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Book III: The Tower

They arrived at the run-down Valise City Airfield after only an hour and a few minutes of flight, which was good: Cherry mostly recovered over the course of the ride on the jet, and she insisted on harassing Josephine - her version of courting - if only to prove to Zerrex that she could totally get a girl if she wanted. She failed miserably at the task, however, and they left the plane being chased by the angry yelling of the captain, hurrying quickly over to a transport truck with an open back, where two soldiers were carefully wheeling down Zerrex's motorcycle.

From here, Zerrex could see the helicopter they were supposed to take... and he glanced up at the sky, judging the time before he looked at Cherry and smiled a bit, and she softened before nodding after a moment. And with that, the Drakkaren told the soldiers to get the chopper ready to fly for an hour and a half, and then he and Cherry had left on the motorcycle, Sammy sitting in the Drakkaren's lap behind the windshield and squeaking in shock with every bump they hit - and there were a lot of bumps.

It took Zerrex thirty minutes to reach the house... and he left the motorcycle parked out front as he and Cherry let themselves in. They found Mahihko sitting by himself at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of soup in only a shirt that was too big for him, and he looked up in surprise when Zerrex said mildly: "You got twenty minutes to get yourself ready to go, kiddo."

"Daddy? Cherry?" Mahihko whimpered, looking back and forth in surprise before he shook his head and said quickly: "I don't wanna, I'm too afraid! And you just got back, you should rest, we should rest and-"

"Come on, kid, move your ass!" Cherry shouted, clapping her hands together, and Mahihko squeaked before rushing off to get dressed as Zerrex rolled his eyes, but he did have to admit it worked. Cherry dropped her slightly-squished platters on the table, and then she paused and reached up to yank Sammy off Zerrex's shoulder, the pseudodragon squeaking and kicking wildly before she squeezed him and said firmly: "You gotta stay here too, little dude. Boss can always call you if he needs you, and... oh, here."

Cherry tossed the little dragon down unceremoniously to the ground, and then she threw her jacket off onto a chair and quickly undid the holster for the revolver hanging at her side, holding it out to Zerrex with the autoloader as she smiled a bit, and he looked back at her with a bit of a smile as she said mildly: "You might need some hardware going in, and nothing beats infinite ammo, even if this shit is old as hell."

"Thanks, Cherry." Zerrex slipped off his own jacket to put the holster on, slipping the autoloader into his pocket as he nodded to her, and she just grunted before the reptile looked up as he finished tightening one of the straps to hold the holstered gun tight against his side, glancing over his shoulder to see Marina standing in the doorway. "I gotta leave soon again, for Lunis."

"I know, Daddy." Marina said softly, then she walked over and kissed him quietly under the chin, the Drakkaren smiling a bit before he hugged her close, and she hugged him tightly back, pressing herself to his body as she murmured: "I'll miss you, father... but I know you'll do a good job and come back safe. I have a feeling about things... and this time it's Mahihko I'm worried about for a change. I know we don't all get along a lot of the time but... I do know that you value him, so I guess... I have to value him, too."

"Only a little." Zerrex poked Marina's nose gently, and she smiled a bit before she pressed herself close, and the Drakkaren held her loosely to his body for a few moments before he stepped away, asking curiously: "Where's Cindy?"

"At work still... but I'll let her know what's happened. Cherry, you can go rest, you're tired." Marina added absently, without a glance in Cherry's direction as she opened her mouth... then closed it again, glowering at Marina. The younger female only smiled a bit, however, adding dryly: "I don't need my powers to perceive that you're running lower on energy than you want to admit, big sister. Your eye looks bruised, and bruises usually heal within seconds for you."

Cherry promptly covered her eye, asking scathingly: "Now what do you see?" She paused, then flipped Marina off, huffed, and brushed past the two, before she leaned back and added: "By the way, uh... Zerrex, you better check on Mahihko."

"Right." The Drakkaren sighed and nodded, picking up his jacket and throwing it back around his shoulders as Cherry grinned at Marina, who glared darkly back at the other female. The male ignored them both for the moment, however, as he instead walked down to Mahihko's room and knocked twice... and he was unsurprised when he opened the door and found the little wolf in tears, half-dressed and with guns and toys all around him. "Mahihko... we decided on this already."

"I don't wanna go!" Mahihko wailed, and then he flung himself to the ground and began bawling loudly, trembling violently as he sobbed: "It's t-too soon, it's too s-s-sudden, it's so fast, I don't wanna go, no, no, no!"

Zerrex half-wanted to yell at him, but he closed his eyes and controlled himself, before he walked into the room and bent down, quietly picking up a few things as he said softly but firmly: "I know, but we did decide on this. We have to go, Mahihko... I know that you're afraid, and that Lone's afraid... but you're only going to get more scared and more upset if we put it off. And you might have the biggest stake in this, but this is getting bigger than us both... if you don't come with me now, I'll have to go alone."

Mahihko looked up, tears streaming down his face as he shook his head violently. "No, you can't do that, you can't! It's not fair!" He burst into tears again, and Zerrex sighed, mentally checking the time but knowing they were probably starting to run short on it... but he gave himself the time to think by organizing through the wolf's things, picking through the bits and pieces of clothing to produce an old Hez'Rannan military uniform in Mahihko's size that would be able to comfortably stretch to almost the maximum size the wolf could grow to, and then he snatched up a few articles of the wolf's "plainer clothes" for Lone to wear, including the stuff he'd seen the wolf wearing before he'd left, and shoved them into a pink carry-bag with a unicorn on it. It wasn't exactly nondescript, but it would do... and it was large enough that Zerrex could throw in a few other odds and ends, including a pair of large metal hoops, two handguns, and a small rifle when he broke it down into three pieces.

He tested the weight, but he thought Mahihko could manage okay... except the wolf was still sniffling and tugging at his panties, wearing only a plain blue tank-top with 'Baby Boi' on it and a rainbow. Zerrex sighed, slapping his forehead, and then Mahihko mumbled in a surly voice: "I don't wanna go. I don't want you to go either."

"Well, we gotta go." Zerrex said in a sharper voice than he meant to, but he was running out of patience. Mahihko trembled at the tone, and then Zerrex said quietly: "Get dressed, come on. This is for you... not for me."

Mahihko looked like he wanted to argue... but when Zerrex crossed his arms and looked down at him, he finally nodded and trembled, crawling around the floor and moving horribly slowly, but he finally put on a pair of jeans before he picked up a denim jacket with all manner of buttons and toys on chains hanging from it, and Zerrex picked up his bag and took him by the hand like he was an errant child, leading him quickly out and towards the doors. He called goodbye to the others, but they were nowhere in sight... and the Drakkaren made a face as they walked out to his motorcycle, handing the bag to Mahihko and saying clearly: "Put the strap around your neck and hold the bag in your lap, keep it pressed between us, alright?"

Mahihko didn't move, and Zerrex sighed, deciding that the best bet would be to ignore him, as he climbed onto the motorcycle and started it up, checking his cane was secure... and then a rock bounced off his back, and Zerrex looked slowly over his shoulder to see Mahihko staring at the ground, but his hands were behind his back. The Drakkaren closed his eyes, breathing slowly in and out... and then he finally said in a cold, serious voice: "Get on the motorcycle, now. Or I leave you here. And when I come back, you'll have to move out. Enough of these stupid games, Mahihko... you're not a child, you're older than Marina, for Gods' sake." He paused, realizing dumbly that it was true, as Mahihko trembled and looked up at him fearfully. "Stop behaving like a toddler and let's move."

Finally, the wolf did as he was told, clambering awkwardly up onto the back of the tall motorcycle and pressing the bag between them as he clung to Zerrex's body, trembling violently... and Zerrex started for the Airfield, keeping his pace slower than he had with Cherry but still fast enough to make Mahihko squeak with shock at every hard bump. It took twenty-five minutes, but the reptile made it in almost perfect time, which relieved him... and the two dismounted the bike near a large green tent, Zerrex wheeling his motorcycle inside under the directions of one of the soldiers before he took the bag from Mahihko and they made their way quickly to the waiting chopper, Mahihko attracting dubious looks due to not only his clothing but his flushed, tear-streaked features and reddened eyes.

Zerrex recognized this helicopter as another newer model vehicle, the entire front of the chopper folded open and instead of a single set of spinning blades, it had two massive turbines on either side of it, as well as cold-fire boosters mounted on the sides of the helicopter. The rotor at the back of the vehicle was also designed to turn and bend, and Zerrex wondered who the hell was piloting it, as he climbed into the passenger side and threw the stuff in back... and then a soldier knelt down by Mahihko, asking over the quiet whirr of the twin turbines: "Are you the pilot?"

