Merge - 14 - Dias Ex Machina

Story by Monion on SoFurry

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#15 of Merge

Matt and Kael are both cornered into making impossible choices. Who will ultimately pay the price for their decisions?

(And yes, the title is spelled "incorrectly", it's a pun ;) )

With this chapter, we are now caught up on my material that's posted on FA as well, so chapters will come in much more slowly, closer to once every 7 - 14 days or so. I try to keep it closer to once a week, but sometimes that doesn't work. Chapter 15 and 16 are WIP (15 is written, under going editing), but we can probably expect 15 to go up before the end of the weekend. Thanks for reading so far, and hope to continue crafting a story that entertains!


"Kael!" the white wolf shrieked as she ducked, a ball of fire whizzing past her and setting the ceiling tiles alight. "What the hell are you doing? Get Matt out of here!"

The brown-furred kangaroo snarled back, "Trust me, Laura. Have I ever steered you wrong?" His green eyes bored into the back of Laura's head. The white wolf glanced back and saw his stare, faltering for a moment.

"Laura, pay attention!" Chris yelled as he kicked out at the imps, causing them to scatter. He grunted in frustration, unable to get a solid hit on any of the crimson creatures. After nodding once at Kael, Laura swung about, cracking the whip to her right to keep it away from the massive moose. Again the small creatures nimbly slipped to the side, dodging her strike.

Putting his paws against the husky's bandaged chest, Kael continued to talk to Matt. Laura couldn't hear precisely what the kangaroo was saying, but it sounded like he was having a discussion with the comatose dog.

Chris wrapped a large paw around the leg of a vibrant green plastic children's chair. "Attack from your side!" he bellowed as he wound up and pitched the chair at an imp. Laura took the cue and snapped her whip again, this time hitting one of the small creatures square in the chest as it moved out of the way of the flying furniture. While it shrieked and dissolved into nothingness, the other two leathery red creatures took a step back, as if they were seeing the attacking pair for the first time.

The four beings eyed each other for just a moment, but the temporary truce was broken when one tossed a fireball, slamming it into Laura's chest. Dropping to the floor, the white wolf rolled to put out the fire while Chris covered her by grabbing another neon green chair and forcing the imps to evade it.

"You better know what you're doing, dude," Kael said just loudly enough that Laura overheard it as she stood. Kael hopped up from his squat beside Matt and threw out a paw. "Dias! Protect us!"

Chris ducked, anticipating more fire from the aggressive creatures. Fire that never came. Instead, a golden translucent window pane of light shook as flames dissipated upon it. The moose turned around and cocked an eyebrow at the kangaroo while Laura stood there with her jaw hanging open.

"Since when could... that was..." The white wolf shook her head in awe, her long snowy hair cascading over her muzzle. "Who is Dias?"

"We need to leave, dudette," Kael grunted, his arm shivering with some unseen effort. "I don't know how long I can hold this." His maw clamped shut after the declaration with finality.

"Over here! It's a longer route, but there's an emergency exit on the other end of the hospital!" Chris led the charge, his hooves clopping on the linoleum floor. Wincing as she saw Matt scooped into the moose's bulging arms indelicately, Laura ran after them. Kael walked backwards, keeping the barrier up behind them.

The hospital was on fire, and the ceiling tiles above the trio had begun to drip hot plastic as the flames from their earlier combat spread quickly. As they made their way towards the other emergency exit, the sprinklers and the fire alarms came on in response to the heat. Beyond the barrier of light the imps reveled in the unnatural rain and continued to feed the flames, making them grow higher and hotter despite the water.

"No!" Laura screamed as another pair of the evil red creatures jumped from a room just before the stairwell. She was about to bring her arm back to swing the leather strip, but Chris's paw wrapped around her forearm, stopping it dead, shaking then inclining his head behind them. Kael was immediately behind the white wolf, and would have been hit by the backswing. "Kael, in front of us!"

The kangaroo glanced at the exit and saw the creatures. He was shaking and his fur was soaked with perspiration. Gasping for breath, he raised his unoccupied arm and pointed at the imps. "Dias! Protect... urk!" Kael's body convulsed once before collapsing into a heap on the floor, causing the wall of light he was maintaining to wink out of existence.

Chris cursed under his breath and moved to intercept the unimpeded imps behind the group but was promptly blinded by a flash of light originating from the prone kangaroo. When Laura and Chris had blinked away the spots in their vision, they saw Kael on his large feet. Instead of green, though, he stared at the pair with eyes of solid amber.

