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Interlude: Lost at Sea

"Music can have very powerful curative properties. It can was away one's worries and block out the rest of the world. At the same time, it can rend one deaf to the problems that arise."

_ _

Wendy Chi

_World-renowned Musician from her book '_Becoming MUTE'

---

On Solar Winds

If I said I was surprised, I'd be lying.

Shocked, yes, but surprised, no.

When Canis ripped Jacob a new one just a day ago, he spoke with anger, disbelief and jealousy. To be perfectly honest, I was a little jealous of Jacob too. I mean, he was big, buff, handsome, powerful and he managed to snag a hottie like Leo without so much as lifting a finger. Okay, so maybe he risked his life over and over again and was genuinely impressive in that respect but when you don't show any concern about the risk you put yourself in, then it's even less impressive.

Jacob... He always struck me as this overly alpha-male character. Yes, he had other guy's dicks in him but he always got something good in the end even if it wasn't something he voiced he wanted.

And now... Well...

Somehow, he turned Canis into a bed buddy.

Or maybe they always were.

I mean, what were they doing when Jacob was 'out' while we were in transit to Angelsea? Canis had opted to stay in the medical bay for no reason and Jacob was the only one there. Then they both disappeared after Canis tore into him and gutted him which Jacob coming back ridiculously cheery and spry.

Was that why Jacob had a sudden change of attitude? He was having sex with Canis?

I'm not angry. Far from it. Hell, I would have laughed right there and then if this didn't mean heartbreak for Leo... and maybe Rex.

"How long have you been standing there!?" Jacob demanded.

"Long enough to know you two are having sex behind our backs and using your 'I hate you' act to hide the fact!" I accused, stepping into the room and shutting it behind me. The smell of sex was thick in the air and I couldn't help but get a little aroused by it. What can I say? I love big dogs and wolves. And Canis and Jacob were as big as they get.

Hell... what I wouldn't give to use my newly found leverage to get some action...

No... No... This is serious. Got to think with my brain and not my head.

"Jacob, you're mated to Leo! You can't just go sleeping around like this!"

Jacob sat up and pointed an accusing finger at Canis. "He practically raped me!"

"You can't rape the willing and from all that cum on your chest, I'd say you were pretty darn willing!" I wasn't sure if I was mad at him or at myself. Jacob got all the guys. In my short life, I had one boyfriend and while we were happy, I had broken our relationship when I broke his heart for the sake of appearances. Searching for that 'one' always came up fruitless and here was Jacob with men dropping from the sky just to be with him!

Why do people always fall for the bad boy?

"And it's not cheating if your mate is okay with it," Canis countered. He lifted his paw in surrender. "Okay, so maybe that hunk of a Tribal doesn't exactly know we're in here but knowing what you know about that pea-brained mountain of muscle, do you honestly think he'd mind I'm in here boning his mate?"

"That's what makes it so much worse!" I exclaimed. I was one more protest from stamping my feet like an impudent child. "You're taking advantage of his innocence! Doesn't that mean anything to you!?"

I could tell Jacob was mulling this over with Spectre. His eyes drifted over to the left like it always did when he was chatting with his little shoulder angel. I wished that little guy would appear more often especially in times like this.

"Look," Canis began, standing slowly. There was a slight waver to his movements and I guessed that they may have injured one another a little. "We're talking a different language here. But I think we can both agree that sex is good, right? So... What do you say you keep this and that" - he pointed at my crotch which was sporting its own tent - "in your pants and we never speak of this again. We had a deal, right?"

We did... and I was not going to be the one to break Leo's heart. Enough hearts had lain shattered at my feet and by my paws. "Fine. But this stops here."

"What are you, our mother?"

There was clearly no getting through Canis so I decided to guilt Jacob instead. "You're better than this. If you claim to love Leo, then you'll make the choice."

I turned around and stormed out, angry at them and angry at myself. It killed me that my pants were straining against my erection. I was a sucker for big dogs and seeing those two in bed...

I needed to clear my head.

