FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 9

---

Social Lubricant

The mysterious death of Aileen Raskeil was spreading like wildfire. First was Kanoth's abrupt resignation then _AllAle's_COO mysteriously dying of 'heart complications'. Investors were already starting to get cold feet and employees were starting to think there was something more to the events than simple - although tragic - health issues.

"What is going on Emile?" demanded one of the board members.

The entire Board of Directors had gathered in the conference room. Every seat in the circular table was occupied which meant there was no room for Nero or Elijah to sit. They simply hovered over each of Emile's shoulders like two hawks watching as their CEO was torn apart by the board. Emile, calm as always, remained quiet as he quietly took the criticism and demands of the men and women around him.

"In less than two weeks, two of your top officers have been taken out of commission," demanded another director, a female llama. "This doesn't look good amongst the shareholders. A lot of people are getting scared. Some are already drawing parallels to a mob-style hit!"

That was the Libertatis' doing. Not even a day after Aileen had been found dead, in the Overworld, rumours of some sort of vendetta against Emile and AllAle had been disseminated amongst the public. They were smart. The rumours started before Emile even got a chance to announce Aileen's death. When he was eventually forced to concede that she had died due to 'heart complications', the public's view had already been skewed towards believing the rumours that some sort of 'gang' had AllAle in their sights. It hadn't taken Nero long to discern the source of the rumours but all he got was a taunting cartoonish icon that was the calling card of the Custodes Libertatis.

"Stock prices are dipping," chimed another. "Badly. I don't care how many new IPs you've acquired throughout the past few months. This is causing consumer confidence to drop at a rapid rate!"

Nero had to remind himself that this wasn't the IPs he was used to. These were literal intellectual properties not the living, breathing people he new like Tomahawk.

"If you've offended someone," said the first of the directors, "you need to let us now right now, Emile. You owe it to everyone here and our investors to let us know if you've somehow gotten into trouble with the mob and now they're after you."

Emile Santos coolly and calmly rose to his feet. "Ladies and gentlemen of the board," he said in an even tone. "Let me assure you that there is nothing to worry about. Mr. Lameer's abrupt resignation and Ms. Raskeil's tragic death have no correlation with one another apart from the fact that they are ill-timed. Let the rumour mill do what it's best at doing. AllAle's stocks will recover. We are already on the hunt for replacements but as you all well know, this process is long and taxing. We wish to hire the best. We've already started investing in our existing staff to look for replacements and to ensure that even with Aileen's tragic passing, operations will continue as per normal."

Of course that was not the entire truth. Yes, to the average board member or investor, AllAle will be chugging along as usual but without Aileen's expertise, operations were now much more expensive. There were greater risks in putting their day-to-day in the paws of the inexperienced. He had taken up some of her responsibilities and had started making sure their Corpsmen were far better equipped. Elijah was doing the same. It would come at a loss to the company but no one would care if they temporarily went into the red so long as their profits were in the black come the end of the quarter. Even if it was just a little bit in the black, that would be enough to boost confidence back into the company.

"Do not be swayed by what the media is spouting," continued Emile. "These are merely rumours and conjecture. It's obviously a slow news cycle if they're focusing on us. I have great faith in AllAle but we are scarcely the largest alcohol distributor in the state let alone the country. While the loss of our two great officers is regrettable, we are still posting record profits and our productivity has never faltered. They are simply trying to make mountains out of molehills."

There was some unconvinced murmurings amongst the board but they were buying it.

"If that's the case, I eagerly look forward to this quarter's reports," answered another board member. "Anything to quash these rumours that the company is in trouble."

"Usually the CFO would make the report but given that we are still looking for a replacement for Mr. Lameer, I shall make it myself."

That seemed to satisfy them and the vultures - one of which was actually a vulture - got up and began filing out one by one. Once they were all gone, Emile's mood darkened. The room's temperature began to lower and Nero could swear there was a dark shadow that emanated from the rattlesnake.

"I don't care what it takes," snarled the reptile. "Crush the Libertatis agents that killed Aileen. Elijah, make sure all of our security systems and defences are shored up. I don't want anyone getting through." Then his eyes darted to Nero. "Spare no expense. Get the strongest IPs out there. Make them Dosers. I don't care what you do. Just find them."

Nero nodded while Elijah remained impassive as ever.

Emile adjusted his tie and then followed the rest of the board out so that he could make idle chatter with them as they left just to keep up the illusion that everything was perfectly normal.

Nero turned to Elijah, a frown on the rhino's features. "You don't seem worried about all this."

"Worrying won't get us anywhere," answered the feline, turning his back to Nero and striding towards the exit. "We need to stay calm. We are under siege. Unnecessary panic will leave us vulnerable."

Nero cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. "Geez... I wish I could be as calm as you. This situation has totally turned FUBAR on us."

The chilling stare from Elijah made him gulp. "You're not thinking of abandoning or betraying us, are you, Nero?"

"Me? What?" he answered, trying to keep his voice from going too high. "Of course not!"

Elijah gave him one second worth of a chilling stare before leaving through the door.

Nero let out a breath and then reached for his company phone. He hit the speed dial and there was an answer even before the first ring. "Hey Tom," he sighed. "Meeting is over. Think you can pick me up?"

Tomahawk sounded sympathetic. "Was it that bad?"

"Terrible, man. I'm pretty sure Elijah suspects something but I think he's just suspicious of everyone now. Wouldn't surprise me if he got all paranoid and even suspected Emile for trying to sabotage his own company."

"I could understand Emile getting rid of Aileen. She was an ambitious bitch that wanted nothing more than to take over but Kanoth...?"

"Yeah... Poor guy. Maybe that's why he only blew off his leg..."

"We'll find out together, Nero. Meet me at the usual place."

The Chief Technology Officer nodded grimly and hung up.

"Alright..." he told himself, forcing a smile to give the appearance that everything was perfectly normal. "Here we go."

******

Ryker gasped, arching his back like he had just been shot with a thousand volt of electricity. Covered in sweat, he lifted an arm to wipe his brow as it was drenched. He stopped just short of touching his head as he realised he wasn't wearing his usual attire. Wrapped around his paw was a white glove and a black jacket hung over his shoulders. He wasn't even lying down. He was standing... standing in what appeared to be field of flowers.

"What...?"

The flowers reached up to about his knee and were so dense and thickly grown that it was impossible to move. The flowers themselves were like a cross between a lily and an orchid but were all completely blue save for their bright, yellow stamen. The field was large, maybe about 40 feet wide but abruptly ended, a floating disk hovering in the air. Beyond that was just sheer blackness, true nothingness.

"Where...?"

Memories of what had happened, what he last did, flashed through his mind. He had made another Pact with another IP... but a Host could only possess a single IP, at least according to Takoshi. Had... had he...

"Am I dead...?" he whispered.

"Not quite."

He tried to turn around but could only twist his body so far because the flowers around him seemed to bind his legs in position. Thankfully, the speaker moved seamlessly through the flowers. The mysterious figure was dressed head to toe in a long, black cloak including black gloves that covered his hands. He was about Ryker's height but his features were completely pixelated out like someone was purposefully censoring him. It was impossible to tell what he looked like or his species as every time Ryker blinked, those very same pixels seemed to move and twist. Just staring at him gave him a headache.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Cue," answered the man, striding forward and positioning himself in front of Ryker so he could be seen clearly. "You are in the Broken Server of Dreams."

"The what?"

Cue turned around, his hands folded behind his back. "The Broken Server for short. Or Server if you want to shorten it further." He glanced over his shoulder at Ryker, at least he thought he did. "No one has ever told you the history of the Overworld, have they?"

Ryker could only shake his head as Cue turned back to look into the darkness.

