FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 4

And endless void, absolute darkness. No light source was present and yet, somehow the floating island filled with eerie, blue flowers was completely illuminated. These strange flowers - seemingly a cross between roses and lilies gave off no scent but dominated the landscape, rising up to Ryker's knees. Two other types of strange monuments dominated the landscape.

First were the dark, seemingly rusted thrones where the likes of Cliff, Takoshi, Decanter and Arthur sat, heads bowed and seemingly slumbering. Vines were wrapped around each of their bodies with closed buds of the flowers quietly awaiting awakening. Then there were four other thrones belonging to Kanoth Lameer, Cedar, Oliver Klein and Soren - the two former_AllAle_ employees and their IPs who had allied with Ryker during the raid against the beer corporation. Each of their thrones was pure white and carved with images of their interactions with one another. The flowers around them were completely bloomed and while they remained asleep, Ryker could swear there was a faint smile on their lips. Behind each of their thrones were different peaceful scenes. For Kanoth, the gopher, it was verdant hills. Cedar had lush forests while Oliver had a Tuscan village and Soren was a peaceful coastline.

Aside from his sleeping friends, there were two other people in the Broken Server of Dreams.

One sat on a new, rusted throne; a familiar red wolf who was now entangled in the blue flowers and their vines.

"Bryce..." Ryker whispered, approaching the throne and stopping right beside Cue, the mysterious Sixth Kage.

"It seems you not only made a new Contact but forged a bond with a new IP as well," said the man with the pixelated face. "I wonder what could have motivated such a drastic act." The man's hidden face turned towards the young, gray wolf. "You barely understand how you could sustain a link with two IPs and you've already leapt towards a third one barely two months after forging one with Decanter."

Unable to meet Cue's gaze, Ryker turned away in embarrassment. "We were cornered. Bryce had Cliff's phone. I don't think he knew_that Cliff was the only one that could get us out of there but he still had us hostage. Any second, IPs and Corpsmen would have swarmed us and we would've been dragged off to be interrogated or forced into Contracts like what almost happened with Emile and _AllAle. The only way I could see out of the situation was to forge a Pact with him. That way, if we do get caught, he'd go down with us. Or at least that's how it'd seem so he'd be less motivated to betray us."

There was a moment of silence. The carefully rehearsed speech seemed to stick and Ryker was fairly sure it was convincing.

Except...

"You're lying."

A cold knife straight to the heart. "No I'm not!"

Cue, having turned back towards Bryce said,"Trust is the keystone to any relationship. Trust your partner. Earn their trust. Faith is not just something that religions throw around to guilt yourself into putting your life into an unknowable entity, after all."

Faith. That word stung hard. It was the same words that Takoshi had used against him.

"When you cannot trust yourself, how do you expect to trust others?" queried Cue.

Ryker shook his head in confusion and gestured towards the throne containing Takoshi. "What do you mean? Okay, so maybe Takoshi and I are having a rough patch but that doesn't mean I don't trust myself."

"Is that so?" Cue turned to face the slumbering bear. "Take a closer look at your IP."

Staring at Takoshi caused the fresh wounds in his heart and soul to bleed. Regret infected those wounds, questioning why he couldn't just have trusted Takoshi like he promised he would. Worse yet, his outburst now strained his relationship with Decanter. Adding Bryce into the mix would make things worse. Three-way relationships were one thing but a four-way one? He was already getting a headache just thinking about it.

"I don't know what you mean," he grumbled stubbornly.

"All the flowers are closed again."

Those words caused his heart to sink. Last time he was here, one flower was open for Takoshi. But now all of them were closed. Dread filled him.

"I... I thought those bloomed when I figured something out about him... We grew closer! We had sex! Hell, I even learned he has hang-ups about Horizon and his original Host! Why is it closed!?"

Cue shook his head sadly. "The flowers don't represent some knowledge you've gathered with that person. You can learn _everything_about someone and still be their greatest enemy. No, the flowers represent your relationship. There is still much Takoshi hides from you and a lot that you hide from him." The _Kage_took a few steps back, moving towards the center of the circle of thrones. "We have a finite amount of time on this world and it is often difficult to juggle our social responsibilities with our professional or even personal ones. Some who focus too much on the social aspect might find themselves floundering professionally, drinking, experimenting and drifting through life while depending on the kindness of others. While they bear a great smile, they could very well be dead inside or have no prospects for the future."

"I know a couple of people like that," rumbled Ryker, glancing off to the side. His mother came to mind but he shook that thought from his head.

"There are those that focus entirely on their professional lives, leaving nothing for social interactions. Perhaps they become wealthy and perhaps they have 'friends' but truly, they are alone."

"Executives of the Corporations," he sighed. "Probably worse for the Overlords. They once had a true, close friend in their IP but then consumed them to become more powerful."

"Precisely. Last but not least are those who focus entirely on their personal problems, those who shut themselves off from the world, those who cannot trust anyone else to help them, those unwilling to let anyone else in." Cue turned towards Ryker. Even with his features pixelated, the young wolf could still feel that reproachful gaze. "Remind you of anyone?"

Ryker bristled. "Hey! I let people in! I'm not shutting people out! I sleep with Takoshi all the time!"

"At the expense of Decanter?"

He froze. "Uh... I didn't think he wanted...?"

"They are both your IPs, Ryker. Perhaps Decanter joined you under the pretense of revenge but how is that different from when you recruited Takoshi in the first place? Neither of them are your original ideas and yet they are now bound to you mind..." Cue tapped the side of his head. "...body..." He placed that same finger at the center of his chest. "...and spirit." Finally, he moved his finger a little to the left to indicate his heart. "You have slept with Takoshi almost every night, leaving Decanter alone and pining for your attention. To make matters worse, you've just added Bryce to the equation. How do you think that makes either of your IPs feel?"

He opened his muzzle to protest but the weight of guilt pulled back his tongue and caused him to choke a little on his words.

Cue stepped back towards him, his movements rustling the flowers all around him. "I cannot say what is running through your mind or how your heart works. However, I have observed others for a very long time and have come to understand much about the psyche." He placed a hand gently on Ryker's shoulder. "You cannot built a home on a flimsy or nonexistent foundation. You cannot undo what has been done but you could learn from it and start repairing the damage."

His hand moved towards Ryker's chest, poking at the young wolf's heart.

"Learn to trust yourself before you can trust others."

******

Ryker gasped awake, the scratchiness of a dry throat causing his voice to come out raspy and hoarse. Blinking away to cause his eyes to focus he realized he was back in the Realworld and in his own bedroom. That was a good sign. It meant that Cliff had managed to evacuate them from the Overworld and they had escaped Horizon_'s_grip. At least, that was what he assumed. Glancing to his left and right, he was surprised he was alone. The last time he had passed out from making a Pact with another IP, Takoshi was always there when he woke up.

But this time...

... he was alone.

"Not that I blame him," he mumbled softly. "I did break my promise."

With a soft sigh, he decided to find some relief for his dry throat. Swinging his feet out from under the sheets, he set his feet down on...

... something wet but at the same time hard.

Puzzled, he glanced down... and found a pair of red eyes staring back at him.

"What the...?"

Bryce Byrne grinned back up at him. "Didn't know you were into footplay, boss. But I can dig it."

His tail fluffed out and he was immediately awake like lightning had shot through his spine and fired off every nerve in his body. "Yeow!" he cried, leaping back as far from the much larger wolf than was possible.

Bryce got up on his knees, leaning against the bed with a bright grin on his face and his tail wagging happily. "I'm glad your up! Takoshi mentioned the last time you did something crazy like this you were out for days."

Trying to settle all the confusing thoughts in his brain, Ryker held up two fingers. "Okay... Two questions. How long have I been out and what were you doing on the floor!?"

Bryce shrugged absently in response. "I'll answer your second question first because it's longer. Your room isn't really that big and there hasn't been a place assigned for me yet in this apartment-slash-gym. I didn't want to sleep in some room that clearly wasn't meant for me so I slept on the floor. And you've only been out about half a day. Sun isn't quite up just yet."

Twelve hours. That was an improvement from the time he had made a Pact with Decanter and he had been unconscious in a sort of mini-coma for a few days. He guessed it was because he was now sharing energy reserves with Bryce, Takoshi _and_Decanter that he was able to recover more easily.

"Where are the others?" he asked.

"Sleeping. They all had a rough night. Escaping Horizon HQ and getting back here drained everyone. Takoshi and Decanter had to eat a lot to keep our energy up after you healed him and made a Pact with me."

There was that guilt again. Running a paw down his face, Ryker said, "Yeah... I honestly wasn't thinking straight but... it was the only thing I could think of doing."

