and smash the bottom of his foot into the back of the wolf's head which knock him muzzle first into the support pillar, the other wolf growled and tackled Zen effortlessly to the hard ground. After wrestling around with the wolf for several seconds the wolf suddenly heard the click of a gun being cocked and realized that his own side arm had been drawn and was being pointes at his temple.

"Get up!" Zen commanded and got little of a fight following the wolf to his feet. Slowly Zen got behind the wolf, making sure the other two couldn't line up a shot and edged his way to his car. "Don't any of you fucking move or this bitch is just another notch on my kill board!" Zen yelled out but didn't realize a forth fur coming up behind him and before he could turn he felt something strike the back of his head.

"Do you really think practicing that will help you?" Taylor inquired as he watched the shirtless fox swinging his arms and legs out in an intricate pattern of fighting moves.

Zen panted and grunted as he back flipped twice landing with a hard punch into the air "Somewhat, I know violence isn't the answer. But at least it helps me focus." The fox uttered ending the pattern panting slightly, his large bushy tail the same deep grey fur as the rest of his body tipped unlike other fox's it was not tipped with a different color, yet carried on the under side his lighter grey chest stomach and inner thigh fur.

"Fair enough. Have you made any progress in your search, you have done little else in the last month but to eat, sleep, work out and research." Taylor asked, leaning against the trunk of a large tree, observing the tightly built slim fox.

"Sort of, I'm not like most vampire typed demons. The Thane demons that I am related to are much stronger and more resilient to spells, plus the weapon Alicia doesn't help matters. To be honest I'm surprised the protection spell around this place is strong enough to keep her at bay." Zen stated.

"The spells around this temple have been here for centuries...guess they really knew how to enchant a place." Taylor laughed.

"I guess so. I think I may be able to use the same type of spell on myself. I'm not sure yet." Zen shrugged and picked up his shirt from the ground pulled it over his chest.

Weeks turned into months in the temple, Zen had really grown accustom to life there being somewhat comforted by the fact everyone there was somewhat in the same situation although he couldn't forget what had brought him there in the first place. Night after night dreaming of nothing else but the fateful night seeing his own weapon aimed at his mate his demon senses and speed allowed him to see the very bullet leave the chamber and collide with the chest of the wolf he loved and his body being sent cascading through the window.

Zen left his room in the middle of the night wandering the now familiar hallways of the temple out into the main courtyard, lit by piers of fire he found it peaceful to be alone but something was in the air suddenly like a bat striking his skull a sharp pain surged through his brain, he snarled out clutching his muzzle. "No, get away. I don't want you here!"

"Aww c'mon foxy, what kind of greeting is that. I missed you" The evil female voice of the ancient weapon that had infected Zen said, her slim sexy red furred vixen body appearing in front of Zen's eyes.

"Alicia, please. I don't want to hurt anyone." Zen pled to the weapon.

"Do you have any idea how long the champions of evil have looked for this place? We couldn't find this place and you just wonder right into it, help a fellow demon out, kill them all." Alicia said sternly padding forward kneeling down in front of Zen giving him a toothy grin.

"No, I won't do it!" Zen cried out thrashing his paw forward and lunged his entire weight towards the fox only then realizing he'd past through Alicia and struck Taylor right across the chest, the force of the hit denting the soft grass garden and flung the lion to the ground several meters away. "Oh gods what did I do?! Taylor I'm sorry!" Zen yelled out rushing to the lion's aid.

"What the hell was that?" Taylor groaned and coughed trying to regain his breath.

"It's Alicia, the weapon. She's somehow getting through the spells around this place." Zen rambled.

---^---

With a throbbing head ache Zen opened his eyes unsure at first what had happened but that past within seconds finding him self bound hand and foot in large magnetic steel cuffs, upright he was attached to a wall in a darkened room. Soon a sliding door whooshed open letting in a blinding white light shadowing a single figure. "Where am I?" Zen growled.

The figure stepped inside the room, letting the door shut behind it. "You know how long we've waited for this opportunity?" the figure said, completely shrouded by the darkness.

Zen tried to focus his eyes and figure out who it was, the voice was somewhat familiar but he could place it. "Who are you?"

"Just someone who will enjoy very much watching you suffer. Our medical scans show there's high levels of tormorix in your system, trying to limit your hunger huh? Don't know why, you enjoyed it so much..." The voice snickered.

"Listen to me, I don't know who you are but you'd better let me go, because if you don't I won't be able to control myself." Zen threatened.

"We are capable of handling you don't worry yourself over that. We want you to revert into the blood thirsty killer you actually are and you will revert, slowly but surely you'll feel the urge fill your mind until you are no more than a salivating beast just itching for a kill."

"Alright, have it your way..." Zen panted out and closed his eyes trying to center himself as much as possible knowing full well what's going to happen.

"The weapon is just too powerful for the protection spells around this place." Zen stated to the masters of the temple, bowing his head completely, near in tears having his tail tucked between his legs.

"Yes this Alicia is a very powerful entity. We simply do not know how to combat such a force she was created by the fates themselves for use by the champions." One of the elderly furs said.

"I'm not strong enough on my own to beat her." Zen whimpered. "I want you to invoke the spell of insularism."

The masters all muttered and looked to each other before focusing back on the fox "That spell is only for the most extreme cases, only the strongest can survive it. It required absolute isolation from everything most who attempt it end up perishing."

Zen looked up, his expression showing nothing but seriousness. "I am aware of what it entails. It is the only thing I've found that can possibly control her. Will you help me do it?"

The masters spent days preparing Zen, both physically and mentally eventually leading him into the depths of the temple to a place even Zen had not been before, a long dark hallway ending in four heavy steel doors. Zen stepped past one of them finding nothing but an empty stone room. "Once we invoke the spell it cannot be un done, you will enter a deep trance state for all intense in purposes you will die and will remain there with every secret, every thought, every inner evil you have for thirteen months. The only thing that will keep your spirit from passing will be your own focus on the energies of light that permeate this place forget to remain centered and you will slip away."

Zen nodded and took a deep breath and sat down cross legged in the center of the room looking at the masters, each one seemed as if to be waiting for him to reconsider his choice. "Hope to see you when I am finished." He forced a smirk at Taylor as he begun to shut the door and closed his eyes, muttering to himself 'Demons from within, I do not curse you, I want to be at peace with you...by all my strength to the universe be gone...be gone...' The masters also said the same words as the heavy door creaked shut the sounds of the large locks slammed in place leaving him in complete darkness.

Time ceased to have meaning, Zen figured maybe a couple hours had past but being completely surrounded by blackness it was impossible to tell exactly how long. He almost started to think that he had been tricked and nothing was going to happen but his body was suddenly struck by a powerful energy wave that crumpled him to the ground, his body began to glow a bright yellow he cringed and huffed feeling like he was being electrocuted. "Zen Hunt, you have come looking for the spell of insularism. Do you think you are strong enough?!" He heard his own mind yelling at him, the sound of his voice was almost deafening.

"I can't help but wonder, how did you do it? We've reviewed every test and surveillance video every hunt you were ever on, every soldier you killed, every demon you sent back to the hell universe, everything told us that you didn't have the drive or the mental stability to control yourself. Yet we found you, living a peaceful life you're a chef, you have a nice apartment..."

Zen panted and huffed, muttering the same phrase over and over again, his brow becoming soaked in sweat, he could feel the sting of with drawl from the drugs tingling up his body. "I never wanted to be a killer...I just wanted to cook..."

"Now, that's where you're lying. Someone who didn't want to kill would never have gone after the one who took his best friend's life. You would have turned yourself in and testified against him in a court, but instead local police found his headless corpse lying in a shit covered alley." The blacked out figure mocked Zen, the sound of the voice moving from left to right.

"It was an accident, he forced me to do it. I changed my mind but he attacked me" Zen said.

"Forced you to do it, or you engineered the situation so he wouldn't have a choice but to attack you?"

Zen growled and thrust forward in the restraints trying to attack the unknown voice in the dark. "Fuck you, I'm not playing your sick twisted game so you might as well put a bullet between my eyes right now."

The voice laughed and chuckled "No, no, my dear fox not on your life would I let you get off that easy."

Zen whimpered, feeling his biceps bulge and tense as he felt his need to feed rushing back into his thoughts, it was odd though, this person was no more than a few feet from him yet he couldn't sense anything. "Who are you, what did I ever do to you?"

"I'm surprised you don't remember...well maybe not that surprised you were always more concerned with the hunt to fully remember me. You left right in the middle of the most amazing rave in history, our party and you walked away to kill someone." The voice said with a hard snap of a growl.