The Oasis had fallen silent save for the constant rush of water that was soothing to most. I just found it incredibly annoying and it was wonder I found managed to sleep at all. Maybe that was why I was so irritable. I mean, Jacob was in a different world. Not mine. I had to respect that. Polygamy wasn't wrong just... not something I could condone. I was a one-man kind of guy and there was only one man for me...

... and it killed me that I could not be with him.

I don't know how or why I ended up in the arena at the top of the Oasis but when I stood there with the sand sinking between my shoes, I just felt the sudden urge to... let it all out. A shout ripped from my throat and I drew the chakrams that were bound to my shoulders. I sliced through the air with a ferocity that I had never felt before. Even in the desperation of battle, I could never muster such anger and strength.

In the scenario of fight or flight, I normally favoured flight with just a smidge of fight. I swung the bladed rings through the air, cursing a little as they slipped from the sweat on my palms and cut into the leathery pads. A scowl cut through my lips as I reached down and picked up the bloodied blades. The grips were slick with my blood and sweat.

I'm not sure how many times I lashed out in my imaginary targets. From time to time, the image was that of Balthazar and I was reminded of my ambition to be famous. The guy that had helped take down a tyrant. It sounded so hollow in my ears now and the image of Balthazar gave way to some other shape. I couldn't make out who it was. It wasn't Jacob or even Canis but I just knew I was angry at him.

I fell to my knees, gasping and panting.

"Direction."

I perked my ears and cast a gaze over my shoulder. Sierra stood at the entrance of the arena, slowly hobbling forward with that gentle, motherly smile on her face.

"Out of everyone in your party, I believe you are the only one left without any true direction." She wagged her finger at me like she was reprimanding me. There was no strength left in my veins to protest. "Even Jacob seems to have found his calling though, for the life of me, I cannot discern what it is. Joanna is driven by her need for rebellion, Kerry has murder in her eyes, Max's heart is set on unattainable love and even Leonardo is fixated on Jacob. But you..."

She came to stand beside me, clucking her tongue loudly. "You, Taylor, do not seem to have any real direction. Where are you going?"

"I want to be rich and famous," I murmured softly though more to convince myself than anyone else. That seemed like a lofty goal when they first started and victory after victory seemed to make that goal more and more plausible. However, now that he took a moment to step back and look at the destruction they had left in their wake... was that really what he wanted to be remembered as?

"How do you wish to obtain that?" Sierra asked tenderly.

"I thought that by defeating Balthazar and freeing Mortaelis of tyranny..." I shook my head and laughed softly. "But that seems like a stupid thing now, doesn't it?"

"Just a little bit," answered the Elemental Lord with a soft giggle. She sat down next to me, placing a grey paw over mine. It surprised me just how frail she appeared yet the difference in strengths was astounding. "Why do you want to be rich and famous, Taylor? Is this for monetary gain? Recognition? Validation of your existence?"

I shook my head. "None of those things..."

"Is it for someone?"

I had to ask myself, 'Was it? Was it really?

"It is for someone," Sierra said, leaning back with a gentle smile on her muzzle. "I know that look. I wore that same expression when I rose to prominence." Turning her gaze towards the stars above, she said, "I convinced myself I was doing it all for Balthazar. Everything I did, it was to impress him. I was searching for that proud look in his face that told me that I was finally worthy of his attention."

She shook her head, patting my paw tenderly. "But that is not the kind of validation a strong person like you needs. You are a strong, adaptive young man with great dreams and ideas. You shouldn't let that go to waste searching for the acknowledgement of someone who else."

"But what if that person is 'the one'?"

Sierra threw back her head. She groaned a little as she rose to her feet. I could almost hear her bones creaking from the effort. "Taylor, there is no such thing as 'the one'. Anyone who tells you otherwise is looking for the impossible." Her cane came snapping out and tapping my chest. There was a sharp pain as she kept hitting me and I realised she wanted me to get to my feet. "We are all puzzle pieces. Over the course of our lives, we carve out our edges and we reforge ourselves. From time to time, we find people who fit right into a segment but that side never stays the same forever. We are constantly changing and we drift apart."

