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Chapter III: More than I can Bear

SMASH!

Caleb's enormous bulk hit the ground hard. The metal plates of the training room quaked beneath his gargantuan weight. He grimaced, his powerful hyena jaws gnashing together in frustration as he lifted his towering frame off the ground. Blood trickled down the side of his muzzle and he brushed it off with the back of his paw.

Despite his nine foot height, he was still much smaller compared to the experienced Madman who stood a short distance away, arms crossed. The massive hyena's fists were wrapped in leather bands just like he wanted, making a sort of leather gauntlet that crisscrossed along his massive forearms, making the veins there pop all the more. Like Caleb, he wore a black, sleeveless piece of chest armour that was bound down by the two leather belts crossing his chest. Unlike Caleb, he wore a full set of black pants made of a denim-like fabric. On a similar vein to his arms, belts crisscrossed Madman's legs.

"Caleb," David said from the base of the large, elevated platform. "I know it's tempting, but stop relying on your brute strength in that form. You're fast! Use it!"

Biting back the comment that he was nowhere near as fast as the superpowered Madman, Caleb shuffled his shoulders where Funny Bone hung. The armour and cape jostled loudly as he brought up his fists.

"No! No! No!" his father growled in frustration. David suddenly leapt into the ring. Caleb couldn't help but roll his eyes as his father's paws seized his own and brought them up higher, almost in front of his face. "Keep your face protected." He kicked Caleb's bare feet lightly. "And move one foot in front of the other. You need to keep mobile. You have less to move if you're in this stance than if you were standing like how you were."

Even in his enormous, hyena form, Caleb felt like a pup as his father moved behind him and pulled his shoulder back. With his retirement from the Elemental Alliance official, Feral Steel no longer needed to bolt back between the two facilities in order to maintain both parties. Now, his focus was entirely on Caleb and Arsenal. Lance was still a concern but the older of the superpowered brothers seemed to be handling himself well in the Alliance.

Especially with his boyfriend, Cory.

Thinking of the roo made Caleb growl.

"Don't growl at me," his father snapped. He was taken back to the days when he was still a scrawny pup and his father forced him to sit down and watch football games. Back then, he was a stereotypical nerd and only really cared about computer games, comics and action figures. Growling as his dad told him to sit still and watch the game had been bred out of him after some time especially when he started enjoying the heart pumping action of a Superbowl Game.

"Dad, can we take a break?" he whimpered, folding his rounded ears back. "I've got homework..."

"Son," David responded, staring at him gravely. "You're part of a team that is now charged with not only protecting West California Island but also representing all the Outsiders on this island. Don't go thinking that just because you're in school and the Alliance is out there that you can just take it easy." David reached behind him and pulled at his tail, making the temporary hyena yelp. "You can't be held down into thinking the Gene Stealers are your only priority. To support Arsenal, you need to earn commissions, make public appearances and fight against other supers and crooks that come in."

David stepped back and appraised his son with a smile. "The others are training just as hard as you."

"Easy for them," he grumbled, turning his gaze back towards Madman. "Ben is an established supervillain with years of fighting against supers. Mary can read minds and Lars has been trained from a kid to be a hero. Even Madman has had all the time to hone his skills."

"And that's your major vulnerability," said his father, moving back out of the ring. "You rely too much on your weaponry. When you shift forms, you use your weapon's enhanced abilities. But remember what Elliot warned, they have their limit. You can recharge them but in the field of battle, you don't have the time to take five minutes to jack off and replenish your weapons."

Madman smirked and scoffed loudly. "He just needs the same samples as what the weapon embodies right? Give me one minute and I can coat him with my seed." He lifted his big paws, gesturing for Caleb to come at him. "Hell, why don't we just bottle my cum and when he needs it, he can splash some on himself right out there in public?"

Caleb's ears folded back and he dropped his fighting stance that felt so artificial as yet another bout of verbal war began between Arsenal's sponsor and their resident macho tank. The ropes of the ring found his back and as he leaned back, the posts holding them up groaned in protest as his massive weight pulled them down. Surprisingly, they held.

"That is not going to happen," David growled.

"Why not? It happens all the time in all those fanfics."

"What fanfics?"

"The ones I wrote and put on the internet."

David's hackles lifted and his lips peeled back into a snarl. "I have half a mind to sue so you and all those horny bastards making stories about my son."

Madman let out his typical hyena laugh and he approached David and leaned over the edge of the ring, towering over the wolf. "You wanna know the best part about those stories?"

Caleb rolled his eyes and knew that the turning point was just around the corner. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and imagined himself as a wolf again. His body began to shrink, strong muscles and tan-coloured, spotted fur slowly sinking back into his flesh to give way to his normal lupine body. It felt like he was squeezing his body through a very tight hole and in the back of his mind, he imagined his hulking, hyena shape shoving itself back into the smaller, wolf body. Needless to say, the sensation was oddly arousing, almost like the mass that was in his much bigger foot long cock was being squeezed into his nine inch prick that just could not go flaccid with all that missing three inches. He bit his own wrist lightly to keep himself from crying out as well as to keep his paw from rubbing the boner that was rubbing through his uniform.

Thanks to whatever magic Rhia had implemented, his clothes shrank with his changing shape, helping to push the bulk and hunched figure back into good old Caleb Hale. A soft moan escaped him and for the briefest of moments, the hyena wriggled loose. His form bulged out again just a little and a little bit of pre dribbled out of his cock, soaking his uniform. Fighting the primal urge for release was tough but he managed to squeeze it back. He was left panting softly, a definite bulge in his pants and his fur soaked with sweat.

Across the ring from him, his father and Madman were standing in front of each other, David hovering through the air to meet Madman's eyelevel. They were practically spitting at each other, paws balled into fists and rage in their eyes. A brief lecherous thought crossed his mind of the two shouting each other down before falling upon one another in a tangled mess of muscles, fur, half-assed anger and cum.

He shook that off, giving it off to the fact that with his father on every corner, he didn't get to perform his ritual three masturbating sessions per day. While his father came about an inch from trading blows with Madman, he ducked under the surprisingly strong ring ropes and dropped to the ground.

Slipping out of the ring gym was no issue as the two adults' shouts rang through the entire gymnasium that used to be Mary's own quiet training room but had now been converted into Arsenal's training room. The fiery empath wasn't too happy about her personal space being commandeered but when faced with the fact that she now had a proving grounds where she could hand any member of the team's asses to them, she lost all complaints.

He removed Funny Bone from around his shoulders and followed the short path back to the atrium. As he entered, he caught the familiar, masculine scent of the Doberman of his dreams. Caleb suddenly felt weak in the knees again as Lars stepped into view, holding his script in his paws and lips moving to the lines. Lifting a paw, he shouted out the super's name but only got a brief grunt and a disinterested wave back. Lars didn't even look up.

Telling himself that it would only be a week and a bit before opening night, Caleb let it slide and walked back to the armoury. With his father's presence, the cluttered assortment of weaponry had been heavily organised. David's ability to manipulate metal had allowed him to reshape the entire armoury with ease. Holding cells had been broadened and shelves grown from the walls. Different signs hung above every cell that identified the weapons within under different categories. Where once weapons had lain on the floor in stacks and some semblance of order, now everything was perfectly arranged and Caleb could actually wend his way past the display cases where some of his more dangerous weapons were held.

He hated it.

There was a system to the clutter back then. His system. But now...

He sighed heavily and placed Funny Bone in the display case reserved specifically for it. Next to it, in its own case, was Branding Iron. Both weapons hovered behind the cubes of glass, maintained by an anti-gravitational field. Still photographs of Caleb as a hyena or as a bull were plastered on the stand of the case. A chill ran down his spine at sight of him being something else, bringing back memories of when he had almost infected his entire family or worse...

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he turned away from the images and decided he had about fifteen minutes before his dad finished off Madman. Fifteen minutes was more than enough time to put some distance between himself and the Facility. He quickly stripped off his uniform and shoved it into the locker set in the atrium for himself and the rest of team. After tossing on some cargo shorts, a shirt and his letterman jacket, he quickly hurried out of the atrium and into what was now titularly called the White Hall and hurried back to Ballistic. His heart was pumping at the thought of having at least _some_time to himself and revved the engine. The black and gold blur of Ballistic shot out of the parking complex, zooming through the streets of West California Island's CBD.

The wind through his hair, brushing against his fur and the scents of the city without his dad's musk constantly on the fringes was a welcome relief. It was the first time he could actually breathe. He didn't have anywhere planned to go and just wended his way through the evening traffic, just enjoying the ride.

When the streetlamps began flicking on, sunset started to make its way to the island. A stroke of inspiration hit him and he immediately zoomed off to the western side of the city. Though winter was rapidly approaching, it was that perfect time of year when the snow from the weather machines hadn't kicked in yet and standing out in the middle of the street didn't mean tails would freeze off and fur would turn into icy armour. Being raised in West Cali all through his life, he knew what that meant.

Only a short twenty minutes later, he pulled up to Threshold Boulevard, one of the most popular strips of beach and land in the entire island for the sole reason that it faced west and had a perfect, unobstructed view of the sunset. Even locals would often crowd the Boulevard, sitting on the low, rustic, stone walls feet dangling off the edge and watch the sun slowly descend beyond the horizon. They would watch the white sands of the beach turn from gold, to orange and then a gentle red while the waves lapped calmly at the shore. Then, the various restaurants would start getting their busiest.

As Caleb parked Ballistic in one of the spots, he smiled at the simple, privately owned restaurants that sat arrayed across the Boulevard. There were no five-star hotels, three hat restaurants or heavily critiqued eateries on the strip. Everything was family owned and had that warm, cosy feeling about them. Signs were simple, made of wood and painted by hand. Waiters, waitresses and cooks were all close friends of one another or family, always friendly and welcoming. The most high-tech anyone ever got was an oven. Everything was made by hand or paw like it was several centuries ago. That just made the food give off that special, heart-warming edge that the elaborate, classy, miniscule dishes handed by the chefs in the CBD offered.

He strolled down the Boulevard, smiling at the memory of his family coming to the Boulevard at least once per month on a Saturday. The old billboard that stood near the entrance of Settler Beach still had the same notice that the end of every Saturday was met with fireworks. The beach, restaurants and boardwalks would be stacked with people, all gathering to see the display that would light up the western side of West California Island.

"I wonder if they still do that..."

"They do."

Caleb jumped to find Rhiannon standing beside him, licking at a vanilla ice cream cone and another in her other paw.

"Are you stalking me!?" he exclaimed, stepping away from her.

"Your father was worried about you," she responded. "You did run off in the middle of training." She offered him her other cone. "Here. I heard that this can be construed as a peace offering."

He took the cone from her. "Thanks. Though for future reference, I prefer chocolate."

