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Chapter 8

Relief was only one of the plethora of emotions Ryker currently had swirling around in his mind and churning the acids in his stomach. The warp from the former _AllAle_warehouse back to the gym using the Recall Function was disorienting enough but it was made all the more gut-wrenching when he realized that he would have to explain to Tess what exactly he had been up to the past month and a half. Though it only took a second to get from one location to the other, that second felt like an hour that he wished would last forever.

Tess was surprisingly quiet when they entered the dark embrace of their Safe House barely illuminated by the multiple screens Cliff had still running. Ordinarily, she would have been asking questions, making sassy remarks and likely criticizing Maydoor or berating Ryker. But she was uncharacteristically quiet and it unnerved him.

That is until she started to open her mouth and he immediately went into a panic.

"So you guys are 'experts' with your Functions?" he quickly asked, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. Ecks turned to face him, expression unreadable behind the metallic mask.

"Yes," rumbled the dragon. "Five of the six Kage are responsible for each one of the main Functions that we in the Libertatis use."

Hoping to prolong the conversation as much as possible, Ryker asked, "So you're the expert in Recall. What about the others? That's not classified, is it?"

Ecks shook his head. "Unlike corporations, we don't hide anything from one another apart from our identities and that is more as a safety measure than anything else. We even go to lengths to educate each member of the Libertatis so they know how to use our Functions." The dragon held up a finger, slowly counting up the Functions. "I obviously am the source of Recall. Si is the owner of Parse. Aye owns Scan. Yoo has the distinct pleasure of lording Save over us and Wai has the power of Exception."

It had always been a mystery where the shared Functions amongst the Libertatis_came from. Now that he knew, he appreciated the transparency. The source of the shared Functions amongst the Corporations - Control, Alt and Delete - were still unknown. Given that they were many times more powerful than the five Functions the _Libertatis had and how it was demonstrated that the original owners of the Functions could be more adept in their usage, he was left wondering just what things the owners of Control, Alt and Delete could do.

"_Exception,"_Decanter mused. "You mean the Exception Virus? The ability you Libertatis have to cut off both Host and IP from the Overworld, trapping them in one or the other?"

Ecks held up a large hand, held it horizontally and wiggled it a little. "Exception is actually pretty strong. At it's most fundamental, it allows Wai to stop anything from happening if certain conditions are met. He could make you stop breathing if you pissed him off."

Takoshi let out a low growl. "And you just gave that to everyone in the Libertatis?"

"No. Wai limited_the use of Exception which he gave to everyone else to the point that it would kick out anyone permanently from the Overworld if they are sufficiently weakened and a member of the_ Libertatis_uses the Exception Virus upon them. We were not so foolish as to give something so powerful to just anyone much like the Corporations."_

Though that begged the question... did the Kage keep the best for themselves? Were the purposefully hiding the best parts of their Functions to avoid any sort of all-out brawl in the streets?

"So what will Zoom remember?" Maydoor asked, lifting his head so that he could be heard. "You said you basically reverted his memory to what it was a few hours ago. Will he...?"

"Remember that you betrayed him?"_finished Ecks. _"No. In theory, you could go back right now and pretend that none of that ever happened. You could fake that you went ahead and Ms. Yale managed to escape or weave some tale about the_Libertatis _overpowering you. But I think you and I both know that Zoom is too smart to fall for such a lie. You two clearly have your differences and a rift has grown between you two but would be walking into a literal shark's mouth if you went back there right now."

Maydoor hugged himself, paws closing around his own arms as if to protect himself. "I know. I hated doing that to him but I had honestly hoped that he would actually come to realize what was wrong about Horizon. I don't know why he would stubbornly stay by Raven's side despite all the evidence we showed him."

"It is because of how your IPs were made."

Ryker tore his gaze from the clearly distraught Fennec and back to Ecks. "What do you mean by that?"

Ecks then did something incredibly surprising. He reached for the mask on his face and unlatched it. Brooklyn, his IP, didn't even hesitate as the dragon revealed his identity to them all. One sharp brown eye regarded them with a piercing ferocity while the other was rendered inoperable thanks to a ragged, pale, pink slash that ran horizontally across the draconic muzzle, just an inch or two from the other eye that would have rendered Ecks completely blind.

Tess reacted first and gasped.

"Ever wondered why the IPs of ever executive generally seems to be of the same species?" asked the dragon, his voice gravelly and hoarse. Ryker noticed for the first time that there was another slash near the dragon's throat. "It's because those IPs are closely tied with the overall corporation. You didn't come up with Zoom because he is a manifestation of childhood fantasies or through the sole power of your imagination."

Decanter's jaw opened in horror. "Are you saying we... we were crafted by the Overlord?"

Ryker spun to face the white-haired rhino not only for the stunning realization but also because of the implications of his birth.

"Of sorts," Ecks sighed miserably, drawing Ryker's attention once more. "Think about it logically. Executives don't just come in and jump into the Overworld because they're good at what they do. You've got more than just the Chief Production, Financial and Security officers running around, right? You've probably got like a Chief Technology Officer or Chief Marketing or maybe a Legal Officer. Why aren't they in the Overworld?"

"Loyalty?" growled Takoshi. "You're telling me Overlords look for people who are subconsciously loyal to the brand and brings them into the Overworld, manifesting their IPs basically as clones of their ideals?"

Ecks gave Takoshi a light fire with a finger gun. "Exactly. As an Overlord, you nurture them from the beginning and train them. You plant ideas in their minds through the Overworld before you even introduce them into the Overworld. You plant some of your own IP into them so that when they come into the Overworld, they are basically your children. Remember, that is something they can do."

"Son-of-a-bitch," snarled the bear, arms crossed. Takoshi would never admit to being wrong or give Ecks the pleasure of seeing him admit he was right.

"We've done our research," Ecks said. He ran a thumb along the scar on his neck. "Paid for it, in fact. The difference between the Custodes Libertatis and corporations is that we are a group of Independents already with access to the Overworld that come together and work with one another. Corporations breed others without access into their ideal soldiers before bringing them in." He pointed directly at Maydoor's forehead. "Somewhere in there, you've got a little bit of Raven in you and that likely helped forged Zoom's loyalties."

"But _AllAle..."_Arthur stopped himself in mid-sentence and turned towards Decanter in shock. "Oh shit..."

The rhino was shaking in fury. "Are you suggesting," he began, "that Aileen never really made me? That I'm just a byproduct of Emile's manipulations of her?"

