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Chapter 4

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Watchers of Liberty

It was 3:30 PM on a Sunday.

Kanoth Lameer, Chief Financial Officer of AllAle Breweries had just come back from an emergency meeting with the top officers of the corporation. The concern that the actions of one reckless Corpsman could attract the attention of the dreaded Custodes Libertatis was enough to pull all five of them from their weekends. Some would call them paranoid but the mystery around Libertatis was in part what made them so dangerous. The organisation worked in shadow and secrecy. Corporations would often claim that the _Libertatis_brought them down but there would be little proof to support this. Similarly, companies would often deny the involvement of the _Libertatis_even if there was evidence pointing to the contrary.

The Libertatis was a mystery, a wild card. One could never be careful when dealing with them.

The ordeal had exhausted him. Unknowns like these self-proclaimed 'Watchers of Liberty' always caused his mind to race and, knowing himself, he had to make plans and backup plans because he would never be able to rest otherwise. He was the CFO, after all, and every penny had to be counted. The key to success in business was ensuring that there was enough capital to offset any spending and cushion them should any mistakes be made.

Riding within his luxury sedan, he was reasonably confident that even if the Libertatis dared to strike at AllAle, they would be deterred from doing anything too damaging given the security that they had just put up. Oliver Klein would also be less-inclined to do anything reckless. The boy certainly wouldn't dare to go running to the Libertatis if the opportunity arose.

With a sigh, he arrived at his two storey, suburban home outside of Manhattan. Though his meeting had finished just after one in the afternoon, there was a lot of paperwork that needed to be done and the commute back was arduous. It was the reason he had to get up at five in the morning just so that he could get to work before rush hour really got bad. If he left any later, he would arrive after nine but that also meant that he was forced to arrive before eight every day. He couldn't see his daughters off to school and his wife was often still very much asleep by the time he was ready to leave. Weekends were the sanctuaries from work that he simply treasured.

Except when they weren't.

"Here we are," rumbled his driver. The green-haired rhino tipped his cute hat at Kanoth.

"Thank you, Cedar," Kanoth said, already undoing his tie. "See you in a few hours."

"Probably sooner."

His IP knew him very well. They were bonded on an intimate level that he couldn't achieve with his wife, Cecilia. After all the corporate seminars and training programs, the idea that 'opposites attract' had been ingrained into him. He had learned that people who often worked using contrasting styles often synergized the best together. He was quiet, reserved, preferred to observe and work away without disturbance. Cecilia was much the same. The typical housewife, she had given up her job as a lawyer just to take care of their two daughters without complaint. But Cedar was very different.

He was brash, loud, confident and very sociable. Little wonder why they got along so well.

"Probably sooner," he agreed and stepped out of the car. The sedan drove off while Kanoth headed up the red brick driveway to the door. The bright green door with the golden knob separated him from another life, one of the many he had to juggle. Between the CFO of AllAle that the public knew, the father of two daughters and loving mate to a wife and his role as one of the pillars of the company's Overworld operations, he often had his mind reeling. That was why he took a second to compose himself and force a smile before he opened the door.

"Daddy!"

Clarice and Charlotte, his beautiful daughters, came rushing towards him. At seven and six years respectively, the two girls were always bundles of energy. Clarice, the older of the two, jumped into his arms while Charlotte hugged his legs excitedly.

"You should've seen it!" she cried. "Mommy was playing hide and seek with us today. I hid in the pantry, behind the cans! She never found me!"

"I hid under the house!" Charlotte exclaimed.

Kanoth turned to his youngest and gave her a worried smile. "Now, now, Charlotte. You know you shouldn't be going under there. It's dangerous and dirty."

She looked at her feet in that adorable way she always did and kicked the ground absently. "I know. Mommy still found me, though."

Of course she did. If Cedar knew Kanoth well, Cecilia was so connected with their children that the two might as well have been her IPs. In some way, they were. After all, his wife did produce them from her body. Speaking of which...

A tired and yawning Cecilia stepped out from the kitchen. Her curly blonde hair only just reached past her shoulders and the gopher headed over, with a smile on her face. She kissed him on the cheek and gently took Clarice from him. "Welcome home, dear," she said, the weariness evident on her voice. "How was that emergency meeting?"

"Exhausting," he answered, still keeping his smile. "But I'm glad to be back."

"Have you had lunch?" she asked dutifully. "I made sandwiches."

"I'm fine. I just want to get out of this suit."

He headed on upstairs and Cecilia followed him while the girls went off to watch TV. He had taken off his jacket and before he even reached the bedroom door.

"What was the meeting about?" Cecilia asked once she had closed the door behind them.

"The usual," he half-lied. "Merging a new brand and brewer into the company. You know how Emile is. When he has a stroke of genius, it can't wait until Monday."

"Must've been a really important client if he had you come in on a Sunday."

"It was. He's an organic brewer which is why he needed my expertise." He slipped off his shoes and then sat on the edge of their enormous king sized bed. He smiled at her suggestively. "But enough about work. How about we do some 'merging' of our own?"

Cecilia smiled at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, honey. The kids have just been so exhausting today. I had a heart attack when Charlotte hid under the house again. We really need to have that part blocked off so that she doesn't get down there."

It was always the same. Everyday after work, he felt like he needed to unwind and Cecilia could never give him what he wanted. He didn't smoke, he had never done drugs and he made sure he got a good, clean, nine hours of sleep every night. He dotted the I's, crossed the T's and even went to the gym three times a week. He was the perfect father and husband. Yet she could not let him have this one vice.

Curbing his frustration, he forced a smile and pretended to nod in understanding. "Of course, dear. How about you take a nap and I'll watch the kids for a bit?"

"Really?" she asked gratefully. "That would be amazing, Kanny." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Thank you."

"Let me just get changed and then I'll let you get some rest. What time do you want me to wake you up?"

"Just let me have an hour."

The faintest edge of genuine affection tugged at the edges of his lips. "Tell you what. After dinner, I'll draw you a bath. Add rose petals and get Cedar to bring that champagne you love. I'll lock the door and you'll have another hour to yourself. I'll take the kids out."

She smiled in relief. "You're too good to me."

