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Chapter XIV

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“Absolutely not.”

Caleb was still trying to put together exactly what his father meant by ‘tournament’ but it was clear Jacob wanted nothing to do with it. There was an exasperated look on the black-furred wolf’s face and even without his pupils turning into star-shapes, it was clear he knew this was a bad idea.

“Give me one good reason why you think this is a bad idea,” David challenged.

“How much time do you have?” Jacob answered, with a snarky edge to his lips. “If all your enemies were gathered in one place, you’d take the opportunity to hit them all in one go. You’re giving the Gene Stealers a huge target with a ‘Fuck me’ sign on it. Secondly… this is clearly an attempt to get me to fight you again and prove once and for all who the alpha male is.”

There was about two seconds of pause on the other side of the phone but it was noticeable.

“Someone has a high opinion of themselves.”

Jacob ran a paw down his face, only stopping to cover his eyes. Leaning his head back, he seemed to be speaking to a higher power as he said, “David, I can see through all the possibilities of space and time. In one-million, four-hundred and thirty-seven thousand, six hundred and thirty-two instances of the future, you proposed this. In about one million, two hundred and twenty-one thousand, three hundred and six instances, the Gene Stealers attacked us during the tournament putting not only yourselves at risk and shattering the facade that Arsenal has put up for so long that they are the best weapon against the Gene Stealers thus giving Vernon Washington more ammo against not only them but Lillian as well but also putting thousands at risk! Only about five hundred of those were where the Gene Stealers didn’t attack and only four hundred of those are where they attack the city instead while you were busy playing games. Six instances, David. Six is where everything turns out well.”

Caleb blinked in surprise and exchanged glances with Lars and Migraine. Both offered him a helpless shrug.

“That can’t be true.”

“Benedict Cumberbatch must be rolling over in his grave…” muttered Jacob. He dragged his paw away from his face and stared at his phone with exasperation weighing down his features. “Maybe not because I haven’t even finished looking yet. Point is, David, this is a monumentally bad idea. Do not go through with it.”

“Reaper, I appreciate your foresight but we’re doing this.”

The Writer of Reality groaned and turned around, throwing up his paws in exasperation. “You know in only about one-eighths of the instances I’ve seen do you actually take my advice? In about half of those, you still set up some sort of bizarre competition.” He shook his head, waving a paw through the air. “Whatever. I’m not participating.”

“What? Come on! You’ll be the main attraction! Everyone will want to see Legion in action!”

Caleb was somewhat disturbed by his father’s insistence to fight Jacob. This added credence to Jacob’s accusation that this was some contrived attempt to see which of them was the strongest.

“See, even without my ability to see through reality, I would still call bullshit on that.” Jacob held out his phone at arm’s length. “The answer is ‘no’, David. Set up your tournament if you want. I won’t be in it.”

Then he hung up.

“Well that was rude,” David huffed, still speaking through the conference. “Whatever. He’ll be sorry he didn’t join in. Can’t be good for his publicity.”

“Dad…” Caleb muttered. “I’m in Jake’s apartment right now. I’m pretty sure he can still hear you.”

“Well good! Because then he can know that the tournament will be set for this Saturday!”

Saturday. That was just a few days away! Not to mention they had the championship football match against Bridgewood that very Friday. There wasn’t enough time to prepare! Though he could see the need for urgency. This was damage control. After the disaster at the rally and what happened in Canada, confidence in the local supers was waning.

“So soon?” Lars exclaimed. “How can you arrange something that quickly?”

“I’ve got contacts. Plus the Alliance has a lot of resources. I’ve already spoken with the senior members of the Elemental Alliance_. Particularly your dad, Lars. They don’t like Washington’s rhetoric about superhero registration and compulsory military service for said supers. So they want this as much as we do.”_

“Compulsory military service?”

Upon hearing this, Jacob headed over to his TV and flicked on the news.

Vernon Washington was hosting some sort of press conference.

“… and it is my belief that supers should be taught responsibility for their actions,” stated the African-American, broad shouldered military man. “Too often do we see teenagers who discover they have superpowers try to go out and become supers. We have no transparency over the training programmes that these collections of supers have like the Elemental Alliance_. In my opinion, whatever they’re teaching those kids, it isn’t good enough! They’re teaching our kids how to be reckless not only with their powers but their lives as well! If elected, I am going to enforce that all supers be registered for at least a year’s service in the military to teach them discipline and responsibility.”_

“Fuck that!” Lars exclaimed. “How could he possibly be getting any support!?”

“Because no mater how you look at it,” Migraine said sagely, “there are far more people without powers than those with them. The recent attacks from the Gene Stealers have them asking themselves whether or not it would be safer to give the power of identity to the authorities.”

It did not help that Arsenal had been savaged by the media and shown to be weak. Not only had Caleb been forced to turn against his own friends in the Trojan Outbreak but Tibia had turned almost everyone into wild elephants which was all caught on tape and distributed across the internet. The debacle at his mom’s rally certainly didn’t help matters either. Sometimes he forgot that part of being a hero revolved around the people you were protecting having faith in you. There was no point in rescuing people who didn’t want to be saved.

“That’s still fucking bullshit!” Lars roared, forming claws with his his fingers. Blue flames erupted from his palms, twisting and curling in the air in ferocious canine skull patterns. “That’s infringing on our privacy!”

“A counter argument to that is, as superheroes, people are putting their lives in your paws. Can you honestly say that if you were to entrust someone with your very existence, you wouldn’t want to know them intimately? That you should know whether or not you can trust them?”

There was that word again…’trust’. He could see Lars floundering with the question but one exchange with Jacob and he immediately knew his answer.

“No,” Caleb said firmly. “That’s the thing about faith. You’ve got to believe that the person you’re putting your trust in will do the right thing by you. Washington is just pandering to fear and paranoia. He’s putting a divide between those with powers and those without in the hopes that it will propel him to power all because the people he is injecting fear into are far more numerous than those that he is singling out. When it comes to a democracy, doesn’t matter how much money or power you have; it’s the number of people who support you that counts.”

“In theory,” Jacob rumbled. “You’d be surprised how often that doesn’t apply.” He raised his voice so that David could hear him. “I see your point, David, but I’m still not joining your tournament. I won’t try to stop it either. I just ask that you take every measure to keep your audience and your participants safe.”

“Yeah, yeah,” David said lazily. “This isn’t my first tournament, Reaper. It certainly isn’t my first time organising it either. Besides, now that I have your warning that the Gene Stealers are likely to attack, I know what to look for! I just need to plan accordingly.”

“I suppose that is slightly encouraging,” Jacob sighed. “Just do me a favour. The kinetic barrier technology I gave you from AEGIS. Give it to Nightingale. Work with him to make a bigger version of it. The Alliance still has more resources than AEGIS so you should be able to build one that’s big enough to wrap over your entire venue if the need arises.”

“What? Why?”

“If the Gene Stealers decide to attack, you’d have a semi-impenetrable fort. When the shit hits the fan, you’d also have a large defensible position for any civilians.”

“Huh. Alright. Why don’t you ask Elliot to build this, though?”

“Get him to work with you and Nightingale on it. I doubt the Alliance would trust the security of all those people to an Outsider even a super-genius like him.”

Something stuck Caleb odd with how quickly his friend responded to that query. Though he suspected it had something to do with the fact that Jacob could now see through all possibilities in time and space. What was it like to know every question, though and answer well before time? How could someone, even the Writer of Reality, memorise it all and be able to readily answer questions within pause.

“Fair enough,” David said. “I’m sure we’ll earn some brownie points with them as well for working, portable kinetic barrier technology.”

On the TV, Vernon Washington was still continuing his campaign speech.

“My opponent speaks of unity, of acceptance and coexistence. I posit that this is indeed possible but we should not just accept that supers are better than us and that we must place our safety solely in their hands. Just like our government, we need checks and balances to those in power. For too long have supers just done what they want whenever they want. Collateral damages, lives ruined or lost and time wasted are all things that could be minimised if we just brought those people who are charged with our safety to account for their actions.”

Washington lifted a hand, making a vertical slicing motion almost like he was banging a gavel.

“We simply cannot let anyone who has even the faintest bit of power do or say whatever they want and we dismiss it simply as celebrity gossip or ‘stress’ from the responsibility. They not only represent us to the rest of the world but also supposedly embody the best in us. We put them in in power. We put them on a pedestal. We support them through their endeavours. Or at least it should be.”

The General rested his hand back down, gripping the podium intently and staring straight into the camera with fierce, brown eyes.

“Now, however, whenever a super is elevated to a hero status, they treat us little more than cattle to be saved and to milk for finances and fame. When one of us suffers, we are merely treated as meat sent to the slaughterhouse; a moment of mourning for ‘character development’ and them set on the wayside on their path to a career. Is this really the world we wish to live in?”

Caleb had to admit that he felt a pang of guilt in his chest because not too long ago, he would have never thought of those that suffered as part of his actions. Guys like Felix and Trent were just normal working men who suffered with the recklessness of supers. They turned to the Gene Stealers to break away from a society that had turned away from them. Ordinarily, he would never have agreed with Washington and he was fairly sure that if it hadn’t been for Jacob pushing him to know the henchmen, he would have been spitting at the TV like Lars. Now, however, he agreed on some level with the General. The world couldn’t go on in this perpetual cycle of villains being thwarted by heroes only for victims to become villains.

“I can’t believe he’s spitting out this bullshit,” Lars huffed. “Actually, I can’t believe people are listening to him.”

“That’s exactly why we need the tournament,” David pressed. “Right now, Washington has most of the support because of what happened at the rally. We need to show everyone that we, as superheroes, form a united front against not only the Gene Stealers but him. That we can put aside our differences. Not only that, but I find that nothing gets the aggression and animosity out like a good sparring match.”

Jacob groaned, shaking his head slightly. “Urgh… it’s the tournament filler episode.” He switched off the TV and wandered over to the door to his room. “I thank you for the invite, David, but I’d rather not participate in this trope.”

“Your loss, Reaper. This would go great with your talk show.”

Legion actually smiled slightly at that. “Nice try. My answer is still no.”

David sighed and Caleb could actually feel his dad turning to the rest of them. “What about the rest of you? What do you think?”

“Count me in,” Lars hollered. “Anything to shut up Washington.”

“Caleb?”

He gave it about a second of thought. Despite all the arguments against, he could abandon the ones he loved especially if there was a risk of them being attacked by the Gene Stealers.

“I’m in.”

******

His dad’s plan was to set up the tournament called the First Annual West California Island Super Tournament - title still pending review - on the Saturday right after the match against Bridgewood. With only about four days to prepare and football practice in between, Caleb knew he would be hard pressed to make sure he was ready for the championship and the competition.

The haste in which the contest was arranged had two values - at least according to Hank. It made sure that General Washington would have little time to prepare a rebuke and twist his campaign in such a way as to attack the attempt. Secondly, it meant that if the Gene Stealers were going to attack, they’d have to do it hastily with little time to prepare. The risk was very real but Caleb also had to agree that they needed to show a united front. Tensions between the Elemental Alliance and Arsenal were at an all time high. Everyone saw it. So if they could at least show some form of unity, the citizens of the Island would be less inclined to agree with Washington.

That was where Caleb and his team of high school heroes came in.

David wanted to spread the tournament out by word of mouth, at least initially. Advertising would only attract Washington’s attention and give something for the media to speculate on. The only real mainstream advertising would occur the day before the Tournament. Construction could not be hidden but West California Island was an ever-changing landscape. The secrecy would make the event all the more enticing. Jacob agreed to do his part and spread word in the Tower Hospital and at the bar where he worked at but would not mention it on his talk show. From class to class, Arsenal was dropping rumours about the upcoming tournament, claiming sources that were in reality their alter-egos. Not everyone believed them but at the very least, interest was piqued.

When lunch break came around, they compared notes.

“Okay, I’ve got a lot of the gymnastics team pretty much stoked about the idea,” Alex Connery said, presenting a list. “They’re going to tell a few of the other non-football sports teams and maybe we’ll get some of the cheerleaders as a result.”

Caleb frowned at his much shorter friend. “Why did you have to specify ‘non-football’?”

The redhead gave him an expectant look. “Come on, Caleb. Football players exist in their own little bubble. I bet you’re not even aware that we have a chess team.”

“We have a chess team?”

“No but for a second there, you actually believed we did because you’re not aware of any other sport apart from football.”

“Not true.” He nudged the smaller man nightly. “I know there’s a gymnastics team.”

Alex rolled his eyes and ticked off who else he had managed to ‘tag’ the rumour of the tournament to. He got most of his classes and even some of the teachers but that still limited their range to West California High School. Eventually, they would have to do their best to spread the word outside the school’s borders.

“I’ve got the place where I work,” Alex said.

“You’ve got a part-time job?” Ashton asked, surprised. “Where?”

“Just some place down at the Red Light District.” He gave them all a dismissive way. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry about my safety. I’m out of there before the place really gets seedy. Besides, the best place to spread gossip is where people go for sex. Pillow talk goes a long way.”

Caleb shook his head free of any lewd thoughts. “Moving on. I’ve got my art class and some of the other guys on the football team. I’ll probably get more of them on board at practice today.”

“You can leverage your popularity as well as the new captain of the football team,” Ben said. “The moment the captain says something, you can bet it’ll be news. I’ve got the guys in my videogame club and roleplaying club in the know though they’re sceptical by nature. They’d probably have a nerdgasm over the idea of supers fighting one another but they’ve never been to an arena so it’s a bit of a toss-up with them.”

“Leave that to me,” Mary said with a sly wink. “Women gossip like crazy and if there’s anything that will attract your friends over, it’ll be the idea of scantily clad women bouncing their assets around for their favourite superheroes. I’ve even convinced a group of the girls with the largest endowment to paint ‘Flare Blue’ on their tits.”

Lars turned away from her, a light blush touching his dark-furred cheeks. “Why did it have to be Flare Blue?”

