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Franklin looked up at the clock on the mantle within his living room. The whine of a European siren, probably an ambulance, wailed up from the street bellow. Two o'clock. The letter said to meet his contact at four thirty. He had plenty of time. The siren was probably the result of some stupid river who has the assurance that everyone else will get out of his his way, yet caused another accident. Gods, how did the Italians ever make it into the modern age.

Franklin sighed and got up. His glasses were on the side table. The small round specticals were almost lost within the folds of the local newspaper. Milan had little to recommend as far as he was concerned. He huffed on the lenses and cleaned them on his handkerchief. The television was interrupted by some jingle for an American product.

The snort came to Franklin's nostrils with no effort. Gods - they get everywhere don't they!?

"Franklin!?"

"Yes Ian?"

"Could you bring me my lunch, I'm rather busy....!?"

Franklin sighed. "Sure sure....in a minute." Franklin dragged himself up and walked over to the kitchen.

Servant.

How did it come to this?

He'd been an imminent research historian, his thesis had been on "Genetics in the The Third Reich and Hitlers Inner Medical Circle", yet here he was, trapped in Italy, with....well....with Ian....

It wasn't that Ian was different or strange. No, different or strange went with the territory of mad scientist, or in this case, chemist / geneticist. No, what was different or strange about the whole situation was that Franklin had no idea why they were in hiding.

For the last several years.

It had been so simple. Dr. Evans had asked for information on the third Reich, and information particular to a Nazi project called "Project Centaur." It had been ridiculously easy to find the information. Heck, the government conspirators had probably been running rampant with the story for decades before he'd unearthed it.

The story as to how the Nazi's were going to change the war. How they were going to bring back the classical monsters of the Greek Myths.

Pah. As if they had been real. Imaginative? Yes. But even if the Nazi's had been right, that didn't warrant why he was now hiding from strange men in Italy. Well, then again, all men in Italy were strange.

Franklin went to the fridge, and pulled out a plastic food saver. The type you got from restaurants and were asked if you wanted it "to go." He popped the whole thing into the microwave and waited.

Everything was so odd now. One year in this stupid little apartment. One computer with a gaggle of secret components hooked up to it to keep their location secret. Strict instructions about not going out in daylight. And orders to "keep up the research."

HAH! All I've found in the local library was another religious rite a year ago. Incantations, potions, and fighting monsters. Probably some rip off of the whole Theseus and the Minotaur thing. Who knows. All I know is, the deposit into my bank before all this began would be worth it when it was over.

It was true. He'd been offered a substantial grant for research should his "delving" deliver "results." He hadn't known he'd found results until the check had cleared a few months ago. Twenty Five Million would go a long long way.

"Franklin!?!?!?"

"Yes yes....its coming." Franklin pulled the container from the microwave oozing steam and walked into the office. Ian sat in front of his computer, his glasses sitting on the table.

"Look at this...it's what I was afraid of..."

"What?"

Ian stood up and stretched - his golden fur catching the summer sun as it streamed through the window. Ian had performed most of the modifications on himself years ago in secret. He'd been in hiding here in Italy for years. Franklin had helped him perfect some of the techniques he had used. Only a few years ago had he perfected the final changes - like speech.

Ian shook his mane and sighed again. "They were so close to getting it right. But then I heard nothing, and now - my operative in the US sent me this...an encrypted video file....watch...."

The video on the computer screen flickered. It wasn't the best quality, and the audio was grainy at best. But minotaurs, centaurs, and other figures were being rounded up and asked questions. They either nodded or shook their head."

"Don't you see anything strange?" Ian gestured at the image with obvious impatience.

Franklin shook his nead. "no - not really. Whoever did them is good though. What should I be seeing?"

"When you change something, you take a lot of chances, especialy with genetics. Cure one disease, and create a suseptability to another. Add one feature and take another away."

Franklin stared open mouthed.

Realization dawned.

"They can't speak - they're unstable...."

Ian nodded.

This is a damned fool idea. How I got talked into this, I'll never know. Franklin drove the rented cargo truck through the checkpoint, his thinning gray hair shining with sweat. These border checkpoints were all the same. The guards were incredibly corrupt. Franklin smiled at the guard and handed over his paperwork. The guard stared at the paperwork, rifling thought the pages.

Franklin doubted the one hundred euro bill would still be there when he got it back. The guard coughed and waved them through.

