FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 26: AA-28690

Stepping into the kitchen, his eyes fixated on his coffee mug, Louis lifts his head and stops in his tracks. Standing in front of the faucet, Mackenzie pours herself a glass of cold, purified water the attached filter. No sooner than she turns off the faucet, she notices him standing there. Unable to help herself, she bows her head, turns her eyes upward, to gaze into his, and flashes a warm but nervous smile. Her lips curl around the corners of her snout as she gazes bashfully at the human.

Clearing his throat, he makes his way past her, searching for the coffee bean grinder. She turns her body toward him as he carefully shimmies by, lifting her head and leaning closer. He pauses and nearly stumbles, tripping over his own feet. Reaching out his free hand, he rests it on her shoulder. She gasps, turning her head and looking down at his hand. His face flushes, turning a rosy hue as he stares with wide eyes at his now trembling hand.

“I-I’m s-sorry! I just... Uhm...”

He gulps as he tries to overcome his extreme anxiety. Turning her amber eyes away from his hand, she looks up and into his eyes, only to step a little closer. He can feel her hot breath on his upper chest as the five-foot-nothing mouse AdvAnimal inches closer. Her fleshy, pink tail sways behind her as she sets her glass of water on the counter which is pressed so painfully into his back. Without thinking, he moves away from the counter and his heart nearly stops when he feels her flat belly and modest breasts pressing into him.

Mackenzie is overwhelmed by the sensation of having him against her that her hand jolts and she spills the glass of water. Though they hear it dripping onto the tile floor, Louis ignores it and somehow finds himself resting a hand on her hip. With her head now on his shoulder, they both shiver uncontrollably, their own anxieties somewhat comforting the other; at least they know that both of them are struggling.

“Y-you spilled your water.” He speaks softly into her large, round ear.

“Uh-huh...” She whimpers, reaching up a hand and resting it on his other shoulder.

“W-we sh-should probably c-clean that up.”

“Uh-huh...” She nuzzles his neck very softly with her nose.

“Or we could...”

He turns his head while Mackenzie tilts hers back. Though she only intended to look up at him, her snout brings her closer than she was expecting. Though entirely unintentional, his turns toward her and presses their lips together. Their eyes grow wide as they hold an awkward kiss, though both of them have secretly longed for this moment. With her brow softening, she grabs onto Louis’ shirt, and though she adapts to the situation with startling rapidity, Louis on the other hand...

“I-I’d better clean that up!” He exclaims, abruptly pulling away from her.

“Huh?!” She whimpers.

“They’ll probably get mad if the floor starts to warp or something! I-I just need t-to grab some paper towels and we can refill your glass and then-”

Using a hand and the coffee mug to cover his growing erection, he turns so quickly that it smacks into the island and shatters. Startling himself, he drops the handle and jumps back. Mackenzie takes a step backward as the increasingly embarrassed Louis drops to his knees to pick up the pieces.

“Oh, damn! J-just be careful where you step, okay?” He says, looking at her bare feet.

Looking down at the visibly trembling and red-faced human, she finds a bizarre cuteness in his paralyzing nervousness. Slowly dropping to her knees, she helps him pick up the pieces of the mug, only to use that moment to try and inch closer. All she wants is one more kiss. Moving her face closer to his, she gains his undivided attention. Seeing her stare, he pauses as he picks up another tiny piece of the ceramic mug, only to gaze into her eyes. She leans closer, and so does he.

As their lips are drawn together, like magnets of the opposite polarity, their hearts beat faster and faster. Just as they’re about to touch, he can hear the footfalls of one of his friends and turns his head. Mackenzie finds herself kissing Louis’ cheek. Slumping back and sitting on her legs, she watches with sad eyes as he suddenly seems more focused on whoever is approaching.

“I’ll clean this up and you can get a fresh glass of... Macky?”

With her frustration mounting, the mouse girl has already risen to her feet, walked around the island and storms out of the kitchen. She tosses the broken bits of coffee mug into the trash can as she passes it. Seeing her frustration, Samara and Connor both raise their brows and glance back at her as they enter the kitchen.

“Oh, boy...”

Stepping further into the kitchen, they find Louis sitting in a puddle of water, staring at the base of the refrigerator with a broken coffee mug in his hands.

“You, uh... You alright, buddy?” Connor asks.

“I don’t know...”

Seeing the melancholy on his face, Samara’s typically cool and collected demeanor begins to change. Her cat-like ears droop and she frowns, her brow softening as she looks Louis over. He’s so pitiful, sitting there like that. Just as Connor begins to speak, she taps him on the shoulder, gaining his attention. He turns to her and she pantomimes a request. Connor looks back at Louis, before turning toward his lover and nodding.

“I’ll go find a broom or something. See you later.”

Walking out of the room, Samara and Connor are truly separated for the first time since their relationship began. Approaching Louis, she first collects some paper towels before drying off a section of the floor and sitting beside him. Taking out her special phone, she finds him in her contacts list and texts him. Beep!

“What’s wrong?” Her message reads.

“I, uhm... Well... Macky and I... It’s, uhm...” He stammers.

“Would it be easier to write it?” She texts him.

After a sigh, Louis slides open his phone and begins to type. He drafts a long, thoughtful message explaining his nervousness and tension but makes it clear that he does desire the mouse girl. They’ve grown so close other these past months. He dreams about her sometimes. Her mere presence brings him comfort and she’s so easy to talk to, but something inside of him makes it so hard to move beyond their friendship. The fear is paralyzing, and the worry about her reaction makes him want to find a dark place to hide.