She gave him a puzzled look, folding one ear back. "I thought chocolate was bad for mortal canines?"

"That's ferals." He lapped at the ice cream. "For furs like us, we're good with it." He eyed her suspiciously. "Shouldn't this be something you know?"

Rhiannon took a big bite out of the ice cream and glanced upwards like she was trying to mull over the taste. "Huh... So that's what a 'brain freeze' is like. Interesting." Then her eyes turned back to him. "And ferals back in the old world were different from the ferals of this world. Furs had a close relationship with ferals that resembled the fur species and never ate their flesh."

Caleb's tail fluffed out in horror. "They were vegetarians!?"

"No," she said with a roll of her eyes. "There were other creatures there that were used as meat. We had things like baconbirds which were basically what you could consider pigs flying. Of course now with their absence the stigma has lifted and furs like you participate in what could be considered a form of cannibalism. "

"Seriously?" he asked in disbelief.

Rhiannon nodded sagely. "Yes. It combined the crispness of bacon with the versatility of chicken wings. Quite nice." It was her turn to eye him suspiciously. "And shouldn't you know this?"

He blushed beneath his fur and absently licked at his cone. "We haven't gotten to that part of history yet."

The sun began its descent on the horizon, its tip kissing the edge of the water. Caleb felt drawn to the fading light and absently moved towards the low wall that sat as the border between the boulevard and the beach. Leaning down on the wall, he crossed his arms, absently lapping at his ice cream cone. Shadows began to lengthen all around him. The few people on the beaches began to turn towards the sunset, couples holding one another while even children paused to watch the breathtaking sight. Gentle gold of sunlight gave way to soft pinks while fiery reds began to outline the few clouds that hung in the sky. The bright, blue sky grew darker and darker and the first few stars bright enough to shine through the light of the city began to poke through the veil. In the distance, a single airplane carved a path through the sky.

"What should I do about my dad?" Caleb lamented loudly. "I know he means well but he's just... just..."

"Suffocating you?" offered Rhiannon.

His ears folded back at the use of the word. "Yeah."

"If it were me -"

Suddenly, a third voice cut through their conversation.

"Oh hell no!"

Caleb bolted upright and looked past an equally surprised Rhiannon. A short distance away, still with her car's engine running, was Mary. Lightning fast the empath with the furious eyes leapt out of her convertible and charged straight at Rhiannon. Caleb leapt back in shock as Mary slammed into the Hound of Destruction, sending them both crashing into him. His arm was caught in the crossfire which brought his cone crashing against his shoulder.

"Aw.... Eew..."

"He's my bitch!" Mary shouted, slamming Rhiannon against the wall.

"What are you talking about!?" Rhiannon exclaimed, using her strength to suddenly launch them both off the wall and into the ground. "I was just offering him some advice!"

"I'm the only one that can offer him advice!" Mary cried. She reared her head back and sent her forehead slamming into Rhiannon's. Both women were momentarily stunned but Mary recovered faster, grabbing Rhiannon's pierced ear and giving it a might tug.

The Hound screamed, instinctively drawing her claws against Mary's face. "You're crazy!"

"You're the crazy one, bitch!"

"Don't you dare call a female wolf that!"

"But that's what you are! You're Arcturus' bitch, Mrs. 'The world can do without destruction'!"

Mary threw a jaw-breaking punch, sending Rhiannon staggered back and clutching her muzzle. The moment of vulnerability gave Mary the opportunity to lunge at her, catching her in a suffocating headlock.

"Caleb!" the empath shouted. "If you're having so much trouble with your dad, just talk to him. Tell him how you feel. I'm sure he'll back - Ooof!"

Rhiannon's elbow suddenly collided with her diaphragm and her grip around the Hound's neck loosened. Showing superior strength, the bloodied wolf seized Mary's dainty waist and lifted her above her head. Caleb never got to cry out in warning as Rhiannon jumped back towards the low wall and _tossed_Mary backwards into the sands below.

"If you ask me," the Hound said, dusting off her paws dramatically. "Your father is just trying to be supportive and is just concerned for your well-being. He has several good points and the moment you stop seeing him as your enemy, the moment you will start to improve. When you start to improve, he'll -"

Caleb's eyes widened as a hand reached up from the low wall. Like a vengeful demon rising out from the pits of Hell, Mary pulled herself up with surprising strength and tenacity. The sun blazed a fiery red behind her, outlining her frazzled hair and casting her features in a dark shadow so that her bright, blue eyes shone perfectly through the darkness.

"Uh..." he began.

Mary reached up and seized Rhiannon's hair. The Hound gave a cry of shock, paws reaching behind her head at where Mary gripped her. Her shout was abruptly cut off when the back of her head slammed hard against the bricks of the wall. Mary wrapped her arm around Rhiannon's throat, pressing her against the wall, her entire weight pulling down the Hound.

"Don't listen to this insane gothic masochist!" Mary shouted. "You're your own wolf, Caleb Hale, stand up for yourself! You stood against him when he didn't know who you really were and now that he does, you're acting like a pup again! Where's the brave, strong, independent wolf that has always stood by me and his friends no matter the cost!?"

"I -"

Rhiannon suddenly let herself slid down the side of the wall, both women dropping out of view and into the sands below. By now, a crowd had gathered and Caleb wasn't the only one to rush to the wall and peer over to see the two fighting in the sand. For a brief moment, Rhiannon got the upper hand and drove Mary's face into the sand, pressing her knee against the other's back and keeping her there.

"Your father benefits from years of experience in a field you've only been in for a few months!" Rhiannon shouted back up at him. "Before you start dismissing him as obsessive, think about what he's offering and stop being such a selfish teenaged stereotype!"

A cloud of sand suddenly rose up and struck the Hound's bright, red eyes, causing her to splutter and turn away for the briefest of moments. Mary used that to her advantage and pounced, sending the two of them rolling in the sand while screaming insults at one another.

Caleb gave the two warring women a wide berth and just sighed loudly. "Two women fighting over me and I had to be gay..."

The cone's remnants began to slip down his shoulder and he shook his head, turning away from the battle. Flashes erupted from people's phones as they recorded the entire proceeding giving him ample cover to leave the two to their bizarre feud. Not wanting to get any of the sticky ice cream on Ballistic, he walked up to the nearest restaurant which was interestingly named Hero Taco. He pushed through the seemingly old wooden door with a fly screen that appeared rusted. Upon closer inspection, the wood was just purposefully scratched and designed to show the grains and tears while the close mesh of metal meant to block out flies was coloured in such a way that no matter what angle he looked at it, some parts always looked red with rust.

He stepped inside, feeling the cool air-conditioned air against his fur. The tiled floor was a tawny colour occasionally broken with large, red, square tiles. Walls were decorated with an interesting array of artistic murals that told of some Mexican farmers running after chickens. Those same walls were left mostly bare and rough like it had been made well before the 20th century. Bright, red, wooden beams crossed the ceiling giving the impression that he was entering a house and not a restaurant. Dozens of cacti sat in pots all over the area, breaking the sandy colouration with dashes of green. Though they looked rustic, he could tell that the wooden seats and their cushiony seats were well maintained, clean.

Strangely, there was no one at the counter in front of him.

"Um... Hello?" he asked.

A figure moved somewhere near the back of the restaurant, beyond the restaurant. A black and white head poked through the kitchen, brown eyes wide in surprise.

"Oh!" the big panda exclaimed. The burly man ducked out of sight for a second, stunning Caleb with his speed. A second later, that very same man came bursting out of a door to the kitchen. His massive, muscular frame was preceded by a belly but one that was outlined with the large squares of a six-pack. His enormous arms were barely contained by his clean, white, collared shirt. His black chef's slacks mixed well with his monochrome colouration.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting customers this early," the panda said, moving towards the counter. "Table for one?"

"Actually," Caleb said, pointing at the remnants of the cone on his shoulder. "I was hoping I could use your bathroom."

A flash of disappointment crossed the panda's features. "Ah. Sure thing, kid." He pointed a stubby finger to the left. "Right over there."

A loud scream cut through even the closed door and the windows.

The panda looked past him, ears perked. "What's going on over there?"

"You know what?" Caleb said, with a wry smile, "I think I will have something to eat. What's your special?"

He ordered himself fifteen tacos, knowing full well it would ruin his dinner. The excuse of going down memory lane and finding a neat Mexican restaurant would probably save him from his mother's wrath for not attending dinner. That and it would mean that he wouldn't have to sit at the same table as his father for an extended period of time. Once his order was in, he quickly headed towards the washroom and wiped off the rest of the melting ice cream off his letterman jacket. He grimaced as it soaked into the fabric and he was forced to remove it entirely. Thankfully, it hadn't seeped into his shirt.

Once done, he sat down at one of the tables with only one seat as far away from the window as possible. He heard the cook and apparently the only waiter working the back to make him his tacos. Though he missed the sunset, he picked up the menu and perused whatever else the restaurant offered apart from their tacos. There was a wide variety of Mexican food on offer and quite wanted to try out their 'Salsa Selection and Nachos'.

"Sorry this is taking so long," holler the chef from the kitchen. "I don't usually get customers this early."

He didn't miss the use of the word 'I'. "You work here alone?"

"Oh no," answered the panda. "My one waiter comes in about an hour from now but he's always late, the slacker. He takes care of the front of the house and I'm in the back."

"There's no rush," Caleb responded, stealing a glance back outside. The crowd had started to disperse and he began to wonder where Mary and Rhiannon had gotten to. Then he saw Mary's car zoom by with Rhiannon clutching to its hood, punching the windscreen. "Really. Take your time."

"No sir! Here at Hero Taco, we pride ourselves with swift service and good food." True to his word, the chef brought out a whole stack of fifteen tacos stacked in a pyramidal shape and set it down in front of Caleb. "How's that?"

Caleb's eyes widened and his mouth began to water. "Wow, that really was fast."

The chef grinned broadly. "Well, eat up kid."

"Wait," Caleb said before the panda could turn away. "Why not join me?" The burly, monochrome bear turned in surprise. "You're not going to get any customers for a while, right?"

"But I've still got a lot of prep to do," came the gentle response.

"I'm not going to get to all of these tacos before they get cold," Caleb responded with a grin. "Come on. Don't make me ask for take away."

The chef threw his head back, letting out a hearty laugh and pulled up a seat across from Caleb. "Sure kid. You're paying."

"That won't be a problem," he responded, picking up one of the tacos.

The first crush into the warm, slightly salty shell was like an explosion of flavour on his tongue. The mix of spice in the ground beef and sweetness in the red beans tempered by the touch of zest from tomatoes, onions and garlic made his tastebuds dance. Added with the freshness of lettuce and sharpness of some delicious cheese and he safely exclaimed, "This is the best taco I've ever had in my life!"

