FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Arya runs her thumb along the embossed business card that Mauruvius Mïttehalle handed her at the train station. Although she follows her companion Tobias into a slummy section of the city to a run-down apartment complex, she thinks about their offer once more.

Tobias is quiet as he knocks on the door with a secret combination of quick taps and a bang and glances over toward her, huffing when he sees what's in her hand.

"You can't change my mind," Arya says.

He breaks his silence to rebut her in clipped whispers. "There's nothing they can do to help us out," he says, "not without you selling yourself out to them."

"Friends help each other out," Arya says, pushing herself taller than him.

"Just because they're all good in the sack doesn't mean they want to be friends," he offers. "Besides, if they wanted a real good time, they'd've talked to me first."

She's interrupted when the deadbolt on the door clicks open, and a familiar eye peers out from the doorway, skittish at first, but melting into relief.

Uma undoes the rest of the locks and opens the door wide to rush out, wrapping her arms around the large feline, her cheek rubbing against his furred chest through his open jacket. "You found her! Quick. Come in before anyone sees you!"

Arya slithers on in with Tobias quickly behind. The Tiger clicks the door shut, standing with his back against the door.

"And Arya, wow, it's been so long!" Uma says. "You certainly look different."

"Well, a certain someone did make it a point that we'd never meet again."

Uma's smile wavers a moment, but the rat shakes her head and just shrugs. "Yeah, well, that's Jay. Can't blame him for being so careful. Even when he trusted you, he still didn't trust you around me."

Arya looks over her shoulder towards the alpha predator behind her and narrows her eyes. "And did he know anything about him?"

"The less he knew about my friends, the better. I'd swear, he'd give everyone background checks if he could. That's just the kind of guy he was."

Arya stops in the middle of the room and sighs. "Look. You didn't drag me out here just to talk more about... about him. What do you want from me?"

Uma pulls out a couple sodas from the refrigerator and holds one up for Arya. "That... kinda is part of the reason I brought you here for," she says.

"What?"

Uma plops down on her couch, leaning back as she takes a sip of her drink. "It's... crazy. I grew up with the guy, and I barely know anything aobut him. Here I am, just an engineer and programmer, and he's off doing super spy shit."

"I wouldn't call it quite super spy," Arya admits.

"Way I heard the tale," Tobias interjects. "Arya here's the super spy. Jay was a con man. A good one, too, and I mean that he used his powers for," and he rolls his eyes "philanthropic purposes."

Uma crosses one leg over the other and says, "I may have something that could help take down the Serpent and his entire infrastructure. But, from you, I need to know how things went down... from someone who was actually there and not under..."

"...under...?"

"Under the influence of your Uncle's 'wonder drug," Tobias adds. "Packaged within the flu shots they gave out this season. A nice cocktail of dead virus and synthesized toxin."

"My venom!?" Arya growls. "I thought that facility was destroyed!"

"They were able to salvage some of the work. With my program and the resources at their disposal, they were able to manufacture something in the shot--freely given to every employee and distributed to flu shots all over the country, possibly beyond."

"He wants to control everyone... with my venom!"

"Nah, babe..." Tobias says, stepping up from the door. "He just wants to endear himself to everyone in the continent."

"Your uncle's entire empire is as gray as it gets, straddling the line between legitimate business and mob empire, and after what happened, the last few loose ends tying him to wrongdoing are gone or forgiven by a sedated populace."

"No..." Arya hisses. "He... he wanted that facility wrecked, so no one would find anything."

"Oh yes, the media loved reporting on that terrorist strike. What sort of monster would want to destroy a facility built to manufacture medicine that's to be distributed to the poor?"

Arya plops down onto the couch, rubbing her forehead. "It's all so much... no, its too much to handle... on our own." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the business card. "I met a couple interesting people on the train ride here. They said their organization could be able to help us. I think they're on the up and up."

Uma takes the card and the looks up to Tobias. He shrugs and says. "I don't personally like 'em, but the idea is ultimately up to you ladies. I'm not paid to tell you who to hire."

Uma taps the card against her chin and says. "Alright, fine. Let's give them a call. In the meanwhile, please, would you tell me about what happened between you two. What really happened that night?"

Arya sighs and takes the can that was offered her. She cracks it open, the hiss of a cool soft drink like music to her ears. "Alright, fine. You want me to stick to business, or..."

"Just tell me what you're comfortable with," Uma says. Arya glances at her from the corner of her eye, but sees no wavering in her resolve. "Alright, then. Let's talk about our first date, then, but you gotta tell me a bit more yourself, got it?"