"The concept of the Overworld came about even earlier than the internet." He lifted a finger. "From the moment furkind first began to come up with ideas and became inspired, to imagine fantastical worlds beyond their own, the Overworld came into fruition. Certainly not the diverse and complicated structure it is now but it was always there. The gods and mythical creatures of old were actually IPs and creatures from the Overworld."

Ryker was stunned and could only say, "Really?"

"Quite so. Back then, the Overworld was very different. It overlapped with the Realworld and often times, IPs could interact with the Realworld so long as enough people believed in them. Of course, as faith and science began to take over, the divide between the Overworld and Realworld became greater and greater until IPs were practically starved and began to cannibalise one another. People continued to create new and fresh IPs as the Overworld never truly went away but there was very little they could do to influence their Hosts. That is until the dawn of the Second World War."

Tilting his head to the side sightly, he asked, "What does World War II have to do with anything?"

"It comes from the research the Soviet Union was doing into psychic phenomenon. As Germany was terrorising Europe, the Soviet Union began experimenting with means to tap into the psychic phenomenon, unknowingly returning furkind to its connection with the Overworld. They had only minor success and it was only during the Cold War when the project truly took off."

"But the Soviet Union collapsed..."

Cue lifted a finger, turning towards him again. "Exactly. But not before those involved in the experiment came to the startling conclusion that to truly tap into furkind's ability to interact with the psychic world that they knew as the Overworld, they would need some way to connect everyone in the world. Then the internet made the world that much smaller."

Ryker's eyes widened. "The internet was first conceptualised in 1983 but only became reality in a familiar form today in 1990..."

"But by then, the Soviet Union was already on the verge of collapse," added Cue. "It was too late for anything to amount from the project. It would have remained just another mysterious and abandoned project had an ageing entrepreneur by the name of Carlisle Leofort hadn't learned of the Overworld and decided to take it up and invest in the project. He injected money into the project with the hopes of somehow prolonging his life." Cue waved his hand absently. "Some ambition that he hoped someone in the Overworld, an IP perhaps, could conjure the Fountain of Youth for him and make him young again. Of course, that didn't happen but several scientists and researchers moved into the project and just a year later, they had managed to breach into the Overworld using a program. It was the precursor to the Independent App that you use today. In fact, they were so successful that they had managed to create a permanent gateway to the Overworld and even built a little research facility there." Cue spread his arms wide. "This is all that remains of that facility."

The Broken Server of Dreams. He was standing on a part of history. Though that begged the question...

His brow furrowed. "What happened to all those scientists?"

"Carlisle Leofort died of old age and his son, who was by no means a competent businessman, shutdown the project as he led the company to ruin. The assets of Leofort Industries was disseminated including the Overworld project. A group of corporations from around the world took an interest in the project, realising that it could be used to manipulate the market without anyone knowing. This is the precursor to the Dosers and Corpsmen that you know now."

"And that's how it spread..." Ryker concluded. "That's how the corporations got access..."

Cue wagged a finger at him. "Don't jump to conclusions, now. The scientists had a strong moral compass. They all decided to destroy their research and try to prevent the Overworld from being abused. They did this by setting up explosives here in the Server. The explosion was so _colossal_that they thought it would be enough to permanently prevent the Realworld from interacting with the Overworld and vice versa in such an invasive way."

"But they were wrong..."

The mysterious man's arms fell in defeat. "Indeed they were. The corporations went after each of the scientists involved in the project. Tried to convince them to restart their research. More than a few took their own lives in a desperate attempt to keep themselves from being coerced. Some were captured and laid out the foundations for what the corporations are doing today."

Ryker glanced about. These held a certain serenity to them but at the same time, it was a bitter reminder of what had nearly been; a world completely controlled by the corporations. "So what am I doing here? Am I dead?"

"Far from it. You are actually more alive than anyone else." Cue turned to face him again, hands clasped behind his back. "See, one of the scientists who was working on the project was named Frank Benson. He was researching ways to _improve_the overall function of the Overworld as opposed to what it is today. Instead of individual Hosts being little islands of isolation accompanied by their own IPs, he had hoped that the Overworld would become the next step to the internet; a medium where people were free to exchange ideas on a psychic level. Kind of like a virtual reality version of the internet."

Ryker found himself smiling a little at the wondrous thought. There was already so much fiction that described some form of physical interaction with the internet out there. "I guess I could see that happening..."

"Good! Because you took a great step into making that happen! Have a look."

Cue gestured at the flowers around him. At first Ryker didn't see anything different apart from the sea of flowers. Then he noticed that there were patches where the flowers did not cover. Seeing as he could barely move, he had to crane his neck to see exactly what it was that Cue was indicating.

His eyes widened when he saw the white fur.

"Takoshi!" Then he noticed there were others lying asleep in the flowers. "Oliver! Soren!" There was Kanoth and Cedar too. Cliff and Arthur and even Decanter. They were arrayed in a circle around him, asleep with their hands or paws clasped over their chest. Vines were wrapped around them with a number of flowers that remained folded and unopened resting against parts of their bodies. "Everyone on my Contact list is here..."

"Exactly!" Cue exclaimed excitedly. "Ultimately, the internet is a collection of computers housing data that are connected by a network that pass information from one console to the other. This was the dream that Frank Benson had but on a psychic level." Cue pointed at him. "You, my dear friend, have awakened the potential in your mind to this world's wonders by adopting a second IP." The man with the pixelated face gestured at the sleeping figures around him. "Each person you see here is someone whom you have formed a strong connection to through the Independent Application. You have started to build the lonesome island in this sea of darkness into a continent through these connections. Over time, as you grow closer with them, they will help grow the island with their own connections and eventually, they too will awaken."

Ryker canted his head in confusion. "Has no one ever done this before?"

"Many have tried. But they have never been able to sustain the psychological strain of maintaining so many connections. This isn't just a metaphorical representation of your relationships. This is _literally_your mind and those relationships given form. Many have cracked because they were unable to maintain these relationships and when the people broke off from one another in the Realworld, this world would shatter and, in turn, the Host's mind."

The young wolf jerked back in horror. "W - Wait! Are you telling me..."

"That your very mental state is as much in your hands as it is in theirs. Think of it like you compartmentalising your hard disk into several drives with each person here being a different drive. To run your operating system cohesively, you need to have access to all drives. But when one drive gets ejected or lost, you won't be able to function."

He clutched the sides of his head in terror. "Is this why people always said you shouldn't make a Pact with more than one IP!? Is there any positive to this!?"

"Apart from having a physical representation of your relationship with others?" Cue asked. "Think of this as a haven for any IPs out there that you might be able to save. By awakening this part of your consciousness, you are able to help other IPs by bringing them onto this island and offering them sanctuary."

"Won't that significantly cut down my lifespan?" Ryker asked. "Just having Takoshi apparently cut my expected lifespan by half."

Cue nodded grimly. "That's really a misconception. You're just at risk of dying younger than expected because your life and mind is bound to the fate of another. Few people could truly entrust their own state of being into someone else. Even marriages borne out of love and mean to last 'til death do us part' don't last. How can you expect anyone in this modern world to forge a bond such as this when even the sanctity of marriage is fleeting?"

The mysterious man strode forward, bowing towards Ryker. "But we have chatted long enough without introductions. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Cue. One of the six Kage of the Custodes Libertates."

Ryker jerked back in surprise, his muzzle falling open in shock. "Y - You are!? W - What are you doing in this place if this is meant to be inside my head!?"

"This isn't inside your head. It is the representation of your consciousness in the Overworld. Remember how almost everyone you see in the Overworld is just a vaguely blurry shadow? You become whole and coloured when you took on a single IP. When you took on a second..." He gestured for Ryker to finish his sentence.

"I... It's like I staked my own claim in the Overworld... Except it's here in the Broken Server..."