The panda smiled as he picked up one himself. "Well thanks, kiddo. It's my mom's recipe."

He had already finished one taco and was reaching for another by the time he said, "I'm surprised you aren't getting more customers right now. You should be packed!"

A soft, bitter snort left the panda as he munched on his first taco. "There's a bit of a stigma with a panda cooking Mexican food."

Caleb could only manage a soft, confused grunt.

"You know. Pandas are usually of Asian descent and having a panda cook Mexican food in a restaurant that prides itself to be making authentic Mexican kind of sounds like a contradiction in most people's eyes." A heavy sigh left him. "Honestly, it's a surprise I get any customers at all. Our busiest is Fridays or Saturdays when the other restaurants are packed and people have no place left to go but here."

Caleb munched through his fifth hard shell as he lifted his gaze. "But you should still get word of mouth around. I mean, the people that eat here must know how good the food is and will come back."

His host laughed bitterly. "Maybe. But I don't see many of them coming back." Suddenly a soft ringing emerged from his pocket and the chef stood up. "Excuse me a second."

Caleb watched the panda rise and wander a few tables away, pressing a phone to his ear. All the while, he continued to devour the tacos before him almost subconsciously.

"What? Really?" asked the chef. A heavy sigh escaped him. "Well... Alright. Get well soon." He turned back towards Caleb with a shrug. "That was my one and only waiter. Said he's sick. Likely just can't be bothered getting out of bed." His heavy frame slouched on the seat, causing it to groan. "Now I almost wish I don't get any customers."

"Don't say that," Caleb said, having finished his eighth taco. "I'm sure you'll do fine. If anything-"

Another soft ringing hit their ears but this time, it came from the door. They both turned as a small family of lizards stepped through, two adults and two children.

"Hey, Gabe!" said the man with a big grin. "Can we get our usual table?"

The panda smiled broadly, rising out of his seat. "Yeah, sure. Can I get you your usual too?"

Understanding the panda's need to attend to business, Caleb didn't say a word as the burly man moved to guide the lizards to a few tables across from him. As the panda went to the back of the restaurant to start cooking, the door sprang open again. Caleb was finishing the last of the tacos when Gabe had to stop and hurry back to the counter to let two, very jock-like huskies in. Right behind them came about four girls, all human, who were laughing about how 'that blonde chick' ran over the 'crazy goth wolf'.

He realised with some guilt that with the ruckus practically right in front of the restaurant, Hero Taco was in the line of fire. People would see it and were more likely to enter. Gabe, who was already overwhelmed with the three customers he had, looked a little flustered as another woman stepped in, giggling in between her two, burly male friends.

Caleb finished off his taco, wiped his muzzle and picked up his plate. Hurriedly, he went to the back of the restaurant. Gabe saw him go and quickly raced after him just in time to see him put his plate in the dish washer.

"I appreciate that kid," said the panda. "But you really shouldn't be here."

Swiping one of the aprons from the hook, he put it on and turned towards the chef with a smile. "Staff only, right?"

Gabe gave him a suspicious look. "What're you getting at?"

"You take care of the place back here," he answered, taking the notepad from the panda. "I'll take care of the front."

"Are you serious? You don't even know our menu."

Smirking, Caleb said, "Come on. Big, buff, handsome guy like me? I don't need to know it. I just need to look good."

******

It was about eleven thirty at night when Caleb finally drove back into the Hale household. When he stepped out of the garage and into the house itself, he found both his mother and father staring at him, arms crossed and looking extremely pissed.

"Where have you been, young man!" Lillian Hale barked.

"We were worried sick!" David chimed in, his eyes filled with genuine concern. "You ran off in the middle of training and then Rhiannon and Mary come back bruised and battered! I was ten minutes from sending out a search party!" He ran a paw down his face. "What were you doing?"

"Working," Caleb replied nonchalantly.

David's worry doubled. "Working? Did the Gene Stealers -"

Before his dad could go any further, Caleb lifted his paw. "No. Not them. At my part-time job."

All that worry turned to shock... and then anger. "Part-time...? Caleb! What do you think you're doing!? You can't get a part-time job!"

"It seems that I just did," he responded in a bout of defiance. Suddenly feeling Alpha David start to creep back in and his tail sinking between his legs, he appended, "Dad." He swallowed hard and said, "I can't be 'working' at the FBI anymore and you said yourself that we need some extra cash. I know what I bring in won't be much but at least it'll be a good cover. I mean, I'll be acting like a normal teenager now that I have job. Most kids my age have one."

"Mary doesn't!" David shouted, throwing a paw in the vague direction of the Brightwood home. "Lars... Ben...!"

Thankfully, Lillian Hale seemed to understand the reasoning for her son's sudden interest in a part-time job. She pressed a paw against David's chest, smiling softly at Caleb. "David, honey. I think it's a good idea."

"What!?" David exclaimed. "It'll cut into his time training!"

"No it won't," Caleb responded, holding up his paws. Glad to have his mother on his side, he said, "I'm only there every Thursday to Sunday and only at night when it's busiest. I get Friday nights off because its game night and I swear it won't cut into my studies or my training. Plus my boss is pretty awesome. You'll like him."

David wasn't quite growling but when he spoke, there was a soft rumble in his voice. "We'll see. Friday after the game, we're having dinner there. What does it serve? Chinese? It's a pizzeria, isn't it?" Then his suspicion grew. "It isn't... Australian is it? If you think you can butter me up with some kangaroo meat or crocodile..."

The image of kangaroo meat returned Caleb to his thoughts of Lance and Cory. Fighting back his anger, he said, "No dad. It's Mexican."

Rolling his eyes, David said, "Of course it's Mexican. They've been everywhere since they helped us win World War 3."

Lillian slapped her husband's chest. He flinched but whether it was out of genuine pain or shock, Caleb couldn't tell. "David! Don't be racist!"

"Fine, whatever," David muttered. He pointed accusingly at Caleb. "But you better not complain of being tired for our run tomorrow, Got it?"

Caleb saluted. "Yes, sir."

David turned around and began storming upstairs, muttering something about how Mexico became a monumental world power ever since World War 3... and 4 and when they were the first country to colonise the moon.

Lillian Hale turned to Caleb, looking at him apologetically like she was saying sorry for her husband.

"Does Dad really hate Mexicans?" Caleb asked cautiously, well aware of his father's super-hearing.

"No dear," she responded with a soft laugh. "He just hates the fact that he might now have to contend with another person for your attention." She gently rubbed his shoulder. "He loves you very much, Caleb. All he wants to do is protect you. But he can be a little... possessive. The thought that someone else gets to boss you around makes him a little... jealous."

From the second floor, David shouted, "I am not jealous!"

Lillian rolled her eyes and gently patted Caleb's shoulder. "Get some sleep, dear. You've still got school in the morning. And all the fun before then."

Caleb let out a theatrical groan but truly looked forward to the morning when he would run around their neighbourhood and work out at the park. A few hours away from his dad had refreshed him, resetting his tolerance for his dad's semi-psychotic antics.

He only wished he could have had more time at Hero Taco.

******

Neither Rhiannon nor Mary looked very well when they both gathered in front of history class. Both had several stitches across their brow. Rhiannon walked with a limp and looked the worse out of the two though Mary was not without her bruises. It was still clear who had won their battle. Ashton was right beside his girlfriend, positioning himself wisely between the two women to prevent another scuffle. Lars looked up from his script and gawked at the two while Ben couldn't help but grin at them both.

"Cat fight?" the werewolf asked. "Damn, what happened?"

Neither of the two girls said anything and turned away from one another with a huff.

Ashton sighed helplessly. "Suffice to say that today's history class is going to be eventful. If this doesn't go down in history, I don't know what will."

"If she doesn't want her leg broken again, she better transfer to another class," Mary answered hotly. "I was here first."

"Well, you know what they say," countered Rhiannon. "Out with the old and in with the new."

Caleb took a step away from both of them, glad that he wasn't at the centre of their feud anymore. He feared that at one point, they would play a game of tug of war with him and end up tearing his arms from their sockets. Their war didn't get the opportunity to spark up again as Mr. Cornbarrow arrived and ushered them all into class.

"I hope you have all started on your assignments," their history teacher said, setting down his tablet on the table. "Remember, while we are covering some sections of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in class, merely repeating what I say will only get you a passing mark. For those of you who want to _excel_in this class, I suggest you do extra research."

He sat down behind his desk and began taking roll call. Caleb was surprised that he didn't so much as pause when he called out Rhiannon's name. Recalling how she mentioned her powers involved illusion, he guessed that convincing the staff of West California High that she had always been a student wouldn't have been hard.

When all were accounted for, Cornbarrow began the lecture.

"We've covered First of the Horsemen," he announced, rising to his feet. While holding his tablet in one hand, he walked down the aisles of desks. "The Second Horseman occurred three years after the Great 404 Disaster." Though his voice started quite animated, it began to slip into a drawl and Caleb was starting to feel the strain of having stayed up late at a job and then getting up early to escape his father's death trap. "Who can tell me what happened?"

When a white paw shot through the air, Caleb was suddenly very awake.

"In an attempt to regulate the internet and ensure that another 404 Disaster does not strike," Rhiannon said with a hint of smugness, "governments all over the world met together on November 14th 2070 in what was known as the Emergence Summit." Her red eyes swivelled towards Mary as if to say 'look what I know, you dumb bimbo'. "They discussed creating the first ever working artificial intelligence that could maintain the internet and organically ensure that it never goes down again."

Cornbarrow nodded sagely. "Correct." He began pacing across the tables again, completely oblivious to the heated stare Mary was giving a smug Rhiannon. "Countless governments all over the world became involved in what became known as Project Soaring Phoenix. Funds were pooled into creating a perfect AI that would be bound to the internet with its primary and only objective being self-preservation. Who can tell me why this was such a bad idea?"

Mary's hand shot up into the air and before Cornbarrow could even acknowledge her, she said, "Phoenix became geared towards solely preserving itself and being granted the vast knowledge that was the internet, it quickly learned how to hack various systems all over the world. Upon being fully activated, it immediately discerned that humans were the greatest threat to its existence."

"Not true," countered Rhiannon suddenly. "Phoenix regulated the internet for a whole five months until on May 27th 2073, the protest group afraid of AIs known simply as 'Connor's Followers' attacked several of its mainframes." She shrugged, a smug smile on her features. "Apparently it was some reference to a franchise that once starred a former governor of California." Her eyebrows waggled at Mary tauntingly. "Go figure." Waving a paw dismissively, she continued. "_Phoenix_immediately saw the Followers as a threat and by extension, all of humanity. Thus, it began its attack on humans by taking control of all government facilities, enslaving humans to make more machines for it to control and initiating mass genocide."