He stood up and kissed her cheek lightly even as his eyes stared coldly at her brown fur. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

He quickly got changed into some more comfortable clothes and then quickly left his wife to read her Kindle for a few moments before drifting off to sleep. Back downstairs, the children were happily watching some girly kid's show involving magical fairies. Before they could notice him and with but a simple thought, he slipped into the Overworld.

"Loop," he commanded, simply glancing at the shadowy versions of his two children. When he was back, both Charlotte and Clarice were happily jumping up and down at the sight of the fairies on screen. They would exhaust themselves soon enough as the _Loop_command forced them to keep up the high activity until he said otherwise. He wouldn't need more than fifteen minutes anyway. By the time he got back and released the command, they'd be too tired to do anything, giving him more peace and quiet.

In a pair of track pants, a blue shirt and a grey hoodie, he emerged from his house once more, a pair of sneakers taking him all the way up to the waiting sedan.

"Told you it'd be sooner," chuckled Cedar, already pulling the car away from the driveway.

"Yes," Kanoth responded, a genuine smirk on his features. "Yes you did."

"How long have we got?"

"Cecilia is down for a nap. I've put the kids on a Loop. Maybe fifteen minutes before the kids collapse in exhaustion. Thirty before they die because the Loop won't let them stop jumping."

"More than enough time," chuckled the green-haired rhino. "I'll bring us to the usual spot."

Just a minute drive away from his house was a park. Cecilia took the kids there during the afternoons while he was at work so that they could get some sunshine and outdoor activity. On weekends, he would take them unless he was called into work like today. It was small but big enough to warrant its own parking lot of 8 spaces. At this time of day, hardly anyone was at the park. Maybe a few joggers but hardly any kids given that it was late in the afternoon. The swing set, playground and sandbox were all empty. The few seats around the grassy area were empty and there was just one cheetah that was doing laps around the grass.

Kanoth let Cedar put the car into park and then brought them both into the Overworld. The moment they were in the back seat of his sedan in the grey expanse, the rhino was on top of him, vaulting over the front seat and pressing his lips against his own. Kanoth could only moan in ecstasy. This was what he needed.

That long, flexible tongue pushed between his lips, diving deep into his muzzle and exploring the familiar surroundings with the fervour of a cave diver finding a new cavern. He was already hurriedly removing his hoodie as his rising body heat made wearing the garment unbearable. Cedar, as always, was dressed in his black jacket, white, pressed shirt and those constricting black pants. Everything a driver for a CFO should appear like. It was common practice amongst those with access to the Overworld to have their IPs hanging around them at all times. There was no telling what dangers competing companies or even Libertatis would unleash upon them if they were not properly defended. Cedar was naturally his driver, confidant and lover.

His cheeks flushed with desire as his paws expertly unbuttoned Cedar's jacket like so many times before. The enormous, seven foot rhino could have easily burst out of his clothing with a simple flex but then he would have to explain to Cecilia why he had spent money on another suit. No, he had to be careful. This was an extramarital affair, after all. Not that he minded. It was Cedar's fault, in some way. Ever since he had been bonded with the IP, he had been friskier than usual. It likely had something to do with Cedar's bisexual nature or perhaps the inadvertent opinion Kanoth held that those that drank purely organic beers were hyper-sexual, neo-hippies that would fuck anyone given the chance.

Maybe Cedar made him bisexual and he would confess to having fantasies of ploughing his wife while Cedar stuffed his log into his ass but he wouldn't act on that. At least until the kids were in college. Until then, he would enjoy running his paws over the hardened pectoral muscles of his rhino through the thin shirt as the rhino's immense shoulders shrugged off that black coat. The moment the first button on that shirt came undone, he was hit by the strong, masculine, earthy odour that his IP constantly emitted. It drove him wild, his cock throbbing hard in his track pants. He had to break the kiss so that he could breathe in that scent not only form his nostrils but also his muzzle.

It was the smell of muddy earth mixed with freshly cut grass with the undertones of sex and manly musk. He absolutely loved_it. Cecilia was always so proper, meek and dainty, covering herself in floral perfumes. Cedar was wild, primal and _sexy. As the rhino drew his tongue along Kanoth's cheeks, brushing past his whiskers, the gopher allowed himself to slide a little further down along the male's chest, catching the second button in his large, front teeth and tearing it straight off. The thick tuft of green hair that crested past Cedar's collarbone was now exposed to him and he buried his nose right into it.

"You're going to have to pay for that," rumbled the rhino with a coy smile.

"Put it on my tab," he mumbled through the thick, lush, green chest hair.

He was a little more careful with the remaining buttons. Sewing one button back on was easier than getting all of them replaced but he was still ravenous in his desire to feel all that warm fuzz against his flesh. There was a momentary break when Cedar tugging at the rims of his shirt and pulled the garment over his head. A brief chill hit him as he was left exposed against the leather upholstery. Cedar rolled them over, laying back horizontally against the seats. Kanoth happily rested atop the rhino's rippling pectorals, cradling the beast's rounded belly with his thighs.

Unlike, say the athletic Shaoxing or slim Decanter, Cedar wasn't ripped or toned to the point of being all hard muscle. His belly was softer, hairier and with no signs of his abdominal muscles visible beneath the layer of fat. That was just how Kanoth liked him, though. Some of the psychologists employed at AllAle giving training to new Corpsmen gave some bullshit about how Cedar's physical appearance was a reflection of Kanoth's idea that, back during the Renaissance, wealth and power was depicted in those that were more rounded. In reality, it was just because Kanoth liked his sexual partners to be a bit softer and warmer.

He leaned down, lips colliding with Cedar once more while his paws ran through the rhino's lush, mane-like green hair. Sensing his need, Cedar happily pulled at the rims of his track pants, allowing his impressive nine-inch cock free. There was a time when he had just been a modest five inches but after years of working alongside Cedar, his IP had changed him in more than just his tastes and personality. It was one of the reasons why Cecilia avoided sexual interactions with him at all times. She just couldn't 'take' him.

Cedar left his pants just low enough to expose his fluffy rear and then immediately worked on his own. Kanoth could barely wait, moaning, gyrating and working himself up into a frenzy of desire and lust. He felt when Cedar's immense sixteen-inch log came springing free of his pants.

