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The Champion By Cris Fireheart / Ken Anderson Chapter 17 � Rags to Riches Author's note: This story contains scenes of extreme violence, profanity, drug and alcohol use, sale, and abuse, and some sexual situations. Reader discretion is DEFINITELY advised. That being said, if none of that bothers you, then enjoy! As ever, any comments, criticism, watches and faves are well appreciated! --C ----Tuesday, 2:30 P.M., 10402 'K' Street, University Circle---- It took a few minutes of repeatedly knocking on the door of the large, ugly-looking house before someone finally came to see what all the commotion was about. A tall, unnaturally skinny stallion with a thin, brown coat and a long black mane yanked the front door open, a look of tired fury etched across his face. �Yeah? Who the hell is it?!� the equine grumbled loudly. James and Victor shared a quick glance, before silently waiting for the tall horse to lower his gaze to meet their height. Upon seeing the well-dressed man and the older fox standing before him, however, the stallion's entire demeanor seemed to change. �You-- you're--� he stuttered slightly as he struggled to form the words. �Yes,� James interrupted, �We are. Don't worry, we're not here to cause you all any trouble; we're just here to see R�my. Is he around?� �Y-yeah. He's on the second floor, first room on the right. Here, I'll show you. Come on in.� The stallion stepped aside so that the two could enter. As he made his way across the threshold, Victor turned to close the door behind them. Making their way through the house, the two of them quickly noticed that, while its exterior definitely could've used a touch-up, the interior of the house was actually surprisingly clean. James took note of a large TV mounted on a wall in the living room area, with a cluster of video game consoles gathered underneath it. A pair of cheetahs were seated on a long couch stretched out in front of the TV, both of them completely engrossed in the action of a fast-paced first-person shooter. One of them turned his head to see who had arrived, and his controller quickly fell from his paws onto the carpeted floor when he spotted James and Victor. �Holy shit...� Victor heard him mutter as they continued to make their way through the house, towards a staircase near the kitchen area. As the group began to ascend up to the second floor, Victor's sharp ears twitched slightly at the sound of the soft padding of footsteps behind them. Turning his graying muzzle to one side, he caught sight of the pair of cheetahs staring after them, having been joined by the tired-looking form of a brown-haired bloodhound. It seemed that they'd attracted an audience. �It's right here,� The stallion nodded, approaching a nondescript white door near the top of the staircase. Raising his fist, he gave two sharp raps on the door, before calling out. �Yo! R�my! You've got some company, man!� �Who is it?!� came the slightly high-pitched response. �I wasn't expecting anyone!� Motioning for the stallion to step aside, James leaned in and raised his voice. �It's someone you should probably open the door for, kit!� �Oh, shit!� The sudden sound of something clattering loudly to the floor caused James to chuckle slightly. He motioned for Victor to take a spot next to him as he crossed his skinny arms in front of his chest. The sounds of desperate scrambling could be heard on the other side of the door, followed quickly by several metallic 'clicks' as a series of locks was disengaged. After a moment, the doorknob was finally turned, and the thin, wooden door was slowly pulled open. The nervous-looking muzzle of a young gray fox peered through the crack as his eyes quickly swept over James. Then, he spotted Victor, and drew in a sharp gasp of air. �Hello, R�my,� The older fox greeted him with a gentle smile. �I hope you'll forgive the surprise. When James asked me if I wanted to see you... well...� �Holy shit...� The young fox's muzzle twisted into a grin. �Yeah, just gimme a sec! Just gotta--� The door quickly closed, and the sounds of shuffling began anew. After a few more seconds, the door was pulled open completely, revealing the tall, lithe fox, dressed in a simple pair of torn, acid-washed denim jeans and a gray tank-top which seemed to almost match his fur color. His smile seemed to grow even wider as he stood aside and offered the pair access to the room. James gave a nod of his head, before motioning for Victor to enter first. �R�my, man... Did you... get into something again?� came the trembling voice of the stallion behind them. �Not particularly! Don't worry about it, Bill, I'm pretty sure this is just a friendly visit!