A gentle wind blew, causing her black cloak to billow out to her right as she stepped away from me. "It isn't the people you find who fit your criteria that are worth pursuing. It is those people who you are willing to change for and those who are willing to change for you."

Her words struck home for me. I left someone behind a long time ago but in the back of my mind, I had dedicated every action I had taken to the hope that we would be together again in the future. Maybe, I told myself, if I became rich and famous, we'd find each other again. I'd stroll into a café surrounded by the paparazzi and I'd take my seat. He'd spy me across from the dining area and approach me. My bodyguards would stop him but I'd recognise him and invite him to sit with me. We'd exchange stories, exchange meaningful glances, grasp each other's paws across the table and then I'd tell him how I dreamed of that moment since we broke up. I'd apologize, he'd forgive me and then, we'd be happy again.

"It was a nice dream to have," I admitted softly. "It gave me a goal to work for and while it was a stupid fantasy, I really wished it'd come true." Looking at my bloodied paws, I said, "I guess when I got all this power, I thought that dream could finally be a reality. Stupid, huh?"

"No. The dream itself was not stupid. It was the attempt to make it a reality and thinking it would be exactly be the same that was stupid." She turned to me with a bright smile on her features. "You can't believe how often I have dreamed of bringing Balthazar to justice. Who would have thought I'd be allying myself with a renegade and his team of anti-Seal warriors to achieve that goal?"

I had to share my laugh at that statement. "You're right, that is pretty darn crazy."

She nodded. "Even the greatest of artist will come to a point in their lives when they realise that their greatest works seemed so much better as an idea than in reality. Our dreams stay as dreams and should be bound firmly in reality. Do not be fooled into thinking you can model reality after dreams. Model your dreams after what is real."

Sierra stepped up to me and adjusted my collar, patting down my chest like a mother dusting off her injured child. "Become rich and famous, Taylor. But do not do it for a dream that you know can never be. Reach for the stars but know well where the ground lies."

I laughed softly and took her paw in mine. It was weird, I knew I was gay but no one had ever been this nice to me. If it wasn't for the fact that she was wrinkled and grey, I could maybe have been convinced to sort of-perhaps-possibly-consider kissing her there and then. Just on the cheek or forehead, of course.

"Thank you."

"You are very much welcome," she answered, her paw slipping away from mine. "Now, the chakrams are very difficult weapons to master." Her voice suddenly became very serious, utterly business-like as she strode towards the centre of the arena. "Just like you, they need a direction. Many people believe that throwing them is the best method of attack but they are not boomerangs."

I felt her gaze on me again as I bent down and picked up the bloodied, circular blades. "I can control Wind. I've always sort of been throwing them and guiding them back to me. Not sure if it's independent or not but that's always what I've been doing."

Sierra tapped her cane on the dust a few times. "I see... So it seems that the Branded are driven more by instinct than any true training. You're all crudely made blades but still very powerful. We need to refine that blade." The smile she gave me was a little... scary. "Congratulations, you get to be the first of many."

I was in for a long night.

*****

Who would have thought that a sound beating by an old lady and exhaustion to the point of near-death would be the catalyst to finally get me to sleep in this water-logged city. It was about noon when a knock came to my door. I mumbled something about thirty more minutes the door still sprang open.

"Tayl, it's time for lunch. You should get up."

I snatched one of the big, fluffy pillows and threw it at the owner of the voice.

"Hey!" I finally got a hold of the growl and realised who I had just assaulted with my fluffy might.

"Jay...?" I murmured, peering through half-closed eyes. "What do you want?"

"To pick you up for lunch," the big wolf said, hiking a thumb behind him. "We're all worried about you."

"Really?" I asked.

"No," he said all too quickly. "Max didn't care and said he wouldn't care if you ended up in a ditch somewhere. He is currently placing an icepack on his balls."

I had to smile at that imagery. "Awww... Thanks for that."

"Don't thank me. Jo did it. I think she would have ripped him to shreds if Sierra hadn't been there."