Perhaps it’s his lack of experience? He’s gone all his life without a proper girlfriend; in his mid-thirties, he has as much experience in these matters as when he was fifteen. Contrary to what he’d assumed, his anxieties have only grown worse the more he’s shut himself away. Samara sits with him, reading his massive text, only to silently chuckle and flash a little smile. Shaking her head, she types her response. Beep!

“I understand your fear. I was afraid when I first saw Connor and realized that I wanted him.”

“Really?! You... Afraid...”

“Shh!” She briefly glares, a finger pressed against her lips, before pointing at his phone.

“Sorry...”

“I soon discovered that he was as interested in me as I was in him, and so one night I decided to pounce.” Her text continues. “Mackenzie cares for you. Personally, I believe that she may even love you. I don’t think there’s anything you could do in showing your feelings that she wouldn’t like. That doesn’t mean she won’t be scared or nervous but if you were to pounce, like I did, she would let you. I think you should do that.”

“... What?” Louis gulps, his eyes wide as he stares at the phone. “Are you serious?!”

Shaking her head again, Samara sighs and drafts another text. Beep!

“I’m always serious. Wait for her to go to bed and then visit her in her room. Don’t even knock, just walk in. You’ll be surprised.”

Louis is frozen by her message, staring almost through his phone and down to the Earth’s molten core. Reaching out her clawed hand, Samara waves it in front of his face for a moment. When he doesn’t respond, she snaps her fingers.

“I’ve wanted to do that...” He suddenly murmurs, his eyes unblinking as he stares through her hand. “But I’m just so scared.”

Narrowing her eyes, the cat girl’s lips curl into a sinister grin. She drafts another text. Beep!

“One of you has to take the next step. It should be you. If you wait too long, she may believe that you aren’t interested, and though there aren’t any available men here, that doesn’t mean she can’t find one. Women have needs. I’d never share Connor, but maybe Alie or Vicky would be willing to let their men accommodate her?”

“No...” He groans.

“Then you’d better act fast before she finds another man to take care of her!” She texts.

Patting his shoulder, she rises up from the floor and walks toward the archway. She pauses to glance over her shoulder, her heightened sense of hearing picking up his nervous and fearful gulp. Wracked with fear, anxiety, and anger over prospect of losing Mackenzie to another, Louis grimaces and places his hands along the sides of his head.

“Heh...”

Finding her lover sitting on the stairs and holding a broom, Connor leans back and pretends it’s a guitar, his eyes closed as he hums one of his favorite songs. She cannot help but giggle at the sight.

“Oh, hey!” He sits up. “Is everything good?”

“Mhm!” She nods as she sits beside him.

“Oh... Cool! So, uh... Does he need this?” He holds out the broom.

“Mm-mm!” She shakes her head.

“Good. I’m still playing with it, anyway. Do do do, do-do do do-do-do, do do do, do-do do do-DO-do!”

Getting up from the stairs, he continues to play with the broom as he makes his way toward his workstation.

“Breaking the law, breaking the law. Breaking the law, breaking the laaaaw!” He sings.

Again, Samara cannot help but giggle as she follows right behind him. Taking a seat in his chair, he turns toward his computer and sees a notification.

“What the?!”

Dropping the broom to the floor, he leans in and begins clicking icons on the screen.

“Hmm?” She rests a clawed hand on his shoulder.

“Direct message from AA-28690. How the hell? ... Get everyone in here, right now!” He turns to her.

Using her phone, she sends a group message and within moments, everyone crowds around the workstations.

“How did someone access our secured line?!” Donnie thinks aloud.

“I don’t know, but they did.” Connor replies.

“Hmm...” Mackenzie types away, searching through the code for hidden back-doors.

“I don’t think it was a hack. Maybe we missed something?” Louis suggests.

“Impossible. I wrote this code and designed the system we use to contact our people. Someone must have been breached.” Connor confidently retorts.

With an uncanny ability to read computer code, Mackenzie soon turns toward the others and shakes her head. It wasn’t a hack.

“Maybe someone gave out our information?” Jack theorizes.

“And why would they do that?!” Connor turns toward him.

Jack merely shrugs his shoulders.

“Could be they want to tell us something. What did the message even say?” Donnie asks.

“I don’t know.”

“You didn’t even read it before you started freaking out?” Jack raises an eyebrow.

“No. Duh! You think I want to infect my workstation with some random virus or spying software?!” Connor snaps.

“This is encrypted, text-only communication software running on heavily modified DOS. I don’t think they could send any viruses through it. You designed it that way, remember?” Louis politely retorts.

“Oh... Right... Well, still! Better safe than sorry!” Connor exclaims.

“Just open the damn thing!” Donnie rolls his eyes.

With a frustrated sigh, Connor turns his chair around and nervously opens the message.

“I know what you’ve been doing. I want to help you. I may have some information for you. If you’re interested in blowing the lid off of Sovereign Six, reply “1” to this message. Sincerely, AA-28690”

The group looks among themselves for a moment before someone finally begins to speak.

“Well... Short and to the point... The real question is do we trust it?” Jack asks.

“Macky?” Louis turns to the mouse girl who sits beside him.

Opening a text box, she types out her reply onto her computer monitor, which then begins to speak the message.

“I don’t see a flaw in the code and there wasn’t a breach. They knew exactly how to reach us. That makes me slightly more comfortable responding to whoever it is.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s legit, though.” Connor replies.