� �A friendly visit? From... them?!� �Bill, was it?� James asked the tall horse, who only nodded his head in response. �You said that you knew who we are?� Another nod. �Great. Now I want you to take a close look at this guy--� he nodded towards Victor, who was now busy taking in the sights of his son's crowded room. �--And I want you to look at your friend R�my...� It took less than a minute for it all to click, the stallion backing slowly away into the hall. �Oh, shit...� �Yeah; don't worry. Like I said, we're not here to cause any trouble,� James noted with a smile. �This is more like a family reunion. Now, if you don't mind, on the way down, would you please tell your three friends to give us all a little privacy? Also, there's a scared-looking lion standing outside by our car; it's the forest-green Maserati parked on the curb. Could you do me a favor and bring him a bottle of water, if you've got one? Oh, and make sure that you announce yourself before you approach him; he's armed. His name is Henry Rhah.� �Henry Rhah?! As in...� �That's the one. Don't worry, he's not dangerous, just a little shy.� �Just...shy? Y-- yeah, alright...� �By the way, the pattern on your face and mannerisms look kind of familiar to me. Your father's name wouldn't happen to be Jeffery, would it?� �It is, yeah, but he usually just goes by 'Jeff.' How the hell did you know that?...Sir?� �Let's just say that he and I have known each other for a long time. The next time you talk to him, tell him that James says 'hi', and be sure to mention Hoover's, the old convenience store that used to be across the street from Harbor Hills High school. Once he manages to pick up his jaw from the floor, tell him to call this number when he gets the chance, will ya?� The older man reached into his coat, digging around inside one of its many pockets before coming out with a plain white business card, which he handed over to the equine's shaking fingers. James gave the stallion a warm smile as he stepped through the door, before turning to close it behind him. �Talk about some 'Twilight Zone' shit...� the man thought he heard Bill mutter as he turned around and began to head downstairs to do as he was told. As the door 'clicked' shut, James turned around to take in the sights of the younger fox's room. True to form for a college student, it was messy. However, unlike the stereotypical portrayal of empty cups of instant ramen, pizza boxes, and beer cans stacked as high as the leaning tower of Pisa, this room was messy in an entirely different way. Three of its four walls had several cheap, plastic tables and small desks shoved up against them, completely covered in the numerous parts and pieces of unidentifiable electronics. He spotted a few retro and newer video game consoles in various stages of disassembly piled in one corner, and what appeared to be multiple laptops and other pieces of computing hardware piled in another, also disassembled. There was a pair of soldering irons with different attachments resting in their cradles next to what appeared to be a stack of stripped motherboards. James couldn't help but chuckle as he smiled at the sight. 'This kid isn't just a hacker; he's a goddamn engineer!' Turning to face Victor, he noticed that the older fox appeared to be standing paralyzed. His bushy gray tail had even stopped moving as he continued to take in the form of his son, who still hadn't stopped smiling as he looked over his father as well. �I guess this has been a long time coming...� R�my muttered as he stepped closer, �... Can I hug you?� �Of course, just be careful of the-- AHH!� Victor gritted his teeth in pain as R�my suddenly threw his arms around him, forcefully pulling the older fox into his chest. �CAREFUL, lad! I'm wounded!� �What? Oh, shit, I forgot! Sorry about that!� R�my quickly released him, causing Victor to take in a deep gasp as he raised a gloved paw towards the still-fresh wounds on his chest. �It's alright... I don't think you pulled the stitches out,� Victor chuckled softly, before smiling towards the younger fox. �So... I suppose this is the part where I should take the time to apologize for--� �NO. Don't apologize!� R�my interrupted him, �It's alright. I know who you are... dad. I know where we came from. You don't have to apologize; Gods, even from what little I could find out about your life, I know you've been through so much...� James watched as Victor's ears suddenly folded and his tail slightly twitched. He could tell that his closest friend was feeling conflicted. �It's alright, Vic,� he called out, leaning back against the door. �Turns out your kit is smarter than any of us gave him credit for. Have you actually seen this room?