"I guess?" Mahihko said dumbly, and the soldier nodded before handing him a headset and a pair of goggles, and Mahihko took both dumbly before he blinked and said stupidly: "Wait, I've never flown one of these before!"

"Not a lot of people have." the soldier replied, likely thinking that the tiny lupine was referring to the model of the vehicle instead of the vehicle itself. "It's not that hard, though... just use the main joystick for simple flight, while the right-and-left sticks control the right and left circular rotors for advanced flying. This model doesn't have guns, so you can ignore all the aiming systems, but it's pretty damn simple. The white button closes the cage, the blue button preps it for lift off or landing - we already got that going - and the red button activates the thrusters. The rest of the shit you can figure out on your own, just remember to stay low, and avoid too much pitch or tilt, you don't wanna start gyrating or set off any of the radar systems while you're passing by Lunis. Just remember, lower and slower is better."

Mahihko nodded stupidly, and then the soldier helped him up into the cockpit, and the wolf reached out and pressed the white button as the soldier stepped back and waved. Mahihko waved back, looking nervous, and then Zerrex frowned at the wolf in the driver's seat, saying dumbly: "Where's the pilot?"

"I am?" Mahihko said meekly, and Zerrex stared in horror before the wolf fitted his headset on, looking over the controls and keyboard before he hit a button on a random guess... and he jumped as the windshield flashed before readouts began spreading over it in transparent gold and other colors, blocking up the wolf's vision before he yelped and hit another button, and the readouts shrank as they became more transparent as part of the windshield boxed itself off and outlined objects ahead of them in red.

"This is ground control to Untraceable-01, on route to Lunis... you are cleared for liftoff, I repeat, you are cleared for liftoff." said a voice clearly into the headset, and Mahihko looked dubiously at the red button as Zerrex frowned at him, before he winced as the wolf reached out for the red button, the reptile leaning forwards to exclaim something but a moment too late-

The boosters fired as the turbines sped violently up, and the helicopter shot some twenty feet into the air, Mahihko and Zerrex both giving loud squeaks before the wolf reached forwards and grabbed the joystick, pushing it forwards and causing the rotors to tilt slightly and the helicopter to whirr as it flew forwards, before Mahihko instinctively followed a green arrow that appeared on the screen pointing right, until the rectangle itself turned green and indicated that they were on the correct course.

Zerrex was squished back into his seat, looking horrified, while Mahihko was staring stupidly out the window... and then the voice of ground control said calmly in his ear: "Nice flying, Untraceable-01. Maintain course and minimal height, we are currently mapping you out a route and ceiling maximum that should allow you to reach your destination just after bingo. Good luck."

"Thanks. Copy that." Mahihko said dumbly into the microphone, and then the computerized windshield beeped before several distance and height notes appeared in the top corner of the open rectangle, both currently green. Zerrex slowly relaxed as Mahihko looked back and forth, wondering where the natural ease he felt came from... and then he looked ahead again as there was a burst of static in his ear for a moment.

This was followed by: "Ground control switching to coded frequency 8-0-8-1-0-1-2-4, red-blue-green. Maintain radio silence unless contacted, Untraceable-01. Over and out."

Then the headphones went dead, and Mahihko pulled the microphone on the headset away from his muzzle as he looked over at Zerrex, asking meekly: "Should I keep going?"

Zerrex simply nodded dumbly, figuring he could yell at or congratulate the wolf later as he stared out the window, and he wondered just how much pain he would be in if the helicopter did end up crashing... but he figured after a moment he was likely better off not knowing for now, as they sailed through the skies only thirty feet above ground below that was mostly cracked, abandoned highway that was slowly being reclaimed by the wasteland that surrounded it.

Zerrex relaxed in probably the last five minutes of the trip, murmuring a congratulations to the wolf that made him beam brightly and look a lot cheerier, as they slowly approached a huge, modified oil-rig that now served as a landing platform for Hez'Ranna diplomats to refuel and rest. In the distance, Zerrex could see the massive cliffs of Lunis... and he shook his head slowly before watching as Mahihko slowed the helicopter to a halt some ten feet above a helicopter platform that was currently outlined for them, and the wolf looked nervously at the controls before he tapped the blue button.

Immediately, the rotors began to slow, and the huge vehicle slowly fell out of the air as the thrusters fired for a moment before it dropped the last few feet, Zerrex and Mahihko rocking with the clanky landing that nonetheless got them down safely. Then the wolf bit his lip as he tried to remember the controls, before he pressed the white button, and the readings on the windshield blinked off before it swung open and upwards, and both wolf and Drakkaren climbed out, the lizard grabbing the lupine's bag and his cane before he made a face at the soldier nearest who stared at the travel bag.

Zerrex tossed it as soon as he could to the wolf, who caught it with a grunt... then he beamed radiantly when the Drakkaren ruffled his headfur and muttered: "Good work, Mahihko." He paused, looking across the steel platform... and then he smiled a bit as he saw a Dragokkaren in a casual black suit and cape approaching, leaning on a walking stick that was topped with a silver ball, his features aged but the violet eye and blue scales still as distinct as the eyepatch he wore, scars radiating outwards from beneath this.

Commander Cole Albatross of Hez'Ranna smiled warmly to his old friend, as the huge Dragokkaren bodyguards on either side of him knelt deeply... and then the Dragokkaren held a hand out, and he and Zerrex shook firmly before the reptile looked up in surprise as the blue-scaled Dragokkaren hugged him quickly, saying warmly in Hez'Rannan: "Zerrex Narrius, you look as old and ugly as the last time I saw you!"

"Gods, you remind me of Huck." Zerrex shoved him playfully backwards, and Albatross grunted before he grinned, shaking his head as he rested on his walking stick. Zerrex glanced down at this, then he held his cane up, saying mildly as he pointed the eyes of the dragon-headed handle at him: "Mine's better."

"Yes, but mine's serviceable." Albatross said with soft amusement, and then he glanced down at Mahihko, smiling a bit as he knelt with a grunt and said softly: "And you haven't changed either, have you? I'm glad to see that the Demon War and the crash that happened afterwards didn't take away your bond."

Mahihko blushed and scuffed a paw against the ground, and then Albatross stood, rubbing slowly at his leg as he looked across at Zerrex, saying mildly: "I think I understand better why you didn't go for the artificial knee, Lord Zerrex. They can prove a bit difficult at times."

Zerrex nodded, glancing down at his leg, and Albatross shrugged as he said softly: "Just a post-war battle wound. Ire isn't the only place that had trouble with PMCs, after all... and a lot of them tried to flee to the 'wild countries,' like ours, as well as Lailland... one of our big allies these days. So we had to send in plenty of support to help them out, since their military forces are still weak and they're still very focused on rebuilding... after all, they were hit, arguably, the worst by the demonic invasion those ten years ago."

"I heard that the Warlord set up a lot of troops there... I also heard that you sent some exceptional soldiers in with Cindy and my kids." Zerrex said softly, and Albatross smiled a bit, nodding in reply. "Thanks for that, Albatross... I know it's been a long time, but... I appreciate everything you did for my family, and for the world in general, too. It might sound high and mighty and pompous, but you and Churchill did some amazing things for the world and... I kinda envy that."

Albatross only smiled amusedly at this, however, waving a hand. "Politics, that's all we did. We sat back for the most part... and when I do finally go into combat, I end up getting hit by a demonic mortar and immediately dragged away by a medevac within the first twenty minutes of a four-day battle. Zerrex, I think you're fishing for a compliment: it was you that apparently saved Hell, after all."

Zerrex grumbled something under his breath, and then Albatross turned and motioned for them to follow, the reptile falling into pace beside him as Mahihko toddled behind the two, the blue-scaled Dragokkaren continuing: "From what President Balthazar described to me, it sounds like you have a serious issue to contend to in Lunis... and I owe you a lot of favors." Albatross glanced sideways with his one eye at Zerrex, then rolled it when the Drakkaren simply mumbled and shrugged. "Same as always... but I figured, that for old times' sake... we'll run this just like one of those sabotage operations you always used to hate, do you remember that?"

"Far too well." Zerrex said dryly, making a bit of a face: it was a failed sabotage operation that flung them into this whole mess, after all, and that had resulted in Hell's invasion and Zerrex being killed. Well, the latter was more his own brash fault, but still... if he had succeeded, it never would have happened, and there might have been a happily-ever-after.

Albatross seemed to sense Zerrex's fugue, so he continued in a clear voice that snapped the Drakkaren back to reality, as they approached the doors to a large cabin structure: "You'll be riding with several Hez'Rannan officials... and fortunately, a few of these have their personal servants with them, which include a few mammalian creatures, so Mahihko will fit in fine as long as he clothes himself properly." He paused to glance back at the wolf, who looked up dumbly, and Albatross said in a voice with only the faintest hint of an accent: "You can change into some more-fitting clothes in the amphibious carrier."