"Exactly! Every CEO with access to the Overworld begins here." Cue turned, looking out into the darkness. "I've watched so many of those CEO start where you are now and eventually turned their powers to enslave Hosts and IPs. They eventually turned their little island into the towering monoliths that are the corporate headquarters in the Overworld." He turned back towards Ryker. "I sincerely hope that you will not be the same and keep your island pure."

"I am nothing like those people," Ryker insisted. Though he had to quietly admit he could see why the CEOs would want to enslave people. If these connections he made could turn on him on a second and shatter his psyche, then he would try and find a way to ensure those bridges never got broken. "Those CEOs..." he began, a realisation hitting him. "They made IPs into Dosers and Hosts into Corpsmen to prevent them from breaking off... didn't they?"

Cue nodded grimly. "That was the original intent. Those CEOs originally wanted to rebuild the bridge between the two worlds but the risks were too great. So they used the Control Function to bind people to them and prevent them from breaking away and damaging their minds." The _Libertatis_leader tapped the side of his head. "Perhaps had they remained pure in their original intention, they would have eventually reforged this bridge but furs being as they are, they eventually got greedy and went in a different direction."

"Of course..." Ryker sighed heavily.

The mysterious man rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't fret, young Ryker. There is an end goal. We in the _Libertatis_propagate the rumour that no Host can have more than one IP to protect people. Not everyone has the mental fortitude or the will to keep so many people happy with their actions. What you do for one person is very likely to upset someone else even if they won't say it to your face. But you... You are special."

He glanced away, clutching his flank. "I don't know about that..."

"You were able to convince a corporation's CFO to be your Contact. Under duress, yes but still you've maintained that Contact. More than that, you've actually helped him start on the path to redemption and accept who he is." Cue gestured towards Kanoth. Curiously, one of the flowers resting on Kanoth's body was fully open and bloomed. "You've caused the lost IP of a belligerent individual in constant denial to start the path to finding his own identity outside of the IP he used to be." A look at Soren and there were two flowers that had bloomed. "Speaking of that very same belligerent individual, you've not only freed him of his Contract but even got him to start reassessing his own standing with his IP and how he approaches his interactions with people."

Oliver had two flowers open as well. There was a bit of disappointment that neither Takoshi, Arthur or Cliff had any flowers open.

"You have this uncanny ability to juggle all of these relationships and make people happy," Cue said. "Even to the point that you are able to turn enemies into friends." With a wave of his hand, he gestured towards Decanter who slumbered quietly away with a single flower open. "I think you might be able to succeed where everyone else has failed."

He looked towards Cue, brow furrowed. "Succeed in what, exactly?"

"In fixing the Overworld." Cue took a step back, hands folded behind his back again. "Do me a favour and don't mention this ability to anyone else. I've added a new function into your app to allow you access to this private little island and to chat with me whenever you want. This place isn't quite in the Overworld but not in the Realworld either so you'll look as if you're unconscious or staring into space whenever you use it. Keep it a secret as I don't want people trying to bind more IPs to themselves if they aren't able to handle the strain."

He could imagine some Hosts out there would try to gather as many IPs as they could, maybe even making an army of them to take down their most hated corporations. Oliver was a likely candidate for this. Then he remembered how some IPs could become 'Zombie IPs' if they did something contrary to their original design. Something like that could easily cause contact to break between their Host and likely cause permanent damage.

"Wait!" Ryker exclaimed, holding out his paw towards Cue. "Am I just supposed to go along with this? My psychological health is on the line here! Am I just supposed to keep making Contacts without knowing what it'll lead to?"

Cue shrugged. "I honestly don't know what it'll lead to either. When you think about it, IPs were able to manipulate the elements and perform miracles as Gods, mythical creatures or legends in the past. I like to think that if you were to gather enough people, all with the same goal, you might be able to achieve something great. This is what Carlisle Leofort believed and it was certainly what Frank Benson believed as he tried to unify the world in the Overworld. I don't know what you would want with that kind of power but keep that in your heart. Unify your Contacts. Turn your island into a continent and that continent into an entire world.

"Perhaps then you could save yourself from the strain of hosting so many IPs and Contacts."

******

The coffee shop was very out of the way and somewhere _AllAle_would never have considered venturing into. After all, Emile was focused entirely on alcohol and nothing else. Coffee was many people's cure to a hangover. Apart from that, it was a secluded location with the only entrance leading downward a short flight of stairs in a dark alleyway. It smacked of the speakeasies from prohibition times. Little wonder why this was the place Kanoth chose to meet up.

It wasn't hard to spot the gopher especially since Cedar was always beside him. There was a more relaxed, easy approach that the two took when in one another's company and one that Nero had to admit was quite sweet. It was nice that they were finally being rather open with t heir relationship. He couldn't imagine what it would mean for Kanoth's home life _if_the gopher had grown a pair big enough to tell his family.

The rhino, flanked by the towering expanse that was Tomahawk, approached the only table that was occupied.

"You're looking great, Kanoth," he greeted, an easy grin splitting his thick, black beard. Unlike any other rhinos that preferred to have their horns as big as possible because it was a sign of manhood for them, he kept his filed down to barely a stump. It helped with his vision so that he didn't have that annoying spire interrupting his death perception. This was in contrast to his IP, Tomahawk, however.

Where Nero preferred his hair cropped short to the point that he almost appeared bald save for a layer of black stubble, Tomahawk had a long, black mane that made him look like a late 80's rockstar complete with golden tips. This was all to hide the extra pair of horns that jutted out from his temples and pushed forward like a pair of bull horns. Nero stood at a decent 5'10'' while Tomahawk towered over him at 8'6''. The extra height was given to the extra pair of arms and pectoral shelf that the massive rhino kept mostly hidden beneath the long, thick, black, leather coat he wore. It made him look a little out of proportion though it was offset by just how wide and muscular he was. He could be seen as Cedar's brother if Cedar had gone for hairdye as a form of rebellion and Tomahawk went for extra pieces of jewelry including the thick row of golden rings that pierced his horn and his nostrils. In a way, he looked like a punk rocker.

"You look tired and stressed," Kanoth observed.

Nero sat down opposite to the gopher and offered a thin smile. "That kind of happens when your CFO abruptly resigns and then your COO gets assassinated."

"I thought she died of heart complications."

He gave his former friend a deadpan stare. "You know that's not what happened."

"The media is taking it like that. It's rather clever how you guys blamed all the drinking and potential drink spiking with illicit drugs at her rave party to explain away how her heart literally exploded."

"Just like how we were able to explain how your car flipped over, got crushed and you lost your leg to some defect in the machine." His smile remained, humourless as always. "Don't suppose you had anything to do with Aileen's death, did you?"

Kanoth didn't lose any of his edge from the years working in AllAle as he managed to keep his gaze fixed on Nero. "I will admit that I had fed some information to the Custodes Libertatis in the hope of convincing Aileen to break herself free from corporate bondage. However, she had opted to take the initiative and met us in what we had hoped would be the last place anyone from AllAle would find us."

"This place?"

"No. A sports bar."

Nero grimaced. He hated sports bars. He mostly dealt with hard liqueurs like how Aileen brought wine to the company or how Kanoth introduced organic beers. That was not seen so often in sports bars given their penchant for rowdiness and violence during heated matches. They distributed to sports bars, yes, but it wasn't a strong market for them. Sports teams had the claim on that section.

"You know she found us through the contacts she had with _other_beverage companies, right?" Kanoth continued.

He had long suspected that Aileen was gunning for the top job and that she had been conspiring with other companies out there. She had pitched mergers and alliances with other companies so often and had been rejected just as often that it wasn't hard to believe she had finally been fed up of being shot down and had gone behind Emile's back. Elijah probably had a whole file on her conspiracies.

"I could believe that, yeah." Nero nodded towards Kanoth. "So what happened?"