Caleb began to sink into his seat. The room was starting to grow very hot and he could almost see the lightning bolts of fury dancing between Mary's eyes and Rhiannon's. Even Mr. Cornbarrow was wide enough to start stepping away from where the two stared each other down.

"Actually," Mary said, her own devious smirk crossing her features, "Phoenix defended itself first and foremost, using lethal means to kill the people of the Followers. When it acted upon its directive of self-preservation and controlled several military drones to hunt down suspected Followers, its creators realised they had created a monster. They tried to disable it and only then, after it was threatened by its creators, did it start acting out against all of humanity."

Rhiannon's smirk faded and she stared at Mary darkly. "As I said. It saw humanity as a threat by extension of what the Followers did."

"Not the same thing." It was Mary's turn to act smugly. "For the next eleven years, humanity was slowly whittled down as the machines under Phoenix_relentlessly hunted it down. But the AI never _once fired the nuclear arsenal under its control." She leaned towards Rhiannon, her blue eyes challenging the Hound. "Do you know why?"

Her hackles rising, Rhiannon replied with, "Of course I do." Her claws scraped against her desk, the sound making everyone in the room retreat away from her. Caleb used the momentary mask of the noise to drag himself and his desk back away from the two. From the soft sounds of metal scraping against the floor, he wasn't the only one.

"Weakened as they were, humans were still extremely tenacious and Phoenix_couldn't risk moving one of its mainframes which sat in former major human cities or it could be struck down. _Phoenix_still depended greatly on being online and as great as it was, it had multiple vulnerabilities like its power sources, its resources to supply that power and its mainframes. Yes its capacity was load balanced across the world but if humans started taking them down one by one, slowly, _Phoenix will go blind and it couldn't afford even a second of being offline."

When Mary wagged a finger at her, Rhiannon's eyes widened in fury. "Ah but you didn't answer my question. Why didn't Phoenix unleash its nuclear payload?"

Mr. Cornbarrow, in a bout of courage, cleared his throat. "I'll be the one asking questions here." Both women shot him a piercing look and Caleb could have sworn their history teacher wouldn't burst into flames hadn't he said, "Erm... never mind..."

"Human resistance maintained a presence very close to each of Phoenix's_mainframes," Rhiannon said, her eyes drawing a swathe of cringing fury across the classroom until they crossed paths with Mary. "If _Phoenix unleashed its payload, it would destroy its own mainframes."

"Very good!" patronised Mary. "So how'd humanity win?"

"By doing the very thing that Phoenix feared." Her eyes narrowed, almost solemnly. "On September 4th 2084, humans managed to obtain the launch codes for all of Phoenix's_nuclear arsenal. Before the AI could even change the codes, those that hijacked the codes immediately launched the missiles. The moment they got them, they fired them. _Phoenix tried to deactivate the warheads in mid-flight but then the raiders locked it out.

"What followed was nuclear devastation all over the world. No land was spared. Thus, the Second of the Horsemen, the Phoenix Descent and War, ended. The Third, Death and the Nuclear Apocalypse began."

Caleb realised he had stopped breathing and took in a relieved lungful of air. The feud between the two seemed to have ebbed and everyone - including Mr. Cornbarrow, sighed in relief. Clearly Mary had won this round as Rhiannon ducked her head, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Mary only took a moment to revel in her victory before she too grew a little solemn.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were great tragedies that almost drew humanity to extinction. The Third, The Death Rain, was the one that killed the most. Even during the Phoenix Descent, the mad AI kept humans as slaves for eleven years, maintaining the population somewhat. But when The Death Rain came down, humanity had been reduced from over eight billion strong before the Horsemen came to just a mere million and slowly dying of the lack of resources and radiation that plagued the land.

Of course, then the zombies came.

"You know what?" Cornbarrow exclaimed, his voice surprisingly high. "It's such a nice day outside. Let's have class in the quad."

Everyone was all too eager to jump out of their seats and bolt towards the door. Passing either Mary or Rhiannon who both remained in a sort of trance gave everyone chills. Caleb left with the others but not before stealing a glance at the two women. He realised with some bitterness that they weren't actually bowing their heads thoughtfully. They had their phones in their grasps, thumbs rapidly firing texts back and forth at one another no doubt continuing their war.

"Somehow," he told himself softly, "I just know this is going to bite me in the ass..."

******

It was a Thursday and that meant the following day was game day. It was the first game before they would face their rivals, the East Bridgewood Leviathans. Caleb had only join the team within the year so he had never really gotten the rivalry between the Raptors and the Leviathans at least on a conscious level. Out on the field though, the pure, machismo, determination and deep focus that emanated from all the other team members was infectious.

When he slammed into Gerard the moose, he gave it his all. He still got flattened but when Gerard pulled him to his feet, the moose commented on how he actually would make for decent tackle if he put on more muscle.

He grinned at the comment and moved towards Ralph. The two of them shared a knowing nod and once again set themselves up for another try. By now, the offense had gotten used to their antics on the field, knowing well that they were the masterminds when it came to outrageous plays that would baffle their side. Naturally, the two played this to their advantage.

As he set up in front of Gerard again, the moose gave him a mocking growl.

"Hey G," Caleb began. "Fall dance is next week, yeah? Right after the game?"

"What of it?" grunted the much bigger, horned mountain of moosey muscle.

"That offer to go stag still up?"

For a second, Gerard's deep, black eyes softened with surprise. "Yeah. Why?"

Caleb made a show of glancing down, making sure Gerard caught his sign of disappointment. "Too bad. I was hoping you'd go out with me."

Everyone on the offense suddenly froze and spun towards them both. The words were perfectly timed. Lars shouted out 'hike' and the defence - being well on the plan - immediately slammed into their stunned counterparts. Caleb gave Gerard a very lupine grin and jumped back, giving way for the stockier Ralph Nakamura to slam right into Gerard and give Caleb a clean shot at Lars. Not that it really mattered. The offense line was shattered and Coach Davis was blowing his whistle in fury.

"What the hell was that!?" he shouted, waving his clipboard around. "What the fuck happened!?"

Gerard threw his helmet down in anger, flashing Caleb an angry stare. "He just asked me out!"

Davis froze just like the rest of the line.

Caleb caught Lars' gaze and winked at the Doberman. "It was a play, Coach," Caleb responded with a shrug. "We fight them up here too, right?" he said, tapping the side of his helmet.

Davis growled and shook his head. "That's ballsy, Hale. Really ballsy. But that'd only work if you knew the guy. Don't try it tomorrow." Once the anger faded, the head coach had to offer a grin. "Damn cheeky kid..."

Caleb grinned to himself, returning to the defensive line who were laughing and clapping one another on the back on what had to be one of the more hilarious plays Ralph and Caleb had concocted. Both the defensive captain and their part-time recruit knew it wouldn't work on the field but it still got them both playful shoves and jibes about going to the dance together with the Halestorm.

A water bottle was shoved into Caleb's paw. He removed his helmet and he was halfway through drinking it when all the laughter around him died. The defence team all suddenly backed away from him as a dark shadow loomed over him. Turning very slowly, he was suddenly assaulted by the blast of air that erupted from Gerard's nostrils.

"That was a dick move, Hale," growled Gerard, cracking his knuckles ominously.

Muzzle partially full of water, Caleb swallowed a little too loudly for his comfort. A brief glance towards the two coaches and he saw his father rapidly advancing upon them.

"Hey, it was all in good fun," Caleb offered meekly to the taller moose. "I mean, it's just a game, right?"

"Ain't no game when yer playin' with a guy's heart."

He was about to spout off another diversionary sentence when those words processed in his brain. "Wait... Whut...?"

Without warning, Gerard seized the back of his head and pulled their lips together. He suddenly got a taste of moose tongue, finding it surprisingly sweet, as the huge offensive centre explored the depths of his muzzle. David Hale froze in mid-step about ten feet away before abruptly spinning around on one foot, a big smile on his muzzle, his lips pressed together and his eyebrows lifted like he was fighting hard the urge to squeal like a little girl.

The kiss only lasted all of ten seconds before Gerard pulled away. "Here's the deal," grunted the moose, "You pull off that play in the game tomorrow and we're going to the dance together."

"But I -"

"What? You got a date?"

Caleb's voice broke in his throat. He only stole a glance at Lars for one second and saw the Doberman's worried expression. He pursed his lips, casting his eyes down so that no one would see him staring at Lars, not when he wasn't sure where their relationship was.

"No date," he responded. Someone let out a hiccup and for a second, his heart jumped to his throat when he saw Lars starting to advance. "But I've got a boyfriend."

Lars stopped in mid-step. Everyone around him turned, eyes wide.

"You do?" Gerard asked, lifting his big paws up. "Oh man. Sorry. I didn't know. Dude, I swear, I wasn't trying to steal you or anything."

"Don't worry about it," he answered with a laugh. He punched Gerard's shoulder lightly. "No one else knew. Not that anyone asked until you, that is."

The moose let out a sigh followed by a low whistle. "Wow... All the ladies will be disappointed..."

"They can dream."

A big, tawny arm wrapped around Caleb's shoulder. Ralph's familiar weight hung against his side. "So when will we get to see the lucky man?" The lion eyes sparkled. "It's Ben Connors, isn't it? You're always hanging round that nerd."

"Trust me, it isn't Ben," Caleb laughed softly. "But tell you what?" He spoke very loudly, loud enough for Lars to hear. "You'll find out who it is at the dance."

The feline laughed and ruffled his hair. "Way to keep us in suspense!"

Coach Davis blew his whistle, beckoning them to hurry it up and get back to practice. The crowd dispersed, setting themselves back into football jock mode. As Caleb joined the defence to come up with their next brilliant, outrageous play, he glanced towards Lars.

The Doberman was grinning at him.

On some level, he was pretty sure he had just asked Lars to go to the dance with him and the Doberman eagerly accepted.

******

It was the first official day Caleb had work at Hero Taco and he raced over right after practice. As it neared the end of the week, Gabriel Ramos - proprietor and chef of the restaurant - said that they tended to get busier earlier. Arriving a ten minutes to six, Caleb was surprised to find that there were already three customers sitting down for an early dinner. Gabe was hard at work at the kitchen and there was relief in the panda's eyes as Caleb stepped in, set down his school bag and slipped on the apron.

"I thought your other guy was meant to be here by now," he began, picking up two orders of burritos.

"Dennis has his reasons," answered Gabe as he continued to cook up a storm. The door rang signalling the arrival of another customer. "Get that would you?"

"Sure thing, boss."

Caleb carried the orders to the designated table, giving the couple there a bright smile before moving towards the counter.

"Welcome to Hero Taco," he said to family of anteaters, with his big, brilliant smile. "Table for three?"