"You speak Ire's common tongue pretty damn well." Zerrex said mildly, and Albatross shrugged a bit before opening the door, and they stepped into a large, low-ceilinged, square room, where Dragokkaren were conversing away, most of them dressed in robes or suits but a few Enforcer-armored soldiers patrolling the area as well. Zerrex also noted a door at the back... and he counted no less than four ambassadors here, all of them well-dressed. "Looks like I need a costume change. Lemme see..."

Zerrex paused as Albatross tilted his head, watching as the Drakkaren rolled back the sleeve of his jacket to reveal the armlet... and then he muttered and tapped a few buttons before the clothes on his body changed into a black suit, casual suit with a white silk shirt and a large, black stone at the neck of the collar, the reptile making a face. He hated suits, they made him feel too much like Narrius... and Albatross stared before the Drakkaren shrugged absently, tapping his combat boots against the ground as he said mildly: "I got me a few nice toys over the years. This is a recent one upgraded and stuff by one of my kids, he gave it to me as a gift."

Albatross nodded, smiling a bit as he said mildly: "Hez'Ranna was working on a device like that, but the prototypes were all lost or destroyed. But before I get off topic... the ambassadors are going to go through a security checkpoint, but there aren't going to be any Scanners present, so you and Mahihko should be safe. Afterwards, they'll be taking separate cars to a meeting... your car is number five, and your driver has orders to take you directly to Lunis Standing Towers. I reserved a room for you there under the name Jacob Kenneth. It's only fourteen blocks away from Wulfe Square."

Zerrex nodded, going over the information in his head before he crossed his arms and looked thoughtfully at Albatross, who looked back unflinchingly before the reptile asked quietly: "It's been a long time... why go through all this trouble for me?"

"Because I believe in you." Albatross said bluntly, and Zerrex looked taken aback before the one-eyed male reached a hand up and squeezed his shoulder with a faint smile, adding quietly: "Time doesn't kill friendship, Zerrex. Or at least, it doesn't have to. You did a lot for me and my friends and my country... and even my world. I have a lot of debts to repay you... and even if I didn't, I still would do this. Because you always do the right thing and you're trying to save someone very important to you, I hear. I'm trying to show you that I want you to stay a friend: that I still value you as a compatriot and as a companion on this journey through life." He paused, then added drolly: "And guilt seems to be the only thing capable of making you stay in touch."

Zerrex snorted in amusement at this, then he nodded and clapped Albatross on the shoulder, saying firmly: "I'll let you know how this turns out and do what I can to stay in touch then... maybe I'll even take a vacation down in Hez'Ranna, and help you out in return with the country. I'd like to see Churchill being competent, too... it'd be a miraculous sight."

Albatross sighed at this, rubbing at his forehead. "Competent may not be the word I'd use for it these days. He's gone from arrogant to panicky, and I'm not sure which I prefer more. But go, Lord Zerrex..." He glanced up as a light above a door near the corner blinked green, and the ambassadors began to file out as it opened. "If you need to get in contact with me, you can do so by radio on the old RED frequency. You remember what that is?"

Zerrex nodded, smiling grimly. "Dying makes your memories of a mortal life a hell of a lot clearer. Take care, Albatross... I'll radio you when I'm done with Wulfe."

"I'll have the evac ready, so Lunis doesn't lynch you." Albatross said mildly, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before he and Mahihko trundled off towards the exit, following the ambassadors into a huge hanger with a small walkway leading to a massive vehicle on a ramp. It was shaped almost like a spaceship, with a rounded hull and stubby wings and a tail... but the Drakkaren could see huge turbine propellers on both wings and enormous tracks beneath the slate-colored vehicle... and he whistled a bit to himself as he followed the ambassadors down a ramp and into a plush interior.

A carpeted floor, pretty attendants in cloth wraps and loincloths carrying towels over one arm and trays in the other, and huge, rounded tables with circular, high-backed benches, all of it well-lit by golden, shining globes that hung from the ceiling... Zerrex liked it. He looked back and forth, and then a guard approached him, saying curtly in Hez'Rannan: "Your thrall has to wait in the back with the other servants."

Zerrex looked at him mildly, and the guard frowned before he checked a small device on his arm... and then he coughed and quickly backed off, pointing at the swinging doors that apparently led to the servants quarters as he said dumbly: "My apologies. Lord Zerrex, clothes are prepared for Master Mahihko in the back. He may stay in attendance up front if he so desires, but he should leave with the other serfs out the compartment door with the luggage once we land, to keep up appearances, you understand."

"I can stay in the back, I'll be a big boy. But can you come with me first, Daddy?" Mahihko asked quietly, looking up at him nervously, and Zerrex nodded after a moment, giving him a soft look. He followed the little wolf as he toddled towards the swinging doors with his unicorn bag, pushing through them and then entering into a large, steel room with a few plain wooden benches and slaves who were being watched over by a guard, dressed in simple wraps but adorned with all kinds of jewelry, and they were singing along cheerfully to two other serfs who were playing a lute and a guitar.

Mahihko looked a bit less-nervous now, and he put down the bag as a servant glanced up from the benches, then he grabbed a package nearby and ran over with a smile, the young fox gazing at Mahihko adoringly as she held the paper-covered package out to him. "Lord Albatross sent this along, for the grown-up child wolf. Here, take."

Mahihko took it, smiling back at her, and she bowed to him, her eyes kind and gentle before she rejoined the others, starting to dance to the music. Mahihko looked nervously at Zerrex as he pulled off his jacket and carefully removed the satellite phone from his pocket, tucking it into the pocket of the suit jacket that the nanotech had made for him - and intelligently, it seemed, since it was actually covering the holstered revolver resting against his side - before he tucked the leather jacket into the carry-bag, looking at the little wolf and saying softly: "It shouldn't be a long trip, and we won't be separated for too long. Be good, okay?"

"Okay." The little wolf nodded quietly, and then he smiled a bit as Zerrex patted him on the head before leaving, looking back and forth before he sat down at an empty table, glancing down at the nanotech armlet and absently poking at it. He mentally went over what they were here to do, and when a servant came over offering him a glass of wine, he refused before asking instead for rose wine, which the servant ran off to get. It was made from crushed petals and non-alcoholic... and Zerrex sighed as he tapped his fingers against the table, musing for a moment on how some afflictions even death couldn't apparently cure.

He looked back and forth, continuing to tap his fingers nervously against the table before the servant returned with a large glass of it, and Zerrex smiled and thanked her, making her blush before she asked if she could get him anything else. He only shook his head, and she left, looking almost disappointed as the Drakkaren sipped at the stuff, remembering how once long ago, he and Cherry and Cindy and Lone had shared a glass of this stuff... and he smiled a bit. Lone had then gotten them into trouble by throwing a temper-tantrum, and they'd had to kick some ass... and he knew that now, they were heading into a whole new boiling pot of trouble.

Tobias Wulfe was nothing like Lone Wulfe: he was wicked, calculated, and cruel, and obviously prepared to sacrifice anything for a profit, while Lone had always just been stupid and in search of the easy road to inflating his own ego and getting pleasure. Zerrex shook his head slowly, wondering just what they'd have to face to get to him... and knowing that when it came down to confrontation time, it would be up to Mahihko... and Lone.

He remained quiet, sipping occasionally at his glass and resting back against the cushioned seats in the corner of the room, ignored by everyone else except for the occasional servant, and twenty-five minutes later he felt the amphibious vehicle shake a bit as it trundled onto land, the reptile looking up stupidly. He hadn't even thought they'd left yet... and when he stood up to look out one of the hatch-shaped windows, he saw they were passing into a security checkpoint, and Lunis soldiers in advanced, sci-fi-looking body armor halted them just long enough to check over their papers, before the huge vehicle smoothly rolled forwards. A few minutes later, they stopped again, and the door opened as a soldier announced: "We have arrived at the Lunis Trans-Oceanic Aqueduct!"

The ambassadors all stood up as the soldier walked down the ramp that lowered to the cement ground, and Zerrex joined them as the last in line, looking back and forth. They had crawled up into the bowels of Lunis, and the Drakkaren could see they were in a tunnel virtually made of piping and machinery, steam hissing out of vents and small submarines parked nearby on small, wheeled platforms, ready for deployment as engineers polished the hulls. Behind them, Mahihko was walking along, carrying his bag and looking bashful in his simple loincloth, his many piercings and the bangles around his wrists at least making him fit in all the better with the other serfs, but the unicorn bag causing him to stand out a bit in the crowd.