Speaking of Sierra, memories of the training the previous night reinvigorated my body. I was eager for more knowledge. Though my muscles were sore and every part of my body screamed in protest, I was hungry to improve. Last night... I had made leaps and bounds. I felt it. Never before had I felt more in control.

Rising from beneath the sheets, I told Jacob I would meet him at the dining room.

"We're not having lunch here. Sierra decided to bring us to Triton for lunch."

For some reason, I wasn't so surprised by that announcement. Sierra did plan to bring us down there at one point or another and I knew that it was an important part of Angelsea. I nodded and began picking up the folded pieces of clothing that lay at the foot of my bed. How I managed to fold my clothes in my state of exhaustion was beyond me.

As I pulled on a pair of underwear, I felt Jacob's lingering gaze. It was a little unnerving. Was he planning on seducing me or did he just want to talk. After a few moments, he just left. That surprising me and I watched the door shut with a soft click. I had expected him to confront me. He always seemed like the confrontational type. He was changing so much that it was difficult to keep track of just who he was anymore.

I pulled myself away from my thoughts and once I was fully dressed, I headed out of the door.

There, I was greeted by a bouquet of flowers.

I paused and I took in the fragrant scent, blinking a couple of times as I followed the bright green stems that buried themselves into the silvery wrapping paper bound down by a red bow. Finally, I followed the thick, black paws that led to the muscular arm of one Jacob Reaper.

"Um... What?" I asked.

"I lied about going out to lunch with Sierra," he said, his eyes unable to meet mine. "I'm taking you out to lunch."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Is this a way of bribing me to keep silent about that thing last night."

"No. It's not. I've already told everyone else."

That took me by surprise.

Even more so when Jacob's eyes fell and his lips formed the words I thought I'd never hear. "I'm breaking up with Leo."

"Wait... What!?"

I'm not going to say they made the perfect couple but Leo was so incredibly devoted to Jacob that this news would just shatter him! Moreover, I was not going to be the one responsible for breaking them up.

"Yesterday, I realised that I didn't love Leo," Jacob responded, his voice filled with conviction. "I wanted to but I didn't love him. Worse yet, sleeping with Canis and then what you said, it just struck home that at this stage, I am no way ready for a committed relationship." He shook his head and gave me this sad smile. "I mean, look at it this way, I vowed to kill Balthazar after Gale told me he was responsible for everything that happened to me and then not even a month afterwards, I drop it after fighting through hordes of Unsealed, bring ruin to two towns and probably fear into the hearts of everyone in Rillotia."

Shaking his head again, he pushed off the wall with his massive, broad back and started down the hallway. "No. I'm not mature enough to be saying 'I do' yet."

"So you're just going to forget everything that you did!?" I bellowed, rushing after him. "What about all the emotions you felt for Leo? What about Rex!? Don't tell me that doesn't mean anything to you!"

He didn't stop walking away. "It actually means a lot. It taught me a lot."

"That you can just drop everything and start all over? That's not how the world works, Jay! There are consequences!"

A heavy, exasperated sigh escaped him and he turned to me, piercing sapphire-blue eyes like lasers. "Let me ask you this, Tayl, do you think Leo loves me?"

"Of course he does! He's devoted to you! He'd do anything for you!"

"But is that love or just some inbred desire to find his 'alpha'?"

I wanted to protest but my words came out as a tumbled mess that was far from intelligible. There was no secret that Leo's goal had been to find his 'alpha'. It was ingrained into him by his tribe. But... What did that exactly mean for Leo himself? Did he know anything beyond that one objective? Searching through my memories, Leo showed signs of intelligence and individuality but it was constantly driven back to the one goal that defined his entire being.

Was that truly love?

Or was it just Leo forcing himself to fit another puzzle piece instead of evolving naturally?

I realised all too well what Jacob was getting at. What he and Leo had... it wasn't love. It was a union of convenience. Jacob needed Leo's strength and Leo needed direction from his 'alpha'. That was no way to live. Not by far.

