Chapter VIII: Messing with the Bull

Caleb woke Monday morning with a start. The scents in the room were different, familiar but different. Lance's musk wasn't embedded into the sheets and neither were the layers upon layers of sweat and evidence of vigorous lovemaking. There was musk in the air, definitely, along with a myriad of stale foods and rancid clothing. Just sniffing at the thick blanket over his body as he lay on the couch betrayed evidence of nights when dinner was eaten in bed... followed by feverish masturbation after an hour.

He sniffed the sheets and smiled softly.

Lars.

He quietly began to stand but his foot found purchase against something thick and alive. At the base of the couch, nothing but his letterman jacket over his form, Lars grunted and blinked away sleep.

"Morning," the Doberman yawned.

"Morning," Caleb responded, puzzled. "Why didn't you sleep in your bed?"

Lars tugged at the blanket Caleb still had over his lap. "You have my blanket, remember?"

"Oh... Oh right." He shuffled across the couch just so that Lars could sit beside him. Slowly, he let out a breath.

Lars gripped his paw tightly. "You doing okay?"

"Better," he answered with the smallest nod. "It happened. What I wanted and what Lance wanted... Where we were going... I don't think we would've liked where we going. Honestly, I think the saddest part is that we were really just in it to save face." He tried to smile but it came out crooked. "Looking back, I think it was pretty obvious he was looking for something to keep the flame alive and I... I think I was just going along for the ride because it felt right to have someone to call my 'boyfriend' even if it was only in private. Hell, I think the breaking point was when we had sex the night before we left for the camping trip..."

Caleb shook his head and let out a ragged sigh. He smiled awkwardly with Lars. "It was just me and him like when we first started. No Weapons Master, no Feral Fang. Just the two of us. But I think as time went on he realised that there just wasn't anything there."

Caleb let out another sigh and covered his face with his paws. If he had confessing this to anyone else, it would've been too much information. But not Lars.

"You sure you don't want to go back there and win him back?" asked the Doberman.

Caleb smiled at his best friend. "When we were out in the cabin, we were in fucking_Canada. I've never been outside of West California before and it really put a lot of things into perspective.. There are _so_many places I haven't been, so many different people to meet. But Lance said he was happy with staying in West Cali probably for his entire life. It is his home and all he has ever really known and he is willing to fight and die for it. But with me, after seeing what the rest of the world has to offer, even if it's just a _fraction... I can't commit to someone especially if that someone is stuck here in West California."

Lars looked like he was fighting to say something. "Did... Are you sure that Lance wants to stay? I mean, are you sure he's not willing to move for you?"

It was with great sadness that Caleb shook his head. "No... He's a West Cali wolf through and through. He made that clear." He choked softly, clenching his paws and, in turn, holding onto Lars' a little tighter. "Hey man... I'm sorry for dumping all of this on you. I'll get out of your fur." He made to stand but Lars pulled him back down.

"Hey, I'm not gonna let my best bud sulk by himself."

Caleb shook his head sadly. "I appreciate it, man, but this isn't something that some beer, crazy shopping spree or a game will fix. I just need time to myself."

Lars held up his paws. "Okay, okay. Have it your way."

Lars betrayed his true intentions by smirking softly before he stood up and began to brush himself off. By the look on his face, the Doberman was clearly plotting something. Caleb eyed him suspiciously, a small smile crawling up his muzzle contrary to what he should have been feeling.

It pained him that he was actually relieved. He thought he'd be more broken up over the break-up but it was if a great weight had been lifted from his chest and for the first time since Lance had come back, it felt like he could breathe. It was terrible but the more he thought about it, the more he realised he had already broken up with Lance long before his brother had returned from the Elemental Alliance.

And on some level, he was sure Lance had done exactly the same.

"Hello? McDonald's?" Lars asked loudly into his phone, his back turned to Caleb. "Yeah, you guys do delivery right?"

Caleb perked his ears. What was the Doberman up to?

"Great. I'd like to order sixteen MegaMacs, eight macro-sized fries and two tubs of cola, please."

"Lars!?" Caleb exclaimed.

"Oh, right-right," Lars said, waving Caleb down over his shoulder. "One's a cola and the other is lemonade. And you guys do those cheddar seasoning for fries, right? Yeah, on half of them please. And one Happy Meal, please."

"Dude!"

"Fine, Cale, ya big baby. Two Happy Meals."

Caleb could not help but grin as Lars gave his address and set his phone down. "What the hell was that?"

"Breakfast," answered the Doberman, slouching right beside Caleb with one arm against the backrest. He swiped the remote from the coffee table littered with Asian takeaway boxes and switched on the device. As the screen began to power on he tossed the remote aside and waved his paws through the air, predetermined gestures allowing him to switch through the channels. "And _this_is weekday morning cartoons."

Caleb gave his very alpha-male best friend a disbelieving stare. "Are you kidding me?"

"Hey, you once mentioned that we only really got to know each other this year," Lars said with a nod. "Summer football camp and then the months afterwards. We went to the same middle school but neither of us really talked except for the few times when we were forced to interact in classes."

"You were already the huge jock even then."

"And you were the scrawny nerd with glasses."

"I was wearing them ironically!"

"Right. Hipster nerd." Lars nodded his head at the TV as the three dimensional image of rather large, muscular furs stood in what appeared to be a dystopian, post-apocalyptic city filled with pollution and everyone was in floating cars. "So here's something you don't know about me. Weekday morning cartoons are what turned me gay."

Turning to the screen, he did notice the slightly over exaggerated musculature of the protagonists, their serious lack upper body clothing and prominent bulges. Also all the women were slight, smart, clean-pressed types. All the guys were big, manly and had deep, resonating voices.

"Your parents let you watch this?" he asked.

"My parents were never around, remember?" Lars responded. "Had nannies and cold, distant personal tutors who treated me like a test subject. Every day, I was to get up at six is the morning, shower, eat breakfast, go for a timed run with the other child supers to a personal trainer and then I get thirty-minutes of free time before I headed to school." Lars waved a paw at the screen. "I spent that time watching enormous, homoerotic men beating down similarly large, homoerotic men all of whom are scantily clad and have a distinct lack of women in their company."

He regarded Lars with a mixture of pity and amusement. "That was your childhood?"

"Yup. The other kids got to spend weekends with their parents at their 'normal' houses but me... well, my parents were never normal. They didn't have any mild manner alter egos. So, I was stuck in the Tower."

That sounded utterly... depressing. Knowing how distant Shockstorm and Siren were, it was a wonder how Lars turned out to be such a compassionate albeit hot-headed and attention-grabbing young male. "How'd schooling work? What about parent-teacher interviews?"

"Always some excuse," Lars grunted. "Either they're away on business or they couldn't make it because of a family emergency. If they couldn't come, some distant uncle or aunty took their place while they were 'away' who, in reality, was just another hired hand."

"Jeez..." Caleb muttered. "I never thought you were so..."

"Privileged?" Lars snorted. "Pampered?"

"Like a princess."

The Doberman shot him a fiery stare. "What?"

"Stuck in that tower all by yourself?" Caleb said, unable to keep himself from grinning. "Pining over freedom? Yeah, you're such a -" He cut himself off and suddenly narrowed his gaze at the Doberman. "Mary told you to order breakfast and start talking about your childhood, didn't she?"

Lars groaned and rolled his eyes. "She said it'll cheer you up. Never said anything about you calling me a 'princess'."

"Damnit, Mary!" they snapped in unison, slamming their fists into the armrests.