"Maybe," Ecks replied with a shrug. "I'm not jumping to conclusions here. You are _still_Aileen Raskeil's creation. Yes, Emile may have had a hand in creating you but you are not defined by him." He gave the rhino a faint, encouraging smile. It didn't seem like his lips could pull back all the way into a true smile due to his scars. "It's just like how people here in the Realworld are born. You've got a mother and a father but neither of them will force you into becoming who you are. Your experiences do. That's the benefit of coming here in the Realworld. Your fate is your own.

"That's right!" Arthur cried, slinging an arm around Decanter's shoulders. "You're one of us now, dude! That's not something Emile could ever have done!"

The young wolf miserably recalled how they had plotted to take down Aileen only for the Witch of Wine to corner them in a bar. She had invited them to her penthouse where they could discuss the terms of their surrender. None of that would have happened had they not attacked Kanoth. He could only imagine what rage Decanter was feeling and, on instinct, he reached out and gently gripped the rhino's hand. A flash of a future where the rhino knocked his hand away struck his heart with fear.

Instead, Decanter curled his hand around his paw and held it tightly.

"Emile," began the rhino. "He lost Kanoth and Nero Greenwood. Elijah Marmouth was one of your spies. He became an Overlord despite the loss of his officers. Only Nero was really loyal to him in the end."

Ecks nodded. "We were lucky. If all of them remained loyal and were by his side when he ascended, he would've been much harder to defeat. That's why we always go after the officers first. I don't think you would have won against him with how unprepared you all were even with Si there. Remember, it took all six of the Kage_to bring down the _Leoman Brothers."

All six of them... all six with the expertise they had with their Functions. Here Ryker had gone up against a budding, admittedly weakened Overlord with him being unable to manifest his Function. It dawned on him just how lucky they were. If he hadn't manifested Break at the last moment and caught Emile off guard, they would have been killed... or worse, enslaved as Emile's next officers.

"So why don't you just use the Virus on this guy now?" Tess suddenly chimed in, gesturing at Maydoor. "Cut him off here and now."

Maydoor went rigid but Bryce stepped forward and placed a protective paw on the Fennec's shoulder.

"Because that'll alert Raven and the rest of his group," warned the red-furred wolf. "Think about it, the moment Ryker and his team did something to this Kanoth guy, Emile Santos went into a panic. I heard stock prices for AllAle_suddenly plummeted. _Horizon even went so far as to try and reach out to them and try to sell some ad space."

"That's right," Takoshi snarled. "Santos even tried to move his Server to a remote location. Had a whole army protecting it."

"That is true," Ecks responded. "Emile Santos began to panic when his path to becoming a god was jeopardized. The moment we use the Exception Virus on our friend here, is the moment we declare open war on Horizon."

Tess placed her weight on one foot, her right paw on her hip and then the other paw against her chest. It was 'Sassy Tess'.

"Uhm... hello?" she chided with a flippant inflection. "I was_just kidnapped. How is that not already an act of _war?"

The tall dragon let out a soft chuckle. "The difference is between a war we can win versus a war that will see us slaughtered. The Libertatis isn't an actual army. It's a loose collection of people who share some common goals. We rallied against AllAle because of all the injustices that had been exposed and the fact that there was a common threat in Emile Santos as an Overlord." He gestured at Tess. "Your kidnapping would certainly be enough to rally _some_supporters but there is another problem." Ecks lifted a finger. "It's whether or not we can expect retaliation from other corporations."

"Retaliation?" Cliff asked. "Why would we have to fear that, dude? It's not like the corporations know who we are."

"_But_they still severely outgun us," Ecks warned. "The only thing that keeps corporations from banding against us -"

"Is their mutual distrust of one another and the hope that the Libertatis will attack one of their competitors," finished Maydoor. "If the Libertatis attacks without provocation, it could be the rallying for more than one corporation to band together and wage a war against you all. No one has acted against our raids on AllAle or the Leoman Brothers because they were clearly in the wrong. But Horizon has a reputation of being simple, welcoming and non-aggressive. You attack them and it'll be like kicking a blind, wheelchair-bound nun during Sunday prayers." Maydoor shook his head miserably. "And I assume there's a reason why you haven't gone public with the idea of Overlords."

Ecks nodded grimly. "We don't know how Overlords are made or where people like Emile or Raven got the knowledge on how to become one. We don't even know how many Overlords there are. Each one _clearly_knows what they're doing and if we went out and immediately declared that we are after each Overlord..."

Maydoor crossed one arm across his chest while he set his elbow on the crook of the folded arm and rubbed his chin. "Then every Overlord out there will panic. If Emile's reaction is anything to go off, you could have countless_Overlords vying for power. Certainly more than the _Libertatis could handle. It could very well be all out war in the streets."

A thin smile crossed the dragon's lips. "Exactly." His eyes went back to Tess. "It's still too much for any of us to scout every Overlord out there especially if they are rapidly gaining power like Emile. That is why we tasked members of the Libertatis with connections to the suspect corporations to scout out each potential Overlord."

"That's why you were at the audition," mused Maydoor. "I was very wrong." He lifted his gaze towards Ecks. "Of all the suspected Overlords, how many have been confirmed?"

The dragon shook his head. "Just Raven as of now. All scouting missions have either returned negative of haven't been executed yet."

Somehow, Ryker felt that Ecks wasn't being truthful with them. What were the odds that only their mission managed to result in the confirmation of an Overlord? Yet he couldn't tell if Ecks was lying. The _Kage's_removed mask gave a sense of honesty and integrity from the bulky dragon. If anything, everything Ecks said was what the dragon truly believed.

That didn't mean that someone was deceiving him though.

"I see," mumbled Maydoor. "Pity. That would have been useful information. It would have been easy to pin the blame on another Overlord and watched them attack one another." He pinched the bridge of his muzzle and let out a long, sigh. "If you are unwilling to go on an outright attack against Raven, what do you plan to do?"

Ecks glanced at the many screens illuminating the dark mirror of their apartment building. "I will need to confer with the other Kage. We've bought ourselves some time but I didn't revert everyone's memories far back enough to completely erase the events of the auditions." The draconic Kage turned his gaze wistfully out the window. "Reverting everyone several hours is risky. Confusion is the least we can hope for. Recalling anyone to anything more than a day could be disastrous."

