FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Tsumé let out a sigh after reading the email, lowering her phone and looking up to the sky in exasperation as she walked. "Okay... Well that was a bust. Didn't even give me an interview," she said. "Why is it so hard to get an after-school job? I thought it'd be easy."

With a shake of her head, Tsumé continued up to the main doors of the high school. She had missed several days, settling into her new place, and knew she'd have some catchup to do. But it'd be worth it in the end. She had her own apartment now, her life was hers and hers alone from now on. It wasn't like her family had ever allowed her to enjoy life without making it miserable for her...

She walked through the main doors and headed toward her first period class. Tsumé had missed a few schol days, settling in to her new home and getting all of her affairs in order. She hoped she hadn't missed any tests or important subjects as she headed to her first class. Mathematics.

Not exactly the best thing to start the day with but at least the teacher was good. She headed to her locker first to pick up her books, and then proceeded to the math classroom. Inside, she hurriedly found the best desk and waited for class to begin, opening her books to review their previous subject.

In stepped the teacher. A male wolf who liked to dress well, with a button down shirt, overshirt with padded shoulders and dress pants. He was the type who seemed like he was ready to run for an election, not teach a class. But it was a look he pulled off quiet well, as the suit complimented his natural brown fur colour. He looked up from his phone and stopped in his tracks, his eyes on Tsumé.

"Ms. Mondiale?" He asked, surprised. "What're you doing here?"

"Uh... Attending your class, Mr. Morgan," she replied, trying not to give a tone that left an implied 'duh' at the end of her sentence..

"I'm... A little confused," he said. "I received a note yesterday that said you wouldn't be coming back to class."

Tsumé's heart dropped into her stomach. "What?" She asked. "Who from?"

"The principal, of course," he answered. "Perhaps you should go see her, and get this sorted out.

"Yeah... Yeah I'll do that," Tsumé replied, mechanically. She rose from her seat and hurried out the door, nearly colliding with another student who was coming in before apologizing and heading for the main office.

When the receptionist let her go to the back of the office, Tsumé knocked on the principal's door, and was greeted by a white-furred vixen when she entered. The school principal was a lovely woman, known for being as kind as she was pretty, but she was also very by-the-book. She was seated at a corner desk, and turned to Tsumé as she entered. Tsumé explained her situation, and the puzzled look on the principals face was telling.

"Tsumé, I... I don't know what to tell you," she said. "Your mother came in on Monday and said you were no longer attending school here. She even signed the paperwork."

"I didn't want to drop out!" Tsumé explained, upset. "There has to be a way to reverse this, right? I'm eighteen now - surely she can't just pull me out of here without my own consent!"

"It's too late," replied the principal. "At the time you enrolled here, she was your legal guardian, and that paperwork was finalized. I can't undo it now." She let out a huff. "I hadn't even thought about checking your birthday in advance, to see if you were a legal adult now. She didn't even make mention of it."

Tsumé slumped back in her chair across from the principal, sighing in defeat. Her mother had probably 'neglected' to mention it on purpose, so that the principal couldn't bar her from taking action without consent from her daughter. Tatiana, in her years of living in luxury under her husband, had become highly accustomed to getting what she wanted, and finding loopholes for getting it. In this case, that loophole was the Principal's ignorance at how old Tsumé actually was - one person couldn't keep track of the age of every student in so large a school.

"Is there really nothing you can do?" Tsumé asked.

"I can't think of anything right now," the Principal replied, shaking her head. "If you want to enroll again, you'd have to pay all of the required fees yourself..."

"I..." Tsumé began, stepping back as she felt sick and leaned against the wall. "I can't pay those... Not by myself."

The principal frowned, silent for a moment as she watched Tsumé sympathetically. "I don't know what else to tell you, Tsumé," she said. "Maybe I can find something to help you. There are student support programs you can apply for - establishments who will pay for you to come back to school."

"Those aren't exactly charity organizations..."

"They aren't. But, they're all that I can suggest for now."

Tsumé let out a sigh, knowing the principal was just trying to be nice. But she knew the system well enough to know there was very little she could really do. "Well,.. I'll leave you with my cell phone number - don't use my house phone, you'll only get my parents. If anything comes up, please call me."

"Of course," the principal replied. "But Tsumé, I have to ask. What is happening at home? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No. Nothing at home, since that's not my home anymore... I moved out, though not exactly with my parent's blessing," she answered. "I'll just... Go return my books to the library and..." she choked on her words, unable to think of any more to say.

She left then, even as the principal tried to speak up again. Tsumé ignored her and walked slowly through the hallway back to her classroom to pick up her books and other belongings...

Pavan hurried up the hallway, his books tucked under his arm as he ran to make it to his class. He was already late for the first period, and he knew his teacher would be hopping mad at him for it.

But as he rounded a corner he nearly collided with someone stepping out of the school library, barely managing to bring himself to a stop before running into them. "Whoa! Sorry, I'm in a-" He paused mid-sentence when he saw who it was. "Huh? Tsumé?"

"Oh... Hi Pavan," the female avian returned. "Sorry if I cut you off."

"N-No problem but... What's wrong? You look down," he said, studying her face. He could see she was sad - Tsumé usually walked with an air of confidence that he had come to know from her, never letting what anyone said about her bother her. At that moment, though, he wasn't seeing it - the confidence he often felt from her was gone, replaced by a sense of defeat matched by her downtrodden face.

"Oh, just..." Tsumé started to say, but seemed to think better of what she had in mind and let out a groan. "It's my mother. She withdrew my application here - I'm no longer attending this school, apparently."

"What?!" Pavan asked, his voice shrill. "Then... Are you transferring? To where?"

"Nowhere, apparently," she replied, shrugging helplessly. "I left my parent's house and this is how they get back at me by cutting me off from everything they previously paid for, including my education." She shook her head. "It's just a ploy... They're trying to make me come back, but it's never going to happen."

"D-Does this have to do... With your birthday, before the weekend?" Pavan asked.

"Partially, yes," replied Tsumé. "Just as I _knew_he would, my dad turned my birthday dinner into a business affair. So I took off. He even called the cops on me but they wouldn't give in to his bullshit either. So I guess this is how my mother lashes out for not getting what _she_wants." She stamped her foot angrily. "I'm not some showpiece for my parent's friends, dammit! I'm not going back, not-!"

Tsumé realized her voice was raising as she spoke. She turned to Pavan, seeing he had taken a step back from her. "Pavan... Sorry. I lost my head there for a sec," she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's alright. Sounds like you have every reason to be mad," the other avian replied in understanding. "Anything I can do, maybe?"

Tsumé sighed. "Not unless you can help me find a job," she replied.

"Yeah... Can't help you there. I doubt even my dad could help you get one at the weather monitoring station," replied Pavan. "Sorry, Tsumé."

"Not your fault, Pavan," she assured him with a wave of her hand. "But... I guess I won't be seeing you around school anymore, huh?"

"Seems not..."

"Try not to piss off anymore attention whores, okay? I won't be around to protect you this time."

Pavan chuckled. "This time I'll make sure I'm running before they come after me," he promised. "Ain't nobody gonna catch me."