"Hey, I'm grateful!" Bryce replied with a bright grin. "I honestly just wanted you to take me away from Horizon and hide me away or something. I never expected that I'd actually be the IP of an Independent! Or the IP of an Independent that managed to make a Pact with multiple IPs too! You must be really special!"

Ryker groaned softly and slumped back into his bed. "Yeah... 'special' is one way to put it. I've been such an idiot."

Bryce sat on the edge of the bed. Only then did Ryker realize his newest IP was very much naked save for a pair of blue boxers that looked more like really tight briefs on his thick thighs, meaty ass and impressive package. He recognized those boxers as one of his 'winter underwear' when he needed more insulation from the cold. There was a tradition forming of his newest IPs borrowing his underwear and stretching them out.

Except for Decanter... the rhino never had the opportunity.

"Look, I know you guys don't trust me," Bryce admitted, his ears folding down. "I'm a corporate spy. I rig supposedly 'fair' games. I can justify that I was saving weaker IPs from being eaten all I want but that won't change what I did." He made a slicing motion through the air. "But from now on, full on honesty. I'm not going to lie to you and I'll tell you everything about me." He turned towards Ryker, grinning over his shoulder. "I know it'll take time to earn your trust but I'm with you all the way, Boss."

"Don't call me that," Ryker grunted, sitting up so that his back was against the headrest. "And since you're offering, I'd like to know where you originally come from. Who was your original Host?"

There, Bryce grimaced. "Well... I was actually a corporate mascot."

"For_Horizon_?"

"No... For... uh... For C&C Cereal."

There, Ryker frowned. C&C Cereal or Triple C_as most people came to know them was a cereal brand dominating the west coast of the United States. While not as big as _Kellog's,C&C still had a fair share of the market. They were most known for their ability to somehow brand themselves as 'healthy cereal' and even had nutritionists associate with them.

"I don't remember C&C having any sort of mascot," confessed Ryker. "I mean, I know their logo. People joke it looks like -"

"A side profile of that woman with three boobs?" snickered Bryce. "Yeah. But each cereal brand they put out originally had a mascot that went with it. I mean, you know how they have Tony the Tiger, right?"

Ryker's eyes widened. "Oh yeah! I get it. So you were like Tony?"

The red wolf nodded. "Yep. I was the mascot for this Vitamin-B infused rice-based cereal. My name is actually a play on 'B-Rice' because that's what the cereal was called."

"Bryce..." Ryker chuckled. "I get it."

"So did the corporate bigwigs. I was brought into the world to be their mascot and had a good run of it for... about three months."

Sensing the sensitive subject, Ryker's brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"The Internet."

"Huh?" Why would Bryce blame the Internet of all things for his descent from a corporate mascot to an orphaned IP? Did copyright infringement come into play? Did critics pan his brand or design? Or did competing cereal companies fire off a smear campaign that ruined his brand.

Bryce's shoulder slumped. "Ever heard of Rule 34?"

Ryker paled and he shuffled towards Bryce, placing a paw on the bigger wolf's shoulders. The muscles beneath the thick, fluffy fur were big and warm, not like Takoshi's which were constantly hard. "Oh damn... Bryce, I'm sorry."

"Yeah," groaned the wolf, dragging out the word. "When the Internet caught on that C&C's_latest mascot was an athletic, red-furred wolf who went around shirtless and only wore tight-fitting basketball shorts, pussies got wet and dicks went hard." Bryce visibly shuddered. "I hate to admit it but most of my current form right now is based _entirely on the collective interpretation of all that porn." His ears perked up and he flexed an arm at Ryker. "There are some really talented artist out there though. I mean, when I first started I was way out of proportion. But after three months, I was in the best shape of my life!"

"But how is that possible?" Ryker asked. "Did the Internet's collective hard-on for you actually overwrote the corporation's intent?"

"You bet!"

With the age of the internet, images and art for Bryce of B-Rice Cereal spread like wildfire. It wasn't even an hour before pornography of him started filling feeds all over the world. Things escalated when fan fics were written. As a young IP, Bryce had no idea what was happening to him as his body changed from the cartoony caricature to this muscled, sexy and well-endowed hunk that was apparently bi-sexual. There were even times when gender-swapped versions of him began circulating and that filled Bryce's thoughts of what it would feel like to be penetrated, have big boobs or even to give birth. There were infinite permutations of sexualized kinks that came his way and as his identity became confused, the confidence _C&C_had in his brand plummeted.

"No one wanted to go banning those fanfics or fan art for fear it'd be interpreted as censorship and the company as a whole would lose face," Bryce sighed. "So, they decided to just drop me as a mascot entirely and kept B-Rice Cereal as generic as possible. Over time, people forgot about me. It was made worse when they discontinued B-Rice a nearly a decade ago when they realized you actually get Vitamin-B from milk which you _traditionally_have with cereal. People started calling B-Rice 'expensive shit' because that's all it was. Your body can't process more vitamins than it actually needs and the inflated price of B-Rice didn't justify its existence if very few people actually _need_Vitamin-B-infused rice puffs."

The red wolf shrugged sadly. "Eventually, I just faded out of existence from the collective minds of everyone, even the Internet. Maybe some really old fan art might pop up here and there and I'd maybe get a bit of nourishment out of it but it wasn't enough to keep me from starving."

"So you signed up with Horizon," Ryker concluded.

"Yeah. I had to." Bryce held up one paw while pressing another against his chest. "For what it's worth, I never actually ate another IP. I subsisted entirely on the meager scraps that Corpsmen and Horizon gave me for their plots and schemes."

Alarm bells were ringing in Ryker's mind. "You've... Never eaten another IP?"

"God no!" Bryce stuck out his tongue in disgust. "That's awful! Pretty much like cannibalism! Plus, you could go Zombie!" he stared straight forward, paws closing into a fist. "I'd rather die than have to eat someone else to survive. All my powers and abilities I've gotten thanks to honest thoughts and perceptions from the Realworld and I guess from the guys at Horizon that barely maintained me so I'd always be on their leash." He then turned towards Ryker with a bright grin. "But now I'm with you! I won't have to worry about ever having to make that decision!"

And Ryker now had to hope that Bryce never learned that Takoshi had to devour other IPs to survive for the longest time. Already, he could hear Cue's words haunting him. There were dynamics between each of his IPs that he had failed to take into consideration and adding the matchstick that was Bryce into the equation would make things _so_much more complicated.

Cautious of how he should respond, Ryker said, "IPs have to do what they have to do to survive. Doesn't make what they have to do anymore horrifying compared to what we here in the Realworld have to do. I guess the morals of the Overworld are just different."

"Parallel dimension, I guess," agreed Bryce. His cheery demeanor returned as he grinned at Ryker. "But hey! That's a thing of the past! I actually get to eat real food now. Speaking of which..." He patted his lean, ripped abdominals. "... I'm starved. Haven't eating a thing since last night!"

Ryker perked his ears. "Really? We have a fridge full of food..."

Bryce glanced away and absently scratched back of his head. "Yeah but that's your food. Besides, I got the feeling that Takoshi and the others won't really take too kindly to me scavenging off food you all worked hard for and bought." He folded his ears back, ducking his head a little in a pleading manner that reminded Ryker of puppies. "Think we can go grab something to eat, Boss?"

"Don't call me that," he said, sliding off the bed. "And yeah. Let's go get something to eat. I know a place." He appraised Bryce's lean physique and pushed down the urge to pounce on his fellow wolf and lick those abs. "But first, let's get you something to wear."

Bryce was a little smaller than Takoshi but because Hayden had bought them lots of spare uniforms of differing sizes in anticipation of more employees coming in, there were spare 4 U Gym uniforms that the taller wolf could wear. They hugged his figure very well with his pectorals and abdominals simply popping out of the black fabric. He cut a very fetching figure and Ryker had to stop himself from ogling his newest IP though he did allow his eyes to linger as Bryce put on those tight-fitting shorts.

Once they were both dressed, Ryker lead Bryce down to the gym floor glad that Takoshi's snoring hid their escape. The moment they stepped out into the crisp morning air of Manhattan, Bryce took a second to take a deep breath and let out a soft sigh.

"Something the matter?" Ryker asked.

"Just... the air feels different here," confessed the tall, red-eyed wolf.

"You've never been to the Realworld before now, huh?"

Bryce shook his head. "Nope.C&C didn't have access to the Overworld. Don't think they ever really new about it. No corporation or Independent would ever pick me up either. Never got to cross over to this side before last night." He beamed down at Ryker, that smile becoming something of a staple of his face. "And hey, I never got to thank you for that."

A light blush touched Ryker's cheeks. "Oh, well you don't have to - urk!"