Finally within the environs of the EU Franklin relaxed. He'd arranged this truck through his old friend in Bremen. The man had a nephew who ran trucks down to Turkey on a weekly basis. All it took was a quick phone call to his friend, who assured him his nephew would not be against detouring and leaving the rented truck with Franklin. Franklin then loaded up his personal belongings, got the forged paperwork identifying himself as a resident of France, and headed out to return the "empty truck." The bribe ensured that it would not be checked.

Franklin sighed to himself. Even with all the problems in the world, all the terrorist plots, and the lengths the governments were going through to stop smuggling, it still happened. On a regular basis.

And sometimes with a smile.

Franklin pulled over in the dark, down a side road and stopped. He rapped on the side of the truck in a complicated manner, and the knock was returned.

The door rolled up, Ian was seated inside on a makeshift bed of pillows with some books and a light.

"I still say this is a damned fool idea, even if it is working. Too many things could go wrong." Franklin sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Yes they could, and it's your job to get me there. If we don't make it to Augsburg in three days, there are going to be serious problems, and I don't just mean for us." Ian put his book down and scratched his muzzle, his equine golden fur was picking up strange and elderich highlights from the moonlight.

Franklin stopped cold. A shiver ran up his spine. He'd worked in the government years ago before retiring and going into science. He wasn't the lead scientist Ian was, but he was good enough to get the attention of Ian one summer day ten years ago. If Ian was worried...

"What do you mean?"

Ian sighed and shook his mane. His equine features, were highlighted in the moonlight. His teeth shone brightly white.

"I'm just very worried. If we don't get to them soon, their genetic makeup will be in trouble. From what little I gathered, and believe me it was very little, they were transformed a little over two weeks ago. I surmise at the three week mark we begin approaching the genetic point of no return. If we don't stabilize them before then, we run the risk of - well - something messy." Ian sighed again.

Franklin sighed too. He remembered their one non-human experiment on a rabbit. After three weeks it's genetic structure degenerated. It became rather grotesque and cancer like, yet still lived. It had been in pain. Ian had kept the experiment going just to see what would happeb. After three months they destroyed the poor thing out of pity when it was evident it wouldn't die on it's own.

"Then we'd better get a move on..."

Franklin drove north, ever northward. Through country after country. Since the formation of the EU it was much easier to travel north, which was true, but there were still hassles. Getting lost, getting sidetracked for fuel and food.

Finally on the evening of the fourth day they reached Augsburg.

**

"Scientists are now claiming the creatures as real. The statement by the Secretary of State has set of a whirlwind of speculation among government conspirators..."

The radio commentator was droning on. Again Franklin turned up the volume to hear the politician's voice. "At this time we do not deny nor confirm existence of project Odysseys. However, it is evident that if there have been any secrets revealed to our EU counterparts, severe repercussions will be brought down on any who are responsible. The highest of laws will be brought to bear. We are having our scientists sent to the facilities in Germany where the subjects are currently being held...."

*click*

Franklin drove the truck down the dirt road pine trees lined the road in a thick forest. The man at the petrol station 10 miles back had been insistent that he wouldn't be able to get through the military checkpoints. But Franklin had insisted.

As he rounded the bend a gate had been set across the roadway. Armed soldiers pointed their guns at the truck ordering it to stop.

Oh shit.

Franklin put up his hands.

Derek and Jason were woken up the next morning by an alarm of some type it sounded like an electronic wail. The door opened automatically through some type of mechanism.

_ What? _Jason sent. His mental voice sounded dazed and confused and just a little groggy.

_ Something is going on _ ... Derek stated. He got up quickly.

A soft thud indicated some type or mortar shell had exploded somewhere nearby. The sound of gunfire echoed faintly down the hall. The sounds of hoof bests and boots clattered on the floor.

_ This isn't good _ ... Jason said as he scrambled to his hooves. A stronger explosion sent some dust down from between the seems of the metal plates that made up the ceiling. The light in the ceiling flickered once, twice, three times, and went out. There was a red glow from the cooridor.

Hrm....whats going on....?

Derek edged his head and horns around the corner. The red glow was coming from emergency lights spaces at ten foot intervals along the hallway. The sounds of battle echoed throughout the facility.

_ Hurry this way!" _ A mental shout called out from the end of the hallway. Something smaller than Jason and Derek was coming quickly down the hall. The red light reflected orangisgly off its pupils. Somehow Derek got the impression it saw him.

_ QUICK! This way!! _It called out behind it. A slightly taller figure rounded the corner, and both at a dead run headed for Derek.

_ Oh shit... _Derek pulled his head in. He'd seen the figures running after the two. Human military with rifles. As soon as his head was around the corner and shot rang out, along with a second and a third. As soon as the third shot rang out, the first figure came barreling in the door, quickly followed by the second.