"Kael?" the white wolf asked, her voice quiet with trepidation. The creatures began to shriek again and moved in to attack the trio.

The kangaroo raised a paw and a bolt of light flew from it, whizzing past Laura and singeing her fur in the process. The imp on the other end was hit with the full force of the bolt and exploded in a shower of stars and light. Without batting an amber eye, Kael reached out behind him with his free paw and began to swing it; Laura couldn't keep track of the appendage as it moved quickly to bat fireballs from the air. Turning, Kael launched another bolt of light at the attackers from where the trio had come as a light barrier sprung into existence behind him, cutting Chris and Laura off from the kangaroo and leaving them with the remaining imp by the exit.

"He's going to hurt us if he keeps this up," Chris grunted as he backed up against the translucent wall, careful not to crush Matt's limp body against it.

Laura shook her head as she side-stepped a fireball. "Kael! Stop this! We need to escape!"

The kangaroo turned at Laura's voice, and the light barrier flipped behind him instantaneously, cutting off the two imps behind the group and he blasted the one by the exit with another bolt of light. Chris bellowed after the light sheared off some of his fur and skin on his left arm, almost dropping Matt in shock. The wound was cauterized as quickly as it was created, however, so it wasn't bleeding, just black. The last creature blocking the exit was obliterated. "Kael is currently unavailable, Laura Moretti. I suggest you concern yourselves with escaping, as was Kael's intention."

"Who are you?" the moose demanded, stepping between the kangaroo and the wolf, grinding his flat teeth to blot out the pain in his arm as he spoke. "What have you done to Kael?"

Empty amber eyes blinked once, slowly, his arm still up holding the barrier behind the group. The kangaroo opened his maw, but instead of Kael's deep voice, a firm but melodious voice filling the air, like a bell. "I am the deity know as Dias. I have done nothing to your friend but fulfilled his wishes. He invoked my power but was unable to control it, and thus granted me entry into your world."

Laura's coughing fit interrupted Dias' monologue. Smoke had filled the upper portion of the hallway, and was rapidly overwhelming the group.

"You will not survive this encounter unless you make haste," Dias warned, "I will ensure that you are not followed." He punctuated his response by dropping the barrier and thrusting his arms forward, creating a wave of golden energy that filled the hallway, slowly advancing on the shrieking fire demons. Once they were engulfed by the light, the demonic screaming stopped, leaving just a faint ringing in the group's ears.

Laura coughed again, then grabbed the kangaroo by the arm. Kael's body whirled about and the amber eyes narrowed at the white wolf. "I won't leave without Kael," she pleaded.

The kangaroo huffed. If his eyes had pupils, Laura would have guessed he was rolling them. "So be it. The demons in the immediate vicinity have been neutralized. I will escort you to the exit. I warn you, however, Kael's body may not hold out that long. We must move."

Clambering down the concrete staircase to the exit, the group moved as quickly as they could. The fire alarms echoed in the stairwell, giving Laura a bigger headache, but the adrenaline in her system kept her pushing forward without noticing the pain too much. Thankfully there didn't seem to be much smoke coming from below, and the three flights of stairs went by quickly.

A few furs seemed to be straggling, trying to escape the burning and besieged building, but too sick to move quickly. A little calico girl stumbled on the floor in front of Laura by the exit, almost causing the white wolf to trip. Rather than stopping, Laura scooped the small fur into her arms and continued moving, getting away from the building.

Shadows danced on the ground in front of Laura as they pushed towards the group of police and furs in green military uniforms, the fire from the hospital lighting up the grounds. Before they could reach the road, however, Kael silently collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk. Chris put down the husky beside the kangaroo, and shook his head.

The little calico girl squirmed in her pale hospital gown as Laura placed her on the ground. "Keep running. The police will keep you safe." The white wolf pushed the little girl slightly, causing her to stumble forward.

"Thank you!" she said as she ran off towards the flashing red and blue lights. Laura sat down on the concrete next to Matt and Kael while Chris rubbed his injured arm.

"I'm not sure I can carry them much further," the moose panted, his wide chest heaving with the effort. "Stairs, fighting, carrying Matt. Not sure I have much left in me."

"Me either, Chris. Hopefully we're far enough from the building to be safe. I just hope Matt and Kael are okay."