He was suddenly picked up by Bryce's strong arms, lifted into the air and squeezed tight against that powerful chest, their cheeks pressing up against one another.

"Thanks, so much, Boss! I really appreciate it!"

He intended to say something tough or scolding to force Bryce to release him but the only thing that came out of his muzzle was a faint squeak. That only caused his cheeks to burn all the brighter especially as a young couple - a male and female cat - came walking by. The guy threw him a foul stare and though he likely intended to keep it under his breath, Ryker's ears picked up the man's hateful words.

"Gross. Those two are homos."

The woman slapped the back of the man's head and they quickly made their escape.

Bryce let him down, giving him a concerned look. "Everything okay, Boss?"

Ryker turned away, taking a visible step away from the taller red wolf. "Uh... No just... Uhm... Let's keep displays of affection like that to a minimum okay? Especially in public."

The fiery pugilists brow knotted, his eyebrows nearly meeting. "Wait. Was this because of what that asshole said? You want me to set him straight?"

Panic immediately set in. "N - No! J - J - Just -"

But he was too late. Bryce was already turning around and marching towards the couple dressed in business suits. Another humbling reminder that he was _much_weaker physically than any of his IPs.

"Hey!" Bryce roared, charging back up at the two. "What did you say?"

The man pretended not to hear and continued walking but the woman stopped, stepped aside and crossed her arms, angry at her partner.

"I'm talking to you, kitty cat!" shouted Bryce. "If you've got something to say, say it to my face!" No response as the man quickened his pace. Suddenly his latest IP changed tactics, his voice becoming slightly higher in pitch and obtaining an immense amount of sass. "Oh, you better not turn your ass to a homo_because you _know what our kind will do to a tight ass like that!"

The feline immediately went rigid and spun around, his eyes wide in horror.

"That got your attention," growled Bryce, storming forward.

Ryker followed meekly, approaching the woman. "I'm so sorry about this," he pleaded. "Just so you know, Bryce and I aren't actually a couple. He was just thanking me and he's a touchy-feely kind of guy and -"

She winked at him and lifted a paw. "Don't. Connor's had this coming for a _long_time."

Bryce, towering over Connor the cat, loomed and glowered. "So what was it that you said about us?"

Mustering some courage, Connor puffed out his meager chest - at least in comparison to Bryce - and proudly declared, "Look, I don't care if you two fuck in your bedroom. Just don't flaunt it out in public where everyone can see."

Thankfully, it was still early morning and the sun hadn't quite crested over the skyscrapers of New York City. While there were a few people on the streets, it was the kind of people who had yet to have their morning coffee and wanted to avoid any confrontation as much as possible. No crowd was gathering and those who were around made the effort to navigate around the two. That still didn't lower Ryker's embarrassment.

"So let me get this straight," Bryce declared. "You see two guys hugging on the street and automatically assume they're sleeping with one another?"

"No but no one hugs like that unless they share a bed!"

Crossing his arms, Bryce snarled and said, "Typical middle-class privilege. Making assumptions about those beneath them and never getting to know the whole story. Well let me tell you something, Mister." He pointed at Ryker, making the young wolf immediately blush and fight hard to hide his face. "That guy saved my life!"

The cat's eyes widened. "W - W - what...?"

"This'll be good," snickered the woman. "Please, elaborate."

Straightened, Bryce gave her a light bow. "I'd be glad to. See, as of last night, I was homeless."

Ryker started to shrink in place, the weight of humiliation and all the gazes of those around him starting to push him down. Now people were taking an interest. "Oh jeez..."

"That's right. I had no roof over my head. I was living on the streets and living off table scraps or what heartless corporate assholes like you would give me as part of 'charity'."

The good news, he wasn't exactly lying.

"But then _this,_wonderful, kind and caring man took me into his home, gave me clothes and gave me a warm place to sleep."

At least he didn't mention anything about a bed as technically, Bryce slept on the floor. Still not lying.

"He was just about to take me out to my first hot meal in what feels like a decade!" roared Bryce. "So_excuse me_ for showing the man who saved me some affection on the streets! If that makes me look gay in the eyes of a bigoted asswipe like you, then simply put, fuck you." He then snatched the back of the cat's head, leaning down until they were nose-to-nose. "I don't give a flying fuck what you say or think of me but don't you dare throw that hateful speech at the man who showed me some kindness and gave me a second chance!"

Ryker leapt back in surprise when Bryce turned the cat towards him, shoving him forward while painfully gripping the feline's head. "Oh... Uh... Hi...?"

"Now_apologize!__"_snapped Bryce.

People had started to flick up their phones and were now taking videos of the exchange. Not wanting to be the next viral video, Ryker said, "Really, I don't need apology. It's fine... It's a free country. He's free to say whatever he wants."

But the cat was unrelenting. "You expect me to believe a buff guy like _you_wearing what looks like a gym uniform was _homeless_last night?"

Bryce looked like he already had a fast counter for that but Ryker wanted to end this as quickly as possible.

"Look," he said firmly. "He and I go way back. I've been helping him out for a while now and been letting him use our gym equipment to get stronger. Been giving him some food as well out of my own pocket." Inspiration struck him and he said, "Our gym just opened up and I know it's not good business to just give out free memberships and food but everyone deserves a second chance. And he's really turned around! He even agreed to take a job with us. That's just the kind of people we are at the 4 U Gym. We're a gym for you."

He felt dirty just throwing around the gym's slogan there but it was a convincing and plausible lie. They did both come out of the gym, after all.

The cat lowered his gaze. "Okay. Okay. I'm sorry, okay. I made an assumption and I said some hateful things. Can you please let go of me now?"

Only then did Bryce release the man, making a show of dusting off his paws. "Good kitty."

The couple departed, the woman giving her partner a smug look. Somehow, he knew the man wasn't really remorseful and just wanted to end the confrontation against someone who was clearly stronger than him.

Ryker's cheeks still burned as he watched some of the people that had been filming them start uploading the video onto the internet. Knowing how the very same internet had ruined Bryce's image and self-worth, he feared how the world would react to their actions. Already, he feared that someone would call it all a hoax, that his words were far too contrived and sounded like an advertisement. Some would definitely point out that Bryce was far_too lean and muscular to have just come off the streets. Thankfully, Bryce _also had a very distinctive appearance. Searching for his features online would likely yield little to no results adding to his mystery and the credence of him being a nameless, homeless man on the streets.

Bryce's paw on the back of his back shocked him out of his stupor. "You okay, Boss?"

Ryker rubbed the back of his neck, trying to wipe off that awful sensation of humiliation. "Uhm... Yeah. That was... Ah... Wow..."

"Too much?" asked the crimson lupine, ears folded back. "You can tell me if it's too much. I can dial it back."

"No! It was... uhm... I dunno." Ryker closed his eyes briefly. "I've never seen anything like it before. I don't think anyone has ever really defended my honor like that."

"Takoshi never did?"

"Oh no. Tako has defended me multiple times. Just never something as... outright confrontational like that."

Bryce gave a tilted head of confusion. "Oh... Sorry. I was just being honest. When you're around spies a lot and are kind of a saboteur yourself, you kind of value honesty and the few times you can be honest with people or yourself."

Again, Cue's words haunted him. Was he being honest with himself?

"That's... an interesting way to put it," Ryker confessed. "Let's go get something to eat. And... Thanks."

The warm, genuine grin on his fellow wolf's face was a vast difference between the thin smiles that Decanter often gave him or the rare and often lewd smirks Takoshi threw his way. It was nice being around someone so honest. Though he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't_everything_ that Bryce was. Once again he wondered if this was a scenario where someone didn't trust themselves.

They approached the same French-Japanese diner that he always frequented and stepped inside. Driven by instinct, he sat down at the same booth he always occupied with Bryce sitting opposite to him.

"Full disclosure," he confessed. "My financial situation isn't really the best. The place we live in is a gym that Hayden Okojo owns temporarily from his dad. He's kind of got a bet with his dad - who is a CEO of his own company, by the way - that he's got until graduation to turn a profit. Don't really know what'll happen if he doesn't but so far, Hayden has given us a rent-free place to stay while we work at his gym. We don't get paid though. Well..." He glanced off to the right. "Not really. We _did_get paid recently because we turned a profit for the first time in the last few weeks."

"That's great!" exclaimed Bryce, perhaps a little too loudly. "Does that mean Hayden wins the bet?"

Ryker shook his head sadly. "No. He's got to turn an overall profit. That means all the expenses he spent building up the place, buying the gym equipment and renovating the place needs to be balanced out and then we get money. And he spent a lot on the place."

"Couldn't he have spent it on something a little more... tasteful? Those carpets didn't match the walls."

