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The Agreement

By: Wisty

Exiting the restaurant was an ordeal; it usually was. Though a few hours had passed, his jacket still fit rather snugly, and with a stomach that was distended by a few inches in nearly every direction, it was no wonder. His body usually made quick work of most meals, even the heaviest. Though, the real difficulty wasn't avoiding all of the looks from confused, impressed or concerned patrons; it wasn't even waking up after his food-induced torpor (though that was a feat in and of itself); it was trying to avoid tripping over the staff as they scurried to butter him up one last time before he left, and with good reason. With him around, very few people would dare to cause trouble.

The polished doors opened slowly, the creature pulling a pair of obsidian-tinted glasses from his coat pocket and slipping them on before tugging his jacket off. It was simply too snug to wear yet. As he exited, his customary escort, a vintage Duesenberg Model J with chrome plated trim and a paint job as black as the moonless sky... He snorted, pushing a strand of hair from his eyes as the doors opened expectantly, the motion causing the black canvas top to ripple depress slightly as the air rushed in. He snickered, patting his stomach a little before ducking down to enter the low sitting car, the engine's purr muffled slightly through the vehicle's body.

"Unpersuadable?"

"Nah, delinquent payments. Again. It's not that I enjoy exercising my power over them, but they have to learn that you don't try to cheat me. One late payment is alright, but when you're on your fifth or sixth payment, that's a little too far." Taluthus chuckled, receiving an acknowledging grunt from the driver, an old friend of his from way back.

"Do you think he was pushing you?"

"Either that, or he was trying to get away before I found him. But I always find them. You know that." He reclined on the seat, spreading his legs out a little to accommodate his bulging gut and squirming tails. It was difficult to keep them placid after a meal, even more so when it was something as exhilarating as protecting an investment. It was strange, though; this was the third time in the past year that he's had to... persuade his clients. His stomach churned a little, to which he responded with a small rub over the bulging fur, chuckling a little. Well, at least he was sure he made an impression on the new owner.

A yawn escaped the kitsune's lips, the drowsiness still receding from his mind as the sun beamed brightly outside his tinted windows. Occasionally, he was jostled in his seat, though the suspension had been modified to provide an exceptionally smooth ride. He'd have it no other way after having indigestion so many times before. Another grumble emanated from his stomach, the creature just letting out a quiet, dignified belch. "So, heard any news lately, Wist? You manage to hear things that surprises even me sometimes."

The dragon tipped his head, barely hiding a smile as he looked into the rearview mirror, his claw tips dancing idly over the smooth steering wheel. Shaking his head slowly, he let out a small chuckle. "You seem to know me too well. Perhaps you and I have spent far too much time in each other's company. But yes, it would seem that your musings are not too far from the mark. Now, mind you, I advise you to never take up smoking - it's a nasty, costly habit, but it does lead to interesting conversations to say the least." He peered out the windows, pleased to hear the shifting of the kitsune's heavy stomach in the back seat, presumably to lean forward and listen a little closer.

"Care to share then?"

Rolling his eyes jocularly, the dragon smirked. "I suppose so. In all seriousness, some of the workers on their break were surprised to see you'd come back. They thought you'd been offed for some reason. It took all of my restraint to resist laughter, though their tones were quiet serious. It struck me as odd, so I pursued the conversation a little further."

"And?"

"Well, it would appear as though we have company. There are others in the organization who would want our clients to believe that you have been dismissed. I find it absurd, honestly, though what can you do?"

Taluthus sat back in his seat, his stomach churning a little more, more from suppressed rage than anything else. It was almost amusedly flattering; they wanted to take his territory, but for what purpose. He was one of the most efficient operators, number-wise. He allowed delinquencies, but there had never been anything "reported" in relation to his business activities. Perhaps... Perhaps they feared him? A bark of laughter erupted from his lips, the male just lazing against the leather seats, fidgeting to get himself comfortable. Another gurgle filled the car's cab before Tal spoke again. "It's funny, you know. I thought they would have been smarter than that. Do you think someone's putting them up to it?"

"Hardly. The methodologies sound like our organization though. We're not prone to giving out information, so it's probable that they simply showed up, said that you were gone and demanded their allegiance. There was likely some persuasion involved, though I don't think it was anything earth -or bone- shattering."

