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[Hunter]

Jack Russo - AKA Atlas/Bryyo

Star Fox and all characters within the Nintendo universe are copyright their respected owners.

CHAPTER ONE

Fox was completely out of his element, and he was made more aware of it the longer he lingered in the cantina. He was leaning up against the bar top, surveying the thirteen or so patrons who went along with their mid-day drinking. Perhaps, because of how he was dressed today, they had more reason to ignore the vulpine. His face was concealed behind a helmet which only gave away his canine features, the tint keeping his identity obscure. His body was covered in spacer getup, a mix of black and grey armor plating and leather. Holstered on his belt was a blaster pistol that hung heavily on his left side and a retractable, metal bo staff attached magnetically to the armor plating on his back. The only thing exposed was his orange tail which swayed left and right casually.

His wrist P.D.A. chimed a few notes and he toggled the message to display onto his H.U.D.

Target: Havoc was last seen at this location approximately three months ago. There are no recent sightings in the area since then, but data suggests he is still in Wurthord, Katina.

Fox groaned and decided finally to take a seat. The bartender, a large bulldog whose belly button peeked out of the bottom of his stained shirt, acknowledged him while helping another guest at the opposite end of the counter.

The cantina was a sleazy place. Faded pictures of old western movies littered the walls here and there while the bar area was decorated with empty beer bottles atop many shelves where actual merchandise sat. There was little light inside, the majority coming from the holographic dancer and pole that was the centerpiece of the establishment. A few other Lylatians sat in the circular seating area around it and Fox swore one man was getting too involved with the hologram from the noises and grunts he kept making. At the rear of the cantina were the restrooms along with a maze of pool tables that remained vacant for the time being. His sense of smell was dulled within his helmet, but Fox was all too aware of the thick tobacco smoke that hung in the air like fog.

"What can I git ya, space man?" said the bartender as he approached him.

"Nothing at the moment," replied Fox. "Unless, you have some information I could use?"

"Information doesn't come cheap in these parts," snorted the canine. "What do ye have in mind?"

Fox squinted and placed a 500 credit bill on the counter. "I want information on Havoc."

The canine raised an eyebrow at the money. "Yer a Hunter, then?"

Fox hesitated. "Yes."

"We've had quite a few of ye'folks hop onto Wurthord lately. Something about big game in th'area. They think th' place is rife with money."

"Tell me something I don't know."

The canine frowned. "I ain't seen no Havoc in these parts as of late."

"What do you know about him?"

"Ye' mean ye don't know?" he flinched. "What, are ye new to this shit, son?"

Fox grit his teeth upon hearing the man's change in tone, realizing he let his inexperience show. He did his best to hide back how flustered he was, glad to be behind the helmet. Granted, this was his first attempt at bounty hunting and he had hoped working as a mercenary with StarFox would've supported his endeavor. Instead, he found out he was having to do more research and that work involved time on the ground and outside the safety of his cockpit.

He was working with limited resources, only able to gather up his armor and some weaponry from the funds his team had received at the end of the Aparoid war and with the sale of the Great Fox. When it came to combat, his experience in Sauria refined his melee skills, but he was also proficient in using blaster weaponry should he need to. The biggest difference was that he now was working alone. Before, he always had someone to rely on; Slippy for the tech, Falco for combat support, Peppy for advice and even Krystal for her insight and ability to help him sort through his thoughts more clearly. Just remembering her made him cringe a bit.

"Enlighten me," said Fox, maintaining his stoic appearance.

"Havoc's been a'selling illegal arms in these areas fer years. From Katina ta'the clusters and ships out there." He spoke as if it was common knowledge. "Hell, I even have a few of his guns."

"So he's well liked in these parts?"

"Not at all," bulldog scoffed. "No fool likes that swindler."

"This is something I can work with," thought Fox before asking, "If no one really is fond of him, I'd figure getting his bounty should be easy."

"Should be, but it ain't. Fucker's slippery. Just when ye' want to git rid of 'em he makes a deal ye can't pass up."

"I'll remember that when I find him."

"Find who?" drawled a voice behind him. Fox turned his head and watched the man take the seat beside him, his stomach sinking as he recognized who he was.

"O'Donnell," mused the bar tender. "What brings ya here?"

"Freedom," he shrugged. "And work."

"Freedom?"