“Maybe they got to one of our people, like Gunny, and they’re trying to lure us out for a bust?” Donnie suggests.

“Or maybe they tracked down one of our people and convinced them to hand over our information, and they really do what to help us.” Louis retorts.

“Either way, this is a breach...” Connor sighs, slumping back in his chair.

“Something this big, maybe we should bring in Martin?” Jack asks.

“Why?” Connor raises a brow.

“Yeah, man, I don’t see the need. I mean, not to demean him, I love him like a brother, but he’s the cash cow and we’re the soldiers.” Donnie chimes in.

“Yeah, but he is a part of the crew.” Louis remarks.

“I’m just saying, if this is some sort of ploy, especially if they tracked down one of our people, they might already know where we are... Gunny’s made deliveries before... Maybe we should visit Martin and bring him up to speed...” Jack sternly warns.

Finally realizing his concerns, the entire crew promptly packs their bags. Within ten minutes, they’re walking out of the back door and heading for their vehicles. Donnie and Victoria climb into his ‘89 Ford Mustang, while The Four Horsemen and their girls climb into the van, now disguised with U-HAUL decals. After a long drive into the city, just as night begins to fall, they pull into the parking garage of Martin’s luxury apartment complex.

Parking in the same blind spots that they always use, they walk close to the walls and enter an express elevator, riding it up to his penthouse. All of the men and even the girls have been given the code to access his penthouse in case of an emergency. It’s the closest thing they have to a safehouse, at least in the state of Indiana. As the bell dings and the doors open, they find the penthouse, which takes up the entire floor, suspiciously dark.

Making their way through the large and extravagant apartment, they call out to Martin and Camilla, but neither of them answer. They check the kitchen, the massive living room, a study and an office. Are they not home?! Samara and Mackenzie suddenly turn their heads, pointing down a hallway. They head for the bedrooms and Jack knocks on the hardwood door to Martin’s room.

“Hey, Marty! Are you home?!” He calls out.

“Ooohhh-yeah!”

“Oh, good! You’re up! We had some issues and we-”

Opening the bedroom door, they barge in only to stop in their tracks. Lying on his back, atop his bed, Martin’s feet poke out from beneath the bedsheets. Camilla straddles him, her glistening, bronze-colored back facing the door, though they can see her large, beige-colored breasts from the side, jiggling as she rocks and swivels her hips. Camilla puts considerable effort into riding her lover, who grabs onto her hips and groans, which soon morphs into a roar.

Mackenzie and Louis both flush, turning their heads and averting their eyes, while Victoria and Alessandra watch with a perverse curiosity. The others merely hang their heads, roll their eyes or cover their faces with a palm.

“Rrrr-yeah! Hhhnnnn!” Martin sits up, wincing from pleasure and throwing his arms around Camilla’s sweaty body.

“Aaahhh!” She throws her head back and squeals as she feels him cumming.

“Ooohhh-yeah! Mmmm-that was... What the fuck?!” He growls, finally noticing the audience.

Turning back, Camilla shows no shame, happily exposing herself as she waves to the crowd of ten standing across the large room and beside the suddenly opened doorway. Though he taps her side, she refuses to get off of his lap, perfectly content to remain seated on his manhood.

“Don’t you guys know how to knock?!” He asks, leaning over and looking past his lover.

“We did.” Donnie murmurs, still hiding his face with a hand.

“We thought you answered.” Jack nervously chuckles, scratching the back of his head.

“Knock harder!” Martin growls.

“You said “oh, yeah!” so what were we supposed to think?!” Jack asks with a chuckle.

Pressing his lips together in a silent snarl, Martin narrows his emerald eyes and cocks his head. With a dismissive wave, he tries to shoo them out of his bedroom. Once again, he taps Camilla on the hips, just as his friend pour out of his room and back into the hallway.

“Come on, babe. Let me up.”

“Aww...” She pouts, finally rolling off of him.

She lay atop the bed, sighing with delight and stretching out her voluptuous body, clearly satisfied with their encounter. Martin climbs out of bed, grabs a bowler derby hat from a nearby stand and covers his groin with it as he storms up to the bedroom door.

“Give us a minute!” He snarls before slamming it shut.

“Sorry...” Jack smirks.

After getting dressed in the privacy of their room, Martin and Camilla finally emerge. Wearing a golden variation of Alessandra’s clothes, Camilla spends time with the girls, who all sit on the same large, sectioned couch in the living room. Meanwhile, Martin approaches his friends, who sit near the breakfast nook and lean against a nearby table.

“Okay, so what the hell are you guys doing here?” He asks with anger in his voice.

“Look, we’re sorry, okay? We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t a big deal.” Jack begins, trying to calm Martin down.

“Yeah, we didn’t mean to, uhm...” Louis becomes too embarrassed to finish his sentence.

“How long has that even been going on, Marty?” Connor asks.

Glancing over to Camilla, who smiles and waves from across the huge room, Martin smiles back and returns the gesture. He then motions for his friends to follow him, leading them toward his study.

“I’m not going to lie. Cammy tried to jump on it pretty much the second we got back that day, but I wouldn’t let her.”

“... What?” Connor asks with a laugh of disbelief.

“That’s not your M.O.” Donnie adds.

“Lay off, alright?! You know, I’ve had a lot of women and all but it’s not because I want to go from girl to girl like that. Most of them just don’t work out or they get too comfortable and I have to let them go because of what we’re doing!” An offended Martin retorts.

