Viral Attack: Desperate Times
Commission for bolshevictor
Outliner had a lot of words for Top Dog: egotistical, controlling, narcissistic, perverted...but 'criminal' was never one of them.
"Please tell me you're joking." The deer mused, idly lounging on his rigid metal bed, a vibrant laser grid sitting between them to keep him at bay.
"Afraid not," The Rottweiler stated. "Though it's not much of a breakout, as such...just a few phone calls here, a few places words there, and it's easy for them to let you out for a while. You can call it 'conditional work release', if you like."
Top Dog, in his relatively cheesy spandex suit and pants, folded his arms and observed Fang Wu, formerly known as Eracervine, from across the room. He knew he couldn't enter into the room, and he also knew that Eracervine couldn't get out. It wasn't that he was afraid of that-- rather, he was calculating the way he was going to break the deer out entirely.
"Then why, pray tell, would you even consider it? I'm sure you know what I'm in here for. You've clearly done your homework." Fang's gaze once again flicked to Joey, then back to the Rottweiler, who offered him nothing but a small smile.
"There are bigger things in this world then a few petty crimes."
"I'd hardly call them petty."
"I would, when the entirety of the city is at stake, and we need someone with the expertise to deal with it." Top Dog countered flawlessly, and the deer narrowed his eyes, unsure how to feel about the situation. He didn't want to leave-- not because he felt as if he were incapable of being a hero, or (god forbid) he found his little cell 'cosy', but it was Wind Rider who came to the forefront of his mind. That avian had risked his entire career and the community he lived in to put his boyfriend of several years in jail. That took a great deal of commitment, and Fang wanted to respect that, even if he didn't agree with being in here in the first place.
"I can't. Javier would..." Fang tailed off and Top Dog wrinkled his nose, a brief crease of annoyance crossing his face, before he smoothed it over.
"I'll speak to Javier, but I'm afraid we can't dawdle," The Rottweiler insisted, turning from the cell. "You two, stay here."
Wayne glared at Top Dog as he sauntered off, heading down the hallway to likely speak to one of the guardsman, of even the warden himself. The pig's face soured considerably as he thought about the implications of Top Dog's tomfoolery. He had let him get away with a lot of shit. Blackmail had already put Top Dog in Outliner's shit list, but Hank had him by the balls-- in fact, he had a lot of other heroes around Langris City by the balls. Outliner couldn't say how Top Dog was so on top of everything, but his manipulative ways were beginning to get to him a little bit. It was bad enough that he had brought a ticking time bomb to an interrogation, but it was Joey he was most concerned for.
The rat might have looked fine on the outside, but Wayne knew he could scared-- he could see it on the boy's face every so often, saw the fear in his eyes and the brief expression of worry when he thought no-one was looking. Joey was far too mature for his age, had seen too much brutal injury, too much death to be just an ordinary kid anymore, though he arguably wasn't to begin with. But what Top Dog had done to him...to Outliner, that was inexcusable. He had tossed Joey into the deep, dark waters of sexual depravity and now the kid, who wasn't even into his teenage years, spent most of his time thinking about sex and employing it into every applicable scenario. The interrogation from before was clear proof of that.
"Restorative Rodent, is it?" A voice sounded across the room and Wayne turned his attention to the deer who sat leisurely on the metal bed behind the laser grid. Joey focused his attention on the man as well and nodded, adjusting his tight jumpsuit.
"What's your power, boy?" Fang asked in a soft tone, but there was a clear authority in the way he spoke.
"Um, healing, sir," Joey said, though he figured it must be obvious. "My body emits a healing aura."
"That's quite a marvellous power," Fang remarked. "I think you'll go quite far in this line of work, if you build up your fundamentals. Tell me, is Justice University still around?"
"They pulled back on the hero programme not too long after your incarceration," Wayne chimed in. "They figured it wasn't wise to let just anyone into the university's Hero programme now. There's a vetting process."
"Mmm...so much has changed in 10 years," Fang grimaced a little, before turning to Joey again. "Tell me, why are you with that insufferable Rottweiler?"
Joey gritted his teeth. Top Dog was his mentor. He wanted to protect him, even if people said it was wrong. Outliner wasn't the first one to express his discomfort at Top Dog being so close to him: his own parents had remarked about how intimate Top Dog was with Joey's affairs.