They turned through an archway made of stone guarded by several Lunis soldiers carrying shotguns, their gray-and-blue armor letting them half-blend with the machinery around them. They all wore visors that covered a single eye and latched on over the ear, and Zerrex wondered what other kinds of technological marvels they had developed as they approached a large elevator with two more guards by it, one of them pressing his palm against a scanning device that beeped green after a moment and retracted the huge steel gates that were guarding the enormous lift.

It took them upwards for minutes, Mahihko taking his place beside Zerrex as the other servants walked over to their masters, and then they strode out in double-file when it halted and a pair of massive metal doors opened, Hez'Rannan soldiers forming a vanguard ahead of them and Lunis soldiers automatically falling into line on either side as they marched across a walled-in airfield filled with advanced-looking helicopters and several VTOL jets. Their pathway was lit by a green line that guided them towards glass doors guarded by officers in dress uniform, and they saluted as the doors slid smoothly open for the line to pass through, the Lunis honor guard halting and saluting as well as the ambassadors strode into the side doors of the crowded airport.

They walked through, past milling families, security guards that looked horribly stressed, and soldiers obviously placed there to protect the ambassadors and keep the peace as a few protestors and activists yelled at them and waved signs. Zerrex wondered if they were doing it out of hatred or if they thought they actually had good reasons... but he also knew that sometimes people protested just to protest and appear concerned with the world, or the welfare or some country or another... while in reality they had no idea what the hell was going on. Sure, he was all for people protesting bad laws or reforms, or standing up for their rights... but there were also plenty of people who just liked to see things disturbed and anarchic.

Someone threw a tomato at him, and Zerrex reached up and caught it absently, a bit of juice dribbling down his palm before he tossed it easily into the nearest garbage can, and that caused a bit of shock to go through the crowd before he wiped his hands together with a look of distaste. He wondered why he was always the one who got stuff thrown at him... and then they were heading out the main doors as the reptile heard the sounds of protestors being loudly arrested behind them, and the Drakkaren's eyes immediately settled on a Dragokkaren driver in a Lunis uniform holding up the number five on a white sign, and Zerrex rose a hand to him as he and Mahihko approached.

The Dragokkaren quickly opened the door for them with a smile, and Zerrex and Mahihko climbed in the back of the plain limo before the Dragokkaren closed it and hurried around to the front. He rolled down the window to look back at them with a smile, then he said warmly: "Lord Zerrex, correct? God, it's a thrill to meet you! My name is Jerry West, and my number is 540036."

"You're a clone soldier?" Zerrex tilted his head curiously as the Dragokkaren nodded, adjusting the mirror before he carefully pulled the limo out, his eyes attentive on the road but glancing into the mirror every now and then as they drove into Lunis's streets: and unlike Ire, these streets were not only filled with vehicles that whizzed back and forth, but clean and repaired. "So what are you doing here? It looks like you must drive more often than not for diplomats and ambassadors from Hez'Ranna, and I'm sure not all of them have been asses."

"Nah, they're good people for the most part..." the Dragokkaren nodded quickly, and then he smiled into the mirror, as he broke away from the limo procession with a smooth turn down another street, Zerrex glancing out the window and awed by the massive metal towers they were already passing, all of them with huge square bases and many with elevators on the outside that were zipping up and down the building at tremendous speed, pausing at this floor and that to let people on and off. "I can do good here, though, too. I like helping my country by making sure I can be around to drive them around, and they don't end up being driven by someone who might want to hurt them... Lunis doesn't have a lot of love or trust for the outside world right now, after all."

"They're going to have even less, soon..." Zerrex murmured, making a face as he glanced out the window at the people walking the narrow streets, and the Dragokkaren driver frowned a bit before the Drakkaren shook his head, asking curiously: "How do they treat you?"

"I get by okay." Jerry nodded after a moment, obviously not wanting to complain as they stopped at a red light... and again, when Zerrex looked out the window, he marveled at how clean everything was, and how it all looked like it had been almost perfectly rebuilt, the towers of the advanced city standing high and proud before the reptile gaped as a machine hovered over their heads, with a circular base with a powerful rotor keeping it in the air. Four bars extended upwards on an angle from this base to connect to a metal cube, which had a camera on top of it swiveling back and forth. The machine itself was labeled 'Police,' and Zerrex wondered just when the hell they'd started using and producing advanced ciphers for patrols. "They don't like people like us, obviously, but they accept us readily enough. Demons get the brunt of the slandering... but I think it's because the city is under so much corporate control."

Zerrex nodded slowly: he wouldn't be surprised. A lot of corporations had moved out here, and were probably puppeting several major parts of the government through bribery, blackmail, and generous 'donations,' and he knew that their opinions would quickly become the people's opinions, out of fear of losing jobs and money. "Who're the major corporations around here?"

"Uh... Wulfe Pharmaceuticals controls about forty percent of all of Lunis, they say." Jerry said in a conspiratory voice, and Zerrex nodded as Mahihko visibly flinched beside him. "They have huge warehouses out in the industrial district, no one knows what's in them, but people say they see strange lights and hear screams at night. And recently, they unveiled some super-generator system that different sectors of Lunis and a few private investors are in a bidding war over... they say it produces more voltage than a nuclear power plant, is safer, and promises to never run out for a thousand years or something, either."

Zerrex didn't like the sound of that... it sounded like demonic crystal, and a lot of it. "Any other corporations?"

"Oh, yeah. Aztec Corporation... but they don't have a lot of stockholders left, and they're supposed to be losing money. They were real big a few years ago when they sold the plans for and installed a super-railway system around the city, but they haven't managed to develop anything new for a while." Jerry nodded as he made another turn, then stopped at another light, several large transports rolling by. "And there's a few old gun companies here trying to do business, but Lunis has private contractors that develop weapons and technology for their military. Apparently, they're building some superconductor that can amplify electromagnetic signals or something... but I dunno, I don't follow military stuff anymore. Oh, here we are."

Zerrex looked up as Jerry pulled carefully up in front of a pair of glass doors, and then he hurried out to open the door for the two. He paused, then saluted, and Zerrex saluted him back, making Jerry blush and smile brightly before he said firmly: "Pleasure to meet you, sir. Hopefully I'll drive for you again soon."

"Take care." Zerrex rose a hand, then he approached the doors... and in the suit, even with the little wolf toddling behind him, the attendant quickly opened the glass door for him and bowed him inside, Zerrex grunting a 'thank you' before he approached the main desk, where a black wolf was sitting, wearing an earpiece and a charcoal suit. He glanced up as the Drakkaren approached, and the reptile said clearly: "I have a reservation. My name is Jacob Kenneth."

The wolf glanced down at the registry, although the reptile didn't how he managed it: he was surrounded by three flat screens and three black keyboards, and he muttered something into his headset before he stood up and checked the cubbyholes behind him, saying clearly over his shoulder: "You're in room 415, which has been prepaid and includes two-hundred dollars of free room service. If we can help you in any way at all, just ask."

He plucked a keycard from one of the holes, then held it out to Zerrex, who nodded and took it before the black wolf clapped his hands twice, and an attendant quickly appeared, the wolf pointing at the bag Mahihko was carrying and saying curtly: "Attend to Mr. Kenneth and his servant, free of charge, of course. Room 415."

"Yes, sir." mumbled the sour-looking mouse, and he half-tore the bag away from Mahihko as the little wolf pouted, before he headed for the nearest elevator, hammering the button and looking sour. They waited awkwardly for it, and then another attendant bustled out with a cart full of bags, wheezing as a pompous-looking family of five followed him, and the mouse quickly walked onto the elevator as Zerrex and Mahihko followed, not speaking as Mahihko looked back and forth apprehensively.

A grouchy-looking maid joined them from the second floor, and she stayed on the elevator as the others got off at the fourth, the mouse quickly walking to the room and waiting as Zerrex walked down the plush hall. He glanced down at the keycard in his hand, and he used it on the electronic lock as the mouse tapped his foot impatiently, opening the door... and immediately the attendant bustled by him to throw the bag down on the carpet, before he stomped back by and out into the hall, Mahihko and Zerrex exchanging a look as the door swung shut. "Asshole."

"He's probably just been working all day for rich snobs." Zerrex said mildly, although he privately agreed. Then he tapped a few buttons on the nanotech armlet, and the suit he was wearing dissolved and became a pair of black pants and a plain black t-shirt, the Drakkaren rolling his shoulders slowly as he relaxed a bit and walked down the soft-carpeted hall and into a living room setup. It was pretty, with a single flower in a vase on a small square table, two couches and a recliner: to the left, there was a waist-high divider with stairs leading down through a small opening in the middle to a hardwood-floored den extension with a larger table and a flatscreen television mounted on the wall, and to the right, there was a similar divider, except with stairs that led sharply upwards to a small kitchen, with a fridge, stove, and countertop around the edge to prepare food on, as well as a small table. The entire wall along these three rooms was made of a single sectioned window, giving a view of the buildings outside... and the reptile already felt claustrophobic, looking out at those windows and watching as not birds, but ciphers and other smaller machines floated by.

