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Maybe there really isn't any rest for the wicked. All the people that are cruel and manipulative in this world are still people, and just because they seem cold and heartless on the outside doesn't mean that they aren't something kinder deep down. Sometimes it was just buried deep within, and you had to yank it to the surface. Kausn looked around the dirty complex; or at least what was left of it. Small orange fires still burnt around him, casting an eerie glow on the walls that were still left standing. He looked down at the dirty tile floor, seeing the remnants of a life that has come to a close, again. His vision blurred as he thought about the two lives that have been ripped away from him, just as he was settling into them. Kausn had also believed wholeheartedly that everyone had an ounce of good in them, no matter how cruel they seemed to be. They were still human.

"Yeah" he thought to himself, his fists clenching tightly, "It's nice to think that way." He stood up from his crouching position, brushing his fur off before he walked through the burning hole in a wall, out into the crisp and cool night air. He hesitated for a moment, wanting to turn around and everything is back to normal; to see the smiling faces that have greeted him every day for the past few days. He wiped away a tear with his paw and kept on walking, not looking back at the burning, crumbling building behind him. That life was gone now. There was no going back, no matter how badly he wanted it.

***

"Hey Kausn, you wanna ride?" Kausn whipped around to see a '67 Cadillac convertible, immaculately restored to its former glory. The red finish shone brightly in the summer sun, causing him to have to shield his eyes as he smiled at the driver.

"Tanner, do you even have to ask? You know I love this car." He laughed and hopped into the convertible with his best friend, not even bothering to open the door. Kausn smiled as they picked up speed quickly, soon speeding past their old high school, where four years of their lives were spent trying to live up to expectations that just weren't them. A sense of relief washed over Kausn as we passed, glad to rid himself of that horrid place. He smiled at his friend in the driver's seat, his hair blowing in the wind behind him.

"So, what were you doing out today? I mean it's a nice day, but you hardly ever go for a walk." Tanner didn't even look at him, but if he did, Kausn knew the larger 5'8" male would tower over his 5'5" frame. Not to mention Tanner's aviators would be slightly intimidating, even though Kausn knew he just wore them to look cool.

"Eh, I just felt like going for a walk. Besides, I was gonna walk to the doctors office to pick up my mom's prescription. Don't know why she couldn't get it herself, but hey, it gives me an excuse to get outta that house." He sighed slightly, dreading his return to that accursed house. Sure, he loved his parents, but there was a point at which enough is enough. Kausn was getting smothered by their love, and it was time to get out. He was almost nineteen; he needed to start doing things for himself. Maybe today he'd finally be able to get a word in with them about moving out. He needed his own space.

"Hey, you wanna go get that prescription right now? Get that outta the way so we can go back to my place a play guitar?" Kausn smiled and nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. You still got that nice Tele?" He asked because Kausn knew how much Tanner loved that guitar, and because Tanner knew how much Kausn loved it too.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I have it?" He looked at Kausn for a brief second and smiled, and he just laughed.

"Oh, no reason." They sit in silence the rest of the way to the office, though it's not an awkward silence; it's just two friends enjoying each others company. The wind blew through Kausn's blonde hair, making him feel content in the summer heat.

They finally reached the office, the parking lot deserted. As Kausn stepped out onto the hot pavement, he found it odd that no one else was there. He had never been to this doctor's office, and something about it gave him a bad vibe. He brushed it off though as him and Tanner walked up to the doors, the arctic freeze of the air conditioning hitting them as they stepped inside. It was a relief to be out of the heat of the mid-day sun, but Kausn didn't feel any more comfortable in here. At first glance it looked like a standard doctor's office, lacking the usual hustle and bustle of any normal clinic. Kausn walked up to the receptionist's desk while Tanner browsed the unique artwork and the walls, all resembling animals of some sort. Kausn rang the service bell on the desk, the loud ring piercing the silence of the cold, dimly lit room. It sent a shill down his spine as the noise died away, leaving noting but the white noise of the air conditioner.