* * * * *

"I can't, Kael!" Matt exclaimed quietly as he stood up quickly, eyeing the opposing mage hanging in the air above the tavern. "I have furs here who are relying on me, too! I can't just abandon them."

The black-robed mage raised a paw and Matt could feel the winds pick up again. In retaliation, Matt coalesced and lobbed a chunk of ice before the winds could throw him back again. The ice didn't impact the opposing mage, but it did distract him long enough for Matt to begin a new spell.

"What do we do, then, dude? Dias helped me contact you. We don't have a plan B!" the kangaroo's deep voice resounded in Matt's head. The husky had only seen his normally put-together friend so panicked once before in his life: after they had learned about the attack on the kangaroo's father.

The wall of ice that Matt was building crumbled as his concentration broke. "Damn it, Kael, you're going to get me kill... Wait, Dias? The god?" After losing the thread of his spell, Matt had moved over Jason's body protectively, putting the bubble barrier back. He could hear the whistle of the winds through the bars on the bannister. The Dark Order mage was working on his own magic again.

"Yeah, dude, the god."

"Then you have access to magic! Just ask him, Kael! Gods can work their magic through you if you ask them to. How else would you be talking to me?" Matt launched another barrage of ice, this time a number of small shards. Some of them shredded the hem of the black robe, but the husky felt himself launched into the wall again. His bubble burst this time, and he felt his breath pushed out of his lungs as he slammed into the wood.

"You better know what you're doing, dude."

'I'd like to think so, too,' Matt thought morosely as Kael's voice faded away. Recreating his bubble yet again, Matt realized that the mage hadn't followed through. Instead, the dark-robed opponent was setting fire to the building with black flames limned with red. 'Perhaps he thought he knocked me out?'

The husky's tail wagged once as he pressed his paw pads against the emerald on his staff, letting the power of the earth course through his limbs. After effortlessly picking up Jason in one arm, Matt fled back into his room and made for the window. 'Jason was right, we should have just left in the first place.'

Glancing out of the window he could see furs screaming as they pushed out of the building. Red light from the growing fire flickered along the ground, the silhouettes of the escaping furs dancing on the ground and the walls across the street. Some ran through the kitchen door, others scrambled out of their windows and tried to climb down the wall. One unfortunate bulldog slipped and plummeted to the hard ground, only to be caught in mid-air by a cloud.

"Rhisanth!" Matt exclaimed happily as he mounted the window sill, then jumped down to the street. The cloud that had let the bulldog down safely screamed through the air and caught the husky. It was soft but stable under his feet.

"Next time an extra moment of warning would be appreciated, Matthew," Rhisanth scolded as he let the grey-blue husky carrying the cream-colored cougar down beside him. "This fire is not responding to water. It must be demonsfire."

"There's a Dark Order mage in there." Matt carefully placed Jason's unconscious form on the hard dirt. "He had demons with him, as well. The fire still needs fuel, right? Like it can't just burn on nothing?"

The elderly lion's eyebrows rose at Matt's question. "I believe so, yes?"

"Fire uses oxygen - that is, air - as fuel. If we remove all the air to create a vacuum," he started, bringing up his staff and placing a paw over the topaz embedded in it.

Rhisanth stroked his grey mane, "Remove the fuel, remove the fire." He nodded and rolled the cotton ball he had palmed through his fingers.

"It shouldn't need more than a couple seconds if we pull all the air out."

'At least, if I remember my high school science classes correctly.'

Rhisanth nodded to the young husky and grabbed a couple bystanders that looked capable. He explained to the grey wolf and the brown bear to pull all the air out of the dome he was to create to put out the fire. After that, the white-clad mage pulled a small pane of glass from his robes and held it up. He began to chant in that same foreign language that Kazar had used before.

Matt gasped as a glass dome covered the inn, shimmering in the moon and fire light. Working near a hole in the dome, Matt, along with the wolf and bear, began to concentrate, feeling the hot wind rushing out of the dome as they pulled it away. The husky blinked away the tears caused by the ash and air. As more air left the dome, the harder it was to continue the spell. It wanted to rush back into the dome, to equalize the pressure. As the group worked their magic, the fires began to flicker and perish as the remaining air wasn't enough to fuel them. A few moments later, just as the husky was on the verge of passing out - the wolf had passed out a moment earlier, but had been replaced by a pair of otters that were also capable of minor wind magic - the hole in the glass disappeared. The fires died immediately as Matt had predicted with the lack of oxygen.