� Turning to face R�my, James gave him a single nod of his head. �I know that you've been helping out your dad and I for awhile now. That means you know who we both are, and what we do. Am I right?� �Yeah-- yeah, that's right. I mean, I've kept a close eye on all of you guys as best as I can, ever since I learned that my dad was working for you, right after I moved here to the city a few years ago. I'll admit, though, it hurt a bit to see him get cut up at that fight the other night...� Victor visibly winced. Drawing a gloved paw over his muzzle, he shook his head, muttering under his breath. �I thought there weren't supposed to be any cameras at the fight...� �Oh, there weren't!� The younger fox blurted out enthusiastically. �A friend of mine... well, not really a friend, but I know him, and he's on the football team? He and a couple of the other guys all went to the warehouse on that night. One of them managed to sneak in a second phone past the guards at the entrance, and he ended up recording a video. He paid me some pretty decent money to clean up the footage, and it's been making the rounds through the frats and the sport and fight fanatics on campus for the last few days, at least. How else do you think everyone downstairs recognized you both when you got here?� Holding up a claw, R�my quickly turned his back and headed for his computer setup, a stack of four monitors daisy-chained together, which could allow him to view four different windows of data, or play four different online games at the same time, depending on which mood struck him. Reaching out his paws to tap away at one of the two heavy-looking steampunk-styled modular keyboards, he quickly brought up four different still images on the monitors. One of the shots showed Victor squaring up to Ken Markus in the octagon, the rat bellowing out in laughter as he'd taunted the older fox before the fight had begun. The next showed the instant that Victor had delivered a punishing stab wound to one of the rat's kidneys, bringing him to his knees. The lower-left monitor had the image of Victor in the act of shoving his paw, holding the rat's heart, through his pried-open jaws and down into his throat, killing him and ending the match. The final monitor, however, showed the image which held the older fox's attention the most. It was a still of the moment that James had leaned in, and placed a kiss on the side of his muzzle. �Heh...� James chuckled as he took in the sight. �I didn't think anyone had caught that. Mind sending a copy of that shot to my phone?� �Yeah! No problem. Gimme five seconds. Oh! And that CIA file of yours that you wanted should be in your inbox by now, too.� After a short moment, a beep sounded in James' coat pocket, signaling that he'd received a message. A second or so later, a second beep sounded. �Well, damn, kid, that was fast.� �Yeah, I kinda take pride in my work. But well, is it really work if you enjoy it?� the younger fox replied with a toothy grin, embarrassingly scratching the back of his neck with one paw. �So...� he raised his arms and heaved out a sigh, �After all this time, I finally get to meet you both. To be honest? I thought I might've had to be the one to eventually set up a meeting. You have no idea how surprised I am that both of you just showed right up on my doorstep...� �Well, it wasn't really much of a choice,� James began to explain, �Earlier today, your father finally came clean about having a son, and he knows how important family is to me. If you've done any research on me and my own family, then you'd know that as well. I asked him if he wanted to see his son, and our young friend Henry Rhah was nice enough to tell us where to find you.� �Henry Rhah? How the hell would he-- Ohh, right!� R�my snapped a pair of claws together, �Yeah, he used to go out with Rachel, before she hooked up with that Ocelot guy from the basketball team; I remember now. Gods, I'm so stupid; I should've figured he'd remember where to find me...� He shook his head sadly. �I usually take my security far more seriously than that. Why do you think I moved into this place?� He waved his arms around his room. �Cheap rent, easy access to illegal high-speed fiber optics, and the chance to make money by coding and writing essays for the football players?� James offered, half-jokingly. �That's... Surprisingly accurate, believe it or not.� R�my nodded in response. �I make most of my money doing better work than AI when it comes to coding and writing papers. It really helps if you actually enjoy doing the research and can quote sources that actually exist. As for the hacking and other stuff, I don't get paid for that; that's just what I do for fun in between my classes and other peoples' assignments. I don't know; everybody's got their ideas of challenges, am I right? I mean, look at you, you're... I mean...