"He's my mentor. He's teaching me to be a hero." Joey replied, albeit with a certain degree of irritation in his tone.
"Forgive me," Fang replied softly. "I don't mean any offence. I was just curious."
It was a lie-- he meant every offence. Top Dog wasn't a man to be trifled with. Even within the walls of pandemonium, Fang had heard whispers of Top Dog's deeds, had heard tales from his own boyfriend who visited regularly. Top Dog was a manipulative man who stood at the pinnacle of all hero-dom. He didn't just scare heroes, but civilians and officials, too, who all seemed to think he was far more dangerous than he let on. Fang was beginning to believe them, considering the audacity of Top Dog's claims that day.
Before they could continue their awkward conversation any further, Top Dog returned with several armed guards behind him. He returned to his position beside Outliner and Joey, and they watched as one of the guardsman went over and used a thumbprint to deactivate the fence. Originally, Eracervine's incarceration had brought with it a whole wave of knew tools to keep at him bay. To start with, he'd been suspended in a tiny cell with a laser grid beneath him. In the event he could somehow survive the lasers, the fall would kill him: it was all cleverly designed to give him no way out. His many years of complacency, however, had afforded him the luxury of more lenient imprisonment methods, eventually resorting to just a simple grid to keep him in the cell. All it took was one thumbprint to deactivate it.
"You're free to go, Fang Wu, under the express condition that you remain with Top Dog at all times," One of the guards spoke, his helmet by his waist, his wolf features creased into a serious look. "For the safety of others, we are implanting a tracking chip into your arm."
Fang stepped up towards the deactived grid and the captain of the guard held out his gloved hand. Fang placed his arm in the man's grip and the wolf twisted his wrist to face upwards. He retrieved a large tool and prodded it into the deer's skin, injecting him with the device.
"If, at any time, the tracker deactivates or doesn't pick up a signal, we will hunt you down. Depending on the circumstances, we will not grant you any mercy. understood?" The captain stared into Fang's eyes and the deer sighed through his nose.
"Yes, captain." He assured him, and the man relaxed, if only a little. He briefly nodded to Top Dog and gestured to his men, who readied themselves. With a quick gestured, the group followed the armed men back towards the entrance of the prison.
Fang wondered why it had been so easy, but he could only assume it was Top Dog's manipulative ways that he afforded him such an easy escape. That, however, didn't concern him as much as what Javier might think. All the times they had talked, they had spoken about how much they missed each other, but neither of them had really said whether they wanted him to be there or not. Javier had never explicitly said he wanted Fang to leave the prison. He had just taken it as something that was inevitable.
"Would you mind telling me why you broke me out of prison?" Fang demanded quietly, barely above a whisper, and Top Dog turned his head to observe him out the corner of his eye.
"Have you kept up with the news?" The rottweiler asked.
"Somewhat. There was a terrorist attack throughout various parts of Langris City." Fang replied.
"Yes," The canine continued. "And I'm afraid it doesn't end there. They might attack again, and many are still badly afflicted with whatever chemical virus was in the air around the areas they targeted. Like I said, we need your expertise."
"I see," Fang caught on rather quickly. "You need my power to extract the virus from the victims. So, busywork, basically."
"Are you above saving many lives?" Top Dog countered, and Fang fell into a silence. No, he was not above it. In fact, he was happy to be useful, though he couldn't escape that gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach, the guilt of 'breaking out' of prison looming over him, though it wasn't even that-- if anything, it could be best referred to as a 'work release'.
As they stepped out into the cold night air, Top Dog gestured them towards the car, reaching into the pocket of his tight suit to retrieve a smartphone.
"You guys meet up at the HQ. I need to pick up a few things from my office before we get started." Hank informed them, and Joey didn't hesitate to start making his way to the car, Outliner quickly in tow. It was clear that Wayne didn't want to have to linger for too long. Fang, however, briefly hesitated as Top Dog brought the phone to his ear.
"What're you going to be about Javier?" He asked him, and the rottweiler glanced at the deer from the corner of his eye.
"He'll show up soon enough. When he does, I'll talk some sense into him," He replied. "I'm sure even someone as morally righteous as Wind Rider will see the bigger picture in this instance."