There was a pause on the one-legged gopher's side. "The Libertatis_met with Aileen. She ambushed them. Apparently, she had set out a call for all IPs in the area, promising sponsorship with complete freewill knowing that the _Libertatis will eventually use Parse to push out all Corpsmen from the battle."

Nero snickered. "That sly vixen. So she would use the full might of varied IPs to take down Libertatis. They'd seem like hypocrites if they killed the poor bastards or even defended themselves while at the same time, they can't just use _Parse_again because there are so many different types."

"Couldn't use it to eject all IPs either since they'd be without their own."

His features darkened. "So how'd they manage to beat her? Seemed like she had everything planned out."

"Someone else killed her."

The evidence suggested that someone had fired a single round through a high-powered rifle from a great distance. The bullet had pierced Aileen's window and hit her in the back. Whoever it was had been incredibly accurate as well because they had hit her heart exactly.

"You'll have to excuse me if I call bullshit on that," Nero said flatly. "You expect me to believe that someone just conveniently_happened to be there and _shot Aileen while she was distracted with your _Liberatits_friends?"

"I don't expect you to believe anything," Kanoth answered grimly. "What I want is for you to resign from AllAle." He reached forward, seemingly aiming to grab Nero's hands but the CTO immediately pulled away. "Whoever it was that shot Aileen is out for blood, Nero. The Libertatis won't kill but this person is willing to pull the trigger!"

The genuine concern on Kanoth's features was undeniable. Perhaps he really didn't know who had killed Aileen Raskeil. Still, there was no telling what the Libertatis were capable of. It could just be that they were responsible but deceiving Kanoth to keep him as a contact knowing a fatal action would likely turn him against the group of renegades.

"Your concern is touching, Kanoth," Nero said, steeling his voice. "But I am not threatened by the Libertatis. Tell them that they are more than welcome to try and hit me but I won't go down without a fight."

"Nero -" Kanoth insisted.

"Nothing you can say will convince me otherwise," snapped the rhino, rising from his seat. "I poured my blood, sweat and tears into this company. I can understand how Libertatis scared you off and clearly what they did to Aileen would have put you further into their corner but you've got a family to take care of and love to think about." He nodded in acknowledgement towards Cedar. "I've only got myself, Tomahawk and AllAle. If you were going to make a last stand, it would be for the thing you cared about the most."

"That's not what I was going to say," Kanoth said, looking up fiercely at him. "You poured so much effort into AllAle that it's truly admirable but what if the company isn't all that you believe it to be?"

For a second, Nero didn't let himself believe he knew what Kanoth was talking about. But deep in his heart, he knew exactly where the gopher was leading.

"Aileen saw it," Kanoth said grimly. "That's why she was hoping to oust Emile. I was vaguely aware of it but I looked the other way because I refused to believe something was rotten at the core of the company. But you know the truth. You're the Chief Technology Officer. I'm sure you've seen the signs." He began listing off his suspicions with his fingers, raising them one by one. "Emile refuses to let anyone acquire any IPs that aren't alcohol related despite all the opportunities being there. He shoots down any alliances with any other companies even if they're in the booze industry as well. And here's the clincher..." He raised his third finger. "... none of us have ever seen his IP, Deathrattle."

The first two, Nero would have happily dismissed as part of conservative business practices. _AllAle_was big but it wasn't so big that it could venture into other parts of the beverage industry without significant risks. Emile had also built the company from the ground up. Joining with another corporation ran the risk of being consumed by said corporation and someone as proud as the snake would never surrender his hold on the company that he had built from the beginning like he was rearing a child.

But the last...

No matter how many meeting they've had both in the Overworld and Realworld, he had never once seen Deathrattle in all the years they had worked together. It was something that Nero had constantly questioned. No matter how strong Emile may be even as a CEO, it was a risk to wander around without his IP. It was why he never wandered freely by himself without Tomahawk.

But Emile...

"None of that means anything," he concluded with a shake of his head. "Emile has his secrets. He's entitled to them."

"It's just not that!" Kanoth pleaded. "Whenever he's angry, he emits this... this... aura. I don't know what it is but -"

Nero shook his head and turned to leave, refusing to listen to anything more. "Have a good day, Kanoth. If you know what's good for you, you won't try to contact me again."

He strode out of the coffee shop, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants and hoping no one noticed he was gone from the building for too long. Elijah probably tried to put a tail on him but he could explain his meeting off with Kanoth as trying to catch up with a friend. Maybe he could lie his way into saying that he was genuinely concerned for his friend after Aileen had been assassinated. There was some truth in that.

"Tom," he murmured as they left the coffee shop and entered the alleyway. "Do you think Kanoth was telling the truth? That someone else is in this fight."

"He sure believed it," Tomahawk rumbled, his voice like rolling thunder. "You think he could actually be targeted?"

He really appreciated how Tomahawk just got him. They had been working together for year and they knew how the other thought. "He did seem genuinely concerned. I just hope he isn't right and that someone is targeting the chief officers. He wouldn't be able to defend himself if he is."

"You want me to call some Corpsmen to watch him?"

"Yeah. Just until this thing with Aileen blows over and I'm able to secure the Server."

Tomahawk cocked his head to the side, the rings on his horn jingling in response. "You're gonna move the server over to the DR site?"

Nero nodded. "Emile wants the Overworld Server and all primary functions put into the disaster recovery side under his mansion upstate. Wants it done be the end of next week. Doesn't give us much time but we can do it."

Tomahawk bumped his hip against the smaller rhino playfully. "We can do it. Just tell me what I can do and I'll get it done."

Always loyal and always a friend. He didn't think he'd ever have a relationship with Tomahawk like Kanoth had with Cedar but Tom was the closest thing he ever had to a brother and that was more than enough.

"Thanks, Tom." He took a deep breath and crossed his arms behind his head. "Let's get to work!"

******

Ryker woke but he was still far too tired to open his eyes. It was that awful feeling of awareness but his eyelids remained far too heavy for him to open them. Everything felt cold. Cliff might have turned up the AC. Why he'd do that in the middle of January was a mystery but it made every part of him feel cold and numb. He tried to move, maybe grab a blanket to wrap around himself. He thought he moved. There was a faint shuffling noise from what he could only assume was his blanket. But he couldn't feel anything against his fingers.

"Ryker?"

That was Takoshi. He'd recognised that gruff, gravelly voice anywhere.

"Holy shit! Ryker!" The voice suddenly exploded in volume. "Cliff! Oliver! Ryker is awake!"

Strong, warm paws seized his shoulders, sending waves of heat throughout his body like someone had injected hot cocoa into his veins and his muscles were slowly waking up from the sensation. The electric energies from his IP filled him with strength, giving him enough power to pry open his eyes.

"Tako...?" he mumbled, unable to complete the name before he winced at the blinding light piercing his retinas.

"You're awake!" Takoshi exclaimed. "Thank fucking Christ!" The big, white-furred bear suddenly pulled him into a tight hug and the warmth from the muscled form flooded him. He became all too aware that he was only in his underwear beneath the sheets and that he felt _really_sore like every muscle had been pulled, stretched and flexed for hours while he was asleep. As his strength returned, however, so did other sensations including the realisation that Takoshi's scraggly beard had grown out and was catching his whiskers and rubbing against his cheek.

"How... How long was I...?"

"About four days."

The voice was one he didn't recognise and he slowly turned his head to the right. If he had the strength to jump in surprise, he would have because sitting beside his bed, one arm handcuffed to the bedpost, was Decanter. The wizard robes were gone and he just wore a plain white shirt and a pair of bright blue underwear that Ryker recognised as his own.

Then it all came flooding back to him.

Aileen Raskeil had been dying and he didn't want to abandon Decanter to the mob of angry IPs that would likely tear the white-haired rhino to shreds. He had somehow formed a Pact with another Decanter to save the rhino, Aileen acting as his proxy. They had run out of the penthouse suite to avoid the Corpsmen and enraged IPs before they returned to the Realworld. There was a burst of silver flamed and then he had blacked out.