Zen blinked through the darkness the voice becoming instantly recognizable. "It can't be...you...you're dead..."

"Yeah I am, you shot me and I fell. Or at least that was before the JSTF found me I truly believed that it wasn't your fault and I was going to forgive you. They showed me what you really were and I came to a conclusion as the government doctors poked, prodded and operated on me. Demons like you should be eradicated without the slightest regard or pity." The voice growled as they lights came on showing a roughly six foot tall brown furred wolf standing almost muzzle to muzzle with Zen, his eyes seeming to glow a deep bloody red, he wore a set of black cargo tactical pants and a sleeveless t shirt showing his rippling lathe bicep muscles. Both of them stood in a large warehouse like room, Zen could see on the second level a glassed in computer room where several military and scientific officers stood.

"How are you alive? That was a seventy story drop." Zen gasped.

"They found my crumpled and broken body on a terrace moments after you escaped I was on the brink of death. They brought me to the General, Lauren offered me a choice; die or let them rebuild me with the latest in demon robotics and track you down." Marcus grinned.

Zen's head swam in the overwhelming emotions, on one paw he wanted to cry out over what he had done to Marcus on the other Zen's thirst to kill everyone in the room throbbed against his skull. "Then why keep me alive, aren't you taking a huge risk by keeping me alive?"

The brown wolf chuckled and paced back and forth in front of the huffing fox "Not really, we've studied all of the scans of your body and of the weapon for the last three years and have developed technology that can defeat you both. We're quite safe..."

Zen growled and barked at the cold walls of his self imposed prison, being completely segregated from anyone he cared about gave him nothing to concentrate on letting his deepest most violent thoughts and feelings surge outwards. He bashed his paws against the thick steel door trying to get out but the thing wouldn't budge, all the while he could hear in the back of his head the agonizing screams over every person Zen had killed. Zen swung around trying to slash his claws out at the sounds to make them stop but they wouldn't.

"Awww poor little foxy, you're in so much pain." Finally one voice seemed to quiet the rest although it turned out to be the dark female voice of Alicia, she stepped out of the darkness right in front of Zen her large bushy red furred tail swayed seductively back and forth. "Why did you let them do this to you? At least with me you would have been able to satisfy every desire you had. Now we're trapped in this box and chances are you will die."

"I know what I'm doing Alicia and I won't leave this place until you leave me alone." Zen replied crumpling against the wall practically in tears, beginning to mutter the incantation over and over again.

Zen watched Marcus as he spoke to several JSTF hunters off to the side of the room, his head bobbed up and down slightly his rows of sharp pure white teeth were bared, trying for dear life to hold on to his control.

Marcus looked back at the defeated fox and smirked, nodding to the hunters and began to walk back over. "Almost there aren't ya, beginning to except what you are again?" The brown wolf said but got no reply from the fox. "Well our time here is running short, we're going give you just enough tormorix to allow you to control the thirst for a day or so. Then the hunt begins...see ya around Zen." Marcus said with a smile before harshly jamming a needle into Zen's neck injecting the glowing green gel into his body, making the fox yowl out in pain.

Months into the isolation, Zen's mind became to twist and fade he wondered if they had forgotten him. If this was the right thing to do, long ago had the voices of Alicia and the people he'd killed stopped talking, in a weird way it was almost comforting for the first time in a while he was just alone with his own thoughts without distraction of anything. He smiled to himself as he remembered his best friend Tanya they were friend for years Zen could see dancing with her every weekend at the clubs, hanging out watching movies studying, it made him feel so good to see her smile his mind shifted again to the rave on the Alliance capital spending hours dancing and grinding against the sexy sleek brown furred wolf Marcus the countless times they'd yiffed before going to work and after work. Suddenly Zen grimaced as he felt the same happiness as he watching through his own eyes narrowing down the sights of a large handgun, pulling the trigger and watching the bullet fly at fantastic speeds shredding through the throat of some grunt vampire then the image of his shimmering straight sword slicing through the body of the one who had killed Tanya, Gregory a wolf who had terrorized Zen as a teen he wasn't disgusted at all as the blood poured out along his sword. He knew it was wrong but he was beginning to just accept it.

Zen nodded and sighed to himself sitting cross legged on the floor his sharp vulpine ears pivoted around as he heard the loud clacks of the door locks being disengaged. He had to squint and shield his eyes from the bright light that beamed in, although only being produced by a torch but Zen hadn't seen any light in a long time. Two figured came into the room and looked over the fox.

"Zen, are you okay?" The familiar voice of Taylor softly asked trying not to overwhelm the sensory deprived fox.

Zen merely nodded and smiled, letting the two furs help him to his feet and escorted him out of the room and got him cleaned up. Hours later Zen found himself sitting up on the cot an IV drip bag connected to his forearm.

"What was it like?" The slim lion, Taylor asked, sitting on a chair adjacent to Zen.

"Lonely but oddly comforting, it didn't work though. The spell doesn't exist..." Zen said calmly as if he didn't care only getting a puzzled and worried look from the Lion. "It's okay though, it's not so much a spell but making yourself deal with the problems without distraction. It won't help with the thirst however."

"Then what are you going to do?" Taylor asked.

"There are certain drugs out there developed by the JSTF that can help lower the need. I think it's about time I move on with my life, I can't keep hiding here." Zen replied.

Zen smiled and shook the paws of the masters of the demon temple, his black leather jacket fluttered in the soft warm breeze. He ran his paw through his jet black head fur and grinned as he came down the line to Taylor whom was smiling. "What do you think, the fur suit me?" Zen asked gesturing the now soft beige pelt of fur that covered his body, his throat and under side of his long bushy tail covered in a lighter creamy tan.

Taylor nodded and chuckled. "Yeah it does, hope that'll at least keep some of the heat off of you for awhile."

"Me too, thank you all for your help. I hope to see you again." Zen said before walking up the ramp of the space transport.

Zen shot up in bed gasping for air, his chest heaved and twisted. He hoped and pled for it to have just been a dream but the state of his apartment told him over wise, it had been ransacked and torn apart, his electronics and furniture left in shambles. Zen raced into the bathroom whipping open the cabinet frantically searching for the bottle of tormorix only to find both of them empty.

He looked at his phone messages playing the first one, seeing Marcus' sharp light reddish brown furred muzzle grinning at him "Ah I see you're awake. Good, just so you know we have routed and destroyed all sources of your drug from this planet. So enjoy control while you have it. Oh by the way you should get ready for work, wouldn't want Chef Hunt to be late." The message said then cut off.

Zen couldn't think straight, his breath was ragged he knew that with the dose he was given he could control the thirst for about three days but after that he didn't know what was going to happen. With nothing left to do, he quickly packed up his things and rushed to the restaurant busting in through the delivery door, startling the shit out of his early morning prep cooks. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late."

A raccoon female smiled "No problem chef, we were late too. Did you have a good night?"

Zen feinted a smile and nodded "Yeah I guess didn't sleep well. Is Oliver in yet?"

"Of course chef, he's in the office." The raccoon replied moving back to her sauces upon the stove.

Zen nodded and moved past the prep kitchen into the main office seeing the brown rabbit wearing his chrome rimmed glasses over his eyes, dressed in only an old white t-shirt and blue jeans, he wasn't going be on the floor today he was pouring over the invoices that had stacked up as well as some other paper work.

"Hey Zen!" he said with a smile "Slept in?"

"Yeah heh...listen there's something I need to ask. I know this is gonna be rough but I need to take some time off, there's been a death in my family..." Zen said lying right through his teeth.

"Oh my god Zen I'm sorry to hear that. Of course take whatever time you need." Oliver replied.

"I'll have to leave the day after tomorrow, I'll make sure everyone is set up for my absence, I'm sure they can handle it." Zen explained.

"No problem, I know your crew can do it, we're not looking like it's going to be that busy over the next little while anyway the off tourist season." Oliver said.

Zen put off the looming danger just around the corner and pressed himself on making sure his kitchen was perfectly run and set up, the first night was okay but the following one was rough, Zen found himself in a cold sweat through most of the night he could feel his muscles twinge and his thoughts slipped once or twice should he just kill everyone in the room but he regained his composure barking out the next set of dishes to be prepared. He wrapped up the night, bidding farewell to his staff having them all in the dinning room after the restaurant had shut down going over menu items and issues they might encounter while he was away they were all drinking and having a good time, while Zen leaned against the railing hanging over the main dining room, he held a glass of dark brown alcohol which he had not touched in an hour as he watched his staff having fun to loud music. He felt it necessary to give them a really good night on himself because he was pretty much abandoning them.