Taking a seat in his chair, behind his desk, he sighs and leans back. He stares at the desk for a moment before turning his eyes toward the others.

“It’s not fair to them, but I get lonely... Anyway... I sat her down and told her that I didn’t want this to be some casual thing. I wanted something legit, something real. Something like what you guys-”

He stops mid-sentence as Donnie and Connor both raise their brows in confusion.

“Never mind... Long story short, this is different. I actually took her out on dates and told her about myself.”

“You left the house with her?!” Donnie gasps.

“Sure I did! I mean, they released her type, too, not long after that... Incident...” Martin replies, looking toward Jack. “I just tell people who ask that she’s my AdvAnimal and everyone buys it, hook, line and sinker. Besides, she’s fun! She’s sweet and thoughtful and she doesn’t mind if I just want to cuddle and, well... I like her... A lot.”

“Wow...” Connor murmurs.

“And we only just started sleeping together about two weeks ago... I waited like three months! Our relationship has already lasted way longer than the others. I think it’s going pretty good!”

“Huh... Alright, then!” Donnie grins, claiming a seat across from his desk.

“What? What’s that look for?” Martin narrows his eyes.

“Nothing!” Donnie smirks.

“Anyway, we had to talk to you about something real important...” Connor begins.

As the others debrief Martin on the situation, the sudden message from a strange, outside source through their secured line, Louis finds himself lost in thought. He hardly speaks throughout the meeting, instead content to stare at the wall in the direction of the living room, where the girls, and specifically Mackenzie, sit and wait for them.

“What do you think, Louis? ... Louis?”

“Huh?! What?!” He turns toward Martin.

“I was asking what you thought about all of this.”

“I’m sorry, I... I wasn’t listening.”

“... Are you feeling alright?” Martin raises a brow.

“Just a little tired...” Louis murmurs.

“Yeah, that’s actually why we’re here. I was a little worried that, if it was bullshit, that they’d be going to the manor. Getting out of there seemed like the best idea.” Jack interjects.

“Makes sense... You can stay here tonight.”

“Do you have room?” Jack asks.

“Well, we’re all well aware of how modest AdvAnimals can be...” Martin smirks.

“Yeah...” Donnie chuckles.

“I figure the girls can all share the room with the king-sized bed, since they probably won’t mind, I’ll keep my room with Cammy, and you guys can choose between the smaller guest bedroom and the couches in the living room.”

“Fair enough!” Connor chirps.

Returning to the grand living room, Martin and Camilla attempt to entertain their guests. However, with Samara, Victoria and Alessandra all but fused to their mates at the hip, the bulk of the group are already thoroughly preoccupied. They wander the large penthouse with their lovers, enjoying time to themselves. Victoria and Donnie watch a show in the guest bedroom, while Jack and Alessandra disappear into Martin’s gym room. As a result, Louis finds himself sitting at a far corner of the segmented couch, beside Connor and Samara, watching the projector television being displayed on the massive western wall.

He glances over repeatedly, looking toward the far end of the living room. The typically shy and nervous Mackenzie builds a rapport with the bubbly and outgoing Cammy over a video game; they sit beside each other on a loveseat, playing the latest Mario Kart. She looks so enthralled by the game, her shell of shyness cracking as she leans to one side and bumps her shoulder against Cammy’s. Cammy responds, pushing her back in a playful manner and causing Mackenzie to giggle.

Standing behind the loveseat and watching the big screen LCD TV, purchased exclusively for gaming, Martin watches as his lover and the mouse AdvAnimal entertain each other. From the sheer size of the room, Louis struggles to hear what Martin is saying, and he isn’t even attempting to whisper. His friend turns toward Mackenzie, pointing at the screen and making a comment. She responds with a bashful smile and bowing her head. Louis’ heart sinks as she leans toward him and appears to giggle, taking a hand away from her controller to cover her grin.

Subtly shaking his head, Louis tries to focus on the show that he’s supposedly watching with Connor and Samara, only to see Samara leaning over. She stares at him with a strange expression on her face, looking past the back of Connor’s head. Seeing her stare, he furls his brow. Samara turns her vibrant, blue eyes, pantomiming toward Mackenzie and the others. Louis turns his head and stares in horror as Martin gently brushes Mackenzie’s braid aside, moving it from one shoulder to the other! She appears to flush but doesn’t push him away.

He gulps and looks back at Samara, who raises a brow and flashes a bizarre smile, as if to rub in the fact that she’s right. He looks at Martin and Mackenzie again. Martin glances between the Salamander and mouse girls, asking them a question. They both nod their heads. Moving away from the loveseat, Martin walks across the large hallway, past the bar counter and breakfast nook and into the kitchen. Louis stares at him the entire time. Beep! He jolts from the sudden noise, only to realize that it’s his special phone. He takes out his phone and looks at the message.

“See? He’s starting already. First, it’s friendly conversation and jokes, then it’s polite gestures like getting her a drink or making her dinner. It all gives off the same message, “I’m interested in you”, and then it’s only a matter of time before she’s nibbling on his sausage and enjoying his warm, gooey milkshake...”

Louis’ heart nearly stops at the thought, his eyes growing wide as he stares at the screen. Though he tries, a horrifying scene plays out in his mind. Martin lies back in a bed, his arms behind his head as Mackenzie enjoys the flavor of his sausage. She turns her beautiful amber eyes up to meet his gaze, her lips curling at the corners as she tries to smile with her mouth full. Suddenly, her eyes widen and her cheeks puff as Martin gives her his milkshake, which she happily ingests.