"That's right. I no longer have money on my head. Got to thank those arrogant pricks in StarFox for that." The way he said it made Fox roll his eyes.

"Is that so?" hummed the bartender. "I had heared ye' lot had helped out. Didn't know that meant ye had the bounty removed. Lucky."

Wolf raised up his right hand up as if holding a whiskey glass, the canine understanding and turned to make him a drink. Fox noticed Wolf was dressed differently than he was familiar with. In truth, he never saw much of Wolf outside of the communication links they shared while up in the air. For now, he wore armor of red and black, like the metal and leather material of Fox's suit, albeit, more haggard and worn in. His eyes lingered to the blaster pistol holstered on the lupine's hip, a small and ragged bayonet extending out from the end. Wolf's expressions were hard to read, his ears arched forward, attentive, while his combat visor made examining his facial features difficult. Being this close to him, Fox could tell he was also large for his own species - his strong musculature and stature still evident despite all the armor. Their eyes met a moment before the lupine returned his attention to the bull dog.

"So, what have you and this green fool been talking about?"

"Havoc."

"Really," sneered Wolf, turning his head to Fox's concealed face. "What have you said to him?"

"Nothin' too juicy. Not yet."

"I see," said Wolf. Under his fierce gaze, Fox swore he could make him out from his disguise. He didn't know what would have happened if he did, but, even though they left in amicable terms after the war, he didn't want to push his luck. He sighed in relief when Wolf looked away and grasped the drink the bartender slid in front of him.

"Well spill it, Frank," demanded Wolf. "Tell us the juicy shit."

"Are ye on the hunt too, then?"

"What's it to you?"

"Nothing. T'would be funny, if not ironic. The prey now th' hunter."

"I was never prey," growled Wolf, taking a gulp.

"Back on topic," said Fox, throwing his voice as best he could but he saw Wolf's ears twitch anyway. "Tell me what I paid for."

"This fucker paid?" frowned Wolf, slamming his glass down. "You really are green, aren't you, moron?"

Fox ignored him and leaned forward on the counter top, blank mask staring back at the bartender.

"Fine, fine," he shrugged. "If ye' really want'a know, word has it lil' Havoc is in trouble with botching a local gang's delivery. They're not all happy an'all so the poor man is a'hiding."

"Which gang?" asked Wolf.

"I believe it's th' Forester gang. The one's in th' North district."

"So a good, what, twenty miles from here."

"That sounds 'right."

Fox pondered that, realizing that if the gang ended up killing Havoc then his chance at making money went up in smoke. The bounty board was particular about bringing this one in alive. But the best chance for him to capture the man would be to...

"So basically," began Wolf, "let the gangs find him, sweep in and take him myself."

"Yerself?"

Without warning, Wolf turned to the vulpine and shoved him off his seat, Fox gasping as he fell on his back. The lupine stomped a boot over his chest and pulled out his gun, kneeling low enough to place the bayonets rigid edge to Fox's neck. Despite being well armored, the threat was made clear.

"Listen here, moron," he started. "You may have some foolish dreams of grandeur but here's your first lesson in being a hunter."

Fox grimaced, feeling the pressure in his chest build up when the lupine leaned down further.

"Lesson one: everything is fair game. You telegraph your intent that easily you make yourself a quick target for rival hunters. That means your bounty is now mine. So don't you get any ideas of showing your space-ass when I grab Havoc, because, if you do, I'll kill you."

He removed his foot and Fox scrambled to get back up, aware his attempt at keeping up a tough guy image was completely shattered. Wolf shook his head and laughed with the bartender while holstering his gun. Unsure of anything else to do, Fox scampered out of the cantina, fists balled and his tail stiff between his legs. The last thing the great Fox McCloud needed was to be considered weak on his own and he was ever more grateful he chose to hide his face.

He cursed to himself once out in the streets, the mid-day sun bearing down on him while the wind kicked up dust every so often. There were people out, but other than a few curious glances they gave him Fox ignored them; he was too lost in his own thoughts to bother with anyone anyway. Wolf's threat was something to be worried about, but he had spent too much money and worked too hard to just give up now. It was not the Fox way. Instinctively, he turned northward, whispering a quick command to his P.D.A. for information on the Forester gang of Katina.