� the fox paused, as if unsure what to say next. �Oh, don't worry!� James laughed, a genuine smile crossing his face as he nodded his head. �Go ahead and complete that thought. I stopped taking offense at what people thought of me a long time ago.� �...You were one of the highest-rated psychologists in the United States during the mid-2010's, specializing in treating military veterans and current and former addicts, predominantly suffering from PTSD, major depression, and with long histories of alcohol and substance abuse. Then... you lost your mate, and you changed; you suddenly decided to become a power player in this city; a 'guy behind the curtain,' so to speak... A gangster...� �That's absolutely right...� James nodded solemnly in reply. �Charlie's death and what happened afterwards changed me drastically. How could it not? It was a little over a year after I lost Charlie that I also lost my license to practice as a psychologist. And it was less than a year after that when I eventually took revenge on the prick who gave the order for it to happen. Not long after that, one day in the Heights, I met your father...� R�my nodded his head enthusiastically. �It was Arturo Binetti, right? Yeah, there were plenty of rumors about what happened to that guy when I first moved down here. That, and I know for a fact that I personally provided the information about the corruption of the previous mayor two years ago, which may have gotten him killed. I just... have to ask; was it you?� James shook his head, and nodded towards Victor. �Nope. That was all your dad, standing right over there. Sure, I gave the order; that prick was stealing from people who had nothing to begin with! But he was the one who took the job.� R�my stooped slightly, before shrugging his shoulders and nodding his head in understanding. �I thought so. I cracked the HCPD database myself; the evidence had all the marks of a classic Silver hit.� Those words caused Victor's ears to perk up. �Pardon?� he muttered. �Well, yeah; I've read literally everything there is to read on the Silver Clan, from the 1700's to 1994, when they were basically... exterminated. When I first found out that you were still alive, I wanted to learn everything about you and our history that I could. I ended up digging up everything from the old noble lines to the underworld connections that started to expand after your grandfather took over the clan back in the early 1930's. I must've cracked over a half-dozen international crime databases and anonymously ordered up hundreds of manually scanned pages from old criminal ledgers and rare history books just so I could piece it all together. But, to make a long story short, I know who we are. I've known it since before I ever left home. That's why I said you don't have to apologize to me. I know you tried your best to make sure that I was well taken care of, and you had your own problems to deal with back then... But that's all in the past. And right now?� The younger fox looked over James and his father with a smile. �You're here. Both of you. While you might not know much about me, I know almost everything there is to know about you two. And the thing I want most is to learn more.� R�my's gaze fell towards his father's gloved paws. Victor caught him staring, and reflexively made to place his paws behind his back. �Victor... Dad, it's alright. I'm not scared or ashamed of you. Honestly, I used to always wonder what our family was really like, when I was growing up. And what I found out... The trials that I learned they all had to go through on behalf of the Clan... The trials that you had to go through... Well, since we're on the subject, I guess the first 'real thing' that you'll both get to learn about me is that when I'm excited about something, I like to talk a lot, and I tend to be pretty direct, so... Can I see them?� The older fox's ears splayed slightly as he slowly brought his paws out from behind his back. Sighing heavily, he began to go through his usual ritual of removing the pair of thick black leather gloves he always wore, pulling each one away claw-by-claw, until they were loose enough to slip off completely. James stepped forward and reached out a hand to take them as Victor held out the gloves in his direction, not removing his gaze from his son as he felt the weight of the heavy leather being lifted from his palm. Holding up both of his paws, backside-first, so that R�my could see the faded waxing and waning moon tattoos, he swore it almost felt painful to do so. To Victor, it felt like revealing a part of himself that he'd never intended for his son to see. But, in the end, it was the younger fox's reaction that suddenly caused him to begin to rethink his internal turmoil. Far from being intimidated, R�my appeared to be completely enraptured by the sight, a curious grin of fascination plastered across his muzzle as he leaned over to peer at his father's sharpened and polished claws, taking in the smooth look of the surgical steel grafts, before his gaze came down to rest on the faded tattoos. �The infamous 'Silver Claws'... I can't even imagine the pain of having that done to me without any anesthesia, not to mention the serious care and maintenance that I read about. And that ink? 