"Maybe all the doctors went out for lunch and forgot to lock up." Tanner said, distracted by the artwork that he almost couldn't decipher.

"Yeah, maybe that's it." Kausn was still unconvinced, and standing in the cold, depressingly grey room made him even more nervous. He felt a bit strange after a couple of seconds just standing there after ringing the bell, which he brushed off as just his nervousness. But the pain in his stomach kept growing until he doubled over, only looking up to see Tanner doing the same thing. "What's...." was all Kausn managed to croak out before he fell over in sheer agony, the pain in his stomach moving to every part of his body. He felt like his body was on fire, pinpricks of heat poking into his skin from every angle. His vision started to tunnel, his peripherals dimming until his entire vision was black, his mind receding into the drug induced state the tainted air conditioning caused.

***

Kausn woke slowly, his vision unblurring as the world came into focus once again. As his eyes focused on the white walls surrounding him, he recalled why he had been passed out in the first place. He tried quickly to sit up, but the restraints on his wrists and mid section made that impossible. He noted with embarrassment that he had been stripped of all his belongings, left only in a standard hospital gown. He looked to his right and saw Tanner laying on a table in similar fashion; his arms, legs and mid section tied, a hospital gown the only piece of clothing he had on. Kausn noted the rise and fall of Tanner's chest in a slow, rhythmic fashion, so he knew Tanner was still alive. Kausn looked around the rest of the room, seeing that the only thing in this room besides the two of them were two I.V. needles that were running to each of their arms, a strange light red liquid dripping slowly into each of their veins. Kausn felt calm in this bad situation though, knowing that panicking like a scared little kid wouldn't do any good. As he was organizing his thoughts and trying to figure out how to get out of this situation, a door opened and a woman in a lab coat stepped in, bearing a clipboard and a smile that sent chills down Kausn's spine. The woman had a little bit too much red lipstick on, and she walked like she owned the place, which Kausn was sure she did. The sinister smile on her face didn't help matters either as she looked at the both of them, before speaking to them.

"So, I see you're up. I'm glad to know we didn't kill you. That would have been such a loss for our little experiment." Her voice sent chills down Kausn's spine once more, the chill in her tone sending the room temperature down 10 degrees every time she spoke. "Well nice to meet you too." Kausn spat back, a little wearily but his courage growing the more he started at her. 'Why do the evil ones have to be attractive?' Kausn thought, and then shook it from his mind as she spoke again.

"Oh, you're the sassy type, aren't you? The leader of the group, hm?" She marked something on her clipboard and smiled back at me, the evil smile that only someone with no regard for human life could manage to pull off. "My name is Doctor Missy Hardt, and you shall address me as such. You and you're friend here are part of an experiment to create the perfect war machine. A living being that is strong, agile, cunning, able to see in dark areas and so forth. We are just perfecting our new batch of genetic integration, so you two will be the first to try out what will hopefully be our last trial." She came over and tapped the IV, a little more fluid running down the tube and right into my bloodstream.

"Are you insane?!? We're human beings! You're going to integrate our genetics with what? Tanks? How are we going to become war machines?" Kausn was still trying to process everything Dr. Hardt had said, still unable to conclude how their genetics would be altered.

"It's quite simple, really." She said smugly, taking pride in the fact that this was all her doing. "We captured you because you two are perfect for this experiment. We knew it wouldn't be hard to lure you here, and now here you are. Trust me, we know all about you Kausn. We've been following you both for quite a while now." Kausn sat there, his fists clenched tightly as he stared down this so called doctor.

"You still didn't answer my question. How are we going to become war machines, and what does genetics have to do with it?" Dr. Hardt just snorted, amused that he still hadn't figured it out yet. He just stared at her like she was crazy.

"Genetics has everything to do with it, Kausn. We are, as we speak, modifying your genetics to something a little more..... animalistic." She grinned deviously and for the first time, Kausn's eyes widened.

