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"So, how do you like living in the city?"

"It's not bad. Doesn't feel as rushed as I thought it would. But it does feel a little cramped at times."

Rick laughed at his sister's comment.

The two siblings were sitting in the outdoor seating area of a small cafe near the centre of the CBD. It was the first time the pair had had a chance to properly catch up since Carry had moved to the city.

"You'll get used to it, eventually," Rick reassured his sister.

"I guess so. But I'll say this much, city life certainly has a few extra perks compared to suburban life. So many stores to look through, restaurants to eat at... I doubt I'll ever get bored." Carry idly looked around at the buildings as she spoke. Having spent the vast majority of her life in a town, she couldn't help but feel just a little awed by the sheer number of businesses around her at any given time. Carry had visited her brother in the city only a couple of times, and never for more than a couple of days. It was a major lifestyle change for her.

"What about Julius? How are the two of you getting along?"

At this question, Carry looked at her brother with a slightly solemn expression.

"We're not," she said. "That's not to say things are going badly. They're just not going at all. He's been living with me for nearly a month, now, and I haven't actually met him, yet. Come to think of it, I don't think I've even spoken to him. He sleeps all day and is gone all night. Half of the time I forget he's even living there."

"Yeah, he's a bit... secluded," Rick frowned. "When I first started working at Euphoria, it was nearly four months before I even saw him, let alone spoke to him. He already knew Harrison at that time and the detective played something of a liaison between us. But, for the most part, I just worked behind the bar and got a paycheque each week. It's not that Julius is anti-social, he's just... not a mingler."

A taxi driver, lounging in his seat behind the driving wheel, yawned and stretched lazily as he waited for a customer to hire his services. But his peaceful evening was not to be without incident as a sudden metallic thump and a blue blur streaking across the front window caused him to sit up with a start. Thinking his car was being crushed with him inside of it, the driver frantically fumbled with the doorhandle, opened the door and fell out onto the pavement in a panicked heap. His heart pounding in his chest, the taxi driver crawled a few feet away and then picked himself up and stared at his vehicle. Confusion fell over the man's mind as he saw no mysterious crushing force compacting his car. A moment later, he spotted Julius bounding over car hoods and roofs, like stepping stones, leaving large dents in his wake.

Julius was moving fast and the street was filled with cars, packed together like sardines. With little room to move freely, the tiger could only traverse the four lane street by leaping from vehicle to vehicle. But, once on the other side, Julius leapt upwards, grabbing onto the iron bars of a fire escape which he used to climb swiftly to the building's roof. Once atop the structure, Julius pushed his foot down, hard, and propelled himself forward at startling speed.

Down below, a man with a briefcase was running on fumes. Gasping for air but forcing himself to keep moving forward, the man, in his late 20's, dared not look back for fear of seeing his pursuer right behind him. But Julius was not behind the man. Taking to the roof, Julius could easily catch up to and overtake his target. Not wanting to endanger innocent pedestrians, Julius remained aloft and watched as the man sought an escape route, stalking him as a predator would stalk prey, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

And in short minutes, that time came. Unable to continue running, the man fell against the brick wall of an apartment building and dared to look behind him. Seeing no seven foot tiger chasing him, the man pushed forward and turned into a nearby alley. Thinking himself at last free, the man stopped and allowed himself to drop the briefcase while he tried to regain his breath. But like a nightmare from the heavens, Julius descended, landing in the alley with ease from atop the five story apartment block. His eyes gleaming out of the darkness, his muscular figure loomed over the man who fell to the ground and cowered like a child.

"You should have stayed in tonight," Julius mused. His words were almost sadistic, as if drawing pleasure from seeing the man cringing on the alley floor. Though he was dressed like a business man, Julius was well aware of the human's cruel hobby and was about to put an end to it.

"W-what are you?!" the man whimpered.

"Karma," the dark figured breathed.

Ignoring the young man for a moment, Julius picked up the briefcase and pulled it open, sending the combination lock flying as it snapped off. Assorted blades fell from the briefcase and clattered on the ground, among them a scalpel which Julius delicately plucked from the jumble of metallic objects. Turning his attention on the man once more, the tiger advanced slowly, his eyes seeming to glow brightly with malicious intent.

Feeling like a toddler who was staring an evil monster in the face, the serial killer tried to scramble backwards, his gaze held tight by Julius' glare. The seconds seem to take minutes to pass as Julius' large, muscular hand reached out and took hold of the man's wrist. Finally, unable to watch, the human male shut his eyes tightly and turned away, seeking sanctuary in the folds of his expensive looking suit. Moments later, cries of pain and terror flooded out of the alley and into the streets.

"In headlines this morning, alleged serial killer, Brad Scholler, is being treated under heavy police guard at the Asherrin Memorial Hospital after being found in an alley just off Lark Drive late last night. Police have been searching for Scholler for the last four months, believing him to be the one responsible for the abduction and murder of seven men and woman in that time. After responding to reports of disturbing noises, police found Scholler crawling from the alley with his finger and toe nails sliced off and his thumbs broken completely off. Doctors say that Scholler will survive, but will require..."

Carry stirred on the couch as the female reporter of the early morning news read the headlines. She had decided to try and be awake when Julius returned from his nightly prowling. Going to sleep early, Rick's sister slept on the couch and left the TV on in hopes that the sound would keep her from sleeping too deeply.

But the soft thump of Julius landing on the balcony from the roof, just a couple of feet up, went unnoticed by the sleeping woman. Silently sliding the glass door open, the tiger entered the spacious condominium and made his way towards his bedroom without making the slightest of sounds.

Rolling over beneath her blanket, Carry sensed, through her light slumber, that she was no longer alone and immediately roused herself. Groggily sitting up, the human female glanced over the back of the couch and spotted Julius just about to turn out of the large living area.