Rhisanth released the spell conjuring the glass dome before Matt could warn him not to destroy it all at once. Reversing, the wind rushed in to fill the vacuum immediately, flattening everyone on the streets nearby, including the lion and the husky. The building itself swayed in the violent gale, but managed to remain standing.

Once the wind was reduced to a pleasant breeze, Matt stood up and began to brush down his fur and clothes with his paws.

"That was effective; I shall remember that technique for the future," Rhisanth deadpanned as he picked himself up off the ground. "Again, perhaps an extra moment of warning next time as to the aftereffects of such a spell would be appreciated."

The husky grinned, his tail wagging slowly. "C'mon, we should go see if that Dark Order mage is still in there."

Leaving Jason on the ground in the care of the otters for the moment, Matt and Rhisanth entered the tavern to find the midnight-robed mage sputtering and coughing on the ground in the middle of the scattered burnt wreckage of tables and chairs. The mage looked up and scrabbled against the floor, attempting to escape, but Rhisanth raised the tiny pane of glass. The mage slammed into nearly invisible wall and stepped back, dazed. Matt chuckled at the dull ringing sound that echoed through the room.

The elderly lion stepped forward and ripped off the hood of the dark cloak, revealing the doberman Matt had seen on the Council previously. "Ah, Terrance," Rhisanth mused out loud, running his claws through his grey mane. "Dabbling in demonic magic; terrorizing the public; attacking another member of the Council."

"I would have gotten away with it," Terrance started, a snarl on his on his thin muzzle.

"If it weren't for us meddling kids?" Matt finished, but then stared at his shuffling feet when both Rhisanth and Terrance shot him a strange look. "It's, uh, an Earth thing, don't mind me."

"Why, Terrance?"

The doberman growled, his ears flat and his hackles raised. "Why do you think, Rhisanth? With the Earthly Order changing things up, it was our chance to be in power! The reign of the Azure Order is no longer assured."

"And is Kazar aware of your... indiscretions?"

"No. This was my decision and my work. The demons are entering our world regardless. Why not use them to our advantage?"

'Hmm, demons entering the world. Kael!' The husky's tail fur shot straight out when he realized his friends on Earth were still in danger. "Rhisanth, I need to get back to Earth, now!"

Not missing a beat, the elderly mage kept one paw pointed at Terrance, and waved the other over Matt. The husky felt his consciousness follow that familiar tug at the back of his mind as he felt his body collapse.

* * * * *

"Ow, that hurts," Matt moaned quietly as someone was pressing something cold against his chest, digging under his fur.

"Excellent to see you're awake, Mister Lancaster," a dog in a white coat was leaning over him. Shaggy white and brown fur covered his face, and his smile ran from floppy ear to floppy ear. "You have been unconscious for..."

"Just over two days," the husky finished.

The doctor's eyes were wide. "How could you know that?"

"Uh, lucky guess?" Matt grimaced, hoping the Saint Bernard would just ignore his comment. "How am I doing, doctor?"

"Your ribs were cracked when you were brought in, you may be sore for a couple weeks because of that. You've also inhaled some smoke and breathing may be mildly difficult because of both that and the ribs." The doctor had ceased his prodding and was standing. Matt pulled himself up to a sitting position. "The hospital has been attacked and is also on fire. Clearly we can't bring you in for a more thorough checkup, but your vitals seem to be okay and you're conscious, so I see no other reason to keep you here if your friends or family can bring you home and keep an eye on you for a few days in case of a relapse."

"Wait, what? Attacked?"

Laura stepped into Matt's field of vision. The white wolf's fur was disheveled, and her sleeveless green blouse was scorched in a few places. "Yeah, I can fill you in if the doctor needs to move onto other patients."

"Thank you," the doctor handed Laura a square of paper. "This is a letter of discharge. If one of you could bring it to the hospital once it's open again so that we may complete our paperwork, it would be greatly appreciated. My personal number is on there as well. Feel free to call it if Matt shows any issues over the next few days. Or your friend Kael, there, for that matter." Laura and Matt thanked the shaggy doctor as he moved on, looking for the next patient.

"What happened to Kael?" Matt stretched, and then winced as his ribs protested the movement. He looked around and saw Kael laying asleep on the sidewalk beside him. To his surprise, Chris was also there, sitting cross legged next to the kangaroo. "Chris? Why are you here?"