~ :::: ~

It took nearly an hour for Fox to find anything meaningful about the gang before he could locate them. They were a small up-and-coming group that had managed to bully local residents of north Wurthord into paying for protection from other groups. Despite their size, their members were quite adept at gunfights and had managed to make a name of themselves as a growing threat. This in turn prompted more interest in their gang and, as of late, they had seen their numbers surge from twenty to fifty as well as expanded their business from mercenary protection to include illegal drugs trading and weapons dealing.

In order to supply their growing ranks, they began working with Havoc. Fox wasn't able to pinpoint why their arrangement didn't work out, but he knew that if the group was trying to establish a strong front then Havoc wouldn't have much time left to live. And with Wolf on his tail the vulpine would have to work much faster and much more carefully.

He found himself kneeling in front of an old, abandoned factory behind a stack of cinder blocks which crumbled upon his touch. The building was large and had two smokestacks reaching upward into the sky. It was made entirely of red brick, spotted with many windows caked with dirt and soot they concealed everything that was inside, save for a few areas where the glass had broken. The walls by the ground were covered in graffiti, the most noticeable being the word 'Forester' painted in large letters by the doors. He gave the surroundings another quick glance, his ears picking up little to no sounds of anyone nearby before he bolted through the entrance and into the dark building.

The interior was in no better shape. There was an old assembly line that ran from one end to the other and looked to be in disrepair. Multiple stacks of shipping containers lined the nearest walls, their paint chipping and rust starting to overtake the metal. It was dim inside, and only the bright rays of sunlight seeping through the broken glass provided any sufficient lighting.

Fox made the nearest container his first hiding spot, weaving between the opened doors and into the box. He peered out the opening, his H.U.D. pointing out random bits of information about his surroundings but nothing too important.

"Looks like I made it unseen," he smiled to himself. "This might be a piece of cake, after all."

Fox stepped back out and gingerly wove his way between old equipment and debris to the back of the factory. It was then that he began to pick up the sounds of someone coughing, some cursing, as well as nervous laughter. His H.U.D. alerted him that the source was up ahead, and he continued sneaking his way forward.

"Bingo," he thought as he arrived at what looked like a small, boxed-in arena whose perimeter was made with more of the shipping containers. The flooring here had completely fell into ruin and chunks of it jutted upward while the rest caved into the dirt below. He spied the catwalk above them as well as a rusted spiral stairway at the other end of the room, but couldn't see anyone there. In the center of the room were five men: A rhino, a bear and three canines who each wore a bandana to cover their muzzles. All of them appeared to be built tough, the bear being the largest of them all. They stood in front of another man, a cheetah, whose hands were tied with rope and hooked onto a chain that suspended him up in the air like a piece of meat. Fox could easily see that he wasn't holding up well and was already battered and bruised.

"Please," cried out the cheetah. "I don't know what happened to your guns. I'm telling the truth!"

"And that must be Havoc," thought Fox.

"Can it, ye' scum," said the rhino. He took a few steps forward, Fox knowing he must be the leader from his swagger. "We've herd yer excuses. An' if I remember right, that was what.... When was 'dat, Jake?"

"Nearly a month ago, boss," said the bear.

"Dat's right. A whole mutha' fuckin' month ago."

The cheetah howled as the rhino threw out two punches to his gut. "I've told you...I don't know-"

"I don't know! I don't know!" Mimicked one of the canines, making air quotes with his paws and getting laughter from his entire crew. "It Sounds like all he can say is: I don't know."

Havoc spat out, blood mixed in with his saliva. "I can do something better," he stuttered. "Make something worth more of Forester's time."

"Save yer' bull shittin' for someone that cares," snarled rhino. "You've already given us yer sales pitch. That's not what we asked." He leaned in for another punch but feinted, laughing as the cheetah grimaced and squealed out.

Fox shifted uncomfortably from his position, beginning to realize that the men were probably near finished toying with the poor man. He eyed them each carefully and his H.U.D. highlighted each man's holstered guns. Yes, they were all built strong, but so was Fox, and he knew he'd have the speed advantage over all them. Havoc wheezed, prompting Fox that he'd have to make his move soon.

"Not yet, not yet," he muttered under his breath.

"What if I sweetened the pot," Havoc tried after a moment, his eyes jumping between all five men anxiously.

"An' just how can ye sweeten' the deal?"

He bit his lip before answering. "I can offer you the location of another and better bounty."