Funny... It was like the two of us were on opposite ends of the spectrum. I lacked direction and Leo had only direction, no other avenues to explore, making him blind to life's true pleasures.

"So what...? Are you going to choose Canis or Rex now?"

Jacob smiled and shook his head. "Actually... I think I'm going to remain unattached for a bit. I've got a lot of things to figure out and I don't think anyone wants a damaged sociopath to lead them in their charge." He took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. "After this, Balthazar will be dead... I'm not sure what I'd do but it certainly doesn't involve running around blowing things up."

Why I felt sad, I wasn't sure. Jacob was showing more maturity than I had ever seen before. "Why? I thought you loved blowing things up?"

He gave me a cheeky smirk and shrugged. "I do. Maybe I should be a demolitions expert."

I rolled the bouquet in my paws, regarding the red petals with a degree of awe and wonder. I still found it so hard that this was the Jacob Reaper that I was talking to. "So what are these for?"

He smiled at me, a bright genuine smile that really brought out his eyes. "Up until this point, you and I have been allies. Just two guys fighting for the same cause. We never had any real connection except for the fact we've had sex multiple times."

"For some people, that's enough," I chuckled.

"For some but not me." He held out his paw to me. "I want what I've been missing out on this whole time. I want to be friends. What do you say?"

His forwardness struck me as a shock but I recovered quickly. I slapped the bouquet against his paws. "Giving a guy roses? That's an invitation to a date if I ever heard one. You're sending mixed messages, Reaper."

"If it's any consolation, I stole that off a little old lady who was going to drop them off at her grandson's grave."

I raised an eyebrow at him but just the way he was grinning told me he was joking. "Have you told Leo yet about your decision?"

There, he frowned. "Actually, another reason I wanted to talk to you was to ask you if you'd seen him. I asked the others but he never showed up after the attack yesterday. I asked Sierra if she heard anything from her lieutenants but they insist that Leo came searching for me."

I returned his frown and the bouquet dropped from our paws. "What...?"

"The rest of the team has split up and begun searching for him. We're going in pairs. Jo and Kerry are together while Max is being accompanied by Sierra. We're to meet at tunnel that leads us to Triton in a couple of minutes."

Panic began bubbling up through my chest. Leo was a naïve pup and to be lost in the city of Angelsea's size? I didn't dare to think what would happen. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"I actually tried to," he muttered, shooting me a foul stare. "You threw a fireball at me."

"Oh..." I had a vague recollection of a heated exchange with my phantom enemy that led to some fiery projectiles being thrown. "Sorry about that..."

Jacob waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Ultra-fast regeneration, remember?" He flicked his ears behind him. "Spectre and I did a quick search of the city while you were out. We didn't come up with anything. I figure we should get some lunch before we head over to Triton and pray the other guys found Leo."

While I wanted to try my hand at finding Leo, my stomach growled in protest and I realised just how bad missing breakfast after an extraneous workout really was. Taking my stomach's roar as an affirmative, Jacob led me through the Oasis to one of the boats. We sat on opposite sides of the vehicle which took us towards the Triton facility.

His eyes were cast to the left and he was clearly speaking with Spectre. Sometimes I wonder what he was discussing especially when it led to such drastic changes in his personality. Or maybe it wasn't a change... Maybe he was just getting back on track. I fought down a smile as I saw that same Jacob Reaper that I had found pretty darn hot the first time we had met. His eyes were clear, there was strength in his stance and his muzzle didn't spout hateful words all the time. He actually made jokes and there was a charm to his actions.

When Gale gave him that direction... he just turned into this raging, angry monster that I think we all feared at one point or another.

His eyes flicked towards me and a light smile touched his features. "What?"

I shook my head and returned the smile. "Did you do something with your hair?"

"Jo cut it a couple of days ago. I'm surprised you haven't noticed."

"Guess I was just a little preoccupied." I didn't dare to admit there was a part of me that was a little disgusted at what Jacob had turned into. Though now... It was like I was seeing him for the first time... again.

"This is our stop," he said, patting his seat lightly.