"Still better than the fucked up things corporations do with _their_Functions," Takoshi growled.

"Like what?" Tess asked, genuinely curious.

Takoshi patiently explained to her the major functions that the corporations shared although his tone grew more and more aggravated with each Function. Pause was just as its name suggested. It literally froze anything in time. Loop could force something to repeat over and over again, even people. Then there was Control which was the basis for the Contracts that could bind IPs and Independents to a corporation. Alt was the Function used to transform IPs into mindless Dosers. On the more offensive end was Kill and Delete. While Delete could inflict severe, wounds that would take ages to heal, it could be used on anyone or anything. But Delete was restricted to something that was within the corporation's jurisdiction. It could completely obliterate something but only so long as it was under Contract or within a corporation's Control.

"You missed Copy and Paste," Maydoor corrected, much to the bear's agitation. "It's what we use to copy Dosers to other Corpsmen."

A question popped into Ryker's mind and he tilted his head curiously. "Hey... When you mentioned before that you guys have tried to bind multiple IPs to one Corpsmen, was it using Copy and Paste by any chance?"

Maydoor regarded him with one raised eyebrow. "Of course. Why?"

"Ever thought that maybe that's the reason why it's always failed? Have you ever tried to... you know... just bond with the IP without turning them into Dosers?"

The Fennec let out a short laugh. "I can only speak for Horizon but think of it this way. Every show is its own IP. It has thousands of moving parts. We run a network based entirely on reality TV. We have no writers. We have no control on how scenes play out, only edited. Our 'actors' are outside our own influence. It's chaotic. Uncontrolled. It takes all of our effort and multiple teams to make a show even remotely viewable. It is exhausting. An IP is much that same. They have their own personalities, their own motivations..." He looked sorrowfully at his own phone. "... their own hearts."

The Fennec paused for a moment before dropping his phone loudly onto the ground, much to everyone's surprise. "Interacting with more than one IP, having them bind with you and managing it is far too exhausting for anyone. I don't know how you do it. No one has ever tried because they know they just won't be able to deal with the immense resource demand. That is why we always reduced IPs down to Dosers. Mindless, obedient puppets. Easy to control. To think the reason we can't have more than one IP per Corpsman could be because of Copy and Paste..."

Maydoor lifted his foot then brought it crashing down on his phone, shattering the screen. "I'm done with that. I've lived too long thinking I was safe when, in reality, I was just being hunted by a big shark."

He turned towards Ecks. "I will cooperate as we discussed but I want Zoom safe."

"We can arrange that," replied the draconic_Kage_. "We need to -"

"Heeeeey!" Bryce suddenly exclaimed, leaping forward and draping his arms around both Ryker and Tess. "It's great we've got your cooperation, Maydoor, but if you don't mind me interrupting. There's a big elephant in the room." He jerked his head towards Tess. "Ryker may not be part of the Libertatis but he's in it deep. Ms. Yale here, though, is a victim. Should we _really_be talking about all this stuff with her around?"

Tess slipped out from underneath the red wolf's grip. "Hey. I'm not some princess that needs to be coddled." He pointed at Maydoor. "This dwarf kidnapped me. Yeah, he may have just been playing along. But this was some crazy shit that I now know about!" Then she turned towards Ecks and pointed accusingly at him. "And you are not going to Recall me and make me forget all this shit. I want to help!"

Ecks nodded sagely and gave her a smile. "Not to worry. The Libertatis have got non-Independents helping us all the time. There are people who know about the Overworld that don't directly interact with it and support us. So if you would like to be one of our Contacts -"

Ryker immediately leapt forward. "No!" he cried.

He was surprised when he was joined by the cry of another; Takoshi. They exchanged glances and briefly smile at one another. Good to know they were on the same wavelength.

"Ooooh..." groaned Bryce, stepping back. "I think there's some baggage that needs to be unloaded here. How about you two..." He pointed first at Ryker and then at Tess. "... get a room and sort this out. Leave the rest of us to the planning." He looked directly at Takoshi. "If you want to guard the door...?"

"Fine," grunted the polar bear, ushering Tess and Ryker towards the bedrooms. "But just so you know, you are all fucked up for endangering people who can't defend themselves."

"I_can defend myself!" Tess snapped. "I know a place with a decent ring. We can go any time you want, _Yojimbo." That stopped Takoshi in midstep, letting Tess smirk back at him. "I've been studying," she explained.

The bear returned his own smirk and gently patted her rear, pushing her towards the room. "Not bad, Onee-chan."

Ryker found himself praying that the old adage about a cornered wolf was true. Yet he could find no reason to weasel out of the inevitable as Takoshi guided them both into his room and shut the door, locking them inside. Frozen in place, he could only turn awkwardly and face Tess as he gave her a sheepish grin; a child caught with his paw in the proverbial cookie jar. She didn't say anything for a good long minute. Lockjaw froze his lips as he realized he would have to be the one to break the silence.

After another minute, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm sorry," was all he could say.

Tess immediately stepped forward and he flinched, fearing one of her kicks or punches that could knock out a man. Instead, her arms wrapped around him, pulling him into a hug and holding him tight.

"You are such an idiot, Ryker," she chastised.

Those words oddly allowed him to relax a little. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about any of this."

She pushed him away but kept hold of his shoulders, keeping him at arm's length. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "All of this Overworld and Independent stuff is way_above my pay grade as a childhood friend. The level of trust we would've had if you had told me about this would have _at least demanded we sleep with one another."

He jerked away at the comment, making her laugh. "Uhm... Okay. Still, I'm sorry about how it all turned out. If I had been a little bit more careful... If I had talked to you... maybe you wouldn't have been..."

"Kidnapped? Held against me will? Dragged into a parallel dimension which honestly_could use a little more color?" Tess placed a paw on her hip, putting all her weight on the same leg and tilted her head in the opposite direction. "Ryker, if you had told me all of this, I would have thought this was some weird power fantasy you concocted to get back at that videogame company that took away your idea. I _probably would have had you committed."

She knelt down, resting a paw on his knee. "And I perfectly understand why you didn't want to tell me. You were protecting me." She reached out and gently punched his cheek. "Seriously. With how dangerous all this stuff is, I'm just surprised."

With the weight lifted from his chest, Ryker suddenly felt all his muscles start to relax. He stumbled back and slumped onto his bed, sitting on the edge with his paws clasped together loosely. "Yeah. It is a lot to take in. Honestly, when it first happened, I barely believed what Takoshi told me."