'Two-Moons'. That's your name isn't it? The one that your Clan gave you?� �Our Clan,� The older Fox corrected him, �My father was the one who gave me my Clan name. There may only be two of us left, officially, but still, you carry my name. While I might not be very proud of how I was raised, or how I was taught to live, make no mistake. I'm a Silver, and you are as well. The name that I gave you when you were born was R�my Silver, after one of your great-uncles, and as both your father and the sole surviving Elder, by the laws of our Clan, whatever I may have left to offer you in this world is yours.� Victor took a moment to gesture around the cluttered room. �That includes the choice of whether or not you may actually wish to move into... better accommodations, as well as the right to bear the name of our family... Our Clan. If you should choose to do so, I must warn you that taking on the Silver name also means becoming automatically associated with some of the more... unsavory elements of our 'extended family.' I assume you've done your research as to your other, more distant relatives? There are still a few surviving 'offshoots' of the main branch of our Clan, but from what I can remember, most of them are not very... trustworthy.� �I've met a few of them in person; a pair of second-cousins or something, at first, so yeah, I kinda got that feeling from them, as well,� The younger Fox agreed with a nod, �But! I did meet one guy from one of the more well-hidden branches of the family who turned out to be pretty cool! This old Red Fox named Maximilian Schnauzer, of all things! I swear, this guy was--� �-- A psychotherapist who works out of Sandstone, Arizona, who likes to smoke tons of pot, drinks and swears like a sailor, and can pinch your wallet from any pocket on your body in five seconds flat before your back is turned?� James offered up, causing both gray foxes to turn to face him, surprise written across their muzzles. Chuckling slightly, the older man couldn't help but shake his head as he stepped forward to join the conversation. �Yeah, I know Max. Pretty well, actually. We were both in rehab together when we first met. Back when Charlie and I first got together, my parents, being the controlling pricks they were, decided to move out to Arizona and have me forcibly checked into a recovery center out there for my pill and Heroin problem. The joke ended up being on them, though; I met Max there, and even though my parents tried to force their shit on me yet again at the end, I decided for myself to go to college and earn my psychology degree while staying at the Center. Max and I lived at the Sandstone Recovery Center together as roommates for about four years; he and I both ended up cutting our teeth by working there as live-in counselors, until I eventually came back home to Harbor City and Charlie and I got married. It was a... different time back then. Let's just say that Max was notorious for making sure that nobody was really 'rehabilitated,' if you get what I mean. He used to always smuggle in weed and liquor...� �That sounds exactly like him,� R�my nodded, smirking slightly, �But, he actually runs the Sandstone Recovery Center these days. When he flew down here last year and we met up, he said that he'd ended up going to medical school back during the late '10s and graduating with an official Doctorate in Psychiatry. He did still manage to show off by picking my pockets before we even sat down at the coffee shop across the street, though! You should've seen the huge smirk on his face when he pulled out my pack of cigarettes and offered me a smoke! Fuckin' wild! Speaking of, I could use one right now, actually...� �Here, have one of mine,� Came Victor's smooth accent, as he produced his pack of Marlboro Menthols from one of his suit's inner pockets, before offering a smoke to his son, who took it gratefully, then proceeded to watch as his father used his steeled claws to grip the filter of a cigarette, before flipping it out of the pack with an exaggerated flair, sending the paper tube up into the air and catching it effortlessly between his teeth. �Wow. That's a neat trick.