I followed him to a nearby restaurant that served predominantly seafood-based meals. I was famished at this point and I think I even surprised him when I ordered a surf 'n turf. He only ordered a sandwich and a milkshake. The waiter was gone before I remembered to order a drink for myself. Ordering something again after the waiter already left felt like I'd be a bother and I decided to eat my meal without any liquid refreshments.

"Are you worried about Leo?" I asked.

"Of course," Jacob answered. "But we can't go around searching for a big hunk of wolf on an empty stomach, now can we? I don't want you eating him." He raised an eyebrow at me, a mischievous smirk on his muzzle. "Or is that what you want? To get a bite out of his Tribal sausage?"

I bristled and spluttered out a denial. When he laughed, it was bright, cheerful and something I had very rarely heard from him. It truly surprised me. I don't know what it is about this place but Angelsea seemed to be having a positive effect on him.

"I'm just teasing you," he said, waving at me absently. "Besides, we've been searching since the morning." His expression grew grim but there was still the lingering effect of his laughter on me. I felt that even though Leo was missing, everything would be okay. "If we no one finds him, he's probably at Triton. I get this sneaking suspicion that the big underwater research station may have piqued his curiosity. I mean, if you were a Tribal in a city like Angelsea, wouldn't you want to go there?"

"I've always taken Leo as one to be afraid of water," I answered, shaking my head. "Don't ask me why, though."

Our dishes arrived at that moment and even I had to look surprised at the enormous sandwich that was place in front of Jacob. There had to be a slab of meat slipped inside big enough to satisfy any man and probably cause even the most starved hobo to burst. The fact that a knife and fork were offered to him was testament enough to its sheer size.

His milkshake arrived a moment later.

"Nothing to drink for you?" he asked me, taking a sip from his shake.

"Nah. I don't want to be a bother."

His brow furrowed at me. "What? Dude, just grab something."

"No!" I protested, shaking my head and waving my palms. "We've already ordered and our food has arrived. Let's not bother the good waiting staff."

He rolled his eyes at me as he drank more of his shake, muttering out of the corner of his lips as he did so. "Geez... That's weird." He set down the drink in front of him and pushed it across the table. "Here, have some of mine."

I blinked.

No denying that I was thirsty. Imagine that. A city built around the concept of water and I'm thirsty. I thanked him and picked up the shake. The sweet touch of strawberries tingled my tongue and I raised my eyebrows at his choice of flavour.

I was about to ask him about it when I realised that... well... We were sharing a drink.

Hang on...

Were we on a date?

I spluttered and got that terrible effect where some of the milk shot up the back of my throat and travelled through my nasal cavities, coming out of my nostrils in a snot-covered pink fountain. I coughed and gagged, setting the shake down as I scrambled for a napkin.

"Tayl, you okay?" Jacob asked, showing genuine concern for me.

Oh shit...

The way he was looking at me...

It was the most honest I had seen him and fuck me if it wasn't the best look he had ever worn. The fact that he was turning his concern towards me just... It just made me feel like I mattered. What did fame and fortune have in common? People were concerned about you.

And Jacob was concerned about me.

"I'm fine," I muttered, pushing the milkshake back towards him. "Erm... Sorry... Just... went down the wrong hole."

Crap! That was a sexual innuendo!

Thank god he didn't notice. Instead, he just peered at the milkshake, shrugged and took a sip himself.

That was basically like kissing!

Okay, maybe I was overthinking this... Jacob had no interest in finding someone at the moment at this stage. His relationship status was closed so I was not going to pry that open. Instead, I decided that the best thing to do was to stuff my muzzle full of meat and -

Crap! Another innuendo!

I was suddenly not very hungry.

"Your food is getting cold," he observed.

He began munching on his sandwich. It was both funny and frightening how normal he seemed now. Yes, he was dressed like a fantasy cartoon come to life but the way he lifted his pinkies as he pulled the sandwich up to his muzzle, how he wiped his fingers on a napkin and then folded it neatly beside him or the way he would chew twice on his right side before switching to his left and then chewing three times there followed by a swallow... It all seemed so normal.

