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Erwin Cross sat at a computer desk scribbling notes onto a clipboard. Many scientists dressed in white lab coats scurried from table to table, preparing for their next experiment. The burly rhino was able to ignore them only by habit; he had done this countless times before. The half empty coffee mug on his desk was normally prohibited inside the labs for safety purposes, but because of his superiority no one batted an eye. Erwin had no qualms about bending the rules from time to time.

"Mr. Cross sir," one of the scientists approached, a male panther. He showed him a tablet display of charts and graphs. "Which standard should we use to assess the subject?"

Erwin looked up and studied the graphs. "Use Standard B3. Our subject today is of the rodent variety, and he's rather underweight so I believe that would be the best option."

"Sure thing," said the panther, walking away and tapping the screen.

The door to the lab slid open and in walked Eric Cross, his eyes drooping slightly but otherwise appearing alert. He came over to sit on the desk with a groan of exhaustion.

"Hey," Erwin greeted his brother. Noticing his body language, he voiced his concern. "You okay? I heard about what happened last night."

Eric let out a stream of air through his lips. "I'm fine, just tired. But we might be in trouble. Did anyone tell you the details?"

Erwin shook his head. "No. Just that an officer found out about your meeting and ran with the information. I heard you tried to chase him down, but you were too late. Do you know where he went?"

"Negative," said Eric. "Everyone we sent was either dead or unconscious by the time he got away. He left with three accomplices. A teenage wolf, a fox we now know as Nicholas Hale, and another fox, a female, whom we haven't identified."

"Dead you say?" Erwin was both shocked and intrigued. "That's a bit drastic for someone who was just running away. Did anyone determine the cause of death?"

"Not exactly. They couldn't find any distinguishing marks on the bodies that would indicate any intentional physical harm, so they decided the squad was killed by magical means."

"I see," said Erwin, flipping through his papers. "And who was the officer that left, out of curiosity?"

"Jacob Grimm," Eric responded. "The name should ring a bell."

"Of course. He's Jasper's older brother; how could I forget?" Erwin took a sip of his coffee. "So I assume it worked?"

Eric shrugged. "The results from his procedure indicate so, but we haven't actually seen him in action. We'll just have to wait and see."

"Understood," Erwin said with a nod. He glanced at his watch. "Shall we get this over with then? We're nearly five minutes over start time."

"Sure. I want to get home and get some sleep anyway. I got none at all last night." Eric grabbed his brother's coffee mug and drained it in one go. "That's the last time I plan a meeting at three in the morning."

"Hey!" Erwin swiped a hand at the spot where his coffee mug had just been. "That was mine!"

"It's mine now," Eric said bluntly as both rhinos stood from the desk. "Besides, you need to lay off the sugar anyway," he smirked with a backhanded slap to his brother's protruding stomach.

Erwin scoffed as he rubbed the spot where the hand had made contact. "Hey, now. I'm quite proud of how I look, thank you very much."

"Mhmm," the older rhino mocked. "If you're not careful, I'll have to start making you do the physicals again."

"Jerk."

"Fatty."

"Meathead."

The rhino brothers stopped their bickering as it was time to get down to business. Erwin barked out a command and the many scientists in coats scrambled to their stations, each facing the large window at the front of the room that looked out into the testing area.

"Bring out the test subject!" Eric called out.

One of the lab assistants entered the testing room and crossed to the opposite door to retrieve the participant. Out the door walked a skinny rat clad only in a pair of white briefs that almost matched his clean off-white fur. A long ropey tail flopped behind him as his wild-looking eyes took in his surroundings.

Erwin studied the patient carefully. "Who is he?"

"He goes by the name Alexander, age thirty-one. We found him on the streets taking shelter with the homeless folk. No known family or friends in the area," Eric recited, watching the rat as well. "Claims to have been a victim of fraud, and that's supposedly how he became homeless. Though his rather prominent addiction to crack cocaine may have been a part of it."

"Explains why he's so twitchy. He could have become addicted after he lost his house."

Eric shrugged. "It could have been a combination of both for all we know. In any case, he's agreed to take part in this experiment in exchange for payment."

Erwin raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You've never paid any of our subjects before."

"They didn't need the money."

Erwin let out a quiet 'hmm' at the remark. "And how do we know his addiction won't interfere with the experiment?"

"We don't." Catching his brother's worried glance out of the corner of his eye, he added, "But it shouldn't. The Brands have never interfered with medications or any other substances already in the system. If it was really that big of a problem, we wouldn't have asked him to come in."

"Excuse me? You, behind the glass! Hellooooo?" The rat was knocking obnoxiously on the window between them, his eyes never losing that wild look. "Where's my cash? You said I'd get paid for this!"

Eric's finger held down a button to turn on the microphone. "Your payment will be given only after you have done your part in the experiment. If you would, please take your place on the examination table."

The rat looked back at the table positioned at the center of the room. The metal examination table had leather restraints where his limbs would fit into. He gave the rhino one last withering look and 'hmph'ed, turning to walk toward the aforementioned table.

Once the rat turned away, Erwin gave a baleful grin. "Would you kindly..."

Eric smirked as well, but said nothing.

The rat cautiously climbed onto the table and lied down. Two people in lab coats came over to carefully fasten the restraints to his skinny limbs. They had to be tightened more than usual due to his lanky and malnourished frame, but they adjusted well enough. At the push of a button, the table began to tilt with a mechanical whirring noise. It stopped when the rat was left standing upright while restrained to the surface.

Erwin glanced backward at the other occupants of the observation room; everyone else was either scribbling on clipboards or examining electronic displays showing the rat's vitals. Satisfied that everyone was doing their jobs, he returned his vision to the examination table.

"Administer the serum!" Eric shouted.

Someone came up to the contraption with a syringe and the rat recoiled.

"Hey, you back away with that thing!" He shouted, struggling against his bonds. "I didn't sign up for no freaky needle shit!"

"Considering your affiliation with recreational drugs, Alexander, I thought you'd be quite used to needles by now," Eric remarked into the mic. "It's all part of the experiment, Alexander. I advise you to cooperate to make this as easy as possible. The sooner we finish, the sooner you get your payment."

The rat scowled. "Fine," he said, holding still for the person with the syringe. The doctor carefully brought the needle to the rat's neck and injected a small bit of liquid directly into a vein. Alexander winced as he felt the serum spreading through his circulatory system like a fire; it certainly burned like one. He gritted his teeth from the pain, but it was fleeting. One second his body felt like it was one fire, the next the burning sensation was gone, leaving behind a feeling of lethargy and peacefulness. Like the perfect hit, he found his mind drifting off into nothingness, completely relaxed. He let his head rest back with a euphoric sigh.

Erwin frowned at the rat's reaction to the serum. He hadn't been expecting that at all. "Is that supposed to happen? What do his readings say?"

"We've noticed a significant increase in dopamine levels, sir!" One of the doctors by the vital display announced. "The serum seems to have amplified the effects of trace cocaine already in his system!"

"That's never happened before," Eric observed with interest. "It's like a booster for drug users. Do you think we could potentially use this as a recovery mechanism for addicts?"

"Not so fast, Eric," said Erwin as he watched alongside his brother. "We need to wait until further tests have been done. Let's stay focused."

"I know, just thinking ahead," Eric responded. His eyes narrowed through the glass. "Wait. What's happening now?"

Erwin turned and watched as something peculiar was happening in the other room. The rat had begun to take rather deep breaths, gasping for air. He began to sweat; he felt like he had just run a marathon all of a sudden. The feeling of lethargy quickly turned to downright exhaustion and he started to feel strange tingles throughout his body. Alexander felt as if the only way to relieve his discomfort was to take in larger gulps of air, his chest heaving with the effort.

"It's happening. Same as last time," Erwin warned. He raised his voice. "He's changing! Be prepared to terminate the subject if necessary!"

Alexander clenched and unclenched his fists, his entire body tensing the feeble muscles he had. His heart was pounding in his chest as the serum continued to react with the cocaine in his bloodstream. His veins bulged with the effort and began to burn again, this time much more intensely. He started to shake violently and uncontrollably, his bonds keeping him in place.

But they wouldn't for much longer.

With every gulp of air, his body seemed to expand with muscle, his skinny frame quickly forming a layer of toned musculature. His eyes bulged and became bloodshot, the wild look they had suddenly appearing predatory and deadly. He continued to gain more and more muscle mass, quickly passing bodybuilder territory and entering the realm of grotesque musculature. The leather bonds snapped and he fell forward onto his hands and knees. The white fur covering his body lengthened to become tangled and bushy, his already long and ropey tail gaining even more length and girth, enough to reach the other side of the room fifteen feet away.

"Terminate him!" Erwin yelled over the loud beeps emanating from the machinery and the urgent shouts of the other staff. The doctors in white coats scrambled from station to station trying to find a solution to the madness that had ensued. "He's out of control! Put him down!"

"No! Not yet!" Eric interjected, his eyes wide and watching the rat with morbid interest. "Let's see what he does. He can't escape."