Fang hoped he was right. He strode towards the car as the line clicked and he was put through.
"Clear my schedule for the evening. I have matters to attend to."
x x x
It was a mere boat ride and a 20 minute drive through the city until Hank finally reached his office complex in the heart of Langris City, and by the time he'd taken the elevator to the upper floors, he knew something was afoot. If the ajar door to his office wasn't already a dead giveaway to an uninvited guest, their clear thoughts that swam through the air and directly into Hank's brain would have sealed the deal. Before he even opened the door, he knew who was there.
He didn't hesitate, nor did he linger. After all, this was his office. He pushed the door open and strode inside, greeted to the sight of Javier Mendoza, known to many as Wind Rider, standing by the cieling high windows on the far side of the room, overlooking Langris city.
"Hank," Javier spoke the man's true name instantly, and Top Dog felt a brief, unexpected shiver run down his spine. "Do you know how many innocent children are in this city?"
"I'd have to hazard at perhaps 5 or 6 figures at the most." Top Dog replied nonchalantly, ignoring Javier as he moved across the room towards his desk, sinking into the seat behind it and pulling his laptop open. He stuffed a USB drive into the side and began to tap away.
"And how many of those do you thing get sexually abused before they turn 18? On average? Surely you have a ballpark figure, considering you add to those numbers."
The venom in Javier's voice was obvious, to the point where Top Dog almost felt a modicum of offense from his words. His fingers hesitated and hovered over the keys as the avian turned, staring him dead in the eyes with his sharp, piercing gaze. Hank could tell by the way the avian's beak was creased into an angry grimace that he wasn't happy in the slightest.
"If you want to fling insults, Wind Rider, there is a bar down the road from this building." Top Dog retorted, and his little jab seemed to have angered the normally kind-tempered avian, who stepped forwards and hiked a talon up onto the table. If that wasn't a clear show of his delinquency, the way his toes dug into the mahogany surface-- and deliberately scratched it with his claws-- was it.
"Don't play games, Hank," Wind Rider replied angrily. "What the hell are you thinking, letting Fang out of jail? He's not fit to be a hero, not yet. He's not even fully repented for what he did 5 years ago."
"As empathetic I am to your righteous streak, and your need for those you care about to atone," Top Dog replied, turning his head slowly to meet Javier's gaze. "There are bigger things than a traumatised child."
"You..." The avian ground his teeth together in an attempt to come up with a fitting rebuttal. "You're meant to be a hero. What you just said is practically the opposite of that."
"Yes, I'm a hero. Sometimes, heroes like you and me have to make the hard decision," Top Dog rose, striding across the room towards the window whilst Javier stood by the desk, silently fuming. "Let me give you an example. You are standing by a set of railroad tracks, a lever in front of you. The track splits in two directions: on one is a single man, and on the other, 5 other men. A train is headed straight down the track, unable to stop, but you have the chance to switch to lever to the other track. Do you condemn the life of one, or 5?"
"This old experiment again? They taught us that back at the hero academy," Wind Rider scoffed. "The answer is that there's no right answer. As heroes, we cannot make that call, we can only save who we can."
"Wrong," Top Dog turned. "The answer is always that the lives of many always outweigh the lives of a few. This dilemma has hindered heroes for far too long, and it's about time the majority of them saw the bigger picture."
"You can spout your objective nonsense all you want, but you don't even consider the potential those people have," Javier countered. "What is that one man was an important rights activist who could change the world? Or someone you love? Or even just a child, who won't even get to have a future if you choose to sacrifice him? What if the 5 people on the track are criminals, and by saving them you endanger the lives of hundreds of other people? The only dilemma here is that there's too many variables."
"You make a solid counter argument, but the fact of the matter, in this scenario, is that you cannot know," Top Dog replied. "You don't know who these people are, so you have to take an objective stance. Fang Wu is an individual who can save the lives of so many with hos power. Whilst it might sound immoral, the potential for harm for a small few is nothing but a passing thought. It pales in comparison to the amount of lives he might be able to save."