"Whatever you say, track star," Tsumé remarked with a smile, feeling her mood lifted by Pavan's sunny disposition. She turned to walk up the hall, heading for the main doors. "Take care of yourself," she called back.

"Uh, wait!" Pavan called, coming up to walk beside her. "Can we still meet up? That is, if you like?"

Tsumé arched a brow at him. "Not still trying to get me to go on a date with you, are you?"

"No, nothing like that," he replied, blushing slightly. "But... You're really one of the few people here I consider a friend, Tsumé. Even if we don't hang out much. You stick up for me whenever you're around, you even helped me with homework that one time we met up in the library. Hell, we danced together just a few days ago. You can't say you didn't enjoy that."

Tsumé rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. "No... I suppose I can't," she said. "You're always so full of energy, Pavan - it certainly isn't dull whenever you're around. So..." She shrugged. "What the heck?"

With that, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "Got a number?" She asked, showing him her phone.

"Yes! Uh, right here," replied Pavan, extracting his own cell phone from his pocket.

Tsumé arched a brow as she saw Pavan had a much older phone than her. While she had a brand new Feather smartphone, Pavan's was a Kommunikoida, and not one of their early smartphones either. It was a flip phone, looking as though it was from the late 2000's, with a gray colour and rather small buttons. Not very good for texting, though it did have the capability, and the particular model he carried was notorious for being damn near indestructible, even able to keep functioning after being run over by a car.

"That's... A bit of an old phone, isn't it?" Tsumé remarked.

Pavan chuckled nervously. "I uh... Might've had an accident with my other phone," he said. "I managed to save the SIM card, but, my dad said this is all I get until I can be more responsible."

"You're six months older than me - your dad still decides on your phone for you?"

"He's paying for it, until _I_find a job," Pavan replied.

"Oh."

With that, they exchanged numbers, and promised to meet up from time to time. Much to Tsumé's surprise, Pavan set down his books and walked up to her, hugging her. She was briefly taken aback by the gesture and briefly considered pushing him off until he spoke.

"I'll miss having you around, Tsumé," he said. He truly sounded sad, and it made Tsumé feel momentarily so as well.

Tsumé let out a sigh and returned the gesture, putting her arms around the slender avian and holding him as tightly as he held her. "You're a real softy, you know that?"

"Someone in this dreary school's gotta be, right?" Pavan asked, pulling back and smiling at her.

"True enough," she agreed.

With that, they said goodbye, and Tsumé carried on her walk toward the main doors while Pavan watched after her. For a while, the male avian could only frown and sigh as he saw her leave, until his mind caught up with him and he remembered where he'd been going before bumping into her.

"Oh, bollocks! I'm late!" He exclaimed before breaking into a sprint and making a beeline to his classroom - resulting of course in a passing teacher scolding him for running in the hall.

Tsumé hopped on the next bus to take her back downtown, and walked the rest of the way to her apartment. Her mind wandered back to the job she had applied for, still annoyed that they had turned down her application. A barista seemed like a fairly easy job - something she could do after school and get coffee at a discount when on her way to class. But now she was denied both the job _and_her school, thanks to her mother.

"What the hell_do I do with myself now?" She wondered aloud as she approached her apartment. '_I really thought I had all of this figured out... Guess dad's getting the last laugh after all.'

She had plenty of money to support her for a few months, but that wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, she was going to need to find some sort of income. If nothing else, now that she was no longer in school she could apply for full-time work. Though, she suspected, they'd probably refuse her for not having a diploma. She had no other work experience she could put on her resume, nor did she know anyone at the local blue collar jobs who might be able to help her.

'Okay... Relax, Tsumé - this is only your first week on your own,'_she thought to herself as she climbed the stairs to her floor, approaching the door to her apartment and producing her keys. '_Few speedbumps, but you're not broken down yet. You can make it.'

After clearing her head with some yoga, Tsumé spent the rest of the day searching for jobs online via her phone. She found a few possibilities, sending online applications to those who accepted them. She decided to go for a walk to the other places, taking with her a stack of printed resumés. She visited a local coffee shop - not the same one she had applied at already, and left an application with them while enjoying a latte.

She leaned back in her seat at her table, reading the horoscope section of the coffee news. Looking up her birth month, she found the entry. "'You meet someone special after witnessing something you will never forget'." She snorted a laugh and sipped her drink. "I'll settle for meeting my new boss."

The bell at the door jingled to indicate someone had entered, and Tsumé out of instinct glanced up to see who came in before going back to reading. But then she lifted her gaze again to take a second look at the figure who had stepped in. An avian with feathers as white as snow approached the counter, dressed in black pants and a sleeveless vest that was in terrible condition. The padding was tattered and fraying in multiple places; she briefly wondered if it had been pulled out of a clothes donation bin or a dumpster.

The avian was lean-figured, and his face was dirty. He looked homeless, and his eyes were dark around the sockets. Not because of a lack of sleep, she noted - the lower part of his eye sockets were actually dark blue, making them stand out alarmingly from his pale colours. Tsumé couldn't help but stare at the man. Something about him just seemed... Different.

The girl at the counter seemed to think so as well. She hesitated to speak to him, taking a few seconds to recollect herself before she spoke up. "S-Sorry! What can I get for you?" She asked.

"Iced cappuccino, and a bagel, please," he replied.

"Cream cheese or butter?"

"Cream cheese."

"Coming right up, sir."

The avian started to turn around, taking in the rest of the shop while waiting for his order. Tsumé had to lower her eyes, turning her attention back to the paper in her hand, hoping that he hadn't noticed. If he had, he didn't say anything, patiently waiting by the counter until his order was brought up. Thanking the clerk, he took it to the furthest table from the entrance, sat down and munched on the first half of his bagel.

Tsumé kept her attention away from the avian. She wasn't sure what it was that made her want to keep looking at him, but there was a feeling she had when watching him that she couldn't explain. She tried to stay focused on her coffee and reading the paper she held, and even went up to the counter to order a second drink.

Before she was finished her second latte, the other avian had finished his own food and cappuccino, and was on his way out of the store, thanking the baristas as he passed. As he did, his wing brushed against Tsumé by accident, and he didn't seem to notice. But Tsumé certainly did.

His feathers were cold...

Tsumé shuddered involuntarily. Feathers were not capable of producing their own heat, nor were they supposed to be cold. Even if it were cold outside, the avian had been in the shop for more than long enough to have warmed up. She lifted her gaze in time to see him stepping out the front door.

"Wait. Could he be-?" She wondered aloud, trailing off at the idea of meeting another of her own kind...

Without a second thought, she collected her belongings and hurried out the door. Now out on the sidewalk, she spotted him easily. The pale feathers made him stand out easily in contrast to the city around him. Taking another moment to let him get a bit of distance, she began to walk up the street the same way the white avian was going.

The white avian's path took him through one of the city parks. He walked with his hands tucked into his pockets as he approached a collection of shrubbery off one of the park paths. There, he extracted his hands and reached into the shrub until he lifted his hand out, revealing a sword in a varnished pine wood scabbard.