“Because ‘Weapons Master’ is too wordy, ‘Blood Wolf’ is technically a villain, ‘Madman’ is ‘too big’ for them and Blade Babe is a girl. Though if you ask me, a few of them wouldn’t mind that. Female empowerment and all. They’re just hoping to ‘convert’ Flare Blue.”

The doberman coughed. It was cute to see him flustered but it was clear he was still holding a lot in by his subdued actions alone. Everyone was still wary of revealing their identities to Alex despite the fact that - as Arsenal - they had rescued him once before. “Whatever. I’ve got the drama club interested. Told them that it might be worth seeing.”

He hadn’t even been aware Lars was still in the drama club after the previous year’s production of Les Miserables. There was still so much to learn about one another.

“Our problem still rests with the fact that we’re restricted to the school and who fellow students can reach,” Alex said. “I’ve got my own social circles but I don’t know if we can get enough people to fill the stadium. It’d be just as embarrassing to a venue that isn’t full than if the supers were to suffer under Washington’s constant insults.”

“Why are you helping us spread the word anyway, Alex?” Rhiannon asked, her feet up on the table and suckling what appeared to be a lollipop with a scorpion inside. “We’re fanatically supporting the supers because they’ve saved us time and again but what about you?”

“Pretty much the same reason,” Alex answered with a smile. “Arsenal saved me from Gnoll a while back. I feel I owe it to them. I’m pretty sure everyone in this school would support them given how they were all attacked by Gnoll during one of the football games.”

Given their proximity to Arsenal, it was little wonder that West California High’s staff and students had strong opinions about the Gene Stealers and the privacy of supers as a whole. Most if not all of the football team had been affected by Gnoll. Though they had been screened and found not to have superpowers, that was a permanent mark on their records. People would constantly bring that up in their future. There were incidents of discrimination against professional athletes because they were related to someone with superpowers even if there was technically no blood relation like a brother-in-law or through adoption. It was only the common courtesy that was given to supers and their privacy that protected even the victims. No legislation protected these identities; just the romanticised idea that superheroes’ identities must remain secret or their loved ones would be imperilled.

“If Washington succeeds, it could set a dangerous precedent for how supers are treated across the the US,” Ben murmured quietly. “Though he is just gunning for the mayor of the Island. It’s not like he’s going for governor, representative or senate seat. Still, it’s a lot of power.”

“That’s something that always confused me,” mulled Rhiannon. “West California Island has its own suburbs and districts yet it’s treated as a single township despite the fact it’s as big as it’s own county. Why does it have a single mayor and not multiple mayors that feed up to a governor or their representative in Washington?”

Ben adjusted his glasses, preparing to don his ‘nerd-hat’ and grinned brightly. “That all goes down to the history of the Island. When it was first created, West California Island was just meant to be a holiday location away from the Californian mainland. We are still under the House Representative of Los Angeles. However, as time went on and the Island expanded, a mayor was installed to look after the common affairs of the Island such as transport, education, emergency services and what not.” He lifted his nose slightly, a clear sign he enjoyed lording his knowledge over Rhiannon. “Even as the Island kept expanding not only in mass and population, this role never changed. One could actually divide the Island into different suburbs and the mayor is akin to a governor in their own right. There have been many debates about West California Island being it’s own state but it’s never been justified as, no matter how big it is, our island isn’t big enough to warrant it’s own representative.”

“I suppose that makes sense. US politics always confuse me. I mean, from what I hear with the annexation of Canada, each of the major super-cities have their own seat in the House and Senate while vast swathes of land between each are unclaimed. I’ve read articles about there being some sort of ‘Canadian Wildman Uprising’ where those people living illegally in the forests are stockpiling nukes or whatever and are prepared to set off the next global world war.”

Caleb gave Rhiannon a sour expression, one share by everyone around him. “Rhia, don’t go believing that conspiracy theorist bullshit. Yeah there are people living out in the wildlands but they do not have nukes. It’s just like those stories about doomsday prepers. You know they’re there but really, they’re harmless. Paranoid, but harmless.”

“You’re talking to the Hound of Destruction here,” she said with a cocky smirk. “Don’t try to lecture me on where hidden nuclear stockpiles are.”

He decided to dismiss that as just another one Rhiannon’s attempts to antagonise them. “Let’s just do what we can, okay?” he said, returning the topic to spreading the word about he tournament. “We can worry about how we spread it out to the rest of the Island after we exhaust our options in the school.”

Once lunch break was over, Caleb was busting his tray when Lars gently tapped his shoulder.

“Hey, you mind meeting me at Jake’s apartment tonight? Eight o’clock?”

“Sure. What’s it about?” He had asked before he stopped himself, knowing that Lars wanted some privacy.

Thankfully, his boyfriend was nonplussed about the instinctive question. “I’m moving in.”

Stunned, Caleb blurted, “Really? Why?”

“Well, not with Jake,” said the Doberman, a light blush on his cheeks. “Just into the neighbourhood. The rent is awesome.”

“You mean AEGIS provides everything for free?” Caleb said with a cheeky grin.

His easy smile was met with a faint tugging at the edges of Lars’ muzzle. “Yeah. Plus it helps with training that there are other guys there that are kind of like me, you know.”

Then an thought entered Caleb’s mind and he stared at his boyfriend with a suspicious gaze. “Hang on… are you asking me to help you move?”

There, Lars’ grin turned to one of embarrassed guilt. “Uh… Well, you are my boyfriend, right? And I thought maybe…”

Caleb sighed and ran a paw down his face. “Why wouldn’t you just ask me?”

There, Lars’ gaze drifted away. “Because I was kind of afraid that you’d ask me to hold of… and instead move in with you.”

That stunned him… mostly because he hadn’t thought about it. “Dude, as much as I’d love that, you know we don’t have enough space in our house.”

“Actually, isn’t Arty moving to Australia with Abby?”

He blinked in surprise. “How do you know about that?”

“Because Arthur told me about it.” Lars glanced off to the side, lifting fingers as he counted off the names. “He asked Mary, Ben, Rhiannon and I’m pretty sure he even asked Jake as well. He’s asked everyone for their opinion.”

“Everyone but my sister, eh?” Caleb muttered. “That damn otter…”

“Yeah…” Lars laughed. “And just about a week and a half before the wedding too… I figured that Abby would go with him. She loves him. Would go anywhere with him. So with her gone, that would mean you’d have a spare room and -”

That was certainly not something he had thought off and he realised that he was very much unprepared for the idea of his boyfriend moving in with him. The cold restraints of emotional bondage tightened around his neck while the weight of a ball and chain settled in his stomach. All those desires he spoke to Mary about - the freedom to explore, the desire to spread his wings and fly - would all be shattered the moment Lars settled in with him. There was no doubt in his heart that he wanted to spent his life with Lars but… then there was the question of what he would do with that life… or even what would he do after his life.

“Y - yeah,” he stammered, unable to meet Lars’ gaze and rubbing the back of his neck to get rid of that awful prickling sensation. “I’m fairly sure Lance and Leon would call dibs on Abby’s room. Plus it’d be awkward around family gatherings. The Hale clan is kind of nosey and they’d make fun of us two living under the same roof. It would make commuting easier, though.”

“Actually…” Lars said, a sheepish grin on his muzzle. “I just don’t want to sleep in a chick’s room.”

Such a simple answer and that was why he loved the Doberman. “Yeah, that too.” He slapped Lars on the back. “I’ll be over at eight to help you move.

“Thanks man.”

The end of the school day came faster than he had expected and soon, he was rushing off to the football field for practice. There was already chatter of the tournament as he was getting changed but he knew that these guys wouldn’t commit to anything unless it was specifically triggered by the alpha male of the group. One could argue that he was that alpha but he was still new to the role and it would seem too forced were he to get everyone to attend. Putting on his ‘Mary Cap’, he scanned the locker rooms for he person that could be considered the person that could move the entire team. Lars was out of the question given how he was ousted during the last game. The coaches could mention it but he doubted they could really make anyone attend.

No, the person who could move the entire team was…

“Gerard! Buddy!” he exclaimed, patting the big moose on the back. “I wanted to go over some plays with you for the game before we hit the field.”

The big moose grinned at him. “How ‘bout the one where we all celebrate our victory by goin’ to that kick-ass superhero tournament the following day?”

That was easy.

“Uh… Really?” he asked.

“Don’t tell me ya haven’t heard!” The moose, only dressed in his padding and a jockstrap, placed his hands on his hips, baring his big chest. “Apparently, Feral Steel is organising it and the Elemental Alliance is in. Gonna be held in Sunset Stadium and starts about noon on Saturday. You in, Halestorm?”

Caleb returned that easy, contagious grin. “Yeah! Sounds great! Maybe if we get more of the team in we can get a discount or something.”

Gerard held up a hand. “Already covered.” He pressed a thumb between his mighty pectorals. “Bought enough tickets for the entire team.”

He reeled in surprise. “Wait… What? Seriously?”

“Yep!” The titanic moose grabbed his shirt from the bench and began slipping it on. Through the fabric, he spoke with a slightly muffled voice. “My parents were more than happy to support the guys that saved me from the Gene Stealers.”

“Okay, I get that but the tickets are expensive. They’re like… Super Bowl expensive.”

It was a terrible thing to say but considering the rushed nature of the tournament and the fact that they weren’t being supported by any major advertising, the tickets priced all the way up from two-and-a-half thousand. The average student would never be able to afford that which was why they really needed to spread the word outside of the school.

“Yeah but my parents got it.”

“Your… Parents?”

Gerard poked his head out from his shirt, having to awkwardly navigate the neck hole by slipping it over his right antlers first and then his left. “Oh yeah. You’ve never met my parents. Jennifer and Cecilia Keys.”

It took a second for Caleb to realise that those were both female names. “Uh…”

“I get that look a lot,” snickered Gerard. “Here’s the kicker. Cecilia was born Cecil and I was born naturally. Not adopted.” Then Gerard glanced to the right thoughtfully. “Though I guess you couldn’t really call it ‘natural’ ‘cuz my mom-dad froze his cum and then had it injected in my mom when they were ready to settle down.”

“I… I…” Caleb had to admit he was broken. He never imagined that a manly man like Gerard could have come from such a unique family. In the back of his mind, he had always imagined that Gerard was the perfect, all-American stereotype who came from a nuclear family of one father, one mother and two kids - one boy and one girl.

Then it hit him.

“Wait… Keys? As in Keystone Construction?”

The moose beamed brightly. “That’s the one! My family is the primary construction firm responsible for the expansion of the entire northern part of the Island!”

Keystone Construction rose to prominence when they took over the contract to build the floating platforms that would become what everyone knew as the ‘rich’ part of the Island; where Ben and the Alpha Pack lived. Their ‘affordable’ prices and keen eye for design was what made them very well-known not only on the Island but also on the Californian mainland. There were rumours that Keystone was actually being hired to build ‘Venice II’ somewhere in Maine.

“I would never have guessed you came from money,” Caleb admitted.

Gerard shrugged his big shoulders and stuffed this meaty legs into his pants. “I like to keep that part of my life away from my school life. My family doesn’t live in any fancy mansion neither. Just a two storey place way out in the suburbs. Both my parents always believed that money doesn’t mean anything. Nice to have but we don’t need it to be happy.”

“Kind of ironic given your parents just bought three thousand dollar tickets for the entire football team.”

The moose rolled his eyes at him, grabbed Caleb’s shirt and tossed it at him. “That’s only ‘cuz my parents value me over the money. Arsenal saved me and the entire team, ya know. They saved you too. They wanted to make sure that they supported the guys.”

“I can get behind that. Tell your parents thanks for me.” It took him a second to realise that he had inadvertently spoken as Weapons Master. Thankfully, Gerard took it as an average student thanking the founders of Keystone Construction for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“No problem, bud.” Gerard then grabbed Caleb in a headlock. “And don’t you fucking dare go blabbing about my parents, ya hear?”

Caleb laughed and squirmed out of the big moose’s grip. “Sure. My lips are sealed.”

“Great! So you wanna come with me to Australia after we graduate?”

That felt like he had been slapped in the face by a wet fish. “Wait… What?”

Gerard Keys hiked a thumb over his shoulder. The locker room was already empty, just leaving the two of them. “After graduation, I was thinking of taking a year off to go to Australia. The Outsiders of Arsenal really inspired me, ya know? I wanna go to the place where Outsiders are able to just walk around and use their powers freely without discrimination. See what that’s like. I wanna make that change here.”

Those words alone gave Caleb the vision of Gerard standing on a podium, making an impassioned speech for Outsider rights in the US as he gunned for the presidential seat. It didn’t seem so far-fetched given that he had the money to back it up.

“I’ll think about it,” Caleb chuckled. “Tempted, I’ll admit, but it’s a lot to take in. I mean, why me?”

“‘Cuz yer like one of the few that know I’ve got rich-ass parents. Who else can I ask?”

He snickered. “Fair enough. Tell you what, I’ll let you know by graduation.”

“That’s only two years away, bro!”

“A lot can happen in two years!” Caleb winked and gave Gerard a light punch. “Now hurry up and hit the field. Stop staring at my near-naked body, you homo.”

Gerard laughed and turned, waggling his bubble butt at the young wolf. “Look who’s talking.”

******

Practice finished at five which meant that Caleb still had about three hours before he had to meet Lars at Jacob’s apartment. This time, he wanted to make sure he was showered and cleaned up before he headed over instead of smelling to sweat and stink. Slightly counter-productive given that he would be working up a sweat again from the moving but he also had little to do apart from homework and it was fairly light given they were just emerging from the Christmas Holidays. Of course that didn’t mean the Hale household was anywhere near calm. The bomb that Abby’s marriage was just under two weeks away had hit and that left the only female Hale child to be in a panic. This on top of Lillian’s bid for mayor was nothing less than chaos. The moment Caleb stepped in front the garage, Abby was on him.

“Quick, does Lars have any allergies?” she demanded. There was a thick binder in her paws which was likely her wedding planner. “What about Mary? Ben? And Rhiannon? Does the Hound of Destruction have any allergies?”