Fox's ears twitched in interest, but the other men growled their disapproval.

Rhino grabbed Havoc by the neck, the cheetah struggling with raspy breaths. "We're not interested in yer bounty, dumbass," he sneered. "Yer gonna be our example."

He released his hold and turned back to rejoin his other men, their victim swinging slightly from the movement. Fox saw Havoc begin to hyperventilate; things were reaching their end.

"Yer our example, Havoc," repeated the rhino. "Our proof 'dat no one can mess with th' Forester gang! Ev'ryone knows you fucked up. Ev'ryone knows we're pissed. And soon, ev'ryone will see yer dead corpse hangin' in th' middle of th' streets."

There were nods and grunts of approval from the other men, but Havoc's eyes just grew large and he inhaled sharply, realizing that this time he didn't have a way out. He watched in horror as all five men began pounded their fists into their own hands and inched closer to him. Immediately he stuttered out cries for mercy, screaming out that he was sorry and that he could fix things. But it all fell upon deaf ears.

To all except one.

Fox bolted out from his position and raced to the smallest of the five men, a canine in the center, all the while pulling out his Bo staff and extending it out to its full length. He planted the end of the staff in the dirt and allowed the momentum to catapult him up and land a solid kick against his unsuspecting target's skull. The canine yelped out a startled cry that was muffled with dirt as he face-planted. Fox took advantage of the surprise and knelt low to sweep the two men beside him to the floor.

"Who th' hell!?" demanded the rhino, but Fox spun in a quick and low turn to sweep him also, staff clanking loudly against metal boots.

The bear behind him started to gather his wits and tugged at his holstered blaster. Using his staff for support, he rose up, whipped out his own gun and fired three rounds into the bear's chest.

"Well now, one's down for good," grinned Fox, re-positioning himself; staff in one hand, blaster in the other.

All that were left now were the rhino, and three remaining canines. Scratch that, two more canines; the one he had kicked was still out cold on the floor. He eyed the remaining men; the canines who scrambled to get back up, and the rhino who still struggled to regain his footing due to his size. If he didn't take another out of the picture soon he'd have trouble.

"Get them!" Havoc cried out to Fox.

"You hang in there," he smirked, though the cheetah couldn't see it.

One of the men lunged at Fox, the vulpine reacting quickly, strafing to his right and hurling his staff downward, a very distinct crack sounding as it bashed into the canid's skull. Fox vaulted over the body toward the last dog, surprising him as he landed both boots on his shoulders and backflipped away, firing a single shot into his head upon landing.

"Ya son of a bitch," cried out the rhino, finally back on his feet, nostrils flaring. He stomped and lowered his head, front horn protruding. It was meant to be intimidating, but Fox read his moves with ease. He howled and charged forward, lowering his head even more to try and impale him. Fox side-stepped to the left and let the hulking man crash into the spiral staircase, lodging himself between the steps and coiling the metal around him.

"Fuck ya, man! Don't'cha know who we are? We're the Forester gang! Yer gonna be so fuckin' sorry you ever-"

"Shut up," groaned Fox, firing a single round to silence his rambling.

There was now a still quiet as he retracted his staff and let it cling onto his back. He gave each of the gang members a quick glance before turning his attention to Havoc. The man was gasping for breath but looked relieved. Fox fired at the chains that held him up in the air and let him stumble to the dirt before holstering his weapon.

"Dude," said Havoc. "You are in so much shit now, don't you know? Like, waist high in shit!"

"A 'thank you' would be nice," Fox rolled his eyes.

"Thank you? What for? This just means Forester will be after both of our asses now." He threw his tied-up hands forward, pointing to each of the men on the floor. "Especially with three dead men!"

"If they fight like these guys here, I'm not too worried." Fox knelt over Havoc, but didn't make any effort to untie him or help him up.

It was a simple gesture, but enough to deepen the scowl on the cheetah's face. "Oh shit, you're a hunter, aren't you?"

"Bingo."

"Wait, wait, wait!" he scuttled back. "I can help you out!"

Fox snorted. "I heard you liked to make deals. Sorry pal, it's not going to work for me."

"Oh, come on! Don't you know who I am?"

"Havoc. Illegal arms dealer."

"Ok, so you do know. But think about it! You're a hunter. My measly 20,000 credit bounty will only take you so far. Part of that will be used for repairs on your equipment. Ammo. Upgrading your gun. Even your staff."