His blue eyes - those beautiful, blue eyes - flicked towards me. "What? Is there something on my face?"

I shook my head vehemently, unable to open my muzzle.

"Then you better eat up. Don't worry about the cheque either. I'm paying."

I blinked several times and waited for the diabolical punch line. The one where he mentions that he stole the money off some guy or that he robbed the corner shop a few blocks away to get the money. Maybe he was planning on using the credit card of some guy he mugged. That would allay my fears of... Well...

No! I refuse to admit it.

"If you're wondering, I didn't steal the money," he muttered through a muzzle full of beef.

"No I know you're joking," I laughed, leaning back. I relaxed and started cutting into the slices of beef in front of me.

"No. I asked Sierra if I could have some spare change."

My knife cut loudly across the plate, making an awful screeching noise that set my teeth on edge. "You did what?"

"I asked for change," he responded. Then his eyes widened for a second and a soft smile crossed his features. Shit, did he know where I was going? "Oh, I see." He nodded and set down his sandwich. "Yeah, I know, it's a pretty big step for me to ask for something but you know what? You never go anywhere in this world without help. I've been alone long enough. Speaking of..."

He leaned forward and damn me if I didn't imagine my lips pressed against his in a tender kiss.

"Things have changed Taylor."

Damn right things have changed!

"I've changed."

Of course you have! You're actually a little bit normal now!

"So that in mind, I want to ask you something."

I don't think I would have been able to say 'no'.

"Will you help me?"

"Oh."

He reeled back a little. "Oh?" he repeated.

I shook my head rapidly. "Oh! Of course I'll help you!" I said a little too loudly.

Damnit! I don't know why I was so disappointed by that question but I think I was afraid of what I wanted him to ask.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask your help on," he said, a small smile on his features.

"Take over the world? Topple MODD? Destroy the Universe?" I think I was bordering upon hysterics at that point.

"Actually... I wanted to ask if you'd help me with my resume."

This time, I let him finish. He reached into the pocket of his coat and gave me a folded piece of paper. Just one piece and one-sided. It wasn't a very impressive resume. I mean, I don't think putting on 'convicted felon', 'notorious criminal' and 'rebel against MODD' was overly appealing. But there were actually some skills on there that I found surprising.

"You can program?" I asked.

"Of course. You got to know how to hack into places with tight security, after all. Albert taught me."

Albert... Albert... Right, he was the guy that supplies Jacob with his tools of the trade and if I recall correctly, he helped Jacob start off on his own.

"Okay... And..." I lifted my eyebrows further. "You've got a high school education?"

"Under a different alias, yeah, but it's easy enough to come up with fake IDs."

"And experience with mechanics?"

"Pipe bombs and guns don't make themselves. Neither do death robots but I only did that once so I left it off my resume."

It took me a moment to realise this was all an elaborate joke. Maybe it was the way he was grinning at me or the fact that at the bottom of the page, it said 'If you've read this far, what's wrong with you?'. I set down the 'resume' and gave him a pointed stare, an exasperated smile on my features.

"Okay, smartass, what was that about?"

"Apparently, it's an icebreaker," he answered with a shrug. "Got you to loosen up, didn't it?"

It actually did. I realised all too well that the Jacob Reaper that had rampaged across two cities was still in there but his destructive sense of humour had mellowed down and was now turned towards the cause of good not questionable nobility. That was both a relief and a little confusing. A relief in that Jacob had not totally transformed into this alien, ordinary, suburban dullard who just wanted to grow up, marry, have three kids and live in a white picketed fence house baking apple pies. But confusing in that...

Well... Fine... I'll admit it.

I like this Jacob.

It was the Jacob I had a brief fling with back in Pollenburn. Charming, witty, honest and with this shine in his eyes that inspired me.

"So this was all an elaborate prank?" I asked.

"Mostly. I did ask Sierra for some spare change but only so I can print a copy of that phony resume. I plan on paying for this food some other way."

"What?"