Panting, Kanoth lifted himself up, sliding down the underside of Cedar's belly while gripping the male's bigger horn for stability. Like so many times before, Cedar held his big, black dick still while Kanoth slowly but surely speared himself on the throbbing member. The gopher bit his lower lip, holding back a cry of ecstasy while the head slipped seamlessly past his ass crack and dove in.

"Oooooh, fuck..." he moaned, arching his back, gaze at the ceiling.

This. This was what he was missing. Cecilia was far_too vanilla to ever try something like this. Maybe after a few years when the kids were out of the house, she'd be willing to try anal but only receiving. She would never stomach the idea of putting on a strap-on and ploughing her husband while he moaned 'like a little bitch' as Cedar often put it. That was why Kanoth found Aileen Raskeil so appealing. She was _definitely a top.

He moaned with Cedar's thrust, pushing another two inches into him. Holding on for dear life, the two of them quickly worked into a rhythm. Cedar thrust and he reached down, lightly tugging one of the golden rings piercing Cedar's nipples. The rhino's moans drowned his own. He had given his IP those rings on the anniversary of their partnership. This year, he was contemplating giving him another ring for something a little more... sensitive.

Cedar's thrust was hard and powerful, enough for those wrecking balls he called his testicles to spring up and slap Kanoth's ass. An uncharacteristic yowl sprang from the gopher's lips while his glasses became dislodged. He didn't much care. His eyes had slammed shut in the throes of lust. The massive, green-haired rhino took command of the entire moment, driving the pace and ferocity while it was all he could to to hold on. It was like riding one of those mechanical bulls if the bull was simultaneously fucking him at the same time as it bucked.

His cock, hard as steel, poured an unnatural amount of precum all over Cedar's chest, leaking into his green belly fur; fur that he claimed he never washed because he knew how much it turned on the gopher. This was still nothing compared to the volume the rhino's immense dick - now buried halfway into his Host - produced. The clear, sticky liquid was pouring out of his ass as he simply could not take anymore.

"Fuck... Cum in me," he moaned. "Shoot in me, Cedar!"

The beast of a male could only grunt in response as he instinctively jerked his head upwards in a goring motion. Both the horns on his head and the head of his lower horn pushed upwards and with that, his balls tightened. Hot seed shot through the rhino's long, thick member, pouring into a paralysed gopher. Whether it was because of the deep connection they shared or just how that molten rod was pushing at his prostate, Kanoth was wracked by his own orgasm just a millisecond behind his partner. Ropes of thick seed poured out of his dick, splattering all over Cedar's muzzle. The rhino's mouth was wide open, silently roaring at his own orgasm so he got a mouth full of gopher spunk.

Kanoth barely got a second to breathe before a second blast erupted from his dick. Lightning struck him, freezing his entire body in the moment or orgasm, every muscle in his body tightening including his glutes which bound tightly against Cedar's dick. This caused more seed to pour out of the rhino. The white, sticky goo poured out of his ass and dripped down between Cedar's legs and onto the leather of the car seats. As Cedar's dick erupted with another burst, so too did Kanoth sprinkle his seed down his partner's throat.

With surprising flexibility, Cedar stretched his head forward, just barely clasping his lips around the tip of the bespectacled gopher's dick. Kanoth let out a high-pitched whine as his sensitive flesh was further stimulated and another blast came shooting out past his glands and directly into Cedar's muzzle.

The loop of stimulation eventually had to end and a wave of exhaustion struck Kanoth even as his dick continued to spasm, seemingly want to pour more of his genetic material down his IP's throat even though his tank was already empty. For his part, Cedar continued to pump the gopher with his seed for another minute before he was reduced to humping the exhausted executive.

Unable to maintain his straightened posture, Kanoth slumped forward, pulling his cock free of Cedar's sweet muzzle and instead burying it in the sticky belly fur where it was engulfed in warmth. Cedar met his lips once more, their tongues dancing with the taste of Kanoth's seed still lingering on them. Mighty, hairy arms wrapped around the gopher, holding him tight and protecting him from the cold that would come from their sweat-drenched bodies.

An eternity seemed to pass before the watch on Cedar's wrist beeped loudly. They had been holding the kiss the entire time.

"Time to go," mumbled the rhino, breaking the tender union. "Your daughters are growing up fast but they can't keep up the momentum for much longer."

Sighing, Kanoth nodded but couldn't help but nuzzle the rhino's neck one last time. "I love you, Cedar."

His IP dove in for one more kiss. "I love you too, Kan."

After a quick minute, they got dressed and Kanoth brought them back to the Realworld.

Almost immediately, his phone beeped at him. There were multiple missed calls and messages.

Frowning, he opened one of the messages. It was from Aileen.

"Klein found the Independent. Called reinforcements. Address follows."

Oliver Klein again. Just when he thought he could go back home, break his daughters from their loop so they would fall to the ground exhausted and then just sit in his dead riding the high of afterglow while his wife slumbered, work called.

"Change of plans," he snarled. "Once we park, keep the engine running."

Cedar's tube-like ears swivelled towards him from the driver's seat. "Problem?"

"Maybe."

******

"Back up," Ryker said, holding up his paws. "Exactly what is the Custodes Libertatis?"

Takoshi knew and he wasn't very pleased that the guy who had taken him shopping and seemed so nice was part of the so called 'rebellion'.

"They're the 'Watchers of Liberty'," he growled, ears folded back. "A self-styled, self-elected group of hackers and 'spies' who like to go around bringing down corporations or just being asses. They're the reason corporations are afraid of attacking Independents because they're scared the Libertatis would strike back. At the same time, they have no morals and if some piece of gossip or rumour is good enough, they'll disseminate it and they don't care who they go through. Even if means losing an IP in the process."

He narrowed his gaze at Cliff, his sword still drawn.

"C'mon bro," Cliff said, paws up in surrender. "We're not like that. I mean sure, sometimes IPs get lost but this is war. Corporations are mind-controlling us, man. We can't just let that happen!"

"That doesn't make it right!" he barked, fangs bared. "And it's not just IPs either! Hosts gets caught in the crossfire!"

Ryker's paw rested on his arm. "Takoshi... I thought you were all for destroying corporations and freeing the IPs..."

"Destroying the corporations, yes. Not _killing_the people there!"

Ryker switched his gaze towards Cliff. "You guys... kill people?"