With a response on his tongue, Taluthus was cut short by a chirping emanating from his heavy leather jacket. He took pause for a moment, simply because his cell phone never rang unless someone was calling to check in or verify a payment... though that particular ringtone had been one he hadn't heard for quite some time. Gingerly, he reached for his phone and pulled it out, motioning for Wist to prepare. He gently tapped the green "answer" icon, watching the white screen fade to black as the telephone icon appeared. "Hello?"

His words seemed to fall upon deaf ears, the line remaining silent for what seemed to be an eternity before a soft, raspy sigh echoed through the speaker. "Ah... Black Velvet. It's been far too long."

"That it has. To what do I owe the pleasure of this discussion, Cold Fire?"

"As per usual, a decision must be made. We have received an... initiate, and we must... Welcome them to our little group." The voice was cold, distant and sharp. It was good to know he'd not changed in the years it had been. Tal's heart paused in his chest for a moment as the realization hit him - If there was a new initiate, one of the other members must have been eliminated. Wist may have gotten better information than he could have ever imagined.

Nodding to no one in particular, the simple physical act of affirmation bringing his thoughts back into line. "Very well. Who was it?"

"Clairvoyance. Funny, isn't it? As much as I hate to say it, I'm sad to see the insufferable know-it-all finally fall. Probably didn't know when to shut up and run. Initiation is at the usual place, one week from today. Prepare yourself."

A small click echoed from the phone's speakers, the cab of the car completely silent except for some faint wind against the leather top. Taluthus set the phone down, the abrupt ending to the conversation rather jarring. It was never easy to read emotions from that bastard, and it would be even harder in person. He was always distanced from everyone else, but his voice was even more so than usual.

Wist peered into the rearview mirror, his bright blue eyes flickering in the slowly setting sun. "It seems the case isn't isolated then... Perhaps they were targeting you next, whoever it was." He sighed quietly, activating the turn signal, the soft click filling the void.

"That's true."

"You seem troubled. What's wrong?"

The kitsune laughed a little, shaking his head slowly. "There's apparently someone coming for my blood for something I'm not entirely certain of. Our organization has been operating for well over a century, and we've established our dominance. Perhaps some piss ant is getting it in their head that they can displace us, or at least give us a run for our money. So far, they've been effective, I guess." He scoffed a little, hearing the faint clicking of the manual transmission as it pops into neutral, followed by the parking brake ratcheting into place. "Either way, this is troublesome to deal with... I need to sleep."

The dragon nodded slowly as he exited the car, opening the door a few seconds later to expose the kitsune to the chilling dusk air. He could hear a small sigh escaping Tal's lips before the door slammed closed behind him. Nothing but the faint crunching of gravel echoed through the air, the pair walking toward the majestic house in silence. The world felt almost as heavy as his gut...

The rest of the week had passed without incident, no further news, no more rumors, no more late payments - nothing. It was almost disappointing to the apprehensive and vengeful kitsune; it was uncommon that anything made him apprehensive, and such things deserved retaliation of some degree; given that this apprehension was a faint fear for his own life, it deserved elimination.

Taluthus yawned and lazily rolled out of bed, mornings having never been his favorite time of the day; even less so when things weighed heavily on his mind. He blinked the sand from his eyes as his tails rustled to life under the light comforter that had all but crumpled at the foot of his bed. The faint rays of light filtered through the finely meshed silk curtains, casting a faint fiery red light over the rather sparse room. Sitting up groggily, he picked up his cell phone that had been so casually discarded on the nightstand beside his bed, the most recent text message flickering on the screen.

Noon.

He shook his head and growled a little, shuffling over to peer in the mirror at his disheveled appearance. A shower was definitely on the list of things to accomplish today, though He simply had to get ready for... well, noon now. He curled his lips back, revealing bright white fangs starkly contrasted against a pitch black backdrop. A few strands of blue-tipped hair dangled into his eyes, the creature shuffling over to his shower.

The tile floor felt surprisingly warm against his feet, his paw pads softly landing on the cool marble segments. Wearily reaching for the faucets, he simply turned the knob upward and the shower sputtered to a gentle, roaring start, steam rising to cover the glass walls of the shower stall. The kitsune gingerly stepped into the warm water, the tenseness seeming to fade a little as the warm water rushed over his fur.

It was oddly relaxing to feel the shampoo sudsing in his hair, trailing down his rather thin body and landing on the porcelain floor with barely a soft splatter. Calming, just hearing that babbling it was. It almost distracted him from his thoughts or the premise of today. Hard to believe the second initiation in a decade would be an unexpected one. He let loose another deep sigh, a knock on the door interrupting his thoughts. "Tal? Would you care to get breakfast before we head out? Starving yourself like you have won't do much good, you know."