"You're turning us into animals?!?!? What the fuck lady?!?" Kausn started to thrash around, trying in vain to get the I.V. out of his arm. Missy Hardt didn't seem too concerned about him though, standing there with her smug grin still on her face.

"You need to think a little more practical Kausn. We're not replacing your genetics, just modifying it. So, in a way you'll be turned into an animal, but you'll get to keep some of your current qualities. You know what werewolves are Kausn?" Kausn stopped his thrashing and stared her down, hearing Tanner start to stir beside him.

"Listen to me, Hardt. You better not hurt either of us." Kausn had accepted that there wasn't a way out of this, especially when you're strapped to a table with a psychotic woman in front of you. Might as well make the most of what you got.

"Cute, really it is. You think you're so high and mighty. You're just another dog." With a harsh, cold laugh, she left the room as Tanner spoke.

"That bitch is crazy." Kausn laughed, but it was somewhat of a nervous laugh. He wasn't one hundred percent sure what was going on, but he knew he wasn't about to stay human much longer.

"You got that right Tanner. Listen, just keep your cool. If we do that, everything should be... GAK!" Kausn stopped mid sentence and yelled out as a sharp pain throbbed in his head, making speech impossible beyond moans of agony.

"Kausn! Are you....." Tanner started but was cut off mid sentence as the same mind numbing pain hit his head. They both just lay restrained on the tables, moaning in agony until their moans diminished as they both passed out.

'Please let us be alright.' Kausn thought, before the darkness crept into his mind, leaving him cold and unconscious.

***

When Kausn awoke, the first thing he noticed that everything was sharper. The smell of cleaning products in the room; the smell of freshly washed sheets on the bed he was laying on; the light flooding in through the window; even the sheets seemed to be softer than any he had ever slept on. Kausn sat up and stretched, his back cracking as he stood up. As he stood up though, he felt something hit the back of his legs. "Whaaa?' Kausn turned around to see what it was, but nothing was there. He felt it again and turned around, but again nothing was there. Frustrated, Kausn walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. An orange fox stared back at him, making Kausn jump in surprise. He looked back at the mirror, half scared and half intrigued. The fox did everything he did, from blinking to moving its arms and legs. The fear hadn't quite worn off, but was subdued for the moment by curiosity. Kausn found that a huge fluffy orange and white tail was what was hitting him earlier. Kausn wagged the fluffy appendage, marveling at the sight. It was quite bushy, along with the rest of his body, which was coated in orange fur except for his chest, belly and under his muzzle, and the tips of his pointed ears, which were black. It was an extremely strange sight, and Kausn was fascinated by it. He could swivel his ears and hear behind him, and his new paws provided balance he never thought he could have. He started pacing around the room, getting used to his new digitigrade stance and his new paws and paw pads. It was strange at first, but after a while he got used to it; at least, as much as you could get used to being transformed into a huge anthropomorphic fox. He sat down on his bed a looked around the room, noticing there was nothing to indicate the time of day or even the day. Other than that, it looked like a standard hotel room. 'If I didn't know better, I'd think I was on vacation. A sick, twisted, furry vacation.' Kausn laughed softly at his own little joke when he heard a knock on the door, his ears perking up at the sharp noise. Kausn trotted over to the door and opened it hesitantly, suddenly being attacked by a flash of fur.

"Kausn, can you believe how awesome this is?!? I mean, look at this body!" Kausn got up and brushed himself off, looking at the rust colored husky in front of him. He knew that this could only be one person.

"Yeah Tanner, that's cool and all. But you need to put some pants on." Tanner instantly blushed and ran into the bathroom, returning with a pair of baggy shorts on; similar to the ones Kausn had put on when he was exploring the room. "How did you know this was my room anyway?" Kausn asked, smoothing out his fur as he was still trying to adjust to this strange new body.