Cliff, still with his paws in the air, shook his head. "No! Of course not! The Custodes Libertatis doesn't kill!"

"Bullshit!" blurted Oliver Klein. "I've heard the reports!"

In exasperation, Cliff lowered his paws. "Look dude, where do you get those rumours from? The corporations talk shit about us because it's easier to recruit people when you've got a bogeyman to be scared of. Like they're one to talk. I mean, do you guys know the common Functions all corporations share?"

"Copy, Paste, Pause, Loop," answered the feline Corpsman. "I have those when I became a Corpsman."

"And since you were forcibly made into a Corpsman, ya never got your unique Function like a normal Independent. But, bro, what you're not told is that every corporation has unique Functions that are exclusive to their executives because at the very top of every corporation, is an Independent."

This shocked Klein and his jaw dropped. "You're... You're kidding."

"Nope. The CEO and the others like him are Independents. They each have a unique Function. Most of the time related to the core company." Cliff lifted a finger. "But each of the officers has one Function that's shared amongst them all that is a real killer and one the only CEO has. The first is Delete."

Takoshi flinched and Ryker noticed. "Delete," he mumbled. "It does a shit tonne of damage. Sometimes permanent." He resisted the urge to reach for the scar ranging from his left shoulder and across his chest. "If you get hit by Delete, it's almost assuredly death."

"Right," Cliff said. "And then there's Kill."

That one, he hadn't heard about. "Kill?"

"It's just as its name suggests. Kills a Host or IP immediately. Only CEOs have this because it's so powerful. Risky to use because it immediately drains any remaining RAM they have regardless of how much they have left. But it's basically a guaranteed win." Cliff shrugged helplessly. "The corrupt corporations use them to lord over the Overworld. I mean, think about it. They're the freakin' mob. If you don't obey, they'll whack you and your IP with Delete or Kill. That's what _Libertatis_wants to stop. That and how the corporations are brainwashing people by sicking their Corpsmen on everyone!"

"All while waging all-out war with the corporations while hiding in the shadows!" Takoshi spat. "You know how many people have died because a corporation suspected them of being associated with you assholes? If you're so proud of your work, why don't you stand up and actually declare who you are instead of hiding behind innocent people and using them as your fucking meat shields!"

Cliff's green eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm guessing you lost someone because a Corpsman thought they were associated with us. But that's the sort of thing we're trying to stop. If we defeat the corporations once and for all, all of this will stop." He gestured around him at the hordes of Corpsmen and their Dosers running around, searching the bar and even trashing it to find them. "People's lives don't have to be ruined or lost if the Libertatis wins."

"And what if the Libertatis wins?" Klein spat. "Won't you just be the sole corporation left? Don't you all share Functions too?"

"Only three, dude. Save, which I just used. And another one I can use to get you all out of here." He held out a paw towards them. "But you guys are going to have to trust me."

Ryker gripped Takoshi's arm tightly. "I know you don't trust him but what choice do we have? I don't want to end up in the paws of a corporation. Not after what they did to me..." His grip tightened. "Or us."

Just the mention of 'us' melted Takoshi's heart. He knew there wasn't any romantic subtexts in the word but he still relented. "Fine," he grumbled, quickly sheathing his blade. "What do we do?"

Cliff grinned brightly and beckoned them over. "Just stand near me."

"What does 'Save' even do?" Ryker asked, still clutching onto the big bear tightly.

"It's one of the ways Libertatis apparently hides from the corporations," Klein answered. "The Function displaces the current space and those within it in like some sort of overlaying reality or something. We're basically like in the Overworld of the Overworld. Invisible to everyone except those that were originally in the space when it was invoked. It only lasts for an hour though."

"More than enough time to use my second Function," Cliff said, holding up his phone. "Recall."

The cheery tiger pushed the button to activate the RAM. Suddenly, Ryker felt like he was being tugged at lightspeed through space by his very heart. Every limb in his body was being whipped back while powerful hooks pulled him by his chest through dizzying lights and flashing colours. He was screaming - at least he thought he was - but no sound was coming out.

As quickly as it came, the sensation faded and he was suddenly standing once more in the lounge room of his apartment.

"You're back!"

The cry came from the big-bellied boar that was oddly dressed in golden armour with a lion-design on his shoulders and chest.

"Arthur?" he asked.

Cliff grinned brightly and gave the boar a high-five. "Yep. Arthur is my IP."

"That... sort of makes sense," Takoshi admitted. "Who are you meant to be? Some sort of pig knight?"

"Actually bro," answered the portly male. "My fully name is Arthur Pendragon."

Ryker tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Hang on... Arthur Pendragon? As in King Arthur? That King Arthur."

"Yep." Arthur shrugged his massive shoulder, his armour creaking in response. "I was from a TV show that was meant to be a more 'realistic' version of King Arthur... except he got thrown into modern times when he went to sleep and all sort of shit happened. It really didn't take off."

"I wouldn't have watched it," Takoshi mumbled. "But what the fuck just happened? How'd we get here?"

Recall, as Cliff explained, was a command the Libertatis used to either automatically transport themselves to their IP or vice versa instantaneously. It was how the little resistance managed to maintain their greatest advantages of stealth and mobility. With Save and Recall, members of the Libertatis could disappear from view and sneak out and then teleport themselves away. It was apparently a common tactic for the Host to trigger Save, the IP to lead any pursuers on a wild goose chase and then initiate Recall to get the IP back to safety while the Host could run in another direction.

"Sounds like you've got a good hit-and-run tactic going on," Klein muttered. "No wonder the corporations always have trouble catching you."

Cliff beamed brightly. "We're sneaky sons-of-bitches, that's for sure." The tiger beckoned for them to follow him into his room even as they remained in the Overworld. "Come on, I need you guys to meet the Kages."

"The 'Kah-Gays'?" Ryker repeated.

"Shadow," Takoshi supplied. "It means 'Shadow' in Japanese. Guess it makes sense that the leaders of the 'no-a-corporation-but-sort-of-is' call themselves the 'Shadows'."

Cliff chose to ignore that as they stepped into his bedroom. Takoshi was not at all surprised that there were multiple screens propped up on the walls and some rather hi-tech if messy equipment scattered about. It looked like he had his own server tower running in the far corner. Ryker seemed shocked at all the gadgetry around him. It was likely that Cliff kept all this equipment exclusively in the Overworld and in the Realworld, his room reflected his jock-lawyer persona.