"I saw the news reports of the attack. I couldn't just stay at home when you were hurt," the moose said quietly, softly rubbing the white bandage around his upper arm. "I just got here when the hospital was attacked."

"More demons, Matt; this time little fire creatures," Laura stated quietly. "Chris helped Kael and I fend them off. Then Kael... I don't know what happened with Kael. One minute he's was talking to you, then he's suddenly using magic, then he collapsed and then he gets back up and is throwing magic around like he was a, like he was a,"

"A god," Chris finished grimly, staring at the kangaroo with awe and...

'Is he afraid of Kael?' Matt wondered. "Kael talked to me in Ameranth. He said that Dias was helping him."

"Dias was helping me," Kael's deep voice cracked. The kangaroo slowly raised himself to sitting. His green eyes looked distant, like he wasn't seeing anything around him.

Laura rushed over and helped Kael sit up straight, wrapping an arm around the rotund 'roo's back. Kael smiled briefly before the haunted look blanched his face again. "I...he was talking to me, and offered me a deal. He'd help me if I helped him. I guess I couldn't get a handle on his powers. I just remember collapsing, then, nothing. It was like sleep paralysis. I was conscious, I knew he was there, but I couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything, and couldn't feel my body. Just darkness, and emptiness." Kael began to shake, the normally unflappable sarcastic friend unhinged by his memory. "I don't know if I could ever do that again. I might as well have been a vegetable."

The white wolf hugged Kael tight, trying to soothe the 'roo. He seemed to be unresponsive to the gesture, making Matt's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"I'm not buff, or athletic or anything like that. My brain, my smarts, they're all I have. To be trapped inside my own mind..." Tears began to slide down Kael's cheek as the kangaroo squeezed his eyes shut. He went quiet as Laura told him he was safe now, over and over.

"So I've seen magic, demons, whips, and gods today. I think I need to apologize to you Matt," the moose said, scooting over to be beside the husky. He gave Matt a gentle hug, wrapping his thick arms around Matt's torso. "I thought it was just narcolepsy. I can see why you didn't want to tell others about it."

Matt hugged his friend back. "There's no need to be sorry, Chris, you couldn't have known. It's okay. I guess I'll give you the full story about it all once we get out of here. You deserve to...wait, whips?" The husky cocked his head to the side.

Shaking his own head, Kael eyed the white wolf carefully, having apparently compartmentalized or pushed aside his earlier fears. "Yeah, tell us why exactly do you carry a whip, dudette? Why does your job have you out at all hours of the night? Why you have 'clients', and how the hell does it relate to a hospitality degree?" the 'roo snarked, a vestige of his personality returning.

Laura released Kael from her hug and sighed. "Think about it Kael. You're a bright guy."

Chris' eyes went wide and he opened his muzzle to speak, but Matt wrapped his paws around it to silence him, shaking his head vigorously.

"Matthew Lancaster?" The group turned to see two police officers dressed in blue uniforms: a german shepherd and a badger.

Laura grinned, "Oh, hey, you're the officer that we met when we came to visit Matt the first time!"

The german shepherd dipped his head in response, his brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight behind his dark muzzle. "Officer Axel Stephenson at your service, ma'am. And this is my partner, Officer Jerek Brown." The badger nodded at Laura at the mention of his name, but otherwise stayed silent, his maw a line of displeasure embedded in black and white fur. "We gotta take statements from the four of you on the hospital attack. We also gotta take Matt in for questioning around the attack downtown a few days ago."

"And if I refuse?" Matt said defiantly, his ears at half-mast.

Officer Stephenson frowned, "Then we'd have to arrest you. The police department is still decidin' whether to press trespassing charges against you. I don't wanna make trouble, Matt. I know you've been through a lot."

The husky shrugged, the gesture looking a little odd as he was still sitting on the concrete sidewalk. "I don't want any trouble, either, Officer. I'll come with you. Would it be possible to bring my friends with us and take their statements at the station?"

Laura, Chris and Kael nodded their agreement. "I don't see why not. We'll get another pair of Officers to take two of you in. In the meantime, Matt, you and your kangaroo friend come with us."

Waving goodbye to Chris and Laura, Matt and Kael followed the Officers to their squad car and climbed in the back. Shortly after they were on their way, Kael's cell phone rang. The notes to the original Super Mario Brothers filled the squad car, and the kangaroo looked to the rearview mirror and made eye contact with Axel. The officer nodded once, and Kael answered the phone.