Ryker chuckled as he brought up the menu. "Everyone says that. My point is that don't go crazy on the food, okay? I know you're eager but I don't think we can afford splurging right now."

"You got it, Boss."

Resisting the urge to wince at the nickname, Ryker used the wall of the lifted menu to quickly check his account. His savings account was still dismally low and there was a fair amount of debt on his credit card but nothing too worrisome. The problem now came with the fact that he had three mouths to feed. Sure Takoshi and Decanter both worked at the same place as him but, like him, he only started earning money in the last few weeks.

"You think I can get a job at the gym too, Boss?" Bryce asked.

Lowered the menu slightly, Ryker hid a sigh of relief and said, "I was hoping you'd suggest that. You've got the build for it and that uniform suits you. Hayden will be glad for the extra help. Means we can start distributing shifts around or maybe even opening a little later. More customers, you know."

"Totally!" Bryce exclaimed. "I'll be happy to help out! And hey, if you want to do a bit of moonlighting for some extra cash, I know a bunch of people in the Overworld that will be willing to help."

Ryker's eyebrows rose. "Huh? What do you mean?"

In his years wandering the Overworld before joining Horizon, Bryce met other Independents and visited Transistors - the Overworld-exclusive establishments run by Independents outside of the Custodes Libertatis that provided food and supplies to the residents of the Overworld. He explained that he managed to survive by doing requests for them or doing odd jobs. They would reward him with whatever they had at the time.

"Never had actual _money_exchanged," admitted Bryce. "But they gave me things like food, clothes and the experience I needed to hone my skills. I actually developed my whole 'shadow' thing after I got a lesson from this dude who reminded me that fire casts light and light creates shadow. It was like..." He placed his fingers against his temple and then spread them out, mimicking an explosion. "... mind-blowing."

"I'll bet," Ryker chuckled softly. "But how can that be of any use to us here?"

"Well, you can eat the food on in the Overworld and it'll still be the same as if you really ate here. Sometimes, the food there is even better, or so I've been told. Lots of IPs create the 'perfect' version of the dishes they represent. Also, you could actually bring stuff from the Overworld here because you're an Independent."

He frowned. "I... Can?"

"Totally. That's basically what you did with us." Bryce placed a paw against his chest. "It takes a huge amount of energy though. So I wouldn't bring something really experimental or really conceptual. Just something small. As long as it's on your person and you have the energy for us, you can bring it across. I've seen Corpsmen do it all the time and even some Indies in Transistors."

"Funny. You'd think the world would be inundated with things straight out of people's imagination if that was the case..."

Bryce bobbed his head from side to side. "Maybe but you've got to remember that those kinds of things are really dangerous and take a lot of energy. You ever heard of spontaneous combustion?"

"Uh... Yeah...?"

"That's what happens when someone tries to bring in something from the Overworld that's_way_ too complicated and takes too much energy. The person just..." He made an exploding gesture with his paws. "... poof. Goes up in smoke. All their energy burns up in a flash."

Ryker grimaced and set down his menu. "Okay... so maybe I'll avoid bringing things from the world of imagination and ideas. At least for now."

"Hey, corporations do it all the time. At least those with a lot of power. How do you think they come up with mock-ups and all these cool ideas?"

"Years of research and dedication?"

The red-furred wolf blew a raspberry. "That's what their PR department says. The honest corporations, maybe, but other corporations use Dosers and Corpsmen like factories. Ever wonder how posters and advertisements could spontaneously just appear all over the place? It's probably a Corpsman dropping it there. It's also easier to deliver products from one place to another through the Overworld. No traffic."

"Except maybe for marauding zombies and other corporations."

"Some corporations thing it's worth the risk."

From the corner of his eye, Ryker noticed the approaching waitress and he brought up his menu again. "Ah yes," he said, clearing his throat at Bryce. "I'll have the -"

"Strawberry honey toast with a latte. I know your order, hon."

Ryker's features fell and his ears folded back. "Oh shit..."

He turned in horror as Teresa Yale stood there, giving him an expectant look.

"Oh... uh... Hi Tess..." he said, visibly shrinking away. He shrank even further when he realized Bryce was watching and already getting ready to defend him.

"Hi Ryker," she answered, clearly cross with his bright blue eyes narrowed. "So you blew me off last night and come in this morning with this hunk." She gestured at Bryce. "Please don't tell me you're, already cheating on Takoshi. I know I don't like him and you're just coming into your sexuality but honestly, this is not you."

"I'm not sleeping with Bryce!" Ryker exclaimed, ducking his head as the volume of his own voice echoed through the diner. "He's... He's a new coworker and I was just showing him around."

Tess regarded Bryce, leaning down towards the red wolf. She gave him a sniff. "Yeah, no. I'm not buying it. Your scent is all over him."

Ryker was already making up an excuse in his mind when Bryce was suddenly out of his seat, showing surprising swiftness given his size. "Girl, I'm just a hugger. And since you're a friend of Ryker's... cm'ere!" Without warning, Bryce scooped up Tess in his arms and gave him a big, bone-crushing hug. There was murder and surprise in the mouse's eyes and he could swear she was just a second away from kneeing Bryce's balls. But that quickly faded when Bryce did the strangest thing... and started nuzzling Tess.

"Oh... O-okay..." Tess said, clearly confused. She pried herself off him, regarding the wolf curiously. "You're very... affectionate."

"He's from out of town," Ryker said quickly. "Like, really out of town. From a farm upstate. They're much more touchy-feely up there."

"And they obviously grow them big there too," she laughed, easing up a little. "So what? Hayden suddenly drop him on you at the last minute last night and you had to bail on that date we had scheduled?"

"You're dating?" Bryce asked.

"No!" cried Ryker, running a paw down his face. "Tess is a friend of mine from way back. We basically grew up together. I've been really busy recently and we haven't had time to catch up. We were meant to have dinner last night but then..."

"I dropped by," Bryce finished, nodding sagely. "I got it." He smiled at Tess brightly. "Sorry. I was in a little bit of a bind last night and Ryker really saved my life. If it's any consolation, I'll give my first paycheck to Ryker so he can take you out somewhere really nice."

Tess beamed at that. "Well, that's very nice. I'll take you up on that offer." She turned towards Ryker and absently flicked his left ear. "Now why can't you date a night country boy like him instead of that crude, knuckle-dragging bear?" She nudged Bryce lightly. "Tell you what, your first order is on the house since you're new here."

"I couldn't do that," replied the crimson wolf though Ryker silently pleaded for the opportunity to get a free meal. "How about you grace us with your presence instead given that I stole time with Ryker from you and all."

Her grin grew broader. "Okay, I like you. Tell me you're single."

Bryce wiggled his fingers at Tess. "No rings on these fingers."

She giggled and did something Ryker hadn't seen her do in a long time, she pushed back a lock of hair behind her big, rounded ears. This was a futile action as, due to the placement of her ears and how big they were, that same lock would just fall back to hang by her cheeks. He recognized the gesture for what it was - an involuntary action that indicated she was interest in Bryce. Further complications were added to his social network and Cue's words once again haunted him.

"I'd love to, sweetie," she said in a confident manner. "I am on the clock. I had to shuffle my shifts around because I was supposed to meet someone last night. Maybe next time."

"Ah damn," sighed Bryce. "Well, maybe you'd come to the gym? Do you know a thing about boxing? Kick boxing? MMA?"

Her ears swiveled towards him and her eyes widened. Ryker's jaw dropped open in horror. It only just hit him that Bryce's specialty - at least based on his performance at Horizon - was as a pugilist. Tess_loved_ kick boxing. The similarities between them was compounding. More and more, he found himself having to attend their wedding. Stress was causing his heart to race as he imagined this was what it felt for a parent to have their child date someone except in this case, both of the children were his... which made things _so_much worse.

"Funny you should mention that," she said. "I'm into kick boxing. Was in a few competitions actually. I'm graduating in a few months as a personal trainer."

"What a coincidence! I'm actually more into MMA but I've trained in kick boxing too. Won a few competitions myself where I come from."

There was a glint of...something in Tess' eyes that made Ryker's heart plummet. "I'd love to see your moves."

Bryce beamed so widely that his eyes were forced shut in glee. "Sure! It's a date."

Ryker's imagination went wild. His best friend and newest IP duking it out in the ring, getting hot and sweaty... before going into a co-ed shower and... and...

"Urgh..." he grimaced, shuddering visibly. This caught the attention of both Tess and Bryce, both giving him a puzzled look. "Sorry," he said. "Chill down my spine."

Tess smiled at him briefly before turning to leave. "I'll get your orders, guys. Stay put."

The moment she was gone and out of earshot range, Ryker lunged forward, dragging Bryce back into the said and pulling him close so that no one else could overhear his hurried whispers.