Looping the belt around himself, the avian secured the sword and scabbard to his hip, and took another step forward when something caught his ear. There was a sound like cracking stone, and he turned sharply to look behind him. But there was nobody there. The snowy whiteavian's eyes narrowed, making his suspicion all too clear. Spreading his wings he broke into a jog and took flight, ascending out of the park and climbing into the air.

From behind where he stood, Tsumé's head burst out of the ground, looking up at the departing avian. "Damn it! Why did I have to be the one species that doesn't get wings?" She complained aloud before she emerged from the ground, making sure the hole left by her tunneling closed behind her, leaving no trace that the hole had ever been there - unless someone took a very close look at the grass and noticed a small forked space now existed between them.

"Okay... Think, think," she said to herself, looking up at the avian as he flew away. "What's over that way he could be heading to?"

Having no other ideas, she started walking, heading in the direction the avian had gone...

Tsumé groaned as she accepted that she had lost the avian. In her attempt to track him her walk had brought her to the west side of the city, in sight of one of the city's two glacial melt lakes. One of the lakes sat higher in the cliffs, fed by the melting ice caps atop the mountain, and fed into the crystal clear lake below when it overflowed. A process that must have taken tens of thousands of years.

For Tsumé, she was getting too close to her old home. Along the lake shore was one of the higher wealth areas of the city, and part of the way through was her family's house. Not a place she wanted to be, and so turned her course back in the other direction. It was time to give up, she decided. The avian was gone, and she wouldn't likely find him again, especially not if he had flown over the lake. If he had gone the mountain peaks, there was no one alive who would ever find him up there...

She took a shortcut across the nearby college grounds. At the top of the hill to her left, she could see the lights of the college. The grounds through which she passed belonged to the old college, which had been neglected even while students had been attending. The place was eventually declared structurally unsound and closed, and the new college - which she hoped was under new management - had been built on the hill overlooking the old grounds which still belonged to the school.

As Tsumé walked across the old track & field... well, field however, she felt something. A mild trembling, coming up through the grass below her feet. A sensation so minute, anyone else besides her - or someone else like her - could never have noticed it. But she was different.

Dropping onto her stomach she put her ear to the ground to listen. The beat was rhythmic, like it was being caused by extremely loud music. Crawling along the ground, she noticed it becoming louder the further she walked into the grounds for the old college.

"Now who the hell would be there this time of night, blasting music?" She wondered aloud, her curiosity getting the better of her.

After walking around the grounds for a time, eventually finding where the sound trail was at its strongest. It led her to one of the outlying buildings of the college. A storage facility, she guessed, as it didn't look like it belonged with the main structure that had an overarching design while the building she approached was much more plain and unremarkable. By now she could feel the music coming up through the ground so clearly she could almost identify the song itself by the rhythm it created.

She opened the door, and looking around inside she found her guess had been right about it being storage. It was full of old neglected sport's gear. More than likely the place was meant to hold, as it was packed almost wall-to-wall with sport's gear, an old podium, disassembled bleachers seats and multiple chairs, piled with no rhyme or reason in the corner as if someone had just thrown them there without a care.

'I know this place is abandoned but why did they leave so much crap here?' She wondered. 'And why leave it in such a mess?'

At the back of the storage facility, she saw a staircase leading down to a basement. More storage, she guessed... except the music she had been following was coming from down there as well. She walked over to the stairs, slowly walking down until they came to a door. There was a sliding window on the door, around which the door had a jagged cut as though the slider had been installed after the fact.

'Well that's shoddy workmanship,' she thought.

The music was definitely coming from behind that door, though. She felt trembling through her feet, the source of which she was sure was close. Someone was behind that door...

Ducking down, she moved up to the door, and tapped it twice with her fist. The slider opened above her head, a gruff voice calling out after a few seconds.

"Hello?" They asked.

When Tsumé didn't answer, she heard the door being unlocked. She stepped back and put her back to the wall beside the door as it opened, and a large feline stepped out. She ducked low and dashed through the door behind him, dodging the man's notice as he searched the corridor for whoever had knocked. She dashed out of the man's sight without making a sound.

Beyond the door, her ears were blasted by loud music and the cries of multiple people forming a ring around... well, a ring. A fighting ring, to be exact, shaped like a hexagon and flanked on all sides by spectators. In the ring, two men - a burly brown wolf and a similarly coloured eagle, were beating each other bloody. Fists were flying, with the sound of bone meeting bone all too evident even over the road of the crowd.

She looked around in disbelief, taking in the room with her beak hanging open. The room was huge, with clear signs there had been more walls once. Off to her left she saw a giant breaker box, indicating an electrical room had once been among the rooms there but the walls had been demolished to make more space for the fighting ring. At the back of the room a sheet metal shack had been erected, through the window of which Tsumé could see someone watching the fights.

'An... An underground fight club?!' She demanded, fighting hard against her urge to panic 'What the hell is this doing here? Better question what the FUCK_am I doing here?!'_

She spun around, intending to run back out the door, and froze in her tracks as she saw the big feline guarding the door. He had closed it, and was now standing in front of it, his eyes on the ring. She turned away hastily, and stood staring into space for several seconds as she expected to get grabbed from behind by the feline. Fortunately it seemed he hadn't yet noticed that she was an intruder, if he had noticed her at all. She moved into the crowd, walking slowly and doing her best to act casual.

In Tsumé's mind though, she was screaming every English and French curse she knew, while keeping her beak tightly pressed together. Her eyes blinked as an especially heavy punch was landed in the ring, and she looked up to see the eagle drop heavily to the floor hard with the wolf standing triumphant over his opponent with his fists pumping in the air. As she watched, two other men came onto the ring and dragged the unconscious eagle away.

Another figure stepped into the ring. A male coyote, skinny as a rail, walked out with mic in his hand, using the other to raise the wolf's arm high in the air. "Winner!" He barked into the mic.

A roar of applause went up following the declaration, and Tsumé winced at the sheer volume due to the enclosed space. She almost covered her ears, but she resisted the urge - until she found a way to sneak away unnoticed, she had to blend in.

'All while I'_m wearing brand new capris and a half-shirt,'_she thought despairingly.

"And now, for the next round, we have a newcomer here tonight!" the Coyote announced as the music stopped. "This boy thinks he can run with the best of 'em and he's got the glare to prove he means business! So step up, Mr. Ice!"

Tsumé's heart nearly skipped a beat as she saw who stepped into the ring next. There was no mistaking the white feathers and the dark blue eye sockets, and the announcer hadn't been kidding about the glare. It was the same avian she had seen at the café, now shirtless, stepping into the ring and approaching the middle.

The wolf, however, looked at him with incredulity. "Seriously? Another bird?" He asked. "I've already knocked out one of you guys today, and the other one was bigger than you."

The white avian, or 'Mr. Ice' as the announcer had called him, didn't respond. He simply stood, staring at the wolf.

"What, nothing to say?" He asked, walking up to the avian. "So scared you can't even find your words, little boy?" He lifted a paw as if to push him.