“Uh…”

“Can I sit Rhiannon next to Mary? Will they be attacking one another? What about Ben? Do you think he’ll be inviting the rest of the Alpha Pack? Will they get along with dad?”

It was funny that Abigail Hale - who was training to be a lawyer - was so frazzled about her own wedding. Admittedly, it would be one of the most magical weddings in all existence but he still found it funny that her hair was a mess, heavy bags were under her eyes and it looked like she had chewed the end of her stylus down to a nub. “Abby…”

“Oh god…” she whined. “I’ve got two weeks to come up with this!” She yanked out a couple of scrunched up papers and shoved it into Caleb’s paws. “Can you give this to your friends? Tell them to send them to me by tomorrow!”

He quickly glanced at the contents of the papers. One of them was a check box for either fish or chicken while there was another that looked like a drawing of a drumstick and a crudely drawn flounder. “Let me make a call…” He said, lifting a finger. Abby was muttering to himself as he quickly dialled Jacob’s number.

“Hey Caleb,” greeted the Writer of Reality casually. “What form of life advice can I give you today?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you could help me with Abby’s wedding planning,” he whimpered. “She’s kind of freaking out. The wedding is in two weeks after all.”

“Twelve days!” Abby howled.

“Twelve days,” he corrected. He put Jacob on speaker phone, sensing some immanent advice coming.

“Oh… Oh god.” For once, Jacob seemed stumped. “I’d normally advise that a wedding day is just a day. It’s just some arbitrary ceremony that people thought they should make special for no other reason than it’s a reason to celebrate. However, I know how special this can be to a lot of people and I will admit even I get a little giddy every time I get married on a different reality to my husband. So all I can say is this: Abby is getting married to Arthur. That’s the important thing. It should be all about their love for one another. I mean, she’s travelling to Australia for him. That’s got to mean more than just one measly day.”

Thwack!

Caleb’s heart immediately sank to the pit of his stomach matching the velocity of the binder in Abby’s paws striking the tiled floor.

“What did he mean by that?” she growled.

“Wait… Caleb… Am I on speaker phone?”

Caleb quickly turned around, holding the phone towards his muzzle and speaking in a growl. “You’re the fucking Writer of Reality! You can see through all possibilities at all times! Why do you even have to ask that!?”

“I don’t have that on all the time! I would’ve thought you’d have at least some common sense to tell me before putting me on speaker phone!”

Abby suddenly reached over his shoulder and snatched the phone from his paws. “Jacob,” she said evenly.

“Oh… Heeeeeeeey, Abby,” Jacob greeted unconvincingly. “How’s it going?”

“What did you mean that I’m moving to Australia for Arthur?”

“Oh well… it’s a metaphor for… uhm… changing your entire life. I mean up until this point you’ve been a ‘you’ and now you will be a ‘we’ and that’s akin to moving to the other side of the world…” There was a pause on the other end and Caleb could swear there was a cricket chirping outside. “Am I selling this?”

“You’re talking to a lawyer, Reaper,” she snarled. “Try harder.”

“Yeesh. The only people who could ever defeat the Writer of Reality in a war of words is a lawyer…”

“Reaper!”

Jacob groaned. “Alright. Fine. But let me just say something first -”

Abby’s eyes flared up in fury. “No, you listen to me -”

“Nope. You’re doing the listening here, little girl_.”_ That same authority that Jacob displayed when he forced several supers to their knees erupted from the phone. Even in her rage, Abby floundered to reply and barely managed to let out a squeak. “Arthur loves you very much,” Jacob continued in a softer tone. “So much so that he didn’t want to ruin your big day on news like this. He was seriously considering turning down the job because he knew you’d react like this. It speaks volumes that he knows you so well that he kept this from you. You could go on and on about how keeping a secret will only let it fester and get worse but I honestly believe that’s far too cliche and a trope that’s overdone.”

Some of that fire returned to Abby’s eyes. “Just because it’s a cliche -”

“I’m not done talking.”

Abby honestly looked like a pup being reprimanded by an adult. She was trying to protest and defend herself by the sheer authority and power the adult held over her crushed her pride.

“Everyone has secrets. Years from now, you are going to watch a movie where the star is a really hot tiger and you’re going to wonder to yourself what’d it be like to have that barbed dick in you.” Caleb’s cheeks began to burn and though he wanted to turn away, he was strangely compelled to stay. “You’re going to have fantasies about what it’d be like to be with a girl because your brothers are gay and even your dad has banged guys. But you’re never going to tell Arthur that. He’s going to keep secrets from you as well. It isn’t because of any malice or any distrust either. It is because he trusts you to react the way that you do and he doesn’t want you to suffer through that pain or for you to do something you’d regret. Calling off the wedding for something as small as this would be the biggest mistake you’d ever make in your life, Abigail.”

“Why…?” she challenged.

“Because you know he can do better than you.”

That was a shock to Caleb. He always considered Arthur to be this small, mousy guy that had hit the jackpot with someone was beautiful and busty as Abby. Maybe that was just some sibling pride but he had always considered Abby to be a catch for any guy lucky enough to catch her attention.

“You’re kidding me,” he protested. “Abby is way out of Arthur’s league!”

“Exactly and that’s because Arthur is in a league of his own. He’s a sensitive, caring, intelligent young otter who looks absolutely adorable with his glasses and, most of all, he’s willing to change_. A guy like that is one in a million in this world where internet personalities are far more outrageous than someone flying around in tights with their underwear outside of their pants. He is the guy that will_ guarantee a happily ever after to whomever he falls for. Face it, Abby, he was the one that got the job offer. Not you. They are willing to pay for his flights and accommodations while dragging you along on his coat tails. Can you honestly say the same?”

Her eyes fell downward. “I… I don’t know. I just… I just want to be happy.”

“And he will do anything to make that happen even if it means letting you go because he has to move to Australia and you couldn’t get over this. He will believe that he is making you happy by distancing himself from you because he hurt you. That’s just the kind of guy he is. Don’t mistake compassion for cowardice.”

“But…”

“He’s willing to make you happy, Abigail. Are you willing to do the same?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and shoved the phone back into Caleb’s paws. “I am! I swear I am! I’ve been selfish this entire time. This isn’t just my day. It’s his! I want him to be happy to! I’ll go to the ends of the earth with him! I’ll even demote myself to a housewife and take care of the kids if it’ll make him happy! If he wants to go Australia, I’ll go with him!” Her voice lowered and her lips quivered. “If he’ll still have me…”

A soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone. “Sounds like you’re on your way to making your wedding vows.”

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the phone in surprise. “How…?”

“I can see all possibilities and realities, remember? I know you were having trouble with them. I thought I might as well kill two birds with one stone. Incidentally, if you want doves at the ceremony, just ask Gwen. She’ll make sure they won’t crap over anyone. You really should speak to her about the arrangements, you know. I’ll give you her number.”

Abby wiped a tear away with the heel of her palm. “You’re an asshole, Jacob Reaper.”

“Only because the guy who wrote me made me this way.”

Grabbing her folder from the floor, she announced that she was going to call Arthur right away and dashed on upstairs. Naturally she didn’t forget to put on her slippers so his mom didn’t yell at her for forgetting them.

“Wow…” Caleb mused. “You diffused that situation really quickly.”

“I’ve had my fair share of pre-wedding freak-outs myself so I know what it’s like. Not to mention I’ve been the best man, the groom, a brides-man and a flower girl… that was weird.”

Caleb couldn’t help but imagine Jacob skipping happily down the aisle while tossing flowers everywhere. Then a horrifying thought entered his mind. “Wait… were you the traditional flower girl or literally a girl that’s a flower…”

Jacob paused for a long moment. “I choose to plead the fifth.”

He laughed softly and thanked Jacob for his help then hung up.

There was still time before he needed to go to Lars so he decided to take that shower. He didn’t get more than one step on the stairs before-

“Claws!”

He groaned, shoulders slumping. Shuffling towards the hallway closet, he grabbed his slipper and shoved them on. Before he headed upstairs, however, he decided to poke his head into the lounge room where Hank and his mother were working together on their campaign. It looked like Lillian was practising her speech for the tournament. From the doorway, he watched and listened as his mother spoke about unity, acceptance and pushing back against those who would take away their ‘fundamental rights of the citizens of these United States’. She was compelling, enthusiastic and more alive than he had ever seen her before.

Which was saying something.

Lillian had always been so pleasant and warm, a motherly figure in the Hale household but it was only now that she was running for mayor did she have this fire in her that had him wondering what she was missing.

“That sounds great, mom,” he applauded.

She sighed, letting her posture slump for a moment. “Thanks, honey. I’m honestly not sure how much I can remember of it.”

“You could always just wing it. I mean, that’s what you did in the last rally and that turned out pretty great. Well…” He glanced off to the side. “… before the Gimp attacked.”

“No, no, no,” Hank insisted, shaking his paws. “No improvising. I’ve hired the best speech writers we could afford on our budget and gone over these speeches myself. The material is good. It’ll speak to not only those with powers but also the victims of those with powers. We can’t afford to be divisive like Washington particularly because our target audience is significantly smaller than his. Every word counts. Trust me, I work in the media. They’re like vultures. Slip up once and you’ll be picked apart.”

“How much worse can it get?” Lillian asked with a shrug and a faint smile. “People are already calling me a hypocrite because of what happened with the Gimp even though I can’t control what a supervillain does.”

“Which is exactly why you need to remember to make the point about how we should be spending more effort to understand those that would see our society crumble. Don’t say anything about reforming them. We need to understand them.”

Remembering the IVIL convention back in Canada, Caleb cleared his throat to get their attention. “When I went to rescue Ben in Canada, I came across a convention called the International Villains, Insurgents and Lowlife’s convention. It was a celebration of everything villainy and there were tonnes of people there.”

Lillian looked appalled. “Really? People attend that sort of thing?”

“A guy there said that supervillains actually help the US grow. That villains keep us in a perpetual war economy and that they hold up the mirror we dare not look into ourselves. Maybe you can work that into your speech?”

“I don’t want to praise villains.”

Hank, a stylus in his paws, lifted the pen into the air as if raising his paw for a teacher’s attention. The vulpine’s brow was furrowed in deep thought. “Wait… No…” Then his eyes lit up. “Yes! I’ve got it!” He turned excitedly towards Lillian. “Don’t praise them. Acknowledge their existence. Admit that what the Gimp did shook you. Show vulnerability and then show that you’ve grown from the experience!” He began pacing around the coffee table. “This is perfect! It’ll be an angle that Washington will never expect. Your entire message is one of unity, compromise, understanding and acceptance. So maybe let’s propose that villains would be that ‘mirror’ on our society. The ones that show us our flaws that we’re too blind or proud to see!”

Lillian looked uncomfortable about the idea as she shuffled from one foot to the other. “I’m not so sure. One of the reasons I’ve rejected the Alpha Pack’s aid on my campaign is for the very same reason that I’m not too confident about this angle. My husband has spent years fighting villains. I don’t want to step all over that.”

David’s rumble came from the adjacent room - his den. “Honey, it’s okay.” The Hale patriarch stood in the doorway much like Caleb only he was shirtless, baring his impressive physique for all to see. Caleb lifted an eyebrow at the clothing choice from his father who had never been that much of an exhibitionist. Then again, David did go flying around in tight-fitting spandex once that left little to the imagination so there had to be some degree of exhibitionism as part of being a superhero. “Look at what Australia does.”

“What exactly do they do?” Hank asked, genuinely curious. “I heard you spent a few years there.”

“I did,” answered the shirtless lupine superhero. “Australia treats supers and those with powers very differently. Here, we screen people and then force those with powers to undergo mandatory training with the people that are established as supers. But down there, they don’t have such screening. Everyone is free to flaunt their powers or abilities as much as they want. Even those without powers are encouraged to try to be a super. They fly under the banner of ‘anyone can be a superhero. The only thing they have that’s mandatory is that during their high school years, they spend one year as a hero and then another years a villain.”

Caleb jerked back in surprise. “Wait… They have mandatory villainy training?”

“Yep. Everything from grand larceny, torture, hideout building to henchmen hiring. I learned a lot from it. It was very enlightening.”

“You’re kidding!”

David shook his head. “It’s how they organise those with powers or ambitions. Everyone gets to experience both sides of the coin but no one is ever hurt as everything is planned and even works with government planning.” David lifted a paw, holding his palm out horizontally. “Say you want a building demolished. They band together some would-be-villains, some equally powered heroes and then they have at it at.” He flipped his palm around back and forth. “Both sides train each other and you destroy the building with minimal collateral damage. Even after the students graduate, there are multiple organisations that sort out villains and heroes. The prominent one is the Australian Extraordinary, Superhero and Internal Relations or AESIR. They organise those that would be heroes. Then on the other side they have the Dark Barrier League who organise the villains. Both offices work together to ensure that match-ups are even and there is never any collateral damage.”

“That doesn’t sound like actual villainy or superheroing if you ask me,” Caleb admitted.

“That’s because they treat supers there differently,” Lillian mused. “They’re not celebrities like how we treat them here. They treat them like ordinary people that want to live out the fantasy of being a superhero or a supervillain. I remember you talking about this before, David. Most members of both clubs actually have normal lives and though they get money from advertising and whatever, they actually pay for the offices to organise engagements for them. It’s more a fantasy fulfilment thing than an actual job.”

“It’s also why I left,” David said with a shrug. “I mean sure you’d get people who would go against both AESIR and the League, rogue heroes or renegade villains that want to do whatever they want but with most of the population registered under both factions, you try something crazy and then you’d have everyone bearing down on you. That industry down there is so lucrative that it pools in about 58% of Australia’s national economy. Even more than tourism.”

“Little wonder,” Hank admitted. “Australia has a lot of empty space. Perfect grounds for sorties between supers.”

David winked at the fox. “Exactly. People all over the world come to Australia to fulfil their fantasies of being a superhero or a supervillain.” He nodded to his wife. “I’m not saying you suggest something that extreme but maybe use it as an example. Attribute Australia’s rapid grown to the fact that they have someone constantly challenging them to become better. Everyone needs that foil to make them re-evaluate themselves.”