The tiger sat down on his seat and immediately began tapping a few keys.

"I didn't know you were good with tech," Ryker admitted. "I didn't even know you owned a computer..."

"Yeah, sorry about keeping you in the dark, bro," answered the burly, striped feline. "I took computer engineering as an elective my first year. I built this whole setup myself. The programs and shit came from the rest of the Libertatis but I built the rig." He glanced over his shoulder. "And I didn't tell ya 'bout me being in the whole 'resistance' shit because I didn't think you'd get hit as an Independent. Normally, the Independent app hits you right after you get some really bad news and it normally gets sent to you as an invite on an email first. You give your phone number, you get a call, get the whole Morpheus 'red pill, blue pill' spiel and then boom, the app is on your phone. Dunno what happened with you."

Ryker shrugged helplessly. "I just found the app on my phone when we were on the roof of High-Fen and -" His brow furrowed. "Hang on... was that why you invited me out? You wanted me to away from my computer so that I wouldn't get the email?"

Cliff gave him a sheepish grin. "The email self-deletes after an hour or so I figured if I kept you out and occupied for that long, you would never have known it wasn't there."

On some level, Takoshi could actually appreciate Cliff's protectiveness over his roommate. It was quite sweet. Admittedly, he would never have met Ryker had the Independent app not somehow appeared on the boy's phone and he would still be out there hunting Dosers. But it seemed Cliff was accustomed to deception. That put him on Takoshi's watch list.

After a few more keystrokes, the screens on Cliff's wall suddenly sprang to life. They all possessed just a single, blue line running horizontally across the middle of their otherwise black faces.

"Am I correct in my assessment that you," came a heavily distorted voice from the speakers, "Bandit, have not only found the Independent behind the disturbance and the High-Fen nightclub but also the Corpsman responsible?"

"And you not only did you reveal to them the secrets of Save and Recall but you brought them to your home base?" demanded another.

"Dudes, chill," Cliff said. Only Cliff Runner would have the audacity to tell his commanding officers to 'chill' or call them 'dudes'. "You should've heard the speech my man Ryker gave the Corpsman here."

"My name is Oliver Klein," snapped the tabby.

"Yeah, we don't really care, Corpsman," uttered a third voice. Despite the voice being heavily altered, it was clearly a female on the other end of the screen. "You sold yourself out to a corporation. Whoever or whatever you were before, you're not half the man you were then. I think I'll call you Ollie-K."

"That's not my..." Klein ran a paw down his face. "Whatever. Look, I didn't sell out. I was bullied into selling to AllAle. They muscled me out of the market and then showed me the Overworld, telling me that the only way I could make it out there was to join them and be part of their brand."

"AllAle?" asked the first voice. "The microbrewery conglomerate?" The voice let out a thoughtful noise. "Huh. It seems that the reports of them ramping up their activities and becoming more aggressive in the market hold some merit."

"It appears that they're trying to ensure that_they _are the only microbrewery representatives in town," added a fourth, new voice_. "That ups their threat index."_

Takoshi could almost feel the gazes of these mysterious voices and the undulating blue lines turn back towards Oliver.

"Alright, Ollie-K," began the third voice. "Sounds like you're pissed at AllAle_. So we've got a proposition for you. Help us take down_ AllAle and we'll help you become a true independent microbrewer and even get the Contract back so you can restore Summer."

Everyone in the room save for Arthur and Cliff went rigid.

"H - How did you know I wanted that?" stammered Klein.

"Our agent, Bandit, was at the scene when Ryker Wall gave his impassioned speech, relaying the details to us. Apart from that, we make a note of keeping tabs on all corporations and their employees. If need be, we could assume your identity and destroy your credit rating."

Takoshi's hackles immediately rose. "See!? This is the bullshit I was talking about! They're no better than the corporations!"

"Don't be so brash... erm..."

"Like hell, I'm giving you my name," he snarled.

"A fair point. We only track and collect the information of those people who abuse the Overworld. Anyone who has ever implanted an idea into someone else is a target. And before you ask, we do track one another as well. Don't think of us as a collection of Independents working together to simulate a corporation. Think of us as Independents with... uneasy alliances with one another."

"We've only shared relatively useful Functions with one another,"_rumbled a newer, fifth voice. _"We are... suspicious of one another, thus our anonymity. Generally speaking, Independents under the Libertatis don't keep more than five connections with other members to provide extra security of our identities. Should any Independent ever turn on the others, the Libertatis will not hesitate to expel them and turn on them."

"So it sounds more like you're a pack of jackals working together but the moment one of you falls sick, you're resort to cannibalism and eat the poor bastard."

"A fitting analogy. We all have our personal agendas, our own corporations we would see destroyed for personal reasons. We simply pool our resources with one another to help where we can."

Takoshi huffed loudly. "That doesn't make me feel any better... but I suppose I'm comforted knowing that you're just as likely to tear one another apart than anyone else."

There was a moment of silence before the third voice spoke up again, that casual one that gave Oliver his nickname. "Back to the business at hand, Ollie-K. Oh! Oh! I'll call you OK instead." Oliver just groaned. "You know how AllAle works. You must know where it's server is."

Oliver pursed his lips together. "I do..."

Ryker turned to Takoshi. "Server?" The bear shrugged helplessly.

"Ah, of course," began the second, regal voice, every word being well-pronounced and enunciated. "We cannot forget about you, our new Independent."

As the Kage explained, the way corporations accessed the Overworld was through a central Server. This Server was built around the devices that the chief officers had first downloaded the Independent app on and entered the Overworld. These Servers allowed the officers to have access to the Overworld without direct need of their original phones and could even execute their assigned Functions without using the device or being limited to the RAM most Independents were limited to. The Server was the heart of any corporations' activities in the Overworld.

"So if it's destroyed...?" Ryker began.

"Correct," announced the fourth. "_AllAle's _operations in the Overworld will collapse. It won't stop them from making a new one and it certainly won't stop any existing Corpsmen from leaving the Overworld but it will deprive them of any Dosers, Contracts and, more importantly, deprive any new officers or surrogates from entering the Overworld."