� �I have a better one for you. Watch this...� Victor stuffed the cigarette pack back into his suit with one paw, while reaching across into another pocket with the other. Pulling out a battered-looking Zippo lighter, he expertly rolled the metal casing between his claws, before quickly flipping it between his thumb and index claws and flicking it open, using his steel thumb claw to strike the flint as the lighter sailed high into the air, before being caught perfectly between the first two claws of Victor's right paw, the flame steadily lit. Leaning forward slightly, R�my used the flame to light his cigarette. Victor did the same, before closing the lighter with a flick of his wrist, sending a loud 'snap' echoing throughout the small room. Holding out the object towards his son, Victor nodded for him to take it from his paw. �You're giving me your old lighter? I mean, that's... cool, I guess...� �Can you read what it says?� The older fox retorted, taking a drag on his cigarette. �Argentum pro tuis cogitationibus'? That's Latin isn't it? Let's see... A...Silver for your... Thoughts? At least, I think that's what it means.� �That's correct. Now, turn it over.� R�my flipped the metal casing around in his paw, and his eyes came to rest on a series of numbers. It was a date. �April 7, 2004... That's my birthday...� �I had it engraved on the day you were born. You were always my best-kept secret, and I always kept you close to my heart.� Victor reached up to pat the pocket he'd retrieved the lighter from. �I thought it might be about time that you finally received it. Consider it a... start, between the two of us. After all, I do have twenty-one birthdays to make up for, don't I?� He gave the younger fox a toothy smirk as he used his tongue to roll the cigarette from one side of his scarred muzzle to the other. Whatever response R�my could've given was quickly drowned out as he suddenly burst out into laughter, shaking his head as he quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his father in a hug, albeit more gently this time around. �Thank you.� his voice cracked slightly, as he buried his muzzle into his father's shoulder and neck, taking in the older fox's smoky scent and committing it to memory. He let out a slight gasp as he felt Victor's arms wrapping around him as well, pulling him closer. �Don't thank me just yet, lad... Like I said, you know about the kind of life that I live. The life that us Silvers have lived. As I explained, since there's only the two of us left, I'm going to do away with the old 'traditions,' and give you the choice. You can choose to live your life however you wish, with or without our... cursed name followin' ya. But either way you pick, I'm gonna be right there, yeah?� Victor's accent broke through even more as the older fox felt a wetness beginning to spread on the shoulder of his suit. �Well, see, the thing is...� R�my released his grip on Victor and backed away slightly, wiping away the traces of his tears with the fur on his forearm, �I'm kind of already fully invested in who I am, and yeah, that includes everything that comes with it. That's why I... You know what, I--I'll just show you, hold on...� James and Victor exchanged concerned glances as R�my turned around to face one of the cluttered tables, and began to dig around in the pile of randomly scattered electronics. After a moment of searching, he came up holding what appeared to be an old, battery-powered penlight between his claws, which he checked to make sure was operational before turning back to face Victor and holding it out for the older fox to take. �It's an old infrared light pen, like they used to use back in the day to read invisible ink or brighten those old black light posters. Just... shine it on my paws, alright?� Once again, James and Victor shared a glance, before the older man simply shrugged his shoulders and closed the distance between them. �Well, if you're not gonna do it, I will.� he muttered as he reached out and took the penlight from between R�my's claws. The fox closed both of his paws into fists and held them out in front of him, pressed together, as James clicked the button and turned on the penlight. When the infrared light shone over his glossy gray fur, the word +SILVER+ became instantly visible, tattooed brightly across R�my's knuckles. James let out a slight chuckle as he nodded his head in appreciation. �I gotta hand it to ya, kit, That's pretty smart.� �I know, right? Now, shine it on the back of my paws.