His paw didn't make it halfway to the avian, though, before the other's hand came up and caught him by the wrist. The movement was so quick, Tsumé - even with her own avianic eyesight, was sure she would have missed it if she had been blinking. Ice's expression remained unchanged as he pushed the wolf's hand aside, and he still didn't move from where he stood.

"Told you folks; this one means business!" The coyote announcer called as the big wolf glared at his opponent. "So, start placing your bets!"

The wolf went back to his spot in the ring, while Ice took his own place...

Tsumé nearly jumped out of her feathers when she felt a sudden slap on her backside. "Hey, sweetie," she heard a voice said, and turned to see a tall, lanky fox looming over her. He was dressed in fine clothes, wearing a white longsleeve with a red, sleeveless overshirt, and over his shoulder hung a gray overcoat that matched his dress pants. His hands were adorned with multiple rings, his black tie had a golden clip and one of his ears was pierced, decorated by a golden ring.. "I haven't seen you around before."

"I-Uh... I was..." Tsumé stammered. '_Think, think, think! You belong here. You belong!'_She mentally screamed at herself, hardening her gaze and looking up at the fox. "I'm here for the same thing you are, pal. I'm here to see some fights."

"Yeah?" He asked, looking her over. "You're a bit young for a spectator. Honestly, you look like you'd fit right in among one of _my_girls."

"Your... Girls?" Tsumé asked, feigning curiosity.

"Yanno... The kind that keep guys like me warm at night," he replied, grinning.

'_Oooh fuck, a pimp,'_Tsumé thought, barely managing to hide her anger. She could only imagine what depraved thoughts this man was having as his eyes scanned over her chest and hips. At that moment, she wished she'd brought one of her throwing knives to drive into his crotch, but she had to keep up her appearance.

"You'd be a perfect addition to my crew," he said, one of his paws reaching out as if to caress her. "You and I, babe... We could make some serious cash."

'_Cash,'_Tsumé repeated the word in her head. Suddenly, she had an idea.

She slapped the fox's paw away, glaring at him. "I'm already making some serious 'cash', furball," she spat. Her disgust at the man, fortunately, wasn't something she had to fake. "So unless you're here to make a bet, fuck off."

The fox took a step back, paws up. "Okay. No need to be sassy," he said. Tsumé's lack of height had often made it hard for her to be intimidating, especially to people much taller than her. Even though she was certain she could mop the floor with this fox in a few seconds, he wasn't an exception, unable to see her as more than just a tiny girl.

"You want to make a wager then?" He asked, and pointed at the ring. "Five hundred on the big wolf."

"F-Five... hundred?" Tsumé echoed, but realized immediately that she was sounding nervous. "J-Just five hundred? What are you, low risk?" She asked. "I'll bet a thousand, on Mr. Ice."

The fox's grin vanished, and he looked into the fighting ring. "A thousand? On the kid?" He asked. "What, you're rooting for the underdog or just because he's in your age group? That guy's going to get clobbered - he can't win."

"Well then I guess you only stand to gain, don't you?" Tsumé asked, reaching into her pocket and taking out a bank note. It was only a hundred, but with her dexterous fingers she also pulled out a few plastic cards that didn't fit in her wallet, stacking them together and holding it up, making sure the bank note was in front and folded over to hide the cards, making it look thicker than it really was.

The fox shrugged. "Easiest thousand i'll make today," he said. "Alright, sweetie, you're on."

Tsumé nodded back and turned her attention back to the ring, repocketing her money and cards. In her mind, she was mentally beating herself.'I made a bet... With a pimp... I'm gambling in an illegal fighting ring - what is wrong with me? If Ice loses and I can't pay this guy will probably drag me off to some whorehouse!'

She could easily escape. She knew she could. But could she do it without being seen? Someone would feel the tremor if she simply willed the floor to part and let he drop into the earth below. It had to be a last resort... She couldn't let anyone know what she was. If Mr. Ice looked like he was going to be losing, she'd back away just enough so that the fox couldn't see her, and be gone.

A bell rang, and the fight was on. The wolf lunged at Ice, throwing a punch straight for his face. The white avian brought up both his hands in a blur of motion as his upper body twisted, casting the man by the wrist and humerus, and executed a perfect over-the-shoulder throw that sent the wolf falling onto his back with a crash.

Tsumé blinked, surprised. 'Whoa... Nice judo throw.'

The wolf scrambled back to his feet, snarling and baring his teeth at the white avian. Ice, for his part, kept his expression unchanged, backing a few steps away from the wolf to give himself more distance. The wolf ran at him againing, swinging a left, and then a right, followed by a kick. Not a single blow landed, both punches dodged easily by the avian and the leg blocked by both upraised armed.

In retaliation, Ice snapped forward and slammed his elbow directly into the wolf's throat. The wolf gagged and fell back, clutching at his throat as he collapsed to the floor, and he lay there coughing hoarsely as he rolled onto his side. Ice didn't pursue him, simply walking in a slow circle around the ring as the wolf collected himself and got up. The expression the wolf wore suggested he was now second-guessing what he had assumed would be an easy victory...

But his brow furrowed with rage, and he raised both fists as he stepped forward and unleashed a flurry of blows at his opponent. He even managed to block a few retaliatory strikes by the avian, having a better understanding of how quick he was. The fight seemed evenly matched... Until it wasn't.

Ice, after blocking another punch, drove his fist directly into the wolf's gut. He stepped, struck him in the center mass, left kidney and another gut punch that caused his opponent to double over with pain. Ice concluded the onslaught with a knee to the underside of his chin. His head snapped back, and finally a spin kick to the gut launched him toward the edge. He fell over, crashing onto the floor and sending spectators scattering to avoid being crushed by him.

He was out cold.

The bell rang again, marking the end of the match. Tsumé was stunned, completely awestruck by what she had just witnessed, seeing the avian take down an opponent quite a bit larger than himself. Watching him fight, she knew at least a few martial arts had been incorporated in that fighting style - Judo being an obvious one, but she didn't know the rest by name. Still, nobody could move their body like that and land such a beatdown without training.

She snapped back to reality as someone grabbed her hand, and she turned to see the fox. He was scowling, but he placed a roll of cash into Tsumé's hand. "A bet's a bet," he said. "Looks like I underestimated the kid. I should bet on him next time."

Tsumé looked, dumbfounded, at the money in her hand. A thousand dollars, just by watching a fight and calling the winner. It'd been so easy... She made enough to last the next month, without dipping into her savings...

Realizing where her mind was going, Tsumé gave herself a slap on the cheek, hoping nobody noticed. 'No fucking way!'_She declared, tempted to throw the money on the floor but holding herself in reserve in case someone saw her. '_I am not_doing this again! I'm getting out of here, and then I'm calling Obsidian to report this place!'_

Reluctantly, she pocketed the money instead...

Ice was led out of the ring, and the coyote left the microphone to someone else, letting them stand in for him as he joined the avian, heading over to the shack in the corner. The coyote had his arm around Ice's shoulder. He spoke something ineligible to the avian as they disappeared through the shack door.