"That is why we must eliminate the pillars of the corporation first and foremost before attacking the server," added the first and most insistent of the voices.

Ryker flinched and so did Oliver. Takoshi knew that it was leading to this and just growled.

"E - Eliminate?" stammered the young wolf. "You want us to kill the chief officers?"

"No, no!" Cliff exclaimed, holding up his paws. "They're just being dramatic. It's their thing."

"We don't need to kill them," Arthur added. "Just get them to stop using the Independent app or destroy their connection with the Overworld. We've actually got a virus that we can upload straight to their IP while in the Overworld that will go to their phone and shut it down permanently. Once all the chief officers with access to the Overworld have been hit, the Server loses its greatest defenders and can be destroyed."

Ryker breathed a sigh of relief though Takoshi was still somewhat suspicious. That seemed too easy and convenient.

"The problem is that the IP generally has to be significantly weakened before we inject the Exception Virus," continued the boar.

There it was. They had to fight the IP and beat it into submission before they could take down the corporate leader. That was no mean feat. While Dosers were generally weak and relied mostly on their numbers, chief officers were on the level of Independents. They had the backing of their colleagues and the ability to call upon multiple shared Functions without the restriction of six RAMs that other Independents relied on. That would not be easy.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Klein demanded.

"You aren't," countered the third, playful voice. "Just tell us where the Server is and then we can put into motion a way to take down the officers before destroying it."

That seemed a fair exchange and one Takoshi could live with. As long as he or Ryker were not put in the crossfire...

"Wait!" exclaimed the young wolf, causing the bear's heart to sink. "What will happen to the Host or IP once the virus is uploaded?"

"When an IP becomes bonded with a Host, they effectively have the ability to exist in one reality or the other but never in different ones simultaneously. When their connection with the Overworld is severed, they will have about five minutes to determined which reality they will exist in."

"It's a bit of a trade-off. In the Overworld, the IP will be able to retain their powers and could exist perpetually so long as their Host remains by their side. However, if they choose the Realworld, both will lose their powers and the IP will be rendered mortal and their connection severed. In either case, the metaphysical bond between them will have been severed and they will have no choice but to learn to cooperate or go their own ways."

In that scenario, Takoshi wasn't sure which one he'd pick. In the Overworld, he could rely on his own strength and even protect Ryker for as long as he lived but what kind of mental anguish would his partner be put through living in that grey, inhospitable land. In the Realworld, he would just be as helpless as anyone else and there was no telling if the corporations won't just kill him anyway.

"Does the punishment fit the crime?" Ryker asked, mournfully. "I mean, we're ruining their lives..."

"They have ruined other's lives. Just look at OK."

"He's right," snarled Klein. "Those assholes took my dream away from me! Hell, I won't just tell you where the Server is! I'll help you fight!"

"Really now?" cooed that same voice. "You know, having a Corpsman come up and spring a trap might actually work in our favour."

"Risky if we can trust him."

"You can trust him," Ryker said fiercely, stepping forward. "And me too. Sign me up."

Takoshi's fur fluffed out and he grasped his Host's shoulder. "What are you doing?" he hissed sharply. "Why are you volunteering us to fight with them?"

The moment he asked that question, he immediately wanted to take it back. The fierce light in Ryker's eyes, that same silvery flame that had joined them together burned behind his fierce brown eyes. He knew exactly why Ryker wanted to fight.

"Takoshi, there are IPs out there that are being turned into Dosers because that's the only option they have. There are people like Klein who are getting muscled out of their IPs by bigger, more powerful corporations because they have all the money. Our society is based on the foundation of no one person having a monopoly on anything and yet here we are with corporations manipulating people's minds to do just that! I can't sit around and just let that happen."

"You're right, Bandit," mumbled one of the voices. "Impassioned speech indeed."

Ryker ignored them. "Please, help me fight. Beating AllAle will let me test out my project too."

"Project?" Cliff asked. "What project?"

"I'm building a sort of dating app to get lost IPs to meet up with people in the Realworld. It'll help make sure that those without Hosts might have a chance of finding ones without having to go to corporations to beg."

There was a pause from the Kage and Cliff.

"That's... Actually brilliant," said one of the voices, Takoshi wasn't sure which. "The influx of abandoned IPs coming to the corporations is a supply line that we've been meaning to disrupt but never figured out how. If we can bond IPs to Hosts that way without actually forcing them to become Independents and joining the war, that's fantastic!"

"If I may make a suggestion," said one of the Kage. "Instead of making it a dating app, make it a sort of virtual pet application. People 'adopt' these 'randomly generated creatures' and take care of them. Feed them, nurture them and so forth. It can even be advertised that these 'pets' have some artificial intelligence that can 'speak' to their owners to provide wholesome interaction."

Ryker's eyes widened. "And by making it a virtual pet thing instead of a dating app, we can reach out to more people! Get a wider audience! We might not even have to restrict a host to a single IP! We could save millions!"

"Billions even! Oooooh!" The squeal told Takoshi this was the third, more excitable voice. "I like this idea! How far have you gotten into the development?"

"Not far..." Ryker admitted, a faint blush on his cheeks. "I only started last night. I mean, I got the basics down but I don't have a UI, complicated logic, matching system or even a database yet..."

"Send us the code. I can help build the UI and basic AI."

"I can set up the database and query logic," chimed in another.

"If you need art, leave that to me," said a third.

"And I can even build you the hardware!" Cliff exclaimed. "But I wouldn't know where to buy it at cost..."

"I can handle that," answered the first and most authoritative of the voices. "I can gather the funds and the equipment. This could revolutionise Custodes Libertatis. I think it goes without saying that you have our full support... erm..."

Cliff grinned at Ryker. "You need a codename, bro. I'm Bandit."

"Oh! Oh!" exclaimed that bright voice. "Wild Card! He's our Wild Card!"

Ryker couldn't help but grin and with it, Takoshi did the same.

"I like it," admitted the bear. "Wild Card."

"Me too," confirmed Ryker. "Guess we're joining Custodes Libertatis."

******

The idea of getting Overeach off the ground really excited Ryker. Not only did he have people supporting him but it seemed that the leadership of the Custodes Libertatis were also able to lend their support. It now seemed less like another shadow corporation and more like a group of individuals who were fighting together instead of under a single general. That comforted him and made him more resolute in his decision to join them.