"I'm going to kick your ass for that princess comment, by the way," Lars said.

"Yeah, whatever." Caleb sighed and leaned back into the couch. "Look, I appreciate it but like I said, I just need some time to think."

"There's the door."

Caleb's stomach rumbled. "After breakfast."

That at least made them both grin as they silently watched some unintentionally homoerotic children's cartoons. When breakfast arrived, Lars payed for the meal having said that he had a lot left over from his pay check as an Outsider. Caleb asked him if he got paid as Firebrand and Lars shook his head.

"I got a trust fund," was the answer. "My parents got paid for all their work and merchandising but everything I do got put into the fund. I get a weekly allowance. Enough to get by. But now that I'm officially out of the Alliance, I'm locked out."

"What happened to the fund?"

"Given back to my parents as 'compensation'."

"That's bullshit."

Lars waved his paw absently. "I don't give two shits about it. Being an Outsider is way better. It isn't so... mainstream."

"Weren't you the one talking about public appearances, book signing and stuff like that?"

"Yeah but Bren said with the publicity war against the Alliance, the FBI wants to keep us out on the field actually doing stuff instead of trying to win the public over. That's going to be our angle. Less time looking pretty and more time doing the right thing."

"I can live with that. Besides, we get enough publicity with the porn."

Lars snorted loudly. "I suppose though how much porn can you really have of guys with their features hidden by hoods."

Oh... he didn't know. Feeling like his ego had somewhat been stroked, Caleb waved his paws, commanding the TV to start surfing the web. He went straight to the website that he posted his works and just looked up 'Weapons Master'. It didn't take him look to find an image of him in his hyena form, butt naked, hyper cock spewing cum and rippling with exaggerated muscles.

"Holy shit..." Lars whimpered, eyes wide. He then punched Caleb's shoulder lightly. "You stud! And... You have an account here? Did you post anything?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing special just -"

Before he could finish, Lars was checking out his profile. Dozens of Caleb's original works were posted there specifically some about Lance nude or, as he had called it, 'what I think Feral Fang looks like'. The image of Lars sitting on the couch was there too. Lars lingered on that upload for a little longer than usual before surfing away.

"You're really talented, you know that, Cale?" Lars said. "Ever think about becoming a designer or artist as a profession?"

He shook his head. "I really haven't given thought to my future until recently. Martha Connors began talking about it, I thought I really didn't care but then all this shit happened, Lance tried to cement our future together... I dunno. Maybe? But I like doing art for fun. I can't imagine doing it as a profession."

"I suppose you could always just become an Outsider fulltime."

Caleb lowered his gaze. After having just freed himself from a commitment, he wasn't sure he was ready to jump straight into another one. "I dunno man. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure, Cale. Sure. Hey, need a ride to wherever you're going today?"

Though still technically on holiday, Caleb decided to return home. It wasn't a total lie that he had come home early due to the emergency. Lars drove him and waited outside, neither of them entirely sure how David Hale would react to the Outsider's presence.

Lillian Hale was there, thanking Buddha - she was feeling particularly Buddhist making Caleb feared another vegetarian night - that he was safe. Lance and his father were also already up, rushing to head to work at the Elemental Tower. Apparently, there was another media frenzy over the threat of the Gene Stealers and how this latest attack was 'supervillain-level'.

"It's not going to be pretty," Dad said, picking up a slice of toast as he started for the door, Lance by his side. "We've got the Outsiders on the defensive and we now know what Minos looks like. We finally have the upper paw."

Caleb wasn't in the mood to protest or become super pro-Outsider. His attention was focused on Lance who just gave him a faint smile. It didn't look like the big wolf had gotten much sleep last night. He wanted to ask how he was doing but Lance was out the door towards the family van before he could say anything.

"Cale..."

His dad stood in front of him, brow furrowed and his lips partially open like he wanted to say something.

"Yeah dad?"

"I..." he began slowly. "... know..."

For a second, Caleb's heart froze.

What did he know? Did he know that Caleb was an Outsider!? That he was Weapons Master? That he broke up with Lance?

David let out a soft growl and sighed. "God why is this so difficult... How many parents tell their kids that they know their incestuous relationship just ended and actually feel bad about it?" He puffed out his cheeks and let it out. "Look, I know you and Lance broke up. Thing is, Lance was going to break it off as soon as he got back."

For a second, Caleb's chest seized up. "He... He was?"

David nodded slowly. "If Lance took anything from his time at the Tower, it's time to think. I don't know what convinced him to break it off early but I personally don't think it was the right thing. He should've told you straight away instead of spending the last few weeks pulling you along. I'll kick his ass about it later."

Caleb shook his head in disbelief. "He did? I mean... I'm glad he put the effort to making the relationship work as much as possible but... he wanted to break up...?"

"From what he told me back when we first arrived?" David answered with a small smile. "He hoped to talk to you about it when you went out with him but..." His Dad shook his head. "I don't know. I told him he was just anxious but he said that it was like trying to love a person made of glass. He was afraid he'd break you every time he held you. He found it hard separating the idea of protecting you versus defending you. And... to be honest, I think there's someone else. But you knew that, right? You talked about it on the phone last night...?"

...

No, no they hadn't.

Caleb wanted to be angry... He wanted to storm right into the garage, tear the van doors out of their hinges and drag Lance's ass to the curb where he'd proceed to make his brother eat dirt. But... strangely... he felt nothing.

"Can I be honest too?" he asked.

"Of course son."

"The only time I really grew scared of our relationship shattering was the day Lance was coming back and those first few days right after you left." Caleb moved his jaw like he was chewing the idea around in his head. "After that, our nightly chats became routine. I became worried when you and he went out to battle but right after that, we slipped back into old habits." Caleb shook his head slowly. "I think we make better brothers than lovers."

David smiled softly and gripped his son's shoulders. "It's your decision, Cale. Whatever you decide, I'm here for you and I'll do whatever I can to protect you. I'm still going to tear Lance a new one for being such a chicken but I'm glad you're taking this so well." He leaned down and kissed Caleb lightly on the forehead. "Have a good day, son. I'm off. Oh and before I go, can you give this to Weapons Master?"

He froze as his father handed him a note.

"W - What!?"

"You know," his father said, staring at him pointedly. "Give it to Lars who will give it to Weapons Master? Because Lars is Flare Blue, the turncoat super?"

"David!" came the shout from the kitchen.

"I'm sugar-coating it, honey!" David shouted over his shoulder. He turned back towards Caleb. "You mind?"

"Sure, not at all dad."

"Thanks. See ya later, champ!"

Caleb bounded up the steps, once again forgetting his slippers and being forced to slip them on as his mother cried 'Claws!'. He took a quick shower and then went back into his room. Lance's scent was in the air. It made him feel like he had been punched in the stomach but he fought back the tears.

Somehow, the fact that Lance may have found someone else cushioned the blow but what truly washed away the pain was the fact that David Hale had a message for Weapons Master. He stole a glance.

'Meet me at the Ballpark tonight at 7. Come alone.'

Caleb gulped loudly and wondered if this was going to be another attempt by his father to pin down Weapons Master. It would have to be something to discuss with the others. He was just leaving his room when he stopped at a large, furry, brick wall.

Leon stood over him, his paw raised to knock which was strange in itself. Leon never knocked.

"Can I help you?"

His eldest brother looked at him strangely... and then pulled him into an enormous bear hug.

"Thank Wolf Christ you're safe!"

"What? What's wrong with you?" he demanded, pushing himself away from Leon.