"Part of the job, man."

"And...and," he gave Fox a quick examination, looking him from head to toe. "And look at you! Armor and all. I bet underneath that you're a nice and burly man. The rest of your money you'd end up using on alcohol and pussy."

This got Fox to howl in laughter, but Havoc took it as a sign that he was making progress. The cheetah scooted up closer to him, grasping Fox's hands.

"See! I could be that dude that supplies your weapons! And for saving my life, at a great discount! I'd take 5% off! I'll be your slave! I'll do anything. Hell, I'd even let you fuck me if you're into that."

Fox recoiled and pulled away. It had been entertaining, but he stiffened and returned to a more serious stance and tone. "It's not going to work. I chose this job for the cash. You can't convince me otherwise."

"Aw, dude, c'mon! Please? Just think about it!"

"Too late, bud," said Fox, picking up the remaining chain from Havoc's bound hands and pulled him up. The cheetah struggled but eventually gave in and stood, ears folded back. They both didn't take more than two steps toward the only exit before they stopped. Fox growled as he recognized the figure blocking the path between the industrial containers.

"You really can't take a hint, can you, dumbass?" sneered Wolf. He had his blaster pointed squarely at Fox's direction. "I told you to scram and instead you get in my way."

"Lord O'Donnell," stuttered Havoc. "Oh, thank goodness you're here! This man was trying to turn me in! You have to stop him!"

"Shut the fuck up, Havoc," snarled Wolf.

"The job's done," countered Fox. "He's mine."

Wolf lowered his blaster and approached slowly, eyeing at the men on the floor. Fox stood still as the lupine circled around them, never keeping his gaze off of him.

This wasn't what Fox had wanted at all. He knew Wolf was resourceful, but didn't think he'd be here so soon. If he had to, he knew he'd have to engage with his rival. But that there was a huge unknown for him; all their encounters before had been in the air within their cockpits. Fox had not seen how well Wolf could fight. He stared quizzically at Wolf, who was content with examining the bodies and the damaged surroundings. It was then that he realized that the lupine wasn't admiring his work, but studying it. The man was taking this opportunity to judge his own combat prowess to Fox's. He needed to hurry.

"Like I said, the job's done. I'm going."

"Not so fast. You think that taking out a few goons and having your mark in chains means you're finished? Not a chance."

Wolf finally locked eyes with Fox's helm. He took a few steps forward with his gun raised again, his boots landing heavily on the dirt, grinning. It took a lot of self-control and discipline for Fox to hold his ground against the larger man, but in the air or not, Fox didn't want Wolf to know he was intimidated.

You see," continued the lupine. "The job isn't finished until this sap is handed over to your employer, which means this game is still on." He was close enough to Fox now that the bayonet touched the glass of his helmet. And just for show, Wolf allowed it to scratch along the surface. "And like I said before: If you telegraph your intent that easily you make yourself a quick target for rival hunters."

"Wait, this means you're trying to turn me in too?" cried Havoc incredulously. "You're a hunter now, O'Donnel?"

The lupine didn't say anything but shrugged.

"I can't fucking believe this. You traitorous fuck! Turning back on us to become a hunter?"

"Shut up!" both Fox and Wolf growled.

But Fox took Havoc's words as an opportunity. "He's right, 'O'Donnell'. If your cronies out there hear that you've turned against them, you'll have more problems than this fool's worth to deal with."

"I've got a better idea," smirked Wolf. "You give me Havoc. I get his cash. You get nothing."

"Not going to happen."

Wolf aimed his blaster to the cheetah instead and fired at his legs. Havoc's scream echoed throughout the facility as he stumbled to the ground and cradled his injured leg. Blood began to puddle underneath him and the cheetah looked back up at both Wolf and Fox with disbelief.

"What the hell! If he dies his bounty ain't worth shit," cried out Fox.

"Back to my deal," snarled Wolf. "You give me Havoc. Or, if you insist on fighting, I kill him here out right and you're left to deal with me. And don't think some fancy footwork can save you. Either way, you get nothing. Except maybe your life."

Wolf shifted his blaster back toward Fox. Inside his helmet Fox had his lips curled back and exposed his front canines. From the corner of his eye he could see Havoc, the poor man still cradling his leg and his face returning to that same contorted terror that he had when the Forester men were about to kill him.