He sensed that Takoshi still had reservations but he was glad his partner was generally on board with the idea.

But then it came down to business.

The Kage signed off while they all dropped back into the Realworld and Ryker uploaded the basic code of what they had agreed would be called 'Overeach' to the rest of the Kage. In his room, they all gathered sans Summer who was still stuck in the Overworld as a Doser.

"So before we start hittin' one of the corporations, you've all gotta know the structure of the target," Arthur said, speaking with authority. It wasn't hard to see how he was supposed to be that_King Arthur when he spoke like that even though he was only wearing a muscle shirt, shorts cut _way too short and sandals. He was flicking through an iPad and set it on Ryker's desk for all of them to see.

"AllAle has five people that lead its Overworld activities," Oliver supplied. "Kanoth Lameer is the Chief Financial Officer." He pointed to the picture of a gopher with thick glasses. His finger slid across the screen to the next pictures, a female pitbull. "Then there's Aileen Raskeil who is the Chief Operations Officer. Nero Greenwood is the Chief Technology Officer while Elijah Marmouth is the Chief Security Officer. At the top of them sits..." He pointed at the last portrait, that of a rattlesnake. "... Emile Santos, the Chief Executive Officer."

"The Libertatis has some info on all of them but the easiest one to target would definitely by Lameer," Arthur said. "As AllAle's_CFO, he's in charge of making sure that the company has enough money for all of its ventures. He balances the books. Which can be pretty difficult as _AllAle functions on the model of multiple brands all with 'head' developers in charge of then like Mr. Klein here."

"That's right," chimed in Oliver. "I was pretty much given free reign on how I wanted to distribute Summer. They gave me targets I had to meet and 'advice' on which areas I should hit. They're the ones that gave me the position at High-Fen to pawn off my beer. They seemed open to suggestions and any ideas I may have but since I'm fairly new to the whole thing, I didn't want to rock the boat."

Cliff bobbed his head from side to side. "Kinda why Lameer earned the title 'The Organic Taskmaster'. He's the one that brought all the microbrewers under AllAle that specialised in organic beers. The stuff smells like shit but it sells well with the hipster crowd. That, and he's able to manage all of these individual people making wild requests, shitty suggestions and crap attempts to get promoted." He quickly glanced at Klein. "No offence."

"None taken. That's exactly what it was. People would come to him for their ideas, he'd fund them and then take the credit for it alongside the people who came up with the idea in the first place. After all, he was the one that paid for it. He was the first one to believe the innovation was worth pursuing so he deserves some credit."

It sounded like Lameer was a bit of a micro-manager, constantly breathing down the necks of his employees to make sure that they were doing exactly what he wanted them to do. A bit of a puppet master, really. He suspected that this illusion of freewill is what got people to work for him. Believe that you had the freedom to make leaps and bounds but in reality, Lameer was right there, looking over your shoulder making sure you made the right decisions, _his_decisions.

"What do we know about him?" Takoshi rumbled.

Arthur reached for the tablet and tapped on the gopher's image. A full dossier appeared watermarked with the mischievous goblin-like grin of Libertatis albeit without the eyes or crown that was marked on Cliff's shirt. "He's 5'1''," replied the boar. "225 lbs. Don't let his height fool you, though. The little guy is stacked. Goes to the gym at least three times a week, has a personal trainer work weights with him and some of Cedar's muscle has probably bled into him as well."

"Cedar?"

"That's the IP. We'll get to him." Arthur scrolled down on the dossier slightly and then continued his briefing. "Kanoth Lameer is African-American by descent and is married to Cecilia Wesley Lameer. They have two daughters, Clarice and Charlotte."

Ryker's stomach did a few knots at the thought of killing the supposed 'loving' father and husband of this family.

"What makes you so sure that he's abusing the Overworld?"

Arthur scrolled a little more to what appeared to be a video. He gave it a quick tap. "This."

It showed a video of what appeared to be a suburban home. There were two kids running up and down the stairs over and over again. Lameer stepped into the scene from a room that he couldn't see, gave the girls one look then lifted a paw.

"Loop."

Ryker's heart sank as the girls were suddenly caught in an infinite loop, constantly running up and down the stairs blissfully unaware of the terrible curse their father had put on them. Then, adjusting his tie and without another care, the gopher stepped out of the house and view.

"D - Did he just..." Klein blurted. "Did he just use Loop_on his own _kids!?"

"That's sick!" Takoshi exclaimed.

Arthur stopped the video and moved to another one. "It gets worse."

This time, there was a bar of sorts shown. It looked like a dive bar. The bartender was quietly cleaning up, whistling a tune when the doors abruptly burst open. Lameer was escorted by a few Corpsmen and a huge, green-haired rhino.

"Excuse me!" exclaimed the bartender. "We're still closed! Come back in a few hours."

_"If we came back then, you wouldn't have our new brand of beer to sell,"_the cold gopher replied, striding forward with all the confidence of a snake about to strike his prey.

"Urgh... You guys again? Look, I told the other AllAle_ales reps, I'm not interested in selling your organic shit. That's for the rich upper class. I just sell beer here, okay? Just beer. My bar is where people socialise not get -"_

Suddenly, the big rhino seized the man - a dalmatian - by his collar and lifted him into the air boldly. Without warning, the bodyguard - likely Cedar - threw the poor dog across the room, sending him crashing hard into one of the tables.

"I don't have time to argue, Mr. Dalton." With a snap of his finger, one of the Corpsmen rushed towards the unconscious dalmatian and began dragging him out of the room. The other Corpsman quickly stripped off his clothing, revealing a casual outfit beneath. Other Corpsmen came rushing in, hurrying to repair the damage that had been caused.

"He's replacing the owner..." Ryker realised. "That bastard actually knocked out the owner and replaced them with his own stooges!"

"Anyone who doesn't cooperate with Lameer or who demands more money that he's willing to give gets the same treatment," Cliff rumbled. He threw Oliver an apologetic smile. "You're really lucky that you didn't push him, dude."

Oliver shuddered. "No need to convince me. He wouldn't have my Contract, would he?"

"Probably not. Probably with the CEO himself."