Lillian padded over to her husband. “That’s brilliant! Thanks honey!” She leaned in for a kiss, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. Caleb was just about to turn away when Lillian let out a yelp and recoiled away from her husband. “David! You’re burning up!”

The werewolf-super waved away the concern. “Yeah, Samson said it’s my body rapidly adjusting to my werewolf side. I’m going to be a few degrees hotter for a while. Apparently, until I ‘claim’ a pack of my own, I’m basically going to be a walking space heater. I’d melt snow just by getting within three feet of it.”

“That’s not a ‘few degrees’! You’re like your own little sun!”

David shrugged. “Hence the lack of a shirt. You mind if I turned down the heat?”

“It’s already 68 degrees in here!”

Caleb shook his head, glad that his parents were still very much in love despite their diverging paths. If he could have that with Lars, he would be very much content and happy.

Speaking of which… He checked the time.

An hour and a half until he needed to meet Lars.

Plenty of time.

******

Eight fifteen. He got to Jacob’s apartment at eight fifteen. Caleb was mentally kicking himself all the way back of AEGIS Central for having been bogged down in some art he had been drawing which caused him to lose track of time. Only when Lillian had announced that it was time for dinner did he realise that he was going to be late and rushed out of the Hale household and uttering a very quick apology. By the time he had arrived at the apartment building, the moving truck was already there and it appeared that Lars was getting some help from the other residents AKA the former henchmen.

“About damn time you got here,” grunted Trevor as hefted a fridge over his shoulders. The huge rhino was big and strong enough to prop the piece of furniture across his shoulders and carry it without any assistance.

“Sorry, I got held up,” Caleb admitted, holding up a paw in apology. “Where’s Lars?”

“Back in the apartment. Fourth floor. 424.”

He thanked the former leather-bound henchman and hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time. Lars’ apartment was wide open and he could hear his boyfriend’s voice directing where things should be put. On some level, he missed that commanding vocal range on the football field though he had to wonder what would happen if Lars ever took command of more things in his life… like in the bedroom. Caleb was fine with taking charge but there was some part of him that couldn’t help but wonder what it’d feel like to have Lars’ dick in his ass even if the last time he had experimented had led to an embarrassing situation.

Deciding to curb his enthusiasm for the moment, Caleb shuffled into view of the apartment. Even though it was still in the process of being arranged, he could already recognise it as his boyfriend’s domain. There were already empty pizza boxes on the floor, Lars’ football gear was scattered in the corner with no semblance of order, boxes - both empty and half-empty - were stacked in odd places like a cardboard metropolis with no semblance of city planning and, of course, there was a jockstrap hanging from one of the ceiling lamps.

“Bro, how could you make such a mess in fifteen minutes?” he accused playfully.

Lars’ ears perked up and he could see the Doberman’s nub of a tail wagging in that cute way it always did. “We didn’t just start moving in fifteen minutes ago, you know. I was here right after practice. Ordered pizza for the guys while we waited for the moving truck which arrived at eight.”

That made a little more sense. There was some degree of relief that his boyfriend wasn’t a total slob.

“Sounds like you don’t really need me if you’ve got all these big guys helping you move.”

Lars gave him a wry smile and padded over. “Actually, I wanted your help with something else.” He glanced over his shoulder. “You guys can just throw the stuff wherever. I can sort them out afterwards.” He then hiked a thumb out the door. “I need to take Caleb out for a bit.”

“We’re going out?” Caleb asked, ears perked.

The hunky, brown-eyed doberman became pensive again, his voice dropping almost to a whisper. “Not on a date. Just… somewhere private.”

With a little bit of trepidation, Caleb agreed and he followed Lars back down the apartment to where he had parked his big, blue pickup truck complete with black, flaming decals. It still amazed him that no one had ever figured out that Lars McLeod was actually Flare Blue of Arsenal.

He hopped into the passenger seat and buckled up. “Where are we going?”

Was Lars going to take him to his secret hideaway from the rest of the world where he went to think? Did his boyfriend want to take him somewhere significant? Were they going back to West California High School and reminisce about the first day they met?

“Distant Horizons Retirement Village.”

He had to replay those words over and over again in his mind a couple of times before they eventually registered. “Come again for Halestorm?”

Lars began backing out of the driveway before Caleb could protest any further. “I’ve been thinking about the future. About our future.”

This sounded like the horrible lead up to a breakup and Caleb’s heart was racing while his mind was firing thousands of thoughts per second.

“Don’t give me that look,” Lars said, calmly grabbing his knee with a paw and shaking it a little. “I don’t want to break up. No way I want to break up.”

“Oh thank god…” Caleb breathed. “I was seriously freaking out there.” He managed a wry smile. “So why are we going to a retirement home?”

“Because I think there’s a side of being a superhero that you need to see. I’ll show you once we get there.”

It was only a short twenty minute drive through the city. With it being late at night in the middle of the week, there were few people still in the streets. Distant Horizons was on the southern coast of the Island; not quite in the direct path of the sunset but still with a decent view. The entire suburb had a distinct… ‘retirement’ feel to it. Opposite to the northern shores where the rich and opulent - like the Alpha Pack - lived, the southern shore consisted of cosy, single-floor homes with well maintained front lawns, a few topiary bushes, white picket fences and a ridiculous abundance of rocking chairs. When they passed over the large, iron gates that denoted ‘Distant Horizons Retirement Village’, Caleb felt a very familiar vice-like grip around his heart.

“Are there… anti-super fields in effect here?” he choked.

“Yep,” Lars said, popping his jaw on the ‘p’. “Distant Horizons is where retired supers go. Both heroes and villains.”

“Huh…” he mulled. “I’ve never really thought about supers retiring…”

“Exactly why I wanted to bring you here.” Lars parked the truck in one of the large communal parking areas right next to what appeared to be a park. “It’s something that a lot of supers and even the general public don’t really like thinking about or downright ignore. Hell, before I chatted with Mattias, even I didn’t think about it.”

Recalling how Lars and Migraine had spend a short evening together while he spoke with Jacob, Caleb asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Every super, hero or villain, thinks they’re invincible. They think that they’ll be fighting crime or ruling the world forever. I mean, you never hear about supers retiring, right? It’s either they get killed, get ‘lost’ or some other bullshit happens to them that makes sure they go out in a blaze of glory.”

Sad as it was to admit, Caleb knew this to be true. No super ever just retired. Something always happened that made sure that they were remembered throughout history instead of just fading into the background. It made him wonder what his dad would do when he ‘retired’.

“What are you getting at, Lars?”

His boyfriend gestured for him to follow and, through the dimly lit walkways of the park, he could make out a few figures milling about the grassy plains. As they drew closer, the silhouettes became clearer. One stand-out feature was the presence of the capes. There was also a strangely large number of them wearing underwear outside of their spandex uniforms; also a lot of spandex. Most supers these days wore some form of nanofibre weave which was more flexible and durable but he could only assume that before the technology was available, those in ‘the business’ had to wear what they could. They were also rather advanced in age. Even then, they kept their heroic figures. Though wrinkled and with hair or muzzles turned white, they were still big, fit and shining examples of physical perfection… at least those that weren’t hooking up to oxygen tanks.

“Ho!” cried one such super, pointing in some arbitrary direction. “I detect a cry for help! On wards, Starchild!”

That ‘Starchild’ appeared to be a man that was actually about Caleb’s age. Grinning brightly, the costumed sidekick pretended to fly alongside his ‘super’.

“Okay…” Caleb muttered softly, leaning towards Lars. “So either this is the weirdest retirement village in the world or we just walked into some bizarre paedophile cosplay event.”

Lars chuckled softly. “It’s called the ‘Golden Days Syndrome’.”

“Huh?”

“Some supers just can’t let go of their ‘Golden Days’.” The doberman gestured with his big, veiny paw at the scenes before them. “As they advance in age, their minds kind of get fucked over. There’s a sort of high you get from saving people. That fame, that glory.” He closed his paw tightly. “Some… hell, what am I saying? Most supers suffer through GDS at some point in their life. They see villains that need stopping in every corner, a conspiracy brewing in every mind, chaos in every shadow. One way or another, they end up here.”

Caleb regarded the people around the area in a new light. These were likely all superheroes that made a living patrolling the night. They danced and mock-fought one another against scenarios that only existed in their imagination while they were being enabled by their handlers. Those young people beside them, their ‘sidekicks’, were likely the village staff ensuring that none of them hurt one another too much.

“This is.. Terrible!” he gasped. “We should do something!”

“I said the exact same thing when Mattias took me here,” Lars sighed. “He told me that was exactly the kind of thinking that’d land me in here.” He looked off to the side with a soft smirk. “Of course, then I accused him of still working for the Gene Stealers and trying to get me to retire or reconsider being a super so that I wouldn’t oppose them. When he predicted that, I went into the whole thing about him playing mind games with me. So he let me do a bit of research today and I think I’ve come to a decision.”

Caleb didn’t want to admit that he had been thinking exactly the same thing Lars had the previous day though he was also considering that his boyfriend may have been replaced with a doppleganger. “What’s that?”

“After we beat the Gene Stealers,” his boyfriend sighed heavily, “no matter how long that takes, I’m hanging up the cape.”

He froze, his heart stopping for a second. “What?”

For the first time, Lars met his gaze. “Once we beat Chimera, I’m retiring as a superhero, Caleb. I’m quitting Arsenal.”

A thousand thoughts were racing through Caleb’s mind. “You’ve got to be -”

He cut himself off, pulling back his denial instincts and taking into consideration what he was about to say. On some level, he had always assumed that he and Lars would be fighting crime or saving the world until something else came along that either beat them or pushed them into retirement. But there was that lack of definition that made him realise that whatever that ‘something’ was could come at any time and it could be anything. There was even the terrifying realisation that it could even be one of their deaths. Martha Connors’ prophecy came to mind once more. This self-analysis made him realise just how naive he had been just expecting things to go on as they always did for all eternity.

“I think I get what you’re saying,” he said, unable to keep himself from frowning. “Guess we’re still kids if we think we’ll just be superheroes forever, huh?”

Lars gave him a few blinks of surprise. “Wow… I… I honestly hadn’t thought you’d take it so well. I had this whole speech ready about how nothing lasts forever but then I would anticipate you’d blow up and ask what about us and then I’d tell you that we can’t guarantee we’d be forever together but I’d be willing to be the average working guy, the ‘normal’ dad to our kids like how your mom is to you while you go out being a superhero.”

“Kids?” Caleb blurted. “I’ll be honest, Lars, I really don’t imagine myself having kids right now. I mean, I’m just in my second year of high school. Thinking about kids right now would be crazy!”

His boyfriend snickered softly. “Yeah but I guess that’s something that got ingrained into me while I was with the Alliance. High school kids are horny, after all, and you can’t believe how many supers out there get bogged down because they knocked someone up or got knocked up while in high school. There were entire classes at the Elemental Tower about futures as a single parent or as a teenage parent.”

He grimaced at the thought. “Geez… In normal school, we use those as warning stories. Sounds like at the Tower, they try to give you options immediately.”

Lars gave him a shrug with those huge shoulders of his. “It’s just something I had driven into my skull.” He ducked his head, ears folded back. “Anyway… you’re really not mad?”

Caleb took a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks in the process. “More surprised, really. Not surprised because you want to quit but surprised that I didn’t think of it sooner.” He rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. “I never even really considered a career as a super until the night I became captain and that scout for the college team came up to me. My dad went on about how it’d be an appropriate cover to be a professional football player and a super at the same time.”

The bright, mirthful laugh from Lars was the first time he had gotten an honest, cheerful reaction form the doberman. “The classes in the Tower said pretty much the same thing! If you’re in the limelight, it’s actually easier to misdirect people from your superhero alter-ego. Especially if your two personalities are direct opposites of one another.”

“I can see the logic in that,” he answered with a smile. “I don’t know if I want to be a professional hero like my dad but it’s an option, I guess.”

“Well, I do know I can’t be that,” Lars said, shaking his head. “I don’t want that. I can’t fight evil for the rest of my life. I want to settle down eventually, have kids. Start a family. Be the parent to my kids that my parents never were to me.” He lowered his eyes. “And I have to stop now before another crisis comes up.”

Caleb inclined his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“There will always be another crisis, Caleb. You’ll always have that heroic spirit in your heart that will compel you to help out because you can. It’s unavoidable. But the more people you help, the longer you hold onto that, the greater it’s grip and influence on you. It’ll be harder and harder to let go…” His eyes lifted once more and he gestured at the aged supers around him. “Just like them.”

Caleb’s chest deflated. He saw exactly what Lars meant. “Oh…” But he also didn’t see why that was a bad thing. “You know, not everyone is doomed like that. I mean, look at Jake. What about Samson, Ben and even my dad?”

Lars rolled his eyes. “Your dad probably isn’t a good example. No offence, but him being a super kind of tore your family apart. It’s only healing now because of extra-dimensional help. Samson is a villain and I’m pretty sure, deep down, he wants to be able to settle down as well. That’s why he calls the Alpha Pack his ‘family’ instead of his mob or cult or whatever. As for Ben, I think he’s in the same boat as me but he’s going the other direction. I’m pretty sure he wants to keep being a super until he dies.”

“And I know how much you hate being compared to him ever since you broke up.”

“Yeah…” Then Lars’ eyes turned tot he distance. “Jake is different though. He kind of found a loophole. He waits for people to ask him for help. He doesn’t just jump in straight away. But the problem is that not everyone knows he exists. I might do the same. I mean, I’ll help if the world really needs it but I’m not going to be the first one to leap in when danger comes along. I’ll have other things to worry about.”

“Like what?”

“My future, for one.” Lars shoved his paws into his pockets and began walking down the path back to the truck. “I mean, even if I’m not captain anymore, I’m still a decent quarterback so I might still play football professionally. But apart from that? What else what I got going for me?”