"Not that," she said, waving a paw through the air. "The Overworld and the hidden corporate war I can accept. What I'm floored at is just how strong you've become."

He lifted his gaze, ears perked towards her. "Huh? Me?"

She stepped towards him, sliming warmly before kneeling down so that they were at eye level. "Yeah. I still remember the days when I had to step in and protect you from being bullied. Remember that time in fifth grade when Deborah Warshaw 'practiced' her wrestling moves on you?"

His cheeks went bright red at the memory. "She was twice my size! I swear she was taking growth hormones!"

"No." Tess giggled and flicked his nose, making him recoil and wiggle his nose in agitation. "You were just a skinny little runt. Only kid of Colin Wall and with none of the wolf size and muscle genes."

Ryker dropped his gaze in misery. "Yeah. People always called me 'Little Wall' because of how small I was."

She suddenly reached out, grabbing his shirt and pulling it up to reveal his stomach. "But check these out! You're getting abs!"

"No I'm not!" he protested, pulling his shirt back down.

"Yes you are," she accused. "And you're definitely looking bigger. If not physically then... well..." Her voice trailed off for a bit. "I guess you could say your presence_has definitely grown stronger." She shook her head, more at herself than at Ryker. "I guess if I wasn't so obsessed with how I saw you and trying to make you dance to _my tune, I would've realized you're not that Little Wall anymore."

He groaned softly. "Come on, Tess. You've never been one to be all sappy."

"Guess that's just something you don't know about me," she answered, rising to her feet. "We've known each other for so long but at the same time, we still don't know each other."

Regarding his clenched paws, he said, "Yeah. I'm meant to be Takoshi, Decanter and Bryce's Host but I don't know them nearly as much as I should. It took Arthur to show me that I really don't know anyone. Not even myself. I'm kind of... a loner."

"Can't blame just you for that," she sighed softly. "Your mom was a ditz and your dad..." Her voice trailed off as his ears folded down. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving a paw absently through the air. "Takoshi is probably listening in and knowing Bryce, he's probably got this place bugger or something." Ryker slumped back into his bed, closing his eyes with his arms splayed out on either of his side. "I don't think my dad dying has anything to do with me being closed off. But I never got to really know him because he passed so early in my life. I know I should love him but he passed away when I was four. He was sick long before that."

"I still remember those days when you'd go visit him in the hospital," Tess confessed. "You always came back so happy. You kept talking about how your dad always played with you in the children's ward. Told you stories and read to you. Even though he was dying and weak, he made sure you were the happiest kid in the world."

Ryker shut his eyes, fighting off tears. "Don't, Tess. Please don't."

"Sorry." She moved towards him, seating herself beside him. "For what it's worth, wherever he is, I'm sure he's proud of you." Her gentle nudge forced him to blink away what little moisture had gathered at the edges of his eyes. "And hey, if there's an Overworld maybe there's a Heaven too. I'm sure he's looking down on you with pride."

Appreciating the warm words, he turned his gaze towards her. "Thanks. But this isn't about me. It's about you. About us. Are we... Are we going to be okay?"

She laughed and slapped his stomach, particularly his diaphragm. The impact caused him to gasp as the air rushed out of his chest. "Of course we are, stupid! I mean, if you think about it objectively, you're a fucking superhero!"

"Wh - wha...?" He gasped, trying to catch his breath. "What?"

"Think about it," the white-furred mouse said. "You're a mild-mannered gym worker by day and then by night, you're going out there in an alternate reality fighting evil corporations with supernatural powers!" She grinned at him accusingly. "If you need anything more convincing, do you have a mask?"

His cheeks once more betraying his embarrassment, Ryker turned away but mumbled, "Yeah..."

"There you go! You're a superhero!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Uh..." she began, rolling her eyes at him. "Yeah, you are!"

"There are thousands of Independents out there! I'm not special."

"Thousands out of the seven billion in the world. Yeah, you're special." She poked his ribs, making him squirm. "And don't give me that shit. What's all this about you being the only one to make a Pact with multiple_IPs, huh? Isn't that _special?"

He groaned and covered his eyes with his forearm. After a second to recompose himself, he pulled down his arm and regarded her with an exasperated stare. "Goddamnit. Take this seriously. Being the friend of a 'superhero' - not that I'm admitting that I am - is dangerous. You know the old trope. Anyone the superhero knows gets hurt! What happened tonight should have you scared!"

She chuckled and gazed at the door. "Yeah. I suppose it should." Then her gaze turned back towards him. "But I'm just glad we're finally talking again. Even if you don't let me help, I'm just glad that you'll go out of your way to come and save me if I'm ever in danger." She leaned down, wrapping her arms around him again. "Thank you, Ryker."

A sigh of relief left his muzzle as he returned the hug. Somewhere in his mind, a soft chime rang that notified him that he had just hit an achievement to reconnect with Tess. That made him smile and eased a burden in his heart.

"So..." he mumbled. "I don't suppose I can convince you not to get involved, can I?"

"_Hell_no."

"Didn't think so."

******

Evenings was usually the time when Martha Halladay could be at ease. The one recent exception was that interruption she had from Simon Sanders after what was apparently an issue with the audition that Ethan Maydoor was overseeing. There was a meeting about it earlier in the week but Martha had been busy trying to sort out the newest IP acquisition and producing the latest reality TV show Horizon_would be showing in next year's line up. The initial idea - _'American Gladiator Warriors' - was far too testosterone-poisoned for her tastes.

That was why she had called the IP - Gladius - and his Corpsman - Kyle Durmont -, to her apartment for dinner. Gladius was this hulking hippopotamus that constantly smelled like a sweaty jockstrap with a little bit of blood thrown in there and purposefully wore as little clothing as possible. He was big, burly, lean and the walking representation of AGW. Concept designs for the show's logo were already flashing through her mind featuring Gladius' silhouette but when she thought about how sensitive people could be these days, she needed to make some changes and that started with Gladius. After all, Kyle would be responsible for distributing the idea of Gladius through the Overworld and as such spreading the idea of the show to get more viewers. The Overworld had an entirely different, untouched market that was filled with independent-thinking and mostly liberally-minded individuals. They needed to be as inclusive as possible.