"Please, for the love of all that is holy, tell me you aren't actually interested in my best friend."

Bryce tilted his head in confusion and gently pulled himself away from Ryker. "Huh? What makes you think I'm interested in her?"

"You two were flirting!"

The red-furred wolf glanced after Tess before turning back to Ryker in confusion. "We were?" Then his eyes widened. "Oh... Oh dang. I thought we were really just talking shop about our shared passion of the ring."

"What about offering her to sit with us?" he hissed.

"It just seemed like the honorable thing to do given she kind of lost out on your time last night on my account." He started to get out of his seat. "I should clear things up with her."

Ryker pulled him back down. "Maybe later. I know Tess. Blowing her off was a mistake and she was at a low because of that. Now she met you and is obviously attracted to you. If you bring her down now by shooting her down, it'll come crashing down and she'll be lower than ever before." Not to mention she would likely put all the blame on Ryker and he had seen how she was against those that scorned her. Thus far, she had managed to avoid being the subject of that ire but there was always a first time for everything.

"Give her some time," he finished. "When the time comes, let her down easy."

Bryce shrugged and leaned back into the booth. "If you say so. You do know her best."

"Thanks." Sighing with relief, he mentally forced his heart to stop racing. It took a good seven minutes before he was in any state to be conversant just in time for their food to arrive. Tess wasn't the one to deliver it this time. The diner wasn't busy so this was likely one of her tactics. She always loved playing hard to get so he could imagine how his illusiveness the past few weeks had irked her.

Bryce enjoyed every bite of the big, hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage and oats he was given.

"Really?" Ryker laughed softly, punching into his honey toast. "I would've thought things back home would be more... perfect."

"That's the problem," said the crimson and cream pugilist. "Everything is perfect. It always tastes exactly the same and there's never any variation. I mean, look at this." He pointed at the strip of bacon he had speared with his fork. "There's this part that's a little overdone and then this part that's still chewy. It's gorgeous!"

"It's inconsistent..."

"Exactly! Back in the Overworld, it'd be just the same thing all the way through depending on the cook. But this way, you get the best of both worlds! It's amazing!"

That was certainly a different perspective and one he genuinely appreciated. Bryce had a contagious energy to him that quickly uplifted Ryker's spirits. They chatted over breakfast, just over mundane things and differences between the Overworld and Realworld. It occurred to him halfway through the conversation that he never had this sort of relationship with Takoshi. They never just talked like this. In fact, he could argue that Takoshi had skipped the part of being his friend and just became his boyfriend by default. Bryce was slipping into the role very easily. He was easy-going, friendly and engaging. Something in the back of his mind warned him that this could be all that espionage experience coming to play.

"Tell me something," he asked, taking a sip from his latte. "How did you become so good at lying?"

Bryce gave him a soft chuckle and leaned forward. "Let me tell you something. I actually suck at lying."

"Bullshit."

"No, really!" Bryce did that big grin where he shut his eyes in the process. "I'm only convincing because I tell the truth. I don't tell the entire truth and I might embellish a little but if I lie, I'm really obvious about it."

That was true. All the stories he had told thus far were carefully crafted to avoid telling the whole truth.

"Ever been cornered into telling something you never intended to tell?" he asked.

"Sometimes. Yeah. I always get caught though."

"So if I were to ask you again if you were going to betray me to Horizon...?"

Bryce's features fell and he gripped the strawberry milkshake tightly in his big paws. "Ah... Still don't trust me all the way."

The instinct to apologize was there but he pushed it down and said, "Let's be honest, Bryce, I haven't known you for a whole day. I'd be stupid to trust you especially considering where you came from and what you did for a living."

Nodding grimly, Bryce said, "Yeah. I know. I also know that since you and I are Host and IP now, I'm basically bound to whatever you want to do. So if you were to sell me out to the corporations just to save your own neck, I'd be helpless."

Ryker went rigid, partially offended and partially surprised he didn't think of that before.

"I'll make it plain and simple," Bryce continued. "I like my free will. I'd rather die free than be turned into a Doser. I absolutely hated it when I was being tugged around left and right, turned into something that I never wanted to become by the Internet." His paws closed into a tight fist. "It was like I was trapped in my own body. I'd kill myself before I let you or anyone turn me into the corporations to become a Doser. Betraying you to Horizon would be the fastest way to do that so - all cards on the table - I am _not_going to let that happen. Even if I have to knock you out and drag you kicking and screaming to the other side of the world, even if I have to break your legs or leave you completely brain dead, so long as I'm free, I don't care."

Ryker's eyebrows shot up at the vivid imagery.

"Of course it doesn't have to come to that," said Bryce, leaning forward, arm resting on the table. "That is, of course, if you're a proponent of the simple rights of freedom and free will like myself."

There, Ryker's lips turned upwards slightly. "Funny you should mention that. Did anyone ever tell you why we were in Horizon's base in the first place?"

It was Bryce's turn to look confused. "You know... no one did."

As they finished breakfast and after Ryker paid, the gray wolf explained to Bryce their goal and tenuous relationship with the Custodes Libertatis. Having worked for a corporation, Bryce naturally knew of the Libertatis and the effect they had after AllAle's fall. The revelation that Horizon had basically been responsible for Takoshi and Arthur's abandonment to become orphaned IPs shocked the crimson wolf. When it came to the idea of an Overlord though...

"I was a lowly grunt in the entire Horizon army," said Bryce as they approached the gym entrance. "Worse, I was a spy. No one trusted me. I couldn't tell you if the CEO is an Overlord as you described it but I _will_admit that in all the chatter, I had _never_seen the CEO's IP. But then again, it's not like I actually get to have brunch with the CEO every day, you know?"

There went any hope that as a spy, Bryce might have been close to the upper echelons of Horizon and they would now have access to their methods and maybe a means to get to their Server - the very core of the corporation.

"Sorry, Boss," Bryce said apologetically. "Wish I could give you more. But if you're still willing to have me, you've got my fists fighting for you!"

Ryker smiled at his fellow wolf's enthusiasm and nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Bryce. I appreciate that." He rose from his seat. "Come on. Let's go back to the gym. I've got to introduce you to Hayden."

Naturally, Hayden was more than happy to have Bryce join the team especially given how built he was and enthusiastic he seemed. Knowing that Bryce was willing to be paid in room and board was more than enough for him. Hayden being Hayden didn't request any background checks or anything about education and hired Bryce on the spot. Ryker felt a little bad for taking advantage of his boss' naivete but the way he figured it, with more people on staff, they were more likely to get more customers and open for longer. That brought their chances of winning the bet against his dad from impossible to dismal.

Bryce was more than eager to get to work and was a better face for the front of the gym than Ryker who was relegated to the juice bar. The crimson wolf was a quick study and his enthusiasm was infectious. Possessing a natural charisma, he seemed to attract people to him. Some of Ryker's regulars even commented how Bryce's energy brought more 'light' into the gym. Since Ryker was focused on the juice bar, Bryce was able to greet every customer as they came in and out, adding a little special touch to each person as they came and went. Hopefully that would pay dividends in the future.

At around lunch time, Ryker said that he was going to do his workout. Once again, he had his workout with Arthur beforehand.

"How're you holding up, dude?" Arthur asked as they started hitting the floor.

"Still a little rattled over what happened yesterday," he admitted. "Disappointed we didn't get the scan and a little stressed with what Takoshi and Decanter said but I'm hoping to smooth things out later today."

The boar gave him a lopsided smile. "Actually, I meant how are your legs. Yesterday was legs day, remember? You always complain that it's your worst."

Blushing a little, Ryker said, "Oh well... I guess I'm okay. Not too sore."

"That means you're getting used to it! So we'll up the weight next time!"

He groaned but was glad for the compliment. That was technically progress. With leg day done, it was time to work on is back. This involved his most hated of exercises, pull-ups. Memories of the days when he would spend being judged by all the jocks back in high school over not even being able to do a single pull-up came rushing back with every repetition. It was only recently that Arthur had directed him to do pull-ups, though. At first, they started with pull-downs and rows but it was only as of last week that they started doing the malicious exercise. It was with a bit of pride that he managed to do five before his arms gave out.

"Remember," Arthur said, "keep your grip close for now. The wide grip is when you're stronger. Use your back, not your arms."

Ryker remained quiet as he leapt up towards the bars, grabbing the closer grips and then performing the action. The first two were easy. But the third one started to strain his arms and he recognized that he was starting to compensate for his back muscles giving out. Gritting his fangs, he tried to focus all his effort in contracting the muscles in his back to pull him up to the bar.

"Chin above the bar!" Arthur encouraged. "That's three. Good job! Two more."