� R�my replied with a nod. James did as instructed, and was rewarded with the image of a large, intricate tattoo, half of which covered each paw, of a medieval-style shield being held aloft by two feral foxes, the one on R�my's right paw gripping the handle of a dagger in its jaws, and the other on his left holding what appeared to be a leather satchel. Above the shield, the word 'SHADOW' was inked in Old English. �That's our family's crest!� Victor exclaimed, as he reached out to take the penlight from James' hand. Tracing it over the image, he closely studied how the tattoo came together when R�my's fists were placed side-by-side. �I haven't seen it in decades! And this art style... This isn't a normal ink job; this is custom work, isn't it? And 'Shadow'?� �It's my name. I did my own research on our Clan, remember? 'In the absence of an Elder to bestow a Clan name, any survivor of the original Silver bloodline has the right to choose their own name, and begin their own line.' I've kind of been your shadow for more than a few years, now, so it seemed appropriate at the time, along with how I... handle my other work. As for the Crest? I did that myself, along with my knuckles. I mean, look around! I work with my paws for a living; giving myself some tattoos was nothing! The ink, though? That's actually a custom mix; it only shows up under certain frequencies of light. So, no, if I go out to a nightclub or something, I won't start instantly broadcasting to everyone around me that I'm a Silver. That pen is one of the few things I own that shines at that exact frequency of light. You don't even wanna know how long it took me to get the ratios of the ink and various chems right...� �You home-brewed an invisible tattoo ink?� James raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. �That's pretty ballsy. But, like you just said, looking around, I can get it. You're not just a hacker; you're an engineer and a chemist, apparently.� �I'm double-majoring in Computer Science and Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, actually. I also class-crash a few Chemistry courses during my free periods sometimes. The other students don't really care, and the professors all basically love me, so they don't mind if I sit in on their lectures without technically being enrolled in their classes. Actually, I think a couple of them might have a thing for me. I don't mind it though, they're both kinda hot...� �Well, looking at you, and knowing your father the way that I do, I can't say as I blame them,� James laughed, shaking his head. �Yeah... Hey, Vic?� The older fox turned to face him with a nod of his head. �I'm sorry, but I'm gonna go ahead and take my own earlier advice. After meeting R�my for myself, and hearing everything that I just heard, I'm taking this particular choice out of his paws.� �What do you mean?� R�my tilted his head to one side, confused. �I mean that you should start sorting out your stuff, packing your bags, and tell your friends downstairs that they can go ahead and rent this room out to someone else. You're coming home with us, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. You don't belong here; this is a house. This isn't a home. You belong with us. With your family. Don't worry, you'll still be going to school every day that you have classes; Henry also goes to HCU, remember? If you don't drive, then he will. We'll make arrangements for you, if we need to. But after all of that? If it wasn't preordained before, then it definitely is now.� James turned to face Victor with a determined grin drawn across his face. �Help our son start packing. I'm gonna head out to the hallway to call Rick and have him bring his truck around. Between the four of us, we can have this entire room shipped out in less than two hours. Plus, it'll get him away from the spy in our basement; I think he's still feeling a bit paranoid around him.� �Oh, you mean Kessler? That CIA guy?� R�my's ears perked up slightly. �Yeah, Marco Binetti and his Beta have been kicking the ever-loving shit out of him in our basement for the past four days,� James shrugged nonchalantly, �He wouldn't break until we finally got a hold of that unredacted personnel file that you sent us. He opened up pretty quickly after that.� �I'll bet. Those guys aren't supposed to be working in-country, let alone running fuckin' crime families in major cities! You guys didn't kill him, though...right?� �Nah, just your basic bodily injury and psychological torment,� James responded with a shake of his head. �The short version is that he'll be working for us from now on, and he'll be putting in a good word for our new business venture with the Canine Council. As long as he plays ball, the way a good dog should, and doesn't try to tug on his leash, he doesn't have to worry about any major problems from us. Of course if he decides to turn on me...