"Take your pick of people in this restaurant and I'll happy steal their wallet and use it to pay for lunch."

I laughed, shaking my head at him.

Okay, I like this Jacob a lot.

Casting my gaze around the restaurant lazily, I pretended to scope out some sap that would have their wallet pilfered. My joke would have been to either point at myself or him to I'd turn the tables of his little joke. However, my eyes settled on the window and my expression fell.

Standing outside the window was that boy.

The one we rescued the previous night. He was still dripping wet and dressed in his grey gown. His ice-blue eyes stared at me but there was this dead expression in them like there was nothing behind those eyes.

I pushed myself out of my seat and ignored Jacob's questions as I headed out of the restaurant and to where the boy stood. He just kept staring through the window, eyes blank and with his fur soaked to the bone. Either the people in the Oasis didn't take care of him or... I don't know what the 'or' is.

I'm just confused as I reached out and gently gripped his shoulder. I had to pull back with a soft hiss as his flesh was icy cold.

"Shit... Kid, are you alright?"

Jacob came up next to me, gaze shifting between me and the boy. "Tayl, what's wrong?"

I looked into his confused eyes and then back at the kid. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I found myself looking straight into the boy's eyes.

"Can't you see him?" I stammered.

"See who?" Jacob replied, just as puzzled as I am. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I wanted to tell him that I was staring at one right now but held my tongue. The boy then turned around and began walking slowly along the narrow sidewalks. I was compelled to follow and Jacob trailed me, spouting concerned questions.

"Taylor!" he shouted but I just ignored him.

When the boy broke into a run, so did I, a sense of apprehension building in my chest. Jacob swore behind me. I don't know what was so significant about this boy but I just knew that I had to follow him. The kid wove in and out of the alleyways of Angelsea's tight quarters. At one point, he slipped between one particular alleyway that was too tight for Jacob to fit through but since I was thinner, I managed to slip through.

That's when I lost this amazing guy that I was falling for. It was odd that I could admit that to myself when he wasn't around but the moment we were separated, I realised all too well that my heart was quickly going out to Jacob. Was it because he was finally evolving and changing the edges of his puzzle piece to suit everyone else as we did the same? Or was it because the veil of vengeance was gone from his eyes?

I don't know and at that moment, I didn't care.

That kid was my goal.

When I rounded a corner, I suddenly found myself in a massive central plaza. Even through the crowds, the entertainers juggling flaming balls and mimes, I saw the little, wet mouse standing amongst the crowd, staring at me with those cold, dead eyes. The 'RC' on his gown chilled me. When a family of aardvarks crossed my path, he was suddenly gone but I was just drawn to the east.

Just a feeling.

I caught sight of him again not too far away, bolting towards the edge of the city. My breath was caught in my chest as I realised he was quickly running out of places to run.

My fears were confirmed, however, when found myself barred by a fenced off area. Several ANVIL guards marched in front of the heavily secured barricade with guard towers looming over me. A large facility loomed beyond the gate and in front of the facility stood the boy.

Strong paws seized my shoulders and spun me around.

"What's wrong with you?" Jacob demanded, staring at me with panicked eyes and genuine concern. God... Why did he have to give me that look? I had put him behind me. He and I didn't have a future together... I had come up with that resolution!

So why then did I keep sleeping with him?

And why did my heart pound so hard against my chest when I stared into those beautiful blue eyes?

I felt another pair of blue eyes staring at me and I twisted my head around. The boy stood in front of the facility and he lifted a dripping paw towards the building. Looming over the main entrance was the same insignia that was engraved into his gown. A reversed 'R' pressed up against a 'C' with a solid, horizontal bar pressed above both of them like they were hanging from it.

"What is this place?" I asked.

Jacob seemed speechless for a moment and he released me. "Tayl... This is the elevator to the Triton Research Centre."

And then I saw it.

That vertical bar... It was the bar of a 'T' and the stem was where the 'R' and 'C' were pressed against one another.

It was not just 'RC'.

It was 'TRC'.

Triton Research Centre.