Erwin held his tongue as he observed the abomination their test subject had become. The massive rat was glaring at them all through the glass, huffing and puffing through his nostrils. Any semblance of sanity had vanished, replaced by the grunts and growls of a feral animal. The beast's blood red eyes locked straight on Erwin as he snarled, beginning to foam at the mouth.

Erwin spotted this immediately. "He's still changing," he muttered just loud enough for his brother to hear. He turned to Eric. "It's your call."

Eric shook his head. "Just keep watching. We want to gather as much data as possible."

"Sir, his blood pressure is increasing at a dangerous rate!" One of the scientists shouted, tapping furiously at one of the display boards. "His heart can only take so much! We should -"

"We should do nothing!" Eric interrupted. "Leave him as he is! Gather as much data as you can!"

BOOM! BOOM!

The large rat had begun to smash his large fists into the window separating him from his captors. The glass had been augmented in order to become nearly invulnerable, so there was no way he was getting through. The barrier still vibrated intensely as the rat's boulders for fists made contact. He seemed to figure out that banging on the glass wasn't enough and backed up to the far side of the room. The people backed away from the glass as the monster charged forward, ramming its shoulder into the barrier in a desperate attempt to escape. He bounced back from the collision unharmed but angry. The glass shook again, but was flexible enough to hold. The rat was not deterred however, and charged again. And again, and again, and again. But it was no use, for the glass would not break, even with his superior strength. He remained determined, though, slamming into the glass repeatedly to try and wear it down.

Until he broke first.

Alexander lined himself up for another charge and leaped forward. Before he got to the glass, his body suddenly seized and an erratic cough propelled a spatter of blood onto the glass. The rat fell to the floor, twitched a couple times, and lay still.

Everyone in the lab stood still in shock, all eyes on the now dead monster lying on the floor. One of the lab assistants cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, his...heart exploded, sir."

Eric remained silent for a moment while he recovered from the shock of the event. Then he blinked and said quietly, but audibly, "Put it on the record: Subject 132, expired at four minutes and twenty-two seconds."

"Yes, sir."

"Clean everything up and dispose of the body! We'll meet here same time next week!" Eric projected, turning away from the glass and toward the staff. "Well, what are you all waiting for? Get to it! And I want a report by Friday morning!"

Eric turned to his brother. "I'm sure you've got everything under control here. I'm gonna head out and get some coffee before my shift starts."

"Are you sure you don't want to go home and take a nap or something?" Erwin suggested.

Eric shook his head. "After seeing that? I'll be lucky if I sleep tonight." He gave Erwin a light punch on the shoulder and headed for the door. "See you later."

Erwin stared after him, not terribly surprised that he had left so quickly. He had been doing that a lot recently. With a final glance at the lifeless rat behind the glass, he padded off to help the rest of the staff clean up.

.................................

Jacob wandered through what must have been the tenth doorway he found that morning to find all the members of Legion sitting at a long dining table. Gavin was nonchalantly reading something on his tablet while he ate, his scarred face impassive as ever. Nick munched morosely on a piece of toast and Jasper talked with Sly about something to do with Dark Brands. Gwen was standing by a stove cooking eggs in a pan.

Gavin looked up as he entered. "Well, well. Look who decided to join us." His voice didn't carry any hint of annoyance or displeasure despite his choice of words. "I was about to send someone to come get you."

"I got lost," Jacob explained, sitting down at an empty spot next to Ashton. The tiger paid him no mind and continued with his meal.

"That's understandable. I'm sure we'll find some time to show you around later," said Gavin. "But for now, I think it's best to familiarize you with how we handle things around here. Think of today as your orientation."

Jacob nodded in understanding as Gwen came over and placed his breakfast in front of him. The plate carried a generous helping of scrambled eggs with some toast. A glass of cold orange juice completed the course. "Thanks," he said to Gwen, who nodded silently and went back to the stove, likely to make her own meal. "Has anyone seen my phone by the way? I couldn't find it when I woke up this morning."

Gavin reached into his pocket and brought out the small rectangular device, sliding it over to Jacob. "I came in and took it while you were asleep. I wanted your phones fixed so that they couldn't track you three here. Same premise as with your Neurochips."

"I see," Jacob pondered. "But couldn't you just have zapped them with that thing Gwen used earlier?"

"It's called a Nullwave," Sly spoke up. It seemed he and Jasper were finished talking. "And no, it doesn't work on phones; only Neurochips. I built it specifically to destroy the GPS module in Neurochips."

"Wait, you built that thing?" Jacob asked, impressed. "All by yourself? How did you manage that?"

"Yes, I built it," said the raccoon indifferently. "I had a little help from Ash getting the transmission to work, but most of it was me. I used to work for KazCorp in one of their research teams."

"Doesn't spare a bit of the credit, does he?" Ashton remarked humorously.

"I take credit when I can," Sly deadpanned. He returned his gaze to Jacob and explained. "My coworkers at KazCorp didn't always take me seriously at first. They didn't want to accept the fact that they had given a professional's job to a sixteen-year-old, you see."

Jacob stared at him. "How old are you?"

"I'm eighteen." Sly answered. It was no wonder he looked so young. "I graduated high school at sixteen and joined KazCorp, but got fired when I got my Brand. I kept some of their blueprints though, so I can still use them as a reference to make more gadgets for the team."

"And you can manage that here, away from KazCorp resources?" Jacob asked incredulously.

Sly spread his hands, palms up toward the ceiling. "This is a research facility after all; might as well make good use of it. And we've still got the Internet, so we're not that limited as far as resources."

"But what about material resources? Like equipment and stuff?"

"Also obtainable, though not as easily I'll admit," said Sly. "Funding from a few officials within large companies allows us to buy some of our materials, but sometimes we have to steal. Like that one time I had to sneak into Sanction and take a few blueprints."

Something clicked in Jacob's mind. "I remember having to chase off a raccoon once on night watch. That was you?"

Sly nodded. "I have to admit, you're pretty good at your job. Except for, you know, what happened last night."

"That wasn't my fault," insisted Jacob. "The door was unlocked when I got there so I didn't know not to go in."

"Yeah, that was my fault. I'll take the hit for that one." Gwen had finished at the stove and came over to sit next to Jacob. "I unlocked the door to get in, but had to go back to get something. You ended up going in before I got back."

"Speaking of which, what did you hear at the meeting?" Ashton inquired through a mouthful of bread. "The IT department at Sanction have got pretty good security for their network and Gwen never managed to get close enough, so we didn't get to hear any of it."

Jacob thought carefully, trying to recall any bits of information he had overheard. "I don't remember much. I wasn't really paying that much attention because I didn't think any of it was important at the time. But I do recall something about another meeting at a nightclub."

"Interesting. We might be able to catch that one if we're careful enough," said Gavin. His light blue eyes watched the wolf intently. "Do you remember which club they said it was?"

Jacob racked his memory and found an answer. "The Silver Veil, I think it was."

"I know that place," Nick cut in. All eyes turned to him at his sudden contribution to the conversation. "I've been there a couple times with friends."

"Do you think we could sneak in relatively easily?" Gavin questioned him. "If we used some simple disguises, would we blend in long enough to retrieve some information?"

Nick blinked. "I mean, it's a nightclub. Most people don't care enough to get a good look at you anyway. Unless you're trying to pick someone up."

"But wherever the meeting is being held, we need to be able to get in without getting caught or being recognized," Gavin clarified. "The guests are one thing, but some places are very lax on security and others take it very seriously. How tight is their security, do you know?"

The fox shrugged. "Not really. I've never really paid that much attention to the bouncers. It's never been an issue. Once you've gotten in, they pretty much leave you alone unless you do something wrong."

"I think that's all I need to know," said Gavin. He directed his next question to Jacob. "When did they say they're going to meet?"

"Saturday," Jacob recalled. "They didn't say what time, though. And after they found out I was eavesdropping, they may have changed the date completely."

"Maybe. But knowing them, they'll probably just beef up security a bit. They really don't like to reschedule," Gavin commented. He got up from his seat. "I'll think on it. Jacob, come find me at my office once you've finished breakfast. We're going to train together to test your combat ability."

"You're breaking him in already?" Gwen inquired. It was difficult to tell whether there was humor in her tone or not. "Not even going to give him time to get his bearings?"

There was a fierce gleam in Gavin's eyes when he answered. "He's had time enough. The sooner we get him properly trained, the better."

"I'm already pretty decent at combat," Jacob interjected. They were beginning to talk about him as if he wasn't there, and he hated that. "I can handle myself."

"We'll see. Meet me once you're ready." With that, he turned and left.

Jacob stood. "I'm done anyway. I'm not really hungry." It was true. He was used to having a relatively small breakfast in the morning since he usually had to go take Jasper to school and then drive to work immediately after. So the two slices of toast and half serving of eggs was more than enough to sustain him. Plus, it probably wasn't a good idea to eat too much anyway if he was going to be training.

He had just gotten outside the door when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Nick. "Hey, I need to speak with you."