_ ....whew --- close one _ . The first figure sent.

_ I'm Klein, this is Jerod. _

Derek stared, then remembered himself. _ Uh --- I'm Derek and this is Jason. _

_ Charmed. _Klein sent.

Derek stared. The two were...different, Not really mythical creatures, as just strange. They were both mostly human.

Except for the fur.

Except for the claws.

Except Klein was feline in the extreme in his features, with a cat's head, human body - lithe and strong - and a feline tail, and paws. Jerod was canine in the same way Klein was feline. If Derek had to have put a word to describe the animal bases, he'd have to have said House Cat, and Hound.

The sound of running boots came close to the door.

Enough of this... Jason sent. He crouched at the wall by the door, as soon as it opened. He grabbed both figures with one arm. His other huge fist came down once, and then twice on their heads. Both figures went slump.

That was way too easy. Klein said. Wait....

He reached down and rifled in the men's grey uniforms and pulled out two cards, and two wallets.

_ Hrm, John Benson, and Alex Wilcox. I see they have their passports stamped 'France' and euros in their pockets, and ooh - look here --- security company contact information. _

Klein stood up and straighened. He held Jerods hand.

_ We ain't in America.... _Jerod said. His mind voice was deep and had a southern twang to it.

Derek shook himself. _ Wait....not in America --- we're in FRANCE? Shit.....I...oh hell - lets get out of here. _

He reached down and grabbed what looked like an M-16. He managed to locate the safety and click it off. Jerod grabbed the other.....they looked into the silent hallway and ran...

Minutes later they finally located a doorway that lead outside. The sounds of fighting were coming from the other side of the building. A thick pine wood stretched off in the distance. The group ran for it. Derek and Jason kept back a bit ready to cover the other two. For all the other two were shorter, they were much faster. Derek and Jason practically lumbered to the woods. Soon they were lost in them, and the sounds of battle faded in the distance.

_ Dammit - now what. A minute ago I was part of a military operation, now I'm wandering in the woods in - FRANCE? _ Jason wailed.

_ L __ ooks like that. Sorry. Jerod and I suspected somethin along those lines. His little doggy nose did not pick up anything "American" in the locals, and everything had a slight tang of cheese to it. That means Holland, or France. _ ** ** Klein sent.

Derek took a moment to stare. The two were obviously gay, and had features that were very human for all they weren't. The feline face of Klein was slightly flattened, and his eyes faced more forward than a cats, yet Jerod had an almost entirely dog-like face. His tongue even lolled out of his mouth from the exertion. Every now and then his nose would twitch as he picked up a scent. Both wore crude loincloths.

_ Where did you two come from, you don't look to be part of our group. _

Jeron snickered. _ No - I recon not. We were another group, sent in a tad earlier than you gentlemen. I do believe we were transformed a day or two prior to you lot. We were told we were "special forces" compared to you two. _

Jerod all of a sudden stopped. The muscled on his shoulders tensed - and he dropped to all fours. The others stopped and went dead still.

_ I smell something - about a mile off. Military. American...definately American. I can smell MRE's. Don't laugh. They're unaware of the fighting - and I smell...furtiveness. _

_ What? _Jason said. His ears perked forward. _ What does THAT smell like? _

_ Greenish garlic. That's the best I can say.... _

Klein leaned back - the moon caught the light in his eyes and they glowed green. _ Hrm...I always did like hide and seek...I'll go look - and if they can see me - I'll be suprzied.... _

Before Derek or Jason could say a thing -Klein went off...

_ Sorry bout - that - he's always been a touch headstrong. Rest a spell. _

Derek sat down against a tree - and Jason sat next to him. Derek noticed his back slightly touched his shoulder and thrilled at the light contact. _ So....tell us about yourselves... _Jerod asked.

As quickly as possible, Derek explained the whole story leaving nothing out, much to his embarassment. Jerod only coughed during the more racy descriptions.

Jerod nodded and sat down himself. Derek reconed his height to be somewhere near five foot nine and one hundred seventy pounds.

_ Much the same as our stories. There are some differences. The main one being most of our group was mostly human and small, not mythical like your bunch. One guy in our group called us all furries after some type of group of comic fanatics or something. But in reality, I'd say were were less modified than you'all. _He drawled.

A quick hiss signaled Klein's return.

_ They're talking to another group of people on the radio. I got within twenty feet of their command tent....they're talking about liberating the captives and I think that... _

Lights shone on them.

The sound of guns being brought to the ready caused the whole group to stand.

"At ease Gentlemen - I believe we already met....