In Zen's head his demon senses had all but returned, he could feel the shifts in life force from everyone the happy joyous emotions form the servers and cooks. The night dwindled down, only a few people remained sitting around one of the tables just joking and talking to each other. Zen sat silently just listening, suddenly his ears whipped around as he raced to the railing, his eyes lit up as the entire two story gold etched glass front of the restaurant shattered and was blasted inwards. Zen dove backwards flipping up a table to shield his staff from the flying glass shards. Everyone screamed and yelped out in fear and surprised yet Zen's expression was cold and calm "Guys stay down, when I say you run for the fire exit, got it!"

Zen shot up from the table watching as several black armored soldiers poured in through the broken glass. "Hey fuck heads!" Zen growled out, instantly getting their attention, they began firing rapidly along the balcony shattering more glass and sending shards of wood and sparks off of metal in a hurricane right behind the beige fox as he leapt over the railing, gracefully flipping his body through the air coming down right atop the platinum colored bar top. It actually surprised Zen that this demon strength, speed and power had returned so quickly but he didn't have time to dwell on it, reaching for a bottle of wine and whipped it into the muzzle of one of the soldiers.

Zen rolled behind the bar, covering himself from the torrent of bullets that flew over head breaking the expensive inventory of booze stored there. "Run now!!" He screamed out to his staff, sending them racing for the exit. Leaving him finally along and clear, Zen shot up from the bar, putting a single paw on the table top and launched his leg around crashing into the chest of a soldier that had managed to get close enough, on the way down Zen managed to get his paw around the barrel of his assault weapon and stripped it away before he hit the ground and begun discharging thunderous volley's of bullets at the others making them all dive for cover. Zen watched for a split second then rushed over behind one of the support pillars that held up the balcony as the rain of fire once against came down upon him, breaking off pieces of the expensive marble. The fox growled and spun himself around unleashed the last bursts from his rifle, closing enough distance on the soldiers to swipe the but of the rifle across his muzzle and wrap his forearm around his neck, he drew the cat's side arm from his holster pointing it at the others. "Drop your fucking weapons!" Zen snarled.

The soldiers how ever didn't seem all that concerned and pulled up their weapons and began firing, sending the rounds right into the armored vest wearing cat, making him gasp and fall to the ground. Zen's eyes went wide, realizing what he was dealing with and with a powerful soccer like kick sent the cat sailing into two of the soldiers. Zen had little time to leap atop on of the tables and vault his agile body through the air coming down behind the armed furs executing several graceful spinning kicks and punches that took out the furs. It appeared for an instant everything was finished, the furs all laid unconscious on the dining room floor when a heavy rumbling shook the very foundation of the building, Zen's eyes narrowed as he saw the large metal bulk of a tank screeching to a halt right in front of the shattered glass front of the restaurant, he locked in on the massive eight barreled rotating cannon mounted on the tank. "You gotta be kidding me!" Zen sighed and raced along the dinning room as the tank's gun began to spin and soon like liquid the dining room seemed to melt as the hundreds of rounds in the first second sliced effortlessly through the walls and tables. Zen's body burst through the service door into the kitchen narrowly avoiding the stream of armor piercing rounds and rolled behind one of the counters his eyes instantly location two more soldiers holding his cooks who had tried to escape at gun point. Zen growled and launched himself over his own plating table his paw grasping one of the long thin filet knives that sat there and as he landed he swiped the blade long the back of one of the gun totting fur's thigh making him yowl in pain and begin to crumple to the floor but before he could hit Zen smacked his elbow across the side of his head sending him twirling into one of the shelving units. The other fur didn't even have time to react before Zen sent his knee into the fur's gut and smashed him across the back of the neck as he fell.

Zen looked to his bewildered staff and sighed. "I'm sorry guys, it's not you, its me." He said stripping the soldiers of their weapons, and pulled his suede jacket from his torso placing one of the sleeveless armored vests over his chest locking in the pistols to the holsters. "Just stay here, they're not after you, you will not be harmed." Was the last thing Zen said to his staff before busting the back alley doorway off it's hinges and as quietly as he could made his way away from the building.

Half way down the alley Zen had almost made it to the street when the loud clacking steel wheels of the tank stopped the bulk right in front of him. Only holding a single black steel pistol in his paw he knew he couldn't do anything against this beast. The main gun on the turret began to spin, so with no other choices, Zen dashed forwards darting along the side to avoid the white streaks of lighting from the tracer rounds as it carves along the ground then up the side of the adjacent building as Zen ran forwards walking right up the side of a building latching his paw into a hanging fire escape. Zen raced up the stairs barely diving over the ledge of the building before the entire fire escape collapsed under the heavy fire from the gun.

Zen panted and huffed, shaking his head getting over how narrowly he got away from death. Quickly collecting himself he raced to the edge of the building launching his lathe body from roof top to roof top, placing his body against an air condition unit quickly pulling out his cell phone dialing the saved number for the two hunters who had approached him in the club washroom a week ago. "This is hunter 57, I need help bad!"

The voice of the Hixzen the collie came on the speaker quickly. "We are monitoring your position, what's your status?"

Zen panted, looking around the roof top "Secure for the moment, I immediate support."

"Negative on support at this time 57, you need to get to an extract point; corner of Beach and Kelvin." The collie ordered.

Zen growled and nodded to himself "Alright, you'd better be there." He took off from his cover almost instantly being confronted by the high pitched whine of a twin turbine driven assault plane that rose up above a large space between two buildings its huge spinning engines hanging form two large thick wings that also housed several large weapon pylons. Zen could see into the cockpit two pilots starring him down.

"Zen Hunt, you are under arrest, place your weapons on the ground and get your paws in the air!" The voice of the pilot commanded over the loud speakers.

Zen shook his head and grinned, and whipped his gun up taking a couple pot shots that pinged off the thick armored glass of the cockpit but giving Zen the distraction he needed and ran forwards leaping the ledge of the roof top and clearing the four meters form the building to the plane, his boot crashed against the cockpit window. The fox gave the pilots a coy grin before he began running along the top of the hovering gunboat building up enough speed by the tail tip he could launch his body into the air, his limbs flailing outwards as the last nine meters to the opposite side of the street and crashed down on his feet then to his knees rolling right through the door of the roof top stairwell of the building and escaped down into the building.

Skidding to a halt Zen peered around the corner of the alley looking for any sign of police or military but seeing none he pulled out his cell phone and redialed the number almost instantly bringing a large passenger van stopping in front of him, Zen raced in side as they van pulled away.

Marcus grinned from the balcony of a massive penthouse loft of a hotel all behind him were rows of set up computers and JSTF agent manning them, constantly feeding data to each other. "Sir, it worked we just recorded the pick up."

"I know thank you...inform the command to hold for further orders." Marcus replied, tapping his claws on the large pistol holstered to his thigh.

"Sir, the command has ordered than we move for capture and elimination." The slim Doberman dog said, trying to hand Marcus a computer pad but the wolf sneered and growled making the dog lower his ears and eyes to the floor.

"I am in control of this operation I tell the command when to act. You can quote me on that to them.

"Aye sir, as you wish..."

Exhausted and sore, Zen walked down the loading ramp of a freighter watching as it lifted off back into the heavy winter winds of an artic planet, high winds blew ice and sleet against a five hundred meter tall cliff face. He hurried himself to the large open steel doors that lead into a hangar bay cut right into the ice and rock of the cliff, a few jump suit clad technicians milled about attending to the six or seven old military transport and fighter craft that sat there. At the end of the large hangar which could have easily handled a three hundred of these crafts, Zen was met by the robed figure of Lauren whom stood silent and reserved, her eyes barely meeting Zen as he marched right up to her.

"Would you like to explain to me what the hell is going on here?" Zen growled to the older wolf.

"Zen please, this wasn't my intention. Please just believe me when I say that...come I will give you the answers." Lauren said

Zen followed the old wolf to a lift at the end of the hanger bay and stepped inside. "Zen I know it's hard to believe but we are in the same spot you are..." Lauren started to say making Zen sigh and roll his eyes. "...After you escaped everything went to hell. You know that the advisory board for the JSTF was not aware of your existence and when they found out they issued a lock down of all operations and took control of the agency."

The fox leaned against the side of the elevator as it descended deep into the icy planet's surface, his expression look almost bored as if he wasn't listening but he followed the grey wolf as the lift stopped and led out into a long sterile military styled corridor made of pure white paneling in a hexagon shape. "What is this place?" Zen finally asked being led through hallway after hallway until they reached a standard looking command and control center, darkened and covered in hi tech holographic and flat panel monitor computers, only two or three furs manned the stations.