Caleb wracked his brain quickly. “How about being a model?”

Lars’ ears perked up and he glanced back at his boyfriend quizzically. “What?”

“Well, just as a start,” he continued, connecting the dots as he spoke. “Hank still has contacts in GUYS magazine. Maybe we can get you a professional photo-shoot so that have a portfolio that we can then send to some modelling agencies. Then, after you rack up some credentials in the business, you can use that and the money you saved up to get into acting school. Become a world famous actor. Get into blockbuster movies. Live in Hollywood.”

The doberman laughed. “You’re kidding right?” Just the flat look on Caleb’s face with his eyebrows raised told the contrary. “You’re not kidding…”

“I mean you’ve got that school production of Les Miserables under your belt, right? You’re still part of the drama club. Why not pursue that? You’ve definitely got the body for it. Hell, you can go into professional wrestling. A lot of professional wrestlers these days get into acting careers. You’ve also got a killer singing voice. Remember when you serenaded me with ‘You Raise Me Up’ at Homecoming last year?”

Lars blushed a little, a coy smile touching his lips showing one of his canines and his eyes darting away.. “Yeah… I do.”

“Maybe you can kick of a music career and then after that, get into acting.”

“Why are you so fixated on me getting into acting?”

Caleb stuck out his tongue a little. “Because I’ve always wanted to know what it’d be like to bang a movie star.”

Lars had to take two steps towards him to give him a light punch on the shoulder. “Horndog.”

He rubbed the attacked shoulder and shied away with a smirk. “Can’t deny that it’s a thought, right?”

His boyfriend wrapped an arm around his shoulder, the first sight of intimacy they had since their return from Canada. “Yeah, yeah. I suppose it is. I suppose I do have the body for it.” He flexed at arm. “Bet you just want to grab any photos of me as a model and plaster it all over the walls, don’t you?”

“That and I’m pretty sure I’ll be ‘plastering’ something else there too.”

Lars gave him a playful punch to the gut which Caleb returned with a knee to the diaphragm. The two boys laughed as the approached Lars’ car once more.

“I missed you, Caleb,” admitted the doberman.

“I missed you too.”

They leaned in for a kiss, almost instinctively, but at the last moment, Lars veered off to the right and turned a passionate kiss on the lips to a light peck on the cheek. Clearly, there were still some issues hanging over the doberman’s head but the storm had cleared slightly. Progress was made.

The drive back was filled with silence but this time, Caleb took Jacob’s advice and avoided pushing the topic. When Lars was ready, he’d approach Caleb with the next thing that was on his mind.

Lars’ apartment had already been set up by the time they got back and while his boyfriend invited him to stay, Caleb said he had rushed out of the house without much of an explanation so he had to head back. His bright-eyed doberman appreciated the gesture of privacy and gave him a hug as he left. Caleb mounted Ballistic once more, placed his phone on the dock, and then zoomed back home. About two minutes into the drive, he made a call.

“Hello?”

“Hey Mary,” he said, “how’s it going?”

“Oh, the usual,” answered his best female friend. “Banging Ashton. Watching my dad bang Ashton. All while trying to drown out the shouting match your dad and Leon are having.”

“What’re they arguing about now?” he sighed.

“Might be the tournament he’s planning. Clearly your dad doesn’t want Leon there. He’s throwing the excuse that Leon doesn’t even really have a superhero costume. If Leon manages to scrounge up something in the next few days, your dad is then going to fire off the fact that he’s not even legally a superhero so it could tarnish Arsenal’s reputation that they’re working with someone that isn’t registered. Your dad has a few more tricks that he can throw that’ll make sure Leon doesn’t join in.”

He wasn’t really surprised. David had likely been planning for this day for a while so he likely had a whole arsenal of blocks that he could use to keep Leon from realising his potential. “Of course he does.”

“But I suspect that wasn’t just a social call. What’s bothering you?”

Caleb took a second to collect his thoughts and bring himself to stop at a traffic light. “Lars said he wants to retire from the superhero business when we beat the Gene Stealers.”

“He did? Well, if you ask me -”

“How long have you known?”

Now it was her turn to pause and there was enough time for the lights to turn green and him to start driving again.

“Since we got back and I regained sanity. There are a lot of ways you can convince him to keep fighting…”

“I don’t want to. I respect his decision. Hell, I actually suggested careers outside of being a super to him. When you think about it, being a professional super was just something his parents forced onto him by default and you know how he gets about his parents. This might be good.”

“That’s true. But if you’re at peace with that, why are you calling?”

Caleb pursed his lips. “Arsenal is going to break up eventually, aren’t we?”

There was another pause on the other end and Caleb could feel his heart breaking with each passing second.

“Yes, Caleb. We are.”

The truth was inescapable and he almost cursed Jacob for giving him the perspective to realise the inevitability of his team disbanding. Lars was retiring, Ben was technically a supervillain, Mary was chasing her mother, Rhiannon was still the Hound of Destruction and even Madman was on his own quest of vengeance. Of all of them, the only person that could even conceivably stay as a superhero was him.

“But I don’t think we’re ever going to be apart,” Mary said. “We’ve all had a strong impact on one another’s lives and we have a bond that is unbreakable. That’s never going to change. Even if we end up on different sides of a fight, nothing is ever going to change this time we’ve had together. We will always_, be_ Arsenal_.”_

“I suppose but… It just feels like…”

“It’s too soon? That it’s a doorway to eventually drifting apart for real?”

“That I’m being left behind.”

Again, Mary paused. This time, it was for a whole minute and Caleb had just entered his own street.

“Caleb?”

“Yeah?”

“Go to Australia.”

He immediate hit the brakes, coming to a screeching halt. Thankfully, there was no one behind him so he was alone on the streets when Ballistic marred the asphalt with a bit of burnt rubber. “What did you say?”

“Go to Australia with Abby and Arthur, Caleb. Experience the world. Then, when you get back, we’ll all get together. You’ll know then if we are destined to be apart or stay together by who comes and who doesn’t.”

“You’re kidding me! I’m not going to put our friendship against that kind of test.”

“I know you aren’t and that was my test,” Mary said haughtily. “Caleb, if there’s anything about you that I’ve learned, it’s that you will always find a way. Despite the odds, you were able to overcome infection after Gene Stealer infection. You are able to pull victory on the football field time and time again. You were even able to sway your dad, the super who was so against Outsiders like us for so long. You crossed the world to come save us_. If you want us to stay together, I have no doubt in my mind that you will find some way to do it.”_

Caleb’s heart began slow down. “Mary… you’re still a manipulative bitch.”

“The best and you love me for it.”

******

It was Wednesday and the pressure was on to beat Bridgewood in just three days. Gerard was ramping up the activities on the defence team, learning as much as he could from Caleb about being adaptive. Practice was dominated by the two teams working as one and trying to outsmart one another on the field. The excitement in the rest of the school was also palpable. Apart from Caleb being promoted to captain, it was also the championship match. Delayed as it was due to superhero activities and the holidays, there was a sense of excitement over the idea that this was a long time coming.

David took inspiration for that in how he and Hank marketed what was now called ‘The Alliance Olympiad’. Caleb pulled off his helmet and shook his head free not only to get the sweat out but over the idea that his dad and Hank kept changing the name of the tournament every hour or so. He was sure that by the time he got home, it would be called something else. Hopefully no one would get confused by the time of the big game. That said, the aura of mystery about the competition not only helped keep Arsenal’s identity a secret but also built anticipation; anticipation that was already high from the fact that it could be construed as a grudge match between Arsenal and the Alliance.

“Good job out there, Gerard!” he bellowed, holding up a paw.

The big moose slammed his hand into Caleb’s waiting paw, a grin on his face. “We’re so ready for Bridgewood!”

He tsked and gave a slight shake of his head. “You gotta remember about your left flank, dude. I got my guys to slip past yours because you were always focused on the right.”

“That’s cuz that’s where you are! Your guys focus way too much on you. If you go down and they don’t have any backups or it’s not part of the play, they kind of break!”

A good point and a reason why he valued these exchanges with Gerard. They were bouncing ideas off one another and shoring up their lines. To the powerful defensive lineman’s point, he needed a second in command. Someone who can take control if he was tackled. The fact that he was a receiver meant that he was especially vulnerable.

“Fair enough!” He began undressing, getting ready to hit the showers. “You still seriously thinking about going to Australia?”

“Kind of,” answered his co-captain. “It’s still, like, two and a half years away. Long time to make such a big decision. A lot can happen there. Plus, no offense to the Australians, their education system isn’t as intense as ours. They’re only ranked seventh in the world in terms of quality of education.”

“Really? Who’s first?”

“Japan. The US is third right behind Singapore. But they have crazy systems. Apparently, you’re in school for about as long as you’d be in a job and then there’s still more extra-curricular activities. I hear kids kill themselves over not getting good enough grades.”

Caleb winced. “And Australia’s is worse than ours?”

“I wouldn’t say worse. Just that they’re more laid back and don’t put as much pressure on the kids to succeed. A lot of jobs down there don’t need degrees, even the top paying ones. Apparently, you can be a doctor if you just get enough practice. There’s plenty of ways to get your dream job without ever stepping into college.”

That was actually quite impressive. Here in the US, a degree meant everything. As the years went by, having a masters degree was starting to become the minimum requirement to get the best jobs in the country. That inflated the price of education phenomenally and made the job market quite rough. It was nice to know that there were option in other countries. It brought to mind what Mary had suggested the night before. However, he shook his head free of that fantasy. As much as he wanted to know if Arsenal would stay together forever, he did not want to test their bond like that.

“Hey son!”

David bounded over, slapping his bare ass. Caleb let out a little yelp, stunned that his dad would treat him like any other player. Sure, in here he was ‘Coach David Hale’ but he was always more than that. It brought about a whole new level of awkwardness.

“We’re going over to the Connors’ place shortly. Hurry up and get changed.”

He frowned at his father. “We’re going to Ben’s?” David never voluntarily went over to the Connors unless it was under duress or some other plot of Samson’s. So the fact that David seemed excited about it made him extremely worried.

“Heading over to the rich kid’s house to play, eh?” Gerard teased. “You know, you could always come over to my place and we could have some fun.”

“Gerard, I’ve got a boyfriend,” Caleb groaned.

“Bring him too.”

Shaking his head, he grabbed a towel, quickly wound it up and snapped it at Gerard’s thighs. The moose, while big, was fast enough to get away from him before any damage was done. Of course that started a few hoots and hollers in the locker room as their defensive captain was now nude and running around. True to form, Gerard strutted his stuff and began running down the aisle, challenging anyone to see if they could whip him fast enough.

“Brings back memories,” David sighed wistfully. He clapped Caleb’s shoulder. “But seriously, hurry it up. I’d rather not keep Samson waiting… or spend a minute longer than I have to in his company.”

That made more sense. Though it did not answer why they were going to the Connors’ in the first place. He waited until after he was showered and ready to leave before asking.

“I want to officially invite the Alpha Pack to the tournament.”

“Isn’t that a terrible idea?” Caleb replied. “I mean, technically the Pack is a group of villains. Wouldn’t having them join in kind of make it seem like we’re working with bad guys? Even though we kind of are…?”

Just the smile on his dad’s face told him that this was all part of some plan he had against Samson. “That’s exactly the point. Samson has a lot to lose if Washington gets the mayorship and he’s been pestering Lilly about letting the Pack help more with the campaign. You just know he’s going to guilt or blackmail your mother once she gets into power. But if I invite them to the Grand Island Tournament” - Caleb mentally sighed at yet another name change - “he has two choices.” David held up two fingers as he approached the family van. “Either he accepts and then risks being humiliated in front of the entire world again by me or he declines and basically backs off from supporting your mother. Remember, this tournament is a publicity stunt for her too.”

Clever and would certainly play on Samson’s pride. Though after getting to know the leader of the Alpha Pack, he was of the opinion that Samson wasn’t really the Machiavellian supervillain everyone made him out to be. Samson just wanted a family that he could keep in comfort and stability forever after having lost his own wife and daughter. Sure he may use underhanded tactics to get it all but perhaps that was only because he knew how the world worked and only such tactics were what got him results.

“Dad, I think you’re overestimating the kind of impact this’ll have on Samson,” he admitted. “I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be the first super to call him out like this.”

“Maybe but I’d be the first super to have fucked him into submission.”

Caleb backpedaled in surprise. Did his dad just confess to having dominated Samson. “Did you just say -”

“No one said anything about fucking,” David quickly denied, a light blush on his cheek. He immediately jumped into the van and shut the door. “See you there, son!”

After taking a shower with the rest of the team, Caleb jumped onto Ballistic and drove all the way to the Connors’ mansion. The messages of ‘Where are you?’ and ‘How long before you get there?’ from his dad were completely ignored and he decided to take a leisurely drive all the way to the wealthy part of time. If asked, he’d just claim it was traffic. He wasn’t sure exactly how Samson or Ben would react to the challenge and he didn’t know why his dad even wanted him along but there was going to be fireworks. How he wished he had Mary along. She could subdue both of them. Or maybe Jacob. He was already instinctively reaching for his phone to dial Jacob’s number when he stopped himself.

No.

He had to be a little more independent. Nothing would last forever. Perhaps the Writer of Reality would be there forever but he couldn’t rely on the blonde wolf forever.

The Connors’ mansion was as immense as ever and as he rode up the wide, winding driveway to the front of the mansion, he caught sight of the family van already parked there. Everything looked intact and there wasn’t any monstrous shouting or howling so that was good. His dad wasn’t stupid enough to challenge the entire Alpha Pack there to single combat.

At least he hoped so.

“Why am I here again?” he wondered aloud, fearing getting caught in the crossfire.

Taking a deep breath, he removed his helmet and slipped it on the handle of his bike. He took his time with every step up that marble stairway. It must have been five minutes before he approached the immense wooden doors with the wolf-head-shaped door knocker. The resounding booms of the golden ring hitting the plate beneath the knocker was a doomsday bell tolling for a confrontation he was sure would be explosive. Part of him would be disappointed if there wasn’t some for of fire involved.