Leon's ears folded back. "Look, I meant what I said back then. You're my little brother and I don't want any harm coming to you. I give you shit but that's because you're my brother. I give shit to Lance all the time." He blushed lightly and rubbed the back of his head. "Though not as often now that he's a super..."

"Uh-huh. If you think that I'm going to bone you to awaken your superpowers, think again."

Leon shook his head and growled. "That's not it, runt. I heard you shower and I thought I'd check up on you." His anger faded as he let out a long sigh. "Look, I know I haven't always been the best big brother but I swear, that's all going to change. This family is different now and I think I'm the only one that hasn't grown up."

That was surprisingly mature for his brother and Caleb couldn't help but offer a smile. "Good luck with that, Leon. I mean that."

"You too, runt. Stay safe."

Caleb mused at the sudden maturity of his brother and began wondering if there was an ulterior motive to it. He dismissed it up until he bid his mother goodbye and turned around.

"Caleb, honey."

"Yeah, mom?"

"You've got something on your back."

"My...?"

He reached over his shoulder and felt the familiar touch of a piece of paper taped to his back. "Oh for - LEON!"

People grow up but some things never change apparently.

Lars drove them both to the Facility. Thankfully their section of the island remained untouched by the rampaging monsters. Business went on like it did every day. In a world filled with superheroes, aliens and monsters, people adapted to the constant threat. Caleb had even heard that Japan had even modified its buildings to slip underground in case of a national emergency.

The Facility was abuzz with activity by the time they both arrived. Everyone was gathered in Elliot's lab. Mary was already present with Bren and the two were having a shouting match with Elliot. Madman stood between them, trying to keep them apart with his huge paws. Arcturus stood off to the side, stoic as ever.

"What's going on?" Caleb asked as he and Lars strode in.

"Ken! Thank god!" Elliot shouted. "Tell Barbie that she's a dumb bimbo and that she's horribly wrong about this!" He gestured at the strange package in front of him.

"Can I get some context here?"

Mary folded her arms securely, eyes narrowed at Elliot. "We received a package today. Well, not so much as 'we' as the FBI. It arrived in the mailbox and when the bomb squad opened it, they found a note, a syringe gun and a single sample."

Lars moved towards the box and peered into it. "A sample of..." His eyes widened. "Oh..."

"What?" Caleb demanded, peering into the. His face fell.

The letter was addressed to 'The Outsiders' and it was signed 'Shark Tamer'.

It simply read:

'We know you can create a cure from an Original Serum. Here is Minos'. Good luck.'

Lars stepped away from the serum. "So we can create a cure...? But that means..."

"We need to inject Caleb with the serum," Mary confirmed. "Get him to transform, collect a sample of his DNA, synthesize the cure and then we'll have a weapon against Minos. On top of that, Branding Iron will increase in power and, if Madman is right, Caleb can just ejaculate over the weapon and it will recharge."

"Are you insane?" Elliot shouted, getting off his seat. He was struggling to put on his pants. "We don't know _what's_in there. For all you know, it could be poison or some sort of flesh eating virus! You saw what Shark Tamer wrote! He _knows_we can create a cure. That means he _knows_we're the source! He could just as easily help us against Minos or destroy us completely!"

Caleb flicked his ears at the orca. "Awww, you think that if I die, the whole team would go down? You don't have a crush on me, do you?"

"Shut the fuck up, Muscles. Without you, I'm out of a job and I like using a supercomputer to look up porn." He turned back to Mary. "I say we test it first. Besides, a cure for the Gnoll strain was developed with just samples of Caleb's blood."

"After Caleb was initially infected," Mary countered. "We've only got one sample. Last time, we barely had enough left to analyse and that did nothing_for you. If you still want to look into it, I say we jab Caleb and _then you can go nuts."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Caleb asked.

Mary waved a hand at him dismissively. "You won't be saying much after you double over in the blissful agony of orgasm."

"We don't even know if that'll work!" Elliot shouted as he stood up. Caleb felt the slightest bit of shock when he noticed that he actually had pants on for once, this argument must have been going on for a long time.

"Muscles there already has the Gnoll strain in him. What if the two combined form some sort of super virus instead of a cure? We don't even fully understand how the cure was made the first time!"

"Isn't that worth the risk? The whole city could fall to Minos if he isn't stopped!"

"You're willing to risk the life of one of your best friends to save the city?"

"Of course not but I don't see any other option! You saw what Minos was capable of. He could easily rival any other supervillain and he's gone rogue. We don't know what he wants."

The two continued to argue over the morality of the choice before them. Caleb wandered over to where Bren and Arcturus stood, both of them were eyeing him as he approached.

"What're your thoughts?" he asked softly.

Bren shook his head. "It doesn't matter what I think. It's your body we're going to compromise. Regardless, I would rather not put you in any unnecessary risk. You're too valuable to this team. On the other hand, this might be our only chance in not only turning the tables on Minos but also boosting our position after the slandering your father put on us."

Caleb turned to Arcturus. "And you?"

"Though I cannot reveal to you the future," answered the Hound of Death, "I personally find it advantageous to take the serum. One never knows what will happen if one does not take the plunge. Bravery is a trait all too trivialised these days. As is love."

Caleb glanced towards the package sitting on top of Elliot's desk. While everyone else was still caught up in the argument, he swiped the syringe gun and jammed the sample inside. The soft click of the weapon being armed gave everyone pause.

"I'm taking this," he announced. "Mary is right that we can't waste a drop of it but Elliot is also correct on the risks. Right now, I'm dealing with way_too much shit to just willingly shoot myself up with bull hormones. So to prevent _either of you doing something with the sample, I'm taking it with me."

Mary crossed her arms at him. "You honestly believe I'd be so cruel as to sneak into your bedroom at night, drug you with tranquilisers and then inject you with the Serum?"

"No. I expect you to invite yourself into my home acting all innocent, make cups of coffee for everyone and put the serum into one of them. Knowing full well I hate coffee, you'll force me to drink them all to the horror of my family. _Then_just as I curse your name and begin the change, you will bolt out and come back with some sort of rapid fire dart gun to drug me because shooting stuff into my ass is just so goddamn deliciously ironic that you can't resist it."

She grinned, pressed her hands together and bowed at him lightly. "You are learning, young Padawan."

"Bite me."

He shoved the injector into his pocket and demanded if there was anything else.

"This afternoon the Outsiders need to make a public appearance," Bren said. "Feral Steel's comments last night really hurt us and letting the PR guys do all the talking is making us look bad. We need to be seen and the statement needs to come from your mouths."

Lars waved a paw. "I thought our whole shtick was 'doing' not 'showing'?"

"Sadly, talking is doing more damage than actually doing. We are at the mercy of public opinion and after last night, some of our backers are getting cold feet. If we hadn't made that call to gather all those people in those locations, there could've been more people hurt."

"That is false," Arcturus said grimly. "The time it would have taken to organise a suitable defence coupled with the density of the population would have caused far more death and destruction had you not."

Bren grunted and began absently scratching at his sleeve with his claw. "Be that as it may, it's the 'what if' scenarios that are getting people edgy. We have to accept that in this case, we sound like we jumped the gun and as a result the blame falls on us."

Madman shook his head, his long mane waving behind him. "We just can't win. Fall back and they blame us for being chickens. Jump too early and we get pegged as paranoid. We can't satisfy anyone."

"That's what she said," Elliot snickered.

"Hey!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. He. That's what he said."