Tsumé slowly worked her way through the crowd, heading toward the shack. She had to know what Ice - or whatever his name really was, as it seemed far too on the nose - was doing there in that illegal fighting ring. She crept over to the shack, looking back to the spectators as the next fight began. She pretended to watch as she backed slowly up to the door, then leaned against it to open it just enough to hear what was going on.

"-was not the deal, Kole," once voice - she guessed was Ice's - said. He did not sound happy...

"Come on, kid. You could make some serious moolah doing this," another, the coyote probably, said.

She leaned a little more into the door until she could see inside. Three others were in the shack with Ice. The Coyote announcer was seated in a chair behind an improvised desk, the other two men flanking ice on his left and right.

"The deal was, I beat your best fighter, and you give me the information I requested," Ice went on.

"Well now _you_are my best fighter, kid. You kicked Bronk's ass all over the ring! I've never seen anyone take him down so easily," he said. "I'll still get you your information. You just need to do a few more fights - I'll make my money, and then you get your info."

"I'm not fighting for you."

"I didn't say it was up for discussion," the coyote returned, losing his grin as he spoke. "You're in _my_place, kid. If I want you to fight, you're gonna fight until someone better comes along. So you better get used to being here or we're going to have problems."

As soon as he said that, Tsumé saw the unmistakable flash of steel in the hands of one of the other men. He'd drawn a knife, and was already aiming its point toward's Ice's unprotected back. Tsumé's eyes widened in horror, realizing what she was about to see, yet she couldn't look away.

"I'm not your puppet, Kole," the avian declared. "Give me the information, or this will not go well for you."

"Too bad," Kole said before nodding to the man with the knife.

Up came the blade, driving into Ice's back. Tsumé threw her hands over her beak to muffle her scream, but froze when she saw no blood falling to the floor, nor any sign of pain from the white avian. The knife was on the floor, and the man who had held it, was standing bolt upright, twitching as though he were being electrocuted...

Or in his death throes, she realized, when the body suddenly fell lifelessly to the floor. The other man followed suit, slumping into the wall. The coyote, Kole, was staring in shock at the spectacle, seeing his bodyguards drop without seemingly any movement from Ice.

The white avian lunged. On his back, Tsumé saw something odd. There seemed to be a glossy surface, like a lay of ice, on the white avian's back. It was spider-webbed, as though it had just taken a hit from something solid, and crumbled away as Ice twisted his body, seizing Kole around the throat with one hand and lifting him out of the chair. The coyote was dragged out of sight of the window and hurled against the wall near to the door, where Tsumé watched in horrified awe at the ensuring scene.

The avian held up his free hand, a spike of solid ice forming in his palm and pointing directly at the coyote's forehead as he struggled. The spike pressed against the coyote's head, and the avian spoke with such coldness in his tone Tsumé was almost sure the air itself had gotten colder.

...Wait... She _could_see her breath.

The avian - no... the _Ice Phoenix,_spoke in a low, menacing voice as he made his demand, speaking slowly. The Coyote's face lit up like an LED light was being shone on him, which Tsumé quickly realized was coming from the eyes of his captor.

"Give me. The name. Of the arms dealer!" He commanded. "Do it, or you will die slowly and_painfully!_"

Kole choked, his hands grabbing feebly at the Ice Phoenix's arm, trying to pry him off. "H-He's called-!" He gagged. "He's called Chapman! He's the one you're looking for - who supplies guns for P.A.C.E!"

"You better be right about that," stated the Ice Phoenix. "Tell me more - how do you know?"

"Those guys from P.A.C.E show up here, asking about 'special people' from time to time," Kole said hastily. "I thought they were nuts, but seeing you-"

"Don't change the subject!" The avian snapped.

"They carry the same kind of gear I've seen my bosses buy!" Kole exclaimed. "They get it from someone called Chapman! That's all I know!"

"And the people from P.A.C.E... Do you tell them when someone like me is found here?"

"I don't contact them - they just show up! I don't know how they do it!" Kole replied. "They just... They just seem to always know!" He held up his hands as the ice phoenix dropped him. "I told you everything, I swear!"

"I believe you," the Ice Phoenix replied. "Now... How do I find Chapman?"

"Y-You don't! He works through a network!" Kole exclaimed. "My bosses deal with him, not me! I don't know where to find them!"

"Very well... I suppose my search continues then," the Ice Phoenix stated. "However, I can't have you telling them about me either."

"N-No wait, don't! No-"

Tsumé turned her head away just in time, but the sound of bone caving under a strike was unmistakable. She hurriedly ran away from the door, but didn't make it far before she stumbled, falling into the wall and trying not to vomit. Behind her, the door flew open, and the Ice Phoenix stepped out into the room. His eyes darted to Tsumé immediately, studying her.

She didn't need to wait for him to say anything. She knew he knew that she had just seen what he'd done. The look on his face soured as he took a step toward her...

Without a second thought, Tsumé slapped both her hands against the wall behind her. The stone bricks parted at her command and she plunged between them, a wall of dirt and gravel all that awaited her, yet she flowed into it like cascading water. The sight of which, brought the Ice Phoenix to a halt - the last thing she saw before her head vanished into the ground, was the murderous glare disappearing from his face, replaced by a look of utter incredulity.

The bricks sealed once again, and Tsumé was gone...

Tsumé erupted from the ground in the college field as if she had been fired out of a cannon. She gasped for breath, not realizing until now that she had stopped breathing the entire time she had been tunneling. She'd been so focused on escaping from the Ice Phoenix, she didn't even take a moment to chase the dirt off her clothes.

She had to get away... Now.

Without a second thought, Tsumé broke into a run back toward the city, moving as fast as her legs could carry her off the grounds of the abandoned college, and into the streets...

Business had slowed as the night went on. It wasn't a weekend night, so Ordagova had expected as much. But for the few patrons who remained, the sound of Volcan's guitar filling the room remained as pleasant as ever as he played for the customers.

Ordagova had just poured his two most loyal customers, Richard and Edward, another round of drinks for them as they enjoyed the evening together almost daily. A group behind them had just got up and left their table waving to Ordagova and thanking them for the night; to which the snake smiled and came around from behind the bar to take away the dirty glasses and empty plate of nachos they had shared between them. He looked down to see a few coins spared for him on the table as a tip, picking it up and pocketing it in his trousers as he cleared the table and wiped it down.

Before returning behind the bar to do the washing up, he stopped by Volcan as he paused between songs to take another sip of his cola. The snake placed half of the coins from the table he cleared on Volcan's table next to his other tips, "That group left usss a tip."

"Awesome," Volcan said, gratefully.

The song ended shortly after, and Volcan took that moment to take a break for himself. He lifted himself off his chair and walked over to the bar counter, setting his guitar down by his feet as he seated himself in one of the stools. When Ordagova came over to take an order for him, Volcan asked a different question.

"Do you know where I... I might be able to get singing lessons?" He asked, followed by a shrug as if to say he didn't know who else to ask, or when might have been a better time.

"I wouldn't have the ssslightessst idea," Ordagova chuckled and shook his head, "You're a bird; can't you all sssing?"

Volcan chuckled. "You hear my voice, right? It's a little deep for singing unless you want me doing death metal," he said. "I'm not good at hitting high notes or stuff like that. But I think singing could improve the songs I perform. I mean, all songs are better with lyrics, right?"

