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Weakness

"Let's get something straight," The Mercenary growled, "I never partake in something like that again!" He could feel the heat in his face radiate his anger outward. His green eyes were narrow, the predator instinct coming out from within. "You can play your sick and twisted little games, but you don't ever ask me to do what I just did!"

All his anger was directed to the grey stallion who sat comfortably behind a dark green marble desk in a black business suit. His mane was combed over neatly, which was an electric blue.

"What was so wrong with the task I assigned you?" He asked calmly. His voice was monotone and almost had a rhythmic quality to it. It didn't stop The Mercenary from being livid with him.

"Don't fuck with me, Hets!" The Mercenary threatened. "You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"Why don't you sit down, Alias?" Xen Hets, the stallion, requested. He leaned back in his desk chair, comfortable.

"I'll stand." Alias replied, in a dark monotone voice.

Hets shrugged. "I needed some information. Why do you think I hired you?"

"I'm not one of your interrogators!"

"Indeed you are not." Hets acknowledged. "So, I apologize, but you did complete your task."

"You got what you wanted, why couldn't it have ended there?" Alias demanded to know, finally taking a seat in front of Hets. "What does any of that prove?"

Hets raised an eyebrow and leaned back. "Is that what this is about, Alias?" He asked. "Is your infamous heart of stone starting to weather? You must understand, that it is not personal. It is just what we do. Two nights ago an otter girl was found with her throat slashed. And what about the filly who was raped by the Puma Pack?"

Alias's eyes connected with Hets's. "She had nothing to do with anything. Her only crime was that she was going to be a bride."

"Yes," Hets agreed, "a bride to the successor of the Equinox Division. Zias Noxid is to be inducted at the next meeting. Mr. Noxid has not made my life enjoyable as of late. I wished only to send him a word of warning."

"You and your fucking war..." Alias let out, exasperated.

"Do not be so quick to criticize, Alias." Hets replied. "It is your bread and butter, so to speak."

"Don't be so sure." Alias shot back hotly, rising from his seat. "I wouldn't be a mercenary if it weren't for people like you." Alias then turned on his heels and made his way to the office doors.

"I have a new assignment for you, Alias." Hets called out to him.

Alias continued his march for the door.

"Double your profit from the last job."

Alias shut his eyes and stopped before he reached the doors.

"Ah, yes." Hets said aloud, walking over to Alias. "Money is your only allegiance, is it not?" The stallion strolled casually over to the fox and stopped. "Interested?"

"You know my terms, Hets." Alias replied, still with his eyes shut.

"Yes, I do." Hets held out a manila envelope. "Have I ever asked you to go after your own species?"

Alias snatched the envelope out of Hets's paw.

"I am afraid I do not understand." Hets continued. "Why do you have such loyalty to your species, but do not support them in this war?" Alias didn't reply. He simply stood there, refusing to answer. "Pity for them." Hets finally said, and walked back to his desk.

Alias wasted no time standing in the office of Hets. He could feel the fur on the back of his neck standing straight up. Things were getting out of control. He had been hired to steal a document from a safety deposit box from a bank downtown. Alias didn't know what it was, and he didn't ask. He was paid well enough not to care about such things. But what he had just witnessed in the prison level below this seemingly standard corporate building was crossing the line. He had wanted to run...especially when she started screaming. But like all employers, Alias shared no love for Hets, and vice versa.

It was a job, that's all it was. These words were branded on Alias's brain. To keep sane, he had to keep reciting them to himself.

As he walked down the marble hallway to the elevator, the only thing the black fox could focus on was his anger toward Hets. That bastard was the incarnation of exploitation. But he paid... and he paid well.

"You look upset, Alias."

Alias heard as he passed through a junction in the hallway. Atir, the gazelle, stood leaning against the wall.

"What?" Alias replied with a bite in his tone. "I figured you'd still be busy down below, you know, selling your soul."

"Oh come on, Alias." Atir replied, indifferently. "Is that what your all bent out of shape about?" He called out, moving to catch up with Alias.

"You knew what I was walking into."

"So what if I did?" Atir said to him. "Would it have stopped you?"

"Just nice to know where you stand in all of this."

Atir side stepped in front of Alias at this. "Time out!" He started raising his paws to stop Alias. "You're no saint yourself. In case you've forgotten I've been there before when you've executed targets that you were contracted to."

"There's not the slightest bit of comparison between our work!" Alias growled, sticking his paw directly in Atir's face. "What I do, they never suffer. What you do, it's all about how much they can suffer. And there's a big fucking difference when they have an active roll in the Invisible War, and when they live ordinary lives!"

"It's what we do, how we fight this thing." Atir defended himself.

Alias chuckled cynically and shook his head. "Is that the new company line? Do you even know why you're fighting this? Who started it? Do you have any idea you're in over your head, Atir?"

"How much of that matters in this day an age?" He shot back hotly. "If you claim I'm a soldier, then that makes you a war profiteer. Which one has more honor to it?"

"The one who doesn't rape females like it's a third world country."

"You don't see me down there, do you? I mean, come on..."

Atir continued to talk when a set of eyes caught Alias's attention over the gazelle's shoulder. The eyes belonged to a young female horse who worked for Hets as a secretary/assistant. She stopped in the hallway, holding a few folders in the paws, looking back at him. Her young slender figure, covered slightly by her revealing clothes even got Alias's attention, but he wasn't naïve enough not to know this was a ploy to get any male's blood running hot. Her brown coat of fur was flawless as it ran up her body. She was leaned back in her chair, long smooth legs crossed with a short skirt coming half way down her thighs. The top button to her blouse was undone, exposing her cleavage.

"...which wasn't our call but- are you even listening to me?" Atir stopped and placed his hands on his sides. He noticed where Alias's eyes were going and turned around. His eyes scanned over the slender figure that was the female. "Well that sure is more interesting than me." He turned back to Alias, smiling. "What I would do for a chance with Sylvia."

"Become a business partner with Hets, that's usually the general requirement." Alias told him sarcastically, attention going back to Atir.

"Look," Atir shook his head, coming back to the matter at hand, "all I'm trying to say is we are so close now. It's only a matter of time before-"

"Before we win the war, and yeah, yeah. I've heard all this before, you can't tell me you believe any of that?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because you can't win this war. Nobody will ever win, you only survive it." Alias informed him. "You think this will end in a treaty?" Alias scoffed. "Please. This will last forever! Do you want to die for a horse who couldn't care less about you, and whose only concern is that you stay his do-boy?"

"Better than dying for my bank account."

"At least I can call that my own." Alias shot back, and quickly stepped around Atir.

Alias made his way along the corridor, manila envelope in paw, leaving Atir in the middle of the hall. He didn't understand why the gazelle didn't see the world the way it was and what they did. He had been on assignment with Atir before. He was good, and nice to have in a pinch, but incredibly naïve. Someday Atir would see what Hets was forcing him to be. However, this was little concern to Alias. His concern was where his next drink was going to come from, because right now he really needed it. Alias needed out of this office building. He was ready to disappear again.