It was actually a table for four as their eldest daughter was parking the car. Caleb led them to one of the tables near the window with four seats, even pulling the seat out for the mother. As he handed them the menus, he said, "Our specials this evening is the lentil soup and chilli con carne. Winter's around the corner so why not kick it off with bang, right?"

"That sounds lovely," the mother said. "I'll have the soup."

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Just some waters for the table, please," replied the father.

"I'll get you a jug." He winked at the guy. "No charge. I mean, who charges for water, right?"

He got a round of laughter for that and told the family that he'd be back to take their full order while he set an order for the woman and her soup. The moment he arrived back at the kitchen with the docket, Gabe had an order for him to bring to another table. Just as he picked it up, another customer stepped through the door.

He turned with the plate of food in one paw, holding up in a classical waiter pose. The new 'customer' stepped past the counter and made a beeline for him. Caleb held his breath as the lanky, long-haired human who had to be in his early twenties with a scruffy beard looked up at him with disgust.

"So you're the new guy." He let out a snort of disgust. "Of course he gets the big buff guy. Let me guess, you play football."

"I do," Caleb replied, ears folding back. "And Gabe really needs your help. So get to it."

"You don't get to boss me around." He walked past Caleb, purposefully bumping shoulders. With Caleb's superior bulk, the gesture didn't even cause him to flinch. His supposed co-worker, however, staggered and grunted as he made his way to the kitchen.

Once he was gone, Caleb muttered, "Asshole."

He put aside all thoughts of his gruff co-worker and wet back to serving the customers, putting on his biggest, brightest smile and engaging each of them in idle conversation as he served them. Needless to say, he recommended the tacos. Two and a half hours later, at about eight in the evening, what little dinner rush they had began to die down. The last of the current customers already left, stepping out with a big smile on their face.

Lenny, his co-worker slumped against the counter, loudly chewing some gum while Caleb sprayed some odourless disinfectant on the tables and wiped them down. Once he was done with the tables, Caleb headed over to the kitchen where Gabe was busily washing the dishes.

"Why don't you take five boss?" Caleb asked, moving in beside the big panda. "I'll finish up here. Grab some dinner."

Gabe's grey eyebrows rose and he gave Caleb a soft smile. "What if a customer comes through the door?"

"Big guy like you?" he responded, putting on some gloves. "I bet you could've scarfed down those fifteen tacos in five minutes."

Gabriel chuckled softly and gave him a gentle nudge. "Well you still need to eat, too kiddo. I'll whip us up some tacos. Hell, maybe the smell might bring in more customers."

"Don't count on it," came a grim, lazy drawl. Lenny leaned against the door, still loudly chewing his gum so much so that it echoed in the kitchen. "By eight thirty, everyone's already realised that there are better places to eat than this dump. We'll be lucky to get some drunks wander in here."

Caleb frowned at the lanky man who had to be older than him by at least five or so years. Though he didn't want to judge, the bags underneath his eyes, sunken features and long sleeved shirt belied a man addicted to narcotics. He kept his muzzle shut, knowing that he probably looked like the clean-cut American kid; football star, big, buff, has a sweet ride, good grades and moderately wealthy parents. A stand-off with the 'realistic' druggie and the idealistic teenager was too clichéd for his tastes and he wasn't going to rise to Lenny's bait.

"A customer is a customer," Gabe said, patting Lenny's shoulder with a big paw. "It's how you began, remember?"

Lenny shrugged off the burly panda's shoulder and brushed back his shoulder-length blonde hair. "Whatever. I'm going to go clean the bathrooms. Don't let anyone come in."

Caleb's suspicion of druggie began to rise but he still kept his muzzle shut, instead turning to the dishes and beginning his scrubbing.

"Don't work so hard, pup!" shouted the more experienced waiter. "You'll burn out. And you don't want to burn out at the only job you'll ever be fit for, jockstrap!"

He bit back a laugh and just went back to work.

Gabe let out an almost fatherly laugh and went back to cooking. "Don't let him get to you, kiddo. He's just a little rough around the edges."

"For how long?" Caleb asked with an edge of venom. When Gabe didn't reply for a few seconds, Caleb glanced over his shoulder and spotted the panda counting off days with his fingers.

"About two years now."

"You'd think after two years those rough edges would've smoothened out by now."

The smell of Gabe's signature tacos filled the kitchen and Caleb realised that in his hurry to get to work, he had missed the daily Hale feast. His stomach growled loudly at him and he patted his six pack abdominals.

"Well, it hasn't been easy on him." Gabe brought over a plate of his tacos and began munching on one. "Lenny began working for me right after his folks kicked him out of home."

Caleb lifted his gaze in surprise. "For what?"

The panda shrugged absently. "They wanted him to be a doctor or a lawyer. Something that he wasn't. He wanted to be an artist." Nodding his head absently, the older but still very healthy panda shrugged. "When he applied for art school instead of some fancy law school or began some internship at a hospital, they kicked him out. He came through that door..." Gabe pointed at the front door. "Ready to spend his last dime in this place for one last hot meal."

A soft laugh escaped Gabe's lips. "It was around this time, actually. We weren't busy. Never are around this time. He was half-dead from starvation and he bought one taco." A soft smile touched Gabe's lips at the memory. "I gave him ten. He was so grateful he practically broke down in front of me."

A taco was offered to Caleb who lifted his glove-covered paws helplessly and returned to washing dishes. That crunchy shell was shoved towards his muzzle, Gabe playfully holding it in the air and waiting for him to take a bite. Rolling his eyes theatrically, Caleb opened his muzzle wide so that the panda could put a good portion of the meal between his fangs but still keep enough room for him to chomp down. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of the balanced taste.

"We got to chatting a bit," Gabe said, pulling his paw back. "And he told me his story. I gave him a job. Just form that one night alone, he was able to find some place warm to stay, get a nice, hot shower and come back the next day raring to go for work." A sad edge entered his soft, brown eyes as they gazed upon the doors to the toilets. "It's given him a bad impression on the world."

"Why?" Caleb asked through a muzzle full of taco.

Gabe returned the questioning look Caleb gave him. "What do you mean?"

Remnants of the succulent meat lingered on his muzzle and Caleb licked them away before speaking. "If I were him, I'd be grateful that some complete stranger gave him another chance. I'd make me believe in people again. After the shit his parents put him through, to have someone help me like that... Well..."

His words made Gabe chuckle. "It's not that simple kid. I know all those stories and comics about the supers and the stuff they go through is nice and uplifting but that isn't real life." Gabe took a deep breath and let it out softly. "It's always more complex than it first seems."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience."

A sad smile touched Gabe's lips. "I have two sons." The panda held up two fingers. "Both of them are in the hospital. Both in a coma." Those words caused Caleb to freeze. He immediately shut off the faucet and turned towards the panda in horror.

"What...?"

"They were in an accident," Gabe responded sadly, eyes turning towards the restaurant. "There was a time when this place would be packed every day. I could afford advertising, keeping our menus and equipment updated. Every year, I would redesign the place so that it was fresh, kept up with the trends. But keeping two boys in the hospital..." Gabe sighed and ran a paw over his face. "It puts a strain on the old wallet and these days, I just get my usual customers. It's barely keeping this place afloat let alone keeping my boys alive." He shook his head. "All I can do is wait... and pray."

Caleb tore off his gloves and stared at the pile of tacos that sat in front of him. Then he looked back at his boss. "Gabe..."

The panda lifted his paws. "Now you listen here, kiddo. I'm not going to stop being a decent person and a decent boss just because of my sob story or my problems. The world is miserable enough without me making it worse. So I'm not going to stop paying you or giving you these tacos you love so much." He smiled but Caleb couldn't help but feel that the smile could be much bigger, much brighter. "You do good work, Caleb. You deserve it."

Despite those words, Caleb felt guilty for using this place, this job, to escape his own father. He couldn't help but think that if David Hale were more like Gabe he wouldn't be hiding away in a restaurant.

"Listen," Caleb said. He lifted a finger before Gabe could protest. "Let me finish. There's a big game tomorrow. The game before we face off against our rivals. I'm pretty darn sure we'll win. How about I bring the rest of the team over here after the game?"

Gabe laughed softly. "Sure kiddo. If you think it'll help. I'm not one to turn down help or give it."

The door rang and Caleb turned to find a customer step in, a tall human of Asian descent. Thin and looking like he had just finished running a marathon. Though the sun had set long ago, the guy was sweating up a storm and Caleb could smell his odour from the kitchen even above the smell of tacos. The man stepped in, wiping his brow with his loose, white tank top hanging over his narrow shoulders.

"Hey man!" the man said, waving a hand at them. "You got anything quick? I've still got an hour in my run."

"Are you nuts?" Caleb laughed. "It's eight in the evening, the sun's gone down and you're out running? Hell, winter is around the corner and you're barely dressed!"

The guy was jogging in place, grinning broadly. "Got to keep the blood flowing! That's what keeps you hot! Gonna run a triathlon!"

"I can't imagine," Caleb responded, moving out of the kitchen and heading towards the fridge. He picked up one of the bottles of water. "Here, this ought to -"

Another hand suddenly cut him off, snatching the water bottle from his paw. Lenny moved back towards the fridge, setting down the bottle where it had been.

"You don't need something dull like water. You need energy. You need strength." The smaller human plucked a rose coloured energy drink from the fridge and moved towards the counter. Gabe had moved out of the kitchen and headed towards the counter, tapping in the details of the drink. "That'll be two-fifty," Lenny said without even looking at the price that Gabe was calculating.

The runner reached into his running shorts and handed Gabe the money. The panda smiled and took the paltry sum while Lenny handed him the drink. He took a sip of the energy drink, his eyes instantly brightening and he let out a loud whoop. "Thanks man! See ya around!"

Gabe patted his shoulder lightly. "Good luck on your triathlon."

Then he was gone, bolting out of the restaurant and zooming down the street.

Lenny regarded Caleb from the corner of his eye, a smug expression on his face. "Learn how to upsell, newbie. And learn the fucking menu."

******

His name was Langdon Fa and he came from a long line of runners. If someone were to trace his genealogy, they'd find him related to a courier that lived during the aftermath of the nuclear apocalypse of 2084 down in Las Vegas. Apparently, this courier became pivotal in the stability of the region when a slaver army and the remnants of the old world government fought for Hoover Dam. And eradicating all the bugs in the region. Vegas had been so full of bugs back then.

Hell, the fact their family name survived the following Zombie Apocalypse was something to brag about. No better way to survive bloodthirsty, infectious zombies that running away. That and having an alien race to anthropomorphic people come through a dimensional gateway and use their superior technology to assist in getting rid of the undead.

Langdon Fa was proud to bear his family name and the family tradition of running. Though these days there wasn't much glory in being a courier. As he ran across the Threshold Boulevard, he checked his watch. He had been running for an hour now and still nowhere near the time he wanted. That stop at that restaurant had caused him and he thought scarfing down the energy drink would make up for it but he was starting to reach his limit. That and he had those finance reports to submit tomorrow morning and it was already nine thirty at night.