It sounded serious. "Uh, sure. But let's make this quick. I don't want to keep Gavin waiting too long," Jacob explained, veering off into an empty room. Shelves upon shelves of various items such as bottles, odd mechanical gadgets, and food lined the perimeter of the space. This appeared to be some sort of store room. "Okay, what is it?"

Nick looked him dead in the eye. "I don't like these people."

Jacob sighed. "Not this again..."

"No Jake, listen! I was talking to Ash and he mentioned all the computing equipment they've got here and how expensive it was to get all the parts. When I asked where he got it from, he wouldn't tell me."

Jacob stared at him. "Okay..."

"They're hiding something, Jake," the fox insisted. "What if we were wrong to trust them? What if this is all a trap to keep us in one place until the authorities arrive?"

"Well, it would be a pretty elaborate trap. And if they wanted us arrested, they would have sold us out while we were sleeping," Jacob reasoned. "Why are you so paranoid?"

"I have every right to be. Our lives have gone through so many twists and turns in the last day alone. Everything was fine this time yesterday."

Nick seemed set in his opinion, but Jacob was having none of it. "Yes, it's been chaotic. But that doesn't mean we have to second guess every small thing that happens. These people really seem to want to help us." Jacob gestured widely. "So what if Ash won't tell you where he got his equipment from? Maybe he's just proud of his setup and doesn't want you copying it."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "That's a lame excuse."

Jacob paused to compose himself. "Look, I understand your concern. I really do. But we can't afford to think like that." His friend tried to retort, but Jacob cut him off. "No, we can't. We have nowhere to go, Nick. The authorities are probably out there just waiting for us to show our faces again. Legion is keeping us safe. That's good enough for me."

When Nick didn't respond immediately, Jacob turned to leave again. Just before he left, the fox gave him one last parting note. "Ignoring your problems won't make them go away, Jake."

Jacob wasn't going to dignify that with an answer. Without looking back, he shut the door behind him and continued on his way. Nick was way too paranoid for his own good. The wolf couldn't deny his own suspicions, but he thought it best to keep them buried deep down where no one would hear them. The way he saw it, Legion was possibly the best thing that could have happened to them given the situation. He and Jasper needed to disappear; Legion had managed to stay relatively undetected for a couple of years now. Jacob thought that was a pretty good deal, but if Nick wasn't sold, that was his problem.

Jacob found Gavin's office and knocked three times. Gavin appeared quickly dressed in a slimming black workout outfit, though he still looked imposing as ever. He looked surprised to see the wolf standing there. "You're done already?"

"I wasn't very hungry," Jacob replied. "Are you ready?"

Gavin nodded. "Follow me."

The husky led him down a series of hallways, but veered off in a different direction when they neared what was indicated as the training area. "We're not going to the gym?"

"The gym is where we usually practice and it does have an arena, but we'll need to be outside for what we're doing," Gavin explained as they approached one of the exits. They ascended the stairs and opened the metal doors to find themselves at the edge of a clearing. The tall trees and greenery obstructed their view of anything past the forest area. A large slab of concrete occupied most of the space, but still left room for a muddier area around the perimeter.

"What did this place used to be?" Jacob asked as his surveyed the area. "It looks like it could have been a basketball court or something."

"It was originally just trees and grass," replied Gavin. "We put the concrete there ourselves. Like I said, our gym usually works just fine, but the outdoors will give us a bit of an...environmental advantage."

It was only just then that Jacob noticed the many scorch marks on the concrete.

He looked up to see Gwen leaning casually against a tree. She watched silently while munching on a green apple. "What's she doing here?"

"Don't worry about her," Gavin advised as they walked out onto the concrete. He turned around to face him. They were now staring each other down on opposite sides of the platform. "Now, show me what you've got."

Jacob blinked. "...what?"

"Show me what you've got," Gavin repeated. He stood shifting his weight from leg to leg as if ready to pounce at any second. "You told me you could handle yourself in combat, and I'm curious as to how well they train you Sanction grunts over there. So come at me."

Jacob was a little offended at being called a "grunt," but he let it go. "You want to me just...attack you?"

"Is it that hard to understand?" Gavin snapped in annoyance. "Attack me, damn it! Or do I have to make the first move?"

The husky's sudden aggressive jolted him into action. Jacob looked around for any water source he could take advantage of. The muddy area had some small pools of water where it could not soak into the dirt; Jacob quickly reached out with his magic and pulled them toward himself. The water arched gracefully through the air from all sides and coalesced into a single sphere between him and his opponent. The ball of water rippled and sloshed -

And splattered on the ground as a heavy weight slammed into the wolf, breaking his concentration. Jacob groaned from the impact and looked up to see Gavin glaring at him from above.

"Too slow," Gavin chastised. "Your opponent is not going to give you time to prepare, so you need to learn to adjust quickly." He reached down and pulled the wolf up, then shoved him hard on the chest, making him stumble backward. "Try again."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. So that's how you're gonna play...fine. The spilt water behind Gavin swirled around and began to gather again. Gavin anticipated an attack and sidestepped just before a frozen spike shot up at him from the ground. The spike would have pulverized him had he not dodged. Gavin turned to find the wolf charging at him. He tilted his head in confusion as he sidestepped again, sticking out a foot to send the wolf toppling to the ground again.

Jacob huffed as he pushed himself up again, a little embarrassed to have been tripped like that. "That wasn't fair," he panted. "You're not even using magic."

"The enemy isn't going to play by the rules. Again, learn to adapt." Gavin hadn't even broken a sweat. In fact, he seemed rather bored. "Besides, I don't even seem to need it against you. Though, since you asked for it..."

Gavin spread his arms and orange flames appeared in both of his paws. "Star. A direct improvement upon the Fire Brand." He scowled and the flames turned a brilliant blue. "But both are just as deadly in the right paws." One of the flames grew into a large sphere the size of a melon and was hurled in Jacob's direction.

Jacob saw this coming and jumped to the side, easily avoiding the projectile, but then the flaming sphere split into six smaller balls of blue fire that began orbiting around him. The wolf stood wary of the flames, but he somehow felt rooted in place. There was an odd force that pulled him outward in all directions yet wasn't strong enough to actually move him. He did get the idea, however, that if he moved at all he might be pulled into one of the flames.

"Star Brand, Jacob. Not fire," Gavin said as he circled the wolf, yet maintained a reasonable distance from the fire. The remaining azure flame in his paw flickered brightly even in the hot sun. "Which means that I also have the force of gravity on my side. I can alter it however I wish."

The force became stronger as the miniature "stars" orbiting around him moved slowly inward. Panicked, Jacob summoned the water from the ground and caused it to rise up on a column around him, shielding him from the flames. The stars collided with the water and promptly exploded into steam and ash.

Jacob couldn't see anything due to the curtain of steam obscuring his vision, but he still heard the second ball of fire whizzing toward him. He jumped out of the way again just in time. The flame missed, but exploded in midair with enough force to knock him down anyway. Jacob hit the ground again and before he could compose himself again, felt his center of gravity shift radically upward. The wolf flailed wildly as his body rose completely off the ground and slowly ascended upward.

He looked down. Gavin was gazing up at him with a disappointed expression on his muzzle. "You're far too predictable. Fight back instead of running like a scared pup!"

"I'm not trained for this!" Jacob protested angrily as he struggled suspended ten feet in the air. "I'm a fucking police officer, not a - a rebel like you!"

Gavin glared at him, his eyes practically glowing as a fire ignited within. "This is more than training, Jacob. This is preparation. Perseverance._The Sealbreakers are going to do everything in their power to keep us down and we need to be ready to do the same. You need to be _prepared to adapt when the situation demands it. Be creative with your magic!"

"Sanction didn't teach me any of this! Just give me time!"

Gavin narrowed his eyes with a menacing growl. "You're not in Sanction. Sanction is behind you. You don't have time." Jacob was thrown aside as Gavin adjusted his point of gravity toward the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him and he laid there coughing for a bit.

Too long.

No sooner had he caught his breath than an incredible force slammed into him, knocking him back a few feet. The wolf rolled to a stop and glanced up to see Gavin standing over him.

"No rest!" The large husky snapped. "Get up and fight!"

"I -" Jacob barely got a word out before Gavin raised his arm and with a backhanded motion, sending him flying backward again from the wall of invisible force that hit him. He tried to get up, but Gavin just did the same thing again.

"Don't let me get away with this, Jacob! Fight back!" Another slam.

"Fight back!"

SLAM!

"Fight back!"

SLAM!

"Fight back!"

SLAM!

"Fight -"

"Stop!"

Gavin froze with his hand drawn back ready to deliver another blow. He looked off to the side and Jacob followed his gaze through blurry vision. Gwen had left her post next to the tree and come up to the edge of their makeshift arena. Her eyes rested on the bloodied and bruised wolf on the ground. "He's had enough," she murmured.