Surf set down the large roast that the portly and huggable whale shark had been preparing all day for this occasion followed by the pork belly complete with crispy, golden-brown skin. There was a side of sweet, sauteed apples, some lightly pickled red onions and a salad but the main dish definitely was the protein. Something that Gladius clearly noticed as he immediately reached out, without any cutlery, and tore a chunk right out of the roast with his bare hands. Again without use of the cutlery, he shoved it right into his big muzzle and began chewing.

Martha could sympathize. Poor IPs like Gladius had been isolated in the Overworld for so long. There was no frame of reference on how civilization worked save for the small pockets where corporations had their bases or where Independents ran their Transistors. Gladius probably had to do some desperate things to get strong and powerful enough to make it through whatever audition Ethan had set up for them. She genuinely wished that they could offer refuge to every IP out there but there was such a thing as 'inundating the market'. Too many reality TV shows would cause the public to go numb to them even if they were of high quality. People would end up ignoring them and those IPs would starve.

She _wished_could save every IP but practicality was always one of her greatest strengths. Developing a Messiah Complex would only be to her detriment and ultimately make things worse for the Overworld.

"Gladius, dear," she said gently. "Do slow down. This is fresh out of the oven. You don't want to burn yourself."

The hippo regarded her with these blank, hazed eyes that she had seen so many IPs fresh out of the Overworld have. It was sad but at the same time, she relished the time when those eyes would shine like Surf's; full of life, appreciation and wonder. Relief of not having to struggle every day of their lives would fill them with so much energy that it motivated her every day to make sure each show was as strong as it could be and none of them would ever be canceled.

Little wonder why The Horizon Channel boasted the largest number of reality TV shows with many of them running for over fifteen years with consistent ratings too. Some would say there was only so many hours in the day to fill with hour-long shows about people making fools of themselves but that was why, as part of her role, she had pushed for streaming services. That way, people could watch their favorite shows without having to be restricted to certain times.

"Sorry about that, Ms. Halladay," Kyle Durmont said. The Corpsman of Gladius was a typical Corpsman. Fit, strong and with the look of a corporate worker who took the time to make sure he went to the gym every afternoon and maybe even in the evening. The suit he wore hugged his body extremely well and gave him the perfect silhouette of a confident but approachable weasel. The glasses were cute too though she suspected they were just for show. "Gladius is still adjusting to the Realworld. It's only been a few days since he came in, after all."

"Totally understandable," Martha said with a gentle smile. "I know when I first entered the Overworld, I was extremely overwhelmed." The regal lioness took a slice of the crispy pork for herself and a helping of the sides. "So tell me, Gladius, how does the Realworld compare?"

Gladius froze, staring at her with wide-eyed surprise but at the same time a sort of distant look like he wasn't seeing her so much as peering elsewhere. A long, drawn-out, 'uh' emerged from his broad muzzle.

"He's overwhelmed," explained Kyle with a casual smile. "The beds are certainly softer, the warmth of the sun is very different and there's actually _weather_that isn't being controlled by an IP. He's really looking forward to the first natural snow and -"

Martha lifted a paw, silencing the weasel. "Kyle, dear, one of the best qualities any manager can do is never speak for someone else unless directly asked. You show trust towards those who report to you and show strength to everyone else." She never let her gaze falter from Gladius. "So, Gladius. What do you say?"

The burly hippo gave her a blank stare, letting his mouth hang open with half-chewed roast in between his teeth. A reaction typical of most IPs who were just coming into the Realworld. Surf described it a little like sensory overload. The Overworld, despite being a world of imagination and concepts, was surprisingly devoid of many things that Martha took for granted. The warmth of the sunlight, the scents in the air, even the breeze or some annoying flies were missing. When she first stepped into the strange, parallel dimension it was like everything became muted. The reverse could be concluded for those born in the Overworld coming into the Realworld.

"I... uhm..." began Gladius.

There was a hurried knock on her door, causing her ears to perk in surprise. Guests at this hour were unexpected... unless it was something disastrous. Some part of her hoped that it wasn't Sanders again. The rabbit's condescending tone grated on her. Made her feel like some prized bird in a gilded cage.

"Excuse me," she said, rising to her feet. "I'll go get that."

"You don't have to," Surf said, lifting a hand. "I can get it."

"Nonsense," she said, pulling him towards her seat. "You made this feast. It's only fitting that you enjoy it as well." She patted his shoulder a little forcefully so that he would sit down. "Go, eat. I'll answer the door."

Making sure her hair was perfectly straight, she headed towards the door to her apartment and without even checking who it was, opened it immediately. The expression of pleasant surprise was already prepared and she was ready to unleash it the moment she saw Sanders' smiling features. In fact, she had already stepped aside slightly in full anticipation of Airwave smelling the feat and barging in immediately. Pleasant surprise turned into genuine surprise when she noticed the rather disheveled Zoom was standing on the other side of the door.

"Zoom?" she asked, appraising the Mako shark. The bright pink suit was on-par with what the flamboyant showman would normally wear but it was heavily askew. The ruby-red tie was partially loosened, the jacket was unbuttoned and the underlying white, collared shirt was untucked. The proud, straight-backed poise was gone; replaced with a slouched, desperate and worried expression.

"Martha! Thank god! Is Simon here?"

Martha shook her head, partially in confusion and partially to answer. "No. I'm sure he's working late like he always is." She gingerly wrapped an arm around his shoulder and ushered him into her apartment. "What's wrong? You look a mess."

"We... There was a meant to be a deal going down earlier this evening," Zoom said, his voice shaking. "We were meant to have Simon and a few other Corpsmen back us up just in case. But I... I woke up an hour ago and it was well past the time we were meant to make the deal and Ethan was gone!"

She flinched. Surf immediately looked up, sensing her surprise.

"Let's go into the other room," she said gently, bringing Zoom away from the dining area and into the hallway leading to her and Surf's rooms. With some degree of privacy, she gently faced him, keeping a firm but comforting grip on his shoulders to ease the shaking. "Start from the start. What was this meeting about?"

The flickering of Zoom's eyes from left to right immediately put the shark on notice. Whatever came out of his jaws would not be entirely truthful. "It was... an interview. We had a few people related to the Overworld that we were going to sign-on. But..." He lifted his gaze towards her. "I don't know what happened, Martha. My Host is gone. I lost hours of my day. Last thing I remembered, I just coming back to the office! That was hours ago!"