"You little -"

"Enough!" Bren snapped. "You observations are noted, Madman. We're all going to that press release. It's nothing big. Just an appearance in front of one of the sites where the creatures came out of. Scripts will be prepared. Questions will be kept to a minimum. I expect all of you to be there."

"What time?" Mary asked.

"Seven o'clock."

Caleb whirled around to face Bren. "My Dad wants to meet Weapons Master at seven..."

The tiger frowned and for a long silence, the lab was silent. "Hrm... I see. That poses a difficult question then."

"Us or your old man, pup," Madman grunted.

Bren shot him a foul stare. "No." His eyes went back to Caleb. "The question is what your father wants. There is no question of where you should go. You should go see Feral Steel. If he's out there, that means he isn't going to step in and interfere with the press conference."

It sounded terrible that he was effectively going to be used to keep his dad busy. But he was genuinely curious what his father would say. Another thought was also swirling around in his head...

If they were going to be alone, could he tell his father who he really was?

His father had been honest with him...

So why couldn't he be honest with his father?

*****

The Ballpark was so named because that is what it had intended to be when the first of the Gene Stealer hyenas arose. Now, it stood as a memorial to the tragedies that had occurred and to the many people who had lost their minds to Gnoll. It was where the hyena strain began and ended.

Here was where David Hale had chosen to meet Weapons Master.

One of the founders of the Elemental Alliance stood quietly in front of the statue erected at the centre of the grassy park. A brick path had been arranged in roughly the shape of a baseball diamond with each of the four 'bases' representing one of the events that had occurred during the Gnoll Outbreak. One was the attack at this very spot -declassified since the Outsiders were exposed - another the attack on the_Iron Arms Factory_, the third was for the attack upon Bal-Mordain and the fourth was when Gnoll had converted an entire high school football team into his hyenas. At the pitcher's plate was the largest monument of them all; depicting the five heroic individuals who had led the battle - Weapons Master, Blade Babe, Blood Wolf, Firebrand and Feral Steel.

Feral Steel laughed softly at how the first four were arrayed in inspiring poses while he hovered above and behind them all, arms wide like he was their leader.

"It's funny, isn't it?" he said aloud, without turning. "You and the others were the ones that fought Gnoll and the Alliance did little more than back you up. Still, for some reason, I am shown here looking like I am commanding the rest of you. It simply amazes me how such a simple addition, one little symbol or a twist could change the meaning of the entire piece... potentially changing all of history."

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words," Weapons Master said. "I wonder how much a statue is worth."

"More, I'd wager." Feral Steel turned to face the hooded figure. "After all, actions speak louder than words." He could detect the Outsider's smile even with his features hidden. "I suppose you're wondering why I've called you here."

"I've got my theories."

"Do share."

"Keep the most popular Outsider from the press conference. Fight one on one to determine who is better once and for all. Give me one last warning to back off or next time I won't be so lucky. Or maybe you're here to ask me out on a date because you've secretly fallen in love with me."

David Hale laughed softly. Though his eyes were hidden by his face mask, they contained a hint of sadness. "I told you about Ryan, didn't I?"

"That Outsider that saved your life? Yeah. What of him?"

"I told you how you remind me of him." He took a deep breath, taking in the cool, night air and stepped towards Weapons Master. The park was abandoned and the lights that lit up the statues were the only things to illuminate either of them. He stepped right out of the light until he was almost directly in front of the Outsider. "You remind me of him in power. Adaptability. He had the power to adapt to any environmental stimulus given a few seconds or so. He died saving a huge chunk of the world from nuclear disaster. But at the same time, I feel my own son reminds me of him in spirit; always a fighter no matter what."

"Who? Feral Fang?"

"No. My other son. I have three and a daughter."

Weapons Master grunted. "Not exactly something you should be divulging to an enemy."

Feral Steel was still for a long moment. Then, he sighed... and reached for his mask, slowly pulling it from his face. He heard Weapons Master hold his breath. "I'm telling you this because I want you to know what I am fighting for and why. I have a family and friends and it is for them that I protect this city. Beneath every super is just another person. I don't know who you consider yourself to be but surely you have a family."

Weapons Master didn't respond and David pursed his lips. "Why do you fight?" he asked.

"To do what is right," came the automatic response.

Normally, David would have scolded any super on such words. 'Right' was subjective. Justice was blind. The best anyone can do is to preserve order and life. Even now as he sought to protect the Outsiders from their hubris, he was cast as the bad guy for being 'bigoted'. However, he detected that Weapons Master knew that. It was in the way the Outsider stood and the way he spoke.

"As do I," David said at length. "I know what I said last night. I need you to understand that was because it is what was right. We cannot let the world become enraptured in the Gene Stealer threat."

"And why not? They are a global threat, aren't they?"

"Perhaps but I want you to consider the last time a supervillain became a global threat. Do you remember Evenheart the Lord of Shadow?"

Calling Evenheart's assault a 'dark time' would be considered a bad pun and in terrible taste. The Lord of Shadow was not just a super but a primordial entity. At the core of it all, he had the power to control people's movements and travel by shadow and darkness. He had been a threat a long, long time ago in a parallel dimension and had been locked up in his own world between realities known simply as the Shadowmire. He escaped into the world and began terrorising the populace by slowly building a criminal network. At first, authorities merely believed Evenheart was a super who coerced many gangs underneath him but in reality, the Lord of Shadow had a far grander scheme - to plunge the world into eternal darkness.

And he actually succeeded. For three whole weeks, the Earth knew nothing but darkness. Every super, every government and every person in the world united against him. All the world's resources were used to pulling down his darkness machine and obliterating him once and for all.

"I do," Weapons Master said. "I don't see what the problem is."

David shook his head sadly. The innocence of youth... and the ambition of one who had yet to see the world's people for who they were. "Evenheart accelerated his plans for global darkness because he became a threat. Someone blabbed, talked to the media and the entire world became convinced that he should be the world's number one priority. Not everyone agreed but when entire nations went out searching for him, he grew desperate and nearly ended the world. Fighting supervillains isn't all about the flash aerial battles that you see in those movies or whatever is publicised. It's also about tactics, information gathering and managing public opinion. It's war.

"The same will happen to the Gene Stealers. If we blew the lid on them, if we told the world of just what a threat they are, then they will be forced to accelerate their plans. No one fights harder than when they are cornered. The best thing to do is keep this between the authorities - the supers- without involving the governments whose political agendas could put all at risk."

The Outsider was silent for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. "If that was your goal, why didn't you just tell us. It would save us from slandering each other."

"That's why I'm here telling you now." David closed his eyes and gently rubbed his eyelids. "I'm growing tired of this campaign and it is doing more harm than good. Families are becoming paranoid and kicking out sons and daughters who are revealed to be Outsiders. Couples are breaking up because one of them is an Outsider. Even without powers, arguments are rising on the matter of opinion. I appreciate how the Outsider Initiative is helping the supers by taking care of low priority villainy but that has to stop.

"To this end, I am willing to make a deal; just between you and I. No Alliance involved."

Weapons Master took a step back. "I'm not authorised to make these deals."

"Then take it to your leaders because I do not want this matter tearing down families. You know I have my own and already, I foresee it causing a rift. I have one son that is a super and his twin is not. I can see that causing favouritism towards Outsiders. My third son was a victim of the Gene Stealers and I see him growing more and more desperate to just see them ended no matter the cause. My daughter even showed mild attraction to you."

David shook his head. "I cannot -do not - want my family torn apart on this topic. I love them too much. I don't know if you understand."