"You..." Wind Rider knew he was right, on some sort of level. Not only that, but he wanted to see Fang, almost desperately. To be able to hold him again would be...well, a dream come true. But it was a dream he had buried long ago, when he turned Fang in to the authorities. He was sworn off the possibility of even loving again when he put the love of his life away.
"I empathise, Javier. I really, really do," Top Dog insisted, taking a different tact. "If there were any other way, I wouldn't have considered the notion. We are a small, close-knit community-- I would be unjust to betray some of our ranks, I know. But it is necessary, for the good of Langris City."
"You've always been good at spinning words, Hank," Javier remarked sourly. "I'm not as stupid or as pliable as a child. Don't think I know you have Joey under your thumb, and you plan to do the same to anyone else who works with you."
Hank's expression darkened. He didn't like being called out like this-- it irritated him, but it also disappointed him. He liked to think that heroes were above petty squabbles of manipulation. He felt like no-one could truly see the bigger picture of this world like he could. It was as if heroes were so hell-bent on tiny, minute details that they wouldn't even see the moon crashing down upon them.
"Do I need to remind you that you also fall under that little catergory of 'sexually abusing a child'?" Top Dog pointed out, stepping forwards, letting his temper get the best of him. "I'm sure Fang would love to know his boyfriend of 10 years has decided to join in on his fetish as well."
"Don't make me hit you, Hank," Wind Rider shook on the spot from anger. "Because I sure as shit will fucking hit you if you carry on like this."
"Hit me all you want," Top Dog muttered darkly. "But the fact of the matter is that I want Langris City to stay standing by the end of this. You can either lend a hand, or go cry in a corner whilst we deal with everything. Do you want to be a hero or not?"
Javier and Top Dog shared something of a staring content for the better part of a minute or so whilst Javier churned over the odds in his mind. He was angry. Much like every other time Javier-- or anyone else, for that matter-- had let their guard down, Top Dog had always swooped in to manipulate them. Whether it through coercion or pliable tactics, or straight up blackmail and threatening, he always had a way to mess with things.
"If you implicate me, you'll go down for it too. I can get Joey to back me up." Javier spoke through gritted teeth.
"And how do you think that'll work out for you? Or Joey, for that matter? Let's consider the scenario: I'm Joey's mentor, and he trusts me implicitly with every action I take. I'm training him to be a hero, so he's indebted to me-- Oh, and trust me, I do intend to make good on that promise. I'm fond of Joey. I don't want him to get hurt," Top Dog spoke. "But let's consider you trying to get him onto your side. Do you think that he'll just roll over and help you instead of me?"
"You bastard. You had this planned all along..."
"But then, let's consider that he just might," Top Dog continued. "If we run through that little scenario and I'm inevitably jailed for whatever crimes you think I've committed, how do you think that'll impact Joey's career as a hero? Everyone will see him as a pity case. A victim. He'll never be able to take on serious work, because people think they have to handle him delicately. He'll go back to being a normal kid, and his life will be over."
"At least he'll have a life away from you." Javier spat out.
"Yes..." Top Dog mused quietly, taking a step back, feeling a trace of a smirk on his lips. "And he'll be miserable."
Javier's face fell at the sheer smug attitude that Top Dog exuded. He knew it was over. He had nowhere to turn, nowhere to run and hide. He couldn't even fight back against his man. He had no other alternative but to work for him. As he hung his head, Top Dog sighed and patted the avian's shoulder.
"You just have to put your faith in me, Wind Rider," Hank assured him. "And it'll all work out. Now, don't you want to go and give your boyfriend a hug?"
x x x
In the underground facility of the partially destroyed, once inconspicuous building that Top Dog liked to refer to as his 'HQ', that group had gotten settled. Joey had opted to briefly rest in one of the spare offices for a little while as Outliner skulked by the door, hunched over a tiny phone that he tapped away on with his wedged fingers. Fang lounged on what had the be the comfiest couch in his life, but maybe he had just been so used to the metal bed from his cell. The deer cast his gaze across the room towards one of the offices, were he could see a raccoon hunched over a computer.
"Hey," He called over to Outliner, before jabbing his thumb in the direction of an office. "Who's that?"
"Frey Ivankov," Wayne grunted in response. "Some scientist that Top Dog picked up."