"Well in the last couple years I knew that the Alliance government has been growing displeased with our apparent lack of progress as you know our mandate is not something that just goes away, it is a continuing mission. But the government thought it would be over in a decade or what have you, they believe that the war can be won..." Lauren said looking to one of the computer operators, he tapped his paw fingers across the key board displaying a life size projection of Marcus overlaid with some sort of mechanical schematic which matched to his body "This was a mistake but I regret to say I started it...." Zen's muzzle dropped for a second seeing this former boy friend's image. "...we knew that it wasn't your fault all those agents died, Marcus included. We found him shortly after you escaped the FourStar building, he was dying quickly I gave him a choice, we had been testing new technologies based on your bio scans and other information which could augment a body and even save a life."

Zen growled and threw his paws in the air "You're telling me you turned Marcus into a fucking science project!?"

"It was his choice, I told him we could save his life and help save yours. He was supposed to track you down and bring you in so we could extract and eliminate the weapon inside you." Lauren tried to explain.

"I don't know if you noticed but he just tried to kill me and they were all JSTF trained and equipped. Why should I believe you?!" Zen exploded.

"It took us a year to ready Marcus by that time the board had begun taking direct action against me and the JSTF they found out about Marcus and took control they warped his mind and body, changed his programming turned him into the perfect instrument to hunt you down." Lauren explained.

"If they took control why do you still have hunters in the field and you never answered me about what this place is?" Zen huffed.

"I saw this coming Zen, I hoped I could avoid it but it was inevitable. I set this base up directly with the vulpine government out of the Alliance eyes. When the Alliance shut me out I brought in my most trusted hunters and personnel we can't allow the last twenty five years of work to go down the drain while the government thinks they can eliminate the threat, containment is our only option." Lauren sighed and sat down in one of the station chairs.

"I understand that, I've seen it. But why bring me in, doesn't this compromise everything you've set up?" Zen asked his eyes looking at the carious displays.

"Yes it does but too be honest you're our best hope. For one, Marcus' mission is first to capture you and second to destroy us and you know him better than anyone, second if you agree to work with me again it will focus the JSTF's attention solely on you and I and allow operations to continue." Lauren said crossing her arms over her chest.

"Focus on us? You want me to kill Marcus?" Zen blurted out.

"It doesn't have to be like that but he will not stop and he will find us. He is still basically Marcus, it's just he's more machine now than anything we had to augment his mind with a computer system unfortunately as you know computers can be hacked they implanted his hatred for you and gave him the mission. I hope that you may be able to over ride that." Lauren explained shutting down the holographic image looking at Zen, her hard amber eyes for the first time filled with worry and doubt.

"I don't know if I can do it. I've been out of the game for so long...it's taking all my strength right now just to keep the thirst at bay." Zen whimpered softly.

"It's up to you Zen, I'm asking for your help, I won't force you to do it. You may be able to escape him for a while but with the entire JSTF and Alliance intelligence agency behind him." Lauren mournfully said.

"Can I think about it a bit...this is all a bit too much to take in right now..." Zen whispered.

"Of course, I didn't bring you here just to get you to work for me. I'll show you too your room." Lauren faked a smile and stood up leading Zen to another level and to a small military crew cabin with a double bunk bed, modest desk and computer, closet.

Zen looked about the room and sighed glancing back at Lauren's aged and experienced muzzle "Is Aiden still on your side...?"

Lauren nodded and smiled "Yes, he is still with us. He's on mission right now, he'll be back in a couple days."

"I bet he won't be happy to see me..." Zen whispered.

"Move up the left flank!" A dark red brown wolf howled out over the hail of automatic gun fire, his long mean looking assault rifle held tightly into his shoulder, his sharp eyes looking through the computerized sight as it locked in instantly on several targets. His wrap around sunglasses colored deep amber fed him communications data from the rest of his team telling him they were fast approaching along a catwalk structure suspended several meters to his left side.

"Lead, we've cut off the escape route confirmed five contacts" A panting voice called out into the wolf's ear piece.

"Confirmed Four, anyone have contact with the master, it's the only way we're going to stop these things." The wolf barked out as he braced himself against the corner of the wall the empty shell casings from his rifle pinging against the concrete as his sight focuses in on three groaning zombie like furs, their blood soaked fur and half decomposed bodies lurched forward, each one being laid out in a torrent of gun fire that tossed their bodies to the ground. The wolf growled as his weapon ran out of ammo and he quickly pressed the magazine release, reaching for a fresh one from his tactical vest.

"Lead, watch your back!!" A yelling voice hit the wolf's ear making him turn sharply seeing a short human like figure, dressed in a ripped and torn black leather trench coat, completely bald and his eyes glowed with an evil fiery red. The wolf tried to get his rifle onto the target but the human grabbed the wolf by his vest and effortlessly tossed the one hundred ninety pound muscled wolf to the ground.

The red wolf grunted and turned over only to have his throat grabbed and his body hoisted into the air by the human, his eye lit up by an evil fire as he started to contract his grip choking the wolf. His vision started to cloud over as the lack of oxygen to his brain set in, it looked like the end; the wolf's body went limp suddenly though a thunderous bang echoed along the tall buildings and pipes, the wolf' eyes shot open as he watched the human's head burst and explode in a wet slurry of bone skin, blood and brains all over the adjacent wall.

"Aiden are you okay!?" A black spotted leopard mew'd quickly dropping to the wolf's side taking his vitals.

The wolf coughed and rubbed his throat, looking at the corpse of the human. "Yeah I'm good...status?" Aiden said finally standing back up and looking to the sniper who saved his life as he repelled down along a cable from a window giving him a smile and thumbs up.

"He's pretty dead all of the zombie's have been destroyed." The leopard reported as the rest of the team came back together.

"Good, lets RTB before the cops show up." Aiden ordered picking up his dropped weapon.

Zen wandered the barren halls of the base, the facility could easily have housed a hundred thousand soldiers but by his count there were only a menial five hundred hunters and support personnel maintaining the place. It seemed sad that these few furs were trying to hold together everything against the entire insurmountable odds. The beige fox sighed and past one of the gyms looking inside seeing a small group of young hunters as they were instructed by a tall bulky muscled stallion, each one following the graceful and powerful staff strike pattern led by the horse.

Zen watched for a few seconds, his eyes drawn to a particular young coyote wearing a black traditional martial arts gi, wrapped around his body by a blue sash, his head fur was a soft almost white blonde accentuating his darker grey fur, patched with chestnut brown and black, he panted and huffed struggling to keep up with the rest of the class.

The stallion leading the class spotted Zen from the corner of his eye and brought the class to a halt "Mr. Hunt...care to join us?" he asked.

"No thank you was just watching I would get my tail kicked anyway." Zen smirked slightly.

The horse smiled and nodded "With your record I doubt that." The stallion said trying to get Zen to put on a demonstration and he was just about to when the PA system came to life asking Zen to report to the command center.

Zen walked cautiously into the room seeing Lauren sitting around the main conference table with several other furs "Thank for joining us Zen, please have a seat." Lauren said as the one fur who had his chair back to Zen spun around.

Aiden's dark amber eyes locked in on the fox, his frame still covered in the black tactical gear he'd wore on mission, large chrome pistol at his side. He stood sharply bringing his muzzle almost right against Zen's

"Aiden...I uh...I'm sorry..." Zen froze in place his muzzle dropped.

"So they finally found you...you think you can just waltz back in here?" He growled baring his teeth.

"Look I can't make it up to you all for what I did..." Zen tried to explain but Aiden cut him off pushing his finger against Zen's chest.

"No you can't, you killed a lot of my soldiers and not to mention Marcus. But you're damn well going to try and make it up." Aiden smirked leaving Zen speechless. "Well are you in or not?"

Zen shook his head and nodded "Of course I'm in."

Aiden and Zen shook paws and smiled. "Good, then we have some work to do."

---^---

"First off you should be aware of a few advancements in weapons we have come up with since you left." Aiden explained lifting an oddly shaped wrist gauntlet, made of shiny chrome steel bands with a small computer screen at its center. "This is a device specifically modified from data extracted from Alicia after you were taken over. It's a dimensional rift storage unit, the device creates a pocket in a dimension that runs almost right over top of our own, from this rift we can store hundreds of rounds of ammunition and several different types of weapons and something you'll personally enjoy." Aiden smirked and put the gauntlet over his wrist and pressed one of the buttons attached along his palm, a quickly sharp whip like sound of energy hissed, followed by hundreds of tiny beads of light shot out tracing through the air outlining the straight edge of a sword the beads bursting slightly solidifying into the shape of a long broad sword weapon.