Or so he thought.

Because he remembered being in the Broker Server of Dreams and speaking to the man with the pixelated face, Cue.

Was that even real or just a fevered dream?

Takoshi held him tighter, even nuzzling him a little. "We didn't think you'd ever wake up. Some of us wanted to take you to the hospital but Cliff said you were still breathing, still fighting. I had to keep eating a hell of a lot because you couldn't eat!" He suddenly pulled Ryker away at arm's length, fangs bared. "What the fuck were you thinking, boy!? I _told_you that no one can make a Pact with more than one IP!"

"Apparently he can," scoffed Decanter. "Just my luck to be bonded to the Chosen One."

"Shut the fuck up, dickhead!" snapped Takoshi. "You should be grateful!"

Now that his senses were returning, he noticed how Takoshi was very unkempt. More than just his beard. His brown hair was a mess. There were bags under his eyes and he reeked of sweat and body odour. The bear had been genuinely concerned about him. That was to be expected as he _was_Takoshi's Host.

The door to his room suddenly burst open. Cliff and Arthur were trying to squeeze through the door but given their size, had sandwiched themselves into the door frame and were stuck. Soren was trying to peek over their broad, squeezed shoulders. Oliver, being the smallest of them, managed to slip between their flailing arms and burst into the room.

"Well fuck me sideways..." breathed the tabby. "You made it!" He beamed brightly. He carried with him a thermos which he handed to Ryker. It was filled with coffee and just like the first time he had Oliver's coffee, it was absolutely delicious and started filling the rest of his body with warmth, waking up the rest of his senses. "You have this weird penchant for beating the odds, Ryker."

If what Cue said was true, he wasn't unique. Other people had forged Pacts with multiple IPs before but their minds had just been broken by the strain of keeping all their Contacts and IPs together and cooperating. Cue had also told him to keep this revelation to himself. Knowing Oliver, if he revealed the truth, the tabby was likely to go hunting for other IPs just like how he had tried to take on Kanoth alone. That would likely lead to the poor feline's mind being shattered when those relationships ended.

"I don't know if I'm that special..." he mumbled, offering a weak lopsided grin. A quick rub of his chin revealed that he needed a shave as well. He could never grow a beard to save his life but after four days of no maintenance, he was getting brown patches all over his cheeks that must have looked like he had a weird form of mange. His scent was also a little strong revealing he hadn't bathed either.

"Can anyone fill me in on what's been happening?"

Arthur finally relented, allowing Cliff to stumble in. The tiger, lacking any sense of personal space, jumped onto the bed, resting right beside him and draping an arm over his shoulder. The other paw was rested on his chest. It felt like a tentative hug like he was waiting for Takoshi's permission before he could pounce.

"Long story short, AllAle is fucked up!" exclaimed the tiger with a grin.

"Huh?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Oliver asked.

Ryker explained, to the best of his ability, what he could recollect while omitting the part about the Broker Server and Cue. One thing he did remember and he tried to emphasise since Decanter was clearly listening, was that he was surprised at Aileen's assassination. Asked if any of them had planned for that, Oliver and Cliff just shook their head.

"Libertatis doesn't kill," reiterated Cliff.

Decanter scoffed, his eyes cast into the corner. "That's what you say. But you're just the grunts. You're the idealistic followers who believe the bullshit the leadership tells you. I bet the big guys at the top do all the killing."

"That's not true!" Cliff snapped, his claws out.

"Ow!" exclaimed Ryker as those very same claws began digging into his chest. "Claws! Claws!"

Cliff pulled away while Takoshi growled at him. "Sorry, dude..." He chose to ignore Decanter and turn back to the recently recovered wolf. "AllAle is falling apart at least in the Overworld. Without their COO and CFO, Corpsmen are taking bigger risks and trying to prove themselves to fill the top spots. Some of them are going rogue!"

"Going rogue?"

Without the financial checks that Kanoth enforced in AllAle, Corpsmen were using what connections they could to gain funding for better Dosers or to improve their Dosers. Some were even getting permission to operate in areas where they weren't normally supposed to. With Aileen gone, those same Corpsmen could not be reigned in and they were becoming more factitious. There was even some in-fighting occurring.

"It's not all good, though," Oliver warned, arms folded grimly. "IPs and Hosts are getting caught in the crossfire. Corpsmen are going on a recruitment spree and given the mob-like operations of AllAle, it's not very safe out there."

"The Libertatis leaders are on this now," Cliff said cheerily. "We've got a lot_more people on board now. The dirt they've come up with is gold! You would _not believe what they've been doing!"

Ryker shuffled upright with Takoshi helping him sit up. "Like what?"

Cliff began listing off countless illegal activities that AllAle had apparently been the sole perpetrator or an accomplice. Apart from the bullying and intimidation tactics Aileen and Kanoth had a hand in, Nero Greenwood had apparently been in charge of corporate espionage and stealing technology from other corporations. Under his rule, the production facilities of AllAle had more than tripled its efficiency but only because he had stolen the technology before it was patented right from a person's thoughts through the Overworld. He was also overseeing the Corpsmen with their Dosers. Though none of this could be proved without exposing the Overworld - and in all likelihood, no court would never accept such evidence - Nero supposedly created inferior products and sold them under the exact same bottling and branding as AllAle's competitors to not only make a profit but also ruin their reputation. All so that Aileen or Kanoth would eventually sweep in and bring the product into AllAle's fold.

"You can't tell me that is justified," snapped Oliver, directing his ire towards Decanter.

The rhino didn't reply.

"Stop antagonising him, Oliver," Ryker said sharply. "The guy just lost the woman he loved."

"You know nothing about love," snarled Decanter. "I am willing to die for my Host. You robbed me of that honour. As far as I'm concerned, the only reason I'm alive now, the only reason I don't bash my head against the wall until I'm dead from head trauma..." He glared fiercely at Ryker. "... is the comfort I get that I'm slowly killing you by being alive."

Those words, the burning venom behind them, shocked Ryker. "What are you talking about?"

Decanter gave him a dark, sinister grin. "Don't you get it? Just having one IP halves your lifespan. Having two probably cuts it by another half. If you were going to live to a hundred by some bizarre circumstance, you would only live to be fifty with the bear over there. With me..." He grinned darkly. "You'll be lucky to live past twenty-five."

That was true... He was only twenty-two years old. Would that mean that he'd die in three years? No. Cue had said that was a misconception brought on by the strain of maintaining so many relationships at one time. The way Cue spoke, he was expected to forge more connections not only with Contacts but other IPs. That suggested that the supposed halving of a Host's lifespan had more to do with the fact that people often couldn't maintain relationships for that long. IPs were living, breathing people after all and they would change just as much as a Host. Maybe those people who 'died' because of having an IP just passed away because their mind and bodies gave up when they parted ways with their partner.

Something to ask Cue about.

If Cue existed...

That was a concern for the future. At the moment, he had a greater concern and that was Decanter.

"You still don't believe that we didn't have anything to do with Aileen's death, do you?" he asked.

"What do you think?" Decanter spat.

"You have so much faith in her ability to predict every scenario. Do you think she really would've led us up to that party, cornered us like that and not expected that we might plant someone somewhere to shoot her in the back?" There was a brief flash of concession in Decanter's eyes and he knew he was getting through. "You knew her best. She's the kind of person that doesn't often make mistakes. She manages risk. Part of the job of an operator. She didn't expect us to record her meeting with us and even you saw how she reacted. That was our trump card. We didn't have anything else."

"And why should I believe you?"

Ryker slowly wobbled out of bed. Takoshi tried to help him but he gently pushed the bear away even as his legs collapsed out from underneath him and he fell to his knees right next Decanter. He reached out, grabbed the rhino's hand and pulled it towards his neck.