She pulled him close, gently hugging him. He buried his nose against her neck while she gently stroked the back of his head, running her fingers along his fin. Surf liked that so she figured Zoom would get some comfort from it as well. "Sssh, sssh," she soothed. "It's okay. Maybe Ethan just went to meet Simon. Have you tried giving him a call?"

"Of course! But he hasn't been picking up!"

"What about Simon? You said you were going to go to this interview with him. Maybe he knows where Ethan is?"

Again, there was that flicker in his eyes, that moment of distrust and uncertainty. "I... I don't know. Simon and Ethan have never really gotten along and -"

She heard the door to her apartment swing open, her keen ears perking at the sound. One unexpected guest was a surprise. Two or more was a problem. With Maydoor's disappearance and now a second visitor, her mind went back to the old spy movies that she absolutely enjoyed as a child. With fewer resources compared to modern times on top of various special effects, those movies had managed to invoke a sense of suspense, action and sometimes even romance. The production quality made them timeless and one of the reasons that it resonated with her now. If she was writing a script, this would be the time when the antagonists would come barging in, chasing Zoom and demanding that he be handed over while assuring Martha's own safety. They'd probably go off some technicality and kill someone else.

This was no movie. Straightening, she gently hugged Zoom.

"Stay here," she insisted. "Don't move. I'll go see who that is."

Guarded but exuding an air of confidence and calm, she strode out of the hallway and back into the common area. Tension immediately left her shoulders when she immediately saw Airwave. The brown-skinned hammerhead shark stood right next to his Host, the white rabbit that was Simon Sanders. Judging from the fact that Surf was just getting up from his table, she guessed that Simon had just barged in. She must've forgotten to lock the door.

"Simon," she greeted pleasantly. "This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?"

Sanders gave her that condescending, thin smile like a father feigning patience over her daughter's scribbles and claiming it was her best work yet and deserved a place on the fridge. "Just business, my dear. Ethan has gotten himself into a spot of trouble again. Just wanted to make sure that you're safe. You haven't been in contact with him recently, have you?"

Something was definitely amiss. Her instincts were telling her not to divulge Zoom's whereabouts but her professional side warned her to be as transparent as possible.

"No," she answered, shaking her head in confusion. "I haven't. Why? What's happened?"

"He's gone wandering off," sighed Sanders, pressing two fingers against his temple and shaking his head in exasperation. "Hasn't answered his phone. We were meant to meet some potential new acquisitions earlier this evening but when we didn't meet at the predetermined location at the appointed hour, I started calling him. He was not responding. I tried calling Zoom as well but he wasn't answering either."

The shark currently hiding in her hallway hadn't mentioned that.

"Did you need help looking for him?" Martha asked. "I can get my coat and -"

Simon held up his paw sharply. "No, no. Nothing so drastic. I am the Chief Security Officer, after all. Acquisitions ultimately go through me. This is my responsibility. Speaking of which..." He gestured towards Kyle. "Come, Gladius, Kyle. We should leave."

Kyle stood up and a second after he did, so did Gladius. "Of course, sir."

Simon turned back towards Martha with that same, false smile. "Do call me if you hear anything, would you?"

There was something behind Simon's deep, brown eyes; it smoldered and burned quietly behind that calm facade. As an actor, he was well-versed at putting on a show but Martha was an expert in learning and editing people's actions to make sure they were as convincing and consistent as possible. This was no different. Sanders was clearly hiding something.

"Naturally, Simon. Do give Ethan my regards when you next see him."

Simon tipped an imaginary hat towards her and turned on his heel, marching out stiffly. Kyle and Gladius were just behind them and they shut the door quietly but with an air of haste. Surf followed them a moment later and locked the door a few seconds later. The big, portly whale shark snorted at the the departing entourage.

"I should install some sort of alarm when that rodent gets close. I don't trust him."

As loathed as she was to admit it, Martha was starting to distrust Simon as well. "He's still our coworker and the Chief Security Officer. It's only natural that he be a little shady."

Surf's blue eyes switched to her. "So why didn't you tell him about Zoom?"

She turned back towards the hallway where she had left the fugitive shark. "I don't know. Did you see Airwave?"

"Of course. Simon never goes anywhere without him. Why?"

Glancing over her shoulder, she regarded her IP with a grim stare. "He didn't make a beeline for the food or the couch. He was standing right beside Simon."

Surf's eyes widened briefly. "I see."

She headed back into the hallway. "I'm going to go see Zoom and -"

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Given the reliance on it to enter the Overworld at any time, she always had it on her person even when she was at home. Reaching for it, she was surprised to note that it came from an unknown number. Ordinarily, she would have just declined the call and blocked the number. But she after everything that had happened this evening, she broke with her usual protocol and accepted the call.

"You've reached, Martha Halladay. How may I assist?"

A trick she'd learned with many telemarketers that machines would register responses like 'Hi' or 'Hello'. Avoiding it often tricked them into thinking it was voice mail and wouldn't redirect to a person that would sell her car insurance or something else equally as ridiculous. Two seconds of silence was often all she'd give.

It only took one before someone replied.

"Hello, Martha. Good to hear you're safe."

Her eyes widened and she looked towards Surf, her muzzle hanging open in surprise. This evening was simply full of these. "Ethan," she said loud enough so her IP could hear. "We were just talking about you."

"Have you come into contact with anyone unusual tonight?"

"Not so much. Zoom stopped over and Simon came looking for you." Keeping her voice light and casual, she added, "Apparently you were meant to go to a meeting for some acquisitions this evening and got separated from Zoom. He came here looking for you."

"You could say something came up that enlightened me. Listen, we need to talk. Bring Zoom but do not inform Sanders."

She frowned and approached Surf so he could overhear. "Ethan, if you're in any sort of trouble, we should let the CSO know..."

"On the contrary, Martha. I am quite safe. Safer than you, in fact. You_are the ones in danger."_

That made her exchange glances with Surf. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure I quite understand..."

"You have been lied to, Martha. From the very beginning."

Surf immediately snatched the phone from her, lifting it to his ears. "What are you talking about, Maydoor? What do you mean dead?" he demanded.

"Surf. Good. Tomorrow. Meet me at the location I will text you shortly. In the Overworld. I have something to show you. Tell no one else."

The line went dead and the whale shark regarded Martha with an expression caught between disbelief and worry. For someone who constantly dabbled in various forms of editing and reality television, she found herself unprepared for all the drama that was besetting her. First there was Zoom, then Simon and now Ethan. It seemed like she was caught in the middle of a three-way struggle and she couldn't decide who to trust or which side to pick. With all three sides hiding something from her, she found herself unable to make an informed decision.