Gavin stared at her for a moment and looked back at Jacob. With a scowl, he delivered one last blow to the wolf, pitching him off the cement and into the mud. Jacob laid there in the mud unable to find the strength to get back up. He coughed a couple times and found the ground in front of him speckled with crimson.

A pair of shoes squished into the wet earth next to him and Jacob turned his head to catch Gavin at the edge of his vision. "You're weak. Forget Sanction. Forget anything you thought you knew about combat. You're no longer smacking down rebellious hoodlums on the streets or issuing parking tickets; you're going up against trained Sealbreaker officials proficient in their Brands. And if you don't catch up, you'll be left behind in the mud. To die." When Jacob didn't respond, he sighed and turned to leave, waving to Gwen. "Get him patched up. We're done here."

Gwen nodded silently and approached the downed wolf carefully. She kneeled and laid a comforting paw on his shoulder.

Jacob angrily shook it off. "I don't want your help," he spat.

"You need it," she insisted.

Jacob tried to get up, but only after he slipped once in the mud did he accept her offer. Gwen pulled him to his feet and guided him back to the metal doors that led back to their hideout. Jacob limped down the stairs while putting most of his weight on Gwen. If the vixen had a problem with it, she didn't make a fuss of it, for she remained silent until they reached an unmarked room in a corridor Jacob had never been to. Walking inside, the room appeared to be some of doctor's office, based on the medical equipment arranged around the area and the presence of a single table in the middle.

"Sit," Gwen instructed, helping him onto the table and then going off to rummage through one of the cabinets.

Jacob stared straight ahead, a full length mirror leaning against the wall displaying his unsightly reflection. He was still wearing his black Sanction uniform, minus the coat, but the fabric was sullied with brown smudges from where he had rolled in the mud. He could see some purple bruises under the fur of his face accompanied by some cuts that oozed blood.

Seeing his reflection made him feel many things; he was angry, jealous, and frustrated, all directed toward Gavin. But most of all, he felt humiliated. Humiliated by the way Gavin had just...destroyed him like that, and flaunted his power at the same time. He could have stopped after the wolf's first couple mistakes and helped him out properly, but no...he instead proceeded to embarrass him over and over again until Jacob had just given up. It had been cruel, nothing more.

His thoughts were interrupted as Gwen appeared in front of him with a damp cloth. She brought the cloth to one of the bruises on his cheek, but pressed a little too hard, causing him to wince in pain. She muttered a quiet and hasty "sorry" and tried again, this time with much more care. The warm of the cloth against his bruised skin brought instant relief.

"Hold this, please," said Gwen quietly, allowing him grab hold of the cloth before going off to do something else by the counter. After a moment of silence, she looked back at the defeated wolf on the table. "You okay?"

Jacob scoffed at the absurdity of the comment. "He beat the shit out of me. What do you think?"

"He meant to."

Jacob twisted back toward her, winced from the bruises on his torso, and settled for watching her reflection in the mirror. "He meant to?" He said with a touch of indignation.

"It's his way of letting us know he means business. 'Whipping us into shape,' as he likes to say." Gwen began fiddling with some gauze while she talked. "He's just trying to prepare you for what's coming. Kind of a trial by fire. Take off your shirt."

Jacob blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I need to put this on you," Gwen deadpanned, showing him a stretch of gauze.

Jacob relaxed and pulled off his shirt to expose his bare torso. Rolling his shoulders a little to stretch his muscles, he found Gwen standing by the counter staring at him. He raised an eyebrow and Gwen shook her head, coming forward to wrap the gauze around his chest.

"So what was it like for you?" Jacob asked while she worked. "Your first training session with Gavin."

"I never trained with him. Not in the way you did today, I mean," Gwen stepped back and admired her work. Nodding to herself, she added, "We're family, you see. He's my uncle. He already knows I'm tough."

"He's your uncle?" Jacob said in amazement. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

"...how old is he?"

Gwen chuckled. "I'll let him tell you that. He's kind of sensitive about his age, so I'll respect his privacy."

"Okay..." Jacob mused. "But even if you're related, don't you still have to train? He said it himself: you'll get left behind if you don't practice using your Brand regularly. Or have you mastered yours already?"

Gwen stepped back and pulled up her right sleeve. There on her forearm, he saw...nothing.

"No Brand," Jacob remarked in surprise.

"No Brand," she confirmed, going back to the counter.

Curiously, he asked, "How come?"

Gwen shrugged. "Just never felt like I needed one. Why use magic when I'm already so advanced in close combat? Not to mention the whole Sealbreaker fiasco going on."

That...almost made sense. Jacob still couldn't imagine someone refusing to take a Brand when nearly everyone else had one. Brands were standard at this point. Gwen must have guessed what he was thinking because she added, "You don't always have to follow the norm. Gavin was right: don't be afraid to break the rules. I know you're used to obeying strict orders because Sanction's ingrained that habit into your mind, but you're going to have to learn to work past that."

"I know," said Jacob. He glanced back at his reflection. "It's just a shock, is all."

"You'll get used to it." Gwen appraised him again. "What size shirt and pants do you wear?"

Befuddled, Jacob told her. "Why?"

"Go get some rest," Gwen replied. "I'll go get you some clothes."

"Won't people recognize you in the store?"

"A simple disguise goes a long way," said Gwen. She opened the door. "Seriously, get some rest. You look like shit."

"I feel like shit." Jacob lowered the cloth from his cheek and realized with amazement that the bruise was nearly gone. Thank goodness for modern medicine.

"Stay in touch. One of us will probably call on you at some point," Gwen advised. "See you later." She left, closing the door behind her.

Jacob's eyes slid from the door back to the mirror facing him. "Day one...going well so far," he wisecracked with a facetious grin. He got back to his paws with a grunt and left for his bed.

...............................

"Thank you all for coming," said Gavin as he strode into the room. Jacob himself sat at one side of the long table along with the other members of Legion. It was nearing four o'clock in the afternoon and Gwen had long since returned with a decent selection of clothes. After a lengthy nap, Jacob had woken to Gavin's announcement of a meeting. Donning a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, the wolf had made his way to the conference room as quickly as he could.

Both Nick and Jasper had given him odd questioning looks when he had arrived. Jacob responded with a dismissive shake of his head. Even with Gwen's treatment, he supposed he still looked disheveled from the encounter with Gavin. He certainly still felt sore.

"Is this about the Sealbreaker meeting?" Gwen inquired.

"It is," Gavin replied. He placed a stack of papers in front of him. Some were printed documents and others appeared to be his own scribbles. "I've done a little more research and thought it through. It shouldn't be too difficult to get into the club and collect some intel, so we're going to do just that."

Sly spoke up. "Have you figured out when the meeting is taking place?"

"Negative," Gavin responded with a shake of his head. "But we know it's on Saturday evening, so we'll be going down at eight when the club opens."

"Who's 'we?'" Nick asked, sitting directly to Jacob's left. "We're not all going to go in, right? I imagine some people will stay back, like during your last mission."

"My thoughts exactly. I'm thinking about sending just three of us in. That should be plenty enough without drawing too much attention." Gavin looked the fox square in the eye. "You, for starters. You said you've been there a few times before, so you'll know your way around better than most of us here. And I'll send in Gwen too, as she's quite experienced in undercover missions such as these."

"And the third?" Jacob queried.

Gavin's strikingly blue eyes turned onto him. "You, Jacob."

The wolf frowned. "Me?" That had to have been some sort of mistake. Jacob was in no way prepared to take part in this kind of mission, much less in a nightclub. Not only would he be out of his element, he was brand new to the team. Surely sending a fresh recruit into the field wasn't a good idea?

"You," Gavin repeated. His fingers drummed lightly on the table as he spoke. "While your performance during our...training was disappointing, you're not inexperienced in combat alone. And since this mission isn't necessarily combat-oriented, it's perfect for you. You know what you're doing, you're just doing the wrong things when it comes to using your Brand offensively. Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does, I want you to understand what being part of the team calls for."

Now Jacob understood. The training had never actually stopped with that first brawl; this was another test. Gavin wanted to see how well he worked under pressure. Jacob was happy to provide.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Gavin demanded with narrowed eyes. "This is a very serious matter we're trusting you with. We're on the verge of exposing some potentially groundbreaking information on the Sealbreakers and we can't have you screwing that up."

Jacob stared right back. "I'm sure," he said firmly.

That seemed to satisfy him. "Good," Gavin replied. Addressing the rest of the team, he announced, "The rest of us will be watching the cameras again, provided we can access them. Ashton, as always, wait until we actually begin before trying to hack their CCTV system. We don't want to alert security early and get ourselves completely blocked out. Everyone will be on standby in case Gwen needs backup. Understood?"

Jacob barely managed to maintain a polite façade while anger smoldered underneath. 'In case Gwen needs backup,' he had said. As if Jacob and Nick weren't even part of the mission. Still he threw in his own "yes" along with the rest of team's echoes of affirmation.

"And what if I can't access the cameras?" Ashton inquired, leaning back supporting his chin with a paw. "What then?"