"You'd be surprised."

"Very well..." David took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "So here is my offer: I will withdraw my comments on the Outsiders and even personally open up an Outsider education programme where you and your team are welcome to attend. We can begin negotiations of ensuring that Outsiders are sort of like the frontline troops for the supers. Officially hired by the super organisations and if and when things get too dicey, the supers will gladly aid the Outsiders. However, you must leave the Gene Stealers to us and surrender any and all information you have about them to us. Let us bring them down so that you can focus on living your young life without having to worry about this."

He could see the Outsider greatly considering the offer. It would be a blow to his own pride and would shatter the public's opinion of the 'immovable Feral Steel' but he was willing to risk it. Let the world say what they would about him so long as there would never be another incident like Ryan's sacrifice out there.

"The Alliance won't like it..."

"The Alliance will do whatever the media says," David answered. "The moment I announce it, regardless of their knowledge, they will be forced to commit."

"Won't that hurt your standing with them?"

"Yes. Most likely. There will be chairs thrown, tempers flaring and segregation but I would prefer division amongst the Alliance than families across the world."

"Do members of the Alliance hate us Outsiders so much?"

David chuckled darkly. "Would you believe I'm the most mellow of them all? They're riding my ass for not treating this issue with a heavier hand. Some members want a full-on extermination of Outsiders. Others want all Outsiders imprisoned or deported to Australia where they are accepted with open arms. The less extreme of them all want the Outsiders experimented on to grant them full superpowers so that the issue just becomes a topic of experimentation and its morality."

Weapons Master looked shocked. "There's no one that supports us?"

"Few but they are not very outspoken." David looked at the Outsider pleadingly. "Will you consider the offer? I fear the longer this is protracted, the more members of the Alliance will grow short tempered. In a war between Outsiders and supers, you know who will win and supers are not like your politicians who argue and do nothing. They are creatures of action.

"They will do something."

*****

Caleb wasn't sure what to tell the rest of the team or how to tell them that his dad had made then an offer. Maybe Lance's was still working to convince David Hale to go easy on the Outsiders or maybe the 'immovable Feral Steel' never held such hostility. This Alliance-Outsider publicity war could effectively be ended.

Unsure what to say, he just sat in his room and waited.

At about eight fifteen, his phone rang.

"So what do you think?"

"Honestly?" Mary responded. "I wish I knew how to break down mental barriers and look into your dad's mind."

"Yeah... me too. What do you think about the deal?"

Mary was silent for long moment. She was unusually quiet so much so that Caleb moved towards the window and watched her mull over the thought. Mary leaned against her windowsill, one arm draped around her midriff thoughtfully.

"Your father has been both supportive and antagonistic at the same time. He supports you at home, is seemingly willing to give Weapons Master a chance but at the same time, he tried to go behind your back and figure out your identity without telling you. He also blatantly called us liars on national TV after we risked life and limb for him." She shook her head, brushing back a lock of blonde hair. "Honestly? I don't know. I love him like he was my father but there's a side to him that I've never really know. The David Hale I know, I'd trust in a heartbeat but this other side... I'm not sure."

Caleb sighed heavily and slouched against his own windowsill. "I would say 'yes' in a heartbeat too... but it's not just my decision. More than anything, I just want this whole craziness to be put behind us. I don't know what will happen if I have to go to that school but I don't want coming close to blows with my dad every time I take the field to be a constant threat."

"Maybe you should just tell him the truth?"

"Maybe..."

Caleb's ears perked. The family van was heading up the driveway. That most certainly meant David and Lance were home.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow at school."

"Didn't you hear? School is cancelled for tomorrow until security beefed up a little more. We get the day off. Same thing would have happened when Gnoll attacked the school but that was a weekend."

It was common practice after an attack on such a large scale. The school shutdown and people spent the days scrambling to get themselves tighter security systems. He wondered how he had never suspected one of their family was a super when neither of his parents ever got caught up in the crazy. Then again, they did live in the suburbs.

"Right. Got plans tomorrow?"

"You mean other than rolling on the floor laughing after Elliot discovers I replaced all of his pornography with graphic depictions of male on male action while he curses my name and gets a raging boner at the same time?"

"How'd you manage that!? He's never away from his computer."

"He wasn't far. I did it right in front of him. He wasn't conscious but that's still somewhat satisfying."

"You knocked him out?"

"Not physically. Roofies are back in."

Caleb shook his head and grinned at her. "How you got that I'm not even going to ask. Still, I imagine everywhere will be locked down. Ben's place?"

"I'll make the arrangements."

He waved at her to get her attention before she hung up. "Are you sure you can't just be my assistant instead of Ben's dad's?"

"I don't know. Do you plan to take over the world?"

"No..."

"I'll pass."

Not entirely sure if she was serious or not, Caleb hung up on her and headed back downstairs to meet his father and brother. Lance was still looking abashed as their gazes met. He wanted to tell his brother that he didn't mind. If there was someone else, that was good on him. However, he didn't get the time as their father announced it was time to go out for a family movie.

"A movie? Really?" Abby sighed, rolling her eyes. "Dad, we're a family but we're not that kind of family."

"Arthur is coming," David responded.

That only made her more exasperated. "Really? He's been calling me all week."

"And you haven't returned his calls?" Lillian Hale asked, already fetching a coat.

It was odd that she was already dressed to go out. Caleb eyed both his father and mother suspiciously. Something was going on.

"I want to let him down easily," Abby answered, waving her paws with their painted nails. "Make it clear that our frequency of seeing each other has lowered to tell him I'm losing interest. Then, when we finally do talk, it's not so heartbreaking."

"I'm not sure heartbreaking will be the word..." David muttered. He gagged the next moment as Lillian jabbed her elbow into his gut. Abby, ever self-centred, didn't notice and sighed as she grabbed her own coat and headed to the van.

Leon was already in the car when the rest of the family got in.

The drive was suspiciously long and Caleb got even more suspicious when they passed their usual movie theatre and started heading out towards the shore. He kept his muzzle shut, however. His ears perked the moment he heard something jostling in the trunk that sounded oddly like a something with strings.

Then he began piecing things together.

Why was Leon in the van before anyone else?

If David had been meeting with Weapons Master, where had Lance been while Caleb was away?

Where exactly were they going?

And lastly... where was Arthur...

"Oh..."

THWACK!

He got a sharp elbow to his sides from both his brothers.

Abby, who sat in the farthest back didn't take notice as she continued to tap away at her phone. She never noticed that they had passed their usual movie theatre or when the air obtained that salty aftertaste of being so close to the ocean. As they drove up to the beachside parking lot, she did not take notice of the lone figure standing at the entrance to the beach. Even when she stepped out of the car and Leon nearly bowled her over rushing to the trunk, she didn't notice.

The only time she did was when her eyes lifted... and she spied the sight before her.

Standing just a few metres into the beach, a perfectly lit dining table sitting on the sands and surrounded by thousands of glittering candles... was Arthur dressed in his best tuxedo and holding a bouquet of roses in one paw and a velvet box in the other.

"Oh my god..." Abby whispered.

Behind her, Leon had taken out his guitar - the one thing he had over Lance. He started playing a beautiful love song. He couldn't sing so he didn't try but the music was enough.

Abby strode down the lit path to Arthur, her paws at her chest and her eyes wide.

"Abigail Hale," Arthur said. "For weeks now I have been trying to think of the perfect way to tell you I love you. I went from classics like..."