Shutting his eyes tightly, he shakes his head for a moment. Looking up from the phone, he watches in abject horror. Martin is bringing the girls drinks! Standing behind the loveseat, he leans over and kisses Camilla on the cheek, while presenting her with a glass of strange, light green liquid. She turns her head toward him and kisses him on the lips, before taking the glass. Resting a hand on Mackenzie’s shoulder as he straightens his back, Martin flashes her an innocent smile as he presents her with a cup of sweat tea. Bowing her head rather sheepishly, she smiles from cheek to cheek as she takes the glass.

“Do you want some ice with that? I wasn’t sure.”

What was that Martin just asked her?! Louis couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, Mackenzie shakes her head in response. As Martin walks away, Louis can see how she stares at him for all of two-and-a-quarter seconds. Is that longing in her eyes? That bastard. He’s moving in on Macky already!

“Did you guys want anything?” Martin asks, walking past Louis, Connor and Samara.

Louis stares blankly, while Connor asks for a Seven-Up and Samara holds up two fingers.

“You got it! Did you want anything, Louis?”

“...”

“Oookay...”

Samara and Connor lean over, staring at the deathly silent Louis, who seems to peer straight through the wall. After a moment, he gets up from the couch and begins walking toward the hallway.

“You alright, buddy?” Connor asks.

“Just need to take a little walk...” Louis murmurs.

“Okay! You go and explore! This place is definitely big enough!”

Disappearing into the hallway, Connor glances at Samara, who bats her eyelashes as she slithers a little closer. She rests her head on his shoulder as she stretches out on the couch, burying herself underneath his arm. He gives her a soft kiss near the top of her head.

“Did you use the food jokes?” He asks, whispering into her ear.

“Mmhhmm...” She coos, nuzzling him so tenderly and lovingly.

“You’re awful.” Connor chuckles, leaning over and giving Samara’s tight butt a little smack.

“Hehe!”

Wandering the halls by himself, Louis walks past the partially opened doorway to the smaller guest bedroom. Glancing inside, he sees Donnie and Victoria as they lay together in bed, watching their show. Though she’s so much taller than her lover, she’d rather be the little spoon, her back against his chest as they snuggle. Louis can feel a stinging in his chest, like an icy cold hand taking hold of his heart. He would love nothing more than to do that with Mackenzie. With a little sigh, he continues to walk. He turns a corner and passes several other rooms, only to hear a strange noise.

“Nngf-nngf-nngf-nngf!”

Furling his brow, he walks slowly down the hall, only to pinpoint the sounds as coming from the gym.

“Nngf-nngf-nngf-nngf-mmff-rrrrrr!” Jack grunts.

“Hhff-hhff-nnnmmm-ahh.” Alessandra pants and gasps.

Slowly opening the sliding door and peeking into the gym, Louis finds the couple inside. Sitting upright and on a padded bench, Jack lifts weights, while Alessandra jogs on a treadmill right beside him, her red skin glistening from her perspiration. Letting out a little chuckle, she quickly turns her head, only to smile and wave.

“Nngf-nngf... Oh, hey, Louis! Nngf. What’s up?” Jack asks, still lifting weights.

“Nothin’...”

Jack pauses and looks back at Louis for a moment. He sets the weights down and gets up from the bench, using a small towel to dry himself off. Alessandra slows the treadmill to a walk before climbing off altogether, following her lover.

“You look kind of blue. Are you alright? Did something happen?! WHO HURT MY BABY?!?!” He asks with increasing intensity and sarcasm.

“Stop it...”

“I’m just playing. Come on. Talk to me!”

“Have you ever, uhm... No, that’s not it...” Louis pauses to think.

“... Yes?”

“Was there ever something you felt like you had to do, and in your head, you knew you had to do it, but you just weren’t sure if you could? Like... “What if I do this thing but it doesn’t go the way I think it will?” or “what if I’m too scared to do it at all?” That sort of thing.”

“Oh...”

Glancing back at Alessandra, Jack stares into her beautiful, emerald eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m probably not explaining that right...” Louis sighs.

“I think I know exactly what you mean.” Jack begins, flashing his lover a warm smile.

“You do?!”

“Yeah!” He rests a hand on Louis’ shoulder. “You know what I ended up doing?”

“What?”

“I weighed how much I wanted her with how afraid I was, and when I realized that my fear was weaker than my desire, I just stopped thinking about it and did it.”

“Oh... But what if my fear is stronger?!” Louis whimpers, looking up at Jack with big, brown puppy dog eyes.

“Oh... Well, that is a problem... Hmm... I know!” Jack snaps his fingers, his eyes lighting up. “How about you distract yourself?! Get ready to do whatever and right before you do, think about something totally different but keep doing it, you know? Try to muscle memory your way through the act without letting yourself dwell on all that fear and nervousness so much.”

“Is that even possible?” Louis raises an eyebrow.

“Sure it is! Like, for instance, when I’m having sex with Alie...”

She blinks and her eyes grow wide as she slowly turns her head toward Jack. Louis’ face gradually turns beet red.

“I’ll be really going at it, right? But then I feel like I might let go too soon, so I’ll close my eyes, tense up my pelvic muscles and just imagine being at the dentist and getting my teeth drilled.”

“I see...” Louis clears his throat.

“That way, I can really, NNNN, get her over the edge one more time before I blow!” Jack casually explains, complete with a brief pelvic thrust.