"Then we all go in. No point in four of us sitting here doing absolutely nothing," Gavin replied. He shot the tiger a look. "But don't get your hopes up just yet."

Ashton grinned, holding his paws up in defense. "Hey, I may be a computer nerd, but I know how to party." That earned a 'whoop' and a fist pump from Nick.

"Any questions?" Gavin asked, ignoring the fox's interjection.

"Yeah." All eyes turned to Jasper, who had not spoken once during the entire meeting. The young wolf glanced around at the sudden attention, then cleared his throat and continued. "Won't they get recognized out there? Will they have some sort of disguise to hide their identity?"

"Oh yes. I forgot you haven't seen the Cloakers yet." Gavin stood up. "Sly, would you go show our new recruits the Cloakers? This meeting is over. I want everyone ready to go at seven on Saturday evening. No excuses." Gavin went out the door without another word.

Sly swiftly rose out of his seat. "Jacob, Nick. If you'll come with me." He looked at Jasper. "You too, if you want to come."

Jasper eagerly followed them out of the room. They trailed behind the raccoon who led them to the storeroom, grabbing a few tiny objects out of a bin and coming back out into the hall. "We'll need a mirror to show how these work," he announced, walking past them and toward the communal bathroom.

Once they had reached their destination, Sly held up one of the objects. It appeared to be a simple small white button surrounded by hard black plastic shielding. On the back was a tiny hook. "This is a Cloaker. We use them to provide a reliable disguise whenever we need to leave the facility. Just press the button and the technology will take care of the rest." He handed one device to each of them. "Go on, try it out."

Taking the tiny button, Jacob hooked it onto his collar and turned to the mirror. Curiously, he pressed the button and with a small click, he watched his features suddenly change. His normally grey fur turned pitch black and his eyes changed to a startlingly rich shade of green. His clothing remained the same, but his physical features were different. Struck with awe, Jacob raised a paw to feel the side of his face. It certainly felt real.

Next to him, Nick and Jasper were experiencing the same phenomenon. "This is amazing," said Nick as he examined his neon green fur. "I knew KazCorp was good, but I didn't know they were this good. All this from just a push of a button?"

"Well, it isn't exactly simple technology," said Sly, seemingly pleased with their astonishment. "I had to implement some principles of the Light Brand to get it to work. It bends and refracts light in such a way that it scrambles your physical features to appear a different color. It won't change your species or build, just the more obvious features. Fur, eyes, things like that."

"You invented this?" Jacob asked incredulously. "You?"

The raccoon allowed himself a small grin. "It was no mean feat, I assure you."

Jacob turned back to the mirror. Another click returned his features back to their normal state. He clicked the button again, and his fur turned red with a blanket of white down his front, similar to a traditional red fox pattern. Two clicks later and his fur turned a pure white, his eyes brightening to a brilliant gold. With a start, Jacob stared at his new reflection, running his fingers through his fur just to make sure it was real. The reflection in the mirror copied him. He decided to indulge himself and arched an eyebrow, his lips widening into a closed-mouthed grin to form that sly knowing smile he had seen so many times before.

Then the doppelganger winked. Jacob hadn't done that.

Jacob let out a huff of air with the ghost of a chuckle. "Fuck off, Drake," he muttered before dispelling the façade.

"What was that?" Jasper had heard him.

"Nothing, Jasper. Nothing."

..................................

"Well, that was rather rude."

Jacob's heart skipped a beat when he saw the white wolf waiting for him on his bed when he got there. Having just come back from dinner, Jacob had been prepared for a good night's rest before he had to join Gavin again for training in the morning. However, it seemed he would be turning in with a heavy cloud of questions in his mind tonight. That often happened after he and Drake had their little talks.

"...what are you wearing?"

"My pajamas. Where are yours?" Drake sat crisscrossed on the mattress wearing a white and gold linen outfit with a matching nightcap. The fluffy pompom dangling off to the side of his head made the sight all the more comical as he blinked expectantly at Jacob.

Jacob scoffed as he closed the door. "You're really weird, you know that?"

"Oh, I relish it. Being weird is fun," Drake remarked as Jacob sat down next to him. "You should try it sometime."

"Yeah? Maybe I will, once I can actually afford to," Jacob responded. He looked over at Drake. "So what's this about being rude?"

"You told me to fuck off."

"You appeared to me at an inopportune moment." He saw Drake make a pouty face. "Oh, don't give me that!"

Drake giggled. "I was just having some fun." He cocked his head, staring at the other wolf curiously. "So whatcha want to talk about?"

"I don't."

"Uh-uh-uh!" Drake admonished, wiggling a finger. "You know the rule. I don't leave until we talk about something."

"Fine." Jacob shifted where he sat and clapped his paws onto his legs. "So...how are things...wherever you're from?"

Drake shrugged. "Going pretty well, all things considered. As I'm sure you know, with great power comes great responsibility. So carrying that burden alongside only eleven other people - well, technically more - is bound cause some distress in the workplace."

"What kind of distress?" Jacob wondered. "Too much responsibility? Did someone make a mistake?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Drake. "It's not so much the responsibility itself. More like a disgruntled employee. He claims to have a problem with the way things are happening around here."

"Who is he?" Jacob grinned. "Send him down here. Maybe I can knock some sense into him."

"Now that is tempting...but I'm not sure I want to reveal him to you just yet," Drake said with a wink. "Though I will certainly keep that offer in mind."

"That bad, huh?"

"Nothing I can't handle." Drake shrugged. He leaned forward with his paws clasped together. "So how are things with you? A lot has happened since last we spoke."

Jacob blew out a stream of air, cheeks puffed out. "Well yeah...I mean, I got fired from Sanction, was taken here, and now I'm part of some sort of underground resistance group. It's just a lot to take in. I don't know if my life could get any more chaotic at this point."

"Hmm, I wouldn't tempt fate like that," Drake joked. Then his expression softened and he gave Jacob a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "You're right, it's a lot. I know firsthand what it feels like to have your life suddenly turn upside down on you. But you'll get through it."

"What was it like for you?" Jacob asked. "When your life changed, what did you do?"

"Well, I didn't accept it at first," said Drake, his eyes unfocused as he revisited past memories. "But when I finally did, I embraced it. I grit my teeth and did what I knew I had to do. And now look at me."

"Just like that?" Jacob inquired. "You just accepted your new life and that was it?"

"It wasn't easy, I'll give you that," said Drake. "The road ahead will bring many challenges, but if you learn your limitations and how to overcome said boundaries, it will become easier for you to accept."

Jacob thought about that. "Yeah, I guess so," he said uncertainly. Thinking back to that fateful night brought forth a tiny glimmer in the dark. "At least on the bright side, I won't have to deal with Brent anymore," he said with a smile.

Drake only gave a strangely knowing grin at that comment. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

He poked Jacob firmly in the chest. "I think some small part of you actually likes this change of scenery."

Jacob frowned. How could he suggest that he liked any of this? That was ridiculous! "Well, it's a really small part then because I certainly don't see it."

Drake rocked backward as he sucked in some air. "You know, I seem to recall a rather ingenious quote from a movie I once saw: 'the closer you look, the less you see.'" He turned those brilliant gold eyes back onto Jacob. "You can't see it because you're too close to the situation. You have to step back and look at the big picture."

"I've tried to look at the big picture and it doesn't change anything," said Jacob in frustration. "It's still just a huge clusterfuck. I'm just not seeing it."

"Then maybe you should open your eyes."

"..."

"Good talk." Another pat on the shoulder and Drake stood up to leave.

Jacob jumped up. "Wait! What should I do?"

Drake looked back, having paused just inches from the door. "Do? Have faith in yourself, Jacob. I can see the future, remember? I trust that you will make the right decisions. You've been doing well so far." With one last smile, he walked straight through the door, his form seeming to melt right into the wood, and vanished from sight.

....................................

It was shortly after nine o'clock in the evening when he, Gwen, and Nick headed to the club on Saturday night. Jacob sat in the passenger seat of their van wearing a pair of slim fit jeans and black button down. It blended in with the black fur he had settled on for the night and complimented his green eyes.

He looked into the mirror to see Nick staring at him. "What?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen you dress this casually." Nick himself had gone for a much more eccentric fur pattern. The white down his front was the same, but his normally orange fur had been replaced with a shocking violet. Gavin had made quite a fuss about his choice of appearance, but let him go after a lot of persuasion on the fox's part.

"I don't think I've ever seen you with purple fur," Jacob countered good-naturedly.

"I've always wanted to dye my fur," said Nick, running a paw through his groomed head fur. "I'm glad I finally got the chance, even if it's only for one night."

"Yeah, but purple?"

"Hey, we're going to a club! Live it up while you can, right?"

"I suppose so." Jacob looked down and examined his attire. "I still think we're a little underdressed, though."

"Well, we're not there to look pretty, are we?" Gwen shifted in her seat, her eyes scanning the road ahead of her. She had chosen to wear jeans with a fancy blouse. "Just do me a favor and don't get too rowdy, okay? I've actually put on makeup for once and I'd like to enjoy it while I can."