"Ivankov..." Fang murmured. Frey was clearly not the man's first name. His surname was Russian in descent, so he would have expected his forename to be the same. Regardless, he certainly looked like Top Dog's type, given the raccoon's lithe features and flicking tail, if the rumours were anything to go by.
"Where's that boy who was with you?" Fang enquired, and Wayne visibly tensed at his question.
"He's sleeping. Don't disturb him." Wayne grunted, and Fang wasn't a fool-- he could sense the thinly veiled hostility in the man's tone. It was clear that Outliner was more than aware of Fang's past, and wanted to keep Joey away from it as much as possible. Before Fang had a chance to offer a rebuttal, however, Top Dog walked into the room through the small hallway that served as the entrance. With him came someone that Fang hadn't expected the see.
Wind Rider stood across the room from him, and Fang slowly rose from his seat. The two of them stared at one-another, either of them unsure what to say. It wasn't as if they hadn't seen each other in a while-- Javier had visited only a week or so ago. This, however, was in a much different situation. They hesitated, before Fang inevitably made the first move. He cross the room and paused in front of Wind Rider, unsure whether to touch him or not. He could see the disappointment in the avian's eyes.
Javier, however, reached out and curled his feathers around Fang's waist, pulling him in. The deer wrapped his arms around the avian's neck and the two of them embraced, their breathing shaky. It had been so long since they'd been able to touch one-another. Their bodies felt as warm as ever. Thankfully, at Pandemonium, the inmates were cleaned regularly, so Fang smelt delightfully...nostalgic. Top Dog glanced at them out the corner of his eye, before he strode across the room and into the quiet, empty office where Joey was resting.
The kid had been through a lot. Top Dog looked down at him and sighed, crouching down and draping a nearby blanket over him as the rat boy snoozed along the length of the couch. He wasn't lying to Wind Rider when he'd said that he cared for Joey. He wanted him to be safe. That last interrogation had been a close call, of sorts-- he didn't want to put Joey in harms way like that again. Luckily, he had a plan to iron it all out.
"I can't believe you're here," Javier pulled himself back to look up at Fang's face, searching his gaze. "Though, that asshole of a rottweiler made is abundantly clear why he got you out of prison."
"...Yeah," Fang lowered his gaze. "When all's said and done and this is over, I'll hand myself in again. I'll let the justice system decide if I deserve to stay in the outside world or not."
The avian opened his beak to speak, before he closed it again. Fang was right, and Wind Rider knew it, but he couldn't help but feel just a little bit selfish. Fang seemed to sense that conflict within him, and he lowered his hands to stroke along the avian's hips.
"Why don't we go somewhere more private?" Fang suggested, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's been so long."
Javier couldn't help but giggle, and the two of them retreated back towards the hallway that lead into the main office area. There were a series of other doors, of course, and most of them were used for storage. They picked the nearest one and stepped inside, closing the door behind them.
In the dark, they fumbled with each other, unable to keep their hands off of one-another's bodies. Fang reached up to dexterously pop the buttons of Javier's chest, letting it part along his chest, and he ran his hands hungrily up his boyfriend's chest, roaming across his vibrant plumage. Javier shivered beneath him and dipped his head forwards, nibbling against the deer's neck.
"Let's get you out of these shabby overalls." Javier suggested, deftly cocking a leg up and balancing on a talon as he used his other foot to hook around the elastic waistband of the dull grey prison uniform, tugging it down to reveal Fang's naked member beneath. Knowing it would be a challenge for Javier to try and undress him fully, Fang reached down and pulled his top over his head, tossing it to the side. He stepped out of the pants and stood in the nude, with Javier silently admiring him, those wings tracing over his side.
"I've missed you." Javier sighed wistfully, sinking in against him.
"Not as much as I've missed you," Fang assured him, his hands sliding down Javier's body, his thumbs tucking into the avian's shorts and slipping them down over his rump. "Make love to me."
Javier didn't need to be told twice. He pushed Fang forwards, forcing him up against the cold metal shelves that seemed to house a multitude of boxes, and his beak roamed, casually licking and nibbling the deer's fur. The deer's hands greedily moved down to Javier's cheeks and he squeezed them gently in his fingers, groaning under his breath as his slowly hardening cock prodded and probed against the avian's thigh. The bird's pants slipped over his turkey-like upper thighs and dropped to the floor, and his own erection pulsed between them, a clear sign of how much he needed this.