He tried to examine the lupine quickly. They were both heavily armored, but Fox had never sparred with him hand-to-hand before. He may have had speed but, judging from Wolf's build and appearance, his rival had more power. And unlike the rhino who Fox took out earlier, Wolf could still easily counter Fox's agility with minimal effort. Wolf also made it clear that he didn't care if Havoc lived or not, which meant that Fox would be too concerned for the cheetah to fight at his best. It left him with one other option, though he didn't like it.

"Fine," growled Fox, throwing the chain onto the ground.

"Good to see you have some sense to you," grinned Wolf. "Now, don't you dare move for a good ten minutes while we leave. If you do, I shoot the bastard." He leaned over to where Fox's ears should've been. "Remember now, newbie... If he dies, it's all on you."

Fox stood helplessly as Wolf kicked Havoc over while barking orders at him to move. The cheetah grimaced as he hit the dirt and scampered up to his feet to limp slowly forward, his leg still bleeding from the blaster wound.

"Don't get any funny ideas about running away, cat," Fox heard Wolf growl as their bodies disappeared behind the maze of shipping containers. Just to be on the safe side, Fox did wait those long and uneventful ten minutes among the fallen gangsters before making his way begrudgingly back to his ship.

~ ::: ~

It was a shorter walk back to the docking bay in comparison to how long it took Fox to gather intel but it felt much longer as he brooded over the fact that he got played. To make it worse, he got played by his rival and the other man did not even know it. He couldn't decide which part made the sting hurt more but either way, he tread onward, his fists balled and his metal boots clanging heavily as they hit the ground.

The receptionist at the help desk took his parking ticket while he huffed his way through the blast doors and into the elevator to his docking bay. Fox howled when the doors closed and gave the walls a good five punches. He seethed at the dents before closing his eyes, taking ten long and deep breaths to try and calm down. He still gave the doors a good kick as they slowly opened.

His arwing rested a few yards away, it's silver and blue colors shimmering within the dimly lit docking bay. He tugged at the straps around his neck and yanked off his helmet, his fur damp with sweat He stomped toward his ship, halfway there before something hit him from behind, a curse escaping his lips and he turned around. On the floor was a large linen sack that clanged of loose metal coins as it hit the floor. And ahead of him was...

"Wolf? What the fuck," snarled Fox, drawing his gun.

"Quiet, pup," replied Wolf. He wore a smug grin on his face and his hands rested on his hips. "I had a feeling it was you at the cantina, but after that bit with Havoc, I was sure."

Fox's ears twitched at the familiar nickname. "So, you knew it was me and felt it was best to fuck with me?"

"Of course," shrugged Wolf. "It's fun. And you make it so easy."

Fox fired his gun a few inches from Wolf's boots, but it didn't faze the older man.

"My my, so touchy, aren't we," he drawled, making steps toward him. "But I must admit, you did surprise me. I didn't think you'd be able to do all this without your parrot or toad friend. And how you handled those men in there. Woo. Didn't think they knew what was coming." He nudged Fox's gun away with a paw, the vulpine instinctively lowering it to his side as the older male placed his paw onto Fox's shoulder. "And it gave me a wonderful idea."

"And what idea was that," gritted Fox, noting Wolf's proximity.

"Easy there, pup," glared Wolf. "I'm talking serious here."

"Then spill it out."

"We work together."

Fox's jaw opened so wide his tongue nearly lolled out. "Work together?"

"Yes. Work together," said Wolf firmly. "How about this. You still seem to be upset and in shock about what happened today. Take this card key," he started, pulling the key from a pocket within his armor and held it in front of the vulpine's face.

Fox had to holster his gun in order to grab it, and he gave it a curious examination before staring back into Wolf's lone eye.

"That there's the key to current my lodgings here in Katina. Should you be interested, or I have at least stroked your ego and curiosity, come see me, room 225 B at the Arekstar's inn. We can talk about it more there. If not, then scram."

"And this?" asked Fox, giving the bag on the floor a light kick with his boot.

"Your cut from today," grinned Wolf. "Minus fees for my work, of course."

Fox rolled his eyes as Wolf turned away to make his exit. "And what makes you think I'm even remotely interested?"

"Because I know you are. Meet me at noon tomorrow, pup. Or, like I said, scram."