A butler let him in. A bit of relief washed over him as he stepped into atrium to find it entirely intact. The butler took him to a sitting room where the entire Alpha Pack - Ben included - was gathered around a large television screen. The screen itself was almost as big as the entire wall and hurt Caleb’s eyes just looking at it. David was sitting strangely close to Samson. The two even had their beers sitting on the same table. Were they buddies now?

There was a good chance this would not be as disastrous as he had first assumed.

“Cale! You’re finally here!” David exclaimed. “Traffic that bad?”

“It was torture,” he answered, forcing a smile.

“You should’ve just used the hover mode of Ballistic.”

Ben was immediately at his feet, spinning around to face Caleb with his eyes looking even bigger behind his glasses. “Ballistic has a hover mode now? Why was I not informed?”

Caleb offered a helpless shrug and an awkward laugh, explaining that it was an addition Jacob had added on their rescue to Canada. Ben immediately demanded to ride it but given how hover technology was illegal for civilians, Caleb had to insist that the werewolf not ride his bike.

“Anyway, now that we’re all here,” David said, rising to his feet with a beer in one paw. Caleb hoped his dad wasn’t inebriated but he guessed that since this was Feral Steel he was thinking about, the beer wouldn’t have that much of an effect on him. Unless this was some sort of super-alcohol that could only affect werewolf-supers - maybe laced with some sort of silver compound - then maybe he might be tipsy. After all, Martha Connors had a degree of foresight. Was this a trap that Samson had set up?

Before he knew what was happening, Caleb was hyperventilating.

“Caleb?” Ben asked, nudging him slightly with an elbow. “What’s wrong?”

“I have the sudden urge to run,” he whimpered.

“What? Why?”

David began his offer, appearing casual. Some part of Caleb wondered if his dad was trying to be the ‘cool’ dad and had to compare him with Samson’s severe, controlled expression. In the back of his mind, Samson was the biological father but David was the stepfather who was trying to curry the favour of his new adopted family.

This was either going to be a disaster or utterly cringe-worthy.

“As you all well know,” Feral Steel began. “I’m hosting a tournament on Saturday. It’s going to be filled with games, entertainment and displays of powers from all the supers and Outsiders on West California Island. It’ll all culminate in an exhibition match between Arsenal and select members of the Elemental Alliance.”

“We’re aware,” Samson rumbled with a short nod. “I suspect you need additional funding to secure your venue and the events?”

David waved a paw dismissively through the air. “Naw, I got that covered.” If he was hoping to disarm Samson with that comment, the head of the Alpha Pack didn’t give him the pleasure. “What I wanted to do was to invite you to the tournament. You and the rest of the Alpha Pack.”

All eyes immediately went to Samson and the Alpha of Alphas took a long, agonising moment to respond.

“Am I correct,” began the head werewolf, “that this is a tournament for super_heroes_ to show their unity against General Washington and to throw their weight behind your wife’s campaign.”

With a casual shrug and a sip of his beer, David said, “Pretty much, yeah.”

“Your wife who has continuously rejected our offer for help.”

Caleb could swear he could see his Dad’s heart sinking. This was not an angle he had anticipated. If Samson had rejected the offer on the grounds of it being a tournament amongst superheroes, then David could play the ‘coward’ card and call him a chicken. There were other cards he could play as well like their common fight against General Washington or maybe even challenge Samson to a brawl for dominance.

But not this.

“That’d be right,” David answered slowly.

“I see.” Samson rested his big hands on the armrests of his large recliner. “I can see the value in providing a united front against General Washington but given your wife’s constant declinations of our offer for help, I wonder how she would feel about this.” Before David could respond, Samson lifted a hand so that he could continue. “Let’s also not forget that having a known supervillain group appear in your tournament would potentially damage your Lillian’s campaign.”

Xavier Connors, a tabby, spoke up. “People will talk about collusion with us even though Lillian has rejected every offer we’d made. Doesn’t matter if there was a paper trail or not. The gossip alone will be enough to damage her campaign.”

“Any support you’d gather from having the Alliance there would likely collapse with our appearance,” Dominic Connors, a human, said. “It’s a bad idea. I want Lillian to succeed more than anything. People would be after my ass if Washington wins.”

Caleb jogged his memory for Dom’s powers. Known as Raging Hound, Dom was like the Hulk but instead of growing stronger the angrier he got, he could grow to building-size if sufficiently motivated. It would be very easy to see how, if Vernon Washington won the mayorship, Dominic would be one of the prime targets. Looking around the room, he could see a lot of the Alpha Pack being prime targets. There would be no love lost between them and the public either. While the public would likely be divided when fighting for the personal freedoms of supers, the Alpha Pack would automatically be a target for super registration.

Xavier was right. If the Alpha Pack came to the tournament, it would damage Lillian’s campaign irreparably.

“Come on guys,” David pleaded. “This is a great opportunity for you to throw your support behind Lillian. Her whole message is about unification and the protection of personal freedoms. If we can show the voters that this message transcends traditional boundaries like ‘hero’ and ‘villain’, it’ll be like a bipartisan deal that’s veto proof!”

Samson shook his head gravely. “That’s still a dangerous gamble. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my centuries of experience, it’s that you can never tell how people will react. You’re just giving Washington more ammo. The election is still a while away and though you’ll catch the General off guard right now, you’d be opening yourself up for broadsides and counterattacks in the long run.” The werewolf king lifted his head. “We have a vested interest in making sure Lillian gets elected mayor and this… this just seems stupid. On behalf of the Alpha Pack, we decline your offer.”

David opened his muzzle, ready to protest.

Then Ben interrupted.

“Does that include me, Father?”

Caleb jerked away from Blood Wolf, surprised at his friend’s words. Samson regarded his ‘son’ with an even gaze. If there was something to be said about Samson, it’s that he could be controlled and composed even in the direst of situations.

“Yes,” rumbled the dark-haired werewolf in human form. “Though you may be part of Arsenal, you’d still be opening up doors for people to misinterpret your loyalty and transpose it to a weakness on Lillian’s part. Washington could easily corrupt your message. You won’t be participating.”

Ben lifted his head in defiance. “I’m going to have to respectfully disagree. If I’m not there, people will notice. They’ll clearly see this for what it is; a ploy to get more votes. If we aren’t a complete team, Washington could point it out and then we’d be in a worse position. At the very least, I should participate.”

“No Benjamin,” answered Samson darkly. “It’s putting too much risk on the plate. We’ve gotten this far by avoiding such wild risks.”

“And look at where it’s gotten us!” countered Blood Wolf, raising his voice. “Whether you acknowledge it or not, we’re cornered. The Gene Stealers are tempting villains and henchmen into joining them and Washington is turning those that are against Chimera against us.”

“We’ve always been against both of those sides,” Martha Connors said gently. “The very nature of our business means that we don’t truly have allies. Just people who are afraid of being our enemies.”

Ben shot his mother a fiery look. “And even those are being shaken. Don’t tell me none of you have felt it.” He cast his gaze around the room. Only Martha and Samson were able to meet his gaze while the rest of the Alpha Pack averted their gaze. “I know you’re all smarter than this. I know you all see how the other Packs are starting to doubt our power.”

Uriel Connors, a lion with his red mane pulled back in a ponytail lifted a glass to his muzzle to hide what he would mutter next. “And whose fault is that?”

Werewolf had keen senses, though. “What was that!?” Ben barked.

The lion slammed his glass back into the table without breaking either. “I said, whose fault was it that the packs are doubting our hold?” The feline rose to his feet, towering over Ben at least in their ‘disguised’ forms. “You got outwitted and captured by the Gene Stealers. You got put on display at the IVIL convention. Word spreads, Ben. Even if what happened with Tibia could be seen as a fluke, the fact that you got thrown in front of the supervillain fandom and shown to be helpless really fucked things up. If Lillian doesn’t win, I don’t know if we can keep the other packs from doing something stupid!”

That was a new angle that Caleb had never considered. Had the Gene Stealers purposefully positioned Ben an a civilian convention for the appreciation of supervillains not only as some sort of joke but also to spread dissent amongst supporters? There might have been a few werewolves in the crowd or at the very least, werewolf informants.

The Alpha Pack had been damaged… and their hold on their packs was weakening.

More than ever, Lillian needed to win if only to keep the packs from revolting and taking the fight against Washington into their own paws.

“Now, now,” David said, fighting a grin. “Now hear me out. How about… you guys not be villains?”

Caleb was appalled his father was actually enjoying this. Not to mention that suggestion was absolutely, mindbogglingly insane! Even he had to give his dad an incredulous look.

“The Alpha Pack is a group if immortal supers,” David continued. “Supers with an international influence. When you think about it, the entire world doesn’t have anything like that. Every country has their own group and getting access to another jurisdiction takes a hell of a lot of paperwork. What if we had a whole group of super-powerful superheroes that had access to every jurisdiction. We could be the World Wolves!”

If this had been David’s plan all along, Caleb was both impressed and shocked. That name could use some work but the idea of a single team that could access the entirety of the world without having to go through red tape would be highly beneficial. Even AEGIS had to sneak around on the Cornucopia but if the World Wolves became a thing, they could rush to the rescue without any delay. Maybe Ben and the others could have been saved sooner had they not spent so much time arguing about politics.

“You must be joking,” Samson growled. “David, if this is just your feeble attempt at some power play, I -”

“I’m totally serious, Samson,” countered Feral Steel, folding his arms to show that he was, indeed, very serious. “The Alpha Pack has the potential to be global enforcers. You’ve all been around for a long time. You’ve got the experience, the power and the resources to protect the world. Why not put it to good use? You can keep the other packs in check and use your powers for the betterment of the world! What’s not to like?”

The werewolf king rose. “The fact that this is clearly your attempt to form another Elemental Alliance solely under your command.” He pointed accusingly at David. “You are stuck in the past. Still trying to play the role of the hero or the superhero god. While I don’t refute that there are people that need protecting, you have to recognise when to step aside and let the younger generation deal with the problems of the world. If we are constantly the ones saving the world, we aren’t giving the kids a chance to grow stronger and fix their problems. What will happen if and when we die, David?” He tilted his head slightly. “And don’t you dare tell me you’ll never die.”

David scowled back, baring his fangs. “You talk about letting the ‘younger generation’ grow stronger but here you are, sitting in your mansion, pulling strings and manipulating people with all your money and mafia-style tactics. Don’t bullshit me, Samson.”

Samson turned his pointed finger to a broad wave around him. “Yes, we coerce. Yes we bully, torture and pick fights. Yes, we’re villains but we’re villains that keep the other villains in check.” He lifted his head, staring down his nose at David. “We are a necessary evil. We are the Gates of Hell keeping the tide of evil back. You’re the stupid idiot that thinks destroying the Gate because it ‘corrupts’ those around it occasionally will solve all your problems.” He lifted a hand and waved it slightly. “No. You’re the sanctimonious fool who thinks that purifying the Gates would solve all your problems when all you’ll do is weaken it and let what it was keeping back loose on the world.”

Martha Connors stood, standing beside her husband. “You may not like our tactics, David, but there is a reason that we chose the role of the villain instead of being a hero like you. Heroes are restricted by morals. Villains recognise that and will exploit that. Other villains though…”

Dominic rose next and one by one, each member of the Alpha Pack stood beside Samson. “We won’t say we’re heroes. We’ve been around long enough to know that the world isn’t just black and white. We stand in between. You can’t change that.”

Caleb found himself regarding the Alpha Pack in a new light. When he took a step back and thought about it, the Alpha Pack did do some pretty nasty things but fear of them also kept the other werewolves and some supervillains in check. They were both werewolves and supers making them an unique combination that was only compounded by the fact that there were twelve of them working together. If they wanted, they could decimate the Elemental Alliance and take over a good portion of the continental United States by just giving their subservient packs leave to attack.

But they didn’t. Their rule held back the tide of lycanthropy.

“Wow…” he breathed.

“Don’t fall for it,” Ben snarled, the only member of the Pack not to join Samson. “They’re just justifying their cowardice and inability to change.” He stepped forward, pointing at Samson. “You’re content to just sit here and watch the world burn while saying that ‘the younger generation’ needs to grow stronger to fight them. You’re just waited for either that generation to fail and then you sweep in and save the day or they turn to you for help. That’s how you gain power. You get people to come to you for help.” He glanced towards Caleb and then David. “It’s all bullshit.”

Samson’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Benjamin Connors - ”

“Don’t!” Ben snapped, holding up a hand. “Just don’t. I’m fighting alongside Arsenal in that tournament. You can’t stop me.”

The werewolf king’s lips peeled apart to reveal sharpened fangs. “I won’t stop you but neither will we help you.”

“Fine!”

*******

The scene at the Connors’ mansion had left Caleb shaken. To see such disunity in the Alpha Pack was… discomforting. But he couldn’t be mad at Ben. His friend was sticking by him. That was certainly worth praise. The person he could be mad at was his dad. David had basically driven a wedge amongst the Alpha Pack. That was despicable especially if it was premeditated.

Was what Samson said true? Did David want to start a new version of the Elemental Alliance but with werewolf-supers? Would he go out seeking other supers and offer them immortality and a sense of ‘family’ by turning them into werewolves? Was that was he wanted?

The moment arrived on his home street, his phone was already ringing. It was from Mary. He ignored it and kept driving behind his dad’s van. As always, he let David park the van first before he drove Ballistic in after it. He didn’t wait for his dad to intercept him and just grabbed his phone from its dock and charged into the house without even taking off his shoes. His helmet was still fully wedged on. There had to be as many barriers between his ears and his dad’s muzzle as possible.

Leon was there to greet them but before his brother could say anything, he just breezed past the taller wolf, bumping shoulders briefly.

“Hey!” Leon barked. “What the hell, runt!?”