Zen's eyes lit up seeing the elegant deadly looking weapon, the hilt having no guard what so ever, the grip was glossy black plastic wrapped with chrome bands "Holy shit!"

"Ya I thought you'd like it. These swords can only be used by the wearer of the gauntlets they are made of a special alloy and enchanted with ancient incantations making them able to cut through almost anything." Aiden said deactivating the weapon sending it hissing back into the gauntlet and handed it to Zen whom promptly put it on.

"So I just press this?" Zen said tapping the button on his palm with his middle finger, making the blade pop out into his paw. "There's almost no weight to this thing..."

"Yeah..." Aiden chuckled "It hasn't been a very popular weapon with most hunters, the nature of the metal makes it insanely difficult to use one mistake and you'll loose a leg."

"It'll take some getting used to. What else we got?" Zen said following Aiden down the long line of weapons, explosives and equipment.

Zen panted and growled the high pitched whine of the feather light sword whipped by him again and again, he watched himself in the mirror the blade of the sword reflecting light all around him, each movement bringing the sword edge within millimeters of his hard defined body but never touched. Zen spun around launching out the sword in a hard trust barking loudly at the extent of his power, the point of the sword pointing to the door of the gym right towards the young coyote whom he'd saw training earlier.

"Oh I'm sorry, didn't mean to disturb you..." The coyote meekly said as Zen pulled up straight from his stance and let the sword dissolve back into the gauntlet.

"It's okay...I'm Zen." The fox smiled and picked up a towel from the matt drying off his forehead.

"Liam...Liam Rike..." The coyote said taking a step into the gym.

Zen studied the dog for a moment cocking his head slightly to the side before taking a drink of water from his bottle. "You're a demon aren't you...?" Zen said calmly.

The coyote's eyes went wide as his tail curled between his legs and he nodded. "How did you know?"

"I can sense it and smell it..." Zen said sitting down on a bench press seat "How long ago were you changed?"

"Four months, Aiden's team was tracking the grunt vampire unfortunately he got to me first..." Liam said. "I've heard about you ever since I came here, you kind of inspired me. I just wanted to say thanks."

Zen shrugged and smiled at the pup "Well, you're welcome but I've done more harm than good lately."

"Okay what's the plan...?" Zen asked crossing his leg over his knee watching Lauren direct the meeting.

"Well we know for a fact the JSTF is tracking us, luckily we thought one step ahead of that. Zen when they captured you they implanted a tracking device into your body, we saw that coming and can use it against them we are blocking the signal from it. Best thing we can do is send you out on mission and let them find you." Lauren explained walking around the table, where Zen, Aiden and several other hunters sat.

"It's a decent plan but of course we know they've already thought of that. We can't expect them to just jump out the second I surface again I say we take the fight right to them." Zen grinned.

"What do you mean?" Aiden replied his eyes carefully looking at Zen.

"I'm going to walk right in the front door of the JSTF. We have to control the situation first, plus we have to think about what happens after Marcus is disabled. What happens next?" Zen explained looking to Lauren. "How do we get you back in charge of the agency?"

Lauren nodded and sighed "Easier said than done...I was removed from command by the President only he can reinstate me."

"But why?" Zen asked.

"I have yet to uncover the root of it." Lauren answered.

"Well then I guess we know what we have to do."

Zen stood proudly in the swarm of pedestrians moving about the street, bright beams of sun light rained down between the soft white clouds in the crystal blue sky. The hot dry weather was heavy through the air; the fox inhaled the sweet savannah scent that permeated the capital city. Zen's eyes narrowed through the slim wrap around sunglasses colored with yellow lens he stepped forwards gazing up the two hundred stories of the golden glass the main entrance covered by a blue steel and glass arch way the door etched with the seal of the Joint Supernatural Taskforce. He confidently marched forward his light black leather jacket fluttering in the breeze covering his white tank top covered upper body and blue jeans, Zen walked through the large sliding doors and too the front desk instantly a sea of stunned and nervous eyes hit him as the security and reception personnel noticed.

"Zen Hunt freeze!" Several of the agents yelled out as a dozen high powered assault weapons trained on the slim fox.

The fox grinned and raised his paws "Hold your fire I don't want any violence. I want to speak with the commanding officer."

Zen was paw cuffed and searched several times over before being led at gun point down the labyrinth of glassed in offices, cluttered with the hunters, technicians and other personnel of the JSTF. Being brought right to the top of the building surrounded by a complete wrap around glass window except for the lift entrance, the view was breathtaking seeing right over the hundreds of kilometers of the city, a flat plain of steel and glass which housed the vast ground based military might of the Alliance armed forces. To Zen this observation deck used to be the main briefing room for the higher up JSTF operations but now housed an elaborate office, trimmed in shimmering metal and a long black wood desk and a couple holographic computer display tables. Sitting behind the desk was a stuck up looking deer, a pair of large sharp antlers adorned his head, his soft brown fur lined his muzzle with a pure white patch under his chin running down into a very high end tailored business suit. "57, so nice to make your acquaintance." The buck said gesturing to the armed guards around Zen to un cuff him, but still keep their weapons pointed at him.

"I like what you've done with the place...and your name?" Zen said relaxing his muscular body, folding his paws behind his back his long bushy fox tail swaying back and forth.

"Senator Yates, appointed commander and chief of this organization." The buck replied standing up from his leather seat and walks over to the fox. "An interesting move, coming here, completely unarmed."

"Well I've been out of the game for quite awhile, just needed to know the players on the field." Zen said, not budging as the buck tried to stare him down.

"We are fairly certain you have already made contact with the General and her band of traitors. We felt it necessary to remove her from command because of her unorthodox methods as you are fully aware of being one yourself."

"Yes I have been in contact with Lauren, but I don't understand how you feel that sending a weapon like Marcus into the field, destroying the restaurant I worked in and conducting an illegal black bag search and destroy operation against Lauren to be anything less than unorthodox." Zen asked with a bit of a sneer.

"The weapon you speak of, Marcus isn't what you think him to be. He was a mistake initiated by the General he is a mechanical version of hunter sixty six augmented with your very own DNA. He is a rouge agent and is wanted for capture as are you." The senator explained making Zen roll his eyes.

"Bullshit, he has control of several detachments of JSTF soldiers...explain that." Zen growled.

"True, there are ten thousand armed troops attached to the JSTF; during the fall out of General Florenas' command he managed to secure some of the forces for his own use."

"Well then, we have a common problem don't we?" Zen grinned.

"It would seem so...what do you propose?"

"I don't want anything to do with the JSTF or Lauren or anything...I just want to be left alone. I've done enough fighting for my life, I'll help you get Marcus in exchange I want triple the money it requires to rebuild the Sunset Grill transferred to the owner and after this is over I want my entire record erased and I will disappear." Zen said.

The buck hissed slightly and turned his back on the fox walking back over to his desk "You want no guarantees for the safety of the General and her people?"

Zen shrugged "They caused me more trouble than they're worth, I only want to look out for myself."

"It's a deal, you take care of Marcus and we will make you disappear." The buck replied with a sly smirk on his muzzle.

Zen walked from the JSTF building, placing his sunglasses over his muzzle bridge and grinned, climbing into the back seat of a hovering limo car as it sped away. The fox looked nervously back at the office building as they moved away then turned back looking at Aiden and Lauren sitting across from him.

"Well?" Aiden asked anxiously.

"Apparently Marcus is a rouge agent as well. They made a pretty hefty deal if I can bring him in." Zen explained. "I don't believe that for a second though, there's something more. This Senator Yates, what do you know about him?"

Lauren shifted in her seat and hmmm'd "I've only met him a paw full of times. He seemed at the time to be one of our greatest supporters, Yates really understood the mission or at least I thought he did. He comes from a planet in Cervid space almost on the rim, very religious and superstitions based."

"Alright, well he's in control of the Taskforce and at least I have a bit of breathing room now. All we have to do is bate the trap for Marcus." Zen sighed.

"How are we going to do that? We don't even know where he is." Aiden asked.

"He's about one step behind or ahead of us, he isn't far. I think it's time I start hunting again." Zen replied with a grin, watching out the dark tinted windows of the limo as the tall cityscape whipped by.