"Hey, is this thing still working?"

"Yeah, you're good, Ash," the wolf replied.

"Oh, good." Came the reply. " __It's been so long since I've gotten to use these properly."

"Ash, you've been testing them out all day." Nick replied, adjusting the microphone hidden underneath his collar. "I think you're a little too excited for your own good."

"You're one to talk, Nick."

"Alright, boys, we're here." Gwen parked the van and switched off the ignition. "Behave."

"Relax, I know what we're here for. I'll be fine," Nick said as he unfastened his seatbelt.

"You, I can handle. It's Jacob I'm worried about." Gwen continued talking before Jacob could protest. "Ash, Gav. You still with us?"

"Loud and clear, Gwen." Gavin's deep voice came through Jacob's earpiece. " __We're ready when you are."

"Alright, we're going in." Now speaking to the two males in the van, she said, "Let's go."

They exited the van and joined the line at the rather ordinary looking entrance to the nightclub. The words "The Silver Veil" glowed brightly above the entrance. The bouncer at the front let them in quickly, not spotting any inconsistencies in the fake IDs they had printed. Gavin had assured them that the IDs would be very convincing when he brought them back after a short trip away from the facility. It appeared he had been right.

Once they got into the building, Jacob was hit with a complete change of environment. They now stood in a wide open space illuminated by bright multicolored lights that swirled around the room. Music blasted out the speakers with the bass turned up high, countless furs dancing on the floor.

"Alright, now just blend in and keep an eye out," Gavin instructed. "Remember, any suspicious activity and you let us know before pursuing. Understood?"

"Got it," said Gwen. "Let's split up. We'll cover more ground that way." Without waiting for an answer, she moved away from the group and into the crowd.

Nick nudged him and nodded toward the bar. "Come on."

"Huh?" Jacob followed warily, unsure of the smirk crossing his friend's muzzle. They got to the bar and the fox started ordering drinks. "Nick, what are you doing?"

"Teaching you how to party." Nick offered him a fresh cold beer, but Jacob shook his head.

"I can't drink that. We've got an objective!" Jacob protested.

"Oh, come on. One drink won't hurt."

"Nick -"

"Gav, relax." Nick grinned as he took a large gulp from his bottle. "It's just one bottle."

"Nick, we can't -"

"Look, I bought it for you, so don't waste my money," said Nick. Somehow, he had already guzzled about half his bottle. The fox's eyes flickered over toward the dancefloor, eyeing the crowd in consideration. "Consider it part of staying undercover."

Jacob took the bottle uncertainly. "Alright. But just one. And remember the mission," he added in a quieter tone.

"Of course, but you need this. Lighten up and have a drink. I want you to enjoy your first party."

"Nick, this is hardly the time to -"

"Don't. Sweat it. Jake." Nick emphasized. "You haven't kicked back and relaxed in ages. This is your chance!" The fox drained the rest of his beer before moving over toward the dancefloor. Shouting over the music, he added, "Just have fun!"

"Nick!" It was too late. The fox had already disappeared into the crowd, leaving Jacob standing there alone. He chose a stool and sat awkwardly, watching the happenings around him. Directly in front of him was the dancefloor where countless furs appeared to be having the time of their lives. Some people stood off to the side like he was, sipping drinks or talking to their friends. Seating booths lined the outer area of the club wear people could relax and enjoy the atmosphere away from the commotion.

Jacob glanced at the bottle in his paw and sat it on the counter. He couldn't drink, not now. He had a job to do. But he couldn't just stand here all night, so he left the bar and moved into the crowd after his friend.

He never found Nick. It was near impossible to see anything through the crowd. Jacob twisted and squeezed through the sea of dancing furs, doing his best to make as little physical contact as possible; not that he was doing a very good job of it. No matter how hard he tried, he always found himself being compressed on all sides by oblivious furs, making it harder to move without bumping into someone. The wolf even felt someone tug on his tail at one point, but when he turned around to see who it was, the culprit was nowhere to be found.

It was too much. The noise, the lights, the unnerving amount of physical contact. It was just too much. Jacob fought his way out of the swarm and sat down at a booth. Looking around at all the commotion, Jacob couldn't imagine how Nick enjoyed doing this for hours at a time. He knew for certain now: clubbing was definitely not his thing.

"Oh! Excuse me sir, you're sitting at our table." Jacob glanced up to find a trio of friends staring back at him.

"I-I'm sorry," Jacob stammered. He made to get up, but was stopped when one of the strangers, a female lioness who looked about is age, suddenly lowered herself onto his lap. She had him effectively trapped in his chair under her weight.

"Well, aren't you handsome," she slurred. When he halfheartedly tried to push her off, she grabbed his thick bicep and gave it a squeeze. "Ooh, you're strong!"

"Diane! Come on, get off him!" Another lion, a male whose mane hadn't fully grown in yet, grabbed her and let her lean onto him. He looked at Jacob. "Sorry, that's my sister. She's had a little too much to drink."

"You think?" Jacob said rising from his seat. "It's okay, I understand. Just make sure she gets home safely, sir, and I won't hold anything against you."

The lion chuckled with his orca friend. "You sound like a police officer or something." He held out a paw. "Name's Darren, by the way."

"Justin," said Jacob, remembering the name on his fake ID. "And I am - was - a police officer. I served in Sanction before I recently retired. Old habits die hard, I guess."

"Ooh, he's a police officer, too!" The lioness, presumably Diane, reached out and felt up his chest. "Remind me to give you my number. I do like a man in uniform...but I guess this flimsy shirt will do."

"Diane, please!" Darren exclaimed, yanking her arm back. He gave Jacob an apologetic smile before returning to his sister. "You can't talk to a stranger like that!"

"Oh, come on, Darren!" Diane protested. "After being holed up in KazCorp all day, can you blame me for having a little fun?"

"You work at KazCorp?" Jacob inquired in interest.

"Mhmm." She trailed a finger down his chest. "Is there...anything else you'd like to know?"

"Yes, actually," said Jacob. This was a great opportunity. Some info on possible Sealbreaker business in KazCorp would be invaluable. And the fact that she was drunk meant he was more likely to get that information. He talked to Darren. "Do you mind if I ask your sister some questions?"

Darren looked taken aback. "Uh..."

"I'll bring her back safe, I promise," Jacob insisted. He raised his left hand. "Take it from a Sanction officer."

Darren was apprehensive, but relented after a moment of consideration. "Okay, fine. Five minutes, that's it.I expect her back here, or I come looking."

"Thank you," said Jacob gratefully. Diane squealed and hugged him, clearly using it as another excuse to feel him up. After he finally managed to peel her off him, she grabbed his paw and pulled him away toward back so quickly he almost tripped.

"H-hey wait!" He protested as he realized she was pulling him toward the ladies' room. "I can't go in -"

His protests were cut short as he suddenly found himself pressed against the wall with her lips pressed against his. He felt her paws creep around his body, one caressing his wide back and the other dipping further down to squeeze a firm ass cheek. Despite the urgency of the situation, Jacob found himself actually getting a bit riled up from her antics. He always liked it when someone explored his body like this, and this lioness was rather attractive even if she was drunk...

No. This wasn't the time. "D-Diane, I can't -"

"Shhh." The lioness pulled back just an inch, a finger against his lips and chocolate brown eyes gleaming. "Don't talk, just kiss me..."

She suddenly pulled him through the door to the ladies' room. They spun around to pin Jacob against the tile wall again, this time with the lioness leaning in to nibble seductively at his neck.

Jacob's paws rested at her hips, unsure of what to do with them. He desperately gasped out another plea. "Diane please, this isn't -"

Diane abruptly pulled back, her eyes suddenly very clear. "No, seriously. Stop talking."

Jacob frowned. "...what?"

The lioness let go of him and rushed toward the stalls in a very un-intoxicated fashion. She began knocking on each stall and checking inside when she didn't get a response.

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure we're alone."

His heart dropped. "Diane, we can't -"

"Relax, I'm not drunk. I was just pretending." She finished her search and walked up in front of him. "You're Jacob, right? You're with Legion."

Jacob stared at her in confusion. "...how do you know Le -?"

"Do you know Gwen?"

Jacob gaped. "I uh..."

"Give this to her." Diane pulled out a folded piece of paper and pushed it into his paws. "They're important. Don't look at them here. The Sealbreakers have eyes everywhere."

Jacob glanced between the paper in his paws and the lioness facing him. "Who are you?"

"A friend."

"...You don't actually work at KazCorp, do you?"

"No, I only said that to get you alone. Just listen," Diane urged him, speaking rapidly. "Whatever the Sealbreakers are planning, it's bigger than you think. Bigger than the Brands, even! This document proves it."

"But what's more important than the Brands?" Jacob inquired earnestly. "What could possibly be bigger than magic?"

"I don't know. But just be careful, okay? Whatever you find out at that meeting, keep this in mind."

"Of course," said Jacob. "You're not going to the meeting?"