"Damnit..." The tabby shook his head, eyes forward and fierce. "Okay. So let's take him down already."

"Hold your horses." Cliff stood up from where he had been perched on the edge of Ryker's bed. "We've got the prepare first." A nod towards Arthur and the boar quickly swiped a big finger on the tablet, this time showing the big, green-haired rhino. "That's Cedar. Big dude. Currently works as Lameer's driver as a cover. He's the IP that Lameer got when he got promoted to CFO. He's strong. Not really that fast but he's got what he calls his 'Mudslide' ability."

The image of Cedar changed. The image of the rhino dressed in a tight black and white suit was replaced by the same male wearing only what appeared to be a leopard-striped loincloth that left nothing to the imagination. Black, leather armlets were wrapped around his wrists with silver spikes adorning them. A similar design had been implemented around his kneepads. Apart from that, he wore little else but what looked like mud caked onto his body.

"At certain intervals during the battle, he can 'molt' the mud off him and it somehow heals him," Cliff continued. "Like, you could cut off his arm but then he'll just shred off a layer of mud and somehow, he's healed again."

"What?" exclaimed Oliver. "How are you supposed to beat that!?"

"Deal enough damage before he heals," was all Cliff could say. "We've tracked the intervals as 4 minutes and twenty seconds. After that, he shrugs it off and the battle basically starts all over again except you've thrown everything you can at him and he's good as new." He nodded towards Oliver. "That's why you're so important, bro. We gotta catch him by surprise so we can deal a helluva lot of hurt and then inject the Exception Virus into him."

Oliver didn't respond and merely nodded.

"Apart from that," Arthur said, "we've noted that he doesn't have any physical weapons and generally flings mud everywhere. Projectiles are somewhat slow so if we keep moving and engage him from a distance, there's a good change that we will stay alive."

"Where are we going to hit him?" asked Takoshi. "You guys have been keeping a tab on him so I assume you've formulated a plan?"

"Honestly,AllAle has been a little low on our priority list," confessed Cliff. "Until now, that is." He glanced towards the tablet. "We haven't zeroed in on where the best place to hit him is but what we generally narrowed it to two places." With a tap on the screen, what appeared to be a park was displayed. "After he gets home from work almost every day but before dinner time which is generally hosted at 7 PM at night, Lameer drops into his home, gets changed into a jogging outfit and then hops back into the sedan driven by Cedar. They go a few blocks and fuck in the back seat of his car while in the Overworld."

Ryker jerked back in surprise. "He's having an extramarital affair with his own IP!? Is that even... What...?"

"It happens," Takoshi grumbled, eyeing him accusingly. "When you get close to your IP, you develop feelings for them. Your connection is strong. So strong that they become your confidant, friend, brother, sister, father, mother and lover. Usually happens when your synch rate is really high."

"Yo," Cliff announced, lifting his paw.

"Bro," answered Arthur with a grin and gave his Host a firm high-five.

Ryker stared at the two, muzzle open slightly in surprise. "You two...?"

"Yep," Cliff said proudly. "But that's for later." He nodded towards the screen as Arthur changed it to another image without even an order. "The other place we've found that he could potentially be vulnerable is at his gym. He's still kind of a private person despite his build and pretty frugal. Every Wednesday, he books out the gym near his suburban home so he can work out alone with Cedar for about two hours. Any other day, he has his personal trainer there and other clients but Wednesdays at five o'clock, he does his workout, gets fucked by Cedar in the showers and then goes home."

A crude smile touched Takoshi's lips. "You're seriously thinking about hitting a guy after he's exhausted from a workout and being fucked by a two-tonne rhino?"

"We ain't gonna hit him anywhere near the _AllAle_headquarters. That place is a fortress."

Oliver folded his arms gruffly, clearly impatient. "I guess we need a plan before we attack him. Anything else we should know?"

Arthur held up two fingers. "Two things. The moment we target one of their officers, all of AllAle is going to go on high alert. According to the Kages, when we make the first hit or if they start to get a whiff of what we intend, we'd have about three days before they get all the preparations ready to lock down their server and it'd take an army to take them down. But if we take down one of their officers in those three days, we could potentially extend our time limit by up to a week depending how prepared they are."

"How does that work?" Ryker asked.

Takoshi nodded his understanding. "Think about it, boy. If someone announces to you that you're about to be assassinated, you're going to want to hunker down. It'd take time for you to prepare yourself and make sure you don't spook anyone else. AllAle still runs a business and if they start showing that they're panicking over something they're not willing to tell anyone about, investors are going to get scared and pull their support. But, if your assassins killed you and then set out a hit list that they're going after the rest of your family, your family would have to first get over your loss and then make their own preparations."

Cliff nodded at the analogy. "It's the same with the corporations, bro. They've got to balance their investors and the secrecy of the Overworld. If we take down Lameer and suddenly the CFO isn't there anymore, investors are going to want answers and the other officers will need to do damage control while also preparing for the next attack. That buys us time. They might even make mistakes that we can exploit."

"I guess... I guess that makes sense."

"The second thing you've got to know," Arthur said, "is how to manifest your Function."

"Huh?"

The big, blonde boar turned towards Cliff, one eyebrow raised. The tiger was already rising before he was done with the gesture. Cliff held out one paw in front of him. A burst of light forming into swirling ribbons erupted from his paws, twisting and curling to quickly form a long, curved dagger. The blade itself was a blue-white colour and emitted a soft, bluish haze. The handle was golden taking the shape of a tiger's jaw where the blade erupted from.

"A power only Independents have," Cliff said, throwing a sly wink towards Oliver. "We can manifest our Functions into weapons or tools like this. It allows us to call upon our Function without constantly using RAM. The downside is that we have to use one RAM to manifest it and we're limited to the range of the weapon. We can still call the Function like normal while we have our manifested weapon but, you know..." He shrugged with a grin while tossed the dagger absently into the air. Ryker hissed, baring his fangs as the blade spun in the air and the tiger caught it deftly without cutting himself.

"And as a Corpsman, I can't do that," sighed Oliver.

"Not yet anyway, bro. But don't worry. Once we get your Contract, you can be an Independent again!"

Ryker glanced towards Takoshi. The bear was still reserved about the idea but there was an air of excitement radiating from the bear.

The real war had just begun.