Lights suddenly sprang up from somewhere hiding along the dark beach, colliding in mid-air to form a scene from an ancient movie featuring only humans.

"Me?" Arthur quoted in perfect unison with the lips of the woman on screen. "I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I'm with you."

Abby let out a choke as the scene above them changed.

"Then I thought about saying, "I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend a day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

"Oh Arthur..." Abby swooned just as the scene changed again.

"Then your brothers told me you were thinking of leaving me..."

She straightened and almost turned a deathly gaze at the Hale boys but Arthur thankfully continued.

"And I thought the best thing to say was, "So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day. Will you do something for me, please? Just picture your life for me? 30 years from now, 40 years from now? What's it look like? If it's with him, go. Go! I lost you once, I think I can do it again. If I thought that's what you really wanted. But don't you take the easy way out."

Abby looked like she was about to topple over. Arthur was sweeping her off her feet and Caleb could just not believe what he was seeing.

One last time, the scene in the skies changed. "And then, your dad told me to keep it simple so I thought about simply saying, "You had me at hello"."

The lights in the skies did not fade but instead showed the perfect scene of the two of them, surrounded by flickering candles and standing on the beach. Arthur handed over the bouquet and Abby took it with shaking paws.

"But that's not me, Abby," Arthur said, shaking his head. "Those are all people from movies that lived happily ever after. I can't promise you perfect. I can't give you a fairy tale ending or happily ever after. I can only give you the best I can and if that's not enough, then I'm still content that for a fraction of time, I was able to make you happy. But if you're willing to give me a chance, I will do everything I can from the moment you say 'yes' to the day I die to dedicating myself to you. I offer myself to you heart, body and soul."

The otter knelt, lifting up the velvet box and pulling it open. Abby let out a soft squeak.

"Will you do me the honour of marrying me?"

Caleb leaned forward, his breath held. He felt terrible for actually thinking that Abby would say 'no' but with her... well...

"Yes!" Abigail Hale shouted. "Yes of course I'll marry you!"

Caleb threw his paws into the air, cheering with the rest of his family as Abigail eagerly held out her paw for Arthur to slip the ring on her finger. The Hales charged down the beach, congratulating the happy couple. Abby was practically in tears and holding Arthur so tightly that they could have merged together.

For a second, Caleb wondered if that could have been him and Lance... He exchanged glances with his brother...

... and in that moment...

He knew it could never have ended like that.

*****

Tuesday morning saw the household abuzz with plans for the upcoming wedding. Lillian and Abby were already collating their wedding notes while Lance and Leon were planning Arthur's bachelor party. David Hale was surprisingly restrained, looking smug as his plans came to fruition. Caleb had no doubt that he had planned the whole thing out.

Caleb excused himself from the entire cacophony of chaos to spend time at the Connors' house with the rest of his friends not just to spend the day but also to take discuss Feral Steel's offer. He drove Ballistic all the way to the mansion of the Connors where he was welcome with open arms.

When asked what they thought about the offer, the Alpha Pack rejected the idea whole-heartedly.

"Feral Steel tried to trick you once before," Samson Connors said. "As noble and just as he claims to be, he has used dirty tricks to win the day more than once. I would not trust him. He is just scared of losing what little ground he has gained. Our PR team is already working with the Outsiders to regain the ground we lost."

And it was working too, apparently. With all the power of the Elemental Alliance, the Alpha Pack was monumentally more resourced. With networks stretching the entire world and with no restrictions of morality, they could bribe, coerce and blackmail as many people as they wanted to skyrocket the Outsiders to fame and fortune and, by extension, their own position.

Caleb could not help but wonder what the Pack had planned to ask for in 'compensation' for their aid.

Lars was with the Alpha Pack and didn't want to trust David Hale.

"Your dad's identity was hidden from me before you told me," the Doberman explained. "Some sort of bizarre confidentiality agreement or something. He knew about me but not me about him. Even then, I saw him like a real father." He nodded firmly at Caleb. "So you know I'm really serious when I say I wouldn't trust him with this."

Bren was of the opinion that they take the offer, however. It would help Outsiders apart from themselves and he had to admit that news of Outsider suicides and families being torn over the topic were reaching his ears, more so with the recent debacle.

"If he backstabs us, it'll become evident," the tiger said. "We can turn that on him and the people will know. He risks more in betraying us than he does backing off."

When Alex was asked, he shook his head and said that the decision rested with Caleb alone though if he were asked, he would personally take the offer. It would make things easier.

Elliot didn't care about it all and just kept bringing up the serum which Caleb kept in his possession at all times. Caleb actually had to show it to him before tucking it back into his pocket, away from the orca's grubby hands.

As for Arcturus... well, he had no opinion whatsoever.

By three in the afternoon, Caleb was no closer to coming up with a solution. The numbers were tied.

He needed another opinion.

That opinion came when he returned home and there was a pile of striped Brit sitting on his front porch sipping a lemonade.

"Ashton?" he asked after parking Ballistic. "What're you doing here?"

"Well I'm not officially part of the team so I figured it wasn't a good idea to drop in on the team meeting," he answered with a shrug. "But I thought I'd give my two cents on the topic if you'll have it."

Glad for a tiebreaker, Caleb welcomed Ashton inside though the lemonade had come directly from his mother who was busily squeezing more while discussing where to get Abby's wedding dress. They both headed up stairs to his room, shutting the door to ensure maximum privacy. Leon was practicing his guitar loudly in his room as Abby wanted him to play at the reception, adding more to their privacy. Once again, Lance and David were out this time in response to the latest Outsider press release.

That left the two of them with relative privacy. Ashton seated himself at Caleb's desk while Caleb himself sat on his bed. Lance's scent was still in the air but it only reminded him of the impossibility of having the happiness Abby and Arthur had with his brother.

"So, what're your thoughts?" he asked.

"Honestly?" Ashton replied. "It's your decision."

"Oh fuck no..." he grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Please don't go spouting that shit at me. This affects the whole team and all the Outsiders. It's not just me."

"But he's your father." Ashton swivelled his chair around and leaned against the backrest, gazing at Caleb intently. "You know him better than anyone else. Better than Mary I'd wager. You're the one with the most knowledge on him and you're the best person to make the judgement. Bren might go to his higher ups to get their opinion, Mary might try to discern the truth with her liberal interpretation of the term 'free speech', Lars may have worked with him the longest and Ben may have worked against_him the longest but _you're his son. If you think you can trust him, then act on that."

Caleb groaned and flopped into his bed, arms out stretched. "But this decision could alter the fates of an entire generation... an entire _race_even... How could that rest on _my_shoulders?"

Ashton let out a thoughtful humming. "Let me see if I can put this in terms you can understand... Do you remember in the Lord of the Rings_when the One Ring was entrusted to Frodo by Gandalf? He was tasked to take it to the fires of Mount Doom but he still had the _choice to go on this adventure or not. The fate of all Middle Earth rested on his shoulders. Yet despite the gravity of the situation, he still powered on."

...

"You have no bloody idea what the Lord of the Rings is, do you."

"Not a clue."

"Bloody hell! You Americans have no culture! Bah!" Ashton growled and shook his head. "Okay, fine. How about Harry Potter when Harry had to choose between sacrificing himself to Voldemort or risking the lives of all the other people in Hogwarts."

"What?"

"Seriously!?" Ashton threw his paws up into the air. "Alright. How about the Song of Ice and Fire series? When Ned Stark had to choose between upholding honour and doing what was right versus using deceit to usurp the throne?"