Caleb stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder. It took him a second to remember that his helmet’s visor was still on so the eldest of his brothers couldn’t see his eyes or the fiery venom burning behind them. Too bad he wasn’t feeling like pulling it up. He just turned towards the stairs and began heading to his room. Halfway up the steps, he realised his mother hadn’t yelled at him for his bare claws on the floorboards. That was because he was still wearing his shoes. He’d probably cop hell for dragging dirt into the house but at least he didn’t have to slink back down, make his way past Leon and his dad, remove his shoes and then put on his sandals to make it back to his room. He’d get to continue his storm-off mostly uninterrupted.

“What the hell did you do to Caleb!?”

Leon. Any reason to fight with David.

“What makes you think I had anything to do with it!?” David snapped back.

“Well, gee. I dunno. How about the fact that you both came back at the same time?”

“Look who’s the ace detective all of the sudden!”

“I don’t need to be fucking Batman to know that you did something to upset my little brother! What the fuck was it this time, dad?”

Caleb couldn’t deal with this. He stomped up two more steps when the yelling intensified.

“I didn’t do anything! I Just invited him over to the Connors’ place to invite them to the tournament.”

“Oh my fucking… You invited the career criminals and not your own son!?”

“You. Are. Not. Ready!”

“The same four fucking words. I’ve fought Tibia, the Gimp and the Gene Stealerse beside you guys and you think I’m still not ready!? For fuck’s sake! What will it take for me to be ‘ready’!?”

“When you grow the fuck up!”

That was it. He had enough.

Caleb turned and stomped back down the steps, paws curled into tight fists and his tail erect. He was on the attack. His phone buzzed briefly and he caught a glance. Mary again.

‘Don’t do it!’ she pleaded with a three whole rows of exclamation points.

Not this time.

He ripped off his helmet just as his mom poked her head out of the study to see what all the ruckus was about. She was likely more curious about the sound of his feet stomping on the stairs than David and Leon’s shouting match.

“Caleb, honey. Are you -”

“Not now, mom!” he barked. His voice was enough to stop both his brother and dad but he still smashed the head of his helmet against the doorframe to the kitchen. The wood actually buckled lightly beneath the impact and his helmet cracked from the impact. “Shut the fuck up, both of you!” he roared.

Both David and Leon stared, jaws wide open.

Caleb Hale had never raised his voice at his family. Ever.

“Caleb, son…” began David.

“I don’t want to hear it, dad,” he snarled, lifting his helmet and using it to point at the larger wolf. “I’ve stayed silent for a long while about all the shit you’ve done. I’ve accepted the fact that you ridiculed and mocked me on national TV when you didn’t know I was Weapons Master. I didn’t say a word when you invaded my school and made yourself assistant coach just to keep pestering me. I didn’t do anything when you took over my team and started controlled every part of my fucking life! I even supported you when you got yourself bitten by Samson and turned into a werewolf! Hell, when you picked a fight against Jake, my best friend, I just dismissed that as your primal instincts kicking in because, let’s face it, Jake is way more powerful than you especially now that he’s got a fraction of his power back. In fact, let’s face it, if this was a dick measuring contest, you wouldn’t even clear five inches while I’m pretty sure his would make it to the moon and back with room enough to fuck you right up the ass!”

Leon snorted but immediately drew Caleb’s ire.

“And you! You’ve tortured me for most of my life by being the asshole big brother! I supported you when you decided to join the police academy and I didn’t say anything about how you claim you want to be a great detective but you didn’t even notice Trojan was right under your fucking nose! We’ve all endured this long-lasting teen-angst episode you’ve had for months and I think everyone in this house and the whole fucking neighbourhood have gone fucking deaf with all the fights you’ve been picking with dad!”

He spread his arms, slamming his helmet back into the doorframe again.

“Why don’t you two just fight already and whoever loses gets fucked because Wolf-fucking-Christ, I’ve had enough of this!”

David’s features hardened. “Caleb, you do not get to talk to me like that.”

“Oh yeah?” Caleb challenged, puffing out his own chest. “Why? Because you’re the big bad, alpha wolf that can’t stand the idea of any of his pups rebelling? You’ve already fucked Lance, I bet it kills you that you can’t put a chain on both me and Leon, huh? Or maybe you’re just hurt because I was next on your ‘to-be-fucked’ list. Was it one of your plans to bite me, turn me into a werewolf to compensate for the fact that I’m an Outsider, give me some baseline powers and turn me immortal so that I’ll be part of your new World Wolves?”

Leon turned to David in surprise and even Lillian emerged fully from the study to give the Hale patriarch a puzzled look.

“World Wolves?” Leon repeated.

Caleb let out a humourless laugh. “Oh, you’re going to die when you hear this, Leon.” He placed his paws, helmet still in hand, against his hips. “See, dad went to the Connors’ place to invite them to the tournament. But the thing is, Samson called him out on what that actually was; a power play to get the Alpha Pack to switch sides. He tried to trap Samson into agreeing to the tournament. You know the old trick? Either he accepts and risks getting humiliated in front of the nation or he rejects it and gets called a coward by his own family. But Samson used mom to turn the tables.”

“Me?” Lillian asked, startled.

“Yeah, mom. He rightly pointed out that if the criminals were to appear in a tournament meant to show unity, it’d probably boost ratings but then people would start asking how they’re supposed to believe that we’re good guys if we convinced supervillains to join us. We’d be leaving ourselves open to speculation and slander all because dad wanted to see if he can fuck Samson on live TV and take over the Alpha Pack!”

David’s hackles rose. “That’s not -”

“Not what, dad?” Caleb interrupted. “That’s not your reason for pulling Ben away from his family? That’s not your justification for trying to convince the Alpha Pack to turn good guy and potentially cause a werewolf civil war because the one force that’s keeping the werewolves of the world in check suddenly turns good guy?”

Caleb marched forward, standing toe-to-toe with his dad. He hadn’t realised how much taller David was to him until he stood right there, in front of his father. Maybe the werewolf virus had added a few extra inches but he was not going to be cowed.

“You destroyed a centuries-old family, dad,” he snarled. “And for what? Your own ambitions? So you can relive your glory days, found a new superhero organisation and and find some way to make sure that we all get to live alongside you because you’ll be immortal and alone?” He shoved his helmet into his father’s paws, actually causing David to take a step back with the surprise blow. “Well too bad, David. I don’t want to live forever if it means spending it with someone like you.”

Then he stormed past his dad, ducking back into the garage.

“Caleb! Wait!” Leon shouted.

He was already boarding Ballistic and had hit the button to open the garage doors.

“Caleb, honey! Please!” Lillian pleaded.

He started Ballistic’s engines. A strong paw seized his shoulder.

“Caleb!” David shouted right in his ear.

He immediately shrugged off his riding jacket, leaving David to grasp at the leather as he slid a few inches forward. Then he hit the button to initiate the Time-Space-Fold engine of the bike. He immediately became transparent and David’s other paw grasped at thin air. Even before the garage doors were fully open, he was zooming through them, passing through like a ghost and barrelling down the street away from David Hale.

Over the years, he had seen may faces of his father.

Loving husband. Caring parent. Jovial brother. Courageous superhero. Valiant mentor.

But what he saw tonight broke his heart and left him bleeding and angry.

A man who was willing to tear apart a family just for his own gain. Someone who was willing to use his own wife’s career and maybe even the future of the entire island for his ambitions. He was fairly sure the only reason he was invited along was for additional emotional baggage to help convince Samson. If he hadn’t been there, Ben may never have rebelled like that.

“Damnit…” he cursed.

He needed to call Jake. Then he realised his phone had been in his riding jacket and that was now firmly in David’s paws. Not to mention his helmet. How ironic would it be if he got pulled over for not having a helmet? Or if he suddenly got into an accident and fell into a coma. Jacob would surely have something to say about that cliche…

Thinking of the blonde-haired wolf actually made him slow down and start to collect his thoughts.

He couldn’t go back. Not after that scene. No. He needed to stay away from his dad and maybe even the rest of his family for a while.

There was really only one place David would never think to go.

Thankfully, with his Time-Space-Fold engine, he could zoom right through houses and buildings for a few minutes, cutting his travel time by half. For the remaining half, he activated the hover mode of Ballistic and took to the air. The cool night air was oddly calming and the absence of a helmet allowed him to fully appreciate the rushing winds through his fur, drying his tears. He was grateful when he found the apartment building and landed immediately on the roof.

The roof door was left open so he easily made his way to apartment 424 and knocked.

Lars opened the door a second later.

“Caleb?” asked the doberman wearily. “What’s going on?”

Caleb, throat dry, asked, “Can I stay here tonight?”

******

It was called the Starise Tournament. At least until its name changed again. A ploy to attract voters and back Lillian Hale’s rise to mayorship. There was a high probability that it could work. After all, crowds loved to be entertained and nothing would entertain them more than watching their favourite supers going toe to toe with one another. Most superhero groups were made or broken based entirely on how popular they were. Corporate sponsorships and insurance agencies wouldn’t just support a nobody. Heroism wasn’t enough these days.

Money was needed.

“Do you think it’ll work, Pins?” Noah Alberich asked. One half of twins, Noah was the younger of the short, 5’2’’, pale-skinned men who collectively were known as the low-level supervillains ‘Pins and Needles’. Well, if he was being honest, he wasn’t really a ‘supervillain’. More like a public nuisance with superpowers. But that would change today.

Even given the vague and off-the-wall question, his brother Peter Alberich knew exactly what he was referring to. “Of course it will, Needles. People are stupid. They will buy into anything with big explosions, flashing lights and free merchandise.”

There was no doubt that Feral Steel was going to turn this tournament into an enormous publicity stunt to gather as much support as he could given the beating he received from Tibia, the Gimp and Migraine’s telekinetic henchmen. This was his chance to crawl back from the ashes and show all of West California Island that he and Arsenal weren’t totally incompetent. A desperate ploy to promote mayoral candidate Lillian Hale above Vernon Washington.

Except that wasn’t what the Gene Stealers wanted.

“So what do you think they have planned, Needles?” Peter asked, striding through the dark hallways of Spider Queen’s secret chambers.

The other Gene Stealers called the enormous, winding maze of tunnels and twisting pathways the ‘Web’. Though the core five Gene Stealers all shared the same single base, Spider Queen’s ‘lair’ was unique in that it formed the outer perimeter and initial defences for the rest. If one were to imagine the Gene Stealer base as a single flat disc, the Web would be the outer most circumference, a hard outer shell made of maddening corridors with the black, obsidian-like walls forged to look like layers of organic webbing but still somehow retaining its solid, stone structure. It was like if the great masters of the Renaissance had devoted marble sculptures to Lovecraftian horrors instead of myths and legends.

“It’s clearly our turn, Pins,” giggled Noah. “Tibia had his turn, then the Gimp and even that traitor Migraine. Now, it’s our turn in the spotlight!

Even after saying this, there was a commotion from up ahead. Voice. Angry voices and as the twins drew closer, they could identify one of them being the sultry tones of Spider Queen turned into a banshee’s screech and the calm, menacing growl of Dragon Knight transformed into ferocious roars. The duo were almost tempted not to proceed but, as had been their style since they had turned to supervillainy, they exchanged glances, a puckish smile and then scampered forward into danger.

In a broad chamber with a tall ceiling littered with machinery and monitors, three of the original Gene Stealers argued. Spider Queen and Dragon Knight stood facing one another, teeth or fangs bared and brows furrowed in anger. Shark Tamer mostly ignored them, seemingly working at the desk not too far away though irritation appeared across his brow.

“It is clearly a trap,” Dragon Knight snarled. “If our information is correct, Reaper now possesses some level of precognitive abilities. The fact that he refuses to participate in the tournament further supports that.” The black-scaled dragon jabbed a clawed finger in the direction of the only female Gene Stealer. “If we attack the tournament, he is most likely going to sweep in from the outside and pin our forces between the defenders and AEGIS.”

“Which is why we need to ensure he is occupied,” answered Spider Queen. Though her tone of voice was calm, even encouraging, frustration boiled beneath them.

“But what you’re suggesting is going to put us on the goddamn national map! We won’t just be another local villain organisation. We will be international terrorists! It will be enough for the US government to send troops to our doorstep and attack! AEGIS already knows where we are and they just need an excuse to drop it at Washington’s doorstep. Next thing you know, Vernon is making an uneasy alliance with them and we have supers from all over the globe storming our gates!”

Spider Queen rolled her eyes and tutted. “You have such little faith. Vernon Washington is ambitious, yes, but he wants our technology as much as he wants us stopped. He would never make an alliance with Arsenal or AEGIS on principle alone. Further, he would hate for it to get out that he has been operating in West California Island only for AEGIS to by flying a carrier-class starship right over his head. The man is too proud.”

“You put too much faith in the weaknesses of humans.”

“And you overestimate their strengths.” Spider Queen turned her back to the black dragon, waving absently over her shoulder. “My plan will proceed. It is flawless.”

Shark Tamer lifted ampules from his table filled with holographic screens and bubbling liquids. “If there is anyone we should be wary of, it should be Reaper. His enhanced abilities are not yet well-documented and he was already quite formidable before.”

The emerald-clad woman gave the shark a dismissive wave. “He is little more than nuisance who claims supreme power but is little more than a braggart. Just like any of the other supers out there who source their powers from the divine, Reaper thinks his power is absolute but, in reality, they are middling at best.”

“Oh? Have you found some way to counter it then?”

She battered her eyelashes at him even as she swiped the vials from him. “I’m leaving that to our dear Fenrir.” She turned with a flourish towards Peter and Noah, the twins grinning eagerly as she slotted one of the ampules into a jet injector. “Now, you two. Who should go first?” With her other hand, she caressed the examination table.

“As the oldest,” Noah announced, “I should.”

“Be my guest, Needles,” giggled Pins. Even as he said this, he moved to remove the plain, white shirt that hugged his squat, broad figure. Neither he nor his brother would ever be considered the pinnacle of physical fitness but being low-level supers meant that their bodies naturally gravitated towards a stronger physique. Though small, they were stocky and muscled. Their bright, red hair had been shaved back during their stint in prison and even now, months after their liberation thanks to the Gene Stealers, they had kept their heads bald just to further the idea that they were twins.