Shutting his eyes, Ryker resisted the urge to use his legs to swing upwards and pulled himself painfully up for a fourth rep. He kept his chin up just _barely_over the bar.

"Don't collapse. Keep control the entire way down."

That somehow made it much more difficult as he lowered himself back down until he was almost completely hanging by his arms from the bar. It was with great effort that he hoisted himself back up to the bar, his nose just barely edging over the bar.

"One more!"

"Seriously!?" he exclaimed, forcing himself down.

"You can do it!"

Biting back as comment about how he just made a Pact with Bryce, he pulled himself up again, inching just above the bar before releasing his grip and dropping to the ground, landing on his ass. Arthur cheerfully patted his back.

"Great! That's one set! Three more."

"Just kill me already! Don't bother with this torture!" he wailed much to Arthur's amusement. Groaning as he stretched his stimulated back muscles, Ryker positioned himself underneath the bars once more, looking up at the suspended grips like he was about to leap up from the base of a skyscraper. "Please distract me with something."

"Sure. So what's Bryce's cock like?"

He balked and spun towards Arthur in shock."What!?"

"What? He slept naked in your room. I was wondering if he's got a feral set or a humanoid."

The age-old stigma when it came to male genitals and one Ryker had been subject to for the early part of his life. Having a feral set of genitals - the type more akin to their four-legged cousins in the wild - was often seen as 'unclean'. While not completely physically like a feral wolf's cock, his own member possessed similar features such as being covered in a furry sheath and tapering to a point and having a knot whereas Takoshi's was more humanoid with glands and a foreskin. There was a rich history that came with the stereotype that those with feral genitals descended from 'feral fuckers' and led to quite a bit of civil rights arguments especially during the earlier centuries when the US was just finding it's footing as a new nation. He recalled history lessons were the 'ferals' were treated like cattle and pigeonholed into menial jobs because they were 'one step up from animals'.

"I was out most of the night," Ryker said, leaping back up towards the bars. "When I woke up, he had already 'borrowed' some of my shorts. Stretched them out."

There reminded him that he'd likely have to go out and buy Bryce some new clothes given that their bond wasn't strong enough for him to bring over anything and everything from the Overworld that his newest IP held. He didn't even have that relationship with Takoshi as the bear couldn't bring over his tattered samurai garb and swords.

A pat on the small of his back indicated that Arthur wanted him down. He dropped back down and gave his trainer a confused look. "Was my form that bad?" he asked.

"No. You already did five."

Ryker blinked a few times then glanced back up at the pull-up bars. In moving his neck, he activated the muscles down his back that told him Arthur's claim was true. "Oh damn..." he groaned, stretching his arms. "I guess distracting me with talk actually helps."

"It's usually the opposite for most people," laughed Arthur. "But whatever gets you up there and pumping out those reps, dude."

Nodding firmly, he turned back towards the bars, flexing his fingers to get blood flow back into them. "Okay. So distract me with something again." He shot the boar a fierce look. "Something_tasteful_."

"Alright,dad."_Arthur took a second to think of a topic then said, "Do you think it's weird of me not actually caring about my past or getting back at_Horizon for what they did to me?"

Taking that as his cue, Ryker leapt back at the bars and began pumping out those pull-ups. "No," he grunted between reps. "You're entitled to move on. It's not weird at all."

Arthur folded his arms and leaned casually against the machine. "Cliff seems to think it is. The way Takoshi has been acting as well makes me wonder if there's something wrong with_me_. Should a normal person actually want to go after Horizon with as much hate like that?"

Ryker finished his five reps and dropped back down, panting softly. "Honestly," he gasped. "I don't know enough about the situation to really give that much of an opinion. I mean, if you were_just_ created and then dropped a second later, it doesn't make sense why you should be going after Horizon. It's like if you were just born and immediately given up for adoption. Your connection with your birth parents is just the blood that flows through your veins. They didn't raise you. They're not your mother or father. Whoever your creator was doesn't have claim to your life unless you let them."

"That's what's going through my mind," agreed the burly boar. "I'm with Cliff now. I just can't help shake the feeling that we got sent after Horizon just because of our connections. I kinda feel... used."

Having been so focused on his issues with Takoshi, Ryker hadn't considered how Arthur or Cliff were handling things. Recalling that both men had thrones in the Broken Sever, their relationships with one another would also affect the group dynamic. If they started fighting, it could infect the rest of the team. Seeing himself and Takoshi in their positions, he could see how solving their issue might solve his own.

"Maybe I need some context," he said as he lept up for this fourth set. "What exactly happened with you?"

Arthur recalled how he was supposed to be the main character of a mystery drama starring a version of King Arthur that woke up after his lumber in modern day New York. His entire character was meant to be a subversion of the stereotypical King Arthur which was meant to be a blonde-haired, blue-eyed dragon or lion that was big, handsome and buff. Making him a little overweight and a boar was just one of the many strikes against the show in general and didn't sit well with the board. Rising production costs, lack of interest in test audiences and eventually the show's creator moving on to something more interesting sent his show plummeting into nothingness.

"Honestly don't know how Horizon fits into this," Arthur admitted as Ryker dropped down from his set. "I always believed that Seth Whedon just saw something more interesting and got fed up with the network executives he was working with and jumped ship."

"You never knew which company he went to?"

When he received a shrug from the black-haired boar, Ryker fished out his phone and quickly checked on the history of Seth Whedon. Apart from creating satirical adult animations such 'Guy's Family' and 'Daddy's America', he was mostly responsible for creating comedic shows and even starred in some of his own moves. Recently, he moved away from comedy and directed serious blockbusters, even working with Marvel on their cinematic universe."

"Huh," Ryker said, holding up Whedon's IMDB profile to Arthur. "Says here that Seth Whedon actually started working on the show 'The Modern Crown' right here in New York but he abandoned the project when Horizon offered him his first serious drama in directing a mystery-based reality TV show that was moderately received. He moved on from Horizon after that and went down to Hollywood."

"Does it say what happened to The Modern Crown?_"_Arthur asked

"I thought you didn't care?"

He got an exasperated stare from the boar. "You can't expect to dangle that piece of juicy meat in front of me and just take it away. Spill, dude."

"Fine," Ryker laughed, regarding his phone again. "Says here that Horizon eventually scrapped the idea of that mystery drama when they realized it actually needed writers to craft the mystery which defeated the purpose of the reality TV show. This occurred about twenty-five years ago after the current CEO, Raven Treiville, did a huge restructure."

"Sounds suspicious to me." He gave Arthur a pointed stare and the boar held up his hands. "Hey, all I'm saying is that a sudden pivot like that kind of sounds like what happened to Emile Santos and we know what happened to him. So maybe there's something to what Si said."

"Maybe," Ryker mumbled, pocketing his phone. "We can't be sure until we get that scan."

Arthur clapped his shoulder comfortingly. "We'll get it. I'm sure. But there _is_one thing we can be sure about."

Rolling his eyes, he intoned in a tired drawl, "That we're in this together. I know. Don't be cliche."

"I wasn't going to say that." Arthur grinned at him and pointed at the bars. "I was gonna say you've still got one more set, bro."

Ryker groaned and ran a paw down his muzzle.

"Goddamnit..."

******

Takoshi was clearly still mad at him as even after his workout, the big, hairy bear hadn't approached him for their usual rendezvous afterward. Decanter was being unusually cold. Though he still stuck by Ryker and served him like a butler, it was with this chilling air like he was just doing it out of obligation and nothing else. It left Ryker feeling very alone. Bryce was drifting between social groups, a social chameleon who could be friendly and pick up a conversation as easily as one could breath. One moment he was chatting it up with Cliff about computer hardware and then he was speaking to Arthur about how he managed to get into university without any former identification prior to arriving in the Realworld with Cliff. He even managed to crack a laugh - just _one_laugh - from Decanter after he cracked a joke about whiskey and eggnog. But Bryce could not be everywhere and when he was with others, he wasn't beside Ryker.

Alienated from Takoshi and with everyone mostly leaving him alone, he was left to sit at his desk, regarding the taunting image of his undeveloped and unfinished program. With a resigned sigh, he opened up his SDK and got a few lines of code in when the ugly face of double started to show itself again.

How was he meant to even market this thing? The videogame industry was inundated with hackneyed dating simulators that were only there for sex appeal. Sure his would be touted as having 'randomly generated NPCs' throughout its lifetime but would that be enough? Would he even be able to save any IPs through it? What about the IPs themselves? Would they just be as desperate as Bryce and just take whoever was willing to give them the time of day only to be thrown into a similarly abusive relationship? If people thought of the characters in the game just as fleeting flings that could be dismissed at a second's notice, all he was doing was creating a far more complicated Tamagotchi. There was no telling the kind of mental strain that would inflict on the IPs as well.