"Get dressed. We're going to get ready, then move out." Zerrex said quietly, and this time Mahihko didn't argue, only nodding as he began to pull things out of the carry-bag. Then the reptile paused, and he added: "Lone should come out, too."

"Okay. I'll see if I can do it." Mahihko said softly, and Zerrex took the time to explore the house, walking up the stairs to peer through a doorway in the kitchen into a bedroom. He walked into this and checked around in it, finding only a few abandoned books and a map he laid out over the bed... and with only a quick glance over it, he was able to see that getting to Wulfe Square would be an easy feat: it was getting into the building undetected that would be difficult.

When Zerrex came back outside, he found both Mahihko and Lone getting dressed, the little wolf in his military uniform and the larger wolf in his vest and just doing up the fly of his black jeans. He looked at Zerrex with a weak grin, swallowing hard, and then he finally said: "Now that I'm here, I'm losing my courage."

"And that's why we're going to go and finish this now." Zerrex said softly in return, and he rolled his shoulders, picking up his leather jacket from where Mahihko had laid it out and putting it on, making sure it securely covered his revolver. The other two wolves nodded, and then the Drakkaren added in a serious voice: "We're going to scope the place out first, but we're going to have to be careful getting there. I'm sure those cipher things in the sky are scanning crowds for suspicious people..." He paused, then he slid his sleeve back to tap a code into the keypad on the nanotech armlet, and it whirred before producing a wide-brimmed black fedora in his hand that the reptile put on his head. "So we're going to have to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. That means the guns stay in the bag until we get inside the building."

"Because yeah, that doesn't draw attention at all." Lone muttered, kicking the unicorn bag, and Mahihko's lower lip trembled before the wolf sighed and patted him on the back, looking at him softly. "Sorry, little guy. I know you're doin' your best, I'm just scared as fuck right now. We both gotta suck it up and grow some balls, though."

Zerrex nodded, then he said mildly: "I think our best bet is approaching the building from behind. Did you two dig up any additional information you can share with me?"

Lone nodded, replying with a wince: "Yeah, and behind is out, 'cause there ain't no real back to the building. Because it's in that open square, there's security all over the fucking place. No one gets in or out without being seen or detected... not from the ground, not from the air, not from the fucking sewer access tunnels. Place is locked down tight, and if we set off an alarm going in, they've got the capabilities to freeze floor-by-floor or the entire complex, and open and close doors as they see fit."

"There may be one small vulnerability." Mahihko piped up meekly, and Zerrex tilted his head, looking down at him curiously. "Remember, Lone? A long time ago, there was a car accident and a truck hit the right side wall of the building and blew up. When they rebuilt that side of the building, they didn't put in one of the cameras... so there's a very small blind spot, even though the other cameras swivel back and forth and patrolling ciphers have a constant view of the ground directly below them from above. With the right timing, though, you could get against that wall, and try to climb up... but you still have to contend with the ciphers. But against the wall at the base of the building, the cameras and ciphers can't see, because the ciphers are focused on the sidewalks and scanning the building walls. I guess then you could slip around to an access door... but those are electronically-locked and there's an intelligent eye that makes sure no one gets too close."

"Too bad we can't just EMP the whole fucking place, then it'd just look like a massive power failure." Lone said disgustedly, and then he frowned when Zerrex looked at the two with a slow grin. "What?"

"You both have electrical powers, right?" Zerrex said pointedly, and Lone held up his hands, creating an electrical web between them as Mahihko simply nodded, tilting his head. "Maybe we can put those to use, then. If we can get to one of those employee-only or service-access doors, you might be able to discreetly use your powers to zap our way inside."

"But what about the patrolling guards?" Lone asked, and then he coughed and cleared his throat when Zerrex frowned. "Yeah, because there's always a crowd around the square, there's always guards on patrol, too. Only two patrols, but big ones, and they don't let no one near the building and there ain't no shrubs to keep passerby from seeing us, either."

"I doubt they'll care." Zerrex said dryly, but he also knew that meant extra trouble for them: a nosy or self-righteous person could completely ruin any and all of their plans. He shook his head slowly, trying to figure this out... and then he glanced at the windows, frowning a bit as he saw the light fading from the sky, but lamps outside immediately flicker to life. "What time is it?"

"Only about five... but things get dark pretty fast, although their lamps mean that everything's always really well-lit." Lone replied, nodding, and then he frowned when Zerrex walked over and sat down on the couch, tilting his head curiously. "Dude, I thought we were going."

"Not yet..." Zerrex shook his head slowly, thinking a bit to himself now instead of rushing in headlong, as he tilted his head back. "If we attack at night, there'll be less people present... and while security will be higher, since night comes on fast here, a lot of people will probably be in bed early, or at least won't be crowding the streets. We're going to be patient and wait a little while, and then we head out."

Lone opened his mouth to argue, but Mahihko patted his larger counterpart on the hip before he said in a gentle voice: "Okay Daddy. Anything you say." He paused, then rubbed a paw against the ground as he added softly: "I'm sorry for how I behaved earlier, too."

Zerrex nodded, smiling a bit at him... and then Lone huffed and walked down, mumbling about watching television. The Drakkaren could tell that he was relieved, however, and then he laughed a bit when Mahihko walked over and curled up in his lap like Sammy, and he stroked through his soft fur quietly as he gazed down at the little wolf, thinking about all the times he'd faced Narrius... and all the times he'd run away scared, knowing what the two were going through better than they might understand.

When nine-thirty rolled around, the three were well-prepared as they left the room, Zerrex's cane tapping quietly against the ground and Mahihko carrying his large bag, since Lone utterly refused to touch it. Now, it was the smaller wolf who seemed determined and the latter who looked scared and pale, as they walked to the elevator and took it to the ground floor... and they were mostly ignored in the lobby, which was good, as they exited out onto the streets.

Zerrex looked back and forth, then motioned for them to follow him: and indeed, the sidewalks were abandoned and only a single car passed during their walk down three blocks, before the Drakkaren motioned for them to turn down a side alley as a cipher floated quietly through the streets. They were difficult for Zerrex to hear because of the low buzzing... but Mahihko and Lone seemed to have no problem detecting them quickly, their ears always twitching as they locked onto wherever the sound was coming from, which let them quickly avoid detection.

It took them almost forty minutes to reach Wulfe Square, because they had to keep ducking aside to avoid ciphers and waiting in alleys, or retreating to secondary streets and find their way back onto the right path... and then Zerrex stopped Lone and Mahihko two blocks away, and he motioned at a camera that was down the street, positioned high-up on a lamppost with a wireless antennae sticking out of it. It swiveled back and forth slowly, and the Drakkaren pulled the two down a side alley and past an elevator and an ugly sign that indicated where it stopped at, which had already been spray-painted over by punks: at least some things never changed, no matter where you went. "Security's worse than I thought."

Lone grimaced, then he inspected the elevator sign and asked with a grin: "Wanna stop for a pizza?"

Zerrex tilted his head curiously... and then he smiled slightly when he realized what the wolf meant to do, and the three clustered into the elevator, and it rose quickly up a glass tube to the second floor. Then the elevator buzzed angrily, and a mechanical, smooth voice said: "Ivan's Pizzeria is currently closed. Please select a different floor."

The Drakkaren responded to this by reaching forwards and sliding his fingers into the crack between the doors, and then he grunted and tore them open, revealing the darkened interior of a closed pizza shop. It was a bit dusty and ugly, and the three looked back and forth as they walked quickly over to the other side, where Zerrex carefully slid open a window and then punched the screen out, and he slipped through to drop easily to the ground some twenty feet below.

Mahihko tossed the bag down to him, and the reptile caught it and put it aside before catching the little wolf, and he put him aside. Lone looked down at him gloomily, hesitating... and Mahihko silently cheered him on before the wolf sighed and grumbled, then flung himself out into space, and Zerrex caught him too and put him down, the wolf looking up at him sourly before he mumbled: "Don't you ever tell anyone you did that."

Zerrex shrugged mildly but remained quiet as they carefully exited the alley back onto the main thoroughfare, just past the camera now as they walked down the street... and Zerrex could see more cameras as they approached the square, but thankfully they were facing inwards, keeping an eye on the front doors of the building and the street rather than the sidewalks. The square was so bright it might as well be daytime, however, and the structure of the building itself meant it seemed to glare down at them, the massive tower covered in hundreds of windows, and any idiot looking out of it could see them and spoil everything... and then the Drakkaren winced and motioned the two into a dark niche in the wall, hiding in the shadows himself as he watched a patrol of six soldiers pass by, all of them wearing heavy Lunis armor, all of them armed with enormous machine guns.