Though he had grown up with his brother, Peter had never once seen his Noah in any sort of sexual manner. Perhaps it was a natural thing for twins to explore their bodies or probe their sexuality but for the Osborne twins, their life of crime had started far too early to even think about sex. He watched his brother strip down to just the pair of white compression underwear and slipped his identical body onto the examination table. Naturally, he approached, parking himself right beside his brother who lay on the cold metal surface, both of them quivering with anticipation.

Neither of them had been joking when they had first mentioned that they had robbed a convenience store when they were twelve and a half. Their life of ‘crime’ started when they were ten years of age in mainland California. Growing up on the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ was a euphemism for them. Many suspected that their father had been Ozymandias Osborne, a tycoon in California that dabbled in so many industries that he was considered one of the richest men in the continental United States. His record was supposedly squeaky clean but people often wondered how he could be so rich without being corrupt. Abandoned as children and thrown into the foster home system, Noah and Peter had often perpetuated the lie that they were Ozymandias’ long lost twins. There was never any proof, of course, but that was what they told themselves and others. It was how they became inseparable. They couldn’t rely on anyone else but one another.

Even as Spider Queen pressed the jet injected against his twin’s shoulder, Peter held his brother’s hand in anticipation. This was going to be their turning point. This was the moment when they would finally be able to strike out on their own and meet the world with success, evolve from petty crimes and living day-to-day and finally get out of ‘the system’.

It was their turn.

The jet injector let out a soft hiss and Peter could swear he felt the tiny pinprick against his own shoulder as the fluid was pushed into Noah’s flesh. His flesh tingled with the familiar sensation of nerves awakening, the annoying feeling of ‘pins and needles’ that was their superpower. When they were younger, they had seldom relied on it. The ability was described as an ‘inconvenience’ at most and was in no way debilitating. They mostly relied on their cunning, uncanny ability to coordinate with one another and their baseline superpowers. They mostly used their powers to annoy people or announce their presence. He still remembered when they had first discovered their powers and how they had tested it on one another… and the mutual disappointment when they realised that their abilities were so limited even after months of practice.

But today, that would change.

Noah squirmed on the examination table. There were no restraints on him but he kept his body mostly stiff and straight much like his cock which was already starting to strain against his underwear. Even Shark Tamer couldn’t fully explain why Chimera’s power caused arousal or an orgasm upon transformation. Rumour around the base was that it was only through the throes of lust that barriers between the conscious and unconscious mind could be broken and the true potential of an individual be realised. Naysayers claimed that Chimera was just an evil bastard and wanted to make sure that those he converted would be forced into an embarrassing situation when they realised they had orgasmed in public. There were other still that claimed that the leader of the Gene Stealers was masturbating to the scenes of countless men and women being transformed in sexual glory like some porn show.

Whatever the reason, the older of the Osborne twins was clearly enjoying himself. His pale, freckled skin was flushed with arousal. Veins were bulging from where the injector had hit, pulsing and working their way up and down his arm. A powerful throbbing radiated from his arm like a second heart pumping not blood but the rapidly multiplying Original Serum that was quickly changing his body. Hairs on his upper arm abruptly stood on end, each a red soldier that was barely visible in the dim light of the laboratory. A sound like the rustling of leaves rose from each follicle. Their bases thickened while they lengthened. A darker colouration grew from their roots, spreading upwards even as each hair grew wider. In the gaps between each of the hairs, more strands began to emerge, pushing through the pale flesh and quickly filling in the gaps. Noah let out a loud gasp and opened his blue eyes to stare at the patch of brown fur that had grown on his upper right arm. A faint fuzz of his natural red colouration hovered on the edges of the fur, a bright red aura that was spreading alongside his new pelt.

“Ooooh… Brother,” he moaned. “It feels so good.”

Peter grinned from ear to ear. “I can’t wait for my turn.”

A cold, bony hand gently caressed the younger sibling’s right flank while a pair of emerald lips hovered over his left ear. “You won’t have to wait too long, my dear,” whispered Spider Queen.

Then there was a burst of pain as the arachnid Gene Stealer pressed another jet injector against Peter’s left thigh and pushed the plunger.

“Wait…” exclaimed Pins. “This wasn’t -” He couldn’t finish as a wave of arousal quickly blooded him and his legs became gelatin. Spider Queen’s hands lifted him by his armpits, showing surprising strength as he was deposited cleanly right next to his brother.

“Get comfortable, boys,” she chortled. “You’re in for a ride.”

Peter’s toes instinctively curled, tensing his muscles in a vain attempt to hold back the transformation but there was no stopping the same pulsing sensation that quickly made its way to his cock. His dick sprang into action, throbbing against his underwear right next to his brother’s. A wave of warmth rushed throughout his entire body and his toes uncurled, stretching. He bit his lower lip, trying to hold back a moan. Another pair of lips suddenly intercepted his own and before he knew what was happening, his brother’s tongue was pushing its way into his mouth.

There was no stopping it from there.

Lost in the haze of lust, the twins shamelessly pawed at one another. The physical contact and warmth from one another’s bodies encouraged the serum throughout their bodies.

For Noah, the fur on his arm quickly covered his biceps and shoulders. The already taut muscles beneath them grew but not so much widened or thickened but more lengthened. Bones rapidly grew with the sound of crackling twigs. His thick triceps that had always made him look stocky grew longer, stretching his biceps and causing the bulging veins along their length to bulge and pressed up against the pelt of brown fuzz that had already spread down to the crook of his arm. His hand tightened around his brother’s transforming hip while the change travelled down from his elbow and across his forearms. The muscle there had been thicker than his head was wide adding to the mockery that he suffered from dwarfism. As the rapidly increasing pulsations spread down his arm, it pushed the muscle and bone further and further from his elbow, pushing his paw naturally to curl around his brother’s thigh, sliding up the leg of the underwear. The brown fur spread across his flesh, brushing up against the growing pelt against his twin’s thigh before reaching his hands. Sensitive pads pressed up against his palms and fingertips, giving him a front row seat to feeling the fur spreads across Peter’s ass. His fingers were forced together between the underwear and his brother’s ass and that was perfect for the webbed padding to bind each finger together. Like the rest of his arm, his fingers were stretched, their flesh stretching to the point where his fingers seemed to elongate and travel to the tips of his fingers, turning black and sharpening into tiny claws which he used to firmly grip his brother’s butt.

Peter’s sensations were going wild and with the site of injection being sourced so close to his crotch it was only a matter of time before he started mildly thrusting his erect crotch member right into his brother’s crotch. The pulsing radiated out from his thigh and spread fast along his thighs. As his toes curled and writhed with ecstasy, his muscles expanded, pulling the thick muscles that had contributed to his squat appearance length-wise and giving him the much-desired height that he had craved all his life. The skin was stretched even more taut with every muscle group pressing up against his flesh, wrapped in thick, blue veins like solid oaks covered in vines. The wash of brown-red fur did nothing to hide the definition of his thighs. The white underwear he seemed to recede further towards his crotch with every inch of height he obtained. There was a loud pop as his knees buckled and became reinforced to hold his new shape. He instinctively curled them around his brother’s still-human legs, adoring the fiery sensations as his flesh morphed and twisted, calves stretching. His toes traced the line of his progression as they slipped away from his brother’s feet, pulling away almost a whole foot away before the fur began spreading all over them, leaving his soles and the tips of his toes with bright pink pads and black claws at the tips of his toes instead of toenails.

When his brother’s transformed paw squeezed his ass, Peter pulled his lips away in a gasp and moaned Noah’s name, eyes firmly shut. Fur spread all over his butt which he could feel tighten and firm up like every band of muscle was a rubber band that was quickly being stretched until it was near breaking. An intense pressure began building against the base of his spine and he it was all he could do to hold onto his brother, back arched as that pressure built and built. The fur that spread over his glutes did nothing to soothe the transition. The pressure became to intense that all his senses seemed to focused solely at the base of his spine. He could feel the heat radiating from that single point, the touch of the single strands of fabric against his rear and more so each individual strand of fur as it pushed out of his skin and brushed against the restrictive underwear. He howled in ecstasy as all those sensations intensified, pooling directly into his tailbone like a stockpile of euphoric pleasure that was just waiting to explode.

No one ever claimed that the Osborne twins had good impulse control. In fact, it was the fact that they had very poor instincts and little respect for the law that led them to a life of crime. But it was still a surprise to the observing Gene Stealers when Peter Osborne let out a howl of triumph and a big, thick, rudder-like tail covered in brown-red fur erupted from his backside, thrashing against the metal examination table with enough force to form a rather sizable dent in them. His underwear immediately came away and his brother, Noah, sensing his release, used his newly formed paws to shred the remains of the garment and send it flying aside. There was a loud, we splat as it landed in front of Shark Tamer, dripping with seed and precum.

The two partially transformed men exchanged glances and a mischievous smile. Screw the norm. Society may abhor the idea of incest but this felt good. They were never ones to follow the law, after all. So they immediately dove back towards one another, exploring their throats and sexuality all the more.

The waltz of their tongues encouraged the change in Noah. The fur that spread from his arm snaked across his chest and back like rivers of brown-red fur that first split and formed their own deltas before quickly flooding and filling in the gaps between. His spine popped as each vertebrae grew longer and his muscles were stretched upwards. His powerful arms held onto his brother tightly while he was pulled upward with the transformation. His left arm, still human at this stage, grabbed the back of his brother’s head to ensure that their sensual contact was maintained. Just as the fur spread across his chest, forming a lighter, almost creamy crest on his chest that really accentuated his abdominals and pectorals, his hand squirmed and twisted into another paw. The fur crawled up his neck, transforming his light, almost boyish moans into deeper, dulcet tones befitting a male pop star. The cords around his neck grew thicker, veins snaking up into his skull and fur quickly following them. The blood or perhaps the serum crawled up his square jaw, a wave of brown and creamy tan fur just a step behind it. He had to break the kiss a moment while incredible pleasure radiated from his skull, a sensation of breaking free from the confines of his physical limitations spreading all over his face. A low moan rose from his throat, his eyes partially shut while his jaw opened and closed, stimulating the changes that pushed his jawline forward into a broad but short muzzle. His lips blackened, turning rubbery and far more flexible than his human lips would have allowed. His tongue flattened and lengthened, snaking past his newly formed lips and the tan fur that covered his expanded muzzle. It brushed towards his nose as the hook like organ flattened and broadened into a flat, squat bulb on his face. Noah rolled his head, the brown fur crawling up the back of his neck like a wave that pushed his ears and hairline further atop his head until he was left with two cute, circular ears at the top of his head with a bright red, almost fiery burst of hair sitting atop his head. Noah opened his blue eyes for the first time as an otter.

Peter gawked at his brother for all but a second before the transformation started pushing up his spine. In an mirror of his brother’s transformation, Peter squirmed as his spine lengthened and the brown fur curled up from his waistline and up his abdominals. The hardened, bulbous bricks lengthened, stretching upwards alongside his spine and giving him a slimmer appearance even if there was very little mass actually added to his growing muscles. His pectorals remained firm and powerful even with the creamy fur that spread across them in waves. His nipples darkened into blackened bullseyes on his chest. The fur quickly spreads towards his arms and he couldn’t help but curl his right arm behind his head, stretching it as much as possible as it lengthened and became covered in fur. Noah pushed his new muzzle against his brother’s armpit, that tongue snaking out and caressing the thickening red fur there and causing Peter to blush. His brother’s powerful arms seized his butt once more. No words needed to be said. Peter eagerly wrapped his longer, changed legs around his brother’s waist, lifting his tail willingly as one half of the Osborne twins pressed his straining cock against his brother’s hardened abdominals.

The tearing noise of fabric heralded the appearance of Noah’s tail. Peter traced his big toe along its growing length, chasing the long tip as it extended away from Noah’s firm butt. He could feel his brother’s throbbing member shake off the last fragments of a garment off him and slide between his ass cheeks. Even without thrusting, his sibling’s dick grew thicker and longer, guided by the magnetic force of a single soul split into two identical bodies. Peter yowled in ecstasy, arching his back as the first inch of that tip slipped between his ass cheeks and pressed into his pucker. He scrambled for a handhold against his brother’s muscled, lean back. As if sensing his need, the fur and veins spread across his arms, quickly giving him claws to clutch Noah’s fur.

Drawn by more than just primal instinct, the brothers who had always been there for one another, found their lips meshing together once. The transformation proceeded in opposite directions, propelled by the gentle, loving thrusts Noah made into his brother. Peter’s features morphed and twisted, easily locking into place with his brother’s identical face. Similarly, Noah’s legs grew longer and provided the stability and power he needed to maintain their intimate connection. Their balls swelled with seed that was so far flung from their original human forms. Peter’s cock, now longer and thicker than it had ever been as a human slid easily across his brother’s abdominals, mirroring the sensation of Noah’s dick inside him with every thrust.

Their twin pleasures quickly came to a head and both men let out a gentle moan into one another’s throats. Seed came pouring out of their cocks, their bodies going rigid in pleasure. All the while, their minds were drawn into a singular vortex of lust and the sole pursuit of physical pleasure. The waves of afterglow did nothing to curb that desire and even as their cocks spewed more and more cum out of their cocks, they continued to grind their erect dicks against and into one another.

Neither male tracked the time and perhaps at some point, they lost their identity in the tangle of bodies.

They came again in tandem. Nothing was stopping their hunger for satisfaction.

Noah suddenly found a cock in his muzzle and his brother’s muzzle around his dock.

And then they came.

Peter could swear he was inside his brother, pushing Noah’s feet into the air as he thrust into his sibling’s ass over and over again.

Then they came.

One of the twins, impossible to tell which one, was pressed up against the wall by his sibling, the dominant one biting down on his shoulder.

They came.

Physical exhaustion eventually had to set in and the brother settled in the corner, oblivious to everyone else, one paw around their sibling’s dick and the other grasping a nipple. They stared at one another, blue eyes shining until they…

… came.