The dark alley ways echoed with the sound of gun fire, the muzzle flashes bouncing off the walls. Six panting and frightened furs scrambled along through the rain each one holding a pistol. "What the hell is that?!" One of them yelped hearing a whoosh from above all of them looking up instantly seeing a darkened figure dropping from a roof top a large billowy grey trench coat flagged out like a cape. It landed right in the center of the group, Zen grinned as his coat settled quickly, his black and chrome lined vest covered chest huffed slightly. The fox's paws instantly whipped a pair of fully automatic pistols form his holsters and placed several shots into two of the fur making them disintegrate into clouds of fiery ash.

Having no choice and no escape the remaining four lunged at Zen whom in a split second returned his pistols to the holsters and grabbed one of the furs by the wrist contorting it to the side ramming a silver steak right through it's ribcage, then spun around the dispatched fur to connect a vicious side kick to the muzzle of a cheetah sending him twirling to the ground. Zen's arm launched backwards grabbing the steak from the first fur before he exploded into dust and rammed it into the forehead of the cheetah. Zen's large fox ears pivoted around and his weight shifted sending his leg into the shin of a wolf taking him off balance just long enough for Zen swing an uppercut to his chin and place two rounds through his chest. As the ash settled from three of the fur being slaughtered in the fraction of a second the last remaining fur knelt down his forehead adorned with the tip of Zen's barrel. "You have two choices, run...or die."

The fur quivered and dropped his weapon whimpering as the lion scrambled away. Zen sighed and watched the demon cowardly dart away. "57, to 13...you got him?"

"Confirmed 57, we've patched satellite recon, reading five by five. You sure he'll lead us back to the nest?" Aiden's voice said into Zen's ear piece.

"They always do." Zen grinned and looked at his pistol, simply contracting a muscle in his wrist watching as small sparks of light became solid green glowing bullets that poured into the magazine of his weapon. "Aiden, have I ever said this gauntlet is wicked?"

"Once or twice Zen" Aiden chuckled "You'd better get moving, the mark is at Terrace and Drominaz, level three eighty one."

The fox finished reloading his weapon and locked it into the holster racing down the alley after his target.

Within a half hour Zen immerged from a basement seedy bar, his grey trench coat covered in ash as well as his hair, he looked back for a moment seeing the entire place riddled in bullet holes and burning embers. Zen sauntered up the stairs and looked up into the sky seeing the beginning of the savannah morning, crisp rays of sunlight beginning to permeate the clouds, he only had to wait a moment for a black sedan to pull up and the door open. "That makes thirty two in three days. Should get someone's attention" Zen said climbing into the passenger seat as Aiden drove off.

"I hope so...you left one of them alive I hope; can't get famous without someone to tell the tail." Aiden grinned and adjusted his sunglasses on his muzzle bridge.

"Of course, some little bitch of a grunt. Should make us pretty well known we're back on the scene." Zen said running his paw through his dusty black spiked head fur. "What's next?"

"Until the sun goes down, I don't think much is going on. Should probably get some sleep." Aiden said. "The General should be back from the base tomorrow, hopefully she's brought some good news."

Zen nodded with a big yawn. "Question for you Aiden...you two seem really close. What is it between you guys? I know you are related by pack."

Aiden shrugged slightly. "Well too be honest Zen...she's my mother..."

Zen's eyes widened "Really?"

"Ya I only found out last year myself. Because of her position she had to hide me at birth but she was always watching over me. I only found out because we got into some trouble with some mercenaries." Aiden explained

"Wow, how does that feel? I mean being the son of one of the figure heads from the great balancing war she fought along side Kitt and Alec." Zen exclaimed.

"No different than before really, I'm a soldier I do my job to the best of my abilities." Aiden said trying to pass it off.

"Still wow heh." Zen snickered and leaned back in the passenger seat of the sedan.

--^--

Deep in the heat of the afternoon Zen sat in the back seat of a red sports car the sun roof and windows wide open letting the wind whip through the car, Aiden drove with Lauren in the passenger seat. "You guys have certainly caused quite the stir in the demon and JSTF community. My sources tell me everyone is scared shitless about both of you on this rampage as it's being called." Lauren said with a grin.

"We're just good at our jobs." Zen replied.

"Ya..." Aiden was about to answer with a flip remark when his eyes darted into the rear view mirror. "...Zen..."

"I know, they've been on us since the space port. Three SUVs about four lengths back. They aren't demons." Zen said glancing over his shoulder.

"Hang on." Aiden said, punching the accelerator lunging the sleek fast car around several cars up the shoulder of the highway.

Zen looked back as the SUVs darted up along the same path. "They're on us, hundred meters back."

Aiden swung the steering wheel taking the car narrowly between several cars only to have one of the SUVs slam into the passenger side door almost making Aiden loose control but he slammed on the brakes letting the truck pass by. Gunning the engine Aiden wrenched on the gear shifter speeding forward again. Zen's eyes went wide as he saw from the side of one of the black trucks a fur leaned out with a rifle and began firing "Down!" Zen managed to get out as several rounds pierced the back window riddling the car.

Zen leaned forward in the seat, pulling up one of the floor boards and drew out an assault rifle and locked in an ammo clip. "Aiden get us off the highway!" he yelped and shot up from the seat standing out of the sun roof lining up the computerized sight on the windshield of a truck and unleashed a short burst of bullets that shattered the window but the driver was relentless and didn't even slow, only swerved behind a transport truck.

The red sports car's engine whined with a highly tuned sound of speed inching between cars and trucks at blinding speeds as Zen growled trying to keep his balance taking shot after shot as rounds flew back at him. "Aiden you're a better shot than me, switch!" Zen cried out ducking back into the car avoiding bullets that struck the roof top.

Aiden looked back, taking hold of the butt of the rifle as Zen prepared to move. Lauren growled as she was tossed against the side of the door and her seat belt. Zen tapped Aiden on the shoulder, causing him instantly to unlatch his restraint and flung the seat back to the floor, he wrenched himself into the back seat as Zen quickly replaced the wolf at the steering wheel.

Zen pulled the seat back up into position and slammed the gear shifter forward again punching the sports car's engine to the max, his demon reflexes allowing him to see the road and openings better. Aiden pulled his body out of the sun roof and took aim through the rifle "Hold it steady Zen!" He howled out, being a former army sniper he squeezed the trigger once sending a single round thrashing through the throat of one of the SUV drivers. The truck screeched and spun out of control flipping over on its side slamming into one of the concrete medians sending shards of steel, plastic and rubber flying all over the highway.

Zen gritted his teeth seeing one of the SUVs thrusting from his side to ram them into the cab of a transport truck "Aiden get down!" Zen yelped making the wolf drop down into the car, Zen reacted in an instant braking suddenly just enough to allow the low riding sports car to slip under the trailer of the truck and out the other side.

"Fuck Zen be careful!" Lauren yelped watching the extremely dangerous move.

"Hang on" Zen hurtled the car forward around the truck. "Alright this is pissing me off!" He hissed and looked at the car's navigation computer on the center console. "Is this car insured?" Zen grinned.

"No why?" Aiden whimpered.

"Sorry Aiden, I'll buy you a new one." Zen's expression focused as he again forced the engine to its limit over two hundred and eighty kilometers and hour.

Lauren gasped as she saw and figured out what the fox was doing, seeing a large bend in the highway one the other side a gap and an office complex "Zen are you insane!?"

"A little..." Zen said as the car rapidly approached the bend, the three furs braced hard in their seats as the red car burst through the concrete barrier soaring into the air a pure kilometer of space was below them. The SUVs in hot pursuit followed only one making it, while the sports car smashed through the glass into the lobby of a building followed by one of the trucks the other didn't have the speed and smashed into the side of the building exploding on contact in a fiery ball. Glass and steel flew all over the place as the two vehicles slammed down into the floor and spun being flung out the other side into a park. "Lauren grab the wheel!" Zen yelled out and in mid spin he grabbed the edge of the sun roof and launched his body from the car flying through the air.

Zen's agile body twisted locking onto the SUV that hadn't regained control yet, he tossed his arms to the side igniting the shining blade from his gauntlet and controlled his flight so well he was able to bring the sharp blade crashing through the engine compartment of the truck making it topple and fling over onto its roof. Zen landed hard denting the concrete below him, his sword held tightly to his side.

Zen watched as the truck skidded to a halt, the hundred or so people around the park scattered and screamed at the sight. His eyes never left the shattered remains of the SUV, watching as the three passengers amazingly crawled out of the wreckage, he stalked over to them, pressing the tip of his sword against the throat of one of them. "You are one lucky fucker you know that...tell Marcus I'm waiting for him." Zen growled as the shambles of the sports car limped behind him, Lauren at the wheel.