"So what do we do?" Surf asked.

Martha turned her head, looking out the window into the Manhattan skyline.

"Remember that season of Natural Selection where one of the fan favorites was this honest and trust-worthy fireman doing the show for his kids and he got caught between two teams that were trying to out-vote one another?"

The burly shark nodded. "I remember. They were evenly split and he would've been the tie-breaking vote."

"Remember what he did?"

He offered her a faint smile. "Yeah... Yeah I do."

"Then let's do that."

******

Maydoor set down the borrowed burner phone and let out a long sigh. "There," declared the Fennec. "It's done."

Ecks rested a large hand on the smaller fox's shoulder. "How did she take the news?"

"Cautiously," answered the COO, handing the phone back to him. "I'm unsure exactly how she will react especially since both Sanders and Zoom visited her but this is our best bet. She probably had a visit from the latest IP and Corpsman before they interrupted her."

Ryker sat at the kitchen counter watching the entire, tense exchange. They were back in the Realworld so they had to be quiet as Hayden was fast asleep and they were already pushing well past one in the morning. According to Maydoor, they purposefully kept Martha away from any of Horizon's more unscrupulous dealings to make sure that her presence as the face of the company was as genuinely positive as possible. This meant she was completely ignorant of all the blood sports in the Overworld and the fact that they turned IPs into mindless Dosers. They actually had a system where they used _several_Corpsmen to materialize a Doser into reality as one would an IP and basically used them as a puppet to placate Martha.

This was news to Ecks.

"Dosers can't be brought into the Realworld," claimed the dragon. "That's impossible."

"It is and we have been using it to keep Martha ignorant," Maydoor countered. This technique was tied to Horizon's CFO's Function. Van Basker's Function was Code Red - Method Acting. It allows him to materialize something albeit temporarily from the Overworld to the Realworld and vice-versa. The drain on Basker is immense and proportionate to the complexity of the item he was materializing. For something like a basic plate of food or a tool, it wouldn't be so draining but for a living, breathing - albeit mindless - creature like a Doser, Basker had to go into a mini-coma with his IP, the Great White Shark called Outtake - having to guard him.

"It makes Basker very dangerous, though," warned Maydoor. "Outside of his task of materializing Dosers, he can basically bring Outtake in his entire form into the Realworld. All his powers included. Same with Dosers. They have access to all of their abilities. For Outtake, Basker doesn't need to go to sleep and is still able to function but for other Dosers, he does."

Bringing Takoshi, Bryce and Decanter into the Realworld to the Overworld and vice versa was a severe drain on their shared energy reserves and none of them could fully materialize everything either. None of them had access to their abilities like they would in the Overworld. Theoretically it was possible if their energy reserves were high enough but it had never been done in recent history. According to Decanter, the only time that ever really happened - at least according to legend - was when the gods of ancient civilizations came to Earth to manipulate nature. That needed the collective belief and imagination of entire civilizations.

"Back to Martha," Ecks continued. "We can't tip off Raven that we're on to him. What we can do is tip the scales so when we do attack, it'll be a swift blow. If we remove both you and Martha, that's half of Raven's main officers gone and it'll immediately impact how the public sees Horizon. Remember, you're all tied to the very perception of Horizon_both figuratively and metaphorically. Your sudden departure, even if it's hushed up, will impact your presence in the Overworld and thus everyone's perception of you and _Horizon. Stocks will plummet, people will doubt and employees will defect. That will weaken Raven as he will be tied to Horizon itself."

"Couldn't we just do something like slander reality TV as a whole?" Tess suggested. "I mean, this Raven douche is trying to be the God of Reality TV right? If we just talk shit about the genre, can't we do more damage to him?"

"Possibly but changing the minds of an entire civilization even if we're just limiting it to Manhattan is next to impossible unless we have more time. Which we don't. Ethan's disappearance even if just for a single day is more than enough to trigger alarm bells given the circumstances. Sanders was involved and he's clearly out for blood."

"We don't have the time to kick up a whisper or smear campaign," added Decanter. "All we can do right now is go ahead with the plan."

Ecks nodded and lifted his phone, ready to return to the Overworld. "Then it's settled. I'll take Maydoor back to a safe location. Tomorrow, we'll meet at the designated spot and try to convince Martha to join our side. I'll accompany Maydoor throughout tomorrow to see if we can get some supplementary evidence as well. In the meantime, the rest of you get some sleep. It's been a long night."

Ryker stood up from where he was seated and approached Maydoor. He held out his paw towards the smaller Fennec. "Just wanted to say thanks for trusting me. I know it was a long shot but I'm glad you decided to side with us."

For a long moment, Maydoor hesitated before he reached out and grasped Ryker's paw. "I should thank you for confirming my fears. I never felt safe since my promotion into Horizon. Now I know why." There was a steely resolution in the Fennec's dark eyes. "But now, I want to make sure Zoom is safe as well. I can't be safe until he is as well."

Not exactly the most altruistic motivation but Ryker decided not to make that comment aloud. Releasing Maydoor's paw, he took a step back while Ecks gently placed a hand on the Fennec's shoulder. They vanished into the Overworld, their bodies being there one instant and then just disappearing the next like he had just blinked and they were gone. Tension that he didn't know he was holding in his shoulders suddenly evaporated and he slumped back, nearly stumbling into Bryce who was immediately there to catch him.

"You okay there, Boss?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, rubbing his head. "I'm fine. I think I just need some sleep. It's been one hell of a day."

"I'll help you to your room."

Ryker turned to Tess. "Did you want to sleep over?" he suggested. "We don't have any beds in the other rooms but I can take the couch if you wanted to take my bed."

Tess stuck out her tongue at him, being surprisingly cheery despite the threat to her life. "No. I am not going to sleep anywhere that six gay dudes and one bi-curious guy call their 'home'. I know it's late but I don't live too far. I can make it to my place."

"I'll come with you," Takoshi grunted, garnering a curious look from both Ryker and Tess. "It's New York City, it's one in the morning. I don't care how badass you think you are, Onee-san, but you are not walking out there alone."

It looked like there was some quip about feminism or outdated standards about to burst from Tess' muzzle but she took a second, smiled and then nudged Takoshi's sides. "Thanks, Yojimbo. I appreciate it."