"That was the easy part. I woke up and I could smell you from a mile away. Foxes are pretty noticeable, and you're scent is the only other scent in this wing." Tanner smiled and jumped on Kausn's bed. Kausn sniffed and realized that he did in fact have a very unique scent, and he could pick out Tanner's scent too.

'I guess that's just another wonder of this new body.' Kausn was still in shock, but the shock was wearing off somewhat with the presence of a familiar friend. "You know Tanner, maybe this isn't so bad. I mean, they could have killed us. Besides, these new bodies are pretty cool, even if I feel like I'm a character straight out of a horror movie."Kausn then proceeded to bare his teeth and growl at Tanner, who did the same back. Both of them fell over laughing, Tanner's tail thumping on the bed, making him blush.

"I swear, that tail has a mind of its own." Tanner laughed and jumped off the bed, walking to the door.

"Yeah, it's so much easier to know what one of us is feeling. Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go out and explore this compound. You wanna come?" Tanner put his paw on the door knob, grinning a strange husky grin at Kausn. Kausn got up and brushed off his fur, his new tail wagging lazily behind him.

"Sure, I'm up for that." Kausn followed the rust colored husky out the door, turning left down the hallway and walking into a huge open area.

"Woah, this is huge." Tanner said, his tail wagging behind him. Kausn silently agreed, scanning the area for any signs of life. There didn't seem to be any, which was kind of eerie and strange.

Kausn then could hear footsteps far behind them, swiveling his ears towards the sound.He watched as a strange woman approached the two of them, Kausn's fur prickling slightly as she walked up to them.

"Hey you guys, my name is Sage. I'll be your guys' trainer and doctor." Her smile seemed to be sincere, but faltered when neither of them spoke. "I know how you both got here, and I'm sorry. I truly am. I'm sorry you had to be forced into this, but now that you're here, there's not much I can do. You're kinda stuck like this." She frowned at that last part, and that made both Kausn and Tanner feel a little bit better. Kausn finally stepped forward, sticking his paw out.

"I'm Kausn. Sorry about not talking, but this is just so strange. I mean, are we really expected to be war machines?" Sage shook Kausn's paw, his paw pads tingling at feeling skin underneath them.

"No offense taken, I'd be weary too if I were forced to become something, then thrust in a complex and approached by a strange lady an hour after you wake up and find yourself a fox, or a dog." She gestured towards Tanner, and he smiled a little before stepping up and shaking her hand as well.

"Hey, I'm Tanner." He said, his tail wagging behind him.

'That's still a really weird thought.' Kausn laughed to himself a little, wondering how the past him would have reacted to all of this. He hoped that he never came back.

"Okay boys, we should probably get you something to eat." Both of their ears went up at the word eat, and she laughed.

'A laugh a mother would have.' Kausn thought, before shaking his head. "Yeah, let's get some food. I'm starving." So all three of them walked to the kitchen, where Kausn and Tanner raided the fridge of anything and everything edible. By the time they were both done with their meals, blood from raw meat dripping from their muzzles, Sage insisted they get some rest.

"Your bodies have gone through a lot. You won't eat that much every day, but your bodies had to burn through a lot of calories and fat during the modification process. Just get some rest. Tomorrow we start training. Goodnight boys." With that she walked off, and Kausn and Tanner headed back to their respective rooms.

"What do you think she meant by training?" Tanner asked, hesitating by Kausns' room.

"I'm not sure. I doubt it involves dog treats and 'sit!'." They both shared a laugh then parted ways, their tails wagging lazily behind them.

"Goodnight Kausn!" Tanner called, his voice reverberating in the empty hallway.

"Goodnight Tanner" Kausn shut his room door and crawled into bed, not bothering to cover up as his fur kept him plenty warm. He laid his tail across his chest, stroking it as he tried to get some sleep. When he finally did drift off, his dreams were filled with images of what was to come tomorrow. 'Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, at least starting out.' He thought in his dream like state.

He was wrong....