Having never really dawned on him, the mention of food reminded the normally voracious creature that he'd not eaten in nearly two days. Stress had him more distant than usual, it seemed. Cutting his shower short, he rinsed the rest of the suds from his hair and body and turned off the water. His tails splayed out now, the kitsune spreading his arms slowly as the deactivation of the water stream activated a set of fans in the room, the circulating air rapidly blow drying the vulpine's fur. He could almost feel the smugness of his tails as they were fluffed up by the strong jets, though a mere thirty seconds of air was enough to have him all but dry. A few quick preens of his fur and he was set.

He walked out of the bathroom in silence, approaching the wardrobe and immediately reaching into the small locker on the left of it. He pulled out a three piece suit, pitch black in color that seemed to radiate its own bands of light. Sighing quietly, he just rumbled and pulled the suit out, standing in front of the full-body mirror hanging from the doors of his closet.

Getting dressed was never really an easy task, though he was lucky to have the fabric tailor made for him; having associates adept with transmutational magics was always a blessing; ones that were willing to create a suit that was flexible enough to accommodate him and up to four other creatures without shredding was a godsend. Unbuttoning the back of the pants first, he slipped his legs in and shimmied the smooth fabric up over his toned legs. He fastened the front button before tucking his tails away nicely into the back of the pants, buttoning the top together around them to keep them in place. He reached for his black silk undershirt and quickly slipped that on, taking care not to shred it with his claws - he'd lost far too many garments on accident that way. Next came the vest, which was quickly buttoned up along the front, the opalescent fasteners glimmering in the light in a stark contrast to the inky material.

He adjusted his collar and reached for his customary lapel pin, a single golden tooth that he promptly on the top of vest, right over the left portion of his chest. A final look in the mirror had the kitsune smiling in pleasure - or as close to pleasure as he could muster today. He turned from his closet for just a moment; a slight hesitation interrupted his momentum, the kitsune stopping to look in his wardrobe once more. His eyes fell upon a tattered leather jacket tucked away in the back of the closet, just hidden from the rest of the world. He could see small patches of leather that were dried and cracked, starting to brown from age, but a sense of nostalgia washed over him. He'd received this coat on his induction, even though he was the most senior of members under this don. He doubted anyone would even recognize it, but... maybe it was time for it to be passed on.

Sighing quietly, he spun in his heel, gripping the jacket's hanger and holding it casually at his side, the semi-stiff leather crinkling lightly from the force of the wind pushing against it. It sounded so unhealthy. The dragon nodded quietly and opened the door for them, escorting the kitsune downstairs where a small glass of vodka waited for him. It was going to be a good day.

With barely a word, Taluthus opened the front door, leaving the glass of potent alcohol sitting on the counter - he didn't feel like drinking just yet. The Deusy was waiting for him, parked on the slick blacktop driveway in its customary spot behind his obsidian hued sixty-six Shelby Cobra. It invited him, but the kitsune just shook his head. "Let's go with something a little quicker today. I'm just not feeling like a relaxed ride today..." He mumbled. Not that the super snake would have a rough ride, but it always filled his heart with a little adrenaline whenever he heard the engine purr beneath the black beauty's hood. "Let's get this over with."

Nodding silently, Wisty simply opened the passenger door, the kitsune gently placing the jacket between the seats, curling his tails around his waist as he sat in the smooth, plush seats; so many years had passed over them, but they were still as soft as the first day he'd gotten the car. It was comforting to know something never quite changed...

"Shall we?"

"Let's. It's almost noon."

"Tomorrow will be here soon."

"I suppose that's one certainty... let's go."

The scent of methane rolled over his snout as he stood outside of the unassuming warehouse that he'd visited far too often before. He could see hooks and chains dangling through the open window, remnants of the auto industry that had once breathed life into this section of the city. Dilapidation ran rampant, only the darkest of deeds taking place on these streets, absconding everything, even in the light of day. A shiver rolled over his spine as he stalked through the set of rusted panel doors, the hinges screeching in pain as they were moved from their resting spot. He slung his jacket over his shoulder, the leather protesting nearly as much as the door, his footsteps falling quietly on the dust-covered floor of the expansive warehouse.

Small rays of light filtered through the broken glass in the ceiling, casting grotesque shadows of machinery over the sparse patches of light. Even in the cavernous void, he could still hear his soft footsteps hissing back at him, as if the building itself was informing him that no one among the living should be here. It was almost fitting that the inanimate building was as dead as those who built it and the industries that gave it life so long ago.