"No, I'm only here to talk to you. And now that I have, I need to leave. Good luck." Diane moved toward the door and then stopped. "Oh, and uh...my real name's Melissa."

She handed him a slip of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. When Jacob looked at her in surprise, she smiled. "I wasn't joking about giving you my number. You should text me sometime." Before she left, she added, "Have a good evening." Melissa went through the door and left him standing there alone.

Jacob stared shocked at the phone number in his paw. But then realizing he was still in the women's restroom, pocketed both pieces of paper and left.

"Do I even want to know what you were doing in there?"

Jacob flinched in surprise at the sound. He had forgotten he still had the earpiece in. "Don't worry about it."

Jacob ventured back toward the lights and the music searching for Gwen or Nick. It didn't take long at all to find one of them. He soon found Gwen sitting at a table close to the bar. The wolf considered showing the papers to her, but decided against it. Melissa was right; it was too risky.

Sitting down, he greeted her. "Hey. You find anything?"

"Maybe," Gwen replied. She nodded toward the bar. "I've seen people going behind the counter. Not all the time, but frequently enough to warrant suspicion."

"Did you hear what they were saying?" Jacob inquired.

Gwen nodded. "They talk to the bartender and order a Bloody Mary with extra Mary. Then he lets them past."

"Extra Mary? What does that even mean?"

"Hell if I know. I didn't make it up." Gwen watched the patrons at the bar skeptically and then spoke again. "But I'll bet you anything that's where the meeting is taking place. Call Nick. I'm going in."

Jacob nodded as she got up and approached the bar. He pulled out his phone and called Nick. It took him a while to answer his phone. In fact, Jacob had to call him again before he finally picked up.

"Sup Jake? How's it goin'?" Nick's slurred voice sounded through the speaker.

Jacob frowned. "Nick, how much have you had to drink?"

Nick was silent for a moment. "...Umm..."

"Never mind. I'll call you later." Jacob almost hung up before Nick started speaking again.

"No, wait! It - it's about the mission right?" The fox stammered, suddenly no longer slurring. "What's going on? Where are they?"

Jacob hesitated before answering. "Just meet us at the bar," he said before hanging up.

Looking back toward the bar, Gwen had vanished. She must have gotten through. He began to follow after her when Gavin spoke up.

"Actually Nick, forget it. The room they're meeting in has a window. We need you to be our hawk in case anything goes wrong. Go around back."

"Alright, I'm on my way."

As he approached the counter, the bartender, a grouchy-looking leopard, glanced up at him questioningly while wiping a glass.

"I'd like a Bloody Mary," said Jacob, trying to appear nonchalant about it. "With extra Mary."

The leopard gave a small jerk of his head toward the door behind him and went along his own business. The wolf calmly and quietly made his way behind the counter and through the door. He now found himself in what appeared to be a storage room. Stacks of boxes and shelves full of bottles lined the pale off-white walls. There was a single, small window on the far wall which exposed the dark sky outside.

That wasn't what immediately caught his attention though. A table had been set up in the center of the room and about ten furs sat around it, including Gwen. Some were preoccupied with their phones; others simply stared idly into space. Among them was a familiar coyote, who glanced up at him when he entered. Their eyes met, and the coyote grinned.

"Well, hello there," the coyote said, standing up to shake his paw. "Had a feelin' I'd be seein' you again."

"Yeah, umm," Jacob hesitated, trying to ignore Gwen's skeptic gaze. "I guess I can't really say the same to you - er -"

"Hunter," the coyote said with that same crooked grin. "It is a small world after all. And what do I call you?"

"Ja - Justin," the wolf said, thinking quickly.

"Well, Justin," Hunter replied. "I dunno how long you been with us, but no matter...welcome to the team." He finished with a hearty pat on the wolf's back.

"Alright, I think we've waited long enough." A cheetah at the end of the table spoke up. "Let's get down to business."

"Okay everyone, this is it," Gavin sounded through the earpiece. "Pay very close attention to everything that goes on. Nick, are you in place?"

"Nearly."

"Hurry up."

Jacob strode over to the table and took a seat next to Gwen, still avoiding her eyes.

"Okay, first things first," the cheetah began. "How's the progress on Project 47?"

A horse to Jacob's right cleared his throat before speaking. "It's a little rocky at the moment, but we think it's time to move forward. We're ready to begin the first field test with the boss' permission."

The cheetah nodded. "What do you have in mind?"

"We've managed to create a crystallized version of Ultium serum," the horse explained. "We're thinking about setting up at the local mall and planting a representative at the food court. We'll have him sprinkle some onto a customer's food disguised as salt."

The cheetah looked surprised. "Impressive. You think it'll work?"

The horse shrugged. "It should. Of course, the effects may vary depending on the Generation of the Brand, but we can work with that."

"When do you plan on doing this?"

"We're thinking next Friday. Again, it depends on what the boss says."

"Field test? What's Project 47? This is huge! Sly, are you writing this down?"

"Alright, I'll go ahead and put it in the logs," the cheetah replied. "Be sure to notify me if your plans change at all. Now, we need to discuss funding for future developments -"

"Hang on," Hunter raised a paw, sitting further down the table. "Are we not going to talk about the project underway in Mortaelis?"

Mortaelis? Now that was interesting. Mortaelis was an abandoned city quite far away from Juniper Hill. The place was ancient; one of the oldest cities in the country. What could the Sealbreakers be doing there? Why run a project there, where there were no clients to sell to?

"Mortaelis isn't a priority at the moment," said the cheetah. "Besides, the boss specifically told us not to worry about it. Another division is handling it for the time being." Flipping through his notes, he began again. "Anyway, as far as funding goes, I think it's safe to say we're going to need more support for the next few projects..."

As they discussed finances, Jacob continued to wonder about their business in Mortaelis. How could they possibly benefit from setting up a base there? Surely someone would have noticed if people had started living there. But even then, what could they pull off in Mortaelis that they couldn't manage anywhere else?

"Guys, you've got trouble incoming," Ash said abruptly. "Nick, get ready."

Suddenly on the alert, Jacob quickly glanced around the room with just his eyes, surveying for danger. He could hear people shouting back near the bar and they seemed to be getting closer. Soon the door swung open and a very angry-looking bear and a panther stormed into the room.

The cheetah stood up abruptly. "What is the meaning of this interruption?!"

"That dumb guy at the bar wouldn't let us in!" The bear shouted furiously. "We gave him the password and everything!"

The bartender barged in through the doorway. "I was told to let ten people in! After that wolf got through, I'm not granting access to anyone else!" he said, pointing at Jacob.

"Twelve people? We're only supposed to have ten." The cheetah froze, eyeing the room suspiciously. "Two of us shouldn't be here..."

"Have you got the roster?" Hunter asked, getting up out of his chair.

"Yeah, it's saved on my phone," the cheetah replied, pulling out his phone. "Hunter, don't let anyone out of the room."

" __Gwen, Jake,"_Nick said urgently. _"Keep your heads down and be ready to run."

Jacob rested his head in his arms, slouching over the table and trying to look bored. He jumped when he heard the window shatter with a deafening crash, followed by a strong gust of swirling wind that rustled his fur. Shouts and yelps of surprise ensued as everyone was thrown off balance. There was a loud thump as something collided with the table. Glancing down, he saw the cheetah lying on the floor groaning in pain and holding his head. Everyone else in the room sprang into action, assuming various fighting stances. Jacob did the same, backing himself up against a wall with Gwen beside him.

"You're Legion, aren't you?" A wolf snarled. "We should've known!"

"Your boss isn't going to be happy," Gwen taunted. She had assumed a casual stance, seemingly unperturbed by the nine angry furs facing them. "If you know what's good for you, you'll let us out of here with no trouble."

The bear from earlier snorted. "And why would we do that?"

"Because you won't win if you don't." Gwen answered with ease. "If you fight us, you won't live. Besting us in combat is out of the question, especially when we've got backup. You should know that by now."

"Oh, that's just fine," said the wolf, smirking. "The boss wants you alive anyway."

Jacob opened his mouth to retort, but didn't get his chance. With a small whistle, another gust of wind came from the window to knock the wolf backward. He hit the wall hard and collapsed onto the floor lying still.

Gwen struck out suddenly, delivering a swift punch to a nearby Sealbreaker's throat, following up quickly with a knee to the groin and a strike to the back of the neck, dropping him to the floor in just a couple seconds. She then spun around crouched low to the floor with a sweeping kick that tripped two others. They quickly rolled to their feet though, looking even more angry.

Jacob in the meantime was dealing with his own share of combatants. The bear and horse he was facing attacked viciously, throwing various swings and punches his way. Jacob had to duck the occasional fireball from the bear and the horse was relying mostly on brute force instead of using his powers. A good choice actually, lest he bring the entire building down with his Earth Brand. This was where Jacob had the advantage though. Jacob used his favorite trick as water burst once again from the walls and swirled around his opponents' feet. The water froze them in place, allowing Jacob to summon two ice spikes that rose from the ground to pierce through their backs. They cried out in pain and slumped onto the spikes that held them up. Jacob dashed past their limp forms to join the rest of the fray.