Then there was the question of what would happen if he did manage to finish the program. What then? What if corporations heard about it - which they undoubtedly will - and attacked him for it? What if they hacked it or made their own version of it just like what _Syntax_did with his original game? Would he even _save_anyone then? Worse yet, what if he _did_finish it and it was a complete and utter failure? Not enough downloads or sales?

It all boiled down to one question: was it all worth it?

"Maybe I should just drop it and focus on taking down corporations like Cliff and Arthur..." he mumbled to himself. "Join up with the Custodes Libertatis..."

"Is that what you really want?"

Ryker jumped and spun around in his seat. Bryce was standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe and with his arms crossed. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you typed about two lines of code and then stopped and stared at that screen for like twenty minutes." Bryce moved towards Ryker's bed, every step graceful and swift. "So what is that thing you're working on?"

"Don't laugh," Ryker sighed, rolling his seat back away from his desk. "It's meant to be a dating app."

"Seriously?" Bryce said, starting off in a soft chuckle before Ryker threw him a foul stare which ended the chuckle. "I didn't think you'd be one of those guys that feels that they're so devoid of physical contact that you'd need to resort to making your own dating app to 'prove the world wrong'. You've got three guys pining for you."

Ryker's look of scorn turned to surprise. "Three?"

Bryce tilted his head slightly, folding one ear back in confusion. "Takoshi, obviously. Decanter and Cliff too."

He reeled in surprise. "What? Decanter and Cliff? Seriously?"

"How have you not noticed? Decanter is practically starved for your attention, Boss." Bryce stood up, grabbed the edges of Ryker's seat and wheeled him over to the bed so that they could sit face to face. "Decanter told me all about how he was basically the butler to his previous Host. She was pretty damn cold to him. He knew it was a loveless relationship; that he was just a tool to her but he enjoyed the fact that he had a purpose and was constantly driven to make sure he was useful to her. She would reward his efforts with - frankly - kinky sex."

"That part I knew."

"But did you know that he's got a _huge_collection of dildos in his room that he's hoping you'd use on him?"

Ryker was about to wheel himself back in shock but Bryce grabbed the armrests of his chair and kept him in place. "You're messing with me."

"No, I am not," answered the bigger world. "Ryker, boss, can I be frank?"

He shook his head even as he said. "Sure."

"You spend way too much time all up in your own head up here." For emphasis, Bryce used his big paw to wave absently over Ryker's head. "If you just take a second and _look_around you, you'll see that there are a lot of people that need your help and can help you."

His mood began to sour again. Already, he could tell where this was going. "Okay, I know you've only been here a day but you've spent enough time with the others that I can tell you this one. I am_working on my program, okay? I know the _Kage_are depending on it and I know a lot of IPs are too but I've got a lot going on now especially with this raid on _Horizon! I'm already juggling managing this place, working at the juice bar below, working out so I can wield my own goddamn weapon, my _social_life like with Tess and now all _this_mess! I've got to sacrifice some things!"

Bryce narrowed one eye at him, seemingly appraising him. "Huh... Can we try something?"

"What now?" he growled.

"Say everything you said again but really slowly."

"What?"

"Just humor me."

Ryker repeated his words, paraphrasing a few things but once again pointing out how he had so much on his place. Compounding on the issues was the fact that he now had Bryce to work with as well and he was finding himself overwhelmed.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

"Kind of," Bryce replied. "Can you tell me what's wrong with what you just said?"

"That I probably missed a shit tonne of stuff?" growled Ryker, channeling Takoshi's cussing. He didn't dare mention Cue's warning or even their mysterious meetings in the Broker Server of Dreams.

"No." Bryce held up three fingers. "You get three chances. That's your first." He lowered one finger. "Try again."

Getting frustrated with Bryce's calm demeanor and feeling like he was being psychoanalyzed, he said, "Is it that I'm focusing way too much on material things and the future and should be looking at the here and now?"

"No. One more try."

With a frustrated sigh, Ryker crossed his arms in frustration and said, "I don't know, okay? I give up."

Holding up that one finger, Bryce said, "It's that everything you said refers to you. You kept using 'I'."

He gave his latest IP a frustrated look. "Look, I just said I've got a lot on my plate. I don't have time to be policed on my grammar."

"It's not that, Boss." Bryce placed his warm paws on Ryker's forearms. "Coming from a spy, I know it's very_tempting to always think about yourself. What if _I'm exposed? What if the information I bring back isn't enough? What if I get too close to my mark? But that's the failing of even the best spies. Stop thinking about yourself, Boss."

"Are you calling me selfish?"

Bryce shook his head. "No. It's all about the mindset. Let's take Decanter. What is he to you?"

Shrugging, Ryker said, "He's my second IP and... I guess, he's kind of been acting like my butler."

The crimson wolf released his forearms and then made circular gestures with his paws. "Now flip it around. Think of it from _his_perspective. If you were looking at the world through his eyes, given everything he's been through, what is he to you? Don't use the word 'I' or 'me'. Don't refer to yourself at all."

Ryker opened his muzzle to say the first thing that came into his mind when he stopped, choking on his words. This exercise was a lot harder than he though. "I - no wait... Uhm... He is my - no... not that either." His brow furrowed in concentration. "Decanter is a former IP of a high-ranking executive of AllAle that was bequeathed to me - Urk... No." He growled at himself in frustration. "He was given to an Independent in an attempt to preserve him."

A frown touched his lips as he looked up at Bryce. "Wow... Uh... that adds a different dimension to it all."

"Right?" Bryce said with a grin. "So keep going. That covers the part about him being your second IP. What about the part when you said that he's been acting like your butler. How would you phrase that without referring to yourself?"

It took him a second to come up with the words. "Decanter previously had served his Host in a fashion similar to a butler and he is carrying that role into his next assignment."

"Great! But...?"

New thoughts came flooding into his mind now that the floodgates had been opened. Decanter's previous host - Aileen Raskeil was a cold, calculating and manipulative, even willing to sacrifice Decanter if it got her what she wanted. But there were flickers of warmth in her frigid heart like when she gave Decanter to Ryker... or perhaps when she rewarded Decanter with sex. Maybe there was a decent person beneath the icy exterior.

That, of course, begged the question: how did he compare to Aileen?

"He probably feels unsatisfied or maybe even alienated because he's come to expect as sort of... reward or level of treatment for everything he's done. The fact that his... current Host isn't giving him that..." Ryker sighed and ruffled his hair. "Damn... I've been an ass, haven't I?"

"More like a self-absorbed, tightly-wound ball of neurosis," Bryce chuckled.

"And you've be the expert?" he snapped.

The wolf lifted a finger. "You don't think I was just hanging out with the others just because I wanted to, did you? I mean, _I_did want to. Cliff is pretty fun and easy going. Arthur is warm and cuddly and it's fun talking shop with someone else who can fling around fireballs. Decanter is amazingly intelligent and I've gotten a lot of information on how to act here in the Realworld from him and Takoshi, though gruff and kind of mean, is fun to compete against."

Ryker's ears perked up. "You talked with Takoshi?"

"Oh yeah. We got into a 'who can lift more' competition. He's got me beaten when it comes to raw strength. Those muscles are huge_but..." Bryce grinned and pulled up his shirt, showing off his rockhard abdominals. "I can do _way more crunches than him. He needs to work on his flexibility."

Ignoring the fact that blood was rapidly rushing towards his crotch at the sight of those glorious muscles, Ryker brought his attention back to Bryce. "So... you were talking to the others... because you were gathering information...? On me?"

Bryce's features softened and he placed a paw on Ryker's knee. "There are two versions of ourselves out in the world. The way we_see ourselves and the way _others see us. I got a good idea of how you appeared to yourself. I had to go see how others saw you." He winked a Ryker slyly. "Plus, I got to see how others saw one another as well."

"Really?" Ryker got up from his seat and sat down right next to Bryce. The position felt strangely... too comfortable and too awkward for him so he swung his feet around the much larger wolf and leaned against the headrest of his bed while Bryce remained seated on the edge. "How do the others see one another?"

Despite being together - both as Host and IP and lovers - Cliff and Arthur were vastly different people. Cliff saw Arthur as his best friend but also his foil, the ice to his raging passions about the Custodes Libertatis. Conversely, Arthur considered Cliff as this bright, shining star that was always rushing ahead and rarely thinking things through. They complimented one another but surprisingly never actually talked about their relationship with one another.