The path through the winding machinery hadn't changed; he could still remember being lead through the winding passages the first time, nearly twenty feet of clearance on each side still too little to dispel the claustrophobia instilled in him by the voracious darkness. Five, ten, fifteen minutes into the darkness and he finally stumbled across the catwalk leading the storage rooms far below the main floors of the warehouse, pipes groaning weakly around him as the entire building settled on its foundation. It was crumbling. It amused him.

A single flickering light greeted him at the end of the catwalk, the same dim incandescent bulb hanging from a single extension cord that had been installed as a makeshift light source after the additions. Fitting. He slowly walked into the room and took four steps to the left, assuming his position at the corner of the room; his associates would have occupied the other corners, though it was unlikely that they would approach the light until told.

Silence surrounded him.

It was unsettling; never had he heard such little sound, even in this old place. Everything was quiet and still. Tense with anticipation, it seemed. He pulled his jacket from his shoulder and held it loosely in his forepaws, gripping the leather gently, his paws tracing over the peeling, padded shoulders and the patch on the front.

Time seemed to distort in the silence and darkness. Seconds became minutes became hours, each compounding upon itself to increase his anxiety. There was nothing anywhere, just a sad light clinging to its last breath. He shifted uncomfortably in his spot before his world lurched forward at an accelerated pace, the light flaring and flashing as if exploding with a surge of electricity. Stars welled at the sides of his vision before the light rolled quickly toward the sky, the sensation of weightlessness filling his mind along with the void.

It seemed like seconds later when he finally became... aware of his head being cleaved in two by a fiery iron attached to a dull bone saw. It hurt like a motherfucker. The stars flittered away from his vision and the faint taste of rust filled his mouth. He was... uncomfortable to say the least, becoming more and more aware of an intense pain in his shoulders and knees. The lights slowly faded back into focus, a single shadow shimmering just beyond the edge of the light, barely visible from the dull reflections from the plate walls of the room.

"It's about time you woke up. I was getting impatient."

That voice... it was...so familiar... cold...

"Nnngh... Cold Fire? What's... happened?" The kitsune mumbled quietly, his words still slurry of syllables as his thoughts slowly returned to him.

"You don't remember do you? After taking such a hit, I'm surprised you even know me anymore. That's great. Now it'll make it easier to feed upon your indignation. Do you know why you're here? I'll give you a hint - it's an initiation of sorts~" The silhouette stepped into the light, his bright blue scales glistening faintly in the light, his stomach bulging lazily. "You see, you weren't the first one here, which was good; I had wanted to have a special talk with you first. Our partners didn't like what I had to say, but they eventually ended up joining me, as I'm sure you will too."

The kitsune grumbled quietly, his head beginning to hurt more and more as he looked up to the massive dragon towering over him, able to see nearly every detail of that sinister face. "I don't understand..."

"Don't you? Well, I can't expect you to be able to guess everything after a concussion, can I, so where are my manners? You see, you own territory that my partners and I have taken an interest in. That is, all if the territory formerly held by your Organization. Clair was quick enough to give her things over after some persuasion, and Ironside didn't take much persuasion either. You, however, have been a little trickier." He chuckled and held up the jacket, snickering quietly. "All because of this."

He paced around the room slowly, chuckling a little. "But before I go on, I should warn you. You can struggle all you like, but you're not going to get free of those; Ironside couldn't, and he's the closest thing you had to superman in this goddamn town. Also, you will die, and I will devour you, perhaps not in that order. Now, back to the matter at hand, yes. You see, you were always a favorite of the don, and believe it or not, he has held you in nothing but the highest regards ever since you joined. This jacket proves as much to me, though I've had my own tabs on you for some time now." He chuckled and uncurled the leather jacket, holding it up in the light for Taluthus see the peeling patch in all clarity - a single golden fang that matched his lapel pin.

"Now, to prevent this from turning into an evildoer's monologue, I'm going to make it brief..." he muttered idly, pulling a single silver switchblade from his pocket and gently placing it between his teeth. The large blue dragon spread the jacket wide and, with some trouble, slipped his beefy arms into the sleeves, the seams shredding almost immediately as he tugged it over his arms. He chuckled and reached forward with it as if trying it out, the sound of the back tearing out completely filling the chamber with a grotesque shredding noise. "Ah, much better. Symbolic, I suppose, that I've single-handedly shredded this organization... I've also shredded the proverbial torch while eliminating the heir to the organization."