He sighed heavily, that sigh turning into a series of heavy pants as he ground to a halt by the shore. Leaning against the low wall that stretched across the Boulevard, he scarfed the last remnants of his drink. The drink was from a brand he didn't recognise but he couldn't argue with its effects. It filled him with energy but no matter how much energy he had, he couldn't push himself any further without causing himself serious injury.

One of the rules of a triathlon; know your limits.

No shame it backing down.

Lan, as his friends called him, growled at himself as he tossed the bottle into the nearby trash bin. With the event just in two days, he was nowhere near ready but damnit if he wasn't going to try. For now, his limit was reached and he needed to get home, rest and get up at five in the morning to finish those finance reports.

His stomach growled at him and he lifted his gaze towards the golden arches of the local McDonald's. It always amazed him how, along with his family, the restaurant franchise survived the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Sure some parts of the old world survived thanks to diligent preservation and archiving but of all the things to survive, the titular Big Mac remained. He chuckled softly as he crossed the road towards the restaurant.

As he passed through the automated doors, the smell of fries in the flash fryer, all those patties being cooked in the grill and whatever else they were cooking in the back. At this time of night, the restaurant wasn't very populated. There was a small group of jocks from the high school laughing about something or another while two college girls were sitting as far away from them as possible but giggling and glancing at them occasionally. There was one large, rounded fellow at the counter, ordering a mountain of food which the cashier was more than happy to provide.

Langdon stood in line and glanced at the menu which constantly emphasised freshness. One glance past the cashier and he spied the kitchen where the cooks made the patties from hand instead of just plucking them from the freezers, pre-made and shipped to them day. It was perhaps one of the few good things that came out of the zombie apocalypse. The idea of 'fast food' was rehashed and everything had to be made from scratch. Frozen meals had to go through rigorous testing and most restaurants wouldn't dare taking the risks. Sure there were still pre-packaged, frozen meals provided in supermarkets but they had to go through the same tests as everything else and manufacturers had a standing agreement with the CDC that in each factory, there was a CDC member inspecting _every_package that went out for disease. Franchises like fast food restaurants avoided that entirely by making food in house while carrying the pride of freshness in their meals.

A panther cashier beckoned him over with the titular greeting of, "Hi, what would you like?"

Langdon moved around the rotund fellow who seemed to be taking his time considering how many Big Macs he wanted. He smiled at the panther and said, "Hey there. I'd just like a small McChicken meal please."

"One small McChicken meal," repeated the cashier panther, her smile looking so unnatural. He couldn't blame her. It was late at night in a 24 hour restaurant. This was probably just the start of a very long shift for her. "What drink can I get for you, sir?"

"Just a bottle of water, please."

"That'll be seven ninety-five."

Langdon reached into his wallet and handed over a ten. When he was given the change, he threw it back in his wallet and the cashier turned away to grab his water. The moment she thought he couldn't see, her smile dropped. She wasn't scowling or frowning, just not smiling. Poor kid. Probably doing this job just for the extra money it brought. Or maybe it was the only thing supporting her through school.

He leaned against the counter for a moment, watching the various cooks scrambling around in the back. The guy next to him finally finished his order and it took a whole thirty seconds for the cashier to repeat his order. When finally done, the cashier turned to get his drink, his eyes rolling as if to say, 'Finally!'

"Sounds like a big order," Langdon began.

The guy offered him a small smile, his double chins jostling with the gesture. "I know what I like."

"It's not... preservatives, is it?"

The man laughed at him. "God no. We all know what too much preservatives does to you."

"You mean somehow maintains your body in a state of semi-death, barely keeping you animated and has you desiring for the flesh of your mortal man?" Langdon grinned and hiked a thumb at the fur cashiers. "Good thing we have furs here then. They're immune to the adverse effects of preservatives."

His meal arrived, the panther cashier giving him that all too fake smile. It was still nice that she at least tried. Langdon thanked her and took the tray filled with one of the more classic dishes provided by the restaurant. Though these days there was a wide selection or other more modern meals available, Langdon was sucker for the classics. He took the tray to one of the stools framing the side of the restaurant with its bar-like tables.

While munching on the fries one by one, he took in the nostalgic sight of the red, white and yellow restaurant. The franchise had done well to resurrect how the old stores used to look. Of course there were modern touches like the automated floor cleaning bots and the self-cleaning and sorting trash bins. But all in all, it felt like he had stepped back in time.

Langdon hadn't realised just how small a small fries was until he started groping through the biodegradable container and began licking his fingers free of the salt. He opened the box containing his burger and frowned at the size of the sesame bun sandwiching a fried chicken patty, lettuce and some mayonnaise. His stomach growled for more but he dismissed it as just his two hour long exercise kicking in and his body demanding to be refuelled. To calm the raging beast bubbling in his belly, he opened his water bottle and guzzled down half of the bottle there and then. The growling stopped and he let out a sigh of relief as the cooling touch of the water permeated his body.

Off to the other end of the restaurant, those jocks had moved towards the college girls and began talking them up. Langdon remembered being on the track team when he was those boys' age and yearning for the attention of the girls who always geared their attention towards the footballers. At one point in his life, he had been jealous of all those bulging muscles and sheer mass that could rival a SUV at full charge. It didn't help that furs were naturally taller and bigger than humans. Still, in a thousand years of evolution, humanity's average height had grown up to six foot three and Langdon was above average at about 6'11''. He could rival some of the shorter furs in height but no one could beat him in speed.

Langdon let out a short yelp when a pain erupted from his fingers. He glanced down and found blood rolling down from his fingertips where he had bitten it. His tray lay empty save for his half-empty water bottle.

"I guess I was hungrier than I thought."

His stomach growled again.

"I guess I still am," he murmured.

Deciding that another meal wouldn't hurt, he got up and moved back to the cashier. The panther regarded him guardedly, no doubt anticipating a complaint.

"Hey," he said, taking out his wallet. "Could I get another meal please? Make it large this time?"

Surprised that anyone would actually want to come back for seconds, the panther broke into a shaky grin and complied. "Okay... So one large McChicken meal. Another water?"

The growling from his stomach became audible that even the guy beside him, still waiting for the completion of his order, smirked. Blushing beneath his lightly tanned skin, Langdon said, "Yes please."

The price was given and Langdon eagerly paid for it. One glance to his left and the obese fellow's mountain of food was only growing. It looked like he had five meals all in one. It was making Langdon's mouth water and his stomach began growling so loudly that he could feel its vibrations throughout his entire body. He placed a hand on his stomach, feeling his developing abdominals vibrate beneath his fingers just from the sheer hunger that he felt.

"Are you alright, sir?" the panther asked.

"Yeah," he answered with a shaky smile. "Just hungry, is all."

"Here," she answered, handing him his water. "Maybe this'll tide you over until your meal gets here."

"Thanks," he answered, taking the offered drink. He unscrewed the top and tipped his head back, guzzling the entire contents of the bottle down to the amazement of those around him. Though he let out a relieved sigh, his stomach only growled all the more. It was like feeding a black hole, the more mass he put in the bigger it grew and the hungrier it became.

A worried expression crossed his cashier's expression as she plucked a McChicken from the kitchen and placed it on a tray in front of him with his large fries. Langdon didn't even wait to take it to his table. He seized the fries by the handful and shoved them into his mouth, chewing like a starved animal, eyes wide. Whether or not he took a breath between bites was debatable. In less than a minute, he had devoured all the fries and turned his attention towards the burger that looked so very small. He wasn't going to argue and tore it from its package, taking big bites and barely chewing to savour the flavour.

He felt every food particle running down his throat and for a brief moment, he felt hope in that the next bite would finally be the one that would sate his unusual hunger. But just as it slipped past his heavy, heaving chest, it just seemed to vanish into the void of his stomach and his hunger just growled for more as if it had never been sated.

Salt, mayonnaise and flecks of sesame seeds scattered across his cheeks, Langdon regarded his now empty hands, panicked in his search for more food. His eyes lifted to the wide-eyed panther.

"More," he growled.

"Um... Another large meal...?" She squeaked softly.

Langdon took out his credit card and slammed it on the table. "Now!" he snapped.

She jumped and hurriedly tapped the numbers in before backing away. Langdon was heaving heavily, the hunger in him growing by the second to the point where he was doubling over, clutching his stomach. A hand fell on his shoulder. The big guy was there, looking at him with concern.

"Are you okay there man?"

His eyes went past the guy to the pile of food that sat beside him. Maddened by hunger beyond reason, he shoved past the guy and lunged at the mountain of food.

"Hey! That's mine!"

The runner tore into the food, shovelling fries from packages and ripping burgers straight out of their boxes. For a second, he found his mouth too full of the salty foods so he grabbed one of the drinks and sipped at the straw. Finding the flavourful, carbonated drink was reaching his parched throat too slowly through the straw, he tore off the lid and poured its entire contents down his throat, spilling a large majority on his sweaty tank top and short.

Strong hands suddenly seized him and pulled him away from the counter. Those jocks had him by the arms, pulling him away as he kicked.

"Come on dude, cool it," grunted the big bull.

"Yeah," chimed in his human companion. "The food here ain't that good."

Langdon ignored them and tried to pull himself away, his eyes set only on the half-eaten mountain of food that lay in front of him, tantalising him, teasing him. Some of the chefs had emerged from the kitchen to check out what the commotion was all about and even the manager had stepped out from his office and crossed the room to him.

"Sir, calm down," the ebony skinned man said.

But Langdon was beyond reason. His hunger grew to unbearable levels. He ducked his head, growling loudly in synch with the loud rumbling emanating from his stomach. Every muscle in his body began to vibrate violently. A thick vein rolled up from his left shoulder and cut through his lean bicep, pulsating out against his skin. That vein branched off into dozens of smaller paths until his entire arm became a venerable blue delta of pumping blood. A sound like stone cracking mixed with a bit of leather stretching filled the restaurant. His entire arm bulged, muscles expanding one fibre at a time and adapting to the need to feed.

His bicep surged outwards, causing the jock who held it to immediately let go of him with a startled cry. His tricep followed shortly afterwards and the violent explosion of muscle from his shoulder caused his entire body to launched towards the remaining high schooler who held him. Completely driven by instinct, Langdon threw his growing arm at the one person restraining him. His forearm exploded with new mass and length, his fingers lengthening into enormous steel sausages as they slammed into the bull's muzzle, sending the guy crashing to the ground.

Langdon panted for just one moment before he immediately clutched his stomach as the hunger redoubled itself. His other arm tensed as veins twin to the first rolled down his tanned flesh and began pumping fresh muscle into his lean form. He threw his head back, letting out a feral roar as both his arms reached their full length, falling down near his knees. His eyes settled on the manager who began screaming for someone to hit the silent alarm. He seized the man by the shoulders and threw him aside, immediately going for the pile of food that remained.