Stepping closer, Alessandra rests a hand on Jack’s shoulder, furling her brow with worry as she looks between him and Louis.

“That’s a good trick, too, by the way. The last thing you want to do is get her squealing and then finish then and there!” Jack chuckles.

“Erm... Well, this has been educational but! ... I’m gonna...”

Pointing toward the door, Louis slowly steps backward, away from Jack. After a few steps, he turns and bolts away, his cheeks as red as cherries. With a little laugh, Jack turns back toward his lover.

“What? ... I was just teasing him.”

Crossing her arms beneath her breasts, Alessandra contorts her lips in disappointment and slowly shakes her head.

“I’m sorry. He’s just so easy! I couldn’t help myself! ... It’s an addiction!” He jokingly pleads.

After wandering Martin’s penthouse for a little while, Louis eventually returns to the living room. By now, Mackenzie and Camilla have ceased playing their game, and everyone sits on the segmented, L-shaped couch, watching the projector TV. It bothers him that even though they’re so close to each other, Mackenzie doesn’t glance at him even once. She used to try to make eye contact with him almost every day. Perhaps after more than one-hundred days of being unable to overcome his shyness and anxiety, she’s finally given up?

No matter how much he tries, he cannot avoid the feeling of failure. Even Martin notices his perpetual gloominess, but no one says anything. As the darkness falls, they all gather into the living room to discuss the sleeping arrangements. Though displeased, Samara, Victoria and Alessandra agree to stay with Mackenzie, in the room with the king-sized bed. Their mates are quick to remind them that it’s only for one night. Jack volunteers to stay in the living room, after Louis seems disinterested in general, remaining silent and seated on the segmented couch.

“I’d rather have a bed.” Donnie remarks.

“Me, too.” Connor agrees.

“Well... A queen is pretty big... You two could share it.” Martin smirks.

Glancing between each other, Donnie shrugs his shoulders.

“Yeah, alright, whatever...” Connor sighs.

“So... Are you going to be the little spoon?” Martin snickers.

“Shut up!” Connor growls.

“That’s a ‘no’.” Martin laughs.

“Aww, come on! I gotta hold something!” Donnie teases, reaching out his arms to Connor and stepping closer.

“You know what? You can have it! I’ll stay out here!” Connor snarls.

With the arrangements made, everyone prepares for bed. Claiming the corner of the segmented couch that’s closest to the hallway doors, Louis rests his head on the nicely padded armrest and stares. He stares for hours, until his eyes have thoroughly adjusted to the darkness. Though he knows that the girls are all sleeping in the king-sized bed, and it would be idiotic and risky for Martin to take Mackenzie under those circumstances, he still finds himself worrying and unable to fall asleep.

Lying on his end of the massive couch, Louis looks past the double doors, down the long hallway, and watches Martin’s door. He sits there, watching, all night long. Struggling to sleep by himself, as he’d grown so comfortable having Alessandra beside him, Jack repeatedly glances down at Louis. He cannot help but reminisce with amusement about his own previous anxieties, which nearly cost him his own relationship. Though it’s a struggle, the others eventually manage to get some sleep.

“Ugh... That was an awful sleep...” Connor grumbles as he sits up the next morning.

“Yeah... It just wasn’t the same.” Jack says through a yawn.

“I hear ya’.”

“How’d you sleep, Louis? ... Louis?”

Sitting up on his end of the couch, Louis’ head hangs forward. Raising their eyebrows, Jack and Connor glance at each other before slowly approaching Louis. Reaching out a hand, Jack taps him on the shoulder.

“Mmrrmm...” Louis groans.

“You alright, buddy?”

“Erm... Hmm! How dare you give me an A-!” Louis suddenly jolts awake.

“Ahh!” The startled Jack and Connor both jump.

“Sorry... I was having a nightmare.”

“Oh... About what?”

“Elementary school... That tends to happen when I get stressed out.” Louis replies, rubbing his eyes with balled fists.

As the others slowly awaken and gather in the living room, near the bar counter and breakfast nook, they discuss the message as a group, finally including the girls into the equation. While they all agree that it could be worth the risk, some of them reluctantly, they find themselves at an impasse when posed with the possibilities of what happens after they respond. They certainly won’t meet at the manor or even in the adjacent town. What if they have to travel far to meet AA-28690? What if they travel across several states and it turns out to be a trap? Though Donnie initially volunteers himself, Victoria is quick to step in, begging him not to risk himself any more.

“We’ve only been paired for a short time, but I love you, and I already know that I cannot live without you. Please don’t go. Please don’t sacrifice our love. Don’t do that to me. :'-(” She says in a group text message.

In short order, Donnie withdraws his offer, unwilling to hurt Victoria with further risks. Instead, he scoots closer, slips his arms around her slender waist and holds the towering horse AdvAnimal close, nuzzling and caressing her with all the love in the world.

“Alright... Then I’ll go.”

Alessandra swiftly turns her head, staring in horror at Jack’s words.

“... What?”

“If it comes down to a road trip, I’ll go.” Jack reiterates.

“You?” Martin asks with a raised brow.

“That surprises you?”

“Well, no, but... I mean...”

As Martin pauses, he and several other glance at Alessandra, who looks increasingly anxious and fearful over what he’s just done.

“Yeah...”

Jack sighs and slides a little closer to his lover, slipping an arm around her waist. He kisses her cheek and holds her close, and though it’s clear from her expression that she’s terrified of the thought, she wraps her arms around his waist and gives him a squeeze.

“I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think it was important. I mean, it could literally be a matter of life and death!”