"Jacob, duck!" Gwen shouted suddenly.

Whirling around, he spotted a cat crouching in a corner of the room, charging a ball of glowing red energy between his paws. His eyes were locked on Jacob, ready to fire.

Jacob ducked low to the ground narrowly avoiding the bright red beam that shot over his head. The beam hit the front wall, completely demolishing it in an explosion of sparks and smoke. Loud screams and shouts could now be heard from the main room.

"Get out of there now!" Gavin barked."There's too many of them!"

Eyes tightly shut and trying to fan away the smoke, Jacob stepped through the gap and into the main area of the club. It was chaos; patrons were running everywhere, trying to escape the incident.

Jacob made a beeline for the exit, but was tripped by someone behind him. Rolling over, he found himself staring up at the bartender.

"The boss will be delighted when I take you in," he grinned, making a few gestures with his paws. A long stream of water rose up and curled around his body in a snakelike fashion.

The leopard was interrupted by Gwen latching onto him from behind, attempting to choke him. He struggled for a moment and then elbowed her hard in the ribs, breaking her hold. He spun around and aimed a fist at her muzzle, which she blocked easily. He tried to swing at her but she backflipped swiftly away from his attack. Gwen gracefully rolled backward onto one knee, seized a bottle on the counter behind her, and sent it spinning toward the leopard. The bottle hit him square in between the eyes and he collapsed.

Gwen got up and offered him her paw.

"Thanks," Jacob said as she helped him up. "You have got to teach me how to fight like that."

"I've been trying," Gwen muttered dryly.

"Guys, you really need to get out of there right now!" Ash warned. "They've called for backup!"

Three Sealbreakers now emerged from the destroyed room. Jacob quickly assessed the Brands that they were dealing with: from the looks of it, a Light, a Star, and a Lightning. And a Fire, counting Hunter. Glancing around, however, Hunter was nowhere to be seen.

A panther cracked her knuckles, her paws crackling with electricity.

"And just where do you think you're going?" She grinned, before sending an arc of lightning toward Gwen.

Gwen yelped as it made contact. Jacob summoned another ice spike, but the panther hopped out of the way while the other two advanced. Out of nowhere, the Sealbreakers got knocked back by some unseen force, severely throwing off their balance. Jacob looked behind him; Nick stood at the entrance, preparing to release another gust of wind.

"Come on, let's go!" The fox exclaimed. "They'll be here any minute!"

Jacob turned and pulled Gwen to her feet before racing towards the exit.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," she responded, rubbing her arm. "Mind the door, would you?"

Jacob nodded and ripped more water from the pipes in the walls, allowing it to collect near the doorway. Once they had exited the building, he formed a wall of water against the opening and froze it, leaving a thick layer of ice blocking anyone else's way out.

His ice wall didn't last long, though; before long the wall exploded into icy shards, allowing the Sealbreakers to pursue them.

"Never mind what the boss says. You're not getting out of here alive!" The panther growled, arcs of electricity curling around both her paws. The three furs tensed in anticipation of the strike, but it never came. The panther's eyes locked on something behind them and she paled. "Shit," she spat, backing away.

Jacob followed her gaze to see several police cruisers pulling up by the sidewalk. Many people dressed in black Sanction uniforms got out and ran toward them.

"The police are here. Get out of there you three, now!" Gavin barked. "Don't even fight, just go!"

"You heard him, move it!" Gwen ordered, the three furs making a beeline for the van.

Most of the officers seemed preoccupied with the Sealbreakers and frightened patrons. Nick managed to keep their pursuers away with periodic gusts of wind that blew them backward. Without a word, Gwen and Nick climbed into the van. Jacob made to go around to the passenger side, but the ground suddenly lurched underneath him, sending him onto his stomach. He scrambled hurriedly to his feet to find someone standing in front of him.

It was Brent McAllister, dressed in that familiar black Sanction uniform. The German Shepherd wore bulletproof body armor and stood with eyes narrowed in determination. And he had a gun pointed straight at the wolf's head.

"Brent!" Jacob said in surprise.

"Hands above your head!" Brent shouted.

His heart dropped. "Brent, it's me -"

"I said hands above your head!" Brent repeated, his grip tightening on the gun.

Jacob reluctantly raised his paws. "Brent, please -"

"Shut up!" The dog came closer, reaching out to grab his paws. "Nothing you say will get you out of this! You're under arrest - hey!"

Jacob had quickly reached one paw toward his collar and with a click, his disguise melted away, returning his appearance to its natural state. Brent jerked back, blinking.

"...Jake?"

"It's me," Jacob breathed.

Brent studied him skeptically. His grip on his gun was trembling. "W-what -"

"It's just me!" Jacob insisted. "You know me!"

"I should've known you were involved," said Brent. "You killed those two doctors at the hospital." He nodded when the wolf's eyes widened in shock. "Yeah, I know about that. They showed us the report."

"Brent, please listen," pleaded Jacob. "Whatever they told you, it's not true -"

"Oh yeah?!" Brent boomed. The gun was still trembling. "So you didn't kill those people then? You didn't eavesdrop on a classified meeting and run when they tried to fire you? You didn't kill an entire fucking squad of officers in order to get away?!"

"I...I..." Jacob didn't know what to say. What could he say to that? All of those accusations were technically true, though he wasn't about to tell that to Brent.

"That's what I thought." The dog's grip tightened suddenly and the gun stopped trembling. "We may know each other, but that doesn't give you a free pass. You're not getting away with this -"

ZZZAAP!

Brent yelped in pain, dropped his gun as he clutched his head. A paw holding a glass beer bottle smashed down on the back of the dog's head and he crumpled unconscious. Jacob looked up in bewilderment to see Gwen standing there.

"What was that for?!"

"He was going to shoot you," remarked Gwen.

"I had it under control!"

"I could tell," said Gwen sarcastically. She stooped down and grabbed Brent's shoulders. "Help me carry him."

"Why?"

"Because he's coming with us!" Gwen snapped. "Since you foolishly took off your disguise, he knows you're with us!"

Jacob countered, "Who doesn't at this point?!"

"Just help me!"

Together they managed to carry Brent, despite his weight, and deposit him into the van. They quickly climbed into their seats and began their escape. Nick used his wind magic to keep the officers away while they raced out onto the street and beyond their view of the club.

"You two alright?" said Jacob as they drove.

"We're okay," said Nick. He was slurring again, but not as much as before. "Just don't expect much from me for a bit. I'm still drunk."

"Yeah, about that," Gwen retorted, giving him a sideways glance. "Never do that again. Gavin's going to be pissed."

"Gavin will get over it." Nick pulled the lever so that he could recline in his seat. "We got what we wanted, didn't we?"

"And we would've gotten a lot more had you not gone and gotten yourself wasted!"

"He couldn't have gotten in anyway," said Jacob. "They knew exactly how many people were supposed to attend, so they wouldn't have let him in."

"Sure..." Gwen didn't seem to want to let Nick's transgressions go.

"Gwen, listen," said Jacob, remembering the folded document in his pocket. "Do you know a Melissa?"

"I've known a few Melissas," Gwen replied without looking away from the road. "You'll have to be more specific."

"Um...a lioness?"

Gwen shrugged. "I was friends with a lioness called Melissa in high school. Why?"

"She found me at the club. And she gave me something I think you'll want to see..."

....................

"They're taking live test subjects for their experiments?!" Sly exclaimed back at the hideout. "I knew KazCorp could go to great lengths to get what they want, but this is..."

"Looks like it," said Gwen. "And it looks like they've been doing this for quite a while." She held up the document. "What Melissa gave Jacob was a report with details on the results. Patient 132, it said. That's one hundred thirty-two people dead. And that's just in Juniper Hill!"

"Speaking of which, who is Melissa anyway? And how did she get that report in the first place?" Ashton wondered. "How can we be sure she's on our side?"

"Well, she did help us..." Jacob trailed off. Even now, he wasn't sure what her intentions were. The number she had given him could have burned a hole in his pocket as he contemplated.

"As much as I want to trust one of Gwen's friends, I don't," said Gavin. "Not yet anyway. However, I should give her credit for giving us the only good thing that's come out of this mission..."

"Hey, it's not all bad," Nick said, handing over his earpiece and microphone. "We know they're doing something at the mall next week."

Jacob decided to jump in. "Yeah, and they're also planning something at Mortaelis. That's definitely something we didn't expect."

Gavin dragged a paw down his face, suddenly looking exhausted. "Okay, so it wasn't a total bust. We still need to work on our planning, though. Good work everyone. Go get some rest." As they began to leave, Gavin spoke up again. "Nick, stay here. I need to have a word with you," he said with a slight growl in his voice.

"What about Brent? The Sanction officer we brought with us?" Jacob inquired. As much as he disliked the guy, he wanted to make sure he'd be okay...

Gavin shrugged noncommittally. "Well, he'll wake up any minute now. And when he does...I'll welcome him to the team."