The reptile leaned down, keeping count in his head and an eye on the building and the soldiers as he muttered: "Distribute the guns and get ready."

The two nodded, and Lone took the revolver, locking the holster into place below the pocket of his jeans as Mahihko assembled the rifle and put it on his back. Then Lone took the last gun with a shrug, tucking it into the back of his jeans, and Zerrex gave him a flat look. "Fuck you, it works for me."

He didn't argue, returning his eyes to the building and continuing to count quietly to himself, before he halted as the next patrol appeared, just after Mahihko had finished distributing the little ammo they'd brought. Two clips and two autoloaders for Lone, one extra rifle clip for Mahihko... but the little wolf also had his hoops magnetically-locked together and resting on one hip, so he at least had a melee weapon to fall back on. Zerrex only hoped the guns they found they could use: with the advances in technology today, weapons could easily be wired with fingerprint safeties and other methods of ensuring the gun was used only by one person.

They had a total of five minutes between patrols... assuming, of course, the patrols didn't stop. But they were moving almost like robots, and Zerrex knew that Tobias was paranoid enough to have them constantly going all night, likely with only one shift change... and he made a face as he waited for the next patrol cycle to pass, looking back at the others and muttering: "Follow my lead, and be fast. We have to make sure we don't get seen by any cameras, but also that we pass between the patrols, so our timing is going to need to be exceptional here, understand?"

The two nodded, and Zerrex rose a hand... then motioned for them to move as he ran out onto the street, as the patrol began to turn around the bend. He ran quietly down the block, his cane held by the neck before he edged around the sidewalk to stay out of the vision range of the cameras, and then he hurried down the sidewalk, the two wolves keeping up with him well enough to let him focus his concerns on the fact the patrol was already halfway down the right side of the building... which meant the other patrol was halfway up the left side.

The Drakkaren decided to push their luck, looking at the side of the building and muttering to himself, before he spotted a faintly-stained section of the building and he realized that was where the car had hit... and when he looked up to note the position of the cameras, he saw a plaster splotch where one had obviously been removed a long time ago, the others swiveling slowly back and forth but leaving a very narrow blind spot between the two. Zerrex winced as he looked up, and he saw a cipher pass slowly by... and then he looked forwards, and his mind told him to go-go-go, and he immediately sprinted stupidly across the street and almost plowed into the wall, wincing as he looked sharply to the right... but the patrol was just passing around the corner, and none of them seemed to have seen him.

He looked over his shoulder to call to the wolves... and then he stared when he saw they were both right behind him, pressed up against the wall and each other, staring at him nervously. It would have been comical if things weren't so precarious at the moment... and Zerrex's mental timer was starting to buzz nervously in his head, and he grunted before motioning with his head to them, sliding quickly along the wall until he halted beside a gray metal door with an ID lock and a spherical camera, muttering: "One of you, do your thing."

Lone automatically slipped forwards, and then his hand sparked with electricity, as he bit his tongue and held it out... and then his eyes bulged as instead of a pulse, electricity was pulled into his hand, the others staring and Zerrex grasping at his muzzle nervously with a bit of a hiss as the camera sparked and the ID system gave a low whine... and then there was a clank as the round, intelligent eye went dead black, and Lone mumbled: "Oh shit."

Zerrex cursed under his breath as he slipped around and pushed on the door apprehensively... but the lock gave, apparently fried by whatever Lone had done, and they easily slipped inside. They exchanged stupid looks as they entered a dimly-lit concrete stairwell, and the Drakkaren looked up and back and forth for any possible security cameras as he closed the door quietly behind them.

Mahihko ran to the stairs leading up as Lone looked at his hand stupidly, and then he squeaked when Zerrex glared at him, waving his hands wildly: "I don't know what happened, I just like... it just happened!"

"Shut up, keep your voice down..." Zerrex hissed, wincing as he looked back and forth, and then he shook his head, muttering: "It worked, anyway... come on, we better get going. Tobias Wulfe is way up in the penthouse... and we need to find a way to get to him."

"Only his private elevator connects to the penthouse, and that's in his office." Lone said helpfully, as they headed up the stairs. He paused, remaining quiet for a few flights, and then he asked stupidly: "Are we going all the way up?"

"As far as we can go." Zerrex said grimly, and Lone winced as he looked dumbly up. Concrete stair after stair, they climbed, flight after flight as they passed the third floor, fourth floor, fifth floor... and then, on the thirtieth floor, they stopped at the final landing, Lone wheezing in and out and Mahihko panting quietly as Zerrex rubbed at his bad leg absently as he peered through the small window through the closed metal door.

Outside was a lobby area of some kind, with at least three soldiers by two elevators, and a few vases of pretty flowers and little oriental trees and other nonsense, the floor tiled and patterned. Zerrex motioned at the two wolves, and Lone nodded, his exaggerated tiredness vanishing as he drew his revolver, and Mahihko pulled his hoops off his hip and snapped them apart, holding one ready in each hand. The metal hoops didn't look like much, but they were very dense, and Mahihko's muscle was slight but toned: a good, solid hit had enough power backing it to break bone, and that was even without Mahihko enhancing his muscle and size.

Then Zerrex pointed at Lone to get the door, and the wolf nodded, not arguing: it made sense, after all. He crouched down low, almost dropping into a runner's stance... and then he muttered over his shoulder: "On three... Lone, cover us both, Mahihko, take the left flank in case there's other guards out there. Now ready... one... two... three!"

Lone tore the door open, and Zerrex shot out as if from a cannon, the first guard barely getting the time to look up before the reptile simply rammed him with his shoulder, the armored guard making a sick crunch as he was mashed against the wall before the Drakkaren shot almost instantly across the short gap between him and the next, swinging his cane low and taking out his shins to send him half-flipping onto his face with a scream, before the reptile spun gracefully as he continued moving forwards, his wrist flicking his cane at the last moment as he snapped it across the face of the final guard in line, and his head cracked sickly to the side as he staggered before falling to the ground, surprise etched on his face his final expression.

Zerrex had been right about there being other guards in the room, however: across the wide room, three more guards were in parallel positions at two other elevators, although the furthest was already falling from Mahihko flinging one of his hoops into his face, his gun dropped in favor of clutching at a broken nose. The guard closest stepped forwards as he saw Mahihko coming, raising his gun... but then he winced, forced to deflect it as the little lupine swung his hoop forwards at his chest, knocking it away and trying to kick the wolf, but Mahihko easily dodged it before he slipped his hoop down around his ankle before he could draw his foot back, and the guard gave a stupefied expression before the tiny wolf twisted the hoop hard, and the guard was jerked half-into the air, flipping over with a yelp before he landed on his chest.

Mahihko leapt forwards and slammed both knees down into his unarmored lower back, and the guard yelped in pain before the wolf shoved his head hard down into the cement wall, knocking him out as the last soldier rose his gun, snarling... but before anyone could react, Lone fired a single round from his revolver that went just beneath the helmet and struck his forehead, and most of the guard's head was blown off, his helmet becoming a grisly bowl that sailed through the air and bounced off the wall before falling to the ground. Zerrex and Mahihko both winced at the sound, and then the little wolf whined quietly at the sight of the dead guard, before Lone blew on the tip of his revolver as he stepped into the room, holstering it as he picked up the nearest rifle and checked it over, saying dryly: "Him or you, dude."

Zerrex opened his mouth to argue, but then he closed it slowly: starting a fight here and now would be pointless and counterproductive. So instead he only grunted as Mahihko trudged over to get his hoop, before he hit the call button for the elevator, and he only hoped they could get higher in the building before a patrol or hidden cameras caught sight of the mess they had just made. Within seconds, an elevator opened for them, however... and Zerrex stepped inside as he reached up to grasp the body of a camera and point it upwards, and Mahihko and Lone followed him inside, the latter shouldering the rifle as he hit the button for the 80th floor, muttering: "Fuck, this tower is enormous."

Zerrex nodded a bit as he glanced up at the wolf-head logo of the company, 'Wulfe Enterprises' emblazoned overtop. Sometimes he forgot they were in far more than pharmaceuticals... but it was because of his diversity that Tobias Wulfe had continued to thrive where other companies had collapsed. He shook his head slowly and sighed a bit, and then he crossed his muscular arms as he tapped a foot, feeling the anxiety in the air as he said quietly: "When the doors open, take out the guards by any means necessary."

The two nodded quietly, and when the elevator stopped after only a few minutes, Zerrex was sure they'd been found out... but then it dinged and opened, and the Drakkaren lunged outwards, immediately running to the other side of the hall: the soldiers were positioned exactly as before, and they reacted with equal shock before Zerrex rose his fists and smashed the heads of the two back into the wall.