After a moment, she sighs, lifts her head up from his shoulder, picks up her phone and begins to type. Beep! Everyone’s phones chirp simultaneously.

“I won’t pretend to like this decision but I won’t stand in the way of your convictions, either. I love you, Jack, more than my own life. I have loved you since the day I first saw you, when I was brought out of the darkness of Gold Base and into your home. You bring me a peace that I never had before, and all of the years I spent locked away where worth it now that I have you in my life. It terrifies me to imagine you captured or dead but it terrifies me more to imagine you not being by my side for the remainder of my life. If you want to meet this person and risk yourself, then so will I. I will go with you.”

The others look to her with shock, especially Jack.

“Babe...”

Lifting a clawed hand, she rests two fingers against his lips, then kisses him softly before drafting another text. Beep!

“I would rather be captured or die with you than stay home, waiting and worrying while you’re gone. If you want to leave on this mission, then I go with you. Period.”

“Well, that’s settled!” Connor chirps, slamming his palms atop the table and rattling the dishware. “Should we head back and see if the house is still there?!”

“Might as well.” Donnie replies, rising from his seat and pulling out his car keys.

“Let me know how that goes.” Martin waves.

Returning to the manor around noon, they find absolutely nothing. No tire tracks, no strange vehicles or packages, and no messages. Even after parking a distance away and remotely accessing their security cameras, The Four Horsemen don’t see anything out of the ordinary. With no evidence of a trap being set, they return to the manor, park behind the house and cautiously approach the home.

Jack and Samara draw their sidearms and enter first, while Donnie stays with the others for a moment. In short order, they give the all-clear and everyone resumes their lives as if nothing unusual had happened. With a long yawn, Mackenzie rubs her eyes and sends a message to the group.

“Didn’t sleep well. Going to my room.”

“Yeah, I might want to catch a few Z’s, myself.” Jack adds, slipping an arm around Alessandra’s waist.

“You don’t want to pack, first?” Donnie asks.

“Better wait to see where they even want to meet before I bother doing that.” Jack retorts.

“Ready to do this?” Connor turns to Louis.

Louis doesn’t answer him, merely standing in silence beside their workstations and watching as Mackenzie disappears upstairs. Connor leans over, raising an eyebrow and calling out to Louis several more times. Finally blinking, Louis turns his head, looking at the others.

“Huh? What?”

“Are you alright, man?” Donnie steps closer.

“You haven’t been yourself, lately.” Connor adds.

“I’m alright.” Louis speaks in a hushed voice.

“Well... Alright... So, are you ready to do this?” Connor asks again.

“Actually... ... You can do it.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not hard. Just reply “1” to the message.”

With that, Louis abruptly walks away, heading for the stairs. His friends watch in silent amazement. They cannot ever recall a time when he was so quick to abandon them, especially since they’ve begun fighting Sovereign Six.

“Let me know how it goes!” He adds as he walks up the stairs.

“Okay, then...”

Clearing his throat, Connor takes a seat in his chair, his lover, Samara, claiming Louis’ seat and leaning closer to him. Donnie and Victoria stand just behind them. Opening the message, Connor follows the instructions and replies.

“Now we just need to wait and see what they-”

Beep! The computer promptly displays a new, unread message.

“Oh!”

Connor clicks his mouse and brings up the new message.

“Thank you for accepting. Please meet me at the following coordinates in 72 hours and 35 minutes. I will be wearing all white, sunglasses and a black and white hat. Sincerely, AA-28690”

Below the message are coordinates in latitude and longitude. Connor brings up a global map and types in the stream of numbers. Zooming in, they raise their eyebrows.

“Huh... Okay...” Connor murmurs.

“Well, at least they’ll have good weather.” Donnie remarks.

“Should we say anything?” Connor looks back at Donnie.

“... Nah!”

“Should we tell them?”

“Eh... Later.”

Slipping an arm around Victoria’s waist, Donnie begins walking away, taking her toward the staircase.

“Where are you going?!”

“I was missing my girl last night. Need to make up for that.” Donnie replies.

“Oh!” Victoria coos, as he smacks her butt.

Rotating his chair, Connor looks toward Samara, and though he was about to ask her a question, he loses his train of thought when he sees the look in her eyes. Like a lioness ready to pounce on her prey, she leans even closer, her narrowed eyes scanning his form. Shifting her gaze and looking into his big, brown eyes, she curls her lips around her short, feline snout, flashing a very particular smile.

“I know that look... Upstairs or on the couch?” He asks.

“Mmm...” She coos, slowly dragging her claws over his chest before grabbing onto his shirt.

With a nervous gulp, he prepares himself. Standing only a few feet away from Mackenzie’s bedroom door, Louis closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

“I can do this...” He thinks to himself, unwilling to speak and give her any warning. “I can do this. I want to do this! I’m a manly man, ready to show my... Man-ness? Yeah!”

Opening his eyes, he takes another deep breath. Puffing up his chest, he walks confidently up to her door, opens it as if it was his own, steps inside and closes the door behind him. Turning toward her, he looks upon Mackenzie as she bolts up, sitting on her bed. She’s completely naked, her amber eyes wide with shock and possibly horror. She brings a hand to her chest, resting it near her collar bone. Just like that, all of the blood drains from Louis’ brain and he feels his body beginning to shiver.

“Oh, god! What the hell am I doing in here?! This isn’t my room?!” His brain screams to him. “Uh-oh... She’s looking at me! Maybe I should apologize, pretend I was really, really tired and leave? Yeah, that’s it! I’ll just do that!”