"I would sssay the musssic alone isss nicssse and relaxsssing for the bar; but if we ever did a karaoke night, you might want to practicssse. But who knowsss? Maybe you sssound like an angel but you jussst don't realissse it. No one likesss the sssound of their own voicssse. I know I don't with thisssSSSsssSSSsss." The snake commented, emphasising his hiss, "Maybe I ssshould asssk my cousssin; she'sss in the performancssse industry, but not quite that kind."

Volcan shrugged. "I don't know who else to really ask. Don't know anyone who likes sing. It's just a thought I'm keeping in mind..."

Even as Volcan continued speaking, Ordagova's attention was drawn elsewhere, gazing off into space as his expression soured. It took a moment before Volcan realized Ordagova was looking away from him, and as he spoke his name, a shadow crossed the windows outside. There was a thump against the glass of the windows, and Volcan turned toward it with a start, seeing the green figure outside dragging themselves toward the door.

"What the...?" He asked, getting up from the bar stool to approach the door with Ordagova following close behind him, the snake seeming less surprised than Volcan but still concerned.

It flew open before he reached it, and suddenly an avian girl with green feathers stumbled into the bar, losing her balance and flailing her arms instinctively to regain it. She might have fallen or crashed into a table had Volcan not stepped into her path, catching her by her shoulders and steadying her.

"Whoa, whoa!" He exclaimed. "Miss, what's the matter? Are you okay?"

The girl raised her head, but looked back toward the door. She started to speak, but her words came out unintelligible between her heavy gasps for breath. She had been running, for a while it seemed, and she was dirty.

Ordagova swiftly went around them to the door, leaning out to look both ways up the street before closing it and pulling the curtain across, and doing the same to the curtains in the bay window. The two men sat at the bar counter would have been confused by the snake's actions if it wasn't for the falling girl. It wasn't hard to assume that Ordagova felt he had to hide and protect the girl, but this seemed a little excessive for his first response, not even looking to check to see if the girl was ok - he seemed to know more then the rest.

When the girl's words were still unclear, Volcan held her by her shoulders and eased her back from him. "Slow down, slow down. Come over here," he said, leading her over to bring her to the bar counter as Ordagova returned to his place behind it, watching as Volcan helped her sit in one of the stools.

"Would you like a drink of water, or something Missssss?" Ordagova asked as he made his way back around to behind the bar, already beginning to pour her some water.

Taking a moment to catch her breath again, she looked up to the snake and nodded when she still wasn't able to formulate proper words. Ordagova placed the glass onto the counter before, giving her another look and then poking his head around the back of the bar and taking his trench coat from the hook in the stairwell, bringing it out and placing it around her shoulders.

"Take thisss... You ssseem cold" he said, kindly

"Th-Thank you," she said.

Volcan looked over at the doors and windows, scanning them for a time as if expecting to see someone else walking in. He noticed Richard and Edward were looking their way and gave them a hard look to remind them to stop staring. They turned away, and when they were no longer looking - and after making sure Orda was also not watching, a glow came to his eyes as he triggered his infrared vision. He swept over the windows for any signs of heat signatures outside. He waited a moment, until he was sure no one was lingering or approaching the bar before, with a long blink, the glow vanished from his eyes.

He looked around the bar again, making sure that Richard and Edward hadn't been watching him and seen what his eyes had been doing, and then turned to look at the girl again. "Miss... Is someone after you?" He asked.

She took a moment to answer. "I-I-I don't know," she said. "He... He came at me but... But I got away. I don't know if he's chasing me..."

Volcan lifted his gaze to look at Ordagova. "Better call the police," he said, to which Ordagova nodded and went to retrieve his phone.

When Ordagova was through to the dispatcher, he shared detail with them about the girl who had come in. He had to pause briefly to ask her name, which she gave as Tsumé. From there he shared the bar's address, and the dispatcher promised to send officers promptly.

A few blocks away, a familiar purple dragoness sat in her car watching passing traffic at a red light when the call came. "All units, respond to a possible disturbance," the dispatcher said, moving on to share details of the incident while Obsidian listened. "Name of the girl is Tsumé," they concluded.

Obsidian's eyes widened. "Tsumé?" She asked, before grabbing her radio. "Dispatch, this is CT-137. I'll take the call, ETA ten minutes, over."

"Copy that, CT-137. Please update upon arrival."

"Ten-four. CT-137 out," she said before switching on her lights and sirens, the car roaring as she accelerated through the light and made a right hand turn, tapping her console screen for the address and following the directions it presented for her.

The police cruiser pulled up just as Edward and Richard bid Ordagova goodnight and left the bar. In moments, the police officer entered the bar and approached the main counter. But she stopped halfway, her eyes glazing briefly over the bar's proprietor behind the counter, who looked up almost immediately. Their eyes met, holding for a long, silent moment, as though there was wordless conversation between the two until a familiar voice broke her out of her surprised stupor.

"Obsidian?"

She shook her head to clear it and turned to the voice. "Volcan?" She asked. "Well hello! I didn't expect to see you here."

"Just started working here, but we can catch up on that later," he said, gesturing to the bar where Tsumé sat, still sipping the glass of water Ordagova had brought her.

"Right," she agreed, approaching the young woman from behind. "Tsumé?" She asked. "Do you remember me?"

Tsumé turned to her, her eyes going wide as she saw the dragoness. "Officer Kimoyama?" She asked.

Obsidian chuckled. "Please, you can call me by my name," she said, producing her notebook from her breast pocket and flipping it open as she took out a pen as well. She looked at Ordagova. "Are you the one who placed the call?" She asked him.

"Of courssse" The snake hissed, taking the two glasses left from his last two customers to start washing them.

"Your name for the record?" She asked, starting her notes.

"Ordagova Nevarol," he responded plainly.

She wrote in her notebook, but without even looking up from it, the snake heard a voice in his head. '_So... Does Volcan know what you are yet?'_Her mental voice asked, thrumming within the snake's mind.

'No'

'Do you intend to tell him?'

'I think he prefers a sense of privacy. I will tell him when it's right, but for now I intend to protect him.'

'_I appreciate that. Just try not to hurt him in the process, okay? He's a friend to me, too.'_She concluded, looking up from her notepad as if nothing happened, moving on to Tsumé . "Alright, Tsumé. Tell me what happened."

Taking a few breaths to calm herself, and evidently having relaxed in the presence of someone she knew, Tsumé told her story about the white avian she had seen at the café near her apartment. She claimed not to know why she had decided to follow him - something about him concerned her and she wanted to find out why. Of course, Obsidian knew that wasn't the truth but she let Tsumé continued, writing down in her notes.

Until Tsumé mentioned the underground fighting ring, which elicited a larger response from the dragoness, and from Volcan who, in his seat, sat more upright. "A fighting ring?" Obsidian asked.