The last one rose his rifle, staggering backwards... but Zerrex snapped his cane out, knocking the rifle wide, and when he pulled the trigger, the gun accidentally blasted one of the soldiers across the room, knocking him down in a fine spray of blood and sending the heavy rifle flying from the soldier's hand as he winced and grabbed his wrist, before the Drakkaren kicked him backwards. He hit the wall and fell stupidly forwards into a broken heap, and the reptile made a face at his prone body. Quantity doesn't mean quality, Tobias...

The other two soldiers had already been easily taken out: Mahihko had slammed one neatly under the chin with a hoop, while Lone had grabbed the thigh of the other and electrified them. The two had been so focused on the Drakkaren they hadn't even noticed the wolves emerge until too late, and now Lone looked sour, tapping a paw as he said childishly: "Dude, you get all the fun."

"That, is not fun." Zerrex replied sourly, pointing at the bloody corpse of the bullet-riddled body, and Lone winced, visibly chastened. Then the Drakkaren shook his head slowly before he looked around the room: blue walls and brown tiles, organic colors. He wondered who worked up here, as he approached one of the closed sets of metal doors... and then he made a face as he found it was locked, glancing at the card reader set into the wall beside it. "Check their bodies."

"Here!" Mahihko piped up after a moment, and he ran quickly over, holding up a bright red card key with "B" clearly inscribed on it. Zerrex tried it in the lock, and a small green light appeared on the scanner as the doors beeped, and Mahihko opened them quickly with a grunt: thankfully, they were heavy enough that they didn't swing back shut, so they couldn't be locked in.

The trio entered a long hallway, and Zerrex motioned for the two to try different doors, doing the same himself: they found only offices, however, most of them fairly lavish. At the end of the hall, they opened a door onto a staff lounge... and the Drakkaren frowned a bit before he pointed at an employee elevator, muttering: "Let's see where this takes us."

It required a key card... but the "B" card worked, and they were able to take the elevator to floor 90. When the doors opened, they entered into an empty lobby, with an abandoned desk for a secretary... and Zerrex guessed that the single oak door leading out probably led into the VIP offices.

He was right: there was a narrow hallway, the wallpaper expensive and lush and every door locked, paneled with wood but obviously made of heavy metal... and Zerrex shook his head in slow distaste. There was no security here, but he figured there was no need: everyone was probably out of the office by five, and undoubtedly they likely thought that the excess of soldiers on floors below was more than enough during the night shift to keep the building secure.

At the end of the hall, they found another elevator... and this time, the B-level keycard didn't work. Zerrex made a face, preparing to smash the doors in... but Lone shook his head and suggested meekly: "Can I try that thing again?"

Zerrex figured it was worth a shot... so he shrugged and stepped aside, nodding, and Lone smiled dumbly as he stepped forwards and concentrated. His fingers sparked, and then arcs of electricity drained visibly outwards into his hand from the key reader, and it beeped, going berserk for a few moments before the doors to the elevator stuttered open, and Lone looked proud of himself... before the doors halted halfway and the lights in the elevator flicked off, the power supply visibly going dead. The Drakkaren looked sourly at the wolf, but he only coughed and rubbed the back of his head, saying lamely: "Hey, at least now they can't make the elevator explode or something."

"I'll make you explode." Zerrex muttered, and Lone grinned stupidly before he winced when the Drakkaren glowered at him, before he turned back to the elevator and easily yanked the doors the rest of the way open. He stepped inside and looked up at the ceiling, then pushed the security hatch easily open with his cane before he motioned at Mahihko, saying quietly: "Come on, you and Lone first. Then I'll come up and we'll figure out how to get to the top floor."

Mahihko nodded, and Zerrex passed his cane to him before he hefted the little wolf up by the hips, lifting him above his head with a grunt and just high enough that the wolf could toss Zerrex's cane onto the roof of the elevator before he hauled himself up as well. Then Zerrex looked down at Lone, who gave him a sour look and pointed at his chest with his thumb. "Dude, I ain't Mahihko. Just give me a boost."

Zerrex sighed and laced his fingers together, and Lone awkwardly got up and clambered his way along the Drakkaren to the hole in the ceiling, the reptile making a distasteful face as the wolf half-ground against his cheek on the way up. Then he was through the hatch, and Zerrex jumped up and caught the ledge, hauling himself up with a grunt and picking up his cane before he straightened and looked up the dimly-lit passage, murmuring: "This must go up ten floors."

"You get that from the buttons inside the elevator or the labeling on the walls?" Lone asked flatly, and Zerrex glared at him as the white wolf coughed and looked awkwardly away.

"I can leave you here for the security teams to find." Zerrex threatened, and the lupine coughed again before Zerrex glanced at the walls, and he realized they were mounted on tracks. Then he paused as a thought occurred to him, and he pointed at the rails, saying mildly: "Lone, grab those and electrify them."

Lone didn't bother arguing, walking over to the rails and grabbing onto them, then he pumped electricity into them as he said mildly: "I don't see why b-"

Then he screeched as he shot about thirty feet upwards with his hands stuck to the rails, his eyes bulging and his paws kicking against the wall, hanging stupidly in the air as Zerrex grinned and Lone stared down at him in shock, and then he shouted: "You're an asshole!" A pause, and then a whimper as he pulled at the rails uselessly. "Now get me the fuck down from here!"

"Just slide up to the top!" Zerrex called, and Lone mumbled, whimpering a bit before the Drakkaren sighed and rolled his eyes as Mahihko giggled behind his hands. "Or do you want me to send the little wolf here up to do a proper job?"

"I can get it!" Lone immediately shouted, obviously stung by this thought. Then he mumbled under his breath as he pushed his paws against the wall and walked up it quickly, lighting dancing around his hands as he added dubiously: "Maybe this isn't so bad..."

Then he paused and looked down when he was some ten feet further up, and suddenly he said anxiously: "I can't go any further without Mahihko. Our bond..."

Zerrex nodded, looking at the little wolf... and Mahihko smiled before he walked over to the rails and took hold, charging them and grunting quietly as he held his body in a T-position, his paws hanging down but the wolf easily rolling up the rails as Lone stared at him, and Mahihko beamed as he slid within a few meters of the other wolf, saying cheerfully: "It's not hard at all, Lone! It just takes a different amount of charge to go up and down."

"Shut up." Lone said in a surly voice, and a moment later the two were gone as Zerrex glanced back and forth, and then he made a face before sighing and walking over to the side wall, checking the length of the passageway before he closed his eyes and tensed his body.

Then he flexed and shot suddenly forwards, running up the wall before kicking off and spinning around in midair when he hit the wall opposite, and he shoved himself off to launch himself back upwards at an angle across the narrow elevator passage, swinging a hand out to catch on a narrow ledge. He let himself hang for a moment as he looked back and forth, and then he noted a ventilation hatch some ten feet up, and the Drakkaren snapped his left arm out as he launched a tentacle upwards.

It wrapped around one of the bars going across the face of the vent, and the lizard grunted as he yanked backwards and tore it out of place. His tentacle slid back into his arm, and the reptile tensed himself before he managed to brace his feet against a narrow ledge: a moment later, he threw himself upwards as hard as he could and he caught the ledge of the ventilation shaft, sighing in relief. It was wide enough he could actually haul himself up to sit on the edge of it... and then a voice called from above: "Zerrex, how do we get the door open?"

"Working on it!" Zerrex shouted in reply, and he made a face as he stood, before looking back and forth... and he grinned when his eyes settled on a thin service ladder next to the vent, the rungs almost too tiny for his large hands and feet. He climbed it up three floors, until it ended, and from there, the Drakkaren was able to see the ceiling... and when he spotted a large bumper sticking out from the ceiling like a beam, he sighed in relief as he shot a tentacle upwards, and it wrapped tightly around the metal structure before Zerrex reeled himself in with a grunt, wincing at the strain he felt himself putting on the strange flesh.

He stopped in front of the doors to the tenth level, and the reptile looked over his shoulder at Lone, who was hanging by one hand from a rail with his paws braced against the wall, the reptile asking mildly: "Can you use a gun without it blowing up?"

"Don't think so at the moment... this section of rails is still powered-up, my hands are all electrified right now." Lone twiddled his fingers, and then he grinned a bit at the Drakkaren as he created a small globe of lighting in his hand. "But hey, I got your back still, Boss. Guns ain't the only thing I can do."

"Just don't zap me." Zerrex muttered, and then he held his right arm out before he clenched his fingers tightly together, and they warped and distorted as the scales peeled away from his hand, as it became flat and thick like the head of a screwdriver. And then Zerrex slammed this ugly blade forwards between the doors, jerking back and forth before he managed to twist it and tear one open.