***

That second morning started off like the previous morning. Kausn awoke from his sleep, his tail still in his paws on his chest. He got out of his bed and stretched, the muscles under his fur outlined slightly as he arched his back. He felt rejuvenated after a full night of sleep and a filling meal; he felt ready for anything. His ears perked up from a knock at the door, and he bounded over to see who it was. He easily jumped over a chair left in the middle of the room, the muscles under his fur rippling and working in harmony as he landed on his paws and opened the door. Standing there was a smiling Sage and Tanner,Tanner's tail wagging lazily behind him as Kausn opened the door.

"Hey Kausn, ready to start training?" Sage asked him, a smile planted on her face that seemed genuine to Kausn. Kausn wagged his fox tail and smiled back, which in truth was a little frightening.

"You bet I am. What do we gotta do, and more importantly when do we get breakfast?"Kausn and Tanner both laughed, but Sage just started to walk and the two animal people followed her.

"Well, we're going to test you for a while on an empty stomach. Then you guys can eat and prepare for afternoon training." Sage had lead them to a plain white door, nothing on the outside indicating what could be on the other side. Sage opened the door and the smell of antiseptic hit both Kausn and Tanner, making their fur prickle and their lips turn up into a snarl. Sage noticed this and calmly walked over to them, gently petting each of them until they calmed down. "Shhh, you're fine guys. It's just to make sure you both are healthy." Kausn snapped out of it first, shaking his head as he back up against the wall, slowly sliding down it until he was sitting on the ground.

"That was so strange. I felt like..... Like I wasn't in control." Tanner's eyes widened as he snapped out of it, realizing what just happened.

"I think that's our animal instincts, Kausn. Is it really always that uncontrollable?" Tanner asked, fear creeping into his voice. Sage just smiled gently at the both, marking things down on her clipboard.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I know we can harness your animal's instincts and control them better, but I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. This was just a test, to see if you would react the way I predicted. You did." She seemed almost happy about that last statement. Almost. Kausn could tell she didn't want to do this them, but it was her job. She was someone who they could trust because unlike Dr. Hardt, she wasn't out to get them. She actually cared, and he liked that.

The day continued on, and it was a very rough one at that. After Kausn's and Tanner's episodes, they both underwent a series of agility tests. They were easy to begin with, Kausn's new body so much more agile and stronger than his old human one. As the day wore on though, the tests got harder and more intense. Despite the fact that they were almost super human, by the end of the day Kausn and Tanner were struggling to keep up. Even with food in their bellies, the tests were really starting to take a toll on them. Kausn had finally cooled down, running about 15 miles on the treadmill in about 45 minutes. Kausn was out of breath as he stepped off the treadmill, panting like, well, a dog. The fox sat down next to Tanner on a sofa, the T.V. on some late night talk show host who wasn't particularly funny.

"Today was really brutal. I hurt all over, even places I didn't know muscle existed." Tanner said, sighing as he sipped his water, his canine muzzle making that incredibly difficult. Kausn looked over and laughed at him, watching as he tried to drink from a plastic water bottle and failing miserably. Wen Kausn had settled down, he got off the couch and made his way to his room.

"I'm goin to bed Tanner. G'night."

"Night." Tanner replied, mezmorized by the unfunny talk show host.

Kausn opened his door and walked into his room, his scent slapping him in the face. He smiled a little, his tail wagging behind him as he closed the door. He thought he'd dread it, but this place was starting to feel like home. His scent was a distinguishable part of him, and it had become comforting over the past few days. Kausn went to his bed and layed down, draping his tail of his chest and stroking it softly. This was his life now. He had accepted that, and even started to embrace it. He liked his new form, and the more he thought about it the more his tail wagged in his paws.

"This is actually kind of fun, really. I like having fur." Kausn thought aloud, closing his eyes and settling into his bed. His chest rose and fell rythmically as he started to fall asleep, his dreams full of his new life and what it was like to be an anthropomorphic fox. Kausn's tail wagged in his sleep; he was finally happy.