"Oh!" Carry exclaimed, desperately grasping for the tiger's attention, "Um, hi," she added, attempting to be casual.

Julius paused and turned to face his friend's sibling. She was now laying in an awkward position, twisted on her side so that she could look over the back of the couch. "Hi," Julius replied, seeming to answer more out of courtesy than interest to talk.

"Can we, uh... talk?" Carry asked, getting straight to the point.

"Is something wrong?" Julius inquired, immediately concerned that there was a problem with their living arrangement.

"No!" Carry reassured hurriedly, "No, it's just that, well, we haven't really had a chance to, you know... meet. And I was hoping maybe we could... talk."

Julius seemed to think for a moment and then approached the couch, resigning to the idea of a conversation.

"What would you like to discuss?"

"I... uh, where are you from?" Carry stumbled, having not given this part of her plan much thought.

"Iyos," Julius answered simply.

"Is that, like, another planet?"

"You might say that."

"So, you're an alien?"

Julius just looked at Carry with an unamused expression.

"Stupid question," Carry realised. "What brings you here?"

With less than a heartbeat passing since the girl's inquiry, Julius responded with an avoiding "I'm going to rest," and turned to leave. Carry slumped on the couch and watched as the muscular beast left the room.

"Sorry," she muttered under her breath after he'd left.

Harrison made his way down the steps of the ruined subway station, stopping for a moment to look at a hole in the wall he was sure hadn't been there the last time he'd visited. Raising an eyebrow, the detective continued on his way and soon found Julius in the usual location.

But Harrison stopped once more, confused by the sight he found before him. Littering the platform were dozens, if not hundreds of small daggers and tomahawk style axes. Wood, stone, steel and even gold were among the materials used to form these weapons. As the human glanced around, standing on the final step leading to the platform itself, he realised there were other objects as well. Buckets, animal figurines and even simple cubes and spheres were among the assortment of items that blanketed the once empty subway platform.

"What in the name of..." Harrison's words trailed off in bafflement as he looked over the scene.

"The cheetah at the bank last month," Julius stated, not looking at Harrison, "Her wings permitted her the ability to generate any material she desired, in any form she desired."

"Oh, well that makes perfect sense," Harrison retorted sarcastically.

Julius waded through the mass of miss matched trash, causing a rather loud and obnoxious ruckus that reverberated through the underground station. Holding up his hand, palm upward, the tiger concentrated and Harrison watched in amazement as a small but detailed figure of the detective seemed to form from the very air itself, in just over a couple of seconds.

"That... that's not possible!" Harrison exhaled in disbelief.

"Using the energy of my wings, I can create any known material in any form, be it a blade of steel of a figurine of stone," Julius explained, handing the quartz statuette of Harrison to the detective. "Most objects are easily made in fractions of a second, as long as the design is simple. More complex and detailed objects take more concentration and energy, requiring a longer time to form."

"This is... astounding!" Harrison just stared at the likeness of himself, awed by the phenomenon. "This could... this could change so much. Limitless resources!"

"And how do you propose to explain these resources?" Julius glared at Harrison for a moment, his eyes betraying a hint of annoyance. "Gold, iron, copper; these materials are one hundred percent pure. Your methods of refinement, while adequately efficient, are far from capable of producing such purity from natural sources. Suddenly injecting a 'limitless supply' of any one of these resources into the economic or industrial establishment of your planet, with such purity, would raise immediate suspicion. Even if I were to agree to sitting around all day producing blocks of gold 'for the betterment of humanity', it simply doesn't work that way."

Julius' agitation seemed to grow as he ranted.

"Generating these materials requires consumption of my own energy. Small, simple objects require little energy to create, allowing me to create no shortage of supply. But even the smallest of exertions can become taxing when performed repeatedly with no rest. As you would by running continually, I grow tired after sacrificing energy to convert into matter. How long would you expect me to last generating your so called limitless resources?"

"I'm sorry," Harrison apologised sincerely. "That was unfair; I got excited."

Julius slumped amongst the assortment of items and sighed.

"No. I am tired and in an irritable mood," Julius conceded. "I have been making items all day and it has taken its toll. I assume you are not here for a social call?"

"No. I came to talk about Scholler," Harrison began, setting the quartz figurine of himself on the step. "You've never been one for discretion, and we've turned a blind eye to the countless minor felonies you've committed while performing your... duties, but this is unlike you. Tell me this isn't going to become a habit. I want to hear you say that you are not going to become the very thing Lechester is trying to make you out to be."

"Lechester works for Carrick, who benefits from having a high criminal rate in the city. By turning the city against me, Carrick no doubt hopes to drive crime rates up." Julius spoke seriously, his tone calm but fierce. "But Carrick underestimates the lengths I would go to. I will not be bullied by him and do not fear the repercussions of my actions. If Carrick wants to raise crime rates by pointing fingers, then I will force them even lower by snapping that finger off."

Harrison sighed, disappointed by his friend's words.

"Fine. I won't try to stop you. But, I will tell you to be careful. You're walking a dangerous path that could turn even your closest friends against you. Don't let Carrick and Lechester get to you. Don't turn into the demon you are fighting."

His peace said, Harrison turned from the tiger and solemnly walked back up the stairs.

Julius closed his eyes and sighed. Calming himself, the tiger reflected on his words and the life he had turned upside down. Had he been too harsh in dealing his judgement? Had he acted rashly and allowed Lechester to get under his skin.

Standing up once more, the dark blue and black striped feline waded through the layer of objects on the subway station and paused at the bottom of the step. Looking at the small figure of Harrison, Julius knew his friend spoke the truth. Picking the statuette up, the exhausted Arkon made his way to the surface in search of fresh air and a clearer frame of mind.