Standing out on the balcony of the penthouse Lauren had, Zen sighed with his arms crossed over his chest. "You know how lucky we were that no one got hurt today?" Zen said hearing Lauren softly step up behind him.

"Yes, but there was no other way. If we were captured or killed just think how many people would die at the paws of demons or even worse Marcus." Lauren explained.

Zen's muzzle shot around with a growl. "Don't give me that sacrifice a few to save many, bullshit. I'm not a cold blooded assassin, demons are one thing but I don't want to take any lives anymore."

"They may not give you a choice...you can't just knock them all unconscious and hope they learn they're lesson." Lauren sighed.

"I know Lauren...I tried so hard while I was gone to stop but I keep getting drawn back in."

"I remember something a friend told me once, it's really egotistical to say but he was kind of like that. 'We are in the position we are because no one else could do it.'" Lauren said with a distant sigh.

"Who told you that?" Zen looked back slightly.

"Kitt Alistair..." Lauren replied turning heading back into the penthouse.

A deep brooding humid night settled in over the capital city a perfectly clear night showing a big dark blood moon hanging over head. Zen stood atop a roof watching over the vast network of road highways, one of them under rapid repair from the damage done yesterday by his car. He wore a tight tactical vest, a pistol at his thigh and one behind his back, the silvery colored gauntlet around his wrist. Zen sighed and turned to be confronted by the brown furred wolf standing in the stair well dressed in a similar manner his paw grasped around the already extended blade from his own gauntlet.

"Impressive driving Zen..." Marcus chuckled.

"Thanks Mark. What is going on here?" Zen asked hoping down from the ledge, both furs pacing calmly around each other.

"What do you mean...you're a demon, I'm a hunter. You die." The wolf grinned.

"You know damn well what I mean. Lauren says you're working with the JSTF...the JSTF says you're a rouge hunter. Level with me." Zen asked.

"Too be honest, I'm neither. Special mandate from the Alliance council and the President. The JSTF has grown stagnant stuck in its ways, what better way to hide a new movement than letting the old one destroy itself. Lauren knows she's on the loosing end of the battle but isn't willing to do what it takes to take the fight to the demons." Marcus explained.

"So what? You're the new commander and chief?" Zen stopped the pacing looking cautiously at the wolf.

"Wrong again...I'm just an instrument of it. I agreed to be augmented with your very DNA to make me a weapon, there are a dozen or so like me out there all holding your essence each one independently operating. A test of how effectively we can rein in the hordes." Marcus explained.

"So they let you psychos run free, you have any idea the damage you've caused?!" Zen barked.

"Miniscule in comparison to the damage done by you demon filth. Now shall we get this over with?" Marcus growled and spun his sword around his body pointing the tip right at Zen.

"Marcus we don't have to do this, you know me...I don't want to kill you, we can work this out." Zen pled as the wolf launched forward swinging his sword out at Zen's mid section making the fox spin out of the path and twist his body out of the way of several graceful swipes and thrusts. "Gotten better with the sword I see." Zen growled out blocking Marcus' strike at the wrist and sent a hard crescent kick out into the air whirling over the wolf's arm and at his head knocking him away.

"It's your skill, I know all your tricks and moves." Marcus snarled slipping back towards Zen.

The two wined and twist against each other dancing dangerously near the edge of the railing Zen not even having to draw his weapon. "What are you waiting for Zen, draw your sword, and stop playing around!"

Zen grunted and vaulted his body into a flip over a waist cut from the wolf landing

with an inch of clearance from the edge of the building and turned sharply "I told you, I don't want to kill you."

Marcus panted holding his sword aggressively at Zen "You don't have a choice, if you don't I'm going to kill you and Lauren and everything you ever held dear."

Zen stopped and sighed "You are the last thing I hold dear."

Marcus cocked his head to the side, for a second Zen swore he saw his old boy friend there but suddenly the wolf dropped down to one knees exposing the fox to the twelve strike soldiers bursting through the stairwell door.

Zen inhaled sharply pulling the pistol from his hip holster and sprayed the soldiers in automatic gun fire as he dashed along the railing. They returned fire quickly as none of Zen's rounds hit, making the nimble fox leap for cover behind an air conditioning vent. "Reload..." he said into the gauntlet, replenishing the clip and stood up sharply only to have to duck to avoid Marcus' sword. Zen panted and growled at one second twisting out of the way of a sword on the other side flipping and dodging out of the path of the bullets.

The fox harshly grabbed one of the soldiers by the vest and whipped him over his shoulder firing a burst from his pistol into his chest covering the fur in an electric charge that made him yowl in pain and convulse. Zen took down four more of the soldiers in a similar manner when out of know where Marcus tackled Zen form behind taking both of them over the edge of the building hurtling them towards a walkway seven stories down. Marcus head butted Zen shocking him for a second, long enough for the wolf to use Zen as a battering ram through a set of pipes that connected power between two buildings. The pipes exploded with Zen's howl of intense pain a monsoon of sparks and flames shot down around them as they both collided with the steel plating, Zen's demon body denting the ground with the brown wolf crushing on top of him.

Zen laid there lifeless for a moment, making Marcus sigh and stand up activating his sword swinging it down for the final blow but the beige fox's eyes shot open and his own blade intercepting the strike. Marcus' eyes went wide as Zen pushed his body off his paws connecting his boots with his chest taking the wolf to his back. The fox panted and cringed with the pain throbbing through his chest

"Hurts don't it?" Marcus grinned and whipped his side arm from the holster letting a stream of automatic gun fire spray towards Zen whom dodged and rolled to the side, the bullets tearing through several panes of plate glass window of a shop.

Zen rolled to his feet letting the sword dissolve back into the gauntlet and dove through the broken glass disappearing into the store.

The brown wolf crept inside his pistol tightly held in his paws, his reddish eyes slowly moving side to side as Marcus ducked and weaved carefully between the racks of clothing. "Zzzzeeeennnnn..." he growled out in a mocking tone "C'mon foxy don't hide, I thought you were supposed to be the best."

Zen panted and huffed quietly leaning against a display of manikins, cradling his side, probably at least two ribs had been fractured. "I never said I was the best." Zen answered moving low to the floor to the next display.

"Oh but you sure acted like it, always having to be so cocky and self-centered." Marcus yelled out trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from.

"Hey I never asked you to follow me...you chose to join the JSTF, you followed me into that building!" Zen growled fiercely and leapt over one of the cashier desks, his sword trailing out behind him as Zen crashed his boot into Marcus' muzzle knocking through the glass doors of the shop out into the main promenade, nearly taking him over the railing but he narrowly saved himself thrusting his gun forward only to have it batted away by Zen's foot.

Marcus yelped shaking his paw after the kick, his sword appearing in place. The two angry furs spin and shift backwards and forwards, the bright moon sending down beams through the mall's skylight flickering and reflecting off of the mirror polished surfaces of the blades, loud clangs of the cold steel echoing the corridors.

Zen was thrust against one of the support pillars with a yip having to duck out of the way quickly as Marcus thrust his sword forward, slicing into and then through the concrete and rebar like butter. The agile fox after dipping to his knee to avoid the strike threw his fist into Marcus' stomach followed by his knee Zen grabbed the wolf by the collar of his armored vest and tossed him over his shoulder. Marcus gasped and rolled to the side as Zen's sword came crashing down.

Marcus flipped to his feet having to bend backwards watching the razor edge of the near paper thin blade slide with an inch of clearance in front of his muzzle and threw up his wrist to block Zen's twisting his body around taking the fox with him and flung him towards the railing. If there hadn't been one of the support columns right there Zen would have gone flying over the edge tumbling down another four stories but reacting in a second Zen wedged his sword into the concrete redirecting his momentum and like a gymnast on in the parallel bars event he swung his body upwards barely able to grab hold of the next level up.

Marcus growled watching the fox scurry away, his ear twitched hearing a pistol being cocked and danced backwards as several rounds pierced from the upper level right in front of him.

"Dead yet?" Zen yipped out as he pressed himself against a wall.

"You wish!" Marcus replied doing the same directly below Zen.

"Why are you letting the JSTF control you like this...I know you're mostly a computer now but c'mon you can't honestly think this is the best solution." Zen cried out.

"You were right when you said it was my choice to follow you. I did it because I had to know what the person I was dating for so long was really like. You told me so many lies I had to know for sure." Marcus yelled.