"Under the storage building of the old college," Tsumé replied. "I was just as surprised to find it there... I had to blend in when I got inside, and I saw the white avian in a fight. He was under the alias of 'Ice', and after he mopped the floor with his opponent he went into the... Well, I guess 'office' with the ring's leader. They must have worked out some kind of deal or something - I only overheard a little bit. But it seemed like the ring leader - Kole, I think Ice called him, was going back on their deal. He... didn't take kindly to it."

"Did you see how many there were down there?" Obsidian asked, tucking both her pen and her notebook into one hand as she reached for her shoulder radio with the other.

"I don't know... A hundred at least, maybe more," Tsumé answered.

Obsidian turned her head to the radio. "Dispatch, CT-137 here," she said as she paced through the bar, giving her report. "Possible illicit activities located at the old college..."

As she gave her report, Volcan turned to Ordagova, a curious look on his face. "You ever heard of anything like that? An underground fighting ring?" He asked.

"I've never heard of that" the snake hissed before continuing in his mind, 'But I have sensed some people passing by thinking of such a place. I couldn't report that though, for obvious reasons.' He directed his thoughts to Obsidian, making sure she knew he wasn't trying to hide something.

"That college isn't far away either," Volcan remarked, rubbing under his beak in thought. "By flying, I can get there in just a few minutes... How long could this have been happening right under our noses?"

'Almost a year.'

'First I've heard of it,'_Obsidian answered him even while she kept talking into her radio. '_But if that avian who scared Tsumé was there, I suspect he's gone by now. We've been looking for someone of his description for a while... And yes, I already suspected I knew what he was after the second crime scene where we heard about him.'

Concluding her report, Obsidian returned to the trio. "Okay, some boys are on their way there to check it out," she said, resting a hand on Tsumé's shoulder. "If the guy who went after you is there, we'll get him."

Tsumé nodded to her. "Thanks, off- Um, Obsidian," she said. Then she added with a laugh. "Seems like every time we meet, someone's looking for me, aren't they?"

"Seems like it," the dragoness remarked, and then added in a joking manner. "You are a very wanted girl, Tsumé."

Tsumé let out a laugh. "Not the way I intended. I preferred just having boys fawn over me at school - not have a killer stalker follow me."

'_Can I ask a favour?'_Obsidian's voice rang in Ordagova's head again before she was interrupted.

'I'm not fawning over her, if that's what you're asking; I've already got flamey here passing me all the time.'

'Not about that!'_She retorted. '_I want to reveal the truth to Tsumé now. It seems like a good time to do it.'

'About you being psychic?'

'Yes,'_she replied. '_If you want to step out-'

He cut in, though. 'No. After what you said earlier, I think it would be best if they both knew. At least they will know they can trust us, and treat this as a safe space.'

She looked at him. "Together then," she said aloud.

Tsumé and Volcan turned to her. "What?" Tsumé asked. "Together what?"

Obsidian inhaled a calming breath before turning to regard the Earth Phoenix again. "Tsumé... There's something I want to tell you, while I have a moment," she said, lowering herself into the stool beside her.

"Do you need me and Orda to go?" Volcan asked.

"No, Volcan. I'd like you here. Both of you," Obsidian replied, looking at Ordagova for confirmation before she turned to Tsumé again. "I don't want to keep any secrets from you. Last time we met, it just didn't seem like a good time to mention it." She looked at Volcan, as though checking to see if he was alright with her continuing, though he hadn't quite caught on to where the conversation was going.

Tsumé leaned away from Obsidian, eyeing her curiously. "Uh... This is getting a little odd," she said. "You're not about to say you have a crush on me, are you?"

Obsidian laughed. "No, nothing like that," she replied. "But I'm... Kind of like you, actually. I'm something that most people don't know exists."

"Uh... Sid?" Volcan spoke up, looking between her, Ordagova and Tsumé. But the dragoness put up her hand, silencing any further protests from him.

Ordagova reached out a hand to rest on Volcan's shoulder, earning a look from him. "Trusssst her," he said in a comforting tone that made Volcan silence any other protests he might have had.

"Did you ever wonder, Tsumé... How I knew what your favourite colour was? When I bought you that cake at the diner?" She asked.

"The cake? It was-" Tsumé trailed off. "The frosting was coloured... Blue..." She said, almost mechanically. "How _did_you know that?"

"I know because I'm telepathic," she said, getting straight to the point. "And I also know you're a Phoenix."

Tsumé jerked in her chair, her eyes wide in alarm, looking back at the two males. "R-Right in front of them-?!" She asked, almost panicking - a look which Volcan shared as he looked at Ordagova...

Surprisingly... the Naga didn't look surprised. In fact he smiled with his arms crossed, simply replying, "Yesss, I already knew as she does." Tsumé and Volcan both looked at him curiously. "I know, becaussss I am telepathic too."

Volcan gawked, looking between Ordagova and Obsidian, noting the unsurprised look on her face. "Did you-?"

"I only learned when I came in," she assured him, putting up both her hands this time. "When we saw each other... We pretty much both knew right away. Telepaths can kinda... Sense each other like that - unless he tried to mask it, it was pretty easy to detect he was one as well."

"W-Wait... You're both telepaths?" Tsumé asked. "But if you're revealing it to this guy..." She turned slowly in her chair, looking at Volcan. "And... Not worried about mentioning I'm a Phoenix."

Volcan chuckled, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah... I'm one too," he said, lifting his other hand and snapping his fingers, a flame appearing above his hand and floating in midair above his upturned palm.

"F-Fire..." Tsumé whispered.

"And given that you have no wings... You're an Earth Phoenix," added Volcan.

"Don't do that for too long," the snake pleaded to Volcan, the concern clear on his face, "You will ssset the sssmoke detectorsss off..."

With a turn of his hand, Volcan snuffed the fireball in his palm looking at Ordagova. "I kind of wish you had been upfront with me, about you being a psionicist like Obsidian," he said, and then had a thought. "Er... Wait, can you also use telekinesis or, just telepathy?"

"Telekinesssisss? No. My ssspecsssiesss isss only gifted with telepathy. It'sss how we ssstayed a secret for ssso long." Ordagova admitted, "Assss for not revealing it too sssoon; I thought you would prefer the sssenssse of privacsssy. But reading through your mind when you were out on the ssstreet, I thought it would be bessst for you to come here ssso you are sssafer and out of sssight... Ssseeing your passst..."

"Ah... So... You know then, about the ones that chased me a little while back," said Volcan.

"I do. And I will sssenssse them a mile away before they get to you." The snake assures him.

"We already know their helmets, thankfully, don't protect against psionic," Obsidian remarked, tapping the side of her head. "I proved _that_when I erased their memories of you and Lighris -oh," she looked at Tsumé.

"That's my brother," Volcan clarified. "Yes, he's another phoenix. A Lightning Hawk, specifically."

"...Why is he lightning and you're fire?" Tsumé asked.

"Non-compatible elements. We each individually inherited one of our parent's elements rather than create a hybrid," replied Volcan. "I don't understand the biology of it, but either way," he flashed a smile and held out his hand to Tsumé. "Good to meet another of my kind," he said. "My name's Volcan MacAingeal."