"Mmh," Fang grunted, pepper Javier's cheek with kisses. "Metal's too harsh. Let's do it on the floor."
Javier shifted, and Fang took the lead, coaxing them down onto their knees and them inevitably onto the floor, where Fang rolled himself onto his back and tugged Javier on top of him. They snuggled against on-another for a moment, before Fang inevitably shifted his legs apart, spreading them to allow Javier to sink in between them.
Javier would have normally complained that this particular position was difficult for him to be in, but in that moment, it didn't matter. He wanted nothing more than to make love to his boyfriend, to someone who he hadn't been able to touch in 5 years. He slathered his beak up Fang's neck as he angled his hips down, driving his turgid cock between Fang's cheeks. The deer reached down, casually squeezing a hand between them to help guide the avian's cock towards his pucker, and it took a few attempts before the head of the member eventually met with his entrance. Javier shifted and pushed forwards, and Fang grunted quietly under his breath. There was no lube, but he'd endure it for now.
With a sharp push and a shuddering sigh, Javier's cock sunk into Fang's behind, and he wedged himself in just an inch or do, enjoying the rhythmic squeezing of his boyfriend's inner walls. Fang angled his head and quietly smooched his boyfriend's cheek as Javier sunk his body down against Fang's body, unable to effectively prop himself up with his wings alone.
It didn't take long for pre-cum to coax itself from the end of Javier's member, and after a few experimental thrusts, he began to pick up the pace. The deeper he sunk, the wetter his cock became, until each gently jump was accompanied by a quiet, slick sound. Javier gyrated against his lover, nestled firmly into him as he slowly pushed his hips into Fang's behind, pulling out only by an inch before thrusting in again. Their breathing became heavy and their movements laboured as they moaned into one-another, enjoying the smell of each others bodies, the warmth of their flesh and feathers and fur, the heat of their sex.
"Y...You feel so good, babe." Javier murmured quietly, thrusting just a tiny bit harder into Fang's behind as the deer quietly groaned under his breath, hugging his arms around Javier's body.
"I love you too." He teased, and Javier let out a grumble, turning his head just a little to peck the deer's cheek with a gentle kiss.
"That too." The avian replied, and he buried his head once more, picking up the pace a little bit. He thrust faster, his laboured breathing a clear indication that he didn't have long, and Fang was more than willing to let him go as hard as he wanted. He wanted to feel the avian truly and completely inside of him, wanted to feel the warmth of his seed and his love spreading throughout his body.
It didn't take long. Within a minute or so, Javier's reasonably steady thrusts began to slow and his chest began to heave. The gentle moans that escaped the avian's lips made it obvious he was reaching his orgasm, and Fang hugged Javier close to him, groaning quietly under his breath as well. Javier shuddered above him and he knew, in that moment, that he'd climaxed. He could feel that warmth in his loins that spread throughout his body and made every nerve ending tingle, a euphoric feeling coursing through his veins. He sighed, pressing his head down warmly between the crease of Javier's shoulder and neck.
Javier's heavy breathing died down as he shifted, rolling to the side and off of Fang's body, not wanting to squash him too much. Fang felt strangely empty without Javier inside of him, but he brushed away the feeling, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on an elbow as Javier turned to face him.
"I still can't believe you're here," Javier murmured, looking Fang up and down. "It almost feels like a dream."
"Mm. I guess you have that...man to thank for that." Fang grunted, and Javier's expression darkened.
"One of these days, his wicked ways are going to catch up to him," Javier remarked coldly. "When they do, I don't think he'll have any friends left to help him."
x x x
Atop a building nearby, a quiet, a lone figure stood overlooking the half-destroyed complex. In the night, his figure was practically invisible. Anyone looking up at him wouldn't even be able to see him, nor make out any details of his features.
"Thorn, do you have eyes on the targets?"
The earpiece met with interference, but the voice clear enough for the figure to hear. The figure moved a hand up, clad in fingerless gloves, and placed its digits against the receiver.
"They're in that Reagent Building on Alsberry Lane, in the Bolden Industrial Estate." The figure reported, and he heard a grunt in response.