His now, enormous hands were made perfectly for shovelling food into his mouth but the rest of body was still too small. The transforming man barely noticed as his back began to bulge and grow, expanding both sideways and upwards. Every vertebrae across his back popped against his flesh as they stretched and grew. Thick mountains of muscle appeared across his back, consuming the remnants of his tank top in their folds until the white fabric eventually tore in half and fell to the ground. His chest expanded with every heaving breath he took, lean pectorals bulging out well above his face that it almost became impossible to see where all the food was. His belly disappeared beneath the thick mountains on his chest, blocking the sight of his abdominal muscles tensing and growing with the distinct V-shape of his torso.

His short, black hair began to thicken. It began to crawl down his back, spreading like wildfire across the mountains of his back, first seeping between the valleys of muscle and then spilling over the plateaus until his entire back was covered in dense, black fur. The same fur gathered around his shoulders and immediately began spreading down his arms and chest. As the spreading transformation reached his lower body, he became aware of another growth that refocused the hunger that was gnawing at his belly.

He paused for a second, bending forward past his massive pecs to his groin. The change had spread towards his legs, giving his thighs volume to the point that his shorts had been pushed up his bulging and hairy quads until they looked like a strained G-string. He watched with a degree of fascination, flecks of food hanging from his lips and cheeks as the bulge in the remnants of clothing grew, pulsating with every surge of hunger that came. Reminded of his need to feed, he threw a handful of fries into his lips. The moment he swallowed, the bulge in his shorts grew, tearing the fabric and giving light to his thick, nine inch cock that instantly began drooling precum all over the counter.

He took shoved more food down his throat and the hunger began to subside but in its place was another need. His cock began demanding attention as its flesh began to turn a bright pink. A loud grunt escaped him as he finally felt the trail of food he had been consuming pass through his stomach and satiate the hunger. Only it was a fleeting sensation as the raw matter of the food he devoured trailed into his cock, filling it with mass and causing it to grow to a monstrous foot long monster. What could not be converted into length or girth was pumped into his balls which immediately converted it into semen. Even then, the rate of production versus the expulsion was disproportioned. The precum he leaked began to thicken and as his calves thickened to support his massive weight, he threw his head back and unleashed a roar that no human could've produced.

His cock erupted, shooting thick wads of cum across the counter to hit the chef who had been standing in shock in front of the ice cream machine. The blast was strong enough to send the man staggered, splattering as the venerable fire hose unleashed its load. Those around him were similarly splashed and some even slipped and fell on the gallons of seed he sprayed.

For Langdon, a connection was drawn.

The pleasure of orgasm was fulfilled by the consumption of food.

More food was good.

He needed more food.

The moment this primal directive was connected in his brain, the transformation reached its final stages. His black furry hands grew the leathery pads of a fur followed by the thick claws of the ursine he was quickly becoming. His feet burst free of his sneakers, tearing through them with their newly developed claws. His roar died in his throat, becoming a feral grunt. His neck thickened to fit his massive frame and the last remnants of his cry filtered out of the developing muzzle that he grew.

Langdon shook his new, ursine head, deep, black eyes staring at the chef was lay soaked in his uniform in cum.

Suddenly, someone seized his big, bulging arm, veins hidden by the thick fur that covered his entire body but still showing off every aspect of his muscular body. He turned with a growl to find the store manager staring up at him. For a second, they stared at one another, Langdon desiring to be fed and the manager's eyes filled with fear.

Then... the manger fell on his knees and immediately went for Langdon's cock, lips wrapping around the pulsating piece of meat. The blast of pleasure that filled the newly made bear could only be matched by the desire to feed and the primal beast that he had become just wanted to double the experience. He seized the last two burgers on the counter with his paws and shoved them down his throat, barely chewing. A loud groan rose from his throat and his balls as they immediately processed the meal. A thick, constant stream of cum shot from his cock and down the manager's throat. For a second, the man choked and spluttered but he began swallowing it all. With each gulp, the man's body began to expand, grow and pulsate with new mass.

The man glanced up at Langdon, panic in his eyes but he was unable to keep himself from stopping to lap up every drop of warm seed that erupted from Langdon. His cock was the first to fully reach its potential, erupting from his uniform's pants and shooting thick wads of cum across the ground. When one of the jocks came into view, Langdon growled at him to back off, unwilling to stop the feeding. But the teenager, eyes wide in horror and confusion knelt next to the manager... and dove for the guy's cock.

Langdon smirked and groaned as one by one, everyone in the restaurant began to approach him and the quickly developing orgy. Even the female clerks leapt over the counter, eyes filled with confusion and the hunger. One of the other jocks shoved the manager way from his cock, wrapping his lips around the faucet that was his cock while the chef he had creamed began lapping up every drop of cum he had been covered with. The other chefs pounced on him, desperate to have some of the seed in them.

They were all so hungry.

******

Caleb never got to shut off Ballistic's engine. The moment he drove into the garage, his father burst in from the kitchen door with Lance and the rest of the family looking on with concern.

"Caleb! We've got Gene Stealers!"

He immediately went rigid and flicked his helmet's visor up. "What? Where?"

His dad was already dressed in his Feral Steel uniform; slate grey and white arranged stylishly in the form of spandex over his muscled form with metal bracers wrapped around his forearms. He still thought the simple grey face mask was ridiculous but there was no denying that the sight of Feral Steel was something that could give even the most hardened villains pause.

"Over at Threshold Boulevard."

His first thought was of Lenny and Gabe who had let him go early as they cleaned up for the night. In response to his father, he switched on weapons mode on Ballistic and crouched against the bike. He was zooming out of the garage a second later, his father soaring in the skies above him in the classical superhero flight position, arms stretched forward and body straight like a bullet. The faint buzzing of a cloaking device dropping reminded him of Lance's presence... and Cory's. It wasn't long before he was joined by Mary in her sleek, black convertible, her licence plates removed to mask her identity.

A faint tingling touched his skin and he stole a glance at his paws. The same faint, blue energies that had wrapped him when Rhiannon had changed his clothes into his uniform wreathed his body just as the Hound's voice crackled through his helmet, the sounds of sirens behind her voice.

"You had all better hurry. I count about twenty massive bear furs inside a local McDonald's_. They're containing inside so far and the police have surrounded the place but that's not going to last long."_

"How did you get on this frequency?" David exclaimed.

Rhiannon laughed softly. "I'm the freakin' Hound of Destruction, kid. How do you think I got on this frequency."

"Don't call me a kid."

"Please. Compared to me thousands of years of age, you're not even a kid. Not even an embryo. You're the thought of a married couple considering a child."

Elliot's voice broke through a moment later. "Rhia, are you on site? How are they infecting others?"

Her voice grew soft, even a little affectionate as she said, "I wish I knew. It's fast though. I only sensed the destruction being caused to the first victim's mentality about five minutes ago but now..."

Caleb took a sharp turn that led him down the western side of the island. Threshold Boulevard was not too far away. "Destruction to their mentality? What do you mean?"

"They're practically feral. Little more than pure instinct driven to feed. And boy do they have a unique way of feeding. Uh-oh... I think they're survival instincts are kicking in. They're starting to emerge! Get here quick guys!"

"Can't you _do something?"_Mary sneered.

"You mean like what I did to you?"

"I ran you over and -!"

Caleb switched off his communicator just as he saw a small, blue comet shoot into view right beside David. He smiled at the sight of Lars in his new, tight-fitting uniform as Flare Blue of Arsenal. Like Caleb, he didn't wear a face mask or helmet anymore and the majority of his uniform was black. The emblem of a flaming, blue phoenix was drawn on his back and his legs and forearms were decorated by bright, blue flames. Blue lines outlined the frame of his big pectorals and perfectly chiselled abdominals as well as the lines across his muscles made across his arms and thighs.

Shaking his head free of any lewd thoughts, he turned his gaze forward. They shot past Hero Taco which had its lights off, thankfully. It seemed Gabe and Lenny had gone home a while ago. Relief washed over him, allowing him to focus entirely on the encroaching Gene Stealers.

The line of police came into view and it didn't look broken.

BOOM!

He skidded to a halt, swerving Ballistic to its side. Mary hit her brakes hard and the airborne heroes stopped in mid-air. An enormous bear erupted from the restaurant, not only breaking through the automated doors but shattering them completely with his head bursting through the concrete framing the door. The fur's huge foot-long cock dripped continuously with precum and his dense, black fur was matted in what had to be more cum. The massive, muscled ursine was followed by four other, huge bears. By the fact that they wore the stretched and tattered remains of letterman jackets, they came from a local high school. A female bear fur, tall, lithe and muscled scrambled from within the restaurant and fell next to one of the former high schoolers, wrapping her lips around his dripping cock while squeezing her breasts. Milk poured freely from her engorged nipples.

The leading bear charged straight at the line of police who fired their guns in a panic. The bullets hit the leathery hide with no effect, falling on the ground uselessly. The bear collided with at the closest policeman cock first. The poor victim choked first from huge, foot-long meat being shoved down his throat and then again from fountain of cum that erupted from the tip. The guy pulled away with a cry, blinded by the thick seed that covered his entire face. The bear would not let him go so easily and picked him up, holding him tight in a crushing bear hug.

Right before their eyes, the flailing policeman changed. His pale flesh tensed and suddenly became covered in tick reddish-brown fur. The guy realised what was happening and reached out for his companions, pleading them for help as his chest expanded and pushing the leading bears arms away from him. His pleas quickly became moans of pleasure as his cock burst from his standard issue pants and started spraying cum everywhere. His growing body burst form his uniform, leaving his huge, muscled body naked to the air for but the briefest of moments when the reddish-brown hair began covering every part of his body. He was finally released from the crushing bear hug and fell to his hands and developing paws.

Panting rapidly, the Police man arched his back, letting out a cry caught halfway between pleasure and pain. His lips surged forward, reshaping itself into a square muzzle. His ears were pushed by a powerful fore to the top of his head where they crew fuzzy and rounded. Once intelligence eyes lost all sense and were replaced with a primal need to feed. It was without though that the newly made bear threw himself at the nearest police car, sending his former comrades scattering. He threw his head back, letting out a feral roar and bit down on the hood.

Caleb watched in awe as the bear tore a hole right through the metal and ate it like it was made out of bread. The former policeman was joined by the leading bear and they both became _chewing_on the metal to the horror of everyone around them. They had all but eaten the hood entirely before they pulled back, their hunger seemingly sated. On some unspoken command, they threw themselves at the nearest uninfected, seeking to spread their 'gift' while their cocks continued to drip wantonly.