"And are you satisfied, I had to lie to you. Look what happened when you found out, I knew if I told you, you would want to come along. I couldn't let that happen." Zen sighed looking at his pistol and the display on the gauntlet telling him he was out of ammo.

"Well it did happen. And to be honest I'm kind of glad it did, one it gives me the opportunity to inflict the same pain on you that you did me." Marcus said with a smirk.

"Revenge won't change anything I learned that along time ago. But it's not like you're going believe me." Zen answered standing abruptly just as Marcus raced forward with his sword rapidly slicing through the support columns. Zen stumbled as the balcony began to creek and shift, cracking away from the building. "Ah fuck!" Zen yowled as the floor gave way sliding forwards taking the fox with it. With a deafening crash pieces of concrete fell to the main floor, Zen not having much of a choice launched his body from the falling slab into the center of the opening barely getting his paw around a dangling chandelier his eyes whipped around seeing Marcus starring in disbelief.

"Fuck, what is it with you!?" Marcus snarled and fired his body at the chandelier as well both furs hanging by one paw swinging their swords out in a desperate attempt to kill one another, suspended precariously five stories up.

Zen pushed his weight back and forth getting the chandelier to sway and move clashing his sword against Marcus' out of the corner of his eye he saw the surrounding balconies flooring with police and JSTF personnel. "It isn't my time to die, let's see about." He gave a toothy grin and pulled his body upwards grasping the main cable for the chandelier cutting the rest away with a flick of the wrist, sending Marcus and the chandelier tumbling to the ground with a screeching crash of metal and glass being twisted and shattered.

Zen panted and gazed down into the gnarled mess below him, he saw Marcus' body lying lifeless for a second before he began to groan and move having no chance to get away with twenty heavily armed soldiers surrounding him.

Recovering slightly while dangling there Zen's eyes went wide as the police and JSTF agents pointed their weapons at him all yelling for him to freeze. Although there wasn't much choice. Being lowered down eventually, Zen was stripped of his weapons and armor and hauled off in shackles.

---^---

"Why am I not surprised you would fuck me." Zen calmly said to the buck as he sat smugly in his desk atop the tower of the JSTF headquarters.

"Well we didn't think you'd get the job done so well." He said tenting his fingers in front of his muzzle.

"Such a public display of violence and destruction, just like your little escapade at the Four Star. Just giving us the excuse we need to burry the JSTF for good."

"What? Why?" Zen gasped.

"Lauren was so closed minded, she never expected any force from the hell universe could ever get under her radar, it's taken us twenty five years to infiltrate the Alliance and now thanks to you and your former mate we have the opening we need." The male deer chuckled and stood up striding right in front of Zen with an evil grin. "I understand that you just wanted out and well being a fellow demon I take pity on you, but so I will make sure your death is quick and painless."

Zen sneered looking behind himself at the two armed guards. "This isn't over yet."

"On the contrary it is quite over...take him away." The deer waved his paw causing the guards to drag Zen away, throwing him into a cell locked behind a thin translucent blue energy field.

Zen quickly began to look around the cell stopping dead in his tracks as he saw Marcus crouched down in the corner giving Zen an angry fierce glare. "Marcus?!' The brown wolf stood up and launched forward to strike out at Zen but the quick fox blocked the attack however did not return one. "Wait! Hold on!"

"Why should I, you already let them capture us" Marcus hissed.

"You knew about this all along?!" Zen barked.

"Of course...you are still so stupid. I am programmed and mandated to protect the JSTF and Alliance government from demon forces. I went rouge to facilitate that." Marcus explained, lowering his paw. "Found out about this demon force getting into the agency and had no choice, there's only one person who knows other than I what's going on."

"Then why go after me so soon, wouldn't have been more tactically sound to wait, instead of exposing yourself?" Zen huffed.

"I used you to make them reveal their intent and how deep it goes."

Zen lowered his guard and sighed rubbing his forehead. "Lot of good it does us in here."

"You don't have an exit strategy?" Marcus said his ears going flat against his head.

"No, do you?" Zen grumbled his bushy fox tail twitching side to side as he got nervous.

"I figured you would have one...you always seemed to have a way out before."

Zen rolled his eyes and began looking about the cell. "I didn't think exactly this was going to happen."

"We have to figure something out, or we're dead." Marcus whimpered.

"Relax, fuck for some super warrior machine you sure do worry quickly." Zen growled hitting himself mentally for saying that, it didn't help the situation.

"Hey you're the Thane demon here, aren't you supposed to be all powerful and shit like that!" Marcus snarled.

The fox put his paws up "I'm sorry okay, I didn't mean that. Let's just focus on getting the fuck out of here."

"You're right, but don't forget we still have unfinished business." Marcus snapped.

"Don't worry I haven't forgotten."

Hours past in the cell, both furs pacing anxiously, neither of them making any head way. "Well what about you're new body, it's got to be equipped with some sort of on board weapon systems." Zen asked.

"Nope, I elected to not have any, I wanted to make sure it didn't limit my agility or speed when I found you. What about the weapon, you still have it don't you?"

Zen's expression went cold and serious "Alicia, no, I won't, I can't."

"Why not, Zen it could be our only way out." Marcus pled.

"Look I locked her away in a very tight box in my head, if I let her out for one she's going to be pissed and I don't know if I can control her." Zen whimpered.

"We don't have a choice!" Marcus pushed with a grrr.

"Alright...I don't know what will happen once I let her out." Zen sighed and sat down on the bench taking several deep breaths. "It may take awhile."

Zen closed his eyes continuing to breathe deep and slowly, in his head he called out the name of the weapon that infested him. "Alicia...can you hear me?" He waited in the darkness of his mind padding slowly through the mist.

"Oh look who came crawling back." The female voice of the vulpine weapon echoed from all around him.

"I need your help." Zen said calmly.

"Why should I, you had the chance and you locked me away in your head for a year. And for some reason I should just open up and help your sorry ass?" Alicia growled stepping into Zen's vision, her ruby red fur slid down her sleek feminine body.

"Because if you don't they will execute us both. Look we can help each other."

Alicia stalked forward putting her muzzle almost right against Zen's "And how can you help me?"

Zen recoiled back a step crossing his arms over his chest. "Well what do you prefer honestly, being locked away in here or having at least the chance to maybe finally be at peace?"

"At peace?" Alicia laughed "There is no peace for me, I was created for destruction, it's my purpose and I enjoy it" She responded yet her voice quivered slightly.

"Have you not seen anything while we've been joined, I know that's not true. As much as you can sense my feelings, I can yours. You tire of the blood shed and violence just like I do, there has to be away." Zen explained hugging the female tightly he could feel her body quiver. "Help me and we will find away, I promise you."

The female fox sighed and hugged Zen "Alright Zen, you've got a deal for now."

Zen smiled but his expression when cold when he felt several life forces approaching the cell. "You ready?" was all he said getting a confident nod from the female.

Zen's eyes shot open seeing the translucent energy field that locked them inside the small room. Zen glanced at Marcus with the same eyes he'd only seen once before, just as the fox was about to pull the trigger. "Let's go." Zen said standing up and stepped towards the opening, faint golden glowing patterns began to emerge from the beige fur, etching a hard sharp tribal design along his forearms, biceps and inside his muscle shirt down his back eventually coming out along the top of his tail.

Zen reached his paw forward right into the energy field making his crack and buzz, suddenly four burly heavily armed JSTF soldiers raced in front of the field just as it burst and sent a screaming electrical charge forward throwing the furs into the opposite wall with four hard heavy thuds.

Marcus raced forward stripping the furs of their weapons, the wolf suddenly blinked as his paw tensed around the grip of one of the shotguns he shot up pointing the barrel right against Zen's throat.

"What are you doing?!" Zen cried out.

"Ending this before you get out of control again, I can't let that weapon be on the loose." Marcus barked loudly.

"Mark, we have about two minutes before they notice we're out." Zen said calmly.

"Not again, I saw it in your eyes."

"Please don't..." Zen whimpered slightly his ears quickly pivoting hearing the elevator door at the end of the hall open followed by the hurried foot falls of several soldiers.

Marcus' paw shook looking fearfully into the eyes of his former boyfriend but also hearing the foot steps. "Just because you helped me doesn't change a thing, I will have your hide."

"Fair enough, but not today..." Zen sighed and nodded watching as Marcus dashed off down the opposite hallway.

It was easy to escape the headquarters especially with Alicia at his power he watched the savannah sun set over the horizon of the massive city as the black limo containing Lauren and Aiden pulled up behind him.

Marcus was out there...somewhere.