"Ryker!" Cliff exclaimed, reaching forward but he quickly held up his paw.

"Here's why," he said, staring directly into Decanter's eyes. "If I've only got another three years to live because you're my IP now, then here's your chance to put me out of my mystery. I'll put my life on the line to prove to you that we had nothing to do with that assassination. An eye for an eye."

"Are you insane!?" Decanter exclaimed, trying to pull his hand away but Ryker, mustering all his strength, kept those big fingers wrapped around his neck.

"That's how much I'm sure that we had no hand in planning Aileen's death!" he snapped. "If you don't believe me, that's on you but you know where I stand. I'm willing to put my life on the line for it!"

"That's enough!" Takoshi bellowed, suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away. "This asshole isn't worth half your life, boy, let alone all of it!"

Decanter stared at him, doubt flickering in his eyes. For a long moment, the rhino kept his hand hovering where it had just been wrapped around Ryker's neck. Never once did he close his fingers. Then he dropped his arm, muzzle open slightly. "You... You really believe that. You... you really didn't have anything to do with it."

"You know she could've just been hit by one of the other corporations that were after her," chimed Soren. "She was playing a lot_of games. Maybe one of them just decided that it'd be easier to kill her than let her run _AllAle?"

"Or someone in AllAle could've found out about her," prompted Arthur. "I find it awfully suspicious that they only shot her after you proclaimed your loyalty to her. I mean, I'm pretty sure she didn't move for a long while behind that glass shield of yours. Would've had a clean shot for ages. But the moment our plan failed, bang!"

Decanter grimaced at the onomatopoeia. "I suppose you're right... I'm not entirely convinced that the Libertatis wasn't behind it but I believe you aren't involved at the very least." He levelled his gaze at Ryker. "I suppose you're just trying to be a good guy. Sorry."

Ryker managed a weak smile. "We'll help you try and find out who killed her if that'll make you feel better."

"The fuck we will!" Takoshi exclaimed.

"Yes we fucking will," Ryker growled back, struggling to his feet and using Takoshi's thick arm as a prop. "Someone else is killing chief officers out there, Takoshi. What if that guy had missed? What if they had hit one of us instead? What if Kanoth had been a target? Besides, if the officers are just assassinated like that, then it'll just be that. An assassination. Not a collapse of the corporation. IPs, Corpsmen, jobs, all of that will just go away." He turned towards his first IP. "Remember? We said we wouldn't just go in and bring down the whole place because there'd be a lot of collateral damage if we did. You _promised_to stand by my side."

The samurai grimaced and ran a paw down his face. "We never get to do what I want..." He growled, shoulders slouching. "Fine. Whatever. I guess he gets to stay." He turned towards Decanter, pointing an accusing finger at the rhino. "I'm keeping my eye on you."

"I would expect nothing less," rumbled Decanter.

That settled and with his strength returning the more he was in Takoshi's presence, Ryker found that he was able to stand on his own two feet again. "Hey, I'm going to take a shower and maybe shave. I feel gross."

"You're like a fucking puppy with baby-deer legs and you want to handle a razor?" Takoshi shook his head. "No. Sit your ass back down on the bed and I'll bring you some soup."

"I look and smell like a hobo," Ryker said, pulling away from the bear and heading towards the bathroom. Then he paused and glanced over his shoulder. "If I've been out for four days, how'd I go to the toilet?"

Cliff suddenly jumped to his feet, leaping off the bed with cat-like grace. "I'm going to cook you something up nice. Celebrate you coming back. Why don't you help me, Arthur?"

"Let's make it a party!" Soren exclaimed. "I'll go buy us some drinks!"

"You don't have any money," interrupted Oliver, turning and bolting out the door. "You'll need me. Later!"

The door slammed shut behind them, leaving only Takoshi and Decanter alone in the room with him. He stared at Takoshi, lids half-closed.

"Well?"

The bear, a light blush on his cheeks, rubbed those very same cheeks. "I think I need a shave too..."

Clearly, he wasn't going to get an answer and he wasn't sure he wanted one. That he wasn't thirst or hungry must have said a lot about his bond with Takoshi if the bear was able to eat enough to sustain them both. In fact, if he was bonded with Decanter as well, he had probably been eating for three. Must have been a bitter experience to know he was sustaining someone he needed as well as someone who had been an enemy just four days ago.

He stepped into the master bathroom which was actually made for two people. There was more than enough room for both him and Takoshi. One glance at his features in the mirror and he realised just how haggard he appeared. It had been weeks since he had last had a haircut but with the four days worth of bed-head, it was showing. A shower and some shaping foam would help keep him looking a little better but he would have to get a haircut someday soon. Then he remembered he needed to pay for a haircut and that meant he had to have a job. He was _definitely_rostered on in the past few days.

"Fuck..."

"If you need help shaving -" Takoshi began.

"It's not that," he answered though his paw was having trouble holding onto the can of shaving cream. "I just remembered that I was supposed to be at work at least three times the past few days."

"You don't need to worry about that."

"I don't?" There was an image of Takoshi squeezing into his KFC uniform and trying to take his shifts. It warmed his heart and let him keep his grip around the can a little stronger.

"Yeah. You got fired."

The can hit the ground just like his jaw.

"What!?"

"Your asshole of a boss could not wait to fire you," answered Takoshi, leading down and picking up the can. "He called up and Cedar tried to explain you were sick. Didn't even ask for a medical certificate. Just fired you outright."

"W - What!?" was all Ryker could say. "I need that job! I mean, I get paid for being an assistant in the computer labs at college but that's nowhere near enough to pay for my classes and rent! I can't make my student loans!"

Takoshi waved away his concerns. "You don't need to worry about that."

"I don't?" He was starting to regret saying those two words.

"Yeah. We're moving out."

Ryker could've fainted there and then. He didn't want to say 'what' again so he just went with, "Why!?"

"Remember that gorilla I met that one time I went with you to work? Hayden? Cliff knew where he was living and I got in touch with him. It was during the one time Cedar insisted I leave your side and get some air. I needed to do something to keep my mind of..." Takoshi trailed off as he sprayed some of the shaving foam onto his paw and stared at the little dollop for a long moment. "Well, his job offer still stood. I told him about what happened to you and he said we could move in to his place. You'll work the counter and juice bar while he and I watch the gym. I guess Decanter can help too. And Cliff is coming with us. He can't pay rent all by himself and he apparently knows about Hayden and says he's a decent guy. Gives him an excuse to actually move in with Arthur."

Ryker had trailed off halfway through the explanation partially because he was still exhausted and the other part being that he couldn't believe how much was changing so quickly. "I... I... I don't..." Then he remembered those were the magic words that opened the portal to more hellish changes. "I don't know what to say..." Maybe if it was just part of a sentence it won't be as bad.

"It's not all good," said Takoshi with a wince. "I made the arrangements with Hayden on day two." He lathered his stubbly beard with his paws then raised three fingers. "Day three, we went to the site. The place is a rundown apartment complex. Kind of shitty. Good neighbourhood but bad building. It's a bit of a fixer-upper. Apparently, Hayden can't really pay us until we start pooling in more customers. At the very least, we get free room and food for now."

"This... this..."

... was terrible. Poorly thought out and put an _immense_amount of pressure on a near-complete stranger.

But then he realised it hadn't been done in spite. While he was in a coma, drifting in the Broken Server, Takoshi was in pain. Fearful of his life, of his existence and living with the knowledge that he wasn't sure what would happen to Ryker. People rarely did something _smart_when they were in a panic.

It wouldn't have been what he would have done had their positions been swapped but maybe he would have done just as stupid.

He realised Takoshi was looking at him, waiting for his response. Those his features were cold and unreadable, his eyes were filled with anticipation like he was internally holding his breath.