Clearing his throat, he turns his head and looks back at her door, staring down at the knob for a moment.

“Hey, what’s this round thing? How do you open this again?! Oh no! I’m trapped! Ahh!!!” He thinks to himself.

Closing his eyes, Louis focuses his thoughts and recalls what both Samara and Jack had told him. Turning back toward Mackenzie, he’s surprised to find her with a shy but nervous smile on her face, her head bowed but with her eyes turned upward, to look upon him. He steps closer, smiling back.

“Hi.”

She takes her hand away from her chest, as her other hand is pressed into her bed, holding her up. She waves her fingertips, and he can see that she’s trembling.

“Say something, you idiot!” His brain screams.

“I was thinking about you last night...” He begins, trying not to sound as terrified as he really is.

“Hmm?” She slowly leans back, resting against her pillows.

“Actually, I... I’ve been thinking about you a lot of nights.”

“Oh.”

Her cheeks flush beneath her fur, but as soon as he lifts a leg and places a knee onto her mattress, it becomes noticeable to him. As he inches closer, she gently nibbles on her bottom lip, trying not to appear so afraid. Her amber orbs scan his form, repeatedly looking him up and down. She’s wanted this for so long, but fantasizing about him barging into her room and him actually doing it are very different things. Though she tries, she cannot stop the trembling. As he crawls a little closer, his knee presses into the bottom hem of his dark gray shorts.

The subtle tugging near his waist throws the already shaky man off balance. He falls forward. Reaching out his hands, however, he swiftly catches himself.

“Oh, yeah. Look at that cat-like grace!” He thinks to himself.

Lifting his head and looking into Mackenzie’s eyes, he sees that they’re as wide as saucers. She stares down, her lips pressed together and contorted with nervousness. She looks so scared! He furls his brow, perplexed by the sight. That’s when he notices something.

“Wait a minute... What’s this?!”

Turning his head and following her gaze, he finds that his left hand is covering the whole of her right breast! Feeling her feminine mound for the first time, Louis cannot help himself and gives her tender flesh a soft squeeze. Though he’s almost petrified, his curiosity, for the first time ever, is stronger than his fear. He very gently, even shyly, kneads her breast.

“Erm... Mmm... Ooohhh...” She softly coos.

Succumbing to his ministrations, she slumps back as if she was melting into her bed. He gulps, feeling the warmth enveloping his entire body. That’s when he finally notices the pressure over his groin. Straightening his back and looking down, he stares in horror at his firm erection. As he wonders if she notices, his eyes nearly pop out of his head. Her hands come into view! She very slowly and nervously unbuttons the top button before shyly pulling down his zipper.

Twisting her upper body, she reaches out with both hands. Hooking her thumbs behind the waistbands, she coos as she pushes his shorts and underwear down to his knees. They both find themselves staring at his masculine peninsula. Her eyes widen as she watches it throbbing with every beat of his heart. Though she looks nervous and even a little afraid, she manages to reach out and grab his manhood.

Spurred by her curious groping, Louis leans over and steals a kiss. He’d be happy for even one, but Mackenzie surprises him yet again. She won’t be satiated so easily. Letting go of his manhood, she throws both arms around his neck and pulls him in.

“Woah!” He falls forward.

“Mmmm!”

She nuzzles and kisses him, her hands slithering up his shirt before pulling at it rather insistently. He can hardly believe this is happening, but just as Jack had said, the desire now thoroughly overwhelms his fear. Why was he even scared in the first place?! He acts on instinct, touching her in all of the right places as their passion swells. Mackenzie shares his disbelief, having long desired this very moment. Why waste the opportunity? Her arms pull him closer as she opens her legs, carefully directing him between them. Mackenzie has always wanted to have Louis for herself, and it appears that today she’ll be granted her wish.

Kiss after passionate kiss, he prepares himself for what’s to come. She moves her lips away from his and nuzzles his face, so he kisses over and along her cheek, his lips inching closer to her neck. Her chest heaves as she pants, half from nervousness and half from her intense, feminine desire, the latter of which grows with each passing second. The mouse girl lifts her legs and hooks her toes behind the waistbands, using her feet to push down his shorts and underwear even lower. She coos as Louis kisses her neck. Why does that feel so good? Has she always liked being kissed there, and just never knew it?

The stirring in her loins grows worse, and she finally notices just how moist she’s become. With a hand resting on the base of his skull, she enjoys his ministrations and opens her legs even wider. She gasps and her amber orbs nearly bulge out of her head. Tilting her head in an attempt to look down, his shoulder blocks her view. What’s he doing?! What’s that sensation she’s feeling?! It’s so pleasant. The familiarity of the sensation slowly returns. She’s felt it before, but only when she’d done it to herself.

Realizing that he’s close to claiming her, Mackenzie’s eyes slowly close and she arches her back a little, moaning softly and grinning from cheek to cheek. He teases her nether lips with the tip of his bare manhood. Is he really going to do it?! He trembles like a leaf as he works up the nerve to take the next step. The knot in his stomach is indescribable. Can he even do this?! Feeling him push against her womanhood only to back away, she worries that he’s struggling to continue. Maybe she should give him a signal of some kind? Some subtle but undeniable message for him to keep going?

She slides a hand down his back and rests it on his buttocks. Giving his behind a little squeeze is exactly the message he needs. That’s when she feels it. Louis penetrates her virgin loins.

“AHH!”