"I shall accompany you too," Decanter said, stepping forward. "Not that I don't trust Takoshi just that we should be worrying about Corpsmen as well. Zoom knows where we live. He and Maydoor came to us this afternoon and Ecks didn't wipe their memory far enough to make them forget our encounter. Who knows what he might be planning?"

Takoshi grunted in agreement. "Good idea." He glanced at Tess. "They don't know where you live, right?"

Tess shook her head. "Basically dragged me out of work. I might call in sick tomorrow. You guys owe me a day's work."

Glad that Tess was going to be well taken care of, Ryker retired to his room, escorted by Bryce. He heard the front door open and shut, a few farewells exchanged between Tess, Cliff and Arthur. He basically collapsed into his bed face first and almost dozed off to sleep there and then... when he discovered Bryce crouching down onto the floor next to his bed. After a few moments of watching, he noticed that Bryce was curling up on the ground next to his bed to preserve warmth.

Ears perked, he crept up to the edge of his bed, peering over and observing Bryce for another second. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Bryce regarded him curiously. "I don't have a bed, remember, Boss?"

He inclined his head slightly, recalling that Bryce had only really been with them for about a day or so. "Where have you been sleeping?"

"On the couch. But I figure I'll sleep here if that's okay, Boss. Just don't want anyone sneaking in just in case."

Despite his powerful and intimidating physique, Bryce struck a cute and vulnerable figure huddled on the floor there. Ryker shuffled towards the other edge of the bed and lifted his blanket. "Get in here, you goof."

Bryce hesitated for a moment but relented and shuffled under the sheets. The crimson pugilist didn't play coy by turning his back to Ryker and instead faced him. Their arms instinctively wrapped around one another, with Ryker resting his head against Bryce's bicep and the bigger wolf's paws curling around the small of Ryker's back. For the first time, Ryker could really get Bryce's sent.

It was warm and heavy, reminding him a little of humid, summer days. After the events of the day, Bryce was a little musky. That only made him more alluring. As tempting as it was to tear off the black shirt of the gym and start licking the wolf's abs, weariness of the evening's events were wearing down on him, drawing his eyelids shut.

"Hey Boss...? Can I ask you something?"

Ryker barely managed to mumble an affirmative.

"If everything went to shit... especially at the end there where Sanders came in, would you have given ourselves up even if it meant that we would stay free but enslave others?"

Ryker didn't need to think about it. "Never."

There was a moment when Bryce pulled him closer. "Would you have rather died than do anything like that?"

In that case, he did have to pause, opening his eyes momentarily. "I'd rather not die. I'll keep fighting until I can break free. I like being an Independent. I would do everything to make sure everyone I meet will be free. Because even death is a kind of slavery."

Bryce froze for a moment then let out a short laugh. "Wow... Never thought of it like that. I know a few people who would've said that death is the ultimate freedom."

There Ryker looked up towards Bryce, locking gazes with those red eyes. "Would you rather have died than be a corporate slave to someone like Sanders? Even if we were given some degree of autonomy?"

The wolf gave him a faint smile. "I was seriously considering it. It wouldn't have been any different to working as a spy for Horizon. Always fearing when I'd be fired, how me performance would be judged. It would've been hell."

Ryker leaned forward and gently nuzzled Bryce's neck. For a second, the bigger wolf tensed but then relaxed and curled his paw behind Ryker's head. "I would've found a way. You know my Function can break Contracts, right?"

There, Bryce pulled him away forcefully and regarded him with a look of utter disbelief. "It can do what?"

He returned that look of surprise. "I never told you? Break literally lets me break anything. I once blew off someone's leg and I used it to free another IP from AllAle. It actually helped us against Emile."

Bryce blinked at him a few times as if each time he opened and shut his eyes was another moment when he could process the information into bite-sized bits. "Sorry if I sound dumb about this, Boss, but... why didn't you bring it out against Sanders?"

"It's a trump card," Ryker answered, lowering his gaze. "I'm still new to all this so I can't fully control it. Blowing off Kanoth's leg was an accident. I thought it might just break his bones but it completely disintegrated it. It uses my RAM as well so against a lot of Corpsmen, it isn't that useful. I have managed to manifest it but it takes the form of a really heavy warhammer. I'm not strong enough to really wield it effectively."

"And that's why you've been training hard, huh?" Bryce chuckled softly. "You know, if you want to build muscle, you've got to eat well too. You can't just train like a beast."

"I know that," he answered indignantly. "I've been eating three times a day."

"Uhm... No." Bryce gave him a sheepish look. "If you want to build muscle, you can't go into calorie deficit. That'll have you lose weight. Yeah, you'll get lean muscle but if you want to get stronger, you need to feed those growing muscles."

"I guess..." Ryker sighed softly.

"Tell you what," said the bigger wolf, pulling him closer. "How about I take care of your training from now on?"

"You? No offense, by why you?"

Bryce gave him a pointed look. "Boss, remember, I came from a cereal brand that was meant to be all about health and fitness. I spent years trying to follow that track to see if I could get picked up by someone else. Plus some of the artists who drew me and wrote fanfiction of me knew a little bit about anatomy and bodybuilding. I know what I'm talking about."

Strange as it was, of all the people running the gym, Bryce could actually be the most qualified to be a trainer.

"Sure," Ryker responded with a shrug. "I mean, I guess it couldn't hurt."

"That's the spirit," Bryce chuckled. He rested his chin on top of Ryker's head, the warmth and closeness of the embrace quietly lulling Ryker to sleep. "So Maydoor and Sanders doesn't know about your Function, huh?"

"Nope," Ryker yawned. "Doesn't know about Cliff's either. I think we'll be fine."

"I hope so. But I know you'll find a way to get us out of any situation. Like you did with what happened tonight. I mean, that was really inspired, Boss. I would've never thought to recruit Ecks and even get Maydoor on our side. To be honest, I kind of thought Zoom would fall in line but I guess they had their own plans as well. Makes me wonder why Maydoor didn't know about Sanders. But I guess that's because Zoom kind of does things he _thinks_Maydoor wants. Those two are kind of disconnected but you can tell that they -"

The quiet breathing from Ryker had Bryce stop. He glanced down at the slumbering wolf in his arms and smiled gently. He watched Ryker sleep for a few minutes before glancing off to the left, perking his ears towards the door to make sure no one was about the burst in. Sensing no one, he leaned down and gently kissed Ryker's forehead.

"Good night, Boss."