***

Kausn awoke in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke. He bolted upright, his nose inhaling the thick odor of Carbon Dioxide. He started to cough and gag, rolling off of his bed and hitting the floor with a thump. He coughed and covered his nose with his paw, crawling to his door under the smoke. His mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to figure out what was happening and how he could get out of there. He hadn't seen an exits in the few short days he'd been here, so he feared there would be no way out. Kausn finally reached his door, where he put his fox ear up to it, listening for anything beyond the door. He heard crashing noises off in the distance, but the hallway by his room seemed to be quiet. Kausn reached for the door knob and gingerly touched it, feeling that it wasn't hot. He then slowly turned the knob and pushed open the door, revealing nothing but a cloud of smoke. Kausn choked and stayed close to the ground, his eyes watering from the sheer amount of suffocating smoke. He crawled out of his room and to the room next door, which was Tanner's room. Kausn reached up and opened Tanner's door, crawling into the room that was eerily similar to his. He was looking around the room when he noticed Tanner. The husky was curled up in the corner of the room, his knees to his chest and his muzzle buried into his own chest. Kausn scrambled his way over to Tanner, coming up to him and hugging him tightly. Tanner seemed shocked for a moment then hugged back, crying softly into Kausn's shoulder.

"Shhhh, its okay Tanner. We need to get out of here right now. Come on." Tanner didn't budge, so Kausn picked Tanner up and threw him over his shoulder, much like a fireman would a little kid. Kausn stood up and braved the smoke, coughing harshly as he exited Tanner's room and made his way down the hallway. When they got to the main room, the smoke had dissipated and they were both able to breathe clearly again. Kausn set Tanner down over near the couch and sat next to him, holding him close. "What happened Tanner? Are you alright?" Kausn asked, concern in his voice. Tanner sniffed and wiped away a tear from his muzzle.

"I think.... I think I'm alright. I woke up coughing from the smoke, so I went out to try and escape. I went the other way down the hallway, where..... where...." Tanner locked up, unable to say anything. Kausn was petting him slowly, running his paws through Tanner's fur. Tanner finally was able to continue. "I saw two bodies. One was Sage, and the other was some sort of cat, maybe I tiger. I think it was Dr. Hardt. They were both lying there motionless, and I saw the fire, and...." Tanner buried his muzzle into Kausn's chest and Kausn just slowly stroked his head. "They're dead Kausn, dead." Kausn just held Tanner there, letting him tell him what happened.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Tanner. Come on, lets get out of here." Kausn stood up and offered a paw to Tanner, who took it and slowly stood up. They both walked to the other side of the living area and turned the corner, only to find a room that really didn't exist anymore. Fire was smoldering around crumbled walls, the orange glow very eerie with the night sky above them. "I think they blew up the place. Maybe Sage finally was sick of Dr. Hardt." Kausn said, but years were in his eyes. He liked Sage, and he didn't want to see her end this way. Her life had come to a close too suddenly, but at least she was fighting for something she believed in; Kausn's and Tanner's freedom. Now though, Kausn brushed a tear from his eye as he thought about it. In a mere week, two of the lives he had known had come to an end, just when he was starting to settle into them. He wiped another tear from his eye thinking about Tanner and Sage. Tanner was at least alive, but he was scarred for life. And they now had no home. Kausn stood up and looked at Tanner, who was standing outside the complex. Kausn made his way into the cool night air, turning around to watch the complex burn. There was no going back, no matter how much he wanted it. Kausn turned back around and was met with Tanner's face, and for a brief moment Kausn's tail wagged. He still had Tanner, his best friend. Nobody could take that away from him.

"Come on Tanner, lets go." Kausn and Tanner walked away from the complex, leaving it to burn. They had each other. Kausn smiled softly at Tanner and Tanner smiled back.

Their tails wagged in unison as they knew they'd be alright. They had one another.