"Kael! The hospital was attacked? Is Matt all right? Are you okay? What's going on?" Jay's voice filled the 'roo's tall ears. Kael just chuckled and handed the phone over to Matt.

"Hello?" Matt asked quietly.

Jay squealed, causing the husky to wince and pull the phone away from his ear for a moment. "Matt? You're awake! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. There was an attack but we're all okay. We're headed to the police station right now."

"The cops? Oh no, I knew they'd take you in as soon as you woke up. I'll be right there!"

"Hold up, Jay!" Kael shook his head wryly at hearing his friend respond to Jay on the phone. Matt continued, "We'll be fine, we're just answering some questions. It's like one in the morning. Want me to call you when we're on our way back to the dorms, or just call you tomorrow?"

"As soon as you can. I miss you, Matt."

"I miss you, too, Jay." The husky afforded himself a small smile. "Talk to you soon." Pressing the button to end the call, the husky sighed.

Axel grinned at Matt in the rearview mirror. "That the cougar from a couple days ago? He was pretty insistent on seeing you. Wouldn't take no for an answer." Nodding, Kael affirmed it was indeed the cougar. "Feisty guy. You're a lucky dog, Matt."

"Thanks. I think I am, too," he responded quietly.

The cabin was silent but for the noise of the patrol car speeding down the highway. Matt gazed out the back window to watch the street lights whiz by under the night sky.

After a couple minutes, the husky began to get restless, grabbing his tail and patting it down. "So, uh, how much trouble am I in, exactly?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, you can't be in that much trouble. Otherwise Officer Brown here'd have to have cuffed you and your friend." Axel's voice was bright and cheery in the gloom. Officer Brown just grunted in response. "Don't mind him though. He's the bad cop to my good cop. He's kinda grumpy sometimes, but he's a nice enough guy."

"You're getting involved, again, Axel," the badger grumbled, glancing at Matt in the rearview mirror and scowling at the husky.

"So? I saw his friends, and how they treated him." Axel kept a paw on the steering wheel and pointed the other thumb towards the back for emphasis. "They're good furs, Jerek. I ain't going to get in trouble for it this time."

"Sounds like a story," Matt asked, leaning forward in his seat and pressing his muzzle against the metal grate that separated the front and back of the cabin.

The badger grunted and shook his head again as he tapped a sharp claw against the plastic of the door. Axel sighed in response. "A story I can tell another time, I guess. Your kangaroo friend always this quiet?"

Kael rolled his eyes. "I've got a name, dude. It's 'Kael', not 'kangaroo friend'."

"Didn't mean no disrespect, bro," the german shepherd responded with a grin. "Just figured I'd make conversation. If you wanna wallow, go right ahead."

"It's been a rough night, man." Pressing his head against the window, the kangaroo went back to his brooding.

"Yeah, well, if you wanna talk, I can listen, too. Officer Brown here's a great listener too!"

"You're terrible at listening to me," the badger rumbled. "Still getting involved."

The german shepherd finally scowled at his partner. "And you're a spoil sport. Good thing we're almost to the station, anyhow."

* * * * *

The room was chilly, and barren. Concrete ceiling and concrete floor, with glass walls that Matt could only assume were one way mirrors. A single light hung from the ceiling above the metal table at which the husky was sitting. Officer Axel had just brought Matt here to be interrogated.

"Officer, why am I being questioned alone?"

Axel pondered for a moment, his tawny paw rubbing the back of his head. "I doubt you're in trouble, Matt. Like I said earlier, we'd have been ordered to cuff you if you were. Anyways, the interrogator should be here shortly. You'll be all right."

Officer Axel left the room through a metal door. Matt's hackles rose when he saw the blue uniform disappear into the dark hallway beyond and the door shut behind him.

After waiting a couple of minutes, as the husky was beginning to fidget with his tail, the metal door opened again. Entering the room was a solitary male with black fur in a black suit, black shirt, black tie and black sunglasses. It was hard for Matt to tell where the clothes ended and the fur began.

"Matthew Lancaster. Do you know who I am?" a wheezy voice intoned, almost hissing at him, black tail twitching in the low light. The dark jaguar took off his sunglasses and yellow eyes narrowed at the husky.

Matt's tail exploded in his paws as his heart rate jumped. "Kazar?"