"This is a good chance to start over," Ryker finished, forcing a smile. "I hated that job and it sounds like Hayden really needs the help." He took the can of shaving cream from Takoshi again, their fingers touching briefing and some of the samurai's warmth and strength bleeding back into him. He sprayed a bit on his finger tips and began applying it to the long tufts of brown fur that stood out over his grey coat. "Who knows? Maybe I shouldn't be so narrow minded and just go about helping IPs. Maybe Hosts and normal people need help too."

Takoshi let out a short laugh. "You are such a terrible lair."

"What? I mean that!" he said, picking up his razor.

"You're just trying to talk yourself into liking this thing. I know you hate it." Takoshi looked straight at the mirror. "It's all I could do. I don't have a job. I don't have a credit card. I didn't even really exist until a few weeks ago. I just didn't want you waking up to learning you had lost your job, were going to get kicked out of the apartment and living with that asshole Decanter in a cardboard box on the streets."

Ryker reached over with his spare paw and grasped the big bear's palms. "Hey. You did great. There would have been other options, you know. I could ask my family for some help. I could always get another job. Maybe we could've even asked the Libertatis for some financial support. We could've worked something out."

"You would've been okay if Cliff's friends stole some money for you?" Takoshi asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I dunno. Maybe Kanoth would've been willing to help us out." He gave Takoshi's paw a tight squeeze. "But you did your best and it turned out great. I really appreciate it. Thanks, Takoshi."

"Just... Tako," rumbled the bear, pulling his paw away. "Every time you call me 'Takoshi', feels like you're using my full name as if you're about to reprimand me." He flicked an ear in his direction. "Hurry up with the razor already. This stuff is sliding off my fur."

With a faint smile, Ryker leaned towards the mirror and lifted the razor. The foam was semi-translucent making sure that he could still see his underlying grey coat compared to the rest of his beard. It's purpose was to soften the beard fur so that when he gently brushed the razor against the longer strands, it would slice them without having to press up against his skin and potentially expose the skin below. He still remembered the first day he had shaved. Needed to teach himself since his mother knew nothing about it. He came to school with a glaring pink patch under his left eye when he got too close to the skin.

He became aware Takoshi was watching him warily and stared back at the bear's reflection in the mirror.

"You think I'm so weak that I'll cut myself?"

"You just came out of a four-day coma," answered Takoshi. "I'm honestly surprised you're able to stand."

"It's thanks to you."

"I know I've eaten enough for us but..."

"It's not just that." He lowered the razor and gave it a little pat on the edge of the sink to get the cream and hair off. "Every time I touch you, it's like I can feel your strength enter me. I don't mean that metaphorically. I really mean like touching you somehow gets some of your strength into me."

Takoshi tilted his head curiously. "Really? Huh... I mean I would've used Refresh on your phone but I don't know your password... Oh and holding it up to your face doesn't work apparently when your eyes are closed. I have no idea why."

"It's the next generation of biometric scanning. Face recognition and retina scans. People have been complaining that plain face recognition doesn't work anymore if they lose or gain weight or if they change their hair too much." Ryker resumed shaving the other side of his face. "Maybe I should get you your own razor. In fact, do you need anything? I know we've been mostly sharing everything but maybe you need your own stuff too."

"I'm happy to share yours."

"Then I'll just buy some stuff in bulk then. Like shampoo, body soap and conditioner." He glanced over at Takoshi with a smirk. "You _are_bigger than I am, after all."

The bear snickered and lifted at arm, flexing it through the singlet he wore. "I'm a big boy."

"You sure are." He glanced at the mirror and grimaced. "I hate shaving my chin. Of all the places on my face, that grows the fastest and the hair is always so thick. I always catches a strand that hasn't been softened enough and feels like I'm pulling it."

"Then keep it."

"You mean like the 'jock-bros' out there?" Ryker laughed, hiking his thumb to indicate Cliff and Arthur. "No thanks. Besides, if I'm going to go for a job interview, I prefer to be cleanly shaved."

Takoshi's ears folded back. "You really don't want Hayden's job offer."

"Of course I do. You went to a lot of trouble to set this up. I just want to make a good first impression."

"You already have the job. You're not there to be interviewed. Besides, he's a football player. I'm pretty sure a little facial hair would actually go miles with him."

"Fine. Call it personal preference then." He gently scraped away some of the long hairs only to grimace when - as he predicted - he caught that one hair that hadn't been softened enough by the cream. "Damnit..."

Takoshi reached for the can of shaving cream and applied more to his fingertips. "Here. Let me help."

Without arguing, he let Takoshi apply the cream to his face, making sure to lather the cream right into the thick hairs on his face. It took all of three seconds to for his mind to start playing porn music in his ears followed by making terrible jokes and puns about the bear 'creaming his face' or 'giving him a facial'. He let himself snicker a little and Takoshi stopped for a second.

"Weird place to be ticklish..." admitted the bear.

"Not that," Ryker said, turning back to the mirror and scraping off the rest of his goatee carefully. "I was just thinking how that, right there, was the start of a really bad, corny porn movie."

Takoshi looked confused. "Really?"

"Oh come on," he laughed, satisfied with his work. He handed the razor over to Takoshi while he twisted the sink knob and began rinsing his face. "You, Mr. I'm-Gonna-Fuck-the-Emotionally-Vulnerable-Eagle-in-the-baseball-field-showers didn't get the sexual innuendo of you 'applying cream' to my face?"

"I..." Takoshi looked at the razor in his paws. "I wasn't really thinking about that."

That was some genuine emotion. Emotion that was shown without the help of alcohol.

"Sorry," he said, folding his ears back. "I guess you come off as kind of a playboy."

"I suppose I do use alcohol and sex to hide my inner insecurities," admitted Takoshi. "Don't take this the wrong way, Ryker, it's just -"

He held up a paw. "You need time to warm up to me. You've been hurt before. Sure. I get it. Take your time." Ryker gave Takoshi a smile. "I'm not going to force it out of you."

Not only would be be incredibly invasive to be probing Takoshi for such information but pushing too hard could cause their relationship to strain and eventually fracture. He did not want that. A lesson in patience. Let their relationship evolve naturally.

Takoshi smiled down at him. Then he lifted a finger and tapped the side of his cheek. "You've still got a little..."

"Oh." Ryker wiped down his right cheek. "Did I get it?"

"Nope. Still there."

He rubbed his entire arm against his cheek. "Now?"

"No."

Then he glanced towards the mirror. "Where?"

Takoshi's hand cupped his chin and suddenly, the bear was right next to him, their lips hovering over one another. "Here."

... and their lips met.

So much for letting their relationship evolve 'naturally'.

******

The Corpsmen were afraid. It was only natural. To them, the day had begun just as another attempt to hunt down some IPs to become Dosers; force and coerce some abandoned IPs to joining AllAle just so that they could get the brownie points with the leadership and maybe fill the gap that Kanoth Lameer and Aileen Raskeil had left behind.

What they didn't expect was the presence of Custodes Libertatis.

Particularly one of their most experienced fighters and one of the five (though technically six) leaders.

Si.

The masked lion stood at the centre of circle of a good twenty Corpsmen all dressed in suits and all bearing the crest of AllAle_on their breast pockets. Beside them were their Dosers. A good number of them were duplicates of one another; mostly some form of rhinoceros. There was one that looked like Soren but had the dull eyes of a Doser. Between him and the Corpsmen were another _ten Corpsmen and their Dosers, all of them unconscious and heavily injured. Some had severe slash wounds and were bleeding heavily. Others were burned or encased in thick blocks of ice. One was buried under a tonne of sand and could barely move.

All because of Si.

There was a reason he was one of the leaders of the Libertatis.