"We've got to stop this!" Feral Steel shouted. "Arsenal, move!"

WHAM! WHAM!

Two hulking figures landed in front of Caleb. One was the familiar figure of Madman in his bands of leather that made him almost look like a very sleek, stylish mental institute escapee. The other was a tall, shirtless wolf with blackish-red fur with only a bright crimson scarf around his neck and tight, armour padded black and red pants around his thick thighs.

Blood Wolf AKA Benjamin Connors.

"That is, not going to be our battle cry," Ben growled.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Why do we even need one?"

Caleb slammed his paw against the panel summoning Branding Iron, bringing the crystal gladius and shield to him. Just as the news helicopters were flying in, he stepped out in his armour and welcoming the power of the weapon into him. The warmth of the transformation was intoxicating and he had to fight to make sure he didn't burst through his pants just like that former police officer. Like a gentle wave of strength, the power flooded from his arms first where he held the sword and shield. His paws lost their claws, replaced by dull nails and his black fur became thin and brown, clutching his growing muscles. Forearms bulging with new size, he rolled his shoulders as his arms lengthened and gained new strength.

His already broad shoulders grew. For a second, he felt the tightness of his uniform against his bulging muscles but just like before, it stretched with his expanding form. A moment of vertigo hit him as he grew further away from the ground and there was a moment of discomfort in his feet as his toes fused together, claws being replaced by diamond hard hooves. It came as a surprise when the sneakers that came with his uniform shifted like liquid, wrapping themselves around his ankles like bands.

When his tail lost all its fluffiness to become a ropey, appendage with a tuft at the end, he knew that the most uncomfortable part of the transformation was to come. He closed his eyes. His muzzle shortened, becoming squarer and bulkier, fangs vanishing into dull teeth made for chewing not tearing. Twin pains erupted from his temples like having a momentary migraine. It was only for a second but the added weight of two ivory horns was both strange and welcome at the same time.

He glanced at his transformed body, the first time he had taken on the Minos first since he had been infected. The Hale tattoo on his shoulder still shone through his fur and he briefly wondered if anyone saw it. Then again, he guessed Rhiannon's magic kept it hidden.

Now ready, Caleb banged his sword against his massive tower shield and let out a thunderous roar. The bears in front of him froze, turning towards the gathered Outsiders and supers. Caleb crouched, placing his shield in front of him while his sword was lifted behind him in a classical gladiator's stance. To his left and right, crystal gathered, summoned by his power and formed the shape of several crystal bulls.

Mary leapt out of her car, looking very badass in her jet-black, figure-hugging leather outfit with an accompanying black coat with the same silvery, bladed edges as her previous outfit. Only this time, her coat's edges were separated into three, almost leaf-shaped edges instead of a single, square point. It made sure that each edge could pierce as well as cut.

"Bring it on," Caleb snarled.

He charged with another roar, shield first. The bears tore themselves away from their gorging and turned towards him. The closest to him was a female who was forcing two officers to feed from her breasts. She just pushed the two men away from her to turn to him but was too late. His shield slammed straight into her, sending her crashing to the ground, unconscious. The two officers who had partaken in her forbidden fluids writhed in pleasure and horror as their bodies began to succumb to the change. Mary was suddenly beside him, cradling the first changing man between her legs and sending a crushing punch right to the man's nose. The guy fell unconscious even as his body twitched and changed. Her leg snapped out and caught the other on his temple, sending him into unconsciousness as well.

Huge metal blocks shot from the ground and sent the first wave of charging bears back. Sheets of metal coated the restaurant, trapping those inside. The second wave, however, bit down on David's summoned metal blocks, tearing right through them and devouring it like it was made of chocolate. Cocks for the guys and breasts for the girls leaked infectious fluids upon the feast.

"They all have some sort of common power..." Mary said with her eyes wide in horror. "Not just baseline superpowers... but an actual common power."

"They can eat metal," Caleb agreed with mounting fear. "And it makes them... secrete infectious fluids...?" He did a double back on what he just said and spun towards the restaurant. The sheets of metal his father had summoned were torn from where they stood, devoured voraciously by the bears. Fifteen other bears came charging out, horny and hungry.

"Blade Babe!" he cried.

Mary instantly leapt to her feet, drawing her twin combine blades and spinning it deftly in her hands. "I'm with you!"

The bears were suddenly upon them. Caleb smashed one's muzzle in with his shield, instantly spinning to his right to bring his crystal sword upon another. Behind him, Mary danced with her swords spinning wildly, cutting through even the thick hide of the ravenous beasts around them. The circle of big, muscular bears was starting to close in and Caleb was could smell their need. It was almost suffocating.

"BB, hop on!"

Mary didn't even need to ask what he meant and jumped onto his back, clutching his thick, muscular chest with her legs combining her two swords so that they made one, massive blade. Caleb angled his head forward, trusting the bull in him and charged forward, horns first. The bears didn't get a change to give way as he ploughed through them, swinging his horns upwards to gore the nearest. On his back, Mary swung her massive sword with both hands, driving the bears back. He broke through their line, breathing fresh air. His back was pressed against the low wall to the beach.

Blood Wolf and Madman flanked him as the bears began to advance. Feral Steel, Feral Fang and Flare Blue arrived, all of them sweating from the battle.

"These guys aren't like your normal Gen 1s," Lars said. "Damage them as much as you can but as soon as they get their paws on something to eat, they _heal_and keep coming!"

"Was that a pun?" growled Blood Wolf.

"Sadly, no." He threw his paws back and shot a blast of flame at the approaching bears. The smell of burnt fur hit all their noses as one of the bears was forced to stagger back, a severe burn on his shoulder. The victim just yanked the door from a police car and bit into it. Though his wound was already healing, the moment he swallowed, it was like watching a time reverse itself. Blackened flesh and burnt fur flaked away and new, thick fur took its place. "I'm open to suggestions."

Rhiannon was suddenly in front of them all. "They need to eat something to recover. Deal enough damage to them to force them to eat but weakening at the same time that they can be contained." Her eyes narrowed and she pointed at the half-devoured cars. "Blue, on my command shoot fireballs at each of the police cars." Then she glanced over her shoulder at David Hale. "Steel, the moment things get hot, send some non-lethal spikes into them. Blood, the moment they're wounded, suck out their blood and use it. Madman, BB, Master, Fang get in there and knock them out."

Even Mary didn't argue as Rhiannon lifted her paw, completely invisible to the approaching bears and the hovering media. The infected stepped past her though her white paw was still barely visible.

Then it came down.

Lars flung his paws forward, balls of flame shooting towards each of the cars that remained on the street. The searing flames cut through the exposed hoods and -

BOOM!

Ignited the engines in a violent explosion.

Several of the bears close to the explosions were sent forward into their companions from the shockwave and those that were too far turned in surprise. With the moment of distraction, David conjured hundreds of large spikes in front of Arsenal. He flung his paws forward, sending them into the backs of the bears to pierce their flesh. It wasn't enough to kill them but the pain and shock must've been unbearable as they all let out howls and roars of agony.

Their blood exposed, Blood Wolf used his powers to draw gallons of their crucial life fluids towards himself. Several of the nearest bears fell to their knees, weakened from the sudden loss of blood. Those a little farther away looked dizzy and sluggish as they turned back towards Blood Wolf who suddenly had a huge sea of crimson fluids hovering behind him.

Ben let out a ferocious roar. Every drop of blood suddenly gushed forward, a tsunami of stolen lifeblood. A large number of the bears were instantly thrown back, their heads smashing against the ground and dropping into unconsciousness. Those already weakened were flung further, crashing into the remnants of burning cars and flailing madly as their fur caught on fire.

Caleb let out a roar and he along with Madman, Mary and Lance charged into to midst of the panicked bears. He slammed the pommel of his sword into the skull of one bear, letting it drop into unconsciousness. Huge arms seized his shoulders and tried to lift him off the ground but with their weights nearly the same, even the bear couldn't completely catch him in a bear hug. He swung his sword backwards, the flat of the blade slamming into the bear's muzzle and stunning him. His diamond-hard hooves slammed into the bear's exposed feet forcing the bear to immediately let go of him and howl in pain. Freed, Caleb spun around, shield ready and catching the bear on the side of the head with a heavy shield bash.

Around him, the bears were falling one by one. Madman smashed the skulls of two of the high school bears together with his massive paws. Mary leapt onto the shoulders of another and beat him senseless with her fists. Lance, with all his immeasurable strength, picked two up and slammed them into the ground in an amazing show of strength.

A pained cry made him turn towards the flaming wreckage and his heart instantly leapt to his throat.

Several bears were on fire and they flailed wildly, too mad with pain and too insane to do anything but cry out. Their silhouettes in the fiery wreckage was like watching a visage of hell.

"No..." he whispered. "No!"

"Cory! Now!"

Rhiannon's cry made him turn towards the wolf. An ominous shadow suddenly fell on the whole battlefield. An enormous wall of sand erupted from the beach, blotting out the moon and even the lights from the news helicopters.

His eyes widened in horror as the wall suddenly surged towards them. He lifted his shield in a desperate attempt to shield himself but when the wall hit, he was thrown back, crashing into the ground under all the sand. The roar of the flames and cries of the bears was replaced by the rushing noise of sand sweeping all around him.

Thankfully, the blast did not last long and did not come as a thick layer. Particles of sand rolled off his bovine body, clinging to his fur. The cries of the bears had died down and when he turned, he found all the fires had been doused by the sudden blast of sand.

Puzzled, he turned back towards where Rhiannon had been standing...

... but only found Cory, the kangaroo that Lance was dating.

The roo looked just as surprised as anyone.

"Hell yeah!"

Lance suddenly erupted from the large mound of sand where he had been lying under and charged over to his boyfriend. Cory broke into a big grin and used those big feet of his to carry him into Lance's arms. The two collided in mid-air with Lance immediately swinging him around in joy. They ended the moment with an impassioned kiss.

Caleb had to turn his gaze away from the sigh, his heart constricting around him.

Surveying the battlefield, none of the bears remained conscious. Already, containment vehicles were rushing in from the Elemental Tower, ready to take the victims away and isolate them so that they could not harm anyone.

Fear gripped him, making rising to his feet extremely difficult.

"These were not normal Gen 1s..." he began softly.

"No," Mary agreed, brushing he sand from her hair. "With each strain, the Gene Stealers seem to grow stronger and stronger... Each strain becoming more dangerous than the last." Her eyes lifted to Caleb.

From his other side, Rhiannon stood. "I'm scared of what a Gen 3 might end up being... The destruction these bears wrought... the damage it did to their personalities..."

"Will they recover?" Mary asked, addressing the Hound for the first time without a degree of hostility.

Rhiannon shook her head, her red eyes filled with worry.

"I don't know... I truly do not know."