Caleb sat up and regarded Ashton curiously. "Isn't that the story series that caused people to throw fits of rage? As in when the author was about ready to croak, they wouldn't let him and hooked him up to an unholy machine, sacrificing thousands upon thousands of attractive women to support his life until he finished the series?"

The tiger stuck his tongue out at Caleb bitterly. "You're blowing that out of proportion. It was only hundreds." Ashton sighed and scratched his temples absently. "My point is, Caleb, all those people ultimately trusted their hearts and what they believed in. None of them knew what would happen. Things turned out quite badly for them but they worked through it. They lived with their decisions. It made them stronger. And with that, they were able to conquer evil. And most of all, they were never alone."

Martha Connors had reassured him that no matter what the future brought, he would always have allies. Who those allies were, he wasn't sure, but he would never be alone. Mary had always said that no matter his decision, she would stick by him and he believed her. Lars was his best friend and Ben a close second. Bren and Arcturus had helped him grow stronger while even Madman had lent their strength.

No matter what happened... he was sure he'd find a way through it.

He was a fighter.

"I guess it's a lot like Incendius," he chuckled softly. "Harm Chronos -"

"Ah!" Ashton cried, holding up his paws and pointing at himself. "We've got people here who don't have the burden of knowledge! Spoilers!"

Caleb grinned. "Right, sorry." He inclined his head to the side. "You're reading it now?"

"It has its charm," admitted Ashton. "So have you come to your decision?"

He shook his head sadly. "No. Not yet. I think it'll have to be something that'll have to wait until Minos is dealt with."

"Ah, don't remind me." Standing, Ashton wandered over to where Caleb kept his folios. "But speaking of murderous fanatics of art, remember that Top Art exhibit my mum is overseeing?"

He had almost forgotten about it. Ashton had once encouraged him to enter some of his works to be showcased in the gallery. Sadly, he had only _recently_gotten over drawing penises so he doubted there would be anything worth exhibiting. "Yeah, I remember."

"I've got two free passes to the place," said the tiger, grinning broadly. "I was going to invite Mary but she apparently doesn't want it to spread that we're dating."

Clink.

Caleb leaned forward just far enough to spy Mary's window from his window. She was waving at them both furiously.

"I love you too, honey," Ashton taunted, waving at her tauntingly.

"How in the hell did you manage to catch her off guard like that?" Caleb asked. "I usually have to recite something in Latin mentally and even then, she gets suspicious."

"Easy." The tiger smiled at him brightly. "Just speak from the heart. No filtering through the brain. Live in the moment. Just say absolutely what is in here. It helps that I'm British and am a master at articulation. Notice how I carefully pronounce each and every word while artfully making an exception in some special cases that are colloquially considered 'sexy'. For example, the pronunciation of the sentence 'roast and mash' versus the more groin-stirring 'fish n' chips'."

Caleb growled at him. "You're doing that on purpose."

Ashton grinned at him smugly and plucked a folio from the shelf. "Naturally." As he began to leaf through Caleb's folio, he said, "How's the online scene going for you?"

"Pretty darn good. I got an explosion of watchers when I started drawing cock."

"Start drawing sex scenes and you'll get more."

He flinched. "Um... Uh... what...?"

"Oh dear," Ashton mocked. "It seems we have once again come up against a brick wall in your development. Well, as before, you will most likely need inspiration. Shall Lars and I make sweet, toe-curling, brain-shattering love in front of you, our faces twisted in the orgasmic pain of coitus and our seed melding into one another's fur so that you might capture it perfectly on the page?"

His ears flattened as he growled at the tiger. "Mary is the diabolical mastermind that lays out the plans while you're the evil actor that makes her ploys come to life. She doesn't need to write your lines out for you, does she?"

Ashton turned a page, a smug smirk on his muzzle. "Even she cannot capture the charmingly suave nature of my personality on the page. Whatever she says and writes will just sound so artificial and contrived if it came from my muzzle."

"Uh-huh. So how often are you two banging?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Caleb shook his head and made a face. "You're right, I'm good."

"If it will sate your curiosity, her father had started to complain of hairballs."

Caleb's face twisted in terror and he leapt back, holding his paws out and waving them furiously. "Eeew! Gross! Ack! TMI! TMI!"

Ashton laughed as he regarded the page again. "Huh... Did you draw this, Caleb?"

In Ashton's paw was a strange, stylised lattice of swirls and twists. The edges were slightly burnt. Caleb shook his head. "Nah. That's just some souvenir I picked up at one of those places that got burnt down during Spit Roast and Bullhorn's emergence. It was at a tattoo parlour apparently."

"I've seen this before."

Caleb's ears perked as he watched the tiger regard the symbol intently, rubbing his chin. "You have?"

"Yes... This style... Where the solid lines and shapes are made of light swirls and organic shapes. It's not new but in this particular style... I think I've seen it before." Ashton tapped the side of his head with a finger, brow furrowed. "I think... I think..."

Click! Click! Click!

Caleb rolled his eyes and went straight to his window. Mary was waving at him desperately. Whatever she wanted, it was clearly urgent. Was she worried he'd embarrass her by revealing some of her dirty secrets? It was sort of cute to have her panicking about what he could possibly say to embarrass her instead of the other way around.

He opened the window as slowly as possible.

"He's transforming!" she screamed.

...

Caleb froze. His eyes were firmly fixed on Mary but at the same time, his ears were folded back. Deeping grunts and growls echoed behind him and he heard his portfolio hit the ground. He turned slowly, all the while recalling Shark Tamer's explanation.

'The nanobots that are used for the tattoos are just normal tattoo nanobots but the transformation induced by the body also order them to replicate and rearrange themselves to give off the signal ensuring that anyone with a tattoo who sees the object will have their tattoos morph and change.'

...

'..._anyone _with a tattoo who sees the object will have their tattoos morph and change...'

'...anyone...'

He spied Ashton's myriad of tattoos shaped like tiger stripes curling all over his morphing body, twisting around his thickening forearms and body, building muscle mass. The tiger stumbled forward, falling to his knees and clutching his chest. The force of the gesture burst his back straight out of shirt, revealing the twisting black snakes that were his rapidly morphing tattoos.

"Ash!" Caleb cried, leaping forward.

"Get... Get away!" Ashton roared, his voice dropping two octaves lower. He threw his head back, eyes rolled into the back of his head as lust and animalistic instincts took over. The tiger's hips bucked madly as his cock _burst_free of its confines, the barbed, pink, feline flesh throbbing with need. The heavy musk that came with the eruption quickly lost its feline scent as the pointed tip lost its distinct shape, becoming thicker than a beer can and obtaining a bulging, flattened tip. Splotches of darkened flesh began springing all over the lengthening mass, rapidly consuming the pink flesh until only a few specks were left against the writhing mass.

"Ooooh fuuuck..." Ashton cried, his paws seizing his shirt and tearing it completely off his frame. He regained his composure for just a split second, his arms slamming into the ground in front of his face. Too stunned and too aroused to really think, he stared directly at the writhing tattoos all over his orange fur.

"Shiiiiiiiit!" he screamed. His chest surged outwards, the force throwing him back and contorting his face in orgasmic pleasure.

Caleb seized his friend's arm. "Ash -"

WHAM!

The massive arm slammed right into his chest with force equating to being hit by a train of professional footballers. Caleb was hurled right off his feet and slammed into the banister of the stairs. The wood broke beneath his weight and he was sent toppling to the ground.

CRASH!