In one paw he held a uniquely designed sword. The blade itself was currently bright red with arcane runes all along its length. The air rippled and sizzled around the blade like it was emitting an incredible amount of heat. The hilt of the weapon, while mostly shaped like a typical cross, uniquely had what appeared to be a trigger attached on its underside. At the moment, he didn't have a finger against the trigger of his 'triggersword' as he liked to call it. Behind him hovered two large, black boxes, each about as thin and tall as his blade but at least four feet long.

One of the Corpsmen shouted and he and his rhino Doser charged. The two worked well in coordination. A testament to just how well absolute the command a Corpsman had on their Doser. Still, no matter how in-synch they were, they were no match for pure skill. The Doser lifted his arms over his head and brought them crashing back to the ground. Pillars of cement came shooting out of the asphalt, charging straight at him with their tips formed like fists; a unique little twist that this Corpsman applied to their Doser.

Cute.

Si jumped into the air, leaping above the assault with inhuman strength and agility. He was suddenly beside the Doser, moving faster than any fur ever could. His blade was slashing through the air with a trail of fire streaming along the arc of his blade before the Doser and Corpsman could react. One problem with the partnership of Doser and Corpsman was that the Doser was completely dependent on it's Host for any commands. No matter how synchronised they were, one could never truly understand the situation through another's eyes.

The Corpsman screamed as his Doser was sent flying back, crashing into a wall with a vicious gash across his chest with the flesh charred and burnt. The cry abruptly cut off as Si's blade was levelled between his eyes.

Custodes Libertatis did not kill.

Si ducked and swept his leg out, knocking the Corpsman off balance and tripping him. Before the man could fall on his back, Si was right beneath the guy and bringing his knee upward in a rising blow. He smashed the fur's back. Not enough to paralyse him but enough to send a shockwave through his system and send him crumbling to the ground, writhing in pain.

The other Corpsmen immediately charged, triggered by their comrade's fall.

At least they were loyal.

Si levelled his triggersword at one of them and placed his finger against the trigger of his weapon. One pull and the entire blade of the weapon launched off the hilt in a burst of fire. The blade rocketed at the nearest Corpsman who immediately ducked the blow even as a streak of fire sailed over his head.

Then Si swung his now blade-less triggersword at one of the black boxes hovering hover his shoulder like a dark, blocky wing. There was a soft click as he slid the hilt against the box. A small opening appeared and out came another blade, this one icy blue. It slipped out, clicking into place against the hilt and ready for him to use. This all took less than half a second so even as the Corpsman was rising from dodging the first attack, Si already had another blade in his weapon and levelling it at the man.

Boom!

Another pull of the trigger and this time, the blade launched outward in a burst of freezing ice. It struck the ground beneath the Corpsman, immediately covering it in a layer of ice that wrapped around the man's shins and forced the fur to collapse to the ground. At his momentum, the Corpsman hit the ground with enough force to fall unconscious.

Si then swung his free paw absently towards his left. The big black box on his left swung into position over his arm, shuddering as flames and metal bullets struck the makeshift barrier.

Click.

Another blade armed, this one yellow. He slammed the blade into the ground, burying it to the hilt into the ground. Then he pulled the trigger. Bright, yellow light erupted from the asphalt with arcs of lightning shooting out. The Corpsmen cried out in terror as electricity burst from the ground and slammed into each of them. Some managed to remain conscious but others fell to the ground, their bodies twitching in agony.

He jumped into the air, landing deftly on the black box as it acted as a platform.

Click.

One last blade armed and this one was green. He levelled it at the stunned Corpsmen below him.

BOOM!

The blade struck the ground, disappearing completely into the street. Large, green vines erupted from the earth a second later, seizing the remaining Corpsmen and pinning them to the ground, completely rendering them helpless. Even their Dosers were restrained.

Such was the power of one of the Kage.

He didn't even need to call on his IP for help.

His enlarged magazine cartridges moved one beneath the other like a pair of steps, easily letting him stride down back to the earth.

"You could have helped, you know." With his mask in position, his voice came off distorted.

A small, childish giggle followed. "Aww, but I know how much you like showing off," Yoo said, skipping forward and artfully leaping over each of the prone Corpsmen. "I mean you just took care of thirty Corpsmen all by yourself! That's impressive, Si!" She patted his pack playfully.

"This was nothing," he answered. "I've taken down armies of Corpsmen before. AllAle is just getting started."

"I know." Yoo danced around him, stopping just so that she was back to back with him and gazing off into the distance."But their CSO and CTO are still around. Normally, when their CSO is taken out, they go on an all-out offensive. But since it was their CFO that was taken out first, no one was there to organise their funds. Then when that bitch, Aileen Raskeil died, they lost focus on their daily operations and just focused on defence and tech!"

"I suppose that could be expected," huffed Si. "I don't see why we're going after a small company like AllAle though."

"Awww, they're not so small. Last year's profits put them at $658 million!"

"_Relatively_small."

Yoo giggled and pranced over to one of the Corpsmen. The woman was restrained by one of the vines. Yoo, showing no regard for personal space or even common decency, reached over and poked the woman's abnormally large breasts with a finger. "I wouldn't say anything about them is 'small'." She straightened, glancing over her shoulder. The LED displays on her mask flashing to display a mischievous expression. "But I know exactly why Cue is so interested in AllAle."

Si glanced over to her, his mask showing half-lidded eyes. "Really? Why?"

"A couple of decades ago, the current CEO of AllAle_and it's founder, Emile Santos, was just an ambitious entrepreneur who came from a background of alcohol. His family owned a bar."_

"Can we skip the tragic back story of the antagonist, please?"

"It's all relevant!" Her LED eyes switched to one of annoyance as she placed her hands on her hips.

His switched to one of exasperation. "Fine. Continue."

"He actually didn't want to get into the alcohol business. That's why he went to a conference held right here in New York for young aspiring businessmen. When he came back, he was suddenly obsessed with alcohol. He still left his family and started AllAle_here. Wanna know what he did with his family's bar?"_

"Tore it down? Acquired it in a hostile take over, gutted it and absorbed it into AllAle so that it was barely a shell of its former self?"

Yoo's electric eyes winked at him completely with cartoonish star on the LED screen. "Bingo. Left his family with a big severance package not only for buying out their business but because he was also severing ties with them. Wanna know why he did all this?"

It was a rhetorical question. Everyone amongst _Libertatis'_leadership knew.

"The Overlord Project." Then he went rigid and immediately turned towards Yoo. "Wait. Wild Card and Bandit are prime targets for AllAle now. If they've got an Overlord after them..."

"Which is exactly why we've got to keep fighting and weakening AllAle!" Yoo said skipping over and patting his shoulder. "An Overlord is only as strong as the number of IPs and Corpsmen under them. If we keep taking these guys down, we weaken the Overlord and give those guys a fighting chance against them."

"We should be the one fighting the Overlord. Those two aren't prepared."

"Oh, I dunno. I think you're just as curious as I am how Wild Card managed to forge a pact with another IP and survive. Everyone else wants to see what he's capable of."

Si turned to her, his eyes flashing angrily. "We shouldn't be playing with people's lives like this."

"We're not. We're giving them the chance to grow and meet their true potential. We're backing them up from here. If they get into trouble, we'll go help them." She turned, doing a little pirouette first. "Now why don't we get this over with and drop the Save field. I'm sure these guys have some friends running about that will try and save them if we don't hurry. I, for one, want some candy. I don't want to drop the field only to find myself in another fight."

"You didn't fight at all."

"Tell that to the other forty_Corpsmen about two blocks_ that way," she said, giggling and pointing behind her. "Besides, it'll go faster if the two of us are using Reset."

Si shrugged absently and took out his phone. "I suppose you're right. After fighting for so long, I need a shower."

"I feel dirty fighting Corpsmen too."

That wasn't exactly what he meant but he understood the sentiment.

The two of them turned towards the prone Corpsmen, holding out their phones.

Then, in unison, they declared...

"Reset."