� �-- Then my dad and I make sure he disappears, right?� �Yeah, then-- wait, what did you just say?� �Like I said, I've completely accepted who I am. That means everything about our family, including getting training in martial arts and... more advanced courses. I may not have the steeled claws, but I accepted everything else about myself years ago. Just because I prefer to spend my time tooling around with computers and electronics doesn't mean that I've turned my back on other, more physical kinds of learning.� Victor suddenly straightened up. Looking his son directly in the eyes, he folded his paws behind his back and drew in a breath to speak. �Ten seconds. List three ways that you could kill me. Start now.� Without hesitation, R�my smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. �That's easy. First off, a straight-up throat shot. You're older, but I'm faster; I'm sorry, but that's just a fact. Second would be the knife that I can clearly see strapped around your left ankle under your pant leg. If I managed to take you to the ground, I know that I could get it into my paws.� �And the third way?� �There's a pair of thermal-rigged, pre-programmed .45-caliber pistols set up as drone guns hidden directly in the middle of what looks like a big stack of junk on that small table right behind you, next to the door.� The younger fox pointed a claw towards the pile of what appeared to be scrap metal. As James and Victor turned their heads to see if he was telling the truth, a slight 'beep' sounded, before a pair of laser beams suddenly appeared, aimed directly for their chests, following them as they attempted to maneuver away. �Like I said when this conversation first started, I'm normally VERY careful about my security,� R�my grinned slyly, holding up the small remote in his paws that controlled the hidden guns. �Fuck me! You're serious?!� Victor nearly squealed as he continued to turn his body, only to have the laser beam move to reacquire his center mass just as quickly. �As a stroke. Those drone guns were actually pretty simple to build; I just needed a couple of cheap micro-cameras and a platform that could move them while still keeping them centered on-target. They've been programmed to ignore my own body shape and thermal signature and only trace any other bodies' heat. As it is, I could literally kill at least two people without even turning away from my monitors, while playing the new Battlefield beta with a headset on. I'd get an alert on one of my screens the second anyone passed through the door. The second after that, they'd be targeted.� �Shadow... I understand why you chose that name, now.� Victor nodded, grinning slightly in approval as R�my clicked another one of the buttons on his remote, shutting down the laser sights. �You can be ever-present and unavoidable, like a shadow, while you can also be safely out of the line of fire, without ever losing sight of your targets, since they'll always be followed by their shadows. This isn't the first time that someone like me has tested you, is it?� �Nope. Like I said, I also met a couple of second-cousins. They were from somewhere in the middle of bumfuck, Nevada, and showed up here tweaked out of their minds. The only coherent thoughts in their heads were about how to kill me and take what I had set up here in the house. As I said, I met them; I never said that they left. The new vegetable garden out back has been producing pretty well for the past year-and-a-half. Bill really loves the carrots, eggplant, and tomatoes that I suddenly decided to start growing one day...� James slowly turned his head to face Victor, whose jaw had dropped open. The older fox stood paralyzed, his ears twitching slightly as he tried to process what he'd just heard. �Oh, yeah...� James nodded, smiling towards R�my. �He's definitely coming home with us.� As the older man spun around on his heels and headed for the door, stuffing a hand into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone, he paused while reaching out for the doorknob to turn and face the younger fox once again. �And yes, R�my, you did hear me right. Don't even try to pretend like you weren't paying attention when I said it, kit; it'd be insulting at this point. Victor? Please help our son to pack his bags and everything else he needs to take with him. I'm gonna go and call Rick. It's time for us all to go HOME. And before you ask, I'm definitely going to be introducing him to Robert. He is gonna love this kid.� �Over my rotten fuckin' corpse! You will keep that sex-starved Panther far away from my son!� ---END CHAPTER 17