"Wasn't that the building that blew up a week ago?"
"Affirmative. It was also the last known whereabouts of Agent Pleasant."
"I see," The voice in their ear spoke. "Then that means..."
"I believe so." The suspicious figure referred to as Thorn didn't seem to need to provide any further details. They and whoever was on the other end of that received were on the same wavelength.
"Maintain distance for now. When you have the chance, eliminate the targets."
"Affirmative, sir. It will be done."
"See to it that it is."
The line clicked, and the figure lowered their hand, crouching down to survey the building below.
Soon, he would make his move.
x x x
"...ey..."
"...Joey..."
The young rat stirred from his slumber, feeling the warmth of a blanket over him. He slowly began to sit up, pushing himself up with his hands. The room was empty: if Top Dog had been here before, he certainly wasn't there now.
He moved, rising and rubbing his head idly. He couldn't remember how long he'd slept for, but he imagined it was a while. The entire office was empty: it looked as if everyone had gone home, or maybe found their own place to sleep.
"Joey."
The voice was so clear in his mind now, and it almost made him jump. He shifted and got to his feet, his jumpsuit still covering his body. Where was this voice coming from? It wasn't Top Dog-- the tone was too deep, too authoritative. It was someone knew. Who else had telepathy?
Filled with curiosity, the young rat stepped across the room and towards the door, heading into the main office area. He couldn't see anyone here, so whoever was calling for him was probably deeper in the building.
"Come to me. Down in the laboratory."
Commanded by the voice to find him, Joey's curiosity got the better of him and he opted to listen to its commands, leaving the office part of the building and making his way deeper. of course, he had to cut through the lobby to get there, which was still partially destroyed and slowly being rebuilt. However, the entrance to the underground lab was thankfully intact.
Joey had only been down here once before, when Top Dog had lead him there to speak to Frey a few days ago, but he hadn't been there since. He was surprised that he could even remember the way, in fact. He eventually found himself in the main part of the lab, filled with various scientific equipment that he couldn't even name, let alone know the purpose for. He had a nagging feeling that the voice was coming from the back, behind a large pair of steel doors.
He drew himself closer, feeling his knees wobble a little with anxiety as the imposing doors stood in front of him. They suddenly parted when he was close enough, shuddering open and reveal a dark interior. With a nervous gulp, Joey stepped forwards, heading past the doors and into the room. Motion sensors detected when he'd stepped inside, and the lights above flickered on to reveal something that Joey would have never thought possible.
All around him sat large, imposing tubes, illuminated by green lights through what he assumed to be equally green fluid inside. The bubbles that rose from the bottom to the top of each tank gave the clear impression that they were oxygenated in some way, though Joey had no way of knowing that. All he knew was that they were rather scary to look at, and also equally mesmerising. What caught his attention more, however, was the lone figure that swam in one of the tanks directly in front of him.
They were a canine, as far as he could tell. Their ears were pointed, yet rounded at the ends, their body distinctively muscular and lined with various drips and tubes, including one that connected into their mouth and nose. They were strangely appealing, yet there was something unnatural about them. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Joey."
The voice spoke, and Joey knew that the man in front of him, floating within the water, was the person speaking to him. He wasn't sure what to say.
"Uh...hello. What's your name?"
"Hmm...just call me Novus." The voice replied quietly, and Joey reached out, placing his hands on the tube's surface.
"Novus, huh? Okay..." Joey frowned. "Why did you call me here? How did you know my name?"
"I can reach out my mind and read the thoughts of others...even their dreams. But...not everyone can hear me...It's lonely." Was all the tube could offer, and Joey looked up at the naked, floating figure.
"Just like Top Dog..." Joey murmured, surprised to find another telepath, and in Frey's lab, no less. "Are you one of Frey's friends?"
"I don't know. All I can feel is my body floating...where am I?" Novus asked.
"In a tube. In water, I think, or something," Joey told him, looking the figure up and down. "You're naked."
"Oh..." The voice replied, and Joey frowned up at him for a moment. He had a million questions, but no answers.
"Can you keep me company for a while?" Novus suddenly asked, and Joey thought about it for a moment, before a smile played upon his lips.
"Yeah, okay. You seem nice."