"Caleb!" he heard his mother cry but it was quickly drowned out by Ashton's roar.

"Mrs. Hale!" shouted Mary, bursting through the front door. "Abby, come with me! Bring Caleb! Hurry!"

Dazed and barely seeing, Caleb felt strong paws seize his shoulders and drag him across the floor. He felt the splinters that were digging into his back scraping against his muscles, making him wince. Still, through the pain, he could see Ashton stumbling out of his room, his enormous shoulders bursting past the doorframes.

Bright orange fur lost their glistening lustre and became a creamy tan. Proud claws made for slicing and clinging onto prey melted into thick fingers. Ashton arched his back, letting out a long, mournful 'moo'. His feline features twisted, his jaw becoming even more pronounced and surging forward. Large, ivory horns began jutting out from his temples. Some part of him kept trying to fight the change, seizing the emerging natural weapons with his hands and shaking them like he was trying to tear them off his head. His legs were consumed by spasms as they bulged and grew; lean thighs built for continuous movement bulged to become immovable tree trunks. He reached the edge of the stairs and came tumbling down, his 400 plus pound growing body smashing every step.

"Oh my god!" Abby cried. Caleb realised that it was her paws around his shoulders. "Come on, Caleb! We've got to go! Come on! Get up!"

Caleb knew he couldn't just get up and leave Ashton... but with his mother and Abby around, could he reveal himself to be Weapons Master? His mind was quickly getting a grasp of the situation. Either pull his loving mother and his newly engaged sister into his lies or risk them getting hurt or worse...

"Fuuuuuuck!" Ashton roared. His eyes were gone, consumed entirely by lust and filled with the beady darkness of the other bulls.

Caleb knew what he had to do.

"Fuuuuck!" he echoed, clutching his stomach. "M - Mom! A - A - Abby... R - Run!"

"No..." he heard his mother whisper. "No! Caleb! No!"

Thank god Mary was there. She seized his mother and sister's shoulders. "Come on! Run! We've got to go!"

"Caleb!" screamed Abby. "You better get better, you hear? You're my Maid of Honour!"

He grinned at that even as he pretended to be intense pain. From the corner of his eye, he watched Mary drag his mother and sister out of the house and out of sight. With renewed conviction, he staggered to his feet just as Ashton did the same. His back hurt and it felt like his shoulder had been dislocated. That didn't matter. It would all go away soon.

Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he took out the surprisingly sturdy syringe gun.

"Sorry man," Caleb said, lifting it towards his neck. "You heard her." He pulled the trigger, wincing slightly as the syringe stabbed him and pushed its contents into his bloodstream. "I've got a wedding to go to."

Almost as instantly as it the pain came, it was gone and for a second, he was filled with nothing but panic. Strangely, he knew it was good because the adrenaline helped pump the blood and the serum all over his body. He grunted as his flesh began to prickle.

WHAM!

He was suddenly thrown clear off his feet and slammed into the grass of the front yard. The impact didn't hurt. In fact, he could feel his back muscles strengthening, stretching and growing. They pushed out the shards of wood embedded into his flesh and closed up every wound, hardening like steel to protect him from further injury. Ashton grunted loudly, his thick, wet cock slapping against Caleb's abs; precum spewing onto his clothes.

Caleb felt the familiar rush of super strength flood him. With a monumental roar, he seized Ashton's shoulders and threw the fully-transformed bull off him. He rolled onto his belly and was practically propelled to his feet as his arms exploded with new strength and mass. His forearms surged, thickening and gaining the hard, chiselled texture of a world renowned bodybuilder. Black strands began making their way out from his wrists, forming the menacing shape of a dagger against his forearms.

His black fur shortened, hugging every curve and bulge of his arms while the white followed suit. His already large biceps bulged out, giving him the feeling of having just finished a monumental arm workout. He let out a roar, ending in a light 'moo'. Instincts took over as he lowered his head and charged straight at a recovering Ashton. He bowled the other bull over, sending them both crashing straight into the Hale garage.

Somehow, he still managed to maintain his consciousness and avoided crashing into Ballistic even as Ashton thrashed against him. The sheer contact with the tiger was making him hard. That thick cock pressed up against his body caused him to tense, his own member bursting from his pants in greeting to Ashton's. The former tiger rutted against him, holding him tightly in a massive hug, brushing their balls against one another.

Not sure how he could think clearly, Caleb drove his knee straight into Ashton's balls and sent the tiger into the ground. Ashton fell to his wincing and clutching his junk. Caleb growled as his own legs began to thicken and pushed him closer and closer to the ceiling. As he rose, his large cock slapped Ashton's face. A dazed, lusty look crossed the other bull's features and he opened his muzzle in a half-conscious reflex.

Caleb mooed as his cock slipped easily into the other bull's muzzle. His grip on his sanity began to slip as the change rippled up his chest, ballooning out his pecs and abs. He grunted and jerked as each ab grew to the size of a normal, human hand and his pecs could have easily crushed a head between them. He rolled his head from side to side, trying to shake the bull out of his mind but it all came crashing down on his failing consciousness as Ashton began sucking on his cock. The horns pushing out of his temples felt so freeing... they were symbols of his masculinity, his domination over other, lesser bulls!

He was a bull!

He threw his head back, letting out a triumphant cry.

His cock jerked deep into Ashton's throat, seed spilling freely from his balls and pushing the last few traces of the former Caleb Hale out of his system. He bucked his hips once, twice, three times and then a fourth, filling Ashton with his milk.

"Fuck yeah..." he cooed. "Take my milk, fucker... Yeah... That's right." He rumbled continuously, every breath like a growl. He lifted his biceps, absolutely enjoying the black markings across them, thick tribal tattoos that made him absolutely feral. He loved it! He flexed his pecs, finding the ability to bounce them one at a time a massive turn on. Across his tight, muscular torso was the grand tattoo of a rounded shield and two swords crossed against them. Nothing could tear down his shield!

He was the fucking Weapons Master!

He squeezed at his nipples, grinning lewdly to himself as he jerked one last time into Ashton, the former tiger's eyes gazing up at him in total submission.

Normally, orgasm meant the warm embrace of afterglow and sleep... but Caleb felt energised. He wanted to go out there and dominate more people! He wanted more people in his herd!

Grinning, he seized Ashton by his smaller horns and dragged the submissive bull straight out of the garage. He didn't step out through the hole they had made in the garage door. He charged right through it and made a new one.

When he stepped out... he saw his neighbours and his family protected by the arriving police and Outsiders. They were all there, ready for him to make into bulls and cows. The herd would be strong!

He grinned, letting Ashton go and clenching his fists. Caleb bent one knee, ready to charge. None of them would be able to stop him.

... Then Feral Steel and his son arrived...

David Hale pushed past everyone else and froze... eyes wide through his mask and jaw open.

.... Caleb... Caleb wrested control from the bull. He threw his head back, letting out a mournful cry and spun. He charged straight into a wall -

WHAM!

Stars flashed before his eyes. It wasn't enough.

WHAM!

"Caleb!" David cried.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

He could barely see anymore.

"Stop it, son! Stop!"

WHAM! WHAM! WHA -

Strong paws yanked him away from the wall and threw him to the ground. He couldn't see anymore. His vision was filled with red... his blood?

"Caleb..." It was his father. "Oh Wolf Christ... Fuck... Caleb... I'm so sorry... I... I never... Fuck!"

Caleb shook his head... or at least he thought he shook his head. "I'm... sorry... dad..."

And with those words...

Caleb Hale fainted.