Taluthus couldn't really begin to process it, still confused and shocked at what was unfurling in front of him. He struggled weakly against his chains, unable to do anything as another spike of pain coursed through his head and made him shriek in agony. Going slightly limp, his body tugged at his restraints, making him go a little numb while drawing an amused chuckle from the larger male.

"So, as you can see, you are really the last one to go from your organization besides the don, and I don't think he'll actually be too hard to overtake once I find him. You were the body, and he was the mind; separate the head from the body and soon it will die... but enough of this; I'm really quite eager to feel your weak struggles as I claim you, so I don't even think I'll kill you... I..."

Stopping in mid sentence, he turned around as the sound of something shredding filled the room once more. He turned around quickly to look into the darkness as if expecting to see anything. "Who's there?" There was no response beyond another faint tear echoing through the room. His skin began to crawl, the feeling of spiders creeping over his body beginning to fill his mind. He shuddered and reflexively brushed his arms with the back of his paws, sending flakes of leather falling to the ground.

"Damnit, I'm going to finish this quick." He growled before jerking the kitsune off of his knees so that he dangled from his throat, his legs about chest level with the dragon. He could feel the heavy support column pressing into his back - or rather his body being smashed against the support column - as the dragon growled again.

Unable to do much more than simply look down, Taluthus saw that gaping maw stretch wider as that icy blue tongue curled around his toes and threatened to pull him in. He could feel cold breath washing over him as his feet became soaked in cold drool. This was it.

Another growl erupted from the dragon's maw before Taluthus felt himself being slammed against the pillar and plummeting to the ground. He barely landed on his feet, though the loud thump of his body hitting the ground wasn't nearly enough to drown out the scream of terror that filled the room.

Looking up, he could quite clearly see a thin swath of what appeared to be linen engulfing the dragon's arms and legs; the threads spiraled and weaved outward from the tattered rags of the jacket, entwining themselves under his scales. Gripping desperately at the sleeves, Cold Fire tried to tug the jacket off, but to no avail; even the thin fibrous threads didn't seem to yield under his sharp talons. "F-fuck! Get this damn thing off of me! What the hell is it doing!?"

Taluthus couldn't do much more than watch, equally worried at the coat's actions; he could see the tendrils encroaching upon the dragon's neck before finally engulfing his face, cocooning him in a swathe of woven threads that glistened and shimmered. It seemed like an eternity that the kitsune simply watched the arms of the jacket repair themselves as the blood-red lining joined upon itself, seeming to weave the dragon into it. All sound had become muted beyond the gentle scuffing of the mummified dragon squirming on the floor, though soon that too died down as the jacket bulged as the lining was pulled back inside the actual body of the garment. The leather began to grow blacker, tingeing with red as the seams began to repair. The once brittle leather became supple, as if recently oiled. The obscene bulges that had been the dragon quickly faded away as a fresh zipper threaded its way down the front. The very patch that had all but fallen off replenished itself with a renewed vigor, the golden embroidered tooth glistening with shreds of gold-dyed gossamer thread. A pair of spikes slowly rose from the jacket as all movement within stopped, the garment lying in a crumpled heap on the floor.

The kitsune had... never really worn the jacket before; it had been a pretty beat up gift when he'd received it, and he couldn't have risked incurring the Don's wrath by destroying it through use... though it seemed as though he'd made an intelligent decision at least... Though if what Cold Fire had said was true, it was also a terrible decision. If he ever got out of here, he would have to check to make sure his associates weren't part of the dragon that had just been devoured by his jacket... but picking up the pieces would come later.

He could hear faint scuffling in the distance, much heavier than any rat could make. A shiver pulsed down his spine, as he called out weakly. His head hurt so badly.

"Taluthus?"

How could Wisty have made it down this far? No one but the initiated could have ever made it through the labyrinthine bowels of the warehouse... but maybe he'd gotten lost long enough to find his way... "I'm.... here!..." he muttered as loudly as he could without fracturing his skull from the sound. He could feel every pulse of his heart beat in his head now that he had the time to focus on it. The footsteps drew closer, a faint glittering of opals seen just at the edge of his vision.

"My God. He put it on...?"

"Yeah... how..."

"I'll tell you later... let's get you out of here..."

In all of his confusion, those seemed to be the sanest words he'd heard all day.

Yes, let's never come back here again. Let's go home.