Slowly, Tsumé lifted her hand and placed it in Volcan's, grasping his and shaking it. A smile slowly crept onto her face, looking up at the Fire Phoenix with a mix of joy and gratitude.

"Tsumé Mondiale," she replied. "It's nice to meet you, Volcan."

"'Claw of Earth', huh? Good name," said Volcan.

"You speak French?"

"Bits and pieces." Volcan gave a wave of his other hand. "Though I couldn't hold a conversation in the language. Gaelic, yes, French, no."

Tsumé tilted her head. "You speak a dead language and not a modern one?"

"Celtic descent - my mother taught me as her father taught her," Volcan returned with another chuckle as he let go of her hand. "But yeah, as you just heard from Ordagova, there are some people after me... or_were_. We don't really know if they can still find me after what Obsidian and a friend of hers managed to pull off."

"Any idea who they are?"

"Not a one. Some group that somehow has learned to detect Psionicists and knows about the existence of Phoenixes - I imagine they know how to find one too," he said. "I have no idea who they are or what they call themselves... But they killed one person already, nearly abducted my brother and gave Lighris and I the fight of our lives."

Tsumé tilted her head at that. "Hang on..." She said, rubbing under her beak as she thought. "When that Ice Phoenix was interrogating Kole... He mentioned something a little weird."

"Weird how?" Obsidian asked.

"He said that some guys came down to the ring, randomly, whenever they had people of," she made quotations with her fingers, "particular talents, were there, and they'd show up inexplicably."

Volcan tensed at that. "That _does_sound familiar... Could it be a coincidence?"

"Maybe," Tsumé replied with a shrug. "I only heard part of the conversation. What was going on was a bit of a shock."

Volcan nodded in understanding. "Well either way, those guys are still out there," he said. "They know Lighris and I exist, even if they don't recall _where_we are. It's just a matter of time..."

"Well at least here, protected by a powerful telepath," Obsidian offered, gesturing to Ordagova. "You're about as safe as you can be."

"Thanksss for that," the snake chuckled at the dragon's remark, "but I will need to practicssse erasssing people'sss mindsss if that'sss needed. My eldersss could whenever we were ssspotted, but I never learned."

"You already know how to read memories - that's the first step," Obsidian offered. "When I have time, I can teach you the rest. But for now," she looked at the clock on her phone. "I should probably get back on patrol. My duty shift isn't over for another four hours."

"I'll be closssed by then, ssso I can't offer you a drink. But pleassse, do ssstop by whenever you like," he insists. 'Drinks will be on the house for you, as an officer.'

"I appreciate it," she said, nodding and offering a hand to Ordagova while also producing a card from her uniform pocket and laying it on the counter. "Give me a call if you need anything."

"Of courssse" the snake takes her hand and shakes it while using the other to accept her card, "Sssee you around."

"You bet," she said, also shaking hands with Volcan. "Glad to see you got a job here. It's a nice place."

"It is," Volcan agreed, nodding.

From Tsumé, Obsidian received a warm hug. "Thanks for being here again, Obsidian," she said.

"Anytime, Tsumé," she replied, returning her embrace.

"Though for the record," Tsumé added in a warning tone as she pulled back again. "Let's be sure to set boundaries on the mind-reading." She looked at Ordagova who was already giving her his attention. "That goes for you too," she added, pointing a finger at him.

"Agreed," Volcan added. "We trust you, but we do still want our privacy."

"Sssure, I won't go poking around unwarranted oncssse I know it'sss you." Ordagova hissed, "I ssstill keep tabsss on everyone that passssssesss my bar for sssafety. Moressso when people are inssside."

"Right. I better be going now," Obsidian stated again, turning for the door and walking to leave the bare "You all, stay safe, okay? Don't go into anymore illicit business hubs without warning me."

"No problem there," Tsumé replied, making an outward motion with her arms. "I am _never_doing that again."

With that, Obsidian headed out the door, the others watching as she returned to her car. They saw her make a call on her radio, and then she drove off to resume her patrol.

"So, Tsumé," Volcan began. "Are you hungry?"

Tsumé looked up at him, and then considered the question. "Actually... Yes," she said. "I haven't eaten since this morning."

"Well, you're in luck," Volcan began, turning her back to the bar. "Ordagova here makes an excellent burger."

Ordagova cocked an eyebrow at Volcan at his statement, "I can assssssure you it'sss nothing ssspecsssial. But I can make you one if you would like? On me."

"Oh, I can pay," she assured him. "You guys have done a lot for me already - I can't ask for a free meal too. Besides..." She grimaced. "I... Ended up making quite a bit of money today at that pit."

Volca gawked at her. "You gambled?"

"I had to look like I belonged there!" She countered. "I was surrounded by a hundred thugs - what would you have done?"

"How much did you make?" Ordagova asked, pretending he did not already know the answer.

"About a thousand. In just one round, actually."

"...You must have a hell of an eye for fighters," commented Volcan.

"I actually bet on the Ice Phoenix, if you can believe it."

Volcan gawked again. "....Why?" He asked.

"Hey, I would've bet on the other guy, but I'm glad I didn't. He got his tail handed to him," she said, shaking her head. "That cold bird might be a bit scary, but _damn_he kicked ass."

"It'sss odd that the guy who won you lotsss of money isss the guy you thought wasss chasssing you." the snake noted.

"Credit where it was due. He's good," she said. "I dabble in some martial arts myself, but this guy... It's like he's immersed himself in it. I don't know what he wants with this Chapman character but I pity whoever's stupid enough to get in his way."

After a moment's pause, the snake piped up again turning his head to Volcan, "I sssuppossse you want a burger too, and likely your brother if he'sss picking you up?"

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Volcan. "On that note, Tsumé. Do you want a lift home when he gets here?"

Tsumé considered the question for a few seconds. "That might be the smart thing to do, yes," she said, nodding to him.

"Alright. I'll text Lighris and let him know I'm ready then, and that we have a passenger," he said.

"And before I ssstart cooking, ssshall I get you both a drink?" Ordagova asked politely

"Something on the sweeter side, maybe, if you have any ideas," she said. "Oh, and, need to see I.D? I am legal drinking age."

"Well, if you are happy for me to overssstep the boundriesss in thisss inssstancssse, I don't need to sssee proof" the snake chuckles, "Sssweeter ssside? Asss for sssomeone who'sss never drunk before... may I sssugessst a Sssingapore Sssling?"

"I'll try whatever you recommend. This is my first time really doing any drinking," she replied with a shrug.

"I can tell" The snake smiles as he picks up a glass and cocktail shaker; using his long dexterous tail to pick up bottles of Cointreau, gin, cherry brandy and other ingredients and pouring them into the shaker, putting on quite a show for the two of them as he prepared the drink.

Ordagova could see Volcan watch him and his tail very keenly as he performed. Eventually the phoenix could hear a voice in his head, 'And yes... I was always aware. I think you are pretty cute too.'

The blush that appeared on Volcan's face wasn't noticed by Tsumé, but was by Ordagova who looked over and gave him a smile and a wink, before handing the completed drink to Tsumé with a cherry chunk of pineapple resting on top. But she did look up from her drink when the air beside her got slightly warmer...