"I don't know if it's actually because they're just afraid something will change or not but the best way I can define it, those two are 'fuck buddies'," Bryce explained. "Cliff looks at you as his little brother especially since he kind of brought you into the Overworld and may have been indirectly responsible for you becoming an Independent. That said, he also looks up to you as his intellectual superior. He sort of has mixed feelings about you because of that and it's a reflection of how he feels about Arthur. He will likely sleep with you if given the opportunity but it will remain casual. At least until you corner him into addressing these topics." Bryce shrugged. "Arthur might join in and he might develop romantic feelings as well but his loyalty will remain in Cliff. Though I don't see their relationship evolving past that until they start talking about it."

Bryce quickly turned towards Ryker. "And please don't interfere. This is something they've got to work out between themselves."

Ryker held up his paws. "I've barely come to grips with my own love life. I have no right to be giving advice to anyone else on theirs."

The bigger wolf patted his knee. "Thanks, Boss."

Ryker instinctively placed his paw on top of Bryce's and shuffled along the bed. "Come on and sit beside me."

"Sure," Bryce said dismissively and turned to sit right next to Ryker, placing an arm over the latter's shoulder as they both leaned against the headrest. "Decanter sees the two as extremely dangerous. I think it's because of their ties to the Custodes Libertatis. If he doesn't see them directly_as a threat, he might consider them a _future_threat if they're torn between their loyalty to the _Libertatis or us. That said, he's not opposed to working with them, for now. Naturally, that makes him more guarded and he comes off as cold and controlling to Cliff and Arthur. Oh, speaking of which, I made Decanter giggle when I called the two of them "Renner."

He gave Bryce a look of disbelief. "You made Decanter giggle? After just one day?"

"Hey, it's not so hard when you get to know the guy. You just have to use pop-culture jokes and use an intelligent build up. Cliff's surname is 'Runner' and Arthur's is technically 'Pendragon' but he's going under Penn. Join the two and you've got their Hollywood couple name as 'Renner'. That got a giggle."

"Uh-huh. And Takoshi?"

"Doesn't trust any of them but is willing to work with them because of circumstances," Bryce replied. "Cliff's 'bro-talk' annoys him, he's jealous of how Arthur is your personal trainer and he hates how Decanter is acting like the den mother when no one asked him. This, of course, makes him appear mean and contrite to everyone else. According to Decanter, he once purposefully left a dirty sock on his door because the rhino once told him to pick up his dirty laundry."

Ryker remembered that. It was a rude awakening when Decanter burst into Takoshi's room shouting about the dirty laundry. At the time, Ryker was _just_getting up so Decanter started off shouting into Ryker's cum-stained, naked form. To his credit, Decanter politely excused himself, walked around Ryker and then continued his tirade against Takoshi.

"I think Takoshi has trust issues," Ryker admitted. "He led a rough life."

"I can tell. But I think he values it when people stand up to him. He values independence more than anything." Bryce chuckled and poked Ryker's chest a little. "And hey, if you ever want to piss him off, tell him it's Bryce-One and Takoshi-Zero."

He flicked at near towards the red wolf. "Huh?"

"Oh, while I was hanging out with him this evening, during our 'testosterone contest', I made a joke about water and fire and then we got... lewd."

Ryker's fur fluffed out in horror. "You...?"

"Nothing like that, boss," laughed Bryce, patting his shoulder playfully. "We just sort of had a game of Gay Chicken. He backed away at the end so I'm up one. I'm not sure exactly what the winner will get in the end... or how it'll end for that matter but I'm up one." He gently punched Ryker's shoulder. "So use that next time you need some ammo."

Unable to keep himself from smiling, Ryker said, "Thanks. Hopefully I won't need it."

"You'll need it or something else. Takoshi responds to aggression. It's very hard for him to open up and I think that's the problem with him." Bryce's features turned sad. "He's had it so rough that he doesn't know how else to respond."

Looking back at the first time they honestly made love with one another, it was due to extraordinary circumstances caused by when he was in a coma for several days following Decanter's bequeathing. When Takoshi feared Ryker would die...

"That tracks," Ryker sighed. "I wish there was some way I could talk to him without having to resort to such an underhanded tactic."

"Maybe there is. I don't know. I've only known the guy for a day. I'll let you know if I find something else."

Ryker smiled and gently pressed his paw against Bryce's chest, the powerful pectoral rising and falling softly beneath the tight-fitting uniform. "Hey... you've told me how everyone sees one another and even given me a chance to look through someone else's eyes. Want to hear what I think of you?"

"Sure!" answered Bryce brightly. "I welcome some self-reflection."

Nodding, Ryker said, "I think you're a cunning but manipulative ass who psychoanalyzed everyone around him, looking for ways to emotionally blackmail them and gave that information willingly to your Host hoping it'll earn you brownie points."

Bryce's features fell. "No, Boss! Not at all! I just -"

"Let me finish," Ryker said, holding up a paw. "I think that's what you did but what you really intended is to make sure everyone gets along because you understand that you're cornered now. You're tied to a Host who has made a Pact with three IPs and you don't know what that means. Your Host has ties with the Custodes Libertatis_and you _know that Horizon and the other corporations will come after us. You need allies and you want your allies to get along so that you can be protected as much as possible. You're scared. Scared that this fragile alliance could break at any moment and then you'll be left alone with no one to turn to or worse. So you're doing what you can to make sure everyone gets along. Starting with the 'self-absorbed, tightly-wound ball of neurosis' at the center of it all."

Bryce grimaced, his ears folding down. "Sorry, Boss... I know it wasn't the best way to go about it but I really did like hanging out with the others. I can't help that I picked out these things. Years of being a saboteur kind of forces you to notice this stuff."

Nodding in understanding, Ryker said, "I get it. It's hard to just 'switch off' that part of your brain. I appreciate what you're doing and honestly, I think it enlightening. But don't treat any of us as stupid puppets that can be manipulated. Others might have picked up on it if I did. They're a lot smarter than you know. And they talk."

Bryce chuckled softly and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Boss." He grinned down at Ryker, his smile brightening the room. "Not Takoshi though, right?"

"He might be a little too dense for that."

They both shared a laugh and Ryker let his paw settle down on Bryce's chest.

"Though apart from that, I think you're a charming, energetic guy that had it rough - maybe as rough as Takoshi - but stuck to his ideals and never let any of it burden him or weigh him down. It kind_of makes you a bit of a hypocrite sometimes but I think you've got this code that says you don't want to let anyone else suffer like you did. Probably why you protected all those other IPs from the _Horizon games."

"Thanks Boss."

"I also think you _know_you're charming and sexy and you're more than happy to flaunt and use that to your advantage."

Bryce reeled back, blushing a little. "W - What?"

"Oh come on," Ryker laughed. "I saw you purposefully wagging your shapely ass at all those clients. I work six feet away from you."

"But you're facing the other direction! What are you doing looking at my ass!?"

They were staring at one another, each sharing the innocent grin of two friends throwing playful insults at one another... until it dawned on them just where this conversation was going.

"No homo...?" Ryker offered lamely.

Bryce grimaced and turned away. "Boss, confession time. Most_of the fanart and fanfiction that was done of me was _all the homo. You would not_believe how many people wanted to ship me with _Tony the Tiger!"

"That'd admittedly be hot but still does that make you...?"

"Probably 90% gay and 10% straight. So yeah, mostly gay." He turned towards Ryker with an apologetic look on his face. "If I made you uncomfortable in any way with my flirting or anything, I'm sorry. I just thought that'd be the best way to get people through the door. Having a hot receptionist is a great sales pitch." Then he blinked a few times in rapid succession. "Not to say that you weren't hot as the receptionist just -!"

Ryker chuckled softly and gently pulled Bryce's arm from off his shoulder. "I get it, Bryce. You're hot. You really are. I'll confess something as well. There's this part of me that doesn't want to run my tongue up and down those washboard abs of yours and bury my dick in between your pecs while I feel your hot wolf cream all over my back. But I think it's kind of soon..."

"And you're emotionally vulnerable," Bryce added. "I understand. Not going to play you like that, Boss." The big, red wolf slipped off the bed. "But if you ever want to talk, I'm here for you, okay?"

He smiled back up at Bryce and nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate that. Good night."

"Night."

With those words, Bryce left, shutting the door behind him. Ryker waited a few moments before collapsed into his bed, bumping the top of his head against the headrest. When that wouldn't push out the horrible, sexy thought swirling around his head consisting of fucking Bryce, fucking Takoshi and then fucking Bryce and Takoshi at the same time, he grabbed his pillow and slammed it over his face, trying to smother them out. That naturally didn't work so he did the next best thing - drag the pillow over his crotch and his raging erection.

"Goddamnit Ryker," he groaned. "What are you doing?" A few seconds later, he answered himself. "Obviously not Takoshi or Bryce."