Immediately, a soldier leaned into the doorway in shock... and Lone blasted with a stream of arcing electricity that zapped over his armor before the gun in his hands exploded, and Zerrex cursed and winced as a bullets and shrapnel tore at his body and chest, swinging backwards from the force of the blast... and on the forwards swing, he instinctively kicked his feet out as his tentacle retreated back into his arm, and the reptile half- fell through the broken doorway to stagger out into a circular waiting room, and immediately another guard smashed him in the head with his rifle.

It made the reptile stagger... and then slowly turn baleful eyes on the staring, brawny soldier, as the blunt instrument his right hand had become slowly pulled apart into a warped claw. Zerrex rose this and grabbed his head, then he picked him up by it to lift him to eye-level as the soldier shrieked and dropped his weapon, leaning in close and asking darkly: "Do you want to die?"

"No, no, please no!" the soldier babbled, legs kicking uselessly at the air, and Zerrex rose a finger to his lips, shushing him. The soldier took the hint, falling quiet as he clung to the rocky, twisted wrist of the Drakkaren, staring into his eyes with horror... and then the reptile concentrated, and his eyes glowed green before the soldier went slack in his grip, drooling stupidly.

The lizard tossed him aside for now, then he approached the elevator doorway and tore it all the way open, glaring at Lone, who curled his tail between his legs and tried to shrink himself down against the wall. Then he yelped when a tentacle wrapped around his waist and tore him off the rails, pulling him easily past Zerrex to drop him on his rear in the room, and Mahihko followed a moment later by himself, anchoring his feet against the wall before kicking off, sailing through the passageway and then almost falling... but he just caught the ledge, and Zerrex easily reached down and hefted him up by the scruff of the neck, the little wolf beaming as he was set inside with a bit more gentleness.

Zerrex's right hand slowly returned to normal as he motioned for Lone to shut up from where he was whining loudly, and then the lizard crouched in front of the Dominated soldier, asking him clearly: "Where's the President's office?"

"Next floor up... but there are guards, patrols, soldiers..." the male mumbled, nodding stupidly before he looked up and added: "Only way up is by the stairs... but you need a key, and only the big guys have the keys..."

Zerrex nodded a bit, then he murmured: "Sleep," and gently pushed the soldier down on his back when he immediately began to do so. He didn't like the sound of what they were getting into... and he made a face before he headed for the only door leading out of the circular waiting room as Lone checked over his revolver anxiously, saying finally: "We'd better get going. Keep your eyes out and ears open."

The lupines nodded, and they followed the Drakkaren quietly and carefully as they made their way through a twisting catacombs of hallways. The offices on this floor all belonged to very important people, Zerrex noted: VPs, CEOs, other combinations of capitalized letters he had never seen before... and then he winced when they opened a door at the end of a hall to a large, plush room where a patrol of five guards was standing, one of them looking up stupidly from where he was crouched by a vending machine.

Immediately, the Drakkaren ran towards the nearest, slamming his cane down... but the soldier brought up his arms and blocked it with a strained grin, his arms hissing in a way that let the reptile know they weren't flesh-and-blood before he threw them wide, knocking the reptile's cane back before he punched Zerrex hard enough to stagger him, blood bursting from his nose. Another soldier immediately tried to tackle the lizard from the side, but Zerrex slammed his right elbow down into his head in mid-lunge and knocked him senselessly to the ground, before he flicked his cane forwards at the first soldier he had attacked a grizzled-looking bear with a scar on his face and a white glass eye.

The bear blocked it with his arm... and then Zerrex brought a kick up into the bear's stomach, but it barely fazed him, only knocking him back a step before he swung in close... and Zerrex dodged the punch, but then stepped forwards and slammed his knee up into his crotch, and the bear's real eye went wide as his features paled and he gagged, and Zerrex clutched into his shoulder as he muttered: "No substitute for the real thing there, huh? Well, looks like you can get one now." And with that, he shoved him easily over onto his back.

Mahihko had already entered into melee with another of the soldiers, hammering at his legs with multiple strikes of the hoops in his hands after easily disarming him. The soldier wasn't laughing at the little wolf anymore, wincing and cursing as he brought his arms up to try and defend himself from the small male's fury, and then his eyes bulged when Mahihko swung both hoops forwards and snagged him by the muzzle, one on either side of his maw and firmly pinching them together, before the little wolf tore them free as his large paws ran up the soldier's chest before one of them slammed into his chin as the lupine performed a full-rotating bicycle kick.

Mahihko landed neatly in a crouch as the soldier fell on his back, before he looked up in surprise as another soldier aimed at him with a rifle, snarling... and then the soldier howled in pain when Lone grabbed him by the lower sides, funneling electricity into him and causing his body to jerk back and forth stupidly before he fell forwards, smoking a bit. And then Lone grinned, motioning at the two soldiers he'd taken out and saying cheerfully: "Hey, their guns didn't blow up this time!"

Zerrex looked at him mildly, but he didn't bother arguing: Lone was catching on fairly quickly to channeling his powers, and hopefully soon he'd learn how to not kill the people he grabbed. Plus it was a pretty stupid maneuver: if they ran into anyone with a half a brain, they'd shoot first and ask questions later instead of attempting to grapple with the masculine wolf that looked way too sure of himself.

Then he shook his head, looking at the unconscious form by his feet and wondering if he should even bother checking the body... and he made a face before walking over to a sign posted on the wall, muttering the directions under his breath and then opening the double doors next to it as he called to the wolves: "This way."

They entered a long hallway... and Zerrex didn't bother trying to hide from the cameras that were swiveling back and forth slowly along the ceiling, figuring someone must have seen them by now. He looked back and forth with a frown as they made their way down the hall, wondering why they weren't facing more resistance... and then the door at the end of this hallway opened, and a Dragokkaren soldier in thick black armor rose a gatling gun towards them, and Zerrex winced. Yeah. That figures.

The reptile created a thick wall of energy and immediately began to charge forwards as the Dragokkaren opened fire, anchoring himself as the gatling gun blasted round after round into the blue wall. Behind him, Mahihko and Lone both squeaked and cowered, and Zerrex winced as cracks spread through his shield under the constant fire of the huge automatic weapon, drawing his cane back in one hand with a snarl before the concentrated, and the wall of blue energy solidified as it shrank down to become a circular shield on his left arm. A few bullets flew past this, one of them scratching Zerrex's shoulder... and then the Drakkaren smashed the shield out to knock the gatling gun out of the Dragokkaren's hands as he stabbed his cane forwards towards his throat.

The Dragokkaren caught it with a grunt, massive muscles flexing beneath his armor as it trembled, barely held in place only inches away from his neck... and then Zerrex threw himself forwards in a shoulder-charge that knocked the Dragokkaren back another step before he fired the disc of energy on his arm into his gut. It tore straight through the Dragokkaren, and the armored soldier staggered backwards before he fell mindlessly over, his helmet falling off to reveal dull eyes and a large, ugly scar that told Zerrex he'd been implanted with a mind-control microchip.

Another massive Dragokkaren was lumbering towards them already from around a humongous, ornate staircase, and Zerrex looked back and forth before he picked up a stone bust of Tobias Wulfe on a display stand and he threw it hard at the soldier. The twenty giant didn't try to deflect it, but the stone shattering against his face and breaking his cheekbone didn't even stagger him, and Zerrex cursed before a gunshot rang out beside him, and the Dragokkaren paused in mid-charge, taking a slow step backwards before he finally fell over with a large, gaping hole where his eye had been. The reptile slowly looked to the side, and he was surprised to see Mahihko, the rifle trembling a bit now as he worked the lever to chamber another round before slipping it back onto his back, and Lone stood up from where he'd been pressing against the little wolf's back, anchoring him in place to avoid him from getting blown off his feet by firing the rifle. "Sorry, little guy."

"It's okay. They've suffered since the Great War, probably... they didn't need to suffer any more." Mahihko said quietly, and Zerrex nodded slowly, patting him gently on the shoulder. They had no memories, just programmed subservience that let them use and abuse their bodies in ways that would kill a normal person... and it infuriated and saddened Zerrex that still these servants were obviously sold on the black market like toys between corporations. They were relics from the Great War, Dragokkaren Enforcers who had displeased or failed Narrius... and who had been sentenced to a fate worse than death that left them as less than slaves.

Zerrex figured these were probably some of the 'big ones' that the soldier before had been talking about... and he knelt, checking the belt of the Dragokkaren he'd taken down before he found a keycard, labeled '91F.' The reptile tilted his back and forth, and then he slowly walked around the dead body and up the stairs to a pair of ornate, gold-plated doors with the Wulfe logo emblazed on each in obsidian, 'WULFE ENTERPRISES' in sprawling letters made of silver above the doors.